392 India. 



growth was then destroyed, cleared or mutilated, 

 changes took place only slowly. 



It has been claimed, that in consequence of the 

 destruction, which was incident to the nomadic life 

 of the Mohammedans and the shifting agriculture of 

 the aborigines, climatic changes were produced, but 

 the proof for this assertion has remained questionable. 



When in the 18th century the British entered India 

 in rivalry with the French and other European nations, 

 it was, of course, only for purposes of exploitation, and 

 for a long time after the British had attained the as- 

 cendancy and had subjected most of the territory 

 now ruled by them, not much concern was had about 

 the forests; they furnished but small values, excepting 

 in one particular, namely supplies of Teak for naval 

 purposes. In the beginning of the 19th century the 

 Government became concerned regarding these sup- 

 plies, which under the rough exploitation threatened 

 to become exhausted. 



The first step towards securing some conservative 

 management dates back to 1806, when Captain Wat- 

 son was sent to India as Conservator of Forests, to 

 look after the interests of the East India Company 

 in this direction. His inability to compromise with 

 those who had secured timber privileges led to his 

 removal and an abandonment of the office, in 1823. 

 Ineffective, sporadic efforts at administration by the 

 provincial governments then followed. 



In 1839-40, the government of the Bombay Presi- 

 dency stopped the cutting of Teak trees on govern- 

 ment property. In 1834, M. Connolly, Collector of 

 Malabar in the Madras Presidency, began to plant 



