fucceflion o f dwellings; fo that this whole diftance might almoft
be confidered as one continued ftreet. H a lf o f the buildings
eonfifted, however, o f places o f convenience to which paflen-
gers might retire to obey the calls o f nature ; and the doors, or
rather the openmgs into fuch.eredions, were always invitingly
! ° ntlnS the ftreet- T o each fingle dwelling, whether alone or
Joined, with others, was annexed a fabric o f this defcription.
Each was conftruded upon a large terrace ciftern, lined with
iuch materials that no abforption could take place; and ftraw
and other dryrubbifh are thrown in by the owners, from time
to time, to prevent evaporation. In one o f the ftreets o f Canton
is a row o f buildings o f this kind which, in fo warm a
climate, is a dreadful-nuifance; but the conf,deration o f pre-
ferving that kind o f manure, which by the Chinefe is confidered
as fuperior for forcing vegetation to all others, has got the better
o f both decency and prudence.
All the paifengers we met upon this road were laden with
jars o f oil expreffed from the Camellia. In the courfe o f
eighteen miles, which is about the^ diftance from the fummit
o f Me-lin to the city o f Nan-Jhmn-foo, we palled at leaft a
thoufand perfons on their way to Nan-gan-foo, each bearing ten
or twelve gallons o f 9il and among thefe were a number o f
women.
Having now traverfed five o f the provinces o f China, that
are confidered among the moft populous and produdive in the
empire, a general fketch may be drawn, by taking a ''retro-'
fpedive view, o f the ftaté o f agriculture and the condition o f
the