WILL WE EVER LEARN?

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 7, 23 September 1942, Page 6

WILL WE EVER LEARN?

In "The Voyage of the Beagle'/' Charles Darwin describes his visit to St, Helena. He mentions how the island prior to the 17th century was densely Avooded, and goes on:

"The history of the changes, Avhich the elevated plains of Longwood and Dead wood sluu r c undergone, as giA r en in General Beatson's account of the iskmd, is extremely curious. Both plains, it. is said, in former times were covered Avith Avood, and Avere therefore called, the Great Wood. So late as the year 171G there were many trees but in 1724 the old trees had mostly fallen*; and as the goats and hogs had been suffered to range about, all the young trees had been killed . . . The fact, that the goats and hogs destroyed all the young trees as they sprang up, and that in the course of time the old ones, Avhicli Avere safe from their attacks, perished from age, seems clearly made out . . . When the evil Avas complete and i (-retrievable, ail order was issued that, 'all stray animals should be destroyed . . . The goats were introduced in 1502." The aboA*e account of AA r hat had happened b} r 183G to one island owned by Britain has so" many points of similarity to our own story, that no donbt in a few years time the Government of the day Avill complete the picture when all our forests have fallen, and Avill order ai? introduced animals Avhicli are not under proper confinement to be destroyed. One can imagine the complacent air Avith Avhich tliey AvilJ congratulate themselves when they haA-e locked the empty stable.