ROPE-WORK. 103 



we hauled and struggled in vain : we simply could 

 not move him, nor could he be persuaded to help 

 us by adopting the horizontal position. We hailed 

 a farm servant from a neighbouring field and tried 

 again, but the three were no more successful than 

 the two had been, so bidding him sit quietly on 

 the ledge we went in search of more power, and 

 shortly returned with two brawny fishermen. 

 We were then able to pull him slowly up, and are 

 not likely to forget his appearance on reaching 

 the top. The cliff was wet and dirty, and it at 

 once became obvious that much of the friction 

 and resistance had been caused by his person 

 coming in contact with the rocks, and not in every 

 case had his clothes or skin proved equal to the 

 encounter. 



Signals. 



A short code of simple signals is indispensable, 

 for it is impossible to let those on top know one's 

 requirements by shouting, after some twenty or 

 thirty feet have been descended. The rock-face acts 

 as a mighty sounding-board, and throws one's voice 

 outwards and away from those whom one wishes 

 it to reach. Visual signals are, when workable, 

 very handy, but they require another man to act 

 as a medium, and from some prominent point to 

 ascertain the climber's wishes and communicate 

 them to the haulers, and not always can such a 



