Car. XI.] THE HONG-CHA OR BLACK TEA. 217 
the smaller tea which falls through the open sieve, 
during the operation, is thus collected in the under 
one and carefully saved. Both sieves are now 
placed over the flue, and the leaves carefully 
watched and turned frequently, for about an hour, 
when the tea is considered properly fired. Some- 
times, if the day is fine, it is exposed a little while 
to the sun before it is packed away. 
The Hong-cha, or our common black tea, is pre- 
pared rather differently. In the first place the 
natives seem more particular in the rolling pro- 
cess, especially when it is for the foreign> market, 
although the operation is performed much in the 
same way. After heating and rolling, the leaves 
are shaken out on large screens, and subjected to 
the action of the open air; the natives in this, as 
in all other cases, taking care not to expose them 
to a bright and burning sun. This is a most im- 
portant part of the manufacture. The black tea is 
left in this state sometimes for two or three days 
before it is fired, which, doubtless, is one cause 
why the colour of this tea is so much darker than 
those kinds which are prepared from the same 
plants and quickly dried. 
After being exposed for a sufficient length of 
time to the action of the air, the leaves are taken 
in for the purpose of firing. Instead, however, of 
being heated in baskets, like the other kind, this is 
thrown at once into the pan. An old and ex- 
perienced person takes his place at the furnace, 
and keeps up a slow and steady fire, while it is the 
