PREFACE. 



It is now nearly fourteen years since I landed in 

 Cliina for the first time, in the capacity of Botanical 

 Collector to the Horticultural Society of London. 

 From 1848 to the beginning of 1851 I was en- 

 gaged by the Honourable Court of Directors of the 

 East India Company in procuring supplies of tea- 

 plants, seeds, implements, and green-tea makers, 

 for the government plantations in the Himalayas. 

 In the end of 1852 I was deputed a second time 

 by the East India Company for the purpose of 

 adding to the collections already formed, and par- 

 ticularly of procuring some first-rate black-tea 

 makers for the experimental tea-farms in India. 



The present volume gives an account of my last 

 travels amongst the Chinese — from 1852 to 1856 

 — which it is hoped will be found as interesting 

 as my former ' Three Years' Wanderings,' and 

 ' Journey to the Tea Countries.' 



During my first visit my investigations were 

 chiefly confined to the coast near the five ports 

 at which foreigners are permitted to trade. In 

 my second book I described some long journeys to 

 the green and black tea countries ; and in this one 

 I have endeavoured to give the reader a minute 

 account of some extensive districts of country 



