ON THE DESTRUCTION OF TROPICAL. FORESTS. 87 



In the following extract of a letter from Dr. Wight to Dr. Cleghorn, 

 dated Coimbatore, 3rd April, 1851, it is well observed, — "As to the destruc- 

 tion of forests, it appears to me that there can be but one opinion on the 

 subject, and that is, that it is most injurious to the welfare of any country, 

 but especially of a tropical one, and ought upon no account to be tolerated, 

 except where the ground they occupied can be turned to better account, and 

 even the entire denudation should be avoided. I am not yet prepared to 

 admit that trees have the property of attracting rain-clouds, and thereby in- 

 creasing the quantity of rain that falls ; but there can be no doubt that they 

 increase the retentiveness of the soil, and moreover keep it in an open 

 absorbent state, so that in place of the rain running off a scorched and baked 

 soil as fast as it falls to the earth, it is absorbed and gradually given out by 

 springs. I am not prepared to go so far as to say, that forests, especially on 

 high hills, have not the effect of attracting rain-clouds, but I am quite sure 

 that if they to ever so small an extent have that property, the benefit is aug- 

 mented a hundred-fold by their property of maintaining an open absorbent 

 soil. 



" On this ground it is that I should like to see this country extensively 

 planted, especially on all the elevated lands, because water absorbed in 

 elevated grounds forms springs in the low ones : you truly say, that short- 

 sighted folly has already done much mischief, and the Ryots have suffered 

 to an immense amount. This is most true, but the difficulty is to put the 

 saddle upon the right horse. Who has done the mischief? 



" Within about fifty miles of the spot whence I write, a tract of country has 

 been cleared ; the result is that the inhabitants are now so much distressed 

 for the want of water that they contemplate leaving the country, their wells 

 being all dry. On inquiry, it does not appear that the rains have fallen below 

 the usual average, but notwithstanding, the country has become so dry that 

 their wells no longer provide a sufficient supply of water. 



" Major Cotton, from whom I have the information, attributes it to the rain 

 running off the baked soil as fast as it falls, in place of sinking into the earth 

 and feeding springs. The subject is now attracting attention, and doubtless 

 before long it wilt be ascertained whether forest has the effect of augmenting 

 the fall of rain, or whether it results from the increased capacity of the soil 

 for moisture. If the former, it is to be hoped that extensive plantations will 

 be had recourse to as a means of equalizing the monsoons ; and if the lattei", 

 that it will be adopted as a means of retaining the water that falls from the 

 clouds." 



Concerning the vast forests on the opposite side of the Bay of Bengal, the 

 principal observers, so far as we can learn, have been Wallich, Heifer, 

 Griffiths, Blundell, Seppings, and O'Riley. 



Dr. Heifer, who has written a Report on the Tenasserim Provinces, speaks 

 of the Teak as furnishing one of the greatest riches of the country, and being 

 the foundation of all those improvements which have followed our acquisi- 

 tion of it. He informs us that many trees perish by bad management ; that 

 many trees which are killed are not found subsequently fit for use ; that they 

 are suffered to decay, and generate a host of insects, which attack good 

 trees before they are seasoned, and that much timber is wantonly destroyed. 

 " The same negligence of the natives which reigns throughout the country 

 with regard to wanton destruction of the forests by fire, extends equally to 

 teak forests ; and I saw extensive tracts utterly destroyed, because it was 

 the pleasure of some wild Karean to fix his abode in the vicinity, and for this 

 purpose to clear the jungle by burning all down. 



" As teak is such a valuable article in general, and it may be safely asserted, 



