146 MODES DESCEIBED 



" two or three days on screens after they have been 

 roasted and rolled," and " while yet moist/' * this 

 assuredly is a mode not to be imitated. It has 

 been shown that in the Bohea district, so im- 

 portant is it considered to complete the roasting 

 and drying of the leaves on the day they are 

 gathered, that the work is often continued to a late 

 hour, and sometimes through the night. Under 

 the long exposure to air as seen by Mr. Fortune, 

 there must be a danger of the leaves turning sour ; 

 but at all events red, as the name of the tea " hong- 

 cha " (red tea) indicates, a species often made, as 

 already stated, for the Su-chao market. 



I think the account already given of the manipu- 

 lation of black tea in the Bohea country, must be 

 sufficient to prove, that the dark colour of the leaf 

 and infusion of black tea, does not necessarily de- 

 pend on a long exposure of the leaves to the air, 

 while yet " in a soft and moist state," after they 

 have been roasted and rolled ; though I have little 

 doubt an increased redness of the leaf and infusion 

 may be produced, under proper management, by 

 such means, and may be employed for some teas. 

 Nor does it depend, as I think I shall be enabled 

 to prove, " on the leaves being subjected to a 

 greater degree of fire heat."f 



I have seen a sample of black tea, and another of 

 green tea, which Mr. Fortune very handsomely 



* 



Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, May, 1840, p. 212. 

 *f Wanderings in China, 2d edit. p. 213. 



