164 
A COLONY IN THE MAKING 
CH. XVI 
What the value of these forests is at the present 
day is, of course, a matter almost impossible to esti¬ 
mate. Comparisons with forests of other countries 
are the only possible means of arriving at any result, 
and such comparisons are more than usually odious. 
One would, however, be on absolutely the safe side in 
saying that there exist on the Highlands one million 
acres of timber, worth to-day ^10 per acre. It 
stands to reason that the sooner this vast capital is 
unlocked the better it will be for every interest in the 
Protectorate. 
