MANUAI, OF THE -NILAGIRI PIJ 



441 



with the European community on the Hills," The Government CH. XXVI. 

 sanctioned the transfer of the plateau woods and plantations p^'^xs. 



to the Commissioner under Jungle Conservancy Rules from 1st 



April 1869, but declined to sanction the entertainment of a special 

 superior officer until they were satisfied that the services of 

 such, as well as a stronger establishment, were needed. The 

 grounds for ti-ansfer were — (1), in so small a district, no depart- 

 ment should exist over which the Commissioner could not 

 exercise full control; (2), the Forest Department had failed to 

 check illicit felling and smuggling and had worked the Hill woods 

 at a loss ; (3) none of the Hill sholas contained valuable timber. 



The employment of a Special Officer was subsequently —Special 

 (September 1869) considered necessary, and Major Jago, attached 

 to the Wellington Depot, was placed in charge under the Com- 

 missioner, drawing a special horse allowance from the Conservancy 

 Fund. The establishment was increased at an enhanced annual 

 cost of Rupees 732, viz., Rupees 4,296 against Rupees 3,564. The 

 Special Officer retained charge until 1874, when he was replaced 

 by an officer of the Forest Department. 



At the close of 1874-75 the sholas and plantations were retraus- — retransfer 

 ferred under sanction of Government of India to the Forest Department. 

 Department ; the working expenses were to be kept within the 

 income of the range, unless grounds were specially shown for an 

 excess. 



The operations during the interval of this special arrangement —operations 

 were chiefly under plantations, and will be referred to below, conservancy. 

 The management, however, and the revenue derived from the 

 natural woodlands somewhat improved ; but the destruction of 

 the forests continued, especially that of such as belonged to private 

 proprietors in the neighbourhood of Ootacamand and Coonoor. 

 Some forests had also been alienated under the Waste Land Rules 

 in various parts of the Hills and slopes. 



The rapid decrease of the woods came prominently under the — Forest_ 

 notice of the Government in 1877, and in January 1878 a Commis- °'^'^^^^^°°- 

 sion was appointed to report upon the woodlands to be reserved in 

 the Perauganad, the Todandd and the Kuudaudd. At the same 

 time the Government on the recommendation of the Commissioner, 

 the Conservator of Forests, and the Board of Revenue, directed 

 that all woodlands reinaining in the Mekanad should be reserved, 

 which were estimated not to exceed 1,000 acres. The Commis- 

 sion reported on the Peranganad and Todanad in August 1878. 

 They found still 11,700 acres of Government woodland in the 

 latter, of which they proposed to reserve 10,800 acres ; in the 

 former they found but little remaining, except in the Coonoor 

 Ghdt, already reserved. They recommended that as in the 

 Mekanad the remaining woodland in Peranganad should be strictly 



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