1^^^ J^. nj \ ._^- 'S^ succeed in hitting the ball at the first hop, and driving it fairly back to the wall, striking above the lower line, the game goes on, each striking it alternately until one fails, the ball now being only required to strike the wall above the lower line, and being quite unrestricted as to the place where it takes the groimd. If the server fail, he loses his turn, and his opponent takes his place; if the boys' own book. 41 second hand fail, the server counts one 'to his game, which is reckoned in all things just as in fives. The serving takes place alternately from b and c — the second hand standing at D for B, and e for c. E 1 ^ 1 ^ D I ^ The ball may strike the side and end walls either before or after striking the playing wall at A ; but the roof and the gallery, if there be one, are considered out of bounds, and count to the striker for a miss. A good player makes great use of the walls, and will utterly confound and bewilder the novice by driving the ball into corners, where it either flies about in the most incomprehensible manner or falls most disappointingly dead to the ground. Thus it will be seen that in rackets, more even than in fives, a player's real strength lies chiefly in the power of serving a series of diflB.- cult or actually impossible balls. There are many other "dodges" which a good player practises, which time would fail us to enumerate, and which, indeed, hardly come within the scope of these short notices, which are not intended as exhaustive treatises on the various games for the use of experts, but as an introduction to their theory and practice for the use of learners and unformed players. One trick of the racket may, however, be mentioned as not very difficult to acquire and yet extremely valuable in play. By a quick action of the wrist as the ball takes the 42 BOTS' OvV'N BOOK. racket, drawing the network across the ball, a Tery consider- able spin or bias may be imparted to it, which will cause it not only to fly oif the walls at unexpected angles, but to prove so erratic in its rebound from the ground as to put aU calculation at defiance and balfle the most expert player. The first thing a beginner has to learn in handling a racket is to stand far enough away from the ball ; it is the almost iuvariable fault of a novice to get too near for fair striking. The second, perhaps, is to keep cool and not be in too great a hurry to strike. This is perhaps a too com- mon fault with most players ; they fly about and dash frantically at almost every other ball ; whereas a really fine player, as a rule, takes the ball as late as possible, and hardly ever seems to be in a hurry, generally taking the whole affair with the most provoking calmness and delibera- tion. To this point of perfection, however, it is only given to the few to attain — ^we point it out as the real standard of excellence. Some attention to dress is necessary : light flannel jersey and trousers, and canvas shoes, is the regulation dress. Ordinary base-ball habiliments will do for the first, and any pair of close-fitting light shoes or slippers will do for the second ; but the regular shoes are very inexpensive, and need not be a cause of alarm at home. Ordinary boots and shoes with thick soles and heels are simply inadmissible; first, because they would cut the paving of the court to pieces ; and secondly, because they are sure to bring their wearer to grief sooner or later, by slipping up and letting him down after a fashion to which a heavy fall on the ice is mere child's play, and to the imminent danger of breaking half the bones in his body. The racket is very liable to warp, and so to play untruly ; it should always be kept, if possible, under a weight. When a racket has warped so much as to become troublesome, it can always be restored by being pressed in a frame made for the purpose ; but a little care will render this unnecessary for a long time. boys' owk book. 43 SHINNY, HOCKEY OR BANDY. This is perhaps, next to football, the best of our open-air winter games, and is strongly recommended to our young readers, as a very efficient substitute for that nobler sport. The spirit of the game is pretty much the same as that of football, the object being to strike a ball through a goal marked by two uprights, the principal difference being that the instrument of propulsion is a stick instead of the foot, and that the ball is smaller and of a different make. The game may be played by a very few, but at least six or eight are necessary to give it any real interest. From ten to a dozen on a side can play with advantage if the space be not too confined ; but a game with only six or eight on a side gives more room for individual skill, and is therefore preferable. Under all circumstances a crowded game is to be avoided, for the game then ceases to be a contest of skill, and degenerates into a mere chance medley, in which all refinement of play is rendered impossible by the sheer press of numbers, and brute strength and reckless hard pounding bear down all opposition. Another objection may be men- tioned — of more weight, perhaps, with parents than with boys themselves, but which the latter might well take into some consideration — that is, the extremely dangerous nature of the game thus played. In the midst of a grand scrim- mage, where a score or so of players are plying their hockeys vigorously in the confined space of a few square yards, it cannot be but that some blows more or less awkward must be inflicted upon the heads and faces of those engaged. The game is played with a solid india-rubber ball from two to two and a half inches in diameter ; and the players, each with a hooked stick or " hockey," take opposite sides, and try to drive the ball through each other's goals. The goals, which should be marked each by two poles about ten feet apart and eight feet high, with a cord joining their tops, may be placed at from eighty to a hundred yards apart, and boundaries should be marked at the sides by flags or posts as 44 boys' owk book. in football, leaving a space between them of about forty yards. To put the matter more exactly, the ground for a game with a dozen on a side should be about a hundred yards long by forty broad, while for numbers less than this it should be proportionately contracted. There is much variety of opinion as to the best form of hockey-stick, nearly every player of any pretensions having his own fancy ; but all kinds of hockey may be classed under two heads — those with a small hook and those with a large one, the difference between them being much the same as that between a rapier and a cavalry broadsword. As may be supposed, the better players mostly prefer the lighter and more wieldy though less powerful weapon, just as a flrst- rate fencer would prefer a light straight sword to a cutlass. In choosing a hockey, the young player should be careful not to overweight himself ; all the real work of the game is done by pure wrist-worTc ; the hockey, therefore, must not be of a greater weight than he can easily manage. The rules of the game are few and simple ; those for play are as follows : 1. The choice of goals shall be decided by tossing, and the side winning the toss shall start the ball from a spot ten yards in front of their goal. 2. The ball may only he played with the hockey; it shall, however, be lawful to stop the ball with the body or legs, but not with the hands. 3. A goal is gained when the ball is played through be- tween the posts and under the cord by the opposing party, or in any way passed through by the side owning the goal. 4. No player may strike the ball backhanded ; in every case the player must play facing the opponent's goal. 5. A player is not permitted to loiter near the adversary's goal, but may be required to retire, while not playing at the ball, to a distance of at least twenty-five yards. BOYS OWN BOOK. 45 GAMES WITH MARBLES. There are three ways of shooting a marble. 1. Trolling, which consists in projecting the marble so that it rolls along the ground until it strikes the marble at which it is aimed ; 2. Hoisting, where the marble is shot from, at or above the level of the knee, while the party stands ; and, Kriuclcling down, where the player shoots with the middle knuckle of his forefinger touching the ground, but makes his marble de- scribe a curve in the air .on its way to the ring, A boy has to be a good player, a "dabster," as they say, to knuckle down well. • To shoot a marble properly, it must be held between the tip of the fore-finger and the first joint of the thumb, resting on the bend of the second finger, and propelled forward by suddenly forcing up the thumb-nail. Some boys place it be- tween the bend of the first finger and the thumb joint. This is called " shooting cunnethumb," and not only subjects those who do it to the ridicule of their associates, but tires the thumb very much. 46 boys' OWl^ BOOK. KNOCK-OUT. Two or more may play at this game. He who begins, throws a marble gently against a wall, so that it rebounds to a distance not exceeding a yard ; a second player throws another marble against the wall, endeavoring to make it rebound, so as to. strike or come within a span of the first ; if he can do neither, the first player takes up his own marble, and, in turn, strives to snop or span that of the second. The marble that is thus snopped or spanned, is won, and the winner begins again. Where only two play, it is best to knock out two or three marbles each, alternately, before they begin to use those on the ground. In this ease, a player may win his own marbles, as they are common stock when down, and take up which he pleases, to play with. AECH BOARD. This game is called "Nine-holes," also " Shoot through the Files ; " it has various names, and is sometimes played with iron bullets instead of marbles. The marbles are bowled at a board set upright, resembling a bridge, with nine small arches, all of them numbered ; if the marble strike against the sides of the arches, it becomes the property of the boy to whom the board belongs ; but, if it go through any one of them, the bowler claims a number equal to the number up- on the arch it passed through. We have seen the boards, in this game, marked above some of the arches with nihils, in this order : — 5, 0, 1, 2, 0, 3, 0, 4, 0. In some places, where there are no nihUs on the board, (pid the numbers go beyond five, the bowler not only loses his marble, if it strike against the sides of the arches, but also gives the board-keeper a marble each time he bowls. RING-TAW. The rules of Ring-taw vary in different places ; the fol- lowing are the most general : — A circle is drawn, into wliich each pai-ty places as many marbles as may be agreed on. A boys' own book. 47 line, called the offing, is then drawn at some distance, from which each in turn shoots at the ring. Shooting a marble out of the ring, entitles the shooter to go on again, and thus the ring may be sometimes cleared by a good player, before his companion or companions have a chance. After the first fire, the players return no more to the offing, but shoot, when their turn comes, from the place where their marbles rested on the last occasion. Every marble struck out of the ring, is won by the striking party; but if the taw at any time remain in the ring, the player is not only out, but if he have previously in the course of the game struck out any marbles, he must put them in the ring again. And if one player strike with his taw the taw of another, the player whose taw is so struck, is out ; and if he have previously shot any marbles out of the circle, he must hand them over to the party by whose taw his has been so struck. THE PYRAMID, OR SHOOT THE DIE. A small circle is drawn on the ground, within which one player builds a pyramid, by placing three marbles triangu- larly, and a foui'th in the centre, on the top of them, or a die. Any other player may then shoot at the pyramid, at an agreed distance, by giv- . mg, for each time of ; shooting, to the one who keeps the pyramid,^ a marble. If the shooter strike the pyramid with his taw, as many of the marbles composing the pyramid as may be driven out of the circle, belong to the shooter, and the pyramid is constantly to be kept up complete by its owner. If a die is placed on the top, the striker is paid the number of the die that is uppermost. This is a good in- door game ; variety and additional interest may be given to 48 boys' ow^ book. it, by each player taking the office of pyramid-keeper at stated intervals. mCREASE-POUKD. This is superior to any other game with marbles. It differs from ' ' Ring-taw " in the following particulars : — If, previously to any marble or shot bemg struck out of the ring or pound, the taw of one of the players be struck by the taw of another (except that of his partner), or in case he shoot his taw within the pound, in either case, he puts a shot in the ring, and before either of the others play, shoots from the offing and continues in the game ; but if the first of these events occur after one or more shots have been struck out of the pound, if he have previously, during that game, obtained any shots himself, he hands them over to the party who has struck him, and also puts a shot in as before, previously to his shooting from the offing ; but if he have previously obtained no shots during the game, he is put out of the game entirely, or " killed," by his taw being so struck ; and again, if after a shot or shots have been struck out of the pound, his taw get within it (on the line is nothing), he puts his shots, if he have obtained any, with an additional one, into the pound, and shoots from the off- ing ; but if he have not obtained a shot or shots after his taw so remains within the ring, " or gets fat," as it is called, he is "killed," and stands out for the remainder of the game. When there is only one marble left in the ring, the taw may then remain inside it, without being ' ' fat " at this game. The players seldom put more than one marble each in the ring at first. HOLES. Three small holes are dug, about a yard and a half asunder ; a line is drawn about two yards from the first hole, from which the players begin the game. Chance decides who shall have the first shoot; the object is to driA^e the marble into the first hole ; if this be done the player shoots again, boys' OWK BOOK. 49 at the distance of a span, towards the second. If, however, he miss the hole the other player begins, and each shoots, alternately, as the other misses. After having shot the marble into a hole, the player is allowed, if his adversary's marble be near, to drive it with his own as far as he can, and if he strike it to shoot agam. The game is won by the player who gets into the last hole, in the following order : — first hole, second, third, — second, first, — second, third. The loser places his knuckles at the first hole, the winner shoots as near to it as he can from the line, and fires three times, from the place where his marble rests, at the loser's knuckles. Here are a few hints on taw -shooting. Do not aim directly at the marble, because you are always apt to use a little too much strength, and then the taw flies over the marble, and misses it altogether. Aim at the ground about a quarter of an inch in front of the marble, and then you will seldom miss. Even if you should strike the ground half an inch short, no harm wUl be done, the taw being sure to touch the top of the marble as it leaps from the ground ; and, if you should shoot a little too low, your taw wUl alight plump on the marble, and drive it to a distance. If you can possibly avoid it, do not let your taw roll towards the marble which you mean to strike, because any impediment or ob- stacle will be sure to turn it aside. It is worth every boy's while to practise taw-shooting, if only for five or ten minutes a day. He will soon gain an amount of precision and confidence which will thoroughly repay him for the trouble which he has taken. It must be borne in mind, that the reputation of being a certain shot at marbles is most useful. Tour adversaries will be afraid of you. They will not dare to take any liberties with the game. They will keep themselves at a respectful distance from your taw for fear of being killed; and so you may frighten them away from the ring, and pick out all the marbles at your pleasure. 3 50 boys' 0W2!f BOOK. HAKE AND HOUNDS. Choose among your playfellows one who is swift of foot and ready in resource to take the part of the hare ; and then, when you are all assembled, the game proceeds in the following manner : The hare, who provides himself with a pocketful of paper cuttings, has ten minutes' law given him, and away he starts. As soon as he is some distance from the hounds, he drops the paper cuttings here and there in his course, as a guide to the hounds. The paper cuttings are technically called "the scent." At the expiration of the term allowed for law, the hounds follow, at the top of their speed, in the direction indicated by the scent ; and the game is over when the hare is finally caught, — which, if he be active and ingenious, may take an hour or more. It is usual to elect a huntsman and whipper-in from among the fastest runners. These direct the hunt, call together the hounds, and generally superintend the arrangements. Some- times the hare is provided with a horn, which he blows when he considers he is far enough from his pursuers. The huntsman, too, generally carries a white flag, and the whipper-in a red one ; and when the scent is struck, oflE they all go, till they either find the hare, or proclaim him lost. It is, in this case, the huntsman's part to seek the trail of the hare, while the whipper-in keeps his hounds well together till the track is ref ound. Then Tally ho ! and foUow the white flag, wherever it goes, till the hare is fairly run to earth. If a long course be taken by the hare, it is as weU that he should provide himself with a pocket compass, or some other means of finding his way back to the starting place. HUNT THE STAG. This game differs only from the last in the fact that the stag is in sight of the hounds, instead of being hunted by scent — that is, by the pieces of paper dropped on his course. The stag has a minute's start. boys' own book. 51 SPORT 8 OF AGILITY AND SPEED. Many of the previous sports with balls and tops are in part games of agUity and speed, and so also are several of those which will be found among the Miscellaneous Minor Sports; but the following pastimes are exclusively games either of speed or agility, for which no implements are nec- essary. LEAP-FROG. This is a most excellent pastime. It should be played in a spacious place, out of doors if possible, and the more there are engaged in it, jjrovided they be of the same height and agility, the better is the sport. We will suppose a dozen at play : — Let eleven of them stand in a row, about six yards apart, with all their faces in one direction, arms folded, or their hands resting on their thighs, their elbows in, and their heads bent forward, so that the chin of each rests on his breast, the right foot advanced, the back a little bent, the shoulders rounded, and the body firm. The last begins the sport by taking a short ran, placing his hands on the 62 boys' OWN" BOOK. shoulders of the nearest player, and leaping with their assist- ance (of course, springing with his feet at the same time) over his head, as represented in the cut. Having cleared the first, he goes on to the second, third, fourth, fifth, etc., in succession, and as speedily as possible. When he has gone over the last, he goes to the proper distance and places him- self in position for all the players to leap over him in their turn. The first over whom he passed, follows him over the second, third, -fourth, etc. ; and when he has gone over, the one who began the gam« places himself in like manner for the others to jump over him. The third follows the second, and so on until the parties are tired. PRISONERS' BASE. Prisoners' Base is truly a capital game for cold weather. The best number to play at it is six or eight on each side, but there is no objection to more or fewer players. The choice of partners is decided by chance ; a line, ten or twelve yards in length, is drawn about a dozen yards from a wall ; other lines are drawn at each end of the first, reaching thence to the wall, and the third from the middle of the first line to the wall ; one party takes possession of the bounds on one side of this middle, and the other set of players takes the bounds on the other side of it. Two prisons are also marked in a line with each other, at from one to two hundred yards (as convenience will permit) from the front of the bounds ; the prison belonging to one party must be opposite the bounds of the other. The game is now commenced by a player from one side running out midway between the bounds and prisons ; a player from the other side immediate- ly follows, and he may be pursued by one of his adversaries, who in like manner may be followed by a player from the side which began the game, and so on ; both parties being at liberty to send out as many a"s they think fit. The object of each player is to come up with, or intercept and touch any player of the opposite side, who has left the bounds be- fore him ; he is not at liberty to touch any that have started boys' OWN" BOOK. 53 after him, it being their privilege, on the contrary, if they can, to touch him before he can get back within his bounds again. A player is allowed to touch one of the opposite party only each time he quits bounds, and after having touched an adversary, he is exempt from being touched on his return to bounds. Every player who is touched, goes to the prison belonging to his party, where he must remain until one of his own side (who must start from bounds after the prisoner has been within the line of the prison) be able to reach him, without being touched in his run from bounds to prison, by any of the opposite party who may have left their bounds after him. When thus released, neither he nor the player who has relieved him is to touch or be touched in their return to bounds again. The game is won by that side which has aU the players of the other in prison at the same time. SADDLE MY NAG. Two players toss up for choice of partners; six or eight on each side is the best number: after choosing, the two leaders toss up for innings, he who loses then ranges himself and his associates in the following manner: — One player places him- self almost upright, with his hands resting against a wall or tree, a second puts his head against the back of the first, the third against the back of the second, and so on until they are all ranged. They must either hold by the pants of the player who is before them, cross their arms on their breasts, or lean them on their knees. One of the winning party now begins by taking a run, placing his hands upon the back of the outer player on the other side, and leaping as far forward on the range as he possibly can, in order to afEord room for his partners behind him, who follow in succession, until all are on the backs of the other party. If they can all remain on without touching the ground with the hand or any other part, while the leader counts twenty, or if any of the other party sink beneath the weight, or touch the ground with their hands or knees to support themselves, the riders keep 54 boys' owit book. their innings, and go on again. If, on the contrary, or in case there be not room enough for them to leap on, or they cannot keep on the backs of those who are on before them, they lose, and the other party become riders, and they nags. PUSS IN THE CORNER. This is a very simple, but at the same time, a very lively and amusing game. It is played by five only ; and the place chosen for the sport should be a square court or yard with four corners, or any place where there are four trees or posts, about equidistant from each other, and forming the four points of a square. Each of these points or corners is occu- pied by a player; the fifth, who is called Puss, stands in the centre. The game now commences ; the players exchange corners in all directions ; it is the object of the one who stands out, to occupy any of the corners which may remain vacant for an instant during the exchanges. "When he suc- ceeds in so doing, that playej- who is left without a corner becomes the Puss, It is to be observed that if A and B at- tempt to exchange corners, and A gets to B's corner, but B fails to reach A's before the player who stands out gets there, it is B and not A who becomes Puss. FOLLOW MY LEADER. Without a bold and active leader this sport is dull and monotonous ; with one possessing the necessary qualifications it is quite the contrary. Any number may play at it. A leader is fixed on, and the other players range themselves in a line behind him. He commences the sport by some feat of agility, such as leaping, hopping, or climbing, and his fol- lowers then attempt to perform it in succession. He then goes to another trial of skill ; the others, or so many of them as are able to do so, follow his example, and thus the sport proceeds until the parties think fit to cease. The most nim- ble and active should, of course, be chosen for a leader ; he should perform feats of such difficulty as to render the sport boys' 0W2r BOOK. SPORTS with: toys THE POP-GUN. The Pop-gun is made of a piece of wood, from which the pith has been taken ; a rammer must be made, with a handle of a proper length, which should have a shoulder to prevent the slender or ramrod point going the entire length of the gun ; the pellets are made of moistened tow or brown paper. Put one into one end of the gim, push it with the rod to the other, and then placing a second pellet at the end where the first was inserted, piish that toward the opposite end, and it will drive the first pellet out with great force. Pop-guns are also made with quills, the pellets for which are cut by the quills out of slices of raw potato. THE SUCKER. Cut a circular piece out of stout leather ; bore a hole through its centre and pass a string, with a knot to prevent the end escaping, through this hole. Soak the leather well in water before you use it ; when thoroughly soaked, place the leather on a stone, press it well down with your foot, and then taking the string, you may, by your sucker, raise a considerable weight. ^ THE HOOP. Everybody knows how to roll the Hoop in the usual way; several pairs of tin squares are sometimes nailed to the inner part of the hoop, which produce, in the opinion of some boys, an agreeable jingle. There is no horse, however well trained, which obeys the hands of the rider with such pre- cision. There is no ship, with the best j)ilot, which ^o cor- rectly follows the guidance of its rudder. Here is a hoop, ruled by a stick, which manoeuvres it and drives it over the ground in all directions,— to the right, to the left, straight on, backward, forward, dcscribiug a curve, a broken line, a circle. boys' OWJSr BOOK. 57 a triangle, or, in a word, all the series of geometrical figures. Many players can contest together with their hoops, and challenge each other, to know who shall drive his hoop the longest time without getting out of breath, or who shall first reach a goal agreed on. In this latter case, all the players taking part in the contest should' stand together on the same line, and start at a given signal. Lastly, I shall indicate one of the most amusing exercises with the hoop. When the players are numerous, they divide them- selves into two parties, each armed with his hoop and stick. The two parties place themselves opposite each other, leav- ing between them a convenient space ; and further, each player leaves between himself and his companion on either side, a space wide enough for another' player to pass easily between. These precautions taken, every one being at his post, with his stick in hand, and his hoop resting on the ground, ready to start, the two parties, at a given signal, set out at the same moment to meet one another, each player endeavoring to steer his hoop between two others, in such a way as neither to jostle against the hoops on the right or left-hand sides, which meet him in the opposite 58 boys' owk book. direction. When the two parties have thus changed sides, and have arrived at the extremity of the bases, they turn round, and players and hoops again cross one another, re- sembling a little war, in whish each party counts his wounds, by the number of sticks and hoops lying scattered on the field of battle. The hoop is, like the skipping rope, one of the best kinds of exercise for gi"\dng strength and suppleness to the limbs. The hoop was -known to the ancients, and took part in the public games. But it appears that they did not make it turn on its axis as we do, but restricted themselves to swinging it round their heads, and throwing it up, and receiving it on a little metal rod. The hoop they used was made of metal, to which many rings were attached. Ac- cording to the testimony of an ancient author, the move- ment given to the hoop with the metal rod was sometimes so rapid, that the noise of the rings was not heard ; at other times it was swung with less violence, so that the sound of the rings produced an agreeable sensation on the ear. The author wishes without doubt to show that this game with the hoop was looked upon as an exercise capable of con- tributing to the 'health. THE PEA-SHOOTER. By means of a tube of tin or copper, a pea may be pro- pelled from the mouth, by the mere force of the breath, to a very considerable distance. The natives of Macouslie, with a cane tube about twelve feet long, propel arrows with their breath, with such force and dexterity as to bring down different sorts of feathered game, THE KITE. To construct the Kite, you must, in the first place, pro- cure a straight lath of deal for the upright, and a thin hoop or a pliant piece of hazel for the bow or bender. Fasten the bender by its centre, with string, to the upright, within BOYS OWN BOOK. 59 a little distance of its top ; then notch the two ends of the bow, and fasten them to the upright by a string, which is made fast at each of the ends, and turned once round the upright as a, h, c ; the string must then be carried up to the junction of the bow and straighter, and made fast at d, and thence to a; from a it must pass through a notch at e, up to c / then down to /, where it must be tied in a notch cut for that purpose, and up to a again. Your skeleton being now complete, your next task is to paste a sufficient quantity of paper together to cover it, and afford a hem to be pasted over the outer edges. Next, bore two holes in the straighter, one about a fifth of the whole length from the top, and the other rather less from tlie bottom ; run through these, and fasten, by a knot at the two ends, your belly-band string, to which the ball of string, by which the kite is flown, is after- ward fixed. The wings are made of several sheets of paper, half cut in slips, roUed up fastened at a and c. The tail, which should be from ten to fifteen times the length of the 60 boys' OWJSr BOOK. kite, is made by tying pieces of paper, four times folded, about an inch and a half broad, and three inches long, at intervals of three inches and a quarter, on a string, with a a large bob, similar to the wings, at the bottom of it. Your kite is now complete, and fit to be flown in the usual manner. It is well known that the celebrated Doctor Franklin once let up a kite previous to his entering the water to bathe, and then, lying on his back, suffered himself to be drawn across a stream by its power. THE WATCH-SPRING GUN. Neatly cut a bit of wood, about four inches long, into the form of the stock of a pistol or gun ; scoop a groove in the upper part of it ; in this groove place a large quill, open at both ends, fasten it on with wax thread, and let it project beyond the point of the stock and reach as far as the middle of it ; next, procure an old watch-spring, which may be bought cheap at a watchmaker's, cut off a piece of it about as long as the quill, bend it backward, and tie one end of it fijmly to the upper part or but end of the stock. Then bore a small hole through the middle of the stock about an inch from the mouth of the quill ; cut a pin in two, fasten one half of it, by its head, to a bit of thread, the other end of which fasten to the thread that binds on the spring ; this is the trigger, and your gun is complete. To use it, place a little arrow, or a shot, in the groove between the mouth of the quill and the hole in the stock ; put the pin through this hole, and bend back the spring so that the pin may catch it ; take the toy in your right hand, pull the trigger out with the fore-finger, and the spring being thus released, will di'ive the shot, or arrow, through the quill to a consider- able distance. If you use arrows you may shoot at a little butt or target. BOYS OWN BOOK. 61 swiMMma. Swimming has now become an art, and certain rules may be given for its attainment, by the aid of which, and a little practice, the most timid may eventually acquire this neces- sary art. "In addition to its advantages as a healthy and bracing exercise, humanity alone, the pleasure of being not only able to preserve our own lives, but those of others,, ought certainly to be sufl&eient inducement to acquire a dexterity in this most useful art. The iipsetting of the slender boats of the natives of Otaheite is to them a subject of merriment ; they swim about, take^old of the light vessel, right her again, and paddle away, never considering they have been in any danger. Were the practice of swimming universal in this country, and it might be so, we should hardly ever read of deaths by drowning." It would be use- less to enlarge further upon the advantages to be derived 63 boys' 0W2S" BOOK. from acquiring this art ; they must be evident to the most inexperienced. Before we proceed to those rules by which our youthful readers may be enabled to attain proficiency, wo conceive that we shall be conferring a benefit on them by offering to their notice some extracts from the excellent advice of the celebrated philosopher, Doctor Franklin, on this subject. DOCTOR .FRAlq"KLm'S ADVICE TO SWIMMERS. " The only obstacle to improvement in this necessary and life-preserving art is fear ; and it is only by overcoming this timidity, that you can expect to become a master of the fol- lowing acquirements. It is very common for novices in the art of swimming to make use of corks or bladders to assist in keeping the body above water; some have iitterly con- demned the use of them ; however, they may be of service for supporting the body, while one is learning what is called the stroke, or that manner of drawing in and striking out the hands and feet, that is necessary to produce progressive motion. But you will be no swimmer till you can place confidence in the power of the water to support you; I would, therefore, advise the acquiring that confidence in the first place; especially as 1 have known several, who, by a little practice necessary for that purpose, have insensibly acquired the stroke, taught as if it were by nature. The practice I mean is this : choosing a place where the water deepens gradually, walk coolly into it till it is up to your breast ; then turn round your face to the shore, and throw an egg into the water between you and the shore ; it will sink to the bottom, and be easily seen there if the water be clear. It must lie in the water so deep that you cannot reach to take it up but by diving for it. To encourage your- self, in order to do this, refiect that your progress will be from deep to shallow water, and that at any time you may by bringing your legs under you, and standing on the bot- tom, raise your head far above the water ; then plunge under it with your eyes open, which must be kept open before go- BOYS' OWN" BOOK. 63 ing under, as you cannot open the eyelids for the weight of water above you, throwing yourself toward the egg, and en- deavoring, by the action of your hands and feet against the water, to get forward, till within reach of it. In this at- tempt you will find that the water buoys you up against your inclination ; that it is not so easy to sink as you imagine, and that you cannot but by active force get down to the egg. Thus you feel the power of water to support you, and learn to confide in that power, while your endeavors to overcome it, and reach the egg, teach you the manner of acting on the water with your feet and hands, which action is afterwards used in swimming to support your head higher above the water, or to go forward through it. "I would the more earnestly press you to the trial of this method, because, though I think I shall satisfy you that your body is lighter than water, and that you might float in it a long time with your mouth free for breathing, if you would put yourself into a proper posture, and would be still, and forbear struggling; yet, till you have obtained this ex- perimental confidence in the water, I cannot depend upon your having the necessary presence of mind to recollect the posture and the directions I gave you relating to it. The surprise may put all out of your mind. " Though the legs, arms, and head of a human body be- ing solid parts, are, specifically, somewhat heavier than fresh water, yet the trunk, particularly the upper part, for its hol- lowness, is so much lighter than water, as that the whole of the body, taken altogether, is too light to sink wholly under water, but some part will remain above, until the lungs be- come filled with water, which happens from drawing wa- ter to them instead of air, when a person, in the fright, at- tempts breathing, while the mouth and nostrils are under water. ^ " The legs and arms are specifically lighter than salt water, and will be supported by it, so that a human body cannot sink in salt water, though the lungs were filled as above, but from the greater specific gravity of the head. Therefore, a 64 boys' owk book. person throwing himself on his back in salt water, and ex- tending his arms, may easily lay so as to keep his mouth and nostrUs free for breathing ; and, by a small motion of his hand, may prevent turning, if he should perceive any ten- dency to it. "In fresh water, if a man throw himself on his back, near the surface, he cannot long continue in that situation but by proper action of his hands on the water ; if he use no such action, the legs and lower part of the body wlU. gradu- ally sink till he come into an upright position, in which he will continue suspended, the hoUow of his breast keeping the head uppermost. " But if, in this erect position, the head be kept upright above the shoulders, as when we stand on the ground, the immersion will, by the weight of that part of the head that is out of the water, reach above the mouth and nostrils, pehraps a little above the eyes, so that a man cannot long remain suspended in water, with his head in that posi- tion. . "The body continuing suspended as before, and upright, if the head be leaned quite back, so that the face look up- ward, all the back part of the head being under water, and its weight, consequently, in a great measure supported by it, the face will remain above water quite free for breathing, will rise an inch higher every inspiration, and sink as much every expiration, but never so low as that the water may come over the mouth. "If, therefore, a person unacquainted with swimming, and falling accidentally into the water, could have presence of mind sufficient to avoid struggling and plunging, and to Jet the body take this natural position, he might continue long safe from drowning, till, perhaps, help should come ; fqr, as to the clothes, their additional weight when immersed is very inconsiderable, the water supporting it ; though, when he comes out of the water, he would find them very heavy indeed. "But, as I said before, I would not advise you, or any boys' owk book. 65 one, to depend on having this presence of mind on such an occasion, but learn fairly to swim, as I wish all men were taught to do in their youth ; they would, on many occasions, be the safer for having that skill ; and, on many more, the happier, as free from painful apprehensions of danger, to say nothing of the enjoyment in so delightful and whole- some an exercise. Soldiers particularly should, methinks, all be taught to swim ; it might be of frequent use, either in surprising an enemy or saving themselves. PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS. ENTERING THE WATER. Our young pupil must not, at first, venture into the water in the bold and dashing manner of experienced swimmers. He must wait patiently until he can do so without danger. Let him remember that there has been a time when the best swimmer alive, tottered, step by step, into the water, and sounded the depth with one foot before he lifted the other from the bottom of the stream. We recommend our young friend to be patient, as well as persevering, during his pro- bation in the art of swimming. He must not feel disgusted and disheartened, because he seems to make comparatively but little progress ; let him remember that he is gradually acquiring a new and most important power, and is, by 66 BOYS' OW]Sr BOOK. degrees, obtaining a mastery over the waters. It was well observed by a writer of great discernment, that nothing which is worth learning is compassed without some difficulty and application; that it is well worth some pains and trouble to render one's self fearless of falling into a river, in which two out of three of our fellow-countrymen would, in a similar situation, without assistance, be drowned, must be admitted; let not that trouble, therefore, be grudged. Previously to entering the water, the head and neck should be well wetted ; the pupil should then advance, by a clear shelviag bank, in some stream, the depth of which he has ascertained by plumbing or otherwise, until he is breast high ; then let him face about toward the bank, and pre- pare to make his first essay in this art, as directed in the next paragraph. STRIKING OUT. With his face turned toward the bank, as above directed, let the pupU lie down gently on his breast, keep his head and neck upright, his breast advanced, and his back bent inward. Then, let him withdraw his legs from the bottom, and im- mediately strike them out, not downward, but behind him ; strike out the arms forward, with the palms closed, and the backs uppermost, a little below the surface of the water; draw them back again, while he is gathering up his legs for a second attempt, and thus push forward, making use of his hands and feet alternately. It wUl, perhaps, happen, that he will swallow water in his first efforts, but this should not discourage him; neither should he fancy that, because he makes but little advances, he is not as capable of learn- ing to swim as others; the same little mishaps occur to all young beginners. BOYS OWK BOOK. 67 CORKS AND BLADDERS. The use of corks and bladders, for those who are learning to swim, is as strongly recommended by some persons, as it is deprecated by others. That the necessary action with the arms and legs may be acquired more easily with than without them, is clear enough; nevertheless, we are con- vinced by experience, that it is better to learn how to keep one's self afloat and to be able to swim ten or a dozen yards, at least, no matter how clumsily, without them. We have seen several young persons who, after having attained the necessary action, in a very superior manner, by the use of corks or bladders, were totally unable to keep their heads above the water when they relinquished their aid, and were thus left precisely in the same situation in which they would have been had they not made a single attempt in the art of swimming. We have, it iS true, known some trifling ex- ceptions, but they have been rare indeed. Corks and blad- ders, we think, may be useful, but they should not be com- menced with. After the learner has made some progress, and is able to cross a narrow stream, corks and bladders may be occasionally adopted for a short time, in order that the pupil, by means of their support, may, at his ease, per- fect himself in the action necessary for superior swimming,- especially with the arms and hands. The action of the legs may be much better acquired by means of the plank, as thereafter directed. The best swimmers we have ever met never made use of corks for this purpose, but stUl they may be considered of advantage in the manner we have stat- ed. If, therefore, our reader should think fit to use '^^ corks or bladders, let him attend to the following hints : Swimming corks are made thus : three or four round slices of cork, increas- 68 BOTS' OWN BOOK. ing progressively in circumference, are run, by a hole made in their centres, on each end of a piece of stoijt rope, which is long enough to reach across the breast, and beyond the arm-pits ; the same number of corks is placed at each side of the rope, and they are kept from slipping ofE by knots at the two extremities. "When bladders are used, they are blown full of air, tied at the necks, and fastened by strings to the ends of the rope, instead of corks. The manner of using corks or bladders is as follows : — the pupil places his breast across the rope between the corks or bladders as they float ; he raises his legs from the ground, and rests his whole weight on the rope, so that the corks or bladders swim between his arms and his sides. In this position he strikes out, and propels himself forward with his legs and feet. The action of the hands and arms sup- ports a swimmer only, so that he would advance almost as much when using corks if he kept them stUl as if he moved them; nevertheless, their action may be perfected, while the body is supported by the corks, and the young swimmer may acquire that graceful, steady, and powerful manner of striking out, which he may subsequently by degrees bring into practice, when he has thrown the corks aside. This is the manner which we have always followed, and which we recommend our young friends to adopt, of striking out with the arms. The fingers are to be closed, and the thumbs kept close to the hand, which should be straightened, or rather, a little hollowed in the palm ; the hands are then to be brought together, the two thumbs touching, or palm to palm, it is little matter which, and raised just under the chin ; they are then to be struck vigorously forward, and when the arms are at their full stretch, parted, and carried slowly and regularly, a little below the surface of the water, at the full stretch of the arms, backward, as far as convenience will permit; they should then sink toward the hips; by a slight pressure on the water, as they descend, the body will be raised, the head may be thrown back, and the breath drawn in for the next stroke. When the hands are at, or boys' OW]Sr BOOK. 69 near, the hips, they should be raised, with the thumbs or edges, but by no means the backs, upward, to the first position ; whiJ^ doing this, the legs are to be drawn up as near the body as possible, and the soles of the feet struck out against the water with reasonable force, at the same moment the hands are thrust forward again. This is, in fact, the whole principle of swimmmg : — the arms are first thrust forward, and the body propelled by the force of the soles of the feet, striking against the water ; the air in the lungs is expired or breathed forth during this action; the hands are then stretched out and carried round so as to lift the body (which wants no support during the time it is pro- pelled by the legs, and the lungs are nearly full of air), while the legs are drawn up, and the lungs filled with air for a second effort. These A'ery simple motions wUl seem difficult and complicated to the young swimmer at first, but by degrees he will learn to perform them with facility. Above all things, let him endeavor to do them deliberately and without being flurried. It is a fact, that a swimmer, who is apparently slow in his action, makes more progress by half than one who is quick. The former is deliberate and vigorous; the latter hurried, less effectual, and soon becomes fatigued. We seriously recommend our young readers never to ven- ture out of their depths with corks, if they cannot swim without them. We once knew a very promising youth who was nearly drowned, when in deep water, by the corks slipping from his breast to below his waist, so that his loins, and at last his legs, were above water, while his head was beneath ; he was extricated from his perilous situation by a youth of his own age, who had begun to learn the art of swimming, but without corks, on precisely the same day as the lad who was thus in danger of being drowned. It would be well, if a string were tied by its middle to each end of the rope, close to the largest cork, and one end of it brought over the shoulder at the back, the other in front, and fastened securely together ; this would, at least, prevent the corks from getting out of their proper places. 70 boys' owjsr book. THE PLAIfK. The plank is useful in a bath, to perfect the young swim- mer in the manner of properly throwing ont his legs and feet. A piece of plank, about ten or twelve feet in length, x s'«?^S^-^i. two inches thick, ^^m^ and a foot and a half, or two feet broad, is the best size. It is to be thrown into the wa- ter, and the pupU, after he has acquired the art of supporting himself for a short time, without any artificial aids, should take hold of one of its ends with both hands ; his body wUl thus be sup- ported, and he should strike out with his legs in the manner before directed, and endeavor to drive the plank before him, taking care to hold fast and follow it closely, otherwise he may sufEer rather an unpleasant feeling by the plank darting forward, and leaving him to sink, unexpectedly, over head and ears in the water. Of the utility of the plank for the purpose above mentioned, we have frequently been witness and can, therefore, most confidently recommend it to those of our young readers who have an inclination to learn the art of swimming by occasional or preliminary artificial aids. THE ROPE, AKD OTHER AIDS. The rope for swimmers is usually fastened to the end of a stout piece of wood, which is fixed into a waU or elsewhere, so as to project over the water; the rope descends to its surface, or it may be long enough for a foot or sixteen inches of its extremity to sink. The use of the rope is to support the learner while practising the action with his legs ; but it is very inferior for this purpose to the plank ; as, while the pupU keeps himself up, by holding the rope, his body re- mains in too perpendicular a position, so that he strikes downward rather than backward. The pupil should ac- boys' owk book. 71 custom himself, as much as possible, to keep Ms legs near the surface ; for those who swim with the lower extremities deep in the water never make such rapid way as others who adopt the proper position, which should be within a few degrees of horizontal. The plank has another advantage over the rope; it is more steady in the water, and offers sufficient resistance to induce, and even to assist, the young beginner, as a point cfappui, to strike out vigorously with his legs. The rope is, in fact, of more utility to those who go into the water to bathe, than those who are learning to swim; for by means of the support which it affords the bather may raise his legs from the bottom, and exercise himself most beneficially by tos- sing, stretching, and turning to and fro in the water ; he may thus luxuriate in a manner which would be entirely out of his power with- out the aid of the rope. The aid of the hand is chiefly appHed to very young learners, who have the advan- tage of bathing with a grown-up swimmer. It is by far superior as an aid, to corks or bladders ; because it can be with- drawn gradually, and at last altogether, so that the learner may feel almost insensible of its departure, and restored in an instant, if exertion renders him too weak to support himself. A tall, strong youth, or a grown-up person, takes the little learner in his arms, and goes into the water breast- high with him ; he then places the pupU nearly flat upon the water, supporting him by one hand under the breast, and encouraging and directing him to strike out boldly, and, at the same time, correctly. After two or three lessons, on different days, the support of the hand may occasionally be, in some degree, withdrawn; and, in the course of a 72 boys' OWi^ BOOK. week or ten days, the little swimmer will, in all probability, have no further need of its service. Oh! what a happy, triumphant moment is that, when a boy first floats upon the water, independent of all other aids but those which Nature has provided iu his own person. He soon becomes exhaust- ed, but, from that time, he feels a confidence in himself, and his progress is generally most rapid. The aid of the rope and hand we do not so much approve as that of the hand alone. A rope is fastened about the learner's body, a grown person holds the other end of it, and supports the pupil while he aeqiiires the mode of striking out. The aid, in this case, cannot be applied with such precision to the proper part nor afforded and withdrawn with such nicety as where the hand alone is used. SWIMjnNG OUT OF DEPTH. "We will now suppose our pupU to have made some pro- gress in swimming, and to feel anxious to go into deep water. If he feel quite conscious of his own powers, he may venture a few strokes out of his depth, across a stream, for instance, which is overhead only for a few feet in the centre, with shelv- ing banks on each side. Young swimmers sometimes feel alarmed when they are aware that they have ventured where they can no longer put x^^^^^^^^^ i^xX )^p^ their legs on the ground ; this feeling flurries them, they strike quick ; their hurry increases, trepidation ensues, and they have great diffi- culty in returning to the shore. We earnestly caution our pupU against giving way to anything of this sort. Before he ventures out of his depth, let him calculate his own powers, and attempt such a distance only as is in pro- portion with them. Is he able to swim half a dozen yards without dropping his feet to the ground? If so, he boys' owk book. 73 may confidently cross a deep place which is only half that breadth. Let him not imagine that he is not quite as capable of swimming in deep as in shallow water ; the con- trary is the fact, for the deeper the water the better he can swim. Above all things, let him not hurry himself, but strike slowly and evenly, and keep good time with the mo- tions of his arms, his legs, and his lungs. Boys frequently fall into an error, which is invariably attended with unpleas- ant consequences, when first attempting to swim, as well as when they begin to venture out of depth, by losing their presence of mind and breathing at the wrong time. They draw breath at the moment when they are striking out with their legs, instead of at the time their body is elevated by the hands, when at the full stretch of the arm backward, or in descending toward the hips. During this action of the legs, the head partially sinks, the face is driven against the water, and the mouth thus becomes filled, which creates a very un- pleasant nausea and momentary suffocation. When the hands are in the position above mentioned, the progress of the body forward ceases, the face is no longer driven against the water, but is elevated above the surface; then is the time to draw in the breath, which should be expired while the body at the next stroke is sent forward by the action of the legs. During this time, if your mouth be even with or partially under the surface, no water can enter it, the air which you are driving between your lips effectually prevent- ing it. " Keep time," is one of the swimmer's golden rules. Unless the pupil pay attention to it, he wUl make but little progress, and must inevitably, now and then, take in a mouthful of the stream in which he is swimming. To those who havo never swam " in the silver flood," a circumstance of this sort will be thought very lightly of indeed ; but we speak the general feelings of swimmers, when we say, that the same person who would relish a draught from a stream when sitting dressed upon its bank, would feel the greatest disgust at taking a mouthful of the same water when swim- ming in it. 74 boys' ow2sr book. After the pupil has ventured out of Ms depth, and feels satisfied with the success of his attempt, he grows em- boldened, and increases his distances daily. TO TREAD WATER, All that is necessary for treading water, is to let your legs drop in the water until you are upright ; then keep yourself afloat in that position by treading downward with your feet, alternately, and if necessary paddling with your palms at your hips. TO SWIM OK THE SIDE. Lower your left side, and at the same time elevate your right ; strike forward with your left hand, and sideways with your right ; the back of the latter being in front instead of upward, the thumb side of the hand downward, so as to serve precisely as an oar. Tou will thus, by giving your body an additional impetus, advance much more speedily than in the common way ; it will also relieve you considerably when you feel tired of striking out forward. You may also turn on the right side, strike out with the right hand, and use the left as an oar. In either ease, the action of the legs is the same as usual. TO SWIM LIKE A DOG. Strike with each hand and foot alternately ; that is, begin with the right hand and foot, draw the hand toward the chin, and the foot toward the body at the same time ; and then simultaneously kick backward with the foot and strike out in a right line with the hand ; then do the like with the left hand and foot, and so on. The hands are not to be carried backward as in the ordinary way of swimming, but merely thrust out with palms downward, a little way below the surface, in front only ; as they are brought back to the breast again, they should be rather hollowed, and the water grasped or pulled toward the swimmer. Much pro- gress cannot be made by swimming in this manner, but stOl boys' OWlf BOOK. 75 it is worth learning, as every change of method in going a distance, recruits the swimmer's strength. THE POKPOISE. This is a very pleasant and most advantageous change of action. The right arm is lifted entirely out of the water, the shoulder thrust forward, and the swimmer, while strik- ing out with his legs, reaches forward with his hand, as far as possible. At the utmost stretch of the arm the hand falls, a nttle hollowed, into the water, which it grasps or pulls toward the swimmer in its return to the body, in a trans- verse direction, toward the other armpit. "While it is pass- ing through the water in this manner, the legs are drawn up for another effort, and the left arm and shoulder elevated and thrust forward as above directed for the right. This is the greatest advancing relief in swimming, except swimming on the back; floating on the back rests the whole of the body as well as the limbs, but while floating no progress is made; whereas, during the time a person swims in the manner above directed, he will not only relieve himself con- siderably, but also make as great an advance in the water as if he were proceeding in the ordinary way. TO SWIM AND FLOAT ON THE BACK. To do this you must turn yourself on your back as gently as possible, elevate your breast above the surface, put your head back, so that your ^ ,-,:„i=_ eyes, -nose, mouth and -i:=-';?-i---=_ ^^^^mlp^^^" " chin only are above , _ ^^^gg^ ^ ^^^^ ^g- ' v"— r_ water. By keeping in ^^^^^^ ^ ^ l;^fl~ ^^^^^^ ^^^^£^ legs and arms extend- _--^^^ ^^ s_,^^_ ^^_- ^^3^^^^^^ g^'^ ' ed, and paddling the "^ hands gently by the side of the hips, you will float. If you wish to swim, you must strike out with the legs, taking care not to lift your knees too high, nor sink your hips 76 boys' OWIf BOOK. and sides too low ; but keeping in as straight a line as pos- sible. You may lay the arms across the breast ; keep them motionless at the side; or, if you wish, strike out with them to help you on. To swim with your feet forward, while on your back, lift up your legs one after another, let them fall into the water, and draw them back with aU the force you can, toward your hams ; thus you will swim feet forward, and return to the place whence you came. To turn from your breast to your back, raise your legs forward, and throw your head backward, until your body is in a right position ; to change from the back to the breast, drop your legs, and throw your body forward on your breast. TO TURN WHEN SWIMBONG. If you wish to turn while on your back, keep one leg stiU, and embrace the water beside you with the other ; thus, you will find yourself turn to that side on which your leg by its motion embraces the water, and you wUl turn either to the right or left, according to which leg you use in this manner. To turn while swimming in the ordinary way requires no further effort than to incline your head and body to the side you would turn to, and at the same time move and turn your legs in the same manner as you would do to turn the same way on land. TO SHOW THE FEET. While on your back, bend the small of it downward; sup- port yourself by moving your hands to and fro just above your breast, and stretch your feet above the water. THE CRAMP. Our practical directions in the art of swimming would be incomplete were we to omit saying a few words as to the cramp. Those who are at aU liable to it, ought, perhaps, to abandon aU idea of swimming; men of the greatest skill as boys' own book. 77 swimmers, and of presence of mind in danger, having fallen victims to this, which has been well enough called "the bathers' bane." The cramp may, however, seize a person for the first time in his life, when at a distance from land ; we have frequently known this to occur ; and in every case that has come within our personal knowledge, with one ex- ception, the sufEerer has saved himself by acting as we are about to advise our young reader, if ever he should be seized with this terrible contraction. Be assured that there is no danger, if you are only a tolerable swimmer, and do not flurry yourself. The moment you feel the cramp in your leg or foot, strike out the limb with all your strength, thrusting the heel out, and drawing the toes upward as forci- bly as possible, totally regardless of the momentary pain it may occasion. If two or three efforts of this nature do not succeed, throw yourself on your back, and endeavor to keep yoxirself afloat with your hands until assistance reach you; or, if there be no hope of that, try to paddle ashore with your palms. Should you be unable to float on your back, put yourself in the position directed for treading water, and you may keep your head above the surface by merely strik- ing the water downward with your hands at your hips, without any assistance from your legs. In case you have the cramp in both legs, you may also endeav- or to make some pro- gress in this manner, should no help be at hand. If you have one leg only attacked, you may drive your- self forward with the other. In order to endow you with con- fidence in a moment of danger from an attack of the cramp, occasionally try to swim with one leg, or a leg and a hand, or the two 78 boys' owh book. hands only, and you will find that it is by no means dif- ficult. We feel rather astonished that none of the treatises on swimming, which have fallen into our hands, recommend the practice of boys attempting to carry one another in the water; when both can swim this is an excellent and safe method of learning how to support another who is in dan- ger on account of cramp, weakness, ignorance of swimming, or other causes. In the annexed sketch, the foremost figure is in the act of swimming, and carrying with him another person, who is borne up, simply by applying one hand to each hip of his companion. A person, it is said, had the pleasure of saving a friend from drowning, by these means : it is attended, however, with considerable risk, especially if the person you venture to rescue should lose his presence of mind, which is too often the case with those who are in danger of being drowned. It will surprise any swimmer, who first tries the experiment, to find with what ease he can support a person attached to him in this manner. The person who rests upon the hips of his companion, is rep- resented as passive, as he is supposed to be unable to swim ; but two swimmers, performing this experiment, may strike out together with their legs. PLACES FOR SWIMMING, Of all places to swim in, the sea is best, running waters next, and ponds the worst. DIVING. Diving, by practice, may be carried to astonishing perfec- tion. Pearls are brought up from the bottom of the sea by divers who are trained to remain a considerable time under water. In ancient times, divers were employed in war to destroy the ships of the enemy ; and many instances are re- lated, by respectable authors, of men diving after, and fetching up nails and pieces of money thrown into the sea, and even overtaking the nail or coin before it has reached the bottom. boys' owi^ book. 79 Diving may be performed from the surface of the water when swimming, by merely turning the head downward, and striking upward with the legs. It is, however, much bet- ter, to leap in, with the hands closed above the head, and head foremost, from' a pier, boat or raised bank. By merely striking with the feet, and keeping his head toward the bottom, the diver may drive himself a con- siderable distance beneath the surface. If he reach the bottom, he has only to turn his head upward, spring from the ground with his feet, and he will soon arrive at the sur- face. If desirous of making a more rapid ascent, he should strike downward with his feet, pulling the water above him toward his head with one hand, and striking it downward by his side with the other. In diving, the eyes should be open ; you must, therefore, take care that you do not close them as they reach the surface, when you commence your descent. It is almost needless to add, that the breath should be held, the whole time that you are under water. SWIMMING UOTDEK WATER. Swimming between top and bottom may be accomplished by the ordinary stroke, if you take care to keep your head a little downward, and strike a little higher with your feet than when swimming on the surface ; or, you may turn your thumbs downward, and perform the stroke with the hands in that position, instead of keeping them flat. TO BEAT THE WATER, ETC. When swimming on your back, lift your legs out of the water one after another, and strike the water with them al- ternately. Those who are most expert at this bring their chins toward their breasts at each stroke of the legs. 80 boys' OWN" BOOK. There is a variety of similar feats performed by expert swimmers, such, as treading water with both hands raised over the head ; floating on the back with the arms above the surface; taking the left leg in the right hand out of the water, when swimming on the back ; pulling the right heel by the right hand, toward the back, when swimming in the common way ; throwing somersets in the water, backward and forward, etc., etc., for which no particular directions are necessary, as the pupU, when he has grown expert in the various modes of swimming which we have described, will be able to do these things, and any tricks which his fancy may suggest, without diiflculty. CONCLUDING REMARKS. If one of your companions be in danger of drowning, be sure that, in endeavoring to save him, you make your ap- proaches in such a manner, as will prevent him from grap- pling with you ; if he once get a hold of your limbs, you both will almost inevitably be lost. Although it has been said that the weight of one's clothes will make but little difference in the water, yet we strongly advise the young swimmer, when he has become expert in the art, and confident of his own prowess, to swim occasion- ally with his clothes on ; for this purpose, of course he need only use an old worn-out suit : by so doing, he will be satis- fied that dress does not make so much difference as he might imagine,*and thus he will have more courage and presence of mind if he should at any time aftei-ward faU into the water, or leap in to save another. " This is tlie purest exercise of health, The kind refresher of the summer heats." — THOaiSON. boys' own book. 81 SKATING. " O'er the ice as o'er pleasure, you lightly should glide, Both have gulfs, which their flattering surfaces hide." Skating is by no means a modern pastime, and probably the invention proceeded rather from necessity than the desire for amusement. It was the boast of a northern chieftain, that he could traverse the snow upon skates of wood. Some traces of skating are found in the thirteenth century, at which period it was customary in the winter, when the ice would bear them, for the young citizens of London to fasten the leg bones of animals under the soles of their feet, by ty- ing them to their ankles, and then taking a pole shod with iron into their hands, they pushed themselves forward by striking it against the ice, and moved with celerity, equal, 4* 83 boys' OWN" BOOK. says an old author, " to a bird flying through the air, or an arrow from a cross-bow ; " but some allowance, we presume, must be made for the poetical figure. Fix. 1. FiL'. 2. Fig. 3. HOW TO START OFF. AND TO STOP. When your skates are fixed, rise up, stand on your heels, and stamp them on the ice to fix the foot firmly ; then strike out, at first slowly, with the right foot, leaning on the inside edge of the skate, and bending slightly forward. When you have slid about two yards on that foot, put the other on the ice, and gently throw your weight upon it, striking out in the same manner upon the inside edge, and so on with each foot alternately. Pig. 1 represents the attitude of a learner at first starting off. When you wish to stop, raise the toes from the ice, and rest on your heels as in Fig. 2. Bend the body forward gradually, and do not attempt to lean back- ward, the certain consequence of which would be a severe fall. A stick is used by some beginners to steady them- selves, but we do not advise it. It is better, at first, to have the support of a companion who can skate (Pig. 3), and by degrees he may leaye you to your own exertions ; above all things, do not be dislieartened by a few falls. boys' OWN" BOOK. 83 THE SKATE. Skates are made fluted or plain. For young beginners the former are preferable, as regards safety ; but with the latter only can velocity and elegance of movement be acquired. A quarter of an inch in thiclfness, and about three-quarters of an inch in height, are proportionate dimen- sions for the blades of skates. High bladed skates are dan- gerous for beginners, and require considerable exertion of the muscles to keep the ankle stiff, while the nearer the feet are brought to the ice, without risking their contact, the less will be that strain, and the greater the facility of moving in all directions. The blades should be slightly cur\^ed at the bottom, as this form assists the skater in turning either heel or toe outwards or inwards with rapidity. Previously to go- ing on the icfe, the learner should practise, both walking about with his skates on, and balancing himself on either foot. The club skate, in which there is no wood, is preferred by some to all others. HOW TO PERFORM THE VARIOUS EVOLUTIONS. Before the skater attempts to cut figures and other devices, he must be able to skate on the outside edge of the skate, to skate backwards, and to turn round. The " outside edge " implies what it is by its name ; when acquired, it sends you exactly in opposite directions, on both sides, to what the " in- side edge " does. In explanation : — Suppose that you are skat- ing on the right foot, it is easy to turn to the left, but not so to the right, to effect which you must use the outside edge, by striking out upon it either foot, inclining at the same time the skate, the leg, the body, and the head, toward which- ever side you are skating, holding the other foot raised up behind, and rounding the arms. The right hand should be raised towards the head in skat- ing on the left outside edge, and the left hand when skating on the right outside edge. The most difficult forward move- ment is' the cross outside edge which is done by passing one 84 boys' owh book. leg across the other, and striking out with the foot as it comes down on the ice. As the foot on which you first rested dis- engages itself (which it will do as you proceed) from the crossed-leg position, throw that leg over the other, and, by continuing this, you will soon learn to sweep round on either side with ease. This is called the Mercury Figure. The salute in a right line is not easy of execution. Hav- ing first struck out, you must place the feet in a horizontal line, elevating and rounding the arms. Continue the move- ment as long as you can, or think fit to do so. This attitude, though difficult, is frequently practised by good skaters. The salute in a curved line is much easier. Having start- ed, you put your feet in the position you would adopt to describe the salute in a right line, only less horizontally. The head and body must be upright, the arms rounded, ""the hands placed on the haunches ; in this position you describe a circle. You then draw yourself up, the knees having be- come slightly bent, and, raising the right or left foot, pre- pare for another evolution ; as either striking out straight forward, or toward one side. To describe circles and curves will be found the most graceful and useful of evolutions. To describe a curve on the outside edge forwards, fix on some point as a centre, and take a ran proportioned to the number of curves you propose describing. Strike out on the outward edge, turning in a curve round the centre fl:xed upon. Your eyes must look towards the shoulder opposite that which directs the general movement of the side on which you turn ; your arms must be extended ; the one directing the movement should be raised above the head, and the other held downwards, in the direction of the leg describing the curve. The hips must be kept in, and the leg on which you are propelled bent slight- ly at the knee-joint. The opposite leg must also be bent, and thrown backwards, to modify by its weight and position the impulse forward, and to insure your equilibrium. To describe a curve or circle on the inside edge forwards, you must select a small piece of cork, or any other light boys' OW]Sr BOOK. 85 body, as a centre, take a sufficient run, and strike out on the inward edge. Your head and body must be in the position described for outward curves, only the leg on which you skate must not be bent. The opposite leg should be almost stiff, and the foot about 18 inches from the one you rest upon. Cui'ves on the inside edge are terminated by stopping in the usual manner ; but if you desire to pirouette or turn round, you throw the foot on "which you do not skate over that on which you do, and from the impulse given to your body in order to describe the curve, you spin round on the middle of the skate as on a pivot. After having done this a few times, you bring down the foot you are not revolving on, and proceed to other evolutions. To skate backwards, you must incline the head and body slightly forward, in order not to lose the centre of gravity. Strike out behind on each foot alternately, and raise the heel of the skate slightly up from the ice. By this operation each foot will describe an arc or segment of a circle. Should you feel to be losing your ecfailibrium, bring both skates to- gether on the ice. 8G boys' OWN" BOOK. This evolution is performed sometimes on one foot, some- times on the other, and occasionally on both together, by the help of a slight motion of the hips. Retrograde or backward curves differ from ordinary curves by their direction only : and at first sight appear difficult, because a person cannot move backwards with the same fa- cility that he can go forward. When, however, you are used to this manner of skating, it will appear natural and toler- ably easy of execution. The backward curve is of equal importance with the ordinary curve on the outside edge, and constitutes the base of all retrograde or backward figures. In this evolution the position of the arms and head is not the same as for the ordinary curve on the outside edge. When executing the outward retrograde curve, your face must be turned towards the left shoulder, and the right hand raised towards the head. The reverse takes place for the movement to the left, and the inverse generally when the motion is forward instead of baeliward. The oblique stop is the most proper to adopt when you are skating backwards. In order to perform it, when engaged in a retrograde movement, you bring down on the ice in an oblique and transverse position the skate on which you are not resting, stiffening at the same time the leg you thus bring down. The effect of this manoeuvre is prompt and certain, and the only variation it admits of is, that it can be performed on either foot. To turn round, bring either heel behind the other, and you turn as a matter of course. By carefully attending to the above directions, with practice, you wiU be able to cut the numerical figures, or any device that you may wish. The figure 8 is the best practice, and is described by completing the circle on the outside edge forward. See cut on previous page. This is performed by crossing the legs, and striking from the out- side instead of the inside edge. To cross the legs, the skater, as he draws to the close of the stroke on his right leg, must throw the left quite across it, which will cause him to press hard on the outside of the right skate, from which he must boys' owk book. 87 immediately strike, throwing back the left arm, and looking simultaneously over the left shoulder, so as to bring him well upon the outside edge of the left skate. The 8 is formed by completing a perfect circle, in the manner described, on each leg, before changing the foot. The figure 3, which is performed on the inside edge backwards, may next be practised. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS. The young skater should avoid both very rough and very smooth ice. He must be fearless, but not too violent in his motions, and should never be in a hurry. He must avoid looking downwards to see how his feet act, and should re- cover his balance between each stroke. For safety his body may be bent slightly forward during his first essays, but when he has acquired sufficient confidence, he should bear himself erect, carry his head well up, and always turn his face in the direction of the line he proposes describing. He should wear flannel next his chest to absorb the per- spiration caused by the exercise, and avoid skating against the wind, if of a delicate constitution. When unexpected danger arises, he should strive to be perfectly collected. If surrounded by rotten ice he must crawl on his hands and knees, that the support of his weight may be distributed. If he fall upon rotten ice at full length, he must roll away from it toward firmer ice ; and should he be so unlucky as to get into a hole, he must extend both arms outward in opposite directions upon the surface of the ice, and tread water until assistance come. A plank or ladder offers the best means of extrication, either being easily pushed along the ice ; or a rope may be thrown to a, person immersed ; but we hope our young readers, by prudence and caution, will avoid the ne- cessity of their application. 88 boys' OWN" BOOK. HIDE AND SEEK. This is very like the preceding game; a handkerchief, or some other trifle, is concealed by one player, and the rest attempt to find it ; the discoverer takes the next turn to hide the article. It is a custom, in this game, for the boy who has hid the article to encourage those who approach it, by telling them that they burn, and to warn them of their de- parture from it by saying they freeze. DUCK ON A ROCK. Duck should be played by a number exceeding three, but not more than six or eight. A large stone with a sniooth top is placed on or fixed into the ground, and an offing marked at eight or ten yards distance. Each of the players being previously provided with a large pebble, or stone, double the size of a cricket ball, or thereabout, one of them, by chance or choice, becomes duck ; that is, he places the pebble or stone with which he is going to play, on the large stone, and stands a little on one side. The others then cast their pebbles or ducks at it, in turn, from the offing, each endeavoring to knock it off its place. Each player, as soon as he has cast his duck, watches for an opportunity of car- rying it back to the offing, so as to cast again. If the player who is duck, can touch him after he has taken up his pebble, and before he reaches the offing, provided his own pebble remain on the large stone, then the player so touched be- comes duck. It sometimes happens that three or four of the out-players' ducks lie so close together, that the player who is duck can stand in a situation to be within reach of all of them ; in this case, they cannot, without running the risk of being touched, pick up, until one of those who are at the offing is lucky enough to strike the duck off the large stone ; then before its owner can replace it, which he must do before he can touch a player, they all take up their ducks and run to the offing, where, of course, they are safe. boys' own book. 89 SWINGING. The construction of the swing is simple : two ropes of equal lengths are to be suspended from any branch or cross- piece of timber, of adequate strength; at the bottom of these ropes a seat is to be securely fastened, and the party who takes the seat must be propelled by another on the groimd: a rope for this purpose must be fastened to the back part of the seat. TUG OF WAR. This game is played by two parties, whose numbers are equal ; they all take hold of a rope, and the object of each party is to pull those belonging to the other across a chalk 90 boys' owjst book. line on the ground, by means of a rope. When all the players on one side are thus pulled over or made prisoners, the other -party wins the game. This is a very lively sport, any number may join in it, and it affords capital exercise and much amusement. TIP-CAT. Tip-cat, or, perhaps, more properly, the game of cat, is a weU known, pastime. Its denomination is derived from a piece of wood, called a cat, with which it is played ; the cat is about six inches iu length, and an inch and a half or two inches in diameter, and diminished from the middle to both the ends, in the shape of a double cone ; when the eat is laid upon the ground, the player, with his stick, strikes it smartly, it matters not at which end, and it will rise with a rotary motion, high enough for him to beat it away as it falls, in the same manner as he would a ball. There are various methods of playing the game of eat, but we shall only notice the two that follow. The first is ex- ceedingly simple, and consists in making a large ring upon the ground, in the middle of which the striker takes his station; Ms business is to beat the eat over the ring. If he fails in so doing he is out, and another player takes his place : if he be successful, he judges with his eye the distance the cat is driven from the centre of the ring, and calls for a number, at pleasure, to be scored toward his game ; if the number demanded be found, upon measurement, to exceed the same number of lengths of the stick, he is out ; on the contrary, if he do not, he obtains his call. The second method is to make four, six, or eight holes in the ground, in a circular direction, and as nearly as possible at equal distances from each other, and at every hole is placed a player with his stick ; one of the opposite party, who stand in the field, tosses the cat to the batsman who is nearest him, and every time the cat is strack, the players are obliged to change their situations, and run once from one hole to another in succession ; if the cat be driven to any great distance, they boys' OWIf BOOK. 91 continue to run in the same order, and claim a score toward their game, every time they quit one hole and run to another ; but if the cat be stopped by their opponents, and thrown across between any two of the holes before the player who has quitted one of them can reach the other, he is out. HOP-SCOTCH. It is played with an oyster-shell, in the following manner: — Draw, with chalk, on the ground, a figure similar to the cut in the margin. Toss up for innings. He who wins stands at the * and throws the shell into No. 1, which is called the first bed; he then steps with his right foot into that bed, and "scufB.es," that is, jerks, with his right foot, the sheU out toward the *. He now throws the shell into No. 2, steps with his left foot into No. 1, and then, * placing his right foot in No. 2, scuffles the shell out as be- fore, and steps with one foot back to No. 1, and thence out. He must now throw the shell into No. 3, and step into 1, 2, and 3, scuffle the shell out, and step back through the beds alternately. He must then go to 4, 5, and 6, in succession, and at each throw, step into every previous bed with one foot only, and the like when coming back, reversing the numbers. After this, the player puts the shell into No. 1, hops into that bed, scuffles the shell into 2, and so on to 6, and back again in the same manner, bed by bed, to the *. Lastly, he places the shell into No. 1, puts his right foot in the bed, and scuffles the shell through all the beds, beyond the further line of 6, at one jerk. If the player who gets the innings do all this correctly, he wins thcvgame. If, how- ever, he put himself out, as hereafter described, the second player takes the innings ; if the latter put himself out, with- out going through the game, the first takes up his own game, where it was when he went out; the second also does the like with his, if the first gets out a second time. When 92 BOYS' OWK BOOK. there are more than one innings, the first who goes tliroiigh the game, as above stated, wins. A player loses his innings in either of the following eases: — If he throw the sliell into the wrong bed, or on the line, or put two feet into one bed, or a foot npon the lines, or does not scnffle the shell out of the bed in Avhieh it lies at the first attempt, or put his hands to the ground, or throws or scuffles the shell beyond line c, (except in the last, or what is called "the long scuffle,") or- outside the lines ah; or if, in going forward, he put his leg into 3 before 3, or the contrary when coming back ; or if, when scuffling the shell through on the hop, he drive it beyond the next bed in which it lies ; or if, in any part of the game, when he has stepped into a bed, he take more than one hop in order to get near the shell ; or if he hop after he has scuffled it ; or, last, if, in the long scuffle, he do not, at one effort, send it with his foot from beyond the line of c. But observe, that when he has cast the shell into No. 3, or any bed beyond it, he is not compelled to scuffle it out, that is, beyond the line d, at one effort. THREAD THE NEEDLE. Thread the needle may be played by a considerable num- ber of boys, who all join hands, and the game commences with the following dialogue between the two outside players at each end of the line: "How many miles to Babylon?" " Threescore and ten." " Can I get there by candlelight ? " "Yes, and back again." "Then open the gates without more ado, and let the king and his men pass through." In obedience to this mandate, the player who stands at the opposite end of the line and the one next him, lift their joined hands as high as possible ; the other outside player then approaches, runs under the hands thus elevated, and the whole line follows him, if possible, without disuniting. This is threading the needle. The same dialogue is re- peated, the respondent now becoming the inquirer, and run- ning between the two players at the other end, with the whole line after him. The first then has his turn again. boys' own book. 93 SEE-SAW. A plank is placed across a felled tree, or low wall, or any- thing similar, and a player seats himself at each end ; by a slight exertion, if the plank be properly balanced, each end rises and sinks alternately. It must be observed that, if the players be of unequal weight, he who is the heavier must, to preserve the due equilibrium, make his end of the plank shorter. WHOOP. This game is played as follows : — AU the players but one, collect at a place called " home," while one goes off to hide himself. When ready, he shouts '* Whoop oh! " — the others then sally out to find him; he who discovers the hidden player, calls out "Whoop oh!" The hidden player then breaks from his concealment, and if he can catch one of the others, the one so caught must carry him on his back to "home." It is then the boy's turn who has made the dis- covery to go and hide himself, and the others endeavor to discover his lurking place, as before. 94 boys' OWJSr BOOK. GAMES IN THE SNOW. COASTING, Where is tlie boy who has not enjoyed a good sport coast- ing or sleigh-riding as above. Ton have only to get a good sleigh and a hUl covered with snow, and start from the top, when away you go rushing along — faster, and still faster, tiU you almost lose your breath, before you reach the bottom ; then jump up and pull your sleigh to the top and repeat your journey till you are tired. If you want to be weatherwise during a snow storm, look to the west ; if the sky is red and the wind is in the north, you are safe for a coasting trip next day. THE SNOW GIANT. This is made by rolling a snow ball untU it gets too large to be moved, you then cut away the sides and place a smaller one on the top for a head, carve out his nose and legs and place two pieces of coal or stones for his eyes. You can then make a number of snow balls and pelt him from a dis- tance, trying to break his nose and fill up his eyes. boys' own book. 95 HUNT THE SLIPPER. This is usually an in-door game, although there is no other objection to its being played on a dry piece of turf than that the slipper cannot be heard when struck by its momentary possessor, when passing round the joyous ring. Several young persons sit on the ground in a circle, a slip- per is given to them, and one, who generally volunteers to accept the office in order to begin the game, stands in the- center, and whose business it is to " chase the slipper by its sound." The parties who are seated, pass it round so as to prevent, if possible, its beiag found in the possession of any individual. In order that the player 'in the center may know where the slipper is, it is occasionally tapped on the ground, and then suddenly handed on to the right or left. When the slipper is found in the possession of any one in the circle, by the player who is hunting it, the party on whom it is so f OTind, takes the latter player's place. HOP, STEP, AND JUMP. This is a sport of emulation ; the object is to ascertain which of the players concerned can eventually go over the greatest portion of ground in a hop, a step, and a jump, per- f onned in succession, and which may be taken either stand- ing or with a run, as may be agreed, at the outset, between the players. DRAWING THE OYEN. Several players seat themselves on the ground, in a line, and in such a manner that each may be clasped round the body by the player who is seated behind him. When all are thus united, two others take the one who is at the extremity of the line by the two hands and pull until they separate him from the grasp of the one who is behind him. They then take the second in the same manner, and so on untO. they have thus drawn the whole line. 96 boys' own book. THE LAME LAMPLIGHTERS. Two boys kneel, each on one knee only, holding the other leg off the ground, one opposite the other, a lighted candle is given to one, and another candle, not lighted to the other ; they then attempt to illumine the latter ; but being in eqmlibrimn on one knee, and liable to be thrown off their balance by the least motion, they will find this so difficult a mattei* as to cause great diversion to the spectators. THE JUMPING ROPE. A long rope is swung round by a player at each end of it; when it moves tolerably regular, one, two, or even more boys, step in between those who hold the rope, suffering it to pass over their heads as it rises, and leaping up so that it goes under their feet when it touches the ground, precisely as is the case of a common skipping-rope. The principal dif- ficulty in this sport is, to run between the players at the proper moment of time, that is, just as the rope is at its highest elevation, so as to be ready to jump over when it comes toward the feet. Care must be taken that due time be kept m the leaps, so that they may perfectly accord with the motion of the rope. There is another mode of playing with the long skipping- rope, namely, by the player at one end of it, advancing a step or two toward the other, keeping the hand which holds the rope on the outside, and then, with the assistance of the player at the other end, turning the rope round, and skip- ping over it in its circuit. DROPPING THE 'KERCHIEF. A number of players join hands so as to make a circle ; one only stands out ; he walks round the outside of the circle, and drops a handkerchief behind which player in the circle he thinks fit. The party behind whom the handker- chief is thus dropped immediately follows the one who drop- ped it ; those who stood on each side complete the circle by boys' OWiq" BOOK. 97 joining hands, and the chase commences. The pursuer is bound to follow precisely the course of the pursued, who winds in and out under the arms of the other players, who elevate tliem for his accommodation, and endeavors, by all means in his power, to puzzle and elude him. If he succeed in so doing, that is, if the pursuer make a blunder in his course, he returns to his place in the circle, and the first player prepares to drop the handkerchief behind one of the players again. When he is fairly overtaken by the player behind whom he has last dropped the handkerchief, the lat- ter takes his place, and he joins hands in the circle. BUCK. This is a miniature resemblance of "Saddle my Nag ;" but it neither requires speed, nor even agility. It is a sport for two boys only, who should be nearly equal in size and strength. A third, who does not join in the game, stands by as umpire. The game commences by one of the players giving a back ; that is, placing his arms across his breast, or resting them on his knees, stooping forward so as to bring his back nearly horizontal with his head, which he supports against a post, wall, tree or whatever may be convenient for the purpose. It is usual, but we think quite unnecessary, for the player who gives the back to be blindfolded : we say un- necessary, because the only object for doing this is to prevent him seeing what is going on behind, or, rather, above his back, which he cannot possibly do, if he keep his head in a fair and proper position ; and the umpire should see that he does so. The first player having thus taken his position, the second leaps, or vaults, astride on his back, holds up as many of the fingers of one hand as he pleases, and says, " Buck, buck, how many horns do I hold up ? " The player who gives the back makes a guess ; if ho name the riglit number the other player becomes Buck, and gives him a back. If, however, his guess be an incorrect one, the rider gets ofE, vaults on again, holds up the same or a different 5 98 boys' own book. number of fingers, and asks the same question as before ; this is repeated until the Buck name the true number. It is the business of the umpire to see that there is no foul play on the part of the rider. We should suggest that it would be an improvement on this quiet, simple game, for the umpire to be made a third player ; so that when the Buck's guess is correct, the rider should give a back, the umpire become rider, and the Buck umpire : thus, instead of the place of umpire being a mere idle vocation, the game would be productive of amusement and exercise to all three of the boys engaged in it. BLIND-MAN'S BUFF. . This popular, old-fashioned, and delightful pastime, is so well known, as to render any description of it unnecessary. There is, however, a variation of it called Shadow Buff, which is less known, but equally amusing. A large piece of white linen is suspended smoothly at one end of a room ; at a little distance from it, Buify, with his face toward the linen, is seated on a low stool. Directly in a line, and about a yard behind him, a table is placed with a candle on it ; all the other lights must be extinguished. The players then walk one by one, between the table and Buffy (who must not turn his head), limping, hopping, and grimacing as they please, so as to distort their shadows on the linen. If Buffy can teU correctly to whom any shadow belongs (guessing once only for each person), the player, whom he so discovers, takes his place. boys' OWISr BOOK. 99 ARCHERY. THE BOW. The young archer should, in the first place, select a bow that is fit and proper for his own size and strength. It is not probable that, let him be ever so skilful, he will be able to achieve such an exploit as the construction of a good bow himself, bow-making being a trade which requires many years' practice and much attention. The back of the bow is the flat outside, and the belly the round inside part of it. The round inside part is bent in- ward ; if the bow be pulled the reverse way it will break ; therefore, however a bow may be bent when unstrung, it is invariably to be strung with the round part inward. ARROWS. Arrows should be delicately proportioned in length and weight to the bow for which they are intended. They are used blunt or sharp, and varying in their thickness accord- ing to the fancy of the archer. Some are made so as to taper gradually from the feathers to the pile, and some 100 boys' own book. vice versa; others again are thickest in the centre. All arrows should have their nocks or notches cased with horn, and the nocks should be of such a size as to fit the string with exactness, and be neither too tight nor too loose. Three goose or turkey feathers are affixed to arrows ; one of these, denominated the cock feather, is of a different color from the other two, and this is always to be placed uppermost. THE STRING. That part of the string which receives the nock of the arrow is whipped with sewing silk, to prevent the string being rubbed and weakened. If the silk should come off the string, it ought to be re-whipped without delay ; other- wise it will be in danger of breaking ; and this is not the only mischief, for from the breaking of a string oftentimes ensues the snapping of the bow. It is also advisable to whip the noose and eye of the string, although many archers do not trouble themselves to do so. At one end of the bow- string an eye is made ; it is left for the archer himself, bows being of different lengths, to make the other ; this, to a young archer, will be found rather difficult ; his best plan will be to inspect the mode of making the noose on an old string. The young archer will do well, if any of the threads of his string break, to throw it by and use another. He should never, if possible, permit the string to become twisted or raveled ; should such an occurrence take place, before it is put on again it ought to be re-twisted and waxed. A bow, five feet long when braced, should never have the string more than five inches from its centre. This rule will be a guide to the young archer in stringing his bow ; whatever be its length he will of course adjust the distance in the same proportion, according to the measurement. THE TASSEL. This is very necessary to the archer for the purpose of cleaning the arrow from such dirt as generally adheres to it boys' owh book. 101 if it enter the ground. This dirt, iJ suffered to remain, will impede the arrow in its flight, and also render its course un- true. The tassel is suspended on the left side of the archer, and is thus always at hand for use. THE GLOVE. The glove consists of places for three fingers, a back thong and a wrist-strap to fasten it. The finger-stalls should neither project far over the tops nor be drawn back to cover the first joint. The glove is used for the purpose of pro- tecting the fingers from being hurt by the string. THE BRACE. The brace is worn on the bow arm to save it from being injured by the string, which, without this protection, would, in all probability, incapacitate the archer from shooting long at a time. It is made of stout leather with a very smooth surface, so that the string may glide over it without im- pediment. THE QUIVER. The quiver is for the reception of the arrows, but is never constantly worn except in roving ; it is now usually made of tin, although it is occasionally constructed, as was indeed universally the case formerly, of wood or leather. THE BELT, POUCH, AND GREASE-BOX. The belt is buckled round the waist ; the grease-box is suspended from the middle, and the pouch or bucket on the right side of it. A composition for greasing the finger of the shooting-glove, and the smooth side of the brace, when occasion may require, is kept in the box ; the pouch holds the arrows for immediate use in target shooting. BUTTS. The butt is rather pyramidieal in shape, generally speaking, but it may be fashioned according to the fancy of the archer ; for grown-up persons, they are seven or eight feet wide. 102 boys' owk book. three or four feet thick at the base, and nearly seven feet in height at the middle. Butts are made of long plats of turf which are to be closely pressed down ; a round piece of paste- board is placed in the centre of the butt for a mark, which must be increased or decreased. in size according to the dis- tance at which the archer shoots : for thirty yards it should be four inches in diameter; for sixty yards, six inches; and so in proportion for a greater distance. The mark is fixed to the butt by a peg driven through its centre. Shots that take place outside the mark are not reckoned, and he who places most shots in the pasteboard during the play is accounted the winner. Butts are frequently placed at different dis- tances from each other ; a set of butts is four, which are so contrived as not to prevent the players seeing them all at once. What is called a single end is shooting at one mark only ; a double end is shooting to a mark, and back again, from that mark to the one first shot from. TAEGETS. Targets should be proportioned to the size and skiU of the juvenile archer, and to the distance at which he stands from them. The facing is usually made of canvas which is sewn on the bass ; the bass is made of straw, worked as a bee-hive. The facing has a gold centre and four circles ; namely, the outer white edged with green, the black inner, white and red. Where it is not convenient to keep the targets fixed, it is better to use another kind, made of pasteboard, these being more portable, although by no means so durable, as targets made of the other materials we have mentioned. If one target only be shot at, a great deal of time is wasted in going to fetch the arrows, and again returning to the spot for shooting from ; two targets are therefore generally used, and the archers shoot from one to the other. In archery matches there are generally two prizes ; one for the greatest number of arrows shot into the target, — ^the other for the shot nearest the gold centre. Hits in the target are sometimes reckoned all alike; but there is usually a dis- boys' own book. 103 tinction made. The gold centre is the mark, and the circle which approaches nearest to it, being less in size, and con- sequently more difficult to hit, and nearer the main mark itself, an arrow shot in that circle is deemed of more value, in reckoning for the prize, than if it were to take place in any of those outside it, and so in proportion with the others. A celebrated society of archery allows the following numbers for each circle. For the gold, nine ; for the red, seven ; for the inner white, five ; for the black, three ; and for the outer white, one. A writer on this subject, how- ever, seems to think that the outer circles are overrated, and if nine be allowed for the centre, only three should be scored for the red ; two for the inner white ; and less in proportion for the two outer circles. When the sport terminates, the value of the number of hits, and not the hits themselves, should be reckoned; and he whose score is the largest, is, of course, the victor. As ink is by no means a convenient thing to carry into the field, and marks made with the black-lead pencil are liable to be rubbed out, it is advisable to have a pin sus- pended from a card, properly divided for each archer's score, and to prick down the hits with it. STRINGING THE BOW. The bow is to be taken in the right hand, by the handle, with the flat part toward the person who is about to string it, his right arm should rest against his side ; the lower end of the bow, which has always the shortest bone, should be placed against the inside of the right foot, which should be turned a little inward to prevent the bow from slipping ; the left foot should at the same time be brought forward ; the centre of the left-hand wrist must be placed on the upper limb of the bow below the eye of the string, the fore- finger knuckle upon one edge of the bow, and the top of the thumb on the other. The bow is now to be pulled up vigor- ously, and the upper limb of it pressed down by the right hand, and the wrist of the left which it should at the same 104 boys' own book. time slide upward until the eye of the bowstring is safely- placed in the nock. The middle, the ring, and the little fingers should all three be stretched out, as they are not wanted in this operation of stringing the bow ; moreover, if this be not done, they are liable to be caught between the string and the bow, and thus become severely punished. The young archer should take care that the eye is well placed in the nock before he removes his left hand. He should not become impatient in the action of stringing the bow, but perform it systematically as directed ; if he do not succeed, let him lay it by for a few minutes, and when he is cool make a second attempt. To unstring the bow, the short horn is to be placed on the ground ; the palm of the left hand receiving the flat side of the upper limb ; the string should be upward ; the handle is then to be pressed with the right arm so as to slacken the string ; when the latter be- comes loose enough, the eye is to be brought out of the nock by the thumb of the left hand. POSITION. The face is to be turned toward the mark, but no part of the body, which, if the mark be north, should be turned to- ward the east ; the head should be rather inclined; the left hand, with the bow in it in a perpendicular position, is to be held out straight toward the mark ; the arrow is to be brought well toward the ear, and not the eye, on the left side of the bow and under the string; the forefinger of the left hand passes over it ; by the other hand the nock is placed in the string at the proper place, with the cock feather uppermost ; when this is done, the forefinger of the boys' owk book. 105 left hand is removed and placed round the bow. While the left hand is raising the bow, the right should be drawing the string with two or three fingers only, and not the thumb ; as soon as it reaches the head it should be let loose, for fear of its breaking. Great care should be taken to acquire a proper position, as represented in the marginal cut, for bad attitudes in archery appear extremely ridiculous. coNCLUDma remaeks. "We strongly recommend the young archer never to shoot with another person's bow ; he may, very probably, break it ;' and in that case, a loss might ensue to the owner, which money could not remedy. When the grass is above the an- kle, shoot only at a considerable elevation. After two or three arrows are shot, the archer shoidd cease awhile, oth- erwise his aim will get unsteady. If he shoot point-blank at a mark, the arrow, if it miss, will strike along, and so bury itself in the grass as to defy the keenest eye, in many instances, for a very considerable time, to discover it. This inconvenience may be remedied by shooting at a proper ele- vation, for then the arrow will descend in such a manner as to leave the feathers visible; they will also be saved from that injury which frequently occurs to them by the moist- ure of the grass or ground, when shot point-blank. Ar- rows shoidd not be used of different lengths, nor should the young archer shoot alone ; for in solitary shooting, he f aUs into habits of negligence and indifference ; if he practice with others, he will strive to emulate his companions ; and, instead of a careless, unskilful marksman, soon become an adept in the pleasant pastime of Aechery. 5* 106 BOYS OWN" BOOK. GYMNA8TIG EXERCISES. The necessary fittings-up of a gymnastic ground are as follows : — An horizontal bar, a vaulting-horse, a leaping- stand, parallel bars, a climbing-stand, and ladders of rope and wood. The best time for performing gymnastics is early in the morning. Boys should proceed gradually from the more easy to 'the more difficult exercises ; and it is most advisable to practise these sports under the eye of an experienced per- son. Where there is a number of boys, they should be di- vided into classes, according to their strength. It is advis- able to carry no toys in the pockets when practising ; extra clothes should be put on when the exercises are finished; and the usual precautions adopted to prevent taking cold. The following observations, which are principally- from Salzmann, may be perused with advantage. No person in health is injured by being overheated; but drinking when extremely hot, or being cooled too quickly, in whatever man- ner it happens, may prove highly pernicious. It is proper, boys' own book. 107 therefore, to take off whatever clothing can be decently- spared, before beginning to exercise, and put it on again immediately after. Lying down upon the cold ground, too, must not be allowed. On commencing any exercise, begin, not with its more violent degrees, but with the more gentle, and leave off in the same manner ; sudden transitions are al- ways dangerous. Never let bodily exertion, or your attempts to harden the frame, be carried to excess : let your object be to strengthen the feeble body, not to exhaust and render it languid. In all exercises, attention should be paid to such a position of aU the parts of the body, that none may be ex- posed to injury ; for example, the tongue must never be suf- fered to remain between the teeth. The left hand and arm are commonly weaker than the right ; let them be frequent- ly exercised, therefore, by lifting, carrying, and supporting the weight of the body by suspension, tiU they become as strong as the others. Although walking, running, dancing, balancing, vault- ing, climbing, jumping, wrestling, riding, swimming, and all other museidar exercises, may be included in the term Gymnastics, the common course adopted at the schools in- cludes only walking, running, jumping, vaulting, balanc- ing, and climbing. RUNNINa. In running, the legs should not be raised too high; th-^ arms should be nearly still, so that no unnecessary opposi- tion be given to the air by useless motions. Running in a circle is excellent exercise, but the direction should be occa- sionally changed, so that both sides may be equally worked. THE DEEP LEAP. This is performed from a flight of steps, increasing the depth according to the progress of the pupil. The body should be bent forward, the feet close together, and the hands ready to touch the ground at the same time with or rather before the feet. We do not, however, much approve of this exercise. 108 boys' owk book. WALKING. In ■walking, the arms should move freely by the side, the head be kept up, the stomach in, the shoulders back, the feet parallel with the ground, and the body resting neither on the toe nor heel, but on the baU of the foot. On start- ing, the pupil should rise one foot, keep the knee and instep straight, the toe bent downward. When this foot reaches the ground, the same should be repeated with the other. This should be practised until the pupil walks firmly and gracefully. JUMPING. The first rule in jumping is, to fall on the toes and never on the heels. Bend the knees, that the calves of the legs may touch the thighs. Swing the arms forward when tak- ing a spring, break the fall with the hands, if necessary; hold the breath, keep the body forward, come to the ground with both feet together, and in taking the run, let your steps be short, and increase in quickness as you approach the leap. Begin with a moderate height or breadth, and increase both as you improve. PARALLEL BARS. Begin by raising the body by the hands, and then moving the hands alternately backward and forward, until you go along the bars each way by means only of your hands. Then move or jump with both hands at once. The swing is per- formed by supporting the body by the arms, with the stom- ach upward, until the toes are in a straight line with the head; when the pupil can do this with ease, he should throw his body from this position over the bar to the right or left. The movement of lowering the body by bending the elbows is done by drawing up the feet towards the hams, and sink- ing gradually until the elbows are even with the head ; rise again by straightening the arms, and repeat the exercise sev- eral times. Many other exercises may be performed on these bars, which will occur to the pupU in the course of his practice. boys' owit book. 109 HORIZONTAL BAR. The first position is taking hold of the bar with both hands, and raising the body until the chin is on a line with the knuckles. When you can look over the bar in this man- ner with ease, place the hands on the further side of the bar from you, and raise the body as before. In the next exercise, the ' body is raised from the ground by both hands on each side of the bar, and the pupil passes, springs, or moves the hands alternately along the bar. Keep the legs close, lift the feet so as to touch the bar and sink them down again ; repeat this several times, and when in this position, pass along the bar by alternately moving the hands ; the body may then be supported by the right arm and left leg, and afterward by the left arm and right leg ; you may then place yourself in a riding position on the bar. You may also swing with the head downward ; take the bar with both hands, and pass the feet between them, until they hang downward ; you may either return them the same way, or drop upon your toes to the ground. THE LONa LEAP. Make a trench, which widens gradually from one end to the other, so that the breadth of the leap may be increased daily. Keep the feet close together, and take your spring from the toes of one foot, which should be quickly drawn up to the other, and they should descend at the same instant ; throw the arms and body forward, especially in descending. Take a run of aboiit twenty paces. PROSTRATE AND PERPENDICULAR. Hold your arms on your breast, lie on your back and get up again, without maktaguse of either your elbows or hands. 110 boys' 0W2S" BOOKi THE HIGH LEAP WITH THE POLE. Take the pole with the right hand about the height of the head, and with the left about the height of the hips ; when put to the ground, spring with the right foot, and pass by the left of the pole, over whatever you have to clear, turning round as you alight, so as to front the place you leap from. VAULTING. The horse for vaulting is made of a wooden cylinder with rounded ends; two ridges are placed across it, the space between which is called the saddle, and shoiild be wide enough apart for a person to sit between them with ease. The horse may be wadded or not, according to fancy. Leap- ing on the horse is performed by springing by the hands astride upon it. The body is raised in the same manner, until the feet reach high enough to stand on the horse ; the hands are then to be placed on the further ridge, and the body thrown forward into the saddle. Vaulting into the saddle may be performed with or with- out a run; place the hands on one of the ridges, take a spring, and turn the body on one side, so that one leg may pass over the horse, and the performer descend astride into the saddle. To vault sideways over the horse, the hands must be placed as above, and a spring made suificient to throw the feet over the horse ; one hand then leaves its hold, and you descend on the other side. To vault on or over the saddle forward, take hold of each ridge with the hands, and spring between them, so as to rest or to go over the saddle. TO CLIMB THE ROPE. In climbing the rope the hands are to be moved alternate- ly, one above the other, the feet drawn up between every movement of the hands, and the rope grasped firmly between them ; in descending, move one hand after the other, as the friction, if you slide, would blister them. The best method to climb the slant rope is to lay the sole of one foot flat on the rope, and the other leg over the instep of that foot. boys' owk book. Ill THE HIGH LEAP. Get a stand made of two upright posts, bored through with holes, through which you may pass a string at what length you please, with sand bags of sufficient weight to keep it straight, and yet not so heavy as to prevent your carrying it away with your foot, in case you touch it while leaping ; or you may have holes bored to admit movable pegs to support the string, as in the cut. You must take this leap both standing and with a run ; for the former, the legs should be kept together, and the feet and knees raised in a straight direction ; for the latter, we recommend a short run, and a light tripping step, gradually quickened as the leaper approaches the string. You should be particular- ly careful not to alight on your heels, but rather on the toes and balls of the feet. THE DEEP LEAP WITH THE POLE. This requires strength in the arms and hands. Place the pole the depth you have to leap, lower the body forward, cast off your feet and swing round the pole so as to alight with your face fronting the point you leaped from. Come to the ground, if possible, on the balls of your feet. THE TRIUMPH. Place the palms of the hands together, behind you, with the fingers downward, and the thumbs nearest the back; then, still keeping as much as possible of the palms together, and at least the fingers of one hand touching those of the other, turn the hands, by keeping the tops of the fingers close to the back, until the ends are between the shoulders, with the palms together, the thumbs outward, and the tops of the fingers toward the head. This is a very difficult feat, and well deserves its title. 112 boys' owit book. ASCEKDING THE LADDER. Take hold of each side of the ladder, and ascend by mov- ing the hands alternately. To climb the ladder by rundels, the learner must bring the elbow of the arm which happens to be the lowest, down to the ribs, before he pulls himseK up by the other. To climb the ladder by one side, take hold of one side of the ladder with both hands, the palms toward the.outer part of the side; move the hands alternate- ly, and keep the legs close and steady. TO CLIMB THE PERPENDICULAR OR SLANT POLE. Move the legs and hands alternately, taking care, how- ever, not to place the hands over each other, as in climbing the rope. In descending the pole, the hands are held ready to be used, if necessary, on each side of it ; the legs being then a Little slackened, you will descend with great ease. STEPPING THROUGH YOUR OWN FINGERS. Get a bit of wood, or half of a tobacco-pipe, hold it between the two forefingers of each hand, and, without let- ting it go, after a little practice, you may leap over it, for- ward and backward without difficulty ; when perfect in this, you may, as the writer of this has frequently done, place the tops of the two middle fingers together, and leap over them both ways, without either separating or touching them with the feet. It is impossible to perform this trick with high-heeled shoes ; and, in fact, the great difflciilty consists in clearing the heels. THE FLYING BOOK. Place a book, or other convenient thing, between the two feet, in such a way that it is held between the ankles and the inner side of the feet ; then kick up backwards with both feet and throw the book over your head. boys' OWN" BOOK. 113 ^ THE PLANK. The breadth of the plank should be about two feet; its thickness, two inches ; to climb it, the hands are to be placed on each side, and the feet on its surface ; ascend by moving them alternately. Elevate the plank by degrees as you improve in the ex- ercise. The progress that may be made in the ascension of the plank is astonishing. We know several gymnasts who can ascend a plank in a perpendicular position, without difficulty. To do this, the body and feet are in a different position to that represented in the marginal cut, where the figure is merely travelling up an incUned plane; to ascend a perpendicular plank the body is curved inward more from the shoulders down- ward, and the legs thrust up so that the higher one is nearly even with the hand. DOT AND CARET TWO. The person who is to perform this exploit (whom we shall designate as No. 1), stands between two others (whom we shall call Nos. 2 and 3) ; he then stoops down and passes his right hand behind the left thigh of No. 2. whose hand he grasps ; and his left hand behind the right thigh of No. 3, whose left hand he grasps. Nos. 2 and 3 then pass each one arm round the neck and shoulders of No. 1, and when in this position. No. 1, by raising himself gradually from his stooping position, lifts the others from the ground. KNUCKLE DOWN. An exercise of some difficulty, is performed by putting the toes against a chalk line, kneeling down and rising up again, without any assistance of the hands or moving the toes from the chalk line. 114 boys' own book. LIFTING AT AEM'S LENGTH. Elevating a pole at arm's length has long been aceoimted a superior feat ; to do this, the arm must be stretched out at fuU length, the pole ( the poker will do to begin with) grasped with the nails upward, and elevated in a right line with the arm. CHAIRING THE LEG. Place the left foot on the lower back rail of a chair, then pass your right leg over the back of the chair, and bring it to the floor between the chair and your left leg. This is to be done without touching the chair with your hand. In doing this trick, the chair should not stand upon a slippery floor, as it may move from under you, and cause a fall ; a heavy chair should also be selected, and great care taken while performing it. THE FINGER-PEAT. Your arms must be horizontally placed across the breast, and close to it; the fore-fingers of each hand must then be brought into contact. In this position another person must endeavor to separate your fingers by pulling at each arm. However much stronger he may be than you, he will not be able to detach your fingers, if you hold them properly. It must be agreed, previously, that the person who attempts to separate the fingers of the other shall not use a sudden jerk, but a regular force. BOYS OWH BOOK. 115 FLYING STEPS. This is a very beneficial exercise. Fix a beam firmly in the ground, with a strong iron cap, that moves in a circular horizontal position, at the top of it ; four ropes are to be fixed to the cap, and bars of wood fastened at the bottom of the ropes, which are to be taken hold of, and the pupils vault round, bearing the weight on the rope, and continually in- creasing in speed until they touch the ground only at inter- vals with their toes. THE LONG REACH. A line is to be marked on the floor, to which both feet, or rather, the toes of both your feet are to be brought, and be- yond which they must not pass. One hand, either right or left, at option, is then to be thrown forward (without touch- ing the floor in its passage) so far and no farther than you can spring back again from the horizontal position to the original upright position of the body, without disturbing the stated posture of the feet, or scraping the floor with the hand in the back-spring. The distance at which different persons can thus spring back from the hand, will, of course, differ according to their length of arm, or their strength and activity. 116 boys' own- book. When you have ascertained the distance at which you can recover without scraping the hand or changing the original position of your feet, you must stretch forward as far as possible ; and whilst your body is supported by the hand on the floor, chalk as far as possible with the other; after this, rise up from your hand and recover your original position, without touching the ground again with either hand. There is great scope for skill and activity in this feat, and there are persons not exceeding five feet, or five feet and a few inches, who will chalk considerably farther than others six feet high. The great art is, to bring your body as near to the floor as possible ; for which purpose, it is recommended (and allowable) to move the feet backward from the line of demarkation as far as you can, which will bring the body much lower, and enable you to chalk, at least, the full length of yourself, which is considered pretty good chalking, al- though there are persons who will exceed the distance very considerably. Those who perform this trick the best, con- trive, when on the stretch, that the body may rest upon the elbow. TWO TO ONE. With the skipping-rope several excellent exercises may be performed ; the best, perhaps, is the following. Skip in the common way for a few seconds, constantly increasing your velocity of movement, and, at length, leap tolerably high, and whirl the rope round so fast that it may pass twice under your feet before they touch the ground ; continue this until you can repeat it several times in succession, and, at last, pass the rope three iimes, instead of twice, under your feet during the leap. TUMBLE-DOWN DICK. This feat must be performed with a long-backed chair; place the knees on the extremity of the feet of the chair, and, with your two hands, take hold about the seat rail; bring your face down to touch the back of the chair, upon boys' own book. 117 which, at the extremity, or as near as you can come without falling forward, or suffering the top of the chair to touch the floor, a piece of money, or &c., is placed, which is to be removed with the mouth. Much of the management in this trick depends upon properly regulating the position of the hands, which may be shifted as you find necessary, up or down the upright pieces which form the back of the chair. A strong, old-fashioned kitchen-chair is the best for this purpose. THE STOOPING STRETCH. This feat, in which considerable agility may be acquired by practice, is performed in the foUowing manner: Draw a line on the floor, against which place the outer edge of the right foot ; at a moderate distance behind the right heel, place the left heel against the line. Take a piece of chalk in the right hand, stoop a little forward, pass the right hand between the legs immediately under the right knee, and chalk the floor as far beyond the line as you can, so that you can recover yourself without moving the toes of the feet, or touching the ground with either of your hands. In this case there is no spring from the hand, as the chalk only, which is held between the two fore-flngers, touches the floor. Your knee and body may project over the chalk Hne, if your feet keep their proper place, as above directed, on the outer side of it. THE GREAT WOODEN" BALL. Casting the wooden ball is a very good recreation. A large wooden bowler, in which several holes are bored, is used for this purpose. Place your thumb in one of these holes, and your middle, or fore-finger, in another, and cast it, under-handed, either at a mark or for a distance. The 118 BOYS OWJf BOOK. common bowl used in skittle-alleys (we do not mean those used for nine-pins) will afford a pattern ; the maker must, however, remember that its dimensions are to be decreased, it being too heavy, and the finger-holes too far apart for the use of boys. It ought to be adapted in size to the age of those persons for whose use it is intended. THE TURN-OVER. In performing this feat, it is necessary to take a rim of half-a-dozen paces. The trick is to place the toe of the right foot against the wall, about the height of the knee from the ground, and to throw the left leg over it, making an entire revolution, so that when your left leg reaches the ground, your back wUl be to the wall. The toe of the right foot is the point upon which you must turn ; and it must not quit the wall during the perform- ance of the exploit. To perform the turn-over appears to be a matter of considerable difficidty, at the first glance of the descrip- tion ; but it may be attempted by a lad of tolerable activity, who has made himself master of the instructiQus, without danger, and in a short time accomplished with facility. Ordinary care must, of course, be taken during the early attempts. THE TANTALUS TRICK. An amusing scene may be produced by requesting a per- son to stand with his back close against the wall, and, when in this position, placing a piece of money on the ground a short distance before him, and offering it to him if he can pick it up without mo-\dng his heels from the wall. This, he will find, is impossible, as on stooping forward, a part of the body goes back beyond the heels, which, in this case, the waU wiU, of course, prevent. boys' own book. 119 TRIAL OF THE THUMB. This feat is very simple. Place the inside of the thumb against the edge of a table, and then move yohr feet backward as far as you can from the table, so as to be able to recover your upright position by the spring of your thumb without moving your feet. You may accom- plish this feat with much greater ease, if, previously to springing from the thumb, you make two or three bends to and fro with your body. Neither the fingers, nor any part of the hand, ex- cept the thumb, should touch the table. It is advisable to begin by making the spring with your feet at a short dis- tance only froin the table at first, and to draw them further from it gradually as you improve in the performance of the feat. The table from which you spring ought to be a heavy one, or the opposite end of it placed close against a wall, otherwise you may push it back when making your spring; in which case, a fall on the hands and knees would be almost inevitable. THE PALM-SPRING. A feat, which afiords excellent exercise, something similar to the thumb-trick, is perform- ed by standing with your face toward a wall and throwing yourself forward, until you sup- port yourself from falling, by the palm of one of the hands being placed, with the fingers upward, against the wall ; when in this position, you must re- cover your former erect station by springing from your hand, without bringing your feet for- 120 boys' OWN" BOOK. ward. According to the greater or less distance you stand from the wall, the more or less difficult the feat will be. As in the feat of the Trial of the Thumb, it is better to begin the performance of the Palm-spring at a short distance only from the wall, at first; by practice, if you are active and resolute, you may, at last, rise with ease with your feet placed full two-thirds of your own height distant from the wall. . LEAP BEFORE YOU LOOK. Much care must be taken in this, as well as in " The Tumble-down Dick " feat, lest you hurt yourself. Procure a chair that is strong, and at the same time so narrow in the back that you can bestride it with ease; stand on the seat, push with your hands against the top rail, and your knees against the middle one, until you get it tilted on its back legs ; but be- fore you lose your footing, leap from the seat, so as to alight on the ground, still holding the top rail in your hand, and the back of the chair between your legs. We repeat that great caution is necessary at first, but after a little practice, the feat is very easy. Without confi- dence in your own powers, it can never be performed ; to give you this necessary confidence, be assured that hundreds have succeeded in achieving it. TEE PULLEY. Fasten a common pulley to a horizontal piece of wood, or the branch of a tree ; run a cord through it, with a cross piece of wood at each end ; two boys take hold of these cross pieces, — one lies on his back, and the other pulls him up, sinking himself as he raises his companion ; he in turn, is elevated in the same manner, and thus each sinks and is raised alternately. boys' 0W2 carte ; throw it off by performing the parade of octave ; then make a quick return of the thrust in octave. On the engagement of carte, he thrusts low carte, parry it by octave ; instantly form your extension, fix your point well to his body, and you may almost make sure of touching him," {Vide cut.) On the engagement of carte, he disengages to tierce, and thrusts, throw it off by your parade of tierce ; then reverse your nails upward and return a thrust in octave. On the same engagement, he thrusts low carte ; oppose it by forming your parade in semi-circle ; then deliver a thrust in octave by disengaging over his arm, commonly called a counter disengagement. LOW CARTE, OCTAVE, SECONDE, AND PEIME THRUSTS. Low carte, sometimes called semi-circle thrust, is de- livered after forming the parade of semi-circle, in the same manner as simple carte thrust; only the hand and point must be fixed lower. It is an excellent thrust, if your ad- versary have frequent recourse to his high parades. Octave thrust is delivered after the -parade of octave on the flank or beUy ; the arm being well opposed outward. If- you parry youx adversary's thrust by octave, your return will naturally be the thrust of octave, which may, at the same time, touch him with the extension only, without the longe. The thrust in seconde is delivered after the parade of the tierce, or when engaged by tierce, by dropping your point under your adversary's wrist with the naUs downward ; longe and deliver the thrust on the flank. Prime is the natural thrust in return, after having parried your adversary's force, when advanced considerably within his measure, and pressing vigorously upon you. It is only an extension of the arm from the opposition of the parade to your adversary's body, the nails being kept downward. The arms should be well raised and opposed inward. boys' owk book. 131 VARIATIONS AND LESSON ON ENGAGING AND DISENGAGING, ADVANCING AND RETREAT- ING, SIMPLE PARADES, AND THRUSTS OP CARTE AND TIERCE. Suppose you are engaged in carte with an adversary ; he retreats ; you advance, well covered in carte ; he retreats again ; you advance with a disengagement to tierce, and so forth, alternately, taking care that you are properly covered on each engagement; his retreat and your advance should be comprehended in the same moment of time ; in the same manfier, you may retreat while he advances. On the en- gagement of carte, your adversary delivers a thrust in carte ; oppose it by forming your parade in carte, then return the straight thrust thereof. He again thrusts straight in the same manner ; also throw it off by forming your parade in carte ; deliver in return the thrust of carte over the arm by disengaging to tierce. On the engagement in tierce, he dis- engages and thrusts carte inside ; throw it off by your parade in carte, disengage, and thrust cart over the arm ; he parries, and returns in tierce, which you parry by a parade in tierce, and longe home with a straight thrust in tierce. LESSON AND VARIATIONS IN PRIME AND SECONDS. On the engagement of tierce, your adversary advances within his measure and delivers a thrust in tierce or carte 133 boys' own book. over the arm; oppose his blade by the parade of prime, and return a thrust in prime. ( Vide cut.) On the same engagement he advances, disengages, and forcibly thrusts carte ; drop your point, and parry it with prime ; then disengage over his arm and return a thrust in seconde. On the engagement of carte he disengages, and thrusts carte over the arm ; parry it with simple tierce, and return a thrust in tierce ; he advances, as you recover, within his measure, forcing upon your blade ; form your parade in prime, and deliver a quick return of the thrust thereof. On the same engagement he again disengages, and thrusts carte over the arm, which parry with tierce, and return the thrust thereof; he forces a thrust without advancing, parry it with prime, then disengage over the arm and return your thrust in seconde. THE SALUTE. Place yourself on guard, engage your adversary's blade on the outside; by way of compliment, desire him to thrust first at you; then drop your point by reversing the nails downward, with a circular motion ; draw your right foot close behind the left, stretching both hams; raise your right arm, and with your left hand take off your hat gracefully ; then make a circular motion with your wrist, with the naUs upward, while you advance your right foot forward, forming your proper extension. Your adversary makes the same motions, keeping equal time with you, but instead of form- ing the extension, he makes a full longe, as if going to thrust carte inside, in order to take his measure, presenting his point at a little distance from your body while you re- main uncovered on the extension. {Vide cut.) When your adversary recovers his position, after having taken his measure, you also recover by drawing the right foot or heel close to the heel of the left ; the right hand well stretched and raised, the nails upward and the point dropped ; the left hand raised in a semi-circular form, as if boys' OWIf BOOK. 133 on guard, your hat held therein with ease and gracefulness; the head upright and the hams stretched. In this attitude salute first in carte, by forming the parade, then salute in tierce, by forming the parade of tierce ; lastly, make a cir- cular motion with the wrist, by dropping your point in tierce, at that moment putting on your hat, and throwing yourself upon the guard of carte. When it is your turn to push, the salute only differs in one particular from the above ; that is, instead of forming the extension, and uncovering the body, you make a full longe from the first position of the right foot behind the left in carte ; then, recover to the second position, by plac- ing the right foot or heel close to the heel of the left ; and conclude with the other movements. AU these motions should be performed with ease, grace, and without precipi- tation. After performing the salute, and being engaged in carte, yotir adversary, agreeably to the compliment offered, pushes at your breast by disengaging nimbly to tierce, and thrusting carte over the arm. Observe, that the wrist is never reversed when he disengages ; oppose it by performing the parade of tierce, then drop the point, by way of accus- toming yourself to make the return in seconde, which may be termed the grace on the parade of tierce. Remain on this grace till jowc adversary recovers to guard ; then join his blade in tierce ; he disengages, by thrusting carte inside ; throw it off by forming the parade of carte. 134 boys' OWiq" BOOK. The grace or ornament to be used after forming this pa- rade, wMle your adversary is upon the longe, is by allowing the foil to remain flexible in your hand, with the point downward, keeping your hand in the same direction as if covered upon the parade. ' Your adversary, after pushing tierce and carte alternately, commences the salute ; and while he is on the extension, you take the measure by longeing in carte. Having joined blades in carte, disengage, and thrust carte over the arm. Again, he joins your blade in tierce, disengage nimbly, and thrust carte inside. ( Yide cut.) He opposes in carte; then let the blade and point fly loosely over the hand having hold of your foil between the thumb and two first fingers, by which you will have a view of your adversary through the angle made thereby. This is the grace upon the longe of carte inside. « FEINTS. Feints are used to oblige your adversary to give you open- ings. The simple feint, une, deux (or one, two), is performed by two separate disengagements, either on the engagement of carte or tierce, when your adversary throws his simple parades. If engaged in carte, disengage closely to tierce, then quickly disengage back to carte, and deliver the thrust thereof. On the engagement of tierce, disengage first to boys' own book. 135 carte, then disengage back to tierce, delivering the thrust of carte over the arm. Feint seconde, carte over the arm, is performed when en- gaged in tierce, by dropping your point, and reversing the nails, as if you meant to thrust seconde ; then quickly turn them upward, and deliver the thrust of carte over the arm. On the same engagement, you may mark feint seconde, and thrust carte inside, if there be an opening. Feints une, deux, trois (or one, two, three), are performed by three separate disengagements, either from the engage- ment of carte or tierce. On the engagement of carte, mark feint, one, two, as above ; if your adversary form his simple parade of carte, nimbly mark your third disengagement, by thrusting carte over the arm. On the engagement of tierce, disengage three times, and deliver your thrust in carte in- side. COUNTER-DISENGAGEMENTS IN OCTAVE AND SEMI-CIRCLE. The counter-disengagements in octave may be performed after your adversary has thrust in seconde, and you have parried by semi-circle; as he uncovers, counter-disengage, and thrust in octave. {Vide cut.) To give a further exemplification of the counter-disen- gagement in octave, it is also performed by first making a feint, as if you intended to thrust octave ; he naturally op- poses it, by forming his parade in octave ; then nimbly dis- 136 boys' OWJSr BOOK. engage over his arm to carte inside, and deliver either that thrust, or the thrust of low carte. The counter-disengagement in semi-circle is performed on the engagement of carte, when your adversary accustoms MmseK to take the parade of semi-circle, by first making a feint, as if you meant to thrust low carte, which he attempts to parry with semi-circle, then nimbly disengaging over his arm, and delivering your thrust in octave. THE COUNTER, OR ROUND PARADES, IN" CARTE AND TIERCE. The counter-parade in carte, is esteemed one of the most essential, as it baffles a variety of thrusts, throws off the disengagements over the arm, etc. In order to perform it when your adversary disengages, follow his blade closely, with a small circle, entirely from the motion of the wrist, by which you join his blade always in carte. If he make a thrust with the disengagement, oppose it, by gradually cov- ering yourself with the parade of carte, after having fol- lowed his blade round. The counter, or round parade in tierce, is performed in a similar manner to the counter-parade of cai-te, only that the course of the point is reversed. For example: your ad- versary disengages to carte, with a view to thrust carte in- side ; follow his blade closely, with a small circle, made by the motion of the wrist reversed in tierce, stretching your boys' own book. 137 arm, and giving his blade a smart and abrupt throw-off, as you overtake or meet it in tierce. The course of the point in forming the counter ia carte is inward, from left to right ; and in the counter-parade of tierce, the contrary. THE COUNTER-DISENGAGEMENTS IN PRIME AND SECONDS. The counter-disengagement in prime is seldom used ia at- tacks; but being so nearly related to prime parade and thrust, we shall here describe it. It is performed from the engagement of tierce, by forcing on your adversary's blade, if he betake himself to the parade of prime, then nimbly disen- gaging over his arm, and delivering your thrust in seconde. The counter-disengagement of seconde may be more fre- quently used ; it is performed from the engagement of carte, by dropping your point, or making a feint, as if you in- tended to thrust prime : your adversary opposes it, by per- forming the parade of seconde ; then disengage over his arm, and deliver your thrust by longeing in prime. LESSONS AND VARIATIONS ON THE COUNTER- PARADES IN CARTE AND TIERCE, AND THE COUNTER-DISENGAGEMENTS IN OCTAVE, ETC. On the engagement of carte, disengage and thrust carte over the arm ; your adversary opposes it, by forming the counter-parade of carte. Upon recovering, he, in return, disengages and thrusts carte over the arm; oppose it by counter-parade in carte, etc. ; disengaging and parrying al- ternately, always making complete longes with the thrusts, and moving well to guard, while forming the counter-pa- rades. Make your movements very slow and exact in the beginning, and gradually quicken them. Exercise on the engagement of tierce in the same manner: first, by disen- gaging and thrusting carte inside, which he opposes by forming the counter-parade in tierce; in return, he disen- gages and thrusts carte inside, which parry with the counter- parade in tierce, etc.: thrusting and parrying as above, 138 boys' owijr book. until you quicken your movements with all possible exact- ness. On the engagement of tierce, if your adversary thrusts oc- tave in low carte, you may parry it with octave ; then coun- ter-disengage, and deliver a thrust in low carte. On the same engagement, he counter-disengages, and thrusts low carte, which oppose by your counter-parade in octave, and re- turn the thrust thereof. On the same engagement, he again counter-disengages, and thrusts low carte, which you may baffle by first forming the parade of octave, then forming the parade of semi-circle quickly after the other ; and, as he re- covers, counter-disengage, and thrust octave. On the engagement of tierce, advance within measure, forcing upon your adversary's blade ; he betakes himself to the simple parade of prime ; counter-disengage and thrust seconde. On the same engagement, he advances, forces, and counter-disengages as above ; but baffle his thrust in seconde by the counter-parade in prime, and return the thrust thereof. On the same engagement, he counter-dis- engages; follow his blade by the counter-parade in priine; if he attempt to double or disengage again, stop him, by forming your simple parade of seconde. On the engagement of carte, counter-disengage, when your adversary drops in seconde, and thrusts prime. On the same engagement, he counter-disengages, when you drop to sec- onde ; oppose it, by your parade of seconde ; then return a straight thrust in seconde. Or if, on the same engagement, he make a straight thrust in seconde, you may parry it with semi-circle, and return low carte thrust. On the same en- gagement, he counter-disengages, answer his movements by forming the simple parades of seconde and prime; then counter-disengage as he recovers, and deliver a thrust in seconde. CUT OVER THE POINT. ' This is performed when you perceive your adversary hold his hand low and his point is raised upon guard. To perform it from carte to tierce, raise your point quicldy, with the up- boys' owk book. 139 •ward motion of your wrist, fairly over your adversary's point, without moving your arm from the line of direction, at the same time forming your extension, and deliver your thrust of carte over the arm. In the same manner you may execute cuts over the point from the engagement of tierce, when your adversary holds his point high. THRUST OF THE WEIST. This is performed when you perceive your adversary slow in making a return, after you have longed with a thrust ; as on the engagement of carte, suppose you thrust carte over the arm, which your adversary naturally parries with simple tierce, lean with some degree of force upon his blade, and, as you recover to guard, deliver him a thrust with the wrist in seconde. RETURN ON THE EXTENSION. This is performed after your adversary makes a full longe with a thrust, which you may parry so powerfully, as to throw his arm out of the line of direction ; then, with all possible quickness, extend your arm, and deliver him a straight thrust in return, before he has time to recover. If the extension of the arm be not within reach, form your complete extension of the leg and arm. APPELS, BEATS ON THE BLADE, AND GLIZADES. Appels, beats, and gUzades, tend to plant you firm upon your guard, to embarrasss your adversary, and cause him to give you openings ; they are performed previously to simple thrust, feints, or counter-disengagements, etc. An appel, or beat with the foot is performed either on the engagement of carte or tierce, by suddenly raising and letting fall the right foot, with a beat on the same sJDot ; taking care to balance the body, and keep a good position on guard. The beat on the blade, is abruptly touching your ad- 140 boys' own book. versary's blade, so as to startle him, and get openings to thrust. If he resist the beat, instantaneously disengage, and thrust home. If he use a simple parade, mark feint one, two ; or, if he use a counter-parade, counter-disengage, or double. Glizades are slightly gliding your blade along your ad- versary's, at the same time forming the extension of the arm, or the complete extension, managing and restraining your body, so as to be aware of his thrust, and to make sure of your own. If you be engaged in carte, out of measure, a quick advance, with a glizade, must infallibly give you some openings, either to mark feints or otherwise. THE TIME-THRUST. This thrust is performed when your adversary is dilatory. On attempting to deliver this thrust, cover yourself well, by forming a gradual and strong opposition to your adversary's blade ; you can be in no danger of exposing yourself to an interchanged thrust, that is, a thrust at the same moment. LESSONS AND VARIATIONS TO FEINTS, APPELS, ETC. On the engagement of carte, mark feint one, two, and thrust carte inside. On the engagement of tierce, feint one, two, and thrust carte over the arm. On the engagement of carte, mark a feint over the arm, and thrust low carte. On the same engagement, mark feint over the arm, reverse the wrist, and thrust seconde. On the engagement of tierce, mark feint seconde, reverse the wrist, and thrust carte over the arm. On the same en- gagement, mark feint seconde, and thrust carte inside. On the engagement of carte, in attempting the feints one, two, if he baffle it by his counter-parade in carte, counter-disen- gage, and deliver the thrust of carte over the arm. On the engagement of carte, suppose your adversary hold his guard low, and his point high, make a cut over the boys' OWN" BOOK. 141 point, forming your extension, and thrust carte over the arm. On the engagement of carte, cut over the point ; if he use a simple parade, disengage, and thrust carte inside. On the engagement of tierce, if your adversary hold his hand low, and point high, make a cut over the point, and thrust carte inside. On the same engagement, cut over the point twice, and deliver the thrust of carte over the arm. On the same engagement, cut over the point twice, then disengage, and thrust carte inside. On the same engagement, cut over the point, then mark feints one, two, and thrust carte inside. On the engagement of carte, disengage to tierce, and thrust carte over the arm ; if your adversary form his simple parade in tierce, and be slow in making a return, deliver him a thrust with the wrist in seconde, as you recover. On the engagement of tierce, disengage and thrust carte inside, or low carte ; if he parry it with octave, disengage over his arm as you recover and deliver him a thrust in low carte. On the engagement of carte, disengage and thrust seconde ; if he parry it with seconde, counter-disengage as you recover, and thrust prime. On the engagement of tierce, force upon his blade, disengage and thrust low carte ; he parries it with prime, and if slow in making a return, deliver the thrust in seconde with the wrist, as you recover. On the engagement of carte, give him some openings ; if he mark the feints one, two, and thrust, form your counter- parade in carte ; then deliver him a quick return with wrist in low carte, by forming the complete extension. On the engagement of tierce, in like manner, give him some open- ings; if he mark feints one, two, and thrust, form your counter-parade in tierce ; and, on the extension, deliver him a thrust in seconde. On the engagement of carte, if he execute low feints and thrusts, use the circle parade, and return a straight thrust on the extension before he recovers. On the engagement of carte, make an appel, or beat with the right foot at the same time beating abruptly on your adversary's blade, which wUl give you an opening to thrust carte straight home. On the same engagement, make an 142 boys' ow]^ book. appel, beat his blade, then disengage, and thrust carte over the arm. On the engagement of tierce, make an appel, beat his blade, and thrust tierce or carte over the arm. On the same engagement, make an appel, beat his blade, then disengage, and deliver a thrust in carte inside. On the en- gagement of tierce, make your appel, disengage to carte, by beating his blade, and thrust carte inside. On the engagement of tierce, perform a glizade along his blade, with the extension; if he do not cover himself, de- liver a straight thrust in carte over the arm. On the en- gagement of carte, make a glizade, drop your point, and deliver a thrust in low carte. On the engagement of tierce, perform a glizade, drop your point under his wrist, and de- liver a thrust in octave. On the engagement of tierce, he disengages to carte, then disengage contrarily, and thrust home carte over the arm. On the engagement of carte, when you find that your ad- versary holds his hand too low upon guard, and deviates from the guard rules, seize the opening, by pushing carte straight home. On the engagement of tierce, having the like opportunity, deliver the thrust of carte over the arm, straight home. On the engagement of carte, your adversary disengages to tierce; that instant disengage contrarUy (that is, to carte) and push home. ( Tide cut.) All these lessons should be performed repeatedly, and the boys' own book. 143 pupil should often exercise with another who has had equal practice, executing all thrusts, feints, counter-disengage- ments, etc., while the other remains upon guard, making use of the necessary parades, etc. ; he should then, in turn, perform the practical movements, in order that both may make mutual progress in the art. THE SALUTE PREVIOUS TO ASSAULTS. On the engagement of tierce, make two quick appels, or beats, with the right foot; bring it close behind the left, near the shoe-tie, raising and stretching your right arm with the nails upward, and the point of your foil dropped ; at the same time, take off your hat gracefully, and hold it in your left hand, stretched down near the flank ; then, with a circular motion of the wrist, as if forming the counter in tierce, throw your left foot backwards, to the distance of your common guard, and raising your left hand, make two other appels; bring your left foot forward to the former position, that is, before the right, near the shoe-tie ; at the same time stretching your arm, with the nails upward as before, and in that position, form gracefully the parades of carte and tierce ; make a circular motion with the wrist, and advance your right foot, with vivacity, to your original guard, at the same time covering your head. All the move- ments in this salute should be performed in a more lively manner than those described in the salute previously to thrusting carte and tierce: observe, also, that these move- ments should keep exactly the same time with those of your adversary. DISARMING. After parrying your adversary's thrust by simple carte, or the counter in carte, without quitting his blade, lean abruptly thereon, and binding it with yours, reverse your wrist, with the nails downwards, as if in seconde, and with the motion thereof give his blade anabrupt twirl. (Vide cut.) 14:4 boys' own book. If this do not disarm him, it will throw his hand and blade out of the line of direction, so that you may effectually fix your point, and deliver him a thrust in seconde. Also, after parrying by simple tierce, cross his blade before he recovers ; make a strong and abrupt circular movement ■with your wrist in seconde without quitting his blade, and it will either disarm, or give you an opening to deliver him a thrust. PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS. Assume a bold air and steady position ; fix your eyes firm- ly on those of your adversary, so that he may not penetrate into your designs ; and keep your proper distance and meas- ure. It is a most essential point in assaults, exactly to know these ; for this purpose, observe the height of your adversary, the length of his foil, etc., and make the necessary allow- ances accordingly. If he make frequent practice of disen- gaging, beating your blade, and otherwise embarrassing you, with a "sdew to get openings, you may seize the occasion to deliver a time-thrust, taking care to cover yourself well, by forming a good opposition against his blade. "When on the engagement of carte, by way of snare, hold your point higher than usual ; if he attempt to make a cut over the point, that instant disengage contrarily and thrust carte in- side ; or you may, in preference to this, deliver a straight thrust in carte over the arm. {Tide cut.) Be not too eager in making your thrusts in return ; as, by boys' owk book. 145 an over-eagerness, learners contract a habit of returning their thrust by crooking the arm, which is quite erroneous. Form your parades justly, and accustom yourseK, at first, to make straight returns without disengaging. If you in- tend to return a thrust by disengaging, you should perform it the moment your adversary is recovering; it must proceed from the motion of the wrist, and not by crooking the arm. The distance of your guard should be moderate, two feet is the distance for men; by a wide guard, you keep your adver- sary at too great a distance, and have not that necessary command of throwing your body back far enough, when he advances and makes a full longe; neither can you retreat, or make returns with the necessary quickness; the lower part of the body is also more exposed than it would be on a proper medium guard. Never extend yourself too far on the longe, as it impedes your recovering to guard with the necessary quickness. Al- ways endeavor to recover quickly, and with as much ease as possible, fixing your point to your adversary's body, and forming the most natural parade, in case he should make a quick return. If engaged with an adversary of a shorter stat- ure, attack him on the engagement of tierce, as being more advantageous for a number of feints and thrusts than the engagement of carte, particularly for feint seconde over the arm, etc. If your adversary advance within his measure, and force 7 146 boys' owk book. in a straight thrust, carte over the arm, or in tierce, then raise and bend your arm, forming the parade of prime, and quickly return a straight thrust in prime, before he recovers ; or, if you have not opening sulTicient, disengage over his arm, and deliver a thrust in seconde. When you first enter upon the assaidt, you may engage your adversary's blade out of measure in carte, as being easier than the other engagement, for executing your differ- ent movements. . (Vide cut.) "When you engage your adversary's blade, act on the de- fensive for some time, in order to discover what feints or thrusts he prefers. Vary your parades as much as possible, so that he may not, in turn, ascertain your own favorites ; for, if a good fencer be found to use one parade in preference to another, he may be deceived with much less difficulty than might be imagined, and, eventually, be touched, by a person far less skillful than himself. A learner, therefore, should practise all the parades, and change them continual- ly, or, at least, as often as opportunities occur. He should endeavor to go from the high to the low parades, and from the latter to the former, with the utmost possible agility, until, by practice, he is enabled to parry almost every thrust. If you engage the blade in carte, cover your inside a little, and i£ in tierce, cover your outside, to prevent straight boys' owk book. 147 thrusts on those engagements. When attacking, it is well to disengage dexterously, outside and inside, forming your extension as if you intended to thrust ; if this plan do not afford you some openings, it will, at least, in all probability, be the means of discovering your adversary's choice parades. If he use simple parades only, you may easily deceive him by making feints one, two, or one, two, three. If, on the contrary, he be a skillful fencer, and use various counter- parades you must endeavor to embarrass him, by appels, beats on the blade, extensions, glizades, counter-disengage- ments, etc. KNIGHTS. Two sturdy boys take each a smaller boy on their backs, and engage in a mock tournament, themselves acting as horses, while the youngsters grapple and strive to unseat each other. The real brunt of the fighting falls on the horses, upon whose strength and dexterity, much more than upon that of their respective "Knights," depends the ultimate issue of the combat. The horses may shove and jostle one another, but must not kick, trip, or use their hands or elbows. The victor is he who gains most falls in three rounds. The game should only be played upon turf, for safety's sake ; for sometimes, when horse and man go down together, the fall might prove a nasty one on hard ground, and at any time the rider is liable to be brought off backwards with a jerk, under which circumstances he will be thankful to measure his length on the soft turf, instead of lumpy gravel or unyielding pavement. ROSAMOND'S BOWER. This cut represents, it is said, the Maze at Woodstock, in which King Henry placed Fair Rosamond. It certainly is a most ingenious puzzle, and consists in getting from one of the numerous outlets, to the Bower in the centre, without crossing any of the lines. Rosamond's bower, boys' OWiT BOOK. 149 CHESS. Chess, of all sedentary games, is undoubtedly the most eminent. Various accounts have been given of its origin. Some say it was first played at the siege of Troy, being in- vented by Palamedes to amUse the Grecian chiefs, disgusted with the tediousncss of the siege; but the most probable conjecture is that of Bochartus, who makes it of Oriental extraction, and to come to us from Persia through Arabia ; as most of the terms employed in the game are either corruptions or translations from the Persic or Arabic words. Thus, check is plainly derived from the Persian schach, or king; and mat, in the same language, signifies dead; hence check-mate, or, the king is dead. Chess is highly beneficial to the improvement of the mind ; nothing in it is governed by chance — judgment is every- thing, A player, therefore, cannot lay the blame of his losing on fortune, but must ascribe his miscarriages to de- ficiency of judgment, or inattention ; and for this reason it is the most interesting of games. It acts strongly, too, on the sense of honor ; irascible persons should therefore avoid it, unless they have learnt to acknowledge that the acutest minds may be guilty of an oversight. Chess has one splen- did advantage over almost all other sedentary games : that its lovers do not play at it for wagers, the honor of the vic- tory being the only reward of the conqueror. THE VARIOUS PIECES. Bishop, Rook or Cantle. KiDg. Qa>«a Knight, Pawa We now proceed to give a description of the various char- 150 boys' OWiq^ BOOK. . aeters which constitute the little armies on the chess-board. Each party has a king, queen, two rooks or castles, two bishops, two knights and eight common men or pawns. The above are their representatives. THE KING. The Mng is the most important piece at Chess ; the sole object of the game is to hem him in, so that he cannot move without going into such a situation as would render him liable to be taken if he were not a Idng. He is then check- mated, and must surrender. He steps only from one square to the next at a time, but in any direction whatever, either forward, backward, sideways, or diagonally. He can also take any of the enemy's men in any square adjoining to him, so that he does not place himself in check ; that is, in such a situation as, if he were not a king, he could be taken by the enemy. The king, however, is never actually taken ; but if he be checked by one piece, and can neither take the hostile man, interpose any of his own, nor move into any other square without being in check from another, he loses the game. Whenever the king is in check, the adversary must say "check," to him, which is a warning either to de- fend himself by his other pieces, to take the man who assaults him, or to move into a place of safety. THE QUEEN. The queen is, in point of power, the best piece on the board. She moves, like the king, in all directions, and as far as she pleases, but at one move, and provided the squares be unoccupied in her line of motion. THE EOOK, OR CASTLE. The rooks or castles, are next in importance to the queen. Their motion is backward, forward, and sideways, and they may move as far as the field is open. boys' own book. 151 THE BISHOP. The Mshop moves diagonally, as far as the squares are open, in any direction. The bishop, therefore, always keeps the same colored squares as that on which he is placed at the beginning of the game. THE KNIGHT. The knight is particularly useful at the beginning of the game, and should be one of the first pieces brought into play. The knight moves in a peculiar way, leaping from the square on which he stands into either of the next that has a corner in contact with one of the farther corners of the square over which he leaps. He always moves, there- fore, from white to black, or the contrary. As, for an ex- ample, from B 1 to A 3, C 3, or D 2. The move of the knight is one of the most difficult points of chess to explain in writing ; and we therefore recommend our young friends to take an opportunity of looking over a game of chess while playing, and fix the whole of the moves in their minds. A knight may be placed on any one square of the board, and conveyed hence into every one of the other squares in sixty-three moves. We subjoin an example of this curious problem at the end of the article. THE PAWNS. The pawns are of great consequence in defending the king ; and are very useful in attacking and repelling the pieces, under the management of a good player. If a pawn can proceed across the field to the rear line of the enemy, that is, from 3 to 8, or from 7 to 1, he is exchanged for a queen, or any other piece of his color that he chooses to demand. Thus, you may haA^e a second queen, even though you should have lost none of your pieces. The pawn moves straight forward, and only a single square at a time ; except on its being first moved, when the player may ad- vance it either one square or two, as from 2 to 3, or to 4, and from 7 to 6, or to 5; or when one takes a man from 152 boys' owk book. the enemy, -wMeh. is always done diagonally, or across the comers of the squares. But a pawn cannot move two squares forward, when the square over which he leaps is so viewed by an enemy's pawn, that the latter could take him in that square. For example, the pawn G 2 cannot be moved to G 4, if there be an enemy's pawn on H 4 or F 4, without that pawn's having option of taking him on G 3, as he passes. THE CHESS-BOARD. The common draughts- board, containing sixty- four squares, one-half white and one-half black, is also a chess-board. It is so placed that each player has a Avhite square at his right-hand corner. There are eight rows of squares, which, in the cut, are marked A to H ; and eight rows in the cross direction, 1 to 8. Thus, any square may be readily pointed out ; for instance, the square x on the figure will be indi- cated by D 5 ; and if a man were to be moved from x to y, this would be expressed by the words "from D 5 to F 3." The letters and figures should be written on the margin of the board, or a pasteboard, for practising the games and situations hereafter described. There is another mode of indicating the squares, by the pieces that occupy them at the commencement ; this it may be as well to insert. The square in the comer, at the right hand of the player who has the white men, is the white king's rook's square ; that before it, the white king's rook's second square ; the next, his third square ; and the follow- lowing, his fourth square. This meets the black king's rook's fourth square ; and thus the row proceeds, through boys' own book. 153 the black king's rook's third and second squares, to the black king' s rook's square at the left-hand comer of the player with black. The same mode is adopted by all the rest ; the pieces on the queen's side of the board being dis- tinguished as the queen's rook, knight, and bishop. PLACING THE MEN ON THE BOARD. The rooks occupy the four corners of the board; the knights stand next to these ; the bishops next to the knights ; the queens on D 1 and D 8 ; and the kings on E 1 and E 8. Thus, the pieces or officers, stand opposite each other re- spectively, at different sides of the board ; the queens being on the squares of their own color, and the kings the contrary. The row immediately in front of the officers is occupied by the pawns. The value of the men has been estimated as in the following proportion to each other : — the queen, 95 ; a rook, 60 ; a bishop, 39 ; a knight the same as a bishop ; the king (esti- mated as a fighting piece) 20 ; a pawn, 8, or rather more, from its chance of promotion, by being moved to a square that entitles its player to exchange it for a queen or any other piece he chooses to demand. LAWS OP THE GAME. 1. Each player marches his men forward, gradually, against those of the enemy, or retreats when the game is open behind them, except only as regards the pawns, which can only move forward. Each party moves alternately, one man at a time. 2. In each game, the players have the first move alternate- ly, except where one gives the other the advantage of a piece or a pawn, in which ease, the party by whom such piece or pawn is given is entitled to the first move. 3. If you misplace your men at the beginning, and play four moves, your adversary may permit you to begin the game afresh, or not as he pleases. 4. If you touch a man, you must play it, except it would discover check on your king ; in which case you can only 7* 154 boys' owk book. move the king, if it be practicable. "When you bave taken your hand from your man, he must remain where he is ; but as long as you keep hold of him, you are at liberty to place him where you please, though you may have set him down upon a square. 5. If you touch one of your adversary's men, he may insist upon your taking it, if you can; if not, you must move your Idng, if that be possible, without putting him in check. 6. You cannot castle after moving the rook or king ; if you attempt to do so, your adversary may insist on your moving one of those pieces, at his option. 7. If you make a false move, such as moving one of your opponent's men in mistake for one of your own, taking off one of your own pieces instead of liis, etc., your opponent can oblige you to replace such move, and move your king, if you can do so without placing him in check ; but if he have played before he notices your false move, neither of you can afterwards recall it. 8. If your opponent challenge you with a check without, in fact, your king being in check, and you, in consequence, move your king, or any other man, you may retract such move if you discover it before he has made his next move. 9. If your adversary give you check without warning, or saying " check," you are not obliged to notice it till he does; but if, on his next move, he warn you, each party must re- tract his last move, and the check be provided for as if just given. 10. Toil must not check the opposite king with any piece, by moving which to do so you expose your own king to a check. 11. If the king be not in check, but cannot move without going into check, and have no piece or pawn left, or even none that can be moved, he is stale-mated, and the game is drawn. boys' ow]^ book. 155 PLATING, CHECKma, CASTLING, ETC. It is usual to begin with advancing the king's paAvn two squares, that is, from E 2 to E 4, or from E 7 to E 5 ; because this opens the way for the king's bishop and the queen. It is, however, perfectly optional ; this, as well as aU the rest of his moves, being regulated either by some plan which the player has formed for attacking his eneiny, or as he may find a necessity of defending himself from his enemy's at- tack. The object of the game, which is to give the enemy check-mate, can scarcely be effected without some settled plan. The player must look forward through a considerable number of moves, which will be requisite to bring his men into a given position, and also to provide, from time to time, against his antagonist's attempts to frustate his design or attack him in turn. He must seek to penetrate his adversary's plots from the moves he makes. He is not obliged to take a man when it is in his power; but, when he does, the man with which he takes it, must be placed on the square oc- cupied by the man taken. When the king is in such a situation that another move could take him, were he not king, he is in check. The modes of extricating the king from check are as follows : — If the man that checks him be in an adjacent square, the king may take such man if he be not guarded ; that is, if another man of his own color have it not in his power to move into the square in which the man is placed if he be removed from it ; since, in this case, the king would place himself in check again. For example, suppose the king in E 1, and an enemy's pawn, advanced to D 2, give him check ; the king cannot take the pawn, if the enemy have another pawn, or a bishop in C 3 or E 3, or a rook or queen anywhere in the open row D D, etc. The man that checks may also be taken by some other man, to whose attack he is open ; or a man may be placed between the king and the checking man (unless it be the knight) if there be a vacant square between them. Lastly, the king may be moved into another square which is not commanded by the adversary's pieces. The king is check-mated, and 156 boys' oavjs" book. the game is lost, if he cannot extricate himself by either of these moves. A king cannot go into a square next the opposite king ; he cannot therefore give check ; because, in doing this, he would go into check himself. Castling is allowed once in a game. It consists in moving the king two squares to the right or left, and bringing the rook on that side to the square adjoining the king on the other. Thus the king may be moved from E 1 to G 1, and the rook brought from H 1 to P 1 ; or the king may be moved to C 1, and the rook from A 1 to D 1. Castling is not allowable when the king, or the rook with which you would castle, has been moved ; when the king is in check, or when the king must pass over a square in which he would be checked. Suppose the king would move from E 1 to Gr 1, he must pass over F 1. But, if there be a queen or rook of the enemy anywhere on the row F, as far as it is open ; or, in short, if F 1 be commanded by any one of the enemy's men, the king cannot castle on that side, neither can he do so when there is a man between himself and the rook. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS. If the king's pawn be advanced two squares, and the queen's one square, an opening is made both for the queen and the queen's bishop to the king's side of the board ; and the king's pawn cannot be taken without the queen's pawn taking the adversary's man in turn, and supplying his place. If two pawns be advanced side by side, neither defends the other ; this is sometimes done to further a plan of attack ; the pawn sacrificed on these occasions is called the gambit pawn. After the pawns are advanced a certain way, the knights may be brought forward, either to support them, or act upon the offensive. The plan of attack should be gradually formed from the commencement of the game, and each step taken should have a tendency to forward it, unless when it is necessary to thwart the plan of the adversary. The player must not suffer himself to be diverted from a well-concerted project boys' owi;r book. 157 by any collateral advantage ; for the taking of a pawn or piece may prove injurious when it leads to a deviation from the principal object. If your plan be discovered and frustrat- ed, it is better to form a new one than to persevere in the old. Your plan should not only be concealed from your adversary, but you must also discover, if possible, what your adversary can do to counteract your moves. A plan may be most effectually concealed by excluding the queens and rooks, or by executing it through the agency of inferior pieces or pawns, or by masking the pieces intended to effect it behind men which are apparently indifferent. The skil- ful player, if his moves be calculated with precision, will sacrifice his most important pieces without hesitation, to mislead his antagonist, or, when necessary, to the accom- plishment of his plan ; nay, he will often do this intention- ally, to lead his opponent into the hope of winning, and give his antagonist check-mate, when he fancies he has the game in his hands. To give cheek without having it in your power to follow it up, is, in general, bad play. If your checking piece can immediately be repulsed, you lose a move ; never proceed to an attack therefore without good preparation ; and if your attack proceed well, do not suffer yourself to be drawn aside after any bait that your antagonist may throw in your way. • The object in chess is, to give check-mate, and not to take pieces. Sacrifice your own willingly, when the loss of them will open the line of de- fence adopted by your opponent. If a man of the enemy be exposed, examine whether it were left so from necessity, oversight, or design. You do not always gain by taking a piece, you may be check-mated in consequence of taking even a queen. Be not eager to take a pawn in front of your queen; for, as your antagonist cannot take him, he is frequently a better protection than a man of youj own. If you cannot save a piece, endeavor to take one of the enemy's ; or, by improving your situation, ob- tain a compensation for the loss. Examine which will be the best, when you can take a piece two or more ways. If 158 boys' OWIf BOOK. your antagonist can take the man in return, take it with that man which is of the least value. To exchange man lor man, occasionally, is good play, or even to exchange a queen for a pawn, when this pawn would prevent you from giving mate, or to exchange man for man, when the enemy's man thus taken is one particularly in action. Guard your men sufficiently ; and if one doubly guarded of the enemy's be exposed to a guarded man of yours, let yours be trebly guarded. The more valuable men should be guarded by those of inferior worth ; for, if your opponent guard his inferior piece by another inferior piece, you can- not employ your better piece to take your enemy's, as it would be lost. A far advanced pawn should be well guarded, for it is often indispensable to a check-mate, and may make a queen. Castling is not always advantageous, as from the confined situation in which it places the king, it sometimes (par- ticularly when the adversary has his knights in play) pre- vents his escaping out of check. It is, however, possible to retain the power of doing so, and keep the requisite pawns in their places. For as long as you have it in your power to castle, your opponent will be at a loss on which side to direct his attack ; when he has decided, and brought his main strength to bear on one side, you can frustrate his de- sign by castling on the other. It is not always good play not to stir the three pawns in front of the king that has castled ; for liberty of moving may be necessary to get the king out of check. Crowd not your men too much to- gether, as this restrains their movements. A man that can- not move is often worse than lost, by standing in the way. Endeavor to crowd your antagonist's game, in which you may succeed, if he bring out his pieces too early, by driving them back with your pawns. Endeavor to open your game by exchanging men in those parts where you want room, if you get unintentionally crowded. Never make a move without examining whether you be endangered by the last move of your antagonist ; nor with- boys' owk book. 159 out calculating whether it wUl allow your enemy to harm you by his next. Beware of your enemy's knights, as they command different squares at once in a peculiar way. If a knight command the square of a queen or rook, at the same time that he gives check, the piece must be lost unless the knight can be taken ; to avoid this, which is called forking, when a knight is near, a good piece should never be kept on a square of the same color as that occupied by your king. Do not let an enemy's pawn attack two of your pieces at once. Beware of two, and still more of three pieces, that manifest a design on the same square. Block up the way to such square by one of your pawns or a guarded piece. Your queen should never stand before your king, as, in such a situation, she may be lost, by a guarded rook being brought in her front. STALE-MATE. We have already stated, that if you have no pawn or piece, except the king, on the board, that you can move consist- ently with the laws of chess, and, at the same time, if your king, not being already in check, cannot move without going into check, a stale-mate ensues, and the game is drawn, being won by neither party. It affords us gratifica- tion to be enabled to lay before our readers the following few diagrams, which we have person- ally proved, from a very old and scarce Spanish author, Damiano, the earliest practical writer on chess, with the ac- companying explana- tions, translated from the original, expressly for this work. CURIOUS PROBLEMS. No. 1. White offers to give check-mate in (wo motel. 160 BOYS OWH BOOK. Ko. 2. White undertakes to mate in three moves. White's 'first move will be the pawn to A, and if Black then check with the rook, "White will coyer by his knight, and, in so doing check-mate the Black king with the castle. If Black, after White has moved his pawn as above, place his castle in C, White will make his pawn a queen, and so check-mate the adversary. If, in the first instance, instead of moving his rook, Black prefers queening the pawn, and, in so doing, giving check, White interposes his knight on B, and thus opens mate for the rook. White checks by play- ing the knight to the , square marked A. Black ' is compelled to take the knight v.'ith his castle. White then checks with his castle at square B. Black king takes the rook, and is check-mated by White moving his other rook to C. No. d. White undertahes to check-mate with the pawn, in four moves. >^ ^vX To effect this. White's first move is the king to A. His second, the bishop to B. His third, the bishop to C. And on the fourth, he check-mates, by plac- ing the pawn on D. Black throughout having no choice, does . not require to have his moves ississiM specified. boys' OWif BOOK. 161 No. 4. While check-mates with his rook's pawn, in Jive moves. First. White cheeks with his rook on A ; he then moves the same jiiece to B. Next, check is given with the pawn on C. Again on D. And mate with the other pawn on E. No. 5. Whiie to mate with a pawn in six moves. White's first move is the knight to A. His second, check with the rook on B. His third with the same on C. Fourth- ly, he checks with the pawn on D. Fifthly, with the same pawn on E. And, on the next move, check-mate will be given by the other pawn. 162 boys' OWIS^ BOOK. No. 6. White will give check-mate in seven moves. With the right-hand knight "White checks on A. The other knight is next moved to B, and then "White checks on C. On the fourth move, the "White king plays to D. Check is given with the left hand pawn on E. Again with the same on F. And then the fatal check-mate must, of ne- cessity follow from the other pawn. ^ MOVING THE KNIGHT OVER ALL THE SQUAEES ALTERNATELY. The problem respecting the placing the knight on any given square, and moving him from that square to any house on the board, has not been thought unworthy the attention of the first mathematicians. Euler, Ozanam, De Montmart, De Moivre, De Majron, and others, have all given methods by which this feat might be accomplished. It was reserved however, for the present century to lay this down on a gen- eral plan ; and the only English writer who has noticed this, is Mr, George "Walker, in his "Treatise on Chess." The plan is this : — Let the knight be placed on any square, and move him from square to square on the principle of always playing him to that point, from which, in actual play, he would command the fewest other squares. Observing, that in reckoning the squares commanded by him, you must omit such as he has already covered. If, too, there are two squares, on both of which his powers would be equal, you may move him to either. Try this on the board with some counters or wafers, placing one on every square ; and, when you clearly understand it, you may astonish your friends by boys' own book. 163 inviting them to station the knight on any square they like, and engaging to play him, from that square, over the re- maining sixty-three in sixty-three moves. When the Auto- maton Chess-player was last exhibited in England, this was made part of the wonders he accomplished, though as the above plan was not then known here, he could not adopt it, but used some- thing like the method laid down by Euler, and which we subjoin. Our young Chess - player's instructor in the game will show him that as this is a re-entering series of num- bers, or inter- minable route, it does not mat- ter on which of the squares the knight is placed at starting; as, by acquiring the plan by heart, which is soon done, he can play him over all the squares from any given point, his last square being at the distance of a knight's move from his first. It is obvious that this route may be varied many ways, and we have of- ten amused ourselves by trying to work it on a slate. BULER B METHOD, 164 boys' owk book. DEAF AND DUMB ALPHABET. Though now grown old, she had a golden joy ; Her dim eye hrightened oft, to see her boy — Albeit by heaven deprived of speech and hearing — Throw by his homely toy, And tell his love in a manner so endearing Upon his nimble fingers, that she thought Him more endowed than those bereft of naught. The art of teaching those who are deaf and dumb a mode of comprehending whatever it may be desirous to convey to their minds, and of expressing their own wants and ideas to their more favored fellow* creatures, is one of the greatest triumphs that humanity can boast. It has the great advantage of being remarkably simple ; so that a mother, brother, sister, or school-fellow, by a little perseverance, may give the deaf and dumb youth the means of communicating his wishes on all occasions. Our limits will not allow us to enter into any details, beyond the ac- quirement of the Alphabet, to which we add an engraving, showing the position of the hands to express each letter. THE ALPHABET. A, E, I, 0, U. The vowels a, e, i, o, and u, are express- ed by touching with the fore-finger of the right hand, the thumb, or one of the fingers of the left, according to the let- ter required to be expressed. boys' owf book. 165 A is made by touching the top of the thiimb ; e, by touch- ing that of the fore-finger; i, by touching that of the middle finger; o, by touching that of the ring or fourth finger; and u, by touching that of the little finger. B. Join the fore-finger and thumb of each hand, and place the backs of the two fore-finger nails together. 166 boys' o^visr book. C. Curre the fingers and thumb toT^ards each other, so as to resemble as much as possible the shape of the letter. D. Curve the fingers and thumb of the right hand, but not quite so much as for C, and place the tops of the fore- finger and thumb against the side of the fore-finger of the left hand, "which is to be kept straight. F. Place the fore-finger of one hand across the back of the first two fingers of the other. Q and J. Clench the hands, and place one fist upon the other. S. Draw the palm of one hand across the palm and fin- gers of the other, beginning near the ball of the thumb, and going along the hands to the tips of the fingers, precisely as if you were bmshing something off the i>alm of one hand with the other. K. Curve the fore-finger towards the thumb, and place the second joint of the fore-finger so curved against the back of the second joint of the fore-finger of the other hand. L. Lay the fore-finger of the right hand straight upon the palm of the left. M. Lay the three first fingers of the right hand upon the palm of the left. N. Lay the two first fingers of the right hand upon the palm of the left. P. Bend the thumb and fore-finger as for D, only make a lesser curve, and place the tops of the thumb and fore-fin- ger to the two first joints of the fore-finger of the other hand. Q. Place the tops of the fore-finger and thumb together ; curve the fore-finger of the other hand, and place it on the inside of the fore-finger and thumb, precisely where they touch each other. R. Curve the fore-finger of the right hand, and place it on the palm of the left. S. Curve the little fingers of each hand, and hitch them together. T. Place the top of the fore-finger of the right hand boys' owh book. 1G7 against the lower edge of the left hand, between the little finger and the wrist. V. This letter is made nearly as iV", with this difference only that for V, the two fore-fingers of the right hand are placed apart, upon the palm of the left, instead of close to- gether, as in the case for iV. W. Join the hands, with the fingers of one between those of the other. X. Cross the two fore-fingers at the second joint. T. Place the fore-finger of the right hand between the thumb and fore-finger of the left, which must both be ex- tended. Z. Raise one hand towards the face, and place the palm of the other under the elbow of the arm which is so elevated. It is usual to mark the conclusion of each word by snap- ping the middle finger and thumb of the right hand: this, it may readily be imagined, renders the dumb language much more intelligible. Numhers are counted by the fingers in the most simple way ; one finger held up, signifies 1 ; two fingers, 2 ; the open hand, 5 ; the two hands, 10, etc. 168 boys' OWN" BOOK. CROQUET. As a lawn game, in -which both sexes can equally join, Croquet is deservedly popular. It is not necessary to say anything as to the origin of Croquet, as it is probably only a modem adaptation of the old game of Pall Mall, which was a fashionable amusement in the days of Charles the Second, and which probably gave its name to the famous street of club-houses at the West-end of London. As to the person who re-introduced it or re-named it, nothing is known, and it seems waste of labor now to inquire. A good deal of ingenuity has been displayed by various writers, with but small result, as to the author of the modern game ; but whether it was invented without reference to the older game, or simply adapted, appears idle now to discuss. Suffice it that Croquet (pronounced krokay) made its appear- ance about a dozen years ago, and at once became fashion- able. As universally played. Croquet requires a level piece of turf or well rolled gravel, and a set of implements. These boys' own book. 169 consist of eight mallets, eight wooden balls, ten iron hoops or arches, a wooden turning-peg, a starting-peg, and a clip or naarker for each player. The clips are not, however, in- dispensable, as the game can be played without them by all who are attentive to the last hoop through which the ball has been struck. Croquet is played by two or more persons, who endeavor to strike the wooden balls through the series of arches, or hoops, arranged on the ground according to some particular design. He who first succeeds in passing his ball through all the hoops in regular succession wins the game. But in order to fully acquaint my readers with the nature and peculiarities of this charming game, I must go some- what further into detail. Well, then, I suppose you to have purchased your set of Croquet implements ; the nest thing is to know how to play with them. You will see that the eight balls are variously colored ; generally thus : — 1. Blue. 5. Brown. 2. Pink. 6. Orange. 3. Black. 7. Green. 4. Yellow. 8. Red. The colors on the balls govern the order in which the players follow each other in the game. The mallets haVe usually rings of color to correspond with the balls. This also is to assist the players, and prevent confusion. The clips have likewise spots of color the same as the balls ; and the iron hoops are ordinarily painted white, for the better seeing of them in the dusk of evening. These preliminaries arranged, the players, when there are more than four, divide themselves into sides — say four on a side — and choose a captain for each side. They then place the hoops in the ground, according to some regular plan, with the starting-peg at one end and the turning-peg at the other. 170 boys' owk book. In the Eglinton game a bell is suspended in the centre, from two hoops set crosswise; and a tunnel is set up on either side, instead of hoops. It is then necessary that the bell should be struck and rung by the ball before the centre cage can be fairly passed. We now come to the technical terms used in Croquet. The following terms and the rules are those agreed to by a committee of good players : — TEEMS USED IN CROQUET. In Ordeb. — The term in order signifies the sequence of hoops, sticks, cage, etc., as described in the various plans above. The arrangement must be decided on before the game begins. "Whichsoever plan is adopted, the game is won by the player or the side of players which first drives all the balls of its side in the right direction and in order, as arranged, up to the turning-stick, and back again until they touch the winning-stick. In Play, in Hand, Dead. — A ball is in play as soon as it has run the first hoop ; it continues in play till it makes a roquet, when it is in hand. A ball in hand must take croquet, and can score no point till it has done so. Having taken croquet, it is again in play ; but it continues in hand to the ball or balls it has croqueted for the remainder of its turn, unless it make another point. Having made another point, it is in play again to all the balls, as at the com- mencement of its turn. A ball is dead when it has run all its hoops in order, and has hit the winning-stick. A hall is wired when it cannot effect the stroke desired on account of the leg of a hoop (wire) intervening. EovEE. — A ball becomes a rover when it has in order passed the last hoop before the winning-stick. The Points of the game are (a) running a hoop ; or (i) a cage ; or (c) hitting a stick, each in order. (a) A hoop is run when a ball in play having passed through it in the right direction, in one or more strokes, and with or without hitting the hoop, a straight-edge applied boys' 0W2>r BOOK. 171 behind the hoop does not touch the ball. Hoops accident- ally displaced from the perpendicular may be set upright at any time. (6) In testing the running of the cage, which may be run in any direction, the straight-edge (ex. gr., the handle of the mallet) is applied on the inner side of the two legs nearest the ball. (c) A stick is hit when seen to move, or an audible noise is produced by the blow. The stick may be put upright at any time if accidentally displaced. A player is not obliged to play for a point or roquet. He may, if he prefer it, place his ball where he likes, by a stroke of the mallet. A Roquet is made when a player with his own ball hits another, however slightly, both being in play. It gives the privilege of a croquet from the hit ball, which may be either tight, loose, or rolling, and entitles the player to another stroke. The Roquet can only be taken advantage of once in each turn from the same ball, unless another point is made. It follows that a second roquet, in one turn, without a point made in the interval, does not count ; but it may be made for any purpose, such as cannon- ing, driving away, etc., the player's turn ending there, unless by the same stroke he makes a point, or roquets another ball, which he has not roqueted before during the turn, and since making a point. A Tight Croquet is made by placing the ball of the player close to that roqueted ; then fixing his own ball with his foot, he strikes, driving the other ball away, but keeping his own under his foot. If the ball slip from under the foot, the stroke following the croquet is forfeited. A Loose Croquet may be made either {a) by placing the player's ball close to that roqueted, and striking the former in a line passing through the axis of each, in which plan the player's ball remains almost stationary, whUe the other flies forward, or (b) at any angle, so as to place the two in 172 boys' own book. such opposite positions as may be desired, and hence called a "splitting croquet." Where it is wished (c) to make a loose croquet with as little disturbance as possible of the player's ball, it is often called taking "two turns off " it, but in that case the latter must be made to move, however slightly, to the satisfaction of the two captains or their umpire. A Rolling Croquet is effected by placing the two balls in the same way as in the loose croquet (a), but after the initial stroke is fairly made, the mallet follows the ball, and causes the two to roU nearly together to the positions aimed at. Spooning is a pushing stroke, causing no noise as of a tap to be heard. It is very difficult to define what separates the fair strokes from " the spoon." We believe the only way to avoid disputes on this score is to do away with any but the side stroke, and even with it, to forbid the approach of the hand nearer than eighteen inches to the head of the mallet, when spooning is almost im- possible. The following are the now generally accepted LAWS OF CROQUET. I. The rotation of play is to be decided by lot, and the captain gaining the toss takes either the dark or light balls, at his option, his opponent having the others, and each allotting the colors as he pleases. Blue then leads ofi", followed in rotation by the other colors, tUl his turn comes round again. II. The first stroke of each ball is made by placing it any- where not exceeding a mallet's length from the starting- stick, and striking it through the first hoop. If this point (see Definitions) be made, another stroke is allowed, but if it fail, the ball is taken ofE the ground till its nest turn comes round. III. After the first hoop is passed, the player of the ball running it can go on with his play so long as he succeeds boys' owk book. 173 in either running a hoop or cage or hitting a stick, each in order, and with his ball in play, or makes a roquet on any ball in play. Having made roquet, he must take croquet before his next stroke. When the turn comes round, it is optional for the player to "place " his ball, or to commence by play- ing either for a roquet or a point. IV. If a player roquet a rover against the winning-stick, he cannot take croquet, as the other ball is dead, and he looses his nest stroke. V. A ball in play, driven through its proper hoop or cage, or hitting a stick in order, by any stroke, whether of the same side or that of its antagonist, counts that hoop, cage, or stick, even if it roll back through the hoop or cage ; but in the latter case the running must be established to the satisfaction of the two captains or their umpire. (a) If a ball, after roqueting another, and before taking its croquet, run a hoop, such ball is not entitled to the point, as it is then "in hand." (J) If a ball, while passing through a hoop, roquet an- other before the former is entirely through, the hoop does not count, and the croquet must be taken. This point constantly calls for the decision of the umpire, (c) A ball driven back through a hoop the reverse way to wliich it is going, " in order," and resting under it, is not entitled to run that hoop, if a straight-edge ap- plied in front of the hoop touch the ball. YI. All strokes must be given by the player standing on one side of his ball. Either one or both hands may be used, but the nearest hand to the head of the mallet must be eighteen inches at least from it, except when the player is under five feet in height, when half an inch may be allowed for each inch in stature below that standard. The handle must not be grasped between the arm and the body. VII. The side of the head of the maUet is not to be ap- plied to the ball in striking it under any circumstances; •and if so used, the stroke is forfeited, and any balls moved 174 boys' owh book. are to be replaced to the satisfaction of the adverse captain. But either end of the head of the mallet may be used, what- ever be the difference of shape between them. VIII. If, when about to play, a player iind his ball touch- ing another, he may hit his own as hard or as soft as he likes, and then, being in hand to it, he may take a croquet off it. IX. A rover (see Definitions) has the right of roqueting and croqueting any baU (whether partner or antagonist) only once during each turn, and of taking another stroke subsequently to each in succession; but having passed all the hoops, it has no poiut allowed for running one. It is subject, on the other hand, to be roqueted or croqueted by any other ball in play. If this cause it to strike the winning- stick, the baU is out of the game, and must be removed from the ground. X. A ball struck beyond the limits of the ground must at once be replaced half a mallet's length within the edge, measured from the spot where it went off at right angles to the margin. XI. Every player, on being appealed to, shall declare which is his nest hoop in order ; and, on the other hand, before playing, every playei" may demand from the captain of the opposite side which is his proper hoop in order ; and should any dispute arise, it must be settled by the two cap- tains or their umpire. This is a game of skill, and does not depend upon memory. It is therefore far more agreeable to all parties that the trouble of remembering the score should be rendered as little burdensome as possible. Clips and indicators are sometimes used to denote the position of each ball, but in our opinion they are very troublesome, and do not answer so well as the above rule. XII. The penalties of the game are as f oUows : (a) If a player, in making a tight croquet, aUow his baU to slip from under his foot, he loses his next stroke. boys' owk book. 175 (b) If in taking two turns off a ball, lie fail to move it, he loses his next stroke. (c) If any ball when in play and rolling is stopped or touched either by the hand, foot, dress, or mallet, or by any other substance held by its player, or one of his own side, the player of that ball ceases to play for that turn. But if either of the above acts is done by one of the side opposed to that of the striker, he may at his option, either take the stroke again, or the game may proceed with the ball, or baUs, left where it, or they, were stopped. (d) If, in striking at his own ball, the player, either before or after the blow is actually given, hit another with his mallet, he loses his present turn, and the ball im- properly hit is replaced to the satisfaction of the adverse captain. (e) If a ball, not being hit sufficiently hard, is hit a second time, the stroke is forfeited, the balls are to be replaced to the satisfaction of the adverse captain, and the player loses his turn. (/) If a player play out of his turn in rotation (see Law I), and the mistake is discovered before the next player has commenced, all benefit from any point or points so made is lost, and all balls hit are to be replaced, or left where they are struck, at the option of the adverse captain. But if the mistake is discovered after the next player has played his first stroke, the turn played in error must be allowed to stand. (g) If a player in his proper turn play with the wrong ball, or if he croquet a ball which he is not entitled to croquet, he loses aU benefit from that stroke ; the ball or balls are replaced, and the turn is lost. Should the error not be dis- covered till he has made a second stroke, the player proceeds as if no mistake had been committed. At the end of the turn the balls are to be transposed from one position to the other, and in their next turn the players of each proceed in the same rotation as if no mistake had occurred. 176 boys' ow:^ book. (h) If a ball is not fairly hit, but, in the opinion of the captains or their umpire, is pushed or " spooned," all benefit from that stroke is lost, the ball must be replaced to the satisfaction of the adverse captain, and the player loses his turn. (^) If, in taking aim, a ball is moved more than six inches it must be considered that the player has taken his stroke. But if the ball is moved less than six inches, the stroke may be taken again. PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS. Hold your mallet firmly, yet easily, and be certain that you hit your ball, always endeavoring, when possible, to run your hoop. Help your partners whenever you can, and puzzle your opponents whenever there is a chance. In making the croquet, place your toe well on your own ball, with your heel on the ground ; then strike your ball fairly, so as to cannon the other ball in the direction you wish it to take. It is important the rover should do all he can for his side. Always recoUect that in making a roquet it is only necessary to reach the ball : and when you want to run a hoop that is not in a direct line with your ball, play behind the hoop, at an angle, so as to allow you to run the hoop when your turn comes round again. Good temper, tact, and attention are the best assistants to the young Croquet player. boys' ow*r BOOK. 177 LA CROSSE. La Crosse is a game very popular among the Indian tribes of North America, and but lately introduced into England. It is an adaptation, probably, of our own Hockey ; only, instead of the ball being hit away with a stick, it is caught up on a netted bat, and carried by the player. The game is sufficiently well explained in the following rules, which were drawn up by a committee of players, after con- sultation with a company of Indians brought over to Eng- land in the summer of 1867 : RULES OF LA CROSSE. I. that the "Crosse" may be of any length to suit the player, but the woven network must net be bagged, nor of a greater width than one foot. II. That the ball be of solid india-rubber, not more than seven nor less than six inches in circumference. It must be furnished by the challenging party. III. That, when practicable, the goals shall be placed at not more than 250, or less than 150 yards apart, and that the ground be not more than 100, nor less than sixty yards wide ; that the goals be upright posts seven feet apart, with a tape or bar across them, six feet from the ground. IV. That the game be started by a ball being placed on the ground opposite the centre flag between two players on opposite sides, who shall "tussel" for the ball. This is called "facing." V. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown in by the player who first touches it with his crosse : when it goes behind goal without passing through goal, it shall be thrown out by one of the players on the side behind whose goal it has passed. VI. That the ball shall not be hit or kicked. VII. No player shall wear spiked soles. VIII. That the ball must not be caught, thrown, or picked 178 boys' OWN" LOOK. up with Ihe hand, except in the ease of Rule IX. ; but a ball coming in the air may be blocked or patted away with the hand to protect the face or body; otherwise it must not be touched. IX. Goal-keepers may stop tlie ball in any way. X. A goal is obtained when the ball is in any way what- ever caused by a player on either side to pass between the goal-post and under the bar or tape, except when kicked by one of the attacking side. XI. Players shall not hold each other, nor grasp an op- ponet's crosse ; neither shall they deliberately trip or strike each other. XII. After each game the players shall change goals, un- less otherwise agreed. XIII. A match shall be decided by a majority of goals won by either side during the time specified for play. XIV. Twelve players shall constitute a full field. XV. No change of players shall be made after a match has commenced, except by reason of accident or injury dur- ing the match. When a match has been agreed on, and one side is deficient in the number of players, their opponents, at their option, may either limit their own side to the same number, or select men to fill up the complement. BOYS OWiq" BOOK. 179 TEN-PINS. This game is the old English sport of Long Bowls. It is played in an alley from twenty to thirty yards in length. At the end opposite the starting-place, ten skittles are placed in the following way : sniiicient space being left between each pin to allow the ball to pass through. The skittles are usually set on a wooden floor, -with the place of each marked by a metal plate, and just behind is a trough, or lower floor, filled with saw-dust, into which the spent ball falls. It is the business of the player to bowl down the skittles in one or more throws — taking a fresh ball for each throw ; and he who succeeds in knocking them all down in the smallest number of bowls wins the game. Wooden balls of various sizes are used, the 180 boys' ow:n" book. smallest being about the dimensions of a Dutch cheese. The ball must be roUed along the floor, and not thrown, jerked, or pitched, with any degree of swiftness desired. The fastest balls are not always the best, however, as they are likely to pass through the pins without doing much exe- cution. A boy, called the marker, sets up the fallen pins, calls out the number down, and returns the balls along a narrow trough, or groove, that runs sloping down the side of the alley. The game is marked in different ways : 6 points for a " floorer," which is when all the pins are overturned by a single bowl; 3 for an odd number of j)ins; 1 for each pin displaced, and so on, according to agreement. BLACKTHOEN. Blackthorn is a very good game, but rather apt to be de- structive to the clothes. A base is marked off at either end of the play-ground, leaving a space in the middle. One of the playei-s volunteers for, or is chosen, " Fox," and takes up his position in the middle between the two bases ; the rest run across from base to base, while he endeavore to catch and hold them. If he can hold one while he can count ten, it is considered a fair catch, and the prisoner becomes fox too, and assists in the capture of more — all of whom, as soon as caught, go to swell the number of foxes. Thus it will be seen that the game continually increases in life and interest up to the final capture, each capture making the passage across more hazardous. As a general rule, the worst runners and weakest players are caught first, and the better ones only succumb one by one, overwhelmed by niimbers. With so many enemies, speed alone must soon give in ; but speed and weight com- bined will often break through a whole crowd of opponents. BOYS OWN BOOK. 181 QUOITS. There is little to describe in this athletic game ; though it is very amusing nevertheless. It is played with iron rings or hollow discs, and the object of each player is to pitch his quoit as near as possible to the hob, v/hich is an iron pin set straight, in the ground ; and he who succeeds in getting nearest to the hob in a certain number of throws wins the game. An iron is set in the earth at each end of the selected ground, at a distance of eighteen, or twenty, or more yards, according to previous arrangement. The game then pro- ceeds as follows (I quote Strutt, whose "Sports and Pas- times" is the recognized authority on all old English games): — " Two or more persons, who are to contend for the victory, stand at one of the iron marks, and throw an equal number of quoits to the other, and the nearest of them to the hob are reckoned towards the game. But this is not always the case ; for instance, if a quoit belonging to A lie nearest to the hob, and a quoit belonging to B the second, A can claim but one toward the game, though all his other quoits lie nearer to the mark than all the other quoits of B, 182 BOYS OWN BOOK. because one quoit of B being the second nearest to the hob, cuts out, as it is called, all behind it; if no such cjuoit had interfered, then A would have reckoned all his quoits as one each. Having east all their quoits, the candidates walk to the opposite side, and determine the state of the play: then taking their stand there, they throw their c[uoits back again, and continue to do so alternately as long as the game remains undecided." ■ PITCHING AT THE CORK. This game is also played with the quoit, generally at fairs, races, and such-like meetings. A cork is placed on the ground, and a small sum is put upon it, either a little piece of silver, a copper coin, or buttons. A line is drawn on the ground at a convenient distance from the cork, on which the players stand. Each player is provided with two quoits ; he who plays first throws one of his quoits as near to the cork as he can, and with his second he endeavors to hit the cork, and drive it away, in such a manner that tlie money or whatever else was on the toi^ of the cork, on falling to the ground, shall be nearer to the one or other of his quoits than to the cork. If he succeed, the stake belongs to him — if he do not, a second player throws his quoits, and endeavors to accomplish the feat in which his predecessor faUed. boys' owh book. 183 RIDING. This exercise renders the body flexible, and gives it grace and ease. It is best to accustom one's self to this exercise in youth, when the body bends itself more easily to all the movements required. The Joints have then a suppleness and energy which at a later time they lose, and consequent- ly one is able to execute better, and with less danger, the several exercises which come under the head of Equitation. It is as well to explain at first by what means man makes known to the horse which he mounts his wishes, and to force him to obey them. These means, which are called helps or aids in stable parlance, consist in the proper use by the rider of his legs, the spurs affixed to the heels of his boots, and of the bridle, the reins of which are attached to a hit, which is held in the mouth of the horse. The employment of these aids to horsemanship enables the rider to govern all the movements of the horse on which he rides. For instance, the rider wishing to pass from a standstill into motion, in- forms the horse of his wish by pressing him a little with his legs, and by progressively raising the hand which holds the 184 boys' 0W2T BOOK. bridle. These two movements force the horse to raise his head, and putting his body in motion, he prepares to execute the order which has been transmitted to him. This is called gathering up your horse. In order to walk straight ahead, the rider lowers his hand, and consequently the reins cease to pull the bit in the mouth of the horse, which, finding himself not held back, naturally walks. On feeling himself pressed and diiven on by the knees and legs of the rider, which act simultaneously with the hand, he again moves quickly. But if, through not being well trained, or by ca- price, the horse misunderstands the rider, and refuses to ad- vance, then the legs of the rider are carried behind the girths, and he applies the spurs to the flanks of the animal, who, in order to relieve himself from the pain, hastens forward. If the ri4er wishes to pass from a walk into a trot, or from a trot into a gallop, the bridle is still more loosely held, which diminishes the pull of the bit in the horse's mouth, and by a sharp action of the spurs the rider informs his horse that he wishes to go at a quicker pace. If, on the con- trary, the rider wishes to lessen his speed or stop, he pulls in the reigns tightly toward him, and this movement causes the bit to pull at the horse's mouth ; and in order to escape from the pain, the animal slackens his speed, and stops altogether if the pressure on the bit continues. But, as in this movement, the horse can turn his body crosswise, the rider keeps his legs against the body of the horse, which, from fear of the spurs, does not dare to throw his legs out either to the right or left. If the rider wishes to turn to the right, he holds his hand on the side, which causes the bit to press harder on one side of the horse's moiith than on the other ; and he naturally gives way this side to escape the pain. He therefore turns his head in this direction, and the rider hastens his movements by applying the spur to this side. The left-turn, the half -turn, and the circle, etc., are executed by the employment of the same means, modified according to the requirements, there being always a perfect accord between the movements of the legs and those of the boys' own book. 185 hand. Lastly, the horse is backed by the rider pulling the reins toward himself hard, which causes a pressure of the bit on the mouth of the animal, and which therefore backs in an opposite direction to the action of the bit. Let us now see whether we cannot teach you how to ride. Pupils in horsemanship generally take their first lessons on quiet or rather old horses. After the amateur has mounted his horse, he is put on the road to perfect horsemanship. Usually there are several together, and a well-experienced horseman takes his place at the head of them, and the others have only to follow him, practising themselves in sitting their horses well, and the riding-master puts them right every time it is necessary. Af tei^ward, when the pupils have familiarized themselves with the posture, and have acquired a certain habit of riding their horses, each one of them becomes guide in his turn. All th6 first exercises are usually practised without stirrups, and with the aid of a snafiie-bridle, which is less painful than the ordinary bridle to the mouth of the 186 boys' owk" book. horse. At his first essay, the pupil does not run the risJi of making his horse turn and back ; but holds his reins in a manner T^hich compels the horse to go forward, and at the same time keeps him firm in his seat on the animal's back. "When the young horseman has acquired some confidence on his horse, he can pass into a trot, and then into a gallop. Once arrived at the power of being able to easily guide his horse with his legs and hand, so as to make it go at all paces and to stop it, he is taught, as we have explained, the action of the bit and the reins, the manner of producing this action by the movement of the hand, the movements of the legs, and lastly, the accordance which there should be between the hand, the bridle, and the reins, between all the move- ments of the rider and his horse. The side of the horse from which the rider moimts and dismounts is generally the left, but it is as well to accustom one's self to mount and dismount on both sides, so as not to be embarrassed when unforeseen circumstances oblige you to mount or dismount on the right side. In order to mount a horse, seize the upper part of the reins with the right hand, raise them untU you feel the reins are pretty tight, then pass the little finger of the left hand between the two reins, the three other fingers on the right rein, and the thumb on the left; then lay hold as well as you are able, with the left hand, of the horse's mane, and in this position the left hand should be ready to check the horse, should he commence to start. Then raise the left knee, and put the left foot in the stirrup, put the right hand on the saddle, raise yourself up by a spring ■untU your right leg is on a level with your left, then pass the right leg over the saddle, and place the foot in the stirrup, drawing the right hand away from the saddle, Then separate the reins, — hold one in each hand, the upper part of each rein being held steady by the pressure of the thumb. This is the safest way for a beginner to hold the reins ; but he wUl gradually acquii'e the more masterly way of holding them, and which he will easily understand by notic- ing the way in which an experienced horseman holds them. boys' ow]sr BOOK. 187 The rider should be seated perpendicularly on the saddle, the shoulders square, the head upright, without stiffness, the chest expanded, the hips firmly planted, the knees pressed against the saddle, the point of the foot being lower than the heel. DRIVING. "With regard to the harness necessary for various kinds of can-iage horses, little need be said; very slight acquaint- ance with a horse in harness will familiarize your mind with the bridle, blinkers, bit, reins, traces, crupper, girths, coUar, and pad. These are aU provided by the saddler, ready for use, and need no particidar description. But it is well that every driver should know how to put on the har- ness to a horse, as occasions may arise when a want of such knowledge is of great importance — as in a breakdown, for instance, when the proper adjustment of the several straps will enable you to do that for yotirself which your groom or stableman does before starting. It is not necessary, either, that 1 shotdd enlarge upon the various kinds of horses and carriages in common use upon the public roads ; sufficient if I show you how you may safely and easily drive a single horse in a wagon, and a pair in a phaeton or barouche. 188 Boys' ow^q- book. DRIVma A SINGLE HOESE. We will suppose that you are driving a single horse. Mount easily into your seat, which is at the right-hand side of the Tehicle, and take the reins and whip in your hands. Place your feet firmly and easily on the footboard, and keep your legs straight, but not too stiff. Then give the horse his head, and encourage him by your voice, or a gentle fillip with the whip. Hold the reins rather tightly, and when you want the horse to turn to the 7'ight, pull the right rein ; when he has to go to the left, pull the left rein. Both hands will be brought into use, but for a quiet horse you will find that you will need but little whip ; and that one hand will be sufiicient for the reins. Avoid jerking your horse from side to side, and, when he is going easily, let him go at his own pace. A gentle hand will do more than violence or unnecessary exertion. In passing streets that lead into the main road, go slowly, and always keep a good look-out lefore you, without taking heed of what is behind. If anything in front causes you to slacken your pace, raise your whip, so that the driver of a vehicle behind you may have notice also to go less rapidly. Avoid aU sharp turnings, and remember the rule of the road — Tceep to the right. In stopping, accustom your horse to obey a slight pull of the reins, both together, aided hy your voice, which you will generally find as efficient as whip or rein. Do not allow your horse to canter or gallop ; a trot is the proper pace for a horse that pulls a load after him. Walk him up hill, and hold him well in hand in going down hill. Avoid too rapid a pace ; for though the temptation to drive fast is very great, fast driving is the cause of most road accidents, especially with young and inexperienced drivers. If your horse should show an inclination to ialTc — that is, to stand still and disobey the whip — let him stand for a while, and then gently encourage him with your Voice, or get some bystander to lead him gently by the head. If he holt, take the reins, crossed, short in your hands, and hold w boys' own book. 189 them tightly, keeping your seat firmly, and at the same time saw the bit in the horse's mouth, by quickly pulling each rein alternately with a decided tug. The horse, even when he rans away, will generally obey the rein sufficiently to avoid obstacles. Do not be alarmed, but be prepared for emergencies. In a little while your steed will slacken his pace, when a sharp corrective with the whip will do him good, and teach him that you are master, not he. Horses are very knowing animals, and they soon discover the char- acter of their driver. If you are determined, they will sub- mit; if you are nervous, they will rebel. Either they or you must govern ; and if you have not the moral or physical power to control a young, spirited horse, do not attempt to drive it. Patience and decision are the grand arguments with a horse. Never over-drive him, and always see that he is properly fed. Do not be content with the assurance of the groom at an inn, that ' ' Your horse is all right, sir ; I'll see that he has his feed;" see to that yourself, and before you have your own dinner see that your horse has his com, and that he is carefully rubbed down with a dry cloth — not washed. The stable at home is the proper place for the washing operation. Ill-tempered horses must be coaxed and conquered. For such, a "ring bit "or a "post bit "is necessary sometimes. Remember that a dead pull is of little use with such horses. If the horse stumbles or falls, pull him up shortly, and give him a smart fillip with the whip. He wdl generally get up of himself. A horse that is apt to stumble must be kept well in hand, and also be kept active with whip and reins, so that he may know you are master. A hicTcing Jiorse should have a kicking strap ; and when he shows any inten- tion to indulge his propensity, give him a sharp reminder with the whip over the head and back. A shying horse must be coaxed and soothed — not whipped. An experienced driver will endeavor to encourage his horse by his voice and rein rather than with the whip. Horses are very much like men and women: it is esaier to lead than to drive them. 190 BOYS OWJf LOOK. DRIYING A PAIK. Now, strange as it may sound to amateur drivers, it is easier to drive a pair of horses than it is to properly drive one. Biit nerve and steadiness are absolutely requisite. The same general mles in driving, "with regard to your seat and the method of guiding them, apply to a pair of horses as to a single horse. But somewhat greater attention is required to keep them together. BOYS OWN booe;. 191 BOWING. ADVANTAGES OF ROWING. Among outdoor recreations conducive at once to the pro- motion of strength and enjoyment, rowing takes a foremost place. Few manly sports are more exhilarating, or more fitted to nerve and brace together every muscle and sinew of the body. To the chest and lungs the exercise is par- ticularly beneficial ; and youths who exhibit a tendency to contraction of the chest, or whose time is much occupied by sedentary studies, should be encouraged to make rowing a favorite amusement. With every stroke of the oar the organs of breathing, on which the health so greatly depends, are brought into fuller and freer play. The muscles of the arms and the sinews of the legs also receive a corresponding benefit ; and it is well known that the students at our public schools and colleges owe much of that strength and vigor for which they are generally remarkable, to their assiduous practice of this favorite recreation. Rowing has other advantages, as a sport, apart from its 192 boys' own book. influence on the strength of the constitution, and its promo- tion of the development of a manly form. It can be fol- lowed by one, or by many together, with almost equal en- joyment. Boats of all sizes are provided on most of our canals, lakes, and rivers, in which parties of from two to eight friends can take this invigorating exercise together, or if the number be larger, can indulge in manly rivalry as to science, skUl, and strength, by pitting one boat's crew against another. In competitions of this kind only some- what skilled or experienced rowers should indulge, and I would earnestly recommend the learner never to attempt to take part in " a race " until he has acquired the command of his oar, and the habit of pulling a good steady stroke. Hasty, unsteady pulling at the outset of his career as an oars- man will go far to spoil his future "style," which is an object of great consideration to every practised hand. Rowing, as I have said, may be practised and enjoyed by the man or youth who has not immediately before him the opportunity of friendly companionship. But to take a boat single-handed requires some practice, and therefore should never be attempted by the learner at his first start. When, however, he has acquired sufficient experience to handle "a pair of sculls," and to manage a boat by himself, nothing can be more delightful than an occasional pull up or down some quiet stream ; if on a river, putting out the strength while rowing against the tide, or suffering the boat to glide along down the water, by the aid of little exertion from the oarsman, if the tide be in his favor. Thus health, strength, a taste for the beauties of nature — sky and land- scape, meadow and field— and that reflection and meditation in which it is good even for youth to occasionally indulge, may each be fostered and drawn forth by what all who have been initiated into it regard as a delightful sport. THE BOAT. Having said thus much in favor of rowing as an exercise, and the advantages peculiarly attached to it, we will pro- boys' OWIT BOOK. 193 ceed to give the learner some description of the boat, and the technical names by which its several parts and append- ages are known. The boat in which it is advisable for the inexperienced rower to attempt to learn, and to which we shall therefore first direct his attention, is what is called the pair-oared hoat. This boat is, in its main features, like every other description of boat. The bow is the head of the boat. The sides here meet at a sharp angle, by which the boat is enabled with greater facility to cut through the water. The small points pro- jecting upwards from the sides of the boat, two on each side, are termed the row-locks. In these the oars are placed, and by means of them the rowers obtain the purchase necessary to enable them to propel the boat. They are formed of flat pieces of wood, generallji oak or ash, and the one nearest the rower, when he is seated in position with his oar in the rov,'- lock, is termed the thowl-pin, wliile the other is known by the name of the stopper. Against the thowl-pin the oar is pushed back and pulled, whUe the other, as its name im- plies, serves the purpose of staying the oar from slipping forward after the rower has made his stroke. To these two small pieces of wood the rower is thus principally indebted for his power of control over the motions of the boat. The seats for the rowers are called the "thwarts." They stretch across from side to side of the boat, a few inches below its edge, or, as it is technically termed, the wall. At the bottom of the boat, in front of the rower, a board is fixed, against which he places his feet. This board, called the "stretcher," is generally movable at will, according to the height of the person seated, or, to speak more clearly, ac- cording to the length of his legs. When properly adjusted, the foot-board is of considerable service in enabling him to keep his body in proper position, and, by the purchase given to his movements, assisting the power of his stroke. At the stern of the boat is a seat for the coxswain or steersman, who holds the lines of the rudder in his hands ; although, 194 boys' owi-r book. •when two rowers of any experience are engaged, it is by no means necessary that any one should steer, provided that the oarsmen keep sufficient look-out occasionally to see where they are going. As the position of the rowers is nec- essarily with their backs to the head of the boat, it is of advantage to learners when they can obtain some one to steer for them, and thus give their whole attention to their stroke, leaving the guidance of the boat in the steersman's hands. The end of the boat is called the stern, and here is placed the rudder, which, when one person is steering, directs by its movements the course of the boat. He takes one of the lines attached to the rudder in each hand, and by pulling either the left or the right line, a corresponding turn is given the boat. When no one steers, the course is guided or changed at will by pulling either one or other of the oars alone, according to the direction in which it is desired to proceed. If it be necessary to turn the boat com- pletely round, one of the oarsmen puts his oar into position to "backwater," while the other pulls in the usual way. ' ' Backing water " will be explained when we come to our directions for rowing. SCULLS AND OAKS. It is now necessary that I should give some description of the instruments used in propelling the boat. These are either oars or sculls. Sculls are a small description of oar, and are intended to be pulled with one hand only, the rower taking a pair, one in each hand. But in learning it is ad- visable to commence with a single scull, which is lighter, and therefore more easily managed than the oar. After a little practice with the scull, the beginner will be able to manage the oar with ease. The oar consists of three parts, which are known as the handle, the loom, and the blade. The handle is rounded, and is long enough to be grasped by both hands. The loom is square, and extends from the handle to what is called the button of the oar. The button is a piece of leather fixed on the oar at the distance of about boys' OWN" BOOK. 195 one third of its length, and rests against the thowl-pin when the oar is placed in the row-lock. Its object is to keep the oar as nearly as possible in one position in the row-lock, and prevent its slipping through. At the point of the oar where the button is fixed commences the blade, which is long and broad, thick at the commencement near the handle, and be- coming thinner toward the end. DIRECTIONS FOR SCULLING. In commencing the practice of boating, I have already recommended the learner to begin by the use of a single scuU, — ^two persons sculling at the same time — deferring the PAIR- OARED OTJTKIGGED GIG. attempt to manage an oar until he has had some little ex- perience with the lighter instrument. The boat chosen should be a pair-oared boat, of moderate size — neither so heavy as to be unmanageable by inexperienced hands, nor so light as to involve the danger of being upset. The begin- ner, having seated himself, and adjusted the footboard, or "stretcher," at the distance most convenient, placing his feet firmly against it, should take the scull by the handle, 196 BOYS* OWK BOOK. and place it in the row-lock, with the button resting against the thowl-pin. The hand farthest from the side of the boat over which the scull is passed should be placed upon tlis handle near the end, gnxsping it firmlj'. The thumb should be kept, witli the iingers, above the handle of the scidl. The other hand shoidd grasp the scull a little lower doM-n, but Avith a somewhat more free and relaxed hold, as with this hand the movement called '* feathering " is performed. The arms should now be thrust forward in straight position, and the body then bent in the same direction, though with- out assuming an ungraceful stoop. If the hands be now raised, the blade of the scuU will di'op into the water, which should be done without splashing, and only so far that the water may cover the blade. Nothing is gained by tlipping the seull or oar in to a great depth ; on the contrary, the rower's toil is increased, while the speed of the boat is not accelerated, and the learner is far more likely to ''catch a crab." This term is used when the rower loses command over his oar or scull, and cannot draw it through the water, in which ease he should immediately throw the oar forward, out of the row-lock by lifting it over the stopper. " Catch- ing a crab " is sometimes sufficient to upset a boat, if it happen to be a very light one, or outrigged. Having dipped the scull into the water in the way de- scribed, the body is brought back till it becomes upright again, the hands following it. This motion has the effect of impelling the scidl through the water, and in its passage the blade should be kept at the same depth as when first dipped. Just before briuguig the seull or oar out of the water, a turn of the wrists shoidd be giA'en to the hand neai'est the blade, the knuckles being brought toward the chest. This move- ment is called *' feathering," and has the effect of bringing the oar cleanly out, the water glancing from the blade. The original position should then be resumed, the arms and the body thrown forward again, and so with every stroke. The learner should not attempt, at the outset of his boating ex- perience, to take his strokes quickly, but i-ather endeavor to BOYS' OWX BOOK. 19? acquire the habit of making a long and steady pulL After practising a little with the scull, the learner will be able to manage an oar with ease ; and he may next proceed to take a pair of sculls. In pulling a pair, the movements are of course effected in the same way as with one; but one hand should be kept sliglitly above the other, that they may not be knocked together. SCULLING WITH A PAIR OF SCULLS. Enter the boat carefully, and take your place amidships in such a way as not to throw the boat out of balance. Then sit with ease, with your feet well jjlanted on the stretcher, which should not be sfj far from the seat as to fully extend your legs. You can move the stretcher nearer or farther at pleasure. Then take the sculLs — I am supposing that you are alone in a good, wide, and rather heavy boat — and grasp BEGINNING OF THE PULL. them fairly by the handles. At the beginning of the pull bend the body till your head is well over your knees, and extend your arms as far as you can, that the blades of the sculLs may be thrown correspondingly backward. With the sculls well dipped, pull toward you by at once bending the body and arms. 198 boys' owk book. When in the middle of the pull, if the seuUs are net short enough, or even if the head and body are slightly turned, one of the ends will go rather higher than the other — the right usually above. To obviate this inconvenience, before pulling a stroke, move your seat an inch or two to the right or left, without removing your feet from the centre of the stretcher. This will give you a slightly oblique position, and allow the hands to work clear of each other. The end of the pull must not take place till the elbows have just come to the top of the hips ; when the hands will be brought toward the chest, and the body well thrown back. But if you bring your hands too near your chest you wUl lose power. As the water is freed from the sculls the elbows sink, the wrists are bent up, and the backs of the hands are turned toward the fore-arms. If you properly perform this simple but apparently complex movement, you wUl properly feather your sculls; that is, turn them in such a way as to gain the greatest power when pulling, and offer the least resistance to the water when releasing them for the return stroke. -^ — ^31(^S##2' END OP THE PULIi. In the return of the seulls the hands must remain turned up until the sculls are turned out of the water. In the mid- dle of the return, if the sculls are not short, or if the head boys' owk book. 199 and body be turned, one of the hands goes higher than the other. As to the degree of the immersion of the sculls, in the middle of the pull the blades must be covered by the water. The beginner generally dips them too deeply ; but that ought to be avoided, especially in calm weather. In the "whole of the return, the tops of the scidls should, in calm weather, be two or three inches above the water; and in rough weather they should be higher, in order to clear it. The head shoidd be well balanced and pliant, so that you may turn it easily with the direction of the boat. Young boatmen should begin with a boat large enough to hold two, so that when one is tired the other may take the sculls. Do not be afraid of a little stiffness in the arms and legs ; you wiU soon get over that. Now about feathering the oars. This operation is per- formed at the finish of the stroke, by turning the oar as it leaves the water. While in action, the whole width of the blade is opposed to the water, one edge to the sky and the other to the bottom ; but as you raise the oar from the water you reverse the position of the oar, so that the hollow part of the blade is uppermost. In making the next stroke, how- ever, you again turn the scull so that it dips edgewise in the water. This is not so easy to describe as to do; but when you have once done it, you can do it always. Feather- ing is the very acme and perfection of good and graceful sculling. Be careful, however, not to raise the scull too high out of the water, or you will not be able to make a good stroke next time. A little practice — say a couple of hours daily — will soon accustom you to the proper position and action of this stroke. BACKING WATER-SHIPPING SCULLS. " Backing water " is performed by making with the scull or oar a movement exactly the opposite of that just described. It is necessary to perforyi this movement when it is desired to turn the boat, or prevent its head veering too much to 200 boys' owk book. either side. The rower places the oar or scull in the row- lock against the stopper instead of against the 'thowl-pin, and throws the blade before him prior to dipping it into the water, bringing the handle close to the chest. When the oar is dipped, he pushes his hands forward again, until the oar is stopped by the thowl-pin, when the movement called " backing " is performed. To "hold water," when it is de- sired that the boat shall remain stationary, the oar is dipped in the same manner as when it is intended to " back," but no motion is made with the hands. "Shipping the sculls" is performed when the rowers have come to the end of their journey, or when another boat is passing so closely that the sculls of the two boats may clash. It is done by lifting the scull or oar out of the row- lock in the manner we have described when speaking of " crab-catching," and suffering it to lay by the side of the boat. By throwing the handle back, it may then be readily brought into the boat, or, as it is termed, "shipped." Remember that, however clear these directions may seem, they will be far more readily understood, and the learner will himself be enabled to carry them out more completely, if he will watch the motions of an experienced waterman or amateur oarsman, before taking a scull in hand. boys' OWif BOOK. 201 CHECKERS OR DRAUGHTS. INTRODUCTOEY. Checkers is a good game, though certainly inferior in variety and complication of moves to Chess. It was first played in Europe, we are told, about the middle of the seventeenth century, since which time it has received many illustrations at the hands of various writers, and afforded rational amusement to hundreds of persons of all ages and both sexes. UnKke Chess, it has not been much altered or improved during the course of years ; and what it was when its rules were first printed by Mallet, the mathematician, in 1668, it remains to this day — ^better liked and universally understood, but stUl the same. It is played by the people of various countries, and in various languages is known as the Game of Ladies. THE GAME. Checkers or Draughts is played on an ordinary chess- board, with twenty-four men, twelve on each side. The men move and take on the diagonals, moving one square at a time, and taking by jumping or passing over the adverse man to a vacant square beyond; and not, as in Chess, tak- ing the place of the captured piece. 203 boys' OWN" BOOK. The men usually occupy the white squares, with the board so placed as to hare the double corner at the right hand of the player. The pieces moYC forivard ia the direc- tion on the diagonals, and the game is continued by each player moving alternately one square at a time. When a piece reaches the last row of squares on his opponent's side of the board, he becomes a Mng, and is crowned by having another piece of the same color placed on his head. The king can move iackicard and forivard diagonally on the white squares, and both kings and pieces can take any number of their opponents that may lie in their way un- protected; that is to say, if after taking one man there should be any other piece in the same diagonal, or in any adjoining diagonals, with an empty square beyond, the player continues his march, and captures as many as he can. The game is won by capturing your adversary's men, or by blockading him in such a way as to prevent him from moving. When each player is left with a single king, or two kings, the game is usiially drawn ; but situations arise occasionally in which an inferior number of pieces can com- mand superior force. EULES OF THE GAME. I. The board is to be so placed as to have the white double corner at the right hand of the player. [All the printed games are given on this plan of placing the board. It is iisual to play on the white squares, hut not mijierative.l II. The first move is to be taken by chance or agreement, and in all subsequent games the move is taken alternately by each player, whether the last game be won or drawn. [Black generally moves first.] III. Any action which prevents your adversary from hav- ing a full view of the board is not allowed, and if persisted in, loses the game to the offending player. rv. The man touched must be moved, but the men may boys' owk book. 203 be properly adjusted during any part of the game. After they are so placed, if either player, when it is his tuYn to play, touch a man, he must move it. If a man be so moved as to be visible on the angle separating the squares, the player so touching the man must move it to the square indicated. [By this it is meant that a player may not move first to one square and then to another. Once moved on to the square, the man must remain there.] V. It is optional with the player either to allow his oppo- nent to stand the huff, or to compel him to take the offered piece. ["Standing the hufE " is when a player refuses to take an offered piece, but either intentionally or accidentally makes another move. His adversary then removes the man that should have taken the piece, and makes his own move — huffs and moves as it is called.] VI. Ten minutes is the longest time allowed to consider a move, which if not made within that time, forfeits the game. VII. It is compidsory upon the player to take all the pieces he can legally take by the same series of moves. On making a king, however, the latter remains on his square till a move has been made on the other side. VIII. AU disputes are to be decided by the majority of the bystanders present. IX. No player may leave the room without the consent of his adversary, or he forfeits the game. X. A false move must be remedied as soon as it is discov- ered, or the maker of such move loses the game. XI. When only a small number of men remain toward the end of the game, the possessor of the lesser number may call on his opponent to win in at least fifty moves, or de- clare the game drawn. With two kings to one, the game must be won in at most twenty moves. XII. The player who refuses to abide by the rules loses the game. 204 boys' own book. The few remarks which we are about to make, as to one circumstance in draughts, could not, we conceive, be so aptly introduced anywhere else as here ; we allude to the importance of having the move upon an antagonist. The value of this will, no doubt, have frequently occurred to the reader ; but there are situations when it is not only useless, but detrimental. To have the move when your men are in a proper position, upon an open board, will often, in a short time, give you the power of forcing your adversary into such a situation as will render his defeat certain ; but, having the move, when your men are huddled in confu- sion together, and you are unprepared to point an attack from any quarter, that is to say, when you are strong in number but powerless in position, will not unfrequently cause you to lose the game. In order to know whether any one of your men have the move over one of your adversary's, you must carefully notice their respective positions, and, if your opponent have a black square on your right angle under his man, you have the move upon him. This is a general rule, and will apply to any number of pieces. A modern writer on this subject gives another method of ascertaining whether a party, whose turn it is to play, has the move ; namely, by count- ing the squares and the men ; and if the squares be odd and the men even, or the men odd and the squares even, then the party whose turn it is to play has possession of the move, and may certainly win the game, if he act judi- ciously. j I boys' 0"VVI