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A Popular Encyclopaedia of th^HSports^jyid-fastimes of Youth,—
a companion for all holidays,— The Boy's own Book,— unmixed with
aught that was not highly interesting to himself, had long been a desi-
deratum ; to supply which, he was usually led to become liis own caterer,
and purchase publications of an objectionable character, merely because
their low price placed them within his reach. The present Work was an
attempt to obviate this inconvenience, by enabling those, who had the
guardianship of youth, to present their young proteges, in the form of a
Holiday or Birth-day Present, with a concentration of all that usually
delights them, executed in such a manner as their own more matured
judgment would approve, and much more amusing and instructive to the
juvenile mind, than the cheap trash on which the hoarded shilling is
usually expended. The event lias fully justified the expectations of the
Publishers ; few works have met with so flattering a reception, from the
press and the public; and this reception has stimulated them, as new
editions have been called for, to increase the value of the work by suc-
cessive improvements, and thus render it as distinguished for its execution
as it was attractive for its novelty. Compared with tlie earlier editions,
its present appearance is strikingly superior. A considerable quantity of
extra matter, including several new subjects, has been introduced ; many
of the cut» have been re-engraved ; the number of illustrations has been

PRELUDE.

increased ; and, in short, neither labour nor ex^en^e has been spared to
merit the extraordinary success with which the work has been honoured-

A wider field than has been taken cannot well be imagined. Our
plan embraces the amusements of all minds, and of all seasons,— in winter
and in summer,— at home and abroad. The robust and the delicate, —
the contemplative and the ingenious,— have each their tastes provided for.
The sports and exercises of out-door enjoyment, — the pastimes of a
winter's fire-side, — and the recreations of science, are copiously detailed
in ofir pages, which have been printed in a close type, that we might be
enabled to compress a whole library of sportful lore in the brief compass
of one littie volume. We have attempted to please Seniors and Juniors, —
to unite the suffrages of grey-beard Wisdom, and blooming Adolescence ;
no easy task! — but we have succeeded; the MiNOR-ity has given us a
Majority; and we boldly make our appearance at the bar of public
opinion, assured that a host of advocates, appreciating our industry and
our motives, would each cheerfully undertake, on our behalf, the task of

% ^IcatJcr.

MINOR SPORTS AND PASTIMES

} BIythe Boyhood l*tbe holiday of life;

The joyou» spirits thea impart a zest
Tf tops and marbles which man's graver toys.
Though bought at golden prices, ever lack.

AVe heartily trust that our young readers will commence the perusal of
our pages with pleasure equal to that which we feel in sitting down to
write them, and that we shall go pleasantly together througli our work.
The description of these Minor Sports, most especially, will, we are con-
vinced, be an agreeable pastime to us, and call up, from time to time, wel-
come reminiscences of those days of our boyhood, when we were a hero at
"Ring-taw," and by no means a contemptible adversary even to the most
accomplished youthful players at " Fives. ' It will remind us of our happy
'holidays and favourite school-fellows; — of feats of agility performed at
•' Follow my Leader," and trophies borne off in triumph at " Peg in the
Ring ;" — of those merry mornings, when the first glance of the sun awak-
ened us, to snatch an additional half-hour for the playground, without
encroaching on the allotted times for study ; — when, during " winter's surly
reign," we joined the active few, who, instead of moping in great coats,
or shivering round a fire, sallied forth into the clear, cold, invigorating air,
and marking out goals and bounds in the crisp hoar frost that mantled the
ground, sought after, and found, warmth and high spirits in a game of

8 MINOR SPORTS.

** Prisoner's Base," — or made the brows glow at lofty " Leap-frog," — or
defied the frost by briskly plying the whip-top with eel-skin, and
came in with glad hearts, ruddy cheeks, perfect willingness, and the best
of appetites, to our morning repast and daily studies.

It will bring to our recollection also, tho^ smooth and shady spots,
where, when the noon-tide sun was midway in the heavens, in the sultry
month of August, we alternately perused pleasant and instructive books,
and played with our class-mates at '* Increase-pound," or set up a pyra-
mid of marbles for them to shoot at, ou- shot at one erected by one of them.
It will carry us back in imagination to the hills and downs, where we
flew our kites, — the loftiest soarers for miles around ; — of mishaps through
breaking of strings, and long races of rivalry after our falling favourites.
It will remind us of that cheerful parlour, in which, during the winter
vacation, when mince-meat, plum-puddings, and young parties, were most
abundant, — on Christmas-eve, or merry Twefth-night, most especially, —
we bore a part in the exhilarating and harmless fire-side sports of the
season. It will revive the memory of that dilapidated ruin, — the court of
that mouldering castle,— with a tall and stately eim rising from one of its
corners, and ivy, apparently ages old, the constant home and nestling-
place of innumerable birds, which bedecked and supported the outward
side of its walls, — the scene of our chief exploits at Fives ; — the garden
walk, where our school-swing was erected, between two gigantic sister
pear trees ; — and, in brief, of all those places where we played the games
which were the delight of our holidays ; when a sportive bout at " Saddle
my Nag," was in itself an ample recompense for the past two hours of
study, employed in working an intricate question in arithmetic — composing
a theme on some diflRcult subject — rendering a portion of the Iliad into
Latin hexameters, or a passage of Pope into French prose.

We conceive that we are bringing no disgrace on our boyhood, by
avowing that we dearly enjoyed the sports of the play-ground. The line
of a talented writer, "A dunce at syntax, but a dab at taw," has, by a
thoughtless few, been converted into a proverb, and those who were most
eminent for their activity and love of the usual amusements of youth out
of school, have thus been unjustly stigmatized as inattentive students.
The reverse, we have generally found to be the fact ; for we have often
remarked, that the lads who led the sports in the play-ground, stood high
in their classes in the school-room. " There is a time for all things," is a
trite, but, in this case, an applicable observation ; the scholastic discipline
wisely allots certain hours in the day for recreation ; they should be
employed in healthful and agreeable pastime, so as to render the boy
prepared to return with mental vigour to his books ; — study should give a
relish to sport, and sport to study. But while we recommend that the
school-room should be forgotton on the play-ground, we wish to impress
on our young readers the necessity of their forgetting the play-ground in
the school-room.

MINOR srORTS.

GAMES WITH MARBLES.

There were, some years ago, and we believe, there still are, three or
four different sorts of marbles : the Dutch, or variegated clay marbles,
were reckoned the worst ; those of yellow stone, with beautiful spots or
circles of black or brown, were next in estimation ; and wiiat were called
the real taws, of pink marble, with dark red veins, were preferred to all
others. The games with marbles are not very numerous; the following
pages contain descriptions of ail that have come to our knowledge.

STAN'S AND SNOI'S.

This is the most simple of all games with marbles J one player first
shoots his marble, the st-cond then endeavours to strike or " snop " it, or
other\s'is»', to shoot his own viitiiin a span of it If he miss, or do not
fire within the span, the first player, from the spot where his marble rests, in
like manner, shoots at that of the second ; and so on, until a snop or span is
made, when the marble snopped or spanned is taken, and the game begun
anew, by the \nimer.

BOST-ABOOT.

This game differs from tlie precetliug one only in this respect, namely, that
the marbles, instead of being shot with the forc-fingur and thumb, are pitched,
or to use tlie technical word, bosled by the players.

10 MINOR SPORTS.

Three small holes are dug, about a yard and a hall asunder j a line ia
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
drive the marble into the first hole ; if this be done, the player shoots again,
at the distance of a span, toward 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 again. The game is won by the player who
gets first 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.

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, endeavour-
ing 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 case, a player may win his own
marbles, as they are common stock when down, and take up which he
pleases, to play with.

THE CONQUEROR.

This is a sport which we do not much approve of, although, we must
confess that, in the days of our youth, we were very fond of it. Strong
stone marbles of a moderate size must be used. The game is commenced
by one boy laying his taw on a piece of smooth and tolerably hard earth,
(turf and pavement are both improper,) the other player throws his taw
at it, as hard as he can, so as to split it, if possible. If he fail to do so, his
own taw is thrown at in turn, and thus each plaver has, alternately, a
cast at the taw of the other. A stiong marble will frequently break, or
conquer, fifty or a hundred others ; where this game is much played, a
taw that has become a conqueror of a considerable number, is very much
prized, and the owner will not play it against any but those which have
conquered a respectable quantity. " When Greek meets Greek," or when
two conquerors are engaged, the number of marbles previously broken by

MINOR SPORTS. 11

the vanquished is added to those of the victor; thus, if my taw having
already split twenty marbles, conquers another that has split twenty, my
taw then becomes a conqueror of forty-one, — that is, twenty, its previous
score ; twenty, the vannuished taw's score, and one for the broken taw
itself. In the west of England, the game of " The Conqueror" is also played,
with small, hard, variegated shells, which are found in old banks, and from
which the snails, their former inhabitants, have disappeared. The shell
is held in the forefinger of the right hand, and its peak pushed vigorously
against that of the adversary's; the shell which breaks is, of course, con-
quered.

ARCII-BOARD.

This game, in some parts of England, is called "Nine-boles;" it hat
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 num-
ber equal to the number upon 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
nihils on the board, and the numbers go beyona 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.

RINO-TAW.

The rules of Ring-taw vary in different places; the following are the
most general: — A circle is drawn, into whicn each party places as many
marbles as may be agreed on. A line, called the omng, is then drawn ai
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 pUice 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.

12 MINOR SPORTS.

INCREASE-POUND.

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
being 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 stx-uck 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 offing ;
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.

THE PYRAMID.

A small circle is drawn on the ground, within which, one player
builds a pyramid, by placing three marbles triangularly, and a fourth in

the centre, on the top of them.
Any other player may then
shoot at the pyramid, at an
agreed distance, by giving,
for each time of shooting, to
the one who keeps the pyra-
mid, a marble. It 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. This is a good in-door game ; variety and additional intere&t
may be given to it, by each player taking the office of pyramid-keeper,
at stated intervals.

MINOR SPORTS.

GAMES WITH TOPS.

HUMMING-TOP.

HUMMiNO-TOPS, of various sizes, are to be bought at the toy-shops,
very little art is necessary to use them. After the string is wound about the
upright piece, one end of it is taken in one hand, and the handle of the
fork-piece in the other ; the string is then to be pulled off with force, and
the top is set up.

WHIP-TOP.

This is an excellent amusement The top is easily set up by twirling it
with both hands on a smooth surface, and applying the whip with gentleness
at first, increasing the vigour of the blows, as the top gets firm on its peg.
There is a local variety of the whip-top, which is too
singular for us to pass unnoticed. We allude to the
Colchester top, of which an engraving is presented in
the margin. Its construction is most simple, and, for
spinning, it is said considerably to excel the tops
made in the common form. The only games we
have ever seen with whip-tops, are •• races"- and
"encounters;" in the former, the object is to flog
the top to a certain distance first ; in the latter, the tops are whipped
against each other until one is knocked down. The best material for a
whip, at this capiui sport, is an ecWskin ; it far surpa>^es cord, or leatliern
thongs.

14 MINOR SPORT^.

In this favourite game considerable dexterity may be acquired by
practice. About London, peg-tops are, in general, only used for the purpose
of being spun, and taken up to " sleep," as it is called, in wooden spoons,
which are sold at the toy-shops for that purpose ; but elsewhere, regular
games at peg-top are played, in which the victors carry off capital steel
pegs as trophies of their prowess at the sport. A circle, whose diameter is
about a yard, is first drawn on a smooth piece of ground, (pavement is
objectional for this game,) and several players surround it. One volunteers
to commence ; he throws his top inside the circle, and the others are at
liberty to cast theirs at it, so long as it remains within the ring; the moment
it rolls out, he may take it up, and peg at those which still remain inside.
The object of each player being to split the tops of his companions, if he
succeed in any case, he keeps the peg of the split top as the spoil of his
victory. If either of the players do not cast his top within the ring, or if
he attempt to take it out, or if he fail to set it spinning when he throws,
or if it do not spin out, or after it ceases spinning, roll out of the circle,
it is called " a dead top," and must be placed in the centre of the ring for
the others to peg at. When it is knocked out again without being split,
the player to whom it belongs, takes it up, and plays away as before.
Sometimes half-a-dozen dead tops are driven out of the ring by one cast,
without any of them being damaged, and indeed, if they be made of good
box, it is but rarely that they split. A top with a long peg is best at this
game, as it is more calculated to swerve out of the ring after it is spun ; a
top that sleeps after it is cast, runs the greatest danger, and those that sleep
most, are heavy bodied tops with short blunt pegs. It is advisable to wind
the cord round nearly three parts of the peg, as well as the top, and to use
a button at the end instead of a loop. The Spanish peg-
top, of which we give a cut in tne margm, is made
of fine mahogany, and tapered off less abruptly toward
_ the peg than the English tops. The peg is very short,
^^^^^P^^^ of an uniform thickness, and rounded, not pointed, at
~'''" ^^^'*^^ ^Yie end. These tops spin nearly upright, and for thrice
the usual time ; it is unnecessary to throw them with
any degree of force ; in fact, they spin best when
aet up under-handed ; so that, for playing on flooring or pavement, tliey
are much superior to those made in the English fashion, although, for
the same reason, totally unfit for "Peg in the ring." The forms of English
peg-tops, as well as those of humming-tops, and the common whip-tops,
are so well fcnown, that it would be useless for us to offer engravings of
theok

MINOR SPORTS. 17

the party who has thrown it, a line is drawn from the place where the ball
tlups, to'a spot behind the thrower. Thus, suppose tne thrower be at a,
the ball falls at b, a line is drawn to c. The
ff winner then throws the ball, from c, at the
S. loser's back, three times, as hard as he
\._ pleases. The other losers throw in the same
manner, one after another, and the winner
has his three balls at each of their backs,
■■•..^ from the spot where their balls respectively
\ first touch the ground, or in a line with it,
™.':s.a as above stated, and illustrated by the dia-
gram in the margin.
In the vicinity of London, this game is called "Hit-ball," on account
of the players using their hats, instead of digging holes, and the ball is
tossed mto the hats, instead of being bowled into the holes.

CATCH-BALL.

This is very similar to the preceding game. Instead of bowling the
ball into holes, it is thrown in the air, and the name of the player, for
whom it is intended, called out by the thrower. If it be caught, before it
has twice touched the ground, by the plaver so called on, he loses no point,
but throws it up again, and calls upon wliom he pleases to catch it. If it
be not caught in due time, he whose name is called must endeavour to
strike one of the others with it; if he miss, he loses a point, and has his
throw up. The remainder of the game, the number of points, and the
losers' punishment, are all precisely as in Nine-holes; of the two, it is the
better game.

FOOT-BALL.

A match is made between two sets of players of equal numbers; a large
ball made of Hght materials, — a blown bladder, cased with leather, is the
best, — is placed between them, and the object of each party is to kick the
ball across the goal of the other, and to prevent it from passing their own.
The party, across whose goal the ball is kicked, loses the game. The
game is commenced between the two goals, which are about a hundred
yards asunder.

Foot-ball was formerly much in vogue in England, though, of late
years, it seems to have fallen into disrepute, and is but little practised.
At what period the game of Foot-ball originated, is uncertain ; it does not,
however, appear among the popular exercises betbre the reign of Edward
the Third, and then it was prohibited by a public edict; not, perhaps, from
any particular objection to the sport itself, but because it co-operated, with
otKer favourite amusements, to impede the progress of Archery.

18 MINOR SPORTS

The rustic boys use a blown bladder, without the covering of leather,
for a Foot-ball, putting peas and horse-beans inside, which occasion a
rattling as it is kicked about.

GOFF, OR BANDY-BALL.

In the northern parts of the kingdom, Goff is much practised. It
answers to a rustic pastime of the Romans, which they played with a ball
of leather, stuffed with feathers, and the GofF-ball is composed of the same
materials to this day. In the reign of Edward the Third, the Latin name
" Cambuca," was applied to this pastime, and it derived the denomination,
no doubt, from the crooked club, or bat, with which it was played ; the
bat was called a " Qandy," from its being bent, and hence is frequently
called, in English, "Bandy-ball."

Goff, according to the present modification of the game, is performed
with a bat, the handle of wliich is straight, and usually made of ash, about
four feet and a half in length; the curvature is affixed to the bottom, faced
with horn, and backed with lead. The ball is a little one, but exceedingly
hard, being made with leather, and stuffed with feathers. There are,
generally, two players, who have each of them his bat and ball. The
game consists in driving the ball into certain holes made in the ground;
he who achieves which the soonest, or in the fewest nimiber of strokes,
obtains the victory. The Goff-lengths, or the spaces between the fust and
last holes, are sometimes extended to the distance of two or three miles;
the number of intervening holes is optional, but the balls must be struck
into the holes, and not beyond them. When four persons play, two of
them are sometimes partners, and have but one ball, which they strike
alternately, but every one has his own bandy. Goff was a fashionable
game among the nobility at the commencement of the seventeenth century,
and it was one of the exercises with which Prince Henry, eldest son to
James the First, occasionally amused himself.

STOOL-BALL.

Stool-ball is frequently mentioned by the writers of the three last cen-
turies, but without any proper definition of the game. Doctor Johnson
tells us, it is a play where balls are driven from stool to stool, but does not
say in what manner, or to what purpose. It consists in simply setting a
stool upon the ground, and one of tl.e players taking his place before it,
while his antagonist, standing at a distance, tosses a ball with the intention
of striking the stool ; it is the business of the former to prevent this by
beating it away witll the hand, reckoning one to the game for every stroke
of the ball; if, on the contrary, it should be missed by the hand, and touch
the stool, the players change places ; the conqueror at this game is he who

MINOR SPORTS.

strikes the ball most times before it touches the stool. In some parts of
the country, a certain number of stools are set up in a circular form, at a
distance from each other, and every one of them is occupied by a single
player; Vrhen the ball is struck, which is done as before, with the hand,
tliey are every one of them obliged to alter his situation, running in suc-
cession from stool to stool, and if he who threw the ball can regain it in
time to strike any one of the players before he reaches the stool to which
he is running, he takes his place, and the person touched must throw the
ball, until he can, in like manner, return to the circle.

TRAP, BAT, AND BALL.

With the form of the trap, our young readers are, doubtless, acquainted*
it will be only necessary for us to give the laws of the game. Two bound-
aries are equally placed, at a great dis-
tance from the trap, between which,
it is necessary for the ball to pass, when
struck by the batsman ; if it fall out-
side either of them, he loses his in-
nings. Innings are tossed up for,
and the player who wins, places the
ball in the spoon of the trap, touches
the trigger with the bat, and, as the
ball hops from the trap, strikes it as
far as he can. One of the other players
(who may be from two to half-a-
dozen) endeavours to catch it. If he
do so before it reaches the ground,
or hops more than once, or if the
striker miss the ball when he aims at
it. or hits the trigger more than twice
without striking the ball, he loses his
innings, and the next in order, which must previously be agreed on, takes
his place. Should the ball be fairly struck, anc} not caught, as we have
stated, the out-player, info whose hands it comes, bowls it from the place
where he picks it up, at the trap ; which, if he hit, the striker is out. If
he miss it, the slrilcer counts one toward the game, which may be any
number derided on. There is also a practice in some places, when the
bowler has sent in the ball, of the striker's guessing the number of bat's
lengths it is from the trap ; if he guess within the real number, he reckons
that number toward his game; but if he guess more than there really
axe, he loses his innings. It b not necessary to make the game in one
inning.

20 MINOR SPORTS.

SORTHERN-SPELI,.

Northern-spell is played with a trap, and the ball is stricken with a bat,
or stout stick, at the pleasure of the players, but the latter is most com
monly used. The performance of this pastime does not require the atten-
dance of either of the parties in the field to catch or stop the ball, for the
contest between them is, simply, who shall strike it to the greatest distance
in a given number of strokes ; the length of each stroke is measured, before
the ball is returned, by means of a cord made fast at one end, near the
trap, the other end being stretched into the field by a person stationed
there for that purpose, who adjusts it to the ball, wherever it may be; the
cord is divided into yards, which are properly numbered in succession, so
that the person at the bottom of the ground can easily ascertain the dis-
tance of each stroke by the number of the yards, which he calls to the
players, who place it to their account, and the ball is thrown back. This
pastime possesses but httle variety, and is by no means so amusing to the
bystanders as Trap-ball.

ROUNDERS.

In the west of England this is one of the most favourite sports with the
bat and ball. In the metropolis, boys play a game very similar to it, called
Feeder. In Rounders, the players divide into two equal parties, and

chance decides which shall have first innings. Four

' stones or pos^s are placed from twelve to twenty yards

^ asunder, as a, b, c, d, in the margin ; another is put at

e; one of the party which is out, who is called the
' pecker or feeder, places himself at e. He tosses the ball

gently toward a, on the right of which one of the in

party places himself, and str'kes the ball, if possible,
with his bat. If he miss three times, or if the iall, when struck, fall be-
hind a, or be caught by any of the out players, who are all scattei-ed about
the field except one who stands behind a, he is out, and another takes his
place. If none of these events take place, on striking the ball he drops
the bat, and runs toward b, or, if he can, to c, d, or even to a again. If,
however, the feeder, or any of the out players who may happen to have
the ball, strike him with it in his progress from a to b, b to c, c to rf, or
d to a, he is out. Supposing he can only get to 6, one of his partners takes
the bat. and strikes at the ball in turn ; while the ball is passing from the
feeder to a, if it be missed, or after it is struck, the first player gets to the
next or a further goal, if possible, without being struck. If he can only
get to c, or d, the second runs to fr bnly, or c, as the case may be, and a
third player begins ; as they get home, that is, to a, they play at the ball
in rotation, until they all get out ; then, of course, the out players take
their places.

MINOR Sl'ORTS.

SPORTS OF AGILITY AND SPEED.

Many of the previous sports with balls and tops, are in part gamea
of agility and speed, and so also are several of those which will be found
among tlie Miscellaneous Minor Sports ; but the following pastimes are
exclusively games either of speed or agility, for which no implements are
necessary.

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, provided they
be of the same height and agility, the better is the sport. We will suppose
a dozen at plav : — 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 chm 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 run, placing his hands on the shoulders of the nearest player, and
leaping with their assistance (of course, springing with his feet at the same
time) over his head, a* represented in the cut. Having cleared the first,
he goes on to the second, third, fourth, fifth, Sec. in succession, and as
speedily as possible. When he has gone over the last, he goes to the proper
distance, and places himself in positioner all the players to leap over hira
in their turn. The first over whom he jmssed, follows him over the second,
third, fourth, &c. ; and when he has gone over the one who begun the
game places himself in like manner for the otliers to jump over him. The
third follows the second, and so on until the parties are tired.

22 MINOR SPORTS.

The manner of playing Leap-Frog about London is different, and as we
think, much inferior in safety, appearance, and amusement: — A lad places
himself with his hands on his knees, his body nearly doubled, and his side,
instead of his back, turned toward the leapers, who, with a short run, take
their leap at some distance from the lad who is to be vaulted over ; he who
takes his leap the farthest off, is reckoned the best player. This, it may be
readily imagmed, is by no means so lively as the real game of Leap-Frog,
which we have above described. The boy, who is to be leaped over,
receives a greater shock from the jumpers; and he is in more danger
of being thrown down by^ or having a blow on his head from, their knees.

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 Une 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 mid-way
between the bounds and prisons ; a player from the other side immediately
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 Hberty to send out as many as 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 before him; he is
not at liberty to touch any that have started 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 adver-
sary, 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 thu»
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 all the players of the other in prison at the same time.

MINOR srORTS.

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 himself almost upright, with his hands renting against
a wall or tree, a second puts his head against the skirt of the first, the
third against the skirt of the second, and so on until they are all ranged.
They must either hold by the trousers 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 bepns by taking a run, placing his hands upon the
back of the outer plaver on the other side, and leaping as far forward on
the range as he possibly can, in order to afford room for his partners behind
him, who follow in succession, until all arc on the backs of the other party.
If thev can all remain on without touching the ground with the hand or
anv otlier 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 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 equi-distant from each otner, and forming tlie
four points of a square. Each of these points or corners is occupied by a
player; the fifth, who is4'alled 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 succeeds in so doing,
that player who is left without a corner becomes the Puss. It is to be
observed, that if A and B attempt to exchange corners, and A gets to B's
corner, but li fails to reach A's before the player who stands out gei« there,
it is B and not A who becomes Puss.

This may I'e played by any number, from ten to a hundred. One begins
the game by standing within a line, running parallel for a considerable
length with, and about three feet from, a wall, and repeating the following
words, — " Warning once, warning twice, warning three times over ; a
bushel of wheat, a bushel of rye, when the cock crows, out jump 1 ! —

24 MIKOR SPORTS.

Cock-a-doodle-doo I — Warning!" He then runs out, and touches the first
he can overtake, wlio must return to bounds with him. These two then
(first crying "Warning" only; join hands, and each of them endeavours
to touch another ; he also returns to bounds, and at the next sally joins
hands with the other two. Every player who is afterward touched by
either of the outside ones, does the like, until the whole be thus touched
and taken. It is not lawful to touch an out-player after the Une is broken,
either accidentally, or by the out-players attacking it, which they are per-
mitted to do. Immediately a player is touched, the line separates, and the
out-players endeavour to catch those belonging to it, who are compelled
to carry those who capture them, on their backs, to bounds. When three
are touched, he who begins the game is entitled to join the out-players.

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 chmbing, and his followers then
attempt to perform it in succession. He then goes on 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
nimble and active should, of course, be chosen for a leader; he should per-
form feats of such diflSculty as to render the sport interesting, at the same
time avoiding such as he knows can only be undertaken by himself, or
by one or two of his followers. If one* boy can perform a feat, which
those who are placed before him in the rank fail in attempting, he takes
precedence of them until he is, in like manner, excelled by any of those
who are behind him.

TOUCH.

This is a sport of speed. Six or eight is the best number to play at it.
One volunteers to be the player, who is called Touch ; it is the object of
the other players to run from and avoid him. He pursues them all ; or, if
he think fit, singles out an individual, and follows until he comes up with
and touches him. The player so overtaken becomes Touch, and then
endeavours to get near enough to lay his hand upon one of the rest. This
is an active and amusing game for boys in cold weather. It is sometimes
called Touch-iron or Touch-wood ; in these cases, the players are safe
only while they touch iron or wood, as may be previously agreed. They
are liable to be touched only when running from one piece of wood or
iron to another.

MINOR SPORTS.

SPORTS WITH TOYS.

The Sports with Toys are very numerous; those which are most usual
in the playground are with the kite, the lioop, tlie sucker, the pea-shooter,
and two or three others ; of each of which we offer our readers a descriptioa,

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 ram-rod 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 gun, push it with the rod to
the other, and then placing a second pellet at the end where the first was
inserted, push 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 SLING.

Cut out an oval piece of leather, about two inches wide at the broadeat
part ; at each of the ends, fasten a leathern thong, or piece of cord, — one of
these cords, or thongs, should be longer than the otner ; place a stone in
the broadest part of the leather, twist the longest thong twice or thrice
round your hand, hold the other lightly between your thumb and
fore-finger, whirl it round several times, let go the shorter thong, and
the stone will be shot to a great distance. Small lumps of clay kneaded
to the point of a pliant switch, may be jerked to a height scarcely crediblie.

MINOR SPORTS.

THE PEA-SHOOTER.

By means of a tube of tin or copper, a pea may be propelled from the
mouth, by the mere force of the breath, to a very considerable distance.
The natives of RIacouslie, with a cane tube, about'twelve feet long, propel
arrows with their breath, with such force and dexterity, as to bringdown
different sorts of feathered game.

To construct the Kite, you must, in the first place, procure a straight
lath of deal for the upright or straigliter, 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 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, b, 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 « again. Your skeleton
being now complete, your next task is to paste a suf-
ficient 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 the bottom ; run through these,
and fasten, by a knot at the two ends, your belly-band string, to whicii
the ball of string, by which the kite is flown, is afterward fixed. The
wings are made of several sheets of writing paper, half cut in slips, rolled
up, and fastened at a and c. The tail, which should be from ten to fifteen
times the length of the kite, is made by tying bobs of writing paper, four
times folded, about an inch and a half broad, and three inches long, at in-
tervals of three inches and a quarter, on a string, with a larger bob, similar
to the wngs, 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 used to let up a
kite previously to his entering the water to bathe, and then, lying on his
back, suffer himself to be drawn across a stream by its power. The master
of a respectable academy at Bristol, among whose pupils we have enjoyed
many pleasant hours in the pastime of flying kites, has lately succeeded
in travelling along the public roads, (we believe, from Bristol to London,)

MINOR SPORTS.

with amazing speed, in a carriage drawn by kites, in the most safe and
accurate manner possible, notwithstanding the variations of the wind and
the crookedness of the roads.

THE THAUMATROPE.

This very amusing toy is made and exhibited in the following manner :
Cut out a circular piece of card, to which fasten six bits of strmg. as in the

cut. Draw on one side of it a
figure with balls, and on the other,
two balls only, as represented in
the margin ; then taking one of
the strings between the fore-finger
and thumb of each hand, close to
the card, twist or whirl it rapidly
round, and, according to which
pair of strings you use, the figure will seem to be tossing two, three, or
four balls, in different directions. Various cards and devices may be used :
for instance, you may draw a bird on one side, and a cage on the other ;
by only usingthe centre pieces of string, the bird will seem to be in the

cage or aviary ; a horse on one
side, and a jockey on the other, as
in the cut, (taking care to reverse
the figures, or draw them upside
down to each other,) and by using
the different pairs of strings, you
may cause the rider to appear up-
on, leaping under, or by the siae
of the horse, as you please. For
other designs, we suggest a tight rope and a dancer ; a body and a head ;
a candle and a flame ; a picture and its frame, &c.

BATTLEDORE AND SHUTTLECOCK.

Battledores and Shuttlecocks are to be obtained cheap at all the toy-
shops. The gan)e is played by two persons, who, with the battledores,
strike the shuttlecock to and fro between them.

Shuttlecock is a boyish sport of long standing. It appears to have been
a fashionable game among grown persons in the reign of James the First,
and is mentioned as such in an old comedy of that time. Among the
anecdotes related of Prince Henry, son to James the First, is the following:
" His Highness playing at shuttlecock with one far taller than himself^
and hitting him, by chance, with the shuttlecock upon the forehead, 'This
is," quoth he, 'the encounter of David with Goliah.*"

28 MINOR SPORTS.

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.

Every boy knows how to trundle 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 lads, an agreeable jingle. In some
parts of England, boys drive their hoops one against the other, and the
player whose hoop falls in these encounters, is conquered.

THE WATCH-SPRING GUN.

Neatly cut a bit of wood, about four inches long, into the form of ihe
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 waxed
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 watch-maker's, cut off a piece of it about as long as the quill,
bend it backward, and tie one end ot it firmly to the upper part or butt
end of the stock. Then bore a small hole through the middle of the stock,
about half 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 drive the shot, or arrow, through the quill to a
considerable distance. If you use arrows, you may shoot at a little butt
or target.

CAT AND MOUSE.

This is a French sport. The toy with which it is played consists of
two flat bits of hard wood, the edges of one of which are notched. The
game is played by two only; they are both bhndfolded, and tied to the
ends of a long string, which is fastened in the centre to a post, by a loose
knot, so as to play easily in the evolutions made by the players. The
party who plays the mouse occasionally scrapes the toys together, and the
other, who plays the cat, attracted by the sound, endeavours to catch him.

MINOR SPORTS.

MISCELLANEOUS SPORTS.

Under this head we intend to describe a variety of amusing spons and
recreations, which could not, in strictness, be inserted among any of the
preceding classes.

BASTE THE BEAR.

Lois are drawn for the first bear, who takes his seat on a stone, with
one end of a rope, about three yards long, in his hand, the other end of
which is held by the bear's master. The other players attack the bear
with twisted handkerchiefs, and the master endeavours to touch one of
them ; if he can do so without letting the rope go, or pulling the bear from
his seat, tiie player so touched takes the place of the bear. Each hear has
the privilege of choosing his own master; being bear once, or even oftener,
does not exonerate a player, if fairly touched, from becoming so again.

DICK, DUCK, AND DRAKE.

From this eame comes the proverb which is frequently applied to a
■pendthrift, '« He is making ducks and drakes of his money. It is played
by skimming, or what boys call shying, bits of slate or flat stones along'the
surface of a river or pond. If the thing thrown touches the water and
rebounds once, it is a dick; if twice, a duck; if thrice, a drake. He who
makes his slate or pebble rebound the greatest number of limes, wins the
game.

INOll SPORTS.

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
Shadov/ Buff, which is
less known, but equally
amusing. A large piece
of white linen is sus-
pended smoothly at one
end of a room ; at a little
distance from it, BufFy,
with his face toward
the linen, is seated on
a low stool. Directiy 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 Bufty, (who
must not turn his head,) limping, hopping, and grimacing as tliey please,
so as to distort their shadows on the linen. If BufFy can tell correctly to
whom any shadow belongs, (guessing once only for each person,) the
player, whom he so discovers, takes his place.

Sliding is one of the diversions ascribed to young men of London by
Fitzstephen, and, as far as one can judge from his description of the sport,
it differed not in the performance from the method used by the boys of
our own time. He mentions another kind of pastime upon the ice,
which is even now practised by boys in several parts of England; his
words are to this effect: "Others make a seat of ice, as large as a mill-
stone, and having placed one of their companions upon it, they draw him
along, when it sometimes happens, that moving on slippery places, they all
fall down headlong." Sledges are, now-a-days, also used, which being
extended from a centre by means of a strong rope, those who are seated
in them are moved round wnth great velocity, and form an extensive circle.
Pledges of this kind were set upon the Thames in the time of a hard frost
at the commencement of the last century, as the following couplet, taken
irom a song written upon that occasion, plainly proves

" While the rabble in slettKes run giddily roand,
Aud nought but a circle of folly it fouud "

MINOR SPORTS.

Skating is by no means a modern pastime, and probably the invention
proceeded rather from necessity than the desire of amusemenL It is a
boast of a northern chieftain, that he could traverse the snow upon skates
of wood. Strutt states that he cannot by any means ascertain at what
time skating made its first appearance in England, but that some traces of
such an exercise are found in the thirteenth century ; at which period,
according to Fitzstephen, 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 tying
them round 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,
says the author, to a bird fly-
ing through the air, or an arrow
from a cross-bow; but some
allowance, we presume, must
be made for the poetical figure :
he then adds, "at times, two
of them thus furnished agree to set opposite one to another at a great dis-
tance ; they meet, elevate their poles, attack and strike each other, when
one or both of them fall, and not without some bodily hurt, and even after
their fall are carried a great distance from each other by the rapidity of
the motion, and whatever part of the head comes upon the ice it is sure
to be laid bare."

The wooden skates shod with iron or steel, which are bound about the
feet andankles like the talares of the Greeks and Romans, were, most pro-
bably, brought into England from the low countries, where they are said
to liave originated, and where, it is well known, they are almost univer-
sjilly used by persons of both sexes when the season permits. So^e
lu.idern writers have asserted that "the metropolis of Scotland has pro-
Jnced more instances of elegant skaHrs than, perhaps, any other country
whatever; and the institution of a skating club has contributed not a little
to the improvement of this amusement." Strutt, in noticing this, observes
that when the Serpentine river in Hyde Park was frozen over, he saw
four gentlemen there dance, if the expression may be allowed, a double
minuet, in skates, with a? much ease and, perhaps, more elegance, titan in

MINOR SPORTS.

a ball room; others again, by turning and winding with much adroitness,
have readily in succession described upon the ice the form of all the letters
in tjbe alphabet.

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
ground; a rope for this purpose must be fastened to the' back part of the
seat.

FRENCH AND ENGLISH.

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 line on
the ground, by means
of the rope. When al.
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 num-
ber may join in it, and it affords capital exercise and much amusement.

Tip-cat, or, perhaps, more properly, the game of cat, is a rustic pastime
well known in many parts of the kingdom. Its denomination is derived
from a piece of wood, called a cat, with which it is played; the cat is about
six inches in 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; by this curious contrivance, the places of the trap and ball are at
once suppHed, for when the cat is laid upon the ground, the player, with
his cudgel, strikes it smartly, it matters not at which end, and it will rise
with a rotatory 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 cat, but we shall only
notice the two that follow. The first is exceedingly simple, and consists
in making a large ring upon the ground, in the middle of which the striker

MIKOR SPORTS.

takes his station; his business is to beat the cat over the ring. If he fai!
in so doing he is out, and another player takes his place; if he be successful
he judges with his eye the distance thecal is driven from the centre of th«
ring, and rails 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 cudgel, 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 cudgel ; 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 struck,
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 groat distance,
they 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.

In some parts of England this game is called Pottle. 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 " scuf
fles," that is, jerks, with his right foot, the shell
out towards 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, scufides the shell
out as before, 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 bed,
alternately. He must then go to 4, 5, and 6, in
succession, and, at each throw, step into every pre-
vious bed, with one foot only, and the like when
coming back, reversing the numbers. After this,
the piavfr puts the shell into No. 1, hops into that bed, scuffles the shell
into 2, and so on to 6, and back again m the same manner, bed by bed,
to the *. Lastly, he places the shell into No. 1, puts his right foot m the
bed, and scuffles the snell through all the beds, beyond the further line of
at ont jerk. If ttie pUrer who gets the innings do all this correctly, he

MINOR SPORTS.

wns the game. If, however, he put himself out, as hereafter descrihed,
the second player takes the imiings ; if the latter put himself out, without
going through the game, the first takes uj) his own game, where it was
when he went out ; the second also does the like with his, if the first get
out a second time. When there are more than one innings, the first who
goes through the game, as above stated, wins. A player loses his innings
in either of the following cases : — If he
throw the shell into the wrong bed, or
on the line, or put two feet into one
bed, or a foot upon the linesj or do not
scuffle the shell out of the bed in which
it lies at the first attempt, or put his
hands to the ground, or throw or scuffle
the shell beyond line c, (except in the
last, or what is called " the long scuf-
fle,") or outside the lines ah; or if,
in going forward, he put his leg into
3 before 2, 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, lastly, if, in the long scuffle, he do not, at one eflbrt, send
it with his foot, from 1 beyond the fine of c. But observe, that when he
has cast the shell into No. 2, or any bed beyond it, he is not compelled to
scuffle it out, that is, beyond the hne d, at one eifort.

KING OF THE CASTLE.

This is a very unexceptionable and simple, but, nevertheless, lively sport.
One player places himself on tlie top of a little mound or hillock ; he is the
King of tlie Castle, and he endeavours to retain possession of his post, as
long as possible, against the attacks of his plajTuates, who endeavour, one at
a time, to push him off'. If he be driven off" ttie mound or hillock, the player
who dethrones him takes his place.

A plank placed across a felled tree, a 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, tiiat if the players be of unequal weighty, he who is the heavier
must, to preserve the due equilibrium, make his end of the plank shorter.

MINOR SPORTS.

This game is played as follows: — All the i)Iayers out one, collect at a
place called "home," while one goes oft" to hide himse'.t*. "When rendy, 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 discovery to
go and hide himself, and the
others endeavour to dis-
cover his lurking place, as
before.

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 dis-
coverer 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
n, by telling them that they burn, and to warn them of their departure
from it by saying they freeze.

HIPPAS.

The Greeks had a pastime called hippas, which, we are told, was one
person riding upon the shoulders of another, as upon a horse : a sport of
this kind was in practice with us at the commencement of the fourteenth
century, and is still occasionally seen in some parts of the country; it is
performed by two competitors, who struggle one wit-li the other, and he
who pulls his opponent from the shoulders of his carrier is the victor. A
soft piece of turf is usually chosen for this sport.

THREAD THE NEEDLE.

Thread the needle may be played by a considerable number of boys
who all join hands, and the game conmiences with the following dialogue
between the two outside players at each ei\d of the line: " How many
miles to Babylon?" •' Threescore and ten." " Can I get therj by can-

Jlelight?'

Yes, and back again." " Then open the gates without more

30 MINOR Sl'ORTS.

ado, and let tlie king and his men pass through." In obedience to this
nmndate, the playtn" who stands at the opposite end of the line and the
one next liim, lift their joined hands as high as possible; tlic other outside
nlaycr then approaches, runs under the hands thus elevated, and the whole
tine follows him, if possible, without disuniting. This is threading the
needle. The sanie dialogue is repeated, the respondent now becoming
the inquirer, and runtiing between the two players at the other end, with
the whole line after hin^. The first then has his turn again.

Duck should be played by a nnniber exceeding three, but not niore
than six or eight. A large stone with a smooth 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 ofling, each
endeavouring to knock it otf its place. Bach player, as soon as he has
t ast his duck, watches for an opportunity of carrying it back to the offing,
so as to cast again. It the player who is duck, can touch him after he has
taken up his pebble, and belbre he reaches the offing, provided his own
pebble remain on tlie large stone, then the player so touched becomes
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 .it the offing
is lucky enough to strike the duck off the large stone ; then, iielbre 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, th»;y are
safe.

HUNT THE SLIPPKR.

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 tbs
joyous ring. Several young persons sit on the ground in a circle, \
slipper is given to them, and one, who generally volunteers to accept t\\\
office in order to begin the game, stands in the centre, and whose business
it is to " chase the slipper by its sound." The parties who are seated, pans
it round so as to prevent, if possible, its being found in the possession nf
any individual. In order that the player in the centre may know where
the slipper is, it is occatiionully tapped on the ground, and then suddP' J

MINOa SPORTS. 37

handed on to the riRht or left. When the slipper is found in the postet-
lion of any one in the circle, by the player who is hunting it, th" imrfv <m
whom it is so found tAkes the Utter player's place.

TALL MALL.

Pall-mnll U a frame wherein a round piece of box is struck, with «
mallet, t; ';ii,'h arch of iron, whicli he that can do at the frwesl

blows, VI her agreed upon, wins. Iti:> to be obser\rd. tliat there

are two • i>os, that is, one at either end of the alley- The game

of Mall \^aa a fashionable amusement in the reign of Charles 11., and the
walk in St. James's Park, now called the Mall, received its name from

having been ay • ■• ' •■ •' ■>.•■. •-• nl.iying at Mall, wli- • • (''■ •'i---^

himself, and li <'<! themselves in ;

of this pastime. ■ :vcn to this game, i >.

derivecl from the 11. ■ players lu .-<uikc

the ball. It will be ; nilar to (luff; we

have been told that ii .:... ^.- -^ , _; :...^..uid; but we must

confess that it never feU under our personal observation.

HOP, STEP, AND JUMP.

This is a sport of emulation; the object is to ascertain which of fh«
players concerned can, eventually, go over the greatest portion *" .t

!n a hop, a step, and a jump, performed in succession, and wl:
taken either standing or with a run, as may be agreed, at i
between the players.

DKAWINO THE OTP.N.

Several players seat themselves on the ground, in a line, and in such a
manner that earh may be clasped round the body by the player who is
•eated I" ' When all are l\ms united, two otli.

who Is !!• ity of the line by the two hands, ai

•enarate tie grasp of the one who is behind I

take the !>«cuitd Ui the same manner, and to on until they have thus ilrawn
the whole hne.

THE LAME LAMrLIOIITERS.

Two hoys kn^, eseh on one knee only, holding the other leg off

thr .. ■ ' ■:,•■■'.,;••■ : . ur, and

at) .mine

tli<' :o be

thrown otf ihvir baUitte l>y the lca;>l iiiutioit, tlicy Mill futU this so dlfii-
cuU a matter as to cause great diversion to the spectators.

38 MINOR SPORTS.

THE WOODEN BOTTLE.

This is a sport similar to the preceding one, frequently played by the
parlour fire-side, in holiday time: — an individual seals himself on a
wooden bottle which is placed sideways upon the floor, and endeavours,
with a burning candle, which he holds in his right hand, to light another
in his left.

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 in the case of a common skipping-rope. The principal diffi-
culty 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, in its circuit, it comes toward the feet. Care must be
taken that due time be kept in 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 skipping 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 handkerchief is thus dropped immediately follows the one who dropped
it: those who stood on each side complete the circle by joining hands, and
the chace 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 them for his accommodation, and endeavours, by all the 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 latter 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, or 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

MINOR SPORTS. 39

game, stands by as an 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 hori-
tontal 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 unnecessary, 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?" TVie player who gives the back makes
a guess; if he name the right number, the other player becomes Ruck,
and. gives him a back. If, however, his guess be an incorrect one, the
rider gets off, vaults on again, holds up the same or a different number oi
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 iL

THE SNOW STATUE.

In those days, when winter clothes the surface of the earth with a
mantle of snow, and many of the amusements of the playground are
thereby suspended, it is a custom with boys, as some of our young readers,
doubtless, very well know, to make that which is an impediment to their
old recreations, a material for new ones. Then do snow-balls, harmless if
lightly compressed, but otherwise if strongly kneaded, fly about in abun-
dance. Caves, and even pigmy fortresses, are constructed; the rolling
ball, which is first rounded by the little hands of a child, becomes, in a few
hours, by driving it over the snow, too big for a man to move. When the
joyous tenants of the playground have become fatigued with rolling the
baill, or it has acquired a size and weight superior to their united powers,
it is a conuuon practice with them to cut a rude resemblance of a man out
of the mass, adding to its height and diminishing its breadth. This is
called the Snow Statue; and when complete, the young sculptors retire to
a convenient distance, and, with the aid of snow-balls, each tries his utmost
to demolish that which tlicy have just taken such pains to construct.

MINOR SPORTS

We are well aware that there are other Minor Sports and PasUmes
practised in playgrounds in different parts of the country, besides those we
nave described ; it would be impossible for us " to press the endless throng"'
within our limits. We have given a selection of the best, and of those
which most required explanation. We are also aware, that the rules of
some of the Sports vary in different places ; — where this is the case, we
have given those which are most generally adopted. Many games and
amusements which might have been inserted in this part of the work, will
be found placed with greater propriety, under other heads.

We shall conclude this article with repeating, in other words, a whole-
some piece of advice to the Minors : we beg to remind them, that they
•hould not have recourse to toys, in the hours allotted for study, lest the
grave preceptor come upon them in the midst of their mis-timed sport*
and join with them in an unpleasant game of

^ops antt ISottoms

<atf)letic Sports:

ARCHERY;
CRICKET;
GYMNASTICS ;
FENCING.

ARCHERY.

To nare his own and Albert's life,
Tell is to shoot an apple from the head
Of his own child.

WiLUAM Tell.

In this island, Archery was greatly encouraged in former times, and
many statutes were made for its regulation. The Artillery Company of
London, though they have long disused the weapons^ are the remains of
the ancient frateniily of Bowmen or Archers. As to the time when shoot-
ing with the long bow first began amongst the English, there appears no
certain accomit. Richard I. was killed by an arrow, in 1199; after this
time, we read nothing of Archer)', till tliat of Edward III., when an order
was issued to the sheriffs of njost of the English counties, to provide five
hundred wliile bows, and five hiuidrcd bundles of arrows, for the then
intended war against France. The famous battle of Cressy was fought four
years afterward, in which, it is statinl, that we had about two tliousand
archers, opposetl to about tlie 8;ime number of French. In the fifth year
of the niini nf Etlward IV. an act was passed, that everj* Englishman, and

44 ARCHERY.

Irishman dwelling with Englishmen, should have an English bow of his
own height, which is directed to be made of yew, wych, hazel, ash, or
awburne, or any other reasonable tree, according to their power. The
next chapter also directed, that butts should be made in every township,
which the inhabitants were obliged to shoot at, every feast day, under the
penalty of one half-penny when they should omit this exercise. During
the reign of Henry VIII. several statutes were made for the promotion of
Archery. An act of parliament, in Elizabeth's reign, regulated the price
of bows. Charles I. is said to have been an Archer; and, in the eighth
year of his reign, he issued a commission to prevent the fields near
London being so inclosed as " to interrupt the necessary and profitable
exercise of shooting." So lately as the year 1753, targets were erected in
the Finsbury fields, during the Easter and Whitsuntide holidays, when
the best shooter was styled "Captain" for the ensuing year, and the
second, "Lieutenant." Edward VI., in his journal, says, that one hun-
dred Archers of his guard shot, before him, two arrows each, and after-
ward, all together; and that they shot at an inch board, which some pierced
quite through with the heads of their arrows, the board being well sea-
soned timber. The distance of the mark is not mentioned. As a pastime
there is none, perhaps, superior to this; it is now, and for years past has
leen, highly popular in this country; in fact, judging from the past and
the present, we may venture to predict that

The Archer's sport will uever be extinct.
Until the memory of Robin Hood,
Of Crtssy's well-fou?ht field, and Chery Chase,
Be blotted from the tablet of our minds

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 construc-
tion of a good bow himself, bow-making being a trade which requires many
years' practice and much attention ; in fact, there are few persons, now-a-
days, although there are many bowyers, who can manufacture bows of a
superior description. Mr. Thomas Waring, of Caroline-Street, Bedford-
Row, is, doubtless, the most skilful bowyer of the day, and to him we
recommend our young friends to apply if they have any inclination to equip
themselves in proper style, for the enjoyment of the noble pastime of
Archery.

The back of the bow is the flat outside, and the belly the round inside
part of it. The round inside part is bent inward ; if the bow be pulled
the reverse way, itwill break ; therefore, however a bow may be bent when
unstrung, it is'invariably to be strung with the round part inward.

AKCHERY. 45

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 according to the fancy of the Archer. Some
are made so as to taper gradually from the feathers to the pile, and some
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 colour from the other two,
and this is always to be placed uppermosL

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;
otherwise, it will be in danger of breaking; and this is not the only mis-
chief, for from the breaking of a siring 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 ravelled ; 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 admeasurement.

THE TASSEL.

This is very necessary to the archer for the pupose of cleaning the arrow
from such dirt as generally adheres to it if it enter the ground. This dirt,
if suffered to remain, will impede the arrow in its flight, and also render
its course untrue. 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

46 ARCHERY.

tops, nor be diawn back to cover the first joint. The glove is used for the
purpose of protecting 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
siring, 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 impe-
diment.

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 occa-
sionally 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.

THE ASCHAM.

This is a large case, fitted up with the necessary drawers and compart-
ments for the reception of the bow, stock of arrows, strings, and all the
necessary accoutrements of the archer.

BUTTS.

The butt is rather pyramidicalin 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, 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 pasteboard
is placed in the centre of the butt for a mark, which must be increased or
decreased in size according to the distance 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
distances 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 cae first shot from.

ARCHKRy. 4 7

TARGETS.

Targets should be proportioned to the size and skill of the jnvenile
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 milled board, 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, ihereiore, generally used, and the archers shoot from one to the other.
In Archt-ry 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 distinction made. The gold centre is the mark, and the cir-
cle which approaches nearest to it, being less in size, and, consequently,
more difficult to hit, and nearer the main mark itself, an arrow shot m
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 num-
bers 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, however, seems to think, that the outer circles are over-
rated, 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 tfkt black-lead pencil are liable to be rubbed out, it is
advisable to have a pin suspended 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 Umb of the bow below the eye of the string, the

ARCHERY.

forefinger knuckle upon one edge of the bow, and the top of the thumb on
the other. The bow is now to be pulled up vigorously, and the upper
limb of it pressed down by the right hand, and the wrist of the left, which
should at the same 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 string-
mg 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
becomes loose enough, the eye is to be brought out of the i^ock, 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 toward the east; the head
should be rather inclined ; the left hand,
with the bow in it in a perpendicular i
position, is to be held out straight to- >
ward 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 fore-finger 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 fore-
finger of the left hand is removed and
placed round the bow. While the left
hand is raising the bow, the right
should be drawmg 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 repre-
sented In the marginal cut, for bad attitudes in Archery appear extremely
ridiculous.

ARCHERY.' 49

FLIGHT-SHOOTING.

Fliglit-sliooting was, at one time, mucli more frequently practised with
tlie long how than it is at present. The object in flight-shooting is simply
to ascertain which ofa party can shoot to the greatest distance ; this must,
of course, he very detrimental to bows, which are more frequently snapped
in flight-shooting than at any other pastime with the long bow. No skill
in aiming is requisite in flight-shooting; it is, therefore, by no means im-
proving to the young Archer, who wishes to excel as a marksman. The
longest and lightest arrows that the bow will bear are used in flight -
hooting ; the game is generally seven.

CLOUT-SHOOTING.

Clout-sliooling is mostly practised by those who cannot conveniently
set lip butts or targets near home. The clout, which is quite portable, is
made of a round piece of pasteboard, thirty-six inches in circumference,
fastened to a stick ; or it may be made of white cloth, so contrived as to
roll up on a stick which is run through it In clout-shoodng, seven is the
game, and all arrows tell that fall within three bows' length of the clout.

ROVING.

This is a very pleasant pastime with the long bow ; and is, indeed, by
some, preferred even to target-shooting. The parties are not restricted
to any particular place, but rove about from field to field for miles around,
if they think fit. The mark is any clear and conspicuous object, such
as a tree or a bush. The number ot the game is, in general, as in flight
and clout-shooting, seven ; but it may be increased or decreased, accordmg
to the inclination of the parties. If there be more than six persons in a
roving party, they should divide themselves into companies; and when
the first company have shot to, and walked some distance from, the first
mark, the second should shoot at it ; and so on with those that follow.
Arrows that reach within five 'jows' length of the mark tell ; but those
which reach nearest cut the others out. In measuring the distance, the
Archer does so with his own bow, from a spot in the mark which is one
foot from the ground ; and the first arrow is ttie one that is nearest, not to
the mark, but to that point or spot of the mark. The Archer may mea-
sure to what part of his arrow he pleases. He who slioots nearest has the
privilege of indicating the next mark. It is better to use blunt-headed
arrows in Roving than sharp ones ; as it not unfrccjuently happens that
the latter are driven so firmly into the mark as to make it a matter of
difficulty to extract them : should this occur, it is advisable to cut away
the wood around the arrow , rather than endeavour to tug it out by violence.
Every Rover should carry at least a dozen arrows with him, in order to
be prepared against accidents.

ARCHERY.

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

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 ancle, shoot only at a considerable elevation. After
two or three arrows are shot, the Archer should cease awhile, otherwise
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 eleva-
tion, 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 moisture of the grass, or ground, when shot point-
blank. Arrows should not be used of different lengths, nor should the
young Archer shoot alone ; for in solitary shooting, he falls into habits of
negligence and indifference ; if he practise 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

CRICKET.

The V ^u;lifu'. Y.M.minrv nre in the field,—
Their tents are pitciicd, and every heart beats high
To join the friendly strife :— their stoutest forts
Are slender wickets ;— all their entrenchments,
A popping and a bowling-crease ; their weapons.
Bats ; their ammnnition, a brace of balls ;
In leathern and tight-fitting jerkins clad.

Tins truly EngliiiU pa.stime, although loug a favourite witli the people
of tJiis tountry, never reached to a greater degree of popularity than it
j>ossfsse» at this time. It is a favourite with tlie peer and the peasant, —
the Sot-iius Socielatis Artitim and tlie school-l)oy. Royalty has, hentufore,
stocnl hat in ha7id at the popping-crease, surrounded by those youthful
buds of nobility of which our nation has since been proud ; and, strange
thouf^h it may seem, yet it is no less strange thau true, — young matrons
liavf played matches at Cricket against maidens, without impeachment to
ihrir usual reputation, and having husbands, brotht-rs, and sweethearts,
for their spectators. la many counties, Cricket is the universal pastime
of the pcoi)le ; in others, it is rarely jdayed, and in some, scarcely men-
tioned. The Ban of Devon, who deems all sports inferior to wrestHng,
and the inhabitant of Bomersct, who doats upon the maidy game of back-
sword, seldom bestniva thought upon Cricket; it is, nevertlieless, esteemed
and enjoved by the people of other coiuities, especially those about the
d2 '

metropolis, as a sport paramount, and practised in so great a degree, as
nearly to exclude all other manly field recreations of a similar nature.

Cricket is usually played by eleven persons on each side, though a less
number is sufficient. Two umpires are to be appointed in order to settle
all disputes that may arise ; they are to take their stations at each uicket,
and should be well acquainted with the laws of the game. The umpire
at the striker's wicket should be rather behind it, so as not to be in the
way of the players ; and the umpire at the bowler's wicket, directly behind
it, to see that the striker does not strike the ball with his leg.

BATS, BALLS, WICKETS, &C.

The bat should not be higher than twenty-one inches in the pod, and
four inches and a quarter in the widest part ; this is the size for men; boys
must, of course, have bats in proportion to their size and strength.

The ball, for the use of men, should weigh about five ounces ; for youth,
however, it should be hghter.

Full-sized wickets are three stumps, which are sufficiently long to
leave twenty-four inches out of the ground, with a bail, seven inches long,
to fit the top. These, like the bat and ball, must be decreased in size for
the young cricketer. They should be placed directly opposite to each
other, at the distance of twenty-two yards for men, but varying accord-
ing to the size of the player.

The bowling crease should be in a liqe with the wicket, and have a
return crease.

The popping crease should be three or four feet from the wicket, and
exactly parallel with it.

THE BOWLER.

Bowling is a very important part of the game, and requires great
steadiness. Bad bowling is often the cause of losing a game. A bowler
should not be too systematic, but vary his balls faster or slower, according
to the peculiarities of the striker. The bowler and his partner at the
opposite wicket should have a secret sign, by which they may hint to each
other the propriety of varying the direction or swiftness of the balls. The
mode of bowling most generally approved of, is to hold the ball with t(Ck
seam across, so that the tips of the fingers may touch ; it should be haf
with just a sufecient grasp to keep it steady ; by a turn of the wrist, it
may be made to cut or twist after it is grounded, which will frequently
perplex expert players.

THE STRIKER, OR BATSMAN.

The striker should always be ready for running ; when his partner is
about to strike, he should stand before the popping crease, but he must be

CRICKET. 53

cautious not to leave the ground before the ball is out of the bowler'i
hand ; fur if he do, the bowler may put down his wicket, and he will, of
course, be ouL As soon as the ball is deUvered, the striker may follow it,
but should not run too far, so that, if no runs be obtained, he may return
in time to save his wicket. The bat should be kept on the outside of the
opposite partner, and care taken not to run aigainst him.

THE WICKET-KEEPER.

The wicket-keeper should not suffer tiie striker to move from his
ground without knocking down liis wicket, which is called "stumping ouu"

THE FIRST SHORT-SLIP.

The f5rst short-sHp should stand so as to reach within two feet of the
wicket-keeper; if the latter should go from the wicket atter the ball, the
first short-slip should take his place until his return ; but no player should
take the ball before the wicket-keeper, provided it be coming straight to
him.

THE POINT.

The point should place himself in the popping crease, about seven yards
from the striker. In backing up, he shoiild take care to give the slip
sufficient room.

LEG, OR HIP.

Leg, or hip, should stand a little back from the straight Une of the
popi>ing crease.

LONG-STOP.

Long-stop should stand a proper distance behind the wicket, to save a
run, if the ball should not be stopped by the striker or wicket-keeper.
The person, who is placed in this situation, should not be afraid of the ball
when bowled swift. He should also be able to throw in well, as it is not
only to the balls that pass the wicket-keeper, but to such as are just tipped
with the edge of the bat, that he will have to attend. He must also be
attentive in backing up.

W THE LONG-SLIP TO COVER THE SHORT-SLIP

Tliis player must stand about the same distance from the wicket as
the long-stop, in a Une with the striker, between the point and the short*
slip.

TO COWER THE POINT AND MIDDLE-WICKET.

This player's place is on the offside, so that if the ball should be hit
to the point and middle-wicket man, aud misled, he will be in readiness

to receive it.

54 CRICKET.

THE LONG-FIELD OFF SIDE.

He should be placed on the off side, between the middle wicket-man
and the bowler, at a considerable di.stance in the field, so as to cover them.
It is desirable to appoint a person to this situation, who can throw well
and judiciously.

LONG-FIELD ON SIDE.

Long-field on side is at some distance wide of the bowler's v\-icket, so
as to prevent a second run.

If there be more players, they may be placed to back up, or save runs,
in different situations about the field.

Laws OF CRICKET.

The bowler should deliver the ball with one foot behind the bowhng
crease, and within the return crease. He should bowl four bails before a
change of wickets, which he is to do but once in the same innings. He
must be careful to toss the ball in such a way that the striker can play at
it ; for if he should toss it above the striker's head, or out of the bounds of
the bowling crease, the party which is in shall be allowed one notch, to
be put down to the byes ; and such ball is not to be considered as one of
the four balls. When the umpire calls '* In ball," the hitter may strike at
it, and get all the runs he can. When an exchange of bowler takes place,
no more than two balls can be allowed for practice. If the arm be ex-
tended straight from the body, or the back part of the hand be upper-
most when the ball is delivered, the umpire shall immediately call " ^■ o
ball."

The striker, or batsman, is always out when the bail is knocked off the
stump; when a stump is bowled out of the ground; or, if the ball should,
from a stroke over or under his bat, or upon his hands, (but not his wrists,)
be held before it touches the ground, even if it should be pressed to the
body of the catcher ; or if, while he is striking, or at any other time when
the ball is in play, both his feet are over the popping crease, and his
wicket put down, except when his bat be on the ground within it. Like-
wise, if he hit down his own wicket ; or, if either of the strikers prevent a
ball from being caught, the striker shall be out ; or, if the ball be struck up,
and the hitter wilfully strike it again ; or if, in attempting to run a notch,
the wicket be struck down by a throw, or with the ball in hand, before his
foot, hand, or bat is grounded over the popping crease. If the striker
remove or take up his ball while in play, without being requested by the
opposite party ; or if, with his leg or foot, he stop a ball which has been
pitched in a straight line to the striker's wicket. If " A lost ball" be called,
the striker shall be allowed four notches. If the players have crossed each

CRICKET. 55

other in running, he that runs for the wicket which is put down, shall be
out ; but if they have not crossed each other, he that nas left the wicket
which is put down, shall be out.

Svhen a ball is caught, no notch shall be reckoned. When a striker
is run out, the notch they were running for shall not be reckoned.
While the ball is kept in the bowler's or wicket-keeper's hand, it is con-
sidered no longer in play, nor are the strikers bound to keep within their
bounds till the umpirf has called " Play;' but if a player should go out ol
his ground, with intent to run, before the ball is delivered, the bowler
may. put him out. If a striker be hurt by a ball, or otherwise, during his
play, he may retire from his wicket and continue his innings; and another
person maybe permitted to stand out for him, but not go in. If any
player should stop the ball intentionally with his bat, it shall then be con-
sidered dead, and the opposite party may add five notches to the score.

If the ball be struck up, the striker may guard his wicket either with
his bat or his body. If the striker hit the ball against the wicket of his
partner when he is off liis ground, he is out, if it have previously touched
the bowler's or any of the field-men's hands, but not otherwise.

Two minutes are allowed for each man to come in, and fifteen minutes
between each innings; when upon the umpires calling ♦' Play," the party
refusing to play, shall lose the match.

The umpire should observe the situation of the bowler's foot when he
delivers the ball, and if it be not behind the bowling crease, and within
the return crease, he shall call " No ball." If the striker should run a
notch, the umpire shall call '* \o notch." The umpire at tlie bowler's
wicket has a right to be first applied to fur his decision on the catches.

SINGLE WICKET.

The game of Single Wicket is not so interesting as that of Double
Wicket; but it may be playtd by almost any number of persons, though
it is seldom played with more than four ur six on a side. The business of
a bowler and striker is nearly the same as in Double Wicket.

When the striker runs to the bowler's wicket, and knocks the bail
from otf two stumps placed there, with his bat, and returns to his own
wicket without having it knocked down Uy the ball, he is entitled to count
one notch. After he has run one notch, if he start for another, he must
touch the bowUng stump, and turn again, before the ball crosses the play,
to entitle him to another notch, lie is entitled to three notches for a lost
ball.

If four, or a less number are at play, then they should make all hits
before the wicket, with bounds, &c. and not move off the ground, except
by agreement Where there are more than four players on a side, there
should be no bounds f and all hits, byes, und overthrows, should be

C KICK EX.

allowed. It is, of course, to be understood, that the bowler must bowl at
the usual distance from the wicket. No more than one minute is to be
allowed between each ball. When the striker hits the ball, one of his feet
must be on the ground, and behind the popping-crease ; otherwise the
umpire shall call •' No hit." The field's-man must return the ball, so that
it shall cross the play between the wicket and the bowling-stump ; or be-
tween the wicket and the bounds ; the striker may run till the ball shall be
so returned. These are the principal rules and regulations adopted by
the most experienced Cricket- players, at the game of Single Wicket. The
distance between the wickets is precisely the same as at Double Wicket,
consequently, the runner has twice the ground to run, in obtaining each
notch; but we would suggest, that this evil might be remedied by running
only a little more than half the usual distance : by this method, Single
Wicket will be rendered much less fatiguing, and far more lively and
amusing^ at least to

d)c ISatsman.

GYMNASTICS

^ 'fc ^

(/V ^^

Riiroll'il among our Oyunasu, me pale yovi'!..
WTiote limbs, erewbile, weak aui< of n.uscle %oid,
TotKr'il beneath their puny load, toon ^aint
The bloom of health : and iiiues forth, at lait.
Robust and bardy as ibe muuutaineer

Gymnastic Exercises have lately attained considerable popularity,
not only in this country, but also in I^russia, and other parts of the Con-
tinent. ' They niay be said to be a series of regular and systematic exer-
cises, adapti'd tohring into play, and consequently improve, the strength
and activity of the various muscles in the human frame ; imparting a
knowledge'of the proper use of each, and teaching the pupil the means of
disposing of his natural powers to the best advantatje. They are also cal-
culated to inspire him with confidence in a moment of dancer, and to
enable him to extricate himself, as well as others, from peril, by his
increased bodily agili(y, and the experience he has acquired, as to the
most advantageous mode of its application. A cotemporary writer on this
subject makes the following observations in support of the assertion that
Gvannastic Exercises confer courage at)d presence of mind. " Courage is
t;eneraled by confidence, and confidence is acquired by practice. A

58 GYMNASTICS.

hazardous undertaking which we have often achieved, ceases to be consi-
dered as any further dangerous than affording us an occasion to call forth
all our energies. The well-taught Gymnast would, in a case of necessity,
take a leap which few could perform, if any would venture. Leaps of great
distances and heights he has often attempted with success By him the
length, the height, and the intervening obstacles could be measured in a
moment. Rehearsals of such situations and circumstances have been his
daily amusement. He cannot be dismayed at danger who has often played
with it, and the principles of his art have supplied him with means to
disarm it of half its power. To illustrate the foregoing remarks, we shall
here relate what we consider an instance of the coolness, accuracy, and
presence of mind to be acquired by daily practice. Walking out one day
near the city of Edinburgh, our attention was attracted to a field where the
Royal Company of Archers were practising. A man, hired for the purpose,
and trained to the duty, was stationed at the target, with a small flag in
his hand to mark the spot where the arrows fell, the distance being very
considerable. It is incredible with what accurate perception this man fol-
lowed the arrow in its rapid passage along the arch it made in the sky ;
and with what accuracy he seemed to conjecture how near the target, or
on what side it would fall. He stood close to the target, almost touching
it with his right arm : one arrow flew through the air ; he narrowly ob-
served the feathered messenger advancing rapidly in its course — he stepped
one step to the left, and the arrow stuck firmly in the ground a few inches
to his right, betwixt him and the target. He waved his flag to the spot,
and a second arrow was sent ; from this he escaped by darting a little to
the right. To save himself from the third, he had no occasion to move
from his station, as he coolly saw it deposited in the lower part of the
target. It is needless to detail the rest. The arrows stuck before, behind,
and on each side of him. The exercise at last concluded; and it seemed
no less surprising to us the insensibility to danger, which this man, for the
sake of a little gain, exhibited, than the confidence which his employers
doubtless had in the acuteness of his perception."

The same writer elsewhere observes, that " the ancients, particularly
the free states of Greece, cultivated the study of Gymnastics as an impor-
tant branch of the education of youth. Having frequently to defend
their liberties, either against the encroachments of kindred states, or the
ambition of powerful foreign enemies, they considered it highly necessary
to inure their youth to hardy and even violent exercise, that their minds
might not be daunted in the hour of danger, nor their bodies sink under
the necessary fatigues of v/arfare."

GYMNASTICS.

GYMNASTIC EXERCISES.

The neces^ary fittings-up of a Gymnastic ground are as follow : — An
horizontal bar, a vaulting-horse, a loaping-sund, parallel bars, a climbing-
stand, anil ladders of rope and wood.

The ''ost time for performing Gymnastics is early in the morning
Roys bliould proceed gradually from the more easy to the difficult exer-
cise! ; and it is most advisable to practise these sports under the eye of an
experienced person. Where there is a number of boys, they should be
•iivided into classes, according to their strength. It is advisable to carry
no toys in the pockets when practising; extra clothes should be put on
» hen 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 m health is injured by being
overheated ; but drinking when extremely hot, or being cooled too quickly,
in whatever manner it happens, may prove highly pernicious. It is
proper, therefore, to take off what clothing can be decently spared, before
begmning to exercise, and put it on again immediately aAer. Lying
down upon the cold ground, too, must not be allowed. On commencing

60 GYMNASTICS.

any exercise, begin, not with its more violent degrees, but with tlie more
gentle, and leave off in the same manner : sudden transitions are always
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 all the parts of the body, that none may be
exposed to injury : for example, the tongue must never be suffered to
remain between the teeth. The left hand and arm are commonly weaker
than the right; let them be frequently exercised, therefore, by lifting,
carrying, and supporting the weight of the body by suspension, till they
become a% strong as the others.

Although walking, running, dancing, balancing, vaulting, climbing,
jumping, wrestling, riding, swimming, and all other muscular exercises,
may be included in the term Gymnastics, the common course adopted at
the schools includes only walking, running, jumping, vaulting, balancing,
and climbing.

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 ball of the fooL
On starting, the pupil 3l|puld 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.

In running, the legs should not be raised too high ; the arms should
be nearly still, so that no unnecessary opposition be given to the air by
useless motions. Running in a circle is excellent exercise, but the
direction should be occasionally changed, so that both sides may be equally
worked .

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 taking 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 sl.ort,
and increase in quickness as you approach the leap. Begin with a
n.cderate height or breadth, and increase both as you improve.

OYMNASTICS.

PARALLEL TARS.

Rppin by raising the body by the hands, and then moving the hands
nlternately, 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 performed by supporting the
body by the arms, with the stomach up-
ward, 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 toward the hams, and sinking
V i i iS^ ^§ ?)_ gradually until the elbows are even with

ki^ I ! ^j^^t^" the head; rise again by straightening the

arms, and repeat the exercise several
times. Many other exercises may be
til on these bars, which will occur to the pupil in the course of
lii.s piacticc.

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 manner with ease, place the hands on the further

side of the bar from you, and raise
^, ^^ the body as before. In the next ex-

ercise, 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 alter-
nately along the bar. Keep the legs
close, lift the feet so as to touch the
bar anil sink them down again; re-
peat 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 bands, and pass the feet between tliexn, until they hang

GYMNASTICS.

downward; yon may either return them the same way, or drop upon your
toes to the ground.

THE LONG 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 about twenty paces.

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.

THE HIGH LEAP.

Get a stand made of two upright posts, bored through with holes,
tlirough 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 pre-
vent your carrying it away with your foot,
in case you touch it while leaping; or you
may have holes bored to admit moveable
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 particularly careful not to alight on your
heels, but rather oh the toes and balls of
the feet.

S^t^vi*.*

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 riglu foot, and pass by the left of the pole, over whatever you
have to clear, turning round as you alight, so as to f'ont the place you
l-^apfrom.

OYMNASTICS.

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
ix>und 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 LONG LEAP WITH THE POLE.

This is performed precisely as the last, only that you spring forward,
rather than high; it may be practised across the trench.

VAULTING.

Tlie 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 should be wide enough apart for a person to sit between them
with ease. The horse may be wadded or not, according to fancy. Leaping
on the horse is performed by springing by the hands astride upon it. The
body is raised m the same manner, until the feet reach high enough to
sta/id 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 without 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 sideway over the horse,
the hands must be placed as above,
and a spring made sufficient 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 alternately, 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
aAcr 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 ol that foot.

OVMNASTICS.

THE PLANK.

The breadth of the plank should be about two feet ; its thickness, two
iches; to climb it, the hands are to be placed on each side, and the feet
on its surface; ascend by moving them alter-
nately. Elevate the plank by degrees as you
improve in the exercise. 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 inclined
plane; to ascend a horizontal plank, the
body is curved inward more from the shoul-
ders downward, and the legs thrust up so
that the higher one is nearly even with the
hand.

ASCUNUING THE LADDER.

Take hold of each side of the ladder, and ascend by moving 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 himself 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 alternately, and keep the legs close and
steady.

TO CLIMB THE PERPENDICULAR OR SLANT POLE.

Move the legs and hands alternately, taking care, however, not to place
the hands over each other, as in chmbing 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.

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 their weight on the rope, and continually increasmg
in speed until they touch the ground only at intervals with their toes.
( Vide cut at commencement of Gymnastic Exercises.)

GYMNASTICS.

GYMNASTIC RECREATIONS.

The following Recreations of skill and agility, will, we have no doubt,
prove highly attractive to our youthful readers; they are, with two or three
exceptions, entirely distinct from the usual Gymnastic Exercises; and will
be found, on account of their being less formal, more amuning, perhaps,
than the preceding ones.

STEPPING THROUGH VOUR OWN FINGERS.

Get a bit of wood, or half of a tobacco-pipe, hold it between the two
fore-fingers of each hand, and, without letting it go, after a little practice,
you may leap over it, forward and backward, without difficulty : when
perfect in this, you may, as the writer of this hau> frequently done, place
the tops of »he 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
difficulty consists in clearing the heels.

« THB TRIUMPH.

Place the palms of the hands together, behind you, with the fingers
downward, and the thumbs nearest tlie 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 finders
toward the head. This is a very difficult feat, and well deserves its utle.

(]i5 GYMNASTICS.

THE JAVELIN.

This is a' capital Gymnastic Recreation. Get a heavy pole, shod at one
end vAth iron, or a spike, if you think proper ; elevate" it with the other

hand to the height of tlie ear, and
cast it at a target. At some of the
gymnastic schools, the pupils are
taught to cast the pole with their
fingers, as they would a reed ; this is
a bad practice, — ihe spear should be
grasped with the whole hand, the
butt end of it coming out between
the fore-finger and thumb, and the
front or shod part projecting from
i;^- the little finger, which ought to en-
.*. circle it as much as its thickness will
,'. ■ "^^ermit ; poise it accurately, and take
*your aim deliberately before you
■ cast it. When you cast, throw your

arm back as far as possible, and deliver the pole with all your force.

DOT AND CARRY 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 ot
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.

PROSTRATE AND PERPENDICULAR.

Hold your arms on your breast, He on your back and get up again,
without making use of either your elbows' or hands.

THE FLYING BOOK.

Place a book, or other convenient thing, between the two feet, in such
a way that it is held between the ancles and the inner side of the feet; then
kick up, backwards, with both feet, and throw the book over your head.

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.

GYMNASTICS. (J7

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 beyond wliich they must not

pass. One hand, either right
or left, at option, is then to
be thrown forward (without
touching the floor in its pas-
sage) so far and no farther
tlian you can spring back
again from the liorizontal
position to the original up-
right position of the body,
without disturbing the stated
posture of the feet, or scraping the floor with the hand in the back-spring.
The dbtance, 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.

When you have ascertained the distance at which vou 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 bo^y is sup-
ported 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, with-
out 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 teet,
or five feet and a few inches, who will chalk considerably further 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 reconunended, (and allowable,)
to move the feet backward from the line of demarcation, as far as you
can, which will bring the body much lower than it is in the figure, and
enable you to chalk, at least, the full length of your.-eif, which is consi-
dered pretty good chalking, although there are persons who will exceed
the distance very considerably. Those who perform this trick the best,
contrive, when on the stretch, that the body may rest upon the elbow.

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.
F. 2

GYMNASTICS.

THE TURN-OVER.

In perfomiiiig this feat, it is necessary to take a run 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 will be to the v;all.
The toe of the right foot is the point
upon which you must turn; and it
must not quit the wall during the
performance of the exploit. To per-
form the turn-over appears to be a
matter of considerable difficulty, at
the first glance of the description ;
but it may be attempted by a lad of
tolerable activity, who lias made him-
self master of the instructions, with-
out danger, and, in a short time, accomplished with facility. Ordinary
care must, of course, be taken during the early attempts.

TRIAL OF THE THUMB.

This feat is very simple. Place the inside of the thumb against the
edge of a table, and then move your feet backward as lar as you can

from the table, so as to be able to re-
cover your upright position by the
spring of your thumb without moving
your feet. You may accomplish this
feat with much greater ease, if, pre-
viously to springing from the thumb,
you make two or three bends to and
fro with your body. Neither the fin-
gers, nor any part of the hand, except
the thumb, should touch the table. It
is advisable to begin by making the
spring with your feet at a short dis-
tance only from the table at first, and
to draw them further from it gra-
dually as you improve in the perform-
ance 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.

GYMNASTICS.

THE PALM-SPRING.

A feat, which affords excellent exercise, something similar to the
Thumb-trick, is performed by standing witli your face toward a wall
and throwing yourself forward ufitil
you support 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
recover your former erect station by
springing from your hand, without
bringing your feet forward. According
to the greater or less distance yon 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 yowr feet placed full tuo-thirds of your own height distant from
the wail.

THE STOOPING STUETCH,

This feat, in which considerable agility may be acquired by practice,
is performed in the following 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
tl.e right hand between the legs imme-
diately under the right knee, and chalk
the floor as far beyond the line as yon
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 ch;Uk only,
which is held between the two fore-
fingers, touches the floor. Your knee and body may project over the
chalk line, if your feet keep their proper place, as above directed, on the
outer side of lU

GYMNASTICS.

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, in the position indicated by the

cut, and with your two hands, take
hold about the seat rail ; bring
your face down to touch the back
of the chair, upon 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 neces-
sary, 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 FINGER-FEAT.

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 endeavour to separate your fingers by
pidhng 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.

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 times,
instead of twice, under your feet during the leap.

LIFTING AT ARM'S LENGTH.

nicvating a pole at arm's length has long been accounted a superior
feat; to do this, the arm must be stretchnd out at full length, the pole (the
poker will do to begin with) grasped with the nails upward, and elevated
in aright line with the arm.

GYMNASTICS.

LEAP DEFORE 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

tl)e 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 before you lose your foot-
ing, 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 confidence in your own

powers, it can never be performed ;
to give you this necessary confidence, be assured that hundreds have suc-
ceeded in achieving 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 common bowl used in skittle-alleys, (we do not mean those used for
iiine-pin>,) will afford a pattern ; the maker must, however, remember
tliat its dimensions are to be decreased, it being too lieavy, 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 TANTALUS TRICK.

An amusing scene may be produced by re(^uesting a person to stand
with his back close against the wall, and when m 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 moving 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 thb case, the wall will, of coutse
prevent.

GYMNASTICS.

TO TAKE A CHAIR FROM UNDER YOU WITHOUT FALLINU.

The figure represents a youth with the back part of his head resting
on one stout chair, and his heels upon another, and a third chair, which

ought to be of rather
a lighter make, is
placed under hiui.
He must stiffen his
body and limbs,
throw up the chest,
keep the shoulders
down, and disengage
the middle chair,
which he must cairy
round over his body until he deposits it again under him on the opposite
side. This is another of those feats which seem very difficult, but which
are, in fact, easy of execution. Be assured that if you do not succeed in it,
provided the middle chair be not too heavy for your strength, it is because
you have not sufficiently attended to the instructions.

THE POKER PUZZLE.

This feat is to be performed with a common fire poker, which you
must hold near the top, between the fingers and thumb, as shewn in the
annexed cut. You must then, by the mere motion
of the fingers and thumb, work or screw the poker
upward, until the slender part is moved up to the
hand, whilst the poker remains perpendicular during
the whole process. For the first few times that this
is attempted to be done, considerable difficulty will
be met with, as it not only requires strength in the
fingers, proportionate to the weight of the poker,
but also a certain knack, which is only to be acquired
by practice. We have seen some persons perform
the poker puzzle, apparently without the least exertion, while others of
equal strength have tried their utmost, and failed in the execution of it at
last.

THE PULLEY.

Fasten a common pulley to an horizontal piece of wood, or the brands
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.

GYMNASTICS.

BREAST TO MOUTH.

Many persons find much difficulty in performing this feat. Measure
the distance between the outside of tlie elbow and the extremity of the

longest finger : mark that distance
on a walking-stick or ruler, as shewn
by Fig. 2. This stick must be held
horizontally before you, as in the
annexed sketch. Fit:. 1 ; the middle
finger being placed exactly over the
mark ; the fingers must be kept at
right angles with the stick, and the
thumb placed over them, as shewnby
the fist gra-sping the stick. (Fig. 2.)
Molding the stick in this position
you must, without changmg the
Fig. 1. Fig. 2. yi^ce of your fingers, lowering your

head, or removing your elbow from
your side, endeavour to raise the left end of the stick from your breast to
your iDouth.

THE CATCH-PENNY.

Thiit is a trick with which many of our young friends are, doubtless,
well acquainted ; there are others of them who never heard of it, and we

therefore give a suflliciently minute
description of the manner of doing
it, for the benefit of those who are
in the latter case.

Place two, three, or even four
penny pieces, in a heap, on your
elbow, as in cut ; drop yotir elbow
suddenly, and bring your hand to
a little below where your elbow
was, and you may catch them aJl.
It is impossible, however, to accom-
plish this, unless you bring your
hand exactly beneath the place of
your elbow, and perform the motion with quickness.

STILTS.

Walking on stilts is practised by the shepherds of the Landes, or desert,
in the South of France. The habit is acquired early, and the smaller the

GYMNASTICS.

boy is, the longer it is necessary to have his stilts. By means of these odd
additions to the natural leg, the feet are kept out of the water, which lies
deep during winter on the sands, and from the heated sand during the
summer ; in addition to which, the sphere of vision over so perfect a flat
is materially increased by the elevation, and the shepherd can see his
sheep much further on stilts than he could from the ground. Stilts are
easily constructed: two poles are procured, and at some distance from
their ends, a loop of leather or rope is securely fastened ; in these the feet
are placed, the poles are kept in a proper position by the hands, and put
forward by the action of the legs. A superior mode of making stilts is
by substituting a piece of wood, flat on the upper surface, for the leather
loop ; the foot rests on and is fastened by a strap to it; a piece of leather
or rope is also nailed to the stilt, and passed round the leg just below the
knee : stilts made in this manner do not reach to the hands, but are
managed entirely by the feet and legs. In many parts of England, boyb
and youth frequently amuse themselves by

3SlaIfeinc( on Stilts.

FENCING.

V ^ ; yli^^vvit: . ■

Woaldst bare thy son acquire a trracefal port,

A manly bearing ; — make his eye acute

As that of the hnwk, and his young limbs ric

With those of roe- bucks in agility r—

The noble art of Fencing let him learn.

In those days, when a small sword was an indispensable ornament to
the person of a gentleman, objections were sometimes raised to the culti-
vation of the art of Fencing, as tending to lead yoims? persons into broils
and duels ; but nothing can now be said against it on this score ; the wearing
of swords, except among military men, has long ceased, and duels being
invarinbly derided in this country by pistols. The art of Fencing is ac-
«iu; ■ 1^ the means of alTording excellent exercise, elegant

ai rting an easy deportment and graceful action, as well as

r\; !i..s.s of eye, and agility of btnly. That it has these

merits, Uiert- can be no doubt ; and it is, therefon% confidently recommended
U) youtli, as being not only perfectly imexccptiouable, but even superior, in
most respects, tt> all other exercises.

FENCING.

FOILS, MASKS, &C.

The foils should be proportioned to the size of those who use them.
Thirty-one inches is the medium for men; it is adviseable to use a glove
on the right hand, padded on the back and the outsides of the fingers ; the
masks must have wire fronts, stout enough to resist an accidental thrust at
the face. An easy dress should be worn, and it is usual, in academies, to
have a spot, or heart, on the left side of the breast of the waistcoat.

HOW TO HOLD THE FOIL.

The hilt must be flat in your hand ; so that the two edges are nearly
horizontal when you throw yourself upon guard : your thumb should be
stretched along the upper flat part of the hilt, within half an inch of the
shell, and the pummel should rest under your wrist.

COMMON GUARDS OF CARTE AND TIERCE.

Stand in the first position, which is similar to the first position in dan-
cing, that is, your right foot forward, with the heel advanced ; then throw
yourself upon the common guard of carte, by advancing your right foot
about half a yard from the left. The two heels should be in the same line.
Turn your wrist so that the nails may appear upward. Let your hand be
on a line with the lower part of your breast : the arm not stretched, but a
little bent, and the elbow inclined a little to the outside. The point of
your foil should be about fif-
teen degrees elevated, and
nearly fixed on a fine with the
upper part of your adversary's
breast. The left arm (which is
necessary to balance the body
in its different movements) must
be raised in a semi-circular man-
ner, on a line with the forehead,
the hand kept open in an easy
manner, the thumb and first
finger nearly meeting. Your
body should be sideways, and
your head turned toward the
right, so as to keep sight of your
point. Let the balance of your body rest upon the left leg, keep the' left
knee bent, and flexible, so that you may mchne a little backward : the
right knee should also be rather bent, and perpendicular to the point where
your right heel rests.

FENCING. 77

The position of the guard in tierce is similar to tliat of carte, only the
hand nmst be a little reversed, so that the nails may be half turned down-
ward. The arm should be a little stretched outward, in order to secure
or cover the outside, and the point should be as in carle.

CNOAOINO AND DISENOAGING.

Engaging in carte, or in tierce, is opposing your adversary's blade,
either inside or outside, when yon first join or cross blades on guard.
Disengaginsr is performed by dexterously shifting the point of your foil
from one side of your adversary's blade to the other : that is, from carte to
tierce, or vice versA.

THE ADVANCE AND RETREAT.

In order to advance, move the right foot easily forward to the distance
of more th:m a foot, and let the left foot instantly follow to the same dis-
tance ; these two movements must be performed in the same moment.
Keep your body firm and steady while you repeat this five or six times;
and let there be a short pause between every advance. After making five
or six advances, observe if the distance and position of your guard be
exactly the same as your distance and position were when you commenced.
In the retreat, your left foot makes the first movement backward, and
your right follows at the same moment.

THE SIMPLE PARADES OF CARTE AND TIERCE.

These arc distinguished from all others, on account of their securing
the breast, as upper parades. To perform that of carte, place yourself on
the common guard, and throw your hand toward the left, or inward,
about six inches from guard, making a gradual turn upward with the
wrist, in order to throw off your adversary's blade with the greater case ;
at the same time draw your hand a httle toward your body, that the
opposition may be more powerful

The simple parade of tierce is also performed from the common guard,
by throwing and stretching your arm obliquely downward to the right,
(or outwardly.) the nails being reversed by the gradual turn of the wrist,
in forming the parade. It parries the simple thrust of carte over the arm
and seconde. Tne distance of the hand from the common guard should be
six inches. The point of your foil, your body and legs, should not deviate
from the line of direction in performing either of these parades.

THE PARADES OP OCTAVE AND Stflf I-CIRCLE.

To perform the octave parade, raise the hand as high as yoift chin, the
nails must not be turned up so much as in semi-circle ; your arm should

FENCIN(5-.

be well stretched and thrown outward, the distance of six inches; the
wrist should be bent as much as possible, in order that the point may
fall on a line with your adversary's flank, making nearly the same angle

from guard-point as semi-circle.
Semi-circle parade is useful
against thrusts of low carte,
seconde, and the disengage and
thrust of carte over the arm.
Let your body be steadily in-
clined upon the left side; drop
your point, with the nails up-
ward, so as to form an angle of
nearly forty-five degrees with
the guard-point. At the same
time, stretch your arm well out,
raise the hand as high as your
mouth, and throw your arm
inward, the distance of six
inches, from the line of direction in your common guard, that your point
may appear to the eye in looking to your arm. (Vide cut. J

^r_-^.

THE SIMPLE PARADES OF SECONDE AND PRIME.

These two parades are not used so frequently as the preceding four.

Seconde is very powerful against the simple thrusts of low carte and

seconde. To perform it from
carte to tierce, the nails and
wrist should be turned down-
ward, the point be dropped,
and the hand opposed out-
ward, as in the parade of oc-
tave. The point's track from
guard is also nearly the same
with the parade in octave, and
the incUnation of the blade
should form the angle of forty -
five degrees. (Vide cut.)

Prime is performed with the
nails turned downward, the
hand raised higher than the
mouth, and opposed inward,

in the same manner as semi-circle. The arm should he drawn well in

toward the body, and the wrist bent downward, that the point may fall

more than in any other low parade.

FENCING.

THE EXTENSION, LONGE, THRUSTS OF CARTE, CARTE OVER THE ARM,
AND TIKRCE.

Thrusts are, for the most part, executed with the longe, except thrusu
of the wrist, and thrusts of the extension. They may be performed either

after disengaging the point
or not- lo perform the
straight thrust of carte
inside, your point must be
directed to your adver-
sary's breast, tlie arm well
raised, and opposed inside,
the nails upward, your
body projectmg forwaid,
and an extension perform-
ed of the right arm and
left leg. ( Vide ctit, whicli
represents the position of
extension.) Then push
home the thrust in carte
by longeing out to a distance proportionate with your height. Your left
ar.n should be stretched down by the flank, at the distance of two or three
inches, and always raised as you recover upon guard, by way of grace and

balance to your move-
ments. Your body should
incline a little forward ;
the head be raised upright,
looking outward over the
siioulders, so as to have
a full view of the point.
As you approacli your ad-
versary's breast, make a
gradual resistance against
his foil inward, by way
of cover to your longe.
Keep the right knee bent,
and in a perpendicular
posture with your heel ;
the left knee and ham
stretched, with the foot firmly fixed to the ground.

To recover yourself with the requisite ease, lean with some degree of
force on the heels of both feet ; the greatest force ii first upon the right,
then it falls on the left : by bending the left knee ai the same time, and

80 ^E^Cl^<(^J,

inclining the body backward, you come to guard. The thrust of carte
over the arm is performed in the same manner as carte inside, by disen-
gaging to tierce, with this difference, that the head is raised upright on
the inside, and the hand well opposed outward, in order to be well
covered. The thrust of tierce ditFers only from carte over the arm, by
reversing the wrist, the hand being well raised and opposed outward.

LOW CARTE, OCTAVE, SECONDE, AND PRIME THRUSTS.

Low carte, sometimes called semi-circle thrust, is delivered after form-
ing 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 adversary have frequent recourse to his high parades.

Octave thrust is dehvered after the parade of octave, on the flank or
belly ; the ann being well opposed outward. If you parry your adver-
sary'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 nails downward ; longe and deliver tiie thrust on the flank.

Prime is the natural thrust in return, after having parried your adver-
sary's force, when advanced considerably within his measure, and pressing
vigorously upon you. It is only an extension of the arm from the oppo-
sition of the parade to your adversary's body, the nails being kept down-
ward. The arm should be well raised, and opposed inward.

VARIATIONS AND LESSON ON ENGAGING AND DISENGAGING, ADVANC-
ING AND RETREATING, SIMPLE PARADES, AND THRi;STS OF CARTE
AND TIERGE.

Suppose you are engaged in carte with an adversary, he retreats, you
advance, well covered in carte ; he retreats again, you advance with a dis-
engagement 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 manner, you
may retreat while he advances. On the engagement of carte, your adver-
sary 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, deUver
in return the thrust of carte over the arm, by disengaging to tierce. On
the engagement in tierce, he disengages and thrusts carte inside ; throw it
off* by your parade in carte, disengage, and thrust carte 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.

FENCING.

LESSONS AND VARIATIONS IN SEMI-CIRCLE, LOW CARTE, AND OCTAVE.

On the engagement of carte, drop your point and deliver the thrust of

low carte. On the same engagement, your adversary thrusts straiglu

home; throw it off by parade
in carte, then deliver a re-
turn of the thrust in low
carte. On the same engage-
ment, disengage to tierce
and thrust carte over the
arm ; he opposes it with his
parade, and returns a disen-
gaged thrust in carte; which
throw off with the parade of
carte ; then, with viviuity,
drop your point, and deliver
a thrust in low carte. On
the engagement of tierce,

your adversary, by disengaging, attempts to deliver a thrust in low carte;

throw it off by performing the parade of octave ( Vide cut J ; 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, 6x your point well to his body, and you

may almost make sure of touching him. f' Vide cut.)

On the eng4gement of carte, he disengages to tierce, and thrusts:
throw it off by your parade of tierce ; then revewe your nulls upward,
and return a tlirust in octave.

FENCING.

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.

LESSON AND VARIATIONS IN PRIME AND SECONDE.

On the engagement of tierce, your adversary advances within his
measure, and delivers a thrust in tierce or carte over the arm ; oppose his
blade by the parade of prime, and return a thrust in prime. C 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 arms; raise your
right arm, and, with your left hand, take off your hat gracefully ; then

FENCING. 83

make a circular motion with your wrist, with the nails upward, while you
advance your right foot forward, forming your proper extension. Your
adversary makes the same motions, keeping eaual time with you ; but,
instead of forming the extension, he makes a full longe, as if going tn
thrust carte inside, in order to take his measure, presenting his point at a
little distance from your body, while you remam uncovered on the ex-
tension. ( Vide cut.)

When your adversary recovers his position, after having taken his
measure, you also recover by drawing tne right foot or heel close to the
heel of the left ; the right hand well stretched and raised, the nails up-
ward, and the point dropped ; the left hand raised in a semi-circular
form, as if 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 tomiing that parade ; then, salute in tierce, by forming the
parade of tierce ; lastly, make a circular motion with the wrist, by drop-
ping your point in tierce, at that moment putting on your hat, and throwing
yourself upon the gtiard 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 placing
the right foot or heel close to the heel of the left ; and conclude with the
other movements. All these motions should be performed with ease,
grace, and without precipitation. After performing the salute, and being
engaged in carte, your 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 disen-
gapes ; oppose it by perfomiing ilie parade of tierce, then drop the point.
» 2

FENCING.

by way of accustoming yourself to make the return in seconde, which may
be termed the grace on the parade of tierce. Remain on this grace till
your adversary recovers to guard ; then join his blade in tierce ; he dis-
engages, by thrusting carte inside; throw it off by forming the parade of
carte.

The grace or ornament to be used after forming this parade, while
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. Havmg joined blades in carte, disengage, and thrust
carte over the arm. Again, he joins your blade in tierce, disengage
nimbly, and thrust carte inside. CVkle cut.)

lie opposes in carte ; then let the blade and point fly loosely over tlie
Iiand, 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 marie
tiiereby. This is the grace upon the longe of carte inside.

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, &c. 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 tvhich you join his blade always in carte. If he make a thrust with

FENCING. So

the disengagement, oppose it, by gradually covenng yourself with the
parade of carte, after having followed his blade round.

The counter, or round parade in tierce, is performed in a similar man-
ner to the counter-parade of carte, only that the course of the point i*
reversed. For example : vour adversary disengages to carle, with a view
to thrust carte inside; follow his blade closely, with a small circle, made
bv the motion of the wrist reversed in tierce, stretching your ann. and
giving his blade a smart and abrupt throw-off, as you overtake or meet it
m tierce. The course of the point in forming the counter in carte is
inward, from left to right; and in the counter-parade of tierce, the
contrary.

COUNTER-DISENGAOCMENTS IN OCTAVE AND SEMI-CIRCLK.

The counter-disengagement in octave may be performed after your
adversary has thrust in scconde, and you have parried by semi-circle ; as
he recovers, counter-disengage, and thrust in octave. ( Vide cut. )

To give a further exemplification of the counter-disengagement m
iKJtave: it is also performed by first making a feint, as if you intended to
thrust octave ; he naturally opposes it, by forming his parade in octave ;
then nimbly disengage 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 engage-
ment of carte, when your adversary accustoms himself to take the parade
of semi-circle, by first making a feint, as if you meant to thrust low carte,
which he attempu to parry with semi-circle,' then nimbly disengaging over
his arm, and delivering your thrust in octave.

86 FENCING.

THE COUNTER-DISENGAGEMENTS IN PRIME AND SECONDE.

The counter-disengagement in prime is seldom used in attacks ; 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, thennirnbly
disengaging over his arm, and delivering your thrust in seconde.

The counter-disengagement of seconde may be more frequently used ;
it is performed from the engagement of carte, by dropping your point, or
making a feint, as if you intended to thrust prime ; your adversary opposes
it, by performing 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, &C.

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, &c. ; disengaging and parrying alternately,
always making complete longes with the thrusts, and moving well to
guard, while forming the counter-parades. 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 disengaging
and thrusting carte inside, which he opposes, by forming the counter-
parade in tierce ; in return, he disengages and thrusts carte inside, which
parry with the counter-parade in tierce, &c. : thrusting and parrying as
above, until you quicken your movements with all possible exactness.

On the engagement of tierce, if your adversary thrust octave in low
carte, you may parry it with octave ; then counter-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
return 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 recovers, 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;
Lounter-disengage, and thrust seconde. On the same engagement, he
advances, forces, and counter-disengages as above ; but baffle his thrust
m seconde, by the counter-parade in prime, and return the thrust thereof.
On the same engagement, he counter-disengages ; follow his blade by the
counter- parade in prime ; if he attempt to double or disengage again, stop
him, by forming your simple parade of seconde.

FENCING. 87

On the en^apement of cane, counter-disengage, when your adversary
drops in seconde, and thrusts prime. On the same engagement, he counter-
disengages, when you drop to seconde ; oppose it, by your parade of se-
conde ; 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 engagement, he
countei -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.

FEINTS.

Feints are used to oblige your adversary to give you openings. The
simple feint, une, deux, (or one, two,) is performed by two separate disen-
gagements, either on the engagement of carte or tierce, when your adver-
sary 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 carte, then dis-
engage back to tierce, delivering the thrust of carle over the arm-
Feint seconde, carte over the arm, is performed when engaged 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
«eparate disengagements, either from the engagement of carte or tierce.
On the engagement of carte, maVk feint, one, two, as above ; if your
adversary form his simple parade of carte, nimbly mark your third disen-
gagement, by thrusting carte over the arm. On the engagement of tierce,
disengage Uiree times, and deliver your thrust in carte inside.

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 quickly, with the upward motion of your wrist,
fairly over your adversary's pomt, without moving your arm from the line
of direction, at the same time forming your extension, and deUver 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.

TURUST OF THE WRIST.

This is performed when you perceive your adversary slow in making
a return, alter you have longed with a thrust ; as on the engagement of

§8 FENCING.

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, from your complete exten-
sion of the leg and arm.

APPELS, BEATS ON THE BLADE, AND GLIZADES.

Appels, beats, and glizades, tend to plant you firm upon your guard,
to embarrass your adversary, and cause him to give you openings ; they
may be performed previously to simple thrusts, feints, or counter-disen-
gagements, &c. 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 spot ; taking care to balance the body,
and keep a good position on guard.

. The beat on the blade, is abruptly touching your adversary's blade, so
as to startle him, and get openings to thrust. If he resist the beat, instan-
laneoasly 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.

GHzades are slightly gliding your blade along your adversary'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 or 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 attempt-
ing 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, &C.

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 feme over the arm, and

F£NCINO. 80

ihnist low carte. On th« same engagement, mark feint over the arm,
reverse the wrist, and thrust seconde.

On the engagement of tierce, niark feint seconde, reverse the wrist,
and thrust carte over the arm. On the same engagement, 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-disengage, 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 point, forming your exten-
sion, 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
nside. 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 deUver the thrust of carte
over the arm. On the same engagement, cut over the point twice, then
uisengage, 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, disen^i^age and thrust low carte : he parries it with
prime, and if slow in makmg a return, deliver the thrust in seconde with
tlie 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 the wrist in low carte, by forming the
complete extension. On the engagement of tierce, in like manner, give
him some openings: 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 will
give you an opening to thrust carte straight home. On the same engage-
ment, make an 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

FENCING.

an appel, beat his blade, then disengage, and deliver a thrust in carf*
inside. On the engagement 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, deliver a straight thrust in carte
over the arm. On the engagement 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 deliver a thrust
rn 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 adversary 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 oppor-
tunity, deliver the thrust of carte over the arm, straight home.

On the engagement of carte, your adversary disengages to tierce ;
that instant disengage contrarilv, (that is, to carte,) and push home.
( Vide cut.)

All these lessons should be performed repeatedly, and the pupil should
')tten exercise with another who has had equal practice, executing all
thrusts, feints, counter-disengagements, &c. while the other remains upon
guard, making use of the necessary parades, &c. ; 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

FENCING. 91

stretching your right arm with the nails upward, and tlie 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 movements in this
salute should be performed in a more hvely manner than those described
in the salute previously to thrusting carte and tierce : observe, also, that
these movements 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 vour wrist, with the nails downward, as if in seconde,
and with the motion thereof, give his blade an abnipt twirl. ( Vide cut. J

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 dehver
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 open-
ing to deliver him a thrust.

FENCING.

TRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Assume a bold air and steady position ; fix your eyes firmly on those
of your adversary, so that he may not penetrate into your designs ; and
keep your proper distance and measure. 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, &c., and make the necessary allow-
ances accordingly. If he make frequent practice of disengaging, beating
your blade, and otherwise embarrassing you, with a view 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 inside ; or you may, in preference to this,
deliver a straight thrust in carte over the arm. (Vide cut.)

Be not too eager in making your thrusts in return ; as, by an over
eagerness, learners contract a habit of returning their thrust by crooking
the arm, which is quite erroneous. Form your parades justly, and accus-
tom yourself, at first, to make straight returns without disengaging. If
you intend 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 adversary at too great a distance, and have not that neces-
sary 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.

FENCISO gg

Never extend yourself too far on tlie longe, as it impedf^s your recover
ing to guard with the necessary quickness. Always endeavour to recover
quickly, and with as much ease as possible, fixing your point to yotir
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 stature,
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, &c.

If your adversary advance within his measure, and force 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 suflScient, disengage over
his arm, and deliver a thrust in seconde.

When you first enter upon the assault, you may engage your adver-
sary's blade out of measure in carte, as being easier than the otner engage -
Mients for executing your different movements. ( Vide cut.)

When you engage your adversary's blade, acton the defetuive for some
time, in order to discover what feints or thrusta he prefers. Vary your
parades as much as possible, so that he may not, ii> turn, ascertain your
own favourites: for, if a good fencer be found to use one parade in pre-
ference to another, he may be deceived with much less difficulty than nu^lit
be imagined, and, eventually, be touched, by a person far less skilful than
himself. A learner, therefore, should practise all the parades, and change
them continually, or, at least, as often as opportunities occur. He should
endeavour to go from tlie 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.

FENCINO.

If you engage the blade in carte, cover your inside a little, and if in
tierce, cover your outside, to prevent straiglit thrusts on those engageraentSi
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 skilful fencer, and use various counter-
parades, you must endeavour to embarrass him, by appels, beats on the
blade, extensions, glizades, counter-disengagements, &c.

In conclusion, we beg our young readers to perform their Fencing
Exercises with decorum and gentleness towards each other ; endeavouring,
at the same time, to execute all their parades, &c., with precision and
elegance. Let them exhibit as little awkwardness as possible, and no loss
of temper ; lest their assaults be compared, as with propriety they might,
to an affray between

E\iz iWonsc anB tJ)c Jprog.

aquatic Sports:

ANGLING;
SWIMMING,

«i'^>

THE ANGLER

,<^

Kabower'd upon th« pif uant bank* of ThiinM .
Or, by tb« »il»er tiremn of l«l«, C»in,
Or yeilow Avon, roaming, the Angler,
Jajroaa, parmat tram morn till ev* hi* tpuri.

Angling has long held a high rank among the sports of the people of
England ; poets have wriiien in its praise, and philosophers have delighted
in Its practice ; it is not confined to particular places, ages, or grades of
society ; wherever the brook wanders " through hazy shaw or broomy
glen,'' — wherever the willow-branch laves in the streamlet, — wherever the
Trout leaps at the May-fly, or the Pike lurks in the bulrushes, or the
Salmon sprinkrs up the waterfall, — there also are Anglers. To enjoy tliis
fine pastime, the mountain' er descends to the valley-stream, the Magister
Ariium quits his learned halls and collegiate ease for the banks of the Qeei«s,
the weirs, and the tumbling bays of Cam; the citizen his shop and beloved
ledger for a hickory rod and a creek in the Roding ; and the courtier his
rich Turkey carpet, ottoman and lustre, for " nature's grassy foot-clotli,"
the rough bark of a felled river-side tree, and the sparkling surface of a
rippled stream. The boy, who was but " breeched a Wednesday," oftea
s^nds his holiday hour on the bank of a brook, with a crooked pin for
hia hook, a needleful of thread for his line, and an alder switch for his rod

THE ANGLER.

-*nd the grey-headed statesman,— nay, even Royalty itself,— occasionally
■elaxes from the grave duties attendant on such superior station, from
weighing the balance of power, and determining the fate of nations, " to
wield the rod, and cast the mimic fly."

GEORGE THE FOURTH'S FISHING APPARATUS.

His late Majesty had, for many vears, been very partial, during his
leisure hours, to the amusement of fishing. Virginia Water, which covers
nearly one thousand acres, had, for some seasons past, afforded ample scope
for this recreation, and a magnificent fishing apparatus was manufactured
by command of His Majesty, by Ustonson of Temple Bar. When pre-
sented, the King was pleased to express his admiration at the great in-
genuity and taste displayed in the manufacture of it, and appeared surpi ised
that the whole could have been made so uniquely perfect. We have been
favoured with a sight of the apparatus, which had been inaccurately des-
cribed in the public prints, but of which the following particulars may be
relied on as correct. The case is three feet long, nine inches broad, and
three inches in depth ; it is covered with the richest crimson Morocco
leather; the edges are sloped with double borders of gold ornaments,
representing alternately the salmon and basket ; the outer border forms a
rich gold wreath of the rose, thistle, and shamrock, intertwined with oak
leaves and acorns. The centre of the lid presents a splendid gold impres-
sion of the Royal arms of Great Britain and Ireland. The case is fastened
with one of Bramah's patent locks ; and the handles, eyes, &c. are all double
gilt. The interior is lined throughout with Genoa sky-blue velvet, the inner
part of the lid tufted. On either end of the case are partitions for the books
or cases for angling and fly-fishing, which are the most chaste and beau-
tiful that can possibly be imagined ; the angling book is covered with the
richest Genoese crimson velvet, the lock surmounted by a diadem of solid
gold, tlie top ornamented with the Royal arms, richly worked and embla-
zoned : beneath the shield appear the rose, thistle, and shamrock. Within
the book is a beautiful emblematic ivory carved reel, studded with silver,
which contains the lines, floats, &c. for bottom-fishing, and hkewise par-
titions, with an infinite variety of artificial baits of superior imitation. The
(tutside of the fly-book very much resembles that of the other, with this
difference, that the lid is surmounted by a double G.R. enclosed in asemi-
cirole of a richly embroidered wreath, representing the rose, shamrock,
and thistle. This book is full of choice flies, suitable to the different sea-
sons, &c. and all of the most admirable manufacture. The books are
lined with rich blue watered tabby silk, corresponding with the case,
&c. In the centre of the box, on a raised cushion of Genoese sky-blue
"elvet, are the landing ring and net; the former is beautifully worked, and
the latter made of gold-coloured silk ; on each side are the winches,

THE ANGLER. 99

clearing ring. &c. (in separate partitions) engraved with tne maker's name
at)(t the crown of Kngland. The rods have extra joints, tops, &c. and may
be so altered as to be adapted to any sort of fishing. The rods, and ai.so
the landing-stick, are richly carved and engraved with royal emblematical
devices, and the enure apparatus is acknowledged to he the most beautiful
specimen of the art, which has ever been manufactured.

The first care of the Angler should be to procure good rods, lines,
books, and floats. A great variety of rods may be had at the shops, of
bamboo, vine, hazel, and hickory: for general fishing, those made of
bamboo,. having several tops of various strengths, are best; hut cane rods
are much superior for fine fishing. The rod should be perfectly straight
when put together, and gradually taper from the butt to the top. If you
be desirous of making the rods yourself, the following directions must be
observed: — The stocks should be cut in the winter; ha2el and yew
switches are the best for tops, and crab-tree for stocks. Do not use them
till fully seasoned, which will be in about sixteen months af\er they are
cut ; but the longer they are kept the better. The rod should consist of
five or six pieces, fitted so nicely, that the whole rod may appear a> if it
consisted ot one piece only. The best rods are those that are brass fer-
ruled ; but if they are bound together, it must be with thread, strongly
waxed, the pieces being cut with a slope or slant, that they may join with
the greater exactness. Six or eight inches must be taken from the top,
and in its place a smooth round taper piece of whalebone substituted, on
which a strong loop of horse-hair must be previously whipt. Fly-rods
are made more taper than others. Rods for trolling must be furnished
with brass rings, whipt all the way up, at about ten or twelve inches
distance, for the trolling lines to go through ; the tops for trolls must
be strong, and have rings whipt on, with pieces of quill, to prevent the
lines being cut. The tops of rods for Carp, Tench, Dace, and Roftch
fishing, should be finer, and more elastic.

The rod must neither be kept too dry, nor too moist ; for the one
will make it brittle, the other rotten. In very warm weather, always wet
the joints, to make them adhere better, if, however, by be'ng too wet,
they should stick, so tltat you cannot easily get them asunder, never
use force, lest you should strain your rod, but rather wait till it be dry, or
turn the ferrule of the joint which is fast, a few times over the flame of •
candle, and it will separate.

LINES.

For the line, horse-hair is to be preferred ; it should be round, twisted
even, and r* «rual thickness. The best colours arc white and grey for
c 2

100 THE ANC4LER.

clear waters, and sorrel for muddy rivers. The most easy method of
making lines, is by a little machine, which may be bought at most of the
shops, where also, you may purchase your lines, if you think fit.

Hooks are numbered, and made suitable in size to the fish they are
intended to take. For Barbel-fishing, Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, are used;
for Gudgeon, Nos. 10 and 11 ; for Roach, Dace, and Bleak, Nos. 10,
11 or 12 ; for Tench, Carp, and Perch, Nos. 7, 8. and 9 ; for Trout, No. 6 :
for Chub, Nos. 8 or 9 ; for Eels, No. 8; for Grayling, No. 10 ; for Ruff, No. 9 ;
for Minnows, &c. No. 13, &c. The above sizes are such as the best Anglers
of the present day prefer, and are much smaller than those used formerly ;
but he who expects success at this sport must adopt the modern tackle,
or he will be disappointed. For arming the hook, use fine, small,
strong silk, well waxed, and lay the hair on the inside of the hook, other
wise the silk will fret and cut it asunder.

Floats made of Muscovy-duck quills, are best for slow waters; sound
cork, without flaws or holes, bored through with a hot iron, into which
is put a quill of fit proportion, is preferable for strong streams : the cork
should be pared to a pyramidical form, ground small with a pumice-stone,
and coloured according to fancy. Floats must be so poised with shot,
when on the Hne, as to make them stand perpendicularly in the water,
tliat the least nibble may be apparent.

BAITS.

The lob-worm, garden-worm, and dew-worm, or trechet, are found
in gaidens and church-yards at night; those with red heads, broad tails,
and streaked down the back, are the best. These worms are excellent
bait for Barbel, or Eels, and are found towards the latter end of the
summer.

Gilt-tails, brandlings, and red worms are found in old dung-hills,
hog's dung, cow's dung, and tanner's bark. The brandling and gilt-tail
are excellent bait for Perch, Tench, Bream and Gudgeon. The red worms,
well scoured, are taken by Tench, Perch, and Bream, in muddy waters.

The meadow, or marsh-worm, is of a lightish blue colour, and a
good bait for Perch ; it is found in marshy ground, or in the banks of
rivers in the months of August and September.

The tag-tail is found in meadows, or chalky ground after rain, in
March and April ; and esteemed a good bait for Trout, in cloudy
weather.

THE ANOLLK. 101

The palmer-worm, woolbed, or canker, is lound on herbs, plants, and
trees : and takes the name of \voolbed;.^oni its rough and woolly coat.
Thi.s is an excellent bait for Trout, Chnlj, Grayling, Hoach, or Dace.

The oak-wonn, caterpillar, cabbage-worm, crab-tree-woiTn, colewort-
worm or grub, may be gathered on the leaves of colewort and cabbage,
or on the hawthorn, oak, or crab-tree ; and may be long preserved with
the leaves of those trees or plants, in boxes bored with holes to admit the
air. They are good baits for Chub, Dace, Roach, or Trout.

The bark-worm, or ash-grub, is found under the bark of a felled
oak, ash, elder, or beach, or in the hollow of those trees where rotten.
This bait may be used all the year for Grayling, Dace, Roach, or Chub.
They are kept well in wheat-bran.

The cod-bait, caddis-worm, or case-worm, of which there are three
sorts, is found in pil^, ponds, or ditches; they are excellent bails for
Bream, Tench, Hleaks, Chub, Trout. Grayling, and Dace.

Gentles, or maggots, are easily bred by putrefaction ; they may be
kept with flesh, and scoured with wheat-bran. They are good baits for
Tench, Hreaui, Barbel, Dace, Gudgeon, Chub, Bleak, and Carp.

Cow-dung-bob, is found under cow-dung, and somewhat resembles a
gentle. It is best kept in earth ; and is a good bait for Trout, Chub, Carp,
Tench, Bream, Dace, and Roach.

The white-grub, or white-bait, is much larger than a maggot; it i»
found in sandy and mellow ground ; and is an excellent bait from the
middle of April till November, for Tench, Roach, Bream, Trout, Chub,
Dace, and Carp. These baits should be kept in an earthen vessel, with
the earth about them, and covered very close.

Flag or dock-worms are found among the small fibres of flag roots, and
in old pits or ponds. They may be kept in bran ; and are good baits lor
Bream, Tench, Roach, Carp, Bleak, Dace, and I'erch.

Boiled sahnon-spawn is a very good bait for Chub, and in some rivers,
for Trout.

Dace, miimows, roach, smelt, gudgeon, bleak, and miller's-thumb, are
proper bait for Pike.

Grasshoppers, in June, July, and .\ugust, their legs and wings taken
oflf, are good for Roach, Chub, Trout, and Grayling.

Chee>e, or oat-rake, is reckoned killing for Chub, Barbel, Roach, xnd
Dace ; the cheese you may moisten with honey and water.

The water-cricket, water-louse or creeper, which is found in stor.y
rivers, will often take Trout in March, .April, and May.

White snails are good bait for Chub, early in the morning, and for
Trout and Kcls on night hooks.

Housc-i rickets are al«o good, to dib with, for Chub.

102 THE ANGLER.

PASTE-BAITS.

Paste-baits are not to be angled with in rapid streams: but in pits,
ponds, and slow running rivers, on small hooks. In this sort of angling,
your eye must be quick, and your hand nimble to strike, or the bait and
fish will give you the slip. A quill float is better than cork, as it sooner
shows the nibble or bite.

For a Chub, take some old cheese, the suet of mutton kidney, and a
little strong rennet ; mix them finely together, with as much turmeric as
■will give them a fine yellow colour. /

For Roach and Dace, grate fine bread into a little clear water, wherein
some gum-ivy has been soaked, add a little butter, and colour it with saffron.

For Barbel, in August, make a paste of new cheese, and mutton suet.

For Carp or Tench, mix crumbs of bread with honey ; or, for Carp,
take equal portions of bean or wheat flour, the inside of a leg of a young
rabbit, white bees' wax, and sheep's suet; beat them in a mortar; then
moisten the mass with clarified honey, and work it into balls before a
gentle fire.

Sheep's blood and saffron make a good paste for Roach, Dace, Bleak,
Chub, Trout, and Perch ; for the Chub only, put a little rusty bacon
in it.

GROUND-BAITS.

The most simple ground-bait for Roach, Dace, and Bleak, is made by
moulding or working some clay and bran together, into balls or pieces,
about the size of a pigeon's egg, with a little bread crumbled among it.

Another ground-bait for Chub, Carp, Roach, and Dace, is made as
follows: — Take the crumb of half a quartern-loaf, and cut it in slices
about two inches thick, and put it into a pan covered with water ; when
soaked, squeeze it nearly dry ; add equal quantities of bran and pollard,
by handfuls, and knead them together, until the whole is nearly as stifl
as clay. For Barbel, first break about a quarter of a pound of greaves to
dust, soak it well in water, and then work it up with the bread, bran,
and pollard. Barley-meal may be substituted for the bran and pollard,
in still waters only ; as, from its lightness, it would be carried away in a
rapid stream.

A ground-bait may be made with clay, bran, and gentles, for Chub,
Roach, and Carp, thus : — Mix the bran and clay together, in lumps about
the size of an apple : put a dozen or more gentles in the middle, and close
the clay over them. This is well calculated for a pond, a still hole, or
gentle eddy.

To make ground-bait, with clay and greaves, for Barbel : — Chop or
break a pound of greaves into small pieces, and cover them with hot

THK ANCr.FR. 103

water; let them remain until softened, then pour the water off; pick out
a sufficient quantity of the while pieces, to bait your hook, and work up
the remainder witii clay and bran, into lumps or balls. This is the best
ground-bait for Karbel that is used. It is also an excellent ground-bail
for Chub, large Dace, and heavy Roach.

Gentles and worms may be used as pround-bait for Carp, Tench,
Roach, Uace, &c. In ponds and deep still holes, gentles may be thrown
in by handfuls; but this does not answer in a current or stream, as they
tlien float, and are carried from the spot you intend to angle in ; a few,
mixed with bran and clay, will answer l)etter.

(irains are good ground-bait for Carp, Tench, and Eels, in ponds
or still waters; but they nuist be quite fresh, for, if they be the least sour,
the fish will not come near them. They should be thrown in the ni<;ht
before you intend to fish ; the same method ought to be observed when
you ground-bait with worms. Some .\nglers prefer coarse ground-bait
made with clay, soaked greaves, and oat-chatf, for Barbel and Chub.

THE MONTHLY GUIDE.

January. — Jack, (or Pike,) Chub, and Roach, are the only fish that will
take a bait "this month ; vou may angle a few hours in the middle of the
day for them, provided the water be clear.

Fehmary. — Carp, Perch, Roach, Chub, and Jack, will feed, if the
weather be "mild; at this season, fish in the middle of the day, in eddies
near banks.

.VfirtA.— Jack, Carp, Perch, Roach, Dace, Chub, Gudgeon, and Min-
now, will take a bait, during this month, about the middle of the day, iu
the shallows and eddies.

,4/>r»7. — All fish mentioned under March, as well as Trout, and some-
times Tench, in rivers, and Barbel, Blt-ak, Flounders, and Eels, in
shallows, sharps, &c. may be taken this month.

May. — Eels will take a bait, night and dav, during this month ; all
fresh-water li.sh now feed ; in ponds you may liave sport, but still angle,
for choice, in shallows and eddies.

June. — This is a bad month for the Angler: mobt fish (except Trout,)
having recently ^pawned, and being out of condition.

July. — All fresh-water fish will now lake a variety of baius, but noi
very freely. Do not quit the streams and .scowerd.

Auf^u.^t. — Fish will bite more freely, especially in the morning and
evening, during this moutlu

104 THE ANGLER.

Sepfemhfi'. — Barbel, Roach, Chub, and Dace, now go into tieep water,
and there remain till spring.

October. — For trolling and bottom-fishing for Roach and Chub, thiq
month is good; but not for fly-fisl.ing, or angling in ponds or still
u-aters.

November. — Roach, Chub, and Jack, will still feed, sometimes freely,
in the middle of the day

MINOR RIVERS, CANALS, AND PONDS.

The New River. — The fish in the New River are not so large as those
in the Thames and Lea, but being perfectly free for all persons, the New
River is well calciUated for practice. Chub, Roach, Dace, Perch, Gudgeon.
Bleak, Eels, and Minnows, may be taken from within a mile of the
Metropolis, to the source of the river, near Ware.

The Mole. — For Jack, Perch, Chub, and other fish, the river Mole is
very famous ; in the neighbourhood of Esher and Cobham the Angler will
find good sport.

The Roding produces Chub, Jack, Tench, Roach, and Perch, and
abundance of Eels. It contains many deep holes, and some fine fish about
Aibridge, Loiighton, Woodford Bridge, Ilford, liarking, and the back of
Wanstead.

Paddington Canal contains Roach, Chub, Perch, Gudgeon, Eels, and
Jack.

Camberwell Canal is well stored with Jack, Perch, Roach, Eels, and
some Carp and Tench, from Camberwell to Deptford.

Croydon Canal contains fine Perch, Roach, Gudgeon, Eels, »^c. and
is free for any one to angle in, all the way to Croydon. At Sydenham,
;I'.-?re are some pieces of water well stored with fine Carp, in which an
aiMuial subscription entitles the Angler to fish.

Wellington Water is a subscription pond, well stocked with fish,
situated between BethnaUGreen and the Hackney Roads.

In some free ponds on Clapham Common, and Hampstead Heath,
Perch, Carp, and some other fish may be taken.

Hornsey-Wood-Hoiise Pond contains Tench, Perch, Roach, &c.
Persons taking refreshment at the tavern are allowed to angle in this
water.

Dagenham Breach, in Essex, which is kept purposely for angling, at
two pounds a year subscription, is stored with Carp, Jack, Perch, Bream,
Eels, &c.

On Chiselhurst Common, in Kent, between eleven and twelve miles
from London, are several ponds stored with Carp, Tench, &c. particularly
the large pond adjoining the (iueen's-Head-Inn Gardens.

THE ANGLER. l(),j

About a mile east of Shooter's Hill, in the same countv, the Anjjler will
find some ponds on a common near the road-fide, \%hich contain Carp,
Perch, ifec. These ponds are perfectly free.

At Stanmorc, in Middlesex, ten miles from London, on the common,
mar the Vine public-house, are two or three ponds, in which Perch,
Tench. &c. may be taken. Between this pond and the Priory, about a
mile distant, is a fine piece of water called the Long Pord, which contains
some fine Jack.

A few small Tench may be taken in some pits, called " The Tench
Pits," on Bushy Heath.

Just on the entrance of Epping Forest, by the Green Man, is a pond
aboundini^ with large Carp and Eels. Near this spot are several other
poiuis, in which are Carp, Tench, Roach, &c.

ARTICLES NKCES3ARY FOR ANGLERS.

Hooks for trolling; the gorge, snap, &c. tied on gimp; winches for
running tackle; disgorger; split shot; hooks tied on gut of various sizes,
to No. 12; hooks, tied on hair, from No. 11 to 13 ; bags for worms; gentle
boxes; floats of various sizes ; plummets for taking the depth; baiting
needles; caps for floats, kettle for carrying live bait; rods for trolling and
bottom-fishing; drag to clear the line, when entangled in heavy weeds;
landing-net; clearing-ring; lines of gut, hair, &c. ; those of four yards
long, will be found most useful.

LAWS OF ANGLING.

By an .\ct of Parliament, passed in the 7th and 8lh George IV. for
consolidating and amending the Laws in England relative to Larceny and
other otiences connected therewith, it is provided that, if any pei.>oii
shall wilfully take or destroy, any fish in the water which niav run
ihroMcrh or bVin? the land adjoining or belonging to the dwelling liouse
.;■ - the owner of the water, or having a right of fishery

I :('r .-^hall be guilty of a misdemeanor. If any person

*l or destroy, or attempt to take or destroy, any fish in

water adjoining a dwelling-house, but which shall be private property, or
in which there shall be a private right of fishery, the offender, being con-
victed thereof before a justice of the peace, shall forfeit, over and above
tile value of the fish taken or destroyed, (if any) any sum not exceeding
five pounds. Nothing therein contained to extend to a person angling in
the day-time : but if a person shall, by angling in the day-time, wilfully
take or destroy, or attempt to take or destroy, any fish in the water first
mentioned, he shall, on conviction before a justice of the peace, forfeit
any sum not exceeding five pounds ; atid if io the water last-mentioned.

106 ^E^-

ne shall torfeit not exceeding two pounds. If the boundary of a parish,
township, or vill, should happen to be in or by the side of sucJ) water, it
shall be sufficient to prove that the offence was conrimitted in the parish,
tov/nship, or vill named in the indictment or information, or in any parish,
township, or vill adjoining, s. 34.

And further, if any person shall, at any time, be found fishing
against the provisions of this Act, the owner of the ground or fishery, or
any person authorized by him, may demand from the offender all his rods,
lines, or other implements for taking or destroying fish, and if he should
not immediately deliver up the same, may seize the same for the use of
such owner. If the implements used by Anglers (in the day-time) should
be taken, or delivered up, the offender to be exempt from the payment or
any damages or penalty for angling, s. 35.

' By another Act of Parhament passed in the 7th and 8th George IV.
for consolidating and amending the Laws in England, relative to malicious
Injuries to Property, it is provided that, if any person shall maliciously,
in any way, destroy the dam of a fish-pond, or other water, being private
property, with intent to take or destroy any of the fish in the same ; or
shall maliciously put any noxious material in any such pond or water,
with intent to destroy the fish therein, the o^ender shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor, aad be punished accordingly.

The provisions contained in these Acts do not extend to Scotland or
Ireland.

SALT-WATER ANGLING.

Several sorts of fish may be taken at the mouths of rivers, when the
tide is flowing up from the sea. From piers, or projecting rocks, large
Plaice, Whiting, and even small Cod-fish and Turbot, Haddock and other
fish, will take a bait. Mackerel may also be taken from similar places, on
the coasts which they frequent, during their season.

For this sort of angling, a strong rod, a stout well-leaded line, a large
hoo^, and a good-sized cork float, must be used. When fishing at the
mouths of rivers, where you may take Flat-fish, Eels, Coal-fish, Bass,
small Whitings, and the fry of Cod and Haddock, bait with gentles,
shrimps, or red worms very well scoured. For the larger fish, when
angling from a pier, rock, or boat, a small distance from land, bait with a
small raw crab, a bit of whiting, a raw muscle, or two or three large red
worms. For Mackerel, you may bait with a bit of bright scarlet cloth,
and let your bait swim about mid water, or even lower, if your tackle will
allow it. When using a crab or muscle bait, you should fish at the bottom.
Salt-water angling is by no means so pleasant, nor does it require such
skill and nicety in the choice and management of bails, floats, and tackle,
ns angling in rivers ponds, or streams.

THE ANGLER.

lo:

0"' .

THE VARIOUS

We shall now proceed to acquaint our young "brothers of the rod."
with the haunts and habits of the various Fish, which, if they improve in
the pastime of Angling, are most likely to fall victims to their skill; and.
in addition to the preceding information on the subject, we purpose briefly
stating what hooks and baits are most commonly used for each Fish, &c.

TROUT.

In angling for Trout at the bottom, in the early part of the morning,
and late at night, also during the day, if the water ne much coloured, use
a strong rod, running tackle, and No. 6 hook. Angle with a float, putting
sufficient shot on the line, placed .ibout nine inches above the hook, to
sink the bait, which should be one large lob-worm, or two marsh or dew-
worms, well scoured, and very lively. Let your bait drag the bottom ; do
not strike the first time you feel a tui:, but rather slacken vour line, and
when you feel two or three sharp pulls, strike smartly; if* a heavy fish,
give him line, and land him at leisure, as a Trout Is very strong, and
struggles most violently, leaping out of the water, and flying in all direc-
tions, as soon as he feels the hook.

The Minnow is a good killing bait for Trout. In fishing with a Min-
now, hook it by the lips, or beneath the back fin ; use a small cork float.
No. 6 hook, and let your bait swim below mid-water in deep dark holes,
which are free from eddies. Trout begin to feed in March, and continue

108

THE ANGLER.

in season till Michaelmas. The first two or three months are best for
bottom-fishing, they are then found in shallows ; in summer time, the
large Trout lie in deep holes, or eddies. As they seldom feed in the day,
unless in dark weather, you must fish for Trout betimes in the morning, and
late in the evening, or you will not be likely to be successful in your sport.

The Thames and Lea at pre-
_ ,..-—- . __ sent contam but few Trout; but

you may fish for them success-
fully in the Wandle, at Carshal-
ton, Merton Mills, &c. till you
arrive at Wandsworth; in the
Ravensbourne, from or by
Sydenham, Lewisham, &c. to
the Kent Road, Greenwich; the
Darent, at Crayford, Bexley,
Foot's Cray, Paul's Cray &c. and near the Powder Mills, through and
near Darent and Horton, to Farningham. In the neighbourhood of Pwick-
mansworth, and from thence to Uxbridge, there are several good Trout
streams; at the latter place, the Angler is advised to put up at the White
Horse, or Crown and Cushion, the landlords of either of which will put
him in the way of killing a good dish of Trout,

CARP.

In angling for this shy and crafly fish, use running tackle, a small quill
float, fine clear gut line, and No, 8 hook. You may fish for them from
the end of February, if the weather be mild, until the middle of October.
Bait with well scoured red worms in the beginning of the season ; and in
the summer, with gentles, and paste made with honey and the crumb of
new-baked bread, worked well together. Keep as far from the water as
you can; ground-bait the place as for Roach, and plumb the depth the
night before. The best time to angle for Carp is very early and late.

When you have hooked a
Carp, give him line, and be
very wary and patient, or he
will get away. In rivers,
strike the instant he bites,
but in ponds, wait for a few
. -— -_^^__J —- — ~"^ moments. Look sharp after

your bait, when you use paste,
or tliis fish will suck it completely off your hook without biting. In still
water, your bait should swim about an inch from the bottom, but it must
not touch the ground in a river or stream. Carp are found in deep holes,
near flood-gntes, in eddies, and near large beds of weeds.

THE ANGLER.

100

The Perch generally takes a bait immediately it is offered. Perch
angling continues from February to October. Strong tackle must be used
in angling for them, a cork float, gut line, or a twisted hair, and hook

No. 7. Bait with two red
worms, well scoured, or n
live Minnow hooked by tht
lips or back fin, shrimps, or
large grey maggots taken
from poiatoe or turnip plant>
give them a few minutes to
pouch the bait ; use running
tackle, or you will certainly
lose your tish. During the hot months, Perch feed very little ; dark,
windy weather, if not too cold, is best; they lie about bridges, mill-pools,
near locks in rivers and canals, in deep, dark, still holes and eddies, ponds
about flood gates, on the gravel or sandy parts, and near rushes. If there
be any Perch about, and they are inclined to feed, they will soon take the
bait, so that you need not delay long in one place.

TENCH.

The Tench bites freely in dark, warm, heavy weather, during the
summer. '1 iiey are found in small numbers in the rivers 'ITiames and
Lea, ilie Cambcrwell and Croydon Canals, the Roding near Red Bridge,
at Wanstead, and in the ponds of Wanstead Park. For bait, use rtd
worms, centles. or sweet paste. Fish with a fine gut Hne, quill float, and

hook No. 9. The Tench
delights in foul rather than
clear water: their haunts are
principally among weeds, and
under shrubs and bushe.-.
Tench are more numerous
in pits and ponds than i:i
rivers. They bile more I'reeK
late and early, than in tht
middle of the day, from iho
latter end of April until their
spawninc; time, m June; and again during the month of August and the
early part of September. When taken in very muddy places, they shoulJ
be put into a tub of clear water, alive, and they will toon cleanse them-
wlves, 80 as lo improve their flnvour.

THE ANGLER.

BARBEL.

The Barbel,* which only breeds in rivers, is a handsome fish, but
coarse, and considered but ofiittle value ior the table: it, however, attbrds

excellent sport to the An-
gler. They are angled for,
in the river Thames, in
boats, with a stout rod,
running tackle, gut line,
cork float, and No. 7 or 8
hook, baited with lob or
marsh worms, or greaves.
In the river Lea, you may
use either a bamboo or
cane rod with a stiff top,
runnmg tackle, fine gut
line, quill float. No. 9 hook, and bait with red worms, gentles, or greaves.
The bait nmst always touch the ground. In baiting with worms, enter the
point of the hook a little below its head, and pass it through to within a
quarter of an inch of its tail, which part, by its moving about, will entice
the fish to bite ; cover the shank of the hook with the body of the worm,
as much as you can. Strike smartly, the instant you see a bite ; raise the
top of your rod, and let him run some considerable distance before you
attempt to turn him; take him by degrees into deep and still water, and
play with him, till he is quite weak, before you land him. Before you begin,
throw in plenty of ground-bait, and continue to do so frequently while
fishing ; make it with soaked greaves and clay, or malt grains, broken
lob-worms, bran and clay, mixed together in balls the size of an egg.
Boiled salmon's roe is said to be an excellent bait for this fish

The Barbel may be caught from May to October, all day, but best in
the morning and evening. They lie in deep eddies, at the end of scowers,
under beds of weeds and banks ; and in the middle of summer, under
bridges, about piles, old trees, and other retired or shady places, where
there happens to be a strong current of water. Fine Barbel are found in
the White Horse Water, in the Horse and Groom Subscription Water, at
Lea Bridge, as far up this river as Waltham Abbey, and in the Subscrip-
tion Water, Bleak Hall, at Edmonton ; in the river Thames, at Chertsey
Bridge, Shepperton, Walton, and Hampstead Deeps, at Thames Ditton,
Kingston, Twickenham, and Richmond.

The Barbel is scarcely worth cooking when it is caught ; but it is,
nevertheless, considered an important fish by the Angler, on account of
the sport which it atFords. Its flavour is said to be somewhat improved
toward the latter end of th" summer.

THE ANGLKR 111

The Roach likes a sandy bottom, and is very plentiful in the rivers
Thames and Lea. Although not very delicious, it is by no means a bad

fish, when in season, if it be
of a tolerable size, and caught
in a river. When ffshing for
Roach, your line above the
float must not exceed fourteen
inches : the float should not be
more than an eighth of an inch
above water, for Roach bite so
finely, that without great nicety in your tackle, you will lose two biles out
o( three. Keep the top of your rod over the float, and when you see the
least movement of it, strike quickly, but lightly, from your wrist, not
from the arm ; if you hook your fish, keep him as much under the top of
your rod as you can, and by playing him carefully, he will soon be your
own : when fishing for Roach, it is best to take a landing net with vou-
Paste made of white bread, two days old, slightly dipped in water, wfiich
must be immediately squeezed out again, is the best bait for Roach, nearly
all the year round ; when squeezed, knead it with the thumb and finger
of your right hand, in your other palm, till of a proper consistence, and
put a piece on the hook, about the size of a pea. Gentles may also be
used in the summer: and blood or red worms, in the spring and autumn.
Plumb the depth, and let your bait gently touch the bottom ; before you
begin, and while angling, cast ground bait in frequently, such as is used
for Chub and Barbel fishing, close to the float. Chewed bread is also very
good for this purpose. Use a light rod, a thin line, and No. 10 or 11 hook.
Roach are found in rivers, on the shallows, in eddies, and in deep
holes ; also about bridges, p:ies, and locks ; in ponds, near fiood-gates,
and where the bottom is sandy. They bite only during the sunmier months
in ponds, but all the year in rivers. They will take a bait all day in mild
cloudy weather ; when it is very hot, moniings and evenings are the best
times to angle for them ; if it be cold, the only chance the Angler has of
tiiking them, is by fishing in the middle of the day. There are many heavy
Roach in the holes and eddies between Chertsey Bridge and Shepperton,
from thence by Holford, Walton, and Sunbury to Hampton, in the mea-
dows at Teddington, and on the opposite side from Kingston to Richmond.
Roa<h are much better in some rivers than in others; those which are
taken ii. ' IJom turn out to be good for much; in many places

Roach 1 mid nearly two pounds in weight; but they are never

so fine-fi.. when weighing about half a pound. The roe of the

Roach U reckoned to be partioilarly good.

112

THE ANGLER

The Dace affords the Angler much sport, as it generaOy bites boldly.
Angle for them with the same sort of tackle, and in the same way, as for

_.__ Roach, not forgetting your

ground-bait; which, for Dace,
you may make of bran and
clay only. They are likely to
take your bait, when angling
for Barbel with greaves and
red worms. Use a hook, one
size larger than for a Roach ;
bait with a red worm in spnng; in summer, use two gentles, or a small
piece of greaves and a gentle on the point of tiie hook. You may begm
to fish for them in March, and they will bite until October, but not after,
unless the weather be very mild.

The haunts of the Dace are, for the most part, similar to those of the
Roach ; but they may more frequently be found in the stronger parts of
the stream, among weeds, &c. In the warm summer months, if the water
be clear, shoals of them may be often seen basking in the shallows.

The Chub is a bold biter, either at trie bottom or top of the water.
Where you have reason to expe-^t a heavy Chub, use running tackle, gut
line, quill float, and hook No. 8 or 9. Strike the moment you perceive a
bite, and let him run ; give plenty of line, otherwise your fish will break
away. Soon after his first run and a few plunges, you may bring him to
the shore or landing net. The baits for Chub, in spring, are gentles,
greaves, red worms, bullock's brains, or a live minnow ; in summer,

gentles and greaves ; in win-
ter, (for they may be taken
all the year round,) bullock's
brains, pith from the back-
bone, or a bit of old Cheshire
cheese. Throw in plenty of
ground-bait, of soaked bread,
pollard, and bran, worked
together, before you begin,
and often while angling.
Chub bite best in the motning and evening. Fish near the middle of the
stream, in ihe spring months, and let the bait drag two or three inches
on the ground ; in th»e autumn, Chub lie close in dark shaded holes, and
under banks.

THE ANGLER

lid

The Gudgeon, of wliich there are numbers in the 1'linmes and Lea,
bites well, and may be utken all the day, from April to October. The

Gudgeon frequents gen-
tle streams, which have
gravellyorsandy bottoms.
They seek shallows about
the latter end of spring,
and remain among tliem
during the summer; in
autumn, they delight in
deeper water, with a muddy bottom. In the Thames, fish for them with
a red worm, a gentle, or a blood worm, gut or hair line, light cork float,
and No. 9 or 10 hook. In the Lea or New River, you may use finer
tackle, and bait with blood worms. Strike instantly, when you perceive
a bile, and fish at the bottom of the water on shallows, wiijch are free
from weeds. Stir the bottom frequently with a rake or pole, while fish-
ing, in order to work up the sand and gravel, so as to discolour the water,
which will attract them in considerable numbers, particularly if you throw
in a few broken worms occasionally. Except in the cool days of autumn,
and about the latter end of April, there are few fish that bite more freely
at a proper bait than a Gudgeon.

BLEAK AND MINNOW.

In the Thames, Lea, and tne New River, numbers of Bleak and
Minnows are found ; Bleak are easily taken w ith paste or gentles at ni'd-

water, or at the bottom.
Angle for them with a
light rod, single hair line,
small quill float, three or
four No. 12 or 13 hooks,
and bait with a few gen-
tles ; or use three or fotir
different baits, such as a
blood-worm, a gentle, a
caddis, a common house-

fly. or .1 paste. Bait for Minnows with a lilood worm, a small

piece of red worm, gentlfs, or paste; use light tackle, and a No. 13 hook.
Strike as soon as you feel a bite. Occasionally throw in a few grains, or
a little chewed bread, to keep them about your baits. You may take both
these fi.->h from April till October, at any time of the day.

114

THE A-NGLER.

BREAM.

This very bony fish abounds in the rivers Weybridge, Ryfleet, and the
Mole: also in Dagenham Breach. Bream are taken in the spring and early

part of summer with a
red worm; with agrass-
liopper in J une and J uly,
and, in general, with gen-
tles and red paste. Use
a small hook, a light rod,
and quill float. Plumb
the bottom, and let your
bait rest about an inch
above it. The Bream
may most frequently be
found in the wide deep
parts of gentle streams, and also near weeds, &c., where the bottom is
sandy or clayey, and in the deepest and most quiet places in ponds. The
Bream runs hard for a short time when first hooked, but will soon turn
on his side, and may then be easily landed ; they bite best a little after
sunrise, and an hour or two before sunset, and when the water is muddy
after a fall of rain.

POPE, OR RUFF.

The Pope, or Ruff, is son^.ewhat thicker and more bulky in its shape
than the Perch. It is to be found in places where the water is quiet and

deep, with a muddy bot-
tom. In angling for these
fish, use No. 8 or 9 hook,
with a quill float, and
bait with a clean red
worm. Do not give them
much line after they bite.
Plumb the bottom, and
let your bait just drag on
the ground. Throw in
some balls of clay, in
which worms are mixed ; or even worms alone, unless the water be clear,
when, by all means, use clay and worm balls, or, in case of need, clay
balls alone, so as to make the water a little muddy. It is said that they
will sometimes bite freejy in cold weather, but the best time to angle for
them is in the spring or summer, especially when a warm wind blows
You may angle for Pope or Ruff at any time of the day.

THE AJiGLER. \\o

GRAYLING.

This fish is plentiful in many rivers from April until the end of October.
Graylintr ^'^-v i> -.n li r. s.-mhle the Salmon fry, and are to be angled for in

streams with sandy or
stony bottoms, they
haunt the sides of swift
streams in May. When
struck, they must be
handled rather gently,
as their months are very
tender, and if you treat
them roughly, the hook will break awav from its hold. Use a light rod,
a cork float, a 6ne hook, and a running line. The best time to iish lor
them is in spring or autumn, from seven till eleven or twelve in the morn-
ing, and from four or five until sunset in the afiernoon : in a cool cloudy
day in summer th^y will !.;ri> .ill day. The best bait for them is a worm
or a gentle.

Eels are taken with the rod and line, night lines, dead lines, and by
bobbing and sniggling. When fishing with a rod, use gur, or twisted
hair lines, with a float, and No. 8 hook ; bait with a worm, fish at the
bottom, and let the float remain a moment under water before you strike.
The dead line should be made of whipcord; on which you may put five
or six hooks, about nine inches apart. The night line must be strong,
and baited with small fish, or lob-worms. Bobbing is practised from
a boat ; you must procure a large quantity of worms for this, pass a
needle through them, from head to tail, and string them on worsted,

until you have as many
strung as will fonn a
bunch as large as a good-
sized turnip; then fasten
"^5^<^ them on the line, so that

■ all the ends may hang

level. Place a piece of
lead of a conical form in
the middle, cast the baits
into the water, sink them to the bottom, raise them a few inches, and then

drop then: ?' you have a bite; be as expert and steady in raising

your lini' o" that your fish may dropoff Into the boat. Itntneuse

numbers n . ru bv this method.

II 2

116

THE ANGLER

JACK, OR PIKE.

Trolling for Jack (or Pike) affords gi-eat sport and excellent exercise.
Roach, Dace, Gudgeon, small Trout, Bleak, Minnows, and Chub, are the
«^^— natural baits for this fish;

1^2:^^^^^^ artificial baits should never

-^^^^^^^^>~ ^ be used while there is a

possibility of getting natural
ones ; when they are used,
it must be with the snap.
Baits of about four or five
inches in length will be
found to be the best size, the Jack (or Pike) being sometimes shy of
pou«hing a larger bait. You may also take a Trout or Chub with small
bait when trolling for Jack, (or Pike,) particularly if you happen to have
a live Gudgeon on your hook. At the shops of the fishing-tackle makers,
artificial baits of fish and frogs may be purchased, made of wood, pearl,
and also of leather stufi^ed and painted for trolling. These sort of baits
are vyy convenient for use, on occasions when natural baits cannot be
easily procured.

Trolling lines are made of silk, and silk twisted with hair or gut ;
plaited silk is the best ; from thirty to forty yards, at least, should be kept
on the winch. The rod must be very strong, with a stiff whalebone or
good hickory top. The following are the methods generally used for

trolling: namely, with the gorge, the
snap, the hve bait, and the head-hook.
The gorge-hook is introduced into
the body of the bait, loaded on the
shank with lead; the snap-hook con-
sists of three hooks fastened together,
and put on the bait without entering
the body ; the hooks used for live bait are single or double. To bait the
gorge-hook, take a baiting-needle, hook the curved end of it to the loop

of the gimp, (to which the hook is
tied,) then introduce the point of the
needle into the bait's mouth, and
bring it out at the tail; the lead
will then be hid in the bait's belly,
and the points and barbs lie in its
iiiouui, the pomts turnmg upward ; to keep the bait steady on the hook,
tie the tail part to the gimp with some white thread. It is to be
observed that the Jack (or Pike) always swallows the bait head foremost.
The snap-hook is baited by introducing the point of the upper or small

^«=«a^^

THE ANGLER

117

hook, under the skin of the bait, on the side, and bringing it up to the
nack of the fin. Another snap is baited by the loop of the gimp being

passed inside the gill of the bail,
and brought out at the mouth ; the
lead lies in the throat, the first
hook outside the gill, and the
others on its side, with the points
just entered under the skin ; this
bait's mouth should be sewed up,
to keep the lead and hooks m
their places. A live bait should have a No. 3 or 4 hook passed through
its hps, or the flesh beneath the back fin, taking care not to wound the

back-bone. The bead-hook is
formed of two single hooks tied
back to back, or made of one
piece of wire tied to gimp, with
a piece of lead of a conical form
linked to it : the lead is put into
the live bait's mouth, wlych is
afterward sewed up for the purpose above mentioned.

A great many parts of the river Lea, which abound with Jack, are
preserved for angling, and may be used by paying annually a certain
sum. The river Stort, which runs into the Lea. near the Rye-house,
Hoduesdon. contains many Jack ; as also the river Roding, in Essex.
Dagenhani Breach, in Essex, which is preserved, has very large and
numerous Jack. The Camberwell Canal, particularly that part which is
broad and deep, near the bridge or arch, on the Kent Road, on the east
side, all the way to Deptford Lower Road, contains some Jack ; also the
Croydon Canal, which may be trolled for, from Deptfo.d to Croydon,
particularly in the still waters between New Cross, Kent Road, (to the
east of Kun-head-hill,) and Sydenham. Jack are also to be met with, it
is said, near the first bridge ol'the Paddington Canal, and in several other
waters near London.

Jack (or Pike) will feed all day; they bite most freely during a breeie
of wind. When you use live baits, take at least six* in your kettle, and
give them fresh water occasionally: if you use the gorge, bait three hooks
before you begin, and keep them in bran, in a gentle -l)0X large enough
for the'buits to lie at their length, and take care that your baits are fresh
and lively.

The trolling season continues from July to the end of February. The
most likely places to find fish are near the end of scowers, in deep eddies,
tumbling bavs, deep still water in a river, and near beds of weeds at the
nnouths of ditches or streams that empty thetuselves into rivers or pond« ;

113 THE ANGLER.

near flood-gates, and bull-rushes, in lakes, canals, &c. When the weather
is boisterous and cold, you may take Jack while other fish refuse every
enticement. When the water is somewhat thick, troll close in shore; for,
at such times, Jack, as well as other fish, are found near the sides. When
the rivers and other waters are much choked with weeds, in the summer,
vou may sometimes find a Jack lie dosing near the surface in an opening;
in this case drop a baited snap-hook, let it sink a few inches, and it
is .very probable he will take it: you must strike, and lift the fish out
instantly, or you lose both Jack and hook among the weeds ; your tackle
must, therefore, be strong.

We shall now suppose the young Angler at the river side, with a
gorge-hook baited. First, let him fasten the winch to the butt of the rod,
draw the line through the rings to the length of eight or ten yards, and
fasten the hook on the line with a small swivel ; place the bottom of the
butt against the side of his stomach, if the water be broad, but hold it in
his right hand if narrow ; draw some of the line back with his left hand,
and lower the top of the rod near the ground, then, with a jerk from his
right arm, cast the bait into the water. By a little practice he may be
able to cast his bait any distance. Let the bait fall as lightly as you can ;
when sent to the bottom, gradually raise it to the surface, and so con-
tinue to troll till you perceive a bite ; keep the line free, that nothing may
impede the Jack in running away with the bait; let him remain quiet
about ten minutes, then wind up the slack line and strike. If there be
any very strong weeds or piles near the place, keep your fish from run-
ning to such places by weighing him out as soon as possible.

When fishing with two baits, put a barrel-shaped cork-float on your
line, and a few swan-shot to sink it three parts under water; cast your bait
in the same way as with the gorge-hook ; the bait should swim rather
below mid-water, and let it continue in some minutes. The fish takes
live bait with much violence, and the float disappears instantly; therefore,
be sure always to keep your winch unlocked and line free ; give him ten
minutes to pouch, and then strike. In fishing with a snap hook, (either
the spring or plain,) you cast in search exactly as with the gorge ; but
when you feel a bite, strike quickly and hard, that your hook may get a
firm hold.

In troUing with the bead-hook, cast in the bait as before directed; the
lead in its mouth will cause it to sink gradually, but will not prevent its
swimming about for some time; you must raise it near to the surface again
when at the bottom, and occasionally take it out and cast in a fresh place,
taking care to fish every yard of water where you are likely to find a Pike.
When you feel a bite, let the fish run, and allow him about ten minutes'
time for pouching. You must not pull him too roughly, but wind up your
line by degrees, until he is exhausted.

THE ANGLER.

119

NATURAL FtY- FISHING.

ioi; :\;iiural Fly-fishing, tlie rods should belong and slender, the
nes fine, but not so lonj; as those used lor Artificial Fly-fishing; the
i-kle running; and the hooks short in their shanks, and well propor-
tioned in size to the baits. Mr. Ustonson, of Temple-Bar, has lately
invented a most excellent line for Natural Fly-fishing, which, from
its peculiar construction, is admirably adapted for carrying the light
natural fly across a stream. l>y fishing with the wind at one's back,
tlie line is wafted through the air just above the surface of tlie water.
In streams, begin by fishing just under the banks or near the shore, and
proceed by degrees, until at length you may throw your line tlie whole
breadth of the water. In rivers, which, durmg the summer months, pro-
dtice an abundance of weeds, you should fish between those places where
the current is strongest, taking care so to manage your line as not to get
it entangled. When fishing with natural flies, ail the other haunts of the
different fish which we have elsewhere mentioned should be frequented.
Let the fly just reach the surface of the water, and go gently down the
stream ; the top of your rod should be a little raised, and the bait kept in
motion upon the surface, by gently raising, lowering, and drawing it to and
iVo. When a fish takes your bait, after a nioment strike smartly; and, if
hs be not so large as to break your tackle, lii\ him out inmiediately ; for
by playing with him vou may, probably, scare away others. There is an
immense varie.ty of Natural Fly-fishing baits: we shall describe those
only which are m most ge:ieral use.

120 THE ANGLER.

NATURAL BAITS.

Hornets, wasps, and humble-bees, are good baits for Roach, Dace, Eels,
Flounders, Bream and Chub; some boil them, but it is best to dry them
in an oven, or over a fire ; and, if not over done, they will keep a long
time. The stone-fly is found at the sides of rivers, under hollow stones; it
is of a curious brown colour, the body is pretty thick, and streaked with
yellow on the back and belly.

The green drake is taken from May to July ; it is a long, slender fly,
with wings hke those of a butterfly ; its body is yellow ribbed with green ; it
turns its tail on its back. These are good baits for Roach, Dace, Perch,
Bleak, and Flounders. The grey drake, in size and shape, resembles the
green drake, but has black shining wings, and its body is a pale yellow,
striped with black and green. The time for taking this fly immediately
succeeds that of taking the green drake, and it is used for the same fish.

Ant-flies are found in their hills from June till September; two or three
of them fixed on a small hook are certain baits for Roach, Dace, and Chub,
if you do not angle above six inches from the bottom. They may be kept
in glass bottles, with some of the earth, from which they have been taken,
about them. The fern-fly, or fern bob, is found among fern, from May to
the end of August. It has a short, thick body, and two pair of wings, the
uppermost reddish and hard, which may be taken off. The Chub never
refuses it, and the Trout will take it very freely at the latter end of May.

The hawtlv)rn-fly is found on hawthorn-trees, when the leaves are just
shooting ; it is of a black colour, and is used to dib in a river for Trout.

The great moth is to be found, in the summer evenings, in gardens,
trees, or plants; is used as a bait in dibbing for Roach; it has a very large
head and whitish wings.

The bonnet-fly is an excellent bait for Dace, Chub, &c. ; it is to b'>
found, in the summer months, among standing grass.

The ash-fly, woodcock-fly, or oak-fly, is usually found, from May till
September, in the body of an oak or ash-tree, with its head downward,
toward the root; it is of a brownish colour. This fly is a good bait for
Trout. The red copper-coloured beetle is a good bait for Trout, if the
hard wings be chpped off, and the fly hung with its feet toward the water.

The best mode of keeping natural flies is as follows: — Procure a horn
bottle made in the shape of a cone, with a wooden bottom, in which several
holes must be pierced; these should be sufficiently numerous to afford the
flies air, but none of them large enough to suffer your smallest bait to
escape ; a cork must be obtained to fit the upper or smaller end, so that
you may take your baits out, one by one, without losing any. If the flies
be kept in a common box, there is a great chance of half a dozen flying
out every time you lift the cover.

rH£ ANGL£K.

1:21

ARTIFICIAL FLY-FISHING..

Thf. most elegant, clean, gentlemanly, and pleasant mode of fishing is,
tinijiiestionably, with the Artificial Fly. It has many advantages over
bottom-fishing;— the Artificial Fly-fisher is never under the necessity of
making ground-bait, digging clay, &c. — he has not even the trouble of
baiting his hook ; he may ramble along the banks of a pleasant stream,
with no burthen (excepting a little book of flies and a light rod) but the
fish which he may have the good fortune to take; — enjoving his sport, and
luxuriating in gentle exercise, without scarcely soiling his fingers.

But though Artificial Fly-fishing possesses these advantages, it
must be confessed that, in some points, the superiority is to be given to
bottom-fishing. There are niany nslies that will never rise at a fly ; while
all the " tenants of the stream" may be taken, at some time or other, by
a bottom-bait ; and, during the cold' or wet weather, when the Fly-fisher
cannot follow his sport, the staunch Angler, who uses bottom-baits, may
still resort to the "grassy margin of the stream," and indulge in his pisca-
ior\ pastime; for there are few days in the year when fish will not take
a proper baiL At Christmas, when a Trout can never be induced to rise
by the best-made fly, many capital Pike are freauently taken.

Artificial Fly-fishing is, by far, the most difficult part of Angling;
much time and practice are required to make the tyro an adept in it; by
theory it can never be attained ; a few months' instruction, under an expe-
rienced person, will be more beneficial toward its acquirement than the
periKsal of all the works extant on the subjecL With the preliminary pait,
or rudinienLs of the science, (for so it may with propriety be called,) the
young Angler may, however, make himself acquainted, by reading the fol-
lowing pages ; and if he will carefully attend to the hints and instructions

122 THE ANGLER.

hereinafter given on the subject, he may, whh good practice, even attain
considerable proficiency in Artificial Fly-fishing ; but it cannot be learnt
so soon, or so well, from any book as from an experienced instructor.

THE FLY-FACTOR.

Although we strongly recommend our young friends to purcliase their
flies (as well as their rods, lines, &c.) at the fisliing-tackle shops, where
they may be had in greater perfection, and at a rnucli cheaper rate, than
an individual can possibly make them ; yet, as some of our readers may
feel an inclination to exercise their ingenuity by making them, we think
it right to give them sufficient instructions on this head, to enable them,
after a little experience, to imitate almost any of the numerous flies
in use, or even such natural flies as they may discover are taken in the
waters where they are in the habit of following this pleasant recreation.
In the latter case, they must carefully notice what sort of flies are in
fashion with the fish, if we may use the phrase, during each month in the
year ; and it is necessary to notice, that some flies are in season in some
places earlier than in others.

The following articles will be necessary for making your artificial flies:
— Bear's and camel's hair of different colours ; badger's and spaniel's hair;
sheep's wool, hog's down, as combed from the roots and bristles of a hog;
camlets and mohairs of different colours ; cow's hair, abortive calves' and
colt's hair; furs of squirrel's tails; tails of black, yellow, and dun cats; of
hare's neck; the fern-coloured ferret's fur; martin's yellow fur; filmer's
fur ; tails of white weasels, moles, and black rabbits ; down of a fox's cub;
fur that comes off the otter and otter cub ; blackish and brown badger's
hair, that has lain in a skinner's lime pit ; hackles from a cock's neck, and
such as hang loosely on each side of the tail, of various colours ; feathers
of all sorts of fowls; and those which cannot be got of the required colours
in a natural state, you must get dyed. — First wet your materials, in order
to know how they will hold their colour ; for, althougli, when dry, they
may appear of the right colour, yet they may alter when wetted ; take the
hook in your left hand, betwixt your fore- finger and thumb, the shank
back upward, and a strong silk of that colour the fly requires, which draw
to the head of the shank, and whip about the bare hook two or three times;
draw your line between your finger and thumb, hold the hook so fast, that
It may only have a space to pass by ; then joining the hook and line, put
on the wings, and fashion the body and head, by twisting the dubbing on
your waxed silk, and lapping it on ; work by degrees toward the head, and
part the wings of an even lengtii, or the fly will not swim upright; then
turn it into a proper shape, by nipping off the superfluous dubbing, and
fasten the fly to your hook. Having proportioned the fly, you are to

llli: ANGLER. 123

consider the size of the fish you intend it for, and be sure the belly is of
the exact colour, because that will be the most obvious to the fish.

The painted fly, or plain hackle, must have a rough black body, which
may be made with black spaniel's hair, or the whirl of an ostrich feather,
and the red hackle of a cock. The prince dun must be made of the down
of a fox cub, with ash-coloured silk, and the feathers of a stare's win^. —
The green-tail tiv may be made of the brown hair of a spaniel, taken troir
the outside of the ear, and a little from the extremity of the taiL The
thorn-tree fly is to be made with a good black, mixed with a little Isabella-
coloured mohair; it must have a small body, and the wings made of a
mallard's brightest feathers. — The early bright brown fly is made of the
hair of a brown spaniel, that of the flank of a red cow, and winged with
the grey feather of a wild duck. If yon think proper to try your fortune
at Fly-fishing in February or March, the two first flies are'the best for
the former month, and the others for the latter. The season for Artificiai
Fly-fishing cannot, however, be said to commence before April. Some
.Anglers fish with a fly in winter, but little sport is to be had, unless the
weather be unusually mild, before April, or nmch later than Michaelmas.

The violet-fly is made of bear's hair of a light dun colour, mixed with
violet stuff, and winged with the grey feather of a mallard. — The horse-
flesh-fly is dubbed with pink colours, blue mohair, and tammy; the head
to be of a dark brown, and the wings of a light colour. — The small bright
brown fly, particularly calculated for a clear day and water, is to be made
of spaniel's t'ur, with a light grey wing. These flies are used in April.

The green drake is to be dubbed on a large hook, with camel's hair,
bright bear's hair, soft down combed from the bristles of a hog, mixed with
yellow camlet ; the body to be long, and ribbed with green and yellow
silk; the wisks of the tail made of the long hair of sables, and the wing of
the light grey feathers of a mallard, dyed yellow. — The stone-fly, to be
made of a dun bear's hair, mixed with a little brown and yellow camlet,
more yellow on the belly and tail than any other part; place two or three
hairs of the beard of a black cat on the ton of the hook, in the whipping
or arming, and in warping on your dubbincj; rib the body with yellow
silk, and make the wings long and large, of the dark grey feather of a
mallard. — The grey drake's body must be black, witli black shining wings»
very thin, and made of the feathers of a mallard, the down under a hog's
bristles, the black hair of a spaniel, and the beard of a black cat. These
flies are fit fbr May.

The ant-fly is dubbed with brown and red camlet, and the wings made
of the feathers of a light grey pigeon. — The purple fly, made with purple
wool, mixed with light brown bear's hair, and dubbed with purple silk.
These may be used in June and in July.

The orange fly, which is n)ade with orange-coloured crewel or wool, and

J24 THE ANGLER.

the feather of a blackbird's wing. — The wasp-fly, made with brown dubbing,
or with the hair of a black cat's tail, ribbed with yellow silk, and the wings
formed of the grey feather of a mallard's wing; — and the blue dun, made
with the down of a water-mouse, and the blueish down found on an old
fox, mixed well together, and dubbed with ash-coloured silk ; the feathers
of a stare's quill will furnish you with wings. The foregoing are fit for
July.

For August, the following are rather popular: — The late ant-fly,
formed of hair of a blackish brown, with some red in the tail, and the
wings made of a dark leather. — The fern-fly, which is dubbed with the
wool taken from a hare's neck, being of the colour of fern, when dry, and
the wings made of the darkish grey feather of a mallard; — and the hearth-
dy, which is to be made of the wool of an aged ewe, mixed with some
grey hair, and dubbed with black silk ; the light feathers of a starling are
proper for the wings. — The little blue dun, made of the fur of a water-
mouse, dubbed with ash-coloured silk, and winged with the featlier of a
blue pigeon. — The late badger is to be formed with black badger's hair,
whipped with red silk, and winged with a darkish grey mallard's feather.
To make the camel broom-fly, pull out, for the body, the hair in the
mortar of old walls, and whip it with red silk ; make the wings of a star-
ling's lightest feather. The last three flies are used in September. If you
be able to make these flies, you will find but little diflBculty in imitating
any others that may be necessary; it would, therefore, be useless for us to
enlarge our instructions on this head. Were we to give directions for
making every fly that may be used, our labour would be considerable ; as
we should, in that case, have to describe the mode of imitating nearly all the
flies that haunt the various waters at the different seasons of the year.

THE MONTHLY BILL OF FARE.

The following bill of fare of Artificial Flies, for each month during the
season, will be found of considerable utility. Notwithstanding it is com-
paratively select, the young Angler will, for general purposes, find it
suflSciently ample ; although, of course, "it is not applicable in every
instance for all waters, experience and observation will perfect him in
the knowledge of what baits are best for the difierent streams to which
ne resorts during the several months of the year. The following, how-
ever, may be looked upon as a good general guide : —

April. — During all this month, the cow-dung fly, the horse-dung fly,
and the dun or brown drake, are killing; the second is best in the evening,
and the latter, during gloomy weather, in the middle of the day.

May. — The stone-fly may be used all May with much success, but
more particularly in the morning. The yellow May-fly is very good in the

THE ANGLER 12o

evening. The black caterpillar fly is ^ood in small rivers and Trout
streams; especially after very hot mornings. The camlet may be used
with success all day, for small fish, but the green drake is' the niost
killing.

June. — The lady-fly is a good fly in June, particularly when the
water begins to brighten, after a flood. The black gnat is killing in an
evening, especially if the weather has been warm and showery during
the day ; late in the evening, still prefer the green drake. The blue gnat
is only used when the water is very fine and low^. The red spinner will
kill best when the water is dark.

July.— In this month the orange-fly is an excellent bait, particularly
if it be close, hot, and gloomy weather. The large red ant-fly is a kiUing
fly for some hours in the middle of the day. The badger-fly is a good fly
in the cool days, and in the early part of this month.

August. — The small red and black ant-flies are good killers in
August, for three or four hours in the afternoon. The hazel-fly, by
some called the button-fly, is a valuable fly all this month. The small fly,
called the light-blue fly, is a killing bait, from morning till afternoon, if
the weather be favourable.

September. — The willow-fly is most to be depended on during Sep-
tember, and for the remainder of the season ; any of the flies noticed for
July or August may also be used occasionally; all those enumerated
are for killing Trout ; but you may also take Chub and Dace with them.
They may be purchased at the fishing-tackle shops in very great per-
fection ; but if the young Angler wishes to make tliem himself, he may
do so by first catching a natural fly for a pattern, and using such of the
materials, before enumerated, as are best adapted to imitate the natural
colours in constructing it.

CASTING THE LINE, &C.

Your rod for fly-fishing must be light and flexible, and of a length pro-
portioned to your power of caiiting; when you have properly fixed the
winch, and brouj^nt your line from it through the links, fix your fly on,
and let out your line about the length of tht^ rod, or something less; take
the rod in your right hand, and the line, near the fly, in your left ; when
you move the rod backward to cast the line, let the latter go from your
left hand. Practise several throws at this length, and increaise it occasion-
ally, as you improve, until you are able to throw almost any moderate
length, with ease, to within an inch of any spot you desire. Draw the
fly lightly toward the shore, and look sharply at it, so as to be able to
strike instantly if a fish should rise at it ; if you do not, you will most
probably lose him, for he quickly discovers the nature of your baiu In

12G THE ANGLER.

raising your line for the second and subsequent throws, wave your rod
round your head, instead of bringing it directly backward. You should
not return the line before it has gone its full length behind you, lest you
whip off your fly. In order to shew your flies naturally to the fish, when
you have thrown, raise your hand by degrees, with a slight quivering
motion ; and, as you thus draw the bait toward you, let it go down the
stream, (for you nuist never bring your fly against it,) and before it comes
too near you, prepare to cast again. If you see a fish rise at a liatural fly,
throw your line a Uttle above him, so that the bait may come gently and
naturally down toward him ; fish every yard of water likely to afford
sport, and never despair of success ; for, sometimes it so happens, that
after many fruitless hours spent without a fish ever rising at youi»fly, you
will fill your bag or basket during the last hour. The lighter your' fly
descends on the water, the greater chance you have of a bile ; the wajf
to throw with the requisite perfection in this respect, is only to be acquired
by practice and love for the art. Use only one hook at a time, till you
can throw to any given distance witli certainty. • You may acquire such a
mastery, by dint of observation and practice, as to be able to cast your
fly under banks, into holes, among bushes, &c., where the best fish are
frequently found. Endeavour to keep the wind at your back, and when
fishing in a small stream, where the middle is shallow, and the water rip-
ples, cast your bait to the opposite side, slowly draw it to the rippling,
and let it float down some distance. You must recollect to keep yourself
out of sight, and your fly in motion, ttiat it may appear to the fish as it
alive. If you do not find the fish rise toward the top, sink your fly, by
degrees, even to middle water. Before flies are naturally in season, the
fish very rarely rise at them; therefore, in order that you may not be
mistaken in yoiu- baiting, observe what flics are about the water, or on
the bushes or trees near the ponds or rivers ; and that fly which swarms
there most, being chiefly in season, is to be used.

If the wind be pretty high, the fish will rise in the plain deep ; but
when little wind is stirring, it is best to angle in the stream. We need
scarcely remind you of the propriety of taking your basket, landing-
net, book of flies, and, if you are able to construct an artificial fly
yourself, a few materials for fly-making ; so that, if the fish, which are
often whimsical, will not take any of the baits with which .you are pro-
vided, and you observe them rising at natural flies, (and they will some-
times feed on such insignificant ones as, at other times, they will scarcely
look at,) catch one of such flies, and make one for yotP'bait as nearly
like it as possible. This, certainly, is a great advantage, ami every Angler
ought, therefore, perhaps, to acquire suifficient knowledge in fly-making
to be able to produce such a tolerable imitation, that the fish may not
easily detect the difference between the natural and the artificial fly.

THE ANGLER. 127

OKXERAL RULES FOK ALL ANGLERS.

In bottom-fishing, plumb the depth truly, and with as little disturbance
as may be; let your line, with the plummet to it, remain in the water
while you ca>t in the ground-bait, by which time the line will be softened
and stretched ; keep as tar from the water as you can. Use fine tackle,
and yon will the sooner become skilful : if you break your tackle, do not
lose your .tenjper, but sit down, and diligently repair it. If hail fall, or
the day be cold, and the wind blow strong, the .Angler mu^^t not expect
much sport In soft rain, or foggy, close weather, most fish will bite.
Never drink water out of rivers or ponds while in a perspiration ; keep
your feet A"y, by wf»arin» strong boots and shoes. It is supposed that the

ilie south, west, and south-east. In hot wea-
■lows the better; but in the early part of the

, a warm wind is more advantageous. When
llie wind totiits iVouj n cold quarter, such places as are most protected
from its influence should be resorted to. A cloudy day, with light showers,
after a bri ■'•• •■• -'■•. in general proves most favourable to the Angler, who
may also ^port even on those days when heavy rains descend

during til' aween the showers. When a calm bright morning

is succeeded by a ;;loomy day with a brisk wind, without any fall of rain,
the fish, — at least, the larger sorts, — are almost sure to feed. Weather-
wisdom is of the greatest benefit to the Angler : — our young friends should
therefore pay attention to, and remember the state of the wind, the clouds,
&c., on those days when they find the fish bite, and when they ref\ise to
take a bait They may thus not only be enabled to say when there is a
prospect of sport, but also save themselves much trouble and disappoint-
ment, by staying at home to improve their tackle, or amusing themselves
in some other manner, instead of following " the devious windings of the
stream," when the weather is unpromising. When the wind blows righ
across the water, fish with your back toward it ; not merely because you
can throw your line with more facility, but because the fish will certainly
be on tliat side, watchitig for the flies, &c. that may be blown from the
Jbank into the water. Throw as near the bank on which you stand as the
wind, if it be higli, will suffer you. In the summer time, when the sun
IS out in all his splendour, and tnere is scarcely a breath of wind stirring,
you may often see the fish basking in clear low water, with their fins and
a part of their backs above the surface. On these occasions, they will rise
jftecdilv at a ha^e, if your foot length be fine, and you fish at a suffi-
cient distance to be unperceived, under banks, or straight down the sides
of streams. Your line, for this purpose, must be long; and if, when you
hook a fish, the others should become alarmed and shoot off, retire for a
short time, and in all probability they will return again ; if not, you must

128 THE ANGLER

try elsewhere. Scrupulously avoid all piscatory poaching, or what is called
"losing offish;" use none of the oils, or chemical preparations, which are
recomniended by some persons to attract or stupify fish. These are prac-
tices dishonourable to the fair Angler. Before you fish in strange waters,
ascertain that they are free to the public ; and, if not, by no means venture
to cast your line over them without first obtaining permission to do so
from the proprietors. It would not only be improper but highly dangerous
to neglect this caution, as our readers may perceive by referring to the
Laws of Angling, in a preceding page of this treatise. Molest not any
one whom you may find in previous possession of a spot which you had
intended to be the scene of your own recreation ; but, on the contrary, be
civil and obliging to all those whom you may meet on your excursions,
intent upon enjoying t^e same sport as yourself. If two or more persons
angle in company, there should be a distance of thirty yards, at least,
between each. Many prefer solitude when enjoying this sport, and always
fish alone, like that natural Angler,

^Ifz Storfe.

SWIMMING

* Thi« i« ih« pure*! axerriM of btaitb
Tlic kiud rcimbcr of the (Uiomcr beau ."

TMOMtUli.

Max, it is supposed, possesses all the requisite powers for swimiuing.
and cuuid traverse deep waters like other animals, were he not deprived
of the use of such powers by fear, the effect of prejudice, precipitation or
impatience. Courage has frequently enabled persons to swim at the first
attempt, while excessive timidity has prevented others, for a long time,
from being able to keep themselves, even for a few moments, afloat Swim-
ming has now become an art, and certain rules may be given for its attain-
ment, by the aid of which, and a Uttle practice, the most timid mav
eventually acquire the delightful power of " sporting in the silver flood.
•• In addition to its advantages as a healthy and bracing exercise, humanity
alone, tlie pleasure of being not only able to preserve our own lives, but those
of others, ought certainly to be sufficient inducement to acquire a dexterity
in this most useful art. When it is considered that ours is a country having
the ocean for its frontier, and that ,in the interior there is none in the
world more abounding in rivers, brooks, lakes, and artificial canals ; and
when it is recollected that England is the first maritime nation in the
world, it may seem surprising that such a proportionately small number
of iu inhabitants can swim. It might have been much more naturally

130 SWIMMING.

inferred, that every inhabitant of our island felt almost as much at ease
m the water as on dry ground. The upsetting of the slender boats of the
natives of Otaheite, is to them a subject of merriment ; they swim about,
take hold 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 useless to enlarge further upon the
advantages to be derived 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, we conceive that we shall be conferring a
benefit on them by offering to their notice some extracts from Doctor
Buchan's remarks, and the excellent advice of the celebrated philosopher,
Doctor Franklin, on this subject.

DOCTOR buchan's REMARKS.

" Immersion in cold water is a custom which lays claim to the most
remote antiquity ; indeed, it must be coeval with man himself. The
necessity of water for the purpose of cleanliness, and the pleasure arising
from its application to the body in hot countries, must have very early
recommended it to the human species. Even the exampleof other animals
was sufficient to give the hint to man ; by instinct many of them are led
to apply cold water in this manner ; and some, when deprived of its use,
have been known to languish, and even to die.

" The cold bath recommends itself in a variety of cases, and is peculiarly
beneficial to the inhabitants of populous cities, who indulge in idleness,
and lead sedentary lives. It accelerates the motion of the blood, promotes
the different secretions, and gives permanent vigour to the solids. But all
these important purposes will be more essentially answered by the appli-
cation of salt water. This ought not only to be preferred on account of
its superior gravity, but likewise for its greater power of stimulating the
skin, which promotes the perspiration, and prevents the patient from
catching cold.

" It is necessary, however, to observe, that cold bathing is more likely
to prevent than to remove obstructions of the glandular or lymphatic sys-
jem : indeed, when these have arrived at a certain height, they are not
to be removed by any means. In this case, the cold bath will only aggra-
vate the symptoms, and hurry the unhappy patient into an untimely
grave ; it is, therefore, of the utmost importance, previously to the patient's
entering upon the use of the cold bath, to determine whether or not h%
labours under any obstinate obstruction of the lungs or other viscera : ana
where this is the case, cold bathing ought strictly to be prohibited.

SWIMMING. 13-1

** In what is called a plethoric state, or too great fulness of the bodv,
it it likewi>c dangerous to use the cold bath, without due preparation, fn
this case, there is great danger of bursting a blood-vessel, or occasioning
an inflammation.

" The ancient Greeks and Romans, we are told, when covered with
sweat and dust, used to plunge into rivers without receiving the smallest
injury. Though they might escape danger from this imprudent conduct,
yet it was certainly contrary to sound reason. Many robust men have
thrown away their lives by such an attempt. We would not, however,
advise patients to go in the cold water when the body is chilled ; as much
exercise, at least, ought to be taken, as may excite a gentle glow all over
the body, but by no means so as to overheat it.

•• To young people, and particularly to children, cold bathing is of the
utmost importance ; it promotes their growth, increases their strength, and
prevents a variety of diseases incidental to childhood.

" It is, however, necessary here, to caution young men against too
frequent bathine ; as man^ fatal consequences have resulted from the
daily practice of plunging mto rivers, and continuing there too long.

" The most proper time of the day for using the cold bath is, no doubt,
the morning, or, at least, before dinner ; and the best mode, that of quick
immersion. As cold bathing has a constant tendency to propel the blood,
and other humours, toward the head, it ought to be a rule always to wet
that part as soon as possible. By due attention to this circumstance,
there is reason to believe, that violent head-aches, and other complaints
which frequently proceed from cold bathing might be often prevented.

'' The cold bath, when too long continued in, not only occasions an
excessive flux of humours toward the head, but chills the blood, cramps
the muscles, relaxes the nerves, and wholly defeats the intention of bath-
ing. Hence, by not adverting to this circumstance, expert swimmers are
often injured, and, sometimes, even lose th'eir lives. All the beneficial
purposes of cold bathing are answered by one inmiersion at a time ; and
the patient ought to be rubbed dry the moment he comes out of the
water, and should continue to take exercise for some time after."

DOCTOR franklin's ADVICE TO SWIMMERS.

" The only obstacle to improvement in this necessary and life-pre-
serving art, is fear; and it is only by overcoming this timidity, that you
ran expect to become a master of the following acquirements. It is very
*rommon for novices in the art of swinmiing to make use of corks or blad-
ders to assist in keeping the body above water; some have utterly con-
<!emned 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 I'eet, that is necessary to

I 2

132 fevtriMMING.

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, there-
tore, advise the acquiring that confidence in the first place ; especially as I
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 gra-
dually, 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 clean. It must lie in the water so deep that you cannot reach to take
it up but by diving for it. To encourage yourself, in order to do this,
reflect 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
bottom, raise your head far above the water ; then plunge under it with
your eyes open, which must be kept open before going under, as you
cannot open the eyelids for the weight of water above you ; throwing
yourself toward the egg, and endeavouring, by the action of your hands
and feet against the water, to get forward, till within reach of it. In this
attempt you will find that the water buoys you up against your inclina-
tion ; that it is not so easy to sink as you imagine, and that you cannot,
but by active force, get down to the egg. 'Jhus you feel the power of
water to support you, and learn to confide in that power, while your
endeavours to overcome it, and reach the egg, teach you the manner of
acting on the water with your feet and hands, which action is afterward
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 strugghng ; yet, till you have obtained this experimental
confidence in the water, 1 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, being solid parts,
are, specifically, somewhat heavier than fresh water, yet the trunk, parti-
cularly the upper part, for its hoUowness, 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 become
filled with water, which happens from drawing water to them instead of
air, when a person, in the fright, attempts 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

SWIMMING. 133

the lungs were filled as above, but from the greater specific gravity of the
head. Therefore, a person throwing himself on his back in salt water
and extending his arms, may easily lav so as to keep his mouth and nos-
trils free for breathing; and, by a small motion of his hand, may prevent
turning, if he should perceive any tendency to it«

•• In fresh water, it a man throw himself on his back, near the surface,
he cannot long continue in that situation but bv proper action of his
hands on the water ; if he use no such action, the legs and lower part of
the body will gradually sink till he come into an upright position, in
which he will continue suspended, the hollow 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, perhaps a little above the eyes, so that a man cannot
long remain suspended in water, with his head in that position.

" The body continuing suspended as before, and upright, if the head
be leaned quite back, so that the face look upward, all the back part of
the head being under water, and its weight, consequently, in a great mea-
sure 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 let the body take this natural position,
he might continue long safe from drowning, till, perhaps, help should come ;
for, as to the clothes, their additional weight when immersed is very in-
considerable, the water supporting it ; though, when he comes out ot the
water, he would find them very heavy indeed.

" But, as I said before, I would not advise you, or any 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 wholesome an exercise. Soldiers par-
ticularly should, methinks, all be taught to swim ; it might be of frequent
use, either in surprising an enemy or saving themselves; and if I had
now boys to educate, I should prefer those schools (other things being
equal) where an opportunity was afforded for aequiring so advantageous
an art, which, once learned, is never forgotten.

" I know bv experience, that it is a great comfort to a swimmer, who
has a consideraible aistance to go, to turn himself sometimes on his back,
■od to vary, in otlier respects, the means of procuring a progressive motion.

134 SWIMMING.

" When he is seized with the cramp in the leg, the method of driving
It away is, to give the parts affected a sudden, vigorous, and violent shock ;
which he may do in the air as he swims on his back.

" During the great heats in summer there is no danger in bathing,
however warm we may be, in rivers which have been thoroughly warmed
by the sun. But to throw one's self into cold spring water, when the
body has been heated by exercise in the sun, is an imprudence which
may prove fatal. I once knew an instance of four young men, who,
having worked at harvest in the heat of the day, with a view of refreshing
themselves, plunged into a spring of cold water ; two died upon the spot,
a third next morning, and the fourth recovered with great difficulty.
A copious draught of cold water, in similar circumstances, is frequently
attended with the same effect, in North America.

" The exercise of swimming is one of the most healthy and agreeable
in the world. After having swam for an hour or two in the evening, one
sleeps coolly the whole night, even during the most ardent heats of
summer. Terhaps the pores being cleansed, the insensible perspiration
increases and occasions this coolness. It is certain that much swimming
ts the means of stopping a diarrhoea, and even of producing a constipation.
With respect to those who do not know how to swim, or who are affected
with a diarrhoea at a season which does not permit them to use that
sxercise, a warm bath, by cleansing and purifying the skin, is found very
salutary, and often effects a radical cure. I speak from my own expe-
rience, frequently repeated, and that of others to whom I have recom-
mended this.

" When I was a boy, I amused myself one day with flying a paper
kite, and approaching the banks of a lake, which was near a mile broad,
I tied the string to a stake, and the kite ascended to a very considerable
height above the pond, while I was swimming. In a little time, being
desirous of amusing myself with my kite, and enjoying at the same time
the pleasure of swimming, I returned, and loosing from the stake the
string with the httle stick which was fastened to it, went again into the
water, where I found that, lying on my back, and holding the stick in mv
hand, I was drawn along the surface of the water in a very agreeable
manner. Having then engaged another boy to carry my clothes round
the pond, to a place which I pointed out to him, on the other side, I began
to cross the pond with my kite, which carried me quite over without the
least fatigue, and with the greatest pleasure imaginable. I was only
obliged occasionally to halt a little in my course, and resist its progress,
when it appeared that, by following too quick, I lowered the kite too
much; by doing which occasionally I made it rise again. I have never
since that time practised this singular mode of swimming, though I think
it not impossible to cross, in this manner from Dover to Calais. The
packet-boat, however, is still preferable."

SWIMMING.

135

PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS.

We will now suppose one of our young friends by the side of a
stream, and anxious to take his first lesson in the art of'swimniing. If
he have any friend or companion with him, who is at once competent and
willing to give him the necessary directions, he will do well to follow
them ; as example in this, and similar cases, is much better than precept.
But if he should not be so fortunate, he can either adopt the excellent
method mentioned by Doctor Frankhn, as stated in a preceding page, or
follow the instructions which we are about to give him on the subject.

ENTERING THE WATER.

Our young pupil must not, at first, venture into the water in the bold
and dasiiiiig manner of experienced swunmers. He must wait patiently
until he can do so without danger. Let him remember that there has
been a time when the best swimmer aHve, tottered, step by step, into the
tvater, and sounded the depth with one fool before he lifted the other
from the bottom of the stroam. Leander himself, with whose history and
fate our juvenile readers who are tolerably advanced in the classics are,
doubtless, acquainted, — Leander himself, we repeat, who so often swam
across the Hellespont, once paddled in a pond; and those who, under our
directions, make their first attempt to buoy themselves up by their own
natumi powers, in a shallow brook, may, hereafter, become lusty swimmers
enough to perform the san>e feat of which Lord Byron was so proud,
namely, crossing the Hellespont, as Leander did in the days of '• hoar
antiquity." We recommend our young friend to be patient, as well as
persevering, during his probation in the art of swimming. He must not
(eel disgusted and disheartened, because he seems to make comparatively

136

SWIMMING.

but little progress : let him remember that he is gradually acquiring a new
and most important power ; he is, by 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 shelving 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
prepare 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 pupil
lie down gently on his breast, keep his head and neck upright, his breast

advanced, and his

back bent inward.
Then, let him with-
draw 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 upper-
most, a little below
the surface of the
water; draw them back agam, while he is gathering up his legs for a
second attempt, and thus push forward, making use of his hands and
feet alternately. It will, 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 learning to swim as others ; the same little mishaps occur to
all young beginners.

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*

SWIMMING.

137

rinced, 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 superioj 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 exceptions, but they have been rare indeed. Corks
and bladders, we think, may be useful, but they should not be commenced
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, perfect 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 hereafter directed. The best
swimmers we have ever met never made use of corks for this purpose,

but still they may be
considered of advan-
tage in the mannfr
we have stated. If
therefore, our reader
should think flt to use
corks or bladders, let
him attend to the fol-
lowing hints.

Swimming corks
are made thus : three
or four round slices
of cork, inrren^infr proffressively in circumference, are run, by a hole made
in t" ' ' end of a piece of stout rope, which is long

enti • breast, and beyond the ann-pits ; the same

nun, . ; at each side of the rope, and they are kept

froni slipping oil by knots at the two> extremities. When bladders are
used, tliey 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

S laces his breast across the rone between the corks or bladders as they
oat; he r rs from tlie ground, and rests his whole weight on

the rope, corks or bladders swim between his arms and his

fcides. In ::.... , ......0:1 he strikes out, and propels himself forward with

his legs and feet. The action of the hands and arms supports a swimmer
only, so tiiat he would advance almost as much when using corks if he

138 SWIMMING.

kept them still 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 oi
striking out, which he may, subsequently, by degrees, bring into practice,
when he has thrown the corks aside. The writer of these pages has
buffeted the billows at a mile or two from land, where the waters have
been moved by, what an angler calls, a curHng breeze, with a pleasure
which those, and those alone, who have revelled in the strong bosom of
the sea, can imagine ; and what is more difficult, he has swam the still
torpid deeps of an inland lake, in a dead calm ; and although, perhaps, not
an excellent, has been a very tolerable, swimmer in his time, and this is
the manner which he has always followed, and which he recommends his
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 Httle 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 near, the hips, they should be raised, with the thumbs or
edges, but by no means the backs, upward, to the first position ; while
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 swimming : — 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 propelled 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 very simple motions will
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 endeavour 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 A
tyro in the art will make ten efforts during the time occupied by an adept
in performing one, and at the same time will scarcely make one half the
progress.

SWIMMING.

IIVJ

We seriously recommend our young readers never to venture 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 this perilous situation by a youth of his own age,
who had begun to learn the art of swimming, but without corks, on pre-
cisely the same dav 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.

THE PLANK.

The plank is useful in a bath, to perfect the young swimmer in the
manner of properly throwing out his legs and feet. A piece of deal,

about ten or twelve feet
in length, two inches
thick, and a foot and a
half, or two feet broad,
is the best size. It is to
be thrown into the water,
and the pupil, 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 will thus be supported, and he should
strike out with his legs in the manner before directed, and endeavour
to drive the plank before him, taking care to hold fast and follow it
closely, otherwise he may suffer rather an unpleasant feeling by the plank
darting forward, and leaving him to sink, unexpectedly, over heaa and
ears in the water. Of the utility of the plank for the purpose above men-
tioned, 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 KOPE, AND OTHER AIDS,

The rope for swimmers is usually fastened to the end of a stout piece
of wood, which is fixed into a wall 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

140

SWIMMING.

support the learner while practising the action with the legs; but it is
very inferior for this purpose to the plank; as, while the pupil keeps
himself up, by holding the rope, his body remains in too perpendicular a
position, so that he strikes downward rather than backward. The pupil
should accustom himself, as much as possible, to keep his 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 begin-
ner, as a point d'appui, 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 bene-
ficially by tossing, stretch-
ing, and turning to and fro
in the water ; he may thus
luxuriate in a manner which
would be entirely out of his
power without the aid of
the rope.

The aid of the hand is
chiefly applied to very young
learners, who have the ad-
vantage of bathing with a
grown-up swimmer. It is
by far superior, as an aid, to
corks or bladders ; because
it can be withdrawn gra-
dually, and at last, alto-
gether, 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 pupil nearly flat upon the water, supporting him by
one hand under the breast, and encouraging and directing him to strilce
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 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

SWIMMING. lil

the water, independent of all other aids but those which Nature has pro-
vided in his own person. He soon becomes exhausted, 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 bodv, a grown
person holds the other end of it, and supports the pupil while lie acquires
the mode of striking out. The aid, in this case, cannot be applied with
such precision to the proper part, nor afforded and withdrawn witli such
nicety as where the hand alone is used.

SWIMMINQ OUT OF DEPTH.

We will now suppose our pupil to have made some progress in swim-
ming, and to feel anxious to go into deep water. If lie feel quite con-
scious 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 shelving banks on each side. Young swimmers sometimes
feel alarmed when they are aware that they have ventured where they

can no longer put their legs
on the ground ; this feeling
flurries them, they strike
quick, their hurry increases,
trepidation ensues, and they
have great difficulty in re-
turning to the shore. We
earnestly caution our pupil
against giving way to any
thing 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 proportion with them. Is he able to swim half-
a-dozen yards without dropping his (ect to the ground? If so, he 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 contrary 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 motions of his arms, his
legs, and his lungs. Boys frequently fall into an error, which is invariably
attended with unpleasant consequences, when first attempting to swim, as
well as when they be^'in 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 ?inn
backward, or in descending toward the hips. During this action of the
legs, tlie head partially sinks, the face is driven against the water, and the
mouth thus becomes tilled, which creates a very unpleasant nausea and

142 SWIMMING.

momentary suffocation. When the hands are in the position above men-
tioned, the progress of the body forward ceases, the face is no longer
driven against the w^ater, 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
vour mouth be even with or partly under the surface, no water can enter
It, the air which you are driving between your lips effectually preventing
iL " Keep time," is one of the swimmer's golden rules. Unless the pupil
pay attention to it, he will 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 have never swam '' in the silver flood," a circumstance of
this sort will be thought very Ughtly 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
swimming in it

After the pupil has ventured out of his depth, and feels satisfied with
the success of his attempt, he grows emboldened, and increases his dis-
tances daily.

TO TREAD WATER.

AH 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 ON THE SIDE.

Lower your left side, and at the same time elevate your right ; strike
forward with your left hand, and sideway 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. You 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 case, 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 back-
ward as in the ordinary way of swimming, but merely thrust out witli

SWIMMING. 143

the palms downward, a little way below the surface, m 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 progrew
cannot be made by swimming in this manner, but still it is worth learning,
us every change of method, in going a distance, recruits the swimmer's
strength.

THE PORPOISE.

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 striking out with his legs, reaches forward with
his hand, as far as possible. At the utmost stretch of the arm the hand
falls, a little hollowed, into the water, which it grasps or pulls toward the
swimmer in its return to the body, in a transverse direction, toward the
other armpit. While it is passing 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 reUef in swimming, except swimming on the back; floating on
the back rests the whole of the body as well as the limbs, but while float-
ing, no progress is made; whereas, during the time a person swims in the
manner above directed, he will not only reUeve himself considerably, 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 a( ■ <> »'■ ■ surface, put your head back, so that your

^ eyes, nose, mouth and chin only

^^ . -. are above water. By keeping in

this position with the legs and

arms extended, 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 and - '. keeping in as straight a line as possible.

Vou may lay the arms across tiie brea>t: keep them motionless at the
sides; 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 aftir another, let them fall into the water, and draw them b.nck
with all the force you can, toward your hams; thus you will swim feet
forward, and return to the place whence you came.

144 SWIMMIifS.

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 SWIMMING.

If you wish to turn while on your back, keep one leg still, and
embrace the water beside you with the other; thus, you will find yourself
turn to that side on which j^our leg by its motion embraces the water, and
you will 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 SHEW THE FEET.

While on your back, bend the small of it downward ; support your-
self by moving your hands to and fro just above your breast, and stretch
your feet above the water.

TO BEAT THE WATER, &C.

When swimmmg on your back, lift your legs out of the water one
after another, and strike the water with them alternately. Those who are
nu)st expert at this, bring their chins toward their breasts at each stroke
of the legs.

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, &c. &c.,
for which no particular directions are necessary, as the pupil, 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 difficulty.

DIVING.

Diving, by practice, may be carried to astonishmg perfection. 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 related, by respectable authors, of men diving after, and fetching up

SWIMMING.

145

naUs and pieces of money thrown in the sea, and even overtaking the
nail or coin before it his reached the bottom.

Diving may be performed from the surface of the water when swim-
niing, by merely turning the head downward, and striking upward with
^\, the legs. It js, however,

H'jv^'-,^,?*, much better to leap in,

M-ifiuff-.'JSfA -^ ^ith 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 him-
self a considerable dis-
tance beneath the sur-
face. If he reach the
bottom, he has only to turn his head upward, spring from the ground with
hij? feet, and he will soon arrive at the surface. 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 hh 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 conmience your descenL It is almost needless to add, that the
breath should be held, the whole time that you are under water.

SWIMMING UNDER WATER.

Swimming between top and bottom may be accompUshed by the
ordinary stroke, if you take care to keep your head a little downward,
and strilce a little higher with your feet than when swimming on the sur-
face ; or, you may turn your thumbs downward, and perform the stroke
with the bands in that position, instead of keeping them flat.

THE CRAMP.

Our practical directions in the art of swimming would be incomplete
were we to omit -■ ^ - few words as to the cramp. Those who are at
all liable to it, ( ;>s, to abandon all idea of swimming; men of

the greatest ski.:, crs, and of presence of mind in danger, having

fedlen victims to tl.is, which has been well enough called, " the bather's bane."
The cramp may, however, seize a person for the first time in his hfe, when
•t a distance from land ; we have frequently known this to occur ; and in
every case tJiai has come within our personal knowledge, with one excep-

146 S^VIMM1NG.

tion, the sufferer has saved himself hy acting as we are ahout to advise our
young reader, if ever he should be seized with this terrible contraction,
lie 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 forcibly 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 endeavour to
keep yourself 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
striking the water downward with your liands at your hips, without any
assistance from your legs. In case you have the cramp in both legs, you
may also endeavour to make some progress in this manner, should no
help be at hand. If you have one leg only attacked, you may drive
yourself forward with the other. In order to endow you with confidence
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 hands only, and you
will find that it is by^no means difficulL

We feel rather astonished that none of the treatises on swinuning,
which have fallen into our hands, recommend the practice of boys attempt

ing to carry one anothei

in the water ; when both

^_^ _ can swim, this is an excel-

-^^ lent and safe method of

^:~. =-^^ learning how to support

-^j ^ another who is in danger

i;^ -. on account of cramp,

"3:;^ =- weakness, ignorance of

J^h ywimmingjOr other causes.

^^^-S r la tlie annexed sketch,

j^ ip the foremost figure is in

"?=^'i; the act of swimming, and

-2^. . I carrying with him another

" '~^-:_ ^g^- person, who is borne uj),

J-^;. ; li^ simply by applying one

'^-^r^^' £4 - - 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

00 often the case with those who are in danger of being drowned. It wib

SWIMMING. 147

surprise any swijniner. who first tries the experiment, to find with what
rase he can support a person attached to him in this manner. The person,
who rests upon the hips of his companion, is represented as passive, as
ne is supposed to be unable to swim ; but two swimmers, performing this
experiment, may strike out together with their legs.

TIMES AND PLACES FOR SWIMMING.

Of all places to swim in, the sea is best, running waters next, and
ponds the worst. The best time for swinnning is in the months of May,
June, July, and August, There are, however, some years, wherein it is
not healthy to go into the water during these months ; as when the wea-
ther, and consequently the water, is colder than ordinary for the season.
One ought not to go into the water when it rains; for the rain, if it last
any time, chills the water, and endangers catching cold, by wetting one's
clothes. The night is also improper for this exercise. Beware of weeds,
as, although you have company with you, yet, you may be lost beyond the
}H)ssibiliiy of help, if your feet get entangled among them. The bottom ought
to be of gravel, or smooth stones, so that you may stand thereon as firmly
as on the earth, and be neitiier in danger of sinking in the mud, nor
wounding the feet : care ought also to be taken that it be even, and with-
out holes ; and, above all, that you know the depth, especially when you
begin to learn ; for as it is then easy to tire one's self when struggling and
making the first efforts, you should, therefore, be sure that the bottom is
not out of youi depth, when you have occasion to rest, and take breath. It
is impossible to be too cautious when you are alone, or have no one in
company that knows the pond or stream. When you have found out a
place fit to learn in, do not venture any where else till you are considerably
advanced in the art; and, till then, it will be the best way to exercise with
some one who is already expert in swimming.

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

In entering the water, the head should be wetted first, either by plung-
ing in head foremost, or pouring water on it. Before you adopt the first
method, ascertain if the water be sufiiciently deep to allow you to dive
without touching the bottom, otherwise you may mjure yourself against
it. Do not remain in the water too long, but come out as soon as you feel
tired, chilly, or nmnbed. It is a good plin to make a plunge, so as to wet
the body all over, to return to shore immediately, and an instant after-
ward enter the water at your ease, and take your lesson or your swim. You
do not feel so chilly if you do this, as if you dash in and swim off at once.
•Vever be alarmed at having a few mouthfuls of water, when learning to
i>wim ; be not discouraged at difficulties, but bear in mind, that millions
'lave done what you are attempting to do. Beware of banks which have
tioles in them, and venture out of your depth only by degrees.
k2

148

SWlMMlNG.

If one of your companions be in danger of drowning, be sure that, in
endeavouring to save him, you make your approaches in such a manner,
as will prevent him from grappling 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 swim-
mer, when he has become expert in the art, and confident of his own
prowess, to swim occasionally with his clothes on ; for this purpose, of
course he need only use an old worn-out suit : by so doing, he will be
satisfied 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 afterward fall into the water, or leap in to save another. There
are many creatures, whose motions in the water are similar to those of
man when swimming; and, it has been said, that he who wishes to
learn this art, cannot have a better master than

®^e Jrog.^

Cfte Jfmtitv

SIN'GIVG BIRDS;

SILKWORMS;

RABBITS;

GUINEA PIGS;

WHITE MICE;

PIGEONS;

BANTAMS.

SINGING BIRDS.

what are they, who thus, nt ear.y tlawn,
Where the rank thistle aiul the plantain i;ro«T,
Set thrir fine nets, lime-twigs, and little traps,
Amoii^ a jocuiiil choir of caged songsters ? —
Thete are the Bird-catchers

At the present day, there is scarcely a house, in which a singing-bird
of some sort or other is not kept. The Linnet and the Laric may now be
fairly said to enliven, with their merry melody, the inmates of the pa-ace
and the cottage ; the little Goldfinch, in his narrow, square boX; cheers
the mechanic with "shrill piping;" the Canary, in his neat cage, placed
among the mignionette and geraniums of the parlour window, amuses the
delicate girl ; the Blackbird, in his wicker house, hung under the thatch,
gladdens the beart of the rustic ; and every bird that flies affords such
delight and amusement to youth, as youth alone can feel.

There are few men who do not remember with pleasure the day when
they first made the house-sparrow prisoner in the common brick trap ;
or (if they have been greater adepts, when boys, in the art of bird-
catching) the moment when they first saw the Finch leg-fast to their
lime-twig, a few fine Larks safe in their net, a Thrush noosed in a springle
of their own construction; or "Philomel, the darling of the grove," de-
luded into captivity by a tempting meal-worm. The lads of London know
but little about bird-catching; but they are, neverthleess, in general, better
fanciers than the juvenile rustics, who, though very skilfid in the field.

152 SINGING BIRDS.

Bre often awkward and inexperienced in the management of their little
feathered prisoners ; this being the case, we shall endeavour to afford, in
the following pages, directions to the former for taking birds, if they ever
have an opportunity of so doing ; advice to the latter as to the most proper
mode of feeding, &c. ; and such general directions on the subject of
singing birds as may be acceotable to all who keep them

BIRD-LIME.

Bird-lime is made from the bark of holly, peeled from the tree at
midsummer, and boiled in water till the grey bark rises. In about sixteen
hours the water is drained away, all the green bark separated from the
grey, laid on a moist floor, and covered over with green weeds ; in ten or
twelve days it turns to a slimy matter; it is then beat in a mortar till it
becomes thick and tough, afterward washed in a running stream, put in
dose earthen pots, and scummed as often as any foulness arises ; in three
or four days it becomes cleansed, and is put into another clean earthen
vessel, and covered close for use. When wanted for use, a portion of the
bird-lime is put into a pipkin, with a third part of goose-grease, over a
gentle fire; it is stirred continually till well incorporated, and then taken
from the fire, and stirred till cold. The rods are warmed a little over the
fire, and the lime wound about their tops. They are smeared one upon
another, until there is a sufficient proportion of the Ume upon each.

Place one or more call-birds in a place which is frequented by the
birds you wish to take, and plant your limed twigs in the ground, round
the cage or cages. The wild birds will be attracted by the call of your
decoys; and, in approaching toward them, perch upon the twigs. You
must be at hand to take them as soon as they get limed.

NETS AND TRAPS.

r.arks and other small birds are taken by the clap-net. This mode of
catching birds is called Daring or Doring. The apparatus being much too
complicated for our young readers' construction, and the sport rather too
difficult for their powers, it is useless for us to give any directions as to
the manner of making or using the clap-net.

The following is the mode of taking Larks in horse-hair nooses: — when
the ground is covered with snow, get a hundred yards of packthread, and
at every six inches fasten a noose, made with horse-hair, (two hairs twisted
together are sufficient;) at every twenty yards thrust a Uttle stick into the
ground, by which the packthread must be fastened, to keep the nooses
about the height the Larks run; scatter white oats from one end to the
other; the Larks will flock to it, and hang themselves in the nooses. Take
them out as soon as caught.

SINGING BIRDS.

153

Trammels are usually made thirty-six yards m length, and about six
yards over, with six ribs of packthread, which, at the ends, are put upon
two poles of about sixteen feet long, and made lesser at each end. They
are drawn over the ground, during dark nights, by two persons, who make
the net touch the ground every five or six steps, otherwise it would pass
over the birds. When they fly up against it, tne net is dropped upon all
that are under it. Larks, and all other birds that roost on the ground,
may be taken with this net.

The best Nightingale traps are those which are of an oblong shape,
about four inches deep, with a perch supporting the top, so as to fall and
enclose the bird the moment he drops at the bait-

The springle, which is one of the most excellent traps in use, is made
in the following manner: at the smaller end of a hazel switch, four feet
long, which is called the spring, tie a piece of string, about fifteen inches
in length; nearly at tlie other end of tliis string, the catch, which is a little
bit of wood, half an inch long, about half as broad, and one quarter as
thick, is fastened; a little bit of the wood must be shaved off on the flat
side of one end of it, to adapt it for a notch, is another part of the springle:
a loose slip-knot, made of a couple of long, stout horse-hairs, is then to
be fastened to the end of the stnng below the catch, and thus one part of
your sprinfjle is complete. Next procure a smaller switch, about a foot
and a half in length, bend back the smaller end, and fasten it within an
inch or so of the thicker end, in which a notch must be cut to receive the
thin end of the catch; this is the spread: a stump, and a bender, which is
another pliant bit of switch, each a foot and a half in length, will complete
the springle. It is set in the following manner: — thrust the stump No. 1
into the ground. Place the bow of what
is called the spreader, over it, as No. 2;
then, about the length of the spreader from
the slump, push the two ends of the
bender securely into the ground, as No. 3 ;
next, plant the thick end of the long
switch or spring at a convenient distance
from the bender, bend it down until you can
put one end of the catch upward, on the
mside of the bender; then lift the spreader
an inch from the ground, place the smaller
end of the catch in the notch, and thus
the spreader will be supported, and the springer retained from springing
up. Now lay the hair slip-knot round the spreader and stump, and scatter
such grain or seeds, as are fit for the bird you wish to catch, inside it.
Scatter also a small (quantity of the same sort of grain or seeds with which
your trap is baited, hghtly and sparingly, for some distance around the

154

SINGING BIRDS.

ipringle, so as to attract and lead the bird by degrees to the principal
bait witiiin the spreader of the trap. Your spiingle is now complete,
and will appear as under. Tlie bird, at-
tracted by the bait, approaches by degress,
and at length perches upon the spreader,
which falls with its weight; the catch is thus
released, the springer Hies up, and the bird
is caught in the hair noose, by the neck,
wing, body, or legs. If the springle be
used for taking birds alive, you must remain
within sight of it, and as soon as a bird is
noosed, run and take him, otherwise he will
either be strangled, or beat himself to pieces
in attempting to escape.

The common brick trap is made of four bricks, two lengthways, one
across their ends, and the fourth between,
for a cover. A stump is driven into the
ground, upon which the end of a forked
sprig is placed, under a straight bit of stick
which supports the cover. At the bottom
of the trap, the bait is thrown, and also
round the edges of it The bird alights on
the fork, which drops with its weight ; thus
the support of the upright is removed, against
which the cover leans, the latter falls, and
secures the bird in the trap.

The sieve trap is made thus:— in the winter season, when the ground
is thickly covered with snow, sweep a round spot clean, the size of your
sieve, sprinkle some ashes on the spot, and a few crumbs of bread or
red berries ; prop up the sieve over the
spot with a bit of sticK, as seen in the cut,
with a thin twine fastened to the centre,
and long enough to reach to a window at
which you must be seated, and watch the
birds getting under the sieve, when the string
should be suddenly jerked ; this, if dex-
terously done, will occasion the sieve to
fall, and the birds to be caught. You then
take a cloth or apron, and draw it under
the sieve, taking care not to iift it so high
that the bird can escape, and by drawing up the cloth to the centre, you
will be able to carry the sieve, with the bird under it, into the house.

SINGING lURI'S.

THE VARIOUS BIRDS.

TiiF. young Fancier will find but little difficulty in London, or any
large town, in procuring such birds as he may desire, from the dealers.
*%^In country places, he must exercise his talents and industry in catching
old birds or brancherji, either with traps or Hme-twigs, or discovering and
taking young ones from the nest. In the latter occupation he will find
serious rivals in the weasel, the pole-cat, and the stoat, which frequently
mar the hopes of the nest-finder, by devouring the young a day or so
before they are sufficiently fledged to make it safe to take them. He
must, however, leave them until they are in a proper state for removal
irom the fostering care of the parent birds; for if they are brought away
when merely stubbed, or half naked, it is impossible to keep them alive
by hand.

Canaries, the Fancier may breed to great perfection, if he be careful in
laving in his first stock, and occasionally strengthen it by the introduction
or a superior bird. If he think fit, he may also produce Mules between
the Canary and Goldfinch, or the Canary and Linnet, which will often
prove most excellent songsters. Goldfinches, Linnets, Larks, &c. may be
bought about the streets, at a very cheap rate, from the Bird-men ; and
these, as well as Blackbirds, Thrushes, Canaries, Mules, Nightingales, &c.
may be procured at the different shops, where it is much safer to deal
than at tne stalls in the streets; because, at the latter, there are scarcely
ever any but old birds or branchers recently caught, and which have never
been ^^eparafrd.

156

SINGING BIRDS.

THE NIGHTINGALE.

This is iiniveisally admitted to be the king of singing-birds. Old
Nightingales may be caught at the end of March, or beginning of April,
and branchers in July or August. The
Nightingale trap is baited with a meaJ-
worm, and placed near where a bird
sings or feeds. You may find Nightin-
gales beside sandy hills, in woods, cop-
f)ices, or quickset hedges. When you
lave taken a bird, tie his wings together
with a bit of thread, and cut the fea-
thers from the vent, otherwise they
will clog, and the bird will, in all pro-
babihty, die. In two or tliree hours
after taken, you must cram him with
mashed sheep's heart and egg. Give
him three or four pills of this every
hour and a half. When you get him home, put him in a Nightingale's
cage, or if you have only an open one, throw a cloth over one side of it.
When you have crammed him for a day and a half, put a small piece of
meat in his pan, sweep some ants upon it, and put ants mould at the bot-
tom of the cage; but do not trust him to feed himself too soon. When he
begins to feed, you need not cram him, but supply him with ants for one
day longer, or more, if you see occasion ; keep his wings tied for a few
days, and, if a kindly bird, he will sing in a week. During the summer,
you may feed him with German paste, or sheep's heart and egg; the heart
raw and chopped small, the egg hard and grated fine. In the winter, the
same food will do, only that the heart must be parboiled. Give him fresh
victuals every day, and put ants' mould at the bottom of the cage, which
should be cleared out twnce a week. If you find the dung a little looser
than ordinary, take a little hemp seed, ground extremely well, pound,
and mix it with the sheep's heart and egg. You may give him a fig, or a
bit of fine loaf sugar, now and then; or, if ill, a spider, a few ants, oi
mealworms.

Nightingales build in close quickset hedges. The young ones are fit
to take about the middle of May. Feed them with raw sheep's heart and
egg; and, while young, put a little straw or dry mould in the bottom of
the cage. If not kept clean, they seldom can be reared. As soon as they
begin to feed well, put them in a cage, with a saucer of water, in which
they will dabble and wash themselves. If they thrive, you may soon
separate them, and after they have been in single cages two or three days,
the cocks will record.

SINGING BIRDS.

15:

THE SKYLARK.

This is a very good bird, if he can be kept fron. hearing others; but
he will mock any bird he hears, whether good or bad, especially if brought

up from the nest. Skylarks are
hardy, and sing eight or mne months
in the year. They have young ones
three or four times in a season ; they
breed in high grass, a wheat field,
in peas or oats, and upon common
heaths, and are fit to be taken at ten
or twelve days old. When taken,
put a little hay in a basket, and tie
them close down in it; soak some
rape seed three or four hours in
water, then boil it up, and beat it in
a mortar; mix it with about two-thirds
its quantity of bread and milk, boiled
thick ; give five or six bits of this every
two hours, to each bird ; let the meat be fresh made every day ; a little
sheep's heart is a good change of food for them. When strong enough to
be separated, put each in a cage about a foot square; keep them in hay
till they feed tnemselves with dry meat: viz. with bread, egg, and hemp
seed; they will do this in about three weeks or a month. When you first
put them in a cage, shew them their victuals on the point of a stick.
To make dry meat, boil an egg very hard, chop it, and mix about half
the quantity of hemp-seed with the egg. At first, the seeds should be
bruised, but as the birds grow strong, they may be given whole. The
largest and longest birds in the nest are cocks, and, if put in separate cages,
they will record when three weeks or a month old. The hens will make
a shrill noise, but by no means resembles a song. About this time, you
should strew a little gravel in the bottom of the cage, and give the bird a
turf; and, note also, that even up to, and indeed after this period, you
should strll keep a little soft victuals in the cage, and bring him to hard
meat by degrees.

If vour Lark get out of order, or his dung become loose, grate a little
Cheshire cheese in his victuals, and give him some wood-lice, three or four
times in a day ; put a little liquorice and a blade of saffron in his water,
or give him a spider now and then.

The Skylark is caught with a clap-net, or vnth nooses, as described in
a preceding page, or in dark nights, with a trammel. This bird soars to
such a height that one may hear his music long after the songster himself
has been lost sight of in the air.

158

SINOING LIKDS.

THE WOODLAKK.

This bird has a delightlul variety of notes, and sings about nine
months in tiie year, lie may be taken with a clap-net, in Jnne or July;

branchers, or birds which are about

two or three months old, you may
catch with a net of about twelve or
thirteen yards long, and three or four
broad, with a line run through the
middle of it. For this net, you must
have a hawk, carried by another per-
son. When you find a fiock, (they
lie, commonly, in pasture land, or by
gravel pits,) get as near them as you
can, shew your hawk, and make him
flutter his wings: when the Larks
perceive him, they will lie close to
' '^ the ground; then let one take hold ot

one end of the line, and the otlier of the other, till you pass the net ovei
them, holding your hawk up as you advance. They have been known to
l>e 90 terrified at the sight of the hawk, as to suffer themselves to be
taken up with the hand. When taken, bruise hemp-seed very fine, and
mix it with bread ; put some red gravel in the bottom of the cage, and
throw some of the bread and hemp-seed upon the gravel, for two or three
days, then put some in the trough; when you perceive them feed heartily
out of the trough, tliere is no occasion to put any food at the bottom.
After this, give them but very little hemp-seed; but boil an egg very hard,
grate and mix it among the bread and hemp-seed. Feed them every other
day ; if they have any meat left, throw it away, and give them fresh.
Sheep's heart, mutton, veal, lamb, or, in fact, any meat, boiled or roasted,
if not salt, or too much done, is good for them occasionally. When ill, let
them have two or three mealworms or hog-lice a day. If loose, grate
chalk or cheese among their victuals, and, instead of gravel, put mould,
full of ants, at the bottom of the cage. To clear their voice, and make
tliem sing more free and stout, put a little stick -liquorice and a blade ot
saffron in their water. The only sure method to know a cock from a hen
is by his greater length.

The Woodlark has a fine melodious song, and will take from no othei
bird, unless brought up from the nest. If you rear them, Nightingale's
nctuals, mixed with a little bruised hemp-seed, or a few sweet almonds,
is their proper food. If they are not very well feathered when taken, it is
very difficult to bring them up. These, with tlie exception of the Skylark,
are said to be the only birds that sing as they fly.

SINGINO BIRDS.

159

s^-^

THE TITLARK.

The Titlark is handsome and taper, and about the size of a Nighun-
gale; he sings t'ront March to July, is very hardy, but not worth bringing

up from the nest. Titlarks are
caught from the end of March to
the middle of April. When the
bird is first taken, put a liitie
mould, with ants, at the bottom
of the cage, throw in some grated
bread and bruised hemp-seed,
and, in most cases, when your
bird sees the ants, he will not
fail to feed. If, however, you
find this will not attract him, cut
two or three meal-worms m haif,
put them among the bread and
hemp-seed, and set him in a light place, where he may not be disturbed.
Continue this plan for two or lliree days, then feed him as a Skylark,
(only always bruise the hemp-seed,) and he will, most probably, bing in
a week or ten days' time.

You may catch Titlarks with clap-nets, as other small birds; if caught
later than April, they will not sing nmch during the first summer. This
bird may likewise be taken with lime twigs: to take them in this manner,
carry another Titlark for a call-bird, and when you have found a Titlark,
place your call-bird six or seven yards from where you hear him, and set
three or four lime-twigs round your cage. Place yourself as private as you
can, and he will in all probability approach your call-bird, and settle on
one of the lime-twigs : as soon as he perches, run and catch him ; for it
you delay, he will very likely clear himself from the lime in a few seconds,
and escape. When taken, tie their wings, and manage them in the saiue
manner as above directed for those that are taken in the nets.

'iiilarks build among grass, peas, or beans: if you are desirous of
brii-.ging them up from the nest, feed them in tlie ^ame manner as Wood-
larks.

The cock can scarcely be distinguished from the hen but by his record-
ing. The Titlark, as well as the Woodlark and Skylark, are remarkable
for the length of the claw of their hinder toe ; in consequence of which,
Larks never alight on trees, as they are unable to c'iiig to a perch, like
most other birds. There is another sort of Lark called the Grass-hopper
Lark, from its making a noise somewhat resembling the chirp of that
insect. It is very solitary and shy in its habits- and of no value as a
singing bird.

160 StNIGNG BIRDS.

THE GOLDFINCir.

This very pretty bird, which, from its fondness for the seeds of the
thistle, is sometimes called the Thistlefinch, builds in orchards or hedges,

and has three or fom* nests in a sum-
mer. The Goldfinch's nest is very
beautifully built of moss, and othet
light materials, and comfortably Hned
with down, feathers, and soft wool.
If brought up from the nest, a Gold-
finch will take his song from a Wood-
lark, Canary, or almost any other
bird. They may be made to draw
their water, open the box for their vic-
tuals, and perform several entertain-
ing tricks ; in fact, there are few sing-
ing birds which evince such tractability as the Goldfinch. You may feed
them with white bread and milk, with a little of the flour of ground canary-
seed, giving them only three or four bits at a time : keep them at this sort
of victuals, until they are five or six weeks old ; then give them a little
canary-seed, and soft meat besides ; but bring them to canary-seed alone,
as soon as you can. Give them groundsel every day, and a blade of saffron
in their water; if loose, stick a nttle chalk in the side of the cage, and
always keep red sand or gravel at the bottom, to qualify the oil of the
seeds. Goldfinches are very merry birds, and, if not so plentiful, would
be esteemed as much as the Canary. When alone, they are fond of view-
ing themselves in a glass. They are most commonly taken with clap-nets,
in thistle fields, where they are generally found in flocks in cold weather.
They are tender in the summer; but hardy, and will soon sing, if caught
in the winter.

You may know a cock, either old or young, by the blackness of his
wings; he is also black o/er the bill, and red under it; and all his colours
are brighter than those of the hen. Many persons consider the Goldfinch
to be the piettiest, and the most agreeable, of all singing birds; his beau-
tiful colours please the eye no less than his song charms the ear ; his viva-
city is amusing, and his tameness and docility endearing; while the
hardihood of his constitution renders it unnecessary to devote one half
of the time to the care of him which many other birds require. For
singing, he certainly has many superiors among his feathered brethren ;
and those Canary Fanciers, who hold the song of a bird in light estimation
in comparison with fine shape, and the plumage most approved of by
fashion, would set but littlej^value upon the handsome and varied feathers
of the Goldfinch ; but "take him for all in all," as a bird for the cage, he
if scarcely excelled by any.

biNOl.NO BIRDS.

161

THE BULFIN'CH.

Though thJS very fine bird's natural note is most indifferent, he may
be lauglit to pipe several tunes at comnund; and when he has once

acquired a piece of music, he
will never Ibrget it, aithougli
kept among other birds. If
well trained, Bulfinchesare con-
sidered very valuable, and many
of them have been sold for ten
or a dozen guineas each.

They build in orchards, or
woods, and commence breed-
ing about the latier end of May ;
their nests are badly made; they
have usually four or five young
ones at a time, and breed'twice,
or sometimes thrice, during the
summer season. They may be taKen when about a fortnight old, and
ought to be fed as Linnets i with this diflerence only, that it is better to
give them a little more canary-seed. If they get ill, some fine hemp-seed,
and a little saffron in their water, or some Woodlark's food, will, in most
cases, restore them.

There are various opinions as to the marks by which a cock may be
distinguished from a hen : some think, by the whiteness of the rump ;
others, by the blueness of the back ; and many, by a dash of red under
the wing. They are remarkably docile, and apt to learn whatever is
attempted to be taught them. About a week or ten days after they are
taken, you should begin to pipe or whistle to them such tunes as you
would have tl»em acquire. There are many foreign bird-dealers, who
annually bring over quantities of Bulfinches from Germany, and adver-
tise them, on their arrival, as being capable of piping " God save the
King," the " Hunter's Chorus" in " Der Freyschutze," and other popular
pieces of music. In a state of nature, this bird has but three notes,
neither of which is melodious, but he may be taught to perform a variety
of airs with great precision, and even to articulate words and short sen-
a-nces, according u: the statement of some authors.

Bulfinches are not very plentiful in England: by devouring large quan-
tities of wall-fruit, they have made the gardeners their most bitter
enemies; and we are told that in many parishes in England, the church-
wardens give twopence reward for every Bulfinch's head that is brought to
them.

162 SINGING BIRDS.

THE CHAFFINCH.

The Chaffinch is a very stout bird, lavish in liis song, and possessing a
variety of notes. Those which are caught in Essex are generally supposed
to be the best. If brought up from the
nest, they will sing six or seven months
in the year ; but if caught old, they sel-
dom continue to sing above half that
time. They breed in hedge-rows, and
have young ones in the beginning of
May. They may be taken at twelve or
fourteen days old, and should be fed
and brought up as Linnets. Branchers
may be taken with clap-nets, about
June or July, in broad lanes, or water-
ing places.

The bird that has the brightest white
in the wing, and looks brownest on the
back, is a cock. The female is without any red upon the breast, her
plumage is altogether less brilliant, and inclines rather to a greenish hue ,
m other particulars the male and female very much resemble each other.
The Chaffinch's song is short but frequently repeated ; it begins to sing
early in the spring, and ceases about the middle of summer. As soon as
they are well fledged, you may pull five or six feathers off their breasts;
and, if they are cocks, in ten or twelve days they will come out red; if
hens, they will come much the same colour as they were before : if you
have branchers, and do not know the cocks from the hens, you may
do the same ; the cocks are of a purple red, and the hens grey on the
breast.

The female generally lays five or six eggs of a pale reddish colour,
sprinkled with dark spots, principally at the larger end. During the time
of hatching, the male is very assiduous in his attendance, seldom straying
far from the nest, and then only to procure food. Chaffinches subsist
chiefly on small seeds of various kinds ; they likewise eat caterpillars and
insects, with which they also feed their young. They are seldom kept in
cages, as their song possesses no variety, and they do not readily learn the
notes of other birds. The males frequently maintain obstinate combats,
and fight till one of them is vanquished, and compelled lo give way. In
Sweden these birds perform a partial migration ; the females collect in
large flocks in the latter end of September, and, leaving their mates, spread
themselves through various parts of Europe ; the males continue in
Sweden, and are again joined by their females, who return in great num-
bers, about the beginning of April, to their wonted haunts.

SINGING BIRDS. IG'S

THE LINNET.

This fine bird will learn either to pipe or whistle any other bird's note.
Linnets build upon lu-aths or commons, in pasture ground, and among

furzes ; and commonly breed three or
four times in a year. Their young
ones are fit to be taken about the latter
end of April.

Feed them with a little white bread,
soaked in milk, previously boiled ; let
it be very stiff, like a hasty pudding;
make but little at a time, as it very
soon prows sour. When they feed
themselves, give them a little scalded
rape seed ; and, after Rl>out a week,
some of the Woodlark's victuals, for
the sooner you can bt» ak them ot
' bread and milk, the I ttter.

Those that are the brownest upon the back, and have the second,
third, or fourth feathers of the wings white up to the quill, never fail ol
being cocks. In spring, the breast of the cock is crimson : the hens
have a little cast of white, and are a little brownish upon tlieir backs, but
not so much as the cock ; if you observe them well together, you will easily
see the difference.

They may be caught with clap-nets. When taken, place them in a
utore cage, and get some of the seeds you find they feed upon, which put
into the cage with a little hemp-seed, ground or bruised ; set them in a
place where they may not be disturbed, and feed them with this, for three
or four days; then cage them up separately: feed them with rape, and a
small quantity of canary-seed amongst it, with some few corns of hemp.
If dull, give them lettuce-seed, beet leaf, or a little seeded chick-weed now
and then ; and, if troubled with a looseness, some chalk and bruised hemp-
seed, a stalk of plantain- seed, and put saffron in their water.

Whether our great English poet, Dryden, kept caged Linnets or not,
we cannot say ; but it appears that this' bird was a favourite of his. In
the following lines he pays the Linnet a high compliment, by making hitu
the rival of tlie Lark : —

** .MMrk bow the lark and liiinrt tin(,
With rival notrt

They itrain their warbliog tbro*t»,
To welcome lu the tpring."

The Linnet will acquire the song of the Canary or the Woodlark
sooner than that of any other bird.

1,2

164 SINGING BIRDS.

THE BLACKBIRD.

This bird breeds very early in the year : you may take young Black-
birds at ten or twelve days old ; feed them once in two hours with cheese-
curd, white bread and milk, with
sheep's or ox's heart, or any other
sort of lean meat, cut very small,
mixed up with a littl^ bread, and
made very moist. Be sure to
keep them clean, remove their
dung every time you feed them,
and whenever their nest gets
^,_=»^. Y V dirty, take them out and put
"^"^^^^S^ them in clean straw. You must
part them as soon as you can.
When grown up, you may feed
them with flesh meat boiled, raw,
or roasted; and you may bring them up to Woodlark's victuals; but
flesh meat, mixed with a little bread, is best. The blackest bird in the
nest is sure to be a cock.

This bird is stout, strong, and has a very pleasing note of his own ; he
will whistle about four or five months in the year. If you find him out
of order, give him a large spider, and some wood-lice ; you may likewise
put a little cochineal in his water ; this will, in general, make him gay and
cheerful. Hog-lice are also good for a Blackbird when ill, but he must
not have many of them in one day, lest they should give him a distaste for
his other food, and thus do him harm instead of good.

Blackbirds, it is said, may be taught to whistle a tune from a pipe, in
the same manner as Bulfinches. Some persons may conceive, that the
pleasure of hearing this brilliant songster following the notes of an instru-
ment, would amply repay the toil of teaching him : for our own part, we
are of a very dififerent opinion ; we are convinced that the tutor would
only spoil a good biid by making him a middling musician. It would be
pleasant to speculate on the consequences of some three or four well-
taught Blackbirds escaping to the woods, and carrying back the accom-
plishments which they had acquired, while in cages among men. A
revolution might be produced in the language of the birds. The loyal
groves would echo with " God save the king ! " the nestlings be hushed
into slumber by "Rest thee, babe, rest thee!" and the gardener's fruit
devoured by the Bulfinches to the tune of " Cherry ripe !" But it is a
mere waste of time to teach any bird, that has a good note of its own, the
compositions of a musician ; for the principal pleasure to be derived from
a good singing bird is, to hear him " warble his native wood-notes wild."

SINGING BIRDS. 1 G5

THE THRUSH, OR THROSTLE.

There are three other sorts of Thrush, beside the cage-bird, or song
Tlirush ; one has a red wing, a second is small and dark-coloured, and
the third is called the misletoe Thrush,
a large handsome bird, but more calcu-
lated for the spit than the cage. The
song Thrush builds in woods, and sings
nine or ten months in a year. They are
ted with the same food, and, if sick, used
in the same manner as Blackbirds. Both
cocks and hens will record as soon as
they begin to feed themselves ; the cocks
will get upon (he perch, and sing theit
notes low for some time, while the hens
will do it by jerks, and make only an
attempt at singinjr. If you are not satis-
fied which are the cocks, keep them till
after moulting, when the cocks will break out in song.

THE CANARY.

These birds, which were formerly brought from the Canary Islands,
are remarkably lean, particularly the cocks, whose lavish singing, and
great mettle, prevent them from being fat. The French-coloured, so
called from the breed that were, a few years ago, brought from France,
arc of a beautiful bright yellow, with an intermixture of jet-black spots,
and but little or no white in them. The mealy birds have no perfect
colours, yet in breeding they often throw as fine a feather to the young
ones as the best The mottled ones are mostly white, with black and
brownish spots ; the last are accounted the worst in colour, but thev
are generally as good in nature as any. Choose a young sprightly bird,
sleek and straight, standing like the sparrow-hawk, and not fearful, but
one that, after flinging himself, two or three times, from the perch to the
top of the cage, boldly struts and shakes himself. Take notice of the
dung, which ought to dry quickly, and be thick, hard, round, of a fine
white on the outside, and darkish in the middle. If the bird dung only a
white slime, with no black in it, it is a certain sign of speedy death. If
possible, hear him sinp before you buy him ; the song is accounted good,
if begun something like a Skylark's, and run on like the Nightingale's.
The hens never sing, although many have, bv a sort of jabbering noise,
deceived unskilful persons. The wav to distinguish between the cock's
song, and this jabbering is, that let him sing ever so indifferently, almost
every time he strikes a note, his throat heaves while he warbles ; but let
a ben make what noise she will, this motion is never observed in her.

1G6

SINGING BIRDS.

The hen is always smaller and shorter, especially from the legs to the
vent ; tlie cock appears, in that part, taper gind thin, and if you blow the
feathers up, you will find his vent longer, and the orifice* less than the
hen's. The colour above the bill of the cock, and likewise under his
throat, and on the pinion of his wing, is a brighter yellow.

The Canary breeds four or five times
a year, and lays four, five, or even six
eggs at a time ; they set fourteen days.
You should not match them till the
middle of March. You must have a
proper cage, or else prepare a room foi
the purpose. If convenient, let it be
toward the east, because the birds love
warmth, and sunshine in the room in
the morning makes it warm all day. If
your room be large, you may turn in ten
or twelve pair. Throw red sand at the
bottom of it, and nail up nest boxes and
back cages in every corner, as some of
the birds love to breed in the dark, and
others in the light. If you breed them
m a cage, let it be twice as large as the common breeding cages, so that
they may have room to fly. Give them two boxes to build in, as they
like to have their choice, and are apt to go to nest again before the young
ones fly.

If you bring them up by hand, feed them as Linnets, and take them
away at fourteen days old ; for if you let them remain longer with the old
ones, they grow sullen, and will not feed ; but if you let the old ones bring
them up, leave them till the latter hatch again : you must then remove
them, or they will pull the other young ones out of their nest, or pick
them as they lie. When taken away, feed them thus : boil an egg hard,
take a little of the yolk, a like quantity of the best bread, and a little
scalded rape-seed: boil it soft, and grind it in a null; or, if you have but
few birds, bruise it on a trencher, with the blade of a knife, the finer the
better : mix it with a Uttle maw-seed, and give them a pan full of it every
day. This is the best food for young Canary birds that are brought up
by the old ones, till they have moulted off. Take particular care that the
rape-seed be not sour, for it will give them a looseness, and kill them.
You must make your soft victuals fresh every day.

A very old fancier of Canary birds makes the following remarks on
feeding; — " To feed Canary birds brought up by the hand, it is requisite
to know when to give and when to refuse them their food. Sometimes
they are starved by the long intervals between the times of feeding, and

SINGING BIRDS. 167

sometimes they are surfeited by being fed loo often, and indiscreetly:
young birds, so irregularly reared, fall into sickness, which is supposed
to be occasioned by want of food, and then their keepers try all Mrays
to make them open their beaks to swallow something, but in vain, their
stomachs being so full that they are choked up, for nothing digests with
them, and, after pining a few days, they die. I have observed that Canary
birds, reared by hand, without observing any certain rule in feeding them,
are usually so thin, poor, and weak, that they are more likely to die
than to live ; and the first illness that seizes them, which is commonly
their moulting, they have such an ill constitution, and so infirm a body,
that they cannot withstand it, and most of them die. Then the owners
lav all the fault on their moulting, and not on the irregular feeding
wfiich they suffered when rearing. The times for feeding young Canary
birds ought to be as tbllows ; viz. — the first time at half after six in the
morning, at the latest: the second time at eight; the third, at half af\er
nine; the fourth, at half after eleven; the fifth, at half after twelve;
the sixth, at two ; the seventh, at half after three ; the eighth, at five ;
the ninth, at half after six; the tenth, at eight; the eleventh, at three
quarters after eight, for the last time. This last feeding is not always
necessary, for very often the young birds are gone to rest at that time ;
and they must not then be disturbed ; if any food be given them at the
last time, it must be much less than at others, there being but three
quarters of an hour between tfie two last feedings. You must make a
small stick very smooth and thin at the end to feed them with ; it must
be as broad as your little finger. Those who make use of a quill cut for
that purpose, have more trouble in feeding than those who use a stick ;
because the quill bends, and is not stiff enough to take up the bird's food.
You must, every time of feeding, give them their beak full about four
times, that their craw may not be too full, which might choke them. After
twenty-three or twenty-four days, you are to forbear feeding them by
hand, especially when you observe them pick up the food themselves.
When they first begin to feed alone put them into a cage without perches,
with a little very fine small hay or moss, well dried, in the bottom of the
cage. The first month they feed alone, give them bruised hemp-seed,
yolk of e^ boiled hard, very dry grated biscuit, water with a little fresh
liquorice m it, a little very ripe chickweed, each of them apart, in the
middle of the cage, and some dry rape-seed in their trough. When you
find them strong enough, take away all these things by degrees, and leave
them nothing but their common food."

To feed and pair Canaries for breeding, put the cock and hen togeth'.r
in a «mall cage. When paired, turn them mto the cage or room whicn you
design for their breeding; feed them very well with the soft meat,
and, before they have young ones, give them groundsel with seed upon if^

168 SINGING BIRDS.

and afterv/ards chickweed with seed upon it. Toward June, give them
some shepherd's purse ; and in July and August, plantain : for want of
these things, you may supply them with a cabbage lettuce ; but this is not
to be used constantly. Be sure you do not fail to give them fresh greens
and soft victuals every day, when they have young ones, especially m the
morning ; for, if neglected when young, it will be a hard matter to reai
them.

Nothing is so good for their nests as a little fine hay and elk's hair ;
they will use the dry chickweed, or any thing they find at the bottom of
their cage, and afterward line it with hair.

Among the diseases to which they are subject is the surfeit, which
proceeds either from their being fed by the old ones with too much greens,
or from their own over-gorging when they feed themselves on the same
food. In this disease they swell under their bellies, their bowels sinking
down to the extreme part of their bodies, and sometimes turning black.
The same distemper proceeds from cold, and is then called a swelling,
which at first is white, but, if not prevented, it turns red, as in the surfeit :
there are few who survive the last degree of this distemper; therefore, the
greatest care should be taken to prevent its progress. To cure this sur-
eit or swelling, give your bird a g) eat deal of whole oatmeal among his
seed for three or four days, in order to cleanse him; put, at the same time,
some Hquorice in his water ; but if you perceive him too loose, instead of
oatmeal, give him maw-seed and bruised hemp-seed, and put a httle
groundsel and saffron in his water. Boiled milk and bread, with maw
seed in it, is also very good ; or boit a small quantity of millet, hemp, maw,
rape, and canary seeds ; then brin? the white and yolk of an egg to-
gether, boiled hard ; take about a quarter of the egg, mince it very small,
put it to the seeds, and add as much more lettuce-seed as any of the
others. Give this to your sick bird, and it will, in all probability, answer
the desired effect. In the morning early, before you give this, let him
drink two or three times of water in which you have put some treacle.

When the birds are in moult, warmth and good nourishing food are of
the greatest service; give them Isaples biscuit, bread and egg, bruised
hemp, lettuce, and maw-seed ; and, in their water, a little saffron. If the
weather be very hot during the time of their moulting, instead of the
saffron, use a small piece of hquorice, and give them plantain and lettuce-
seed together. When your bird is very much troubled with a small
pimple on his nmip, called the pip, with a fine needle let out the matter
with as much gentleness as you can ; a bit of sugar moistened in youi
mouth, and put on the sore, will heal it ; or, instead of Jetting out the
matter, or when the matter is not ripe, put three or four drops of the
best oil upon it. Yellow scabs on the head must be softened with oil of
sweet almonds, sweet lard, fresh butter, or capon's grease; give the same

SINGING BIRDS. 169

food in this case, as is prescribed for moulting. When they require some-
thing cooling, or cleansing, let it be chick-weed, (but be not over lavish
of this,) plantain, or lettuce, and some scalded rape-seed; a unall quantity
of whole oatmeal in their common hard seeds, and water with a small
piece of stick-liquorice in it. These must only be given when the spring
is pretty forward, just before breeding time, or in extremely hot weather ;
but do not continue them above two or three days, lest you make them
scour too much ; which if you do, draw some ot' their tail feathers, put
saffron in their water, maw-seed in the pan, and turning the drawer upside
down, put the food on, and cover all the top of it with bruised hemp-seed.
During the winter season, let them have a sufficiency of such warm,
nourishing food, as we have before advised to be given them when moult-
ing, and occasionally put a little saffron in their water.

CAGES.

A few remarks on the proper cages to be used for the different birds
will, we doubt not, in this place, prove somewhat acceptable. The house
should be adapted to its tenant ; it would be ridiculous to put a Blackbird
in a Canary's cage, and improper to place a Nightingale in a Linnet's;
every caged bird should have an abode suitable to its size, habits, and
disposition.

THE linnet's cage.

The first cage that occurs to our recollection is the little common
oblong box, in which Goldfinches and Linnets are frequently seen at the
bird shops. We should be inclined to pronounce these cages as too small
for Linnets and Goldfinches, had we not so often
heard them sing so gaily, and seem so liappy and
healthy in them. Still, we think the birds woiUd
thrive better, and be more at their ease, if they
were afforded a greater space. These cages are
wired at the top, the two sides, and one end; the
other is made of wood. They are fitted up with a
drawer, and a glass for water, and may be purchased at one shilling, or
one shilling and sixpence each.

THE canary's cage.

Canary cages, which are also used for Linnets, Goldfinches, Bulfinches,
and Chaffinches, are made in a great variety of forms, the Gothic, Chinese-
arched, cottage, &c. &c.; and may be purchased, according to their ma-
terials and workmanship, at every intermediate price from two shillings

170

SINGING BIRDS.

up to as many guineas. They have, in general, three perches ; one near
the floor, running across the side in which the aperture for the bird
to reach the water-bottle is made, another in
the centre, and the third nearer the top of the
cage. They have a drawer at the bottom, in
order that they may be more conveniently
cleaned ; a water-botile, and a drawer for food,
which runs into a case, in the top of which are
cut several round holes, through which the bird
gets his seed. It is not unusual, in splendid
cages, for another bottle similar to the water-
bottle, to be used, instead of a drawer, for the seeds.

THE lark's cage.

The Lark's cage should have a slide or drawer to run m over the
bottom, for convenience in cleaning, a water-bottle, and a drawer for
food ; a boarded barn roof, a board back, wires
on each side, and a projecting bow, raised an
inch or so from the bottom, with a circular wire
front ; in this bow the turf is generally placed,
and here the Lark pours out his brilliant song.
The Lark's cage requires no perch ; it is almost
invariably plain in its appeai'ance and materials,
and painted green, or green and white. The
door is made in the back or side. The price of
a common Lark's cage Is five or six shillings.

THE nightingale's CAGE.

The Nightingale's cage is in shape similar to the Lark's, except that
there is no bow in front ; the sides, roof, and back are made of wood, and
the front of the cage only is wired. It has one perch, which is padded with
green baize, going from side to side, and another
little one which is supported by two stems in
the centre of the front, just below the bottom oi
the wires. An inch or two lower than the roof,
a false top of baize, or other soft material, is
strained, so that if the bird, as is its custom, darts
upward in its song, it may not hurt itself; it is
for this reason also that the perch is padded. In
each of the front corners a little shelf is fixed, in
which a round hole is cut, for the reception of
the cups containing the food. They are also furnished with a slide or
drawer for cleaning, and the door is made in the back or side. Night-

SINGING BIRDS.

171

ingales' cages are made rather superior in appearance to those of Larks;
the wood being generally mahogany, and the wires more shewy. They
may be had, at ditferent prices, from ten shillings to a guinea and i

half:

THE BLACKBIRD S CAGE.

The common cage for Blackbirds and Thrushes is made entirely of
wicker, and cups for food and water are fastened to the rails. This sort of
cage is, however, inconvenient ; we recom-
mend, for a Blackbird or a Thrush, the
cage of mahogany or other wood, in the
form of the cut in the margin, with wicker
rails running through mahogany cross-
bars in front and at the two sides ; the back
is of wood ; there is a drawer in the bottom
for cleaning, and the food and water are
placed in the two little cases which
projects from the sides. A moment's
glance at this cut, which is taken from a
cage made by Manfield, of Red Lion
street, Holborn, will convince our readers
of the superiority of this fashion to that of the old peak-tapped baskeL
The difference ot price is not very material, as a very good cage ol this
sort may be had for fifteen shillings.

TUB BREEDING CAGE.

The breeding cage, may be made double or single, with different
drawers for food, and glasses for water, a drawer at the bottom for
cleaning, and doors where it may be deemed most convenient for placing
them. They should be provided with
perches according to their sizes, at dif-
ferent heights, and in the most fit and
proper places for the birds. The top,
front, and sides should be wired, and
the back of wood, or both ends of wood,
if the cage be double. A shelf should
project from the back a few inches from
the top, and a partition be run up from
the edge of the shelf to the upper wires.
On this shelf, two square boxes, about two inches deep, of cour>e without
tops, are to be placed, for the birds to build in, and two holes are to be
made in the partition by which they may enter. A net bag filled with
moss, hair, down, and feathers, suspended from the roof near the perches.

illUl!!.,;

172

SINGING BIRDS.

completes the fittings up of a breeding cage, which may be purchased
from ten shillings up to two guineas, according to its size and materials.

In addition to the instructions which we have given the young Fancier
for the management and improvement of his stock, we here beg to
impress upon his mind the necessity of keeping the cages clean, especially
the breeding cage. Much of his success will depend upon the attention
paid in this particular. If the cages be neglected, they become offensive
m every respect : and the birds not only suffer in appearance but in health.
The slide, or false bottom of the cage should be taken out, cleaned, and
fresh gravel strewed upon it, at least once a week, and the perches
occasionally scraped clean. Some Fanciers lime-wash the inside of the
breeding-cage once or twice in the summer season, to prevent the birds
being annoyed by insects during that time ; but our young friends may
save themselves this trouble by being punctual in cleaning out the cage.
Regularity in supplying each bird with water and its proper food, is a
matter of still greater importance ; he who is at all negligent on this point,
cannot reasonably expect to have the pleasure of seeing his bird lively and
brilliant in plumage, or hearing him daily

Strong in Song.

SILKWORMS

Tlie M'orro that spiixt a Queen'* mofteo«ily robe.

The rearing of Silkworms is an agreeable and interesting pursuit for
youn? persons ; it lias now become so popular, that this part of our work
would be incomplete without a treatise on the mode or managing these
singular insects.

There are sereral species of larvae, or caterpillars, besides the Silkworm,
which produce a sort of silk. The web of spiders is very similar to silk,
and it is said, that a few pairs of stockings, and the substance upon which
a picture wiu> painted, have been made of the webs of a particular kind of
this insect. But it is scarcely to be hoped, that the labours of the spider,
or any of the different species nf larvae, will ever be so valuable to man
as that of the Silkworm.

Silk appears originally to ha^^ come from China ; it was known by
the Romans, and its cultivation was, so lonj; back as the reign of James
the First, strongly recommended by a royal edict It is the opinion of
many persons, that Silkworms might be' managed on a very extensive
stale in England, so as to be highly beneficial as a branch of national

174

SILKWORMS.

industry, and that we might not only render ourselves independent of
foreign supplies, but actually export some of our produce to other coun-
tries. For this purpose it would be necessary, as a preliminary step, to
increase the cultivation of the mulberry tree, the leaves of which are the
proper food of the Silkworm. At present, very few persons in this
country rear Silkworms with a view to profit ; they are, generally, kept
for mere amusement ; but we have known individuals who have, for
several succeeding years, with ordinary care, raised many pounds of valu-
able silk.

The attention of some scientific and spirited persons has lately been
turned to this subject, and we should not be surprised to hear of some
important result from their labours.

THE OVA : — HATCHING.

The egg of the Silkworm is nearly round, and in size rather less than a
mustard seed. When first laid, it is of a light yellow, but it soon changes
to an ash colour. Silkworms' eggs may be purchased at a low price in
Covent Garden market and many other places, by those who are inclined
to commence breeding them. After a stock is once laid in, they may be
preserved from year to year ; taking care to keep them in a dry drawer,
or similar place, during the winter.

About the latter end of April, the Silkworms' eggs are strewed, or
placed on the paper on which they were laid by the moth, in shallow trays
of paper, which should be put where the wind cannot blow them away,

but so as the sun may shine

^yM'

powerfully upon them. A
chamber window that fronts
the south is the best for this
purpose. The trays may be
made of stout cartridge paper
doubled, with the edges turn-
ed up, almost an inch high,
all round, and sewed or
pasted together at the cor-
ners. It is advisable to cover
the trays with a bit of gauze ;
and especial care must be
taken that they are secure
from birds and cats,, lest the young worms should be destroyed. Having
thus placed the eggs in the trays in a proper situation, leave them until
they begin to hatch, and as the young worms or larvae are warmed into
existence, remove them to one or more similar trays, leaving the un-
hafbed eggs undistmbed.

SILKWORMS.

THE LARVA:— sicknesses; FEEDING.

The larva, or caterpillar, when it is first hatched, is of a dark hue, but
when full grown, its colour is a creamy white ; it has a small circle on eacli

side at every joint, and
two half circles on its
back ; its feet are six
in number, three being
placed on each side near
us head: it has also ten
holders, eight in the mid-
dle of the body, and two
at the tail.

While it remains in
the caterpillar state, or
rather from the time it is
hatched until it begins to
spin, the Silkworm has
four sirkncsses ; during e^ch of these, which lasts about three days,
the worm quits its food, grows thicker and shorter, and at lengtli casts
its skin.

As soon as the worms begin to come out of their eggs, you must pro-
cure some young mulberry-leaves, or, if they are not to be immediately
obtained, lettuce-leaves, which place in the receivihg tray or irays, and
as the young worms are hatched, place them to feed upon the leaves. At
this early stage of their existence, the Silkworms are so small and tender, that
they ought to be taken from the hatching trays to the receiver on the
point of a feather, or a camel's hair brush.

Although lettuce-leaves may be used for the first three or four days,
mulberry-leaves, the natural food of Silkworms, must be procured as soon
as possible, and. from the first week of their lives, they ought, in fact,
to be fed on nothing else. The troughs, or trays, should be cleaned out
every morning ; and, while little, the worms should be removed with care,
by means of a hair or feather. When they are about one-third grown,
it is as well to put new leaves into the trays on the top of the stale ones;
the worms will soon leave the latter for the former, and thus you may
take the leaves and worms together out into clean trays. When the
worms are large, you can lift them from one tray to another in your fin-
gers, taking care while you are doing this, that you do not squeeze or
drop them. Until they arrive at their first sickness, it will be quite suffi-
cient to atford them leaves once a dav ; thence, until their third, they
should be fed twice a day, increasing tlie quantity of the leaves at each
lime of feeding, according to the growth of the worms; and from their
'hird to their fourth sickness, they should be fed thrice, or, if it be very

17G

SILKWORMS

warm weather, four times a day ; and after the fourth sickness is past, the
worms should have as many leaves as they can eat. They will consume
more food during the few days that succeed their last sickness, than in the
whole of the previous part of their lives. In all cases, the leaves with
which Silkworms are fed, should be dry, although as fresh as possible. If
they have been closely packed, it is advisable to air them, before they
are given to the worms, on a clean dry cloth.

If the weather be not unseasonable, tlie worms should have plenty of
air afforded to them, especially after they have got over their last sickness.

They must be frequently cleansed about this time, too, as they make
much dirt; their trays should be more commodious, and also deeper than
those used for the worms when smaller, otherwise there is a probability
of their crawling out, and being lost or destroyed.

At the end of forty or forty -five days from the time of their being
hatched, they begin to change to a clear transparent pink or flesh colour,
particularly on their tails ; soon after, they grow restless and refuse their
food ; when these symptoms are perceived, it is time for you to prepare
for their spinning.

THE COCOON.

As soon as the mdications mentioned in the last paragraph are per-
ceived, roll up small square pieces of paper, corner-wise, and pin them to

a tape stretched across the
wall of a room, and with the
pointed ends downward ; when
a worm altogether quits its
food, place it in one of these
little workshops, as they may
with propriety be calle'd, for
in these the worm spins its
silk. It disposes of its web in
such a manner, as to leave a
cavity within ; this is called
the cocoon ; and here the
worm again casts its skin,
and changes its appearance
altogether, becoming short,
thick, and enclosed in a hard-
ish, dark-brown, shining case.
It is now called an aurelia,
chrysalis, or nympha. It
should be left undisturbed in
its labours until, by gently shaking the cocoon at the ear, the aurelia
may be heard rattling witliin. It is then proper to wind off the silk.

SILKWORMS.

THE AURELIA: — WINDING.

Were the cocoon to be left for about twenty days after the caterpillar
or larva, has become an aurelia, it would efrect another change in its

appearance, and become a phalena
or moth, and burst its way out of
the cocoon. This, however, must
not be suffered, if the silk is to be
preserved. The loose outward silk
is to be removed, and the cocoon
should then be placed in warm
water, in order that its end may
more readily be obtained, and also
that the silk may be more easily wound off. A common card is frequently
used for this purpose, but those who have large stocks, wind the silk off,
joining several threads together, by means of little reels, that may be
purchased at the Tunbridge-ware shops.

In those places where the silk is wound off for the purposes of com-
merce, a certain number only of the cocoons are reserved for the purpose
of producing eggs, and laid aside. The others are placed in boiling
water, and the nymphae within them thus killed. The silk varies from
white to a reddish yellow, but the lightest cocoons are most esteemed.

THE MOTH : — LAYING.

All the silk being wound off, the aurelia, or grub, must be placed in a
little bran, just under the surface ; in this situation it will effect its change

-■^.v v\$^ '^^^ *^ ^^^^ ** ^^ ^^ were left in

\Vik^^ .^di .^^ ~~^-. the cocoon. As soon as the

moths have emerged from
their shells, place them to-
gether in paper trays, simi-
lar to those in which they
were fed. Cover the bot-
toms of the trays with clean
white paper, for tlie moths
to lay on. The male nym-
phae are much smaller than
the female, and are, in
general, about one half their
weight. Their existence in the moth state is but brief; the female lays
her eggs soon after she assumes her wing?, and dies a day or two after ;
the male frequently diops off bofore the female has finished laying. The
^oths eat nothing ; they flutter about with their wings, but do not fly; and

178

SILKWORMS.

are by no means admirable for their external appearance, being ordinary
in shape, and almost entirely of a pale yellowish or mealy colour. The
eggs should be put away, in a drawer or other secure dry place, upon the
papers on which they are laid, for use in the following spring. When Silk-
worms are bred to a large extent, the females are placed to lay on a coarse
cloth, and as soon as the eggs have acquired an ash colour, the cloth is
immersed in fresh water, which dissolves the mucilage that makes the ovae
or eggs adhere; they are then collected, properly dried, and carefully
preserved for the following year. Particular care should be taken that
the trays for laying be not only out of the reach of cats and birds, bux
that they be not placed near cobwebs, lest the moths should crawl out,
and become

'a \^xt\} to tfec Spiti«r.

RABBITS.

Sec where a motley Inter iiioru itruund
The captive doe, wboM aatiTc lymnietry
Hum impro«'d 'ueatb man's domiuiout
That her frandtire's progeny, (poniuj; wide
O'er bill and dale, iu ibeir plaiit rutset coau.
Seem of no kiu to ber

Rabbit-keeping was never, perhaps, so much practised in England as
it is at the present day. Not only do a multitude of young persons keep
common rabbits for their amusement, and poulterers and others for the
table, but of late, many gentlemen have become rabbit-breeders to a con-
siderable extent; and though the varieties are so much less numerous, it
promises to become, ere long, as popular a fancy as that in pigeons. A
writer on this subject states, that there are, or were, two great feeders in
the counties of Oxford and Bucks, the former of whom kept a sufficient
number to produce three dozen rabbits for the market per week ; the latter,
it is said, kept white rabbits only, on account of the superior value of their
skins for tlie purpose of trimming. These persons, however, must be
considered rabbit leeders rather than fanciers.

Fancy rabbits are rarely to be met with in the hands of the common
dealers, good ones being of too high a price to come within their means.
m2

180 RABBITS.

There are, however, several private individuals of great respectabilityin
town, from whom excellent specimens may be obtained, by those who
wish to lay the foundation for a fancy stock. A rabbit, of whatever colour
it may be, is certainly a beautiful little animal ; but the common breed are
very inferior in beauty of appearance to the fine lopped-eared creatures,
of which several sketches from life will be found in the course of this
article. We feel convinced that any person who sees a well-ordered
rabbitry, containing some good specimens of fancy rabbits, will be so
struck with their superior beauty of appearance, that he will not think of
keeping merely common rabbits. The first is the only extra expense ; for
fine lopped-eared animals do not require more or superior food than what
ought to be afforded to the common ones. They are, we confess, rather
more delicate in constitution ; but their fine appearance will certainly
compensate their keeper for the care he may take in keeping them in
order ; there is also a greater pleasure in breeding valuable animals, than
rabbits that, at best, will never be worth, when reared, above half a dozen
shillings. And here let us impress upon our young readers the propriety
of feeding their rabbits regularly. Poor creatures ! they are caged, con-
fined, and wholly dependent upon us — it would be the extreme of barbarity
to neglect them. If we keep any living creatures in a confined state, we
enjoin a duty on ourselves of providing for their wants. Depend upon it.
that the boy will rue the day, unless he have decidedly a bad heart, who
sits down to a comfortable meal, while his rabbit or his bird — heretofore
his idol and his toy, but now, in caprice, neglected — pines, in its prison, for
his appearance with its usual daily food. If he be tired of that, which,
when it was a novelty, he took so much delight in, he had better sell, give,
or even humanely kill it, than suffer it to languish its solitary hours away
in hunger and in thirst. It is a creature dependent on his care, — it is
helpless and imprisoned — is he not cruel in the extreme, if he omit to fur-
nish it with its daily pittance ?

LAWS RELATING TO RABBITS.

Though rabbits are not, strictly speaking, game, yet they are included
in many acts of parliament relating to game. By the common law, if
rabbits come on a man's ground, and eat his corn or herbage, he may kill
them. By the 7th and 8th Geo. IV. c. 26, s. 36, if any person wilfully
and unlawfully, in the night-time, take or kill any rabbit, in a warren, or
place kept for breeding rabbits, whether inclosed or not, he is guilty of a
misdemeanor ; and if in the day-time, the offender shall forfeit such sum,
not exceeding five pounds, as to the justice, by whom he may be convicted,
shall seem meet.

181

VARIETIES OF THE RABBIT

Persons, who have never had an opportunity of seeing Fancy Rabbits,
will, very probably, be surprised, on looking at the representation of those
animals which is taithfuUy given in the above engraving : the figures are,
in fact, taken from nature ; and are selected to shew two or three striking
varieties of the fall of the ears, rather than as specimens of first-rate
rabbits. The one in the back ground is a common up-eared animal, two
of the others exhibit ears only half lopped ; the one on the right only is
perfect On the origin of lop-eared fancy rabbits we can give no satistac-
tory information ; nor can we say whether they are a variety of our com-
mon rabbit, or brought from another country. Our readers will find this
subject treated fully in the following pages ; but we think it is fit that we
should begin our dissertation with a brief notice of the wild or warren
rabbit.

THE WILD RABBIT.

Wild rabbits are considerably less than those wliich are kept in a
domestic state: they are, for the most part, of a grey colour; but a t'e.v
black, black and white, and even fawn-coloured rabbits, are to be seen in
some warrens. The flesh of wild rabbits is, in general, preferred to that
of tame ones ; but the latter may be much improved in flavour by judicious
feeding, and affording the animals good air and sufficient room to exercise
themselves.

It is said that the wild rabbit will breed eleven times a year, and brinp
forth, generally, eight young ones each time; at this rate, in four ye.iis
a couple of rabbits would produce a progeny of almost a million and a

182

RABBITS.

half. Notwithstanding the fecundity of the animal in its wild state, it is
much more profitable when domesticated ; for, although a prudent fancier
will not suffer his doe to have young more than five or six times in a
year, the produce of the tame animal, on account of the care taken of

them, will be greater at
the end of the year than
that of a wild one, not-
withstanding the latter
should have double the
number of Utters ; multi-
tudes of the wild rabbits,
when young, being de-
^ ^gg^^^ BjyjLBSi^i^^J g ^g^J g^gtS^^lF^^ stroyed by damp, the old

,^^^ bucks, and the numerous
four-footed animals which
prey on these almost de-
fenceless creatures : wild rabbits are also exceedingly destructive in cer-
tain situations,- although profitable in proper places.

THE COMMON DOMESTIC RABBIT.

Common domestic rabbits are of various colours, black, white, grey
fawn, mouse, &c. &c. Their prices vary according to their age, size, and
aeauty. In some parts of Norfolk, the price of a pair of rabbits, a month
old, is twopence. In other counties, and even in London, young rabbits
Tiay be purchased from sixpence to a shilUng each. A half-grown rabbit
ill fetch from eighteenpence to half-a-crown ) aad five or six shillings is,
n general, the utmost price that is given for a common full-grown buck
n doe ; the average value is three shillings and sixpence or four shillings.

One of the chief objects
in keeping common rab-
bits is, for the purpose of
occasionally furnishing a
dish for the table ; and,
therefore, those persons,
by whom they are kept,
attend as particularly to
the sort of rabbits whose
flesh is said to be the best,
as to their colours or shape.
The short-legged stout rabbits arc generally supposed to be the most
healthy, and also the best breeders. The large hare-coloured variety is
much esteemed by some people ; but the white, or white mottled with
black or yellow, are more dehcate in flesh. The grey, and some of the

RABBITS. 183

blacks, approach nearer to the flavour of the wild rabbit than any
others.

The Turkish or French rabbit, with long white fur, differs little from
the common varieties, and is now but little esteemed. At one time, the
Egyptian fawn colour, which was a fawn fur tipped with a dark shade
was much in fashion among fanciers, but it is now thought nothing oC
The smut, also, some years ago, was the principal property of what was
then considered a fancy rabbit. The snmt is a mark on the nose, and is
has three varieties: there is the single, the double, and the butterfly smuu
It should be of the darkest colour which the animal exhibits in its fur;
strictly speaking, it ought to be black, according to the old rabbit fanciers.
The sincle smut is a patch of colour on one side of the nose ; the double,
is a paten on each side ; and the butterfly, is a double smut, with a mark
of Llie same colour running a little distance up the ridge of the nose ; in such
a manner that the whole resembles, in shape, a butterfly reversed, of which
the two marks on the sides are the wings, and that on the front of the
nose, the body and tail. This is considered a beauty even in fancy rabbits
of two colours, but it is not considered an indispensable property by the
fanciers.

LOP-EARED, OR FANCY RABBITS.

Formerly, a fine rabbU of any two colours, however short its ears, was
accounted a fancy animal: it is now very different. In the eye of a
fancier of the present day, the long lopped' ear is an indispensable requi-
site. The first things that "are lookea at are the length and fall of the
ears; the dewlap, if the animal he in its prime, is next noticed; the colours
and markings are then inspected; and, lastly, the shape and general
appearance. Rabbits, whose ears do not extend to fourteen inches from tip
to tip, measured across the skull, would be reluctantly admitted into a
fancier's stock, if they fell ever so finely ; or, in case they exceeded that
length, (and they sometimes are sixteen inches, and even upward,) if
they did not lop or fall downward, in what is deemed a graceful and
becoming manner. The dewlap, which is only seen in fancy rabbits, some
time after they have attained their full growth, adds materially to the
beauty of their appearance : it commences immediately under the jaw ,
goes down the throat, and between the fore legs : it is so broad, that
when the head reposes upon it, it projects beneath the chin, and on each
side beyond the jaws: it is usually parted in the centre in front, and is
equal in size to a couple of good-sized eggs: when the fur on it is of a
beautiful colour, it produces a very fine effect. The reader may obtain a
better idea of the dewlap from the second sketch, page 185, than fromanr
more lengthened description of it.

184 RABBITS.

The annexed cut is a portrait of Wowski, a first-rate fancy lop rabbit,
in the possession of the writer. She came from the sister of a famous doe,
belonging to Mr. Hawkes, (of Westminster,) for which he gave ten guineas
some time ago, and has since, more than once, refused to part with her

for double that sum :
hitlierto he has sold
all her young ones at
six guineas a litter,
delivering them to
the purchaser seven
weeks after they were
kindled. At the time

of making the draw-

"-^:=5=i^2S?,j^—^""'' i"g foi" this gut,

Wowski was just ten
weeks old ; her ears matching perfectly with each other, and measuring,
from tip to tip, nearly thirteen inches. The difference in the back, and
general appearance, to say nothing of the ears, between the fancy and the
common rabbit, cannot fail to strike the reader who will take the trouble
of comparing the annexed engraving, or the figures in the groupe at the
head of page 181, with the cuts of the wild rabbit and the common do-
mestic rabbit, inserted in page 182.

Fancy rabbits fetch high prices compared with those of the common
ones ; five, ten, and even as much as twenty guineas, have been given for
a first-rate doe. Very good fancy rabbits may, however, be bought for less
sums than these ; the foundation of a fancy stock, provided young rabbits
only be bought, may be made for three or four pounds : a beginning may
be made for even much less. We know a youth who began to keep fancy
rabbits but two years ago, and has now a very brilliant little stock. He
purchased three rabbits, each about two months old, of excellent breed ;
but being all deficient, in some respect, with regard to properties, they cost
hrm between twenty and thirty shilUngs only. These three rabbits, being
of the true fancy strain, have occasionally thrown very excellent specimens,
which he has selected and reared : the first he has disposed of again, and
his hutches did not, at the time we save them, which was about three
months since, contain an animal that would not pass muster in the rabbitry
of a first-rate fancier.

There are several grades between the up-eared rabbit, and the true and
perfect fancy lop. The first remove from the common carriage of the ears
ss where they fall backward ungracefully over the shoulder, with the
hoUow part outward. A rabbit that carries its ears in this manner is not
allowed to be a fancy animal, being worth but very little more than a com-
mon one. The next, and in fact, the most general position of the ears is,

RABBITS.

185

as indicated in tlic marginal cut. One of the ears lops outward, and tliC
other remains upriglit. Sometimes the ear which lops falls close to the
cheek ; in this case, the other, instead of being nearly horizontal, is drawn
over by the weight of the lopped car, and when the animal is in a stiitc ol'
rest, rather inclines to the sjilhe side of
the head as the one that lops. Rabbits
of this description, however bcautifiU in
shape, and fine in colour, are not consi-
dered valuable; but they are, in genera!.
very well bred, and throw first-rate ral>-
bits as often as those which are quite
perfect. The doe, from which the sketch
in the margin was taken, has few equals
in strength, shape, colour, and lengtii
of ear; two of her progeny have feU;bed
four and five guineas each ; still, she
herself is by no means a first-rate rab-
bit, on account of her being half up-
eared. There is another circumstance,
which deteriorates from her worthy in the eye of an amateur ; she is almost
destitute of dewlap ; and tliis shows that she is only half, or, at best,' three
parts fancy-bred ; the stock from whicli she was produced having, doubt-
less, been crossed by the common rabbit. Were all the young rabbits
which are bred from fancy animals to be reared, one half of them, at least
would be entirely up-eared, the 'rest would, for the most part, be oar-lopped,
or horn-lopped ; and occasionally a perfect fancy faU of the two ears would
occur.

The forward, or horn-lop, which is one
degree nearer perfe<!tion than the half-
lop, is when the ears fall downward and
project forward in front of the head, as
in the marginal sketch, which is taken
from an exceedingly well-bred grey
doe, whose properties of form ar>:
nearly perfect in all other respects,
except in the fall of the ears. Her
head is remarkably small and well-
shaped, and her dewlap very full and
touidsome. Her colour, grey, is objectionable : she is, nevertheless, a more
valuable ral)bit than the one we have previously described, as she is nearer
perfection in all her properties but colour, and sliows less of the common
aoimal. She is bred from a capital grey and white stock, and generally

186

RABBITS.

produces yoiing of that colour. It is necessary to remark, that this doe,
like almost all otliers whose ears fall in the same position, frequently
raises one ear upright.

The oar-lop is accurately depicted by the engraving in jthe margin. It
is a sketch of the head of a very fine
young buck rabbit, about three parts
grown. The ears, in this variety of
the lop, spread out nearly horizontally
from the side of the head, like a pair
of oars from a boat. A great many
very excellent does are, more or less,
oar-lopped, and the best-bred bucks
in the fancy are, generally speaking,
entirely so. A rabbit frequently car-
ries one ear in a correct position, while
the other is raised sufficiently to con-
stitute it an oar-lop. This, though by
no means a capital carriage of the
ears, is superior to all others, except the perfect fall ; and rabbits whose ears
both drop handsomely down the cheek are so rare, that those which are
only oar-lopped are valuable animals, if all their other properties are
correct.

We now come to the real lop. The ears of the real lop fall, from the
roots, down by the side of the cheek, slanting a little outward in their
descent, with their hollow parts inward, forward, or partly backward ; and
their tips touching the ground when the animal holds its head in the usual
position. For a first-rate fancy lop, the hollows of the ears should be

turned so completely backward, that
the outer, or convex part of them may
only appear in front: they should
match perfectly in their fall, and the
less they slant outward in their de-
scent from the roots, the more hand-
some they are considered These
perfect lops are so rare, that a breeder
with a stock of twenty capital does, of
superior blood and beauty, and all of
them nearly, or even quite perfect in
the several properties, may think him-
self very lucky if they produce a dozen first-rate lops, in the course of a
season. The rabbit, from which the sketch in the margin was taken, is
one of the most perfect, in all her properties, that has hitherto fallen under
our notice.

RABBITS. 187

Having now, as we think, dwelt sufficiently on this part of our subject,
we shall say a tew words on the important propriety of colour. Grey is
considered the worst of all colours ; black is the next in gradation ; fawn,
fawn and white, and grey, hold the third place in estimation ; pure white,
with red eyes, is by some reckoned equal with, and by others, superior to
these; tortoise-shell (a rich brown and white, and brown, grey and white,)
and black and white, rank the highest ; mouse colour, though little no-
ticed by fanciers in general, is much admired by a few.

If the rabbit be white and black, grey and white, fawn and white, or
tortoise-shell, it is deemed indispensable that they should be mixed as
nearly as possible in the following manner: — the greater part of the back,
the haunches, and the body, should be of the dark colour, or slightly
spotted with white ; a chain or series of the darker colour should come up
to the shoulders, and the rest of the fore part of the body should be also
variegated — white, however, predominating. The ears should be entirely
of the prevailing dark colour of the body ; if otherwise, they are termed
pie-bald, which is a defect. The head should shew a great deal of colour
round the eyes, and at the nose, but it must not be without white. The
belly may be entirely white, and the throat and dewlap white, dark, or
variegated. The spots and dark parts in general, particularly those on the
back, must not have many white hairs mixed among them ; if they have,
the rabbit will be grizzled, and deficient in beauty of colour: the spots
must be definitely marked on the white, and the colour on the back
should not break off abruptly, neither should it be lightened away into
the white by a gradual mixture of white hairs with the black ; on the con-
trary, the edges must be gradually and positively broken, by black spots
or patches, lessening in size, and terminating with the chain on the shoul-
ders. There are, however, but few rabbits that are perfectly coloured ;
the nearer they approach to the preceding description, the stronger they
are in this property. A few rabbits are occasionally seen at the poulterers,
with but two or three pieces of colour on their skins; for instance, the head,
throat, shoulders, hips, back and haunches, will be grey, and a patch of
white breaking abruptly on it, will cross the back ; or there will be two or
three large patches of black on a white ground, or rice versa. Tliese are
termed old-fashioned country rabbits, and if an animal of a similar colour
is produced in a fancy stock, it is reckoned unfit for rearing, and con-
demned to the cook. But even such a rabbit as this is better than one
with a slight sprinkling of colour on white, as a coloured nose and ears,
with a slight snade round the eyes, and a streak along the middle of the
back. Rabbits thus marked are frequently produced even by good-
coloured docs ; they are termed blood-suckers, because they impoverish
the stock, by taking the food and milk which would nourish rabbits that
would be good for something ; these being actually worth nothing, as they

188 RABBITS.

are not only unsightly, but their constitutions are, with a few rare excep-
lions, so weak, that they never get fat enough to qualify them for the spit
or the pot, and are totally unfit for rearing to replenish old stock, even if
their other properties are perfect. The thorough Rabbit Fancier, however,
seldom thinks a rabbit worth feeding as an article for the table ; but he
must, of a necessity, if he keep many does, frequently use rabbits for his
own board, give them away, or dispose of them to a poulterer ; as among
every score which, on account of their colours, he rears to the age of two
months, the principal portion will, as we have already stated, be so far
distant from perfection in the ears as not to be worth reaiing. Fancy
rabbits are never parted with to the poulterer alive, because the owner
well knows, that though imperfect themselves, they might probably throw
very perfect young ones, if reared. An instance occurred lately, within
our knowledge, of a person, who kept good rabbits, shewing a lot of young
ones for sale to a poulterer, who offered to take them at half-a-crown per
couple ; the bargam was struck, and the poulterer said to his man, " Sam,
these are fancy rabbits, take them home alive." "Oh! no," said the
Fancier, " if you take them home alive, the price is one guinea each ; if
you have them for half-a-crown a couple, I must see them all knocked
oehind the ears before they are taken from my loft. If I sold imperfect •
well-bred rabbits alive at this price, the strain would soon grow common,
and before that would be the case, you might breed rabbits that would
fetch you four or five pounds a-piece, from stock that you had purchased
at warren rabbit price."

Fine-framed young rabbits are, m fact, frequently sacrificed, because
they are up-eared, while others are reared with scarcely one half the sub-
stance, and perhaps inferior in colour, because their ears both fall ; the
consequence is, that the latter often produce puny stock, frequently up-
eared, while the former would, probably, produce fine rabbits, which
would be just as likely to be perfect in the ears as those which came from
the others. It is a practice with some rabbit fanciers, when they have a
young animal with long ears, only one of which lops handsomely, to affix
a piece of lead to the other, in order to bring it down, so as to make it
match with that which is perfect. This practice is seldom successful ; and
if it were, it would, nevertheless, be highly objectionable, as tending to
thwart nature, and putting the animal to pain and inconvenience. The young
rabbits seldom lop their ears until they are separated from the doe ; it is
best to put them, at first, in an open hutch for half an hour, so that they
may be tempted to look over the edge of the bottom toward the ground':
this will make their ears drop ; but they must be watched during this time,
lest they fall out and hurt themselves. It frequently happens that a very
promising young rabbit at two months old, whose ears lop perfectly, will
rise one of them when he attains double that age ; and others again lop

RAHBITS.

189

only one ear until they are three parts grown, when the other falls, so ai
to render the pair a perfect match.

SoniC strains of fancy rabbits have their fore-legs considerably bent
inward ; this is not considered a defect. The shape of the eye is, in general,
different in all fancy rabbits to the common breed ; it is not so round, and
a fold of skin appears puckered up on the surface of the eye at its lower
corner.

THE RABBITRY ANU HUTCHES.

The rabbit house should be dry and well ventilated ; too much hu-
midity, whether externally or internally, will cause the rabbits to rot.

Where considerable num-
bers are kept, fresh air b
absolutely necessary to
preserve them in a state
of health ; still they
should not be exposed to
draughts, which, on many
occasions, have brought
on a disease called the
snuffles — a dangerous, and
frequently fatal malady.
If economy be an object,
or the young fancier be
desirous of eniploying his
mechanical abilities, he may construct hutches sufficiently good for common
purposes himself. A tolerably good doe's hutch may be made out of an
old egg-chest, and places for bucks and weaned rabbits, of tea-chests ; the
former are to be bought at a cheesemonger's, the latter at a grocer's shop.
If our reader should become his own carpenter in this case, we recommend
him to follow, as much as his abilities will admit, the directions which are
given for making hutches in the following page. Young persons should
begin by keeping common rabbits, for which common hutches, such as
they can construct themselves, if so inchned, will be quite good enough.
Wlien they have acquired experience in the management of the Rabbrtry,
and not before, they may, by degrees, introduce superior animals to their
stock, and dispose of the common ones. They should then sdso obtain
superior hutches ; for a fine lop-eared rabbit loses half the beauty of its
appearance in a clumsy and ill-tashioned hutch.

The hutch for does should have a partition with a hole in it, to let
them pass from one part to tlie other, and a slide to close this hole when
necessary. For weaned rabbits, a hutch without this partition is pre-

190

ferable, and it is unnecessary to make any partition in tlie bucks' liutches.
Tlie breeding hutches should be about three feet long, two feet and a half
in depth, and eighteen inches high ; the breeding place may be from nine
to twelve inches in breadth ; it should have a door to fit the whole front of

it, fastened by a separate

latch or buckle to that used
for the door of the feeding
place. The latter door
should extend the whole
distance from the partition
to the opposite part of the
hutch, and in depth from
the top to within two or
three inches of the bottom ;
it must be made of a frame of wood, tinned on the inside, with stout wire
or slender iron rods nailed or driven into the top and bottom parts of the
frame, from three quarters to an inch apart. Hang it on a pair of small
hinges to that side of the hutch which is opposite the partition, and fasten
it by a latch or buckle. Under this door, a drawer for food, well tinned
round the edges, is to run in ; it should be fastened by a buckle fixed to
the lower part of the large door, or it may be so contrived that the door
will keep it close without any fastening. Nail tin round the. hole in the
partition, (which ought to be circular,) and, in fact, to every other part of
the interior of the hutch which the rabbits can take hold of with their
teeth ; as they are very destructive animals, and would actually gnaw
themselves out of a mere wooden hutch. The bottom must be planed quite
smooth, and a shp be taken off the lower
part of the back of the hutch to let the urine
run off: for this purpose, hutches should
also be set a little on the slant backward.
The buck's hutch is made different in
every respect from the breeding hutches ;
instead ot being square, it is almost semi-
circular ; the back and sides being gra>
dually rounded off from the front. The
wires are placed wider apart, and are
thicker and stronger than those used for
does' hutches : it has no partition, and the
drawer, instead of running the whole
breadth of the cage, as there is never more than one rabbit at a time to feed
out of it, is placed in the centre, to a cross piece which goes from side to
side, as the front piece of the drawer in other hutches. - There must be an
aperture at the back close to the floor, for the purpose we have before

RABBITS. 191

mentioned, aiiJ the door, which, excepting the drawer, constitutes the
entire front of the cage, should be well hinged and fastened with a stout
button. The buck's hutch should not be less than twenty inches high,
two feel and a half broad, and twenty inches at its deepest part.

The hutches may be stacked one above another, or set in a row, as
choice or convenience may direct. They should, however, never be placed
upon the ground, but elevated on wooden stools, or horses, a foot or two
above it : neither ought the back parts of them to be put close against the
wall, but sufficient room should be left for the dung to have a passage from
the apertures made in the lower part of the back to the floor

This is a most Important subject. On his skill, as a feeder, mainly
depends the young Fancier's chance of prosperity with his stock. If too
much food be given at once, the animals will get disgusted with and refuse
it, so that a rabbit may be nearly starved by affording it too great a
quantity of food- Most persons feed their rabbits twice, but, for our own
part, we feed ours thrice a day. To a full-grown doe, without a litter, in
the morning, we give a little hay, or dry clover, and a few of such vege-
tables as are in season ; in the afternoon, we put two handfuls of good<
corn into her trough ; and, at night, we give her a boiled potatoe or two,
more vegetables, and if her hutch be clear of what we gave her in the
morning, but by no means otherwise, a little more hay or clover. If you
give rabbits more hay than they can eat in a few hours, except it be to a
doe just about to litter, they will treatl it under foot, and waste it: if you
give them but a moderate quantity at a time, they will eat and enjoy IL
Generally speaking, rabbits prefer green or moist food to corn ; but it is
necessary to make them eat a sufficient proportion of solid food to keep
them in health; occasionally, instead of corn, we give our rabbits a few
split or whole grey peas. When a doe has a litter by her side, and also
for rabbits recently weaned, we soak the peas for a few hours previously to
putting them in tlie trough. If a rabbit will not eat a proper quantity of
com, we mix a small quantity of squeezed tea-leaves with her portion,
and stint her proportionately in green meat. Barley-meal, dry as well as
scalded, we occasionally use, to fatten for the table, or to bring a poor
rabbit into good condition ; and in winter, when greens are scarce, but not
otherwise, we feed with fre.sh grains mixed with oats, peas, meal, or pol-
lard. Tea-leaves, in small quantities, well squeezed, may at all times be
given, by way of a treat ; but it is highly improper to make them a daily
substitute for green meaL

Almost all the vegetables and roots used for the table may be given to
rabbits; in preference to all others, we choose celery, parsley, and the roots
and tops of carrots; and in llus choice the aniiuals tliem^elves heartily agree

192 RABBITS.

with us ; lettuces, the leaves, and, what are much better, the stumps of
cabbages and cauliflowers, they eat with avidity, but they must be given
to them with a sparing hand ; turnips, parsnips, and even potatoes in a
raw state, we occasionally afford our stock, on an emergency, when better
roots or good greens are scarce. In the spring time no soft meat is better
for them than tares, so that they be not wet ; in fact, no green ought to
be given to rabbits when there is much moisture on its surface. We have
heard of some country persons feeding their rabbits on marshmallows, but
we never did so ourselves. Dandelions, milk thistles, or sow-thistles, we
know, by long experience, they take in preference to all other food, except
celery, parsley, and carrots ; and nothing, we are convinced, as green meat,
can be better for them.

It must be remembered that a doe will eat nearly twice as much when
suckling as at other times ; and, when her litter begin to eat, the allow-
ance of food must be gradually increased. In our own Rabbitry we never
admit chaff, and grains only, in a dearth of green food. If we can obtain
neither greens, roots, nor grains, at feeding time, we make it a practice to
moisten the corn with water, milk, or, as we before stated, with tea-leaves.
Though a rabbit must be restricted from rioting in green or soft meat
according to its own appetite, for its own sake, yet it is cruel to afford it
only such food as will increase rather than appease its thirst : for this
reason, in such a case as we have mentioned, we moisten the grain ; and
some rabbits will even do well with an occasional table-spoonful of water,
beer, or milk ; but it is a dangerous experiment to try the effect of a liquid
on their stomachs.

BREEDING.

The doe will breed at the age of six months ; her period of gestation is
thirty days. The rabbits are not to be left together above ten minutes.
Some days before kindling, hay is to be given to the doe, with which, and
the flue which nature has instructed her to tear from her body, she will
make her nest. Biting the hay into short pieces, and carrying it about in
ner mouth, are almost certain signs of her being with young. The number
produced varies from three to eleven. Destroy the weak and sickly ones,
as soon as their defects can be perceived, until the litter is reduced to five
or six. If you leave more to be suckled, some will, perhaps, die, others
be sickly, and none of them fine. The old rabbits are not to be put to-
gether till tne expiration of six weeks : the young may be separated from
the doe and weaned a fortnight after. If more than fivB or six litters are
obtained in a year, the doe will be soon worn out, and the young ones
not worth much. The doe should not be disturbed by any other rabbit,
while with young. Should she be weak after kindling, give her a malt
mash, scalded fine pollard, or barley-meal, in which may be mixed a small

BABBITS. 193

quantity of cordial horse-ball. In this case, and, in fact, whenever a doe
is weak, bread — soaked in milk, and squeezed rather dry again, if she will
take it, will considerably strengthen her.

If well fed, and kept warm, does will breed all the year ; but most
fanciers are contented with five litters a year, and let them rest during
the winter. Mowbray states, that the produce of rabbits is so multitu-
dinous, that one might be well satisfied with this practice; for that even
four litters in the year would be equal to two thousand young rabbits
annually, from a stock of one hundred does. If does devour their young,
or do not breed for any considerable time, rabbit fanciers dispose of
them as useless incumbrances to their stock- It is advisable so to manage,
that two or three does should kindle about the same time; you may then
take from the doe that has the greatest number, and put the excess under
her that has the least ; taking care not to leave more than six young ones
to each. It is advisable to obtain rabbits for breeding from a litter of twQ»
three, or four only, as they are generally stronger and finer than those
which come from a niorc numerous one. It is a disadvantage, rather than
otherwise, to have above six produced in a Utter, as the young rabbit*
when that is the case, are almost invariably weak and puny; and even i»
they b^ reduced to a moderate quantity, by removing some of them to
another doe, or otherwise, they rar«ly become remarkable for their size
or beauty.

DISEASES.

Diseases may, in a great measure, be prevented, by regularity In
feeding, good fcKxl, and cleanliness. The refuse of vegetables should
always be scrupulously rejected. For the liver complaint, to which rabbits
are subject, there is no cure ; when they are attacked by it, fatten them,
if possible, for the table.

The snuffles are occasioned by damp or cold. If there be any cure foi
this disorder, it must be dryness in their hutches and food.

Squeezed tea-leaves generally restore a doe to health, if weak, or
otherwise affected after kindling, if the food which we have directed to be
given at that time, under the head of Breeding, should fail. When old
rabbits are attacked by a looseness, dry food will, in general, restore them ;
but do what you will, it is very difficult, and, in most cases, impossible, to
save vounp ones from sinking under it; dry food for them, as well as for
the old ones, ii the only remedy.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

Be careful to keep your rabbit-hutches particularly clean ; a short hoe,

or a trowel, and a hand-brush, will be necessary for this purpose. Do not

tiidle your rabbits, particularly the young ones, to" much ; when you lift

194

RABBITS.

tliem, take them with one hand by the ears, and place the other under
the lower part of their backs. Never slacken in attention ; a neglect of a
day will do your stock much injury ; while by constant care you may
breed to great perfection. Those who are fanciful in colours should not
only look at those of the rabbits they buy for breeding, but also ascertain,
if possible, the colours of the does they come from ; for rabbits frequently
throw litters, in which not a single young one of their own colour can
be .found. If there happen, for mstance, to have been a single cross of
grey in your stock for three or four generations back, it will frequently
appear in stock, although every breeding rabbit in your hutches be of a
different colour. Grey is the most difficult of all colours to eradicate; but
even grey rabbits do not always have young ones of their own colour.

The more vou vary the food, the fatter your rabbits will be; but
observe, that when they are once full fat, (to use a term of breeders,) they
frequently fall off and pine away to bad condition. It is impossible to lay
down rules for the precise quantity of each sort of food to be allowed ; a
little experience alone can teach the youthful fancier this secret.

By proper care and attention, rabbits may not only be kept for the
sake of their beauty of appearance, and the interesting and harmless
amusement which they afford, but the surplus stock may be made to pay
for their keep, either by using them for the table, or disposing of them to

GUINEA PIGS

A m without a tail.
Mi

These little animals were originally natives of Brazil, but they have long
been introduced to this and other European countries. They propagate
in temperate, and even cold climates ; and would be exceedingly nu-
merous, had they not, like most other animals whose produce is abundant,
a great number of enemies. The males frequently aevour their own off-
spring, which also suffer much from cats, && It is said, however, that rats
will carefully avoid them ; and under this idea, they are frequently bred
by rabbit-fanciers, for a protection to their young stock against those de-
structive vermin. In a rabbit-house they are by no means troublesome,
as they may be suffered to run loose under the lower tier of hutches, and
will feed on the waste food, which is spilled about the floor. If kept up,
through choice or necessity, they will do best in hutches similar to those
made for rabbits ; they need not, of course, be of such large dimensions.
They will eat bread, grain, and, in fact, whatever is commonly given
to rabbits ; tea-leaves, however, they seem to prefer to all other food, but
they ought not to be kept constantly on them.

Thev breed, according to some naturalists, at two months old. and, it
is said, have from four to twelve young ones at a time : for our own part,
we have frequently known them to have two, and never more than six, in
a litter. In size they are considerably less than a rabbit ; the upper lip is
only half divided ; they have two cutting teeth in each jaw, and tneir ears
N 2

196

GUINEA PIGS.

are broad and erect. They are of varied colours, white, black, and fawn ;
the tortoise-shell, (f. e.) a mixture of the three colours, is generally pre-
ferred. Some of the white ones have red eyes, similar to ferrets and
white rabbits. Their flesh is eatable, but by no means good; m this
country they are never used for the table, and have been tasted only, it is
presumed, from motives of curiosity. They are perfectly harmless, and,
unless it be true that they keep rats away from rabbit-hutches, altogether
useless. They may be bought at the shops of the rabbit or pigeon dealers,
at from sixpence upward, according to their age, shape, and colour.

Nature, which has so abundantly provided the Cape of Good Hope
sheep with tails, that the farmers, it is said, are frequently obliged to
provide small waggons to support them, has left the Uttle Guinea pig
totally destitute of this usual ornament to the hind quarters of animals.
Were it not for their colour, they might, indeed, be properly compared to

" m Bat toitljout a ^ail.

■i^iil^

WHITE MICE

Sacb are the iteedt, which Mab, ihe Fairv (^ueeu.
Yoke* to her cbanoi when the ride« in itaie -
Their ear* are fairv bracintb* ; iheir eyes,
A pair of gloM-wormi' golden lamp* ; their coact
Seem made ofanow, wove by Mab'i waiting-maida.
And iknca blanched i' tb' moonbeam.

These pretty little animals raay be purchased for trifling prices at
the bird-shops : a pair of young ones may be had for a shilling: after they
have had a htter of young ones, they are worth one shilling and sixpence,
or two shillings. Black and white, or brown and white mice, fetch rather
higher nrices : for a pair of either of the latter, the shop-keepers usually
ask half-a-crown, or three shillings.

The buck and doe are to be kept constantly together; we have heard
of a buck devouring its young; but such a circumstance, we believe, occurs
but rarely. They breed six or eight times a year, after tiiey are full-
grown, it kept in a comfortable cage, and regularly and properly attended
to. liie cage for White Mice may be of any shape the owner of them
may fancy; but it must have a breeding box, with a small entrance fo;- the
mice, and a door by which the materials for the nest may be put in, and
taken out when dirty. In this breeding place, there must ahvaj^s be kept
a little soft hay, cotton, or wadding, which must be increased in quantity
just before the doe is about to litter. The iod hay alone is sufficient t'oi

198

WHITE

the nest in hot weather ; when it is cold, it is advantageous to mix either
cotton or wadding with it. The young ones should not be looked at for
three or four days after they are kindled ; they may be taken away, and
put in separate cages, when between a fortnight and three weeks old.

The best food for White Mice is bread, soaked in milk, and squeezed
out as dry as possible ; in summer time, water is to be substituted for the
milk. A few grits and oats may occasionally be given ; but, it is said, oats
are improper for black and white mice. Cheese, we know from experience,
is highly injurious, at least to those animals that have been accustomed
to soaked bread and grits ; for, the last cage of White Mice which we had,
were killed by their having eaten a piece of Cheshire cheese, that had been
put into their cage, without any evil intention, by one of our playmates.

The prettiest cages are, in our opinion, those which are made hke
squirrels cages; in these, the little animals exercise themselves very
amusingly. A wire swing is sometimes suspended from the top of the
cage, into which the mice are fond of chmbing. White Mice cages may
be had from any intermediate price, according to pattern, materials, and
workmanship, from one shiUing up to twenty

The cage ought to be cleaned out, and fresh food placed in the drawer,
every morning ; it should be kept in a dry, warm situation, out of the
reach of cats. It is most important that the cages be kept in proper
repair, and that the doors be carefully fastened up, otherwise their little
tenants may get out, and be lost, or share the fate of their brown-coated
brethren, — and become victims to the claw of the cat. the artificial, or even

PIGEONS.

AlofV in air the ntpid pifeoii soars.

The roesseni^r, by turut, or joy and woe

Bi't beedleM ever ol her hiph envoy,

Kren white (leavinK voiider iliitant cloiitl,

Mer heart it fix'cl on home, and bar lov'd young,

Thus docf brau initinrt in man's hand becomt

A mighty engine ■

The life of this beautiful and useful bird is said to extend to about eight
years ; but it is useless for the purpose of breeding after it has attained half
that aqe, and ought then to be destroyed, or it will molest those which are
in their prime. The pigeon lays two white eggs, and sits fifteen days after
the second egg is laid. The female keeps to the nest from four or five
o'clock in the evening until nine the next morning; she then goes off to
feed, and the cock takes her place during the day. If the hen delay, the
cock leares the nest at the usual time, seeks her out, and drives her to her
duty; the hen does the same in case of negligence in this respect on the
part of the cock.

100

PIGEONS.

The young ones are usually of different sexes. For the first three days
after they are hatched, the female seldom leaves them ; after that time,
the cock and hen attend to feed them indiscriminately. The way in which
the old supply the young with food is singular : the parent birds collect a
quantity of grain and water in their crops, which are very capacious, and
after it has lain there until soft and macerated, they cast it up into the
throats of the voung ones. As the young birds acquire strength, the old
ones give the food less preparation, and at last drive them out to provide
in part for themselves ; but they are often seen feeding their young ones
even when the latter are able to fly, and they themselves are going to nest
again. The young ones, while fed by the cock and hen, are called squabs,
under six months old squeakers, and after that age they are denominated
pigeons, being in a fit state to mate and breed.

LAWS CONCERNING PIGEONS.

By an act of Parliament of 7 and 8 Geo. 4. c. 27. which repeals
1 Jas. 1. c. 27., and 2 Geo. 3. c. 29 ; and by the 7 and 8 Geo. 4. c. 29. s. 33.
it is enacted — that if any person shall unlawfully and wilfully kill, wound,
or take any house-dove or pigeon, under circumstances not amounting to
larceny, upon being convicted thereof before a justice, he shall forfeit, ovei
and above the value of the bird, any sum not exceeding 21. But it has.
nevertheless, been determined, that the owner of land may kill such pigeons
as he may find devastating his corn.

THE DOVE-COTE, OR PIGEON-HOUSE.

As many young people will take a pleasure in breeding a little flock of
birds from a common box. fitted up against a wall or elsewhere, we shall give

themi a few words of advice on
the subject. The form of the box
is immaterial ; the triangular is,
perhaps, the best, because it al-
lows the wet to run ofFquickest,
it may be made with any number
of holes, which should be suflS-
ciently large for the pigeons to
turn round in them with ease.
Shelves and partitions of six oi
eight inches depth should run
along the front, to keep the
couples apart, and afford them good resting-places. It will be an advan-
tage, if you can allow two holes betwee n each partition for each couple of
birds. The box may also be made square; or, in fact, according to the

PIGEONS.

201

convenience or fancy of the individual fitting it up. It should be fixed
where it will be secure from rats and cats, and ought always to face a
warm quarter ; cold winds being very pernicious to the birds.

PIGEON LOFTS,

We shall now proceed to give the young Fancier proper instructions for
building pigeon lofts, which are used for breeding and keeping the more
curious sort of birds, or what are commonly denominated Fancy pigeons.
Many persons in London convert the spaces between the garrets and
the roofs of their houses into lofts, by making an aperture in the tiling,
which opens on a platform, fixed on the outside. It is necessary in this,
as in all other cases, to erect proper fences to keep out the cats. W possible,
for the sake of wannth, your loft should face the south or south-west ; but,
as it rarely happens that convenience will allow of a room being occupied
entirely by pigeons, it is seldom that the birds are indulged with this

advantage. Any place-
in fact, that is dry, light,
airy , and sufficiently com-
modious, may be con-
verted into a good loft.
The trap or aery is fixed
on the outside upon a
platform of wood, at the
common entrance of the
^ birds; it is generally made
'^ of laths nailed about half
-^ an inch, or rather less,
^ asunder. The fomi de-
^ Z^ pends upon the taste of
— - ~^ - the constructor. Traps
are, for the most part,
square, with one, two, and sometimes three entrances ; each of which is
furnished with a door contrived in such a manner, as to allow a person
concealed within the loft, or any other place whence he can obtain a view
of the trap, effectually to close the entrance in a second, by merely pulling
a piece of string. The door is, of course, hung on hinges, and tne string
is fixed to that oart of it, from which it may most easily be pulled to. The
trap is frequentlv used, by depraved persons, for the purpose of catching
stray pigeons, which they decoy into it either by some of their own birds,
or by baits of hemp, rape, canary-seeds, or otherwise. The trap is, never-
theless, indispensable to the fair fancier, if he keep Tumblers or other
pigeons which are occasionally turned loose ; for, without it, he would not

202

PIGEONS.

have a sufficient control over his birds, and could not confine them in the
loft after their flight, or whenever he considered it advisable to do so.

The bolting wire is a very useful addition to the loft or aery. Its con-
struction is very simple :— a little square, or rather, oblong, wooden frame
is made sufficiently large for any pigeon to pass through it with ease ; a
slip of wood, that is nearly as long as one end of the frame, is then hung

to it, by a couple of pair of wire
staples, or small hinges, so as to
play easily; into this slip, two
pieces of wire are driven, wide
enough apart to admit a pigeon's
head and neck, but not the body,
between and on each side of them ;
the wires must be long enough
to reach below the edge of that
end of the frame opposite to
where the slip, in which the wires
are driven, is hung. The bolting

wire is now complete; a lath or

two must be cut out of one side
of the aery, or a hole made in the roof, or near the entrance to the loft,
according to which of the places is destined for its reception. • The frame
is fastened in with the points of the wires downward, and so as to open
inward ; the lower part of the frame against which they fall will then pre-
vent them from moving outward. The object of the bolting wire is to afford
a pigeon the means of getting into the trap, or loft, after it is fastened up.
For instance, suppose a person, who keeps Tumblers, turns them out for an
hour's flight ; at the end of that time he calls in all he can, fastens up the
entrance, and quits the loft, leaving two or three birds out ; the construc-
tion of the bolting wire is such, that the birds in the loft cannot push it
outward, while those who are out, can and will, when they wish to come
in, push it inward, lift it up, and enter. It is equally useful in the aery,
after two-thirds of the pigeons are inside the trap, the doors are pulled up,
and the stragglers afterward get in by lifting the bolting wire. The birds
already trapped cannot escape through it, while it affords an easy entrance
to the few that are not secured when the doors are closed. The pigeon-
call is a shrill, long, and loud whistle, to which your pigeons will attend,
even when high on the wing, if you make a practice of giving them some
choice food after it. It is by this call that the pigeons are brought into
the house or trap ; they should be regularly accustomed to it, and brought
in by it, invariably, before they are fed. Some persons make use of it,
even if the pigeons are all in the loft, previously to their food being given to
them.

PIGEONS.

203

We liave lately seen a very good self-acting pigeon trap, which Is
made in the following manner:— a large square cage is constructed of a

wooden frame, and wires in-
stead of rails or laths ; with
two folding doors, each fast-
ened by hinges to the top.
About a foot n-om the bottom
of the cage, a false bottom of
open wires is fixed, and in
the space between the rcaJ
and false bottom, a pigeon is
placed, by means of a little
door in the side, as a decoy.
(^ Immediately above the false
bottom, a square piece of wire-
_ ^ work, of precisely the same
^*'~ size and appearance, as the
false bottom itself, is fastened
at one end, by two pieces of
wire, to the outer wire of one side of the false bottom itself, which act as
hinges. To the opposite edge of this square piece of wire-work, a string
is fastened, of about eighteen inches in length, at the other end of which
a stick, equal in length to the breadth of the cage, is tied by the middle.
To set the trap, the two folding doors are raised to a perpendicular posi-
tion, the stick is placed between them, with a small portion of the wooden
edges of their frames resting against each end of it; the doors are pulled
inward and downward, so as to keep the stick, and consequently them-
selves, in a proper situation, by means of a piece of catgut, communicating
with a worm or stout wire, which is placed against a rail of the frame that
runs up the middle of one of the sides. When the stick is in its proper
place, tne string which fastens it to the square piece of wire- work, raises
one end of the latter about six inches from the false bottom ; the stick is
placed on the opposite side to that on which the square piece of wire-work
IS thus raised; and an ounce weight, dropped on the wire-work, will, by
mean^ of the string, pull the stick fVom between the doors ; they being
acted strongly upon by the spring- worm, immediately close; so that if a
pigeon be attracted to the trap, and endeavour to ioin the decoy bird, which
It sees feeding inside, and alight on the inside ot the cage, that is, on the
•quare piece of wire-work, it must, of necessity, be caught. The false
bottom is for the purpose of preventing the decoy bird from escaping. I»
would be a matter of trifling difficulty to adapt a bolting wire to tnis cage;
it should be placed at one of the sides beneath the false bottom ; thus a
bird may enter after the trap is closed.

204

PIGEONS.

The snap trap is frequently used by persons who keep pigeons ; it difFers
from the aery in shape, ahhough its use is in fact the same. It is either
constructed on a platform, or fastened to the roof leads of a house. Two
frames, in the shape of a triangle, made of deal, and railed with strips of

the same wood or laths, are
nailed by one of their sides,
to the lead or platform, about
three or four feet apart, and
exactly opposite each other.
A rail is then made of a
length a trifle more than
equal to the distance between
the two triangles, to the up-
per corner of each of which
it is secured. Two similar
rails are nailed on the roof or
platform, which extend from
the lower corners of the tri-
angles, and connect them
together. To each of these
rails, a light frame, made of deal, and laths or reiils fixed. about an inch
\part, is hung by small hinges. The frames should be exactly large enough
to fill the space between the top and corner rails and the two triangles.
A string is fastened to the outer edge of each of the frames or doors, which
is brought up and run into a pulley or swivel, fixed on the top of the upper
rail. One of the strings is then tied to the other, and the latter is left
sufficiently long to reach a window, or other place, which commands a
view of the trap. It is set and baited very simply : the frames or doors are
placed flat on the roof, and a few vetches are strewed inside the trap : as
soon as a pigeon goes in to feed, tlie two frames or doors are suddenly
raised to the upper rail, by a concealed spectator pulling the string, and
thus the bird is enclosed in the trap.

The shelves for the breeding place should be fourteen inches, or a little
more, in breadth ; and if you breed Pouters, there ought to be twenty
inches between the upper and lower shelves, otherwise the pigeons will
acquire a trick of stooping, which will spoil their deportment. Tartitions
should be made in these shelves, about three feet apart, and a slip of board
run along the front of the lower shelves, about four inches high, to keep
in the nests. This slip should run in a groove, or be otherwise managed
80 that it may be easily removed, in order to clean out the nests when
expedient. A similar slip must also be fixed in the middle of each three
feet division, which is thus adapted for a double nest, in one of which,
the old hen may lay in quietness without being disturbed by her young

PIGEONS. 205

ones in the other, as ahe often leaves tliem when about three weeks old to
the care of the cock, and goes to nest again. Some Fanciers darken the
nest by setting up a board a few inches within the edge of the shelves,
having an entrance hole cut through it; thus dividing the partition into an
outer shelf or landing place, and an inner room or nest : in this case, ot
^ourse, the slip is unnecessary. A good contrivance to keep the birds
private when setting is, perhaps, worth attention, as they are sometimes
shy, and set uneasy, or even fly off their eggs, in alarm, on any person's
entering the loft. Some tame pigeons will not make their nests; to such
it will be right to afford a Httle hay. Straw buckets and pans of earthen-
ware are used by many Fanciers for nests. Wlj/^n the latter are adopted,
it is usual to place a brick between them (thert "teing two pans in every
partition) for the convenience of the birds, as wc^ s# more effectually to
divide and support the nest. The pans should vjw/in size according to
the pigeons for which they are intended. The straw baskets are in general
preferred, as the egg is liable to be broken in the pan, unless it be strewed
with hay, straw, or frail, of which the latter, for many reasons, is the best
for the purpose.

FEEDING, MATING, &C.

Gravel should be strewed on the shelves and floor, the birds being fond
of picking it; besides, it gives the loft a much cleaner appearance. Clean-
liness is indispensable ; if you suffer the loft to be filthy, the dirt will
produce effects which will be equally annoying to yourself and your birds.
Do not handle your squabs or young birds too much, lest you bring an
illness on them which may prove fataL

The common pigeon will, during agreat part of the year, seek the prin-
cipal part of its own food, and live upon almost any grain ; the fancy birds
require delicate food and much attention. Of all grain, old tares prove
to be the best suited to the nature of these birds ; new tares should be givep
very sparingly, especially to young pigeons, as they are very liable to do
them much injury. Horse beans are esteemed the next best food to tares ;
the smallest of these are preferred, especially small ticks. Wheat, barley,
oats, and peas, ought only to be given now and then for a change of diet,
as they sometimes hurt them. Rape, canary, and hemp-seed, pigeons are
immoderately fond of; but these must not by any means be made a constant
diet.

Mating or coupling of pigeons is oflen attended with much difficulty
In order to effect it, let two coops be built close together with a partition
of lath between them, so that tnc birds may see each other, and they
«hould feed out of the same vessels; by supplying them well with hemp-
seed, you may soon make them fit for mating, and when you perceive
the hen to sweep her tail, yov miy remove her to the cock's pen, and they

206 PIGEONS.

will soon agree. When this convenience is wanting, and you are compelled
to put them both into the coop at first, put the cock in three or four days
before the hen, that he may get master of the coop, particularly if the hen
be a termagant, or else they will quarrel so much, that their bickerings will
end in an irreconcileable hatred. When the pigeons are matched, you can
give them the run of the loft to choose a nest for themselves, or fix them
to one, by inclosing them within it, by a lath raiUng, giving them food and
water in plenty for eight or nine days.

DISEASES AND REMEDIES.

For the wet roup, give them three or four pepper-corns once m three or
four days, and steep a handful of green rue in their water, which you may
let all the pigeons drink of The dry roup is known by a dry husky
cough, it proceeds from a cold ; to cure it, give them three or four cloves
of garlick every day.

The canker arises from the cocks pecking each other : for this, rub
the affected part every day with burnt alum and honey. When the flesh
round the eyes of the Carrier, Horseman, or Barb, is torn or pecked,
bathe it with salt water for several days ; if this do not prove successful,
wash the aggrieved part with two drachms of alum dissolved in an ounce
and a half of water.

When pigeons are infested with insects, smoke their feathers well with
tobacco.

Pouters and Croppers are apt to gorge themselves when they have
fasted rather longer than usual. When this happens, put the bird into a
tight stocking with its feet downward, smoothing up the crop, that the over-
loaded bag of meat may not hang down ; then hitch up the stocking on a
nail, and keep it in this posture, supplying it with a httle water now and
then, till the food is digested. When taken out of the stocking, put the
bird in an open coop or basket, and feed it but very moderately for some
rime.

The megrims is a disease, in which the pigeon flutters about at ran-
dom, with Its head reverted in such a manner that its beak rests upon its
back. This malady is pronounced incurable.

When pigeons do not moult freely, put them into some warm place,
and mix a good quantity of hemp-seed m their common food, and a littie
saffron in their water.

If they be lame, or the balls of their feet become swelled, either from
cold, being cut with glass, or any other accident, spread some Venice tur-
pentine on a piece of brown paper, and put it to the part affected.

PIGEONS.

207

^^.

THE VARIOUS SPECIES.

Several varieties of fancy pigeons are so much alike in form, and, in
fact, differ so little, except in sire and colour, that it would be of no assis'-
ance to the Fancier to give cuts of each species ; we shall, therefore, only
introduce engravings of the chief varieties.

THE COMMON PIOEON

Common pigeons are usually blue or ash-coloured, with white backs
and red legs. They weigh about thirteen ounces each, reauire but little
attention, and breed once a month for the greater part of the year. Bv
frequent judicious crossing, their plumage becomes variegated with copptr
and other glaring colours.

THE STOCK DOVE, OR WOOD PIGEON.

All the beautiful varieties of the tame pigeon derive their origin from
the Stock Dove. This bird is of a deep blueish-ash colour ; the breast
dashed with a fine green and purple, tlie sides of the neck with shining
copper colour, the wings are marked with two black bars, one on the c^uill
featners, and the other on the coverts : the back is white, and the tail is
barred near the end with black. It is larger than the common pigeon;
but the shape of the body is the same, nor is the colour much different.

208

PIGEONS.

THE TURTLE DOVE.

The Turtle Dove is a small, and very shy bird. The top of the head
is ash-coloured, interspersed with olive, the chin and forehead white; there
is a spot of black feathers on each side of the neck, curiously tipped with
white ; the back is ash-coloured, with a tincture of olive brown ; the quill-
feathei-s of a dusky brown, the breast of a light purplish red, the extremity
of each feather yellow ; the sides and inner coverts of the wings are blueisH
and the belly white.

THE TUMBLER.

This pigeon derives its name from its tumbling backward in the air
when on the wing. It is a very small bird ; its body is short, it has a thin
neck, is very full breasted, with a short
round head, and small spindle beak. The
irides of the eye should be of a clear pearl
colour. These pigeons, by their flight, afford
great satisfaction to the Fanciers ; for, besides
their tumbling, they will rise to such a
height in the air as to be almost impercep-
tible : and, if good birds, and familiarized
to each other, they will keep such close
company, that a flight of a dozen may be
covered with a handkerchief. If the weather
be warm and clear, they will continue upon
the wing for four or five hours ; the fa-
vourite sort seldom, if ever, tumble, but
when they are beginning to rise, or when
they are coming down to pitch.
The Tumbler displays in its plumage a charming variety of colours :
reds, yellows, duns, blues, blacks, whites and silvers. Tumblers should
not be suffered to have any connexion with other pigeons ; for if they be
once familiarized to fly with others, they will, by degrees, drop in their
flight. Spare no expense in the purchase of one or two birds, that have
been used to high flying, as they will be of infinite service in training
your young ones to be lofty soarers.

When the pigeons are well acquainted with their habitation, turn them
out, and put them upon the wing once a day only ; a clear grey morning
especially, for young birds, is the properest time ; when they are coming
down, strew a little hemp-seed, or rape and canary, to inveigle them in,
and then confine them for the rest of the day. They should never be let
out on a misty morning, when there appears signs of a fog, or during high
winds. It should be a standing rule never to suffer a hen tumbler to fly
when with egg.

PIGEONS.

209

THE BALD-PATED TUMBLER.

There is a fine species of pigeon known by the name of the Bald-
pated Tumbler, the plumage ofwliich consists of'a great variety of colours;

they have a pearl eye, a clean white
head, with a white flight and tail, and
are reckoned very good flyers. When
they are aloft in the air, in fine clear
weather, the contrast of their feathers,
if the distance be not too great, gives
them a very pleasing appearance;
though the blue birds have gained the
greatest reputation for lofty flights.
Some Tumblers are called black or
blue-bearded; that is, when a bird
of either of those colours is orna-
mented with a long dash of white,
reaching from the under jaws and check, a little way down the throat: if
this be well-shaped, and the bird runs clean in the fiipht and tail, as above
described in the Uald-pated sort, he may be considered as a very hand-
some bird. The annexed engraving is taken from a Rald-pated Tumbler
which is remarkably handsome, but not quite perfect in properties, the
tail and flight not matching in colour.

THE ALMOND, OR ERMINE TUMBLER.

This ver>' beautiful and valuable species derives its origin from common
Tumblers, judiciously matched so as to sort the feather. Some of these
birds are so magnificent in their plumage, that the rump, tail, back, and
flight, have been compared to a bed of the finest and best broken tulips ;
the more variegated they are in the flight and tail, especially if the ground
be yellow, the greater is their value. To be perfect, the rump, back, and
breast must be variejjated, and the flight not barred. A few are feathered
with three colours only, which compose the Ermine or Almond, as yellow,
white, and black; bnt these are scarce. Almond Tumblers never arrive at
their full beauty of feather till they have moulted several times ; they in-
crease in beauty every year until the decline of Ufe, when they change to
a mottled, splashed, or other inferior colour.

Many fanciers advise the matching of a yellow, a splashed, or black
grizzle, with an Almond, to heighten the colours ; black birds, bred from
Almonds, are generally better shaped in the beak and head than the
Almonds themselves, and the tail and flight have frequently a strong glow
of yellow. The less ash or blue tliey have, the better ; someu^i^a slight

o .

210 PIGEONS.

IT ixtiire of these colours will shew, even when they have been carefully
and well bred. The yellow and black mottled should coincide with the
Almond Tumbler, except in plumage ; the former should have a yellow
ground body, mottled with white, and a black flight and tail. Both of
these two last described fancies make exceedingly pretty birds, and are
also very useful, especially when they agree in their other properties, to
mix occasionally with the Almond. The Almond Tumbler itself, for its
exceeding beauty of feather, is deemed, by many of the first fanciers, to
be the most beautiful and valuable, when in perfection, of all the pigeon
tribe.

THE CARRIER.

In size, the Carrier exceeds many of the common pigeons ; its plumage
is close, even and firm; it is remarkable for the elegance of its shape, and,

by some of the old fanciers, was
called the King of Pigeons. A naked,
white, fungous lump of flesh extends
from the lower part of the head to
the middle of the upper chap ; this
is called the wattle ; it is usually met
by two small protuberances of similar
flesh arising from the lower chap.
The bird is most valuable when its
wattles are of a blackish colour. The
circle round the black pupil of the
t^^Sifcar v>.-r-j?^'^j} i;'-:.^ ^ eye (which is generally of a red

Ct;v;C.^:^^j-f-^.. ■" brick-dust colour, though considered

-=i AMAaTJT" more rare when fiery red) is also

encompassed with a circle of the
same sort of naked fungous: it is generally about the breadth of a shilling,
but the broader it spreads, the greater is the value set upon the bird.
When this luxuriant flesh round the eye is thick and broad, it denotes
the Carrier to be a good breeder, and one that will rear very fine young
ones.

The following triple properties are attributed to the Carrier : three in
the head, three in the eye, three in the wattle, and three in the beak.
The properties in the head consist in its flatness, straightness, and length:
for instance, a Carrier with a very flat skull, a little indented in the middle,
and a long narrow head, is greatly admired ; if the reverse, it is termed
barrel-headed. The wattle of the eye should be broad, circular, and
uniform; if one part appear to be thinner than another, it is called pinch-
eved : when the eye is equal, full, and free from irregularities, it is a rose-
eye, and considered very valuable. The wattle should be broad across

PIGEONS.

211

the beak, short from the head toward the point of the bill, and leaning a
little forward from the head : if it lie flat it is said to be peg-wattled. This
has caused some artful people, in order to impose on the inexperienced, and
to increase the price ot an imperfect bird, to raise the hinder part of the
^ wattle, fill it up with cork, and bind it in with

fine wire, so neatly as not to be easily detected.
The beak should be long, straight, and thick ;
an inch and a half is a long beak, but it should
not measure less than an inch and a quarter.
(See cut, which is a correct likeness of the
head of a very valuable Carrier, of which an
entire engraving is given on the opposite

Eage.) If the beak be crooked, it is termed
ook-beaked, and Ughtly esteemed; it should
be of a black colour, and thick ; when it is
thin it is called spindle-beaked; this de-
creases its value. The length and thinness
of its neck are marks of its elegance. Its
plumage is generally either dun or black, though there are also splashed,
white, blue, and pied Carriers ; the dun and black agree best with the
before-described properties; yet the blues and blue-pieds, being rarities,
Tre consequently valuable, even though rather inferior in other respects.

THE HORSEMAN.

It is a matter of dispute whether the Horseman is not a bastard be-
tween a Tumbler and a Carrier, or a Pouter and a Carrier, and then bred
over again from a Carrier. It is, in shape and
make, very like the Carrier, only les^s in all
its properties; its body is smaller, and its neck
shorter: neither is there so much luxuriant,
incrusted flesh upon the beak, and round the
eye, so that the distance between the wattle
on the beak and that on the eye is much more
conspicuous. (See cut, which is taken from a
bird belonging to Mr. Blundell, of Dean-street,
Holborn.) Horsemen are of various colours ;
but the most distinguished are the blue and
blue pieds, which generally prove the best
breeders. When yoimg, they should be
regularly made to fly twice a day ; and, as
they gain strength, must be let loose, and put on the wing without any
others in company. They are chiefly made use of for deciding bets, or
conveying letters, the genuine Carrier's being very scarce,
o 2

212 PIGEONS.

THE DRAGOON.

Dr^oons were originally bred between a Tumbler and a Horseman;
by frequently matching them with the Horseman, they will acquire very
great strength and agility. They are ex-
cellent breeders, and make tender nurses;
for which purpose, they are frequently kept
as feeders for rearing young Pouters, Leg-
horn Runts, &c

The Dragoon is lighter and smaller than
the Horseman ; it is less in all its properties.
One of the principal beauties of the Dragoon
is the straightness of the top of its skull, and
that of its beak, which ought almost to make
a horizontal line with each other. The an-
nexed cut is taken from a fine bird in the
Eossession of Jackson, the pigeon-dealer, of
•enmark-street, near St. Giles's church.
The Dragoon is said to be more rapid for
ten or twenty miles than the Horseman ; nevertheless, if the Horseman
be well bred, it will always distance the Dragoon at a greater flight. They
should be flown and trained whilst young, in the same manner as the
Horseman.

The distinctive qualities and variation of properties in those three
beautiful birds, the Carrier, the Horseman, and the Dragoon, will be seen
in an instant, by comparing the engravings of the different birds' heads, in
this and the preceding page, with each other.

THE ENGLISH POUTER, OR POUTING HORSEMAN.

This pigeon derives its first name from being originally Enghsh; it is a
cross breed between a Horseman and a Cropper : by frequently pairing
them with the Cropper, Pouting Horsemen have acquired great beauty
and considerable reputation.

According to the rules laid down by the fancy, the Pouter ought to
measure, from the point of the beak to the end of the tail, eighteen inches ;
and to have a fine shape, and a hollow back, sloping off taper from the
shoulders : when it has a rise on the back, it is termed hog-backed. The
legs, from the toe nail to the upper joint in the thigh, should measure
seven inches. The crop ought to be large and circular toward the beak,
rising behind the neck, so as to cover and run neatly off at each of the
bird's fhoidders.

The blue pied, black pied, red pied, and yellow pied, are the most
esteemed colours; but, if the blue pied and the black pied be aUke pos-
sessed of the other qualities, the black pied, on account of its plumage, will

PIGEONS.

213

be the most valuable pigeon ; and if the yellow pied have these marks, il
will be preferable to either. We shall here describe in what manner the
Pouter ought to be pied, according to the ablest judges : ihe front of the
crop should be white, encircled with a shining green, interspersed with the

same colour with wliich he is pied;
^ ^ but the white should not reach to

the back of the head, for then he is
ring-headed: there should be a
patch, in the shape of a half moon,
falling upon the chap, of the same
colour with which he is pied ; when
that is wanting, he is called swallow-
throated. The head, neck, back,
and tail, should be uniform. A blue
pied pigeon should have two black
streaks or bars near the end of both
wings ; if these be of a brown co-
lour, the value of the bird is greatly
diminished, and he is tenned kiie-
barred. When the pinion of the wing
is speckled with white, in the form
of a rose, it is called a rose pinion,
and is highly esteemed ; when the pinion has a large dash of white on the
external edge of the wing, he is said to be bishoped, or lawn-sleeved.
They should not be naked about the thighs, nor spindle-legged ; but their
legs and thighs ought to be stout, straight, and well covered with white,
soft, downy feathers. Whenever it happens that the joint of the knee, or
any part of the thigh, is tinged with another colour, the bird is foul-thighed.
If the nine flight feathers of the wing be not white, he is foul -flighted ; and
when only the extreme feather of the wing is of the same colour with the
body, he is called sword-flighted. The engraving is taken from life.

'fhe crop of the Pouter ought to be filled with wind, so as to shew its
full extent, with ease and freedom. It is a very great fault, when a bird so
overcharges his crop with wind, as to fall backward ; many a fine bird has,
by this ill habit, either tiimbled into the street, down a chimney, or become
an easy prey to the cats. The reverse is, being loose-winded, so that the

{•igeon exhibits so small a crop, as to look like an ill-shaped KunL, A
'outer should play erect, and have a fine, well-spread tail, wliich must not
touch the ground, nor sink between his legs ; neither should he rest upon
his rump, which is a very great fault, and is called rumping. He ought to
draw the shoulders of his wings close to his body, displaying his wings
without straddling, and walk almost entirely upon his toes, without jump-
ing or kicking, like tlie Uploper, and move witn an easy, majestic air.

214 PIGEONS.

The Pouter that approaches nearest to all these properties, is a very
valuable bird. Some fanciers, by a patient perseverance, and great ex-
pense, have bred these birds so near the standard prescribed, as to sell
them for twenty guineas a pair. These pigeons make a very striking
appearance on the outside of a building, though the favourite sort are
seldom permitted to fly, for fear of accidents. There is a great deal of
trouble, time, and expense, requisite for rearing and breeding their young ;
every single bird must be parted during the winter season, and care taken
that the coops be lofty and spacious, so that they may not get an ill habit
of stooping, which is so great an imperfection, that it must be prevented by
all possible means. In the spring, two pair of Dragoons must be had for
every pair of Pouters, as feeders, or nurses. The Dragoons are to be kept
in a loft, separate from the Pouters, lest they should degenerate and bas-
tardize the breed. When the hen Pouter has laid an egg, it should be
shifted under a Dragoon that has also lately laid an egg, and the egg of
the Dragoon put under the Pouter, it being very proper that the Pouter
should have an egg or eggs to sit upon, or she will quickly lay again ; and
this, often repeated, will probably kill her. The Pouters are such unfeeling
nurses, as frequently to starve the young ones to death; so that good
fanciers never suifer them to hatch their own eggs. Very great caution
must be observed to prevent these birds from gorging, and much time be
spent to make them tame and familiar : if they become ghy, they lose
one of the properties for which they are so much admired, which is called
shewing.

The expense of raising Pouters is sometimes very great, for a fancier
may begin with half-a-dozen pair, and, in a short time, be obliged to buy
more, or be forced to exchange some of his best, for worse birds, in order
to cross the strain ; for he must not breed them in and in, as by these, or
any consanguineous connections, the breed would degenerate, and be
worth nothing. The above, and some other inconveniences, attend the
training of the Pouter ; whereas, the same number of Almond Tumblers
would stock a fancier for life ; for the breeding of Tumblers in and in
would only diminish the size, and the smaller they are, the greater is their
value ; and, if supplied with meat, water, and some clean straw, they give
little further trouble.

The Pouter was, formerly, so much valued, as to monopolize the
attention of the fancy ; but since Almond Tumblers are brought to such
perfection, the Pouter has been a little neglected.

THE DUTCH CROPPER.

The body of this pigeon is thick, clumsy, and short, as are also the
legs, which are feathered down to the feet ; they have a large pouch or bag,
hanging under their beak, which they can swell with wind, or depress,

PIGEONS.

215

at pleasure ; they are pravel-eycd, and such bad feeders of their yoking
ones, that as soon as they have fed ofi' their soft meat, it is necessary to
place their youiip ones under a pair of small Runts, Dragoons, or Pouting
Horsemen. They are more addicted to gorge than any other pigeon, es-
pecially if not regularly supplied.

THE PARISIAN POUTER.

This bird was, originally, a native of Paris ; its body and legs are short,
it has, generally, a long, but not a large crop, and is thick in the girth. It
is greatly admired for its plumage, which is very elegant ; every feather
being streaked with a variety of colours, the flight excepted, wliich is
white : the more red this bird has interspersed with its other colours, the
greater is the value set upon iL They are, generally, what is commonly
termed bull or gravel-eyed.

THE UPLOPER.

This bird was, originally, a native of Holland ; it resembles an English
Pouter, only that it is smaller, and has very slender legs ; its toes are short
and close together, and it trips so exactly upon them when walking, as to
leave the ball of the foot quite hollow.

THE TRUMPETER.

This pigeon is nearly as big as the Runt, and very like it in shape and
make ; its legs and feel are covered with feathers ; the crown of its head
is round, and the larger it is, the more
it is esteemed. It is, in general, pearl-
eyed, and black-mottled ; but the surest
mark to distinguish a good Trumpeter
^> V ;^ is the tuft of feathers which sprouts from

/T.-rJ^ " *^^ ^°°^ "^ *^^ ^^^^ ' '^'^ ^^^g^r tl^is tuft

r f fW i grows, the greater is the value set upon

the bird. It derives its name from imi-
tating the sound of the trumpet, which
it always does in the spring of the year,
those who wish to hear them at other
times, feed them very high with hemp-
seed, which always has the desired
effect. We cannot discover that the
Trumpeter is, or ever has been, much
in vogue among any of the true fan-
ciers of pigeons ; in fact, the Trumpeter, notwithstanding its peculiarity,
should be classed among what are called •' The Toys."

216

PIGEONS.

THE LEGHORN RUNT.

This is a large pigeon, close-feathered, short in the back, and broad-
chested; it carries its tail up, is goose-headed, and hollow-eyed; the eye
is encircled with a thick skin ; the beak is very
short, with a small wattle over its nostrils, and
the upper chap projects a little over the under.
They are much hardier birds than many
imagine, and breed tolerably well; but they
are bad nurses, and ought not to be suffered
to bring up their own young ones; therefore,
it is proper to shift their eggs under a Dragoon,
or some other tender nurse, in the same man-
ner as directed for the Pouter : a young one of
some sort should, however, be given to them,
to take off their soft meat. They are frequently
of a grizzled colour, ermined round the neck ;
those most esteemed are either red, white, or
black mottled. This species is of greater value
than any other kind of Runt. There are some
persons who greatly admire these birds, but we must confess that we are
not among the number : to us they look too clumsy to be attractive.

THE SPANISH RUNT.

This pigeon is a short, thick-legged, flabby-fleshed, loose-feathered bird,
with a remarkably long body ; its plumage is uncertain, though some of
the best are reported to be of a blood red, or mottled colour. They are
to be treated precisely as the Leghorn Runt.

THE RUNT OF FRIESLAND.

This bird is a native of Friesland, and is somewhat larger than a
middle-sized Runt ; its feathers are all inverted, or turned the wrong way.
There are several other kinds of Runts, as the feather-footed Runt of
Smyrna, a middle-sized pigeon, with feathers sprouting from the outside
of its feet, having the appearance of small wings : there is also the large
Roman Runt, which is so big and unwieldy, that it can scarcely fly ; also
the common dove-cote Runts, which are generally good feeders, and use-
ful nurses for better pigeons.

THE FRILLBACK.

This pigeon is remarkable only for the turn of its feathers, all of which
are so raised at the end, as to make a small hollow in each of them ; it is
less than the common Runt, though very much like it in shape; its
plumage is always white.

PIGEONS. 217

This little pigeon attracts notice from the pleasing contrast in its feathers,
its head is almost covered with a veil of white feathers, which gives it the
name of the Nun. Its body is chiefly
white ; its head, tail, and the six flight fea-
thers of its wings, should be red, yellow,
or black ; and they are called, according
to the fact, either red-headed, yellow-
headed, or black-headed Nuns : when-
ever the feathers differ from this rule,
they are termed foul-headed, or foul-
flighted, as the case may be. The best
of them have, however, frequently a few
foul feathers ; this decreases their value,
though they often rear as pure-feathered
birds as those that are perfect The Nun
should have a pearl eve, with a small
beak and head ; and the larger the tuft
or hood is, the handsomer does the bird appear, and the more valuable it
is reckoned by those who admire this sort of pigeon.

THE LACE.

The Lace is at present very scarce in this country : it is about the size
of a common Runt, and like it in make and shape ; but the colour of its
plumage is always white ; the web or fibres of the feathers in this bird
appear quite unconnected with each other, and, as it were, disunited
throughout : this peculiarity gives the bird a pretty, though singular ap-
pearance.

THE FINIKIN.

This pigeon differs a little from the Runt : it has a gravel eye, and a
tuft of feathers growing on the back of its crown, which falls down its neck
like a horse's mane : its plumage is always blue or black pied. When
cooing, its antics areVery odd ; it rises over its hen, flaps its wings, and
turns round three or four times ; it then turns about as many times the
contrary way.

THE TURNER.

This bird is very much like the Finikin ; the tuft on the back part of
the crown is wanting. When it plays to the hen, it turns only one way,
whereas the Finikin turns both.

218

THE FAN-TAIL, OR BROAD-TAILED SHAKEK.

This pigeon has a frequent tremuloirs motion in the neck, which, with
the breadth of its tail, gives it the name of the broad-tailed Shaker. It

has a taper handsome neck, of the
serpentine form, rather leaning to-
ward the back, like that of a swan :
it is full-breasted, has a very short
beak, a tail composed of seldom less
than four and twenty feathers, and
never exceeding six and thirty, which
it spreads like that of a turkey-cock,
raising it up, so that it almost touches
the head: when too crowded with
feathers, it frequently drops its tail,
which is so great an imperfection as
never to be overlooked, be ail the
other properties of the bird ever so
perfect : a very large-tailed bird of
this species, which carries its tail according to the rules of the fancy, is of
very great value. Though the general colour of its plumage is entirely
white, there are yellow, red, blue, and black pieds. The cut is an excel-
lent likeness of the very beautiful bird from which it was taken.

THE NARROW-TAILED SHAKER.

Opinions are divided concerning this pigeon ; some say, it is a distinct
species ; others, that it is only a breed between the broad-tailed Shaker,
and some other pigeon ; its back is longer, and its neck shorter and thicker
than that of the bird last described : it has also a less number of feathers
in its tail, which it does not spread out so much, but lets them fall one over
the other, like a fan when three parts opened. It is usually white, though
there are some of different colours, and it is said, that almond birds of this
sort have more than once been met with.

THE LAUGHER.

This pigeon was brought into Europe from Palestine. In shape and
make it resembles a middle-sized Runt ; its plumage is generally red-
mottled, but sometimes blue; it has a very bright, clear, pearl eye, inclining
to a white. When the cock begins to seek the hen, he has a rough kind of
coo, like the bubbling of water poured from a jug, and then makes a rat-
tling noise, very much like a gentle convulsive laugh : from this the bird
derives its name.

PIGEONS. 219

THE JACOBINE.

This bird, when good, is very scarce. The real Jacobine, or Jack, as it
is sumetimes called, is a remarkably small pigeon: it has a range of in-
verted feathers on the back of its head,
which turns toward the neck, Uke the
cap or cowl of a monk ; hence its name
of Jacobine, or Capper. This range is
called the hood, and the more compact
and close it grows to the head, so much
more does it enhance the value of the
bird ; the lower part of it is called the
chain, and the feathers, which compose
it, should be long and thick. The Jaco-
bine has a very small head, a short spin-
dle beak, and clear pearl eyes. There are
yellow, red, blue, and black Jacobines ;
the yellow-coloured birds always claim
_ the precedence ; yet, of whatever colour

they be, they must always, according to
the fanciers, have a white tail and flight, and a :lean white head. The
legs and feet of some of these birds are covered with feathers.

THE RUFF.

This bird has been frequently sold for the Jacobine; but the Ruff has a
longer beak, a larger head, and is altogether a larger pigeon : the chain
does not flow so near the shoulders of its wings: both that and the hood
are longer, but they are not so close and compact as those of the Jacobine.

THE CAPUCHIN.

This bird has a larger beak, and is not so small in its body as the Jaco-
bine; it has no chain, but a very pretty hood, and is in plumage, and other
properties, like the Jacobine : some assert it to be a distinct species ; other
say it is a mixed breed, between a Jacobine and some other pigeon.

THE OWL.

The Owl is rather less than a Jacobine, with a gravel eye and a very
short crooked beak, much resemblimj; that of an owl ; from which circum-
stance this bird derives its name. The piirle of the Owl is rather larger
and expands more like a rose than that of the Turbit ; but, in other res-
pects, this bird is so very Uke the Turbit, the beak excepted, as to render
any further description needless. Particular care ought to be taken that
the breeding places of these birds be dark and private ; for the least noise
affrigtits them, and, when disturbed, tliey fly off their eggs.

220

PIGEONS.

THE TURBIT.

This pigeon is very little larger than a Jacobine : it has a round head,
and a tult of feathers growing from the breast, which opens and spreads
both ways like the frill of a shirt; this is
called the purle : it has also a gullet,
which reaches from beak to purle ; and
it is admired according to the largeness
of its purle, and shortness of its beak.
There are yellow, dun, red, blue, black,
and some few checkered, Turbits. The
back of their wings and tails should
be of one colour, the yellow and red-
coloured ones excepted, whose tails
should be white : there ought to be bars
of black across the wings of the blue-
coloured ones, but the rest of the body
and flight feathers ought to be white;
and the fanciers term them yellow-
shouldered, blue-shouldered, &c. accord-
ing to their colours. They become very fine flyers, if prop.erly trained
when young. Some of this species, of a unifonn colour, such as black,
blue, or white, have frequently been mistaken and sold for Owis.

THE SPOT.

This bird takes its name from a spot just above the beak : the tail feathers
are, for the most part, of the same colour with the spot ; the body is gene-
rally white. The tail and spot of these birds are, generally, either yellow,
red, or black ; and sometimes, but very rarely, blue ; they always breed
their young ones of their own colours.

THE HELMET.

The Helmet is rather larger than the Nun ; the head, tail, and flight, are
generally uniform ; either yellow, red, blue, or black ; all the rest of the
body is usually white ; it has no hood, but its head is ornamented with
3 fine, softtuft of feathers, of a different colour from those of the body, and
slightly resembling the helmet. Helmets are pretty birds, and tolerably
good nurses ; but they are by no means remarkable for good flying, and
have never, we believe, been in great fashion : like most of the minor
varieties, they are esteemed only by a few persons : the fanciers, who
breed Tumblers, Carriers, or Croppers, think but little of them.

FIOEONS.

221

THE BARB.

This pigeon was, originally, a native of Barbary : it is rather larger than
a Jacobine, has a short thick beak, with a small wattle, and a naked circle
of thick, spongy, red skin round about
its eyes: when the feathers of the pinion
incline to a dark colour, the irides of its
eyes are pearl ; but when the pinion
feathers are white, the irides are red, as
in some other birds : the wider the circle
of flesh round the eye spreads, and the
redder it is in colour, the greater is the
value set upon the bird : this circle is
very narrow, at first, and does not arrive
at its full size till the bird is four years
old. Some of this species are ornamented
11^ .^ -^--r- ^-'ttair~"'i'J''i ^'^'^ * pretty tuft of feathers, sprouting
l-i^^^^^^^j^i^amfo^ from the back part of the crown of its
^^^^ .'■"''*^ ■ '^^ head, resembUng that of the Finikin.

The plumage of the Barb is either dun
or black : there are pieds of both these colours, but Uttle value is placed
on them, as they are supposed to be lialf-bred birds. This cut is also taken
from a living bird.

THE MAWMET.

The Mahomet, by corruption Mawmet, is of a cream colour, with black
bars across its wings ; though the outside, or surface of the feathers, is ot
a cream, yet that part next the body is of a dark, sooty colour, as are also
its skin and flue feathers. It is about the size of a Turbit, and, instead of
a frill, has a fine gullet, with a handsome seam of feathers. Its head is
thick and short ; it has an orange-coloured eye, encompassed with a small
naked circle of black flesh ; it has a small black wattle on its beak, which
is short and thick, like that of a bulfinch.

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS.

Having now gone through the different varieties of the pigeon tribe,
we shall conclude with what we consider a useful hint or two, to the
purchasers or breeders of these beautiful birds. In the first place, we
advise them, when buying for stock, to beware with whom they deaL
It would be absolutely impossible for us to enumerate the numerous tricks
that are played ofl" to deceive the unwary, by the pigeon-dealers of the
metropolis. If you are desirous of obtaining valuable pigeons, it would
be well for you,' if possible, to obtain the assistance of some experienced

222

PIGEONS.

friend in making your purchases. There is not one-tenth part so much
jockeyship (" to compare small things with great") among horse-dealers
as pigeon-sellers ; it is, therefore, highly necessary that great caution should
be used when bargaining with them.

If you are desirous of having a flight of pigeons, or even of suffering
your birds occasionally to leave the loft, inquire into the character of those
persons in your neighbourhood who keep pigeons. If any one of them be
in the habit of trapping stray birds, it will be exceedingly ridiculous in you,
if you are inclined to keep pigeons, ever to suffer them to go out of your
loft ; for, if you do, they will, most likely, be soon thinned off.

Lastly, we advise the young fancier by no means to begin with any of
what are called " The Toys ;" such as Barbs, Spots, Mawmets, &c. ; they
are neither striking in the loft, nor on the wing: neither is it worth his
time or attention to breed such common birds, as, being of no beauty or
value, are of no use but for

^ pigeon ^pu.

BANTAMS.

— Prood or hit plumage and hit ipar*«
The fesi:beivd roxronib »iriita, pliant and blithe
A* aiijr benfiMew Ciiruet ol' Uraguuui.

Several gentlemen of conseqnemre.have, for some years past, enter-
laincd, and still do entertain, a fancy for these beautiful little birds. A
handsome Bantam cock, possessed of all the properties in perfection, is one
of the prettiest of domestic birds. He should have a rose-comb, a well-fea-
thered tail, full hackles, a proud, lively carriage, and ought not to weigli
more than a pound. The nankeen-coloured and the black are the greatest
favourites: it of the latter colour, the bird should have no leathers of any
other sort in his plumage. The nankeen bird should have his featherd
edged with black, his wings barred with purple, iiis tail-feathers black, his
hackles sUghtly studded with purple, and his breast black, with white edges
to the feathers. The legs should be clean, bright, and perfectly free from
feathers. The hens should be small, clean-legged, and niatcli, in plumage,
with the cock.

The disea.ses to which chickens are most liable are the pip, the chip,
and the roup ; which latter also afl'ects full-grown fowls, and is frequently

224

BANTAMS.

fatal. The pip is a white skin growing upon the tip of the tongue ; it
Bhould be scratched off with the nail, and the part rubbed with a little salt.
When affected by the chip, the chickens sit pining and chipping in corners,
apparently dying with cold. Warmth, and a little mustard or black pepper
in the water, are, if any, the only restoratives. For the roup, warmth is
also necessary ; the nostrils should be well washed out with some warm
water ; and pills, made of chopped rue and butter, be given to them daily.
Bantams are fed, as other fowls, on barley, oats, &c. A warm, dry,
and airy place should be chosen for their habitation ; and, if possible, they
sliould be permitted to roam in the open air by day; the house should be
fitted up with perches, and square boxes for nest-holes, in which some soft
hay should be placed. Put a piece of chalk in each box, for a nest egg.
Take the eggs away, regularly, as they are laid ; and, as soon as the hen
manifests an inclination to sit, put her in a quiet nest-box, apart from her
companions, with seven, nine, but not more than eleven eggs. The period
of incubation is twenty-one days. While the hen is sitting, she should
have food and water placed near her nest. Grits, chopped curd, and eggs
boiled hard, and cut very small, are the best food for the chickens : as they
prow up, you can bring them, by degrees, to tail-wheat, barley, or whatever
food you may give the old birds. It is essential that the house be kept
clean ; and pure water should be regularly supplied to all the fowls, but
most especially to

©^c ^cn anU fi^fcufeens.

Scientific iiecrcations

ARITHMETIC;

MAGNETISM;

OPTICS;

AEROSTATICS

CHEMISTRY.

ARITHMETICAL AMUSEMENTS.

f .. "v^^^a

Cocker mnd Dilwonh, Walkiii((ame and ^>>«.
In thrir own tpherc, by Uiodkb wrre ouuhon*
They, or with pen or pencil, problems lolved,—
fie, with no aiJ but wondrous memory :
Thejr, when of years mature, acquired their faoie,-
He, " lisped in nuinbrrt, for the numbers cnme."

The delijifhtfiil and valuable science of Arithmetic first arrived at any
dogree of perfection in Europe, among the Greeks, who made use of the
letters of the alphabet to express their numbers. A similar mode was
followed by the Romans, who, besides characters tor each rank of classes,
introduced others for five, fifty, and five hundred, which are still used
for chapters of books, and some other purpose.-*. The common arithmetic,
in which the ten Arabic figures, 1, 2, ',i, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, are used, was
unknown to the Greeks and Romans, and came into Europe, by way
of Spain, from the Arabians, who are said to have received it Irom the
Indians. It is supposed to have taken its origin from the ten fingers of
the hand, which were made use of in couipiualions, lefore arithmetic v.aj
brought into an art.

The Indians are verv expert at computing without pen or ink; and the
p 2

228 ARITHMETICAL AMUSEMENTS.

natives of Peru, in South Ameiica, who do all by the arrangement of
grains of maize, excel the European, with the aid of all his rules and
implements for writing. But the dexterity of those people cannot for a
moment be compared with the feats of mental arithmetic exhibited by
George Bidder, the youth, whose portrait stands at the head of this
article. This astonishing boy, at a very early age, and without education,
was capable of solving very intricate questions in arithmetic, without the
use of pen, pencil, or writing implements of any sort, but entirely in his
own mind, as correctly and quickly as the most expert person could in
the common way. We have, personally, witnessed his ability in this
respect, and among many other complicated questions, which were put to
him, we recollect the following:— Supposing the sun to be 95 millions of
miles from the earth, and that it were possible for an insect, whose pace
should be Tg inches per minute, to travel that pace how long would it
take to reach the sun ? This he mentally solved in a very short time.

Several other mental arithmeticians have appeared within these few
years; among the rest, Jedediah Buxton, an illiterate peasant, who
was never taught to read or write, appears to have been eminent. Several
of the questions answered by this man have been recorded ; among others^
we recollect the following : — How many times will a coach-wheel, whose
circumference is 6 yards, turn in going 204 miles ? In thirteen minutes,
Buxton answered, — 59,840 times. Then he was asked : — Aiid, supposinj;
sound travels at the rate of 1142 feet per second, how long will it be before
the report of a cannon is heard 5 miles off? His answer was, — 2o seconds,
7 thirds, and 46 remain. On being required to multiply 456 by 378, he
gave the product in a very short time ; and, when requested to work the
question audibly, so that his method might be known, he multiplied 456
first by 5, which produced 2280 ; this he again multiplied by 20, and
found the product 45,600, which was the multiplicand multiplied by 100;
tills product he again multiplied by 3, which produced 136,800, the pro-
duct of the multiplicand by 300 ; it remained, therefore, to multiply this
by 78, which he effected by multiplying 2280. (or the product of the mul-
tiplicand multiplied by 5,)' by 15, as 5 times 15 are 75. This product,
being 34,200, he added to 136,800, which was the multiplicand multiplied
by 300, and this produced 171,000, which was 375 times 456. To complete
his operation, therefore, he multiplied 456 by 3, which produced 1368,
and having added this number to 171,000, he found the product of 456
multiplied by 378, to be 172,368. By this it appears, that he was so little
acquainted with the common rules, as to multiply 456 first by 5, and the
product by 20, to find what sum it would produce, multipHed by 100;
whereas, had he added two ciphers to the figures, he would have obtained
the product at once.

ARITHMETICAL AMUSEMENTS. 229

TO TELL ANY NUMBER THOUGHT OF.

Desire any person to think of a number, say a certain number of
slillings; tell him to borrow that sum of some one in the company, and
add the nuniber borrowed to the amount thought of. It will here be pro-
per to name the person who lends. him the shillings, and to beg the one,
who makes the calculation, to do it with great care, as he may readily fall
into an error, especially the first time. Then, say to the person, — ' I do
not lend you, but give you 10, add them to the former sum.' Continue
in this manner : — ' Give the half to the poor, and retain in your memory
the other half.' Then add: — * Return to the gentleman, or lady, what
you borrowed, and remember that the sum lent you, was exactly etjual
to the number thought of.' Ask the person if he knows exactly what
remains ; he will answer * Yes.' You must then say, — ' And I know, also,
the number that remains ; it is equal to what I am going to conceal in my
hand.' Put into one of your hands 5 pieces of money, and desire the
person to tell how many you have got. He will answer 5 ; upon which,
open your hand, and show him the 5 pieces. You may then say, — ' I welj
know that your result was 5 ; but if you had thought of a very large
number, for example, two or three millions, the result would liave been
much greater, but my hand would not have held a number of pieces equal
to the remainder.' The person then supposing that the result of the cal-
culation must be different, according to the diff*erence of the number
thought of, will imagine that it is necessary to know the last number in
order to guess the result : but this idea is false ; for, in the case which we
have here supposed, whatever be the number thought of, the remainder
must always be 5. The reason of this is as follows: — The sum, the half
of which is given to the poor, is nothing else than twice the number
thought of, phis 10; and when the poor have received their part, there
remains only the number thought of, plus 5 ; but the number thought of is
cut off" when the sum borrowed is returned, and, consequently, there
remain only 5.

It may be hencfl seen, that the result mav be easily known, since it
will be the half of the number given in the tliird part of the operation ;
for example, whatever be the number thought of, the remainder will be
36, or 25, according as 72 or 50 have been given. If this trick be per-
formed several times successively, the mmiber given in the third part of
the operation must be always different ; for if the result were several times
the same, the deception might be discovered. ^Vhen the five first parts
of the calculation for obtaining a result are finished, it will be best not
to name it at first, but to continue the operation, to render it more com-
plex, by saying, for example : — ' Double the remamder, deduct two, add
Uiree, take the fourth part,' &c. ; and the different steps of the calculation

230 ARITHMETICAL AMUSEMENTS.

rnay be kept in mind, in order to know ho%v much the first result has been
increased or diminished. — This irregular process never fails to confound
those who attempt to follow it.

A SECOND METHOD.

Bid tlie person take 1 from the number thought of, and then double
the remainder ; desire him to take 1 from this double, and to add toitilie
number thought of; in the last place, ask him the number arising from
this addition, and, if you add 3 to it, the third of the sum will be the num-
ber thought of. The application of this rule is so easy, that it is needless
to illustrate it by an example.

A THIRD METHOD.

Desire the person to add 1 to the triple of the number thought of, and
to multiply the sum by 3 ; then bid him add to this product the number
thought of, and the result will be a sum, from which if 3 be subtracted,
the remainder will be ten times of the number required ; and if the cipher
on the right be cut off from the remainder, the other figure will indicate
the number sought

Example : — Let the number thought of be 6, the triple of which is 18:
and if 1 be added, it makes 19 ; the triple of this last number is 57, and if
C be added, it makes 63, from widen if 3 be subtracted, the remainder will
be 60 : now, if the cipher on the right be cut off, the remaining figure, 6,
will be the number required.

A FOURTH METHOD.

Bid >the person rhultiply the number thought of by itself; then desire
him to add 1 lo the number thought of and to multiply it also by
itself; in the last place, ask him to tell the difference of these two pro-
ducts, which will certainly be an odd number, and the least half of it will
be the number required.

Let the number thought of, for example, be 10 ; which, multiplied by
itself, gives 100; in the next place, 10 increased by 1 is 11, which, multi-
plied by itself, makes 121 ; and the difference of these two squares is 21,
the least half of which, being 10, is the number thought of.

This operation might be varied by desiring the person to multiply the
second number by itself, after it has been diminished by 1. In this case,
the number thought of will be equal to the greater half of the difference
of the two squares.

Thus, in the preceding example, the square of the number thought of
is 100, and that of the same number, less 1, is 81 ; the difference of
these is 19 ; the greater half of which, or 10, is the number thought ofl

AKITIIMETICAL AMUSEMENTS. 231

TO TELL TWO OR MORE NUMBRUS THOLGliT OF.

If one or more of the numbers thought of be greater than 9, we must
distinguish two cases; that in which the number of the numbers thought
of is odd, and thut in which it is even.

In the first case, ask the sum of the first and second ; of the second and
third; the third and fourth; and so on to the last; and then the sum of
the first and the last. Having written down all those sums in order, add
together all those, the places of which are odd, as the first, the third, the
tilth, &c. ; make another sum of all those, the places of which are even, as
the second, the fourth, the sixth, &c.; subtract this sum from the former,
and the remainder will be the double of the first number. Let us suppose,
for example, that the five following numbers are thought of, 3, 7, 13, 17,
20, which, when added two and two as above, give 10, 20, 30, 37, 23: the
sum of the first, third, and fiith is 63, and that of the second and fourth is
57 ; if 57 be subtracted from (53, the remainder, 6, will be the double of the
first number, 3. Now, if 3 be taken from 10, the first of the sums, the
remainder, 7, will be the second number ; and by proceeding in this man-
ner, we may find all the rest.

In the second case, that is to say, if the number of the numbers thought
of be even, you must ask and write down, as above, the sum of the fiist
and the second; that of the second and third; and so on, as before: buc
instead of the sum of the first and the last, vou must take that of the
second and last ; then add together those whicfi stand in the even place.;,
and form them into a new sum apart ; add also those in the odd places,
tlie first excepted, and subtract this sum from the former, the remainder
will be the double of the second number; and if the second number, thu>
found, be subtracted from the sum of the first and second, you will have
the first number; if it be taken from that of the second and third, it will
give the third ; and so of the rest. Let the numbers thought of be, for
example, 3, 7, 13, 17: the sums formed as above are 10, 20, 30, 21 ; the
sum of the iecond and fourth is 44, from which if 30, the third, be sub-
tracted, the remainder will be 14, the double of 7, the second nun»ber.
The first, therefore, is 3, the third 13, and the fourth 17.

When each of the numbers thought of does not exceed 9, they may he
easily found in the following manner : —

Having made the person add 1 to the double of the first number
thought of, desire him to multiply the whole by 5, and to add to the pro-
duct the second number. If there be a third, make him double this fir^t
sum, and add 1 to it; after which, desire him to nudtiply the new sum by
5, and to add to it the third number. If there be a fourth, proceed in the
same manner, desiring him to double the preceding stmi ; to add to it 1 •
io multiply by 5 ; to add the fourth number ; and so on.

232 ARITHMETICAL AMUSEMENTS.

Then, ask the number arising from the addition of the last number
thought of, and if there were two numbers, subtract 5 from it; if there
were three, 55; if there were four, 555 ; and so on; for the remainder will
be composed of figures, of which the first on the left will be the first num-
ber thought of, the next the second, and so on.

Suppose the number thought of to be S, 4, 6 ; by adding 1 to 6, the
double of the first, we shall have 7, which, being multiplied by 5, will give
35 ; if 4, the second number thought of, be then added, we shall have 39,
which, doubled, gives 78; and, if we add 1, and multiply 79, the sum, by 5,
tlie result will be 395. In the last place, if we add 6, the number thought
of, the sum will be 401; and if 55 be deducted from it, we shall have, for
remainder, 346, the figures of which, 3, 4, 6, indicate in order the three
numbers thought of.

THE MONEY GAME.

A person having in one hand a piece of gold, and in the other a piece
of silver, you may tell in which hand he has the gold, and in which the
silver, by the following method: — Some value, represented by an eveo
number, such as 8, must be assigned to the gold, and a value represented
by an odd number, such as 3, must be assigned to the silver; after which,
desire the person to multiply the number in the right hand by any even
number whatever, such as 2; and that in the left by an odd number, as 3;
then bid him add together the two products, and if the whole sum be odd,
the gold will be in the right hand, and the silver in the left ; if the sum be
even, the contrary will be the case.

To conceal the artifice better, it will be suflBcient to ask whether the
sum of the two products can be halved without a remainder; for in that
case the total will be even, and in the contrary case odd.

It may be readily seen, that the pieces, instead of being in the two
hands of the same person, may be supposed to be in the hands of two
persons, one of whom has the even number, or piece of gold, and the other
the odd number, or piece of silver. The same operations may then be
performed in regard to these two persons, as are performed in regard to "
the two hands of the same person, calling the one privately the right, and
the other the left.

THE GAME OF THE RING.

This game is an application of one of the methods employed to tell
several numbers thought of, and ought to be performed in a company not
exceeding nine, in order that it may be less complex. Desire any one
of the company to take a ring, and put it on any joint of whatever nng^
he may think proper. The question then is, to tell what person has the
ring, and on what hand, what finger, and on what joint.

ARITHMETICAL AMUSEMENTS. 233

For this purpose, you must call the first person 1, the second 2, the
third 3, and so on. You must also denote the ten fingers of the two hands,
by the following numbers of the natural progression, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, &c. be-
ginning at the thumb of the right hand, and ending at that of the left, that
by this order of the number of the finger may, at the same time, indicate the
hand. In the last place, the joints must be denoted by 1, 2, 3, beginning
at the points of the fingers.

To render the solution of this problem more explicit, let us suppose
that the fourth person in the company has the ring on the sixth finger,
that is to say, on the little finger of the left hand, and on the second joint
of that finger.

Desire some one to double the number expressing the person, which,
in this case, will give 8; bid him add 5 to this double, and multiply the
sum by 5, which will make 65 ; then tell him to add to this product the
number denoting the finger, that is to say, 6, by which means you will
have 71 ; and, in the last place, desire him to multiply the last number by
10, and to add to the product the number of the joint, 2; the last result
will be 712; if from this number you deduct 250, the remainder will be
462 ; the first figure of which, on the left, will denote the person ; the next,
the finger, and, consequently, the hand; and the last, the joint.

It must here be observed, that when the last result contains a cipher,
which would have happened in the present example, had the number of the
finger been 10, you must privately subtract from the figure preceding the
cipher, and assign the value of 10 to the cipher itself.

THE GAME OP THE BAG.

To let a person select several numbers out of a bag, and to tell him the
number which shall exactly divide the sum of those he has chosen : — Pro-
\'ide a small bag, divided into two parts, into one of which put several
tickets, numbered 6, 9, 15, 36, 63, 120, 213, 309, &c.; and in the other part

fiut as many other tickets, marked No. 3 only. Draw a handful of tickets
rom the first part, and, after shewing them to the company, put them into
the bag again, and, having opened it a second time, desire any one to take
out as many tickets as he thinks proper; when he has done that, you
open privately the other part of the bag, and tell him to take out of it one
ticket only. You may saifely pronounce that tiie ticket shall contain the
number by which the amount of the other numbers is divisible ; for, as each
of these numbers can be multiplied by 3, their sum total must, evidently,
be divisible by that number. An ingenious mind may easily diversify this
exercise, by marking the tickets in one part of the bag, with any numbers
that are divisible by 9 only, the properties of both 9 and 3 being the same ;
nnd it should never be exhibited to the same company twice without beinj
varied.

234

ARITHMETICAL AMUSEMENTS.

! :

II
+

ARITHMETICAL AMUSEMENTS. 23tJ

THE NUMBER NINE. — ( See oppositc page. )

The following discovery of remarkable properties of the number 9 was
accidentally made, more than forty years since, though, we believe, it is
not generally known : —

The component figures of the product made by the multipUcation of
every digit into t!ie number 9, when added together, make nine.

f he order of these component figures is reversed, after the said number
has been multiplied by 5.

The component figures of the amount of the multipliers, {viz. 45) when
added together, make nine.

The amount of the several products, or multiples of 9, {tiz. 405) when
divided by 9, gives, for a quotient, 45 ; thai is, 4 -f- 5 = nine.

The amount of the first product, {viz. 9) when added to the other
proauct, whose respective component figures make 9, is SI ; which is the
square of nine.

The said number 81, when added to the above-mentioned amount of
'.ne several products, or multiples of 9 (viz. 405) makes 48G ; which, if
"diviilcd by 9, gives, for a quotient, 54 : that is, 5 -J- 4 = nine.

It is also observable, that the number of changes that may be rung on
nine bells, is 3G2,8S0; which figures, added together, make 27 ; that is,
2-f7=::NINE.

And the quotient of 362,880, divided by 9, will be 40,320; that is
4 +0 + 3 -1-2 4-0 = nine.

To add a figure to any given number, which shall render it divisible
by Nine: — Add the figures together in your mind, which compose the
number named ; and the figure which must be added to the sum pro-
duced, in order to render it divisible by 9, is the one required. Thus —

Suppose the given number to be 7521 : —

Add those together, and 15 will be produced ; now 15 requires 3 to
render it divisible by 9 ; and that number, 3, being added to 7521, causes
the same divisibility : —

7521
3

9)7524(836

This exercise may be diversified by your specifying, before the sum is
named, the particular place where the figure shall be inserted, to make
the number divisible by 9 ; for it is exactly the same thing, whether
the figuie be put at the head of the number, or between any two of its
digits.

236 ARITHMETICAL AMUSEMENTS.

THE CERTAIN GAME.

Two persons agree to take, alternately, numbers less than a given
number, for example, 11, and to add thera together till one of them has
reached a certain sum, such as 100. By what means can one of thera
infallibly attain to that number before the other?

The whole artifice in this, consists in immediately making choice of
the numbers, 1, 12, 23, 3t, and so on, or of a series which continually
increases by 11, up to 100. Let us suppose, that the first person, who
knows the game, makes choice of 1 ; it is evident that his adversary, as he
must count less than 11, can, at most, reach 11, by adding 10 to it. The
first will then take 1, which will make 12; and whatever number the
second may add, the first will certainly win, provided he continually add
the number which forms the complement of that of his adversary, to 11 ;
that is to say, if the latter take 8, he must take 3 ; if 9, he must take 2 ;
and so on. By following this method, he mil infallibly attain to 89 ; and
it will then be impossible for the second to prevent him from getting first
to 100 ; for whatever number the second takes, he can attain only to 99 ,
after which the first may say — " and 1 makes 100." If the second take- 1
after 89, it would make 90, and his adversary would finish by saying —
' and 10 make 100." Between two persons who are equally acquainted
with the game, he who begins must necessarily win.

MAGICAL CENTUEY.

If tlie number 11 be multiplied by any one of the nine digits, the two
figures of the product vnW always be alike, as appears in the following
example : —

11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11
123456789

11 22 33 44 55

Now, if another person and yourself have fifty counters a^piece, and
agree never to stake more than ten at a time, you may tell him, that if
he permit you to stake first, you will always complete the even century
before him.

In order to succeed, you must first stake 1, and remembering the
order of the above series, constantly add to what he stakes as many as will
make one more than tiie numbers 11, 22, 33, &c. of which it is composed,
till you come to 89 ; after which your opponent cannot possibly reach the
even century himself, or prevent you iiova reaching it

ARITHMETICAL AMUSEMENTS. 237

If your opponent have no knowledge of numbers, you may stake any
other number tirst, under 10, provided you subsequently take care to secure
one of the last terms, 56, 67, 78, Sec. ; or you may even let him stake first,
if you take care afterward to secure one of these numbers.

This exercise may be performed with other numbers ; but, in order to
succeed, you must divide the number to be attained, by a number which
is a unit greater than what you can stake each time; and the remainder
will then be the number you must first stake. Suppose, for example, the
number to be attained be 52, (making use of a pack of cards instead of
counters,) and that you are never to add more than 6 ; then, dividing 52
by 7, the remainder, which is 3, will be the number which you must first
stake ; and whatever your opponent stakes, you must add as much to it
as will make it equal to 7, the number by wliich you divided, and so in
continuation.

THE CANCELLED FIGURE GUESSED.

To tell the figure a person has struck out of the sum of two given
numbers : — Arbitrarily command those numbers onlv, that are divisible
by 9; such, for instance, as 36, 63, 81, 117, 126, 'l62, 261, 360, 315,
and 432.

Then let a person choose any two of these numbers; and, after adding
them together in his mind, strike out from the sum any one of the figures
he pleases.

After he has so done, desire him to tell you the sum of the remaining
figiircs ; and it follows, that the number which you are obliged to add to
this amount, in order to make it 9 or 18, is the one he struck out.
Thus: —

Suppose he chooses the numbers 1G2 and 261, making altogether 423,
and that he strike out the centre figure, the two other figures will, added
together, make 7, which, to maike 9, requires 2, the number struck out.

THE DICE GUESSED UNSEEN.

A pair of dice being thrown, to find the number of points on each die
without seeing them : — Tell the person, who cast the dice, to double the
number of points upon one of them, and add 5 to it ; then, to multiply the
sum produced bv 5, and to add to the product the number of points upon
the other die. 'fhis being done, desire him to tell you the amount, and,
having thrown out 25, the remainder will be a number consisting of two
figures, the first of which, to the left, is the number of points on the first
die, and the second figure, to the right, the number on ih^ other. Thus:

Suppose the number of pouits of the first die whkh comes up, to be 2,
and that of the other 3 ; then, if to 4, the double ofM^points of the first,

wiucn C(

238 ARITHMETICAL AMUSEMENTS.

there be added 5, and the sum produced, 9, be multiplied by 5, the pro-
duct will be 45 ; to which, if 3, the number of points on the other die, be
ndded, 48 will be produced, from which, if 25 be subtracted, 23 will remain ;
the first figure of which is 2, the number of points on the first die, and the
second figure 3, the number on the other.

THE SOVEREIGN AND THE SAGE.

A sovereign being desirous to confer a liberal reward on one of his
courtiers, who had performed some very important service, desired hini
to ask whatever he tliought proper, assuring him it should be granted.
The courtier, who was well acquainted with the science of numbers, only
requested that the monarch would give him a quantity of wheat equal to
that which would arise from one grain doubled sixty-three times succes-
sively. The value of the reward was immense ; for it will be found, by
calculation, that the sixtv-fourth term of the double progression divided
by 1 : 2 : 4 : 8 : IG : 32 : &c., is 922337203G854775808. But the sum of
all the terms of a double progression, beginning with 1, may be
obtained by doubling the last term, and subtracting from it 1. The
number of the grains of wheat, therefore, in the present case, will be
18446744073709551615. Now, if a pint contain 9216 grains of wheat, a
gallon will contain 7372S ; and, as eight gallons make one ijushel, if we
divide the above result by eight times 73728, we shall have 31274997411295
for the number of the bushels of wheat equal to the above number of
grains : a quantity greater than what the whole surface of the earth could
produce in several years, and which, in value, would exceed all the riches,
perhaps, on the globe.

THE horse-dealer's BARGAIN.

A gentleman, taking a fancy to a horse, which a horse-dealer wished
to dispose of at as high a price as he could, the latter, to mduce the gen-
tleman to become a purchaser, offered to let him have the horse for the
value of the twenty-tburth nail in his shoes, reckoning one farthing for
the first nail, two for the second, four for the third, and so on to the
twenty-fourth. The gentleman, tliinking he should have a good bargain,
accepted the offer ; the price of the horse was, therefore, necessarily
great.

Bv calculating as before, the twenty-fourth term of the progression,
1:2:4: 8 : &c., will be found to be 8388608, equal to the number of
farthings the purchaser gave for the horse ; the price, therefore, amounted
to £8738. 2s. 8d.

THE DINNER PARTY.

A club of seven persons agreed to dine together every day successively,
so long as they could sit down lo table differently arranged. How many

ARITHMETICAL AMISEMENTS. 289

dinners would be necessary for that purpose? — It may be easily found, by
the rules already given, that the club must dine together 5040 times, be-
fore they would' exhaust all the arrangements possible, which would re-
quire above thirteen years.

COMBINATIONS OF AN ANAGRAM.

If any word be proposed, for instance, AMOR, and it be required to
know hi)w many different words could be formed of these four letters,
wliich will give all the possible anagrams of that word, we shall find, by
multiplying tosrother 1, 2, 3, and 4, that they are, in number, 24, as repre-
sented in the following table : —

AMOR

MORA

ORAM

RAMO

AMRO

MOAR

ORMA

RAOM

AOMR

MROA

OARM

RMAO

AORM

MRAO

OAMR

RMOA

ARMO

MAOR

OMRA

ROAM

AROM

MARO

OMAR

ROMA

THE DASKKT AND STONES.

If a hundred stones be placed in a straight line, at the distance of a
vard from each other, the first being at the same distance from a basket,
now many yards must the person walk, who engages to pick them up, one
by one, and put them into the basket? — It is evident that, to pick up the
first stone, and put it into the basket, the person must walk two yardr ;
for the second, he must walk four ; for the third, six ; and so on, increasing
by two, to the hundredth.

The number of yards, therefore, which the person must walk, will be
equal to the sum of the progression, 2, 4, 6, &c- the last term of which is
200, (22.) But the ^um of the progression is equal to 202, the sum of the
two extremes, multiplied by 50, or half the number of terms : that is to
-av, 10.10(1 v:«r(ls, which makes more than 5i miles.

THE ARITHMETICAL MOUSETRAP.

One of the best, and most simple mousetraps in use, may be con-
strurted in the following manner; — Get a slip of smooth deal, about the
eighth of an inch thick, a quarter of an inch broad, and of a sufficient
length to cut out the following parts of the trap. First, an upright piece,
three or four inches high, which must be square at the bottom, and a
bmall piece be cut off the top to fit the notch in No. 2, (see No. 1 in the
margin.) The second piece must be of the same lei^th as the first, with u

240

ARITHMETICAL AMUSEMENTS.

notch cut across nearly at the top of it, to fit the top of No. 1, and the
other end of it trimmed to catch the notch in No. 3, (see No. 2.) The third
piece should be twice as long as either of the others ; a notch, similar tc
that in No. 2, must be cut in one end of it, to catch the lower end of No. 2.
Having proceeded thus far, you must
put the pieces together, in order to finish
It, by adding another notch in No. 3,
the exact situation of which you will
discover as follows : — Place No. 1, as it
is in the cut, then put the notch of No. 2
-_____^ on the thinned top of No. 1 ; keep it in
the same inclination as in the cut; then
get a flat piece of wood, or a slate, one
end of which must rest on the ground, and the centre of the edge of the
other on the top of No. 2. You will now find the thinned end of No. 2
elevated by the weight of the flat piece of wood or slate ; then put the
thinned end of it in the notch of No, 3, and draw No. 2 down by it, until
the whole forans a resemblance of a figure of 4 : at the exact place where
No. 3 touches the upright, cut a notch, which, by catching the end of No. 1,
will keep the trap together. You may now bait the end of No. 3 with
piece of cheese ; a mouse, by nibbling the bait, will pull down No. 3, the
other pieces immediately separate, and the slate or board falls upon the
mouse. We have seen numbers of mice, rats, and birds, caught by this

jf igurc of 4 ^rap.

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS.

Kichcr than coul. or aughi that e»cr man
Ha« taken Trom tbe Itotoro oriha mine,
ll the maicnetic (tern :— a toy io youth •
lu after year*, hit contiant and true (ruidr
Acrosf the ocean aud tbe wildemeti

It is the observation of a great living author, that '♦ the child's th«
father of the man." This is not a mere poetical fiction, but, as it appears
to us, a palpable truth: for we frequently find that the future course of
life is shaped by the turn given to the inclination in youth, — "just as tlie
twig is bent, the tree's inclined. " A tolerably good guess may often be
made, as to what will be the pursuits of manhood, from the indi\^clua^^
boyish amusements. We find that one of the favourite sports of Napoleon
BiJONAPARTE, when at school, was forming his companions into two par-
ties, one ot which attacked, and the other defended, a fortress of snow,
constructed by the future concjueror of Italy, on such principles of forti-
fication as he had then acquired. The accidental perusal of SrE.NSEK
has called forth the lurking powers of poesy in many boys' bosoms, and
made them authors of celebrity. One of the most eminent mechanicians of
the present day, attributes his choice of that profession, of which he is
now so great an ornament, to his having taken to pieces an old Dutch
clock, which had been given to him, by a relation, for a plaything, when
only in the tenth year of his a^e. We are acquainted with a celebrated
chemist, who imbibed his predilection for his present avocation, in his

242 MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS.

school-boy days, by having witnessed a few experiments performed by a
professor ; and" more improbable events have occurred, than that one of our
young readers may, in manhood, become a second Captain Cook, or
Lord Anson, through perusing the following Magnetic Recreations.

The magnet, or loadstone, is a sort of ferruginous substance, found in
the isle of Elba, in Sweden, Corsica, Bengal, and China. It has the
peculiar properties of attracting iron, pointing to the poles of the world,
and of communicating its virtues to iron by touch, without losing any of
Its own powers ; in fact, artificial magnets may be made stronger than
natural ones. The discovery of the magnetic inclination to the poles of
the world, has been of immense advantage to navigators. The ancients
used the magnet, it is said, in medicine, but they were altogether unac-
quainted with its more valuable property: —

" Rude as their ships was iia\igation then
No useful compass or meriiiiaii known
Coasting, they kept the lanil within their ken,
And knew no North, but when the pole-star shone

It is very different with mankind at present : by the aid of the Mariner's
Compass, we are enabled to cross vast oceans, far distant from any shore,
and to know our course in the midst of them, as well as the ancients did
when creeping along the coasts, and scarcely ever venturing out of sigh>
of land. The consequence is, that

•' The whole glob«
Is now of commerce made the scene immense.
Which daring ships frequent, associated
Like doTcs or twaUo\\s iu th' ethereal flood,
Or, like the eagle, solitary seen "

It IS not positively known who was the inventor of the Mariner's
Compass, but the honour is generally given to an inhabitant of Amalfi, in
the kingdom of Naples, named Flavio de Giovia.

The Mariner's Compass is a brass box, with a paper card at the bottom
of it, on which the thirty-two points of the compass are marked; above
these is poised the magnetic needle, which invariably turns to the north,
except in a few instances, at certain parts of the world, where a slight
variation has been discovered; but it is always sufficiently " true to the
pole" to enable the mariner, by a single glance at it, to discover if his
vessel be pursuing her allotted path across " the world of waters." And it
is not to the mariner only that the compass is a guide, it being often used
by travellers in crossing immense deserts, which have neither landmark
nor beaten pathway to direct their steps : —

" The trading caravans urge
I'hro' dazzling snows their dreary trackless road
By compass steering oft, from week to week,
from month to month "

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS. 243

METHOD OF FORMING MAGNETS.

Magnetism, like electricity, depends entirely upon attraction ; it has,
likewise, a negative property, that of repulsion, under peculiar circum-
stances : and Irom this quality arise many of the curious experiments of
which magnt- lism may become the mediuu). Steel and iron contain much
positive attraction, which may be brought into action, and inipartcd from
one bar to another by friction alone.

Our domestic fire-irons offer the readiest means of manufacturing
magnets, on account of their constant vertical position; though smith's
files, and other tools that are used in friction, always in the same direction,
might be employed with advantage. Take a piece of soil steel, of the
requisite size of a magnet, and fastening it, with a silk thread, to the
upper part of the poker, suspend both in the left hand, and, grasping the
tongs in the middle bv the right hand, stroke the poker with the point
ten times upward : let the poker now turn half round, and repeat this upon
the oppo.^ite side, and your steel will have acquired a magnetic power in
a small degree, but which may be increased by further friction w:th
several steel bars together.

STEEL MAGNET.

Having previously marked the north pole* of your steel, and impreg-
nated several such bars, place any two side by side, but with tiieir poles
transversed, the north of the one' being next the south of the other, but
having a space between. At each end, place a piece of iron in contact
with both, and then rubbing, or rather stroking, the sides of this pair
with the ends of another pair, and so on, riff versOy two pair, or more,
of good magnets may be produced. When the ends are rubbin;r, it must
be a north and south one together, and, at the lower end, they must be
kept apart with a pin.

Such are the principles upon which magnetical power is imparted to
steel, and it may be further increased by certain observances of a similar
nature, that are easily acquired by practice. The price of magnets, how-
ever, is so trivial, that, unless for t!ie purpoie of curiosity, no experiment-
alist would undertake the task of forming them. As the two ends of a
magnet are denominated its poles, so of a touched needle : and when
placed with just equipoise upon a pivot, the end which turns toward the
north, is called its north pole; the other is, consequently, south. When
the north pole of one magnet is presented to the south" pole of another,
attraction ejjual to its powers takes place ; and if the substance so attracted
be afloat Upon liquid, or in any other situation capable of changing places,
they approach toward, or come in contact with, each other. Upon this

• Tb« upper end of all b»n or rorfi ii the Math poU in tbi* uorihtro beoiitpherc, while, >n ihe
Miitbcrn hcini*iii>en: the upper poU i« oerih

244 MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS.

piinciple, many of the magnetic experiments are founded: but the cir-
cumstance is generally disregarded, that the north pole being presented to
another north pole, repulsion occurs, as in the " Wonderful Swan."

THE WONDERFUL SWAN.

The figure of a swan must be cut out in cork, and covered with a
coat of white wax, and the eyes made of glass beads: conceal within its
body a well-impregnated magnetic bar, and set it afloat upon a basin of
water. Round the edge of the basin may be placed various devices, and,
among others, a swan-house, such as is seen upon a river, may hang
over and touch the water : here the swan may take shelter occasionally,
and in it he may be made to turn round, in order to increase the astonish-
ment of the spectators. In the management of the magnetic bar, placed
within the swan, and of the magnetic wand, consists the whole of the
experiments to be elicited from the approaching or receding of the figure,
by presenting to the edge of the basin the north and south poles alternately.

The wand is thus made: — Bore a hole, three-tenths of an inch in
diameter, through a round stick of wood, or get a hollow cane, about
eight inches long, and half an inch thick. Provide a small steel bar, and
let it be very strongly impregnated with a good magnet: this rod is to be
put into the hole you have bored through the wand, and closed at both
ends by two small pieces of ivory, which screw on, different in their
shapes, that you may easily distinguish the poles of the magnetic bar.
This contrivance is applicable to several other kinds of floating figures, as
ships, &c.

THE MAGNETIC FISH.

A pleasing toy, on a similar principle to the preceding recreation, may
be purchased at the shops. It consists of two or three pieces of lead in
the shape of a fish, cast hollow and very light, with fins, scales, &c.,
painted in imitation of rxature. In the mouth of each is inserted a small
[fiece of iron wire, rubbed strongly with a magnet. The angUng rod is
formed of a small piece of wood, a few inches long, to which is attached
a silken thread, with an iron hook, also strongly magnetised. On throw-
ing the fish into a basin of water, and holding the line and hook, which
may be baited, near it, it follows the bait, and ultimately attaching itself to
the hook, may be readily drawn out of the water.

TO ASCERTAIN IF A SUBSTANCE CONTAIN ANY IRON.

Hold a piece of loadstone, or an artificial magnet, near the substance
supposed to contain iron ; and, if it contain a considerable quantity, the
two bodies will adhere so strongly, as to require considerable force to
separate them. If the substance contain but little iron, it will not be
sensibly attracted, except it be placed on a piece of wood, or cork, swim-
ming in water.

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS.

24r^

THE MAGNETIC BOUQUETS.

In a box of light wood, that shuts with hinges, and is about nine or ten
inches long, five or six wide, and one inch thick, as A H C 1), l"ig. 1, fix
a small vase, E, that has a hole in one side, through which is to pass the
end of a bouquet of artificial flowers ; of which you are to have two, as F
and G, rigs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 1.

The two principal stalks of these bouquets are to be made of steel, that has
been strongly touched ; and you are to observe that the north pole of one
of these bouquets is to be placed in the vase, and the other is to be at the
top of the flower. Both these wires, as well as all the others tliat compose
the flowers, are to be covered with silk.

You present one of these bouquets to any person, and give him the
choice either of placing it privately in the vase or not; then shutting the
box, he is to give it to you. When applying the magnetic perspective to
it, vou discover, by the motion of the needle, whether it be there or not
for If it be not there, the needle will not fix itself to either end of the box.

You then present both the flowers, and give him tlie choice of placing

24G

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS.

either of them, in like manner, in the box ; and by applymg the perspec-
tive as before, you discover, by the fixing of the needle, which of the
bouquets is there placed. You may yet further diversify this recreation,
by having three flowers, of which one must not be impregnated ; and giving
the person the choice of placing either of them in the box; but in this case,
lie must put in one of them.

You must observe that the needle in the perspective, in making this
sxperiment, must be very sensible; it will be proper to try its force on the
stalk of the bouquet before the flowers are placed on it.

THE MIRACULOUS DIAL.

Procure a dial-case, as A B C D, Fig. 1, of the size of those that are
commonly used to hold a watch. Let it be placed on t]\e pedestal, C D E F,
in which there must be placed a small drawer, H, that can hold the plate,
A B C D, Fig. 2 ; on which plate, draw the circle of hours, E, and in the
centre let there be a magnetic needle, placed on the point of an axis,
which, passing through the plate, carries on its other point an artificial
magnet, that must be concealed in the part
Fig. 1. under the plate. The magnetic needle itself

may do, if it be not too far from the other
dial. That this needle may not be suspected
of having been touched, it may be gilt, so as
to appear like brass.

Place at the bottom of the dial-case, at
the part I, another dial, the hours of whicli
are to be reversed, as it is expressed in Fig. 3,
and whose hour of twelve must be placed
next the front of the case, G. Adjust a pivot
to the centre of this plate, and fix on it a
magnetic needle. Cover the openings at the
sides of the front of the dial-case (except
where the dial appears) with a glass lined
with gauze on the inside, that the light may
pass in and illumine the dial that is there
placed. Toward the top of the dial-case
place an inclined mirror, LM, which, by
reflecting the dial placed at the bottom of
the case, will make it visible at the part N,
where you must adjust a circle of pasteboard,
that, bordering the part where the d'ial appears, and being placed on the
inside, will prevent the borders or the back part of the mirror from being
seen. Matters being thus adjusted, when the hand of the dial. Fig. 2, is
set to any hour, and it is placed in the drawer, so that the hour of twelve

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS. 217

may be next the ring by which it is oulled out, the hand of the other dial,
placed at the bottom of the case, will direct itself to the same hour ; and
l)y looking at the part N, you will see, by the reflection of the mirror, the
hour appear in the front ot the dial plate.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.

Give the dial. Fig. 2, to any one, and tell him to set the hand privately
lo any hour he pleases, and then place it in the drawer, only observing that
the hour of twelve be next the ring, and he will then see that the hand
of the dial at top will direct itself to the same hour.

Note. — If attention be had to place the dial-case so on the table, that
the hand of the dial which is concealed (and which will of itself turn
toward the north, when the other dial is not under it,) directs itself to the
present hour when the experiment is making, it will appear the more
extraordinary; because, when the drawer is taken away, it will again turn
to the present hour, which will render the cause of the illusion still more
mysterious.

TO SHOW THAT MAGNETS ALWAYS POINT NEARLY NORTH AND SOUTH.

Take an untouched needle, or bar of iron, and balance it on a centre,
in a horizontal position, it will remain stationary in any position : take
the same bar, or needle, and communicate the magnetic virtue to it, as
directed in a preceding experiment, and it will immediately turn one end
to the north, and will not remain in any other position. All magnets that
are at liberty to obey the magnetic influence, turn their north pole to the
north, and their south pole to the south ; allowance being made for the
variation, which is not only different at different places of the world, but
is different at the same place at different times; tne quantity of this vjiri-
atiou can only be determined by astronomical means.

248

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS.

Fisf.3-

THE DIVINING BOX.

Let a box be made with hinges, like A B C D, Fig. 1, of about eight
inches long, two wide, and half an inch thick : divide the inside of it into

four equal parts, by small par-
Fig^ ] titions. Have four small cases,

E F G H, which will, each of
them, fit any of the divisions,
and in each of them you must
fix a small artificial magnet,
whose poles are to be placed
as is expressed in the figure.
Cover these cases with paste-
board, or very thin ivory, on
which you are to write any
four figures you shall think
fit. To a table, I L, whose
wood is not too thick, fit a
drawer, at fhe bottom of
which must be placed an
inclined mirror, M N, of the same length and breadth with the box just
mentioned. Under the board that forms the top of the table, and toward
the side where the drawer opens, place a small brass rod, turned up at its
extremities, and on which there must be four pivots, at the same distance
from each other, as are the centres of the cases placed in the box. These
pivots are to support four circles of pasteboard, P Q R S, Fig. 3, which
must each of them have a magnetic needle.

Observe, that the figures on the pasteboard must not only be reversed,
but must be written on the under side, next the bottom of the drawers, that
when it is opened, they may be seen in the mirror there placed. Have
regard, also, to the disposition of the poles of the needles, in the manner
as is clearly expressed in the third figure.

Matters being thus prepared, when you have placed on the table the
box, and the four numbers there included, so that they may be exactly
over the four circles of pasteboard concealed in the drawer, that is, that
the centres of the one may be precisely over the centres of the other, the
needles on the circles will conform themselves exactly to the magnets in
the cases ; so that, if an instant after having placed the box, you open
the drawer so far as to see the mirror, you will there perceive the number
that the four figures on the cases make.

Then give the box and the four cases to any one, and ttU him to form
privately any number, by placing the cases in what order he shall think
fit, and return you the box firmly closed. You then place it on the table

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS.

249

over the circles, and, opening the drawer, under the pretence of taking out
an opera-glass, you cast your eye on the mirror, and observe the order of
the figures there expressed. You then shut the drawer, and, retiring to a
distance, pretend to discern by the opera-glass, the number you have
obaervecL

THE MAGICAL PERSPECTIVES.

At the bottom of an heptagonal or seven-sided box, as A B C D E F G,
Fig. 1, of about eight inches diameter, and an inch and a lialf deep, place
a circle of pasteboard, of five inches and a half diameter, very light and
moveable, on a pivot fixed in the centre, H ; on this circle, fix a strongly
magnetised needle, I, and divide the circle into twenty-one equal parts,
as is expressed in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2.

This box should be so constructed, as to appear to be the pedestal to the
three perspectives hereafter described. The top of the box is to be covered
with glass, over which you must paste a sheet of very fine paper, painted
the same colour with the box, and varnished, that the light may easily
pass through it, and illumine the objects that are to be written or painted
on the pasteboard circle. On the middle of the top of this box, erect a
column, I, (see Fig. 3, page 230, j supported on a pedestal, M, and crowned
with its capital, N.

In the glass that covers the box, there must be three circular holes, at
equal distances from each other, as O P Q, each of them three-fourths of
an inch in diameter, and on each must be fixed, immoveable, a perspective
glass, like that in Fig. 4.

Construction of the perspective gUiss. — Provide a stand of wood, A,
(Fig. 4, page 250,) in which a hole is made from top to bottom, of three-

250

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS.

fourtlis of an inch in iiameter ; on this stand place tne perspective, B C
wliich must liave a second tube, D, like the common glasses.

In the larger part of it, F, there must be a smaller oval mirror, E, which
inclines or is elevated, as the tube, D, is thrust in or drawn out. Let there
be a circular hole at that part of the tube which rests on the stand, A, thai
when the mirror is inclined, you may see, through the stand of the per-
spective, any object that shall he placed in the box, under one of the holes,
O P Q,. Let the three perspectives so constructed be placed, immoveable,
over those three holes. At the bottom of the stand of each perspective,
there may be placed a lens of five or six inches in diameter, to magnify
the object.

Fig. 3.

Fig. 4.

iiB^M^^K

The combinations of objects that may be drawn on the moveable
circle in the box. — This circle is to be divided, as we have said, into 21
equal parts, and each of these divisions nmst appear under each of the
openings, O P Q,, as the circle turns round on its pivot.

You are to determine what three objects you would have appear under
the three perspectives : and supposing, for example, that they are repre-
sented by the numeral figures, 1, 2, and 3, you will find that these three
figures w'ill admit of six combinations, or different dispositions : as

1, 2, 3. 1, 3, 2. 2, 1, 3. 2, 3, L 3, 1, 2. 3, 2, L

Then place the numbers, or the objects they represent, in such ordei,
that the first number, 1, of the first combination, 1, 2, 3, may be in the
first division. A, of the circle, (see Fig. 2 ;) the second number 2, in the
eighth ; and the third number 3, in the fifteenth division : that the first
niunber, 1, of the second combination, may be placed in the second division.

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS. 251

B; the second number, 3, in tlie ninth division; and the third vmn-
ber, 2, in the sixteenth division, &c. Having thus filled up eighteen of
the divisions witli the six combinations of numbers, the other three are
to be left blank.

The circle being thus prepared, it is to be placed on its pivot, and to one
of the seven sides of the box, Fig. 1, is to be adjusted a lever or stop, that
l>eing let down on the circle at pleasure, may prevent it from turning.

\\ lien the three i)erspectives are placed on the box, and turned toward
the column erected on its centre, if the smallest tube be thrust in, it raises
the mirror that is contained in each of them, and, by the hole, B, the
column is seen. If, on the contrary, the small tube be drawn a little way
out, the mirror becomes inclined, and you then see one of the three objects
placed in the box, under each opening in the stands of the perspective; and
these objects will necessarily appear in the order of one of the six com-
binations of which they are alone susceptible.

l>y placing the box on the table, in which a magnetic bar, six inches
long, nmst be concealed, and whose direction you know, you may easily
make the three objects, above mentioned, appear opposite the three holes,
O I' Q, with all their changes ; for nothing more is necessary, than to place
tiie box according to a mark that is on the table, opposite to which you
are to place one of its seven sides ; and by letting down the private check,
you keep the circle fixed. This bar should be strongly impregnated, that
U mav readily turn the pasteboard circle.

Tlie amusements that are to be made with these perspectives may be
varied according to the number of different objects that can be placed on
the moveable circle. We shall content ourselves here, with giving an
example in numbers, which way be applied to any other subject, the
ditference of objects making not the least difference in the manner of per-
formftig this recreation, which, when well executed, never fails to excite
Uie highest admiration.

First, then, you are so to place the moveable circle, that the three divi-
sions on which there is nothing written, may appear under the three holes,
O P Q, (this must be done privately, hy means of the check, before the
machine is brought to table,) and the small tube of the perspectives is to
be so disposed, that the mirrors on the inside may incline to forty-five
degrees, that is, be half way between a line drawn perpendicular to the
eround and its surface, and reflect the objects placea under those holes.
The perspectives being thus disposed, they are placed on the table, and
liberty is given those that desire it, to look into them, as they can then see
no object. You are then to present to three different persons, three such
objects as you shall think proper ; these objects may be either numbers,
flowers, cards, mottos, &c. : it is only n( ccs>ary that the circle be properly
painted : you may also have different circles to vary the recreation yet

252 MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS

farther, by privately changing them : we will suppose here the three num-
bers, 1, 2, 3. When each of the three persons has made choice of one of
these numbers, you roll the three cards, on which they are written, altoge-
ther, and put them into the column, opposite to which tlje tliree perspec-
tives are placed, and give each person liberty to choose in which glass he
will see his object. It is immaterial which glass the first person chooses,
before the box is placed on the table, but if the second should not name
that under which his object is placed, the box must be moved ; however.
It is an equal chance but he does, and, in that case, they may all three see
their objects at the same time.

When the three parties have chosen their perspectives, the box is to be
placed on the table, where the bar is concealed, taking due care to set it
in such direction, that the opening, O P Q, may correspond to those parts
of the circle on which the objects are written. A short time must be given
the circle to settle, and then the check must be privately let down. The
three persons then looking through the perspective they have each of them
chosen, their objects will naturally appear to them in that part of th6
column where their cards were placed. You may then propose to each of
them, to make him see his object through another perspective, which you
do by removing the check, and putting the box in a different direction.

Note. — It requires some memory to perform this recreation with
facility, as you must keep in mind the six changes of order, which the
liberty you give the spectators, to see through which of the glasses they
please, requires. You may, however, to avoid charging your memory,
trace on the box certain signs, which, at the same time that they appear
to be ornaments, may show you in what direction the box is to be placed.

THE MAGNETIC TABLE.

Under the top of a common table, place a magnet that turns on a pivot,
and fix a board under it, that nothing may appear. There may also be a
drawer under the table, which you pull out, to show that there is nothing
concealed. At one end of the table there must be a pin that communi-
cates with a magnet, and by which it may be placed in different positions ;
this pin must be so placed as not to be visible to the spectators. Strew some
steel filings, or very small nails, over that part of the table where the
magnet is. Then ask any one to lend a knife, or a key, which will then
attract part of the nails or filings. Then placing your hand, in a careless
manner, on the pin at the end of the table, you alter the position of the
mEignet ; and giving the key to any person, you desire him to make the
experiment, which he will then not be able to perform. You then give
the key to another person, at the same time placing the magnet, by means
of the pin, in the first position, when that person will immediately per-
form the experiment.

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS.

253

THE MAGNETIC ORACLE.

Provide a hollow cylinder, about six inches high, and three wide, as
A B, in the annexed figure. Its cover, C D, must be made to fix on any
way. On one side of this box or cylinder, let there be a groove, E F,
nearly of the same length with that side, in which place a small steel bar,
as H, that is strongly impregnated with the north pole next the bottom of
the cylinder. On the upper side, or the cover, describe a circle, and
divide it into ten equal parts, in which are to be written the numbers from
one to ten, as is expressed at G. Place a pivot at the centre of this circle,
and have ready a magnetic needle. You are then to provide a bag, in
which there are several divisions, like a lady's work-bag, but smaller; in
each of these divisions put a number of papers, on which the same, or
similar questions, are written.

In the cylinci , , , al diilerent answers to each question, and seal

ihem up as small letters. On each of these letters, or answers, is to be
written one of the numbers on the dial or circle at the top of the box.
You are supposed to know the number of the answers.

You then offer one of the divisions of the bag, observing which division
it is, to any person, and desire him to draw one of the papers. Next put
the top on the cylinder, with that number which is written on the answer,
directly over the bar; then placing the needle on the pivot, you turn it
briskly about, and it will naturally stop at the number over the bar. You
then desire the person who drew the question, to observe the number at
which the needle stands, and to search in the box for a paper with the
Munt- number, which be will find to contain the answer.

254

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS.

You may repeat the experiment, by offering another division of the
bag to the same or another person ; and, placing the number that corres-
ponds to tlie answer, over tlie magnetic bar, proceed as before.

It is easy to conceive several answers to the same question. For
example, suppose the question to be, — Is it proper to marry ?

Answer 1. While you are young, not yet ; when you are aged, not
at all.

2. Marry in haste, and repent at leisure.

3. Yes, if you can get a good wife.

4. No, if you are apt to be out of humour with yourself; for then you
will have two persons to quarrel with.

5. Yes, if you are sure to get a good companion, for that is the greatest
blessing of life ; but take care you are sure.

6. No; for if the person you would marry is an angel, time may mate-
rially alter her temper.

THE INTELLIGENT FLY.

At the centre of a box, about six inches square, and one inch deep,
;see the annexed figure,) place a pivot. Have a touched needle, L, three

inches and a half long, and at the
end of it that is touched, fix a fly,
made of enamel ; the other end
of the needle must be something
heavier, to keep it in equilibrio.
This needle is to be placed on
the pivot.

On a piece of square paste-
board, that will just go into the
box, draw a circle, A B C D, three
inches and a half in diameter;
and another at a small distance,
concentric with the former. The
part within the last circle must
be cut out. This pasteboard circle
is to be placed about half an inch
from the bottom of the box, and
divided into ten equal parts, in
whifh are to be written the letters
A, E, r, O, U, D, G, L, N, R, as
in the figure. Place a glass about half an inch above the circle, and cover
it over with a circle of paper, C, large enovigh to hide the needle, and
leave only the fly visible: on this paper you may paint some allegorical
figures, that its use may not be suspected. You must next write on

' |^j»1;i?ig'p6ai

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS. 255

twenty-four cards the following questions. These cards are to be packed
and shuffled in such a manner, that they may be in the order in which the
questions are here placed.

Questions. — 1. Which is the land of liberty? 2. "Which is the first
city in the world? 3, Whom do many men despise, though they have
not half his merit? 4. Who is the poorest man in tlie world? 6. "Who
is the meanest of all mankind ? 6. For what do all young women long ?
7. Who, by station, is the most miserable of all beings ? 8. By what does
man discover his weakness? 9. tVhat would every married woman do if
she could? 10. In what does a man shew his pride and folly? 11. What
makes a woman cry more than the loss of her husband? 12. How does
a man talk who has nothing to say? 13. What most resembles a fine
lady ? 14. "VNTiat frequently reminds ns of a great loss, without giving
disgust? 16. "VNTiat makes a young woman in love with an old man?

16. AMiat does the poet want to cover his empty skull ? 17. TMiat should
a man never take from the woman he loves? 18. What must that man
be, who would gain the esteem of all? 19. Who is he that seeks a man's
company when his money and friends are all gone? 20. What gains the
good-will of all men? 21. What do good men revere, and knaves abuse?
22. What does a man depend on, when he tmsts to his friends for sop-
port? 23. What can he be sure of who leaves his affairs to another?
24. What makes as great a difference almost, if not altogether, between
this man and that, as between tliat and a brtite ?

After you have ranged the cards in the manner liefore mentioned, yon
place them on the table, and ask any person, which of them, in the order
they then stand, shall contain the question to which the fly shall give him
an anffw-er. If he say, for example, the 20ih, your confederate, who has
the following copy of the answers, will make the needle, at the end of
which the fly is, successively point to the letters that compose that word :
then counting the cards over till you come to the 20th, you will find that
word answers the question.

A»swF.RS. — 1. England. 2. London. 3. A dog. 4. A niggard. 5. A
liar. 6. A ring. 7. A nun. 8. Anger. 9. Rule. 10. A duel. 11. An
onion. 12. Loud. 13. An angel. 14. A dial 16. Gold. IH. A laureL

17. A denial. 18. Generous. 19. A dun. 20. Money. 21. Religion.
22. A reed. 23. Ruin. 24. I>eaming.

Many other recreations may l>e performed by this Intelligent Fly, by
numbers, cards, &c. similar to those we have already explained on other
occasions, and which, to avoid the appearance of rq)etition, we shall not
here descriW. The entertainments which the Intelligent Fly affords, may,
with ingenuity, l>e bo diversified, as to render it a never-failing source of
amu.vmcnt and s»in)rise to the innior class*^s of fhc rDnuminitv.

256

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS.

THE MAGICIAN'S CIRCLES.

Let there be two boxes, A and B, Fig. 1, of about six inches square,
and connected by the piece, C, of one inch and a half wide : the depth of
the boxes must be one inch, and that of the piece half an inch.

In the boxes and piece, place the movement, A B, Fig. 2, being two
horizontal wheels, D and E, that have the same number of teeth, and two
pinions, F and G. The axis of tlie wheel, D, must pass through the top of
ihe box ; and on it must be placed a hand, by which it may be turned
about ; but that of E must end beneath the cover of the box, (a magnetic
bar being placed on it,) and above the box, on a small pivot, must be placed
a touched needle. This movement should be so contrived, as not to make
any noise by its motion.

Draw a magic square, in the following manner, consisting of twenty-
five lesser squares, numbered; and each line of which, whether read ho-
rizontally or perpendicularly, contains five words that give an answer tc
a question proposed.

Let the five questions be as follows : —

Are

you

pleased

with

matrimony ?

What

does

all

times

please ?

Should

wish

for

inheritance?

you

desire

riches?

What

pleasur

? is

most

desirable ?

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS.
Then draw the square thus :

Magic Square.

257

■■■

I love

quite

well

■■ 1

husband

quite

pleases

8.
what

9.
wealth

10.
brings

U.
well

12.

what

13.
man

14.
craves

15.

delight

16.
my

17.
wealth

18.
craves

19.

much

20.
increasing

21.
husband

22.
brings

23.
delights

24.

increasing

25.
ever.

On each side of the boxes place a square pasteboard of the same dimen-
sions ; and, on that of A, draw a circle, and divide it into thirty equal
parts. On that of B, draw, likewise, a circle, and divide it into fifteen equal
parts. In the divisions of the circle, A, write the words contained in the
first five columns of the following table, which compose the foregoing
questions in the order they are there numbered ; that is, the word are, in
the first division, the word be, in the second division, the word yoUj in the
third, the word what, in the fourth division, &c. On the fifteen divisions
of the circle, B, write the words in the order they stand in the last column
of this table. In the first circle, the words must be written from right to
left and, in the other, from left to right.

258

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS.

I love

quite
well
my
husband

pleases

what

wealth

brings

man

craves
delights

much

increasing

ever

-« «eo-*ifs o t^coo o ^^ '^ S ^

I 5

• —

*. -*

• <?!

* <

: 2

: ?

29 desirable )

30 estimable)

•a

3
O

22 desire..

{25 more 1
or ^

26 greater'

27 riches . .

■n J.

'1
j

: j

: i

• i

a
.2

S .. c -i
o w M »n

c
o

(2 be >
3 you
5 content
7 with
9 matriin''.v

o! »- c^M-^u-j «o t^aoo o <-iiN eo -f ir

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS. 259

The words being thus transcribed on the dials, the hands of both oi
them are to be placed to the corresponding divisions ; for example, when
the index of the dial, A, is placed to the word are, that of the dial, B, must
direct to the division which contains 1 love ; and so on of the rest. You
must then write on five cards the five foregoing questions ; that is, one of
them on each card.

Matters being thus prepared, you present the five cards to any person,
and desire him to choose one of them, and then let him direct the index
of the first dial successively to each of the five words which compose that
question ; while another person, placed by the dial to which the touched
needle is placed, writes down the words it successively points to, and they
will be found to form the answer. The most remarkable circumstance in
this recreation is, that the fifteen words on the dial, B, give proper answers
to the five questions on the other dial, which contains thirty words ; and
that every answer consists of the same number of words with the ques-
tion. These dials, by means of pullies, may communicate when placed
on the opposite sides of a room.

THE OBEDIENT WATCH.

Borrow a watch from any person in company, and request the whole
to stand round you. Hold the watch up to the ear of the first in the
circle, and command it to go; then demand his testimony to the fact.
Remove it to the ear of the next, and enjoin it to stop ; make the same
request to that person, and so on throughout the entire party.

Explanation. — You must take care, in borrowing the watch, that it be
a good one, and goes well. Conceal in your hand a piece of loadstone,
which, so soon as you apply it to the watch, will occasion a suspension of
the movements, which a subsequent shaking and withdrawing of the
magnet will restore. For this purpose, keep the magnet in one hand, and
shift the watch alternately from one hand to the other.

EXAGGERATED MAGNETISM.

Our readers will, doubtless, recollect several stones, in which the
powers of the magnet are greatly exaggerated. Other accounts of its
virtues, though true in fact, yet really appear, without some consideration,
to be fictitious. There are few readers, who are not acquainted with the
story of that mariner, who, as it is gravely related, by approaching too
near a rock which contained an immense quantity of loadstone, had his
ship forcibly attracted to, and wrecked on, the rock.

In a German' collection of fairy tales, in which the ancient chivalry of
the court of the famous Charlemagne, the faithful squires who attendee! or
his heroic knights ; the damsels in distress, whom they relieved ; the dwarfs
wlio were their friends, and the giants and magicians who " worked their

R 2

260

MAGNETIC AMUSEMENTS.

earthly woe," are the principal characters, we remember a passage to the
effect following: — " The knight, who volunteered to adventure forward
from the body of chivalry, that were bent on this exploit, to reconnoitre
the position of this gigantic enchanter's castle, had scarcely approached
within sight of it, when he beheld the enormous bulk of the giant himself
leaning against the outward wall. Pursuant to the instructions he had
received, the knight, forthwith, turned his gallant steed's head toward his
companion in arms, and, at a swift pace, came pricking o'er the plain. He
now heard the giant m pursuit, and struck his spurs into his good steed's
flank ; but, alas ! he had scarcely approached within view of the chivalric
op, when the mighty hand of the giant magician was stretched forth,
med only with one of his horse's shoes, which was made of loadstone,
and, by its attractive powers on his steel armour, his grieved associates had
the mortification of seeing

OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS

VVbit wouctcr* may behruught to a^^
By the opticimu't magic fclatt
A Iwrler-cora «.rpaiiite<l paper,
IIIuDiJu'd by a Tartbin.' taper,
li.lo a ipacious plain cxieiiiletb,
Wherton Dao Sol hn hot frinnce brndeih ;
Tbe Irrcb'* paltry, dark^rcii potiua
h mafnilied into aii ocean ;
llii little, crabb'd, prcM-npiite tcrawl.
Into lb' haod'wntiiii; on the wxll s
Look one way, aud a blow-fly't no<«
To elepbaut'i probuacii grow* ;
Turu t'otber cud, hippopoiamut
Becomca a gnat compare I witb n muuM

The science of optics affords an infinite vanety ofanuscinents, whici*
cannot fail to instruct the mind as well as delight'the eye. By the aid of
optical instruments we are enabled to lessen the distance to our visual
organs between the globe we inhabit and " the wonders of the heavens
above us;" to observe the exquisite finish, and propriety of construction,
which are to be found in the most minute productions of the earth ;^
to trace the path of the planet in its course round the magnificent orb
of day, and to detect the pulsation of the blood, as it flows through the

2G2

OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS.

veins of an insect. These are but a small portion of the powers which this
science offers to man ; to enumerate them all would require a space equal
to the body of our work : neither do we propose to notice, in the following
pages, the various instruments and experiments which are devoted solely,
or rather, chiefly, to purposes merely scientific ; it being our intention merely
to call the attention of our juvenile readers to such things as combine a vast
deal of amusement with much instruction ; to inform them as to the con-
struction of the various popular instruments ; to shew the manner of using
them, and to explain some of the most attractive experiments which the
science affords. By doing thus much, we hope to offer a svffficient induce-
ment to push inquiry much further than the information which a work ot
this nature will enable us to afford.

THE CAMERA OBSCURA.

We give our young friends a brief description of this optical invention ;
iho'.igh very common, it is extremely amusing ; almost every one has- seen

it, but few persons know how to
construct it. A C represents a
box of about a foot and a half
square, shut on every side except
at D C ; O P is a smaller box,
placed on the top of the greater ;
M N is a double convex lena,
whose axis makes an angle ol
forty-five degrees with B L, a
plane mirror, fixed in the box,
O P ; the focal length of the lens
is nearly equal to C S -f- S T,
i. e. to the sum of the distances
of the lens from the middle of
the mirror, and of the middle of
the mirror from the bottom of
the large box. The lens being
turned toward the prospect,
would form a picture of it, nearly
at its focus ; but the rays, being
intercepted by the mirror, will
form the picture as far before the surface as the focus is behind it,
that is, at the bottom of the larger box ; a communication being made
bcuveen the boxes by the vacant space, Q O. This instrument is frequently
used for the delineation of landscapes ; for which purpose, the draughtsman,
putting his head and hand into the box, through the open side, D C, and

OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS.

263

drawing a curtain round to prevent the admission of the light, which would
disturb the operation, can trace a distinct outline of the picture that appears
at the bottom of the box.

There is another kind of camera obscura, for the purposes of drawing,
constructed thus : in the extremity of the arm, P Q. that extends from the
side of a small square box, B L, is placed a double convex lens, whose
axis is inclined in an angle of forty-tive degrees, to a plane mirror, B O f
the focal length of the lens is egual to its distance from the side of the box,
O T ; therefore, when the lens is turned toward the illuminated prospect,
it would project the image on the side, O T, if the mirror were removed

but this will reflect the image
U to the side, M L, which is as

far distant from the middle
of the mirror as this is from
the side, O T. It is there re-
ceived on a piece of glass,
rough at the upper side, and
smooth at the lower, and ap-
pears in its proper colours on
the upper side of the plate. It
is evident that in each of these
instruments the image is in-
verted with respect to the
object. M S is a lid to pre-
vent the admission of light
during the delineation of the
picture ; and others, for the
same purpose, are applied to
the sides, M R and N L.
You may also construct the camera obscura m a room, thus : — you first
darken the room, by closing the shutters, and every place where the
external light can be admitted. You then cut a circular note in the shutter,
or a board placed against the window, in which you place a lens, or con-
vex-glass, the focus of which is at the distance of not less than four, nor
more than fifteen or twenty feet : from six to twelve feet is the best dis-
tance. At this distance, also, place a pasteboard, covered with the whitest
paper, with a black border, to prevent any of the side rays from disturbing
the picture ; let it be two feet and a half long, and eighteen or twenty
inches high j bend the length of it inward, to the form of part of a circle,
the diameter of which is equal to double the focal distance of the glass :
then fix it on a frame of the same figure, and place it upon a moveable
foot, that it may be easily fixed at that exact distance from the glass where
the objects paint themselves to the greatest perfection. When it is thus

264 OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS.

placed, all the objects which are in the front of the window will be painted
upon the paper, in an inverted position, with the greatest regularity, and
in the most natural colours.

There is another method of making the camera obscura, by a scioptric
ball ; that is, a ball of wood, through which a hole is made, in which hole a
lens is fixed : this ball is placed in a wooden frame, in which it turns freely
lound ; the frame is fixed to the hole in the shutter, and the ball, by
turning about, answers, in great part, the use of the mirror on the outside
of the window. If the hole in the window be not bigger than a pea, the
objects will be represented without any lens.

If you place a moveable mirror without the window, by turning it more
or less, you will have upon the paper all the objects which are on each side
of the window.

The inverted position of the images may be deemed an imperfection,
but it is easily remedied; for, if you stand above the board, on which they
are received, and look down upon it, thejr will appear in their natured
position ; or,^ if you stand before it, and, placing a common mirror against
your breast, in an oblique direction, look down in it, you will there see the
images erect, and they will receive an additional lustre from the reflection
of the glass ; or, place two lenses in a tube that draws out ; or, lastly, if you
place a large concave mirror at a proper distance before the picture, it will
appear before the mirror in the air, and in an erect position. "

If, instead of putting the mirror without the window, you place it in
the room, and above the hole, (which must then be made near the top of
the shutter,) you may receive the representation on a paper placed hori-
zontally on a table, and draw all the objects that there appear painted.

THE MAGNIFYING CAMERA OBSCURA.

Let the rays of light that pass through the lens in the shutter be thrown
on a large concave mirror, properly fixed in a frame. Then take a slip or
thin plate of glass, and sticking any small object to it, hold it in the inci-
dent rays, at a little more than the focal distance from the mirror, and you
will see^ on the opposite wall, amidst the reflected rays, the image of that
object, very large, and extremely clear and bright.

THE PRISMATIC CAMERA OBSCURA.

Make two holes, F,/, (Fig. 1,) in the shutter of a dark chamber, near
to each other ; and against each hole, a prism, ABC, and a 6 c, in a per-
pendicular direction, that their spectrums, M N, may be cast on the paper
in a horizontal hne, and coincide with each other ; the red and violet of
tl\e one being in the same part with those of the other. The paper should

OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS. 265

be placed at such a distance from the prisms that the spectrum may be
sufficiently dilated. Provide several papers nearly of the same dimensions
with the spectrum, cross these papers, and draw lines parallel to the divi-
sions of the colours : in these divisions cut out such figures as you may
find will have an agreeable effect, as flowers, trees, animals, &c. When
you have placed one of these papers in its proper position, hang a black
cloth or paper behind it, that none of the rays that pass through may be
reflected, and confuse the phenomenon : the figure cut on the paper will
then appear strongly illummated with all the onginal colours of nature.

If, while one of the prisms remains at rest, the other be revolved on its
axis, the continual alteration of the colours will afford a pleasing variety ;
which may be further increased, by turning the prism round in different
directions. When the prisms are so placed that the two spectrums become
coincident in an inverted order of their colours, the red end of one falling
on the violet end of the other, if they be then viewed through a third
prism, D H, held parallel to their lengtli, they will no longer appear coin-
cident, but in the form of two distinct spectrums, p t and n m, (fig. 2,)
crossing one another in the middle, like the letter X. The red of one
spectrum, and the violet of the other, which were coincident at N M, being
parted from each other by a greater refraction of the violet to p and m, than
that of the red to n and t.

This recreation may be farther diversified by adding two other prisms,
that shaH form a spectrum in the same line, and contiguous to the other ;
by which not only the variety of figures, but the vicissitude of colours, will
be considerably augmented.

266 OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS.

CAMERA LUCIDA.

Opposite to the place or wall where the appearance is to be, make a
hole of at least a foot in diameter; or, if there be a high window with a
casement of that dimension in it, this will do much better, without such
hole or casement opened. At a convenient distance, to prevent its being
perceived by the company in the room, place the object or picture intended
to be represented, but in an inverted situation. If the picture be trans-
parent, reflect the sun's rays by means of a looking-glass, so that they may
pass through it toward the place of representation ; and, to prevent an)
rays from passing aside it, let the picture be encompassed with some board
or cloth. If the object be a statue, or a living creature, it must be enlight-
ened by casting the sun's rays on it, either by reflection, refraction, or
both. Between this object and the place of representation put a broad
convex glass, ground to such a convexity as that it may represent the
object distinctly in such place. The nearer this is situated to the object,
the more will the image be magnified upon the wall, and the further, the
less; such diversity depending on the difference of the spheres of the
glasses. If the object cannot be conveniently inverted, there must be two
large glasses of proper spheres, situated at suitable distances, easily found,
by trial, to make the representation correct. This whole apparatus of
object, glasses, &c. with the persons employed in the management of them,
are to be placed without the window or hole, so that they may not be per-
ceived by the spectators in the room, and the operation itself will be easily
performed.

THE POLEMOSCOPE.

By a polemoscope you may see what passes in another place without
being seen from thence yourself; it may be made by fixing, in a common
opera-glass, a small mirror, inclined to an angle of forty-five degrees, and
adjusting a proper object-glass; by this, while appearing to look straight
forward, you may see what passes on one side of you. This instrument
may also be so constructed that the tube may turn round, and the mirror
be elevated or depressed, that you may see successively, and at pleasure,
all the objects that you would perceive, if you were at the top of the wall
against which the instrument is placed.

THE KALEIDOSCOPE.

To construct this instrument procure a tube of tin, brass, pasteboard, or
any other material, eight or ten inches long, and one and a half or two
inches in diameter ; place a cap upon one end, with a small hole in the

OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS.

267

centre, at the circumference of the circle, d, in the annexed figure, which i«
a view of the right end of the instrument, from which the cap has been
removed. The circle is the edge of the tube, the lines, a c and b c, are
the edges of the two reflecting surfaces, which are nearly of the same
length as the tube : they may be made of
two pieces of looking-glass, or of plate-
glass or crown-glass, which have been
blackened on one side at e e, the surfaces,
//, being well pohshed. The blackening
may be effected with the smoke of a lamp
simply, or upon varnish, or with any other
black matter which effectually resists the
rays of light ; and the two reflectors must
be kept apart at g, by means of a piece of
cork, or any other substance, placed at
each end ot the tube. At c, where the
reflectors join, they should be straight, and
adapted to each other ; or they may be
placed differently, or even parallel, as in
the figure following. At the other end of the tube, (the object end,) where
the two reflecting surfaces, ache, terminate, a circular piece of ground
glass is to be fitted into the tube, and retained there by means of a piece of
wire, which is to be bent to a circle, and placed upon the glass to keep it
steady. Over this end let another tube be fitted, an inch or two in length
at least, capable of being turned round ;
and, at its end, let another circular piece
of glass, smooth, be fitted in, similarly to
the preceding. Into this outer cap, or
tube, put the objects to be viewed, which
may consist of any semi-transparent co-
loured substances, as glass, beads, shells,
or pearls, and the like, but not too many
at a time. Place the cap on, and then,
advancing the tube to the eye, still keep-
ing the side, a h, upward, look through at
rf, and you will have a brilHant symme-
trical repetition of the objects which are
placed between the two glasses, and visible
through the angular aperture, a b c. Turn
round the cap, more or less, in which the objects are so placed, and you
will perceive a change in the combinations of the images ; new forms will
present themselves, entirely different from the former, sometimes arising
out of the centre, pt others vanishing there, and occasionally playing round

268 OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS

it in double and opposite oscillations. Standing still, however, the draughts-
man may copy off upon paper the shapes that present themselves, if he
cannot hope to equal the varied tints, which are developed in succession ;
each new one delighting the eye by the perfection of its forms and the
brilliancy of its colouring, both of which depend upon previously managing
the objects to be viewed, and the angle at which the two reflectors, d c and
b c, are fixed.

Instead of two reflectors, this mstrument may be constructed with
three or more such planes, which may be arranged differently as regards
each other : but the perfection of the kaleidoscope is to be found in pro-
curing the reflection of distant natural objects, and in reducing them to the
size proper for pictorial representation. This may be accomplished by
fixing upon the object end a convex lens, fastened to the slider tube, which
must then be nearly as long as the inner one, in order that the right focus
may be found, which is adapted to the particular object ; so two or three
lenses may be kept, of several focal lengths, which should be always less
than its greatest distance from the sight-hole, and will be found, generally,
at from one-fourth to a third of that distance. A further variation, how-
ever, may be obtained, by introducing two lenses ; one fixed to the inner
tube, the other to the slider, and approaching to or receding from these by
means of the slider, the focus will be found.

As a matter of economy to those who may possess a telescope, it is
suggested, that the size of the kaleidoscope may be made to correspond
with that instrument, so that its glasses may be occasionally borrowed. A
concave glass, placed at the sight-hole, (d, fig. 2,) will throw the objects off
and reduce their size, by taking care that the focal length be equal to the
length of the reflectors.

Supposing the instrument to contain twenty small pieces of glass, &c.
and that you make ten changes m each minute, it will take the inconceiv-
able space of 462,880,899,576 years and 360 days, to go through the im-
mense variety of changes it is capable of producing, amounting ^according
to our frail idea of the nature of things) to an eternity. Or, it" you take
only twelve small pieces, and make ten changes in each minute, it will
then require 33,264 days, or 91 years and 49 days, to exhaust its va-
riations.

THE MAGIC LANTERN.

The object of this ingenious instrument is to represent, in a dark room,
on a white wall or cloth, a succession of enlarged figures of remarkable,
flatural, or grotesque objects. The figure in the next page is a representation
of one. It consists of a tin box, with a funnel on the top, represented by e,
and a door on one side of it. This funnel, by being bent, as shewn in the
figure, serves the double purjjose of letting out the smoke, and keeping in

OPTICAL AMUSEMr.NTS

2G9

the light. In the middle of tlie bottom of the box is placed a moveable tin
lamp, a, which must have two or three good lights, at the height of the
centre of the polished tin reflector, c. In the front of the box, opposite the
reflector, is fixed a tin tube, wi, in which there slides another tube, n. The

sliding tube has, at its
outer extremity, a convex
lens, of about two inches
diameter; the tube, m, also
has a convex lens fixed in
it, as shewn in the figure,
of three inches diameter.
The focus of the smallei
of these lenses may be
about five inches. Be-
tween the tube, ;n, and the
lamp, there must be a slit
or opening, (as at 1 1) to
admit of the passage of
glass sliders, mounted in
paper or wooden frames,
such as are represented
below ; upon which sliders
it is that the miniature figures are painted, which are intended to be shewn
upon the wall. The distinctness of the enlarged figures depends not only
upon the goodness of the magnifying glass, but upon the clearness of the
light yielded by the lamp, a. It may be purchased ready made of any
optician.

IK c -^^ a; 1 1\

To paint the glasses. — Draw on a paper the subject you desire to paint
Lay it on a table or any flat surface, and place the glass over it; then draw
the outlines, with a very fine pencil, in varnish mixed with black paint,
and, when dry, fill up the other parts in their proper colours. Transparent
colours must be used for this purpose, such as carmine, lake, Prussian blue,
verdigris, sulphate of iron, tincture of Brazil wood, gamboge, &c. ; and
these must be tempered with a strong white varnish, to prevent their peel-
ing off. Then shade them with black, or with bistre, mixed with the same
varnish.

To exhibit the Mngic Lantern. — The lamp being lighted, and the
room darkened, place the machine on the table, at some distance from the

270

OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS.

white wall or suspended sheet, and introduce into the slit, t i, one of the
sliders represented above, with the figures inverted. If the moveable tube,
n, be then pushed in, or drawn out, till the proper focus be obtained, the
figures on the slider will be reflected on the wall, in their distinct colours
and proportions, with the appearance of life itself, and of any size, from
six inches to seven feet, according to the distance of the lantern from the
wall. Movements of the figures are easily made by painting the subject
on two glasses, and passing the same through the groove.

To represent a tempest. — Provide two plates of glass, whose frames
are so thin, that they may both pass freely through the groove of the com-
mon magic lantern at the same time. On one of these, paint the appearance
of the sea, from the slightest agitation to the most violent commotion: re-
presenting, first, a calm ; afterward a small agitation, with some clouds ; and
so on to the end, which should exhibit a furious storm.

These representations are not to be distinct, but run into each other,
that they may form a natural gradation ; and great pai't of the effect
depends on the perfection of the painting, and the picturesque appearance
of the design.

On the other glass, paint vessels of different fbrms and dimensions, and
in different directions, together with the appearance of clouds in the tem-
pestuous parts.

Both glasses being done, pass the first slowly through the groove; and
when you come to that part where the storm begins, move it gently up
and down, which will produce the appearance of a sea that begins to be
agitated ; and so increase the motion till you come to the height of the
storm. At the same time introduce the other glass with the ships, and
moving that in Uke manner, they will exhibit a natural representation of
tlie sea, and of ships in a calm and in a storm. As the glasses are diawn
slowly back, the tempest will seem to subside, the sky grow clear, and the
ships glide gently over the waves.

OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS.

271

By means of two glasses, disposed in the before-mentioned maimer,
numberless other subjects may be represented.

THE APPARITION.

Inclose a small magic lantern in a box large enough to contain a small
awing dressing-glass, which will reflect the light thrown on it by the lan-
tern m such a way, that it will pass out at the aperture made at the top oi

the box, which aperture shoulif be
oval, and of a size adapted to the
cone of light to pass through it.
There should be a flap with hinges,
to cover the opening, that the inside
of the box may not be seen. There
must be holes in that part of the
box which is over the lantern, to
let the smoke out ; and over this
must be placed a chafing-dish, of an
oblong figure, large enough to hold
several lighted coals. This chafing-
dish, for the better carrying on the
deception, may be inclosed in a

{tainted tin box, about a foot high, with a hole at top, and should stand on
bur feet, to let the smoke of the lantern escape. There must also be a
glass planned to move up and down in the groove, a b, and so managed by
a cord and pulley, c d ef, that it may be raised up and let down by the
cord coming through the outside of the box. On this glass, the spectre (or
any other figure you please) must be painted, in a contracted or squat
form, as the figure will reflect a greater length than it is drawn.

When you have lighted the lamp in the lantern, and placed the mirror
in a proper direction, put the box on a table, and, setting the chafing-dish
in it, throw some incense in powder on the coals. You then open the trap
door and let down the glass m the groove slowly,' and when you perceive
the smoke diminish, draw up the glass that the figure may disappear, and
shut the trap door.

This exhibition will afford a deal of wonder: but observe, that all the
lights in the room must be extinguished ; and the box should be placed on
a high table, that the aperture through which the light comes out may not
be seen.

THE NEBULOUS MAGIC LANTERN.

The light of the magic lantern, and the colour of images, may not only
be paiiited on a doth, but also reflected by a cloud of sn^okc. I'rovidc a

272 OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS.

box of wood or pasteboard, about four feet high, and seven or eight inches
square at bottom, but diminishing as it ascends, so that its aperture at top
be but six inches long, and half an inch wide. At the bottom of this box
there must be a door that shuts quite close, by which you are to place in
the box a chafing-dish with hot coals, on which is to be thrown incense,
whose smoke goes out in a cloud at the top of the box : on this cloud, you
are to throw the light that comes out of the lantern, and which you bring
into a smaller compass by drawing out the moveable tube. The common
figure will here serve.

It is remarkable in this representation, that the motion of the smoke
does not at all change the figures ; which appear so conspicuous that the
spectator thinks he can grasp them with his hand. In the experiment,
some of the rays passing through the smoke, the representation will be
much less vivid than on the cloth ; and if care be not taken to reduce the
light to its smallest focus, it will be still more imperfect.

THE PHANTASMAGORIA.

In the exhibition of the common magic lantern, the spectators see a
round circle of light with the figures in the middle of it; but, in the
Phantasmagoria, they see th$ figures only, without any circle of light The
exhibition is produced by a magic lantern, placed on that side of a half-
transparent screen which is opposite to that on which the spectators are,
instead of being on the same side, as in the ordinary exhibition of the
magic lantern. To favour the deception, the sliders are made perfectly
opaque, except in those places that contain the figures to be exhibited, and
in these light parts the glass is covered with a more or less transparent
tint, according to the effect required. The easiest way is to draw the figures
with water colours on thin paper, and afterward varnish them. To imitate
the natural motions of the objects represented, several pieces of glass,

{»iaced behind each other, are occasionally employed. By removing the
antern to different distances, and, at the same time, altering, more or less,
the position of the lens, the images are made to increase and diminish, and
to become more or less distinct at the pleasure of the exhibitor; so that, to
a person unacquainted with the effect of optical instruments, these figures
appear actually to advance and recede.

To make transparent screens for the Phantasmagoria. — Transparent
screens are prepared by spreading white wax, dissolved in spirits of wine
or oil of turpentine, over thin muslin : a screen so prepared may be rolled
up without injury. A clearer screen may be produced, by having the
muslin always strained upon a rectangular frame, and preparing it with
turpentine, instead of wax : but such a screen is not always convenient,
and cannot be rolled without cracking, and becoming, in a short time.
useless: therefore, nothing can be better for the purpose than the former.

OP'XiCAL AMUbEMENt^. 27C

SOLAR MICROSCOPE.

The solar mioroscope is constructed in the following manner. In the
inside of a tube is placed a convex lens, A B, and at a distance a little greatsr
tiian its focal 'ength, but less than double of it, is fixed some transparent
coloured object, U V, at l)ie focus conjugate to the place of the objecu

A broad lens, C D, is placed before the object, to collect the solar rays,
forihe purpose of illuminaiingit more strongly, and, consequently, making
;^e image mure distinct and vivid.

lO CONSTRUCT A LANTERN, WHICH WILL ENABLE A PKRSON TO READ
BY NIGHT AT A GREAT DISTANCE.

Make a lantern of a cylindric form, or shaped like a small cask placed
lengthwise, so that its axis may be horizontal, and fix in one end of it a
parabolic or spheric mirror, so that its focus may fall about the middle of
the axis of the cylinder. If a small lamp or taper be placed in this focus,
the light passing through the other end will be reflected to a great distance,
and will be so bright that the very small letters on a remote object may be
read, by looking at them with a good telescope. Those who see this light,
if they be in the direction of the axis of the lantern, will think they see a
large fire.

THE CHINESE SHADOWS, (OMBRES CHINOISES.)

Make an aperture in a partition wall, of .iny size ; for example, four feet
ill length and two in breadth, so that the lower edge may be about five
feci from the floor, and cover it with whHe Italian gauze, varnished with
gum-copal. Provide several frames of the same size as the aperture,
rovered with the same kind of gauze, and delineate upon the gauze dif-
ferent figures, such as landscapes and buildings, analogous to the scenes
which you intend to exhibit by means of small figures representing men
and animals.

Tiiese figures are formed of pasteboard, and their diflerent parts are
made moveable, according to the effect intended to be produced by their
shadows, when moved backward and forward behind tlie frames, and at
a small distance from them. To make them act with more facility, small
wires, fixed to their moveable parts, are bent backward, and made to tcr-

274 OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS.

minate in rings, through which the figures of the hand are put, while the
figure is supported by the left, by means of another iron wire. In this
manner they may be made to advance or recede, and to gesticulate, without
the spectators observing? the mechanism by which they are moved ; and, as
the shadow of these figures is not observed on the paintings till they are
opposite those parts which are not strongly shaded, they may thus be con-
cealed, and made to appear at the proper moments, and others may be
occasionally substituted in their stead.

It is necessary, when the figures are made to act, to keep up a sort of
dialogue, suited to their gestures, and even to imitate the noise occasioned
by different circumstances. The paintings must be illuminated from
behind, by means of a reverberating lamp, placed opposite to the centre of
the painting, and distant from it about four or five feet. Various amusing
scenes may be represented in this manner, by employing small figures of
men and animals, and making them move in as natural a way as possible,
which will depend on the address and practice of the person who exhibits
them.

THE MARVELLOUS MIRROR.

In the wainscot of a room make two openings, of a foot high, and ten
inches wide, and about a foot distant from each other : let them be at the
common height of a man's head ; and, in each of them, place a transparent
glass, surrounded with a frame, like a common mirror. Behind this par-
tition place two mirrors, one on the outward side of each opening, inclined
to the wainscot in an angle of forty-five degrees ; let them lie both eighteen
inches square ; let all the space between them be enclosed by boards or
pasteboard, painted black, and well closed, that no light may enter ; let
there be also two curtains to cover them, which may be drawn aside at
pleasure. When a person looks into one of these supposed mirrors, instead
of seeing his own face he will perceive the object that is in the front of the
other ; so that, if two persons present themselves at the same time before
these mirrors, instead of each one seeing himself they will reciprocally see
each other. There should be a sconce with a candle or lamp placed on'each
sine of the two glasses in the wainscot, to enlighten the faces of the persons
who look in them, otherwise this experiment will have no remarkable
effect.

This recreation may be considerably improved by placing the two glasses
in the wainscot, in adjoining rooms, and a number of persons being pre-
\'ious!y placed in one room, when a stranger enters the other, you may tell
him his face is dirty, and desire him to look in the glass, v'hich he' will
naturally do: and on seeing a strange face he will draw back; but return-
ing to it, and seeing another, another, and another, like the phantom kings
in Macbeth, what his surprise will be is more easy to conceive than exjness.

01*1 iC A L AMLStMLMS.

Aficr ihn, a real mirror may be privately let down on tljc back of the
plass, and if he can be prevailed on to look in it once more, he will thfcn, to
his farther aslonishmeni, see his own face ; and may be told, perhaps per-
suaded, that all he thought he saw before was mere imagination.

When a man looks in a mirror that is placed perpendicularly to another,
his face will appear entirely deformed. If the mirror be a little inclined,
so as to make an angle of eighty degrees, (that is, one-ninth part from the
perpendicular,) he will then see all the parts of his face, except the nose
and forehead : if it be inclined to sixty degrees, (that is, one-third part,)
he will appear with three noses and six eyes : in short, the apparent de-
formity will vary at each degree of inclination ; and when the glass comes
to forty-five degrees, (that is, half-way down,) the face will vanish. If,
instead of placing the two minors in this situation, they are so disposed
that their junction mav be vertical, their different inclinations will })roduce
other effects ; as the situation of the object relative to these mirrors is quite
different.

l.NOENIOUS ANAMORPHOSIS.

This recreation shews how to draw, on a flat surface, an irregular
figure, which shall appear, when seen from a proper point of view, not
only regular, but elevated. Provide a thin board, about two feet long and
one foot wide, as A B C I), and place thereon a circular piece of card or
stiff drawing paper, on which a distorted figure is to be drawn, that, being
viewed from tne point. H, shall appear regular, and exactly resembling that

wliich is placed at M F.

Fix, at the end of thrboard, an upright piece, 1, of thin wood or tin, at
the top of which is a sight-hole, H, of two-tenths of an inch in diameter.

Prepare a lamp, or candlestick, the light of which may be raised or
lowered at pleasure, and to which is fixed a brass arm, bearing a sort of
conical funnel, D, and whose opening at the end next the light is not more
than three jr four tenths of an inch in dlanr.et.er.

276 OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS.

Draw the subject you would represent on a piece of glass of equal height
with the space, iM F, with a very light stroke, and with any colour that is
quite opaque. Then remove the upright piece, I, and place the lamp, so
prepared, in such a manner that the light may be exactly where the sight-
hole, H, was. Its rays then passing through the
glass at M F, will enlighten the surface of your
paper, and there shew, in a distorted form, the sub-
ject that is painted on the glass. Then draw, with a
pencil, all the strokes of the shadow as they appear,
and, taking away the light, replace the upright sight-
piece, I, and see if what you have drawn correspond
with the subject on the glass, correcting what imper-
fections there may happen to be. In the last place,
colour the subject, so traced, with the utmost atten-
tion, inspecting your work, from time to time, from
the point of view, before you give it the finishing
stroke. When the figure, that is drawn and painted
on your paper, is viewed from the sight, H, it appears
to be at the same point where the glass, M F, was
placed, and in the same form that it was painted on the glass. It
appears to the eye even elevated above the surface of the board on which
the drawing is placed, and thereby receives a remarkable and pleasing
illusion.

THE DISTORTED LANDSCAPE.

The cut which faces this page is a pleasing illustration of the preceding;
experiment, being constructed on the same principles ; audit is only to
view it at the correct point of sight (as before described) to transform its
seeming deformity to perfect regularity and proportion. For this purpose,
a piece of card is to be cut out, of the exact dimensions of Fig. A, B, C.
The circle, A, is a round hole, to be cut out of the card, precisely at that
spot, forming the sight-hole. Draw your penknife across the hue, F G, to
enable you to double back the shaded piece, li C, and form a foot for it to
stand on. You will have thus constructed the sight- piece, which you are
to place exactly on the spot marked D. Then, keeping the paper perfectly
flat, and applying your eye to the sight-hole, you will find the picture
restored to its proper symmetry.

Another mode of producing a similar effect is as follows : — Draw any-
thing you may fancy on a thin white pasteboard ; then prick it ; afterward
place the same perpendicularly on an horizontal surface, which we will
suppose to be another pasteboard ; put a lighted candle behind the upright
pricked board, and draw, on the horizontal surface, the Unes given by the
light, and you will have a deformed design. This being done, take away

OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS.

m ^

^^'^H'^:.. n .-if^

278

OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS.

the drawing that was pricked, and the candle ; then place your eye where
the light was, and you will see your drawing assume a regular form.

ANOTHER ANAMORPHOSIS.

The following recreation shews the method of drawing an irregular
figure on a plane, which, being seen from two opposite points of view, shall
represent two different regular objects. Make choice of a plane of conve-
nient size, suppose two feet long, and half a foot wide. Draw the line,
A B, of the same length, (fig. I,) continue it on each side to C and D, and
irect the perpendiculars, C V and D G, to the height of about three inches.

MM MM MJVI M JVIM UM

Draw the lines, A F and B G, and divide the line, A B, into six equal parts
at the point, S, or into any other number you may think fit. From the two
points of view, F and G, draw the lines, F S and G S, to those six divisions.
Then, on the line, G A, set off the distance, G B, and on the line. F B, the
distance, F A, and draw the two lines, B H and A I, which will determipe
the width of the two subjects you are to represent on the plane, and are to
be viewed, the one from the point, F, and the other from G ; and of which
the unequal divisions, formed by the lines, G S and F S, will determine
those that are to correspond to the separate and inclined parts of the irre-
gular figure which is to be seen from the points of view, F and G.

The first preparation being made, draw the parallelogram, A B C D,
(fig. 2) of the same length with the line, A B, in the preceding figure, and
about six inches wide ; divide it into two equal parts by the line, F G, which
continue to A and I, equal to the distance there is between C A and
D B. (fig. 1.) From the points, A O S B, (fig- i) let fall the perpendiculars
A A, O L, S L, and B C, on the line, A C, (fig. 2,) and from the points,
L, 4raw the lines, L M, parallel to A B. From the four angles of the

OPTICAL AMl'SEMrXTR.

270

rrallelograra, ABC 1), draw the lines, A I and B I, to the point of view,
. and those of C H and D H to the other point of view, H ; tlirse lines
will determine, by the sections at X and Y, the apparent hei^lii of the
figure. Tlien divide the lines, A B and C D, into as many equal parts as
you may tliink proper, and from those points draw the lines,' N 1 anti N H.

Next, draw on a paper the two parallelograms, F (i H I, L M N O,
(fig. 3,) and on them you are to draw the two different designs thai you
would represent in the distorted figure,
ng. 3.

A. X.L

Fig.

. . o

■ 1 ~

■1

B ]

(fig- J

KO,

Let each p*" these parallelograms be of an equal height with the dis-
tance, X V, (fig. 2) and of the same length as H B, (fig. 1.) Divide

their height, F H or L N, according

to the divisions of the line, X Y,

2,) and their length, H I or

according to those of the line,

B H, (fig. 1.)

After having drawn the two de-
s\gT\s, as correctly as possible, on
the divisions just mentioned, take
a board or pasteboard, A BCD,
(fig. 4.) of the same dimensions
with the parallelogram, A B C D, (fig. 2,) and on it draw the lines, L M,
corresponding to the perpendiculars let fall from O S, (fig. 1.) These
p,_ g_ lines should be drawn suffi-

ciently deep to admit the tiilds
of paper hereafter mentioned.

Take a very thin paper, A B
C D, (fig. 3,)' of about two feet
and a half long, and six inches
wide, and on it draw parallel
lines, at distances, correspond-
ing to A O, O S, S O, &c. (fig. 1,) which you will measure with a compass
from the angles on the Une. A B, (fig. 1.) Divide this paper into two equal
parts by a line drawn from the points, X and Y, and observe that it is on
tlie spaces, b, b, b, &c. that you are to draw the irregidar figure which is u>

280 OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS.

be seen from the point, F ; and on those of c, c, c, &c. that which is to be
seen from the point, G. On each of these spaces draw the lines, not punc-
tuated, of the parallelogram, A B C D, (fig. 2,) that terminate in the points,
H and I. Then trace, on the same paper, ali the strokes of the two figures
drawn on the two parallelograms, (fig. 3,) carefully observing the several
divisions to which they correspond.

When this irregular figure is quite finished, fold tlie paper according to
the divisions that have been drawn on it, so that each of the divisions, S,
may turn one way, and each of the divisions, O, the other way, and paste
the whole on a beard, in such a manner that the folds made on the blank
side of the paper may answer to the lines traced in the board. On the
paper thus pasted lay somethir)g that may keep it in its proper form till the
paste is dry. Then let it be so placed that six of its divisions may be oppo-
site to each of the points of view, F and G. To distinguish the objects on
the parallelogram with greater precision, you must have two little circles,
with a small hole in each, and place them exactly on the points of view
that have been fixed. The eye being then placed at either of those points^
will discern the regidar figure : but when the scheme is viewed in front, it
presents a form so distorted, that it is impossible to conjecture what it is
intended to represent.

To perform this recreation with more celerity, you may draw the plan
on a pasteboard, and, placing a transparent paper over it, trade the subject
thereon ; the same pasteboard will serve to execute, equally well, all sorts
of subjects.

SINGULAR ILLUSION.

Afiix to a dark wall a round piece of paper an inch or two in diameter;
and, a httle lower, at the distance of two feet on each side, make two marks :
then place yourself directly opposite to the paper, and hold the end of your
finger before your face in such a manner, that when the right eye is open,
it shall conceal the mark on the left, and, when the left eye is open, the
mark on the right : if you then look with both eyes to the end of your
finger, the paper, which is not at all concealed by it from either of your
eyes, will, nevertheless, disappear.

Fix, at the height of the eye, on a dark ground, a small round piece of
white paper, and a little lower, at the distance of two feet to the right, fix
up another, of about three inches in diameter; then place yourself opposite
to the first piece of paper, and, having shut the left'eye, retire backward,
keeping your eye still fixed on the first object : when you are at the distance
of nine or ten feet, the second will entirely disappear from your sight

OPTICAL AML'SEMENTS. 281

AN OBJECT BEING PLACED BEHIND A CONVEX GLASS, TO MAKE IT
APPEAR BEFORE IT.

Provide any object, such, for example, as a small arrow of wood, an
inch and a half in length, and tie it perpendicularly to a piece of black
card, which must be suspended from a wall at about the height of the eye :
throw a strong light on the card, and place before it a lenticular glass, two
or three inches in diameter, in such a manner that it may be distant from
the arrow about twice the length of its focus. If you then make a person
stand at a proper distance, opposite to the glass, the arrow will appear to
him to be suspended in the air before the glass.

It is evident, that this singular effect of dioptrics, with taste, and a little
ingenuity, may be applied to a variety of other amusements, which it is
needless here to detail.

THE MULTIPLIED MONEY.

Take a large drinking-glass, of a conical form, that is, small at bottom,
and wide at top, and, having put into it a shilling, let it be half filled with
water ; then place a plate upon the top of the glass, and turn it quickly
over, that the water may not get out: a piece of silver as large as half-
;i-crown will immediately appear on the plate, and, somewhat higher up,
another piece of the size of a shilling

THE ASTRONOMER AND THE FOOL.

Butler, in iiis '* Hudibras," relates, what may be termed an optical joke,
relative to Sidrophel, an astrologer, one of the characters of the poem, who
used to read the stars through his telescope :

" It liappen'tl a« a l.oy, one iiigbt,

Did Hy hi* tnrscl of » k Itt,

The stran);rst loiia-vriUK'il hank (hat Aie8>

That, like a bini of fnrauise,

t)r beraU'i martlet, b.i.< no \vxi,

Norhatrben yuiiii); oiirs, Dor \»y* efgt ;

His train was *\\ yarJt lot:g, milk-white,

At th' eiitl of whit'h there hiiii;: a liKht,

liirlns'd in laiithorn, made oC paper.

That Tar olf like a star diil appear —

tills, Sidrophel, by rhaii'r, ripy'd.

Anil with ama'.enirnt siariii); nide,

* Itieaa ni,' quoth he, ' what dreadTiil w oiider

U that appear* If Heaven yonder .'

A comet, and without a beard I

t)r Jlor that ne'er bclore nppear'il ." "

282

OPTICAL AMUSEMENTS.

An equally ludicrous circumstance, of a later date, is recorded of a cer-
tain grave astronomer, who, to his extreme surprise and terror, discovered
one morning, on looking through his telescope, a mighty creature, with a
huge proboscis, vast wings, and six immense legs, devouring the suiu
After consulting with several learned persons on the subject, who were
quite as much terrified as himself, on looking through the instrument, he
at length discovered that some mischievous wag had put a fly in such a
part of his telescope as to be magnified into the immense creature which
he imagined was preying on the sun. Thus do we often see

aeaistjom tljE Sport of .-FoIIp.

AEROSTATIC AMUSEMENTS.

No more maiikiml aiieinpi to einulace,
I.ike Drdalat aiul Ic-arut uf ol<i,
Witb plitt'ii* counterfeit, thr eaylr's flight ■
Nowl^iii lilt tilkeii bark, th' Aeroiiant
S*il», fi:arle»s, o'er ih« uariurr at sea.

The insatiate ambition aim inexiiaustible ingenuity of man have led
him, in all ages, eagerljF to imitate whatever he thought would add to his
power. Not content with the enjoyments of the land, he has long, in
imitation of the finny tribes, taken up his abode on the waters, and, cleaving
through them with the swiftness of the most rapidly moving fish, has
obtained, by means of another element, the air, a dominion over the
ocean. He would fain, also, flv like the birds, and has, for many ages,
tasked his ingenuity to make winp for himself. As he cannot travel far
on the water, but by ihe help of ponderous machines, (being incapable,
from the structure of hk body, to live and breathe, and float in that liquid
element, like its native inhabitants,) so neither can he fly in the air, after
the manner of birds. It has been satisfactorily demonstrated by anato-
mists, that the pectoral muscles, or those which move the arm backward
and downward, arc so w«ak in the human frame, in proportion to ity

284 AEROSTATIC AMUSEMEiNTS.

weight, compared with the same organs in the feathered tribes, that man,
however ingeniously he may add wings to his body, never can sustain
himself, for any length of time, by their means alone, above the surface of
the earth. A balloon, however, is to the air, what a ship is to water;
it enables man to rise even beyond the most adventurous cf the feathered
tribes.

The first sort of inflammable air balloon, was the attempt of a Mr.
Cavalho, in 1782, who first tried to inflate bladders, which proved too lieavy,
and afterward, India paper, made into a globular form, and coated with
paint and varnish; but also without success. He was, at length, under
the necessity of resting satisfied with soap-bubbles, which, being inflated
with inflammable air, by dipping the end of a small glass tube, connected
with a bladder containing air, into a thick solution of soap, and gently com-
pressing the bladder, ascended rapidly into the atmosphere.

For balloons made on a larger scale, the world is indebted to two bro-
thers, named Montgolfier, paper-makers of Annonay, near Lyons. They
constructed a bag of fine silk, of the capacity of about forty cubic feet, and
applying burning paper to the aperture, it ascended rapidly to the ceiling.
In the following year (1783) they constructed another, about thirty-five
feet in diameter, which was inflated by straw and chopped wool being
burnt under the opening at the bottom, and rose upward of 1000 feet; it
fell about three-quarters of a mile from the place where it ascended. In a
subsequent ascent, it rose about 6000 feet. These experiments gave rise
to an opinion among the philosophers of Paris, that as the weight of
inflammable air was not more than the eighth or tenth part of the weight
of common air, it would answer the purpose better than the rarefied air of
Montgolfier. A subscription was entered into for carrying this suggestion
into effect; and, on the 27th of August, 1783, it was put into successful
execution, at the Champ de Mars, and ascended to the height of 3123 feet.
A subsequent experiment was equally successful, and stimulated a M. de
Rozier to offer himself, as the first adventurer in this aerial navigation.
For this purpose, Mons. Montgolfier constructed a new machine ; its shape
was ova!, its diameter forty-eight feet, and its height seventy-four. To the
aperture at the bottom was annexed a wicker gallery, about three feet
broad, with a ballustrade about three feet high. From the middle of the
aperture was suspended by chains, which came down from the sides of the
machine, an iron grate, or brazier, in which a fire was lighted for inflating
the machine, and port-holes were opened in the gallery toward the aper-
ture, through which the fire might be fed, and the dilutation of the inclosed
air regulated at pleasure. It ascended, to the great admiration of a mul-r
titude of spectators, to the height of eighty-four feet, and was there kept
afloat by straw and wool being repeatedly thrown on the fire : it then
descended to the ground with perfect safety. On a subsequent occasion,

AEROSTATIC AMUSEMENTS- 285

the Marquis d'Arlandes ascended with M. Rozier. The first exhibition oi
this kind in London, was by Count Zenibeccari, an ingenious Italian, who
launched a beautifully-ornamented balloon froin the Artillery Ground, at
one in the afternoon, in November of the same year, which descended at
Pctworth, in Sussex, forty-eight miles distant, at three o'clock. In 1784,
there were many aerostatic experiments ; but the first personal ascent,
in En;rland, was performed on the loth of September, by Lunardi, an
Italian, who asccnaed from the Artillery Ground, witli a dog, a cat, and a
pigeon. The air for fiUing the balloon was produced from zinc, by means
of diluted vitriolic acid. He ascended to a great height, and, at the expir-
ation of an hour and a half, he descended near the ground, and landed the
cat, which was almost dead with cold; after which, he re-a«cended for
three-quarters of an hour longer, and then alighted near Ware, in Hert-
fordshire.

The longest voyage was performed by Messrs. Hoberts and HulHn,
at Paris, on the 19th of September of the same year. They ascended to
the height of 4,200 feet, and were six hours prosecuting their aerial
excursion.

The most extraordinary experiment with balloons, is that of descend-
ing from them by means of tne parachute. M. Blanchard, a celebrated
aeronaut, was the inventor. In an aerial journey, of more than three hun-
dred miles, he sent down a parachute, having a basket appended to it,
in which was a little dog; the animal reached the ground in safety. This
instrument is of the form of a large umbrella ; it is attached to" the net
which covers the balloon, and bears, suspended to its outer rim, a wicker
basket, in which the traveller seats himself, and cuts the cords by which
the parachute is fixed to the balloon; he immediately falls with great
rapidity : as the parachute expands, the velocity is checked, and the adven-
turer gradually reaches the earth. In 1790, a Mr. Murray made one o«
two bold experiments with the parachute. IJy means of it, he threw him-
.<elf from I'ortsmouth Church Tower, and descended to the ground in
safety. He repeated the experiment from the I>ell Tower of Chichestei
Cafhedral, but not with the same success : when about fourteen feet from
the top, a sudden gust of wind laid this bold aerostatic adventurer and his
apparatus in a horizontal position: when on a level with the gutter of the
Cathedral, he righted, but an eddy wind threw him a second time horizon-
tally, in which situation he fell to the ground with great force : the blood
guslied from his ears, nose, and mouth, very plentifully, and he was many
hours insensible; he had not, however, received any material injury.
The first person, in this country, who ever used a parachute, attached to a
balloon, was M. Garnerin, who, on September 8, 1S02, ascended from an
inclosurc near North Audlev-strcet- At a vast height, he cut the cord:
the parachute passed over Mary-lc-bone and Somers-town, and alighted

286 AEROSTATIC AMUSEMENTS.

in a field near Pancras. One of the stays, or pieces of tape, which served to
expand the canvas, unfortunately gave way, and, disturbing the balance of
the machine, threatened the adventurer with destruction during the whole
of his descent. On reaching the ground, the shock was very violent, and
M. Garnerin received some severe injuries. The same spirited aeronaut
subsequently made repeated descents, and all of them successful. His
daughter succeeded him in his adventurous undertakings, and made
several descents in the parachute with never-failing success ; but Madame
Blanchard, in 1820, met with an untimely fate at Paris: the parachute
struck against a tree; she was precipitated to the earth, and dashed to
pieces.

It would exceed our limits to detail the numerous excursions which
followed ; and aerial voyages, at the present period, have become so fre-
quent since the discovery, that carburetted hydrogen gas (the common
street gas) would inflate a balloon as readily as the more expensive
process that had been previously adopted, that they have almost ceased to
be objects of curiosity, particularly as it seems to be the opinion of scien-
tific men, that they are incapable of being directed to any useful purpose.

TO CONSTRUCT A BALLOON.

The shape of the balloon is a principal object, and should be spherical :
the bag or cover is best made of the silk stuff called lustring, varnished
over. But, for a Montgolfier, or heated air balloon, on account of its great
size, linen cloth has been used, lined within, or covered without, with
paper, arid varnished. Small balloons are made either of varnished paper,
or of paper unvarnished, or of goldbeater's skin, and such-like light sub-
stances. The best way to make the whole coating of the balloon, is by
different pieces or slips, joined lengthways from end to end, like the
slices into which a melon is usually cut for the table, and supposed to be
spread out fiat.

After providing the necessary quantity of the stuff, and each pieco
being properly prepared with drying; oil, let the corresponding edges be
sewed together m such a manner as to leave about half, or three-quarters
of an inch of one piece beyond the edge of the other, in order that this may,
in a subsequent row of stitches, be turned over the latter, and both again
sewed down together : by this mode, a considerable degree of strength is
given to the whole bag at the seams, and the hazard of the gas escaping
is greatly diminished. The seam being doubly stitched, as above, lay
beneath it a piece of brown paper, and also another piece over it on the
outside ; upon the latter pass, several times, a common fire-iron, heated
j]ust sufficiently to soften tlie drying oil in the seam; this done, every
interstice will be now closed, and the seams rendered completely air tight.
The neck of the balioon being left a foot in diameter, and three in length,

AEROSTATIC AMUSEMENTS. 287

and all the seams finished, the bag will then be ready to receive the var-
nish, a single coaling of wiiich, on the outside, is found to be preferable
to the old, and now deservedly exploded, method of giving an internal eis
well as external coat.

The car, or boat, is best made of wicker-work, covered with leather,
and painted ; and the proper method of suspending it, is by ropes proceed-
ing from the net which goes over the balloon. The net should be formed
to the shape of the balloon, and fall down to the middle of it. with various
cords proceeding from it to the circumference of a circle, about two feet
below the balloon ; and from that circle, other small ropes should go to the
edge of the boat : this circle may be made of wood, or of several pieces
of slender cane bound together. The meshes of the net may be small at
top, against which part of the balloon the inflammable air exerts the
greatest force, and increase in size as they recede from the top. If a para-
chute be required, it should be so constructed as, when distended, to
form but a small segment of a sphere, and not a complete hemisphere ;
as the weight of this machine is otherwise considerably mcreased, without
gaining much in the opposing surface.

OF VARNISHING BALLOONS.

The most approved varnish for this purpose is made as foltows: — In
order to render hnsced oil drying, boil it, with two ounces of sugar of lead
and three ounces of litharge for every pint of oil, till they are dissolved,
which may be in half an hour: then put a pound of birdlime and half a
pint of the drying oil into an iron or copper vessel, the capacity of which
should equal about a gallon, and let it boil very gently over a slow char-
coal fire, till the birdlime ceases' to crtickle, which will be in about half or
three-quarters of an hour ; then^ur upon it two pints and a half more oJ
the drying oil, and let it boil about an hour longer, stirring it frequently
wjth an iron or wooden spatula. As the varnish, whilst boiling, and
especially when neally ready, swelhs very much, care should be taken, in
that case, to remove the pot from the fire, and to replace it when the var-
nish subsides, otherwise it will boil over. While the slufl' is boiling, the
operatorshould, occasionally, examine whether it has boiled enough, wliich,
may be ascertained by observing whether the varnish, when rubbed
between two knives,* forms threads between them upon their separation.
It must then be removed from the fire : when nearly cool, add about an
equal quantity of oil of turpentine. In using the varnish, the stud' must
be stretched, and the vaniish applied lukewarm ; in twenty-four hours it
will dry. Care should be taken to have wet cloths rculy at hand to clap
on the vessel in case of accident, this being the only method of extinguish-
ing the flames.

288

AEROSTAil': AMUSEiMENTS.

MINIATURE BALLOONS.

ii is an interesting and amusing experiment to inflate a smswJ balloon
cs\ade of gold-beater's skin, (using a little gum-arabic to close up any holes
or fissures,) filling it from a bladder or jar, and tying a thread round the
mouth of it, to prevent the escape of the gas. When fully blown, attach a
fanciful car of coloured paper, or very thin pasteboard, to it, and let it float
in a large room ; it will soon gain the ceiling, where it will remain for any
length of time : if it be let off in the open air, it will ascend out of sight.
This experiment may be varied by putting small grains of shot into the
car, in order to ascertain the difference between the weight of hydrogen
gas and atmospheric air.

A very pretty apparatus, of recent invention, may be purchased at the

^ilosophical instrument makers. It is a little balloon, in shape resembling

bladder, and is to be had of various sizes. It is made of the maw of a

5irkey, and is so extremely light, that when filled with hydrogen gas, and

eft free in the atmosphere, it ascends.

In conclusion, we cannot help remarking, that science, evidently, took
the idea of constructing Balloons from

ISorjs blotoing ISufctiles.

CHEMICAL AMUSEMENTS.

Th«y plaj- tuch merrv praaki, th*t tome would think
Ther cntertaiuMi au imp to conjure for them :
Yet 'li* not *o; — their fcwhoun orpaitime,
Theae young ilifct|)lr< of the Alchymif i
Adorn with fntf, which, to the unlearned ejre.
Shew nri like luaKic'.— but grand-dam Witdom
Knowt ihrm i* recreations afyouuf Science,
In spurtitc luooU, upon a holiday.

Chemistry has been called, by its votaries, a fascinating science, and
with some truth, for it certainly affords more recreation than any other?
that it is the most \i^ei\i\ of all sciences cannot be denied, nor can there
be a doubt that it has a tendency almost to enchant those wlio devote
their attention to it lt> powers are almost infinite, and, in some instances,
produce eft'ects which appear magical : a great number of those conjuring
tricks, which have astonished our coiemporaries as much as our forefathers,
have been eftected solely by its-agencv. It is not, of course, our intention
to teach our readers chemistry in all its branches, but merely to direct llit

2^^ CHEMICAL AMUSEMENTS.

enquiring mind of youth to skim lightly artd agreeably over its surface :
for this purpose, we have selected a series of experiments for their amuse-
ment, not doubting but that they will consider the time profitably spent
in perusing them, and we flatter ourselves that they will be an induce-
ment to carry their enquiries nmch further than our limits will afford. For
those who wish to be instructed as well as amused, we have added some
explanations of the decompositions, or chemical changes, which take place,
in order to shew that, although almost magical in appearance, they are
dependent upon some fixed and unerring law of nature. Without any
further prefatory observations, we shall now commence our Chemical
Recreations.

CRYSTALLIZATION OF SALTS.

1. — Dissolve one ounce of sulphate of soda (Glauber's salts) in two
ounces of boiling water; pour it, while hot, into a phial, and cork it close.
In this state, it will not crystaUize when cold; but if the cork be removed,
the crystallization will commence and proceed rapidly.

The presence of atmospheric air is necessary in the process of crystal-
lization; the experiment will occasionally fail when under unfavourable
circumstances: should this be the case, drop into the fluid a crystal of
Glauber's salt, and the whole will immediately commence shooting into
beautiful crystals.

2.— Repeat the above experiment with a small thermometer immersed
in the solution, and corked up with it. When cold, remove the cork, and
the thermometer will be seen to rise. This experiment shews that heat
is given out in the act of crystallization.

3. — Take half an ounce of caustic soda, (common soda,) and dissolve
it in about its own weight of water ; then pour into the solution half an
ounce of sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol): when the mixture is cold, crystals
of sulphate of soda will be found in the hquor.

4. — Take caustic soda, and pour upon it muriatic acid: this will produce
muriate of soda, our common table salt.

5. — Take of carbonate of ammonia, (the common volatile smelling
salts,) and pour upon it muriatic acid until the effervescence cease. The
produce will be a solid salt, viz. muriate of ammonia, or crude sal-
ammoniac of the shops. Caustic substances corrode matter in consequence
of their tendency to unite with it; they continue to act upon it until they
are saturated by the combination.

6. — Mix two ounces of semi-vitrified oxyd of lead (Utharge) with three
drachms of muriate of ammonia, and submit the whole to a strong heat in
a crucible. The heat will drive off the ammonia, and the muriatic acid

CHEMICAL AMUSEMENTS. 291

will combine with the lead, forming a muriate of lead. When the opera-
tion is complete,^ pour the ingredients into a metallic vessel to cool and
crystallize. This is the uatent yellow used by painters.

In this experiment, the lead is dissolved by the muriatic acid, which
has been disengaged by the heat driving off the ammonia with which it
was previously combined.

SYMPATHETIC INKS.

1. — Write with a diluted solution of muriate or nitrate of cobalt, and
the writing will be invisible ; but, upon being held to the fire, it will
appear perfectly distinct, and of a blue colour: if the cobalt should be
adulterated with iron, the writing will appear of a green colour. When
taken from the fire, the writing will again disappear. If a landscape be
drawn and all finished with common colours, except the leaves of the trees,
the grass and the sky, and the latter be finished with this sympathetic ink,
and the two former with the adulterated solution just mentioned, the
drawing will seem to be unfinished, and have a wintry appearance ; but,
upon being held to the fire, the grass and the trees will become green,
the sky blue, and the whole assume a rich and beautiful appearance.

2. — Write with a diluted solution of muriate of copper, and the writing
will be invisible when cold; but, on being held to the fire, it will appear
of a yellow colour. A landscape may be drawn and finished, as in the
last experiment, and, in addition to the sympathetic inks there used, com
fields may be painted or finished with this sympathetic ink. The whole
«ill have a very drear and bleak aspect till held before a fire, when it will
instantly assume a cheerful and Uvely appearance, as if by magic. If
human beings be drawn in common colours, as if in the act of reaping,
the whole will appear more curious and interesting. These landscapes
will, at any time, exhibit the same appearances.

3. — Write with a weak solution of alum in lemon-juice, and the cha-
racters will remain invisible until wetted with water, which renders ihtui
of a greyish colour, and quite transparent. A letter written with a solu-
tion of rock-alum alone, being dried, and having a small quantity of water
poured over it, will appear of a whiter colour than the paper.

4. — Write with a weak solution of sulphate of iron, (green vitriol.)
when dry it will appear invisible ; but if wetted over with a brush, dipped
in tincture of galls, or a strong decoction of oak bark, the writing wUl be
restored, and appear black.

5. — Write with the above solution; when dry, wash it over witli a
solution of prussiate of potash, and the writing will be restored of a beau>
tiful blue.

292 CHEMICAL AMUSEMENTS.

In all secret or sympathetic writing, as it is called, there is a chemica.
decomposition: this is more particularly striking in the two last experi-
ments ; in the former of which, the gallic acid unites with the iron, form-
ing a black ; and in the latter, the prussic acid unites with the iron, forming
a blue, or prussiate of iron.

HEAT AND COLD.

1. — Take one ounce of muriate of ammonia, the same quantity of
nitrate of potash, (saltpetre,) and two ounces of sulphate of soda : reduce
these salts separately into powder, and mix them gradually with four
ounces of water; the result will be, that as the salts dissolve, cold will be
produced. A thermometer, immersed in the mixture, will sink st or below
the freezing point. If a test tube be filled with water, and immersed In
the mixture, the water will soon be frozen.

The above mixture is frequently used at the tables of the great, to coo)
the wine when ice cannot be procured.

2. — Put a small quantity of sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol) into a glass
or cup, and pour upon it about half its quantity of cold water: upon stir-
ring it, the temperature will rise to many degrees above boiling water.
In mixing s\ilphuric acid with water, great care should be taken not to do
it too suddenly, as the vessel may break from the increased. heat, and the
acid be spilled on the hands, clothes, &c. ; the greatest caution is neces-
sary in using it, as it will burn almost any thing it touches.

3. — Dissolve a little lime in muriatic or nitric acid, then pour some of
the liquid into a glass, and add to it a few drops of sulphuric acid; the
whole will become nearly a solid mass, and, at the same time, give out a
strong heat.

4. — Set a quart pot upon a stool, on which a little water has been pre-
viously thrown, before the fire; put a handful of snow into the pot, and
also a handful of common salt. Hold the pot fast with one hand, and with
a short stick stir the contents with the other, as if you were churning
butter; in a few minutes the pot will freeze so hard to the stool, that with
both hands you can scarcely disengage it.

5. — The most powerful of all freezing mixtures is a mixture of muriate
of lime and snow : to produce the greatest effect by this mixture, equal
weights of the salt, finely powdered, and newly-fallen snow, must be
quickly mixed together. This is the mixture that is emjjloyed to freeze
quicksilver.

Whenever substances become more condensed by mixture, heat is
given out; when they expand, cold is produced: or, perhaps, it would be
more proper to say, the compound has more or less capacity for heat than
the geparate ingredients.

CHEMICAL AMUSEMENTS. 293

6 — Fill a common thermometer tube with cold water, and suspend it
in t\\s air by a string: if the tube be continually sprinkled with ether, the
water will presently become ice.

All hquids require a great portion of heat to convert them into vapour,
and all evaporation produces cold. The quick evaporation of ether, in the
above experiment, carries away the heat from the water, and converts it
into ice. An animal might be frozen to death in the midst of summer, by
being repeatedly sprinkled with ether.

COMBUSTION AND EXPLOSION.

1. — Brut»e, and slightly moisten with water, a few crystals of nitrate
of copper; then roll them up quickly in a piece of tin-foil : in about a
minute the tin-foil will begin to smoke, and soon after, take fire and
explode with a slight crackling noise.

2. — Throw a few grains of chlorate of potasli, (oxymuriate of potash,)
and a very small bit or two of phosphorus, into a cup containing a little
sulphuric acid, tlie phosphorus will instantly burst into flame.

3. — Take five parts of nitrate of potash, (saltpetre,) three of sub-car-
bonate of potash, (salt of tartar,) and one of sulphur, all quite dry, and
mix them together in a warm mortar : if a little ot this powder be placed
upon a shovel, over a hot fire, it first begins to blacken, and, at la,st, melts
and explodes with a loud reporL A small quantity only should be used ;
for although there is no danger in the mixture, yet some nervous persons
may be alarmed at the loudness of the report.

4. — Put a small quantity of calcined or pure magnesia into a cup, and
pour over it a sufficient quantity of sulphuric acid to cover it : almost
nnmediately combustion will commence, and sparks will be thrown out
ill all direcuons.

5. — Put a little dry pulverized charcoal into a warm tea-cup, and pour
over it some nitric add, when combustion will take place, as in the pre-
ceding experiment.

6. — Pour a table-spoonful of oil of turpentine into a cup, and place it in
the open air; then put about half the quantity of nitric acid, nuxed with
a few drops of sulphuric, into a phial, fastened to the end of a long stick;
pour it upon the oil, and it will immediately burst into flames, and con-
tinue to give out much light and heat.

7. — Rub a few grains of chlorate of potash, and about half the quantity
of sulphur, together in a mortar, and a crackling detonation will be pro-
duced, accompanied with flashes of hght. If a small quantity of the sane

294 CHEMICAL AMUSEMENTS.

mixture bo wrapped in paper, laid upon an anvil, and smartly struck wit!
a hammer, a report will be produced, which will be loud in proportion to
the quantity used.

8. — Take a little of the composition mentioned in the last experiment,
on the point of a knife, and drop it into a wine glass containing sulphuric
acid ; a beautiful column of flame will be the consequence immediately it
comes in contact with the acid.

9. — Mix a few grains of chlorate of potash with twice their quantity of
loaf sugar reduced to powder ; place this mixture upon a plate, dip a piece
of wire in sulphuric acid, and let a single drop fall from its end upon the
mixture ; it will immediately burst into flame, and continue to burn till
the whole is consumed.

10. — Take a metal button, and rub it for a short time against a piece of
wood or stone, then touch a small piece of phosphorus with it, the latter
will immediately take fire and burn.

1 1. — Hold the end of a rod of glass to a grindstone while it is revolving;
in a very short time it will become so hot, that phosphorus, gunpowder,
and other combustible bodies, may be inflamed by it. Wood rubbed against
wood will also produce great heat The natives of New -Holland light
their fires by these means.

12. — Put a small piece of German tinder into the lower end of a syringe,
then draw up the piston and force it suddenly down by giving it a smart
blow against a wall or table, when the tinder will be ignited, either from
the sudden condensation of the air, or the friction occasioned by the
movement of the piston. Syringes for this pvft-pose are sold in London at
about half-a-guinea each.

13. — Take two pieces of common bonnet cane and rub them strongly
•gainst each other in the dark, and a considerable quantity of light will
be produced. Two pieces of borax have the same property in a more
eminent degree. In this, and the three preceding experiments, the effects
described being produced by friction, they ought, in strict propriety, per-
haps, to be called electrical rather than chemical experiments.

14. — Combustion by concentrating the sim'.s raijs. — Hold a double
convex glass, of about two inches diameter, to the sun, about mid-day,
when shining very bright, at its focal distance from a piece of coin, which
will soon become so hot that it cannot be touched with the finger. The
intensity of the heat produced will depend upon the size and convexity of
the glass, and also on the season of the yenr. Gunpowder, phosphorus, &c
may be set on fire in this manner ; and, with a very powerful glass, most
of the metals may be melted.

CHEMICAL AMUSEMENTS. 295

15. — Put a small quantity of spirits of wine into a glass with a halfpenny
or a shilling, then direct the rays of the sun, by means of a glass, upon the
coin, and, in a short time, it will become so hot as to inflame the spirits.

COMBUSTION IN AND UNDER WATER.

1. — Mix one grain of phosphorus with three or four grains of chlorate
of potash, and put this mixture into a glass with a narrow bottom ; then
put the small end of a funnel into the glass, in contact with the mixture,
and fill the glass nearly full of water, but not by means of the funnel ; then
pour a few drops of sulphuric acid down the funnel, and the combustion
of the phosphorus will immediately commence, and continue till the whole
is consumed.

2. — The Well of Fire. — Add, gradually, one ounce, by measure, of sul-
phuric acid to five or six ounces of water, contained in an earthenware
basin ; throw in an ounce of granulated zinc, and a small bit or two of
phosphorus, when phosphuretted hydrogen gas will be produced, which
takes fire immediately it comes in contact with atmospheric air ; so that,
in a short time, the whole surface will become luminous, and continue so
long as gas is generated, which may be seen darting from the bottom
through the fluid with great rapidity.

3. — Fill a saucer with water, and let fall into it a grain or two of potas-
sium ; the potassium will instantly burst into flame with a slight explosion,
and burn vividly on the surface of the water, darting, at the same time,
from one side of the vessel to the other, with great violence, in the form
of a beautiful red-hot fire ball.

4. — Will-o'-the-wisp. — Take a glass tumbler three parts filled with
water, and drop into it two or three lumps of phosphuret of lime ; a decom-
position will take place, and phosphuretted hydrogen gas be produced,
bubbles of which will rise through the water, and take fire immediately
they burst through the surface, terminating in beautiful ringlets of smoke,
which will continue until the phosphuret of lime is exhausted.

This gas is generated at the bottom of stagnant shallow pools, in
marshes and boggy places, and is frequently seen hovering over the sur-
face of burial grounds : it is what we call the ignis fatuus or Will-o'-the-
tcisp.

5. — Green Fire under Watei'. — Put into a glass tumbler two ounces oJ
water, and add, first, a piece or two of phosphorus about the size of a pea,
then thirty or forty grains of chlorate of potash ; then pour upon the mass,
by means of a funnel with a long neck reaching to the bottom of the
glass, five or six drachms of sulphuric acid. As soon as the acid comes in
contact with the ingredients, flashes of fire begin to dart from under the

296 CHEMICAL AMUSEMENTS.

surface of the fluid. When this takes place, drop into the mixture a few
pieces of phosphuret of lime ; this will immediately illumine the bottom
of the vessel, and cause a stream of fire, of an emerald green colour, to pass
through the fluid.

The effects produced in the foregoing experiments, are occasioned by
the sudden chemical decomposition which takes place ; and here it may
be necessary to caution our young friends not to exceed the quantities we
have directed to be used ; for although we have avoided every thing that
is dangerous, yet an excess of quality, in some cases, might be attended
with inconvenience, and create alarm from the sudden effects that are pro-
duced. When phosphorus is used, it should be handled with great care,
lest any portion cf it get under the finger nails, a small bit of which would
occasion considerable pain for some time.

LUMINOUS WRITING IN THE DARK.

Fix a^mall piece of solid phosphorus in a quill, and write with it upon
paper; if the paper be then removed to a dark room, the writing will
appear beautifully luminous.

GREEN FIRE.

Put a small quantity of highly-rectified spirits of wine, -mixed with a
little boracic acid, into an earthenware vessel, and set them on fire, when
a very beautiful green flame will be produced.

RED FIRE.

Proceed as in the last experiment, using nitrate or muriate of strontites,
instead of boracic acid, and a beautiful red flame will be produced.

YELLOW FIRE.

Proceed as above, mixing nitrate or muriate of barytes with the spirits,
and a brilliant yellow flame will be produced.

The above methods have been used in our theatres to heighten the
e£Fect of some of those horrifying spectacles with which the town has
been treated, such as Der Freyschutze, &c.

METALLIC DISSOLVENTS.

Gold. — Pour a small quantity of nitro-muriatic acid upon a small piece
of gold, or gold leaf, and, in a short time, it will completely disappear, and
the solution will have a beautiful yellow colour.

Silver. — Pour a little nitric acid upon a small piece of pure silver, or
silver leaf, and it will be dissolved in a few minutes.

CHEMICAL AMUSEMENTS. 297

Copper. — Pour a little diluted nitric acid upon a small piece of copper,
and, in a short time, the copper will be dissolved, and the solution will
have a beautiful blue colour.

Lead. — Pour a little diluted nitric acid upon a small piece or two of
lead, which will first convert it into a white powder, and then dissolve it.

Iron. — Pour some sulphuric acid, diluted with about four times its bulk
of water, upon a few iron filings ; a violent effervescence will ensue, and,
in a little time, the fihngs will be dissolved.

These experiments are intended to shew how easily we can dissolve
metals when we submit them to a proper menstruum.

METALLIC VEGETATION.

Mix together equal parts of saturated soluuons of silver and mercury,
diluted with distilled water: in this mixture suspend five or six drachms
of pure mercury in a piece of fine linen raj; doubled. The metallic solu-
tions will soon shoot into beautiful needle-shaped cr^'stals, and attach
tiiemselves, and adhere strongly, to the bag containing the mercury.
When the arborization ceases to increase, the bag, loaded with beautiful
crystals, may be uken out of the vessel where it was formed, by means of
the thread by which it is suspended, and hung under a glass jar, where it
may be preserved as long as may be thought proper.

THE LEAD TREE.

Put into a common wine decanter about half an ounce of super-acetate
of lead, (sugar of lead,) and fill it to the bottom of the neck with distilled
or rain water ; then suspend, by a bit of silk, or thread, fastened also to
the cork or stopper, a piece of zinc wire, two or three inches long, so that
it may hang as nearly in the centre as possible ; then place the decanter
where' it may not be disturbed. The zinc will very soon be covered with
beautiful crystals of lead which are precipitated from the solution, and this
will continue until the whole becomes attached to the zinc, assuming the
fonn of a tree or bush, whose leaves or branches are laminal, or in plates
of metallic lustre.

TUE TIN TREE.

Into tlie same, or a similar vessel, to that used for the lead tree, pour
distilled or rain water, as before, and put in three drachms of muriate of
tin, and about ten drops of nitric acid. When the salt is dissolved, suspend
a piece of zinc wire, as in the last experiment, and set the whole aside to
precipitate without disturbance. In a lew hours the effect will be similar to
that produced by the lead, only that the tree of tin will have more lustre.
In these experiments it is wonderful to see the lamina, or thin plates, shoot
out, as it were, from nothing. •

298

CHEMICAL \MUSEMENTS.

THE SILVER TREE.

Put into a decanter four drachms of nitrate of silver, and fill up the
decanter with distilled or rain water ; then drop in about an ounce of

mercury, and place the vessel
where it may not be disturbed :
in a short time the silver will
be precipitated in the most
beautiful aborescent form, re-
sembling real vegetation.

The above experiments shew
the precipitation of one metal
by another, owing to the affinity
that exists between them. The
metal in solution having a
greater affinity for the pure
metal suspended in it, preci-
pitates itself from the solution,
and becomes firmly attached
thereto. The Silver Tree,

produced as above described, is frequently called Arbor Djanae, or the

Tree of Diana.

TRANSMUTATION OF COLOURS.

To produce a blue by mixing two colourless fluids. — Pour a little of
the solution of sulphate of iron into a glass, then add to it a few drops of
a solution of prussiate of potash, and the whole will assume a beautiful
blue colour.

In this experiment a decomposition takes place ; the sulphuric acid
leaving the iron to unite with the potash, and the prussic acid leaving the
potash to unite with the iron, forming prussiate of iron, and sulphate of
potash ; the sulphate of potash remaining in solution, while the prussiate
of iron is slowly precipitated, falling to the bottom in the state of a fine
powder. This is the prussian blue of the shops.

To produce a yellow from two colourless fluida. — Pour a little of the
solution of nitrate of bismuth into a glass, then add to it a small quantity
of solution of prussiate of potash, and a yellow colour will be immediately
produced.

In this experiment, as in the last, we have a decomposition; nitrate of
potash and prussiate of bismuth are formed, the prussiate of bismuth giving
U the yellow colour.

To produce a brown from two colourless fluids. — Pour a little of the

CHEMICAL AMUSEMENTS. '2V0

solution of sulphate of copper into a glass, then add to it a small quantity
of a solution ot prussiate of potash, and a reddish brown will be produced.

In this experiment we have a sulphate of potash and a prussiate of
copper, which gives the brown colour, according to the principle just laid
down.

To make black ink from two colourless fluids. — Put into a glass a
quantity of water, and a!dd to it some tincture of galls ; then put in a small
quantity of a solution of sulphate of iron, and the whole will immediately
become black.

Here, as in the preceding experiments, a decomposition is effected; the
gallic acid uniting with the iron, forms our common writing ink.

A blue colour produced from two colourless fluids. — Put into a glass
a quantity of water, and dissolve therein a few crystals of sulphate of
copper, tiien pour in a small quantity of liquid ammonia, and the whole
will immediately be changed to a beautiful blue.

In this experiment the ammonia unites to the copper, forming ammo-
niate of copper, which is of a beautiful blue, approacnmg to violet.

Another wau. — Take any chalybeate water, ^that is, water containing
iron in solution,) and add to it a little of the solution of prussiate of potash,
which will change it to a blue colour, as in a previous experiment.

Prussiate of potash is one of the best tests for iron that we are ac-
quainted with, and will detect its pressure, however minute the quality.

To chancre a blue liquid to a red. — Pour a little of the infusion of
litmus, or blue cabbage, into a wine glass, and add to it a drop or two of
nitric or sulphuric acid, which will immediately change it to a red
colour.

One of the characteristics of acid is that it changes most of the vege-
table colours to red. This experiment is an instance.

To change n blue liquid to green. — Pour a little of the infusion of
violets into a wine glass, and add to it a few drops of a solution of potash
or soda, when it will be changed to a beautiful green ; to which, indeed,
alkalies change most of the vegetiible colours.

To change a red liquid into various colours, — Put a little of the infu-
sion of red cabbage into three different glasses ; to the first, add a little
muriatic or nitric acid; to the second, a little of the solution of potash;
and to the third, a little of the solution of sulphate of alumin and potash,
(alum.) The liquid in the first glass will be converted to a fine crimson,
that in the second to a beautiful green, and that in the third to a purple.

In this experiment the changes take place as in the preceding ones, and
may be explained on the same principles of decomposition.

300 CHEMICAL AMUSEMENTS.

THE MAGIC SIIUUB.

Place a sprig of i-osemary, or any other garden herb, in a glass jar, so
that when it is inverted, the stem may be downward, and supported by
the sides of the vessel ; then put some benzoin acid upon a piece of hoL
iron, so hot that the acid may be sublimed, which will rise in form of a
thick white vapour. Invert the jar over the iron, and leave the whole
untouched until the sprig be covered by the sublimed acid in the form of
a beautiful hoar frost.

Sublimation is the same as distillation, only we call it sublimation when
the product is collected in a solid form ; the term distillation is applied to
liquids. In the above experiment we have a beautiful instance of sublima-
tion, the furnes of the acid rise and are condensed on the cold leaves of
the plant.

A LAMP WITHOUT FLAME.

Procure six or eight inches of platinum wire, about the hundredth part
of an inch in thickness; coil it round a small cylinder ten or twelve times,
then drop it on the flame of a spirit lamp, so that part may touch the wick
and part remain above it. Light the lamp, and when it has burned a
minute or two, put it out ; the wire will then be ignited, and continue so
long as any spirit remains in the lamp.

Lamps manufactured on this principle are sold by some of the chemists
in London.

THE EXPLODING TAPER.

If the light of a taper be blown out, and the taper be let down into a
jar of oxygen gas while the snuff (which should be a thick one) remains
red hot, it re-kindles instantly with an explosio^. When the taper is
re-lighted, it continues t6 burn'with a rapidity, a brilliancy of flame, and
an evolution of light truly wonderful.

THE GLOW-WORM IN GAS.

Place a glow-worm vsrithin a jar of oxygen gas, in a dark room ; the
insect will become more active, and shine with greater brilliancy, than it
does in common air. Oxygen gas communicates a stimulus to the animal
system ; and it is, probably, owing to this, that the glow-worm becomes
more beautiful in consequence of its being more active, as its luminous
appearance is supposed to depend entirely on the will of the animal.

THE CANDLE INVISIBLY EXTINGUISHED.

Place a lighted candle in the bottom of a jar which has its open par*
ujjpermost, (the jar being filled with atmospheric or common air,) then

CHEMICAL AMUSEMENTS. 301

take ajar filled with carbonic acid gas, and invert it over the jar In which
the candle is placed ; the effect is very striking ; the invisible fluid, being
heavier than atmospheric air, descends like water, and extinguishes the
flame. The whole, to spectators who have no idea of substance without
sensible matter, having the appearance of magic.

TO MAKE WATER BOIL BY COLD, AND CEASE TO BOIL BY HEAT.

Half fill a Florence flask with water, place it over a lamp, and let it
boil for a few minutes, then cork the mouth of the flask as expeditiously
as possible, and tic a slip of moist bladder over the cork to exclude the
air. The water being now removed from the lamp, the ebullition will
ceaae, but may be renewed by pouring cold water gradually upon the
upper part of the flask; but, if hot water be applied, the boiling instantly
ceases. In this manner the ebullition may be renewed, and again made
to cease, alternately, by the mere application of hot and cold water.

We shall, in this place, be more elaborate than usual, and give our
young friends the theory ef what causes the above phenomenon. Be it
known, then, to all who are not previously acquainted with the fact, that
water boils at 212 degrees under the common pressure of our atmosphere:
now, if the atmosphere, or a part of it, were removed, the pressure on the
surface would be less, and the consequence would be that water would
boil at a much lower temperature ; and this leads us to an explan.ation of
what takes place in the foregoing experiment. We fill a flask half full of
water, and boil it for a few minutes over a lamp, the steam which rises
forces out the atmospheric air, and occupies its place; we then remove the
lamp, and secure the flask so as to prevent the re-admission of atmospheric
air. If cold water be now poured over that part of the flask occupied by
the steam, the cold will condense the steam, which will trickle down the
sides of the flask, and mix with the Uquor below ; the steam being thus
condensed, a vacuum is formed above the surface. The water, having
then no pressure of atmospheric air or steam, commences boiling afresh:
but if hot water be now poured upon it, the steam again occupies the fur-
face, and the boiling ceases.

A LIQUID PRODUCED FROM TWO SOLIDS.

Mix equal portions of sulphate of soda and acetate of lead, both in fine
powder: let them be well rubbed together in a mortar, when the two
solids will operate upon each other, and a fluid will be produced.

A SOLID PRODUCED FROM TWO LIQUIDS.

If a saturated solution of muriate of lime be mixed with a saturated
solution of carbonate of potash, (both transparent liquids,) the result is the

302

CHEMICAL AMUSEMENTS.

formation of an opaque and almost solid mass. If a little nitric acid be
added to the product, the solid mass will be changed to a transparent
fluid.

These two last experiments were formerly called chemical miracles,
but the present scientific age no longer consider them so, it being now
well ascertained that the changes which take place are occasioned by
chemical decomposition, or the action of one salt upon another.

THE LITTLE GAS-FACTOR.

Put a little coal into the bowl of a common tobacco-pipe, stop the
mouth of it up with clay, and place the bowl in a fire ; as soon as the coal
becomes heated, a small stream of gas will issue from the top of the pipe.
If he put a candle to it, the gas will light and burn for some time, sufficiently
b411iant to illuminate the study of

^^e little €ias=JFa(tor.

©amcs of SftiU :

DRAUGHTS ;
CHESS.

DRAUGHTS.

Toc««cbbl^ irraiMUoii Uniif&U, thru,

Hit leiaurr ^''^ employ.
Until >t la»i the old man

Wai beatm hv the bay.

Draughts is a game which it is well to learn prior to commencing
chess; though by far inferior to that noble pastime, it is at once unobjtx-
tionable and amusing. As in the case of chess, bets are seldom made upon
the game of Draughts; it cannot, therefore, be deemed, in any meaauret
conducive to gambling, which we most earnestly entreat our young readers,
on all possible occasions, to avoid, as they value their present comfort and
future welfare.

The game of Draughts is said to be of great antiquity, but we cannot
discover that it was much known in Europe until the middle of the
sixteenth century. In the year 1668, an elaborate treatise on the game
was published by a Parisian professor of mathematics, named Mallet.
Mr. Payne, a celebrated writer on this subject, is said to have copied many
of Mallet's games; but both Payne and Mallet have been materially
improved upon by a later writer, Mr. Sturges. The present treatise, we
trust, will rctulf^r aiiv rffrrence to the above, or any other writers upon

306

DRAUGHTS.

Draughts, superfluous, except to the most curious and finished adepts in
the game.

RULES FOR PLAYING.

In playing Draughts, the table must be placed with an upper white
corner toward the right hand; and for the sake of playing the following

games and preliminary practice,
the numbers may be written upon
the board itself, near a corner of
each square; or a table may be
drawn upon a card, and the
squares numbered, as in the
figure: such a table will be a
ready guide to any move directed.
The game is played by two
persons, each of whom takes a
set of twelve men of different co-
lours, generally white and black,
but they may be of any colours,
according to the fancy. One
player, of course,, takes all the
men of one colour, and the other
all those of the other colour. The
black pieces are to be placed on the first^twelve white squares, and the
white on the last twelve white squares, or iicevers^.

When the pieces are thus placed, each player alternately moves one of
his men forward, angularly, to the next white square; and when moved to
a square adjoining to an enemy, and another square next angularly behind
the man so moved is unoccupied at that time, or afterward becomes so,
then the man so placed or left unguarded nmst be captured by the enemy,
whose man leaps over to the vacant square, and the prisoner is taken off
the board. The same practice is inunediately to be repeated in case the
man effecting a capture thereby gets situated angularly fronting an enemy
and is unguarded behind. When any man gets onward to the last row
opposite to that from whence his colour started, then he becomes a king,
and is crowned by his adversary placing another man, previously taken
prisoner, upon him; he may then move and take either backward or
forward.

In order that the moves may be more perfectly understood, we request
attention to the following directions: the men should be placed on the
board precisely as they appear in the cut in the next page, with this dif-
ference only, that the white pieces may be placed where the black stand;
and the black where the white are, according to the fancy of the players,

■

1 M

rrgp-

■ '

■ '■

^■i

■

J."

10 ^ 11

jjig]

: 13

■>'■

iiM^

17 1

]8 W§19

[J20'?

1^2

H^^l

24H

25 1

26||27

l|£9

HBO

Hill

DRAUGHTS.

307

The men being thus posited, we will suppose that white has the first
move. As only one of the front rank can be moved, he must either move
the man on 21, to 17 ; that on 22, to 17 or 18 ; that on 23, to 18 or 19 ; or,
that on 24, to 19 or 20. From 22 to 18 is supposed to be the best first
move ; we will, therefore, imagine that white makes it. It is black's turn
to move a piece ; he, like his adversary, can only advance one of his front
rank men ; he may move the man on"9, to 13 or 14 ; that on 10, to 14 or

15 ; that on 11, to 15 or 16; and that on 12,

.,^^ to 16 only. The white having moved from

V^llpirjm^JH^' 22 to 18, the black then may move, if he
[^■| 9 ■ 9 H#H pl^^se, from 11 to 15. In the next move,
|^^«™«^^^^y the white man on 18, will take the man so
! W ^ W^BB*H^! placed by black on 15, by leaping over his
head into 11. It is now black's turn to
move, and he, in return, can take white's
man which stands in 11, by either of the
men standing on 7 or 8. In case he
makes the capture with 7, he jumps over
the head of the man to be taken, into 16 ;
if he prefer taking him with S, the move,
for that purpose, is from 8 to 15. An op-
portunity, here occurs, of giving a practical explanation of the huff. Sup-
posing, when black had mo\-ed from 11 to 15, white had omitted to take
nim, in the manner we have juM explained, and made some other move,
white, in this case, would have " stood the huff:" that is, black might
have taken away the white man that stood on 18, or compelled white to
have taken him, which he pleased. This is " standing the huff;" and, be
it recollected, that so taking off the man from 18, is not to be considered
as a move, black having his move after having so done, before white caa
move again.

In case the game were in a more advanced state, and that the black
man, which, at the beginning, stood on 4, had been removed, the white
man on 18, instead of taking only the black man on 15, would have taken
the black man on 8, in addition, by leaping over 15 into 11, and over 8 into
4, which would be reckoned as one move. In this case, the man in 4,
having reached one of the back squares of the enemy, (1, 2, 3, and 4,) he
becomes a king, and black crowns him, by placing one of white's captured
men on his head. The piece can now move, and take eitlier backward or
forward, and is of great importance. As many of the black men as, in
their turn, reach either of the squares, 29, 30, 31, 32, immediately become
kings, as in the case of the white men reaching I, 2, 3, or 4, and, of course,
have equal powers.

V 2

308 DRAUGHTS,

We will now give a practical example or two of the *' kingly powers"
of these " crowned heads." Supposing a black king stood on 29, a white
king on 25, a white man on 18, another white king on 19, and a third
white king, or a white man, on 27, — if it were black's move, and the board
was clear, except only of the pieces that are mentioned, he would take
them all thus : from 29 to 22, taking 25 ; from 22 to 15, taking 18 ; from
15 to 24, taking 19 ; and from 24 to 31, taking 27. If, however, the black
king only take the first, second, or third of these pieces, he would stand
the hutF,'(i. e.) the adversary might remove the black king off the board,
or compel him to take the piece or pieces in his power, at his, the adver-
sary's, pleasure.

To shew the difference between the moves of a man and a king more
clearly, suppose, instead of a king, black had only a man on 29, in that
case, the man might go to 22, taking 25, and from 22 to 15, taking 18 ; but
here his exploits would end, as he could not move backward from 15 to
take 19, but, on the contrary, he must rest on 15 ; and, at the next move,
would himself be taken, by the white king, on 19, jumping over his head
into 10.

When all the men, on one side, are taken, or so hemmed in by the
opposite colour, that they cannot move, the person who has played them
is beaten. If, at the latter end of the game, one, two, or- three, more or
less, of each colour, be left on the board, and neither can prevail on the
other to risk, or if one who is weaker than, or has not the move of the
other, be determined to go to and fro in safe squares, where he can never
be taken, the game is called drawn, and given up, neither party winning.
The way to give the finishing stroke to a game, where one colour has tWo
kings, and the other but one, or where one is, in any respect, a little
stronger than the other, will be found in the following pages ; as also hints
for a weak colour making a drawn game, when the stronger adversary is in
such a situation, as to be unable to get out his pieces to make an attack on
the weaker party.

LAWS OF DRAUGHTS.

The following are a set of laws for the game, which have been sanc-
tioned by the first players of Draughts in the kingdom.

1. Each player takes the first move alternately, whether the last game
be won or drawn.

2. Any action which prevents the adversary from having a full view
of the men is not allowed.

3. The player who touches a man must play him.

4. In case of standing the huff, which means omitting to take a man
when an opportunity, for so doing, occurred, the other party may either
lake the man, or insist upoxL his man, which has been so omitted by his
adversary, being taken. ^'v*

t i

DRAUGHTS.
Game 2, a drawn game.

311

1 3

1 4

&c.

drawn. 1

Game 3, which is lost by 80th move.

1 N

1 ^

. B

•7

.'^ 1

Game 3, continued.

N
9

2/)

7 ,

loses

Game 4, which is

lost by V2th move.

N 1 C

T )

23-

■ 29

.11

♦• lose^

D -AUGHTS. 313

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

Kven tliose who have some knowledge of the game of Draughts will,
we have no doubt, derive much benefit from a perusal of the foregoing
pages, and become enabled to defeat those by whom they have previously
been beaten. A person who has never acquired any insight into the game
may, we flatter ourselves, from the care which we have taken in preparing
die treatise, acquire considerable proficiency, by a proper attention to oui
rules and instructions.

The few remarks which we are about to make, as to one circumstance
m Draughts, could not, we conceive, be so aptly introduced anywhere else
as here; we allude to the importance of having the move upon an antago-
nist The value of this will, no doubt, have frequently occurred to the
reader, in the course of the preceding games ; 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 confusion 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. To illustrate it with an instance : if white
have a man on 22, it being his turn to play, and black's man be on II,
white has the move. 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 counting 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 : thus, if there
be a black man on 19, on 26 a white king, on 28 a black king, and on 32
a white man, and white have to play, he has the move, and may certainly
win the game, if he act judiciously ; the ooposite party's men being even,
and the white squares, between them and his own, odd ; there are three
white squares from the black king on 28 to the white king on 26, (viz. 24,
27, and 31,) and between the black man on 19 and the white man on 32
two while squares, 23 and 27, making together, five. White begins by
moving bis man to 27, the black king goes to 32, the while man proceeds
to 24, and is taken by the black man on 19 ; the white king now goes to
23 ; the black king must next step to 27, having no other move, (his man
being on 28,) afcd is taken by the while king, who thus gets into 32, and
wins the game, as black cannot move ^ n.an-

-- ••*'

ai4

DRAUGHTS.

Persons who know but little of this game are sometimes found talking
lightly of it, as a trifle undeserving of attention ; to such speakers we quote
the following passage from Dr. Johnson's dedication of Payne's Book on
Draughts : — " Triflers may think or make any thing a trifle ; but since it
is the great characteristic of a wise man to see events in their causes, to
obviate consequences, and ascertain contingencies, your lordship will think
nothing a trifle by which the mind is inured to caution, foresight, and cir-
cumspection."

In conclusion, we beg to assure our young readers, that simple as it
may appear, they will never be able to attain any proficiency in this game,
without some study, and much caution. Every move should be well con-
sidered before it is taken ; for, although it does not require one tenth of the
attention necessary to the acquirement of chess, yet it is totally impossible
for our young friends to derive much amusement at the game, if they
move the pieces as carelessly as a couple of

Itittcns at ipia^.

CHESS.

8i:

Bithop.

King. ^

goMc

Paw*

THE VARIOUS PIECES.

We shall now proceed to give a description of the various characters
Which constitute the little armies on the Chess-board. Each party has a
(ing, queen, two bishops, two rooks or castles, two knights, and eight
common men or pawns. The above are their representatives.

THE KING.

The kin<x is the mosf 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 king:
be is then check-mated, and must surrender: he steps only from one
iquare to the next at a time, but in any direction whatever, either for-
ward, 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
roMld be taken by the enemy The king, however, is never actually
taken ; but if he be checked by one piece, and cannot move into any other
square without being in check from another, he loses the game. When-
ever the king is in check, the adversary should say " check" to him, which
is a warning either to defend himself by his other pieces, to take the man
vr)io assaults him, or to move into a place of safety.

THE Ql'EEN.

' The queen is the best piece on the board : she moves, like the king.
m all directions, and as far as she pleases, provided the squares b« uuuc-
cu|^ted in her line of motion.

THE BISHOP.

- The bishop moves only diagonally, as far as the squares are open, in
any direction. Tbe bi»hop, therefore, always keeps the same coloured
squaces as that on^ltich he is placed ut the beginning of the irame.

318

THE KNIGHT.

The knight is particularly useful at the beginning of the game, and by
no means unimportant throughout its course. The knight moves in a
peculiar way ; leaping from the square in 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, therefore, from white to
black, or the contrary ; as for an example, from B 1 to A 3, C 3, or D 2.
A knight may be placed in one corner of the board, and conveyed thence
into every one of the other squares, ia sixty-three moves.

THE ROOK, OR CASTLE.

The rooks or castles ar; next in importance to the queen. Their
motion is backward, forward, or sideways; and they may move as far as
the field is open.

THE PAWNS.

The pawns are of great consequence in defending the king ; and are
very useful in attacking and repeUing 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 2 to 8, or from 7 to 1, he is exchanged for a
queen, or any other piece of his colour that has been taken. If no piece
of his side have been lost, he must remain idle till some piece have been
taken, for which he may be exchanged. The pawn moves straight for-
ward, and only a single square at a time ; except on its being first moved,
when the player may advance them 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 the
enemy, which is always done diagonally, or across the corners 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 in H 4 or F 4, without that
pawn having the option of taking him in G 3, as he passes.

THE CUESS-BOARU.

The common Draught-board, containing sixty-four squares, one half
black and the other half white, is also a Chess-board. It is so placed, that
each player has a white square at his right-hand corner. There are eight
rows of squares, which, in the cut, are marked A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H ;
and eight rows in the cross direction, Ij 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Thus, any
square on the board may be readily pointed out : for instance, the square
r on the figure will be indicated by D 5 ; and if a man were to be moved

CIIF.SS.

319

C D E F G H

from X to y, this would be expressed by the words ' from D 5 to F 3.' The
letters and figures should be wiuieii on the margin of the board, or a

pasteboard, for practising the
games and situations which are
hereafter described.

There b another mode of in-
dicating the squares, by the piece.-
that occupy them at the com-
mencement : this it may be as
well to insert. The square in
the corner, at the right hand of
the player who has the white
men, is the white king's rook's
sijuare ; that before it, the whire
king's rook's second square ; th'^
next, his third square ; and the
following, his fourth square. This
meets the black king's rook'a
fourth square ; and thus the row
proceeds, through the black king's
rook's third and second squares,
to the black king's rook's square, at the left-hand corner 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 distinguished as the queen's rook,
knight, and bishop. Technically speaking, the squares are houses ; those
rows of them which run across the board, from left to right, are called
ranks, and those running from one player to the other, files : the board
itself is styled the exchequer.

FURNISHING 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 U 1 and
D 8; and the kings on E 1 and £ 8. Thus, the pieces, or officers, stand
opposite each other, respectively, at ditferent sides of the board ; the
queen's being on the squares of their own colour, and the king's the con-
trary : the row which is immediately in front of the pieces is occupied by
the pawns.

The value of the men has been estimated as in the following propor-
tion to each other: — the queen, 95; a rook, 60; a bishop, 39; a Knight,
37; the king, (estiaiated as a fighting piece,) 26; a pawn, 8, or rather
more, from its chance of promotiou, by being moved to a square thai
entitles its player to exchange it for a queen, or any other piece of value
that he inay have previously lost in the beginning of the game.

320 CHESS

LAWS OF 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, only one man at a time.

2. In each game, the players have the first move alternately, except
where one gives the other the advantage of a piece or a pawn ; in which
case, 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 piay two 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 move the king, if it be
practicable. When you have 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 king, 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.

7. If you make a false move, your opponent can oblige you to 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, afterward,
recal 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 retract his last move, and the king be
removed out of check, or covered.

10. You must not check the opposite king with any piece, by moving
which to do so, you expose your own king to a check from any of his
pieces.

11. If the king be not in check, and cannot move without going into
check, and have no piece or pawn left, or even none that can be moved,
he is etale-mated, and wins the game.

821

PLATING, CHECKING, CASTLING, &C.

It IS usual to begin with advancing the king's pawn two squares ; thac
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 all the rest of his moves, being regulated either by some
plan which the player has formed for attacking his enemy, or as he may
lind a necessity of defending himself from his enemy's attack. The object
of the game, which is to give the enemy check -mate, can scarcely be
eflfected without some settled plan : th« 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 an-
<84^onist's attempts to frustrate 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 u is in his power ; but, when he does,
the man, with which he takes it, must be placed in the square occupied by
tlie man taken. When the king is in such a situation that another move
could take him, were lie not king, he is in check. The modes of extri-
cating the king from check are as follow : — If the man that checks him be
in an adjacent square, the king may take sucii man, if he be not guarded ;
that is, if another man of his own colour have it in his power to move
into the square in''which the man is placed if he be removed from it :
ciince, 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 any where
in the open row, D D, &c. ; the man that checks may also be taken by
some otner 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
ije a vacant square between them : lastly, the king may be moved into
another square which is not connnanded by the adversary's men : the
king is check-mated, and the game is lost, if he cannot extricate himself
by either of these moves A king cannot go into a square next the oppo
bite king ; he cannot, therefore, give check ; because, in doing this, he
would go into chi ck himself.

Castling is allowed once in a game, it consists in moving the king two
squares to the rijrlit or left, and bringing the rook on that side to the squarr*
adjoining the king on the other. Thus, tb« king may be moved from E 1
to (i 1, and the rook brought from H 1 to F 1 ; or the king may be moved
to C 1, and the H'ok from A 1 to D 1. For castUng, that side is preferable
on which the king will be most secure from attack : for this purpose, the
thr»e jjavMij on l", G. H 2. are kept in reserve, in order th:it he may re-
treat behind them, fastlin" is not allowable when the kinf. nr the rook,

622.

CHESS.

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 G 1, he must pass through F 1.
But, if there be a queen or rook of the enemy's any where 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 give castle on that side; neither can he be
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, with-
out 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 commence-
ment of the game, and each step taken should have a tendency to for-
ward 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
plan 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 frustrated, it is better to form a new one
than persevere in the old. Your plan should not only be concealed from
your adversary, but you must also discover, if possible, what your adver-
sary 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 in-
tended to effect it. behind men which are apparently indifferent. The
.^kilful player, if his moves be calculated with precision, will sacrifice liis
most important pieces without hesitation, to mislead his antagonist, or,
when necessary, to the accomplishment of his plan ; nay, he will often do
this intentionally, to lead his opponent into the hope of winning, and
give his antagonial check-mate, when he fancies he has the game in his
hands. It is far more common for a player to conceal his purpose till it
is out of his opponent's power to frustrate it, and then to pursue it openly.
To give check without having it in your power to follow it up, is, m gene-
ral, bad play. If your checking-piece can immediately be repulsed, you
lose a move : never proceed to an attack, therefore, without good pre-
paration; and, if your attack proceed well, ^o nqt suffer yourself to be

CHESS. 323

drawn aside after any bait that your antagonist may throw in your wa: .
The object in Chess is, to g^ve check-mate, and not to take pieces. Sacri-
fice your own wilUngly, when tlie lot>s of tliem will open the line of
defence 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 king ; for, as your antago-
nist cannot take him, he is frequently a better protection than a man of
your own. If you cannot save a piece, endeavour to take one of the
enemy's ; or, by improving your situation, obtain a compensation for the
loss. Examine which will be the best, when you can tAe a piece two or
more ways. If your antagonist can take the man in return, take it with
that man which is of the least value. To exchange man for man, occa-
sionally, 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 opposed 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 cannot 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 (particularly when the adversary
has his knights in play) prevents his escaping out of check. It is, how-
ever, 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 cas-
tle, 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 design 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 together, as this restrains their
movements: a man that cannot move is often worse than lost, by stand-
ing in the way. Encleavour 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 pawnl. Endeavour to open your own game by exchang-
ing men in those parts where you want room, if you get unintentionally
crowded.

Never make a move without examining whether you be endangere<^
by the last move of y<Mir antagonist; nor without calculating whether
x2

324

CHESS.

will allow your ei emy to harm you by his next Beware of your enemy's
knights, as they command different squares. If a knight command the
square of a queen or rook, at tlie 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 colour 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.

GAMES FOR PRACTICE

At the moves to which a ♦ is set a piece is taken ; at f check is given ;
J; means check-mate ; at q a queen is made.

FOOL S MATE.

Move WHITE.

Move BLACK.

1 G 2

G 4

E 7

E 6

3 F 2

F 3

scholar's

4
MATE

••

H4J

1 E 2

E 4

E 7

E 5

3 F 1

C 4

F 8

C 5

5 D 1

D 7

D 6

7 H 5

F 7*:

EASY CHECK-MATE

1 E 2

E 4

E 7

E 5

3 D 2

D 3

G 7

G 6

5 G 1

F 3

F 7

F 5

7 E 4

F 5*

G 6

F 5*

9 F 3

E 5*

D 7

D 6

11 D 1

H5t

E 8

E 7

13 H 5

F7:

GAME

1 E 2

E 4

E 7

E 5

3 F 2

F 4

E 5

1. 4*

5 G 1

F 3

G 7

G 5

7 F 1

C 4

F 8

G 7

9 D 2

D 1

D 6

11 B 1

. .

C 3

C 7

C 6

CHESS.

.32.">

GAME 4 CONTINUED.

Mo«e WHITE.

MoTe

BLACK.

13 H 2 to

H 7 1

15 H 4

G 5»

. G 5«

17 H 1

H8*

O 7

. H8*

19 F 3

E 5

D 6

. E 5*

21 D 1

D 8

. F 6

23 D 4

E 5»

F 6

. G 7

25 E 5

E 6

G 8

. F 6

27 E 6

F 7»t

E 8

. F 8

29 C 1

F 4*

F 6

. H5»

31 F 4

•

I) 6:

GAME 5.

1 E 7 t

E 5

E 2 to E 4

3 G 8 .

F 6

B 1 .

. C 3

5 F 8 .

C 5

F 1 .

. C 4

7 Castles

G 1 .

. F 3

9 F 8

E 8

Castles

11 C 7

C 6

D 1 .

. E 2

13 D 7

D 5

E 4 .

. D 5»

15 E 5

E 4

F 3 .

. G 5

17 C 6

D 5«

C 3 .

. D 5»

19 F 6

'D 5»

E 2 ,

. H 5

21 D 5 .

F 6

H 5

.. F 7n

23 G 8

H 8

F 7 .

. G 8t

25 E 8

•

G 8*

GAME 6.

G 5 .

. F ::

1 E 2 I

E 4

E 7 to E 5

3 G 1 .

.F 3

B 7 .

. C 6

5 F 1 .

C 4

F 8 .

. C 5

7 C 2 .

C 3

D 8 .

. E 7

9 Castles

D 7 .

. D 6

11 D 2 .

D 4

C 5 .

. B 6

13 C 1 .

G 5

F 7 .

. F 6

15 G 5 .

H 4

G 7 .

. G 5

17 F 3 .

G 5*

F 6 .

. G 5^

19 D 1 .

H 5t

E 8 .

. D 7

21 H 4 .

G 5*

E 7 .

. G 7

23 C 4 .,

•

E 6t

D 7 .

. E 6«

25 H 5 .

E 8t

G 8 .

. E 7

27 D 4 .

Di:

.^26 CHESS.

GAME

M9Te

1 WHITE.

Move

BLACK.

E 2

E 4

E 7

to E 5

F 2

F 4

E 5

.. F 4

G 1

F 3

G 7

.. G 5

F 1

C 4

F 7

.. F 6

F 3

G 5*

F 6

.. G 5*

D 1

H 5t

E 8

.. E 7

H 5

G 5t

E 7

.. E 8

G 5

H 5t

E 8

.. E 7

H 5

E 5J

GAME

E 2

E 4

E 7

to E 5

F 2

F 4

E 5

.. F 4*

G 1

F 3

.. H 6

F 1

C 4

G 7

.. G 5

H 2

H 4

F 7

.. F 6

F 3

G 5*

F 6

.. G 5*

D 1

H 5t

E 8

.. E 7

H 5

F 7t

E 7

.. D 6

F 7

D 5f

D 6

.. E 7

D 5

E5:

GAME

9./

E 2

E 4

E 7

to E 5

F 2

F 4

E 5

.. F 4*

G 1

F 3

G 7

.. G 5

F 1

C 4

G 5

.. G 4

C 4

F 7*t

E 8

.. F 7*

F 3

E 5t

F 7

.. E 6

D 1

G 4*t

E 6

.. E 5»

G 4

F6t

E 5

.. D 6

D 2

F 8

.. G 7

C 1

F 4*t

D 6

.. E 7

F 4

G5t

G 7

.. F 6

E 4

E 5

F 6

.. G 5*

F 5

G 5*t

E 7

.. E 8

G 5

H 5t

E 8

.. E 7

Castles.

D 8

.. E 8

H 5

. ,

G 5t

32,

E 7

.. E 6

F 1

, ,

F 6-

34'

G 8

.. F 6*

G 5

F 6*t

E 6

.. D 6

CHESS.

327

SITUATIONS.

In the following Situations the same symbols for check, check-mau-,
&c are used as in the preceding games.

SITUATION 1.

F 3

F 1

D 1

C 4

B 3

C 6

E 5

C 1

C 8

C 1

A 4

E 1

A 1

F 1

G 6

C 5

F 4

E 3

E 4

F 8

A 5

D 7

E 8

E 1

13 F 1 .. B i:

G5+
F 6t
D 6J

SITUATION 2.

G8t
E7t

F 7t
C 8t
F 8«:

F4t
B 6t
A It
A^t
G 2f

E 3t
C 5*:

E 8t
D7+

6t
5t
6«t
It

SITUATION 3.

SITUATION 4.

E 3

D 1

D 2

F 4

A 1

^ ♦SITUATION 5.

^A.T'f 2

,i It 4

G6
E6

H 3
H 8
G8

F 8
F 7

B 8
A 7
B 4
B7
A8
A7
B 6
C 8

B 7

H 8

B 7

B 6

H 6

A 6

C 7»t
A 8t

A 7
C 8
B 8

C 8

8 to

G5»
F 6»

H4«

G8t
H 8
F 7*
F 8

C 8

B 7

A fi«

C f)"

C 6*

B 7

A 7*
B 8
C 7
C 8
D7

328

a ESS.

SITUATION

5 CONTINUED.

>tr)»e

WHITE

Move

BLACK

A 8

D8t

D 7

E 6

D 8

E 8t

E 6

D 7

E 8

E 7t

D 7

, ,

C 8

B 6X

SITUATION

E 3

A7t

B 8

A 7*

E I

A 1*

A 7

B 8

A I

A 8t

B 8

A 8*

C 3

C 8*t

A 7

B 5

B 6f

A 7

A 6

C 2

D3t

A 6

A 5

C 8

as:

SITUATION

D 4

D8*t

B 8

D 8*

D 3

C4t'

G 8

H 8

F 4

• •

G6t

G6*

G 6*t

G 4

H6*t

G 7

H 6*

E 7

F6t'

SITUATION

A 8

A 7t

H 7

G 6

A 7

G 7t

G 6

F 4

H4t

F of

E 4

F 5*

G 3t

H3*

E 6

• •

F4J

SITUATION

D 5

D 1

E 7

E 8

E 5

D 6

E 8

. ,

D 8

F 5

F 8J

SITUATION

10.

E 5

E 1

E 8

D 8

E 1

. ,

C 1 •

E 8

C 1

C 81

CHESS.

32f)

SITUATION 11.

itfow UlllTE.

Move

BLACK.

1 A 6

10 C 7

I I

C 8

C 7«

sue

.. D 7

C 7

D 7»

5 B 5

. . D 6f 6

D 7

D G«

7 E 5

..DC

• 8

What he

pleaits

9 D 6

.. D 7

SITUATION 12.

1 D 1

to F 3

1 I

D 5

E 6

3 D 3

.. G 6

E 6

D 7

5 G 6

.. F 5t 6

D 7

E 8

7 C 5

.. C 6

E 8

D 8

9 D 4

.. D 5

D 8

E 8

11 F 3

.. E 4

E 8

D 8

13 C 6

.. C 7t 14

D 8

, ,

E 8

15 D 6

.. D 7t 16

E 8

E 7

17 D 5

.. D 6

t
*■

SITUATION 13.

1 K 1

to E 2

B 1

A 2

3 F 6

.. F 7

/ 4

A 2

B I

5 C 8

.. C 1+ 6

B 1

A 2

7 H 2

.. E 5

f 8

A 2

A 3

9 F 7

.. A 7

^ 10

A 3

B 4

n A 7

.. DA

B 4

A 5

13 D 4

.. B 2

A 5

A 6

15 E 5

.. F 4

A 6

A 7

17 F 4

.. D 2

A 7

A 8

19 E 2

..El

A 8

A 7

21 G 1

.. E 2

A 7

B 7

23 B 2

.. G 7

\ 24

B 7

A 8

25 G 7

. . F 8

A 8

B 7

27 F 8

.. E 7

B 7

A 8

29 E 7

.. U 8

A 8

B 7

31 C 1

.. C 7

B 7

B 6

33 D 8

.. D 6

B 6

B 5

35 C 7

.. C 5

B 5

A 4

37 D 6

.. C 6

. 38

A 4

A 3

39 C 5

.. A 5-

A 3

B 2

41 C 6

.. C 2i

y 42

B 3

c 2»:

330 CHESS.

STALE-MATE.

We have already stated that if you have no pawn or piece, except the
King, on the board, or even none that you can move, and that your king,
not being already in check, cannot move without going into check, a
stale-mate ensues, and you win the game. To be able to force your an-
tagonist to give you stale-mate, you must either have one of your pawns
on the rook's line, or else keep one of your adversary's on a rook's or
k night's line.

" CAPPED PAWNS.

A player sometimes engages to give mate with a particular pawn,
marked for the purpose. This is called a capped pawn.

White may, in addition, undertake that his pawn shall pass between
all his adversary's pawns ; not taking any of these, though each shall be
liable to be captured ; and leaving, at every move, only one way for Black
to play. This is ascribed to Marshal Saxe.

FORCED STALE-MATE.

Forced stale-mate is where, in the progress of the game, one playe
engages to force the other to give him stale-mate, or else to lose the game.
To do this, you must have a pawn upon one of the lines of the castles, or
otherwise keep a pawn belonging to your opponent, upon a knight's ot
castle's line, as in stale-mate.

THE LOSING GAME.

In the losing game, that party wins who succeeds in obliging the other
to give him check-mate. This, we need scarcely observe, is quite the
reverse of the usual game, and a mere device of experienced players, to
shew their skill. It is generally managed by leading on an adversary's
pawn, and making him change his line, as in the case of forced stale-mate.

DIAGRAMS FROM THE SPANISH.

It affords us singular gratification to be enabled to lay before our
readers the following few Diagrams, which v*^e have, personally, proved,
from a very old and scarce Spanish author, with the accompanymg expla-
nations, now first translated, as we believe, from the original, expressly
for this work.

CHESS.

861

Diagrams from the Spanish. — No. 1
White offers to give check-mate in two moves.

EXPLANATION.

His first move will be from the pawn to A, and if the Black then check
him with the castle, he will cover himself by his knight, and, by so doing,
check-mate the Black king with the castle. If the Black, after the White
has moved his pawn as above, place his castle in C, the White will make
his pawn a queen, and so check-mate the adversary. If, instead of moving
his castle, the Black make his pawn a queen, the White may, by removing
his knight to B, open a check-uiate, as before, with his castle.

^32

CHESS.

Diagrams from the Spanish. — No. 2.
White undertakes to icin m three Dioves.

^m m

..^M ^^

fi ^ A ■'

1^ ^^^^W ^S^V^B^""^

^ m gg A ^

EXPLANATION.

White checks by playing the knight into A ; Black takes the knight
with his castle ; White checks again with his castle in B ; the Black
king takes the castle, and is check-mated by White moving his other
castle to C.

CHESS.

33'6

DiAC.KAMS I KOM THE SPANISH. — No. 3.

White vndertakes to check-mate tcith the paum^ in four moves.

EXPLANATION.

To effect this, his first move is with the king to A; his second, wiih the
hisliop to B; his third, with the same to C ; and \\en he check-mates, by
placing the pawn in D.

334

CHESS.

Diagrams from the Spanish.— No. 4>
White check-mates u:dk his pau.n lu Jive nwvea.

Mm
i

^ I

.• ■ ™

EXPLANATION.

First, White checks with his castle in A ; he then moves the same piece
to B; next, check is given with the pawn in C; again in D; and mate with
the other pawn in E.

;35

Diagrams from the Spanish.— No. 5.
\\ hue ^ices chtfck-mntt in six motes.

EXPLANATION.

White's fiffKt move ia with the knight in A ; his second, check with the
cattle iti B; his tiiird, with the same in C ; fourthly, he checks \%ith the
pawn ill D ; fifthly, the like with the same in E ; and, in the next move,
check -mate will be given by the other pawn's making one move forward.

336

CHESS.

Diagrams from the SPANisii. — No. 6.
Wliite will jiive check-niate in seven moves.

KXPLANAXJON

With the right-hand knight White fctiecka in A; the other is next
moved to B ; and then giving check in C'/the king now goes to D ; check
is given with the left-hand pawn in E ; again with the same in F ; and then
check-mate must, of a necessity, follow, from the other pawn.

So'.

CONCLUSION.

Thus have we dallied and toyed with this royal game, until it has
reached a length, which its importance alone could warrant Although
our work is devoted to the junior classes of the community, we flatter our-
selves that even their seniors may glean much information from its pages ;
it would, however, be far more pleasant to us to hear, that by means of the
instructions which we have gladly afforded on this subject, our juvenile
friends were enabled to carry off the palm of vitlory from those who
exceed them, and equal us, in years, than even that the latter, however
highly we respect them, and however happy we may be to benefit all those
who may glance through our pages, were so improved by the study of our
remarks, games, and diagrams, as to vanquish any of our young friends who
had previously the honour of beating them. Iliat a skilful boy may
equal a man at this fine game, has been pretty well proved by the exhibi-
tion of the celebrated Automaton Chess-player, of which a full account
will be found among our descriptions of other famous Automata, un-
under the head of "Feats of Legerdemain," in a subsequent part of the
work. This Automaton beat many clever players, and its moves were
said to be directed by a boy who worked unseen within it; it was su
asserted, at least, in a well known pamphlet, entitled " The Chess-player
Detected," which assertion, Ue Kempelen, the constructor of this ingenious
Automaton, it seems, did not contradict. Our duty, rather than our
inclination, compels us at once to conclude our article on Chess. Fain would
we have added a few rich and racy anecdotes of Chess-playing, before we
closed, but our limits will not allow it. Willingly would we have spoken
of that famous king, who made his castle-court a Chess-field, on which the
pieces played were livrpg squires, some attired in murrey and cloth of
gold, others in costly. vests of ethereal blue, powdered with silver stars;
while knights, armed cap-a-pee, gorgeous as for a tournament, pranced
through the chequers, at the bidding of the king and his rival in the game,
who governed the moves of that splendid field from a canopied balcony
above. We should not have forgotten that irascible scion of royalty, in the
olden time, who, when beaten by his brother, took up the massive Chess-
board, and, most unfraternallj^, broke his victor's head ; — nor that man,
who, by often playing witlfa hat and testy master, knew his temperament
«o well, that the instant he mad« a cheik-mate move, he flew like an arrow
from the room, to save his sc»nce from a similar fate to that of the ro\ al
player to whom we have iust alluded ; — nor that great individual, who,
being under sentence of death, received a peremptory summons to the
fatal block when playing a game of Chess, and begtfcd that the officer wlie
came to lead himrto'his doom would bear witness that he had the best of
the game. Had we " ample room and scope enough," we would, with a

338

CHESS.

surpassing pleasure, — to ourself, at least, if not to our readers, — relate the
mode and manner of our own acquirement of the game. It was under the
tall and stately elms of Gray's-Inn Gardens where we first learnt to know
what check and check-mate meant. Many a night and oft have we, then
just emerging from our boyhood, glode forth through a private gateway
into that quiet place, and spreading our board upon the grass, played by
the light of a full summer-moon, until the world, and all that moved upon
it, except the kings, the queens, the knights, and those " stout men at
arms" on the pigmy field beneath us, were forgotten. Our tutor in the
game was a fellow-student of that science which grave professors teach in
all the inns of court. — " A world of waters " is now between us; — he be-
came a roamer, and is now, perhaps, while we are thinking of the night
when first we beat him, dreaming of that pigmy board beneath the elms
of those cool and shady gardens, though reposing, it may be, on a sandy

f)illow m the wilds of Afric ; the roar of the great river-horse his rude
uUaby, and the fearful Kaffers tracking his course : or, it may be, that he
is calculating moves on the summit of the Andes ; check-mating an Abyssi-
nian chief; or, having assumed the turban of the Moslems, is squatting in
a bower, and playing Chess, in outward appearance

'a ^urfe, tnitl) an 'arab.

^i}t (Eonjuvor :

LEGERDEMAIN ;
TRICKS WITH CARDS;
ARTIFICIAL FIREWORKS.

LEGERDEMAIN

Levviag, St len^b> tba cop and lan.
We magic learnt from tage Bretlaw,
tlocktoD, Katterfelto, Jonas,
Gyngcll, Mooii, I'rudhoe, and Comas i
Aa roujurors at once to prove lu,
\Vc vomit tire like Mount Ve«uviu«.

Circumstances of importance, after man has arrived at the age of
maturity, frequently make a much weaker impression on his memory
than the trifling occurrences of his youthful days. The latter engrave all
their little histories on the " tablet of the brain," and retain all their ori-
ginal distinctness, years and years after those which have subsequently
taken place are past away and forgotten,— or, at least, until they have lelt
Dut a dim and fust-fading record in the •' chamber of the mind." We
cannot, if our life depended on it, remember where we first saw the greatest
author of the day, — nor when, within three or four years, we first shook
the "great captani of the age" by the hand; but the memory of that mo-
ment, which revealed to our delighted young gaze the mountebank in all
his glory of grimace, is as fresh within us, nay, more so, than if it were
only a fruition of the last past hour. The recollection of an event, one
of the most weighty and influential, perhaps, of our whole life, which took

342 LEGERDEMAIN.

place some ten years ago, or thereabout, has almost departed from us;
we cannot, mentally, and without a blunder, con it over fact by fact in
regular order, as we often do the first exhibition of Legerdemsdn that we
ever witnessed; — we see only disjointed portions of it huddled confusedly
together — the shadow of the event, vague and indistinct as the morning
vapour, flits occasionally before our mind's eye, but the substance itself is
almost buried in oblivion; — while every feature of that seeming magician,
who swallowed fire — kept it alive and brilliant below the surface of water
— enacted other feats of apparent dominion over the elements, — caused
dumb figures to give proper answers to all sorts of questions, — padlocked
an urchin's cheek, — and in a hundred ways cheated our eyes, before we
had well worn out our second suit of boy's clothes, — is as well remembered,
as though we had never ceased to look upon him. He has long since been
d«ad, — his body is no more; but in an instant, we can conjure up his
image, as he stood before us, smiling contentedly, while bathing his hands
in molten lead! The very order of the wonders he performed has not yet
escaped us, and we doubt not, but that should we live to be grey-headed,
we shall ever be able to tell the colour of his eyes, — the precise position of
a mole which he had on his face, — the first, second, third, fourth, and so
on, up to the twentieth feat which he exhibited. He was an itinerant
quack doctor's Jack Pudding, — a mountebank, as we afterwards ascer-
tained; but, at that time, we had not the least idea of who or what he
could be. It was evident, to our unpractised eye, that he was not a mere
mortal; for, no man, as we thought, innocent as we were, could by any
possibility conjure a shilling, which we held fast in our hand, into one of
our little school-fellows' pockets, or make a haberdasher's shop of his
mouth, and draw from it dozens upon dozens of yards of ribbons of all
colours, and at the option of those around him; we could not conceive that
human flesh could withstand red-hot iron, or that any power short of
witchcraft could remove a thing from before our eyes, which were all the
time earnestly fixed on it, without our seeing its motion. What virtue
was there, we reasoned thus, in " Hiccius doctius!" when uttered by the
lips of another ? — But no sooner did he pronounce those mysterious words,
than money danced about as if it possessed life. Would " Crinkum Bovis,
Domine Jovis!" restore a chicken to life after its head was cut off, were
the phrase to come from any but him? — It was clearly impossible. What
could he be then? Certainly not a mere mortal; and if not — what was
he? Here we were as much involved and puzzled in conjecture, as a
grave philosopher upon some learned and abstruse problem. The feat
which mystified us most was this: — He apparently devoured a piece oJ
raw meat, and then actually, as it seemed to us, swallowed a quantity of
fire, as he said, to dress it — thus making his stomacli its own cook, and his
inside, a kitchen I

LEGERDEMAIN. 343

Remembering, as we do, the delight we felt at this, our first glance at
Legerdemain, and the pleasure which we afterwards derived on sundry
nccasions during the youthful period of our life, from similar, but still more
Mtonishing and scientific exhibitions, as well as the gratification it fre-
Ruently afforded us, when a boy, to play oft' certain feats of conjurmg,
which we had learnt from a highly-talented professor; and knowmg, as
we well do, that the youthful mind is, as ours once was, fond of this sort
of recreation, we shall bestow even moie than our usual pains in making
this article as rich and complete as can be consistent witn the nature of
our work. We think that it would be by no means rash in us to pledge
ourselves, that there is no superior treatise on Legerdemain to be obtained ;
it is true, that there are a few more bulky ones, but they contain so much
useless matter, and accounts of tricks which it is either impossible to per-
form at all, or, at any rate, by the rude, antiquated instructions which
they afford, that one half of them is useless. The following pages will, we
trust, be found to contain every thing that is valuable in tliis art, unen-
(Mirobered with dross. We have brought a tolerable share of knowledge
on this matter, to the preparation of " Feats of Legerdemain ;" we have
also gleaned the cream of several old and scarce works, and translated
many choice recreations from foreign publications on this subject Several
friendly contributions have been afforded to us; and what is of the greatest
value, we have been favoured with the assistance of some eminent and
highly popular professors of the art; so that, we are enabled to present to
our young readers a collection of conjuring tricks, which is at once copious
and select. Our object has been, not only to facilitate the acquisition of
such a variety of amusing feats, as will render him, who is enabled to
exhibit them, a parlour magician, but also to instruct our youn^ readers
in the mode of performing several master-pieces of Legerdemain, which
require considerable agility, and expensive apparatus, so that they may
understand the means of effecting the apparent wonders displayed by the

Eublic professors of the arL In addition to the Feats of Legerdemain, we
ave devoted several of our pages to descriptions of various Automata and
.^ndroides, which have been exhibited to the public. The Marionnettes,
or figures, whose motions are governed by strings, are too simple for a
lengthened notice ; it is true, that, among the ancients, they were deemed
of importance sufficient to be exhibited in their public shows, — but they are
now mere toys, of which every lad knows the construction ; for there are
tew who have not at one time or other possessed, played with, and dissected
a pasteboard harlequin, or a bleeding nun. An improvement has lately
been made on these juvenile Marionnettes, which, while we are on this
subject, is perhaps deserving of notice. The limbs, body, and head of a
comic figure, are drawn and coloured on a piece of paper, cut out, and
gummed separately to a piece of card of similar dimensions; they are theo

344 LEGERDEMAIN.

united by bits of thread, wiiich, acting as hinges, suffer them to phiy
loosely, and in various directions, when the body is moved. A piece of
dark twine is fastened, by its middle, to the back of the body ; the ends
are tied, by a boy, just below his two knees ; he sits, on a low stool, in a
dark place, with a light on the ground, a little in front of him — the specta-
tors standing at some distance from the light. By moving his knees
quickly to and from each other, a variety of grotesque motions is given to
the Marionnette, which dances, apparently, without assistance.

To render the recreations more easy of attainment, we have adopted a
plan of classification, so that they may be proceeded in gradually, from
the most simple tricks to those which are more complicated, and conse-
quently, more difficult. We doubt not, but that this part of the work will
be a favourite amusement with our readers, and that it will afford much
Innocent amusement during the long evenings of winter, around the com-
fortable parlour fire, to many a little social circle. Such is our end and
intent; and we assure those who amuse themselves, whether alone or in
society, with these Feats of Legerdemain, that they are indulging only in
what is often instructive, generally agreeable, and always innocent.

We must detain our readers from the practical instructions, to make
a few more observations, which are necessary, as well on our own behalf
as for their benefit. We wish it to be remembered, that in addition to
the matter contained under this title, many excellent scientific "recreations,
which will be accounted capital conjuring tricks, are to be found in the
preceding pages, among the Chemical, Arithmetical, Optical, and Mag-
netic Amusements, and elsewhere in the work ; where they are more
properly placed than they would be here ; and to these we take leave to
refer those who have an inclination to become " Magiciens de Society."
The Wonderful Sv^an, for instance, under the head of " Magnetic Amuse-
ments," was a favourite trick with the celebrated Breslaw, who used to
make it spell any person's name at command, by having the inside edge
of the basin, in which it floated, marked with the twenty-four letters ot
the alphabet. He had a powerful magnet concealed about his person, and
the swan, of course, followed his motions. Thus, if he wished the swan
to spell James, he would first move toward J, and the swan being attracted
by the magnet, would drive its bill aganist the letter ; he would then go to
A, and so on^ till the word was spelt. Breslaw was not a little discon-
certed one evening in the Haymarket. The late Sir Francis Blake Dela-
val, going to see his exhibition, took a magnet in his pocket, and facing
the performer on the opposite part of the table, the swan, between the two
attractive instruments, became fixed in the middle ; the artist, perceiving he
could not perform as usual, exclaimed, that there was some one in the roonr
in the secret, and who counteracted his intention. Sir Francis smiled,
shewed his magnet, and the trick became no longer wonderful.

LEGERDEMAIN. 345

TRICKS
EASY OP PERFORMANCE.

THE POISED PENNY.

Place a smooth card on the tip of the middle finger of your left hand^
and on it, nicely balanced, and with its centre exactly over your finger's
point, a penny-piece. Then, by a smart fillip with the middle finger of
your right hand, you may strike away the card from under the penny
leaving the latter poised on the tip of your finger. A very little practice
will enable you to do this trick without ever failing. The card must be
so carefully struck, as to drive it straight off the finger; if you fillip it
upward, it will, of course, take the penny with it. ( Vide cut.)

WATER BEWITCHED.

Pour some water into a plate, light a bit of loosely-crumpled paper
and throw it into a glass; then turn the glass upside down, with th«
burning paper in it, in the plate, and the water will gradually rise from
the plate uito the glass, until the latter becomes half full, so that the surface
of tlie water it contains is much higher than that of what is left in the
plate.

FIRE UNDER WATER.

Fasten a small bit of wood across the mouth of a glass, stick therein a
piece of candle lighted, and, with a steady hand, convey the mouth to the
surface of the water; then push it carefully down, and the candle will burn
under the water; you may even bring the candle up again lighted. In
the same manner, you may put a handkerchief, rolled tightly together,
and it will not be wet.

346 LEGERDEMAIN.

The prhicipal art in performing this trick, consists in the nicety of
bringing the mouth of the glass exactly level with the surface of thei^^a'ter;
for, if you put it in the least on one side, the water will rush in, and con-
sequently put out the candle, or, in the other case, wet the handkerchief;
so that, a nice eye and steady hand are necessarily requisite for this per-
ormance.

THE SENTINEL EGG.

Lay a looking glass upon an even table ; take a fresh egg, and shake it
for some time, so that the yolk may be broken and mixed up with the
white. You may then, with a steady hand, balance it on its point, and
make it stand on the glass. This it would be impossible to do while the
egg was in its natural state.

THE BRIDGE OF KNIVES.

To erect the bridge of knives, you must first place three glasses, or
small cups at the corners of a supposed triangle, and about the length of
one of the knives you use distant from
each other, upon a table, the floor, or any
even surface. Then take, three knives,
and arrange them upon the glasses in
the manner represented by the cut. The
blade of No. 1 (as you may perceive by
inspecting the engraving) goes over that
of No. 2, and the blade of No. 2 passes
across that of No. 3, which rests on that
of No. 1. The knives being placed in this position, their blades will sup-
port each other.

EATABLE CANDLE-ENDS.

Peel some large apples that are rather of a yellow tint ; cut several
pieces out of them in the shape of a candle-end, round, of course, at the
bottom, and square at the top ; in fact, as much as possible, like a candle
that has been burnt down within an inch or so. Then, cut some slips out
of the insides of sweet almonds, fashion them as much in the shape of
spermaceti wicks as you can, stick them into your mock candles, light
them for an instant, so as to make their tops black, blow them out again,
and they are ready for use. When you produce them, light them, ^the
almond will readily take fire, and flame for a few moments,) put them into
'your mouth, chew and swallow them one after another. This may well
be called the juggler's dessert.

LEGERDEMAIN. 347

y^ THE LITTLE FLOATING BEACON.

Fasten a piece of lead to the end of a candle which has been half burnt;
place it very gently in the water, so that it may find its proper equilibrium;
then light it, and it will burn to the end without sinking.

THE RINGS AND RIBBONS.

Take two pieces of ribbon, precisely alike in length, breadth, and
colour ; double each of them, separately, so that their ends meet ; then
tie tliem together very neatly, with a bit of silk of their own colour, by
the middle, or crease made in doubling tliem. This must all be done
beforehand. When you are going to exhibit the trick, pass some rings
on the doubled ribbons, and give the two ends of one ribbon to one person
10 hold, and the two ends of the other to another. Do not let them pull
hard, or the silk will break, and your trick be discovered by the rings tail-
ing on the ground, on account of the separation of the ribbons. Request
the two persons to approach each other, and take one end from each of
them, and without their perceiving it, return to each of them the end
which the other had previously held. By now giving the rings, which
appeared strung on the ribbons, a slight pull, you may break the silk, and
they will fall into your hand.

THE THUMB-STRING.

This is a very simple trick, but by performing it quickly, you may
surprize and puzzle a spectator very considerably. Wind a piece of string
round your thumb, thus: — Let one end of'n(aj
drop between the thumb and fore-finger of your
left hand; then wind the other part, which you
retain in your right hand, two or three times
round your thumb ; next, make a little loop (bj
with the same end, which hold between your
finger and thumb. Now let go the end, Ccj
and take hold of the end, ( aj which you must
have left about six or eight inches long, and you
may make a spectator fancy you pass it through
the loop, and take hold of it again, when so passed
through, in the twinkling of an eye. To increase the surprize, you may
make the loop as small as possible. This apparent piece of manual dex-
terity is performed by passing that end of the string marked a, as quickly
as possible round the top of the thumb, so as to come between the foie-
finger and thumb ; it will thus get into tie loop, and you will seem to havt
passed the end through it.

348 LEGERDEMAIX.

WINE UPON WATER.

Half fill a glass with water, throw a bit of the crumb of a loaf into it,
about the size of a nut, pour some wine lightly on the bread, and you will
see the water at the bottom of the glass, and the wine floating at the top
of it.

THE conjuror's joke.

Take a ball in each hand, and stretch your hands as far as you can,
one from the other ; then state that you will contrive to make both the
balls come into either hand, without bringing the hands near each other.
If any one dispute your power of doing this, you have no more to do,
than to lay one ball down upon the table, turn yourself, and take it up
with your other hand. Thus, both the balls will be in one of your hands,
without their approaching each other.

THE PERILOUS GOBLET.

To fill a glass with water, so that no one may touch it without spilling
all the water. — Fill a common wine-glass or goblet with water, and place
upon it a bit of paper, so as to cover the water and edge of the glass; put
the palm of your hand on the paper, and taking hold of the glass with the
other, suddenly invert it on a very smooth table, and gently draw out
the paper ; the water will remain suspended in the glass, and it will be
impossible to move the glass, without spilling all the water.

THE ENCHANTED COCK.

Bring a cook into a room with both your hands close to his wings, and
hold them tight ; put him on a table, and point his beak down as straight
as possible; then let any one draw a line, with a piece of chalk, directly
from its beak, and all the noise you can possibly make will not disturb
him, for some time, from the seeming lethargy, which that position you
have laid him in has effected.

TO LIGHT A CANDLE BY SMOKE.

When a candle is burnt so long as to leave a tolerably large wick, blow
it out ; a dense smoke, which is composed of hydrogen and carbon, will
immediately arise. Then, if another candle, or lighted taper, be applied
to the utmost verge of this smoke, a very strange phenomenon will take
place : the flame of the lighted candle will be conveyed to that just blown
out, as if it were borne on a cloudj,or, ratlier, it will seem like a mimic flash
of lightning proceeding at a slow rate.

LEGERDEMAIN.

349

THE WONDERFUL RE-ILLUMINATION.

After having exhibited the trick of lighting a candle by smoke, privately
ut a bit of paper between your fingers, and retire to one corner of the
room with a single candle, and pass the
hand, in which you hold the paper,
several times slowly over the candle,
until the paper takes fire; then immedi-
ately blow the candle out, and presently,
{)ass your hand over the snuff, and re-
ight it with the paper. You may then
crumple the paper, at the same time
extinguishing the flame, by squeezing it
suddenly, without burning yourself. If
this trick be performed dexterously, it is
a very good one. It is not necessary
for the performance of this trick that all
the other Ughts in the room should be
extinguished ; in fact, the trick is more liable to a discovery in a dark
room, than in one where the candles are burning, on account of the light
thrown out by the paper while it is burning, previous to the re-illumination.

TO SUSPEND A RING BY A BURNT THREAD.

The thread having been previously soaked two or three times in common
salt and water, tie it to a ring, not larger than a wedding ring. When
you apply the flame of a candle to it, though the thread burn to ashes, it
will yet sustain the ring.

THE ANIMATED SIXPENCE.

To make a sixpence leap out of a pot. — This is done by means of a
long black horse-hair, fastened to the rim of a sixpence, by a small hole
driven through it. This feat should be done by night, with a candle placed
between the spectators and the operator, their eyes being thereby hindered
from discerning the deception.

THE FASCINATED BIRD.

Take any bird, and lay it on a table ; then wave a small feather over
its eyes, and it will appear as dead, but taking the feather away, it will
revive again. Let it lay hold of the stem part of the feather, and it wili
twist and turn like a parrot; you may likewise roll it about, on the table,
just as you please.

350 LEGERDEMAIN.

TO LIFT A BOTTLE WITH A STRAW.

Take a straw, and having bent the thicker end of it in a sharp angle,
as in figure subjoined, put this curved end into the bottle, so that the bent
part may rest against its side ; you may
then take the other end and lift up the bottle
by it, without breaking the straw, and this
will be the more readily accomplished as the
angular part of the straw approaches nearer
to that which comes out of the bottle. It is
necessary, in order to succeed in this feat, to
be particularly careful in choosing a stout
straw, which is neither broken nor bruised ;
if it have been previously bent or damaged, it
is unfit for the purpose of performing this
trick, as it will be too weaK in the part so
bent, or damaged, to support the bottle.

THE MOVING PYRAMID.

Roll up a piece of paper, or other light substance, and privately put
into it any small insect, such as a lady-bird, or beetle ; then, as the crea-
ture will naturally endeavour to free itself from captivity,* it will move its
covering towards the edge of the table, and when it comes there, will
immediately return, for fear of falling ; and thus, by moving backward
and forward, will excite much diversion to those who are ignorant of the
cause.

THE PAPER FURNACE.

Enclose a bullet in paper, as smoothly as possible, and suspend it above
the flame of a lamp or candle ; you will soon see it begin to melt and fall,
drop by drop, through a hole which it will make in the paper; but the
paper, except the hole mentioned, will not be burnt. The art of perform-
ing this trick consists in using a smooth round bullet, and enclosing it in
the paper with but few folds or uneven places.

THE BOTTLE EJECTMENT.

Fill a small white glass bottle, with a very narrow neck, full of wine,
place it in a glass vase, which must previously have suflBcient water in it
to rise above the mouth of the bottle. Immediately, you will perceive the
wine rise, in the form of a little column, toward the surface of the water,
and the water will, in the mean time, begin to take the place of the wine
at the bottom of the bottle. The cause of this is, that the water is heavier
tiian the wine, which it displaces, and forces to rise toward the surface.

LEGERDEMAIN.

351

THE BALANCED STICK.

Procure a piece of deal about the length of your hand, half an inch
thick, and twice as broad; within a short distance of one end of this piece,

thrust in the points of the blades of
two penknives of equal weight, in
such a manner, that one of thena
may incline to one side, the second
to the other, as represented by the
cut in the margin. If its other ex-
tremity be placed on the tip of the
finger, the stick will keep itself up-
right without falling ; and if it be
made to incline, it will raise itself
again, and recover its former situ-
ation. This is a very pretty per-
formance, and, if properly managed,
cannot fail to excite some surprise
in the minds of those who behold it
for the first time, as the knives, instead of appearing to balance the stick,
which they in fact do, will rather appear to mcrease the difficulty of the
feat.

STORM AND CALM.

Pour water into a glass until it is nearly three parts full ; then almost
fill it up with oil ; but, be sure to leave a Httle space between the oil and
the top of the glass. Tie a bit of string round the glass, and fasten the
two ends of another piece of string to it, one on each side, so that, when
vou take hold of the middle of it to \\(t up the glziss, it may be about a foot
from your hand. Now swing the glass to and fro, and the oil will be
smooth and unruffled, while the surface of the water beneath it will be
violently agitated.

THE TRAVELLING EGG.

Take a goose's egg, and, after openmg and cleansmg it, put a bat into
the shell ; glue it fast on the top, and the bat will cause the egg to move
about in a manner that will excite much astonishment.

THE DOUBLED COIN.

Half fill a glass of water, and put a shilling or a sixpence into it ; cover
the glass with a plate, upon which, place one hand, while you hold the
glass with the other ; turn the glass upside down, so that none uf the water
may escape ; place it on a table, and you will see the coin., at the bottom,
larger than it i;i in reality, and another will appear, of the natural size, a
Httle above iu

352

LEGERDEMAIN.

THE TOPER S TRIPOD.

A trick similar to the Bridge of Knives may be performed by three
tobacco-pipes, in the following manner : — Procure three common tobacco-
pipes ; place the hollow part of
the bowl of one of them on the
table, as No. 1, and let its stem
be supported by another, placed
at No. 2 ; then put the other pipe
across Nos. 1 and 2, (as No. 3,)
so that its bowl end may sup-
port the stem of No. 2, and its
own stem rest on the bowl end
of No. 3. This little tripod,
although constructed of such
brittle materials, will, if carefully
put together, support a jug ot
foaming October. When used to shew that it will support a weight, ihe
three bowls should be brought considerably closer together than as repre-
sented in the marginal cut, so that the bottom of the jug may rest upon
all three of the stems.

THE KNOTTED THREAD.

Consideraole amusement, not unmixed with wonder, may be occasioned
among a party of ladies, by a clever performance of this trick. It is most
frequently performed by a female, but the effect of it is considerably in-
creased when it is displayed by a boy. A piece ofcaUco, muslin, or linen,
is taken in the left hand, a needle is threaded in the presence of the spec-
tators, and the usual, or even a double or treble knot made at the extremity
of one of the encis of it. The operator commences his work by drawing
the needle and the thread in it quite through the linen, notwithstanding
the knot, and continues to make several stitches in like manner successively.
The mode of performing this seeming wonder, is as follows: a bit of
thread, about a quarter of a yard long, is turned once round the top of the
middle finger of the right hand, upon which a thimble is then placed to keep
it secure. This must be done privately and the thread kept concealed, while
a needle is threaded with a bit of thread of a similar length. The thread
in the needle must have one of its ends drawn up nearly close, and be
concealed between the fore-finger and thumb ; the other should hang down
nearly as long as, and by the side of the thread, which is fastened under
the thimble, so that these two may appear to be the two ends of the thread.
The end of the piece that is fastened under the thimble is then knotted,
and the performer begins to sew, by moving his hand quickly after he has
taken up the stitch. It will appear as though he actually passed the knotted
thread through the cloth.

LEGERDEMAIN.

;jo3

FEATS REQUIRING SPECIAL APPARATUS.

The following Feats of Legerdemain require special apparatus for their
performance.

THE BOTTLE IMPS.

Get three little hollow figures of glass, an inch and a half high, repre-
senting imps, or Harlequin, Columbine, and Pantaloon, which may be
obuined at the glass-blowers, with a small hole in each of their legs.
Immerge them into water contained in a glass bottle, which should be
about nfteen inches high, and covered with a bladder tied fast over the
top. A small quantity of air must be left between the bladder and the
surface of the water. When you think fit to command the figures to go
down, press your hand hard upon the top, and they will immediately sink;
when you would have them rise to the top, take your hand away, and
thev will float up. By these means, you may make them dance in the
middle of the glass at your pleasure. ( Vide cut, above.)

THE BIRD IN THE BOX.

Get a box made with a false lid, on which glue some bird-seed ; pri-
Tately put a bird into it, under the false lid; then show it, and it will seem
to be full of seed. Put on the true lid, and say,—" I will command all the
teed out of this box, and order a living bird to appear."' Then, lake off
the covers together, and the bird will be seen.

351

legekpkmajn

THE PRANCING DRAGOON.

("iii: out the figure of a Dragoon, mounted, in wood; let the horse be in
a prancing position : put the hind
legs on the edge of a table, and it
will, of course, fall off; but you can
prevent it from so doing, by adding
to its weight. For tliis purpose,
you must have a little hole made in
the centre of its belly, into which
run one end of a piece of wire, so
bent backward, that the other end
of it, to which a weight is fixed,
may be under the table. The
Dragoon will not only stand safe,
but you may put him in motion,
and he will prance up and down,
without there being the least danger
of his falling. The wire should be
considerably longer in proportion
to the size of the horse than is re-
presented in the engraving in the
margin, if you wish the figure to
come much below the edge of the table when prancing. If it be no longer
than that shewn in the cut, the horse's fore-legs can only descend to a
distance equal to that betvveen the weight at the end of the wire, and the
bottom of the table on which the figure is set. In fact, the Dragoon may
be made to descend lower, and rise higher, in proportion to the length of
the wire, if it be properly curved and fixed in the figure.

THE MULTIPLYING MIRROR.

This feat must be performed with a looking-glass made on purpose
the manner of making it is this : — First, make a hoop, or fillet of wood or
horn, about the size of a half-crown piece in circumference, and about a
quarter of an inch in thickness. In the middle, fasten a bottom of wood
or brass, and bor»in it several small holes, about the size of peas ; then
open one side of this bottom, set in a piece of crystal -glass, and fasten it
in the hoop close to the bottom. Take a quantity of quicksilver, and put
as much into the hoop as will cover the bottom; then let into it another
piece of crystal-glass, fitted to it ; cement the sides, that the quicksilver
may not run out, and the apparatus is complete. One side will reflect the
beholder's face as a common looking-glass ; in the other it will be multi-
plied according to the number of holes in the wood or brass.

LEOERDEMAIN.

355

THE BOWING BEAU.

Make a figure, resembling a man, of any substance, exceedingly light,
such as the pith of tiie alder tree, which is
soft, and can easily be cut into any form :
then provide for it an hemispherical base, of
some very heavy substance, such as the half
of a leaden bullet, made very smooth on the
convex part. Cement the figure to the plane
part of the hemisphere; and, in whatever
position it is placed, when left to itself, it will
rise upright. In this manner were con-
structed those small figures, called Prussians,
sold at Paris : they were formed into battalions,
and being made to fall down, by drawing a
rod over them, they immediately started up
again as soon as it was removed. We think,
that the figure of a beau, or master of the
ceremonies, is much more appropriate for this
trick, than that of a soldier ; as the latter
seldom bows, while, by the former, tlie most

Profound inclinations are often pertormed
a succession of bows may be produced.

THE MYSTERIOUS BOTTLE.

Pierce a few holes, with a glaziers' diamond, in a common black bottle ;
place it in a vase or jug of water, so that the neck only is above the sur-
face. Then, with a funnel, fill the bottle, and cork it well, while it is in
the jug or vase. Take it out, and, notwithstanding the holes in the bottom,
it will not leak; wipe it dry, and give it to some person to uncork. The
moment the cork is drawn,' to the party's astonishment, the water will be-
gin to run out of the bottom of the bottle.

THE BOOLE BODKi.N.

Take a hollow bodkin, (or, if you prefer it, a dagger,; so mat the blade
may slip into the handle as soon as tiie point is held upward. Seem to
thrust it into your forehead, (or, if a dagger, into your bosom.) then, after
shewing some appearance of pain, pull away your hand suddenly, holding
the point downward, and it will tall out, and appear not to have been
thrust into the haft ; but, immediately afterward, throw the bodkin, or
dagger, into your lap or pocket, and pull out another plain one like it,
which will completely deceive the specutors.
z2

356

LEGERDEMAIT^.

THE wizard's chariot.

This trick will call your mechanical abilities into play. First, get a
piece of board, planed quite smooth; fasten a cross-piece under it, to sup-
port it in the position in-
dicated by the cut. At the
upper edge of the slanted
piece, fix two little pulleys,
the use of which may, at a
glance, be seen by the en-
graving. Next, construct
two little coaches, carts,
or classical triumphal cha-
riots ; let the wheels of one
of them be considerably
larger than those of the
other ; they must, however,
be precisely the same
weight, or, if not, you must
load one with shot to make
it equal, in this respect, to
the other. Do your v/ork
so neatly, that the wheels
of each may run equally well on their respective axles. Next provide two
tumps of lead, which must tally with each other to a scruple, and be suf-
ficiently heavy to pull the chariots up the plane. Fix a piece of thread to
the front of each of the chariots; pass these threads through the pulleys,
and fasten one of your weights to each of them. The threads, be it re-
iTiarked, should be long enough only to reach from the chariots, when
placed at the foot of the inclined board, through the pulleys to the leads ;
and the board should be so inclined, that the distance from the pulleys to
the ground be precisely the same as that of the chariots to the pulleys.
Your apparatus being thus ready, weigh the chariots together, and after-
ward tiie leads in the presence of the spectators, that they may be satis-
fied they are equal, and let them inspect your apparatus, to see that all is
fair : then start your chariots, and, notwithstanding the equality of thei.
weights, and the'equality of those of the leads, one of them will consider-
ably outstrip the other; the chariot with the highest wheels will always be
the winner of the race. This mechanical truth is unknown to many, anc
may, if properly managed, produce much surprise.

LEGERDEMAIN.

357

'i^ll^a^jT-y

FEATS REQUIRING MANUAL DEXTERITY.

Some of the tricks contained in this, and the next following division of
the CoNJiJROR, require such manual dexterity as can onlv be acquired by
considerable practice ; others of them may be performed with ease, after
^ing through them half-a-dozen timej ; and to these, perhaps, the young
performer had better restrict himself

THE SIMPLE DECEPTION.

Stick a little wax upon your thumb, take a by-stander by the fingers,
shew him a sixpence, and tell him you will put the same into his hand ;
then wring it down hard with your waxed thumb, and, using many words,
look him in the face ; suddenly take away your thumb, and the coin will
adhere to it ; then close his hand, and it will seem to him that the sixpence
remains ; now tell him to open his hand, and, if you perform the feat
cleverly, to his great astonishment, he will Bnd nothing in it. ( \'ide ru/,
above.)

THE WONDERIUL VAPERS.

On each side of a Uble-knife, olace, in the presence of your company,
three wafers. Take the knife by the handle, and turn it over two or three
umes, to shew that the wafers are all on. Desire some person to take off
one water from one side of tlie blade ; turn the knife two or three time.-.
again, and there will appear only two wafers on each side; remove another
wa'er, turn the knife as before, and there will appear only one wafer on
i-ach side ; lake the third wafer away, tuni the knife as before twice or
thrice, and there will appear to be no water on either side. After z
momentary pause, turn tne knife again two or three times, and three
waieri will' appear on each side.

358 LEGERDEMAIN.

The secret of this capital trick consists in using wafers of the same
size and colour, and turning the knife, so that the same side is constantly
presented to the view, and the wafers are taken off that side, one by one.
The three wafers will thus remain untouched on the other side, so that
when you have first made it appear that there are no wafers on either side,
you may, apparently, shew three on each, by the same means. — The way
to turn the knife is as follows : when you lift it up, turn it in your hand,
with your finger and thumb, completely round, until the side that was
uppermost when you lifted it, come uppermost again. This is done in an
instant, and is not perceptible, if adroitly managed.

THE HALF-CROWN UPHELD.

Privately cut the rim of the edge which is raised to protect the face of
a half-crown, so that a little bit of the silver may stick up ; take the coin
in your right hand, and by pressing it with your thumb against a door or
wamscot, the bit that sticks up will enter the wood, and thus support the
half-crown.

THE COUNTER CHANGED.

Take two papers, three inches square each, divided into two folds, of
three equal parts on each side, so as each folded paper remain one inch
square ; then glue the back part of the two together, as they are folded,
and not as they are opened, so that both papers seem to be but one, and
which side soever you open, it may appear to be the same ; if you have a
sixpence in one hand, and a counter in the other, shew one, and you may,
by turning the paper, seem to change it.

THE CUT LACE JOINED.

Conceal a piece of lace in your hand ; then produce another piece of
the same pattern ; double the latter, and put the fold between your fore-
finger and thumb, with the piece which you have previously concealed,
doubled in the same manner ; pull out a little of the latter, so as to make
a loop, and desire one of the company to cut it asunder. If you have con-
veyed the concealed piece of lace, so dexterously as to be undetected, with
the other between your thumb and fore-finger, the spectators will, natu-
rally enough, think you have really cut the latter; which you may seem
to make whole again, while repeating some conjuring words, and putting
iway the two ends of the piece that is a ?tually cut.

PHILOSOPHY CHEATED.

This feat is really an excellent one, and has astonished crowds of spec-
tators in London, and different parts of the United Kingdom. It was one
of the favourites of a late popular professor, and is now first promulgated.

LEGERDEMAIN. 359

Before you perform it in public, you must practise it, until you are quite
perfect/ in private, for it would be a pity to spoil its effect by making a
blunder in iL Bepin by staling very seriously, what is a well-known fact,
that, if a bucket full ot' water be hurled round his head by a man, who is
sufSciently strong, none of the water will fallout. If this be at all dis-
credited, be prepared not only to support your assertion, but to carry the
point i'till further, by placing a tumbler full of any liquid in the inside
of a broad hoop, which you hold in your hand by a small piece of string
fixed to it, and twirling it round at your side. If you do this with velocity
although the tumbler, in the circles made by the noop, is frequently quite
bottom upward, it will neither fall from the hoop, nor will any of the
water be spilt. To do this, however, requires even more practice than the
trick which it prefaces ; a-s although there is no difficulty in it while the
hoop is in rapid motion, yet there is some danger until you are rendered
expert by practice, of tlie tumbler's falling, when you begin to put the
hoop in motion, and when you wish to stop it. If, therefore, you are not
perfectly capable of doing it, state the fact only, which some or otJior cf
vour auditors will most probably support, as it is pretty generally known.
Vou now go on to say, that the air, under the water in the glass, when
it is topsy-turvy, keeps it in ; and that, upon the same principle, if you
can turn your hand, upon which you place a piece of thin wood, (about
one inch broad, and six inches long,) sufficiently quick, although the
back be uppermost, the air will actually keep the wood up against the
paJm of your hand, without any support This they will be readily
inclined to believe ; the more philosophi-
cal the party is, the more easy may you
lead them to credit your assertion. They
will, however, doubt your being possessed
of sufficient manual dexterity to perform it
quick enough.

We must now tell you how it is to be
done : — Lay the piece of wood across the
palm of your left hand, which keep wide
open, with the thumb and all the fingers
far apart, lest you be siispected of support-
ing tlie wood with them. Next, take your
left wrist in your riglit hand, and grasp it
tightly, for the purpose, as you state, ot
giving the hand more steadiness. Now,
suddenly turn the back of your left hand uppermost, and as your wrisf
moves in your right hand, stretch out the fore-finger of your right hand,
and as soon as the wood comes undermost, support it >*ith sucli fore-fmgrr.
Vou may now shake the hand, and, afler a moment or two, suffer the wood

360

LEGERDEMAIN.

to drop. It is two to one but the spectators will admit it to be produced
by the action of the air, as you had previously stated, and try to do ir
themselves ; but, of course, they must, unless you have performed the feai
so awkwardly as to be discovered, fail in its performance. If you have no
objection to reveal the secret, you can do it again,
and, while they are gravely philosophising upon
it, suddenly lift up your hand, {vide cut,) and
expose the trick. This will, doubtless; create
much amusement. Observg that, ir doing this
feat, you must keep your fingers so low, that no
one can see the palm of your left hand ; and
move your finger so carefully, that its action m<*y
not be detected; and if it be not, you may rest
satisfied that its absence from round the wrist of
the left hand will not be discovered, some of the
fingers being naturally supposed to be under the
coat ; so that, if the spectators only see two or
even one, they will imagine the others are be-
neath the cufF. There is one other observation
necessary before we conclude ; it is this : when
you have turned your hand over, do pot keep the
stick too long upheld, lest the spectators should take hold of your hands,
ind discover the trick; before their astonishment has ceased, adroitly
remove your fore-finger, and suffer the stick to fall to the ground.

THE RESTORED THREAD.

Take two pieces of thread, of one foot in length each ; roll one of them
round, like a small pea, which put between your left fore-finger and
thuiTib. Now, hold the other out at length, between the fore-finger and
thumb of each hand ; then let some one cut the same asunder in the
middle; when that is done, put the tops of your two thumbs together, so
that you may, with less suspicion, receive tlie thread which you hold in
your right hand into your left, without opening your left finger and thumb.
Then, holding these two pieces as you did before, let them be cut asunder
in the middle also, and conveyed again as before, until they be very short ;
then roll all the ends together, and keep that ball of thread before the
other in the left hand, and, with a knife, thrust the same into a candle,
where you may hold it until it be burnt to ashes ; pull back the knife with
your right hand, and leave the ashes, with the other ball, betwixt your
fore-finger and thumb of your left hand, and with the two thumbs and
fore-fingers together, rub the ashes, and, at length, draw out that thread
which has been all this time betwixt your fore-finger and thumb.

LEGERDEMAIN.

361

FEATS

OF MANUAL DEXTERITY, OR CONFKDERACy, WITH SPECIAL
APPARATUS.

We now proceed to a more complicated set of Feats of Legerdemain,
which require not only conjuring apparatus, but considerable sleight of
hand, to execute ihem.

THE LOCKED JAW.

A lock is made for the purpose, similar to the cut ; that side of its bow
marked A, must be fixed; the other, B, must be pinned to the body of the
lock, at E ; so that it may play to and fro with
ease. This side of the how should have a leg,
with two notches filed on the inner side of it, whicn
must be so contrived, that one may lock or hold
the two sides of the bow as close together as pos-
sible, and tlje other notch hold them a proportion-
able distance asunder, so that when lucked upon
the cheek, they may neither pinch too hard nor yet
hold it so slightly that it may be drawn off. Let
there be a key, 1), to it : and, lastly, let the bow
have several notches filed in it, so that the place
of the partition, when the lock is shut, may not be
suspected. You must get a person to hold a shilling between his teeth ;
.hen uke another, and, witn your left hand, offer to set it ed^re-wise
•etween a second persou'b teetli. pretendint^ that youj intent is lo turn both

362 LEGERDrMAIN.

into which of their mouths they please. This will afiurd you a fair oppor-
tunity of putting on your lock.

THE LONG PUDDING.

The following is a famous feat among those mountebanks who travel
the country with quack doctors : it is delineated in the tail piece to this
part of our work. This pudding must be made of twelve or thirteen little
tin hoops, so as to fall one through another, and little holes should be
made at the biggest end, so that it may not hurt your mouth: hold it
privately in your left hand, with the whole end uppermost, and, with your
right hand, take a ball out of your pocket, and say, " If there be any old
lady that is out of conceit with herself, because her neighbours deem her
not so young as she would be thought, let her come to me, for this ball is
a certain remedy;" then seem to put the ball into your left hand, but let
it slip into your lap, and clap your pudding into your mouth, which will
be thought to be the ball that you shewed them ; then decline your head,
open your mouth, and the pudding will slip down at its full length ; with
your right hand, you may strike it into your mouth again : after having
done this three or four times, you may discharge it into your hand, and
put it into your pocket without any suspicion, by making three or four wry
faces after it, as though it had been too large for your throat.

THE EGG-BOX.

The egg-box is made in the shape of two bee- hives, placed together,
as A : the inner shell, B, is covered with half the shell of a real egg;
the upper shell, C, is of the same shape, but larger, being, in fact, the lid
or upper part of the box, of which D is the lower. Place C, which is the
outward shell, upon B, and both upon D, which arrangement puts all in
readiness for the performance of the trick. Now call for an egg, and bid
all the bystanders look at it, to see that it is a real one. Then take off the
upper part, B C, with your fore-finger
and thumb, and, placing the egg in the
box, say, " Ladies and gentlemen, you
see it fairly in the box ;" and, uncover-
ing it again, say, " You shall see me
fairly take it out ;" putting it into your
pocket in their sight. Now open your
box again, and say, " There's nothing ;"
close your hand about the middle of
the box, and taking C off without B, say, " There is the egg again ;"
which will appear to the spectators to be the same that you put in your
pocket; then, put C on again, and taking C, together with the inner shell,
B off aeain, say, " It is gone again ;" and such will appear to be the fact

LEGERDEMAIN. 363

THE FLIGHT OF THE RINO.

You may cause a ring to shift from one hand to another, and make it
po on any finger required on the other hand, wliile somebody holds both
your arms, in order to prevent communication between them, by attending
to these instructions : — Desire some lady in company to lend you a gold
ring, recommending her, at the same time, to make a mark on it, that she
may know it again. Have a gold ring of your own, which fasten by a
small piece of catgut-string to a watch-barrel, and sew it to the left sleeve
of your coat. Take the nng that is given you in your right hand ; then
putting, with dexterity, the other ring fastened to the watch-barrel, near
the entrance of your sleeve, draw it privately to the fingers' ends of your
left hand. During this operation, hide the ring that has been lent to you
between the fingers of your riglit hand, and fasten it dexterously on a little
hook, sewed for the purpose, on your waistcoat, and hidden by your coat.
After that, shew your ring, which hold in your left hand ; then ask the
company on which finger of the other hand tliey wish it to pass. During
this interval, and as soon as the answer has been given, put the before-
inentioned finger on the Httle hook, in order to slip the ring on it ; at that
moment let go the other ring, by opening your fingers. The spring which
is in the watch-barrel, being confined no longer, will contract, and make
the ring slip under the sleeve, without any body perceiving it, not even
those who hold your arms ; as their attention will be occupied to prevent
your hands from communicating. After this operation, shew the assembly
that the ring is come on the other hand ; and make them remark that it is
the same that had been lent to you, or that the mark is right Much
dexterity must be made use of to succeed in this entertaining trick, that
the deception may not be suspected.

THE DEMI-AMPUTATION.

Provide yourself with two knives, a true and false one, fvtde cut,) and
when you shew this feat, put the
true knife into your pocket, and,
taking out the false one, place it on
your wrist undiscovered; then ex-
hibit it, and you will appear to have neariy severed your arm.

THE DOt'BI.F. FUNNEL.

Get two funnels soldered one within the other, so as to appear like one
pour a little wine into the smaller end of the outside funnel, turn it up, and
keep the wine in by placing vour thumb at the bott< m of the funnel,
this must be done privately, 'f hen pour some more wine info the broad
part of the machine, drink it ofi completely ; turn the broad end of the
runnel downward, to'#hew that all is gone ; and instantly turning yourself
about, pronounce some mystic terms ; then withdraw your finger from the
narrow end, so as to let the wine between the funnels r\in out.

864

LEGERDEMAIN.

THE GLOBE BOX.

This trick is not inferior to the best that is shewn with boxes. It is done
ith a box made of four pieces, and a ball as big as may conveniently be
contained therein ; the ball serves, as
the egg does in the egg-box, only to
deceive the hand and eye of the spec-
tators. This ball, made of wood, or
ivory, is thrown out of the box upon
the table, for every one to see that it is
substantial ; then put the ball into the
boy, which close up with all the pieces
one within another; remove the upper
shell with your fore-finger and thumb,
and there will appear another of a dif-
ferent colour, red, blue, yellow, or any
other colour you may fancy ; this will
seem to be another ball, though, in fact,
it is no more than a shell of wood,
ingeniously turned, and fitted to the
box, as you may perceive by the cuts
in the margin. L is the outer shell of
the globe, taken off the figure M, the
top of which represents the ball ; N, is
an inner shell ; O, the cover of the
same ; P, another inner shell ; Q, the
cover of the same ; R, a third shell ; S,
that which covers it. These globes may be made with more or less va-
rieties, according to the desire of the practitioner.

THE MUTILATED HANDKERCHIEF RESTORED.

This feat, strange as it appears, is very simple ; the performer iimst have
a confederate, who has two handkerchiefs of the same quality, and with the
same mark, one of which he throws upon the table, to perform the feat
with. The performer takes care to put this handkerchief uppermost in
making a bundle, though he affects to mix them together promiscuously.
The person, whom he desires to draw one of the handkerchiefs, naturally
takes that which comes first to hand. The performer then desires to shaks
ihem again to embellish the operation ; but, in so doing, takes care to bring
the right handkerchief uppermost, and carefully fixes upon some simpleton
fo draw ; and if he find the person is not likely to take the first that comes
to hand, he prevents him from drawing by 'fixing' upon another, under
pretence of his having a more sagacious look. When the handkerchief is
torn, and carefully folded up, i» js put under a glass upon a table placed

LEGERDEMAIN. 305

near a partition. On that part of the table on which the handkerchief a-
deposited, is a little trap, whicl) opens and lets it fall into a drawer. The
confederate, concealed behind the curtain, passes hi. hand under the table,
opens the trap, and substittucs ihe second handkerchief for the first. He
then shuts the trap, which so exactly fits the hole it closes, as to drceirc
the eyes of i!ie most incredulous. If the perl'ornier be not possessed of such
a table, he nuist have a second handkerchief in Ills pocket, and change ii
by sleight of hand.

THE HATCHED BIRD.

Separate an egg in the middle, as neatly as possible; empty it, and then,
with a fine piece of paper and a little glue, join the two haJves together,
having first put a live canary bird inside it, which will continue unhurt in
it for some imie, provided you make a small pin-hole in the shell to supph/
the bird with air: have, also, a whole egg in readiness. Present the two
eggs for one to be chosen ; put the egg, w hich contains the bird, next to
the person who is to choose, and, for this purpose, be sure to select a lady :
she naturally chooses the nearest to her, because, having no idea of the
trick to be performed, there is no apparent reason to take the further one :
at any rate, if the wrong one be taken, you do not fail in the trick, for you
break the egg. and say — " You see that this egg is fair and fresh, madam :
so you would have found the other, if you had chosen it. Now, do you
rhoose to find in it a mouse, or a canary-bird?" She naturally declares
for the bird; nevertheless, if she ask for the mouse, there are means to
escape : you ask the same question of several ladies, and gather the majority
nf votes.whirh, in all probability, will be in favour of the bird, which yoii
then produce.

THE FIRE AND WINt! BOTTLE.

Get a tin bottle made with a tube nearly as big as its neck, passing
from the bottom of the neck to the bottom of the bottle, in which there
must be a hole of a size to correspond with it. Between the tube and the
neck of the bottle, let there be sufficient space to allow you to pour in some
will' i. remain in the bottle outside the tube. Begin the trick by

poi. of wine out of the bottle; then place it on the tible, over

a CO. -.- ..Ac, through which the confederate will thrust a burning

fusee into the tube, so that, at your command, fire is emitted from the
mouth of the bottle. As soon as the fire is extinguished, or withdrawn,
you can take up the bottle again, and pour out more wine.

THE PENETRATIVE SHILLING.

Provide a round tin box, of the size of a large snuff-box, and likewije
eight other boxes, which will go ea^iily into each other, and let the least ol

366 LEGERDEMAIN.

them be of a size to hold a shilling. Each of these boxes should shut with
a hinge, and to the least of them there must be a small lock, fastened with
a spring, but which cannot be opened without a key ; and observe, that
all these boxes must shut so freely, that they may all be closed at once.
Place these boxes in each other, with their tops open, in your pocket : then
ask a person for a shilling, and desire him to mark it, that it may not be
changed : take this piece in one hand, and in the other have another of
the same appearance, and, putting your hand in your pocket, you slip the
piece that is marked into the least box, and, shutting them all at once, you
take them out : then, shewing the piece you have in your hand, and which
the company suppose to be the same that was marked, you pretend to make
it pass through the box, but,<lexterously convey it away. You then pre-
sent the box, for the spectators do not know yet that there are more than
one, to any person in company, who, when he opens it, finds another, and
another, till he come to the last, but that he cannot open without the key,
which you then give him ; and, retiring to a distant part of the room, you
tell him to take out the shilling himself, and see if it be the one marked.
This trick may be made more surprising by putting the key into the snuff-
box of one of the company; which you may do by asking for a pinch of
snuff; the key, being very small, will lie concejJed among the snuff:
when the person, who opens the boxes, asks for the key, tell him that one
of his friends has it in his snuff-box.

THE MONEY BOX.

A piece of money, or a ring, is put into a box, in the presence of a
person who holds it ; the operator stands at a distance, and bids him
shake the box gently, and the piece is heard to rattle inside ; he is desired
again to shake it, and then it is not heard to rattle ; the third time, it is
again heard, but the fourth time it is gone, and is found in the shoe ol
one of the company.

The box must be made on purpose, in such a manner that, in shaking
it gently up and down, the piece within is heard ; on the contrary, shaking

t hard, horizontally, a Uttle spring, which falls on the piece, prevents ii
from being heard, which makes you imagine it is not within. He who
performs the trick, then touches the box, under pretence of shewing how
to shake it, and, although it is locked, he easily gets out the piece by
means of a secret opening, availing himself of that minute to put in a
false piece, and to leave the box with the same person, whom he causes to
believe that the piece is or is not within, according to the manner the box
is shaken: at length, the original piece is found in the shoe of one of the
company, either by means of the person being in confederacy, and having
a similar piece, or by sending another to slip it on the floor : in this last

tse, it is found on the floor, and the person fixed on is persuaded that it
•cU from his shoe as he was taking it off.

LEGERDEMAIN. 307

i^l^>S.

FEATS REQUIRING CHEMICAL AID.

In U«s class are some of the most curious of the performances which
we have selected for our article on Legerdemain : we snail commence them
with a notice of the exhibition of the Fire-eaters, and the means said to
be used by those persons to render themselves incombustible, or rather,
insensible to the action of fire. In olden times, it was a custom to ascer-
tain the guilt or innocence of accused parties, by making them walk
blindfold over a place upon which red-hot plough-shares were previously
strewed ( Vide cut). If they did not bi-rn themselves, they were acquitted,
but if otherwise, executed. Were the following secrets then known, the
fiery ordeal might, indeed, be well defied.

THE SALAMANDrR

An experiment to ascertain the degree of heat it is possible for a man
to bear, waa made in the month of July, 1828, at the New Tivoli, at Paris,
in the presence of a company of about two hundred persons, amongst
whom were many professors, sorans, and physiologists, who had been
especially invited to attend, by the physician Roberuon, director of that
establishment The man on whom this experiment was made was a Spaniard
of Andalusia, named Martenez, aged forty-three. A cylindrical oven,
constructed in the shape of a dome, had been heated, for four hours, by a
very powerful fire. At ten minutes past eight, the Spaniard, having on
large pantaloons of red flannel, a thiclc cloak, also of flannel, and a large
felt, after the fashion of a straw hat, went into the oven, where he remained,
seated on a foot-«toolt during fourteen minutes, exposed to a heat of fi'om

368 LEGERDEMAIN.

forty-five to fifty degrees of a metallic thermometer, the gradation of
which did not go higher than fifty. He sang a Spanish song while a fowl
was roasted by his side. At his coming out of the oven, the physicians
ibund that his pulse beat one hundred and thirty-four pulsations a minute,
though it was but seventy-two at his going in. The oven being heated
anew for a second experiment, the Spaniard re-entered and seated him-
self in the same attitude, at three-quarters past eight, ate the fowl and
drank a bottl-e of wine to the health of the spectators. At coming out his
pulse was a hundred and seventy-six, and indicated a heat of one hundred
and ten degrees of Reaumur. Finally, for the third and last experiment,
which almost immediately followed the second, he was stretched on a
plank, surrounded with lighted candles, and thus put into the oven, the
mouth of which was this time closed : he was there nearly five minutes,
when all the spectators cried out " Enough, enough !" and anxiously hast-
ened to take him out. A noxious and suffocating vapour of tallow filled
the inside of the oven, and all the candles were extinguished and melted
The Spaniard, whose pulse was two hundred at coming out of this gulf of
heat, imn\ediately threw himself into a cold bath, and, in two or three
minutes after, was on his feet, safe and sound.

About the year 1809, one Lionetto, also a Spaniard, astonished not only
the ignorant, but chemists and other men of science, in France, Germany,
Italy, and England, by his insensibility to the power of fire; He handled,
with impunity, red hot iron and molten lead, drank boiling oil, and per-
formed other feats equally miraculous. While he was at Naples, he
attracted the notice of Professor Sementeni, who narrowly watched all his
operations, and endeavoured to discover his secret. He observed, in the
first place, that when Lionetto applied a piece of red hot iron to his hair,
dense fumes immediately rose from it; that when he touched his foot
with the iron, similar vapours ascended, which affected both the organs of
sight and smell. He also saw him place a rod of iron, nearly red hot,
between his teeth, without burning himself; drink the third of a table-
spoonful of boiling oil ; and taking up molten lead with his fingers, place it
on his tongue without apparent inconvenience.

Anxious to discover the means used by Lionetto to render himself
capable of thus enduring the application of heat, Sementeni performed
several experiments upon himself, and made many important discoveries.
He found, that by friction with sulphuric acid diluted with water, the skin
might be made ineensible to the 'action of the heat of red-hot iron: a
solution of alum, evaporated until it became spongy, appeared to be more
effectual in these frictions. After having rubbed the parts, which were
thus rendered, in some degree, incombustible, with hard soap, he discovered,
on the application of hot iron, that their insensibility was increased. He
then determined on tgain rubbing the parts with soap, and after thist

LKGI.RDKMAIN. t^G9

found Uiat the hot iron not only occasioned no pain, but that it actually
did not burn the hair. Ueiiig thus far satisfied, the Professor applied hard
soap to his tongue, until it l>ecainc insensible to the heat of the iron; and
after having placed an ointment, composed of soap mixed with a solution
of alum, upon it, boiling oil did not burn it: while the oil remained on the
tongue a slight hissing was heard, similar to that of hot iron when thrust
into water; the oil soon cooled, and might then be swallowed without
danger.

These are stated to be the results of the experiments performed by
Professor Sementcni, and they tend to explain the astonishing perfonnanccs
of Lionetto. It is evident that he prepared his tongue and his skin in a
similar manner, previously to his exhibitions. With regard to his passing
the hot plate of iron over his hair, it seems pretty evident that the latter
was first saturated with a solution similar to that of the alum or sulphuric
acid. His swallowing the boiling oil ceases to become a phenomenon, when
it is observed that, in order to shew its high temperature, he threw pieces
of lead into it, which, in the process of melting, absorbed a quantity of the
caloric, or heat, of the oil ; and that the small quantity of the latter which
He poured upon his tongue, already prepared to receive it in the manner
we have stated, cooled before he swallowed it. It is clear that he might
put the molten lead upon his tongue with impunity, and suffer even less
mconvenience from it, if possible, than from the oil, by the greater heat of
which it had been melted. It is, however, probable, that instead of lead,
Lionetto u«ed a more fusible mixture ; such, for instani-e, as that which
will ; ■ !.• found described under the title of " The Magic Spoon."

;itific nu'n have successfully repeated the experiinents of
rro!i nteni; and it is now no longer considered miraculous to

behold a man applying hot iron to his skin without suffering from its
powers. Hut we beg to caution our young readers very seriously against
making any similar experiments upon themselves: they are only tit for
men of science and profound chemical knowledge, and the least inaccuracy
or omission would be productive of serious consequences. The foregoing
account of the performances of the Fire-eaters and their secrets, we insert
for the information of our young friends only, without holding them up as
experiments calculated foi their capacitifs-or fit for their performance. If,
in the course of this work, we should think fit to relate tlie mode ol con-
structing wings to tly from St. Paul's to the Monument, or even across the
Hellespont, it I- > follows that the boys of England, for whose

Instruction ami c are, at this moment, ** wasUng the midnight

oil," should niaK upt. The French author to whom we are in-

debted for the foregoing particulars, — Monsieur Julia Fontenelle, President
iXe la Society* Linneenne et des Sciences Physiques et Chimiques de Paris ;
Membrc honoraire de la Societe Royale de Var.ovie ; de 1' Academic

370 LEGERDEMAIN.

Royale de Medecine, et de celle des Sciences de Barcelonne ; de la Society
Royale Academique de Sciences de Paris, et csetera — (we like to give a
clever man his titles in full,) — states that, when the Spaniard, Lionetto,
undertook the experiments which we have above described, he was under
apprehensions of haxing something to do with the Inquisition, in conse-
quence of his exploits.

TO MELT TWO METALLIC MIXTURES BY FRICTION.

Melt, in one vessel, one part of mercury and two parts of bismuth : and
in another, one part of mercury and four of lead ; when cold, they will be
quite solid : by rubbing them against each other, they will soon melt, as
though eacli were rubbed separately against red hot iron.

THE INCOMBUSTIBLE THREAD.

Wind some linen thread tightly round a smooth pebble, secure the end,
and if you expose it to the flame of a lamp or candle it will not burn. The
caloric traverses, without fixing in it, and only attacks the stone which it
encases.

THE HANDKERCHIEF HEARTH.

Cover the metal case of a watch with part of a handkerchief, single
only; bring the ends to that side where the glass is, "and hold the
handkerchief by them there, so as to stretch it tightly over the metal.
You may then place a red hot coal, or a piece of lighted paper, upon that
part of the handkerchief which is so strained over the metal, without
burning it; the caloric merely passing through the handkerchief to fix in
the metal.

SIMPLE AMALGAMATION AND SEPARATION.

Place a globule of mercury, about the size of a pea, on a piece o^
paper, by the side of a globule of potassium, about half the size of the
mercury; fold up the paper so as to bring them into contact with each
other; some caloric will be immediately disengaged, and the amalgamation
will be complete in a few seconds. If it be then thrown into water, the
mercury will be disengaged and fall to the bottom ; the potassium, on the
contrary, will decompose the water, absorb the oxygen, and the hydrogen
being set at liberty, will discharge itself with some noise. The potassium
will be converted into deutoxide of potassium, or potass, and dissolve in
the water.

HIDEOUS METAMORPHOSIS.

Take a few nut-galls, bruise them to a very fine powder, which strew
nicely upon a towel ; then put a little brown copperas into a basin of
water ; this will soon dissolve, and leave the water perfectly transparent

LEGERDEMAIN. 371

After any person has washed in this water, and wiped with the towel on
which the galls have been strewed, his hands and face will immediately
become black; but, in a few days, by washing with soap, they will again
become clean. This trick is too mischievous for performance.

TO MAKE A WET STONE PRODUCE FIRE.

Take quick-lime, salt-petre, tutia-Alexandrina and calamine, (lapis
calaminaris,) of each, equal parts ; live sulphur and camphor, of each,
two parts : beat and sift them through a fine sieve ; then put the powder
into a fine linen cloth, tie it close,, put it into a crucible, cover it with
another crucible, mouth to mouth ; bind and lute them well together; then
set them in the sun to dry. When dry, the powder will be yellow. Then
put the crucible into a potter's furnace, and when cold, take it out again,
and you will find the powder altered into the substance of a stone.

When you have occasion to light a fire or candle, wet part of the stone
with a little water, and it will instantly flame; when lighted, blow it out
again, as you would a candle.

THE SUB-aQUEOUS VOLCANO.

Take one ounce of saltpetre ; three ounces of powder ; of sulphur-
vivum, three ounces: beat, sift, and mix them well together ; fill a paste-
board, or paper mould, with the composition, and it will burn under the
water till quite spent Few persons will believe that this can be done
before they have seen it tried.

THE CHEMICAL SAMSON.

To melt a rod of iron with a common fire. — Heat a rod of iron, as
thick as your finger, in a fire, urged by a pair of bellows, until it is white
hot ; draw it from the fire, and apply to the hot part a roll of brimstone,
held by a pair of tongs; a profusion ot most brilliant sparks will be thrown
out, and the iron drop Uke melting sealing-wax. It is necessary to hold
it over the hearth, to avoid mischief. If the heated part be a few inches
from the end of the bar, a piece of it will be cut oSl

THE MAGIC SPOON.

Put four ounces of bismuth into a crucible, and when in a state of com-
plete fusion, throw in two ounces and a half of lead, and one ounce and a
half of tin ; these metals will combine, and form an alloy fusible in boiling
water. Mould the alloy into bars, and take them to a silversmith to be
made into tea-spoons. Place one of them in a saucer, at a tea-table, and
the person who uses it will not be a little astonished to find it melt awa>
«s soon as he puts it into the hot tea.

2 a2

372 LEGERDEMAIN.

METAL MELTED ON PAPER OVER A CANDLE,

An alloy, which may be kept in a state of fusion by placing it upon a
piece of paper and holding it over a candle, may be made by melting to-
gether equal parts of bismuth, lead, and zinc.

THE WONDERFUL DYE.

Dissolve indigo in diluted sulphuric acid, and add to it an equal quantity
of solution of carbonate of potass. If a piece of white cloth be dipped in thi'a
mixture, it will be changed to blue; yellow cloth, in the same mixture;
may be changed to green ; red to purple ; and blue litmus paper be turned
to red.

METALLIC TRANSMUTATION.

Dip a piece of polished iron, the blade of a knife, for instance, into a
solution either of nitrate or sulphate of copper, and it will assume the ap-
pearance of a piece of pure copper; this is occasioned by the sulphuric
acid seizing on the iron, and letting fall the copper.

THE FADED ROSE RESTORED.

Take a rose that is quite faded, and throw some sulphur .on a chafing-
dish of hot coals, then hold the rose over the fumes of the sulphur, and it
will become quite white; in this state dip it into water, put it into a box
or drawer for three or four hours, and when taken out, it will be quite
red again.

THE PROTEAN LIQUID.

To make a red liquor, which, when poured into different glasses, will
become yellow, blue, black, and violet. — This phenomenon may be produced
by the following process: — Infuse a few shavings of log-wood in commor
water, and when the liquor is red, pour it into a bottle ; then take three
drinking glasses; rinse one of them with strong vinegar, throw into the
second a small quantity of pounded alum, which will not be observed il
the glass has been newly washed, and leave the third without any pre-
paration. If the red liquor in the bottle be poured into the first glass, it
will assume a straw colour, somewhat similar to that of Madeira wine; if
into the second, it will pass gradually from blueish grey to black, provided
it be stirred with a bit of iron, which has been privately immersed in good
vinegar: in the third glass, the red liquor will assume a violet tint.

INCOMBUSTIBLE PAPER.

Dip a sheet of paper in strong alum-water, and when dry, repeat the
process ; or, it will be better still, if you dip and dry it a third time. After
this, you may put it in the tlame of a candle, and it will not burn.

LEGLUDEMAIN". 373

THE MIMIC CONFLAGRATION.

Take half an ounce of sal-ammoniac, one ounce of camphor, and two
ounces of acpia-vitaj ; put them into an iron pot, narrowing towards the
lop, and set fire to it The effect will be immediate ; a mimic conflagra-
tion vni\ take place, which will be alarming, but not dangerous.

PORTRAITS VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE.

These are performed with French chalk, a natural production of the
earth, (sold in most oil-shops.) of a greasy, but extraordinary nature. It
is made use of to draw portraits upon looking-glasses ; which may be tnade
nsible and invisible, alternately, by breathing on and wiping off, and they
will continue for many months fit for exhibition. The lines will appear
very distinct where the glass is strongly breathed on, and disappeai
entirely when it is wiped dry again.

THE DANCING EGG.

Boil an e^g hard, and peel off a small piece of the shell at one end
then thrust in a quill filled with quicksilver, and sealed at each end. As
long as the egg remains warm, it will not cease to dance about.

THE EGG IN THE PHIAL.

You may make an egg enter a phial without breakins:, by steeping it
in strong viiu'gar, for some time; the vinegar will so soften the shell, that
it will bend and extend lengthways without breaking ; when put in cold
water, it will resume its former figure and hardness.

PERPETUAL MOTION.

Put very small filings of iron into aquafortis, and let them remain until
the aquafortis is completely saturated with the iron, which will happen in
about two hours ; pour Off the solution and put it into a phial an inch wide,
with a large moutn, with a lump of lapis calaminaris ; then stop it close,
and the calamine stone will keep in perpetual motion.

THE BLUE BOTTLE.

Expose an ounce of volatile alkali to the air, in a glass, for aoout a

auarter of an hour: then put it into a flask, with tweniy-four grains oi
le sulphate of copper, and the liquid will, by degrees, assume a beau-
tiful blue colr.ur ; pour it carefully into another flask, so as to separate the
liquid from the copper. If you examine it a few days afterward, you
will find that the blue colour has totally disappeared : but, if you take oul
the cork for a minute, and replace it, you may see the blue re-appear on
the surface of the liquid, and descend gradually, until the whole of it if

374 LEGERDEMAIN.

of the same hue as it was wlien you laid it aside. In a few days it will
again become colourless, and you can restore the blue by the same simple
means. The experiment may be performed a great number of times with
the same liquid. Care must be taken in making your preparation, that
the volatile aikali be not suffered to remain long enough in the first flask,
to dissolve too much of the sulphate of copper; for, if it receive too great
a degree of colour, the blue will not disappear, when the liquid is deprived
of air.

THE CANDLE OF ICE.

Cover a small portion of the upper end of a tallow candle with paper,,
and give the remainder of it a coat of fine coal and powdered sulphur,
mixe-d together ; dip it in water, and expose it to the air duiing a hard
frost, and a slight coat of ice will form round it, which may be subse-
quently rendered thicker in proportion to the number of immersions and
exposures to the air which it receives. ■V\1ien it arrives at a sufficient con-
sistency, take off the paper, light the upper end of the candle, and it will
burn freely.

TO DIP THE HAND IN WATER WITHOUT WETTING IT.

Powder the surface of a bowl of water with lycopodium ; you may then
put your hand into it, and take out a piece of money, that had been pre-
viously placed at the bottom of the bowl, without wetting your skin ; the
lycopodium so attaching itself to the latter, as to keep it entirely from
coming in direct contact with the water. After performing the experiment,
a slight shake of the hand will rid it of the powder.

TO REMOVE, AND AFTEBWARDS RESTORE, THE COLOtTR OP A RIBBON.

Dip a rose-coloured ribbon into nitric acid, diluted with eight or ten
parts of water, and as soon as the colour disappears, which it will do in a
short time, take out the ribbon, and put it into a very weak alkaline solu-
tion ; the alkali will quickly neutralize the acid, and the colour will then
re-appear.

THE PAPER ORACLE.

Some amusement may be obtained among young people, by writing,
with common ink, a variety of questions, on different bits of paper, and
adding a pertinent reply to each, written with nitro-muriate of gold. The
collection is suffered to dry, and put aside until an opportunity offers for
using them. When produced, the answers will be invisible; you desire
different persons to select such questions as they may fancy, and take them
home with them ; you then promise, that if they are placed near the fire,
during the night, answers will appear written beneath the questions in the
morning; and such will be the fact, if the papers be put in any dry,
warm situation.

LEOERDEUAIN. 370

THE SIBYL'S CAVE.

Write several questions and answers, as directed in the preceding arti-
cle : for the answers, instead of nitro-muriate of gold, you may use the
iuice of a citron, or an onion. Let any of the questions he chosen by a
party, and placed in a box, which may be called "The Sibyl's Ca\e."
This box must be furnished with a piece of hot iron, beneath a false bot-
tom of tin; when the paper is put in it, tiie heat will cu ise the answer to
appear ; you then take it out, shew it to the person who made choice of
the question, and, as soon as it is read, put it aside ; the answer will vanish,
when the i)aper becomes cold again.

TO SEPARATE OIL FROM WATER.

Most of our young readers are, doubtless, aware, that oil is lighter
than water, and floats upon its surface. If a vessel of any convenient
description, be half filled with water, and a portion of oil be then poured
on it, the oil may be easily separated from the water, by one end of a
wick of cotton being placed' in it, the other end of which is carried into
anotlier vessel : the oil, obedient to the laws of capillarity, will rise gradu-
ally into the cotton, and fall, drop by drop, tnim the other extremity of
it, into the vase or cup, which is placed to receive iu We are told, that the
process is nmch quicker, if the cotton be previously dipped in oiL

TO MAKE A COLOURLESS LIQUID BECOME BLUE, LILAC, PEACH-
COLOURED, AND RED, WITHOUT TOUCHING IT.

Put a drachm of powdered nitrate of cobalt into a phial, containing an
ounce of the solution of caustic potass : a decomposition of the salt, and
precipitation of a blue oxide of cobalt, takes place. Cork the phial,
and tne liquid will now assume a blue colour, from which it will pass to a
lilac, afterward to a peach tint, and, finally, to a light red.

THE FOUR ELEMENTS.

Procure a glass tube, about the thickness of a man's finger, and securely
seal one end of it. Mark it, all round, with four euual divisions. Intro-
duce mercury, suflicient to fill the space below the first mark ; a solution
of sub-carbonate of potass for the second division; white brandy, to which
a blue tint is imparted, for the third; and turpentine, coloured red, for
the fourth. After these preparations are completed, close up and seal the
mouth of the tube, and you may then give a fanciful exhibition of chaos
and the four elements. Shake the tube, and you will mix ail the contents
together, and this mixture will represent chaos ; in a short time, if the
tube be out moved, all the ingredients will separate, and each go to it«

376 LEGERDEMAIN.

allotted division, placing itself according to its specific gravity, in com-
parison with the others : the contents of the upper division, which is red,
will represent' fire; the next, which has a blue tint, air; the third, which
<s colourless, water ; and the lower one, earth.

THE MINERAL CHAMELEON.

We are indebted to Sheele for a composition, known by the above
title, which is prepared by mixing together, and exposing to a strong heat,
in an open crucible, for little more than a quarter of an hour, three parts
of nitrate of potass, and one of deutoxide of manganese, both in a finely
powdered state. The compound thus obtained, possesses the following
singular properties : — If a few grains of this preparation be put into a
glass, and cold water be then poured on it, the liquor will first turn green,
and then pass rapidly to purple, and finally, by beautiful gradations, to
red. If hot water be used, instead of cold, the liquid will assume a beau-
tiful violet colour. The colours will be more or less intense, in proportion
to the quantity of the oxide used, for a more or less quantity of water ;
ten grains, in a very little water, will produce a beautiful green colour,
which will pass, with rapidity, to a dark purple, and, subsequently, to
red. If a small portion of the Chameleon Mineral be used for four ounces
of water, the colour will be a deep green ; by the addition of more water,
it will turn rosy, and become colourless in a few hours, giving, in the pro-
cess, a yellowish precipitate. When the liquid changes slowly, it is easy
to discover other hues, which it takes in the following order — green,
blue, violet, indigo, purple, and red.

It appears that the phenomena produced by the Chameleon Mineral,
have attracted the attention of several men of science, and it seems, from
the result of their experiments, that in those preparations of the Chame-
Jeon Mineral, in which there is a greater proportion of potass than man-
ganese, the green requires more time to change into the other colours, and
the greater the proportion of manganese, the more intense is the first
colour, and the quicker does the liquid acquire the other tints. The effect
of hot water, in this experiment, is much more powerful than that of cold.

PHOSPHORIC FISH, METEORS, &C.

Phosphorus was discovered by the alchymist Brandt, who sold the
secret to KrafFt, with whom Kunkel associated himself for its purchase.
He was, however, deceived by Krafft, who never communicated the secret
to him. Kunkel immediately commenced a series of experiments, and in
1674, discovered the mode of making it.

Phosphorus, in a state of purity, is solid, demi-transparent, and of a
consistence similar to wax ; the solar light gives it a red colour ; it will

LEGERDEMAIN. 377

unite with almost all metallic substances. When it is taken in the hancL
it should never be held for more than a few seconds, for the heat thus
applied, is sufKcient to inflame it, if continued; and a burn from phos-
phorus is more painful than any other kind of burn. A basin of cold water
ought always to be at hand, to dip the phosphorus in occasionally; and
when it is cut to pieces, it must be cut in water. Phosphorus can only be

f reserved by keeping it in places where neither light nor heat has accesa.
t is obtained from druggists in rolls, about the thickness of a quill ; these
are put into a phial filled with cold water, which has been boiled to expel
air Irom it, and the phial is enclosed in an opaque case. It docs not exist
in nature in a state of purity, but as a salt; it is extracted from bones.
The light produced, m the night time, by writing witii a stick of phos-
phorus on a wall, owes its existence to a slight coat which the stick leaves
behind it on the parts over which it has passed ; this, being combustible,
burns slowly, in absorbing the oxygen of the air.

It has been well-known, from time almost immemorial, that animal or
vegetable substances, in a state of putrefaction, often become luminous.
The glow-worm has, doubtless, been seen by many of our readers, bear-
ing its brilliant midnight lamp ; several insects, and some fishes also, pos-
sess a luminoua property. In 1641, an old woman presented the Pnnce
of Conde with some meat, bought by her the preceding day in the market
of Montpelier, and which illuminated her room during the night. We
have seen a sole emit most brilliant and beautiful flashes of light on a dark
Digiit,

A great numberof experiments have been performed by scientific men,
to ascertain the cause of the luminous aspect of the sea ; it is attributed
to those putrid substances, which are found in the waters. The following
experiment, which i; ' e to this subject, is rather curious: — A

little fresh whiting v. .i vase containing water. It produced no

light, even after ha\:i ;tated ; that part of the fish only that was

above the water, and nut the water itself, grew luminous during the night.
On lifUng up the fish, by means of a stick, which was passed beneath it,
and rested against the opposite side of the vase, the water appeared lu-
minous behind it ; on bemg much agitated, it became entirely luminous,
and continued so for some time after it was left undisturbed. The strong-
est eniis.sion of i .'lace after the fish has been about twenty hours
in the water; .. ivs, the water loses this property. About four

dracluv.s of the - ...... .a'a fresh herring were put into a solution of two

drachms of sulphate of magnesia, in two ounces of water. On the succeed-
ing eveniuir, the whole of the li(inor, tipon shaking the phial, became beau-
tiful: :!I the fourth day.

1 ituralist* which renders such

obj' icrs from its fellow tenants ol

the VNatt-rs, which become phospitoroceut. only when in a stale of putre-

37B LEGERDEMAIN

faction; whereas, tlie fresher the pholas is, the more himiiious does it
appear. Brandy extinguishes its light; when it becomes dry, a little pure
or salt water will revivify its lustre. When putrid, it loses its brilliancy,
which it does not recover until putrefaction has gone its full length, when,
by agitating it in water, the latter becomes luminous. Solutions of hydro-
chlorate of soda and nitrate of potass, augment the brilliancy of the water;
acids and wine extinguish it. The water may be rendered still brighter
by pouring it on recently calcined sulphate of lime, on quartz, sugar, &c.
The phosphoric meteors, commonly called Will-o'-wisps, which are
seen in marshes, near rivers, in churchyards, and low and humid places,
in different forms, are to be attributed to the combustion of some hydrogen
gas, principally phosphoric hydrogen gas, which, as is well known,' has the
property of inflaming itself on coming into contact with oxygen gas or air.
These meteors are more frequently seen in winter than in summer; in
rainy weather their light is more intense than when it is dry.

PHOSPHORIC WOOD.

Rotten wood often becomes luminous ; many circumstances induce
us to ascribe its light to slow combustion ; a fact in favour of this idea is,
that if phosphorescent wood be placed in a pneumatic machine, and the
air be pumped out of it, the light disappears, and if the air be restored,
the wood again becomes luminous. The same experiments performed with
a fish that emitted hght, produced the same results. The light of fish dif-
fers from that of rotten wood in this respect, — namely, that water, alcohol,
and several saline solutions, destroy the light of the latter ; while water
does not diminish the brilliancy of the former, no more than it does that ot
the glow-worm. If luminous wood be introduced to a tube of glass, and
plunged into a freezing mixture, the light will be extinguished.

Rods of wood may be rendered phosphorescent, by steeping them in
a solution of chlorate of lime, and then burning one of their ends in the
flame of a lamp or candle; after the combustion has taken place, if the
stick be withdrawn, a little white matter will be found at the extremity,
which will shed a brilliant light. The harder kinds of wood are most j)ro-
per for this experiment. The white remains of the combustion, it is said,
are pure lime ; and that a similar luminous property might be given to the
wood, by plunging it into lime-water, or a solution of sulphate of magnesia.

PHOSPHORIC PLANTS.

Persons working in mines sometimes meet with phosphorescent plants;
the light is perceptible at the points of the plants, especially when they
areT3roken. This phosphorescence disappears in an atmosphere of hydro-
gen gas, of chlora, or oxide of carbon.

The daughter of the celebrated Linnaeus discovered that the tropeoltin'
majtus is sometimes phosphorescent in the evemng.

LEGERDEMAIN. 370

PHOSPHORIC OYSTER SHELLS.

Place some very thick oyster shells upon, and cover them with, some
burning coals ; in half an hour take them carefully out of the Hre, and it
will be only necessary to expose them to the light for a few minutes to be
convinced that they have become phosphorescent. In fact, if put in a dark
place, they shed a light accompanied by tlie greater part of the prismatic
colours. If the calcination be made in a closed crucible, the colours will
be less brilliant. If the crucible be of lead, the parts that have come into
contact with it will yield a reddish light; if a few bits of steel be strewed
about the crucible, the phosphorescence will be more lively ; but if some
flat pieces of coal be used instead of steel, the colours will be more beauti-
ful, particularly the blue, red, and green. It seems that scientific men
either do not know positively, or are not agreed as to the cause of the
phosphorescence of certain bodies ; according to some, it is owing to an
accumulation of solar light; while others say that it ought to be attributed
to a light inherent in the phosphoric substance.

TO RENDER MILK LUMINOUS.

Milk may be rendered luminous by immersing a pholas in it. One
of these fishes is sufficient to communicate light to seven ounces of milk,
which, as it becomes luminous, appears also to be turned transparent.
Beccaria felt convinced that air was necessary for the production of this
light; for, having filled a tube with milk made luminous^n the foregoing
manner, he could only disengage the light from it by suffering the admis-
sion of air to the tube. The juice of this fish, reduced into a paste with
meal, throws out considerable light when plunged into hot water. If pre-
served in honey, the fish will retain its luminous property for more than a
year; and, in fact, by plunging it into hot water, it wUl shed as much light
as if it were quite freslu

IGNITION BY COMPRESSION.

By compressing a bit of phosphorus between two pieces of wood, it
will inflame. The same effect may be produced by the friction of one piece
of phosphorus against another.

THE MASK OF FLAME.

Take six parts of oil of olives and one of phosphorus, suffer them to
digest well together, and preserve the solution, which, in the dark, wiU
become luminous. An experiment that is considered amusing may be per>
formed by closing the eyes and lightly passing a sponge, dipped in this solu-
tion, over the face and hands, which will then, in the dark, appear covered
with a light blucish flame. This trick, we are told, is not at ail dangerous.

J)80 LEGERDEMAIN.

THE MINIATURE THAMES ON FIRE.

Let fall a few drops of phosphorized ether on a lump of loaf sugar,
place the sugar in a glass of warm water, and a very beautiful appearance
will be instantlj' exhibited ; the effect will be increased, if the surface of
the water, by blowing gently with the breath, be made to undulate.

PHOSPHORESCENT SPAR.

Coarsely powder some fluor spar, and sprinkle it, in a dark room, on a
fire shovel made hot, (but not to redness,) and it will emit a beautiful
phosphorescent light for some time.

THE PHOSPHORIC STEAM RATH

Lay a small piece of phosphorus upon a bit of glass, place the glass
upon the surface of hot water in a basin, and the phosphorus will inflame.

IGNITION BY PERCUSSION.

Put into the middle of some dry cotton, a piece of phosphorus the size
of a large pin's head, previously dried on blotting paper; strike it with a
hammer and it will inflame.

TO BURN BROWN PAPER BY PHOSPHORUS AND FRICTION.

Wrap a griki of phosphorus, dried on blotting paper, in a piece o
brown paper, rub it with some hard body, and it will set fire to the
papei-.

THE ILLUMINATOR AND EXTINGUISHER.

Make two little figures of wood or clay, or any other materials you
please, with a little hole in the mouth of each. Put in the mouth of one,
a few grains of bruised gunpowder, and a little bit of phosphorus in the
other. Then take a lighted wax candle, and present it to the mouth of the
figure with the gunpowder, which, taking fire, will put the candle out ;
then present your candle, having the snuff quite hot, to tlie other figure,
and it will Hght again immediately.

TO LIGHT A CANDLE EY A GLASS OF WATER.

Take a Uttle piece of phosphorus, of the size of a pin's head, and with
a piece of tallow, stick it on the edge of a drinking-glass. Then take a
lighted candle, and having blown it out, apply it to the glass, when it will
immediately be lighted. You may likewise write, with a bit of phosphorus,
on paper, some words, which will appear awful, when the candle is with-
drawn from the room.

L£G£RD£MAIN.

asi

AUTOMATA.

Our object being to acquaint our young readers with the mode of ner-
forming many pieces of astonishing deception, as well as to instruct tnem
how to do sevenil pleasant tricks of a more simple nature, the most celebrated
Automata occur to us as being subjects which ought to occupy a conspicuous
station in our Feats of Llgerdemain.

THE CHESS PLAYER.

The construction of machines capable of miitating the mechanical action
of the human body shews exquisite skill. This, however, has been done;
M. Dp Kempelen. a gentleman of Presburg, in Hungary, constructed an
Anil: ■ ■ "nj;: at chess. Lvery one, who is in the least

ac(|i must know that it is so far from being me-

chiii. , require a greater exertion of the judgment and

rational faculties than is sufficient to accomplish matters of greater impor-
tance. That such a machine really was made, the public had ocular
demonstration. The inventor came over to IJritiun in 1785, and exhibited
his anton\aton to public inspection for more than a year. On his death, it
was purchased by M. Maelzel, who paid this country a visit in 1819, when
the invention created as mucli wonder as ever, notwithstanding the vast
progress made in mechanical science.

The room where it was exhibited had an inner apartment, within which
appeared the figure of a Turk, as large as life, dressed after the Turkish
fashion, sitting behind a chest of three feet and a half in length, two fret in
breadth, and two feet and a half in height, to which it was attached by th*?

882 LEGERDEMAIN.

wooden seat on which it sat. The chest was placed upon four castors,
which, together with the figure, might be moved to any part of the room.

On the plain surface formed by the top of the chest, in the centre, was
raised an immoveable chess-board, of handsome dimensions, upon which
the figiure had its eyes fixed, its right arm and hand being extended on the
chest, and its left arm somewhat raised, as if in the attitude of holding a
Turlcish pipe, which was originally placed in its right hand.

The exhibitor proceeded by wheeUng the chest to the entrance of the
apartment within which it stood, in front of the spectators. He then
opened certain doors contrived in the chest, two in the front and two in
the back, at the same time pulling out a long shallow drawer, made to
contain the Chess-men, a cushion for the arm of the figure to rest upon,
and some counters ; two lesser drawers and a green cloth screen, contrived
in the body of the figure and its lower parts, were likewise opened, and the
Turkish robe which covered them was raised; so that the construction,
both of the figure and chest, intentionally was displayed, and the exhibitor
introduced a hghted candle into the body of the chest and figure, by which
the interior of each was, in a great measure, rendered transparent'

The chest was divided by a partition into two equal chambers; that to
the right of the figure was the narrowest, and occupied scarcely one third
of the body of the chest; it was filled with little wheels, levers, cylinders,
and other machinery used in clock-work: that to the left contained two
wheels, some small barrels with springs, and two quarters of a circle, placed
horizontally. The body and lower parts of the figure contained certain
tubes, which appeared to be conductors to the machinery. After a suffi-
cient time, during which each spectator satisfied his scruples and curiosity,
the exhibitor closed the doors, made some arrangement in the body of the
figure, wound up the works with a key inserted into a small opening in
the body of the chest, and placed the cushion under the left arm of the
figure, which then rested upon it.

In playing a game, the automaton made choice of the white men; it
likewise gave the first move. It played with the left hand instead of the
right, — the right hand being constantly fixed on the chest. This slight
incongruity proceeded from inadvertence of the inventor, who did not
discover his mistake until the machinery was too far completed to remedy
the defect At the commencement of a game, the automaton made a
motion of the head, as if taking a view of the board; the same motion
occurred at the close of the game. In making a move it slowly raised its
left arm from the cushion placed under it, and directed it toward the
square of the piece to be moved. The arm then returned to its natural
position on the cushion. Its hand and fingers opened on touching the
piece, which it took up and conveyed to any proposed square. The mo-
tions were performed with perfect correctness, and the anxiety with which

LEGERDEMAIN. 383

the arm acted, especially in the delicate operation of castling, seemed to be
the result of spontaneous feeling; bending at the shoulder, elbow, and
knuckles, and cautiously avoiding to touch any other piece than that which
had been moved.

On giving check to the king, it moved its head as a signal. When a
false move was made by its antagonist, which frequently occurred through
curiosity to observe in what manner the automaton would act, — as for in-
stance, if a knight had been moved like a castle, — the automaton smote
impatiently on the chest with its right hand, replaced the knight in its
former sciuare, and would not permit its antagonist to recover his move,
but proceeded immediately to move one of its own pieces, thus appearing
to punish him for his inattention.

It was considered of importance that the person matched against th«
aut( : ' ;ld be attentive in moving a piece exactly in the centre of a

squ ^e. the figure, in attempting to lay hold of the piece, might

evei ine injury in the delicnte mechanism of the fingers. Ifita

antagonist litsitated for a considerable time to move a piece, it tapped
smartly on the chest with its right hand, as if testifying impatience at the
delay.

During the time the automaton was in motion, a low sound of clock
work was heard, as if nmning down, which ceased soon after the arm was
reclined on the cushion. The works were wound up at intervals of ten or
twelve moves by the exhibitor, who was usually employed pacing up and
down the room'; approaching the chest, however, from time to time, on its
right side. It was understood that the automaton could not play, unless
\f. De Kempelen, or his substitute, was near to direct its moves; but it is
very certain that the whole mystery lay in the chest, and that there could
be no connection with the floor, as the inventor advertised his willingness
to exhibit at private houses.

To avoid the obstructions frequently occasioned by the inattention
strange antagonists, in moving the pieces required exactly to the centres oi
squares, a new arrangement was subsequently made, by which the adver-
sary did not plav at the same board with the automaton, but had a chess-
board to himself on which lie copied the automaton's moves, and made his
own; while a person who attended at the automaton's board, copied, with
due precision, for the automaton, the adversary's moves.

In concluding our account of this extraordinary machine, we roust
observe that it has been asserted, without contradiction, that, although it
beat numerous skilful chess-players, in different countries, its moves were
directed by a ho ' 1 within the machinery; so that, in fact, who-

ever the boy ' it the game, was sure to be conquered by the

automaton. 1 1 u that it is in the power of youth to attain such

a mastery over chcs*, a» to render them capable of co npeting with capital
players of a mature age.

384 LEGERDEMAIN'.

THE FLUTE PLAYER.

The celebrated Vauconson invented an Automaton Flute-player, of
which there is a minute description in the Memoirs of the Royal Academy
of Sciences at P.iris, by which it appears that the figure was about five feet
and a half high, and was placed upon a square pedestal, which concealed
a portion of the machinery. The air entered the body by three separate
pipes, into which it was conveyed by nine pairs of bellows, which expanded
and contracted in regular succession, by means of a steel axis turned by
clock-work. These bellows performed their functions without any noise,
which might have discovered the means of conveying the air into the ma-
chine. The three tubes that received the air from the bellows passed into
three small reservoirs in the trunk of the figure, where they united, and
ascending towards the throat, formed the cavity of the mouth, which ter-
minated in two small hps. Within this cavity was a small moveable tongue,
which, by its motion, at proper intervals, admitted the air or intercepted it
in its passage to the flute. The fingers, lips, and tongue, derived their
appropriate movements from a steel cylinder, also turned by clock-work.
It was divided into fifteen equal parts, which, by means of pegs pressing
upon the ends of fifteen different levers, caused the other extremities to
ascend. Seven of these levers directed the fingers, having wires and chains
fixed to their ascendmg extremities, which being attached to the fingers,
caused them to ascend in proportion as the other extremity was pressed
down by the motion of the cylinder, and vice versd ; thus the ascent or
descent of one end of a lever produced a similar ascent or descent in the
corresponding fingers, by which one of the holes of the flute was occasionally
opened or stopped, as it might have been by a living performer. Three of
the levers served to regulate the ingiess of the air, being so contrived as to
open and shut the three reservoirs above mentioned, by means of valves,
so that more or less strength might be given, and a higher or lower note
produced. The lips were directed by four levers, one of which opened
them to give the air a freer passage; the other contracted them ; tlie third
drew them backward ; and the fourth pushed them forward : the lips were
projected upon that part of the flute which received the air, and by tlxe
different motions already mentioned, properly modified the tune. The
remaining lever was employed in the direction of the tongue, which it
easily moved, so as to open or shut the mouth of the flute. The just suc-
cession of the several motions performed by the various parts of the machine,
was r^ulated by the following simple contrivance: — the extremity of the
axis of the cylinder terminated, on the right side, by an endless screw, con-
sisting of twelve threads,, each placed at the distance of an eighth of an
inch from the other. Above this ^crevf was fixed a piece of copf«er, and in
it a .steel pivot, which falling in between the threads of the screw, obliged

LEGERDEMAIX. 385

ihe cvlinder to follow those threads ; and thus, instead of turning directly
roiinci, it was continually pushed on one side. Hence, if a lever wert
moved by a pep placed on the cylinder, in any one revolution, it could not
he moved by the same pejr in the succeeding revolution, because the peg
woidd be an eighth of an inch beyond it, by the lateral motion of the cy-
linder. Thus, by an artificial disposition oi these pegs in different parts « f
the cylinder, the statue was made, by the successive elevation of the
proper levers, to exhibit all tlie different motions of a flute-player.

THE INVISIBLE OIRL.

The operators have a communication, from the exhibition room to
anotlier where the confederate is concealed, by tin pipes, which end in a
clear horn truntpet, inserted in an isolated glass chest or barrel, attached
to the ceiling by coloured ribbons, twined round a small gilt chain. In the
inside of these pipes, at right angles, are placed small mirrors, which reflect
and contract every object in the exhibition room, so that the confederate,
who answers the questions put, can not only hear all that is said, but see
even the objects that arc held in the hands of the visitors, such as watches,
money, miniatures, letters in a book, and every other thing that is un-
covered. The following curious dialogue took place between a traveller
from this country, and the hnnsible Girl, at Siccard's Diversion Room, in
Paris: — "What ape are you? Fourteen years of age. — Where were you
born ? At Marseilles. — What is your name ? Francoise. — Are you pretty !
No. — Are you good ? Yes, though sometimes ill-natured. — What is your
position ? I am reclining. — Do not all the questions that are put to you
disgust you? Never; but I am sometimes very much vexed. — How is it
that you see every thing that is presented to you ; that you hear every
thing that is said to you ; and that no person can discover you ? That is a
secret of those to whom I belong." &c. It is a matter of much complica-
tion, and cannot be performed without a good confederate and considerable
scieniifir knowledge. We trust, however, we have said sufficient to rendct
the Invisible Girl no wonder.

TUB MAHOMETAN MAGICIAN.

The following description of the mechanical conjuring figure, so railed,
as well as that of " The wise little Turk," will, doubtless, remind oui
readers of the Automaton Chess-player.

The Mahometan Magician is a figure of sixteen or eighteen inches high,
and holds a little hammer in its hand. When exhibited, it is first taken
off the table on which it stands, and shewn to the company, to convince
them that it is perfectly detached, and stands by iteelf : the exhibitor then
having replaced it on ihe table, asks if he will compliment his master ? —
2 «

386 LiLGERDEMAlN.

The little Turk, by turning his head, expresses ** No.'' He then asks if he
will pay his respects to the company ? — He bows his head to express " Yes."
A pack of cards is then presented to the spectators, who draw out one by
chance ; without seeing the card, or approaching the automaton, his mastei
orders him to strike tlie number of strokes, necessary to describe the card,
with his hammer, on a bell: — the little Turk instantly obeys. He is then
asked if the card drawn be a heart, a diamond, qliib, or spade ? — And, as
the suits are mentioned, he moves his head, to give approbation or disap-
probation, and an answer conformably to truth. He then tells the number
thrown on dice ; and also, before-hand, the number which a second throw
will produce. One of the company having hid a little figure in a box,
divided into several compartments, he tells in which of them, and at what
number, the little figure is to be found ; and, to give a humorous termina-
tion to this trick, when he is asked which of the company is the most
amorous, he points out some old gentleman with spectacles.

The table on which the little Turk is placed, is covered with a green
cloth, concealing three levers, which are put in motion by the aid of three
brass wires, passing through the feet of the table, and conducted behind
the partition : the person who is hid, and acts as the confederate, draws
these brass wires as he has occasion to act on tlie cranks concealed in the
pedestal of the automaton, which cranks terminate in the base. By these
means, the ditFenent motions are communicated to the machine the moment
they are required, in the same manner as a repeating watch is made to
strike by pushing the button of the case. The performer then holds in
his hand a pack of cards, arranged in such a manner that he understands
their sequence ; that the spectators may not suspect this arrangement of
the cards, he apparently mixes them, but, in reality, he only cuts them,
which does not change the combination of the game ; when he has had a
card drawn, he cuts them the last time in the place where the card has
oeen chosen, by which means, he passes to the bottom the card which
was immediately over the one drawn : then, looking adroitly at the bot-
tom, he knows, without seeing, the card which the spectator had drawn
by chance. He then interrogates the little Turk by a question, which is
so composed, that eitlier the words, syllables, or vowels, communicate to
the confederate the colour and denomination of the card. By a similar
stratagem, knowledge is conveyed to the confederate of the first number
thrown on dice ; the automaton can then very easily tell what number
will come up on the second throw of the dice, because fresh dice are
introduced, and such are substituted as have the same numbers on all their
faces. As the person, to whom the dice are given, might, by looking at
them, perceive the imposition, to escape detection, peculiar care is taken
not only to recommend to him to hold the dice carefully hidden in his
hand until he throws them, but also to prevent thera being too long

LECERDLMAIN. 387

exposed to the sight; loaded dice might also be employed, which are so
contrived, that the centre of gravity operates invariably. As the person
who has already thrown the dice njay wish to tlirow again, either acci-
dentally, or through suspicion, and, as the return of the same points might
occasion the honesty of the dice to be suspected, all these inconveniences
are removed by getting rid of them as soon as possible.

The box where the little figure has been concealed has a bottom ot
soft leather, by which means, in handling beneath, the compartment where
the little figure is, may be discovered by the hand of the operator; and
the figure is constructed of such dimensions as to press on the bottom of
the box when it is shut.

THE CANARY.

A Canary bird U shewn, perched on a bottle, which sings any air re-
quired. He also sings equally well when changed to different bottles, and
on different tables : the breath from his bill blows out a candle, and lights
it afterward. The machinery and manner of working we shall now pro-
ceed to describe.

behind the curtain which covers part of the partition are placed two
hollow cones of metal. These cones, which are unequal in size, serve as a
speaking trumpet to the confederate, and act as echoes, which conduct the
v« ce to different parts, as two mirrors, of different concavities, operate in
the reflection of objects at different dbtances. The confederate, imitating
the notes of a bird, executes the required air. The confederate employs
the two different echoes to convey the voice to different points, according
to the position of the table and the bottle on which the bird is perched.
The bird has in its body a little double bellows, and between its legs,
a little moving \>€g, which puts the bellows in motion ; this peg, entering tne
neck of the bottle, leans on a piece of wood which cannot be seen, as the
bottle is opaque. This piece of wood, being placed vertically on the
moveable bottom of the bottle, easily moves the bellows, and is readily
moved by the levers which are under the cloth, when tlie confederate
draws the brass wire which is hidden in the feet of the table : by the same
means, the bellows are moved to blow out the candle, and it apparently proves
to the spectators that the notes are really f<ymed in the throat of tiie bird,
because the air comes through the bilL When the operator takes the liird in
his hand he put^i the bellows in motion with his thumb, and the wind in the
same manner extinguishes the candle, and he persuades the company that
the bird sings without the aid of any machinery hidden in the table; the
candle being only a moment extinguished, and the wick still warm, is
lighted instantly, by the air through the bill of the bird, which, for thai
purpose, has been furnished with a little flour of brimstone, And operates
as A match.

2d2

388

LEGERDEMAIN.

Besides the curious Automata we have already described, various
others have been produced by ingenious persons of different countries.
Albertus Magnus is said to have devoted thirty years of his life to the
construction of a head that not only moved, but spoke : Thomas Aquinas
was, it is related, so terrified at its powers, under the impression that it
was the work of magic, that he broke it to pieces. A locksmith of Nurem-
berg, in the sixteenth century, constructed figures that beat drums, while
others played on lutes: and the emperor Charles the Fifth amused him-
self, in his retirement, by making similar Automata, or ratlier, Androides,
for so such figures are called by the learned. The celebrated John Muller.
it is reported, made a wooden eagle, in 1470, which, on the Emperor
Maximilian's approach to Nuremberg, flew to meet him. Vauconson
made an Automatic duck, and, as Labat tells us. General de Gennes,
(who, in 1688, defended St, Christopher against the English,) an Autom-
atic peacock ; both of these were of a size and plumage perfectly natural:
they ate, drank, walked about, and uttered the same sounds as the birds
themselves. The machinery, in both cases, was similar to that of a watch.
However astonishing these more complicated pieces of machinery may
have been to our forefathers, in modern times, enlightened persons
regard Vauconson and his Flute-player, and De Kempelen and his Turk;
with much less wonder than that with which the rustics of the present day
gaze upon

TRICKS WITH CARDS.

The Kiuy of Cuniiirort at (ard*
III* (lib ili»rour>r ii(\ iitlrrlard*

U ith rntbkol Greek, aud Ijitiii lame t- -
By (Inchl of hanil, perforniiii): frau,

Which rtru nMeir put to thaiue :
Ktitwbcn he wurki hit inafirr-rheau,
Ibit uiichty King u rorrvtl to rrave
The aid of (oitie cuuredcrate Kiia«c>

Among the most amusing feats of Legerdemain, are the tricks with
cards, of which, in the ensuing pages, we present our readers with an ex-
cellent series. Whatever may be the objections, and whether tliey be
well founded or not, against card-plaving among youth, it is neither oui
duty nor inclination here to discuss ; it must be .idniittcd, by every liberal
mind, that for the mere purpose of perfomiing a few amusing feats of dex-
terity, to wile away a winter evening, and relax the mind, for a time, from
scholastic studies, the introduction uf a pack of cards is unexceptionable.

Cards have been, for many centuries, in use, having, as it is generally
believed, been invented about the year 1390, to amuse Charles the Sixth,
king of France, of whose wisdom, it must be confessed, historians do not
speak very highly. Upon this circumstance the ingenious Mr. Malkin has
obserA'ed, that the universal adoption of an amusement wnich was invented
for a fool, is no very favourable specimen of the wisdom of mankind. The

390 TRICKS WITH CARDS.

Honorable Daines Bamngton, however, in his " Observations on the An-
tiquity of Card -playing in England," asserts, that they came originally from
Spain ; while other authors attribute their invention to a more classic and
ancient era, and give the honour, if it be any, of their first production to
tiie Romans. Having given this slight sketch of the history of cards, we
shall proceed to furnish the niecessary insti'uctions for the performance of
the following feats.

FORCING.

Forcing is making a person take such a card as you think fit, while he
supposes he is taking one at hazard, or according to his own inclination.
It is almost impossible to describe how this is done; we must, however,
attempt it, P'irst, ascertain what the card you intend to force is ; this must
be done privately, or while you are playing with the cards ; then place it,
to all appearance, carelessly in the pack, but still keep your eye, or the
little finger of your left hand, in which you hold the pack, upon it. Now,
request a person to take a card from the pack ; open them nimbly from
your left to your right hand, spreading them backward and forward, so as
to puzzle the person in making his choice ; the moment you see him putting
out his hand to take a card, spread on the cards till you come to the one
you wish to force ; let its corner be most invitingly put forward in front of
the other cards, and let it make its appearance only the moment his fingers
reach the pack. The mode of operation seems so fair, that unless he knows
the secret of forcing, you may put what card you please into his hand,
while he thinks he is making a choice himself. Having thus forced your
card, you may tell him to look at it, give him the pack to shuffle as much
as he pleases, for, in fact, do what he will, you, of course, can always tell
what it was. A method of doing this cleverly is the first thing to be ac-
quired ; for, without it, few of the master-feats can be performed.

TO TELL A CARD THOUGHT OF BLINDFOLD.

Take twenty-one cards, and lay them down in three rows, with their
faces upward ; (i. e.) when you have laid out three, begin again at the leit
hand, and lay one card upon the first, and so on to the right hand ; then
begin on the left hand again, and so go on until you have laid out the
twenty-one cards in three heaps, at the same time requesting any one to
think of a card. When you have laid them out, ask him which heap his
card is in : then lay that heap in the middle between the other two. 'i'his
done, lay them out again in three heaps as before, and again request him
to notice where his noted card goes, and put that heap in the middle, as
before. Then fxking up the cards with tneir backs toward you, take off
the uppermost card, and reckon it one; take off another, which reckon
two; and thus proeeed till you come to the eleventh, which will invariably

TRICKS WITH CARDS. 391

prove to be the card thought of. You must never lay out your cards less
than three times, but as otten above that number as you please. This trick
may be done without vour seeing the cards at all, if you handle and count
them carefullv. To diversify the trick, you may use a different number
of cards, but the number chosen must be divisible by three, and the middle
card, after thev have been thrice dealt as directed, will always be the
one thought of; for instance, if done with fifteen cards, it nuist be the
eighth, and so on ; when the number is even, it must be the exact half; as,
if it be twenty-four, the card thought of will be the twelfth, &c.

THE SHUFFLED SEVEN.

Desire a person to remember a card and its place in the pack ; then, in
a dexterous manner, convey a certain number of the cards from the top to
the bottom, and subtract them, in vour mind, from the number of the pack :
for example, the pack consists of fifty-two cards, and you have conveyed
seven to the bottom ; tell the person the card he has thought of will be the
forty-fifth, reckoning from the number of the card, the place of which he
has to name : thus, if he say it is the ninth, you go on counting nine, ten,
eleven, &c. and the card he thought of will be exactly the forty-fifth, as
you announced.

THE PIQUET PACK.

Desire some person to choose three cards out of a piquet pack, bb-'
serving that the ace is to be counted eleven points, the court cards ten,
and the other cards according to the counts they mark. When he has
made his choice, desire him to lay on the table his three cards, separately,
and to put upon each parcel as many cards as are wanted to make up fif-
teen ponits; that is to say, if the first card should be nine, he must place
six cards; if the second a ten, five cards ; and if the third a knave, five
cards upon it: this will make nineteen cards employed; consequently,
there «nll remain thirteen cards in the pack, which you are to ask for, and
while pretending to examine, count them, in order to be certain of the
number left ; add sixteen to the remaining number, and you will have
twenty-nine, the number of points that the three chosen cards contain.

THE DOUHLE DOZEN.

Present a pack of cards to one of the company, desiring him to shuffle
them well, and to get tliem shuffled by whomsoever he pleases; then make
several persons cut them : after which, you will propose to one of the
company to take the pack and think of a card, and remember it, and like-
wise its order in the pack, by counting one, twoi three, four, &c. till he

392 TRICKS WITH CARDS.

comes, inclusively, to the card thought of; offer to go into another room,
or to be blindfolded, while he is doing this. Now declare in what order
the card shall be in the pack: say, for instance, the twenty-fourth ; and, by
attending to the following instructions, it will prove to be so : suppose the
person, who thinks of the card, stops at thirteen, and that the thirteenth
card was the queen of hearts ; tlie number you have stated it shall be in
the pack, being twenty-four: you return to the room, in case you had left
it, or desire the handkerchief to be removed, if you have been blindfolded ;
and, without asking any question of the person who hais thought of the
card, ask only for the pack, and apply it to your nose, as if to smell it;
then passing it behind your back, or under the table, take, from the bottom
of the pack, twenty-three cards ; that is to say, one less than the number
you have stated the card thought of shall be ; place these twenty-three
cards on the top. This being done, return the pack to the person who
iiad thought of the card, requesting him to reckon the cards from the top
uf the pack, beginning by the number of the card he thought of. His card
being the thirteenth, he will be compelled to count fourteen, and you are
to stop him when he comes to twenty-three, renunding him that the num-
ber you have mentioned is twenty-four, and that, consequently, the twenty-
fourth card, which he is going to take up, will be the card thought of; and
so it will most certainly be.

THE NOTED CARD NAMED.

Take any number of cards, ten or twelve for instance, bear in mind how
many there are, and holding them with their backs toward you, open four
or five of the uppermost, and, as you hold them out to view, let any one
note a card, and tell you whether it be the first, second, or third, from the
top. Now shut up your cards in your hands, and place the rest of the pack
upon them ; knocK their ends and sides upon the table, so that it will seem
impossible to find the noted card ; yet it may be easily done, — thus : sub-
tract the number of cards you held in your hand from fifty-two, the whole
number in the pack, and to the remainder add the number of the noted
card, which will give you the number of the noted card from the top.

GATHERING OF THE CLANS.

Have in readiness a pack, all the cards of which are well arranged in
successive order : that is to say, if it consist of fifty-two cards, every thirteen
must be regularly arranged, without a duplicate of any one of them. After
they have been cut (but do not suffer them to be shuffled), as many times
as a person may choose, form them into thirteen heaps of four cards each,
with the coloured faces downward, and put them carefully together again*
When this is done, the four kings, the four queens, the four knave^, and so
on, must necessarily be together.

TRICKS WITH CARDS S9S

THE MAGIC TWELVE.

Let anyone take the pack of cards, shuffle, take off itie upper card,
and, having noticed it, lay it on the table, u'lth its face downward, and
put so many cards upon it as will make up twelve with the number of spots
on the noted card. For instance : if the card which the person drew waa
a king, queen, knave, or ten, bid him lay that card with its face downward,
calling it ten ; upon that card let him lay another, calUng it eleven, and
upon that, anotlier, calling it twelve ; then bid him take off the next upper-
most card: suppose it be a nine, let him lay it down on another part of the
table, calUng it nine ; upon it let him lay another, calling it ten ; upon the
latter another, calling it eleven ; and upon that another, calling it twelve :
then let him go to the next uppermost card, and so proceed to lay out in
heaps, as before, till he has gone through the whole pack. If there be any
cards at the last, that is, if there be nut enough to make up the last noted
card the number twelve, bid him give them to you ; then, in order to tcU
him the number of all the spots contained in all' the bottom cards of the
heaps, do thus — from the number of heaps subtract four, multiply the
remainder by fifteen, and, to tlie product, add the number of remaining
cards, which he gave you ; but if tiiere were but four heaps, then those
remaining cards alone will shew the number of spots on the four bottom
cards. You need not see the cards laid out, nor know the number of cards
in each heap, it being sufficient to know the number of heaps, and the
number of remaining cards, if there be any, and therefore you may perform
this feat as well standing in another room, as if you were present.

TO TL'ilN A CARD INTO A BIRD.

Take a card in your hand, and shew it fairly to the company, bidding
them seriously observe it; then — having a live bird in your sleeve — turning
vour hand suddenly, draw the card into your sleeve with your thumb and
fitile finger, and, giving a shake, the bird will come out of your sleeve into
your hand ; you may then produce it and let it fly.

TO MAKE A CARD JUMP Oi;T Of THE PACK.

Let any person draw a card, and afterward put it into the pack, but
lake care that you know where to find ii at pleasure. This you may do
by having forced it. Then put a jiiete of wax under the thumb-nai!
or your right hand, and fasten a hair by it to your thumb, and the other
end of the hair, by the same means, to the card' chosen ; spread the pack
upon the table, and, making use of any words you think fit, make it juuip
from the pack about the table.

394 TRICKS WITH CARDS.

THE CONFEDERATE WATER-DROP

Put on your hat, and privately drop a little water, about the size of a
crown-piece, upon the table at which you sit ; rest your elbows upon the
table, so that the cuffs of your sleeves may meet, and your hands stick up
to the brim of your hat ; in this posture' your arms will hide the drop of
water from the company ; then let any one shuffle the cards, put them mto
your hands, and set a candle before vou, for this trick is only done by
candlelight : — then, holding the cards in your left hand, above the brim o(
your hat, close up to your head, so that the light of the candle may shine
upon them, and holding your head down, you will see in the drop of water,
as in a looking-glass, all the cards in your hands. Draw the finger of your
right hand along each card, as if you were feehng it before you name and
lay it down. Thus you may lay down all the cards in the pack, and name
them, one by one, without once turning your eyes toward them.

THE FOUR ACCOMPLICES.

Let a person draw four cards from the pack, and tell him to think of one
of them. When he returns you the four cards, dexterously place two of
them under the pack, and two on the top. Under those at the bottom
you place four cards of any sort, and then, taking eight ov ten from the
bottom cards, you spread them on the table, and ask the person if the card
De fixed on be among them. If he say no, you are sure it is one of the
two cards on the top. You then pass those two cards to the bottom, and
drawing off the lowest of them, you ask if that be not his card. If he again
say no, you take that card up, and bid him draw his card fVom the bottom
of the pack. If the person say his card is among those you first drew from
the bottom, you must dexterously take up the four cards that you put
under them, and placing those on the top, let the other two be the bottom
cards of the pack, which draw in the manner before described.

THE NERVE TRICK.

Force a card, and when the person who has taken it puts it in the pack,
let him shuffle the cards : then look at them again yourself, find the card,
and place it at the bottom ; cut them in half; give the party that half which
contains his card at the bottom, and desire him to hold it between his
finger and thumb just at the corner; bid him pinch them as tight as he
can ; then strike them sharply, and they vrill all fall to the ground, except
the bottom one, which is the card he has chosen. This is a very curious
trick, and, if well done, is really astonishing. It is a great improvement
of this trick to put the chosen card at the top of the pack, and turn the
cards face upward, so that when you strike, the choosing party's card
will remain in his hand, actually staring him in the face.

TRICKS WITH CARDS. 895

THE CHOSEN CARD REVEALED BY A PINCH OP SMUPF.

Force a card, suppose, for instance, the five of clubs, having previously
written the words, or drawn the snots, on a clean sheet of paper, with a
tallow candle : then hand the paclt to the person on whom the card is
forced, bid him place it where, and shuffle the pack how, he pleases ; ask
for a pinch of snuff, strew it over the sheet of paper, blow the loose grains
off, and the remainder will stick to those places which the tallow has
touched ; thus telling the person what card he has chosen. The paper, be
it observed, if done hghtly with the candle, will not appear to have any
marks on it For this trick we are indebted to a celebrated performer of
I^egerdcmoin, ant^it is really a most excellent one.

THE DRAWN CARD NAILED TO THE WALL.

Drive a flat-headed and sharp-pointed nail through a card, — force a
similar one on any person present, — receive it into the pack, — dexterously
drop it, and pick up, unseen, the nailed card ; place the latter at the bottom
of the pack, which take in your right hand, and throw it, with the bottom
forward, against a wainscot or door ; the nailed card will be fixed, and the
rest, of course, fall to the ground. Take care to place your nail so that
the front of the card, when fixed to the door, may be exposed: to eflfecr
this, you must also remember to put the back of the card outward, placing
it face to face with the others, when you put it at the bottom of the pack.

(;PS AND DOWNS.

This u one of the most simple ways, but by no means the less excellent,
of ascertaining what card a person chooses. When you are playing with
the pack, drop out the diamonds, from the ace to the ten, and contrive,
without being perceived, to gel all the oilier cards with their heads in the
same direction ; then request a person to choose a card ; do not force one,
but let him choose whichever he pleases : while he has it in his hand, and
is looking at it, carelessly turn the pack in your hand, so that the position
of the cards may be reversed ; then bid him put the card he has chosen
into the centre of the pack ; shuffle and cut them, and you may to a cer-
tainty know the card chosen, bv its head being upside down, or in a
different direction from the rest of the pack.

THE CARD UNDl.K THE HAT.

When you have discovered a drawn card by the last or any otlicr trick,
contrive to* gel the card to the top of the pack, which place on a table under
a hat ; pat your hand beneath it, take off the top card, and, after seemitig
to fcarch among the cards fur some time, draw it ouu

396 TRICKS WITH CARDS.

THE TURN-OVER.

When you have found a card chosen, which you have pre-viously
forced, or any card that has been drawn, and which you have discovered
by the means before described, in order to finish your trick cleverly, convey
the card, privately, to the top of the pack ; get all the other cards even
with each other, but let the edge of your top card project a little over the
rest ; hold them between your finger and thiunb, about two feet from the
table, let them drop, and the top card (which must be, as we have said, tlie
one drawn,) will fall with its face uppermost, and all the rest with their
faces toward the table.

THE REGAL ALLIANCE. *^

Take four kings, and place between the third and fourth any two
common cards whatever, which must be neatly concealed ; then shew the
four kings, and place the six cards at the bottom of the pack ; take one ol
the kings, and lay it on the top, and put one of the common cards into the
pack nearly about the middle ; do the same with the other, then shew that
there is one king at the bottom ; desire any one to cut the pack, and as
three of the kings were left at the bottom, the four will, therefore, be
found together in the middle of the pack.

THE ODD SCORE.

Take a pack of cards, and let any gentleman draw one ; then let him put
it m the pack again, but contrive so as you may be sure to find it at plea-
sure, which you will be enabled with ease to do, by some of the preceding
tricks ; then shuffle the cards, and let another gentleman draw a card, but
be sure you let him draw no other than the one before drawn, which you
must force upon him ; go on in this way until twenty persons have each
drawn the same card ; shuffle the cards together, and shew your forcea
card, which will, of course, be every man's card who has drawn.

THE CARD IN THE EGG.

To do this wonderful feat you must have two sticks exactly resembling
each other in appearance : one of these sticks must be made so as to con-
ceal a card in the middle of it ; for this purpose it must be hollow from end
to end, and have a spring to throw the card into the egg at pleasure. The
operation is this : — peel a card, roll it up, put it into the false stick, and
there let it lie until you have occasion to make use of it. Take a pack of
cards, and let any person draw one ; but be sure to let it be a similar card
to the one which you have in the hollow stick. This must be done by
forcing. The person who has chosen it will put it into the pack again, and,
while you are shuffling, let it fall into your lap. Then, calling for some

TRICKS WITH CARDS.

397

eggs, desire the person who drew the card, or any other peison in the
company, to choose any one of the eggs. When they have done so, ask
the person if there be any thing in it? He will answer tliere is not,
Take the egg in your lefk hand, and tlie hollow stick in your right ; — break
the egg with the stick, let the spring go, and the card will be driven into
the egg. You may then shew it tlie spectators, but be sure to conceal the
hollow stick, «nd produce the solid one, which place upon the table for
examination

THE PAINTED PACK.

Take a pack of cards, and paint the backs of one half of the pack with
what figures you think fit, as men,
women, birds, flowers, &c. Also paint
the faces of the other half of the cards
in the same manner; thus you will
have a complete pack of odd pictures,
and may, by shewing the faces of that
part of the pack whose backs only have
been painted, and then, by a momen-
tary shuffle, apparently transforming
them into a set of grotesque figures,
produce much amusement. There is
another manner of making the pack ;
it is as follows: — Take a dozen cards,
or more, and draw a line from the
right-hand upper corner to the left-
hand lower corner of the face of each

of them ; they will thus be all equally divided. Then paint part of some

odd fii^re on the right division of each card, leaving the left untouched.

By a httle dexterity, you may now seem to transform a set of common

cards into a painted pack.

TO CONVET A CARD INTO A CHERRY-STONE.

Burn a hole through the shell of a nut or cherry-stone, and also through
the kernel, with a hot bodkin, or bore it with an awl, and with a needle,
pick out the kernel, so that the hole in it may be as wide as the hole of
the shell ; then write the name of a card on a piece of fine paper, roll it up
hard, put it into the nut or cherry-stone, stop the hole up witli some bees'
wax, and rub it over with a httle dust, and it will not be perceived ; then
while some by-»tander draws a card, observe, " It is no matter what card
you draw;" and, if you use the cards well, vou will offer him, and he
will receive, a similar card to that you have rolfed up in the nuL Give him
tlie nut and a pair of crackers, and he will find the narre of Uie card he
drew rolled up in tt« kernel

398

TRICKS WITH CARDS.

THE MOUSE IN THE PACK.

Have a pack of cards fastened together at the edges, but open m the
middle like a box, a whole card being glued on as a cover, and many loose
ones placed above it, which require to be dexterously shuffled, so that the
entire may seem a real pack of cards. The bottom must likewise be a
whole card, glued to the box on one side only, yielding immediately to
exterior pressure, and serving as a door by which you convey the mouse
into the box. Being thus prepared, and holding the bottom tight with
your hand, require one of the company to place his open hands together,
and tell him you mean to produce something very marvellous from this
pack of cards ; place the cards then in his hands, and while you engage
his attention in conversation, take the box in the middle, throw the pack
aside, and the mouse will remain in the hands of the person who held the
cards.

THE CARD IN THE MIRROR.

Provide a circular mirror, the frame of which must be, at least, as wide
as a card. The glass in the centre must be made to move in two grooves,

at A B and C D ; and so much
of the silvering must be scraped
off as is equal, to the size of
a common card. Observe that
the glass be likewise wider than
the card. Then paste over the
part where the quicksilver is
rubbed off, a card that exactly
fits the space. The mirror
must be placed against a par-
tition, through which tvvo
strings pass to an assistant in
the adjoining room, who can
easily move tne glass in the
grooves, and, consequently,
make the card appear or dis-
appear at pleasure- Matters
being thus prepared, contrive
to make a person draw the
same sort of card witii that
fixed to the mirror, and place
it in the middle of the pack; then make the pass, and bring it to the
bottom ; direct the person to look for his card in the mirror, when the
confederate, behind the partition, is to draw it slowly forward, and it will
appear as if placed between the glass and quicksilver. While the glass is

THICKS WITH CARDS 399

being drawn forward, vou slide off the card from the bottom of the pack,
and convey it away. 1" he card fixed to the mirror may easily be rlianped
each time the experiment is performed. This recreation may also be madt
with a print that has a glass before it, and a frame of sufficient width, by
making a slit in the frame, through which the card is to pass; but the
effect will not be so striking as in the mirror.

THE MARCHIKO CARD.

One of the company is desired to draw a card, which is afterward
mixed with the pack, and commanded to appear on the wall ; it accord-
ingly obeys, advancing as it is ordered, and describes an inclined line from
the right to the left: it disappears at the top of the room, and appears an
instant afterward, moving in a horizontal direction : — to do this, first force
a card; after having shuffled the pack, withdraw the forced card, pri-
vately, and shew the company the pack again, that they may see it is no
longer tliere : when you order it to appear on the wall, a cont'ederate
adroitly draws a thread, at the end of which is previously fastened a
similar card, which comes from behind a glass ; it is fastened by very
minute loops of silk to another thread fully stretched, along which it runs,
and perfpnns its route as directed.

THE BURIED HEART.

A curious deception may be practised, by cutting out neatly, and
thinly shaving, the back of a' club, w hich is then to be pasted slightly over
an ace of hearts. After shewing a person the card, let him hold one end
of it, and you hold the other, and, while you amuse him with discourse,
slide off the club; then, laying the card on the table, bid him cover it with
his hands, knock under the table, and command the club to turn into the
ace of hearts.

CONFEDERATE SIGNALS.

This amusement is to be performed by confederacy ; you previously
agree with your confederate on certain signs, by which he is to aenote the
suite, and the particular card of each suite, as thus: if he touch the first
button of his coat it signifies an ace, if the second, a king, &c. and then
again if he take out his handkerchief, it denof^s the suite to be hearts ; if
he take snuff, diamonds, &c. These preliminaries being settled, you pre
the pack to a person who is your confederate, and tell him to separate any
one card from the rest while you arc absent, and draw his nnger once
over it. He is then to return you the pack, and, while you are shuffling
the cards, you carefully note the signals made by your confederate ; then
turning the cards over one by one, you fix on the card he touched.

400

TRICKS WITH CARDS.

THE CARD IN THE POCKET-BOOK.

A confederate is previously to know the card you have taken from the
pack, and put into your pocket-book ; you then present the pack to him,
and desire him to fix on a card, (which we will suppose to be the queen
of diamonds) and place the pack on the table ; you then ask him the name
of the card, and when he says the queen of diamonds, you ask him if he
is not mistaken, and if he be sure that the card is in the pack ? When he
replies in the affirmative, you say, " It might be there when you looked
over the cards, but 1 believe it is now in my pocket ;" then desire a third
person to put his hand in your pocket, and take out your book, and when
it is opened the card will appear.

The assistant in this, and, in fact, in all similar tricks, must be dex-
terous ; he ought to understand what you wish him to do by the slightest
hint, — a cough, a motion of the finger, or conjuring stick — so that he may
be as accomplished a confederate as

^obi), tl)e Sapient ^ig.

ARTIFICIAL FIREWORKS

Ok I Gulilo Fawfcc* ! by bo)-« hrlotH and liurucl,
PoMbumont r«ine riitlit dearly but ibou aarDcd !

On the fifth day of November, 1605, the celebrated Gunpowder Plot
was to have been carried into execution. On that day, had not the con-
spiracy been luckily discovered, King James the First, and the Lords and
Commons assembled in the Tarliamcnt -house, would inevitably have been
blown up, by the ignition of a nuaniity of gunpowder, placed under the
building for that purpose. The pnncipal conspirators were Catesby,
Wmter, Percy, and tawkes; the latter of whom waa executed in old
Palace Yard, on the 31st of January, 1606. In commemoration of this
event, it has long been a custom to carry about, and afterward hum, an
effigy of Guy (or Guido) Fawkcs, on the fifth of November, which is now
a great holidav among the youthful part of the community. Letting off
fireworks is the chief amusement of the evening ; but, notwithstanding
this, and although our work is devoted to the amusement of boyhood, wf>
purposely avoid giving the method of making real Fireworks, knowing it
to be a dangerous operation in the hands of skilful persons, but infinitely
more bo when attempted by youth. We would even advise them to
abstain from purchasing them ready-made, as many fatal accidcnu have
occurred from their use ; and Ijalf-an-hour** recreation would be dearly
2 c

402 ARTIFICIAL FIREWORKS.

purchased by a shattered hand, or loss of sight. Real Fireworks arC;
moreover, very expensive ; and, as we are convinced, that if they will fol-
low our directions, we can furnish them with a much cheaper, safer, and
equally effective amusement, we have little doubt of our advice being
followed. It would be most gratifying to our feelings, if our observa-
tions on this subject should, in any degree, conduce to the substitution of
Artificial for real Fireworks, among the junior classes of the com-
munity.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.

Previously to giving our young readers the necessary instructions for
making Artificial Fireworks, we must solicit their attention to a few pre-
liminary observations on the different colours of the fire, &c.

To construct Artificial Fireworks, so as to produce a proper and
striking effect, three circumstances are to be carefully observed : the first
is, the different colours of the fire ; the second, the manner of cutting out
the several figures ; and the third, the direction of the motions of each
piece, whether it be swift or slow, straight or circular.

Artificial Fireworks may be reduced to four principal colours: the first
is that of jets of fire, which is of a clear white ; the second is that of such
iets as are of a yellow or gold colour ; the third is that of serpents or
rockets, which is very bright, and of a light blue cast; and the fourth is
that of a colour inclining to red, commonly used in cascades of fire. There
is another sort of fire of a stronger })lue, of which ciphers and emblems
are formed, and which is placed on the centres of suns, and may be made
to produce a very brilliant effect.

The vivacity of fire being imitated, by the rays of light that fall upon
transparent paper, as we shall shew hereafter, the paper is to be stained
with different colours, and should be quite thin : after it is coloured, it
may be made more transparent, by being dipped in, or rubbed over with,
clear oil. For the first sort of fire, it is left to its own natural colour ; for
the second, an infusion of saffron may be used, made more or less strong-;
for the third, a light tincture of Prussian blue ; and for the fourth, a small
quantity of lake may be put in the saffron water just mentioned.

If, among theise Fireworks, you would have some parts that are
transparent, and through which other parts are to be seen, you must use,
for the transparent parts a paper that is thicker than the other, that the
latter may appear with a due degree of superior lustre : for in these exhi-
bitions, it is from a just mixture of light and shade that the most pleasing
effects are produced.

Having disposed of these preliminary observations, we proceed to state
the various devices or imitations of which this ingenious recreation is
susceptible.

ARTIFICIAT. FIREWORKS.

403

F.f I

tis< t.

TO IMITATE A iET DE FEU, COLUMN, GLOBE, OR PYRAMID OF FIRE.

Take a paper that is blacked on both sides, or, instead of black, the
paper may be coloured on each side with a deep blue, which will be still
better for such Artificial Fireworks as are
to be seen through transparent papers.
Let it be of a proper size for the figure
you intend to exhibit (Now refer to
Figures I or 2.) In this paper, cut out,
with a penknife, several spaces, B, R, B, B,
Ijeginning at the point, A ; and, with a
pier:er, make a great number of holes,
rather long than round, and at no regular
distance from each other; observing, how-
ever, that they must fonn right lines from
the point. A, as expressed in the figures ;
the parts engraved being those that are to
be cut out. Punches, fit for this purpose,
which have the superior advantage of
completely cutting out the part, instead of
merely piercing through the paper, may
be purchased at the ironmongers' shops.

To represent revolving pyraniids and globes, such as Figures 3 and 4»
the paper must be cut through with a penknife ; and the space, cut out
between each spiral, should be three or four times as wide as the spirals
themselves. You must observe to cut
them in the form represented in the fi-
gures, that the pyramid or globe may
appear to turn on its axis. The columns
that are shewn in pieces of architecture,
or in jets of fire, must be cut in the same
manner, if they are to be represented aa
turning on their axis. In lilie manner,
may be exhibited a great variety of orna-
ments, ciphers, and medallions, which,
when properly coloured, cannot fail of
producing a pleasing effect ; but there
should not be a great diversity of colours,
as that would not produce the most agree-
able appearance. When these pieces are drawn on a large scale, the
architecture or ornaments may be shaded ; and, to represent different
shades, pieces of coloured paper must be pasted over each other, which
will produce an effect that would not be expected from transparent
2 c 2

K.j.a

404

ARTIFICIAL FIREWORKS.

Fig. 5

paintings. Five or six pieces of paper, pasted over each other, will be
sufficient to represent the strongest shades.

To give these pieces the different motions they require, you must
first consider the nature of each piece : if, for example, you have cut out
the figure of the sun, as Fig. 5, or of a
star, as Fig. 6, you must construct 3
wire wheel, of the same diameter with
those pieces : this wheel has a rim and
five or more spokes, or radii, branching
from the centre to the rim ; it is made of
wire, that its radii, by being small, may
not intercept the hght that is to be placed
behind it ; over it, you paste a very thin
paper, on which is drawn, with thick
black ink, the spiral figure represented
by Fig. 7. The wheel, thus prepared, is
to be placed behind the sun or star, in
such manner, that its axis may be exactly
opposite the centre of either of those
figures. This wheel may be turned by
any means you think proper.
Now the wheel being placed directly behind the sun) for example,
and very near to it, is to be turned regularly round, and strongly illu-
minated' by candles, placed behind it. The lines that form the spiral will
then appear, through the space cut out
from the sun, to proceed from its centre
to its circumference, and will resemble
sparks of fire that incessantly succeed
each other. The same effect will be
produced by the star, or by any other
figure, where the fire is not to appear
as proceeding from the circumference of
the centre.

These two pieces, as well as those that
follow, may be of any size, provided
you observe the proportion between the
parts of the figure and the spiral, which
must be wider in larger figures than in
smalL If the sun, for example, have from
six to twelve inches diameter, the width of the strokes that form the
spiral need not be more than one-twentieth part of an inch, and the
8paces between them, that form the transparent parts, about two-tenths
of an inch. If the sim be two feet diameter, the strokes should te one-

ARTIFICIAL FIREWORKS

405

eighth of an inch, and the space between, one quarter of an inch; and, if

the figure be six feet diameter, the strokes should be one quarter of an
•■"««• 7 , M. inch, and the spaces, five-twelfths of an inch.

These pieces nave a pleasing effect when
represented of a small size, but the deception
is more striking wlien they are of large
dimensions.

It will be proper to place these pieces,
when of a small size, in a box quite closed
on every side, that none of the light may be
diffused in the chamber ; for which purpose,
it will be convenient to have the hinder part
of the box, where the lamps are placed, lined

with tin, with an opening behind.

The several figures cut out, should be
placed in frames, that thev may be put
alternately, in a groove in the fore part of
the box ; or, there may be two grooves, that
the second piece may be put in before the
first is taken out. The wheel must be care-
fully concealed from the eye of the spec-
tator.

Where there is an opportunity of repre-
senting these artificial fires by a nole made
in a partition, they will, doubtless, have a
much more striking effect, as the spectator
cannot then imagine by what means they

are produced. In fieurt, all Artificial Fireworks, if tlie apparatus be neatly
Kig.9. constructed, and they are cleverly managed,

are calculated to produce, not only a great
deal of pleasure, but extreme astonishment,
in the beholders ; as they will, unless ac-
quainted with the art of making them, be at
a loss to account for the production of iuch
lingular effects.

To represent fires that flow from the cir-
cumference to the centre, as B, &c. (Fig. 9.)
and, at the same time, others that flow from
the centre to the circumference, as A, &c.
you must construct the double spiral, as re-
presented bv Fig. 9.
When this wheel is placed behind Vig. 8, the concentric spiral, A,
ig. 9,) being opposite llie parts. A, (Fig. 8,) the fire will appear to issue

406

ARTIFICIAL FIREWORKS.

from the centre, as before^ but the parts against the eccentric spiral of the
wheel, B, (Fig. 9,) which are those marked B, in Fig. 8, will appear to
Fig- 10. move from the circumference to

- . -v^■,-.v-:-;:r --.-.. the centre.

It is easy to conceive, that by
extending this method, wheels
may be constructed with three
or four spirals, to which may be
given different directions, as in
Fig. 10, where are drawn, on the
transparent piece, the spirals that
are proper to produce, not only
jets de feu, but also small pyra-
mids, as A, A, &c. which will
appear to turn on their centres.
It is manifest, also, that on the
same principle, a great variety
of transparent figures may be
contrived, which may be placed
before the same spiral lines.

TO REPRESENT CASCADES OF FIRE.

In cutting out cascades, you must take care to preserve a natural
inequality in the parts cut out; for if, to save time, you should make all

the holes with the same pointed
tool, the uniformity of the parts
will not fail to produce a dis-
agreeable €ffecL As these cas-
cades are very pleasing when
well executed, so they are very
uninteresting when imperfect.
These are the most difficult
pieces to cut out. To produce
the necessary motion of these
cascades, instead of drawing a
spiral, you must have a slip of
strong paper, of such length as
you judge convenient. In this
paper, there must be a great
number of holes near each other,
and made with pointed tools of
different dimensions. At each end of the paper, a part of the same size
with the cascade, must be left uncut ; and toward thpse parts, the holes

ARTIFICIAL FIREWORKS.

407

Kig. i:.

must be made at a greater distance from each other. Tliis paper is to be
fixed, by its two extremities, to the two rollers, A and B, (Fig. 11. p. 404.)
When the cascade thai is cut out, is placed before the scroll of j)aper just

mentioned, and it is entirely
wound upon tlie roller. A, tlie
ends of the paper being quite
opaque, no part of tlie cascade
will be visible ; but as tli»ivinch,
D, is turned gently and regu-
larly round, the transparent
part of the paper proceeding
from A to B, will give to the
cascade the appearance of fire
that descends in the same di-
rection ; and the illusion will be
so strong, that tlie spectators
will think they see a ca:icade
of fire, especially if the figure
be iudiciously cut out. A cas-
cade mav also be tolerably well
executed by a spiral, in the
manner expresseu in Fig. 12,
but the roller is more eligible.
The paper being totally rolled on B, (Fig. 11,) the part between A and B
will be quite opaque; therefore, the cascade may be then taken away, and
another piece, which represents fire that ascends as a iet, may be placed
in its room ; and Uius the pieces may be alternately and continually
changed.

IMITATIVE ILLUMINATIONS.

On a >ery strong double paper, the back of which is blacked with
lamp-black, dissolved in brandy, or any spirit, and diluted with gtim-
water, you must firat paint the draught of the illumination you intend to
represent in miniature, and mark the exact place of the several lamps, and
oilier par: ■'• * nose it Then take punches of different sizes, which
may be j' the ironmongers, and with which make holes in the

papers, m - xs shall represent the flame of a lamp, or any other

body. If the i..;:., im- ^n] nurd to be all in a line, you must use the
finest punches ("•. tit ^;; i;:. ; limps, and the larger for the greatest ; but
if the parts of tl.c illuiuiuatiuu l.c supposed at different distances, then the
fine punches are to be used for llio^e parts that are most distant, and the
holes must be nearer together, m i)roportion to the distance. If there be
objects in front, perpendicular to the point of view, you must use punches

408

ARTIFICIAL FIREWORKS.

whose diameters decrease insensibly, and make the holes continually
closer, in proportion as the extremities of the front are more distant. When
the piece is completely cut out, place behind this double paper, one thai
is very thin ; colour the parts that are to appear the most distant, with a
little lake : it is then to be placed in a box, and strongly illuminated behind
by several candles or lamps. The candles should be placed at five or six
inches distance from the paper, and equi-distant from each other, and if
they d«» not produce a light sufficiently strong, you may place more. It
will be proper to line the box with tin, as that will reflect the light on the
piece. The front of the paper should be also illuminated with a faint
light, such as is just sufficient to shew the pieces of architecture that may
be painted on it.

A perusal of the foregoing pages has, we doubt not, convinced our young
reader, that Artificial Fireworks may be made very beautiful and amusing :
they are entirely free, on the score of danger, too, from the objections which
may reasonably be made against Real Fireworks, and

lEilUpuitan "artiUcrp.

^i0ceUaueous Recreations

DEAP AND DUMB ALPHABET.
PARADOXES AND PUZZLES;

THE RIDDLER;

VARIETIES.

THE DEAF AND DUMB ALPHABET.

Thoufth poor <Dd old, the had • goldrn joy:
Htr dim eye brightened ofi, to >ec bir bor,-
Albeil bjr Ileairii lieprired of tpeeeh and heating,—

Throw by hii homely toy,
And tell hi* lore, in manner to tDdrariiic,
L'pon bit nimble fingert, that the tkou^ht
Him more audowed thao (hote bereft ornau>:ht.

The art of teaching those who are Deaf and Dumb a mode of com-
prehending whatever it may be desirous to convey to their minds, and of
expressing their own wants and ideas to their more happv fellow-creatures,
is one of the greatest triumphs that humanity can boast, 'fo such perfection
may this art be carried, that those beings, to whose benefit the exertions of
its professors arc directed, may be raised nearly to a par with the rest of
the world. It has the great advantage of being remarkably simple ; so
that a mother, a brother, sister, or school-fellow, by a little perseverance,
may g:ive the deaf and dumb youth the means of communicating his
wbhes on all occasions. He may be led procrcssively from the alphabet
to the construction and signification of words, the composition of sentences,
and, ultimately, to such a complete knowledge of language, as will enable
him to study other branches of education with as much proniise of success
as if he had been boni with all his senses in perfection. Our limits will
not allow us to enter into any detail of the manner of conveying in-
struction to the Dumb, beyond the acquirement of the Alphabet, to which
we add an engraving shewing the position of the hands to cypress each letter.

412 THE DEAF AND DUMB ALPHABET.

THE ALPHABET

A, Ef 1, O, U. — The vowels a, e, i, o, and u, are expressed by touch-
ing, with the fore-finger of the right hand, the thumb, or one of the fingers
of the left, according to the letter required to be expressed.

A is made by touching the top of the thumb ; e, by touching 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'httle finger.

B. — Join the fore-finger and thumb of each hand, and place the backs
of the two fore-finger nails together.

C. — Curve the fingers and thumb toward 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 two first
fingers of the other.

G and J. — Clench the hands, and place one fist upon the' other.

H. — Draw the palm of one hand across the palm and fingers 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 brushing something off the
palm of one hand with the other.

K. — Curve the fore-finger toward 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.

iV. — 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-finger 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.

THE DEAF AND DUMB ALPHABET.

413

414 THE DEAF AND DUMB ALTHABET

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 against the lower
edge of the left hand, between the Uttle finger and the wrist.

V, — This letter is made nearly as N, 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 together, as is the case for N.

W. — Join the hands, with the fingers of one between those of the other.

X. — Cross the two fore-fingers at the second joint.

Y. — Place the fore-finger of the right hand between the thumb and
fore-finger of the left, which must both be extended.

Z. — Raise one hand toward 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 snapping the middle
finger and thumb of the right hand : this, it may readily be imagined,
renders the dumb language much more inteUigible.

Numbers 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, &c.

Thus, it will be perceived, that although many persons are by Nature
deprived of speech, yet Art has so ameliorated their condition, as not to
leave them altogether

PARADOXES AND PUZZLES,

Coma buhcr,all )■• )oathrul !**Kr«.
Coaa and penu« our »ci|iieiii pmg«a I
M'o care not «rbcnr« th« (ood wind blowt tod,
lor «ur« wc are ibul we iball poxc ywu

Paradoxes and Puzzles, although by many persons looked unon im
mere trifles, have, in numerous instances, cost their inventors considerable
time, and exhibit a great degree of ingenuity. We can readily imagine
that some of the complicated puzzles in the ensuing pages may have been
originally constructed by captives, to pass away the hours of a long and
dreary imprisonment; thus does the misery of a few, frequently conduce to
the amusement of many. We look upon a Paradox as a sort of superior,
riddle, and a tolerable Puzzle, in our opinion, takes precedence of a first-
rate rebus. There is of\en considerable thought, calculation, patience, and
management, rprinircd to solve some of these strnncr cnijrnn?; : rrnrl we
have, ere li' 1 the mazes of a Pn. rely

absorbed i; 'ana to extricate > 'H-

culties ; and . t as much pleasure ... , ..^ :.^ . . ory

over it, m we have in conquering an adversary at some superior game of

416 PARADOXES AND PIZZLES.

skill. It is, " in good sooth, a right dsdnty and pleasant pastime," to
watch the stray wanderings of another person attempting to elucidate a
Paradox, or perform a Puzzle, with which one is previously acquainted.
It is laughable to see him elated with hope at the apparent speedy end
of his troubles, when you know that, at that moment, he is actually farther
from his object than he was when he began : and it is no less amusing to
watch his increasing despair, as he conceives himself to be getting more
and more involved, when you are well aware that he is within a single
turn of a happy termination of his toils ; but what a mirthful moment is
that, when, there being only two ways to turn, the one right and the
other wrong, as is usually the case, he takes the latter, and becomes more
than ever

*' Pozed, puzzled, and perplexed,"

A Paradox or a Puzzle ought, perhaps, never to be explained ; the
party to whom it is proposed should rather be left in ignorance of its solu-
tion, unless he succeed in discovering it himself; if he fail after two or
three efforts, and you disclose it, his vanity will be hurt, on account of his
having been foiled by a question that, after its solution, appears so simple,
or, in some instances, he will call it silly and ridiculous ; whereas, if he dis-
cover it without assistance, he will praise it for its excellence, and be
pleased at his own cleverness.

We now proceed to open our budget : — Our first article, " Trouble- wit,"
is that paper Proteus, which a blind young man, (of whom we give an en-
graving at the head of this article,) who may be often seen about the
streets of London, turns into the likenesses of a great number of things,
animate as well as inanimate. They are, we must confess, but rude
resemblances, but still they shew considerable ingenuity.

TROUBLE-WIT.

Take a sheet of stiff paper, fold it down the middle of the sheet,
longways ; then turn down the edge of each fold outward, the breadth of
a penny ; measure it as it is folded, into three equal parts, with compasses,
which make six divisions in the sheet ; let each third part be turned out-
ward, and the other, of course, will fall right ; then pinch it a quarter of
an inch deep, in plaits, like a rutf ; so that, when the paper lies pinched in
its form, it is in the fashion represented by A ; when closed together, it
will be like B ; unclose it again, shuffle it with each hand, and it will
resemble the shuffling of a pack of cards ; close it, and turn each corner
inward with your fore-finger and thumb, it will appear as a rosette for a
lady's shoe, as C; stretch it forth, and it will resemble a cover fok an
lulian couch, as D ; let go your fore-finger at the lower end, and it will
resemble a wicket, as £ ; close it again, and pinch it at the bottom.

PARADOXES AND PUZZLES.

417

spreading the top, and it will represent a fan, as F ; pinch it half-way, and
open the top, and it will appear in the form shewn by G ; hold it in that
form, and with tlie thumb ot your left hand, turn out the next fold, and it
will be as H.

A ^

<v^W'V»vk'v^'ww4

giiiniiiiii^

piiliiiillii
i^iiiniiiiin

In fact, by a Uttle ingenuity and practice, Trouble- wit may be raa<:Ie to
assume an infinite variety of forms, and be productive of very considerable
amusement.

THE SLIOHTCD LADY.

We shall suppose there are 13 ladies in company, one of whom yuu
wish to mortify ; you, therefore, provide 12 nosegays, and, without shewing
any appearance of partiality, announce that you mean to let chance decide
which of them is to go without one. For this purpose, make the 13 ladies
stand up in a ring, allowing them to place themielves as they please ; and
distribute to them the 12 nosegays, counting them from 1 to 9, and making
the ninth retire from the ring, and carry with her a nosegay. It will be
found, that the eleventh, reckoning from the one by whom you be^n, will
remain the last ; and, consequently, will liave no share in the distnbulior :
you, of course, will begin counting with the one who stands second in the
ring from tlie party to bt- txcludcil,

2 D

418 PARADOXES AND PUZZLES.

The following table will shew the person, before her whom you wish
to exclude, with whom you must begin to count 9 ; supposing, always, that
the number of the nosegays is less by one than that of the persons.

For 13 persons, the 11th before.

12 2d.

11 5th.

10 7th.

9 8th.

8 8th.

7 7th.

6 5th.

5 3d.

4 3d.

3 2d.

2 1st.

THE WINE MERCHANT AND HIS CLERK.

A wine-merchant caused 32 casks of choice wine to be deposited in his
cellar, giving orders to his clerk to arrange them, as in the annexed figure,
so that each external row should contain nine. The
clerk, however, took away 12 of them, at three dif-
ferent times ; that is, fom' each time ; yet, when the
merchant went mto the cellar, after each theft had
been committed, the clerk always made him count
nine in each row. How was this possible ?

This problem may be easily solved by inspecting
the following figures : —

!•

1 1

2d Order.

Order.

4th Ord

er.

3 1 3

4 t

1 ^

i 3

' 1

3 3

PROFIT AND LOSS.

A man bought ninety-six apples at three a penny, and the same num-
ber at two a penny ; he sold them agmn at the rate of five for two-pence.
Query — Did he gain or loss t

PARADOXES AVD PUZZLES.

419

Anstcer. — He lost. The ninety-sii: apples, at three a penny, cost him
2s. 8(1., and the ninety-six, at two a penny, 4s., making together, 6s. 8d
He had one hundred and ninety-two apples, and sold thirtr-eight two-

Senny-worths; for which he received, of course, Cs. 4d. \Vhen be had
one this, he bad only two apples left : he, consequently, lost a fraction
above 3§d.

THE GEOMETRICAL MONEY.

cp-p- 1 — I k I I I \Jr^
-— — ;g-

--X

Draw on pasteboard the following rectangle, whose side, A C, is three
inches, and A B, ten inches. Divide the longest side into ten equal parts,

and the shortest into three equal

Earts, and draw the perpendicular
nes, as in the figure, which will
divide it into thirty equal squares.
From A to D draw tne diagonal
line, and cut the figure, by that
line, into two equal triangles, and
cut those triangles into two equal parts, in the direction of the lines, E F
and G H. You will then have two triangles, and two four-sided irregular
figures, which you are to place together, in tl <
manner they stood at first, and in each squaxt
you are to draw the figure of a piece of money ,
observing to make those in the squares through
which the line, A D, passes, somewhat imperfect.

As the pieces stand together in the fori-
figure, you will count thirty pieces of money
but if the two triangles and the two irit^
figures be joined together, as in the two last annexed figures, there will be
thirty-two pieces.

QUAINT QUERY.

What is the difference between six dozen dozen, and half-a-dozen
dozen ?

J nm-er.— 792 :— Six dozen dozen being 864, and half-a-dozen dozen, 72.

THE SHREP-FOLD.

A farmer had a pen made of 50 hurdles, capable of holding 100 shfcp
only : supposing he wanted to make it snflicientlv large to hold doub.i'
tliat number, — how many additional hurdlck would be have occasion for ?

Answer. — Two. There were 2A hurdles on each side of the pen ; a
hurdle at the top, and another at the bottom ; so that, by moving onf oi
the sides a little back, and placing an additional hurdle at the top aTi<:
bottom, the sixe of the pen would be exactly doubled.
2p 2

420

PARADOXES AND PUZZLES,

THE IMPOSSIBILITY MADE POSSIBLE.

Place three pieces of money on the table, as in the cut, and desire
some person to take away the piece from the centre without touching it.

If the manner of executing it be not discovered, remove No. 3 to the
side of No. 1, and thus you take away the piece from the centre without
touching it.

THE CURIOUS CROSS.

Compose a cross, with thirteen sixpences, shillings, or any .other coins,
i\s No. 1, in which it will be perceived you may reckon nine in three
different ways : that is to say, in the entire per-
pendicular line, up the perpendicular line to the
cross line, and including the cross line, first on the
right, then on the left. These are the qualities
of the cross. The puzzle is to take two of the
pieces away, and still to leave the same qualities
m the cross. This is done by taking aviay the
two outside pieces of the cross line, and lifting
the two which remain one piece higher. The
figure will then be as No. 2.

No.l

u
o
O O O o o
o
o
o
o
u
o '

No. 2.

O
O O O

Rosamond's bower.

The cut on the opposite pj^e represents, it is said, the Maze at
Woodstock, in which King Henry placed fair Rosamond, to protect her
from the Q,ueen. It certainly is a most ingenious contrivance, and may
be made productive of much amusement. The puzzle consists in getting,
from one of the numerous outlets, to the bower in the centre, without
crossing any of the lines. This print, called " A Labyrinth," is pub-
lished and sold by the booksellers.

PARADOXES AND PUZZLES.

421

ROSAMONDS BOWER.

422 PARADOXES AND TlJlZLES,

SEVEN IN TWO.

Cut a piece of bread, or paper, in the form of a norse-shoe, {vide
Fig. 1,) and desire some person, by two cuts, to divide it into seven
pieces. Tlae manner of doing this is as follows : —
Cut across from a to b ; this will divide the shoe into
three pieces : then place the two ends by the side of
the upper part, as Fig. 2, and cut across from to
d. The shoe will then be cut into seven pieces.
Fist 2 There is a figure puzzle somewhat similar to this,

an /^^ ^T which five may be made seven in one cut. A
••"ii— tr~Tl<* piece of paper Is cut out in the shape of a Roman
numeral fivo (V; ; it is then, with a knife or scis-
sors, cut across, and the two points placed on the
right of the lower part ; thus it becon)es seven, (VII).

THE PAPriAL REPRIEVE.

To arrange 30 criminals in such a manner that, by counting them in
succession, always beginning again at the first, and rejecting every ninth
person, 15 of them may be saved : — Arrange the criminals according to
the order of the vowels in the following Latin verse : —

•»531 31 12 231231

Populeam virgam mater regina ferebat.

Because o is the fourth in the order of the vowels, you must begin by
four of those whom you wish to save ; next to these place five of those
whom you wish to punish ; and so on alternately, according to the figures
which stand over the vowels of the above verse.

FAMOUS FORTY-FIVE.

How can number 45 be divided into four such parts that, if to the first
part you add two, from the second part you subtract two, the third part
you multiply by two, and the fourth part you divide by two, the sum oi
the addition, the remainder of the subtraction, the product of the multi-
plication, and the quotient of the division, be all equal ?

Answer.

The 1st is 8, to which add 2, the sum is 10

The 2d is 12, subtract 2, the remainder is ... . 10

The 3rd is 5, multiplied by 2, the product is 10

The 4th is 20, divided by . . 2, the quotient is .... 10

PARADOXES AND PUZZLES.

423

;

THE CHERRY CHEAT.

Cui two longitudinal slips out of a card, an a b c d (Fig. 1) , also, cut
out an oval above these slips, as e. Take the part (/J between the two

longitudinal apertures, with
F*' 1 ^'8- ' your linger and thumb, and

draw it toward you, until the
card be bent into a half-circle ;
pass part of / through the
oval, e, and then, through the
part of/ so passed through e,
introduce one of two cherries,
whose stems grow together.
Let the stems, and also/, pass
back through the oval ; put
your card as much in the
original position as possible again, and it will 'appear as Fig. 2. The puz-
zle is to get the cherries off without breaking their stems, or damaging
the card. It is only to be done in the manner described for putting
them on.

THE WOLF, THE OOAT, AND THE CABBAGES.

Suppose a man have a wolf, a goat, and a basket of cabbages, on the
bank of a river; that he wishes to cross with them ; and that his boat is
only big enough to carry one of the three besides himself. He must,
therefore, take them over one by one, in such a manner, that the wolf
shall have no opportunity of devouring the goat, or the goat of devouring
the cabbages. — How is he to do this?

Answer. — First, he takes over the goat ; he then returns, and takes
the wolf; he leaves the wolf on the other side, and brings back the goat :
he now takes over the cabbages, and comes back once more, to fetch the
goat. Thus, the wolf will never be left with the goat, nor the goat with
the cabbages.

THE POOR-HOUSE PROBLEM.

There is a square piece of land, containing twenty-five acres, designed
for the reception of twenty-four poor men and their governor, who are
each to have a hou-se situated in liis own ground, witli the governor's in
tiie centre. How many people's land must the governor pass through
before he gets to the outside of the whole ?

Answer. — Two; for the ground being a sqxuu^e, it will consist of five
row6, each five acres.

424

PARADOXES AND I'UZZLES.

THE TRIPLE ACCOMMODATION.

To form a regular geometrical solid, which shall fill up a circle, a
square, and a triangle. — Take a round piece of wood; let its height be
the same as its diameter; mark a line
diametrically through its centre, at one
end (Fig. 1); then cut away the wood,
right and left, from the line at the top,
regularly, toward each edge at the bot-
tom. You will then have Fig. 2. Then,
in a piece of card, or thin board, cut a cir-
cle of the same diameter as the base of
the figure you have formed, and a square,
each side of which is the same as the
diameter of the circle ; also, a triangle, whose base and height are the
same as the square ; and the figure you have cut out will exactly fit all
three. This may be performed, for the sake of expedition, with a cork,
a piece of apple, or any thing easy to cut, and a piece of stiff paper.

EIGHTEEN WORDS IN TWENTY-THREE LETTERS.

What do the following letters signify in the French language, pro-
nounced in the order in which they stand ?

Inneopyliavqliattliedcd

Answer. — Helene est n6e au pays g^ec, elle ya vecu, elle y a t^te,
elle y est d6c^d6e.

THE PUZZLING RINGS.

This perplexing invention is of great antiquity, and was treated on by
Cardan, the mathematician, at the beginning of the sixteenth century.
It consists of a flat piece of thin metal or bone, with ten holes in it ; in
each hole a wire is loosely fixed, beaten out into a head at one end, to
prevent its slipping through, and the other fastened to a ring, also loose.
Each wire has been passed through the ring of the next \vire, previously
to its own ring being fastened on ; and through the whole of tlie rings,
runs a wire loop or bow, which also contJuns, within its oblong space, all
the wires to which the rings are fastened ; the whole presenting so com-,
plicated an appearance, as to make the releasing the rings from the bow
appear an impossibility. The construction of it would be found rather
troublesome to the amateur, but it may be purchased at most of the toy-
shops, very lightly and elegantly made. It also exists in various parts of
the country, forged in iron, perhaps, by some ingenious village mechanic,

PARADOXES AND PUZZLES.

425

and aptly named " The Tiring Irons." The following instructions will
shew the principle on which tne puzzle is constructed, and will prove a
key to its solution.

Take the loop in your left hand, holding it at the end. B, and consider
the rings as being numbered 1st to 10th. The 1st will be the extreme
ring to the right, and the 10th tlie nearest your left hand.

It will be seen that the difficulty arises from each ring passing round
the wire of its right-hand neighbour. The extreme ring at the right hand,
of course, being unconnected with any other wire than its own, may, at
any lime, be drawn otf the end of the bow at A, raised up, dropped
through the bow, and finally released. After you have done this, try to
pass the 2nd ring in the same way, and you will not succeed, as it is
obstructed by the wire of the 1st ring ; but if you bring the 1st ring on
agahi, by reversing the process by which you took it off, riz. by putting
it up through the bow, and on to the end of it, you will then hnd, that
by taking the 1st and 2nd rings together, they will both draw off, lift
up, and drop through the bow. Having done this, try to pass the 3rd
ring off, ana vou will not be able ; because it is fastened on one side to its
own wire, wfiich is within the bow, and on the other side, to the 2nd
ring, which is without the bow. Therefore, leaving the 3rd ring for the
present, try the 4th ring, which is now at the end aO but one, and both of
the wires which affect it bf ing within the bow, you will draw it off with-
out obstruction ; and, in duing this, you will have to slip the 3rd ring off,
which will not drop through, for the reasons before given ; so, having
dropped the 4th ring through, you can only slip the 3rd ring on agairi.
You will now comprehend, that (with the exception of tlie 1st ring) the
only ring, which can at any time be released, is that which happens to be
2ntl on the bow, at the right-hand end ; because both tlie wires which
affect it, being within the bow, there will be no impediment to its drop-
ping through. You have now the 1st and 2nd rings released, and the 4th
also, — the 3rd still fixed; to release which, we must make it last but one
on the bow, and to affect which, pass the 1st and 2nd rings together
through the bow, and on to it ; then release the 1st ring again by slipping
it off, and dropping it tlirough, and the 3rd ring will stand as 2nd on the

426 PARADOXES AND PUZZLES.

bow, in its proper position for releasing, by draTving the 2nd and 3rd off
together, dropping the 3rd through, and slipping the 2nd on again. Now
to release the 2nd, put the 1st up, through and on the bow ; then sHp the
two together off, raise them up, and drop them through. The 6th will
now stand 2nd, consequently, in its proper place for releasing ; therefore,
draw it toward the end, A, slip the 5th off, then the Cth, and drop it
through; after which replace the 5th, as you cannot release it until it
stand in the position of a 2nd ring ; in order to effect this, you must
bring the 1st and 2nd rings together, through and on to the bow ; then,
in order to get the 3rd on, slip tlie first off, and down through the bow ;
then bring the 3rd up, through and on to the bow ; then bring the Ist
ring up and on again, and, releasing the 1st and 2nd together, bring the
4th through, and on to the bow, replacing the 3rd ; then bring the 1st and
2nd together on, drop the 1st off and through, then the 3rd the same,
replace the 1st on the bow, take off the 1st and 2nd together, and the 5th
will then stand 2nd, as you desired; draw it toward the end, slip it off
and through, replace the 4th, bring the 1st and 2nd together up and
on again, release the 1st, bring on the 3rd, passing the 2nd ring on to the
bow again, replace the 1st, in order to release tlie Ist and 2nd together ;
then bring the 4th toward the end, slipping it off and through, replace
the 3rd, bring the 1st and 2nd together up and on again, release the 1st,
then the 3rd, replacing the 2nd, bring the 1st up and on, in order to
release the 1st and 2nd together, which having done, your 8th ring will
then stand 2nd, consequently you can release it, slipping the 7th on again.
Then to release the 7th, you must begin by putting the 1st and 2nd up
and on together, and, going through the movements in the same succes-
sion as before, until you find you have only the 10th and 9th on the bow;
then slip the 10th off and through the bow, and replace the 9th. This
dropping of the 10th ring is the first effectual movement toward getting
the rings off, as all the changes you have gone through, were only to
enable you to get at the 10th ring. You will then find that you have only
the 9th left on the bow, and you must not be discouraged on learning,
that in order to get that ring off, all the others to the right hand must be
put on again, beginning by putting the 1st and 2nd together, and work-
ing as before, until you find that the 9th stands as 2nd on the bow, at
which time you can release it. You will then have only the 8th left on
the bow ; you must again put on all the rings to the right hand, begin-
ning by putting up the 1st and 2nd together, till you find the 8th stand-
ing ac 2nd on the bow, or in its proper position for releasing ; and so you
proceed, until you find all the rings finally released.

As you commence your operations with all the rings ready fixed on
the bow, you will release the 10th ring in 170 moves: but as you then
have only the 9th on, and as it is necessary to bring on again all the ri"gs

PARADOXES AND rUZZLES. 427

up to Ihe 9ih, in order to release the 9th, and which requires 15 moves
more, you will, consequently, release the 9th ring in 256 moves ; and, fot

irour encouragement, your labour will diminish, by one half, with each
bllowini; ring which is finally released. The 8th comes off in 12S moves,
the 7lh in 64 moves, and so on, until you arrive at the 2nd and l>t rings,
which come off together, making 681 moves, which are necessary to take
off all the rings. With the experience you will, by this time, have
acquired, it is only necessary to say, that to replace the rings, you begin
by putting up the 1st and 2nd together, and follow precisely the same
system as before.

THE SQUARE HOLE AND ROUND STOPPER.

Mow can a mechanic file a square hole with a round file, and fi)l up an
oval hole with a round stopper ?

Anstcer. — A piece of pliable metal being doubled, by applying a round
file to the double edge, and filing a half square gap, on opening the metaJ,
a square will appear. Again, if two corners and an edge, at the end of a
miser's iron chest, be filed away, with a round, or any other file, there will
be an exact square hole lefu And further, if a cylindrical body be cm
obliquely, the plane of the section will be an oval; and, consequently, a
round body, situated obliquely in an oval hole, will completely fill it.

THE CARD PUZZLE.

One of the best pnzrlet hitherto made, is represented in tite annexed
cut. A, is a piece of card; 6 ^, a narrow slip divided fVom its bottom
edge, the whole breadth of the card, except just
sufficient to hold it on at each side; c c, is ano-
ther, small slip of card, with two large square
ends, e e ; d,h a bit of a tobacco-pipe, thrnush
which c c is passed, and which is kept on by the
two ends, e e. The nuzzle consists in getting the
pipe off without brealcing it, or injuring any other
part of the puzzle. Thi<, which appears to be
impossible, is done in the most simple manner.
On a moment's consideration, it will appear
plainly, that there must be as much difficulty in
getting the nipe in its present situation, as there
can be in taicmg it away. The way to put the
puzzle together, is as follows:— The slip, c c, e <►, Is cut out of a pircc of
card, in the shape delineated in Fig. 3, next page. The card in the first
figure, mtisi then be gently bent at A, so as to allow of the blip at the
bottom of it being also bent sufficiently to pass double through the pipe,

428

PARADOXES AND PUZZLES.

as in Fig. 2. The detached slip with the square ends, (Fig, 3,) is then to

He passed half way through the loop,/, at the bottom of the pipe; it is

next to be doubled in the centre, at a, and pulled

through the pipe, double, by means of the loop

of the slip to the card. Upon unbending the card.

Fig. 3

the puzzle will be complete, and appear as repre-
sented in Fig. 1. In order to take the pipe off,
the card must be doubled, (as Fig. 2,) the slip
passed through it, until there is sufficient of the
loop below the pipe to allow of one of the square
ends of the slip (Fig. 3) being passed through it.
Fig. 3 is then to be taken away, and the pipe
slipped oflf. The card for this puzzle must be cut
^ very neatly, the puzzle handled gently, and great

care taken, that in doubling the card, to put on
the pipe, no creases are made in it, as they would,

in all probabiUty, spoil your puzzle, by betraying, to an acute spectator, the

mode of operation.

THE HEART AND BALL PUZZLE.

To make this puzzle, it is only necessary to cut a thin .piece of wood
into the shape of a heart, to make six holes in it, as represented in the
annexed cut, and provide a thin silken cord, which is to be doubled, and
the two ends fastened into a small wooden ball. To play the ball on, pass
the loop through the hole 6, from face to back, up to 2, through which
bring it, and then through 3, 5, 4, and 1, in succession : then through 2
again, and down the back to 6 ; bring it through 6 to
the face, and pass it over the ball; then draw the
loop back again through 6 and 2, and the puzzle
(which is to take the ball and string off after being
thus fixed) is set. To play the ball off, place the heart
before you in the position described by the cut : slacken
the string by drawing, at the back, the ball toward
the hole 6 ; then loosen the rest of the string by pull-
ing it toward you, and draw up the loop as far as you
can: then pass the loop through hole 2, down the
other side of the heart, to 6 ; through which bring it to
the face, and pass it over the ball ; then draw the loop
back again through the same hole, and the ball and
the string will come off. Care should be taken to avoid twisting or en-
tangling the string. The length of the string should be proportioned to
the she of the heart ; if you make the heart two inches and a half high,
Che string, when doubled, should be about nine inches long.

PARADOXES AND PUZZLES.

429

THE SCALE AND RING PUZZLE.

.Provide a thin piece of wood of about two inches and a half square ;
make a round hole at each corner, sufficiently large to admit three or four
limes the thickness of the cord you will afterward use,
and, in the middle of the board, make four smaller
round holes, in the form of a square, and about half
an inch between each. Then take four pieces of thin
silken cord, each about six inches long, pass one
through each of the four comer holes, tying a knot
underneath at the end, or affixing a little ball or bead
to prevent its drawing through : take another cord,
which, when doubled, will be about seven incneslong,
and pass the two ends through the middle holes, a a,
from the front to the back of the board, (one cord
through each hole,) and again from back to front
through the other holes, b b : tie the six ends together
in a knot, so as to fomi a small scale, and proportion-
ing the length of the cords, so that when vou hold the
scale suspended, the middle cord, besides passing
through the four centre holes, will admit of being drawn up into a loop of
about half an inch from the surface of the scale : provide a ring of metal,
or bone, of about three quarters of an inch in diameter, and place it on the
scale, bringing the loop through its middle: then drawing tne loop a little
through the scale toward you, pass it, double as it is, through the hole at
the corner, A, over the knot underneath, and draw it back : then pass it
in the same way through the hole at comer B, over the knot, and draw it
back : then drawing up the loop a little more, pass it over the knot at top,
and, afterward, through the holes, C and D, in succession, like the others,
and the ring will be fixed. The puzzle consists in releasing the ring; to
effect which, vou have only to reverse the former process, by passing the
loop through the holes, D, C, B, and A, in the manner before described.

THE OYSTER WAOER.

Two men ate oysters together for a wager, who should eat most.

One

ate ninety-nine only, the other ate a hundred and iron. — How many did
the winner eat? Anntcer. — One hundred.

HODGE AM BIS HAT.

A truss of In ' .: but half a hundred weight in a scale, weighed

two hundred ^^ :pon the end of a fork, carried upcn Hodge's

shoulder: — Ho ^ -be?

Answer. — The fork was as the stcel-vard ; Hodge's shoulder as the
fulcrum sustaining the burthen between tlie two powers, acting at both
ends of the fork.

430

PARADOXES AND PUZZLES.

THE SQUARE OF TRIANGLES.

Cut twenty triangles out of a square bit of wood, as marked in t^e en-
graving, mix them up together, and bid any person make an exact square
of them. The key to this puzzle may be acquired
by remembering the black Unes in the cut; by
which it will be seen, that four triangles are to be
placed at the corners, and a small square made in
the centre; when this is done, the remainder is
easy of execution. A piece of card will do instead
of wood ; it is much easier to cut out ; but, on ac-
count of its warping, wood is to be preferred to it.
Great care must be taken that all the edges are
^looth ari'd regular; for if any of them are
notched, or wavy, so a5 to tally with each other, they may, of course, with
little difficulty, be put together.

Many other Puzzles, similar to the Square of Triangles, may, with a
little ingenuity, be constructed, in such a manner as to atFord their young
Inventor the means of

^o^mg a Sage.

THE RIDDLER.

A riddle U nol *oI*eti, Impatient Sin,

By peep'iii;; at iu aDtwar, in • iric«(—

Wb«o GorOiu*, the ptou(h-boy King of Pkrjrgia,

Twd up hit tmplemeiitt of htidiandry

Ir tbe far-fain'd kaol, — raah Alexander

Did not uudo, by cutting it in (waio.

Kiddles are by no means of modem origin; the Sphynx puzzled tlie
brains of some of the heroes of antiquity, and even Alexander the Great,
as it is written, made several essays to untie the knot (a practical riddle)
with which Gordius, the Phrygian king, who had been raised from the
plough to the throne, tied up his implements of husbandry in the temple,
m 80 intricate a manner, that universal monarchy was promised to the man
who could undo it : after having been repeatedly baffled, he, at length,
drew his sword, considering that he was entitled to the fulfilment of the
promise, by cutting the Gordian knot

Charades, Rebusses, Conundriniis, &c. are, with many persons, favouritr
occasional fire-side recreations. In the construction of several of them, con-
siderable ingenuity is displayed; they are not, in all cases, the production
of mere witlings and holiday rhymesters ; for more than one author of
celebrity, doubtless, in some of those sportive moments when the mind
relaxes from graver pursuits to toy and daily with comparative trifles, has

432 THE RIDDLER.

contributed his mite toward the great fund of riddles now in circulation.
One of the most clever and best-written among the following collection
has been ascribed to the pen of the late Lord Byron: — we allude to the lines
on the letter H (Enigma 1, page 439^. Conundrums, it must be admitted,
are a set of verbal distortions ; but still, these distortions are often so droll
as to excite mirth. Anagrams, or the letters of a name resolved into any
apt phrase, were, at one time, considered of great importance ; many of
them by no means lack humour. A work of thrice this bulk would scarcely
contain all the Enigmas, Charades, &c. now current : we have, therefore,
endeavoured to make a judicious selection from the mass.

CHARADES.

My first is a part of the day,
My second at feasts overflows ;

In the cottage my whole is oft seen,
To measure old time as he goes.

A cat does my first, and men drink at my second ;
My whole is the drift of an argument reckon'd.

My first gave us early support.

My next is a virtuous lass ;
To the fields if at eve you resort,
.My whole you will probably pass.

My first, a native of the ground,
In EngUsh counties much prevails ;

My next's in every county found,
My whole was never out of Wales.

By candle-light, ladies, my first will appear,
And the less light the larger it grows;

My second few lik« when applied to the ear,
Though many my third to the nose.

CHARADES. 4o3

My first, nor book nor volume nam'd,
Contains more leaves titan most ;

My next, when certain crops are claim'd,
Still stalks a numerous host :

My whole — a creeping flower so fair, —

Regales the eye, and scents the air.

My first is to ramble ; my next to retreat :
My whole oft enrages in summer's fierce beaU

My first do all nurses possess.
And dandle my second upon it;

My whole is a part of the dress
Attached to the cap or the bonnet.

My first oft preys uoon my second :
My whole a bitter snrub is reckon'd.

10.

My first in fruit is seldom' jare ;
My second all relations are:
My whole is only earthen-ware.

11.

My first dreads my second, for my second destroy
many delight in my whole.

s my first, while*

12.

In every hedge my second !•«

As well as every tree ;
And when poor school-boys act amiss,

It often is their fee.
My first, likewise, is always wicked,

Vet ne'er committed sin :
My total for in|r first is fitted,

Compos'd of brass or tin.
2 c

434 THE RIDDLER.

13.
My first gives protection when robbers invade ;
*' Dear sir, this brown j"g," of my second is made ;
My total will shew a pedestrian, whose name,
Unrivalled will stand in the annals of fame ;
And also a brewer, whose mighty renown
Has been spread, by his beer, all over the town.

14.
Without my first, my second would be undone :
My whole's a village near Hyde Park and London.

15.
My first's a prop, my second's a prop, and my whole's a prop.
16.
My first is in most shops ;

In every window my second;
My whole is used for the bed.
And, in winter, a comfort is reckon' d.

My iHv>te'ts|^er my second, and surrounds my first.
18.
My first assuages the appetite of a horse, and agonizes the foot of a
man ; my second, if madeof brick, is good ; when of stone, better ; and,
as the seaman woiAi say, when wooden, is best of all : my whole is famous
for its — (but, hold ! we must make a charade upon a charade here) — take
the principal produce of China, a part of the body that is often black, and
as frequently grey or blue, and a useful domestic bird, — or, rather, the
three letters which, in pronunciation, resemble these things, — and tliey
will si!ew for what my whole is famous.

19.
My first, if you do, you won't hit ;
My next, if you do, you won't leave it :
My whole, if you do, you won't guess it. '

>- 20.
My first we oft le'hd to each other in turn,
To borrow it would be excessively droll ;
My next, near my first you may often discern ;
In my first, too, alas I you'll perhaps find my whole.

co:]UKDiiuM8. 435

C O N U N D R IJ M S.

1. What does a seventy-four gun ship weigh, with all her crew on
hoard, just before she sets sail ?

2. Why is a short negro Uke a white man ?

3. Why is the statute book like the Grecian army before Troy f

4. Why is your nose hke V in civility ?

5. How far ia it to the bottom of the sea ?
C. What is most like a horse's shoe ?

7. Who is that lady, whose visits nobody wishes, though her mother
is welcomed by all parties ?

8. What is that which few like to gire away, and yet nobody wishev to
keep?

y. What word is that in the English language, of one syllable, which,
by taking away the two first letters, becomes a word of two syllables?

10. Which is the left side of a plumb-pudding?

1 1. Why are children at the breast like soldiers on a campaign ?

12. What thing is that which is lengthened by being cut at both endc t

13. Why is a horse in a stable like a tortured criminal ?

14. What word of five syllables is that, from which, if you take one
syllable away, no syllable remains?

15. What burns to keep a secret ? .,

16. Why is a stormy, windy day, like a diild with a cold in its heed?

17. What word is that, to whicli, if you add a syllable, it will make it
(shorter ?

18. Why should boiled peas of a bad colour be sent to Knightsbiidc*- '

19. Where did Noah strike the first nail in the ark ?

20. Why is a tailor like a woodcock ?

21. Why is a pack of cards like a garden?

22. Why do we all go to bed ?

23. Why is a calf, following a cow, like a monk ?

24. Why wais Titian's lat daugliter, Marv, like Williana Cobbett?

25. If you give a kiss and take a kiss, wliat does it make ?
2i). In which month do ladies talk least ?

27. Why is a man wtio is making cent, per cent, by trade like Ireland .'

28. Why is a town in Essex like a noisy dog I
2U. Why is Paris like the letter F ?

30. What town in Devonshire will denote a woman making a wry
ice?

31. Why is a man sailing up the Tigris, like one putting his father
MO a sack?

32. Wliy does the eye resemble a schoolmaster in the act of fluking?

33. Why is a room full of married folks like an empty room ?

2 »: V

436 THE RIDDLER.

3'1. Why is an angry person like a loaf?

35. Why is a placeman like a cobbler ?

36. Why is a peach-stone like a regiment?

37. Why is a dwarfs whole suit like a pair of breeches ?

38. Why is a dancing master like a cook ?

39. Why is money like a whip ?

40. Why is a man, who runs in debt, like a clock ?^

41. What question is that to which you must answer^" Yes ?"

42. If you throw a man out of a window, what does fie fall against 5
'Ui. Why is an island Uke the letter T ?

41. When is a door not a door ?

45. Why is a bee-hive like a spectator ?

46. Why is a tale-bearer like a bricklayer ?

47. Why is a Welshman, on St. David's day, like a foundering vessel i

48. What is that which a coach cannot move without, and yet is not
of the least use to it ?

49. Why is a man m love like a lobster?

50. When is a man over head and ears in debt ?

51. What is smaller than a mite's mouth ?

52. Why is the soul like a thing of no consequence ?

53. Why is a handsome woman like bread ?

54. What snuff is that, the more of which is taken, tiie fuller the box is i

55. Why is the wick of a candle like Athens?

56. Why is a fender like Westminster Abbey ?

57. Why is Iliclimond like the letter R ?

58. Why is a blind beggar often like a wig?

59. What fruit is that whose name answers to a busy-body ?

60. Why is a cat on her hind legs like a waterfall ?

61. Why is a poor man like a sempstress ?

62. Why is that which never fails, like a strong knot ?

63. Why are false wings like mushrooms ?

64. Why is swearing like a ragged coat?
C5. Why is sealing-wax like a soldier?

66. If 1 buy four books for a penny, and give one of them away, why
am I like a telescope ?

67. Why is a man led astray like one governed by a girl ?

68. Why is a clergyman's horse like a king?

69. What is that which makes every one sick but those who swallow it I

70. What kin is that child to its own father who is not its father's own

fcUl! !

71. What is that which is often brought to table, always cut, andne\
e.iten 1

72. Why is a dejected man like one thrown from a precipice ?

CONUNHRUMS. 4.37

73. Why is a Jew in a fever like a diamond?

74. Why are fixed stars like pens, ink, and paper ?

75. ^' ■ ■ -: like a fowl ?

TG. \ :i in a garret committing murder like a good man ?

77. \^ n is vour uncle's brother to you who is not your uncle ?

78. Why should ladies wringing wet linen remind u« of going to
ch urch ?

79. What is that which lives in winter, dies in summer, and growi
with its root upward ?

80. Why is an avaricious man like one with a short memory 1

81. Why is a man walking to a town like one endeavouring to prevent
a blow ?

82. Why is the sun like a nuin of fashion f

83. Which is the heavier, a bargeman or a lighterman ?

84. Why is a blacksmith's apron like a duenna ?

85. Why is a lady cnihi ' ' < pocket-book t

86. What step must It ve the letter A from the alphabet ?

87. W'hy are there thr- • s to a glass of spirits ?

88. Why do cats see best in the dark ?

89. A man would drink a glass of wine, and not let it go down L'^
throat — how could he do it ?

90. Why is a man beating a boy for telling a falsehood, tike anothet
pbying on a certain musical instrument .'

91. Why is a cook like a barber?

92. Why is a man openmg oysters like Captain Cook firing on :i
•avai^es ?

93. .\ farmer meeting Jack Ketch, asked him the difftrence bctut . .
their occupations, which he gave in one word: — what is that word ?

94. V' - ■' .- which is always invisible, yet never out of sight ?

95. \ nan B.'s belly like the street he lives in ?

96. \"* 11 pudent fellow like a case of ketchup?

97. Wliy ;s a }>air of trousers, loo big every way, like two populous
towns in France ?

98. What word in the English language expresses the following que?-
aon, — •' Are you a reserved man ?"

99. Whv n a waiter Hk<» a race-hors*"?

100. "W ' • • • - ;$on?

101. I he went not before, behind,
oor on ( : jTO ?

102. ^^ man like two uiea I

10.',. \- . like that is in the midst of a river and ran't swim T

lot. W iiy 1 . a i.iiiy cprling her hair like a housebreaker ?
105. Why is « lady in her shift like Amsterdam ?

438 THE RIDDLER.

106. Why is a fish-nook like a badger?

107. Why is a man in a fever like a burning candle ?

108. Why is your hat, when it is on your head, like a giblet-pie ?

109. A carpenter made a door, but it was too large ; he cut it, and
cut it too little ; he cut it again, and made it just fiu

1 10. Why is a good story like a parish-bell ?

111. Wliy is Chancery Lane like your eye?

112. What most resembles a cat in a hole ?

113. If a man sham hanging himself, why does he resemble a conjuror :

114. In what place did the cock crow, when all the world could bear
him?

115. Why does a brunette's face resemble a wet day ?

116. You are requested to ask the following question in one word :—
•'■ Are you the person ?"

117. Why is a man moping from morning till night like a favourite
clown ?

118. What animal is that, who, in the morning, goes upon four legs;
m the afternoon, upon two ; and in the evening, upon three ?

119. Why is a conundrum Hke a monkey ?

120. Why is Mr. M«: Adam Hke one of the seven wonders of the
world ?

121. What smells most in a doctor's shop ?

122. What do we all do when we first get into bed ?

123. What is the weight of the moon ?

124. Why is St. Paul's like a bird's nest ?

12.5. Wiiy do pioneers march at the head of regiments ?

126. What riv^er is that which runs between two seas?

127. What sea would make the best bed-room ?

128. What words are those which we often sec in a pastry-cook's shop
window, which a person afflicted with hydrophobia would use in describ-
ing his malady?

129. When is the river Thames good for the eyes ?

130. Why has a glass-blower more command over the alphabet than
any other man ?

'131. What is that whicli you would say to a short boy, and whicn
names a trade?

132. Why is a speech delivered on the deck of a man-of-war like a
lady's necklace ?

133. Why is a lady in a sedan like the equator ?

134. Why is a tallow-chandler the most vicious and unforiunatft oi

ENIGMAS. 439

ENIGMAS.

Twas whispered in heaven, 'twas mutter'd in hell,
And echo caught faintly the sound as it fell ;
On the confines of earth 'twas permitted to r^t.
And the depths of the ocean its presence confess'd ;
'Twill be found in the sphere, wnen 'tis riven asunder;
'Tis seen in the lightning, and heard in the tliunder;
'Twas allotted to man from his earliest breath,
It assists at his birth, and attends him in death ;
Presides o'er his happiness, honour, and health,
Is the prop of his house, and the end of his wealth ;
In the neap of the miser 'tis hoarded with care,
But is sure to be lost in his prodigal heir;
It begins every hope, every wish it must bound ;
It prays with the hermit, with monarchs is crown'd ;
Without it the soldier and seaman may roam,
But woe to the wretch that expels it from home ;
In the whispers of conscience tis sure to be found,
Nor e'en in the whirlwind of passion is drown'd;
'Twill soften the heart, though deaf to the ear,
'Twill make it acutely and constantly hear;
But, in short, let it rest ; Uke a beautiful flower,
(Oh I breathe on it ■ofdy,) it dies in an hour-

In a garden there strayed

A beautiful maid.
As fair as the flowers in the morn ;

Th '• - • : >.f her life

Shf a wife,

And she 1 1. she was born.

Without a bridle or a saddle,
Across a thing I ride a-straddle,
And tliose I ride, by help of me,
I'hough almost blind, are made to see.

440 THE ItlDDLER.

I've seen you where you never were,
And where you ne'er will be ;

And yet within that very place,
You shall be seen by me.

A shining "wit pronounced, of late»
That every acting magistrate
Is water in a freezing state.

Form'd long ago, yet made to-day,
Employ'd while others sleep ;

What few would ever give away,
Or any wish to keep.

A word of three syllables seek till you find,
That has in it the twenty-four letters cpmbin'd.

Form'd half beneath and half above the earth,
We, sisters, owe to art a second birth ;
The smith's and carpenter's adopted daughters,
Made on the earth to travel o'er the waters.
Swifter we move, as tighter we are bound.
Yet neither touch the water, air, nor ground.
We serve the poor for use, the rich for whim.
Sink when it rains, and when it freezes, swim.

I'm rough, I'm smooth, I'm wet, I'm dry;
My station low, my title high ;
The king my lawful master is ;
I'm us'd by all, though only his.

10.

There is a thing was three weeks old,

When Adam was no more ;
This thing it was but four weeks old,

When Adam was fourscore.

REBU8SES. 411

11.

We are two brothers, born together, who seldom touch the eartJ^
though we often go to the ground ; although we never eat fodder, buy
sell, or barter, we may be said to be interested in the corn laws.

12.
Never still for a month, but seen mostly ai night.

13.

In spring, I am gay in my attire; in summer, I wear more cIotbinK
than in spring; in winter, 1 am naked.

REBUSSES.

To three-fourths of a cross, add a circle complete ,
Then, let two semi-circles a perpendicular n>t'et;
Next, add a triangle that stands on two feet ;
Then. fw« c/^"'! -circles, and a circle complete.

To iTpHJi^vhare tf)c living did once all reside;
Or a consonant joined to a sweet singing bird,
Will give you a name that you've oftentimes heard ;
Which, 'mong your friends, at least, one person owns,
Its the rival of Smith, and as common as Jones;

A numeral, a pronoun, and a syllable that, in sound, resembles t'le
neighing of a horse, will compound that, without which, even a palace
would prove an uncomfortable habitation.

The following are Rebussef on the Names of London Performer t.

4. What Roman Catholics reverence.

5. The head of a monastery.

fi. One of the tallest pro<luctions ot nature
7. A coloiu and a vowel.

442 THE RIDDLER.

8. A king of England and a consonant.

9. A word synonymous with sharp.

10. What we all stand upon, and a vowel.

11. A famous French dancer.

12. One-fourth of what a lover gives his mistress, a measure, and a
vowel.

13. A measure, a vowel, and four-fifths of a weight used in Smith-
field.

14. A numeral, the French for A, and the refuge of a wild beast.

15. The usual distinction of a Scotch name, and what we should
always be to do a good action.

16. The fourth of a sovereign, and five-sevenths of an age of terror.

17. A female Christian name, and three-fourths of the reverse to soft.

18. A trade.

19. A word implying distance, and three-fourths of a small bird.

20. A preparer of eatables and a vowel.

21. An exclamation of the ghost in Hamlet, and a preposition.

22. A vowel, and four-fifths of the safe-guards of a prison.

23. A consonant, and a portion of the earth.

24. A production of the pastry-cook.

25. Four-sixths of traffic, and a liquid made with pearl-ash.

26. A Hebrew measure.

27. A tool used to take off coach-wheels.

28. A famous river on the continent, and what we all wish to be.

29. What most young ladies try to obtain, preceded by a consonant.

30. An abbreviation for Harry, part of the earth, and a vowel.

31. An Irishman's nick-name, and the reverse to off.

32. Two- thirds of a lively colour, and the mother of mankind.

33. An English city: or, a box, and two-thirds of to do wrong.

34. What we rub our feet on, and what the woodman does when he
cuts down a tree.

35. One of the points of the compass.

36. A fruit, and what your father is, and your mother is not.

37. The initials of his majesty, two-thirds of what the inhabitants of
Bedlam are, and a Spanish title.

38. Four-fifths of the earth in a dead language, and the penultimate
letter of the alphabet.

39. Part of a ship, and two-thirds of an eye.

40. What the ambitious wish to possess.

41. Part of a lock, and a vowel.

42. Half of a foreign country, and what shopkeepers buy for,

43. A measure, and the middle of a hare.

44. A city that was mistress of the world, and a rough consonant.

SOLUTIONS.

413

ANAGRAMS.

1 Ten lea pots.

2 Slv ware.

3 It's in charity

4 Golden land.

5 Great helps.

6 Rare nia(l IVollc.

7 Honor est a Nila

8 Hard caae.

9 Claims ArthuA c
10 No, appcttt iiut. u..

1 1 No more stars.

12 O poison Til!.

13 I hire parsons.

14 Got as a clue.

15 To love ruin.

16 Best in prayer.

17 Nay, I repent it.

18 Veto. Un corse la fin?ra.

19 Comical trade.

20 Spare him not.

I Hoar-glan.
3 Pur-port.

3 MUk-ntuld.

4 Flint-Khlre.
& SinitT-bux.

6 W'.od-bine.

7 Gnd-fly.

8 I.aii-pet.

SOLUTIONS.

CHARADES.

9 Worm -wood.

10 Plp.kin.

11 Fox-cbase.
1'.' Candle -stick.
i;i Harclay.

II Hammer-smith.
15 Fool-»tool

16 Counter-pane.

17 WaUt-coai.

lb Corn- wall, famonc
for iU T I N (tea-
eye- hen. ^

19 Mis-take

20 EHf-wig.

CONUNDRUMS.

I She weighs anchor.

3 He'» not at all (a tall) black.

3 It has mnny li»w» ( Menelmu) in It.

4 It*!) ^>lacfd betweeu two I't— {ey««.;
5. A slone'* th'Otr.

6 A mdre's.

7 Mi-tfortiine— ;lf<«« Portun*

8 A bed.

9 PIu^iic-.-Aitne.

10 That which in not eaten.

11 They are in arms.

12 Aditeh.-

18 IT ' • the rack.

14 . —no syllable.

15 -

'** ii v^^w-^, it suo«ra — {it blows it*
nose)

17 Short — shorter.

18 It is the way to Turnham-Gretfi —

{turn 'em green.)

19 On the head.

20 He has a lonf; bill.

21 There are Hpadcn ;:
22Thebedwii;

33 It is cow-U
24 She was a g:<

tieian).
7i A re bus.
Zti In February, because

shortest.
37 His capital Is doubling— vDuft/in- '
28 It is Bnrklnir.
•J9 It i-. the copital of France,

444

THE RIDDLEK.

30 Cockermouth {cock her mouth).

31 He is going to JSrtg'-rfrtd

32 It has a pupil under the lash.

33 There is not a single person in it.

34 He is crusty.

35 He sticks to the last.

36 It has d kernel — (colonel).

37 They are small clothes.
3S He cuts capers.

39 It makes the mare to go.

40 He goes on tick

41 What does Y, E, S, spell ?

42 Against his inclination.

43 It is in the midst of water —

(ifrt-t-er.)

44 When it is a-jar — {ajar).

45 It is a bee-holder — {beholder).
40 He raises stories.

47 He carries a leak — {leek)

48 Noise.

49 He has a lady in his head.

50 When he has a wig on that is not

paid for.

51 His tongue.

52 It is immaterial.

63 She is often toasted.

64 The snuff of a candle.
55 It is in the midst of grease—

{Greece).
66 It contains the ashes of the grate—
{great).

57 It is next to Kew— rQ).

58 He is cur-led — {curled).

59 A medlar — {meddler).

60 She is a cat erect — {cataract).

61 He makes shifts.

62 It is a certainty — {certain tie).

63 They are sham pinions —

{champignons).

64 It is a bad habit.

65 It often bears arms.

66 I make a farthing present — {a far

thing present) .

67 He is misled — {miss-led).

68 He is guided by a minister

69 Flattery.

70 His daughter.

71 A pack of cards.

72 He is down cast.

73 He is a Je\v-\l\—{jewel).

74 They are stationary— ^stationert// .

75 It contains a merry thought.

76 He is above committing "a bad act

77 Your father.

78 Thel)ellesarewringing~(rinj9'ing").

79 An icicle.

80 He is always forgetting — {for get-
I iing.)

81 Heisgoingtowardit — {to ward it).

82 It turns night into day.

83 A bargeman.

84 It keeps off the sparks.

85 She is clasped.

86 By B heading it — {beheading ?f\

87 Because there are three scruples to
a dram.

88 They eat lights.

89 By standing on his head and let-
ting it go up his throat.

90 He is striking a liar — {lyre).

91 He dresses hare — {hair).

92 He's astonishing the natives.

93 Utility— (2/oM till, I tie).

94 The letter I, which is always in
visible.

95 It's widened at the expense of the
corporation.

96 He is a sauce-box

97 Because they are too long and too
loose — (2'oulnn and Toulouse) .

98 U-u-shy— (are pou shi/ ?—R Ushy) .

99 He often runs for a plate or a cup-

100 He's a bit of a buck.

101 On the other side.

102 He's one beside himself.

103 Like to be drowned.

104 She is turning locks.

105 She's in Holland.

106 It is often baited.

107 He's light-headed.

108 There's a goose's head in it.

109 He cut it too little, t. e. he did not
cut enough of it.

1 10 It is often toWcA— (told.,

111 It is near the Temple.

112 A cat out of a hole.

113 He is a neck -romancer— I'necro-
m,ancer).

114 In Noah's ark

SOLUTIONS.

44;

116
116
117

118

119

120

12)
122
I2:i
12-J

It is not fair.

R, U, E— Mr«you*e/;

He's grim all day — (Grimaldi).

Man : viz. In the moniinif of bis
life, on all four* ; in the afler-
nuou, UM two ; and in the even-
ing, with u sticic

It is f.ir-felchcd, and full of non-
sense.

He ia the coloasus of roads—
i Rhodes).

The nose.

An impression

Fonr quarters.

It wa» built by a Wren.

1 26 To axe the way

126 The Thames, which flowv betveeo

Chel«ea and Iiattor««a.

127 Adriatic— ro drp attic).

128 Waler-ice» and ice-crcani!« —

'water I tees, and J so tame).

129 When it it eye-water — ('high.

water).
ISO Because he can make a D cantct-
'dteanter) .

131 Grow, Sir \— (Grocer).

132 Itisadecli oraiion— (rfecoro/iun).

133 She is between the pole«.

134 All his works are wicked, and all his

vtcilreif worlis are brought to tis;M.

1 The letter H.

2 Eve.

S Spectacles.

4 In a looicing>glasa.

b Justice — (>u«/-ic»).

1 lOBACCO.

_ C-L-arkj or C- lark,

Clark).

3 C-him-uey (Chimney.)

4 p. Le.

5 •

6 .

7 i

8 Sui ).c:.-
y Keitn.

10 Fo.jle.

11 Vo-:ri».

12 Kelly.
IS F.llJ»ion
14 I^fiirdeii.

ENIGMAS.

6 A l>ed.

7 Alphabet.

8 A pair of skalts.

9 Highway.

REBUSSES.

15 Macready.

16 Kemble.

17 Hlanihard.

18 Cooper.

19 Farren.

20 Cooke.

21 Libton

22 Yates.

23 Bland.

24 Buno.
26 Hartley.

26 Cubitt.

27 Wrench.

28 Powell.

29 Glover.

10 The moon.

11 Theift.

12 The nio.in

13 A tree.

M Hallande.

31 Paton.

32 Reeve.

33 Che»ter.

34 Matthews.

36 West.

.Vi Pearman.

37 Gradilun.

38 Terry.

39 Keeley.

40 Power.

41 Warde.

42 RusiieU.

43 Kllar.
.44 Komer.

PoUnutes.

!,inrvcT«.

itiiiri n f-:.'rni.
Horatio NeUvn

ANAGRAMS.

8 Charades.

9 rh-\T>r- James Stuart.

HiioDapartc.

).> rar mu.. rurs.

I « Catuiogue*.

16 Revolution.

16 Prmbyterion

17 Penitentiary.

18 La Revolutico

Fraaciilse.

19 I>cmucrstical
W MisauthroDC.

446

THE RIDDLER.

Thus ends our Key to the lliddler : our young readers, we doubt not,
have very frequently referred to it, in perusing the various questions antl
puzzles which precede it, in order to save themselves the trouble of tasking
their ingenuity to discover the solutions. They ought not, however, to
have recourse to the Answers, until they have made frequent attempts to
solve the Riddles. Some persons cannot, without considerable difficulty,
find the proper answer to an Enigma or a Rebus ; while others, of no
greater general acuteness, do so with ease. It is no proof, therefore, of
inferiority, not to be able to reply to a quaint Conundrum, so quickly as
another. Many young people have displayed much ingenuity in the con-
struction of different sorts of Riddles in rhyme, — they are, in general, the
most happy in solving those of others. The admirers of these frequently
amusing trifles, consider opposition in their component parts, or curious
combinations, to be most essential in the construction of good Riddles.
They should be *' made of odds and ends, like fairy elves," t«id the most
appropriate crest that could be chosen for a Rebus-factor, would, perhaps,
be that fabulous creature,

V^U i^lcrmaiti.

..>^\|

VARIETIES.

j'-Vl-

t.'

.,\m

Km€ Xein*, who roar* arroM tb« d«rp
A ad bo«U among ibc movaiain piuM t»-4ay,—
T»-morrow, on (b« barp or lyre, will brcaib*
Sach ineltiuc music, a« from Memooa't kaad,
H ben 6nt Apollo '• (Icam fell oa bU br«w
Wu b«aH to laaue in tba day* of yor*

THE iEOtlAN HARP.

This instrument consists of a long narrow box of very thin deal, about
five or six inches deep, with a circle in the middle of the upper side, of an
inch and a half in diameter, in which are to be drilled small holes. On this
side, seven, ten, or more strings, of very fine gut, are stretched over
bridges at each end, iik<' fl.p liriilr^e of a fiddle, and scrcwedTup, or relaxed
with screw-pins. The t be all tuned to one and the same note,

and the instrument bt me current of air, where the wind can

p««s over its strings \ . nf which the width i$

exactly eaual to the k: ish just raised to give

the air admisMon, U .< ■ air blows upon these

strings, v.- L's of force, it will excite different tones of

sound; u ■ brings out all the tones in full concert, and

sometimeii, .. .....^^ ...w.. \.o the softest murmurs^ See engraving at the

head of this article.

448 VARIETIES.

TO MAKE FRUIT AND FLOWERS GROW IN WINTER.

Take up the trees, on which the fruit grows, by the roots, in the sf
ust as they put forth their buds, taking care to preserve some of their
own earth about the roots. Set them, standing upright, in a cellar, till
the middle of September, and put them into vessels with an addition of
earth ; then bring them into a stove, taking care to moisten the eeirth
around them every morning with rain water, in a quart of which, dissolve
the size of a walnut of sal-ammoniac, and about the middle of March the
fruit will appear.

TO CONVERT PAPER INTO FRAMES FOR PICTURES, &C.

For this purpose, a convenient quantity of the best sort of white paper
must be steeped for two or three days in water, till it become very soft ;
then, being reduced by the mortar and hot water into a thin pulp, it is to
be laid upon a sieve to draw off its superfluous moisture ; after which, it
is to be put into warm water, wherein a considerable quantity of fresh
glue, or common size, has been dissolved ; it may then be placed m moulds,
to acquire the desired figure, and when taken out, may be strengthened
as occasion requires, with plaster or moistened chalk, and when dry,
painted or overlaid.

TO TAKE THE IMPRESSION OF BUTTERFLIES ON PAPER.

Clip the wings of the butterflies ; lay them upon clean paper in the
form of the insect when flying. Spread some pure thick gum- water on
another piece of paper, press it on the wings, and it will take them up ;
lay a piece of white paper over it, and rub it gently with your finger, or
the smooth handle of a knife. The bodies are to be drawn in the space
which you leave between the wings.

THE DEAF MADE TO HEAR

Procure a stringed instrument, with a neck of some length, as a lute,
a guitar, or the like ; and, before you begin to play, you must, by signs,
direct the deaf man to take hold, with his teeth, of the end of the neck of
the instrument ; then, if you strike the strings with the bow one after
another, the sound will enter the deaf man's mouth, and be conveyed to
the organ of hearing through the hole in the palate ; and thus the deaf
man will hear, with a great deal of pleasure, the sound of the instrument,
as has been several times experienced ; nay, those who are not deaf may
make the experiment upon themselves, by stopping their ears, so as not
to hear the instrument in the usual way, and then holding the end of tlie
mstrument in their teeth, while another touches the strings.

VARIETIES.

440

THE HYDROMETER.

The hydrometer is an instrument to measure the degrees of dryneu
or moisture of the atmosphere. There are various kinds of hydrometers;
for, whatever body either swells or
|a shrinks by dr^'ness or moisture, is capa-

ble of being formed into an nydrom-
eter; such are woo<ls of most kinds,
The

particularly ash, deal, noplar, &c.
following is the most lasting and

venient mode of constructing an instru-
ment of this description : — Take a very
nice balance, and place in it a sponge,
or other body which easily imbibes
moisture, and let it be in equilibrio with
a weight hung at the other end of the
beam. If the air become moist, the
sponge becoming heavier, will preponderate ; if dry, the sponice will lie
raised up. This balance may be contrived two ways, by either h;iTing the

1>in in the middle of the beam, with a slender tongue,' a foot and a half
ong, pointing to the divisions of an arclied plate, fitted to it; or the other
extremity of the beam may be so long, as to describe a large arch on a
board placed for the purpose.

To prepare the sponge, it may be necessary to wash it in water, and,
when dry, in water or vinegar, in which sal-ammoniac, or salt of tartar,
has been dissolved, and let it dry again ; thin it is fit to be used. The
instrument can be hung against a wall ; and, in that case, a bit of steel, as
at A, should be placed before the needle, to keep it straight.

THR AWN or BARLEY HYDROMETER.

The awn of barley is furnished with stiff points, which, like the teeth

of a saw, are nl
ground, it exi>
barley-corn, ^^ i
these points pn-vrn:
thus, creeping like n
That verv itiL't-niuu .
this pri!
about ai
in r

b.!

bendii*{; Kackw.ird,

11 tr

i%vard the lesser end of it; as it lies upon the
the moist night air, and pushes forv«ard the

r^ to in tlic Any: if ^horrrns as it drirs; and as

: and

•em.

, . -.on

tiuti; Its back con ''KkI,

L-t long, made of )> -wav

1 -.1 ., 1 . f^-j

■Vflf

: iron,
' m; ' en^lhtrucd, and

450 VARIETIES.

the two foremost feet were pushed forward; in dry weather, the hinder
feet were drawn after, as the obliquity of the points of the feet prevented
it from receding.

SUBSTITUTE FOR A COPYING MACHINE.

Write with common ink, in which lump sugar has been dissolved — four
scruples, or one and a half drachm of sugar to one ounce of ink. Moisten
copying paper, by passing a soft wet brush over it; then press it gently
between soft cap paper, so as to absorb the superabundant moisture. Put
this moistened paper upon the writing, and both between some smooth
soft paper, placing the whole within the folds of a carpet, when, by pres-
sure, a correct copy will be obtained.

TO PRESERVE ROSES TILL CHRISTMAS.

When roses are budding and blooming is the time to lay by a treat for
Christmas. Select from your rose-trees such buds as are just ready to
blow ; tie a piece of thin thread round the stalk of each ; do not handle the
ud or the stalk ; cut it from the tree with the stalk two or three inches
m length; melt sealing-wax, and quickly apply it to the end of the stalk;
the wax should- be only so warm as to be ductile; form a piece of paper
into a cone-like shape, wherein place the rose; screw it up so as to exclude
the air; do so by each; put them into a box, and the box hito a drawer;
all which is intended to keep them free from air. On Christmas-day, or
on any other day in winter, take them out, cut off the ends of the stalks,
place them in a flower-pot or bottle, with lukewarm water, or, if in a
heated room, the water may be cold; in two or three hours, they will blow,
retaining all their fragrance as in the meridian of summer.

MAGNIFICENT CRYSTALS.

A solution of the salt to be crystaUized is to be slowly evaporated to
such a consistency that it shall crystallize upon cooling, which may be
known by letting a drop of it fall on a plate of glass. When it is in this
state, set it by ; and pour into a flat-bottomed vessel the liquid part of the
solution, when cold, off the mass of crystals which will be formed at the
bottom of it. After a few days, solitary crystals will be formed, which will
gradually increase in size. Pick out the most regular of these, put them
into another flat-bottomed vess«l, and pour over them a fresh solution of
the salt evaporated, till it crystaRize on cooling. After this, alter the posi-
tion of every crystal, once a day, with a glass rod, so that all the faces of
it may be alternately exposed to the liquid, as the face on which the crys-
tal rests never receives any increment. By this process, the crystals will
gradually increase in size. When they are so large, that their forms can
be easily distinguished, take the best of them, and put each into a vessel

VARIETIES. 451

separately; add a fresh solution of the salt, as before directed, and turn
every crystal several time* a-day. By this treatment, you may obtain the u
almost of any size desired. It is necessary to pour off the liquid from the
crystals, and add fresh liquid in its place, very frequently ; as the solution,
after depositing a certain portion ot its salts, becomes weakened, and then
Attacks the crystals, rounding off their angles, in the first place, as an
attentive observer may perceive, and infallibly destroying them, unless
renewed. Hy a little dexterity, a regular crystal of alum nuy be thui
obtained.

CRTSTALLIZATION UPON CINDERS.

Saturate water, kept boiling, with alum ; then set the solution in a cou)
place, suspending in it, by a hair or fine silk thread, a cinder; as the solu-
tion cools, a beautiful crystallization will uke place upon the cinder, which
frill resemble a specimen of mineralogical spar.

TO rRonucB tarious flowers prom one stem.

Scoop the pith from a small twig of elder ; split it lengthways, and ftU
?ach of the parts with seeds that produce flowem of different colours.
Surround them with earth, and then tying the two bits of wood, plant the
whole in a pot filled with earth. The stems of the different flowers will
thus be so incorporated, as to exhibit to the eye only one stem, throwing
oui branches covered with flowess analogous to the seed which Produced
them. By selecting the seeds of plants which germinate at tne same
period, and which are nearly similar m regard to the texture of their stems,
an intelligent person may obtain artifiual plants exceedmgly curious.

nARLEQUIN INKS.

Inks, of varioiu colours, may be made in the modes following; they
are very beautiful, and frequently of considerable utility. For red ink,
boil an ounce of fine chips of Brazil-wood, in half a pint of water, for a

quarter of an hour; add to the decoction, three drn-'-— -•" ^ --nbic,

and as much alum as it will dissolve. For blue, dn e or

indigo through strong gtim- water. For scarlet, dissc'. . vun-

water. — Inks of other colours may be made from a decoction ot the mate-
rials used in dyeing, mixed with a little alum and gum-arabic.

to bronze plaster busts, &c

A pply isinglass site, until no part of the siirfsee herome dry or spotted
men, with • bniV i the whole, obscrvi; . ' " - ,>ny

of the size, wM ,t1, that may loii; irp

places, and set t:- . to dry. Then Uik .^Id-

size, aJtul, with as much of it as will just damp the btu&h,go iwt lh« figiiiT,
2 r 2

4i'»2 VARIETIES.

allowing no more of this size to remain, than what causes it to shine. Set
It in a dry place, free from smoke ; and after it has remained there forty-
eight hours, the figure is prepared for bronzing. The bronze powder may
be had at the colour-shops, of all metallic colours ; it should be dabbed on
with a little cotton wool. After having touched the extremities of the
whole figure, let it stand another day; then, with a soft dry brush, rub off
all the loose powder, and the figure will resemble the metal which it is
intended to represent, and possess the quality of resisting the weather.

TO CUT GLASS.

Make a small notch, by means of a file, on the edge of a piece of glass ;
then, make the ena of a tobacco-pipe, or of a rod of iron of the same size,
red-hot in the fire ; apply the hot iron, or pipe, to the notch, and draw it
slowly along the surtac^ cf ihe glass in any direction you please ; a crack
will be made in the glass, and will follow the direction of the iron. Cylin-
drical glass vessels, such as flasks, may be cut in the middle, by wrapping
round them a worsted thread dipped in spirit of turpentine, and setting it
on fire when fastened on the glass.

THE ECLIPSE GLASS.

Take a burnin?^ g^^-ss, or a spectacle glass that magnifies very much >
hold it before a book, or pasteboard, tw^ce the distance of its focus, and
you will see the round body of the sun, and the manner in v,hich the
moon passes bPtv»een the glass and the sun, during the whole eclipse.

TO CALM AGITATED WATER.

Drop a small quantity of oil into water agitated by the wind; it will
immediately spread itself with surprising swiftness upon the surface, and
the oil, though scarcely more than a tea-spoonful, will produce an instant
calm over a space several yards square. It should be done on the wind-
ward side of a pond or riv\;-, and you will observe it extend to the size
of nearly half an acre, maki-tg it appear as smooth as a looking-glass.
One remarkable circmstancf in this experiment is, the sudden wide and
fencible spreading of a drop of oil on thp surface of the water; for, if a drop
of oil be put upon a highly polished marble table, or a looking-glass, laid
horizontally, the drop remains in its place, spreading very little ; but when
dropped on water, it spreads instantly many feet round, becoming sc thin,
as to produce the prismatic colours for a considerable £])ace, and beyond
them so much thinner, as to be invisible, except in its effect of smoothing
the waves at a much greater distance. It seems as if a repulsion of its
particles takes place as soon as it touches the water, and so strong as to act
on other bodies swinnning on the water, as straw, leaves, chips, Sic. forc-
ing them to recede every way from the drop, as from a centre, leaving s
large clear space.

VARIETIES. 45"^

ENORAVINO ON EOO-SIIELLS.

Design on the shells anv figure or ornament you please, with melted
tallow, or any other fat oily substance ; then immerse the eggs in very
strong vinegar, and let them remain until the acid has corroded that part
of the shell which is not covered with the greasy matter ; those parti will
then appear in relief, exactly as you have drawn them.

LAUGHINO GAS.

A few lines on the mode of preparing and administering nitrous oxide
gas, or, as it is termed, Laughing Gas, will, we doubt not, prove accept-
able and interesting. Although not Atted to support life, yet it may be
respired for a short time, and the effects, produced by it upon the animal
frame, are its most extraordinary properties. The manner of breathing it
is this : the nitrous oxide gas, havmg been previously purified b^ standmg
over water, is put into a large bladder, or varnished silk bag, having a wide
glass tube, or a stop-cock with a large bore, affixed to its neck. The blad-
der is then held by the tube in the right hand, the mouth of it being closed
b^ applying the thumb, and the nostrib are closed with the left hand ; the
air contained in the lungs is expelled by a long respiration ; and the tube
of the bladder being instantly applied to the mouth, the gas is breathed
from and into the bladder as long as possible, which, perhap:*, will be about
two or three minutes. The effects differ greatly, according to the consti-
tutions of the persons by whom it is respired. In general, however, they are
highly agreeable. Exquisite sensations of pleasure, — an irresistible propen-
sity to laughter, — a rapid flow of vivid ideas, — singular thrilling in the toes,
fingers and ears, — a strong incitement to muscular motions, — are the or-
dinary feelings produced by it. Wc have read of one gentleman, who, after
breathing the gas some time, threw the bag from him. and kept breathing
on laboriously with an open mouth, holding his nose with his fingers, with-
out the power to remove them, though aware of the ludicrousness of his
situation ; he had a violent inclination to jump over th« chairs and tables,
and seemed so light, that he thought he was going to fly. What is exceed-
ingly remarkable, is, that the intoxication thus produced, instead of being
succeeded by the debility subsequent to intoxication by fermented liquors,
does, on the contrary, generally render the person who takes it cheerful
and high-spirited for the remainder of the day.

THE COMICAL CARDS.

The juTcniie nrtist may treat ' '" '■----»- with an hour's nicrnmen: hv
this humorous little device, whit t)V drawing, on a number of

cards, all of one sixe, a seriesof k"^ -king faces, some male, others

female, with droll head-dresses, night-caps, luus, wigs, and helmets, which

454

VARIETIES.

he may select from any of the prints or caricatures that fall in his way;
but the general compass of the face part should be within about the same
space in all of them. Then divide each card into three pieces, cutting it
across in a line just below the eye, and again, across the upper lip ; the
middle piece will be narrower than the upper or lower piece. A box
should be provided with partitions in it, so as to keep all the parts in their
respective classes. The cards should be cut straight, so that the pieces
of each will fit all the others, and all the tops should be of the same width;
all the middles of one width, but narrower than the tops, and all the bot-
toms about the same size as the tops.

An almost endless variety of changes may be obtained, by placing the
forehead of one card in contact with the nose on a second, and the chin on
a third. Thus, a laughable effect is produced by putting the red carbun-
cled nose of a City Alderman, under the helmet of a Roman warrior, and
finishing Uim below with the kerchiefed neck and shoulders of an olJ
woman; or the cap, eyes, and nose of Moll Flaggon over the flowing
wig and robes of a Judge on a court day. It often happens, that like"
nesses of his own acquaintance, possessing any peculiarity of expression
Hfe hit off in a way calculated to elicit peals of laughter, by

5ri)e Grotesque ^ortrait=^aiutir.

INDEX.

459

Oabre* CbiDoiw*, S7X
OpaoU AoinienMats 961
Ondt, Macacac, SI

OrtMT Wi««r, 4a»

iWk, the Paiated, MP

PaU Mali, 37

Palni-Sprioc, 9

Paper Faruacc, SM

Paper IncooibaMiU*, ijt

Paper Oracle, 874

Paper, Brown, to ban bjr P)m*-

pbonit and Frictioa, MO
Para4ca af Carta aa4 Tierce,;?

7S.83
Parade* of Oetavt aad S««i.

orcle, 77
Paradaxc* mad Passla^ 4U
PaiaUellUrs. 61

P(«tcr. tU
(ta CbeaaJ |U

J7»

P>U>w M y«haawi.»g
P l ioa y baric Flak, tu. ITS
PiMapkaric OywM^abelU, I7f

Phaapbaric Waa4, 171
Pirtarc Frmaaaa mmi* *tPmpm,

P^taaa. CaaaHW, SOT

Plgaaa Trayat Sn
Piffaaa, WomI, 9V

Pijeoni. 1». W -

PipMo*. fc*4in( or. ax

Pigaom, Dttaaaaa aad RaaM-

die* of, KM
pi(t«o*, Uw* rabdag ta, »)

PMiaet Park. 391
Plaak, to climb, M
Plank for iwiramiag, IV
Plaatcr Boau, kc. ta braasa,

4il
I^r>"K< (in Cbeaa,^ d
Point, (in Cricket,) U
Point, to cover. U
Poiaad Peaa;, Mi
Poker PasaU. 73
Pale, Ptrpeadicalar ar Slaat,

F»li»aacop.. HI

PbpeorRaff, 114

Pap^-a.»

Porpeiae, (in Sfriaaaung,) 143

Portrait*. Viaiblcaad laviaMe,

373
Poiicb, Arcber'*, 46
Poater. Enfliih, 91)
Poni^, Paroiaa, SU
Pnaoner't Bnae, S
Pra«taa4U*a.4JS
Piaacfau and ParpatUkalu,

PaUay.Tt

Pm* ia the Coraer, SI
Panic, tbe Card, 4S7
Paulc. Scale and (liaf, 4fl
Pazxlioc KiDf*. 4M
Pyiaaaid. IS
Pjrraaid, Moriaf, VO
F)rra»idor Firt, towiitaia

Qaaiat Qaery, 419
Qaeaa. (ia Chea*.) 317
QaiTcr, Ceaatrartiaa af.

RabbiU, Law* ralatiaf t*, |NI
Rabbilt, Draeaaca of, 191

Recreation
Rrcrmtion*. Sriealiftc, '.
Refal Alltaucc, 396

RapricTc, Partial, 4B
Rctani oa tb* Extaaaioa, M
Ribbeai Colear af, raaaa^ad

aad restMvd, 174
Riddler, 431
RiasTaw, Gaaie oT, 11
Riag aaapeaded by a bar«t

Thread, 349
Riag* aad Ribbeat, 347
Riag*. the Pasaiing, 424
Raack, HI
Rada, FMbiag, 99
Raak, ar Caatle. (la Cbaa*,) SM
Rate, to climb tbv, 61
RapafoeSwinaaiag, 139
Reaaiaad'* Bower, 490
Raaa, Fa4ad, re*ioi«d, 173

>* ull Cbnia-

RoaadcrsCaaaar, IP
Rariag. 49

Raa^ Uckani. »•
I Raat.Spaaiah.tl6
; Raat, FrtnUnd. 916

Saddk ar N*IC. 91

RabMtrraadHatchaa.ia

Rabbits, 17>

RAbbii^, '*n Km m»S, W

RabbUt, W'lU. 191
Rabbits. (>omc*tic,nB
Rabbilt, Lop-earad, Ifll
Rabbits, on fce^iag, 191
Rabbit*, oa breading 191

ria FaMiag.) aS, 99
Chcmcsl, 171
T's-matc, K4
TkraattCiaFaaciasJ 99

Sasiiaal Ea, »«
SaM* ia Jw, 4S

Narraw-niW, 919
4U

460

INDEX.

Shilling, Penetrative, 3ri5
Short Slip, (in Cricket,) 53
Shrub, Ma^c, 300
Shuffled Se>-en, 391
Sibyl'. Cave, 375

SicknesMK ofSilkwomis, 176

Sieve Trap, 154

Signals, Confederate, 399

Silkworms, 173

Silver Tree, 298

Singing Birds, 151

Sixpence, Aninuited, 349

Skating, 31

Skylark, 157

Sliding, 30

Slighted Lady, 417

Sling, 25
■ Snow Statue, 39

Solar Microscope, 273

Solid produced flora two Li-
fluids, 301

Solution to Enigmas, &c. 443

Sovereign and Sage, 233

Spans and Snops, 9

Spoon, Magic, 371

Sports of Agility and Speed, 21

Sports with Toyf, 25

Spot Pigeon, 220

Springle to catch Birds, 153

Square Hole and Round Stop
per, 427

Square of Triangles, 430

Stale-mate, 330

Steam Bath, 380

Stepping through
Fingers, 65

Steps, Flying, 64

Stilts, 73
Stock Dove, 207
Stool Ball, 18
Stone VVet, made

Fire, 371
Stooping Stretch, 69
Storm and Calm, 351
Striker, (Cricket,) 52
Striking our, 136 ,

Sucker 23
Swan, Wonderful,
Swimming, 12»

Swimming like a Dog, 142
Swimming on the Side, 142
Swimming out of Depth, 141
Swimming, to turn in, 144
Swimming, Times and Places

for, 147
Swimming under Water, 145
Swinging, 32
Sympathetic Inks, 291

Table, Magnetic, 252

Tantalus Trick, 71

Taper, Exploding, 300

Targets, 47

Tassel, (in Archery,) 45

Tempest, to represent, 270

Tench, 109

Thames ou Fire in Miniature,
380

Thaumattope, 27

Thread the Needle, S5

Thread, Knotted, 352

Thread, restored, 360

Thread, incombastible, 370

Thrash, 165

Til rust of the Wrist, 87

Thrust, Time, 88

Thumb String, 347

Thumb, Trial of the, 68

Tierce, 79

Tin Tree, 297

Tip Cat, Game of, 3S

Titlark, 159

Toper's Tripod, 352

Tops, Games with, 13

Touch, Game of, 24
Transmutation of Colours, 298
Transmutation, Metallic, 372
Trap, Bat, and Ball, 19
Traps for Birds, 152, 153, 154
Trial of the Thumb, 68
Triangles, Square of, 430
Tricks with Cards, 339
Triumph, 65
Trouble-wit, 416
Trout, 107

1'rumpeter Pigeon, 215
Tumbler, Almond or Ermine,

Tumbler, Bald pat<^1, S"'-

Tumuler Figeons, W8

Tumble-down Dick, 70

Turbil Pigeon, 220

Turner Pigeou, 217

Turn-over, (Gymnas tics. ''•■•' ,

Turn-over, 396

Turtle Dove, 208 *

Two to One, 70

Uploper Pigeon, 215
Ups and Downs, 395

Varieties, 447
Vaulting, 63
Volcano, Sub-aqueous, 371

Wafers, Wonderful, 367

Walking, 60 ^

Warning, Game of, 23 ^k

Watch, Obedient, 259

Watch-spring Gun, 28

Water, agitated, to calm, 452 \

Water, Bewitch.ed, 345

Water, entering the, 135

Water, to tread, 142

Water, to beat, 144

Water made to boil by Cold,
and cease tu boil by Heat, 301

Well of Fire, 295

Whip Top, 13

White Mice, 197

Whoop, 36

Wicket, Single, 55

Wicket-keeper, 53

Wickets, 52

Will o' the Wisp, 295

Wine Merchant and Clerk, 413

Wine upon Water, 348 J

Winding, (Silkworms,) 177 <^

Wizard's Chariot, 356 ^ }\

Wolf, Goat, end Cabbages, 423

Wooden Ball, the Great, 71

Wooden Bottle, Game of, 33

Woodlark, 158

Wonderful Swan, 244

Words, Eighteen in Twenty

three Letters, 424
Wonfki, a fancy Rabbit, 184

JFinale.

1 T is with some portion of regret, rather than pleasure, that we approach
the conclusion of our Work ; we have been employed in a ** labour we
delight in," — almost every page of The Boy's own Book has produced
some pleasant association or reminiscence ; — it has truly been as we anti-
cipated on commencing the volume; — we have been carried back in
imagination to our boyhood, — and, as it were, lived some of our happiest
hours over again ; in fancy, at least, though not in fact. It has also been
extremely gratifying to us, to feel at all times, during our progress, that
we were increasing the innocent enjoyments, — the healthful exercises,—
and improving recreations, of the Boys of England. All that now remains
for us, is to offer a few farewell words to our youthful readers.

It is a difBcult matter to take one's leave with a good grace; — Chester-
Betd may be coniiulted, perhaps with advantage, as to the most proper
mode of retiring from a room, but we have no author upon our shelves
from whom we can Icam how to bow ourself out of a book. To add to the
awkwardness of our position, we have never, at least to our own know*
ledge, set our eyes u|H)n those " dear young Friends," to whom we arc
about to bid adieu. We cannot say here, as to a party in a parlour, — ".\
sweet good night to all," for two reasons: — first, because we may l»e
addressing; some solitary wight, who has been conninu over our pages
alone ; and secondly, in case we may have been perused by a plurality,

462 FINALE.

it may be morning, or even mid-'day with them, instead of night. A brief
"Good-bye" will not suit our purpose; — from the epilogues of- the play-
wrights we can glean no hint ; — we therefore think it most advisable to
assume the manner of a Lecturer on some agreeable subject. Approaching,
then, in such a character ; — we trust that our attempts to amuse have been
successful, — that it will be confessed, we have often introduced useful
instruction in the welcome garb of recreation, — that we have strewed the
paths of pastime with some of the fair flowers of philosophy, — and that
Sport and Science have tripped pleasantly hand-in-hand through our
pages; — if so, our aim has been accomplished; and now, with hearty good
wishes to '♦ our young Masters all," we make

®i\t JFarctoeU 13oto.

fi^":ft-