294 
On the Conifers of Tasmania. 
that wood. For ship’s decks and interior, for boat-building, and 
innumerable other purposes, its qualities are unequalled. 
“ Huon pine forms the principal article of export from Macqua¬ 
rie Harbour: two thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine logs 
were collected in one year (1827) from different spots in the vici¬ 
nity of the settlement, principally from the Gordon River. Some¬ 
times the timber was found at some distance inland ; in that case, 
a road was made to the water-side, by felling the intermediate 
trees, and placing the trunks transversely across the road, so as 
to form ways over which the pine logs, cut to proper sizes, were 
rolled into the river with liand-spikes or levers. The next pro¬ 
cess was to fix a hundred or more of these logs together, in the 
form of a raft, the outside logs being attached to the centre ones 
by iron chains. The raft was towed to the settlement by a launch 
or two. Sometimes in bad weather the chains gave way, and the 
logs drifted about in every direction. Such accidents always 
occasioned much trouble; and indeed it seldom happened that 
the whole number of logs was recovered. When the raft arrived 
at the settlement, the unfortunate prisoners’ severest task began : 
for they had to wade to their middles for hours at a time with 
hand-spikes, to roll the timber up. The logs were piled in stacks, 
sometimes thirty feet high. Whenever the men were so employed, 
the Commandant used to allow them to receive a small quantity 
of spirits. We recollect seeing one of these logs which measured 
twelve and a half tons. The best of the logs were shipped to 
Hobart Town; some were cut up by the sawyers, of whom there 
were constantly nine or ten pairs at work, into boards, also for 
Hobart Town ; the remainder were either reserved for use in the 
settlement, or, if too short, or otherwise objectionable, they were 
thrown in to fill up the quays and other places. Many a log have 
I seen thus employed, which would now be of the greatest service 
in the Government timber-yards, but at that time they were con¬ 
sidered of little or no value. Gum, myrtle, and other woods, 
which would not float, were brought to the settlement two at a 
time, lashed one to each side of a large launch. There is also a 
tree which grows on Philip’s Island, called the * Hard Wood,’ 
