422 



RETUKN TO ENGLAND. Chap. XXI. 



and considers the results of your mission to China 

 to be very satisfactory." I need scarcely say that 

 a compliment of this kind from Lord Dalhousie 

 was most grateful to my feelings ; for next to the 

 pleasure which one feels who has accomplished a 

 diiScult object is that of knowing that his exertions 

 are appreciated. 



Having thus terminated the Chinese part of my 

 labours, I was requested by the Grovernment of 

 India to proceed once more to the North-west Pro- 

 vinces and the Punjab, for the purpose of inspect- 

 ing the various tea-plantations there, and to make 

 a report upon their present condition and future 

 prospects. This report, which was sent in to the 

 Government in October 1856, shows the tea- 

 plantations in the Himalayas and Punjab to be in 

 a very satisfactory condition, and likely at no dis- 

 tant day to prove of great value to the natives of 

 India. 



On the 9th of November I left India in the 

 Peninsular and Oriental Company's ship " Ben- 

 tinck," Captain Caldbeck, and reached Southamp- 

 ton on the 20th of December, having been absent 

 from England exactly four years. 



