fore, were now ready. These were now filled with earth, and all the plants carefully planted; at the same time large quantities of tea-seed, chesnuts, and other things of that nature were sown in the soil and left to germinate on the voyage to India. My other collections of the seeds of useful and ornamental trees and shrubs were well dried and packed in a common wooden box.
It is very rare that there is a vessel from Shanghae direct for Calcutta, and consequently all these things had to be transshipped at Hongkong. Living plants are not like bales of merchandize; they are easily destroyed by the admission of salt water or salt air, and are more likely to be damaged while undergoing transshipment than during a long voyage at sea. As on former occasions, I determined to accompany my collections to Hongkong, and look after the transshipment myself. The formation of this collection had cost me much labour and care; the unsettled condition of the country rendered it extremely doubtful that I should be equally successful in the following season; and it was therefore an object of the first importance to endeavour by every means in my power to ensure the safety of that now in hand.
Everything went according to my wishes; Hongkong was reached in safety, the collections were sent on to Calcutta in four different ships, and a few months afterwards I had the very great satisfaction to hear that the whole had arrived at their destination in excellent condition. No fewer
