[Fig. 90.] Proceeding with the hitch, the two ropes over the pack crosswise are then twisted, lifting the forward strand up and back and pulling the rear strand forward and under. Two turns are made and then a loop of the rope lying forward and back over the top of the pack is drawn up between the two twisted ropes as shown. The loop formed on the off side between the part crosswise of the pack and the part of the rope crossing lengthwise of the pack, is formed over both corners of the off side of the pack. Then the loop drawn up between the two twisted ropes is lowered over the corners of the near side of the pack.
[Fig. 91.] The final strain is taken on the free end of the rope passing along the neck of the animal and tied at the forward point of the diamond with a packer’s knot. If the animal should fall on either side, the knot is easily reached and untied. The free end of the rope is tucked under some part of the hitch or looped over the pack or otherwise disposed of. In making the Diamond Hitch, at no time is the end of the rope pulled through anywhere. This makes it easy to take off without becoming snarled.
[Fig. 92.] The Diamond Hitch as mentioned above is frequently tied so that the knot occurs on the side of the animal opposite the cinch hook instead of on top. This hitch is tied so that the first loop is lowered over the rear corner only of the off side of the pack. In the two other hitches described above, the first loop included both corners of the pack, and finished with a knot on top. The Diamond Hitch shown is thrown by two packers.
LASHINGS
[Fig. 93.] To lash a Transom to an upright Spar with the transom in front of the upright. A clove hitch is made around the upright a few inches below the transom. The lashing is brought under the transom, up in front of it, horizontally behind the upright, down in front of the transom, and back behind the upright at the level of the bottom of the transom and above the clove hitch. The following turns are kept outside the previous ones on one spar and inside on the other, not riding over the turns already made. Four turns or more are required. A couple of frapping turns are then taken between the spar and transom, around the lashing, and the lashing is finished off either around one of the spars or any part of the lashing through which the rope can be passed. The final clove hitch should never be made around the spar on the side toward which the stress is to come, as it may jam and be difficult to remove. The lashing must be well beaten with handspike or pick handle to tighten it up. This is called a square lashing.