SONCHY, OR CAPER TEA. 159 



leaves dried, this mode of rolling them into a ball 

 seemed also to increase their tenacity, so that after 

 two or three of the last rollings, when it was neces- 

 sary to separate the leaves preparatory to the 

 farther roas tings, the balls broke into large lumps, 

 which were again broken down and shaken into 

 still smaller pieces. Such of these lumps as were 

 yet too large and unsightly, were then pressed and 

 rolled between the finger and thumb, into the small 

 round pieces of which this tea principally consists ; 

 and which, from some fanciful resemblance to the 

 caper, is supposed to derive its English name of 

 Caper tea. The rolling being thus completed, the 

 leaves were again roasted, turned once, and then 

 left to dry in the usual mode. The caper tea, 

 however, made in this manner is an expensive tea, 

 delightful in quality, but which rarely finds its way 

 to Europe. 



The whole of the Caper or Sonchy teas, formerly 

 imported into England either by the E. I. Company 

 or the officers of the Company's ships, were the 

 produce of the Ankoy country. The best kinds of 

 these teas were all scented more or less with the 

 Chu-lan flower ( Chloranthus inconspicuus) ; but 

 the majority were made in a very coarse manner, 

 purposely burnt to supply the deficiency of flavour, 

 and consisted mainly of the leaves of the third and 

 fourth gatherings. During the process of rolling, 

 as above described, the leaves of some of these teas 

 are said to be dried in the sun, and not by means of 



