IGO Mr Bruce on the Mamtfucture of Tea, and on the 



of their tea-plants have always been represented to me as be- 

 ing mnch smaller than ours. 



Muttuck is a country that abounds in tea, and it might be 

 made one extensive, beautiful tea-garden. We have many cul- 

 tivated experimental tracts in it ; we know of numerous, exten- 

 sive, uncultivated tracts, and it appears to me that we are only 

 in the infancy of our discoveries as yet. Our tea, however, is 

 insecure here. It was but a month or two ago, that so great 

 an alarm was created, that my people had to retire from our 

 tea-gardens and manufacture at Deenjoy and Chubwa, which 

 will account for the deficiency of this years crop. Things 

 must continue in this state until the government of the coun- 

 try is finally settled ; for we are at present obliged, in order to 

 follow a peaceful occupation, to have the means of defending 

 ourselves from a sudden attack, ever since the unfortunate af- 

 fau' at Sudiya. Before the transfer of the tea-tracts in this 

 country can be made, it will be necessary, in justice to all 

 parties, to know if Muttuck is, or is to become, ours or not. 

 The natives at present are permitted to cultivate as much 

 land as they please, on paying a poll-tax of two rupees per 

 year ; so that, if the coxmtry is not ours, e\'ery man employed 

 on the tea will be subject to be called on for two rupees per 

 annum, to be paid to the old Bura Senaputy's son, as govex'- 

 nor of the country. This point is of vital importance to our 

 tea prospects up here. Many individuals might be induced to 

 take tea grounds, were they sure that the soil was ours, and 

 that they would be protected and permitted to cultivate it in 

 security. 



In looking forward to the unbounded benefit the discovei-y 

 of this plant will produce to England, to India, — to millions, 

 I cannot but thank God for so great a blessing to our coun- 

 try. When I first discovered it, some 14 years ago, I little 

 thought that I should have been spared long enough to see it 

 become likely eventually to rival that of China, and that I 

 should have to take a prominent part in bringing it to so suc- 

 cessful an issue. Should what I have written on this new and 

 interesting subject be of any benefit to the country and the 

 commimity at large, and help a little to impel the tea forward 



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