CiiAP. XVII. POPULATION— FOREIGN TRADE. 
287 
of their hair. The rustic cottage beauty employs the" 
more large and gaudy, such as the red Hibiscus ; while 
the refined damsels prefer the jasmine, tuberose, and 
others of that description : artificial flowers, however, 
are more in use than natural ones. 
The population of Foo-chow-foo has been estimated at 
about half a million ; and I have no doubt that, if the 
suburbs and numerous villages in the vicinity be taken 
into account, the number is not over- stated. Up to the 
time when I left China, little or nothing had been done 
here in the way of trade, and I cannot help thinking 
that its advantages in this respect have been greatly 
over-rated. It is never likely to be a place of as great 
importance to England as the more northerly port of 
Shanghae ; and for this very simple reason — the physical 
nature of the country is against it. The whole of the 
surrounding region is mountainous ; the rivers are rapid 
and in some places shallow, and are often liable to rain- 
floods. There are consequently many impediments in 
the way of a free transmission of goods into the interior 
of the country. Foo-chow-foo was supposed to possess 
great advantages, omng to its being near the Bohea or 
black-tea district ; and it was thought at one time that 
it might form the great emporium for the export of this 
article to Europe and America. This opinion, however, 
has hitherto proved fallacious, and I believe it is now 
ascertained that the black teas can be brought more 
readily to Shanghae or Ning-po than to Foo-chow-foo. 
In addition to all these disadvantages the natives 
seem a lawless and turbulent race, having all the charac* 
teristics of those in the Canton province, and, like them. 
