this report and of Cleghorn's representations Kumri cultivation was stopped in the greater part of Mysore and Coorg, with the result that twenty years later (according to Brandis himself) large tracts of country were clothed with well-stocked young forests which had grown up (with the advent of a Forest Department and Forest Conservancy) on the old Kumri clearings.

The following extract from a letter from a Captain Harvey at this period is illuminating as to the waste of valuable timber: "I will mention what I discovered at Hyderabad. I was in want of light-coloured wood for picture-frames, and applied to the regimental contractor: what was my surprise to find that every third or fourth log in his great store of firewood was most beautiful satin-wood of large size! Only imagine the victuals of a whole regiment, not to say of a large community, being cooked with satin-wood!"

Allusion has been made to the Goozerat Forests. Before dealing with the history of the Bombay Forests, between the years 1843 and 1849, the attention paid to the former may be briefly glanced at. The only records which appear to be extant for the period here reviewed are confined to the years 1841 and 1842. In 1841 the Government Timber Agent at Surat, Mr. Boyce, having experienced difficulty in procuring good-sized timber for the Government of India, resolved to visit the forests with a view to ascertaining the distance of the principal forests, the nature of the roads and obstacles to transporting the timber, the quality and abundance of the timber, and the possibility, if any, of floating it out. Mr. Boyce visited the Karribell Forest only. There were others, but this was the most important. It was under the control of a Bheel Rajah named Ooda-Singh. In the outer parts of the forest the teak were poor and scattered, but the further he penetrated the larger and more numerous became the trees. From his inspection Mr. Boyce wrote: "Forests producing splendid teak extend north and south from the southern bank of the Tapti River, in the Beara Pergannah, to the territory of the Bamsda Raja. Other forests continue to the southward, but owing to some peculiarities of soil, the trees after attaining a moderate size become hollow; this is particularly observable in the timber obtained from the Dhurrumpore Forests." A great deal of timber was also obtained from Peepree and Rhamboj, which were also in the Bheel districts, but Mr. Boyce did not visit them.

On the subject of the wasteful utilisation of the timber in force at the period Mr. Boyce instanced the following :

His attention was drawn to several large blocks of fine teak timber 4 to 5 feet in length and 2 feet and upwards in diameter lying close to the stumps of newly felled trees. He discovered that the coolies felled the trees without first branching them, and then cut off a piece at each end to reduce the trunk to the length most convenient for being carried; they then with axes chipped down each end of the log to reduce it to a convenient weight and thus wasted at least one half of a valuable tree. This confirmed his opinion that all the first sort of timber brought down had been originally double the size. He objected to the method of getting the timber down by bullock-carts, and thought it should be possible to make the rivers practicable for floating. He therefore proposed in order to get a plentiful supply of good timber that these practices should be checked, that the transport facilities should be improved, and, lastly, that arrangements should be made direct with the coolies or ryots for supplies without the intervention of the dealers; or if one of the principal dealers was enlisted on the side of Government by the offer of a liberal salary or other consideration, this would ensure the services of all the coolies hitherto employed by him, " and that being secured timber equal to what was sold in Bombay for 16 and 18 rupees per candy might be purchased at the bunders for 12 and 13 rupees per candy, new measurement, a saving which would enable Government to entertain any extra establishment which this new system would require.'

Mr. Boyce's suggestions were submitted by Sir Robert Oliver to the Government of Bombay in June, 1841; he suggested that the political officers should be asked to exert their influence with the native chiefs to protect their forests. In regard to the supplies of timber Sir Robert stated that in his opinion open competition was the best method of obtaining them, "unless the Bheel Raja can be induced to give the preference of his supplies to Government." The Government of Bombay forwarded this correspondence to several officers in the district concerned for opinion as to the methods they would propose for securing to Government a direct supply of timber from the Northern Forests. These officials in reply said that the matter was a complicated one; that little information was available on the subject of the forests, some of which were leased to farmers, and that it would be necessary to consider

the means by which such could be restored to their owners; enquiries would also be required on the mode of procuring the timber and on the obstacles existing to its transit.

In the meanwhile it was discovered that the Karrabell Forest had been leased for a period of six years, from 1836, for the small sum of Rs.2000, and it was recommended that the Government should extricate the proprietor, the Bheel Rajah, from the hands of the farmers of the forest and moneylenders to whom the estate was mortgaged, and conclude an arrangement equally advantageous to him and to the Government. As the season was now far advanced (August, 1841) they recommended that Mr. Boyce should be allowed to try his plan, as they did not agree with Sir R. Oliver's view of an open competition, saying that all the dealers were banded together and would make every effort to defeat any attempt to reduce their profits. The Government of Bombay, in September, 1841, sanctioned for one year the introduction of Mr. Boyce's plan, and this was reluctantly endorsed by the Government of India, who asked to be informed at the end of the year of the results attained.

In April and June, 1842, the Government of Bombay addressed the Government of India and submitted a long correspondence on the subject of the arrangements made by Mr. Boyce with the owners of Karrabell, Peepree and Rhamboj Forests for securing to Government the right to all timber in them, but no report was sent in as to the result of Mr. Boyce's efforts to obtain timber direct from the coolies and ryots instead of through the timber dealers.

It is interesting to note that the Karribell Forest was leased to Government for an annual payment of Rs.2300, the Peepree Forest for an annual payment of Rs.1800 and the Rhamboj Forests for an annual payment of Rs.850. These terms were considered very favourable as, "independently of the unlimited supply of fine teak timber which they contained, there was a variety of other valuable productions from which revenue was derivable. These were described as Tunnus timber, Huldaree timber, sandal-wood, blackwood and bamboos and other seeds; in addition the following very expensive drugs, in great demand in the native pharmacopoeia, viz. Moordar Singh, Kaphul, Jerkuchurah." On the subject of the bamboo it was noted that "the bamboo bore at certain seasons a description of seed which was eagerly sought by the natives, and realised a considerable sum: it resembled wheat,

and when ground made a delicate kind of bread." The fact that the bamboos flower only at long and varying intervals and then die was apparently unknown at the time; or the officials would not have counted on a certain revenue from this article. Mr. Boyce was, however, a man of some knowledge. For the report continues: "It was supposed that a careful examination of the forests would disclose other productions of value from a commercial as well as a scientific point of view, and at the same time allow of a large quantity of land within this limit being brought into cultivation." To this end Mr. Boyce intended to make a survey of the country leased to Government. Mr. Boyce was appointed Timber Agent and Conservator on a salary of Rs.700 per annum and given an establishment including an Assistant Conservator, the appointments receiving the sanction of the Government of India. This had all the appearance of a very promising beginning, but no further correspondence appears on the subject in the India Office records available.

As regards the other Bombay Forests some interesting information is extant from the years 1843-50. Enquiries into the condition of the forests had been undertaken by the Bombay Government as early as March, 1840, when Dr. Gibson, Superintendent of the Botanical Gardens, was directed to visit the forests and report on their resources and on the best means to be adopted for their preservation and improvement. In 1841 Gibson made an inspection of the forest tracts near the coast in the Northern and in part of the Southern Concan. In 1842 he undertook an experimental thinning of part of the teak forests in the Rutnagherry Collectorate. The following year Colonel Jervis, the Chief Engineer at Bombay, in his capacity of Member of the Military Board, wrote a Minute (9th December, 1843), giving a brief account of the situation, extent and condition of the Bombay Forests in 1843. This Minute is of such interest as an historical ecord of the position of the forests at that time that it is eproduced here :

"On the eastern skirts of the Goozerat Province, from Deesa downwards to the Nerbudda, are forests of varying breadth. These forests are the broadest and the trees in them the largest where the country stretches towards Malwa. The more useful timber in these tracts are chiefly Pullus, Sissoo, Tunnus and Mhowa. The whole tracts of these forests were

said to belong to thakoors and petty Rajas, some independent, but most feudatories of the Gaekwar.

"Crossing the Nerbudda are the Rajpeepla Jungles, a wide broad range which was imperfectly known. They stretch upwards towards the Lautpura range, thinning as they approach the Taptee. Teak is found here in addition to the woods mentioned above.

"Above the Ghauts leading to Kandeish are some teak forests, but the most extensive portion is below, in the hilly and jungle tract skirting the Surat Districts.

Southwards of this is Shroongana, containing a good deal of teak.

"Westwards are the Dhurrumpore Raja's jungles, where teak was formerly plentiful, but the quantity has been much reduced. "Next came the Dumaun Jungles, where teak was mostly preserved, but it was not plentiful, and cuttings for shipbuilding had been large.

"Proceeding south to the Pith and Hursool country, lying eastwards of Gumbeer Ghur to the Ghauts, teak was formerly very extensive, but had largely been cut away, chiefly for export to the Dekhan. It is sent even as far as Dholapoor. By proper care and conservation it was expected that this tract would soon yield large supplies.

Thence crossing a wag nuddee into the territory of the Jewar Raja, which extends southwards to beyond Boputghur, much teak was formerly grown, but in 1843 it was very thin, having been disposed of mostly by contract, to persons exporting it to the coast.

"From this part commence the jungles of Kolwun, forming the north-east corner of the Tanna Collectorate. Here teak is inferior in size and straightness to that of Jewar or Hursool. It has been mostly cut away, leaving merely stumps and crooked shoots. There is also in these Kolwun Jungles much valuable wood of other kinds fitted for building, &c., such as Hedoo, Bibla and Kulum. Sissoo is sparingly found here and of small size.

"The hills stretching westward from Doogaur and Vijirabhoy to the sea were formerly covered with wood, but in 1843 on their sea face, there was hardly a bush to be seen; all had been cut away for the Bombay market.

"In Salsette there are some small plantations preserved, but of these the greater part are in villages which had been gradually acquired by Parsees.