286 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. 



by European authors before the year 1590, 

 when it is first alluded to by Giovanni Botero, 

 an eminent Italian writer, who, in his Treatise 

 on the Cause of the Magnificence and Great- 

 ness of Cities, says, " The Chinese have an 

 herb, out of which they press a delicate juice 

 which serves them for drink instead of wine ; 

 it also preserves their health, and frees them 

 from all those evils which the immoderate 

 use of wine produces amongst us." 



The Dutch are said to have first introduced 

 tea into Europe in the year 1610. The Dutch 

 East India Company made their first embassy 

 to the Grand Tartar Cham, Emperor of 

 China, in 1655. During the time they were 

 detained at Canton, by their negotiations with 

 the Court of Pekin, the viceroys gave them a 

 splendid entertainment, in which tea is thus 

 mentioned : " At the beginning of the dinner, 

 there were several bottles of The, or Tea, 

 served to the table, whereof they drank to 

 the ambassadors, bidding them welcome. 

 This drink is made of the herb The, or Cha, 

 after this manner ; they infuse half a handful 

 of the herb in fair water, which afterwards 

 they boil, till a third be consumed, to which 

 they add about a fourth part of warm milk, 

 and a little salt, and then drink it as hot as 



