The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Book of Sports
Title: The Book of Sports
Author: William Martin
Release date: April 14, 2008 [eBook #25068]
Most recently updated: January 3, 2021
Language: English
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THE
BOOK OF SPORTS:
CONTAINING
OUT-DOOR SPORTS,
AMUSEMENTS AND RECREATIONS,
INCLUDING
GYMNASTICS, GARDENING & CARPENTERING,
For Boys and Girls.
BY
WILLIAM MARTIN,
AUTHOR OF "FIRESIDE PHILOSOPHY," "THE PARLOUR BOOK,"
"INTELLECTUAL CALCULATOR," ETC. ETC. ETC.
SECOND EDITION.
LONDON:
DARTON AND CO., HOLBORN HILL.
M.DCCC.LII.
CONTENTS.
Preface vii
I. Games with Marbles.
Ring Taw 9
Lag Out or Knock Out 10
Three Holes 12
Arches 13
Bonce-Eye 13
Sun and Planet Taw 15
Pyramid 19
II. Games for Cold Weather.
Prisoners' Base 21
Stag Out 22
Warning 23
Mouse in the Corner 23
King of the Castle 24
Hippas 24
Thread the Needle 24
Touch 25
Bowls 26
Quoits 27
Why and Because 27
Bombardment of a Snow Castle 29
Bandy Ball or Golf 31
Foot Ball 32
Trussing 32
Follow my Leader 33
Blindman's Buff 33
Tip-Cat 34
Jingling 35
French and English 36
III. Dangerous Games.
Heap the bushel 37
Drawing the Oven 37
Hop-Scotch 38
Basting the Bear 38
Buck, Buck 38
IV. Gymnastics. 39
Walking 44
Running 45
Leaping 46
Climbing 49
Rope Ladder 50
Slant Board 50
Vaulting 50
Balancing 51
V. Cricket. 55
Laws of the Game of Double Wicket 59
The Bowler 61
The Striker 62
The Wicket-Keeper 64
Laws for Single Wicket 65
Bets 67
VI. Swimming. 69
Preliminary Exercises in Swimming 78
Bernardi's System 83
VII. Gardening. 89
How to keep a Garden all the year round, with directions for each month 105
VIII. Carpentering. 115
Uses of the various Tools:—Plane, Chisel Gimlet, Mallet, Hammer, Files and Nails. 116
Stuff and Labour 121
IX. Keeping Poultry. 123
Nature and Situation of Fowl-House 124
The Various Breeds of Fowl 126
Choice of Stock 128
Food and Feeding 128
Laying 129
Preservation of Eggs 129
Hatching Chickens 130
X. Bees. 131
Queen Bee.—Drone.—Construction of Nests.—How to get a Stock of Bees.—Hiving 134
PREFACE.
The prime object of this book is to induce and to teach boys and girls to spend their hours out of school in such a manner, as to gain innocent enjoyment while they promote their own health and bodily strength. The Author has never lost sight of this object, considering it to be what properly belongs to a Book of Sports.
He has, however, in many instances, had in view, in a subordinate degree, the intellectual improvement of his young readers. He hopes that several of the games, now described in print for the first time, will be found, if not "royal roads," at least delightful ones, to the knowledge of many scientific facts. There seems to be no good reason why the utile (considered intellectually as well as bodily) should not find its place in the sports of young people, if it be so skilfully combined with the dulce as not to convert pleasure into toil.
To those who assent to what has been stated, the introduction of a chapter on gardening will need no apology.
PART I.
GAMES WITH MARBLES.
One of the best games with marbles is
RING TAW.
This is played in the following manner:—A circle should be drawn about four feet in diameter, and an inner circle of about six inches being also marked out in its centre, into this each boy puts a marble. "Now then, boys, knuckle down at the offing, which is in any part of the outer circle. Now, whoever shoots a marble out of the ring is entitled to go on again: so mind your shots; a good shot may clear the ring. After the first shot, the players do not shoot from the offing, but from the place where the marble stops after it has been shot from the knuckle. Every marble struck out of the ring belongs to the party who hits it; but if the taw remains in the inner ring, either after it has struck a marble or not, the player is out, and must put in all the marbles he has won. If one player strike another player's taw, the player to whom the taw belongs is out; and he must give up all the marbles he has won to the player whose taw struck his."
LAG OUT OR KNOCK OUT.
This game is played by throwing a marble against the wall, which rebounds to a distance. Others then follow; and the boy whose marble strikes against any of the others is the winner. Some boys play the game in a random manner; but the boy who plays with skill judges nicely of the law of forces, that is, he calculates exactly the force of the rebound, and the direction of it.
The first law of motion is, that everything preserves a state of rest, or of uniform rectilineal (that is, straight, motion), unless affected by some moving force.
Second law.—Every change of motion is always proportioned to the degree of the moving force by which it is produced, and it is made in the line of direction in which that force is impressed.
Third law.—Action and reaction are always equal and contrary, or the mutual action of two bodies upon each other are always equal and directed to contrary parts.
To illustrate the first of these laws,—a marble will never move from the ground of itself, and once put in motion, it will preserve that motion until some other power operates upon it in a contrary direction.
With regard to playing Lag Out so as to win, you must further understand the principle of reflected motion. If you throw your marble in a straight line against the wall, you find that it comes back to you nearly in a straight line again. If you throw it ever so slightly on one side, or obliquely, it will fly off obliquely on the opposite side. If you throw the marble from the point C to the point B, it will fly off in the direction of the point A, and if a marble lay there it would hit it; but if you threw it from the point D, you would stand no chance.
In science, the angle C, B, D, is called the angle of incidence, and D, B, A, is called the angle of reflection.
THREE HOLES.
Three Holes is not a bad game. To play it, you must make three small holes about four feet apart: then the first shot tries to shoot a marble into the first hole. If he gets in, he goes from that to the second, and then to the third hole, after which he returns, and having passed up and down three times, he thus wins the game. If he cannot get in the first hole, the second player tries; and when he stops short at a hole, the third, and so on. After any player has shot his marble into a hole, he may fire at any adversary's marble to drive him away, and, if he hits him, he has a right to shoot again, either for the hole or any other player. The game is won by the player who gets first into the last hole and works his way back again to the first, when he takes all his adversaries' marbles.
ARCHES.
To play arches, the players must be provided with a board of the following shape, with arches cut therein; each arch being a little more than the diameter of a marble, and each space between the arches the same.
The boy to whom the bridge belongs receives a marble from each boy who shoots, and gives to each the number of marbles over the arches should they pass through them.
BONCE-EYE.
Bonce-Eye is played by each player putting down a marble within a small ring, and dropping from the eye another marble upon them so as to drive them out, those driven out being the property of the Boncer.
The law of falling bodies may be well illustrated by this game. It is one of the laws of motion, that the velocities of falling bodies are in proportion to the space passed over; and the space passed over in each instant increases in arithmetical progression, or as the numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9.
By the annexed diagram it will be seen, that if a marble fall from the hand at A, when it reaches B it has only the quantity of velocity or force expressed in the angle 1; but when it passes to C, it has the quantity expressed in the three angles 3; when it passes to D, it has the quantity expressed in the angle 5; when it passes to E, it has the quantity expressed by the seven angles marked 7. Thus we may understand why a tall boy has a better chance at Bonce-Eye than a short one.
It is found by experiment, that a body falling from a height moves at the rate of 16-1/12 feet in the first second; and acquires a velocity of twice that, or 32-1/6 feet, in a second. At the end of the next second, it will have fallen 64-1/3 feet; the space being as the square of the time. The square of 2 is 4; and 4 times 16-1/12 is 64-1/3; by the same rule, it will be found, that in the third second it will fall 144-3/4; feet; in the fourth second, 257-1/3; and so on. This is to be understood, however, as referring to bodies falling where there is no air. The air has a considerable effect in diminishing their velocity of descent.
SUN AND THE PLANET TAW.
This is an entirely new game, and consists of the Sun in the centre, which may be represented by a bullet, because the sun is the most ponderous body of the system, and will in this game be required to move slowly. The planets moving round him, with their satellites, I represent by marbles. Now, each boy must take the place of a planet; and having taken it, he is required to put down as many marbles as there are satellites belonging to it. The boy who plays Mercury, puts down only one for his planet; the boy who plays Venus does the same; he who plays the Earth, has to put down one for the Earth, and one for the Moon, its satellite; the boy who plays Mars puts down Mars and the four satellites that lie between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter; the boy who plays Saturn puts down one for the planet, and draws a ring round it, outside of which he puts the seven satellites in any position he chooses; the boy who plays the planet Herschel, puts down one for the planet, and six for the satellites. Each boy, having taken his place in this manner, lays down his taw on any part of the orbit of his planet he pleases, being the point from which he must make his first shot.
The rules of the game are very easy; but it is necessary to be perfectly acquainted with them, as it saves much trouble, and prevents disputes; and no one ought to play till he understands them tolerably well.
1. The players must each put his marble into a hat, and turn down the hat over the sun; then, as the marbles fall near or far from the sun, the planets are taken.
2. The player who puts in Mercury has the first shot.
3. No planet can be taken till the Sun has been struck beyond the orbit of Mercury.
4. The player who strikes the Sun beyond the orbit of Mercury, receives from the person who holds the orbit, as many marbles as there are planets or satellites in the orbit in which it stops.
5. The orbits are,—for Mercury, all the space between the Sun and him; for Venus, the space between Venus and Mercury; for the Earth, the space between the Earth and Venus; for Mars, the space between Mars and the Earth; for Jupiter, the space between Jupiter and Mars; for Saturn, the space between Saturn and Jupiter; for Herschel, the space between Herschel and Saturn.
6. If a player succeeds in knocking the Sun on the line of his own orbit, he receives one from every shooter so long as it remains there.
7. If the Sun is knocked against a planet, the player doing so has to pay two to the owner of the planet.
8. If the Sun be struck within the orbit of a planet, the player striking it receives one if for Herschel, two for Saturn, three for Jupiter, four for Mars, five for the earth, six for Venus, and seven for Mercury.
9. The player who succeeds in knocking the Sun beyond the orbit of Herschel, wins the game; that is, he receives one from each player, and all the marbles on the stake in the inner circle.
MOTIONS OF THE PLANETS AND THEIR SATELLITES.
10. When a planet is knocked out of the outer ring (the orbit of Herschel), it belongs to him who strikes it out: the loser must replace it by putting a marble down in its original place.
11. When a planet is struck within the orbit of any other planet, the player striking it there has to pay him to whom the orbit belongs, as many marbles as there are satellites.
12. Should a player's taw, after it has struck another taw, a planet, or a satellite, fall into its own orbit, he has to put one in the inner ring as stakes for the winner of the game.
13. If a player gets his taw within the inner ring, it must remain there for the winner, and he cannot play any more.
14. If a player has all his satellites taken, he then becomes a Comet, and can shoot from any part of any of the orbits every time the Sun is struck.
15. No player can shoot at his own planet or satellite.
16. Any player who strikes a planet or satellite within Saturn's ring, forfeits three to the inner circle. If he strikes the Sun, then he may take up Saturn and all his satellites remaining within his orbit.
17. After the first shot, every player must shoot from the place at which his taw rests.
Such are the laws of Sun and Planet Taw, and it will be found that in playing the game, some degree of thought is requisite, and a little calculation respecting the moves. It may be judicious for a good shooter to keep the Sun within the orbits as long as possible; or till such time as the inner ring gets fat with the forfeitures, or he may drive him from orbit to orbit where the forfeitures are large. He will endeavour to place him on the line of his own orbit. He may also strive to place his adversaries' taws within the inner ring, and to be careful in striking planets that they fall into the orbits where the forfeitures are small. By thus thinking of what he is about and exercising forethought and prudence, he will soon become expert, and by paying attention to the game he will make it his own.
PYRAMID.
To play Pyramid, a small circle of about two feet in diameter should be made on the ground, in the centre of which is a pyramid formed by several marbles,—nine being placed as the base, then a layer of four, and one on the top; and the Pyramid keeper asks his playmates to shoot. Each player gives the keeper one for leave to shoot at the Pyramid, and all that he can strike out of the circle belong to him.
PART II.
GAMES FOR COLD WEATHER.
One of the best of these is called
"PRISONERS' BASE."
To play this, there must be a number of boys, not less than eight or ten, and as many more as can be got together. To commence it, two semicircles are drawn against a wall or hedge at the opposite sides of the playground. These are called the Bounds.
Two other spaces are then marked out a little away from these to the right or to the left. These places are called the Prisons.
The game is commenced by a player from one side running out midway between the bounds or prisons, a player from the other side immediately following to capture him; one from the other side follows after the second to capture him, and so on, both parties sending out as many as they think fit. The object of each player is to intercept and touch any player of the opposite side who has left his bounds before him, but he is not at liberty to touch any that have started after him; it being their privilege, if they can, to touch him before he gets back to his own bounds. A player must touch only one person each time he leaves bounds, and cannot be touched by another after he has taken a prisoner. Every player who is touched, must go to the prison belonging to his adversaries, where he must remain until one of his own side can touch him; and prisoners can neither touch nor be touched in their return to their own bounds again. The game is won by that side which has taken all the other party prisoners.
STAG OUT.
In this game, one boy personates the Stag, and with his hands closed together, starts from his bounds after the other players. When he succeeds in touching one who is called the Ass, the first who gets to him rides him back to the bounds. The two then go out in the same manner, then three, and so on, till the whole are caught.
WARNING.
This game is something similar to another very good game called "Warning," which may be played by any number of players. One begins the game in the same manner as in "Stag Out," repeating the following words,—"Warning once, warning twice, warning thrice—A bushel of wheat, and a bushel of rye, when the cock crows, out jump I—Cock a doodle doo." He then runs out and touches the first he can overtake, who returns to bounds with him. The two then join hands and sally forth, and touch a third, who joins hands with the other two: again they sally hand-in-hand, the two outside ones touching as many as they can. Immediately a player is touched, they must break hands and run back to the bounds. If any of the out-players can catch any of those who held hands, they may ride them back to their bounds. When three are touched, he who first begins the game has the privilege of joining the out-players, whose object is always to break the line.
MOUSE IN THE CORNER.
In this game, one of the players takes the part of Puss, and places himself in the centre, and the others playing take up their positions in the four corners of the playground. Each of the players calls out, "Puss, puss, puss, pretty puss,—how do you do pussy," and endeavour to pass from corner to corner. The players are at liberty to change corners in all directions, and if Puss can touch one when he is away from his corner, the one so touched, after giving Puss a ride round the ground, becomes Puss, or if Puss can take a vacant corner, the player without a corner must do the same,—give Puss a ride round and become Puss.
KING OF THE CASTLE.
This is not a bad game. One player, called King of the Castle, places himself on a little rising mound; the other players endeavour to push or pull him from his elevation, and whoever succeeds in this, takes his place.
HIPPAS.
This game is something like the preceding, only that one boy mounts on the back of another, who is called his Horse, another boy does the same, and the two mounted boys endeavour to pull each other from the saddle. This play is harmless when a soft piece of turf is chosen, but dangerous on the stones or hard ground.
THREAD THE NEEDLE.
This is a good game,—any number of boys may play it. It is begun by joining hands; and the two outside players at each end commence the game by the following dialogue:—
The player who stands at the opposite end of the line, now elevates his hand, joined in that of the player next him, to form the needle's eye, and the other outside player approaches running, and the whole line follow him through, if possible, without breaking. This is continued, each end holding up their hands successively, till the players are tired of the sport.
TOUCH.
This is a game of speed. One volunteers to be Touch, and he pursues the other players till he comes up with one of them and touches him; unless the player so touched can say, "I touch iron," or, "I touch wood," before he is touched, he becomes Touch, and must give the player who touched him a ride home. A player is liable to be touched only when running from one piece of wood or iron to another.
There is another and a better game of Touch, called "Cross Touch," which is played thus:—One volunteers to be Touch, and sallies forth from his bounds. While he is pursuing one of the players, a third player runs between him and the player pursued, and touch must then follow the one who crosses till another crosses them, and so on, till at length the whole playground will become a scene of activity and sport.
BOWLS.
"I will play at Bowls with the sun and moon."—Byron.
This is one of the best of games for hot or cold weather, for it is excellent exercise, and requires skill and judgment. Few requisites are required for it, but a level lawn, or tolerably level field, is indispensable, as are the bowls, the Jack, and the players.
In playing bowls, partners may be chosen, if there are many players, or the game may be played by two persons. When, however, there are three or four of a side, there is more interest attached to the game. The best player of my time was the good old schoolmaster, Mr. Fenn, from whom I obtained all the particulars concerning Bowls.
The bowls used at this game are of wood, loaded with lead, or biassed, as it is called, namely, there is one side thicker than the other, which is marked, and this may be held either near or away from the thumb as it may be required to lay the ball. No writer in a book can teach this, as it depends upon the nature of the ground, and the situation of the balls already bowled.
Before commencing the game, the first player leads out a small white ball, called a Jack; he then lays his own balls as near to it as possible; the players then follow in succession, but no partners follow each other till the whole balls are delivered, and those who obtain the nearest points to the Jack score one for each ball.
The number making the game is arbitrary, but eleven is generally fixed upon. Of course it would be more were there a great number of bowlers. The sport of the game consists in driving your opponent's ball from the Jack, and putting your own near it. When one side scores eleven before their opponents get five, it is called a lurch. The players at Bowls change the Jack from one side of the green to the other after the whole of each side have bowled once.
QUOITS.
"Quoit me down, Bardolph."—Shakspeare.
The game of Quoits resembles Bowls. It is played with flat rings of iron of various weights. At a certain number of paces apart (to be agreed upon), two circular pins of iron are driven into the ground. The players beginning the game stand at one of these pins, called the Hob, and pitch the quoits to the other, each person having two. When all the quoits are cast from one Hob, the players walk to the other and pitch to the first, and so on in succession.
Those who get nearest to the Hob, are, of course, nearest to the game, and each pair of quoits counts two,—each single quoit, one; but if a quoit belonging to A lies nearest to the Hob, and a quoit belonging to B the second, A can claim but one towards the game, although all his other quoits may be nearer to the Hob than all those of B, as the quoit of B is said, technically, to have cut them out.
WHY AND BECAUSE.
This is also a new game, and one of those that combine amusement and instruction. To play it, a king must be chosen, who is called "King of the Shy," who sets up a brick on its end and puts a stone upon it, as a mark for the players to bowl their stones at, which they do successively. When a player has bowled, if he knocks the stone off the brick, he may take up his own stone and run back to his bounds, if he can do so before the king sets his brick and stone up again; but if the King can touch the player after having set his brick up, he is obliged to answer a "Why," or be King instead of him. The "Why" must be proposed by the King, and it may either be a conundrum, or it may contain the reason of any thing, as, "Why does a stone fall to the ground?" "What makes the smoke go up the chimney?" If the player cannot answer the "Why," he is obliged to mind the shy and let the others bowl. Sometimes it will happen, that of all the boys who have bowled at the shy, not one has thrown it down; the King then looks sharply at each one who tries to take up his stone, to touch him. It generally happens, that whilst the King is pursuing one, who has taken up his stone, to touch him, all the rest take to their stones, and make off home. But it should have been said, that by the place from which they bowl, a string is stretched for a leap, over which a player running from the King is obliged to jump before he is considered home.
(Some good Conundrum Questions for this game will be found in the "Book of Sports," on In-Door Amusements.)
BOMBARDMENT OF A SNOW CASTLE.
There is no game like this for promoting warmth and exercising the ingenuity. To play this, a Snow Castle, Tower, and Fort must be constructed, and a Bombardment got up.
When the snow is on the ground, let a party go into a meadow and divide themselves into two companies, and appoint a general to each. Each company then takes up its respective position, and proceeds to build a fort and castle, for defence, on each side; the dexterity with which the work is performed, and the celerity with which it is accomplished, being much in favour of those who play. During the building of the castle, some must be employed as sharp-shooters, who must annoy the builders on each side with snow balls, and some must be employed in making a store of snow balls for the magazine. When the castle is commenced, the first thing to be done is, for several of the builders to make a roll of snow about eighteen inches in length, and as thick as his arm, and to roll this on the snow, which will attach itself to it till it forms a large ball as high as the builders's shoulders. This must be turned over on its flat side, and as many more as can be arranged in the following manner, for a fort (supposing the other side to be erecting a castle). The foundation thus being laid, other balls not quite so large must be rolled up and laid on the former, so as to make the rampart about four feet high. Behind this, a single line of snow balls must be placed, about one foot in height, on which the attacking party may mount to discharge their balls to the castle opposite. On elevated parts of the forts, long sticks with pocket-handkerchiefs, as flags, must be raised, and in the centre, a larger flag should be placed, and it must be the object of the opposite party to demolish them with their balls. When a player wishes to throw a ball, he mounts upon one of the inner partings of snow, discharges his shot, and jumps down behind the parapet for more shot. The party on the opposite side may build their castle as they please; but each party should watch each other's movements, and build their different places of defence or annoyance in such a manner as to defend themselves and annoy the enemy in the most effective manner. It may be observed, that the fort must be so constructed with reference to the castle, that it is brought to bear on every point of it. The two ends are towers, which should be a foot higher than the ramparts, and should be made by three snow balls laid one upon the other,—the last one being turreted, with room for one boy to mount to the top, if necessary, to discharge his shots. The highest place of all, is the keep, and should be at least six feet high, with room and steps behind for two boys to mount. Convenient places should be left behind, where the ammunition should be piled up.
When the fort or castle is built, each party uses its best efforts for the demolition of the other, but no one is allowed to make use of his hands in the demolition of either castle or fort; battering-rams may alone be employed. In ancient times, battering-rams were large beams, hooped and shod with iron; but the moderns do things better, and the way in which it may be done is as follows:—A boy who volunteers to be battering-ram has his legs tied and then two other boys take him up, and, swinging him by the arms and legs, force his feet against the walls of the castle or fort to batter it down, the opposite party pouring on them, all the while, snow balls heated to a white heat from the ramparts above. Parties also may go out from one side to the other, as in playing "Hippas," mounted, and may meet in the open space and endeavour to pull each other from their horses. If a player on either side can break over the fort and capture one of the flags without being touched, he may bring it off and place it on his own ramparts as a trophy, and the party from whom the flag is captured must not replace it; but if in this act he is touched, he becomes a prisoner, and must make snow-balls for his adversaries. Every one who is thrown down, either from his horse or by any other means, is considered a dead man, and can do nothing but make snow-balls for the opposite party. When the flags are all struck on either side by being shot away, or when the men are all taken prisoners or slain, or when the ramparts are demolished, the victors may sing, "Old Rose and burn the Bellows."
BANDY BALL OR GOLF.
This game is played with a bat and a small ball; and the game consists in driving the ball into certain holes made in the ground. Sometimes these holes from first to last, are at the distance of half a mile or even more from each other. There are many intervening holes. Those who drive the ball into the greatest number of holes, of course win the game; but the ball must never be driven beyond a hole without first going into it. If the ball passes in the way beyond a hole, the player is out.
FOOT BALL.
Foot Ball is a very simple game. A large soft ball is procured (which is now made of Gutta Percha), and the players having assembled and taken sides, a line is drawn across the playground, and the play commences. The object of the play is, for each party to kick the ball across the goal of the other, and to prevent it from passing their own. The party into whose bounds the ball is kicked, loses the game.
TRUSSING.
This is an excellent game. In some places it is called "Cock Fighting." To play it, two players must be matched against each other, and one is sometimes called "Black Cock," and the other "White Cock." They are seated on a carpet, or, what is better, the floor of the play-room, and undergo the operation of "trussing." This is performed as follows:—The hands are first tied with a handkerchief at the wrists. The ancles are tied in the same manner. The Cock then has his hands brought to his instep, while his knees pass between his arms, and a short stick is thrust in under the knees and over the joints of the elbow, and secured in this situation. The fight now begins by each Cock advancing towards his enemy, and when they come close to each other, each endeavours, by inserting his toes under the other's feet, to capsize him and throw him over on the side; and whoever does this, is entitled to crow, and is winner of the game. There is often a good deal of fun in this game, and the players can rarely hurt each other.