First Impressions of China and the Genesis of a Grand Research Project

Key Insight

Upon arriving in Kunming, the individual experienced immediate and profound happiness, delighting in the city's architecture, a grove of bamboos outside his window, and the unexpected ability of venerable retainers to understand his Chinese. This initial immersion was recorded in detailed letters, where he often compared obscure Chinese locales to beloved places from his homeland, an act that provided comfort despite his wanderlust, though some comparisons, like Kunming (almost 1 million people) to Duxford (sixty people), were improbable.

A pivotal moment occurred while observing an old Chinese gardener meticulously grafting a plum tree. He realized the technique was vastly different from methods he knew from home and suspected its origins might predate European practices by thousands of years. This observation spurred an immediate note to research ancient Chinese botany texts for references to fruit grafting, forming the very first piece of information recorded for what would become his life's monumental work.

This insight quickly broadened into a comprehensive investigatory technique: documenting unique Chinese methods, researching ancient literature, and comparing findings globally. This approach aimed to challenge Western ignorance, exemplified by a missionary's claim that 'Botany, in the scientific sense of the word, is wholly unknown to the Chinese.' This systematic inquiry would be applied across all aspects of Chinese technology and science, from plowing and bridge building to iron smelting and medicine, laying the foundation for a book to establish China's proper scientific reputation.