SIX WEEKS IN A TOWER. 81 



an honour which was at last accepted by the mandarin. 

 The Chinese are probably the most formally polite 

 people in the world, and carry this politeness into the 

 most ordinary affairs. "What is your lofty sur- 

 name ] " would have been the form for asking our 

 host's name ; and he would have replied, " My insig- 

 nificant surname is Wong." To an inquiry as to his 

 age, the answer probably would have been, " I have 

 vainly passed sixty years." After A Shui had risen 

 from his seat and saluted us in a cup of hot wine, we 

 followed his example, and began appetising ourselves 

 for dinner by eating roasted melon-seeds, burned al- 

 monds, sweetmeats, and small slices of orange and 

 ginger. This was beginning with the dessert, and 

 soup generally comes near the end of a Chinese dinner, 

 which I hold to be its proper place. After this a cup 

 or two more wine was drunk, and w r e began seriously 

 to the work of the evening to the " slight refresh- 

 ment," which proved to be a four hours' dinner of 

 about thirty different dishes, prepared by a noted 

 cook, who had been brought some distance for the 

 occasion. The fish and soups chiefly excited my 

 approval ; but the whole repast was decidedly piquant, 

 and caused no unpleasantness afterwards. A good 

 deal of wine was drunk during dinner, but none after- 

 wards. The use of the fai-tsz, " quick boys," or chop- 

 sticks, requires a little practice ; but one readily gets 

 expert with them ; and they have the advantage of 

 preventing that clattering of knives, forks, and plates 

 VOL. v. F 



