THE ROPE AND THE SPIDER-THREAD. 509 



been made of cast-iron, like most railings, she would have 

 snapped it like glass. 



Now, the fibres of which the rope is composed are individually 

 feeble, but, when they lend their strength to each other, their 

 strength is amazing. It is well shown by a lasso in my posses- 

 sion, made of the fibres of the aloe-leaf. It is scarcely as thick 

 as a mail's little finger, and yet it is strong enough to resist the 

 efforts of the most powerful wild bull. I have some of the 

 separate fibres, and it is interesting to notice how fibres so 

 slight when separate should be so strong when united. Part 

 of the rope has been unlaid, so as to show the manner in which 

 it has been put together. 



Towards the harpoon itself, a number of small cords laid 

 loosely side by side are used, so as to prevent the hippopotamus 



HIPPOPOTAMUS ROPE. SPINNERET OF SPIDER. 



from severing the rope with his chisel-like teeth, which he 

 would assuredly do if it were single. The multitudinous cords 

 become entangled among the teeth, and baffle his efforts ; but 

 still their unity is their strength ; and, though the animal 

 may sever one or two of them, the others retain their hold 

 until he dies under a shower of spears. 



ON the right-hand side of the illustration is the Spinneret of 

 the ordinary garden Spider, showing the many orifices from 

 which the silken threads emerge. It is a remarkable point, and 

 one which, I believe, is seldom noticed, that the Spider can at 

 pleasure combine all these fibres into a single cord, or issue and 

 keep them separate, just as is the case with the hippopotamus 

 rope. 



