Thibet.
This is a large, mountainous, and table land country on the northern side of the Himalayas. It is at a very high elevation, intensely cold, and very thinly populated. The Thibetans drink much Tea per head, but they use Brick Tea; this is made of the coarsest leaves compressed with some glutinous substance.
There is no difficulty in its manufacture. At present it is supplied by China, which is close by, but not nearer than India. Many think much of our coarse Tea (particularly from the Himalayan gardens) might find a market in Thibet, and I incline to the belief they are right. The quantity would not be very large, “but every little helps.”
Formerly much Tea was sold to the native tribes over the northern border by the gardens in Kumaon, Gurwal, and Kangra. Why I know not, but I hear the trade has fallen off to some extent; the Teas are taken to the Central Asian markets.
I have done with foreign markets, but there is yet another and a very large one regarding which nothing has yet been done: I allude to the market among the natives of India, in other words