s 
produce is out oi the question with the present inadequate staff of guards c. o-_ 
it is impossible for the 2 guards at the Lumut Station to patrol effectively the 
Reserves on Pangkor Island and that at Tanjong Hantu in addition to the Lumut 
Reserves. Two men cannot be simultaneously in three places, and in this case they 
cannot even be simultaneously in two inasmuch as their Reserves are separated from 
each other by several miles of sea and at least 2 men are required to man the boat 
which takes them there. At the same time 1 have no reason for thinking that petty 
thefts of jungle produce from the Reserves are common : the unreserved areas of 
jungle contain an almost inexhaustible supply of bertams, mengkuang, rotan, etc., 
and the fees for licenses to collect such pppducts are so low that there can be small 
temptation, even to the poorest class of native, to risk the heavy penalty attached to 
cutting in the Reserves. I recall only two instances in the past year where I noticed 
, traces of jungle produce having been so, cut. In each case it was ‘bertam,’ and the 
quantity removed was inconsiderable. 
5. II, however, the Reserves arc to be patrolled at all, provision should be made 
tor patrolling them effectively. Under present conditions this cannot be done, and 
I recommend that the number of Guards be increased from 7. as at present, to 11, to 
he distributed as follows: — 
Lumut 
Pangkor 
Tanjong Hantu 
Beting Luas for Gunong Tunggal 
Bukit Segari and Teluk Sera 
Bruas, for Tanjong Burong 
2 
<9 
“ f This Reserve is the smallest and most 
easily patrolled. 
** 
2 
2 
Quarters are already available at Lumut, Beting Luas and Bruas for the Guards 
stationed there. A light-house is to be erected at Tanjong Hantu next year with 
quarters for the Keepers, and the latter might be extended to include accommodation 
for the b orest Guard : while at Pangkor the men can be quartered in the unoccupied 
rooms at the Police Barracks. A new station will be necessary at Segari ( Kampong 
Acheh ) the cost of which would be, roughly, $200. 
6. It is, I understand, the intention of Government to increase the number of 
Reserves in this district. Any addition to the present areas will involve a proportionate 
increase in the protective staff. 
7. The lease of the Tanjong Burong Firewood Farm expired on December 31st 
1899, ar| d will not be renewed. The terms of contract, regulating size of timber to 
be cut, number of coolies to be employed, etc. were very strict and effectually pre- 
cluded the possibility of the stock of firewood in the district being even temporarily 
exhausted. It has been decided, however, that this Reserve is to be placed on the 
same footing as those containing large and individually valuable trees, and closed 
absolutely and unconditionally for any cutting operations whatsoever. This decision 
is, in my opinion, a matter for regret. Bakau, Tingah, Alang Gadei and similar 
firewoods are quick-growing trees which attain full size in 10 to 12 years from the 
time their first shoots appear, they are very prolific, and a bakau jungle in which 
cutting has been carefully regulated, and only trees of a diameter of not less than 
eight inches at, say, four feet from the ground have been cut will renew i self inde- 
finitely. To treat such jungles on similar lines to those reserved for the ^-protection 
of such valuable trees as Damar Laut. Chengai, Resak, Halbau, Mirbau. etc. which 
attain maturity only after forty or fifty years and whose reproductive capacity is 
relatively small, seems, I respectfully suggest, scarcely reasonable; the hard and 
fast closing of a thickly-growing tract of bakau such as Tanjong Burong means a 
waste of useful timber and a considerable decrease of revenue simultaneously with 
an increase in expenditure in protecting it — for the benefit of nobody. 
8. Although this report deals primarily with the crown Reserves it may not 
be out of place — in view of the fact that the Bindings contributes nearly nine-tenths 
of the total revenue derived by the colony from Timber Royalty — to attach a few re- 
marks on the forests which are not included in the reserved areas. 
On January 1st 1899, the Kongsis engaged in the felling, sawing and export of 
large timber, as opposed to firewood Kongsis, were five in number, vis : — 
(1) at Beting Luas, Manager Teh Neo Soo. 
(2} at Sungei Gapis, Manager On t G Tek Kwang. 
(3) at Sungei Segari, Manager Beh Chow Neo. 
(4) at UIu Senipit, Manager Teo I EW SENG. 
(5) at Batu Unclan, Manager CHEW LlM SWEE. 
