28 OUR HERITAGE THE SEA 



would long ago have become even as the valley of the 

 Euphrates or the Peninsula of Arabia. And year by 

 year the scientific labours of enthusiastic civil engineers, 

 in storing up the wealth of water which falls from the 

 skies during the south-west monsoon against the long 

 period of drought during the rest of the year, con- 

 joined to the wonderful and elaborate system of affores- 

 tation which is ever being carefully carried out, is 

 aiding the beneficent work of Nature, and adding to 

 India's population and wealth. Of course it is another 

 and much more difficult question to decide whether 

 this humane removal of Nature's inexorable checks to 

 the too rapid growth of the people is working for good 

 or evil eventually ; but with that, fortunately, we have 

 here nothing to do. 



Crossing the great Bay of Bengal to Burmah and 

 Siam, we come again upon a continent immensely 

 enriched by the sea. But at present the very abund- 

 ance of Nature's provision of water conjoined to the 

 warm climate renders the country unhealthy by reason 

 of the density of its vegetation, which prevents the free 

 circulation of the health-laden winds from the sea. 

 But even here the hand of the European is gradually 

 making itself felt in the opening up of this magnificent 

 land, rendering it more habitable and healthy, and 

 preparing it to be the abode of an immensely greater 

 population than it has ever known. But it is at a heavy 

 cost in life to the white regenerators, whose northern 

 birth-places have ill prepared them for the struggle 

 with this dank climate, so full of heat and moisture 

 that it is like living in a perpetual Turkish bath. 

 Still, there is here much wealth to be gained, and, 

 although giant strides have been made within the last 



