228 Oranges and Lemons of India. 



ing strength, they invaded the Brahmapootra valley 

 in the eighth century, and completely occupied it in the 

 beginning of the thirteenth century. But from ancient 

 Shan records, discovered by Pemberton at Manipur, it 

 appears that in the beginning of the Christian era the 

 Shan kingdom occupied the whole of the region from 

 Yunnan to the S.E. boundary of the Assam valley. 

 The article also mentions that the Shans are most 

 ingenious cultivators, and that they equal the Belgians 

 in the great care and ingenuity they exhibit in culti- 

 vating their land. 



Now China, or Cochin China, is considered by most 

 authors as the birthplace of oranges, and it is said the 

 Chinese claim them as indigenous to their country. 

 If so, we have an efficient cause for the naturalization 

 of the suntara orange on the N.E. border of India, 

 This great migration of Shans, which commenced at 

 the beginning of the Christian era, from Yunnan to 

 the Brahmapootra valley, could hardly have helped 

 carrying with it this and perhaps other kinds of 

 oranges, by means of the seed ; no other mode of pro- 

 pagation is known in the Khasia hills, even at this 

 day, than by seed. More especially is this likely to 

 have been the case when we are told that the Shans 

 are such ingenious cultivators. 



Again, in the Khasia hills the generic name for 

 oranges is usoh. This very word, slightly modified, 

 curiously enough occurs as the generic name of the 

 Citrus in various islands of the Malay archipelago. 

 Rumphius, in his " Flor. Amboin.," in the chapter on 

 Limo tiiberosus, says : " Generally, however, all lemons 

 (Citrus) are called by the Amboinese aussi and nssi y 

 and by the Chinese they are given the generic name 

 of cam. In Banda the generic name is usse. And 

 in chapter 42, vol. ii., he describes the Aurantiiim 



