ClIAP. VII. 
GARDENS AND NURSERIES. 
105 
" But then shops do not contain the things which I 
want/' said L 
" Then give us the names of the things you want, and 
w*e will get them for you." 
" But how can I give you the names ? I do not under- 
stand your language ; you would, of course, send to your 
nurseries for them if I could only furnish you with their 
names." 
"Yes." 
" Oh, then, you have nursery gardens in the country ? " 
" Yes ; but they are a very long way oK" 
Of course I knew enough of the Chinese by this 
time to doubt every word they told me, unless I had 
good reasons for believing them to be speaking the 
truth, which T had not in this case. I also saw at a 
glance, from the state of the plants, that they had not 
only been grown in the country, but I knew from their 
condition that they could have come but a very short 
distance, for they had been dug out of the ground with 
a portion of the soil adhering to the roots. For some 
few days, however, all my efforts were completely baffled, 
until a lucky circumstance enabled me to get the better 
of my Chinese friends. My servant and myself were 
returning home from the country, after an unsuccessful 
day's search, when, as we neared the north gate of the 
city, I shot a bird, which was new to me, being at that 
time engaged in making a collection of the skins of 
Chinese birds. I was of course immediately surrounded 
by all the boys in the neighbourhood, who were quite in 
raptures at my gun, as it was so different from their own 
clumsy matchlock. "Now,'' said I to the juvenile crowd 
F 3 
