Page:The American Boy's Handy Book edition 1.djvu/124

hempen tangles serving not only to entangle star-fish, sea-urchins, and the like, but in a measure preventing other creatures that have been scooped up by the pail from making their escape.

Saw off from an old broom handle a piece of stick about two and one-half feet long; hunt up three or four pieces of chain about the size used for large dog-chains; with small iron staples fasten these chains at intervals along the broomstick. Tie bunches of hemp securely along the chains. If you have no hemp, unravel pieces of old rope ends and tie them to the chains as in the illustration (Fig. 66). The broomstick, being light, will possibly float in spite of the chains. This can only be prevented by attaching weights to the stick.

If a couple of iron wheels can be procured and put upon the ends of the broomstick they will not only counteract the buoyancy of the stick, but will also, in a measure, prevent the tangle from fouling stones or other objects on the bottom.

In the place of the iron wheels, simple weights of lead or other material may be used, and instead of the chains, weighted strings can be tied to the stick and the hempen knots fastened to them. Still another tangle can be made of a piece of old chain.

as may be seen by the illustration (Fig. 67), is simply a piece of iron chain decorated with hempen tassels and occasional cross-sticks. A rope is attached to one end, and by its means the tangle is hauled over the bottom to gather up its load of curiosities.

If dredging from a sail-boat, divide the crew into two parties, one to manage and sail the boat, the other to attend to the