October i, 1889.] THE TROPICAL A^TOISLTO R1ST. 
recognised the excellency of Ceylon tea. In their cir- 
cular of 1888 they express greater confidence than 
ever ; and in a private letter from Mr. Grant, he 
says they had put 2,000 half-chests of Ceylon tea last 
year among their customers. I do think now that 
Ceylon tea is now fixed «>n a firm basis. All we want 
now is quantity and quality combined." 
From the circulars we quote as follows : — 
(Established 1828.) 48 St. NicholaB Street, 
Aberdeen, April 2nd, 1886. 
■ Ceylon Tea. — The rapid development of Tea grow- 
ing in Ceylon, the high reputation it has acquired, and 
the growing taste for it among consumers, has induced 
us to give special attention to Ceylon Tea. Until 1884, 
separate statistics were not kept, but we give below 
the figure — since Tea was grown in Ceylon as an 
article of export— sent us by a well-informed cor- 
respondent resident there. We also give the acres 
planted. 
# * * * 
Anyone studying these figures will see at once the 
great importance of Ceylon Tea as an article of com- 
merce. We commend them to the attention of our 
friends. From the fact that several local men are 
resident in Ceylon, with whom we are personally ac- 
quainted, we have exceptional opportunities of acquiring 
information, and of securing the produce of the best 
gardens. Some of our correspondents are now shipping 
regularly. We may add our opinion as to the merits 
of Ceylon Teas. Some of them combine the best 
points of both China and Indian Tea, and are therefore 
admirable self Teas : others, from their great body 
and fine flavor, make a valuable addition to any blend. 
We will be pleased to submit samples on hearing 
from you- Bkebnbe & Grant. 
48 St. Nicholas Street, Aberdeen, August 1888. 
"1 called for a cup of Tea."— Pepys, 1661. 
Tea. — The consumption of Tea in this country since 
its introduction by Dutch merchants from 1645 to 1660, 
when it was first known in the London Coffee Houses, 
has grown to enormous proportions. 
India. — Until 1860, China practically held the field, 
for, although Tea had been grown in Java, &c, was 
discovered in Assam, and the first experiment in Tea 
growing was made by the Indian Government in 1835, 
Indian Tea was hardly known as an article of com- 
merce before 1860. Last season India exported 
86,000,000 lb. 
Ceylon. — Ceylon Tea was first offered on the London 
market in 1880. On the whole, it got a favourable re- 
ception from the Trade ; but many of the Teas, fresh 
when brought, soon become flat and lost flavour rapidly. 
This created a prejudice against Ceylon Tea, which 
probably even yet has not entirely disappeared. In our 
opinion, these results were largely attributable to want 
of knowledge on the part of the Planters. With an 
article of such delicacy as Tea — requiring knowledge of 
plucking, withering, fermenting, firing and packing — 
it would have been Utopian to have expected Tea per- 
pectly matured and manufactured at first. Ceylon Tea 
must still be selected with knowledge ; but, with care- 
ful selection, Ceylon produces some of the finest Teas 
we have ever handled, combining the strength of the 
finest Indian with some of the delicacy of the best 
China Tea. 
Two yearB ago we issued a circular giving statistics 
of Ceylon Tea, based on carefully-sifted information. 
Our estimates of the crops have been verified, and it is 
probable our estimate ot 30,000,000 lb. for next season 
will fall short of the aotual production. 
Ouina. The Finest China 1 Must it be said these 
are not what they once were. Two years ago we had 
some fine Tea from China, with great quality and deli- 
cacy in tho cup, but lacking the body and fragrance of 
some of the old clipper-shipped Teas— Teas by the 
" Lammerinutr," the " Cairngorm," and other famous 
dippers, which some of our older friends will still re- 
member. Beebnee & Grant. 
Our correspondent adds : — " I think Messrs. Brebner 
& Grant are Ceylon benefaotors." Certainly and 
their names will appear. Aberdeen should be well 
supplied now: we notice that "Old Colonist " 's 
latest address is » Tea Planters' Depot, Old Quay, 
Aberdeen." The following advertisement appears in 
the Northern Advertiser : — 
Important. 
Whereas it has been brought to to the notice of the 
Tea Planters' Association that certain unscrupulous ven- 
dors are in the habit of mixing our teas with a largo 
proportion of spurious leaf : "We hereby intimate that we 
have found it necessary for the better protection of our 
interests to open Direct Agencies, where Genuine Ceylon 
and Indian teas can be guaranteed, and sold to the public 
in any quantity, from ounces to tons, at Is 8d per lb. 
upwards. 
Aberdeen Agency— 
The Planters' Depot. 
A. R. Gray's Buildings, Upper Quay. 
o 
THE " MAZAWATTEE " BEAND OF 
CEYLON TEA. 
ONE OP THE LARGEST BUYERS OF CEYLON TEA — A VISIT TO 
MR. DENSHAM — HIS RESIDENCE — " MAZAWATTEE" NOT 
PLAGIARIZED FROM " MARIAWATTE 1 ' — SOME ACCOUNT 
OF MR. DENSHAM'S BUSINESS IN CEYLON TEA — BLENDING 
AND PRI0E8-~-CEYLON VERSUS CHINA — -THE MOST 
"LUSCIOUS" TEA IN THE WORLD — THE PACKET TEA TRADE 
A VISIT TO THE BONDED WAREHOUSES — WORKING 
OF THE TEA MACHINERY — HOW TEA PACKETS ARE 
MADE — MR. DENSHAM ON CEYLON OOLONGS — SOME 
SAMPLES OF INDIAN TEAS — THE MARKET FOR CEYLON 
TEA. 
London, Aug. 21st, 1889. 
Several London tea brokers in the Mincing 
Lane salesrooms pointed out to me Mr. Den- 
sham, the " Mazawattee Brand" tea dealer, 
saying he was one of the largest buyers of Ceylon 
tea, doing much good to our island by his ex- 
tensive transactions in the article and his wide 
advertising of it. I was introduced to him, and 
went by invitation to see his place, which is ex- 
cellently situated in commodious buildings on the 
opposite side of the street to the Mark Lane 
station, with a wide square between it and the 
Tower of London, a good view of which is ob- 
tained from the upper windows. 
Mr. Densham told me he has been visited by 
several Ceylon men. He says the idea of plagiariz- 
ing anything from " Mariawatte" never entered 
his head when selecting "Mazawattee" as his 
brand. He went on for a time in three rooms, 
without a brand, but as his business grew he was 
advised that a brand was desirable and also found 
that the whole building of six large floors was 
necessary for his rapidly expanding requirements. 
He has lately engaged the adjoining warehouse of 
eight similar floors in addition, and this : he expects 
soon to have fully occupied, so rapidly is he pro- 
gressing. 
At present his daily output is about 100 chests, 
the great bulk of which is Ceylon tea, of which I 
saw several leading marks. All his high-priced 
teas, viz., @ 2/6 and 3/ a lb., are entirely and 
purely Ceylon tea ; the lower priced qualities @ 
2/ and 2/2 a lb. are blended with Indian and other 
growths which supply the briskness and pungency 
lacking in the lower qualities of Ceylon, but I 
was assured the bulk of the tea used is Ceylon. 
He points out that it is necessary to have blends 
such as he has adopted and affixed prices at 
which he may stand to lose sometimes, though not 
often, — much more frequently, of course, the result 
being the other way, — as by this means alone can 
a uniformity in quality be assured, uniformity being 
a great desideratum with his constituents. 
I annex two sentences from a short article on 
tea in a small book entitled " The Ladies' Hand- 
book of the Language of Flowers and Preoious 
Stones " he issues with his packages : — " China 
has long sinoe oeased to send us her finest teas, 
and we now to a great extent depend upon India 
