REVOLUTIOK OF 1848. 145 



it to produce more than its nature would permit. We see too often the 

 old stoiy of the goose which laid golden eggs practically exhibited in the 

 mountains, notwithstanding the instructions a thousand times repeated by 

 experience. A recent case in point, says he, is supplied by the rooting 

 out of woods on the mountains of Champsaur. 



This rooting out of woods on declivities is always followed with disastrous 

 consequences ; and the destraction of forests, practised almost always without 

 inconvenience on the plains, becomes, on the contrary, in the mountains the 

 most disastrous of disturbing operations. It breaks up the equilibrium of 

 the land, and brings back the disorder of ancient chaos. After having 

 wrenched from the inhabitants the usufruct of the forests, it carries off the 

 soil which nourished them, thus pursuing man with hunger, if he submit 

 unresistingly to the privation of wood. 



And in eloquent and stirring appeal, called forth by what he foresaw, he 

 urged the reboisement of the mountains, whatever the expense might be. 



The appeal appeared to have been made in vain — if in this world, in 

 which no atom of matter appears to be destroyed, and no form of physical 

 force to be lost, any counsel, good and true, can be given in vain. Years, 

 at least, passed away — as nearly fifty years had passed away after Fabre 

 had spoken something similar — and nothing was done. But at length, in 

 process of time, there was a resurrection of the two witnesses, their testimony 

 was again called for ; and the fulness of time being come, their testimony 

 was listened to, and their counsels were adopted. 



In November 1840, the year befqre the publication of M. Surell's work, 

 there occurred a destructive inundation of the basin of the Khone. Occur- 

 ring at that late season of the year, all the crops had been gathered in, but 

 the damage, notwithstanding this, was estimated at 72,000,000 of francs, or 

 well-nigh £3,000,000 sterling. 



Several smaller floods of the Rhone subsequently occcurred in 1846, at a 

 somewhat earlier period of the year, and occasioned a loss of 45,000,000 

 of francs, or £1,800,000. 



"If these floods," writes Dumond, "instead of happening in October, 

 between harvest and seed-time, had occurred before the crops were secured, 

 the damage would have been reckoned by hundreds of millions." 



These inundations in 1840 and 1846 made the question of forests an 

 order of the day; remedial measures, which were demanded and were opposed 

 on all hands, became the subject of careful consideration and study ; and 

 the Government was about to promote a general law for the regulation of 

 all rooting out of woods, and to reform the forest code, when the revolu- 

 tion of 1848 broke out. The effect of this upon the forests was soon 

 felt, but in another way. Within thirteen days after installation the 

 Provisional Government authorised, by decree of 9th March, the sale of 

 a considerable portion of the crown forests, and all the forests of the 

 civil list. 



On .30th June 1848, the State ceded to the Bank of France 75,000 hectares 

 of forest, as security for a loan of 150,000,000 of francs. 



On 4th December 1848 the National Assembly discussed the forest 

 budget ; in vain did the Minister and the Director-General defend their 

 Administration ; in vain did the tribune re-echo the famous words of Colbert 

 — La France perira faute de bois ; retrenchment and economy were the 

 order of the day, and the different forest services saw themselves threat- 



