414 



M. A. De Candolle on the Tea Plant of Assam. [April 



acquire the fragance and flavour of Chinese tea when dried. The 

 Singphos and Kamtees are in the habit of drinking an infusion of the 

 leaves, which I have lately understood they prepare by cutting them 

 into small pieces, taking out the stalks and fibres, boiling and then 

 squeezing them into a ball, which they drv in the sun and retain for 

 use." 



This coarse mode of preparing tea is not unfrequentin the countries 

 which surround China. It is said that the Tartars harden it with a kind 

 of argillaceous earth, which they convey about in the shape of cakes, 

 and that they eat it in that form, or drink it in infusion. We can testi- 

 fy from experience that it is a detestable beverage ; but the palate of 

 these barbarians is more gratified by the pungent flavour of the leaf, 

 than by the delicious aroma, which exhales when it is carefully selected 

 and well prepared. The same kind of men, among ourselves, prefer 

 gross brandy to the evanescent fragrance of choice wine. 



The Burmans use the tea in all fashions — As their country borders 

 the province of Assam towards the north, and their capital, Ava, is 

 distant only a hundred leagues, it may be useful to cite a passage from 

 Crawford's Journey, concerning he indigenous tea of those regions.* 



" Tea is cultiva/ed on the hills by some of the mountain races, but i* 

 does not exist nearer Ava than five days' journey, and we consequently 

 saw none of it growing. The best is grown by the race called D'hanu, 

 whose country lies to the north-east of Ava, distant about ten days' 

 journey. The leaves are elliptic, oblong, and serrated like the Chinese 

 plant; and the Burmese, not following the practice of other nations, 

 designate the latter by the native name of their own plant, Lap'het. 

 There is little doubt, therefore, but that it is a genuine Thea, and most 

 probably a native of the country. The Burmese eat the leaf prepared 

 with oil and garlic, and never use the infusion as they do that of 

 Chinese tea, which they call Lap'het-re, or tea-water." The author 

 mentions elsewhere the frequent importation of China tea to Ava by 

 the route of internal commerce. 



The difference which the Burmans make between these two teas, 

 valuing the infusion of the China leaf, makes me fear that the wild 

 plant, which grows to the north of their country and in the province 

 contiguous to Assam, yields tea of but an inferior quality. T do not 

 mean to say that it is of a different species from the true tea, in the 

 botanical sense of the word species ; but it may be a less fragrant 



* Journal of an Embassy to the Court of Ava, by J. Crawford, Esq. 



i- In fact, Dr. Wallich, naturalist of the expedition, did not find it in the Burmese 

 country. There is not a trace of it in the herbarium of that country, which he has con- 

 fided to us, nor in the manuscript of his voyage. 



