130 Mr Bruce on the Manufacture of Tea, and on the 



far in process, that they may not spoil by the morning, is exces- 

 sive. The men have often to work until very late to accomplish 

 this. When labour falls so very heavy, and on so very few, it 

 cannot be expected that it can be equally well executed, as if 

 more had been employed. The leaves last gathered are also 

 much larger than they ought to be, for want of being col- 

 lected and manufactured earlier ; consequently the tea is in- 

 ferior in quality. I mention this to shew the inconvenience 

 and expense of having so few tea-makers. 



The samples of black tea made by the twelve assistants 

 having been approved of by the Tea Committee in Calcutta, 

 it was my intention to have distributed the men among the 

 different tracts ; but the late disturbances on our frontier have 

 prevented this arrangement, and I have been obliged to em- 

 ploy ten men in Assam (two others having gone to Calcutta 

 in charge of tea) at the tract called Kahung, which is becoming 

 a very extensive and important tea locality, so many others 

 being near it, which can all be thrown into one. When we 

 have a sufficient number of manufacturers, so that we can 

 afford to have some at each tract or garden, as they have in 

 China, then we may hope to compete with that nation m 

 cheapness of produce ; nay, we might, and ought, to undersell 

 them ; for if each tract or garden had its own tea-maker and 

 labourers, the collecting of the leaves would not perhaps oc- 

 cupy more than twelve days in each crop ; after which the 

 men might be discharged, or profitably employed on the tea- 

 grounds. But now, for the want of a sufficient number of la- 

 bourers and tea-makers, there is a constant gathering of leaves 

 throughout the month ; and, as I said before, those gathered 

 last can only make inferior teas ; besides, the great loss by 

 the leaves getting too old, and thereby unfit for being made 

 into any tea ; and all this entirely for want of hands to pluck 

 the leaves. It is true we have gained twelve black tea-makers 

 this year, in addition to the last ; and twelve more native as- 

 sistants have been appointed, who may be available next year 

 to manufacture tea independently, as they were learning the 

 art all last year. We have also had an addition to our esta- 

 blishment of two Chinese green tea manufactiu:ers, and twelve 

 native assistants have been placed under them to learn ; but 



