98 



TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. 



Chap. VI. 



he had spent the whole night in a temple, it being 

 the only place where he considered himself safe. It 

 was not necessary for me to believe all these things, 

 more particularly as all the luggage had come safely 

 to hand, which could scarcely have been the case had 

 the boatmen been as bad as was represented. 



For three days the rain fell incessantly, and it 

 was also very cold. The Chinese tried to keep 

 themselves warm by putting on thick clothing, and, 

 strange to say, by reading aloud, which they did in a 

 loud singing manner, repeating the words as fast as 

 they could. When tired with this way of amusing 

 themselves, nearly the whole of them went to bed, 

 as being the most comfortable place under the cir- 

 cumstances, and strongly recommended me to follow 

 their example. 



Sung-lo mountain, which in ordinary weather I 

 could have seen from the windows, was now en- 

 veloped in a cloak of mist, and every tree and bush 

 was bent down with heavy drops of rain. At last, 

 on the fourth day, the clouds cleared away, the sun 

 shone out again with his usual brilliancy, and the 

 whole face of nature wore a cheerful and smiling 

 aspect. I was now out every day, from morning 

 until evening, busily employed in collecting seeds, 

 in examining the vegetation of the hills, and in 

 obtaining information regarding the cultivation and 

 manufacture of green tea. By this means I obtained 

 a good collection of those tea-seeds and young plants 

 from which the finest green teas of commerce are 

 prepared, and much information of a useful kind, 



