direct from China, I have little doubt but that 

 found near Beesa is a species of tea, and though ifc 

 may be spurious, or even a Camellia, as Dr. 

 Wallich suggests, its growing there indiginous and 

 in great abundance, affords good grounds for 

 supposing that the introduction of the Chinese 

 plant into Upper Assam would be attended with 

 success.' Mr. Scott admitted that Mr. C. Bruce 

 was the first who brought the tea of Assam into 

 notice, though he himself had asserted its existence 

 in Munnipoor, in 1826; and the Society of Arts 

 of London, awarded him (Mr. Bruce) ' their Gold 

 Medal for discovering the indigenous tea Tracts, 

 and cultivating and preparing tea in Assam.' But 

 Mr. C. Bruce again, in a letter dated 20th Decem- 

 ber 1836 to Captain Jenkins Agent to the Governor 

 General on the North East Frontier, says, ' my 

 late brother [Major Bruce, J who was in Assam 

 before the breaking out of .the war, had previously 

 informed me of their existence/ 



Now there is nothing in all this to fix the discovery, 

 If it may so be called, of the indigenous tea plant 

 of Assam, or to warrant the slightest detraction 

 from the merit and honor due to the master mind 

 of the distinguished statesman, who 3 seeing the 

 great advantage that would accrue to India from, 

 the introduction of the tea plant, and impressed 

 with the firm conviction that the climate and soil 

 of portions of India were suitable to it, set on 



