The advantage of bringing teas direct from the
natural marts of the teas in China will be rendered
obvious, by exhibiting a short sketch of the
voyage of a Chinese junk to the Archipelago, and
contrasting it with that of an European ship of the
same burden from Canton.
The voyage of a Chinese junk of 400 tgns burden
is as follows:
Investment of black tea at 11 | c. for each ton,
makes 504,000 lbs. laid in at 3|d. per lb., is L. 7,350
Freight at L.4 per ton, being double the amount
estimated for an European ship, - - 1,600
.Insurance 10 per cent, or five times the amount
of insurance on an European ship, - - 735
Profit at 40 per cent, or quadruple that estimated
on an European voyage, - - , 2,940
Total, - L.12,625
The tea imported into the Indian Islands will, at this rate,
post no more than 6d. per lb.
An investment of tea brought by an European
ship of the same burden from Canton will be as follows
:
Investment of black tea at 111c. for each
* ton, makes 504,000 lbs. laid in at 7d. per
lb., is - - - L.14,700 0 0
Freight at L.2 per ton, 800 0 0
Insurance at 2 per cent., 294 0 q
Port charges and duties at 4500 Spanish dollars,
or - - - § 1,012 10 0
Factory charges 500 Spanish dollars, 112 10 0
Profit at 10 per cent., - - - 1,470 0 0
Total, L ,18,389 0 0
The tea imported into the Indian Islands by this conveyance
will cost 8fd, per lb., and will of course be dearer than
the teas brought by the junk by 2fd. per lb., or nearly by
4b per cent.
The advantage which the European consumer
would receive by the tea trade being conducted in
this channel, may be shewn by tracing the progress
of the commodity in the course of a free trade. If
black tea could be laid in at one of the emporiums
of the Archipelago at 6d. per pound, it would be
no exaggeration to state the cost of the best hyson
at only Is. 7d. a pound. The sketch of the voyage
will then be as follows
For a ship of 400 tons burden,
Hyson, 88§ tons, or 79,644|j lbs. at Is. 7d,
per lb,, is - L.6,S05 S
CO
Black tea, 311£ tons, or 357,155| lbs., at
6d. per lb., - - 8,928 17 9
Freight at L.8 per ton, - 3,200 0 0
Insurance at 4 per cent,, - 612 0 0
Export duties and port charges, say 5 per
cent,, 761 14 1
Profit, 20 per cent., - 3,046 16
Total, L.22,854 11 JO
By this calculation, hyson tea might be imported into
England at 2s.'2|d. per lb., and black tea at fi^d.