Shrubs or Bushes, the Branches whereof are well garnished with white
Flowers that are yellow within, of the bigness and fashion of sweet
Brier, but smell unlike, bearing thin green leaves about the bigness
of _Scordium_, _Mirtle_, or _Sumack_, and is judged to be a kind of
_Sumack_: This Plant hath been reported to grow wild only, but doth not,
for they plant it in their Gardens about four foot distance, and it
groweth about four foot high, and of the Seeds they maintain and increase
their Stock. Of all places in _China_ this Plant groweth in greatest
plenty in the Province of _Xemsi_, Latitude 36 degrees, bordering upon
the West of the Province of _Honam_, and in the Province of _Namking_,
near the City of _Lucheu_; there is likewise of the growth of _Sinam_,
_Cochin China_, the Island _de Ladrones_ and _Japan_, and is called
_Cha_. Of this famous Leaf there are divers sorts (though all of one
shape) some much better than the other, the upper Leaves excelling the
other in fineness, a property almost in all Plants, which Leaves they
gather every day, and drying them in the shade, or in Iron pans over a
gentle fire till the humidity be exhausted, then put up close in Leaden
pots, preserve them for their Drink _Tea_, which is used at Meals, and
upon all Visits and Entertainments in private Families, and in the
Palaces of Grandees. And it is averred by a Padre of _Macao_, native of
_Japan_, that the best _Tea_ ought not to be gathered but by Virgins who
are destined to this work, and such _Quæ non dum Menstrua patiuntur;
gemmæ quæ nascuntur in summitatæ arbuscula, servantur Imperitorie̅, ac
præcipuis ejus Dynastis: quæ autem infra nascuntur, ad latera, populo
conceduntur_. The said Leaf is of such known vertues, that those very
Nations so famous for Antiquity, Knowledge, and Wisdom, do frequently
sell it amongst themselves for twice its weight in Silver, and the high
estimation of the Drink made therewith, hath occasioned an inquiry into
the nature thereof among the most intelligent persons of all Nations that
have travelled in those parts, who, after exact Tryal and Experience
by all Wayes imaginable, have commended it to the use of their several
Countries, for its Vertues and Operations, particularly as followeth,
_viz._:—
“_The Quality is moderately hot, proper for Winter or Summer._
“_The Drink is declared to be most wholesome, preserving in perfect
health untill extreme Old Age._
“_The particular Vertues are these_:—
“It maketh the Body clean and lusty.
“It helpeth the Head-ach, giddiness and heaviness thereof.
“It removeth the Obstructions of the Spleen.
“It is very good against the Stone and Gravel, cleansing the Kidneys and
Vriters, being drank with Virgin’s Honey instead of Sugar.
“It taketh away the difficulty of breathing, opening Obstructions.
“It is good against Lipitude distillations, and cleareth the Sight.
“It removeth Lassitude, and cleanseth and purifieth adult Humors and a
hot Liver.
“It is good against Crudities, strengthening the weakness of the
Ventricle or Stomack, causing good Appetite and Digestion, and
particularly for Men of a Corpulent Body, and such as are great eaters of
Flesh.
“It vanquisheth heavy Dreams, easeth the Brain, and strengtheneth the
Memory.
“It overcometh superfluous Sleep, and prevents Sleepiness in general,
a draught of the Infusion being taken, so that, without trouble, whole
nights may be spent in Study without hurt to the Body, in that it
moderately heateth and bindeth the mouth of the Stomach.
“It prevents and cures Agues, Surfets and Feavers, by infusing a fit
quantity of the Leaf, thereby provoking a most gentle Vomit and breathing
of the Pores, and hath been given with wonderful success.
“It (being prepared and drank with Milk and Water) strengtheneth the
inward parts, and prevents Consumptions, and powerfully asswageth the
pains of the Bowels, or griping of the Guts, or Looseness.
“It is good for Colds, Dropsies, and Scurveys, if properly infused,
purging the Blood by Sweat and Urine, and expelleth Infection.
“It drives away all pains in the Collick proceeding from Wind, and
purgeth safely the Gall.
“And that the Vertues and Excellencies of this Leaf, and Drink, are
many and great, it is evident and manifest by the high esteem and use
of it (especially of late years) among the Physitians and Knowing men
in _France_, _Italy_, _Holland_, and other parts of Christendom; and in
_England_ it hath been sold in the Leaf for six pounds, and some times
for ten pounds the pound weight, and, in respect of its former scarceness
and dearness, it hath been only used as a _Regalia_ in high Treatments
and Entertainments, and Presents made thereof to Princes and Grandees
till the year 1657. The said _Thomas Garway_ did purchase a quantity
thereof, and first publickly sold the said _Tea_ in Leaf and Drink, made
according to the directions of the most knowing Merchants and Travellers
into those Eastern Countries; And upon knowledge and experience of the
said _Garway’s_ continued care and industry in obtaining the best _Tea_,
and making Drink thereof, very many Noblemen, Physitians, Merchants and
Gentlemen of Quality have ever since sent to him for the said Leaf, and
daily resort to his House in _Exchange Alley_ aforesaid, to drink the
Drink thereof.
“And that Ignorance nor Envy have no ground or power to report or
suggest that what is here asserted of the Vertues and Excellences of
this pretious Leaf and Drink hath more of design than truth, for the
justification of himself and satisfaction of others, he hath here
innumerated several Authors, who, in their Learned Works, have expressly
written and asserted the same, and much more, in honour of this noble
Leaf and Drink, _viz._, _Bontius_, _Riccius_, _Jarricus_, _Almeyda_,
_Horstius_, _Alvarez Semeda_, _Martinious_ in his _China Atlas_, and
_Alexander de Rhodes_ in his Voyage and Missions, in a large discourse of
the ordering of this Leaf, and the many Vertues of the Drink, printed at
_Paris_ 1653 part 10. Chap. 13.
“And to the end that all Persons of Eminency and Quality, Gentlemen and
others who have occasion for _Tea_ in Leaf, may be supplyed, These are to
give notice that the said _Thomas Garway_ hath _Tea_ to sell from sixteen
to fifty Shillings the pound.
“And whereas several Persons using _Coffee_, have been accustomed to buy
the powder thereof by the pound, or in lesser, or greater quantities,
which, if kept two dayes looseth much of its first Goodness. And,
forasmuch as the Berries after drying may be kept, if need require for
some Moneths; Therefore all persons living remote from _London_, and
have occasion for the said powder, are advised to buy the said _Coffee_
Berries ready dryed, which being in a Morter beaten, or in a Mill ground
to powder, as they use it, will so often be brisk, fresh, and fragrant,
and in its full vigour and strength as if new prepared, to the great
satisfaction of the Drinkers thereof, as hath been experienced by many
in this City. Which Commodity of the best sort, the said _Thomas Garway_
hath alwayes ready dryed to be sold at reasonable Rates.
“Also such as will have _Coffee_ in powder, or the Berries undryed,
or _Chocolata_, may by the said _Thomas Garway_ be supplied to their
content: With such further Instructions and perfect Directions how to use
_Tea_, _Coffee_ and _Chocolata_, as is, or may be needful, and so as to
be efficatious and operative, according to their several Vertues.
“FINIS.
“ADVERTISEMENT. That _Nicholas Brook_, living at the Sign of the
_Frying-pan_ in St. _Tulies_ Street against the Church, is the only known
man for the making of Mills for grinding of _Coffee_ powder; which Mills
are by him sold from 40 to 45 shillings the Mill.”
J. A.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
TEA.
III.
Pepys and Tea—First English Poem on Tea—Price of Tea temp.
Queen Anne—Scandal over the Tea Cup—Jonas Hanway and Dr.
Johnson on Tea—Love of the latter for this Beverage—How to make
Good Tea.
By Garway’s Advertisement we get at one fact, that the use of tea had
not been brought into popular use before 1657: a fact which is borne out
by that old _quid nunc_ Pepys, who would surely have noticed it, as,
indeed, he did as soon as it was brought under his ken. He mentions it in
his diary under date 25th Sept., 1661, as being then a novelty, at all
events to him. “I did send for a Cup of Tee, a China Drink of which I
never drank before.” And again, 28th June, 1667, “Home, and there find my
wife making of Tee, a drink which Mr. Pelling the Potticary tells her is
good for her cold and defluxions.” So that even then it was not a common
drink with people well to do, as we know Pepys was. The old English
custom of drinking beer at breakfast died very hard—nay, it is not yet
dead—surviving in farm houses in many places in the country, notably in
Somersetshire; and when tea became cheap enough to be drank by the middle
classes, those beneath them in the social scale indulged in sage tea,
and infusions of other home grown herbs.
As it increased in popularity, the poets got hold of it, and numerous
were the laudatory verses in Latin respecting its virtues. But, as far as
can be found, the earliest English poem about it was by Waller, as under:—
“OF TEA.
COMMENDED BY HER MAJESTY.[129]
“Venus her Myrtle, Phœbus has his bays;
Tea both excels, which she vouchsafes to praise.
The best of queens,[130] and best of herbs, we owe
To that bold nation[130] which the way did shew
To the fair region where the Sun does rise,
Whose rich productions we so justly prize.
The Muses’ friend, Tea does our fancy aid,
Repress those vapours which the head invade,
And keeps that palace of the soul serene,
Fit on her birthday to salute the Queen.”
As years went on, its popularity became greater, and it is satisfactory
to find by the following extract from Lord Clarendon’s diary, 10th Feb.,
1688, that the tea imported was good, and that it was treated properly.
“Le Père Couplet supped with me; he is a man of very good conversation.
After supper we had tea, which he said was as good as any he had drank
in China. The Chinese, who came over with him and Mr. Fraser, supped
likewise with us.”
With time, the consumption of tea increased, and its price was much
lower; but still, taking the money value in the time of Queen Anne, in
relation to our own it was excessively dear, and its value fluctuated
much. Black tea varied in 1704 from 12_s._ to 16_s._ per pound; in 1706,
14_s._ to 16_s._; in 1707, which seems to have been an exceptionally dear
year, 16_s._, 20_s._, 22_s._, 24_s._, 30_s._, and 32_s._ In 1709 it was
from 14_s._ to 28_s._; and in 1710, 12_s._ to 28_s._ Green tea in 1705
was 13_s._ 6_d._; in 1707, 20_s._, 22_s._, 26_s._; in 1709, 10_s._ to
15_s._; and in 1710, 10_s._ to 16_s._ The difference between new and old
is given once; the new tea is 14_s._, and the old 12_s._ and 10_s._
The margins in price are not only accounted for by difference in age, but
it was well known that old leaves were re-dried and used in the cheaper
sorts; indeed, there is a very curious advertisement in the advertising
portion of the _Tatler_, Aug. 26th, 1710: “Bohea Tea, made of the same
Materials that Foreign Bohea is made of, 16_s._ a Pound. Sold by R. Fary
only, at the Bell in Grace Church Street, Druggist. Note. The Natural
Pecko Tea will remain, after Infusion, of a light grey colour. All
other Bohea Tea, tho’ there be White in it will Change Colour, and is
artificial.”
Tea was now “in Society,” and was made the medium of pleasant little
_réunions_. The accompanying illustration gives a Tea-party, temp. Queen
Anne, by which it appears that the cups had no handles at that time, and
were of veritable oriental porcelain, and that it was not considered a
breach of good manners to drink tea out of saucers.
But even this Eden had its serpent, in the shape of scandal, from which
the tea table seemed no freer in the time of Good Queen Anne than our
own.[131] “Thus they take a sip of Tea, then for a draught or two of
Scandal to digest it, next let it be Ratifia, or any other Favourite
Liquor, Scandal must be the after draught to make it sit easie on their
Stomach, till the half hour’s past, and they have disburthen’d themselves
of their Secrets, and take Coach for some other place, to collect new
matter for Defamation.”
[Illustration]
An anonymous poet of that time sings thus of the tea table:—
“Here we see Scandal, (for our sex too base),
Seat in dread Empire in the Female Race,
’Mong Beaus and Women, Fans and Mechlin Lace,
Chief seat of Slander, Ever there we see
Thick Scandal circulate with right Bohea.
There, source of black’ning Falsehood’s Mint of Lies,
Each Dame th’ Improvement of her Talent tries,
And at each Sip a Lady’s Honour dies;
Truth rare as Silence, or a Negro Swan,
Appears among those Daughters of the Fan.”
Peter Motteux, in the same reign (1712), wrote “A Poem in Praise of Tea;”
but his theme may, after all, only have been taken to advertise his East
India Warehouse in Leadenhall Street. He says:—
“From boist’rous Wine I fled to gentle Tea;
For, Calms compose us after Storms at Sea.
In vain wou’d Coffee boast an equal Good;
The Chrystal Stream transcends the flowing Mud.
Tea, ev’n the Ills from Coffee sprung, repairs,
Disclaims its Vices, and its Vertue shares.
To bless me with the Juice two Foes conspire,
The clearest Water with the purest Fire,
Wine’s Essence in a Lamp to Fewel turns,
Exhales its Soul, and for a Rival burns.
The Leaf is mov’d, and the diffusive Good,
Thus urg’d, resigns its Spirits in the Flood.
In curious Cups the liquid Blessing flows,
Cups fit alone the _Nectar_ to enclose.
Dissembled Groves and Nymphs by Tables plac’d,
Adorn the Sides, and tempt the Sight and Taste,
Yet more the gay, the lovely Colour courts,
The Flavour charms us, but the Taste transports,” etc., etc.
As years went on, the poets still sung its praises; and the following
portion of “Tea Drinking” brings us down to 1752, by which time it was a
necessity in polite society:—
[Illustration]
“Sparkling with Youth’s gay Pride, like mirthful _May_
In the Sedan enclos’d, by Slaves up-born;
See the Love-darting Dame, swing ’long the Way,
Or to present the Visit, or return.
The sleek-comb’d Valet trimly trips before;
Loud, thro’ the gazing Croud, commanding Place;
With well-tim’d Raps he strikes the sounding Door,
Thunders in Taste, and rattles with a Grace.
Along the Pavement grates the swift-slop’d Chair,
Back on its well-oil’d Hinges flies the Gate;
Behind the high held Hoop, up-springs the Fair,
Rustling in rich Array, and silken State.
The how d’ye ended, the Contest of Place,
And all the fashionable flutt’ring Toils,
Down, curtsying, sink the Laughter loving Race,
And undisturb’d one Moment, Silence smiles.
Behold! the Beau-complexion’d Porcelain,
As Bell turn’d Tulips variegated show,
In order set among the tittering Train,
Replete with Spoils which from _Cathaya_ flow.
The leading Fair the Word harmonious gives,
_Betty_ around attends with bending Knee;
Each white-arm Fair, the painted Cup receives
Pours the rich Cream, or stirs the sweetened Tea,” etc., etc.
But, although some wrote in praise of it, there was a class of people who
were opposed to its use, and one of them was the celebrated Jonas Hanway,
of umbrella fame. Possessed of a competence, he had nothing particular
to do, so he turned philanthrope. He took up the cause of the Marine
Society, he was a Governor of the Foundling Hospital, and he founded a
Magdalen Hospital, which is now at Streatham. These things, however,
did not fully occupy his time, and he scribbled _de omnibus rebis_:
among other things, about Tea, against which he had a great aversion. In
1757 he wrote “AN ESSAY ON TEA, considered as pernicious to _Health_,
obstructing _Industry_, and impoverishing the _Nation_; also an Account
of its _Growth_, and great _Consumption_ in these _Kingdoms_.”
Judged from our present standpoint, it was a farrago of rubbish and false
arguments, and he recommends “Herbs of our own growth in lieu of Tea.”
He gives a list of plants which he thinks useful for the purpose:—Ground
Ivy, plain, or with a few drops of lemon Balm, or lemon Balm alone, or
mixed with Sage, and Lavender flowers; Lavender itself; the fresh tops of
Thyme; Mint; the flowery tops of Rosemary, by themselves, or mixed with
Lavender; Penny royal and Lavender; Horehound; Trefoil flowers; Sorrel;
Angelica; Sage; Cowslips; and recommends a drink, which he occasionally
used himself, made of Ground Ivy and stick Liquorice.
[Illustration: A Tea Garden: _George Morland_.]
This roused the ire of no less a person than Dr. Samuel Johnson, who, as
“a hardened and shameless tea drinker; who has for many years diluted
his meals with only the infusion of this fascinating plant; whose kettle
has scarcely time to cool; who with tea amuses the evening, with tea
solaces the midnights, and with tea welcomes the morning,”[132] could
not sit still, and have his favourite beverage abused. So he wrote a
review of Hanway’s Essay, and demolished it. Johnson certainly was an
immoderate and enthusiastic tea drinker, and somewhat a tyrant over it,
as Mrs. Piozzi rather ruefully relates. “By this pathetic manner, which
no one ever possessed in so eminent a degree, he used to shock me from
quitting his company, till I hurt my own health not a little by sitting
up with him, when I was myself far from well; nor was it an easy matter
to oblige him even by compliance, for he always maintained that no one
forebore their own gratifications for the sake of pleasing another; and
if one _did_ sit up, it was, probably, to amuse one’s self. Some right,
however, he certainly had to say so, as he made his company exceedingly
entertaining, when he had once forced one, by his vehement lamentations
and piercing reproofs, not to leave the room, but to sit quietly, and
make tea for him, as I often did in London till four o’clock in the
morning.”
When dining one day with William Scott (afterwards Lord Stowell), Johnson
told a little story of Garrick and his tea drinking. “I remember drinking
tea with him long ago, when Peg Woffington made it, and he grumbled
at her for making it too strong.” But the names of worthy and eminent
tea drinkers are legion, and its virtues are so patent that even our
Legislators have a room set apart in the Houses of Parliament for the
discussion of it and other matters.
One or two words only, before concluding the subject of tea, and those
are to show how to make a good cup of tea.
[Illustration]
The teapot should be thoroughly warmed, and the tea put into it before
the addition of the water, which should _just have come to the boil_, and
not have been boiling for any length of time. After standing about three
minutes it should be ready for drinking. No second water should be used.
A sufficiently large teapot, or teapots, should be provided, and if the
quantity required exceeds the supply, then fresh tea should be made.
Tea drinking has been stigmatised by some as slow poisoning; and in one
of Hood’s works we are treated to a pictorial representation of “Sloe
poison.”
J. A.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
MATÉ.
Its Use in South America—Districts where Grown—Its
Manufacture—Early Notice of—The _Maté_ Cup and
_Bombilla_—Method of Drinking—Its Rapid Deterioration.
Yerba Maté, or Paraguay Tea, which is made from the leaves of the _Ilex
Paraguayensis_, or Brazilian Holly, takes the place of _Thea Sinensis_ in
nearly the whole of South America, where it has been used by the Indians
from time immemorial, and by their conquerors and settlers since the
seventeenth century.
It grows abundantly in Paraguay, Corrientes, Chaco, and the south of
Brazil, forming woods called _yerbales_. One of the principal centres
of the Maté industry is the Villa Real, a small town above Asuncion, on
the Paraguay River; another is the Villa de San Xavier in the district
between the rivers Uruguay and Parana. If let alone, it grows into a tree
some fifteen or twenty feet high; but the plants from which the Maté is
collected are moderate-sized shrubs, with numerous stems from one root.
The leaves are from four to five inches long, and the finest Maté is made
from the smallest shrubs. One bush will furnish three different kinds
of tea, which are called _caa-cuys_, _caa-miri_, and _caa-guaza_—_caa_
meaning leaf. _Caa-cuys_ is made from the half expanded buds; but,
although fine in flavour, it has the misfortune of not keeping, and,
consequently, is all consumed in Paraguay. _Caa-miri_ is prepared in the
same way as the Jesuit padres made it, the leaves being carefully picked,
and the nerves stripped before roasting them; and the _Caa-guaza_, which
is the commonest, is prepared as follows:—
[Illustration]
A Maté _yerbal_, or plantation, having been found, and a sum paid to
Government for the collection of its leaves, a party of from twenty-five
to thirty Indians settle down there with the intention of passing some
five or six months. They make themselves as comfortable as circumstances
will permit, by building wigwams covered with palm or banana leaves.
Their next care is to beat, with mallets, a good hard and smooth earthen
floor, about six feet square, which is called a _tatacua_. Over this is
built an arch of poles, on which is spread the boughs of the _Ilex_, and
under which a lively fire is kindled, that the leaves may be thoroughly
dried without being scorched. This result being effected, the fire is
swept off the hearth, and the dried branches being spread thereon, the
leaves are beaten off with sticks, which operation reduces them to a
coarse powder. Sometimes they are pounded in mortars, made by digging
holes in the ground, well rammed; but now-a-days the Maté is generally
treated in a more scientific and cleanly manner, the leaves being heated,
as tea in China, in large iron pans set in brick work. The dried leaves
are then taken to the Maté mill, which may be worked by water power, or
by mules, the wooden stampers being worked by teeth placed spirally round
the circumference of a revolving cylinder. A good-sized mill will turn
out three tons of Maté in a day. The crushed leaves are then tightly
packed in bags of damp bullock’s hide, sewn up and left to dry, when they
become as hard as stones. These sacks generally weigh from 200 to 220
lbs., and this quantity is considered a good day’s work for a peon. The
collectors suffer terribly during this six months of forest life, and the
severe labour of collecting, in those tropical forests, is especially
fatal to the unfortunate peons.
Its use is as universal as tea in China. The method of taking it has not
varied for centuries; and a description of it in 1713[133] is as good as
if written to-day.
[Illustration]
“During the day, they make much use of the Herb of _Paraguay_, which
some call St. Bartholomew’s Herb, who, they pretend, came into that
Province, where he made it wholesome and beneficial, whereas, before,
it was venomous. Being only brought dry, and almost in Powder, I cannot
describe it. Instead of drinking the Tincture, or Infusion, apart, as we
drink Tea, they put the Herb into a cup or bowl, made of a Calabash or
Gourd, tipped with silver, which they call _Maté_; they add sugar, and
pour on it the hot water, which they drink immediately, without giving
it time to infuse, because it turns as black as ink. To avoid drinking
the Herb which swims at the top, they make use of a silver pipe, at the
end whereof is a bowl, full of little holes, so that the liquor sucked
in at the other end is clear from the Herb. They drink round from the
same pipe, pouring hot water on the Herb as it is drank off. Instead of
a pipe, which they call _Bombilla_; some part the Herb with a silver
separation, called _Apartador_, full of little holes. The reluctance
which the French have shown to drink after all sorts of people, in a
country where so many are diseased, has occasioned the inventing of the
use of little glass pipes, which they began to use at _Lima_. That liquor
is, in my opinion, better than Tea; it has a flavour of the Herb, which
is agreeable enough; the people of the country are so used to it, that
even the poorest use it once a day, when they rise in the morning.”
[Illustration]
Frezier gives us an illustration of _Maté_ drinking, in which we see a
lady using the _bombilla_, although the _Maté_ cup has an _apartador_.
The silver kettle for supplying hot water is fed with charcoal at the
side, and somewhat resembles the Russian _Samovar_.
We give a modern _Maté_ cup and _bombilla_; but this, which is made
wholly of silver, is only intended for one person’s use.
Sometimes the _Maté_ cups are made of the gourds of the Cuca (_Crescentia
Cujete_) or Cabaço (_Cucurbita lagenaria_) silver mounted. Indeed, the
cup itself is the _Maté_, which gives the name to the herb, meaning, in
the language of the Incas, a _calabash_. The decoction is drank with a
little brown sugar or lemon added, never with milk, and if not drank very
quickly will turn quite black.
It loses in flavour and aroma by keeping, so that in England it cannot
possibly be drunk in perfection, which, of course, can only be done
on the spot where it is produced. Its virtues are much vaunted. It is
supposed to give nervous vigour, and to enable the system to resist
fatigue; but this can scarcely account for the enormous quantity drunk,
although to persons unused to it, when taken in large doses it is both
purgative and emetic.
Like Chinese tea, it has a volatile oil, which gives it its peculiar
aroma; it also contains nearly 2 per cent. of theine, and about 16 per
cent. of an astringent acid, resembling tannin, which causes the infusion
to turn black after a slight exposure to the air.
There is another variety of _Maté_, called _Gongonha_, which is drunk in
Brazil, which is prepared from two other species of holly, the _Ilex
Gongonha_ and the _Ilex Theezans_. In Chili a tea is made from the leaves
of the _Psoralea glandulosa_, and in Central America an infusion of the
leaves of the _Capraria bifolia_ is drunk.
J. A.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CUCA.