FIRE AS PROTECTION 



discovered what had apparently in almost every instance 

 produced it. Rabbits had overthrown these trees ! 



They had nibbled away part of the cork and part of the 

 young wood on the projecting buttress-like roots at the base 

 of the tree. In consequence, water, bacteria, and fungus 

 spores had entered at the injured places, and part of the 

 roots had become decayed and rotten. When the gale 

 began to sway them backwards and forwards and a severe 

 strain came on what should have been a sound anchoring or 

 supporting buttress, the rotten part yielded, and these fine, 

 beautiful trees fell a prey to the rabbit. 



The influence of forests and timber on the daily life of 

 mankind is a most romantic and interesting chapter in history. 



Every savage tribe, every race of man, however degraded 

 or backward, is acquainted with fire. Fuel is therefore a 

 necessity of existence for all savages, and not merely for 

 cooking. There is a very interesting passage in London's 

 TTie Call of the Wild, when the Dog " Buck " in his dreams 

 remembers a hairy man crouching over the fire with Buck's 

 ancestor at his feet, whilst in the darkness all round them 

 the firelight is reflected from eyes of wolves, bears, and even 

 more terrible and dangerous brutes which have now happily 

 vanished from the world. For protection at night fire was an 

 absolute necessity. Even at that long-distant period, there- 

 fore, man had commenced to attack the forest. Unless one 

 has had to tend a wood fire for twelve hours, it is difficult to 

 realize what a quantity is required. To prepare fire was a 

 long, laborious, and difficult operation ; one piece of wood 

 was placed on the ground and held in position by the toes, 

 a pointed stick was taken between the two palms of the hand 

 and twirled vigorously round and round until the heat was 

 enough to ignite a piece of rotten wood placed as tinder. 



so 



