44 WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. IV. 
hands of the English, being retained by them until 1846, 
under the treaty of Nanking, and Tinghae was of course 
the head-quarters of the troops : we had also military 
stations at Sing-kong and Singkie-mun, the western and 
eastern parts of the island. Major- General Sir James 
Schoedde, the officer in command, to whom I had letters 
from Lord Stanley, very kindly procured me quarters in 
a house within the walls, and I immediately commenced 
operations. I was fortunate in becoming acquainted 
with Dr. Maxwell, of the 2nd Madras native infantry, 
who was stationed there. This gentleman, an ardent 
lover of botanical pursuits, had been most indefatigable 
in his researches, and was consequently able to give me 
much valuable information. 
The soil of the hills is a rich gravelly loam ; in the 
valleys it is more stiff, from having less vegetable matter 
mixed with it, and from being almost continually under 
water. The rocks of granite, however, of the same kind 
as those noticed on the barren southern hills, exist here 
also ; and, although they are generally covered with 
soil and vegetation, they have doubtless been at some 
former times as bleak and barren as their southern 
neighbours. 
All the valleys and hill-sides are under cultivation ; 
paddy is the principal crop on the low grounds, and 
sweet potatoes on the hills. In the spring and early 
summer months, crops of wheat, barley, beans, peas, and 
maize are grown on the hilly and rising grounds, the low 
paddy-land being too wet for such crops. Cotton is also 
grown on the island, but the quantity is inconsiderable ; 
it is only for the home use of the small farmers on whose 
