Chap. II. 
LIME-KILNS— SCENERY. 
41 
Royal Highness Prince Albert, at Osborne House, Isle 
of Wight.* 
For the accompanying sketch of this interesting palm, 
and for several others in this work, I am indebted to the 
kindness of Captain Cracroft, RN., a gentleman whose 
services in China, when in command of the " Reynard,'' 
were highly and justly appreciated by the foreign com- 
munity. 
Limestone rock is very plentiful in this district, and 
there are a great number of kilns for burning it, con- 
structed exactly like those we see at home. Large quan- 
tities of water-fowl, such as geese, ducks, teal, and several 
fine varieties of the kingfisher, were common about the 
river. Inland, on the hill-sides, pheasants, woodcocks, 
and partridges were most abundant. I believe deer are 
also plentiful, but I did not see any. 
Thus day after day passed pleasantly by ; the weather 
was delightful, the natives quiet and inoffensive, and the 
scenery picturesque in the highest degree. My Chinamen 
and myself, often footsore and weary, used to sit down 
on the hill-top and survey and enjoy the beautiful scenery 
around us. The noble river, clear and shining, was seen 
winding amongst the hills ; here it was smooth as glass, 
deep, and still, and there shallow, and running rapidly 
over its rocky bed. At some places trees and bushes 
hung over its sides, and dipped their branches into the 
* In the ' Botanical Magazine ' for March, 1850, Sir William 
Hooker thus writes of it : — " A palm, Chammrops excelsa^ (?) sent to 
the Koyal gardens by Mr. Fortune, has braved unharmed, and un- 
protected by any sort of covering, the severe winter now past." 
(1849-50). 
