BAETFAIiL K ST. TTTTITV A. 119 



the island had been carried so far that ■vriser goTemors saw it to be 

 necessary to adopt some strennous measure to restore the T^etation. 

 Nurseries ■were made, and experienced gardeners Trere introduced by 

 the Company, and trees from all parts of the Tvorld v^ere introduced 

 and flourished. Prizes were given for the number of trees reared, 

 irrespective of their character. The cluster-pine (pinus pinaster) was 

 sown very extensively, and several plantations of this tree remain in 

 a thriving condition. But a variety of other forest trees, greatly pre- 

 ferred both for beauty and use, were planted about the same period 

 and have flourished welL In regard to the results, my correspondent 

 writes : — " For many years past, since the general growth of our trees, 

 we have been preserved from this scourge; and droughts, such as 

 were formerly recorded, are now altogether unknown. We have no 

 means, however, of otherwise comparing the rainfall of the two periods, 

 as no tables, or even estimates, of the rainfall can be had for the 

 earlier dates. Our fall of rain now is equal to that of England, and 

 is spread almost evenly over the year. The showers fall more heavOy 

 in two or three months of the yeir. But this period, though called 

 on this account the rainy season, is in no way to be compared to 

 what is imderstooi by an inter-tropical rainy season." 



Meteorological observations are or were kept at Longwoo-i and at 

 Plantation. I have at command only the record of the rainfall from 

 1841 to IS-iS. The amount of rain which fell in these years was : — 



1841, 6S-92.5 1S45 19o09 



1S42, 90-45* 1;46, 26-556 



184.3, 37-1S9 1S47, 42-441 



1844, 20-026 184S, 45630 



The commvmication I have cited not only tells of the former 

 abundance of vegetation and moisture, and of frequent long-continued 

 droughts having followed the reckless destruction of forests, but it 

 teUs of the replenishing of the island with trees under the fiiterinc 

 care of the East India Company towards the close of the last 

 century ; and that subsequent to that, droughts such as had been 

 previously recorded had been for a long time altogether unknown. 

 But it was further added : — " Since the transfer of the Island trom 

 the Company in 1836 the matter has been much neglected. The 

 liberal erpenditure and prizes of the East India Company came to an 

 end. The business men of our population require, whether the profits 

 be large or small, that the returns shall be qviek ; and they have no 

 idea of casting upon waters seed that cannot be found after so many 



