Chap. V. 
TEA-SEEDS OBTAINED. 
75 
where lie considered himself safe. It was not necessary 
for me to believe all these things, more particularly as 
all the luggage had come safely to hand, which could 
scarcely have been the case had the boatmen been as bad 
as was represented. 
For three days the rain fell incessantly, and it was also 
very cold. The Chinese tried to keep themselves warm 
by putting on thick clothing, and, strange to say, by 
reading aloud, which they did in a loud singing manner, 
repeating the words as fast as they could. When tired 
with this way of amusing themselves, nearly the whole of 
them went to bed, as being the most comfortable place 
under the circumstances, and strongly recommended me 
to follow their example. 
Sung-lo mountain, which in ordinary weather I could 
have seen from the windows, was now enveloped in a 
cloak of mist, and every tree and bush was bent down 
with heavy drops of rain. At last, on the fourth day, the 
clouds cleared away, the sun shone out again with his 
usual brilliancy, and the whole face of nature wore a 
cheerful and smiling aspect. I was now out every day, 
from morning until evening, busily employed in collecting 
seeds, in examining the vegetation of the hills, and in 
obtaining information regarding the cultivation and 
manufacture of green tea. By this means I obtained 
a good collection of those tea-seeds and young plants 
from w^hich the finest gTeen teas of commerce are pre- 
pared, and much information of a useful kind, which 
I have endeavoured in the last chaper to lay before the 
reader. 
In the mean time I had not lost sight of the beautiful 
E 2 
