grow chiefly on the margins of the ravinules or hollows. Their leaves
were all large, of a very dark green, and varying from four to eight
inches in length. The pith of the tree felled was excentric, the greater
development taking place as usual on the southern side; it was two and a
half inches N., three and a half S.; but about 10 feet above the base
this excentricity was nearly doubled. The wood is very compact, and the
tree apparently one of slow growth. The largest that Bruce has seen, and
which he felled last year, was 29 cubits in length. The jungle was so
thick that all general views as to its real extent, and the circumstances
limiting it, must be very superficial. To the East the cessation of the
lightness of the soil and of the hollows is very abrupt, and strongly
influences the tea, only a few small straggles being visible in that
direction. The jungle here was choked with grasses, and the large
viscous Acanthaceae of which we have elsewhere en route seen such
abundance. The tree evidently, even in its large state, owes little
gratitude to the sun, at least for direct rays, none of which I should
think ever reach it. The Singfos however say, that it will only thrive
in the shade. We halted after gathering a crop of leaves under a fine
Dillenia, which was loaded with its fruit. Here the Singfos demonstrated
the mode in which the tea is prepared among them. I must premise,
however, that they use none but young leaves. They roasted or rather
semi-roasted the leaves in a large iron vessel, which must be quite
clean, stirring them up and rolling them in the hands during the
roasting. When duly roasted, they expose them to the sun for three days;
some to the dew alternately with the sun. It is then finally packed into
bamboo chungas, into which it is tightly rammed. The ground on which it
occurs is somewhat raised above the plain adjoining the village, as we
passed over two hillocks on our route to the tea, and the descent did not
evidently counterbalance the ascent.

_Jan_. _17th_.--We arrived at Kujoo-doo this afternoon, having passed
through a great extent of jungle, which I am sorry to say presented the
usual features. We crossed the Deboro once during our march, and several
tributary streams which, as may be supposed, from the size of the
_larger_ recipient river, are excessively insignificant. The soil
throughout, a good part seemed to be of clay. The only plants of
interest we found were