X ^8.^
l793. The number of thefe birds in a boat are proportioned to the'ihze-of
it. At a certain fignal they r ^ j r i t g , the water, and diye^aften-the-
ecem er. ^ ^ ^ ^ moment have teized, the prey, ^ they fly .with it'to
théi* boat j and though there are fn Hunflrei o f thefe wêïïelsMn the fleet,
thefe fagycious birds always 'return tqtheiy own, mafteijs.,( and amidft
tie throng 'of' fifhing junks which' are fometimes aflembled iom thefe
occafiohs,' they "never fairto'diftinguifh tha^t to-which they heloi^|
When the fifh are in great plenty,' thefe aftopifhmg ^djindifitriaus,
purveyors1 vyilf fobnfill a^boatwith them :> an^ wi^hfomedtpes ~bfe feen
flying'along with a fifhi^fuch fize^.jii^pmake th^bfeholder, „w ip is
uinaccuftomed to thefe fights, fufpedf Iris organs of vifion - nay; 4 fc
has been fo repeatedly af|e^ted to- nK ,as^t ta_preyent^^.ny. douljt^of
the information, that, from, their extraordinajy.doe^ty .and ^agg^ity,-
when olle b£ them happens to ha^etaken a> fi&‘wStch i^ '^ b u lk y .
for the management of a fingle fowl,- thé - reft -will .Mnmédiafd^
afford' their'’SÏÏiftance. ^ B u twhile^they aré th^JaBopring ,%5't>efr;
matters, they are! prevented, horn paying' any a.ttention»r.ytojjjjpher^Fi
- félvés, by a ïing which is pafled .round^ thei^ne^ks^ ar^ds- fo^con^
trivèd'as,to< fruftrate any attempt to fiy^oWjthe leaft morsel ofiwhat,.
they take»' 1
We alfo faw another fifhing party, which, jho,ughjit ,.had|more(p£
ndifeMedh^Vcuri^lty in it, Icannot fodkgr-tq deferibei,. It confuted
o f at leaft thirty fifhermen featedfike fo manylay^órsipn a wide' board*j
fupported By props in, the river* jvhejp they were-angling: 'Tberea
was another "grbupe o f thefe people near the. fhore, who had-embanMedu
afiart o f the river with fand, where, by.yaking the bpftqifhiyith a,
hind o f fhovel, they caught large quantities o f fhrimps andff
iheii fiih. •/;
A t an early hour in the afternoon we arrived before the city ^of Vang-
oh-chean,- whérè the junks anchored fdf twp hpprsy and the Apibafi-
fador received a vifit from the grand mandarin. This place is te f
confiderable
W93- •
December.
I 2*9 |
confiderable extent, and covers, the whole flat that lies between the
rivpr ?md]a knge1(q|jfigh moi* tains.
' ^ h e river; waSifpr. fqipe dif||up,enlivened,by a fuqceffion. of villages Wednrfdayv
o n t^ Jc hA ^ ^ p it- ^WOiei^pafled fome^confiderable %wns,^ which
I j g J e d ! by - |^ |u b k ^ a p g e ^ o f ‘ .%e&jand crag§| hilljp j d t h
groves and'thickets hanging (an,d wherever there was
any flat or level Vppb vSether lt^was towards. the _ bottom of thefe
cl’i3st-.! o rm S ^ a y , o |!b n „m ^ fu lri^ S ^ an, houfe .was erected, whifcH
io ^ e d the moft ^fightfui' and rohmtlc, Tefene^ t^at^can be cony .
<eeived»
*1 h S < ra fr e a (^ fiivthis. part n f our travels*, through
' 'i^hina, the J i o ^ p p ^ p ^ ^ o ^ ^ b i i t , i n general,of a
pjeafiug ..^pearafic,», 'and'that a oluf^r ^ pottages, whofe, exteriqr -
form U m d interafi|Wi;ftGhedn€fs,r is fiy no means a.cdmrnpn objedt.
prefented t|g f e g ||| qp& ©ifthern,;where the
-babi'tatipnS'were,, .in-^reafa meafore, forme^.pfi 'logs, o f ^ o p d ft but
‘?itke Vfe had .vnot^lei^e ^to. giye ithem more than a glance of
<• comrtiifci^tion, -Irb very allurihg^were the charms of,the- furrOqndiqg ,
*qpifiat|y.i where,, not only^flie refidenee^iperfons, of difiindbion^^pt
the v ill^M ^ d ith e farnufip^fe ¥ e Placed jn,.the i%oftvxomantic
£ | u ^ ^ ^ ? u d mdjyidprily/d%layyitte moft, pfeafing pidures, or
ndfc^Pe:
^ •T h e weather was become moderate and pleafant; but the riyer was Tfmrfday^
fp'fhoaly in ^foip,e„ places, and fueh; a rpqkyrbottprrr in ofliers, that it
dangeyous.jfo proceed after fun-fet, t
The p^icil.o%a;mafter«aight;here communicate.forae.general idea-
of the pecjdaar beauties qf the country through which we pafled,and.
the- cqkfinual'variation 'of i t ; fiut it is not in the power of language to
conyey any corredt image even of the individual objects, much lefs of
- * , ; ; - Mjl . '-.f' 1 1 the