112 



TEA. 



collected after the ISth of the latter month. As soon as the new and young 

 leaves have appeared in April, the plucking takes place, this being done by the 

 Chinese, assisted by the Mallees. The following is the method adopted: — A 

 certain division of the plantation is marked off, and to each man a small basket 

 is given, with instructions to proceed to a certain point, so that no plant may 

 be passed over. On the small basket being filled, the leaves are emptied into 

 another large one, which is put in some shady place, and in which, when filled, 

 they are conveyed to the manufactory. The leaves are generally plucked with 

 the thumb and forefinger. Sometimes the terminal part of a branch, having 

 four or five young leaves attached, is plucked off. All old leaves are rejected, 

 as they will not curl, and therefore are of no use. 



As the season advances, and manufactory and plantation works become 

 necessary, the Mallees are assisted in gathering leaves by Coolies. The pro- 

 cess is simple, and thus every man, woman, and child of villages could be 

 profitably employed, on the plantations being greatly extended. Certain kinds 

 of leaves are not selected in the plantation, in order to make certain kinds of 

 tea, but all new and fresh leaves are indiscriminately collected together, and 

 the different kinds separated on the leaves being fired. 



Method of manufacturing black tea. — The young and fresh leaves on being 

 picked (they only being used, the old ones being too hard, and therefore unfit 

 to curl), are carried to the manufactory, and spread out in a large airy room to 

 cool, and are there kept during the night, being occasionally turned with the 

 hand if brought in in the afternoon ; or, if brought in during the morning, 

 they are allowed to lie until noon. Early in the morning the manufacturers 

 visit the airing room, and pack up the leaves in baskets and remove them to the 

 manufacturing room. Each manufacturer takes a basketful, and commences to 

 beat them between the palms of his hands with a lateral motion, in order to 

 soften and make them more pliable for working, and thus prevent them, when 

 rolled, from breaking. This beating process continues for about an hour, and 

 it may either consist of one or two processes ; the Chinese sometimes finish the 

 beating process at once ; at others, they allow the leaves, after being beat for 

 half an hour, to remain a time and then resume it. They now go to breakfast, 

 and in one hour and a half the leaves are ready for the pan. The pans being 

 heated by wood placed in the oven, so as to feel hot to the hands, are filled to about 

 two-thirds, or about three seers of leaves are thrown in at a time — the quantity 

 which a manufacturer is capable of lifting with both hands. With the hands 

 the leaves are kept moving with a rotatory motion in the pan, and when they 

 become very liot, the motion is kept up with a pair of forked sticks. This 

 process is continued for three or four minutes, depending on the heat of the 

 pan, or until the leaves feel hot and soft. They are then, with one sweep of a 

 bamboo brush, swept into a basket, and thrown on to the rolling- table, which 

 is covered with a coarse mat made of bamboo. Each manufacturer then takes 

 as much as he can hold in both hands, and forms a ball and commences to roll 

 it with all his might with a semicircular motion, ^^hich causes a greenish 

 yellow juice to exude. This process is continued for three or four minutes, the 

 balls being occasionally undone and made up again. The balls are then handed 

 to another party at the extremity of the table, to undo them and spread the 

 leaves out thinly on flat baskets and expose them to the sun, if there is any ; 

 if not they are kept in the manufactory. After all the leaves have gone 

 through this process, the first baskets are brought back, and the leaves again 

 transferred to the pan, worked up in a similar manner for the same length of 

 time, re-transferred to the table, and again rolled. This being done, the loaves 

 are again spread out on large flat baskets to cool. On being cooled the leaves 

 are collected together and thinly spread out on flat wicker- worked sieve-baskets, 

 which are placed in others of a deep and of a double-coned shape. The 

 choolahs being lighted for some time, and the charcoal burning clear, they are 

 now ready to receive the coned baskets. The basket is placed over the choolah 

 and kept there for about five minutes. The leaves are then removed, re-trans- 

 ferred to tho flat baskets, and re-rolled for a few minutes. This being done, 

 the leaves are again brought together, placed in the conical basket and kept 

 over the charcoal fire for about two minutes. The contents of the conical 



