es on to say that "the evil
of the colliers misapplying the timber served to them by the keepers
could only be remedied by refusing it for the future to such parties as
had been detected therein. Fining them was found impracticable, owing to
the difficulty of proving the timber to have been the King's, without
which proof the justices could hardly act."

Rewards of 20 pounds, and in gross cases of 50 pounds, were offered to
any persons making a discovery whereby any of the offenders should be
convicted; but without much effect, for the sufficient reason, as stated
in the official report of 1788, that the resident officers derived
advantages from the continuance of the abuse. Thus the Deputy-Surveyor
took as perquisites the tops of all timber rejected by the navy, as well
as of all stolen timber; all trees found felled by wood-stealers; one
moiety of the cord-wood made from the offal-wood of timber delivered to
the miners, and of stolen timber, besides from four pence to six pence
for every tree felled for the use of the miners; whereby his salary was
raised from 50 to 500 pounds a year. It was much the same with the six
keepers, who received one shilling on every order for delivery of timber
to the miners or colliers; the moiety of all offal-wood of timber cut for
the miners; the moiety of all cord-wood of stolen timber; all lengths or
pieces of trespass, and the bark of timber delivered to the miners,
stolen timber called kibbles, and of all stolen timber found within their
respective walks, by means of which their stipends were increased 100
pounds a year each.

Mr. Miles Hartland, the assistant-deputy-surveyor, in his examination, on
the 15th of May, 1788, before the Dean Forest Commissioners, also stated
that "he believed the cottages and encroachments in the Forest have
nearly doubled within the last forty years. The persons who inhabit the
cottages are chiefly poor labouring people who are induced to seek
habitations in the Forest for the advantages of living rent free, and
having the benefit of pasturage for a cow or a few sheep, and of keeping
pigs in the woods; but many encroachments have been made by people of
substance. The cattle of the cottagers are impounded when the Forest is
driven by the keepers, as all other cattle are; and when the owners take
them from the pound, paying the usual fees to the keepers, they turn them
again into the Forest, having no other means of maintaining them. The
greater n