A WINTER WITH THE LUMBERERS 183 



berer. The choice of the axe is all-important. There 

 is as much in the length and proper curve of the handle 

 as there is in the selection of any other tool ; and the 

 weight of the head should be proportioned to the 

 strength of the wielder. The heavier the axe the better, 

 provided the woodman's strength is not overtasked. Then 

 again, the cut, though delivered in a sloping direction, 

 must be perfectly straight in the line of the blow, other- 

 wise a great part of its effect is lost. Another point is to 

 hit in the right place ; the lumberer must be a marks- 

 man — must have a true eye. It takes years to make 

 a thoroughly good lumberer. Such, however, will fell 

 a tree two feet in diameter within ten minutes. 



The tree once down must be cleared of branches, and 

 this work I largely engaged in, as do beginners generally, 

 for the sake of the practice. I may add that my first 

 day's work gave me a dreadful attack of lumbago ; but 

 the benign Mike and the heathen Chinee between them, 

 stripped me and rubbed me for an hour, before a blazing 

 fire, with bear's grease ; and in a day or two I resumed 

 work, and ultimately could swing my axe from morn till 

 night with the hardiest of them. But it is fearful work. 

 The excessive labour and rough living will, and does, 

 cripple the most vigorous in a very few years ; yet, once 

 a lumberer, always a lumberer. The men love the wild 

 life, and few ever leave it until they leave the world. 



At the present day I believe that tree-felling, both in 

 Canada and other parts of America, is mostly performed 

 by hand-saws. This must be on account of the scarcity 

 of skilled axe-men. For a good lumberer will bring 

 down his tree as speedily, at least, as two men with a 

 saw. However the tree is felled, the branches, &c., are 

 always piled in great heaps and destroyed by fire. The 

 reflection from these burning piles can sometimes be seen 

 for nearly a hundred miles ; and the odour of the burn- 

 ing wood can also be perceived at an immense distance. 

 Sometimes the fire from the burning piles catches the 



