2 



TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. 



Chap. I. 



to convey the news to Canton on the arrival of the 

 mail. The moment these boats received their de- 

 spatches they started on their journey, and, as they 

 belonged to opposition parties, each did its best to 

 outstrip the other ; and, as it was often a matter of 

 considerable importance to get the earliest news, a 

 large sum of money was distributed amongst the crew 

 of the winning boat. 



The boatmen made a great noise ; Chinamen like, 

 all were talking, all were giving orders, for each had 

 a stake in the winning of the race. At last the 

 papers, letters, or whatever they had to take, were 

 put on board, and off they started across the bay for 

 the mouth of the Canton or " Pearl " river. They 

 ploughed the water like two enormous centipedes, 

 and, although they were going very fast, they were 

 visible for some time in the clear moonlight. I 

 watched them from the deck of the steamer until 

 they were lost in the distance, but even then and for 

 some time afterwards I could hear distinctly the 

 quick splash of the oars and the noise of the boisterous 

 crews. Steam has now invaded the quiet waters of 

 the Pearl river, and these boats are numbered amongst 

 the things that were. 



The noise and excitement connected with the 

 arrival of the mail gradually subsided ; those of our 

 visitors who had been lucky enough to get hold of a 

 ' Straits Times,' 6 Home News,' or i Times,' re- 

 turned on shore to peruse it, while others hastened 

 home to communicate to their friends the news they 

 had been able to pick up from the officers or passen- 



