THE PINE. 



461 



single plank would be cut by one of the saws. 

 We found that ten planks, each ten feet in length, 

 were sawed in five minutes, one set of saws 

 working through two feet of timber in a single 

 minute. A ladder, sloping from the mill into 

 the midst of the cataract, rested there upon a 

 rock, which enabled us to take a station in the 

 midst of the roaring waters. On all sides of the 

 cataract, close to its fall, and high above it and 

 far below it, and in the midst of the turbulent 

 flood, tall pines waved their shadowy branches, 

 wet with the rising dews. Some of these trees 

 were actually thriving upon naked rocks, from 

 which the dashing foam of the torrent was 

 spreading in wide sheets of spray." 



In some parts of Sweden there are accidental 

 fires, and the pines are also sometimes burned, 

 in order to clear the soil for agi'iculture. In the 

 acount of his journey from Stockholm, north- 

 ward, Dr Clarke says, " As we proceeded to Ham- 

 range, we passed through noble avenues of trees, 

 and saw some fine lakes on either side of the 

 road. Some of the forests had been burned, by 

 which the land was cleared for cultivation. The 

 burning of a forest is a very common event in 

 tliis country; but it is most frequent towards 

 the north of the gulph of Bothnia. Sometimes 

 a considerable part of the horizon glares with a 

 fiery redness, owing to the conflagration of a 

 whole district, which, for many leagues in extent, 

 has been rendered a prey to the devouring flames. 

 The cause is frequently attributed to lightning; 

 but it maybe otherwise explained; and we shall 

 have to notice some remarkable instances of these 

 fires in the sequel." 



Again, Dr Clark mentions that in Lapland, 

 beyond Tornea, "some forests were on fire near 

 the river, and had been burning for a considerable 

 time. Mr Tipping informed us, that these fires 

 were owing to the carelessness of the Laplanders 

 and boatmen on the rivers, who, using the boletus 

 igniarius (German tinder) for kindling their 

 tobacco pipes, suffer it to fall in an ignited state 

 among the dry leaves and moss. They also leave 

 large fires burning in tlie midst of the woods, 

 which they have kindled to drive away the 

 mosquitoes from their cattle and from themselves; 

 therefore, the conflagration of a forest, however 

 extensively the flames may rage, is easily ex- 

 plained. Yet Linnaeus, with all his knowledge 

 of the country and customs of the inhabitants, 

 attributed the burning of the forests in the north 

 of Sweden to the effects of lightning. During 

 these tremendous fires, the bears, wolves, and 

 foxes are driven from their retreats, and make 

 terrible depredations among the cattle. A bear, 

 having crossed the river, about a fortnight before 

 we arrived, had killed in one night six cows and 

 twelve sheep, the property of a farmer. We 

 saw their former owner, and the place where all 

 this slaughter had been committed, having landed 



to walk by the side of the river, while our boat- 

 men were engaged in forcing the rapids. The 

 farmer attributed his loss to the burning of the 

 opposite forest, which had compelled the bear to 

 pass the river for food." 



On the southern shores of the Baltic there are 

 also extensive pine forests. These are chiefly 

 situated to the east of the Vistula, on the whole 

 of the sandy tract that lies between the rich corn 

 valley of that river and the flax and hemp valley 

 of the Dwina, and stretches back into the cen- 

 tral parts of Russia. The soil upon which tliis 

 forest grows is almost wholly sand, and the sur- 

 face is in consequence comparatively level, nor 

 does any of it lie at a great elevation above the 

 sea. The river Memel is the principal channel 

 by which this timber is conducted to the sea, 

 and Memel is the port at which it is chiefly dis- 

 posed of. Much of the timber of Memel is 

 exported in logs that are only squared by the 

 axe ; and masts and spars of Memel timber are 

 much esteemed. In the Tiaafs or low lands on 

 those shores of the Baltic, amber is found in 

 greater abundance than in any other part of the 

 world ; and it is considered that it may be the 

 turpentine of decayed pines, changed by the 

 length of time it has been buried in the earth. 



The northern slopes of the Alps, and the secon- 

 dary mountains in the south of Germany, abound 

 in pines ; and the Rhinp and Danube (the prin- 

 cipal upper branches of the latter rise in the 

 Alps) are well adapted for conveying the timber 

 to the lower districts, where it is valuable. The 

 mode of conveying the timber on the Rhine, in 

 immense rafts, is very curious. The following 

 account of these rafts is by the autlior of " An 

 Autumn near the Rhine :" — 



"A little below Andernach, the little village 

 of Namedy appears on the left bank, under a 

 wooded mountain. The ' Rhine here forms a 

 little bay, where the pilots are accustomed to 

 unite together the small rafts of timber floated 

 down the tributary rivers into the Rhine, and 

 to construct enormous floats, which are navi- 

 gated to Dortrecht, and sold. These machines 

 have the appearance of a floating village, com- 

 posed of twelve or fifteen little wooden huts, on 

 a large platform of oak and deal timber. They 

 are frequently eight or nine hundred feet long, 

 and sixty or seventy in breadth. The rowers 

 and workmen sometimes amount to seven or 

 eight hundred, superintended by pilots and a 

 proprietor, whose habitation is superior in size 

 and elegance to the rest. The raft is composed 

 of several layers of trees, placed one on the other, 

 and tied together. A large raft draws not less 

 than six or seven feet of water. Several smaller 

 ones are attached to it by way of protection, 

 besides a string of boats, loaded with anchors 

 and cables, and used for the purpose of sounding 

 the river and going on shore. The domestic 



