We were really in the tea country at
last. On every side of us, as far as the eye could reach, the
dark-green tea-plants were growing in their beds of reddish sandy soil.
Notwithstanding the cook's urgent appeals to wait until chow-chow was
ready, we jumped ashore and into the midst of a crowd of noisy coolies
moving in every direction, each with his load slung at the ends of a
bamboo across his shoulders, and singing a monotonous "Aho, Aho, Aho!"
which appears as necessary to the Chinese carrier as the "Yo heave ho!"
to the sailor. Long, narrow junks were lying at the bank, and being
rapidly loaded with the familiar tea-chests; crowds of men, women and
children were coming from the plantation, each with bags of the freshly
picked leaves, or with baskets on their heads in which the more
delicate kinds were carefully carried. We stepped into the building,
and there witnessed the entire operation of assorting, firing the teas,
and even the manufacturing of the chests. We would gladly have
remained, but Aho came up and informed us "that breakfast hab got
spoilem," so we deferred further investigation until after the meal.
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