Chap. VI. 



HONEY FROM 13EEB. 



109 



bands, and it is ready for use. At the commence- 

 ment of the operation which I am describing, one 

 end of the substance was ignited and kept burning 

 slowly as the work went on. The poor bees did 

 not seem to know what to make of it. They were 

 perfectly good-tempered and kept hovering about 

 our heads, but apparently quite incapable of doing 

 us the slightest injury. When the hives were 

 properly fixed in their places the charm was put 

 out, and my host and his servants carried off the 

 honey in triumph. " Come," said he to the ope- 

 rator and us who were lookers on, " come and 

 drink wine." " A.j^' said the half-witted priest, 

 " drink wine, drink wine." So we all adjourned to 

 the refectory, where wine in small cups was set 

 before us. 



In a former work on China — ' A Journey to the 

 Tea Countries ' — I noticed a curious substance 

 called " mosquito tobacco," or " mosquito physic," 

 for it is known by both of these names, which I 

 had met with for the first time when travelling in 

 the western parts of the province of Chekiang on 

 my way to the Bohea mountains and the great 

 black-tea country of AVoo-e-shan. The day before 

 the discovery was made had been very hot, and 

 during the night such swarms of mosquitoes came 

 that neither my servant nor myself had been 

 allowed to close our eyes. I had no curtains with 

 me, and looked forward with dread to many such 

 sleepless nights during the journey. " Why don't 

 you procure some mun-jung-ean ? " said the boat- 



