Birds. 9673 



descents in different parts of the cliff, and in a short space of time 

 brought up two dozen. In nesting among the cliffs the mode of 

 proceeding is this : an iron crowbar is driven into the ground, about 

 ten feel from the edge of the cliff; occasionally, if the soil is loose, 

 a boy sits against this bar to keep it steady ; to this is attached a rope 

 150 feet in length, which is then coiled up, and flung lasso-wise down 

 the cliff: this is called the "hand-line." A second rope of equal 

 length is fastened round the body of the climber (or " clifter," as he is 

 called), and made secure by a peculiar knot, which never slips. Two 

 of the party then lower the clifter, who steadies himself by means of 

 the hand-line, and thus proceeds until he reaches the eggs, which he 

 generally stows away in his smock, and then, throwing his weight on 

 the hand-line, shakes the body-line which is held by those above, who 

 at this signal draw him up. Those who have not witnessed it can 

 have but little idea of the risk that is encountered in descending a cliff 

 for eggs, particularly when the cliff is of the nature of those on the 

 Dorset coast: composed of calcareous grit and limestone, the surface 

 is very crumbling, and it is always advisable to shake the rope well 

 before descending, in order to get rid of any loose pieces of rock 

 which might otherwise become detached and fall upon the head of the 

 clifter. It often happens that, notwithstanding this precaution, frag- 

 ments of cliff fall, and on these occasions the clifter, who is always on 

 the look-out for such a result, kicks against the rock and swings out 

 of the perpendicular, allowing the stone to dash past him. Now and 

 then the man, with all his agility, gets struck, and a short time since 

 an accident of this sort well nigh proved fatal. An inexperienced lad, 

 who had never before descended a cliff, was anxious to make the 

 attempt, and was accordingly let down in the usual way, while our 

 experienced guide, John Meadon, who was considered one of the best 

 clifters in the neighbourhood, assisted two others to lower him. They 

 cautioned the lad to keep his eyes on the rope and look out for any 

 falling stones ; but it seems that their advice was disregarded : he had 

 not descended more than thirty feet before a large fragment became 

 detached and struck him across the temple: the blood gushed forth, 

 and the lad trembled and turned pale. As he was over one of the 

 least perpendicular of the cliffs he had gone down with merely a hand- 

 line. In another instant he would have lost his hold and been dashed 

 to pieces, when an act of daring seldom equalled saved him from 

 destruction. Meadon, seeing the lad's danger, without a moment's 

 hesitation, leaped from the top of the cliff to a ledge near him, with 

 his left hand seizing the rope, and placing his right round the lad's 

 VOL. XXIII. 2 P 



