. A residence among the Chinese: inland, on the coast, and at sea. Being a narrative of scenes and adventures during a third visit to China, from 1853 to 1856. and the towns in thatdistrict; those sailing northwards were on theirway to Soo-chow-foo, while those going in thesame direction as ourselves were for the silkcountry and its rich and populous cities. The water of the lakes was as smooth as glass,and in many places very shallow. Various speciesof water-plants, such as Trapa bicornus, Nympheas,&c., were common, while here and there I cameupon the broad prickly leaves of Euryale feroxcove
. A residence among the Chinese: inland, on the coast, and at sea. Being a narrative of scenes and adventures during a third visit to China, from 1853 to 1856. and the towns in thatdistrict; those sailing northwards were on theirway to Soo-chow-foo, while those going in thesame direction as ourselves were for the silkcountry and its rich and populous cities. The water of the lakes was as smooth as glass,and in many places very shallow. Various speciesof water-plants, such as Trapa bicornus, Nympheas,&c., were common, while here and there I cameupon the broad prickly leaves of Euryale feroxcovering the surface of the water. In the afternoon the scenery began to assumean appearance somewhat different from that ofthe morning. The country was evidently gettinghigher in level and more fertile and the westward I thought I could detect a realboundary to the waters, but I did not feel quitecertain of this as I had been deceived severaltimes during the day. About five we arrivedat a place named Ping-wang or Bing-bong, as itis pronounced in the dialect of the district. Thisproved to be a small bustling town on the edge of -^*^ Ua. Chap. XVI. LAKES AND MARSHY COUNTRY. 339 the lakes, and rather important from the centralposition which it occupies. Fine navigable canalslead from it to all the important towns of thislarge and fertile plain. A very fine one leads onto the city of Hoo-chow to which I was one side it has a substantial paved pathway,which is a high road to foot-passengers, and isalso used by the boat-people in tracking theirboats and junks. I was now able to leave myboat to be sculled slowly along, and walk alongthe banks of the canal. I had reached the eastern borders of the greatsilk country of China—a country which in theseason of 1853-54 exported upwards of 58,000bales of raw silk. The mulberry was now observed on the banks ofthe canal, and in patches over all this part of thecountry. The lakes which I had passed through,and which I ha
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookidresiden, booksubjecttravel
