. Narrative of the Earl of Elgin's mission to China and Japan in the years 1857, '58, '59 . to enjoy a domestic treatof this sort, accompanied by his wife and family, hegives a previous notice of his intention to the keeperof the tea-house, so that a dignified privacy may besecured to him. There, screened from the vulgargaze, he and his companions give themselves up tothe enjoyment which this species of recreation wives play, dance, or sing for their benefit; infact, so far as I could gather, they behave very muchas we do when we are working off the fag-end of theseason in picnic
. Narrative of the Earl of Elgin's mission to China and Japan in the years 1857, '58, '59 . to enjoy a domestic treatof this sort, accompanied by his wife and family, hegives a previous notice of his intention to the keeperof the tea-house, so that a dignified privacy may besecured to him. There, screened from the vulgargaze, he and his companions give themselves up tothe enjoyment which this species of recreation wives play, dance, or sing for their benefit; infact, so far as I could gather, they behave very muchas we do when we are working off the fag-end of theseason in picnics to the Star and Garter, or HamptonCourt. I was not able to discover, however, underwhat conditions the unmarried members of societywere allowed to partake of these amusements. If any aristocratic picnic was going on during ourvisit to Hojee, we were not fortunate enough to get aglimpse of it. We did, nevertheless, explore the in-ternal economy of the establishment. Unfortunately,it not being the custom for the guests to go into thekitchen, I was ignominiously expelled from that de- 4. I>^TERXAL ARRANGEMENTS OF A TEA-HOUSE. 169 partment just as I was commenciDg my investigationsinto the arrangements by which so large a number ofguests were kept constantly supplied with every de-scription of Japanese delicacy, and tea in rivers. Ihad only time to find myself encompassed by abevy of active, bustling waitresses, and to catch sightof huge steaming caldrons, when a strong-mindedold woman showed me the door with a accompanying illustration, taken on the spot byMr Bedwell, will convey a better idea than any de-scription of the interior of the public rooms, and ofthe costume of the attendants. The complexions ofmany of these girls were quite as fair as those of ourown countrywomen. In waiting, their manners aregraceful and respectful. Almost everything is servedin lacquer, and is presented in a reverential guests sit dotted about on the mat till they hav
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