ROPE-WORK. 93 



is certainly not too high in this case. To be 

 more concrete, our present lowering rope was 

 specially manufactured for us in Newcastle, and 

 is 200 feet in length and of the finest quality 

 Manilla hemp, about half-an-inch thick, or one-and- 

 a-half inches in circumference, its weight being 

 some forty pounds. The lighter rope or hand- 

 line does not require to be more than half this 

 strength : its purpose will be noticed immediately. 



The Body-Attachment. 



The next most important point is the fastening 

 of the lowering rope to the body of the climber, 

 and in this there is some choice of methods. Cer- 

 tainly the canvas trousers, to which the rope is 

 directly attached, as used by the professional 

 egg-gatherers at Flamborough Head, are the most 

 comfortable, but the appliance is somewhat bulky, 

 and has another disadvantage,to be noted presently. 

 Another plan, excellent in its way, is to make 

 three fixed loops in the end of the rope, one large 

 one to encircle the waist and two lesser ones to 

 go round the thighs, the rope leading away from 

 the junction of these three loops. This has much 

 in its favour : it is light and easily made, the rope 

 being spliced together, and there are no loose 

 parts ; but both in this and in the first-mentioned 

 method there is the drawback that the movements 



