140 
The tea hills are situated six to ten days south-west of Ssii-mao and 
about the same distance north-west of the Me-khong on both sides of a 
left bank affluent of that river. It is six days’ journey from Ssü-mao to 
I-bang, the chief of the tca-hills. ‘The road was said to cross two steep 
hills during the first day and two steep hills er the second day ; ; 
the third day the road is downhill for the most part to Méng-wang T'u- 
ssü which is very malarious; on the fourth day there is a further descent 
to the Man-nao river ; on the fifth day the road is up and down hill for 
the whole distance ; and on the sixth day theve is a steady ascent to 
I-bang. From I-bang to Yu-lé is three days' journey, and to I-wu two 
days. From Man-nai to Chéng-tung is two days’, ves from Cheng- 
tung to Mo-hei three days’ journey. A day's journey may be taken as 
18 to 22 miles, Yu-lé formerly belonged to the Tay district, but 
became the property of a Yao chief who gave it with his daughter when 
she married a former Hsüan-wei Ssü whose private property the hill 
* * * * * * E 
On the 2nd January 1885 the magistrate was kind enough to take 
me to see some tea trees at a place called Lu-ying, three-quarters of a 
mile to the north-west of the city, where he had a big arbour erected of 
bamboos covered with fir branches to sit and talk in. There were only 
five trees, of which one stood about 12 teet high, consisting of seven 
— the — of about 4 inches diameter; this tree was said to be 
these are merely wild tea trees, which are found here and there all over 
Southern China, it is impossible to say. According to popular tradi- 
tion, tea was introduced into this part by the great K*ung-ming when he 
a ge wei south. 
* * 
At all eA it does not seem ee that iab on the Ssii-mao 
plain ever gave good tea, or the lea uld not be brought here from 
at S; 
ould be necess ET to visit the tea-hills to give a satisfactory 
account of the trade ; mis antime the following notes, the result of many 
inquiries, may be useful, Neglecting the officia account,* which does 
not Meier with bici acts, we must begin with the distinction 
between tea grown on the hills, I-bang, I-wu, Mansa, and the neigh- 
etim heights, called * yen ch‘a” (stron g tea), and that which neon 
on the lower slopes and in the valley ef the Me-khong and its tribu- 
taries, called * san ch‘a” or * yeh ch‘a” (wild tea), 
'The ‘i nest es made of the young spring leaves Pe shrubs on the 
hills, is called * ya chía” or **mao-etien." This is only made at the 
hills, and I could <a obtain a specimen. Some of this. ne leaf was 
* Notes from the * Topography :" the six Mieres are ce mi Kée-ting, Toish, 
Mang-chih, Man-chuan, and Mansa (another extract substitutes Chia-pu, Hsi- 
k‘ung, ard T-wu for Yu-ló, wage and M le The hilis occupy ya area ka 
a circuit. of 800 li. There is a called the tea-king, singular ing m 
peg than any other tree at the. hills. It was me by K'un ung-ming 1 FS to Ae 
; Ee riri ben aborigines worship it. The fla ofthe tan with varying 
‘Soils ; itis best grown on red earth or- Eee tiie toch of different kinase de it then 
s digestion, dissipates fever, and aets as as an antidote. ou 
