1836.] Boyle* s Botany, §c. of the Himalayas and Cashmere. 421 



feet. Mr. Moorcroft sent some rhubarb, which for compactness of 

 texture, colour, and properties, was as fine as any I have ever seen, 

 from near Ludak, in N. lat. 84°, and E. long. 774°. 



" But these are only the western boundaries of the elevated, cold, and 

 bleak regions, known under the names of Tatary, Mongolia, and Tibet, 

 of which Kunawur is essentially a part, participating in the same great 

 physical features, climate, and vegetation ; already possessing one, if 

 not two species of rhubarb, and having the best growing in its imme- 

 diate vicinity. There can therefore be no rational doubt about the 

 successful cultivation of the true rhubarb in territories within the; 

 British influence, as in Kunawur, or the Bhoteah pergunnahs of 

 Kemaon, and that with little more labour than placing the roots or 

 seeds in favourable situations, and this in a country where little else 

 can be produced fit for export. The only difficulty will be to obtain 

 specimens or seeds of the true rhubarb. But it must be considered, 

 that even the eastern boundaries of the country producing the best 

 rhubarb, and which, to make their purchases, the Chinese reach, after 

 a journey of twenty days, is only one half the distance from the British 

 territories in Upper Assam, that it is from the Russian town of Kiakhta. 

 Also, that there is reason for supposing rhubarb may be found much 

 further to the westward, and consequently still nearer to the Himalayas. 

 It would not therefore be difficult from Kunawur, or Upper Assam, or 

 for such active and intelligent officers as Messrs. Traill and Hodgson, in 

 Kemaon and Nepal, to obtain some of the seed or roots. They might 

 at the same time succeed in establishing a trade in rhubarb with Tibet 

 or Western Mongolia, by means of the Tatars who resort to the hill 

 fairs. This trade might easily be encouraged by the government pur- 

 chasing all the rhubarb it requires, which might thus be employed for 

 hospital use after crossing the frontiers, instead of as now, after making 

 a journey of 20,000 miles, or nearly the circuit of the globe. 



" Even this w T ould not probably be so difficult as at first sight appears, 

 for the whole of the Tatarian rhubarb trade is not engrossed by the 

 Russians, as much of it takes a western direction, and has always 

 formed one of the imports from China into Bokhara, whence passing to 

 Smyrna, it is known in Europe as Turkey rhubarb. Chardin, treating 

 of that known in Persia, states—' La meilleure vient du pais des Tartares 

 Orientaux qui sont entre la Mer Caspienne et la Chine' (Voyages, ii. 

 p. 12). Rhubarb, also of the best quality, and closely resembling the 

 Russian, is to be purchased in the bazars of N. India, under the name 

 rewund-khatai, from the old name Cathay, of Northern China. This is 

 sold for ten times the price of the Himalayan rhubarb, which makes 

 its way into the plains of India through Khalsee, Almora, and Butanj 

 and is probably from its usual dark colour and spongy texture, the pro- 



