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around the shoulder and the inner one round the head both passing swiftly the position in the last figure of the first exercise they return to the first position â this is repeated to the other side â and so on alternately th beginning from either first position the body being turned â for example to the left the club in the right hand is thrown upward in that direction at the full extent of the arm plate vi fig and makes the large circle in front and curve behind as in the last exercise plate vi fig while the club in the left hand makes at the same time a smaller circle in front of the head and behind the shoulders plate vi and until crossing each other before the head rather on the right side their movements are exactly reversed the club in the right hand performing the small circle round the iv club â â â jâ r co i i i i â a s ie n i t i t wi â â â â â â â m m m m â â â â â â â â â â s â sa â fi s â f b l s f s i j â â â â â â mi indian indian head while that in the left the large one â and these to be repeated to each side alternately th the clubs being in either first position the body is turned to one side â the left for example and the being thrown out in the same direction make each by a turn of the wrist a circle three times on the outer side of the outstretched arms plate fig â when the third circle the clubs are thrown higher to the same side sweeping together in the large circle in front as in the second exercise the body turning to the right but instead of forming the smaller curve behind both are thrown over the back plate vii fig â from this position the clubs are thrown in front which is now toward the opposite side and the same movements are reversed â and so it proceeds alternately to each side th in this exercise the clubs are reversed both being in front but the ends of their handles being upward on the thumb sides of the hands plate fig the exercise consists chiefly in describing with the ends of the clubs two circles placed to each other over the head for this purpose the club in the right hand is in a sweep to that side first elevated behind the head and thence passing to the left plate fig the front the right plate fig behind where its is indicated in fig and completed in fig thus forms its circle â meanwhile the club in the left hand when that in the right was behind the head has passed on the back of its circle to the right plate fig while that in the right hand has passed on the front of its circle to the same side plate fig the parts performed in both being marked by complete lines and the parts to be done merely indicated â and they continue that in the right hand by the back and that in the left hand by the indian club â front toward the left side and so on at pleasure oyer the head although but two thirds of the body from the upward are called into operation in this exercise its importance must be estimated by the fact that they are precisely those requiring constant artificial practice being naturally most from exertion as an to training there is nothing in the whole round of performances that will be found of more essential service than exercise with the indian clubs it demands but little muscular exertion and such as it does require calls chiefly upon that portion of the system which it finds in a state of repose i m m m â a r mix â v v v m w â â â â â k â m â in â g h w â a iâ i â â mi that i l m i m head â i j v â â g j â â â â â â â â â â y balance step be kept well up and straight to the front and the eyes not tamed to the right or left the arms and hands kept perfectly steady by the side and on no account suffered to move or care however being taken that the hand does not cling to the or partake in the least degree of the movement of the limb the balance step the object of this is to teach the free movement of the limbs preserving at the same time perfect of the shoulders with the utmost of body and no labor is spared to attain this first and most essential object which forms indeed the very foundation of good walking the must be careful that a habit be not contracted of drooping or throwing back a shoulder at these motions which are intended practically to show the true principles of walking and that of body is with perfect freedom in the limbs i â without gaining ground to precision the military words of command are caution â balance step without gaining ground with the left foot the left foot is brought gently forward with the toe at the proper angle to the left the foot about three inches from the ground the left heel in line with the toe of the right foot bear â when steady the left foot is brought gently back without a jerk the left knee a little bent the left toe brought close to the right heel the left foot in this walking tion will not be so flat as to the front as the toe will be

49William Black

a little depressed front â when steady the word front will be given as above and repeated to the bear three or four times halt â to prevent fatigue the word halt will be given when the left foot either advanced or to the rear will be brought to the right the will afterwards cause the balance to be made on the left foot advancing and retiring the right in the same manner â gaining ground by the word forward front â on the word front the left foot is brought gently to the front without a jerk the knee gradually straightened aa the foot is brought forward the toe turned out a little to the left and remaining about three inches from the ground this posture is continued for a few seconds only in the first instance till practice gives in the position forward â on this word of command the left foot is brought to the ground at about thirty inches from heel to heel while the right foot is raised at the same moment and continues extended to the rear the body remains upright but forward the head erect and neither turned to the right nor left front â on the word front the right foot is brought forward and so on walking of all exercises this is the most simple and easy j weight of the body rests on one foot while the other is walking advanced it is thrown upon the advanced foot while the other is brought forward and so on in succession in this mode of the and equal distribution of motion is such that many muscles are employed in a greater or less degree each acts in with the rest and the whole remains compact and united hence the time of its movements may be quicker or slower without the union of the parts or the of the whole it is owing to these circumstances that walking so much of the character of the â that it is light and gay in women and children steady and grave in men and elderly persons irregular in the nervous and irritable measured in the affected and formal brisk in the sanguine heavy in the and proud or humble bold or timid c in strict correspondence with individual character the utility of walking that of all other modes of while the able is independent of stage and hired horses he alone fully the scenes through which he passes and is free to dispose of his time as he pleases to these advantages greater fatigue is doubtless attendant on walking but this fatigue is really the result of previous for daily exercise gradually increased by rendering walking more easy and agreeable and its more frequent practice fatigue in such a degree that very great distances may be accomplished with pleasure instead of painful exertion moderate walking exercises the most agreeable influence over all the functions in relation to health walking and circulation the temperature and and appetite and hence as an writer general of walking tke true after a walk of twenty miles comes in to breakfast with freshness on his healthy blood in every vein and vigor in every limb while the indolent and man having painfully crept over a mile or two returns to a dinner which he cannot in all individuals walking is joined with the exercise of one or more of the external senses it receives firom the faculties a powerful influence by which it is either or prolonged walking upon soft even ground at a moderate pace is an exercise that may be taken without inconvenience and even with advantage after a meal it is adapted for who are not yet allowed to take stronger exercise a firm yet easy and graceful walk is by no means common there are few men who walk well if they have not learnt to their motions by the lessons of a master and this instruction is still more necessary for ladies having now therefore taken a general view of the character and utility of walking i some more particular remarks on the general oe walking for the purpose of walking we first bear upon one leg the weight of the body which pressed equally on both the other leg is then raised and the foot the ground by rising from the heel to the point for that purpose the leg must be bent upon the and the upon the the foot is then carried straight forward at a sufficient height to clear the ground without it to render it possible however to move this foot the which rested with its weight upon the must turn forward and out as soon as by this movement this foot has passed the other it must be extended on the leg and the leg upon the and in this manner by the length the slow walk oe march of the whole member and without being drawn back it reaches the ground at a distance in advance of the other foot which is more considerable according to the length of the step and it is placed so softly on the ground as not to jerk or shake the body in the degree as soon as the foot which has been placed on the ground becomes firm the weight of the body is transported to the limb on that side and the other foot by a similar is brought forward in its turn in au walking the most important circumstance is that the body incline forward and that the of the leg and spring from the and be free and natural viewed in this way the feet have been weu compared to the of a wheel the weight of the body falling upon them alternately this exercise puts in action the and of the and legs a great number of the muscles of the trunk and more or less those of the shoulders according to the rapidity of the pace

49William Black

and the greater or less degree of communicated to the arm which in this exercise acts as a of the body the motion being exactly the reverse of that of the corresponding leg it draws the more into the inferior than superior members it gives but little strength to the latter walking may be performed in three times â slow moderate or quick â which somewhat its action the slow walk or march in the march the weight of the body is advanced â rom the heel to the and the toes are turned out this being done one foot the left for instance is advanced with the knee straight and the toe inclined to the ground which without being drawn back it touches before the heel in such a manner however that the sole at the con the moderate and the q ti k page of tlie step is nearly parallel with tlie ground it next touches its outer edge the right foot is then immediately raised from the inner edge of the toe and advanced inclined and brought to the ground and so in plate and thus in the march the toe first touches and last leaves the ground and so marked is this tendency that in the stage step which is meant to be especially dignified â as the foot an awkward when the weight has been thrown on the â in order to correct this the former is for an instant extended its toe even turned backwards and and its tip alone rested on the ground previous to its being in its turn advanced thus the toe s first touching and last leaving the ground is peculiarly marked in this form of the this pace should be practised until it can be firmly and gracefully performed the moderate and the quick pace these will be best understood by a reference to the pace which we have just described the principal difference between them being as to the advance of the weight of the body the turning out of the toes and the part of the foot which first touches and last leaves the ground we shall find that the times of these two paces require a further advance of the weight and suffer less and less of turning out the toes and of this extended touching with the toe and covering the ground with the foot the moderate pace here the weight of the body is advanced from the heel to the ball of the foot the toes are less turned out and the quick pace it is no longer the toe but ihe ball of the foot which first touches and last leaves the ground its outer edge or the ball of the little toe first breaking the descent of the foot and its inner edge or the ball of the great toe last the weight â plate and thus in this step less of the foot may be said to cover the ground and this of nearer and stronger points of support and action is essential to the increased quickness and exertion of the pace the of this pace has not been sufficiently attended to people pass from the march to the quick pace they know not how and hence all the awkwardness and embarrassment of their walk when their pace becomes moderate and the misery they endure when this pace has to be performed by them up the middle of a long and well lighted room where the eyes of a brilliant assembly are exclusively directed to them let those who have felt this but attend to what we have here said the motion of the arms and of every other part depends on it the quick pace here the weight of the body is advanced from the heel to the toes the toes are least turned out and still nearer and stronger points of support and action are chosen the outer edge of the heel first touches the ground and the sole of the foot projects the weight these are essential to the increased quickness of this pace â plate and and it is important to remark as to all these paces that tiie weight is more thrown forward and the toes are less turned out in the form of the march the toes as we have seen are in the foot though but for a moment even thrown backwards in the moderate pace they have an direction and in the quick pace slow they are thrown more directly forward as in the six of plate viii it is this direction of the toes and still more the nearer and stronger points of support and action namely the heel and sole of the foot which are essential to the quick pace so practised but which together with the great inclination of the body being transferred to the moderate pace make unfortunate people look so awkward as we shall now explain the time of the moderate pace is as it were filled up by the more complicated process of the step â by the gradual and easy breaking of the descent of the foot on its outer edge or the ball of the little toe by the deliberate of the foot by its equally gradual and easy from its inner edge or the ball of the great toe the quick pace if its time be lengthened has no such filling up the man at once down on his heel and could rise instantly from his sole but finds that to fill up his time he must pause an instant he feels he should do something and does not know what his hands suffer the same momentary as his feet he gradually becomes confused and embarrassed deeply sensible of this he at last it a smile or a arises though people do not well know at what but in short the man has walked like a because the of his step has not filled

49William Black

up its time or answered its purpose i trust that the and time of the three paces are here simply clearly and described the following is the more imperfect but still useful military description with its words of command â slow step march â on the word march the left foot is carried double thirty inches to the front without being drawn back is placed softly on the ground so as not to jerk or shake the body seventy five of these steps to be taken in a minute the is ordered to be carefully trained and thoroughly instructed in this step as an essential foundation for arriving at accuracy in the paces of more this is the step at which troops are to move quick step the of the slow pace having become perfectly habitual a quick time is next taught which is steps in a minute each of thirty inches making feet in a minute quick march â the command quick march being given with a pause between them the word quick is to be considered as a caution and the whole to remain perfectly steady on the word march the whole move off to the directions already given this pace is applied generally to all movements by large as well as small bodies of troops and therefore the is trained and thoroughly instructed in this essential part of his duty double march the directions for the march apply in a great degree to this step which is steps in a minute each of inches making feet in a minute double march â on the word double march the whole step off together with the left feet keeping the head and the shoulders square to the front the knees are a little bent the body is more advanced than in the other the arms hang with ease down the outside of the the person marching is carefully to double march the fall pace of thirty six inches otherwise he gets into the habit of a short trot which the advantages of this degree of march in the army great advantage the constant of the and the several swinging the times of the different in a are as follows â in hun slow time steps in the minute quick time â double march â â a ball suspended by a string which if not subject to stretch and on which are marked the different required answers the above purpose may be easily acquired and is directed to be frequently compared with an accurate standard in the s possession the length of the is to be measured from the point of to the centre of the ball in all these paces the pupils should also be accustomed to march upon a narrow plane where there is room for only one foot upon rough ground and on soft ground which to the foot walking exercises a greater influence over the economy when it takes place on inclined than on a flat sur face in ascending the effort is made in a direction directly opposed to the general tendency of heavy bodies the body is strongly bent i h upper part of the trunk in advance the action cf the and muscles of the is considerable and circulation and are speedily by the violence of the muscular in descending on the contrary effort is requisite to keep up the body which to obey the laws of and to n the tendency of gravity to project forward the body is thrown back the in walking mass and the muscles of the neck are strongly contracted the knees bent and the steps shorter men with long flat feet and the h el bone little projecting are bad in walking the power of walking great distances without fatigue is an important matter in which the english have of late a good will do six miles an hour for one hour on a good road if in perfect training he may even do twelve miles in two hours eighteen miles in three hours is a much more doubtful affair though some are said to have achieved it a cork paper of recent date describes a match of ten miles in minutes on the and by captain john t or of the st regiment in heavy marching order of a private soldier with and great coat and mess tin and sixty rounds of ball total fifty pounds weight heavy were on the issue the captain started at eight o clock a m and performed this undertaking in the short time of minutes and a quarter thus winning the match and having twelve minutes and three quarters to spare at the rate of five miles an hour of the first class will do forty miles in and perhaps fifty in ten f at the rate of fo e an hour a man may seven miles in one hour are said to have been done by some t a clever writer in s magazine says there can be no doubt that out of the british army on a war establishment ten thousand men might be chosen by trial who would compose a corps capable of marching fifty miles a day on actual service for a whole week the power of such a corps is not to be calculated it would far cavalry running walk any length of time robert walked miles in half hours on the same ground captain walked miles in successive hours in the art of walking quickly the circumstance perhaps most important is to keep the knees somewhat bent and running running says one of our only from walking by the rapidity of the movement this is quite running is precisely to walking and leaping and in order to pass into it from walking the motion must be changed a series of leaps from each foot alternately must be performed in order to constitute it the foot which is left behind the ground before the foot

49William Black

in advance is firmly fixed so that the centre of gravity remains uncertain in passing from one leg to the other which forms a series of leaps and renders a fall a common occurrence position in running the upper part of the body is slightly inclined forward the head slightly thrown backward to the gravity forward the breast is freely projected the shoulders are steady to give a fixed point to the muscles of the upper parts of the arm are kept near the sides the elbows are bent and each forms an acute angle the hands are shut with the nails turned and the whole arms move but slightly in order that the muscles of on the chest may be as little action in running as possible disturbed and follow only the impulse communicated by other plate ix fig there exists in fact during the whole time of running a strong and permanent of the muscles of the shoulder and arm which though very violent is less serviceable to the extended movements than to keep the chest toward which the arms are brought close the and of which are especially contracted action in running at every step the knees are stretched out the legs kept as straight as possible the feet almost the ground the tread is neither with the mere balls of the toes nor with the whole sole of the foot and the spring is made rapidly from one foot to the other so that they pass each other with great â plate ix fig but the members are not the only ones in motion although it is in them that the greatest development takes place throughout the whole time of running a strong and permanent of the muscles of the shoulder arm and takes place this though very violent is less for the purpose of motion than of preserving the of the which is pressed upon the whole member whose and are strongly contracted the degree of however must be to the length of the steps too slow and long as well as too quick and short steps may be equally injurious speed and still more duration in running are in proportion to the development of the lungs and consequently the volume of and blood which they can combine in their at each movement thus ate running of two men one having the members developed and the other good lungs the former will ran with the greatest speed for a short distance bat if the distance be considerable he will soon be gained upon by the latter a after performing a certain space is with a difficulty of breathing long before the repetition of the has produced fatigue in the members to therefore in running requires like walking and dancing a peculiar exercise as the muscular depend for their principle of excitement on the the chest should be firmly fixed so as both to this and to serve as a point of support for the efforts of the lower members the best are those who have the he t windy and keep the breast dilated for the longest time during the whole time of running long and slow are of the greatest importance and young persons cannot be too early accustomed to them to towards the end of the race the upper part of the body may be a little forward running should cease as soon as the breath becomes very short and a strong perspiration takes place moderate running this is performed gently and in equal time and may be extended to a considerable space in this pace it is necessary to fix the distance to be run and this should always be to the age and strength of the this exercise more than all others requires to be proceeded with in a manner if at the first trial you run too fast or too long a time it may produce of blood and headache or of the heart running and principal vessels especially if the weather be dry and cold a cool day may accordingly be chosen a distance of three hundred feet measured and the placed in a line at one end they may then start trot at the rate of about seven feet in a second to the opposite end turn and continue until they reach the spot whence they started frequent repetition of this is sufficient at first afterwards they may run over this space two three or four times without stopping and the exercise may then be limited to this it may on subsequent days be extended to five six and seven times the distance fatigue is then generally quite removed and the run may either be continued farther or the if neither heated nor may their pace they may next attempt a mile in ten minutes and repeat this till being gradually less and less heated they can either extend the distance or the time in any measured proportion at this pace six miles may afterwards be run in an hour rapid running this is best applied to a short space in a little time three hundred feet upon an open plain will not generally be found too great at each end of this a cross line may be drawn and the may arrange themselves on one line while the is placed at the other on the latter giving the signal the running and he who first passes him gains the race it is extremely useful always to run beyond the line at a pace as it gradually the actions of the and systems running is more easy on a level surface but should be e fe ts of practised on ground of every upon long square and circular plots of ground the pupils should be to turn promptly out of the direct line â a faculty not possessed by animals and exceedingly useful when pursued they should also run up hill and particularly down as it is dangerous

49William Black

unless frequently practised in running the practice of running may be carried to a great degree of perfection a quarter of a mile in a minute is good running and a mile in four minutes at four starts is excellent the mile was perhaps never run in four minutes but it has been done in four minutes and a half a mile in five minutes is good running two miles in ten minutes is oftener failed in than accomplished four miles in twenty is said to puzzle the ten miles an hour is done by all the best fifteen miles in an hour and a half has never perhaps been done it is reported that west ran forty miles in five hours and a half this it is said was done by one individual in four hours and three quarters or less as to great distances failed in two attempts to accomplish miles in eighteen hours west is said to have accomplished this effects of in running the mass of our organs is agitated by violent and constant which succeed with rapidity but the members are not the only ones in motion half a mile was recently run in two minutes but it was down a fall as as a mountain s side and the was blind in the last twenty yards â ed fifth edition leaping although they are those in which the development is most considerable running not only the members but has a strong influence upon the parts this exercise is particularly suited to young persons especially those of a temperament it should not however be practised after meals leaping leaping consists principally in the sudden of the performed by a strong and of the by which the body is rapidly projected from the ground the leaping stand consists of two posts above six feet high having above the second foot from the ground holes bored through them at the distance of an inch from each other two iron pins to be placed in the holes at any height a cord at least ten feet long passed over these pins and kept straight by two sand bags at its ends and upon the feet of the posts to prevent them from falling â plate x fig the leap over the cord is made from the side of the stand towards which the heads of the are turned so that if the feet touch the cord it will easily and instantly fall in all kinds of leaping it is of great importance to draw in and retain the breath at the moment of the greatest effort as it gives the chest more to support the rest of the members the blood into the muscular parts and their strength the hands also should be shut and the arms the extent of the leap in height or is to the power employed and the practice acquired as it is performed leaping i â u i i i â u r i leaping the man leap with facility only in proportion to the strength and the and of the and muscles of the lower much exercise is to attain that degree of perfection which all obstacles and supplies the means of clearing them without danger lightness and firmness are the qualities necessary for leaping every thing should be done to acquire these two for without them leaping is neither graceful nor safe the without a in this the legs and feet are closed the knees are bent till the nearly touch the the upper part of the body kept straight is inclined a little forward and the arms thrown in the direction of the leap which the impulse preserves the balance and may he useful in a fall plate x fig the column and consequently the whole of the trunk being thus bent forward a of the muscles preserves this bending till the moment when the leap takes place then by sudden of the the body stretches out like a bow when the string breaks is thus jerked forward and remains suspended a longer or shorter time in the in descending the person should be rather inclined forward and the fall should take place on the fore part of the feet bending the knees and to the shock and descent for the direct descent in this leap if not thus broken would send its shock from the heels to the and head and might occasion injury to leaping in this leap should be added lightness so that scarcely any noise â rom the leap should be heard this leap without a ran may be at the height â of the knees of the of the middle of the of the lower ribs with a run the mn preceding the leap never exceed ten paces the distance between the point of springing and the cord being equal to half the cord s height firom the ground the view of the should be directed first to the spot whence he is to spring and the moment he has reached that to the cord himself to spring from either foot and om both feet the instant the spring is made or if it be made with one foot immediately after the feet should be closed and the knees drawn forcibly towards the chin throughout and skill not violent exertion should be displayed this leap with a run may be at the height â of the chin of the of the lower ribs of the pit of the stomach of the breast of the eyes of the crown of the head in sigh leaping a good high will clear five feet a first rate one five and a half and an extraordinary one six feet ireland is mentioned as having cleared an extended cord at the height of fourteen feet another man it is said jumped to the height of seventeen feet which waa three times the height of his own body the author means

49William Black

with the aid of a spring board â ed fifth the leap the long leap without a run this is generally performed upon straight firm ground oa which there are marks or parallel lines at equal distances the first of these lines is the place to leap from the succeed each other and clear a greater number of lines according to their strength and skill here the feet are closed the whole weight rests upon the balls of the toes and the body is inclined forward both arms are then swung forward â backward â then drawn strongly forward â and at the same instant the limbs having been bent are extended with the utmost possible force in performing this leap the hands and body must be bent forward especially at the end of the movement when the on level ground twelve feet is a good standing leap and fourteen is one of comparatively rare occurrence with a run this leap is best executed with a run and we have therefore dwelt less upon the former here also the body must be inclined forward the run should be made over a piece of firm and not slippery ground to the extent of ten fifteen or twenty paces should consist of small steps increasing in quickness as they approach the point of springing and these should be so calculated as to bring upon the point that foot with which the is accustomed to spring the spring as here implied should be performed with one foot and the arms thrown forcibly towards the place proposed to be reached the height as well as the length of the leap must leaping be calculated for the leap is by not springing a proper height plate x fig in the descent the feet are closed the knees bent the upper part of the body inclined forward and the toes first touch the ground at which moment a light spring and afterwards some short steps are made in order to avoid any sudden check in a much extended leap however on the toes is impossible a sort of swing is then achieved by which the s head is little higher than his feet and his whole figure is almost parallel with the ground and in this case to alight on the toes is impossible care must here be taken not to throw the feet so much forward as to cause the to fall backward at the moment of descent the ground must be cleared or the leap is imperfect and unfair this leap may be at â double the length of the body twice and a half that length three times that length in long leaping on level ground twenty feet is a first rate leap is extraordinary and twenty two is very rarely accomplished with a run and a leap on a slightly inclined plane twenty three feet have been done of the various kinds of leaps the first or simple leap which is produced principally by the extension of the members which the body either straight upwards in the leap or upwards and forwards in the or rather leap requires i haye seen twenty two feet covered forwards and backwards by an irish â en fifth edition thb peep leap in addition to the of the especially if the leap be executed with the feet close together a violent action of the of the upper parts of the back parts of the and of the and shoulders the deep leap this may be made either with or without the hands in either way to avoid the shock the body must be kept in a bent position and the fall be upon the balls of the toes when the hands are used the places them in front of the feet and during the descent the weight of the body is checked by the former and passes in a diminished state to the latter so that the shock is a flight of steps serves the purpose of this exercise the a certain number leaps from the side gradually the number and by higher finds it easy to leap from heights which at first appalled him he afterwards the long and deep leaps for this purpose a which has one bank high and the opposite one low is very favorable children can easily take a leap of nine feet in descending the deep leap a rest on hands this exercise is first performed from of various heights and from walls of various the object is to lessen the shock that the legs and body experience in reaching the ground at a depth of more than six or seven feet and to the distance if possible at the same time that it the violence and of the fall all this is easily managed by observing the following rules suppose the pupil placed upon a platform of four or six leaping feet in height he must first examine the place he is about to leap to so as to select the most favorable part free from stones and other obstacles he will then approach the extremity of the platform with his back towards it and bend his body placing his hands in the position shown in plate x fig having taken up this position securely he will lean his head a little forward raise his toes from the form and remain for an instant supported by the arms the body then begins to extend and the legs to downwards and backwards the arms follow this movement bend and support the body by the hands which have a secure resting place on the edge of the platform as in plate x fig this descending movement is executed as slowly as possible the arms stretch out to their utmost length till the body is sustained by the last of the fingers or touches the ground with the feet if it does not reach the ground the pupil drops gently down on

49William Black

the tips of his toes himself and his upright position there is another mode of descending when the last resting place for the hands is the top of a or on a wall without a this consists see plate x fig in seizing the last hold with the right hand for instance and in hanging firmly by that hand whilst the left being at liberty is lowered and back the body from the projecting stones in the walls to prevent injury in the descent the impulse thus given is however very trifling and to avoid hurt without increasing the violence of the fall which ought to be on reaching the ground by the rules already given by these means the height of a wall is diminished for a man l ho hangs suspended by his arms has six feet less to drop than he who has his feet where he might pat his hands the down leap unless gradually may produce of the when however the from which the leap is taken is gradually increased the eye becomes accustomed to measure the most extensive distances at the same time that by practice the members learn ta bend properly under the weight of the trunk and thereby preserve the organs contained in it from serious injuries in this kind of leap the will be diminished by retaining the air in the chest which may be done by closing the persons who have long toes powerful and pro heels are the best adapted for leaping in by a spring of the feet the body is raised and by leaning the hands upon a fixed object it at the same time receives in a swing which the action as the inclination thus given to the body depends not merely on the feet but on the hands we have the power to guide the body in any direction this exercise is conveniently on the bar which rests upon two or three posts it may be performed with or without running the may at first be allowed a run of a few paces ending in a preparatory spring and he may afterwards be allowed only a spring to mount the must place himself in front of the bar make a preparatory spring with th feet close fix at straight that moment both hands upon the bar heave himself up and swing the right leg over the body supported by the hands may then easily descend into the riding position to the supported by the hands must extend the feet make a little swing forward and a greater one backward so as to heave both feet behind over the bar and spring to the ground with them close to do this he must first clearly define to himself the place where he to fall then having placed both hands upon the bar he should first bend and then extend the joints so as to raise the body with all his strength and throw his legs kept close high over the bar plate xl fig when the right hand if he vault to the right the bar the left remains the feet reach the ground on the opposite side and he falls on both feet with the knees projected and the hands ready if necessary to break the fall in to the right the left foot passes in the space which was between both hands the right hand the bar and the left guides the body in the descent in to the left the right foot passes in the space which was between both hands the left hand the bar and the right guides the body in its descent as however it is difficult for to vault either way this is not to be attempted until after sufficient practice in the way which may be easiest the may then with a preparatory spring try the following heights â that of the pit of the stomach that of a sized horse his own height or more straight forward for this purpose both hands must be placed at such h i t mm m iâ v a r â r â r â r â r â r â w w â w tâ j â ti â ti â ti â a leaping with a pole on the bar as to give room for the feet between them the body be forcibly raised the knees drawn up towards the breast and the feet brought between the hands without moving them from their place plate xi fig this should be practised until it can be done easily this forward vault may have three different when the feet are in the space between the hands the may stand upright he may pass his feet to the opposite side whilst he seats himself he may continue to leap over the seat through the arms letting both hands go at once after the legs have passed with a pole this is a union of leaping and in which the instead of supporting himself upon a fixed object carries with him a pole which he applies to whatever spot he chooses in supporting the body by a pole during the leap a great deal also depends upon as well as on the strength of the arms and legs the high leap with a pole the pole prescribed for this exercise is the stem of a straight grown fir from seven to ten feet long and about two inches thick at the bottom such a pole naturally towards the top and it is better to plane off the lower end a little care must be taken that it be sufficiently strong such as make a noise during the leap should be immediately thrown aside the supposed to be already expert in leaping and the high leap with a pole may at first place himself before a small ditch with a which he holds in such a manner that the right hand be about the

49William Black

height of the head and the left about that of the and in this case he must fix it in the ditch see plate fig he must then by making a spring with his left foot endeavor to rest the weight of his body upon the pole and thus supported swing himself to the opposite bank in this swing he passes his body by the right of the pole making at the same time a turn so that at the descent his face is directed to the place whence he leaped the faults usually committed by the consist in his trusting to the pole the whole weight of the body and in losing the necessary purchase by keeping at too great a distance from it this leap cannot be made with proper force and facility unless the fixing of the pole in the ground and the spring are made exactly at the same moment to acquire this the should place himself at the distance of a moderate pace in front of the ditch raise the left foot and the pole together plant both together the former in the spot whence he making the spring and the latter in the ditch then instantly swing himself round the pole to the opposite bank as soon as he can easily take the proper position and balance he may endeavor to swing his legs higher and in proportion as he becomes more expert he must place his hands higher up the pole in order to have a greater swing he must afterwards make a previous run of two three or four paces gradually increasing in and always taking care that the springing foot and the pole come to the ground at the same moment when this difficulty is overcome he may practise the exercise over the leaping stand in leaping over the cord the must take the pole the leap with a pole in both hands make a rather turn this with the spring and planting the pole at the same moment raise rapidly his whole body by means of this spring and a powerful support on the pole and swing over the cord turning his body so that at the descent his face is directed to the place whence he sprung this is a general description of the high leap but it is necessary to explain the parts into which it may be as follows â in the handling the pole plate xii fig it is as to the lower hand whether the thumb or the little finger be uppermost the upper hand must have the thumb upward the position of the upper hand is regulated by that of the lower one as this advances higher up the former must be raised the lower hand then must be placed at a height to that of the leap thus if the latter be six feet the lower hand must be at least from five and a half to six feet from the lower end of the pole the is after a little practice enabled to seize the pole in the proper way from a mere glance at the leap the preparatory run of from twelve to fifteen paces is as the approaches the upon this run principally depend the facility and the success of the leap as the spring can take place only with one foot and as this must arrive correctly at the springing place it is necessary that the order of the steps should be arranged so as to effect this object if the should be obliged to correct himself by making a few steps either longer or shorter just before making the spring the leap is rendered difficult the fixing of the pole in the ground and the spring must take place at the same instant because by that means the upper and lower members operate together no power the high leap with a pole is lost and the swing is performed with the greatest facility the place of the pole however with the height of the leaps in leaps of about four feet the distance of one foot from the cord is sufficient in higher leaps it should be from one and a half to two feet the best plan is to have a small pit dug in front of the cord see plate xii and and to remove the stand from it as the height of the leap or the stand may remain at a foot and a half from the pit and the be taught to make all the leaps from it the spring is made with one foot at the distance of two three four or five feet from the plant of the pole if the keep the left hand lowest he must spring with the left foot and vice the swing upward is effected by the force of the spring the support of the lower and the pull of the upper hand but principally by the of the run which being suddenly modified by the fixing of the pole has its direction changed into a ascent and carries the body of the over the cord the must carefully observe that the spring of the foot and the plant of the pole be in the direction of the preparatory run the turning of the body during the swinging upward is necessary when the is going to spring he has his face turned towards the object of the leap as in plate xvii fig but as his feet swing his body turns round the pole when his feet have passed over the other side of the the head is still considerably on this side he then appears as in fig speedily the middle of his body is on the other side of the cord and he begins the descent as in fig it would be impossible to descend in this position otherwise than with his face directed to the place where the leap was commenced the of the

49William Black

pole during the leap ia effected the high with a pole by it a push with one hand at the moment of greatest height and this causes it to fall on the inner side of the cord the carrying of the pole oyer the cord is more difficult the must then raise the pole a little from the ground at the moment of beginning the descent and instantly the lower part of it with the lowest hand and the upper part with the other the consequence being that at the descent the lower end of the pole will point upward and the upper end downward this should be practised first in low leaps the descent depends entirely upon the manner in which the leap is made if the leap be perfect the descent will be so the usual fault in descending is that the passed the cord falls to the ground almost instead of in the figure a is the place whence the spring is made c the section of the cord h the position of the over it d his right and e his wrong descent the latter is because it throws him so much out of balance that in order not to fall backward he must run backward to d if on the contrary he in proper balance to the ground he moves not an inch from the spot where his feet alight and this complete rest following the descent is the sign of a the long leap with a pole perfect leap the descent as already explained must take place upon the balls of the toes and with a sinking of the knees the position of the body is explained by plate xii and but many to swing the legs so well as to raise them during the highest part of the leap considerably above the head order of exercises in the high leap to be very gradually attempted â the height of the that of the pit of the that of the chin that of the crown of the head that of the points of the fingers â that is as high as the latter can reach in performing these leaps the pole is parted with as many more may form a repetition of the preceding with this difference that the carries the pole over with him a similar number may repeat the first except that the between the spring and descent makes a complete turn round the pole so as again to bring his face in the direction of the leap this enlarged turn is rendered easier by leaping a little higher than the cord requires the long leap with a pole this leap is the most useful being almost everywhere and particularly in a country with small rivers c it should be first practised over a ditch about three feet deep eight feet broad at one end and about twenty one feet at the other and of any convenient length in this exercise the pole should be rather stronger and longer than in the preceding depending however on the length of the leap and the height of the bank it is made from the usual length is om ten to thirteen feet the handling of the pole is the same aa in the high leap the deep leap with a the preparatory run ig rapid in proportion to the length of the leap the spring takes place as in the preceding exercise the swing is also the same except that the curve of the leap is wider the turning of the body may likewise be similar but it is convenient to make only a quarter turn in the descent the hand presses more upon the pole and the feet are stretched out to reach the opposite bank as in plate xiii fig in which the is descending another method of leaping a river is to force the body up so high by the pressure of the hands of which one rests upon the end of the pole or very near it as to swing oyer the top of the pole and allow it to pass between the legs when descending plate xii fig try the following â the leap of two of the body that of three of the body that of four of the body persons of equal strength try to one another the of and feet are frequently done by practised the deep leap with a pole here neither the preparatory run nor the spring occur there is nothing which requires the exertion of the lower members the use of the hands and arms however is peculiarly requisite as well as a little of the art of the the pole at a convenient distance from the ce where he stands in a chasm ditch or river having one bank high and the opposite one low seizing it with both hands in the usual way he slips along it lower and lower the whole weight of his body at last resting upon it thus if the depth is considerable as two of the body he may slide so far down upon it that his the deep leap with a pole head appears downward in this position he makes a slight push against the bank or merely it with his feet which he by the side of the pole to the opposite bank here also the descent is performed upon the balls of the toes with bending of the knees the principal advantage in this leap lies in the art of supporting the body without tottering and for this purpose it is absolutely necessary that the feet should be stretched out far from each other ii an form otherwise the balance might be lost the best way of this in an exercise ground is by a flight of steps to the exercise of the members these leaps unite a strong action of the muscles of the arms and and even of those of the

49William Black

palms of the hand the body is only half impelled by the members but this impulse is rendered complete by considerable effort on the part of the members the latter in the leap being supported by the narrow and base afforded by the pole assist greatly in raising the body and even keep it a moment suspended for the legs to pass over if the object to be cleared is very high before it allows the body to obey the force of gravity which carries it down this exercise what is termed great lightness to the body and great â that is to say great relative strength of the members and it also the superior members it is good for and young persons but it should not be indulged in immediately after meals it may occasion accidents of the brain and unless all the are bent on to the ground position and in is the art of preserving the of the body upon a narrow or a moving surface the bar consists of a round and pole supported about three feet from the ground by upright posts one at its thicker extremity and another about the middle between the parts of which it may be raised or lowered by means of an iron passing through holes in their sides the end of the bar of course when stepped upon â plate the upper surface of the bar being smooth in dry weather the of the shoes should be the ground about the bar should consist of sand and the exercises be cautiously performed position and action in in this exercise the head should be held up the body erect the shoulders back the arms extended the hands shut and the feet turned at first the may be assisted along the bar but he must gradually receive less and less aid till at last the assistant only remains by his side the pole may be mounted either from the ground or from the riding position on the beam in the latter case the may raise the right foot place it flat on the beam with the heel near the upper part of the and rise on the point of the foot carrying the weight of the body before him plate xiv fig in this case the beam must not be touched with the hands the left leg must hang with the toe towards the ground and the arms be stretched forward after keeping the balance for some minutes in this position lie must stretch the left leg out before him place his heel on the middle of the beam with the toe well turned outward and transfer the weight of the body from the point of the right foot to the left plate xiv fig these steps he must perform alternately till he reaches the end of the beam turns in when the is able to walk firmly and in good position along the bar and to spring off whenever he may lose his balance he may attempt to turn round first at the broad then at the narrow end and to return he may next try to go backward in this it is no longer the heel but the tip of the toes which receives the weight the leg which hangs being stretched backward with the hip knee and heel forming a right angle till the toes by a motion are so placed on the middle of the beam that the can safely transfer to them the whole weight of the body to acquire the art of passing an obstacle placed two may pass each other thus â they must hold one another fast by the arms advance breast to breast place each his right foot close forward to that of his comrade across the bar plate fig and turn completely round each other by each stepping with his left foot round the r ht one of the other as in plate fig to acquire the art of passing an obstacle placed a large stone may be laid upon the bar or a stick may be held before the about the height of the knee plate xiv fig ik to pass over men placed upon a beam the pupil or pupils who are in front lie down on the beam which they grasp firmly by passing their arms round it the pupil a fig plate xx having to pass to the point on the beam marked h places his hands on the of his comrade c he then upon his arms and raises his body to pass forward over his opening his legs widely so as not to touch him till he places himself at c he then extends his hands and arms for a second movement places them at and the body well forward as shown in fig plate being thus placed he makes the last movement raises his body upon the arms to pass over his comrade s head without touching it which is the chief rule of this exercise and places himself upon the beam at hy moving his hands immediately and extending them to rest at d this movement finished he continues advancing along the beam over the others if there be any raises himself to an upright position and lies down in his turn on the beam this last attitude requires some care because the head must incline either to the right or left of the beam as shown in the plates and the pupil must hold tight to the beam with the arms and which requires both skill and strength the pupil may also pass as shown in fig plate this method is very easy for the person passing and indeed more so than any other but it is necessary that the pupil who is in the position h should have learnt to raise himself up on the beam or know how to advance along it underneath in a reversed position it is impossible

49William Black

for any one who has not seen the of and other towns in italy to form an idea of all the difficulties have been surmounted in the art of to acquire the art of carrying any body tlie may at first walk along bar with his hands folded across his breast instead of using them to balance himself and he may afterwards carry bodies of various to this notice of the rules by which the art of may be best acquired it will not be out of place to a slight outline of its importance to all who desire to arrive at excellence in any of the manly exercises motion â the source of them all â if not absolutely dependent for existence upon without it would be but the infancy of action â movement tottering uncertain powerless the first effort of â the walk without it possesses neither force nor decision in the same that a higher degree of muscular exertion is demanded the value and importance tf the art which teaches how best to apply the vital energies to its service what a wise economy is to the social this art is to the physical system both serve to our resources by us so to husband them that the term necessity be not known to our while in every instance adds greatly to physical power in many it stands altogether in its stead to the most casual observer of our usual it will be manifest that this is the case in â the more attentive and competent will have little difficulty in tracing its effects in leaping swimming and through almost the whole catalogue it is to the later writers on that we are indebted for the knowledge of its vital service to the the truth of their theory is proved by the fact that where formerly scarce a oa of a field was found to ride to hounds now nine are ordinarily to be seen in good places â along in pleasing hurry and confusion toss d happy the man who with d speed can pass his fellows weight tbe power of raising and carrying weight is of great importance in a general view many advantages will be derived from it for besides the muscles upon which all our physical operations depend it will also all the system and all the organs all persons moreover may find themselves under the necessity of raising and carrying a wounded or fainting person and may be glad to have cultivated and acquired the power necessary to perform such an act in young persons to carry burdens they should be taught to support what is on the back first with one hand and then with the other by these means the muscles are equally exercised on each side and acquire an equal development these burdens however must not exceed their strength and they should be taught not to carry on one side in preference for fear of the limbs there are several modes of supporting and of trying the amount of power possessed for this kind of exercise fig plate xvii represents one method it consists in the shoulders with fall of articles whose weight is previously known the position of the arms and weight hands such that the pupil can support a great weight but in this way he can walk but very slowly and it is there fore so far fig in the same plate a weight by means of a this is filled with balls or stones of which the weight is known the form of the weight is of consequence a soldier now carries with ease a full of articles and additional weight above it because the flat shape that has been lately adopted fits the body and lies close to the back as in fig and the centre of gravity is thus very little but if the were of the old shape very projecting and very round as in fig the soldier would be forced to incline his body forward and would not be able to carry as great a weight nor march as long a time in consequence of fatigue it is for this reason among others desirable to extend the knowledge of the most simple rules of because these rules are serviceable in avoiding many dangers and the fatigue and the efforts that in the movements produces we may make use of a hook to bear boxes or bags in addition with the marked and thus learn the s strength says history first carried a calf immediately after its birth and continued to do so every day till it had reached its full size it was said by this means that he was able to carry even the ox itself and afterwards throw it on the ground and kill it with his fist the second king of carried a man upon his hand a man named a in the of who on a smaller scale being but four feet ten inches in height was formed exactly like the throwing the raised on his shoulders a weight of eighteen hundred pounds he cleared a circle six feet in height with very little spring and one hundred weight in each hand when seated on the ground he rose up without aid carrying two men on his arms equally astonishing in the strength of his he took up two hundred weight leaning backwards over a chair i have seen this remarkable man says the whole of his family are yery strong his sister and brother are equally remarkable in this point it is very striking to find in him the characteristic traits with which antiquity depicted the ideal of bodily strength in the of vol we find instances of some men similar to who lived at the commencement of the last century a man named raised a cannon of two thousand hundred pounds weight and two strong men were unable to take from him a stick that

49William Black

he held between his teeth in number of the is to be found a report of some trials made by a mr in his of the strength of men of different heights these trials show what influence an elevated stature has upon the height to which a man ca raise any weight a short man is in his turn capable of more force in another direction the among the throwing the did not form part of the games till the this exercise consisted in throwing as far as possible a mass of wood throwing the or stone but more commonly of iron or copper of a form from the testimony of ancient authors there was no mark or butt fixed except the spot where the thrown by the strongest of the alighted has handed down to us three in which the is not of the same shape the first represents four in the act of throwing with the right hand a which is as thick at the as at the centre which has been bored the second represents the statue of a holding a apparently of a form in the left hand the third shows the arm of an with a flat the in the last two now mentioned covers the greater part of the ont of the and all that the have written respecting this instrument to show that it was of enormous size and weight tells us that the threw the either up into the air merely as a to their arms to it or when they were striving for the prize to perform this exercise properly the should not only balance the well on the right arm supposing it to be on that arm as in plate xvii fig but at the moment it leaves the hand he should throw the whole of the right side forward so that the impulse may be assisted by the weight of the whole body plate xvii fig this exercise very much the body and in a particular manner the limb by which the is thrown it may be employed in cases where it is desirable to remedy weakness in either of the arms and it is well calculated to bring up the power of the left arm to that of the right the modem from the ancient only in this that the instrument so is much smaller than the that its use is a mere idle and that the object la always to throw it as close as possible to a fixed mark more skill than strength it is evident that the may be heaved from above the shoulder as well as flung from below â see plate xvii fig no exercises can these for the of power they ought to be much practised with both hands a man of moderate strength will throw a pound weight of lead a distance of feet or feet i brick i â climbing is the art of the body in any direction by the aid in general both of the hands and feet the climbing stand consists of two strong poles about fifteen feet high and from fifteen to twenty five feet distant which are firmly fixed on the ground and support a beam strongly fastened to them one pole is two inches and a half in the other which serves as a mast should be considerably thicker and both serve the purpose of climbing to the beam are attached other implements of climbing a ladder an inclined board a mast an inclined pole a bar a rope ladder an upright an inclined and a level rope plate xviii kinds op climbing climbing on fixed bodies should first be practised climbing ttie ladder exercises on the ladder may be practised in the following ways â by and descending as with one hand carrying in the other without using the hands passing on the front of the ladder or swinging to the back to let another pass the inclined board this should be rather rough about two feet broad and two inches thick to climb it it is necessary to seize both sides with the hands and to place the feet flat in the middle the inclination of the board being diminished with the progress of the pupil at first it may form with the ground an angle of about thirty degrees and the should not go more than half way up this angle may gradually be to a right angle or the direction of the board may be made perpendicular when the board is thus little or not at all inclined the body must be much curved inward and the legs thrust up so that the higher one is nearly even with the hand in descending small and quick steps are necessary the upright pole the upright pole should be about two inches and a half in perfectly smooth and free from the position of the is shown in plate fig where nothing touches the pole except the feet legs knees and hands he as high as possible with both hands raises himself by bending the body and drawing his legs up the pole holds fast by them extends the body again higher up with his hands and continues the kinds of same use of the legs and arms the descent is by sliding down with the legs and scarcely touching with the hands as in plate fig the this is more as it cannot be grasped with the hands and it consequently should not be practised until the is expert in the previous exercises the position of the legs is the same as for the pole but instead of grasping the mast the lays hold of his left arm with his right hand or the reverse and to the mast with the whole body as in plate xviii fig the f le this must be at least three inches thick and as in this exercise the hands bear more of the weight

49William Black

than in climbing the upright pole it should not be attempted until in the other is acquired the or slightly inclined bar this may be about two inches wide at top from ten to fifteen long and supported by two posts six and seven feet high the must grasp with both hands as high a part of the bar as he can reach and with arms extended support his own weight as long as possible he must next endeavor to bend the elbows so much that one shoulder remains close under the bar as seen in plate fig or he may place both hands on the same side and draw himself j p so far as to see over it keeping the legs and feet close and extended he may then hang with his hands fixed on both sides near to each other having the elbows much bent the upper parts of the arms close to the body and one shoulder close under the bar may lower the head backwards and may at the same time raise the feet to touch each other over the bar â plate xviii fig in the last position he may move the hands one before the other forward or backward and may either slide the feet along the bar or alternately change them like the hands and retain a similar hold hanging also by the hands alone as in plate fig he moves them either forward or backward keeping the arms firm and the feet close and extended or he may place himself in front of the bar hanging by both hands and move being likewise in front of the bar with his hands resting upon it as in plate xviii fig he may move along the bar either to the right or left in the position of plate xv ill fig the may endeavor to sit upon the bar for instance on the right side by taking hold with the right knee joint grasping firmly with the right hand and bringing the left over the bar the riding position is thus easily obtained from the riding position he may by supporting himself with one turn towards the front of the bar allowing the leg of the other side to hang down and he may then very move along the bar sideways by raising his body with his hands placed on the bar the rope ladder this should have several to spread it out and ought in all respects to be so constructed as not to twist and the only difficulty here is that as it hangs and is its steps are liable to be pushed forward and in that case the body is thrown into an position and the whole weight falls on the upright hands to prevent this the must keep the body stretched out and upright â plate xviii fig the upright rope in this exercise the securing the rope may be effected in various ways in the first method shown in pi fig the hands and feet alone are employed the feet are crossed the rope passes between them and is held fast by their pressure the hands then grasp higher the feet are drawn up they are again applied to the rope and the same process is repeated in the second which is the sailor s method shown at fig the rope passes from the hands generally along the right just above the knee winds round the inside of the under the knee joint over the outside of the leg and across the whence it hangs loose and the by treading with the left foot upon that part of the rope where it crosses the right one is firmly supported this mode of climbing requires the right leg and foot to be so managed that the rope keeps its proper winding whenever it is quitted by the left foot in descending to prevent injury the hands must be lowered alternately to rest upon the upright rope shown in pi fig the must swing the right foot around the rope so as to wind it three or four times round the leg must turn it by means of the left foot once or twice round the right one of which the toes are to be bent upwards and must tread firmly with the left foot upon the last winding or to obtain a more perfect rest he may lower his hands along the rope as in figure hold with the right hand stoop grasp with the left the part of the rope below the feet raise it and himself again and wind it round his shoulders c until he is firmly supported trees the rope the must fix himself to the rope as in pi fig and advance the hands along it as already directed the feet may along the rope alternately or one leg hanging over the rope may slide along it or which is best the sole of one foot may be laid upon the rope and the other leg across its so that the is not felt the level rope this may have its ends fastened to posts of heights and the same exercises may be performed upon it climbing trees in attempting this exercise the kind of the wood and strength of the branches must be considered summer is the best time for it as withered branches are then most easily discerned and even then it is best to climb low trees until some experience is acquired as the surface of branches is smooth or moist and slippery the hands must never for a moment be relaxed mt â â l c do s co â â ss off x v â j â ii z s â ts â â â â v v â v â â â â â â ai â â â â r f â â hi â hi â w m â a a a a â iâ j

49William Black

â â â â â â mo â s lot â â â â â â â â â â â y â ea ea sa ea ea ea these should pass beyond the screw at the heel nearly as far as the wood itself but the bow of the iron should not project much beyond the tread if the project much beyond the wood the whole foot and more especially its hind part must be raised considerably from the ice when the front or bow of the is brought to bear upon it and as the depends upon this part for the power of his stroke it is evident that that must be greatly diminished by the general distance of the foot from the ice in short if the be too long the stroke will be feeble and the back of the leg painfully cramped if it be too short the footing will be unsteady and tottering as the position of the person in the act of is never and is some times very much inclined and as considerable exertion of the muscles of the leg is requisite to keep the ankle stiff this ought to be relieved by the of the seeing then that the closer the foot is to the ice the less is the strain on the ankle it is clear that the foot ought to be brought as near to the ice as possible without danger of bringing the sole of the shoe in t with it while on the edge of the the best height is about three quarters of an inch and the iron about a quarter of an inch thick the or if ever useful is of service only to boys or very light persons whose weight is not sufficient to catch the ice in a hard frost it certainly should never be used by a person who is heavier than a boy of thirteen or fourteen years of age usually is because the sharp edge too easily cuts into the ice and prevents indeed are even dangerous for the snow or ice are apt to collect and in the till the is raised from the edge of his and thrown of the in the general inclination of the foot in no edge can have greater power than that of shape the tendency of its action is downwards through rather than sliding on the surface and greater hold than this is unnecessary the irons of should be kept well and sharply ground this ought to be done across the stone as to give the bottom of the so slight a as to be which an edge whose angle is not greater than right care must be taken that one edge is not higher than the other so that when the is placed upon an even surface it may stand quite the wear of the iron not being great with a one grinding will generally last him through an ordinary winter s on dean the bottom of the iron should be a little curved for if perfectly straight it would be capable of describing only a straight line whereas the s progress must be circular because in order to bring the edge to bear the body must be inclined and inclination can be preserved only in circular motion this curve of the iron should be part of a circle whose is about two feet that shape the to turn his toe or heel or with facility a screw would have a firmer hold than a mere in the hole of the boot but as it is less easily removed generally prefer the the should be careful not to bore a larger hole in the heel than is sufficient to admit the the more simple the of the the better the two â namely the cross over the toe and the heel cannot be improved unless perhaps by passing one through the three and so making it serve for both f before going on the ice the young must learn to tie on the and may also learn to walk with them easily in a room alternately on each foot of the a s dress should be as close and as possible large skirts get entangled with his own limbs or those of the persons who pass near him and all of dress is exposed to the wind loose trousers and more especially great coats must be avoided and indeed by wearing additional under they can always be with as the of produces perspiration flannel next the chest shoulders and is necessary to avoid the evils produced by sudden in cold weather the best dress is what is called a dress coat tight and boots having the heel no higher than is necessary for the which hold the foot tightly and steadily in its place aa well as give the best support to the ankle for it is of no use to draw the of the hard if the boot or the shoe be loose preliminary and general directions either very rough or very smooth ice should be avoided the person for the first time attempts to must not trust to a stick he may make a friend s hand his preliminary and support if he require one but that should be soon in order to balance himself he will probably scramble about for half an hour or so till he begins to find out where the edge of his is the must be fearless but not nor even in a hurry he should not let his feet get far apart and keep his heels still nearer together he must keep the ankle of the foot on the ice quite firm not attempting to gain the edge of the by bending it because the right mode of getting to either edge is by the inclination of the whole body in the direction required and this inclination should be made and the leg which is

49William Black

on the ice should be kept perfectly straight for though the knee must be somewhat bent at the time of striking it must be straightened as quickly as possible without any jerk the leg which is off the ice should also be kept straight though not stiff having an easy but slight play the toe pointing downwards and the heel within from six to twelve inches of the other the must not look down at the ice nor at his feet to see how they perform he may at first incline his body a little forward for safety but hold his head up and see where he goes his person erect and his face rather elevated than otherwise when once off he must bring both feet up together and strike again as soon as he finds himself steady enough rarely allowing both feet to be on the ice together the position of the arms should be easy and varied one being always more raised than the other this elevation being alternate and the change corresponding with that of the legs that is the right arm being raised as the right leg is put down and vice so that the arm an leg of the same side may not be raised together the face must be always tamed in the direction of the line intended to be described hence in backward the head will be inclined much over the shoulder in forward but slightly all sudden and violent action must be avoided stopping may be caused by slightly bending the knees drawing the feet together the body forward and pressing on the heels it may also be caused by turning short to the right or left the foot on the side to which we turn being rather more advanced and supporting part of the weight the ordinary run or inside edge forward the first attempt of the is to walk and this walk shortly becomes a sliding gait done entirely on the inside edge of the the first impulse is to be gained by pressing the inside edge of one against the ice and advancing with the opposite foot to effect this the must bring the feet nearly together turn the left somewhat out place the right a little in advance and at right angles with it lean forward with the right shoulder and at the same time move the right foot and press sharply or strike the ice with the inside edge of the left â care being taken instantly to throw the weight on the right foot plate xix fig while thus in motion the must bring up the left foot nearly to a level with the other and may for the present proceed a short way on both feet he must next place the left foot in advance in its turn bring the left shoulder forward to that side strike from the inside edge of the right and proceed as before finally this motion has only to be repeated on each foot alternately gradually keeping the foot from which he thb longer off the ice till he has gained command of himself to keep it off altogether and is able to strike directly from one to the other without at any time them both on the ice together having this till he has gained some degree of firmness and power and a command of his balance he may proceed to the ob outside this is commonly reckoned the first step to figure as when it is once effected the rest follows with ease the impulse is gained in the same manner as for the ordinary run but to get on the outside edge of the right foot the moment that foot is in motion the must advance the left shoulder throw the right arm back look over the right shoulder and incline the whole person boldly and on that side keeping the left foot suspended behind plate xix fig as he proceeds he must bring the left foot past the inside of the right with a slight jerk which produces an opposing balance of the body the right foot must quickly press first on the outside of the heel then on the inside or its toe the left foot must be placed down in front before it is removed more than about eight or ten inches from the other foot and by striking outside to the left giving at the same moment a strong push with the inside of the right toe the passes from right to left to the left side in the same manner as he did to the right he then continues to change from left to right and from right to left in the same manner at first he should not remain long upon one leg nor scruple occasionally to put the other down to assist and throughout he must keep himself erect leaning most on the heel the dutch travelling roll is done on the outside edge forward in a manner just represented except that there is described a small of a very large circle thus from the straight line no more than is requisite to keep the on its edge the cross roll on figure is also done on the outside edge forward this is only the completion of the circle on the outside edge and it is performed by crossing the legs and striking from the outside instead of the inside edge in order to do this as the draws to the close of the stroke on his right leg he must throw the left quite across it which will cause him to press hard on the outside of the right from which he must immediately strike at the same time throwing back the left arm and looking over the left shoulder to bring him well upon the outside of that by the circle in this manner on each leg the is formed each circle being small complete and well formed

49William Black

before the foot is changed the figure is merely the outside and inside forward succeeding each other on the same leg alternately by which a line is described thus outside inside outside this is with the force and rapidity gained by a run when the run is complete and the on the outside edge his person becomes in the attitude of having the right arm advanced and much raised the face turned over the right shoulder and the left foot off the ice a short distance behind the other turned out and pointed of ob inside â this figure is formed by turning from the outside edge forward to the inside edge backward on the same foot the head of the is formed like the half circle on the heel of the outside edge but when the half circle is complete the suddenly forward and rests on the same toe inside and a backward motion making the tail of the is the consequence the figure described by the right leg should be nearly in the form of no and on the left leg should be reversed and resemble no ob at first the should not throw himself quite so hard as hitherto on the outside forward in order that he may be able the more easily to change to the inside back he may also be for some time contented with much less than a semi circle before he turns having done this and brought the left leg nearly up to the other he must not pass it on in advance as he would to complete a circle but throw it gently off at the same moment turning the face from the right to the left shoulder and giving the whole person a slight inclination to the left side these motions throw the upon the inside of his but as the first impulse should still retain most of its force he continues to move on the inside back in a direction so little different that his first impulse loses little by the change plate xix fig if unable to change the edge by this method the may assist himself by slightly and gently swinging the arm and leg outward so as to incline the person to a motion this swing however must be corrected is soon as the object is attained and it must generally be observed that the change from edge to edge is to be effected merely by the inclination of the body not by swinging when the is able to join the ends of the so as to form one side of a circle then by striking off in the same manner and another with the left leg the combination of the two s will form an in the first attempts the should not be made above two feet long which he will acquire the power of doing almost he may then gradually extend the size as he advances in the art though in this section backward is spoken of the term to the only which in such case moves heel foremost but the person of the moves the face being always turned in the direction in which he is proceeding outside edge backwards here the having completed the and being carried on by the first impulse still continues his progress in the same direction but on the other foot putting it down on its outside edge and continuing to go backwards slowly to accomplish this the after making the and placing the outside edge of his left foot on the ice should at once turn his face over the right shoulder raise his right outside backwards foot from the ice and throw back his right arm and shoulder plate xix fig if for awhile he is readily to raise that foot which has made the and leave himself on the outside of the other he may keep both down for some distance putting himself however in attitude of being on the outside only of one and gradually lifting the other off the ice as he ability when finishing any figure this use of both feet backward has great convenience and beauty before venturing on the outside backward the ought to take care that the ice is clear of stones c and also be certain of the good quality of his irons when going with great force backward the course may be so as to stop by degrees and when moving slowly the suspended foot may be put down in a cross direction to the path such are the four movements of which alone the is capable namely the inside edge forward the outside forward the inside back and the outside back in which has been seen how the impulse for the first two is gained and how the third flows from the second and the fourth from the third by the combination of these elements of and the variations with which they succeed each other are formed all the in this art the double three is that combination in which the are brought from the inside back of the first three to the outside forward of the second here the after having completed one and being on the inside back must bring the whole of the left side forward particularly the leg till it is thrown almost across the right on which he is this action brings him once more to the outside forward from which he again turns to the inside back while he is still in motion on the second inside back of the right leg he must strike on the left and repeat the same on that it is at first enough to do two s perfectly and smoothly their number from one impulse may be increased as the gains and skill the art of this being to touch as lightly as possible on each side of the so that the first impulse may be and made the most of the back roll

49William Black

is a means of moving from one foot to another suppose the to have put himself on the outside edge back of the left leg with considerable impulse by means of the performed on the right â not bearing hard on the for the object is to change it and take up the motion on the right foot thi is effected by throwing the left arm and shoulder back and turning the face to look over them having brought the inside of his left to bear on the he must immediately strike from it to the outside back of the other by pressing it into the ice as forcibly as he can at the toe having thus been brought to the backward roll on the right foot he the same with it the back cross roll is done by changing the balance of the body to move from one foot to the other in the same manner as for the back roll the stroke is from the outside instead of the inside edge of the the edge on which he is not being changed but the right foot which is off the being crossed at the back of the left and put and the stroke taken at the same moment from the outside edge of the left at the toe as in the back roll of both forms the strokes are but the may from time to renew his impulse as he finds occasion by anew with the dangers in the large backward roll is attained by a when the gained all the impulse he can strikes on the outside forward of the right leg turns the and immediately puts down the left on the outside back he then without further effort flies rapidly over the ice the left arm being raised the head turned oyer the right shoulder and the right foot turned out and pointed it must be that the elements described may be combined and varied infinitely hence and c which may be described as of s s outside backwards c these are left to the judgment of the and his skill in the art in the north it is common to travel in on the and rivers and with a favorable wind they go faster than vessels it is a kind of flight for they only touch the ground in a very slight thin line as to in we are told that the who is generally a often goes for a long time at the rate of fifteen miles an hour in two young women going thirty miles in two hours won the prize in a race at in a man for a of guineas one mile within two seconds of three minutes dangers in if the chest be irritable it is neither nor easy to against the wind in countries where these exercises are general of the chest are very common in winter sometimes to much danger if the find that he cannot get away from rotten ice he must crawl over it on his hands and knees in order to reduce his weight on the supporting points if be fall on it at length he must roll away from it towards ice more treatment op drowned persons firm if lie fall into a hole he must extend his arms over the edges of the unbroken ice and only tread water till a ladder or a plank is pushed towards him or a rope is thrown for his hold in the case of drowned â lose no time avoid all rough usage never hold the body tip by the feet never roll the body on nor rub the body with salt or spirits nor tobacco smoke or in of tobacco if apparently drowned â send quickly for medical assistance but do not delay the following means i convey the body carefully with the head and shoulders supported in a raised position to the nearest house ii strip the body and rub it dry then wrap it in hot blankets place it in a warm bed in a warm chamber iii wipe and the mouth and nostrils iv in order to restore the natural warmth of the body move a heated covered warming pan over the back and put or bottles of hot water or heated bricks to the pit of the stomach the arm between the and to the of the feet the body with hot but if possible the body in a warm bath as hot as the hand can bear without pain as this is to the other means for restoring warmth the body briskly with the hand do not however the use of the other means at the same time v in order to restore breathing introduce the pipe of a common where the apparatus of the society is not at hand into one carefully closing the other and the mouth at the same time draw downwards and push gently backwards the upper part of the to allow a more free admission of air blow the gently in order to the lungs till the breast be a little raised the mouth and nostrils should then be set free and a moderate pressure treatment of drowned persons should be made with the hand upon the chest repeat this process till life appears vi should be employed early by a medical assistant vii into the stomach by means of an and half a pint of warm brandy and water or wine and water viii apply or to the nostrils ir dead from cold â rub the body with snow ice or cold water restore warmth by slow degrees and after some time if necessary employ the means recommended for the drowned in these accidents it is highly dangerous to apply heat too early ey m â s â â fc v â â â â â â â â â do tea k ii l ld w ts ly of the iv the ner

49William Black

ii tm this m i i il o dense y t iâ be where s to ha p â e requires â â â â â â â i w w â â i it j s p k i ik â â â â â â â â v iu by in r a t w c ii ii nâ ll jâ â lent bodily m ir â â fc â fc â â â â â y â â â â a â â â â â â â â r â râ s hi ti f a ii s ii c i ii i â ii ib â â o s n ea ii â n i â m â â â â â t â c i ⠞ lâ t co c â sa k b v â â â â â â â â ft â â â â â el s â i â t t s â r â r â r â â â â i i â â â â z m m m â â â â â â â â â s â m â ir i e e â a â a â a oo ea preparatory instructions in consequence of the excessive loss caused by the slightest movement it then becomes an exceedingly valuable resource the only one indeed by which muscular weakness can be and the energy of the vital tions maintained we must therefore regard swimming as one of the most exercises that can be taken in summer the particularly the regarded swimming as indispensable and when they wished to a man who was fit for nothing they used to say he cannot even swim or he can neither read nor swim at many the art of swimming is almost indispensable and the sailors children are as familiar with the water as with the air is perhaps the only place where sailors are trained by rules of art and there this exercise is more general and in greater perfection than elsewhere it may here be observed that it is not fear alone that prevents a man swimming swimming is an art that must be learnt and fear is only an obstacle to the learning preparatory instructions as to attitude and action in swimming as it is on the movements of the limbs and a certain attitude of the body that the power of swimming depends its first principles may evidently be acquired out of the water attitude the head must be drawn back and the chin elevated the breast projected and the back and kept steady plate xx and the head can scarcely be thrown swimming too much back or the back too much those who do otherwise swim with their feet near the surface of the water instead of having them too or three feet deep action of the sands in the proper position of the hands the fingers must be kept close with the by the edge of the fore fingers and the hands made on their inside though not so much as to their size and power in swimming the hands thus formed should be placed just before the breast the wrist touching it and the fingers pointing forward hate xxi fig the first elevation is formed by raising the ends of the fingers three or four inches higher than the rest of the hands the second by raising the outer edge of the hand two or three inches higher than the inner edge the formation of the hands their first position and their two modes of elevation being clearly understood the forward stroke is next made by projecting them in that direction to their utmost extent therein their first elevation in order to produce but taking care the fingers do not break the surface of the water plate xxi fig in the outward stroke of the hands the second elevation must be employed and in it they must sweep downward and outward as low as but at a distance from the both and plate xxi and the of the hands is effected by bringing the arms closer to the sides bending the elbow joints upwards and the wrists downwards so that the hands hang down while the arms are raising them to the first position the action of the hands being gentle and easy in the three â if r ik j â il â â â â â â â m â i i â â â â â lâ â i i ii ea is â â â t â â q g q g q q m i j t â lt i i m â â â â af oa oo ea â sâ s â â â fc â â a â â w a i â â r â r â r â â â â â â â â jl â â a â â â â â â â â â oo ea ea w oa d n and time of swimming movements just described one ann may be at a time until each is accustomed to the action action of the feet in drawing up the legs the knees must be inclined inward and the of the feet outward plate xxii fig the throwing out the feet should be to the extent of the legs as widely from each other as possible plate xxii fig the bringing down the legs must be done briskly until they come close together in drawing up the legs there is a loss of power in throwing out the legs is a gain equal to that loss and in bringing down the legs there is an evident gain the arms and legs should act alternately the arms descending while the legs are rising â plate fig and the arms rising while the legs are descend ing plate xxii fig thus the action of both is and

49William Black

until great facility in this is effected no one can swim smoothly or keep the body in one continued motion in the action of the legs one hand may rest on the top of a chair while the opposite leg is exercised when both the arms and the legs are separately accustomed to the action the arm and leg of the same side may be exercised together place and time of swimming of all places for swimming the sea is the best running waters next and the worst in these a particular spot should be chosen where there is not much stream and which is known to be safe the should make the bottom is not swimming but of his depth and on this subject he cannot be too when he has no one with him who knows the place if capable of he should ascertain if the water be sufficiently deep for that purpose otherwise he may injure himself against the bottom the bottom should be of gravel or smooth stones and free from holes so that he may be in no danger of sinking in the mud or the feet of weeds he must beware for if his feet get entangled among them no aid even if near may be able to him time the best season of the year for swimming is during the months of may june july and august morning before breakfast â that is to say from seven till eight o clock â is the time in the evening the hair is not perfectly dried and is sometimes the consequence bathing during rain is bad for it the water and by the clothes catching cold in swimming during those hours of the day when the heat of the sun is felt most sensibly if the hair be thick it should be kept constantly wet if the head be bald it must be covered with a handkerchief and frequently it is advisable not to enter the water before is finished the danger is this case arises less from the violent movements which generally disorder than from the impression produced by the medium in which these movements are executed it is not less so when very hot or quite cold it is wrong to enter the water in a perspiration however trifling it may be after violent exercises it is better to wash and employ than to persons of temperament who are subject to such as or even to dress â ill will do well to from swimming during the appearance of these affections dress every should use short drawers and might in particular places use slippers it is even of great importance to be able to swim in jacket and trousers the aid of the hand is much to or because it can be withdrawn gradually and with this view a grown up person may take the in his arms carry him into the water breast high place him nearly flat upon it support him by one hand under the breast and direct him as to attitude and action if the support of the hand be very gradually withdrawn the will in the course of the first ten days find it quite unnecessary when the aid of the hand cannot be obtained ot may be employed the only argument for their use is that attitude and action may be while the body is thus supported and that with some contrivance they also may gradually be laid aside though by no means so easily as the hand the best mode of is to choose a piece about a foot long and six or seven inches broad to fasten a band across the middle of it to place it on the back so that the upper end may come between the s where the edge may be rounded i and to tie the band over the breast over this several other pieces of cork each smaller than the preceding may be fixed so that as the he may leave them off one by one even with all these the young should never venture out of his if he cannot swim without them i as to those chiefly axe liable to it who plunge into the water when they are heated who remain in it till they are with cold or who themselves by violent exercise persons subject to this affection must be careful with regard to the selection of the place where they if they are not sufficiently in swimming to vary their attitudes and dispense instantly with the use of the attacked by even when this does occur the knows how to reach the shore by the aid of the limbs which are unaffected while the one is liable to be drowned if attacked in this way in the leg the must strike out the limb with all his strength thrusting the heel downward drawing the toes upward notwithstanding the momentary pain it may occasion or he may immediately turn flat on his back and jerk out the affected limb in the air taking care not to it so high as greatly to disturb the balance of the body if this does not succeed he must ashore with his hands or keep himself afloat by their aid until assistance can reach him should he even be unable to float on his back he must put himself in the upright position and keep his head above the surface by merely striking the water downward with his hands at the without any assistance from the legs when in the water and mode of front swimming entering the water should never force young reluctantly to leap into the water it would be advisable for d â r j v b in thb delicate especially when they intend to plunge in to put a little cotton in oil and afterwards pressed in their ears before entering the water this precaution will prevent irritation of the organ of hearing in entering

49William Black

the head should be first either by plunging in head foremost or by pouring water on it in order to prevent the pressure of the water driving up the blood into it too quickly and increasing the should next advance by a clear shore or bank where he has ascertained the depth by or otherwise till the water reaches his breast should turn towards the place of entrance and having his breast lay it upon the water suffering that to rise to his chin the lips being closed in the water the head alone is heavier than salt water even the legs and arms are lighter and the trunk is still more so thus the body cannot sink in salt water even if the lungs were filled except owing to the excessive specific gravity of the head not only the head but the legs and arms are heavier than fresh water but still the of the trunk renders the body altogether too light to sink wholly under water so that some part remains above until the lungs become filled in general when the human body is one of its weight remains above the surface in fresh water and one tenth in salt water in salt water therefore a person throwing himself on his back and extending his arms may easily lie so as to keep his mouth and nostrils free from breathing and by a small motion of the hand may prevent if he perceive any tendency to it in fresh water a iâ aa cannot long continue in that situation except by the action of his hands and if no such action be employed the legs and lower part of the body will gradually sink into an upright position the hollow of the breast keeping the head uppermost if however in this position the head be kept upright above the shoulders as in standing on the ground the owing to the weight of the part of the head out of the water will reach above the and nostrils perhaps a little above the eyes on the contrary in the same position if the head be leaned back so that the face is turned upwards the back part of the head has its weight supported by the water and the face will rise an inch higher at every inspiration and will sink as much at every but never so low that the water can come over the mouth for all these reasons though the given by the ml of the body into water occasions its sinking to a depth to the force of the descent its natural soon it again to ther surface where after a few up and down it settles with the head free unfortunately ignorant people stretch the arms out to grasp at anything or nothing and thereby keep the head under for the arms and head together exceeding in weight one tenth of the body cannot remain above the surface at the same time the of the trunk then and then only occasions the head and shoulders to sink the ridge of the bent back becoming the portion exposed and in this attitude water is swallowed by which the specific gravity is increased and the body settles to the bottom it is therefore most important to the safety of the inexperienced to be firmly convinced that the body â naturally to satisfy the of the truth of this dr in the him to choose a place where clear water gradually to walk into it till it is up to his breast to turn his face to the shore and to throw an egg into the water between him and it â so deep that he cannot fetch it up by to encourage him to take it up he must reflect that his progress will be from deep to shallow water and that at any time he may by bringing his legs under him and standing on the bottom raise his head far above the water he must then plunge under it having his eyes open before as well as after going under throw himself towards the egg and endeavor by the action of his hands and feet against the water to get forward till within reach of it in this attempt he will find that the water brings him â up against his inclination that it is not so easy to sink as he imagined and that he cannot but by force get down to the egg thus he feels the power of water to support him and to confide in that power while his to overcome it and reach the egg teach him the manner of acting on the water with his feet and hands as he afterwards must in swimming in order to support his head higher above the water or to go forward through it k then any person however with swimming will hold himself perfectly still and upright as if standing with his head somewhat thrown back so as to rest on the surface his face will remain above the water and he will enjoy full freedom of breathing to do this most effectually the head must be so far thrown back that the chin is higher than the forehead the breast the back quite hollow and the hands and arms kept under water if these directions be carefully observed the face will float above the water and the body will settle in a direction plate fig in this case the only difficulty is to preserve the balance of the body this is secured as described by by extending the arms under the surface of the water with the legs separated the one to the front and the other behind thus presenting resistance to any tendency of the body to incline to either side forward or backward this posture may be preserved any length of time plate fig the paul who lived in in perceived at the age of fifty that he

49William Black

could never entirely cover himself in the water he weighed three hundred pounds italian weight but being very fat he lost at least thirty pounds in the water had just made his experiments on the specific weight of man and everybody was then occupied with the who could walk in the water with nearly half his body out of it attitude and action in the water the having by all the preceding means acquired confidence may now practice the instructions already given on attitude and action in swimming or he may first proceed with the system of which im follows as the former have already been given in ample detail there is nothing new here to be added respecting them except that while the attitude is correct the limbs must be exercised calmly and free from all hurry and the breath being held and the breast kept while a few strokes are made in swimming in the usual way there is first extension and of the members secondly almost constant of the chest to the of the point of attachment of the muscles which are inserted in the elastic sides of this and to render the body lighter constant action of the muscles of in swimming the back part of the neck to raise the head which is yery heavy and to allow the air free entrance to the lungs in swimming if the breath is drawn at the moment when the strikes out with the legs instead of when the body is elevated by the hands descending towards the the head partially sinks the face is driven against the water and the mouth becomes filled if on the contrary the breath is drawn when the body is elevated by the hands descending towards the when the progress of the body forward consequently ceases when the face is no longer driven against the water but is elevated above the surface â then not only cannot the water enter but if the mouth were at other times even with or partly under the surface no could enter it as the air at such times driven outward between the lips would prevent it the breath should accordingly be expired while the body at the next stroke is sent forward by the action of the legs coming out of the water too much fatigue in the water the strength and presence of mind necessary to avoid accidents a person who is fatigued and remains there without motion soon becomes weak and chilly as soon as he feels fatigued chill or he should quit the water and dry and dress himself as quickly as possible previous to dressing drives the blood over every part of the body an agreeable glow and the joints and muscles swimming swimming s si stem the principal reasons given by for the upright position in swimming are â its to the accustomed movement of the limbs the freedom it gives to the hands and arms by which any may be moved or any offered aid readily laid hold of vision all round a much greater facility of breathing and lastly that much less of the body is exposed to the risk of being laid hold of by persons struggling in the water the less we alter our method of advancing in the water what is habitual to us on shore the more easy do we find a continued exercise of it the most important of this is that though a person swimming in an upright posture advances more slowly he is able to continue his course much longer certainly nothing can be more to a than whatever to husband his strength and to enable him to remain long in the water with safety s object is to enable the pupil to float in an upright posture and to feel confidence in the of his body he accordingly the pupil under the shoulders until he with the head and part of the neck above the surface the arms being stretched out under water from time to time the supporting arm is removed but again restored so as never to suffer the head to sink which would disturb the growing confidence and give rise to efforts destructive of the success of the lesson in this early stage the of the body is the chief difficulty to be overcome s system the head is the great of our movements in water its smallest inclination to either side in op on the whole body and if not corrected throws it into a posture the pupil must therefore re store any disturbance of by a cautious movement of the head alone in an opposite direction this first lesson being by practice he is taught the use of the legs and arms for the body in the water one leg being stretched forward the other backward and the arms he soon finds himself steadily sustained and independent of further aid in floating when these first steps have been gained the sweeping semi circular motion of the arms is shown this is practised slowly without motion forwards until attained with precision after this a slight inclination of the body from the upright position occasions its advancing the motion of striking with the legs is added in the same measured manner so that the pupil is not perplexed by the acquisition of more than one thing at a time in this method the motions of both arms and legs from those we have so carefully described only in so far as they are modified by a more upright position it is therefore with the reader to practise either method the general principles of both are now before him the upright position a little inclined backwards which like every other change of posture must be done deliberately by the corresponding movement of the head in this case the motion of the arms and striking the flat part of the foot down and a little forward gives the motion

49William Black

backward which is performed with greater ease than when the body is laid on the back according to this system says a ought at every stroke to urge himself forward a distance equal to the swimming length of his body a good ought to make about three miles an hour a good day s journey may thus be achieved if the strength be used with due discretion and the be familiar with the various means by which it may be of s successful practice he says having been appointed to instruct the youths of the royal naval academy of in the art of swimming a trial of the of the pupils took place under the inspection of a number of people assembled on the shore for that purpose on the tenth day of their instruction a twelve boat attended the progress of the pupils from motives of precaution they swam so far out in the bay that at length the heads of the young men could with difficulty be discerned with the naked eye and the major general of ma for whose inspection the exhibition was intended expressed serious apprehensions for their safety upon their return to the shore the young men however assured him that they felt so little exhausted as to be willing immediately to repeat the exertion an official report on the subject has also been drawn up by commission appointed by the government after a month to the investigation of s plan and it states as follows st it has been established by the experience of more than a hundred persons of different bodily that the human body is lighter than water and consequently will float by nature but that the art of swimming must be acquired to render tha t privilege useful that s system is new in so far as it is founded on the principle of the strength and rendering the power of it easy the speed according to the new method is no doubt diminished but treading water security is much more important than speed and the new plan is not exclusive of the old when occasions require great that the new method is sooner learnt than the old to the extent of advancing a pupil in one day as far as a month s instruction on the old plan treading water this little from the system just described as in it the position is upright but is obtained by the action of the legs alone there is little power in this method of swimming but it may be very useful in drowning persons the arms should be folded across below the breast or compressed against the and the legs employed as in front swimming except as to time and extent they should perform their action in half the usual time or two strokes should be taken in the time of one because acting each stroke would otherwise raise the too much and he would sink too low between the strokes were they not quickly to follow each other they should also work in about two thirds of the usual space preserving the upper or stronger and the lower or weaker part of the stroke there is however another mode of treading water in which the are separated and the legs slightly bent or curved together as in a half sitting posture here the legs are used alternately so that while one remains more contracted the other less so describes a circle by this method the does not seem to hop in the water but remains nearly at the same height pi xxi i i fig represents both these methods and shows their peculiar to relieve drowning persons swimming back swimming in swimming on the back the action of the member is weaker because the can support himself on the water without their assistance the muscular take place principally in the muscles of the members and in those of the part of the neck though little calculated for it is the easiest of all methods because much of the head being little is required for support for this purpose the must lie down gently upon the water the body extended the head kept in a line with it so that the back and much of the upper part of the head may be the head and breast must remain perfectly by the action of the legs the hand laid on the plate xxiv fig and the legs employed as in front swimming care being taken that the knees do not rise out of the water plate xxiv fig the arms may however be used in various ways in swimming on the back in the method called the arms are extended till in a line with each other must then be struck down to the with the palms turned in that direction and the downward to increase the plate xxiv fig the palms must then be moved and the arms elevated as before plate xxiv fig and so on repeating the same actions the legs should throughout make one stroke as the arms are struck down and as they are elevated the other mode called from this only in the stroke of the arms being shorter and made in the same time as that of the legs in back swimming the body should be extended after each stroke and long pauses made between these the act of passing from front to or back to front swimming i bad hi â or m j s s co ts i off iâ ii do t â â â â i r â â â oft i v â side must always be performed immediately after throwing out the feet to turn from the breast to the back the legs must be raised forward and the head thrown backward until the body is in a right position to turn from the back to the breast the legs must be dropped and the body thrown forward on

49William Black

the breast floating is properly a transition from swimming on the back to effect it it is necessary while the legs are gently to extend the arms as far as possible beyond the head distant from and parallel with its sides but never rising above the surface to the head rather deeply and the chin more than the forehead to the chest while taking this position and so to keep it as much as possible and to the action of the legs and put the feet together plate xxv fig the will thus be able to float rising a little with every inspiration and falling with every should the feet descend the may be side for this purpose the body may be turned either upon the right or left side the feet must perform their usual motions the arms also require peculiar guidance in lowering the left and the right side the must strike forward with the left hand and sideways with the right the back of the latter being ont instead of upward and the thumb side of the hand downward to serve as an in turning on the right side the must strike out with the right hand and use the left as an oar in both cases the lower arm stretches itself out quickly at the same time that the feet are striking and the upper arm strikes at the same time that the feet are the hand of the latter arm beginning its stroke on a level with the head while this hand is again brought forward and the feet are contracted the lower hand is drawn back towards he breast rather to sustain than to plate xxv fig as side swimming presents to the water a smaller surface than front swimming it is when rapidity is necessary but though generally adopted when it is required to pass over a short distance with rapidity it is much more than the preceding methods plunging in the leap to plunge the legs must be kept together the arms close and the plunge made either with the feet or the head foremost with the feet foremost they must be kept together and the body inclined backwards with the head foremost the methods vary in the deep plunge which is used where it is known that there is depth of water the has his arms outstretched his knees bent and his body lent forwards plate xxvi fig till the head nearly to the feet when the and knees are extended this plunge may be made without the slightest noise when the rises to the surface he must not open his mouth before previously the water in the flat plunge which is used in shallow water or where the depth is unknown and which can be made only from a small height the must fling himself forwards in order to extend the line of the plunge as much as possible under the surface of the water and as soon as he touches it he must keep his head up his back hollow and his hands stretched forward flat and inclined upward â â ll i â â â if ii m n i â h mo il st â s ss my â â v r k b â k k â â â â â â â â â â j s b ov a do oa a s s w a k â â â â v â â â â â â he will thus dart forwards a considerable way close under the surface so tliat his head will reach it before the impulse ceases to operate plate xxvi fig the may prepare for by a slow and full inspiration letting himself sink gently into the water and the breath by degrees when the heart begins to beat strongly in order to descend in the head must be bent forward upon the breast the back made r ind and the legs thrown out with greater vigor than usual but the arms and hands instead of being struck forward as in swimming must move rather backward or come out lower and pass more behind plate fig the eyes should meanwhile be kept open as if the water be clear it the driver to ascertain its depth and see whatever lies at the bottom and when he has obtained a perpendicular position he should extend his hands like to move forward the head must be and the back straightened a little still in swimming between top and bottom the head must be kept a little downward and the feet be thrown out a little higher than when swimming on the surface plate fig and if the thinks that he approaches too near the surface he must press the palms upwards to ascend the chin must be held up the back made the hands struck out high and brought briskly down plate fig this is a transition from front swimming in which the attitude and motions of the feet are still the same but those of the hands very different one arm the right for swimming instance is lifted entirely out of the r forward as much as possible and when at the utmost stretch let fall with the hand into the water which it or towards the in its return towards the opposite arm pit while the right arm is thus stretched forth the left with the hand expanded describes a small circle to sustain the body plate fig and while the right arm towards the the left in a widely described circle is carried rapidly under the breast towards the hip plate fig when the left arm has completed these movements it in its turn is lifted from the water stretched forward and pulled back â the right arm describing first the smaller then the larger circle the feet make their movements during the describing of the larger circle the thrust requires much practice but when well acquired it

49William Black

not only the but him to make great advance in the water and is to cases where rapidity is required for a short distance springing some at every stroke raise not only their neck and shoulders but breast and body out of the water this when habitual without any useful purpose as an occasional effort however it may be useful in seizing objects above and it may then best be performed by the drawing his feet as close as possible under his body stretching his hands forward and with both feet and hands striking the water strongly so as to throw himself out of it as high as the one arm swimming here the must be more erect than usual hold to â l ip it ip â â â i j s tt tt s iii fc i sa â i s â v m â l â â â â â â â â â l i â w a â â a a v â â a i â â l â â a y a y a y a y â a v â â i â i â i i â l â l â â pâ â â i in swimming his head more backward and use the legs and arm more quickly and powerfully the arm at its full extent must be struck out rather across the body and brought down before and the breast kept this mode of swimming is best adapted for assisting persons who are drowning and should be frequently practised â the carrying first under then over the water a weight of a few pounds in assisting drowning persons however great care should be taken to avoid being caught hold of by them they should be approached from behind and driven before or drawn the to the shore by the if possible of anything that may be at hand and if nothing be at hand by means of their hair and they should if possible be got on their backs should they attempt to seize the he must cast them loose immediately and if seized drop them to the bottom when they will endeavor to rise to the surface two treading water may assist a drowning person by seizing him one under each arm and carrying him along with his head above water and his body and limbs stretched out and motionless in swimming men have been known to swim in their clothes a distance of feet others have performed feet in twenty nine minutes some learn to and bring out of the water burdens as heavy as a man this art however has made little if any progress from the earliest records that we possess of it s feat of passing from to was the crack performance of antiquity and it was the achievement of bowing lord probably one of the best of our day â ed fifth edition river with two the boat it may be laid down as a general that in calm weather a light and sharp boat is and in rough weather a heavier and broader one the however should not at first begin in too light a boat nor should he practice in rough weather until he gets acquainted with its management to leave the landing place to leave the shore the should with the boat hook the boat off head upon tide or opposite to the current to leave stairs the must either the boat off with the boat hook or place the blade of the forward and perform what the london call the boat s head out from the shore accordingly as there is deep or shallow water this being done the sits down to his these he puts in the and turns the front or filling of the towards the stern of the boat the seat the must sit a on the or seat of this should hare the preference here because the art is best learned on the smooth water and in the lighter boats of tt f m m ist w w â p i m m â r â r â r â s â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â k â c i a ac i a e a do do e o do do m w m m m m m t â â m â â â â â â â â â g â â â â â â â g â â s s the pull the boat else she will heel to the side on which he is sitting and much of his labor will be lost he should sit with ease to himself his feet on the middle of the and his legs not quite extended but his knees as he rows should be brought down and his legs stretched the pull the should make long strokes in a heavy boat and shorter and quicker strokes in a light boat at the beginning of the pull he must in general bend his body till his head is over his knees and extend his arms as far aft as convenient that the blades of the may be thrown forward plate fig with regard to the back in particular some think that if a short distance is to be rowed it should be bent and that if a long distance it is less to keep it straight when the arms are extended as far aft and the blades of the as far for as convenient â which must never be so far as to jam in the â plate fig the must dip the into the water and pull towards him by at once bending the arms and the body when in the middle of the pull if the are not short enough or even if the head and body are slightly turned one of the hands will go higher

49William Black

than the other and as the right is generally the stronger it may go above and the left below it is often found difficult to keep one hand clear of the other in pulling a pair of l his is so much the case indeed that the inexperienced frequently suffer more from the knocking and rubbing of the backs and sides of the hands against each other than from the of the handles of the oars in the palms of the hands this may be easily by attending to the following advice â having seated yourself in the centre of the with your feet close together against the centre of the ship your but before pulling a stroke move your body three or four inches to the right hand and still retain your feet in the centre thus you will be sitting rather this will throw your right shoulder more forward and consequently the right hand and thus the hands will work perfectly clear of each other this rule however must be modified by the circumstances of river a writes us as follows â as to carrying one hand above the other my way is that if for instance i go from to against tide i keep down on the side in general look toward the shore and having my face over the left shoulder my right hand is then above if i go from to london my face is turned over the right shoulder and the left hand is then uppermost the usual position in the middle of the pull is shown in plate fig the end of the pull must not take place till the elbows have approached the tops of the the hands are brought towards the chest and the body is thrown well back there wo be a loss of power however if the hands were brought too near the chest and the body should not be thrown further back than it may easily and quickly recover its first position for the next stroke â plate xxx as the water is being delivered from the the elbows sink the wrists are bent up and the backs of the hands are turned towards the fore arms in order to feather the â plate xxx fig in the return of the the hands must remain turned up until the are put into the water â plate xxx fig in the middle of the return if the are â â w m tm r â ai â t i â w m r â f sâ â â s s s j â w j â i â i h i â â iii i m i i i â â â a log m x i it x l â f â st â h â v an â fl s w s t m r it thb tide ob â to turn not short or if the head and body be turned one of the hands also goes higher than the other as to the degree of the of the â in the middle of the pull the blades must be covered by the water the in general them very deep but that ought to be avoided especially in calm weather in the whole of the return the tips should in calm weather be two or three inches above the water and in rough weather they should be higher in order to clear it as represented in the preceding plates the head ought throughout to be very â first to one side then to the other but generally turned towards the shore when against the tide the same movements have only to be repeated throughout the course the tide or current in river when the tide or current is with the a in general take the middle of the stream in with the tide however generally cut off the points in order to keep a straight course when the tide or current is against the he should take the sides preferring that side on which owing to the course of the river the current is least as there under the points generally when them shoot the water to the next point and so on to turn back water with one by putting the one on the side you wish to turn to into the water with its front or filling towards you and pushing against it and at the same time pull strongly with the other until the boat s head is turned round meeting or passing in meeting tlie boat which comes with the tide must get out of the way in this case both boats if close lay the blades of their flat on the water lift them out of the and let them drift alongside each them when the other has passed in passing a boat the who passes must take the outside unless there is ample room within and must also keep clear of the other s or oars if one boat is crossing the water and another coming with the tide the one coming with tide must keep of the other and have a good look out ahead to land give the boat its proper direction and keep its head towards the tide and its stern will turn up or down as the tide runs the by the directed above but instead of letting them drift alongside lay them in the boat the blades forward and the aft seize the jump ashore and take two half round the post or ring sea or in a on the river in a boat from the sea beach when it is rough and there is a heavy surf the two must get into the boat with their oars run out and the other follow the boat quickly in her descent but they should not jump in till she is quite afloat lest their weight might fix her on the beach and she might ship a

49William Black

sea it may happen that immediately on the boat floating a sea shall take the bow before the are sufficiently prepared with their oars to keep her head out and place her to the waves in this situation the boat is sea in danger of being and the lives of those on board are in peril when thus situated it is best for two of the to go near the bow of the boat and immediately force each his boat hook or oar on the ground on the shore side of the boat as the most effectual safe and method of bringing her head again to the sea should there be more than a usual swell both the and the or cannot be too particular in keeping throughout the head of the boat to the swell as lying to a heavy sea is extremely dangerous in each man has in general a single oar and sits on the opposite side of the from the through which his oar passes the oar must consequently cross the boat and be held on its opposite side so as to clear the back of the man before it should be neither held nor pulled to the side by twisting the body as is practised by many because the muscles in that case act and are sooner fatigued the stroke must be longer in sea than in river the oar must be thrown out with a heave caused by the extension of the body and the arms it is still more essential to feather in sea than in river the oar must be drawn back with great power caused by the of the body and arms time with the other being accurately kept and distinctly marked when the oars are delivered from the water the time until they go into it again may be counted one two three â when they pass through the water this time is kept by the or man of the in landing the word is in bow when the or man gets the boat hook ready to clear away for tlie shore or tlie stairs the next word is from the rowed off all or well rowed when all the oars are laid in with the blades forward and the boat is made fast in landing on the sea beach when there is a surf the may watch for a smooth and then give good way ashore when the should instantly jump out with the or painter and pull her up to avoid shipping a sea the distances run in this way are very great we have known four men in a short row thirty miles in four hours namely om to eight miles below or abreast of on the opposite coast in such a row a london would have no skin left on his hands and a member of the funny club would we suppose have no hands left on his arms i sailing boats etc owing to their excellent sailing qualities are much employed as and in all cases requiring despatch the boats commonly employed in parties of pleasure c are also on the size of these vessels however it is necessary to remark that a under one hundred tons is sufficiently handy but when the size is equal to that of the larger a strong crew is necessary as the are very heavy and a number of men requisite to set or sail as a single vessel in the event of springing a becomes helpless even large are used only in the packet line since the general of steam are seldom if ever met with â ed fifth edition boats etc in short voyages or on the coast for in of accident they can always manage to reach some harbor or to repair any damage they may sustain the peculiar qualities of beating well to and working on short peculiarly for channel although some years back large were confined principally to the navy and the in theirs have exceeded these not only in size but in beauty and sailing qualities some of the finest and in the world are the property of this national club and two of them the alarm mr s and the the duke of s measure and tons the inconvenient size however of a s boom and has caused thâ very general introduction of a which by the addition of a the boom to be with and the considerably this indeed when the stands well is elegant and if a vessel is short handed it is very handy as vessels instead of a regular with its boom and have sometimes a mere it is necessary we should observe that the inferior convenience and safety of these our noticing them here it is also necessary that we should explain why in the we do not even refer to vessels are more difficult to work or they require a greater number of men their are so heavy that they require all hands to move them their decks are inevitably with c their gets from exposure and their expense is much greater the of the is not given here according to the royal list there it is stated to be tons â ed fifth edition sailing than that of they generally have two sets of â large ones which require dipping every time they tack and small working which do not require dipping the tack coming to the foot of the mast the latter are generally used except in making long reaches across the channel c a moreover is seldom fit to be altered to anything but a not having breadth enough for one mast which after all is the best for beauty and speed sailing men indeed are now so perfectly aware of the inferior speed of that we never see a or enter against a at all near its at sea would have a better chance though even there many would prefer except in

49William Black

foul weather and a long reach in short these vessels suit only a few and gentlemen who have enough of patriotic ambition to desire to look like enough of delicacy to disregard the being thought dirty by their own men â some of whom are not dirty from mere taste or choice and enough of penetration not to discover that on their landing with filthy clothes and hands every old sailor or laughs at their imagining that it was they and not the man at the who had kept the from or the sticks from going over the side our descriptions apply therefore to alone and the plates at the end of this article illustrate the various parts therein referred to upon the thames the sailing clubs the royal sailing society the royal thames club the loyal victoria club the british royal and several minor associations several cups and are given during the season and the spirited between the beautiful small craft which form these fancy are highly interesting the sailing matches boats etc on the river are of two sorts â one above and the other below the bridges the smaller of from six to tons are commonly entered for the former and a larger class for the latter which take place between and these national amusements appear to be rapidly gaining the first place among fashionable and now occupy the season from the period when hunting ends till shooting begins the has nearly six hundred persons on its lists of which above one hundred are members and about four hundred and fifty members the number of is one hundred and nine of which eighty seven are ten three four two ships two and one the greater part of these vessels hail from or the shipping belonging to the club to tons now a vessel of one hundred tons seldom perhaps stands the owner in less than from five to six thousand pounds varying from that to ten according to the profusion of ornamental parts the internal and other at this rate the shipping of the club would have cost more than three millions and a half of money but it is impossible to speak on thi point sa the first cost of the much and the numerous of are attended with expenses so widely different at a moderate each vessel belonging to the club carries ten men on an average this gives the total number employed during the summer months then while are celebrated it may be said that the alone more than men these as the number is constantly we had better t e the average at a hundred which will be found quite as high a one as should be justified in suggesting sailing with some few exceptions are discharged on the approach of winter and the are laid up for the season retaining the master and one man in pay the thus discharged obtain employment in merchant vessels or otherwise during the winter and in the middle of spring are generally re in the in which they have previously served on these conditions active and industrious men of good character are generally sure of employment in the club and many members justly pride themselves on the high discipline manly bearing and crack appearance of their the situation of master in particular is one of much responsibility and is on all accounts filled in some of the largest craft junior officers of the navy are found to accept this office the sailing of the are as follows first â members entering their must send the names of them to the secretary one week previous to the day of sailing and pay two guineas entrance at the same time second â all vessels starting or entering must be the property of members as well as their sails boats c third â each member is allowed to enter one vessel only for all given by the club fourth â may carry four sails only and top sail and all other vessels in like proportion no out allowed fifth â no with or shifting of allowed j and all vessels to keep their down and standing sixth â vessels on the tack must invariably boats ac give way to those on the and in all cases where a doubt of the possibility of the on the tack the one on the tack shall exist the on the tack shall give way or if the other keep her and run into her the owner of the on the tack shall be compelled to pay all and his claim to the prize â vessels running on shore shall be allowed to use their own and boats actually on board to get them off afterwards weighing anchor and the boat in but upon assistance from any other or boats or shall all claim to the prize eighth â that nothing but the hand line be used for sounding ninth â any from these rules shall subject the to all claim to the prize tenth â if any objection be made with regard to the sailing of any other in the race such objection must be made to the within one hour after the making the objection at the starting post â no shall be allowed to take in or take out for twenty four hours to starting and no shall be thrown twelfth â vessels shall start from laid down at a cable length distance with their sails set and not exceeding one hundred tons shall carry a boat not less than ten feet long and exceeding one hundred tons a boat not less than fourteen feet long â there shall be a member or member on board each â the time of starting may be altered by the and all that may arise are to be decided by them or such persons as they shall sailing the northern club is a highly interesting society although its plan is not so extensive

49William Black

as that of the club it contains about three hundred and fifty members the documents for ninety two in the and ninety in the irish division with fifty two members in addition to ninety three members of the cork club who are also entered on the lists it had in sixty not equal in proportion to the of the club as smaller vessels are admitted many il y s men are found in the club there are many fine vessels in this club as usual in number at the lowest the number of vessels at present employed for pleasure in this country cannot be less than from three to four hundred in bulk from ten to three hundred and fifty tons these are distributed along our shores carrying their into every port and harbor but there is another advantage arising from the clubs â namely that national spirit which to a people is above all in worth the clubs keep alive this feeling in an eminent degree courses etc even in describing the operations which such boats require it is necessary to lay down a position for the direction for the wind and trip for the vessel let us suppose then that the mouth of the harbor lies toward the south that the wind blows from the north with a little inclination to east and that we wish first to sail due south to get out of the harbor next direct our course eastward then return westward tiu we get abreast getting under way l the mouth of the harbor and lastly northward to enter the harbor and come to onr these courses will with variations in the force of the wind illustrate every common and useful getting under way ship the f set the the throat â nearly close up and half the peak bend and haul the out to the end the and well the and it well up the stay â â ng well fix in its proper place f the piece of wood or beam put into the head of the to it x it by casting the stops or off â the foremost end of the f or that end next the mast ii the end of the or that farthest from the mast hook it to the traveller or ring on the a rope or from the end of the to half way down the stem tt ropes from the end on each side to the bows xx a rope the head to the outer end of the where it passes through a or small block comes in by the stem head and is or made fast done generally by winding several backwards and forwards in the manner of a figure to its or pin i ropes from the after part of the head of the to the of the channels on each side or â ropes from each side of the head through the cross tree arms to the fore part of the channels between the first and second lower they are set up or hauled as are the by means of a small tackle one block of which is to the into the lower end of the or and the other to an eye bolt in the channels sailing the ready to cast her when the are let go send a hand to the f the main sheet j and the and tackle lower the throat and the peak of the up the keeping the to of the peak â â and the slack of the sheet out before you the sail up set the tack and heave the sheet well before the wind with the main boom over to w in managing the be careful not to the main sail to turn her head in the most advantageous direction term both the and the wheel but as the motion of a small light vessel is light and feeble though much quicker than that of a large vessel she is best without a wheel which is meant to gain power at the expense of time x a rope or tackle for the position of the main boom â the or lee side is the opposite to ii a compound tackle used in vessels instead of a to the lower mast on account of its easy removal allowing the main boom to go forward in going large f the way of and writing tight â â the sail above the the sheet out to a small block on the outer end of the ft tack is the comer opposite to the sheet in all aft sails and sails xx l e or weather side is that side on which the wind blows jâ the rope by which the peak of the or boom to which tho head of the is fastened is hoisted always a rope by which a sail is hoisted iii that is going the same way the wind blows her course is then sixteen points from the wind see compass f is the right and the left hand side when looking toward the head of the vessel before the wind when a vessel is going large the should always place himself on the weather side of the or the side opposite to that which the main boom is over as his view of the vessel s head will then be by the sails the boat now running before the wind haul the tack of up if the wind come dead aft you may aft the and sheets f or haul the down to prevent if the wind come at all round on the quarter j slack off the boom â haul in the main sheet till you get the boom a or nearly so port the and the slack off the main sheet again and hook the on the side haul the and tackle and the one the same with the lift the head sails ff and shift the sheets

49William Black

over or free not close hauled generally understood as having the wind the beam or that her course is then eight points from the wind f fast to the lower comer of the and to hold them down the has two ropes or sheets fast to its comer one of which comes on each side the for the of ac the has only one sheet which is fast to the traveller or ring on the horse or bar of iron which crosses from one to the other just before the mast x the point on either side where the side and stem meet â a small tackle one end of which is to the main boom and the other forward to keep the boom from swinging ii between the sides of the vessel instead of when speaking of the port is the proper term in to used for the sake of distinctness in directing the stout ropes which lead one from each side the main boom near its outer end through a block on its respective side the mast just under the cross trees whence it about half way and is connected to the deck or by a tackle tf and n b if you are obliged to aa above you must in the following directions for bringing the wind on your beam read for and vice bringing the vessel with the wind on the lar board beam supposing that you have not the a little and let the vessel spring her with her head to the northward slack the boom and haul in the main sheet haul aft the sheet and the if she come up fast port the a little and meet her then right it when she lays her proper course hook and haul the lee and tackle you will now find it necessary to carry the a little a port or a weather if instead of directing our course eastward we had preferred doing so westward we must have previous to bringing the wind on the beam and then the preceding operations would necessarily have been to a corresponding extent reversed that is or across the waist of the called a beam because it is in the same direction that her beams lay or at right angles with her her is then eight points from the wind â the wind is said to be the beam or before the beam according as the head is more or less than eight points from the wind j sail nearer to the wind x that is toward the hinder part or stem a rope made fast to the foremost and passed through a in the after of the then round the again and round the sheet ii always put the the contrary way to that which you want the head to turn f that is bring it the same with l â the f to the vessel to the wind ease the a little haul in the main sheet upon the proper mark the fore sheet and haul the sheet well aft the and well the vessel is now on the wind to or is close hauled being now apt to or come up into the wind with a sudden jerk now and again she will carry her more or less a weather the must watch the weather of the to prevent the vessel getting her head in the wind â having got abreast or opposite the mouth of the harbor haul the fore ready about put your up or to a little and let the vessel go rather off the wind to get good way on her then gently down or to â to haul the sheets or more by which means the head will con e closer to the point the wind blows from t to x these terms all imply one thing that the vessel is sailing as near as possible to the point the wind blows no will sail within less than six and no fore and aft vessel within less than five points of the wind to have any g to a vessel from one side to the other with her head toward the wind when a vessel is obliged to several times to get to she is said to be beating to when to get up or down a harbor ao beating up or down ao when trying to get off a lee shore off a vessel s are always to and forward and her sheets to and aft the terms or meaning that she has her aboard on the or side ii a that all hands are to be attentive and at their stations for sailing with it which is announced by the calling s a lee let fly the sheet this takes off the balance of wind from her head and acts in concert with the in sweeping her stern to or rather in allowing her head to come up into the wind the man who the sheet must carefully gather in the slack of the one opposite to that which he let go when the comes over the side of the stay f haul the sheet well aft when the is filled let draw the eight the and shift over the tack of the one hand should attend the main sheet to gather in the slack till the boom is and then ease it off as the sail fills and the vessel lays over to port when the vessel is in stays and it is doubtful whether she will come round or in order to make her come round when she stern way shift the to the opposite side she is now about upon the tack taking in sail etc haul the fore sheet up to it there and heave her to keep the and lash it a lee in lower the and haul down send a hand aloft to the sheet from the sail and or loose rope t

49William Black

the or large rope from the lower mast head to the stem head to prevent the mast from springing when the vessel is sending deep or fallen into the hollow between two waves after x that is let go the which holds the sail to this now weather it was held there till now that the wind might act npon it with greater power to torn the vessel from the time her head was half way round the expression is derived from its being necessary in larger vessels of a similar to ease the rope gradually as the sail draws it from the time the sheet is let fly till the is let draw the vessel is said to be in taking in sail etc it fast to the main bolt and the and send it down lower the main and peak to the second and the hook the tackle to the first haul upon it till the is close down upon the boom and the tackle pass a small through the tack and the first and lash the two firmly together taking care to gather in snug the of the sail so that the rope belonging to it forms a sort of snake near the mast haul up the tack and upon the weather peak line keeping the other part fast of the boom this will hold the belly of the sail partly to and make it easier to tie the points observe to keep the foot rope outside and under the sail let one man jump upon the boom to tie the outer points far that the rest can be tied on board let go the tack and peak line always keeping the ends of this fast under the boom the sail up and set the tack tackle shift the to no the purchase let go the haul the down the tack the sheets and send the sail down below a small tackle formed of two hook blocks one of which is to the under part of the boom about one third from the mast and the other farther aft the fall is to a under the boom f a stout rope one end of which is made fast to the boom at the same distance from the mast as the to which it belongs it passes through the and passes through a on the side of the boom then in board and is stopped to the boom by means of its or small line into its end for the purpose this is also to make it fast when the sail is and you wish to remove the tackle x a short of rope with a or small ring of iron inside it to the of the sail â a rope made by rope you have now got one in the if it come on to blow harder and you want a second lower the sail and haul on the peak line as before the first so as to hold it a short time let go the tackle and it from the which make fast with its round the boom you have now got the tackle to use for the second proceed as for the first shift the to no and proceed as before if third the same after ri ng the take the or bolt out of the heel of the and the in about one hole haul the stay and bend and set the small in the same way a any other you may want to the set the and make her otherwise snug in proportion sway away upon the top rope lift the mast a little to let the man it and lower down in the lower the fore and the gather the of the sail up make the foremost fast to the tack shift the sheet from the clue of the sail to the after and tie the points if the weather is very haul down the stay sail and tend the vessel with a tackle upon the weather sheet when it comes fine weather again make sail in precisely the reverse order to that in which you it continue to tack in the wind s eye till you are to of the harbor a bar of wood or iron which passes through a hole in each and the heel of the to i it in its place much in the same that a carriage pole is secured i i i i passing other vessels passing other vessels all sailing before the wind keep out of the way of those upon the wind in the river thames which sail with the tack aboard keep away for those with the tack aboard bringing the vessel into harbor lower and haul down the let go the tack or lower the and pull on the to bring the traveller in haul the tack of the up and lower the peak down let a small boat run away the wrap to the lower and the the and it below if dry and not immediately wanted and hook the to the close in by the stem if otherwise upon the and let it hang to dry if it require it or stop it up and down the foremost haul the vessel to the and properly putting over to keep her from the description op plate fi the s compass fig plan of the deck with the out c pore stem head and a rope made fast to the traveller to haul it out to the end sailing fore sheet place of the mast cabin channels head and case main companion and plate fig pleasure boat g a t and bent and and stay and tackle traveller cap channel trees with the lower mast to it cross trees lifts with lift blocks main boom main sheet peak stem cable fore sheet plate fig the vessel going down the harbor with all sails set south before a light breeze balance anchor

49William Black

stock tack line peak line or signal horse the st d and d main companion and m mr w w g â ii â lit q f j j f i â â p â â â â f â â â â â i â â s â â â â ol â i â â f lâ â i â â j â â r â w â â â â ss â i s i â i aâ lâ c i i â â â â â i sailing plate fig the vessel outside the harbor east with a smart breeze on the beam anchor of the plate fig the vessel trying for the harbor in a heavy gale close to the wind as she can lay on the tack under a and and lowered h iii m ii l l â i riding â i iâ i hunt aâ p i f the body ip â i â si i y i l and â if g all ms ae a r â â mr â s v â â wâ w â â â â â b f and if tj to our y of the i â â y â y y â â â â jt â mm mm m v â â m â lot m ss w hi â i m ml ii â v â the horse and handy of which those who are ignorant of this method are less capable the recent practice has been to carry the foot rather more forward than is represented in our plates approaching in this respect to the ancient position as seen in the c a bit which is attached to the mouth of the horse without a has been lately used it is however only to on account of its being retained in the mouth by means of the side which do not possess it is composed of a bar of iron which goes under the chin to which its applies while a short bar firmly attached to one of its ends passes nearly half way through the mouth through the other end of the is a hole into which when the bit is on must be a bolt similar to the one just described these two it is easily understood pass behind the and nearly meet in the centre of the mouth the horse and plates fig give better ideas of the horse and his than the longest and most detailed description the reader will therefore examine them in succession we have here only to add those the fig â a h e d te leather f fig â a with the cheek c do of the d do of the or passing through it over the c seldom found in any but military fig a twisted bit fig a plain bit fig a with chain and chain a attached fig a common bit with the upset in the mouth piece riding as to the of the horse which could not be communicated by that otherwise and more impressive method the shoes of a horse have much to do with this and consequently with his rider s comfort it is therefore important to know that he is properly shod to effect this the shoe should be fitted to the foot and not the foot to the shoe neither heel nor should be more than merely to take off what is ragged for no takes place here as in the case of the ruin nearly all horses by doing otherwise indeed they are not to be trusted with this operation which after any gentleman may perform with his pocket knife the sole of the foot must not be out but only the outer wall flat or even with the sole and most at the toe nor above all things ought the s finishing all round the edge of the horn immediately above the shoe to be permitted neither ought nails to be driven far backward towards the heel where the horn is softer and more sensible especially of the inner quarter when a horse has a high heel the foot except the may be flat but not out or opened when a horse has a low heel the foot should be only at the toes it is common to allow the fore part or toe of the to grow long thereby throwing the horse much on his heels this position is unnatural because were the horse in a state of nature without shoes the toe from constant contact with the ground would be worn down to its proper level with the heel this growth then of the fore part of the by throwing him on his heels renders them tender and causes while the foot not being flat on the ground also strains the of the the horse and joint these evils may be by doing as nature â by away the toe to the proper level with the heel so as to allow the foot to bear flat upon the ground when a horse has a short he should have a short shoe because a long one would compel him to bring his heel more backward than the of his would easily admit the saddle should be to the size of the horse before the bearings should be clear of the plate bone behind they should not extend further than within four inches of the and their pressure should be equal on every part intended to be touched the closer the saddle then comes the better if neither the weight of the rider nor settling of the can possibly injure the or before mounting the rider should examine whether the saddle bits bridle c are all good and well fixed when the saddle is on the horse the lowest part of the seat should rather be behind its centre as it is there that the weight of the body fall and

49William Black

by that means the can keep their proper position the best test of the of the seat is when the rider without or effort easily falls into his proper place in the saddle should not be used until the pupil is capable of riding without them their proper length is when the upper edge of the bar reaches a finger s breadth below the inner ankle bone when the feet are in the the heels should be about two inches lower than the toes no more than the natural weight of the limbs should be thrown upon them it is by an accurate position and an easy play of the ankle and that the is retained so as to slip neither forward nor backward even if the toe be raised for a moment the position on horseback with from that without them only in this that the beings by the relieved from the weight of the leg and foot the knee is slightly bent and rather before the lines which these form in the position without in riding hunting o the breadth of four fingers should between the fork and the saddle when the rider stands up spurs should never be used but by an accomplished rider when it is necessary to employ them they should be applied a few inches behind the as low as possible and with the touch capable of producing the effect as to the bridle in order to give the greatest possible ease to the u large and polished bit is necessary most bits are too small and long bend back over the bars of the horse s jaw work like and cut his mouth to give the greatest degree of severity the bit while hot is twisted into a form so as to present to the jaw a rough and sharp surface capable of pressing the bars or lips with greater or less severity the degree of punishment which this bit is capable of are generally sufficient for all the purposes of it is therefore best to ride with a and to use a only occasionally when absolutely necessary in all cases the rider should observe that the horse is furnished with a bit proper for him if too light it may have the effect already described if too heavy it may incline him to carry the head low or to rest upon the hand which call making use of a fifth leg the simplest and most useful of the kind is the bit which consists of a strong plain mouth piece of uniform thickness without any upset but merely a curve forwards to give ease to the tongue the horse and the centre of the reins should be accurately marked and when both reins are held in one hand and the near rein has to pass under the little finger and over the forefinger on the outside of the off rein the latter should be held about half an inch shorter and the centre should be brought towards the left in the bridle on the horse s head the head stall parallel to and above the cheek bone must have its length so regulated as to permit the mouth piece of the to rest on the bars an inch above the lower in horses and about two inches above the corner teeth in which have no the nose band lying under the must be so loosely that a finger can pass freely under it and over the horse s nose the bit of the must be higher but not so much so as to the corner of the mouth the throat lash must be rather loose the mane is usually cut close under the the finger part of the interfering with it and the remainder when smooth is put either over or under the front if the rider uses a he should make it a rule to hook on the chain himself for the horse may bring his rider into danger if the hurt him the chain must pass under the the rider should therefore put his right hand under the reins to take hold of the chain and introducing two fingers of his left within the cheek of the bit and these with his thumb take hold of the hook the end links of the chain being in his right hand he should turn the chain to the right and under or as he would a screw till every link lies flat and smooth and then without losing a half turn put that link on the hook which appears to be neither tight nor slack the finger should pass between the horse s jaw riding and which in this case hangs down upon his under lip it is necessary also to see how it if the branch has liberty to move forty five degrees or to a right angle it is the degree which is in general best if however one link of the chain confine it to thirty five degrees and if one link lower give it fifty five degrees then the manner of the horse s carrying his head must determine which is most proper if the horse naturally carry his nose high the branch may have fifty five if he bring his nose in he should have thirty five degrees if there be a chain it must be placed so high on the branch that when passed passed through the ring in the chin it may be tight enough to prevent the horse lodging the branch on his teeth when a horse s head is steady when he is light in hand can obey its motions with ease and stop readily the bit is properly adjusted on the contrary if he open his mouth as if his jaws draw his tongue above the mouth piece or thrust it out if he fear the impression of the bit have no toss his head up and down carry it low and

49William Black

endeavor to force the hand or refuse to go forward or run backward the bit is not properly adjusted mounting and in mounting the rider â presenting himself rather before the horse s shoulder with his left breast towards that shoulder and with his whip or in his left hand â takes with the right hand the reins in the centre the little finger of the left hand between them from before the back of that hand being towards the horse s head â places the left hand below the right on the neck of the horse about twelve inches from the saddle â of the mounting and draws with the right hand the reins through the left and them till the left has a light and equal feeling of both reins on the horse s mouth â throws with the right the reins to the off side â takes with the same hand a lock of the mane brings it through the left hand and turns it round the left thumb â and the left hand firmly on the mane and reins the right hand after the mane lays hold of the left the fingers being behind and the thumb in front of it the left foot is raised and put into the aa far aa the ball of it fig the right foot is then moved until the rider s face is turned to the side of the horse and looking across the saddle while the right hand is placed on the the left knee against the saddle on the with the left heel drawn back to avoid touching the horse s side with the toe by a spring of the right foot from the not by any pull with the right hand the rider raises himself in the the knees firm against the saddle the heels together but drawn back a little and the body erect and partially supported by the right hand fig the right hand moves from the to the and the body the right leg at the same time passes clearly over the horse s quarters to the off side the right knee on the saddle the body comes gently into it the left hand the mane and the right the the left or bridle hand with the wrist rounded is placed opposite the centre of the body and at three inches distance from it the right hand is dropped by the side of the the is taken instantly with the right foot without the help of hand or eye the clothes are adjusted and the whip is exchanged from the left hand to the right being held with the lash upwards but a little towards the left ear of the horse and never leaving the right hand except while mounting or â plate fig the horse is to be accustomed to stand till the rider request him to move the habit of is acquired from who on going out to water and exercise throw themselves over a horse from some elevation and give a kick to the animal even before being fairly upon it if a groom attend at mounting he ought not to be suffered to touch the reins but only that part of the bridle which comes down the cheek in the whip is to be returned into the left hand the right hand takes hold of the rein above the left the right foot the the left hand forward on the rein to about twelve inches from the saddle feeling the horse s mouth very lightly the right hand dropping the reins to the off side takes a lock of the mane brings it through the left and it round the left thumb the fingers of the left hand close on it the right hand is placed on the the body being kept erect the body is supported with the right hand and foot the right leg is without touching the horse s hind quarters or the saddle brought gently to the near side with the heels close care being taken not to bend the right knee lest the spur should touch the horse the right hand passes at the same time to the to preserve the balance as in the act of mounting the body is gently lowered until the right toe touches the ground resting on the right foot the left is quitted and the left foot placed in line with the horse s hoofs the hands remaining as in the former motion both hands then quit their holds of the mane and and the right hand lays hold of the rein near the ring of the bit the sâ at in mounting without â after taking up the reins instead of seizing the mane the rider lays hold of the and and by a spring of both legs from the raises the body to the centre of the saddle by a second spring of both arms the right leg is carried over the horse and the rider enters his proper seat by closing the knees on the saddle and sliding gently into it in without on either side of the horse the rider throws the weight of the body on the hands placed on the and by a spring raises the body out of the saddle before the leg is brought over the horse the seat the seat must be understood in an extended sense as the disposition of the various parts of the body in with the action of the horse and its effect is the rider s being firm in the saddle when he might be otherwise thrown forward over the horse s head or backward over his tail the seat is that one of which all others are and in which the rider sits when the horse is going straight forward without any bend in his position in describing this it is first necessary to consider the rider s relation to the horse he

49William Black

must sit on that part of the animal s body which as he springs in his paces is the centre of motion from which of course any weight would be most shaken the place of this seat is that part of the saddle into which the rider s body would naturally slide were he to ride out this seat is to be preserved only by a proper balance of his body and its to even the most violent of the horse turf necessarily sit further back that they may employ the it is necessary to consider the in various parts and to explain their different functions st the part as being here the principal one namely the with the legs as dependent on them the upper part namely the body with the arms dependent on it the from the fork to the knees are commonly called the immovable parts and upon them the whole attitude depends they must not or roll so as either to disturb the horse or render the seat loose but they may be relaxed when the horse to advance the legs occasionally strengthen the hold of the by a grasp with the and they likewise aid support and the horse the body from the fork upwards must always be in a situation to take the corresponding motion and preserve the balance the position of the arms is dependent on that of the body but they also exercise new functions as a good seat is the basis of all excellence in riding we shall consider these parts in detail in relation to the the rider sitting in the middle of the saddle must rest chiefly upon their division called the fork and very slightly upon the the turned inward must rest flat upon the sides of the saddle without grasping for the rider s weight gives hold and the pressure of the on the saddle would only lift him above it the knees must be stretched down and kept back so as to place the several degrees short of a perpendicular but no must be made with them unless there be danger of losing other hold if the are upon their inner or flat side in the saddle both the legs and the feet will be turned aa the seat they ought to be thus turned they must be on a line parallel to that of the rider s body and hang near the horse s sides but must not touch yet they may give an additional hold to the seat when necessary and the must act in support of the of the hands the heels are to be sunk and the toes to be raised and as near the horse as the heels which prevents the heel touching the horse as to the body â the head must be firm yet free the shoulders thrown back and kept square so that no pull of the bridle may bring them forward the chest must be advanced and the small of the back bent a little forward the upper parts of the arms must hang from the shoulders the lower parts at right angles with the upper so as to form a line from the elbow to the little finger the elbows must be lightly closed to the and without kept steady or they destroy the hand the wrist must be rounded a little the hands should be about three inches from the body and from the of the saddle and from four to six inches apart the and pointing towards each other and the finger nails towards the body when the rider is in the proper position on horseback without his nose breast knee and are nearly in a line and with his nose breast knee and toe are in a line pi the man and the horse throughout are to be of a piece when the horse is at liberty or as it is termed the rider sits at his ease and as he and his horse so he and himself there must however be no when in motion round the or the circle the inward hand or that towards which we turn is to be a little lower than the outward one riding of manner more than in sitting on a chair for it is ease and elegance which distinguish the gentleman the balance the balance in riding preserves the body from that inclination to one side or the other which even the ordinary paces of the horse in the trot or gallop would otherwise occasion it and with every motion of the animal without any employment of strength and consequently the rider sits so firmly that nothing can move his seat his skill consists essentially in himself on the horse in such a manner as not to the animal s movements to illustrate this if the horse work straight and upright on hi legs the body must be in the same upright direction as the horse moves into a trot the body must be inclined a little more back in the gallop also in leaping or in any violent movements the body must chiefly be kept back and when the horse and as he does when on a circle or trotting briskly round a comer the body must lean or the balance will be lost throughout the whole the figure must be to every action of the horse for the balance can be maintained only by as many different positions as he is capable of working in to help his balance the rider must never take the slightest assistance from the reins whatever the position of the body the hand must be fixed and the reins of such a length as to feel and support the horse but never to hold on to acquire the balance the practice on circles or the is useful working equally to both hands and not using till the pupil has acquired the balance without them experience proves that

49William Black

the body if in the i the rein hold seat and position almost takes the corresponding motion whether the horse springs forward or the hold there are various methods of holding the according to the style of riding the design of the rider and the of horses in holding the reins separately one rein passes into each hand between the third and fourth fingers and out of it over the fore finger where it is held down by the thumb â plate fig when afterwards further advanced the reins are held in the left hand as at first taken up the left rein passing under the little finger and the right under the third finger both lying smooth through the hand the superfluous rein hanging over the first joint of the fore finger and the thumb being placed upon it â plate fig should not throw their right shoulders back as they are apt to do when they first take the reins in one hand the right arm should hang by the side with the hand by the side of the or if holding the whip it may be kept a little lower than the left in order not to the operation of the bridle we have already said that we think it best to ride with the alone and use the only in this case the reins may have a slide upon them and hang on the of the saddle or the horse s neck sometimes however the right rein is made to enter the hand from above over the fore finger and crosses the left rein in the palm where the fingers close upon them a or bow being formed of the between the hand and the body whence it hangs down â plate fig riding when the rider however holds the as well as the having both as is most usual in the left hand â while the reins are placed as above described of the reins the reins are placed within them that is the left rein enters under the second and the right under the first finger and both pass up through the hand and out of it over the fore finger precisely as do the reins except that they lie at first above then within and lastly under them â plate fig shifting the reins should be done without stopping the horse the pace breaking the time or looking to the hands when the reins are held in one hand the method of shifting from the left hand is as follows â turn the towards each other carry the right hand over the left in place of the little finger of the left hand put the fore finger of the right hand downwards between the reins lay the reins smoothly down through the right hand and place the thumb upon the left rein between the first and second joint of the fore finger â plate fig to shift them again into the left hand it is only necessary to carry the left hand over the right to put the little finger of the left hand downwards between the right and left reins to place them smoothly upwards through the hand and to let the ends hang over the fore finger as at first â plate fig when both and reins are held in the usual method we shift them into the right hand in a similar manner by turning the towards each other carrying the right hand over the left putting the fore finger of the right hand into the place of the little finger of the left the second finger of the right into the place of the third finger of the left and the third finger of the right into the place of the second finger of the left and laying the reins â h the bein hold smoothly down through the right hand â plate fig when we shift the reins again to the left hand we put the fingers of the left hand into the places we took them from and turn the reins smoothly upward through the hand and over the fore finger â plate fig separating the reins is sometimes necessary when a horse refuses obedience to one hand we use two it is seldom however necessary to take more than one rein in the right hand and this is the right rein of the only for this purpose the rider turns the back of his right hand upwards puts the first three fingers oyer the rein receives it between his little and third fingers lets the superfluous end hang over the fore finger with the thumb upwards as he does the bridle hand plate fig the reins is or them wholly or partially as occasion may require to the whole we take the superfluous reins that hang over the fore finger of the left hand into the right so that with that hand we support the horse and feel every step he takes and we then open the fingers of the left hand so as to slip it up and down the reins smoothly and freely and thereby them to our pleasure to the rein and the we take in the right hand the centre of the rein that hangs over the fore finger slip the whole of the reins too long pass the left hand down them and feel with the fingers whether both the reins are of equal length before we grasp with the left hand or quit with the right we the and the by taking in the right hand the centre of the that hangs over the fore finger and proceeding in the same way when any single rein wants we apply the right hand to that part which hangs over the fore finger and draw it when the reins are separate or occupy both hands and want we bring the hands together to assist each other remembering that the inner hand or

49William Black

that which the attitude the horse works in is not to depart from its situation so as to occasion any disorder but that the outer hand is to be brought to the inner for the purpose of them the correspondence to have a correct notion of the manner in which the hand on the horse s mouth it must be understood that the reins being held as described are collected to such definite length that the muscles of the hand would rein the horse back and them permit him freely to advance the hand for preserving a medium effect on the mouth being only half shut and the near the wrist nearly open the hand then being connected to the reins the reins to the bit the bit in the on the bars and in the on the lips the rider cannot move the hand and scarcely even a finger without the horse s mouth being more or less affected this is called the correspondence if moreover the hand be held steady as the horse advances in the trot the fingers will feel by the of the reins a slight occasioned by the of every step and this by means of the correspondence is felt in the horses mâ this is called the while this relation is preserved between the hand and mouth the horse is in perfect obedience to the rider and the hand him in any position or action with such ease that the horse seems to work by the will of the rider the action rather than by the power of his hand this is called the support now the correspondence or effective be â the hand and month â the or strength of the operation in the mouth â the support or aid the hand gives in the position or action â are always maintained in the and all united paces without these a horse is under no immediate control as in the extended gallop or at full speed where it may require a hundred yards to pull before we can stop him the action the degree of correspondence and depends in horses otherwise similar on the relative situation of the hand the act of raising the rider s hand his power and this raising the horse s head his power the of the rider s hand on the contrary his power and this the horse s head his power on these depend the or in the action of the horse a writer on this subject we believe gives the following illustration â if a were placed across the pupil s forehead and a person behind him held the two ends in a direction the pupil if he stood quite upright could not pull at the person s hand nor endure the person s hand to pull at him without falling or running backwards this is the situation of a horse when united accordingly when the pupil felt the hand severe or expected it to pull he would guard against it by bending the body projecting the head and planting one foot behind this is the situation of a horse when or defending himself against the of the hand hence the perpetual pull of a timid rider or a heavy insensible hand cannot keep a horse united because the horse cannot then bear its severity thus heavy hands make hard mouthed horses and hence it is in this tion that we generally find horses for the best broke become so if ridden a few times by an ignorant in such cases the horse makes the rider support the weight both of his head and neck or goes on his shoulders and is apt to if then the be heavy from the head being carried too low and the horse not sufficiently united the rider must raise the hand and let the fingers by moving rather invite than compel the head or more properly the neck to rise for the object is to bring in the head by raising the neck the legs at the same time pressing the under by these means the horse will be united and the will be lightened should the hand however be too to the horse when united he may become so balanced on his that he can neither himself nor advance one step and should the rider then press him without yielding or dropping the hand he would compel him to rear such are the two extremes where the horse is and where he is too much united the effect of the hand and heel must be acquired by practice the hand to a hand firmness gentleness and lightness are very properly described as being essentially necessary firmness of the hand does not however do more than correspond exactly with the feeling in the horse s mouth unless the horse attempts to g t the to abandon that delicate correspondence producing the and the hand keeping him under tlie obedience and to make a dull or insensible pull on the hand to these the hand is kept firm and the fingers and should the horse plant his head low to endure this the fingers are moved the reins shaken c to raise the head and divert him from his purpose or if this be the hand is yielded that the reins may become slack and a snatch is given in an upward direction which will not only make him raise his head but will him from putting it down again gentleness of the hand a little of its firmness and the feeling between the hand and the horse s mouth without passing however from one extreme to another lightness of the hand still more the feeling between the rider s hand and the horses mouth and consists in a slight alternate feeling and of the bridle regulated by the motion of the horse for if the were always in the same degree it would heat the mouth dull the feeling

49William Black

and render the horse s bars the rider must also distinguish whether the horse wishes to himself from or wants a momentary liberty to cough to move if cramped to a fly c the if used requires always a light hand to manage it and the horse should never be put to do any thing in a at which he is not perfectly ready the is adapted for acting in a direct line only the should be used in all other cases still as to all these qualities the must be gradual were the rider passing over that degree of restraint which is derived from the easy or gentle hand to go at once from a firm to a slack one he would deprive his horse of the support he trusted to and him on his shoulders on the contrary were he to pass from the slack to the tight rein all at once he would give a violent shock to the horse s mouth all tlie operations of the then should be firm gentle and light and in these the fingers and wrist alone must act certain liberties called of the hand are also with well bred horses these are made three different ways â by the arm a little but not the shoulder still keeping the usual length of rein or by dropping the directly and at once upon the horse s neck â by taking the reins in the right hand about four fingers breadth above the left and letting them slide through the left dropping the right hand at the same time upon the horse s neck â and by taking the end of the reins in the right hand them entirely with the left and letting the end of them fall upon the horse s neck these graceful must never be used but with great caution when the horse is quite together and in hand and the rider by throwing back his body must the weight of the horse upon his there are still rules belonging to this head for instance both reins being in one hand and that in the first position â if we open the first and second fingers we the right rein â if we open the little finger we the left rein â if we shut the hand entirely and immediately open it again we lessen the of both reins by these methods we may relieve and the two bars in which the feeling and so also in the second descent of the hand while the right hand holds the reins we may slide the left hand up and down these in that degree of which belongs to the easy and slack hand during which the horse will endeavor to preserve that mutual sensation between the mouth and the hand which makes him submit with pleasure to by this play of the rein and movement of the bit to avoid pressure in one continued way the horse s head is kept high and his neck and crest are raised the ob the or the modes of guiding the horse are called because they not only direct but assist him to execute they also check him in acting these are certain positions of the hand body legs and sometimes of the or whip the hand is so far the principal of these that the others are sometimes called as only giving power and to the hand of the hand a horse can move four different ways â forward to the right to the left and backward but he cannot perform these motions unless the hand of the rider makes four corresponding motions there are accordingly five different positions for the hand including the general one from which the other four proceed his five positions when one rein is held in sand in the first position the reins pass up between the third and fourth fingers of each hand their ends are thrown over the fore fingers the are closed on them and the fingers are shut â the hands being held as already described in treating of the seat the second position consists of a slight of the preceding and the horse to advance the third position the right rein rather upward and turns the horse to the right the fourth position the left rein rather upward and turns the horse to the left and the fifth position both reins and stops or reins the horse backwards the five positions when the reins are held in one hand the of the hand as forming these positions when riding the reins are in one hand may be yery simply given by a little extending or bending the wrist to make the horse advance or go backward â and by slightly carrying the hand to the right or to the left and in both cases rather upward to make the horse turn in these directions the of the bridle hand several of the rules already given occur we do not however approve of these positions as they in a great measure reverse and destroy the natural of the hand by leaving the right rein slack in the turn to the right and the left rein slack in the turn to the left indeed they could not possibly be obeyed by the horse were it not that on this point he seems to have more understanding than his rider and draws his conclusions as to the latter s intentions not from the inconsistent action of his hand but from the more natural accompanying of his body and legs fortunately however these of the bridle hand though always taught are we believe rarely practised we give these positions here only in compliance with custom in the first position the under surface of the fore arm and hand forms a line from the elbow to the joint of the little finger the elbow is lightly closed to the the wrist is rounded the are kept directly

49William Black

above the neck of the horse the hand being at three inches from the body and as much from the of the saddle the nails are turned towards the body the little finger being nearer to it than the others the reins in entering the hand are separated by the little finger and the thumb is placed flat upon them as they pass out over the fore finger in the second position the hand is yielded to the horse the ob by turning the nails downward so as to carry the thumb nearer the body and the little finger further from it yet somewhat for the thumb passes nearly into the place where the were in the first position the nails being now directly the horse s neck this the horse to advance in the third position the hand leaving the first is turned down so that the thumb is carried out to the left and the little finger brought into the right this carries the operation of the reins nearly three inches more to the right by which the left reins press the neck the right reins are slack and the horse is turned to the right in the fourth position the hand leaving the first the back is turned upward so that the little finger is carried out to the and the thumb brought in to the right this carries the operation of the reins to the left by which the right reins press the neck the left reins are slack and the horse is turned to the left in the fifth position the first the wrist is rounded the nails turned upwards and the towards the horse s neck this stops him or him to go backward these however when the reins are held in one hand are not so effective as those where the reins are separate of the body to aid the second position of the hand and cause the horse to advance the body may be thrown a little forward but not so as to press heavily on his fore parts to aid the third and fourth positions of the hand a mere turn of the body is sufficient thus in entering an angle it is only necessary to turn the body toward the corner just as if the rider intended to go into it himself his body then turning to the right or left his hand must necessarily turn likewise and the leg of the side on which he turns will press against the horse and aid him in coming out of a comer it is only necessary to turn the body again the hand will follow it and the other leg approaching the horse will put his into the corner in such a manner that it will follow the shoulders and be upon the same line the same motion of the body is likewise necessary to turn entirely to the right or left to aid the fifth position of the hand and make the horse go backward the body must be thrown gently back and the hand will go with it of the legs to aid the second position of the hand and make the horse advance the legs must be closed even when a horse stands still the legs held near him will keep him on the watch and with the slightest upward motion of the bridle he will raise his head and show his forehead to advantage to aid the third position of the hand and turn to the right the right leg must determine the to the left and the action of the shoulder which the hand had turned to the right to aid the fourth position of the hand and turn to the left the left leg must determine the to the right in making a change to the right the left leg the so that it must follow the shoulders â in changing again to the left the right leg acts to aid the fifth position of the hand and stop the horse while he is held in the legs must be gently brought to the sides the of the legs have their degrees increasing thus â the leg being brought nearer the side is the placing the leg further back with the toe and turned out is the next a touch with the calf of the leg is the third a stroke with it the toe kept up firmly that the muscles of the leg may be hard is the fourth and the strongest is the scratch which when the legs are laid on hard without effect is given by dropping the toe when if the spur be properly placed the will scratch the horse s side and this is succeeded by giving the spur sharply with the whip are also used to give greater effect to the heel these are gentle on the hind quarters and sometimes on the shoulders when given on the near side the hand is either applied behind the back with the whip held by the fingers like a pen the lash being downwards or across the bridle hand before the whip being help with the lash upwards and proceed from the hand the leg the whip or the tongue those of the hand and of the legs have been described among the of the whip are mild to the horse or if the lash is upwards it in the air those of the leg and whip threaten punishment and accordingly with horses both may be necessary the animation of the tongue is produced by placing the tongue flat against the roof of the mouth and suddenly the part of it by drawing the air between it and the this noise is to the horse but if too much continued or too frequent its effect is destroyed are the reverse of and are used to the fears of horses and to give them confidence the voice by soft and mild tones

49William Black

the hand by gentle patting or the body and legs by all unnecessary firmness and sitting easy a should have perfect c of liis temper as weu as patience and to make the horse comprehend and perform he demand but little the first time he wiu be more readily obeyed the next and he may increase his demands as the horse in habit and temper are given either with the or or by keeping the horse in a greater d of in these a good rather to work upon the mind than the body of the horse the which render a horse most obedient and yet him least are not severe bat rather oppose him by restraint and make him do directly the contrary if for example he do not go off readily or if he be make him go sometimes to one hand sometimes the other then drive him forward if he go forward too fast moderate the and make him go backward more or less according to his conduct if he be and turbulent walk him straight forward with head in and out when is given with the whip it should be with strength the lash being upwards the arm high and the whip applied behind the round the belly or it may be given forward over the shoulders between the fore legs should the horse kick at the application of the whip to his flank or quarter the rider must instantly apply it and must repeat it more sharply should he kick at that by this he may be made sensible of his fault to give a horse both spurs properly the rider must change the posture of his legs and bending his knee strike him with them at once quickly and firmly some horses disregard the whip but fly at the spurs others u v me the stop the walk disregard the spurs and are terrified at the whip the rider consequently will apply that which is most likely to produce the desired effect when however the whip or spurs are applied two or three times sharply to horses without effect the rider must and try other methods the the rider should not suffer his horse to move till his clothes are adjusted and whip shifted when collecting his reins and taking one in his right hand he must close his legs to induce the horse to move slowly forward in the walk if he wish to increase the pace the pressure of the knees must be increased when the horse moves the legs must resume their former position â the hands remain perfectly steady â and the body yield to the movement as to character the walk is the pace performed with the least exertion only one leg at a time being off the ground and three on in this pace accordingly four distinct beats are marked as each foot comes to the ground in the following order â first the off fore foot next the near hind foot then the near fore foot and lastly the off hind foot the perfection of the walk consists in its being an animated quick step measuring exact distances and marking a regular time by putting the feet flat to the ground its excellence depends on that of the horse which his head and raises his feet without or the step and that animation the may perhaps be considered as a natural as most following their more or less to keep up with them the difference between the walk and the is that two legs of a side are raised in the latter at the same instant the step and the beats without the time or the action in performance if the rider do not support the horse sufficiently his head will be low and his walk if he support him too much he will his step so that he cannot walk freely if the rider do not him he will not exert himself if he him too much he will trot if the horse trot when the rider designs him to walk he will find either his hand or the degree of animation communicated by the whip tongue legs or of the body too high and this he must instantly as well as check the horse plate fig tu ns in the walk turns in general should be made slowly and all the should combine in producing them in performance the hand to which we turn or inner hand is to be a little below the outer one and the inner rein held with double the force of the outer one which is to be exerted by the little finger pulling gently upwards and towards the body while the outer hand a steady hold of the outer rein at the same time the legs by a slight pressure with the must support the horse keep him up to the bridle make him bring his under him and obey the leading rein the pressure of the inward leg alone would make him throw his too much all this is to be done in proportion to the meant to be produced and great precision and delicacy are required in the execution wheels may be briefly noticed here a horse may wheel or turn on his own ground on three â on his centre on his fore feet and on his hind feet in all these the walk the hand all before the and the heel all behind him in on the hand and heel operate together â the hand leading the shoulder the leg directing the by which means in going about the fore feet describe one half circle and the hind feet another here the of the hand body and legs must exactly correspond and the degree of must be merely such as will carry its aid into for if the is too weak the horse will advance over his ground and if too strong he will retire

49William Black

from it on the wheel or quarter circle the about or half circle or the about and about or whole circle the band the body and leg must instantly resume their proper position the wheel on the fore and that on the hind feet are still more rarely of use in common practice stops in the walk horses and generally stop by a gradual of action in a time and distance which depend on circumstances as to character however the stop when properly performed is an instant of advance without any previous indication when the stop is properly performed it shows the great superiority of the rider s hand over the horse it him in obedience him the and the much mischief however may occur from a too frequent or practice of it the perfection of the stop consists in the action ceasing at the finish of a without breaking the previous time and in the horse being so balanced on his and so animated that with liberty given he can advance with the same rapidity as before in performance the time to be seized is when the first part of the is to tlie ground so that its finish the stop if this is not done the be broken and the stop rendered irregular at such a moment the stop is performed by the rider his arms to his body holding both reins equally and firmly drawing the fingers towards the body closing for an instant both legs to press the horse up to the bridle and throwing the body back with precisely such strength of all the muscles as is to the effect all this being done at the same instant and making but one motion if the rider do not close his legs the horse may not bring his under the stop will be on the shoulders and its effect will be destroyed if in stopping a horse toss up his nose or force the hand the bridle hand must be kept low and firm no liberty must be given his neck must be pressed with the right hand till he has brought down his nose and immediately all his bridle may be given him fig if the horse has not readily obeyed he should be made to go backwards as a proper punishment for the fault going backward in the walk the action of the horse when he goes backward is to bend his to have always one of his hinder legs under his belly on which to rest and balance himself and to push his backward in performance the horse s head be steady and right his body gathered up under him he must be upon his and his feet be even to aid him in this there should be an equal and steady feeling of both reins the hand must be held and kept from rising with the a little down inviting the horse to back the body bent a little forward with the the trot the belly drawn in and the legs gently pressing the sides of the horse in order to keep him up to the bridle and to prevent him from the instant he to the hand the body and hand yield to the horse that he may recover his balance and he may then be pressed to back again if either the of the hand from its situation or any other cause make the go off the line in an opposite direction the heel must support and direct him thus should the to the the right leg must direct and to assist the hand must be carried a little to the right but this must be done with delicacy lest the be thrown too much to the left here the hand and the heel change their functions the hand the action and the heel it the as to the character of the trot when we urge the horse to proceed faster than he can by moving one leg after the other in the walk we oblige him to take up two at a time in the trot here the off fore foot and the near hind foot give one beat and the near fore foot and the off hind foot give another so that there are two legs off the ground and two legs on the beats being sharp and quick in proportion to the degree of animation and extension the perfection of the trot consists in its giving the horse a free use of his limbs in its union his labor more equally his fore legs having more to sustain than the hind especially when he is or on the shoulders and in its action which should be true and equal the liberty of the fore quarters not exceeding the hind nor the hind the fore â the knee being up the bent and the step measuring ex distances and marking a time in the trot there is a leading foot either right or left by which the side is little more advanced than the other this leading with either foot is as in horses that have not been supplied if chance or fatigue makes change their leg for that which they are not accustomed to the action is stiff confined and irregular kinds of trot there are three kinds of trot â the extended the and the even in the extended trot the horse steps out without retaining himself being quite straight and going directly forwards in the trot at every motion he and plays the joints of his shoulders knees and feet in the even trot he makes all his limbs and joints move so equally and exactly that his limbs never cover more ground one than the other nor at one time more than at another these three kinds of trot depend upon each other we cannot pass a horse to the trot without having first worked him to the extended trot and we can never

49William Black

arrive at the even and equal trot without having practised the to pass from the extended to the trot the horse must be gently and by degrees held in when by exercise he has attained sufficient to manage his limbs readily he must be held in more and more till he is led to the equal trot the trot in particular in performance the rider apply for an instant both legs to his horse s sides and at the same time raise the the fate by drawing the lower finger on each side rather upwards and towards the body avoiding all or sudden motions during the trot he must sit close to the saddle preserving his seat by the balance of his body and not by the pressure of his knees he must neither rise nor stand in the his body must incline a little backwards the whole figure must partake of and accompany the movements of the horse and he must keep the hands up in their proper situation steady and preserving a due correspondence and just if the action be too rapid it must be checked by the hand k the action be too slow it may be quickened by the fingers and giving more animation to give more animation and encourage the horse to put his foot out freely the rider must support his fore hand up and his under by a touch of the fingers the excitement of the tongue the of the whip or the application of the legs varied so as not to lose their effect if the action be not sufficiently united that also must be corrected to unite the horse the reins must be collected and the head raised by bringing his under him he may be pressed up to the bridle by the aid of the legs care being taken that this is not done hastily or violently he must not however be confined in the hand in expectation of raising him and fixing his head in a proper place as by this means his bars and mouth would soon grow the most certain sign of a horse s trotting well is that when in his trot the rider presses him a little he offers to gallop if the horse gallop when he ought not the waist should be pushed forwards toward the of the saddle and a bend or hollow at the same time be made in the turns stops in the trot as to seeing that the operations directed to be performed at the walk are to be practised in the trot nothing further need be said of them as stops are required to with it must be observed that the first part of the in the trot is performed by the two feet that lead and that the conclusion of the is performed by the two feet that follow and this should complete the stop the rider should occasionally alter the measure of the action by the hand and at the same time keeping up a sufficient degree of animation to prevent the horse from stopping he may then give him liberty and proceed with the same spirit as before he may make a stop and may even rein him back two or three steps in both cases keeping him so united and animated that the instant the hand gives him liberty he advances as rapidly as before plate fig road riding is here introduced because the trot is its most appropriate pace the difference between and road riding consists chiefly in a shorter seat and a shorter being used in the latter a certain freedom and ease are also these however must not exceed propriety lead to neglect of the horse or risk security the hand should keep its situation and property though the body be turned to any extreme for the purpose of or conversing and the body must not by any freedom it takes throw itself out of balance or take liberties when it cannot be done with when the trot is extended to an unpleasant the may be by rising upward and slightly forward in the the faster the horse the easier it is to rise for it is the action of the horse and not any effort of the rider that must raise him the foot he leads with that which the rider must rise to and if the horse change his foot he must change with him he must accordingly rise and fall with the leading foot rising when the leading foot is in the air and falling when it comes to the ground the rise and fall of the body are to be smooth and as regular as the beats of the feet though this is called rising in the no great stress or dependence is to be put on them such improper use of the causes many to be thrown by the horse or suddenly turning round the rising of the body must not be accompanied by any motion of the arms or lifting of the shoulders the hand is to be held steady as well as low to prevent galloping which the of the would render inevitable if the hand were either or lifted and the reins should be of that precise length which preserves as much correspondence as possible between the hand and mouth the of the hand is also necessary for the support of the horse the slight inclination of the body permitted in road riding must not occasion any in the back which is invariably to be hollow not only for appearance sake but for safety the action of the body likewise must not cause the legs to move or press the horse which might cause him to gallop in trotting the rider must pay the greatest attention to correct every to lift n or gallop and whenever he feels these he must check them with the greatest in order not to the horse s speed

49William Black

plate fig the seat c in road the gallop as to the character of the gallop when we press a horse in the trot beyond his capacity or him with the legs while we raise or retain him with the hand we compel him to lift his two fore feet after each other which the gallop the near fore foot is first raised from the ground then the off fore foot which however passes the other and they come to the ground in the same order the near fore foot making one beat and the off fore foot another that being the most advanced or leading foot the hind feet follow in the same manner the near marking a third beat and the off hind foot passing forward and marking a fourth beat thus when this pace is united and true the feet mark a regular sharp and quick time of one two three four the perfection of the in road riding the of taking the right hand of all you pass is well known but there are some exceptions which are thus noticed by mr in his style â in riding the road a man on horseback be in your way leading another horse always dash by the led one you might otherwise set the man s horse and perhaps throw him off and you can get but a kick or two by my instructions â in passing a wagon or any tremendous should it run very near a bank and there be but a ditch and an open country on the other side if you on business and in a hurry dash up the bank without hesitation f r should you take the other side and the horse shy at the carriage you may be carried many hundred yards out of your road whereas by a little of courage you need only the wheel fly up the bank and by slipping or tumbling down into the road again go little or nothing out of your way the gallop gallop consists in the of the limbs the union of the horse the of the action and the regularity of the time the gallop is of three that of the that of the hunter and that of the pleasure horse commonly called the the last of these is by far the most difficult as it requires skill to fore and throw the horse on his in the gallop as in the trot there is a leading foot on a straight line it is with which fore leg the horse leads provided the hind leg of the same side follows it but to lead always with the same leg is injurious in galloping to the right the horse must lead with the inward or oflf fore leg followed by the off hind leg this action is termed true or united â plate xl shows this in the in galloping to the left he must lead with the inward or near fore leg followed by the near this also is termed true or united f the in particular to put the horse to the from rest at any spot or from any pace he must be pressed with the legs or animated with the tongue and at the same time by a motion of the fingers and a little raising of the hand be invited to raise the fore legs if he do not obey this the animation must be increased and the hand kept more firm to pre in galloping to the right if the horse lead with the off fore leg and near hind leg or if he lead with the near fore leg and off hind leg he is said to be if in galloping to the right he lead with both near legs he is said to be false t in galloping to the left if the horse lead with the near fore leg and off hind leg or if he lead with the off fore leg and near hind leg he is said to be jf in galloping to the left he lead with both off legs he is said to be false vent trotting and this will to raise fore legs together it is also necessary to direct the foot he is to lead with that of course is the inner which he will readily take by patting the in by means of the opposite thereby him to advance the inner side as the position of the horse renders necessary a corresponding position of the it will readily be seen that whichever side the horse leads with the rider s on that side must be rather more turned in towards the saddle and the hip on that side brought more forward and consequently that the other must be a little turned outward and the hip brought backward and all this more or less in proportion to the position of the horse this turn of the hip effects a turn of the body the hands are carried with it and at the same time kept up rather above than below the elbow and quite steady that the of every step and the support given by the hand may be felt the rider s head is of course to be directed â o the horse s nose his eye glancing on the ground the horse s fore feet go over if the horse strike off with the wrong leg false or the rider at the first corner must endeavor by an additional feeling of the inward rein and application of the outward leg to make him change and lead with the proper one when he leads with the proper leg the hand must resume its usual position the rider bending him a little by the inward rein the fingers if necessary to let him advance but the hand kept up and every felt of the fore feet coming to the ground there is far more skill displayed in

49William Black

keeping up an animated action in the at the rate of three miles an ths hour than in tlie gallop at that of twelve or fifteen if the animation fail or the action be not supported by the hand the horse will break into a trot particularly as the gallop is or united if the action is felt to be declining it must be corrected instantly by an touch of the fingers the leg or the tongue the hand first this and is the first to correct it when the rider can put his horse off to either hand with the proper leg and support the action he must particularly attend to its truth and union and try to raise it to the highest animation riding sometimes rapidly sometimes slowly yet always united when the gallop is and extended to speed even though the horse is and just on his legs it loses its harmony and regularity of time the fore legs then measure less space from each other and so do the hind legs which makes the beats quicker in each and leaves a space between the beats of the fore legs and the beats of the hind in these it would be highly to circle or turn but on a very large scale changes c in the in turning the horse to the right and left at a his fore hand must be raised with the leading rein and the pressed forward and under him at the same time the outward rein must assist to steady him and a pressure of the calf of the outward leg keep the from falling too much out if he is turned suddenly with the inward rein only without lifting the fore hand or applying the outward leg he must turn on his shoulders lose power to halt on his and being twisted round unprepared will change to the outer leg in changing the operation must be performed smoothly and at the same instant so that at the finish of the the hands and legs of the rider are for the horse to commence his next with the contrary leg in stopping in the gallop the rider seize the time when the horse s fore feet are coming to the ground which is the beginning of the and he must take care that the hind feet coming up to their exact distance and finishing the complete the stop leaving the horse so balanced that he can readily set off again with the same rapidity as before besides seizing the exact time a due degree of power must thus be exerted to the readiness obedience union or rapidity of the action for should the power be deficient the stop would be properly effected and if it be excessive the horse will be on his and compelled consequently te move his feet after the is finished till horses are ready and obedient to the stop it should not be attempted in violent and rapid nor even then if they are weak or the rider heavy in these cases the double is used the double is the stop completed in two of the gallop which is far less distressing both to man and horse the body being gently thrown back will not make the action cease but the obedience of the horse makes the effort which half his career in the first and the body still being kept back he it in the second however till practised and made obedient to the stop he will not easily perform the double for in the first instance he must be taught to stop by and it is only when practice has brought him to obedience that he readily stops at the easy throwing back of the body i j h leap g the half stop is a pause in the gallop or the action suspended for half a second and then resumed again here the body is thrown back less lest we should so the horse that he cannot readily set off again after the finish of the which no sooner occurs than the body is brought forward to permit the action to go on thus the half stop is only a pause in the gallop and it is mostly used to effect a change from the right leg to the left or the opposite the of the stop should be no shorter than the readiness and obedience of the horse will admit the half stop not quite so short and the two still more moderate leaping the bar for leaping should be ten feet in length which will admit of two horses leaping abreast at first from one to two feet high and never very high as to the seat it should be again observed that are no security in any situation on horseback and those who cannot forbear pressing a weight on them had better have none when learning to leap an accurate balance must prevent all disturbance of the seat for the slightest whether the rider is thrown up from the saddle or his body falls forward or he gets out of balance is as disgraceful as falling to the ground he should sit so close as to carry a shilling under each just above the knee one in each under the toe and one under his when any action of the horse to lift the rider from the saddle cannot keep him down bearing on the indeed must lift the rider from the saddle and would even any hold he might take with the or legs nothing but the weight of the body can press to the saddle when the action is violent however the b in sore of tke may be employed to hold it down and when the hold of the is not sufficient the legs may take a deeper and stronger hold leaps are taken standing or flying the first being most difficult to sit though always practised first because

49William Black

the slow and steady leaping of a properly managed horse gives the rider time and recollection and the riding master an opportunity to direct and to prevent accidents standing leap in the standing leap the horse first and then extends himself in the hand of the rider is therefore requisite to give the appropriate these if well timed assist the horse if otherwise they check or him and both the animal and his rider plates illustrate the leap the rider must therefore by a ready and fearless yielding of the bridle leave the horse at liberty to extend himself preserving his own only by leaning forward as the horse rises and backward as he when he is brought to the bar the body is to be upright the legs are to be applied to his sides with such firmness as to keep the rider down to the saddle and in such a manner â from the knee â that the action of the body shall not or disturb them the toes must be pulled up to make the muscles firm and to prevent the spur from approaching too near the horse and if necessary they may be turned out a little to strengthen the hold the hand must be kept in the centre and quite low and the reins not too short but just by the pressure of the fingers to feel the horse s mouth when at the bar the pressure of the legs and fingers will invite the horse to rise and as he rises the body comes forward and preserves i leaping its perpendicular the back must then be kept in and the head firm as the horse springs from his hind legs and proceeds in the leap the rider must slip his under him and let his body go freely back keeping his hands down legs close and body back till the horse s hind legs have come to the ground the propriety of applying the legs to hold firm in the saddle is obvious the hand being kept low is essential and the bad consequences of raising it are numerous as the horse preventing the body going back throwing the rider forward c the body coming forward to preserve its perpendicular as the horse rises before prevents the weight of the rider from hai on his mouth and checking his leap if not pulling him over backwards the back being hollow when the spring forward is made the body will of itself fall backward if the hand be not raised to prevent it and the head being firm may prevent a of the neck or a bite of the tongue slipping the under gives the body more liberty to lean back and prevents the shock of the horse s feet meeting the ground from throwing it forward while the seat is thus maintained the hand must not be neglected in riding up to a leap the rider should yield the bridle to the horse guiding him straight to the bar at an animated pace halt him with a light hand and upon his when he rises only feel the reins to prevent their becoming slack when he springs forward yield the hand without reserve and when his hind feet come to th ground again firmly collect him resume his usual position and move on at the former pace if the horse be too much collected previous to his leap he will bound or buck over as it is called if not sufficiently collected or animated he will probably not clear the leap the degree in which a horse should be collected and animated depends on the temperament of the animal and must be left to the judgment of the rider flying leap the flying leap is distinguished from the standing leap by its being made from any pace without a previous halt and although the action is quicker it is much easier the pace however at which the rider goes at a flying leap should always be moderate in order that the horse may not rise too soon or too late a horse who rises too far from the bar seldom his leap and risks straining by the effort to cover it one who rises too near is likely to strike his knees against it and throw his rider or hurt himself if a horse be indolent and require animation it is better to rouse his by the spur just before his head is turned towards the leap than while he is running at it if he leap willingly let him take his own pace to it and he will spring from his proper distance and give himself due twelve yards from the leap the rider may turn his horse to it in a trot he will strike into a gallop and by a stroke or two before he springs increase his if he perceive that the height he has to cover requires that exertion the seat in the flying leap is exactly the same as in the standing one but as the horse keeps a more position it is easier the rider however must not bring his body forward at the raising of the fore legs because the spring from the hind legs immediately follows and the body not only might not get back in time but if the horse did not come fair or refused to take his leap and checked himself the body if forward might cause the rider to tumble over situations his head he should therefore keep his body upright take hold with his legs keep his hand down and as the horse springs forward his body is sure to take the corresponding action of leaning back particularly if he at the instant slip his under him and bring his waist forward with an exertion to the spring the horse makes he must also take care not to bring his body upright nor the hold with his legs till after

49William Black

the hind feet have come to the ground in this leap the horse requires but little support or assistance from the hand till he is coming to the ground when the hand in bringing the body upright and in supporting the horse the assisting and lifting a horse over leaps may be done only by experienced and even by them only when he leaps freely and should not be used when the rider first leaping critical situations when a horse is to stumbling kicking and plunging and the seat is maintained as in leaps and the arms are held firm to the body the hands kept up and the reins separate rather short than otherwise by these means the horse s head being raised he can with less ease either rear or kick because for such purposes he must have his head at liberty it is fortunate that horses which rear high seldom kick and vice on these occasions the first operation of the rider is to separate the reins c the body must be kept upright but to every effort the horse may make the balance must be preserved by the muscles of the the legs are to be kept near the horse but not to grasp till absolutely necessary when lie lifts l s fore legs the must be thrust out behind by which the rider is prepared if he as the fore feet come to the ground the must be slipped under which for his kicking or springing forward the legs being then in a situation to grasp and the hands to keep a firm hold in all of vice the rider should first see that the saddle or do not pinch the horse that the bit does not hurt his lips by being too high in his mouth c stumbling by the rider pressing his legs to the horse s and keeping up his head he may be made to go light on his fore legs and the same should be done if he actually so as to afford him instant assistance hence it is evident that the bridle should be of such length in the hand that in case of stumbling the rider may be thus able to raise the horse s head by the strength of his arms and the weight of his body thrown backward if the rein be too long it is evident that in this the rider is in danger of falling backward as the horse rises by thus pressing the legs to the horse s sides he may be made to keep his under him in going down hill or may be helped on the side of a bank the principle danger in is the hazard of the horse s falling backwards when therefore he rises straight up the rider must throw his body forward giving him all the bridle the weight of the body will oblige him to come down and the moment that his fore feet are near the ground and before he touches it both the spurs must be given him as firmly and as quickly as possible critical situations another mode of him is whenever the rider is aware of the horse s disposition to rear to have the reins separated and the instant he him going to rise to slack one hand and bend him with the other keeping the hand low this him to move a hind leg and being thrown off his balance he necessarily comes down with his fore feet he should then be twisted round two or three times to convince him of the rider s superiority which and him from to any dangerous height to break horses of this dangerous vice it has been sometimes expedient to leap from them and pull them backwards this so them that they are wary of giving the opportunity again it is however an expedient to be attempted only at a particular crisis and by persons perfectly collected active and on this subject an writer in answer to a says i would advise you by no means to try the experiment in question either as yourself or on your own horse at all events pray make trial first of the following which will in most cases be found an excellent if not a total cure of the complained of and which has the advantage over the method respecting which you inquire of being much easier and safer in its application and i may perhaps add in its effects and less expensive on the whole get a strong thick bit with a good deep port reversed â that is the curve of the mouth piece must project towards the outside of the horse s mouth and not inwardly towards his throat as in the common port bit the thickness and exact curve of the bit should be calculated according to the size strength and hardness of mouth of the animal for which it is intended for a very hard mouthed horse the bit should be made with a very deep port and as thin as possible with the strength requisite in nine cases out of ten i have found that confirmed are tender mouthed and the habit has been probably induced by their being and handled too severely a will be found a useful addition to the bit i have described its full can only be sufficiently appreciated by its being used several times till the horse has become in some degree accustomed to it kicking horses apt to kick either when they go forward or stand still must be kept much together or held in closely when this is attempted the hands though fixed must not pull at the horse if he does not attempt to force the hand and get his head but leave him at liberty to go forward if however he attempt to get his head down which would enable him to kick with such violence as to throw himself he

49William Black

may have the head confined up this him and he makes a bolt from all when a horse the rider must throw the body backward it is an effective punishment to twist him round a few times for this fault if this is done towards his weak or unprepared side for every horse has a favorite side astonishment and confusion will him from farther in case of the rider must not exert one continued pull but make repeated until the horse horses accustomed to be allowed to bear on the bit would not understand the steady pull as a signal to and some would so throw up their heads as to deprive the rider of all power without dropping his hand when the horse would drop his head in that case a second pull would find his mouth and thus speedily his progress might be stopped plunging in plunging a horse gets his head down his tail between his quarters sets his back up his body to burst his and in this position and till his breath can be held no longer â that is till he makes six or eight to sit these is to cure them and to do this the rider must take a firm hold with his legs and be that the horse in getting his head down does not pull him forward there is no danger of his situations and therefore the rider has only to keep his body back and hold firmly with his hands to prevent him throwing himself down when a horse either by or springs to one side or turns short round the rider s security depends on strict to the rules already laid down as to not bearing on the keeping the legs near to the horse to be ready on these sudden and unexpected occasions to lay hold and yielding the body to go with him when a horse is about to fly to one side he may be stopped by his rider s leg being pressed on the side he would fly to and by keeping his head high and straight forward so as to prevent his looking towards the object he starts at unless indeed it be something you desire to him to the sight of and then whether you keep his face to it throughout or it at first and turn it gently towards it at last great is necessary when he and himself to and fro his head should be turned to one side or both alternately without permitting him to move out of the track and the rider s leg should be pressed against the opposite side in this case he cannot spring on one side because the pressure of the leg prevents him nor will he spring to the other because his head is turned that way and a horse never starts to the side to which he looks moreover he will not fly back from anything but go forward if both legs be pressed against his sides thus he may be made to pass a carriage or other object in a narrow road and here perseverance is especially necessary when the object is just reached or partly passed for if in the habit of going back and turning round when frightened he will certainly do so when if by the hands and riding legs failing to press lie that yon are and this he would probably do at the most dangerous moment when there was scarcely room for him to turn and the wheels might take him in the rear to touch his rein at such a moment would add to the confusion and danger the horse generally his attack by stopping turning short round mostly to the right hand as taking the rider to the greatest disadvantage he expects the rider will oppose the opposite hand attacks the and is so prepared against its efforts that it is vain to attempt them it must be the rider s rule never to contend with the horse on that point on which he is prepared to resist instead therefore of attempting to prevent the horse with his left hand the rider must attack him with his right turn him completely round so that his head is again presented the right way and then apply the whip if he turns round again the rider must still attack his side turn him two or three times and let the heel and spur if necessary assist the hand before he can arm or defend himself against it if he still refuse to go the right way the rider must take care that he go no other and immediately change his attack turning him about and him backward which the horse is easily compelled to do when he sets himself against going forward in these the rider must be collected and have an eye to the surrounding objects for horses try their utmost to place their in awkward situations by to other horses carriages the foot pavement the houses c in this case the rider instead of pulling him from the critical situations wall must bend his bead to it by bis side next the wall is rendered and bis utmost to do injury are prevented tbe instant therefore that the rider his horse to any object he must turn his bead to that object and back him from it there are some horses who fix themselves like stocks setting all to move them at defiance there happily their defence can in no way the rider it must however be converted to punishment let them stand make no attempt to move them and in a short space â frequently less than a minute â they will move off themselves when these various however are not powerfully set up the general rule is to push tbe horse forward and for this purpose at first to make use of the as it him least for the spurs surprise a

49William Black

horse his courage and are likely to make him indeed the application of the whip or spurs except to shift the or give to the hands is of little use and to repeat either to make a horse go forward is certainly wrong when passion possesses the rider it prevents that and unity taking place which ever should between the rider and his horse he should always be disposed to and never suffer the most obstinate resistance of the horse to put him out of temper if the contest does not demand his utmost exertion of strength he should be able to hum a tune or converse with the same composure and indifference as though his horse were all obedience by these means the instant a horse finds himself he having no provocation to contend farther and is abashed at his own weakness it is the absence of passion which added to cool observation makes the english the best and drivers in the world treatment of the horse stables are generally too dark and too hot they should be kept quite cool though without any draughts a way says de in helps and hints of making the most of your horses is to rise early in the summer in order to do half your day s work before the heat of the day for lying by the whole of the rest of the day not only affords a traveller time and opportunity for examining what is worthy of being seen but him to start with horses quite fresh and to finish the remaining stage after sunset not only will your horses go through their task with less labor in the cool of the evening but you will find them travel more freely towards a resting place which darkness leads them to expect a horse ought not to be ridden a stage while in nor on the day of its coming off if he be pushed at first setting out on a journey or be compelled to make long stages or be deprived of his customary he gets and every additional mile adds to his moreover at setting out in the morning a well kept horse is necessarily full of food and consequently until his great be properly emptied risk action occasions uneasiness or pain which causes restlessness when i travel on horseback says the same writer i make it a rule to walk every seventh mile be the roads ever so level it affords a wonderful relief both to man and horse and instead of producing a loss of time helps you on when you for such ends always your slightly lift up the saddle to let a little air under it and teach your horse what he soon will learn to walk briskly by your side and keep the step with you taking care to hold either of the reins lightly in your hand treatment ov the horse and shifting it oyer the horse s head will soon give you of his gratitude for he will be full of affectionate as he along at your side only to be by his to let you mount after you have the again i need hardly tell you not to put your arm or wrist through a rein whilst walking or running by the side of a horse for it is with danger a good run with one hand on the horse s is pleasant and greatly the ess of the joints so frequently occasioned by much riding but the reins should be held between the fingers only and rather loosely hence it follows that although expedition be indispensable the horse ought not to be put on his best pace at first but considerably within it even this pace should be for a short space only the reins should be loosened the mouth played with and if he do not the pace may be repeated once more â unless indeed he sweat much with the first which is a sign of weakness or that his is hard and he requires while on the journey the rider should be less attentive to his horse s nice carriage of himself than to his own encouragement of him and keeping him in good humor though generally he should raise his horse s head yet when he flags in consequence of a long day or hard work he may indulge him with bearing a little more upon the bit than he would in taking a mere exercise or afternoon s in the park keeping company with some other a stage by the it so that a dull animal which one can scarcely get seven miles an hour from will do nine or ten without fatigue when in company in road riding a is indispensable both in winter and in winter it is to relieve ae sole snow there when the traveller knows that snow is on the he may the trouble of by ordering liis horse s to be over with tar or with having no salt in it at all times when the roads bare received fresh a is indispensable because a loose stone is yery liable to lodge in the hollow of tbe foot and is backwards between the and the shoe at every step the horse takes pace and length of stage be adapted to the heat of the weather in summer and to the depth of the roads in winter both seasons having the effect of knocking up the horse in either case a cordial promptly administered him for the of his journey the cordial provided and which should be kept at hand by the traveller is in the form of a ball and composed of of each powdered half an and mixed up with and meal to the proper but good ale or porter one pint to a made warm sooner and upon emergency is nearly as readily obtained as the ball walking a horse the last mile especially of a

49William Black

long stage is a practice highly as upon setting out we should not go off at the pace so upon coming in we should not dash into our quarters with the perspiration streaming from each pore in the mild season nor covered over with dirt in consequence of the pace in wet weather even in winter the perspiration flies from a strong horse if in condition upon coming in more sheltered places and the he is then subjected to are commonly of such a nature as to cause disease in one way or another in if not immediately treatment of the the rider is greatly to be blamed who stands quietly by or hides himself in the parlor while his horse is brought in hot stripped of everything and led about to cool in the draught of a or has the dirt washed off by plunging him in a horse or pond or his legs brushed in cold water in the open yard while at the same time are thrown over them the consequence of all which is cough or bad eyes swelled legs or of some vital part which the animal of hfe the horse should have a large and comfortable stall and without any door behind him a draught from which by blowing up his coat might expose him to cold on coming in after being to stale he should undergo in winter time in doors a all over with straw beginning at the head and proceeding to the neck and fore quarters his eyes nostrils c should also be with a and his ears rubbed he should at the same time have before him a lock of sweet hay in his rack or a or the hand and the rider should see whether he eats or not whether he the and whether he chiefly a desire to lie down or a craving for food the having been already loosened but the saddle still remaining on his back his head should be turned to the rack and his hind legs and belly and fork and his feet picked clean and washed after this the saddle should be removed by sliding it back over the and the dressing be extended to the back and so completely au over the until it is dry the saddle should be hung out with the inside toward the sun and when the have been duly and dried they should be slightly beaten and well brushed if the horse refuse the first of hay the rider may riding that he been pushed too much bs to time or length if he still refuse his food though the dressing be finished he may be assured that his stomach is disordered and he must be in winter a warm of is most eligible but if not at hand a with an of and a of good ale may be given in summer a cordial ball will restore the tone of his stomach without increasing the heat of his body so much as a would if he is not aged nor to a small of stout water almost cold all other and the necessity of watering he will take his supper an hour or so afterwards with a relish the traveller ought to look to every particular himself in the next place let him see that his horse gets his allowance of corn that it be good and that it contain no indications of having been in a before for in that case he must wait by him until all the food is devoured dry food is alone proper to travel upon and are the best much hay being apt to when however a very long stage is to be taken or it is cold dreary wet or windy a handful of crushed beans him admirably staying by him and vigor for a long time the horse should not be denied water often though too much at one time should not be given nor without its being chilled any immediately after being fed his feet and shoes should be looked to to ascertain if aught require repair in order that it may be furnished as soon as he has recovered from his fatigue his limbs moreover should be examined all over for cracks pricked foot c and the body for saddle c now as ever his should be looked to even if in full condition having been well and regularly fed and as regularly worked lie will contract a tendency to the least ill consequence of is pace or short step arising from more labored action as the inconvenience may be suffered to last he at the least extra exertion his eyes lose their brightness his mouth becomes hot and his manner is languid all these evils may be prevented by whenever the is seen to fall upon the ground without the breaking even a little green food or a day s with thin and the like will soften the considerably it must be remembered that these things are to be undertaken on blank days when the traveller is certain the horse will not be ridden a stage the following allowance per week is generally enough to keep a horse in good condition â for a horse of from to hands for a horse under hands ai if driving among the for more than one thousand years the greatest honor that could be bestowed upon a man was a of the wild olive tree round his brow for having gained a victory in the chariot race at the games of greece this of olive moreover was accompanied by other marks of distinction the of it was not only honored with statues and during his life time but the immortal or other great poet was called npon to hand his name down to posterity in an the games were revived as a religious ceremony by an about nine hundred years before christ they were celebrated near in the

49William Black

territory of horse and chariot es were considered their noblest sports no one was there prevented from driving his own chariot and kings were often seen against kings the were the most enlightened of the and their taste in the arts has never been even what they did therefore on this occasion could not be considered as in bad taste and when we remember that the of these the laws customs and liberty of their country we need not say in their the honors of victory were not even confined to the brave and man who won the race even the horses were crowned amidst the of the spectators and in one race where forty were broken the victorious one was preserved in the temple of such being the among the it is not wonderful that should say that the honor of for the prize was almost equal to the winning of it modestly speaks of ten starting at the same time in the race but himself perhaps of poetic license makes the number forty four horses driven abreast was the usual number the length of the course on which they ran did not exceed an english mile and as they had to make twenty two round the two pillars â generally we may suppose at full speed â the at rome in tlie exhibited their chariot races was an oval building of one thousand eight hundred feet in length and four hundred in breadth it is not difficult to imagine dreadful accidents must have happened nothing indeed but the form of chariot used could have safety to any one from the representations on ancient it appears to have been very low and only on two wheels somewhat resembling our it had of course no springs and as there was no seat for the much of his skill consisted in preserving his balance and keeping upon his legs â according to the following was the method of starting â the entered the course according to order previously settled by lot and drew up in a line they started at a signal given and to him who passed the pillar at the top of the course twelve times and that at the bottom ten times in the manner without touching it or his chariot was the reward given â as however it was the aim of every one who started to make for this pillar as to a centre we can easily imagine the confusion there must have been in forty twenty or even ten all rushing to one given point amidst the of trumpets c the following translation of a description of a from the of is worthy of a place when on the sacred day in order next came on the contest of the rapid car as o er the plain the sun shot his the course enter d with a troop of his bold one from came j from one two from the shores well each to rule the whirling car with these the fifth his sent a sixth with youthful in native gold the next in from fair sprang i of the his snow white from from heaven built the ninth hero came a huge the tenth chariot filled these when the judges of the games by lot had fix d their order and arranged their cars all at the s signal all at once burst from the barrier all together cheer d their fiery and shook the floating reins soon with the din of rattling cars was filled the sounding and clouds of dust ascending the fresh breath of mom now mix d and press d together on they drove spared the lash impatient each to clear his chariot and the throng of dashing and short blowing they panted on each other s necks and threw on each yoke the foam but to the pillar as he nearer drew in the while in a larger scope with d reins and lash d up to their speed the others flew turn d swift around the goal his wheel as yet erect upon their whirling boiled every chariot till the hard mouth d that drew the s car d broke with violence away and turning short when o er the with winged speed they had completed now the seventh career dash d their wild the car from this one chance a train of ills succeeding rudely on each other fell horses and and soon was fill d with of d cars the plain this seen the with art his course d and wide with steady rein the wild commotion pass d of tumbling and tumultuous next and though last yet full of confidence importance of etc and hopes of victory came but when he saw of his him only now remaining to his anxious he raised his voice and now with equal fronts they drove now with alternate momentary pride beyond each other d their stretching erect and erect his car through all the numbered courses now had stood but in the last as round the goal the d the hither rein he relaxed and on the stone the shattered dashing from the wheels fell headlong in the reins the flew o er the course the throng d assembly when they saw the chief from his chariot with compassion moved his youth him late for mighty deeds now doom d to mighty woes now dragged along the dust his feet in air till to his aid and scarce at length the frantic from the reins the released him and convey d with wounds and to his friends the just on the the laurel solemnly conferred in a political view these games were productive of local advantages for being sacred to they protected the inhabitants of against all the of war in an economical point of view they were of general use for as greece was generally short of horses nothing was so likely to encourage the breeding of

49William Black

them as the thus raised among the different states the circulation of money also was not a trifling consideration for the olive crown was obtained at great expense by these games being celebrated at the beginning of every fifth year the settled their and dates and as they lasted a thousand years a great part of tlie history of greece rests upon their base that the honor of the prize was above all price the following anecdote shows â a having gained the victory at the games with much difficulty was asked what he should profit by it i shall have the honor said he of being posted before my king in battle as a further proof of the value and the moral effect of these for honor it is stated that when a conqueror returned to his native city he made his entry through a breach in the wall â by which was implied that cities inhabited by such men had no need of walls a of rome indeed says or even a citizen conscious of his dignity would have blushed to expose his person or his horses in a there the reins were abandoned to hands and if the profits of a favorite sometimes exceeded those of an advocate they were considered as the effect of popular extravagance and the high wages of a disgraceful profession the with more pride were far less intellectual than the but it must still be borne in mind that enough the interest taken in the of rome shook the very foundation of the government in modern times notwithstanding the directed against gentlemen and driving clubs it is to them chiefly that this is indebted for the present excellent state of the roads and for safe and travelling the taste for driving produced between men of property and those connected with the road an intercourse which has been productive of the best results and those who have the care of roads if they have not acted under the immediate direction of these amateur drivers have been greatly by their advice â the roads as proceeding from knowledge of what a road ought to be the intercourse also that has lately been carried on between of and of and gentlemen fond of driving has greatly tended to direct the attention of the former to the accommodation and comfort of travellers the improvement in carriages â more especially â would never have arrived at its present height but for the attention and suggestions of such persons moreover the notice taken by gentlemen of who are at once and who conduct themselves well has worked the which has been of late years witnessed in that useful part of society gentleman however has received a check very few four in hands being visible the b d c or driving club which now holds its at the black is the only of those numerous driving associations whose used some twenty years ago to be among the most imposing as well as peculiar spectacles in and about the metropolis the the excellence of our present mail coach work the highest credit on the state of our roads the hills on great roads are now cut so that drivers ascend nearly all of them in a trot have found out that they are here as in the trot every horse does his share whereas very few are all at work together when walking as however dreadful accidents have occurred to the reader will bear in mind that this is many years after date the b d c which is now in the promises an of no mean â ed fifth edition when descending a very simple expedient has been suggested by which these accidents may be avoided it is merely a strip of gravel or broken stone about one yard wide and four or five inches deep left on the near side of the hill and never suffer to bind or this would afford that additional called a bite to the two near side wheels so that the necessity of a never to be trusted would be done away with and even in case of a or pole chain giving way one wheel horse would be able to hold back a coach however heavily laden no inconvenience to the road it is observed could arise from this precaution as carriages ascending the hills would never be required to touch the loose gravel it not being on their side of the road this has been objected to because some of the loose stones might find their way into the middle of the road admitting this might be the case a trifling attention on the part of the would the objection a man might be employed every second or third day to these stones back again at the same time it is obvious that the neat appearance of a road is not to be put in the scale against the limbs and lives of the people â some more permanent contrivance than loose stones even might be found carriages of carriages with two wheels are the and most but however sure footed the horse and however the driver they are comparatively dangerous as to gentlemen s carriages in this country it has justly been observed that the view at park corner at any fine afternoon in the height of the london season id enough to confound any foreigner from whatever part of the world he may come he may there see what no other country can show him let him only sit on the rail near the statue and in the space of two hours he will see a thousand well appointed pass before him to the in all the pomp of aristocratic pride in which the horses themselves appear to partake the stream of of all kinds c and almost all got up regardless of expense flows on unbroken until it is half past seven and people at last begin to

49William Black

think of what they still call dinner tells us that such a blaze of splendor was once to be seen on the way it might be so â it is now to be seen nowhere but in london as to stage their form seems to have arrived at perfection it prodigious strength with almost incredible lightness many of them not weighing more than about and being kept so much nearer the ground than formerly they are of course considerably safer nothing indeed can be more favorable to safety than the build of modern the boots being let down between the springs keep the load and consequently the centre of gravity low the wheels of many of them are secured by patent boxes and in every part of them the best materials are used the cost of of this description is from â to â but they are generally hired from the maker at id to per mile it is said to be the intention of government to substitute light carriages with two horses for the present drawn by four on this a writer in the review that when the mail coach of the present the era of has however now arrived and there remains no need for such an experiment â ed fifth edition day starts from london for a man may safely bet a hundred to one that she arrives to her time but let a light two horse vehicle set out on the same errand and the would strangely alter it is quite a mistaken â notion that a carriage is less liable to accidents for being light on the contrary she is more liable to them than one that is laden in proportion to her powers in the latter case she runs steadily along and is but little disturbed by any obstacle or jerk she may meet on the road in the former she is constantly on the jump as call it and her iron parts are very liable to snap it may in this place be observed that no stage coach should be permitted to travel the road with wheels secured only by the common it is in consequence of this that innumerable accidents have happened to from wheels coming off and in these improving and fast times such chances should not be allowed to exist it may not be uninteresting to the to learn from the same clever and experienced writer how a coach is worked suppose a number of persons to enter into a contract to horse a coach eighty miles each proprietor having twenty miles in which case he is said to cover both sides of the ground or to and fro at the of twenty eight days a settlement takes place and if the gross of the coach be â per mile there will be â to divide between the four after the following charges have been duty to government or hire of the coach to the coach makers two s wages wages rent or charge of offices at each end and washing the these charges may amount to â which leaves â to keep eighty horses and to pay the horse for a period of twenty eight days or nearly â to each proprietor for the expenses of his twenty horses being â per week for each horse thus it appears that a fast coach properly appointed cannot pay unless its gross amount to â per double mile and that even then the proprietor s depend on the luck he has with his stock coach horses a great change has lately taken place as to the english coach horse and this is the foundation of many other accompanying changes fifty years ago the putting a thorough bred horse into harness would have been deemed preposterous in the carriages of gentlemen the black or bay â each one remove from the cart horse â was the prevailing sort and six miles an hour was the extent of the pace now however this shouldered round legged animal something between a coach and a horse as fat as an ox and with all his at first starting not capable of more than six miles an hour and rendered useless by a day s hard work is no more seen and instead of him we find a horse as tall deep rising in the in the shoulders flat in the legs with more strength and with the speed the animal formerly in use cost from to l â two hundred guineas is now an every day price for a horse and guineas for a coach horse for a private gentleman s work a pair of handsome coach horses fit for london and well broken and cannot be purchased under guineas and even job masters often give much more for them to let out to their customers the origin of this superior kind of coach horse is still however the bay confined principally to and with perhaps on one side and on the other bnt difficult to be met with pine in either county indeed and the of in the east riding of are the best breeding in england for coach horses hunters and when the mare is crossed by a three fourth or thorough bred horse of sufficient substance and height the produce is the coach horse most in with his arched crest and high action from the same mare and the thorough bred of sufficient height but not of so much substance we obtain the four in hand and superior horse from less height and more substance we derive the hunter and better sort of from the we have the the and the common carriage horse the best coach horse is a tall strong over sized hunter the has many of the qualities of the hunter on a small scale there is some deception however even as to the best of these improved coach horses they nobly through the streets and they are capable

49William Black

of more work than the old clumsy breed but still they have not the endurance that is desirable and a pair of poor post horses at the end of the second day would beat them hollow in this carriage horse the bending of the upper joints and the consequent high lifting of the feet are deemed an excellence because they add to the grandeur of his appearance but this is necessarily accompanied by much wear and tear of the leg and feet the effect of which is very soon apparent the most desirable points in the coach horse are â substance well placed a deep and well body bone under the knee and sound open tough feet one part of the old system however remains â namely that little horses well bred are the fashion large horses are still employed in heavy work it indeed be so horses draw by their weight and not by the force of their muscles although these by carrying forward the centre of gravity assist the application of that weight it is the weight of the animal which produces the draught and the power of the serves to direct it the hind feet form the of the by which this weight acts against a load and the power exerted is in proportion to the length of the if the weight remains the same large animals therefore draw more than small ones though they may have less muscular power and are unable to weight so well nothing can better show that horses draw by their weight than the frequent occurrence that a horse is unable to draw a cart out of a until a sack of com is thrown on his back when he has little difficulty in it thus it is that what are called take more weight with them than horses of better action as the application of the weight or force proceeds from the formed by the hind feet good hind legs and well spread are essential points in a coach horse â we even sometimes see that a wagon horse when brought to pull will not touch the ground at all with his fore feet another reason why little horses are unfit for heavy work is that they will seldom walk and draw at the same time for if they walk they catch at their and do but little they never take anything like an even share of draught by calculations as to the mean strength of animals it appears that a horse drawing and at the rate of two miles and a half an hour can work for eight hours in succession against a resistance of pounds if that pace be be an part of tbe sufficient we can pretty nearly measure a s power in harness whether we are carrying supposed improvement too far and sacrificing strength and endurance to speed is a question not difficult to be resolved a horse at a pull is enabled by the power and direction of bis muscles to throw a certain weight against the collar if he walk four miles in the hour part of the muscular energy is expended in the act of walking and consequently the power of drawing must be diminished if he trot eight miles in the hour more of that energy is expended in the trot and less remains for the draught but the draught continues the same and to enable him to accomplish his work he must exert his energies in a degree so severe and cruel that it must speedily wear him out hence there is no truth so easily proved or so painfully felt by the as that it is the pace that moreover many a horse used on our public roads is unable to employ all his natural power or to throw his weight into the collar in consequence of being or lame being bought however at little price he is worked on the brutal principle that he may be whipped sound â and so he is apparently at first he sadly but urged by the torture of the lash he a peculiar mode of going the limb keeps pace with the others but no stress or labor is thrown upon it and he gradually to make the sound limbs perform among them all the duties of the one thus he is whipped sound and cruelty is for the time rewarded after all however what is done three legs are made to do that which was almost too much for four of course they are most strained and quickly worn out the general power of the animal is rapidly and at no remote time death him from his merciless happily art is doing what humanity refuses are rendering draught comparatively easy an instance has been described of the power of a horse when assisted by art as exhibited near the iron railway being completed a was laid that a common horse could draw thirty six tons for six miles along the road drawing his weight from a dead pull and turning it round the occasional of the road a numerous party assembled near to see this twelve loaded with stones each wagon weighing about three tons were chained together and a horse taken from a timber cart was to the train â he started from a house near and drew the chain of with apparent ease almost to the at a distance of six miles in one hour and forty one minutes which is nearly at the rate of four miles an hour in the course of the journey he stopped four times to show that it was not by any advantage of descent that his power was and after each he again drew off the chain of with great ease a person who had on the power of the horse then desired that four more loaded should be added to tl e and with these the same horse set off again with pace

49William Black

still further to show the effect of the railway in motion the attending workmen to the number of fifty were directed to mount on the and the horse proceeded without the least distress indeed there appeared to be scarcely any limit to the power of his draught after this trial the were taken to the and it appeared that the whole weight were as follows â driving tons first linked together afterwards attached supposed weight of fifty it is fortunate for of horses that a perfect form is not necessary to a good coach horse some of those indeed which the london sell at high prices for gentlemen s work are such when out of harness that no man would ride them for their worth the strong and shoulder with well bent hind legs are not absolutely necessary and a good head and tail with a little high action are all that is essential the following are useful hints for of no gentleman should purchase a horse without a good trial of his mouth and temper to be perfect in the first respect he should be what is called on the road a cheek horse â that is should require very little should always be at play with his bit and yet not afraid of it and should have each side of his mouth alike to a gentleman s leader a good mouth is most essential and then the higher his courage the safer he is to drive with stage coach horses mouth is not of so much consequence because they are always running home and there is no turning and twisting as in gentlemen s work which is often in a crowd a whistle or a click with the tongue should make a gentleman s leader spring to his collar in an instant one that requires the whip should be discharged with wheel horses which are steady and hold well a coachman may almost set his leaders at defiance but if they are otherwise danger is at hand it is not a bad plan horses to purchase out of after they have been about six months in regular work for from sixty to eighty guineas the best of any man s stock may be picked and a sound well broke coach horse is not dear at that price the coach horses of gentlemen should be high in flesh as it their appearance and is no obstacle to pace a sound five year old horse with good legs and feet and driven only in harness will last on an average from six to ten years in gentlemen s work and will af be very useful for other purposes the average price of horses for fast stages is about sl fancy and those working out of london may be considerably higher but taking a hundred miles of ground well this is about the mark the average period of each horse s service does not exceed four years in a fast coach â perhaps scarcely so much in a slow one it may extend to seven in both cases horses are supposed to be put to work at five or six years old the price named as the average may appear a low one but horses find their way into as do those of bad temper c as no labor while it lasts is harder than that of in fast work it is wrong to purchase those which are as many do generally speaking such horses are out of their work half their time and are certain to die in their owner s debt as the roads now are blind horses are less objectionable than ones a blind horse that goes up to his bit is both pleasanter and safer to drive than one with good eyes that hangs away from his work blind horses however work best in the night a horse cannot be called a coach horse unless he has good legs and feet as a wheel horse he never to be depended upon down hill if he has not sound limbs he cannot resist if he be weak in his joints to bad legs and feet are owing numerous accidents to many of which the public hear nothing of if horses on the contrary have good legs and feet they wiu last even in the work many years provided they are shod with care and well looked after of have at length found out that it is their interest to be humane and liberal to their horses because the hay and com market is not so expensive as the horse market they have therefore one horse in four always at rest in other words each horse lies still on the fourth day generally considered perhaps no animal toiling solely for the profit of man leads so comfortable a life as the english he is fed kindly treated and if he does suffer a little in his work he has mostly twenty three hours in the twenty four of perfect ease he is now almost a stranger to the lash nor do we ever see him with a broken skin no horse lives so high as a coach horse hunters in the hunting season do not eat the quantity of com that coach horses do for the former are feverish after their work which is not the case with the latter as they become accustomed to this almost daily excitement in the language of the road the coach horse s stomach is the measure of his com â he is fed ad the effect of this is that he soon flesh even in this severe work â for there is none more severe while it lasts and good flesh is no obstacle to speed but the contrary it is not found however that diseases where their owners are good judges of condition coach horses are much subject to disease after a hot some give their horses all meat but this

49William Black

is wrong as it often produces and disease a certain portion of long hay is necessary harness coach are most liable to and the month of october is the worst in the year for them in consequence of it being their season indeed are certain to sweat three days out of four which keeps their blood pure and renders almost unnecessary medicine of which in general they have but a small portion â perhaps less than they should have it is a mistake however that horses cannot go fast in harness they are more powerful in draught than thin ones and having only themselves to carry flesh does not injure their legs as in riding in a fast coach then a horse ought not to work more than four days without rest as he becomes leg weary and wears out the sooner and he becomes also too highly excited a horse a mile reckoning only one side of the ground is about the proportion thus we may suppose that ten horses work the coach up and down a ten mile stage which gives at work and two at rest every horse then rests the fourth day in slow heavy work however coach horses will do their ground every day accidents or illness in slow work the average duration of stock may be from six to seven years provided they are at first fresh and firm on their legs in fast work their time may be from three to four years or scarcely perhaps so much coach on a large scale should have a break for their young horses previous to going into regular work the practice of putting a young horse to harness into a coach laden with passengers is most and when injury is sustained by it it should be visited by the the law can inflict harness in the manufacture of harness we have arrived at a de driving of perfection to which the invention of the patent shining leather mainly contributed a handsome horse veil is a noble sight yet in no except england is the art of putting a horse into harness at all understood if however our road horses were put to their in the loose awkward fashion of the continental people we could not travel at the rate we do it is the command given over the coach horse that us to in regard to it should be observed that the who horse them are not sufficiently attentive to the state of the harness on the ground worked by night whereas it should in reality be the best if anything break by daylight it is instantly observed but it is not so in the night as lamp light is uncertain and treacherous in speaking of particulars it may be observed that are a relief to the arm of the driver but by no means to the horses indeed they materially lessen the power of horses in drawing become to them in a long journey and fatigue them much sooner than they would otherwise be not only do these reins by no means serve to keep horses up but they prevent their rising after having fallen when a wheel horse has the habit of throwing up his head which greatly the mouth of the leader before him a nose should be used this however is rarely sufficient indeed it is a bad custom to run the leader s reins through over the heads of the for then every movement which the make with their heads acts powerfully on the mouths of the leaders whether they be good or bad if the former it is sometimes attended with danger thus a throws up his head suddenly and powerfully the rein of the leader who is checked and as the goes on he brings the bar with force against the of the leader which instantly flies forward and mischief this perhaps does not last long but one evil only takes the place of another leaders soon learn to be from custom equally heedless of this check and of their driver s hand and their mouths become by the constant tossing of the s heads it is thus that we sometimes hear of leaders choosing their own road in spite of the best efforts of good and so it will always be till are totally this may easily be done by conducting the leader s rein through the in which the s outside bearing rein of which we have just at present passes and thus the however are supposed to look well and to have the advantage of keeping the head steady to their therefore in some measure are placed in the bottom of each over which the rein passes this in some degree the evil as therein no longer holds in the but easily giving the s head more freedom in all kinds of work a is a necessary to the coach it should contain a strong screw wheel and spring a spring or two with and nuts and two chains â one for a trace and the other shorter with a ring at one end and a hook at the other in case of a giving way in his pocket the coachman should have a short with a at each end as in case of almost any part of the reins or indeed most parts of the harness it comes into use in a moment the following are interesting on this subject from an article in a late number of the review and the work quoted and referred to in the article is en from the of with regard to the management of horses in harness perhaps the most striking feature to english eyes is that the these sensible animals with the free use of their eyes as soon as getting tired or as we are often apt to term it lazy they see the threaten them with his whip they know perfectly well the limits

49William Black

of his patience and that after eight ten or twelve threats there will come a blow as they travel along one eye is always watching the driver the moment he begins his slow operation of lighting his pipe they immediately their pace knowing as well as could have proved that he cannot strike fire and them at the same time every movement in the carriage they remark and to any accurate observer who meets a german vehicle it must often be perfectly evident that the poor horses know and feel even better than himself that they are drawing a coachman three their man and their maid and that to do this on a hot summer s day is no joke now what is our method in order to break in the to draught we put a collar round his neck a under his tail a on his back a round his belly with traces at his sides and lest he should see that though these things and pinch they have not power to do more the poor intelligent creature is blinded with and in this fearful state of ignorance with a g or two at his head and another at his side he is without his knowledge fixed to the pole and bar of a carriage if he kick even at a fly he suddenly receives a heavy punishment which he does not comprehend something has struck him and has hurt him severely but as fear all danger so for aught we know or care he may fancy that the bar which has out him is some z mr f mil m i sâ t â i â â â â â â â hostile animal and expects when the pole against his legs to be again assailed in that direction admitting that in time he gets accustomed to these phenomena â becoming what we term steady in harness still to the last hour of his existence he does not clearly understand what it is that is him or what is that rattling noise which is always at his heels â the sudden sting of the whip is a pain with which he gets but too well acquainted yet the of the sensation he cannot explain â he neither knows when it is coming nor what it comes from if any trifling accident or even occurs â if any little harmless which ought to rest upon back happens to fall to his side the unfortunate animal deprived of his the natural of the mind is instantly alarmed and though from constant heavy he may literally without be on his last legs yet if his should happen to fall off the sight of his own master of his own pretty mistress and his own fine yellow chariot in motion would scare him so dreadfully that off he would probably start and the more they all pursued him the would he fly or plate face front piece or fore top for the leader s rein bearing rein leader s rein head piece collar bearing rein hook r s rein cheek nose for s rein throat lash belly hand bearing rein trace driving e pole trace pole false belly band or swing bars bit book bar pole hook relative places of horses in placing horses in a team we speak of near and off horses the term of near is probably a borrowed one in a wagon the near horse is the one which is nearest the driver who always walks with the horses to his right hand and the other running abreast of him is called the off or far horse because he is the farthest from the driver this term indeed does not refer to so well as to as the coachman does not walk by the side of his horses but many of the terms of are drawn from the same source and the expression near horse seems to be among the number the word near having been thus made use of in its original has in some gradually the world left in to right as we hear occasionally of the near side of the road the near wheel of a carriage the near leg of a horse in short it is for the word left or the term may have arisen from this that on the first introduction of carriages into this there was no driving on the box but on the saddle and that hence the term near was used to distinguish the saddle horse and the term off of course the other horse these terms were j applied to the road where in meeting carriages according to the if you go to the left you are sure to go right â if you go to the right you are wrong relative wheel horses have the hardest bs they are at work up hill and down nevertheless if favor be shown it must be to the leaders because a tired may be dragged home but in the road phrase if a leader cuts it you are planted it is a rule always to put the leader on the near side as he is better in hand than on the other if a leader be weak and cannot take his bar the that follows him must be tied up and this will place him by the side of his partner leaders should be fast for fast for if they gallop the bars are never at rest and consequently much of the draught is lost in the angles described to a coach horse in fast work wind is almost as essential as to a hunter many high however keep their time well with a little attention on the part of the driver if he see them distressed he ought to keep them off their collar and let them only carry their harness for a hundred yards or so when they will recover if their condition is good they work best

49William Black

as night horses and if driven in the heat of the sun they ought to be out of the throat lash indeed a leader should never be throat lashed in very hot weather if he can be driven without it many horses pull and are unpleasant in it but go out of it in coach horses temper is much to be regarded some contend that a horse should never know his place â should go or leader and on either side if however a horse working constantly in a coach prefer any place he should have it and he will generally pay for the indulgence some horses indeed care not where they are put working equally well or ill in all places as to the mode of putting young horses in harness the best way is to put one for the first time witli only one other which ought to be steady good and quick a great deal of room driving be given his head and he should be driven at the cheek of an easy bit with his pole piece rather slack there is great want of judgment in throat a young horse â either or leader many horses go perfectly quiet as leaders that would never go as because they will not bear being confined by the pole piece all ought to have their sides frequently changed particularly young ones as to horses mouths some will not bear a chain at all the bars and of others are so hard that it is to make an impression upon them the latter being most it is difficult however to handle a coach horse particularly a leader whose is very tender a is not safe as in case of his dropping or it has not sufficient power to catch him up quickly at such a distance from the driver s hand for a horse it may occasionally answer the usual plan then is to bim as it is called that is to put his rein to tbe cheek instead of the bottom of the bit should this be severe for bim and he swing his head too much towards bis partner his draught reign should be put down to the bit which will bring him straight he should have in his bearing rein and his chain should not be tight a check rein to a nose is often of service in this case as it keeps his head steady and makes him face liis work such horses in general work more pleasantly out of the throat lash horses with very hard mouths require the bit with double port the bit or the plan of putting the chain over the tongue instead of under the chin which in some prevents what is termed a dead mouth letting out the head of the bridle in the middle of a stage relative of horses has also considerable effect as causing tlie bit and to take hold in a fresh place a check rein likewise is sometimes put to the middle link of the chain to retain the bit in the middle of the mouth and to keep it alive as it is termed in hard moreover putting the bearing rein to the top f d the rein to the lowest in the bit a counter action not only making the bit more severe but keeping the mouth in play a hard is generally safest and more in place before the bars than at wheel for with a good pair of wheel horses leaders are soon checked and he less with a free than with a slack partner a coach horse if obedient to the hand cannot well carry his head too high while a horse that goes with his head down has a mean appearance in harness the horse however that carries his head higher than his partner should have his rein uppermost a coach horse should not be broken in a fast coach as in fast work there is no time to try his temper and to humour him by being put at first into quick work many horses get into a habit of and never trot well afterwards a kicking wheel horse should be put on the near side where he is less liable to be touched by anything that might annoy him for on the off side throwing the reins on his back or touching his tail when getting anything out of the boot may set him off and cause mischief a kicking leader should have a ring on the reins for accidents arise by a leader s getting a rein under his tail owing to the want of this with first rate however this precaution is the less essential that they generally have their horses better in hand with horses very fresh in condition it â sometimes happens especially in a turn that a over his trace and an accident is sometimes the consequence a light hip this by taking the trace up with him when he rises in london this is particularly useful for when horses are turning short or in a crowd they frequently haye their traces slack and therefore more easily kicked oyer the hip looks but it is safe of late years a superior class of men form our and for this we are mainly indebted first to the clubs and the notice taken of by men of fortune and secondly to the boxes being placed on springs the latter renders it a common practice for passengers to pay an extra shilling for the box place whereas formerly a man would haye something to be anywhere else we are told that good are becoming in proportion to their number more scarce year because owing to the fine state of the roads the condition of the cattle and the method of road work coach horses are so their work that the assistance of the is seldom required when in town says a writer in the sporting

49William Black

magazine t sometimes take a peep at the coming up to the house and such a set of are i should hope difficult to be found they are all legs and wings not one of them has his horses in hand and they sit on their if they were sitting on something else certain it is that coach work in perfection is not to be seen a hundred miles from the metropolis â seldom so far the build of the manufacture of harness and the stamp and condition of horses are greatly inferior in the northern and as to the few that at all the there are few things in which knowledge of an art without execution i of less value than in driving four in hand for although a coachman may have knowledge it is possible that from natural awkwardness he may be unable te put it into practical effect with a neat and appropriate movement of his arms and hands and seldom is a certain and neatness more required than in handling the reins and whip to make a man a good driver there is one requisite and that is what are called on the road hands â a nice faculty of touch no man with a hard heavy hand can ever make a good or driver neither will nervous man ever be safe on a coach box for presence of mind and strong nerve are there very often called into action the air and manner of a coachman have been cleverly described by some writers let us say they suppose the horses put to their coach all ready for a start â the reins thrown across the off wheel horse s with the ends hanging upon the middle of his and the whip thrown across the backs of the the coachman makes his appearance if he be a coachman a judge will immediately perceive it for as a certain philosopher every situation in life serves for formation of character and none more so than a coachman s i was going to say â only let a judge see him come out of his office pulling on his glove but this i will say â let one see him walk round his horses alter a rein take up his whip and reins and mount his box and he will at once pronounce him a neat or an awkward one the moment he has got his seat and made his start you are struck with the perfect of his art â the hand just over his left the arm without steady and with a holding command that keeps his horses like yet to a superficial observer with reins quite loose so firm and compact is he that you seldom observe any shifting except perhaps to take a shorter purchase for a run down hill which he with confidence and skill with in a coachman temper is also one of the to a good workman we are told of a great artist that four rum ones to deal with and being unable to make work to please him he threw the reins on the and exclaimed now d â n your eyes divide it among you for i will be troubled with you no longer the of sometimes increase this in steam vessels they adopt the plan of writing in large letters on the wheel which the do not talk to the it would be as well in some to have the same rule adopted â do not to the coachman it is not possible to obtain a better idea of a good coachman than from the following account of one who is said to be the first coachman in england for bad horses having all his life had moderate horses â some strong and heavy some light and blood like old hunters old â most of the going and returning â their work at the utmost stretch always overpowering â having also had always besides difference in character weak horses to nurse â this ordeal has worn him down to a pattern of patience with these and great weight upon severe ground he is steady easy very economical in and cord very light handed and sometimes playful i observed him closely and discovered from his remarks as well as from what i saw that his great secret of keeping his in anything like condition and preserving them when apparently worn out is by putting them properly together by constantly shifting their situations and bv the use of check reins with remarkable judgment by wliich means he brings their powers as near to equality as possible besides preventing the evil of indeed his horses all go light and airy and at times his hold of necessity becomes powerful yet generally speaking he takes his load without a severe strain upon his arms i own it is this particular which always wins me both in driving and riding give me the man who can accomplish his object with a light hand the duty of a coachman is apt to injure the eyes â particularly in cold blowing weather he must keep his eye forward and it is found that the sight cannot be fixed upon anything beyond the head of wheel horses not so as this in short men without raising the eyelids and consequently the eyes to the weather six parts of cold spring water to one of brandy is a good when the eyes suffer from this cause should also preserve their feet and bodies from cold in very cold weather the chin should be protected by a shawl and the knees by thick cloth knee caps in very severe weather the breast should be protected for which purpose are now and are getting into use on the road a coachman ought not to drive more than seventy miles a day and if this is done at two starts so much the better the wearing of the frame under

49William Black

daily excitement must tend to produce premature old age and to life and this excitement must be very considerable when a man drives a fast coach eighty or a hundred miles a day without a stop â particularly if his coach be strongly opposed who wish to keep themselves light take walking exercise in their hours of rest from road work as to amateur it has been observed that if a diet were formed before whom gentlemen were to be examined to their being considered safe it would not be amiss if they were put to the test of having the harness of four horses taken to pieces from and then requested to put it together again in the presence of the judges there would be no hesitation in safe who succeeded in this as his experience on the road must have been considerable how these are trusted with the reins are now obliged to be careful owing to the speed of and the improved breed and condition of coach horses hence we see fewer at work than formerly it would indeed be highly in a coachman to trust the lives of passengers and his master s property to any one whom he did not know to be safe or even without reflecting that a man may be a very safe coachman with horses he knows and a yery one on some roads with horses to which he is a stranger to gentlemen who wish to drive and are really capable of doing so the following is recommended as not a very bad way of doing business â when travelling with a coachman i do not know says an amateur i s adopt the following plan â that is if i wish to work in the first place i never got upon a coach box yet with anything like half pay about me such ad a black around my neck or in blue neither do i think i ever shall i always take care to have a good deal of drag about me â a neat pair of boots and knee caps if cold weather a good â if not a a or two about the coach and a little of the spot about the neck â for the first mile i always observe a strict silence broken by but at this time he generally runs mute he is perhaps but just awake or is considering about his way bill â reckoning bis passengers thinking what he has to do on the road and if a workman looking oyer his team to see if all is right leave him alone for a short time and when his mind is at ease he will look you over as you sit beside him he will begin with your boots proceeding upward to the crown of your hat and if he like you and you make a remark or two that please him and show you to be a judge of the art the first time he stops he will say â now sir have you got your driving gloves on would you like to take em â i am here alluding to country work and not to the roads near london s expenses on the road being heavy should be taken into consideration by passengers they have their horse to pay every week or they will not do their best for them and the wear and tear of their clothes is a heavy tax on their pockets they are satisfied however with one shilling under and two shillings for anything over thirty miles and they are well entitled to that sum â more especially when we recollect that they are liable to have empty no man certainly should give them less than a shilling and if he often travel the same road his money is not ill bestowed in respectable no great is now made between the given by in and outside passengers as it often happens that the latter is best able to pay guards on mail are necessary to the establishment and that they may be equal to their duty they go only moderate distances â as from sixty to eighty miles when they are relieved by others those on the long stages however are imposed upon by their masters and by being made to do more than they are equal to â many of them two nights up for one in bed are half their time asleep some go from london to and other places equally distant without stopping more than three quarters of an hour on the r d which in bad weather is hard enough indeed it is wonderful how with their means they always contrive to live guards are by no means useless to stage for no coach running a long distance and in the night should be without one but such guards should be provided with fire arms in good repair setting aside the idea of highway robbery it is impossible that in the night a coachman can see to the luggage on his coach â nor indeed can the guard if he be asleep and asleep he must be a great part of his time if worked in the way above stated he should not go more than one hundred miles and he should be paid by the but if the should not be left to pay an armed guard it is monstrous that they should pay an one as to government allows them only a mere of a few shillings a week leaving the public to pay them whereas the public have nothing to do with them and it is the most impudent that these servants of government should be paid by persons travelling that they carry fire arms is true but it is to protect the letter bags â property which government is paid to protect â that they would use these arms and not on account of passengers â strictly speaking

49William Black

they have nothing to do with the passengers nor their luggage their sole duty being to protect the mail as therefore government is paid for carrying the government and not the public should pay the persons who actually do protect them and before getting upon the box a coachman should walk round his horses heads to see that his chains and the seat â starting reins are right and above all that the tongues of his are secure in their holes many accidents have arisen from the want of this precaution no man is a safe coachman who does not see to these things of mounting and there is nothing particular to be said except that in the former the reins are to be taken in the right hand and transferred to the left as soon as the seat is reached the seat the driver should sit in the middle of the box quite straight towards his horses rather upright or backward than forward with his knees nearly straight and with his feet together toward the edge of the with the exception of a motion of his or any of the coach his body should be quite at rest and particularly so when he a horse of appearance a firm seat on a box is very necessary for safety to a coachman and his passengers for a will otherwise him starting before starting four horses should stand clear or at their proper length from each other they should have some notice â a click or a whistle given them to move if the whip is used the should be touched as generally the horses it is with coach horses as with mankind â that where the physical strength is in the governed they must be a little when starting the coachman must not pull at their heads but feel their mouths lightly or they may bolt throw themselves down or break through their harness if they are old and the stage with a descent they should be allowed to go a couple of hundred yards before they are put to their usual pace a young horse should be started very quietly making the old horse take collar first this is especially necessary if the young one is inclined to be hot as it will prevent his plunging a young horse should first be started in a wide space so that he may be got off without a check if he be alarmed and inclined to he should not be held hard and still less stopped for if so he may not like particularly if high to start again the old horse will prevent his running far if a young horse be shy of his collar he should not at first be pressed to it as he may thereby take a dislike to it and become a a young horse when first put to a coach should be turned to the pole very carefully to prevent its touching his hind quarter which might make him kick when he has been driven long enough to be steady he should be taken up in his bearing rein put down lower on his bit and driven in a wide circle or figure eight â keeping the inner horse well up to his collar and bit in breaking he should be frequently stopped but not held after being pulled up as if high it will make him restless and if dull he does not require it if on the contrary a young horse is heavy and not ready to start when the command is given he should be whipped till he answer it the paces these in driving must always be a walk or a trot â never a which owing to the draught would be equally injurious to the horse and to the carriage either of these paces moreover should be suited to the nature of the road driving on the stones especially a carriage to injury both from against others and the paces from those which attend its own motion however it is sometimes for a moment necessary in order to get ont of the way of carts o in public the pace is often too rapid and should any passenger plead for the horses on the score of the excessive heat the coachman with the utmost sang replies that he must keep his time although the probability sometimes is that one or more of them may drop by which considerable time may be lost as well as in force for the rest of the stage horses should be more frequently watered during hot weather than they generally are increased perspiration renders it necessary however well pleased thoughtless people may be in going at an rate it is certainly hard that other passengers should be obliged to hazard their existence at the pleasure of a reckless driver who in answer to all remonstrance coolly answers he must keep his time something should certainly be done to prevent the system for no coach be it ever so well built can preserve its so well when the horses are in the or gallop as when in the trot at the same time it is to be borne in mind that at the rate our now travel some slight degree of it may sometimes be owing to horses trotting so and its being very difficult to obtain every individual of which shall be able to trot through the distance at the required rate in driving four in hand it is not every man who knows when a coach horse is at work aa a horse may keep a tight there is an which requires that all four shall not gallop together and many especially in the neighborhood of town have one good to defeat the known as the act of parliament horse â ed fifth edition trace and yet be doing little there is however an increased of the horse s frame when taking weight with

49William Black

him which is the test and which never escapes a quick and experienced eye as already observed those called take greater weight with them than horses of finer action provided they are equally close workers heavy draught the stride of horses after they have been a few years at work the time in short distances to know precisely at what time it is necessary to start to arrive at any place at a certain the driver has only to ascertain the distance and to the pace by the following table â miles an hour l mile in minutes do l do do do i do do do l do do do i do i do do l do i do to do t do do in the streets of london ten minutes at least in hour must be allowed for the whip we are too apt said the late lord to consider animals under the of man in no view but that of property we should never forget that the animal over which we our power has all the organs which render it susceptible of pleasure and pain it sees it hears it smells it tastes it feels with how then ought we to exercise the dominion to our care the whip speaking to horses from the box is bow considered slow but it is not without its effect however is sometimes indispensable the manufacture of four horse has arrived at great perfection and affords employment to many hundred hands management of the whip is not of many years birth and even now there are but few who execute this effectually and with grace there are as many ways of coach horses says a clever writer in the sporting magazine as there are horses in the coach and as there is a right and a wrong way of doing most things a young may observe the following directions beginning with the wheel horses â before a coachman a wheel horse he should twist his three times round the crop of his whip holding the crop at that somewhat by which means the will twist towards the thin end of the crop when the being doubled will not exceed the length of a pair horse and in some measure resemble it being double renders it of course more severe as it falls more heavily on the horse and by the two ends of the not being spread but close together at the time of the blow it falls with increased force when the off side is struck the coachman s right ann should be put out from his body in the same position ia which he presents it to his tailor to measure him for a coat but the blow should proceed entirely from the wrist the part on which the horse should be struck is about four inches behind his false belly band or somewhere near the short on his right side the part of the blow is then felt under the belly and unless he is quite beaten or of a sulky and bad disposition he seldom fails to answer it if he do not answer it here he must be struck before the belly band when the blow falls just behind the on a part on which the skin is very thin in a near the coachman brings his right hand exactly opposite to his face and turning the crop three times around aa before directed he lets the fall sharply across the horse s three times in succession if he do not answer sooner â observing that after the third blow he draws the across the horse s back by which means his arm returns to a state of rest and the crop falls gently across his reins just about his left hand the crop pointing a little upwards to prevent the getting under or touching the wheel horse s tail should the latter be the case if the driver lower his crop the will almost always get released but should it not he must let the loose and draw it out from the point when it comes up from the tail let the coachman throw back his crop a little to his right hand and the point of the will fall across his fingers when he catches it and puts it back into his hand it must be observed that in striking the near wheel horse the wrist only as in sword exercise is at work the body must be quite at rest and after the whip is brought to bear the arm must be quiet also until the third blow is struck there is only one other method of a wheel horse which is called pointing him this is done by him with the point of the when loose just behind his shoulders but it is not considered neat execution if should be a free leader before the bars it causes him to fret and is only to be had recourse to in â as for instance in turning round a corner or into a when a leader is to be hit and before the coachman can recover his a wheel horse requires the whip if a wheel horse show symptoms of vice as a disposition to kick c or in short if he refuse to answer either of the other calls upon his exertions a blow with the on his ears generally brings him to his senses without great necessity however it is very to strike a coach horse over the ears the parts being very sensible it is generally supposed it is in a leader that neatness of execution is more especially displayed it is however quite a mistake to suppose that it is in the power of a coachman to punish a leader with the single as he can a horse with the le no doubt however the blow from the loose falls very sharp aâ it falls on a tender part

49William Black

the inside of the a the off leader presents himself more folly to the right hand of the coachman than his partner does the horse that is the less free of the two is generally put on that side there are but two ways of an off leader one by letting the fall gently over his neck or just behind his when his driver merely wishes to refresh his memory and let him know that he has a whip in his hand and the other when he wants to hit him sharply by striking him with the point of the just under his bar the hard of the old school never conceived they had done the latter effectually unless they struck their horse twice at least if not three times the last stroke always ending in a draw as this word draw is peculiar to the road it must be explained to such as may not exactly comprehend it suppose a coachman to hit his off leader three times the first two blows are given as it were under handed that is to say the hand is lowered so as to admit of the going under the bar the first two strokes when the third driving or last is given the point of the elbow is thrown so to incline the which brings it up to the coachman s hand after the stroke it generally falling across his breast which would not be the case were it not for the draw another advantage also the draw a so thrown veiy seldom hangs in the nd nothing is more like than to hit a leader above his bar a horse s mouth should always be felt before his coachman him the near leader with neatness and effect is the most difficult part of the use of the whip there are two ways of doing it one by two common strokes and the draw and the other by a sort of back handed stroke which is a very neat one and sufficiently severe but it does not bring the so immediately up to the s hand as the drawn stroke does in the back handed stroke the wrist describes an exact figure of eight and the arm cannot be kept as before quite still in the other method of the coachman s arm is brought about opposite his chin the first two blows proceeding from the wrist alone but in the third or the draw the hand the elbow is thrown and by two of the arm which it is difficult to describe on paper the draw is effected and the comes as before stated across the coachman s breast so as to enable him to catch it instantly there is one other way of a leader and that is by what is called the chop this is done by throwing out the right arm rather forward and with it of course the and then bringing it back sharply with the wrist inclined downwards the falls severely on the horse s and comes up to the hand again as in the draw this is a very useful blow in a narrow confined the whip place or it is necessary to lose no time before a leader is hit and when neatly done has a very workman like appearance this blow generally falls above the bar particularly if a horse is not at work at the time it has said that leaders should always be hit under their this however cannot always be done for if a horse hang back from his collar his bar is so low that it may be difficult to get under it in this case however the blow is made to tell as it is in the coachman s power to throw his whip into the flank which is a very sensible part when a leader is well up to his collar he always can and always should be hit under his bar should the point of the catch or as they say on the road get hanged in the bars or the pole pieces â neither of which it will do when properly drawn after the last stroke as the inclination of the hand in the act of drawing it to clear them â no violence should be used to it or a broken crop will be the consequence on the contrary the arm should be thrown forward and the lightly moved when in a minute or two it will shake out if it be fast between the eye of the main bar and the pole hook the leaders should be a little and it will get released sometimes however on a wet day a will lap round some of these things so fast as to make ii necessary for the guard or some person to get down to it this is called having a bite the double will also sometimes in the ends of the traces as also in the point of the false belly band to this in gentlemen s harness these parts are always covered or as it is called a free leader should not be hit in a short turn or he may break his bar perhaps the pole hook or even the main bar neither should leaders be hit in going over a small bridge is raised or when the pole p upwards as their draught on the end of it may snap it in the some drivers perpetually whip or fan their horses which first and afterwards them by rendering them insensible to the proper or it must be observed that the whip should net r be used but in case of necessity indeed one of the best proofs of a good coachman is to see his right arm still and although for the safety of his coach he ought to be able to punish a horse when he requires punishment yet he should on all accounts be as of it

49William Black

as he can horses may be whipped till they become to and therefore slow in the condition in which coach horses are now kept a pound of will last a good coachman his lifetime the very act of throwing the point of the over the leaders heads or letting it fall on their backs as a throws his fly upon the stream will set half the coach horses in england in these days into a gallop passing c the driver should avoid passing through the great and prefer the of the less frequented streets which run parallel to them in london he should never go into the city through the strand fleet street and between twelve and five o clock if he can possibly avoid it as these streets are then crowded with every kind of vehicle he should also avoid going into the city about mid day on and on account of the of oxen passing through the principal streets the middle of the road is safest especially for a loaded coach except under peculiar circumstances in driving four horses to keep them well in hand is a and descending mo t material both aa regards their work and for the safety of the coach the tr ck made by a coach in descending a hill shows whether the horses are properly held together or not accidents from horses taking fright and across the road happen only to clumsy fellows of m the list is considerable the rules for passing and meeting carriages on the have already been ven yet there are times when they need not be strictly to and a little accommodation becomes expedient thus if one coachman has the hill in his favor â that if he be going down and a loaded coach be coming up at the same time â he who is descending if he can do it with safety ought to give the hardest side of the road to the other coachman as to narrow spaces it is evident that where the bars can go the coach can go as they are wider than the wheels and consequently if they are cleared all is safe the swing bar is an excellent invention as a horse works in it from either shoulder and therefore quite at his ease a sharp and experienced driver may calculate exactly the space sufficient to pass between two bodies at rest and may therefore pass with confidence and at ease as however in streets he must meet many carriages driven by inexperienced or fellows who do not for a moment move in any direct line he should allow them ample room and proceed with the utmost caution a driver must be incessantly on the look out must watch every vehicle that approaches and give it more room than it may seem to require ascending and descending in going up hill it is in general best to trot up at and to walk afterwards in going down hill it is best to keep tbe tight in hand to let the leaders clear the bars and to come gently down la the latter case a turn of the reins of the wheel horses may be made round the little finger plate fig although however it may be necessary to catch up wheel horses and make them hold back their coach down hill there is nothing in which a light finger is more essential to safety the manner in which some persons haul at horses mouths when descending with a load considerably adds to the difficulty by trying the strength of the tackle but this is not all these persons should be aware that all this force employed on their horses mouths is much added to the pressure of the coach in proportion to it is that pressure increased the horses are then drawing by their heads i the objection to a locked wheel with a top heavy load have already been stated if however with a heavy load and upon a smooth hard road a wheel must be locked it should be that next a ditch or other dangerous part in going down hill a coach always strikes on the side on which the wheel is not locked the coachman should therefore keep as much as possible on that side of the road on which the wheel is locked by crossing the road if he meet or have to pass any thing the coach will not strike and by holding that way at any time it will prevent the coach naturally strikes in a direct line from the the of passengers know not the danger of galloping a coach with three tons weight in and out down hill at the rate of twelve or fifteen miles an hour with no wheel locked the whole resistance of the wheel horses depending on a small leather and at the top of the â these it beneath their i and dignity to drive with even thus however accidents would be much less frequent if took the precaution of pulling up their horses short when on the point of descending in night work this is doubly useful because it often happens that a pole chain is or a gets loose without being by lamp or moon with wheel horses that will hold back at all i will be bound says a clever writer and experienced coachman to take a loaded coach down most of the hills now met with on our great roads without a drag chain provided i am allowed to pull up my horses at the top and let them take it quietly the first hundred yards this it may be said would be losing time but on the contrary time would be gained by it for as soon as i perceived i was of my coach i should let her go aiid by letting my horses loose at the bottom i could spring them into a gallop and cheat them out

49William Black

of half the hill if there were one as frequently happens on the next portion of the road this â advantage it must be recollected cannot be taken if the chain be to be put on and i have therefore in my favor all the time required to put the chain on and to take it off again there are however some horses which no man can make to hold a loaded coach down hill of this description are first the stiff one as he is called who turns his head away from his partner and shoulders the pole and secondly one who when he feels the weight pressing upon him begins to and jump as term it with these holding back properly is out of the question with such cattle the drag chain must be had recourse to as well as when there is the least reason to suspect the of the harness all this the necessity of ihe force of a before a steep bill and indeed in some cases â as with bad â be i fore coming upon a slight descent the term w hich haye for this species of road is pushing i ground and if the fall be long it is astonishing how the j of a loaded coach upon wheel horses is increased before getting to the bottom of it and how difficult it would be not of the best stamp to up short if any accident should happen young in descending a hill should take care that their leaders do not draw on the end of the pole which many free o do when they find the coach coming quickly after them for this not only the pressure of the coach on the but should either of them it must assist in bringing him down the following good and directions were given by a very experienced to a gentleman who undertook to take his coach a journey for him but who although he knew the road well had never driven on it before that middle twelve miles of ground said he is a and you must mind what you are at with this load you have two hills to go down and three to go up in the first seven miles don t stop to put the chain on aj they ll hold well and the tackle is good and don t let them walk up the hills for they are bad hands at that â you will lose a horse s draught by it and perhaps get hung up on one of them you must take fifty minutes to do the first seven miles and good work too when you get at the top of the last hill get down and put your near leader to the cheek and they ll you over the last five miles in half an hour all the pleasure alive the following observations on this subject from the number of the quarter review already quoted are too interesting to be omitted here ascending and many years haye elapsed he says since i first observed that somehow or other the horses on the continent manage to pull a heavy carriage np a steep hill or even along a dead level with greater ease to themselves than our english horses if any person would only attentively remark with what little apparent fatigue three small ill horses will draw not only his own carriage but very often that huge overgrown vehicle the french diligence or the i think he would agree with me but the whole is so â the rope harness is so rude â the horses without look so wild â there is so much with the â that far from paying any compliment to the one is veiy much disposed at once to condemn the whole thing and not caring a whether such horses be fatigued or not to make no other remark than that in england one would have travelled at nearly twice the rate with one tenth of the noise but neither the rate nor the noise is the our superiority in the former and our inferiority in the latter cannot be doubted the thing to account for is how such small weak horses do actually manage to draw a heavy carriage up hill with so much ease to themselves now in english french and german harness there exists as it were three degrees of comparison as to the manner in which the head of the horse is treated for in england it is elevated or borne up by what we call the bearing â in france it is left as nature placed it there being to common french harness no rein â and in germany the head is tied down to the lower extremity of the collar or else the collar is so made that the animal is by it deprived of the power of raising his head now passing over for a moment the french method which is in fact the state of nature let us for a moment s consider is better â to bear a horse s bead as in or to pull it downwards as in germany fired with a favorite theme he thus proceeds â in a state of nature the wild horse as every body knows has two distinct or attitudes if man or any still beast come suddenly upon him up goes his head and as he first and then gently away with erect with his nose and proudly up the air if in his freedom â as one fore leg before the other we have before us a picture of do bt astonishment and hesitation all of which feelings se n to rein him like a troop horse on his but attempt to pursue him and the moment he you â the moment to escape he shakes his head and lays himself to his work â how completely does he his attitude that instant down

49William Black

goes his head and from his ears to the tip of his tail there is in his â action which seems to him which works him along and which it is evident you could not deprive him of without materially his speed now in harness the horse has naturally the same two ts or attitudes and it is quite true that he can start away with a carriage either in the one or the other but the means by which he in this effort â the physical powers which he calls into action are essentially different in the one case he works by his muscles and in the other by his own dead or rather living weight in order to grind com if any were to erect a steam engine over a fine strong running stream we should all say to him why do you not allow your wheel to be turned by cold water instead of hot why do you not avail yourself of the weight of the water instead of your capital in it into the power of steam la short why â do yoa not use the simple which nature has pr ready made to your hand in the same way the german might say to ns we acknowledge a horse can drag a carriage by the power of his but why do you not allow him to drag it by his weight let any one observe a pair of english post horses drag g a weight up a hill and he will at once see that the poor creatures are working by their muscles and that it is by sheer strength that the resistance is overcome but how can it be otherwise their heads are higher than nature intended them to be even in walking in a state of liberty carrying no weight but themselves the balance of their bodies is therefore absolutely turned against instead of leaning in favor oi their draught and if my reader will pass his hands down the back news of our stage coach or post chaise horses he will soon feel though not so keenly as they do what is the cruel and fatal consequence it is true that in ascending a very steep hill an english will his bearing reins but the â trained for years ta work in a false attitude cannot in one moment get themselves into the position which the german horses are habitually encouraged to adopt besides this we are so sharp with our horses â we keep them so constantly on the qui or as we term it in hand that we are always driving them from the use of their weight to the application of their that the figure and attitude of a horse working by his are infinitely than when he is working by his weight there may exist however false pride among horses as well as men i most readily admit and therefore for carriages of luxury where the weight bears little proportion to the powers of the noble employed i acknowledge that the are more than sufficient but to bear up the head of a poor horse at plough or at any glow heavy work is i conceive a barbarous error which ought not to be persisted in whether there is most of a horse in a german or of the german in a horse is a nice point on which people might argue a great deal but the broad fact really is that live on more terms with their horses and understand their dispositions infinitely better than the english in short they treat them as horses while we act towards them and them as if they were men and in case any reader should doubt that are better horse masters than we are i beg to remind him of what is perfectly well known to the british army â namely that in the war the cavalry horses of the german was absolutely fat while those of our were skin and bone the these must be regulated by the ground a good driver all quick and sharp in town it is much better to drive on a little further where another street may allow the ample room requisite in turning if a carriage do not pass quite across a channel without turning the perch must be twisted according to the descent because one wheel falls as that at the opposite angle rises by such a especially when going fast the main or perch bolt is frequently broken and every part strained a loaded coach should never be turned short even at a slow pace for the coach is never safe when there is not an even bearing on the beds if turned short at a quick pace the higher and part of a coach must go over because all bodies put in motion by one power will proceed in a straight line unless compelled to change their the banks ik town â stops by some force impressed a horse at fall speed is with difficulty turned to right or left and if he turn suddenly and of his own accord he puts his rider s to the test so with a coach a sudden turn to one side the road allows the body to towards the other and the centre of gravity is lost in a a coachman must point his leaders well that is take proper ground for them to make the turn and let bis follow them moreover as wheel horses are always in haste to make the turn the driver must shoot them out on the opposite side just as he has pointed his leaders thus if the turn be to the right he must catch up his near wheel rein and hit his off wheel horse and vice this will keep the head of the pole which he have his eye upon just between the leaders and the will follow as if they were running on

49William Black

a straight road this will also secure him against danger by clearing his coach of posts c no man can make a neat turn with four horses unless he shoot his at the same time that he points his leaders in turning the must rather be kept up and the leaders be tight in hand to avoid the comer for if the flag and the leaders draw the carriage must be brought against it the banks in town these must never be broken either in driving through crowded streets or in setting down at crowded places as to admitting others into the rank every driver should do as he would be done by stops it is a good plan to use horses to stop by notice as it may prevent accidents in pulling up the driver must pull the reins bat rather those of the first if this is attended with difficulty take the reins in the right hand and pull till they hang well on the or on the pole chains thus increasing the leaders draught so much that they will easily be pulled up when a young coach horse is stopped it should bâ very gradually â allowing at least ten yards to do it in for if it be attempted to stop him short he will resist a driver will never keep his carriage standing in a great but when obliged to stop in a crowded street the driver should if possible avoid the spot where another carriage is stopping should choose as much as possible the part of the street and draw up close to the there is part of stage coach economy in which greater alteration has been made than in changing horses unless business is to be â as taking for passengers setting getting out c â the average with fast is three minutes for each change accidents etc to horses a leader or one that is generally by young they are apt to pull him back and endeavor to get him to trot by the bit which generally fails or makes him even by bringing him back on his bar the right way is to pull him back by his harness that is to keep the back so that he may feel his collar and bit at the same time a horse that ought to be taken very short in his pole piece and and when he begins to kick he should be whipped on the ears â a punishment which should never be inflicted but for vice to a horse when he has sometimes an effect a hot leader is to sometimes by an experienced driver i once bought a capital coach horse for twenty six pounds because no one could drive him and as he had broken two carriages he was the terror of the neighborhood i him and could drive him with the greatest safety either leader or at wheel in the case of a horse falling a writer replying to another states in one of his letters on the he says if the coachman be driving with the short wheel rein and a horse fall beyond recovery he had better open his hand and let the reins fall out than run the risk of being pulled off the box with all due deference to such authority i cannot to this as it frequently happens that a horse falls is dragged along the ground for a distance and himself the moment the coach stops and then starts off at full gallop the other horses following his example now if has opened his fist and let the reins tumble out and the above occurrence should take place i would certainly rather be on the top of than on the top of the said coach as the catastrophe would not be very difficult to on many horses hot weather has a effect and therefore it often happens that a good winter horse is an indifferent summer one coach horses are subject to many accidents of which one is to them â namely of the legs in trotting on level ground when driving one of the fast just entering the town of my near leader fell with her off hind leg snapped clean in two held together merely by the skin on up to clear her from the i found the cause of the accident a piece of flint shaped like a and with a blade as keen as a still to the bone against which it had either been whirled by a kick from one of the other three or had flown upwards from the tread of the mare hâ of the foot in and others are common bat of the leg in coach horses when trotting oyer level ground are probably caused by over oâ the limb in the act of drawing it is said that a coach horse s leg is more frequently broken when with a heavy load behind him he at his collar in a turn of the road they are also subject to an aâ known by the of the which greatly their condition in this state they each other s skins and their to pieces this probably proceeds from the state of the stomach caused by the excitement of high feeding and work it may be removed by opening or they are likewise subject to a kind of which on the road is called this of which the immediate cause is temporary pressure on the brain is often brought on by running in the face of a hot sun and therefore horses subject to ought to work at night the attack appears to come on suddenly though a motion of the head is sometimes observed to it if not immediately pulled up the horse thus affected drops such horses should have attention paid to the state of their and have frequent what is called a horse is always dangerous especially near a precipice or ditch as

49William Black

when seized he rolls away from his partner and of course takes him with him accidents to etc a necessary precaution in a is â never to sit with the feet under the body but always to have one if not both out before it i had a passenger by the side of me says the driver who gives this caution who a to etc sitting with his feet under his belly and who was consequently thrown with much into the road i had five miles further to drive him during which he took care to have his feet before him in stage accidents no occur and no one will assert that the guard against them to the utmost of their power the great competition however which they have to encounter is a strong to their exertions on this score in some respects also the increase of pace has become the traveller s security and harness must be of the best quality horses fresh and sound of skill and respectability can alone be employed and to this increased pace is owing the improvement in these men s character they have not time now for drinking and they come in collision with a class of persons superior to those who formerly were stage coach passengers by whose example it has been impossible for them not to profit a coachman drunk on his box is now a â a coachman quite sober was but a few years ago still more so on the whole however travelling by public conveyance was never so secure as it is at the present time trees and springs do not often break now and if go to the expense their wheels are made secure against coming off the worst accidents and those which with the present structure of can never be entirely provided against arise from broken trees and wheels coming off on the road the guard therefore in whose department this lies ought to examine the tree every time it is fresh he should also remove it once in ten days put a string through the bolt that receives the pin and hang it up and it and he should then strike it with a hammer when if and sound it will ring like a bell â the attending to take that it be again properly on also break rarely except in those parts run the the rings of the throat lash or in the and attention to these would make ail safe as far as accidents om this cause are concerned accidents happen also from want of attention to the security of the the throat lash therefore â particularly of the â should be as tight as can be allowed without there is always danger of the bridle being pulled off accidents moreover happen from galloping coach horses down hill or on even ground if indeed a then happen it must be a bad one the goodness of a road is no against it on the contrary it is possible that if a coach begin to swing it may go over from the very of the road being so level and so smooth that there is nothing on its surface to hold the wheels to the ground if moreover there be two horses at wheel whose stride in their gallop much as to extent the unequal draught invariably sets the coach rolling and unless the pace moderate the fore wheel passing over even a small stone may under such circumstances cause the coach to upset in respect to motion however much depends upon the build of the carriage in galloping coach horses if the leaders lead off with two legs the motion of the coach is considerably truer and the swing bars are much more at rest than when each horse uses the same leg it appears then that accidents to are chiefly to be attributed either to the want of proper skill and care in the servants employed or to what is still less on the part of their masters road fortunately are well aware that the law looks after accidents to etc them and that for neglect proved against them they are equally to their as these are to the public if i were to go upon the road says an amateur i would be a night coachman through a well inhabited country for six months of the year it is undoubtedly the pleasanter service and i never found any difference between taking rest by day or by night it is however calculated only for a man in the prime of his days as all his energies are required the night coachman ought to know his line of road well he must take rest regularly or he will be sure to become drowsy if he do not go to sleep he must also keep himself sober keep a tight hand on his horses keep the middle of the road and be sure to keep time the night coachman must cast his eye well forward and get out of the way of carts and in time although by looking from his box or at the hedges if there be any he may always see if he be in the road yet if he cannot throw his eye some way before his leaders heads he is going at random he will often get close to things he may meet in the road before he is aware of them and therefore as i have already said it is essential that he should be wide awake and have his horses well in hand chains and springs on the bars are good things for as they prevent the leaders traces coming off a narrow road sufficiently wide of course for carriages to pass with convenience â with no ditch on the side â is much the best for night work unless when the moon is very bright a dark night is in favor of safe travelling when it

49William Black

is what term a clear dark the lamps give much better light than when the darkness approaches to grey in wide roads particularly where there are no hedges to confine them is both weak and deceiving and moonlight is often glimmering and doubtful particularly when clouds are passing rapidly is treacherous both in and when horses are going at a moderate pace with the wind just behind them for then the steam arising from their bodies follows them and necessarily the light sometimes from driven rain or snow a coachman can scarcely open his eyes so as to see the road to the extent of the light ven by the lamps in which case a tight hand on the horses is especially necessary a heavy fog is the only thing which the skill and of our night in this case lamps are of no avail as to showing light forward and in the worst cases the only use that can be made of them is for the guard to hold one in his hand behind the coach by which he will be able to see whether the horses are in the road or not lamps however are always useful in the case of accidents and except in very clear moonlight a night coach should never travel without them accidents often occur from to light their lamps in going into a town it often happens that when a coach comes down the road in the morning there may be no in the streets but rubbish from buildings stones or many other things may be thrown out by the time it comes up again at night when an accident happens to a coach presence of mind is much required outside passengers should never think of by jumping from the fore part a least until she falls to the ground from the box indeed a man may get over the roof into the guard s seat and thence descend among the various for dragging wheels we may mention a very ingenious one by mr the â t m tâ if on i if n af b i the ai j â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â f â is s s â â i i â â i tt the iâ r â o ji si iâ â â â â vi v m s n l the v v v â â â wâ â â â â a v â â â â â fc k â â â â â â â â â â y â â â â iâ v driving the driver should whose carriage has done the mischief and let his give an estimate of the charge for it but before he it done he should let the person who injured it see the mischief and pay the charge or as is the custom let the repair be made by the of the party who committed the injury â j w tâ iâ â d the om iâ s â o tea tan â do â â â i f â â â i i iâ t i a â â â â i i â â â oo â â â â â â r r the turf prose of have the names of and the has left us the of the economy of racing in his day he describes the at and all its gorgeous display of splendid and ingenious machinery with a care and of narrative that give assurance of the importance which attached to the matter â of the perfection to which in that era the science of tbe course had attained we need no better proof than the observed in the â where horses were matched according to their ages and for races between only called it is needless however to our subject with ancient lore by continuing these classic enough has perhaps been already to establish this point â that we possess more knowledge of the condition of racing three thousand years ago than we do of the state it was in three hundred years since in our native land but because we are in possession of such scanty materials it by no means follows that the little we do know should be withheld the reader will therefore have the courtesy to look back with me to the tenth century and i promise to bring him again into the nineteenth with all convenient speed as back then as the reign of we read that a present of running horses was sent to that monarch from france the gift of as nothing however is known of the character of those animals we will pass on to the reign of william which affords better at that period a nobleman the earl of appears to have imported several spanish horses for his own use now as the had had a footing in spain for several centuries prior to the conquest there is little doubt that the blood of the was in the the turf century through that country and that a highly improved breed of the horse was at the time there here we have a reasonable era from which to date an of the race in our island a little more than a century later in the reign of henry the second we come to as far as i have been able to discover the earliest mention of racing to be found in our national records this to a l sort of running practised upon the plain now occupied by smith field which does not appear to have been subjected to any of time or method indeed was then the great horse and very probably the exalted by their the to honors were nothing more than by rival horse of the d and action of their respective and charging still that horse racing was about this time a popular and one in

49William Black

which the of the land were wont to take pride is fully established by the allusions to it that abound in the many legends yet in existence composed in honor of of the lion heart these preserve the names of the and speak of them aa being valued at sums that allowing for the difference in the worth of money quite exceed any prices known in our day the domestic troubles which marked the reign of john and the succession of wars in which we were subsequently engaged probably interrupted the progress of sport materially â at all events we do not find any of our sovereigns giving their countenance to it from richard to the bluff harry henry viii was disposed for manly occupations and of his moral tendencies we speak not we have it on the authority of that he was much disposed to improve the breed thb of horses for he imported firom spain and turkey fortune too enabled daughter to do for our native breed the of the spanish having with many and bred horses their descendants found in the vessels of that fleet which fell into the hands of lord of we now com to her successor james i who must be considered as a founder of legitimate racing in this he introduced the first into england of which we have any knowledge â that purchased by mr and known as the the training which has now reached such perfection was then practised in its various divisions of work and the of stable economy and the weight to be carried for public arranged by authority the at was an established course in one of the being a silver bell of the value of ten pounds or run for in five mile similar were also given at s on at and in whence the popular term bearing the bell no doubt had its origin his unfortunate son i had little opportunity of the social concerns of himself or others in reign however the first races on record at were held and by a similar l to was he borne a prisoner to the forces the civil of the of course was not friendly to the amusements of the turf but though suspended they were hot lost sight of mr place the master to the palace at was hy this for the of enjoying the diversion of hunting â no races having been held upon the heath till the succeeding reign thb s imported the celebrated horse known as the white he was also the owner of some very capital one of which daring the search after property at the restoration he saved from destruction by hiding in a whence she took the name of the coffin mare with the came the days of the regular meetings were established at and other parts of d silver cups and of the value of one hundred pounds were presented as royal gifts and more than all the light of royal favor shone it in shape of charles the and mistress william iii had no taste for and died by a fall from his horse prince george of den mark on the other hand was warmly attached to the turf and promoted its interest by every means in his power we are indebted for many royal plates to his influence with his queen anne george i was no in his reign however the alteration in the royal plates took place by which a sum of one hundred guineas was in their stead shortly after george ii ascended the throne arose a morbid yearning after for the turf some of the acts were mischievous very many were very silly one was good â that no plate or prize of a less value than â should be run under a penalty of â it was during this reign that tiie and were brought into this country â two horses from whom have descended all the most celebrated that adorn the annals of our turf this is the period at which the of our thorough bred horse then was and it is the date whence i think it most convenient to begin my notice of english racing the a notice so confined as this is beset with that few would conceive possible as an instance i will the case of an old and well informed of who some years ago published a history of that place he starts somewhere about the conquest and never for want of materials as he goes on till he comes to the great stumbling block concerning which he shall speak for himself â when the races on downs were first held we have not been able to trace but we find that from the year they have been held in the months of may or june and about six weeks previous to which the hunters are occasionally run for on the race course at one of which in the famous horse won the and proved the best plate horse in england to return however to the reign of g ii though we find little bearing on the business of the turf to be from its records it us to the great forefathers of our thorough blood and one of the most interesting questions ia our domestic natural history â the problem of the seed or origin of the english horse a brief search through the book will convince the that almost without exception our great were and are descendants of the and i use the latter term merely because its now those celebrated animals they were both as has been stated imported in this reign the question that i would here investigate applies equally to each but for the sake of it i will treat it with reference to the latter only that he was a genuine says the book his excellence as a is deemed sufficient proof a little further on we read it is remarkable that

49William Black

there is not a superior horse now on the the turf a cross of the neither has there been for several years the probable date of his arrival in this was or hundreds of had preceded him as their introduction for that purpose having been a very general from the time of charles i that the island breed had thereby been rendered good service there can be no doubt but that the turf derived any signal from the is more than â are our celebrated strains of racing blood derived at all m an source and if so descended are they excellent consequently or of accident as regards the first of the inquiry a work has just appeared in paris the production of a gentleman of some literary relating to the of the horse so long known to us as the his statements go to show that he was a pure presented with seven others by the of to louis xv about the year all the portraits i have ever seen of him certainly go to strengthen this reading of his descent and proclaim him not of origin the date is an one as he was a in england in the year in which he is said to have reached france but we must be content with very vague in all that concerns our subject a century ago as to the second division of the question after time must the means of replying to it if it be ever answered my bias is to a belief that there exist families of tlie horse in the east possessed of a perfection infinitely surpassing any inherited this i have attempted to in a work upon which i am at present engaged m the turf portion of has been already published the fact of which i was made conscious bj authority beyond question that the of one of the most powerful sovereign princes of india expended ten years of active search backed by the enormous bribe of ten thousand pounds before he could procure a of a line sufficiently pure to present to king george ly seems to establish the truth of the theory to which i profess being inclined all that we from our knowledge of the almost religious veneration with which the of the horse is treated in the east goes to the like confirmation it is remarkable that there is not a superior horse now on the turf without a cross of the i leave the reader to interpret as his own reflections may lead him shall i venture at the hazard of pursuing my theory to one more example in support of it that no organization available to the eye no individual excellence in the parents influence in our raising stock the performances of their are taught by every in the kingdom all that exists among us descended from the great of the turf are capable of producing offspring of equal as regards the root from which they are sprung far different was the result in relation to the of eastern blood contemporary with the and the same it has been with all more recently introduced enough at all events has been if not to prove my position to warrant me at least in its assumption as well as for offering it to the consideration of those who annals of the british turf from the introduction of eastern blood to the present time the first century in the old sporting magazine the hold the subject to which it relates of sufficient interest to engage their attention from such speculations on the origin of the british race horse we will turn to the annals of his exploits â a theme more generally attractive though less important here to begin with the early of the turf all is as obscure as is the problem with which we have been already engaged of the performances of detailed as they are with all apparent observations of the seconds hand i am convinced that we know rather worse than nothing in a recent work of more than an ordinary character on the subject to which it addresses itself s history of the horse â flying as he was ar â is stated to have been a chestnut whereas he was a rich bay with four white legs the same style no doubt to the records of the early performances as well as to the more recent attempts of again the only by which we can estimate them is when we can refer to a timed race because knowing little of the we cannot be supposed to have a better knowledge of the pretensions of their now even in our day when all the for accuracy are so vastly improved and multiplied we rarely hear of the time of a race being kept at all even accidentally it is never done by authority or on a principle deserving of confidence we know that the taste in the middle of the last century inclined to long distances and repeated exertion â six and eight mile being events of constant and yet we are required to believe that there existed at and previous to that time a flight of speed unknown to our days moreover by far the greater ths portion of the early were under sized as the old have them in every page and stride is save in rare exceptions indispensable to a high degree of swiftness in the absence of any actual as to speedy worthy being confided in it may not be inconvenient to relate a performance of on of the first class horses of that period and by it with a match against time done by a contemporary some may be drawn of the qualities of the of that era a gray horse bred in by out of miss was considered one of the best of his day in consequence of his superiority he was sent to france where he was matched

49William Black

for a large sum to do a certain distance against time whatever it was he was the having accomplished twenty three miles in fifty five minutes this was in in a aged twenty two belonging to a mr did twenty two miles within the hour upon the high read in the neighborhood of london carried eight stone the weight on the is not given but there is no reason for believing it less than eight stone so that one of the best race horses of that day only beat a broken down hack a mile and five minutes in an hour it is a conventional to attribute to past days virtues superior to those in which we live every thing from the seasons to the flavor of home was better if we credit the popular voice in the good old times to examine the application of this rule to the matter before us i may perhaps be permitted to borrow a leaf out of my own book seeing that i could scarce make my argument stronger in any other form of words after a careful of all the best authorities bearing upon the condition of the turf in that so the called its era â tbe middle of the last century â i find nothing to warrant tlie belief that as a species the of king and possessed either speed power or unknown to the of our day at the very date to which this extraordinary excellence is ascribed we find the of that particular breed the subject of consideration and in that an act of parliament was passed the turf as the cause of the growing of the breed of horses all over the kingdom and fixing the to be carried in all plates and matches at ten stone for five year eleven stone for six and twelve stone for seven year and upwards on pain of a penalty of â and of the horse it is true that this act was soon afterwards through the as it was believed of the duke of nevertheless it is manifest that there must have existed strong grounds for complaint against the system of breeding and racing before the consideration of its economy would be made a subject of interference let us turn to the carried by two year fifty years ago and those common to the present period â the former from six stone to six stone six pounds the latter from eight stone five pounds to eight stone seven pounds and what evidence of does that furnish v wherever we meet it existing as a popular sport is the growth of a root to england all the of civilization are carried to a higher degree of perfection among us in the present day than at any former period of our history the turf and all its it cannot be doubted has attained a comparative condition of excellence in a nation peculiarly attached to rural sports that an the matter of course becomes entitled to the place of honor which the greatest portion of enjoyment to the greatest number of people in this view racing is well entitled to the pre eminence which it has so long claimed and had to it but it prefers demands of a higher nature than its mere results in a political sense it is an engine of no mean importance â a state must benefit largely from an agency which its at great individual cost a sport in which all classes can equally with themselves and which brings together all the divisions of society for one end and purpose â social where shall we seek the great moral of england s power and station â in the wealth which commerce upon her shores â in her wooden walls â in the skill learning and of her sons we can scarce study it in a more impressive page than that yearly spread before us at the great popular of and let such as love such lore then search after it where the examination will surely reward their industry we will take it up as a and in that character look into the nature and influence of its present economy as a treasury of art an assembly or learning ingenuity and pleasure our metropolis has many rivals â some in our rural life we stand alone mainly this has been brought about by â is the consequence of â a general taste for field sports whether the cause of morality is served by horse racing it is not our province to inquire an but most salt water says every man to his post and the cook to the fore sheet mankind since the creation has set its face against all work and no play and will do so to the end of the chapter we are of the or and feeling in the the will in here merely in outline a faint of a day perhaps with one exception alone none of the realities of life come up to the of them and what you ask is that singular from the general rule â it is a day imagine a of two millions of souls stirred to shaken from its propriety morally because of the necessity which requires that a certain portion of the mass say a should in a neighborhood where certain horses are to contend some two minutes and sundry for certain and you arrive at a general idea of something by no means in the ordinary course the scene of this commotion is london the majority of actors that make yearly one solitary diversion in both the word s from the regular of their but such a demands a word its note of preparation as soon as the month big with the catastrophe of straightway from square to from the s park to forth the goes that from garret to cellar every and of all and singular the wheeled and peculiar to each anon

49William Black

the horse in all its infinite is had in from s specimens of blood that the to the living skeleton from the s knife at the last show for fifteen shillings and a drop o summit for luck the day arrives and a mighty chain of carriages in linked grumbling long drawn out extends from the elephant and castle to the merry downs of we will suppose thy the anxious way hath at length been achieved the moisture of travel thy brow thou for thy best to relieve thee of the damp â that handkerchief did an egyptian from thy pocket is not the tide of humanity at the flood of spring ten deep do of all kinds definite and line the course opposite and around the stand all is high bred and aristocratic lower down leading for s classic corner you take your curious path what lots of pretty girls you encounter as you go â each so lady like and you would never dream of their whereabouts were it not for those awful that cluster around them brothers cousins lovers it may be â pale shadows that haunt the glimpses of bow church â horrible illusions from hill and the ward of cheap with to their linen swallow tails to their coats green velvet or still more shocking similar of black satin whereon the chain of ghastly like the on a coffin â drawing near to the lines hark i from glass coach proceed various sounds of discontent â cold chickens pie and no salt â half a dozen bottles is all very fine and never no â sir ru set that right if you ll only accommodate us with the loan of a glass really it s too provoking ascend the hill approach the ring and hear what sums are on the coming event â enough to purchase half a score of german but the is open and thither you are borne by the countless ths who throng for a glance of the on whom hang the hopes and fears of all no spot can be better adapted for the purpose to which it is assigned than the so well known but all that nature has done man takes especial care to instead of its cool quiet being kept for the tranquil preparation of animals peculiarly disposed to excitement their most dangerous foe at a moment when the entire possession of every faculty is of such consequence every nook and is invaded by a of sight seeing of all beasts of prey the most reckless and perverse amid this restless crowd of cigar smoking the process of is effected and with graceful steps the depart for the lists you reach the place of starting and what you there order decorum and all fitting arrangement for the important essay of which it is the a second chaos i â all the human elements thrown together in a moral a score of men in suits blue attempting to dispose of twice as many thousands â something like the gates of a town with boiled they draw together for the start â infinitely the most point in the great game to be played here all is confusion worse confounded the multitude opens its thousand throats of brass the are frantic the born and bred devils from their cradle practise every conceivable ever in and there stands one nervous old man to front the pitiless and produce from such materials a result with which all are to be satisfied they are off and the old gentleman in his agony go and the fatal signal has gone forth over the hill the the fall there is a flash as though a rainbow had borrowed the wings of the lightning and all is oyer i the is decided â the turned round â the approach the scales â holy mother of moses has it entered the heart of man even an to conceive the tearing and swearing the howling and that instant the quick as thought a circle of and is formed into which the horses as they arrive are received and against which a roaring ocean of humanity is dashing as fiercely as the vexed atlantic look towards the grand stand â behold whole acres of countenances uplifted to the sky as closely as a of french eggs and resembling nothing as yet discovered but a monstrous dish of opened i the round earth is shaken and echo gives up the ghost â the thunder hides its diminished head as with the of ten thousand of furious lungs crash forth who has won v thus did i sing of this scene and with better experience save in the of flying men with never no back bones at all only a slip of to hold head and heels together and in who swallow knives and forks for all the world like nuts i can add nothing to the ideal of a day how little can they who first give existence to a principle foresee how it will operate and what may be its results the of horse racing and promoted simply as a channel of amusement by the gay and thoughtless charles called into being the strongest impulse of man s nature â and thus upon this country a race of the noblest of all existing animals of a character apparently superior to that originally destined by nature this may be an theory but as yet we the t f are with any variety of the horse to the artificial stock known as our thorough blood the very general efforts that were made from that period by the and great landed to improve by lavish and all the which it can command the best strains of the recently imported oriental blood towards the middle of the last century seem to have carried the race horse as a as near to perfection as his organization will admit true every year produced some few infinitely

49William Black

superior to their but they were phenomena â indebted to no individuality of for their excellence and of the faculty of their descendants with similar gifts as a race when opposed to the horse of any quarter of the earth the english thorough blood is universally victorious among the various families into which it is divided at home no constant succession of superiority has ever discovered itself i am aware that those who only take a superficial view of the economy of our racing system will at once pronounce against this position they will the sons and daughters of king and in our day of and as far surpassing the ordinary run of their but they do not bear in mind that not only did and does the of these justly celebrated greatly that of their less favored brothers but that the best of their respective were and are exclusively put to them not to travel beyond our own day for proofs did excellence its like what chance would have remained to those who now and then breed a solitary against the gigantic of court or to confine the question to the present year we had the that not all the wealthy care and treatment of the best of england s blood could produce a match for the son of one of our indifferent â the despised of an irish tenth rate stable â the wonderful and the abused i may be told that he was defeated here and by second too â but under what circumstances with ordinary care without having been subjected to actual ill treatment at weight for age there was nothing of the year in england that could have stood any chance with him from these premises the at which we arrive bearing upon the economy of the turf its nature and influence is and admits of a very brief solution â the first being that the day is long passed since the means of winning upon the race course were to be obtained by breeding the second that the vast advantages still to be derived from a proper application of our thorough blood is most strangely neglected mr began his racing career by breeding a of the while the late duke of the most extensive of blood stock in the north toiled in vain for the till he won it with a bought from the tail of the plough lord george the best on the turf of modem days if the be any regards breeding as an expedient no man in his senses should dream of and acting upon his theory has put money in his purse a first class a of extraordinary promise are each productions of only to be come at by being secured where and when they can be found but if the turf be thus in farther this animal is now december advertised for sale his price six thousand guineas with this strange addition that his owner mr rides him hunting or twice a week the tt bi save as matter of hazard by the means which securely to the success of its first it materials from which may be other distinct races as valuable each in its province as the flying family of the modem race course now the sole representatives of our thorough blood the ragged regiment of cock tails will it is devoutly to be hoped speedily be the day soon arrive when no gentleman shall be seen the of a base bred scarce worthy the shafts of a s trap and first as is such reform must commence with its next of kin â the field shall this assuredly the second â nay the twin sport of racing in the esteem of englishmen long continue dependent upon chance for a supply of horses for its service impossible the period cannot be far distant in which the british thorough bred hunter will be as distinct a race and of as high renown as his were the pride of the turf mr â ft nation of its manhood may be while they are essential to the formation of a frame and character fitted for the maturity likely to be devoted to the wear and tear of our hardy rural sports driving and though neither of them strictly coming within the pale of a course of physical exercises still are not out of place in a practical book devoted to the science of manly because each is governed by certain rules which may be taught and acquired it is not so with the subjects the matter on which we are at present engaged a man may out study without being one whit the better qualified for winning a fifty pound plate off the line of a fox that has been headed or bringing down his in cover these are arts which being leave one part to theory and nine in favor of practice for this cause i have made my article on the turf of a character more suited to the purposes of the general reader than those of the visionary who may fondly hope to meet on page traced by mortal hands a for breeding training and managing an of or the chase however admits of a certain code of general it has if not limits at all events courses better defined than those of the turf and to the application of them by practical men of modem experience we will at once proceed assuming that a tolerable in has been attained before the young of to show at all with hounds he will do well to the first of his to hare hunting whether his future destination be that of a m f h or merely a of the light from heaven by the noble science as this little addresses itself more particularly to the latter it will be sufficient to point out what hunting be his aim in his early lessons of these the most essential to

49William Black

the formation of a good and the only one that will enable any man to live to the end of a severe run is that he cultivate the faculty of a quick eye to hounds with he will constantly have practice in this task the perpetual to which out of ten when chased resort will soon convince him of the necessity of keeping a wary look out for the line towards which the leading hounds incline he will have little difficulty in deciding with which portion of the pack or witli which individual of it the scent is if he only observe closely when there is any indication of a check the instant a hound catches the scent he will see him drop bis tail and spring to the front the one who has lost it his as if engaged in keeping his look out always upon the leaders and leaving the body of the pack to follow a similar system he turns his horse as he sees the chase lean and thus is going at his ease inside the circle around which others can hardly live at the best their can accomplish when a is coming past with hounds â particularly at check in a lane or road â get out of his way all you can the the pass the greater the necessity that you give room or hounds must break over the fence and so run the risk of patting up or crossing the line of another hare moreover horses on such occasions are apt to strike out at hounds and it is far from pleasant to be constituted by such a the observed of all in the matter of riding at fences with you will be more enabled to suit your practice to the individual case than when you come to ride alongside fox hounds with the former when any thing very crosses your you may look before you leap and this is no hunting whoever may choose to sneer at it let this too he an from which you never depart as far as regards the hounds when you are out with the jolly dogs hear and see and say nothing â so shall you earn golden opinions from the field in general and prevent much out pouring of wrath from the officials in particular it will serve you to hear in mind that in almost every difficulty of ground a horse can serve himself than you can assist him i do not mean to say that in heavy deep galloping you should not hold him together and if there he a or path at hand that you should not give him the advantage of it but in for instance where young has heen and the surface is covered with live give him his head let him pick his own way never touch his mouth with the bridle to guide him and you will find how rarely he will give a chance away thus in a rabbit the difficulty is doubled by the nervous man who attempts to steer his horse the is looking at one hole the at another and being diverted from the spot where he intended to place his foot puts it in where it was meant that he should not still however you may attempt it never charge ground of this nature without using the precaution of your pace i remember a well known rider who thought it impossible that he could be hurt once trying the experiment over a in the neighborhood of in and being assured of the affirmative in the first hundred yards by the of his collar bone and the of a shoulder with the common run of fences where the grip is from you go faster at them than when it lies on the side you take off from when they consist of live thorns and newly laid down take them whenever the chance presents itself y rising where the top of the thorn is laid as being the least capable of holding your horse s knees should they catch in rising at it in your it is hardly necessary to offer you any advice as to water as a general rule however it may as well be said here as elsewhere that in brook pace comes first and then judgment with a powerful you get over should your horse blunder somehow â if with a fall at the other side no matter less speed you to pick your ground better but it throws all the odds on the side of a cold bath should the span be wider than you calculated on or the bank be soft and let you in never take hold of horse s head till you feel that he is safely landed if there is a scramble for it and you pull at him but an it may turn the beam of his and in you go together young hands are prone to think that it is necessary to the acquisition of the reputation of a that they show in front throughout a run indeed i might have said this idea seems to hold with many who ought to be wiser the sooner the youthful this the better the chances are so multiplied and various against a good run that it is next to a miracle how a real ever from foil to which ground is everywhere exposed down to an infant of three years old that heads your on every side you are beset with risk even with a scent without it your becomes almost an impossibility and that is the time when more fatal than all other obstacles put together is to be seen in its degree there is your j ar who wiu be first the leader up at a check â the nuisance passes him even with hounds at fault without a moment s care for the mischief he must do the chase or what he may

49William Black

do himself let such as this hunting teach yon that which you should avoid acquire in youth the way you should go and in your maturity you will not depart from it we now come to the of the noble science and consider the entered to fox hunting it would be here to offer any upon a sport admitted by authorities allowing no question to be in a political as well as a social view a powerful moral engine in a letter now before me which i lately received from a gallant general himself a master of fox hounds he to a taste for the that characteristic manly daring which the officers of our service om those of any other of all field sports its claims are the most general upon the properties of manhood the tiger of the east may appeal more directly to the courage but with activity and physical endurance they have little or nothing to do but see the qualities that must combine to form the accomplished fox hunter he must be bold ready decisive capable of commanding and great bodily exertion he must join unity of purpose to of action of events that he may best turn them to advantage with a frame and a spirit alike competent to meet and oppose difficulties and dangers how and when they may him i would not have it supposed that i claim for the chase a higher station for enterprise than any other of the adventurous occupations in which we find mankind employed it would be absurd for an instant for example to compare it with that most exciting and magnificent of all the daring offices to which man has ever addressed himself â the south sea fishing but as a sport â an act to which pleasure alone him fox hunting has nothing at all bearing comparison with it in modern days to the present fashion of its details we will now turn our consideration i do not think it necessary here to enter into any foreign matter such as the nature and economy of the with which the field may be taken with reference to the country hunted or the number of days weekly to be devoted to its business we will suppose our young has completed all such arrangements in a fashion and proceed to the for which he has made preparation in this hard riding era it is regarded as a dashing style of going to cover by your to approach it as the crow would fly if he t go thither across country let him at all events avoid passing or riding too near any of the covers likely to be drawn during the day if they hold a good fox it is sure notice for him to quit for he is ever on the qui the result is should the hounds be thrown in they come upon a scent some hours old â crawl upon it over probably the cream of the country never come on terms with him and a capital day s sport is lost to a whole field by a selfish half hour s lark arrived at the place of meeting he should not address himself to the master if he hunt his own hounds or in the other case to the notwithstanding he may be on familiar terms with them beyond the mere exchange of a passing civility even then a man bent upon showing a good day s sport has his mind sufficiently engaged on the business before he is consulting temporary causes by which to be directed as to the particular cover to begin with and how it is to be drawn the point of wind the nature of the day the weather of the preceding week â all must be weighed and brought to assist his judgment a fox well found is always the most likely to be well accounted for but if with the master or be inconvenient before hounds are thrown off afterwards it becomes a positive impertinence it is no excuse for doing so that they are not actually engaged at the moment a having drawn without a find is probably waiting for some of his hounds at the same time he is with himself what cover he shall next try and how to get to it as the wind may affect the best lying in it for his fox he has also observed how his hounds have behaved and has orders to give to a whip as to the conduct of some one prone to riot or that a particular corner of the cover about being drawn shall be carefully watched in short success or failure are dependent on his management and how can he deliberate if he is to stand a general if it be a large cover keep within hearing of the hounds and this can only be effected by being down wind and should be done without any reference to the distance round which it may impose of course it is not intended that a man should take anything he can avoid out of his horse by galloping round a cover but let him keep on steadily opposite the hounds taking heed that he does not get so far forward as to heading back the fox and so his own and his neighbours sport this i only recommend where covers are very large and even then it may not be the best system in all cases where it is practicable i never throw a chance away by losing sight of hounds i remember some years ago meeting sir at village whence we trotted to a wood that skirts the high road to as we forward a friend overtook me me with you need not hurry yourself for they ll find nothing where they re going it has been beaten within an hour by a party of who have left nothing alive on four hunting legs within it

49William Black

yon may rely in ten the pack and field were best pace after a fox found in that same away for over a country like the cream of or in fox hunting depend solely upon yourself and keep with the pack even in going from cover to cover be with them circumstances frequently arise which induce a to abandon trying a place upon which he may have previously fixed and how often has a fox jumped out of a in the centre of a pack trotting away to look for a chance probably half a dozen miles off i in windy weather when hounds are in cover unless you draw it with them it is two to one you never get away at all and ten to one against a good start i i have had some experience of horses in my day and have ever found that of all ways of beating them the is that of trying to catch hounds laying aside the excite ment and energy produced by the music alongside of which they go sailing away in wild delight it must be remembered that the pace of fox hounds with a scent is equal to the best if not superior that any first class hunter possesses what sort of a then is it that you can expect to catch them with ten minutes law in calm weather also the danger of losing sight of hounds is by no means to be disregarded there are some days those which invariably carry the best scent when hounds will find and fly away like magic not one in the pack attempting to throw tongue here if the cover be large unless you have them in your eye the odds are you never get away and see what you loose â the excellence of the scent has stopped the cry the faster hounds go the less they say about it when in a large cover with hounds out of hunting sight depend upon your ear much rather than upon the movements of others you will constantly find men riding straight on end merely because the hounds were running so when they entered while very probably the fox has turned short and is already away with the pack at his brush in an opposite direction with a little patience and attention your ear will soon come to the of the line of hounds in cover it is well worth your while to take pains to acquire this art when you learnt it you will speedily find out the advantage it will confer upon your horse and yourself too it is by no means easy to lay down rules for that which so mainly depends upon circumstances but it may be convenient to offer a few examples upon which you may found a system for general application suppose for instance you have had a burst your fox and he has reached a large cover in which there are strong or beyond which lies a country too open for a blown fox to set his head for if the are open in he goes and there is an end of him if stopped he turns or to the right or left during this time brief as it may be you have your horse he gets his wind a minute in many cases will put him right after a very quick thing and you are fresh while your hard rider has been going best pace beyond the hounds and comes toiling after you in vain these points of practice however require good judgment and great of action you must know well how to distinguish between a cry that grows faint and fainter as a failing scent leads to a final check and one that from a crash at once becomes almost wholly lost as the pack flies to their fox with a view or a scent breast high you will no doubt at the commencement of your career hear a great deal about the influence the wind has upon tlie line of chase do not take all for gospel i have tried my hand at a few systems of the kind but only found one that admitted general when a fox on being takes np wind at first do not ride though the pace be first rate so as to take much out of your horse constantly after going a mile or so up wind turn and head back this will let jou in with a good start and a fresh and even should the chase hold on up wind you run little risk of being thrown out as you will have the cry to guide you and the puff in to enable you to get to them when the first is over one good of the hard riding of modem days is that hounds are much less with by strangers than they used to be when first i remember fox indeed i am not sure that too much etiquette does not now exist upon that point the total disappearance of the to the hunting whip seems like carrying a good thing rather too a fox breaks probably under your horse s nose out comes the pack none of the servants are at hand and they run a field or two from the cover before any one stops them or their own allows them to turn one crack of your whip would have saved all thai one thing you can do without your but you should be very careful how you do it i allude to a fox away never attempt to lift your voice till he is evidently bent on going and then give him at least a field s law or the odds are back he goes perhaps into the hounds mouths â when he is gone then clap your hand behind your ear and give the away r to the best of the lungs that are in you should he merely

49William Black

show for a moment outside and then pop in again give a â back v that it may be known where he was seen as well as that he is not away another service in this latter hunting is that all the points where it is likely he will try to break will be left clear for him if a fox is seen crossing a ride or path in in front of you pull np and if are at him as it wiu serve as a io the in drawing a cover you may give this signal should any fox cross you but if you have run him in be awake not to any but the hunted or you will have few thanks for your trouble a little experience will easily teach you the difference between one just and that which has stood any time before hounds not only will the former be sleek and but the method of going be very a fresh fox bounds off throwing his hind legs dear from him and his whole frame from the tip of his nose to that of his brush as as an arrow if hunted and at all blown or beaten his action is labored like that of a rocking horse his back is curved his brush drooping and the ears thrown back all the fire for which when found his eye is so remarkable and exchanged for an air of cunning and subdued resolution i am fur from any design of you to interfere with the business of a pack of fox hounds that you may be either in the habit of hunting with or one that you may merely meet by accident occasionally still there are instances in which to withhold all assistance would be to put the chance of sport in and in which the true lover of the chase ought to act first and think afterwards should any for example so find you that at you catch a that the does not or cannot hear contrive so to place yourself between the and the hounds that you may be heard by or pack and so lead them on the line that the proceeds from i repeat however that these and similar must be offered with due discretion the may be a false one â but had you gone to make inquiries you too would hare been out of hearing â the points of fox hunting require temporary and local and a head piece to direct all mere physical will make an accomplished fox combined with judgment they are very excellent for him who would shine in the chase est nt sit in in riding to hounds it will essentially serve you if you bear in mind what ninety nine out of a hundred seem never to give a thought to namely that the pack only upon the line of country which a fox is likely to take independent of the point which it is assumed he will make for he a hundred other things to avoid as well aa the enemies on his trail he settles his point he must also get to it unseen unless beaten and all but run into he will give a wide berth to any thing like the habitation of man as well as man himself thus by keeping your eye well before you there is a chance that the turn hounds will take may be so for anticipated that you avoid riding outside of their circle it has been well said that when hounds are running a man ought to consider what under the circumstances in which things happen to be he would do were he the fox i offer you better counsel by such a principle you will be enabled to foresee a check should you detect any thing in the line that the chase is taking however far ahead â and if you have a knowledge of the country you will calculate such chances almost to a certainty in a district with which you are acquainted the line a fox takes n found will you to judge whether he has been before hunted and if he has the odds are he runs the again in you may fairly assume that he is accustomed to be stirred by the ring he takes the points he tries the he uses in the fences and similar which should be the business on which you are intent from the moment the hounds are thrown in more than once it has been my good fortune to secure a run for a sporting field by keeping a clear look out upon the matter at issue and ri when a long series of covers drawn blank and such have sent one half of the morning s muster home while the other had taken to the resort of c and gossip as an instance of this several years with the when mr had them we had been at it from the hour of meeting till past three in november too and no luck having trotted on to our last hope for the day it was tried and pronounced â already twilight had commenced the outside the cover was blowing his horn the pack and home was the order of march i had watched the gathering with care and as we were already trotting from the side of the it struck me that an old and favorite was missing i called the s attention to it there was a pause â a faint was heard in the still valley â anon it opened into a cry hark to it t â the pack flew to the challenge â there was a mighty crash in a minute a fox broke away in sight of every man who had had the patience to await the last throw on the a burst of minutes was the result without a pull from best pace and we turned him up in the

49William Black

open just as the parish lantern gave us notice to look out for there exists in some masters of hounds a disposition to keep back such men as when hounds are in chase hunting the they take in their line it is not my to to the powers that be but certainly i cannot second that principle either with reference to those who adopt it or those to whom it is intended to apply when a hunted fox has reached a cover not only is it the best way to cheer to him that they should not feel themselves but also the noise made by men following them is the most likely way to make a fresh fox break without any of the getting on him i have seen a fox crawl into cover dead beat and already in the mouths of the pack the and a whip followed them â the was given â the master and the rest of the field waited on the outside they remained in patience till ten minutes had elapsed surely said an old hand at last they are doing more than him with all that hark it has got to the opposite side of the wood â by heavens they re away with a fresh fox and so they were and they killed him at the end of forty minutes without a check and without a sight of them ever being caught save by the servants who had followed to lift the fox that had crawled dead beat into the cover i have thus attempted to sketch for the young of the noble science a slight code of of general application for the principles of practice to direct him in the constantly cases which admit of no rule save that arising out of individual circumstances he must rely upon himself under this general head of i have not thought it necessary to enter upon any varieties of the chase save those of the fox and the hare as a rural sport is limited to a very few districts and for its pursuit requires only a knowledge of and a quick eye to a fox hunting and hare i have treated with reference only to the points of practice apply to the convenience of those who select them as of this work in its nature is it to deal with the elements of our manly exercises and so far to treat of our national sports of and shooting its office is to instruct the leaving the higher classes to volumes of more with this view of its purpose i have brought the subject of the chase to the limit which i designed for it it is a truly manly â a noble sport long may it be cherished and in our land the qualities which it calls into action are those which confer honor on manhood â courage activity and decision surely these are rare properties in which to exercise a youth and these the chase will and while to such as require that a moral attach to every occupation of life it has this to recommend it that in riding to hounds this great truth is â honesty is the best policy bo a sure to him the possession of a perfect apparatus and that eventually on the most economical terms let him go for every article of his to the most celebrated artist in the item of which he has need it is true that compared with the scale of prices in the provinces the charges of the first rate london are startling things upon paper and so are those made by of the same class indeed the same may be said of the rate of demand common to the leading of the metropolis but he will find that an economical friend of mine who was recently in ordered of one of the most respectable in a travelling chariot the price with the usual et being two hundred and fifty pounds here it would have cost him three hundred or three hundred and twenty just aa it was completed he was ordered home and his new bargain broke down with him fourteen times between liverpool and london as a contrast to this an old sporting associate never particularly distinguished for his recently showed me a pair of shooting shoes for which he paid two guineas that he has had in constant work for sixteen years i no record has been preserved of the number of times they have had new the only portions of these phenomena however are their their bodies appear to be immortal to return to the of the young to the honors of the although i set out with supposing him equipped with the best double that money can procure from a maker of known character and all other mechanical for the field a proper management and judicious arrangement of them is by no means to be obtained upon the condition of those mechanical his success depends quite as much as the a to which he may in the use of them whether that department be in the hands of a game keeper folly competent to all its details or there be an actual ne for the master s eye to direct it a knowledge of the most approved means will be found equally essential in any art or science requires an intimacy with the whole machinery of its economy it was this that made an emperor a in a and should induce every to himself with the particulars bearing upon his craft to this end i will give a few rules derived as well from personal experience as from some of the most approved authorities on the subject that have appeared in print gun cleaning â use cold water for the purpose of the barrel and finish by pouring in boiling water taking care to stop the touch hole shake it up and down well and drain it

49William Black

from the which will dear the chamber the hot water greatly the process of drying â one of the most important parts of gun after the washing is concluded by looking down barrel with the touch hole open you will be enabled to see into the chamber and ascertain whether it be cleared out or otherwise the of the barrel of course must be the by which the person in cleaning it will be decided should it require to be to remove powder on its sides very fine sand and hot water should be used and care taken to it out thoroughly at the last with boiling water to clear the chamber of anything that may have been driven into it by the washing rod the material in ordinary use for gun cleaning is tow to which there is the objection that are apt to become detached from it and lodge in the chambers to prevent any chance of this kind i would shooting the of cloth which will be found to answer the purpose quite as well being at the same time free from all such hazard it is a bad habit to fall into that of laying by your gun loaded let the charge be drawn after the day s work if you have had but a few shots the less trouble there will be in the cleaning a mere and a good drying will be enough should your gun contain an old charge when you go out do not put your faith in it the odds are all in of its hanging fire it off first drawing the shot and load again while the barrels are warm your touch holes wipe your locks within and without and if you cannot command success afterwards you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have taken the best course to it every time you load observe whether your touch hole be free it is but a moment s occupation and a certain security against a monstrous annoyance â missing fire probably at one of your best chances during the day in all cases of hanging or missing fire the seat of the disease is the touch hole or chamber if your cap has exploded to these apply the remedy i speak only with reference to as they have now become so very universal of course when a flint gun is used the mischief may be caused by a flint your last act should be when the day s sport is over before you enter the house to let down the springs of your locks the less stress you keep upon them the more power and they will retain this is the plan to make one lock wear out the best barrel powder â the names of most of the great of are now sufficient for the excellence of the article bearing their signs purchase your supply from any respectable house and you will be secure that it is genuine beyond the you need not h seek your then must be to preserve l e by putting it into closely and sealed after first having carefully dried it â a process foi which colonel gives this excellent powder should always be dried in order to do which make two or three plates very hot before the fire and first taking care to wipe them well lest any of should to them keep constantly shifting the powder firom one to the other without allowing it to remain sufficiently long in either to cool the plate the powder wiu then be more effectually and more dried than by the more common means of using only me which the powder by lying on it soon makes cold and therefore the plate requires to be two or three times heated nothing can be added to this save the that the tion be formed at such a distance from the â re as to prevent the possibility of a spark or reaching you the way is to dry your powder in one room and to heat your plates in another shot â here is a division of my subject much less disposed of than the last the selection of shot is a question upon which many of the best authorities are at issue some deal with it only in reference to the game for which it is intended others consider it merely as having relation to the length and of the barrel for which it is required i recommend the middle course â mu colonel tells us that it is not so much the magnitude of the as the force with which it ib driven that does the execution no one can accord more cheerful than i do to the of that first rate s opinions but i cannot allow my admiration to my common sense or to to this with a swan drop you break the leg of wild or red deer but any force known to the science of accomplish it with a grain of number or dust shot the should be to suit your number to your game â the exception to your gun and its taking the average size at which pieces are now made and the general character of english sporting i have no hesitation in saying that there are very few instances in which number will not be found to answer the purposes of a da s shooting it is not the power to penetrate that fills the bag many a bird carries off a quarter of an of lead in his body but break his wing and what can he do then the advocate of small shot the increased e which it covers and the increased chances in favor of its but to hit your bird and to bring him down are two very different things catch him anywhere with a good sized and the odds are that he comes to bag stuff him with dust and he

49William Black

flies away with a whole charge unless it has encountered a vital part it is to be remembered that i am not here addressing my observations to first rate masters of the â to such professors as or i have not deemed it necessary to go into the relative merits of shot upon such minute as the increased motion of the larger and the like in an like this the length of my design only extends to offering the best general hints that suggest themselves to me as to the service of the to such then i say in all ordinary cases make use of number never go higher for a jack will often fly away with the full of a of number in his body if however your sport lies exclusively in the thick or where only very long shots are likely to be had supply yourself with numbers or but at the same time take care to provide a long and heavy gun that will throw them and not in and caps â guns have now been so long in general use that the familiarity thus produced with the various properties and kinds of the very general perfection to which these invaluable of the have attained they are to be had of an almost uniform excellence at au the respectable in town and country â here again is a matter on which you will find a vast variety of opinion some get rid of it altogether by the new system of upon this point i do not wish to offer any of the results of my own limited experience i have shot with these and with average success â a low average i admit for i have no pretensions to the name of a crack they are however worth the experiment of a trial though i am disposed to believe the success or failure of it will much depend upon the accidental properties and effects of the materials submitted to the test to return to the sort of which may best serve those who still to the old system of mere powder and shot after the various claims of paper hat card and leather colonel gives the preference to â the thickness to increase in the of the of the barrel the best that have ever come under my notice are cherry s prepared suited to every they are from felt which has undergone a process that prevents the of damp after firing and are to be procured at any s for the cost of the materials in ordinary use these i do recommend and i am sure those who accord them a trial will have no reason to regret it they cover the powder effectually and offer but little resistance h to the which is all that is required of mr cherry would improve upon his invention by piercing the intended to cover the shot as it would the operation of while the made the distinction hy carrying those for the powder in his left hand and those for the shot in his right the powder â it is strange that among the many ingenious improvements effected in the implements of the the powder certainly the most important of all should have been left in its present dangerous condition i am aware that an attempt and a praise worthy one was made some years ago by mr egg to reduce the chances of accident which the present construction of the but i ask why has not some contrivance without any of the old in it been suggested and effected in the shot belt the is wholly detached where no risk at all events would follow were it otherwise â whereas when with powder the with the attached is introduced into the of the gun so that should it by any accident become an explosion and most probably a fatal one of the whole as a matter of consequence however to deal with it as you find it with proper precaution when you fill your let back the spring gradually that no chance may be given away in the event of a bit of flint or any substance that might throw out a spark being struck by it never lose sight of the material which your contains let nothing induce you to fire with it in your hand if a chance shot offer while you are a discharged barrel throw it behind you if there is not time to return it to your pocket â i have not thought it necessary to occupy any of my limited space with the shot belt because it is so shooting md at the same time bo in that the merest cannot be astray in the use of it not so is it with the important office â that of your aright although it is impossible to lay down any for it to every case experience alone will enable you so to proportion your charge that you shall come at the full powers of which your gun is capable the the length the weight â all must be taken into account and provided for for the ordinary run of pieces the following is a fair proportion â a that holds an and a half of shot may be filled to the brim with powder which will serve to load with as also to prime the same measure filled up with shot will constitute your charge of lead by these proportions you can thus the of your and against this system it is by the particular that it is a bad one in reference to powder which is without regard to weight only the force being considered these are however into which i do not desire to introduce the he will have enough to do with the more immediate affairs of preparing his nerves forming a judgment upon sight and distance and laying a foundation upon a basis of right principle and prompt

49William Black

performance without which he will have little business upon that to which i am about to introduce him after a long but still a necessary preface shooting the field â unless where some positive mental or physical exists a certain degree excellence and dexterity in every art and science is open to such as seek with care and perseverance thus although from natural causes every man cannot to the honor of becoming a crack shot there is scarcely any that may not acquire the art of shooting tolerably well the sooner the essay is made the better the chance of its success and as my pupil is supposed to be in this condition i proceed without further introduction to offer such practical rules and as may best serve to promote the end he should have in view that of becoming cautious in the management and steady in the use of his gun the first step assuming the to be a complete will be to acquire the proper mode of putting his gun to his shoulder and of bringing the sight to bear upon a particular object â the latter only to be rightly accomplished with the and sight on a level having attained this preliminary let him take a flint gun with a piece of wood for the flint and practise at the object so situated always remembering to pull the the moment the sight is on the mark â a precaution he will find the vast advantage of as he comes to apply it to flying shots after a practise so conducted till the eye ceases to when the is drawn he may begin to load with half charges and continue to practise at his object occasionally without his knowledge small charges of shot being added so that he shall strike his mark without the nervous excitement of feeling that he is making the attempt the great point â that of combined with self confidence â being arrived at he may now try his hand at small birds but even after he has become at these he has still another ordeal to go this is the tremor at the springing of game whether a pack of a of or a solitary cock which indeed often makes as startling a flight as either in this case it will serve him greatly to return to the system he began with and to cover his game without the nervous apprehension of a miss while at this practice he may begin to use himself to cover with both eyes open the advantage of which he will boon when he to quick shooting being tolerably au at these points of practice for perfection can only result from long experience whence come skill and judgment it will be necessary that he bear in mind those rules for rightly his purpose when his game is moving must shoot before an object that crosses his point of sight high for a bird rising in its flight or the surface between the ears of or running in a straight line from him â being guided of course in every case by the distance between him and the mark at which he aims for example if a bird range forty yards from him calculating the of its speed of wing he may safely aim six inches before it no fixed rules however can be laid down where the of powder a dull or lively shooting gun and high winds and fifty other et are opposed to a system one principle he may always adopt success and that is to fix his eyes on the mark he has selected and fire the instant the gun is brought to bear upon it it is very difficult to say at what distance a bird may be which can be called a fair shot because it rests with so many forty yards are generally considered as point blank range but it will often be found easier to bring down game at fifty than at thirty yards the wind as in cross shots and various causes â all the result of temporary accident â must be taken into account you will always have a better chance to kill long cross shots than those approaching or flying from you it is very hard to do execution upon birds with a and in coming towards you they present a surface off which shot is very apt to glance without penetrating i have said nothing about the hold of his gun most con shooting for the to himself to because in whatever manner it may be put into his hands at first he is sure ultimately to adopt a style of his own arising from natural causes or habits almost as forcible the nearer it is placed to the guard the less risk is run should a barrel burst the grasp of the stock more forward affords the greatest facility in bringing the gun to bear upon its object and more firmness of position while i am on the mechanical portion of the young s or rather things to be acquired i do not think a better opportunity can be chosen to introduce a few hints upon a more state of practice some may at the time of them be unfit to receive what may be termed finishing lessons when you are about taking a cross shot at a long range fire well before it j om one to three feet according to the speed with which the bird is and let your gun be thrown above the object the same rule must direct you in firing at or whether it be a cross shot or one in a right line it is a most mischievous practice as far as re ds your day s sport to make much noise in the field however strong the provocation from the of your dogs or any cause whatever should your prove i would rather recommend you when they have

49William Black

sprung a to cause them to be taken up and then walk yourself as near as you can to the spot where you saw it drop should the birds rise singly or by the brace continue to beat and shoot while you think one remains it will be time enough to look after the slain that cannot when you make sure of the living this plan may be successfully adopted when there is not scent enough to prevent the dogs from running in upon their game in marking your shooting down remember they cannot fall so long aa they to they cannot alight till they stop and prepare for the by a flapping of the wings i not advise yon to begin beating for even in september before nine o clock and then from it at noon from three till is the golden division of the day at that season for the if your ground happen to lie in the vicinity of that have been shot over during the day you will be certain to meet the of scattered of all chances the most sure to fill your game bag with however when they are to be sought in strong covers particularly your system must be almost reversed as the day advances these birds resort to the and strongest lying that the frequented by them afford when beating in the early morning after rain you will generally find them in the skirts of covers or in the adjacent in such cases always contrive to place yourself between them and the strong old woods to these they are certain to fly â instinct teaching them that there they are most sheltered and secure in shooting all you have to attend to is the situation of the best opens and such sides of the covers intended to be beaten as the direction of the wind and tlie ordinary resort of the game point out as the most judicious stations but when about to engage in a single handed da s sport you will require a more disposition and closer attention to the manner of your in this latter case your best assistant will be a steady old one that will range near you work round every piece of and and into every nook and well broke he must be so as to fall at shot and down on in his birds in a such as this it would be impossible to give shooting the of for the classes of game and wild fowl shooting before however i close mj address to the young of the i will offer him a few familiar hints on a division of his craft neither the least in importance or interest â namely his relation to his best ally and friend the dog i am not going to suggest the species best suited to general shooting as so very much depends upon the country to be hunted and the chance that may direct selection but whether or you will find your account in making such as you intend for in the field your ordinary associates and companions try the experiment by committing one of a litter entirely to the and retaining another when the general of his education have been acquired constantly with yourself and at every opportunity subjected to gentle but firm discipline and you will soon discover which is the better plan adopt the same system wit h a perfectly made hunter â a master of his business and you will soon find out the difference of being served by one who from habit will be enabled to understand your looks and another who at best will have to puzzle out your wishes or require to have them announced at the hazard of flushing half the game in the parish with this parting word on the social economy of shooting the last of those notices of our field which the thought it convenient to appear in this volume and the treatment of which he confided to me if his purpose has been fulfilled my desire will be accomplished â the wish to please being our unity of design the little talent the writer possesses at all events will not have failed from lack of anxiety to accomplish his task what is writ is writ â would it were index balance step its object to teach the free of the a d steady the body in walking s and action in its importance in all and sports utility of and manner of using ao s system of swimming carriages their and variety in london brilliancy in park carrying weight in chase hints on the of the drawing a cover chariot race poetical description of a climbing kinds of explained d accidents to coach horses their cost best strength treatment hints for harness of management in harness their and hints for night strength of different of men day description of a s dog familiar hints for on the throwing the dragging wheels driving historical sketch o mounting and the seat the paces the time the thorough passing o in ascending and descending comparison of english and german modes of and stops accidents in drowned persons treatment of apparently notice o extension motions used in the sword exercise fox hunting the required in the not to be interrupted keep with the pack for finding the hounds if out of sight the i n la of the fox may be fore â een a day with tho â s the in a guards on hall management of the in the field o of the and on english and modes oi head sir on horses in horse the and and treatment oi places of accidents e to following to essential in the how may be at fences in brook jumping in drawing a cover in indian club as practised in the army new portion from indian leaping how performed management of the breath the high leap with a the high

49William Black

leap without a the long leap the deep leap general instructions in leaping in leaping with a pole the high leap the long leap the deep leap the position of the body in manly exercises and their utility in and the frame s compass described games shooting caps physical in regard to health a medium to be observed opinion of and on general directions in position of the body in standing s and of the feet in standing powder col s for drying the in the of a popular in of i and henry james i the founder of legitimate english the first introduced into the breed of horses by course at horse question of origin discussed derived â rom exploits of best position of the body in horse and mounting and the seat the balance the bein hold the correspondence the action the hand the guidance or the walk the trot the the leaping critical situations in at fences in hunting hints for improving bowing to leave the landing place the pull the tide or current to turn meet pass and land index its sailing position of the in action in in moderate in effects of sports hy the english sailing clubs npon the thames sailing general directions c fr sea explained shooting gun powder shot directions for choosing size of construction of the instructions in dress dangers in stage cost and method of working strength comparative of different swimming its preparatory instructions action of the hands and feet place and time in entering the water usual mode of front in upright back de floating plunging thrusting springing with one arm in sword exercise first three of training its importance in relation to health opinion of the mental powers improved by principles of practice of the modem practice time required in turf historical of the explained straight forward vessel description of the various parts of a the deck sails ac for guns walking its utility as an exercise general of the three different times slow moderate in steps m use of the balance step in w ht carrying in whip directions for using the in coach driving club i c fancy colored boards bound in six volumes cloth gilt half calf and c published bt j w and chestnut street opposite the state house p h x jn n â x p x â â â tbe is the of the edition and is superior as fuu is to this series is mainly addressed to that numerous class whose hare been educated by the improved and the popular lectures and of the last twenty years and who may now be presumed to a higher kind of literature than can be obtained through the existing cheap contents of volumes i no the family the of a tale education of the citizen the the sunken a tale popular cultivation of music volume the movement washington and his a tale of the th century of central america the ivory mine a tale secret societies of modern europe francis volume no social the a tale and the recent discoveries in the white a tale institutions thomas volume v the family the black pocket a tale â very day life of the lady st a tale science of ihe sir robert fo volume v secret societies of the middle ages brook and the last of the education movement the queen of a tale life in central william volume vi t the and its pre discovery of a tale public and van s land the lone a tale religion of the a biography vii water supply of towns ancient the lost the life in an the law of storms s a tale the of daniel de foe volume vm ocean and his life at life at concluded the a tale ancient philosophic the wonders of human folly lady mary ix no recent art and the the lost a tale of poets and poetry the deserts of africa temple electric a biography volume x ancient and mysteries and the or the rash reply childhood or philosophy the temptation and the thomas volume xi the of animal instincts and intelligence realized a tale and new tower of and the of the and associations lord volume railway communication the of or the what is philosophy european intercourse with the half caste a tale the progress of america the duke of notices of the one of the and best of the useful knowledge of the day â literary world every family in the land should possess a set of these evening post we commend this series of fireside books with no tone of praise they are in their moral tone and of varied interest â southern lit every choice library should possess these papers â a a good book for family fireside reading and a great deal of instruction in an agreeable and popular manner â american and s of coal including employed in arts and with their and commercial distribution and amount of production and consumption on the american continent with of the iron manufacture by r c f g s l c c second edition and brought down to by s s of natural science c vol vo colored maps and plates the scientific american a new edition of s of coal is published by j w of philadelphia when the first edition was published a few years ago its thorough scientific character and accurate information at once brought new to its able author the passed a high upon it and with no part of it have we ever heard a fault mentioned this edition is and brought down to by professor s s the venerable author departed this life in it is chiefly devoted to the coal and iron natural resources of america and no american we assert can have a proper idea of the vast internal resources of his country and be ignorant of the contents of this book no library public or private can

49William Black

es them whoever reads will acknowledge a charm of every day truth which must bo always potent to work the heart into alternate and indignation th d by or the red well the following story owes nothing to any or invention of mine it is a true one and to me possesses a and melancholy interest from my intimate knowledge of the man whose fate it holds up as a moral lesson to i knew him well and many a day and hour have i about his knee and ran in my round path when as lie said to himself the world was no trouble to him on the south side of a sloping tract of light ground lively warm and productive stood a white moderate sized farm house which in consequence of its situation was a d by and wo may a graceful object in the landscape of which it formed a part the spot it stood was a terrace the soil of which was and than that of the adjoining lands on each side of the house stood a of old the only of that species then remaining in the country these extended behind the house in a kind of angle with opening at their termination to form a vista through which its white walls with beautiful effect in the calm splendor of a summer evening above the on which it stood rose two steep hills overgrown with and on their tops which were clothed with purple heath they were also covered with patches of and studded with gray rocks which sometimes rose singly or in larger pointed or rounded into curious and fantastic shapes exactly between these hills the son went down during the month of june and nothing could be in finer relief than the rocky and picturesque outlines of their sides as crowned with thorns and of wild ash they appeared to the valley whose d by the red well green foliage was gilded by ihe sun beams wliich lit up the scene into radiant beauty the bottom of this natural chasm whit h opened against the deep crimson of the evening sky was nearly upon a level with the and completely so with the that it brightly did the sinking sun fall npon their tops whilst the neat white house below in their quiet shadow sent up its wreath of smoke among their branches itself an emblem of contentment industry and innocence it was in fact a lovely situation perhaps tlie brighter to me that its remembrance is associated with day of happiness and freedom from the cares of a world which like a distant as we approach it and only us m to climb its rugged and barren paths there was to the south west of this house another little that ended in a precipice formed by a single rock some thirty feet high over which a crystal a basin worn in its hard bed below from basin the stream murmured away through the co n oo l until it joined a larger thai d by os passed with a winding a fine extent of meadows adjoining it across the foot of this and past the door of the house we have described ran a bridle road from time on which as the ascended it towards the house he appeared to track his way in h o d for a arose at its head out of the earth and spread itself in a crimson stream over the path in every spot whereon a foot mark could be made from this circumstance it was called or the red well in the meadow where the terminated was another spring of crystal and clearly do i remember the eve beaten pathway that led to it through the grass and up the green field which rose in a gentle slope to the happy looking house of m for so was the man called who resided under its peaceful roof i will not your pardon gentle reader for dwelling at such length upon a scene so to my heart as this because i write not now so much for your gratification as my own many an eve of gentle may have i the which grow about that well and over d by the red well that smooth meadow often have i raised voice to the pitch that i might hear its echoes in the bottom of the green and still where silence so to speak was deepened by the continuous murmur of the above and when the uttered her first note from among the on its side with what trembling anxiety did i an of some eight or nine years look under my right foot for the white hair whose charm was that by keeping it about me the first female name i should hear was destined i believed in my soul to be that of my future wife sweet was the song of the and mellow the whistle of the as they rose in the stillness of evening over the and green of this secluded spot of rural beauty par too could the rich voice of m be heard along the hills and meadows as with a little at his knee and another in his arms he sat on a bench beside his own door singing the mn his native irish whilst his wife with her two such is the â ia it believed d by or maids each a low sat before the door the cows whose sweet breath mingled its perfume with the warm breeze of evening m was descended from a long line of honest ancestors whose names had never ia the memory of man been by the commission of a mean or action they were always a kind hearted family but stern and proud in the common intercourse of life they believed themselves to be and probably were a b n of the more stock and only ti e of a small farm

49William Black

it wa s n to observe the effect which this con t on p d upon their bearing and t t m ht perhaps be attributed the and integrity for which they were remarkable this severity however was no proof that they wanted feeling or were insensible to the misery and sorrows of others ia all the little cares and that the peaceful neighborhood in which they lived they were ever the first to console or if necessary to support a distressed neighbor with the means which god had placed in their d by possession for being industrious they were seldom poor their words were few but sincere and generally promised less tbe honest hearts that dictated them intended to perform there is in some persons a hereditary of just principle the result neither of nor of a clear sense but rather a kind of instinctive honesty which like a b ai from father to son ng every m of the family it la to till or to its due tion in tl e scale of human it in the midst of the i and influences the in the absence of better such wai the impress which so strongly the family f which i peak no one would ever think of a act to tlie nor any per on w lie i f i moment to consider their word it good n the bond of another i do not to say however that their motives of action were nut er than this honesty far f om it but i say that they it in tl to g fee ng of family pride and a correct knowledge of their moral duties d by oh i can only take up m at that part of the past to which my memory extends he was then a tall fine looking young man silent but kind one of the earliest events within my recollection is his wedding after that the glimpse of his state and circumstances are imperfect but as i grew up they became more connected and i am able to remember him the father of four children an industrious farmer beloved respected and honored no man rise be it over so early who would not find up before him no man could anticipate him in an early crop and if a widow or a sick acquaintance were unable to get in their harvest was certain to collect the neighbors to assist them to be the first there himself with quiet benevolence them to a zealous performance of the friendly task in which they were engaged it was i believe soon after his marriage that the lease of the farm held by him expired until that time he had been able to live with perfect independence but even the enormous rise of one pound per acre though it deprived him in a great degree of his usual comforts did d by tile red not sink him below the bare necessaries of life for some years after that he could still serve a deserving neighbor and never was the hand of m held back from the wants and of those whom he knew to be honest i remember once an upon which a widow applied to him for a loan of five pounds to prevent her two cows from being for half a year s rent of which she only wanted that sat at dinner with his family when she entered the house in tears and as well as her agitation of mind permitted gave him a detailed account of her the o god be upon all here said she on entering the o that to you replied s wife won t you sit in an be â here s a beside come over only nodded to her and continued to eat his dinner as if he felt no interest in her distress sat down at a distance and with the corner of a red handkerchief to her eyes shed tears in that bitterness of feeling which d by lo or marks the of honest industry under the pressure of calamity iii the name o goodness said mrs m what you sure â god spare him to you â wouldn t be dead glory be to god no but it ud be the black sight an the black day that ud see my brave boy the staff of our support an the bread of our month taken away from â no no dear it s not that bad yet i hope we ll never live to see his manly head laid down before us twas his own indeed brought it an him â the sack when he was home our last from the mill for you see he should do it the to show his an the sack when he got it an was too heavy for him the small of his hack for his you see are too an hadn t time to fill np yet no glory be to god he s and the poor creature s eyes with delight through her tears and the darkness of her affliction â whatever quantity of grain is to tha mill to be ground on one occasion d by the red well a word when finished the oa her son rose and taking her forcibly by the shoulder set her down at tiie table oa which a large of potatoes had been spread out with a circle in the middle for a dish of and eggs into which dish every right hand of those about it was thrust with a quickness that clearly illustrated the principle of competition as a to action spare breath said her rather upon the seat an take share of what s goin when all s cleared off we ll hear you but the son a word till then said the poor woman yon the same man still sure we all your ways i ll strive to i ll strive â

49William Black

to you an the lord bless you an yours an may you never be as i an my are this sorrowful day and she accompanied her words by a flood of without the slightest sympathy withdrew himself from the table not a muscle of his face was moved but as tile cat came about his feet at the time he put his foot under d by oh her and her as easily as possible to the lower end of the kitchen what harm did the do asked his wife that yoa d her for that way an why but you ate out your dinner done he replied but that s no that an you an boys that has the work afore them shouldn t finish your male s mate poor thought that l y his withdrawing he had already d the object of her visit and of course concluded that her chance of succeeding was very slender the wife who guessed what she wanted as well as the nature of her suspicion being herself as affectionate and obliging as to the subject in order to give her aa opportunity of proceeding an out o the common is a to you said she or you wouldn t be in the state you re in the lord look down on you this day you poor â the father of your to stand up for you an your only other laid on the broad of his back all as one as a d by the r ed well trust to him that can be a husband to you an a father to â trust to him an his blessed mother in this day an never fear but they ll rise lip a for you ate your dinner as you ought to do your how can you take a in your hand npon that morsel finish your own said her husband an never heed me let alone don t yon see that if i wanted it i d ate it an what more would you have about well it s your own loss sure of a an whisper what can or i do for you it would be a bad day we d see you at a for a friend for you never else nor a civil neighbor yourself an him that s gone before â the lord make his bed in heaven this day â was as good a warrant as ever broke bread to a friend if it was at the hour of midnight ah i when i had him exclaimed the dis is at o or more speaking which it means d by widow i never had occasion to ble friend or neighbor but he s gone an now it s otherwise me â glory be to god for his â a why thin i speak an has no other to go toâ hat somehow i doubt looks dark i d put my hand to a stamp if my word wouldn t do for it an sign the blessed that saved us for the payment of it or i d give it to him in for i hear you want some â it is an a or grain never went a â indeed it s it that s the beauty all out if it s good seed you want what is it for woman alive inquired as he kicked a three legged stool out of his way what is it for is it sure my two brave cows is me m the driver ia over me an has them ready to set off i reared them both the two of them my own hands that knows my voice an would come to me from the comer o the field is goin au we will d by the bed well my poor sick have â but the black or tlie besides the of them bein lost to us for the rent or a small of it of an odd time for poor next to god i have no friend to upon but yourself said as if astonished that s enough now do you think â hut woman come boys you re all done out yoa to your an finish that before night â hut tut i have it all but five pounds an for the sake of him that s in his grave â an that maybe is able to pat up his prayer for you an what would you want me to do for you to sit down an finish your din ner when it s before you i m goin to get an odd that s somewhere about this for i must weed out that bit of before night a and as he spoke he passed into another room as if he had altogether forgotten her and in a few minutes returned â ap the of the â â a march a boundary f in â lu c used to the from being by the d by oe less be you sure an many a one o them you have any how well well it s low days mc to be upon the little that reared me ever thought it ud come to this you know i m a father s child an i have stooped to yon m â what i d scorn to do to any other but yourself â poor an as i stand here before yon let take the cows thin from my children but the father of the will support an me but it s well for tlie o that their landlord lives at home among themselves for may the heavens look down on me i wouldn t know where to find mine if one sight of him ud save me an my from the gravel the agent even he lives iu an how could i lave my sick boy an small by themselves to go a hundred miles an maybe not see him after

49William Black

all little hopes i d have from him even if i did he s paid for in his rents but it s well known he wants tlie touch of for the suffering of the poor an of them that s honest in their d by the red i ll go over you if that will be of any replied come i ll go an to frank m the blame i blame him replied his bread s upon the likes of an he can t get over it but a word from yoa will save me for who ever refused to take the word of a m when and the widow arrived at the house of the latter they found the situation of the in the extreme her eldest son who had been confined to bis bed by a hurt received in his back was up and had got the unfortunate driver who was rather old in between the and the wall where his cracked voice â for lie was â was raised to the highest pitch calling for beside him was a large tub half filled with water into which the little ones were carried at the top of their speed from a before the door in the meantime was at the with all hie strength â fortunately for that personage it was but little â with the most sincere of him into the tub which contained d by t der or m l m t id b ir t t m k b t f th i h t f t l t m tb g b m t ly tt tl tl t hj my h d p at t ht th t a h h f il d t u h f h w t f ly p h d k th t wh h tb s thb t p d fl td j mb i i p i f t p t tow n d t k h p t f m t t tm h t ly tl t t tl tb t th y m ht id ff t tb h d di hm m tl m a f th es ra t i fill b j h ip ih m th do pi s on which with the empty vessel in bis band ha flew towards them his little features distorted by glee and ferocity wildly mixed up together oh ho ha ha â don t iu yet don t come in till an an the gets the l well have tiie it full lot an jack tb out of him an t ti n the n hook from nd the c to t it il out his neck and the widow with all rt l a t the moment when frank s head d for tl e first time into the vessel la it goin to him ve are â a id oven a j ho ae with a tl at him to the opposite of the back ye pack of young de ds at let the man up what did he come to lo ut hi duty i tell you if you at yourself ai in full tl at have the man hood on you where yoa stand and is ought to do for t there et me replied the lad his and his veins swollen pass on i don t care if i did it would be no s e an no d to hang for the like of h m ai enter to do that than stale a of t or a of straw rate in the meantime the bad ft his d by or head out of the water and presented a which it wm impossible to view with gravity the widow s prevented her from it in a but s severe face assumed a grave smile as the man shook himself and attempted to comprehend the nature of hia situation the young who liad fallen back at the appearance of and the widow now burst into a peal of mirth in which however whose passions had been roused did nut join m said the widow i take the mother of heaven to witness that it my heart to see get in my place an i wouldn t for the best cow i have that a happened c f but i ll make you suffer for down this upon my head an me had enough over it afore i don t care replied whoever comes to take our property from us an os to work will suffer for it do yon think i d see at their an our cows in a pound for no â f b mj soul and d by tee red well h t l hang n to me but i il s to the sc the fir t man that them at all i m sorry for t s tint the t landlord h d that near me that a our thanks for p v a good n an y to h m a h s n t a n agent an ot to that same ut to h s n us oi s des the n may hard fortune d h m for a may tell i n th r k â that i w best plan s to keep clear of the co sure ts a he b they a we most be ham e an ra ke to s but wit a bit ma le a good t me com n when we pay o r money to th m that ton t be too j ro d to hear our co n w d the r ow ears an who won t t s over to a s mb of an agent he hid ee a y ow to get s sooner nor e tl what s hang a go said he as t e tears of keen nd

49William Black

t fr m h s glow g eyes it b a death a a death when ts for the r o ht he ad led â for h s m nd was ei d fixed upon tl e c on of tl d by or means of which the habits of the country and t ie prejudices of the people present to them in the first moments of passion it s well that s one of replied coolly otherwise yoa said words that would lay yon np by the heels as for yon frank you must look over this the boy s the son of poor parents an it s a new thing for him to see the cows from the place the poor fellow a vexed too that he has been so long laid np a sore back an so you see one thing or another has put him through other is warm hearted all an will be sorry for it when le an that you only your duty but what am i to do about the cows sure i can t go back either or the said frank with a look of fear and trembling at the cows i said another of the widow s sons who then came in why yon dirty of a you may whistle on the wrong side o your mouth for them i them off of the estate an now take them if you it s to law said the an if d by the red well you d them i d make my a or a jury this was a triumph to the who began to shake their little fists at him and to exclaim in a chorus â ha you dirty wait till we get you out o the house an if we don t put you from ever l why but yon work like another â ha you ll get it â and little was shook in vengeance at him ye said to the little ones let him alone he got enough there s the cows for you an keen may the curse o the widow an light upon you and upon that sent you from st to last â an that s the best we wish you frank said to the is there any one in the town below that will take the an give a for it do you think man that the neighbors of an honest industrious woman ud see the cattle taken out of her for a hut tut no man alive â no thing there s not a man in the parish to do it would see them taken away to be at only about a fourth part of their value hut tut â d by or as the sterling fellow spoke cheeks of the widow were with tears and her son s hollow once more kindled but with a far different expression from that which but a few minutes before flashed from them said he and utterance nearly failed him if was well it wouldn t be as it is us but â no indeed it would not but â may god bless you for this never fear but you ll be paid â may god bless you as he spoke the hand of his humble benefactor waa warmly grasped in his a tear fell upon it for with one of those quick and of feeling so peculiar to the people he now felt a strong generous emotion of gratitude mingled perhaps with a sense of wounded pride on the poverty of their little family so openly exposed hut tut said who understood his feelings man â â why sure it s at all at all anybody would do it only a bare fire an twenty it was five pound â any neighbor â jack or m would do it â come frank step out d by bed well money s to tbe fore put your cloak about and let us go down to the or clerk or he is â sure that makes no anyhow â i suppose he has power to give a go to bed again you re pale poor and je ye the cows won t be taken from you this boot â come in the name of god let us go and sec everything at hut tut â come many similar details of m s useful life could be given in which he bore an equally benevolent and christian part poor fellow i he was brought low but to the credit of our much as is said about their he was treated when helpless with gratitude pity and kindness the peace of s regular and industry enabled him to struggle successfully against a rent and sudden depression in the price of agricultural produce that is he able by the toil of a man remarkable alike for an spirit and a vigorous frame of body to pay his rent with tolerable regularity it is true a began to be visible in his personal appearance d by id his farm in the dress of his children and in the economy of his household which adequate capital would have enabled him to effect were left either altogether or in an imperfect state resembling neglect though in reality tlie result of poverty his dress at mass and in and ad by degrees lost that air of comfort warmth which the independent farmer the evidences of began to disclose in many small points â it is true but not the less significant his house in the progress of his declining ceased to be ornamented by a new coat of it soon assumed a faded and hue and sparkled not in the setting sun as in the days of s prosperity it had in fact a wasted look like its master the became black and rotten upon its roof the chimneys to opposite points the windows were less neat and when broken were patched with

49William Black

a couple of leaves from the children s blotted copy books his out houses also began to fail the neatness of his little farm yard and the cleanliness which d by the red well marked so the space his dwell disappeared in the course of time began to where no been his garden was not now planted so nor with so taste and neatness as before liis crops were later and less abundant his neither so fall nor so trim as thej were wont to be nor his and kept in such good repair his cars and other farming implements instead of being put under cover were left exposed to the of wind and weather where thej soon became crazy and useless such however were only the symptoms of his against the general embarrassment into which the agricultural interests were year after year so unhappily sinking had the tendency to general distress among the class to which he belonged become stationary o en would have continued by toil and and exertion to maintain his ground but unfortunately there was no point at which the national depression then stop year after year produced deeper more extensive and more complicated misery and when lie hoped d by i oa every would bring an m the market he was destined to not merely a fresh but in unexpected in the of his corn butter and other when a is reduced to such a no eye but that of ood himself can see the ing wretchedness to which a year of disease and strikes down the poor and working classes after a long and noble contest for nearly three years sank at length under the united of disease and the father of the family was laid low upon the bed of sickness and those of his little ones who escaped it were almost consumed by famine this two fold shock sealed his his honest heart was â his hardy frame of its strength and he to whom every fled as a friend now required friendship w a moment when the wide spread poverty of tiie country rendered its assistance hopeless on rising from his bed of sickness the prospect before him required his utmost fortitude to d by tne red well bear he was now wasted io energy both of mind and body reduced to poverty with a large family of too young to assist him without of bis his wife and himself gaunt his farm neglected his house wrecked and his offices falling to yet every day bringing the s term nearer oh ye who riot on the miseries of such men â ye who roll round the easy circle of fashionable life think upon this picture te vile and heartless who see not hear not know not those to whose heart breaking toil ye owe the only merit ye possess â that of rank in society â come and contemplate this man as and by those who are bound by a strong moral duty to protect and aid him he looks shuddering into the dark cheerless is it to be wondered at that he and such as he should in the misery of bis despair join the meetings be to associate himself with the or to grasp in the stupid of wretchedness the weapon of the murderer by the people by them with merciless of the d by of life by th m on under a system of rack rents je become not their natural hat curses and nearly as much in as ye are in their opinion when he wa driven by hunger immediate to sell hia best tow and having some at an enormous price â i well known in the who up this for a dear he kid hia plans for the with as as any man could display one after breakfast he addressed hia wife aa i want to consult you what we ought to do are low us and except our heavenly father pi ts it into the heart of them i m goin to mention i don t know what well do nor what of these poor naked and about us them they don t â and maybe that same s some â the hardships that s before them poor see how quiet and sorrowful thej sit their little play the time d by for themselves as well aa they can alley come over to me your hair is bright and fair alley and curls ko that the finest lady in the land might envy it bat your color s gone your little are wasted away too that sickness was and sore upon yon a and he that ud nd his heart s blood for you can do to help you i he looked at the child as he spoke and a slight motion in the of his face was barely perceptible bat it passed away and after kissing her he proceeded â aj ye â you and i could earn onr bread for ourselves yet but these t do it this last stroke has laid ns at the door of both poverty and sickness but blessed be the mother of heaven for it they are all left us and e that s a we ve to be thankful for â glory be t god ay poor things it s well to have them dear sure i d rather a times beg from door to door and have my d by to look at than bo in them beg tliat ud go hard me i d work â i d h e on next to nothing oil the year but to ee the that decently bred up to that i couldn t bear it â break the heart in me poor as they are they the blood of kings in their veins and beside to see a m his bread in the name was once â the m car thy more that was their no i

49William Black

jove them a i do tlie blood in my own veins bnt i d rather see them in the arms of god in laid i own with their little sorrowful faces washed and their bodies stretched out before my eyes â i would â in the yard there where all belonging to me lie than have it cast up to them or have it said that ever a m was seen on the highway bnt can you strike out do plan for us that ud put us in the way of round these poor ones if we could out for two or three year would soon be able to help us d by they â they would i m this day or two of a plan but i m doubtful whether it ud come to what is it sure we can t be worse nor we are any way i m goin to go to i m the landlord s come home from france and tliat lie s there now and if i didn t see him sure i see the agent now my ud be to lay our case before the head landlord himself in hopes he might his hand and spare us for a if i had a line from tlie agent or a scrape of a pen that i could show at home to of the who knows but i what ud bet as up a in i think many of them ud be sorry to see me turned out eh the irish are an imaginative people indeed too much so for either their individual or national happiness and it is this and superstition which also depends much upon imagination that makes them so easily influenced by those extravagant dreams that are held out to them by who understand their character d by id or when beard the plan on which founded his expectations of assistance her dark melancholy eye flashed with a portion of its former fire a transient lit up her sickly features and she turned a smile of hope and affection upon her children then upon thin who knows indeed â who knows but he might do something for us and maybe we might be as well as ever may the lord put it into his heart this day i declare it was god put it into your heart i ll set off replied her husband who was a man of decision i ll set off on other morrow and as nobody knows anything about it so let there not be a word said upon the subject good or bad if i have success well and good but if not why nobody need be the wiser the heart broken wife evinced for the remainder of the day a lightness of spirits which she had not felt for many a month before even was less depressed than usual and employed himself in making arrangements as he knew would occasion his family to feel the d by the red of his absence less bat as tlie hour of his drew a of rising into greater and tenderness threw a melancholy gloom his hearth according to their view of a journey to was a undertaking and to them it was such was in weak health just out of illness and what was more trying any other consideration was that since their marriage they had never been separated before on the morning of his departure he was up before daybreak and so were his children for the latter had heard the ii already detailed between them and with parents enjoyed the gleam of hope which it presented but this changed â when he was to an indefinite sense of fear ami a more vivid ing of affection marked their feel lie partook of this and was silent i ed and less ardent than when the presented itself to his mind h fc i however was taken and should he no blame at a future time be to himself d by or it was the last effort and to neglect it be thought would have been to neglect his duty when was ready they all eat down in silence the hour was yet ly and a was placed in a wooden that stood beside them to afford light there was solemn and touching in the group as they sat in dim relief every face marked by the traces of want ow and affection the father attempted to eat but could not sat at the meal bat could taste nothing the children ate for hunger at the moment was over every other sensation at length it was over and rose to depart he for a minute on the floor and seemed to take a survey of his cold cheerless house and then of his family he cleared his throat several times but did not speak said he at length in the name of god i ll go and may his be about you and guard you and these till i back to s faithful heart could bear no more she laid herself on his clung to his neck and as the parting kiss was given she wept d by the red well aloud and s tears fell silently down his worn cheeks tlie children crowded about them i i loud and the grief of this virtuous and afflicted family was of that profound description which is ever the companion in such scenes of pure and genuine she exclaimed a i doubt we wrong in ut this journey how can you ma walk all the way to and yon bo worn and weakly that sickness and tlie bad before and since give it up and stay us let what will happen you re not able for a journey indeed you re not stay me and the we d be so will you f and the lord will do for us some other way maybe pressed his faithful wife to liis heart

49William Black

and kissed her a tenderness which the heartless of fashionable life can never know he replied in those terms of flow so tenderly â light of mj of mj d by through the language of tlie people i your fair young face â your yellow hair and the light that was in your eyes â but that s gone long don t ax to stop isn t laugh you young in my ears and step that ud not bend the flower of the field â i can t indeed i can t bear to of what you nor of wliat yoa are now in tlie of age and but a small change ought to be upon sure i ought to make every struggle to take you and these sorrowful out of the state you re in the about them and joined their entreaties to those of their father don t lave we ll be if you go and if my mother ud get who d be to take care of her father don t lave your own a pet name he had for â maybe the meal ud be eat out you d come back or maybe something ud happen you in that strange place indeed there s truth in what they say said the wife do be said by your own for his time and don t take a d by the red well long upon yon all maybe yon wouldn t see sure the will help us if you could only humble yourself to ax them said when this is past you ll be glad i went â indeed you will sure it s only tlie of your hearts knows what the landlord may do when i see and show him these â every penny paid him by our own family let me go it does cut me to the heart to lave the way are in even for a while but it s far worse to see your poor wasted faces it in my power to do anything for he then kissed them again one by one and pressing the affectionate partner of his sorrows to breaking heart lie bade god bless them and set out in the twilight of a bitter march morning he had not gone many yards from the door when little alley ran after him in tears he felt her hand upon the skirts of his coat which she plucked with a smile of affection that neither tears nor sorrow could repress father kiss ine again she he stooped down and kissed her tenderly the child then ascended a green ditch and as he looked back d by ib or saw her standing upon it her fair were tossed by tl e about lace aâ with straining she watched receding her view and the other stood at the door and al o with deep his form until the angle of the rendered hun no longer visible after they returned lo to the fire and bit we believe no men are of greater toil than the ir sh was two or three tied in a little and i few in to pay for hia bed with this stock of food and money an stick in hia hand and his n a tied about his he undertook a journey of one hundred and ten miles in quest of a who so far from acquainted with the of his scarcely knew even their names and not of them m person onr scene now changes to the metropolis one evening about half past six o clock a toil worn man turned his steps to a splendid square his appearance d by the bed well i was drooping fatigued and feeble as he went along ho the numbers on the respective doors until he reached a certain o before which he stopped for a moment he then stepped out upon the street and looked through the windows as if willing to ascertain whether there was any chance of his object being attained in this situation a carriage rolled rapidly up stopped with a sudden check that nearly back the horses on their in an instant the thundering knock of the servant intimated the arrival of person of rank the ball door was opened and of that opportunity entered the hall such a visitor however was too to escape notice the hand of the rudely placed against his breast and as the impertinent were put to him the kept him buck until tlie afflicted man stood upon the upper leading to the door the sake of god let me but two words to him i m his tenant and i know he s too much of a to turn away a man that has lived upon his honor s estate father d by and son for upwards of three hundred years my name s you can t see him my good fellow at hour go to mr m his agent we have company to dinner he never speaks to a ten ant on his agent all tliat please leave the way here s more company as he uttered the last word he pushed back who forgetting that the stairs were behind him â received a severe cut and was so completely stunned that he lay senseless and bleeding another carriage drove up as the fellow now much alarmed attempted to raise him from the steps and by order of the gentleman who came in it he was into the hall the circumstance now made some noise it was whispered that one of mr s s tenants a fellow from the country wanted to break in forcibly to see him but then it also asserted that hia was broken and that he lay dead m the hall of the above stair on hearing that a man had been killed immediately a cm about liim and by means of he soon recovered though the blood tr d by the red well

49William Black

from the wound in the back of hia who are yoa man said mr looked him rather soon collected himself and replied in a our ful and touching tone of voice â i m one f honor s tenants from i y a e a m your honor â that is f be mr s and pray what ht you to town m v i wanted to make an humble to honor s in regard of my bit of farm i and my poor family your honor have been broken down by hard times and the sickness of the season â god knows how they are if yon wish to speak to me about that my good man you must know i refer all these mat to my agent go to him â he knows them best and is right and proper to bo done for you he will do it give him a crown and send him to the to get his head dressed i say go to my agent he knows whether your claim is just or not and will attend to it accordingly d by ob honor i ve been and he says he can do for me i went two or three times and couldn t sec him he was so busy and when i did get a word or two he me there was more offered for my land i m and that if i did not pay up i he put oat god help me i but i tell you i never interfere between him and my tenants and it would be well both for your honor s tenants and yourself if you did sir your honor to know sir more about us and how we re i m an honest man sir and i you so for your good and pray sir said the agent stepping forward for he had arrived a few minutes before and heard the last of m â pray how are they treated you that know so well and are so honest a man â as for honesty you might have referred to me for that i he added mr m said we re very badly sir you needn t look at me for i m not to the no d by sir will make me anything in favor that jou don t you ve broken the half of them by severity you ve the yourself and his honor here and i tell you now though you re to the fore that in the of a short time there be bad work npon the estate except his honor here looks into his own affairs and hears the of the people look at these yer honor they ll show you sir i can hear no such language against the to whom i the management of my property of course i refer the matter solely to him i can do nothing in it exclaimed the poor man as he looked np to heaven and ye poor of my heart is this the news i m to have for i go home â as you hope for mercy sir don t turn away your ear from my petition that i d humbly make to and hunger and hardship are at home before me yer if you d be to look at these you d see that i always paid my and twas sickness and the hard times â d by ob and your own honesty industry and good said the agent giving a dark and malignant sneer at him it shall be my business to see that you do not spread a bad spirit through the much longer â sir you ha e heard tho fellow s admission it is an implied threat that he will give ua much serious trouble there is not such another on your property â not one upon my honor sir said a servant dinner is on the table said his landlord give him crown and tell him to trouble me no more saying which he and his agent went np to the drawing room and in a moment saw a large party sweep down stairs full of glee and vivacity by whom both himself and his were as completely forgotten as if they had never existed he now slowly departed and knew not whether the house steward had given money or not until he felt it in his hand a cold sorrowful weight lay upon his heart the din of the town his into a stupor but an overwhelming sense of his disappointment and a conviction of the agent s d by the red well falsehood entered like arrows into oil leaving the steps he looked np to heaven in the distraction of his thoughts the clouds were black and lowering â the wind and as it carried them on its dark wing along the sky he wished if it were the will of god that his head lay in the quiet where the ashes of his forefathers in peace but he again remembered his and their children and the large tears of anguish deep and bitter rolled slowly down his cheeks we will not trace him into an hospital whither the on head occasioned to be sent but simply state that on the second week after this a man with his head bound in a handkerchief lame bent and evidently laboring under severe illness or great affliction might be seen toiling slowly up the little hill that communicated a view of on reaching the top he sat down to rest for a few minutes but his was eagerly turned to the house which contained all that was dear to him on this earth the sun was setting and shone with hia half visible in that dim and s d by oh which produces almost in every temperament a feeling of melancholy his which in days formed so and an object iti the view was now

49William Black

from the darkness of walls scarcely the position of the san too rendered it more difficult to be seen and for it was he shaded his eyes with hand to survey it more distinctly many a thought and remembrance passed through his mind as his eye traced its dim outline m the fading light had done his he had gone to the fountain head with a hope that his simple story of affliction be heard but al was fruitless the only gleam of hope that opened upon misery had now passed into darkness and despair for ever he pressed his aching forehead with distraction as of this then clasped his bitterly and groaned aloud at length he rose and proceeded with great difficulty for the short rest had hia weak and fatigued joints as he approached home his heart sank and as ho ascended the blood red stream which covered the bridle way that led to his house what with fatigue and d by the red well affliction liis agitation weakened him so tliat lie stopped aud leaned on bis staff several times that he might take breath it s too dark for them to see me or poor would send tjie to give tlie how my heart beats to see you aod to see the â glory be to him that has left to me â praise and glory to his lie was now within a few of the door but a sudden a his heart when he saw it shut and no appearance of smoke from the chimney nor of stir or life about tlie house he mother of glory what s this â but wait let me rap â are you â alley â t ye alley sure i m come back to you all and he more loudly than before a dark bi swept through the bushes as he spoke but no voice nor sound proceeded from the house all was still as death within alley i he called once more to his d by or little favorite i m come something for i didn t forget â â i brought it from all tlie way alley but the gloomy murmur of the blast was the only reply perhaps the most intense of all that he knew as misery was that which he then felt but this state of was soon terminated by the appearance of a neighbor who was passing why thin hut yer welcome home my poor fellow and i m sorry that i haven t news for you and so are all of us he whom he had addressed had almost lost the power of speech â frank said he and he wrung his hand what was death among them for the sake of heaven tho severe pressure which he received in return ran like a shock of to liis heart must be a man every one and may the almighty pity and support she is indeed gone the child your favorite alley is gone she was and the t lo and sent in as far as they d by the well had it both mate and to and tlie other ones now you ve d it trust in god an be a man a deep and shook him to the heart gone â the fair haired one â alley â alley â the pride of both onr hearts the sweet the quiet and the sorrowful child that seldom the rest but kept my my l gone from eyes for god of glory won t jou support me this night of sorrow and with a sudden yet profound sense of humility he dropped on his knees at the threshold and as the tears rolled down his cheeks exclaimed in a burst of sublime piety not at all among our â i thank you my god i thank you an i put myself an my ones my into your hands i thank you god for what has happened keep me up and support me â i want it loved the one and you took her she wag the light of ray eyes and the pulse of ray broken heart bat you took her blessed father of heaven an we can t be angry â my poor d by or yon for so i still if you had spared ii â if â o blessed father my heart was in tlie very one you took â bnt i thank you o god may she rest in peace now and for ever am in i he then rose up and slowly wiping the tears from his eyes departed let me your arm frank said he i m weak and tired a long journey all can it be that she s the when i was home au had kissed them all â twas the first time we ever parted and i since our marriage â the blessed child came over an held up her mouth kiss father an this was herself an all of them had kissed me afore but oh blessed mother frank where s my and the rest â and why are they out of their own poor place v i you a while that you be a man i gave you the worst news first an what s to come doesn t signify much it was too dear for if any man could live upon it you could â you have neither house nor nor land an came from d by the well the last cow was taken so was au tou had in the world â a ko â bad manners to it no â you re not a home anyway the family s in my barn brave and comfortable compared to what own house was that let in tlie the roof like a and while the same barn s fore say jou want a home god bless you frank for that goodness to them and me if you re not rewarded for

49William Black

it here yoa will in a place i long to see and the but i m fairly broken down frank and hardly able to mark the ground and indeed no if you knew but all still let god s will be done poor i must bear up afore her or she ll break her heart for i know how she loved the h that s gone from us and how did she go frank for i her why the poor took a and wasn t strong enough to bear up against the last attack but it s one comfort that you know she s happy stood for a moment and looking d by solemnly in his neighbor a face exclaimed in a deep and exhausted voice frank what are goin to say the heart me s broke â the tears rolled down his cheeks and he proceeded m c to the of bis there was ft feeling of sorrow m his words and manner which frank not withstand he grasped s hand and in a low and broken voice simply said â keep your spirits up â keep them up when they came to the barn in his helpless hid taken up their temporary residence stood for a moment to himself but he was and trembled repressed emotion they then entered and on seeing her beloved and affection ate threw herself on his bosom and for time felt neither joy nor â she had the poor man embraced her with a tenderness at once and deep the children on seeing their father safely returned forgot their recent grief and clung d by the ben tell ci about him with gladness and ht in the time and foe many minutes could not check the loud and grief now revived by the presence of hu with which the heart broken and her departed child and on en himself on once more looking among the little on seem her little frock hanging up and her stool vacant by the fire â on missing her voice and her blue eyes â and remembering the affectionate manner in which with a of death she held up her little mouth and offered him the last kiss â he slowly pulled the toys and cakes he had purchased for her out of his pocket surveyed them for a moment and then putting his hands on his face bent his head upon hia bosom and wept with the vehement of a father s sorrow the reader that he was a meek man that his passions were not dark nor violent he bore no revenge to those who neglected or injured him and in this he differed from too many of his countrymen his spirit was broken down with sorrow and had not room for the d by and more passions his case excited general pity his neighbors could do to him and his affliction was done his farm was not taken for fearful threats were held out against those who might venture to occupy it in these threats be had nothing to do on the contrary he strongly them their existence however was deemed by the agent to justify him in his and malignant severity towards him we did not write this story for effect our object was to relate that occurred in ireland there is much blame justly attached to for their neglect and seventy in such depressed times towards their tenants there is much that is not only but on the part of the tenants but can the landed of ireland plead ignorance or want of education for their neglect and w the crimes of the tenants on the contrary may in general be ascribed to both he who â as perhaps his forefathers have done â upon any man s and fails from has as just and clear a right d by to assistance from the landlord as if the amount of aid were a debt common policy t aud common justice should induce the irish to lower their rent according to the market for produce otherwise poverty famine crime and vague political speculations founded idle hopes of a g transfer of property will spread over aud the kingdom any man who looks into our poverty may see that our ought to reduce their rents to a suitable to the times and to the ability of tenant but to return for another year on for his family without success bis firm spirit was broken he could not get aud even had it been regular he would have found it to support his helpless wife and children by his labor the nest year unhappily was also one of sickness and of want the country was not only a wide waste of poverty but with fever one saturday night he and the family found themselves without food they had not tasted a for twenty hours there were murmured ob and tears and finally a low conversation among them as if they a conference upon subject which fi ed them with both grief and satisfaction in this of â id they pass the time until the of hunger was relieved hy sleep a keen december wind blew with a bitter blast on the following morning the rain was borne along upon it with violence and the cold was chill and piercing his wife and their six children issued at day break ont of the barn in which ever since their removal from they had lived until then their fragments of bed were tied in a bundle to keep them dry their pace was slow need we say sorrowful all were in tears and we t fi t th a ch ld upon tl e back a another n the ha d of each the r route y i y tl e r former dwell g tl e of which was open for t not been ted on ng t they stood a n then with n n pulse

49William Black

b and took o e la t look of a pot to which t e r i clung w th e d r nt attachment then returned and as they passed ow d by en put forth liis hand picked a few small pebbles out of the wall and put them in his said he and may the of god rest npon you we now lave you for ever we re at last to beg our bread through the world wide where none will know of the happy days we passed your we must lave you but be to the almighty w e are goin a clear conscience we took no revenge into our own hands but left everything y p tl d m d h t d t y k tl â d t cry h th t tl g d god b who d m d m th f y i y he t h ly ml h th p d w th h f m iy i d g it m d p era h t d th try h m ij b id d of b t t t d h n it w it t ij t k tl as and th m y w d by th d f b i ling t th th th f two d by ob years rent would if directed ha e enabled m to remain a ten ant when an irish peasant ie reduced to sm he seldom com the melancholy task of id bis native plate ihe trial ib always a severe one and he is anxious to hide his shame and mi from the of who know this is one reason why s of poor should be introduced into the j of this description ome a burden upon t who are capable of entering with friendly sympathy into the r misfortunes have no opportunity of a indeed this of seeking from those who have known the in is a proof that the absence of poor takes the poor one of the to industry for in if e ery m ireland were confined to his pan ill and compelled to beg their own acquaintances the of alone by stirring them up to greater in industry reduce the of one there is a g of d by the red well g m ireland which would be to make poor of both sexes exert themselves to the utmost rather than cast a upon their name or bring a blush to the face of their relations but now it is not so the sets out to beg and in moat instances his new mode of life in some part of the country where his name and family are not known indeed it is astonishing how any man can for a moment hesitate to form his opinion the t of poor the english and scotch gentry know something the middle and lower es of respective countries and of course they have a fixed of provision for the poor in each the ignorance of the irish gentry upon almost every subject ted with the real good of the people is on y m keeping with their ignorance of the people themselves it is to be feared however that their to poor laws arises less from actual ignorance from an the facts of the case are these â in ireland the whole of the inconceivable multitude of who swarm like d by over the surface of the country upon the middle and lower or rather npon the latter for there ia scarcely such a in this country as a middle class in not one out of a instances do the gentry contribute to the poor in the first place a vast proportion of our are who upon their own pleasures or vices in the theatres or of france or in the softer of italy that which ought to return in some shape to stand in the place of duties so neglected these persons nothing to the poor except the various evils which then absence on them on the other hand the resident gentry never in any case assist a beggar even in the remote parts of the country where there are no institutions nor do the beggars ever think of applying to them they know that his honor s dogs would be slipped at them or that the whip might be laid perhaps to the shoulders of a broken hearted father with bis brood of helpless children wanting food perhaps the person of a miserable d by widow who for her only because the hands that and would defended both her and are into dust upon the middle and lower classes therefore comes directly the heavy burden of the great mass of that presses upon ireland it is certain that the irish know this and tliat they are reluctant to see any law which might make the performance of their duties to the poor this indeed is natural in men who so neglected them but what must the state of a country be where those who are on the way to themselves are exclusively with the support of the poor it is like putting additional on a man already sinking under the burden he bears the suppose that because the maintenance of the idle who are able and of the aged and who are not able to work comes upon the of land they themselves are from their support this if true is as bitter a npon their humanity as upon their sense of d by justice bat it is h the cost of an incredible number of the idle and helpless does in the first place fall upon the tenant yet by his means and often compelling him to purchase towards the end of the season a portion of food equal to that he has given away in charity it certainly becomes ultimately a clear from the landlord s rent in

49William Black

either case it is a but in the latter it is often doubly so inasmuch as the poor tenants must frequent pay at the close of the season double perhaps the price which provision brought at the beginning of it any person with the irish people must frequently have heard such as the following during the application of a beggar for â â we re charity for god s sake i poor tenant â why thin for his sake you would get it poor if we had it but it s not for you the four corners of the house it ud be well for us if we had â now all we gave away in charity tht whole d by the k well year we t have to be for our selves at three prices why don t you go up to the big house t re rich and can afford it with a which sets al his coats and bags in motion â the big house do jou want me an the here to be torn to pieces the dogs or a one o the no no with a hopeless of the head that ud be a look up a clear poor tenant â then indeed we haven t it to help jou now poor man we re ourselves â thin that s lucky so it is i ve as a grain o male here as you d to that i to get together in hopes to be able to buy a o along a pair o new an a for myself i m suspicious that there s about a stone ov it you can have it the market price for i m at not the an me sure the lord will an the a hit an sup some d by t or way else â glory to his name iâ besides a lock o in the corner o t ie here that ll do lis for this day any way the bargain is immediately struck and the poor tenant is glad to purchase even from a his stone of meal in consequence of g it a few pence under market price such scenes as this which are of frequent oc in the country parts of ireland need no comment this certainly is not a state of things which should be permitted to exist every man to be compelled to support the poor of his native parish according to his means it is an disgrace to the so long to have neglected the of ireland is it to be thought of with common patience that a person rolling in wealth shall feed upon his his and his costly luxuries of every description for which he will not scruple to pay the highest price â that this heartless and selfish man whether he reside at home or abroad shall thus himself with purchased by the toil of the people and yet not contribute to assist them when poverty the well or throws them upon i support of casual shall th a man be permitted to m a foreign land or at home to whip onr his or ike ts of prey from ins whilst the lower â the gradually poor â are compelled to groan under the burden of their support in addition to their other bar it it not a question which admits of ct has been and made d by fine and unintelligible when the only knowledge to d it may be gained by spending a few weeks in some poor in the of the country as for upon any other are with rev be it spoken contemptible ihey mil summon and examine witnesses who fir the most part know about the habits or of the money be wasted in ng their expenses and in prints in reports resolutions will be pass d something will be said about it m the house of and in a few after d by li ob and re it is as little thought of as if it had been the subject of in the mean time the evil proceeds â becomes more â eats into the already declining of the country â whilst those who suffer under it have the con of knowing that a committee eat longer npon ii than so many upon their eggs but ed nothing two circumstances connected with in ireland are worthy of notice the first is this â the roman who certainly the of the population feel themselves called upon from the peculiar of their to exercise charity largely to the begging poor the second point in with is the influence that proceeds from the relation in which the begging poor in ireland stand towards the class hy whom they are supported as we ha e said ire the poorest educated and consequently the most ignorant description of the they the most numerous there have been for centuries probably since the itself l op d by among the lower classes in ireland all tending to prepare them for some great change in their arising from the of the overthrow of their enemies and the exaltation of themselves and their religion scarcely had the mind subsided after the rebellion of ninety eight when the success of directed the and the hopes of the irish people towards him as the person designed to be their many a fine fiction has he author of this work heard about that great man s escapes concerning the bullets that conveniently turned a side from his person and the that declined to cut him down many too were related in which the glory of this under his reign was touched off in the happiest colors also gave such notions an impulse eighteen twenty five was to be the year of their george the fourth was never to fill the british throne and the mill of was to be turned three times with human blood the miller with the two was then

49William Black

said the for they were the principal of these opinions and the great d by or of tl wn so that of there be no further doubt upon the subject of them had a red haired man with s stout legs such as a miller o to have and two on his right hand ill the had stated then there was and several others of the fierce old m les an chiefs who along with their armies m an end sleep ail re to and take apart in the of the such a man and they name one ii the time of the grandfather was ct ce ig to a fair to sell â well and good the time was the of morning a before he met a man who purchase his horse they agreed upon the and the of followed the into a he found a e of each with an soldier asleep bj his ready to spring upon if awoke the the owner of the horse as they were about to enter the dwelling against touch ng either horse or ut the n to m d by laid hand upon a sleeping soldier who immediately leaped up drew his sword and asked la the time in it is the time arrived v to the horse dealer of the replied ha no go to sleep again upon the soldier immediately sank down in his former position and unbroken sleep reigned throughout the cave the influence of the warm of an ignorant people of such by is very they fill their minds with the most palpable and what is worse with opinions which beside being injurious to those who receive them in every instance for those who them a cordial and kind reception these consequently for their own selfish ends to the prejudices of the ignorant which they and draw out in a manner that has in no slight degree been of the of the country scarcely any political circumstance which they do not immediately seize upon and twist to their own purposes or in other words to the opinions of those from whom they derive their support d by s ob when our present police first appeared in their and black prophecy was fulfilled immediately before the of a body of black was to appear the police then are the and the people consider themselves another step nearer the of their vague in the year ninety eight the irish were active agents clever and expert messengers on the part of the people and to this day ihey carry falsehood and the materials of outrage in its worst shape into the bosom of families who would otherwise never become connected with a system which is calculated to bring ruin and destruction upon those who permit themselves to join it this evil and it is no trifling one would by the introduction of poor laws be utterly the people would not only be more easily improved but education when received would not be by tiie into it of â as the above in many other points of view the and of ireland are a great evil to the morals d by the bed well of tile people we could easily detail them but not being our object at present we will now dismiss the subject of poor laws and our narrative far different from this description of were m and his family their misfortunes were not the consequences of or on their own part they struggled long but against hi nt a d v against neglect on th i t f th and his agent against k f n n and death they had no at e at to beg or starve was w n to k but he could not procure nt and p he could the miserable sun of j n a day when food was scarce an d a not support him his wife and six little ones he became a therefore only to avoid starvation heavy and black was his heart to use the strong expression of the people on the bitter morning when be set out to encounter the dismal task of seeking in order to keep life in himself aud his family the plan was devised on the preceding night bat to no mortal except d by bis wife was it the honest pride of a man whose mind was above committing a mean action would permit him to reveal what ho considered the first stain that ever was known to rest upon the name of m he therefore ont under the beating of the storm and proceeded with ont caring much whither he went until he got considerably beyond bounds of his own parish in the mean time hunger pressed keenly upon him and them the day had no appearance of clearing up the heavy rain and heat into their thin worn garments and the of his children for food began to grow more and more tliey came to the shelter of a hedge which on one side a remote and road along which in order to avoid the risk of being recognised they had preferred stood here for a few minutes to with his wife as to where and when they should make a beginning but on looking round he found her in tears said he i can t bid yon not to cry bear up bear up sure as i said when we came out this d by there s a good god above us tliat can still oyer the good for us if we put our hopes said his sinking wife it s not altogether we re brought to this that i m no indeed thin what you the wife hesitated and the question for some time but at length upon his pressing her for an answer with a fresh of sorrow she replied since you know â may god pity â since you must know it s wi f hunger

49William Black

i kept a little hit of bread to give the this and that was part of it that i gave jou yesterday early â i m near two days sure i know your worth you were too good a wife au too good a mother a god forgive me i fretted about dear but as my heavenly father s above me i m now happier to beg you by my side nor if i war in tlie best house in the province you up for a while come on an the first house d by we meet we ll ax their â their come od and all of why ray heart s so it is sure we hare mother safe us an what anything so long as she s left to us he then raised his wife tenderly for she ha been compelled to sit from weakness and they bent their steps to a decent farm house that stood a few off the road about a quarter of a mile before them as they approached the door the husband hesitated a moment his face got paler and his lip quivered as he said â â i know what you re goin to say no won t i u ax it myself do said with difficulty it but i u overcome my pride afore long i hope it s to me an you know it is â for you know bow little i ever expected to he brought to this i we ll then in the name o god as she the children herself and her husband entered to beg for the first time iu d by the bed well their lives a morsel of food yes with a of red even to crimson the pallid features of â with grief acute and â they entered the together for some minutes they stood and spoke not the unhappy woman to the language of scarcely knew in what terms to assistance himself stood back uncovered his fine but much changed features with an expression of deep affliction east a single glance at him as if for encouragement their eyes met she saw the upright man â the last remnant of the m â himself once the friend of the poor of the unhappy of the standing crushed and down by misfortunes which he had not deserved waiting with patience for a morsel of charity too had his he recollected the days when he sought and gained the pure and fond affections of his when beauty and youth and innocence encircled her with their light and their grace as she spoke or moved he saw her a happy wife and mother her own home kind d by oh aud benevolent to all who required her good word or her good and remembered the sweetness of her light song but now she was he remembered too how she used to plead with himself for the afflicted it was but a moment yet when their eyes met that moment was crowded by recollections that flashed across their minds with a keen sense of a lot so bitter and wretched as theirs not speak although she tried her sobs denied her utterance and sat upon a chair and covered his face with his hand to an observing eye it is never to detect the cant of or to perceive distress when it is real the good woman of the house as is usual in ireland was in the act of approaching them with a double handful of meal â that is what the scotch and northern irish call a or as much as both hands locked together can contain â when no their distress she paused a moment eyed them more closely and exclaimed â what s i liis why there s something wrong you good people i but first an foremost take this in the name an honor of god d by the well may the of the same man rest replied th een this is a sorrowful to us for it s our first day to be npon the world an this is the fir t of the kind we ever for or ever got an indeed now i find we haven t a place to carry it in i ve no â h â b â cloth or anything to it your first is it said the good woman your may the queen o heaven look down upon but it s a day war driven out in sit down there jou poor god pity yoa i pray this day for you ve a heart broken look sit down awhile near the fire you an the over an warm yourselves but it s a thousand to see fine â handsome on good even as they are brought to this come over good man get near the fire for you re wet an could all of ye them two thieves o dogs out god is thus termed in by mon here is person or being he is also the man above this must have been intended for and is applied to only d by e or u that a we go a â be off ye lazy s not your come o er honest man and family placed near the fire the poor man s heart was full ami he sighed heavily may he that is pleased to ui he exclaimed reward you for we are he a poor au a family hut it s the will of god that we be so aa sure wo can t complain sin all ive ax now is that it may be to that brought ns low to enable us to bear up our we would take it to choice to beg an be honest sooner nor be wealthy an wicked i we have our an our sins god help us but still there s no thin dark or heavy on our conscience glory be to the name

49William Black

o god for it i i believe you replied the farmer s wife there s an honesty in your face one may easily see the remains of about you all throw little thing s aside an stay where ye are to il i can t bring d by the well out tbe under tbe of ram an tints iti it m bat its the bit ther ill ml a ci he will at that weary fair the poor â i of ours to ball to sell some cattle an hell not be three afore he comes i he have to go into some when he a done an himself oâ to keep ont tl e put by thin i an don t think of goin out a day we thank you replied indeed we re glad to stay your roof for poor things they re badly able to a day â these child ye ate breakfast maybe f and his family were silent the children looked wistfully at their parents anxious that they should confirm what the good woman the father looked again at his brood and lis sinking wife and nature overcame food did not our lips this day replied an i may say hardly anything d by oh blessed here drop that an put the pot for be l an woman alive handle yourself you by this god us â to be two days be the if you re rot alive i ll give you a o tlie that ll bring the fire to eyes i do yon hear me f i do hear yon an did often feel you loo for wouldn t do yo think there s no places in the world bnt your own i b indeed it s well come up us to be about with no less a than a staff i is it back talk you are bad end to me if you look but lave yon a mark to me by what woman ud put up you but myself you it wasn t to give me your bad tongue i hired you but to do your business an be the above as if you turn your tongue on me i ll give you the weight o the is it they re poor people that it god to bring to tliis that yon turn up your nose at anything to d by the ii there i â tut m more vi at all the that ud make put in it s to have much than too little i tell you jou n mt a t an a night s afore jou die if you don t mend your manners the poor girl is her best observed an i m sure she nt be guilty of pride to the likes of us or to any one that the lord has laid liis hand npon she had not while i m to the fore said her mistress what is she herself sure if it was a sin to be poor god help the world no it s neither a sin nor a shame thanks be to god no said it s neither the one nor the other so long as we keep a fair name an a clear conscience we can t ever say that onr case is hard after some further conversation a comfortable breakfast was prepared for them of they partook with an appetite sharpened by their long from food their stay here was particularly fortunate for as they were certain of a cordial welcome and an abundance of that d by or which they much wanted â wholesome â the pressure of immediate distress was removed they had time to think more accurately upon the little preparations for misery which were necessary and as the s leisure was at their disposal s needle and were plied in mending the tattered clothes of her and her children in order t meet the of the weather on the following after breakfast and substantial marks of k nd ness from their thej to resume their and melancholy mode of i fe as they were about to depart the a wife them in the following terms â the farmer h by the way but the shadow of his worthy partner in life â wife â now good people yon re the world on your heads farmer â ay good people you re the world on your heads wife â tongue an your it s me that s to them so none of if you till i m done an then may till s d by â cue bed eve an that s neither before nor it farmer â sure i m my tongue a wife â tou re the world on an god knows tis a heavy load to carry poor farmer â a heavy load poor god he knows it s that m eâ ma â did you hear me you ll be in your an me how an as i was our house was the first je came to an thej say there s a great to that the first charity to a poor man or woman out to look for their bit farmer â they set out to look for their bit wife â bj the you d vex a saint what have you to say in it you t mould your now au your i say sure i allow you a o â my t but a man a poor d by ob a week au what right have you to be ill ur g when other people s â go an wife â so you see tlie long and the short of it is that whenever you to be in this side of the always come to us you know the ould â the poor man comes ho brings a an when he goes he carries away a curse you have as much meal as will last a day or

49William Black

two an god ho sees you re heartily welcome to all ye got farmer â god he sees you re heartily welcome wife â an your tongue or i l turn you out o the kitchen one t hear their own s for you you i by the i eh will you now farmer â go an t i h j e ji but don t draw me down upon you do you ho ii m f an the people to the fore tool ll the lord be an bless but afore d by the bed go lave your as for it s a to the of the poor the lord bless you an yours said fervently may you an them never â oil may you suffer what we ve suffered nor know what it is to want a male s mate or a night s exclaimed may the world flow upon you for your good kind heart it â an whisper i wish you d offer up a prayer for the o the tongue the lord might hear but there s no great hopes that ever he ll hear me though i ve prayed for it ever since i was married night an day an summer but no use she s as bad as this was in a kind of friendly to who on hearing it simply no his held but made i o other thej then then hj once more blessed and been ted by tl t ir thai table who made them promise ne er to pass their house without ng a n with them d by ob it is not onr intention to trace m and his wife all the variety h a wandering s life afford he never could reconcile himself to the habits of a his honest pride and integrity of heart raised him it neither did he sink into the and cant of nor the of no there was a touch of manly sorrow about him which neither time nor familiarity with his degraded mode of life could take away from him his usual observation to his wife and he never made it without a pang of intense was â it s we have enough to ate au to but we have no k â no horns to a man like him it was a thought of surpassing bitterness indeed ah ho would observe if we had but the poorest shed that could be built provided it was bv t own wouldn t we be happy the bread we ate doesn t do ua good we don t work for it it s the bread of shame and idleness and yet it s m that it but that s past an we ll never see our own home or onr own hearth d by the red well that s what s into my heart never i â never many a trial too of another kind was his patience called upon to sustain from the and the more elevated in life when his as a led him to their assistance off my grounds one would say why don t you work you sturdy another would exclaim rather than stroll about so lazily training your to the gallows you should be taken up fellow as a a third would observe and if i ever catch you coming np my avenue again depend upon it i will slip my dogs at you and your idle on these occasions turned away in silence he did not curse them but the pangs of his honest heart went before him who sooner or later visit upon the heads of such men their cruel and neglect of the he observed to his wife one day about a year or more after they had begun to beg i have been it in my d by or mind that of these might to earn their bit an sup an their little of es poor things we might put them to herd cows in the an the to else in the farmers houses what do yon think for god s do sure my heart s crushed to see them â my own that i could lay down my life for â from door to door do something for them that way an you ll relieve the heart tliat loves them it s a sore sight to a mother s eye to see her their morsel it is â it is we ll hire out the three eldest â an an to herd cows an we may get into some farmer s house to do loose an of messages then we d have only little an poor ned along us i ll any way an if i can get them places who knows what may happen i have a plan in my head that i ll tell what is it jewel sure if i know it maybe when i m sorrowful that of it an to it will make me d by the happier an i m sure you would like that but maybe if it wouldn t to pass that the disappointment ud be on jou how could it sure we can t le worse nor we are whatever happens enough indeed i forgot that an yet we might sure we d bo worse if we or the had bad health god forgive me thin for what i said i we might be worse well but what is the plan v why when we get the places i ll to take a little house an work as a then we d have a home of out own i d work from light to light i d work before hours an hours ay nine days in the week or we d be comfortable in our own little home we might be poor i know that an hard pressed too but then as i said we d have our own home an our own hearth

49William Black