Volume 2

The Chinese Empire illustrated : being a series of views from original sketches, displaying the scenery, architecture, social habits etc. of that ancient and exclusive nation / by Thomas Allom ; with historical and descriptive letterpress by G.N. Wright. The work will also contain a succinct account of the history of China : a narrative of British connexion with that nation, the opium war of 1840, and full details of the causes and events of the present war.

  • Allom, Thomas, 1804-1872.
Date:
[1858?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Chinese Empire illustrated : being a series of views from original sketches, displaying the scenery, architecture, social habits etc. of that ancient and exclusive nation / by Thomas Allom ; with historical and descriptive letterpress by G.N. Wright. The work will also contain a succinct account of the history of China : a narrative of British connexion with that nation, the opium war of 1840, and full details of the causes and events of the present war. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    74/322 (page 34)
    Milne, “ where visitors are constantly pouring in, a commodious tea-pot, full of the decoction, stands on a counter or convenient side table, surrounded by a bevy of tea- cups, to oblige the thirsty customer. Rain-water is the universal favourite for preparing the draught; hence, in economical families, huge monster jars are constantly standing under the eaves of the houses, to catch every drop of the ' heavenly rain.’ Strong tea is not preferred by the Chinese; black tea being the rule, green the exception; and it is drunk without any admixture of milk or sugar.”—Tea-gardens” are as common in China as in England. LOADING TEA-JUNKS AT TSEEN-TANG. The sweat of industry would dry and die. But for the end it works to. Cymbeline On a tributary to the river of “the Nine Bends,” and in the province of Fokien, is a romantic, rich, and remarkable spot, the resort of tea-factors, and the prineijial loading- place, in the district, for tea destined for the Canton and other markets. The hills and the valleys here are equally favourable to the production of this staple of China, and the tea-tree itself has been carefully examined, and its peculiarities ascertained by Europeans in this locality, with more minuteness and scrupulosity than elsewhere. As in the preceding article we have given some particulars of the tea-plant, we will, in this, describe the process of cultivation. In the process of sowing, several seeds are dropped into a hole made for their reception, the cultivator having learned from experience, the risk of trusting to a single grain. When the plant appears above the surface, it is tended with the utmost care; attacks of insects are jealously provided against, rude visitations of wind cautiously prevented, and, should the tea-farm be distant from the natural stream, skilful irrigation conducts an artificial rivulet through every part of it. The leaf being the product required, every artifice is employed to enable it to attain maturity. For three years, or until the plant has risen to the height of four feet, no crop is gathered; the little tree being permitted to retain all its innate power of self-sustenance; but, having attained this age, gathering is then commenced, and conducted upon the most methodical principles. As the youngest leaves afford the most grateful infusion, it is desirable to gather early, but this must not be done with a precipitation likely to endanger the future vigour of the tree; and hence no leaves are pulled until age has established hardihood. The first shoots, or the appearance of the bud, are covered with hair, and afford the fine flowery Pekoe ; should they be permitted to have a few days’ more growth, the hair begins to fall off, the leaf expands, and becomes black-leaf Pekoe. On the same tree, of course, some young shoots occur that present more fleshy and finer leaves—these afford the Souchong; the next in quality makes Campoy; a shade loiver, Congou; the refuse is Fokien Bohea.