On the 30th of July was published, the SupPLemENTaRY NumBeR to our Twenty-fifth 
Volume, contuining—Hatr Yearty Rerrosrecrs of Domestic and Frencu 
ITERATURE, Account of the PrcrurRes in the Marauis of Starrorp’s GaL- 
_ ERY, with copious [nDEXES, TiTLE, §c, 
Vie 
MONTHLY 
No. 174.] 
AUGUST 1, 1808. 
MAGAZINE. 
[tof Vou. 26. 
“e As long as thofe who write are ambitious of making Converrs, and of giving to their Opinions a Maximum. y 
“+ Influence and Celebrity, the moft extenfively circulated Mifcellany will repay with the greate effect \ 
** Curiofity of thofe who read either for Amu(ement or Inftruktion.” JOHNSON, 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
«© Plante numerosissime quibus obvestit 
flobum terraqueum Deus optimus maximus, 
sunt totidem documenta infinite sapieutie, 
nate in gloriam sui creatoris, et in commo- 
dum hominis, cujus est eas intueri.” men. 
Acad. v. 6. p. 40- 
WRITER under 'the signature of 
E. N. in your Magazine of May 
Vst, p. $05, on the subject of Tea, opens 
hismessay by disclaiming the trathe with 
China, under “ the enlightened ideas of 
the commercial part of the community ;” 
and with this*impression expresses “ his 
woader that this plant has never. been 
cultivated insome of our numerous settle- 
ments in the latitude of China;” and 
asks, “ why, then, among the many spe- 
culations of te present age; is not this 
attempted?” . le concludes with inqui- 
ries, whether the Europeans are possessed 
of the genuine tea-trec, and whether it is 
cultivated with success in any country 
except China?” sine 
In your magazine for July, page 518, a 
writer, subscribing Phytophilus, resumes 
the subject in answer to E. N, and affords 
ample evidence that this vegetable grows 
in many gardens in England, and asserts 
that its more “‘ extensive cultivation is en- 
couraged in the West Indies, and. parti- 
cularly. in Jamaica, by the offer of pre- 
miums.” He then exhibits many sub- 
Stitutes for exotic tea; and, after some 
remarks on the mfluence of fashion, pre- 
dicts that this prevalent one of drinking 
tea will cease, and concludes that “ the 
great Tchien Long may then chaunt his 
Mooley-wha, tll he: is weary, before a 
British keel cut the Pekaing in quest of 
it.” 
When I first perused E. N.’s letter, I 
entertained a hope, that, on a subject so 
interesting as tea, in diet, morals and 
commerce, some of your correspondents 
would have calmly considered it, and 
elucidated it by a clear higtorical and 
commercial history. 
Monrury Mag, No. 174, 
But whatever may be ascribed to the, 
communication of Phytophilus, I presume 
to think, that the subject is not exhaust- 
ed. With respect to the opinions of both 
the writers [ have alluded to, of the com= 
mercial disadvantages of the tea-trade 
with China, I totally differ: but I shall 
defer its discussion till the conclusion of 
this essay. In the mean time, I hope you 
will not deem me tedious, in treading in 
some degree on the same ground with 
Phytophilus, in tracing the first introduce 
tion of the tea-plant into England. 
The Evoropeans were long anxious to 
procure this exotic ; and the Chinese who 
were dexterous in deception, employed 
various means of imposition, as Mocquet* 
exemplifies, and Osbeck+ confirms, which 
might have contributed to the mistake of 
Dr. Hilly and from him adopted by Linné,t 
who described the Green and Bohea-teas 
as two distinct species. Kaempfer,§ how- 
ever, who embraced this opinion, has 
certainly depicted and very accurately 
described this genuine exotic. 
* Voyages and Travels, an.-1606, 1. 4, ps 
264, which is truly diverting, in the imposi« 
tion of a factitious duck. é ; 
T Voyage to China, 1, 2. p. 17. respecting 
the Tsubakki. Two specimens of this plant 
were introduced into the physic garden at 
Upsal. About the year 1755, they were 
brought over by M. Lagerstrom, a director of 
the Swedish East India company, under the 
supposition of being tea-plants, till they ap- 
peared in blossom, when they proved to be 
the species of Tsubakki, callee by Linné, Cas 
mellia. Spe. Pl. p, 982. This celebrated na> 
turalist says, ‘* that the leaves of his Camellia 
are so like the true tea-tree, that they might 
deceive a skilfal botanist,” - 
} Hill, Exot. t. 22. Ameenit, Acad. Upsal. 
v. 7. p. 248, AlsoBreyn. Exot. Plant. Cent. 
i.p. 111. Hist. de 1” Academ. desSciences, 1776, 
p. 52. This wasconfirmed to me by a letter 
I was honored with from Linné himself, who, 
speaking of the British nation for science, 
defines it, the punctum wit@ in witello orbis. 
§ Amenit, Exot. p, 6y7. 
8B I readily 
