30 
4. I, moreover, entertain hopes that the present visit, for the first 
time in history, of kings and chiefs of the Hinterland, with their 
numerous followers, will be of the greatest benefit to the Colony, 
and be the means of securing a marked increase of trade with the 
interior. 
5. It is important, however, to take steps which will protect the 
forests from being ruthlessly destroyed, and which will allow 
young rubber trees to mature before they are tapped by irrespon- 
sible collectors. I therefore cordially endorse Captain Dentons 
recommendation as to the necessity of a Forest Department. 
= Li 5 
7. I hope also to organise some system by which the native 
chiefs will exercise more control over the collectors, but this 
can scarcely do until I visit the country myself, and see what 
promises to be the best means of securing permanence of supply. 
8. In the meanwhile, I have thought it desirable to give you 
some idea as to how the question stands, for you will probably 
have its importance represented to you by the merchants of 
Liverpool and Manchester, who will suffer from the falling off in 
the supply of rubber which has taken place during the current 
year 
9. Had the collection been entrusted to the chiefs of Yoruba 
and their men, it is probable that our controlling influence would 
have checked the destruction which has taken place, but Fantees 
from the Gold Coast have not had permanency of supply in their 
minds when they have destroyed trees in all directions, and 
imperilled the constant supply of a material for which there 18 
now so much demand. 
I have, &c., 
(Signed) HENRY MCCALLUM, 
Governor. 
The Right Honourable 
Joseph Chamberlain, M.P., 
Secretary of State for the Colonies. 
[ Enclosure. ] 
SIR, Ife, May 25th, 1897. 
WE beg respectfully to report to you our work and progress 
since we left Ibadan. 
e should state that before leaving Ibadan we had an interview 3 
with His Excellency the Acting Governor. : 
In this interview we informed His Excellency of the ruined 
state and condition of the Jebu and Ibadan forests which we had 
then just visited ; and also conveyed to him the information we 
had gathered from those interested in the industry to the effect 
that there was no rubber forest in the neighbourhood of these tw0 — 3 
countries that has not been spoiled by overworking. d 
We were then instructed by His Excellency to go to the Ekiti 
country, where, we told him, as we were informed ourselves 
