52 NO TES ON FORES TR Y. 



beam is constantly employed to retard the progress 

 of the after part, and prevent its overrunning the 

 fore part. 



In the Black Forest, I observed that the rafts- 

 men simply struck their axes into this beam to get 

 a hold of it, but it would probably be better for 

 inexperienced men to have rope handles attached 

 to it. 



A number of spare bands are always taken to 

 repair mishaps. 



On arrival at the Plains, and before the river 

 deepens or widens very considerably, the raft is 

 anchored at the bank, and its construction altered, 

 because, in its articulated form, the after part, no 

 longer restrained within narrow limits, is liable to 

 swing round and render the navigation unmanage- 

 able. The raft must now be made stiff, which is 

 done by breaking up the after joints, and 

 employing the logs by lashing them fore and aft 

 the remaining joints ; and if the river is very 

 sinuous in its course, it may be necessary to break 

 up each raft into two or three rafts. 



The course is now less rapid, but also less 

 dangerous and difficult, and if the timber is 

 light and fuel obtainable at this stage, each raft 

 may be laden with a considerable quantity. 



The rendering our hill-streams navigable for 

 rafts would generally prove a formidable under- 



