A. E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 605 



In 1671, the Company complained that three vessels, not belong- 

 ing to them, had been allowed to take away cargoes of oranges, 

 packed in some hundreds of boxes made from young cedars, and 

 therefore made an order that no one should cut cedars less than 8 

 inches in diameter, or else forfeit 40 shillings for every tree so felled. 

 All persons were also forbidden, at the same time, to consign any 

 boxes or casks made of cedar to any person not a member of the 

 Company, or to " colour " any such boxes of cedar. 



The condition of the cedars on the islands about 1660-'70 may be 

 understood from the following documents. The first is part of a 

 remonstrance sent by the Council to the Bermuda Company against an 

 anticipated law (adopted subsequently) prohibiting the building of 

 any vessels of more than five tons.* After giving weighty arguments 

 for the benefits to be derived from building vessels, the remonstrants 

 say as follows : " But it may be objected : 



ftirst. The Plantacon is bare of Timber and some Planters want 

 wood to burne 



2ndly. If shipping should be built they would have neither timber 

 nor plantes for fortification. To the first wee answer that covetious- 

 nes was the first cause of the desert, by ther sale when time served, 

 or burning to make roome for Tobacco &c. and the remedy for this 

 disease did much more increase it (videlzt), the Prohibition, ffor who 

 would be soe weake to plante and preserve that which will yield noe 

 present profitt neither could enjoy that to dispose of, the which, 

 instead of pservation hath caused the destruction of abundance 

 of young Cedars and of much good timber, beside the great number 

 of good old treese blown downe by winds, which perish and lie rot- 

 ting on the ground in many places, soe that of Treese of great 

 bigness can scarce be gotten sixe inches of Coopers Timber. More- 

 over our late Governr hath given good example, if followed wee 

 need not feare want of firewood, or of Timber to build with, ffor in 

 Twentie yeares a plant well preserved may be good building timber." 



In 1663, the Bermuda Company enacted the law, referred to in 

 the previous remonstrance, forbidding the building of vessels larger 

 than five tons at the Bermudas. But perhaps this was more for the 

 purpose of preventing trade with the other colonies than to save the 

 cedars, as pretended. At least that seems to have been the way it 

 was viewed by the Bermudians, and it was in accord with the 

 general policy of the Company. This law was enforced, so far as 



* This law continued in effect till the dissolution of the Company in 1684, but 

 was not strictly enforced. 



