RURAL CHINA.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVII, Issue 1378, 26 February 1861, Page 5

RURAL CHINA.

We pick the following scraps out of the interesting letter of the Correspondent of the Times, who accompanies tho Allied Forces in their advance upon Pekhi.] 1. For upwards of six miles we passed through gardeni, the produce of which supplied the ganison of the forts and the town of Taku. They were admirably cultivated. Little water-wheels furnished an easy means of irrigation, and the vegetables might have put a Battersea market garden to shame. Large Swede [qu.] Turnips, excellent Fiench Beans, crisp Radishes, Lettuces, yams, and many other vegetables grewin great profusion. The fruit was magnificent. Trellued Vines, whence the ripe luscious fruit hung in mellow clusters, reminded us of Italy. Peaches, water Melons, Apples — very like Newtown Pippins — and Pears of every description, were abundant. For six miles " drooped the heavy-blossomed bower, hung the heavy-fruited tree." 2. For a mile and a half did tho road wind through the streets of Ko-ku, no stieet exceeding eight feet in width. The open sewers were choked to repletion with offal of every description ; what they weie- unable to contain lay scattered about the streets. The houses of mud and straw bore a strong family likeness to thoie of Sinho and Tang-kow,and the peculiar faint, »iokly smell, so well known to all tiavellers m China, greeted our nostrils from every group we passed. 3. Four miles' march brought us to another town, Kiaug-kia-chwang,near which we detei mined to halt for the night. A large Acacia [what was this ?] at the entrance of the village shaded a strip of green by the «ide of some water, and there we pitched our tent. 4. Leaving the town, we came on an extensive plain covered as far as the eye could leach with Millet [qu. Holous] 12 to 14 feet high. For six or seven miles we rode through this gigantic corn, now nearly ripe for tho harvest. The Millet answers a vast variety of piu penes. It* head is mound in flour, and very good flour it makes, or distilled mto shamshoo, the vilest and most deleterious of drinks. The leaves when green aio eaten by the cattle ; when djy they

make excellent fodder. The stalk serves for fuel, f or i thatching, for partition walls, for fences, for mixing with mud for the walls of houses and for the embankments of the canals. Ifc was the only grain wo saw on the road. ■ We were told that directly the Millet is cut at the end of this month Wheat is sown, which w reaped at the latter end of June. The Wheat when out is replaced by the Millet. 5. We have not had one drop of ram for three weeks. The thermometer has risen to 98 ° in the shade at noon, and yesterday we were treated to an Indian " hot wind," but tho nights are cool, and even cold. [Ihis was in September.] 6. Foicmg our way through unsavoury Celestials, we hud oiu selves in a small squaie occupied by the "eel-pie" and " baked Potato " men of the place. Your working man dmes in the street, and this&quaie is a favourite alfresco restaurant. Li, on our right, deals in meat pies. He hab a small charcoal file below his oven, and in a tnce his pM is compounded and cooked before the public. Ho, by his side, supplies vegetable diet, Turnips, Onions, Pumpkins, Yams, cut into small slices and sorved m the water wherciu they aie boiled. Ileie is a man with sweetstuff, pastiy, and "tuck." Theie another with fruit— Grapes, Peaches, Lotus fnut, Water Melons, Apples, and Pears. 7. M. Parkes heaid that a committee of merchants nacl been appointed by Saiig-ko-lm-sm to furnish supplies for the whole Clunose aimy in the uoith. He sought them out, and explained that, as their office had now become a sinecure, they must transfer their allegiance to the Allies. The committee made no demur, and a tanfF of puces was soon artauced. They rated the Mexican dollar at 1000 O.ish, which at the present late of exchange, gives 200 casli for a Is. The pound avoidunnis u equal to the Tien-tsin catty by which everything is .sold Bullocks aie divided into three classes The fii st weigh about 5001 band cost 2f> dollais (£5) per head ; the second, wei«hinc about 400 lbs , aie fixed at 20 dollais , tho tlmd? .about 300 lbs., aie 15 dollars each. Sheep of all sires cost 3 dollars per head. Bocf and mutton are also sold by ictail, the fust at 3d , the second at 4d pei ft. Tea is Is. 2d , sugar 4a , and flour 2^d pei ft Onions, Turnips, and Pumpkins, five cash per 1b • fowls 9d., and ducks Is. 9d. each. The finest Grapes may be had in abundance at 3d. per lb. , the largest peaches at Id. each. Water Melons— most lefieshmg of fimts and laige enough for a dozen, —cost 5d each. Ice m laige block* of 25tb , puie and clear as the finest Wcnham Lake, is sold for Gd. a block. There is any quantity of foiage of eveiy description —hay, Millet stalk, gieen Gi ass, Paddy, Peas, Beans, and Indian Corn. Coal costs and charcoal Id a pound. Coolies receive Is. per day per man Supplies of every descnption aie abundant and excellent. The mutton is fat and well flavomed, and no fiuei Gzapes oi Peaches are giown than those which now come to Tien-tsin maiket A favouuto fnut with the Chinaman is the classic Lotos, m shape like a small Melon [what can this be '] ; it is full of stoneless kernels, sweet and pleasant to the palate Often and often have I eaten them without experiencing the dieamy sensations they aie said to pioduce. " 8. The banks of the canal aie fringed with very laige Willows, weeping and upright. Ascending 10 miles the aspect of the country changes First come topes of large tiees, and then what may really be dignified by tho name of a wood. We jump on shoie and enjoy oiu tiffin sidi tcr/minc The timber is large and fine- Walnut [qu], Willow, Locust trees [qu.], and immense Peai tiees. 9. Yesteidaythe thermometer stood at 102° m the bell tents and undertheawnnigsof the "Gianada" [In Sept ]