Tea by Helen Saberi

Author:Helen Saberi [Saberi, Helen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

‘The Great China Race: the Clipper Ships ‘taeping & ‘ariel passing the Lizard Sept 6th 1866 on their homeward voyage from Foo-Chow-Foo’, an 1866 print by Thomas Goldsworth Dutton.

Clipper ships were sometimes called ‘opium clippers’ because opium was traded for tea with China, and it was this lucrative trade that enabled the shippers to invest in these new sleek ships. The main reason for the trade in opium was to balance trade with China. The Europeans desired silk, porcelain and tea from China but the Chinese did not want any European goods except silver, and not much of that. There was, however, a demand for opium in China despite the fact that it was an illegal drug, and it grew abundantly in British India. Trade was conducted in defiance of the Chinese authorities and in 1839 the Chinese Emperor decided to put a stop to it. A special Chinese commissioner was sent to Canton to eradicate the opium trade and confiscate all the foreigners’ supplies of opium. Britain was outraged and what is called the ‘Opium War’ broke out.

The romantic era of the clipper ships came to an end when new steamships were developed and the Suez Canal opened in 1869. The Canal provided a short cut to the East but it was difficult for the clippers to manoeuvre in.

Until 1784 tea was heavily taxed and smuggling was rife. It was smuggled ashore from Dutch merchant ships anchored off the English coast. Underground passages led from caves to unfrequented roads, providing a nationwide distribution network. The smugglers were put out of business when Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger drastically cut the tax on tea from 119 per cent to 12.5 per cent and tea became affordable to all social classes.

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