14 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Jan. 1, 1SC7. 



down thus, leaping along, is pleasant enough, and 

 very speedy ; only be careful to come down on your 

 heels, which, sinking somewhat in the rubbish, push 

 it forward. You might sprain your ankle other- 

 wise. You cannot fall ; for your pole behiud, which 

 bears your whole weight, keeps you up. 



" Always descend with your face turned thither 

 where you are going. Never go backwards like one 

 descending a ladder. Should you do so you could 

 make no use of your pole, and that is certainly of 

 greater assistance to you than your hands afford by 

 thus holding the rocks ; for you only thus go back- 

 wards in order not to relinquish your hold of them ; 

 besides, your pole would be in your way if you were 

 to descend in this manner. As was said above, keep 

 your pole behind you in coming down, never before 

 you. Neglect of this rule will make your task of 

 descending doubly difficult. 



"In climbing convince yourself that the chief thing 

 to be considered is whether the spot your foot rests 

 on he firm. You do not want much space to obtain 

 a firm footing, .for you may stand well on anything 

 not larger than the palm of your hand, but it must 

 be sure. If your head be steady, you may in reality 

 walk along a ledge not broader than the soles of 

 your shoes, but then you must have the conviction 

 that the ground beneath your feet is as firm as the 

 mountain. Should you have to walk along such 

 place lean your body inwards. 



" Do not look out into space, but keep your eyes 

 fixed ou the path, however narrow, before you ; for 

 the grand thing is that the eye have something to 

 rest on, to seize, and, as it were, to hold by. You 

 have grown giddy because the range of your vision 

 had no boundary : it was lost in the indefinite. Let 

 it be bounded by the small but defined form which 

 that spot then affording you a footing presents, and 

 your eye grows at once quieter, for it has again 

 what its and your nature are accustomed to and 

 require. In daily life your vision rests at every 

 second on distinct outlines of things, and you move 



among them safely, your eye helping you to avoid 

 them ; but they also, by your sight finding something 

 to rest on — to lean upon, as it were — in their turn 

 give a support and lead you along progressingly. 



" On moving over certain ground you cannot help 

 loosening larger or smaller stones. In such places 

 do not follow directly behind him who precedes you, 

 but a little to the side, so that when a stone comes 

 leaping down it may fly by and not against your 

 head or shins. Should you loosen a stone, call at 

 once to those behind to look out, so that they may 

 jump aside as it comes bounding towards them. 

 Stones thus sent rolling fly down with terrible force 

 and inflict serious injury." 



In this manner Mr. Boner gives plain and easy 

 instructions to hill-climbers, in familiar language, 

 and without affectation. Every paragraph contains 



