110 
| hf common tea dust is 3} Chinese ozs. silver (say, 15s.) per pecul = 
* 133 Ibs. avoirdupois. The cost of the manufacture, export, duty, 
“ tea as ordinarily packed. ; 
“The small tablet is made of the finest tea dust, the selection of 
= * which is made with great care. The original cost of this tea here is 
= * about 84s. a pecul. It is manufactured into tablets by steam machinery 
“ in a steel mould. The proper amount of dust is poured into the 
* mould dry without steaming, and the pressure brought to bear upon 
* it is two tons per tablet. Considerable care is required in the manu- 
.** facture and packing of this tablet tea, and the cost is comparatively 
« 
: “ Besides this tablet tea used in Russian Siberia, there is a pressed 
=“ tea called brick tea used in Chinese Mongolia and Tibet. This is 
« made of the whole of the leaf with stalks, and is about the size and 
* shape of an ordinary brick. I have not seen this tea manufactured. 
Jt is made, I know, by Chinese in a very simple way." 
- Thisis all the information I got with the specimens. 
| am, &c. 
i (Signed) A. MONCRIEFF. 
Sir Joseph Hooker, K.C.S.I., E.R.S., &c. 
i * the supply, The employment of steam machinery for pressing the 
= .. .* bricks has proved in eve 
un on any, the worse for the journey. With the old method, the bricks, 
a P its fragrance. To remedy this defect, a firm has imported a hydraulic 
* press, which turns out small corrugated cakes, weighing a quarter of 
E E * dir T i 
= brick keeping its own position for use amongst the poorer, and the eom. 
iR Sean tea becoming popular amon the better classes. At the time 
and T Yang- 
both in fineness and cost according as it. 
