278 Capt. Pemberton's Mission to Bootan, 1837-38. [April, 



made to alternate with winter crops of wheat or barley. The highest 

 elevation at which we saw it cultivated was about Tongsa, to the 

 north of which village there is a slope cultivated with it from an 

 altitude of 5500 feet to one nearly of 7000 feet. 



It is principally used boiled in the ordinary manner, and in the pre- 

 paration of their fermented and spirituous liquors. They do not seem 

 to prepare it for eating in the dry state, as is so generally done by 

 Hindoos. Wheat is perhaps the most common grain cultivated in the 

 interior, yet I saw no instance of the promise of fine crops; it is 

 cultivated as low as 3500 feet, and as high as 9000 feet, but the fields 

 we saw at this elevation were miserably poor, from the effects of the 

 bleakness of the winds. No particular steps are taken to favour its 

 growth, except in the three elevated valleys, where manure is employ- 

 ed from some attention to agriculture being absolutely indispensable. 

 The grain is, I think, of inferior quality ; it is principally eaten in the 

 shape of chowpatties, or cakes of heated dough. The flour is ground 

 in mills turned by water, but the meal is badly cleaned. 



Barley is nearly of equally extensive cultivation, and I think 

 arrives to somewhat greater perfection than wheat; the cultivation 

 is precisely the same, and probably its application. Two or three sorts 

 occur ; of these the finest indisputably is a six-rowed barley, but I 

 am unable to say whether it is identical with the Hordeum hexastichon, 

 the bear or bigg of Scotland. This sort occurred in great perfection 

 along the ravine of the Teemboo, especially about Chupcha ; it was the 

 only crop, really worthy of the name that we saw in the country. 



Of the remaining grains of this nature, Raggy,* Bobosa of Assam, is 

 the most common ; it is of a very inferior nature, and is only used as 

 a makeshift. Millet and maize are so limited in extent, as not to 

 be worth consideration. 



Of the other farinaceous grains, buckwheat is the only one culti- 

 vated to any extent ; it occurs throughout the greater part of Bootan, 

 but especially about 4000 feet. This grain is either a great favourite 

 with all Hill people, or it is of such easy cultivation as to compen- 

 sate for its inferiority to some others. The Booteas do not appear to 

 feed their cattle on it, and ours by no means approved of it. It 

 is probably used as a bread corn. 



The species of Atriplex, and one or two of a nearly allied genus, 

 Chenopodium, are scarcely worth notice. They occur in Bootan, as in 

 most other mountainous countries in the East, and are more valuable 

 as affording sorts of spinach than for the grains. Equally unworthy 



* Clcitsine Coracana. 



