Stock Photo - 1958 - 'Jumbo' is still superior to the tractor in the Siamese teak Forest but the Dog raftsmen have to beware of the Frogman Thief.: Twentieth century science still hasn't provided a better aid to Thailand's task industry than 'Jumbo'. No modern tractor can weave so delicately between the trees and push or pull the heavy teal logs to the river where there are tied into huge rafts of up to 300 logs, each worth £3-400. But so valuable are the logs ( a raft totals wood worth £40,000) that today the danger is from thieves working in frogmen's suits who 'cut out' a log underwater and float is away by night to cut-throat saw mills. Scores of lo--- are lost each season in this way from under the eyes of the raftsmen who live afloat in huts built on the floating logs. Each log when put into the river is marked in waterprrof paint and stamped by thelog man for identification. Thus a raft has a known content and thefts are ultimately discovered. To sail a huge log raft down river to Bangkok from the far north of Siam has taken as long as 5 years because of therapids.But more normal shorter journeys form the area where most wood comes take the rivers high. In 1957, 50,000 logs went to Bangkok by water, each averaging 150 uyears in age. 60% go to Hong Kong. Scandinavia takes 30%, and Japan 10%. Main uses are for yacht decking, furniture etc. The Borneo Trading Company is the oldest company in the area, being more than 100 years old. The Company sees no prospect of mechanisation, preferring its elephants for the work. Each beast has its own life history book revealing interesting statistics of age and size. Some animals have been 'on the cards' for -- years. They work a 5 day week and have a few weeks off during rainy periods. With experience, the 'intah' or rider scarcelay needs to give any orders. The lumbering elephant instinctively knows what to do. (Credit Image: © Keystone Pictures USA/ZUMAPRESS.com)