38 LETTER IX. 



various qualities and prices. The particular denomi- 

 nations of Hyson, Souchong', &c. are the names of the 

 provinces or districts, where the teas are produced. 

 These names, however, are, especially among fo- 

 reigners, applied without any great degree of ac- 

 curacy. 



- Tea is a luxury that was unknown to the ancients 

 and voluptuous Romans, who, in their superb and 

 luxurious feasts, sometimes expended the enormous 

 sum of 484.3 pounds sterling on one single dish, 

 (Pliny, lib. x. ch. J7. 35.) never r-e ;aled themselves 

 with a cup of this beverage, at this day so common in 

 every cottage throughout England. It was not till 

 the fifteenth century that it became known to Europe. 

 Since that time above ten millions of pounds are an- 

 nually imported, and the Chinese draw an immense 

 revenue iVcmi its sale ; so that in this curious and re- 

 markable plant, you may, my dear Sir, contemplate 

 an important and interesting article of trade, and do-' 

 mestic economy. 



COFFKE 



May be ranked next to tea, with respect to its im- 

 portance as an article of food and commerce. This 

 plant is a native of Arabia, and formerly grew only in 

 that country. It was introduced into Italy by the 

 Venetians about A. I). 1(>^4, and is now very much 

 cultivated in the West Indies. The coffee-tree in 

 its native country rises to the height of forty feet, but 

 in other parts of the world seldom exceeds the half 

 of that height : its trunk or stem is never thicker than 

 a man's leg. The berries are attached to a little stalk, 

 and enclosed by two together in a shell. This slu'H 

 is also enclosed in a fruit of a pale -red colour, and 

 somewhat resembling a cherry.- --The berries arc ga- 

 thered twice or three times in a year. 



The best colTee is brought from Arabia. The next 

 in quality is produced in different parts of Turkey ; 

 but quantities are imported from the West Indies. In 

 some countries of the European continent, coftec is 

 much more used than t( -. The Turks in particular 

 consume an amazing quantity of it ; and it voulU tf- 



