Chap. XV. 



ROUTE OF TEAS. 



263 



much knocked about during the journey over the 

 steep and rugged mountains, as it is frequently neces- 

 sary to rest them on the ground, which is often wet 

 and dirty. The finest teas, however, as I have already 

 stated, are never allowed to touch the ground, but 

 are carried on the shoulders of the coolies. 



The distance from Tsong-gan-hien to Yuen-shan is 

 220 le, or to Hokow 280 le. A merchant can per- 

 form it in his chair in three or four days, but coolies 

 heavily laden with tea-chests require at least five 

 or six days. 



In the country about Yuen-shan and Hokow — 

 that is, on the northern side of the great mountain 

 range — a large quantity of tea is cultivated and 

 manufactured for the foreign market. Thousands of 

 acres were observed under tea-cultivation, but appa- 

 rently the greater part of this land had been cleared 

 and planted within the last few years. The teas 

 made here, as well as those on the southern side of the 

 Bohea mountains, are brought to Hokow on their 

 way to one of the ports of exportation. What are 

 called Moning or Ning-chow teas, made in a country 

 further to the westward, near to the Poyang lake, 

 are also brought up the river, and pass Hokow on 

 their way to Shanghae. 



The town of Hokow — or Hohow, as it is com- 

 monly called by Canton men — is situated in lati- 

 tude 29° 54' north, and longitude 116° 18' east. It 

 stands on the banks of the river Kin-keang,* which 



* This is the name the river bears near its mouth. Further up it is 

 called in the map Long-shia-tong-ho. 



