In those days London tea merchants usually entrusted the task of buying tea and choosing ships to British trading companies established in China, although some companies did set up offices with their own personnel to take care of these matters. In turn, the trading companies hired savvy local compradors to negotiate with their Chinese suppliers.
當時倫敦的茶商，通常委託在中國的英商洋行，代理買茶選船等業務，也有公司派駐人員自理；洋行又聘有機靈的買辦與中國人打交道。