516 Report on the manufacture of Tea, and on the [June, 



boxes of Tea per day, (weighing one maund, or 80 pounds) if the 

 weather be fine and sunny ; but scarcely half that quantity it if be 

 rainy, on account of the coolies not plucking so much on a rainy, 

 as they would on a fair sunny day. As the people of the country 

 become acquainted with the gathering and manufacturing, three 

 boxes, of forty pounds each, may be expected in fine weather, adding 

 perhaps a few men to the number of coolies. 



A pair of pans for the Green-Tea makers would require during the 

 first process, 



to tatch, ... . . . . . . . . 2 men 



— receive the Tea from the pans, . . . . 1 „ 



— roll, 8 „ 



— attend to the fire, . . . . . . 1 „ 



— put the leaves in the sun and turn them, . . 4 „ 



Total number of men, 16 



Thirty coolies would be required to keep these men in full play, 

 and they would turn out two boxes of twenty-three seers, or forty-six 

 pounds each, per day; in all ninety-two pounds of Tea. If the weather 

 be rainy, of course the produce is much less ; as the gatherers then do 

 only half work. Thus the difference between the Black and Green 

 is, that the former requires six manufacturers less ; and that when 

 the Black-Tea is finished, boxed, and ready for exportation, the 

 Green has only undergone the first process, and is but half finish- 

 ed; although it is ready for exportation to any appointed place to 

 receive the final and troublesome, as well as most expensive part of 

 the process. Nevertheless the first part of the Green-Tea preparation 

 is easily learnt by the natives of this place in about two or three 

 months. In speaking of the trouble and expense attending the se- 

 cond process of the Green-Tea making, I beg to observe that it ap- 

 pears to me, from what little I have seen of it, that machinery 

 might easily be brought to bear ; and as Assam is about to become a 

 great Tea country, it behoves us to look to this. The Tea half 

 made, as above described, I am informed by the Green-Tea China- 

 men now with me, is put either into boxes or baskets, with bamboo 

 leaves between ; it has to make in this state a long journey by land 

 and water, and then to go one or more months in a boat by sea, 

 before it reaches Canton, where it is laid aside for one or two months 

 more, before it undergoes the second process ; making in all about 

 five months from the time it was first prepared. All that is required 

 is to keep it dry. Now if all this be true, which I have no doubt it is, 

 I see no reason why we could not send it to England, and have 

 it made up there. I rather see every thing in favor of such a plan, 





