— 80 — 



done at a dry period of the year, it will be necessary to 

 slightly cover the seed with a few leaves to prevent evapora- 

 tion, and scorching by the sun. One or many seeds may be 

 sown in a place- 



" I have, &c,, 



Signed : " J, HoRNE." 



ANNEXURE IV 



Seychelles, Augnst 1874. 



To His Excellency 



Sir A. H. Gordon, K. G. M. G., 

 Sj'c, Sj'c, Sfc. 



" Sir, 



" I would desire to bring to Your Excellency's notice the 

 negligent manner in which timber is felled in Seychelles, on 

 private property (Reserves) as well as on Government land? 

 and how utterly regardless of forest laws, and ot any consi- 

 deration for the future supply of timber or water, forest works 

 are carried out. In visiting the forest, both public and pri- 

 vate, I have not unfrequently found that fine trees were cut 

 down, a few feet of timber taken from their ends (whatever 

 it suited the workmen to take) and by far the greater portion 

 allowed to decay on the ground. No rule seems to be obser- 

 ved as to the marking of the tree before they are felled any 

 more than as to the position in which the tree is growing ; — 

 The workmen having a daily task to jDerform cut the tree 

 which is mjst convenient for fcheiu, be th'i tree young or olJ, 

 take out of it what suits their purpose and leave the remain- 

 der to rot. Such practices cannot continue long, and at tlig 



