THE SAL FOEESTS. 337 



sale to the traders of the plains. Some of these have already 

 been mentioned. Another is the stick-lac of commerce, 

 which is deposited by an insect on the smaller twigs of 

 several species of trees, among which Butea frondosa, 

 Schleichera trijuga, and Zizyphus jujuha are the principal. 

 The twigs are broken off, and sold as they stand, looking like 

 pieces of very dark red coral. About twenty pounds will be 

 procured annually from a tree, so long as any of the insects 

 are left on it to breed. But just as often as not the improvi- 

 dent wild man will cut down the whole tree to save himself 

 the trouble of climbing. The inborn destructiveness of these 

 jungle people to trees is certainly very extraordinary : even where 

 it is clearly against their own interest, they cannot apparently 

 refrain from doing wanton injury. A Gond or Bygd, passing 

 along a pathway will almost certainly, and apparently un- 

 consciously, drop his axe from the shoulder on any young 

 sapling that may be growing by its side, and almost every- 

 where young trees so situated will be found cut half through 

 in this manner. The stick-lac is manufactured into dye in 

 considerable quantities at a factory in Jubbulpur, established 

 by a gentleman (Mr. Williams) who has long since retired, 

 after realising the success so well deserved by his remarkable 

 foresight and enterprise. The agents of this factory penetrate 

 the remotest corners of these jungles in search of the raw 

 material ; and the development of this profitable business, 

 during many years of patient and fair dealing with these timid 

 savages, is a valuable example to those who would follow Mr. 

 Williams's steps in the development of the many latent 

 resources of these regions. 



The cocoons of the wild tusser silk-moth are also collected 

 in great numbers for sale to the caste of silk-spinners who 

 live by this business in the villages of the plains. Experience 



