Embassy to the Eastern Courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat / In the U. S. Sloop-of-war Peacock, David Geisinger, Commander, During the Years 1832-3-4

by Edmund Roberts

The consumption of the United States, and the ports supplied from the commerce of the United States, may be estimated for 1834, at fifteen millions of pounds.

We have therefore a total annual consumption, on this side of the Cape of Good Hope, of this great staple of China, of FIFTY-FIVE millions of pounds. This amount will in a few years be increased to sixty millions. The quantity of tea exported by the Dutch cannot be accurately estimated. Some seasons there are five or six ships engaged in the trade, and in other seasons there are none: when there is any deficiency it has been supplied by the Americans. The quantity exported to British India averages about two millions, three hundred thousand pounds annually. The export by vessels of other nations is very inconsiderable.

The Portuguese, notwithstanding their direct, early, and intimate connexion with China, neglected to import it, being very indifferent to its use; they, as well as the Spaniards, place but little value on it even to this day; coffee and chocolate being preferred in Spain and Portugal, as well as in South America, Mexico, Cuba and Porto Rico, with the addition of the Yerba de Paraguay or Maté, the favourite beverage of the Spaniards of La Plata, Paraguay, Chili, and other parts of South America.

Comparative Estimate of the principal Exports from Canton to the United States.

	1822-23.	1823-24.	1824-25.	1825-26.	1826-27.	1827-28.	1828-29.	1829-30.	1830-31.	1831-32	1832-33	Catties each.
Bohea, one fourth chests	10,018	2,413	5,795	3,340	1,095	1,100	901	1,904	3,592	12,182	13,665	50
Souchong & Pouchong	37,828	29,296	31,566	24,527	27,405	24,775	17,216	25,428	17,514	39,596	39,538	50
Hyson skin & Tonkay	37,134	32,426	56,788	45,299	29,395	33,926	18,097	68,134	5,447	20,883	36,608	52
Young hyson	22,165	31,217	39,303	45,461	28,487	31,085	26,192	29,476	25,528	40,065	51,363	70
Gunpowder & imperial	4,899	5,587	6,817	8,019	5,992	6,614	4,888	6,289	3,953	9,117	12,553	83
Hyson	14,703	11,562	14,501	19,072	8,915	14,963	11,264	11,197	7,147	9,346	14,248	49
Pecco	175	315	215	368	377	--	191	366	205	517	2,563	49
Total chests	127,022	112,816	154,985	146,086	101,666	112,463	78,749	102,794	63,386	131,706	170,538
Cassia, peculs	7,773	6,459	8,624	9,023	4,035	7,209	2,916	2,888	1,828	3,541	7,428
Silks--Crape, pieces	91,447	55,616	103,236	46,703	29,615	69,028	24,605	9,660	5,881	9,507	4,559
„ Crape shawls	156,631	142,425	220,635	264,630	104,060	}				77,570	77,876
„ Crape scarfs	45,264	8,683	8,100	15,800	4,160	} 57,293	101,425	87,304	102,162		--
„ Crape dresses	32,457	23,298	46,500	58,050	32,940	}
„ Florentines	4,295	3,846	2,879	1,025	750	2,135	850	400	--	--	--
„ Sarsnets	46,264	45,384	64,231	62,662	20,474	23,489	17,295	25,439	53,385	27,455	22,289
„ Senshaws	24,145	12,302	10,919	7,740	9,485	14,957	11,340	10,113	25,810	22,292	13,172
„ Pongees	5,649	2,850	2,967	2,145	5,369	13,530	16,087	10,491	41,439	44,578	48,741
„ Handkerchiefs	92,338	37,877	80,979	90,985	42,635	76,569	24,314	14,662	14,189	23,157	27,274
„ Satins	8,150	5,614	7,384	7,880	10,881	18,606	4,836	5,154	8,985	6,965	7,201
„ Levantines	10,944	8,645	9,600	6,280	7,657	13,497	7,382	4,356	6,155	13,643	6,351
„ Camlets	--	--	--	--	1,477	2,620	2,465	310	990	3,500	1,091
„ Droguets	--	--	--	--	425	--	--	--	--	--	--
Sewing silk,peculs	75	58	75	41	18	184	144	164	354	350	72
Raw silk	--	--	--	--	210	157	68	230	285	109	144
Nankeens,pieces	1,070,707	259,506	765,000	664,000	267,405	524,500	392,900	305,568	118,774	122,285	31,500
Total value $	6,760,582	5,006,243	7,716,444	7,650,938	3,806,708	5,318,966	3,337,480	3,629,722	3,356,551	5,577,731	6,691,412

Average Prices for Teas.

	1822-23.	1823-24.	1824-25.	1825-26.	1826-27.	1827-28.	1828-29.	1829-30.	1830-31.	1831-32.	1832-33.
Bohea tea	11	--	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	11	11
Souchong	22	--	25	20	18	18	17	17	16	18	20
Pouchong	--	--	--	--	18	18	17	24	20	20	25
Hyson skin	21	--	28	27	18	21	21	18	18	24	27
Tonkay	--	--	--	--	18	23	24	22	20	24	30
Young hyson	33	--	40	40	25	33	30	32	30	44	47
Gunpowder & imperial	55	--	50	50	55	50	45	48	49	56	58
Hyson	40	--	40	45	40	40	40	42	42	46	49
Pecco	55	--	50	60	60	60	60	60	80	50	55

Export of Teas for Account of the English Company, to London, season 1832-1833.