end of the year, to the following provinces: Mr. A. Pengelly and Mr. F. Rustomjee to Sind; Mr. L. Gavin and Mr. A. E. Wild to the Punjab; Mr. W. Henman (who died within six months of his arrival in India) and Mr. E. M'Arthur Moir to the North-West Provinces; and Mr. J. K. Hume to Burma. Before leaving for India these probationers on quitting the Continent spent a few weeks with an approved wood manager in Scotland under the superintendence of Cleghorn.

In the following year, in response to an enquiry from the Secretary of State, the Governor-General of India in Council wrote (Despatch, Forests, No. 14, dated Simla, 7th May, 1870) on the subject of the number of probationers to be selected :

"We have the honour to state that the circumstances explained in our Despatch, No. 11, F., of 26th August, 1869, will still demand an expansion of our Forest Establishments, and that the main difficulty under which the Forest Department labours is still the want of competent men to fill vacancies and new appointments in the Controlling Establishment. We have no doubt that the expansion of the Department under the Government of India will not have ceased in 1873, by which time the next set of young men now to be nominated for training will have arrived. The sooner competent officers are provided for the Forest Department the more rapidly will the training of native Forest Officers progress. financial considerations, however, we are of opinion that the number of men to be next selected should be restricted, and we would therefore suggest that six may be nominated, provided a sufficient number of fully competent young men can be found. We consider it important that the men to be selected should be of superior standing, and would even desire that a smaller number be selected, rather than that second-rate men should be admitted.

On

In paragraph three of the Despatch, Your Grace refers for our consideration the questions raised by Dr. Burckhardt as to the best age for commencing the course of training in Germany, and the advisability of extending the term of training from two and a half to three years.

In regard to the first point, we are of opinion that the limits of age might, as suggested, be advantageously contracted; and would therefore recommend that the next notification inviting candidates might stipulate that applicants should be not under seventeen nor over twenty-two years of age.

With respect to the second proposal, that the term of training should be extended, we consider that the change, if carried out, would unnecessarily increase the expense, and would therefore prefer to maintain the existing arrangement, under which two and a half years ought to be sufficient."

In reply the Secretary of State (No. 23, dated 30th June, 1870) thought that the age of twenty-two was too low and recommended twenty-three as the upper age limit. He continued:

"Among the optional subjects I think it advisable to give greater prominence than in former years to the sciences of chemistry and botany.

My Despatch of the 6th of October, 1869, will have informed you that, whilst I look, with you, to an ultimate employment of natives of India in the higher grades of the Forest Department, I am not of opinion that that object is not likely to be attained in any considerable degree until after we have succeeded in establishing a forest school of training in India. And there does not appear to be any readier means of establishing such a school than that of persevering in the system of training which, by the kindness of the authorities in France and Germany, and through the intervention of your InspectorGeneral of Forests, we were able to begin in March, 1867.

Every Report on forest matters from India furnishes additional proof of the necessity of having the forests under the control of skilled departmental officers, if the forests are to be efficiently managed, and made to yield a proper return in revenue. We must expect to have to continue this system for some years to come. It is desirable, therefore, that I should have as early intimation as it is in the power of Your Excellency in Council to give, in the preceding year, of the number of young men who are to be nominated for training in the following March.'

The outbreak of war between France and Prussia brought to an abrupt close the studies of the probationers training in France, as the Nancy school was at once closed. It was in this connection that Cleghorn's services were again requisitioned, as is shown in the following Despatches. On 18th August 1870, the Governor-General in Council addressed the Secretary of State (Forests, No. 22) as follows:

"In reply to Your Grace's Despatch, No. 23, dated 30th

June last, announcing the steps taken for obtaining six young men to be sent for training to France or Germany in March, 1871, we desire to offer a few suggestions concerning the studies of the twenty young men now under training on the Continent of Europe for service in the forests of this country, in the event of its being found necessary to interrupt their present course of studies in France and Prussia in consequence of the war.

We notice that under existing arrangements eight candidates would be ready to come out towards the close of 1871, and the rest would complete their studies in the autumn of 1872.

Should it become necessary to interrupt existing arrangements, then it would be mainly desirable that before coming out to India all candidates should become thoroughly proficient in surveying, levelling and land measuring, and the elements of civil engineering, specially road making; further, that they should make themselves acquainted with the administration of the Crown forests in England, principally the Dean and New Forest, and that they should spend some time with some experienced Foresters on private estates to learn the treatment of coppice woods and all planting operations. In additon to this, it would be desirable that they should be instructed in certain selected branches of natural philosophy, geology and botany.

In some of these subjects the candidates might receive the needful training in this country at Roorkee; but this plan would be more expensive, their Indian pay being Rs.250 per mensem, or about £300 annually, whereas their allowances during the time of their training at home are only £100 per

annum.

As it will be necessary to make special arrangements for their instruction at different places and with different people, it may be found useful to select one of the senior forest officers now at home on leave, and to entrust him with the charge of these young men during the time of their training. He should generally direct their studies, and the half-yearly stipends should be paid on his Report.

In the event of action being taken on these suggestions, it appears to us that Captain E. Wood, late 93rd Highlanders, the Conservator of Forests in Oudh, might be selected for this duty. He was formerly on the Ganges Canal in the Public Works Department, and would, we believe, be able to take charge of their instruction in surveying and engineering;

should Captain Wood's services not be available, we would suggest Lieutenant Doveton, M.S.C., Conservator of Forests in the Central Provinces.

The arrangements here sketched out might also be made applicable to the six young men to be selected in December next, unless Your Grace should decide to cancel the notification inviting applicants.

One year ought, in our opinion, to be sufficient for the preparation here sketched out, and we offer these suggestions merely as a temporary measure in case existing arrangements should be interrupted by the war on the Continent."

The Secretary of State replied (For., No. 3, 6th October, 1870):

"My Despatches of the 10th and 23rd of August, No. 27 and No. 29, will have shown you that the subject had already occupied my attention, and that with respect to the young men training in Germany it was not anticipated that any interruption would occur. That anticipation has proved correct, as you will see by the half-yearly Report of the progress of the young men, which I enclose, together with the reply which I directed should be made to Dr. Burckhardt's letter.

With respect to those training in France, I regret to say the case is different, as the places in which they were being trained have been among the chief seats of hostilities. It becomes, therefore, necessary to adopt some such measures as Your Excellency in Council has proposed for supplying the training in France thus brought to a close for the present.

In considering this subject, I have been anxious that the measures to be adopted should be such as, besides providing the required instruction, should give a proper supervision and yet be of a temporary character, capable of being put a stop to should the state of affairs in France be so improved as to enable the authorities in that country to resume the training which they have so liberally and cordially bestowed upon these British subjects.

In the plan submitted by your Government it seems to me that it would be attended with considerable additional expense, if an Indian officer on furlough were to go about the country with eleven young men whose education in the special branches named in your Despatch he was to superintend. An officer so situated would require a large remuneration and probably ask for extra leave on service; and the expenses

of travelling would be considerable, the difficulty of finding accommodation great, and it may be doubted whether the unsettled life would be beneficial to the young men. Moreover, the cares and anxieties incident to such a charge would not tend to recruit the health of an officer who has come to Europe for that purpose; and there would be difficulty in breaking off such an arrangement so soon as might be wished. These objections would, it seems to me, be obviated by adopting the plan proposed in the accompanying Memorandum by Dr. Cleghorn, late Conservator of Forests at Madras, who has, as you are aware, rendered much useful service in regard to the selection of young men, and on other points connected with the Forest Department in India.

You will observe that Dr. Cleghorn has offered his services to superintend the instruction of the young men, the older set in his own village and the younger and larger set in the University of St. Andrews, near to which he resides. In other respects the plan to be adopted will be much the same as that proposed by Your Excellency in Council.

I have therefore determined to accept Dr. Cleghorn's obliging offer for the next few months, on the understanding that should it be possible to resume the training in France the young men would be removed to that country.

The older set, four in number, would remain with Dr. Cleghorn during the winter months, until the commencement of field operations in Scotland, when they would be placed with Mr. McCorquodale at Scone, and Mr. Grant Thomson at Strathspey, successively, and if they did not resume their training in France, arrangements might be made, as you propose, for placing them where they could witness forest operations in the Crown forests of England.

The younger set, consisting of seven, would attend the lectures at St. Andrews, which last from the end of October to the beginning of April, when they would be placed, like the others, under some experienced wood managers, either of the Crown forests or of those of private individuals.

It will not, of course, be right to allow Dr. Cleghorn to undertake this charge without some remuneration, and I have fixed this at fifty pounds a month for his superintendence over the eleven young men, in the manner proposed by him, for the period during which he may be so employed.

With respect to the young men to be selected at the approaching examination, I have decided that it is useless to