1839.] extent and produce of the Tea Plantations in Assam. 177 



from the pan, it is removed, and another basket placed to receive the 

 leaves ; and soon, until all is finished. A roaring wood fire is kept up 

 under the pan to keep the bottom red hot, as the succession of fresh 

 leaves tends greatly to cool the pan, which ought always to be scrubbed 

 and washed out after the process is over. In China these pans are 

 made of cast iron, and if great care is not taken they will crack in the 

 cooling ; to prevent which, one man keeps tapping the inside of the 

 edge of the pan briskly with a wet broom, used in the cleaning of the 

 vessel, while another pours cold water in gently ; thus it cools in a few 

 seconds, and is ready for another batch of Tea. The leaves are rolled 

 andtatched the same as the other Teas, and put into the drying basket 

 for about ten minutes. When a little dry, people are employed to work 

 and press the leaves in the hands in small quantities, of about one and 

 a half to two rupees weight at a time, for about half a minute ; they are 

 then put into small square pieces of paper and rolled up ; after this they 

 are put into the drying basket, and permitted to dry slowly over a gentle 

 fire for some hours, until the whole is thoroughly dry. This Tea is not 

 sold in the China market, it is used principally as offerings to the 

 priests, or kept for high days and holidays. It is said to be a very fine 

 Tea, and there is not one man in a hundred who can make it properly. 

 The Pouehong tea is made in the same way as the Sychee, with this 

 exception, that it is not formed into balls. 



Mingehew Black-Tea. The leaves (Pouehong) are plucked and dried 

 in the sun, and are then beaten and dried in the shade for half an hour; 

 this is done three successive times, and the leaves are very much shaken 

 by a circular motion given to them in a sieve, so as to keep them rolling 

 and tumbling about in the centre of it. This treatment continues until 

 they are very soft; they are then allowed to remain for a short time ; 

 the contents of the first sieve are then placed in the centre of a close 

 worked bamboo basket with a narrow edge, and the leaves are divided 

 into four equal parts,, The contents of the second sieve are placed in 

 another bamboo basket like the former, and this basket is placed on 

 the top of the first, and so on, piling one basket upon another until all 

 is finished ; — there may be about two pounds of leaves in each basket. 

 The red hot pan is used the same as in Sychee, only now the men 

 cast in one division of the leaves into the basket, and this is tumbled 

 and tossed about in the red hot pan, like a plaything, for about thirty 

 seconds, and then swept out ; another division is cast in, and so on, 

 until all the prepared baskets have been emptied. The contents of each 

 basket are still kept separate, by placing the leaves when they come out 

 of the pan in separate baskets. The whole is a brisk and a lively scene, 



