Chap. I. 
DECEITFULNESS OF NATIVES. 
5 
were some very formidable objections to this course. 
Suppose I had engaged Chinese agents for this purpose 
— and plenty would have undertaken the mission — how 
could I be at all certain that the plants or seeds which 
they would have brought me had been obtained in the 
districts in question? No dependence can be placed 
upon the veracity of the Chinese. I may seem un- 
charitable, but such is really the case ; and if it suited 
the purpose of the agents employed in this matter, they 
would have gone a few miles inland to the nearest tea 
district — one which I could have visited myself with 
ease and safety — and have made up their collection 
there. After staying away for a month or two they 
would have returned to me with the collection, and, if 
requisite, have sworn that they had obtained it in the 
country to which I had desired them to proceed. It is 
just possible that they might have done otherwise ; but 
even if they had I could not have been certain that 
such was the case, and I therefore abandoned all idea 
of managing the business in that way, and determined 
to make an effort to penetrate into the Hwuy-chow 
country myself, where I could not only procure the true 
plants which produce the finest green teas of commerce, 
but also gain some information with regard to the 
nature of the soil of the district and the best modes of 
cultivation. 
I had two Hwuy-chow men in my service at this 
time. I sent for them, and inquired whether it was 
possible to penetrate so far into the country. They 
replied that we could easily do so, and that they were 
quite willing to accompany me, only stipulating that 
