Blacks here earn more than 700 euros a month, which is equivalent to 5,500 yuan. But it wasn't easy to earn that money, because the huge trunks could trap them at any moment.
A hook loader throws freshly cut tree trunks, each more than 100 years old or older, into the river. When the trunk falls into the river, the waves that make the trunk swing in the water, and it takes a while for novices to practice to stand firm on the trunk.
Next, the workers in the water gather all the trunks that are much heavier than themselves, then cut the steel cables to the appropriate length according to the size of the trunks, and use the steel cables to hold each trunk tightly together. When all the preparations are completed, it is handed over to this small but powerful tugboat.
Captain Eugene was to use a tugboat to transport the trunks to the harbor 300 kilometers away, and a black man quickly jumped into the river and ran to the other side according to the captain's command. The high-quality Okouman timber floating in the river is worth 350,000 euros, and if it is lost, the captain will have to pay a large amount of compensation.
Just as the crew was stewing spaghetti with pork chops, the wooden raft encountered an open stretch of sand, and in order to safely get around the beach, it was necessary to stay away from it and shorten the length of the wooden raft. If a part of the timber is stranded, it can cause the structure of the entire raft to fall apart, and it is almost impossible to pick up a lot of scattered timber.
Even the experienced Captain Eugene was very cautious, but the loss of timber occurred. So the crew untied the cable between the raft and the tugboat, and the captain put the raft here and quickly sailed in the direction where the lost timber was. Fortunately, the log did not drift far, and a fisherman found the lost wood, and with the help of enthusiastic fishermen, they succeeded in recovering the lost trunk and reattaching it to the raft.
The Okouman timber weighed about 700 tons, and if the front end of the raft hit the shore, the entire raft would spin in place, eventually causing structural damage to the raft, which would bankrupt the captain.
After sailing for a while, they encountered another problem, which was the bridge across the river. There are a lot of guards in the vicinity of the bridge, and if the impact of the wooden platoon breaks the bridge, there will be a hefty fine. If the damage is severe, the captain can even face jail time.
At this time, two tugboats came over, and they could help the captain cross the bridge safely, but for a fee of a few hundred euros. After much consideration, the captain agreed to their request.
Now the two tugboats are pushed on either side of the wooden platoon, with Captain Eugene towing in front. With the help of two tugboats, they did not touch the piers and passed the bridge without any problems. Obviously the few hundred euros were well spent. There was no danger on the rest of the voyage, and they had to sail for another week to reach the dock.