that could fetch any price in the market" had been cut and carried away "in the last few years, and much of it surreptitiously." But Conolly had no doubts about its future recovery and value. He had “induced eight hill slaves, or Adairs, to take up their residence in the forest to preserve it from future depredations, on a promise of protection and support," and he requested sanction to a monthly disbursement of Rs.20, to enable him to pay these men " on an average of Rs.3 a head, or for the eight Rs.24 per mensem, but some part of this will be realised by the sale of honey, wax, and other hill products which are found in the forest, and the collection of which forms one of the chief occupations of the Adair class. The men were to be inspected from time to time by the SubConservator and his establishment.

This mention of the sale of "honey, wax and other hill products" is the first allusion apparently extant to the collection of what the Forest Department terms "Minor Products." These products of the Indian Forests now produce a very considerable revenue, a revenue built up from the modest beginnings above described.

The reference to the sums disbursed in payment to the Adairs, as also those spent on Conolly's staff, indicate how from the outset in the history of the first beginnings in the management of the forests great reluctance was evinced on any outlay on staff, protection and so forth. And this Shylock spirit pervaded the whole of the officials, from the Court of Directors downwards. It was an unfortunate commencement; for the spirit persisted for well over the ensuing sixty years and handicapped and retarded the activities and growth of the Forest Department, impeded the more rapid opening out and exploiting of valuable forest areas, and seriously checked the growth of the revenue obtainable from this great estate. That Conolly had grasped at least one side of the question (it is not apparent that even he had realised the necessity of paying an adequate wage and thus securing the best type of man) is evidenced by the following extract from his Report: "It was absolutely necessary that Government should come forward and take the initiative in the formation of new forests to replace those which have vanished from private carelessness and rapacity. A work too new, too extensive, and too barren of early returns to be ever taken up by the native proprietor."

This last sentence was penned nearly eighty years ago, and

yet it might have been written to apply to the afforestation question in Great Britain to-day.

In 1844 Williams, the Timber Agent at the Coast, submitted an interesting, if dubious, report on the timber trade. He stated that the season had been a very unfavourable one, that the supplies of large timber had been very small, due partly to the new tariff (though it had only been lately leviable), but chiefly to failing supplies owing to the exhaustion of the forests situated near water transport. With reference to the new tariff he wrote: "Notwithstanding that the duties have only very lately been officially levied the intention of Government to impose them was known long previously, and every effort made in consequence to bring down small timber (in preference to large), so long as the opportunity remained open of doing so unrestrictedly." Even the Nilumbur Rajah could not resist taking advantage of the last chance of sending down small timber at the old price, for Williams says: "There has, however, been a great falling off in the character of the Nilumbur timber during this season, in consequence of the endeavour to bring down the greatest possible quantity of small timber before the time when the prohibitive duties would render it unsaleable."

Williams was beginning to have to face competition from English Commission Agents buying for the English market. He wrote of them that " during the last two seasons they have purchased some six thousand candies of large timber for which, although the greater part of it was of inferior quality, they have had to pay very dearly. Of this wood two thousand candies have already been sent to England; the remainder is under shipment: it is intended for the use of private parties at home who have contracted to build a number of steam vessels, certain parts of which it is stipulated shall be constructed of East Indian teak." In the same Report he remarks: "The Arabs, whose extensive dealing used formerly in some measure to influence the market, have this year given up the purchase of teak timber in favour of Agency, which they now consider will answer nearly as well for the planking of their buggaloes."

He advocated the employment of a qualified person to select proper trees for felling, and to arrange in what manner they should be trimmed before being brought from the forests, as well as to select standing trees likely to yield timber for dockyard purposes, that the same might be girdled preparatory

to being felled during the following season. The Government of India kept the latter suggestion pending until they had received the reply of the Court of Directors on the subject of the appointment of a trained Arboriculturist.

Conolly managed to obtain an increase of his planting establishment sanctioned by the Government of India in 1845, the aggregate cost being raised from Rs.221 to Rs.314-8, including Rs.50, the salary of the native Sub-Conservator, Chatter Menon. In view of the excellent results obtained the monthly disbursement appears absurdly small.

The Timber Agent had the following establishment in 1845: I English writer, Rs.20, 1 Measurer, Rs.7-8, 3 peons, each Rs. 5, Rs.15. Total per mensem, Rs.42.8.

The establishment and expenses of the Timber Agency at this period were :

Rs. a. P.

Rs. a. p.

Palanquin allowance and Head Money to Civil
Surgeon of Calicut .

In addition Williams was allowed to charge his travelling allowance incurred in visiting the timber stations. In 1847 the Government of India increased Mr. Poulten's salary to Rs.300 per month, "but the Court of Directors, in their Despatch No. 1 of the 27th February, 1849, disapproved of the arrangement."

It is almost incredible, and perhaps accounts for the slow progress made in the economic development of India, that the Court of Directors should have retained within their own hands the power of vetoing a hard-earned increase of salary to a humble clerk, which had already been sanctioned by the Government of India!

Owing to the shortage of timber supplies in 1844 Williams turned his attention to the Coimbatore Forests. It was due to this fact that these forests are mentioned in the correspondence at this date. Williams applied to the Collector of Coimbatore for permission for his contractor to work the teak forests of "Anna Mâla" (Anaimalai), on the condition that all timber cut should be exclusively for the public service. The Collector, Mr. Wroughton, stated in reply that some "restrictive orders of Government" prevailed in the District which disallowed the felling of timber in Coimbatore without the special sanction of Government. Williams referred the matter to the Government of Bombay, who referred it to the Government of Madras, and the latter Government called upon Wroughton for a report. In his report of 14th September, 1844, the latter opposed the idea of any outside contractor working the Coimbatore Forests, but said that local arrangements could be made to meet the demands of the Bombay Government to any extent, and he recommended that a Superintendent or Conservator should be appointed, assisted by a competent establishment. The Board of Revenue agreed to this proposal, and suggested that the transport of the timber to the Western ports should be effected by contract, thus giving effect to the wishes of the Court of Directors in this respect. The Government of Madras approved, and Wroughton was ordered to start the work and recommend his establishment. The latter visited the Anna Mâla" Forest in November or December, 1844, but found that there would not be water enough in the streams to float out the teak before the south-west monsoon in the following May or June. He therefore directed his attention to the Wallair Forests, and as they contained from four to five thousand trees suitable for Government requirements and situated near to water carriage he decided on working them. The establishment he applied for, including a native sub-Conservator on Rs.100 per mensem, amounted to a monthly charge of Rs.246, together with an advance of Rs.15,000 to meet the expenses for felling, barking and the carriage of the timber. The establishment and advance were sanctioned by the Government of India in July, 1845.

The question of working the Coimbatore teak forests was again taken up in May, 1847, Captain (later Major-General) F. C. Cotton submitting a report on the teak in the Anaimalai Hills to the Government of Madras and asking for the services of an officer to explore the forests. The sanction of the

Government of India having been obtained to this proposal Lieutenant (later Major-General) J. Michael was appointed in June, 1848. He commenced an exploration of the forests of the Anaimalai Hills and submitted a report on their teakbearing possibilities, stating these to be considerable.

In August, 1849, the Court of Directors called for reports on the result of Michael's work. The terms of the despatch are well worth recording, as evidence of the just views now being entertained by the Court of Directors. They wrote: "We trust that effectual measures will be taken for its conservation (i.e. the Anaimalai Forest), so as to protect it from the serious injury which other forests have sustained."

Cotton then submitted a report on the operations of felling and converting teak, the making of a road across the hills, and the settlement of the Colengode and Cochin boundaries.

About the time when Cotton first drew attention to the Anaimalai Forests a young assistant surgeon in Mysore, by name Dr. Cleghorn, was interesting himself in the forests of Mysore. Cleghorn was destined to play a great part in the inauguration of the Indian Forest Service and in the drawing up of a policy of Forest Administration in the country in the future, and became the first Conservator of Forests in the Madras Presidency. This is his first appearance on the scene, and he made his début on the forestry stage in the following manner. In 1847 Cleghorn was stationed as assistant surgeon at Shimoga, in the Nuggur Division of Mysore. Being interested in botany and a keen observer, he made notes on the wholesale destruction of the forests in that district, chiefly through the Kumri cultivation. It was mainly through his representations that the attention of Sir Mark Cubbon, then Commissioner of Mysore, and of Colonel Onslow, the Superintendent of the Nuggur Division of that State, was drawn to the necessity of Forest Conservancy. Cleghorn's name was mentioned in a report on the Conservation of the Forests, which Onslow submitted to the Commissioner in May, 1847. In his Journey through Mysore in 1800 Buchanan had noted that extensive forests of teak flourished throughout the province. These had wellnigh disappeared in 1847, and Onslow stated that the Government had derived but little benefit from it. Vast quantities of timber of all kinds was yearly being sent down the rivers by the farmers of the forests or the people who paid them a small sum for cutting it. And enormous areas had been destroyed by the Kumri cultivation. In consequence of