THE COLORING OF GREEN TEA. 225 



there a manufactury of his own, which was so successful 

 that in a short time the whole of the Chinese demand was 

 supplied by native manufacture; and thus ended our export 

 trade. Those who think the Chinese are an unteachable 

 and unimprovable people may reflect on this little- history. 



The yellowish powder is precisely what your Shanghai 

 correspondent supposes. It is steatite, or "soapstoue." 

 This name is very deceptive, and coupled with the greasy 

 or unctuous feel of the substance, naturally leads to the 

 supposition that it is really as it appears, an oleaginous 

 substance. This, however, is not the case. It is a com- 

 pound of silicia, magnesia, and water, with which are 

 sometimes associated a little clay and oxide of iron. Like 

 most magnesian minerals, it has a curiously smooth or 

 slippery surface, and hence its name. It nearly resembles 

 meerschaum, the smoothness of which all smokers under- 

 stand. 



When soapstone is powdered and rubbed over a moder- 

 ately rough surface, it adheres, and forms a shining film; 

 just as another unctuous mineral, graphite (the " black- 

 lead" of the housemaid), covers and polishes ironwork. 

 On this account, soapstone is used in some lubricating com- 

 pounds, for giving the finishing polish to enameled cards, 

 and for other similar purposes. 



With a statement of these properties before us, and the 

 interesting description of the process by your Shanghai cor- 

 respondent, the whole riddle of green-tea coloring and fac- 

 ing is solved. The Prussian blue and soapstone being mixed 

 together when dry in the manner described, the soapstone 

 adheres to the surface of the particles of blue, and imparts 

 to them not only a pale greenish color, but also its own 

 unctuous, adhesive, and polishing properties. The mixture 

 being well stirred in with the tea-leaves, covers them with 

 this facing, and thus gives both the color and peculiar 

 pearly lustre characteristic of some kinds of green tea. I 

 should add that the soopstone, like the other ingredient, is 

 insoluble, and therefore perfectly harmless. 



Considering the object to be attained, it is evident from 

 the above that John Chinaman understands his business, 

 and needs no lessons from European chemists. It would 



