Page:The American Boy's Handy Book edition 1.djvu/98

the time, five minutes after reading the article the process will have escaped his memory; but if he take a piece of cord or rope, and sit down with the diagrams in front of him, he will find little difficulty in managing the most complicated knots; and he will not only acquire an accomplishment from which he can derive infinite amusement for himself and a means of entertainment for others, but the knowledge gained may, in case of accident by fire or flood, be the means of saving both life and property.

The accompanying diagrams show a number of useful and important bends, splices, etc. To simplify matters, let us commence with Fig. 57, and go through the diagrams in the order in which they come:

The "English," or "common single fisherman's knot" (Fig. 57, I.), is neat and strong enough for any ordinary strain. The diagram shows the knots before being tightened and drawn together.

When exceptional strength is required it can be obtained by joining the lines in the ordinary single fisherman's knot (Fig. 57, I.), and pulling each of the half knots as tight as possible, then drawing them within an eighth of an inch of each other and wrapping between with fine gut that has been previously softened in water, or with light-colored silk.

An additional line, or a sinker may be attached by tying a knot in the end of the extra line, and inserting it between the parts of the single fisherman's knot before they are drawn together and tightened.

The "fisherman's double half knot," Fig. 57 (II. and III.). After the gut has been passed around the main line and through itself, it is passed around the line once more and through the same loop again, and drawn close.

Fig. 57 (IV., V. and IX.). Here are three methods of joining the ends of two lines together; the diagrams explain them