138 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 



plant off the whole of Assam ; and I feel convinced, from 

 my different journeys over the country, that but a very small 

 portion of the localities are as yet known. 



" Last year in going over one of the hills behind Jaipore, 

 about 300 feet high, I came upon a Tea tract, which must 

 have been two or three miles in lenofth, in fact I did not see 

 the end of it; the trees were in most parts as thick as they 

 could grow, and the Tea seeds (smaller than what I had seen 

 before) fine and fresh, literally covered the ground; this was 

 in the middle of November, and the trees had abundance ot 

 fruit and flower on them. One of the largest trees I found 

 to be two cubits in circumference, and full forty cubits in 

 height. At the foot of the hill I found another tract, and 

 had time permitted me to explore those parts, there is no 

 doubt but I should have found many of the Naga hills covered 

 with Tea. I have since been informed of two more tracts 

 near this. In going along the foot of the hills to the west- 

 ward, I was informed that there was Tea at Teweack, or 

 near it : this information came too late, for 1 had passed it 

 just a little to the east of the Dacca river, at a place called 

 Cheridoo, a small hill projecting out more than the rest to 

 the northward, with the ruins of a brick temple on it ; here 

 I found Tea, and no doubt if there had been time to ex- 

 amine, I should have found many more tracts. I crossed tiie 

 Dacca river at the old fort of Ghergong, and walked towards 

 the hills, and almost immediately came upon Tea. The 

 place is called Haiithoweah. Here I remained a couple oi 

 days, going about the country, and came upon no fewer 

 than thirteen tracts. A Dewaniah who assisted me to hunt 

 out these tracts, and who was well acquainted with the leatj 

 as he had been in the habit of drinking tea during his resi- 

 dence with the Singphoes, informed me that he had seen a 

 large tract of Tea plants on the Naga mountains, a day ^ 

 journey west of Chiridoo. I have no reason to doubt the 

 veracity of this man; he offered to point out the place to me, 

 or any of my men, if they would accompany him ; but as the 



