There is another class of Tea which I have not yet described that possesses very great strength and very fine flavour. This is the class known as the “Namuna” kind. All readers of these pages who have been connected with India any time will recognise the word,[53] though they may not quite see how it comes to occupy the position in which we consider it. It is said that its first application in this manner arose from a planter having sent to England some sample boxes of Tea with the ticket “namuna” on them. These Teas happened to be of the peculiar description which now goes by that name, and which I proceed to describe. The London brokers have always since then applied the name “namuna” to this class of Tea. The leaf may have, perhaps, the ordinary greyish blackish aspect, with generally a greenish tinge. In the pot it produces a very pale liquor, but on tasting it its quality belies the poor thin appearance of the infusion. It is very strong, stronger by far than ordinary Pekoe; in flavour, say, about half-way between a Flowery Pekoe and a Green Tea, quite distinct from the Flowery Pekoe flavour, possessing somewhat of the rasping bitterness of the Green Tea class with the flavour a little refined. The out-turn is generally green, sometimes has some brownish leaves mixed. Any of the black leaf Teas may be of this Class, from the Pekoe to the lowest dust, and all throughout the scale, if the flavour be distinct and pure, may have their value enhanced from 4_d._ to 10_d._ per lb. Similar in every respect, except one, is the Oolong kind. The one wanting quality is the strength, sometimes, by-the-bye, the flavour is a little different. It may have the greenish, greyish blackish leaf (though generally the green leaves are distinct from black ones, the Tea thus being composed of greyish blackish leaves with a few green ones intermixed), always has the pale liquor, generally the greenish infused leaf; but sometimes it is sadly intermingled with black leaves, as it is a Tea whose flavour is frequently burnt out, though its weakness and green appearance are no doubt often caused by deficient firing. Teas of this kind on the average sell below the ordinarily-flavoured Teas of the same class of leaf.