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

be necessary to procure two overseers to superintend the working of the forests. These points can only be decided by experiments made during the rainy season of 1865. If the experiment succeeds a large revenue will be immediately derived from the sâl forests of the Great Rungeet. To enable me to make this experiment, I shall require the services of an overseer to superintend the felling and sawing-up of trees to provide 1000 sleepers of sâl with a corresponding number of sleepers of Pinus longifolia to float them." (It may be remarked here that sâl timber will not float.) "These sleepers should all be prepared in the cold season, so as to be ready to be floated down the Rungeet and Tista as soon as these rise to their rainy season level. The question to be decided by this experiment is, can timber be profitably floated over the rapids of these rivers during the rainy season, when the rapids almost disappear?

"

Anderson's plan, as above outlined, was a bold one; as all acquainted with the rocky nature of the beds of the rivers in question and the unhealthy climate of the two valleys during the rainy season will readily admit.

In recommending Mr. Gustav Mann to the suggested post of Assistant Conservator, Anderson mentions the valuable cinchona plantations which had been commenced by the Superintendent of the Calcutta Botanic Gardens in the Sikkim Hills many years before. Mr. Mann, an officer who had carried out explorations in West African Forests under the orders of the Admiralty as a successful botanical traveller before he arrived in India, was at the time the head gardener in charge of the cinchona cultivation in Darjiling, the hill station and sanatorium of Bengal, situated at some 6500 feet in this part of the Himalaya. Anderson proposed that Mann should continue to have general superintendence of the cinchona plantations, of which he had gained valuable experience, in addition to his new duties, and that his appointment as Assistant Conservator should be temporary until he had passed a colloquial examination in Hindustani. As actual incumbent at the plantations he proposed to appoint a Mr. John Scott, who was to shortly arrive, a gardener sent out to me by Dr. Hooker and Mr. Darwin, both of whom recommend him as a person of superior attainments." Anderson proposed that these appointments should be made from December 1st, in order that a commencement might be made with the conservancy of the temperate forests, and the

enforcement of the Rules which had been drafted with reference to the cutting and sale of firewood, timber for charcoal, and other local purposes. Should his contemplated visit to the Rungeet and Terai sâl forests prove successful, he proposed that Mann should then commence the work of felling trees and preparing the 1000 sleepers to be floated out the following rains.

The establishment outlined for undertaking the suggested conservancy and working proposals, including portion of the salary of the Head Assistant at the Botanic Gardens to be credited to the Forest Department, amounted to a sum of Rs.4128 per mensem. This total also included a small establishment for the forests of the Bhutan Duars, in which military operations were still being carried on, and an establishment for the Assam Forests.

On the subject of the Assam Forests, Anderson wrote, in December, 1864: "The question of forest conservancy in Assam is not settled, and cannot be until I can fully examine the forests of that Province. Judging from the Reports submitted by the Commissioner of Assam, it appears to me that while there are valuable forests to preserve, still little revenue beyond what will be yielded by local sales of timber can be expected from the forests of Assam. I would, therefore, recommend that these forests should at first be entrusted to an Assistant Conservator on a salary of Rs.400 a month, including house rent." He also recommended the appointment of two overseers on Rs.100 with free house, a small local office establishment and "a small native establishment to work the forests."

The Government of India cut Anderson's proposed monthly expenditure on establishments down to Rs.538 from the suggested Rs.4128.

Mann's appointment was sanctioned, as also, the Conservator's office establishment in full; but the proposed Sikkim Forest staff was reduced. The Bhutan staff was disallowed until such time as the military operations came to an end, and the Assam proposals until the Conservator had been able to personally visit the forests and submit a Report on their possibilities.

The Revenue Survey of British Sikkim had not been completed at the end of 1864. For this reason Anderson found it impossible to "give an accurate statement of the extent of the forests belonging to Government in that district. From