TIMBER SLIDES.

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enough to transport them, a dam is constructed somewhereabove, and when this is suddenly opened, the rush of theaccumulated waters sweeps all before it. But the greatestdanger is when the torrent is full and strong. Here and thereit rushes through deep narrow gorges, thundering among greatmasses of fallen rock ; among these a trunk may easily becomewedged, and the harrier once formed rapidly increases. Intothese gorges the woodsman must descend, armed with hisgrespil (a long pole terminated by two iron spikes, one in thesame line, the other at right angles to it); then, supported ifpossible by the cord by which he has been lowered, or if not,standing on some slippery rock above the roaring stream, hedisengages the entangled trunks. Woe to him if his foot slip orhe lose his balance, while making an incautious wrench! Oncein the torrent his fate is almost sealed. The strongest swimmercould not breast that rush of water, and in a few minutes hisbody, battered and bruised, is flung among the logs below aslifeless as they.

The slides, mentioned above, are often very long, and evi-dence no small engineering skill. The most celebrated wasthat of Alpnach , by which timber was conveyed from Mont Pilatus to the Lake of Lucerne . It was constructed by M.Ruepp, and was nearly eight miles long, passing over somemost difficult ground. A large tree would traverse its wholelength in two-and-a-half minutes. Professor Playfair 1 thusdescribes its descent. “ We stood close to the edge of thetrough, not being more interested about anything than to ex-perience the impression which the near view of so singular anobject must make on a spectator. The noise, the rapidity ofthe motion, the magnitude of the moving body, and the forcewith which it seemed to shake the trough as it passed, werealtogether very formidable, and conveyed an idea of dangermuch greater than the reality 7 . Our guide refused to partake1 Quoted by Beattie, Switzerland , Vol. u. p. 119.