116 PERSONAL OBSERVATION OF 



On the other hand, teas which are made from in- 

 ferior shrubs, whose leaves are of a harsher and 

 more fibrous texture, and, consequently, less dis- 

 posed to chemical change or to heat, require less 

 care. Thus we find that Congou teas in particu- 

 lar, which form the bulk of those imported into 

 England, are gathered in all weathers, and exposed 

 to the sun or fire, as circumstances permit, to 

 hasten evaporation. They are also kept in large 

 parcels throughout the whole process of manipu- 

 lation, and less attention is paid to change of colour 

 and fragrance of smell. They nevertheless must 

 undergo the processes of To Ching and Leang 

 Ching, during which they "wither and give," and 

 partially become spotted and tinged with red ; for 

 this state of withering is no less necessary to Con- 

 gou than Souchong tea, and on the skilful manage- 

 ment of this process the excellence of quality of 

 all black tea depends. 



Having now related what I have been enabled 

 to collect from the Chinese upon the subject of the 

 manipulation of the leaves previously to roasting, 

 it may also be satisfactory to point out what has 

 come under my own personal observation. I shall 

 therefore now describe the mode in which I have 

 seen this part of the process performed, on two 

 occasions, by men from the Bohea and Ankoy 

 countries. The leaves employed for this purpose 

 were collected from Honan, in the southern suburbs 

 of Canton, and Pack Yuen Shan, north of the city. 



