KAFTING. 



417 



and brooks, whilst the latter are employed on large rivers and 

 broad steadily flowing streams. 



The former kind of rafts may, however, be very long, and often 

 consist of from 40 to 70 sections hung one behind the other, 

 containing altogether 300 to 500 logs and more. The large 

 rafts, on the other hand, are often 50 meters (160 feet) broad and 

 200 to 250 meters (650 — 810 feet) long, and were formerly even 

 larger. 



4. Mode of Rafting. 



A raft should be so conducted that it can be guided, its pace 

 moderated, or it can be stopped at pleasure. On slowly flowing 



Fig. 251. 



waters, ordinary spreads are used to guide the rafts. Wliere 

 the current is rapid the rafts are made long so that they may 

 travel slowly, and spreads are hung out behind the last section 

 to drag along the bottom of the channel ; the last section may 

 also be opened out as in 

 fig. 250, or a kind of 

 break is used from the 

 last section as shown in 

 fig. 251 in section and 

 fig. 252 in plan. 



This break consists of 

 a stout beam (a) passing 

 between two poles [h) 



fastened to the raft by clamps, or withes. The break drags 

 obliquely along the bottom of the channel, whilst it is firmly 

 held above between the poles. In this way the pace of a raft 

 may be regulated, and the raft directed through difficult 

 passages and even stopped or stranded. 



Long heavy rafts on fast streams with a steep fall have always 

 several of these breaks on the last raft-section. 



VOL. v. E E 



