far paffed through the country without having feen a fingle
plant o f the tea-fhrub, but here we found it ufed as a common
plant for hedge-rows to divide the gardens and fruit
groves, but not particularly cultivated for its leaves.
A t the city o f Tchang-fan-Jhien we had again a ueck o f land
to crofs, in order to join the barges that were prepared on another
river falling towards the weftward, by which a connexion
was formed with the ufual route, from Pekin to Canton, from
whence we had deviated at the Yang-tfe-kiang river, on account
o f fome o f the fuite being intended to join the Hindoftan in the
harbour o f Ychu-fan. We were the lefs forry for this deviation,
as it gave us an opportunity o f feeing a part o f the country over
which there is no general communication with the grand route.
In palling this neck o f land, on a very fine caufeway, judici-
oufly led through the defiles o f the mountains, we firft obferved
the terrace fyftem o f agriculture, fo frequently mentioned in the
writings o f the miflionaries. The Chinefe feem to entertain
a particular averfion againft fowing or planting on Hoping
ground and, accordingly, when fuch occurs, they level it into
a number o f terraces one riling above the other, which they
lupport by ftone walls, i f the earth Ihould not be thought fuf-
ficiently ftrong for the purpofe. The great conveniency o f
leading the water from the uppermoft to the loweft terrace,
without lofing any o f its nutritive effects by a rapid courfe,
feems to have fuggefted this mode o f preparing the' ground.
In a hot and dry country, vegetation becomes languid without
the command o f water ; and I obferved that on the uppermoft
terrace there was invariably a tank or refervoir to collect the
1 ,! waters
waters falling from the upper parts o f the hills. The expence
o f labour, that had evidently been employed on fuch terraces,
was fo great as to make any fuitable return to the huibandman
apparently impoflible ; and ftill lefs fo in other places where the
hills were completely dug away to the ikeleton rocks, and the
foil carried upon the marihy ground at their feet.
• With all this induftry it might be concluded, from the general
appearance o f the people, that they merely gained a fub-
fiftence. It was with the utmoft difficulty that the officers o f
government could procure, in the whole city which we laft
departed from, a fufficient number o f chairs for themfelves and
thofe gentlemen o f the embaffy who preferred to be thus carried,
and horfes for the reft. For the ibldiers, indeed, that
compofed his Excellency’s .'guard, they had prepared a fort
o f open bamboo chair, fixed' between two poles and meant to
be carried ihoulder-height. But the ibldiers, fqueezed into
thefe little chairs and elevated in the air, with their feathers
and their firelocks, foon perceived that they cut fuch ridiculous
figures and that the poor wretches who carried them were in
fo miferable a condition, both with regard to their clothing and
their habit o f body, that, affiamed to be thus dragged along,
they prefently difmounted and infilled, in their turn, upon
carrying the Chinefe. Our condufrors affeaed to confider this
as a good jo k e , but others were evidently nettled at it, fup-
pofing it might have been meant as a kind "of oblique refkdion
on the indifferent accommodations that had been provided at
this place for the Embaffador and his retinue; which were
3 y 2 however