238 MAHOGANY TREE. 



of strength sufficient to cut his way through the 

 thickly tangled underwood. The beginning of 

 August is most favourable for the research, because 

 at this season the leaves of the mahogany are uni- 

 formly of a yellowish hue, inclining to red, and may 

 be readily discovered, even at a distance, amid the 

 deep dark foliage of the forest. Winding his way, 

 therefore, through the thickest of the wood, and 

 cutting a pathway as he goes, the chief, or hunts- 

 man, climbs the tallest tree, and if unsuccessful, 

 pushes forward to another, till he at length espies 

 the mahogany standing singly or in groups. He 

 then descends, and without either chart or com- 

 pass, soon reaches the exact point at which he aims, 

 and with equal precision traces back his steps to his 

 expecting companions, who lose no time in accom- 

 panying him to the place of destination. They 

 then proceed to fell a number of trees sufficient to 

 find labour during the season, and when this is 

 done, the next care is to open a communication by 

 means of roads to the nearest river. The mahogany 

 trees grow often on high and rocky places, or in the 

 very depths of thickly tangled woods, dense forest 

 masses, through which strong men find it difficult to 

 penetrate, even with the aid of hatchets to cut their 

 way. But mahogany trees, when felled, must be 

 removed ; and for this purpose workmen are divided 

 into companies. The most athletic commence by 

 clearing away the underwood with cutlasses, to the 

 extent of one hundred yards for each man per day. 

 The larger trees are then cut down as even with the 

 ground as possible, and if too hard for cutting, they 

 are readily set on fire; trees of this description, 



