little and conflantly demanded neceffaries of life are purcbafed,
fuch as could not conveniently be obtained by way o f barter. Silver
is rarely lent out at intereft, except between mercantile men
in large cities. The legal intereft is twelve per cent, but it is
commonly extended to eighteen, fometimes even to thirty-fix.
T o avoid the puniihment o f ufury, what is given above twelve
per cent, is in the ihape o f a bonus. “ Ufury, in China,” ob-
ferves Lord Macartney, “ like, gaming elfewhere, is a dilho-
“ nourable mode o f getting money ; but by a fort o f compa&
“ between neceffity and avarice, between affluence and diftrefs,
“ the profecution o f a Jew or a iharper is confidered by us as
“ not very honourable even in the fufferers.”
The greater the diftance from the capital, the better was the
apparent condition o f the people. The Viceroy, | when he
received his Excellency on the entry o f the embafly into this
province, happened to caft his eye upon the half-ftarved and
half-naked trackers o f the boats; and being either alhamed o f
their miferable appearance, or feeling compaffion for their fitu-
ation, he ordered every man immediately a fuit o f new cloaths.
In the morning, when our force was muftered, we were not
a little furprized to fee the great alteration that had taken place
in the appearance o f our trackers : every man had a blue cotton
jacket edged with red, a pair o f new white trowfers, and a
fmart hat with a high crown and feather. The natural fertility
o f the country, its central fituation commanding a briik trade,
the abundance o f its fifheries on the large rivers and lakes
were incentives to induftry, for the vaft population that feemed
to be equally diftributed over every part o f the province.
i Rice
Rice being the ftaple o f China was abundantly cultivated,
in all fuch places as afforded the greateft command o f water.
The ufual average produce o f corn-lands is reckoned to be from
ten to fifteen for one; and o f rice, from twenty-five to thirty;
commonly about thirty, Thofe corn-lands that will admit o f
eafy irrigation are ufually turned over with the plough immediately
after the grain is c u t ; which, in the middle provinces,
is ready for the fickle early in June, about the fame time that the
young rice fields ftand at the height o f eight or ten inches.
Thefe being now thinned, the young plants are tranfplanted
into the prepared wheat lands, which are then immediately
flooded. Upon fuch a crop they reckon from fifteen to twenty
for one. Inftead o f rice one o f the millets is fometimes fown
as an after-crop, this requiring very little water, or the Cad-
ja n , a fpecies o f Dolicbos or fmall bean, for oil, requiring ftill
lefs. Or, it is a common praUice, after taking off a crop o f
cotton and indigo, in the month o f October, to fow wheat, in
order to have the land again clear in the month o f May or
June. Such a fucceffion o f crops, without ever ihffering the
land to lie fallow, ihould feem to require a large quantity o f
manure. In fa£t, they Ipare no pains in procuring compofts
and manures; but they alfo accompliih much without thefe
materials, b y working the foil almoft inceifantly and mixing
it with extraneous matters as, fo r inftance, marie with light
and fandy foils, or i f this is not to be had, ftiff c la y ; and on
clayey grounds they carry fand and gravel. The y alfo drag the
rivers and canals and pools o f water for dime and mud ; and
they preferve, with great care, all kinds o f urine, in which it
4. c 2 is