382 Scientific Intelligence — Botany. 



easily be pounded into a fine powder in the same manner as the in- 

 digo had been. Wlien taken from the fire it readily crumbled down, 

 and was reduced to powder in the mortar. These two substances 

 having been thus prepared, were then mixed up in the proportion of 

 four parts gypsum to three of indigo, and together formed a light- 

 blue powder, which, in this state, was ready for use. This colouring 

 matter was applied to the tea during the last process of roasting. 

 The Chinese manufacturer having no watch to guide him, uses a joss 

 stick* to regulate his movements with regard to time. He knows 

 exactly how long the joss stick burns, and it, of course, answers the 

 purpose of a watch. About five minutes before the tea was taken 

 out of the pans, the superintendent took a small porcelain spoon, 

 lifted out a portion of the colouring matter from the bason, and scat- 

 tered it over the tea in the first pan ; he did the same to the whole, 

 and the workmen turned the leaves rapidly round with their hands, 

 in order that the colour might be well diffused. 



During this j^art of the operation, the hands of the men at the 

 pans were quite blue. 1 could not help thinking, that if any drinker 

 of green tea had been present during this part of the process, his 

 taste would have been corrected ; and, I hope, I may be allowed to 

 add, improved. It seemed perfectly ridiculous, that a civilized people 

 should prefer these dyed teas to those of a natural green. No won- 

 der that the Chinese consider the nations of the West as " barba- 

 rians." One day Mr Shaw, a merchant in Shanghae, asked the 

 Wheychou Chinamen their reasons for dyeing their teas ; they quietly 

 replied, that as foreigners always paid a higher price for such teas, 

 they, of course, preferred them ; and that such being the case, the 

 Chinese manufacturer could have no objection to supply them. 



I took some trouble to ascertain precisely the quantity of colour- 

 ing matter used in the process of dyeing green teas ; certainly not 

 with the view of assisting others, either at home or abroad, in the 

 art of colouring, but simply to shew green tea drinkers in England, 

 and more pai'ticularly in the United States ot America, what quan- 

 tity of gypsum and indigo they eat or drink in the course of a year. 

 To 14^ lb. of tea were applied rather more than an ounce of colour- 

 ing matter. For every hundred pounds of green tea which are con- 

 sumed in England or America, the consumer really eats more than 

 half a pound of gypsum and indigo ; and I have little doubt, that in 

 many instances Prussian blue is substituted for indigo. And yet, 

 tell these green tea drinkers, that the Chinese eat dogs, cats, and rats, 

 and they will hold i.p their hands in amazement, and pity the taste 

 of the poor Celestials. 



In five minutes from the time of the colour being thrown into the 

 pan, the desired effect was produced. Before the tea was removed, 



■■* An incense burner. 



