56 



"When the cases were opened in Calcutta the 

 young tea-plants were found to be in good condi- 

 tion. The seeds which had been sown between the 

 rowa were also just beginning to germinate. These, 

 of course, were left undisturbed, as there was room 

 enough for them to grow ; but it was necessary to 

 take other measures with those in the camellia cases. 

 On opening the latter., the whole mass of seeds, 

 from the bottom to the top, was swelling, and germi- 

 nation had just commenced. The camellias, which 

 had now arrived at their destination, were lifted 

 gently out and potted, and appeared as if they had 

 never left their native country. Fourteen new cases 

 were got ready, filled with earth, and these germi- 

 nating seeds were sown thickly over the surface, 

 and covered with soil in the usual way. In a few 

 days the young plants came sprouting throught the 

 soil ; every seed seemed to have grown ; and by this 

 simple plan about twelve thousand plants were added 

 to the Himalayan plantations/' 



On the whole, the mission of Mr. Fortune was 

 attended with very considerable success. He reached 

 Calcutta in March 1851, having introduced into 

 India, besides large quantities of seed, upwards of 

 twenty thousand tea plants, from Silver Island, 

 Chusan, and the districts about Ningpo, and also 

 from the far famed Sung-lo, and Bohea Hills. 



In the mean time tea prospects in India had not 

 been looking up. In Assam the operations of 



