1 ( 13)
2 of tho timber fully paid. It was hoped that as the person with whom
3 the agreement had fale made was well acquainted with the localities, having
4 formerly worked there with a partner before a Forest Department had been
5 introduced, he would succeed in ee undertaking, and that he might hereafter
6 become a permit-holder or contractor to extract timber from the forests, thus
7 freeing the forest establishment from a great deal of work which prevented
8 their being employed in more strictly conservancy purposes. The results,
9 however, of the experiment have not been satisfactory, inasmuch as the
10 contractor and purchaser has spent a considerable sum of money of his own in
11 the undertaking besides the advances made to him by Government, and after
12 cod ae of some logs at Purneah and Dacca (all of which have been paid for
13 and advances on them recovered), he has been obliged to give up the work
14 owing to want of funds, the Forest Department being unwilling to make any
15 further advances. The advances still outstanding, as also the original value of
16 the timber, are recoverable by work done and sale of the timber in the hands
17 of Governinent.
18 63. Mention was made in the report for 1870-71 that there had been no
19 verification of the stock of timber said to be in
20 All stocks of timber vorified,
21 hand at the various forest depéts, although count-
22 ing of all timber had been ordered in 1868-69.
23 64. During the scason of 1870-71 Mr. James, the Assistant Conservator,
24 endeavoured to count the timber, but could not complete the work. Every
25 scarch has now been made in the various places where timber wus originally
26 felled, and all logs have now been accounted for. 1,500 sleepers, not hitherto
27 brought on to stock, were found, and have been brought to account.
28 65. Certain recognized depéts have now been decided upon at which
29 timber is to be taken over, and no timber is to be
30 ey trtain places fixed upon as depite for entered on stock except when lying at these depots.
31 When first timber was felled in Sikkim, every place
32 where timber was felled was called a depdét, and thus it happened that proper
33 supervision could not be exercised, and great confusion was the result.
34 66. The depdts arc now as follows :—
35 © Forest Depots,” where timber may be taken on stock and on arrival, at
36 which contractors’ accounts may be settled.
37 1. Mechi river, for Loharghur forests.
38 2. Sookna, Gulma, and Sivoke, for tracts between Mahanuddy and Teesta.
39 3. Ramshi Haut, for Ramshi forests.
40 4. Hurdi-Bari, for Buxa forests.
41 Station Depots.
42 1. Siligoree.
43 2. Julpigorec.
44 3. Doodoa, near Fallacotta.
45 4. Alipore.
46 5. Ragapathkowa (Buxa).
47 67. Several logs lost during former years have been recovered from the
48 Teesta this year. During the heavy waters they
49 Loge lostin Tecsta during former years, Jind evidently got moved in the pools in which
50 pate they had originally sunk, and through some change
51 in the currents got brought down to a ‘‘flat” below some of the last rapids
52 before the river enters the plains, and were, on being discovered in the still
53 water, recovered and brought to depot at Sivuke. It is very probable that
54 more logs will be recovered in the same way.
55 d