rating and aphrodifiac qualities was, for a length o f time,
weighed againft gold. The finewy parts o f flags and other animals,
with the fins o f iharks, as productive o f the fame effefts,
are purchafed by the wealthy at enormous prices: and the nefts
that are conflruCted by fmall fwallows on the coafts o f Cochin-
china, Cambodia, and other parts o f the Eaft, are dearer even
than fome kinds o f Gin-fmg. Mod o f the plants that grow on
the fea-fhore are fuppofed to poflefs an invigorating quality,
and are, therefore, in conftant ufe as pickles or preferves, or fim-
ply dried and cut into foups in the place o f other vegetables.
The leaves o f one o f thefe, apparently a fpecies o f that genus, o f
fea-weed called by botanifts fucus, after being gathered, are
fteeped in frefh water and hung .up to dry. A fmall quantity
o f this weed boiled in water gives to it the confidence o f a
jelly, and when mixed with a little fugar, the juice o f an orange,
or other fruit, and fet by to cool, I know o f no jelly more agreeable
or refrefhing. The leaf is about fix inches long, narrow
and pointed, deeply ferrated, and the margins ciliated; the
middle part fmooth, femi-tranfparent, and o f a leathery confidence.
The Chinefe call it Chin-ebou.
The great officers o f date make ufe o f thefe and various
other gelatinous viands for the purpofe o f "acquiring, as they
fuppofe, a proper degree o f corpulency*, which is confidered
by
* A n old Frenchman ( Cofpgny) but a difciple o f the new fchool, has found out
that the Chinefe are in poifeffion o f a new.fcience, the exiftence o f which was not
even fufpedtedby the enlightened nations o f Europe. A s he has the merit o f m ak ing
this wonderful difcovery, it is but fair to announce it in his o>vn words : t( Je
“ penfe que nous devrions prendre chez eux (les Cliinois) les premiers elemens de la
f£ ¡perby
them as refpeftable and impofing upon the multitude; o f
a great portion o f whom it may be obferved, as Faldaff faid
o f his company, “ No eye hath feen fuch fcare-crows.” It
would be rare to find, among the commonalty o f China, one
to compare with a porter-drinking citizen or a jolly-looking
farmer o f England. T he y are indeed naturally of a flender
habit o f body and a fickly appearance, few having the blufh
o f health'upon their cheeks. The tables o f the great áre covered
with a vaft variety o f diihes, confifting moftly o f ftews
o f fifh, fowl and meat, feparately and jointly, with proper proportions
o f vegetables and fauces o f different kinds. Their
beverage confifts o f tea and whilkey. In lipping this ardent fpi-
rit, made almoft boiling hot, eating paftry and fruits, and fmok-
ing the pipe, they fpend the greateft part o f the day, beginning
from the moment they rife and continuing till they go to bed. In
hot weather théy fleep in the middle o f the day,attended by two fer-
vants, one to fan away the flies and the other to keep them cool.
The province o f Pe-tche-lee embraces an extent o f climate
from 38“ to 4-ot° o f north latitude. The temperature is very
<« fpermatologte, fcience toute nouvelle pour l’ Europe, 'fcience qui intérefle l ’humanité
“ en général, en lui procurant des jouiflances qui l ’attachent à ion exiftence, en en-
u tretenant la fanté et la vigeur, en réparant l ’abus des excès, en contribuant à l ’aug-
** mentation de la population, I l feroit digne de la follicitude des gouvernemens de
“ s’occuper dès recherches qui pourroient donner des connoiflances fur une fcience
a peiné ibupçonnêè des peuples éclairés de l’Europe.” He then announces his
knowledge in preparing des -petites paftilles qui font aphrodifiaques et qui convien-
“ nent fur- tout aux veillards, et à ceux qui ont fait des excès and he concludes
w i t h the mortifying intelligence that he is not permitted to reveal the importarit
fecret “ qui intérefle l ’humanité en general.”
4 a various.