THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FOREST. 83 



Not only are the riches of the rainfall thus 

 squandered, to the loss of the inhabitants of the 

 river valleys, from the excess of water immediately 

 after a rainfall, but a still greater and more far 

 reaching loss occurs from the failure of the rain- 

 fall to fill the reservoirs of the springs, the contin- 

 uous discharge of which are necessary to maintain 

 the proper flow of water in the river. 



The springs, having their reservoirs but partly 

 filled, are apt to fail shortly after the rainfall 

 ceases, so that even limited droughts may cause 

 them to dry up completely. 



The damage, however, does not stop here. The 

 soil in which the forest grew, being no longer held 

 together either by the roots of the trees or under- 

 brush of the forest, or protected by a vegetable 

 covering, is rapidly carried away by the water. 

 The soil thus lost, resulted from the gradual dis- 

 integration of hard rocks, and contains as essen- 

 tial elements substances derived from the continued 

 growth of former generations of plants, and prob- 

 ably required centuries for its production. Its 

 removal in a few years is, therefore, a serious 

 matter. 



The soil, the wealth of the highlands, is now 

 thrown into the river channel, and though some 



