TEA. 289 



of tea in China about one thousand years ; as 

 it is noticed in the travels of two Mahome- 

 dans, who visited that country about the year 

 831, and again in 851. These travels have 

 been translated from the Arabic of Abu Zeid 

 al Hasen of Siraf, by Eusebius Renaudot, a 

 learned Member of the French Academy. 

 The MS. belonged to the library of the Count 

 de Seignelay ; and it has been justly esteemed, 

 as it contains an account of China, thai was 

 penned above four hundred years earlier 

 than the travels of Marco Polo. 



From these travels we learn, that the Em- 

 peror of China derived a considerable reve- 

 nue by a tax on tea in that early period, as it 

 is noticed that the Emperor reserves to him- 

 self the revenues which arise from the salt- 

 mines, and those which are derived from im- 

 positions upon an herb called Tcha, which 

 they drink with hot water, and of which 

 vast quantities are sold in all cities in China. 

 These travellers observe, that it is produced 

 from a shrub more bushy than the pomegra- 

 nate tree, and of a more pleasant smell, but 

 having a kind of bitterish taste; and that the 

 way of using the herb was by pouring boiling 

 water upon the leaves: this infusion is noticed 

 as a cure for all the diseases of the Chinese. 



VOL. II. I 



