Page:A Residence Among the Chinese.djvu/226

198 correct knowledge of this most curious subject. When we entered the tea-factory a strange scene was presented to our view. The place was crowded with women and children, all busily engaged in picking the stalks and yellow or brown leaves out of the black tea. For this labour each was paid at the rate of six cash a catty, and earned on an average about sixty cash a day,—a sum equal to about threepence of our money. The scene altogether was not unlike that in the great Government Cigar Manufactory at Manilla. Men were employed giving out the tea in its rough state, and in receiving it again when picked. With each portion of tea a wooden ticket was also given, which ticket had to be returned along with the tea. In the northern tea-countries the leaves are carefully weighed when they are given out and when they are brought back, in order to check peculation, which is not unfrequent. I did not observe this precaution taken at Canton. Besides the men who were thus employed, there were many others busily at work, passing the tea through various sized sieves, in order to get out the caper, and to separate the various kinds. This was also partly done by a winnowing machine, similar in construction to that used by our farmers in England. Having taken a passing glance at all these objects on entering the building, I next directed my attention to the scenting process, which had been the main object of my visit,—and which I shall now endeavour to describe.