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Start with a length of 3/4 inch braided cotton twine.
Attach a cast lead weight of 7 or 14 pounds. It's common for
the weight to have a hollow at the bottom end. This hollow
can be "armed" with tallow (Crisco makes an acceptable
substitute) for picking up a sample of the sea bottom.
Mark the line as follows:
| fathoms | mark |
|---|
| 2 | 2 strips of leather |
| 3 | 3 strips of leather |
| 5 | white cotton calico |
| 7 | red woolen bunting |
| 10 | leather with a round hole in it |
| 13 | 3 strips of leather
or blue woolen serge |
| 15 | white calico |
| 17 | red bunting |
| 20 | light line with 2 knots
or leather with two round holes |
The marks are designed to be read by feel at night. They should be
inserted through the line and sewn into place. The line should be wet
when measured for the marks.
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South: The Endurance Expedition
Shackleton's near-fatal journey to the Antarctic has received a
lot of press in recent years. This is Shackleton's own account—quiet,
understated, and riveting. It also describes the travails of the Aurora
expedition, intended to lay the groundwork for Shackleton on the other
side of the continent.
(Note: commissions earned from this link help defray the costs of this website)
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