rous. And in a country, like Great
Britain, Holland, and other places, where a cloudy atmosphere, caused
from their marshy soil or watery situation, renders most of the
inhabitants subject to complaints of the lungs, foreign teas,
contaminated by these iron corrosions, must be particularly
detrimental. It is therefore, from these considerations, evident, that
foreign teas, by being dried upon iron, have their bad qualities so
increased as to render them the most pernicious of any morning and
evening liquid that has yet been taken.----To return from whence we
began this short digression.

It is remarkable that no satisfactory account has yet been given in
what the bohea differs from the green tea. Dr. Cunningham, physician to
the English settlement at Cimsan, and Kampfer assert, that the bohea is
the leaves of the first collection.

This, however, being contrary to the general report of all travellers,
that none of the first produce is brought to Europe, must be
discredited; for these are all preserved for the Princes, to whom they
are sold, even in China, at an immense price. Another proof is, that
the boheas are brought here in the most considerable quantities, at a
price greatly inferior to what even the second, third, and fourth crops
are sold for in China. This not only evinces how inferior in quality
the black tea must be, but also how little they are valued among those
who must be acquainted with their properties.

Although the European dealers divide the green teas chiefly into three
sorts, and the boheas into five, yet it is unknown from what province
they are brought, of what crop they are the produce, and to which of
the Chinese sorts they belong.

Added to their abuse of preparation may be that of their package. It is
impossible but to know that their bad qualities must be considerably
augmented by being so closely packed, for such a length of time, in
such slight wooden chests, lined with a composition of wood and lead.
Considerable quantities are likewise damaged by salt water and other
causes, which, by the management of the tea dealers, are mostly mixed,
and sold under different denominations. How the tea must be affected by
the corrosion of the lead and tin by the marine acid, those of the
least chemical knowledge will easily determine. To what danger must,
therefore, the constitution of those who are in the constant habit of
drinking such an empoisoned drug be exposed, may easily be imagined.
Surel