Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

94 CAMPING AND WOODCRAFTof a cliff, a tree, or other object the base of whichyou can reach, and with fairly level ground in frontof it. In Fig. 21, the man wants to know the lengthof the merchantable "stick" below the tree branches.He estimates the height by eye, then paces off thatdistance and marks it at C. He cuts a stake aboutas long as himself, stands it in front of him andmarks on it with his knife the height of his eye, thensharpens the few inches remaining. At C he drives,""'^X '^J•^-^^-^-^^-^-^^^j^^m^Fig. 21.—Measuring a Height.the stake perpendicular, with the knife mark levelwith the ground. Then he lies down with feetagainst the stake, as shown, and sights at the tree.If the line of sight over the top of stake does notstrike the point Aj he shifts, and tries again, untilthe alignment is correct. The height AB thenequals the distance BC.Some backwoodsmen have a rough-and-ready wayof estimating the height of a tree. They walk offuntil its topmost branches or first fork can be viewedby looking backwards between the outstretched legjs