Chap. XXII. GUDDOWLI PLANTATION. 



373 



with it, chiefly small pieces of clay-slate, of which 

 the mountains here are composed. Large tracts of 

 equally good land, at present covered with jungle, 

 might be made available in this district without inter- 

 fering in any way with the rights of the settlers. 



I have stated that this plantation is formed on the 

 hill side. It consists of a succession of terraces, from 

 the bottom to the top, on which the tea-bushes are 

 planted. In its general features it is very like a 

 Chinese tea-plantation, although one rarely sees tea- 

 lands terraced in China. This, however, may be 

 necessary in the Himalayas, where the rains fall so 

 heavily. Here too a system of irrigation is carried 

 on, although to a small extent only, owing to the 

 scarcity of water during the dry season. 



This plantation is a most promising one, and I 

 have no doubt will be very valuable in a few years. 

 The plants are growing admirably, and evidently like 

 their situation. Some of them are suffering slightly 

 from the effects of hard plucking, like those at Kao- 

 lagir ; but this can easily be avoided in their future 

 management. Altogether, it is in a most satisfactory 

 condition, and shows how safe it is in matters of this 

 kind to follow the example of the Chinese cultivator, 

 who never makes his tea-plantations on low rice land 

 and never irrigates. 



The country about Paorie is entirely mountainous. 

 Whichever way we look, east, west, south, or north, 

 nothing is seen but mountains and hills, stony ravines, 

 and deep glens. The view is bounded on the north 

 and north-west by the snowy range. 



