As  the  land  has  not  been  measured,  I  merely  give  these  estat-
ments  in  order  to  give  a  general  idea  of  the  Plantation,  but  do
not  vouch  for  their  being  exactly  correct.  However,  this  is  not  of
much  importance  as  regards  the  present  Report.
This  extent  of  land  is  bounded  on  the  East  and  West  by  two
mountain  streams  which  have  their  sources  amongst  the  snows  of
the  Chumba  range.  It  is  very  undulating  in  its  general  formation,
and  consists  of  numerous  spurs  running  out  from  the  mountains,
dipping  to  the  South,  and  sloping  gently  to  the  Eastward  and
Westward.  Everywhere  it  is  abundantly  supplied  with  streams  of
fine  water,  which  flow  from  the  mountains  at  all  seasons  of  the
year,  and  which  are  most  useful  in  dry  seasons,  like  the  last,  where
newly-planted  plants  are  apt  to  suffer  from  drought.
The  original  soil  of  this  Plantation  has  been  a  yellow  clay ;
but  near  the  surface  it  is  now  rich  in  vegetable  matter.  The  land
appears  to  have  been  lying  waste  for  several  generations,  or  onlv
used  for  grazing  purposes,  and  consequently  has  been  enriched
annually  by  decaying  vegetation  which  it  produced,  and  by  the
excrements  of  animals.  These  annual  deposits  have  gradually
enriched  the  soil,  and  at  the  present  time  it  has  assumed  a  darker
hue  near  the  surface.  Here  and  there,  on  the  side  of  some  of  the
ridges,  I  observed  the  red  clay  appearing  on  the  surface;  but
generally  it  is  such  as  I  have  described.  On  the  whole,  I  consider
it  admirably  adapted  for  Tea  cultivation.  The  plants  will,  no
doubt,  grow  better  and  more  luxuriantly  on  the  richer  portions  of


[  11  ]

the  land  ;  but  nearly  the  whole  is  well-suited  for  the  purposes  to
which  it  has  been  set  apart.
