256 Accoxint of the Tea Tree. 



ticity of steam in boilers, with less expenditure of fuel and 

 of force than usual ; of which idea a hint is given in the work 

 and place above mentioned. The result of these researches 

 I shall at some future period do myself the honour of com- 

 municating to tlie society. 



XLVIII. An Account of the Tea Tree. Bi/ Frederick 

 PiGOU, Esq.* 



JL HE Cliinese all agree there is but one sort or species of 

 the tea tree ; and that the difference in tea arises from the 

 soil and manner of curing f. 



Chow-qua, who has been eight times in the bohea coun- 

 try, and who has remained there from four to six months 

 each time, says, that many people, among their tea loaves, 

 especially at Ankov, near Amov, put leaves of other trees; 

 but that of these there are but two or three trees the leaves 

 of which will serve that purpose ; and thev may easily be 

 known, especially when opened by hot water, because they 

 are not indented as tea leaves are. 



He says, that bohea may be cured as hyson, and hvson 

 as bohea, and so of all other sorts ; but that experience 

 has shown, the teas are cured as best suits the qualities 

 they have from the soils where they grow ; so that bohea 

 will make bad hyson, and hyson, though very dear in the 

 country where it grows, bad bohea. However, in the pro- 

 vince of Tokyen, which may be called the Bohea province, 

 there has since a few years some tea been made after the 

 hyson manner, which has been sold at Canton as such. 



The bohea country, in the province of Tokyen, is very 

 hilly, and since some vcars greatly enlarged ; the length of 

 it is four or five days journey, or as much again as it for- 

 merly was. The extent of the soil that produces the best 

 bohea tea is not more than 40 li, or about 12 miles; in 

 circumference it is from 100 to 120 li. Not only the hills 

 in this country are planted with tea trees, but the valleys 

 also ; the hills, however, are reckoned to produce the best 

 tea ; on them grov/ congo, peko, and scjncbong, in the 

 valleys or flat parts of tlie country bohea. As to the true 

 souchong, tl)e whole place does not yield three peculs ; 



* From the A'intic Annual Rrri<irr for i8oa. 



t Tliis fact is further confirmed by Lord Macartney and Sir George 

 Staunton, who in their jouiney from Pckin to Ciint<Mi pas5.cd throLii;h 

 the centre of the tea country. — See iW.i: rtw;f c'j Emb.issy to China, \'o[. iii. 

 prtge 296. 



8 Youngshaw 



