The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-14
wEo DISCOVERED TEA2
Legend Ascribes It's First Use 20 King
Shen Nung.

SEen Nung-
From The PhilddeIuhid TTrea
BY whom and when tie use Of tea for
drinking purposes was discovered is lost in
antiquity. The famous herb is spoken OF IN
the Chinese annals as far back as 200 B. c.,
at which time it was cultivated and CLASH
fed almost as completely as to-day.
One ancient legend says that its virtues
we're learned by accident by a Chinese
monarch. King Shen Nung, 1.-The Divine
Husbandman,n who fiourished forty CEN
turtles ago. and who. in boiling water over a
fire made from the tea branches on which
the leaves still hung, allowed some OF the
latter TO fall into the pot. During the reign
of King Shen Nung She C2137 to 1896 B. c. }
he not only discovered the curative virtues
Of plants, but also first fashioned timber
into plows and taught the people the art
of husoandry and instituted the practice OF
holding markets for the exchange of COM
modities.
Tea was highly esteemed in nearly every
ancient Asiatc city near the sea, a d was
used as royal gift from the Chinese mon
archs and great merchants to the potentates
OF the east. To the rajahs Of Handy, the
sultans Of Ceylon, the shoguns and daimios
OF Japan carefully selected samples OF the
leaves, packed IN precious boxes were sent
with great regularity. Some must have
been presents worthy Of crown. One of
them is thus recorded: at weighed forty
catties about fifty pounds, and each leaf
was perfect In color, size and age. The
leaves were divided INTO parcels Of Ave
maces each Ia little over half an ounce),
aud each parcel was wrapped in pure silver
foil. This was wrapped in turn in thin
white paper and put into a little bag or
bright colored silk. A hundred bags were
placed into porcelain jar. whose lid was
co w faS ,a1 n.,,I Ia -
was protected by a box of camphor wood,
trimmed with silver hinges and ornaments.
In the list of princes TO whom these pres
ents were made are many whose identity
would be otherwise lost to history. From
the old writings many curious facts are
thus obtained. Among other facts, it
would seem that Corea. to-day more dead
than alive, was at one time II formidable
power. military and naval; that the jap
anese changed at long intervals from peace
full neighbors into marauders and freeboot-
ers worthy of Sir Walter Raleigh, Frobish-
er aud Draker that Manipur, Assam Bur
nah and Tong Kwin at various epochl
were strong belligerent communities IN the
far east; that Cambodia and Cochin-China
were populous, rich and warlike clviliza,
tions, where now the tiger prowls and the
serpent glides; that the Island of Ceylon
was the scene of brilliant and brave dynas-
ties. which followed one another like the
waves on the shores, and at times the Tar
tar nomads who live to the north, north
east and west Of Asia were gathered into
great armies and nations by unknown Tam-
erlanes and Zenghis Khanns'
The presents Of tea from the Flowery
Kingdom TO kingly neighbors are humble
monuments to the crash of dynasties and
empires. Before the time of Confucius it
had supplanted every other fluid for assuag
ing thirst. Its sanitary excellence was ap-
precated by Shen Kung, celebrated
scholar and philosopher. who said: Tea is
better than wine, for it leadeth not to in
toxicatiOn; neither does it cause a man to
do foolish things and repent thereof in his
sober moments, 1t is better than water, for
it doth not carry disease, neither doth 1t act
as poison as doth water when the wells
contain foul or rotten matter
That its use was universal Is borne out by
one Of the maxims of CONTIGUOUS. the wisest
man Of China, when he said: "Be good and
courteous to all, even TO the stranger from
other lands. II he say unto thee that he
thirsteth, give unto him cup Of warm tea
without money and without price"
At the time Of Buddha China was enjoy
ing q large foreign commerce In tea. 1t
was carried by her junks TO Japan, Corea,
Tong Quin, Anam, Cochin, Burmah, Siam,
India, Ceylon, Persia and Arabia. Accord
ing to one record it was sent to n great fiat
rlVor country WeSO OF ATuDla, from WHICH
it was separated by a long and very torrid
sea, which must have been Egypt. 1t was
carried by caravans to Manchuria, Mon
golia, Kuldja, Tartary, Thibet, Persia and
northern India.
This commerce fourlshed during centu-
res and eliminated in the dynasties of
Hung Tung and Tung Chi about 1000 A. d.
From this time there was a slow but
steady decline to the reign Of the present
sovereign, Kwang Hsu. In the past twenty
years the decline has been something terri
BILE, the trade to-day being scarcely one
quarter of what it was in 1870. The out
look is not promising to the tea planter and
patriot in any respect. In every district
the industry is on the verge Of bankruptcy.
The demand from abroad yearly diminishes,
the people themselves are taking to other
beverages, while the taxation necessary to
government. which in the former years OF
prosperity was a mere trifle. now threatens
utter extinction of the trade.