PRESENT AND FUTURE CONSUMPTION OF TEA. 115 



duced from 2 to 4 cents per lb., by the time it gets to 

 Canton is 20 cents ; and by the time the consumer gets 

 it, it stands him on an average, 100 cents per lb. adul- 

 terated, old, and compared with the China tea leaf, uped 

 in China or Russia, valueless. Such is the imposition 

 on both parties by the number of middle men who live on 

 the planter and consumer. 



However, I believe things are brought to that pass by 

 the ingenuity of traders during the last two centuries, 

 that we can get none of the good teas, truly and really 

 the tea generally drank at Calcutta, England, and 

 America, is not good, nor has hardly I may say any re- 

 lationship to good tea that the good teas are drank by 

 the Chinese that they are sent west to Thibet, Nepaul, 

 &c., and Russia. Ball says the Yen-Pouchong cost 

 from 15 to 30 shillings, or $3 75 to $7 50 per lb., and 

 the price of tea in the Bohea district, which is classed 

 as Pouchong and Souchong, is from 2s. Id. to 4s. Td., or 

 52 cents to $1 15 per lb. 



The China cultivator on such teas may be remu- 

 nerated, and then the people that are imposed on, are the 

 English and American consumers, who have to pay 100 

 cents per lb. for Chinese refuse teas, and tea house 

 sweepings, mixed up with worthless leaves. 



PRESENT EXTENT OF THE USE OF TEA, AND THE PRO- 

 BABLE CONSUMPTION IN TIME TO COME. 



If we consider China, and find in that sole tea produc- 

 ing country 367,000,000 of inhabitants ; if we consider 

 these as tea drinkers, and contemplate a Chinaman and 

 his family in easy circumstances, nil about him particu- 



