WATER FOWL. 387 



of this fast about his waist, and between his legs, 

 so that he can sit thereon ; and is thus let down, 

 with the fowling-staff in his hand. Six men hold 

 by the rope, and let him easily down, laying a 

 large piece of wood on the brink of the rock, upon 

 which the rope glideth, that it may not be worn 

 to pieces by the hard and rough edge of the stone* 

 They have, besides, another small line, that is fas- 

 tened to the fowler's body ; on which he pulleth, 

 to give them notice how they should let down the 

 great rope, either lower or higher ; or to hold still, 

 that he may stay in the place whereunto he is 

 come. Here the man is in great danger, because 

 of the stones that are loosened from the cliff by 

 the swinging of the rope, and he cannot avoid 

 them. To remedy this in some measure, he hath 

 usually on his head a seaman's thick and shaggy 

 cap, which defends him from the blows of the 

 stones if they be not too big, and then it costeth 

 him his life ; nevertheless, they continually put 

 themselves in that danger, for the wretched body's 

 food sake, hoping in God's mercy and protection, 

 unto which the greatest part of them do devoutly 

 recommend themselves when they go to work: 

 otherwise, they say, there is no other great dan- 

 ger in it, except that it is a toilsome and artificial 

 labour ; for he that hath not learned to be so let 

 down, and is not used thereto, is turned about 

 with the rope, so that he soon groweth giddy, and 

 can do nothing ; but he that hath learned the 

 art, considers it as a sport, swings himself on the 

 rope, sets his feet against the rock, casts himself 

 some fathoms from thence, and shoots himself to 



