234 PROCESS OF PACKING. 



hundred or more chests. The quantity packed in 

 each chest is previously weighed, that the weight 

 may be uniform. The green tea is not trodden 

 down with the feet, but is packed by simply 

 striking or shaking the chest against the ground. 

 The Hyson tea is said to be roasted three or four 

 che hiang previously to packing, and the young 

 Hyson ten. The tea is packed hot. The gun- 

 powder and Hyson skins are said not to be roasted 

 previously to packing ; but that, of course, must 

 depend upon circumstances, whether they require 

 it or not. 



In this manner are the Hyson teas made, 

 whether the produce of the hills or the plains, as 

 also the Singlo Hysons and " Superior Twankay." 

 The latter have frequently a glazed appearance, as 

 also the Singlo gunpowders, which I imagine may 

 formerly have arisen more from the quality of the 

 leaf, than from any factitious means employed to 

 produce the colour. Still, in some cases a small 

 quantity of colouring matter may have been used. 

 It has also been shown that the tea made from the 

 Honan leaves had a glazed appearance. It never- 

 theless is true, that when the leaf is deficient in 

 the requisite colour the Chinese do not hesitate to 

 employ colouring matter to improve it. Those 

 Hysons which have a Singlo or Twankay flavour 

 are more or less mixed with Twankay teas, the 

 greater part of the Hyson skins, particularly those 

 which are yellow in leaf, are wholly of that descrip- 



