284 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[October i, 1891. 
standing about, and on tliis opened (he room where 
Mr. Howqua was. He rau to meet us, b( amieg. Ho 
was a little, wizened, jellow Chinanian, with bi«li 
cheek hones, oblique ejes. a pig-tail, and a little silk 
cap on bis shaven crown. Hie dress was as plain as 
possible, with not a sign of wealth about. This sur- 
prised us, for, in the street at least, the dross of the 
richer Ohines.e is rich and tasteful. He spoke ex- 
cellent English, and not that dreadful mixture called 
“Pigeon English” which seems the only mndium of 
communication between Europeans and Ohinero. As 
w'O were each introduoe<l in turn, ho bowed low, and 
Chinese style. Then, in deference to our 
■Western ideas of politeness, be shook hands — rsther 
a didlcult proceeding, owing to the length of his lii.ger 
nails. To chin-c/iiii you close each hand separately, 
then, putting both together at the chest, goutlyahiko 
them up and down and say “ chin chin.’’ After all 
this ceremony bad bi en gone tbrongb, we becnnio 
coiisoious that another Chinaman, sitting on one of 
the great chafrs, was looking at ns mnoh in the same 
way as a cliilcl for tho 6rst time at the Zoo looks at 
a monkey. Wo looked at him, too, for he was a 
great peraonsgo, no less tbaii tlo mandarin and the 
Chief Secretory of the new Viceroy. It was his chair 
wo had seen oiit‘ide. Ho was as different from our 
host as possible — tall and very stout, and tnsgui- 
ficontly dressed in btoende and furs, with the maudHrin 
red button on the top of Ilia bat and a heavy gold 
chain round liis neck. He spoke 10 Englirli, but rose 
and chin-chinned with solemnity when ho was in- 
trodnoed, while we made as deep a bow as wo con'd. 
Ab conversation went on he seemed qmte content to 
sit and survey us. He may have sren English women 
in the street, but it is very probable Jhe had novor 
met any before. 
The Drawing Koom. 
The large and lofty room was furnished with tables. 
Ugh square stools, ooncho*, and arm chairs of heavy 
black wood, all elaborately carved. Tho c.uches aa 
well ns tho olmirs had cushions of red «ilk, and were 
like old-fashioned settees. Kscli couch was divid, d 
into three, like a first class railway carriage, Imt f he 
padded arms of tho rarringo were hero small tables. 
Home handsome lamps, of the sliapo.seeninallOtiine.se 
pictures, were hanging from the coiling, and there 
were some ortiaincnls which oven our inrxporienced 
ojes recognised as of groat value ; but en tlio wall 
were banging some shabby photographs in still sbah- 
bier gilt frames. Tho whole front of the room was 
open to tho dreary little court. The floor was of 
earth, and the efl'ect was cold and cheerless. 
How TO Drink the Tea ! 
A servAnt brought tho ten iu haiidless cups of egg- 
shell china. Each oup, being supplied with its own 
pinch < f tea, bad a small saucer at the top to keep 
back the leaves, and a largo saucer at the hottoni. 
The problem was how to get at the ten. We wished 
to take it correctly, according to the Chinese fashion, 
and show that wo had at least a smattering of civi- 
lisation. No doubt the Chiuosoflnd it as objectionable 
to see any inuovation on the established fs.shion of 
sipping tea ns wc do to see a man eating pens with 
his knife. So wo watclied the mandarin. Ha pheed 
his thumb nnder the largo saucer, his second finger 
abovo the small saucer, aud, raising the enp and both 
saucers, contrived, by some sUigbt of hand, to empty 
bis cup. This wBStoo dilficult for us. 'Wo gave it. up. 
We removed Ilia small saucer. Eveu then it was 
difllcult to convey tho heverago to one’s lip.s, for, 
as I said boforo, tim cup was without a handle, and 
was moreover exceedingly hot. In spile of the absence 
of sugar Bod cream and tho number of tea leaves wo 
swallowed, tho tea was delicious. On our praisii.g it 
Mr. Howqua presented each of us with a silver paper- 
covered jar of it to take away with us. We learned 
nfterwarda that this particular tea never reaches Eng- 
land. It is all eeut to KusMa, ^hero it nostB, in Euglish 
money, over a guinea tho pouml. 
Noisy Dispi ay of Jdveniui Profioikncv. 
Teft being ovtr, Mr* lIow4«ft took us to a room 
where seven of liia sons (of ages, apparfntlV) from 
uine to fii tcen) ench at a separate desk wore learuing 
their leafiou^. They were like niiuiatnro men, with 
thdr pigtails, and little silk caps, aud came forwerd 
with expressionless facoa to shako hands with us. 
To the mandarin they bowed — almost to the ground 
—and hn rt;lurned tho sslutatfon with profound oere« 
mouy. At a word from their father they let us hear 
how well iboy could read ; Imb as they read all at 
tho mine time, each boy at the pitch of his voic(*, 
Hud ns they were all (.so far as we could make out) 
readirg different wordp, the effect was Fomewbat 
Btarfciing. Then the great man took bis departure, and 
we wore Fhown over tho house. This was a ermp’oto 
pnzzlo to tho uneducated Western mind. Privacy 
seemed to ba the last thing thought of. Comfort 
there was none. But the rooms were full of beamiful 
ohjoetp, carvings, vases, beaten work in gold aud rilver 
and embroideries which must have been worth largo 
Bumsofmiuey. In one room was 
Onk of Mit. lIowQrA’s Wives 
with several maida in attendance. She was (juite 5onng, 
and mnibt have been made of wood for all tho interest 
or expre.ssion Ihoro was in her face. As pho chiU' 
chiniifd she looked like a big mecbanical toy, Uer 
cherks were thickly plastered with red and white paint, 
and linr hair, stijffeued and Fluck out in the Chinese 
fashion, was adorni d wi’h a long gold pin. Another 
room was ufed as a private chapel, coufaining an altar, 
before which jofs stick? were burning, and wss hung 
round with portraits of his ancestors. Mr. Howqua 
pointed out the portraits of his great-grandfather and 
grauc-father, aud there were others of much earlier 
date. But the great joy of out host's heart were two 
rooms furnished in European style — one as a dining- 
room, the other as a Binokti-rooDfi. Iu thedm!u»;-room 
the tablo was laid for dinner, and tho sideboard was 
laden with dilT* rent kinds of wine-glasses. Here, we 
are told, ^f^. Howqua gave dinner parties to bis Euro- 
pean Iriends. After we had seen through the whole 
p’ace, our kind host insisted on our going to pec his 
mother. Sl o lived at a few minutes' distance, but in 
the saftio great enclosure— which might bo called Iho 
grounds — belcuging to the Howqua Mausiou. 
Tue Dowaoer and Hrk Dwelling. 
Her house was so like the Iioupos seen in Chiiioso 
pictures that as we neared it we seem to be realising 
H dream. Built on tho edge of a lake, which was 
covered with lotus leaves, it had little stnircases, 
terri'ce^, covered roofs, and wide veraudnhs, into 
which tlie >vhole front of the house opened. There, 
too, were sitting tho Chinese ladies, with teacups and 
jars. Old Mrs. Howqua, who wns very, very old, had 
probably been fold that wo were coming to see her, 
for she wn.s seateil in Ftnte on alow chair placed on 
the yrraudah, with her women grouped behind her. 
She wore on her head a black velvet coif, very like 
tho l\lary Stuart cap, edged with pearls, and wiili ono 
onoriuoiis pearl in tho centre. Her tiny feet, of which 
she seenicd very proud, were just seen lolow Iho edge 
of her skirt, and those feet gave us quite a shock. 
Two days befora I had bought a pair of Cbinepe 
lady’s shoe.s, hut could not bolievo that any woman 
could wo^r such small size. Mrs. Uowqua’a shoes, 
however, wore quBo ns small as those I bought, but 
it la probable that her feet wore excepfioually ennll. 
- — ^ 
THE TEA trade AND THE DUTY, 
lor the edification of those who like statistics, we 
supplement our remarks of last week on this subject 
with tho full report of the OommisBioners of Customs 
so for as it relates to tea. In the year 1890-91 the tea 
duty was reduced from fid to 4d a lb. It may be 
useful here to record the stops by which tho duty on 
this article has been reduced from between 29 to Ss 
per lb. to its present rato ofdd. 
