122 
TIMBEE 
twisted. The butt end is tapered off, what is called 
" sledged " or " sniped," for about 3 ft., a hole is bored a 
few inches deep, and an iron bolt fixed in it (see Fig. 23), 
by which means the logs are hauled by natives to the rivers, 
then slung on each side of flat boats, as greenheart will not 
float, and taken down to the' shipping ports at Berbice, 
Georgetown, and other places, possibly 150 miles distant 
from where the trees were felled. There are sawmills at 
these ports, and an effort is being made to develop a trade 
in sawn greenheart logs, as well as in planks of 1^ inch 
thickness and upwards ; the former look very nice about 
12 inches square and quite straight, the ends banded with 
iron hoops and painted to prevent their splitting ; they 
Fig. 23. 
cannot, however, be obtained in longer lengths than from 
30 to 35 ft. 
One of the weak points of greenheart is its tendency to 
split for two or three feet at the ends, hence the timber 
should, if possible, be kept in water or mud until required 
for use ; it is thus kept at the British Guiana ports until 
withdrawn for shipment. Great care has to be exercised in 
putting the timber through the sawmill or in cross cutting 
it, as it is liable to " fly"; the safest plan is to slab the sides 
before proceeding to convert it — then there is not nearly 
so much risk of the timber splitting — and large timbers 
should be kept under cover when being worked and dressed. 
It is of great compressive and tensile strength, being one 
of the strongest timbers known, and is placed next to teak 
