Page:To the Court of the Emperor of China - vol II.djvu/169

EMBASSY TO CHINA IN 1794-5. [page no.] 159 gins already to shew itself above the surface. The level of the land is at least ten feet above the surface of the canal, and intersected by large canals and ditches full of water. The ground, which is of an argillacious nature, appears very fertile and of easy cultivation. The corn here has a thick stalk, and large and numerous leaves, which are a sufficient proof of the goodness of the soil. I observed that in some fields, and in particular spots, the corn was sown in little furrows eroding each other at right angles; in others the seed was set in a right line by means of a drill (Semoir); and Iastly, there were some places, but a very few, which appeared to have been sown by the hand, as with us, and in general in narrow beds, with little paths between them, as in the kitchen- gardens of Holland. All these diversified plan- tations cheer the eye, and the whole is as free from weeds as our pleasure-gardens. As far as the eye could reach the whole country was crowded with farms and habi- tations; and signs of abundance and prosperity were every where visible. The houses were all built of bricks and covered with tiles. There seemed however to be a scarcity of cattle; for during