State of Nature - Bush Burn Audio Transcript

5.0 Bush burn description, William Strutt (older male)

The first operation of the bush settler on his section of forest land is to mark out his clearing of the size he proposes to make it, cutting a track for himself through the dense vegetation, with bill-hook and compass. This done, the work of underbrushing commences, to be followed by felling the timber, a task requiring strength, perseverance and presence of mind, as he is often placed unavoidably in circumstances of considerable peril.

A fine day is chosen, with a steady breeze blowing for the great event; the burn, for which torches are prepared made of the resinous portion of decayed pines. The torchmen spread across the clearing in a line, the most experienced and plucky taking his place in the centre, several paces in advance of the rest, always facing the wind. The firing is then commenced, every man igniting all he can reach of either side of him, the leader keeping well in front as his is especially the post of danger. Thus there is a line of fire, which soon begins to roll forwards and gains ground speedily on them, and they need to move rapidly on, for to lose their nerve and courage now is to be lost.

The clearing becomes one vast sheet of flame, a very picture of hell - the burning wood, as though in agony, hissing and roaring like distant thunder. The great pines and rātā left standing or on the edge of the clearing becoming ignited, whirl round their branches and appear even to be wrestling and battling with the fiery element in a hopeless struggle. The scene is indescribably terrific; the birds, driven from their homes frenzied with fear, scream with terror as they flee. Great flakes of fire are meanwhile carried for a considerable distance into the standing bush, there to ignite other trees.

At length the torchmen have reached the clearing’s boundary where, panting and streaming with perspiration, the heat drives them far into the standing forest. But the raging commotion goes on till nature itself is utterly exhausted, and the ground, so long shrouded by dense vegetation, can now look into the face of heaven’s clear sky, decked with a beautiful garment of white pearly ash, a joy to behold; and then the raging elemental uproar is succeeded by a stillness which can only be likened to that of death; except by the crash of some mighty rātā, the echo of whose fall, reverberating in the standing forest, breaks the spell.

The scene of many months’ toil is after a little while examined, and if the burn has been successful it leaves the ground as clean as a raked garden; all being effectually cleared off by the irresistable element, except the logs, stumps and larger trees, when after a good shower, grass or wheat may be sown without further trouble on the thick layer of ash.