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VI. LUMBERMEN AND RAFTSMEN 
In this way more than one raft has been lost, and more 
than one crew has disappeared in the waves. One of my 
white patients once found himself on one of these un- 
lucky rafts. They were driven out to sea after dark by 
a breeze which got up quite unexpectedly, and the force 
of the waves made it hopeless to think of escaping in 
the canoe. The raft was beginning to break up when 
a motor longboat came to the rescue, some one on the 
shore having noticed the lantern which the despairing 
men had waved to and fro as they drove past, and sent 
the rescue boat, which happened fortunately to have 
its steam up, in pursuit of the moving light. 
Brought safely to Cape Lopez, the raft is taken to 
pieces and the logs go into “ the park.” At the most 
sheltered part of the bay two rows of tree-trunks are 
bound together so as to form a sort of double chain. 
This is effected by driving into the trunks iron wedges 
which end in rings through which strong wire ropes are 
drawn. This double chain of logs protects the calm 
water from the movement of the sea, and behind this 
” breakwater,” or boom, float as many logs as there is 
room for. The logs are further fastened together by other 
wire ropes, running through iron rings which have been 
driven into them, and every two or three hours a watch- 
man goes round to see whether the boom is all right, 
whether the rings are still holding, and whether the 
continual rubbing in the rings and the frequent bending 
with the up and down movement of the water has not 
made the wire ropes worn and unsafe. But often the 
utmost foresight and care is useless. A rope in the 
breakwater gives way during the night without any one 
noticing it, and when in the morning the owner of the 
logs comes to inspect them, they have journeyed out 
