Cracroft in 1856, were based on the foregoing remarks on the management of the Murree Forests. The Rules commenced by stating that" in the mountainous and hilly portions of the Rawal Pindi District, all trees and shrubs of spontaneous growth are hereby declared to be the property of Government." These Rules have been already quoted, vide p. 273.

THE FORESTS OF THE RAWAL PINDI DISTRICT Cleghorn alludes to the considerable tracts of waste land (rukhs), partly hill and partly ravine, in the Pindi District which produced no lofty trees, but yielded a large amount of fuel, on which sissoo could be raised and existing species reproduced. The area of these lands was unknown, but considerable, and the revenue from them would increase. The settlement then in progress would eventually determine what area of this tract would be left to Government, after portions had been assigned to the zemindars, and whether any compact blocks were available for forest purposes. The chief timber trees of the area were blue pine, Pinus longifolia, Quercus ilex, mulberry, tun, sissoo, olive, Acacia modesta and a Vitex.

"For several years," says Cleghorn," efforts have been made to preserve the forests, but the demand for public works and private purposes has been very great, and the finest trees have been felled. In the tracts contiguous to Murree, where fires are strictly prohibited, young trees are springing up in great numbers, but in other places reproduction does not appear to keep pace with expenditure. The consumption of fuel is enormous, and in some places small success has attended continuous efforts to grow trees by broadcasting the seed." In a Report submitted to the Financial Commissioner in 1862 by Cracroft, the following statement of "rukhs," or waste land, separated from village boundaries was given:

A tract of land, hilly with level patches, near Rawal Pindi, called Rukh Topee, had been formerly leased for grazing, but as young trees were much injured the practice was discontinued about 1859, and for three years it had been carefully preserved and inspected. "The growth," says Cleghorn, after inspecting the area, “is now satisfactory, and the experiment interesting, showing that Nature unrepressed reproduces rapidly if all cutting and stubbing out of roots is stopped. Roads have been made to open out the rukh and facilitate supervision. A large number of seedlings of Pinus longifolia, sirris, tun, pulahi (Acacia modesta) and olive have been raised by broadcasting seed without watering. The tun requires some care, also the P. longifolia. It is desirable that rukhs near other large towns should be treated in a similar manner.”

The establishment consisted of four jemadars, three duffadars and forty-three chuprassis, a larger number, Cleghorn considered, than necessary. The cost was defrayed by a fuel tax similar to that of octroi.

The rates of seignorage levied per tree varied from Rs.10 for tun, Rs.6 for sissoo, Rs.4 for Q. ilex and blue pine, Rs.3 for mulberry, Pistacea and P. longifolia, Rs.1 simul (Bombax malabaricum) and silver fir, 8 annas for pulahi, 4 annas for Khair (Acacia Catechu) and olive, and smaller sums for the rest. Timber and fuel were sold in the city of Rawal Pindi at this time at the following rates:

No other descriptions of timber were sold in the Rawal Pindi market at this period.

In 1860-1 the receipts were Rs.3436 and the expenditure Rs.695, giving a balance of Rs.2741; in 1861-2 the receipts were Rs.5864, the expenditure Rs.1985, giving a balance of Rs.3879. The increases were due to enhancement of rates and additions to establishment.

This favourable position as regards forestry supplies was due to the efforts and energy of Cracroft, the Deputy Commis

sioner, who had thoroughly grasped the importance of the timber and fuel questions. He defined the work in prospect as follows:

Ist. To demarcate all rukhs, or preserves for fuel or timber. 2nd. To distribute the establishment so as to ensure the careful preservation of the rukhs.

3rd. To provide for the reproduction of trees and fuel by closing tracts of country where fuel is exhausted, and by broadcasting seed.

4th. To persevere in, and extend, the area of experiments in Rukh Topee, and preserves elsewhere.

Whilst cordially endorsing the above able definition of the objects to be arrived at, Cleghorn adds: "The chief points to be remembered are, the selection of a tract where young trees are springing up, showing the capabilities of the soil and its fitness for growing wood, and then the careful protection of the young trees from grazing of every kind.”

CHAPTER XXIV

FOREST OPERATIONS BEYOND THE NORTH-WEST (PUNJAB) FRONTIER, 1858-1864

TIMBER SUPPLIES FROM THE Indus, Swat and Kabul RIVERS

N the early 'sixties of last century the territories beyond our North-West Frontier were almost entirely unknown.

I

A few stray and adventurous travellers had penetrated into this wild and lawless territory; Burnes, for instance, visiting Kabul early in the century, whilst Griffith went to Afghanistan and back somewhere about 1839. The course of the Upper Indus from Acho at the bottom of the Astor Valley to Derbund (i.e. "closed door," an appropriate name), a distance of about 160 miles, was quite unknown to Europeans. And yet at this period a considerable amount of timber came down the Indus, Swat and Kabul rivers, and a brisk trade was carried on. It was the existence of this trade, and the considerable stores of deodar and other timber seen at Attock and Peshawar, which stimulated Cleghorn during his visit to the Trans-Indus country to institute enquiries into its source. The information resulting from his investigations, which to some extent goes back beyond 1858, enables a clear impression to be gained on the position of the timber trade at this period, and to some degree as to the extent which the forests, over the march of this turbulent border country, were being indented upon to supply the new demands, to which the activities in construction of railways and public works within our territories had given rise. These activities, as has been shown, were the outcome of the new policy of development which had supervened with the change in Government of the country on the disappearance of the old East India Company.

The Indus. Until three or four years previous to Cleghorn's investigations in this region very little wood had been sent down the Indus. No record existed on the subject of the timber supplies of the Upper Indus, the forests of which were