n. Everyone knows that
theoretically there are 2000 cash in the tael, each tael containing 20
"strings," and each "string" 100 cash, but in Yunnan 2000 cash are not
2000 cash--they are only 1880 cash. This does not mean that 1880 cash
are represented by 1880 coins, not at all; because 62 cash in Yunnan are
counted as 100. Eighteen hundred and eighty cash are therefore
represented by only 1240 cash coins and all prices must be paid in this
proportion. Immediately outside the city, however, a string of cash is a
"full string" and contains 100 cash or rather it contains as few cash as
possibly can be passed for 100, a fair average number being 98.

Silver is weighed in the City banks and at the wholesale houses on the
"capital scale," but in the retail stores on scales that are heavier by
14 per cent. (one mace and 4 candareens in the tael). Outside the city
on the road to Tali there is a loss on exchange varying according to
your astuteness from 3 to 6 per cent. on the capital scale.

There are two chief banks in Yunnan city. Wong's whose bank, the
signboard tells us, is "Beneficent, Rich, United," and Mong's "Bank of
the Hundred Streams," which is said to be still richer.

With Mr. Jensen I called one evening upon Wong, and found him with his
sons and chief dependents at the evening meal. All rose as we entered
and pressed us to take a seat with them, and when we would not, the
father and grown-up son showed us into the guest-room and seated us on
the opium-dais under the canopy. The opium-lamps were already lit; on a
beautiful tray inlaid with mother-of-pearl there were pipes for
visitors, and phials of prepared opium. Here we insisted on their
leaving us and returning to their supper; they finished speedily and
returned to their visitors. We were given good tea and afterwards a
single cigar was handed to each of us. In offering you a cigar it is not
the Chinese custom to offer you your choice from the cigar box; the
courtesy is too costly, for there are few Chinamen in these
circumstances who could refrain from helping themselves to a handful.
"When one is eating one's own" says the Chinese proverb, "one does not
eat to repletion; when one is eating another's, one eats till the tears
run."

Wong is one of the leading citizens of Yunnan, and is held in high
honour by his townsmen. His house is a handsome Chinese mansion; it has
a dignified entrance and the garden court is richly filled with plants
in porcelain vases