TEA DRINKING

Hokitika Guardian, 8 January 1929, Page 5

TEA DRINKING

THE CUP THAT CHEERS. Next to water, tea is the beverage most widely in use throughout the world as regards the number of its votaries as well as the total liquid quantity consumed. New Zealanders have the reputation of being groat tea drinkers, and undoubtedly they arc seeing that, out of an annual production of something like one thousand million pounds of tea, their consumption is not Jar short of ten million pounds. It is a long way back to September —oHi., 1660, when. Pcpvs, the famous diarist, wrote: “I did send for a cup ot tea, a China drink, of which 1 have never drunk before,” thus proving the novelty of tea, in England at that date. As a matter of fact, probably the first mention of tea, by an Englishman is that contained in a letter Irom Air Wickham, an agent of the East India Company, written from Japan in Kilo, to another officer of the company at Alucao, and asking for ‘‘a pot of the best sort of chaw.” How the commission was executed does not appear, hut in subsequent accounts of expenditure occurs this item: “Three silver pomingers to drink chaw in.” Dr Johnson gives Earls Arlington and Ossory the credit of being the first to import tea into England. He says that they brought it from Holland in 1666 and that their ladies taught women of quality how to use it. But from Pcpys’ diary it is obvious that tea was known in England by 1160; indeed, an Act of Parliament passed in that year levied a duty of cightpence a gallon on “all sherbet, chocolate and tea mado for sale.”

A« early as September 30th. 1658, in the “Mcrcurius Politiuus’’ occurs the following advertisement: “That excellent and by all physicians approved China drink, called by the Chincans ‘Telia,’ by other nations ‘Tay,’ alias ‘Tee,’ is sold at the Sultan ness Head Coffee House, in Sweeting’s Rents, by the Royal Exchange, London.” Possibly this announcement prompted the founder of Garraway’s to issue the broadsheet, preserved in the British Museum library, in which he thus runs riot in exultation of tea:

" I lie quality is moderately hot, proper for winter or summer. The drink is declared to be most wholesome, preserving in perfect health until extreme old age. The particular virtues are these. It maketli the body active and lusty. It helpeth the headache, giddiness, and heaviness thereof. It rcnu)vcth#thc obstructions of the spleen. It is very good against the stone and gravel. . .It taketh away the difficulties of breathing, opening obstructions.: It is good against lippitude distillations, and cleareth the sight. It removeth lassitude, and cleanseth and purifieth adust humours 'Und a hot liver. It is good against crudities, strengthening the weakness of the stomach, causing good appetite and digestion, and particularly for men of corpulent body and such as are great eaters of flesh. It vanquisheth heavy dreams, easeth the brain, and strengthened 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 he spent in study without hurt to tho body. It prevents and cures agues, surfeits and fevers by infusing a fair 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 drunk with milk and water) strengthened the inward parts and prevents consumptions. . . It is good for colds, dropsies, and scurvies, and expelleth infection. . . And that the virtue and excellence of the leaf and drink are many and great is evident and manifest by the high esteem and use of it (especially of late years), by the physicians and knowing men in France, Italy, Holland and other parts of Christendom, and in England it hath been sold in the leat for six pounds, and sometimes 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 orandees till the year 1657.” ° HIGH-PRICED LUXURY. Having furnished these excellent reasons why people should buy tea, Air Ganvay proceeds to tell them why they should buy it off him: “The said Thomas Ganvay did purchase a quantity thereof, first publicly sold the said 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 Ganvay’s continued care and industry in obtaining the best tea, and making drink thereof, very many noblemen, physicians, merchants, and gentlemen of quality have ever since sent to him for the said leaf, and daily resort to his house in Exchange Alley to drink the drink thereof. And to the end that all persons of eminence and quality, gentlemen, and others, who have occasion for tea in leaf, may be supplied, these are to give notice that tho said Thomas Ganvay hath tea to sell from sixteen shilling to fifty shillings the pound.” Apparently by 1678 the English market was glutted, the importation of 4713 pounds of tea having its effect for several years. It took many years for tea to become a really popular drink,its high' price making its acquisition ■by the ordinary people impossible.

It is less than 100 years since teagrowing was started in India and only 50 since Ceylon entered the field seriously, the disastrous effects of coffeeleaf disease forcing growers to turn their attention to tea. Elsewhere, too, it has been grown with varying sucess. Decided preference is shown