Page 68 - The Ashley Book of Knots

OCCUPATIONAL KNOTS

a CONSTRICTOR ('# 1 249), place it around the hose, secure the ends

of the cord to the centers of two sticks, and pull as illustrated. A ten-

year-old boy can pull more effectively in this way than two strong

men can, each pulling an end against the other.

There is only one satisfacto way to coil rubber hose, and that

is with figure-eight turns, pre erably flaked down as in '# 3109 or

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365. The CROSSING KNOT should be employetl in staking out newly

seeded areas of grass. Number 206 gives the method of tying this

knot.

The Hammock Maker

The type of hammock recently termed "Cape Ann" has been used

at sea for many years. I have an ancient one made of linen homespun

sailcloth. There are two knots used by the commercial hammock

makers in hitching to the eyelets, which are given elsewhere as RING

HITCHES '# 18 J2 and '# 1833. Neither is particularly secure. At sea,

hammock clews were made in several different ways, to be shown

later in Chapter 41.

Very few net hammocks are now seen, and the old-fashioned -. ..--- . .-

barrel-stave hammock appears to have almost vanished. , I~

The Hang;man

366. The HANGMAN'S KNOT. There are several knots recommended

tor this purpose, and there are several variations of the one given

here that may be found in the chapter on NOOSES. But this knot of

eight turns appears to be the standard one, and it may be counted

upon to draw up smoothly and snugly when it fulfills its office. The

noose is always adjusted with the knot slightly below and immedi-
366

ately in back of the left ear. This is to provide the sidewise jerk,

which is one of the refinements of a successful hanging.

Hangings at sea were infrequent. Such an occasion furnished a bit

of extra-routine labor, in which the boatswain took especial pride,

and in which no bungling was tolerated. A boatswain's reputation

would be forever ruined if there were any hitch on such an occasion.

Although most of the details were left to him, there were certain

well-established conventions which had to be observed. These are

given in detail in an old work on seamanship. A fall was led through

a single block at the fore yardarm and thence to a second single

block under the fore cap. Between the two blocks was a YARDARM

KNOT (# 1149), the upper bight of which was not half hitched, as is

customary, but was merely stopped with light twine. This stopping

would carry away the instant the knot was hauled against the block, I

so spilling the SHEEPSHANK. The weight at the noose end at once

dropped to take up the slack given by the spilled SHEEPSHANK, and it

was brought up with a jerk by a toggle which fetched against the

yardarm block. The toggle was marlingspike hitcbed ('# 2030) and

seized to the rope at a point which allowed for an exact six-foot drop

outside the rail.

In preparation for thili the fall was laid at length along the deck I \ ,

"ready to be hurried aft" when "twenty stout fellows seized the

rope." I I ; I I