124 TEA. 



3>v/. On the vegetation of China and the Himalayas. One of the surest guides 

 from which to draw conclusions, on a subject of this nature, is found in the in- 

 digenous vegetable productions of the countries. Dr. Royle, who was the first 

 to recommend the cultivation of tea in the Himalayas, drew his conclusions, in 

 the absence of that positive information from China which we possess now, not 

 only from the great-similarity in temperature between China and these hills, 

 but also from the resemblance in vegetable productions. This resemblance is 

 certainly very striking. In both countries, except in the low valleys of the 

 Himalayas (and these we are not considering), tropical forms are rarely met with, 

 If we take trees and shrubs, for example, we find such genera as pinus, cypress, 

 berberis, quercus, viburnam, indigofera, and romeda, lonicera, deut/ia, rubus, 

 myrica, spirae, ilex, and many others common to both countries. 



Amongst herbaceous plants we have gentiana, aquilegia, anemone, rumex, 

 primula, lilium, loutodon, ranunculus, &c. equally distributed in the Himalayas 

 and in China, and even in aquatics the same resemblance may be traced, as in 

 nelumbium, caladium &e. And further than this, we do not find plants belong 

 to the same genera only, but in many instances the identical species are found 

 in both countries. The indigofera, common in the Himalaj as, abounds also on 

 the tea hills of China, and so does Berberis nepaulencis, Lonicera diversifolia, 

 Myrica sapida, and many others. 



Were it necessary, I might now show that there is a most striking 

 resemblance between the geology of the two countries as well as in their vege- 

 table productions. In both the black and green tea countries which I have 

 alluded to, clay-slate is most abundant. But enough has been advanced to 

 prove how well many parts of the Himalayas are adapted for the cultivation of 

 tea; besides, the flourishing condition of many of the plantations is, after all, 

 the best proof, and puts the matter beyond all doubt. 



4th. Concluding Suggestions. Having shown that tea can be grown in the 

 Himalayas, and that it would produce a valuable and remunerative crop, the 

 next great object appears to be the production of superior tea, by means of fine 

 varieties and improved cultivation. It is well known that a variety of the tea 

 plant existed in the southern pails of China from which inferior teas only were 

 made. That, being more easily procured than the fine northern varieties, from 

 which the great muss of the best teos arc made, was the variety originally sent to 

 India. From it all those in the Government plantations have sprung. 



It was to remedy this, and to obtain the best varieties from those districts 

 which furnish the trees of commerce, that induced the Honourable Court of 

 .Directors to send me to China in 1848. Another object was to obtain some 

 good manufacturers and implements frcm the same districts. As the result of this 

 mission, nearly twenty thousand plants from the best black and green tea 

 countries of Central China, have been introduced to the Himalayas. Six first-rate 

 manufacturers, two lead men, and a large supply of implements from the cele- 

 brate d Hwuychow districts were also brought round and safely located on the 

 Government plantations in the hills. 



A great step has thus been gained towards the objects in view. Much, how- 

 ever, remains still to be done. The new China plants ought to be carefully 

 propagated and distributed over all the plantations ; some of them ought also to 

 be given to the zemindars, and more of these fine varieties might be yearly im- 

 ported from China. 



The Chinese manufacturers, who were obtained some years since from Calcutta 

 or Assam, are, in my opinion, far from being first-rate workmen ; indeed, I doubt 

 much if any of them learned their trade in China. They ought to be gradually 

 got rid of and their places supplied by better men, for it is a great pity to teach 

 the natives an inferior method of manipulation. The men brought round by me 

 are first-rate green tea makers, they can also make black tea, but they have not 

 been in the habit of making so much black as green. They have none of the 

 Canton illiberality or prejudices about them, and are most willing to teach their 

 art to the natives. I have no doubt some of the latter will soon be made 

 excellent tea manufactui'ers. And the instruction of the natives is, no doubt, one 

 of the chief objects which ought to be kept in view, for the importation of Chinese 

 manipulators at high wages can only be regarded as a tompoi ary measure ; 

 ultimately the Himalayan tea must be made by the natives themselves ; each 



