126 TEA DISTKICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VII. 



kinds raised by Mr. Salter in France would be much ad- 

 mired even by the Chinese florist. It is a curious fact, 

 however, that many of those kinds, such as formosum 

 and lucidum, which were originally raised from seed 

 in Europe, are also met with in the north of China. 



The Chinese, like ourselves, have their weather- 

 prophets and cold winters. It had been predicted that 

 this winter (1848-9) was to be very severe. The 

 thermometer was now down to 17° Fahr., and there 

 was every appearance of the prediction being fulfilled. 

 This degree of cold is felt much more in Shanghae 

 than in England, owing to the piercing nature of the 

 wind, which seems to find its way through every pore 

 of the skin. 



Since my return to Shanghae I had been engaged 

 in getting the tea-plants carefully planted in Ward's 

 cases, in order to send them to India. As there was 

 no vessel in Shanghae bound for Calcutta direct, I 

 determined to take the collection to Hong-kong, and 

 to ship them thence to India. 



At the time we sailed game of all kinds was most 

 abundant in Shanghae, and the merchants took the 

 opportunity of sending a large quantity down to their 

 friends in Hong-kong and Canton. The poop of our 

 good ship looked like a row of poulterers' shops at 

 Christinas. Pheasants, woodcocks, hares, ducks, 

 geese, and teal were hanging about in all directions. 

 Every airy place, such as the davits, boats, poop- 

 rail, &c, was covered with them, besides which there 

 were a number of baskets filled with living pheasants 

 stowed away in the hold. Many of these birds were 



