Chap. VII. PRODUCTIONS OF SILVER ISLAND. 119 



adopted daily until nearly all the farms were visited, 

 and a large supply of tea-seeds was obtained. 



Silver Island consists of a succession of hills and 

 valleys not unlike those of Chusan, but even more 

 rich in appearance. Passing over the first hill and 

 descending into the valley, the traveller at first 

 imagines that he is surrounded on every side by hills ; 

 but proceeding onwards, the road gradually winds 

 round the base of the hills, and another valley as 

 pretty as the last opens up to view. Thus, like a 

 splendid panorama, picture after picture is presented 

 to the eye, painted by the hand of nature beautiful 

 and perfect. 



There is more tea grown on Silver Island than on 

 any of the other islands in the Chusan archipelago. 

 The greater part of what is not consumed by the 

 natives is sent over to Ning-po and Chapoo for home 

 consumption or for exportation to the Straits. Al- 

 though good tea, it is not prepared in a manner to 

 suit the English or American markets. The tallow- 

 tree (Stillingia sebifera) and the " Tung-eau " {Dry- 

 andra cordata, Thunberg) both produce articles of 

 export. The former is well known to produce the 

 tallow and oil so much in use in China : the latter 

 furnishes a valuable oil which is used in mixing with 

 the celebrated varnish of the country, and hence this 

 tree is often called the varnish-tree. 



Having procured a collection of the seeds of these 

 useful trees, as well as a large quantity of tea-seeds, 

 I had the whole of them carefully packed, and left 

 Silver Island for Shanghae, via Chapoo. This route, 



