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William Taylor Money was writing in about 1810 from Bombay, in the knowledge that the Malabar Forests had recently rescued the Royal Navy in the Indian Ocean from serious embarrassment. During 1807 and 1808 the masts on RN ships deployed in the Indian Ocean were so old and weak that these ships were suffering frequent dis-masting in storms. The newer French ships were provided with stronger masts, and the loss of even a single ship of the line had the potential to tip the naval balance of power. See Stephen Taylor's recent book, "Storm & Conquest, The Battle for the Indian Ocean, 1809." The importance of the Malabar as an alternative source of masts to North America or the Baltic, which were being shut off to Britain in 1807 was brought home by the perilous state of Sir Edward Pellew's ships. During 1807 the Royal Navy was fighting a very arduous campaign in the Indian Ocean against the French and Dutch naval forces based in Isle De France and Java respectively. The Royal Navy needed every ship it could get in European waters, and yet it at the same time could not afford to let the French cut off British commerce in Indian waters and on the route to China. Most of our saltpetre for the war effort in Europe was coming from Bengal. Due to the effects of Napoleon’s Continental Blockade the Navy was finding it increasingly hard to get replacement masts and spars from its traditional sources in Russia and the Baltic countries. Relationships with America, another source of spar timbers were also difficult in the lead up to the 1812 War. Only limited shipbuilding and repair facilities were then available to the fleet in Bombay. However the Bombay docks were being rapidly redeveloped, with a new larger graving dock designed by William Cowper was under construction. This upsurge in Naval activity and ship repairs in India was leading to a shortage of timber and especially Spars, which were becoming very expensive. Somehow Thomas Baber based down on the Malabar Coast heard about this, and being aware of the very large trees still present in the forests covering the hills inland of Tellicherry, he realised that he could assist the war effort by providing an alternative source of timber supplies, as is reported in the following extracts: Extract of a letter from Sir E Pellew to the Hon’ble Wm Pole Secretary to the Admiralty dated his Majesties Ship Culloden Bombay Harbour 20th May 1808. "A twelve month since I had an opportunity of receiving much valuable information from Mr Baber at Cannanore one of the Coll’tors of the Province of Malabar by whom I was satisfied that great impositions had heretofore been experienced by the Confederacy & the Merchants on the Coast from whom as the only dealers in timber the Naval Service had been formerly supplied & he gave me management to make the experiment of procuring them by means of an agency which supported by his authority would enable me to obtain a considerable supply at a trifling comparative expense – The result has proved most satisfactory, a native agent has been employed under my directions to cut 50 large spars for the use of the squadrons who has accomplished his undertaking by bringing the whole of them down to the beach in Tellicherry at an expense of less than 6,000 rupees from which they will be conveyed to Madras & Bombay by the men of war which touch thereon their passage along the coast without any further charge & creating a nett saving for His Majesties government of £18,730. I have the honour to enclose a list of their dimensions and have not to observed the price at which 52 large spars have thus been procured, has heretofore been paid at Bombay for two only by individuals as well as for the King’s service. I consider the supply has been obtained upon these very advantageous terms entirely under the Benefit of Mr Baber’s local authority in preventing imposition & by the aid he has been able to give to the agent & proceedings. " The Government decided to reward Thomas for his work in procuring the Spars. He received the news in the following letter. Extract of a letter from Wm Petrie – 1808 "I was prevented writing to you last Friday to inform you that Lord William Bentinck had as a Public & Honourable Testimony to the merits of your conduct, proposed a Donation of £1000 or 2,500 Rs to you from the Treasury which was immediately sanctioned. " However, not everybody was as pleased with Thomas Baber’s success in providing such economic spars. It appears that somebody, probably one of the established Bombay timber merchants, suggested to the authorities that they could have only been procured so cheaply if Thomas Baber had forced the local Tellicherry population to hand the trees over in some improper way. Mr George Buchan wrote to Sir Edward Pellew concerning the enquiry. An extract from the letter survives. “I have had the pleasure to receive your note with its enclosure which I have communicated to Sir George Barlow – It’s

Unfortunately the Royal Navy then decided to get the East India Company to appoint Conservators in the Forest of Malabar and to enforce a monopoly over the rights to the timber. This led to many abuses, and caused the local ship building industry in Malabar to collapse. Ship owners like the Bibi of Arrakkal who had owned and operated fleets of 300 to 400 tonne ships was unable to build replacement vessels. Thomas Baber went on to give evidence about this in 1830 in the House of Lords. "Was there not, during the Period of your Residence in Malabar, a Monopoly of Timber? There was, both of the Timber and of the Forests, which were taken Possession of by the Government. Did that Monopoly extend, not only to the Forests but to Timber in the Gardens and Fields of the several Proprietors? It was not, I imagine, so intended in the first instance; but the Conservator, the Officer whose Province it was to superintend the Monopoly, extended it to Timber grown in Gardens; but I believe it was that Officer's own Act. Great Complaints were frequently made, but I never heard of any Redress, until Sir Thomas Munro abolished the Monopoly altogether. This, I think, was in 1823. During that Time was the Price of Timber much raised, so as to stop Shipbuilding on the Coast of Malabar? It was not procurable on any Terms. The Company took the whole Quantity, except what was called the Refuse, which was of little Use in Shipbuilding. Was Shipbuilding stopped on the Coast of Malabar in consequence? Entirely. I have seen Applications from the principal Shipbuilders to the Conservator of the Forests and to the Government, to sell to them, or to be allowed to purchase, Timber to build and repair their Vessels. They offered to purchase at any Price. Since the Monopoly was taken off, has Shipbuilding improved? Yes; Four or Five Vessels have been built, or are building. What is the State of the Government Forests since the Cessation of the Government Monopoly? The Forests were given up wholly to the Proprietors. Are there no Forests belonging to the Government now? In the Northern Part of Canara, that is, from the Subramanny Pagoda, East of Mangalore, there are; all the Forests to the Eastward, or on the Ghaut Mountains that is, are the Property of the Government; I never, at least, heard of any Individuals laying Claim to them. But the whole Tract of Forests South of Subramanny is claimed, and I have no doubt is the Property of private Individuals. I have seen many of these Title Deeds upwards of a Century old. The Reason for the Monopoly originally was, that the Timber might be supplied at a lower Rate to the Dock Yard at Bombay? The ostensible Reason given in the first Proclamation by the Principal Collector of Malabar, dated 18th July 1806, stated, "That The Honourable Company had Occasion for Teak Trees for the Purpose of building Ships, and therefore the Government had resolved to grant a Monopoly to one Chowakkara Moosa, in order that it might be furnished with the Trees it wanted at a low Price," &c. The subsequent Proclamation by the Madras Government, dated 25th April 1807, announced, "the Assumption, in pursuance of Orders from The Honourable Court of Directors, of the Sovereignty of the Forests in the Provinces of Malabar and Canara." Was Timber cheaper in consequence of that Monopoly at Bombay than it is at present? I rather think the Price was considerably enhanced to what it was before the Monopoly, owing to the Expense of the Conservator's Establishment. Was the Conservator sent by the Government of Bombay, or by the Governor of Madras? By the Governor of Bombay; the Forests were re-transferred to Bombay by Orders from the Court of Directors. There was no Survey originally of the Forests? There never was. I beg to refer their Lordships to a very able Minute, one of the Documents published in Sir Thomas Munro's Life, containing full Information on this Subject." Unfortunately what had started out with the best of intentions had become a bit of a disaster as the cost of teak actually went up substantially in Bombay as the trade fell into the hands of monopolistic contractors.

This is so interesting !! Thank you Nick....for the perpetual insider's view of events in our history.

Your blog is an essencial part of the syllabus of all students of Indian history ... Great reading of the article as well as the inputs from members ..

Terrific info, Nick. Thanks.