B o ta n y . mëróf thefe is principally cultivated for the ufe of its leaves, on which,
the filk worms are fed.; and of the bark of the j latter, paper, and a kind
of cloth, are made. Noi mull the two -fpecies of the tea tree, thea vi-
■ ridis and bohea, be left unnoticed, whofe leaves conftitute fo large a
proportion, of the European trade with China.;
Several beautiful plants grow wild in the hedges, fach as gomphrêna
globofa, globe 'amaranth; impatiens balfamina, ialfam 1 and that .élégant
climber- .ipomea -quamoclk; boeckea frutefcens, brionia cordifolia, and
hedyfarum pMchellum. ’
.Of thofe plants that grow in "China by, the river fidés,: or in marfby
places,, the mod worthy of notice are the fmilax china' and farfaparilla j
maranta galanga, gdlangale, ufed in medicine - ;nymphsa -nelumbo, a
fpecies'of 'water 7/7y, ,the robts 'Of which are efeulent; arundo bambog;
bamboo, the largeft plant of the graft kind, theftemsóf which, from their
lightnefs and ftrength, are applied to a Multitude of uffeful piirpb'fes;
. mimofa Chinenfis, aralia Chinenfisf,’ cacalia incana, and aftêjfr'Mdléüs^
China-after, a common ornament of our gardens; the fplendid and capricious
ixia, and the élégant azalea-indica. Among ruins arid in fhady
places are urtica mvea^fnc/wy "w&ilci 'Carina Indica, Indian retd; ckffiea
fophora, convallaria fmenfis, and hedyfarum gangeticum.
Béfides the* multitude o f Vègètabfes that are-cultivated as articles of
■ human food, and which are probably nativés' öf India, Jajian,' ahd the
neighbouring iflands, the following are found ida truly wild ftate in
China, viz. three fpecies of dolic-hos, kidney béan '; d. finenfis, calvanfes ;
d.' foya, from the beads of which thé true_ Indian |By is made; and d.
-cultratus: diofcorea alata, yam ;, cueurbifa fiüénfié, Chip# gourdy vftco?
tiana tabacum, tobacco ; and convolvulus battatas, Jweet pot a toe.
The rocks and mountainous parts, as far as they have been examined,
abound with beautiful plants, among which may be particularized jxora
coccinea, a moil elegant ihrub, with large fcarlet bloffoms; nauclea
orientalis; convolvulus hirtus; hairy bindyyeed, with yellow flowers;
.monarda finenfis; daphne indica ; and lobelia zeylanica, «
A few others which have been introduced into our gardens remain to
h e Mentioned: celofia criftata ; mirabilis odorata j crotaftria juncea ;
9 - rofa
sofa ; indieaj.fitPi'/«# refer, diapthus finenfis, China pink ; " and barleriâ Botany.
criftata.
Tht^jzoologyt of China may,he, conceived todbé. extremely various and Zoology,
kitérefting, as many even • of the, common laMtUals differ fo -much ins
thek appearance.. from ; thofe found in/.plhey cp^tdeg.^, finch, is the- ':'.’
opukuce of materials in every)Apartment..of, zopdpgy,; thapthe reader, p
nmft b|i referredto"Oft)eck, apd p£her,fedulpus enquirers into natural hif-
tory, forfatisfa<f%m- on afufijedt which; might .extend tafeveraj' volumes.'
There'are few animals’ wjhich.are not;"kriowhin- the.othpyMgjbris of. f-
the eaft, but an attempt to pqint out the diyerhties in fpecies wtfuld .
exceed*the limits pf J:hgg^efent'defign. Du Halde;Ærts;Æhat,th&hpn.
is ,ndt*found apt on ^ the Ghinefe - atjim^ ; but there, are i.tigers,"'„buffaloes,
wild boars,hears, rhmocerofes, Cadieîàydteeh, '&cî°'i;opnle ofjthë,
camels are not higher, $ian hprfes. -W.i^ tey^o ‘while- |fiat kind
called the dromedary, with one hhneh, isfoum^nytfte northern parts of
Africa, and other comparatively temperate .regions, ,|>ei^g |moye nume.
rous than the. camel. The mifik deer, is another ^fingula'r animal of
China as well as Tibet*:. and Du Halde, has enumerated fevemtfaWpgs
animals, like.fhe griffins and dfagons of claffictd fable(, amp^^hfçh^
a large ape,' which is faid-to imitate all'the .étions pf Man, and a kind-
of tiger refembling a hQrfÇ‘Ç°yere4 .with fcal|s.AmorfyÂe fiiras many
are‘remarkable fbr their^beautifuHorms and’colours^m which‘they are*
rivalled by a variety of’moths and hufterffiesi' , .)
Among the metals* lead and tin feem to, be die rareft.^ China,, pro- Mineralogy,
duces mines of gold, fiiyer,.irqn, whiMic%febr, i^mmon copper,fMerr- ,
cury, lazulite or lapis lazuli, jalipef, rock cryftd; io^dftoney,gramte, p^
ghyry, arid various marbles'. ! According, to i^ej^hie^' arh found' in
China ; but others affert that they,bomèîrpm Aval
In many of,thpt northern provinces( f^ihcoal ft found in abundanpey *
According fo Du Halde it forms veins in the locks,; which would conftitute
an uncommon circumftancé in the hiftoiy pf that mineral. The
pommoMpeople generally^ufe if, poutided with water, and .dfied^in the
fiorm of cskes. Du Halde 'fays fliafthe ufè -'d’f irwaV dangéfÔ^s frBM
itsfuffocating finell, except a veffel pf water were placed near the ftove.
I l i l f l Î . - . 3 S . " |
Pékin