CAREFUL METHODS OF CLEARING. 275 



as a brake. In Moravia, the very small sledges (Fig. 172) 

 support only a small part of the load taken down at once ; the 

 rest is fastened in bundles and dragged behind the sledge, so 

 as to act as a brake. As the track varies in steepness, occa- 

 sionally parts of the load have to be left behind : the man 

 takes what he can to the nearest steep part of the track and 

 then returns for the rest, he then goes on with the whole load 

 till he comes to another place where the gradient is insuf- 

 ficient, and some again has to be left behind. Such a mode 



Fi- 17.->. SlnL'e-brake. 



of sledging is most suitable with gradients from 1 in 4, to 

 1 in 3, (2530 per cent.). 



It is evident that besides using somo form of brake, the 

 workman must use his own strength and press his spiked 

 boots into the trade at stt-.t-p places. 



(d) Sledging without a regular track. Generally, sledging 

 except on sledge-tracks, is confined to the transport of fuel or 

 charcoal-wood. This is either split and piled transversely 

 between the sledge-uprights, or if brought down in round 

 pieces often of double the length of the billets, these are 

 placed lengthways along the sledge in a pyramidal pile and 

 fastened to the sledge by short ropes or thin chains. 



v. Sliding Logs />// means of Ropes. 



Thick ropes, 30 60 feet long and 1J 2 inches thick, are 

 used for sliding logs down sufficiently steep inclines. 



The method of attaching rope to the log is shown in Fig. 176, 

 or a hook may be attached to the rope and inserted into a hole 

 cut in the butt-end of the log. According to the position of 

 the log on the ground, it may be let down with its butt-end 



T 2 



