year the East India Company bought two pounds and two ounces of it as a present to King Charles the II. It cost 16s a pound, and was without doubt what now we should call Junk tea, which may readily be imported at 6d the pound. This was the commodity, which was intended for the beverage of Queen Catharine, the Dutchess of Portsmouth, Lady Castlemaine, and Nell Gwynn. Since the day, in which 2 lbs and 2 ounces, were thought a fit gift for a King, our consumption has mightily increased. 100 years ago, it was 1,000,000 pounds, and last year it was lbs 48,735,971. This yielded to the Exchequer more than the whole revenue in every branch of any second-rate Kingdom in Europe.
December 31st 1849.
