185 



and enterprise to reclaim it. The bursting of 

 bunds, the excentricities of mighty rivers, too, often 

 devastates miles of cultivated lands. For genera- 

 tions, land may thus remain waste, and during 

 the interval, the right in the soil will, so to speak, 

 lie dormant; but let Government attempt to dispose 

 of the land, or let any one attempt to reclaim or 

 cultivate it, and it will soon be found that this right 

 is fondly cherished, and will be stoutly maintained 

 by some village community, or some representative 

 of the ancient possessor. In the Wynaad district 

 of Madras, in which coffee cultivation has been so 

 successfully introduced, Government has had experi- 

 ence of this, and the fact is well known to all 

 who know India. There is yet another, and more 

 powerful cause than any here given, but this I shall 

 notice under a different head. 



Of the 13,554,333 acres of culturable land said to 

 be waste in the Madras Presidency, only a very limit- 

 ed extent is stated to be ' at the absolute disposal of 

 Government, the remainder being subject to certain 

 established rights of the village communities/* 



In Bombay, the land suitable for cultivation at 

 the disposal of Government, is defined to be f of 

 the poorer sort' and in small detached patches, 

 except in districts which are so unhealthy as to 

 be pronounced deadly to Europeans. 



* Official Correspondence Return to an order of the House of 

 Dmnions dated 30th May 1862. 



