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the loose rock, and penetrating through it, and through the cracks and fissures, 

 flows over the hard surface, the superincumbent mass being precipitated, either 

 suddenly or by slow degrees into the valley below. The same effect is produced 

 in the whole net-work of water-courses, both principal and tributary, which 

 traverse the mountain side ; the upper strata over enormous areas, with fields, 

 houses, and even entire villages, being carried down into the valleys, and the 

 whole region, which presents litttle to the eye but a series of unstable slopes of 

 black marl, has an indescribably desolate appearance. It may be added that 

 when the hillsides are covered with trees, the snow, which has accumulated 

 during the winter months, disappears gradually under the influence of the milder 

 temperature which accompanies the advancing spring ; but when the trees have 

 been removed, and the masses of snow are consequently exposed to the full force 

 of the sun's rays, they melt rapidly and produce results on the mountain sides 

 similar to those which follow the occurrence of heavy storms of rain. 



But the damage does not stop here ; for on reaching the comparatively level 

 valleys which form the main lines of drainage of the mountain range, the stones, 

 gravel and sand transported by the numerous torrents are deposited. These 

 valleys being usually very fertile, are occupied by fields, villages, and towns, 

 which are connected by roads and sometimes by railways, constructed with many 

 bridges, retaining walls and other masonry-works, and as, by degrees, enormous 

 areas become covered with debris sometimes this result is produced suddenly 

 without warning the buildings are either thrown down or overwhelmed, the 

 railways and roads are blocked, and the bridges are overthrown, while the fields 

 are completely and irretrievably destroyed. The damage thus caused is most 

 serious, both i'n its nature and extent, and to it must be added the great incon- 

 venience and loss occasioned by the interruption of traffic on the roads and rail- 

 ways. But this is not all. If the debris transported by the torrent is carried 

 into the river before it can be deposited, it is either borne on at once and thrown 

 on to the level country lower down, or it remains and turns the course of the 

 stream over the fields and buildings on its opposite bank. Occasionally the 

 deposit temporarily blocks up the valley and causes the inundation of villages 

 and fields on the upper side of the barrier, and when this latter ultimately 

 gives way, the most disastrous results ensue, both in the lower part of the 

 valley and in the open country at the foot of the mountain range. It is to 

 mitigate these terrible evils that the vast enterprise of afforesting the mountains 

 has been undertaken as the only means of dealing with them. But, owing to 

 the enormous cost of the work, it cannot be hoped that the forest thus raised 

 will ever prove directly remunerative, and their creation, with a view to their 

 ever becoming so, could not for a a moment be justified. 



The works are of two classes, viz. : Firstly, the treatment of the torrent beds 

 by a series of weirs and other structures, destined to bring them gradually and 

 by successive stages to a normal slope, and thus not only prevent " scour," but by 

 the filling up and widening of the beds behind the weirs to afford support to the 

 unstable ^sloping sides, and thus gradually to consolidate them with a view to 

 their being ultimately planted up. Secondly, the immediate planting up of all 

 areas, the surface of which does not seem likely to be washed down within the 

 period occupied by the construction in that locality of the first class of works. 

 A commencement was made in 1860 ; but the law passed in that year not having 

 been found sufficient, a new law came into force in 1882 which provides both for 

 the works to be undertaken directly by the State, and for those to be executed 

 by the proprietors of the ground, with or without State aid, as well as for simple 

 measures of prevention. 



