204 ODOROGRAPHIA, 
comments thereon, in the Journal of the Linnean Society, Decem- 
ber 1882 ; the following details are abstracted therefrom :— 
“ 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, m 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 stretching 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; but the nearest Cassia plantations 
are situated 25 or 30 miles further in a southern or south- 
westerly direction, to which there is no communication by river. 
Taiwu is about 180 miles west of Canton. The Taiwu people said 
that the area of cultivation was not increasing. ‘The next most 
important, if not the most important, district is the Loting one, 
commencing at about 8 or 10 miles distant from the city of 
Loting. After leaving the West River about 80 miles of the 
Loting River—the Nam Kong—has te be traversed before 
reaching the city, and from there the distance to the plantations 
has to be accomplished overland. One of the largest cultivators 
said that in this district there were about 1,000,000 maus (about 
52,600 English acres) under cultivation, and that the area was 
greatly extending every year. The cultivation of Cassia has been 
carried on here for only about 25 years, i.e., since the Tai-Ping 
rebellion, at which time, for the preservation of the plants from 
destruction by the rebels, they were transferred from a district 
further south, at which it is reported the cultivation of Cassia 
was abandoned when it was commenced at Loting. The next 
district is that of Lukpo, which is much less important than the 
other two. The city of Lukpo is situated on the northern bank 
of the West River, and the plantations are situated at about 
15 miles between the nearest one and the city. In addition 
to these places, there are several small localities near the West 
River at intermediate places, where small patches of Cassia are 
grown ; and as the quantities of bark obtained are too small to 
send to market towns, it is brought off by small boats and sold to 
