EXPOSURE TO THE SUN. 149 



The leaves were then placed in the sun again, and 

 thus rolled and exposed to the sun twice. The 

 leaves were afterwards divided into smaller parcels 

 in each sieve, and rolled up into small balls about 

 the size of a duck's egg, considerable pressure being 

 used for that purpose. They were then placed in 

 the sun again, and turned once during the expo- 

 sure. The balls were now partly broken to pieces 

 with the hands, spread out, and placed in the sun 

 again. During this process the leaves gradually 

 became black. They were then removed from the 

 sun, and rolled into balls the size of an orange, and 

 exposed to the sun again for a quarter of an hour. 

 The balls were then shaken to pieces, the leaves 

 spread out loosely in the sieves, and thus left to 

 dry. When completely and properly dried, they 

 were exposed to the air to cool, when they were 

 packed. This tea was fragrant in smell, and had 

 a rich reddish appearance, resembling in colour the 

 Hong-Moey pekoe : the infusion was a deepish red ; 

 and the flavour fragrant, but somewhat sweet, as 

 if mixed with sugar ; nor did I think that tea so 

 made would keep. I have seen samples of tea, 

 which this man affirmed were made precisely in 

 the manner here described, which would have sold 

 at the East India Company's sales at 3s. lOd. the 



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