Chap. XX. NING-CHOW TEA COUNTRY. 



393 



Mr. Brooke Robertson, Her Majesty's Consul at 

 Sliangliae, liad also been unceasing in his efforts 

 to assist me in procuring manufacturers for the 

 Indian plantations. Through his influence nine 

 men, natives of the province of Kiangse, were 

 now induced to engage themselves to go to India. 

 The tea districts in this province, which border the 

 Poyang lake, have risen into great importance 

 within the last fifty years. Moning and Ning- 

 chow * teas are all produced in this part of the 

 country, and are largely exported to Europe and 

 America. 



During the days of the East India Company's 

 Charter all the best black teas were produced in 

 the province of Fokien. The towns of Tsin-tsun 

 and Tsong-gan in the vicinity of the far-famed 

 Woo-e hills were then the chief marts for the best 

 black teas exported by the Company. At that 

 period the districts about Ning-chow, in the 

 Kiangse province, were known only for their 

 green teas. Now, however, and for many years 

 past, although the Fokien black teas are, and have 

 been, largely exported, those produced in the 

 Ning-chow districts have risen in public estima- 

 tion, and, I believe, generally fetch very high 

 prices in the English market. 



If there is any one now who still clings to the 

 old idea that green teas can be made only from 

 the plant called Tliea virides, and black ones onli/ 



* Names of districts well known to merchants engaged in the tea 

 trade with China. 



