210 MANUFACTURE OF " CAPER." Chap. X. 



very hard and solid, and are then thrown on one 

 side, and allowed to lie in this state for several 

 hours : if this work has been done in the evening, 

 they remain all night. By this system of press- 

 ing, twisting, and rolling, the greater portion of 

 the moist leaves take a circular form, which goes 

 on to perfection during the subsequent drying 

 which the leaves have, of course, to undergo, and 

 ends in the production of the round shot-like 

 appearance by which this kind of tea is known. 



It is a most curious sight to a stranger who sees 

 the mode of making this tea for the first time. A 

 whole row of these men, nearly naked when the 

 weather is warm, each with a large ball under his 

 feet, which he is twisting and rolling with all his 

 might, is so unexpected a sight in tea-making. 

 The clever sketch (Frontispiece) by my friend Mr. 

 Scarth gives a good idea of this curious process. 



The best kind of " caper " takes the round form 

 naturally during the manufacture of souchong or 

 congou ; but, as I have already mentioned, only 

 a very small quantity — about five per cent. — 

 could be procured in this way. By far the 

 greatest portion of the caper exported is manu- 

 factured in the manner I have just described. 



But as I am letting out all the secrets of tea- 

 manufacture, I may just as well notice another 

 mode of making "caper," which is scarcely as 

 legitimate as the former. In one corner of the 

 factory we observed a quantity of tea, exceedingly 

 coarse in quality, — in fact, the refuse of that which 



