d Sabia in the Sedgwickia wood. The
Major {53} arrived before I got back.

_Dec_. _20th_.--Revisited the tea locality of Tingrei, which we reached
after a five hours' march. The portion of it formerly cleared is now
quite clean: all the plants, and they are very abundant, have a shrubby
shady appearance; the branches being numerous, so that the first aspect
is favourable. But one soon detects an evident coarseness in the leaves,
the tint of which is likewise much too yellow; altogether their
appearance is totally unlike that of teas growing in their natural shade.
That part, and the more extensive one which we first visited in February
last, is now clearing; almost all the large trees have been felled, and
all the underwood removed. The branches, etc. are piled in heaps and set
fire to, much to the detriment of the plants: all the tea trees likewise
have been felled. My conviction is, that the tea will not flourish in
open sunshine; at any rate, subjection to this should be gradual.
Further, that cutting the main stem is detrimental, not only inducing
long shoots, but most probably weakening the flavour of the leaves. It
appears to me to be highly desirable, that an intelligent superintendent
should reside on the spot, and that he should at least be a good
practical gardener, with some knowledge of the science also.

_Dec_. _24th_.--Reached Suddiya. The country passed through was, for the
first two days, of the same description as before; i.e. rather high
grassy plains with belts of jungle, and intervening low very swampy
ravines. The soil precisely the same as that of the tea localities. The
last march was, with the exception of Chykwar, through low damp dense
jungle.

* * * * *

_Extract from the Author's letter to Captain F_. _Jenkins_,
_Commissioner of Assam_, _regarding the Mishmees_. _December_,
_1836_. {54}

"I had thus become acquainted with all the influential chiefs near our
frontier, and by all I was received in a friendly and hospitable manner.
In accordance with my original intentions, my attention was in the first
place directed towards ascertaining whether the tea exists in this
direction or not, and, as I have already informed you, I have every
reason to think that the plant is unknown on these hills. From what I
have seen of the tea on the plains, I am disposed to believe that the
comparative want of soil, due to the great inclination of all the
eminences, is an insuperable objection to