now TKA LKAV1>^ IIOMK 81 



CHAPTER XVIII 



now TEA LEAVES HOME {continued) 



In India, clo|)hanl« do a share of the local transport 

 work ; boat.** and trains are. however, the principal 

 conveyances in which tea travels to the distributing 

 ports. Calcutta is the hub of the Indian tea trade ; 

 here large quantities of tea are sold, and from this port 

 enormous shipments are sent abroad, for sale by public 

 auction in other markets. Much of the tea sold in 

 Calcutta is blended and packetcd there ; and it is a 

 particularly noteworthy fact that a considerable pro- 

 portion of the tea which is thus made quite ready for 

 the retail market, is bought by the residents in Calcutta 

 and other Indian cities which have a big European 

 population. People who live in a district which j'ields 

 in abundance a certain product in the nature of a food 

 supply, are apt to send that product abroad accom- 

 panied by attractive invitations to the foreigner to 

 use it in his home, the while they set the very ba<l 

 example of never using it in their oMm homes. For 

 instance, in Greece, the land of currants, practically 

 no one patronizes currants — at least, so I was led to 

 conclude by my e.xjjeriences in that country not very 

 long ago. 



In the north of India, Chittagong is the other 

 famous distributing port for tea. South Indian teas 

 are exporte<i from Tuticorin, Calicut, Cochin. Allepi)oy, 

 and Quilon. 



In China, junks arc a feature of the local trangport 

 service. 



II 



