20 MR. THISELTON DYER ON THE 
“Though it is probable that this species (Cinnamomum Cassia) 
affords Chinese Cassia, the fact has never been proved." 
Tn the face of the uncertainty felt by these authorities, it ap- 
peared to be desirable to have the point, if possible, cleared up. 
The attention ofthe Colonial Office was accordingly drawn to the 
matter, November 18, 1881; and it was suggested that Mr. 
Charles Ford, Superintendent of the Botanical and Afforestation 
Department, Hong Kong, might be allowed, with the consent of 
his Government, to proceed to the Cassia-plantations on the West 
River for the purpose of reporting on the cultivation and collec- 
tion of Cassia lignea, as well as of bringing back for distribution 
from the Hong-Kong Botanie Garden living and dried botanical 
specimens of the authentic plant. Lord Kimberley was so good 
as to approve of the proposal; and in the month of May last Mr. 
Ford accordingly started for the Cassia districts of the West 
River, the Sai Kong. He completely succeeded in the object of 
the expedition, and described his journey and its results in a 
Report to the Hong-Kong Government, August 9. This Report 
has been printed as a Government Notification (No. 339); but as 
in that form its circulation will necessarily be very limited, I 
think the facts deserve the wider circulation which will be afforded 
by the Society's Journal. 
Mr. Ford's journey was timed so that he might be in the dis- 
tricts at the season when the trees were flowering. This enabled 
him to obtain authentie specimens for their botanical identifica- 
tion, and also to witness the operation of obtaining and preparing 
the bark. 
Mr. Ford gives the following account of the geographieal 
position and extent of the Cassia districts :— 
* There are three chief districts where the Cassia is cultivated, 
viz. :— Taiwu, in lat. 23° 34' N., and long. 110? 18' E, in the 
Kwangsi province; Lukpo, in lat. 23? 6' N., and long. 112? 24 E. ; 
and Loting, in lat. 22? 52' N., and long. 111? 8' E., both in the 
Kwangtung province. These are the market-towns of the district ; 
but the Cassia is cultivated over a large area of country stretch- 
ing to considerable distances from the towns, the extent of which 
could not be ascertained owing to the unreliable accounts given 
by the different people questioned, who either had very vague 
notions of area, or were disinclined, as they usually are, to give 
information to foreigners. 
“ Taiwu is about four or five miles from the West River, and is 
