At Quebec the rafts were broken up and the cribs beached to await sale. The ships that had arrived early to await their cargoes obtained the best spots in the coves. If the rafts broke up, the oak would sink and the pine would drift away with the tide. Generally timber was marked "M" for merchantable, "U" for "unmerchantable". Before being loaded on board, each stick had to be graded and stamped. Government timber inspectors or cullers checked the volume (measured in board feet) and the grade of the timber to be sold.
Courtesy: Notman Photographic Archives, McCord Museum, Montreal
