498 Report on the manufacture of Tea, and on the [June, 



shew that a sufficiency of seeds and seedlings might be collected from 

 these tracts in the course of a few years to plant off the whole of Assam ; 

 and I feel convinced, from my different journeys over the country, that 

 but a very small portion of the localities are as yet known. 



Last year in going over one of the hills behind Jaipore, about 

 300 feet high, I came upon a Tea tract, which must have been 

 two or three miles in length, in fact I did not see the end of it ; the 

 trees were in most parts as thick as they could grow, and the Tea seeds 

 (smaller than what I had seen before) fine and fresh, literally covered the 

 ground; this was in the middle of November, and the trees had 

 abundance of fruit and flower on them. One of the largest trees 

 I found to be two cubits in circumference, and full forty cubits in 

 height. At the foot of the hill I found another tract, and had 

 time permitted me to explore those parts, there is no doubt but I 

 should have found many of the Naga Hills covered with Tea. I 

 have since been informed of two more tracts near this. In going along 

 the foot of the Hills to the westward, I was informed that there was 

 Tea at Teweack, or near it : this information came too late, for I had 

 passed it just a little to the east of the Dacca river, at a place called 

 Cheriedoo, a small hill projecting out more than the rest on the plain 

 to the northward, with the ruins of a brick temple on it ; here I found 

 Tea, and no doubt if there had been time to examine, I should have 

 found many more tracts. I crossed the Dacca river at the old fort 

 of Ghergong, and walked towards the Hills, and almost immediately 

 came upon Tea. The place is called Hauthoweah. Here I remained 

 a couple of days, going about the country, and came upon no fewer 

 than thirteen tracts. A Dewaniah who assisted me to hunt out these 

 tracts, and who was well acquainted with the leaf, as he had been 

 in the habit of drinking tea during his residence with the Singphoes, 

 informed me that he had seen a large tract of Tea plants on the Naga 

 mountains, a day's journey west of Chiridoo. I have no reason to doubt 

 the veracity of this man ; he offered to point out the place to me, 

 or any of my men, if they would accompany him ; but as the country 

 belonged to Raja Poorunda Sing, I could not examine it. I feel con- 

 vinced the whole of the country is full of Tea. 



Again, in going further to the south-west, just before I came to Gabrew 

 hill, I found the small hills adjoining it, to the eastward, covered with 

 Tea plants. The flowers of the Tea on these hills are of a plea- 

 sant delicate fragrance, unlike the smell of our other Tea-plants ; but 

 the leaves and fruit appear the same. This would be a delightful place 

 for the manufacture of Tea, as the country is well populated, has abun- 

 dance of grain, and labour is cheap. There is a small stream called the 





