apeil — june, 1857.] Proceedings. 



169 



The Managing Committee of the Madras Literary Society and 

 Auxiliary of the Royal Asiatic Society , Thursday Evening the 14th 

 May 1857. 



The Honorable Mr. Elliot, read a letter from Dr. Jamieson of 

 Saharunpoor, announcing the dispatch of specimens of Himalayan 

 Teas, for the Madras Exhibition, Unfortunately they have not yet 

 arrived, having been forwarded from Calcutta in a sailing ship, and 

 meantime the Exhibition has closed. The Indian Teas are repre- 

 sented as being in much request at the periodical Auction Sales, 

 and as realizing good prices. The Black Teas fetch from annas 

 15J per lb. for Pouchong, to Rupees 1-15-8 for Souchong. The 

 Green Teas from Rs. 1-15-8 for Pekoe toRs. 3-4-9 for Gunpowder 

 and Hyson. In preparing the Green Tea no colouring matter is 

 allowed. The color and flavor are brought out entirely by mani- 

 pulation in cast iron pans. The quantity of land under the culti- 

 vation is about 1,600 acres annually. Upwards of a million young 

 seedlings and 20,000 lbs. of seeds are distributed gratis to private 

 individuals, to enable them to form Plantations on their own ac- 

 count. The Tea Plant is now cultivated from the Kalee River 

 in Kumaon to the Indus, or over 4° of Latitude and 6° of Lon- 

 gitude. It has also been introduced with success at Darjeeling. 



Dr. Jamieson also forwards specimens of Woodcutting, for which 

 Saharunpoor is famed. The woods used by the Engravers are 

 Doodia, Wrightia, Nauclea parviflora, &c. 



An interesting letter from Dr. Drew was likewise read, giving an 

 account of his search for the Gutta Percha Tree of Wynaad. He 

 met with it very abundantly in some places, every fourth tree being 

 of this description. It is plentiful in the middle third of the Kar- 

 koor pass, more rare near Davilcotta, and disappears higher up ; 

 but it is said to be found immediately under the Nelagiri Peak. The 

 tree is large and lofty, so tali indeed, that it is impossible, with 

 the naked eye, to distinguish clearly the form of the leaves, and 

 were it not for the fruit and flowers lying on the ground, to know 

 that the tree was in flower. Dr. Drew doubts whether the tree is 

 isonandrous, and from a careful drawing and description trans- 

 mitted, it is clear that it does not fall under that genus as charac- 



