Travelers' Original Accounts Since 1840 



physical exertion of carrying any one nearly a distance of half a 1859 

 mile is no slight feat, but when the space has to be traversed on 

 a half-tight rope higher than the Monument, from the sea of 

 boiling rapids underneath, where one false movement, the tremour 

 of a single nerve, a moment's gust of wind, or temporary faint- 

 ness, would hurry both to an instant and dreadful death, the 

 attempt is so full of sickening terror that not many can bring 

 themselves to witness it, and those who do, remain cold, trem- 

 bling, and silent till the dreadful venture is safely passed. 

 Blondin took the whole matter coolly enough. His Royal High- 

 ness was urgent with him not to attempt it, but he replied that 

 there was far less real danger in the feat than appeared to 

 lookers-on, that he was quite used to it and felt quite at ease, 

 and that as he had everywhere announced his intention of per- 

 forming it before relinquishing his attempts for the season, he 

 felt bound to go on. He accordingly divested himself of his 

 Indian chief's head-dress and bead-work coat, and put two strong 

 straps crosswise over his broad muscular shoulders, each strap 

 fitted with a flat wide iron hook, to rest on his hips, for in those 

 his adventurous companion was to place his legs. Mr. Calcourt 

 was the man to be carried, and this person, in addition to his 

 own coolness and confidence in Blondin, had himself a sufficient 

 knowledge of rope-walking to enable him to stand on it alone 

 whenever Blondin himself wanted rest. The preparations were 

 soon made. Blondin took a very long and rather heavy balance 

 pole. Calcourt divested himself of his boots, and put on a pair 

 of ordinary slippers, the soles of which were well chalked. 

 Blondin then stood steadily, and Calcourt, grasping him round 

 the neck, gently and slowly hoisted first one leg into the hook 

 and then the other, and allowing his limbs to swing as relaxed 

 as possible, the venture commenced. Of course, with a rope 

 nearly half-a-mile long no power could draw it straight across 

 such a gulf. It therefore sloped rapidly down at both sides from 

 the edges of the cliffs on which it was secured. This made the 

 attempt look doubly fearful, for it seemed impossible, as 



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