The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-02-11 00:00:00

IV THE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH PRESS.

January tl, 1819.

Stst—Tn the very elaborate and correct description you
inserted in your Paper of the 13th of this month, of the
kiscral descriptions of " Tea ;" I observe, that you confined
yourself to that rhos of I which is fetched from China
by the East India Company, pm chased there, and certainly
cheaply, principally by silver, which we have to purchase by
our labour and imp/unity for this purpose elsewhere. This
leaf, of some plants or weeds of China, is chiefly curious in
its preparation, supposed to be ftnger•rolled, dried, and
flavoured with souse wgeusity and ninth labour, in a nisi.
Her not set, I believe, know'. to us Its common quality
is a mild hitter taste, anti a aa,uur, whirl, by custom of its
u.e, br. usnes agreeable: in its efir et, as a diet, so advantage
of healiti ur sustenance is supposed, and some rehmation of
the Aoisiach and weakening of the nerves have beery attribu-
ted to it.

You were not perhaps aware that many vegetables in all
part of the globe are used in their infusion, as tea. The
Russians and the Germans ate extravagant still in their
use of the cahhace-leal, nearly in the manner of tea, but
called by them map The Fiends are nut, of late years, so
much addicted to this in the same simple manner as their
nurt hers esti zhhours.
Sage, halm, mint, rosemary, soil the young leaves of the
black torraut tree, all make good Its • almost all the leaves
of the field have been nerd us habit, which seems
/merely 141 require emaelAtag to give a little taste and colour
to warm water. Our iiigesllllllll fabricators of tea, who dis-
pute with the Exciee and the East India Company the mo-
usrpoly of this grateful supply of our morning beverage mid
eveumg refecto ~,,, can tell isa many more secrets of the weeds
and leaves glitch make excellent imitation tea, many of
thew probably harmless in themselves, or eves medicinal,
but requiring some metallic or oilier deleterious or poison-
out admixtures, it, give them the crispness, the bloom, and
the other appearances and tastes of the geuoine I
China.

After all, it is as yet Mn littk 'known that ail the dangers of
invitation-tea, 'el the nervous and wakeful action of the
Chine.... leaf. and the ~at expense .if hoth, may be avoided,
and a healthful and agreeable infusion twinged frum the
good •weel M hay" oriole own nteaduars! This its is highly
pleasant, sruinatir, and ,seritsrine secure from Of adul-
teration. and instead of haeme, like the tea of Milli, an
action int oar frame e Ilan the "faint water it is mixed
it h, or, if any effert, that abide is weakening of the
..... rich and frame, the ICA of fine hay is a eorrultorttlive

stimulating the appetite, detergent of The bile,
and exeitive of the organs of digestion and of all the Auid
seem 1. Hit ; •pr rIII 1( on some trials, to be a most dealt..
■bl.• Wert ttttt as Ira, for all who hare passed the meridian
of lifts I.ri,g mildly stimulant of all the vital functimis and
•moot
The particular hay yr/erred to is that of good crisi meadows,
railed •• the em ly-mrsial and awert.,cciattd meadow gram,"
tic hot:spiral ilenoinination is " Aisilsoxanthum thloratittii"
(grlkr.fluvitio 81), which Ste ilumplity Davy has clamed
No. 1 111 k s conmerattun of about 2bo varieties of the
graviton of tier .oil.

Load 'WWI, or other wise man, says, " In all ex-
truded slates, rlir 114.110110(111 ptt,ttacttans of the Mil SWUM
always Re spoilt crest, and made, if possible, to serve all the
wants of the people; it is enough to go abroad to seek ex-
otics fiat euriusity, or the luxury of the rich and the volup-
tuous, tut any trample that shall neglect the soil they stand
siii, Sir will not he content or pleased with its product+, for
their general sustenance and general consumption, must by
degree+ lissome tier beggarly mid toiling slaves and depeu.
dank of their neighbours. This is especially true in she
great staple of MK fund—the trains of Ilse field ;^ it is not
leas tine, though * a less degree material, 4u the grass of
the fields. R.

Tv♦.aoir, FiIIRVARY 11.
Genoa . . 471
Vellice Ital. Lit. 24