12 TEA PLANTING IN 



first aroused us from sleep, which the chattering of the 

 natives outside, now engaged with their various duties, 

 entirely dissipated. We were not long in making our 

 way into the tea plantation, which was only separated 

 from us by a road. 



Stretching over nearly 1,000 acres, on undulating 

 ground, gradually ascending towards the head of the 

 valley, the tea-plants were distributed little hardy- 

 looking, dark green shrubs at equal distances from each 

 other, ranged in parallel lines with almost mathematical 

 precision. In most parts the ground between the plants 

 had been carefully hoed up, which rendered the contrast 

 between the rows more striking than in other portions 

 where as yet the hoe had not interfered with the lighter 

 shaded grass against which the lines of plants stood out 

 in less bold relief. The head of the plantation is 

 bounded by the lower hills ; behind these the high rocky 

 range can be seen stretching from north-west to south -east. 

 On the lower range the comfortable dwellings of the 

 hill people are visible, while scattered here and 'there 

 flocks of grazing sheep dot the hill-sides. At the 

 higher end of the plantation, the pleasant bungalow of 

 the Government overseer was discernible through the 

 trees that surround it. Towards the middle of the 

 plantation are the storehouses for the made tea and 

 the factory for its preparation, while near to the latter 

 is a small bungalow for the assistant overseer. Having 

 thus taken a bird's-eye view of the whole, we went up 

 towards the overseer's house, my companion, Lieutenant 

 W , not forgetting his sketch-book, to which the 



