Chap. XI. 
SHANGHAE. 
175 
CHAPTER XI. 
Shanghae in 1844 — Its Gardens and Plants — Start for the Hills 
in the Interior — Canals and Bridges — Adventure with my 
Pony — The " Tein-ching," or blue Dye, found — Hills and 
their Vegetation described — The Surprise of the Natives on 
seeing a Foreigner — Their Curiosity and Honesty ! — Plants 
sent to England — Another Journey into the Interior — Some 
large Northern Cities noticed — A Midnight Visit from Thieves 
— The far-famed City of Soo-chow-foo visited — A Description 
of it — New Plants found — Central Position of Soo-chow as a 
Place of Trade — Baths for the Million — Eeturn to Shanghae. 
I AGAIN visited Shanghae, on the 18th of April, 1844, 
and spent two or three weeks there at different times. 
My principal object was to see all the plants in the 
different northern districts as they came into flower, 
and it was therefore necessary that I should stay as 
short a time as possible in each place. I have mentioned 
that I purchased a collection of Tree Pceonies during my 
first visit to Shanghae in the winter of 1843, which were 
said to be very splendid things, and entirely different in 
colour from any plants of the kind which were known in 
England. I had of course at that time no opportunity 
of seeing their flowers, and was now, therefore, particu- 
larly anxious to get some which were in bloom, and had 
intended to send my old friend back again to Soo-chow 
for another collection, stipulating, however, that the 
