Page 601 - The Ashley Book of Knots

THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS

3844. "Concluding lines," to hold rungs in place. According to

Admiral Paris, these were rove through holes in the middle of the

ends of rungs. The rungs were seized in or else STANDING TURK'S-

HEADS were placed above and below them on the side ropes.

38

3845. A large State-of-Maine schooner carried this ladder, which

was neither pilot nor Jacob's ladder. It had lanyards at the top which

were long enou h to lash either to eyebolts or to belaying pins

inside the rail. he steps had cleats at either end which were sup-

ported by STANDING TURK'S-HEADS.

3846. The common grooved rung was turned in a lathe.

3847. "The most general way of making these ladders," according

') 44 to Brady (1841), was with two small ropes at each side which were

3845" 385"1 seized together above and below the slots in the rungs.

3848. Instead of a round rung, a flat one with two holes in each

end was also used, which was easier for the feet.

3849. The remainder of the ladders shown are simple makeshift

ones for shore use. The first and simplest is from Lowney Brothers'

'''\It\\ Circus and led to the flying trapeze. It consisted of two ropes tied in

a series of MARLINE HITCHES around sections of broom handle which
385"2

had been slightly scored with a rasp to receive them. The tendency

of the rung to roll was frustrated by havin the knots in one rope

on the front of the rung, and the knots 0 the other rope on the

reverse side.

3850. A HALF HITCH is as simple to make and, used for this pur-

pose, is more secure than the MARLINE HITCH. The hitches in one

rope should oppose those on the other end of the rung.

384

3851. If the last knot is given one additional tuck, as indicated by

the single arrow i.n the diagram, CROSSING KNOT'#: 1 192 is formed

and the pull on the knot will be at opposite sides of the rung.

3852. The common way of notching a rung, when two ropes are

used at one end, is '#: 3841. Shallow notches may be made with a rasp.

Single ropes may be secured to this rung, as '#:3840 and '#:3844.

3853. A secure ladder can be very quickly made by tying the

CONSTRICTOR KNOT. The knots at one end of the rung should be on

the side opposite the knots of the other end.

3854. CROSSING KNOT # 119 I makes an excellent temporary LADDER

KNOT, as the pull is at the top and bottom of the rung. For this rea-

son, the two sets of knots do not have to be tied reversely. Moreover,

it is simpler to tie than '#: 3850.

The subject of knots is still very much alive; for there is more

rope in use today than ever before, more even than in the days of

the clipper ship, and a rope cannot be put to work without the tying

of a knot.

There are still old knots that are unrecorded, and so long as there

are new purposes for rope, there will always be new knots to

discover.

So it is possible that someday I may find something further to say

on knots, although it seems to me at present that eleven years is long

... '

enough service to have given to one cause.
38SO

But now, in the words of Captain John Smith, "Sometimes Gov-

ernour of Virginia, and Admirall of New England," we will "Make

an End of this Discourse with a Knot."

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