Page:A Residence Among the Chinese.djvu/18

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CONTENTS.

— Temple on hill and fine scenery — Lake near north gate — Temples and priests — My servant's mode of answering ques- tions — Chesnut-trees discovered — Introduced to India — Chi- nese tombs and ceremonies — A widow comes to worship — Beggars and coffins — Different customs in different countries — Reflections Page 41

CHAPTER IV.

Entomology — Chinese ideas respecting my collections — My sanity doubtful — Mode of employing natives to assist me — A scene on returning to my boat — Curious tree — Visit from a mandarin — An endeavour to explain my objects in making collections of natural history — Crowds of natives — Their quietness and civility — Return mandarin's visit — My reception — Example of Chinese politeness — Our conversation — Inquisitiveness of his ladies and its consequences — Beauty of ladies at Tse-kee — Our luncheon and adieu 59

CHAPTER V.

Visit a collector of ancient works of art — His house and garden — Inspect his collections of old crackle china and other vases, &c. — Fondness of Chinese for their own ancient works of art — Description of ancient porcelain most prized by them — Ancient enamels — Foo-chow enamels — Jade-stone — Rock crystal — Magnetic iron and other minerals — Gold-stone — Red lacquer and gold japan — Porcelain bottles found in Egyptian tombs — Found also in China at the present day — Age of these — Mr. Medhurst's remarks 78

CHAPTER VI.

Boat-travelling — Unsettled state of the country — A midnight alarm — Old quarters at Tein-tung — A good Buddhist priest — Chinese farmers — Their wives and families — Chinese women's passion, and its effects — Woman's curse — The author is seized with fever — A native doctor and his mode of treatment — Method of taking honey from bees — Mosquito tobacco — Its composition and manufacture 93