| Henry Charles Sirr (1807-1872) was a British lawyer, diplomat and writer. He was a barrister who qualified at Lincoln's Inn, London and eventually went into government service. Sirr served as British Vice-Consul in Hong Kong from 1843. He described his experiences in the book, China and the Chinese, Their religion, character, customs and manufactures; the evils arising from the opium trade; with a glance at our religious, moral, political and commercial intercourse with the country. The book provides important contemporary insights into the nature of the opium trade and the endemic smuggling that took place in the Pearl River region. He also worked as Deputy Queen's Advocate for the Southern Circuit of Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka) in the mid-19th century. He is perhaps best known for writing Ceylon and the Cingalese, their History, Government and Religion; the Antiquities, Institutions, Revenue and Capabilities of the Island; and a full Account of the late Rebellion; with Anecdotes illustrating the Manners and Customs of the People. This two-volume book was published in 1850 and was widely regarded as an authoritative account of life in Ceylon. It was cited by Jules Verne in his 1870 classic, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. In chapter 2 of the Second Part, the book's narrator, Professor Aronnax, tells the reader that while searching for a description of Ceylon in Captain Nemo's library aboard the Nautilus, "I found a book by H.C. Sirr, Esq, entitled Ceylon and the Cingalese." 1 |
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China and the Chinese by Henry Charles Sirr
(1849):
"One of the lions invariably visited are the Faa-tee, or " flowery land"
gardens, which are situated two miles and a half above the city of Canton, and on the opposite side of the river; these
are in fact nursery-gardens, and the Chinese proprietors cultivate flowers for sale. The head gardener drives a
lucrative business, by furnishing seeds to foreigners; but most unfortunately, the seeds sold by this old gentleman rarely
thrive, and he has frequently been accused of baking or boiling them to prevent their germinating, possibly with injustice,
as Mr. Fortune states, at page 156, "I am quite certain that he does everything in his power to preserve them, but very
likely some may be a year or two old before they are despatched to Europe. Besides, the long voyage round the Cape,
during which the seeds have twice to cross the tropics, is very prejudicial to their germination." There are ten of
these Faa-tee or nursery-gardens; none of them large, and the proprietors say they are not very profitable; [100] the
dwellings of the tenants of these gardens are situate [sic] at the entrance through which
visitors pass: the walks of these gardens are narrow, and the plants are in ornamental jars, placed on either side.
Various patches of ground serve as stock-beds for the dwarf vegetation (which will be hereafter described in another part
of this work), oranges, roses, camellias, azaleas, and that curious
citron which grows in the form of an extended hand;
this fruit is much valued by the Chinese for its delicious perfume, and is used by them to ornament their temples and
dwellings. In spring these gardens are seen to great perfection, they are then ripe with all Flora's most exquisite
gifts, and we cannot do better than quote the words of her talented disciple and celebrated botanist, Robert Fortune,
page 158, "They are then gay with the tree poeny, azaleas, camellias, and various other plants. The azaleas are
splendid, and reminded me of the exhibitions of the Horticultural Society at Chiswick, but the Faa-tee exhibitions were
on a much larger scale and every garden was one mass of blossom, and the different colors of red, white, and purple blended
together, had a most beautiful imposing effect. The principal kinds were azalea indica, indica alba, ph?nicea,
lateritia, variegata, and the yellow azalea amenais. I may mention in passing, that I found the latter plant wild on
the Ning-po hills, so there is no doubt of its being a genuine Chinese species. The air at this season, around Faa-tee
is perfumed with the sweet flowers of the Olea fragrans, and the Magnolia fuscata, both of which are grown extensively in
these gardens. Dwarf trees, as may be supposed, occupied a principal station; [101] they are trained into the most
grotesque and curious forms. The plants, which stand next to dwarf trees in importance with the Chinese are certainly
chrysanthemums, which they manage extremely well, perhaps better than they do any other plant, so high do these plants stand
in favour of the Chinese gardener, that he will cultivate them extensively, even against the wishes of his employer; and
in many instances rather leave his situation than give up the growth of his favourite flower. I was told that the
late Mr. Beale used to say that he grew chrysanthemums in his garden for no other purpose than to please his gardener, not
having any taste for this particular flower himself." (pp. 99-101)
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Charles_Sirr
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