— 215 — 



My former publication contained only thèse scanty data; a récent 

 inquiry •) into the French colonial literature however revealed a mass of 

 new facts, hitherto completely overlooked, and throwing an amazing light 

 on the importance of Tong-king as a centre of wild-growing tea. The 

 essential facts will be given hère. 



In the „3me Territoire militaire", one of the provinces bordering on 

 Yun-nan, the existence of tea-cultivation was signalled by Louvel in 1904. 

 According to him, the plant became known there only about 80 years 

 before that date, hiving been recognized by a travelling China-man, who 

 caused the natives to try its cultivation. „C'est particulièrement aux envi- 

 „rons de Ban-xang sur le plateau de Tong-waï, dans les forêts qui se 

 «trouvent entre Si-lo-Phin et Cao-ma-Peu (secteur de Quan-Ba) que l'on 

 «rencontre l'arbre à thé. 11 y a également quelques plantations à Pien-la, 

 „petite localité chinoise qui se trouve à deux heures de Na-cho-Cai. Le 

 „thé de Pien-la serait, au dire des indi4ènes, de qualité supérieure à celui de 

 „Ban-xang"The editor observes that measures hâve been taken toenlarge thèse 

 plantations; certainly we might ask what sort oi plants the French author- 

 ities intend to introduce hère ; the course of events in Assam, as we demonstra- 

 ted in the preceding chapter, is of a nature to inspire us with the worst 

 suspicions in this respect! „Le thé de Ban-xang serait supérieur à celui de 

 „Yen-binh-Xa et Lang-co-Lum, dans le même territoire (dans la haute val- 

 „lée du Song-Con, qui vient se jeter dans la Rivière Claire, à Vinh-thuy, 

 ,, lequel donne lieu à un certain commerce avec le Delta". 



This same district was reported upon by Bonifacy (1912), who prin- 

 cipally treats with the economical aspects of the industry, which is, with 

 only one exception, entirely in the hands of native farmers, and accordingly 

 of a very primitive character. It is carried on in the foUowing localities: 

 „dans le huyên de Bac-Quang, commune de Yên-Binh, Ngô-Khê, Ngia-Phi, 

 „Huông-Minh; dans le huyên de Vi-Xuyên, communes de Phuong-Dô et de 

 „Dai-Miên". There are three export-centres, to wit: 1. Hâ-Giang, producing 

 two grades: Ban-xang-chè (Ban xang tea, though it is not manufactured 

 in that place only) and San-nhân-chè (Mountaineers' tea); 2. Bac-Quang, 

 and 3. Yên-Binh-Xa. 



Other districts are the following. According to the ,, administrateur-résident 

 de Hung-Hoa" (1900), tea is cultivated in the hills of Dong-Trieu, at Loc- 

 Nam and in the province of Thai-Nguyên. Up-stream of Hung-Hoa, on the 

 right bank of the Red River, there exist important plantations in the «huyên 

 de Cam-khê" near Cat-tru (in which place we find a French factory). 2) 

 This culture is constantly being extended to the N. W. of Ha-noi ; ail 

 mountains at Rung-gia (south of Cam-khê) hâve already been cleared and 

 planted with tea. In 1901 the same officiai reported further progress in the 



') C.P. Cohen Stuart 1917. 



^) The analysis showed the relative amount of coffein in thèse teas to be 3. 52 "/o, 

 the tannin 11.95 «/c- which figures, being lower than the corresponding ones in An- 

 nam tea, prove that this Cat-tru tea bears more resemblance to Chinese types, 

 (The ,,adm.-rés. de Hung-Hoa" 1902). 



