112 



TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VI. 



is their pride and boast to have received their edu- 

 cation in the city of Shaou-hing. 



The surrounding country here is flat, and in every 

 direction intersected by canals. The hills, which are 

 seen at no great distance, have a barren appearance — 

 at least they are far from being so fertile as those in 

 the green-tea country, from which I had just come. 

 Rice appeared to be the staple production, as it is on 

 all low wet lands in this part of China. Tallow-trees 

 were abundant, both in the plains and on the lower 

 sides of the hills. 



About three o'clock in the afternoon we arrived at 

 the town of Tsaou-o. Here we left the Nechow boat, 

 and w T alked about a mile across the country to another 

 small town named Pak-wan. This town stands on the 

 banks of a river which falls into the bay of Hang- 

 chow. When I first saw this river I imagined it to 

 be the one which flows down to the city of Ning-po, 

 but I soon found that this was not the case. 



Pak-wan is a long straggling town, full of pack- 

 houses, eating-houses, and tea-shops for the accommo- 

 dation of travellers and their goods. I found that 

 several foreigners had been here before, and conse- 

 quently the inhabitants were well acquainted with 

 their features. I was recognised as a foreigner im- 

 mediately -on my entering the town, but was most 

 civilly treated, and had no difficulty in engaging a 

 boat to take me onwards. For this purpose I entered 

 the Hong-le, or boat-inn, and procured a chop, by 

 which the innkeeper bound himself to send me on to 

 Ning-po for the sum of three dollars. 



