FENCES, WALLS, AND SHELTERS. 



93 



m 



at no other time. So particular am I upon this point, that I have let the 

 blinds down even at midnight when the weather has been uncertain. 



2x7. I will now describe the system adopted. — About 1 inch below the 

 coping a splint of wood, 2.^ inches wide and 1| inch thick, is firmly secured 

 to the wall. This splint is furnished with hooks about 1 inch long, and 1 foot 

 apart. Pairs of pulleys, 1^ inch in diameter and ^ inch deep, are fixed on 

 this splint, at intervals of 8 feet apart, all round the wall. They are let into the 

 splint in a bevilled direction, by cutting oft' part of the top and front surface ; 

 and each is firmly kept in its place by 

 four screws, as in the margin. Small 

 eyes are also placed below every other pair 

 of pulleys thereon, at distances of 16 feet 

 apart. In the ground, about 4 feet 6 

 inches from the wall, and 16 feet apart, two posts, 4 inches square, are firmly 

 inserted, leaving about 3 inches above the surface. These posts are 2 feet 

 6 inches apart, and connected together with a strong piece of wood, 

 Ih inch wide and 3 deep, nailed on the inner or wall side of the 

 posts. Another single post is placed in the centre of the sjiace 

 between the pairs, leaving a clear space of 8 feet between. The to^DS 

 of the posts are cut out in the middle, as here shown, and the single 

 one is furnished with a double hook for attaching a cord round. 

 Splints of wood, § inch square and 10 feet 6 inches long, are then attached 

 to the hooks already referred to, by an iron eye attached to the upper end, 

 the bottom end resting in the opening of the centre of the post. ^^ 

 A canvas screen, 2 feet wide, attached to two similar splints of (~y — (~~^ 

 wood, is then hooked on to the top of the wall, resting on the 

 pair of posts already adverted to. Wooden rollers, 16 feet long and 3^ inches 

 in diameter, furnished with a cast-iron wheel at both ends, 4^ inches in 

 diameter, Ig deep, and Ig wide 

 across the mouth, for the recep- 

 tion of cord. The other end of 

 the canvas has> pieces of zinc an 

 inch square, with a hole in the 

 centre, firmly sewn to it, a foot 

 apart. These are for attaching 

 to the hooks on the splint at the top of the wall, and the cord is then run 

 through the hook h, over the end of the roller c, round the pulley at d, along 

 the top to e, through the pulley at e, and drawn down on the outside of the 

 canvas at/. It will be seen that each roller is furnished with four pulleys and 

 t-.vo cords, and it can be moved up and down with the greatest despatch. The 

 canvas screens fixed on the pairs of posts, while they support the end of the 

 rollers, also allow plenty of space to work in, without comingin contact with each 

 other, and without leaving a vacancy between. Angular screens are also pro- 

 vided for, filling the spaces at the ends, so that it forms a complete canvas 

 house when the blinds are down, and it can be removed or applied in one half 



