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District Office, 
Jasin y 4th January, 18 gg. 
Sir, — I have the honour to submit the Annual Report on the Administration 
and Maintenance of the Forest Reserves in the Jasin District during 1898. 
1. The expenditure on the Vote for Maintenance amounted to $62.04, the Vote 
being $100, and was distributed as follows; — 
Wages of two coolies clearing lines of Merlimau Forest Reserve at 
$7 per month from the 5th September ... ... ... $52.97 
Tools ... ... ... ... ... ... 9.07 
The Forest Guard is now paid from the Vote for Personal Emoluments. 
2. It is impossible to say what amount of Revenue was derived from the 
Forests before instructions were received that no further timber felling or jungle 
produce collection was to be allowed, as the receipts are mixed up with those of the 
various penghulus for tenths on jungle produce. In future there will be no revenue 
derived from this source. 
3. Batang Malaka : — This Reserve which was formerly under the charge of 
the Corporal at Bukit Senggeh has been guarded this year by a Lance Corporal who 
was added to the establishment and one Guard transferred from Bukit Senggeh. 
They have under their charge the Batang Malaka Reserve and the Northern boundary 
line of the Bukit Sedanan Reserve. I visited this reserve in September, and found 
that good progress had been made in clearing the boundary paths which were rather 
overgrown with “semak” and “resam/’ as the Reserve had been much too far from 
the Corporal's quarters to permit of efficient supervision. The boundary line to the 
North has never been opened up as the Reserve abuts on the unsettled boundary 
with the Negri Sembilan. From the Negri Sembilan side of the range which consti- 
tutes this Reserve, the timber in the distance has (-.every appearance of being good. 
The nature of the ground is a protection in itself against illicit timber cutting and the 
timber as far as I could judge is good. At “ Gapis" there is a “ Mentra” settlement 
on a hill top inside the Reserve ; these people were allowed to remain on their old 
squatting ground when the forest was reserved and have made no further extension 
of the ground cleared. There are a large number of pisangs and other fruit trees 
planted. 
4. Bukit Senggeh . — This Reserve has been as hitherto under the charge of 
Corporal Asan, but there is now only one Guard instead of two, one man being 
transferred to Batang Malaka. The forest to be preserved is of very large extent, 
comprising the Bukit Senggeh Reserve and nearly the whole of the Bukit Sedanan 
Reserve. I visited this reserve also in September, devoting a day to each part of 
it. The boundary paths of the Bukit Sedanan Reserve are all fairly clear and there 
is some good timber, but in places it is very inferior. On the Bukit Senggeh side, 
the boundary path to the South requires re-opening as it has got overgrown ; in 
places it runs through <( lalang " which adds to the difficulty of picking up the line. 
During the small-pox outbreak at Bukit Senggeh three of the sick people were con- 
veyed some way into this Reserve and hidden there for some days before they could 
be traced. 
5. Ayer Panas . — The same men as last year were in charge here, i. e., a Lance 
Corporal and one Guard. I visited the Western portion in January and again in 
October. On the latter occasion 1 also went through the Eastern 'half. The paths are 
clear and much more numerous than in the other Reserves, the ground being level 
and paths having been cut intersecting the forest. The timber, as has been remarked 
in former years, is poor. 
6. Merlimau . — A Lance Corporal and one Guard were allotted to this Reserve, 
being an addition to the strength. Owing to the Forest Station being occupied by 
Public Works Department's coolies, the men did not take charge until the beginning 
of June when new coolie lines had been built. The first work to be done was to 
clear the boundary paths which had been almost completely overgrown. In August 
I visited the Reserve to see what progress had been made in the work. I found that 
on the Southern side most of the path runs through deep swamp and is almost impassable 
as the tree trunks which were laid down by the old Forest Department were all 
submerged and rotted. • In consequence of this two coolies were engaged in Septem- 
ber to assist in getting the lines cleared, and when 1 again visited the Reserve in 
October fair progress had been made on the Northern and Western sides. It will 
however be necessary to obtain extra help again next year. The Chohong River is 
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