MANIPULATION OF HYSON TEA. 219 



order to preserve an equal degree of heat, a man 

 almost constantly attending it, sometimes increas- 

 ing and sometimes diminishing the fuel, agreeably 

 to the directions of the roaster. The leaves were 

 also constantly fanned by a boy who stood near.* 



In this second roasting, the roaster began by 

 slightly pressing the leaves with the palms of both 

 hands against the bottom of the Kuo ; then drawing 

 them towards himself to the top of the stove, he 

 shook them on his hands to cool, and to separate 

 them. As the steam diminished, he pressed the 

 leaves against the opposite sides of the vessel, and 

 drew them round until the hands met, when he 

 raised them, and twisted them, as before described, 

 between the hands. When the leaves have lost so 

 much of their aqueous and viscous qualities as to 

 produce no sensible steam, they no longer retain 

 any disposition to adhere together ; but, on the con- 

 trary, having acquired a twisted form in the process 

 of rolling, the simple action of the fire naturally 

 disposes them to separate, twist, and curl of them- 

 selves. The operation, therefore, of twisting the 

 leaves with the hands, now becomes of minor 

 importance, and consequently the roaster here 

 twisted them but once to every four or five times 

 that he stirred them about in the Kuo. At length 



* A Chinese manuscript observes, " In the second roasting 

 the fire must be moderate, and the roasting not hurried. The 

 fanning to hasten the cooling of the leaves also requires constant 

 attention." 



