224 MANIPULATION OF HYSON TEA. 



" The broken leaves, which are very thin and 

 small, and of a wiry nature, form the U Chien, or 

 young Hyson.* The fine dust, and part of a kind 

 of chaffy dust, is sold in the tea country ; also at 

 King-te-ching t, the celebrated town for the manu- 

 facture of porcelain, and other places. The re- 

 mainder of the dust is mixed with common Hyson 

 skin." 



I shall now describe the manner in which I have 

 seen this process performed with the honan leaves ; 

 the roasting of which has already been described. 

 The leaves were first sifted in a fine sieve, and 

 passed a kind of dust, similar to that which is 

 described as being partly sold in the tea country, 

 and partly mixed with Hyson skin. 



The returns of the first sieve were again sifted 

 through a second and coarser sieve, and passed the 

 young Hyson, which was tossed or winnowed on a 

 large circular bamboo tray, and threw off a flat 

 chaffy leaf, which was also disposed of by mixing 

 with Hyson skin. It was then roasted about forty- 

 five minutes (one che hiang), the heat of the Kuo 

 being the same as in the last roasting, when it 

 was winnowed as before, and fanned off more of 



* Mr. Reeves justly observes, " the difference between the 

 gunpowder and the young hyson will be this : when fairly made 

 the young leaf which takes the long twist will form the young 

 hyson ; and that which takes the round twist will form the 

 gunpowder." (Parliamentary Papers, 1813. Evidence on East 

 India Company's Charter.) 



f Lat. 29° 15' N., long. 47' E. of Peking. 



