CULTURE OF PEPPER IN THE CIRCARS. 
135 
bursements, to enable him to proceed, and to give orders to 
the zemindars to assist and encourage the undertaking." The 
Court of Directors, moreover, in the General letter to Mad- 
ras, dated 22d April, 1789, expressed their approbation of the 
undertaking,* and ordered that every encouragement and as- 
sistance should be afforded to Dr. Roxburgh. 
The Pepper was brought for sale to Cottapilla, at the skirts 
of the hills; but the Plants were procured from Rampa, about 
thirty miles within them, and about fifty directly north from 
Samulcottah. It was afterwards discovered growing wild in 
almost every valley amongst the mountains, immediately 
north of that station. The plantations were established about 
six miles inland from Samulcottah, and about eight or ten 
miles from the nearest point of the sea, where they were shel- 
tered by innumerable clumps of mangoe-trees. About five 
hundred slips were first obtained. These, by the end of 1787, 
had formed four thousand plants, which at the end of the se- 
cond year had increased to forty thousand in number, the 
props being formed chiefly with the branches of the Moochy- 
tree (Erythrina indica.) 
On the 17th July, 1790, Dr. R. writes, "I have brought 
this species of culture to such a pitch of perfection as must 
convince every person, that the Pepper-vine will thrive as 
well on this coast as in any part of India." The rate of its 
productiveness had, however, yet to be ascertained ; but be- 
fore theyVere old enough for this purpose a difficulty arose, 
from Dr. Roxburgh discovering that, instead of the real Pep- 
per plant of Sumatra and the coast of Malabar, (Piper nigrum 
of botanists,) he had found a new species, which, though 
yielding an equally good Pepper, was more difficult of culti- 
* " In our letter of the 31st July, 1787, we approved of the measures 
you had taken to assist Dr. Roxburgh in the cultivation of Coffee and of 
the Pepper plant in the Rajahmundry Circar ; but for want of information, 
&c, we could not decide how far it was a measure meriting our further 
encouragement. Having since received this information, and likewise 
the most favorable accounts of the success of the undertaking, we now 
order and direct that you afford Dr. Roxburgh every encouragement and 
assistance in your power, in the cultivation of such useful articles of 
our commerce, particularly that of Pepper." — Oriental Repertory, i.p. 24. 
