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Himalaya, from perfectly flat plains to precipices and rocks and perpetual declivity, "where a flat place to pitch a tent is scarcely to be found." The forest, he records, which clothed the spurs and valleys in the foot-hills was much less injured by man, and in the steeper and more inaccessible places it was often quite natural and untouched, there being no roads or paths save animal paths.

The last survey (of 1865) carried out by Webber was that of the Forests of Gorakhpur, bordering on the Nepal country. His orders were to map out the forests of that district, of which he says little was known as regards their timber-producing capacity.

The extensive forests had been looked upon by the civil authorities as of little value and almost exhausted, and indeed, the object of Government had been rather to permit the trees to be cut down and the land reclaimed for cultivation, so as to increase the land revenue. Large blocks had been given as grants to natives, who had worked out the fine timber, and then left the forests still uncleared and more worthless than before. The records and revenue maps of the jungle lands lying along the northern boundaries of the Gorakhpur District and frontiers of Nepal showed that there was a considerable extent of swampy Terai land, covered with long grass, interspersed with stretches of forest reaching southward along the banks of winding streams which flowed into the River Gandak, a considerable affluent of the Ganges. The forests were to be guarded from further depredation, and mapped out into blocks and reserves. The work of carefully surveying the whole extent was soon commenced, marking the boundaries of the various reserves, and ascertaining the character and quantity of the timber growing." A native official had apparently been in charge of this area hitherto, but did not seem to have ever entered the forests during his tenure of office, and he accompanied the Forest Surveyor as guide with considerable trepidation. Webber gives a vivid account of a cyclone, accompanied by hailstones the size of pigeons' eggs, experienced almost at the start of this work, which laid his camp flat and destroyed the whole of the crops, cattle and houses of the villagers in the line of its path, some half-mile only in width. The Government then, as now, ever concerned for the welfare of the people, at once came to the assistance of the ruined agriculturists, remitting all rents and taxes and affording other relief.

The Forest Surveyor visited the Sunari Forest, an area of considerable extent on the Nepal frontier. This forest consisted of a dense growth of sâl trees over 400 to the acre, interspersed with many other species, as is usual, "the stems which were not more than 8 inches thick standing so close together that an elephant could with difficulty force his way between." This forest had had all the good timber cut out long since by contractors, " to whom it had been let by Government to clear and make what they could." The present growth of young seedlings and shoots from the old stools was the result of only a few years' quiescence from the interference of man. Northward over the Nepal frontier the old timber in the extensive forest tracts had not then been cut out, and the great stems of magnificent trees 100 feet high and 6 feet in girth are a sight to rejoice the heart of a Forester." It will be remembered that after the Gurkha War of 1815-17, the Gurkhas had shown how greatly they appreciated the value of the sâl forests, each tree of which they said was a mine of gold (I, p. 193).

In his Survey Report of Gorakhpur the average number of trees per acre were given as follows: Sâl seedlings, 95; crooked old trees, 52; coppice shoots, III; total, 258. Other species, 120; grand total, 378.

In 1866 Webber was appointed Acting Deputy Conservator of Forests of Gorakhpur. "The regular work," he says, "consisted in dividing the forest into divisions according to a working plan," the ground to be worked over in a certain number of years. The forest was already full of sâl trees, but many of them had been spoilt by tapping for gum, and only the worst crooked stems remained after the good trees had been cut. There were, however, plenty of seedlings on the ground, and it was decided first of all to thin out all the bad stems which could not grow into good timber and leave nothing standing but straight young stems. The native demand for the crooked poles, called ballis, was good, as lately all cutting had been prohibited. Thus a considerable income accrued, supplemented by dues for grazing cattle, and the expense of thinning and cutting away creepers, which were choking the young sâl, was amply covered. The prevention of fires, so as to allow the seedlings to get ahead, was also instituted.1

1 It is of high interest to record that by 1921 a money yield of thirty rupees (about 45s.) per acre per annum was being realized in the Gorakhpur Forest Division, an area of under 200 square miles.

Fire protection was not, however, introduced without considerable difficulty, as will be shown subsequently.

Webber's final survey work was undertaken in 1866, when he was ordered to inspect and survey the Districts of Jhansi and Lalitpur. He was instructed to explore all the forests to be found and make a forest survey on the scale of 4 inches to the mile, showing the area under timber and scheduling the number of trees per acre into four classes. The railway was not then completed to Gwalior and travelling was by night, by dak gharry (posting cart) from Agra to Gwalior.

The Forest Surveyor first marched through the Forests of Bundelkhand. They were wild parts in those days, and there were many stories amongst the villagers of Tantia Topi and his followers making their last stand here. The Jhansi Division (now under a Commissioner) included the Districts of Jhansi, Lalitpur and Jaloun, which had formerly contained extensive forests. The natives had in former days worked the iron deposits which existed in many places and had cut down the timber for fuel. Webber records that little timber now remained, extensive tracts being covered with scrubby bushes and long grass. These areas were called dhangs, and were used for cattle grazing and for grass cntting and fuel for the supply of Jhansi. He said there was a large area of waste country capable of growing fine timber. The teak thrived well and was found along the Betwa River, but no large trees of any timber species then existed; the fruit trees, "mohwa" and "mango," had been protected by the natives, as also the "pipal" (Ficus religiosa) and the "banian" (Ficus indica). The jungles proper," he wrote, "however depleted of useful timber, only need time and protection to produce a fine growth of young trees, such as teak 'sissu, 'saj' (Terminalia tomentosa) and other kinds. The beautiful 'siassa' (Dalbergia latifolia) or Bombay rose-wood, is also indigenous, and ebony (Diospyros) is very common, though only in the sapling stage." Webber thus describes his method of work, camels being of course used in this part of the country. "The forest is traversed and mapped, the timber noted, and other observations made, and we get into camp in time for breakfast. The afternoon is perhaps occupied by a ride round on a long-striding sawari (riding) camel with a saddle holding two, the wooded country being sketched with the map and prismatic compass, a gun or rifle being always in the sling and ready for use if game turns up."

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A LALITPUR RIVER, N. W. PROVINCES. OWING TO THE DENUDATION OF THE FORESTS ON THE CATCHMENT
AREA THE RIVER IS A RAGING TORRENT IN THE MONSOON AND ALMOST DRY AT OTHER SEASONS.

EXAMPLE OF THE WASTE OF WATER AND CONSEQUENTLY OF HYDRAULIC POWER

Photograph by S. Eardley Wilmot, November, 1890

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