188 



TEA DISTKICTS OF CHINA. 



Chap. X. 



Its front was composed of a number of boards or 

 shutters which could be removed at pleasure. The 

 whole of these were taken down in the morning and 

 put up again at night. The floor of the building was 

 divided into three principal compartments, the first 

 facing the street, the second being behind it, and the 

 third at the furthest end. Some small rooms which 

 were formed on each side were the bedrooms. 



Coolies and chair-bearers crowded that part of the 

 building next to the street, in which they had their 

 meals and smoked their pipes. The second and 

 third divisions were destined for travellers, but, as 

 there were large doors between each which stood wide 

 open, it was easy to see through from the front to the 

 back part of the premises. 



When I got out of my chair I followed "mine 

 host" into the second compartment, in which I ob- 

 served a table at each side of the room. One of 

 them being unoccupied, I sat down at it, and with 

 becoming gravity lighted my Chinese pipe and began 

 to smoke. The host set a cup of tea before me 

 and left me to attend upon some one else. I had 

 now leisure to take a survey of the strange scene 

 round me. At the opposite table sat two mer- 

 chants, who a single glance told me were from the 

 province of Canton. They were evidently eyeing me 

 with great interest, and doubtless knew me to be a 

 foreigner the moment I entered the room. One of 

 them I had frequently seen at Shanghae. This 

 person looked as if he wished me to recognise him, 

 but in this he was disappointed, for I returned his 



