18 



UPPER ASSAM. 



in one spot excessively thick, and many of the plants had attained 

 a considerable size, but the largest had been cut down, when it was 

 visited by people from Suddiya in search of tea some short time ago. 

 It had just passed flowering ; all the plants looked well, better 1 think 

 than those of Kujoo. The soil was very much like that of the 

 Kujoo and Negrigam jungles, and was remarkable for its great 

 dryness and looseness, in spite of the long continued and heavy 

 rains. That near the surface was dark brown, below yellow brown, 

 and the deeper it was examined the more yellow it seemed to be- 

 come. We satisfied ourselves that its depth extended lower than two 

 feet from the surface. The space the plant occupies in any numbers 

 certainly does not exceed forty yards in length, by twenty-five in 

 breadth, About fifty yards to the north several plants occurred, 

 but the soil here was of a much darker tint, although it appeared to 

 be nearly as dry as the other. The accompanying diagram may give 

 some idea of its situation. 



February \lth. — We arrived at Rangagurrah, the capital of the 

 Muttack country, and the residence of the Burra-seena Puttee, [or 

 Bengmara. Our route thither occupied us, inclusive of the day spent 

 in examining the tea at Noadwar, five days. During the three first, 

 we passed through a low country admirably, and almost exclusively, 

 adapted for rice cultivation, and consequently abounding in wild 

 wading birds and water-fowl. 



As we approached Rangagurrah the ground became higher, in 

 addition to which it is better drained. We crossed about two miles 

 from Rangagurrah a small rivulet, a tributary of the Deboroo ; no 

 plants but one of much interest was detected en route. That one 

 was a fine forest tree affecting damp low places, apparently very limit- 

 ed in extent. It is a new genus, belonging to Hamemelidese, and we 

 have called it Sedgwickia cerasifolia. On our arrival at Rangagurrah 

 we were met by the Burra-seena Puttee, 1 Big warrior,' who escorted 

 us to the houses he had caused to be erected for us, and which were 

 at a little distance from the village itself. During our association with 

 him or with his country, he was remarkably attentive and civil, and 

 as he is an independent man he pleased me much. On the — Feb. we 

 reached Tingrei, a poor village about ten miles to the S. E. of Ran- 

 gagurrah, situated on the west bank of the rivulet of the same name, 

 another tributary of the Deboroo. On the same morning as the march 

 was very short, we proceeded to examine the tea, and the following 

 day was likewise given up to another examination. The tea here 



