112 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



OBITUARY. 



Sir Dietrich Brandis, K.C.I.E., F.R.S.i 



By the death of Sir Dietrich Brandis, which occurred at Bonn 

 on 28th May, a man of world-wide renown has been removed. 

 Brandis was born on ist April 1824, at Bonn, being the son 

 of Dr Christian Brandis, professor of philosophy in Bonn 

 University. As a boy he followed his father to Greece, where 

 he spent several years. On his return to Germany he was 

 educated at the universities of Copenhagen, Gottingen, and 

 Bonn. He became, in 1849, lecturer {Privat-docent) on Botany 

 at Bonn. In 1854 he married a daughter of Dr Marshman, 

 of Bengal. This happened to be the turning-point in his career. 



After the occupation of the province of Pegu in Burma, 

 Lord Dalhousie was looking for a man to take charge of the 

 important teak forests of that province, when his attention 

 was directed to Brandis by the latter's brother-in-law. General 

 Sir Henry Havelock. Lord Dalhousie wrote to Brandis that 

 if he would come to India he would be appointed superintendent 

 of the Pegu teak forests. The offer was accepted, and Brandis 

 landed at Calcutta in 1856. He explained his views to 

 Lord Dalhousie, who, in taking leave of him, said : " Dr Brandis, 

 if you carry out the scheme which you have explained to me, 

 you will confer a great benefit upon this country." Brandis 

 never saw Lord Dalhousie again, but his parting words remained 

 with him throughout his service. Brandis set to work to save 

 the Burma teak forests, in which endeavour he had the full 

 support of Major (afterwards Sir Arthur) Phayre. After a long- 

 continued struggle the forests were placed under systematic 

 management, and they, with the forests of Upper Burma, are 

 now the chief supply of teak timber to the world. 



In 1862 Brandis was called to Simla, at the suggestion, 

 it is believed, of Dr Cleghorn, one of the principal pioneers 

 of forest conservancy in India, to advise the Government of 

 India on forest matters in other provinces, and in 1864 he 

 was appointed the first Inspector-General of Forests to the 



' Reprinted Ijy kind permission of the Editor of Nature. 



