DEHRA 233 



With this object I had three or four small patches of 

 land cleared and dug up in different places on the slopes 

 of the hills, and in these I had tea seeds planted. As 

 far as the tea was concerned, the experiment was a great 

 success. The seeds all came up, and not only that, but 

 they produced plants so strong and healthy as to call 

 forth the high approbation of the superintendent of the 

 plantations. But the success of the experiment had no 

 influence on the landowners. 



They possessed hundreds and thousands of acres of 

 such waste land, but they preferred that it should remain 

 waste sooner than they should have the trouble of 

 planting it with tea. The Indian tea cultivation, now 

 so extensive, owes its development entirely to European 

 energy. 



But though the natives would not cultivate tea, 

 they were very partial to drinking it, especially the 

 Mahomedans. When I left India a large portion of 

 the tea produced in the Doon was purchased by native 

 merchants, and exported to the Punjaub and Cashmere. 

 The tea most preferred was the green. 



I have mentioned that the road from the town of 

 Dehra to the plantations crosses the bed of one of 

 those singular watercourses termed raos. Of these raos 

 I will now continue my account. 



The base of the Himalayas for the entire length of 

 the Doon is everywhere broken by recesses. Many of 

 these recesses are the openings of what may be termed 

 valleys or gorges, running high up the mountain-side : 

 others are little more than mere indentations ; but at 

 the mouth of every recess — whether it be valley, gorge, 



