EMBASSY TO CHINA.
introduced to them the herb Mgte^'so much once extolled
by the Salernian sChool-i^-physicf’a^1a‘ powerful
preservative o f healthy the'Dutch "accepifag, in return,
the, GMnt$e ted,‘which they brOugfit to Europe. Thé
European herb did nofieo^^iitae, lóngÉt-fiil^’in%sÉ:iït
China; but the consumption o f tea- ha« bed it ‘gradu ally
increasing in Europe ever-isin#^ In Engltod1/ about
the middte,*of the last' : a ^ the -infusions- Jb f it--Were
already sold in houses o f public * entertgin-rheiif; and
befeame aii obj%t- o f taxation to the tegislatu^e' T h e 1 an?
nual-public. safes o f têas^by- the'^East dndiaf Comptnyl
did not, however, in the beginning oMlLeÖpWsëhS^ëöé
tur-y, jriidfck4->eÉèe©Si fifty thousand l pO#ndsr%è^g<lit| independently
n f w ip fi little might bëbtlföii^perhaps,
clandestinely imported-.! - -The* <Conipdny;s- annual sall&if
now,' approach" to 'tw'énty“ millions-‘o f p®knd§> being
an increase of four hundred foldvf; in °5essy than one
hundred years, and a n s w e r s ^ t o
a | pound weight'* each*, Min thé' OourseJ Öfdfche^ yïar,
for the- individuals df all rants, <sfexés? a4d-&ges*
throughout the British dominions, in EufbpbifhltS
America. -
No substitute, that could be offered,: would prevent
the sudden deprivation o f an artfélëpim such universal
consumption and request', from beingr considered as a
calamityi'd bteps- have, indeed, been taken for the purpose
of introducing its cultivation in those parts of the
EMBA SSY t o c h i n a . 23
’British:itetxîèwrîffe• in Hindostan-, of-which the S | -fp* ■ I | f " 11 » . •• sdil to d WÔëèWçkÆiibôànibaXy0
climate: aire i^aipp^slra}'lâfo8£ iËOH^ebrlal to its growth ; ------- -av
ajftdrin ! the âïlaîid‘. o.f'iCorsîga|^small plantation of ifis
said, actiiall/l to*be flourishing'; but -at'an ^Mjjene'e, in
© préparation of iy^ffiffeediiig the value of the ' pro1-
duçéb i'Bhçjiphôbîdbillty^ra}^ höWevër, strong, '4® kt the
supply-of ‘thfsoartiëlbF at- â rëâ&oftaM&prilfef may; âtJia
future tinie;nb.ç sëcuréd without depending1 up on1 thé
Will pfeænforeigm>püweg. But prudenjg|| required tb
guards .against’tjjts' fatlu^êfinThe mean time, by eridéa-
voumdgöte foïm) such l'a cantiectionî with tWe; ébûrfof
Pekin pas might, in m^cénsequdnëés-,-tèrid :tb pla'd& the
M É ^ h -trade td China updn^l^^precfaifiMisVatf^mófe
advàiffagfeou^ footing, th'anî hitherto-'-it n^cP stood-; as
wèll, also,: as to prevent^hmdlfBêuliîëS, and - allay’dthfe
jealousies,4 which the ^intrigues and misrepresëntatiöris
^thesflesipEctive dependetks Or âlliêfe^if China tod Great
Britain) might--be likel^lmêg^|ioîM)hl|tMè îsidè oPHin-
dostan; P
It - was not ttf>be^ expectéd4 that such à connectibh
cèùld) ont a suddeiï) be brdiïgbti abou t ;eior (it‘s bbjbbts be
^■K^complëoeaîfJ The court of Pekin was understood
toibfiEgiddbdiby maxims peculiar to itself, little fond o f
^tpr®iaiscùou& intercoufsé With föreighs3dfes; todPH-
clinéd , in some measureto- considePTts^sttbj eefs as placed
in the ^alé of happiness-, wtfeie-H-Wàs WSe,4o seclude
themTrom^profane* admixture with^otffer men. The .