62 
REMINISCENCES OF A VOYAGE TO AND FROM CHINA. 
To the Editor. 
Sir, —In conversation with an acquaintance of yours the other day, 
lie apprised me of what I was not before aware of, namely, that you 
had, in your earlier days, made a voyage to China, in quest of certain 
plants, natives of that country, and had succeeded in introducing a few 
of them, which are now among the chief ornaments of our gardens. I 
asked whether you had ever published any account of the results of 
that voyage, but was answered, “ Nothing further than some short 
papers in the Gardener’s Magazine, and what was communicated to 
botanical friends seeking information about Chinese plants.” 
Being myself interested in obtaining the history of every known 
plant, and also a subscriber to the Horticultural Register now under 
your special management, I beg leave to suggest whether a series of 
papers describing your observations, made in the course of that voyage, 
might not be an amusing, and, I doubt not, an instructive narration to 
your readers. It would give you not only an opportunity of describing 
the herbs, shrubs, and trees vou met with, but also the tropical scenery 
and effects of climate, of which untravelled readers can have but a very 
imperfect idea. 
Trusting you will excuse this application from a stranger to your 
person, though not to your w T ritings, and hoping that what I have 
taken the liberty to suggest will not operate as an irksome or disagree¬ 
able task, I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, 
Exeter . Dec . 20, 1835. G. B. 
In compliance with our correspondent’s wish, we have transcribed 
the following memorandums: — 
Reminiscences of a Voyage to and from China, in the 
Years 1792-3-4. — The writings of Kempfer and Thunberg who had 
both visited the eastern parts of Asia, particularly China and Japan, 
gave glowing descriptions of the vegetable riches and beauties of that 
distant region of the world. These accounts created a strong desire 
among European botanists to procure living specimens of those 
foreign plants. The direct path to China was open, and trading ships 
from all the maritime nations of Europe, made frequent voyages to that 
extensive empire. Seeds could easily be purchased at Canton; but 
the buyers being totally ignorant of the Chinese names of the plants 
particularly wanted, the same worthless things were brought to Europe 
repeatedly, which been received a thousand times before. Very 
beautiful drawings of their flowering plants ivere often received in 
Europe on the manufactured goods of China; and the curiosity 
excited by the figures executed on screens, cabinet goods, &c., raised 
