1839.] Capt Pemberton's Mission to Bootan, 1837-38. 279 



of notice are the leguminous grains of Bootan ; and the few species 

 I saw of the produce appeared to me more probably derived from the 

 Plains than from any labour of their own. The only actual cultiva- 

 tion of such I saw was a small plantation of oror below Benka or 

 Tassgong, and this we were told was more with a view to the produce 

 of lac than dal ; and of the pea, I saw one flourishing field of small 

 extent between Tumashoo and Oongar. 



Of their various other " plants cultivated as vegetables for the table," 

 I am quite as ignorant ; every thing in fact is derived from the Plains. 

 We did not even meet with yams or kuchoos, both of which I have 

 seen among other Hill people in great perfection. They are unaware 

 of the value of the potatoe. 



Every body has heard of Bootan turnips, but very few have, I ima- 

 gine, seen them. With the exception of a few we obtained at 

 Dewangiri we saw none, nor when we reached the interior did we 

 ever hear of any. There is no doubt however that excellent turnip 

 seeds have been sent to some from Bootan, but whether from this 

 bhote ka moolkh or the far finer one to the westward, I cannot state ; 

 I only state their extreme rarity, so far as the Mission was concerned. 

 Far more common is the Mola, or radish, which I suspect Turner 

 mistook for turnips, for one has only to imagine that an actual Bootan 

 radish is a real Bootan turnip, and it is so. The Bootan radishes 

 grow to a large size, but they are very coarse and spongy, and heavy 

 of digestion even to a Hindoo stomach. The cultivation chiefly 

 occurs between 5000 to 7000 feet. 



Of plantains they possess a few specimens, which may be seen 

 struggling for existence as high as 3500 feet. I did not even see any 

 of the wild plantain, easily distinguishable from the white powder 

 with which the under surface of the leaves is covered, and its large 

 stature. This is common on the Himalayan range to the eastward, 

 and ascends as high as 5000 feet. 



Of that most useful family the Gourd family, I saw no sorts under 

 cultivation. As they depend on the Plains for all that in their opinion 

 makes life tolerable, so do they depend upon their jungles for all 

 flowers to which they may have a fancy, or which may be considered 

 as agreeable for offerings. There is no such thing as a flower garden 

 in the whole parts of the country we saw. The royal gardens at 

 Punukka are scarcely an acre in extent, and stretch along ther iver 

 from the bridge to the village. It was made originally with a view to 

 use, never for ornament, and possesses now neither the one nor the 

 other recommendation, although it has an Assamese gardener: oranges, 

 shaddocks, pomegranates, the mango, jack, bheir, &c. &c, are to be found 



