RAFTING. 415 



through that of the neighbouring bundles, so that the bundles 

 are slightly bound together. The raft-section (Fig. 279) being 

 thus made-up, a pole (a b) is fastened to it by the wedges 

 (m m in}. In the method of making-lip rafts of boards, as 

 shown in Fig. 280, the bundles of boards are fastened one 

 below the other, poles being used for the purpose, as in Fig. 

 279. This method of rafting requires deeper water than the 

 preceding ones. 



(c) Method of making-up Hafts. Several raft-sections are 

 fastened together to make a raft. This is done either by 

 attaching the ends of the sections together by withes, leaving 

 them sufficient play an important point in long rafts and in 

 floating channels with sharp bends ; or the sections are bound 

 firmly together with withes, as is the practice on the river 

 Kinzig, so as to make a rigid raft. The spruce poles, as shown 

 in Fig. 277, are used also for fastening the sections together. 



In binding the sections into rafts, the lightest ones are 

 placed in front at the head of the raft, and the heavier ones 

 behind in the tail. The more attention must be paid to this 

 rule, the more rapid the stream of the rafting-channel, for the 

 light sections float more freely than the heavy ones, and were 

 the latter placed at the head of the raft, they would be pressed 

 upon by the lighter ones, and the latter would even press the 

 heavy ones down and mount on to them, rendering the 

 management of the raft impossible. 



It is a rule that each section should be formed of stems 

 equally long and thick ; if the sections are small, containing 

 five to eight logs, the bases of the logs are all put together 

 at one end of the section, and their tops at the other. Where 

 the sections are larger, and the logs markedly uncylindrical, the 

 butt-ends and tops of the logs are placed alternately side by 

 side, in order to give the raft-section a uniform breadth 

 throughout. Such raft-sections are united more easily in a 

 raft. 



8. Dimensions of Rafts. 



A distinction is made between rafts only one section broad, 

 the sections being placed one behind the other, and large rafts 

 formed both in breadth and length of many sections. The 



