314 COCHINCKINA. 
is as pleasant and refreshing as any kind of jelly whatsoever. 
And as few countries perhaps, can boast of a greater num- 
ber of species of the Fuci and Ulvee than are found on the 
coasts of the British islands, future generations, may discover 
those nutritive qualities which many of them contain, and 
not limit the use of them as articles of food to a few species, 
which is the case at present ; for excepting the Esculentm or 
Tangle, the Saccharin us, better known in Iceland than in Bri- 
tain, the Palmatus or Dulse, which the Scotch say is not only 
rich and gelatinous but conmiunicates to other vegetables 
with Avhich it may be mixed the fragrant smell of violets^ and 
lhat species of Ulva well known on the coast of Wales by the 
name of Lavcr, all the rest seem to be neglected. 
But the CJtin-chou of China, called more properly Hai-fsai 
or sea-ve get able, is not only used as an article of food, but 
is employed both in China, Japan and Cochinchina as a 
gummous or gelatinous substance, for giving additional trans- 
parency to large sheets of paper or coarse gauze used for 
windows or lanterns. The latter, made sometimes of slips 
of bamboo crossed diagonal])^ have frequently their lozenge- 
shaped interstices ^\ holly filled with the transparent gluten of 
the Hai-tsaL 
The Cochinchinese collect likewise many of the small suc- 
culent or fleshy plants, which are usually produced on salt 
and sandy marshes, as the SaJicorma, Arenaria, Critlinmm 
Maritimum or samphire, and many others, which they either 
boil in their soups or stews, or cat in a raw state to give 
sapidity to rice which, in fact, is with them the grand sup- 
is 
