198 



A TEA-FACTORY. 



Chap. X. 



correct knowledge of this most curious subject. 

 When we entered the tea-factory a strange scene 

 was presented to our view. The place was crowded 

 with women and children, all busily engaged in 

 picking the stalks and yellow or brown leaves out 

 of the black tea. For this labour each was paid 

 at the rate of six cash a catty, and earned on an 

 average about sixty cash a day, — a sum equal to 

 about threepence of our money. The scene alto- 

 gether was not unlike that in the great Govern- 

 ment Cigar Manufactory at Manilla. Men were 

 employed giving out the tea in its rough state, 

 and in receiving it again when picked. With each 

 portion of tea a wooden ticket was also given, 

 which ticket had to be returned along with the 

 tea. In the northern tea-countries the leaves are 

 carefully weighed when they are given out and 

 when they are brought back, in order to check 

 peculation, which is not unfrequent. I did not 

 observe this precaution taken at Canton. Besides 

 the men who were thus employed, there were many . 

 others busily at work, passing the tea through 

 various sized sieves, in order to get out the caper, 

 and to separate the various kinds. This was also 

 partly done by a winnowing machine, similar in 

 construction to that used by our farmers in Eng- 

 land. Having taken a passing glance at all these 

 objects on entering the building, I next directed 

 my attention to the scenting process, which had 

 been the main object of my visit,^ — and which I 

 shall now endeavour to describe. 



