The natural history of the tea-tree, with observations on the medical qualities of tea, and effects of tea-drinking / By John Coakley Lettsom.
- John Coakley Lettsom
- Date:
- 1772
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The natural history of the tea-tree, with observations on the medical qualities of tea, and effects of tea-drinking / By John Coakley Lettsom. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![[ *4 ] .fun 5 and by the means of fieves, feparate the larger from the fmaller leaves, and thefe again from the duft. The Chinefe put the finer kinds of Tea into conic veffels, like fugar loaves, made of tutenaque, tin, or lead, covered with neat matting of bamboo; or in fquare wooden boxes lined with thin lead, dry leaves and paper, in which manner it is exported to foreign countries. The common Tea is put into bafkets, out of which it is emptied, and packed up in boxes or chefis as foon as it is fold to the Europeans (o). One thing fhould be mentioned to their credit; when their harveft of Tea is finifhed, each family fails not to teftify their gratitude to the Giver. S E C T. VIII. VARIETIES of TEA. It has been already obferved (Sect. VI.) that many diffe¬ rent fortments of Tea are made during the times of collecting the leaves, and thefe are multiplied according to the good- nefs of their preparation, by which the varieties of Tea may be confiderably augmented (p). The diftinCtions with us are much more limited, being generally confined to three principal kinds of green, and five ot bohea. (o) There are feveral difgufting circumftances attending the preparation of Tea. Ofbeck fays, the Chinefe fervants tread the Tea into the chefts with their naked feet. Voyage to China, Vol. I. p. 252. (p) Du Halde’s hiftory of China, Vol. IV. p. 21, Ofbeck’s voyage to China,. Vol. I. p. 246, et feq. I. Thole](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b3041104x_0042.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
