FRANCIS HAMILTON (ONCE BUCHANAN). xxy 
time immemorial been cultivated in the Dinajpur and Ronggopur distriets of Bengal, and its 
fibres are used for a few purposes that require great strength with little thickness, but the expense 
of cleaning the fibrous part has always prevented it from coming into genera] use, so that the 
fishermen of the above-mentioned districts, even for their nets, use the Crofolaria juncea or Sun. 
As Dr. Roxburgh has in vain made every exertion to discover means for reducing the trouble of 
cleaning the fibres of this plant, I consider as groundless the expectation of its turning out of 
general use, and unless I receive further instructions to the purpose, shall direct the cultivation and 
cleaning of the plant to be abandoned as an unnecessary expense.” 
The next letter, dated 22nd February 1815, on the subject of the Rules for the 
Regulation of the Botanic Garden, is the last official communication from Buchanan 
before he left India. 
“On taking charge of this Garden it was my wish to afford every accommodation to those 
whose curiosity might induce them to visit the place. For this purpose I directed that mo gentle- 
man nor lady, who chose to come, might be interrupted, in full confidence that such persons would 
avoid doing any voluntary injury. In order to prevent such injuries as might arise from inadver- 
tency, I directed a book to le shown to each party, in which it was requested that по person 
should pluck either flowers or fruit. If they wanted either, application should be made to the 
nurseryman, who was directed to furnish all persons that applied with whatever could be spared 
without injury. These measures, I am sorry to say, have not answered my expectations. On one 
occasion I observed some ladies who ran upon the borders and broke various plants for their flowers: 
and I аш informed that another, notwithstanding the remonstrances of the gardener, tore up а 
plant, of which only one individual existed in the garden, and had been reared with great 
difficulty. 
It would give me great uneasiness that on account of the misconduct of а few individuals ` 
many respectable persons should be deprived of an innocent and perhaps instructive recreation, and 
I beg leave to suggest that the inconsiderate may be deterred from injuring the garden by an 
order published by Government directing the Superintendent to report the names of any persons, 
who in future visits to the garden may assume unbecoming liberties; the publication of such 
persons’ names with an order for any party, in which they may be, to be prevented from visiting 
the garden, or even a private reprimand, would probably deter the most thoughtless from doirg 
any considerable injury.” | 
On the way to England the Marchioness of Ely made a sufficiently long stay 
at Galle to enab'e Buchanan to make a cursory examination of the vegetation there, 
and to provide him with material for a subsequent note on the Vanderon monkey. 
Except for the account of the Mysore journey, which was issued without reference 
to the author and without the editorial attention he had himself wished to give it, 
very little of Buchanan's work was published during his service under the East India 
Company. Articles contributed by him during this period to scientific and literary 
periodicals include only one short botanical paper and two literary papers relative to 
his Burmese journey! and two short zoological papers written during his service in 
Lower Bengal between 1796—99. А brief geographieal note by Buchanan is incor- 
porated in the account of the embassy to Ava, and at the end of that work there are 
some descriptions of Burmese plants with which Buchanan’s name 18 usually associated, 
but for which, if we are to credit Symes, he was only partly responsible.’ All these 
iy: 
1 Asiatick Researches, vols. v., 1799, and ті., 1799. 
2 Trans, Linn. Soc. v. (1800). | 
5 Symes: An Account of an Embassy to the Kingdom of Ava, pp. 211. 473. London, 1800. 
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