268 



TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. 



Chap. XV. 



coal, and labour in extra firing, the cost of the chest 

 and packing, and custom-house and export duties. 



Such tea as that above referred to is sold by the culti- 

 vators and small farmers at about 80 cash a catty, 

 which is equal to 4 taels per picul. The following 

 table will show the total amount of these expenses : — 



Cost of tea at 80 cash per catty . . 



. 4 



Do. of chest and packing .... 



. 0-847 



Wholesale dealer's extra expenses . 



. 1 





, 1-359 



Haug-chow-foo custom-house . . 



. 0-037 



Export duty at Shanghae . . . . 



. 2-530 





9-773 



taels per picul. 



If these different items are as correct as I believe 

 them to be, it would appear that the profit upon 

 common teas is very small, so small indeed as to 

 make it a matter of doubt whether they will ever be 

 produced at a reduced rate. 



It must be borne in mind, however, that all the 

 expenses just enumerated, excepting the original cost 

 of tea, are as heavy upon the common kinds as upon 

 those of a finer quality, for which much higber prices 

 are paid. Take for example the good and middling 

 Ohows, and finest teas, which sold in Shanghae, De- 

 cember 1846, at from 20 to 28 taels, long price;* 

 in 1847 at 18 to 26 taels ; in 1848 at 14 to 22 

 taels; and in July 1849 at 16 to 25 taels per picul. 

 Such tea in November 184/ was worth from Is. to 

 Is. Ad. per lb. in England. 



These fine teas are said to be sold by the small 

 farmers to the dealers at, on an average, 160 cash a 



* Long price [1. p.-] means that the export duty is included, 



