Rte 
and fell the wood to the charcoal-makers. It has 
been obferved by one of your members, that oak 
timber has been lately fold in this country as low 
as fixpence and fourpence a foot; if fo, it muft be 
owing to fome local circumftances of a very fingu- 
lar nature, for no where in this neighbourhood can 
any fuel of any foil be bought fo cheap as oak tim- _ 
ber would be at that price. 
A few years fince, a large quantity of timber was 
cut near Torrington, in this county, and fent to 
Plymouth; and at this time there is a quantity at 
or near the fame place for the fame market; now 
it fhould feem, nothing fhort of neceffity, can ac- 
count for the heavy expence that muft attend the 
carriage from Torrington to Morwellham quay, 
near Taviftock, which is full thirty miles of the 
moft hilly and very worft road in the kingdom. 
There it is fhipped and carried to Plymouth, which 
is the neareft way it can go. Does not this clearly 
prove that timber muft indeed be fcarce, when it 
is found neceffary to be at fuch an exceedingly 
heavy expence to procure it? 
This is a fubje&t which at times has occupied my 
thoughts for many years. The facts above ftated 
on my own knowledge, and the general information 
obtained from others of whom I have enquired 
render it impoffible for me to entertain the leaft 
doubt, that the timber growing in England has 
been annually decreafing many years: I would 
therefore 
