70 PROCEEDINGS OF THE VICTORIA INSTITUTE. 
went in Trinidad. He referred to the destruction of timber, 
particularly balata, on our northern hills, and suggested for 
consideration whether something in the way of portable saw- 
mills driven by water-power might not be used for working 
up the balata and other woods. He then referred to the 
mode of dealing with the West Indian cedar and quoted the 
following note published by him some years ago in the Trinidad 
Register and Almanack. 
The mode of cutting timber in Trinidad is generally a 
wasteful one, especially as regards the valuable wood called 
cedar ( Cedrela odorcota). The rudeness of the structure which 
usually serves for a sawpit is hardly perhaps to be avoided, 
as it is seldom that more than a single tree can be had within 
a radius permitting the use of one pit. Little skill is shewn in 
the setting out of the lengths of the logs, and severing with 
the axe instead of cross-cutting with the saw is often employed. 
After this is done comes a greater waste. Instead of getting 
the log on to the pit, and there breaking-down or ditching 
it, as might be ascertained to be best, it is roughly squared 
with the axe before being put on the pit, whereby something 
like half the wood is with great labour reduced to chips only 
fit for fuel. 
A discussion followed the reading of the paper in which 
the Chairman and others took part and in the course of which 
different opinions were expressed on the subject of the paper. 
