212 HYSON TEA. 



tanks constructed for that purpose. The leaf then 

 becomes thick, flat, and large, and the colour green. 

 The infusion is also clear and fragrant in smell and 

 flavour. The infused leaves are green, and greatly 

 superior to the hill tea. The garden tea was first 

 brought down to Canton in the present dynasty to 

 be sent to foreign places. The quantity then 

 gradually augmented until every village began to 

 plant it [that is, from the hills] and to manure the 

 ground. The leaves then became of a light green 

 colour, thick and shining, and pleasant in smell; 

 and the infusion sweet and fragrant in flavour." 

 Tien Hing also agrees as to the origin of the term 

 Hyson, and says the person's name was Lee, but 

 the name of his firm was Hee Chun. In fact no 

 difference of opinion exists among the Chinese on 

 this subject, which they say " took place when the 

 trade was carried on at Ning Po."* u Perceiving," 

 they add, " that Europeans inquired eagerly after 

 a tea that bore the ' Chop Mark/ or characters of 

 a man's Chop or Firm, called Hee Chun, which was 

 garden tea, this induced the merchants generally 

 to adopt that term for that description of tea, as 

 well as to extend the improved mode of cultiva- 

 tion." To my mind these observations show conclu- 

 sively, that the Hyson shrub is no other than the 



* This must have occurred prior to 1756, for no ship lias 

 traded to Ning-po since that period (Horsburg, page 272.) : and 

 this agrees with Cow Mow's statement, that this custom first 

 arose in the reign of Cang Hee or between 1661 — 1722. 



