IT was once wisely said 'Experience is the best schoolmaster, but the school fees are often somewhat heavy.' To no sport, game, or exercise is the truth of this remark more applicable than it is to skating ; for experience, which can only be obtained by assiduous practice, is indispensable, and the fees usually exacted in the form of falls are, no doubt, occasionally heavy. These are, however, cheerfully defrayed by the young pupil. Falls are, indeed, the only fees which need concern him, for there is no sport or recreative exercise which involves less expenditure of capital in its outfit, and fewer incidental disbursements in its pursuit, than skating. Nor is there any amusement, except perhaps riding, shooting, and golf, which affords as much pleasure to those who have passed the meridian of life ; many men of moderately active habits have derived keen enjoyment from its pursuit through half a century of their existence.
Skating also presents features which in the eyes of some athletes may be considered to contrast favourably with games and sports in which sympathy of hand and eye is of paramount importance, in which emulation and a longing for fame, an integral factor in their charm, and in which chance -- generally called success by the winner, ' flukes ' by the loser -- plays a considerable part in determining their issue.
Fernand Lagrange tell us [1] that exercises which need balancing have a remarkable tendency to make the back straight, and that athletic pursuits in which speed is the chief element call into play air-cells which would be otherwise inactive, and increase the power of lung and thorax. The practice of speedskating is eminently calculated to develop these tendencies, and promoting, as it does, warmth, even perspiration, without undue fatigue, may be recommended as a health-giving pursuit ; and when we contrast the muscular frame of the renowned 'Turkey' Smart with the lithe figure of Green of March, who was at one time one of his most formidable antagonists, or Harold Hagen the Norwegian, who is 6 ft. 1 in. in height, with his countryman Axel Paulsen, who measures but 5 ft. 4 in., we may realise that in whatever form we may be moulded distinction may be within our reach.
1 Physiology of Bodily Exercises. London, 1889.
It is hardly necessary to urge the importance of wearing woollen clothes when engaged in any strong exercise, but a word of advice as to 'chaussure' may be useful. Boots are better than shoes, not only because they give support to the ankle and instep, but also because they counteract a tendency to bend joints which cannot be kept too rigid. A pair of well-fitting boots whose soles are of moderate thickness, not inordinately broad, and are not much curved by constant use, should be selected. Extravagantly high heels are most mischievous, as they create a tendency to turn the ankles inwards ; laced boots are more comfortable than those fastened by buttons, which may interfere with the adjustment of the skate-straps ; hob-nails or sprigs are not useful in any way, and they may scratch or otherwise injure the foot-stock. The skater whose skates are furnished with a heel-screw should bore a hole large enough for its reception in the centre of the heel, taking care that the end of the foot-stock of the skate shall coincide with the hinder edge of the sole of the boot, and he may take the precaution of plugging this hole with cottonwool, paper, or tow, if it is likely that gravel roads or cinderpaths must be traversed on the way to the ice. Nothing is more annoying than to find the hole intended to receive the heel-screw occupied by a small pebble which may be as hard to extract as a thorn from the finger or a molar from the jaw.
A pair of skates of any pattern, provided only that they are of the right length and are firmly fastened on to the boot, may serve to introduce the tiro to what we may call the grammar of skating ; but, as soon as he is familiar with the rudiments of the art, the young skater who cherishes dreams of future distinction on the racing track should provide himself with a good pair of running-skates (i.e. skates equipped with blades whose convexity is infinitesimally small), and use these and these only. For the difference between a fen skate whose blade is to all intents and purposes level, and a 'Dowler' whose curvature is represented by a radius of seven feet, is very great. Anyone who has been constrained to take a long journey on 'Acmes' or any other species of figure-skate will realise how the tendency of the level skate is to go straight, that of the curved skate to turn either on to the inside or the outside edge, and that of the former is far superior to the latter for the acquisition of the long firm stroke of the traveller or the racer.
But many young skaters aspire to attain excellence in both branches of the art, and that such distinction may be within their reach has been demonstrated by the Norwegian skaters Axel Paulsen and Karl Verner, by Panschin the Russian, and many other skaters who have earned the highest honour on a rink and between the flags. The best years of youth should be devoted to climbing ladders intellectual and physical, but I would suggest to the ambitious tiro, do not attempt to climb two ladders at the same time, do not provide yourself with a hybrid pair of skates, warranted suitable to straight or figure skating ; but wear your 'Club' skate when you wish to practise the graceful curves which will be described in another section of this volume, and while learning to go ahead be sure that you are provided with the implement best adapted to the purpose.
Messrs. Hill & Son, 4 Haymarket, London, have been long known as manufacturers of skates of the highest possible quality and finish. Messrs. Thornhill of Bond Street and Messrs. Underwood of the Haymarket are also skate-makers of known excellence, but the Standard skate made by Messrs. Colquhoun & Cadman, 113 Arundel Street, Sheffield, or the skates made by Marsden, also of Sheffield, may be confidently recommended as suitable for general use. These may be obtained, from any cutler or ironmonger at prices varying from 12S. to 18S. Experience has shown that a wooden foot-stock is better adapted to straight skating than any of the modern appliances with the aid of which the use of wood and leather is rendered unnecessary. These appliances are invaluable to figure-skaters, but are not well suited for the rougher work of travelling.
' N. G.' tells us that they are seldom secure, and at all times, especially on rough ice, they make a disagreeable jar and clatter. Experience shows that there is nothing at once so strong, so light, so pleasant and so safe for a long ice expedition as a combination of steel, wood, and leather ;[ l] with this opinion I entirely concur.
1 Skating, All England Series. London : Bell & Son. 1890.
Oak, walnut, rosewood, and beech are used for the foot-stock ; of these beech, which is light and also strong, is the best ; walnut, which is liable to splinter, or even to split, is the worst. The foot-stock should be of the same length as the boot,' to which it will be fastened ; its greatest width should be about 2-1/4 inches ; there should be no difference between the right skate and its fellow. The blades should also resemble one another in every detail. They are made of wrought iron with a quarter of an inch of hardened steel, welded on to the lower part. The base of the keel should be about 5/32 of an inch in width, the sides should be perpendicular so that each edge of the blade shall be perfectly rectangular ; the height varies from 11/16 of an inch at the heel to 7/16 of an inch at the toe. The height of the foot-stock and blade combined is about 1-1/4 inch. The blade of a skate worn by a man of average height, including the prow, is about 13-1/2 inches long. The prow commences to rise gradually at first, afterwards in a more abrupt curve. The end of the prow should not be more than two inches above the surface of the ice. A large majority of running-skates are equipped with this apparently superfluous figure-head, and it may be worth while to consider what advantages accrue from its use. In its favour it may be urged that the curved prow will enable the skater to pass easily over hummocky ice, over fragments of broken ice that may be lying on an otherwise smooth surface, or any obstacle that might cause a check or perhaps a fall ; but it may be argued with equal force that it may impede the movements of the traveller who in the course of his journey is constrained to climb up or down a steep slippery bank without removing his skates, and that the skates are less easily carried in a hand-bag or small portmanteau on account of their greater length. I confess that I am one of the minority who prefer to dispense with what I consider a somewhat unsightly encumbrance.
The fastenings for skates commonly used are a heel-screw about 5/8 of an inch in height, two or more small screws or spikes of sufficient length to obtain a grip of the boot sole at the broadest part of the foot-stock ; a heel-strap about twenty inches in length which passes through the hole in the footstock behind the heel-screw and is fastened by a buckle across the instep, and a toe-strap about thirty inches long which passes through holes made for the purpose in the foot-stock, and is crossed over the foot and secured by a buckle. It is immaterial whether the buckle is worn on the inside or the outside of the foot, and the skater will quickly find out for himself how the straps can be most quickly and comfortably adjusted. These straps should be of the best leather, they should be not less than 5/8 of an inch in width, and the holes which receive the tongue of the buckle should be not more than half an inch apart. The excellence of this system of fastening is shown by the reluctance of speed-skaters to avail themselves of some inventions that may here be briefly mentioned. Fifteen years ago Messrs Hill & Son patented their 'Back Screw', or 'Hook and Eye', skate which dispenses with the heel-screw, and in its stead is a contrivance at the back of the skate to which a small hook screw inserted into the heel of the boot is attached. It is urged that this horizontal screw gives less trouble, and is quite as firm as the vertical screw generally used. A simpler and better contrivance, called 'heel-and-sole clips', was introduced by Messrs. Colquhoun & Cadman about two years ago, and may perhaps supersede all fastenings now in use. These clips are brass fittings about half an inch in height and about the same width, adjusted to each side of the heel of the foot-stock, and a moveable fitting of the same character adjusted to the inner edge of the footstock at the ball of the foot. They can be attached to any skate from which the heel-screw has been removed, and it will be found that much time will be saved when skates so equipped are taken off and put on again, an operation which is often necessary in the course of a journey. Fogg's patent buckle, which renders unnecessary the use of a tongue, and consequently of holes in the straps, or a double buckle in which the ordinary buckle is used as a pulley through which the end of the strap is passed and fastened to a second buckle, is recommended, and some skaters prefer to use broad straps fastened with two buckles as less likely to impede the circulation of blood in the feet.
It may be interesting to contrast a pair of Friesland travelling skates with those used in our own country, for it is surprising that both Dutch and English skates, although differing from one another in so many important matters, should, when in the hands, or rather on the feet, of experts, be found so admirably adapted to their work. We must be struck at first sight by the great excess of length of the Friesland skates at least four inches over those used in England ; by the absence of the heel-screw, and by the arrangement of the straps, which differs in toto from our system. Other points of dissimilarity might escape the notice of a casual observer, such as the absence of any perceptible curvature in the blade, and its narrow, almost knifelike, keel, which is little more than half the width of the English blade. The steel used for the blades is procured from England, but the skates are manufactured in Holland. The foot-stock is often made of oak, but beech is generally preferred on account of its lightness. The straps consist of a heel-strap 3/4 of an inch in width, which passes through an aperture in the foot-stock, and is brought round the heel about two inches above the foot-stock, and of a toe-strap of the same width, about six inches in length. A leather thong, about three and a half feet in length, about a quarter of an inch in width, is passed through loops at the ends of the toe-strap, brought along each side of the foot round the heel-strap, then crossed over the instep, and its ends are made fast after once more being brought across the foot. In company with Dutchmen I have skated over ice of every consistency, and can testify to the firmness of what appears to be an insecure fastening, and to the facility with which it can be adjusted, and I believe that, while it is more comfortable than our system, it is scarcely inferior in durability, convenience, and security.
Neglect of implements which, if fairly treated, will last for a lifetime is inexcusable, so I will here introduce a few suggestions on the care that should be taken of skates both abroad and at home.
A convenient way of carrying skates to or from the ice is by the heel-straps buckled together, and hung over the forearm. Care should be taken that the foot-stocks are in juxta-position, not the blades, which might be injured by collision one against the other. Care should also be taken that the straps of skates carried in this manner are firmly buckled, or the loss of a strap or even of a skate may ensue. In the course of an expedition on skates, the transit from one watercourse to another frequently involves the passage over terra firma. The art of walking on skates is very easily acquired, and the risk of injury to blades by a walk on grass or in snow is infinitesimal ; but if gravel or granite roads must be traversed the steel edges may be chipped, and anyone who is careful of his skates will take the precaution of removing them before he leaves the ice. When the skates are brought home after a day's work the blades should be wiped dry, and after every symptom of rust has been removed by means of fine emery paper, they should be rubbed with vaseline, mutton-suet, or oil.
The straps should also be dried, but care must be taken that they are not scorched. They should be well smeared with sweet oil or Russian tallow before the skates are put away at the end of the season, and the foot-stocks should be rubbed with oil.
It is impossible to say how often blades should be ground. If they have not been subjected to rough usage, perhaps once in ten years may suffice ; but if the edge becomes dull, or the blades chipped or otherwise injured, the skates should be promptly taken to a thoroughly competent workman. All matters pertaining to the care of skates should be attended to at the close of the skating season. The foot-stock, blade, and straps of a neglected skate will be at the mercy of dryrot, rust, and mildew ; moreover, at the beginning of a frost skates are in immediate demand, skate-makers and their workmen are constantly occupied, and a good day's sport may be lost in the attempt to remedy the neglect of the past season.
Skating is an exercise admirably adapted to the young as well as to adults of both sexes, and the suggestions that will be offered in this chapter on the first principles of the art are equally applicable both to boys and to girls. It is impossible to lay down any dogma as to the age at which a beginner may be entrusted with a pair of skates. A strong child in his eighth year, or perhaps even at an earlier age, may put on skates, and try, first to stand, and then to walk with short paces in a room, and if his ankles are strong enough to allow him to place his feet alternately on the floor on an upright blade, he may make his first essay on ice without misgivings.
The first steps on ice will to a great extent be dependent on the temperament and physical powers of the beginner. A bold eager boy is often tempted to think that he can run before he can walk, and will scuffle about on the ice, knowing nothing and caring less about ' form,' impatient of advice, and regardless of falls. In the course of an hour or two he may find himself able to go along somehow at a fair pace, but it is more than probable that he will have much to unlearn, unless he is willing at the outset to profit by the advice of those who are competent to give it. Some boys, on the other hand, are constitutionally nervous, and require encouragement and a friendly hand, which will avert the dreaded fall. This assistance can be most effectively rendered to a young skater by a hand placed palm upwards below the elbow of the pupil, who may in this way receive guidance as well as support.
There are no professional ' coaches ' to the art of skating, but it is commonly said that at Welney, a village which has been the school of more illustrious ' runners ' than any other place in this country, a rough-and-ready style of instruction is practised. A narrow ditch is selected for the lesson in order that the employed foot may be compelled to move as nearly as may be in the line of intended motion ; the novice is directed to follow a good skater who gives him a lead, while another follows with a willow switch in his hand, to be used when necessary. Be this as it may, it is certain that precept, early training, and imitation of others engenders in the young fenmen a style of ' running ' which has enabled them, in spite of the scant opportunities for practice afforded by our capricious climate, to hold their own with the most renowned skaters in the world. I can well remember the mortification I experienced, when with the arrogance of an Eton boy I fancied that I was a fast skater for my age, at finding myself completely outpaced by a sturdy youngster a head and shoulders shorter than myself, who adjusted a rusty pair of irons on to his boots, with inadequate straps supplemented with string, and went away from me as if I were standing still. I have often wondered who that boy was, and if he subsequently gained laurels on the track.
The young skater must take care that his skates are firmly fastened on to his boots ; he must learn to adjust his straps so that the maximum of security may be combined with the minimum of pressure. He must bear in mind that the axis of the foot-stock should not coincide with the axis of the sole of his boot, but that the skate should be so adjusted that the blade shall be below the big toe. Having paid careful attention to these matters, he should walk firmly but cautiously on the ice. His 'action,' however, will be very different from what it would be were he walking on dry ground. A pedestrian, starting from rest, throws forward one foot, the toe being pointed nearly in the line of intended motion, and when that foot is brought to the ground, he flexes the instep of the other foot, which must be brought forward in a similar manner. Any attempt to walk thus upon ice will be attended by a retrograde movement of the unemployed foot, which will fail to get any hold of the slippery surface, and progress will be impossible. The beginner should remember that the feet must be turned outwards, almost at an angle of 45 with one another, that the head is erect, that the body leans slightly forward, that, with the exception of the instep and ankle which joints cannot be too rigid every limb should be free and supple, and that the legs must learn to conform to, not to regulate, the movements of the body. If he walks in this manner he will soon find that when the right foot leaves the ice a tendency to glide will be imparted to the left foot, and that the right foot must be again brought up for the support of the body when the impetus thus imparted has ceased. This is a ' stroke ' in its most elementary form, and at this stage in his education the novice will derive some assistance if he will push before him a ' Windsor ' or ' kitchen ' chair. If he does not thrust with some strength the chair will not move ; when it does move he must follow it, and his grasp of the chair-back will not only give him confidence, but will help him to assume a good posture for speed-skating. But the sooner he dispenses with such an auxiliary the better, and a little practice will enable him to make his side-thrust with more strength and firmness, to remain longer on the unemployed foot, to regulate his direction by a subtle action of his muscles, and to acquire the poise and sway of the body which is considered by many competent judges to be the key to the best style of straight-away skating. In order to attain this poise and sway of the body, he must remember that when he makes the side-thrust with the right foot, the left shoulder should be slightly in front of the right, and that the arms should swing easily, but without effort, from right to left, while the right shoulder is again brought forward in preparation for the next thrust. The result of this action will be that when the side-thrust is made with the right foot, the prow of the left skate will be turned slightly to the right of the line of intended motion, and the skater will run on the outside edge for a moment or so, then on the level keel of the blade, subsequently changing to the inside edge, and emphasising the inclination of the blade before he makes his next side-thrust. But some first-class skaters never swing their arms at all, some habitually clasp their hands behind their backs, some skaters make no use whatever of the outside edge, and it is a truism as applicable to skating as it is to art, literature, cricket, tennis, or golf, that while we cannot overrate the importance of closely observing the idiosyncrasies of an expert, a high standard of excellence does not necessarily involve the servile imitation of any model, or the adoption of any particular style.
In time of frost, the skater's first question is, ' Will the ice bear to-day ? ' This suggests some reflections on the nature and quality of the substance which plays so important a part in the amusement which is under our consideration. Observations on Arctic seas and mountain glaciers are beyond the scope of this treatise, but I will call the reader's attention to the four kinds of ice that are met with in this country.
The first of these is the result of frost on a sheet of still water; although colourless and transparent, it appears to be black, or rather of a dark green, bottle-glass colour. Its elastic nature makes it by far the most trustworthy of all kinds of ice, so much so that a limited number of skaters may safely venture on ice of this character one inch thick. It may be assumed that thirty degrees of frost will suffice to produce this thickness on a moderately shallow pond, but ice formed in one night when the thermometer has fallen to two degrees will be harder and sounder than ice produced in three consecutive nights when the mercury has indicated ten degrees of frost.
White ice is produced when a fall of snow occurs while the first crystals are formed on the surface of the water, or when snow is partially melted and again congealed on the ice. It is full of air bubbles, and is most treacherous, especially when the temperature begins to rise. If, however, a severe frost follows a thaw which has adequately liquefied the snow, this white ice will offer a surface of superlative smoothness, and, although the skater may regret the absence of the melodious ringing music caused by the passage of skates over black ice, he will have no cause to complain of its quality.
Ground ice, or anchor ice, as it is sometimes called, is an apparent exception to the relation between the densities of water in a liquid and in a solid state. It is never found on the surface of still water, but in sudden and violent cold crystals are formed below the disturbed and eddying surface, and these crystals frequently cling to the bottom of the stream. The specific gravity of ice being '92, these fragments of ice will ultimately detach themselves, and rise to the surface, occasionally bringing with them weeds or other objects to which they may have adhered. These fragments are usually full of cells, resembling those to be found in a wasp's nest, but less regular in form. I have seen them not unlike saucers of a greyish colour, floating in a black medium. A remarkable instance of anchor ice occurred above the Seven-hole Sluice one of the most important features of the Middle Level Drainage System. The surface of the river was covered with ice in a sudden and severe frost which had been preceded by a heavy fall of rain. When the frost broke up fragments of this ice were carried through the sluice-gates, and stranded on the opposite shore of the river. These, when examined, were found to contain perforated stones, resembling in every detail those that were once used by fishermen for the purpose of weighting their nets, and which had evidently remained undisturbed for half a century, until finally ' wooed from the slimy bottom of the deep.'
Professor Miller, in his 'Elements of Chemistry,' thus describes anchor ice :
A curious formation of ice at the bottom of some rapid, clear and rocky streams is occasionally seen during the prevalence of bright frosty weather. The water cools down to 39.2 Fahr. as usual, but below this point the colder water no longer forms a protecting layer as in still sheets or gently moving streams ; the agitation produced by the passage of the water through its precipitous and irregular channel makes the temperature uniform throughout till it arrives at the freezing point. Angularities and points under all circumstances favour the deposition of crystals, and to the irregular surfaces of the rocky fragments in the bed of the stream the ice attaches itself in silvery cauliflower-shaped spongy masses, sometimes accumulating in quantity sufficient to dam up the stream and cause it to overflow ; at others, as the ice increases in bulk and buoyancy, it rises in large flakes, raising to the surface portions of rock, and even iron itself.The absence of homogeneity in its nature necessarily makes such ice untrustworthy but in severe frost it may be traversed with perfect safety.
Verglas is formed when a fine rain falls, and is immediately congealed, covering every object with which it comes in contact with a coat of exceedingly hard ice. It is not of frequent occurrence, but it presents features of so abnormal a character that a few instances of this freak of nature may be invested with interest. In ' A Letter from Somersetshire,'[1] an account is given of a phenomenal fall of verglas which occurred in December 1672. It was especially remarkable inasmuch as water was not even coated with ice, while every object on the ground, even soft snow which lay upon it, was covered with a thick sheet of hard ice. So persistent was the fall of frozen rain that sixteen pounds of ice was found adhering to an ash bough which weighed but three-quarters of a pound, and the disastrous ill effects on the orchards and timber trees in the south-west of England were long remembered. In the 'Annals of Sporting,' January 1822, it is recorded that a well-known skater once undertook to skate from Long Acre to St. James's Park in five minutes, and accomplished his task with five seconds to spare. Mr. John Ashton [2] mentions this remarkable feat as having been performed in the winter of 1813-14, and accounts for it by the flooding of the streets from the water-plugs after a heavy fall of snow. I will not venture to say that this is impossible, but a heavy fall oi verglas offers a more probable solution of the problem. Readers of foreign intelligence will remember the graphic account of a verglas in Paris when carriages, cabs, infirm and even able-bodied pedestrians were compelled to play the part of the characters in the ' Legend of the Briar Rose ' until released by a change in the weather. On January 15, 1861, I was staying .at a country house in Northamptonshire, and for the space of an hour or two the verglas was so hard and thick that I was able to skate, not only along roads and paths, but upon the lawns and grass slopes of the pleasure grounds.
1 Philosophical Transactions, vol. vii. p. 5138.
2 Social England under the Regency. London, 1890.
An approximate estimate of the strength of ice may be formed if a vertical blow is made with a strong stick on the surface. If a star-shaped bruise is the result of a blow delivered with some force, a further trial may be made ; but if the point of the stick penetrates the ice, a prudent man will not trust himself on it. The skater should always bear in mind that a sheet of ice is seldom absolutely uniform in character. A subaqueous spring, affluents to or effluents from the sheet of water, overhanging trees, rushes and weeds, are sources of danger, and it should always be remembered that reflected heat from the northern bank of a pond or reservoir renders the ice less trustworthy than that which is protected from the rays of the sun by its southern bank.
The elastic character of black ice causes it to bend and crack beneath the weight of the skater, who, unless he wantonly disregards all warnings, will be subjected to less risk of immersion than will he who uses white ice which is liable to break up in a moment without having given any indication of weakness. Anyone, therefore, who is practising speed-skating on a pond or reservoir covered with black ice of only moderate thickness should carefully observe the cracks that appear in the surface. Isolated cracks, although perhaps extending across the whole sheet of ice, may be disregarded ; others formed at right angles to these are scarcely worthy of notice ; but the appearance of diagonal cracks through which a little water finds its way, and the subdivision of the triangular blocks thus formed into smaller triangles by more cracks, are a certain indication that the ice has been subjected to as severe a strain as it can bear. But many a rash skater, notwithstanding these warnings, will persevere, until the supreme moment arrives, and he becomes conscious that the ice is giving way beneath him. His only resource then is to throw himself forward on his face, and try to creep in a prone position on to sounder ice, whence he may be fortunate enough to contemplate with grateful amazement ' his hairbreadth scape' from *'the imminent deadly breach ' he has made. But this resource may fail, and he may find himself struggling in cold water, making fruitless attempts to climb on to ice which breaks before him. His companion and I will assume that no one is foolhardy enough to venture alone on unsafe ice should hasten in search of a ladder, a pole, or a rope, with the aid of which he may be able to rescue his friend. For even an expert swimmer will find that it is far from easy to climb on to yielding ice if the water is no more than four or five feet in depth ; far less easy if the bottom cannot be reached. Unless there should be a current, the danger of being carried under the ice is inappreciable; but although the hands may have obtained a grasp of the surface of unbroken ice, it is difficult to counteract the tendency of the legs to swing beneath it, a tendency which must be familiar to bathers who for the first time attempt to climb unaided into a floating punt or boat. A friend of mine gave a practical illustration of this difficulty in the winter of 1855. Having separated himself from the rest of our party, he was unlucky enough to break through the surface of the frozen Cam, and, although able to touch the bottom with his feet, found it no easy matter to extricate himself. He ultimately succeeded in reaching terra firma, unaided, a pitiable object, his face sadly cut by fragments of broken ice, and his limbs benumbed by his protracted bath.
If a sheet of virgin ice must be crossed a reluctance to ' bell the cat ' may often be observed ; but it may be questioned if the leader or those who follow incur the greater risk, and the following anecdotes illustrate the immunity that occasionally may fall to the lot of the pioneer. I was returning to Cambridge one afternoon in the Crimean winter, and near the tail of a mill-stream I found several of my fellow-students hesitating to cross a treacherous-looking bit of ice. It wanted but five minutes to four we dined at four o'clock in those days I was young, pretty quick on my skates, possibly reckless, so with a call, 'The more you look at it the less you'll like it,' I rushed safely over ; but my transit made the insecure ice still more dangerous, and the unfortunate undergraduate who tried to follow had a cold bath, and, I fear, a cold dinner.
On another occasion, a friend with whom I was skating broke through ice over which I had safely passed. He was near the bank, so his rescue was attended with no difficulty, but his fingers were so benumbed with the intense cold that he was powerless to take off his skates. Before I had disencumbered him of the one, the straps of the other were firmly frozen to his boot, and could only be removed by the use of a penknife, and soon after we had set off at a run towards College, his legs were cut by the ice which had formed on his clothes.
I will mention one more incident which resulted in a more disastrous issue. Accompanied by two friends, I made an excursion from Cambridge to Littleport, a village some miles below Ely. Well knowing that the stream, although sluggish, would invest our trip with some risk, we provided ourselves with a rope about twenty yards in length, and following one another at a distance of ten yards or so, with the rope in our hands, we passed in safety over some miles of hitherto, untrodden ice. Presently some skaters of the district, deriving confidence from the marks our skates had made on the surface, followed in Indian file, close to one another as is their wont, broke through the ice, and one poor fellow was drawn by the current beneath the surface, whence he was not extricated until life was extinct. I well remember tbe gloom that was cast over our merry party when the news reached Littleport, and the remorse we felt at having been the innocent cause of the death of a fellow-creature. The many fatal ice accidents which are chronicled in our journals should act as a deterrent against foolhardiness on the part of young skaters ; and although I may be accused of preaching what I have not always practised, I venture to hope that these records of casualties may suggest caution rather than rashness, in which case they will not have been given in vain.
I will be ... careful of my motion1 Tennyson's HendecasyllaMcs.
Like the skater on ice that hardly bears him,
Lest I fall unawares before the people,
Waking laughter.
No one can hope to serve his apprenticeship on ice without an occasional tumble, nor indeed can the experienced skater hope for complete immunity from such accidents ; but that there is an art in falling will be admitted by anyone who is accustomed to ride to hounds, or by the actor whom the exigencies of his vocation compel to faint or to die on the stage. Charles Allston Collins, in a humorous essay on Skating,[2] contrasts what he calls the ' scramble ineffectual ' with the ' crash unresisted,' and quotes Sancho Panza's advice to those who are about to be tossed in a blanket : ' If such mishaps do come, there is nothing to be done but to shrug up one's shoulders, hold one's .breath, shut one's eyes, and let oneself go whither fortune and the blanket choose to toss you.' There is sound advice in this ; an attempt to recover lost balance is generally ineffectual, and a fall backwards may ensue. It is better to devote the brief available moment to an instinctive and, I must own, wholly indescribable act of self-preservation from injury, and to accept the inevitable fall ; for it will be found that in nine cases out of ten the shock of coming in contact with a substance so slippery and elastic as ice will result in no hurt, scarcely in discomfort.
2 The Eye Witness, London, 1860.
We all know the rhyme about the paradoxical rule of the road. Pedestrians are frequently reminded to ' Keep to the right,' and it is desirable that all skaters should recognise the importance of the universal adoption of one or other of these customs. It is usual to pass ' left arm to left arm,' and if every skater would adopt this practice we should read of fewer collisions, and consequent contusions, than we do at present. There are few men who have not at some time in their lives met a pedestrian on the pavement, when each, uncertain of the intention of the other, executes a ' setting step,' until they ultimately pass with a mutual expression, * I beg your pardon.' In similar circumstances indecision on the part of unskilful skaters will probably result in a collision, the fall of one or both, and an evident disinclination to an interchange of courtesy. Good skaters, however, seldom collide ; an infinitesimal alteration in the poise of their bodies will effect the required change of direction, and avert the apparently inevitable crash.
The most expeditious way to stop the career on ice is to raise the prows of the skates, at the same time bending the knees, and throwing the weight of the body on to the hinder part of the keel of the skates, which will dig into the surface, and produce friction enough to bring the skater to a stand-still within a few yards.
But this manoeuvre will not be within the reach of anyone whose skates are rounded at the heels. In his case momentum can be quickly arrested by throwing forward the unemployed foot, and bringing it down on to the ice almost at a right angle with the employed skate, at the same time bending the body away from the line of motion ; or, as an alternative, he may turn the prows of the skates towards one another, and thus produce adequate friction with the outer edge of each skate.
It has been said that there are thirty-nine articles in the golfer's creed, and that the neglect of any one of them will be prejudicial to an ideal drive from the ' tee.' The young skater will not be invited to subject himself to a strain so severe as this, but the following decalogue may with advantage be engraved on the tablets of his memory :
