-------..kto2.1e.ing there well dried and fired, the leaves are forwarded to Canton, where they are made into caper by the following process :-17 or 18 handfuls are placed in each of the pans with which the tea hong is furnished, are moistened with water, and well stirred up by hand. Rendered thus soft and pliable, they are immediately put into small coarse sackcloth bags, each of which, when filled and tightly closed, has the appearance of a football. These bags are all arranged on the floor of one of the largest chambers of the hong, and are moved to and fro by labourers who stand upon them, and who, in order to roll them back wards and forwards with their feet without the iisk of falling, support themselves by grasping long wooden poles. Under this process, the tea leaves in each bag assume the form of pellets or capers.
The coarser leaves are gathered from the finer caper, are well fired, put into wooden troughs, and cut into several pieces by means of choppers, not unlike in shape to large spuds, and by the same process are made into a tea, which is als.o called caper.
A very inferior kind of scented caper is made by mixing tea-dust with congee water and sifting it, giving it the form of pellets. Scented caper is exported to Great Britain.
Green tea is prepared as follows :—The leaves, as soon as they are plucked, are placed in iron pans over a charcoal fire for 2 or 3 minutes ; they are then rubbed together for a short time, after which they are again fired for 2 or 3 hours, all the time being constantly stirred. With the fine tea, the leaves are constantly fanned during the fint hour of the second firing, so as to preserve their green colour. After this process, they are packed and sold to the tea hongs, where they are a third time exposed for half an hour to the action of fire, and are then cleaned by the usual sieving, picking, and winnowing. .
In manipulating green teas, much care and attention must be given to the separation of leaves which differ in size and shape. When separated, the leaves are sold to the foreign merchants. The small pellet-shaped tea are termed Gunpowder, and the larger-sized pellets are called Imperial ; small-sized leaves which are wiry and twisted are called Young Hyson, whilst those of a larger size are called Hyson. Twan-kay is a term applied to leaves which are light, large, coarse, and irregular ; and those that are skinny and broken are called Skin or Hyson Skin, also Hyson Twan-kay.
1Vhen these leaves have been separated and classed under their respective names, they 'are again fired — Gunpowder for 12 or 14 hours ; imperial for 8 hours ; young hyson for 10 hours ; hyson for 8 hours ; and twan-kay and skin for 3 hours. When each of these kinds is half-fired, small quantities of gypsum powder, Prussian blue, and turmeric are mixed with them to give them the desired tint. All green teas, whether fine or common; are mixed with these named ingredients, in such quantities as the tea-men desire. When the different kinds of green tea leaves have under gone the action of fire, they are well stirred up and fired once more for half an hour. Green tea is generally packed in half-chests, occasionally in boxes. The finest description is made in the neighbourhood of Wayune, and is known by the name of Moyune. All green teas are forwarded
for exp or tation to Shanghai, Kiu-kiang, and Ningpo.
Scenting.—Flowers of various plants are used in scenting by the Chinese, some of which are con sidered better than others, and some can be liacl at seasons when others are not procurable. Mr. Fortune prepared the following list with great care. The numbers prefixed express the relative value of each kind in the eyes of the Chinese, and the asterisks point out those which are mostly used for scenting teas for the foreign markets in the order in which they are valued. Thus the Mo-le and the Simi-ling are considered the best, and so on :— 1 Rose-scented (Tsing moi-qui-hwa).
1, 2 Plum double (Moi-hwa).
2 *Jasminum sambac (Mo-le-hwa).
2, 3 *Jasminum paniculatum (Sieu-hing-hwa).
4 *Aglaia odorata (Lan-hwa. or You-chu-lan).
5 Olea fragrans (Kwei-hwa).
6 *Orange (Chang-hwa).
7 *Gardenia florida (Paksema-hwa).
It liaa been frequently stated that the Clilor ambits is largely used. This appears to be a mistake, originating, no doubt, in the similarity of its Chinese name to that of Aglaia odorata. The Chloranthus is called Chu-lan, the Aglaia Lan or Yu-chu-lan. The different flowers aro not all used in tho BR111C proportion. Thus of orange flowers there are 40 to 100 lbs. of tea; of Aglaia there are 100 to 150 lbs. ; and of Jas inininn sambac there are 50 to 100 lbs. The flowers of the Sieu-hing (Jasminum paniculatum) are generally mixed with those of the Mo-le (Jas ininum sarnbac) in the proportion of 10 lbs. of the former to 30 lbs. of the latter, and the 40 lbs. thus produced are sufficient for 100 lbs. of tea. The Kwei-hwa (Olea fragyans) is used chiefly in the northern districts as a scent for a rare and expensive kind of hyson pekoe,—a tea which forms a most delicious and refreshing beverage when taken 4 la Chinoise, without sugar and milk. The quantityof flowers used seemed to Mr. Fortune to be very large ; and he made particular inquiries as to whether the teas that are scented were mixed up with large quantities of unscented kinds. The Chinese unhesitatingly affirmed that such was not the case, but notwithstanding their assertions he had doubts on this point. The ngth of time which teas thus scented retain the scent, is most remarkable. It varies, however, with tho different sorts. Thus the Olea fragrans tea will only keep well for one year ; at the end of two years it has either become scentless, or has a peculiar oily odour which is disagreeable. Teas scented with orange blossoms and with those of the Mo-le will keep well for two or three years, and the Sieu-hing kinds for three or four years. The Aglaia retains the scent longer than any, and is said to preserve well for five or six years. The tea scented with the Sieu-hing is said to be most esteemed by foreigners, although it is put down as second or third rate by the Chinese. Scented teas for the foreign market are nearly all made in Canton, and are known to merchants by the names of Scented Orange, Pekoe, and Scented Caper. The flowers are grown in and near a place called Tashan, in the Canton province.