430 



The Physical Condition of 



On the other hand, it may be observed in favour of the indigenous 

 nature of the plant, in Upper Assam, that it is not found beyond the 

 bounds of the alluvial basin ; so that we must ascribe to the latter, some 

 natural influence to which we are indebted for the possession of this 

 plant ; as such restriction appears to me to be dependant only on natu- 

 ral causes, which do not alone affect this species, but also various 

 others in both kingdoms of organic nature in like manner. 



The plant is traced along the course of the small rivers which enter 

 the valley from the south-east, in a series of distinct colonies ; render- 

 ing it probable that the seeds have been transmitted forward along 

 the course of the currents. It is not necessary that the seeds should 

 have been conveyed at once down the current of any one of these 

 streams from a great distance into the valley, or to suppose that their 

 vegetative principle could survive submersion in a current for any 

 length of time without injury. It is enough, that a single seed may 

 have fallen from a Chinese caravan, near the source of one of those 

 fluviatile ramifications which converge to the valley, on every side, 

 over 18° long, and 4° lat., where it may have been deposited under 

 circumstances favourable to its growth and propagation. A colony 

 would thus be established, from which thousands of seeds might be an- 

 nually transmitted, and although ten thousand of these might be lost, 

 still one of them might be drifted during a flood along the banks of a 

 stream; and deposited under circumstances favourable to the establish- 

 ment of an advanced colony, and so on. 



This view of the way in which the tea plant performed its migra- 

 tions into Assam is not merely theoretical, as it occurred first from 

 facts which were presented to me, during an examination of the tea co- 

 lony at Tingrai, as will be afterwards shewn. 



The next object is, to inquire whether we have any proof of the di- 

 rection from whence the plant has been conveyed into the valley. It is 

 necessary to call to mind that Assam is divided from the east to west, 

 by the Bramaputra ; and that in the northern section of the valley 

 thus formed, no tea colonies have hitherto been found, hence the plant 

 would not appear to have been introduced from countries in that direc- 

 tion ; nor did Mr. Griffith find any trace of it in the Mishmee moun- 

 tains, or even that the Mishmee tribes have any knowledge of it what- 

 ever.* On the other hand, a K am tee of rank, named Chi-long-fu, re- 

 siding at Suddya, informed the Deputation that in all those countries 

 to the eastward of Assam, tea is used at meals instead of water, and 



* Letter to the Tea Committee, 



