Arrer all, our grievance about the two-Chaszees who proceeded hence to now to compete for the possession of the new teas, proves to have even less ground than we gave it credit for.
It has transpired to be from a sentimeuf view, for the two-and-twenty wise men from the East only arrived in time to see the choicest chops appropriated by the slow-coaching denizens of the place. And here question forces itself on us. We are always hearing of the combination of the Chinese as opposed Lo the competition of the foreigners; now, why did these Chinese teamen not only hurry the new crops on to market, when they knew that two steamers, crammed with tea buyers, were on their way to Haukovw, but also, having got their teas, did they at once sell them to the comparatively few local chaszees We are aware thut it is a moot point whether, on the it is not better for the merchant is goods in the first market—in fact, than to hold with the x of still farther depreciation, owing to the accumulation of stocks, the deterioration of the goods and the continual increase of interest. The Chinese tea-dealers, in this particular instance, may have seemed to some to have done an unwise thing in their own interest; yet after all their conduct as probably dictated by wise policy. There was, possibly, on the part of the local Chaszees, developed so large a feeling of satisfaction at the fact of having the market all to them. selves, that they probably were little less eager to bay. than would have been the peripatetics; and as the native dealers somehow or other succeeded in getting their price, they were tolerably indifferent as to those' who gave it to them, Anyhow, the laugh has been more er less. turned against the two-and-twenty, who, with; every intention of competing for the first teas, found to their dismay on arriving at Kiukiang, that they were already forestalled. Of course, if the teas are as good as some people represent, it was a wise thing to settle quickly, but chaszees are notoriously sanguine at the opening' of a season, and it is not an unusual thing to find a crop, highly spoken of in China, put down as inferior in England. We have learnt of late years a good deal about China and. Chitieso ways, but we must cunfoss experience of Haakow teas, By some, we were hardly prepared for this new
the alleged deterioration ju quality which marked the export of some. years back, was attributed in great, measure to the hurry with which the teas had been brought te market, and certain! it did seem as if foreigners were holding out a premium for the imperfect preparation of the leat, This can liowever hardly be suid to be the case now; yet the present has proved the earliest season known in the river districts, The weather, it appears, wus exceptionally favourable for the growth and preparation of the tons; but though this might, to a certain ex. tent, have been calculated on, and though there were some signs of an earlier opening than usual, people still have bosn taken by surprise. It was suid that the dealers had struggles with the growers, and that they were not unwilling that the market should open at low rates. This might have accounted for tle early arrival of a few: chops, but hardly for that of the bulk of the first crop, which came into market before the steamers' had arrived to carry it off, There are many things to be learned yet in China; and this, as to the causes which influence the native tea market, and-the relations between growers and dealers, is probably one of them. Our own attempts to occupy the intermediate position were not ye successful. The so-called contract teas of six or seven years back introdaced a disturbing element into the mar kot; and yet there does not seem any reason why the preparation of tea by foreigners should not be generally be-'There was, probably, too little division of labour, and the antagonistic interests of exporters and.manyfacturers were liable to get confused when undertaken by the same parties, 60 that we have had for the present to fall back on the old system. The examplo of Assim goes to prove that advo tages may arise from foreign supervision, in growing and preparingithearticle; bat, from the peculiar circumstances China, the interference of foreigners in the early stages of the tea market has hitherto resulted only in an crease in the price. It seems too much to hope that, until we can understand more clearly than we do, the relations
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.