— 2Ôâ — 



(Naga Hills), large numbers of plants were also to be found in the Tippoom 

 and Gubru Hills ,,I feel convinced the whole land is full of tea," he writes 

 (p. 498).') Long ago, tea is said to be cultivated in the Chittagong and 

 Arracan Hills, and, according to Griffith (1838, p. 175), in Burma tea 

 occurs in the Pollong^) district to the N. E of Ava, „which is said to be 

 „from the wild stock, (but) has not hitherto, although cultivated to a remote 

 ,,period, undergone any improvement." 



Though there was no lack of indigenous tea in Assam, Griffith did 

 not cease urging the cultivation of the genuine China plant. About 1838, 

 a new plantation of Chinese tea (I do not know of what origin) was laid 

 out at Chabua^) near Dibrugarh, once more in the centre of an ,. indigenous" 

 tract; a Chinaman became the owner, and was succeeded afterwards by 

 one of the pioiieers of tea culture, J. Warren. In 1838 or 1839 three more 

 gardens were planted near Tinsukia, one of which near Chabua and Deohall, 

 the second in Chota Tingri, and the third in Hukanpukri. In 1839 thèse 

 three plantations passed into the hands of the Assam Joint Stock Company, 



') The foUowing account throws a remarkable light on the origin of the „Assam 

 Indigenous" tea: „Southwest of Qabrew Purbut (about two days journey) there is 

 „a village at the foot of the hill, inhabited by a race called Norahs: they are 

 „Shans, 1 believe, as they came from the eastward, where Tea abounds. I had long 

 ,, conversations with them, and the oldest man of the village, who was also the 

 „head of it, informed me, that when his father was a young man, he had emigrated 

 „with many others, and settled at Tipum, opposite Jaipore, on account of the 

 „constantdisturbances at Munkum (?); t h a t they brought the Tea plant 

 „with them and planted it on the Tipum hill, where it exists to 

 „this day; and that when he was about sixteen years of âge, he was obliged to 

 „leave Tipum, on account of the wars and disturbances at that place, and take 

 „shelter at the village where he now résides This man said he was now eighty 

 „years of âge, and that his father died a very old man. How true this story is, I 

 „cannot say, and do not see what good it would do the old man to fabricate it. 

 „This was the only man I met with in my journeys about the country who could 

 „give any account of the Tea plant, with the exception of an Ahum, who declared 

 „to me that it was Sooka, or the first Kacharry Rajah of Assam, who brought the 

 „Tea plant from Munkum; he said it was written in his Putty, or history. The 

 „Ahum-Putty I hâve never been able to get hold of; but this 1 know, that the infor- 

 „mation about the Tea plant pointed out by the old Norah man, as being on the 

 „Tipum hill, is true; for I hâve cleared the tract where it grew thickest, about 300 

 „yards by 300, running from the foot of the hill to the top. The old man told me 

 „his father eut the plant down every third year, that he might get the young leaves." 

 Bruce 1839, p. 499. I do not know where „Munkum" is situated. 



2) The „Pollongs" or Palaungs are a tribe occupying the district Tawngpeng. See 

 J. G. Scott 1906, p. 131. From the sequel we will see that Tawngpeng is an import- 

 ant tea centre still. 



3) According to Crole. But Watt (1889, p. 82) speaks of Joypur (Jaipur) in Sibsagar- 

 Bruce (1840, p. 14) says that the „Deenjoy, Chubwa (Chabua), Tingri and Geela- 

 „Jhan tracts hâve been filled up or enlarged with plants from the jungle tracts,' 

 which is no more consistent with Crole's account. Further BRUCE mentions 52 000 

 plants from the „Nemsong Naga hill tracts" being partly transported in 1838 to 

 Calcutta and Madras. Thus we see that China tea was planted in Assam, and, at 

 the same time, Assam tea in Southern India ! 



