Fuly 14, 1870] 
NATURE 
215 
last or fourth flag, which is to be placed close behind the third 
flag, at a height of three feet above it ; if we can sce the fourth 
or furthest flag above the tops of the other three flags, the 
Earth is a plane, or if the second flag from the telescope be 
above a line joining the tops of the first and third flags, the 
Earth is a globe.—(Sigved)—‘* PARALLAX ;”—JOHN WEIR, 
C. W. MILLARD, Engineers and Surveyors. 
Dated November 24, 1556 Witness—R. F, HINDE 
Copy of CERTIFICATE.— We, the undersigned, hereby 
certify and declare, that on the eleventh day of December, one 
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, we accompanied Messrs. 
Weir and Millard, and assisted in placing the flags in the manner 
above mentioned, and that upon looking at the flags with a 
powerful telescope, the top of the second flag was filteen inches 
and one half of an inch above a line joining the tops of the first 
and fourth flags, and twenty-four inches and one quarter of an 
inch above a line joining the tops of the first and third flags, 
thereby proving that the earth is a globe, and that from the 
results of this experiment, ‘‘ Parallax” is bound, by the before- 
mentioned agreement, to renounce, for ever, his theory of the 
earth being a plane.—(Sigved)—RK. F. HINDE, Sussex-sireet, 
Norwich, manufacturer ; ALEX. SANDERSON, Magdalen-street, 
Fye-bridge, tobacconist ; W. H. Dakin, Davey-place, Nor- 
wich ; JAMES NEWBEGIN, St. Andrew’s, tobacco manu- 
facturer. 
Will nothing stop “ Parallax’s” mouth ? 
TEA 
HE word “ Tea” is applied to the leaves of numerous 
plants from which infusions are made in their several 
native countries. Thus in Paraguay they use a species of 
Holly, in Abyssinia and Arabia the leaves of Catha edulis, 
and in Labrador those of Ledum latifolium. 
We propose, however, in this paper, to say a few words 
about that article which is generally and popularly known 
as tea, and which forms such an important commercial 
commodity between China, India, and our own country, 
How long tea had been used in China before its intro- 
duction into Europe early in the seventeenth century no 
one can venture to say, but it appears to have been first 
known in England about the year 1660, and no article of 
commerce, perhaps, presents a parallel history of such 
rapid development. In 1678 the East India Company 
imported into England 4,713lb. Tea, however, con- 
tinued to be a rarity for many years after that date, fetch- 
ing a high price, and consequently remaining beyond the 
reach of all but the more wealthy. The demand for it 
increased so rapidly that in 1725 the consumption in the 
United Kingdom reached 370,323lb. Since then tea 
has been more and more in demand, until we find the 
returns for last year show as much as 139,223,298lb. 
imported, and 111,889,113lb. entered for home con- 
sumption, the computed real value of the tea imported 
during eleven months of 1869 being 9,115,823/. 
The plant from which this large source cf wealth is 
obtained is a shrub, the native country of which is still 
not definitely known. Although it has been cultivated 
for many hundreds of years in China, and its use alluded 
to in ancient Chinese legends, it has not been discovered 
in that country in a wild state, but truly native tea occurs 
in the jungles of North-eastern India. 
At one time botanists were inclined to the opinion that 
black and green teas were furnished by two distinct 
species, the former by 7zea Johea and the latter by 7, 
viridis. So little difference exists between them that’ there 
seems no doubt as to their being mere yarietiés, and both 
and some also in Japan, the plar 
t cede 
green eas Ofc } ete al e° prepare | from: eit er 
fortit of “the ip f adcbidin "to; eke ar the ‘tea 
farinet thé colour in’ a’ great meastire’ ending iipon the 
rapidity of the artificial drying of the leaf, and also upon 
the length of time the freshly gathered leaves are exposed 
to the air before heating. There are, however, districts 
in China called respectively the Black and Green tea 
| districts, in which the plants are grown specially for 
| each purpose. 
| leaves are gathered by hand, and the younger ones should 
For the preparation of either sort the 
alone be taken. If they are intended for the manufacture 
of black tea they are exposed to the air for a short time, 
after which they are placed in iron pans and submitted to 
a gentle heat fora few minutes. By this process much 
moisture is thrown off, and the leaves are rendered pliable, 
so that they are easily pressed or rolled between the 
hands, by which the characteristic twist or curl is given 
to them. Before, however, they are fit for market, they 
are exposed to the air for two or three days, and finally 
dried in iron pans over a slow fire. The chief difference 
in the preparation of genuine green tea is, that it has to 
be more quickly dried after undergoing the curling or 
twisting process in the hands, black tea being allowed to 
remain in heaps in a flaccid state, before the final drying 
or roasting, which, in itself, is much slower. A great 
deal, however, of the green tea consumed in this country, 
is artificially coloured by the Chinese, chiefly with Prussian 
blue, gypsum, and turmeric. Of course itis only inferior 
teas that are so treated, a good face being thus given to 
them. They can mostly be detected by placing a hand- 
ful of the tea on a sheet of white paper ; a thick, green- 
ish dust will not only be left on the paper, but will rise 
every time the tea is shaken. By breaking a few leaves 
also with the finger nails this coloured tea will show a 
brownish fracture, while genuine uncoloured tea is more 
or less green throughout, and consequently little or no 
dust is deposited from it. As the leaves of true tea vary 
very much in size and form, adulteration with the leaves 
of some other plants is not so easily detected. The 
nearest approach, however, to the form of the true tea 
leaves are those of Camellia sasangua, This plant 
itself is a near botanical ally to the tea, and the leaves 
are moreover used by the Chinese for scenting many of 
their teas. Most other leaves which have been found as 
adulterants may be detected by their forms. 
We give a figure of a leaf of true tea. 
If a leaf of black tea be soaked in cold water, spread 
out, and inspected through a microscope of ordinary 
power, it will present the appearance shown in the cut, the 
older and larger leaves will be of a dullish green, and the 
younger ones of a light semi-transparent green. It will 
not serve us to examine the internal structure of the leaf, 
as it has many points in common with other leaves, and 
would moreover require minute examination. The best 
black tea, then, should present the appearances above 
indicated, and the same may be said of green tea, 
with this exception, that after being soaked it is of a paler 
green colour than the former. 
Amongst the commercial varieties of tea the following 
are the best known :—Congou : this constitutes the bulk 
of black tea from China. It is that which is usually sold 
as black tea, and of course varies much jn priceaccording 
to its purity ; a really good tea of this. description ought 
to be had at the present time, at 25. 6d, per lb. fae 
Souchong and Pekoe are both finer kinds of blackj,and 
fetch higher.prices, Another kind of black called Orange 
Pekoe, may be known by its long, wiry leayes, which are 
mostly genuine; it,is artificially scented, and.is generally 
used by; grocers for mixing with inferiorkinds, A fine 
EASE ought to be obtained for abouts. per lb. 
_ Caper is a,common, black tea, artificially scented ; the 
Jeaf as we see it in.commerce has the form. of the Gun- 
powder leaf, but these are made up of tea-dust, and other 
matters agelutinated. oy, bus scidD mi depr9 aot; 
. Amongst green; teas, genuine Gunpowder is the finest ; 
the GUPLEES cand, PHECSs RE WENE vary..very..much ; the 
leayes of,,the .best,,are am fine, close, curls, and. are. the 
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