CHAPTER XVIII 



FORESTS OF GORAKHPUR AND NEPAL TERAI 



In the cold season of 1865 I was deputed by the Govern- 

 ment of the North-West Provinces, to make a Forest 

 Survey of the jungles of Gorakhpur, bordering on the 

 Nepal territory. 



My orders as Forest Surveyor were to map out the 

 forests of that district, which had been hitherto not much 

 known as timber-producing woodlands. The extensive 

 sal forests had been looked upon by the civil authorities 

 as of little value and almost exhausted ; and, indeed, 

 the object of Government had been rather to permit the 

 trees to be cut down and the land reclaimed for cultiva- 

 tion, so as to increase the land revenue. Large blocks 

 had been given as grants to natives, who had worked out 

 the fine timber, and then left the forests still uncleared and 

 more worthless than before. 



The records and revenue maps of the jungle lands lying 

 along the northern boundaries of the Gorakhpur district 

 and frontiers of Nepal showed that there was a con- 

 siderable extent of swampy Terai land, covered with long 

 grass, interspersed with stretches of forest reaching south- 

 ward along the banks of winding streams which flowed 

 into the river Gandak, a considerable affluent of the 

 Ganges. The forests were to be guarded from further 

 depredation, and mapped out into blocks and reserves. 



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