t 
APRIL — JUNEj 1857.] Proceedings. 169 
The Managing Committee of the Madras Literary Society and 
Auxillanj of the Roijal Asiatic Society ^ Thursday Evening the I4th 
3Jay 1857. 
The Honorable Mr. Elliot, read a letter from Dr. Jamieson of 
Saharunpoov, announcing the dispatch of specimens of Himalayan 
Teas, for the Madras Ej^iibition, Unfortunately they have not yet 
arrived, having been forwarded from Calcutta in a sailing ship, and 
meantime the Exhibition has closed. The Indian Teas are repre- 
sented as being in much request at the periodical Auction Sales, 
and as realizing* good prices. The Black Teas fetch from annas 
15J per lb. for P^uchong, to Rupees 1-15-8 for Souchong. The 
Green Teas from Rs. 1-15-8 for Pekoe toRs. 3-4-9 for Gunpowder 
and Hyson. In preparing the Green Tea no colouring matter is 
allowed. The color and flavor are brought out entirely by mani- 
pulation in cast iron pans. The quantity of land under the culti- 
vation is about 1,600 acres annually. Upwards of a million young 
seedlings and 20,000 lbs. of seeds are distributed gratis to private 
individuals, to enable them to form Plantations on their own ac- 
count. The Tea Plant is now cultivated from the Kalee River 
in Kumaon to the Indus, or over 4° of Latitude and 6° of Lon- 
gitude. It has also been introduced with success at Darjeeling. 
Dr. Jamieson also forwards specimens of Woodcutting, for which 
Saharunpoor is famed. The woods used by the Engravers are 
Doodia, Wrightia, Nauclea parviflora, &c. 
An interesting letter from Dr. Drew was likewise read, giving an 
account of his search for the Gutta Percha Tree of Wynaad. He 
met with it very abundantly in some places, every fourth tree being 
of this description. It is plentiful in the middle third of the Kar- 
koor pass, more rare near Davilcotta, and disappears higher up ; 
but it is said to be found immediately under the Nelagiri Peak. The 
tree is large and lofty, so tall indeed, that it is impossible, with 
the naked eye, to distinguish clearly the form of the leaves, and 
were it not for the fruit and flowers lying on the ground, to know 
that the tree was in flower. Dr. Drew doubts whether the tree is 
isonandrous, and from a careful drawing and description trans- 
mitted, it is clear that it does not fall under that genus as charac- 
