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Obituary. [No. 7, new series. 



Dr. Royle commenced his career as a pupil of Dr. Anthony 

 Todd Thompson, and was appointed Medical Officer in the Honor- 

 able East India Company's Service on the Bengal establishment 

 in 1820, and performed military duty till 1823. 



While so employed, Dr. Royle turned his attention to the vege- 

 table products of this vast empire, and having distinguished him- 

 self by an accurate acquaintance with Botanic Science in general, 

 he was chosen as the superintendent of the Botanic Garden esta- 

 blished by the Government of Sahrempore, at the foot of the 

 Himalayas, a position which gave him the best opportunity of 

 studying the indigenous flora of Hindostan. 



Here, under his direction, a number of most important inquiries 

 were carried on, especially with respect to the feasibility of intro- 

 ducing into the more temperate districts of North India, the culti- 

 vation of the Chinese tea plant, &c. 



In 1832 having spent 12 years in India, he returned to Eng- 

 land, that he might publish the results of his investigations. 



The " Illustrations of the Botany of the Himalaya Mountains' 7 

 forms his earliest and most voluminous printed work. It is in 

 two folio volumes, illustrated by coloured plates and was reviewed 

 at length in the 1st volume of this Journal (1834). 



Dr. Royle as Secretary for the correspondence relating to the 

 vegetable productions of India (at the East India House) conti- 

 nued to prosecute these enquiries, directing them with vigour and 

 zeal. In this sphere of research Dr. Royle has been worthily 

 succeeded by Dr. J. D. Hooker and Dr. Forbes Watson, and his 

 schemes for the introduction of tea into India have been carried 

 into a most successful practical result, partly by the labours of the 

 enterprising traveller, Mr. Fortune, partly by the able direction of 

 Dr. Jameson, the laborious superintendent of the Tea Farms. 

 Black and green tea are now grown in the Kumaon district, and 

 prepared by Chinese obtained for the purpose. This tea, we be- 

 lieve, is considered quite equal to the best samples of Chinese tea, 

 which, it may one day supersede. 



On the question of Cotton cultivation in India, Dr. Royle has 



