354 



FLOWERED CRAPES. 



Chap. XVII. 



silks or crape, and even the coolies liave at least 

 one silk dress for holyday wear. 



Altliongli tlie fans and silks of Hoo-chow struck 

 me particularly when walking through the town, 

 it abounds also in all kinds of articles in common 

 use amongst the people. Embroidered shoes, hats, 

 caps, umbrellas, tobacco-pipes made of bamboo and 

 nicely painted, porcelain of all kinds, and indeed 

 every conceivable article in demand amongst the 

 natives. 



But in Hoo-chow, as at Nant-sin, the great 

 trade of the place is in raw silk. Near the north 

 gate many large hongs were pointed out to me 

 where this trade is carried on most extensively. 

 Here the silk is sorted, stowed, and made up into 

 parcels, which are afterwards despatched to Shang- 

 hae, and offered for sale to foreign merchants. It is 

 estimated that about four-fifths of the silk produced 

 in this district is exported to Europe and America ; 

 but considering the large quantity consumed by 

 the people themselves, I doubt if the proportion 

 exported is so large. 



The greater part of the silks and crapes used in 

 this part of China are manufactured in the adjoin- 

 ing towns of Soo-chow and Hang-chow. Flowered 

 crape, however, a very beautiful production, is 

 made in Hoo-chow. The process of manufacture 

 is thus described by the Rev. Mr. Edkins in the 

 ' North China Herald :' — 



" Two men were engaged at a loom in a cottage 

 on the side of a stream. One sat at the end of the 



