Note 13 — PART THE FIRST.

Osbeck, in his voyage to China, speaking of the Camellia, says, “I bought one of a blind man in the street, which had fine double white and red flowers. But, by farther observing it in my room, I found that the flowers were taken from another; and one calyx was so neatly fixed in the other with nails of bamboo, that I should scarce have found it out, if the flowers had not begun to wither. The tree itself had only buds, but no open flowers. I learned from this instance, that whoever will deal with the Chinese, must make use of his utmost circumspection, and even then must run the risk of being cheated.” Vol. VII. p. 17. Mocquet in his Travels and Voyages, An. 1606, l. 4. p. 264, relates a curious piece of deception practised by a Chinese of Canton. “A Portuguese,” he says, “bought a roasted duck at a cook’s shop in Canton. Seeing it look well, and appearing to be very fat, he carried it with him on-board his vessel, to eat it; but, when he had put his knife within it to cut it up, he found nothing but the skin, which was upon some paper, ingeniously fitted up with little sticks, which made up the body of the duck; the Chinese having very dexterously plucked away the flesh, and then so well accommodated this skin, that it seemed to be a true duck.”