trees were felled in 1863-4. Partly on this account, and partly on account of the lower rate obtained by the sale of timber, the financial results of the first three years were less favourable than was expected at the outset, viz. :

The timber on hand on 30th September, 1864, was valued at 84,122 rupees; if this sum be added, we have:

This valuation of stock was at the rate of 50 rupees per 100 cubic feet, whereas Read's valuation of stock on 30th September, 1862, was at 75 rupees per 100 cubic feet. The expenditure during the same period was :

*The lower figures, received at the Inspector-General's Office, do not accord with the upper statement taken from the Administration Report for 1863-4. The discrepancy should be explained.

By sale of timber in the first three years, 83,543 rupees were realised; thus the working charges and revenue on this item stand as follows:

This does not include the value of timber in transit or outstandings, which are believed to have been considerable.

In June, 1862, Read estimated the timber expenses at 6a. 8p., and the amount likely to be realised at 12a. per cubic foot all round. It was subsequently found that the expense could be reduced to 4a. 2p., but that the average amount realised was not likely to rise much above 8a. per cubic foot. Assuming these rates, without fractions, 4000 trees, at 50 cubic feet each, annually would yield the following

revenue:

Receipts-200,000 at 8 annas per cubic foot
Expenditure-200,000 at 4 annas per cubic foot

Surplus in timber operations

Rs.

1,00,000

50,000

This yield had not yet been attained. The amount of timber bronght to depôt during the first year was only 75,000 cubic feet; during the second year something less; and none during the third year, the operations having been interrupted by the Conservator's departure on sick leave.

There seemed every reason to believe that in the future the revenue above estimated would be annually realised; in 1865-6 it only fell short by 4000 rupees, and it was confidently expected that it would rise as the price of timber increased. It was also expected that the revenue from grazing dues and miscellaneous forest produce would expand, and balance the expenditure on account of establishment and conservancy proper.

CHAPTER XXVII

FOREST OPERATIONS IN BENGAL AND ASSAM, 1858–1864

B

ENGAL and Assam, or the "Lower Provinces," to give them the name by which they were also designated at this period, had paid but scant attention to the conservancy of their forests prior to 1863. Throughout the century which had almost elapsed since we had taken over the administration of the Province, Calcutta had imported its timber from the forests of the north and from Burma. And the other large towns had obtained their requirements by exploiting local resources and importing produce from such forests as were accessible by water transport. Prices of both timber and fuel had greatly increased with the gradual disappearance of material from areas which had been entirely cut out, and those in authority had at length come to the conclusion that some attempt must be made to follow in the footsteps of other Provinces in India and introduce some measure of conservancy to remedy the evils of over-exploitation and to safeguard the existing forests from total destruction. It has been mentioned that Brandis, on his way from Burma, to join the Government of India headquarters, was requested to visit Bengal and report on the forests and on the lines on which conservancy should be introduced into the Province. Brandis made a tour through part of the forests and discussed the question of a future policy with Dr. T. Anderson, the Superintendent of the Botanic Gardens in Calcutta, towards the end of 1862. Brandis drew up a note of his proposals, dated 18th December, 1862.

In January, 1863, the Government of India requested the Bengal Government to give its attention to the conservation of the forests under its jurisdiction, and to "favour us with its views as to the best course to be adopted in placing this branch of the administration on a more efficient footing." The preliminary steps which were taken in this direction

will be described, but the major portion of the very interesting information obtained on the subject of the forests, both in Bengal and Assam, falls within the succeeding period, 1865-70. The data collected give us a very clear exposition of the position of the forests of this region at the time, and we owe it to Dr. Anderson that so valuable a record is extant.

The Bengal Government had entrusted to Anderson the work of carrying out the preliminary enquiries and investigations into the forests. These were confined to an inspection of the forests in the north, i.e. in the Eastern Himalaya, including Sikkim, in which Hooker had travelled and compiled valuable botanical reports; and to some slight extent the belt of sâl forests in the Terai and Duars at the foot of the hills.

Military operations were being carried on at the period in Bhutan to the east. This little war gave us an area of valuable forest on the east bank of the Tista River. It originated as follows: Trouble had been experienced from the Bhutanese. With the object of coming to an amicable understanding a Mission left Darjiling for Bhutan on December 4th, 1863. The Mission returned on April 12th, 1864, "having been not only received without honour, but also even subjected to insult and outrage." War was the inevitable consequence, and it interfered to some extent with Anderson's first year's work and proposals. As a result of this war the southern portion of the mountains and the Bhutan Duars at their foot came under the jurisdiction of the British. These operations had not been completed, however, by the end of 1864.

As an outcome of Anderson's preliminary proposals on the subject of the introduction of conservancy into the forests of British Sikkim he was temporarily appointed, in September, 1864, Conservator of Forests of the Lower Provinces for a period of two years, whilst continuing to hold his permanent post as Superintendent of the Botanic Gardens in Calcutta. Bengal thus followed in the footsteps of Bombay in appointing as its first interim Conservator a Superintendent of Botanic Gardens. But in this case, and in the light of the definite views now held on the imperative need of appointing wholetime officers whose whole energies should be devoted to the work of forest administration and conservancy, this appointment was only confirmed with reluctance by the GovernorGeneral in Council. They wrote in this connection to the Secretary of State: "To admit, however, of the process of

organisation being continued, we confirmed the appointment by the Government of Bengal of Dr. Anderson to be Conservator, and sanctioned an office establishment for him. We considered that it would be preferable to have a separate Conservator, who would devote his whole time to the forests, but being aware that Dr. Anderson's special knowledge would be particularly useful in starting a system of Conservancy, we have assented to his holding the post of Conservator for one year, on an additional allowance of Rs.250 per mensem."

Dr. Anderson's first Memorandum of October, 1864, detailing his proposals, was based on the note which had been drawn up by Brandis as the outcome of their joint consultation on the subject. It chiefly dealt with establishments and the steps which he proposed for carrying on the work of the Botanic Gardens. These latter were in effect that his chief assistant should replace him there, and also deliver the course of lectures given at the Medical College, Calcutta, by the Superintendent of the Gardens, who was ex officio professor of botany at the College. The emoluments suggested for the Head Assistant in connection with these proposals were not sanctioned by the Government of India.

In his Memorandum Anderson stated that he had drawn up a tolerably full Report on the forests of British Sikkim, and the details of conservancy which he proposed to adopt in them. To enable this administration to be introduced he asked that an Assistant Conservator should be appointed on a salary of Rs.400 per mensem. An overseer for the temperate forests of Sikkim on Rs.100 a month would also be required, and a second on a similar salary for the forests of the Terai, with a free house to be situated "in some of the healthy parts of the Terai, probably at Siliguri."

Anderson's ideas at this period on the subject of these forests are outlined in the following remarks: "I cannot decide on the necessity of this second appointment until I inspect the sâl forests of the Terai in January (1865). If plantations of mahogany and sissoo are to be formed in the Terai, an overseer must be put in charge of these at least for the first 3 years after their completion. . . . Should I find that the timber of the valuable sâl forests of the Great Rungeet can be removed with facility to the banks of the river, and that during the rains sâl sleepers fastened to sleepers of Pinus longifolia can be floated into the Tista, and down that river to some point between Sivok-Gola and Jalpaiguri, it will then