Chap. IX. 



BAMBOOS. 



191 



them as the Chinese are themselves. Sometimes 

 I had them split up, boiled, and dished by them- 

 selves ; at other times they were used in soup, like 

 cabbage ; and on one occasion Mr. Forbes, the 

 American consul in China, to whom I recom- 

 mended them, taught me to make an excellent 

 omelette, in which they formed one of the in- 

 gredients. 



In the south of China, that is about Hongkong 

 and Canton, several kinds of the bamboo are very 

 common. There is a yellow variety with beautiful 

 green stripes, painted on its stems as if done by the 

 hand of a most delicate artist. But all these kinds 

 resemble the Indian varieties, — that is, they grow 

 in dense bushes, their stems are not remarkable for 

 their straightness, and the large joints and branches, 

 which are produced on all parts of the stem, give 

 it a rough surface, and consequently render it 

 unsuitable for fine work. 



These tropical, jungley-looking bamboos dis- 

 appear as we go to the more northern latitudes ; 

 and in their places we have the mow-ehoh^ already 

 mentioned, the long-sin-chok, the hoo-cltok^ and one 

 or two others, all with clean stems and feathery 

 branches, suited for the most delicate kinds of 

 work, and all "good for food." These trees are 

 well worth the attention of people who inhabit 

 temperate climates, such as the south of France, 

 Italy, and other parts of the south of Europe. 

 No doubt they would be well worth introduction 

 to some parts of Australia, New Zealand, and the 



