Evening star., 1905-11-04

Daring Climbers Scale Almost Inacces-
sible Cliffs for Slight Gain.

Oar1ng climbers Scale Almost Inacces-
sible Cliffs for Slight Gain.
From Tit-Bits.
TT Is terrible. terrible" exclaimed one
Frenchman; Magnificent cried another,
while third turned away his eyes with.
"Ah. cannot bear to look" as the mem
bers of the international pathological
congress, standing at the foot of the tow
ering cliffs near Marlborough Head.
watched William Wilkinson. prince of
climbers. as he dangled at the end of
dizzily swaying rope 100 feet and more
above their heads in search of the eggs of
guillemot and kittiwake.
And, indeed. the spectacle of one of
these reckless egg hunters, suspended at
a giddy height from a frail rope and
swaying pendulum like against the swart
face OF cliff more than 100 yards high
over the hungry teeth of the rocks that
fringe the cliffs base, is sufficient to turn
a strong head and send a shiver of appre-
hensfon through the least emotional of
onlookers. But to the climber himself 1t
Is his days work, which inspires no more
fear in him than If he were driving a
plow or raking hay. Generation after
generation his forefathers have reaped
the harvest OF sea birds eggs-it runs in
the blood" and he laughs at the very
suggestion of danger In what is perhaps
earns his daily bread.
1t is on the frowning cliffs of East
Yorkshire that you can see the "ciimmcr"
at his best There are three stretches of
clins-at Bempton. Speeton and Buckton
leased by different gangs of "climmers,'
and here, year after year the harvest OF
eggs, OF razorbill and guillemot. puffln
and kittiwake; and many another sea
bird, Is reaped; and so plentiful is the
crop that, 1t is said, William Wilkinson in
twenty years has taken no fewer than
100000 eggs from the cliffs with his own
hands.
And how do they work, these daring
explorers of the grim Yorkshire cliffs,
who risk their lives so light heartedly for
eggs which they sell for twopence apiece?
than in the words of Mr.. Clark. we'll
known Yorkshire naturalist, and himself
an expert amateur cliff climber.
The climber wears round his waist
stout leather strap. to which are attached
two pieces of webbing passing round the
thighs from back to front. To this are
fastened two iron eyelets, through which
the rope is knotted. 1t is thus impossible
to fall out, even should the wearer be-
come insensible. Before making n de-
scent an iron crowbar is driven into the
top Of the cliff and a second rope fast
ened to it, the end of which hangs loosely
down the cliff. This is called the guide
rope. and is used by the climber to assist
him In controlling his movements, and to
enable him to facilitate his return to terra
firma.
In passing over the cliff edge the
climber walks backward down the steep
slope. which In most cases precedes the
perpendicular portion of the cliff, and at
the extreme angle drives a small steel
pulley with spike attached into the
earth or a crack in the rock. Over this
he lays the rope which is attached to his
body, and, boldly leaning his full weight
upon 1t, places his feet upon the rock and
practically walks backward down the
face of the cliff Whilst descending the
climber is held by one man only. who sits
on the cliff top with his feet firmly plant
ed in two holes dug for the purpose. This
man wears round his waist broad belt
of strong padded leather, round which is
passed the rope, so that the weight falls
upon his loins."
Certainly the process thus clearly de-
scribed seems simple enough, but it needs
no great stretch of fancy to picture the
courage of man who can thus walk
backward over the brink of cliff as high
as the cross OF st. Paufs to the rugged
rocks below, and who, swinging at the
end Of a rope, while hundreds of angry
birds are shrieking and whirling around
his head, can calmly proceed from dizzy
ledge to ledge, filling his baskets with
the spoil Of eggs.
| The spectacle of the "climmer" at work
| at an exciting moment is thus graphically
described by an onlooker. The crags-
| man. whirling his staff thrice among the
shrieking birds that circled round his
head, planted the end of 1t against the
rock above him and pushed vigorously.
pendulum. sweeping giddily back and
forth through the air gaining force at
every thrust of his staff. till his toes
touched the platform in his forward
swing, and the very blood chilled in my
body I watched him. At last, with a
| heave and a supple bend. he swung onto
the edge and Strengthened himself with a
jerk. The platform yielded rich toll"
Naturally accidents-fatal accidents
happen to the most expert and careful of
these egg hunters. but fortunately they
are rare. More frequent, however, are
their escapes in thrilling circumstances.
In one case. through the slipping of a
sheepshank loop. the rope which support
ed the climber broke, and to his horror
he saw that he was hanging by a single
strand. At any moment the strand might
break. and a swift and horrible death
ensue; but. with marvellous self-posses-
sion and daring. the man, risking all on
the venture, swung himself off into space
toward the guide rope. Once, twice he
failed to reach it. The third time he
clutched it, and as he did so the single
strand that had held him from the jaws
of death snapped. few minutes later
he had climbed the guide rope hand over
hand into safety.