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DRINKS.

243

tea.

There

Is

also

what

is

called

brick

tea,

which

is

consumed

in

the

North

of

China,

Tartary,

and

Thibet,

but

which

we

never

see

in

England.

This

choice

tea

is

made

from

the

stalks

and

refuse

a-nd

decayed

twigs,

mixed

with

the

serum

of

sheep

and

ox

blood,

which,

when

it

is

pressed

into

moulds,

hardens

it.

The

Russians

are

said

to

get

the

finest

tea

that

comes

out

of

China

called

Caravan

Tea

which

is

made

into

large

bales,

covered

with

lead.

This

goes

to

Russia

entirely

overland,

and

to

this fact

some

at-

tribute

its

superior

and

delicate

flavour.

The

tea

trade

of

China

is

rapidly

going

from

her,

and

she has but

herself,

and

the

shortsighted

knavery

of

her

growers

and

manufacturers,

to

thank

for

it.

According

to

a

Tea

Circular,^

the

following

are

the

imports

and

deliveries

of

China

tea

from

ist

to

30th

June

:

1888.

1889.

1890.

6,697,000

lbs.

508,000

lbs.

452,000

lbs.

a

truly

fearful

falling

off.

English

people

got

tired

of

the

flavourless

stuff

sent

from

China,

and

India

and

Ceylon

having

perfected

the

manufacture

(which

at

first

start

of

the

industry

of

tea

growing

in

those

parts

was

not

good),

send

us

delicious

tea,

of

a

much

higher

market

value

than

that

of

China.

Ceylon

tea,

especially,

has

enormously

won

the

favour

of

the

English

tea-drinking

community

in

a

^

Messrs.

William,

James

&

Henry

Thompson,

38,

Mincing

Lane,

London.