98 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. VI. 
In China, as in England, the chrysanthemum flowers 
during the winter months. When in bloom it is in 
great request among the people, and is used in the deco- 
ration of court-yards, halls, and temples. It is every- 
body's plant, and blooms alike in the garden of the 
lowly Chinese cottager and in that of the red-buttoned 
mandarin. 
Since my return to Shanghae I had been engaged in 
getting the tea-plants carefully planted in Ward's cases, 
in order to send them to India. As there was no vessel 
in Shanghae bound for Calcutta direct, I determined 
to take the collection to Hong-kong, and to ship them 
thence to India. 
At the time we sailed game of all kinds was most 
abundant in Shanghae, and the merchants took the 
opportunity of sending a large quantity down to their 
friends in Hong-kong and Canton. The poop of our 
good ship looked like a row of poulterers' shops at 
Cliristmas. Pheasants, woodcocks, hares, ducks, geese, 
and teal were hanging about in all directions. Every 
airy place, such as the davits, boats, poop-rail, &c., was 
covered with them, besides which there were a number 
of baskets filled with living pheasants stowed away in 
the hold. Many of these birds were very beautiful, par- 
ticularly the white-necked pheasants, and the ducks and 
teal with feathers of every hue. 
All cargo of this kind is taken down freight free ; but, 
as it is of a perishable nature, there is generally a tacit 
understanding between the sender and the master of 
the vessel that, if any of it shows signs of becoming bad, 
it should either be eaten or thrown overboard. Some 
