122 THE LIFE OF A BIRD. 



Having provided themselves with two ropes of 

 sufficient length and strength, they drive an iron 

 bar into the ground, about six inches deep, on the 

 table-land at the top of the precipice. To this bar 

 is fastened the thickest of the two ropes, which is 

 then thrown down the rocks. He who is to descend 

 now puts his legs through a pair of hempen 

 braces, which meet round his middle and form a 

 waistband. At each end of this waistband is a 

 loop-hole, through which they reeve the smaller 

 rope. A man now holds the rope firmly in his 

 hand, and gradually lowers his comrade down the 

 precipice. While he is descending he has hold of 

 the other rope, which was fastened to the iron bar, 

 and with this assistance he passes from ledge to 

 ledge, and from rock to rock, picking up the eggs 

 of the guillemot, and putting them into two bags 

 which he had slung across his shoulder ere he com- 

 menced his arduous undertaking. When he has 

 filled these bags with eggs, he jerks the rope, and 

 the motion informs his friend at the top that it is 

 now time to draw him up. On coming up again 

 to the place from whence he first set out, all the 

 eggs are taken from the bags and put into a large 

 basket, prior to their being packed in hampers and 



