39 2 KALM'S ENGLAND. 



same with the ' rods ' which were laid across it. On this 

 new straw no rod was set, but they take still another lot 

 of straw and set it a little higher up, and then it is first 

 fastened with a long ' rod ' across, in the same way as 

 has been described before. In this way it is continued 

 upwards till one comes to the top, and there also fastens 

 the straw. After that the ladder is moved a little more 

 to one side, and the thatching is begun again down at 

 the thatch-band, in the manner before described, tight 

 in to that which is already thatched, and is continued so 

 upwards. The row which is thatched every time 

 [T. II. p. 36] from the bottom of the thatch, takfoten, 

 up to the top before the ladder is changed, is as broad as 

 the carl can reach to lay when he stands on the ladder. 

 One or two carls are down below, who prepare the straw 

 and give it up to the one who is thatching, who lays this 

 straw near him till he requires it. That he may have 

 the straw so much readier to hand, he has two pieces of 

 stick of 2 to 3 feet long, which he sticks into the stack 

 in a horizontal line, about two feet from each other. 

 Above and against these the straw is laid ; but if it blows 

 hard, he has still beside these, two other sticks, each about 

 two feet long, sharpened at one end, and fastened together 

 by a string, et band, at the other, as in the figure. 



He sticks these pegs, kappar, into the 

 stack, the one on the lower side of the 

 , straw, and the other on the upper side, when 

 the string which is between them comes to 

 lie across the straw, and holds it tight so 

 that it cannot blow away. As soon as the 

 carl has laid two rows of straw, or changed 



?i the ladder twice, he has a somewhat thick 

 I stick, kapp eller kafle, about four feet 

 long, with which he beats down the straw to make it lie 

 even, and afterwards smoothes down the straw with it, 



