216 



TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. 



Chap. XII. 



When we crossed this pass it was blowing a gale of 

 wind, and I was obliged to have the cover taken off 

 my chair. Had I not done so there would have been 

 some danger of my being blown over the rocks ; 

 indeed after the covering was removed the danger 

 seemed so great that I considered it safest to get out 

 and walk. Stopping at one of the tea-houses on our 

 way, which was kept by a very talkative old woman, 

 she contributed not a little to our amusement. "Hai- 

 yah," said the chair-bearers, as we entered the house, 

 "what a stormy day; how high the wind is!" 

 "Pooh, pooh!" said the old dame, 66 this is nothing; 

 you must not call this a high wind ; it is plain enough 

 you know nothing about the wind amongst these 

 mountains. Our houses are often unroofed, and 

 sometimes it is not possible for us to stand on the 

 public road without support. You could not have 

 brought that chair over the pass on a really windy 

 day, I can tell you. Ah, you should see one of these 

 gales, and you would not call this a high wind." 



Having drunk the tea which she had set before us, 

 Sing-Hoo asked one of our men what ought to be 

 paid in this part of the country. The man replied, 

 " A cash each cup, of course ; tea is cheap here." 

 The sum was thrown down upon the tray, and the 

 old woman was called to receive it. When she came 

 she refused to take anything, telling us that "her 

 house was not a tea-shop ; that when it was one, — 

 which was not likely though, — she would then receive 

 our money." This was the first instance of a Chinese 

 refusing money which had come under my observa- 



