10 



9 



CHAP. VI. 



MANIPULATION PREVIOUSLY TO ROASTING MODE DESCRIBED 



BY A CHINESE EXPOSURE OR NON-EXPOSURE TO SUN 



EXPEDIENTS ADOPTED IN RAINY WEATHER DESCRIPTION 



OF THE SEVERAL PROCESSES — FRAGRANCE, NONE IN FRESH 

 LEAVES DEVELOPED BY MANIPULATION — PERSONAL OBSER- 

 VATION OF THE SEVERAL PROCESSES REDNESS OF THE LEAF. 



Loo Lan describes the method of preparing the 

 Yen or Pao Chong tea as follows. This account is 

 principally useful as containing most of the terms 

 of art employed by the Chinese in the manipulation 

 of tea. "After the leaves are gathered sjDread 

 them upon flat trays, and expose them to the air : 

 this is called Leang Ching. Toss them with both 

 hands, sift them, and carefully examine them with 

 a light to see if they be spotted with red, which is 

 necessary : this is called To Ching. Carefully put 

 them into small bamboo trays, and cover them up 

 quite close with a cloth, until they emit a fragrant 

 smell: this is called Oc Ching. Hand them to a 

 roaster (Chao Ching Fu), to roast them in a red 

 hot Kuo (an iron vessel). Throw about five ounces 

 (four tales) of leaves into the Kuo, then with a 

 bamboo brush sweep them out. Let them be well 

 rolled, and afterwards sent to the poey or drying- 

 house to be completely dried. This tea is called 

 Souchong and Paochong, and sells at from fifteen to 



H 4 



