Chap. VI. 



MOSQUITO TOBACCO. 



Ill 



maker s shop in the city of Ting-hae. On taking 

 it home with me to the house in which I was 

 located, I lost no time in trying its effect upon 

 the mosquitoes, which were numerous at this hot 

 season of the year. On its heing lighted the 

 fumes rose slowly upwards, and the air was soon 

 filled with odours which were not at all disagree- 

 able, not more so than the joss-stick or incense 

 which is burned in every Chinaman's house who 

 can afford the luxury, and in all the temples. It 

 appeared, however, to be no luxury to the mos- 

 quito, for, in two or three minutes after it was 

 ignited, not a buzz was heard nor a mosquito to be 

 seen. 



My next object was to endeavour to find out 

 the ingredients which were used in the manu- 

 facture of this curious substance. For this pur- 

 pose I paid another visit to the shop in which 

 I had bought it. In one part of the premises 

 the people were employed in beating up the 

 various articles used in the manufacture of in- 

 cense, and in another part others were busy 

 making the joss-stick. The head of the establish- 

 ment paid his respects to me very politely, and 

 asked me whether I had found the mosquito 

 tobacco answer the purpose. I replied that no- 

 thing could have done better, and then commenced 

 to ask him some questions regarding the ingre- 

 dients used, their proportions, and the mode of 

 manufacture. At first he was very communicative. 

 He informed me the following articles were used : 



