1839.] extent and produce of the Tea Plantations in Assam. 499 



Jhangy river, at a distance of two hours walk ; it is navigable, I am in- 

 formed, all the year round for small canoes, which could carry down the 

 Tea ; and the place is only one and a half day's journey from Jorehaut, the 

 capital of Upper Assam. South-west of Gabrew Purbut (about two days 

 journey) there is a village at the foot of the hill, inhabited by a race 

 called Norahs; they are Shans, I believe, as they came from the 

 eastward, where Tea abounds. I had long conversations with them, 

 and the oldest man of the village, who was also the head of it, in- 

 formed me, that when his father was a young man, he had emigrated 

 with many others, and settled at Tipum, opposite Jaipore, on ac- 

 count of the constant disturbances at Munkum ; that they brought 

 the Tea plant with them and planted it on the Tipum hill, where it 

 exists to this day ; and that when he was about sixteen years of age, he 

 was obliged to leave Tipum, on account of the wars and disturbances at 

 that place, and take shelter at the village where he now resides. This 

 man said he was now eighty years of age, and that his father died a very 

 old man. How true this story is, I cannot say, and do not see what 

 good it would do the old man to fabricate it. This was the only 

 man I met with in my journeys about the country who could give 

 any account of the Tea plant, with the exception of an Ahum, who 

 declared to me that it was Sooka, or the first Kacharry Rajah of 

 Assam, who brought the Tea plant from Munkum ; he said it was 

 written in his Putty, or history. The Ahum- Putty I have never 

 been able to get hold of; but this I know, that the information about 

 the Tea plant pointed out by the old Norah man, as being on the Tipum 

 hill, is true ; for I have cleared the tract where it grew thickest, 

 about 300 yards by 300, running from the foot of the hill to the top. 

 The old man told me his father cut the plant down every third year, 

 that he might get the young leaves. 



To the west of Gabrew I did not find any Tea ; but to the westward 

 of the Dhunseeree river I found a species, though not the same as 

 that we use. If the people on the west side of the Dhunseeree river were 

 acquainted with the true leaf, I think Tea would be found. I planted 

 it all along the route I went, which may lead to its eventual discovery ; 

 but people should be sent to search for the plant who are really acquaint- 

 ed with it. I think a vast quantity of Tea would be brought to light 

 if this were done. A reference to the map will shew how our tracts 

 are distributed all over the country. How much Tea they would all 

 produce if fully worked, I will not pretend to say ; but in the course 

 of this subject, I will mention such matters relative to the tracts and the 

 plants on them, that every one may make his own calculation. Until 

 lately we had only two Chinese Black-Tea makers. These men have 



