320 REPORT— 1891. 



characteristic of the great naturalist. A trifling exception 

 Hke this, however, — and even though many more might 

 be given, — could be probably accounted for by quite 

 exceptional circumstances, such as being swept by cold and 

 stormy oceanic winds, which accounts similarly for the stunted 

 vegetation of our own Chatham Islands, and does not appear 

 to justify hesitancy about accepting a law which is widely and 

 generally observable. Forest argues heavy rainfall, but heavy 

 precipitation of rain must be accompanied by other circum- 

 stances to result in the growth of wide areas of timber. 



Of the Dark Continent and its forests our information — ■ 

 though, thanks to the attention which this part of the world 

 has of late been receiving, not by any means meagre — is as yet 

 only general. Of exact statistics we have scarcely any ; but the 

 explorations of recent travellers — particular!}- the indefatigable 

 and indomitable Stanley — show us that almost impenetrable 

 woods fill up the heart of the land, more or less from the 

 Atlantic Ocean to the Indian ; and Loomis's map gives us a 

 rainfall of over 75in. for the whole of this wide tropical belt. 

 Northward of it stretches from the Atlantic to the eastward of 

 Central Asia — only broken by the Hindoo Coosh and the 

 Himaleh Mountains — -a vast treeless desert, almost rain- 

 less. 



In India, owing to the beneficial action of the monsoons, a 

 copious rainfall of above 75in. is found along the coasts and at 

 the base of the stupendous chain to the northward, wdth very 

 excessive precipitation in certain limited areas — Cherapungi, 

 e.g., in Assam, where the fall is over 600in. in the year. The 

 valuable forests of pine, box, sal, teak, ebony, and deodar 

 therefore here are very extensive, and now all are most care- 

 fully conserved — ^not so much with the view of securing a 

 continuance of the rainfall as for the sake of preserving and 

 economizing national wealth. As regards teak [Tectonia 

 qrandis) it is well known that it grows best where the rainfall 

 is heaviest. Burmah, Java, Sumatra, and Borneo, as regards 

 rain and forest, are equally liberally endowed by nature. All 

 have a truly tropical average of over 75iu. (213in. at Sando- 

 uay, Burmah; 220in. at Buitenzorg, in Java; and 181in. at 

 Padang, Sumatra) ; and all are remarkably well wooded. 

 Siberia, north and north-east of the Altai Mountains, is one 

 enormous forest. It has, however, only a modertite rainfall 

 of from lOin. to 50in. according to locality. The forest here, 

 therefore, does not cause heavy precipitation. But it must be 

 remembered that this is a high latitude, and evaporation is 

 comparatively small. A little rain, therefore, under such 

 circumstances is very effective. The same remarks apply to a 

 large part of Russia in Euro]3e. Japan, again, is well wooded 

 and has a rainfall of over 65in. On the other hand, the 



