The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-04-06
The Mahogany Forest.

\ letter to the y. \. ItBieS from fuert'
2 Cortez. Honduras. under date of Jan. O.
, The trail from Comayagua to the Atlanti,
coast follows the Ulua River and so rapiC
is the drop in altitude that the scorchlns
, afternoon sun found us entering the south
ern edge of the mahogany forests. 1t i
difficult to convey any adequate idea of the
grandeur of these forests. Though 1t wa:
but clock, the leaf roof, made by the
tangled limbs, kept out every ray of sun
light, rendering the ground light about
equal to that of the early gray Of morning.
Long, hanging ''laines' drop from the tall
est trees. and in many instances this paras-
itical growth supports many varieties OF
the rarest orchids Here and there cross
ing our trail were the cart roads used in
the cuttings of previous years; but so lux
uriant is the herbage growth that the roads
were only distinguishable because covered
by younger plants than the ground along
their sides
The leaf of the mahogany resembles the
chestnut leaf of the United States, but Is
thicker. tougher. and of a more lustrous
green. The bark Is smooth, even on 81
gantic specimens, and a trunk no more than
30 feet long is often 6 feet in diameter at
/ the base. The finest variety grows on the
hard. rocky soil, and is of such slow growth
that the grand ones. still standing in $50
lated spots. far from rivers, are estimated
/ to be over 1000 years old; by their sides
are rottinc trunks of still larger dimensions
i and who can guess their age? Along the
T Ulua most of the good sized trees have
been cut, because the native wood cutter Is
very lazy. and if he can cut 4 tree and have
it topple over into stream to be foated
to market he will not trouble himself with
Z finer wood that grows at a greater distance
from the stream: and he should hardly be
blamed. for though the occupation of
cutter Is systematic aud methodical in ar
rangement, it Is the widest by nature.
When the Superintendent has decided
upon the valley in which he will work he
{ constructs shelters, whore the stream reaches
the ocean for the necessary supplies, and
bnilds rude dams at the same point to Sc
cure the cut logs as they float down.
+ Constant communication and transportation
of rations are maintained between this
home station aud the branch establishments
up the river by means Of canoes or pit
pan" ruwed and padded by natives.
These boais in the beginning also carry up
the heavy log chains, which cannot always
I Dc taken overland through thick virgin
forests where the oxen have to be forced
through. no, with the usual lash, but the
cruel spike or prod The branch stations
are hnts with ~cahOon' leaf roofs, with
I upright poles TO swing hammocks, aud a
T few iron pots for kitchen utensils
The cutting season commences IN Au-
gust-,hs beginning Of the dry season
because At that period the wood seems to
be more compact IN texture and less liable
to Ill, in falling and gives the drivers time
to haul il 10 the Tiyer before the rains
make the roads impassabls. The laborers
are divided into gangs Of from 80 TO DO
each and under the command Of some
I trusted hand who assigns the daily tasks,
6ning and Fewarding his men according TO
( their work Besides this. each gang has
a hunter. Who starts out very early 10 spy
tr,S,s. and carries born or ~coneh, which
he sounds from time 90 time 20 enable the
f rang 10 follow. He usually goes TO some
hish point. or climbs some tall pine, and
his accustomed eve quickly detects the al
mos, imperecp,ible reddish iinse, which
MANY rnaho-aay leaves together present.
. One tree AZ time is sufficient, and he
quickly makes his way To it, marks 1t, and
blows his horn for the cutters When they
are in sight he again searches a. before.
IL /. u(ten the ease that different hunters
NAV b. working in the same locality for
rival firms. and after hours OF toll one
may reach his discovered treasure only to
hud !, in the hands Of another party.
Hunters pride themselves much on their
skill. aud many cover their tracks in true
Apache style by strewing leaves aud moss
behind them. By walking backward in soft
ground, and by many other artiices well
known by those skilled in wood craft TO
deceive pursaers, and no' seldom the very
means they take to elade, furnish their
e1ually skillful trailcrs with all the inior-
nation they desire.
The tree Is usually cut at about 10 OF l.
fee, from the ground, the men working on
q rude platform, temporarily built for the
purpose. The trunk, below the cut then
DECAYS. and Is loft. The cut Is made 50
high from the ground, because at that
point the tree Is generally cylindrical, and
below, huge ribs pass down TO the ground
which are very difficult to cut The
wretched axes which the Carib cutters use
would bring a smile 10 the face OF Nevada
chopper. They are sharp but light; the
T handles about two feet long, to which the
blade + fastened with a rawhide throng.
T The men seat themselves tailor fashion on
the platform and cut necessarily, until dan
gerously near the falling point, when all
retire iro.n the platform but one cool-head-
ed native, who finishes by gentle strokes,
until warned by those watching the tree,
at the instant it begin; to incline, when
this last one jumps to the ground in an op-
posite direction This true giant of the
forest seems to gather but little speed in
the fall, but the crash, when he crushes
through the surrounding timber can be
heard for miles.
The tree is then stripped of its heavy
limbs, which furnish those beautifully
grained varieties seen in the handsomest
furniture. after which the trunk is sawed
into sections 10 feet long, and the bark
hewn off to make square timber All the
men not engaged in cutting have mean
while been building a road from the river
through the centre of the cutting district,
from which main path many branch roads
are built to the individual trees. Through
the low country, where marshes must be
filed in and small creeks bridged. the road
building becomes by far the most arduous
work, and in higher lands this labor is
yexatious enough, when it is understood
that cutting away 100 yards of tough un-
derbrush is u good days work.
Nearer the coast, and among the old
cuttings, carts are used to carry out the
square timber; but in the interior nothing
but drags can be employed; and very often
when desirable to get out fine large log
the chains are simply fastened to it, and II
takes its chances while being hauled by {
or 10 oxen, to be marked and dumped into
the river. Trees are seldom cut more thar
E 10 or II miles from the river, owing to the
, immense labor of road building; and tht
logs are always hauled at night, because OF