1841.] Report on the Island of Chedooba. 357 



interior of the Island, situated high, and near to the large volcano of 

 Ineng-brew, though in the Inrooma circle. The soil was an alluvial one 

 with a large proportion of clay. A stream ran through the valley. 

 Here were from 8 to 10 acres of tobacco gardens, the plants with much 

 more room given to them, and this spot I was told produced the finest on 

 the Island. 



The Tobacco of Chedooba is highly prized, and deservedly so. I pro- 

 cured a quantity of it to be made up into cigars for my own use, and was 

 both surprized and gratified to find among these, several of as high and 

 delicate flavour as any from the Havannah which I had ever tasted, and 

 for the best of which, but for the manufacture, they might have been mis- 

 taken by any one, not knowing whence they came. The Tobacco of which 

 they were made was grown in the neighbourhood of the South Hill, and 

 on examining those which gave such satisfaction, they appeared to be 

 made from leaves larger and riper than most. 



The native, though never without a cigar from the time even before he 

 can speak, does not smoke pure tobacco ; the stems and roots of the plant 

 are cut up into shreds, and with a small proportion of the leaf, enrolled 

 with the leaves of a plant supplied from the jungle, in a wrapper of To- 

 bacco. He cannot therefore be considered a judge of the quality of his 

 own produce, by those who use the purer article. The leaf when gather- 

 ed, is dried in the sun, and when dry, strung through the stem upon slight 

 skewers of bamboo near two feet in length ; these again are woven together 

 with one or two strips of the same material into bundles of between 2 and 

 31bs. which sell for our rupee each. This is the preparation of the larger 

 leaves, and is for sale, the refuse supplies the family stock. 



The whole of this produce which, from what has been said, will not be 

 concluded to be extensive, is disposed of from time to time along the 

 neighbouring coast, and the Island of Ramree, some of course finding its 

 way further, but at present with exception of the larger cultivation 

 mentioned, it is grown in sufficient quantity only by each family, to 

 be kept instead of ready money, wherewith to supply the different 

 wants or wishes of its owners, its quantity and estimation always making 

 it an article of ready sale or barter. 



Tobacco was always found growing on ground perfectly flat. It may 

 be that the heavy rains of the monsoon oblige this, in order to prevent the 

 plant, if on a slope, from being washed away, though this was never assign 

 ed as a reason, but simply convenience. Should the above supposition have 

 weight, it would of course tend to limit the cultivation of a plant w r hich 

 necessarily standing very open, is therefore much exposed to such peril 



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