1836.] Royle's Botany, fyc. of the Himalayas and Cashmere. 415 



of mountains, that it must have alternations of temperature, and of 

 land and sea breezes ; and that though Arracan Proper is low, inun- 

 dated, and shut in by low hills, at Bassein the climate is described as 

 neither oppressive nor unhealthy from November to May (Encl. Met. 

 Pegu), and Sandoway as mountainous, and not subject to inundations, 

 enjoying a cool sea breeze, and temperate nights nearly through the 

 year. It is however, probable, that the superiority of the tobacco is 

 owing to careful cultivation and cure. This was probably taught by 

 Europeans, as Arracan was the seat of a Roman Catholic mission in 

 the beginning of the seventeenth century. It is pleasing to find here, 

 as in the vicinity of Ormuz, the arts continuing to benefit a country 

 long after the conquests of those who introduced them have passed 

 away. 



" Of other tobaccos which have some repute in India, Dr. Ainslie 

 states, that ' the finest kinds in India, and perhaps in the world, is 

 grown near the village of Woodanum, in the Northern Circars/ 

 ' and in some of those low sandy islands formed at the mouth of 

 the river Krishna (from which is made the famous Masulipatam 

 snuff); also in the Delta of the Godavery, where the soil is pecu- 

 liarly rich and fertile.' Dr. Wallich, in his evidence before the 

 Committee of the House of Commons, states that some excellent 

 tobacco was grown at Boglipore, from Havannah seed, and that 

 some very esteemed kind is grown in Bundelcund. The tobacco 

 of Chunar is celebrated in India, as is more especially that of Bhilsa, 

 of which a great portion I am informed by Dr. Moore, is sent away in 

 presents by the Rajah of Nagpore. It is to be regretted that we are 

 unable to ascertain the commercial value of any of these, as they do not 

 appear to have been sent to the English market,, The only exception 

 is that mentioned by Mr. Ritchie, of one bale of the fine tobacco grown 

 in the northern districts of Bombay, selling for6d., while American 

 sold for 5d. ; but the average of the experimental exportation being 

 found defective in the curing, sold only for Id. and 2d., and did not pay, 

 as is frequently the case with importations of tobacco from Bengal and 

 Bombay. 



" Such appears to have been the state of the ordinary Indian tobacco, 

 when the East India Company determined on endeavouring to induce 

 cultivators to improve the culture of tobacco by importing seed from 

 Maryland and Virginia, which was to be freely distributed to those in- 

 clined to make experiments on the subject. 



" These experiments, I regret to say, seem, with one exception, to 

 have been undertaken only in the southern parts of India, at least it is 

 from thence only that samples have been sent to the India House. 

 Importing seed from 35° to 40°, and with territory from>8° to 32° of 

 north latitude, elevated from 0 to 13,000 feet above the sea, it is great- 



