644 ORD. XXXIX. Tricocce. THEA. 
Tea gatherers are said+ to have occasional recourse to the assist- 
ance of monkies, which are chased up the Tea trees, and so much 
irritated that in their fury they bite off the branches, and throw 
them down in 'resentment: the branches are then taken up, and 
the leaves picked off. The leaves are not collected from the culti- 
vated plant till it is three years old; and after growing seven or 
ten years it is cut down, in order that the numerous TUNE shoots 
may afford a greater supply of leaves. 
The leaves should be dried as soon as possible m 88 they are 
‘collected; and for this. purpose Kempfer relates, that public 
buildings are erected, containing from five to ten and even twenty 
small furnaces about three feet high, each having at the top a 
large iron pan... There is also a long table covered with mats, on 
which the leaves are laid and rolled by workmen who sit round it. 
The iron pan being heated to a certain degree, by a fire made in 
the furnace beneath, a few pounds of the leaves are put upon the 
pan, and continually turned and shifted by the hands till they 
- become too hot to be endured; they are then thrown upon the 
mats to be rolled, which is done between the palms of the hands, 
after which they are cooled as speedily as possible. 
In order that all the moisture of the leaves may be completely 
dissipated, and their twisted form be better preserved, the above 
process is repeated several times with the same leaves, but. less 
heat is employed than at first. The Tea thus manufactured is 
afterwards sorted according to its kinds or goodness. Some of the 
young tender leaves are never rolled, and are immersed in hot 
water before they are dried. 
- From this account of the Japanese method of curing their Teas 
it appears, that a prompt and complete exsiccation is the chief 
art employed. We suspect however, that the Chinese are more 
indebted to art than to nature for the various kinds of Tea with 
which they supply this country. Many of their Teas are so widely 
different in taste, odour, colour, and form, that instead of appear- 
+ See Lettsom.-I. c. 
