. 
S T R A I T S S -E T T L E M E N T S. 
Paper laid before the Leg' lative Council by Command of His 
Excellency the Officer administering the Government. 
THURSDAY, ? 3 rd APRIL, 1885. 
Annual lie port on the Foresc Jj oartnient, Straits Settlements, 
for the ye r 1884 . 
: o : 
In the organization and working of the L rest Department during the year, the Iui induction 
recommendations contained in my preliminary report (see paragraph 112) on the 
Forests of the Straits Settlements have been closely adheied to. 
2. Following the plan of that report, del ails are here given of the work accom- 
plished and the expenditure incurred in each Settlement. The work has been entirely 
separate from that carried out in connection witn cue Botanic Gardens during the 
year. 
• 4 -4 * 
3. It having pleased His Excellency Governor Sir F. A. Weld, to accord 
me the honour of organizing the Forest Department throughotit the Colony, the fol- 
lowing executive officers have been appointed and, although some of these arc s till 
new to their work, the Department may now be said to be established and will 
yearly become more efficient and useful. 
(ist.) — Superintendent, M. Cantley, Singapore. Staff. 
(2nd.) — Assistant Superintendent, C. CURTIS, Penang. 
This -officer assumed his duties towards the end of July, and has been 
placed in charge of the Penang and Province Wellesley forests. 
(3rd.) — Overseer ist grade, V. JACKSON, Malacca. Assumed his duties on 
the ist January. _ v 
(4th.)— Overseer 2nd grade, D. C. Young. Was appointed in July to be 
Overseer in Singapore 
(5th) — Overseer 3rd grade, PETER Nenkey. In charge of the Penang ex- 
perimental nurseries. 
.4, — The Assistant Superintendent in Penang and Overseers in Malacca and 
Singapore have each a separate staff of subordinate officers for the supervision of 
forest watchmen and coolies engaged in forest work. 
3. — The number of labourers employed during the year has varied greatly, rang- 
ing between two and six hundred, according to the nature of the work in hand. 
6. — The forest watchmen are a body separate from the ordinary employes. 
They wear uniform, and their chief duties are to protect the forest reserves and 
keep open the boundary paths. They work under special regulations which have 
been drawn up for their guidance. 
SINGAPORE. 
7. — In Singapore there are eight reserves, the two largest being the Jurong and Selection of 
Bukit Mandi reserves ; the total area to be reserved is about 8,000 acres (or about forest reser- 
one-twentieth of the total area of the island). -About sixteen miles of boundary line ves - 
have been demarcated, and about 12 miles planted with fast-growing trees. 
