by government, especially for the inferior and small kinds of timbers,
shingles, pipe staves, &c. which are allowed to 'be cut in particular forests.
The industry which has been excited by opening these facilities in pro-
curing timber, and the "impetus which it has afforded to trade,-may be estimated
by this fact, that within the last few years 'have been launched no
less than ten to twelve square-rigged vessels, of from one hundred and fifty
to four hundred tons,' and that many more of larger dimensions were about
to bebuilt, when the restoration of the colony was announced;
It need hardly be Observedj that due .precautions have^been taken-for the
preservation and renovation of the valuable forests, which so far from being
exhausted, are capable of supplying besides crooked and compass timber for
ship-building, forty or fifty thousand beams in the year witEoutTinjury.
European overseers are appointed, and one general superintendent is placed
over the whole.*
As illustrative of the importance attached to 'these forests by the^ Duteh,
and of the capabilities of the island for ship-building, it may not be uninteresting
to annex an 1 extract from Mr. Hogendorp’s appeal to the authorities
in Holland on this subject.!:, -r
The
* Far the situation and extent of the forests, see plate of the Mineralogical Sketch of the Inland.
! “ Batavians! he amazed! hear with wonder what I have to communicate. -Öur.fleets are
“ destroyed, our trade languishes, our navigation is going to ruin—we purchase with immense
“ treasures, timber and other materials for ship-building from the northern powers, and on Java
“ We leave warlike and mercantile squadrons standing with their'roots in the ground. - Yesf^ithe
“ forests of Java have timber enough to build a respectable navy in a short time, besides as many
“ merchant ships as we require.' Ilemp would grow as well as in Bengal, and as labour is-as-c-heap
“ in Java, we may consequently presume that it would require 1 ittle .trouble to establish manufac-
u tures of canvas and cordage there in a short time. But, at any rate, Java already produces.ht
“ a very low price cayar and gamuti Cordage, which answers very well’ fot cables, hawsers, and
jg rigging. To build ships at Java for the mother country, it is only necessary to' send out skilful
“ and complete master-builders with a few ship carpenters; for common workmen are to be had
“ on Java in numbers, and at a very low rate, as a goad Java carpenter may-he hired at five
“ stivers a day. The principal objection-that could be made is, that,-the shores Of Java "being
very flat and level, "are not well adapted for building, and silTtess for .launching ^S p s' of
i heavy burthens;'but this difficulty may be easily overcome: on the islands before Btttivia,
Md particularly Brunt and Gookels Island, wharfs; or even docks, may be constructed at
JUtlJe fespence.' The same maybe observed of onp of the islands off Japara,and at Grésik,
“ besides many other pjacesdn the eastern division, ip- the harbour ‘which is formed by the
“ island of Madtira,. and which is sheltered from.every wind.-
The Resident of Kembdng, and sometimes of Jawfina, are almost.the only Europeans who
“ build ships, for it is too difficult and dangerous for others to undertake it, under the arbi-
** trary
TIMBER. 185
- The Bkmdmg. people or. foresterssare? generally employed in cutting or-in
dragging -timber during feighf'j.'monfhsr-dut’tof ith'e-fef'welve,' but they , are
©bliged-tt&5Syatch**fte -whole’ year,, through : they are-iegnlarly
relieved, and’ -half ithe',> wording.; men: are- at all times. left*: disposeable: for
thedriee' fields.o The«BlandongAipeople'tb.&ve yalwaysr been: accustomed' to
th&vwork,' and ’genefall^ha’we. thni'iffvillagesqaear, the^principah forests. :i i 'It is
one^o'fi.- the^adyantages ofi'-tbeis^stem ofiicontrabtingnwith the people for land
payments;--, thatl infcemergehciegptheyoare :-wiIling.to lend'their;own buflaloes
to^assis-tetflfiasp of'-Jgpyetnmqnti1 in £dr aggin’g $M a v y tim bw h ^ e h 'could
riot *'be-iremovedi'oiEeh^s^^without'i’greathexpence;' w;hiLe:'their children,
a t other,,'tithes wateEiand* attend ;th'e^ ||tlei;bel’onging vtcogoyernment. i l n
^hort, theiresqufees ofithevillage' are:at Aepdi^p8s^y©ff government,-for-a
land., payment considerabfy-iig^fi'than;-one-third of theo'expmfce^Fof hired
labourers, whom lit -‘WQuld -be' diffioult’-to prorciJre'Si’ an'd-still more difficult,
frdm' thelfehara'Gt^obftth'onpeoplhj: torretainj xrit, coristamfr: and ^unremitting
emplp^ment. =
ImHindert the system of 'grantit^.'remi^idnsiqfrrent, it has been calcula'ted
that in. the; district's-of- Semarmg, nwher6;,tho!ass®^hrenl;is 'comparatively
Mghyton -Xceou-nt ipi'r fee. ivicMtyHfe'a large-rfcapitaV an remission- 'of eight
Cupdekand a %lf,l or-:abont. twOnty-sM^ngsin b'eirfg;tfeiyeragferamount paid
anriulSwyieab'hf cultivator, govemmentlobtains' a man’|jhaid^laboujr;for, six
ffi5hths;o£l,fee tyeawti But as' the. inhabitants lofrtbe ‘ same rvillageVard fgene-
rally .-'accustom'd^ ter labour‘lin -'the-'fieMs^alternatelyf.' amfetiiusito assist.each
. rtthhr, if has been found advisableoto' - make ^bqaremissioris. ofrrent IfonUhe
Blmdongs to! the ’’village as a'community, - in- order, to avoid fee delay, and
endtess/vexation which’would ensue;-in-adjusting the petty claims: of .each
individual. - •
, v : ^ - ; tT irshi arlt ’k> : . In
V .-trary'government: at presentifelisting'-in'-Java,, finder which nothing can flourish or succeed.
<<. But^'eiChm.ese^whb are favoured in; eve^i|ifig^We wed-'aware to.
“ their own, advantage, afld to^huild a great'^y^iberi of, iressels all'aTogg.tiie coast, from fifteen
^So two'Euncjxed lasts burthfih ’for which they get^eattmBer talmost.lor 'nothing, by mSatns' of
^riming' t&‘ld?ei^ "vflia^fe1^ Tt 'is easy t^Snagme, ho^^iese avaricious bloodsuckers use the
“ - forests/ a^dhfiSha'ge'to get all-' they1' tan 'but! 'bfrJhemh^I'n Jspite *0'f afh this;! however; the
« forests of Java grow-as'fast asithqy areteutpandowouldibe inexhaustibie'finder good .carte.
£.‘, and management.
A Surat, and Demaun, and othefplaces S* "fn*
^gal^and at Pegu,1 the English builii many Targe, afdlfihe^ipp^ich^ length
« especially those of Bombay and Malabar hSH^aitBough IJhelifeve the wood produced’there,
” hewever good, is’ not equal to the teak of Java.”