the cutting of the timber was done by small groups of men in isolated camps. for most of the nineteenth century, the most common product was square timber, which was a log that had been cut into a square block in the forest before being shipped. the timber was transported from the hinterlands to the major markets by assembling it into a raft and floating it downstream. because of the narrower and more turbulent waters that one would encounter on the ottawa river system, smaller rafts, known as "cribs," were employed. on the st. lawrence, however, very large rafts, some up a third of a mile in length would be employed. the most common type of tree harvested was white pine, mostly because it floated well. oak, which does not float, was in high demand but was much harder to transport and oak timbers needed to be carefully integrated into the raft if they were to be carried to market.