34 CAMELLIA THEA 



In this heating process they becpme quite moist and flaccid, 

 and give off at the same time a considerable portion of vapour. 

 They are then removed and placed upon the rolling table, where 

 they are rolled into balls, and during which process they are sub- 

 jected to great compression with the object of twisting them, 

 and at the same time getting rid of a portion of their moisture. 

 When the leaves have taken the requisite twist they are removed 

 from the rolling table and shaken out upon flat trays ; after 

 which they are thrown again into the pan, which is heated by 

 a slow and steady charcoal fire and where they are kept in rapid 

 motion by the workmen, and in about an hour or an hour and a 

 half the leaves are well dried and have assumed a dullish green 

 colour. The leaves are subsequently winnowed and passed through 

 sieves of different sizes to get rid of the dust and other im- 

 purities, and then sorted into the different varieties known as 

 hyson, twankay, gunpowder, &c. By this time the colour is 

 more developed, and the finer sorts have become dull blueish- 

 green. 



In the preparation of Black Tea, the leaves after having been 

 gathered are spread out and allowed to lie exposed to the air for 

 a considerable time, generally about twelve hours ; they are then 

 gathered up and tossed about by the workmen until they become 

 soft and flaccid, after which they are thrown in heaps and allowed 

 to lie in this state for an hour or more ; they are then put into an 

 iron pan, where they are roasted for about five minutes, and manipu- 

 lated as green tea under similar circumstances ; and then rolled. 

 After being rolled the leaves are shaken out and thinly spread on 

 sieves, and exposed to the air out of doors for about three hours, 

 after which they are put for a second time into the roasting pan for 

 three or four minutes, and then taken out and rolled again as before. 

 The leaves are subsequently placed in a sieve which is put in a basket, 

 and exposed in this manner to the heat of a charcoal fire for five 

 or six minutes ; after which they are rolled for the third time 

 and again heated in a similar way for a little while longer, and 

 are finally dried in baskets over a slow charcoal fire, by which 

 their black colour is fully brought out. They are then sifted, 



