And yet the payments could not have been very
large; from six to ten cents per day being about the wages they
received. In one room men were engaged in making boxes; in another,
lining them with thin sheets of lead. Further on, the outsides of the
boxes were being pasted over with paper, on which was stamped the name
of the tea and the maker's business-title. Finally, they were being
filled, soldered up and carried off to the boats, not to be opened
again until they reached the shop of some London grocer.
The principal object of our friend Akong's visit was to convoy with his
mandarin-boat a fleet of tea-junks to Hankow; so that but one day was
given us for our visit. The boats being nearly ready, it was arranged
that we should start on our return the following morning. The evening
was devoted to a dinner and "sing-song" given for our entertainment by
the tea-men. Aho asked if he should take our knives and forks, a
proposition which we indignantly rejected. As it was to be a Chinese
dinner, we determined to do it in Chinese style, chop-sticks and all.
Such a dinner! We were seated at little square tables holding four
persons each, the Chinamen all dressed in their official or state
costumes.
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