CHAPTER VII 



MY WORK, MY STAFF, AND MY CHIEFS 



ONE of the first things I had to do was to set to 

 work to reorganise my staff. I was allowed 

 three assistants, one for each district of the 

 Forest, and, as I have said, I lost two of them 

 in the first year of office. I feared to go outside 

 the department and import strangers at a time 

 when I was so ignorant myself and so incapable 

 of teaching others. I was able, however, to fill 

 the vacancies by promotions in my own office. 

 These men were truly assistants to me, and with- 

 out their aid it would be impossible to carry on 

 the work over a large tract like the Forest, 

 especially for one who had in addition the charge 

 of four other forests or large woodlands, involving 

 in each case a journey by train, and a long day 

 often two days spent away from home. 



I looked to my assistants to carry out all the 

 details of the various work we set out first for 

 the whole year, and again month by month as 

 the year progressed. 



At the commencement of the year it would 



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