Year: 1872

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Mr. Fortune, the well-known English bot.


anist, thus describes the mode adopted by


the Chinese for taking honey from bee.


hives


"The Chinese hive is very rude affair,


and looks very different from what we are


accustomed to use in England. Ii consists


Of rough box, sometimes square aud some.


times cylindrical, with movable top and


bottom. When the bees are put into hive


Of this description it is rarely placed on or


near the ground, as with us, but is raised


eight or ten feet, and generally fixed under


projecting roof Of house or out.building


My landlord, who had number of hives,
determined one day to take some honey from


two Of them, and half-witted priest who


was famous for his powers in such matters,
was sent for to perform the operation. This
man, in addition to his priestly duties, had
charge Of the buffaloes which were kept on
the farm attached to the temple. He came
around in high glee, evidently considering
the qualification Of no ordinary kind for the
operation he was about to perform. Curious
to witness his method of proceeding with the
business, l left some work with which l was
busy, and followed him and the other priests
and servants Of the establishment to the
place where the hives were fixed. The form
Of the hive was cylindrical, each was about
three feet in length, and they were rather
wider at the bottom than at the top. When
we reached the spot where the hives were
placed, the operator jumped upon table
placed there for the purpose, and gently lift
ed down one of the hives and placed it on
its side on the table. lie then took the
movable top off, and the honey comb, with
which the movable top was quite full, was
exposed to our view. In the meantime an
old priest having brought large basin, and
everything being ready, our friend commence
ed to cut out the honey-comb with knife
apparently made for the purpose, and having
the handle almost at right angles with the
blade. Having taken out about one-third of
the contents of the hive, the top was put on
again. and the hive elevated to its former
position. The same operation was repeated
with the second hive, and in manner quite
satisfactory. But, it may be asked, where
were the bees at this timer and that is the
most curious part Of my story. They had
not been killed by the fumes of birthstone,
for it is contrary to the Buddhist creed to
take animal life; nor had they been stupeied
with fungus, which Is sometimes done at
home; but they were flying over our heads
in great numbers, and yet, although we were
not protected in the slightest degree, not one
Of US was stung; and this was more remark
able as the bodies Of the operator and ser.
wants were entirely naked from the middle
upwards The charm was a simple one. It
lay in a few dried stems and leaves of a spe-
cies of artemisia (wormwood) which grows
wild on these hills, and which is largely used
to drive the pest, mosquito, out of the dwell
lings of the people. This plant is cut early
in the summer, sun-dried, then twisted into
bands, and it is ready for use. AT the COM
mencement Of the operation which | am de-
scribing, one of these bands was ignited, and
kept burning slowly as the work went on.
The poor bees did not seem to know what
to make of it. They were apparently per-
fectly good tempered, and kept flying about
our heads, but apparently incapable of doing
us the slightest injury. When the hives
were properly fixed the charm was put out,
and my host and his servants carried off the
honey in triumph"