Manner of the CHINESE drinking TEA. 213 
jury it does, and partly consenting to be injured, rather than 
forbear this childifh gratification, like a baby race of men* 
we play with our perdition ! Adieu. 
L E T T E Pv II. 
To the fame . 
Madam, 
M ANKIND have given themfelves up Co much to their 
fenfes, that reason feems to be confidered rather as a 
servant, than a master. Even this cuftom of fipping tea, 
affords a gratification, which becomes fo habitual, as hardly 
to be refilled. It has prevailed indeed over a great part of 
the world ; but the mofl effeminate people on the face of the 
whole earth, whofe example we, as a wise, active, and war- 
like nation, would lead defire to imitate, are the greatefl Tip- 
pers ; I mean the Chinese, among whom the firfl ranks of the 
people have adopted it as a kind of principle, that it is below 
their dignity to perform any manly labor, or indeed any labor 
at all : and yet, with regard to this cuflom of fipping tea, we 
feem to a£t more wantonly and abfurdly than the Chinese 
themfelves. 
The greatefl part of the common people in china drink 
water. It is with them, as with mofl other nations, parti- 
cularly in the east, that pure water is their common beverage 
but when this happens to be unwholfome, as is the cafe about 
canton, the people correct it by infufing a coarfe kind of bohea 
tea. A large veffel is made of this liquor, every morning, to 
which they occafionally add warm water, and without fugar, or 
any other mixture, the fervants, and the family in general, draw 
