240 FELLING MAHOGANY. 



scene for a poet to describe. Imagine a lonely 

 forest, dark with the gloom of night, not even a 

 fire-fly abroad, not a single star seen through the 

 canopy of boughs, not a sound heard, except the 

 rustling of the night breeze in the topmost branches, 

 and the ceaseless murmur of the distant river, 

 pressing on its way. Suddenly a bell is heard, and 

 as suddenly lights are seen advancing from a num- 

 ber of huts which then become visible, and where 

 but a few minutes before all was gloom arid silence : 

 now, by the glare of torches, are discovered the 

 innumerable stems of tall forest trees, half in light, 

 half in shade, with impenetrable gloom beyond 

 them, surrounding a spacious area where men and 

 cattle are employed, and where all is bustle and 

 activity. The logs are being placed upon the wagons 

 by means of temporary platforms, one end of which 

 rests upon the earth, another upon the wagons; and 

 by means of this expedient enormous logs of many 

 tons weight are gradually pushed up. When the 

 wagons are loaded a signal is given, and the cattle 

 begin to draw. A looker-on might almost fancy 

 that the ponderous loads would crush the rocks 

 beneath them, so heavily do they begin to move, 

 and so massy is the appearance which they present, 

 as, guided by the glare of the pine torches, they are 

 seen slowly proceeding through the forest ; the men 

 and cattle thrown out in strong relief, while the 

 further end of the loads is dimly seen in the 

 gathering gloom of the deserted forest. Wearily 

 they go, and reach at length the river side before the 

 sun is at its highest power. Here a very different 

 scene ensues : the logs are shortly removed from the 



