Cuar. XI] MANUFACTURE OF TEA. 205 
constructed below them, with the grating, or 
rather fire-place, at one end, and the chimney, or, 
at least, some hole to allow the smoke to escape, at 
the other. A chimney is a secondary consideration 
with the Chinese, and in many instances which came 
under my observation, the smoke, after passing 
below the drying-pans, was allowed to escape, 
as it best could, through the doors and roofs 
of the houses, which, indeed, in China, is no dif- 
ficult matter. | 
When the pans are first fixed, the brick-work 
and chunam are smoothed off very neatly round 
their edges and carried up a little higher, par- 
ticularly at the back of the pans, at the same time 
widening gradually. When complete, the whole has 
the appearance of a ‘row of large high-backed 
basins, each being three or four times larger than 
_ the shallow iron pan which is placed at its bottom, 
immediately over the flue. When the fire is applied, 
the upper part of these basins, which is formed 
of chunam, gets heated as well as the iron pan, 
though in a less degree. The drying pans, thus 
formed, being low in front, and rising very gradu- 
ally at the sides and back, the person, whose duty 
it is to attend to the drying of the leaves, can 
readily manage them, and scatter them about over 
the back of the basin. The accompanying sketch, 
which was made on the spot, will render this de- 
scription more clear. 
The leaves having been brought in from the 
hills are placed in the cottage or drying-house. It 
