Chapter III: Part 3

One of the most important things for the beginner to have, of course, is confidence. He must not fear the water any more than a rider should fear his horse; on the other hand, he should not be overbold or reckless and attempt too many risks. The beginner should not go to a stream where there is a current, or in sea-water where there might be an undertow. He should choose a lake or a pond or, if at the sea-side, a bay; and he should stick at first pretty closely to shallow water. Salt water being so much more buoyant than fresh water, it is much easier to learn how to swim in the sea; in fact, if a man who has absolutely no knowledge of swimming will only keep control of his head, and retain his hands _under_ water, he need never fear of drowning should he fall overboard into salt water. It is advisable, however, when first attempting to swim, to have some one on the bank near by who could come to your assistance should anything happen.

And now for the preliminary steps. First drive a stake into the bottom of the pond where the water is from three to four feet deep. Then take hold of the stake with both hands and stretch the body straight out on the surface of the water, with the back upward, of course. I might just as well say here as anywhere that the first thing to do when going into the water is to submerge the entire body, head included. In fact, it is a very good thing for timid people to go into shallow water and put their heads under the water and open their eyes, for this very soon gives them confidence in themselves. The head should always be wet, too, because otherwise, with all the body under water and only the head in the sunlight, the blood is apt to rush upwards and eventually cause a head-ache.

To return to the stake. The first motions to be learned are those of the legs, and they may be divided into three parts. The first motion of the legs is to draw them up, with the knees bending outward, and the feet kept as closely together as possible. The second motion is to extend the feet outward and move the legs backward, and the third motion is to draw the feet quickly together, extended as far out from the body as possible. These motions are clearly shown in Fig. 7, and they are also displayed in illustration No. 1. This photograph was taken while the arms were going back and the legs were starting to come up.

It will take the novice some time before he can master these motions absolutely, and unless he is careful he will never master them at all; and although he will learn to know how to swim, he will not swim correctly, nor will he be able to get the greatest advantage out of the labor expended. To acquire this leg motion correctly a beginner should go through this kicking action twenty or thirty times, counting one, two, three, as he does so, and keeping his mind all the time on the theory of the thing. Then he should come out of the water and rest a few minutes, and then go back again to the stake and go through the exercises again.

After the leg motion has been thoroughly mastered, the proper use of the arms must be learned. It is a common fallacy that the beginning of the stroke in swimming consists of holding the hands in front of the face palm to palm. This is the wrong way. The hands should be held flat out, thumb knuckle to thumb knuckle and forefinger to forefinger, under the chin and almost touching the breast (see Fig. 7.). As soon as the stroke is begun the palms should be turned a little outward so as to assist in moving the body forward. The hands should not be separated to any great extent until they have been pushed out almost to arm's length, and when they are brought backwards in the stroke they should not be allowed to pass much behind the line of the shoulders.

A good way to learn the arm stroke is to kneel in shallow water, or to lie across a plank in the water, and practise it. The most difficult part of the early stages of swimming is to learn how to combine the stroke of the arms with the stroke of the legs. It is absolutely necessary that the arms and legs should work in harmony, and therefore the following rules should be strictly observed:

1. When the hands are being thrust out forward, the legs should be coming together, as in the third part of the leg motion described above.

2. When the arms are straight out in front the legs should be straight out behind.

3. When the arms are passing back in the act of performing the stroke, the legs are being drawn up.

The beginner should not try to swim any long distance at first. As soon as he finds that he can keep his body floating easily on the water by means of the strokes he has learned, he should aim to perfect his form rather than aim to cover long distances. The stroke which has just been described is technically called the forward breast stroke, and although there are a great many other kinds of strokes in swimming, this is the easiest of all strokes to learn, and the one that is most generally used, except, perhaps, for racing.

One of the most common of the fancy strokes is the overhand stroke. This is performed by placing the body on the right side, with the legs held out behind perfectly straight. One leg is then brought up in front and the other is lifted up behind, and the next motion is to bring them together with a swift, scissorlike motion, exerting as much force as possible. In the mean time the right hand is moved out in front and brought down through the water as far as the left thigh, while the left hand passes out of the water from the rear forward, and is drawn back similarly through the water, thus pulling the body ahead, just as one might pull one's self along by means of a rope. The start and finish of the arm-work in this stroke are well shown in illustrations Nos. 5 and 6. It is a stroke which requires considerable practice.

But perhaps before trying to learn fancy strokes, it might be well for the beginner to learn how to float. It is, of course, much easier to float in salt water than in fresh water, and it is therefore advisable when possible to learn in sea-water. The method is simple, and any one who has perfect confidence in himself ought to be able to float the first time he tries. The first thing to do is to fill the lungs well, and then cut off the air at the curve of the larynx instead of up in the nostrils. This is done by holding the muscles of the throat as they are when performing the act of swallowing. This keeps the bulk of the air in the lungs, and consequently under water; any air held in the mouth does not give buoyancy to the body.

Fat people, of course, float much more easily than thin people, just the same as a piece of fat will float on the water, whereas a piece of lean meat will in all probability sink. In the same way men with greater lung-power will float more easily than others with a lesser lung capacity. To float, a beginner should not thrust himself backward violently. He should take a long breath, and then fall backwards in the water gently, making a sort of sculling movement with his hands, at the same time raising his arms upwards until they are stretched as far out from the shoulders as he can and slightly above the lines of the shoulder-blades. The arms (which, of course, must never be lifted out of the water) should be raised no higher than this above the head, otherwise they diminish the capacity of the lungs by pressing them in. The feet should be worked up slowly from the bottom, and the legs should be spread out. (The correct position is shown in illustration No. 2.)

The first attempts will naturally result in the beginner's head going under water for a moment at a time, every now and then; but this should not alarm or discourage him, for if he holds the air in his lungs and follows the instructions just given, the head will soon come above the surface again. Then, after the body has settled into the proper position, the floater may breathe naturally, but he should take long breaths, and when driving the air out of the lungs he should do it rapidly, and likewise inhale rapidly, holding the air in the body as long as possible.

After one has learned to float, a pleasant diversion is to learn the forward sculling stroke. This is a fancy stroke, and is of no particular service, except perhaps that it is restful. The hands should be held in the same position as in floating, but the feet should be brought together. (Illustration No. 4.) Then both hands should be worked at the wrists in a sort of semicircle--this is called the sculling motion. After a few turns of the wrist the body will take a slow forward movement, which gradually increases, and this aids materially in keeping the swimmer afloat. Nevertheless he should keep his lungs full of air, as he does when floating.

There is also a backward sculling stroke, but this is performed by lying face downward on the water. (Illustration No. 3.) The body is held rigid, the feet are pointed forward, and kept moving up and down at the ankle to keep the legs from sinking, the legs are held stiff, and the hands spread out as before, and moved in the same manner.

The stroke which should perhaps first be learned after one has mastered the art of floating is that which enables one to swim on the back. The fastest and easiest way of swimming on the back is called the double over-arm, and the method is well illustrated in Fig. 8. In order to practise this the swimmer must, of course, first come to the floating position, and then he should bring his feet together and keep them moving up and down, so as to hold them near the surface of the water. The movement of the arms is a sort of windmill motion, and as they pass through the water the palms and forearms propel the body onward. This is an easy stroke to learn when one knows how to float.

These are perhaps the most important points about swimming that can be given in so brief a paper. It will take the beginner some time to master these, and after he has learned them and has become familiar with the water, he should practise diving. At an early date this Department will be devoted, in text and illustration, to the interesting subject of diving.

The Hon. Alfred Lyttelton, M.P., made a speech on the subject of athletics recently when he delivered prizes to the boys of the King's School at Warwick, England, and the London _Sporting Life_ quotes a few of his remarks, which, I believe, are just as true concerning American sport as they are of English sport, and must consequently be of interest to our American school-boys. Mr. Lyttelton said that nobody could accuse him of saying anything against athletic games, for he is a great lover of sports; but he added that he feared there was a tendency to overdo matters, and to allow athletics to occupy a more important place in the world than they should--to make a business of them, in fact, instead of keeping them as a recreation which should make us more fitted to do our work in this world.

The speech created a good deal of comment among sportsmen abroad; and _Sporting Life_, a week later, devoted considerable space to editorial remarks on what Mr. Lyttelton had said. I quote a few sentences: "Few will deny the 'growing professional spirit in most of our games' decried by that famous sportsman [Mr. Lyttelton], or venture to contradict his statement that the majority of them are being reduced to a mere matter of _£ s. d._ by exponents galore nowadays.... But above and beyond this lamentable endeavor to reduce all things to pounds, shillings, and pence there is an excess of enthusiasm in sport equally to be decried by all.... The fact is that many devotees of sport make far too much of it by having allowed themselves to be taught that ordinary success in any branch thereof is not worth having. They do so in the spirit of the old saying that whatever you do you should do well, which, like many other old sayings, is very untrue, and very dangerous in its lack of truth. And nowhere is this more untrue than in reference to our amusements."

The editorial then goes on to give some examples, saying that to play billiards, for instance, is the amusement of a gentleman, but to play billiards pre-eminently well is hardly that. The writer argues that a man who makes it his life's work to become a successful billiard-player can hardly, in the mean time, have continued to be a gentleman in the best use of the word. As another example, the writer states that chess is perhaps, of all recreations, the one most adapted to intellectual persons, but to be pre-eminent at chess, he argues, is generally to be that and nothing else.

There is a good deal of truth in this, and it may well be said that the athletes who go in purely for record-breaking, even if they stick strictly to the amateur spirit so far as the letter of the law is concerned, devote themselves so fully to their endeavors that they have little time to cultivate the gentler arts and amenities of social life. They consort so constantly with trainers and rubbers and professional sports that they grow more or less to be like these; they talk like them, they act like them, and they begin to shun more elegant society; and while still remaining amateurs, they are unquestionably amateurs of a lower social caste. This degradation is due solely to their own conduct. There is a wide difference between a healthy and keen indulgence in sport and a passion for breaking records, putting aside any mention of the money-making feature of the question.

It would seem that Mr. Lyttelton is not the only man in England whose attention has been called to this weakness among their amateurs; for the Hon. A. J. Balfour, M.P., who was present at Stamford Bridge on the occasion of the athletic meeting of the Association of Conservative Clubs, made remarks in a similar vein when he distributed the prizes to the winners. He said that there were critics of athletics who watched the rapid growth of interest in sport with something like suspicion, not to say dislike. He asserted, however, that he did not share their views, for he had always held that the healthy interest in athletic sports was one of the most distinguishing and characteristic marks of our age, and he considered it an admirable sign of the times. Nevertheless he warned the young men who were listening to him to beware of the danger of carrying their sports too far, and he said that that point was reached when training or indulgence in sports ceased to be a pastime and became an occupation. There is fruit for considerable thought in the remarks of these two prominent English gentlemen.

The Interscholastic Tennis Tournament at Newport has been postponed until August 19, and will therefore not be treated in this Department until the issue of August 25.

R. W. NEAL, Salem, Mass.--1. The price of _Track Athletics in
Detail_ has been printed conspicuously at the bottom of the second
page of this Department for the past six weeks. 2. I do not know
the book you mention. 3. _Track Athletics in Detail_ is the only
volume so far published in the HARPER'S ROUND TABLE Library. 4.
Other good books on athletics are Walter Camp's _Book of College
Sports_ (Century Company), and Blaikie's _How to Get Strong_.

F. F. SMITH, Cumberland, Md.--The articles on canoe-building
appeared in the ROUND TABLE, August 13 and 20, 1895.

F. E. D., New York.--You will find the advice you seek in Blaikie's
_How to Get Strong_ (Harper and Brothers, $1); and _Sound Bodies
for Boys and Girls_ (Harper and Brothers, 40c.).

V. W. HALL, Portland, Me.--See answer to F. E. D.

C. W. GILLESPIE, Terre Haute, Ind.--It was assumed, in writing the
article on "Hammer-throwing," that the athlete was more or less
familiar with the various track-athletic events now practised, and
consequently it was thought unnecessary to go into various specific
details concerning the "turn" which puzzles you. In throwing the
hammer you only turn once. The act is merely that of jumping about
and facing the other direction. If you are confused at the start,
practise this turn without a hammer. The shoes should have spikes
both in the toes and the heels.

"TRACK ATHLETICS IN DETAIL."--ILLUSTRATED.--8VO, CLOTH, ORNAMENTAL, $1.25.

THE GRADUATE.

* * * * *

RECALLED STORMY TIMES.

"Well, that looks natural," said the old soldier, looking at a can of condensed milk on the breakfast-table in place of ordinary milk that failed on account of the storm. "It's the Gail Borden Eagle Brand we used during the war."--[_Adv._]

ADVERTISEMENTS.

A cream-of-tartar baking powder. Highest of all in leavening strength.--_Latest United States Government Food Report._

ROYAL BAKING POWDER CO., NEW YORK.

BICYCLING.

This Department is conducted in the interest of Bicyclers, and the
Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject. Our
maps and tours contain many valuable data kindly supplied from the
official maps and road-books of the League of American Wheelmen.
Recognizing the value of the work being done by the L.A.W., the
Editor will be pleased to furnish subscribers with membership
blanks and information as far as possible.

Continuing the trip from Chicago to Waukesha, we give this week the second stage of the journey, which is divided into three parts. As was stated last week, it is probably well for the rider to stop at Wheeling for dinner, rather than stay there for the night. The ride is a short one, and can be done by any one who had ridden for a season with comparative ease in the early morning hours before it grows too warm. If this is done, the rider may stop at Wheeling for dinner and for three or four hours' rest, and then in the cool of the early evening continue on as far as Lippencott's on Fox Lake, about 23 or 24 miles from Wheeling. Here is a good place to stop for the night, and the run from Lippencott's to Waukesha will not be too great for the second day. For convenience in making maps, however, we have divided this journey into three.

Leaving Wheeling, still on the Old Milwaukee Toll Road, run a little west of north four and a half miles to Halfday. At Halfday turn westward, taking the left fork, cross the railroad about two miles out of the town, and run on to Diamond Lake, four and a half miles from Halfday. Keeping straight on the main road, continue to Dean's Corners, three and a half miles from Diamond Lake. Again keep straight ahead, running into Fremont Center, keeping to the left about a mile before entering the town, and then by turning sharp to the right half a mile further on, run into the village itself. On running out of Fremont Center keep to the left at the fork across the stream, and then bear to the right up towards Fort Hill. Instead of running to Fort Hill, however, you should keep to the left about half a mile before reaching the town, and keep to the main road running up to Lippencott's between Fish Pond on the left and Wooster Lake on the right. The road is easily found, with the exception of one or two turns just before reaching Lippencott's, and these can be more easily found by making inquiries than by attempting to describe them here. Lippencott's is a pleasant place with a good hotel on Fox Lake, where it is moderately certain that you will pass a cool night and feel refreshed for your ride to Waukesha the next day.

NOTE.--Map of New York city asphalted streets in No. 809. Map of
route from New York to Tarrytown in No. 810. New York to Stamford,
Connecticut, in No. 811. New York to Staten Island in No. 812. New
Jersey from Hoboken to Pine Brook in No. 813. Brooklyn in No. 814.
Brooklyn to Babylon in No. 815. Brooklyn to Northport in No. 816.
Tarrytown to Poughkeepsie in No. 817. Poughkeepsie to Hudson in No.
818. Hudson to Albany in No. 819, Tottenville to Trenton in No.
820. Trenton to Philadelphia in No. 821. Philadelphia in No. 822.
Philadelphia-Wissahickon Route in No. 823. Philadelphia to West
Chester in No. 824. Philadelphia to Atlantic City--First Stage in
No. 825; Second Stage in No. 826. Philadelphia to Vineland--First
Stage in No. 827; Second Stage in No. 828. New York to
Boston--Second Stage in No. 829; Third Stage in No. 830; Fourth
Stage in No. 831; Fifth Stage in No. 832; Sixth Stage in No. 833.
Boston to Concord in No. 834. Boston in No. 835. Boston to
Gloucester in No. 836. Boston to Newburyport in No. 837. Boston to
New Bedford in No. 838. Boston to South Framingham in No. 839.
Boston to Nahant in No. 840. Boston to Lowell in No. 841. Boston to
Nantasket Beach in No. 842. Boston Circuit Ride in No. 843.
Philadelphia to Washington--First Stage in No. 844; Second Stage in
No. 845; Third Stage in No. 846; Fourth Stage in No. 847; Fifth
Stage in No. 848. City of Washington in No. 849. City of Albany in
No, 854; Albany to Fonda in No. 855; Fonda in Utica in No. 856;
Utica to Syracuse in No. 857; Syracuse to Lyons in No. 858; Lyons
to Rochester in No. 859; Rochester to Batavia in No. 860; Batavia
to Buffalo in No. 861; Poughkeepsie to Newtown in No. 864; Newtown
to Hartford in No. 865; New Haven to Hartford in No. 866; Hartford
to Springfield in No. 867; Hartford to Canaan in No. 868; Canaan to
Pittsfield in No. 869; Hudson to Pittsfield in No. 870. City of
Chicago in No. 874. Waukesha to Oconomowoc in 875. Chicago to
Wheeling in 876.

* * * * *

If one is a collector of antiquities, he has doubtless in his possession one of those beautifully chased and ornamented timepieces that at one period at the court of France were so much in vogue, it being the fashion to wear several of them at one time. Invariably set with jewels, they were very costly, but for usefulness in keeping time they were practically worthless. A good story is told of a nobleman who was showing two or three of his beautiful watches to a friend. Being jostled by a passer-by the friend accidentally dropped two of them on the floor. He was very profuse with his apologies for his awkwardness, to which the nobleman replied,

"Oh, pray don't mention it, my dear friend. It's the first time I ever saw them go together."

This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp and coin
collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question
on these subjects so far as possible. Correspondents should address
Editor Stamp Department.

The new Spanish Congressional stamp has been received on letters. It is a very handsome stamp, printed in carmine, bearing the Spanish coat of arms, with the words "Congreso de los Diputados." The cancellation is a crown with ornament attached bearing the words "Congreso de los Diputados." The cancellation is the same as that hitherto used on the ordinary Spanish envelopes bearing the regular issues of stamps when mailed by a member of the Spanish legislature.

This is the time for the annual conventions of all kinds, even of stamp-collectors. The Southern Philatelic Association has already adjourned. The Sons of Philately met August 5, at Gettysburg, Pa. The American Philatelic Association will meet at Minnetonka.

The two new Japanese stamps are to be issued September 12, 1896, the second anniversary of the Emperor's leaving Tokyo to go to Hiroshima, so as to be near the seat of war between Japan and China.

The inhabitants of the small group of islands situated on the south of Iceland possess a very curious method of communication in their so-called "bottle post." When the wind blows from the south, and one of the islanders wishes to communicate with the mainland, he puts his letters into a well-corked bottle, and to insure their delivery he incloses at the same time a plug or twist of tobacco, or a cigar. The wind speedily impels the bottle to the shores of the main island, where people are usually on the lookout, who are willing to deliver the letters in return for the inclosed remuneration.

Africa is coming to the front with a multiplication of new stamps. The French in Madagascar have issued three different sets, two provisional and one regular. The British East Africa new series of fifteen denominations, and Zanzibar with fourteen denominations, have been issued. In the near future specialists in African stamps will grow common.

This reminds me of a prophecy by one of the old dealers that soon there would be albums made for each country and for each hemisphere for the advanced collector with money, and one simplified album for the use of the general collector, who with less money, but with equal enthusiasm, would get just as much enjoyment out of his modest general collection as the millionaire specialists out of their marvellous collection of varieties, etc., of one country.

W. W. WOOD.--The two coins are sold by dealers at a slight increase
over face.

J. M. F.--There were five varieties of the $5 red Internal Revenue,
first issue, viz.: Charier Party, Conveyance, worth 15c. each;
Mortgage and Probate of Will, worth 50c. each; and Manifest, worth
$1.50. These prices are for perforated copies; unperforated copies
are worth from $1.25 to $10. The second issue, blue and black, and
the third issue, vermilion, are worth 50c. or 60c. each. Cuban
stamps are not much collected, and any one can buy them in
quantities, therefore there is little prospect of an advance.

W. R. WHEELER.--The $10 Charter Party, perforated, is worth 60c.;
unperforated, $8; the $3 Charter, 15c., and $1.50 respectively; a
pair of $2 Mortgage, unperforated, is worth $4; the $2 and $5
Probate, worth $1 and 50c. respectively.

W. R. C.--The 3c. U.S. red, 1851, is worth 35c. per hundred; the
1857, about 25c. per hundred; the 1861, about 10c. per hundred. The
1c. blue, from 1851 to 1860, are worth much more, depending on
condition of the plate, etc. The U.S. Internal Revenue 2c. are not
worth anything, the other 2c. Revenues are worth various prices.

F. E. COWAN.--I do not know the value of Mexican Revenue stamps.
Probably some St. Louis dealer could quote prices. Hitherto they
have not been collected generally, but I believe they will soon be
more popular. When that time comes prices will become more stable.

G. LEONARD.--I cannot repeat the long list of coins previously
published in the ROUND TABLE for December 17, 1895, and January 14,
1896.

A. A. HALL.--English Revenue stamps, or rather stamped papers, have
been used for several hundred years. You will doubtless recall
England's attempt to force the American Colonists to use stamped
paper in 1765. The law was repealed in 1766 in consequence of the
disaffection and riots.

J. SCHWANMAN.--"Gumpaps" is a nickname or term of contempt applied
to stamps issued primarily to sell to collectors, especially those
condemned by the Society for the Suppression of Speculative Stamps,
usually called the S.S.S.S.

W. T. WILLIAMS.--No. Never paste your stamps down. Always use
hinges, and buy the best hinges, as it will pay you in the end. I
frequently see old collections containing stamps pasted down, with
the result that almost every stamp has been damaged. Blues, greens,
and some reds disappear altogether. I am told it comes from using
dextrine from which the acid has not been thoroughly removed.

J. J. SINGER.--In perforating postage-stamps a die plate is placed
before the needles of a machine carrying hundreds of needles. As
about 180,000,000 holes are punched per day, the wear on the die
plate is excessive. Brass plates wear out in a day, and even steel
plates are rapidly destroyed. The use of aluminium bronze has
caused the die plates to last for months without renewal. Usually
the parallel horizontal rows are perforated first, and the vertical
rows next. Both rows have been perforated at one time, but this
method has proved impracticable.

FAITHFUL READER.--The 1850 dime can be bought of the dealers for
20c. They are still in circulation.

M. C. HALDEMAN, Thompsontown, Pa., wishes to exchange stamps and
philatelic literature. Also wants samples of amateur papers.

V. M.--The 1851 1c. U.S. is worth $2 unused, 25c. used. But there
are two varieties (from the early impressions) which are worth much
more. Do not cut any pairs or strips of any unperforated stamps.

PHILATUS.

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Postage Stamps, &c.

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STAMPS on Approval! 50% disct. _List free._

W. C. Shields, 30 Sorauren Ave., Toronto, Canada.

Reader: Have you seen the

It is a Collection which no one who loves music should fail to own; it should find a place in every home. Never before, it may truthfully be said, has a song book been published at once so cheap, so good, and so complete.--_Colorado Springs Gazette._

This Song Collection is one of the most notable enterprises of the kind attempted by any publisher. The brief sketches and histories of the leading productions in the work add greatly to the value of the series.--_Troy Times._

Sold Everywhere. Price, 50 cents; Cloth, $1.00. Full contents, with Specimen Pages mailed, without cost, on application to

Harper & Brothers, New York.

* * * * *

The Theban Chariot.

When in Florence we started for the Egyptian Museum one morning at
ten, and got there in about twenty minutes. I was disappointed when
I first looked at the chariot. As I examined it I saw how
wonderfully it was made. There was no metal in it, and the only
substances besides wood were leather and fossil bone. There are
very few pieces of wood in the chariot, as you will see in the
picture. The collar is like a wishbone with the point down. The tip
is round instead of flat, and is of fossil bone. The ends of the
yoke are finished with the same bone, and also the heads of the
wooden spikes that hold the wheels on the axles.

The pole is about the same length as an average carriage-pole. The
yoke is about four feet long, and the wheels the same height. The
place where the driver and warrior stood is made of leather,
plaited like a split-bottomed chair, and this platform is
semicircular. The yoke and pole are held together by a bone-headed
spike. The spokes, pole, and hubs were originally covered with
birch bark. The authorities say that from the quality of the wood
and the absence of metal, it may be presumed that this chariot,
formerly belonging to some warrior of the north, had been taken to
Egypt as one of the spoils of war over 3300 years ago.

I have seen a photograph of a Roman chariot. It was the same as
this, but filled in with bronze, and thirty times as heavy. The
pieces of leather which go from the breast-work of the platform to
the pole have been put there recently. There is a bow, that was
found with the chariot, leaning against it. It used to be covered
with leather, and is about five feet long.

JOHN B. CANTLEY.
WOODBURN SANDS, BLETCHLY, ENGLAND.

* * * * *

A Man-eating Russian.

In the church of St. Alexander, St. Petersburg, are the remains of a Russian general, Hannibal. A guide once said to a traveller, "There lies a Cannibal." This startling remark was all due to the fact that the Russian alphabet is H-less.

* * * * *

An Infallible Guesser.

When Thomas was compiling one of his first almanacs his clerk asked him what forecast he should enter opposite a certain week in July.

"_Thunder, hail, and snow_," promptly replied Thomas--and, lo! the prediction proved to be true! Thomas's almanac was thereafter considered well-nigh infallible.

* * * * *

In Order Now for "S.Z.B." to Explain.

Some weeks ago a letter reached us, signed by what appeared a responsible name, and dated at Kingman, Arizona, telling us of the death of Lady Florence E. Cowan. As Miss Cowan lives at Kingman, we believed the statement, and as she had contributed to the Table many delightful morsels, which thousands had enjoyed, we made a minute of the news. A letter from Miss Cowan expresses her natural surprise, and gives us and the Table the glad tidings that the information of "S.Z.B." was incorrect.

* * * * *

Some Odd Pastimes.

Spinosa, after studying assiduously for hours, would amuse himself
by setting spiders to fighting. His laughter was said to have been
positively alarming on the occasion of especially exciting combats.
Socrates loved to play with children, and Tycho Brahé to polish
spectacle glasses. D'Andilly, a translator of _Josephus_, spent his
leisure in cultivating trees, while Barclay, author of the
_Argenis_, was as devoted to his flowers as Celia Thaxter. Balzac
collected crayon portraits, and the Abbé de Maroles, prints.
Politian was never so happy as with his lute. The learned monk
Petavius would gravely whirl his chair for five minutes at the end
of every second hour of theological research, while Dr. Samuel
Clarke was an expert chair and table jumper. Swift was often seen
running up and down the steps of the deanery. Shelley's fondness
for sailing paper boats is well known, but few know that he once
folded a fifty-pound bank-note and sent it bobbing down the current
of the Serpentine. But all will be glad to know that the shallop
was finally moored in safety lower down the river. This launching
somehow reminds us of the first stanza of Lear's _Owl and Pussy
Cat_.

GEOFFREY CARTWRIGHT.

* * * * *

Two Apt Anagrams.

A person once wrote this anagram of the name "Napoleon Bonaparte": "No, appear not on Elba."

When it was rumored that the Duke of Wellington intended marrying a rich heiress, Angelina Burdett Coutts, this anagram appeared:

"The Duke must in his second childhood be,
Since in his doting age he turns to A B C."

ORION BELTON.

* * * * *

Kinks.

No. 19.--A JINGLE OF JACKS.

Pray find, without much tribulation,
Full many a neat e_jac_ulation:
The Jack^1 that flies at vessel's prow;
Before it all good Jack Tars bow;
The Jack^2 that on a darksome night
May well inspire one's soul with fright;
The Jack^3 that rears its massive trunk
O'er flowers that of the brook have drunk;
The Jack^4 whom ev'ry butcher greets
With offers of all lean-fleshed meats;
The Jack^5 whom sober-minded people shun,
So great his size he fills a tun!
The Jack^6 who makes the strong and hale
Before its very name turn pale;
And now I'll tell you of _one_ Jack--
The Jack who has the happy knack
Of making sunshine out of shade--
The dearest Jack that e'er was made!

PROTE A. JAY.

* * * * *

No. 20.--A QUARTUS.

First is a state that is surely in debt;
Second, a stone that in truth is _a door_;
Third, an odd gem which dilates in a pet;
Fourth is a stone that may mean _a horse poor_.

PLESIOSAURUS.

* * * * *

No. 21.--A SESTINE OF STONES.

The stone (1) that will capture the "mackerel-guide";
The stone (2) which might have the term "measures" applied;
The stone (3) that "O, Partner!" cries out with _esprit_;
The stone (4) that may grow 'mid the tall _fleurs-de-lis_;
The stone (5) that means "steward" in Persian, 'tis said;
And, lastly, the stone (6) in which gas burns o'erhead.

EASON C. ARLINGTON.

* * * * *

No. 23.--A MYTHOLOGICAL MÉLANGE.

In the following jumble find these mythological personages, Greek and Roman: nine female and five male divinities, two giants, two heroes, a legendary king, a monster, a Greek maiden metamorphosed into a white heifer, the most beautiful of all mortals, and the mother of a well-known god and goddess:

The miner vacantly began to leer--ostentation at last! He cater to a maniac? Hill escaped; an oven used to mar Smith's arbor. Eastwardly the coach ironically accompanied Jan. "Usually _I_ owe; _he_ bears genuine grief amid astounding trials, surpassing any Medes." The ice restored her; attentive Lucas tore the vest at the hem; the shy mender let oats fly, while the poacher messed his porridge--the color I only conjectured to be bice.

SOUTHE ARLINGTON.

* * * * *

Questions and Answers.

Are you interested in music and natural history? Inez M. Brush, Chelsea, Iowa, wants to correspond with you if you are. If you live in Baltimore, P. Dettelbach, 1905 Druid Hill Avenue, wants you to join the Monumental City Chapter. Corresponding members are also received. William J. Smith,--No badges are now in stock. When more are prepared, notice will be given in these columns. We know of no active Chapter in Detroit near you. It is better to form one among your own friends than to join one whose members you have no acquaintance with.

"Disputants,"--Austria is on a gold and Russia on a silver monetary basis. "Amateur Newspaper,"--There are several methods by which writing is cheaply duplicated. None are perfect--that is, as perfect as type-printing, and none can, unless done far better than the average amateur is able to do, deceive the recipient to the extent of making him think it an original letter. For HARPER'S MAGAZINE, and for prices apply to your bookseller. Directions go with the apparatus.

Henry F. Brown, a Massachusetts Knight, who won a Round Table Illustration prize, asks if the late Horace Bradley is the same person who judged his picture: "for," he writes, "I find 'H. B.' on the back of it." We cannot say with absolute certainty, but it is probable that it is. Mr. Bradley, who was one of the most obliging of men, passed judgment upon much work sent in by Round Table members. Pressed with responsibilities, he often took time to look through a pile of members' drawings, giving a word of criticism here or of commendation there. In half a dozen instances he wrote letters to members of artistic promise, giving them helpful advice. You should prize your drawing with its initials "H. B." highly.

Eugene B. Benton, who says he hopes one day to enter the navy, asks what became of the old vessels of the Revolutionary navy. There were about forty of them, and they had different fates. Two, the _America_ and the _Ariel_, were presented to France. The famous _Bonhomme Richard_ was sunk in 1779, and the _Washington_, _Independence_, and _Montgomery_ in 1778. The _Saratoga_ was lost at sea, and the _Lexington_ was captured by the British in the English Channel, in 1778. You are in error in thinking the _Constitution_ was in the war of the Revolution. It was not launched until 1797. It was in service, with some lapses, until December, 1881, when it was consigned to "Rotten Row," in the Brooklyn Navy-yard. The earliest built of our new navy, or White Squadron, was the _Chicago_, in 1886. Previous to 1862 enlisted men in the navy were granted a "spirit ration." In July of that year Congress passed a law abolishing it, and enacted that "hereafter no distilled spirituous liquors shall be admitted on board of vessels of war, except as medical stores." Read Admiral Gherardi's article on the navy, in HARPER'S ROUND TABLE for June 30 last. It can be had for five cents from the publishers, and it authoritatively answers all of your questions about entering the navy, the pay, etc.

CAMERA CLUB.

CHOOSING A CAMERA.

Many letters come to the editor of this column asking advice in regard to the purchase of a camera, style, price, etc., and a short talk on the subject may not come amiss to the members of the club.

There are so many makes of cameras, each with a seemingly equal claim to merit, that the would-be purchaser--unless he has had some experience in photography--is often at a loss what sort of an instrument to select. To simplify the description we will divide the cameras into four classes: 1. The tiny snap-shot. 2. The hand camera. 3. The hand and view camera combined. 4. The view camera.

If one has had no previous experience in taking pictures, and simply wishes to make pictorial reminders of his summer outings, the tiny snap-shot-camera, which makes pictures about the size of a silver dollar, is a most satisfactory investment. This camera carries a spool of film long enough for twelve pictures, which is easily and quickly changed for fresh film. The lens has what is called a universal focus, so that there is no focussing. All that one has to do to make a picture is to point the camera at the object and press the shutter spring. The result is sometimes very good and sometimes very amusing, according to the skill with which the instrument is managed. Some of these miniature pictures are perfect in detail, and such pictures may be enlarged four or five times their diameter with slight expense. Even if one owns a larger camera one of these pocket-cameras is a desirable addition to one's outfit. This snap-shot camera costs from $3 to $5.

No. 2. The hand camera may be bought anywhere from $8 to $50. The size of the picture made varies from the small 3-1/4 by 4-1/4 to the 5 by 7. The camera which takes a 4 by 5 picture is the most convenient and the most satisfactory size. These cameras are made with an interchangeable arrangement, so that one may use either plates or films. For general work the plates are less trouble to handle, and the fact that one can carry only eight to ten plates in the camera leads one to be more careful in making pictures. Films are more convenient to carry on a journey, for the weight of film enough for one hundred pictures is not equal to eight plates. A good 4 by 5 hand camera may be bought for $12.

No. 3. The hand and view camera combined is one of the best cameras for all-round work. A 4 by 5 camera fitted with double swing-back, rising and falling front, and a rapid rectilinear lens may be bought for $20. The object of the swing-back is to adjust the plate so that it may be parallel with the object to be photographed.

No. 4. The view camera is one made specially for out-of-door work, and is the style used by professionals who make a specialty of landscape views. The camera and lens are bought separately, and one may have several lenses for the same camera. Most of the view cameras fold up compactly, so that a 5 by 8 camera, three double plate-holders, two or three lenses, and a focussing-cloth may be carried in a case about twelve inches square and five and a half inches wide.

A wise young woman understands
That Ivory Soap is best to use
For outing flannels, sunburned hands,
Light summer gowns and tennis shoes.

Copyright, 1896, by The Procter & Gamble Co., Cin'ti.

THE

BALTIMOREAN PRINTING-PRESS

has earned more money for boys than all other presses in the market. Boys, don't idle away your time when you can buy a self-inking printing-press, type, and complete outfit for $5.00. Write for particulars, there is money in it for you.

THE J. F. W. DORMAN CO.,

Baltimore, Md., U.S.A.

FREE.

Sample cards and circulars describing the latest and greatest educational game. Fascinating, entertaining, and highly instructive.

H. J. WEIHE,

602 25th Street, Milwaukee, Wis.

EARN A TRICYCLE.

We wish to introduce our Teas. Sell 30 lbs. and we will give you a Fairy Tricycle; sell 25 lbs. for a Solid Silver Watch and Chain; 50 lbs. for a Gold Watch and Chain; 75 lbs. for a Bicycle; 10 lbs. for a Gold Ring. Write for catalog and order sheet Dept. I

W. G. BAKER,

Springfield, Mass.

SOME GOOD BOOKS

* * * * *

TRACK ATHLETICS IN DETAIL.

Compiled by the Editor of "Interscholastic Sport" in HARPER'S ROUND TABLE. Illustrated from Instantaneous Photographs. 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.25. In "HARPER'S ROUND TABLE Library."

A good book to put into the hands of the athletically inclined. It
is capitally illustrated with instantaneous photographs, and is
full of expert and sound advice and instruction.--_Outlook_, N. Y.

* * * * *

By CAPTAIN KING

Captain King has in large degree the rare faculty of placing in the
mental vision of the reader a clearly limned picture of the scenes
described.--_Newark Advertiser._

CADET DAYS.

Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.25.

CAMPAIGNING WITH CROOK,

And Stories of Army Life. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, $1.25.

A WAR-TIME WOOING.

Illustrated by R. F. ZOGBAUM. Post 8vo, Cloth. $1.00.

BETWEEN THE LINES.

A Story of the War. Illustrated by GILBERT GAUL. Post 8vo, Cloth, $1.25.

* * * * *

HARPER & BROTHERS, Publishers, New York

* * * * *

Said Tommy Tadpole to his Ma,
"I wish I were a frog!
Then I could make a great big noise,
And sit upon a log!"

"You'll find, my dear," his mother said,
"More things than noise and log
Complete the sum of daily life
When you've become a frog."

* * * * *

A GOOD PLAN.

"Bobbie," said Tom, "let you and I go into business."

"What business?" asked Bobbie.

"Oh, I don't care," said Tom. "I'll be senior partner, and you be head clerk and attend the business."

* * * * *

A GOOD TERM.

"Hoh," said Wilbur, when Wallie wanted to swap an American two-cent stamp for a silver shilling, "you're pretty mumpy, I think."

"Mumpy?" asked Wallie. "What's mumpy?"

"When your cheek gets big," said Wilbur.

* * * * *

A HARD QUESTION TO ANSWER.

"Papa," said Arthur, "I read somewhere that people became what they ate."

"So it is said, my son."

"Then why don't cannibals become missionaries, papa?"

* * * * *

A DISPUTE.

"Did you see how that bull tossed his head?" asked Mollie.

"No," said Allie. "I saw him shake it. He didn't toss it."

"Yes, he did," said Mollie.

"Where did he toss it to?" asked Allie. "I didn't see it land anywhere."

* * * * *

HARD TO RESIST.

"Billie," said little Tommie, "won't you come and play with me?"

"You're too little, Tommie," said Billie. "I couldn't play anything with you."

"I'll be anything, Billie," pleaded Tommie. "I'll roll myself up into a ball, and maybe you'll have a splendid time bouncing me about."

* * * * *

WHERE THE WINDOWS GOT THEIR NAMES.

It was a very blustery day. The breeze from the sea was so strong that it blew in one or two panes of glass, and brought down the curtains with a clatter to the floor.

"I see now," said little Harry, "why they call windies windies."

* * * * *

A BOUNCER.

"What a splendid jumper your little dog is, Sammie," said Mr. Hicks.

"Well, he ought to be," said Sammie. "He swallowed a rubber ball last week."

* * * * *

Floods in lowland countries have their humorous side as well as their tragic ones. A gentleman recently returned from the West relates a little experience he had with a swollen river in Missouri. The country had been a veritable swamp for some days, and after travelling through it on horseback for a week doing business here and there, he says he arrived at the bank of the river. There was no way to cross it except by swimming, so, dismounting, he tied his clothes to the horse, and drove him into the river, swimming after him. Reaching the other side, he dressed and continued on his way. Before going twenty feet, however, he came to the forks of the road, and not knowing the correct direction he wanted to go, he looked around for a sign. There was none, but just across the river, near the spot he had entered to swim across, he saw a board nailed on a tree. Well, there was nothing to do but to get in and swim across again, as undoubtedly that was the sign containing the directions. He swam across, and after climbing up the bank he read the following notice:

"Five dollars fine for crossing this bridge faster than a walk."

He says that under the circumstances the sarcasm of that sign put him in bad humor for the rest of the day.

* * * * *

In the rush and crush of business in the general post-office the other day an Irishman's answer was heard that is worth repeating. It was at the general-delivery window, and the Irishman was poor, and a typical son of the sod. He had applied for a letter.

"Letter? All right, sir. What name?"

The Irishman gave his name, but the clerk, not catching it, asked,

"How do you spell it?"

"Spell it!" answered the Irishman. "Shure, if a foine smart clerk loike you can't spell it, how d'ye think a poor man loike me can?"

* * * * *

THE TERRIBLE PLIGHT OF THE WISE MAN.

There was a man in our town
Who was so wondrous wise
That nobody dared speak to him;
And so he winked his eyes,

And said, "I don't know anything,
But all these people here
Are so afraid, they dare not speak,
And call me sage and seer;

"But, oh, if some one should forget,
And speak to me some day,
I really haven't an idea
Of what I then should say!"

And so this sage pretended that
His temper was most vile,
And people, when they met him,
Turned and ran away a mile.

And so it is unto this day--
He's magnified in size,
So that though he knows nothing,
All the town folks think him wise.

J. K. B.

* * * * *

THE BEST OF ALL.

"What are you going to be when you are a man, Jack?" asked Uncle George.

"A man," said Jack.

End of Project Gutenberg's Harper's Round Table, August 18, 1896, by Various