TEA. 105 



sold in London for 60^. per pound, though it did not cost more 

 than 2s. (5d. or 3s. 6'd. at Batavia. It continued at this price till 

 1700. In 1715 green tea began to be used; and as great quanti- 

 ties were then imported, the price was lessened, and the practice 

 of drinking tea descended to the lower ranks. In I72O the French 

 began to send it to us by a clandestine commerce. Since that pe- 

 riod the demand has been increasing yearly, and it has become 

 almost a necessary of life in several parts of Europe, and among 

 the lowest as well as the highest ranks. 



The following table will give an idea of the quantity of tea im- 

 ported annually into Great Britain and Ireland since 1717 " 



From 1717 to 1726 - 700,000 lbs. 



1732 to 1742 - 1,200,000 



1755 near - 4,000,000 



1766 - - 6,000,000 



1785 about - 12,000,000 



1 79 * from 1 6 to 20,000,000 



Besides these immense quantities imported into Britain and Ire- 

 land, much has been brought to Europe by other nations. In 1766 

 the whole tea imported into Europe from China by other nations 

 amounted to 17 millions of pounds j in 1785 it was computed to be 

 about 19 millions of pounds. And during the late war almost the 

 whole of the trade has been in the hands of the English. 



In this country teas are generally divided into three kinds of green, 

 and five of bohea : the former are, 1. Imperial or bloom tea, with 

 a large loose leaf, light-green colour, and a faint delicate smell. 

 2. Hyson, so called from the name of the merchant who first im- 

 ported it; the leaves of "which are closely curled and small, of a 

 green colour, verging to a blue : 3. Singlo tea from the name of 

 the place where it is cultivated. The boheas are, 1. Souchong, 

 which imparts a yellow-green colour by infusion. 2. Camho, so 

 called from the place whelre.it is made ; a fragrant tea, with a vio- 

 let smell ; its infusion pale. 3. Congo, which has a larger leaf than 

 the preceding, and- its infusion somewhat deeper, resembling com- 

 mon bohea in the colour of the leaf. 4. Pekoe tea; this is known 

 by the appearance of small white flowers mixed with it. 5. Corn- 

 mon bohea, whose leaves are of one colour. There are other varie- 



