18 
Consumption of Tim 
ber and Firewood 
Regulations. 
Private Forest. 
TopographicallFeatiires. 
78. On sonic hills, which have been completely denuded to 
their summits, landslips have occurred, and they illustrate on a 
small scale what lias taken place in the Alps and other moun- 
tain chains in Europe, where similar deforestation lias been 
effected. In some positions the roots of the trees form the 
natural binding which keeps the soil together, and which, when 
removed, exposes it to being swept into the valleys by heavy 
torrents of rain, and the underlying rock being thus laid bare 
. afforestation becomes almost or altogether impossible either by 
natural or artificial means. 
79. It would be very difficult to make even an approximate 
estimate of the amount of timber and fuel annually used in 
Penang and Province Wellesley, but the amount is well known 
to be considerable ; I would, however, only remark that the 
supply of firewood is said to be still abundant in the jungles 
along the coast of Province Wellesley. Timber is also observed 
to be brought in rafts down the chief rivers of the Province, 
and is said to come chiefly from beyond the ICedah boundary. 
As cultivation extends, however, these jungles will diminish 
and the supply will become exhausted. 
80. Penang has one forest ranger and Province Wellesley 
two for the protection of the forests, but they reside in the chief 
town and are under the direction of the Land Officer. As in 
the other Settlements there is no forest revenue or expenditure 
properly so called. 
81. The estimated extent of private forest throughout the 
island is 8,000 acres, and, like the Crown forest, this is widely 
distributed, and is fast being cleared. 
PROVINCE WELLESLEY. 
82. Province Wellesley is separated from Penang by a 
narrow strait of from two to ten miles in breadth. The Settle- 
ment is forty-five miles in length, including ten miles of newly 
acquired territory to the south of the Krian river, and about 
eight miles in breadth; total area about 170,000 acres. The 
Province is divided into five districts, and the cultivation is 
chiefly padi and sugarcane. 
83. With few exceptions, the whole Province is one vast 
plain, the principal exception being the Bukifc Mertajam hill 
range, which, situated near the centre of the territory, runs in 
from the Kedah boundary for a distance of about three miles, 
and rises to an elevation of 1803 feet above sea-level. Near 
this range is situated a peculiar circular group of small hills 
about three miles in diameter, and about the same distance 
north of these tho Ranjau hills occur; they also run in from the 
Kedah boundary for a distance of about three miles. In the 
extreme south are situated the Panchor hills, which form a club- 
shaped range, and are part of the boundary separating the Pro- 
vince from the territory of Kedah. In addition to these only a 
few isolated hills of little elevation or importance are met with. 
81. The Province contains the largest rivers which occur 
in any of the Settlements, such as the Krian, Junjong, Juru, 
Prai, and Muda rivers, all of which are navigable for large ves- 
sels for many miles, and through which boats may pass to the 
Kedah boundary, or even further. These rivers traverse the 
Province from west to east and are distributed with wonderful 
regularity along its whole length, 
