■ ( ) )
them marks the dignity, or ^vealth of thofe to^ whoxm thej^be-
S'^itliati6h‘l$ jm o H o f ùriiverfal^attention amopg-the Çhinefe ip
^ e â r ig their places* o f refidencej, or-of FdeaÇu^e»t Ns$ da I recoiled;
feeing any houfej or palace of a mandarin, whicji in. the,hpart,
of a 'c iî^ th ÿ tliM not Been éoe&eri.wi,th a palpghle-yie#t to the Iqcak
circumffaiices about it. Sbmetimes' they are feen in v a lle y on the
dçcliyitjes of b ills, and on the b^nks o£ rivers ^whhe^the.ii;-gardens
never fail to have foipething. o f romantic ‘(&araé|er them by,
artificial rodb, or ruiné, ank the 'irrtjodùdlion o f "grotefqjiie forms of
art o f nature.
' In the afternoon we few d great nuipbef o f fiihermen, who had
changed their nets for rods and lines, and were bufily employed, in
their neccffary bufinefs. The modes of oatching fifh in tHelakes,f
rivers, and'canals o f China, are various, anid;.forge o f them peculiar tg i
that country.
In the lakes and large rivers they frequently uie the kind o f baited
lines, which arelmipfoyedphboard fhips to .catch filh finthe~fea. In
" other parts they ùfe hefe'tif The'feme kind, and in the feme manner as
the fiihermen in Europe. Infome places , they ered tall bamboo Ifalks
‘ in the water, on which they fpread a curtain of firong gauze, which,
they extend aciofs certrin channels o f tha rivers j and fon^etimès, where,
there is an opportunity, acrofs the rivers themfelves i this contrivance
effe&uaKy intercepts the paffage o f the filh, which, from the Tb$jt£
thrown in, or attached to thelgâuze, are brought ..therein flrpals i
grèat nùmbers of boats then rçfort to thefe places, and the fiihermen
are deen to employ their nets with great fuccefs.
It appeared, However, on inquiry, fhaftherights o f filhery are as
fcrenuoully exerted in China, as in our own country : for we were in-.
4 formed,
{ 2 ^ )
formed,- that none o f fjiefe ^¥t^^feknfï:[h weyé Employed Ijut for the I
mandarin who polfeïlëd thé1 lh€res^f‘tHat part*"of tlie^rjver^A; by 'fièteW*
theffe who paid a rent 'jför ’ -
The filh caihght in the rivenf Which we have navigate^ cqpfift
chiefly%f a kind bf Whiting, arj3 !vèry.ffine‘ trout excenmt-utiality
and fla’vouf; arid, they ire ïo ahündanf^ that tBoiigh‘thé fifïiermefcÊv
are fd nutriefobs, atrd the'd‘eman‘4 lb'grea? fr^iifttie junks, the former "
gain a • vdy’-fSotfliVelih'Obd, and the latter afewgll^ppireJ. with 4 i:
food, which the creWs o f them arfe laid fé 'prefer, ƒ
’But '-the mbit extraordinary iïióde' p f fiffiihg' in this country, and.
which, I believers peculiar to it, is by birSs trained’ for that purpoie.,
Nor are hawks, when din jJloyed fh the air, or hounds, when jol|opun£
A fèent on the earth, , fegacibüs ïnthejTurfüit of; their prey, -or
möfe certain in obtaining it, than thefe birds' in another element.
They are called Looau, adtf are1 tcflpe fmind, as I am informed, in
no fdther coqntry than that In #Mch we few fern. 'They are aboiif L
the fizê bf k g.oofe; with gffey |)lurriS|e,^ weBbecl^^St,' and Have a
long and very MnS^’bill, th^i^^^aked at „the point. This extraordinary
■ aquatic fowl, when in.its wild Itate, has^nothing uncommon *
in its appearance, nor does it differ frofi dttièf birds whdtp "m.jture-
has. appointed Ü© live onpfthe' 'wfebf. It tfidKeï lfs/nllt^rpong the
reeds ,©f the to r e , or in .the Hallów?s"bTvc^ ffi" or where an ffknd,
offers its Iheléer and' proteélión. Its fecülty‘ó f .dicing,- or' regaining
under water j is not more extraordinary .than tóapy other fowl that prey
Upon filh : but the moft wonderful" chdh^lftbëe/^and ^ leèf as i f 1
were almoft rififiring my credibilify while ¥ rè è febV i/ lh e docilitf o f
thefe birds in employing their natural mftind^ve^powers,, at the,com-'
mand of the fiihermen who poffefs them, ip tl^e fr ine 'tn^ er a i the
hddnd, the fpaniel, or the pointer, fubrfut tÈeir rètpe^ive’ lagacity* tp„
the' Munfftnan, of thé guftri^F.' ’
The