160 BOHEA TEA. 
sible. That the moisture of the leaves may be com- 
pletely dissipated, and their twisted form be better pre- 
served, the above process is repeated several times with 
the same leaves, but with less heat than at first. The 
tea, thus manufactured, is afterwards sorted, according 
to its kind or goodness. Some of the young and tender 
leaves are never rolled, but are merely immersed in hot 
water, and dried. 
How long the use of tea has been known to the Chi- 
nese we are entirely ignorant ; but we are informed that 
an infusion of the dried leaves of the tea shrub is now 
their common drink. They pour boiling water over 
them, and leave them to infuse, as we do in Europe ; 
but they drink the tea thus made without either milk or 
sugar. The inhabitants of Japan reduce the leaves to 
a fine powder, which they dilute with water, until it 
acquires nearly the consistence of soup. The tea equi- 
page is placed before the company, together with a box 
in which the powdered tea is contained : the cups are 
filled with warm water, and then as much of the powder 
is thrown into each cup as the point of a knife can con- 
tain, and it is stirred about until the liquor begins to 
foam, in which state it is presented to the company. 
It was formerly imagined that black and green tea 
were the production of different species of shrubs; but 
the Chinese all assert, that both are produced from the 
same species, and that the sole difference which exists 
betwixt them arises from the seasons when the leaves 
are gathered, and the modes of curing them. The teas 
principally consumed in Europe are four kinds of black, 
and three of green. 
Black Teas. 
(a) Boihea, or Voo-yee, so called from the country 
in which it is produced, is sometimes collected at four 
gatherings. As the leaves are picked, they are put 
into flat baskets, which are placed on shelves or planks, 
in the air or sun, from morning till night ; after which 
