Chap. X. 



TEA -HONGS. 



207 



nese language is of a very high order, having 

 expressed a wish to accompany me, we set out 

 together, with a Chinese merchant for our guide. 

 Our guide told us that the manufacture, which 

 was very extensive, was carried on in a great 

 many parts of the suburhs of Canton ; but that 

 the most extensive and best hongs were situated 

 on the island of Honan already mentioned. We 

 crossed the main river in a boat, and then pulled 

 up a canal for a short distance which led through 

 a densely populated suburb. Here we soon found 

 ourselves abreast of a number of large tea-hongs, 

 which our guide informed us were those to which 

 we were bound. These hongs were large and 

 spacious buildings of two stories. The lower 

 portion was filled with tea and implements of 



Tea Picker. Canton. 



