March, 1849. EFFECTS OF FIRE ON THE JUNGLES. 



385 



for guides and assistance ; but the Cooches were so shy and 

 difficult to deal with, that we were generally left to our 

 own resources. 



Grass is the prevailing feature of the country, as there 

 are few shrubs, and still fewer trees. Goats and the 

 common Indian cow are plentiful; but it is not swampy 

 enough for the buffalo ; and sheep are scarce, on account of 

 the heat of the climate. This uniformity of feature over so 

 immense an area is, however, due to the agency of man, 

 and is of recent introduction ; as all concur in affirming, 

 that within the last hundred years the face of the country 

 was covered with the same long jungle-grasses which 

 abound in the Terai forest ; and the troops cantoned at 

 Titalya (a central position in these plains) from 1816 to 

 1828, confirm this statement as far as their immediate 

 neighbourhood is concerned. 



These gigantic Graminece seem to be destroyed by 

 fire with remarkable facility at one season of the year ; and 

 it is well that this is the case ; for, whether as a retainer of 

 miasma, a shelter for wild beasts, both carnivorous and 

 herbivorous, alike dangerous to man, or from their liability 

 to ignite, and spread destruction far and wide, the grass- 

 jungles are most serious obstacles to civilization. Next 

 to the rapidity with which it can be cleared, the adapta- 

 tion of a great part of the soil to irrigation during the 

 rains, has greatly aided the bringing of it under culti- 

 vation. 



By far the greater proportion of this universal short 

 turf grass is formed of Andropogon acicularis, Cj/nodon 

 Dactylon* and in sandy places, Imperata cylindrica ; 



* Called " Dhob." This is tbe best pasture grass in the plains of India, and the 

 only one to be found over many thousands of square miles. 



\,~T T C 



