TIMBER EXPORTS BY THE BALTIC. 241 



Mr Quinn had letters of introduction to Her Majesty's 

 Consul General in Dautzig, and to the several mercantile 

 houses engaged in the trade. He reports 



' All those parties seemed earnestly inclined to afford 

 i-.e all the information possible relative to the trade of 

 this port. They are straightforward, open, and candid 

 men, and did not appear to have anything to conceal of a 

 general character with respect to the business. They all 

 complain that the standing timber is fast disappearing, 

 that it is rising in price at each and every succeeding sale, 

 and that the distance they have to haul is constantly 

 increasing. Mr Grade, of the firm of Messrs Albrecht & 

 Co., said timber not requiring to be hauled more than 12 

 to 15 English miles is considered handy to the river. To 

 have to haul 6 to 8 German miles (30 to 40 English) is by no 

 means unusual. Afterwards it has to be driven a great 

 distance by a tortuous, tedious, and expensive route. A 

 great proportion of the lumber brought to this market is 

 made a long way to the south and south-east of Warsaw, 

 and much of it is brought from Galicia, in Austrian 

 Poland. The general custom of selling the standing 

 timber is as follows : A certain limit or circuit is sold, 

 which is supposed to contain a specified number of trees, 

 suitable to be made into timber, for a slump sum or for so 

 much per tree. The number of trees is generally over- 

 rated, but such is the competition among purchasers that 

 they submit to this. The purchaser is bound to take off 

 the quantity within a given time, if to be found ; but in 

 no case is any deduction made. He is not allowed to 

 take more than the number stipulated for, should they 

 even be there, without paying additionally for them. 

 Every tree which is cut down counts, whether rotten or 

 otherwise. I went with Mr Albrecht and looked over 

 all the lumber in the river, down to the harbour. There 

 was but little remaining after the spring shipments, and 

 none of the new timber had then arrived. It was 

 expected in a few days. The timber is separated into 

 three classes 1st, 2nd, 3rd. Mr Albrecht told me that to 



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