22 HULL SCIENTIFIC ANT) FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB. 



The method of climbing is doubtless familiar to the 

 members of this Club, but I have so often seen it inaccurately 

 described that I should like to go over the ground again. 

 An iron bar, or stake, as it is called "at cliff top," is driven 

 into the ground, to which a rope is attached and the loose 

 end (the length of which is regulated according to the distance 

 to be descended) is flung over the cliff, scattering the 

 frightened Guillemots who flee in every direction, kicking 

 many a good egg to the bottom in their haste. This rope is 

 known as the hand-rope as it is held by the climber, and with 

 its assistance he swings to and fro and regulates the amount 

 of weight borne by the man at the top. A hemp sling, made 

 in the form of two loops through which the legs are thrust, is 

 fastened firmly to a belt round the climber's waist, and 

 attached by two hemp eyelets in front to a second rope. It 

 is then passed round the body of the man who does the 

 lowering, being prevented from cutting through his clothes 

 by a strong leather apron worn round his waist. He sits on 

 the ground and holds the rope with a hand on each thigh, 

 letting it run through his lingers. The climber retreats 

 backwards towards the edge of the cliff, holding the fixed 

 hand-rope in one hand, and in the other a revolving wheel 

 mounted in the end of an iron stake. This he sticks into the 

 edge of the cliff, passes his body rope over it, and after 

 carefully clearing away all loose stones from the vicinity of 

 the ropes, goes merrily down the cliff, kicking off from the 

 rock and keeping himself perpetually swinging to and fro' to 

 prevent his commencing to spin round where the rock is 

 overhanging. Whenever he reaches a ledge with egg* he 

 stops, letting his mate above know that he is getting 

 them by taking part of the weight off the body-rope. The 

 man at the top then holds the rope in both hands, pressing 

 them against one of his thighs. 



When the climber has cleared the ledge, he kicks himself 

 away from the cliff, puts his full weight on the rope, and is 

 lowered again. Both the man at the top and the climber 

 carry handfuls of grass, without which their hands must 

 blister at the first descent, for these practised hands waste 

 no time over the work, and, if necessary, a man will drop 

 down ioo feet in two or three minutes to get to the ledge where 

 the eggs are. When descending, therefore, the hand-rope is 

 held very loosely as a rule. The extra two hands at the top 

 meanwhile are occupied in uncoiling ropes, seeing that they 

 run straight, &c. A regular code of signals is employed 

 through the agency of the rope passed round the waist of the 



