80 Cliff Climbing 
mountainous countries, such as the wilder parts of Spain where 
wheeled transport is unknown, the weights must be so adjusted 
as to enable their rapid transference from the panniers of the 
mules and donkeys to the shoulders of the men. As for many 
years I myself acted the part of one of the said men, and took 
my share in the weight-carrying, I can speak with feeling. I 
constantly worked alone, carrying rope, gear, food, glasses, &c., 
and I found that the utmost that I could carry on a_ long 
day’s tramp on foot through the sierras without being unduly 
tired was 26 lb. Thus it came about that at the time my friend 
in Ireland was using 3} in. and 2 in. ropes as his lowering 
and life lines respectively, I had perforce to be content with 13 in. 
rope and navel cod-line. This rope is the manila rope in use 
by the Alpine Club 100 ft. of which weighs just 5 lb. I have 
a length of 30 fathoms of it, 180 ft. (9 Ib.) which has done 
admirable service both on cliffs and in big trees for thirteen years. 
It was with such an equipment that I have been over some 
very high cliffs, slung in a bowline-on-a-bight and innocent alike of 
crowbars or “tortoises” above me or the orthodox canvas breeches 
below me. The renowned bowline-on-a-bight is, in my opinion the 
only knot to which a man should trust his life over a cliff. After 
tying this knot in the normal fashion, with two equal-sized loops 
or bights, it should be carefully readjusted so as exactly to fit 
the body, one bight being the size of the man from the top 
button of his waistcoat, round the body just below the armpits, and 
the other long enough to pass under the thigh and up to the 
starting point. A normal size would be about 4o in. for the small 
bight and 50 in. for the larger, subject to subsequent adjustment. 
A man thus slung has perfect freedom of movement for both 
legs and arms and cannot fall out of the sling in the untoward, 
but ever possible, emergency of his being stunned by a falling 
stone dislodged by the rope from above or injured by any other 
