THE 



1 H E 



af thf i.inic. Thunberg also distinguishes two 

 varieties from the leaves, which in one are smaller. 

 Hat, darker green, with straight serraturcs, and in 

 the other larger, waved, briglitergreen, with siTiu- 

 ate scratures: but they can scarcely be considered 

 as distinct species. Loureiro observed little dit- 

 ierence in the Sou-chong, which he examined ; 

 both tliese have a broivn colour, but are more 

 (kloriierous and precious than the con)nion Ro- 

 hea of the province oF P"o-kicn, which he had 

 not an opportunity of seeing in a living state, 

 though it is the most common and cheapest of 

 all. He examined the dry flowers of the Green 

 lea, from the province of Kiang-si, and observed 

 the same inconslancy, as to the number of parts 

 in the calyx and corolla, as in the Bohea. Upon 

 the whole lie concludes that all the difl'ercnces of 

 Chinese tea form only one botanical species, 

 owing their variation to soil, culture, and 

 Uiethod of preparation ; all retaining the same 

 inconstancy in the parts of the flower, which 

 i;ave occasion to Linnseus to consider ihem as 

 two species." 



It is added, " that many varieties of tea are 

 known in Chnia, from iinxture and n)anage- 

 ment." The distinctions chiefly regarded in 

 Europe arc the following. 



" Green Ttas. — 1. Bing, Imperial or Bloom 

 Tea, with a large loose leaf, of a light green 

 colour, and a faint delicate smell. 



"2. I]y-tiann, Hikiong, Hayssuen or Hee- 

 chun, known to us by the name of Hyson 'i"ea : 

 the leaves are closely curled and small, of a 

 green colour verging towards blue. i\noiher 

 Hvson Tea, with narrow short leaves, is called 

 Hvson-utchin. There is also a green tea named 

 Gobe, with long narrow leaves. 



" 3. Song-lo or Singlo, v^'hich name it re- 

 cel. es, like several others, from the place where 

 it is cultivated." 



^' Tlohca Ti'Of:. — 1. Soo-chuen, Sut-chong, 

 Sou-chong, or Su-chong, called by the Chinese 

 Saa-tyang, and Sact-chaon orSy-tyann, is a su- 

 perior kind of Cong-fou Tea. It imparts a yel- 

 lowish green colour by infusion, and has its 

 name from a place or province in China. Padre 

 Siitchonii- has a li\ier taste and smell : the leaves 

 are larire and velloivish, not rolled up, and 

 packed" in papers of half a pound each. It is 

 generally conveyed by caravans into Russia ; 

 without nuich care it will be injured at sea. It 

 ip rarely to be met with in England. 



" 2. Cam-ho or Sonm-lo, called after the 

 ran>e of the place where it is gathered : a fia- 

 eraut tea w ith a \ ioltt smell ; its infusion is pale. 



"3. Conc-fou, Congo, orBong-fo: this has 

 a laraer leat'ihan tlie i'ollowing, and the infu- 

 sion Ts ahtlle deeper coloured. It resembles the 

 oorjiuon Jjohea in the colour of the lett. 



" There is a sort called Lln-Kisam, -.viih nar- 

 row rough leaves. It is seldom used alone, bat 

 mixed with other kinds. By adding it to Cong^, 

 the Chinese someiiines make a kuidof Pekoe tea. 



" 1. I'ekao, Pecko, or Pekoe, by the Chinese 

 called Back-ho or Pack-ho. It is known by 

 having the a|ipearance of small v\ bite flowers 

 intermixed wnh it. 



" 5. Common Bohea or Black Tea, called 

 Moji orMo-ee by the Chinese, consists of leaves 

 of one colour. The best is named Tao-kvonn. 

 An inferior kind is called An-kai, from a place 

 of that name. In the district of Honam, near 

 Canton, the tea is very coarse, the leaves yellow' 

 or brownish, and ;he taste the least agreeable of 

 any. By the ChinebC it is named Honam -te, 

 or Kuli-le. 



" Besides these. Tea both Bohea and Green 

 is sometimes im'jjorted in balls, from two ounces 

 to the size of a nutmeg and of peas. The Chi- 

 nese call it Poncul-tcha. The smallest in this 

 form is well known under the name of Gun- 

 powder Tea. 



" Sometimes the succulent leaves are twisted 

 like packthread, an inch and half or two inches 

 long; three of these are usually tied together at 

 the ends by different-coloured silk threads. BotK 

 Green and Bohea are prepared in this manner. 



" Tlie manner of gathering and preparing the 

 leaves, as practised in Japan," according to 

 Knempf'er, " as far as our information reaches, 

 is in a great measure conformable to the me- 

 thod used by the Chinese. 



" The leaves are eathered carefully one by 

 one, and each person is able thus to collect from 

 four to ten or fifteen pounds in one day. The 

 flr-;t gathering commences about the end of oin- 

 Febi'.iary, or beginning of March, when the 

 leaves are young and tender : they are called 

 Ficki Tsjaa or powdered tea, because they arc 

 pulverised and sipped in' hot water: they are * 

 disposed of to princes and rich people only, and 

 hence this kind is called Imperial Tea. 



" A similar sort is called Udsi Tsjaa, anil 

 Tacke Sacki Tsjaa, from the places where it 

 grows. Peculiar care and nicety is observed iii 

 ii'athering tliese leaves. 



■ " The second collection is made at the end of 

 March or beginning of April. This is called 

 Toot-jaa, or Chinese Tea, because it is infused 

 and drunk after the Ciiinese manner. 



" The third gathering is made in June, when 

 the leaves are full grown. This is called Bari 

 Tsjaa; it is the coarsest, and is chiefly con- 

 sumed by the lower class of people. By sorting 

 these, several other varieties are produced. 



" Whether the Chinese collect the tea pre- 

 cisely at the same seasons as in Japan, we are 

 not well infoimed: but most probably the tea' 



