MEN OF THE TREES 



for that is their one job. They have nothing else to do 

 but to find the trees, and when they are found, return 

 to camp and lead their master to them. 



If the tree has big buttresses, a platform consisting 

 of sticks fastened with tie-tie (creepers cut from the 

 forest) is constructed ten or fifteen feet from the 

 ground, and upon this the ax-men mount to fell it. 

 When the tree is ready to fall there is an ominous crack, 

 which is actually its heartbreak, and this gives the la- 

 bourers time to get away before the giant of the forest 

 crashes to earth. When a big mahogany comes to earth 

 there is a dull thud which sounds like the firing of a 

 mine, and the ground trembles, the vibrations being felt 

 for a long distance away. 



After the tree is felled, it is cut into logs i8 ft. in 

 length. A good tree will yield two or three logs at least. 

 In one case a mahogany tree yielded seven logs, because 

 at about thirty feet from the ground it forked; thus 

 one big log was obtained near the ground, and three 

 smaller logs were converted from each branch of the 

 fork. 



Scoring, which is accomplished by about twenty 

 labourers lined up on either side, with sharp axes, who 

 make V-shaped notches at close intervals all along the 

 log, is not a lengthy process. As soon as this first opera- 

 tion is completed the adzing gang follow, chipping away 

 the sapwood and bark in between the notches. The log 

 is turned and squared in this fashion until each of the 

 four sides are smooth. The end of one side is bevelled 



176 



