[ 2 57 ] 
The Perficaria, of which they make indigo in and 
about Peking, merits attention. Indigo is alfo made 
of the Perficai'ia maculata , with which the banks of 
rivers and Areams often abound ; but it is of an infe- 
rior quality to that made with the other Perficaria., 
the feeds of which I fent you ; and this even is not 
of equal value with that made of the anil, fuch as is 
made in the fouthern provinces here, and in thofe of 
America. 
The ftones of apricots come from a lpecies of tree, 
whofe fruit is not eatable. Thefe trees are only cul- 
tivated for thefe {tones, from which an excellent oil 
is produced for burning ; and which, inttead of olive- 
oil, we ufe for our lallads. 
The Hoai tze are the clutters of the flower of a 
bafiard Acacia, from whence a mod beautiful yellow 
tindure is drawn, by boiling them with a little alum. 
The hoang tchi tze produces yet a finer tindure : but 
the finefi yellow colour of China comes from the 
hoang pe pi j and thefe three are prepared in the fame 
manner. 
A kind of fluff is made from the cods of the wild 
filk-worm, called kien tcheou , excellent for wear, 
when made for gain, but chiefly that, which is made 
from fuch cods, as I fent you in 1749. It is fcarce, 
and dear. There is another kind of kien tcheou , of 
of which they fell a large quantity at Canton : it is 
made of the iilk drawn from other cods, fome of 
which I fend you this year. Thefe cods are capable 
of being wound on wheels or fpindles. The firA I 
lent are only wound on fpindles ; but firA they muA 
be boiled in a firong lye, made of the aflies of the 
Aalks of the Sarazin corn, till they are capable of 
K k being 
