TEA DISTRICTS. 23 



not so rich. Still they would unquestionably be preferable to 

 the interior. 



Labour is plentiful in Kumaon and very cheap, Rs. 4 per 

 mensem. Transport is very expensive. It costs not a little 

 to send Tea from the interior over divers ranges of hills to the 

 plains. It has then some days' journey by cart ere it meets 

 the rail, to which 1,000 miles of carriage on the railroad has 

 to be added. 



Since the above was written Kumaon has secured a good 

 local market, and I believe sells most of its Tea unpacked to 

 merchants who come from over the border to buy it. 



It has also improved its position greatly by making 

 Green Teas, for which, as observed before, the China plant 

 is so well fitted. With those two advantages, though the 

 climate is inferior, I suspect that Tea there now pays better 

 than in Darjeeling. 



Gurhwall is next to Kumaon, and so similar that I have 

 not thought it necessary to discuss it separately. The climate 

 is the same, the soil as a rule not so good. There is one 

 exception though, a plantation near ' Lohba/ the Teas of 

 which (owing I conceive to its peculiar soil) command high 

 prices in the London market. The gardens, both in Kumaon 

 and Gurhwall, have been generally much better cared for than 

 those in Eastern Bengal. As a rule they are private properties 

 managed by the owners. 



HAZAREEBAUGH. 



This district I have resided in since I wrote the first edition 

 of this Essay. The climate is too dry, and hot winds are felt 

 there. A great compensation, though, is labour ; it is more 

 abundant and cheaper in this district than in any other. The 

 carriage is all by land, and it is some distance to the rail. 

 But the Tea gardens at Hazareebaugh can never vie with 



