REPORT OF M. GUILLEMIN. 5 



When the leaves have been thus twisted and rolled, they 

 are replaced in the great iron pan, and the temperature raised 

 till the liand can no longer bear the heat at the bottom. For 

 upwards of an hour the negroes are then constantly employed 

 in separating, shaking, and throwing the foliage up and 

 down, in order to facilitate the desiccation, and much neat- 

 ness and quickness of hand were requisite, that the manipu- 

 lators might neither burn themselves nor allow the masses of 

 leaves to adhere to the hot bottom of the pan. It is easy to see 

 that, if the pan were placed within another pan filled with 

 boiling water, and the leaves were stirred with an iron spa- 

 thula, much trouble might be obviated. Still, the rolling 

 and drying of the leaves were successfully performed ; they 

 became more and more crisp, and preserved their twisted 

 shape, except some few which seemed too old and coriaceous 

 to submit to be rolled up. The Tea was then placed on a 

 sieve, with wide apertures of regular sizes, and formed of 

 flat strips of Bamboo. The best rolled leaves, produced by 

 the tips of the buds and the tenderest leaves, passed through 

 this sieve, and were subsequently fanned, in order to separate 

 any unrolled fragments which might have passed through 

 with them ; this produce was called Imperial, or Uchhn Tea, 

 It was again laid in the pan till it acquired the leaden grey 

 tint, which proved its perfect dryness, and any defective leaf 

 which had escaped the winnowing and sifting was picked 

 out by hand. The residue, which was left from the first 

 fanning, was. submitted to all the operations of winnowing, 

 sifting, and scorching, and it then afforded the Fine Hyson 

 Tea of commerce ; while the same operations performed on 

 the residuum of it, yielded the Common Hyson; and the refuse 

 of the third quality again, afforded the Coarse Hyson. Finally? 

 the broken and unrolled foliage, which were rejected in the 

 last siftings, furnish what is called Family Tea^ and the better 

 kind of which is called Chato, and the inferior Chuto, The 

 latter sort is never sold, but kept for consumption in the 

 families of the growers. Of all these different products M. 

 de Brandao had the kindness to furnish me with samples, 

 which I have the honour to present to you. 



