Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

KNOTS, HITCHES, LASHINGS 287through this loop, and draw the loop tight. Theother end of the bend is fastened in a similar manner.Slings.—^These are used for a great variety ofpurposes. They must be absolutely secure, and yet,in many cases, they must be easy to undo.Bowline on a Bight (Fig. 147).—This is madelike the common bowline except that the end isleftlong enough so that after it has passed out throughthe bight at b in Fig. 131 it is continued aroundthe big loop and back around and out throughb again, so as to double its course. When this isdrawn taut you have two loops, instead of one as inthe single bowline, and, like it, they cannot slip.This is the sling for hoisting a man, or loweringhim down a shaft, over a cliff, or out of a burningbuilding. For this purpose, make one of the loopslonger than the other, for him to sit in, while theshorter loop passes under his armpits and across hisback, as in Fig. 148. The man grasps the ropesof the long loop, and is safely supported.The bowline on a bight is also used in slingingcasks or barrels, bales, etc. To untie it, drawthe bight of the rope up on the standing partsuntil it is slack enough, then bring the whole of theother parts of the knot up through it.Boatswain's Chair (Fig. 149).—^A comfortableseat for painters or others working on theside of a building or for similar purposes. The ropegoes through auger holes in the board and is securedabove by a bowline knot.Plank Sling (Fig. 150).—Each end of a plankxised as a stage is fastened to a rope by making amarlinspike hitch in the rope and running the endof the plank through it in the same way as themarlinspike in the lower figure.Bale Hitch (Fig. 151).—Bend the middle ofthe rope over the back of the package as indicatedby the dotted lines, bring the ends up over the,ifront of it at a, and out under the bend, using the