256 REMINISCENCES OF A VOYAGE TO AND FROM CHINA. 
sunflower, or peck a bit of ripe pear or apple; but such damage is very 
trifling, and is a reward which should not be grudged, considering the 
great good they do both to the gardener and farmer.” 
We have added these few remarks on useful birds in gardens, as 
connected with destructive insects, as showing how much those little 
creatures assist the gardener in freeing his trees and plants from 
noxious insects, and in order that he may know his friends from his 
enemies, which are often confounded with each other, and suffer 
indiscriminately. 
MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 
Reminiscences of a Voyage to and from China (continued 
from page 220).—The ships composing the fleet in which we returned 
to England were ordered to assemble at Macao; and when all had 
joined, the next day was appointed to weigh anchor, homeward bound. 
The fleet consisted of twenty-eight East India Company’s ships, the 
Argo British ship of war of forty-four guns, a large Spanish frigate, 
and a heavy Portuguese ditto, all under the command of Commodore 
Sir Erasmus Gower, of the Lion sixty-four gun ship of the line. 
The fleet sailed in two lines, the foreign frigates leading, with the 
Commodore in the centre, and a little in advance of the whole, the Argo 
bringing up the rear. Thus stationed, and favoured with a fine breeze, 
we sailed southward down the Chinese seas. 
The day we bid adieu to the coast of China was undoubtedly the 
happiest we experienced during the whole trip. We had got a fine 
assortment of plants, and of the very kinds we had come so far in quest 
of; they were all in high health, and so placed that no ordinary acci¬ 
dent likely to happen on board a ship, either in working the vessel or 
from wind or weather, could befal to prevent their safe transport to 
Europe. We pictured to ourselves the high gratification which would 
be felt by our worthy employer, to find himself at last in possession of 
plants which he had long wished for, and spent much money to pro¬ 
cure. We anticipated the congratulations with which we should be 
received by our personal friends on our return, with such an unique 
collection of Chinese rarities ; in short, we considered that the most 
important and agreeable adventure which could be undertaken by a 
young enthusiast, was already in a great degree accomplished. 
The heat of the weather previous to and at our departure from 
China, ranged between fifty and seventy degrees, the sky generall 3 r 
