Chap. XX. COLLECTIONS MADE. 



353 



In the beginning of September, my two months' 

 holiday having expired, I left the islands of the 

 Chusan archipelago for the main land. The south- 

 west monsoon was nearly over, northerly winds were 

 not unfrequent, and the weather was already much 

 cooler. Responsible men on whom I could depend, 

 or rather on whom I had sufficient checks, were now 

 despatched to the great tea districts of Hwuy-chow 

 and Fokien for collections of tea-seeds, and I took 

 up my quarters in the districts near Ning-po. On 

 many occasions during these campaigns I was greatly 

 indebted to the British consuls here for much kind- 

 ness and hospitality — in the first instance to Mr. 

 Sullivan, now at Amoy, and latterly to Mr. Brooke 

 Robertson. There is an excellent garden at the 

 Ning-po Consulate, and T often took advantage of it 

 for the protection of my plants. 



Having procured a large quantity of tea-seeds and 

 young plants, I left the Ning-po districts in the end of 

 December for Shanghae. On my arrival there I 

 found that some good tea manufacturers and lead 

 box makers had been engaged, and everything had 

 succeeded far beyond my most sanguine expectations. 

 A large assortment of implements for the manufacture 

 of tea had also arrived. Nothing therefore remained 

 for me to do except to pack my plants and proceed 

 on my voyage to India. 



It was an amusing scene to see these inland China- 

 men taking leave of their friends and their native 

 country. A large boat was engaged, and lay along- 

 side the jetty, to take them and their effects from 



2 A 



