Page 132 - Chinese Porcelain Vol I, Galland

ioo CHINESE PORCELAIN.

Gutzlaff, vol. i. p. 39 : " The destruction they occasion is so
that thousands of inhabitants are starved in
great consequence.
It is, therefore, customary to call forth the and all the
military
inhabitants to kill them, and to drive them the
away by beating
gong and the drums, but all these exertions proved often quite
ineffectual."
Cricket. — " Middle Kingdom," vol. i. p. 273: "The
common cricket is caught and sold in the markets for gambling ;
and of amuse them-
persons high rank, as well as the vulgar,
selves by irritating two of these insects in a bowl, and betting
"
upon the prowess of their favourites." Vol. ii. p. 90 : Com-
bats between crickets are contested with and tub-
great spirit,
fuls of them are caught in the autumn, and sold in the streets
to Two well-chosen combatants are into
supply gamesters. put
a basin, and irritated with a straw, until rush each
they upon
other with the utmost fury, chirruping as they make the onset,
and the battle seldom ends without a tragical result in loss of
life or limb."
Bee, Ant, Mosquitoes. — " Middle Kingdom," vol. i. p. 274 :
"
Wax is also made from wild and domestic bees, but honey
is not much used ; a casing of wax, coloured with vermilion,
is used to enclose the tallow in a candle." P. 275 : " Many
of the internal of the nests of bees and ants, and
arrangements
their peculiar instincts, have been described by the Chinese
writers with considerable accuracy. The composition of the
characters for the bee, ant, and mosquito respectively, denote
the awl insect, the righteous insect, and the lettered insect,
to the of the first, the
referring thereby sting orderly marching
and subordination of the second, and the letter-like
markings
on the wings of the last."
Silkworm. — Gutzlaff, vol. i. p. 40 : " China has been
celebrated from the most ancient times for its silk, and it is
evident that the worms are here The Shoe-
very indigenous.
mentions the silkworm, and out the of the
king points duty
empress to rear it, in order to weave silken stuffs for her
husband, and to give to the nation an example of a thrifty
wife. Che-Keang exceeds all other provinces in the production
of this precious commodity (silk). The apartments in which
the worms are kept are built on a dry rising ground with paper
lattices, so as to exclude and admit the light according to