,illustration3 ,,lo ,,fong ,,loh1 ,c4,i4,c4,s4 ,,secretary ,,to ,,the ,,chinese ,,educational ,,mission1 ,,in ,,europe4 ,illustration3 ,,fac-,,simile ,,of ,,mr4 ,,lo ,,fong ,,loh',s ,,prefatory ,,notes ,,in ,,the ,,chinese ,,hing ,,shoo1 ,,or ,,running ,,hand2 ,,for ,,translation1 ,,see ,,following ,,pages ,,tea ,,its ,,mystery ,,and ,,history4 ,,tea ,,its ,,mystery ,,and ,,history ,,by ,,samuel ,,phillips ,,day1 ,author of 8,food ,papers3 a ,popular ,treatise on ,dietetics10 etc4 ,,with ,a ,,preface ,,in ,,chinese ,,and ,,english ,,by ,,lo ,,fong ,,loh1 ,c4,i4,c4,s41 ,secretary to the ,chinese ,educational ,mission in ,europe4 ,,illustrated4 8,the ,sovereign drink of ,pleasure and of ,health40 ,,brady4 ,,london3 ,,simpkin1 ,,marshall ,,co41 ,,stationers' ,,hall ,,court4 #ahgh4 ,price ,one ,shilling4 ,,to ,,the ,,lovers ,,of ,,pure ,,tea1 ,,this ,,treatise ,,is ,,respectfully ,,inscribed ,,by ,,the ,,author4 ,illustration ,,contents4 ,,page ,,preface ,,in ,,chinese4 ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,chinese ,,language ix ,,extract ,,from ,,mr4 ,,lo ,,fong ,,loh',s ,,journal xii ,,chapter ,i4 ,,legendary ,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,plant #ag ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,introduction ,,of ,,tea ,,into ,,england #bg ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,appreciation ,,of ,,the ,,leaf #cf ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,plant ,,botanically ,,considered #ci ,,chapter ,v4 ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,tea ,,trade #dh ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,colouring ,,of ,,the ,,leaf #eg ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,social ,,character ,,of ,,the ,,beverage #fj ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the 8,,drink ,,of ,,health0 #gj ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,the ,,virtues ,,of ,,the ,,leaf #gh ,,chapter ,x4 ,a ,,cup ,,of ,,tea #ij ,illustration ,illustration ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,chinese ,,language4 ,the ,chinese writing is eminently picturesque2 and as the language admits of no alphabet1 all ideas and objects are conveyed through the medium of groups of characters1 each group representing a series of impressions1 or opinions4 ,by an ingenious and elaborate combination of strokes1 upwards of #dj1jjj distinct symbols are perfected4 ,this vast array has given rise to the amusing1 but erroneous notion1 that the ,chinese pass their lives in learning to read2 so that old and infirm scholars1 after having devoted all their days to its accomplishment1 have departed this life with the task undone4 ,ideographic and phonetic at the same time1 the mechanism of the language is intelligible only to a few ,europeans2 but it is truly surprising that the vernacular of #djj1jjj1jjj of our fellow-men1 whose literature dates from the time of ,king ,david1 and whose yearly exchange of merchandise with ,england amounts to #dj1jjj1jjj sterling1 should have been so long wrapped in oblivion4 ,china does not possess1 as we do1 public libraries and reading rooms1 but all who have a taste for reading or desire instruction can readily satisfy their need1 as books are sold in the ,celestial ,empire at prices lower than in any other country in the world2 further1 all the finest quotations from the best authors are found written on the pagodas1 public monuments1 faades of tribunals1 signs of the shops1 doors of houses1 and interior of apartments1 so that1 in fact1 ,china may be likened to a huge library1 where rich and poor alike can enjoy their country's literature1 and it is deserving of remark that the general prosperity and peace of ,china has been much promoted by the diffusion of knowledge and education throughout the lower classes4 ,the construction of the ,chinese symbols varies from the square character to the more cursive character of the ,seal and ,grass1 peculiar for their obscurity4 ,the six styles of writing are as follows3--,chuen shoo1 or ,seal character2 ,le shoo1 or ,official character2 ,keae shoo1 or ,model character2 ,hing shoo1 or ,running character2 ,tsaov shoo1 or ,grass character2 and ,sung shoo1 or ,sung dynasty character4 ,the preface to this book is written by ,lo ,fong ,loh1 ,esq41 in the 8running0 character1 and is undoubtedly a perfect specimen of caligraphy2 his translation is rendered in the following pages4 ,illustration ,,extract ,,from ,,mr4 ,,lo ,,fong ,,loh',s ,,journal4 ,among the several places of interest in ,london1 visited by ,h4 ,e4 ,li ,fung ,pao 7,director of the ,chinese ,educational ,mission7 and myself during our six months' sojourn therein1 ,i could not fail to be impressed with the ,tea ,establishment of ,messrs4 ,horniman and ,co41 ,wormwood ,street4 ,the first department to which our attention was directed1 is called the 8,blending ,floors40 ,here we observed divers descriptions of ,tea1 which had been shipped from different countries in the ,eastern ,hemisphere4 ,although we do not profess to be au courant with regard to that particular article of domestic use1 still we happen to come from the ,tea districts of ,china1 and therefore took the opportunity of examining some specimens of the tropical leaf4 ,we are aware that in commerce there is a special kind of so-called ,tea1 denominated 8,reviving ,leaf10 a spurious production1 so coloured and prepared as to deceive the eye of all but experts4 ,this manipulated 8presentment0 of the genuine commodity was not among the varieties2 and we are satisfied that ,messrs4 ,horniman's ,teas are perfectly unsophisticated and natural growths1 free from all adventitious 8additions40 ,the effect of blending the various descriptions of ,tea is to make the flavour uniform1 and thus to meet the wants and tastes of the consumers4 ,one thing particularly struck us during our visit4 ,this was the vast quantity of ,tea in stock1 both in the ,warehouses and the ,wholesale ,establishment4 ,upon enquiring of the ,head of the ,firm1 whether all their importations are consumed by the people of the ,united ,kingdom1 the reply was1 that 8,a considerable portion thereof is exported to ,european countries40 ,this circumstance convinced us that the ,teas are blended with marked technical skill1 in order to suit the various tastes and likings of divers individuals and nationalities4 ,when ,h4 ,e4 ,li and myself were passing through the 8,blending ,floors10 the first remark made to me by ,h4 ,e4 was this3 he observed that 8,in ,china1 ,tea ,merchants invariably separate the different qualities of the leaf2 while the practice in this country seemed to be the very reverse40 ,i explained to him the reason of such usage1 comparing it to the composition of a book4 ,first1 you collect information of sundry kinds2 anon1 proceed to classify the same2 and1 finally1 artistically blend the whole for the general advantage4 ,the ,chinese merchants having performed the first part1 ,messrs4 ,horniman ,co4 effect the other equally important portions4 ,upon entering what is deemed the 8,testing ,room10 we noticed a collection of tiny ,china cups1 filled with infusions of the leaf4 ,albeit we did not then taste the tempting liquid1 nevertheless we could not avoid being favourably impressed with the delicate aroma and excellent colour of the beverage4 ,the next department we inspected was the 8,weighing ,floors10 which proved no less a source of interest4 ,in this place the ,tea is weighed previous to its being put into packages1 varying in size from two ounces to several pounds weight4 ,while the smaller packages are neatly enclosed in tinfoil1 so as to prevent the leaf suffering injury through the action of damp or exposure1 the larger sorts and for export are done up in tins1 securely closed1 to obviate the admission of air4 ,in the adjoining department1 or 8,labelling ,room10 the various packages are labelled 7the labels being printed in nine languages71 on a similar principle to that adopted by the ,chinese themselves4 ,shortly after my arrival in ,england1 ,i felt distressed respecting the means of procuring pure ,tea1 not drinking coloured ,tea in my own country4 ,i experienced that some of the largest hotels and leading restaurants seldom produced a beverage such as ,i could with pleasure drink4 ,upon trying the ,tea supplied by ,messrs4 ,horniman's ,agents1 ,i found it excellent in every respect1 and like to that ,i have been accustomed to use when at home4 ,one object of my official visit to ,europe being to collect special information bearing on the ,industrial ,arts1 as evidences of ,western civilisation1 ,i must confess that both ,h4 ,e4 ,li and myself derived mutual pleasure and profit in going over ,messrs4 ,horniman's ,establishment4 ,,lo ,,fong ,,loh4 ,london1 ,may1 #ahgh4 ,illustration ,,tea ,,its ,,mystery ,,and ,,history4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,legendary ,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,plant4 ,according to the most authentic ,chinese historians1 the ,tea plant was introduced from the ,corea in the eighth century1 during the dynasty of ,lyang4 ,being both approved of and much relished by the ,emperor it was extensively cultivated1 so that it rapidly became popular with all sections of the community4 ,as this story was too prosaic for general acceptation1 the masses1 and even certain sceptical literati1 readily received a more poetical account1 which1 like many of our own nursery tales1 veils some political allegory4 ,the story runs1 that in the year #eaj1 an ,indian prince--one ,darma1 third son of ,king ,kosjusva--famed throughout the ,east for his religious zeal1 landed in ,china on a ,missionary enterprise4 ,he devoted all his time and thought to the diffusion of a knowledge of ,god4 ,in order to set an example of piety to others1 he imposed on himself various privations and mortifications1 forswore sleep1 and1 living mostly in the open air1 devoted himself to prayer1 preaching1 and contemplation4 ,however1 after several years passed in this excessively austere manner1 he involuntarily fell asleep4 ,upon awaking1 so distressed was he at having violated his oath that1 to prevent a repetition of such backsliding and never again permit 8tired eyelids0 to 8rest on tired eyes10 he cut off those offending portions of his body1 and flung them on the ground4 ,returning next day to the same spot1 he discovered that his eyelids had undergone a strange metamorphosis1 having been changed into a shrub the like of which had never before been seen upon the earth4 ,having eaten some of the leaves1 he found his spirits singularly exhilarated thereby2 while his former vigour was restored4 ,hence he recommended the newly-discovered boon to his disciples and followers1 so that after a time the use of ,tea rapidly spread4 ,a portrait of ,darma is given by ,kmpfu1 the first authoritative writer on ,china4 ,at the foot of the portrait is the representation of a reed1 supposed to be indicative of the religious enthusiast having crossed rivers and seas in the pursuit of his mission4 ,it is by no means difficult1 out of this wonderful legend1 to extract a moral1 namely1 that an earnest individual1 who had acquired the useful habit of keeping his eyes open1 discovered one of ,nature's secrets1 which had entirely escaped the observation of all others4 ,towards the close of the sixteenth century1 a learned physician of ,padua--one ,giovanni ,bolero--published a work 8,on the ,causes of the ,magnificence and ,greatness of ,cities40 ,therein1 while treating of the ,orient1 he observes3 8,the ,chinese have an herb out of which they press a delicate juice that serves them for drink instead of wine2 it also preserves their health and frees them from all those evils which the use of wine produces among ourselves40 ,albeit the allusion is somewhat cloudy1 still no doubt exists but that the celebrated ,paduan refers to ,tea4 ,this is supposed to be the earliest mention of the plant by any ,european writer4 ,it is curious that among the many wonderful things which ,marco ,polo--the great traveller of his day--saw in ,china1 he omits to mention the ,tea plant either as shrub or beverage4 ,this omission is the more unaccountable inasmuch as both himself and his father 7whose voyages he records7 must have visited districts wherein ,tea was in common use4 ,the early ,portuguese navigators are equally silent on this matter1 nor is mention made thereof in the logs of our own freebooting ,sea ,kings4 ,these1 however1 troubled themselves less about botany than the broad pieces to be found in the holds of the ,spanish ,king's galleons4 ,had ,sir ,walter ,raleigh1 who travelled ,west instead of ,east1 accompanied his friend ,drake on his famous voyage round the world1 he might have added to his discoveries of the potato and tobacco plants of ,america1 that of ,tea in ,china4 ,the honour of introducing the refreshing and invigorating leaf to ,europe was1 clearly1 not reserved for ,english travellers4 ,this honour is properly claimed by the ,portuguese1 although they had been trading for many years with the ,chinese before they made the discovery1 just about the close of the sixteenth century4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,tea ,,garden4--,the ,tea plant flourishes best in the provinces of ,to-kien1 ,kiang-su1 ,hoonam and ,hoopels4 ,the first crop is gathered in the early spring4 ,shortly after ,tea had become a popular beverage in ,china1 it was exported to ,japan1 the only nation with which the ,chinese were suffered to hold intercourse4 ,in those islands it assumed even a more important position than it held in the 8,flowery ,land10 so that to be able to make and serve the beverage with a polished grace was recognised as an indubitable sign of a polite and aristocratic education4 ,the ,japanese devoted their artistic and mechanical skill to the production of tea-caddies1 tea-trays1 tea-pots1 and tea-cups and saucers1 remarkable for exquisiteness of design no less than peculiarity of fabric4 ,tea-houses were opened in the leading cities of ,japan4 ,these were frequented by the ,daimios1 or lesser nobles1 and the lower classes alike1 who took their chief pleasure in such popular resorts4 ,eminent writers1 also1 considered it no indignity to extol the precious beverage4 ,what ,bacchanalian and hunting songs1 cavalier and sea songs1 rhapsodical treatises in laudation of hunting1 coaching1 and so forth1 are to the literature of ,england1 such was ,tea to the writers1 artists1 and musicians of ,china and ,japan4 ,in other words their ,dickenses1 their ,goldsmiths1 their ,nimrods1 their ,dibdins1 their ,tom ,moores1 and their ,leeches1 instead of having a wide variety of topics to treat of1 as was the case with their ,english compeers1 were confined to one subject--,tea4 ,indeed1 each plantation was supposed to possess its peculiar virtues and excellences1 like to the slightly varying vineyards of the ,rhine1 the ,rhone1 the ,garonne1 or the ,moselle4 ,each had its poet to sing its praises in running rhymes4 ,in illustration1 one ,chinese bard1 who seemingly was an ,anacreon in his way1 magnifies the shrub that grows on the ,mong-shan mountains1 in the territory of ,ya-chew1 in words which1 literally translated1 mean3-- 8,one ounce doth all disorders cure1 ,with two your troubles will be few'r2 ,three to the bones more vigour give2 ,with four for ever you will live1 ,as young as on your day of birth1 ,a true ,isyen,a upon the earth40 ,a ,an immortal4 ,however hyperbolical this testimony may be considered1 it at least serves to show the high estimation in which ,tea was held4 ,this fact furnishes the best possible answer to the silly objections of certain modern writers who would fain have us believe that the ,chinese cultivate ,tea1 not for their own consumption1 but to sell to foreigners4 ,the only gleam of truth latent in so manifestly absurd an assertion being that the ,celestials invariably drink the pure ,tea1 not that which has undergone artificial preparation for those outer barbarians1 the ,english consumers1 it being an admitted fact that they prepare ,tea 8to order10 and can by the aid of mineral facing-powder transform black ,tea into green1 or green ,tea into black at pleasure4 ,such transformation1 however1 only alters the appearance to the eye2 the quality1 inferior or otherwise1 remains concealed4 ,in due time ,tea became1 not simply in ,china and ,japan1 but also in ,india and ,persia1 the drink of ceremony1 just as is coffee with the ,turks and ,arabs1 and wine with ourselves4 ,a little over two centuries since1 a ,french traveller in ,persia gravely imagined that what constituted a hospitable custom1 was a universal desire to administer medicine4 ,he avers that people 8assigned to ,tea such extravagant qualities that1 imagining it alone able to keep a man in constant health1 they treated those who came to visit them with this drink at all hours40 ,this statement might be paralleled by an ,eastern writer who1 treating of ,england1 should use the same sentence1 merely substituting the word 8wine0 for 8,tea10 and he may add1 8to increase the beneficial influence of the beverage1 in many instances they make cabalistic movements with the glasses1 sometimes clinking the edges together1 meanwhile uttering the talismanic words1 #8,your health6' which are supposed to possess some potent charm40 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,introduction ,,of ,,tea ,,into ,,england4 ,before ,tea found its way to ,england1 it had been brought to ,holland1 thanks to the treaty made by the ,dutch with the ,japanese4 ,if the ,dutchman1 as a rule1 did not forego his favourite lager and schnapps to take to ,tea so readily as did the ,english1 nevertheless1 there were not wanting upholders of the new beverage in the land of 8dykes1 ducks1 and ,dutchmen10 as somebody construed ,voltaire's famous 8cancana1 canards1 canaille40 ,the first to advocate the wonderful leaf was ,cornelius ,bontekoe1 principal physician to the ,elector of ,brandenburgh1 a ,professor in the ,university of ,leyden1 and a man of more than ordinary eminence4 ,in a treatise on 8,tea1 ,coffee1 and ,chocolate10 published in #afgi1 he strongly pronounces in favour of the first-named drink1 and denies the possibility of its being hurtful to health1 even if taken in such an inordinate quantity as one or two hundred cups a day1 a statement as extravagant as it is impracticable4 ,the introduction of ,tea into ,england is by some presumed to date from the year of our ,lord #afeb4 ,if such be authentic1 the quantity of the leaf imported during the ,commonwealth must have been extremely limited1 probably not exceeding a few pounds1 such as ,blake and 8sea-dogs0 of his order discovered in the cabins of ships they had captured from the ,dutch4 ,equally questionable is the statement of other authorities1 who give the year #afff as that wherein the first importation of ,tea took place4 ,no doubt1 many important events were commonly attributed to the year #afff1 which the poet ,dryden had essayed to render more remarkable still by his poem on the ,annus ,mirabilis4 ,lords ,arlington and ,orrery are credited with having first rendered the drinking of ,tea fashionable4 ,six years previous to the remarkable year just noticed1 ,pepys records in his 8,diary03 8,i sent for a cup of ,tea1 a ,chinese drink1 of which ,i had never drunk before40 ,so that it is evident the rare beverage was then coming into use4 ,shortly afterwards a measure passed the legislature1 enacting that an impost of eightpence per gallon should be paid on all ,tea prepared and sold in coffee-houses4 ,illustration3 ,,gathering ,,the ,,spring ,,crop4--,the leaves are plucked with great care1 not more than one being plucked from the stalk at a time2 notwithstanding this1 an expert can gather #aj to #ac lbs4 per day4 ,a singular handbill was issued by ,thomas ,garway1 the founder of ,garraway's somewhat famous coffee-house1 in ,exchange 7subsequently ,exchange-alley74 ,this announcement was by chance discovered some years since in a volume of pamphlets in the 8,king's ,library10 ,british ,museum1 where it may still be inspected4 ,albeit the document bears no date1 but there is ample internal evidence to prove that it had been printed about the year #affj4 ,it purposes to be 8,an exact description of the growth1 quality1 and virtues of the leaf ,tea1 by ,thomas ,garway1 in ,exchange-alley1 near the ,royal ,exchange1 in ,london1 ,tobacconist and ,seller and ,retailer of ,tea and ,coffee40 ,subjoined is the quaint description given of the plant3-- 8,tea is generally brought from ,china1 and groweth there upon little shrubs and bushes1 the branches whereof are well garnished with white flowers1 that are yellow within1 of the bigness and fashion of sweet-briar1 but in smell unlike1 bearing their green leaves1 about the bigness of scordium1 myrtle1 or sumach1 and is judged to be a kind of sumach4 ,this plant hath been reported to grow wild only1 but doth not2 for they plant it in their gardens1 about four foot distance1 and it groweth about four foot high1 and of the seeds they maintain and increase their stock4 ,of all places in ,china this plant groweth in greatest plenty in the province of ,xemsi1 latitude #cf1 bordering upon the west of the province of ,nanking1 near the city of ,luchow1 the ,island de ,ladrones and ,japan1 and is called #8,cha4' ,of this famous leaf there are divers sorts 7though all one shape71 some much better than others1 the upper leaves excelling the others in fineness1 a property almost in all plants2 which leaves they gather every day1 and drying them in the shade1 or in iron pans over a gentle fire1 till the humidity be exhausted1 then put close up in leaden pots1 preserve them for their drink4 ,tea1 which is used at meals and upon all visits and entertainments in private families1 and in the palaces of grandees2 and it is owned by a padee of ,macas1 native of ,japan1 that the best ,tea ought to be gathered by virgins1 who are destined for this work4 99 99 99 99 99 8,the said leaf is of such known virtues1 that those very nations so famous for antiquity1 knowledge1 and wisdom1 do frequently sell it among themselves for twice its weight in silver1 and the high estimation of the drink made there-with hath occasioned an inquiry into the nature thereof amongst the most intelligent persons of all nations that have travelled in those parts1 who after exact tryal and experience by all wayes imaginable1 have commended it to the use of their several countries1 and for its virtues and operations4 ,the quality is moderately hot1 proper for winter and summer4 ,the drink is declared to be most wholesome1 preserving in perfect health until extreme old age40 ,then the writer proceeds at considerable length to enumerate the 8,vertues0 of ,tea1 some of which are decidedly apocryphal4 ,amongst other properties attributed to the beverage are those of making the body active and lusty1 helping the headache1 giddiness1 and heaviness1 removing difficulty of breathing1 clearing the sight1 removing lassitude1 strengthening the stomach and liver1 causing good appetite and digestion1 vanquishing heavy dreams1 easing the frame1 strengthening the memory1 preventing sleepiness1 8so that whole nights may be spent in study without hurt to the body10 strengthening the inward parts and preventing consumption1 especially when drank with milk4 8,and that the virtues and excellencies of this leaf and drink10 continues ,mr4 ,garway1 8are many and great is evident and manifest by the high esteem and use of it among the physicians and knowing men of ,france1 ,italy1 ,holland1 and other parts of ,christendom1 while in ,england it hath been sold in the leaf for six pounds1 and sometimes ten pounds for the one pound weight2 and in respect of its former scarceness and dearness1 it hath only been used as a regalia in high treatments1 and presents made thereof to princes and grandees till the year #afeg4 8,the said ,thomas ,garway10 so the handbill proceeds1 8did purchase a quantity thereof and first publicly sold the said ,tea in leaf and drink1 made according to the directions of the most knowing merchants and travellers in those ,eastern countries1 and upon knowledge and experience of the said ,thomas ,garway's continual care and industry in obtaining the best ,tea1 and making drink thereof1 very many noblemen1 physicians1 and merchants1 and gentlemen of quality1 have ever since sent to him for the said leaf1 and daily resort to his house in ,exchange-alley aforesaid1 to drink the drink thereof40 ,finally the writer closes his remarkable encomium in these words3 8,and that ignorance nor envy may have no ground or power to report or suggest that which is here asserted of the vertues and excellences of this precious leaf and drink hath more of design than truth1 for its justification of himself and the satisfaction of others he hath here enumerated several authors who in their learned works have expressly written and asserted the same and much more in honour of his noble leaf and drink1 viz43--,bontius1 ,riccius1 ,jarricas1 ,almeyda1 ,horstius1 ,alvarez1 ,sameda1 ,martinivus in his ,china ,atlas1 and ,alexander de ,rhodes in ,voyage and ,missions1 in a large discourse of the ordering of this leaf and the many vertues of the drink2 printed at ,paris1 #afec1 part x4 chap4 #ac4 ,and to the end that all persons of eminency and quality1 gentlemen and others1 who have occasion for ,teas in leaf1 may be supplied1 these are to give notice that the said ,thomas hath ,tea to sell from sixteen to fifty shillings in the pound40 ,doubtless if the beverage possessed even but a tithe of the virtues and excellences attributed to it by the celebrated ,garway1 it must be regarded as the crowning boon of ,nature to man4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,appreciation ,,of ,,the ,,leaf4 ,that the worthy ,thomas ,garway1 to whom reference is made in the preceding ,chapter1 gave rather undue license to his imagination in extolling the virtues of his cherished beverage is manifest4 ,his handbill1 however1 is not only curious but interesting1 if on no other account than that of illustrating the mode of advertising to which he resorted1 in order to spread the fame of the precious leaf and dispose of his commodity4 ,it is likewise noteworthy on account of the fame which 8,garway's ,tea0 had acquired and maintained for two centuries4 ,the original name 8,garway0 was changed or 8restored0 by his son to 8,garraway10 while the ,house which bore this appellation became renowned far and wide4 ,here it was that the numerous schemes which surrounded and accompanied the great ,south ,sea ,bubble1 had their centre4 ,appropriately enough also1 8,garraway's0 was the head-quarters of the remarkable ,tea speculation of #ahda-b1 when prices fluctuated sixpence and eightpence per pound2 and when people were suddenly smitten with the mania for dealing in ,tea1 just as at other times a rage obtained for speculating in railways1 mines1 foreign funds1 or finance4 ,albeit ,garway evidently prospered in his special branch of trade1 yet it is probable that the rapid popularity which ,tea had acquired was less indebted to the 8learned and knowing0 authorities he quoted in his handbill1 than to royal patronage4 ,it appears that ,catherine of ,braganza1 queen of ,charles ,,ii41 who had tasted the beverage in ,portugal1 and grew enamoured with the same1 brought it into fashion in this country4 ,her fondness for the soothing cup was extreme4 ,its subsequent popularity1 however1 may fairly be attributed to its innate valuable properties1 which became the more understood and prized in proportion as the public grew more addicted to its daily use4 ,ladies of ton delighted in their 8dish of ,tea10 which was indispensable to their comfort4 ,authors also discovered its advantages as a beverage to work upon2 while poets and essayists lauded it well nigh in terms of extravagant eulogy1 such as had been employed by ,chinese and ,japanese men of letters before them4 ,almost the first literary eulogist to espouse the cause of the new drink was ,edmund ,waller4 ,he recites how he became induced to taste ,tea1 owing to a parcel of the leaf being presented to him in the year #affd1 by a member of the ,jesuit ,order1 who had recently returned from ,china4 ,in the poem which furnishes several references to the infused leaf occurs the following pregnant allusion3-- 8,the ,muses friend1 ,tea1 doth our fancy aid1 ,repress those vapours which the head invade1 ,and keeps that palace of the soul serene40 ,byron1 in later times1 became an enthusiast in its favour1 averring that he 8,must have recourse to black ,bohea30 while he pronounces green ,tea 8,the ,chinese nymph of tears40 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,plant ,,botanically ,,considered4 ,the ,linnan system of ,botany classifies the ,tea plant with the ,polyandria1 and of the order ,monogynia4 ,what is styled the 8,natural ,system0 associates it with the family of the ,camellia4 ,the ,tea plant1 which is an evergreen1 grows to the height of five or six feet4 ,the leaves are about an inch and a half long1 being narrow1 indented1 and tapering to a point1 similar to those of the sweetbriar4 ,the colour is a dark green4 ,the root is like that of the peach-tree1 while the flowers resemble the wild rose4 ,a number of irregular branches issue from the stem4 ,the fruit is small1 containing round blackish seeds1 about the size of a bean4 ,the shrub must have at least a three years' growth before it is fit for being plucked4 ,this valuable plant is largely cultivated not only in ,china but also in ,india1 ,japan1 and the ,eastern ,archipelago4 ,there are two primary kinds of ,tea1 namely the ,thea viridis1 or green shrub1 and the ,thea ,bohea1 or black plant4 ,the former delights in elevated situations and a temperate climate2 the latter requires the protection of valleys1 the sloping sides of mountains1 and the banks of rivers1 with a more tropical sun4 ,to the situations and the temperatures the delicate flavour of the green and the greater astringency of the black ,tea1 are mainly due4 ,in ,england1 at one period1 all descriptions of black ,tea were denominated ,bohea4 ,it is known1 however1 that this particular title belongs exclusively to inferior varieties1 and in no way includes such superior products as ,congou1 ,souchong1 ,pekoe1 and ,i may add ,caper1 which is regarded as a fancy growth1 and never imported into this country1 unless adulterated4 ,of the green ,teas1 the commonest and cheapest is ,twankay1 the finest sort being ,hyson1 which comprises ,young ,hyson and ,gunpowder4 ,there are a number of intermediate and less known varieties1 to which must be added the fine growths of ,assam and other provinces of ,british ,india4 ,the ,tea plant may be cultivated with more or less success in climates within #ce or #dj of the ,equator4 ,some writers affirm that so long as the temperature be suitable1 the character of the soil is of little importance4 ,others1 on the contrary1 assert that ,tea will grow in any part of ,china or ,india1 even much further north than ,i have mentioned4 ,the balance of experience1 however1 is against them4 ,illustration3 ,,weighing4--,this illustration is from a photograph1 showing the manner of weighing tea1 and payment of wages4 ,the leaf is subsequently prepared by firing4 ,as regards the quality of ,tea1 this must depend not only on its variety and growth1 but also on the time during which the leaves are gathered4 ,directly the refreshing spring showers have passed off1 and a gracious sunshine succeeds1 which1 aided by drying winds1 chases away each leaflet's tears1 the ,tea harvesting season commences with vigour4 ,hundreds1 and occasionally thousands1 of little merry leaf-gatherers may be seen sallying forth at early morning to their pleasant labour1 singing1 laughing1 prattling1 and dancing as they go4 ,then when the mid-day gong sounds1 work ceases for the nonce1 when these pretty1 black-eyed1 dark-haired damsels squat in groups among the bushes1 while they partake of their frugal meal of rice1 moistened by copious draughts of hot weak ,tea4 ,immense care is necessary in order to protect the delicate young leaf from injury4 ,as a rule1 the girls employed undergo a species of training to prepare them for their work4 ,not only so1 but while engaged in plucking the flowery ,pekoe they wear gloves of perfumed leather4 ,every leaf has to be plucked separately4 ,still so expert are the pluckers that an average gathering would amount to twelve pounds weight daily for each person4 ,there are three seasons4 ,the first commences at the end of ,february1 or the beginning of ,march2 the second about the end of ,march1 or the first week of ,april2 third at the end of ,may1 or in ,june4 ,the earliest leaves constitute the most exquisite and expensive teas2 while the second crop forms the largest proportion of the entire produce4 ,the best description is the produce of the early spring when the leaves are young and small4 ,but many growers1 for the sake of increased quantity1 prefer gathering the leaves later in the season1 when they are not simply larger1 heavier1 and more numerous1 but when they have lost much of their pristine flavour4 ,of course1 only experts1 who devote their lives to the work1 can distinguish the difference between the various growths of early spring or late autumn4 ,consequently1 the ordinary consumer of ,tea is compelled to trust to the integrity of the particular retailer from whom he procures this commodity4 ,but as the majority of retail grocers do not profess to know the true value of ,tea1 it follows that they in their turn1 have to place implicit trust in the better judgment of the wholesale dealer1 commercial traveller1 or middle man with whom they do business4 ,tracing the history of ,tea to a very early period1 we find that complaints of adulteration were very prevalent4 ,in ,england the chief deception practised1 consisted in the admixture of sloe and other leaves with the genuine article4 ,the re-drying of leaves that had been already used was a malpractice equally as disgraceful4 ,the ,tea so tampered with was little better than a mass of woody fibre1 destitute of those chemical properties upon the presence of which the value and virtue of this tropical beverage depend4 ,more mischievous still was the practice adopted some time since by which an ingenious mixture of sumach leaves and catechu was made to resemble ,tea1 so that ordinary persons could not detect the counterfeit4 ,yet1 notwithstanding the last-mentioned substance1 from its powerfully astringent action on the system1 was calculated to induce serious mischief to health1 this objectionable compound was literally sold under the protection of a patent1 and was known in the trade as 8,la ,veno ,beno1 the ,chinese ,tea ,improver40 ,the public1 however1 heard nothing of this impudent fraud1 until after the scheme succeeded and all the mischief had been done4 ,bad as are the adulterations of the leaf practised in this country1 those adopted by the ,chinese are even worse4 ,not very long since1 much commotion was created respecting 8,lie ,tea10 which was thrust in the market4 ,this 8base presentment0 consisted either wholly1 or in great part1 of leaves which had no affiliation whatever to the ,tea plant1 but consisted of leaves and weeds gathered anyhow1 then rolled and dried1 and artificially flavoured so as to resemble the genuine article4 ,with reference to what is called green ,tea1 the system frequently pursued in its preparation is highly reprehensible4 ,the ,green ,teas sold in ,england are usually artificially coloured in order to enamour the eye of the unsuspecting purchaser4 ,the principal medium employed in effecting this result is none other than ,prussian blue1 a deadly poison1 and inimical to health even in the minutest quantity4 ,according to ,mr4 ,fortune1 no less a proportion than half-a-pound is used to every hundred weight of leaf4 ,although botanists have divided ,tea into two species1 still the black and green descriptions are but varieties of the same plant4 ,practically it is found more convenient to cultivate each sort separately1 certain districts favouring the specific growths4 ,but any description of black ,tea can1 in the process of drying1 be converted into green4 ,of course the ,chinese never touch these artificially-coloured products4 ,they have too much good sense for that4 ,while they consider the ,english fools for their pains1 inasmuch as the pretty colour tickles their fancy1 and they are induced to pay a higher price for the sophisticated commodity4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,v4 ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,tea ,,trade4 ,in #afeh1 the ,honourable ,east ,india ,company directed to be 8sent home by their ships one hundred pounds weight of the best ,tea they could get10 this doubtless being considered a pretty large supply4 ,the company had previously presented to ,catherine of ,braganza1 on her birthday1 a chest containing twenty-two pounds--a notable gift commemorated by ,waller4 ,in #afga came the ,ty-wan present from the ,ruler of ,bantam4 ,during the three subsequent years1 the company bought of ,mr4 ,thomas ,garway and others #efb lbs4 of ,tea1 which was either given away or consumed by the ,court of ,committee4 ,from #afge to #afgg1 no record exists of either purchases or imports4 ,hence1 it is evident that ,tea was not regarded as a source of private revenue at that period4 ,who could have fancied the marvellous change that a century or two would effect8 ,who could have thought that the ,tea trade was destined to become one of the most important branches of our commerce1 and not only so1 but to occasion several wars1 lead to the extension of our ,eastern possessions1 and precipitate the great ,chinese exodus1 which threatens such important results to the ,pacific ,states of ,america1 to ,australia1 the ,polynesian ,islands1 and possibly to the world at large8 ,there is nothing in the history of commerce so marvellous as the growth and development of the trade in ,tea4 ,in #afge1 the importation of this commodity rose to #d1gac lbs4 ,but this enormous quantity manifestly overstocked the market for seven years afterwards4 ,in #afhe1 the importations amounted to a little over #ab1jjj lbs4 ,four years later1 #be1jjj lbs4 arrived1 which caused the market to be glutted for a lengthened period1 giving rise to considerable depression in that special branch of commerce4 ,about this period the duty was taken off the 8made0 ,tea1 and a regular impost of five shillings per pound imposed4 ,during the first twelve years of the eighteenth century1 the total quantity of ,tea imported was #a1ajb1jgj lbs41 showing an average of #ia1ibb lbs4 ,this result is the more remarkable as it exceeded the previously unheard of quantity imported in #agjj4 ,yet we find that in the eleven years succeeding1 this amount became nearly doubled1 probably owing to a reduction of duty to four shillings a pound1 in addition to a ,customs' impost of #ad per cent4 ,the ,tea trade1 still ever augmenting1 received a further impetus in #agdf1 when the duty was reduced to one shilling a pound1 the ,customs' duty being fixed at #be per cent4 ,during the following twelve years the average importation amounted to #b1eeh1jhj lbs4 ,another period of eight years 7#agfj-fg7 gives an average of #d1ccc1bfg lbs4 ,then taking an additional ten years to complete the century1 the first really commercial importation of #dgac lbs4 in #aggh1 had grown to an average of #f1idh1bch lbs41 and this1 notwithstanding that besides the #be per cent4 ,customs' duty and the one shilling per pound ,excise impost1 there had been imposed an additional ,excise #cj per cent4 ,further1 in the concluding six years of the century1 the ,tea importations had further augmented to #ba1gjf1gah lbs41 the #ia1ahc lbs4 of #agjj having become a century later upwards of twenty-five million pounds4 ,in #aghd the ,commutation ,act passed the ,legislature4 ,by its provisions the ,east ,india ,company were compelled to make quarterly sales of ,tea1 to sell even as low as one penny a pound above prime cost1 and to keep a sufficient quantity for one year's consumption always on hand4 ,the same year ,mr4 ,pitt reduced the duty to #ab per cent41 to which act is ascribed the enormous increase in the trade4 ,although in #agie the duty was raised to #bj per cent41 still the consumption of ,tea increased4 ,early in the nineteenth century other fiscal changes occurred4 ,the ,customs' duty1 for example1 was fixed at #f per cent41 and the ,excise duty #ij per cent4 in value2 while in #ahai the former impost was repealed1 and the latter made cent4 per cent4 ,however1 nothing that statesmen or financiers could effect seemed to check the growing fondness of ,english people of all social grades for their cherished beverage4 ,accordingly we find that during the first twenty-seven years of the present century--a period which completes the third fifty years of the ,tea trade--the average annual consumption amounted to about twenty-nine million pounds4 ,since #ahbg1 the intervening half century has witnessed several fiscal changes in the ,tea trade4 ,the first and most important occurred in #ahcd1 when the ,excise duty became removed1 differential ,customs' duties were imposed1 and the long-existing monopoly of the ,east ,india ,company was abolished4 ,in #ahce1 practically the first year of free trade1 the imports exceeded by #cj per cent4 any previous period4 ,the following year1 at the request of the ,tea dealers and brokers1 the differential duties were repealed1 and a fixed impost of two shillings in the pound imposed1 the result being an increase of importation to the extent of fifty million pounds4 ,in #ahdj1 a rate of #e per cent4 was charged1 thus raising the duty to #bs4 #b;d4 per pound4 ,illustration3 ,,drying4--,a basket frame1 wide at both ends and contracted towards the centre1 containing the tea1 is placed over hot embers of charcoal4 ,although the war with ,china1 coupled with the simultaneous distress in the manufacturing districts1 caused a temporary check to importation1 still the conclusion of peace and the repeal of the ,corn ,laws had their due effect in an opposite direction4 ,hence1 in #ahdi1 the quantity imported reached very nearly fifty-three and a half million pounds1 while in the year of the first ,great ,exhibition1 the importation had augmented to about seventy-one and a half million pounds4 ,in #ahec1 an ,act was passed reducing the duty immediately to #as4 #aj;d41 and gradually to #as4 ,owing1 however1 to the outbreak of the ,crimean war1 this measure was not carried out4 ,from ,april1 #ahee1 until ,april1 #aheg1 the duty remained at #as4 #i;d41 being at this latter date reduced to #as4 #f;d4 ,five years later a reduction of #f;d4 took place1 and again in ,june1 #ahfe1 a further reduction4 ,since then no fiscal change has been effected4 ,the effects of these fluctuations have been sufficiently marked1 probably demonstrating that no further reduction1 short of absolute abolition1 would prove much of a boon to consumers4 ,in #ahfa1 the imports increased to ninety-six and a half million pounds2 the following year to close upon one hundred and fifteen millions1 in #ahfc to nearly one hundred and thirty-seven millions1 in #ahff to one hundred and forty millions1 and in #ahgg1 to the enormous figure of nearly one hundred and eighty-eight million pounds 7#ahg1gba1jej lbs4 actually74 ,thus in two centuries1 since the time of ,thomas ,garway's handbill offering a few pounds of ,tea to a select public1 the trade has grown with prodigious strides into a highly flourishing branch of commerce representing value to the extent of some twelve millions sterling1 and an addition to the imperial revenue at even the existing duty1 of over four and a half millions1 irrespective of the value of the thirty-two million pounds re-exported from our shores4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,colouring ,,of ,,the ,,leaf4 ,previous to #ahcd1 the ,honourable ,east ,india ,company1 possessing the monopoly of the ,tea trade1 were responsible1 under very stringent regulations1 for the quality of the leaf imported1 while heavy penalties were inflicted on those who coloured or adulterated ,tea in ,england4 ,now that the trade has been thrown open1 and the duties so largely reduced1 little inducement exists for having recourse to malpractices in this country1 even had there been no ,adulteration ,act in force4 ,yet is there no protection against what is done in ,china4 ,some years since1 the ,city ,commissioners made a commendable but abortive effort to seize 8,lie ,tea0 and ,teas artificially coloured and otherwise adulterated2 but inasmuch as duty had duly been paid on the rubbish1 it was found that nothing could be done to arrest the distribution of such vile stuff4 ,that the ,english public prefer unsophisticated ,tea1 when they can conveniently obtain it1 is conclusively established by ,messrs4 ,horniman ,co4's long experience4 ,the ,firm has ,agents in every town throughout the kingdom1 each of whom is constantly receiving supplies of the genuine article4 ,ten years ago1 the ,firm paid duty on seven hundred and seventy four thousand pounds of ,tea1 while last year they sold upwards of five million packets varying in sizes from two ounces to three pounds weight4 ,this result is sufficiently conclusive in negativing the flimsy assertion made and reiterated by interested persons1 namely1 that ,english folk favour artificially coloured ,teas1 rejecting those which are not so manipulated4 ,it must be admitted that inexperienced judges of the pure leaf1 upon their first purchase are surprised at the colour of the leaf4 ,they pronounce the black ,tea to be dark brown1 and the green ,tea1 a dark olive4 ,the exquisite flavour of the 8supreme beverage0 at once opens their eyes to the truth4 ,no doubt it is reassuring to be aware that a ,firm which1 by common consent of their customers1 consistently and persistently act up to their business formula1 8,always good alike10 find meet reward in a yearly augmentation of their business2 a fact attested by the published tables of the quantities of ,tea on which they pay duty periodically4 ,but in addition to obtaining quality1 the public have the extra advantage of cheapness1 as the ,pure ,tea offered by ,messrs4 ,horniman ,co4's ,agents is sold at the same fixed prices in every ,town and ,village throughout the ,kingdom4 ,if1 as the proverb has it1 8,good wine needs no bush10 so1 on the other hand1 good ,tea1 like beauty1 needs no adornment4 ,its best adornment is perfect purity4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,social ,,character ,,of ,,the ,,beverage4 ,since the introduction of ,tea into ,england1 but more especially since the ,british public has patronised it1 a marked improvement characterises the tone and manners of ,society4 ,it is not1 possibly1 too great an assumption to assert that there must exist something about ,tea specially suitable to the ,english constitution and climate2 for not even in ,scotland or ,ireland1 nor in any ,european country1 is the beverage consumed to a like extent4 ,certain travellers aver that a large consumption of the leaf obtains in ,russia2 but it is chiefly the upper classes who are addicted to its use4 ,the moujiks1 peasants1 and artisans scarcely know the taste of it1 for now1 as in the time of ,peter the ,great1 they regard vodk as their only national drink4 ,illustration3 ,,firing ,,and ,,colouring4--,when the teas are half roasted1 powdered ,prussian blue1 plumbago1 gypsum1 and turmeric are added1 except to that tea ordered pure and free from all mineral facing powder4 ,that all classes of the community in this country have derived much benefit from the persistent use of ,tea1 is placed beyond dispute4 ,it has proved1 and still proves1 a highly prized boon to millions4 ,the artist at his easel1 the author at his desk1 the statesman fresh from an exhaustive oration1 the actor from the stage after fulfilling an arduous rle1 the orator from the platform1 the preacher from the pulpit1 the toiling mechanic1 the wearied labourer1 the poor governess1 the tired laundress1 the humble cottage housewife1 the votary of pleasure even1 on escaping from the scene of revelry1 nay1 the ,queen on her throne1 have1 one and all1 to acknowledge and express gratitude for the grateful and invigorating infusion4 ,shortly after it had became fashionable to partake of ,tea1 persons of quality in ,england were wont to invite their friends to a 8dish0 of the newly-imported beverage4 ,lord ,macaulay mentions how 8,tea1 which at the time ,monk brought the ,army of ,scotland to ,london 7,a4 ,d4 #affj71 had been handed round to be stared at and just touched with the lips as a great rarity of ,china1 was1 eighty years later1 a regular article of import1 and was soon consumed in such quantities that financiers began to consider it as an important source of revenue40 ,seven years later ,pepys has this entry in his famous ,diary3 8,home1 and there find my wife making of ,tea1 a drink which ,mr4 ,pelling1 the apothicary1 tells her is good for her cold40 ,that ,queen ,anne ranked among the votaries of the leaf is manifest from ,pope's couplet3-- 8,thou1 great ,anna1 whom three realms obey1 ,dost sometimes counsel take1 and sometimes ,tay40 ,from this time forth writers of renown make constant allusions to the new drink4 ,essayists in the ,spectator1 the ,tatler1 and other literary organs1 are ever dropping remarks respecting the tea-table4 ,pope1 in his 8,rape of the ,lock10 when ,belinda is declaring what terrible things she would rather have had happen1 than have lost her favourite curl1 makes her cap everything by the wish that she could be transported to-- 8,some isle ,where the gilt chariot never marks the way1 ,where none learn ombre1 none e'er drink ,bohea10-- than which privation she can imagine nothing worse4 ,then what a source of social pleasure the 8afternoon ,tea0 becomes6 ,brady1 in his well known metrical version of the 8,psalms10 thus illustrates the advantages accruing therefrom3-- 8,when in discourse of ,nature's mystic powers ,and noblest themes1 we pass the well spent hours1 ,whilst all around the ,virtues--sacred band-- ,and listening ,graces1 pleased attendants stand4 ,thus our ,tea conversations we employ1 ,where with delight1 instruction we enjoy1 ,quaffing without the waste of time or wealth1 ,the sovereign drink of pleasure and of health40 ,the poet ,cowper's praise of the beverage has been sadly hackneyed2 nevertheless1 as the ,laureate of the tea-table1 his lines are worthy of further reproduction4 ,who cannot recall how ,mrs4 ,gilpin scornfully characterises her neighbours' children as being markedly inferior to her own1 8,as hay is to ,bohea20 as though the force of comparison could no further go4 ,yet it is in his more serious and didactic poem that the melancholy friend of the hares exclaims3-- 8,now stir the fire1 and close the shutters fast2 ,let fall the curtain1 wheel the sofa round2 ,and while the bubbling and loud hissing urn ,throws up a steaming column1 and the cups ,that cheer1 but not inebriate1 wait on each1 ,so let us welcome peaceful evening in40 ,but ,tea had its avowed enemies no less than its staunch friends4 ,certain old fashioned physicians did not like it4 ,nay1 they even sneered at and denounced it4 ,jonas ,hanway1 the philanthropic but eccentric founder of the ,marine and the ,magdalen ,societies1 more bold than his compeers1 actually rushed into print in order to inveigh against it4 ,but he had reason to regret his hot-headed impetuosity4 ,in answer to his petty attack1 the beverage found a noble defender in no less a personage than ,dr4 ,johnson1 whose defence1 in point of style1 is among the best essays the great moralist ever penned4 ,hanway1 however1 nothing daunted1 resumed the attack4 ,having lost his temper1 he gave full scope to his prejudices1 and denounced ,tea as the worst of poisons and the secondary cause of all the moral1 religious1 and political evils that distracted mankind4 ,not only so1 but he was rash enough to attack the leviathan of literature personally4 ,yet he had far better have saved his ink1 for ,johnson--the first time in his life that he had retorted on an adversary--fell upon him like an avalanche4 ,hanway having foolishly laid himself open to ridicule1 most assuredly the ,doctor did not spare him4 ,such a contest1 of course1 could not be regarded as equal4 ,no possible comparison existed between the combatants4 ,therefore1 setting aside all the hard knocks which ,johnson administered to poor ,jonas1 it will be sufficient to produce one passage in which the eminent writer declares himself 8a hardened sinner in the use of the infusion of this plant1 whose tea-pot had no time to cool1 who with ,tea solaced the midnight1 and with ,tea welcomed the morning40 ,there is not the slightest exaggeration in this confession4 ,what is affirmed therein is attested both by ,boswell and ,mrs4 ,thrale in their respective writings1 who record that ,dr4 ,johnson frequently exceeded a dozen large cups at one meal4 ,it is alleged that the first command given by our gracious ,queen upon her accession to the ,throne was 8,bring me a cup of ,tea and ,the ,times40 ,it is to be hoped that ,her ,majesty got the former uncoloured4 ,for a time it appeared that so far as one class of the community was concerned1 the use of ,tea was likely to be checked by the imperious sway of inconstant ,fashion4 ,it became the custom in the houses of the aristocracy to supply only coffee after dinner1 so that1 for a period1 ,tea was ostracised4 ,recently however1 a reaction has set in1 for we find that the most agreeable meetings in 8,society0 are those which assemble at 8the five o'clock ,tea40 ,accordingly one of the whirligigs of time has so conspired1 that while the fashionable breakfast and dinner hours are completely revolutionised1 the hour for ,tea has reverted to the precise period of the day at which it used to be taken one hundred years ago4 ,although noble ladies have not now black pages to hand round the tea-cups1 yet the very china used by their great grandmothers is called into requisition simply because of its antiquity4 ,one circumstance calls for special notice4 ,it is this1 that in the words of ,dr4 ,johnston,b 8,everywhere unintoxicating and non-narcotic beverages are in general use among tribes of every colour1 beneath every sun1 and in every condition of life4 ,the custom1 therefore1 must meet some universal want of our common nature40 ,b ,chemistry of ,common ,life4 ,philanthropists and sociologists are now fully alive to the moral effects produced by such non-intoxicant drinks as ,tea and ,coffee4 ,intemperance is the bane of the nation4 ,and now that legislation has utterly failed to restrain the evils arising therefrom1 philanthropy1 full of faith in the experiment1 endeavours by the establishment1 in divers quarters1 of quite a different class of 8,public ,houses10 to arrest an evil which is assuming the gravest character4 ,and there can be no doubt that if the masses could be induced to substitute the pure beverages ,tea and ,coffee for the deleterious fluids they are wont to imbibe1 the country would be vastly benefited by the salutary change4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the 8,,drink ,,of ,,health40 ,now that the benefits derived from the use of ,tea can be fairly estimated1 it may be said1 in the language of an eminent statesman3 8,what was first regarded as a luxury1 has now become1 if not an absolute necessity1 at least one of our accustomed daily wants1 the loss of which would cause more suffering and excite more regret than would the deprivation of many things which once were counted as necessaries of life40 ,consumed by all classes1 serving not simply as an article of diet1 but as a refreshing and invigorating beverage1 ,tea cannot be too highly estimated4 ,the wisdom of successive financiers1 and the enterprise of generations of merchants1 have combined to deliver ,tea in this country at a price which brings it within the reach of every individual1 making it1 perhaps1 the only real luxury which is common to rich and poor alike4 ,in noticing ,dr4 ,johnston's work1 entitled 8,the ,chemistry of ,common ,life10 the ,edinburgh ,review thus emphatically attests the great boon which ,tea confers upon the people4 ,it remarks3 8,by her fireside1 in her humble cottage1 the lonely widow sits2 the kettle simmers over the ruddy embers1 and the blackened tea-pot on the hot brick prepares her evening drink4 ,her crust of bread is scanty1 yet as she sips the warm beverage--little sweetened1 it may be1 with the produce of the sugar-cane--genial thoughts awaken in her mind2 her cottage grows less dark and lonely1 and comfort seems to enliven the ill-furnished cabin4 ,when our suffering and wounded soldiers were brought down frozen and bleeding from the trenches before ,sebastopol to the port of ,balaklava1 the most welcome relief to their sufferings was a pint of hot ,tea1 which was happily provided for them4 ,whence this great solace to the weary and worn8 ,why out of scanty earnings does the ill-fed and lone one cheerfully pay for the seemingly unnourishing weekly allowance of ,tea8 ,from what ever-open fountain does the daily comfort flow which the tea-cup gently brings to the care-worn and the weak80 ,illustration3 ,,picking ,,tea4--,great care is bestowed on the finest chops of tea to sort out all defective leaves2 this work requires considerable practice and application4 ,anon1 referring to the chemical action of two important agents present in ,tea--theine and volatile oil--the same excellent authority gives the following account of their operations on the human organism3 8,the theine is a substance possessing tonic or strengthening qualities1 but distinguished particularly by the property of retarding the natural waste of the animal body4 ,most people are now aware that the chief necessity for food arises from the gradual and constant wearing away of the tissues and solid parts of the body4 ,to repair and restore the worn and wasted parts1 food must be constantly eaten and digested4 ,and the faster the waste1 the larger the quantity of food which must daily be consumed1 to make up for the loss which this waste occasions4 ,now1 the introduction of a certain quantity of theine into the stomach lessens the amount of waste which in similar circumstances would otherwise naturally take place4 ,it makes the ordinary food consumed along with it1 go farther1 therefore1 or1 more correctly1 lessens the quantity of food necessary to be eaten in a given time4 ,a similar effect1 in a somewhat less degree1 is produced by the volatile oil1 and1 therefore1 the infusion of ,tea1 in which both these ingredients of the leaf are contained1 affects the rapidity of the natural waste in the ,tea drinker1 in a very marked manner4 8,as age creeps on1 the powers of digestion diminish with the failing of the general vigour1 till the stomach is no longer able to digest and appropriate new food as fast as the body wears away4 ,when such is the case1 to lessen the waste is to aid the digestive powers in maintaining the strength and bulk of the weakening frame4 #8,it is no longer wonderful1 therefore1' says our author1 #8that ,tea should be the favourite on the one hand1 with the poor whose supplies of substantial food are scanty2 and1 on the other1 with the aged and infirm1 especially of the feebler sex1 whose powers of digestion1 and whose bodily substance have together begun to fail4' ,nor is it surprising that the aged female whose earnings are barely sufficient to buy what are called the common necessaries of life1 should yet spare a portion of her small gains in procuring this grateful indulgence4 ,she can sustain her strength with less common food when she takes her ,tea along with it3 while she1 at the same time1 feels lighter in spirits1 more cheerful1 and fitter for this dull work of life1 because of this little indulgence40,c ,c ,edinburgh ,review1 ,vol4 ,,ci41 ,no4 #bjf1 ,april1 #ahee4 ,such an indispensable article as ,tea has now become1 ought to be trebly guarded against all adulteration4 ,while the ,government is unable to protect the public against the machinations of unscrupulous ,chinese merchants1 let the public at least endeavour to protect itself4 ,and this it can readily accomplish4 ,let it but bestow its custom on a trader upon whose integrity and technical knowledge it can implicitly rely4 ,let it insist upon having both its black and green ,teas of the natural hue1 without the addition of 8face10 8glaze10 or artificial colour1 which but detract from its character and value4 ,how such a discreet selection can be effected has already been pointed out4 ,houses of repute--such1 for example1 as that of ,messrs4 ,horniman and ,co4--do not conceal their names behind a retailer1 but boldly give their own1 coupled with a guarantee to every purchaser1 however modest his purchase4 ,hence1 consumers may feel assured that in buying indirectly from them1 the commodity they obtain will not only be free from adulteration and artificial colour1 but will be so carefully selected from the choicest growths1 commensurate with the price demanded1 as to be 8always good alike40 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,the ,,virtues ,,of ,,the ,,leaf4 ,dr4 ,lettsom1 in a work published over a century since1 avers that the infusion of ,tea possesses two peculiarities2 the first1 a sedative quality1 and the next1 considerable stringency1 by which the relaxing power is corrected so that the solids become strengthened and braced4 ,indeed1 this writer goes so far as to pronounce ,tea far preferable to any other known vegetable infusion1 if not drank too hot or in too copious quantities1 asserting that 8if we take into consideration its known enlivening energy1 our attachment to it will appear to be owing to its superiority in taste and effects to most other vegetables40 ,dr4 ,edward ,smith speaks of 8the cup that cheers but not inebriates0 as being a potent agent1 and as increasing the quantity of carbonic acid emitted by the lungs and the quantity of air inspired1 while at the same time it gives greater depth and freedom to the respiration4 8,it is chiefly in its power10 he remarks1 8to increase the respiratory process that it acts so favourably1 and in so doing the transformation of starchy and fatty food is promoted40 ,then he shows its vast advantages to the poor1 by remarking3 8,in the dietaries of the poor1 where the meal must consist chiefly of bread1 a substance not particularly savoury1 nor digested with great rapidity1 the warm tea enables the recipient more readily to masticate and swallow the dry bread1 or the bread with very little fat upon it1 and so by its action to assist digestion40 ,the eminent ,dr4 ,parkes avers that ,tea possesses a decidedly stimulative and restorative action on the nervous system1 while1 at the same time1 it obviates succeeding depression4 ,this writer regards ,tea as a most useful article in cases of fever1 when administered in the form of a cold1 weak solution1 and as being of great service to gouty subjects1 and to those of a rheumatic tendency 7especially such as labour under lithic acid diathesis7 when drunk without sugar and with little milk4 ,tea has been known to save life in cases of poisoning by tartar-emetic1 the tannin being the active agent4 ,dr4 ,lewis's testimony also goes to support the medicinal importance of ,tea4 ,he mentions how it strengthens the stomach and intestines1 is good against indigestion1 nausea1 and diarrha1 refreshes the spirit in heaviness and sleepiness1 and counteracts the operation of inebriating liquors4 ,some men of mark in their day were notorious for their ,tea-drinking predilections4 ,dr4 ,johnson himself may be fairly set down as a ,tea-gourmet4 ,then returning to more modern times1 see how the genial ,leigh ,hunt bursts forth into rapture when describing the virtues of the beneficent plant1 free from the cunning transformation practised upon it by unprincipled traders4 ,surely this gifted writer must have had a cup of ,messrs4 ,horniman and ,co4's spcialit served to him when he could elaborate upon it thus3 8,it was not green tea2 it was not black tea2 neither too young1 nor too old2 not unpleasing with astringency on the one hand1 nor with the insipid1 half-earthy taste of decayed vegetable matter on the other2 it was tea in its most perfect state1 full charged with aroma1 which1 when it was opened1 diffused its fragrance through the whole apartment1 putting all other perfumes to shame4444 ,oh heavens6 to sip that most exquisite cup of delight1 was bliss almost too great for earth2 a thousand years of rapture all concentrated into the space of a minute1 as if the joy of all the world had been skimmed for my peculiar drinking1 ,i should rather say imbibing1 for to have swallowed that liquid like an ordinary beverage1 without tasting every drop1 would have been sacrilege40 ,professor ,james ,f4 ,w4 ,johnston likewise bears testimony to the value of this tropical beverage4 ,he remarks3 8,in the life of most persons a period arrives when the stomach no longer digests enough of the ordinary elements of food to make up for the natural daily waste of the bodily substance4 ,the size and weight of the body1 therefore1 begin to diminish more or less perceptibly4 ,at this period tea comes in as a medicine to arrest the waste1 to keep the body from falling away so fast1 and thus to enable the less energetic powers of digestion still to supply as much as is needed to repair the wear and tear of the solid tissues40 ,of course the chemical value of ,tea as a beverage depends upon the presence of volatile oil1 theine1 tannin1 and gluten--the four substances forming its most important ingredients--and the proportions in which these exist4 ,if ,tea be not genuine1 or if it undergoes the artificial process of colouring1 its character and efficacy become proportionately impaired4 ,it is unfortunately too true that the market is glutted with ,tea--which is either not ,tea at all1 or else is excessively adulterated4 ,on the testimony of the ,house of ,commons1 8millions of pounds of sloe1 liquorice1 and ash-tree leaves1 are every year mixed with ,chinese ,teas for ,england40 ,it is well known that the leaves of the ,charrapal1 a ,californian bush1 are largely exported to ,china1 when they return packed under the title of ,tea4 ,a startling exposure was made a few years since1 of the tea-rubbish styled 8,finest ,new ,season ,kaisow10 and 8,fine ,oanfa ,congou10 sold in bond at #a;d4 to #a;d4 per lb4 ,upon analysis1 the former was found to contain an enormous amount of mineral matter1 chiefly iron filings2 while the latter proved a mixture of redried tea-leaves1 straw1 fragments of matting1 rice-husks1 willow leaves1 and the excrement of silkworms4 ,the 8,maloo ,mixture10 likewise1 once gained an unenviable notoriety1 as did the 8,extra ,fine ,moyune ,gunpowder0 put up for sale by auction in ,mincing ,lane1 and in which ,dr4 ,letheby discovered over #dj per cent4 of iron filings and #ai per cent4 of silica4 ,tea is adulterated in two ways4 ,the foreign dealers first practise their arts upon it by having recourse to dried leaves1 and by 8facing0--a process which necessitates the use of ,prussian blue1 silica1 gypsum1 plumbago1 lamp-black1 ferruginous earth1 and other abominations4 ,mr4 ,fortune1 in his interesting work1 reveals the whole secret4 ,upon reading his graphic account of how ,tea is elaborated for the ,european market1 one almost turns aghast6 ,and with good reason1 as there might be ample cause to suspect 8death in the pot40 ,indeed1 the people of ,china are themselves disgusted at the tricks of traders1 who carry on their fraudulent practices without concealment4 ,a ,chinese journal thus gives expression to the public sentiment3 8,the wonder is that such stuff 7referring to redried and recoloured leaves7 should be suffered to be manufactured1 much less to be shipped as a lawful export1 for ,chinese law expressly prohibits the re-manipulation of ,tea that has once been used1 on the obvious and common-sense principle that such a trade is necessarily1 in its very essence1 fraudulent4 ,yet1 in the face of this well-known maxim1 it is one of the thousand proofs which we have of the utter rottenness of the present administration1 that all round the settlement1 in every convenient open space1 large quantities of what is termed1 with ominous propriety1 the #8mixture1' lie exposed to the sun at noon-day2 in some cases within a hundred yards of the mixed court yamen4 ,and not only so1 but there are establishments1 well known to the police1 where the mixture is fired1 leaded1 packed1 sold1 and dispatched for shipment2 and experience has shown that it is useless to expect conviction1 under ,chinese law1 from a ,chinese magistrate40 ,the same journal1 referring to a peculiar kind of willow which grows abundantly in the country1 the leaves of which are utilised by ,tea manufacturers1 observes3 8,one needs not the expensive craft of the cha-sze to know how neatly a little skilful manipulation1 and a little heat applied secundum artem1 can transform these willow leaves into genuine and delicate tea leaves4 ,whether the mercantile result be intended to astonish the palates of old ladies in ,london or ,glasgow1 or to pass as genuine ,souchong with skippers1 who have little knowledge of ,tea1 we know not2 but the fact remains1 that the trade thrives well and pays4 8,nevertheless1 there is still good and pure ,tea produced in ,china1 and merchants in ,london who import it in an unadulterated condition1 albeit a very large per centage of the #ahh1jjj1jjj lbs4 annually consumed in ,great ,britain is spurious4 ,one mercantile ,firm in particular have gained a wide and well-deserved reputation for the purity and excellent character of their importations4 ,i refer with pleasure to ,messrs4 ,horniman and ,co41 ,london1 who for nearly forty years have assiduously laboured to supply the public with both green and black ,tea1 free from all mineral facing powder4 ,as what passes through the ,wormwood-street ,warehouses to their ,agents all over the country is subjected to no deteriorating and deleterious manipulation in ,china1 its perfect purity can implicitly be relied upon4 ,the ,chinese letter which accompanied the first shipment1 by ,messrs4 ,horniman1 of ,tea into ,england1 is quite original and unique40 ,the translation reads thus3-- 8,the ,flourishing ,farm4--,this is truly the very best ,tea1 prepared with additional labour and free from colouring matter4 ,the educated 7or experienced7 merchant1 who is competent to consider it1 will please to take notice of its clear and genuine quality4 ,we are honoured by your good orders1 and shall proceed at once to the packing40 ,the testimony afforded by several eminent analytical authorities in favour of ,messrs4 ,horniman's importations is so satisfactory that nothing further can well be desired4 ,the earliest of those documents is from ,dr4 ,andrew ,ure1 ,f4,r4,s41 ,professor of ,chemistry1 who declares that upon chemical and microscopic examination of the samples taken from the bonded warehouses1 he 8found them 7both black and green7 to be perfectly free from all extraneous colouring matter1 and in every respect genuine ,tea40 ,professor ,ure further observes3--8,the characteristic appearance of your green ,tea1 namely the dull olive hue1 is unmistakably different to the bright blue tint of the ordinary green ,teas of commerce1 which is artificially imparted4 ,this particular feature offers a perfect safeguard for the purity of the ,tea1 in contrast with such sophisticated ,teas as ,i have sometimes been called upon to examine professionally for the ,honourable ,board of ,excise1 and which were coated with various powders that rendered them more or less unwholesome for use as an alimentary beverage40 ,dr4 ,arthur ,hill ,hassall1 ,analyst of the ,county ,sanitary ,commission1 and a well known writer and authority on dietetics1 after minutely describing the tests to which he subjected the ,tea submitted to him for analysis1 concludes in the following words3--8,these investigations enable me confidently to assume that the consumers of ,tea1 now having fairly the choice of both the sophisticated and the pure1 will not be slow in choosing between the wholesome natural kinds and those which are #8got up' for appearance1 and in order to realise higher prices through their defects being hidden or glazed over1 with the powdered colours employed40 ,the latest report is from the same authority1 and bears a recent date4 ,the opinion at first pronounced is therein but more strongly confirmed4 ,the ,tea is characterised as being 8perfectly pure1 of superior quality1 and free from facing40 ,moreover1 the packages which the analyst purchased from some of ,messrs4 ,horniman's ,agents1 he affirms1 after careful examination1 8to correspond as regards purity and excellence of quality with those ,teas obtained from the ,docks and from ,messrs4 ,horniman's ,wholesale ,warehouses1 in ,london40 ,nor do authors and publicists of weight refrain from offering willing testimony in favour of ,messrs4 ,horniman's special importation4 ,dr4 ,scoffern remarks how 8,its delicious flavour fully confirms its entire freedom from the usual powdered colour20 that he is 8very partial to ,tea20 and that1 in consequence of having long taken the pure beverage1 his palate had become 8the more critical40 ,the only certain way to obtain truly cheap and choice ,tea is to purchase the leaf without the usual mineral 8facing0 powder4 ,that the public highly appreciate real economy is evident from the large and increasing trade carried on for the past forty years by ,messrs4 ,horniman ,co41 the original importers of the pure ,tea4 ,further1 the ,agents of the ,firm throughout the ,kingdom1 through ,messrs4 ,horniman's direct operations1 offer great advantages to the public1 as they sell in the most distant neighbourhoods the same reliable article1 at the same fixed price1 as their most extensive ,city or ,west-end ,agents4 ,in another article on ,tea ,consumption1 appears the following3 8,since the recent ,parliamentary ,report on ,tea appeared1 there has been a more general disinclination to use any that has been covered by the ,chinese with mineral colour1 for this report exposed the fact that it is done to hide the brownness of wintry growths1 and enable them1 when so disguised1 to be sold mixed off with the best at high rates4 ,from a lengthened experience ,i can bear testimony to the excellent and delicious character of ,horniman's pure ,tea2 while ,i am convinced that all who appreciate a strong1 rich1 full-flavoured beverage1 possessing in addition a delicious flavour and aroma1 must arrive at the like conclusion40 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,x4 ,a ,,cup ,,of ,,tea4 ,what should mainly commend itself to our attention at the tea-table1 is the quality of the infusion4 ,this is the crucial test4 ,if the leaf be genuine1 the proof is ready at hand4 ,if otherwise1 the proof is equally apparent1 no matter how skilfully the leaf may be prepared to deceive the eye4 ,the pleasure of our morning and evening meal is much enhanced when the infusion is fragrant1 lustrous1 pleasant to the palate1 and soothing to the nerves4 ,such covetable results1 however1 cannot be realised by those who1 influenced by a false and flagrant economy1 are led to purchase so-called 8cheap ,teas10--noxious mixtures that in all probability have already done duty in ,chinese tea-pots4 ,a lady of our acquaintance1 while in the act of pouring out the grateful beverage1 recently remarked1 half-apologetically3 8,what a very poor colour this ,tea has6 ,either it must be uncoloured1 or else the ,chinese have not put sufficient colouring matter on the leaf60 ,to the inexperienced this remark naturally suggests the observation--8,do the ,chinese really add #8colouring' for the purpose of giving a deep colour to the ,tea in the cup80 ,be reassured then1 gentle reader1 and understand that the terms 8coloured0 and 8uncoloured0 are used to distinguish betwixt that ,tea which is painted or faced with mineral powder1 principally ,prussian blue and plumbago1 and that which is pure1 and free from any such prejudicial embellishments4 ,a deep rich semi-transparent infusion is always obtained from good and pure ,tea4 ,but for this popular error respecting the colour of ,tea1 ,i should scarcely have trenched on the precincts of the ,tea-table--that forbidden ground1 where the housewife is universally regarded as the very model of perfection1 and where her power1 for the time being1 is admittedly supreme4 ,the ,chinese1 whatever may be the character of the nefarious arts to which they resort to make the best of a bad commodity1 can and do send us supplies of good ,tea4 ,but then a fair price must needs be paid for it4 ,such consumers of the beverage as are willing to procure genuine ,tea1 and not lay out their money upon redried1 rerolled1 and 8doctored0 ,tea-leaves1 would do well to exercise judgment by selecting only those descriptions of ,tea that have been carefully plucked in the early spring1 when the leaf is small and imbued with the richness of the shrub-juices4 ,let but such a commodity be supplied perfectly uncoloured1 and the perfection of human art is attained4 ,when the foolish fashion of the age required ,tea pretty to look at1 then the ,chinese1 in deference to the public desire1 and for the increased profits of those concerned1 coloured or 8faced0 the leaf4 ,in conclusion1 ,i may honestly aver that it is owing to the efforts of ,messrs4 ,horniman that this reprehensible practice is fast falling into disfavour with the public4 ,the enormous sale of the ,firm's pure ,tea by some #d1jjj ,chemists1 at once testifies to the high approval it has realised for its combinedly strong1 delicious1 and invigorating qualities4 ,transcriber's ,notes ,punctuation1 hyphenation1 and spelling were made consistent when a predominant preference was found in the original book2 otherwise they were not changed4 ,simple typographical errors were corrected2 two unbalanced quotation marks were found and remedied4 ,illustrations without captions are decorative head- and tail-pieces4