434
Collections made by Dr. Cantor at Chusan. AUG.
and not left their shops, little of the injury to property that did occur would have taken place; but almost all, both rich and poor, fled away, leaving their houses entirely unprotected, a portion of whose contents were taken by various people of the expedition for their own immediate use, but by far the greatest part, indeed almost the whole, by Chinese thieves from the villages, who ransacked the deserted
houses.
For some time, three of the regiments were quartered in the centre of the city. Chinese shops were instantly opened near, and even among the quarters of the men; and the sellers, seeing that the sol- diers had plenty of money, used every effort to obtain their custom. It was amusing to see the mode of bargaining carried on; it was done partly by signs, showing the amount of money asked and offer- ed for various goods, and partly by words-for the foreigners, soon acquired a knowledge of a few of the most common Chinese words, and the Chinese picked up a few English and Hindustanee terms, as also the numerals and names of coin, from which a curious com- pound or mixed language arose, which however answered the
pur- pose to the satisfaction of all parties.
ART. H. Conspectus of collections made by Dr. Cantor, assistant surgeon, during his employment with H. M. 26th regiment. on the expedition to China, 1840.
[This article first published in the Calcutta Journal of Natural History, No. 5, has been kindly forwarded to us, with a few corrections, by Dr. Can- tor. It will form a valuable addition to previous articles on Chusan.] Penang.-Fishes, Shells, Zoöphytes, Insects, Plants. Singapore.-Fishes, Shells, Zoöphytes, Crustacea, Plants China Sea. Fishes, Molluscs, Zoöphytes, Animalcula.
Lantao I. (Canton Prov.)-Fishes, Shells, Crustacea, Plants, Geo.
logical specimens.
Chusan.—Mammalia, Birds, Reptiles, Fishes, Shells, Crustacea, Annulata, Arachnidæ, Insects, Plants, Seeds, Geological specimens.
Conspectus of Animals observed and collected at Chusan. (Rough
draft.)
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.