Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-01-21
AND THEIR PERILs.

-sieuH thgetoto.
CRAGSMEN AND THEIR PERILS.
Those who risk their lives by Chamber
ing up and down precipitous cliffs are, so
far as public appreciation goes. generally
to be met with in alpine countries, where
walls of rock 1000 or 8, 900 feet high are to
be encountered. Readers are never tired
of narratives of their adventures if told
with graphic effect. There are three
classes OF such adventures. In the first
class are the men of science who, in the
laudable pursuit of knowledge, risk their
lives in the ascertainmcnt of facts bearing
upon botany, ornithology, astronomy, ge-
ology, climatolOgy, the formation and
movements of glaciers, etc. All honor to
the Humboldts and Bonplands, the Saus-
sures and Delucs, the Forbeses and Tyn-
dalls In the second class may be placed
those who Chamber up and down for the
glory of the thing TO excel land perhaps
TO crow over) their stay t-home friends,
These are the tourists who "do" Mont
Blanc, Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn, the
Oertler Spite and other break neck
mountains. OF course we hope that they,
especially the lady tourist, will not break
their necks; but still such adventures,
though involving a certain amount of en-
durance and not little excitement, de-
serve only secondary commendation when
no scientific discoveries result therefrom.
The real cragsmen, who may be grouped
| by themselves, are the hunters, whose
lives are imperiled in the search for their
| daily bread. True, the chamOis-hunteT
and the hunters of other mountain ami
mails do not reach such wonderful ledges
and iutting rocks as do the animals them
selves; nevertheless, they climb to very
perilous spots to get a shot at their quarry
and to pick it up when shot.
| There is another kind of cragsmen OF
| cliffmen, however, much less frequently
talked of and written about; namely
those who capture wild fowl on the pre-
| cipitous cliffs of rugged coasts. We
know comparatively little concerning
them, because travellers and tourists sell
dom find their way to the scenes of theil
dangerous calling, almost always desc
late and inhOspitable, though sublime il
natural features.
The word "fowl" is rather a puzzlinl
one. What is fowl? Some will give al
answer by enumerating the varieties o
Dorking, Bantam, Cochin China, Suma
ira, Jungle, Polish, Spanish, Frizzled
Fork tailed, etc. Some knowing tha
many kinds of fowl patronize the lax
and the pond rather than the field ant
yard, feel that the answer must max
some mention of swans, wild ducks
dunbirds, teal, sheldrakes, coots, curlews
snipes, lapwings and other feathered bi
peds so well known to the fowler of fel
countries. But besides these two group
there is one comprising these sea bird
or cliff birds which shun the haunts G
| onH hic hn1nnninpg FThaaa
chiefly of gannets, guillemots, razor r-bill
and pufiins. Living mostly on fish, the
roost near where FISH can be caught; an
no home pleases them better than til
shaggy, PERCEPTIONS wall of sea-clif
which is sure to present numerous hole
and corners, hooks and shelves, wheI
the birds can nestle. AS the flesh of til
, young birds is eatable, though of a fish
flavor, and as the feathers, down and o
can always find market, the birds al
of considerable commercial importanc,
But what a life Of peril is ther captur
, what a hard way Of earning ones dali
! bread!
George and Peter Anderson describe IL
work of the sea-bird catchers at Hands
; an island off the northwest coast of SEQ
land, opposite ScOurie. On the seawai
q side of that small island is cliff tN
/ miles long by 600 or roo feet in heigll
almost perpendicular, and so smooth
. to offer few facilities for foothOld. The
' are here and there indentatiOns and d.
I tached columnar masses, which are know
!. alike to the birds and to their pursuer
G On the narrow, horizontal ledges of Il
e cliffs thousands of gannets, razoT-bill
puffins, guillemots and other sea-fowl S
as closely together as they can be wedge
. while thousands of others are on the wiz
I during the breeding-seasOn-which is Il
/ best time for the fowler. A shot fired sc
u inconceivable numbers of birds on Il
wing. But some, either through natur
Q stubbornness or from some other caus
y y stick to their roosting places with the I
y most pertinacity; stones and even she
" failing to disloege them. 1t is a CONNIE
Ii thing for the daring fowlers, after muC
l. climbing up and down, 10 enter ere
T. ices into which we could hardly imagil
" men venturiug, to take the birds by han
- - or collect the large, richly tinted, spott
- eggs. Where the face of the cliff is t
- precipitous to permit even a cragsman
y do this, he is let down by a rope fro
- above to spot where he can capture l
,, prev with moose, or a hook, fastened
short stick; sometimes the catch is We
- abundant in short space of time. Whe
~ er the fowler heayes the killed birds q
boat stationed at the base of the cliff,
y, ~ ties them round his waist, or signals
!; have them drawn up by line to viii
y, many are strung at once, depends on
~ conformation OF the cliff at each partiC
s. lar spot. The nesting season usua
80 80 lasts from the middle of May to the m
" die of August; and it is only at su
time that the seabirds congregate there
ca any considerable number Desolate Hl
n da' has few visitors except the fowlt
he Once a ship was wrecked on the coast a
be the yards tilted over so close to the face
" the cliff as TO enable some of the hapl
lis seamen to Chamber upon lodges and II
ed recesses. How long they remained tn
ad we are not told; but fortunately so
cil fowlers, or it may be some fishermen,
o. tracted to the spot by seeing the wreI
re; of the vessel, eSpied the poor fellows a
ed rescued them while little life still
elr manned.
he More wild, more perilous, more
on citing even than that OF Handa, Is
re sea. .fowling at st. Kilda. Indeed, an
Ter dinary landsmSn can with difficulty G
'as ceive how the work can be carried
ue st. Kilda is a lonely island, eighty m
vs. out westward beyond Lewis and Har
ats two of the Hebrides. Strangers seld
as approach the small island-itis is only th
as miles long by two in breadth-except
TO, an occasional steamer or Governm
led cutter; but fishermen from Harris W
= ure thither in open boats. There is o
r one landing place, and this is very d
I'VE cult of access all the rest of the coas
To rugged cliff from 800 to 1000 or m
lie. feet in height A few Inhabitants y
.pg up a living on the island, partly by c
md ivating small patches OF poor land, p