396 
MR. FORTUNES MISSION TO CHINA 
which, of course, were directly against us. 
The vessel was at last obliged to put into the 
Bay of Chinchew from stress of weather, and 
having sprung her bowsprit in the gale, it 
was impossible for her to proceed. In a day 
or two her cargo was got out and put into 
another vessel, in which I also embarked, and 
we again proceeded on our voyage. This 
attempt was even more disastrous than the 
last, for after being out for several days, and 
nearly through the Formosa Channel, we met 
one of those dreadful gales so well known to 
the navigators of these seas ; our newest and 
strongest sails were split to pieces, the bul- 
warks washed away, and in spite of every ex- 
ertion we were driven back far below the bay 
from which we started about a week before. 
Two plant cases which I had with me at the 
time were dashed to pieces, and their contents, 
of course, completely destroyed. The Horti- 
culturists and Gardeners of this country, who 
are so critical when they find a few deaths in 
plant-cases after a voyage of fifteen thousand 
miles, know little of the dangers of the ocean. 
" During our stay to refit in the bays of 
Chimoo and Chinchew, I availed myself of the 
opportunity of exploring the adjacent country. 
It was on these hills that I found the pretty 
Abelia rupestris, Campanula grandiflora, and 
Statice Fortuni, which are now in the garden 
of the Society at Chiswick. The natives in 
this part of the country are a lawless and in- 
dependent race, who care nothing for the 
Government, and who set the laws of the 
empire at defiance. I and my servant were 
sometimes placed in most critical situations 
amongst them, where a great deal of tact and 
determination were necessary to get us safely 
out of their hands. 
" Our little schooner being refitted, we 
again hove up our anchor, and stood out to 
sea. This time the winds favoured us, and in 
ten days we were safely moored in the beau- 
tiful Bay of Chusan. As we approached the 
islands of the Chusan Archipelago, I was 
much gratified with the great change in the 
aspect of the country. There was a freshness 
and luxuriance about the vegetation entirely 
different from what I had seen before. Fewer 
rocks were seen protruding through the 
ground, and many of the hills were cultivated 
nearly to their summits, which at once proved 
the superior nature of the soil. The first 
glance at the vegetation convinced me that it 
was very different from what I had seen in 
the south, and that the north of China must 
be the chief scene of my future labours in the 
country. 
" I now delivered my letters of introduction 
to Major-General Sir James Schoedde, the 
officer in command, who very kindly procured 
me quarters in a Chinese house inside the city 
of Tinghae, to which I removed from the ship-, 
and immediately commenced operations. I 
was now fortunate enough in getting ac- 
quainted with Dr. Maxwell, of the Madras 
army, who was stationed there at the time. 
This gentleman, who was an ardent lover of 
botanical pursuits, had been most indefatig- 
able in his researches, and was consequently 
able to give me a great deal of valuable infor- 
mation. 
"I was now continually travelling amongst 
the hills, not only of Chusan and the adja- 
cent islands, but frequently on the mainland, 
where I went without being molested in any^ 
way. The dispositions of the people seemed 
to have changed with the aspect of their 
country. Their features were more European ; 
they seemed perfectly harmless, appearing to 
bear us no ill-will, and frequently were even 
kind, which is saying a great deal for the 
Chinese, unless they have some selfish motive 
for such conduct. 
" After getting together a considerable 
number of plants and seeds, an opportunity 
offered of visiting Shanghae. That port had 
not been yet formally opened, and the chances 
of getting there were few and not to be neg- 
lected. I was therefore glad of the oppor- 
tunity, and sailed for the Yang-tse-Kiang on 
the 13th of November. As we approached 
Shanghae, we seemed to have got into a new 
country. The mountainous scenery had en- 
tirely disappeared, and even from the top of 
our highest mast there was not a hill seen to 
bound the distant horizon — all in view was 
one flat level plain. This is what is, called 
the valley of the Yang-tse-Kiang, ana is the 
great northern Nankin cotton district. The 
land is a rich deep loam, and is without doubt 
the finest in China, if not in the world. 
" In a country like this, which is everywhere 
flat and cultivated, it was not expected that I 
could find very many wild plants. Two, 
however, were met with, which have since 
attracted a considerable share of notice in 
England. I allude to Cryptomeria japonica, 
and Anemone japonica. The latter was found, 
when in full flower, amongst the graves of 
the Chinese, which are round the ramparts of 
the city. It blooms in November, when 
other flowers have gone by, and is a simple 
and beautiful ornament to the last resting- 
places of the dead. If the number of wild 
flowers in this district was few, they were well 
made up by those which I afterwards found 
in gardens and nurseries. From the number 
of flower-shops in the city, which at this season 
were filled with Chrysanthemums, I was quite 
certain that there must be somewhere in the 
vicinity nurseries for their cultivation, but the 
great difficulty was to find them out. The 
Chinese here, who knew little or nothing 
