554 MANUAL OF THE NILAQIRI DISTRICT. 



CH. XXX. tlie successful cultivation of chinchona in the Eastern Himalayas, 



„ e.a., in the mountainous regions of Assam and tracts eastward of 



Chinchona ■' ' • -, n t ti.tm 



Culture. Silhet ; also on the Sides of the JNilagiris, and probably also m 



parts of Malabar. Dr. Royle supported these proposals in a long 

 memorandum (March 1857), which appears to be the last report 

 this eminent botanist wrote on the subject. He had, however, 

 —Court of the gratification of obtaining the sanction of the Directors to the 

 Belect Mr. despatch of a collector to South America,^ but his death in 1858 

 Markham for prevented his carrying this into effect. Mr. Clement Markham, 

 ^ ^^^' a clerk in the India Office well acquainted with the Cordilleras 

 (where chinchona abounded) and the dialects spoken in those 

 tracts, in April 1859 offered to superintend the collection of plants 

 and seeds. His services were accepted. 

 —Mr. Mark- Mr. Markliam^s scheme was to collect simultaneously the seeds 

 am s searc . ^^^ plants in the three chief chinchona regions. For Ecuador, the 

 home of the " Red bark,^' he selected Mr. Spruce, a botanist, 

 aided by Mr. Cross, a gardener ; for the Peruvian Province of 

 Huanuco, with its " Grey barks," Mr. Pritchett ; whilst he 

 reserved for himself and his assistant, Mr. Weir, a gardener, the 

 forests of Bolivia and South Peru, in which the Yellow barks or 

 calismja are found. The expedition arrived in Peru in January 

 1860. Mr. Markham proceeded inland in March and returned 

 to the coast on the 1st June, bringing with him 497 plants of the 

 C. calismja and 32 of the inferior species, wicraniha and ovata; 

 and, in accordance with his instructions, started for England with 

 his collection, it having been decided that the plants should be 

 forwarded by the overland route to India. He reached the 

 Nilagiris vid Bombay and Calicut on the 12th October 1860. 

 The plants suffered much during the latter part of the journey, 

 the roots being much decayed. Mr. Mclvor was, however, able to 

 secure 207 cuttings, besides potting 125 of the original plants. 

 —Mr. Meanwhile Mr. Spruce, whose special task was the collection 



S'arctTfor ot " Red barks " (OascariJla roya), began his exploration in 1859 

 "Red barks.'' with the view of settling on the tracts in which he could conduct 

 his collecting operations. He selected a place named Limon for 

 his head-quarters, and started on his expedition on the Uth 

 June 1860, accompanied by Dr. Taylor of Riobambo. He was 

 joined by Mr. Cross at Limon in July. They commenced opera- 

 tions, Mr. Cross remaining at Limon establishing a nursery 

 of Bed barh cuttings, whilst Mr. Spruce searched for seed. 

 By the end of Oecember they returned to the coast with a 

 freight of 637 well-established plants and 100,000 healthy 

 seeds. These were des]iatched from Guayaquil to England in 

 charge of Mr. Cross on the 2nd of January 1861. He reacLed the 

 Niliigiris on the 3rd April 1H61 with 463 C surcirnhnt plants. 



1 JUuc Pook, Vol. I, page 20. 



