404 LARGE PEACHES. [Cuar. XXI. 
promises which have been made to them to be 
broken with impunity. I know the way into — 
Chusan harbour as well as you do, and when the 
anchor is up I shall stand at the helm; and if the 
pilot attempts to steer for Ningpo, he must take 
the consequence.” This threat had the desired 
effect ; and the trembling varlets landed me safely 
at Chusan in the course of the forenoon. 
What with the fever and the excitement of the 
last few days, I was in a most deplorable condition 
when I reached Chusan; but as the greater part of 
my collections were in the country near Shanghae, 
I was most anxious to ascertain in what state they 
were; and, finding an English vessel about to sail 
for the Yang-tse-Kiang, I immediately crawled on 
board, and, having a fair wind, we soon reached our 
destination. I was kindly received by my friend 
Mr. Mackenzie, and under the skilful treatment of 
Dr. Kirk, the fever gradually left me. 
Amongst the more important of the acquisi- 
tions which I made in the vicinity of Shanghae, I 
must not forget to mention a fine and large variety 
of peach, which comes into the markets there about 
the middle of August, and remains in perfection 
for about ten days. It is grown in the peach 
orchards, afew miles to the south of the city; and 
it is quite a usual thing to see peaches of this 
variety eleven inches in circumference and twelve 
ounces in weight. This is, probably, what some 
writers call the Peking peach, about which such 
exaggerated stories have been told. Trees of the 
