1839.] Capt. Pemberton's Mission to Bootan, 1837-38. 257 



able, for although Roxburgh died thirty four years ago, and the number 

 of plants indigenous to India has been increased fourfold since that 

 time, the means exist of determining but a very few more than those 

 described by Roxburgh himself. It is familiar to all botanists that of 

 the 8000 species distributed eight or ten years since by the Honorable 

 Company, not more than 1000 have yet received their promised share 

 of elaboration.* 



Bootan is divided into provinces which are ruled by Pillos, of whom 

 there are three — the Paro, Tongsa, and Tacca : they derive their names 

 from their respective residences ; the rank of the two first is, I believe, 

 equal, and they are admitted into council, while that of Tacca Pillo 

 is very inferior. 



The provinces are again divided into districts, equivalent to Sou- 

 bahships; of these there are several. The Soobah's jurisdictions through 

 which we passed were those of Dewangiri, Tassgong, Tassangsee, Leng- 

 lung, and Byagur, all of which are in Tongsa Pillo's province. After 

 leaving Tongsa we came into the province of Punukka, and after 

 leaving this capital we came on the tract attached to that of Tassisu- 

 don, or as it is called Tassjeung. The Soobahs all exercise supreme 

 jurisdiction within their own limits, but pay a certain annual amount 

 of revenue to their respective Pillos. The Soobahs of Dewangiri and 

 Buxa are of subordinate rank. 



But besides these governors of provinces, and governors of districts, 

 there are other officers of high rank, who assist in moving the machine 

 of government ; they do not however make good exemplifications of the 

 proverb, " in the multitude of counsellors there is wisdom." The 

 offices of these additional counsellors are as follow — the Tass Troom- 

 poon, or warder of the palace of Tassisudon ; the Puna Troompoon of 

 the palace of Punukka; and Wandipore Troompoon of the castle of 

 Wandipore ; then there is the Lam Trimpe on the part of the Dhurma, 

 and Deb Trimpe on the part of the Deb. 



* The following passage was erased from the proof of Dr. Griffith's M.S. in the 

 office of the Secretary to Government. We insert it as a note, on Dr. Griffith's and 

 our own responsibility, and in the confidence that Dr. Wallich can readily give a full 

 and a satisfactory answer to the implied charges. — Eds. 



" Had Dr. Wallich never been in India the matter would have been otherwise, as 

 it would not then have been a matter of policy to remove every vestige of an Herba- 

 rium from the Botanic Gardens, and to publish a confused catalogue of names without 

 characters. As the matter now stands, Indian botanists are reduced to this, — they must 

 either give up all the advantages they possess by being in India, and wait until all the 

 species, amounting to 3 or 4,000, named by Dr. Wallich have been described by others 

 in Europe from dried, and in many cases very imperfect specimens, or they must in no 

 ease acknowledge the authority of any body to name an object without giving it a charac- 

 ter, and publish such new species as they may deem to be new with their names and 

 their descriptions." 



