1 ( 3t )
2 Jarul, Kurtah, and Nagussur, aro the kinds of wood mostly sought after, as they are
3 more than others used in boat-building. Of these three again
4 Jarul is the most valuable, on account of its being useful
5 for almost every purpose; there has therefore always been
6 an immense demand for this wood: so much so that now it is exceedingly hard to find a
7 large Jarul tree within o reasonable distance of a stream fit for floating. Even in the out-
8 of-the-way parts, known as Lungai, Ujan, i.e. the wild, uninhabited tracts to the south-east
9 of the district beyond our police outpost of Lungai and towards the Tipperah hills, wood-
10 cutters have been in the habit of felling even in those parts for many years, floating the logs
11 by degrees after heavy falls of rain down the small streams into the Lungai river and out by
12 it to the Koosearah, down which it goes to market. More timber found its way to market
13 from this wild tract than from any other part of the district owing to the facilities for floating
14 and the size of the timber. A few years before the present restrictions were put on timber
15 felling, it was found necessary to take elephants up into the forests to drag the logs from the
16 interior of the jungle to the streams, no large trees having been left sufficiently near for
17 gangs of men to roll in. All this tends to prove that of late year by year the stook of timber
18 has hee gradually getting reduced, and is now so small, that if the strictest measures for con-
19 servancy are not taken, there will not in a year or two be a really mature tree of Jarul,
20 Kurtah, or Nagussur, procurable. There are doubtless patches here and there, but the difficulty
21 and expense of removal would be so great, that no one would be induced to attempt the task
22 of getting the timber out.
23 The parts personally inspected comprised the Dewalliah and Patharia Hills, eastern
24 part of the Haragu) Hills, and the northern parts of the
25 forests situated in the valley of the Lungai, and of these the
26 tracts on either side of the Lungai river seem the most favorable for forest operations.
27 The difficulties that may arise on this portion of the district being taken up will be
28 from the possibility of the Lushais making raids, as of old, in the cold weather, and the
29 proximity of the Tipperah territory. Nothing could be done until the boundaries between
30 the two countries are properly marked out by the proper authorities, or some understanding
31 come to with the Rajah of Tipperah.
32 Tho forests situated on the banks of the Singla river, and separated from the Lungai by
33 a low range of hills, are from all accounts similar to those bordering the Lungai. Finer trees
34 will doubtless be found nearer at hand owing to wood-cutters not having penetrated very far
35 south from fear that the Lushais might come down on them while in the jungle ; whatever
36 would be necessary for the working of the Lungai forests, would be required for these.
37 The boundaries suggested for setting apart this large tract of forest land contained in the
38 valleys of the Lungai and Singla are, to the north, Depolalacherra, flowing eastward into the
39 Lungai from the Patharia hills; the Bhorunghacherra, flowing westwards into the Lungai
40 from the Dewalliah hills, a line taken due east from Oylamtang Teelah to the edge of the
41 jungle; the Roopacherra, flowing westwards into the Singla from the Chattiecherra range.
42 To the east the Chattiecherra range; to the south the boundary line between Hill Tipperah
43 and Sylhet district ; and to the west, the boundary line between Hill Tipperah and Sylhet
44 from Vomsoal vid Torloongto to Tal Post, and from there along Ce to the east of the
45 Patharia hills as far as the Dopolalacherra.
46 The Patharia hills contain but little good timber towards the north, the trees being any
47 thing but good specimens of their kind. There are patches of good trees here and there, but
48 they are situated in places very diffioult and hard to get at, and the removal of the timber
49 would not be at all a remunerative undertaking. ‘Towards the south of the range, t.e. as
50 far as it lies in our territory and in the vicinity of the Tal Gong, there are some bits
51 containing fine timber, but all of the kinds considered inferior and little valued when
52 compared with Jarul by the natives.
53 The Haraguj hills to the east have been jhoomed in most places up to their summit, and
54 there is little else but bamboo jungle to be found, except in the low ground between the
55 talahs and close to the hills, in places where patches of ground oontaining mostly Jarul,
56 Kurtah, and Nagassur, are met with.
57 There is an immense deal of ground between the foot of the hills and the Jooree river
58 covered with tall grass, in which several patches of young Jarul, mostly shoots from old
59 stumps, were met with. The young trees, in addition to being choked by the grass, were also
60 stunted,—no doubt from being burnt every year when these grass lands are subjected to fire by
61 the villagers. Owing to the proximity of the villages no good trees have been left in this
62 plain land, and almost every tree in the interior of any size was felled last year. There are
63 consequently a very few indeed large Jarul, Kurtah, or Nagassur trees to be found now;
64 but the stock of small ones of these kinds, and of all sizes of the sorts in demand, is good, and
65 might be protected, as though there are only three (the Sagurnal, Huskai, and Dingai,)
66 streams for getting the logs to the Jooree, leaks could casily be made from any part at the
67 foot of the hills to enable elephants to drag the timber to the river.
68 Difficulty to obtain aupplhes of beat
69 woods,
70 Tracts inspected.