EGGING ON THE COAST OF YORKSHIKE. 439 



bringing with it a strong fishy smell from the birds below, numbers 

 of which were flying about in an agitated manner. Two men 

 seated on the edge of the cliff were hauling in a rope in capital 

 time, and as we reached them their comrade's head appeared from 

 below, and the next moment he walked up to where we stood. 

 He proved to be the head man of this set of four, and had brought 

 up about thirty eggs, all Guillemots' or Eingod Guillemots'. This 

 he considered a fair number for the time of year, the season being 

 so far advanced. He wore two broad-brimmed felt hats padded 

 with tow, for the chief danger arising from the fall of loose stones, 

 it is necessary to have some protection. As he goes down he 

 takes care to clear away with his feet any stones which look likely 

 to become detached ; it is, however, impossible to free the face of 

 the cliff from all loose jneces, and if he sees a fragment falling he 

 dodges it, if possible, by swinging out of the perpendicular. He 

 had been so far fortunate as never to have met with any serious 

 accident during the whole period of his climbing (thirty- six )^ears), 

 though he had occasionally been struck by falling stones, but never 

 much hurt. 



The ropes used are two in number, made of finest Russian 

 hemp, and every third year a fresh pair, costing about ^2, is 

 carefully selected. The " dimmer" first puts on the " breeches," 

 which are about three inches deep and made up of stout sacking. 

 The legs are thrust through the two loops, which are pulled up 

 to the fork of the body, and two belts attached to the breeches 

 are crossed over the body and buckled on the chest. Two canvass 

 bags, each capable of holding a great number of eggs, are 

 slung one over each shoulder, for if an egg be picked up on 

 the right side it is difficult to put it in a bag on the left side, 

 and vice versa ; hence two bags are necessary. A strong leather 

 shield is strapped over the left wrist, and the "dimmer" is 

 ready for work. One of the ropes is then fastened to two small 

 loops on the fi'ont of the breeches, and passing over the left 

 wrist (where the leather guard is strapped to prevent chafing), 

 is held by the men on the cliff-top. An iron spike, about 

 eighteen inches in length, with a fiat top the size of a crown- 

 piece, is then driven into the ground near the edge of the clift', 

 one end of the other rope is made fast round it, and the whole 

 length of the rope thrown over the cliff, the birds flying out by 

 hundreds from below as it falls. 



