974 TEA 



leaves become inconveniently hot to the hand, they are quickly taken out and delivered 

 to another man with a close-worked bamboo basket ready to receive them. A few 

 leaves that may have been left behind are smartly brushed out with a bamboo broom ; 

 all this time a brisk fire is kept up under the pan. After the pan has been used in 

 this manner three or four times, a bucket of cold water is thrown in, and a soft brick- 

 bat and bamboo broom used, to give it a good scouring out ; the water is thrown out 

 of the pan by the brush on one- side, the pan itself being never taken off. The leaves, 

 all hot on the bamboo basket, are laid on a table that has a narrow rim on its back, 

 to prevent these baskets from slipping off when pushed against it. The 2 Ibs. of 

 hot leaves are now divided into two or three parcels, and distributed to as many men, 

 who stand up to the table with the leaves right before them, and each placing his legs 

 close together ; the leaves are next collected into a ball, which he gently grasps in his 

 left hand, with the thumb extended, the fingers close together, and the hand resting 

 on the little finger. The right hand must be extended in the same manner as the 

 left, but with the palm turned downwards, resting on the top of the ball of tea -leaves. 

 Both hands are now employed to roll and propel the ball along : the left hand pushing 

 it on, and allowing it to revolve as it moves : the right hand also pushes it forward 

 resting on it with some force, and keeping it down to express the juice which the 

 leaves contain. The art lies here in giving the ball a circular motion, and permitting 

 it to turn under and in the hand two or three whole revolutions, before the arms are 

 extended to their full length, and drawing the ball of leaves quickly back without 

 leaving a leaf behind, being rolled for about five minutes in this way. The ball of 

 tea-leaves is from time to time gently and delicately opened with the fingers, lifted as 

 high as the face, and then allowed to fall again. This is done two or three times, to 

 separate the leaves ; and afterwards the basket with the leaves is lifted up as often, 

 and receives a circular shake to bring these towards the centre. The leaves are now 

 taken back to the hot pans, and spread out in them as before, being again turned with 

 the naked hand, and when hot taken out and rolled: after which they are put into the 

 drying basket, and spread on a sieve which is in the centre of the basket, and the 

 whole placed over a charcoal fire. The fire is very nicely regulated ; there must not 

 be the least smoke, and the charcoal should be well picked. 



When the fire is lighted, it is fanned until it gets a fine red glare, and the smoke is 

 all gone off; being every now and then stirred and the coals brought into the centre, 

 so as to leave the outer edge low. When the leaves are put into the drying basket, 

 they are gently separated by lifting them up with the fingers of -both hands extended 

 far apart, and allowing them to fall down again ; they are placed 3 or 4 inches deep 

 on the sieve, leaving a passage in the centre for the hot air to pass. Before it is put 

 over the fire, the drying basket receives a smart slap with both hands in the act of 

 lifting it up, which is done to shake down any leaves that might otherwise drop 

 through the sieve, or to prevent them from falling into the fire and occasioning a smoke, 

 which would affect and spoil the tea. This slap on the basket is invariably applied 

 throughout the stages of the tea-manufacture. There is always a large basket under- 

 neath to receive the small leaves that fall, which are afterwards collected, dried, and 

 added to the other tea ; in no case are the baskets or sieves permitted to touch or re- 

 main on the ground, but always laid on a receiver with three legs. After the leaves 

 have been half-dried in the drying basket, and while they are still soft, they are taken 

 off the fire, and put into large open-worked baskets, and then put on the shelf, in order 

 that the tea may improve in colour. 



Next day the leaves are all sorted into large, middling, and small ; sometimes there 

 are four sorts. All these, the Chinese informed the writer, become so many different 

 kinds of teas : the smallest leaves they called Pha-ho, the second Pow-chong, the third 

 Suchong, and the fourth, or the largest leaves, Toy-chong. After this assortment 

 they are again put on the sieve in the drying basket (taking great care not to mix 

 the sorts), and on the fire, as on the preceding day ; but now very little more than 

 will cover the bottom of the sieve is put in at one time ; the same care of the fire is 

 taken as before, and the same precaution of tapping the drying basket every now and 

 then. The tea is taken off the fire with the nicest care, for fear of any particle of 

 the tea falling into it. Whenever the drying basket is taken off, it is put on the 

 receiver, the sieve in the drying-basket taken out, the tea turned over, the sieve re- 

 placed, the tap given, and the basket placed again over the fire. As the tea becomes 

 crisp, it is taken out and thrown into a large receiving basket, until all the quantity 

 on hand has become alike dried and crisp ; from which basket it is again removed 

 into the drying basket, but now in much larger quantities. It is then piled up 8 and 

 10 inches high on the sieve in the drying basket; in Ihe centre a small passage is 

 left for the hot air to ascend ; the fire that was before bright and clear has now ashes 

 thrown on it to deaden its effect, and the shakings that have been collected are put on 

 the top of all ; the tap is given, and the basket with the greatest care is put over tho 



