INTRODUCTION 17 



comes in large coils but we don't have any ropes on the 

 boat or rafts, thej^ are all "lines" from the small quar- 

 ter-inch stuff to the heavy inch and three-quarter check 

 lines. 



In running rafts through bridges or a piece of nar- 

 row, crooked river where we have to divide the raft 

 and take one-half through at a time the usual way is 

 to move the boat over on the outside half or piece - 

 then let go all the coupling lines except one at each end 

 of the raft, back the towboat to kill the headw^ay and 

 get the stern near shore in a favorable place. Then the 

 mate sends the linesmen ashore in a skiff with the end of 

 the check line which they make fast to a tree and the 

 mate takes turns with the bight of the line on the check 

 works built on the piece near the stern and when he gets 

 a good strain on the check line, the two coupling lines 

 are let go, the boat stops backing and proceeds with her 

 piece while the mate lands his piece by judiciously 

 rendering and then holding his line on the check works 

 till the piece swings in to shore and stops. 



Then the linesmen pick up the mate and his helper 

 and overtake the towboat. 



When below the bridge or bad place the pilot lands 

 his first piece; goes back up and gets the second piece 

 and when below the bridge or bad place that he "split" 

 for, he backs the second piece in beside the first one; 

 keeps on backing to hold it up against the current while 

 the crew put back and tighten up the lines that hold the 

 two pieces together. This is "coupling up," and when 

 completed the pilot backs the whole raft out in the 

 river and lets it float while they move the boat over to 

 the middle and get her all "hitched in" to proceed 

 down river. 



