82 REPORT — 1851. 



sanctioned, he would be most happy and willing to give his valuable assist- 

 ance in the work, of publication. 



" The reports of Dr. Wallich are particularly valuable respecting the 

 natural forests, both of those within the British territories in India, and also 

 those of the neighbouring powers. In his visit to the Turai, or low and 

 moist forest-land skirting the base of the Himalayas, he particularly recom- 

 mends a vast extent of forest-land in Oude, situated on the east side of the 

 Kowreala river, as holding out the prospect of very valuable supplies, pro- 

 vided that means are adopted for preventing wanton destruction and of 

 allowing the young plants to grow up and supply the place of those which 

 are cut down. Among the forests in our own provinces, Dr. Wallich adverts 

 particularly to those occupying the Islands of the Gogra, commonly called 

 Chaudnee Choke. He represents them as extremely important, and in every 

 way deserving of being pi'eserved for the exclusive use of the Government, and 

 especially of being emancipated from the destructive depredations which are 

 annually committed. The Sissoo and Saul forests of the Deyra Doon are 

 also recommended to be preserved for the use of the service ; though from 

 these the facility of transportation is represented as not equal to that from 

 the otiier quarters previouslj' mentioned. But they are nevertheless as im- 

 portant for the stations in the north-west of India, as the forests of Oude 

 and Gorukpore are for those in the south. As considerable deficiencies of 

 timber, at least of those kinds usually employed, such as Saul and Sissoo, 

 besides Bamboos, had been experienced, and as the deficiency every day in- 

 creased, Dr. Wallich was induced to recommend that Government should 

 interfere in the management of the forests; for the natives, from their ex- 

 tremely injudicious mode of felling forests, cut and carry away all that are 

 easily accessible, both young and old plants, without planting any thing new 

 in their place, or encouraging the growth of the young seedlings. Another 

 great defect in the native mode of managing timber, is their total neglect of 

 any regular system of seasoning :— timber ever being seasoned by them 

 at all, depends upon the proprietor not having been able to sell it." — Royle's 

 Prod. Resotirces of India, p. 189. 



The glory of the Malabar and Tenasserim forests is their teak, the vast 

 importance of which is becoming daily more known and appreciated ; the 

 timber indeed has been long prized. Bontius described the tree under the 

 name of Quercus Indicu, though except as regards the timber it has no re- 

 semblance to the Oak. Rhaede has given an accurate representation of 

 Tectona grandis, and refers to the teak forests of Malabar in these terms 

 (Hort. Malab. iv. t. 27) : — " Crescit ubique in Malabar, at praesertim in pro- 

 vincia Caiicolan (Calicut) ubi integrse sylvae ingentium harum arborum 

 reperiuntur.* ♦ * Lignum vero hujus arboris quercino ligno hand absimile, 

 operi fabrili accommodum, atque naupegis ad navium fabricam in usu est: 

 sed in aquis (prsesertim dulcibus) teredini facile obnoxium.'" 



It Avill be shown that these large I'orests, supplying thejlnest sort of teak, 

 had fallen long ago into a deplorable state, both old and young trees having 

 been indiscriminately cut down, without regard to future supply. 



" This work of destruction," according to John Edye, Esq. (As. Soc 

 Journ. ii.), " is conducted by a company of Parsee merchants, who take a cer- 

 tain number of the natives from Mangalore at the proper season for felling, 

 and, without consideration for the future, cut all sorts of peon-spars, saplings 

 as well as large trees, to the great injury of the forests. There were hun- 

 dreds of small spars from five to nine inches diameter, and thirty-five to 

 Beventy-five feet long, actually decaying on the beach at Mangalore at the 



