Chapter X: A Cup of Tea 90

NOTES ON THE CHINESE LANGUAGE.

The Chinese writing is eminently picturesque; and as the language admits of no alphabet, all ideas and objects are conveyed through the medium of groups of characters, each group representing a series of impressions, or opinions. By an ingenious and elaborate combination of strokes, upwards of 40,000 distinct symbols are perfected. This vast array has given rise to the amusing, but erroneous notion, that the Chinese pass their lives in learning to read; so that old and infirm scholars, after having devoted all their days to its accomplishment, have departed this life with the task undone.

Ideographic and phonetic at the same time, the mechanism of the language is intelligible only to a few Europeans; but it is truly surprising that the vernacular of 400,000,000 of our fellow-men, whose literature dates from the time of King David, and whose yearly exchange of merchandise with England amounts to £40,000,000 sterling, should have been so long wrapped in oblivion.

China does not possess, as we do, public libraries and reading rooms, but all who have a taste for reading or desire instruction can readily satisfy their need, as books are sold in the Celestial Empire at prices lower than in any other country in the world; further, all the finest quotations from the best authors are found written on the pagodas, public monuments, façades of tribunals, signs of the shops, doors of houses, and interior of apartments, so that, in fact, China may be likened to a huge library, where rich and poor alike can enjoy their country’s literature, and it is deserving of remark that the general prosperity and peace of China has been much promoted by the diffusion of knowledge and education throughout the lower classes.

The construction of the Chinese symbols varies from the square character to the more cursive character of the Seal and Grass, peculiar for their obscurity. The six styles of writing are as follows:--Chuen shoo, or Seal character; Le shoo, or Official character; Keae shoo, or Model character; Hing shoo, or Running character; Tsaov shoo, or Grass character; and Sung shoo, or Sung dynasty character. The preface to this book is written by Lo Fong Loh, Esq., in the “running” character, and is undoubtedly a perfect specimen of caligraphy; his translation is rendered in the following pages.

EXTRACT FROM MR. LO FONG LOH’S JOURNAL.

Among the several places of interest in London, visited by H. E. Li Fung Pao (Director of the Chinese Educational Mission) and myself during our six months’ sojourn therein, I could not fail to be impressed with the Tea Establishment of Messrs. Horniman and Co., Wormwood Street. The first department to which our attention was directed, is called the “Blending Floors.” Here we observed divers descriptions of Tea, which had been shipped from different countries in the Eastern Hemisphere. Although we do not profess to be _au courant_ with regard to that particular article of domestic use, still we happen to come from the Tea districts of China, and therefore took the opportunity of examining some specimens of the tropical leaf.

We are aware that in commerce there is a special kind of so-called Tea, denominated “Reviving Leaf,” a spurious production, so coloured and prepared as to deceive the eye of all but experts. This manipulated “presentment” of the genuine commodity was not among the varieties; and we are satisfied that Messrs. Horniman’s Teas are perfectly unsophisticated and natural growths, free from all adventitious “additions.” The effect of blending the various descriptions of Tea is to make the flavour uniform, and thus to meet the wants and tastes of the consumers.

One thing particularly struck us during our visit. This was the vast quantity of Tea in stock, both in the Warehouses and the Wholesale Establishment. Upon enquiring of the Head of the Firm, whether all their importations are consumed by the people of the United Kingdom, the reply was, that “A considerable portion thereof is exported to European countries.” This circumstance convinced us that the Teas are blended with marked technical skill, in order to suit the various tastes and likings of divers individuals and nationalities.

When H. E. Li and myself were passing through the “Blending Floors,” the first remark made to me by H. E. was this: he observed that “In China, Tea Merchants invariably separate the different qualities of the leaf; while the practice in this country seemed to be the very reverse.” I explained to him the reason of such usage, comparing it to the composition of a book. First, you collect information of sundry kinds; anon, proceed to classify the same; and, finally, artistically blend the whole for the general advantage. The Chinese merchants having performed the first part, Messrs. Horniman & Co. effect the other equally important portions.

Upon entering what is deemed the “Testing Room,” we noticed a collection of tiny China cups, filled with infusions of the leaf. Albeit we did not then taste the tempting liquid, nevertheless we could not avoid being favourably impressed with the delicate aroma and excellent colour of the beverage.

The next department we inspected was the “Weighing Floors,” which proved no less a source of interest. In this place the Tea is weighed previous to its being put into packages, varying in size from two ounces to several pounds weight. While the smaller packages are neatly enclosed in tinfoil, so as to prevent the leaf suffering injury through the action of damp or exposure, the larger sorts and for export are done up in tins, securely closed, to obviate the admission of air.

In the adjoining department, or “Labelling Room,” the various packages are labelled (the labels being printed in nine languages), on a similar principle to that adopted by the Chinese themselves.

Shortly after my arrival in England, I felt distressed respecting the means of procuring pure Tea, not drinking coloured Tea in my own country. I experienced that some of the largest hotels and leading restaurants seldom produced a beverage such as I could with pleasure drink. Upon trying the Tea supplied by Messrs. Horniman’s Agents, I found it excellent in every respect, and like to that I have been accustomed to use when at home.

One object of my official visit to Europe being to collect special information bearing on the Industrial Arts, as evidences of Western civilisation, I must confess that both H. E. Li and myself derived mutual pleasure and profit in going over Messrs. Horniman’s Establishment.

LO FONG LOH.

_London, May, 1878._

TEA

ITS MYSTERY AND HISTORY.