Cuar. XVI] TOMBS OF THE CHINESE. 321 
recovered in the course of a fortnight, and was 
able to proceed to sea, where the change of air 
completed my cure. I reached Hong-kong in No- 
vember, and forthwith made preparations for send- 
ing my collections home in several vessels, which 
were at anchor in the bay at this time. 
During the summer which had now passed by, I 
had had frequent opportunities of inspecting the 
tombs of the Chinese both in the northern and 
southern districts. In the south, the natives form 
no regular cemeteries or churchyards, as we do in 
Europe, but the tombs of the dead are scattered all 
over the sides of the hills, the most pleasant situa- 
tions being generally selected. The more wealthy 
individuals often convey their dead a considerable 
distance, and employ a kind of fortune-teller, whose 
duty it is to find out the most appropriate resting- 
place. This man goes with the corpse to the place 
appointed, and of course pretends to be very wise 
in the selection of the spot, as well as in the choice 
of the soil with which the ashes of the dead are to 
mingle in after years; and upon trial, should the 
particular earth appear unsuitable, he immediately 
orders the procession off to some other place in the 
neighbourhood, where he expects to be more suc- 
cessful. I believe many of the Chinese have this im- 
portant point settled before they die ; for one day 
when one of our principal merchants went to call 
on old Howqua, the late Hong merchant at Canton, 
a tray was brought into the room with several kinds 
¥ 
