190 



TEA DISTEICTS OF CHINA. 



Chap. X. 



often accustomed to all the formalities of a Chinese 

 dinner, I went on with the most perfect confidence. 



On my former journey in the interior, as well as 

 on this, I had discarded all European habits and 

 luxuries. Chopsticks were substituted for knives and 

 forks, tea and. light wines for stronger drinks, and a 

 long bamboo Chinese pipe for Manilla cheroots. By 

 these means I had arrived at a high state of civiliza- 

 tion and politeness. In eating my dinner, such rude 

 things as knives and forks were never thought of. 

 The cutting up of meat and vegetables was done by 

 servants in the kitchen, before the food was cooked 

 or brought to table. When the various dishes, pre- 

 pared in this manner, were brought to table, the chop- 

 sticks — those ancient and useful articles — answered 

 every purpose. Talk of knives and forks indeed! 

 One cannot eat rice with them, and how very awk- 

 ward it would be to pick out all those dainty little 

 morsels from the different dishes with a fork ! In the 

 first place, it would be necessary to push them to the 

 bottom of the basin before the fork would take a 

 proper hold ; and in many instances we should do 

 what the novice in the art of using chopsticks fre- 

 quently does — drop the food on its way from the dish 

 to the mouth. There is no such difficulty or danger 

 with the chopsticks when properly used. The smallest 

 morsel, even to a single grain of rice, can be picked 

 up with perfect ease. In sober truth, they are most 

 useful and sensible things, whatever people may say 

 to the contrary; and I know of no article in use 

 amongst ourselves which could supply their place. 



