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TEA DISTKICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXII. 



ing us. The scenery here is so wild and striking as 

 to baffle all attempts at description. Behind us were 

 mountains of all heights, rent and broken up into 

 every variety of form, while before us lay the plains 

 of India stretching away as far as the eye could reach 

 without a mountain or a hill to obstruct the view. 



Mr. Batten now left me and returned to his home 

 amongst the mountains, while I pursued my home- 

 ward journey. I visited the well-known cities of 

 Delhi and Agra on my route, and arrived at Cal- 

 cutta on the 29th of August, when I took up my 

 quarters with Dr. Falconer, in the botanic garden, 

 until the mail-steamer was ready to receive her pas- 

 sengers for England. 



On the 5th of September I had the pleasure of 

 seeing the Victoria regia flower for the first time in 

 India. It was growing luxuriantly in one of the 

 ponds in the botanic garden, and no doubt will soon 

 be a great ornament to Indian gardens. It will soon 

 reign as the queen of flowers in every land, and, 

 like our beloved sovereign whose name it bears, the 

 sun will never set on its dominions. 



PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET. 



