NOTED WOOD CUTTERS

Woodcutting is a skilled job of climbing on and chopping down varied huge trees. Minnan Andipally-parambil and Kangan Chambongil-parambil were the noted wood-cutters of this Island. I had an occasion to watch Minnan climbing a huge ‘Ayini’ tree to cut it down. I anxiously watched him climb the tree. It was done with such ease.  In a few hours time the entire branches and the main trunk were razed to the ground. A very small axe pulley and a coir rope were the tools used by him to chop off the entire huge tree.  He performed this task so dexterously that even a small branch of the tree fell on the tenanted building beneath it.

With the changing times, electrically powered or petrol run "chop saw," or "cut-off saw" have substituted the axe for making accurate cross cuts, and to perform the task faster.  

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com
josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com