CHAP. XVI.

NAMES OF TEA-PLANTS.

273

the Canton teas are made, is known to botanists as the Thea bohea, while the more northern variety, found in the green-tea country, has been called Thea viridis. The first appears to have been named upon the supposition that all the black teas of the Bohea mountains were obtained from this species, and the second was called viridis because it furnished the green teas of commerce. These names seem to have misled the public, and hence many persons, until a few years back, firmly believed that black tea could be made only from Thea bohea, and green tea only from Thea viridis.

In my 'Wanderings in China,' published in 1846, I made some observations upon the plants from which tea is made in different parts of China. While I acknowledged that the Canton plant, known to botanists as Thea bohea, appeared distinct from the more northern one called Thea viridis, I endeavoured to show that both black and green teas could be made from either, and that the difference in the appearance of these teas, in so far as colour was concerned, depended upon manipulation, and upon that only. In proof of this I remarked that the black-tea plant found by me near Foo-chow-foo, at no great distance from the Bohea hills, appeared identical with the green-tea plant of Chekiang.

These observations were met by the objection, that, although I had been in many of the tea districts near the coast, yet I had not seen those greater ones inland which furnish the teas of commerce. And this was perfectly true. The same objection can hardly be

T

urged now, however, as I have visited both the greentea country of Hwuy-chow, and the black-tea districts about Woo-e-shan, and during these long journeys I have seen no reason to alter the opinions I had previously formed upon the subject.

It is quite true that the Chinese rarely make the two kinds of tea in one district, but this is more for the sake of convenience and from custom than for any other reason. The workmen, too, generally make that kind of tea best with which they have had most practice. But while this is generally the case in the great tea districts, there are some exceptions. It is now well known that the fine Moning districts near the Poyang Lake, which are daily rising in importance on account of the superior character of their black teas, formerly produced nothing else but green teas. At Canton green and black teas are made from the Thea bohea at the pleasure of the manufacturer, and according to demand.

But I must relate an occurrence that took place on my arrival at Calcutta, which is more curious than the making of black and green teas from one variety or species of the tea-plant. I was then on my way to the Government tea plantations in the north-west provinces of India, with six Chinese tea-manufacturers, and a large supply of plants and implements used in making tea. Dr. Falconer, of the Calcutta garden, with whom we were staying for a few days, expressed a wish to see the process of tea manufacture, and asked me to communicate his wishes to the Chinamen. He also invited the late Mr. Bethune and some other

CHAP. XVI. TEA FROM PONGAMIA GLABRA.

275

friends to witness the operation. I told the Chinese what was proposed, and desired them to unpack a sufficient number of implements for the purpose. This was soon done, a little furnace built, and two pans fixed above the fireplaces, exactly as they are seen in the manufactories in China.

Thus far everything went on well, but where were the tea-leaves to be procured? There were none in the Calcutta garden, nor in any place nearer than the Himalayas. "How can we make tea without tealeaves?" said the astonished Chinamen. I now explained to them that Dr. Falconer and his friends wanted to see the mode of manipulation only, that the article so made was to look at, not to drink, and that they must go out into the garden and try to find a substitute for tea-leaves. This explanation being deemed satisfactory, they went out to examine the trees of the garden. In a short space of time they returned bringing several parcels of leaves, one of which proved to belong to Pongamia glabra, and seemed the most likely to suit the purpose. Orders were now given to some of the natives to collect a large quantity of these leaves and bring them into the room which had been fitted up for the occasion.

In the mean time the Chinamen had the fires lighted and everything in readiness to commence operations. The leaves were now thrown into the pans and heated for a few minutes, then taken out and rolled, then shaken out thinly on bamboo trays to dry off the superfluous moisture, and finally thrown again into the pans and tossed about by the hand until perfectly twisted

and dry. They were afterwards sifted and sorted into the various kinds known as hyson skin, hyson, young hyson, imperial, and gunpowder. Some of the sorts were refired several times, and portions of some of them were coloured. When the operations were completed, the samples were so like the teas of commerce, that nineteen persons out of twenty would never have suspected them to be anything else. Here, then, were very fair-looking green teas made from the leaves of a large tree, as unlike the teashrub as it could well be. And an article as closely resembling black tea could have been just as easily made out of these leaves.

It is not my intention to enter minutely into the subject of the manipulation of black and green teas, but I will point out, in as few words as possible, the method of treating each kind during the process of manufacture. These methods, it will be observed, differ from each other in some material points, which are quite sufficient to account for the difference in colour. It is scarcely necessary to remark that both kinds of tea are gathered from the bushes in the same way, and are made from the same description of leaves, namely, those which are young and lately formed.

Green tea. When the leaves are brought in from the plantations they are spread out thinly on flat bamboo trays, in order to dry off any superfluous moisture. They remain for a very short time exposed in this manner, generally from one to two hours; this however depends much upon the state of the weather.

CHAP. XVI.

MAKING GREEN TEA.

277

In the mean time the roasting-pans have been heated with a brisk wood fire. A portion of leaves are now thrown into each pan and rapidly moved about and shaken up with both hands. They are immediately affected by the heat, begin to make a crackling noise, and become quite moist and flaccid, while at the same time they give out a considerable portion of vapour. They remain in this state for four or five minutes, and are then drawn quickly out and placed upon the rolling table.

The rolling process now commences.

Several men

take their stations at the rolling table and divide the leaves amongst them. Each takes as many as he can press with his hands, and makes them up in the form of a ball. This is rolled upon the rattan worked table, and greatly compressed, the object being to get rid of a portion of the sap and moisture, and at the same time to twist the leaves. These balls of leaves are frequently shaken out and passed from hand to hand until they reach the head workman, who examines them carefully to see if they have taken the requisite twist. When he is satisfied of this the leaves are removed from the rolling table and shaken out upon flat trays, until the remaining portions have undergone the same process. In no case are they allowed to lie long in this state, and sometimes they are taken at once to the roasting-pan.

Having been thrown again into the pan, a slow and steady charcoal fire is kept up, and the leaves are kept in rapid motion by the hands of the workmen. Sometimes they are thrown upon the rattan table