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lugland, but even in a half civilized country like 

 China. If a change in the habits of the people 

 could be brought about by the cultivation of Tea, 

 such a famine as that which was felt iu Kuraaon and 

 Gurhwal this year (1856), is not likely to occur. But 

 if a people are so indolent as to allow their lands to 

 lie waste, or only half tilled if they are content with 

 their daily bread, and make no provision for the 

 future a dry season, such as the last, may occur at 

 any time, when the crops fail, and a famine is the 

 result. Such a state of things could never take 

 place in China, at least from such a slight cause, 

 because the Chinese feel that the necessaries and 

 luxuries of life are indispensable to their happiness, 

 and they are industrious in order to supply them. 



Another great advantage of Tea cultivation for 

 the Hill farmers is this : it would never fail to yield 

 a crop, even in the driest seasons. Last spring I 

 had an opportunity of seeing all the Government 

 Plantations in the dry weather, and, when nearly 

 every other crop had failed, the Tea seemed unin- 

 jured. This is a fact of very great importance, and 

 shows that, with proper management, there is 

 scarcely a chance of failure even in the driest year/ 



But Mr. Fortune in making these remarks had 

 in view the production and manufacture of tea, not 

 simply as a staple for exportation, but as an article 

 for consumption by the natives themselves. He con- 

 templated the introduction of a system similar to that 



