IN;TO THE FLORA OF CHINA. 
33 
translated into many other languages, devotes several chapters 
to Chinese Botany, viz: I 16-27 Fruits, trees, flowers, economic 
/ plants ; II. 64. On Chinese Agriculture and the Cereals of 
China; II. p. 143-153. On the abundance of several produc¬ 
tions in China. Finally, there is in vol. Ill 378-509 a long 
treatise on Chinese medicine, all translations from Chinese 
medical works, especially from the Pen ts c ao hang .mu, the well 
known Chinese book on Natural History and Materia medica. 
We find there several descriptions of Chinese medicinal plants. 
According to Le Comte (I 368.) these translations are due to 
Father Visdelou, one of the most distinguished sinologues. 
(Born 1656 in France, joined the Chinese mission 1687, -f» in 
India 1737.) 
As Du Halde has drawn all the information, brought 
together in his work, from the letters of the Jesuit missionaries, 
we meet in it most of the matter preserved in the Lettres 
edifiantes. He never quotes his sources, but gives in the 
preface a list of the names of the missionaries, who have con¬ 
tributed to the compilation of the work. I need not mention 
that Du Halde had never visited China. He was himself a 
Jesuit and it seems that he made use of many letters, which 
s the missionaries in China addressed to him and which are 
not included in the collection of the Lettres edifiantes. 
In the sequel I give a list of the Chinese plants spoken of in 
Du Halde’s work, supplying the botanical names as far as 
these plants are known to me. I quote from the original 
French edition. 
The fruit Tsetse (I. 16.) is Diospyros KaJei. (v. Semedo 4, 
Boym 14.) Oranges, Citrons, Lemons (I. 16 and II. 143.) 
Litchi and Long yen (I. 16.) Nephelium Litchi and N. Lungan 
(v. Martini 7.) 
Pampelmoose. yeoutse (I. 16. 17). Citrus decumana. L. 
(v. Martini 9.) 
The fruits Tcin lan and Quang lan , resembling our olives 
(I. 16. 17.) are Canarium Pimela. Koen. sin: ^ HI tsHng 
lan , and 0. album. Rhush. sin: ^ | Jean lan. 
The lioa tsiao, Chinese Pepper (I. 17.) is Zanthoxylum. 
(v. supra Le Comte 8.) I do not know what is meant by “arbre 
qui produit des pois ” (I. 17.) perhaps Bobinia or Caragana. 
Some interesting particulars with respect to the Chinese Va r- 
* nish tree, Tsi ohu (I. 17, II. 174.) Comp, also above Martini 35. 
In the Plnl. Trans, vol. XXII. p. 525. (1700) is an article: 
On the way of making China Varnishes sent by the Jesuits 
in China to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, communicated by 
