Timber Supplying in the South Spanish Dockyards During the 18th Century

Abstract

The mountains of Segura, as an inland area and far away from dockyards and large populations, remained in the best conditions, even wild. However, other forests closer to those and which can be easily harvested were used to provide the shipbuilding industry, hydraulic and civil architectures with timber. Once those located in the Department of Cartagena […] and Cádiz were completely deforested. Thus, the government and timber dealers started cutting down abundantly forests from Seville to Segura, through Jaén, Córdoba, etc., and wrongly thinking that they were exhaustible they took all the pieces of wood required to provide naval dockyards in Cádiz and Cartagena.

Las sierras de Segura, como zona de interior, alejada de astilleros y de grandes poblaciones, mantenía su entorno natural en las mejores condiciones, incluso salvaje. Sin embargo, otros bosques más cercanos y de fácil aprovechamiento fueron utilizados para proveer de madera a la industria naval y las construcciones hidráulicas y civiles. Una vez que los bosques situados en las regiones de Cartagena [...] y Cádiz fueron totalmente deforestados. El gobierno y los madereros comenzaron a talar abundantes bosques desde Sevilla hasta Segura, pasando por Jaén, Córdoba, etc., y pensando erróneamente que eran inagotables, se llevaron todas las maderas necesarias para abastecer los astilleros navales de Cádiz y Cartagena