not always nicely discriminate. It Was enough 

 that Dr. Abel was a botanist, and had been in China* 

 Of course he knew all about tea. 



Dr. Me Clellaiid, however, by the very simple 

 process of calling Dr. Abel's own authorities [Ellis 

 Barrow, and StauntonJ into court, and analysing 

 their published statements, showed clearly that not 

 one of them had said a single word to support the 

 theory of high altitudes in the absolute ; but that 

 all had said a good deal that might bear, with some 

 force, the other way. He further showed, that 

 there was a remarkable similarity in the configura- 

 tion of twoj at least, of the tea growing districts 

 of China, Kiang-nan^ and Kiang-si, and parts 

 of Assam; and proved, by examination, that the 

 nature of the soils was sufficiently similar to war- 

 rant the most sanguine hopes of success. He was 

 of opinion that the tea tree found growing wild 

 there was indigenous ; and consequently, that the 

 climate waa congenial to that species of the 

 plant, and he concluded rightly from these data, that 

 Assam would grow quite as good tea as China. 



Dr. Griffiths again, fearlessly attacked many of 

 the erroneous opinions which had been advanced 

 on the subject in India, ably supporting his views, 

 which experience has proved, in the main, sound, 

 by the opinions of distinguished botanists in Europe, 

 and actual experience gained in China. I cannot 

 conclude this part of my report he wrote ( without 



