Memoir of Capt Jas. Forsyth, by the Rev. Jas. Forsyth. 63 



the Central Provinces, over the administration of which Mr 

 Temple presided. He was readily received, being well-known 

 to Sir Richard, for his energy, activity, and general ability as an 

 officer, in addition to the high repute he had already won for 

 himself as a Shikari. Nor was he long of obtaining an appoint- 

 ment in the highest degree congenial to his tastes, namely, that 

 of "Assistant Conservator of Forests." 



The Forest service was a department of the administration es- 

 tablished for the purpose, more especially, of rescuing the im- 

 mense primeval forests of the provinces from the wanton destruction 

 to which they had so long been exposed, by the natives in parti- 

 cular, who were in the habit of felling and burning the large and 

 valuable timber trees, in order to use the ashes for manuring their 

 patches of crop ; other parties, however, besides the natives, had 

 long been making inroads upon these valuable woods for building 

 and road making purposes. It was high time that a system of pro- 

 tection should be instituted, and provision made for regulating 

 the sale and use- of the timber, and for improvement by the 

 destruction of useless scrub ; as also by drainage, and by the 

 introduction of new species of wood, so as to turn to profitable 

 account so important a source of national wealth. 



Besides the forests, there were vast tracts of cultivable lands, 

 and rich pasturage along the slopes of the hills and the higher 

 plateaux, to be surveyed and reported upon, and the mineral 

 wealth of the district also had to be ascertained. All this was 

 embraced in the objects of the department with which James 

 was now to be connected, of which his friend, Captain Pearson, 

 was at the head. There was to be assigned to the staff of ex- 

 plorers, an area extending to 36,000 square miles of this unex- 

 plored region ; the work of surveying and ■ reporting on which 

 would necessarily stretch over a considerable number of years. 

 The term of engagement, however, for each member of the staff, 

 was three or at most four years, and their labour was very arduous 

 and exhausting. James was made aware moreover that the work 

 was highly perilous to health and life, from the malarious con- 

 dition of a great portion of the country, and he was strongly urged 

 by his friends to decline the employment. But in the glorious field 

 for sport presented to him, abounding as it did in the noblest game 

 of all kinds, there was an attraction greater than the peril to health 

 could out-weigh. He had besides already had some experience 



