WEST DEVONSHIRE. 89 



ought not to be fufFered. Inflead of clear- 

 ing the ground, or of removing the under- 

 ling and ftunted or full grown trees, to 

 make room for thofe which were in a 

 thriving profitable flate, the latter, only, 

 were hewn down ! Many of them in the 

 m.oft luxuriant ftate of growth ; throwing 

 them, heedlefsly, among the ilanding trees ! 

 thus adding crime to crime, and causing 

 double deflru(5lion. A6ls like thefe Hiould' 

 be puniiliable ; for it is not a wafle of pri- 

 vate property only^ but, in the prefent 

 flate of Ship timber,, and in the immediate 

 vicinity of a dock yard, fuch wafle becomes 

 a public lofs. 



Enquiring into the caufe of this outrage, 

 I was told (and probably with truth, as 

 nothing elfe could well account for it) that 

 fo many hundred trees had been fold, at 

 fuch a price, the choice of them being left 

 to the purchaler -, who had a wide extent 

 of Woodland to range over ; and who, 

 guided by the exorbitant price of Bark, 

 chofe of courfe, the full topped fafl- 

 growing trees ; as affording the moft bark 

 and of the beil quality. 



II. MANAGE-. 



