“This plant, the Cha-whaw, is the Camellia Sesanqua of the botanists, and yields a nut, from whence is expressed an esculent oil equal to the best which comes from Florence. It is cultivated on this account in vast abundance; and is particularly valuable, from the facility of its culture, in situations fit for little else.” It is delineated on the opposite page. As green Tea is by some suspected to have been cured on copper, they have attributed the verdure to be derived from that metal (SECT. VII.); but, if there were any foundation for this supposition, the volatile alkali, mixed with an infusion of such Tea, would detect the least portion of copper, by turning the infusion blue[48]. Others have, with less propriety, attributed the verdure to green copperas[49]; but this ingredient, which is only salt of iron, would immediately turn the leaves black, and the infusion made from the Tea would be of a deep purple colour[50]. Is it not more probable, that some green dye, prepared from vegetable substances, is used for the colouring? SECTION IX. DRINKING OF TEA. Neither the Chinese, nor natives of Japan, ever use Tea before it has been kept at least a year; because when fresh it is said to prove narcotic, and to disorder the senses[51]. The former pour hot water on the Tea, and draw off the infusion in the same manner as is now practised in Europe; but they drink it simply without the addition of sugar or milk[52]. The Japanese reduce the Tea into a fine powder, by grinding the leaves in a hand-mill; they then mix them with hot water into a thin pulp, in which form it is sipped[53], particularly by the nobility and rich people. It is made and served up to company in the following manner: the Tea-table furniture, with the powdered Tea inclosed in a box, are set before the company, and the cups are then filled with hot water, and as much of the powder as might lie on the point of a moderate-sized knife is taken out of the box, put into each cup, and then stirred and mixed together with a curious denticulated instrument till the liquor foams, in which state it is presented to the company, and sipped while warm[54]. From what Du Halde relates, this method is not peculiar to the Japanese, but is also used in some provinces of China[55]. The common people, who have a coarser Tea (SECT. VI. III.) boil it for some time in water, and make use of the liquor for common drink. Early in the morning the kettle, filled with water, is regularly hung over the fire for this purpose, and the Tea is either put into the kettle inclosed in a bag, or, by means of a basket of a proper size, pressed to the bottom of the vessel, that there may not be any hindrance in drawing off the water. The Bantsjaa Tea (SECT. VI. III.) only is used in this manner, whose virtues, being more fixed, would not be so fully extracted by infusion.