The better to expedite our arrangements, I made a trip to Calcutta in
March, where I expected to meet both Lord Dalhousie, on his return
from the Straits of Malacca, and Jung Bahadoor (the Nepalese
minister), who was then _en route_ as envoy to England. I staid at
Government House, where every assistance was afforded me towards
obtaining the Nepal Rajah's permission to proceed through the
Himalaya from Dorjiling to Katmandu. Jung Bahadoor received me with
much courtesy, and expressed his great desire to serve me; but begged
me to wait until his return from England, as he could not be
answerable for my personal safety when travelling during his absence;
and he REferred to the permission he had formerly given me (and such
was never before accorded to any European) in earnest of his
disposition, which was unaltered. We therefore determined upon
spending the season of 1850 in the Khasia mountains in eastern
Bengal, at the head of the great delta of the Ganges and Burrampooter.

Illustration--DR. FALCONER'S RESIDENCE, CALCUTTA BOTANIC GARDENS,
FROM SIR L. PEEL'S GROUNDS.



I devoted a few days to the Calcutta Botanic Gardens, where I found
my kind friend Dr. Falconer established, and very busy.
The destruction of most of the palms, and of all the noble tropical
features of the gardens, during Dr. Griffith's incumbency, had
necessitated the replanting of the greater part of the grounds, the
obliteration of old walks, and the construction of new: it was also
necessary to fill up tanks whose waters, by injudicious cuttings,
were destroying some of the most valuable parts of the land, to drain
many acres, and to raise embankments to prevent the encroachments of