118 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [April, 



ami the supplies of superficial water having of course been exhausted 

 at an early period of the drought. 



With reference to the general subject of scarcity and famine in 

 Rajpootana, the conviction has been forced upon me that these are 

 more common of late years than in times past. This is the confi- 

 dently expressed opinion of many intelligent old Marwarees with 

 whom I have conversed on the subject. Scarcity is indeed now quite 

 a chronic condition in many parts of Marwar. There is no evi- 

 dence to prove that this rises from increased population. The 

 character of the government of the country, during the reign of the 

 present and of the last two or three Rajahs, has not been such as to 

 render that a probable solution ; besides it is known that the popula- 

 tion of the towns at any rate has decreased of late. On the other 

 hand there is a strong impression among the inhabitants that the 

 cause lies in a diminution of the products of the soil, due to a steadily 

 increasing failure of rain. In the absence of meteorological records, 

 the question cannot be settled, but I am inclined to think that this 

 is the explanation. 



Much attention has been attracted of late to the reciprocal influ- 

 ence of the vegetation of a district and its rainfall, and the old obser- 

 vation— that as trees are cut, moisture is lesssened, has been abundantly 

 verified. It is needless to say that in Marwar this principle is un- 

 recognised, and that there is no system of forest conservancy. There 

 does not appear to have been of late any unusual destruction of forest 

 products. For ages the struggle for life in the plains of Marwar has 

 been between men and cattle on the one side, and vegetation on the 

 other. It is an unequal fight, and vegetation is now losing. No- 

 thing is conserved ; the few indigenous trees are cut down, and none 

 arc planted in their stead. Even shrubs are not spared. Any one 

 who has seen the hedges from 6 to 10 feet high and about as broad, 

 made of dead prickly shrubs, that surround a Marwar village and its 

 fields, can understand what drafts are made on the scanty undergrowth 

 of the jungles for this purpose only. Many more are sacrificed in the 

 preparation of " pala*" as fodder for cattle and camels, as well as for 

 firewood. Herbaceous plants fare no better. These are nowhere 



* "Pal a" consists of the dried leaves of Zizyphus, the commonest jungle 

 shrul) in Marwar. To obtain it, the bushes are cut down and the leav* 

 shaken oil the withered hranehes. 



