348 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



is passed round the waist of the bird-man, so as to fasten him to 

 the rope. 



Some fowlers are so expert in this art, that they pursue the perilous 

 calling- without the aid of assistants. Having fastened the rope to a 

 post, they let themselves down over the cliffs ; and in the same 

 manner work themselves up again by simply climbing the rope. In 

 the absence of any stake or other hold-fast within reach of the cliff, 

 six men, at the top, stand by the rope, and hold it, letting the fowler 

 down by degrees. A semi-circular socket is sometimes stuck 

 into the ground at the brink of the precipice for the rope to 

 slide over, and in order to prevent its chafing on the sharp edges of 

 the stony rock. 



A small signal line is also fastened to the fowler's waist, by means 

 of which he telegraphs to his assistants who have the command of 

 the bird-rope ; and by certain pre-concerted arrangements the fowler 

 is enabled to make them understand his wishes as to being drawn 

 up higher, let down lower, held in the same place, or howsoever 

 otherwise he may desire. 



In addition to the perils already alluded to, the bird-man has 

 many minor casualties to encounter, even under the most careful pre- 

 cautions : pieces of stone loosen by the friction of the rope, and fall 

 on his head. To guard against serious wounds from such occur- 

 rences, he wears a thick-furred cap, well stuffed with pliable sub- 

 stance. 



The fowler, with the aid of the bird-pole, casts himself several 

 fathoms from the rock, and thus shoots himself to whatever part he 

 wishes to explore. He is able to sit on the rope in the air, and with 

 both hands at liberty, to use with ease the fowling-staff and net for 

 taking such birds as fly within his reach. He has also a parti- 

 cular method of plying his feet against the rock. In moving and 

 swinging to and fro, the bird-pole is of great service in skilful hands; 

 it is also sometimes used for preventing birds from leaving the holes in 

 the rocks until the fowler is enabled to capture them with his hand. It 

 will thus be seen that the bird-pole is a very necessary appendage to 

 the proper equipment of a Norwegian rock-fowler. 



Some of the rocks, by reason of excavation at the base, the un- 

 ceasing fluctuations of the tide, or other natural causes, project over 

 the sea beyond a perpendicular, to a leaning position; and it is 

 generally found that these, of all others, from the apparently inac- 

 cessible security they offer, are the favourite roosts and resting-places 



