THE NERBUDDA 283 



made of a cowhide, into the water. When they went away 

 down the track they drew up the bucket, full of clear 

 fresh water, by a rope over the pulley. When it came up 

 it was upset automatically into the water channel, which 

 was led to all parts of the garden in turn. What with 

 the tropical heat and moisture, the crops grew surprisingly 

 quickly. When the hot winds blew in May against the 

 west verandah, the bheesty brought skins full of water 

 and dashed them against the cuscus tattis which hung in 

 the doorways. Inside, in the large rooms, matted with 

 palm-leaf woven matting, it was cool and dark, about 

 75° F., a breeze always passing through. 



Adjoining was the daftar, or forest office, where the forest 

 maps and statistics and accounts were made up on large 

 sheets in prescribed form for the annual report of the 

 Western Division. The forests under control of the Deputy 

 Conservator comprised 2,400 square miles of woodland, 

 mountain, and jungle, in the Nerbudda district. The 

 annual report, a voluminous document describing the 

 work of the year, had to be prepared, with maps and 

 accounts of receipts and expenditure, amounting for the 

 division to Rs. 92,711 and Rs. 88,470, and an immense 

 number of returns sent as prescribed up to No. 60. 

 The Government of India requires an immense amount 

 of clerical work to be done by its departmental officers, 

 and returns are multiplied excessively, budget estimates 

 and specifications being required for every trivial ex- 

 penditure. The forms are apparently designed to give 

 work to clerks, and to cause delay in actual work. They 

 would be no check at all on a dishonest officer, yet seem 

 to imply that no official is to be trusted. That the country 

 is magnificently served by its officials is due, not to this 

 modern system of accumulated clerical checks, but to 

 the fact that the officials are men educated in English 



