The Australian at Play 189 



as when felling a tree. At a given signal, all 

 fall to work, the sharp axes bite their way 

 through the solid logs, and great segments of 

 wood fall thick and fast upon the ground. It is 

 impossible to predict where victory will rest, for 

 those who start best often tire most rapidly, and 

 sometimes a man will fall down from sheer ex- 

 haustion before the log is severed, since wood- 

 chopping mades a severe demand upon even the 

 strongest frame. But the cheer that goes up 

 when the first log topples over relieves the ten- 

 sion, and the victor's name and the time occu- 

 pied in the performance of the feat are quickly 

 announced. Cash prizes of a very substantial 

 size are often won by expert axemen, a few of 

 whom have exalted the accomplishment into a 

 profession. Wood-chopping contests are adver- 

 tised for many weeks beforehand, and during an 

 afternoon devoted to this pastime, the sport is 

 varied by contests in splitting and sawing wood. 

 I^ike the British soldier, the Western Australian 

 miner is no stranger to the delight afforded by a 

 camel race, with native riders. Many of the 

 Afghans are very proud of the speed and endur- 

 ance of their saddle camels, and it is no difficult 

 matter to arrange a race, when the bulk of the 

 fun is afforded by the efforts of the riders to 

 urge the beasts along. The excitement is mainly 

 confined to the Afghan spectators, who are all 

 violent partisans, and shout frantically at the 

 animals they do not wish to win, in the hope of 



