STOVES AND VESSELS USED. 121 



to be roasted at one time. The stoves commonly 

 in use are said to consist of oblong pieces of brick- 

 work, resembling the Hyson stoves to be seen in 

 the Hong merchants' roasting houses at Honan, in 

 the district of Canton. The Kuo is fitted in hori- 

 zontally with its rim even with the upper surface of 

 the stove. The best constructed stoves have a small 

 ledge at the back part, for the purpose of holding 

 a lamp, as the roasting is generally continued until 

 a late hour, and frequently through the night. 

 The fire-places are at the back of the stove : so con- 

 structed as to leave an opening underneath for 

 wood or charcoal. As much tea is made by the 

 poor, and small farmers, it occasionally happens 

 that both the stove and the Kuo are identical with 

 those used for culinary purposes ; and the vessel, 

 which in the morning is employed to boil rice for 

 their breakfast, is in the evening used to roast tea. 

 Generally, however, separate vessels are used exclu- 

 sively for tea ; for great care must be taken to 

 keep the Kuo clean and free from every thing 

 which might communicate an objectionable flavour. 

 And as a yellowish viscid juice exudes from the 

 tea in the process of roasting and rolling, forming 

 when dry a whitish deposit which adheres to the 

 sides of the Kuo, it becomes necessary during the 

 several stages of the manipulation to wash the 

 vessel and other instruments used, and also the 

 hands. I did not observe any such deposit during 

 the experiments which I witnessed ; but I have no 



