1892 Drinks of the world

DRINKS,

2SO

He says, **

One of

est fort ordinaire en la Chine." ^

the things which, in my opinion, contributes most to the great health of this people, who often attain to extreme old age, is Tay^ the use of which is very com- mon throughout the East, and which is beginning to be known in France, by means of the Dutch, who bring it from China, and sell it at Paris at 30 francs the pound, which they have bought in that country for 8 or 10 sols, and yet I perceive that it is very old, and Thus it is that we brave Frenchmen suffer strangers to enrich themselves in the East India trade, whence they might draw the fairest treasures of the world, if they had but the courage to undertake it as well as their neighbours, who have less means of being successful than they have. " Tay is a leaf as large as that of our pomegranate, and it grows on shrubs similar to the myrtle : it does not exist elsewhere throughout the world, but in two provinces of China, where it grows. The chief is that of Nanquin, whence comes the best Tay, which they call Ckd ; the other is the province of Chin Chean. The gathering of this leaf in both these provinces is made with as much care as we exercise in our vintage, and its abundance is so great, that they have enough to supply the rest of China, Japan, Tonquin, Cochin China, and several other kingdoms, where the use of tea is so common, that those who drink it but three times a day are most moderate, many taking it ten or spoilt.

» Divers Voyages et Missions du P. Alexandre de Rhodes ^

en la

ChinCy 6- autres Royaumes de r Orient^ etc

Paris^ 1653, p. 49.