xvi A SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF 
с 
However on Mareh 11th Buehanan wrote again frum Bassaria acknowledging 
communication from Roxburgh himself ‘and a letter from William,’ and continues :— 
“Tt is said that we are to advance to-morrow, but we have been so long waiting that I am 
quite doubtful. A short time must determine, as the pestilential season is fast approaching.” 
Buchanan’s next letter to Roxburgh, dated Norcotera, March 26th, 1802, says:— 
“Since I wrote you last we have had a retrograde motion and are now again in the Company’s 
territory, but we expect to move on again to-morrow morning, and іп five days march to reach the 
top of the hills.” 
Writing from Chitlong on April 11th, 1802, he says:— 
“I have now got above the ghauts and find myself in Europe both respecting the climate and 
vegetable productions. I wish the people also were like those of Europe." 
Four days later Buchanan writes from Tancote, April 15th, 1802:— 
" We arrived here yesterday and are in sight of Catamandu in a bare ugly valley reserabling many 
of those in Scotland before the introduction of fenees and other improvements." 
Ten days later he writes from Khatmandu, 25th April, 1802:— 
"I base mueh professional duty, the country being most unhealthy and wish for nothing more 
than to be out of it again as soon as possible.” 
He spent, however, the mext fourteen months in Nepal, in the neighbourhocd of 
Khatmandu, bringing together a large botanical collection and making numerous 
drawings end descriptions. During his sojourn in Nepal, Buchanan was accompanied 
by a very intelligent Brahmin from Calcutta, Babu Ramajai Bhattacharjij whom 
he employed in obtaining information of the most varied description, so far as this 
could be prudently done without causing alarm to the jealous Government of Nepal 
or giving offence to the Resident, under whos authority Buchanan was acting. 
The instructions which Buchanan received before Setting out for Nepal would appear 
to have been much like those issued to him before his visit to Mysore. At all events 
the information he obtained and recorded was of the same general character. 2 
During his stay in Nepal Buchanan was in constant correspondence with Roxburgh. 
We know that he despatched, between the date of his leaving Patna in 1802 on his 
. way to Nepal and the date of his return to Patna in 1803, 117 notes or letters and 
that there are 96 of these present among the Roxburghian letters. The bulk of the 
communications are however, for obvious reasons, very brief? and are entirely confined 
to botanical subjects, When a complete round of the seasons had enabled him to 
k Babu Ramajai Baattacharji, of whom Buchanan writes, long after his retirement, in very affectionate terms, 
дараме nied Dr. Buchanan during his subsequent Survey of Bengal and was evidently at all times one of the most 
trustworthy and respected of bis lieutenants. 
2 LT M | в в š b ү ? 
асан a c information subsequently gained during 1810, when Buchanan lived on the Purnea-Nepol 
Б m "rng 1813-14, when he was in Gorakhpur, was published in his Account of the Kingdom of Nepal 
3 
Nepale ұшы: the сота of the Mission were doubtless often opened and perused by agents of :he 
dai: бла дш ^ Mim ps even after, they reached the Company's territory, and many of them, as 
Sinh e nas dM A 15 letters, never reached their destinations at all. We see that of the 117 sent off to 
Жаа while "sd dich Tati the way. For this reason Buchanan hardly wrote to any one except 
кш "eps, and deliberately made his letters brief and, except as regards botanical subjects. 
