Both men and supplies were transferred from ship to shore by this primitive, albeit ingenious, system. The men were carried in a novel device, described as a “breeches-buoy,” such as is used with the rocket life-saving apparatus, but of very crude design improvised on the spot. It was contrived from an ordinary circular rubber life-preserver, to which a pair of trousers cut short at the knees were lashed tightly. This was suspended from the block-hook by means of three short lengths of rope. The trip through the air certainly was novel, and not free from excitement; indeed, there was just sufficient spice of adventure about it to appeal to the rough-and-ready, intrepid spirits who constituted the forces of the lighthouse engineer. Also, owing to the primitive character of the apparatus, there was just the chance that something would go wrong when the man was between ship and rock. The breeches were provided to hold the man in a safe position while in the air, to guard against a loss of balance and tipping out; while should anything give way, and the man make an unexpected plunge into the water, the life-preserver would keep him afloat until a boat could draw alongside to rescue him. [Illustration: THE CONQUEST OF THE TILLAMOOK. The top of the crag was blasted off to provide a level space for the lighthouse.] [Illustration: THE TERRIBLE TILLAMOOK ROCK. Showing how the menace rises abruptly from the sea on one side.] There was another factor which had to be taken into consideration, and which certainly contributed to the novelty of the trip. As the boat responded to the action of the waves the rope alternately drew tight and sagged. When she rolled towards the rock the cable was slackened, and the man generally had a ducking; the next moment, when the vessel rolled in the opposite direction, he was whisked unceremoniously and suddenly into the air. It was like being suspended at the end of a piece of elastic. The men for the most part enjoyed the fun of the journey, and considered it a new and exhilarating “divarshun.” Among themselves the effort was to travel in either direction so as to escape a cold douche on the journey. When the water was rough, speculation took the form of guessing how many dips into the water would be made before either terminus was gained.