1839] extent and produce of the Tea Plantations in Assam. 525 



many may run for miles into the jungles for what we know; the 

 whole of the country is capable of being turned into a vast Tea garden, 

 the soil being excellent, and well adapted for the growth of Tea. On 

 both sides of the Buri-Dehing river, as will be seen by the map, the 

 Tea grows indigenous ; it may be traced from tract to tract to Hookum, 

 thus forming a chain of Tea tracts from the Irrawaddy to the borders 

 of China, east of Assam. Ever since my residence at Sudiya this has 

 been confirmed year after year by many of my Kamtee, Singpho, and 

 Dewaneah acquaintances, who have traversed this route. It is there- 

 fore important for us to look well to our Eastern frontier, on account of 

 our capability to extend our Tea cultivation in that direction. Eng- 

 land alone consumes 31,829,620 lbs. nearly four laks of maunds, an- 

 nually. To supply so vast a quantity of Tea, it will be necessary to 

 cultivate all the hills and vallies of Assam ; and on this very account 

 a post at Ningrew becomes doubly necessary. A few years hence, it 

 may be found expedient to advance this frontier post to the top of the 

 Patkai hill, the boundary line of our eastern frontier. Any rupture 

 with Burmah would add to our Tea trade, by taking from them 

 Hookum and Munkoom, and having the Irrawaddy as our boundary 

 line. These countries are nominally under the Burmese, as they pay 

 a small annual tribute ; but this can never be collected without send- 

 ing an armed force. They are said to be thinly inhabited, the popu- 

 lation being kept down by the constant broils and wars, which one 

 petty place makes upon another for the sake of plunder. All the in- 

 habitants drink Tea, but it is not manufactured in our way ; few, it is 

 said, cultivate the plant. I have for years been trying to get some seeds 

 or plants from them, but have never succeeded, on account of the dis- 

 turbed state in which they live. The leaves of their Tea plants have 

 always been represented to me as being much smaller than ours. 



Mattuck is a country that abounds in Tea, and it might be made 

 one extensive, beautiful Tea garden. We have many cultivated ex- 

 perimental tracts in it; we know of numerous extensive uncultivated 

 tracts, and it appears to me that we are only in the infancy of our 

 discoveries as yet. Our Tea, however, is insecure here. It was but a 

 month or two ago that so great an alarm was created, that my people had 

 to retire from our Tea gardens and manufacture at Deenjoy and Chub- 

 wa, which will account for the deficiency of this year's crop. Things 

 must continue in this state until the government of the country is 

 finally settled ; for we are at present obliged, in order to follow a 

 peaceful occupation, to have the means of defending ourselves from a 

 sudden attack, ever since the unfortunate affair at Sudiya. Before 

 the transfer of the Tea tracts in this country can be made, it will be 



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