ANGILI-WOOD. 269 



forest on a large scale, the best mode for ensuring the regular 

 transmission of a fixed quantity of timber to the coast annually 

 would undoubtedly be to open a good cart road to it from these 

 forests, which would not only be advantageous for the transmis- 

 sion of teak, blackwood, poon spars, and angili for the sirkar ; 

 but, as many timber-merchants would also avail themselves of it 

 for the removal of common jungle-wood, the fee for these, and the 

 toll they may be called upon to pay for the use of the road, 

 would in a very short time pay the cost of its construction. And 

 should this road be carried northwards to the British frontier, it 

 would open out a traffic between Cochin and Coimbatore direct, 

 which would add another item of revenue to the sirkar in the 

 duties which might be levied on articles exported from and im- 

 ported into the country." 



Mr J. Munro, Cottayam, writes :—" "With reference to the 

 annual supply of angili from the forests of Travancore and Cochin, 

 of the size mentioned by Dr C, I beg to state, that though the 

 annual supply of this wood averages from 6000 to 7000 candies, 

 yet I doubt whether, on selection, a tenth of this quantity would 

 be found of sufficient dimensions to yield the minimum size re- 

 quired, viz. 35 feet by 16 inches square. Angili logs of this size, 

 as first class timbers, find a ready sale in the Allepi and Cochin 

 markets, at Es.12 per candy ; but the quantity annually available 

 will seldom exceed 230 loads. Logs of smaller size vary in price 

 from Es. 5 to 12 per candy in the above markets." 



Mr C. F. Kohlhoff, Conservator of Forests, Travancore, writes: — 

 " I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, 

 and in reply beg to state, that the angili wood trade in Travan- 

 core is an open trade, wherein the sirkar have no dealings what- 

 soever. Merchants entering on this trade have to obtain a per- 

 mit for felling trees in the forest, and pay the sirkar a fee, or 

 rather a nominal price of 12 chuckrams (As. 6 pice 8) per candy, 

 and a year's time is allowed for taking away the wood paid for ; 

 the logs they bring down vary in dimensions from 14 in. to 

 2£ ft. in diameter, and from 20 to 35 ft. in length, with merely 

 the sapwood clipped off. Larger timbers are obtainable ; but as 

 the expenses and labour attending their transit are great, they 

 are converted into canoes, and floated down the rivers. The 



x2 



