276 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



exposed to the sun in order that they may ripen 

 completely and open fully. The fibre and seeds 

 are picked out of the capsules by women and 

 children and are dried in the sun for some days. 



The seeds are usually removed from the fibre 

 by beating with sticks or by means of a simple 

 machine. A special form of gin, resembling a 

 cotton gin, has been recommended for the pur- 

 pose, but it must be remembered that in most 

 cases the kapok is only a subsidiary product and 

 produced in small quantities, so that the provi- 

 sion of expensive machinery would not be. re- 

 munerative. 



The kapok is packed in bales by means of 

 hydraulic or hand presses, but must not be com- 

 pressed too severely or its resilience will be 

 impaired and its value consequently diminished. 

 Each bale weighs about 80 lb. The number of 

 bales exported from Java in recent years is as 

 follows ; 1907, 92,874 ; 1908, 109,852 ; 1909, 87,685. 



The value of the total imports of kapok into 

 the United Kingdom amounted to £23,752 in 

 1908, and to £27,645 in 1909. 



The market price of kapok has advanced dur- 

 ing the last few months from 7d to about 9d per 

 lb., and it is therefore possible that the collec- 

 tion and preparation of this fibre for export 

 would prove a remunerative iudustry in certain 

 British Colonies and Dependencies. — Imperial 

 Institute, Bulletin, No. 2, 1911. 



TEA IN CHINA IN THE 1 7TH 

 GENTURY: 



A Jesuit's Book— Translated in 1698. 

 We are much obliged to Mr. McEwan (of 

 Messrs. McMeekin & Co. of Lime Street) — a well- 

 known authority on tea—for the extracts he sends 

 from the interesting old book of a Jesuit priest, 

 who must have been a Missionary in China and 

 Siam, about the middle of the 16th century. 

 The oldest book on tea in our hands is one pub- 

 lished in London in 1799 — an illustrated folio 

 entitled " The Natural History of the Tea-tree 

 with observations on the Medical Qualities of 

 Tea and on the effects of Tea Drinking— a new 

 edition — by John Coakley Lettsom, m. d. But 

 the Preface refers to "an inaugural disser- 

 tation " on the virtues of tea printed in 1769 

 and in 1772 a first edition of the volume given 

 in 1799. It seems that Sir George Staunton's 

 Embassy to China, some time before, attracted 

 notice to the tea trade and he had a table com- 

 piled (now before us) giving " an Account of 

 the Quotations of Tea exported from China to 

 English and Foreign ships in each year from 

 1776 to 1795 distinguishing each year.'' The 

 quantity was : — 



12,841,500 lb. in foreign ships in 1776 

 3,402,415 lb. in English „ „ 



and 5,577,2001b. (foreign) in 1783 

 against 23,733,810 lb. (in English ships) in 1783. 



London, July 28th, 1911. 

 Dear Sir, — There was recently placed in my 

 bauds a quaint and interesting old book pub- 

 lished in London in 1698, and stated to be a 

 second edition of a translation from the French. 



There is nothing to indicate when the first edi- 

 tion, or the French original, were published. I 

 enclose a typewritten copy of the title page and 

 of various extracts bearing on the subject of 

 Tea. The interest of these lies in the fact that 

 I have been unable to trace that they have been 

 reproduced in any modern writing dealing with 

 the subject of Tea, and that they are of earlier 

 date than the well-known quotations so fre- 

 quently made use of. The archaic spelling has 

 been reproduced. I am sending you the extracts 

 that you may reproduce anything you like from 

 them.— I am, yours faithfully, 



JOHN McEWAN. 



MEMOIRS AND OBSERVATIONS. 



Topographical, Natural, 

 Physical, Civil, 

 Mathematical and 

 Mechanical. Ecclesiastical. 

 Made in a late 

 Journey 

 through the 

 Empire of China 

 And published in several letters. 

 Particularly upon the Chinese Pottery and 

 Varnishing ; the Silk and other Manufactures ; 

 the Pearl Fishing ; the History of Plants and 

 Animals ; with a description of their Cities and 

 Public Works ; Number of People, their Lan- 

 guage, Manners and Commerce; their Habits, 

 (Economy, and Government. The Philosophy 

 of Confucius. The State of Christianity, and 

 many other Curious and Useful Remarks, 



By Louis Le Comte, Jesuit, 

 Confessor to the Duchess of Burgundy, one of 

 the Royal Mathematicians, and lately Missio- 

 nary into the Eastern Countries. 



Translated from the Paris Edition, and illus- 

 trated with Figures. 



The Second Edition very much corrected, with 

 the Addition of a Map of China, and a Table. 



London : Printed for Benj. Tooke, and are to 

 be sold by Geo. Huddleston at the Black-moor's 

 Head, near Exeter-Exchange in the Strand. 1698. 



There is to be seen in China abundance of 

 other Rivers less Famous, but yet more Commo- 

 dious for Commerce and Trade. 



Since they afford nothing uncommon, it would 

 be to abuse your Patience, Sir, to descend to 

 the Particulars. As to what concerns Foun- 

 tains, it were to be wisht there were more of 

 them, and better. 'lis certain that their usual 

 Waters are not good, which, perhaps, hath 

 obliged the Inhabitants, especially in the 

 Southern Provinces, to drink it always warm ; 

 but because warm Water is unpalatable and 

 nauseous, they bethought themselves of putting 

 some Louises of a Tree to it, to give it a Gusto. 

 Those of Tea seemed to be the best, and so they 

 frequently made use of it. 



It may be also that God Almighty, whose Pro- 

 vidence hath so universally provided for the 

 Wants of His People, and if I may be bold to say 

 it, for their Delight and Pleasure, would not 

 deprive China of that which is necessary to Life ; 

 so that for to Supply the Defect of the Wells 

 and Fountains, which the Nature of the Ground 



