108 
TI'JXIDAD. 
tlieir O’wn infirmity or superiority. As far as pliysical 
strength and height of stature go, these American ^dlla- 
gers will compare favourably with any set of men in the 
world. They are above the general height, robust and 
hardy. At this day, a man with his nrre, containing a 
heavy load, will leave his home, fourteen or fifteen miles 
from San Fernando, walk to that town, buy what he has 
the means of purchasing, and return home again, Avith- 
out thinking anything of the Avalk. And Avhen we 
remember that he does this under a tropical sun, and 
for half the distance through terribly had roads, we may 
admit that they are capable of enduring fatigue. These 
men are, for the most part, lumher-men, very expert with 
the cutlass and the axe, and equally familiar with the 
whip-saw. 
There is a custom among them of making “ sawing- 
feasts.” A number of them (say tAventy or fifty) assemble 
together in the Avoods, AAdiere, a few" days prcAdously, 
several cedar or other trees have been felled, sqiiared, 
and cut into lengths. With much good Avill and noisy 
mirth they turn to, and Avith cutlass, axe, and liane for 
ropes, they soon rig up a famous saav-pit. They choose 
tAvo stancliii" trees at a convenient discance from each 
O 
other, fell a couple sufficiently strong for runners, rest 
one end of them in a crutch of the standing tree, secure 
it Avith lianes, the other end resting on the ground — thus 
forming an incline plane, up Avhich they soon roll the 
timber. They level it Avith Avedges, line it into l)oards 
or planks or scantling, using charcoal, or the juice of a 
nut, Avhich in colour is red, according to the nature of the 
Avood they haAm to saAv, and aAvay they Avork. I haA'e 
knoAAui them to saAv as many as 250 cedar boards — 
12 feet long, 12 inches Avide, and 1 inch thick — in a day. 
Of course, there Avere a number of men, and each pair 
of saAAyers Avould haAm a pit to themselves. I must say, 
hoAA^ever,. that the missionary, as a rule, sets his face 
against these saAAung-feasts, as too often the men are not 
content to drink Avater alone, and quarrels sometimes 
