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Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5d0af67 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #60153 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60153) diff --git a/old/60153-0.txt b/old/60153-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9a66e4c..0000000 --- a/old/60153-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6296 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Winter Sports in Switzerland, by E. F. Benson - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Winter Sports in Switzerland - -Author: E. F. Benson - -Release Date: August 23, 2019 [EBook #60153] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WINTER SPORTS IN SWITZERLAND *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - [Illustration: THE EIGER - - _From the Drawing by Fleming Williams_] - - - - - WINTER SPORTS - IN SWITZERLAND - - BY - E. F. BENSON - - WITH 12 FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR BY - C. FLEMING WILLIAMS - - AND 47 REPRODUCTIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS BY - MRS. AUBREY LE BLOND - - - LONDON - GEORGE ALLEN & COMPANY, LTD. - 44 & 45 RATHBONE PLACE - 1913 - - [All rights reserved] - - Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO. - at the Ballantyne Press, Edinburgh - - - - -CONTENTS - - -CHAP. PAGE - -I. THE SUN-SEEKER 1 - -II. RINKS AND SKATERS 23 - -III. TEES AND CRAMPITS 79 - -IV. TOBOGGANING 115 - -V. ICE-HOCKEY 129 - -VI. SKI-ING 137 - -VII. NOTES ON WINTER RESORTS 167 - -VIII. FOR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS 191 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - -PLATE - - THE EIGER (_colour_) _Frontispiece_ - -I. WINTER SUNLIGHT } - -II. BY THE STREAM-SIDE } - -III. HOAR-FROST } - -IV. JEWELS OF THE FROST } _At end of_ - -V. BLACK ICE ON THE SILS LAKE } _Chap. I,_ - -VI. THE BUDDING ICE FLOWERS } _between_ - -VII. THE FULL-BLOWN ICE FLOWERS (twenty-four hours later)} _pp. 22 and 23_ - -VIII. ICE FLOWERS IN DETAIL } - -IX. MAGNIFIED ICE FLOWERS } - -X. WINTER MOONLIGHT } - SKATING, ENGLISH STYLE (_colour_) _Facing p. 32_ - SKATING, CONTINENTAL STYLE (_colour_) _” 34_ - -XI. A WINTER HARVEST } - -XII. CLEARING THE SNOW FROM THE RINK } _At end of_ - -XIII. SPRINKLING THE RINK, CHÂTEAU D’OEX } _Chap. II,_ - -XIV. PUBLIC RINK, DAVOS } _between_ - -XV. SKATING-RINK AT MÜRREN } _pp. 78 and 79_ - -XVI. SKATING-RINK AT CHÂTEAU D’OEX } - “SHE LIES” (_colour_) _Facing p. 98_ - -XVII. CURLING } _At end of_ - -XVIII. CURLING AT MÜRREN } _Chap. III,_ - -XIX. THE THREE KULM RINKS } _between_ - -XX. LADIES’ CURLING MATCH, ST. MORITZ } _pp. 114 and 115_ - “ACHTUNG!” (_colour_) _Facing p. 116_ - ON THE CRESTA RUN (_colour_) _” 122_ - TAILING (_colour_) _” 126_ - -XXI. THE BUILDING OF THE CRESTA--“BATTLEDORE” } - -XXII. THE TOP OF THE CRESTA, ST. MORITZ } - -XXIII. STARTING ON THE CRESTA } - -XXIV. CHURCH LEAP, CRESTA RUN } - -XXV. CHURCH LEAP, CRESTA RUN } - -XXVI. “BATTLEDORE” CORNER, CRESTA } _At end of_ - -XXVII. CROSSING THE ROAD, CRESTA } _Chap. IV,_ - -XXVIII. NEAR THE FINISH ON THE CRESTA } _between_ - -XXIX. BOB-RUN, ST. MORITZ: IN THE LARCH WOODS } _pp. 128 and 129_ - -XXX. ROUNDING SUNNY CORNER, ST. MORITZ BOB-RUN } - -XXXI. BOB-RUN, ST. MORITZ } - -XXXII. THE STRAIGHT FROM THE BRIDGE, ST. MORITZ BOB-RUN } - -XXXIII. ST. MORITZ BOB-RUN } - ICE HOCKEY (_colour_) _ Facing p. 132_ - THE TELEMARK TURN (_colour_) _” 156_ - THE JUMP (_colour_) _” 164_ - SKI-JORING (_colour_) _” 166_ - -XXXIV. AT ST. MORITZ } - -XXXV. PRACTICE SLOPES, MONTANA, SWITZERLAND } _At end of_ - -XXXVI. A SLIGHT MISHAP } _Chap. VI,_ - -XXXVII. SKI-JUMPING } _between_ - -XXXVIII. SKI-JUMPING, MONTANA, SWITZERLAND } _pp. 166 and 167_ - -XXXIX. VETERANS OF THE ST. MORITZ SKI CLUB } - -XL. A PRACTICE GROUND } - -XLI. CROSSING THE ROAD ON THE CRESTA } - -XLII. TOP OF KLOSTERS RUN, DAVOS } _At end of_ - -XLIII. THE START, SCHATZ ALP RUN, DAVOS } _Chap. VII,_ - -XLIV. BOBBING ON THE SCHATZ ALP RUN, DAVOS } _between_ - -XLV. SKATING-RINK AT VILLARS } _pp. 190 and 191_ - -XLVI. AT LA BRETAYE, VILLARS } - -XLVII. “BLOW, BLOW, THOU WINTER WIND” } - THE ICE CARNIVAL (_colour_) _Facing p. 194_ - - - - -WINTER SPORTS IN SWITZERLAND - - - - -CHAPTER I - -THE SUN-SEEKER - - -There is an amazingly silly proverb which quite mistakenly tells us that -“seeing is believing.” The most ordinary conjurer at a village -entertainment will prove the falsity of this saying. For who has not -seen one of these plausible mountebanks put a watch into a top-hat, and, -after clearly smashing it into a thousand pieces with a pestle, stir up -the disintegrated fragments with a spoon and produce an omelette? Or who -is so unacquainted with the affairs of the village schoolroom at -Christmas as not to have seen a solid billiard-ball or a lively canary -squeezed out of the side of a friend’s head? Such phenomena are by no -means rare, and occur periodically all over England. The observer’s eyes -have told him that he has seen such things, and the verb “to see” is -merely a compendious expression to indicate that on the evidence of your -eyes such or such a phenomenon has actually occurred. But no one -believes that the disintegrated watch has become an omelette though -ocular evidence--seeing--insists that it has. It was a conjuring trick. -And this leads me to the consideration of the phenomena on which this -whole book is based. - -For High Alpine resorts in winter are a conjuring trick of a glorious -and luminous kind. Our commonsense, based on experience, tells us that -ice is cold, but is melted by heat; and that snow is wet; and that -unless you put on a greatcoat when the thermometer registers frost, you -will feel chilly; and that if you frequently fall down in the snow you -will be wet through, and if you do not change your clothes when you -return home you will catch a cold. All these things are quite obvious, -and he who does not grant them as premises to whatever conclusion we may -happen to base on them, is clearly not to be argued with, but soothed -and comforted like a child or taken care of like a lunatic. But High -Alpine winter resorts give, apparently, ocular disproof of all these -obvious statements, and those who go out to these delectable altitudes -in favourable seasons see (which is ocular evidence) every day and all -day the exact opposite of these primitively simple prepositions -regularly and continually taking place. They sit in the sun, when they -are tired of skating, and see that though a torrid luminary beats down -on the frozen surface, burning and browning the faces of their friends, -the ice remains perfectly dry and unmelted; they trudge through snow, -and find that they are not wet; they see the thermometer marking -anything up or down to thirty degrees of frost, and go out coatless and -very likely hatless, and are conscious only of an agreeable and bracing -warmth; they go ski-ing and all day are smothered in snow, and yet -return dry and warm and comfortable to their hotels, and do not catch -any cold whatever. Shakespeare once made an allusion of some kind (I -cannot look all through his plays to find it) about hot ice, meaning to -employ a nonsensical expression. But it is the most striking testimonial -to the magnificence of his brain that all he ever wrote meant -something, although, as in this instance, he designed it not to. For -without doubt he was alluding to what appears to occur at St. Moritz or -Mürren. - -But it is all a conjuring trick, or so these altitudinists are disposed -to think when they return home to the dispiriting chills of a normal -February in England, and find that when the thermometer marks 45° or -thereabouts they shiver disconsolately in the clemming cold. Even when -they were out in Switzerland they hardly believed what appeared to be -happening, for they found that if the weather changed, and instead of -the windless calm, or a light north-wind, the Föhn-wind blew from the -south-west, warm and enervating, then, in proportion as the thermometer -mounted, they felt increasingly cold. All these things, though they -thought they saw and felt them, were of the nature of a conjuring trick, -and they never, after their return to the lowlands, really believed -them. It was obviously impossible that they could have felt warm and -dry, after being rolled in the snow. It must have been an illusion, -capable of immediate disproof if they now went out without a coat, or -sat down on a snowy London pavement. A pleasant illusion, no doubt, but -clearly an illusion. It was like the omelette emerging from the top-hat, -into which a watch had, only a moment before, been placed and pestled. - -And if those who think they have experienced these phenomena, which so -clearly contradict the most elementary laws of Nature, cannot fully -believe in them when they re-enter the chilly spring of England, still -less do those who have not experienced them find it possible even to -simulate credulity when the foolish Alpinist recounts them. I rather -fancy that people who have never been to the high altitudes in winter, -believe that all those who say they have done so, and come back and tell -their friends that sun does not melt ice, and that snow is dry, and that -ten degrees of frost is an agreeable temperature to stroll about in -without a coat, are in some sort of inexplicable conspiracy. But the -conspiracy is so widely spread now, and is still spreading so fast, that -one’s remarks on the subject are received with politeness nowadays, -though still with incredulity. Some strange wandering of the wits has -taken possession of the conspirators, who are otherwise harmless. And, -such is the force with which their illusion holds them, and so anxious -are they that credence should be given to it, that they employ some sort -of skin-dye to add completeness to their strange tales, and appear with -brown hands and faces when they come back to the anæmic metropolis. They -are clearly the victims of some obscure but infectious derangement of -the brain, of which the chief symptoms are those strange illusions and -an immense appetite.... And, as I have said, the victims of these -illusions, before they have spent many days in England, are already -themselves wondering whether all these things really were so, or whether -they were but the fabric of a pleasing dream. But they make plans to -dream again about the middle of the ensuing autumn, and for the most -part find that the vision is recapturable. It is all great nonsense; but -if you take a suitable ticket at a suitable time of the year, and go -where that ticket will allow you, the nonsense is found to be recurrent. - -I do not know whether ice and snow, and all the forms of the “radiant -frost,” as Shelley calls it, are in themselves more beautiful than the -spectacle, to which we are accustomed, of an unfrozen world, or whether -it is merely because we are unused to the gleams and sparkle of these -whitenesses, that we find them so entrancingly lovely. It would be -interesting, for instance, to ascertain whether an Esquimo or other -dweller in the Arctics accustomed to ice, would go into ecstasies of -admiration at the sight--shall we say--of Hyde Park Corner on a moist -warm day of September, when the roadway is swimming in a thick brown -soup of mud, and gusts of tepid rain stream on the wind-swept -lamp-posts, thus supporting the idea that it is to the novelty of the -spectacle that the arousing of our appreciation is due. Certainly it -would be hard to say that anything in the world is more beautiful than a -beech-tree in spring, or a crimson rambler in full flower, or glimpses -of the Mediterranean in a frame of grey-green olive-trees; and I am -inclined to believe that it is partly the contrast which a sunny morning -in winter among the High Alps presents to all that a Londoner has known -or dreamed of hitherto that partly accounts for the ineffable -impressions it never fails in producing on him. And to that we must add -the exhilarating and invigorating effect of the still dry air, and the -sun that all day pours Pactolus over the gleaming fields. In such an air -and in such a flood of light all our senses and perceptions are -quickened, the vitality of our organs is increased, and with the -wonderful feeling of _bien-être_ which the conditions give, our -appreciation is kindled too. I always feel that it _must_ have been on a -frosty morning that David said: “I opened my mouth and drew in my -breath.” And perhaps on that day the cedars of Lebanon were covered with -the crystals of hoar-frost, and below the snowy uplands the dim blue of -the sea slept insapphirined at the bases of the shining cliffs.... - -I lick the chops of memory, and go back in thought to the middle of -December, when, having previously determined not to go abroad till -January, I hurriedly fly the country, like a criminal seeking to escape -from the justice that is hot on the heels of a murderer. In such wise do -I fly from my conscience--conscience, I may remark, is one of the things -that everybody leaves behind when he goes to the High Alps: apparently -it and other poisonous organisms, such as the bacillus of tuberculosis -cannot exist in those altitudes--while below my breath I again register -the frequently broken vow that I will be at home again by the middle of -January at the latest. For indeed it seems impossible to tolerate London -any longer just now: the fogs have begun (these are the excuses with -which I seek to stay the protests of conscience, before I fly from it), -and for three days last week we lived in a thick and ominous twilight of -dusky orange, tasting evilly of soot and sulphurous products. At -intervals a copper-coloured plate showed itself above the house roofs: -and, oh, to think that this mean metallic circle was indeed none other -than the hot radiant giant that in the happier climes was rejoicing to -run his course across the turquoise expanse of cloudless sky; that this -remote and meaningless object was the same that sparkled on dazzling -peak and precipice and turned the untrodden snows to sheets of diamond -dust. Then after three days of Stygian gloom the fog was dispersed by a -shrewd and shrill north wind, and for a whole morning snow fell heavily, -which, as it touched the pavements and roadways of town more than -usually befouled by the fog, turned into a base and degrading substance -resembling melting coffee-ice. The streets swam in the icy treacle of -it, and motor-buses and other ponderous vehicles cast undesired helpings -of it at the legs of foot-passengers. After this dispiriting day the -weather changed again and a tepid south-westerly gale squealed through -the streets. This was too much: I bought a quantity of what is known as -sermon-paper and two new stylographs (this was another sop to -conscience, and implied the intention of working out in Switzerland), -made a few hasty and craven arrangements on the telephone, and slid out -of Charing Cross Station at 2.20 P.M. precisely next day, leaving -conscience, like an abandoned wife, sobbing on the platform. - -Now, while journeys, whether on land or sea, are apt to be but tiresome -businesses when they are undertaken at the call of some tedious errand, -they are vastly different affairs when they conduct the traveller to -joyful places and delectable pursuits. They are coloured by that which -awaits him at the end of them (like the sweetness of sugar permeating -tea), and this particular progress is to me full of romantic happenings. -Dusk is already closing in before I reach the coast, and as the train -halts on the hill above Folkestone, before being towed backwards down to -the harbour, I can see the lights beginning to twinkle in the town and -along the pier, which is surrounded by the great grey immensity of the -wave-flecked sea. A fine rain is falling dismally, and as I hurry across -the slippery quay I am weighed down by an enormous greatcoat (the -pockets of which, I am sorry to say, are “salted” by various packets of -cigarettes, which is why I wear it), and I stagger under the weight of a -suit-case, sooner than part with which I would die. For the French or -Swiss railway companies often (no doubt with humorous intent) arrange -that the traveller’s large luggage shall not arrive for twenty-four -hours or so after he has got to his destination, and in less experienced -years I have packed my boots and skates in these detained trunks, and -have been obliged to wait in savage inaction till the railway company -has come to the end of its joke, just as one waits for the end of a long -funny story. Not so now: my inseparable bag contains my large and -cumbrous skate-shod boots as a first charge, and after they have been -stowed, the mere necessities of life, like clothes and dressing-case, as -opposed to its joys, fill the rest. Even in the harbour the steamer -sways with the back-wash of the heavy seas outside, and the -mooring-ropes squeak and strain to its unease. I stick in the narrow -gang-plank that conducts in precipitous incline to the deck (at least -the corner of my suit-case does, which is part of my identity); a faint -and awful smell of red plush sofas and cold beef comes up from the -stairs leading to the saloon; the tarpaulins, rigged up along the open -passage between decks, flap uneasily and are buffeted by the rain-soaked -wind, and sailors hurry about with white japanned tin objects in their -hands.... - -All this sounds dismal and dispiriting enough, but such incidents, I -repeat, take their colour from that to which they lead the traveller, -and when bound for Switzerland they are all haloed in a vague -pleasurable sense of excitement and romance. We put out on the turbulent -and windy sea, and as we round the end of the pier the whole boat -shivers as a great white-headed wave strikes her. It is cold and wet on -deck, but I have to linger there while the cliffs of my beloved native -land vanish into the grey of the swift on-coming night, and feel a -perfect glow of enthusiasm at the idea of not setting eyes on them again -for another month or so (probably “so”: because conscience is now far -away, perhaps still waiting at Charing Cross Station, in case I return -by the next train), and already I am beginning to be doubtful whether I -really made a vow to be back by the middle of January. I pass rows of -silent figures with closed eyes reclining on deck-chairs in the more -sheltered corners: then the whole ship makes a scooping curtsey into the -trough of a wave, and the water pours sonorously on to the deck. Shrill -whistles the wind in the rigging, and a raucous steam-siren proclaims to -all the traffic in the Channel that we are off to Switzerland to skate, -having left our consciences and the white cliffs of England behind us, -and not caring two straws, at this delightful moment, as to whether we -ever see any of them again. - -I love the landing on the friendly shores of France, the waiting while -the ship is reluctantly coaxed sidling up to the pier, the hustle to get -through the custom-house and enter the warm, well-lit train. The foreign -tongue is delightful to the ear: so, too, to the eye, the blue-bloused -porters, and the unplatformed station, where the huge carriages tower -high above one, emitting mysterious jets of steam. All is strange and -new and delightful: the engine of unaccustomed build and outlandish -voice, the grey upholstered compartments with their hot-carpeted floors, -the restaurant car with bottle-filled racks, where presently I sit, part -of a moving pageant of eating and drinking, as we shriek through -stations and scour with ever-increasing velocity through the darkness of -a stormy night. At Laon mysterious jugglings take place: another string -of carriages is slowly shunted on to our train, to the accompaniment of -many cries of warning and encouragement and wavings of lanterns, and the -buffers come home with a soft thud. We cast off our tail, lizard-like, -which is hauled away to travel divergently to Basle, and soon we are -thundering on again by the more direct route to Berne. At some timeless -hour a long halt is made, and compartment doors are flung open with the -sonorous proclamation of the arrival of _les messieurs de la douane_. -Enter _les messieurs_, and at their sesame bags fly open, and with -strange staves they explore the hidden recesses under the seats, in -their nightly search for laces and spirits and cigarettes and all the -contraband of peace. Soon this complimentary visit is over, the green -shades are adjusted again over the lamps, and the vibration and rhythm -of the racing wheels mingle and blend themselves into the blurred edges -of dream.... - -I do not wake until we are actually slowing down to enter Berne--that -city so justly famous for its bears, its President of this delectable -republic, and its terrace from which the eager tourist vainly scans the -impenetrable clouds which invariably screen from his view all possible -glimpses of the mountains of the Oberland. Whenever I arrive at Berne it -is always a grey chilly morning, just above freezing point, so that the -icy streets are half slush. At first this used to depress me with -ominous forebodings of a thaw at the higher altitudes: now I know that -all the winter through it is always just thawing at Berne, and that the -sky there always is heavily be-clouded. I think a sunny frosty morning -there would cause me some considerable anxiety, for it would imply a -complete upset of climatic conditions, and midsummer might be expected -to hold its abhorred sway on the heights. So in perfect equanimity I -climb back again into our train--heated to the temperature of the second -hottest room in a Turkish bath--and we jog in more leisurely fashion -through the half-frozen villages towards the lake of Thun. These -villages are mainly composed of houses taken from the larger-sized boxes -of toys, with stones fastened down on their wood-shingle eaves to -prevent their roofs blowing away, and with staircases, clearly built for -ornament, and completely unpractical, climbing up the outside of their -walls. Stations and banks and hotels seem to be constructed with a view -to moderate permanence; the rest are clearly so made that they can be -taken up and planted down somewhere else. Then as we emerge on to the -edges of the lake, higher hills begin to tower across its steely-grey -levels, and rifts in the clouds that shroud their heads and hunched -shoulders show glimpses of sun that shine on the whiteness of snow. Mile -after mile we pursue a meandering way along the shores, and thread the -darkness of hoarse tunnels, whose lips are fringed with dripping -icicles, and the sense of something coming, something high and clear, -begins to grow. Though in front, where Interlaken lies, a veil of -grey-blue mist is interspersed between us and that which, I know, soars -above it, the clouds are beginning on all sides to become unravelled -like wool-work pulled out, and through the rents and torn edges gleams -of turquoise sky are seen. High up climb serrated rims of rock, cut -vividly clear against the blue and fringed with aspiring pines; higher -yet, where the boldest of these brave vegetables can find no footing, -further ridges appear austere and empty and gleaming. Yet these are but -the outlying buttresses and ramparts of the great towers at the base of -which they lean and cluster: to-night we shall sleep in an eyrie far -above them, and far above us yet will watch the unscaled precipices of -the great range, over the edge of which the unheeding stars climb and -swim into sight all night long, pouring the golden dew of their shining -upon forest and glacier, until the snows are rosy with dawn. - -We paused in Interlaken Central Station to draw breath after our -lake-side amble. Here the snow lay crisp and hard-trodden in the -streets, but overhead the gutters gurgled and the eaves of houses -dripped with its melting in this brilliant morning. No shred of cloud -was left in all the shining heavens, and like the flanks of a galloped -horse the pine-clad hillsides steamed in the sun.... And then the -miracle.... As we steamed forth again to the Eastern station, a long -valley lying between two wooded hills opened out, and there, clear in -the light of the young day, and white with virgin snows and blue with -precipices of ice, and set in the illimitable azure, rose the Queen of -Mountains, the maiden, the Jungfrau, peaked and domed and pinnacled in -ineffable crystal. - -The Jungfrau is and will always be my mistress among mountains, as she -was when I first saw her at the age of twelve. One mistake I have made -in my conduct towards her, and that was ten years later when I climbed -her--and yet who could tell she would prove so tedious and heavy (not in -hand but in foot)? For I approached the lady of my adoration from the -Concordia hut, and instead of feasting my eyes at every step on her -queenly gracious carriage and maiden slenderness, I found that the -closer I got to her the more did she appear round-shouldered, not to say -hump-backed. In addition, a quantity of fresh snow had fallen, and we -had a long tiresome and utterly unexciting trudge, a hot and stodgy -affair. I had imagined that ventures and perils would have to be -encountered for this wooing and winning of her, with balancings and -poisings on stairways of precipitous ice and needles of pinnacled rock: -instead she had to be solidly and laboriously and dully approached; it -was like wooing some great bolster or gigantic cow. For a little while -after that I cared nothing for her; she was a mature and silent barmaid -of vast proportions, but gradually her charm and enchantment cast their -spell over me again, the dissolution of which I intend never to risk in -the future, unless I approach her by a more hazardous and daring route. -To those who approach her dully, she gives herself dully: the more -daring wooer she may perhaps kill, but she does not bore him. - -But the wonder of her, when seen through clear air with the brilliant -winter sky around her head from the entrance to this valley that leads -up to Lauterbrunnen! Up it we steamed in a little angry rattling -snorting train, which cut itself in half to take some of its aspiring -contents to Grindelwald on the left, and others among whom I numbered -myself to Wengen and to Mürren. By the side of our way ran a turbulent -mountain stream fed by the glaciers of the Oberland, too swift to freeze -altogether, but with its backwaters and sheltered reaches covered over -with lids of ice. For all its glacier-birth steam rose from it in the -icy air that hovered in shaded places, and the alders and hazels that -hung over it were thickly encrusted with the marvellous jewellery of -the hoar-frost, spiked and _parsemès_ and refoliaged in wondrous winter -growth with tendrils and scrolls of minutest diamond-dust. Narrower grew -the valley, steeper and taller the wooded hills that overhung it till at -last we reached Lauterbrunnen, close to which the Staubbach, most -amazing of all waterfalls, leaps a clear eight hundred feet from the -edge of the high plateau-shelf, which skirts along the mountain-side on -to the rocks below. Even in summer, when the melting of the snows that -feed the stream make it of far greater volume than when the stricture of -frost is on it, the water, poured as from a jug-spout, disintegrates in -its fall, so that it reaches the valley more in wreaths of mist than in -solid water, and collects again from the dripping rocks; while in winter -its diminished volume is further spent in the manufacture of the huge -icicles that fringe the edge of its leaping-place, and hang in great -streamers, the beard and hair, you would say, of the very Frost-king -himself, who sits at ease on this precipitous throne. Little water -to-day runs away from where the clouds of mist and water-smoke fall on -the rocks, for most of them are frozen there, and a layer of ice covers -the boulders where they come to earth. For here, so engorged lies the -valley, so close to the great rampart of the Oberland, that the sun -which blazed on Interlaken has not yet surmounted the barrier of -mountain-peaks. - -Parallel with the Staubbach, and up a hillside which appears hardly less -sheer than the precipice itself, runs the funicular railway which leads -to the Mürren-plateau. At first sight it seems as if it must be meant -for a practical joke, constructed by humorous engineers to astonish the -weak minds of travellers, and, though practical from the point of view -of a joke, to be perfectly impracticable as a means of conveyance. Its -steepness is that of disordered images seen in a dream, and it was with -a sense of utter incredulity that I first took my place in one of the -small wooden compartments and was locked in by an apparently sane and -serious conductor. He blew a whistle, or a bell sounded, just as is done -on real lines of traffic, and immediately afterwards we began to ascend -that impossible line of rails, sauntering with smooth and steady -progress up that ridiculous precipice. More amazing still we soon -observed a similar car sauntering steadily down it, just strolling down, -even as we were strolling up. We met, we passed, and I had a vision of -passengers smoking and chatting, as if nothing in the least remarkable -was happening and imminent death did not await us all.... - -But more remarkable things than that were happening. Upwards from the -valley we climbed on this Jacob’s ladder that reached if not to Heaven, -to very heavenly places. Pine woods and rocks melted away below, -streaming quietly downwards; presently we were level with the top of the -towering precipice from which the Staubbach was discharged, and -presently that too was left below. But higher as we mounted there -climbed with us, in fresh unfoldings of glaciers and peaks and -glittering snow fields, the great range of the Oberland. New peaks “met -Heaven in snow,” new _arêtes_, too steep and wind-swept to allow a -vestige of snow to lie there pointed arrow-like to the tops above them. -Eiger, Monch, Silberhorn, and Jungfrau towered glittering just across -the Lauterbrunnen valley from which we had come, and as we sidled along -the upland shelf on which Mürren stands, gradually the whole range -spread itself out in tremendous rampart, radiant, rejoicing, and -austere. For foreground was this narrow ledge of white fields dotted -here and there with cattle-châlets, and pines scattered singly or in -companies, all wearing plumes and tippets of snow that made their -foliage seem a black blot in the sunlight, and soon the congregation of -village roofs appeared, and Mürren stood bathed and basking in sunshine, -drowned, so to speak, in the sparkling champagne of the invigorating -winter morning. And the intoxication of the high places, an entrancing -vintage of oxygen and ice and sun, invaded limb and sinew and brain. - -It is supposed by those who have never seen the infinite variety of -forms into which frost converts mist and dew and all manner of water, -that there must be a monotony in those vast expanses of snow and ice. -They figure to themselves the depressing spectacle of snow as it usually -appears in England, smooth and soft and wet, and too close a cousin to -slush not to be tainted with a family resemblance; the image called up -by ice is a grey surface in which are imbedded dead leaves, twigs and -stones thrown on to it by boys for purposes not clearly understandable, -while all they know of hoar-frost is an evanescent decoration that -occurs at the edges of ditches and on lawns when tea is being made in -the morning and disappears as soon as the poached eggs, leaving the -grass soaked and dripping. But as is crystal to soap so are those -radiant congelations of the High Alps to the same as seen beneath grey -skies and unluminous days. Here, if snow has fallen, as sometimes -happens, while wind is blowing, it is driven into all manner of curving -wave crests and undulations; then when the fall is over, the sky clears -again, a night of frost hardens and congeals the outlines, and the trees -wear fine feathers and plumes of whiteness. As the snowfall packs with -its own weight, there grows on the surface of the fields a crust half -snow, half ice, covered with dazzling minute crystals. During the fall -of the snow there has been moisture in the air, and often on that -brilliant morning that succeeds the fall, the air is full of minute -frozen particles of water that sparkle like the old-fashioned -glass-decoration on Christmas cards, so that one walks through a shining -company of tiniest diamond fire-flies. And the frozen surface of snow -reflects the wonderful azure and gold of sun and sky, and here in the -blaze it lies white beneath a vivid yellow, there in the shade a dim -blue permeates it. After a few days of hot sun more of the fall will -have melted and slipped from the trees, and they stand black-foliaged -and red-trunked waiting for the decoration of the hoar-frost. The one -more night of frost covers every sprig and fir-needle with amazing -spikes and fernlike sprays of minute crystal. Wondrous are their -growths, more particularly if, as sometimes happens, some cold mist -comes up from the valleys. Then with a craze for decoration almost -ludicrous, you shall see your friends with hair and eyebrows bedecked -with these jewels, each separate hair wearing its frozen garniture, and -their coats and stockings ornamented in like manner. They grow white in -a single minute almost; and such as have moustaches, close to the -moisture of their breath will suddenly turn to walruses with long -dependence of icicles. And yet--here is a conjuring trick again--though -ice and frost frame their faces they are conscious of no cold at all. - -Marvellous, too, are the dealings of the frost with the running streams -and the lakes such as those at St. Moritz or Davos or Sils. Often, -unfortunately, it happens that a snowfall will occur when they are but -lightly frozen over, in which case the snow quite covers them, breaks -through perhaps in places, and with the ice already formed, makes a -rough uneven surface useless to the skater, and to the beholder no more -than a level snow-field, with perhaps ugly stains on it where the water -has come through and formed the grey ice, which is of no artistic -moment. But sometimes it happens that a snowfall occurs before any ice -has formed on the lake, and thus, though it lies on the surrounding -ground, it melts in the water, and at the end of the fall the lake is -still unfrozen, though the winter mantle lies over field and wood. Then -let us suppose there comes a hard frost with no more snow. Night after -night ice absolutely clear like glass forms on the water and gradually -thickens. If the days are windless it is entirely smooth, and -practically invisible, so that it is impossible to believe that you are -not looking on a sheet of water. Then the glad word goes forth that the -lake bears, and you hurry forth to skate on it. But mountain and wood -and landscape are all mirrored in it as in perfectly still water, and it -is almost incredible that here is ice a foot or two thick. Tremblingly -you launch yourself on it, scarcely able to believe in its solidity; for -through that unwavering surface you see every weed and stump under -water. The very fishes flit and flick visibly below your feet, and so -glassy is it that through it it is possible to see the subaqueous -foundations of the lacustrine dwellings in the lake of Sils, never to be -seen unless the lake is frozen, since the slightest ripple of the water -sets the surface a-quiver and mars its translucency. But seen through -this foot or so of perfectly clear ice--black ice, as it is called--it -is as if one looked through that charming contrivance called the -bathyscope, by which you can observe the depths of the sea. Below the -ice, the water lies still and in a calm sheltered by this solid ceiling -of crystal, and you see, as if in an aquarium, the fishes and the -water-weeds, and all the gales that ever blew will not shatter the -reflections or obscure the depths. Then when your courage has come to -you, and you begin to grasp the fact that an army might march across -this invisible plain of ice without breaking through, you will no doubt -venture forth from the shore, and feel what you never feel on rinks and -other prepared surfaces of ice, the divine elasticity of your floor. And -very likely just when you are some half-mile from the shore, you will be -terror-stricken to hear a crack as of artillery resound close to you, -and a great crack will zigzag like lightning through the ice. The first -time you hear that, the present writer is willing to wager any -reasonable sum that your face will blanch (unless too sun-tanned) and -you will skate with incredible celerity for the nearest land. But that -salvo portends no danger whatever, except if your skate-blade enters -such a crack (of which there will be, unfortunately, a considerable -number in the course of a few days) longitudinally. Then it is true you -may have a fall, but these explosions do not mean that you will ever be -food for fishes. - -But after a few days, in all probability, even though no snow falls, the -surface of the ice, except where it is kept swept, becomes useless for -skating, thanks to another of the wonderful conjuring tricks of the -frost. Owing to dew, or from other moisture in the air, there begin to -form upon the ice little nuclei of hoar-frost such as are seen in Plate -VI. They look harmless enough, and with perfect justice you admire -their exquisite fanlike fronds, and think no more of them. But in a -couple of days the same surface, as shown from the identical point of -view in Plate VII, presents a totally different aspect, and one which is -clearly discouraging to the most ardent of skaters. But then, since you -are finally and completely and irrevocably thwarted in any ambition to -skate on this depressing surface (for it is as if all the ice-moles in -the world had made their common earth there, multiplying exceedingly), -you will be wise to examine and admire the astounding forms of this -fairy frost-work before it becomes confluent, and, losing the -individuality of its separate tufts, covers the whole lake like powdery -snow. In Plate VIII you may see the marvellous delicacy in detail of -these bouquets of frost-flowers, and the same on larger scale in Plate -IX, where they are already becoming a very jungle of anti-tropical -growth. - -In that wonderful poem “By the Fireside,” Robert Browning, in speaking -of the Alps in autumn, says: - - “But at afternoon or almost eve - ’Tis better; then the silence grows - To that extent you half believe - It must get rid of what it knows - Its bosom does so heave.” - -And that which he weds to such lovely language is another of the spells -which the circle of the Alpine day and night weaves round us. Only, I -think, in winter the silence which he speaks of at evening, or, he might -have added at night, is a thing incredible to those who, I may almost -say, have never heard that silence. In spring or summer or autumn it is -broken by sounds of cowbells perhaps, and, almost certainly by a murmur -of wind in pine-woods, or of water hurrying from the heights. But in -winter, on a still evening those evidences of life are dumb, and yet the -silence itself is pregnant with vitality. At sunset the high tops burn -in rose-coloured flame, and as the glory fades into the toneless velvet -of the frosty sky, the stars in their wheeling are of a brilliance -utterly unknown to lower altitudes, except perhaps where the desert lies -fallow and dry beneath Egyptian skies, and no emanation from the earth -dims the burning of these “patins of bright gold.” But that “quiring to -the bright-eyed Seraphim” reaches not the mortal ear, and at evening or -at night in these High Alps, there is felt, as it were, that ecstasy of -silence that seems on the point of bursting into chorus: “it must get -rid of what it knows.” Nowhere else have I felt so rapturous a quality -of stillness: the frozen snow lies taut under the grip of the immense -energy of the frost: no avalanches slipping from the snow-laden flanks -of the Jungfrau under the hot beams of the sun, startle the valley with -sonorous thunder: the wind stirs not the lightest needle of the pines; -the villagers are home from the frozen fields, and doors are shut. -Slowly the last rose-colour fades from the peaks, and the stars -brighten, and you hold your breath to hear the most wonderful thing you -have ever heard--utter stillness, that yet is strained almost to -bursting point with the energies that make it, the peace that passes -understanding that lies above the snow and beneath the stars.... - - * * * * * - -Then having heard it, having thought perhaps you understood it, or best -of all, being conscious that you do not understand it at all, you may -start for home, and glide on your skis down a slope to the very doors of -your hotel. Probably you will have a great many falls, for it is the -most difficult thing in the world--which is saying a good deal--to ski -with the smallest success in a fading or faded light. But you will have -heard the silence of the winter night: that will generously console you -for your misadventures.... - -[Illustration: - -PLATE I - -WINTER SUNLIGHT] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE II - -BY THE STREAM-SIDE] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE III - -HOAR-FROST] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE IV - -JEWELS OF THE FROST] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE V - -BLACK ICE ON THE SILS LAKE] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE VI - -THE BUDDING ICE FLOWERS] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE VII - -THE FULL-BLOWN ICE FLOWERS - -(twenty-four hours later)] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE VIII - -ICE FLOWERS IN DETAIL] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE IX - -MAGNIFIED ICE FLOWERS] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE X - -WINTER MOONLIGHT] - - - - -CHAPTER II - -RINKS AND SKATERS - - -Something has already been said about the swift-growing jungles of -frost-flowers that so speedily cause the lakes in Switzerland to be -utterly useless for all purposes connected with skates. It suddenly -strikes the writer that the inexperienced in these matters will have -concluded that I mean that when once those frost-flowers have formed all -skating is over, and that if they have gone to Switzerland for the -indulgence of this taste, all that is henceforth to be offered them is -the opportunity to admire this frozen vegetation instead of cutting -figures. I therefore hasten to assure them that lake skating in -Switzerland _does not count_; indeed most winter resorts have no lake at -all; and even if they have, skating there is quite the exception and not -the rule. In nine cases out of ten the snow spoils the ice before it -bears, and the frost-flowers spoil the greater part of it, even if the -snow has held off, almost immediately afterwards. Lake-skating, in fact, -is of the nature of a bonus rather than a dividend: to be enjoyed if it -happens, but by no means to be reckoned on. - -But at every Swiss resort there are rinks made, which render the skater -independent of natural surfaces of ice, and those, at all well-conducted -places, are “new every morning,” because every evening they are swept -and sprinkled with water, which by the ensuing day has frozen, and -presents a fresh surface to the zealot. In fact, an artificial -skating-rink is as necessary an equipment in the Swiss winter resort as -is the hotel itself. The construction and renovation of these rinks is -most interesting, and ranks among the fine arts, just as does the -architecture of a fine golf-links or the preparation of good wickets. -These rinks are used for two purposes: skating, including bandy or ice -hockey, and curling. I do not count ice-gymkhanas or ice-carnivals, -because anything is good enough for them. You can play the shovel-game -or crawl through barrels among the jungles of frost-flowers. I do not -imply that such entertainment is not exceedingly amusing; I only mean -that the artist in rink-making paints his masterpieces primarily for the -sake of the skater and the curler, not for the Pierrot with his Chinese -lantern, or those who win three-legged races. - -The technique of these ice-pictures is in brief as follows: - -In the beginning of the creation (from the skater’s point of view) a -piece of ground is carefully and accurately levelled. This, if it is to -be the foundation of a well-and truly-laid rink in the ensuing winter, -should be done early in the spring, because the ground will have then -had time to settle down, and the inequalities which always occur in this -settling can be made good, before the first frosts of the autumn begin, -and the soil gets fixed and frozen. Also, so I am told, the fact that -the ground will then be covered with a growth of weeds and grasses, -causes the foundation of the rink to be of better quality. This is -easily understandable: the base is matted, and is probably more coherent -in texture and less liable to contain holes through which the water may -drain away. Then, when the whole ground has been doctored, _i.e._ when -the small inequalities have been corrected and it is as uniformly level -as can be expected of anything in this shifting world, everybody sits -down and smokes (as is the habit of the Swiss peasant) till the first -good snowfall comes, probably in November or early in December. Then the -merry peasant has to put down his pipe and work begins again. - -A row of them (I am describing the most up-to-date method) stand close -together with arms interlocked, in as straight a line as may be, and -trample down all this beautiful fresh snow. Up and down they go, in slow -time, stamping heavily with their great feet, and making out of perhaps -a foot of snow some 3 or 4 inches at the most, of really compact and -hard foundation. It will resemble at the best, as regards evenness, a -lane over which flocks of ponderous sheep have passed; but the -groundwork (this is the main point) will be of hardened snow, though -extremely rough of surface. Then they may all sit down and smoke their -pipes again--all, that is, except the headman and those who pull about, -at his bidding, the yards of hose which at one end terminate in a brass -nozzle, at the other in the water-supply, which should run in the main -at high pressure. This water is then turned on to the compacted snow -which gets soaked with it, and, if a few nights of hard frost follow the -original snowfall, becomes gradually converted into a sort of rough but -glazed and solid ice. Then, if nothing untoward happens, in the shape of -thaw or further snowfall, the next step is taken. But if there is during -these few days a thaw, they have to wait for more snow to fall, and do -their trampling over again; while if there is more snow, the poor -wretches have still to trample and get the foundations firm again. But -if all goes well--and the experienced iceman will delay the original -trampling until the barometer or his weather-sense (preferably the -former) promises cold weather to follow--he makes his second operation. -He will have built a small bank of snow perhaps 3 feet high and -well-spaded down, round his rink, and have sprinkled that as well as his -rink surface, so that it is at any rate glazed with ice and water-tight. -Then, waiting for a bright sunny morning, he floods the whole rink with -perhaps 2 inches of water. The sunniness of the day is most important -for this operation: if he put on this flood on a cold day, or at evening -when a frosty night was imminent, all the water he put on, lying on the -cold frozen surface below, and with the frosty air above it would freeze -solid without cohering to the original frozen foundation. But putting it -on while the sun is hot, the top surface of the foundation is percolated -with the flood, and when the frost of the night follows, the flood binds -with it. One night possibly may not consolidate the flood: if it does -not, he waits till another night completes the work. All the time, it -must be remembered, the rink presents the most depressing appearance: -little bits of frozen snow have floated up to the surface, frost-flowers -perhaps have made their ill-starred appearance, and it still somewhat -resembles a sheep-trampled lane. But then things begin to look better: -and another inch of water is put on, and then another inch, and then -another, each being consolidated before the next is applied, and each -being applied not in the evening, but when the sun will slightly melt -the previous surface. With each of these floodings the ice grows more -desirably smooth, and more immaculately clean, till at the end of -perhaps a fortnight there is something like 18 inches of solid ice over -the ground that was levelled in the spring. At least this thickness is -required if the ice is to last properly, for even in mid-winter the most -sickening series of climatic catastrophes may occur, which, unless there -is good thickness of ice originally built up, may spoil the rink -altogether. For on hot sunny days, though the surface of the ice remains -quite dry, very great evaporation occurs, and the dryness of the air -drinks up the melted ice before it visibly or tangibly becomes water. Or -again, even in the most well-conducted winters, at the most approved -resorts, there may be a complete thaw, and “the pools are filled with -water,” which also evaporates. In both these cases, there is a -consequent loss of ice, and the bullion, so to speak, must be able to -stand the drain upon it. Still worse, there may be a snowfall followed -by a thaw, followed by a frost. The thaw has eaten into the ice; the -frost has caused this rodent mixture to get encrusted again. And then, -if there is not good depth of ice, the most excruciating events tread on -each others’ heels. The ground below the thin ice is warmed with the -penetrating sun, and begins to exude bubbles; the bubbles rise, and -horrible water-blisters, skinned over with ice, appear. The skates crash -through them (“and langwedge which I will not pollewt my pen with -describing,” as Miss Fanny Squeers said) and cut into the half-frozen -ground, which thereupon begins to leak. The most awful mess ... there -are no words for it. Therefore it is necessary, as soon as possible, to -get a good thickness of ice. - -But this building-up of the rink requires immense patience and -forethought. Night after night when the building is going on, and the -weather is warm and beastly, the head iceman, if he is really competent, -will sit up through the long tale of dark hours, keeping himself awake -with coffee, and watching the thermometer to see when it registers -sufficient degrees of frost to enable him to put more water on to the -ice. He will wait all through a cloudy night, hoping for the sky to -clear, in order to get a half inch more foundation. It is useless and -worse than useless to apply more water unless there are several degrees -of frost, for this only weakens his original trampled foundation of -snow, and leads to the awful trouble of blisters coming up from the -ground. But if even an hour or two before daybreak the temperature -sinks, and there is a chance of gaining a further thickness of ice, he -will rouse his men, and at any rate spray or sprinkle the whole surface -of the rink, in order to get a little more ice, just a little more. -Night and day, like a mother over a sick child (I am not exaggerating), -a man like Rudolf Baumann, and others not so well known to me, will -watch over their rink, to console, to fill up holes, to add another -fibre of underlying muscle. - -But even when a couple of feet of solid ice are built up over the -ground, the trouble of the iceman is not over. Again a snowfall may -come, followed by a thaw, and the removal of this reveals sometimes a -terrible sort of chicken-pox on the ice. If the snowfall is followed by -cold weather, not much harm is done, for the snow is removed by shovels -and barrows, and a sprinkle of water over the whole rink--sprinklings -being made at night, since a sprinkle freezes almost as it falls, -opposed to the slower habits of a flood--shows next day that the rink is -no whit the worse. But if a thaw follows a snowfall, the general laws of -nature are suspended, in order to thwart icemen and skaters. -Theoretically, the surface of the ice below the melting snow will thaw -evenly. Practically, it does nothing of the kind. The surface is -unaffected in one spot, and immediately adjoining it has thawed into a -small round hole about 6 inches in circumference. Why this happens I -cannot say, except that it is part of the general malignity of natural -law; but the effect is apparent enough, and when the thawing snow is -removed, the ice is found to be covered by numberless small holes. Each -one of these has to be filled up by hand, with a freezing mixture of -snow and water, or better of pounded ice and water.... There are rinks -in Switzerland 300 yards long--I leave the consideration of these, in -the matter of labour required, to mathematicians who like dealing with -progressions that approach the infinite. - -Now the shrinkage of the ice already gained goes on all winter long, -owing to the evaporation of the surface, and owing to the cutting edges -of skates, which cover it with a sawdust of frozen stuff that has to be -swept off every evening. This perpetual loss must be made good, or else -the rink would soon vanish altogether, and it is made good by floodings -or sprinklings. A flood of a couple of inches over the whole surface is -of course the easiest way of doing this, but it is far the least -satisfactory. For, as I have said, the flood must be put on while the -sun is still on the ice, to enable it to bind into the ice already -formed, and thus hours of daylight are lost to the skater. Furthermore, -unless a really severe night follows, it will not be all properly -frozen. So the good ice-maker, instead of turning skaters off the ice, -and getting by one flood sufficient thickness to last for three or four -days more, sprinkles instead. This is a far longer and more troublesome -process, for with his hose-pipe with its small nozzle he has to go over -the ice again and again, six or seven times perhaps, or more, in a -single night, if ice is badly wanted. If it is freezing hard, each -sprinkle will solidify almost as soon as it falls, and sometimes he -sprinkles all night long; while if it is far too warm for a flood to -have a chance of solidifying, he will, unless a real thaw is going on, -still find it possible to sprinkle once or twice before morning, even -though there is but a degree or two of frost. Another immense advantage -that sprinkling has over flooding is, that ice thus made, little by -little, in exceedingly thin layers, lasts, for some reason, far longer -than a greater thickness of ice frozen solid in a single night. Why this -should be so, I do not know; but the fact is incontestable. Certainly -also a flood of a couple of inches frozen solid is far more brittle in -itself than ice built up in thin layers, and an awkward toe-strike with -the tip of the skate will cut a great chunk out of flood-ice, whereas it -makes far less impression on sprinkled ice. The sprinkle should be -thrown far and high (as illustrated in Plate XIII), so that it comes -down on to the ice in fine mist-like rain that freezes quickly and -freezes tightly into the ice already there. Of course all these -difficulties are not encountered in a perfectly cold winter. Given a -hard frost every night, it is easy to keep pace with the daily -evaporation. But even in the loftiest winter resorts in this excellent -republic, mid-winter thaws occur. - -Such in brief is the making of these rinks that seem such simple affairs -when made, just a level piece of ice with a smooth surface. But the -knowledge, the care, the watchfulness which are necessary to secure -good ice that will last all winter and reasonably resist any thaws and -snowfalls that may occur, are enormous. And the same care that is -lavished on their making must be expended on their keeping. No one with -soil on his gouties or a cigarette even in his mouth should be allowed -on the sacred surface, for even a feathery ash of tobacco if allowed to -lie on the ice will get warmed by the sun and gradually melt its way -into the ice. The sprinkle that night covers it, and it is embedded in -the ice like a fly in amber. Again the sun shines on it, it melts a -little water round it, and forms the nucleus of what will spread into a -blister in the ice. Any dirt in the same way makes similar holes, and -nothing but the clean skate-blade and the necessary and privileged boots -of the icemen should ever be allowed on the rink. How amazed would be -the pioneers of outdoor artificial rinks if they could see the huge and -perfect surfaces now yearly prepared for the hordes of foreign visitors -who flock to Switzerland. Of those pioneers John Addington Symonds was -one, and in his charming essays he recounts how at Davos he and a few -enthusiastic friends took exercise by incessantly working the handle of -a pump that stood in the middle of a level field, until, I think, the -pump froze. Then greatly daring they proceeded to skate over the amazing -ridges and shelves of ice which must certainly have been the result of -this hardy undertaking. Nowadays a reservoir must be built at a -sufficient height above the rink to secure a good pressure of water -for the sprinkling, and patient laudable men sit up all night -watching the thermometer to see if it is safe to offer water to the -delicately-nurtured crystal. But from these fine-art rinks has fine-art -skating been evolved, and if the pioneers of rink-making wondered at -our reservoir, our cohorts of workmen, our huge glassy surfaces, still -more perhaps would the skaters of those days be astonished to see some -champion of the Continental execute his “back loop change loop eight” -laying the loops on top of the other, or observe four gentlemen of the -English swoop down at top speed and on back edges to their centre, flick -out four creamy rockers and glide away again to their appointed -circumference. So much then for the skater’s material needs; we pass on -to consider the use he puts them to. - -Now there are two styles of skating (I do not refer to good skating and -bad skating), known respectively as the English and the Continental or -International. In past days, certain exponents of one or the other -school, with the mistaken idea that to belittle another was to magnify -themselves, fell into the stupid error of comparing the two to the -accompaniment of robust vilifications of that style which happened not -to be so fortunate as to number them among its adherents. But it is no -exaggeration to say that the two styles have nothing whatever to do with -one another. It is true that the performer in each case is on skates, -and that the skates progress over ice; but the very skates are -different; so, too, is the whole mode, manner, style, and effect of -performance, and it would be as reasonable for the Rugby football player -to assert that Association is not real football, as for the English -skater to label the International skater an acrobat or contortionist, or -for the International skater to call his detested English brother an -exponent of the ramrod school. Many flowers of speech bloomed in the -gardens of these controversialists, the more exotic and violently -coloured blossoms springing, I think, from - -[Illustration: SKATING--ENGLISH STYLE - -_From the Drawing by Fleming Williams_] - -certain skaters in the International style, who were admirably -industrious at one time in their denunciation of anyone who ventured to -skate in the English style. The present writer, for instance, who, poor -fool, thought he was amusing himself quietly in attempting unambitious -feats in English skating, without interfering with anybody, had an open -letter addressed to him in the _Engadine Post_, pointing out the -vileness and wickedness of his heretic ways; and a precious little book, -that now lies open before me, which did not attract as much attention as -its unconscious humour seems to warrant, informs us that the theories on -which English skating are based are “diametrically opposed to every -principle of nature, science and art, and at variance with the -unrestrained freedom of action and movement which prevails in every -other branch of athletic sport.” Probably the writer felt better after -that, for we have heard nothing of him since; while with regard to the -above-quoted criticism, the only comment that need be made is, that on -the same silly lines it would be reasonable to call lawn-tennis at -variance with unrestrained freedom of action and movement, because it is -not part of the game to slog the ball wildly out of court. - -But of late this controversy has somewhat died down, the fact being that -no one with the smallest knowledge of the difficulties and beauties of -skating at all, in whichever of these two styles, ever joined in it, -since, whether in personal preference he was English or Continental, he -had sufficient acquaintance with skating matters to appreciate and -admire the excellence both of his own school and of that to which he -owed no allegiance. He saw also that the two schools had nothing to do -with each other, and instead of jeering at the other, contentedly -practised at the one he happened to prefer. Naturally, most Swiss -resorts tend to one style or the other; but at Davos, the original -cradle of the modern English style, the two schools flourish side by -side, as also they do at Mürren, one of the newly-opened Swiss centres. -There particularly--at Davos there is a separate English rink, mainly -occupied by English skaters--you may see the votaries of the different -schools of this now obsolete controversy cheek by jowl on the ice, and -lying down together, after a fall, like the lion and the lamb. At St. -Moritz, similarly, both styles are bloodlessly practised, though the -International style is the more popular; while Grindelwald is nowadays -exclusively International, after having been exclusively English. So, -too, is Wengen. On the other hand, at Villars, one of the largest -skating resorts in the country, there is scarcely an Internationalist to -be seen, and Château d’Oex, Montana, and Morgins are similarly almost -entirely English in their leanings. But without more enumeration it is -sufficient to say that both schools flourish exceedingly, and will -undoubtedly continue to do so, and nothing that anybody says will -detract from the prosperity of either. - -Now skating, in both these styles, is largely a matter of form, and -herein it differs from nearly every other sport. It does not suffice in -skating, whether you are English or Internationalist, to _do_ certain -things, to cut threes, to execute rocking-turns, or loops or -back-brackets. All these things have to be done in the manner prescribed -by the Vedas, so to speak, of your school. Without doubt there is reason -at the base of these methods, for it is clear that if, in a combined -figure, four English skaters were - -[Illustration: SKATING--CONTINENTAL STYLE - -_From the Drawing by Fleming Williams_] - -allowed to fly into their centre on a back edge with their unemployed -leg waving, and there execute a rocker, there would immediately be a -heap of mangled bodies on the ice, a result which is not recognised as -being among the objects of combined skating; and similarly, in the -International style, the graceful poses of arm and leg, which ignorant -English skaters look upon as mere display, are designed to assist the -movement. But in all other games (and this is where skating differs from -them all) the point is to achieve a certain object, and the achievement -of that object, however attained, renders the achiever a notable -performer if he consistently attains it. The golfer, for instance, who -consistently drives a long straight ball, puts his mashie shot near the -hole, and generally putts out, is a magnificent golfer, in whatever -manner or style he executes these tyrannously difficult feats. There are -a hundred and a hundred hundred styles and modes of putting, and they -are all good, provided only they enable the putter to hole his ball. At -cricket, similarly, a man may bowl fast or slow with any sort of break, -and with any sort of action (provided his shirt sleeve is not wantonly -flapping), and he is a good bowler if only he gets wickets cheaply. But -at skating the prescribed thing has to be done in the prescribed manner, -and the prescriptions of the English school are, broadly speaking, all -of them diametrically opposed to the principles of the International -school. In the English style the employed leg (_i.e._ the one which for -the moment is being skated on) must be straight; in the International -style it must be bent. In the English style the unemployed leg must be -close to the other, and hang beside it, loosely and easily; in the -International, wherever the exigencies of the movement demand that it -should be, it must at any rate never be there. In English the arms must -not be spread and swung abroad to assist the movement, but must be -carried inactively by the side, whereas in International, as long as the -skate moves the arms must be engaged on their assigned activity. In both -schools, in fact, every movement must be executed in a given way, but in -no case is there the smallest resemblance between those ways, though -both should result in clean edges and clean turns executed at defined -places. - -It is not my intention to give here a manual of English skating, -beginning with instruction to beginners and ending with timorous hints -to experts, but any book on Winter Sports would necessarily be -incomplete unless it babbled to some considerable extent about skating, -which, without doubt, is the sport in pursuit of which the large -majority of English folk visit the High Alps in winter. From whatever -cause, this slippery art exercises a unique spell over the able-bodied -and athletic section of Anglo-Saxon mankind. It may be that this is -partly accounted for by the comparative rarity of the occasions on which -we can skate, owing to our Gulf-Stream-beridden and generally -pestilential climate, and it is sufficient that some puddle-place in a -village green should be half-frozen to cause the majority, not only of -youth but of sedate men and women, to hurry down to the spot, and there -slide about on both feet with staggerings and frequent falls and the -ever-present possibility of occasional immersions. But the rarity of -even half-frozen puddles in England does not wholly account for the -transcendent spell: there is something in the quality of motion which -is started by a stroke of the tense muscles, and then continues of its -own accord, without effort or friction, until the impetus is exhausted, -that appeals to our unwinged race, who must otherwise keep putting foot -before foot to get anywhere. The sensation itself is exquisite, and the -sensation is rendered more precious by the fact that from the days when -the tyro slides cautiously forward on both feet, to the days when, -having become a master in his art, he executes back-counters at the -centre in a combined figure, there is always a slight uncertainty as to -what is going to happen next. The tyro rejoicing in the unaccustomed -method of progress is conscious of a pleasing terror as to whether he -will not fall flat down, and glows with callow raptures all the time -that he does not; while the finest skater who ever lived, will never be -quite sure that he will flick out his back-counter cleanly and -unswervingly. We can all walk pretty perfectly--at least, there is no -pleasing terror that we may be going to fall down--but none of us at our -respective levels as artists in skating can skate pretty perfectly. We -can only skate moderately well, considering how well we can skate. And -the joy of it! The unreasoning, delirious joy of the beginner who for -the first time feels his outside edge bite the ice, and, no less, the -secret elation of the finest performers in the world, when they execute -their back-counter close to the centre, at high speed, and without the -semblance of flatness in the edge! And even if any of us was so -proficient as to perform such a feat with absolute certainty, there is -no doubt whatever that we should find some further feat that would put -us back into the dignified ranks of stragglers again. And the same -holds good with regard to International skating: at least if there is -any among those delightful artists who will execute the Hugel star first -on one foot and then on the other without a pleasing anxiety gnawing at -his heart, I should very much like to know his name and black his boots -for him. - -To go more into detail with regard to the manner and style of these -antipodal twins, we will take first the twin known as English skating. -This falls into two broad classes, namely, single skating and that which -is the cream and essence of English skating, combined skating. A further -development of combined skating, namely, combined hand-in-hand skating, -has not long ago been undergoing a successful evolution, under the -auspices chiefly of Miss Cannan, Lord Doneraile and Mr. N. G. Thompson. -Without doubt it holds many charming possibilities, and very likely -there is a great future before it, but owing to right of primogeniture -we will first consider the two elder branches. In both the technique, so -to speak, is the same. The object is to skate fast on large bold edges, -to make turns of all sorts and changes of edge cleanly and without -effort, and to skate all these turns and edges in a particular and -prescribed manner. - -The first consideration, therefore, is the manner. The stroke must be -taken, _i.e._ impetus must be set up, not with a push of our skate-toe -into the ice, but from the inside edge of the skate blade. The reason is -obvious, for if a skater thrusts his sharp skate-toe into the ice he -will make a hole in it, and damage the ice. That is sufficient: I think -there are probably four or five other reasons, which in a general and -unspecialised treatise like this need not be gone into. - -The skater having got his impetus by leaning against the inside edge of -one skate, launches himself on the other. Now there are two edges to a -skate, namely, the inside and the outside. There is also the flat base -of the skate. Both theoretically and practically, he never uses the flat -of the skate in his actual progress. When he turns, whether the turn is -a three-turn or a rocker, or a counter or a bracket, he comes up to the -flat for a moment, but instantly leaves it again. He progresses on one -edge, the inside, or on the other edge, the outside. And while he -progresses, he must progress in the prescribed manner. And the -prescription is this: - -I. _His head must be turned in the direction of his progress, whether he -is progressing forwards or backwards._ Again common-sense is at the base -of this rule. For if his head is turned in the direction of his -progress, he is looking, unless unfortunately blind, where he is going. -This avoids trouble to himself, if there are holes in the ice, and -trouble to other people if there are other people on the ice. - -II. _He must be standing erect with his shoulders and body sideways to -the direction of his curve, not facing square down it._ In other words, -he must, among other things, be travelling not further forward than on -the middle of his skate, otherwise he will not be standing erect, but -leaning forward. This attitude is that which is referred to, in the -humorous book I have already quoted, as characteristic of the ramrod -school. But the author, in his blissful ignorance of skating matters, is -not aware that it is impossible to execute a long smooth circumference -of curve if you progress on the forepart of your skate. If you are on -the forepart of the skate, you must be leaning forward, and no one of -known anatomy can lean forward and execute a long smooth edge. The -balance is unsteady, and the edge wobbles. Commonsense, then, again -endorses this rule. In order to be steady on a long edge, your balance -must be of the established order. You must be upright, and travelling -without muscular effort to retain your position. This is only attained -by travelling on the middle or the aft part of the skate. For nobody can -stand still on their toes. But standing on the middle part of the foot -or with the weight on the heel it is perfectly easy to do so. But when -this humorous author (whom I drag out of his obscurity for the last -time) calls this the ramrod school, he proves himself ignorant of the -first principles of English skating, or perhaps has only observed -himself in some mirror at Prince’s Club attempting to assume the correct -attitude himself. As a matter of fact, the proper attitude of the skater -in the English style is exactly that of a man who is well made and -master of his limbs standing still with the weight chiefly on one foot. -While skating, it is true, the weight is entirely on one foot, and the -performer is moving, and not standing still. But the pose necessary to -smooth and swift progression is exactly that. It no more resembles a -ramrod, when decently done, as every good English skater does it, than -it resembles a coal-scuttle or a pince-nez, or what you will. - -III. _The unemployed leg_, i.e. _the leg of the foot which is not -skating, must hang close to the employed leg_. Again the reason is -obvious. If four persons came into their centre with a waving -unemployed leg, they would hit each other. Also, if the unemployed leg -is put out behind, the skater must lean forward in order to counteract -its weight. He will then tend to skate on the forepart of his skate. In -a series of long edges this attitude is impossible to maintain except by -effort. Nobody could skate for a quarter of an hour in combined skating, -accurately and largely on such a principle. - -IV. _The arms must hang by the side, and be carried loosely easily, -close to the body._ Again the explanation is obvious. There is no need -for their flying abroad, since a long edge is most easily accomplished -with the limbs and body in rest after the stroke, and these long smooth -edges are part and parcel of English skating: it is founded on them. -English skating postulates so perfect a balance, travelling on the -middle of the skates, that it chooses (this is the reason for the rule) -not to let that balance be assisted by the added or subtracted weight of -a correcting arm. It says (this is what it comes to) that you must be so -firm on your travelling root, so to speak, of balance, that you dispense -with all adjustments of weight. The weight has to be practically -perfectly adjusted. There must be no adjustments adventitiously -obtained. - -Now these four rules are at the base of English skating. If you happen -to play a game, you conform to the rules, and you do not argue, for -instance, when you are playing cricket, whether you should be given out, -when quite clearly you have been caught at the wicket. If you are at all -sensible, or in any way like cricket, you pocket your duck’s egg and -retire. Superb strokes may be made at cricket, which nevertheless are -fatal to the striker. Superb attitudes, similarly, may be made in the -International style, which are quite completely wrong. They may be -supremely statuesque, but they are not skating. The case is exactly the -same with the English style. Certain canons have been laid down, all of -which seem to be necessary to the attainment of excellence. It is no -doubt possible to skate charming “threes to a centre” doing everything -quite wrong from beginning to end. But if you choose to adopt a style, -you must conform to the rules of that style. Similarly, it is quite -possible to skate the same “threes to a centre” in the International -style, which shall leave the same mark on the ice (though the skating of -them broke every possible rule) as the most finished performer could -leave there. But who would not applaud the International judge who -ruthlessly ploughed such a candidate? He has not kept the rules, which -in contradistinction to other games prescribe not only what the object -in view is, but the manner in which the performance is to take place. -But this manner, we venture to point out, has not been laid down in an -arbitrary way: it is the manner, both in International skating and in -English alike, in which the feats demanded can alone be properly -performed. - -Now if the skater will take the trouble to conform to the four rules -given above, he will find that even at the outset of his career there is -great fun in store for him. Should he conform to them completely, when -the complication of turns is added, he will quite certainly find that -there is a championship, if he cares for that, in store for him also. -The rules were not negligently made; indeed they were never made at all, -but are simply the condensed experience of the best skaters, the methods -by which the fittest survived. And the fittest did, and always will do, -that which is recorded in these rules, and the ensuing complications, -even the most complicated of them, are comparatively easy to those who -can maintain the proper travelling position. But nobody who cannot hold -a long firm edge, for which the proper travelling position is essential, -need ever trouble his dreams with the notion of becoming a good skater. -And no one’s edges approach perfection, if he cannot traverse, on -backward and forward edges, outside and inside alike, a distance of at -least a hundred yards, given that the ice is reasonably good, without -stirring from the attitude he has taken up after his stroke. A really -fine skater will traverse much more, and be still as a rock throughout -his travel; but no good skater will be so unsteady that he will not -easily traverse that. In his actual skating he will, probably, never be -called upon to make so lengthy an edge, but its accomplishment should -present no difficulty to him, if he aspires to be a fair performer. Even -as the pianist, when performing, is not called upon to play simple -scales with both hands, so the skater will not be called upon, in his -combined figure, to skate for a hundred yards on one edge. But both -pianist and skater ought to find no difficulty at all in executing these -simple feats. - -The beginner is advised to get a fair mastery of all the edges before he -begins to attack the fortress of the turns. He should be able to -progress steadily and smoothly both on the outside edge and the inside -edge forward, and to make some progress also on the back edges, namely, -outside back and inside back. This last is far the most difficult of the -edges, and it will be a long time before he is able to take fast bold -strokes on it. But he should have some acquaintance with it before he -attempts to make the turns that necessitate its employment, and be able -to hold it in the correct position. He can then set about turns and -changes of edge, which all imply correct travelling. - -Now there are four groups of turns, common both to the English and -International styles, each group of which contains four turns to be -executed on each foot. Altogether, therefore, there are sixteen turns to -be learned which employ each foot singly. These with the four edges, -executed in the prescribed manner, form the material of the art. These -turns are common both to English and International skating, - -I. The first group is known as simple turns, and consists of turns (or -changes of direction, from backwards to forwards or forwards to -backwards) from: - - (i) Outside forward to inside back. - (ii) Inside forward to outside back. -(iii) Outside back to inside forward. - (iv) Inside back to outside forward. - -They are all of the same shape with regard to the marks they leave on -the ice, and from their shape are known as “three” turns, or “threes.” - -Thus: - -[Illustration] - -The arrow shows the direction of progress: the turn is the cusp in the -middle between the two curves. Thus if the first edge is outside -forward, the second is inside back: if the first is inside forward the -second is outside back: if the first is outside back the second is -inside forward: if the first is inside back the second is outside -forward. - -II. The second group of turns is known as rocking turns, or more -generally as “rockers.” Like the “three” turns, they are all of the same -shape, thus: - -[Illustration] - -and are four in number, namely: - -(i) Outside forward to outside back. - (ii) Inside forward to inside back. - (iii) Outside back to outside forward. - (iv) Inside back to inside forward. - -Now, in both these groups the body revolves or rotates at the moment of -making the turn in the direction indicated by the dotted lines; it -revolves, that is to say, _outside_ the direction of the first curve. -But it is possible for the body to revolve in the opposite direction, -that is to say, _inside_ the direction of its first curve. This makes -possible the third and fourth groups of turns. - -III. This group, which is known as brackets, from the mark left on the -ice, corresponds to Group I, and the edges employed in it are the same, -namely, outside forward to inside back, &c. But in this group the body -revolves on the _inside_ of the direction of the first curve, and the -mark on the ice, consequently, is as follows, the dotted line again -indicating the revolution of the body: - -[Illustration] - -IV. The fourth group is known as counter-rocking turns, or more -generally as counters. It corresponds with Group II, for the marks on -the ice are approximately the same, and the edges employed are outside -forward to outside back, &c. But here again the revolution of the body, -as in the brackets, takes inside the direction of the first curve, thus: - -[Illustration] - -These sixteen turns, or changes of direction while skating on one foot, -comprise all the varieties of so doing that seem theoretically possible, -since they include every forward edge to every back edge and every back -edge to every forward edge, skated with rotation of the body both -outside and inside the direction of the first curve, and until somebody -discovers a third edge to a skate, or a third direction of rotating the -body, it is not possible that they will be added to. - -But changes of direction may be made by the employment, not of one but -of both feet, and though these might be more properly described as -strokes rather than turns, there are two groups of them which enter -largely into English skating. These are known as mohawks and choctaws. - -I. Mohawks consist of either forward edge combined with the -corresponding back edge taken up by the other foot. Thus if the right -foot starts as an outside forward, the left, to complete the mohawk, is -put down on the outside back edge, thus: - -[Illustration] - -Here the rotation is made, as in the brackets and counters, on the -_inside_ of the direction of the first curve, and the figure is known as -the outside forward mohawk. Similarly, the mohawk can be skated on the -inside edges, _i.e._ the right foot starts with an inside forward, and -the left completes with an inside back. Here the rotation, as in the -threes and rockers, takes place on the outside of the direction of the -first curve. - -II. Choctaws also employ both feet, but the second curve of a choctaw is -on the opposing edge to the first curve. An outside forward choctaw thus -consists of an outside forward on one foot completed by an inside back -on the other, thus: - -[Illustration] - -In this, as in the corresponding mohawk, and the brackets and counters, -the rotation of the body takes place _inside_ the direction of the first -curve. Similarly, the inside forward choctaw consists of an inside -forward on one foot and an outside back on the other. Here, following -the corresponding mohawk, the rotation of the body takes place outside -the first curve. - -Theoretically, of course, there are corresponding mohawks and choctaws -starting from the back edges, _i.e._ outside back to outside forward, -&c., but though these strokes are constantly used, both in single and -combined skating, they are never dignified by this sounding title of -“back mohawk” or “back choctaw,” merely because the manœuvre is so -simple and common a one, that it needs no name at all, and if, for -instance, in combined skating, the caller (who directs what shall be -done) has his skaters on a back edge, and desires that the next stroke, -let us say, shall be an inside forward edge, he calls “inside forward” -merely. - -Finally, in giving this catalogue of material out of which all English -skating is built, there remain only the changes of edge, made on one -foot, to enumerate. They, as must naturally be the case, are four in -number: - - (i) Outside forward to inside forward. - (ii) Inside forward to outside forward. -(iii) Outside back to inside back. - (iv) Inside back to outside back. - -With regard to the cross-mohawks and cross-choctaws--in case the skater -ever “hears tell” of them--he need not worry himself even to remember -their existence, since, most rightly, they have been blotted out of the -book of English skating, owing to their clumsiness and the fact that to -skate any of them violates some canon of the essential form of English -skating. Apart from them, the whole material of English skating has now -been stated, namely, the four edges, the sixteen turns, the two mohawks, -the two choctaws, and the four changes of edge. - -But when we consider that the first-class skater must be able to skate -at high speed on any edge, make any turn at a fixed point, and leave -that fixed point (having made his turn and edge in compliance with the -proper form for English skating, without scrape or wavering) still on a -firm and large-circumferenced curve, that he must be able to combine any -mohawk and choctaw with any of the sixteen turns, and any of the sixteen -turns with any change of edge, and that in combined skating he is -frequently called upon to do all these permutations of edge and turn, at -a fixed point, and in time with his partner, while two other partners -are performing the same evolution in time with each other, it begins to -become obvious that there is considerable variety to be obtained out of -these manœuvres. But the consideration of combined skating, which is the -cream and quintessence of English skating, must be considered last; at -present we will see what the single skater may be called upon to do, if -he wishes to attain to acknowledged excellence in his sport. - -Now the National Skating Association of Great Britain encourages both -the English and International styles, and for each there have been -instituted certain graduated tests, not competitive but standard, of -three orders. The third or lowest test in the English style is broadly -designed to encourage skaters, the second to discourage them again -(_i.e._ begin to make them feel the difficulty of the whole affair, just -when they thought by passing their third test they had broken the back -of their difficulties), and the first or highest to give them healthy -occupation for a few winters, and fit them for becoming really -first-class skaters. All of these tests must be passed before at least -two qualified judges, appointed by the N.S.A., and they are as -follows:-- - - -THIRD-CLASS TEST - - (_a_) A forward outside three on each foot, the length of each - curve being 15 feet at least. The figure need not be skated to a - centre. - - (_b_) The four edges, outside forward, inside forward, outside - back, inside back, on each foot alternately for as long as the - judges shall require, the length of each curve being 15 feet at - least on the forward edges and 10 feet at on the back edges. - - (_c_) A forward outside 8, the diameter of each circle being at least 8 feet at least, to - be skated three times without pause. - -Here, it will be seen, is the beginning, the ground-work of English -skating. The easiest turn has to be skated, the four edges have to be -skated; also the easiest “8” has to be skated, in order to familiarise -the beginner with the idea of leaving a point on one stroke and -continuing to travel on that stroke (with turns to punctuate it, as he -will see later) until he arrives back at that point again. The point in -question is marked for him on the ice with an orange or a ball. And -whether in single skating or in combined, it is called the centre. -Simple as this third test is, it has to be skated in proper English -form, which the learner should begin to acquire from the first moment he -takes a serious stroke on the ice. For it is vastly easier to acquire -good form at the beginning of his education, than to acquire bad habits -which must subsequently be got rid of. - - -SECOND-CLASS TEST - - (_a_) A set of combined figures skated with another skater, who - will be selected by the judges, introducing the following calls in - such order and with such repetitions as the judges may direct:-- - -1. Forward three meet. -2. Once back--and forward meet. -3. Once back--and forward three meet. -4. Twice back off meet--and forward three meet. -5. Twice back meet--and back--and forward three meet. - - (_b_) The judges shall call three “unseen” figures of quite simple - character, in order to test the candidate’s knowledge of calls and - power of placing figures upon the ice. These shall be skated alone. - - (_c_) The following edges on each foot alternately for as long as - the judges shall require, namely:-- - -1. Inside back, each curve being 20 ft. at least. -2. Cross outside back, each curve being 12 ft. at least. - - (_d_) The following figures skated on each foot, namely:-- - -1. Forward inside three, the length of each curve being 40 ft. at least {R - {L -2. Forward outside three “ “ “ 50 ft. “ {R - {L - - (_e_) The following figures skated to a centre on alternate feet - without pause, three times on each foot, namely:-- - -1. Forward inside three, the length of each curve being 15 ft. at least. -2. Forward outside three “ “ “ 15 “ -3. Forward inside two threes “ “ “ 10 “ -4. Forward outside two threes “ “ “ 10 “ -5. Back outside two threes “ “ “ 10 “ - - (_f_) The following figures skated on each foot, namely:-- - -1. Forward inside “Q,” the length of each curve being 30 ft. at least {R - {L -2. Forward outside “Q” “ “ “ 30 ft. “ {R - {L -3. Back inside “Q” “ “ “ 25 ft “ {R - {L -4. Back outside “Q” “ “ “ 20 ft. “ {R - {L - -Here, it will be seen, the test begins with a combined figure. The whole -subject of combined figures will be treated of separately, and for the -present we need only remark that this is a very simple one. Then follow -the inside back edge, which, as I have said, is the most difficult of -the edges, skated larger than before, in curves of 20 feet, and the -cross-stroke on the outside back. This means that the stroke is taken -with the feet crossing, the one that is taking the stroke being crossed -behind the other. As a matter of fact, this stroke, which at one time -played a considerable part in English skating, since in combined figures -all strokes from outside back to outside back were bound to be taken -from the crossing position, is now not obligatory. But it is a pretty -stroke in itself, and necessitates the skate being placed on the ice on -the edge. Then follow the two forward turns, skated rather large, in -order to begin to familiarise the learner with the feeling of turns -taken at a high speed. This necessitates clean skating of the turn -itself, since if a turn is skated fast, and not clean, it is quite -possible that the skater may fall, and he will in any case make a blur -instead of a sharp cut turn. Also these turns teach him to hold his -edges out after the turn, the tendency being to let the body rotate, -whereby the curve curls in, and the skater soon finds himself in a -position that it is impossible to maintain. But if he skates his turn, -and then can hold an edge for 50 feet _away_ from it afterwards, he may -congratulate himself on the fact that he is beginning to skate his edges -big and in the proper style. For these cannot, practically speaking, be -held out, unless the rules for position are being conformed with. Then -follow four simple figures of the class known as 8’s, of which the -simplest is that required in the third-class test, namely, an outside -forward 8. All 8’s, as their name denotes, are of the same general -shape, _i.e._ the shape implied by their name, but between the edges -that trace the shape of the 8, the skater is now required to put in -certain turns. He starts, for instance, on an outside forward edge, when -half round his circle makes a three turn, and comes back to his centre -on the inside back edge. Or he starts on an inside forward edge as in -the third 8, and has to make two turns before he arrives at his centre -again, which he reaches as an inside forward edge. Or, more searchingly, -he has to start his 8 on an outside back edge, and make two turns and -aim at his centre again on an outside back edge. - -The remainder of this test is taken up with the figures known as Q’s. In -these the skater is required to start, at some speed, on any edge -forward or back, and after travelling on it for varying distances, as -laid down, to change his edge (from outside to inside, or inside to -outside) and after holding that edge for the prescribed distance make -the three appropriate to that edge. The Q’s are very largely used in -combined skating, the change of edge being coupled not only to “three” -turns, but to rockers, counters and brackets. Here the name “Q” is -becoming obsolete, and indeed has become so in combined skating, the -figure being called “forward change three” or “inside back change -three,” &c. - -Now, as I have said, while the third test is supposed to encourage the -skater, the second is supposed to discourage him. What is meant is that -he has now run up against the really crucial difficulties in English -skating, of which perhaps the greatest of all is to stand still, as the -Irishman might say, while moving rapidly. As will be already seen in -this test, he is required to do this for somewhat extensive travel: in -his outside forward turn, for instance, he has to proceed for at least -fifty feet on his forward edge before making his turn, and the same -distance on his back edge after making his turn. And though this present -disquisition is intended to be a statement of English skating and not a -book of instruction, the writer cannot bear to let this one opportunity -slip of giving just one hint. It is perfectly impossible to travel -steadily for distances like these--and the skater will have to learn to -go much further yet on his edges--if he is travelling on the forepart of -his skate. All forward turns, by the slight check they give to the speed -(I am not now talking of those ideal skaters who actually get speed out -of a turn), tend to put the skater further forward on his skate. He must -therefore approach all forward turns on the back part of his skate, so -that by this tendency to rock forward he will make the turn itself on -about the middle of the skate. Never for a moment, if he can help it, -must he get on the toe of his skate, and if ever he does, he must regain -position again by leaning fearlessly back. And in this second test, he -will find that the difficulty of travelling well back on his skate is at -first appalling. But having learned that, and learned it thoroughly, he -will probably not come across any subsequent requirement which appears -to him so clearly impossible. - - -FIRST-CLASS TEST - - -SECTION A - -This section consists of the combined figures in Parts I and II. The -judges may also give such simple calls as they think fit, to enable the -candidate to recover his position, to alternate the feet, &c. - -The figures shall be skated with another skater, to be selected by the -judges, but if there are only two judges, neither of them shall skate. - -Each call must be skated at least twice, beginning once with the right -foot and once with the left. - -Subject to these conditions the calls shall be skated in such order and -with such repetitions as the judges may, while the set is in progress, -direct. - -In calls introducing “twice back” the candidate must recede at least 35 -feet from the centre. - -To pass this section the candidate must satisfy all the judges in the -manner in which he skates each set considered as a whole, and also in -the manner in which he skates each individual call. - -The judges may pass a candidate in Part I, notwithstanding a reasonable -number of errors on his part in the course of the set, provided that he -ultimately skates all the calls to their satisfaction; and in Part II, -notwithstanding errors, provided that the candidate has shown competent -skill in skating unseen calls. - - -_Part I_ - -1. Twice back--and forward three--and forward inside three, off meet. - -2. Twice back--and forward three threes--and back meet--and back two -threes--and forward two threes, meet. - -3. Twice back--and forward three about, change, meet. - -4. Twice back, about--and back off meet. - -5. Twice back--and back inside centre three, change--and forward meet. - -6. Twice back three, centre three, off meet. - -7. Twice back centre change, three, meet. - -8. Once back--and forward--and forward inside two threes centre change -meet. - -9. Twice back--and forward two threes, pass, meet. - -10. Twice back two threes, off pass, meet. - -11. Inside twice back--and forward inside two threes, meet. - -12. Forward change, three, change, three, circle--and forward three, -change, circle--and forward about change, three, off meet. - - -_Part II_ - -In addition to the above, the judges shall call a further set of not -more than six or less than four “unseen” figures of moderate difficulty, -in order to test the candidate’s knowledge of calls and power of correct -placing. This unseen set must include rockers, counters, and brackets, -and shall be skated by the candidate alone. - - -SECTION B - -No candidate shall be judged in Part II of this Section until he has -passed in Part I. - -The judges may allow a candidate any number of attempts at a given -figure which they consider reasonable. - - -_Part I_ - -The turns, mohawks, and choctaws of this part must be placed close to -and on the near side of an orange or other fixed point on the ice. They -must all be skated on each foot to the satisfaction of the judges. - -The curve before and after the turn or change of foot must be 40 feet -long at least. - - { Outside back. -Threes { Inside back. - - { Outside forward. -Rockers } { Inside forward. -Brackets } { Outside back. -Counters } { Inside back. - -Mohawks } { Outside forward. -Choctaws } { Inside forward. - - -_Part II_ - -To pass in this part, a candidate may select not more than one figure in -each group, and must score forty-five marks at least. A selection once -made by a candidate must not be altered. - -No marks shall be scored in respect of any one-footed figure unless it -is skated on each foot, and the number set against each figure -represents the maximum that can be scored for that figure. - -A candidate shall not score for any figure on which he shall not have -obtained at least half marks. - -_Eights._--In marking these figures, the judges will take into -consideration the general symmetry of the figure, and the approximate -equality of corresponding curves. - -In each figure the complete 8 is to be skated three times without pause. - -The figures need not be commenced from rest. - -In groups D and E the turns and choctaws respectively are to be made on -the near side of the centre. - -The following eights are to be skated to a centre on alternate feet:-- - -_Group A_ - - Max. - Marks - -Outside back two threes 4 -Inside back two threes 13 -Outside forward bracket 6 -Inside forward bracket 4 - -_Group B_ - -Outside forward two brackets 6 -Inside forward two brackets 10 -Outside forward bracket, three 9 -Inside forward bracket, three 5 -Outside forward three, bracket 4 -Inside forward three, bracket 12 - -_Group C_ - -Outside back two brackets 14 -Inside back two brackets 11 -Outside back bracket, three 16 -Inside back bracket, three 8 -Outside back three, bracket 5 -Inside back three, bracket 14 - -_Group D_ - -Outside forward rocker 8 -Inside forward rocker 4 -Outside forward counter 8 -Inside forward counter 4 -Outside forward centre choctaw and inside forward centre - choctaw, beginning on each foot 4 -Outside forward mohawk and inside forward mohawk to - a centre, beginning on each foot 4 - - -_Reverse Q’s_ - -The turns and changes are to be made on the near side of fixed points -determined by the candidate; the distance between these, and the lengths -of the first and last curves, are to be each not less than 50 feet -beginning on forward edges, 35 feet beginning on back edges. - -_Group E_ - - Max. - Marks. - -Outside forward three, change 2 -Inside forward three, change 3 -Outside forward rocker, change 3 -Inside forward rocker, change 3 -Outside forward bracket, change 5 -Inside forward bracket, change 4 -Outside forward counter, change 5 -Inside forward counter, change 3 - -_Group F_ - -Outside back three, change 5 -Inside back three, change 8 -Outside back rocker, change 6 -Inside back rocker, change 8 - -_Group G_ - -Outside back bracket, change 16 -Inside back bracket, change 8 -Outside back counter, change 16 -Inside back counter, change 8 - -_Group H_ - -_Grape Vines_ - -Single, each foot leading 2 -Double forward 3 -Double backward 3 -Pennsylvania 5 -Philadelphia 6 - -Now, again omitting for the moment the subject of combined skating, we -see that in Part II the rest of the groundwork of English skating is -very thoroughly traversed. To pass this final test the skater has to be -able to execute all the threes (the two simple ones are omitted, as they -have already been required in the second test), rockers, brackets, -counters, mohawks, and choctaws at fair speed and on large edges at a -given point on the ice. Having done that to the satisfaction of the -judges, he has then to make his selection from a large number of 8’s, -which include practically most possible 8’s comprising one or two turns, -excepting these simple ones with regard to which he has already -satisfied the judges in his second test. Here he has to score marks, -selecting not more than one 8 of each group, and by the devilish -ingenuity of those who drew up this test, it is impossible for him to -get through unless the majority of the 8’s he selects to skate are -really difficult. He may then add to his marks by executing what are -called reverse Q’s at two given points on the ice. At the first of these -he has to make his turn, whatever it is, and at the second to change his -edge. This requires a considerable degree of accuracy, for in order to -arrive smoothly and still at a fair travelling pace at the second point, -he will find that he has to have a practically perfect control of the -edge, which has not been disturbed by executing a difficult back turn, -let us say, at the first given point. Finally, if he is still in want of -marks, he may earn a few more by a grape-vine. This latter does not -properly belong to English skating, since it is a two-footed figure, and -those responsible for the test might have omitted this group with -advantage. - -_The Combined Figure._--Probably no branch of sport--except, perhaps, -flying--has undergone such improvement and revolution within the last -fifteen years as this art of combined skating. Not only are there a -vastly multiplied number of competent and even first-rate combined -skaters, but the skill demanded of a first-rate combined skater, and the -variety of the manœuvres he may be called upon to execute, is -immeasurably greater than a decade and a half ago. I do not mean that -there were not in 1897 a certain number of skaters who might have been -able to execute a difficult set as directed by a caller of to-day, but -these were, in golfing parlance, “plus players,” and the ordinary -“scratch” skater--one, that is, who had passed his First Class -N.S.A.--would have had no more chance of getting through such a set -without throwing everybody out, and himself down, than he would have of -flying. Both the speed and the size of these combined figures has -greatly increased, and the whole of the material of English skating is -employed. And the main reason for this improvement and revolution is due -to the greatly augmented number of English skaters who now go to -Switzerland in the winter, and the multiplication there of really large -rinks. - -That this immense improvement has taken place in combined skating is -proved, luckily, not only by the fallacious memory of individuals, but -by printed records. I have before me the Badminton volume on skating -(edition 1902), in which, for instance, we find the following figure -(among many others like it). - -“Forward two turns. This movement skated to a centre is very difficult, -and is a great test of good skating, and many men make a practice of -devoting five or ten minutes to skating it every day when they come on -the ice, feeling that if they can skate it, making the curves between -the turns of equal length and making the turns clean without any scrape -and yet coming true to the centre, they are in good form and equal to -skate anything that may be required of them.” - -Now no doubt two turns to a centre, as required in the second-class -test, is a very good elementary figure, but it no longer has anything -whatever to do with combined skating, whether it is skated with a -partner or with a second pair, or simultaneously with other skaters. -Speed and size and difficulty (as demanded by the scale on which -combined skaters now move) are necessarily absent from it, and from a -hundred others of these calls which then were the last word in combined -skating. A man who had passed his second-class test would be capable of -doing this, which was then considered a criterion of good combined -skating, whereas the same man could not live for two calls in a combined -figure of moderate difficulty to-day. The whole nature of the business -has changed: turns have to be executed at high speed far away from the -centre, and the curliness and smallness of such skating as is here -implied and necessitated has vanished altogether, giving place to a far -more difficult style and speed. - -Nor, again, in this respect, is Part I, in the first-class English test, -up-to-date in requirements of size. Here we read that on a “twice back” -the candidate must recede at least 35 feet from the centre. That no -doubt was laid down because on the artificial rinks available in -England, such a distance took the skaters nearly to the bounds of the -space at his disposal. But any candidate who, on the Swiss rinks, where -nowadays almost all first-class tests are passed, receded but 35 feet -from the centre would have, practically speaking, no chance of getting -through. His lawless judges would inevitably tell him to skate larger. -Still less would he be able to take part in any combined figure-skating -for amusement by skaters who had any pretension to be of the -first-class. With these big surfaces of rink, the whole style and method -has become larger and faster, and therefore more difficult. - -A third instance, to prove how greatly the art of combined skating has -progressed, has the ring of pathos about it, and, though only oral, is -trustworthy. A friend of mine, who resides at that excellent English -skating centre, Oxford, told me that in old days he could scarcely get a -combined figure, since the most elementary calls were sufficient to -floor his partners. But not so long ago he told me he could scarcely get -a combined figure, since nobody cared to skate such elementary calls as -he was capable of. But he assures me that he skates just as well now as -he did in the days when there was nobody up to his standard. Perhaps in -twenty years more, no first-class skater will care to engage in such -simple stuff as we now think rather advanced. And dearly will such -present-day skaters who are fortunate enough to be alive then, love to -see the newer and more arduous manœuvres! But since it is impossible to -prophesy about the things we cannot imagine, it must be sufficient to -give the outlines of combined skating as practised by fairly expert -gentlemen to-day. - -There are two manners of combined skating, called respectively -pair-skating and simultaneous skating. The first of these (which we will -first consider) is the more difficult, and, so to speak, the more -classical. Theoretically it can be skated by two, four, six, or eight -persons: practically it is skated by four persons, grouped, at the -beginning of things, at right angles to their neighbours, and at a few -yards distant from their centre. One of these, who skates in the first -pair, is known as the caller, and he announces (in a loud mellifluous -voice) what he is about to skate, and what the trembling gentleman -opposite, who is his partner, must also skate. They advance to the -centre, from opposite sides, and begin skating whatever is ordered. The -moment after they have left their centre, speeding out to the -circumference of the huge imaginary circle, of which their orange or -india-rubber ball, from which they have started, is the centre, the -second pair (at right angles to them) proceed to do exactly the same. -The size and pace of the figure, as well as its details, depend entirely -on the caller: as he skates, so must his partner skate, putting down his -edges and turns simultaneously and at like speed to him, and as the -first pair skate, so (with certain modifications) must the second pair -skate. - -Now, the whole material of skating is at the caller’s command. He can -(and does) order threes, brackets, rockers, counters, mohawks, choctaws -and changes of edge to be skated when and how he wishes them. He can -(and does) couple any pair or any three of these movements, to be skated -on one foot or on both, one after the other. He directs, with a word of -power, from the elaborate vocabulary of combined skating, the length of -an edge, and can command it to be held so long that the direction of -progress is reversed, or to be further continued till a complete circle -is made and the original direction of progress resumed again. Then, with -another word, he brings himself and his partner (followed closely by -the second pair) back to their centre again, on the off side or the near -side of it, and orders that they shall start a fresh figure there, or -that they shall make a turn there, or scud by it like four express -trains which just, and only just, arriving from the four parts of the -compass, do not collide with each other, and scatter again to east and -west and north and south. Sometimes he brings them in simultaneously, so -that they converge till they almost touch, and then spread out again. -And if the figure is going decently well, there is no pause, no foot -without its edge and turn assigned to it. This mystic, swift, -interweaving dance lasts perhaps a quarter of an hour of hard, -enraptured skating. - -Simultaneous combined has this advantage, that an uneven number of -skaters can take part in it. The caller’s duties are the same, but there -are no pairs of partners. All leave the centre simultaneously, all (it -is hoped) arrive back at it simultaneously. Since there is no crossing -of pairs at the centre, a far larger number of skaters can take part in -it, as they have not to wait for a prior pair to clear, and if -elementary calls only are ordered, upwards of ten or twelve skaters can -join the dance with effect. No one of them, as in pair skating, crosses -the path of another skater: they leave and arrive at the centre on -converging not crossing lines. Thus it is an easier sport than is -crossing pairs, since in the latter case the edges that leave and -approach the centre intersect each other. Vastly enjoyable as it is, it -lacks to the present writer that classical distinction that -characterises pair-skating. - -The final item in English skating is hand-in-hand skating in the -combined figure. Here, instead of single skaters combining to perform -in unison, pairs take the place of units. Necessarily the figures -compassable by a man and woman hand in hand are fewer in number, as at -present worked out, than those which can be skated by single skaters, -and the speed at which such figures are skated is less than in the -combined skating of single skaters. Hand-holds have to be changed, and -partners brought into the new position required by turns, &c., by pulls, -or by what in the nomenclature is called “steps”--_i.e._ single strokes -and edges. Already this style has taken the place in the annual -championship of English skating, and without doubt it will grow both in -the number of its practitioners, and in the force and speed of their -movements. It is scientifically based, being evolved from the charming -movements that are possible to hand-in-hand skaters when going free on -the ice, and not bound to consider their opposing partner, or to arrive -in a given manner at a given point. But it resembles, at present, in the -opinion of the writer, the performance of a yearling. It requires the -devotion of a dozen first-class skaters of both sexes to determine its -possibilities. His wish is, that it will get them. His fear is that the -necessarily cramping influence of conjoined hands will prove to debar it -from the speed and largeness of other branches of English skating. He -sincerely hopes that his fears are quite unfounded. - - -INTERNATIONAL STYLE - -It has been already remarked that the two styles, English and -International, have nothing to do with each other, and that the -practitioner of one who is so imbecile as to belittle the other, is no -less crack-brained and idiotic than a Rugby football player who calls -Association a “rotten game.” Personally, I do not skate in the -International style, but to attempt to depreciate the beauties of it -would be to me as unthinkable as it would be to run down polo. To the -spectator, whether of polo or of International skating, the skill and -the splendour of these sports are, unless he is entirely lunatic, beyond -any question at all. But it is as an admirer, pure and simple, that I -venture to embark on a subject with which I have no practical -acquaintance. - -Spectacularly there is no doubt that to the ignorant the International -style rightly makes the most powerful appeal. A simple manœuvre, as for -instance a forward three to a centre, looks far more difficult and -hazardous when executed even only moderately well in the International -style than when executed almost perfectly in the English style. In the -one case, to the ignorant, arms and legs are flying: it seems impossible -to maintain a balance, and the attitude itself is charmingly graceful: -whereas in the English style the whole difficulty of the manœuvre, such -as it is, lies in the necessity of making it look easy, and standing -quite still and at rest. - -But the difficulty of doing it perfectly in the English style is, as a -matter of fact, far greater than that of doing it properly in the -International style. Of that there is no question whatever. A good -English skater will put down his turns and edges one over the other, in -the accurate fashion so rightly demanded by the International style, -without producing half the effect that a good International skater will -produce. But the English skater has done the more difficult feat. On the -other hand, I do not think that the skater in the English style is ever -called upon to do anything so difficult in his highest test as the -back-loop 8, or perhaps the rocker 8, as required by the first-class -International test. And then I think of a back bracket, executed at good -speed at a certain point, in the correct style. Really I do not know.... -Also I do not care. The back-loop 8 of the International skater is -altogether lovely, which is all that matters. - -But, as I have said, the two styles have nothing to do with each other, -either as regards tests or as regards the general sport of them. I can -imagine no more glorious athletic feat than that of four first-class -English skaters performing a really difficult combined set properly, a -set that is as far away from the compulsory set of the first-class test -as is the first-class test from the second; nor, on the other hand, can -I imagine a more glorious athletic feat than the free skating of some -champion of the International school. But when Mr. Grenander or Herr -Salchow are so kind as to show me the Hugel star, I no more think of -comparing that with the combined skating of fine performers in the -English style, and others, than I compare it with Mr. Baerlein in the -tennis court or Mr. Jessop slogging his sixes. They have nothing to do -with each other. - -As in English skating, I propose to lay before the reader the tests of -the International school, and in contrast to the rule of English form, I -subpend the essential requirements of International excellence, as laid -down by the collective experience of its senators. Proper form is no -less essential in one than in the other, and the same sternness of -requirement is insisted on in both. But the effect is poles apart: in -the International style a fixed freedom of the unemployed limbs is -necessary, in the English a fixed quietness and immobility. Neither is -laid down in an arbitrary manner: it is impossible to perform the -necessary evolutions in first-class skating otherwise than is provided -by the rules. No English skater could, in his prescribed form, execute -the International figures: no International skater in his could do what -is required of his English brother. Here, then, are the essentials of -good form as demanded by the International school: - - “Carriage upright but not stiff; the body not bent forwards or - sideways at the waist; all raising or lowering of the body being - effected by bending the knee of the tracing leg with upright back; - the body and limbs generally held sideways to the direction of - progress. The head always upright. Tracing leg flexible with bent - knee. The eyes looking downwards as little as possible. The knee - and toe of the free leg turned outwards as far as possible, the toe - always downwards; the knee only slightly bent. The free leg - swinging freely from the hip and assisting the movement. The arms - held easily, and assisting the movement; the hands neither spread - nor clenched. All action of the body and limbs must be easy and - swinging with the direct object of assisting the movement of the - moment; violent or stiff motions are to be avoided, the figure - should seem to be executed without difficulty. - - “The figures must be begun from rest--that is, by a single stroke - with the other foot; and at the intersecting point of two circles. - Every figure must be repeated three times consecutively. No - impetus may be taken from the ice by the foot which is about to - become the tracing foot; and every stroke should be taken from the - edge of the blade, not from the point.” - -There are also the following directions for correct tracing, _i.e._ the -marks left by the skate on the ice. - - “The essentials of correct tracing are: - - “Maintenance of the long and transverse axes (as the long axis of - the figure a line is to be conceived which divides each circle into - two equal parts; a transverse axis cuts the long axis at right - angles between two circles); approximately equal size of all - circles, and of all curves before and after all turns; symmetrical - grouping of the individual parts of the figure about the axes; - curves without wobbles, skated out--that is, returning nearly to - the starting-point. Threes with the turns lying in the long axis; - changes of edge with an easy transition, the change falling in the - long axis.” - -In this form, then, and with this accuracy of tracing, the following -figures must be skated for the third test:-- - -Eight Rfo--Lfo -Eight Rfi--Lfi -Eight Rbo--Lbo -Change {(_a_) Rfoi--Lfio - {(_b_) Lfoi--Rfio -Threes RfoTbi--LfoTbi - -R = RIGHT. -L = LEFT. -T = THREE. -f = FORWARDS. -b = BACKWARDS. -o = OUTSIDE. -i = INSIDE. - -Into the system of marking--candidates have to get a certain proportion -of marks in each figure--we need not go. It will be sufficient to say -that it is necessary to skate each figure passably, and to earn more -than half marks on the whole. - - -SECOND-CLASS TEST - -This has to be passed before three judges, and is divided into two -parts--(1) Compulsory Figures; (2) Free Skating. The regulations for -them are as follow:-- - -(1) _Compulsory Figures._--Each figure may be marked up to a maximum of -6 points. The marks given for each figure are multiplied by the factor -of value for that figure. In order to pass, a candidate must obtain a -minimum of 2 marks out of 6 in each figure, and an aggregate of 130 out -of the maximum of 234 marks. - -(2) _Free Skating._--The candidate will be required to skate a free -programme of three minutes’ duration. - -This will be marked: - - (_a_) For the contents of the programme (difficulty and variety) up - to a maximum of 6 marks. - - (_b_) For the manner of performance up to a maximum of 6 marks. In - order to pass, a candidate must obtain 7 marks for (_a_) and (_b_) - together. - -The marks for compulsory figures and for free skating must be obtained -from each judge. Judges may use half marks and quarter marks. - - -_Compulsory Figures_ - - Marks. | Factor. | Total - | | -Eight Rbi--Lbi | 2 | - | -Change {(_a_) Rboi--Lbio | 2 | - {(_b_) Lboi--Rbio | 2 | - | | -Three {(_a_) RfoTbi--LbiTfo | 2 | - {(_b_) LfoTbi--RbiTfo | 2 | - | | -Double Three RboTfiT--LboTfiT | 1 | - | | -Change Three {(_a_) RfoiT--LboiT | 2 | - {(_b_) LfoiT--RboiT | 2 | - | | -Change Three {(_a_) RfioT--LbioT | 3 | - {(_b_) LfioT--RbioT | 3 | - | | -Loop RfoLP--LfoLP | 2 | -Loop RfiLP--LfiLP | 2 | -Loop RboLP--LboLP | 2 | -Loop RbiLP--LbiLP | 2 | - | | -Bracket {(_a_) RfoB--LbiB | 3 | - {(_b_) LfoB--RbiB | 3 | - | | -One-foot Eight {(_a_) Rfoi--Lfio | 2 | - {(_b_) Lfoi--Rfio | 2 | - - R = RIGHT. - L = LEFT. - T = THREE. -LP = LOOP. - B = BRACKET. - f = FORWARDS. - b = BACKWARDS. - o = OUTSIDE. - i = INSIDE. - -Here is a remarkably varied programme, and one that will obviously give -a good spell of regular work to a candidate who intends to grapple with -it. It contains more of the material for skating than does the -corresponding English second test, in which only the four edges, the -four simple turns, and the four changes of edge are introduced, since -this International second test comprises as well as those, the four -loops, and two out of the four brackets. These loops, which are most -charming and effective figures, have nowadays no place in English -skating, since it is quite impossible to execute any of them, as far as -is at present known, without breaking the rules for English skating, -since the unemployed leg (_i.e._ the one not tracing the figure) must be -used to get the necessary balance and swing. They belong to a great -class of figures like cross-cuts in all their varieties, beaks, -pigs-ears, &c., in which the skater nearly, or actually, stops still for -a moment, and then, by a swing of the body or leg, resumes or reverses -his movement. By this momentary loss and recovery of balance there is -opened out to the skater whole new fields of intricate and delightful -movements, and the patterns that can be traced on the ice are of endless -variety. And here in this second International test the confines of this -territory are entered on by the four loops, which are the simplest of -the “check and recovery” figures. In the loops (the shape of which is -accurately expressed by their names) the skater does not come absolutely -to a standstill, though very nearly, and the swing of the body and leg -is then thrown forward in front of the skate, and this restores to it -its velocity, and pulls it, so to speak, out of its loop. A further -extension of this check and resumption of speed occurs in cross-cuts, -which do not enter into the International tests, but which figure -largely in the performance of good skaters. Here the forward movement of -the skate (or backward movement, if back cross-cuts are being skated) is -entirely checked, the skater comes to a momentary standstill and moves -backwards for a second. Then the forward swing of the body and -unemployed leg gives him back his checked and reversed movement. - -Similarly, the bracket 8 is fresh material in this set of compulsory -figures. The shape and nature of the bracket is the same as that in -English skating. - -The candidate for the second International test has also to skate a free -programme of three minutes’ duration. This takes the place, so to speak, -of the section in the English test devoted to combined skating, which is -not practised in the International style. This free skating is spoken of -in its place under the first-class test. - - -FIRST-CLASS TEST - -This has to be passed before three judges, and is divided into two -parts--(1) Compulsory Figures; (2) Free Skating. The regulations for -them are as follow:-- - -(1) _Compulsory Figures._--Each figure may be marked up to a maximum of -6 points. The marks given for each figure are multiplied by the factor -of value for that figure. In order to pass, a candidate must obtain a -minimum of 2 marks out of 6 in each figure, and an aggregate of 190 out -of the maximum of 336 marks. - -(2) _Free Skating._--The candidate will be required to skate a free -programme of three minutes’ duration. - -This will be marked: - - (_a_) For the contents of the programme (difficulty and variety) up - to a maximum of 6 marks. - - (_b_) For the manner of performance up to a maximum of 6 marks. - -In order to pass, a candidate must obtain 7 marks for (_a_) and (_b_) -together. - -The marks for the compulsory figures and the free skating are arrived at -by taking the total marks of the three judges and dividing by three. -Judges may use half marks. - -This free skating is a charming item in the system of International -skating, and might, with great advantage, be introduced into the English -branch. It is in itself perfectly fascinating to look at, and from the -technical point of view it is quite admirable as a test of knowledge. A -good programme will contain dozens of turns and changes of edge, all -melting into each other without break or pause. None who have seen the -free skating of a fine performer can ever forget or question the -brilliance and variety of this three-minute free skating. As likely as -not, he will make his entry on to the rink in a spiral edge, and before -it has come to rest at the centre, start off on his coruscating -performance. Rockers, brackets, counters, and turns succeed each other -with bewildering rapidity; and all are performed with the utmost ease -and grace. It seems impossible to tell where the motive-power comes -from, so smooth and effortless is the travelling; you would have said -the skater was wafted by some localised wind, or impelled by some -invisible mechanism. But before he arrives at this part of his test, he -has to skate his compulsory figures, the list of which is subjoined. - -_Compulsory Figures_ - - Marks. |Factor.| Total. - {(_a_) RfoRK--LboRK | 3 | -Rockers {(_b_) LfoRK--RboRK | 3 | - {(_a_) RfiRK--LbiRK | 4 | - {(_b_) LfiRK--RbiRK | 4 | - {(_a_) RfoC--LboC | 2 | -Counters {(_b_) LfoC--RboC | 2 | - {(_a_) RfiC--LbiC | 3 | - {(_b_) Lfic--RbiC | 3 | - | | -Three, {(_a_) RboTfioT--LbiTfoiT | 3 | -Change Three {(_b_) LboTfioT--RbiTfoiT | 3 | - | | - {(_a_) RfoLPfoiLP--LfiLPfioLP | 4 | -Loop, {(_b_) LfoLPfoiLP--RfiLPfioLP | 4 | -Change Loop {(_a_) RboLPboiLP--LbiLPbioLP | 5 | - {(_b_) LboLPboiLP--RbiLPbioLP | 5 | - | | -Bracket, {(_a_) RfoBbioB--LfiBboiB | 4 | -Change Bracket {(_b_) LfoBbioB--RfiBboiB | 4 | - - - R = RIGHT. - L = LEFT. -RK = ROCKER. - C = COUNTER. -LP = LOOP. - B = BRACKET. - f = FORWARDS. - b = BACKWARDS. - o = OUTSIDE. - i = INSIDE. - -Now, here is a list of requirements which, when we think of the accuracy -demanded by the International style in the matter of tracing, will -clearly be too much for any but the very elect. Not only has a figure as -difficult as the back-loop 8 to be skated, but it has to be skated with -accuracy: the loops must lie approximately one on the top of the other, -and the edges that lead into and out of them must be symmetrically laid -down. It is this accuracy which makes the International style so hard of -achievement in its higher branches; to hope to get through this list of -searching figures, it is clear that the balance, the pace, and the power -of the skater must be in perfect control. And all the time the -appearance of insouciant freedom is there, though all the time that -freedom is bound by laws as relentless as those which regulate the -tranquillity of the English style. The feats are so difficult that they -cannot be executed except in a certain way, just as the ball that spins -so carelessly over the tennis net cannot win a short chase off the back -wall unless it has been hit in one way and no other. - -A further important branch of International skating is the pair-skating, -which ranges from the simple waltz-step to the most intricate -evolutions. The rhythm and grace of this delightful exhibition is beyond -all words; beyond all words, too, is the training and skill which it -implies. Every bar of the music which accompanies it has its appropriate -movement: it is a perfect song of motion set to the band. But the beauty -and swing of it are things quite indescribable; one might as well hope -to reproduce the dancing of Pavlova in pen and ink as to convey any -sense of it to those who have not seen it. And those who have seen it -would very wisely yawn and pass on if they observed a purple paragraph -on the subject looming ahead. But thistledown is not so light in a warm -west breeze, nor the curves of a swallow’s flight more deliciously -unconjecturable than a well-matched pair in this pastime so perfectly -preconcerted that it looks entirely unrehearsed. On they drift, gliding, -turning, parting to come together again.... Mrs. Gummidge, for the -moment, would cease to think of the old ’un, and inquire the price of -skates--and knee-pads. - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XI - -A WINTER HARVEST] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XII - -CLEARING THE SNOW FROM THE RINK] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XIII - -SPRINKLING THE RINK, CHÂTEAU D’OEX] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XIV - -PUBLIC RINK, DAVOS] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XV - -SKATING-RINK AT MÜRREN] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XVI - -SKATING-RINK AT CHÂTEAU D’OEX] - - - - -CHAPTER III - -TEES AND CRAMPITS - - -These great Swiss rinks, the construction of which has already been -dealt with, are made for the benefit of the skater and the curler, but -wherever possible the curler should be accommodated with a separate rink -of his own. Epicure though the skater is, with regard to the smoothness -and levelness of his ice, the curler, quite rightly, is even more -exigent, and slight slopes of surface and minute inequalities and -roughnesses which do not interfere with the skater at all, make it -impossible for the curler to have a satisfactory rink. In any case, the -curler’s portion must be roped off from the skating part of the rink, -for, naturally, no skate blade must make the smallest scratch on his -sacred enclosure; while, on the other side, the curler is liable, in the -ecstasies of his “sooping,” to shed and scatter pieces of broom which -wander on to the skater’s ice and cause falls. Besides, the skip -habitually shouts at the top of his voice, and a good stone evokes -choruses of open-throated music: thus, if many curlers are shouting at -the top of their voices, combined skaters cannot hear the caller, unless -he shouts at the top of his voice. If he does this while skating a -figure, he will speedily become purple in the face and quite breathless. -Also, the curler smokes when he curls, which tempts the skater to do -likewise, and for the sake of the rink he must not. For those and many -other reasons, the curler should, when possible, have a separate rink -of his own, where he can soop and shout and smoke without interfering -with anybody. - -Now, just as the art of skating has enormously progressed owing to the -facilities afforded by Swiss rinks and winters, so too has that great -sister art of curling. As in all forms of sport where delicacy or -“touch” are essential to success, occasional practice is not enough to -produce really first-rate curlers, or, indeed, to keep the first-rate -curler at the top of his game; and any who wish to excel must have -constant practice, such as Swiss or Canadian winters give him. But -Canada is a far cry to go a-curling, and we may put down the -vastly-growing number of curlers, and their growing skill, to the -opportunities afforded by Switzerland. There, all day long, in a -brilliant sun and yet on unsoftened ice, harder and faster than is ever -procurable in English or Scotch winters, the game goes on, and I do not -know of a single Swiss resort where provision is not made for those who -practise this delightful sport. - -Into the history of curling there is not space to penetrate, and we -must, in a treatise of which the range is confined to the present and -does not explore into the mists of antiquity, confine ourselves to -considering the practical aspects of the game. As St. Andrews is to -golf, as the N.S.A. is to skating, or the M.C.C. to cricket, so to -curling is the Royal Caledonian Club, whose rules are the acknowledged -authority on all points in connection with the game. It would take too -much space to give these _in extenso_, but the following extracts, with -certain notes, will be found to explain the principles and practice of -the game, and enable anyone to construct a standard rink. - -1. The length of the rink for play, viz. from the hack or from the heel -of the crampit to the tee, shall be 42 yards--in no case shall it be -less than 32 yards. - -2. The tees shall be 39 yards apart--and, with a tee as the centre, a -circle having a radius of 7 feet shall be drawn. Additional inner -circles may also be drawn. - -3. In alignment with the tees, lines, to be called central lines, shall -be drawn from the tees to points 4 yards behind each tee, and at these -points foot scores 18 inches in length shall be drawn at right angles, -on which, at 6 inches from the central line, the heel of the crampit -shall be placed; when, however, in lieu of a crampit a hack is -preferred, it shall be made 3 inches from the central line, and not more -than 12 inches in length. - -4. Other scores shall be drawn across the rink at right angles to the -central line, as in the diagram, viz.: - - (_a_) A hog score, distant from either tee one-sixth part of the - distance between the “foot score” and the farther tee. - - (_b_) A “sweeping score” across each 7-foot circle and through each - tee. - - (_c_) A “back score” behind and just touching outside the 7-foot - circle. - -_Note._--In these four rules are contained the complete directions for -the marking out of the rink. But as they contain certain terms of mystic -meaning, it may be useful to state them in a less technical manner. - -In other words, then, you start with a point on the ice, which is the -“tee,” and using this as a centre you draw round it a circle of 7-foot -radius. This is done by means of a lath or strip of wood with two nails -or steel points projecting from the lower face, 7 feet apart. Inserting -one of these in the centre you pull the lath round, so that the other -scratches on the ice a circumference at a distance of 7 feet. As stated -in Rule 2, “additional circles” may also be drawn. These circles are -drawn from the same centre, with a radius of 2½ and 4 feet -respectively from it. This is done for convenience in measuring the -distance from the tee of stones lying within the 7-foot radius, as it -gives additional lines of measurement. This whole system of circles with -the central tee is called “the house,” and, as we shall see, all stones -which, after being played, have come to rest with any part of them lying -within the house, may add to the score of the side which has projected -them there. Behind the house, in the position specified in Rule 3, is -placed the crampit. This is a strip of iron long enough for the player -to stand on with one foot in advance of the other. It is roughened with -spikes on its lower side, so that it maintains a firm position on the -ice, and at the back of it is a ridge against which the player places -his right foot before delivering the stones. It forms, in fact, a firm -base for playing from, since, if anybody attempted to put down a -curling-stone, while standing on the ice itself, with sufficient -velocity to make it slide over the 42 yards to the other tee, he would -quite certainly slip and put himself down instead. It is from a crampit -that almost all curlers nowadays play. As an alternative they may use -what is in the rule called a “hack,” which is a small iron contrivance -fixed to the boot, and which answers the same purpose as a crampit. But -it is not, in Switzerland anyhow, often seen, for it requires adjustment -for each individual player, whereas the crampit fits all alike. - -Now this arrangement of hog-score (usually called “the hog”), back -score, sweeping score, “house” and crampit (or hack), scratched in the -ice according to these directions, completes the construction of one end -of the rink. At the other end a similar construction is made in -alignment, the centre of the two houses being 39 yards from one another. -Here is the rink ready for play, and the rest of the rules deal entirely -with the game itself. - -_Note._--Now I have before me the Rules of the Royal Caledonian Curling -Club of 1911-1912, which, I believe, are the latest. But neither there -nor elsewhere can I find the slightest allusion to the principles of -scoring at the game, foreknowledge of which is probably assumed. But -since it is possible that there are those who do not know how the score -is made, it is well to state it. Briefly, then, the stone which, at the -end of a “head” or “end” of the match (which is made up by every player -having had his turn, and having played his two stones), lies nearest to -the tee counts one point to the side to which the stone belongs, given -that it or any part of it lies within the house. If the stone that lies -next nearest to the tee belongs to the same side it counts one also; so -also does the next nearest and the next nearest and the next nearest, -provided they are all in the house and belong to the same side. But if, -after the stone lying nearest to the tee, the next nearest belongs to -the opposing side, the first-named counts one, but this second stone -takes precedence of all others lying in the house, and the side that -owns the nearest one counts one only. Supposing there are two stones -which, after measurement, are found to lie exactly equidistant from the -tee, the head or end is a draw, and is like a halved hole at golf. - - * * * * * - -5. All matches shall be of a certain number of heads or shots or by time -as may be agreed on, or as fixed by an umpire at the outset.... - -6. Every rink of players shall be composed of four a side, each using -two stones, and no player shall wear boots, tramps, or sandals with -spikes or other contrivances which shall break or damage the surface of -the ice. The rotation of play observed during the first head of a match -shall not be changed. - -_Note._--Players are usually shod with “gouties.” These are cloth -overshoes with india-rubber soles, and are put on over the boot. What is -required is (by the rule) something that will not injure the ice, while -the player for his own sake will wear something that enables him to run -with the stone he is sweeping with the least possible risk of falling -down. On the whole, rubber-soled footgear is the best. - - * * * * * - -7. The skips opposing each other shall settle, by lot or in any other -way they may agree upon, which party shall lead at the first head, after -which the winners of the preceding head shall do so. - -_Note._--The head, as already stated, consists of the projection of -sixteen stones from one crampit towards the house at the other end of -the rink, for each player puts down two stones, and there are eight -players. Then when all have played the head is complete, the score is -recorded, and the next head is played from the crampit behind the house -into which they have just been playing. They “cross over,” that is to -say, to the other end of the rink. - -The skips (short for skippers) are the captains of the opposing sides. -They have complete control of their sides, and direct each player (with -due regard for his capabilities) what shot he is to play for. The skips -“toss up” who shall have the choice of beginning (stones being played by -opposing sides alternately), and the side which scores at the first head -takes the honour (as at golf) at the second head. If neither side scores -(the head being halved) the honour remains as it was. It may be noted -also that though in regular matches (as stated in Rule 5) the number of -heads to be played is settled beforehand, in an ordinary friendly game -it is more usual merely to see how time is going when play has been in -progress a couple of hours or so, and then determine how many more heads -shall be played. - - * * * * * - -8. All curling-stones shall be of a circular shape. No stone, including -handle and bolts, shall be of a greater weight than 44 lb. imperial, or -of greater circumference than 36 inches, or of less height than -one-eighth part of its greatest circumference. - -_Note._--The stones, then, are great granite buns with a handle to -project them by. The usual weight is from about 36 to 40 lb., and the -reason why a limit is given to their weight is that people like Mr. -Sandow could doubtless deliver stones which weighed as much as grand -pianos. These could not be shifted by lighter granite buns, which would -merely recoil from them. Two or three of them would also fill up the -greater part of the fairway of the rink. - -9. No stone shall be substituted for another (except under Rules 10 and -14) after the match has begun, but the sole of a stone may be reversed -at any time during a match, provided the player is ready to play when -his turn comes. - -_Note._--The question of the reversing of stones is dealt with later in -the practical part of this essay. For the moment it is sufficient to say -that one side of the stone is very highly polished, the other less so. -When the stone is put down on its highly polished (or “keen”) side, it -will, of course, with the same initial velocity travel further than if -put down on its rougher (or “dour”) side, the friction on the ice being -less. - - * * * * * - -10. Should a stone be broken, the largest fragment shall be considered -in the game for that head--the player being entitled to use another -stone or another pair during the remainder of the match. - -11. All stones which roll over, or come to rest on their sides or tops, -shall be removed from the ice. - -_Note._--So weird a phenomenon seems impossible, but then curlers are -very weird also. Incredible as it may sound, it is quite possible to put -down one of these great granite buns with the handle in the centre of -its top crust so unevenly that, after a drunken wobble or two, it turns -right over amid howls and shouts and execrations. Probably you could not -do it if you tried, any more than you could cut a golf-ball smartly to -square leg when you mean to go quite straight. But these distressing -feats are known to occur, without the player having had the smallest -desire to accomplish them. The traditional penalty for thus mishandling -a stone is “drinks all round.” The present writer has never seen a -stone come to rest on its side, but “_credit, quia impossibile_.” - - * * * * * - -13. Players, during the course of each head, shall be arranged along the -sides, but well off the centre of the rink.... Skips only shall be -entitled to stand within the seven-foot circle. - -14.... Should a player play a wrong stone, any of the players may stop -it while running; but if the mistake is not noticed till the stone is at -rest, the stone which ought to have been played shall be put in its -place, to the satisfaction of the opposing skip. - -16. The sweeping shall be under the direction and control of the skips. -The player’s party may sweep the ice from the hog score next the player -to the tee, and any stone set in motion by a played stone may be swept -by the party to which it belongs. When snow is falling or drifting, the -player’s party may sweep the ice from tee to tee.... Both skips have -equal rights to clean and sweep the ice behind the tee at any time, -except when a player is being directed by his skip.... - -_Note._--The all-important question of sweeping is dealt with later. The -principle at the base of the rule is that a player’s side may encourage -(or not) his stone to proceed, but the other side may not interfere with -it in any way at all. In accordance with this principle is the direction -that says that if a stone during its course moves a stone belonging to -the other side, that stone may be swept or left alone at the option of -the other side. - - * * * * * - -17. (_a_) If in sweeping or otherwise a running stone is marred by any -of the party to which it belongs, it may, in the option of the opposing -skip, be put off the ice; but if by any of the adverse party, it may be -placed where the skip of the party to which it belongs shall direct.... - -(_b_) Should any played stone be displaced before the head is reckoned, -it shall be placed as nearly as possible where it lay.... - -18. No measuring of shots shall be allowed previous to the termination -of the head. - -19. The skip shall have the exclusive regulation and direction of the -game for his rink, and may play last stone or any part of the game he -pleases.... When his turn to play comes, he shall select one of the -players to act as skip in his place. - -22. Every stone shall be eligible to count which is not clearly outside -the seven-foot circle. Every stone which does not clear the hog-score -shall be a hog, and must be removed from the ice.... Stones passing the -back-score, and lying clear of it, must be removed from the ice, as also -any stone which in its progress touches the swept snow on either side -the rink. - -_Note._--Thus there is only a certain portion of the ice on which stones -may remain during the progress of each “end” or “head.” If a player -sends down a stone too weakly so that it does not reach the hog-score, -or so crookedly that it goes into the swept snow at the side of the -rink, or so strongly that it passes over the back-score, it is at once -removed from the ice. But, strangely enough, it is nowhere laid down -what the breadth of a rink should be. Somewhat pathetically this rule -presupposes that there is always “swept snow” at the side of the rink, -which, happily, is not the case. As a matter of fact the space allowed -for each rink is, roughly speaking, about 20 feet, though I am not aware -that it is laid down authoritatively anywhere. In any case a stone, to -be of the slightest use, must be lying not so wide as 10 feet (lateral -measurement) from the tee, and those lying wider, as well as those which -have definitely passed beyond the back-score, cannot conceivedly come -into play, and so may as well be removed. But the case is different with -stones lying short of the hog-score, and in a straight line between the -tees. Such stones, as will be readily understood, might possibly be of -the utmost value to guard other stones lying in the house, and perhaps -to be promoted into possible scorers. A guard, then, which is so -important an item, must be put down with some skill, and with requisite -strength, and thus it is laid down that stones lying short of the hog -are considered not to have been sufficiently skilfully played to take -part in the game and be of value to their side. These are therefore -ignominiously removed. - -Here, then, have been given the conditions under which, and the court, -so to speak, in which, this great game is played, and we will suppose -ourselves on the fast, perfect ice of a Swiss resort on a sunny morning. -The skips have “picked up” their sides; every player has a broom or -“besom,” which we will hope sweeps clean; the four players on each side, -namely No. 1 as lead, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4, have had their places -allotted to them. As a general rule it is the skip who plays in the most -difficult place--i.e. No. 4, where, if the other three players under -their skip’s direction have built up an interesting house, he will have -the most delicate and hazardous shots to negotiate. But it sometimes -happens that the skip, who primarily should be chosen because of his -knowledge of the game, may not have the requisite skill of hand for -that post: it may happen that a player on his side is a finer performer -in the delivery of his stones, though his skill in tactics and -generalship may be inferior. In such a case the skip, who directs the -place of each player, may put himself in another position, and, if he -does not play as No. 4, will usually lead. Then he goes first, and can -devote a mind, untroubled by the thought of the shots he will himself -have to play, to the tactics of his campaign. But, as a rule, the player -with the best knowledge of the game is usually the best player also, or, -at any rate, is good enough for the critical post of No. 4, and in -general the skip occupies that position. - -Round about the crampit, behind the back-score, are ranged the sixteen -stones which the players have selected, and if they are wise they will -have turned them momentarily upside down, so that they rest on their -handles on the ice, and their bases, or soles, are exposed to the rays -of the sun. This should be done because it often happens that some -fragment of broom or some little congelation of frost has frozen on to -the soles, which will impede their smooth passage down the rink. But if -they are slightly warmed like this, a polish on the side of the besom or -on the glove will ensure their being quite free from any such -impediment. In order to identify the stones of each side, it is usual to -tie some fragment of ribbon to the handles or otherwise distinguish the -stones of one side from those of the other, since without some such mark -they are as alike as sheep, and, as is obvious, the whole game depends -on the relative position of the stones of one side as opposed to that of -the stones of the other. But if one side is “ribbons” and the other -“plain” the skip sees at a glance, even when the house is growing most -populous and complicated, how his enemies lie and what is the position -of his own stones. - -The skips, then, take up their positions by the house into which the -stones are about to be played. Only one skip, as laid down by the rules, -may be in the house at any given moment, and that skip is the skip of -the player then delivering his stone. The other skip stands outside and -behind the house, but ready, if the stone of his opposing side has been -put down too strongly, to sweep it out of the house when it has once -passed the tee. Till it reaches the tee he may not interfere with it in -any way, but once past that he may (and certainly will) polish the -surface of the ice over which it is going to travel for all he is worth, -so as to assist it in passing through the house altogether and so be -taken off the ice. If, on the other hand, his side has the house, he -stands inside the house, or in front of it, calls out how he wants the -stone laid, and holds his broom as a mark on to which the player is to -aim his stone. On that mark the player, if he hopes to deliver a -successful stone, must fix his eye with the hungry steadfastness with -which he has to look at his ball at golf. - -Then, in order to grasp the hang of the game, we, the invisible -spectators, must leave the skip with the besom pointing on to the ice -and observe the other players. Down the rink they are ranged, No. 2 of -one side opposite No. 2 of the other, No. 3 opposite No. 3, leaving the -centre of the ice, the “howe-ice,” as it is called, clear for the -passage of the stones. Thus to No. 1, who is about to deliver his stone, -the whole of the house with its seven foot radius is unimpeded. Just -outside that empty riband of ice, so soon to ring with the sliding -stones, stand No. 2 and No. 3, his own No. 2 and No. 3 on one side, the -inimical No. 2 and No. 3 on the other. His own side should be alert for -any direction from the motionless skip; the other side are sublimely -indifferent, for they may not interfere with the course of his stone. - -He delivers the stone: the skip, eagle-eyed, watches the pace of it. It -may seem to him to be travelling with sufficient speed to reach the spot -at which he desires it should rest. In this case he says nothing -whatever, except probably “Well laid down.” Smoothly it glides, and in -all probability he will exclaim “Not a touch”: or (if he is very Scotch, -either by birth or by infection of curling) “not a cow” (which means not -a touch of the besom). On the other hand he may think that it has been -laid down too weakly and will not get over the hog-line. Then he will -shriek out, “Sweep it; sweep it” (or “soop it; soop it”) “man” (or -“mon”). On which No. 2 and No. 3 of his side burst into frenzied -activity, running by the side of the stone and polishing the surface of -the ice immediately in front of it with their besoms. For, however well -the ice has been prepared, this zealous polishing assists a stone to -travel, and vigorous sweeping of the ice in front of it will give, even -on very smooth and hard ice, several feet of additional travel, and a -stone that would have been hopelessly hogged will easily be converted -into the most useful of stones by diligent sweeping, and will lie a -little way in front of the house where the skip has probably directed it -to be. If he is an astute and cunning old dog, as all skips should be, -he will not want this first stone in the house at all; in fact, if he -sees it is coming into the house, he will probably say “too strong.” -Yet, since according to the rules only stones inside the house can -count for the score, it seems incredible at first sight why he should -not want every stone to be there. This “inwardness” will be explained -later. - -No. 1 of the other side delivers his stone: No. 1 of the first side -delivers his second stone, and No. 1 of the opposing side delivers his -second stone. And from this moment the whole problem of the game becomes -as complicated and interesting, given that the stones perform something -like that which is required of them, as does a game of chess when the -first four or five moves of a recognised gambit have been played and -countered. Even at so early a period of a head at curling, the -possibilities of its subsequent development are almost infinite; the -building up of the house may progress in a hundred different ways, and -it will be possible only to consider only one or two of the problems -with which the skip is confronted. - -In actual “moves,” what has happened is this: the leads (No. 1) of each -side have played their stones, and No. 2 on each side go up to the -crampit for their turn. No. 3 on each side thereupon moves towards the -crampit, while No. 1 on each side becomes the sweeper nearest the house, -so that each stone as it comes down the ice may have its sweeper ready -if sweeping is ordered. No. 3 (when No. 2 is playing) is nearest No. 2: -he dances sideways along the ice ready to sweep if the order comes, -until he delivers the stone into the keeping of No. 1, who has just -played. Often, if sweeping is an urgent necessity, both he and No. 1 -will vigorously scour in front of the progressing stone, since often in -the ensuing situations it is not a question of additional feet that are -required, but of an inch or two. There may be a stone in the house -already, and it is doubtful whether an opposing stone has “legs” or -vitality enough just to pass it, and thus lie nearer to the tee. In such -a case all possible assistance must be rendered it; the skip will career -wildly out of his house and join No. 3 and No. 1 in their operations. -Anything, anything to give this dying stone an inch more of travel!... -Also, a stone with smooth ice in front of it will travel more directly, -that is with less curl upon it, as it is becoming moribund, than a stone -which has the infinitesimal fractions of tiny frost-flower or moisture -to encounter. But that opens up the awful question of “handle.”... -There will be something about that in its appropriate place. - -But here, at any rate, we have the rink moving. Slow stones are being -encouraged to cross the hog, or to enter the house, or, even at this -early stage, to cannon rudely against the stones already in the house -which must be ejected. Theoretically, I think, in the ideal game of -curling, which we shall never see on this side of the grave, the leads -should have laid down four stones a little in front of the house, or -perhaps each lead should first have put down a stone in front of the -house, and then delivered their second stones with in-handle or -out-handle, round their first stones, which thus become guards of their -second stones, which should lie, say, in the four-foot circle. But we -need not consider so perfect an opening. If any leads led like that, -they would be skips of a team of archangels, who would be soundly rated -for their clumsy play. - -As a matter of fact, what usually happens in a good team is this sort of -thing. The first man to play miscalculates the speed of the ice (though -he is quite a good player) and is soundly hogged. His opposing No. 1, -being too frightfully intelligent, and profiting by that which he has -seen, puts down a stone that passes the tee, and rests perhaps in the -seven-foot circle beyond it. And though that stone for the moment -“counts”: that is to say it is in the house, and, theoretically, may be -a winner, it will not in real practice be of any good when the head is -finished. There is bound to be a better stone than that, and any other -stone over the hog that lies in front of the house, though not counting -at present, is far superior, for it can be promoted (_i.e._ brought -nearer the tee) by any stone that strikes it, whether of its own side or -of the enemy, and thus is both dangerous to the other side and helpful -towards its own. Also it can become the most valuable guard for a stone -that has curled round it and lies in the house and behind it, whereas -the stone that comes to rest beyond the tee can, if struck, only travel -further away from the tee instead of towards it. - -The two leads put down their second stones. They have gauged the speed -of the ice, and this time do as their skip tells them. They both put -down stones that come to rest just in front of the house, or perhaps -just in it. But if either of them make what would be the most perfect -shot of all, if they were playing the last shot of No. 4, namely one -that rests on the tee itself, or in the 2½-foot circle (called the -pot-lid), he has not done probably as much for his side as if he had -laid his stone just in front of the house, for No. 2 of the other side -follows, and he has only to be straight irrespective of too great speed -to dislodge that perfect stone and in all probability lie there himself. -A guarded stone in such a position is the most valuable stone that can -be imagined, but without a guard its worth is enormously decreased. -Indeed it is positively a dangerous stone, since it gives the other side -something to rest on. - -We will suppose, then, that when No. 2 plays there are lying on the ice -two stones, both a little in front of the house, one right in the middle -of the ice, the other three or four feet to the side of it. The object -now will probably be to get past those stones, and, by the twist -imparted to the stone No. 2 now delivers, to lie behind one or other of -them in the house, and thus be guarded. If this shot is perfectly played -there will be lying a stone close up to the tee and incapable of being -directly attacked (_i.e._ by a hard shot played down straight on to it), -for the guarding stone in front of the house prevents this, and it is a -very different thing to be obliged to play round this guarding stone so -as to hit the other. Thus it may be necessary for the opposing skip to -direct that this guard should be removed by a fast straight stone, so as -to open up the house again. But this costs a stone, even if successful, -and stones are not lightly to be squandered. Should this shot come off, -the first skip will probably direct that another guard be laid to -protect this asset in the house. Having once got a stone in a probably -winning position, the skip is right to guard it and to guard it and to -guard it, directing that stones should be laid to right and left of it, -so as to block the passage of a stone which, by curling inwards or -outwards, can reach and dislodge it, and perhaps lie there in its place. -Practically speaking, a stone which lies close to the tee should be -guarded at the cost of every stone belonging to the side if necessary -(_i.e._ if the guards are being removed by the enemy), and no skip in -his senses will direct his player to put other stones in the house -until he has rendered reasonably secure from attack the stone of his -which lies close to the tee. - -The above analysis of these early stones takes, of course, only one case -out of the hundred ways in which they may lie, and gives but one -instance of the value of stones lying in front of the house, rather than -(in the early stages of the game) in the house. Among other values they -possess they are also capable of being promoted--_i.e._ a subsequent -player may be directed to hit one of them gently, so as to push it into -the house, while his will lie there in its place guarding it. Or he may -be told, if the stone in question is lying rather wide, to get an inwick -off it--_i.e._ play on to the inner side of it, as in the manner of a -half-ball shot at billiards, and, cannoning off it, slip into the house -himself. Perhaps it will be an enemy’s stone selected for this manœuvre, -and perhaps, also, he will hit the wrong side of it (_i.e._ the outer -side), and instead of slipping into the house himself, will kindly -promote the other stone instead. Thus these stones in front of the house -are both an asset and a danger, and it is not too much to say that their -presence, lying there, is about the largest constituent in the interest -of the “end” and the building of the house. They present, as has been -seen, infinite possibilities of value and menace. And all their terrific -potentialities have to be weighed and pondered by the skip. - -When twelve stones have been put down (_i.e._ when the first three -players on each side have contributed two each) the skips, if playing -four, leave the house and go down to the crampit to deliver their -stones. One in all probability looks troubled, the other in that case -will almost certainly wear a face of benignant elation and call -attention to the beauty of the morning. Their places in the house to -direct and hold the guiding besom are taken by other members of their -side (probably the No. 3s), and before they go they will almost -certainly hold a secret and muttered conversation with these gentlemen, -consulting and conferring over the shots to be attempted. For by this -time the situation, if the play has been respectable, is sure to have -become complicated. Very likely four or five stones are in the house, -and of those four or five all but one may happen to belong to one side. -But that one is sitting there on the very tee itself, and thus takes -precedence of all the others. If only it could be got at and evicted and -soundly butted out of the house, the other four would all count. But it -lies well guarded, for just in front of the house are two stones a -little to right and left of it. There is clear ice (a “port” as it is -called) of not more than two feet between them, through which it is -possible to send a stone that will reach that tee-sitter. But, oh, how -small a two-foot port looks at the distance of nearly forty yards! - -Now, it is to the first skip that this -by-every-means-in-his-power-to-be-guarded stone belongs, and with -justice he fears that his opposing skip is perfectly capable of sailing -blandly through that rather narrow port, butting the stone that lies so -perfectly on the tee out of the house altogether, and lying there -himself instead. So he has elected to play a shot that will close up -that port and leave the stone on the tee for the moment impregnable. He -wants to lie just over the hog and no more, for the nearer a stone is to -the hog the more it blocks the passage. So, calling on his sweepers to -be ready to sweep (“Sweepers wake!” in fact), he puts down his stone -with in-handle on it, directing this a little - -[Illustration: “SHE LIES” - -_From the Drawing by Fleming Williams_] - -wide of the left-hand stone of those two guards, by which the temporary -skip is holding his besom. For one moment he watches its passage, eyes -glued to it, stricken to stone. Suddenly an awful misgiving occurs to -him, his face turns to a perfect mask of agonised fury, and he yells at -the top of a naturally powerful voice: - -“Sweep her, don’t leave her for a moment. Sweep! Sweep! Don’t leave her. -Good Lord, can’t you sweep? Oh, well swept, well swept indeed!” - -Then probably with infernal superiority he shouts, “Is that about where -you wanted it?” knowing perfectly well that it is. - -All this means that - - (i) He was afraid he had put down his stone too weakly, and that it - would not get over the hog. - - (ii) It would then be ignominiously removed, and he would wish he - had never been born. - - (iii) The opposing skip would sail through that port, and out the - winning stone. - - (iv) That it is all his fault, and that he will never curl again, - but take to that degraded pastime, skating. - - (v) Finally, that his stone has been swept over the hog and lies - now bang in the middle of the passage, closing it completely--a - perfect gem, pearl, peach. - -Says the other skip grimly, “You’ve got some good sweepers on your -side.” - -Says the first skip (airily and forgetting that he has been howling to -his side to sweep), “Oh, it had lots of legs.” (Liar: it is just over -the hog.) - -Ensues a shouted colloquy between the other skip and his lieutenant (No. -3) in the house. - -No. 3. Can you see anything of the port? - -Skip 2. No. - -No. 3. Can you see anything of the stone that lies? - -Skip 2. No. - - (Skip 1 here probably lights a pipe and talks gaily to a friend.) - -No. 3. Can you get round their guard with out-handle? - -Skip 2. No. - -No. 3. Can you get round the other guard with in-handle? - -Skip 2. No. - - (Long pause.) - -Skip 2. Yes, I can. At least there’s nothing else to be done. No, give -me more ice than that! (This means that he thinks his stone will take -more curl, and wants the directing broom to be put wider.) That’s about -right. - -He plays his shot amid dead silence. It soon becomes apparent that his -stone is not going to curl round this guard at all, but will hit it. It -does so, and lies by its side, merely giving an additional rampart to -the granite fortification in the middle of the ice. The silence becomes -rather painful. - -Skip 1. Bad luck! (He does not mean that at all.) I think I’ll try and -get another stone in the house. - -Skip 1’s No. 3. For heaven’s sake don’t disturb our stone here. - -Skip 1. No, I’ll play it just tee high.... - - (He puts down a hopeless hog.) - -Skip 1. I wish you fellows would sweep! - - (His pipe goes out.) - -Skip 2 shouting to his No. 3. Well? - -No. 3. Well? - -Skip 2. See what happens, I think. There’s nothing to play for. - -This means he is going to play for a fluke. There is no reasonable -chance whatever of reaching that stone on the tee, and a wild toboggan -of a shot sent down among all those guards may do something, though -heaven alone knows what. He puts down stone with full swing, most -unevenly, so that it careers up the ice violently rocking. It hits the -long guard by the hog, which is exactly what he didn’t want to do, -almost full in the face, and sends it scudding off into the abominably -bad stone he himself has just put down before. It hits this nearly full, -and starts it on its way. Bang into the middle of the house it goes, -sends that impregnable tee-lying stone flying, and lies there itself. -The five other stones in the house are all on its side, and instead of -Skip 1 scoring one, Skip 2, off an incredible, revolting, pitiable -fluke, scores five. Roars of execration and applause rend the skies, and -Skip 2 modestly remarks, “Well, there are more ways than one of playing -any shot!” - - * * * * * - -Here, then, is a rough sketch of the game as it is played, as it appears -to the spectator; and after this bird’s-eye glance at it it is time to -start again at the beginning and see how to play it. And the first -consideration is the stance which the player takes up on the crampit -before delivering his stone. Here, as at golf, there are great -varieties of stance, all of which are perfectly right and proper, -provided the curler can deliver his stone from them with effect. But, as -at golf also, there are certain principles that will be found common to -all those stances, and perhaps the most important of all is that the -curler should feel perfectly comfortable and be maintaining his stance -by balance and _not_ by muscular effort. In every case again (if he be -right-handed) his right foot will be firmly resting against the rim at -the back of the crampit, for it is there that he gets the purchase which -enables him to give the needful velocity to his stone. Similarly, his -left foot will be advanced, and he will be facing full in the direction -in which he is about to send his stone, and his left foot will also be -pointing in that direction. He will also be bending down, since he has -not to drop or fling the stone on to the ice, but to place it--to lay it -there smoothly with a forward swing of his arm and body. But any kind of -divergence is proper as regards this stooping attitude: some men get -their stone down to the ice by bending the body strongly above the hips, -keeping the legs comparatively straight, while others get down by -bending the knees so far that they are sitting on their right heel, and -their right knee is absolutely touching the crampit. And all these -styles are perfectly right provided only that (i) the player feels -comfortable and unstrained; (ii) he can get his stone well down on to -the ice; (iii) his head is facing and his eyes looking in the direction -of his skip’s besom. All three of these provisions are essential to -successful curling, and if one thing can be more essential than another, -it is that the player should be looking straight at the skip’s besom. - -Next comes the actual delivery of the stone, the handle of which should -lie lightly in the crook of the fingers and not be grasped like a -battle-axe. This delivery of the stone is accomplished not by a jerk, as -if throwing it, but by a steady swing forward of the body and arm -together. The whole arm of the hand which carries the stone is brought -slowly and steadily back (as in the back swing of golf), while the -weight is resting almost entirely on the right leg. Then arm and body -come forward together, without muscular exertion and without pressing, -and the stone is placed on the ice, while the weight of the whole body, -which at the top of the swing was on the right leg, has come forward on -to the left. Should the ice be slow, greater force is given to the stone -by a longer swing, and should the ice be fast the swing is shortened. -But in no case, if the ice is playable on at all, should the impetus be -derived from a muscular effort of the arm as in throwing; but as in -golf, the swing of the arm and body together give the stone its impetus. -And throughout the swing the eyes of the curler must never leave the -directing besom of his skip. It is as fatal to look away from that as it -is to take the eye off the ball at golf. - - * * * * * - -Now, if the stone is put down like this, without jerk or exertion -(except such as is entailed in the swing), the stone will be laid -evenly, and will start on its course without wobbling, but sliding truly -on its polished base. But if it has been jerked or chucked on to the ice -instead of being laid there, the chances are ten to one that it will be -what is called a “quacker”--_i.e._ it will be oscillating from one side -to the other and rolling like a ship in a cross sea. This sort of stone -is quite useless, and if quacking badly will go staggering right through -the house without ever having slid at all. Sometimes, if merely a very -fast stone is wanted to break up a rampart of guards, or just “to see -what will happen” in a hopeless position, a quacker is as good as -anything else. But it is not curling. - -Now there is a very important item in the swing at golf called the -“follow-through.” This means that after the ball has been hit and is on -its way, the club and the hands and arms holding it fly out after it, -while the whole weight of the body goes on to the left foot. There is no -question that what happens to the club and the arm and player generally, -after the ball has gone, cannot make the least difference to the flight -of the ball, but this “follow-through” is a symptom, an indication of -what has already taken place, and if the follow-through is satisfactory -and full it shows that the swing has been unchecked and smooth. Just in -the same way the curler has to follow through, and though no doubt both -curler and golfer can, theoretically, check their swing the moment after -the stone and the ball have started, they would be most ill-advised to -attempt to do so, since they run a grave risk of checking their swings -before the stone or the ball have gone, and thus giving to their shot -only a fraction of the force of the swing. So the curler is strongly -advised to let this forward swing of his arm and body work itself out in -the natural follow-through. And this follow-through may express itself -in various ways. Most curlers express it by letting themselves run or -slide a few steps after their stone, the forward swing of the body -overbalancing their left foot, so that they instinctively (for fear they -should fall down) put the right foot in front of it--in other words, -take a few steps. Others again, and chiefly those who deliver the stone -with right leg very strongly bent, so that the knee touches or nearly -touches the ice, have not time to scramble to their feet, and usually -express their follow-through by falling forward on their hands on to the -ice. But in whatever way they conduct themselves, this little run and -slide which some take and the falling forward of others are the result -of the player’s proper and correct follow-through. He has not, at any -rate, interfered with or checked his swing: he has delivered his stone -with the force that he believed to be required. - -And now we come to the most delicate and interesting part of the -delivery of the stone, namely, the question of “twist” or “elbow” or -“handle,” as it is called, which is universally practised by all -curlers. This “handle” gives a rotatory motion to the stone, so that as -it is travelling up the ice it is also slowly revolving on its own axis, -either from right to left or left to right, and this rotation imparts to -it, as its initial velocity diminishes and its pace slows down, a -curling movement, in the manner of a break from the off or a break from -the leg at cricket, or, if you will, a swerve in the air, or, as in -golf, of a pull or a slice. Thus, though a stone on the tee may be -completely guarded and covered, the player can, by imparting this -rotatory movement to his stone, curl round the guard and reach his goal. -Moreover, he can curl round the straight guard from either side, from -the leg or from the off, so that if one path is blocked by another -guard, he may yet get access by the other. He can, too, if there is, as -often happens, a slight bias in the ice, apply the handle opposite to -the direction in which the bias of the ice would deflect his shot, and -thus keep his stone straight. Or again, by aiding the bias by the other -handle, he can get round a very wide obstacle indeed. Heaven knows that -these shots so glibly recorded are not easy; but there is hardly a shot -or a manœuvre in any game which is easy. But the man who aspires to be a -curler at all must have a fair command of this thing called “handle.” He -must be able to direct a shot with moderate accuracy on the skip’s besom -with either out-handle or in-handle. It is not enough equipment for the -most modest player, who is a curler at all, to be able to play with one -handle only. He must have a tolerable command of both. - -Now, strange as it may at first appear, it is far easier to send down a -stone with in-handle or out-handle on it than to send down a perfectly -straight stone with no handle at all. Furthermore, the slightest frozen -chip of ice, or minutest fragment of broom may, in passing under one -side of the stone, impart a fortuitous and rotatory motion to it, so -that a stone arriving in the house with practically no curl at all upon -it is (except in the case of a fast hard stone) a rarity. Since, then, -it is almost bound to have some handle on it, it is wiser for the player -to put on the handle himself intentionally and allow for its curling -course. This rotatory motion of the stone is imparted to it by a very -slight turn of the arm just before the stone leaves the hand. If the -elbow is turned outwards, it is called “out-elbow” or “out-handle,” -though I am inclined to think that it is the wrist which makes the turn -(some people say the fingers alone), the elbow merely following the -wrist. This gives the stone a twist from right to left, and the effect -of it is that it curls in from the right in the manner of a ball bowled -with leg-break. This out-handle curl is easily imparted to the stone by -turning the handle of it, as the hand grasps it, outwards at right -angles or thereabouts to the direction of the stone’s travelling, and by -holding the handle “overhand,” as it were, with the knuckles and back of -the hand facing the ice in front. The curl is then naturally imparted to -it, and the player will not have to think about it at all. If he -delivers his stone in this way his wrist, if he holds his arm slack, as -he always should (giving the velocity to the stone only by the swing), -will naturally and inevitably make the outward turn. And it is a most -important thing that the player should not think of handle at all when -he delivers his stone, but leave that to develop automatically from the -correct delivery, since the consideration of the pace and direction of -the stone are enough to fill the most capacious mind and tax the utmost -of his skill. How much allowance should be made for the curl, and how -much the stone should be aimed to the right of where it is desired that -it should come to rest, is a matter which is largely left to the -judgment of the skip, who has been observing how much curl the ice -takes. This differs very considerably, and depends on the condition of -the surface. For instance, if the ice is very slow, a stone dies -quickly, and since the curl does not begin to take effect till the -initial speed has very much diminished, it will not curl for so long as -it would on keen ice. On slow ice, in other words, the course of the -stone is less influenced by handle. But again, the vigorous polishing of -the ice in front of a stone tends to keep it straight, since then the -roughnesses of the ice, on which the rotatory motion bites, are much -diminished. But as a rule, after a few stones have been sent down, it is -clear to a good skip how much handle they are taking, and he directs -accordingly. - -The in-handle or in-elbow is produced in precisely the converse way to -the out-handle, and the stone, instead of curling in from the right, -curls in from the left like a ball with off-break on it or a slice at -golf. Here the stone should be held with its handle pointing inwards -towards the player, and he should hold it in the crook of his fingers -with the inside of his hand instead of the back of it facing the -direction in which he lays his stone. This grip, again, naturally gives -the required twist, and he can concentrate himself on pace and -direction. But often during the course of a match the character of the -ice will change, and it will begin to take the handle more or less as -the case may be. Both skip and individual players should be on the -lookout for this, and the tactics should be altered accordingly. Hard -ice--_ceteris paribus_--is the keener, and thus in the afternoon, when -the rays of the sun shine less directly on to the rink, it tends to get -faster and to take more curl. On the other hand, in the morning ice -tends to get slower, as the sun plays on the surface of it. - -All stones are polished differently on their two faces, one side of the -stone being less inexorably smooth than the other. A stone travelling on -the keen or smoother side naturally goes further starting at the same -initial velocity than if travelling on the rough side, and should the -ice be very keen and fast, it is difficult to estimate the strength -which will take them over the hog, and yet not send them roaring through -the house. But the handles of stones can be unscrewed in a very few -seconds and fixed on the other side, so that the stones will now travel -on their rough or slower side. Conversely, also, if the ice has been -very fast, and a player has been using the rough side of his stones, he -may even, during the course of the match, if the ice for some reason -gets slower, reverse his stones and use the keen side. This will make it -possible for him to play without effort, instead of “shifting” the -stones along. - -I am aware that in touching on the question of handle at all I do a -thing that is provocative of discussion. There are many ways of putting -on handle, and the adherents of any such will certainly maintain that -their own method is the best if not the only proper one. But I think the -majority of players will allow that the grip which I have mentioned, -namely the overhand grip for imparting out-elbow and the underhand grip -for imparting in-elbow, lead, more or less, provided only the arm is -held slack, to the required result. But I freely allow there are many -other methods: some curlers put on handle consciously, and consciously -twist their arms as they deliver their stone, others trust to the slight -adhesion of the little finger to the handle after the other fingers have -quitted. But it seems to me that any grip which _automatically_ imparts -the desired handle is preferable to all grips which demand that the -player should be obliged to think about his handle. He has enough to do -without that, and enough to think about. So let him, if he finds these -grips unsatisfactory, learn any grip under the sun (and over the ice) -that naturally imparts the curl he wishes to put on. - -A further question arises. Is it not possible to regulate the amount of -handle and the consequent amount of curl that the stone will take? -Without doubt it is; but the curler who can put on a great deal of -handle or a little handle at will is not a person who can be instructed. -Certainly it is possible to make one stone curl a little and another -much, but he who can do this and regulate it is not a first-class -curler merely but a supreme curler. For us, duffers and strugglers, -there is a simpler method, which is to aim the shot _always_ with the -curl that we naturally impart to it, and take more or less “ice” as the -case may be: aim it, that is to say, closer to the required -resting-place for the stone if the ice is taking but little bias, and -further from it if the ice is encouraging the deflection. The superior -curler, in critical situations, it is true, when guards are spread about -like the rocks in some dangerous archipelago, will make curves, as his -stone is dying, which it would be madness for the ordinary decent player -to attempt. But he will have made such curves by the conscious -application of muscular force, sending the stone literally spinning down -the ice. We admire, we applaud, I hope, even when he is on the other -side, but unless we are more than first-rate at the game we will not try -to imitate. Personally, I have a theory which concerns the thumb. Not -for worlds would I divulge it for fear of encouraging disasters as bad -as those that I myself perpetrate. All the same I am convinced it is -right: I lack the skill to execute it.... - -But whatever the method of grip, whatever the curl to be imparted to the -stone, the handle should be at rest in the crook of the fingers. To hold -it tight implies muscular exertion, and muscular exertion, unless the -object is to send a fast straight stone, the only requisite of which is -great pace and moderate direction, is out of place at this delicate and -“touchy” game. Even when the ice is very slow, better practice will be -made with a longer and untightened swing than with momentum derived from -the elbow and shoulder. - -Finally, but no less importantly, with regard to sweeping. It is hardly -too much to say that a good sweeper is almost worth his place in a side, -even though he is an indifferent player, so tremendous is the part which -a good sweeper plays, for he is like a good field at cricket. He should -always start before the stone gets to him, so that by the time it is -opposite him he is moving down the rink with it, ready to begin -operations the moment his skip tells him. The word of command may come -at any second, and it is often of vital importance that he should begin -instantly. Even skips have errors of judgment, and the skip may have not -given the order to sweep soon enough. This can often be rectified by -instant and vigorous sweeping, and the error repaired, whereas if a -sweeper is slow to go about his job the mistakes on the part of the skip -may be irremediable. All down his allotted portion of the ice the good -sweeper will sidle along by the travelling stone, even though no order -comes, until he has given it into keeping of the next sweeper or of the -skip himself. And with the same promptitude as he began to sweep must he -stop sweeping when he hears the word “Up brooms!” Another yard of polish -may, if the skip is correct in his estimate, be the death of a winner. -Often again it is but a question of an inch or two to turn a hog into -the most perfect of long guards, and this inch or two is entirely a -matter of sweeping. The most moribund of travellers may be coaxed over -the line and make an incalculable difference in the score by protecting -a winner. But “a little less and what worlds away.”... A shot that good -sweeping would have made into a gem is bundled off the ice like the -worst stone ever sent down on its degraded handle. - -Besides matches between teams there is a very searching affair to be -played with curling-stones called a “points” competition. Here single -players compete against each other in attempting to make certain shots -which are set them. Stones are put on the ice in certain given -positions, and each competitor in turn has to try to bring off a certain -definite shot. For instance, he will have to guard one stone, to promote -another, to get an inwick off a third, to draw a port between two -others, &c. It is, of course, a very high test of skill, but is somewhat -a Lenten or humiliating affair, since the very finest players seldom get -as much as half-marks. It is, moreover, lacking in all the -“team-feeling” which is one of the greatest charms in match play, and is -also, in the present writer’s humble opinion, a terribly tedious affair, -since after each shot, if the lying stones have been touched, they must -be replaced on their marked spots, and a competition of this kind, if -there is at all a large field, goes on rather longer than into eternity. -According to the regulations drawn up by the Royal Caledonian Club there -are nine shots to be played and a tenth is added in case of a tie. The -necessary stones to play on to are placed in or around the house, and -the competitor has then nine different shots to play. - -These are--(i) striking; (ii) inwicking; (iii) drawing to the tee; (iv) -guarding; (v) chap and lie (_i.e._ playing on to a stone on the tee, -ejecting it, and remaining in the house); (vi) wick and curl in; (vii) -raising; (viii) chipping the winner; (ix) drawing through a port. In -case of a tie between competitors, those who are equal play _four_ shots -of “outwicking.” - -Different marks can be earned by each of these shots. For instance, if -a competitor playing chap and lie remain in the seven-foot circle he -scores one, if within the four-foot circle he scores two, given that he -strikes the placed stone out of the house in both cases. Complete -details are published by the Royal Caledonian Curling Club. - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XVII - -CURLING] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XVIII - -CURLING AT MURREN] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XIX - -THE THREE KULM RINKS] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XX - -LADIES’ CURLING MATCH, ST. MORITZ] - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -TOBOGGANING - - -To descend an ice-run like the Cresta at St. Moritz is no doubt a most -thrilling and skilled adventure, but the vast majority of people who say -(with perfect truth) that they enjoy tobogganing would sooner think of -ascending in an aeroplane than descending the Cresta, and would freeze -with fright at the thought of embarking on it. On the other hand, the -skilled Cresta runner would no more think that the quiet descent of -snow-covered roads on a Swiss luge was tobogganing in his sense of the -word, than the aeroplanist would allow that a man practising high jump -was flying. From which we may rightly infer that there are various sorts -of movement which are covered by the word tobogganing. - -As a matter of fact there are, commonly practised in Switzerland, three -broad and widely differing species of tobogganing. They are as follows: - - (i) Proceeding--quickly or leisurely--down frozen roads or - artificial snow-made runs. - - (ii) Proceeding--as quickly as possible--down artificial ice-runs. - - (iii) Bobsleighing (or bobbing)--as quickly as possible--down roads - or artificial runs. - -The number of folk who practise the first of these immensely outnumbers -those who practise the other two; for everybody in Switzerland in the -winter is guilty of the first practice, from the small Swiss native, -aged perhaps eight or under, who marches up to school with its books -tied on to its luge, and gaily and jauntily returns home seated on it, -steering and guiding with its ridiculous little feet, and shouting -“Gare” or “Achtung,” according to the canton, up to the skilled racer on -the skeleton who carries off the Symonds bowl in the race on the -Klosters road at Davos. But all these, different as their performances -are, are going on snow-runs. The snow may in places, it is true, where -it has thawed and frozen again, intimately resemble ice. But the ice-run -is different in kind from any snow-runs. - -For ordinary travel, let us say from your hotel down to the rink, where -there is no question of racing, but just getting there, the toboggan -generally used is the Swiss toboggan or luge. It is a high wooden frame -(high, that is, compared to the skeleton) with two runners shod with -steel or iron, and you sit on it exactly as is most comfortable--it is -never very comfortable--and tie your lunch and skates on to it, and push -off. If you want to turn to the right, you put your right heel into the -snow, or dab with your hand on the right side; if you want to go to the -left, you perform the same operation in a sinister manner. If you want -to stop, you put both heels into the snow. If you want to go quicker, -you, while still sitting down, walk with both feet simultaneously. This -sounds complicated; but it is quite clear the moment you feel you want -to go quicker--it is done instinctively. Finally, if you are going fast, -and must make a sudden stop, - -[Illustration: “ACHTUNG!” - -_From the Drawing by Fleming Williams_] - -owing to some obstacle in the shape of an old lady or a sleigh -immediately in front of you, you turn into any convenient snowbank at -the side of the road, and having picked yourself up, look injured, which -physically you are not. Or, if there is no convenient snowbank, you fall -off to one side or the other, and often observe your malicious luge -proceeding calmly on its course without you. In fact, you do anything -that occurs to you at the moment, except upset the old lady or charge -the sleigh. - -The foregoing is a complete compendium of all that it is necessary to -know or do, when tobogganing on an ordinary road. It is as simple as -walking and generally quicker. The same, in the main, applies to the use -of luges on an artificially-made run. But every artificial run implies -the idea of racing, and thus the object is to get down it as quickly as -possible. But every artificial run has turns in it, and the idea is to -get round these turns without capsize and with as little loss of speed -as possible. The outside of these turns is therefore banked up (_i.e._ -if the turn is to the right, the left side of the track is banked up, -and _vice versa_), so that you do not (if you manage properly) run out -of the track, but climb the bank and descend again into the track. But -if you do not manage properly, one of three things will happen to you. - - (i) You go over the bank and are heavily spilled. This is fatal if - you want to win a race, unless everybody else does the same. - - (ii) You upset on the bank. This is not necessarily so fatal, - unless you entirely part company with your toboggan, which then - finishes triumphantly without you. - - (iii) In excess of caution, you diminish your speed so much before - you get to the bank that you merely crawl round the bend. This is - moderately fatal. - -But we need not waste more time over artificial snow-runs. They are only -a compendious form of road-running, and what is necessary in the way of -steering and judgment of pace on them, is equally true with regard to -such fine natural runs as the Klosters road. Here there are no -artificial banks to keep the runner in his course. He has to get around -the corners by judicious steering, and crawling when necessary, and, -above all, by adjustment of weight. On the ordinary luge or Swiss -toboggan there is little adjustment of weight that can be made, but it -is a very different affair when you negotiate the same road on racing -toboggans, namely skeletons, which are also used on ice-runs. - -Here, instead of this little high wooden platform on which you sit, -there is a very low framework supported on round steel runners, blunt -nosed in front, and instead of sitting on it you lie on it, face -downwards. The runners, sharply bent upwards in front, return and form -the support of the low frame, and you grasp these with your hands, and -lie down with arms bent or extended as required. But the cushion on -which you recline moves backwards and forwards in the manner of a -sliding seat, so that you can lie with legs right out behind the base of -the machine, and can use great part of your weight, inclining it to one -side or the other of the toboggan, in order to get it round curves. -Similarly, the hands have an immense leverage behind them, and with one -foot lying out behind and raking the snow, a curve can be made at high -speed, which it would be impossible to get round on a Swiss toboggan -without heavy braking and great loss of velocity. When riding a -skeleton, the toes of the boots are fitted with toothed irons, so that -they can be used together as brakes, or singly, in order to make the -toboggan curve in the required direction. The runners of these toboggans -are not rectangular like those on luges, but of circular shape, thus -producing the minimum of friction on their travelling surface. Even on -snow-tracks these are capable of tremendous speed, though that speed -does not approach what they compass on frozen ice-runs, where they -travel almost frictionless. - -Apart from the “storm and stress” of racing, there is a wonderful -pleasure, if the track is smooth and trafficless, in this swift gliding -over frozen snow, and one of the most romantic of experiences in all the -gamut of motion is tobogganing by moonlight. Never will the writer -forget one such night on the Klosters road. We had sleighed up from -Davos, a party of friends, to Wolfgang, on one of those magical nights -when no breath of wind stirred the lightest jewels of hoar-frost on the -pines, when the moon was full, and the stars burned like diamonds -aflame. All the way up, after dinner, there had been talk and laughter, -and standing ready to go, we arranged that there should be two minutes’ -pause between the despatch of the toboggans, and one by one we slid off -into the unspeakable silence of the Alpine night. It so happened that I -was the last to go, and for two minutes I waited at the head of the -track in a stillness that is unimaginable. When I started there was in -all probability not a living soul within half a mile, and the nearest -was sliding swiftly further away every moment. For a little way the -track lay open to the full blaze of the zenithed moon, but soon it -plunged beneath the impenetrable canopy of pines. It was possible to see -the white glimmer of the road ahead, otherwise there was nothing -visible. Then, with the suddenness of a curtain withdrawn, the blackness -became a celestial and ineffable glory of close burning constellations, -with the full disc of the moon shining imperially among them. Far below, -distant and dim, I could see the lights of Klosters, and half-longed to -reach them, in order to get out of this awful and burning and frozen -solitude, half-longed that my travel might be lengthened into an -eternity of wheeling stars and flying road. Sometimes it seemed that I -was rushing headlong through space, sometimes it seemed that I was -stopping absolutely still, and that it was this unreal world of trees -and road and bridges and banks that hurled itself by me, and that the -stars and I were the steadfast things. Once the sudden roar of a stream -over the bridge of which I passed sounded loud and menacing, but in a -moment that was past, and the hissing spray of frozen snow coming from -the bows of my toboggan was the only sound audible. And then the lights -of Klosters gleamed larger and nearer, and this wonderful swift solitude -was over. - -(As a matter of fact, I had an awful spill by the cabbage garden corner: -but though that was very vivid at the time, there remains nothing of it, -except the fact, in my memory. It would have been more romantic, but -less realistic, not to have mentioned it.) - - -_Ice-runs_ - -There is one Mecca: there is one St. Peter’s: there is one Cresta. As is -Mecca to the Mohammedan, as is St. Peter’s to the Catholic, so is the -Cresta run at St. Moritz to the tobogganer. It is _the_ ice-run. There -may be others, and there certainly are, but what does the Cresta care? -It has a _cachet_ which no other possesses. - -The Cresta was first engineered, I believe, in the year 1884, and its -chief architect was Herr Peter Badruth of St. Moritz. From that time -onwards it has yearly been built up with as much thought and care as is -lavished on a cathedral; every yard of it is staked out, and the angles, -curves, and shaping of its banks and corners most accurately calculated. -It is built up from the bottom upwards, so that the lower part of it can -be used while the construction of the upper part is still going on, and -the whole run is generally open not until after the middle of February. -Every winter is this amazing architecture in crystal planned and carried -out under the direction of Mr. W. H. Bulpett, who has for many years -been chief architect. - -To begin with, the snow is trampled down, after the manner of making the -foundation of an ice-rink, so as to form a firm solid base, and where -the banks are to be built snow is brought in sleigh-loads, shovelled on -to it, and beaten down. More snow will then be still required, and again -more, till the whole of the banks are solid and of the necessary height -and curve. Then the banks and the rest of the course (the straights) are -sprinkled with water and again beaten down, and the glazed ice surface -begins to be made. When this has frozen, water is again sprinkled on it, -and again and yet again, till the whole section has become, banks and -course alike, a surface of smooth hard ice. Down each side of the narrow -racing track (except at its banked corner it is only a few feet wide, a -riband of ice) are little walls of firm built snow, also iced, so that -the runner, if he is going moderately straight, cannot leave the track, -though he often comes into slight collision with these walls. But even -slight collisions when travelling at a speed that sometimes exceeds 70 -miles an hour are not experiences to be encountered unarmed, and the -elbows and knees are thickly protected by felt pads, while on the toes -of his boots are toothed rakes made of steel, which are used to guide -the runner round the bank and to check his speed if it is so excessive -that, unchecked, he would run over the tops of the banks. - -A very high degree of nerve, skill, and judgment is required on such an -ice-run as this. The rider’s object being to cover the course in as few -seconds as possible, he must clearly take his banks (_i.e._ get round -the curves) with as little loss of speed as possible, and he will only -use his brakes when his judgment tells him that if unchecked he would be -carried over the top of them. On the other hand, he does not want to -brake unless it be necessary, and you will often see him with his top -runners within an inch or two of the edge of these huge sloping -ice-curves. At Battledore and Shuttlecock, the two biggest banks on the -Cresta, he enters the second immediately after coming out of the first, -and the two form a great S curve. Lower down again, before he threads -the - -[Illustration: ON THE CRESTA RUN - -_From the Drawing by Fleming Williams_] - -arch of the railway bridge, there is another called Bulpett’s corner, -designed to protect him from running out to the left of the course, and -then a headlong descent takes him to the winning-post, which is at the -bottom of the hill. Passing this he snaps a thread with an electric -connection, which registers the exact fraction of a second at which he -passes it. Then, on his run out, he whirls up a steep ice-covered slope, -for if this were not iced too, his speed would be so abruptly checked -that he and his toboggan would be bowled over and over like a shot -rabbit, and comes to a stop just outside the little village of Cresta. -But even with this steep slope to check him after his race is over, the -momentum acquired is so great that, if he does not brake heavily all the -way up this hill, he will, on reaching the level ground at the top, -shoot high into the air, toboggan and all. - -Some idea of the speed at which toboggans travel on the straight reaches -of the course may be gathered from the average speed at which the course -can be run. It is over 1300 yards in length, and has been traversed in a -shade over 60 seconds! This means that the highest rate of speed must be -well over 70 miles an hour. This on a pair of steel runners, head -foremost, with your face a few inches above the solid ice, with nothing -to check you except a small-toothed rake on the toe of each boot! Yet so -wonderfully skilful is the construction of the run, so cunningly is it -built to safeguard the headlong traveller, that accidents are very few. -Two fatal ones, indeed, there have been, but of these one had nothing to do -with the course itself, but was owing to the fact that a rider started -from the top before one of the barriers across the course, which show -that it is not open for racing, had been removed. In the other, the -rider ran over a bank and his toboggan fell on the top of him. One of -the great difficulties which the builders and managers of this run, in -company with other ice-runs, have to contend against, is the power of -the sun. It is, of course, absolutely necessary that the icing of the -run should be so solid that there is no chance of the runner of a -toboggan going through it, which would naturally mean a bad spill. But -it is also necessary that certain of the banks must have the sun blazing -into them all day long, which would cause them to lose ice faster than -it could be made by the sprinkling which goes on when the sun is off -them. At such points, therefore, big canvas screens are put up, which -shade the bank from the direct rays; also tobogganing is never permitted -to go on all day. It starts early in the morning, when the run has been -recuperated by the night of frost, and is closed when, in the opinion of -the management, the sun has so softened the banks that there is danger -of a toboggan cutting through the crust. - - -_Bobsleighing (or Bobbing)_ - -This charming form of the sport may be described as combined -tobogganing, and in bobbing races teams of four enter against each -other. The form of toboggan used is, of course, immensely larger than -that employed in single tobogganing, since it will hold five or six -persons, and its construction is altogether different and most -elaborate. It consists of a long, low platform some 10 feet in length, -and is mounted, not on one pair of runners, but on two. The pair that -supports the fore part of the bobsleigh is a sort of bogie-truck, -pivoted under the platform, and it can be turned to the right and left -in order to direct the course of the bob round curves. This turning of -it is done by the captain, who sits first at the bows of the sleigh, and -is worked by ropes, which he holds in his hands, or by a wheel which -controls its movements. In long runs, as on the Schatz-alp at Davos, the -wheel is far better than the ropes, since it entails so much less strain -on the hands of the steersman: on a short run the ropes are as good. -Behind the captain sit the members of his crew in line, with the loops -of rope just outside the framework of the sleigh, in which they fix -their heels. Last of them all sits the brakesman, at the stern of the -sleigh, who has in his control a powerful steel-toothed brake, which -crosses the sleigh behind and is worked with levers. But it is the -captain who is in command of the bob, and the brakesman and other -members of the crew only perform his orders. The word “bobsleigh” is -derived from the movement of leaning or “bobbing” forward, which is done -by all the crew together, to get up speed or increase it. They come -forward quickly with a jerk, and go back again slowly and steadily, and -this without doubt accelerates the movement of the sleigh. - -As in all other forms of tobogganing, braking is employed to diminish -speed in coming to corners, where otherwise the momentum would cause the -whole concern to leave the track altogether. So also, just as the -ice-tobogganer inclines his body inwards in a similar position, the -captain and crew lean to the inside of the track when going round a -corner so as to help the toboggan round it, while the inclination of the -front pair of runners is directed to the same end. By strong leaning -inwards, combined with the inclination of the bogie-pair of runners, -quite considerable curves may be taken at high velocity without the use -of the brake at all, and the consequent loss of speed. But all this is -left to the judgment of the captain, who has to decide whether by -direction of the bogie-runners alone, or by that in conjunction with the -leaning inwards of his crew, he can safely negotiate a corner without -calling for the use of the brake. And the responsibility is entirely in -his hands. At the same time much depends on the prompt obedience of the -crew to his orders, for it is easily possible that a corner might have -been safely coasted round if they had obeyed his call to lean inwards, -which would spill them all if his call was not immediately responded to. -How great the effect of this inward shifting of the weight can be, if it -is thoroughly carried out, may be guessed from Plate XXXI. In this same -photograph the inward direction of the front pair of runners may also be -seen assisting the work of the crew. And it is this “teamwork,” the -sense of working in unison under orders, which gives much of its charm -to bobbing. Everyone feels--rightly--that much of the success of the run -depends on his individual work, even though his individual work is only -to lean as far as possible out of the bob without parting company with -it altogether. - -Bobbing can be practised on an ordinary road covered with hard snow, or, -_in excelsis_, on runs constructed for this express - -[Illustration: TAILING - -_From the Drawing by Fleming Williams_] - -purpose. Of these the two most famous are the St. Moritz bob-run, which -starts by the Bandy rink and finishes side by side with the Cresta -ice-run, after passing under the railway bridge, and the Schatz-alp run -at Davos. Previous to its construction, not many years ago, bobbing at -Davos chiefly took place on the Klosters road, which was the same track -as that used by the ordinary toboggan, but now each has its own course. -These artificially constructed bob-runs are engineered with the same -care and nicety as ice-runs for the single toboggan, and at corners -curved banks are built solidly of beaten-down snow. The track is then -iced, for no snow could stand the continual passage of the heavy bobs -over the same banks and narrow course without speedily being worn into -ruts that would entirely spoil the going and upset the goers, and the -ice is then sprinkled over with loose snow to prevent the toboggan -skidding. But the greater part of bobbing is done on the public roads, -which are frozen and hardened by the passage of sleighs. At most Swiss -winter resorts there are facilities for this delightful form of sport. - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXI - -THE BUILDING OF THE CRESTA--“BATTLEDORE”] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXII - -THE TOP OF THE CRESTA, ST. MORITZ] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXIII - -STARTING ON THE CRESTA] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXIV - -CHURCH LEAP, CRESTA RUN] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXV - -CHURCH LEAP, CRESTA RUN] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXVI - -“BATTLEDORE” CORNER, CRESTA] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXVII - -CROSSING THE ROAD, CRESTA] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXVIII - -NEAR THE FINISH ON THE CRESTA] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXIX - -BOB-RUN, ST. MORITZ: IN THE LARCH WOODS] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXX - -ROUNDING SUNNY CORNER, ST. MORITZ BOB-RUN] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXXI - -BOB-RUN, ST. MORITZ] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXXII - -THE STRAIGHT FROM THE BRIDGE, ST. MORITZ BOB-RUN] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXXIII - -ST. MORITZ BOB-RUN] - - - - -CHAPTER V - -ICE-HOCKEY - - -Many of the Swiss winter-resorts can put into the field a very strong -ice-hockey team, and fine teams from other countries often make winter -tours there; but the ice-hockey which the ordinary winter visitor will -be apt to join in will probably be of the most elementary and -unscientific kind indulged in, when the skating day is drawing to a -close, by picked-up sides. As will be readily understood, the ice over -which a hockey match has been played is perfectly useless for skaters -any more that day until it has been swept, scraped, and sprinkled or -flooded; and in consequence, at all Swiss resorts, with the exception of -St. Moritz, where there is a rink that has been made for the -hockey-player, or when an important match is being played, this sport is -supplementary to such others as I have spoken of. Nobody, that is, plays -hockey and nothing else, since he cannot play hockey at all till the -greedy skaters have finished with the ice. - -And in most places hockey is not taken very seriously: it is a charming -and heat-producing scramble to take part in when the out-door day is -drawing to a close and the chill of the evening beginning to set in; -there is a vast quantity of falling down in its componence and not very -many goals, and a general ignorance about rules. But since a game, -especially such a wholly admirable and delightful game as ice-hockey, -may just as well be played on the lines laid down for its conduct as -not, I append at the end of this short section a copy of the latest -edition of the rules as issued by Prince’s Club, London. - -For the rest, everybody knows the “sort of thing” hockey is, and quite -rightly supposes that ice-hockey is the same “sort of thing” played on a -field of ice by performers shod in skates. As is natural, the practice -and ability which enable a man to play ordinary hockey with moderate -success are a large factor in his success when he woos the more elusive -sister-sport; another factor, and one which is not sufficiently -appreciated, is the strength of his skating. It is not enough to be able -to run very swiftly on the skates: no one is an ice-hockey player of the -lowest grade who cannot turn quickly to right or left, start quickly, -and above all, stop quickly. However swift a player may be, he is -practically useless to his side unless he can, with moderate suddenness, -check his headlong career, turn quickly, and when the time comes again -start quickly. - -I have often been asked whether ice-hockey is “bad” for skating. Most -emphatically it is not: on the other hand, it is extremely good for most -skaters, since it gives them strength of ankle and accustoms them to -move at a high speed. Strength, as we have seen before, is not the prime -need of a skater, but balance: strength, however, is a most useful -adjunct. But though hockey is good for the skater, he will certainly -find that he will not skate well or accurately immediately after playing -hockey, any more than he will skate well the moment he has taken off his -skis. But the feeling that to play hockey unfits the skater for that -which he may regard as his more artistic job, is, as far as can be seen, -unfounded. - -It is a wonderful and delightful sight to watch the speed and accuracy -of a first-rate team, each member of which knows the play of the other -five players. The finer the team, as is always the case, the greater is -their interdependence on each other, and the less there is of individual -play. Brilliant running and dribbling, indeed, you will see; but as -distinguished from a side composed of individuals, however good, who are -yet not a team, these brilliant episodes are always part of a plan, and -end not in some wild shot but in a pass or a succession of passes, -designed to lead to a good opening for scoring. There is, indeed, no -game at which team play outwits individual brilliance so completely. - -But such is not the aspect of the game that will strike the observer who -watches the usual pick-up or inter-hotel match on the rink, which -generally begins as soon as skaters hear the curfew of the tea-bell. -Here will be found the individualist who, sooner than pass when he has -once got the puck, would infinitely prefer to fall and be trampled on; -and you will see him, while still sitting on the ice, hacking wildly at -the beloved india-rubber, in flat contravention of the rule. Common, -too, are the “non-stops” (like Wimbledon trains) who, once having got up -speed, are practically brakeless. Indeed, it was in connection with -non-stops that the present writer saw the most ludicrously comic -incident that it has ever been his good luck to encounter in these -winter places, where so many funny things happen. And it was in this -manner. A round dozen of these delightful nonstops had made up a hockey -match. The rink where they played bounded on three sides by snow-banks; -on the fourth, at the edge of which was one of their goals, an extremely -steep descent (caused by the levelling up of the ground to make the -rink), about 15 feet in height, plunged into the snow-covered field below. It -was a very cold afternoon, and (so rightly) the two gentlemen who were -deputed to keep goal preferred to plunge into the fray and go for the -puck whenever they could catch sight of it. In general, there were some -four or five out of the twelve players on their feet simultaneously: the -rest were momentarily prone. All this was delightful enough, but I had -no conception how funny they were all going to be. - -It so happened that the puck was in the neighbourhood of the goal away -from the steep bank down into the field: it so happened, also, that all -the twelve were on their feet. Somebody in the mélêe near the goal hit -the puck with such amazing violence that it flew half-way down the rink. -The whole field, with ever-increasing velocity, poured after it, -spreading out on both sides of it. Another whack brought it close to the -goal at the edge of the steep bank, and again at top-speed every player -on the field was in pursuit. Faster and ever faster they neared the -goal: somebody, with stick high uplifted in the manner of a -three-quarter swing at golf, made a prodigious hit at it, but completely -missed it. The next moment every single one of those players had poured -like a resistless cataract down the steep snow-slope into the field -below, leaving the rink completely untenanted except for a small -innocent-looking puck, which lay a few yards in front of a yawning -goal. - -[Illustration: ICE HOCKEY - -_From the Drawing by Fleming Williams_] - -For a little while this impressive stillness and depopulation lasted. -Then the first “strayed reveller” returned, heavily limping. He took his -time, and with a superb, lightning-like shot sent the puck whirling -through the unguarded goal. Simultaneously he sat down. Simultaneously a -second player showed his head over the ice-bank and shouted “Offside!” -Simultaneously also, the puck hit him in the face. It is hard to -believe, I know; but I assure the reader that it was harder to stop -laughing. - -At any rate, here are the rules: - - -RULES OF MATCH PLAY - -1. The puck shall be made of india-rubber, 3 inches in diameter, 1 inch -thick, and shall weigh 1¼ lbs., or shall be of such other size or -shape as shall from time to time be decided. - -The stick shall be so made that it can pass through a ring 3 inches in -diameter. - -2. The goal-posts at each end of the ice shall be 4 feet high and 4 feet -apart. - -3. The team shall consist of six players. - -4. The goal is scored when the puck passes between the goal-posts. - -5. The game shall consist of two halves of 20 minutes each. The teams -change goals at half-time. - -6. The match is won by the team who scores the greater number of goals. -If, when time is called, the number of goals is the same on both sides, -the match is said to be a tie. Five minutes each way must then be played -until the tie is decided, or the teams may arrange another match. - -7. A referee shall be appointed whose duty it shall be to decide all -disputed points, and his decision shall be final. - -He shall appoint, if possible, four goal umpires, two at each end. - -The referee shall have power to stop the game for any cause and for such -time as he shall think fit. - -In the case of unfair or rough play he shall caution the offender, and -if the offence is repeated, he may order the offender off the ice for a -certain interval, or for the rest of the match. - -If no referee is appointed, the captains shall arbitrate all disputes. - -8. The game shall be started by placing the puck between two opposing -players on the half-way line in the centre of the ice; the sticks of the -two players must meet three times before either may touch the puck. -After a goal the puck shall be placed in the centre of the ring and -restarted as above. - -9. When the puck goes off the ice, it shall be restarted as in Rule 8, -and from a point 3 yards from the side where it left the ice. In case -the puck leaves the ice behind the goal line, it shall be restarted at a -point 5 yards from the goal line and 3 yards from the side. - -10. No charging, crossing, riding off, pushing or tripping is allowed. - -11. The player may not raise his stick above his shoulder. - -12. No player may carry, stand on, kick or throw the puck except the -goalkeeper, who may kick it, catch it, or knock it away with his hand or -leg, or stop it with any part of his body. - -13. A player having fallen is considered _hors de combat_, and may take -no part in the game until he has regained his feet and his stick. - -14. Should the game be stopped by the referee by reason of the -infringement of any of the rules, or because of an accident or change of -players, the puck shall be started at the spot where it was last played -before the infringement, accident or change of players shall have -occurred. - -15. No player shall play a forward pass unless at the time of his so -doing there are not less than two of his opponents (including the -goalkeeper) between him and the opponents’ goal line (the goal line for -this purpose being an imaginary line drawn from the goal-posts to the -side). In the event of such forward pass being played by or hitting such -player as aforesaid, or of his interfering with the game in any way, the -puck shall be restarted at the point where such forward pass was made. - -16. In the case of one of the players being disabled, the captain of the -opposing team may decide whether he will allow a substitute or take out -one man from his own side. - -17. No alteration shall be made in the rules unless it be supported by -at least two-thirds of those present at a Special General Meeting called -for the purpose, of which at least seven days’ notice must be given in -writing to each member, or by seven days’ notice posted on the Club -Notice Board--the suggested alterations to accompany any such notice or -to be affixed to the Club Notice Board. Any amendment to be brought -forward at such Special General Meeting must be signed by the proposer -and sent to the Hon. Secretary at least four days before the date of -such Special Meeting. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -SKI-ING - - -Of all the hundreds of folk who yearly spend a few weeks or, if they are -excessively fortunate or opulent, more than a few weeks in Alpine -resorts during the winter, there are many who devote themselves almost -entirely to one sport. Thus you may, as a rule, never meet a man except -on: - -(i) The skating rink, -(ii) The curling rink, -(iii) The ski-ing slopes, or -(iv) The toboggan runs. - -Weather bad for his particular branch of sport may temporarily drive him -to another and slightly despised diversion, but when possible, where his -heart is, there will his legs be also. He will be adopting one -particular method of sliding (I count curling a method of sliding, -because your object is to make your curling-stones slide in a definite -manner) to the exclusion of others, and sliding in some form or other, -whether on skates or toboggan or skis, lies at the base of all winter -sports. That is why we all go to Switzerland in the winter, because -there we find frozen water (or hope to) in abundance. We then, having -fixed on the particular and hazardous manner in which we wish to slide -over frozen water, with steel blades or long wooden shoes, proceed to -do so. In all cases the desire to slide instead of walk regulates the -choice of our holiday. Exclusive tobogganers we must regard as a -comparative rarity, for there are few who practise tobogganing whenever -possible and nothing else at all. As a rule, tobogganers do not toboggan -for the whole of every day. It entails too much hill-climbing. - -But of these three classes, I think the confirmed and inoculated skier -is most absolutely wedded to his sport. You will find him a rarer -visitor to either form of rink than is the inoculated skater or curler -to the ski-ing slopes. It will often happen, also, that the inoculated -curler visits the skating-rinks, or the inoculated skater the house and -the hog. But the man who comes out to Switzerland in order to ski very -seldom visits either. For various and intricate as are the manœuvres -which the expert can perform on skates, and various as are the movements -which the expert can cause his curling-stones to perform, there is at -the command of the skier a greater expanse of conquerable territory. Not -only has he his figures, so to speak, to cut on the snow-fields, his -Telemark and Christiania swings, and his stemming turns, which -correspond roughly to the threes and rockers and change of edge in the -skater’s art, and the outwicks and inwicks of the curler, but he has his -travel over the snows for travel’s sake: he is an artist in climbing, -and the whole horizon (omitting such mountain peaks as the Matterhorn or -the Aiguilles) are part of his rink, which reaches, broadly speaking, -wherever there is snow. And some part of his rink, however bad the -weather, is pretty certain to be in order. The skater’s rink may be (as -has been known within the memory of man to happen) an inglorious series -of pools, or have vanished entirely under a covering of snow, and -similarly, the curler’s rink is occasionally found to resemble a sort of -cold wet toffee. But the skier’s rink is hardly ever altogether -impracticable, and he can both travel and in his travelling cut his -figures. Hardly ever, though he may have to go far to get it, will he -fail, except when a severe fall of snow is actually going on, to find -slopes on which he can at any rate “play about.” Consider also the -infinite variety of his tumbles. His falls are more complicated, have -more pleasing uncertainty about them, than those which any skater can -indulge in. Also they hurt far less. There are few skaters who can -manage to fall more than about half a dozen times a day, unless they are -exceptionally young, or, as the inquests say, very “well nourished,” and -yet continue their practice with undiminished vigour. But there are few -skiers, old or young, lean or otherwise, who will be the least -discouraged by twice that number of tumbles. - -Here, too, is another reason for the fidelity of the skier to his sport. -It yields him, if he is a novice, a quicker dividend of pleasure than -skating yields to the beginner, or curling to the curler. After a week’s -practice, starting from the beginning, the skater will scarcely yet have -felt himself firmly travelling on an outside edge, which, when he has -accomplished it, is after all only the beginning of further trouble, -while the curler, after the same lapse of time, will not have begun to -deliver his stones with the most distant approach to what could possibly -be called accuracy. But the skier will already be cognisant of the -rapture of sliding swiftly downhill on the hissing snow, and though the -“frequent fall” awaits him, he will have experienced a genuine taste of -the authentic joy. He will, too, have climbed high and heavenwards, have -seen new horizons spread themselves, have seen further peaks in the -magic of the Alpine air and sunshine rear their austere heads. -Stumblingly, perhaps, he will have penetrated into new valleys among the -“holy hills,” and felt the surprise and sting of exploration. He will -also, if he has devoted himself to the tricks--the skating-figures of -his art--be appreciably nearer the achievement of stemming turns than -the skater will be to the accomplishment of a simple three, or the -curler to the hope of coming into the house round a guard. Thus, if -anyone who can get three weeks in Switzerland, without solid hope of -getting more in subsequent years, were to ask how, being active of body, -he could get the maximum of enjoyment out of those three weeks, I should -unhesitatingly advise him to practise ski-ing, though, should he have a -reasonable prospect of coming out in future years, I should just as -unhesitatingly recommend him to persevere for a little while, anyhow, -with his skates, or stick to the curling-rink if he desires a less -hazardous sport. But if he has a short holiday, without reasonable -prospects of coming out again, I think if he is young and active he will -get more fun in a short time if he betakes himself to the skis. -Moreover, whatever resort he honours with his presence, he is certain to -find there fair ski-ing slopes, especially in unfavourable weather, and -in the vast majority of cases, excellent ones. Indeed, if he only -anticipates one visit to Switzerland, he will find everywhere slopes -that will be for him excellent. - -Also there is a greater simplicity about his needs. Nature provides his -rink, and it stretches further in every direction (except downwards -towards the valleys) than he is able to go. He wants no marking out of -house and hog-line, he wants no surface nightly renewed and rendered -flawless. He only wants his equipment, as the skater his skates, and the -curler his stones and his broom. And if, like the curler, he is, so to -speak, “never up” for a day or two, he is never down for long, and -cannot hurt his side, and probably will not hurt himself. Also, the -minimum of experimentalism will enable him to enjoy himself, and I doubt -whether the skater really enjoys himself with so little expenditure of -time and trouble, unless his only object is to progress in a straight -line. To progress in a straight line, in fact, is no fun for the skater, -but it is great fun for the skier. - -Without going into any excessive details with regard to his equipment, -certain facts about it must be broadly stated. The ski itself, as anyone -seeking those altitudes in winter is probably aware, is a long narrow -slip of wood turned up at the bows and fastened to his foot. It is -smooth on the under-surface, thicker under the place where his foot -comes than elsewhere, and should have a shallow groove running up the -middle of it. In length it should be a few inches shorter than its owner -if he stands with his arms outstretched above his head. In other words, -a man 6 feet high will want a ski about 7 feet long. This is only a -rough-and-ready rule, and if the skier arrives at his Alpine resort -with the intention merely of hiring skis, he should not choose them -shorter than this. It is easier to travel on skis that are too long than -on those which are too short. But, however long the skis are, they -cannot be too narrow. Mr. Caulfield (an adept and authority) lays down -that at the narrowest part (_i.e._ where the foot rests) they should -never be more than 2¾ inches in breadth. Instantly the novice will -exclaim that his boot at the ball of the foot is broader than that, and -that his boot will project beyond the skis. He is perfectly right: it -will. But Mr. Caulfield is right too. He should also see that the grain -of the ski lies longitudinally, and that the ski itself is slightly -arched, the top of the arch lying underneath the wearer’s foot. If the -ski is quite flat, it will bend downwards in soft snow under the weight -and impede the going. These directions, which sound slightly advanced -for him who has never seen a ski at all, are really most elementary. No -beginner should attempt to ski on contraptions that do not fulfil all -these requirements. He might as well begin learning to walk in boots -that are not adapted for ordinary wear. - -Next comes the awful, the intricate, the debated question of “bindings,” -by which is denoted the system by which the boot of the skier is -fastened to the ski. Into the merits of the different schools concerned -with this I do not propose to enter, nor (under the breath be it spoken) -does the fervour of the disputants seem quite to be warranted by the -importance of the subject. Provided that the bindings are easily -adjustable, and when adjusted are not easily displaced, and provided -they are not so rigid as to render likely, in case of the “frequent -fall,” a serious strain on the foot, resulting in a sprain or a broken -bone, they must be considered satisfactory enough. Such bindings are: - -(i) The Huitfeldt binding; -(ii) The Ellefsen binding. - -Many experts will be found to disapprove of each of these: on the other -hand, each of them is supported by expert opinions. But the beginner, in -choosing his skis, is solemnly warned against selecting unknown and -patent bindings unless advised of their excellence by an expert who is -familiar with them. He is safe, however (if anything connected with the -skis can by any stretch of imagination be considered safe), if he -selects either of the two above-mentioned bindings. They differ -enormously in principle but are both excellent. A third binding, the -Lilienfelt, has also many devotees: its opponents, however, assert that -it is dangerously rigid. But it is possible to fall down, quite often, -when using any of these bindings, with the most satisfactory results. - -Of the actual equipment (_i.e._ of tools necessary for ski-ing at all) -the next matter is sticks. Of these the skier should always carry two, -by the help of which he makes a supplementary punting movement when -going along the level or up gentle slopes; while on a steeper upward -slope he leans on them to distribute his weight, and thus prevent -back-slipping of his skis. They should therefore be strong and light, -and made of cane. They terminate at their lower end in sharp steel -points, and some few inches above those points they should be fitted -with a light circular disc of wicker-work which prevents them sinking -into the snow. Otherwise the holder, leaning on them, would merely be -plunged up to his shoulders in soft drifts, which would not serve his -purpose. They also help to steady him, in the manner of an ice-axe, when -climbing very steep slopes or when zigzagging, and should be at least -shoulder high. Coming downhill the beginner, when the pace grows too -fast for his liking, is accustomed to lean heavily on them, grasping -them together in both hands and making of them a brake to his headlong -career. This manœuvre is called “stick-riding,” and is unanimously -discouraged by all experts, however divergent may be their views on the -subject of bindings. Later, when the beginner is joining himself to -these austere folk, he will cease to stick-ride, and make -stemming-curves and Telemarks and Christiania-swings instead. But as -long as the world goes round, and the force of gravity continues to -exercise its accelerating force, so long, whatever the experts may -teach, shall we see the beginner descending a slope, bending low, with -eyes starting out of his head in pleasing terror, and leaning heavily on -his conjoined sticks. It is safe also to assert that the austere experts -did exactly the same when, in the dark ages, they were starting on their -glorious careers. Therefore, by all means, let the beginner select -strong sticks. Any anchor, however illegitimate, is better than an -anchor that snaps in half. For the counsels of perfection are only -appreciated when the possibility, not of perfection, but of moderate -skill, begins to dawn on the rosy heights. Till then, O fellow-tyro and -novice, gaily descend slopes that terrify and unnerve you, conscious -that, when the terror becomes unbearable, you can lean heavily on your -sticks and check your mad career. This is profoundly immoral advice, -but the knowledge that you have strong sticks in your hands will enable -you to contemplate and thus imperfectly negotiate these places in a -straight direct line. You will know what it feels like to face straight -down these abominable precipices, and will have gained a sensation. But -without the knowledge that you held in your hands a powerful instrument -of retardation you would, very likely, have never gained the sensation -at all. This is a counsel of imperfection, and if you design to be a -first-rate skier you will not follow it. But if you have, as in our -hypothetical case, only a few weeks in these uplands, without prospect -of more, launch yourself with your strong sticks on a blood-curdling -incline, see what it feels like, and, when your nerves cannot bear it, -lean heavily on both sticks. - -But the moment we progress a little further than the hypothetical case -of the man who for one winter has three weeks of Switzerland in front of -him, and then, as far as seems probable, no more Switzerland at all, the -joys of the skier increase in a quickly ascending scale. Just as the -skater in the English style finds that the threes and the rockers and -the counters that he has so painfully learned are not only delightful in -themselves, but help him towards qualifying as a good skater in the -combined figures, and just as the Continental skater finds that those -same figures assist him to produce a first-rate programme in -free-skating, so also does the skier who on easy slopes has made himself -acquainted with the various turns, find that his education there vastly -increases his enjoyment in and proficiency at the glorious excursions -which are all to be made on his immense rink. Slopes and descents that -would be impracticable for him to descend if he had not learned the -tricks, the figures of his sport, are easy and pleasurable if he can -make his Telemark, his Christiania, his stemming turns, and not only do -they become practicable, but his negotiation of these slopes becomes an -artistic performance instead of being a terrified and stick-riding -descent, just as to make a vol-plané from the skies is a beautiful feat, -whereas to slide down a rope merely hurts the hands. In the same way, -the ascents, which were a mere succession of stumblings and misdirected -efforts, and sweatings unspeakable, lose their arduousness when he has -learned how to climb steep slopes with the minimum of exertion. All his -practice with other elementary enthusiasts in the field behind the hotel -(or in front of it)--there is everywhere some such field at a suitably -steep angle--works into what must always be in ski-ing, the main object -of the sport, which is to be able to traverse the snows and make -mid-winter expeditions over the high enchanted country, which is -otherwise inaccessible. For on skis you can with ease climb slopes which -are absolutely impossible to the pedestrian, since the skier goes -unsinking over soft snow and drifts that would engulf the man in boots -as in a frozen quicksand; while in descents over such places the -difference is only emphasised. A ski-runner will in a few minutes -descend, thrilled with the joy of a movement that really resembles -flying, places which at the least take the pedestrian hours of plunging -labour. He is indifferent as to the depths of snow, since he is only -concerned with an inch or two of it, and rapturously descends a -thousand feet, while a walker is cursing at the first hundred of them. -But the ski-runner’s enjoyment and speed, both in the climb and in the -descent, are vastly increased if he has learned the elements of his art. -Thereby he saves effort, saves time, saves tumbles, and saves temper; at -the end of a run his mental bank is rich with pleasure, whereas a man -who has not taken the trouble to learn these tricks of the trade comes -in with a debit balance, so to speak, mis-spent labour, unnecessary -falls, and loss of time and temper. He must learn the elements of -climbing, of turning, and of braking, not by heavily leaning on his -strong poles, but by the far simpler and less tiring methods of using -his skis to do the braking for him. - -The first difficulties that beset the beginner must be considered as -concerned with climbing, since he has to get to the top of his hill -before he can experience the pleasing terror of proceeding to slide down -it. As he flounders and falls and back-slips, he will be astonished to -see some more practised performer strolling along up the slight slope -which he finds so baffling, without the slightest effort or exertion. -Looking more closely he will perhaps notice that this expert is stamping -his feet a little as he walks, merely as if to warm them on this cold -morning. Then for a moment perhaps he seems to slip, and the beginner -anticipates the delight of seeing somebody else flounder in the snow -without being able to get up. But he sees nothing of the sort. Hardly -has the slip begun before the expert has put down one ski behind the -heel of and at right angles to the other. The slip is stopped, and the -next moment he moves easily on again. - -Higher up the slope becomes steeper, and, still watching, the tyro -observes that the skier has changed his direction, and instead of -mounting in a straight line is crossing the slopes in a direction, -zigzagging across them. He has moved perhaps a hundred yards to the -right, but is then confronted by a wall of rock obviously unscaleable. -But without effort he lifts one foot rather high and turns it, putting -it down again in the direction opposite to that in which he has been -zigzagging. The other foot comes round too, and immediately the climber -begins progressing again in the reversed direction, having executed that -easy and necessary manœuvre called the kick-turn. Then a belt of trees -closes his new zigzag, and here, by way of variety, he bends down and -jumps, revolving in the air as he jumps and lands facing round the other -way. This, of course, the beginner imagines to be a merely acrobatic and -impossible performance; he resents it as we resent a conjuring trick. - -Then it seems that the climber has got tired of his zigzags, and facing -the hill directly again he proceeds, this time with some slight -appearance of effort to walk straight up it with his feet and skis -turned outwards in something of the attitude of the frog-footman in -_Alice in Wonderland_. Each ski just avoids treading on the heel of the -other, and clears it by an inch or two, so that the track left resembles -the outline of a piece of herring-bone brickwork. There is the same -resemblance in the name of this manœuvre, since it is called -herring-boning. Then once more the climber varies his style of progress, -for here the slope is exceedingly steep, and he has come to a narrow -gully, where his zig-zags would have to be very short, and instead of -interspersing every few steps with a kick-turn he stands sideways to the -slope and puts down one foot horizontally across it and brings the other -close up to and parallel with it. Then he steps sideways again with the -first foot, and repeats the manœuvre. Twenty or thirty paces of this -sort bring him to the top of his gully, and he stops a moment looking -over the view which his climb has opened out to him. (That also is a -frequently-practised ski-ing manœuvre and quite easy. The view-trick is -indulged in after a steep bit of climbing, and is dictated by a love of -scenery combined with the need of getting your breath again.) - -Now all these devices, the stamping of the skis, the stopping of the -slip, the kick-turn, the jump even, the herring-boning and the -side-stepping are all quite easily learned, and, if we except the jump -round, which is never necessary, since the kick-turn produces the same -result (_i.e._ change of direction), the beginner will in a few days -have so far mastered the elements of them that he will be able, without -undue fatigue, to climb slopes on which at first he helplessly -floundered. But he is advised to make practical acquaintance with all of -these conjuring tricks, for they each have their special uses. On -certain slopes there may not be sufficient room to zigzag without -continually turning, while again the surface of the snow may be so hard -and icy that herring-boning, which is quite easy if there is soft snow -on the top, may be practically impossible, in which case the -side-stepping must be employed. But any slope negotiable at all on skis -is negotiable by one of these methods, which are none of them at all -hard to acquire. - -Now, it is no part of any of these treatises to do more than state how -various manœuvres on ice or snow or with the curling-stones are done, -and in ski-ing (even as much as in skating) written instructions would -be of very small use. What is far more to the point is to sally out (in -print) on to a fairly easy slope and attempt to make these phenomena -appear, so that the beginner will understand them when he sees them, and -try to imitate with a knowledge of what he has to imitate. Best of all -is it to get somebody actually on skis to show you what the thing looks -like. Then--for we are all descended from the monkeys--it is part of our -human birthright to attempt to ape what is shown, and a practical -illustration, followed by actual practice, will do more for the beginner -than a host of learned treatises. Still, when dusk has fallen, and he -can no longer even see to fall down, he is strongly recommended to study -some practical manual of ski-ing. Of these I will mention three, all of -which are illustrated by a series of admirable photographs, which make a -visual guide more valuable than any written instruction. These are: - - (i) _How to Ski_, by Vivian Caulfield. (Nisbet.) - (ii) _The Ski-runner_, by E. C. Richardson. (Richardson & Wroughton.) -(iii) _Ski-ing_, by W. R. Rickmers. (Fisher Unwin.) - -Here he will find careful analyses of ski-ing manœuvres, clearly and at -length explaining them, and elucidating the explanation by photographs. -The curious student will no doubt find certain differences of opinion -expressed by these Masters, but, if he is wise, he will leave academic -disputation alone, and try to put into practice the precepts and -instructions given by any one of them. He may rest assured that, however -disputatious the pundits become over any theories advanced by these -authors, there is a great deal to be said for them. Indeed, their very -disputatiousness shows how much there is to be said! - -To return to our forlorn beginner on the slope, who has seen vanish from -his ken the figure of the expert climber, we will suppose that he -occupies himself with his flounderings while others with equal ease and -absence of effort pass him in their ascension. Some of them, it appears, -are not going out for any expedition, for they pause when they have got -to a sufficient height and begin descending again. And here the tyro -should surely find encouragement, for he will observe that they often -stagger, fall, and are smothered in snow. That does not in the slightest -degree deter them, and probably he will begin to realise that falling, -even in the case of experts, is part of the day’s work, and, as a rule, -does not hurt at all. Indeed the skier who does not fall is either so -cautious a performer that he cannot be called a skier in any sense of -the word, or so supreme a master that he is evidently not human but some -form of Alpine ghost. On the skating-rink he will see the same thing, -for even the “plus-players,” so to speak, if they are really practising, -execute the most amazing tumbles, while on the curling-rink, the gods -and demigods make shots of the most putrescent nature. - -But as he watches he will notice that these ladies and gentlemen who are -ski-ing are busy not with merely descending the slope they have -climbed, but descending it in a particular manner, and interspersing -their descent with certain definite manœuvres. Sometimes, perhaps, one -who has climbed into the gully out of which the first expert has -disappeared, will stand for a moment facing downhill, and then launch -himself on a perfectly straight course. He will be standing upright, but -leaning forward, which is not a contradiction in terms, if this phrase -is considered. In other words, his whole head, body, and legs will be -inclined a little forward, but he will also be upright because there is -no bend in his knees or hips or neck. In other words, he will be -standing at right angles to the slope, though leaning forward. His skis -will be quite close together, so that they make but one track in the -snow, and his right foot probably will be a few inches in front of his -left. His arms will be a little raised, so that his sticks, which swing -pendulum-like from his hands, do not touch the snow, and his descent is -that of a stooping hawk. A spray of fine snow rises round the toes of -his skis, like the feather of water round the bows of some -lightning-speeded boat. A moment ago he was but a speck high up on the -mountain-side, the next he is but a speck at the end of the slope below. -If not so fortunate, he is somewhere in the middle of that -sudden-spouting billow of snow that mars the smooth whiteness of the -hill. But in any case, the beginner has seen a specimen of ordinary -straight-running, the figure upright and inclined forward, the skis -close together, with sinecure for the sticks. And if our beginner’s -courage is high, he will instantly attempt, from the more gradual slope -on which he stands, to do the same. Probably, if he remembers to ape -this flying Mercury in the points mentioned, he will progress quite a -considerable number of yards at his sedater speed without falling. Then -a wild panic will seize him at the thought that his pace is steadily -increasing, and that he has not the slightest idea how to check it. That -thought alone will most likely be sufficient so to unsteady him that he -will instantly fall down and find that he has grasped one method, -anyhow, of stopping. He may then employ the few moments’ pause that -invariably succeed a tumble to observing whether, from the tracks his -skis have left, he has kept his feet together. If he has, he may feel -justifiably pleased with himself, but must not be discouraged if the -tracks resemble the old broad gauge of the Great Western Railway. - -Then comes another descender. He is going quite straight also, but he -appears merely to be strolling down the same slope that the other fellow -flew down. Yet he does not use his sticks to lean on, but stands upright -also, but with toes pointed inwards, legs apart, and heels pointing -outwards. Instead of travelling on level skis, it is clear that he leans -on their inside edges; and since they are not pointing straight down the -slope it is obvious that they are side-slipping all the time instead of -sliding straight. That is the case: he is “stemming,” descending -straight, but using the sideways position of his skis to check his -speed. Our beginner, warming to his work, tries this also. He instantly -gets the toe of one ski across the toe of the other, and has discovered -another method of abruptly stopping. This time he will very likely fall -forward in the manner of a breaking wave on to a snowy shore. - -This time the question of the technique of getting up obtrudes itself. -Probably his skis are still lovingly entwined together, and, leaving -them in a fond embrace, he will attempt to rise. Nothing happens: at -least he is only conscious of violent and enraged effort, which is -productive of no appreciable alteration in his position. Then it occurs -to him that he had better have his feet free of each other, and this he -strugglingly accomplishes, pointing them both symmetrically downhill. -Again he attempts to rise, digging his sticks in the snow, upon which -his feet slide sweetly and smoothly away from under him, and he is prone -on his back again. But if, after disentangling his feet, he plants them -sideways across the slope he will find they cannot slip away, because -they are edged into the snow and are as firm as everlasting mountains. -But this is instruction. - -A third runner comes down the slope, this time running slantways. But -after a little he assumes the stemming position, and then his right ski -crosses in front of the other, and he comes round in a curve to the -left. Then his left foot takes the lead and he swerves again to the -right ... _da capo, da capo_ ... he describes a slow serpentine line, -running with feet together on his zigzags, and widening the distance as -he approaches the turn. First one foot and then the other goes in front -at their appropriate corners, and down this precipitous slope he comes, -but at moderate speed, weaving his dance. Each turn is made in the -stemming-position--for these be stemming-turns. - -Thereafter comes a more inexplicable runner. He progresses straight for -a little way, and then advancing his right foot, he proceeds apparently -to kneel down on his left knee, bending the right leg also, but keeping -the knee up. Then it is clear that his weight is almost entirely on the -advanced right leg, the other but trails behind. Then with a visible -effort he leans on the inside of his right ski and turns it round in -front of the other towards his left. As by a conjuring trick he slews -round altogether towards his left, and comes to a dead stop facing -nearly in the direction from which he has run. And if anybody is -standing near our beginner the latter will probably hear for the first -time the mystic word Telemark. - -Here, then, is a more comfortable manner of stopping dead than that of -falling down. The latter is nature, the former is art. On the steepest -slope, provided only there is a decent covering of softish snow, the -expert will make this short sharp turn and come to a standstill facing -nearly or quite uphill. Or, if so he please, he will make a -half-Telemark, bring himself sideways to the slope, and then continue -his downward descent, starting from rest again. Should he wish to turn -towards the right he will kneel on his right knee, or nearly kneel, with -heel raised, and, advancing his left ski, put all his weight on to that, -trailing the right one behind, which acts, as Mr. Caulfield points out, -like the rudder of a boat. Probably our beginner will attempt this also. -His first difficulty will be to kneel down at all without upsetting. If -he safely accomplishes this, he will have a crisis of nerves in finding -himself in so abnormal a position, and dig his stick into the snow. -Anything whatever may happen then. - -A fifth and final runner on this morning of revelation begins his -descent, travelling not quite straight down the slope but on a steepish -zigzag. He does not proceed to pray in the Telemark attitude, but, -standing straight, advances his right foot, leaning his weight on it, -and trailing his left behind. Then he makes a twist of his shoulders and -body towards the right, exactly as if he was cutting a three-turn on -skates, and, lo, he has turned round in exactly the same manner as in -the Telemark. He does not, it is true, continue the back-edge downhill, -but halts on the cusp, as it were, facing uphill, as at the end of the -Telemark swing. But what he has done is to make a Christiania swing, -with the foot towards the direction of his turn advanced instead of the -opposite foot, as in the Telemark. But the effect is the same: he has -stopped in the middle of a swift downward descent without falling down -or braking. Probably, to touch for a moment on _minutiæ_, he has made -his Christiania on a hard and ice-crusted place, whereas the Telemarker -has selected a spot of soft snow for his performance. So, if the -beginner is tempted to try this last manœuvre, he is advised to look out -for an icy patch where the sun has thawed the surface of the snow, which -has subsequently frozen again. On arriving at such a patch, he will -probably conclude (as our American cousins say) to reserve the -Christiania for another day. - -Now this gifted series of practisers on the slope have, in imagination, -presented to the would-be skier all that is demanded of him in the -practice of ski-running. When he has learned the more effortless ways of -ascending slopes, as exhibited by the expert whom he first observed, and -when he can make in his descents, - -[Illustration: THE TELEMARK TURN - -_From the Drawing by Fleming Williams_] - -with a fair prospect of success, the stemming-turn, the Telemark, and -the Christiania, he is, for all practical purposes, an accomplished -ski-runner, a master of that delightful art. But for as many years as he -is active of body, he will gain in facility in accomplishing these -things, and probably no skier has ever reached anything approaching -perfection, any more than any skater has attained that undesirable goal. -It is advisedly that I say “undesirable,” since to our limited skill it -seems to me that half the fun of any sport would be subtracted if we -could possibly become perfect in it. But, on the other hand, the skier, -if he is at all master of his limbs, will more easily attain that -moderate degree of excellence which will enable him to join comfortably -and easily in these climbs and expeditions which are the joy of -ski-running, than he would attain the excellence required of a member of -a fair combined figure in skating or of a player in a respectable -curling team. But whereas in skating and curling he can only spoil the -amusement of other people (or perhaps, if they are humorously inclined, -add to it), he incurs grave danger if he attempts to go on arduous -ski-ing expeditions without having got some facility in the easier -ski-ing figures, such as the kick-turn on his ascents and the -stemming-turn on his descents. Odd as it may appear, everyone has not -the nerve to fall down in time, in case a sudden obstacle appears in -front of him, or, which is perhaps worse, a sudden absence of anything -at all, in the guise of a precipice. But a man who can, with the ease of -habit, make a stemming-turn or, better still, both of the other turns, -can stop when he chooses. To attain such moderate skill is not at all a -difficult matter, but without it, only a lunatic would join any long -expedition. If he is incapable of climbing slopes except with an -infinite degree of slipping and stumbling, he is a nuisance to his -companions; while if in the descents he is incapable of any turn, he -may, if he has the nerve to fall down promptly, be only a worse -nuisance; but if he has not, he may become a source of much danger to -himself. - -Further, however expert a skier he may eventually become, he should -never dream of making an expedition alone, unless he is always close to -some well-frequented track or road, or unless he is certain that other -skiers will pass that way before nightfall. For the best skiers in the -world are not exempt from falling, and it is always possible that a fall -may result in a very severe sprain, such as will make it impossible for -the injured man to go on, or in a broken bone. It is quite true that -such injuries are rare, but no consolation will be found in the rarity -of your injury if you find yourself on a high and unfrequented snowfield -towards evening in an incapacitated condition. For nobody has skill -enough to eliminate this danger from his own case, just as no climber -will go alone, if he has a grain of sense in his head, on places where -there is any reasonable prospect of his slipping. He makes his party, -whether with guides or without, takes a rope, and puts it on when a slip -might lead to severe injury or worse. It is only the ignorant who take -unreasonable risks, or the foolhardy. It is the same case with the -skier. But with him any steep slope may result in a tumble, and any -tumble may result in an incapacity to move. Therefore, without any -exception, a skier, however skilful, should never go alone on any -expedition that takes him away from frequented paths. Nor, on such an -expedition, should unfrequented places be left behind until all the -members of the party have negotiated them. And in such it is the -unskilful straggler who falls continually, and having fallen does not -know how to get up, and has to ride his stick and go slow over all steep -places, who is so unmitigated a nuisance to his companions. - -A word more of warning. Clothing is a most important item in the skier’s -equipment. He perhaps will start from his hotel in a blaze of sun, and -knowing there is a long ascent in front of him will adopt an investiture -which is altogether unsuitable for that which lies before him, -forgetting that though he will certainly get extremely warm during the -course of the day, he may also run the risk of frost-bite. He may -perhaps be no worse than the man who clothes himself scantily for -reasons of the hot upward ascent, and remembering that close-fitting -thick garments are productive of extraordinary warmth, will proceed to -put on thick woollen stockings, which make the donning of his boots over -them a matter of some difficulty. “Thick leather, thick stockings,” says -he to himself, “now I _can’t_ be cold.” But he could not have adopted a -worse procedure, for it is just through this thick, closely-fitting -clothing that frost-bite penetrates. Outside, on the boot, is a frozen -spray of snow, inside is the moisture of the foot asking, positively -demanding, to be frozen also. The tightness of the boot and stocking -further impedes the surface-circulation, and a frost-bitten foot is very -likely the response to this well-meant protection of it. Instead, the -boot should be so large that it can easily accommodate two layers of -woollen stuff loosely. Then the natural heat of the body, unchilled by -surface pressure, is diffused through these woollen coverings, and -makes, instead of a layer of icy moisture, a temperate atmosphere round -itself. Similarly with the hands: loose gloves, instead of thick tight -ones, should be worn, and the finger-receptacles should be made all in -one piece, as is the fashion with babies. Then they warm and comfort -each other, instead of being each enclosed in a solitary prison. - -In other respects the clothing should be that of the mountain climber, -warm but as little heavy as possible. For the lower part of the legs -putties are admirable, for it is necessary to protect the chinks between -boot and stocking: otherwise snow collects there and forms into icy -deposits. Coat and knickerbockers should be made of smooth and -wind-proof material, and such a garment as a sweater should not be worn -as an outer covering, for the roughness of it causes the snow to cling -to it. The coat should be capable of being buttoned closely round the -neck, so that in tumbles the snow does not get inside it, and for the -same reason long gloves covering the opening of the sleeves are useful. -A woollen cap, of the type known as “crusader,” which can be brought -over the ears and neck when encountering cold winds, and be rolled up, -when so desired, is as good a head-covering as can be devised. Snow -spectacles of smoked glass, to shield the eyes from the intense glare, -should always be carried, and put on before (not after) the eyes begin -to smart and water from the dazzle of whiteness. Otherwise it is easy -to get a touch of snow-blindness. - -Now, when the snow is soft and inclined to thaw, it has an odious habit -of balling on the sole of the ski, so that you walk uphill clogged with -a great lump of snow dependent from each foot, which makes it heavy to -lift, and at the same time makes lifting necessary, since it is -impossible to slide forward on it. But since it is equally impossible to -slip back, the beginner will find a certain consolation if the snow -balls slightly on his ascent, for he will climb severe slopes -laboriously indeed, but without slipping. But no consolation rewards him -when he begins his descent. In vain he encourages his skis to slide, for -the loose mass of soft snow sticking to them effectually prevents their -doing anything of the kind, and unless he has come prepared for such a -contingency he will assuredly have to stamp along all the way home. But -balling can be largely avoided by waxing the bottom of the skis, -preferably before he starts. This wax can be obtained anywhere in tubes, -and when rubbed on to the skis prevents the snow from sticking to them, -and you will see a man whose skis have been well waxed running swiftly -and easily over snow that would entirely prevent his moving if this had -not been done. - -On the other hand, the snow on an ascent may, instead of being soft and -balling, be hard and icy, so that it is a difficult matter even for the -expert to prevent back-slipping. To discourage this tendency he -sometimes will tie a cord to the toes of his skis and pass it several -times round them, fastening it to the bindings. Others tie strips of -seal-skin to them, which also counteracts the tendency to slip. These, -of course, are removed when the ascent is over. - - -JUMPING - -Of all spectacular feats compassable upon frozen snow surfaces, -ski-jumping is, to the minds of most people, the most amazing, and -compared with it all performances on ice-rinks and toboggan-runs seem to -the spectator almost tame. Not having the smallest or most elementary -practical experience of it (I should freeze with terror if told that I -had to go over even a very mild ski-jump, and probably be found hiding -in the station waiting-room to take the next train home), I can but give -an impression of it as it strikes the observer. - -The glad word is passed round the hotel one evening that some famous -ski-jumper has arrived and will give an exhibition next day; and next -day, accordingly, you trudge out on to the slope where the jump has been -erected. This is a long steep hillside, and the platform for the jump -has been put up some hundred yards from the top of it. It is a champion -jumper who has arrived, and the apparatus is on the big scale. Out from -the slope of the hill is this platform, built in the manner of a dormer -window in a house-roof or a header-board above a pool. It is made of -wooden planks supported on posts, and covered with a layer of -down-trodden snow. It is some 5 yards or so in length, 5 or 6 feet -broad, and the edge of it is some 6 feet perpendicularly above the slope -at its base. At the corners of it, to guide the jumper who approaches -it, are boughs of fir stuck into the snow, or flags. Above it the slope -is of moderate steepness, sufficient, anyhow, for a skier to get up a -considerable speed when running straight down towards it from above; -below the hillside is considerably steeper, and continues at a steep -angle for two or three hundred yards. Both above and below the platform -the snow is being industriously trodden down by those engaged on the -preparations, so as to make a smooth firm run for the jumper before he -gets to his platform, and a smooth firm landing-place after his flight -through the air. The reason of this is that it is absolutely essential -that the jumper should have no check when he touches ground again after -his flight: if he landed in soft or deep snow he would quite certainly -have a bad fall. But with hard smooth snow to land on there is no such -check, and on landing he continues his course at high speed straight -down the hill. It is also extremely important for him to land on a steep -slope; for if the slope was but gentle, the shock of coming in contact -with it from such a height would clearly be extremely severe, and broken -bones would undoubtedly result. But the steep slope lends itself to the -pace he is going and the height from which he comes, and, as it were, -continues his flight on the ground. Also, the steeper the slope is, the -longer obviously will the jump be, as measured from the platform to the -point where he first lands. - -A good place to see the jumping from is to the side of the track down -which the jumper will come and a little way below the platform: here let -us suppose ourselves standing. On each side of the course stretch out -lines of spectators, and a hundred yards above the jumper is standing -talking to friends and seeming positively to enjoy what lies in front of -him. Then the word is given, and, steadying himself on his two sticks he -points his skis straight down towards the jump. He shoves off with his -sticks, leaving them standing in the snow (for no jumper uses sticks -when he jumps, which would be highly dangerous), and at swiftly -accelerating speed glides down the slope. As he approaches the -jumping-platform he crouches low, and just as he traverses it he springs -upwards and forwards into the air. High above your head, a veritable -flying man, he soars, with all the impetus that his run and his spring -have given him. For a hundred feet or more he continues this amazing -flight in a superb curve, and you wait breathless, scarcely able to -believe that when he touches the ground again at that pace and from that -height there will be anything but a heap of broken bones there. But he -alights without shock or the least appearance of unsteadiness, and -simultaneously, it appears, he is already another hundred feet down the -slope, going like an arrow. Then comes perhaps the most astounding feat -of all: he suddenly kneels, and in a moment has swung round with a -Telemark, and has come to rest, facing up the hillside over which he has -flown and skimmed. And then this extraordinary young man (he is usually -rather young) will climb his slope again and instantly repeat the -process, in evident enjoyment, or, more remarkable yet, he will get hold -of another like himself, and they will take their jump hand-in-hand, let -go of each other on landing, and Telemark, one to the right the other to -the left! - -This jumping is certainly ski-ing _in excelsis_, and jumpers tell - -[Illustration: THE JUMP - -_From the Drawing by Fleming Williams_] - -us that if the beginner starts with small jumps, and is careful to do -everything correctly and in the proper style from the beginning, he will -not find it either a difficult or dangerous pursuit. But he must be -careful to make his movements (his crouch, his spring, his angle in the -air, the levelness of his skis as he alights, &c.) with accuracy and -correct timing; while it is not less important that the jump itself -should be properly constructed and the slopes that lead to and from it -be of suitable steepness. Indeed, what appears to the ignorant onlooker -the most hazardous part of the whole affair, namely, the landing on a -very steep slope, is safe only if the slope is steep, and the real -obstacle that lies in the way of most men taking up jumping as a sport, -is not that it is dangerous so much as that their nerves tell them that -it must be, and refuse to make the crouch and spring (the _säts_, as the -Norwegians call it) with vigour and confidence, even if they can master -their nerves so far as to let themselves run down on to the platform at -all. But having once reached the platform, the spring must be made: -otherwise the would-be jumper will merely flow stickily, so to speak, -over the edge, bury the toes of his skis in the snow, and certainly have -a bad fall. But, indeed, the nerves must be in good condition, for the -platform, approaching it from above, looks exactly like a cliff’s edge, -and, jutting out as it does from the slope, it entirely conceals the -slope below it: your eye tells you that you are merely leaping over the -end of all things. But if, after considering the question, you decide, -as most people do, that you will not begin jumping this season, you have -only to repeat that prudent resolution for a few more seasons, and then -you will be able to tell yourself and everybody else that it is no use -trying to learn to jump unless you begin it quite as a boy. This does -not really happen to be the case; but it is one of those excuses that -are always granted acceptance, and, having firmly established it in your -own mind, your nipped ambition will cease to worry you any more. - -A further delightful pastime to be indulged in on skis is that known as -ski-joring. For this it is necessary to secure the co-operation of a -horse, and fit him with long reins or ropes, which you hold one in each -hand, and stand behind the horse out of the way of his heels. He is -lightly harnessed, and from his collar passes a long leather loop of -rein, which passes round the ski-jorer’s body. You then encourage your -horse to proceed, and if he is good enough to do so, he will naturally -pull you along on your skis by this loop of rein from his collar. It is -a fascinating pursuit to watch, and can be practised over a frozen lake -or along the down-trodden snow of roads. Especially in the Engadine you -will hear the sound of bells, and observe a horse trotting or cantering -briskly on the road, followed at a yard or two distance by an upright -figure that glides along after him, a charioteer with only his skis as -chariot. But though it is concerned with skis, it is not exactly -concerned with ski-ing, which enters into it, as an art, less than does -the knowledge of horses and the use of reins. - -[Illustration: SKI-JORING - -_From the Drawing by Fleming Williams_] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXXIV - -AT ST. MORITZ] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXXV - -PRACTICE SLOPES, MONTANA, SWITZERLAND] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXXVI - -A SLIGHT MISHAP] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXXVII - -SKI-JUMPING] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXXVIII - -SKI-JUMPING, MONTANA, SWITZERLAND] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XXXIX - -VETERANS OF THE ST. MORITZ SKI CLUB] - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -NOTES ON WINTER RESORTS - - -Of late years the number of the English and other nations who annually -go to spend a portion at any rate of the winter at some High Alpine -resort has enormously increased, and in consequence every year fresh -hotels are opened in valleys which hitherto have hybernated like dormice -beneath their snow-laden roofs, during the months of short days. But it -is by no means every high-perched hotel that is suitable as a centre for -winter sports, for there are several conditions to be considered. In the -first place, such a spot must be sufficiently high up to make it -probable that there will be fairly continuous frosts there throughout -the winter, and this again depends not only on height but also on -aspect. As regards height you cannot reasonably depend on getting this -continuity of frost (allowing for reasonable breaks) under the height of -round about 4000 feet, especially if the place in question is to enjoy -long hours of sun. True, an exceptionally severe winter may come, and -the strictness of the binding of the frost may hold, week after week, at -a much lower altitude, but it is natural that the holiday-maker, who has -only a week or two abroad and wants during all his hours of daylight to -be employed in sliding movements, should wish to be fairly safe to find -the conditions suitable, and he has, obviously, a better chance of -finding them if he goes high. But there are several places considerably -below this 4000-foot level, such as Grindelwald, which lies in a very -cold valley, where he may in an average year find himself unhampered and -rendered idle by thaws, and it is wonderful how continuous frost is at -Grindelwald. But there both skating-rink and curling-rink are, all day -long at midwinter, entirely in the shade, for the sun does not rise high -enough at noon to look over the great barrier of rock that lies to the -south of it. That protection, of course, preserves for the place its -excellent ice, whereas if, as at other winter resorts, it basked in the -sun all day, the rink would speedily be metamorphosed into a degraded -glue with discouraging pools interspersed. But if you go to greater -heights, you can combine the pleasures of skating with those of sitting -in the sun, and that to this writer is a remarkably charming -combination. But in order to enjoy that you must have greater height -than is possessed by Grindelwald, and a place like Montana, where the -sun is on the rink by nine in the morning, and continues to beat down on -it till somewhere about five in the afternoon, would see its ice and -snow disappear into slush and torrents of water were it not perched -nearly 5000 feet above sea-level. St. Moritz and Mürren are throned -higher yet, and it has to be a very warm winter indeed which will cause -a general thaw at such places. And there is nothing more irritating than -to have gone to some comparatively low place and find that day after day -goes by in melting mood, and at the same time to know that a thousand -feet higher up ideal conditions are being experienced. - -The skier naturally is less dependent on the altitude of his village, -provided that there are high hills abounding in suitable slopes round -him. It is part of the essence of his sport that he climbs for it, -whereas skaters and curlers demand their playgrounds at the door and no -climbing at all. Thus the high valley leading across from Montreux in -the Rhone valley to Spiez by the Lake of Thun is, though its highest -villages and hotels are below 4000 feet, ideal for the skier, since it -has on each side of it lofty hills which are rich in good slopes. But -for the others, skaters, curlers, and tobogganers alike, it is important -that the frost should hold in the immediate vicinity of their hotels. -They do not seek their various joys on the tops of neighbouring -mountains. - -Now this question of sun is, of course, a personal one, and the -popularity of Grindelwald shows that there are multitudes of folk who do -not mind skating and curling in the shade. For them, then, that is all -right, but if you happen to like skating and curling in a blaze of sun, -you will be wise to go somewhere not below the 4000-foot level. Even -there, of course, you cannot be safe against thaws, and the deplorable -series of days known as the winter of 1911-1912, when thaw succeeded -thaw at almost all Swiss resorts, taught us all that the malice of -climate is infinite and incalculable, and the summer of 1912, here in -England, where the general temperature was about the same as that of the -previous winter in Switzerland, repeated the same lesson. But in the -average year winter places over 4000 feet in height can be trusted to -let the visitor enjoy sunshine and hard frost together. - -A second consideration is wind. It would be no use at all to spend the -winter on a mountain-top: what is necessary is a high sheltered valley, -like that of Davos or St. Moritz, or a high sheltered shelf on the -mountain-side, like Villars or Mürren. To be able to skate at all, it is -necessary that the day should be practically windless, and quite a -gentle breeze spoils it altogether. Moreover, even gentle breezes are -currents of moving air above or below freezing-point. If they are above -freezing-point they spell ruin, for they melt both snow and ice with -amazing swiftness; if they are below freezing-point they feel quite -intolerably cold. Therefore, all winter places should be screened from -the wind on the north and east, so that, if such airs are astir, they -pass over the valley in which you are, and their icy blasts are unfelt. -It does not matter so much whether the valley is screened from southerly -winds, for this blowing of a southerly wind means in itself that warm -currents of air are coming up from the Mediterranean, and as long as -that lasts there must be more or less of a thaw, and a screen to the -south almost necessarily implies a cutting off of the sun. This -southerly wind, so justly abhorred by all altitudinists, is generally -known as the _föhn_ wind. Philologists may try to interest us in it by -telling us that the word is derived from the Latin _favonius_, or south -wind, but when the _föhn_ blows you are not the least consoled by -knowing its derivation: you only wish it had another destination. It -brings clouds, mists, sleet, and even rain, all undesirable aliens, into -our sunny valleys. - -So much, then, for the two main conditions--sun (for those who like it) -and absence of wind for everybody. And the next prime essential is a -good rink, for out of every hundred people who come out in the winter, -it is safe to say that at least eighty either skate or curl. And not -only is a good skating-rink necessary, but good skaters also, for the -encouragement and instruction of the learner, and, we may add, the -mutual admiration of each other. But it is extraordinary how a good rink -seems to breed skaters: sooner or later (usually sooner) good skaters -are attracted to it, like flies to honey, though we hope they do not -stick in it, and other mere beginners rapidly develop into sound -performers. The Davos rink developed skaters thus, and more recently the -immense rink at Villars has brought to birth a whole fresh school of -English skating. The writer is tempted to be anecdotal. Not more than -six or seven years ago he first went there and found that the only -skating-rink was one flooded lawn-tennis court. On it the most -accomplished skater in the place was instructing and demonstrating to -two pupils. She was showing them the change of edge, and as, perhaps a -little falteringly, she passed from one edge to the other she -proclaimed: “The change from the outside edge to the inside is possible, -but the change from the inside to the outside is impossible.” Indeed -that would save an infinity of trouble to many of us, if we thought it -was strictly true. But Villars made up its mind otherwise, and nowadays -the great rink, which would hold hundreds of lawn-tennis courts, holds -hundreds of skaters also who demonstrate the falsity of that sublime -pronouncement. - -Now ice varies enormously, not only in smoothness or roughness of -surface, but in texture and in hardness, and without doubt the -pleasantest and at the same time the easiest ice to skate on is that -which has been frozen at temperatures not unreasonably low. Should the -thermometer have stood all night at zero or below, the ice made under -that benumbing influence will be both very hard and rather brittle; -whereas if the rink had basked in a mellow moonlight of say 10 or 15 -degrees of frost, the ice, though perfectly solid and dry, will be far -kinder to the skate blade and lend itself more amenably to the edges. -Indeed, after a very cold night, the ice is absolutely unskateable on -until the sun has relaxed its adamantine rigidity; the edges of the -skate will not bite. This appears to be due to the amazing fact, not -generally known, that the skate actually moves over a thin layer of -water, which its passage, its weight and friction causes to be -momentarily produced. This transient, minute and local thaw (which -instantaneously ceases in the wake of the skate) does not take place -when the temperature is abnormally cold, and, in consequence, the skate, -instead of travelling smoothly and firmly, cannot be prevented from -skidding on the marble-like and uncuttable surface, and even when the -sun has to some extent mitigated this hardness, the ice tends to be -brittle and unkind. Thus, since in very high places there are recorded a -large number of very low temperatures, the skater will probably find -pleasanter ice at lower altitudes. Much, of course, depends on the -making of it, and the whole question perhaps may be regarded as -trifling, but in the writer’s opinion the resorts at which, as a rule, -very low temperatures do not occur, yield the greatest abundance of -jolly ice. On the other hand, the higher the place, the greater is the -probability of immunity from thaws. - -So much, then, for the more technical considerations. But however -absorbed we may be in our inwicks, our Telemarks, our brackets, there -are still moments when we happen to look up and regard and appreciate -our surroundings. In fact, though we do not go out to Switzerland -primarily for the sake of the view, the natural beauty of the places we -go to make, even to the sternest and most determined athlete, a certain -appeal. And though every place alike has the witchery and magic with -which the radiant frost clothes peak and mountain-side, there are four -places, three of which are set on high shelves on the mountain-side -facing south, which, to my mind, altogether outshine the rest, and these -are Mürren, Montana, Grindelwald and Villars. Of Mürren mention has -already been made in the first chapter of this book, but those who have -seen it only in summer have no idea of the incomparable majesty of the -huge outspread panorama of the Oberland when the winter suns shine on -the winter snows. Nowhere else in all Switzerland is there to be had so -near and unimpeded a view of so great a stretch of big mountains. Eiger -and Monch and Jungfrau and Silberhorn, and the amazing precipice of the -Ebnefluh are all spread out immediately in front, with only the narrow -valley of Lauterbrunnen interposed between you and them. Their size and -nobility of form when thus seen close at hand is almost overwhelming: -almost you join in the worship of the mountains and hills that so -visibly are praising the Lord. - -Utterly different, yet in its way no less sublime, is the immense -panorama of big peaks as seen from Montana. Here again (though perhaps, -strictly speaking, you are in the Rhone valley) there is no impression -of being in a valley at all, so lofty is the shelf on which Montana -stands, so swiftly the ground plunges into the Rhone valley proper -below. But this is no narrow cleft as at Mürren, and the hills that -climb out of it on the further or southern side are miles away. But what -a row of glistening giants is piled up on those hills. The kings and -captains of all the Zermatt ranges soar skywards against the incredible -blue, Weisshorn, Roth-horn, Dent Blanche, Gabelhorn, Matterhorn are -standing in their immemorial stations, and in the west Mont Blanc, with -its guard of arrow-headed aiguilles, looks down over France and -Switzerland. Nowhere else, unless you climb the inhospitable peaks -themselves, shall you enjoy so immense a range of vision that contains -so many giants of the mountain world. - -Utterly different again is the quality of the view at Grindelwald. -Unlike these other eyries Grindelwald is tucked away at the head of a -valley, and immediately above it rise the appalling presences of the -mountains. High and menacing above it climb the sheer walls of the -Eiger, not those sunny crags that face towards Mürren, but the black and -sunless precipices of the north and east. Further away are spread the -snows of the Wetterhorn, and the precipice to the north of it, over -which the wicked avalanches pour and thunder; while over the ridge just -to the south of the hotels the Finster-Aarhorn points its single -pinnacle to the sky. But there, long after the sun has set to the -valley, Wetterhorn burns in rosy flame, and the Finster-Aarhorn is -incandescent above the black night-beleaguered slopes. But splendid as -are these overhanging walls of rock, there is something to my mind of -imminence and threat about them. They are crushing. - -Villars, again, in the Rhone valley, is neither of the type of Mürren -nor Grindelwald: it is of the Montana class, though with less austerity. -It lies among pine woods and gentle slopes, and its high southern-facing -shelf has a wonderful charm and amenity. Below it the hillside tumbles -swiftly away into the Rhone valley, and opposite is spread an entrancing -panorama. The Dent du Midi, one of the most distinguished of -mountain-forms, dominates the nearer distance; behind, much closer than -at Montana, rise the prodigious aiguilles of Mont Blanc. If you walk but -for ten minutes either up or down from Villars towards the east, a gap -opens out, and you shall see the most part of the Chamounix range, and -the vast dome of Mont Blanc itself. Magical are the wonders of cloudland -spread out before you in the Rhone valley below. Sometimes an ocean of -cloud, solid as if made of grey marble, and to all appearance as level -as the sea, is spread from the promontories a little below where Villars -stands straight across to the hills on the far side of the valley. It -seems as if some cloud-boat would put out from behind a cape opposite -and glide across this grey sea. Or again, the valley will be full of -cloud in form of breaking waves, and tossing crests throw themselves -against the hillsides and are shattered into wreaths of cloud-spray. No -boat could live in so turbulent a water. Then, as the sun declines to -its setting, rosy beams of fire pierce this wonderful sea, and it is -shot with flame, and lit from within by a glow that baffles all -language. On another day and for many days together not a speck of mist -or shred of cloud hangs above the valley, and it is mapped out at your -feet 2000 feet down and half a dozen miles away with the clearness of -etching. And sometimes, I am sorry to say, when the weather is behaving -morosely, the cloud comes up from the valley and envelops Villars -itself. Then we take our skis or toboggan and flee up the hillsides -through the pine-woods, all encrusted with the miracle of hoar-frost, -into the unobscured sunshine that lies like a benediction on the heights -of the dazzling Chamossaire. - -Switzerland, as regards its winter resorts, may be broadly divided into -districts, such as the Engadine, the Oberland, the Rhone valley, and the -strip of country between Montreux on the Lake of Geneva, and Spiez on -the Lake of Thun, and pride of place must certainly be given to the -Engadine and Davos, which are the cradle of winter sports. And the -following are (at present) the chief hill-stations, with the sports for -which they are famous. - -(i) _St. Moritz._--This is the highest and probably the most populous of -winter resorts. It is situated 6090 feet above sea-level, and is eminent -for its rinks and toboggan-runs; namely, the Cresta or ice-run, spoken -of already at length, the bob-run, and the village-run for luges. Rinks -both for skating and curling are numerous, and below the town lies the -St. Moritz lake, and further off towards the Maloja pass the Sils lake. -The bandy-rink is one of the largest rinks in Switzerland; bandy is -played here every day, and numerous skating contests are held. Owing to -its height, the winter weather, as a rule, lasts here till well into -March: indeed it is not till March that the big events happen on the -Cresta. - -Round about St. Moritz are other smaller winter resorts: Celerina, with -a fine skating-rink, lies a little below the end of the Cresta run, and -further down, towards Chur, is Samaden. In the other directions, towards -the Maloja pass down into Italy, is Campfer, with rink and greater -length of sun than even at St. Moritz, from which it is distant about a -mile and a half. The ski-ing also is much better there than at that -place. St. Moritz and all these other smaller centres are fortunate in -the number of hours of sun that they enjoy: they are less fortunate in -the wind that rather frequently blows up from the Maloja pass, a chilly -and disconcerting current of air that not very infrequently starts to -blow shortly after mid-day. But there is probably no place in -Switzerland which enjoys a larger proportion of perfect winter days, and -in none are the rinks more carefully made and preserved. It was one of -the earliest places in which the pursuit of winter sport began to -develop, and from the earliest days the St. Moritz school of English -skating was renowned for the strictness of its requirements. Of late -years the International style has greatly developed there, owing -probably to the very large number of German visitors who annually go -there. But there is enough ice for everybody, since many of the hotels -have private skating-rinks of their own, and there is no reason why the -two schools should not flourish side by side. Just round about St. -Moritz itself there is not any very extraordinary display of Alpine -scenery, for the larger peaks are not visible therefrom. But there are, -in addition to the winter sports already mentioned, innumerable -excursions to be made, and the lake-skating, when the chronology of -snow-fall and frost is propitious, is a tremendous though usually a -short-lived attraction. The journey from England can be luxuriously made -in the Engadine express, which reaches St. Moritz in the middle of the -day after which the voyager has left London. - -(ii) _Davos_, in an adjoining valley, is now closely linked up to St. -Moritz by train, so that it is accessible from it without a long detour -by rail, or by crossing on sleighs the Fluela pass. It is rather over -5100 feet above sea-level, and, as already recorded, was probably the -earliest place at which an attempt was made, by Mr. John Addington -Symonds and a few friends, to construct an artificial ice-rink. This -they did by industriously working the handle of a pump which stood in a -meadow. Davos was originally known to the world as a resort for -consumptives and the place where the open-air treatment was first -scientifically adopted. There are to-day many sanatoriums for patients -there, and readers of this essay may have heard of a false and wicked -report that in consequence the whole native population is now riddled -with consumption, and that there is a certain risk in staying there. No -more absurdly malicious and unfounded statement could be made, and there -is probably far more risk of catching consumption by walking down a -London street than in staying at Davos. For since the dry cold of this -wonderful valley is fatal to the bacillus, it is hard to see how it -could be supposed to spread! In addition, to ensure a double security, -the most stringent regulations are enforced and every requirement of -hygiene insisted on. Visitors, therefore, can go to Davos with precisely -the same security as to any other place. - -Davos is excellent alike for its rinks, its ski-ing slopes, and its -toboggan-runs. Of the latter there is the excellent Klosters road for -luges and skeletons, which leads from the hills above Davos down to the -village of Klosters, where tobogganists find a train neatly drawn up -close to the end of their run, in which they can return to Davos, if -they will, or to Wolfgang again to make another descent. For this is no -affair of a few hundred yards: the course is several miles in length. -Lately a first-rate bob-run has been constructed from the Schatz-alp -down into Davos: this is served by an electric railway for the ascent. -Just below Davos, on the level land at the basin of the valley, lie the -skating-rinks, three in number, an enormous public rink, the rink -constructed by the English for purposes of English skating, and the -curling-rink. Here all manner of important competitions are held: -European championships in the International style, speed skating -competitions round the circumference of the large rink, and for English -skaters the annual Davos bowl. Indeed, Davos has had more to do with the -formation of the modern school of English skating, especially in the -matter of combined figures, executed large and fast, than any other -place, and there is scarcely a single skater of any eminence in this -style who has not “studied,” so to speak, at Davos. Usually the ice is -of very good quality, but a better surface would probably be more often -attained if the management would resort to sprinkling more, instead of -letting a flood make ice for several days’ use. Above the town is a -lake of considerable extent, on which occasional skating can be had. But -a commoner phenomenon than the skater on that lake are the horse-drawn -sledges which are loaded with solid blocks of ice sawn out of the frozen -surface and taken away to make puddings with instead of figures on. The -valley is gloriously free from wind, and extraordinarily healthy with -its very dry cold air and abundance of sun. - -(iii) Between Chur and St. Moritz lies a high upland valley some 4800 -feet above sea-level, and reached from Chur by a drive of some twelve -miles, which, however, include 3000 feet of ascent. Here is situated -Lenzenheide, one of the new winter resorts opened by the Public Schools -Winter Sports Club, which is responsible for so much of the increased -sporting population of Switzerland in winter, and has developed many -fresh and suitable centres. There is a good skating-rink, curling-rink, -a toboggan-run, and unlimited expeditions for skiers on country -admirably adapted for the sport. Like Davos, it lies in a very sheltered -valley, and is singularly free from wind. It is a four and a half hours’ -sleigh-drive to Chur, while St. Moritz is two hours distant. - - -_Oberland District_ - -(i) First among the Oberland resorts, by virtue of its age and -established attractions, must be mentioned Grindelwald. It is one of the -lower winter centres, but, as has already been mentioned, the limitation -is largely discounted from the point of view of skaters and curlers, -because the rinks during the months of mid-winter lie practically -entirely in the shade, and thus preserve their solidity. And if Davos -and St. Moritz must be called the cradle of English skating, Grindelwald -has no less earned the title of cradle of scientific ice-making. For -years the Boss family, who own the Bear Hotel, have studied this -intricate and delicate question, and their methods are beyond doubt -productive of the best possible ice. Grindelwald, it is true, is not -liable to exceedingly low temperatures, and thus the ice does not often -become of that very hard and brittle quality which results therefrom; -but, though the Bosses have not had to contrive how to deal with these -unpleasant conditions, they must be considered the parents of the school -of scientific ice-production. Originally Grindelwald was exclusively of -the English school of skating, but it has now passed into International -tutelage. Indeed there was hardly room for two schools; for excellent as -is the quality of the ice, it is certainly defective in area, and the -rinks should be increased in size or number, for even the Bear rink, -which is the largest there, is but of very moderate extent, and cannot -hold many skaters in comfort. There are curling-rinks of the same -superlative quality of ice, good road toboggan-runs, both for luges and -the bob-sleigh, while in every direction almost (except that of the -Eiger precipice) there are admirable ski-ing runs. It is situated 3450 -feet above sea-level, and is reached by a light railway from Interlaken. - -(ii) But if instead of taking that portion of the train from Interlaken -that branches off to the left up to Grindelwald, the voyager disposes -himself otherwise, he will be carried straight up the Lauterbrunnen -valley, until he arrives at that village. On the right the incredible -funicular ascends to Mürren, while a cog-line, lying in loops and curves -up the hillside to the left, brings him to Wengen, which, like Mürren, -has lately been opened up as a winter resort by the Public Schools -Alpine Sports Club. It faces the Eiger, the Monch, and the northern and -precipitous face of the Jungfrau, and is admirably sheltered from the -north and east. It stands about 4500 feet above sea-level, basks for a -long day in the sun, and is excellently equipped in the way of rinks for -skating and curling. There are two rinks, one about 8000 square metres -in extent, the other half that size. Here, as at Grindelwald, the -International style “hath the pre-eminence.” The cog-railway by which -the village of Wengen is reached continues up the Wengern Alp, where are -excellent ski-ing slopes, and you can take a lift, instead of climbing, -up towards the Scheidegg, from which the skier can descend to -Grindelwald. Wengen was opened originally for the winter season in the -years 1909-1910, and has already grown enormously in popularity. - -(iii) Opposite Wengen (or rather a little further south) and on the -other side of the Lauterbrunnen valley, stands Mürren, at an altitude of -5500 feet, 1000 feet higher than Wengen. It has only been opened lately -as a Swiss winter resort, and is blest with many natural and artificial -excellences. A curling-rink adjoins the large skating-rink, and the ice, -made in the “Boss method,” is wonderfully good. Here the Continental and -English skaters may be seen side by side, and the two schools flourish, -as is reasonable, without the smallest friction. For the skier there -are any amount of expeditions, and the very large extent and variety of -the northern slopes above Mürren, combined with its height, render it -safe even in bad winters from continued thaws: it owns also (for the -more daring) one of the best jumps in Switzerland. This year (1912) the -railway has been continued to the top of the Allmendhubel, from where a -bob-sleigh run will start, and will give skiers a lift to the upper -snows. The inter-university ice-hockey match has for the last three -years been played here. Apart from its excellent faculties for sport, it -is a place of unrivalled natural beauty ... but perhaps you have heard -enough about the view. It is excellently shielded from the northerly -winds, and its height, as in the case of Davos and St. Moritz, gives it -a reasonable chance of immunity from thaw. - -(iv) On the other and northern side of the Lake of Thun, and looking -across the lake and the Interlaken valley straight at the Monch and -Jungfrau (I am sorry to introduce this lady and gentleman again, but -they cannot help dominating Oberland resorts) stands Beatenberg. It lies -below the 4000-foot level, being only 3750 feet above sea-level, and in -a warm winter (like that of 1911-1912) has the penalties of its day-long -sun rigorously exacted from it. For the skier there are admirable runs -above it on the Amisbühl, and there are good skating and curling rinks, -and an artificial toboggan-run. But Beatenberg is distinctly a place to -be visited in _severe_ weather, in which the conditions there are ideal. -But from its comparatively low altitude and its enormous abundance of -sun, it must necessarily be among the places that soonest feel a thaw. -It is an exceedingly picturesque village, and the lake below and the -Oberland beyond make a charming panorama. It is within an easy -sleigh-drive from Interlaken. - -Slightly away from the Oberland lie two other attractive -resorts--Kandersteg and Adelboden. Of these Adelboden is reached by a -short train transit from Spiez on the Lake of Thun, followed by a -sleigh-drive. It is essentially one of the high valley places, as -opposed to the high “shelf” villages like Mürren and Wengen, and has -admirable ski-ing expeditions to be made from it. The skating to be -obtained there is not of the best; it has not “caught on” as a skating -centre, and the rinks, when last the writer was there, were not up to -the mark of that which the skater who goes to Switzerland for the sake -of skating is entitled to expect. Skaters, for some reason, have not -been enticed there, and thus that inter-breeding of good skaters and -good rinks seems not to have taken place. But it lies in a high valley, -the altitude being about 4500 feet, and both tobogganing and bobbing are -catered for. Undoubtedly it is charming in situation, as all these -upland valleys are, but, apart from the ski-ing expeditions which can be -made from it, it does not boast any special attraction. - -Kandersteg is approached also from Spiez, and lies high on a valley base -leading to the Gemmi pass. It is lower than Adelboden, being only 3800 -feet above sea-level, but is capable of extreme frigidities, since it -lies in a northward sloping valley. But though it has been opened to -winter sports only six or seven years, it is already a sort of Mecca for -curling, and for the curler it is already a classical name. For the last -eight years there has been instituted an International Bonspiel for -curling, in which Scottish, English, Canadian, and Swiss teams have -taken part, and out of these eight annual events the contest has been -held four times at Kandersteg. Indeed the curler who has not been there, -excellent though his prowess may be, has got his Swiss St. Andrews to go -to, and there is probably no place that has had so many different -nationalities so often intent on winning a cup as Kandersteg. On the -first occasion of the institution of this bonspiel, twenty-eight rinks -were competing, and all curlers who have been there will acknowledge -“the atmosphere” that surrounds it. At the approach of the bonspiel a -holy hush dominates the valley. Curling is in the air, and the great -event obscures all other interests. A skater of the highest eminence -might make his appearance, a skier who could negotiate the most -incredible jumps, a tobogganer who could ride the Cresta backwards might -be announced, but all these masters of their craft would be looked on as -amiable aliens if the bonspiel was at all imminent. At such a time there -is no talk but of curling. The immediate ski-ing is not very good, but -there are excellent long excursions. - -This line from Spiez terminates at Zsweisimmen, and at Zsweisimmen -begins a light mountain railway which traverses the upland valley -southwards, and debouches at Montreux on the Lake of Geneva. This valley -itself is of an average height of between 3000 and 4000 feet, but on -either side of it are lines of hills of considerably greater altitudes, -which abound in admirable ski-ing slopes. Zsweisimmen, Saanan, and -Gstaad are all first-rate centres of the sport, and there is skating and -tobogganing, including bob-sleighing, to be had. But the _clou_ of all -these places is the ski-ing, which is excellent both in quantity and -quality. - -Further on towards Montreux stands Château d’Oex, an exceedingly -charming little place with a good skating-rink. It is not more than 3200 -feet above sea-level, and thus the visitor cannot expect the greater -security in the matter of frost that the higher places afford, but the -ice there is often excellent, and in an average cold winter his -enjoyment of it should be uninterrupted. After that the line passes -through Les Avants, which is about the same height as Château d’Oex. -Here there is a rink, and facilities for tobogganing and bobbing. -Finally, at the level of about 3600 feet, Caux, with its palace of a -hotel, overlooks the lake itself, much in the manner that Beatenberg -overlooks the Lake of Thun. - -We are now on the Lake of Geneva, at the upper end of which begins the -Rhone valley, which extends right away up to the Simplon pass and the -tunnel into Italy. Here are situated three winter resorts, opened and -controlled by the Public Schools Winter Sports Club, and a hill-station -called Leysin, which, however, in the main, is a place of out-door cure -and sun for invalids. These other winter-sport centres are Montana, -Villars, and Morgins. - -Of these Morgins lies on the south side of the Rhone, at a height of -4600 feet, and is in a well-sheltered basin. A light railway goes up -from Aigle to a small village called Trois Torrents, from which Morgins -is reached by a sleigh-drive. It is surrounded by excellent ski-ing -slopes, and there are good expeditions to be made. This year (1912-1913) -it has also started into ardent activity as a nucleus of skating in the -English style, and has a very fine rink of about 10,000 square metres. -Lying as it does on northern slopes (since it is on the south side of -the valley), it is far colder than places of corresponding height facing -south, and thus in the matter of the permanence of its ice and snow. At -mid-winter the hours of sun are rather short, about four. - -Opposite, on the north side of the Rhone, stands Villars, on a shelf of -the mountain-side rather than in a valley. It is reached by a -mountain-railway from Bex on the main line, and has an altitude of 4200 -feet. Climatically it is absolutely ideal in a decently cold winter, and -the big hills which shield it to the north and east afford several very -good ski-ing expeditions. It has not, however, from a skier’s point of -view, the limitless scope of Davos, and it is in the main as a centre of -English skating that it has become so popular and widely known. The rink -is in extent second only to the public rink at Davos, being about 17,000 -metres in extent, and is maintained on the principles of ice-making -which have come from Grindelwald. But at Villars the whole expanse of -the rink lies in the blaze of the sun, and, as at Davos, there is a -restaurant immediately adjoining. Of this big ice-surface a certain -part, of adequate size for practice and combined figures, is reserved -for those who have passed the National Skating Association’s Third Test, -or the lower of the two Villars tests. This, then, forms a club-rink for -English skating, which is the only school that at present exists at -Villars. There, rink and skating alike have quickly grown big from the -small beginnings of some seven years ago, and annually a large number of -good skaters spend a month there. Elsewhere on the rink is a strip -reserved for curlers, who have also another small private rink. For -tobogganers there is provided both an artificial snow-run for the use of -luges, and for skeletons a very good ice-run, not, indeed, of the -arduousness of the Cresta, but fast and well banked. In addition -bob-sleighing can be had on the mountain-track up to La Bretaye, and -there are the usual suitable slopes for luges. The place has now been -open some eight years, and yearly the four big hotels are crowded with -visitors. Nor is this to be wondered at, for, apart from the excellence -of its provisions for all manner of winter sports, Villars, set in its -pine-woods and faced by the splendid open view across the valley, is -possessed of an extraordinary charm of situation and natural beauty. - -On a similar northern shelf of mountain, but higher up the Rhone valley, -and also higher up in the air, stands Montana. It is reached by an -amazing funicular from Sierre, and is 4900 feet above sea-level. Behind -and above it and around it stretch limitless ski-ing slopes, and there -are any amount of expeditions to be made from it. There are two good -rinks: one for curlers, another for skaters; and after a considerable -period of Laodicean apathy, Montana seems to have made up its mind to be -of the English school. But up till lately it had put its chief energies -into ski-ing and curling, and had not pursued skating in that tense and -scientific spirit which it deserves. There is a fairly good artificial -ice-run for toboggans, and another snow-run down valleywards, and plenty -of those quiet, hard-trodden paths down which the amateur tobogganer -likes to ramble. There are two lakes which, when the snow has made an -agreeable arrangement with the frost, can be used for skating, and in -summer, when the sun has come to an understanding with the snow, a fine -golf-course is found to reveal itself. But all winter long the sun -blazes on Montana, while its altitude and the cold of its nights -preserves its frozen mantle. Of the view I have already spoken: there is -something to be said for a view in the intervals of falling-down, and in -the meditation and quiescence which such falls sometimes entail. - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XL - -A PRACTICE GROUND] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XLI - -CROSSING THE ROAD ON THE CRESTA] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XLII - -TOP OF KLOSTERS RUN, DAVOS] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XLIII - -THE START, SCHATZ ALP RUN, DAVOS] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XLIV - -BOBBING ON THE SCHATZ ALP RUN, DAVOS] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XLV - -SKATING-RINK AT VILLARS] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XLVI - -AT LA BRETAYE, VILLARS] - -[Illustration: - -PLATE XLVII - -“BLOW, BLOW, THOU WINTER WIND”] - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -FOR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS - - -I have attempted in the foregoing pages to give some general account of -the out-door sports which are, as a rule, indulged in by altitudinists -in winter. But any picture of this enchanting Swiss life, however -slight, would be imperfect without some allusion to other entertainments -which take place between sunset and sunrise. As a matter of fact, there -are a good many such, and at most Swiss resorts there is in one hotel or -another a dance, or a fancy-dress ball, or a concert, or very often more -than one of these, practically nightly. - -Now this piece of information, which I have thus baldly set down (for I -do not believe in the gradual breaking of bad news), will, I am aware, -strike a species of terror into many middle-aged and austere breasts. -There are large quantities of folk who would sooner die than dance, and -who would feel themselves affronted if, at the end of an active day out -of doors, they were expected to sit in rows and be sung to or amused, or -even worse, were expected to sing or amuse. At the most, they think they -would desire merely to sit quietly and read or converse, or perhaps -occupy a morose corner in a card-room, and the thought of being kept -awake after they have retired to their early beds by the sound of bands -or dancers would rouse them to a state of frenzied rage. As for dancing -themselves---- - -Now, I hasten to add words of consolation for all sedate folk. There is -not the slightest need for them to be apprehensive, for they will find -their quiet corners and card-rooms provided for them, unraided by the -frivolous, and nobody wants them to dance and sing unless they feel -inclined to. They have an erroneous notion, from hearing enthusiastic -young friends on their return from Switzerland say that they had a dance -every night, often fancy-dress, except when there was an ice-carnival or -a concert, that they are expected to appear as Pierrots or Columbines, -or otherwise cover themselves with shame and glory by public -performances of some such kind, or, after dinner, sally forth again with -a false nose and tights and proceed to dash about the skating-rink among -squibs and fireworks. But there is no kind of reason why they should -harbour any such fears; they can be as quiet and sedentary as they like. - -But the probability is that they will not, when they have become -altitudinists, feel quite so sedentary as they do in, let us say, -Cromwell Road, after the day’s work in town. Without doubt there is -something slightly intoxicating to the mind, some sort of juvenile -effervescence in the air and the sun of these high places, which seems -to affect the steadiest head, and it is not uncommon to see sober -persons of middle-age capering about in a manner altogether surprising. -They get a sudden access of youth and high spirits, and make themselves -ridiculous (this would be their judgment on themselves while still in -Cromwell Road) with immense enjoyment and _élan_. Probably in Cromwell -Road they would never dream, for instance, if there was a fall of snow, -of making a snow-man in the back-garden, even if the snow was not -covered with smuts, but out here if by chance a heavy fall renders rink -and toboggan-run impracticable for the moment, they are perfectly likely -(they will not believe me, but it is quite true) to build up a sumptuous -piece of statuary. Similarly, unaccustomed as they are to go out of -doors on a winter’s night after dinner, except to be taken in a taxi to -the theatre, it is quite probable that they will don coats and gouties -and see what is going on at this absurd ice-carnival, which they have -been told is to take place on the rink. And really it is almost worth -seeing, even if you take no part in it. - -A circle of light from hundreds of electric lamps, or a less potent but -more variously-coloured illumination from lines of Chinese lanterns, -surrounds the rink, so that in that blaze of light the great -frosty-burning stars are invisible in the vault overhead, and even the -full moon seems no more luminous than a circle of pale yellow paper. -These are reflected, wherever there is room for reflection, on the ice -they enclose, but there is not very much room for anything, as the whole -surface of the rink is covered with brilliant, gaily-dressed figures -gliding about in some interval of the dancing. Each carries a Chinese -lantern on a stick, and the whole place is an intricate pattern of -interweaving lights and colours. Then the band rings out again -(“ringing” is the only word that the least describes the sound of -violins and horns in this resonant frosty air), and instantly this sheet -of weaving light and figures begins to be permeated by rhythm. Couple -by couple are swept into this rhythm, circling, oscillating with long -gliding steps, their lanterns making a series of luminous loops as they -swing to the measure of the dance. What was but a company of mysterious, -huge fire-flies, all darting about on separate businesses, is turned -into a rhythmical and living pattern of flame, controlled by the lilt -and measure of the band. Eye and ear alike are dazzled by this musical -and moving and illuminated rhythm. Faster grows the tune as it -approaches its end, faster is formed this living and luminous pattern. -Then it stops, and the pattern dissolves itself again into streaks of -darting lights; the dance of the uncontrolled fire-flies again. And it -is far from unlikely that the middle-aged and sedate will hurry back to -the hotel to get some skates and a lantern, and some sort of -preposterous headgear. - -Or, while still the fireworks and Bengal lights are unlit, you can walk -to the end of the rink, and, turning your back on its brightness, look -out over the lower valley below and the hills beyond. Away from the -glare of the festooned lights, your eye gets accustomed to the gloom, -and presently it ceases to be gloom at all. Ivory white shine the -untrodden snows beneath the full moon and the glory of innumerable -stars: far below, perhaps, a level sea of cloud extends like a marble -floor over the valley, and across it the aiguilles of Mont Blanc, and -nearer the summits of the Dent du Midi stand sparkling like crystals. -Then from behind you sounds the swish of an aspiring rocket, and across -the firmament streams a line of light. Slower and slower it mounts, then -from the end of it bursts a huge constellation of coloured - -[Illustration: THE ICE CARNIVAL - -_From the Drawing by Fleming Williams_] - -globes of flame. Then suddenly the whole hillside, the village, the -pine-trees, and the snow-slopes begin to shine with a red glow as if the -whole world was on fire. Then stars are quenched, the moon resigns -altogether, even the lights on and around the rink grow dim in the glow -that turns everything into molten fire. But it is only a Bengal light -behind the châlet. “Only” indeed! As if there was anything more magical -than these blood-red snows and red-hot pines beneath the cold of the -winter night! For it requires a hideously-sensible person to outlive the -joys of fireworks. - -Then after a while the lights are quenched and the band goes home, and -you walk back beneath the moon to your hotel. All that artificial fire -has not stained the white radiance of the guardians of the night. They -whirl steadfast and remote and sparkling, turning the snow to glistening -ivory and the shadows to ebony, as they “quire to the bright-eyed -seraphim.” And all night long (thoughts come strangely and incongruously -mixed in this intoxicating air) the patient and laborious ice-man will -be clearing up the rink, and sprinkling it through the dark hours, so -that to-morrow you shall have a virgin field for your quavering rockers. - -The most absorbed votary of quavering rockers must not mind an -occasional violation of his frozen sanctuary by day as well as by night, -for there are entertainments known as ice-gymkhanas that must from time -to time be permitted to those more frivolous than he. In other words, he -will come down to the rink on some fine morning with perhaps a new and -illuminating theory that shall make all his difficulties with regard to -rockers vanish like breath on a frosty morning, to find his ice -desecrated by the presence of crowds in gouties, and shovels and -potatoes and sacks and barrels. Eager young people will put other eager -young people on the shovels and race against each other: they will pick -up a series of potatoes singly, and see who can deposit them most -speedily in a receptacle placed at the end of the line. They will have -obstacle-races and climb through barrels, or more probably stick in -them, they will perform every imaginable antic on a surface which -renders those antics most perilous, and they will assuredly shout with -laughter all the time, and cut up the ice in a manner that makes the -grim skater’s heart to bleed. But it really is all great fun, and if he -finds he cannot bear it he had better go for a walk until it is over. -The best plan of all, however, when such things are going on is to join -in them. The worst that can happen to you is that you are disqualified -for some profoundly unsatisfactory reason. - -But the main point for parents and guardians to remember is, that they -will feel quite different, when they are at a sufficient altitude on a -sunny day, from what they do when they are coming out of the twopenny -tube into a London fog. An exhilaration, approaching, as I have said, to -a sort of intoxication, will invade their stately limbs, and they will -feel inclined to do all kinds of things which their sober and city minds -tell them are silly and ridiculous. But then a sober and city mind, like -the tubercle bacillus, cannot live in this enchanted atmosphere. -Fortunately or unfortunately, it does not quite die, for it slowly -resumes its activity when they have returned to Cromwell Road, and they -will find that it is probably quite unimpaired by this temporary -anæsthetic of the air at 4000 feet up in winter. They need not feel -afraid of becoming schoolboys permanently again, or of behaving like the -adorable Mr. Bultitude when his son had changed places with him in Mr. -Anstey’s _Vice-Versa_. Their business capacities will be quite -unimpaired when they get home: indeed they will very likely prove to -have been brightened up by such experiences. - -And already the year is on the turn again, and these foolish long summer -days are beginning to get short. Very soon it will be time to settle -whether we go to A----, or B----, or try that new place C----.... And -then people speak well of D----, but on the other hand E----, which we -went to three years ago, has got a new ice-run, and the rink has been -enlarged. But there is more sun at F----, and even in that awful winter -of 1911-1912, when Switzerland was a mere puddle, G---- held out against -the thaw. But the hotels at H---- are very comfortable, and the ski-ing -is good, though not so good as at I----.... That is the only Debating -Society in which I enjoy taking a part. - -Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO. -at Paul’s Work, Edinburgh - - * * * * * - -_The original Drawings in colour by C. Fleming Williams reproduced in -this book are for sale._ - -_For particulars apply to the Publishers._ - - * * * * * - -_Recent Fine Art Books_ - -HANS HOLBEIN - -THE YOUNGER - -BY ARTHUR B. CHAMBERLAIN - -ASSISTANT KEEPER OF THE CORPORATION ART GALLERY, BIRMINGHAM - -With 252 Illustrations, including 24 in Colour - -Demy 4to. Two Volumes. Cloth, gilt top, =£3, 3s.= net. - -With Complete Lists of the Artist’s Pictures and of those exhibited, a -Bibliography, &c. - - In this book the writer has endeavoured to give as complete an - account as possible of the life and career of the younger Holbein, - together with a description of every known picture painted by him, - and of the more important of his drawings and designs. It is - primarily intended to provide a complete biography of the painter, - embodying all the more recent discoveries regarding his pictures. - - -HOMES AND HAUNTS OF RUSKIN - -BY SIR EDWARD T. COOK - -With 28 Full-page Illustrations in Colour and 17 in Black and White by -Miss E. M. B. WARREN. Demy 4to. Cloth, gilt top, =21s.= net. - - _Daily Telegraph._--“This beautiful book supplements the valuable - literary labours bestowed on the life and art of John Ruskin.” - - -_EDITIONS DE LUXE._ BY MAURICE MAETERLINCK - -THE LIFE OF THE BEE - -Translated by ALFRED SUTRO. With 13 Plates in Colour by E. J. DETMOLD. -Demy 4to, gilt top, =21s.= net. - - M. MAETERLINCK writes: “All Detmold’s plates which represent bees - are real, incontestable chefs-d’œuvres, and are as fine as a - Rembrandt. The interiors of the hives seem works of genius.” - - -HOURS OF GLADNESS - -EIGHT NATURE ESSAYS - -Translated by A. TEIXEIRA DE MATTOS. With 20 Plates in Colour by EDWARD -J. DETMOLD. Demy 4to, gilt top, =21s.= net. - - M. MAETERLINCK writes: “The Illustrations by Detmold are very - remarkable. It was infinitely difficult to give style to the - flowers, and to give them character ... all technically correct.” - - -LONDON: GEORGE ALLEN & CO., LIMITED - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Winter Sports in Switzerland, by E. F. 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F. Benson - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Winter Sports in Switzerland - -Author: E. F. Benson - -Release Date: August 23, 2019 [EBook #60153] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WINTER SPORTS IN SWITZERLAND *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="[Image of -the book's cover unavailable.]" /> -</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="border: 2px black solid;margin:auto auto;max-width:50%; -padding:1%;"> -<tr><td> - -<p class="c"><a href="#CONTENTS">Contents.</a></p> -<p class="c"><a href="#ILLUSTRATIONS">List of Illustrations</a><br /> <span class="nonvis">(In certain versions of this etext [in certain browsers] -clicking on the image will bring up a larger version.)</span></p> - -<p class="c">(etext transcriber's note)</p></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_i" id="page_i">{i}</a></span> </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_ii" id="page_ii">{ii}</a></span> - -<a name="front" id="front"></a></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/img-front_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-front_sml.jpg" class="brdrgreen" width="400" height="550" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE EIGER</p> - -<p><i>From the Drawing by Fleming Williams</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_iii" id="page_iii">{iii}</a></span> </p> - -<h1><big><big>WINTER SPORTS</big></big><br /> -IN SWITZERLAND</h1> - -<p class="c"> -BY<br /><big> -E. F. BENSON</big><br /> -<br /> -WITH 12 FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR BY<br /> -C. FLEMING WILLIAMS<br /> -<br /> -AND 47 REPRODUCTIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS BY<br /> -MRS. AUBREY LE BLOND<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -LONDON<br /> -GEORGE ALLEN & COMPANY, LTD.<br /> -44 & 45 RATHBONE PLACE<br /> -1913<br /> -<br /><small> -[All rights reserved]</small><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_iv" id="page_iv">{iv}</a></span><br /> -<small>Printed by <span class="smcap">Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.</span><br /> -at the Ballantyne Press, Edinburgh<br /></small> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_v" id="page_v">{v}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" summary=""> - -<tr><td class="rt"><small>CHAP.</small></td><td> </td> -<td class="rt"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">I.</a></td><td valign="top" class="smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">The Sun-seeker</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_1">1</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">II.</a></td><td valign="top" class="smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">Rinks and Skaters</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_23">23</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">III.</a></td><td valign="top" class="smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">Tees and Crampits</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_79">79</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">IV.</a></td><td valign="top" class="smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">Tobogganing</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_115">115</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">V.</a></td><td valign="top" class="smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">Ice-Hockey</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_129">129</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">VI.</a></td><td valign="top" class="smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">Ski-ing</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_137">137</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">VII.</a></td><td valign="top" class="smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">Notes on Winter Resorts</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_167">167</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">VIII.</a></td><td valign="top" class="smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">For Parents and Guardians</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_191">191</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_vii" id="page_vii">{vii}</a></span><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_vi" id="page_vi">{vi}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="ILLUSTRATIONS" id="ILLUSTRATIONS"></a>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="2" summary=""> - -<tr> -<td class="rt"><small>PLATE</small></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td></td> -<td valign="top"><span class="smcap"><a href="#front">The Eiger</a></span> (<i>colour</i>)</td> -<td class="c"><i><a href="#front">Frontispiece</a></i></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_I">I.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_I">Winter Sunlight</a></td><td rowspan="9" valign="middle" class="blt"> -<i>At end of<br />Chap. I,<br /> between<br /> pp. <a href="#page_22">22 and 23</a>.</i></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_II">II.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_II">By the Stream-side</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_III">III.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_III">Hoar-frost</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_IV">IV.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_IV">Jewels of the Frost</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_V">V.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_V">Black Ice on the Sils Lake</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_VI">VI.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_VI">The Budding Ice Flowers</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_VII">VII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_VII">The Full-blown Ice Flowers</a> (twenty-four hours later)</td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_VIII">VIII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_VIII">Ice Flowers in Detail</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_IX">IX.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_IX">Magnified Ice Flowers</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_X">X.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_X">Winter Moonlight</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td></td> -<td valign="top"><span class="smcap"><a href="#page_32">Skating, English Style</a></span> (<i>colour</i>)</td> -<td class="c"><i>Facing p. <a href="#page_32">32</a></i></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td></td> -<td valign="top"><span class="smcap"><a href="#page_34">Skating, Continental Style</a></span> (<i>colour</i>)</td> -<td class="c"><i>Facing p. <a href="#page_34">34</a></i></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XI">XI.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XI">A Winter Harvest</a></td><td rowspan="6" valign="middle" class="blt"> -<i>At the end<br /> of Chap. II,<br /> between <br />pp. <a href="#page_78">78 and 79</a></i></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XII">XII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XII">Clearing the Snow From the Rink</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XIII">XIII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XIII">Sprinkling the Rink, Château d’Oex</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XIV">XIV.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XIV">Public Rink, Davos</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XV">XV.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XV">Skating-Rink at Mürren</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XVI">XVI.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XVI">Skating-rink at Château d’Oex</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td></td> -<td valign="top">“<span class="smcap"><a href="#page_98">She Lies</a></span>” (<i>colour</i>) -</td><td class="c"><i>Facing p. <a href="#page_98">98</a></i></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XVII">XVII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XVII">Curling</a></td><td rowspan="4" valign="middle" class="blt"> -<i>At end of<br /> Chap. III,<br /> between<br /><a href="#page_114">pp. 114 and 115</a></i></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XVIII">XVIII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XVIII">Curling at Mürren</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XIX">XIX.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XIX">The Three Kulm Rinks</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XX">XX.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XX">Ladies’ Curling Match, St. Moritz</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td></td> -<td valign="top">“<span class="smcap"><a href="#page_116">Achtung!</a></span>” (<i>colour</i>)</td> -<td class="c"><i>Facing p. <a href="#page_116">116</a></i></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td></td> -<td valign="top"><span class="smcap"><a href="#page_122">On the Cresta Run</a></span> (<i>colour</i>)</td> -<td class="c"><i>Facing p. <a href="#page_122">122</a></i></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td></td> -<td valign="top"><span class="smcap"><a href="#page_126">Tailing</a></span> (<i>colour</i>)</td> -<td class="c"><i>Facing p. <a href="#page_126">126</a></i> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_viii" id="page_viii">{viii}</a></span></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXI">XXI.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXI">The Building of the Cresta—“Battledore”</a></td> -<td rowspan="13" valign="middle" class="blt"> -<i>At end of<br /> Chap. IV,<br /> between<br /> pp. <a href="#page_128">128 and 129</a></i></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXII">XXII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXII">The Top of the Cresta, St. Moritz</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXIII">XXIII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXIII">Starting on the Cresta</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXIV">XXIV.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXIV">Church Leap, Cresta Run</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXV">XXV.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXV">Church Leap, Cresta Run</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXVI">XXVI.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXVI">“Battledore” Corner, Cresta</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXVII">XXVII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXVII">Crossing the Road, Cresta</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXVIII">XXVIII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXVIII">Near the Finish on the Cresta</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXIX">XXIX.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXIX">Bob-run, St. Moritz: In the Larch Woods</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXX">XXX.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXX">Rounding Sunny Corner, St. Moritz Bob-run</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXXI">XXXI.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXXI">Bob-run, St. Moritz</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXXII">XXXII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXXII">The Straight from the Bridge, St. Moritz Bob-run.</a></td></tr> - -<tr> - -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXXIII">XXXIII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXXIII">St. Moritz Bob-run</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td></td> -<td valign="top"><span class="smcap"><a href="#page_122">Ice Hockey</a></span> (<i>colour</i>)</td> -<td class="c"><i>Facing p. <a href="#page_122">122</a></i></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td></td> -<td valign="top"><span class="smcap"><a href="#page_156">The Telemark Turn</a></span> (<i>colour</i>)</td> -<td class="c"><i>Facing p. <a href="#page_156">156</a></i></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td></td> -<td valign="top"><span class="smcap"><a href="#page_164">The Jump</a></span> (<i>colour</i>)</td> -<td class="c"><i>Facing p. <a href="#page_164">164</a></i></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td></td> -<td valign="top"><span class="smcap"><a href="#page_166">Ski-joring</a></span> (<i>colour</i>)</td> -<td class="c"><i>Facing p. <a href="#page_166">166</a></i></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXXIV">XXXIV.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXXIV">At St. Moritz</a></td><td rowspan="6" valign="middle" class="blt"> -<i>At end of<br /> Chap. VI, <br />between<br /> pp. <a href="#page_166">166 and -167</a></i> -</td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXXV">XXXV.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXXV">Practice Slopes, Montana, Switzerland</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXXVI">XXXVI.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXXVI">A Slight Mishap</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXXVII">XXXVII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXXVII">Ski-jumping</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXXVIII">XXXVIII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXXVIII">Ski-jumping, Montana, Switzerland</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XXXIX">XXXIX.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XXXIX">Veterans of the St. Moritz Ski Club</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XL">XL.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XL">A Practice Ground</a></td> -<td rowspan="8" valign="middle" class="blt"> -<i>At end of<br />Chap. VII,<br /> between<br /> pp. <a href="#page_190">190 and 191</a></i></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XLI">XLI.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XLI">Crossing the Road on the Cresta</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XLII">XLII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XLII">Top of Klosters Run, Davos</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XLIII">XLIII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XLIII">The Start, Schatz Alp Run, Davos</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XLIV">XLIV.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XLIV">Bobbing on the Schatz Alp Run, Davos</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XLV">XLV.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XLV">Skating-rink at Villars</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XLVI">XLVI.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XLVI">At La Bretaye, Villars</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#plt_XLVII">XLVII.</a></td> -<td valign="top" class="smcap"> -<a href="#plt_XLVII">“Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind”</a></td></tr> - -<tr> -<td></td> -<td valign="top"><span class="smcap"><a href="#page_194">The Ice Carnival</a></span> (<i>colour</i>)</td> -<td class="c"><i>Facing p. <a href="#page_194">194</a></i></td></tr> - -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_1" id="page_1">{1}</a></span></p> - -<p class="cb">WINTER SPORTS IN SWITZERLAND</p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I<br /><br /> -<small>THE SUN-SEEKER</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">There</span> is an amazingly silly proverb which quite mistakenly tells us that -“seeing is believing.” The most ordinary conjurer at a village -entertainment will prove the falsity of this saying. For who has not -seen one of these plausible mountebanks put a watch into a top-hat, and, -after clearly smashing it into a thousand pieces with a pestle, stir up -the disintegrated fragments with a spoon and produce an omelette? Or who -is so unacquainted with the affairs of the village schoolroom at -Christmas as not to have seen a solid billiard-ball or a lively canary -squeezed out of the side of a friend’s head? Such phenomena are by no -means rare, and occur periodically all over England. The observer’s eyes -have told him that he has seen such things, and the verb “to see” is -merely a compendious expression to indicate that on the evidence of your -eyes such or such a phenomenon has actually occurred. But no one -believes that the disintegrated watch has become an omelette though -ocular evidence—seeing—insists that it has. It was a conjuring trick. -And this leads me to the consideration of the phenomena on which this -whole book is based.</p> - -<p>For High Alpine resorts in winter are a conjuring trick of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_2" id="page_2">{2}</a></span> glorious -and luminous kind. Our commonsense, based on experience, tells us that -ice is cold, but is melted by heat; and that snow is wet; and that -unless you put on a greatcoat when the thermometer registers frost, you -will feel chilly; and that if you frequently fall down in the snow you -will be wet through, and if you do not change your clothes when you -return home you will catch a cold. All these things are quite obvious, -and he who does not grant them as premises to whatever conclusion we may -happen to base on them, is clearly not to be argued with, but soothed -and comforted like a child or taken care of like a lunatic. But High -Alpine winter resorts give, apparently, ocular disproof of all these -obvious statements, and those who go out to these delectable altitudes -in favourable seasons see (which is ocular evidence) every day and all -day the exact opposite of these primitively simple prepositions -regularly and continually taking place. They sit in the sun, when they -are tired of skating, and see that though a torrid luminary beats down -on the frozen surface, burning and browning the faces of their friends, -the ice remains perfectly dry and unmelted; they trudge through snow, -and find that they are not wet; they see the thermometer marking -anything up or down to thirty degrees of frost, and go out coatless and -very likely hatless, and are conscious only of an agreeable and bracing -warmth; they go ski-ing and all day are smothered in snow, and yet -return dry and warm and comfortable to their hotels, and do not catch -any cold whatever. Shakespeare once made an allusion of some kind (I -cannot look all through his plays to find it) about hot ice, meaning to -employ a nonsensical expression. But it is the most striking testimonial -to the magni<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_3" id="page_3">{3}</a></span>ficence of his brain that all he ever wrote meant -something, although, as in this instance, he designed it not to. For -without doubt he was alluding to what appears to occur at St. Moritz or -Mürren.</p> - -<p>But it is all a conjuring trick, or so these altitudinists are disposed -to think when they return home to the dispiriting chills of a normal -February in England, and find that when the thermometer marks 45° or -thereabouts they shiver disconsolately in the clemming cold. Even when -they were out in Switzerland they hardly believed what appeared to be -happening, for they found that if the weather changed, and instead of -the windless calm, or a light north-wind, the Föhn-wind blew from the -south-west, warm and enervating, then, in proportion as the thermometer -mounted, they felt increasingly cold. All these things, though they -thought they saw and felt them, were of the nature of a conjuring trick, -and they never, after their return to the lowlands, really believed -them. It was obviously impossible that they could have felt warm and -dry, after being rolled in the snow. It must have been an illusion, -capable of immediate disproof if they now went out without a coat, or -sat down on a snowy London pavement. A pleasant illusion, no doubt, but -clearly an illusion. It was like the omelette emerging from the top-hat, -into which a watch had, only a moment before, been placed and pestled.</p> - -<p>And if those who think they have experienced these phenomena, which so -clearly contradict the most elementary laws of Nature, cannot fully -believe in them when they re-enter the chilly spring of England, still -less do those who have not experienced them find it possible even to -simulate credulity when the foolish Alpinist<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_4" id="page_4">{4}</a></span> recounts them. I rather -fancy that people who have never been to the high altitudes in winter, -believe that all those who say they have done so, and come back and tell -their friends that sun does not melt ice, and that snow is dry, and that -ten degrees of frost is an agreeable temperature to stroll about in -without a coat, are in some sort of inexplicable conspiracy. But the -conspiracy is so widely spread now, and is still spreading so fast, that -one’s remarks on the subject are received with politeness nowadays, -though still with incredulity. Some strange wandering of the wits has -taken possession of the conspirators, who are otherwise harmless. And, -such is the force with which their illusion holds them, and so anxious -are they that credence should be given to it, that they employ some sort -of skin-dye to add completeness to their strange tales, and appear with -brown hands and faces when they come back to the anæmic metropolis. They -are clearly the victims of some obscure but infectious derangement of -the brain, of which the chief symptoms are those strange illusions and -an immense appetite.... And, as I have said, the victims of these -illusions, before they have spent many days in England, are already -themselves wondering whether all these things really were so, or whether -they were but the fabric of a pleasing dream. But they make plans to -dream again about the middle of the ensuing autumn, and for the most -part find that the vision is recapturable. It is all great nonsense; but -if you take a suitable ticket at a suitable time of the year, and go -where that ticket will allow you, the nonsense is found to be recurrent.</p> - -<p>I do not know whether ice and snow, and all the forms of the “radiant -frost,” as Shelley calls it, are in themselves more<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_5" id="page_5">{5}</a></span> beautiful than the -spectacle, to which we are accustomed, of an unfrozen world, or whether -it is merely because we are unused to the gleams and sparkle of these -whitenesses, that we find them so entrancingly lovely. It would be -interesting, for instance, to ascertain whether an Esquimo or other -dweller in the Arctics accustomed to ice, would go into ecstasies of -admiration at the sight—shall we say—of Hyde Park Corner on a moist -warm day of September, when the roadway is swimming in a thick brown -soup of mud, and gusts of tepid rain stream on the wind-swept -lamp-posts, thus supporting the idea that it is to the novelty of the -spectacle that the arousing of our appreciation is due. Certainly it -would be hard to say that anything in the world is more beautiful than a -beech-tree in spring, or a crimson rambler in full flower, or glimpses -of the Mediterranean in a frame of grey-green olive-trees; and I am -inclined to believe that it is partly the contrast which a sunny morning -in winter among the High Alps presents to all that a Londoner has known -or dreamed of hitherto that partly accounts for the ineffable -impressions it never fails in producing on him. And to that we must add -the exhilarating and invigorating effect of the still dry air, and the -sun that all day pours Pactolus over the gleaming fields. In such an air -and in such a flood of light all our senses and perceptions are -quickened, the vitality of our organs is increased, and with the -wonderful feeling of <i>bien-être</i> which the conditions give, our -appreciation is kindled too. I always feel that it <i>must</i> have been on a -frosty morning that David said: “I opened my mouth and drew in my -breath.” And perhaps on that day the cedars of Lebanon were covered with -the crystals of hoar-frost, and below the snowy<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_6" id="page_6">{6}</a></span> uplands the dim blue of -the sea slept insapphirined at the bases of the shining cliffs....</p> - -<p>I lick the chops of memory, and go back in thought to the middle of -December, when, having previously determined not to go abroad till -January, I hurriedly fly the country, like a criminal seeking to escape -from the justice that is hot on the heels of a murderer. In such wise do -I fly from my conscience—conscience, I may remark, is one of the things -that everybody leaves behind when he goes to the High Alps: apparently -it and other poisonous organisms, such as the bacillus of tuberculosis -cannot exist in those altitudes—while below my breath I again register -the frequently broken vow that I will be at home again by the middle of -January at the latest. For indeed it seems impossible to tolerate London -any longer just now: the fogs have begun (these are the excuses with -which I seek to stay the protests of conscience, before I fly from it), -and for three days last week we lived in a thick and ominous twilight of -dusky orange, tasting evilly of soot and sulphurous products. At -intervals a copper-coloured plate showed itself above the house roofs: -and, oh, to think that this mean metallic circle was indeed none other -than the hot radiant giant that in the happier climes was rejoicing to -run his course across the turquoise expanse of cloudless sky; that this -remote and meaningless object was the same that sparkled on dazzling -peak and precipice and turned the untrodden snows to sheets of diamond -dust. Then after three days of Stygian gloom the fog was dispersed by a -shrewd and shrill north wind, and for a whole morning snow fell heavily, -which, as it touched the pavements and roadways of town more than -usually befouled by the fog, turned<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_7" id="page_7">{7}</a></span> into a base and degrading substance -resembling melting coffee-ice. The streets swam in the icy treacle of -it, and motor-buses and other ponderous vehicles cast undesired helpings -of it at the legs of foot-passengers. After this dispiriting day the -weather changed again and a tepid south-westerly gale squealed through -the streets. This was too much: I bought a quantity of what is known as -sermon-paper and two new stylographs (this was another sop to -conscience, and implied the intention of working out in Switzerland), -made a few hasty and craven arrangements on the telephone, and slid out -of Charing Cross Station at 2.20 <small>P.M.</small> precisely next day, leaving -conscience, like an abandoned wife, sobbing on the platform.</p> - -<p>Now, while journeys, whether on land or sea, are apt to be but tiresome -businesses when they are undertaken at the call of some tedious errand, -they are vastly different affairs when they conduct the traveller to -joyful places and delectable pursuits. They are coloured by that which -awaits him at the end of them (like the sweetness of sugar permeating -tea), and this particular progress is to me full of romantic happenings. -Dusk is already closing in before I reach the coast, and as the train -halts on the hill above Folkestone, before being towed backwards down to -the harbour, I can see the lights beginning to twinkle in the town and -along the pier, which is surrounded by the great grey immensity of the -wave-flecked sea. A fine rain is falling dismally, and as I hurry across -the slippery quay I am weighed down by an enormous greatcoat (the -pockets of which, I am sorry to say, are “salted” by various packets of -cigarettes, which is why I wear it), and I stagger under the weight of a -suit-case, sooner than part with<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_8" id="page_8">{8}</a></span> which I would die. For the French or -Swiss railway companies often (no doubt with humorous intent) arrange -that the traveller’s large luggage shall not arrive for twenty-four -hours or so after he has got to his destination, and in less experienced -years I have packed my boots and skates in these detained trunks, and -have been obliged to wait in savage inaction till the railway company -has come to the end of its joke, just as one waits for the end of a long -funny story. Not so now: my inseparable bag contains my large and -cumbrous skate-shod boots as a first charge, and after they have been -stowed, the mere necessities of life, like clothes and dressing-case, as -opposed to its joys, fill the rest. Even in the harbour the steamer -sways with the back-wash of the heavy seas outside, and the -mooring-ropes squeak and strain to its unease. I stick in the narrow -gang-plank that conducts in precipitous incline to the deck (at least -the corner of my suit-case does, which is part of my identity); a faint -and awful smell of red plush sofas and cold beef comes up from the -stairs leading to the saloon; the tarpaulins, rigged up along the open -passage between decks, flap uneasily and are buffeted by the rain-soaked -wind, and sailors hurry about with white japanned tin objects in their -hands....</p> - -<p>All this sounds dismal and dispiriting enough, but such incidents, I -repeat, take their colour from that to which they lead the traveller, -and when bound for Switzerland they are all haloed in a vague -pleasurable sense of excitement and romance. We put out on the turbulent -and windy sea, and as we round the end of the pier the whole boat -shivers as a great white-headed wave strikes her. It is cold and wet on -deck, but I have to linger there while the cliffs of my beloved native -land vanish into the grey of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_9" id="page_9">{9}</a></span> the swift on-coming night, and feel a -perfect glow of enthusiasm at the idea of not setting eyes on them again -for another month or so (probably “so”: because conscience is now far -away, perhaps still waiting at Charing Cross Station, in case I return -by the next train), and already I am beginning to be doubtful whether I -really made a vow to be back by the middle of January. I pass rows of -silent figures with closed eyes reclining on deck-chairs in the more -sheltered corners: then the whole ship makes a scooping curtsey into the -trough of a wave, and the water pours sonorously on to the deck. Shrill -whistles the wind in the rigging, and a raucous steam-siren proclaims to -all the traffic in the Channel that we are off to Switzerland to skate, -having left our consciences and the white cliffs of England behind us, -and not caring two straws, at this delightful moment, as to whether we -ever see any of them again.</p> - -<p>I love the landing on the friendly shores of France, the waiting while -the ship is reluctantly coaxed sidling up to the pier, the hustle to get -through the custom-house and enter the warm, well-lit train. The foreign -tongue is delightful to the ear: so, too, to the eye, the blue-bloused -porters, and the unplatformed station, where the huge carriages tower -high above one, emitting mysterious jets of steam. All is strange and -new and delightful: the engine of unaccustomed build and outlandish -voice, the grey upholstered compartments with their hot-carpeted floors, -the restaurant car with bottle-filled racks, where presently I sit, part -of a moving pageant of eating and drinking, as we shriek through -stations and scour with ever-increasing velocity through the darkness of -a stormy night. At Laon mysterious jugglings take place: another<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_10" id="page_10">{10}</a></span> string -of carriages is slowly shunted on to our train, to the accompaniment of -many cries of warning and encouragement and wavings of lanterns, and the -buffers come home with a soft thud. We cast off our tail, lizard-like, -which is hauled away to travel divergently to Basle, and soon we are -thundering on again by the more direct route to Berne. At some timeless -hour a long halt is made, and compartment doors are flung open with the -sonorous proclamation of the arrival of <i>les messieurs de la douane</i>. -Enter <i>les messieurs</i>, and at their sesame bags fly open, and with -strange staves they explore the hidden recesses under the seats, in -their nightly search for laces and spirits and cigarettes and all the -contraband of peace. Soon this complimentary visit is over, the green -shades are adjusted again over the lamps, and the vibration and rhythm -of the racing wheels mingle and blend themselves into the blurred edges -of dream....</p> - -<p>I do not wake until we are actually slowing down to enter Berne—that -city so justly famous for its bears, its President of this delectable -republic, and its terrace from which the eager tourist vainly scans the -impenetrable clouds which invariably screen from his view all possible -glimpses of the mountains of the Oberland. Whenever I arrive at Berne it -is always a grey chilly morning, just above freezing point, so that the -icy streets are half slush. At first this used to depress me with -ominous forebodings of a thaw at the higher altitudes: now I know that -all the winter through it is always just thawing at Berne, and that the -sky there always is heavily be-clouded. I think a sunny frosty morning -there would cause me some considerable anxiety, for it would imply a -complete upset of climatic conditions, and midsummer<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_11" id="page_11">{11}</a></span> might be expected -to hold its abhorred sway on the heights. So in perfect equanimity I -climb back again into our train—heated to the temperature of the second -hottest room in a Turkish bath—and we jog in more leisurely fashion -through the half-frozen villages towards the lake of Thun. These -villages are mainly composed of houses taken from the larger-sized boxes -of toys, with stones fastened down on their wood-shingle eaves to -prevent their roofs blowing away, and with staircases, clearly built for -ornament, and completely unpractical, climbing up the outside of their -walls. Stations and banks and hotels seem to be constructed with a view -to moderate permanence; the rest are clearly so made that they can be -taken up and planted down somewhere else. Then as we emerge on to the -edges of the lake, higher hills begin to tower across its steely-grey -levels, and rifts in the clouds that shroud their heads and hunched -shoulders show glimpses of sun that shine on the whiteness of snow. Mile -after mile we pursue a meandering way along the shores, and thread the -darkness of hoarse tunnels, whose lips are fringed with dripping -icicles, and the sense of something coming, something high and clear, -begins to grow. Though in front, where Interlaken lies, a veil of -grey-blue mist is interspersed between us and that which, I know, soars -above it, the clouds are beginning on all sides to become unravelled -like wool-work pulled out, and through the rents and torn edges gleams -of turquoise sky are seen. High up climb serrated rims of rock, cut -vividly clear against the blue and fringed with aspiring pines; higher -yet, where the boldest of these brave vegetables can find no footing, -further ridges appear austere and empty and gleaming. Yet these are but -the outlying but<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_12" id="page_12">{12}</a></span>tresses and ramparts of the great towers at the base of -which they lean and cluster: to-night we shall sleep in an eyrie far -above them, and far above us yet will watch the unscaled precipices of -the great range, over the edge of which the unheeding stars climb and -swim into sight all night long, pouring the golden dew of their shining -upon forest and glacier, until the snows are rosy with dawn.</p> - -<p>We paused in Interlaken Central Station to draw breath after our -lake-side amble. Here the snow lay crisp and hard-trodden in the -streets, but overhead the gutters gurgled and the eaves of houses -dripped with its melting in this brilliant morning. No shred of cloud -was left in all the shining heavens, and like the flanks of a galloped -horse the pine-clad hillsides steamed in the sun.... And then the -miracle.... As we steamed forth again to the Eastern station, a long -valley lying between two wooded hills opened out, and there, clear in -the light of the young day, and white with virgin snows and blue with -precipices of ice, and set in the illimitable azure, rose the Queen of -Mountains, the maiden, the Jungfrau, peaked and domed and pinnacled in -ineffable crystal.</p> - -<p>The Jungfrau is and will always be my mistress among mountains, as she -was when I first saw her at the age of twelve. One mistake I have made -in my conduct towards her, and that was ten years later when I climbed -her—and yet who could tell she would prove so tedious and heavy (not in -hand but in foot)? For I approached the lady of my adoration from the -Concordia hut, and instead of feasting my eyes at every step on her -queenly gracious carriage and maiden slenderness, I found that the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_13" id="page_13">{13}</a></span> -closer I got to her the more did she appear round-shouldered, not to say -hump-backed. In addition, a quantity of fresh snow had fallen, and we -had a long tiresome and utterly unexciting trudge, a hot and stodgy -affair. I had imagined that ventures and perils would have to be -encountered for this wooing and winning of her, with balancings and -poisings on stairways of precipitous ice and needles of pinnacled rock: -instead she had to be solidly and laboriously and dully approached; it -was like wooing some great bolster or gigantic cow. For a little while -after that I cared nothing for her; she was a mature and silent barmaid -of vast proportions, but gradually her charm and enchantment cast their -spell over me again, the dissolution of which I intend never to risk in -the future, unless I approach her by a more hazardous and daring route. -To those who approach her dully, she gives herself dully: the more -daring wooer she may perhaps kill, but she does not bore him.</p> - -<p>But the wonder of her, when seen through clear air with the brilliant -winter sky around her head from the entrance to this valley that leads -up to Lauterbrunnen! Up it we steamed in a little angry rattling -snorting train, which cut itself in half to take some of its aspiring -contents to Grindelwald on the left, and others among whom I numbered -myself to Wengen and to Mürren. By the side of our way ran a turbulent -mountain stream fed by the glaciers of the Oberland, too swift to freeze -altogether, but with its backwaters and sheltered reaches covered over -with lids of ice. For all its glacier-birth steam rose from it in the -icy air that hovered in shaded places, and the alders and hazels that -hung over it were thickly encrusted with the marvellous jewellery<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_14" id="page_14">{14}</a></span> of -the hoar-frost, spiked and <i>parsemès</i> and refoliaged in wondrous winter -growth with tendrils and scrolls of minutest diamond-dust. Narrower grew -the valley, steeper and taller the wooded hills that overhung it till at -last we reached Lauterbrunnen, close to which the Staubbach, most -amazing of all waterfalls, leaps a clear eight hundred feet from the -edge of the high plateau-shelf, which skirts along the mountain-side on -to the rocks below. Even in summer, when the melting of the snows that -feed the stream make it of far greater volume than when the stricture of -frost is on it, the water, poured as from a jug-spout, disintegrates in -its fall, so that it reaches the valley more in wreaths of mist than in -solid water, and collects again from the dripping rocks; while in winter -its diminished volume is further spent in the manufacture of the huge -icicles that fringe the edge of its leaping-place, and hang in great -streamers, the beard and hair, you would say, of the very Frost-king -himself, who sits at ease on this precipitous throne. Little water -to-day runs away from where the clouds of mist and water-smoke fall on -the rocks, for most of them are frozen there, and a layer of ice covers -the boulders where they come to earth. For here, so engorged lies the -valley, so close to the great rampart of the Oberland, that the sun -which blazed on Interlaken has not yet surmounted the barrier of -mountain-peaks.</p> - -<p>Parallel with the Staubbach, and up a hillside which appears hardly less -sheer than the precipice itself, runs the funicular railway which leads -to the Mürren-plateau. At first sight it seems as if it must be meant -for a practical joke, constructed by humorous engineers to astonish the -weak minds of travellers, and, though practical from the point of view -of a joke, to be perfectly impracti<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_15" id="page_15">{15}</a></span>cable as a means of conveyance. Its -steepness is that of disordered images seen in a dream, and it was with -a sense of utter incredulity that I first took my place in one of the -small wooden compartments and was locked in by an apparently sane and -serious conductor. He blew a whistle, or a bell sounded, just as is done -on real lines of traffic, and immediately afterwards we began to ascend -that impossible line of rails, sauntering with smooth and steady -progress up that ridiculous precipice. More amazing still we soon -observed a similar car sauntering steadily down it, just strolling down, -even as we were strolling up. We met, we passed, and I had a vision of -passengers smoking and chatting, as if nothing in the least remarkable -was happening and imminent death did not await us all....</p> - -<p>But more remarkable things than that were happening. Upwards from the -valley we climbed on this Jacob’s ladder that reached if not to Heaven, -to very heavenly places. Pine woods and rocks melted away below, -streaming quietly downwards; presently we were level with the top of the -towering precipice from which the Staubbach was discharged, and -presently that too was left below. But higher as we mounted there -climbed with us, in fresh unfoldings of glaciers and peaks and -glittering snow fields, the great range of the Oberland. New peaks “met -Heaven in snow,” new <i>arêtes</i>, too steep and wind-swept to allow a -vestige of snow to lie there pointed arrow-like to the tops above them. -Eiger, Monch, Silberhorn, and Jungfrau towered glittering just across -the Lauterbrunnen valley from which we had come, and as we sidled along -the upland shelf on which Mürren stands, gradually the whole range -spread itself out in tremendous rampart,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_16" id="page_16">{16}</a></span> radiant, rejoicing, and -austere. For foreground was this narrow ledge of white fields dotted -here and there with cattle-châlets, and pines scattered singly or in -companies, all wearing plumes and tippets of snow that made their -foliage seem a black blot in the sunlight, and soon the congregation of -village roofs appeared, and Mürren stood bathed and basking in sunshine, -drowned, so to speak, in the sparkling champagne of the invigorating -winter morning. And the intoxication of the high places, an entrancing -vintage of oxygen and ice and sun, invaded limb and sinew and brain.</p> - -<p>It is supposed by those who have never seen the infinite variety of -forms into which frost converts mist and dew and all manner of water, -that there must be a monotony in those vast expanses of snow and ice. -They figure to themselves the depressing spectacle of snow as it usually -appears in England, smooth and soft and wet, and too close a cousin to -slush not to be tainted with a family resemblance; the image called up -by ice is a grey surface in which are imbedded dead leaves, twigs and -stones thrown on to it by boys for purposes not clearly understandable, -while all they know of hoar-frost is an evanescent decoration that -occurs at the edges of ditches and on lawns when tea is being made in -the morning and disappears as soon as the poached eggs, leaving the -grass soaked and dripping. But as is crystal to soap so are those -radiant congelations of the High Alps to the same as seen beneath grey -skies and unluminous days. Here, if snow has fallen, as sometimes -happens, while wind is blowing, it is driven into all manner of curving -wave crests and undulations; then when the fall is over, the sky clears -again, a night of frost hardens and congeals the outlines, and the trees -wear fine feathers and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_17" id="page_17">{17}</a></span> plumes of whiteness. As the snowfall packs with -its own weight, there grows on the surface of the fields a crust half -snow, half ice, covered with dazzling minute crystals. During the fall -of the snow there has been moisture in the air, and often on that -brilliant morning that succeeds the fall, the air is full of minute -frozen particles of water that sparkle like the old-fashioned -glass-decoration on Christmas cards, so that one walks through a shining -company of tiniest diamond fire-flies. And the frozen surface of snow -reflects the wonderful azure and gold of sun and sky, and here in the -blaze it lies white beneath a vivid yellow, there in the shade a dim -blue permeates it. After a few days of hot sun more of the fall will -have melted and slipped from the trees, and they stand black-foliaged -and red-trunked waiting for the decoration of the hoar-frost. The one -more night of frost covers every sprig and fir-needle with amazing -spikes and fernlike sprays of minute crystal. Wondrous are their -growths, more particularly if, as sometimes happens, some cold mist -comes up from the valleys. Then with a craze for decoration almost -ludicrous, you shall see your friends with hair and eyebrows bedecked -with these jewels, each separate hair wearing its frozen garniture, and -their coats and stockings ornamented in like manner. They grow white in -a single minute almost; and such as have moustaches, close to the -moisture of their breath will suddenly turn to walruses with long -dependence of icicles. And yet—here is a conjuring trick again—though -ice and frost frame their faces they are conscious of no cold at all.</p> - -<p>Marvellous, too, are the dealings of the frost with the running streams -and the lakes such as those at St. Moritz or Davos or<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_18" id="page_18">{18}</a></span> Sils. Often, -unfortunately, it happens that a snowfall will occur when they are but -lightly frozen over, in which case the snow quite covers them, breaks -through perhaps in places, and with the ice already formed, makes a -rough uneven surface useless to the skater, and to the beholder no more -than a level snow-field, with perhaps ugly stains on it where the water -has come through and formed the grey ice, which is of no artistic -moment. But sometimes it happens that a snowfall occurs before any ice -has formed on the lake, and thus, though it lies on the surrounding -ground, it melts in the water, and at the end of the fall the lake is -still unfrozen, though the winter mantle lies over field and wood. Then -let us suppose there comes a hard frost with no more snow. Night after -night ice absolutely clear like glass forms on the water and gradually -thickens. If the days are windless it is entirely smooth, and -practically invisible, so that it is impossible to believe that you are -not looking on a sheet of water. Then the glad word goes forth that the -lake bears, and you hurry forth to skate on it. But mountain and wood -and landscape are all mirrored in it as in perfectly still water, and it -is almost incredible that here is ice a foot or two thick. Tremblingly -you launch yourself on it, scarcely able to believe in its solidity; for -through that unwavering surface you see every weed and stump under -water. The very fishes flit and flick visibly below your feet, and so -glassy is it that through it it is possible to see the subaqueous -foundations of the lacustrine dwellings in the lake of Sils, never to be -seen unless the lake is frozen, since the slightest ripple of the water -sets the surface a-quiver and mars its translucency. But seen through -this foot or so of perfectly clear ice—black ice,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_19" id="page_19">{19}</a></span> as it is called—it -is as if one looked through that charming contrivance called the -bathyscope, by which you can observe the depths of the sea. Below the -ice, the water lies still and in a calm sheltered by this solid ceiling -of crystal, and you see, as if in an aquarium, the fishes and the -water-weeds, and all the gales that ever blew will not shatter the -reflections or obscure the depths. Then when your courage has come to -you, and you begin to grasp the fact that an army might march across -this invisible plain of ice without breaking through, you will no doubt -venture forth from the shore, and feel what you never feel on rinks and -other prepared surfaces of ice, the divine elasticity of your floor. And -very likely just when you are some half-mile from the shore, you will be -terror-stricken to hear a crack as of artillery resound close to you, -and a great crack will zigzag like lightning through the ice. The first -time you hear that, the present writer is willing to wager any -reasonable sum that your face will blanch (unless too sun-tanned) and -you will skate with incredible celerity for the nearest land. But that -salvo portends no danger whatever, except if your skate-blade enters -such a crack (of which there will be, unfortunately, a considerable -number in the course of a few days) longitudinally. Then it is true you -may have a fall, but these explosions do not mean that you will ever be -food for fishes.</p> - -<p>But after a few days, in all probability, even though no snow falls, the -surface of the ice, except where it is kept swept, becomes useless for -skating, thanks to another of the wonderful conjuring tricks of the -frost. Owing to dew, or from other moisture in the air, there begin to -form upon the ice little nuclei of hoar-frost such as are seen in Plate -VI. They look harmless enough, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_20" id="page_20">{20}</a></span> with perfect justice you admire -their exquisite fanlike fronds, and think no more of them. But in a -couple of days the same surface, as shown from the identical point of -view in Plate VII, presents a totally different aspect, and one which is -clearly discouraging to the most ardent of skaters. But then, since you -are finally and completely and irrevocably thwarted in any ambition to -skate on this depressing surface (for it is as if all the ice-moles in -the world had made their common earth there, multiplying exceedingly), -you will be wise to examine and admire the astounding forms of this -fairy frost-work before it becomes confluent, and, losing the -individuality of its separate tufts, covers the whole lake like powdery -snow. In Plate VIII you may see the marvellous delicacy in detail of -these bouquets of frost-flowers, and the same on larger scale in Plate -IX, where they are already becoming a very jungle of anti-tropical -growth.</p> - -<p>In that wonderful poem “By the Fireside,” Robert Browning, in speaking -of the Alps in autumn, says:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“But at afternoon or almost eve<br /></span> -<span class="i1">’Tis better; then the silence grows<br /></span> -<span class="i1">To that extent you half believe<br /></span> -<span class="i1">It must get rid of what it knows<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Its bosom does so heave.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">And that which he weds to such lovely language is another of the spells -which the circle of the Alpine day and night weaves round us. Only, I -think, in winter the silence which he speaks of at evening, or, he might -have added at night, is a thing incredible to those who, I may almost -say, have never heard that silence. In spring or summer or autumn it is -broken by sounds of cow<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_21" id="page_21">{21}</a></span>bells perhaps, and, almost certainly by a murmur -of wind in pine-woods, or of water hurrying from the heights. But in -winter, on a still evening those evidences of life are dumb, and yet the -silence itself is pregnant with vitality. At sunset the high tops burn -in rose-coloured flame, and as the glory fades into the toneless velvet -of the frosty sky, the stars in their wheeling are of a brilliance -utterly unknown to lower altitudes, except perhaps where the desert lies -fallow and dry beneath Egyptian skies, and no emanation from the earth -dims the burning of these “patins of bright gold.” But that “quiring to -the bright-eyed Seraphim” reaches not the mortal ear, and at evening or -at night in these High Alps, there is felt, as it were, that ecstasy of -silence that seems on the point of bursting into chorus: “it must get -rid of what it knows.” Nowhere else have I felt so rapturous a quality -of stillness: the frozen snow lies taut under the grip of the immense -energy of the frost: no avalanches slipping from the snow-laden flanks -of the Jungfrau under the hot beams of the sun, startle the valley with -sonorous thunder: the wind stirs not the lightest needle of the pines; -the villagers are home from the frozen fields, and doors are shut. -Slowly the last rose-colour fades from the peaks, and the stars -brighten, and you hold your breath to hear the most wonderful thing you -have ever heard—utter stillness, that yet is strained almost to -bursting point with the energies that make it, the peace that passes -understanding that lies above the snow and beneath the stars....</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Then having heard it, having thought perhaps you understood it, or best -of all, being conscious that you do not understand it at<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_22" id="page_22">{22}</a></span> all, you may -start for home, and glide on your skis down a slope to the very doors of -your hotel. Probably you will have a great many falls, for it is the -most difficult thing in the world—which is saying a good deal—to ski -with the smallest success in a fading or faded light. But you will have -heard the silence of the winter night: that will generously console you -for your misadventures....</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_I" id="plt_I"></a> -<a href="images/img-022-1_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-022-1_sml.jpg" width="550" height="423" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate I</p> - -<p>WINTER SUNLIGHT</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_II" id="plt_II"></a> -<a href="images/img-022-2_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-022-2_sml.jpg" width="550" height="443" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate II</p> - -<p>BY THE STREAM-SIDE</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_III" id="plt_III"></a> -<a href="images/img-022-3_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-022-3_sml.jpg" width="550" height="428" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate III</p> - -<p>HOAR-FROST</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_IV" id="plt_IV"></a> -<a href="images/img-022-4_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-022-4_sml.jpg" width="431" height="550" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate IV</p> - -<p>JEWELS OF THE FROST</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_V" id="plt_V"></a> -<a href="images/img-022-5_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-022-5_sml.jpg" width="550" height="415" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate V</p> - -<p>BLACK ICE ON THE SILS LAKE</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_VI" id="plt_VI"></a> -<a href="images/img-022-6_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-022-6_sml.jpg" width="550" height="424" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate VI</p> - -<p>THE BUDDING ICE FLOWERS</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_VII" id="plt_VII"></a> -<a href="images/img-022-7_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-022-7_sml.jpg" width="550" height="436" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate VII</p> - -<p>THE FULL-BLOWN ICE FLOWERS</p> - -<p>(twenty-four hours later)</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_VIII" id="plt_VIII"></a> -<a href="images/img-022-8_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-022-8_sml.jpg" width="550" height="421" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate VIII</p> - -<p>ICE FLOWERS IN DETAIL</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_IX" id="plt_IX"></a> -<a href="images/img-022-9_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-022-9_sml.jpg" width="550" height="414" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate IX</p> - -<p>MAGNIFIED ICE FLOWERS</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_X" id="plt_X"></a> -<a href="images/img-022-10_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-022-10_sml.jpg" width="550" height="378" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate X</p> - -<p>WINTER MOONLIGHT</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_23" id="page_23">{23}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II<br /><br /> -<small>RINKS AND SKATERS</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Something</span> has already been said about the swift-growing jungles of -frost-flowers that so speedily cause the lakes in Switzerland to be -utterly useless for all purposes connected with skates. It suddenly -strikes the writer that the inexperienced in these matters will have -concluded that I mean that when once those frost-flowers have formed all -skating is over, and that if they have gone to Switzerland for the -indulgence of this taste, all that is henceforth to be offered them is -the opportunity to admire this frozen vegetation instead of cutting -figures. I therefore hasten to assure them that lake skating in -Switzerland <i>does not count</i>; indeed most winter resorts have no lake at -all; and even if they have, skating there is quite the exception and not -the rule. In nine cases out of ten the snow spoils the ice before it -bears, and the frost-flowers spoil the greater part of it, even if the -snow has held off, almost immediately afterwards. Lake-skating, in fact, -is of the nature of a bonus rather than a dividend: to be enjoyed if it -happens, but by no means to be reckoned on.</p> - -<p>But at every Swiss resort there are rinks made, which render the skater -independent of natural surfaces of ice, and those, at all well-conducted -places, are “new every morning,” because every evening they are swept -and sprinkled with water, which by the ensuing day has frozen, and -presents a fresh surface to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_24" id="page_24">{24}</a></span> zealot. In fact, an artificial -skating-rink is as necessary an equipment in the Swiss winter resort as -is the hotel itself. The construction and renovation of these rinks is -most interesting, and ranks among the fine arts, just as does the -architecture of a fine golf-links or the preparation of good wickets. -These rinks are used for two purposes: skating, including bandy or ice -hockey, and curling. I do not count ice-gymkhanas or ice-carnivals, -because anything is good enough for them. You can play the shovel-game -or crawl through barrels among the jungles of frost-flowers. I do not -imply that such entertainment is not exceedingly amusing; I only mean -that the artist in rink-making paints his masterpieces primarily for the -sake of the skater and the curler, not for the Pierrot with his Chinese -lantern, or those who win three-legged races.</p> - -<p>The technique of these ice-pictures is in brief as follows:</p> - -<p>In the beginning of the creation (from the skater’s point of view) a -piece of ground is carefully and accurately levelled. This, if it is to -be the foundation of a well-and truly-laid rink in the ensuing winter, -should be done early in the spring, because the ground will have then -had time to settle down, and the inequalities which always occur in this -settling can be made good, before the first frosts of the autumn begin, -and the soil gets fixed and frozen. Also, so I am told, the fact that -the ground will then be covered with a growth of weeds and grasses, -causes the foundation of the rink to be of better quality. This is -easily understandable: the base is matted, and is probably more coherent -in texture and less liable to contain holes through which the water may -drain away. Then, when the whole ground has been<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_25" id="page_25">{25}</a></span> doctored, <i>i.e.</i> when -the small inequalities have been corrected and it is as uniformly level -as can be expected of anything in this shifting world, everybody sits -down and smokes (as is the habit of the Swiss peasant) till the first -good snowfall comes, probably in November or early in December. Then the -merry peasant has to put down his pipe and work begins again.</p> - -<p>A row of them (I am describing the most up-to-date method) stand close -together with arms interlocked, in as straight a line as may be, and -trample down all this beautiful fresh snow. Up and down they go, in slow -time, stamping heavily with their great feet, and making out of perhaps -a foot of snow some 3 or 4 inches at the most, of really compact and -hard foundation. It will resemble at the best, as regards evenness, a -lane over which flocks of ponderous sheep have passed; but the -groundwork (this is the main point) will be of hardened snow, though -extremely rough of surface. Then they may all sit down and smoke their -pipes again—all, that is, except the headman and those who pull about, -at his bidding, the yards of hose which at one end terminate in a brass -nozzle, at the other in the water-supply, which should run in the main -at high pressure. This water is then turned on to the compacted snow -which gets soaked with it, and, if a few nights of hard frost follow the -original snowfall, becomes gradually converted into a sort of rough but -glazed and solid ice. Then, if nothing untoward happens, in the shape of -thaw or further snowfall, the next step is taken. But if there is during -these few days a thaw, they have to wait for more snow to fall, and do -their trampling over again; while if there is more snow, the poor -wretches have still to trample and get the foundations firm again.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_26" id="page_26">{26}</a></span> But -if all goes well—and the experienced iceman will delay the original -trampling until the barometer or his weather-sense (preferably the -former) promises cold weather to follow—he makes his second operation. -He will have built a small bank of snow perhaps 3 feet high and -well-spaded down, round his rink, and have sprinkled that as well as his -rink surface, so that it is at any rate glazed with ice and water-tight. -Then, waiting for a bright sunny morning, he floods the whole rink with -perhaps 2 inches of water. The sunniness of the day is most important -for this operation: if he put on this flood on a cold day, or at evening -when a frosty night was imminent, all the water he put on, lying on the -cold frozen surface below, and with the frosty air above it would freeze -solid without cohering to the original frozen foundation. But putting it -on while the sun is hot, the top surface of the foundation is percolated -with the flood, and when the frost of the night follows, the flood binds -with it. One night possibly may not consolidate the flood: if it does -not, he waits till another night completes the work. All the time, it -must be remembered, the rink presents the most depressing appearance: -little bits of frozen snow have floated up to the surface, frost-flowers -perhaps have made their ill-starred appearance, and it still somewhat -resembles a sheep-trampled lane. But then things begin to look better: -and another inch of water is put on, and then another inch, and then -another, each being consolidated before the next is applied, and each -being applied not in the evening, but when the sun will slightly melt -the previous surface. With each of these floodings the ice grows more -desirably smooth, and more immaculately clean, till at the end of -perhaps a fortnight<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_27" id="page_27">{27}</a></span> there is something like 18 inches of solid ice over -the ground that was levelled in the spring. At least this thickness is -required if the ice is to last properly, for even in mid-winter the most -sickening series of climatic catastrophes may occur, which, unless there -is good thickness of ice originally built up, may spoil the rink -altogether. For on hot sunny days, though the surface of the ice remains -quite dry, very great evaporation occurs, and the dryness of the air -drinks up the melted ice before it visibly or tangibly becomes water. Or -again, even in the most well-conducted winters, at the most approved -resorts, there may be a complete thaw, and “the pools are filled with -water,” which also evaporates. In both these cases, there is a -consequent loss of ice, and the bullion, so to speak, must be able to -stand the drain upon it. Still worse, there may be a snowfall followed -by a thaw, followed by a frost. The thaw has eaten into the ice; the -frost has caused this rodent mixture to get encrusted again. And then, -if there is not good depth of ice, the most excruciating events tread on -each others’ heels. The ground below the thin ice is warmed with the -penetrating sun, and begins to exude bubbles; the bubbles rise, and -horrible water-blisters, skinned over with ice, appear. The skates crash -through them (“and langwedge which I will not pollewt my pen with -describing,” as Miss Fanny Squeers said) and cut into the half-frozen -ground, which thereupon begins to leak. The most awful mess ... there -are no words for it. Therefore it is necessary, as soon as possible, to -get a good thickness of ice.</p> - -<p>But this building-up of the rink requires immense patience and -forethought. Night after night when the building is going on,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_28" id="page_28">{28}</a></span> and the -weather is warm and beastly, the head iceman, if he is really competent, -will sit up through the long tale of dark hours, keeping himself awake -with coffee, and watching the thermometer to see when it registers -sufficient degrees of frost to enable him to put more water on to the -ice. He will wait all through a cloudy night, hoping for the sky to -clear, in order to get a half inch more foundation. It is useless and -worse than useless to apply more water unless there are several degrees -of frost, for this only weakens his original trampled foundation of -snow, and leads to the awful trouble of blisters coming up from the -ground. But if even an hour or two before daybreak the temperature -sinks, and there is a chance of gaining a further thickness of ice, he -will rouse his men, and at any rate spray or sprinkle the whole surface -of the rink, in order to get a little more ice, just a little more. -Night and day, like a mother over a sick child (I am not exaggerating), -a man like Rudolf Baumann, and others not so well known to me, will -watch over their rink, to console, to fill up holes, to add another -fibre of underlying muscle.</p> - -<p>But even when a couple of feet of solid ice are built up over the -ground, the trouble of the iceman is not over. Again a snowfall may -come, followed by a thaw, and the removal of this reveals sometimes a -terrible sort of chicken-pox on the ice. If the snowfall is followed by -cold weather, not much harm is done, for the snow is removed by shovels -and barrows, and a sprinkle of water over the whole rink—sprinklings -being made at night, since a sprinkle freezes almost as it falls, -opposed to the slower habits of a flood—shows next day that the rink is -no whit the worse. But if a thaw follows a snowfall, the general laws of -nature are<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_29" id="page_29">{29}</a></span> suspended, in order to thwart icemen and skaters. -Theoretically, the surface of the ice below the melting snow will thaw -evenly. Practically, it does nothing of the kind. The surface is -unaffected in one spot, and immediately adjoining it has thawed into a -small round hole about 6 inches in circumference. Why this happens I -cannot say, except that it is part of the general malignity of natural -law; but the effect is apparent enough, and when the thawing snow is -removed, the ice is found to be covered by numberless small holes. Each -one of these has to be filled up by hand, with a freezing mixture of -snow and water, or better of pounded ice and water.... There are rinks -in Switzerland 300 yards long—I leave the consideration of these, in -the matter of labour required, to mathematicians who like dealing with -progressions that approach the infinite.</p> - -<p>Now the shrinkage of the ice already gained goes on all winter long, -owing to the evaporation of the surface, and owing to the cutting edges -of skates, which cover it with a sawdust of frozen stuff that has to be -swept off every evening. This perpetual loss must be made good, or else -the rink would soon vanish altogether, and it is made good by floodings -or sprinklings. A flood of a couple of inches over the whole surface is -of course the easiest way of doing this, but it is far the least -satisfactory. For, as I have said, the flood must be put on while the -sun is still on the ice, to enable it to bind into the ice already -formed, and thus hours of daylight are lost to the skater. Furthermore, -unless a really severe night follows, it will not be all properly -frozen. So the good ice-maker, instead of turning skaters off the ice, -and getting by one flood sufficient thickness to last for three or four -days more,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_30" id="page_30">{30}</a></span> sprinkles instead. This is a far longer and more troublesome -process, for with his hose-pipe with its small nozzle he has to go over -the ice again and again, six or seven times perhaps, or more, in a -single night, if ice is badly wanted. If it is freezing hard, each -sprinkle will solidify almost as soon as it falls, and sometimes he -sprinkles all night long; while if it is far too warm for a flood to -have a chance of solidifying, he will, unless a real thaw is going on, -still find it possible to sprinkle once or twice before morning, even -though there is but a degree or two of frost. Another immense advantage -that sprinkling has over flooding is, that ice thus made, little by -little, in exceedingly thin layers, lasts, for some reason, far longer -than a greater thickness of ice frozen solid in a single night. Why this -should be so, I do not know; but the fact is incontestable. Certainly -also a flood of a couple of inches frozen solid is far more brittle in -itself than ice built up in thin layers, and an awkward toe-strike with -the tip of the skate will cut a great chunk out of flood-ice, whereas it -makes far less impression on sprinkled ice. The sprinkle should be -thrown far and high (as illustrated in Plate XIII), so that it comes -down on to the ice in fine mist-like rain that freezes quickly and -freezes tightly into the ice already there. Of course all these -difficulties are not encountered in a perfectly cold winter. Given a -hard frost every night, it is easy to keep pace with the daily -evaporation. But even in the loftiest winter resorts in this excellent -republic, mid-winter thaws occur.</p> - -<p>Such in brief is the making of these rinks that seem such simple affairs -when made, just a level piece of ice with a smooth surface. But the -knowledge, the care, the watchfulness which are necessary<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_31" id="page_31">{31}</a></span> to secure -good ice that will last all winter and reasonably resist any thaws and -snowfalls that may occur, are enormous. And the same care that is -lavished on their making must be expended on their keeping. No one with -soil on his gouties or a cigarette even in his mouth should be allowed -on the sacred surface, for even a feathery ash of tobacco if allowed to -lie on the ice will get warmed by the sun and gradually melt its way -into the ice. The sprinkle that night covers it, and it is embedded in -the ice like a fly in amber. Again the sun shines on it, it melts a -little water round it, and forms the nucleus of what will spread into a -blister in the ice. Any dirt in the same way makes similar holes, and -nothing but the clean skate-blade and the necessary and privileged boots -of the icemen should ever be allowed on the rink. How amazed would be -the pioneers of outdoor artificial rinks if they could see the huge and -perfect surfaces now yearly prepared for the hordes of foreign visitors -who flock to Switzerland. Of those pioneers John Addington Symonds was -one, and in his charming essays he recounts how at Davos he and a few -enthusiastic friends took exercise by incessantly working the handle of -a pump that stood in the middle of a level field, until, I think, the -pump froze. Then greatly daring they proceeded to skate over the amazing -ridges and shelves of ice which must certainly have been the result of -this hardy undertaking. Nowadays a reservoir must be built at a -sufficient height above the rink to secure a good pressure of water for -the sprinkling, and patient laudable men sit up all night watching the -thermometer to see if it is safe to offer water to the -delicately-nurtured crystal. But from these fine-art rinks has fine-art -skating been evolved, and if the pioneers of rink-<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_32" id="page_32">{32}</a></span>making wondered at -our reservoir, our cohorts of workmen, our huge glassy surfaces, still -more perhaps would the skaters of those days be astonished to see some -champion of the Continental execute his “back loop change loop eight” -laying the loops on top of the other, or observe four gentlemen of the -English swoop down at top speed and on back edges to their centre, flick -out four creamy rockers and glide away again to their appointed -circumference. So much then for the skater’s material needs; we pass on -to consider the use he puts them to.</p> - -<p>Now there are two styles of skating (I do not refer to good skating and -bad skating), known respectively as the English and the Continental or -International. In past days, certain exponents of one or the other -school, with the mistaken idea that to belittle another was to magnify -themselves, fell into the stupid error of comparing the two to the -accompaniment of robust vilifications of that style which happened not -to be so fortunate as to number them among its adherents. But it is no -exaggeration to say that the two styles have nothing whatever to do with -one another. It is true that the performer in each case is on skates, -and that the skates progress over ice; but the very skates are -different; so, too, is the whole mode, manner, style, and effect of -performance, and it would be as reasonable for the Rugby football player -to assert that Association is not real football, as for the English -skater to label the International skater an acrobat or contortionist, or -for the International skater to call his detested English brother an -exponent of the ramrod school. Many flowers of speech bloomed in the -gardens of these controversialists, the more exotic and violently -coloured blossoms springing, I think, from</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/img-032_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-032_sml.jpg" class="brdrgreen" width="406" height="550" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>SKATING—ENGLISH STYLE</p> - -<p><i>From the Drawing by Fleming Williams</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_33" id="page_33">{33}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">certain skaters in the International style, who were admirably -industrious at one time in their denunciation of anyone who ventured to -skate in the English style. The present writer, for instance, who, poor -fool, thought he was amusing himself quietly in attempting unambitious -feats in English skating, without interfering with anybody, had an open -letter addressed to him in the <i>Engadine Post</i>, pointing out the -vileness and wickedness of his heretic ways; and a precious little book, -that now lies open before me, which did not attract as much attention as -its unconscious humour seems to warrant, informs us that the theories on -which English skating are based are “diametrically opposed to every -principle of nature, science and art, and at variance with the -unrestrained freedom of action and movement which prevails in every -other branch of athletic sport.” Probably the writer felt better after -that, for we have heard nothing of him since; while with regard to the -above-quoted criticism, the only comment that need be made is, that on -the same silly lines it would be reasonable to call lawn-tennis at -variance with unrestrained freedom of action and movement, because it is -not part of the game to slog the ball wildly out of court.</p> - -<p>But of late this controversy has somewhat died down, the fact being that -no one with the smallest knowledge of the difficulties and beauties of -skating at all, in whichever of these two styles, ever joined in it, -since, whether in personal preference he was English or Continental, he -had sufficient acquaintance with skating matters to appreciate and -admire the excellence both of his own school and of that to which he -owed no allegiance. He saw also that the two schools had nothing to do -with each other,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_34" id="page_34">{34}</a></span> and instead of jeering at the other, contentedly -practised at the one he happened to prefer. Naturally, most Swiss -resorts tend to one style or the other; but at Davos, the original -cradle of the modern English style, the two schools flourish side by -side, as also they do at Mürren, one of the newly-opened Swiss centres. -There particularly—at Davos there is a separate English rink, mainly -occupied by English skaters—you may see the votaries of the different -schools of this now obsolete controversy cheek by jowl on the ice, and -lying down together, after a fall, like the lion and the lamb. At St. -Moritz, similarly, both styles are bloodlessly practised, though the -International style is the more popular; while Grindelwald is nowadays -exclusively International, after having been exclusively English. So, -too, is Wengen. On the other hand, at Villars, one of the largest -skating resorts in the country, there is scarcely an Internationalist to -be seen, and Château d’Oex, Montana, and Morgins are similarly almost -entirely English in their leanings. But without more enumeration it is -sufficient to say that both schools flourish exceedingly, and will -undoubtedly continue to do so, and nothing that anybody says will -detract from the prosperity of either.</p> - -<p>Now skating, in both these styles, is largely a matter of form, and -herein it differs from nearly every other sport. It does not suffice in -skating, whether you are English or Internationalist, to <i>do</i> certain -things, to cut threes, to execute rocking-turns, or loops or -back-brackets. All these things have to be done in the manner prescribed -by the Vedas, so to speak, of your school. Without doubt there is reason -at the base of these methods, for it is clear that if, in a combined -figure, four English skaters were</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/img-034_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-034_sml.jpg" class="brdrgreen" width="416" height="550" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>SKATING—CONTINENTAL STYLE</p> - -<p><i>From the Drawing by Fleming Williams</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_35" id="page_35">{35}</a></span></p></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">allowed to fly into their centre on a back edge with their unemployed -leg waving, and there execute a rocker, there would immediately be a -heap of mangled bodies on the ice, a result which is not recognised as -being among the objects of combined skating; and similarly, in the -International style, the graceful poses of arm and leg, which ignorant -English skaters look upon as mere display, are designed to assist the -movement. But in all other games (and this is where skating differs from -them all) the point is to achieve a certain object, and the achievement -of that object, however attained, renders the achiever a notable -performer if he consistently attains it. The golfer, for instance, who -consistently drives a long straight ball, puts his mashie shot near the -hole, and generally putts out, is a magnificent golfer, in whatever -manner or style he executes these tyrannously difficult feats. There are -a hundred and a hundred hundred styles and modes of putting, and they -are all good, provided only they enable the putter to hole his ball. At -cricket, similarly, a man may bowl fast or slow with any sort of break, -and with any sort of action (provided his shirt sleeve is not wantonly -flapping), and he is a good bowler if only he gets wickets cheaply. But -at skating the prescribed thing has to be done in the prescribed manner, -and the prescriptions of the English school are, broadly speaking, all -of them diametrically opposed to the principles of the International -school. In the English style the employed leg (<i>i.e.</i> the one which for -the moment is being skated on) must be straight; in the International -style it must be bent. In the English style the unemployed leg must be -close to the other, and hang beside it, loosely and easily; in the -International, wherever the exigencies<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_36" id="page_36">{36}</a></span> of the movement demand that it -should be, it must at any rate never be there. In English the arms must -not be spread and swung abroad to assist the movement, but must be -carried inactively by the side, whereas in International, as long as the -skate moves the arms must be engaged on their assigned activity. In both -schools, in fact, every movement must be executed in a given way, but in -no case is there the smallest resemblance between those ways, though -both should result in clean edges and clean turns executed at defined -places.</p> - -<p>It is not my intention to give here a manual of English skating, -beginning with instruction to beginners and ending with timorous hints -to experts, but any book on Winter Sports would necessarily be -incomplete unless it babbled to some considerable extent about skating, -which, without doubt, is the sport in pursuit of which the large -majority of English folk visit the High Alps in winter. From whatever -cause, this slippery art exercises a unique spell over the able-bodied -and athletic section of Anglo-Saxon mankind. It may be that this is -partly accounted for by the comparative rarity of the occasions on which -we can skate, owing to our Gulf-Stream-beridden and generally -pestilential climate, and it is sufficient that some puddle-place in a -village green should be half-frozen to cause the majority, not only of -youth but of sedate men and women, to hurry down to the spot, and there -slide about on both feet with staggerings and frequent falls and the -ever-present possibility of occasional immersions. But the rarity of -even half-frozen puddles in England does not wholly account for the -transcendent spell: there is something in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_37" id="page_37">{37}</a></span> quality of motion which -is started by a stroke of the tense muscles, and then continues of its -own accord, without effort or friction, until the impetus is exhausted, -that appeals to our unwinged race, who must otherwise keep putting foot -before foot to get anywhere. The sensation itself is exquisite, and the -sensation is rendered more precious by the fact that from the days when -the tyro slides cautiously forward on both feet, to the days when, -having become a master in his art, he executes back-counters at the -centre in a combined figure, there is always a slight uncertainty as to -what is going to happen next. The tyro rejoicing in the unaccustomed -method of progress is conscious of a pleasing terror as to whether he -will not fall flat down, and glows with callow raptures all the time -that he does not; while the finest skater who ever lived, will never be -quite sure that he will flick out his back-counter cleanly and -unswervingly. We can all walk pretty perfectly—at least, there is no -pleasing terror that we may be going to fall down—but none of us at our -respective levels as artists in skating can skate pretty perfectly. We -can only skate moderately well, considering how well we can skate. And -the joy of it! The unreasoning, delirious joy of the beginner who for -the first time feels his outside edge bite the ice, and, no less, the -secret elation of the finest performers in the world, when they execute -their back-counter close to the centre, at high speed, and without the -semblance of flatness in the edge! And even if any of us was so -proficient as to perform such a feat with absolute certainty, there is -no doubt whatever that we should find some further feat that would put -us back into the dignified ranks of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_38" id="page_38">{38}</a></span> stragglers again. And the same -holds good with regard to International skating: at least if there is -any among those delightful artists who will execute the Hugel star first -on one foot and then on the other without a pleasing anxiety gnawing at -his heart, I should very much like to know his name and black his boots -for him.</p> - -<p>To go more into detail with regard to the manner and style of these -antipodal twins, we will take first the twin known as English skating. -This falls into two broad classes, namely, single skating and that which -is the cream and essence of English skating, combined skating. A further -development of combined skating, namely, combined hand-in-hand skating, -has not long ago been undergoing a successful evolution, under the -auspices chiefly of Miss Cannan, Lord Doneraile and Mr. N. G. Thompson. -Without doubt it holds many charming possibilities, and very likely -there is a great future before it, but owing to right of primogeniture -we will first consider the two elder branches. In both the technique, so -to speak, is the same. The object is to skate fast on large bold edges, -to make turns of all sorts and changes of edge cleanly and without -effort, and to skate all these turns and edges in a particular and -prescribed manner.</p> - -<p>The first consideration, therefore, is the manner. The stroke must be -taken, <i>i.e.</i> impetus must be set up, not with a push of our skate-toe -into the ice, but from the inside edge of the skate blade. The reason is -obvious, for if a skater thrusts his sharp skate-toe into the ice he -will make a hole in it, and damage the ice. That is sufficient: I think -there are probably four or five<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_39" id="page_39">{39}</a></span> other reasons, which in a general and -unspecialised treatise like this need not be gone into.</p> - -<p>The skater having got his impetus by leaning against the inside edge of -one skate, launches himself on the other. Now there are two edges to a -skate, namely, the inside and the outside. There is also the flat base -of the skate. Both theoretically and practically, he never uses the flat -of the skate in his actual progress. When he turns, whether the turn is -a three-turn or a rocker, or a counter or a bracket, he comes up to the -flat for a moment, but instantly leaves it again. He progresses on one -edge, the inside, or on the other edge, the outside. And while he -progresses, he must progress in the prescribed manner. And the -prescription is this:</p> - -<p>I. <i>His head must be turned in the direction of his progress, whether he -is progressing forwards or backwards.</i> Again common-sense is at the base -of this rule. For if his head is turned in the direction of his -progress, he is looking, unless unfortunately blind, where he is going. -This avoids trouble to himself, if there are holes in the ice, and -trouble to other people if there are other people on the ice.</p> - -<p>II. <i>He must be standing erect with his shoulders and body sideways to -the direction of his curve, not facing square down it.</i> In other words, -he must, among other things, be travelling not further forward than on -the middle of his skate, otherwise he will not be standing erect, but -leaning forward. This attitude is that which is referred to, in the -humorous book I have already quoted, as characteristic of the ramrod -school. But the author, in his blissful ignorance of skating matters, is -not aware that it is im<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_40" id="page_40">{40}</a></span>possible to execute a long smooth circumference -of curve if you progress on the forepart of your skate. If you are on -the forepart of the skate, you must be leaning forward, and no one of -known anatomy can lean forward and execute a long smooth edge. The -balance is unsteady, and the edge wobbles. Commonsense, then, again -endorses this rule. In order to be steady on a long edge, your balance -must be of the established order. You must be upright, and travelling -without muscular effort to retain your position. This is only attained -by travelling on the middle or the aft part of the skate. For nobody can -stand still on their toes. But standing on the middle part of the foot -or with the weight on the heel it is perfectly easy to do so. But when -this humorous author (whom I drag out of his obscurity for the last -time) calls this the ramrod school, he proves himself ignorant of the -first principles of English skating, or perhaps has only observed -himself in some mirror at Prince’s Club attempting to assume the correct -attitude himself. As a matter of fact, the proper attitude of the skater -in the English style is exactly that of a man who is well made and -master of his limbs standing still with the weight chiefly on one foot. -While skating, it is true, the weight is entirely on one foot, and the -performer is moving, and not standing still. But the pose necessary to -smooth and swift progression is exactly that. It no more resembles a -ramrod, when decently done, as every good English skater does it, than -it resembles a coal-scuttle or a pince-nez, or what you will.</p> - -<p>III. <i>The unemployed leg</i>, i.e. <i>the leg of the foot which is not -skating, must hang close to the employed leg</i>. Again the reason is -obvious. If four persons came into their centre with a waving<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_41" id="page_41">{41}</a></span> -unemployed leg, they would hit each other. Also, if the unemployed leg -is put out behind, the skater must lean forward in order to counteract -its weight. He will then tend to skate on the forepart of his skate. In -a series of long edges this attitude is impossible to maintain except by -effort. Nobody could skate for a quarter of an hour in combined skating, -accurately and largely on such a principle.</p> - -<p>IV. <i>The arms must hang by the side, and be carried loosely easily, -close to the body.</i> Again the explanation is obvious. There is no need -for their flying abroad, since a long edge is most easily accomplished -with the limbs and body in rest after the stroke, and these long smooth -edges are part and parcel of English skating: it is founded on them. -English skating postulates so perfect a balance, travelling on the -middle of the skates, that it chooses (this is the reason for the rule) -not to let that balance be assisted by the added or subtracted weight of -a correcting arm. It says (this is what it comes to) that you must be so -firm on your travelling root, so to speak, of balance, that you dispense -with all adjustments of weight. The weight has to be practically -perfectly adjusted. There must be no adjustments adventitiously -obtained.</p> - -<p>Now these four rules are at the base of English skating. If you happen -to play a game, you conform to the rules, and you do not argue, for -instance, when you are playing cricket, whether you should be given out, -when quite clearly you have been caught at the wicket. If you are at all -sensible, or in any way like cricket, you pocket your duck’s egg and -retire. Superb strokes may be made at cricket, which nevertheless are -fatal to the striker.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_42" id="page_42">{42}</a></span> Superb attitudes, similarly, may be made in the -International style, which are quite completely wrong. They may be -supremely statuesque, but they are not skating. The case is exactly the -same with the English style. Certain canons have been laid down, all of -which seem to be necessary to the attainment of excellence. It is no -doubt possible to skate charming “threes to a centre” doing everything -quite wrong from beginning to end. But if you choose to adopt a style, -you must conform to the rules of that style. Similarly, it is quite -possible to skate the same “threes to a centre” in the International -style, which shall leave the same mark on the ice (though the skating of -them broke every possible rule) as the most finished performer could -leave there. But who would not applaud the International judge who -ruthlessly ploughed such a candidate? He has not kept the rules, which -in contradistinction to other games prescribe not only what the object -in view is, but the manner in which the performance is to take place. -But this manner, we venture to point out, has not been laid down in an -arbitrary way: it is the manner, both in International skating and in -English alike, in which the feats demanded can alone be properly -performed.</p> - -<p>Now if the skater will take the trouble to conform to the four rules -given above, he will find that even at the outset of his career there is -great fun in store for him. Should he conform to them completely, when -the complication of turns is added, he will quite certainly find that -there is a championship, if he cares for that, in store for him also. -The rules were not negligently made; indeed they were never made at all, -but are simply the condensed experience of the best skaters, the methods -by which<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_43" id="page_43">{43}</a></span> the fittest survived. And the fittest did, and always will do, -that which is recorded in these rules, and the ensuing complications, -even the most complicated of them, are comparatively easy to those who -can maintain the proper travelling position. But nobody who cannot hold -a long firm edge, for which the proper travelling position is essential, -need ever trouble his dreams with the notion of becoming a good skater. -And no one’s edges approach perfection, if he cannot traverse, on -backward and forward edges, outside and inside alike, a distance of at -least a hundred yards, given that the ice is reasonably good, without -stirring from the attitude he has taken up after his stroke. A really -fine skater will traverse much more, and be still as a rock throughout -his travel; but no good skater will be so unsteady that he will not -easily traverse that. In his actual skating he will, probably, never be -called upon to make so lengthy an edge, but its accomplishment should -present no difficulty to him, if he aspires to be a fair performer. Even -as the pianist, when performing, is not called upon to play simple -scales with both hands, so the skater will not be called upon, in his -combined figure, to skate for a hundred yards on one edge. But both -pianist and skater ought to find no difficulty at all in executing these -simple feats.</p> - -<p>The beginner is advised to get a fair mastery of all the edges before he -begins to attack the fortress of the turns. He should be able to -progress steadily and smoothly both on the outside edge and the inside -edge forward, and to make some progress also on the back edges, namely, -outside back and inside back. This last is far the most difficult of the -edges, and it will be a long time before he is able to take fast bold -strokes on it. But he should<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_44" id="page_44">{44}</a></span> have some acquaintance with it before he -attempts to make the turns that necessitate its employment, and be able -to hold it in the correct position. He can then set about turns and -changes of edge, which all imply correct travelling.</p> - -<p>Now there are four groups of turns, common both to the English and -International styles, each group of which contains four turns to be -executed on each foot. Altogether, therefore, there are sixteen turns to -be learned which employ each foot singly. These with the four edges, -executed in the prescribed manner, form the material of the art. These -turns are common both to English and International skating,</p> - -<p>I. The first group is known as simple turns, and consists of turns (or -changes of direction, from backwards to forwards or forwards to -backwards) from:</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td class="rt">(i)</td><td align="left">Outside forward to inside back.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="rt">(ii)</td><td align="left">Inside forward to outside back.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="rt">(iii)</td><td align="left">Outside back to inside forward.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="rt">(iv)</td><td align="left">Inside back to outside forward.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>They are all of the same shape with regard to the marks they leave on -the ice, and from their shape are known as “three” turns, or “threes.”</p> - -<p>Thus:</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/pg_44_sml.jpg" width="250" height="69" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /> -</div> - -<p>The arrow shows the direction of progress: the turn is the cusp in the -middle between the two curves. Thus if the first edge is outside -forward, the second is inside back: if the first is inside forward the -second is outside back: if the first is outside back<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_45" id="page_45">{45}</a></span> the second is -inside forward: if the first is inside back the second is outside -forward.</p> - -<p>II. The second group of turns is known as rocking turns, or more -generally as “rockers.” Like the “three” turns, they are all of the same -shape, thus:</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/pg_45a_sml.jpg" width="250" height="73" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /> -</div> - -<p class="nind">and are four in number, namely:</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td class="rt">(i)</td><td align="left">Outside forward to outside back.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="rt">(ii)</td><td align="left">Inside forward to inside back.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="rt">(iii)</td><td align="left">Outside back to outside forward.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="rt">(iv)</td><td align="left">Inside back to inside forward.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p class="nind">Now, in both these groups the body revolves or rotates at the moment of -making the turn in the direction indicated by the dotted lines; it -revolves, that is to say, <i>outside</i> the direction of the first curve. -But it is possible for the body to revolve in the opposite direction, -that is to say, <i>inside</i> the direction of its first curve. This makes -possible the third and fourth groups of turns.</p> - -<p>III. This group, which is known as brackets, from the mark left on the -ice, corresponds to Group I, and the edges employed in it are the same, -namely, outside forward to inside back, &c. But in this group the body -revolves on the <i>inside</i> of the direction of the first curve, and the -mark on the ice, consequently, is as follows, the dotted line again -indicating the revolution of the body:</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/pg_45b_sml.png" width="226" height="79" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /> -</div> - -<p>IV. The fourth group is known as counter-rocking turns, or<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_46" id="page_46">{46}</a></span> more -generally as counters. It corresponds with Group II, for the marks on -the ice are approximately the same, and the edges employed are outside -forward to outside back, &c. But here again the revolution of the body, -as in the brackets, takes inside the direction of the first curve, thus:</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/pg_46a_sml.jpg" width="250" height="87" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /> -</div> - -<p>These sixteen turns, or changes of direction while skating on one foot, -comprise all the varieties of so doing that seem theoretically possible, -since they include every forward edge to every back edge and every back -edge to every forward edge, skated with rotation of the body both -outside and inside the direction of the first curve, and until somebody -discovers a third edge to a skate, or a third direction of rotating the -body, it is not possible that they will be added to.</p> - -<p>But changes of direction may be made by the employment, not of one but -of both feet, and though these might be more properly described as -strokes rather than turns, there are two groups of them which enter -largely into English skating. These are known as mohawks and choctaws.</p> - -<p>I. Mohawks consist of either forward edge combined with the -corresponding back edge taken up by the other foot. Thus if the right -foot starts as an outside forward, the left, to complete the mohawk, is -put down on the outside back edge, thus:</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/pg_46b_sml.jpg" width="250" height="114" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_47" id="page_47">{47}</a></span></p> - -<p>Here the rotation is made, as in the brackets and counters, on the -<i>inside</i> of the direction of the first curve, and the figure is known as -the outside forward mohawk. Similarly, the mohawk can be skated on the -inside edges, <i>i.e.</i> the right foot starts with an inside forward, and -the left completes with an inside back. Here the rotation, as in the -threes and rockers, takes place on the outside of the direction of the -first curve.</p> - -<p>II. Choctaws also employ both feet, but the second curve of a choctaw is -on the opposing edge to the first curve. An outside forward choctaw thus -consists of an outside forward on one foot completed by an inside back -on the other, thus:</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/pg_47_sml.jpg" width="250" height="71" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /> -</div> - -<p>In this, as in the corresponding mohawk, and the brackets and counters, -the rotation of the body takes place <i>inside</i> the direction of the first -curve. Similarly, the inside forward choctaw consists of an inside -forward on one foot and an outside back on the other. Here, following -the corresponding mohawk, the rotation of the body takes place outside -the first curve.</p> - -<p>Theoretically, of course, there are corresponding mohawks and choctaws -starting from the back edges, <i>i.e.</i> outside back to outside forward, -&c., but though these strokes are constantly used, both in single and -combined skating, they are never dignified by this sounding title of -“back mohawk” or “back choctaw,” merely because the manœuvre is so -simple and common a one, that it needs no name at all, and if, for -instance, in combined skating, the caller (who directs what shall be -done) has his skaters on a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_48" id="page_48">{48}</a></span> back edge, and desires that the next stroke, -let us say, shall be an inside forward edge, he calls “inside forward” -merely.</p> - -<p>Finally, in giving this catalogue of material out of which all English -skating is built, there remain only the changes of edge, made on one -foot, to enumerate. They, as must naturally be the case, are four in -number:</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td class="rt">(i)</td><td align="left">Outside forward to inside forward.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="rt">(ii)</td><td align="left">Inside forward to outside forward.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="rt">(iii)</td><td align="left">Outside back to inside back.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="rt">(iv)</td><td align="left">Inside back to outside back.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>With regard to the cross-mohawks and cross-choctaws—in case the skater -ever “hears tell” of them—he need not worry himself even to remember -their existence, since, most rightly, they have been blotted out of the -book of English skating, owing to their clumsiness and the fact that to -skate any of them violates some canon of the essential form of English -skating. Apart from them, the whole material of English skating has now -been stated, namely, the four edges, the sixteen turns, the two mohawks, -the two choctaws, and the four changes of edge.</p> - -<p>But when we consider that the first-class skater must be able to skate -at high speed on any edge, make any turn at a fixed point, and leave -that fixed point (having made his turn and edge in compliance with the -proper form for English skating, without scrape or wavering) still on a -firm and large-circumferenced curve, that he must be able to combine any -mohawk and choctaw with any of the sixteen turns, and any of the sixteen -turns with any change of edge, and that in combined skating he is -frequently called upon to do all these permutations of edge and turn, at -a fixed point, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_49" id="page_49">{49}</a></span> in time with his partner, while two other partners -are performing the same evolution in time with each other, it begins to -become obvious that there is considerable variety to be obtained out of -these manœuvres. But the consideration of combined skating, which is the -cream and quintessence of English skating, must be considered last; at -present we will see what the single skater may be called upon to do, if -he wishes to attain to acknowledged excellence in his sport.</p> - -<p>Now the National Skating Association of Great Britain encourages both -the English and International styles, and for each there have been -instituted certain graduated tests, not competitive but standard, of -three orders. The third or lowest test in the English style is broadly -designed to encourage skaters, the second to discourage them again -(<i>i.e.</i> begin to make them feel the difficulty of the whole affair, just -when they thought by passing their third test they had broken the back -of their difficulties), and the first or highest to give them healthy -occupation for a few winters, and fit them for becoming really -first-class skaters. All of these tests must be passed before at least -two qualified judges, appointed by the N.S.A., and they are as -follows:—</p> - -<h3>THIRD-CLASS TEST</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hang">(<i>a</i>) A forward outside three on each foot, the length of each -curve being 15 feet at least. The figure need not be skated to a -centre.</p> - -<p class="hang">(<i>b</i>) The four edges, outside forward, inside forward, outside -back, inside back, on each foot alternately for as long as the -judges shall require, the length of each curve being<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_50" id="page_50">{50}</a></span> 15 feet at -least on the forward edges and 10 feet at on the back edges.</p> - -<p class="hang">(<i>c</i>) A forward outside 8, the diameter of each circle being 8 feet at least, to -be skated three times without pause.</p></div> - -<p>Here, it will be seen, is the beginning, the ground-work of English -skating. The easiest turn has to be skated, the four edges have to be -skated; also the easiest “8” has to be skated, in order to familiarise -the beginner with the idea of leaving a point on one stroke and -continuing to travel on that stroke (with turns to punctuate it, as he -will see later) until he arrives back at that point again. The point in -question is marked for him on the ice with an orange or a ball. And -whether in single skating or in combined, it is called the centre. -Simple as this third test is, it has to be skated in proper English -form, which the learner should begin to acquire from the first moment he -takes a serious stroke on the ice. For it is vastly easier to acquire -good form at the beginning of his education, than to acquire bad habits -which must subsequently be got rid of.</p> - -<h3>SECOND-CLASS TEST</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hang">(<i>a</i>) A set of combined figures skated with another skater, who -will be selected by the judges, introducing the following calls in -such order and with such repetitions as the judges may direct:—</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="font-size:90%;"> -<tr><td align="left">1. Forward three meet.</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">2. Once back—and forward meet.</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">3. Once back—and forward three meet.</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">4. Twice back off meet—and forward three meet.</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">5. Twice back meet—and back—and forward three meet.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_51" id="page_51">{51}</a></span></p> - -<p class="hang">(<i>b</i>) The judges shall call three “unseen” figures of quite simple -character, in order to test the candidate’s knowledge of calls and -power of placing figures upon the ice. These shall be skated alone.</p> - -<p class="hang">(<i>c</i>) The following edges on each foot alternately for as long as -the judges shall require, namely:—</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="font-size:90%;"> -<tr><td align="left">1. Inside back, each curve being 20 ft. at least.</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">2. Cross outside back, each curve being 12 ft. at least.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p class="hang">(<i>d</i>) The following figures skated on each foot, namely:—</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="font-size:90%;"> -<tr><td align="left">1.</td><td align="left">Forward inside three, the length of each curve being 40 ft. at least</td><td class="c">{R<br /> {L</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">2.</td><td align="left">Forward outside three <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span> 50 ft. <span class="ditto">“</span></td><td class="c">{R<br /> {L</td></tr> -</table> - -<p class="hang">(<i>e</i>) The following figures skated to a centre on alternate feet -without pause, three times on each foot, namely:—</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="font-size:90%;"> -<tr><td align="left">1. Forward inside three,</td><td> - the length of each curve being</td><td> - 15 ft. at least.</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">2. Forward outside three -</td><td> <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span></td><td> 15 <span class="ditto">“</span></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">3. Forward inside two threes -</td><td> <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span></td><td> 10 <span class="ditto">“</span></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">4. Forward outside two threes -</td><td> <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span></td><td> 10 <span class="ditto">“</span></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">5. Back outside two threes -</td><td> <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span></td><td> 10 <span class="ditto">“</span></td></tr> -</table> - -<p class="hang">(<i>f</i>) The following figures skated on each foot, namely:—</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="font-size:90%;"> -<tr><td> -1. Forward inside “Q,”</td><td> the length of each curve being</td><td> 30 ft. at least </td><td class="c"> {R<br />{L</td></tr> -<tr><td> -2. Forward outside “Q” -</td><td> <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span></td><td>30 ft. <span class="ditto">“</span></td><td class="c"> {R<br />{L</td></tr> -<tr><td> -3. Back inside “Q” -</td><td> <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span></td><td>25 ft <span class="ditto">“</span></td><td class="c"> {R<br />{L</td></tr> -<tr><td> -4. Back outside “Q” -</td><td> <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span> <span class="ditto">“</span></td><td>20 ft. <span class="ditto">“</span></td><td class="c"> {R<br />{L</td></tr> -</table> - -</div> - -<p>Here, it will be seen, the test begins with a combined figure. The whole -subject of combined figures will be treated of separately,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_52" id="page_52">{52}</a></span> and for the -present we need only remark that this is a very simple one. Then follow -the inside back edge, which, as I have said, is the most difficult of -the edges, skated larger than before, in curves of 20 feet, and the -cross-stroke on the outside back. This means that the stroke is taken -with the feet crossing, the one that is taking the stroke being crossed -behind the other. As a matter of fact, this stroke, which at one time -played a considerable part in English skating, since in combined figures -all strokes from outside back to outside back were bound to be taken -from the crossing position, is now not obligatory. But it is a pretty -stroke in itself, and necessitates the skate being placed on the ice on -the edge. Then follow the two forward turns, skated rather large, in -order to begin to familiarise the learner with the feeling of turns -taken at a high speed. This necessitates clean skating of the turn -itself, since if a turn is skated fast, and not clean, it is quite -possible that the skater may fall, and he will in any case make a blur -instead of a sharp cut turn. Also these turns teach him to hold his -edges out after the turn, the tendency being to let the body rotate, -whereby the curve curls in, and the skater soon finds himself in a -position that it is impossible to maintain. But if he skates his turn, -and then can hold an edge for 50 feet <i>away</i> from it afterwards, he may -congratulate himself on the fact that he is beginning to skate his edges -big and in the proper style. For these cannot, practically speaking, be -held out, unless the rules for position are being conformed with. Then -follow four simple figures of the class known as 8’s, of which the -simplest is that required in the third-class test, namely, an outside -forward 8. All 8’s, as their name denotes, are of the same general -shape, <i>i.e.</i> the shape implied<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_53" id="page_53">{53}</a></span> by their name, but between the edges -that trace the shape of the 8, the skater is now required to put in -certain turns. He starts, for instance, on an outside forward edge, when -half round his circle makes a three turn, and comes back to his centre -on the inside back edge. Or he starts on an inside forward edge as in -the third 8, and has to make two turns before he arrives at his centre -again, which he reaches as an inside forward edge. Or, more searchingly, -he has to start his 8 on an outside back edge, and make two turns and -aim at his centre again on an outside back edge.</p> - -<p>The remainder of this test is taken up with the figures known as Q’s. In -these the skater is required to start, at some speed, on any edge -forward or back, and after travelling on it for varying distances, as -laid down, to change his edge (from outside to inside, or inside to -outside) and after holding that edge for the prescribed distance make -the three appropriate to that edge. The Q’s are very largely used in -combined skating, the change of edge being coupled not only to “three” -turns, but to rockers, counters and brackets. Here the name “Q” is -becoming obsolete, and indeed has become so in combined skating, the -figure being called “forward change three” or “inside back change -three,” &c.</p> - -<p>Now, as I have said, while the third test is supposed to encourage the -skater, the second is supposed to discourage him. What is meant is that -he has now run up against the really crucial difficulties in English -skating, of which perhaps the greatest of all is to stand still, as the -Irishman might say, while moving rapidly. As will be already seen in -this test, he is required to do this for somewhat extensive travel: in -his outside forward turn,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_54" id="page_54">{54}</a></span> for instance, he has to proceed for at least -fifty feet on his forward edge before making his turn, and the same -distance on his back edge after making his turn. And though this present -disquisition is intended to be a statement of English skating and not a -book of instruction, the writer cannot bear to let this one opportunity -slip of giving just one hint. It is perfectly impossible to travel -steadily for distances like these—and the skater will have to learn to -go much further yet on his edges—if he is travelling on the forepart of -his skate. All forward turns, by the slight check they give to the speed -(I am not now talking of those ideal skaters who actually get speed out -of a turn), tend to put the skater further forward on his skate. He must -therefore approach all forward turns on the back part of his skate, so -that by this tendency to rock forward he will make the turn itself on -about the middle of the skate. Never for a moment, if he can help it, -must he get on the toe of his skate, and if ever he does, he must regain -position again by leaning fearlessly back. And in this second test, he -will find that the difficulty of travelling well back on his skate is at -first appalling. But having learned that, and learned it thoroughly, he -will probably not come across any subsequent requirement which appears -to him so clearly impossible.</p> - -<h3>FIRST-CLASS TEST</h3> - -<h4><span class="smcap">Section A</span></h4> - -<p>This section consists of the combined figures in Parts I and II. The -judges may also give such simple calls as they think fit, to enable the -candidate to recover his position, to alternate the feet, <span class="pagenum"><a name="page_55" id="page_55">{55}</a></span>&c.</p> - -<p>The figures shall be skated with another skater, to be selected by the -judges, but if there are only two judges, neither of them shall skate.</p> - -<p>Each call must be skated at least twice, beginning once with the right -foot and once with the left.</p> - -<p>Subject to these conditions the calls shall be skated in such order and -with such repetitions as the judges may, while the set is in progress, -direct.</p> - -<p>In calls introducing “twice back” the candidate must recede at least 35 -feet from the centre.</p> - -<p>To pass this section the candidate must satisfy all the judges in the -manner in which he skates each set considered as a whole, and also in -the manner in which he skates each individual call.</p> - -<p>The judges may pass a candidate in Part I, notwithstanding a reasonable -number of errors on his part in the course of the set, provided that he -ultimately skates all the calls to their satisfaction; and in Part II, -notwithstanding errors, provided that the candidate has shown competent -skill in skating unseen calls.</p> - -<h5><i>Part I</i></h5> - -<p>1. Twice back—and forward three—and forward inside three, off meet.</p> - -<p>2. Twice back—and forward three threes—and back meet—and back two -threes—and forward two threes, meet.</p> - -<p>3. Twice back—and forward three about, change, meet.</p> - -<p>4. Twice back, about—and back off meet.</p> - -<p>5. Twice back—and back inside centre three, change—and forward meet.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_56" id="page_56">{56}</a></span></p> - -<p>6. Twice back three, centre three, off meet.</p> - -<p>7. Twice back centre change, three, meet.</p> - -<p>8. Once back—and forward—and forward inside two threes centre change -meet.</p> - -<p>9. Twice back—and forward two threes, pass, meet.</p> - -<p>10. Twice back two threes, off pass, meet.</p> - -<p>11. Inside twice back—and forward inside two threes, meet.</p> - -<p>12. Forward change, three, change, three, circle—and forward three, -change, circle—and forward about change, three, off meet.</p> - -<h5><i>Part II</i></h5> - -<p>In addition to the above, the judges shall call a further set of not -more than six or less than four “unseen” figures of moderate difficulty, -in order to test the candidate’s knowledge of calls and power of correct -placing. This unseen set must include rockers, counters, and brackets, -and shall be skated by the candidate alone.</p> - -<h4><span class="smcap">Section B</span></h4> - -<p>No candidate shall be judged in Part II of this Section until he has -passed in Part I.</p> - -<p>The judges may allow a candidate any number of attempts at a given -figure which they consider reasonable.</p> - -<h5><i>Part I</i></h5> - -<p>The turns, mohawks, and choctaws of this part must be placed close to -and on the near side of an orange or other fixed point on the ice. They -must all be skated on each foot to the satisfaction of the judges.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_57" id="page_57">{57}</a></span></p> - -<p>The curve before and after the turn or change of foot must be 40 feet -long at least.</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="font-size:90%;"> -<tr><td class="c">Threes</td><td>{ Outside back.<br /> { Inside back.</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">Rockers }<br /> Brackets } <br />Counters }</td><td>{ Outside forward. <br />{ Inside forward. <br />{ Outside back.<br /> { Inside back.</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">Mohawks } <br />Choctaws }</td><td>{ Outside forward.<br /> { Inside forward.</td></tr> -</table> - -<h5><i>Part II</i></h5> - -<p>To pass in this part, a candidate may select not more than one figure in -each group, and must score forty-five marks at least. A selection once -made by a candidate must not be altered.</p> - -<p>No marks shall be scored in respect of any one-footed figure unless it -is skated on each foot, and the number set against each figure -represents the maximum that can be scored for that figure.</p> - -<p>A candidate shall not score for any figure on which he shall not have -obtained at least half marks.</p> - -<p><i>Eights.</i>—In marking these figures, the judges will take into -consideration the general symmetry of the figure, and the approximate -equality of corresponding curves.</p> - -<p>In each figure the complete 8 is to be skated three times without pause.</p> - -<p>The figures need not be commenced from rest.</p> - -<p>In groups D and E the turns and choctaws respectively are to be made on -the near side of the centre.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_58" id="page_58">{58}</a></span></p> - -<p>The following eights are to be skated to a centre on alternate feet:—</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="font-size:90%;"> -<tr><td class="c" colspan="2"><i>Group A</i></td></tr> -<tr><td> </td><td class="c">Max.<br /> Marks</td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside back two threes</td><td class="rt">4</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside back two threes</td><td class="rt">13</td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside forward bracket</td><td class="rt">6</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside forward bracket</td><td class="rt">4</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c" colspan="2"><i>Group B</i></td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside forward two brackets</td><td class="rt">6</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside forward two brackets</td><td class="rt">10</td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside forward bracket, three</td><td class="rt">9</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside forward bracket, three</td><td class="rt">5</td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside forward three, bracket</td><td class="rt">4</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside forward three, bracket</td><td class="rt">12</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c" colspan="2"><i>Group C</i></td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside back two brackets</td><td class="rt">14</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside back two brackets</td><td class="rt">11</td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside back bracket, three</td><td class="rt">16</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside back bracket, three</td><td class="rt">8</td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside back three, bracket</td><td class="rt">5</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside back three, bracket</td><td class="rt">14</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c" colspan="2"><i>Group D</i></td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside forward rocker</td><td class="rt">8</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside forward rocker</td><td class="rt">4</td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside forward counter</td><td class="rt">8</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside forward counter</td><td class="rt">4</td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside forward centre choctaw and inside forward centre -<br /> choctaw, beginning on each foot</td><td class="rt">4</td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside forward mohawk and inside forward mohawk<br /> to a centre, beginning on each foot</td><td class="rt">4</td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_59" id="page_59">{59}</a></span></p> - -<h3><i>Reverse Q’s</i></h3> - -<p>The turns and changes are to be made on the near side of fixed points -determined by the candidate; the distance between these, and the lengths -of the first and last curves, are to be each not less than 50 feet -beginning on forward edges, 35 feet beginning on back edges.</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="font-size:90%;"> -<tr><td class="c" colspan="2"><i>Group E</i></td></tr> -<tr><td> </td><td class="c">Max.<br /> Marks.</td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside forward three, change</td><td class="rt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside forward three, change</td><td class="rt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside forward rocker, change</td><td class="rt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside forward rocker, change</td><td class="rt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside forward bracket, change</td><td class="rt">5</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside forward bracket, change</td><td class="rt">4</td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside forward counter, change</td><td class="rt">5</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside forward counter, change</td><td class="rt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c" colspan="2"><i>Group F</i></td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside back three, change</td><td class="rt">5</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside back three, change</td><td class="rt">8</td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside back rocker, change</td><td class="rt">6</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside back rocker, change</td><td class="rt">8</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c" colspan="2"><i>Group G</i></td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside back bracket, change</td><td class="rt">16</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside back bracket, change</td><td class="rt">8</td></tr> -<tr><td>Outside back counter, change</td><td class="rt">16</td></tr> -<tr><td>Inside back counter, change</td><td class="rt">8</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c" colspan="2"><i>Group H</i></td></tr> -<tr><td class="c" colspan="2"><i>Grape Vines</i></td></tr> -<tr><td>Single, each foot leading</td><td class="rt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td>Double forward</td><td class="rt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td>Double backward</td><td class="rt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td>Pennsylvania</td><td class="rt">5</td></tr> -<tr><td>Philadelphia</td><td class="rt">6</td></tr> -</table> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_60" id="page_60">{60}</a></span></p> - -<p>Now, again omitting for the moment the subject of combined skating, we -see that in Part II the rest of the groundwork of English skating is -very thoroughly traversed. To pass this final test the skater has to be -able to execute all the threes (the two simple ones are omitted, as they -have already been required in the second test), rockers, brackets, -counters, mohawks, and choctaws at fair speed and on large edges at a -given point on the ice. Having done that to the satisfaction of the -judges, he has then to make his selection from a large number of 8’s, -which include practically most possible 8’s comprising one or two turns, -excepting these simple ones with regard to which he has already -satisfied the judges in his second test. Here he has to score marks, -selecting not more than one 8 of each group, and by the devilish -ingenuity of those who drew up this test, it is impossible for him to -get through unless the majority of the 8’s he selects to skate are -really difficult. He may then add to his marks by executing what are -called reverse Q’s at two given points on the ice. At the first of these -he has to make his turn, whatever it is, and at the second to change his -edge. This requires a considerable degree of accuracy, for in order to -arrive smoothly and still at a fair travelling pace at the second point, -he will find that he has to have a practically perfect control of the -edge, which has not been disturbed by executing a difficult back turn, -let us say, at the first given point. Finally, if he is still in want of -marks, he may earn a few more by a grape-vine. This latter does not -properly belong to English skating, since it is a two-footed figure, and -those responsible for the test might have omitted this group with -advantage.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_61" id="page_61">{61}</a></span></p> - -<p><i>The Combined Figure.</i>—Probably no branch of sport—except, perhaps, -flying—has undergone such improvement and revolution within the last -fifteen years as this art of combined skating. Not only are there a -vastly multiplied number of competent and even first-rate combined -skaters, but the skill demanded of a first-rate combined skater, and the -variety of the manœuvres he may be called upon to execute, is -immeasurably greater than a decade and a half ago. I do not mean that -there were not in 1897 a certain number of skaters who might have been -able to execute a difficult set as directed by a caller of to-day, but -these were, in golfing parlance, “plus players,” and the ordinary -“scratch” skater—one, that is, who had passed his First Class -N.S.A.—would have had no more chance of getting through such a set -without throwing everybody out, and himself down, than he would have of -flying. Both the speed and the size of these combined figures has -greatly increased, and the whole of the material of English skating is -employed. And the main reason for this improvement and revolution is due -to the greatly augmented number of English skaters who now go to -Switzerland in the winter, and the multiplication there of really large -rinks.</p> - -<p>That this immense improvement has taken place in combined skating is -proved, luckily, not only by the fallacious memory of individuals, but -by printed records. I have before me the Badminton volume on skating -(edition 1902), in which, for instance, we find the following figure -(among many others like it).</p> - -<p>“Forward two turns. This movement skated to a centre is very difficult, -and is a great test of good skating, and many men make a practice of -devoting five or ten minutes to skating it every<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_62" id="page_62">{62}</a></span> day when they come on -the ice, feeling that if they can skate it, making the curves between -the turns of equal length and making the turns clean without any scrape -and yet coming true to the centre, they are in good form and equal to -skate anything that may be required of them.”</p> - -<p>Now no doubt two turns to a centre, as required in the second-class -test, is a very good elementary figure, but it no longer has anything -whatever to do with combined skating, whether it is skated with a -partner or with a second pair, or simultaneously with other skaters. -Speed and size and difficulty (as demanded by the scale on which -combined skaters now move) are necessarily absent from it, and from a -hundred others of these calls which then were the last word in combined -skating. A man who had passed his second-class test would be capable of -doing this, which was then considered a criterion of good combined -skating, whereas the same man could not live for two calls in a combined -figure of moderate difficulty to-day. The whole nature of the business -has changed: turns have to be executed at high speed far away from the -centre, and the curliness and smallness of such skating as is here -implied and necessitated has vanished altogether, giving place to a far -more difficult style and speed.</p> - -<p>Nor, again, in this respect, is Part I, in the first-class English test, -up-to-date in requirements of size. Here we read that on a “twice back” -the candidate must recede at least 35 feet from the centre. That no -doubt was laid down because on the artificial rinks available in -England, such a distance took the skaters nearly to the bounds of the -space at his disposal. But any candidate who, on the Swiss rinks, where -nowadays almost all first-class tests are passed,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_63" id="page_63">{63}</a></span> receded but 35 feet -from the centre would have, practically speaking, no chance of getting -through. His lawless judges would inevitably tell him to skate larger. -Still less would he be able to take part in any combined figure-skating -for amusement by skaters who had any pretension to be of the -first-class. With these big surfaces of rink, the whole style and method -has become larger and faster, and therefore more difficult.</p> - -<p>A third instance, to prove how greatly the art of combined skating has -progressed, has the ring of pathos about it, and, though only oral, is -trustworthy. A friend of mine, who resides at that excellent English -skating centre, Oxford, told me that in old days he could scarcely get a -combined figure, since the most elementary calls were sufficient to -floor his partners. But not so long ago he told me he could scarcely get -a combined figure, since nobody cared to skate such elementary calls as -he was capable of. But he assures me that he skates just as well now as -he did in the days when there was nobody up to his standard. Perhaps in -twenty years more, no first-class skater will care to engage in such -simple stuff as we now think rather advanced. And dearly will such -present-day skaters who are fortunate enough to be alive then, love to -see the newer and more arduous manœuvres! But since it is impossible to -prophesy about the things we cannot imagine, it must be sufficient to -give the outlines of combined skating as practised by fairly expert -gentlemen to-day.</p> - -<p>There are two manners of combined skating, called respectively -pair-skating and simultaneous skating. The first of these (which we will -first consider) is the more difficult, and, so to speak, the more -classical. Theoretically it can be skated by two, four, six,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_64" id="page_64">{64}</a></span> or eight -persons: practically it is skated by four persons, grouped, at the -beginning of things, at right angles to their neighbours, and at a few -yards distant from their centre. One of these, who skates in the first -pair, is known as the caller, and he announces (in a loud mellifluous -voice) what he is about to skate, and what the trembling gentleman -opposite, who is his partner, must also skate. They advance to the -centre, from opposite sides, and begin skating whatever is ordered. The -moment after they have left their centre, speeding out to the -circumference of the huge imaginary circle, of which their orange or -india-rubber ball, from which they have started, is the centre, the -second pair (at right angles to them) proceed to do exactly the same. -The size and pace of the figure, as well as its details, depend entirely -on the caller: as he skates, so must his partner skate, putting down his -edges and turns simultaneously and at like speed to him, and as the -first pair skate, so (with certain modifications) must the second pair -skate.</p> - -<p>Now, the whole material of skating is at the caller’s command. He can -(and does) order threes, brackets, rockers, counters, mohawks, choctaws -and changes of edge to be skated when and how he wishes them. He can -(and does) couple any pair or any three of these movements, to be skated -on one foot or on both, one after the other. He directs, with a word of -power, from the elaborate vocabulary of combined skating, the length of -an edge, and can command it to be held so long that the direction of -progress is reversed, or to be further continued till a complete circle -is made and the original direction of progress resumed again. Then, with -another word, he brings himself and his partner (fol<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_65" id="page_65">{65}</a></span>lowed closely by -the second pair) back to their centre again, on the off side or the near -side of it, and orders that they shall start a fresh figure there, or -that they shall make a turn there, or scud by it like four express -trains which just, and only just, arriving from the four parts of the -compass, do not collide with each other, and scatter again to east and -west and north and south. Sometimes he brings them in simultaneously, so -that they converge till they almost touch, and then spread out again. -And if the figure is going decently well, there is no pause, no foot -without its edge and turn assigned to it. This mystic, swift, -interweaving dance lasts perhaps a quarter of an hour of hard, -enraptured skating.</p> - -<p>Simultaneous combined has this advantage, that an uneven number of -skaters can take part in it. The caller’s duties are the same, but there -are no pairs of partners. All leave the centre simultaneously, all (it -is hoped) arrive back at it simultaneously. Since there is no crossing -of pairs at the centre, a far larger number of skaters can take part in -it, as they have not to wait for a prior pair to clear, and if -elementary calls only are ordered, upwards of ten or twelve skaters can -join the dance with effect. No one of them, as in pair skating, crosses -the path of another skater: they leave and arrive at the centre on -converging not crossing lines. Thus it is an easier sport than is -crossing pairs, since in the latter case the edges that leave and -approach the centre intersect each other. Vastly enjoyable as it is, it -lacks to the present writer that classical distinction that -characterises pair-skating.</p> - -<p>The final item in English skating is hand-in-hand skating in the -combined figure. Here, instead of single skaters combining<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_66" id="page_66">{66}</a></span> to perform -in unison, pairs take the place of units. Necessarily the figures -compassable by a man and woman hand in hand are fewer in number, as at -present worked out, than those which can be skated by single skaters, -and the speed at which such figures are skated is less than in the -combined skating of single skaters. Hand-holds have to be changed, and -partners brought into the new position required by turns, &c., by pulls, -or by what in the nomenclature is called “steps”—<i>i.e.</i> single strokes -and edges. Already this style has taken the place in the annual -championship of English skating, and without doubt it will grow both in -the number of its practitioners, and in the force and speed of their -movements. It is scientifically based, being evolved from the charming -movements that are possible to hand-in-hand skaters when going free on -the ice, and not bound to consider their opposing partner, or to arrive -in a given manner at a given point. But it resembles, at present, in the -opinion of the writer, the performance of a yearling. It requires the -devotion of a dozen first-class skaters of both sexes to determine its -possibilities. His wish is, that it will get them. His fear is that the -necessarily cramping influence of conjoined hands will prove to debar it -from the speed and largeness of other branches of English skating. He -sincerely hopes that his fears are quite unfounded.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">International Style</span></h3> - -<p>It has been already remarked that the two styles, English and -International, have nothing to do with each other, and that the -practitioner of one who is so imbecile as to belittle the other, is<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_67" id="page_67">{67}</a></span> no -less crack-brained and idiotic than a Rugby football player who calls -Association a “rotten game.” Personally, I do not skate in the -International style, but to attempt to depreciate the beauties of it -would be to me as unthinkable as it would be to run down polo. To the -spectator, whether of polo or of International skating, the skill and -the splendour of these sports are, unless he is entirely lunatic, beyond -any question at all. But it is as an admirer, pure and simple, that I -venture to embark on a subject with which I have no practical -acquaintance.</p> - -<p>Spectacularly there is no doubt that to the ignorant the International -style rightly makes the most powerful appeal. A simple manœuvre, as for -instance a forward three to a centre, looks far more difficult and -hazardous when executed even only moderately well in the International -style than when executed almost perfectly in the English style. In the -one case, to the ignorant, arms and legs are flying: it seems impossible -to maintain a balance, and the attitude itself is charmingly graceful: -whereas in the English style the whole difficulty of the manœuvre, such -as it is, lies in the necessity of making it look easy, and standing -quite still and at rest.</p> - -<p>But the difficulty of doing it perfectly in the English style is, as a -matter of fact, far greater than that of doing it properly in the -International style. Of that there is no question whatever. A good -English skater will put down his turns and edges one over the other, in -the accurate fashion so rightly demanded by the International style, -without producing half the effect that a good International skater will -produce. But the English skater has done the more difficult feat. On the -other hand, I do not think<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_68" id="page_68">{68}</a></span> that the skater in the English style is ever -called upon to do anything so difficult in his highest test as the -back-loop 8, or perhaps the rocker 8, as required by the first-class -International test. And then I think of a back bracket, executed at good -speed at a certain point, in the correct style. Really I do not know.... -Also I do not care. The back-loop 8 of the International skater is -altogether lovely, which is all that matters.</p> - -<p>But, as I have said, the two styles have nothing to do with each other, -either as regards tests or as regards the general sport of them. I can -imagine no more glorious athletic feat than that of four first-class -English skaters performing a really difficult combined set properly, a -set that is as far away from the compulsory set of the first-class test -as is the first-class test from the second; nor, on the other hand, can -I imagine a more glorious athletic feat than the free skating of some -champion of the International school. But when Mr. Grenander or Herr -Salchow are so kind as to show me the Hugel star, I no more think of -comparing that with the combined skating of fine performers in the -English style, and others, than I compare it with Mr. Baerlein in the -tennis court or Mr. Jessop slogging his sixes. They have nothing to do -with each other.</p> - -<p>As in English skating, I propose to lay before the reader the tests of -the International school, and in contrast to the rule of English form, I -subpend the essential requirements of International excellence, as laid -down by the collective experience of its senators. Proper form is no -less essential in one than in the other, and the same sternness of -requirement is insisted on in both. But the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_69" id="page_69">{69}</a></span> effect is poles apart: in -the International style a fixed freedom of the unemployed limbs is -necessary, in the English a fixed quietness and immobility. Neither is -laid down in an arbitrary manner: it is impossible to perform the -necessary evolutions in first-class skating otherwise than is provided -by the rules. No English skater could, in his prescribed form, execute -the International figures: no International skater in his could do what -is required of his English brother. Here, then, are the essentials of -good form as demanded by the International school:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>“Carriage upright but not stiff; the body not bent forwards or -sideways at the waist; all raising or lowering of the body being -effected by bending the knee of the tracing leg with upright back; -the body and limbs generally held sideways to the direction of -progress. The head always upright. Tracing leg flexible with bent -knee. The eyes looking downwards as little as possible. The knee -and toe of the free leg turned outwards as far as possible, the toe -always downwards; the knee only slightly bent. The free leg -swinging freely from the hip and assisting the movement. The arms -held easily, and assisting the movement; the hands neither spread -nor clenched. All action of the body and limbs must be easy and -swinging with the direct object of assisting the movement of the -moment; violent or stiff motions are to be avoided, the figure -should seem to be executed without difficulty.</p> - -<p>“The figures must be begun from rest—that is, by a single stroke -with the other foot; and at the intersecting point of two circles. -Every figure must be repeated three times consecutively.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_70" id="page_70">{70}</a></span> No -impetus may be taken from the ice by the foot which is about to -become the tracing foot; and every stroke should be taken from the -edge of the blade, not from the point.”</p></div> - -<p>There are also the following directions for correct tracing, <i>i.e.</i> the -marks left by the skate on the ice.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>“The essentials of correct tracing are:</p> - -<p>“Maintenance of the long and transverse axes (as the long axis of -the figure a line is to be conceived which divides each circle into -two equal parts; a transverse axis cuts the long axis at right -angles between two circles); approximately equal size of all -circles, and of all curves before and after all turns; symmetrical -grouping of the individual parts of the figure about the axes; -curves without wobbles, skated out—that is, returning nearly to -the starting-point. Threes with the turns lying in the long axis; -changes of edge with an easy transition, the change falling in the -long axis.”</p></div> - -<p>In this form, then, and with this accuracy of tracing, the following -figures must be skated for the third test:—</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="font-size:90%;"> -<tr><td>Eight </td><td> Rfo—Lfo</td></tr> -<tr><td>Eight </td><td> Rfi—Lfi</td></tr> -<tr><td>Eight </td><td> Rbo—Lbo</td></tr> -<tr><td>Change </td><td> {(<i>a</i>) Rfoi—Lfio<br /> {(<i>b</i>) Lfoi—Rfio</td></tr> -<tr><td>Threes </td><td> RfoTbi—LfoTbi</td></tr> -<tr><td> </td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td -style="padding-right:1em;"> -R = <span class="smcap">Right.</span><br /> -L = <span class="smcap">Left.</span><br /> -T = <span class="smcap">Three.</span><br /></td> -<td style="border-left:1px solid black;padding-left:1em;"> -f = <span class="smcap">Forwards.</span><br /> -b = <span class="smcap">Backwards.</span><br /> -o = <span class="smcap">Outside.</span><br /> -i = <span class="smcap">Inside.</span><br /> -</td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_71" id="page_71">{71}</a></span></p> - -<p>Into the system of marking—candidates have to get a certain proportion -of marks in each figure—we need not go. It will be sufficient to say -that it is necessary to skate each figure passably, and to earn more -than half marks on the whole.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Second-class Test</span></h3> - -<p>This has to be passed before three judges, and is divided into two -parts—(1) Compulsory Figures; (2) Free Skating. The regulations for -them are as follow:—</p> - -<p>(1) <i>Compulsory Figures.</i>—Each figure may be marked up to a maximum of -6 points. The marks given for each figure are multiplied by the factor -of value for that figure. In order to pass, a candidate must obtain a -minimum of 2 marks out of 6 in each figure, and an aggregate of 130 out -of the maximum of 234 marks.</p> - -<p>(2) <i>Free Skating.</i>—The candidate will be required to skate a free -programme of three minutes’ duration.</p> - -<p>This will be marked:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hang">(<i>a</i>) For the contents of the programme (difficulty and variety) up -to a maximum of 6 marks.</p> - -<p class="hang">(<i>b</i>) For the manner of performance up to a maximum of 6 marks. In -order to pass, a candidate must obtain 7 marks for (<i>a</i>) and (<i>b</i>) -together.</p></div> - -<p>The marks for compulsory figures and for free skating must be obtained -from each judge. Judges may use half marks and quarter marks.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_72" id="page_72">{72}</a></span></p> - -<h4><i>Compulsory Figures</i></h4> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="font-size:90%;"> -<tr><td align="left"> </td><td align="left"> </td><td align="left">Marks.</td><td class="bltrt">Factor.</td><td align="left">Total</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">Eight</td><td align="left"> Rbi—Lbi</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td rowspan="2" valign="middle">Change</td><td align="left">{(<i>a</i>) Rboi—Lbio</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">{(<i>b</i>) Lboi—Rbio</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td rowspan="2" valign="middle">Three</td><td align="left">{(<i>a</i>) RfoTbi—LbiTfo</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">{(<i>b</i>) LfoTbi—RbiTfo</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">Double Three</td><td align="left">RboTfiT—LboTfiT</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">1</td></tr> -<tr><td rowspan="2" valign="middle">Change Three</td><td align="left">{(<i>a</i>) RfoiT—LboiT</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">{(<i>b</i>) LfoiT—RboiT</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td rowspan="2" valign="middle">Change Three</td><td align="left">{(<i>a</i>) RfioT—LbioT</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">{(<i>b</i>) LfioT—RbioT</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">Loop</td><td align="left"> RfoLP—LfoLP</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">Loop</td><td align="left"> RfiLP—LfiLP</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">Loop</td><td align="left"> RboLP—LboLP</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">Loop</td><td align="left"> RbiLP—LbiLP</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">Bracket</td><td align="left">{(<i>a</i>) RfoB—LbiB</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left"> </td><td align="left">{(<i>b</i>) LfoB—RbiB</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">One-foot Eight</td><td align="left"> {(<i>a</i>) Rfoi—Lfio</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td align="left"> </td><td align="left">{(<i>b</i>) Lfoi—Rfio</td><td align="left"> </td><td class="bltrt">2</td></tr> -</table> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="font-size:90%;"> -<tr valign="top"><td style="padding-right:1em;"> - R = Right.<br /> - L = Left.<br /> - T = Three.<br /> -LP = Loop.<br /> - B = Bracket.</td><td -style="border-left:1px solid black;padding-left:2em;"> - f = Forwards.<br /> - b = Backwards.<br /> - o = Outside.<br /> - i = Inside.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>Here is a remarkably varied programme, and one that will obviously give -a good spell of regular work to a candidate who intends to grapple with -it. It contains more of the material for skating than does the -corresponding English second test, in which only the four edges, the -four simple turns, and the four changes of edge are introduced, since -this International second test comprises as well as those, the four -loops, and two out of the four brackets.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_73" id="page_73">{73}</a></span> These loops, which are most -charming and effective figures, have nowadays no place in English -skating, since it is quite impossible to execute any of them, as far as -is at present known, without breaking the rules for English skating, -since the unemployed leg (<i>i.e.</i> the one not tracing the figure) must be -used to get the necessary balance and swing. They belong to a great -class of figures like cross-cuts in all their varieties, beaks, -pigs-ears, &c., in which the skater nearly, or actually, stops still for -a moment, and then, by a swing of the body or leg, resumes or reverses -his movement. By this momentary loss and recovery of balance there is -opened out to the skater whole new fields of intricate and delightful -movements, and the patterns that can be traced on the ice are of endless -variety. And here in this second International test the confines of this -territory are entered on by the four loops, which are the simplest of -the “check and recovery” figures. In the loops (the shape of which is -accurately expressed by their names) the skater does not come absolutely -to a standstill, though very nearly, and the swing of the body and leg -is then thrown forward in front of the skate, and this restores to it -its velocity, and pulls it, so to speak, out of its loop. A further -extension of this check and resumption of speed occurs in cross-cuts, -which do not enter into the International tests, but which figure -largely in the performance of good skaters. Here the forward movement of -the skate (or backward movement, if back cross-cuts are being skated) is -entirely checked, the skater comes to a momentary standstill and moves -backwards for a second. Then the forward swing of the body and -unemployed leg gives him back his checked and reversed movement.</p> - -<p>Similarly, the bracket 8 is fresh material in this set of com<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_74" id="page_74">{74}</a></span>pulsory -figures. The shape and nature of the bracket is the same as that in -English skating.</p> - -<p>The candidate for the second International test has also to skate a free -programme of three minutes’ duration. This takes the place, so to speak, -of the section in the English test devoted to combined skating, which is -not practised in the International style. This free skating is spoken of -in its place under the first-class test.</p> - -<h4><span class="smcap">First-class Test</span></h4> - -<p>This has to be passed before three judges, and is divided into two -parts—(1) Compulsory Figures; (2) Free Skating. The regulations for -them are as follow:—</p> - -<p>(1) <i>Compulsory Figures.</i>—Each figure may be marked up to a maximum of -6 points. The marks given for each figure are multiplied by the factor -of value for that figure. In order to pass, a candidate must obtain a -minimum of 2 marks out of 6 in each figure, and an aggregate of 190 out -of the maximum of 336 marks.</p> - -<p>(2) <i>Free Skating.</i>—The candidate will be required to skate a free -programme of three minutes’ duration.</p> - -<p>This will be marked:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hang">(<i>a</i>) For the contents of the programme (difficulty and variety) up -to a maximum of 6 marks.</p> - -<p class="hang">(<i>b</i>) For the manner of performance up to a maximum of 6 marks.</p></div> - -<p>In order to pass, a candidate must obtain 7 marks for (<i>a</i>) and (<i>b</i>) -together.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_75" id="page_75">{75}</a></span></p> - -<p>The marks for the compulsory figures and the free skating are arrived at -by taking the total marks of the three judges and dividing by three. -Judges may use half marks.</p> - -<p>This free skating is a charming item in the system of International -skating, and might, with great advantage, be introduced into the English -branch. It is in itself perfectly fascinating to look at, and from the -technical point of view it is quite admirable as a test of knowledge. A -good programme will contain dozens of turns and changes of edge, all -melting into each other without break or pause. None who have seen the -free skating of a fine performer can ever forget or question the -brilliance and variety of this three-minute free skating. As likely as -not, he will make his entry on to the rink in a spiral edge, and before -it has come to rest at the centre, start off on his coruscating -performance. Rockers, brackets, counters, and turns succeed each other -with bewildering rapidity; and all are performed with the utmost ease -and grace. It seems impossible to tell where the motive-power comes -from, so smooth and effortless is the travelling; you would have said -the skater was wafted by some localised wind, or impelled by some -invisible mechanism. But before he arrives at this part of his test, he -has to skate his compulsory figures, the list of which is subjoined.</p> - -<h4><i>Compulsory Figures</i></h4> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="font-size:90%;"> -<tr><td colspan="2"> </td><td> Marks.</td><td class="bltrt">Factor.</td><td> Total.</td></tr> -<tr><td rowspan="4" valign="middle" class="brt">Rockers</td><td> {(<i>a</i>) RfoRK—LboRK</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td> {(<i>b</i>) LfoRK—RboRK</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td> {(<i>a</i>) RfiRK—LbiRK</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">4</td></tr> -<tr><td> {(<i>b</i>) LfiRK—RbiRK</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">4</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td><td class="bltrt"></td></tr> -<tr><td rowspan="4" valign="middle" class="brt">Counters</td><td> {(<i>a</i>) RfoC—LboC</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td> {(<i>b</i>) LfoC—RboC</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">2</td></tr> -<tr><td> {(<i>a</i>) RfiC—LbiC</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td> {(<i>b</i>) Lfic—RbiC</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td><td class="bltrt"></td></tr> -<tr><td class="brt">Three,</td><td align="left"> {(<i>a</i>) RboTfioT—LbiTfoiT</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td class="brt">Change Three</td><td align="left"> {(<i>b</i>) LboTfioT—RbiTfoiT</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">3</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td><td class="bltrt"></td></tr> -<tr><td rowspan="2" valign="middle" class="brt">Loop,</td><td> {(<i>a</i>) RfoLPfoiLP—LfiLPfioLP</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">4</td></tr> -<tr><td> {(<i>b</i>) LfoLPfoiLP—RfiLPfioLP</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">4</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td><td class="bltrt"></td></tr> -<tr><td rowspan="2" valign="middle" class="brt">Change Loop </td><td align="left">{(<i>a</i>) RboLPboiLP—LbiLPbioLP</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">5</td></tr> -<tr><td> {(<i>b</i>) LboLPboiLP—RbiLPbioLP</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">5</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td><td class="bltrt"></td></tr> -<tr><td class="brt">Bracket,</td><td> {(<i>a</i>) RfoBbioB—LfiBboiB</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">4</td></tr> -<tr><td class="brt">Change Bracket</td><td> {(<i>b</i>) LfoBbioB—RfiBboiB</td><td></td><td class="bltrt">4</td></tr> -</table> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="font-size:90%;"> -<tr valign="top"><td style="padding-right:1em;"> - R = Right.<br /> - L = Left.<br /> -RK = Rocker.<br /> - C = Counter.<br /> -LP = Loop.</td> -<td style="padding-left:2em;border-left:1px solid black;"> - B = Bracket.<br /> - f = Forwards.<br /> - b = Backwards.<br /> - o = Outside.<br /> - i = Inside.</td></tr> - -</table> - -<p>Now, here is a list of requirements which, when we think of the accuracy -demanded by the International style in the matter of tracing, will -clearly be too much for any but the very elect. Not only has a figure as -difficult as the back-loop 8 to be skated, but it has to be skated with -accuracy: the loops must lie approximately one on the top of the other, -and the edges that lead into and out of them must be symmetrically laid -down. It is this accuracy which makes the International style so hard of -achievement in its higher branches; to hope to get through this list of -searching figures, it is clear that the balance, the pace, and the power -of the skater must be in perfect control. And all the time<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_77" id="page_77">{77}</a></span> the -appearance of insouciant freedom is there, though all the time that -freedom is bound by laws as relentless as those which regulate the -tranquillity of the English style. The feats are so difficult that they -cannot be executed except in a certain way, just as the ball that spins -so carelessly over the tennis net cannot win a short chase off the back -wall unless it has been hit in one way and no other.</p> - -<p>A further important branch of International skating is the pair-skating, -which ranges from the simple waltz-step to the most intricate -evolutions. The rhythm and grace of this delightful exhibition is beyond -all words; beyond all words, too, is the training and skill which it -implies. Every bar of the music which accompanies it has its appropriate -movement: it is a perfect song of motion set to the band. But the beauty -and swing of it are things quite indescribable; one might as well hope -to reproduce the dancing of Pavlova in pen and ink as to convey any -sense of it to those who have not seen it. And those who have seen it -would very wisely yawn and pass on if they observed a purple paragraph -on the subject looming ahead. But thistledown is not so light in a warm -west breeze, nor the curves of a swallow’s flight more deliciously -unconjecturable than a well-matched pair in this pastime so perfectly -preconcerted that it looks entirely unrehearsed. On they drift, gliding, -turning, parting to come together again.... Mrs. Gummidge, for the -moment, would cease to think of the old ’un, and inquire the price of -skates—and knee-pads.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_78" id="page_78">{78}</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XI" id="plt_XI"></a> -<a href="images/img-078-11_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-078-11_sml.jpg" width="550" height="392" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XI</p> - -<p>A WINTER HARVEST</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XII" id="plt_XII"></a> -<a href="images/img-078-12_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-078-12_sml.jpg" width="550" height="357" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XII</p> - -<p>CLEARING THE SNOW FROM THE RINK</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XIII" id="plt_XIII"></a> -<a href="images/img-078-13_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-078-13_sml.jpg" width="550" height="379" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XIII</p> - -<p>SPRINKLING THE RINK, CHÂTEAU D’OEX</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XIV" id="plt_XIV"></a> -<a href="images/img-078-14_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-078-14_sml.jpg" width="550" height="340" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XIV</p> - -<p>PUBLIC RINK, DAVOS</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XV" id="plt_XV"></a> -<a href="images/img-078-15_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-078-15_sml.jpg" width="550" height="394" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XV</p> - -<p>SKATING-RINK AT MÜRREN</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XVI" id="plt_XVI"></a> -<a href="images/img-078-16_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-078-16_sml.jpg" width="550" height="387" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XVI</p> - -<p>SKATING-RINK AT CHÂTEAU D’OEX</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_79" id="page_79">{79}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III<br /><br /> -<small>TEES AND CRAMPITS</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">These</span> great Swiss rinks, the construction of which has already been -dealt with, are made for the benefit of the skater and the curler, but -wherever possible the curler should be accommodated with a separate rink -of his own. Epicure though the skater is, with regard to the smoothness -and levelness of his ice, the curler, quite rightly, is even more -exigent, and slight slopes of surface and minute inequalities and -roughnesses which do not interfere with the skater at all, make it -impossible for the curler to have a satisfactory rink. In any case, the -curler’s portion must be roped off from the skating part of the rink, -for, naturally, no skate blade must make the smallest scratch on his -sacred enclosure; while, on the other side, the curler is liable, in the -ecstasies of his “sooping,” to shed and scatter pieces of broom which -wander on to the skater’s ice and cause falls. Besides, the skip -habitually shouts at the top of his voice, and a good stone evokes -choruses of open-throated music: thus, if many curlers are shouting at -the top of their voices, combined skaters cannot hear the caller, unless -he shouts at the top of his voice. If he does this while skating a -figure, he will speedily become purple in the face and quite breathless. -Also, the curler smokes when he curls, which tempts the skater to do -likewise, and for the sake of the rink he must not. For those and many -other reasons, the curler should, when possible, have a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_80" id="page_80">{80}</a></span> separate rink -of his own, where he can soop and shout and smoke without interfering -with anybody.</p> - -<p>Now, just as the art of skating has enormously progressed owing to the -facilities afforded by Swiss rinks and winters, so too has that great -sister art of curling. As in all forms of sport where delicacy or -“touch” are essential to success, occasional practice is not enough to -produce really first-rate curlers, or, indeed, to keep the first-rate -curler at the top of his game; and any who wish to excel must have -constant practice, such as Swiss or Canadian winters give him. But -Canada is a far cry to go a-curling, and we may put down the -vastly-growing number of curlers, and their growing skill, to the -opportunities afforded by Switzerland. There, all day long, in a -brilliant sun and yet on unsoftened ice, harder and faster than is ever -procurable in English or Scotch winters, the game goes on, and I do not -know of a single Swiss resort where provision is not made for those who -practise this delightful sport.</p> - -<p>Into the history of curling there is not space to penetrate, and we -must, in a treatise of which the range is confined to the present and -does not explore into the mists of antiquity, confine ourselves to -considering the practical aspects of the game. As St. Andrews is to -golf, as the N.S.A. is to skating, or the M.C.C. to cricket, so to -curling is the Royal Caledonian Club, whose rules are the acknowledged -authority on all points in connection with the game. It would take too -much space to give these <i>in extenso</i>, but the following extracts, with -certain notes, will be found to explain the principles and practice of -the game, and enable anyone to construct a standard rink.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_81" id="page_81">{81}</a></span></p> - -<p>1. The length of the rink for play, viz. from the hack or from the heel -of the crampit to the tee, shall be 42 yards—in no case shall it be -less than 32 yards.</p> - -<p>2. The tees shall be 39 yards apart—and, with a tee as the centre, a -circle having a radius of 7 feet shall be drawn. Additional inner -circles may also be drawn.</p> - -<p>3. In alignment with the tees, lines, to be called central lines, shall -be drawn from the tees to points 4 yards behind each tee, and at these -points foot scores 18 inches in length shall be drawn at right angles, -on which, at 6 inches from the central line, the heel of the crampit -shall be placed; when, however, in lieu of a crampit a hack is -preferred, it shall be made 3 inches from the central line, and not more -than 12 inches in length.</p> - -<p>4. Other scores shall be drawn across the rink at right angles to the -central line, as in the diagram, viz.:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hang">(<i>a</i>) A hog score, distant from either tee one-sixth part of the -distance between the “foot score” and the farther tee.</p> - -<p class="hang">(<i>b</i>) A “sweeping score” across each 7-foot circle and through each -tee.</p> - -<p class="hang">(<i>c</i>) A “back score” behind and just touching outside the 7-foot -circle.</p></div> - -<p><i>Note.</i>—In these four rules are contained the complete directions for -the marking out of the rink. But as they contain certain terms of mystic -meaning, it may be useful to state them in a less technical manner.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_82" id="page_82">{82}</a></span></p> - -<p>In other words, then, you start with a point on the ice, which is the -“tee,” and using this as a centre you draw round it a circle of 7-foot -radius. This is done by means of a lath or strip of wood with two nails -or steel points projecting from the lower face, 7 feet apart. Inserting -one of these in the centre you pull the lath round, so that the other -scratches on the ice a circumference at a distance of 7 feet. As stated -in Rule 2, “additional circles” may also be drawn. These circles are -drawn from the same centre, with a radius of 2½ and 4 feet -respectively from it. This is done for convenience in measuring the -distance from the tee of stones lying within the 7-foot radius, as it -gives additional lines of measurement. This whole system of circles with -the central tee is called “the house,” and, as we shall see, all stones -which, after being played, have come to rest with any part of them lying -within the house, may add to the score of the side which has projected -them there. Behind the house, in the position specified in Rule 3, is -placed the crampit. This is a strip of iron long enough for the player -to stand on with one foot in advance of the other. It is roughened with -spikes on its lower side, so that it maintains a firm position on the -ice, and at the back of it is a ridge against which the player places -his right foot before delivering the stones. It forms, in fact, a firm -base for playing from, since, if anybody attempted to put down a -curling-stone, while standing on the ice itself, with sufficient -velocity to make it slide over the 42 yards to the other tee, he would -quite certainly slip and put himself down instead. It is from a crampit -that almost all curlers nowadays play. As an alternative they may use -what is in the rule called a “hack,” which is a small iron contrivance -fixed to the boot, and which answers the same<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_83" id="page_83">{83}</a></span> purpose as a crampit. But -it is not, in Switzerland anyhow, often seen, for it requires adjustment -for each individual player, whereas the crampit fits all alike.</p> - -<p>Now this arrangement of hog-score (usually called “the hog”), back -score, sweeping score, “house” and crampit (or hack), scratched in the -ice according to these directions, completes the construction of one end -of the rink. At the other end a similar construction is made in -alignment, the centre of the two houses being 39 yards from one another. -Here is the rink ready for play, and the rest of the rules deal entirely -with the game itself.</p> - -<p><i>Note.</i>—Now I have before me the Rules of the Royal Caledonian Curling -Club of 1911-1912, which, I believe, are the latest. But neither there -nor elsewhere can I find the slightest allusion to the principles of -scoring at the game, foreknowledge of which is probably assumed. But -since it is possible that there are those who do not know how the score -is made, it is well to state it. Briefly, then, the stone which, at the -end of a “head” or “end” of the match (which is made up by every player -having had his turn, and having played his two stones), lies nearest to -the tee counts one point to the side to which the stone belongs, given -that it or any part of it lies within the house. If the stone that lies -next nearest to the tee belongs to the same side it counts one also; so -also does the next nearest and the next nearest and the next nearest, -provided they are all in the house and belong to the same side. But if, -after the stone lying nearest to the tee, the next nearest belongs to -the opposing side, the first-named counts one, but this second stone -takes precedence of all others lying in the house, and the side that -owns the nearest one counts one only. Suppos<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_84" id="page_84">{84}</a></span>ing there are two stones -which, after measurement, are found to lie exactly equidistant from the -tee, the head or end is a draw, and is like a halved hole at golf.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>5. All matches shall be of a certain number of heads or shots or by time -as may be agreed on, or as fixed by an umpire at the outset....</p> - -<p>6. Every rink of players shall be composed of four a side, each using -two stones, and no player shall wear boots, tramps, or sandals with -spikes or other contrivances which shall break or damage the surface of -the ice. The rotation of play observed during the first head of a match -shall not be changed.</p> - -<p><i>Note.</i>—Players are usually shod with “gouties.” These are cloth -overshoes with india-rubber soles, and are put on over the boot. What is -required is (by the rule) something that will not injure the ice, while -the player for his own sake will wear something that enables him to run -with the stone he is sweeping with the least possible risk of falling -down. On the whole, rubber-soled footgear is the best.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>7. The skips opposing each other shall settle, by lot or in any other -way they may agree upon, which party shall lead at the first head, after -which the winners of the preceding head shall do so.</p> - -<p><i>Note.</i>—The head, as already stated, consists of the projection of -sixteen stones from one crampit towards the house at the other end of -the rink, for each player puts down two stones, and there are eight -players. Then when all have played the head is complete, the score is -recorded, and the next head is played from the cram<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_85" id="page_85">{85}</a></span>pit behind the house -into which they have just been playing. They “cross over,” that is to -say, to the other end of the rink.</p> - -<p>The skips (short for skippers) are the captains of the opposing sides. -They have complete control of their sides, and direct each player (with -due regard for his capabilities) what shot he is to play for. The skips -“toss up” who shall have the choice of beginning (stones being played by -opposing sides alternately), and the side which scores at the first head -takes the honour (as at golf) at the second head. If neither side scores -(the head being halved) the honour remains as it was. It may be noted -also that though in regular matches (as stated in Rule 5) the number of -heads to be played is settled beforehand, in an ordinary friendly game -it is more usual merely to see how time is going when play has been in -progress a couple of hours or so, and then determine how many more heads -shall be played.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>8. All curling-stones shall be of a circular shape. No stone, including -handle and bolts, shall be of a greater weight than 44 lb. imperial, or -of greater circumference than 36 inches, or of less height than -one-eighth part of its greatest circumference.</p> - -<p><i>Note.</i>—The stones, then, are great granite buns with a handle to -project them by. The usual weight is from about 36 to 40 lb., and the -reason why a limit is given to their weight is that people like Mr. -Sandow could doubtless deliver stones which weighed as much as grand -pianos. These could not be shifted by lighter granite buns, which would -merely recoil from them. Two or three of them would also fill up the -greater part of the fairway of the rink.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_86" id="page_86">{86}</a></span></p> - -<p>9. No stone shall be substituted for another (except under Rules 10 and -14) after the match has begun, but the sole of a stone may be reversed -at any time during a match, provided the player is ready to play when -his turn comes.</p> - -<p><i>Note.</i>—The question of the reversing of stones is dealt with later in -the practical part of this essay. For the moment it is sufficient to say -that one side of the stone is very highly polished, the other less so. -When the stone is put down on its highly polished (or “keen”) side, it -will, of course, with the same initial velocity travel further than if -put down on its rougher (or “dour”) side, the friction on the ice being -less.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>10. Should a stone be broken, the largest fragment shall be considered -in the game for that head—the player being entitled to use another -stone or another pair during the remainder of the match.</p> - -<p>11. All stones which roll over, or come to rest on their sides or tops, -shall be removed from the ice.</p> - -<p><i>Note.</i>—So weird a phenomenon seems impossible, but then curlers are -very weird also. Incredible as it may sound, it is quite possible to put -down one of these great granite buns with the handle in the centre of -its top crust so unevenly that, after a drunken wobble or two, it turns -right over amid howls and shouts and execrations. Probably you could not -do it if you tried, any more than you could cut a golf-ball smartly to -square leg when you mean to go quite straight. But these distressing -feats are known to occur, without the player having had the smallest -desire to accomplish them. The traditional penalty for thus mishandling -a stone is “drinks all round.” The present writer<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_87" id="page_87">{87}</a></span> has never seen a -stone come to rest on its side, but “<i>credit, quia impossibile</i>.”</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>13. Players, during the course of each head, shall be arranged along the -sides, but well off the centre of the rink.... Skips only shall be -entitled to stand within the seven-foot circle.</p> - -<p>14.... Should a player play a wrong stone, any of the players may stop -it while running; but if the mistake is not noticed till the stone is at -rest, the stone which ought to have been played shall be put in its -place, to the satisfaction of the opposing skip.</p> - -<p>16. The sweeping shall be under the direction and control of the skips. -The player’s party may sweep the ice from the hog score next the player -to the tee, and any stone set in motion by a played stone may be swept -by the party to which it belongs. When snow is falling or drifting, the -player’s party may sweep the ice from tee to tee.... Both skips have -equal rights to clean and sweep the ice behind the tee at any time, -except when a player is being directed by his skip....</p> - -<p><i>Note.</i>—The all-important question of sweeping is dealt with later. The -principle at the base of the rule is that a player’s side may encourage -(or not) his stone to proceed, but the other side may not interfere with -it in any way at all. In accordance with this principle is the direction -that says that if a stone during its course moves a stone belonging to -the other side, that stone may be swept or left alone at the option of -the other side.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>17. (<i>a</i>) If in sweeping or otherwise a running stone is marred by any -of the party to which it belongs, it may, in the option of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_88" id="page_88">{88}</a></span> the opposing -skip, be put off the ice; but if by any of the adverse party, it may be -placed where the skip of the party to which it belongs shall direct....</p> - -<p>(<i>b</i>) Should any played stone be displaced before the head is reckoned, -it shall be placed as nearly as possible where it lay....</p> - -<p>18. No measuring of shots shall be allowed previous to the termination -of the head.</p> - -<p>19. The skip shall have the exclusive regulation and direction of the -game for his rink, and may play last stone or any part of the game he -pleases.... When his turn to play comes, he shall select one of the -players to act as skip in his place.</p> - -<p>22. Every stone shall be eligible to count which is not clearly outside -the seven-foot circle. Every stone which does not clear the hog-score -shall be a hog, and must be removed from the ice.... Stones passing the -back-score, and lying clear of it, must be removed from the ice, as also -any stone which in its progress touches the swept snow on either side -the rink.</p> - -<p><i>Note.</i>—Thus there is only a certain portion of the ice on which stones -may remain during the progress of each “end” or “head.” If a player -sends down a stone too weakly so that it does not reach the hog-score, -or so crookedly that it goes into the swept snow at the side of the -rink, or so strongly that it passes over the back-score, it is at once -removed from the ice. But, strangely enough, it is nowhere laid down -what the breadth of a rink should be. Somewhat pathetically this rule -presupposes that there is always “swept snow” at the side of the rink, -which, happily, is not the case. As a matter of fact the space allowed -for each rink is, roughly speaking, about 20 feet, though I am not aware -that it is<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_89" id="page_89">{89}</a></span> laid down authoritatively anywhere. In any case a stone, to -be of the slightest use, must be lying not so wide as 10 feet (lateral -measurement) from the tee, and those lying wider, as well as those which -have definitely passed beyond the back-score, cannot conceivedly come -into play, and so may as well be removed. But the case is different with -stones lying short of the hog-score, and in a straight line between the -tees. Such stones, as will be readily understood, might possibly be of -the utmost value to guard other stones lying in the house, and perhaps -to be promoted into possible scorers. A guard, then, which is so -important an item, must be put down with some skill, and with requisite -strength, and thus it is laid down that stones lying short of the hog -are considered not to have been sufficiently skilfully played to take -part in the game and be of value to their side. These are therefore -ignominiously removed.</p> - -<p>Here, then, have been given the conditions under which, and the court, -so to speak, in which, this great game is played, and we will suppose -ourselves on the fast, perfect ice of a Swiss resort on a sunny morning. -The skips have “picked up” their sides; every player has a broom or -“besom,” which we will hope sweeps clean; the four players on each side, -namely No. 1 as lead, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4, have had their places -allotted to them. As a general rule it is the skip who plays in the most -difficult place—i.e. No. 4, where, if the other three players under -their skip’s direction have built up an interesting house, he will have -the most delicate and hazardous shots to negotiate. But it sometimes -happens that the skip, who primarily should be chosen because of his -knowledge of the game, may not have the requisite skill of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_90" id="page_90">{90}</a></span> hand for -that post: it may happen that a player on his side is a finer performer -in the delivery of his stones, though his skill in tactics and -generalship may be inferior. In such a case the skip, who directs the -place of each player, may put himself in another position, and, if he -does not play as No. 4, will usually lead. Then he goes first, and can -devote a mind, untroubled by the thought of the shots he will himself -have to play, to the tactics of his campaign. But, as a rule, the player -with the best knowledge of the game is usually the best player also, or, -at any rate, is good enough for the critical post of No. 4, and in -general the skip occupies that position.</p> - -<p>Round about the crampit, behind the back-score, are ranged the sixteen -stones which the players have selected, and if they are wise they will -have turned them momentarily upside down, so that they rest on their -handles on the ice, and their bases, or soles, are exposed to the rays -of the sun. This should be done because it often happens that some -fragment of broom or some little congelation of frost has frozen on to -the soles, which will impede their smooth passage down the rink. But if -they are slightly warmed like this, a polish on the side of the besom or -on the glove will ensure their being quite free from any such -impediment. In order to identify the stones of each side, it is usual to -tie some fragment of ribbon to the handles or otherwise distinguish the -stones of one side from those of the other, since without some such mark -they are as alike as sheep, and, as is obvious, the whole game depends -on the relative position of the stones of one side as opposed to that of -the stones of the other. But if one side is “ribbons” and the other -“plain” the skip sees<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_91" id="page_91">{91}</a></span> at a glance, even when the house is growing most -populous and complicated, how his enemies lie and what is the position -of his own stones.</p> - -<p>The skips, then, take up their positions by the house into which the -stones are about to be played. Only one skip, as laid down by the rules, -may be in the house at any given moment, and that skip is the skip of -the player then delivering his stone. The other skip stands outside and -behind the house, but ready, if the stone of his opposing side has been -put down too strongly, to sweep it out of the house when it has once -passed the tee. Till it reaches the tee he may not interfere with it in -any way, but once past that he may (and certainly will) polish the -surface of the ice over which it is going to travel for all he is worth, -so as to assist it in passing through the house altogether and so be -taken off the ice. If, on the other hand, his side has the house, he -stands inside the house, or in front of it, calls out how he wants the -stone laid, and holds his broom as a mark on to which the player is to -aim his stone. On that mark the player, if he hopes to deliver a -successful stone, must fix his eye with the hungry steadfastness with -which he has to look at his ball at golf.</p> - -<p>Then, in order to grasp the hang of the game, we, the invisible -spectators, must leave the skip with the besom pointing on to the ice -and observe the other players. Down the rink they are ranged, No. 2 of -one side opposite No. 2 of the other, No. 3 opposite No. 3, leaving the -centre of the ice, the “howe-ice,” as it is called, clear for the -passage of the stones. Thus to No. 1, who is about to deliver his stone, -the whole of the house with its seven foot radius is unimpeded. Just -outside that empty riband of ice, so<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_92" id="page_92">{92}</a></span> soon to ring with the sliding -stones, stand No. 2 and No. 3, his own No. 2 and No. 3 on one side, the -inimical No. 2 and No. 3 on the other. His own side should be alert for -any direction from the motionless skip; the other side are sublimely -indifferent, for they may not interfere with the course of his stone.</p> - -<p>He delivers the stone: the skip, eagle-eyed, watches the pace of it. It -may seem to him to be travelling with sufficient speed to reach the spot -at which he desires it should rest. In this case he says nothing -whatever, except probably “Well laid down.” Smoothly it glides, and in -all probability he will exclaim “Not a touch”: or (if he is very Scotch, -either by birth or by infection of curling) “not a cow” (which means not -a touch of the besom). On the other hand he may think that it has been -laid down too weakly and will not get over the hog-line. Then he will -shriek out, “Sweep it; sweep it” (or “soop it; soop it”) “man” (or -“mon”). On which No. 2 and No. 3 of his side burst into frenzied -activity, running by the side of the stone and polishing the surface of -the ice immediately in front of it with their besoms. For, however well -the ice has been prepared, this zealous polishing assists a stone to -travel, and vigorous sweeping of the ice in front of it will give, even -on very smooth and hard ice, several feet of additional travel, and a -stone that would have been hopelessly hogged will easily be converted -into the most useful of stones by diligent sweeping, and will lie a -little way in front of the house where the skip has probably directed it -to be. If he is an astute and cunning old dog, as all skips should be, -he will not want this first stone in the house at all; in fact, if he -sees it is coming into the house, he will probably say “too strong.” -Yet, since accord<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_93" id="page_93">{93}</a></span>ing to the rules only stones inside the house can -count for the score, it seems incredible at first sight why he should -not want every stone to be there. This “inwardness” will be explained -later.</p> - -<p>No. 1 of the other side delivers his stone: No. 1 of the first side -delivers his second stone, and No. 1 of the opposing side delivers his -second stone. And from this moment the whole problem of the game becomes -as complicated and interesting, given that the stones perform something -like that which is required of them, as does a game of chess when the -first four or five moves of a recognised gambit have been played and -countered. Even at so early a period of a head at curling, the -possibilities of its subsequent development are almost infinite; the -building up of the house may progress in a hundred different ways, and -it will be possible only to consider only one or two of the problems -with which the skip is confronted.</p> - -<p>In actual “moves,” what has happened is this: the leads (No. 1) of each -side have played their stones, and No. 2 on each side go up to the -crampit for their turn. No. 3 on each side thereupon moves towards the -crampit, while No. 1 on each side becomes the sweeper nearest the house, -so that each stone as it comes down the ice may have its sweeper ready -if sweeping is ordered. No. 3 (when No. 2 is playing) is nearest No. 2: -he dances sideways along the ice ready to sweep if the order comes, -until he delivers the stone into the keeping of No. 1, who has just -played. Often, if sweeping is an urgent necessity, both he and No. 1 -will vigorously scour in front of the progressing stone, since often in -the ensuing situations it is not a question of additional feet that are -required, but of an inch or two. There may be a stone in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_94" id="page_94">{94}</a></span> house -already, and it is doubtful whether an opposing stone has “legs” or -vitality enough just to pass it, and thus lie nearer to the tee. In such -a case all possible assistance must be rendered it; the skip will career -wildly out of his house and join No. 3 and No. 1 in their operations. -Anything, anything to give this dying stone an inch more of travel!... -Also, a stone with smooth ice in front of it will travel more directly, -that is with less curl upon it, as it is becoming moribund, than a stone -which has the infinitesimal fractions of tiny frost-flower or moisture -to encounter. But that opens up the awful question of “handle.”... -There will be something about that in its appropriate place.</p> - -<p>But here, at any rate, we have the rink moving. Slow stones are being -encouraged to cross the hog, or to enter the house, or, even at this -early stage, to cannon rudely against the stones already in the house -which must be ejected. Theoretically, I think, in the ideal game of -curling, which we shall never see on this side of the grave, the leads -should have laid down four stones a little in front of the house, or -perhaps each lead should first have put down a stone in front of the -house, and then delivered their second stones with in-handle or -out-handle, round their first stones, which thus become guards of their -second stones, which should lie, say, in the four-foot circle. But we -need not consider so perfect an opening. If any leads led like that, -they would be skips of a team of archangels, who would be soundly rated -for their clumsy play.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact, what usually happens in a good team is this sort of -thing. The first man to play miscalculates the speed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_95" id="page_95">{95}</a></span> of the ice (though -he is quite a good player) and is soundly hogged. His opposing No. 1, -being too frightfully intelligent, and profiting by that which he has -seen, puts down a stone that passes the tee, and rests perhaps in the -seven-foot circle beyond it. And though that stone for the moment -“counts”: that is to say it is in the house, and, theoretically, may be -a winner, it will not in real practice be of any good when the head is -finished. There is bound to be a better stone than that, and any other -stone over the hog that lies in front of the house, though not counting -at present, is far superior, for it can be promoted (<i>i.e.</i> brought -nearer the tee) by any stone that strikes it, whether of its own side or -of the enemy, and thus is both dangerous to the other side and helpful -towards its own. Also it can become the most valuable guard for a stone -that has curled round it and lies in the house and behind it, whereas -the stone that comes to rest beyond the tee can, if struck, only travel -further away from the tee instead of towards it.</p> - -<p>The two leads put down their second stones. They have gauged the speed -of the ice, and this time do as their skip tells them. They both put -down stones that come to rest just in front of the house, or perhaps -just in it. But if either of them make what would be the most perfect -shot of all, if they were playing the last shot of No. 4, namely one -that rests on the tee itself, or in the 2½-foot circle (called the -pot-lid), he has not done probably as much for his side as if he had -laid his stone just in front of the house, for No. 2 of the other side -follows, and he has only to be straight irrespective of too great speed -to dislodge that perfect stone and in all probability lie there himself. -A guarded stone in such a position is the most valuable stone that can -be imagined,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_96" id="page_96">{96}</a></span> but without a guard its worth is enormously decreased. -Indeed it is positively a dangerous stone, since it gives the other side -something to rest on.</p> - -<p>We will suppose, then, that when No. 2 plays there are lying on the ice -two stones, both a little in front of the house, one right in the middle -of the ice, the other three or four feet to the side of it. The object -now will probably be to get past those stones, and, by the twist -imparted to the stone No. 2 now delivers, to lie behind one or other of -them in the house, and thus be guarded. If this shot is perfectly played -there will be lying a stone close up to the tee and incapable of being -directly attacked (<i>i.e.</i> by a hard shot played down straight on to it), -for the guarding stone in front of the house prevents this, and it is a -very different thing to be obliged to play round this guarding stone so -as to hit the other. Thus it may be necessary for the opposing skip to -direct that this guard should be removed by a fast straight stone, so as -to open up the house again. But this costs a stone, even if successful, -and stones are not lightly to be squandered. Should this shot come off, -the first skip will probably direct that another guard be laid to -protect this asset in the house. Having once got a stone in a probably -winning position, the skip is right to guard it and to guard it and to -guard it, directing that stones should be laid to right and left of it, -so as to block the passage of a stone which, by curling inwards or -outwards, can reach and dislodge it, and perhaps lie there in its place. -Practically speaking, a stone which lies close to the tee should be -guarded at the cost of every stone belonging to the side if necessary -(<i>i.e.</i> if the guards are being removed by the enemy), and no skip in -his senses will direct his player to put<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_97" id="page_97">{97}</a></span> other stones in the house -until he has rendered reasonably secure from attack the stone of his -which lies close to the tee.</p> - -<p>The above analysis of these early stones takes, of course, only one case -out of the hundred ways in which they may lie, and gives but one -instance of the value of stones lying in front of the house, rather than -(in the early stages of the game) in the house. Among other values they -possess they are also capable of being promoted—<i>i.e.</i> a subsequent -player may be directed to hit one of them gently, so as to push it into -the house, while his will lie there in its place guarding it. Or he may -be told, if the stone in question is lying rather wide, to get an inwick -off it—<i>i.e.</i> play on to the inner side of it, as in the manner of a -half-ball shot at billiards, and, cannoning off it, slip into the house -himself. Perhaps it will be an enemy’s stone selected for this manœuvre, -and perhaps, also, he will hit the wrong side of it (<i>i.e.</i> the outer -side), and instead of slipping into the house himself, will kindly -promote the other stone instead. Thus these stones in front of the house -are both an asset and a danger, and it is not too much to say that their -presence, lying there, is about the largest constituent in the interest -of the “end” and the building of the house. They present, as has been -seen, infinite possibilities of value and menace. And all their terrific -potentialities have to be weighed and pondered by the skip.</p> - -<p>When twelve stones have been put down (<i>i.e.</i> when the first three -players on each side have contributed two each) the skips, if playing -four, leave the house and go down to the crampit to deliver their -stones. One in all probability looks troubled, the other in that case -will almost certainly wear a face of benignant elation and call -attention to the beauty of the morning. Their<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_98" id="page_98">{98}</a></span> places in the house to -direct and hold the guiding besom are taken by other members of their -side (probably the No. 3s), and before they go they will almost -certainly hold a secret and muttered conversation with these gentlemen, -consulting and conferring over the shots to be attempted. For by this -time the situation, if the play has been respectable, is sure to have -become complicated. Very likely four or five stones are in the house, -and of those four or five all but one may happen to belong to one side. -But that one is sitting there on the very tee itself, and thus takes -precedence of all the others. If only it could be got at and evicted and -soundly butted out of the house, the other four would all count. But it -lies well guarded, for just in front of the house are two stones a -little to right and left of it. There is clear ice (a “port” as it is -called) of not more than two feet between them, through which it is -possible to send a stone that will reach that tee-sitter. But, oh, how -small a two-foot port looks at the distance of nearly forty yards!</p> - -<p>Now, it is to the first skip that this -by-every-means-in-his-power-to-be-guarded stone belongs, and with -justice he fears that his opposing skip is perfectly capable of sailing -blandly through that rather narrow port, butting the stone that lies so -perfectly on the tee out of the house altogether, and lying there -himself instead. So he has elected to play a shot that will close up -that port and leave the stone on the tee for the moment impregnable. He -wants to lie just over the hog and no more, for the nearer a stone is to -the hog the more it blocks the passage. So, calling on his sweepers to -be ready to sweep (“Sweepers wake!” in fact), he puts down his stone -with in-handle on it, directing this a little</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/img-098_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-098_sml.jpg" class="brdrgreen" width="403" height="550" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>“SHE LIES”</p> - -<p><i>From the Drawing by Fleming Williams</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_99" id="page_99">{99}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">wide of the left-hand stone of those two guards, by which the temporary -skip is holding his besom. For one moment he watches its passage, eyes -glued to it, stricken to stone. Suddenly an awful misgiving occurs to -him, his face turns to a perfect mask of agonised fury, and he yells at -the top of a naturally powerful voice:</p> - -<p>“Sweep her, don’t leave her for a moment. Sweep! Sweep! Don’t leave her. -Good Lord, can’t you sweep? Oh, well swept, well swept indeed!”</p> - -<p>Then probably with infernal superiority he shouts, “Is that about where -you wanted it?” knowing perfectly well that it is.</p> - -<p>All this means that</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hang">(i) He was afraid he had put down his stone too weakly, and that it -would not get over the hog.</p> - -<p class="hang">(ii) It would then be ignominiously removed, and he would wish he -had never been born.</p> - -<p class="hang">(iii) The opposing skip would sail through that port, and out the -winning stone.</p> - -<p class="hang">(iv) That it is all his fault, and that he will never curl again, -but take to that degraded pastime, skating.</p> - -<p class="hang">(v) Finally, that his stone has been swept over the hog and lies -now bang in the middle of the passage, closing it completely—a -perfect gem, pearl, peach.</p></div> - -<p>Says the other skip grimly, “You’ve got some good sweepers on your -side.”</p> - -<p>Says the first skip (airily and forgetting that he has been howling to -his side to sweep), “Oh, it had lots of legs.” (Liar: it is just over -the hog.)<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_100" id="page_100">{100}</a></span></p> - -<p>Ensues a shouted colloquy between the other skip and his lieutenant (No. -3) in the house.</p> - -<p>No. 3. Can you see anything of the port?</p> - -<p>Skip 2. No.</p> - -<p>No. 3. Can you see anything of the stone that lies?</p> - -<p>Skip 2. No.</p> - -<p class="indd">(Skip 1 here probably lights a pipe and talks gaily to a friend.)</p> - -<p>No. 3. Can you get round their guard with out-handle?</p> - -<p>Skip 2. No.</p> - -<p>No. 3. Can you get round the other guard with in-handle?</p> - -<p>Skip 2. No.</p> - -<p class="indd">(Long pause.)</p> - -<p>Skip 2. Yes, I can. At least there’s nothing else to be done. No, give -me more ice than that! (This means that he thinks his stone will take -more curl, and wants the directing broom to be put wider.) That’s about -right.</p> - -<p>He plays his shot amid dead silence. It soon becomes apparent that his -stone is not going to curl round this guard at all, but will hit it. It -does so, and lies by its side, merely giving an additional rampart to -the granite fortification in the middle of the ice. The silence becomes -rather painful.</p> - -<p>Skip 1. Bad luck! (He does not mean that at all.) I think I’ll try and -get another stone in the house.</p> - -<p>Skip 1’s No. 3. For heaven’s sake don’t disturb our stone here.</p> - -<p>Skip 1. No, I’ll play it just tee high....</p> - -<p class="indd">(He puts down a hopeless hog.)</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_101" id="page_101">{101}</a></span></p> - -<p>Skip 1. I wish you fellows would sweep!</p> - -<p class="indd">(His pipe goes out.)</p> - -<p>Skip 2 shouting to his No. 3. Well?</p> - -<p>No. 3. Well?</p> - -<p>Skip 2. See what happens, I think. There’s nothing to play for.</p> - -<p>This means he is going to play for a fluke. There is no reasonable -chance whatever of reaching that stone on the tee, and a wild toboggan -of a shot sent down among all those guards may do something, though -heaven alone knows what. He puts down stone with full swing, most -unevenly, so that it careers up the ice violently rocking. It hits the -long guard by the hog, which is exactly what he didn’t want to do, -almost full in the face, and sends it scudding off into the abominably -bad stone he himself has just put down before. It hits this nearly full, -and starts it on its way. Bang into the middle of the house it goes, -sends that impregnable tee-lying stone flying, and lies there itself. -The five other stones in the house are all on its side, and instead of -Skip 1 scoring one, Skip 2, off an incredible, revolting, pitiable -fluke, scores five. Roars of execration and applause rend the skies, and -Skip 2 modestly remarks, “Well, there are more ways than one of playing -any shot!”</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Here, then, is a rough sketch of the game as it is played, as it appears -to the spectator; and after this bird’s-eye glance at it it is time to -start again at the beginning and see how to play it. And the first -consideration is the stance which the player takes up on the crampit -before delivering his stone. Here, as at golf, there<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_102" id="page_102">{102}</a></span> are great -varieties of stance, all of which are perfectly right and proper, -provided the curler can deliver his stone from them with effect. But, as -at golf also, there are certain principles that will be found common to -all those stances, and perhaps the most important of all is that the -curler should feel perfectly comfortable and be maintaining his stance -by balance and <i>not</i> by muscular effort. In every case again (if he be -right-handed) his right foot will be firmly resting against the rim at -the back of the crampit, for it is there that he gets the purchase which -enables him to give the needful velocity to his stone. Similarly, his -left foot will be advanced, and he will be facing full in the direction -in which he is about to send his stone, and his left foot will also be -pointing in that direction. He will also be bending down, since he has -not to drop or fling the stone on to the ice, but to place it—to lay it -there smoothly with a forward swing of his arm and body. But any kind of -divergence is proper as regards this stooping attitude: some men get -their stone down to the ice by bending the body strongly above the hips, -keeping the legs comparatively straight, while others get down by -bending the knees so far that they are sitting on their right heel, and -their right knee is absolutely touching the crampit. And all these -styles are perfectly right provided only that (i) the player feels -comfortable and unstrained; (ii) he can get his stone well down on to -the ice; (iii) his head is facing and his eyes looking in the direction -of his skip’s besom. All three of these provisions are essential to -successful curling, and if one thing can be more essential than another, -it is that the player should be looking straight at the skip’s besom.</p> - -<p>Next comes the actual delivery of the stone, the handle of which<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_103" id="page_103">{103}</a></span> should -lie lightly in the crook of the fingers and not be grasped like a -battle-axe. This delivery of the stone is accomplished not by a jerk, as -if throwing it, but by a steady swing forward of the body and arm -together. The whole arm of the hand which carries the stone is brought -slowly and steadily back (as in the back swing of golf), while the -weight is resting almost entirely on the right leg. Then arm and body -come forward together, without muscular exertion and without pressing, -and the stone is placed on the ice, while the weight of the whole body, -which at the top of the swing was on the right leg, has come forward on -to the left. Should the ice be slow, greater force is given to the stone -by a longer swing, and should the ice be fast the swing is shortened. -But in no case, if the ice is playable on at all, should the impetus be -derived from a muscular effort of the arm as in throwing; but as in -golf, the swing of the arm and body together give the stone its impetus. -And throughout the swing the eyes of the curler must never leave the -directing besom of his skip. It is as fatal to look away from that as it -is to take the eye off the ball at golf.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Now, if the stone is put down like this, without jerk or exertion -(except such as is entailed in the swing), the stone will be laid -evenly, and will start on its course without wobbling, but sliding truly -on its polished base. But if it has been jerked or chucked on to the ice -instead of being laid there, the chances are ten to one that it will be -what is called a “quacker”—<i>i.e.</i> it will be oscillating from one side -to the other and rolling like a ship in a cross sea. This sort of stone -is quite useless, and if quacking badly will go staggering right through -the house without ever<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_104" id="page_104">{104}</a></span> having slid at all. Sometimes, if merely a very -fast stone is wanted to break up a rampart of guards, or just “to see -what will happen” in a hopeless position, a quacker is as good as -anything else. But it is not curling.</p> - -<p>Now there is a very important item in the swing at golf called the -“follow-through.” This means that after the ball has been hit and is on -its way, the club and the hands and arms holding it fly out after it, -while the whole weight of the body goes on to the left foot. There is no -question that what happens to the club and the arm and player generally, -after the ball has gone, cannot make the least difference to the flight -of the ball, but this “follow-through” is a symptom, an indication of -what has already taken place, and if the follow-through is satisfactory -and full it shows that the swing has been unchecked and smooth. Just in -the same way the curler has to follow through, and though no doubt both -curler and golfer can, theoretically, check their swing the moment after -the stone and the ball have started, they would be most ill-advised to -attempt to do so, since they run a grave risk of checking their swings -before the stone or the ball have gone, and thus giving to their shot -only a fraction of the force of the swing. So the curler is strongly -advised to let this forward swing of his arm and body work itself out in -the natural follow-through. And this follow-through may express itself -in various ways. Most curlers express it by letting themselves run or -slide a few steps after their stone, the forward swing of the body -overbalancing their left foot, so that they instinctively (for fear they -should fall down) put the right foot in front of it—in other words, -take a few steps. Others again, and chiefly those who deliver the stone -with right leg very<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_105" id="page_105">{105}</a></span> strongly bent, so that the knee touches or nearly -touches the ice, have not time to scramble to their feet, and usually -express their follow-through by falling forward on their hands on to the -ice. But in whatever way they conduct themselves, this little run and -slide which some take and the falling forward of others are the result -of the player’s proper and correct follow-through. He has not, at any -rate, interfered with or checked his swing: he has delivered his stone -with the force that he believed to be required.</p> - -<p>And now we come to the most delicate and interesting part of the -delivery of the stone, namely, the question of “twist” or “elbow” or -“handle,” as it is called, which is universally practised by all -curlers. This “handle” gives a rotatory motion to the stone, so that as -it is travelling up the ice it is also slowly revolving on its own axis, -either from right to left or left to right, and this rotation imparts to -it, as its initial velocity diminishes and its pace slows down, a -curling movement, in the manner of a break from the off or a break from -the leg at cricket, or, if you will, a swerve in the air, or, as in -golf, of a pull or a slice. Thus, though a stone on the tee may be -completely guarded and covered, the player can, by imparting this -rotatory movement to his stone, curl round the guard and reach his goal. -Moreover, he can curl round the straight guard from either side, from -the leg or from the off, so that if one path is blocked by another -guard, he may yet get access by the other. He can, too, if there is, as -often happens, a slight bias in the ice, apply the handle opposite to -the direction in which the bias of the ice would deflect his shot, and -thus keep his stone straight. Or again, by aiding the bias by the other -handle, he can get round a very wide obstacle indeed.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_106" id="page_106">{106}</a></span> Heaven knows that -these shots so glibly recorded are not easy; but there is hardly a shot -or a manœuvre in any game which is easy. But the man who aspires to be a -curler at all must have a fair command of this thing called “handle.” He -must be able to direct a shot with moderate accuracy on the skip’s besom -with either out-handle or in-handle. It is not enough equipment for the -most modest player, who is a curler at all, to be able to play with one -handle only. He must have a tolerable command of both.</p> - -<p>Now, strange as it may at first appear, it is far easier to send down a -stone with in-handle or out-handle on it than to send down a perfectly -straight stone with no handle at all. Furthermore, the slightest frozen -chip of ice, or minutest fragment of broom may, in passing under one -side of the stone, impart a fortuitous and rotatory motion to it, so -that a stone arriving in the house with practically no curl at all upon -it is (except in the case of a fast hard stone) a rarity. Since, then, -it is almost bound to have some handle on it, it is wiser for the player -to put on the handle himself intentionally and allow for its curling -course. This rotatory motion of the stone is imparted to it by a very -slight turn of the arm just before the stone leaves the hand. If the -elbow is turned outwards, it is called “out-elbow” or “out-handle,” -though I am inclined to think that it is the wrist which makes the turn -(some people say the fingers alone), the elbow merely following the -wrist. This gives the stone a twist from right to left, and the effect -of it is that it curls in from the right in the manner of a ball bowled -with leg-break. This out-handle curl is easily imparted to the stone by -turning the handle of it, as the hand grasps it, outwards at<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_107" id="page_107">{107}</a></span> right -angles or thereabouts to the direction of the stone’s travelling, and by -holding the handle “overhand,” as it were, with the knuckles and back of -the hand facing the ice in front. The curl is then naturally imparted to -it, and the player will not have to think about it at all. If he -delivers his stone in this way his wrist, if he holds his arm slack, as -he always should (giving the velocity to the stone only by the swing), -will naturally and inevitably make the outward turn. And it is a most -important thing that the player should not think of handle at all when -he delivers his stone, but leave that to develop automatically from the -correct delivery, since the consideration of the pace and direction of -the stone are enough to fill the most capacious mind and tax the utmost -of his skill. How much allowance should be made for the curl, and how -much the stone should be aimed to the right of where it is desired that -it should come to rest, is a matter which is largely left to the -judgment of the skip, who has been observing how much curl the ice -takes. This differs very considerably, and depends on the condition of -the surface. For instance, if the ice is very slow, a stone dies -quickly, and since the curl does not begin to take effect till the -initial speed has very much diminished, it will not curl for so long as -it would on keen ice. On slow ice, in other words, the course of the -stone is less influenced by handle. But again, the vigorous polishing of -the ice in front of a stone tends to keep it straight, since then the -roughnesses of the ice, on which the rotatory motion bites, are much -diminished. But as a rule, after a few stones have been sent down, it is -clear to a good skip how much handle they are taking, and he directs -accordingly.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_108" id="page_108">{108}</a></span></p> - -<p>The in-handle or in-elbow is produced in precisely the converse way to -the out-handle, and the stone, instead of curling in from the right, -curls in from the left like a ball with off-break on it or a slice at -golf. Here the stone should be held with its handle pointing inwards -towards the player, and he should hold it in the crook of his fingers -with the inside of his hand instead of the back of it facing the -direction in which he lays his stone. This grip, again, naturally gives -the required twist, and he can concentrate himself on pace and -direction. But often during the course of a match the character of the -ice will change, and it will begin to take the handle more or less as -the case may be. Both skip and individual players should be on the -lookout for this, and the tactics should be altered accordingly. Hard -ice—<i>ceteris paribus</i>—is the keener, and thus in the afternoon, when -the rays of the sun shine less directly on to the rink, it tends to get -faster and to take more curl. On the other hand, in the morning ice -tends to get slower, as the sun plays on the surface of it.</p> - -<p>All stones are polished differently on their two faces, one side of the -stone being less inexorably smooth than the other. A stone travelling on -the keen or smoother side naturally goes further starting at the same -initial velocity than if travelling on the rough side, and should the -ice be very keen and fast, it is difficult to estimate the strength -which will take them over the hog, and yet not send them roaring through -the house. But the handles of stones can be unscrewed in a very few -seconds and fixed on the other side, so that the stones will now travel -on their rough or slower side. Conversely, also, if the ice has been -very fast, and a player has been using the rough side of his stones, he -may even, during the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_109" id="page_109">{109}</a></span> course of the match, if the ice for some reason -gets slower, reverse his stones and use the keen side. This will make it -possible for him to play without effort, instead of “shifting” the -stones along.</p> - -<p>I am aware that in touching on the question of handle at all I do a -thing that is provocative of discussion. There are many ways of putting -on handle, and the adherents of any such will certainly maintain that -their own method is the best if not the only proper one. But I think the -majority of players will allow that the grip which I have mentioned, -namely the overhand grip for imparting out-elbow and the underhand grip -for imparting in-elbow, lead, more or less, provided only the arm is -held slack, to the required result. But I freely allow there are many -other methods: some curlers put on handle consciously, and consciously -twist their arms as they deliver their stone, others trust to the slight -adhesion of the little finger to the handle after the other fingers have -quitted. But it seems to me that any grip which <i>automatically</i> imparts -the desired handle is preferable to all grips which demand that the -player should be obliged to think about his handle. He has enough to do -without that, and enough to think about. So let him, if he finds these -grips unsatisfactory, learn any grip under the sun (and over the ice) -that naturally imparts the curl he wishes to put on.</p> - -<p>A further question arises. Is it not possible to regulate the amount of -handle and the consequent amount of curl that the stone will take? -Without doubt it is; but the curler who can put on a great deal of -handle or a little handle at will is not a person who can be instructed. -Certainly it is possible to make one stone curl a little and another -much, but he who can do this<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_110" id="page_110">{110}</a></span> and regulate it is not a first-class -curler merely but a supreme curler. For us, duffers and strugglers, -there is a simpler method, which is to aim the shot <i>always</i> with the -curl that we naturally impart to it, and take more or less “ice” as the -case may be: aim it, that is to say, closer to the required -resting-place for the stone if the ice is taking but little bias, and -further from it if the ice is encouraging the deflection. The superior -curler, in critical situations, it is true, when guards are spread about -like the rocks in some dangerous archipelago, will make curves, as his -stone is dying, which it would be madness for the ordinary decent player -to attempt. But he will have made such curves by the conscious -application of muscular force, sending the stone literally spinning down -the ice. We admire, we applaud, I hope, even when he is on the other -side, but unless we are more than first-rate at the game we will not try -to imitate. Personally, I have a theory which concerns the thumb. Not -for worlds would I divulge it for fear of encouraging disasters as bad -as those that I myself perpetrate. All the same I am convinced it is -right: I lack the skill to execute it....</p> - -<p>But whatever the method of grip, whatever the curl to be imparted to the -stone, the handle should be at rest in the crook of the fingers. To hold -it tight implies muscular exertion, and muscular exertion, unless the -object is to send a fast straight stone, the only requisite of which is -great pace and moderate direction, is out of place at this delicate and -“touchy” game. Even when the ice is very slow, better practice will be -made with a longer and untightened swing than with momentum derived from -the elbow and shoulder.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_111" id="page_111">{111}</a></span></p> - -<p>Finally, but no less importantly, with regard to sweeping. It is hardly -too much to say that a good sweeper is almost worth his place in a side, -even though he is an indifferent player, so tremendous is the part which -a good sweeper plays, for he is like a good field at cricket. He should -always start before the stone gets to him, so that by the time it is -opposite him he is moving down the rink with it, ready to begin -operations the moment his skip tells him. The word of command may come -at any second, and it is often of vital importance that he should begin -instantly. Even skips have errors of judgment, and the skip may have not -given the order to sweep soon enough. This can often be rectified by -instant and vigorous sweeping, and the error repaired, whereas if a -sweeper is slow to go about his job the mistakes on the part of the skip -may be irremediable. All down his allotted portion of the ice the good -sweeper will sidle along by the travelling stone, even though no order -comes, until he has given it into keeping of the next sweeper or of the -skip himself. And with the same promptitude as he began to sweep must he -stop sweeping when he hears the word “Up brooms!” Another yard of polish -may, if the skip is correct in his estimate, be the death of a winner. -Often again it is but a question of an inch or two to turn a hog into -the most perfect of long guards, and this inch or two is entirely a -matter of sweeping. The most moribund of travellers may be coaxed over -the line and make an incalculable difference in the score by protecting -a winner. But “a little less and what worlds away.”... A shot that good -sweeping would have made into a gem is bundled off the ice like the -worst stone ever sent down on its degraded handle.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_112" id="page_112">{112}</a></span></p> - -<p>Besides matches between teams there is a very searching affair to be -played with curling-stones called a “points” competition. Here single -players compete against each other in attempting to make certain shots -which are set them. Stones are put on the ice in certain given -positions, and each competitor in turn has to try to bring off a certain -definite shot. For instance, he will have to guard one stone, to promote -another, to get an inwick off a third, to draw a port between two -others, &c. It is, of course, a very high test of skill, but is somewhat -a Lenten or humiliating affair, since the very finest players seldom get -as much as half-marks. It is, moreover, lacking in all the -“team-feeling” which is one of the greatest charms in match play, and is -also, in the present writer’s humble opinion, a terribly tedious affair, -since after each shot, if the lying stones have been touched, they must -be replaced on their marked spots, and a competition of this kind, if -there is at all a large field, goes on rather longer than into eternity. -According to the regulations drawn up by the Royal Caledonian Club there -are nine shots to be played and a tenth is added in case of a tie. The -necessary stones to play on to are placed in or around the house, and -the competitor has then nine different shots to play.</p> - -<p>These are—(i) striking; (ii) inwicking; (iii) drawing to the tee; (iv) -guarding; (v) chap and lie (<i>i.e.</i> playing on to a stone on the tee, -ejecting it, and remaining in the house); (vi) wick and curl in; (vii) -raising; (viii) chipping the winner; (ix) drawing through a port. In -case of a tie between competitors, those who are equal play <i>four</i> shots -of “outwicking.”</p> - -<p>Different marks can be earned by each of these shots. For<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_113" id="page_113">{113}</a></span> instance, if -a competitor playing chap and lie remain in the seven-foot circle he -scores one, if within the four-foot circle he scores two, given that he -strikes the placed stone out of the house in both cases. Complete -details are published by the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_114" id="page_114">{114}</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XVII" id="plt_XVII"></a> -<a href="images/img-114-17_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-114-17_sml.jpg" width="550" height="389" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XVII</p> - -<p>CURLING</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XVIII" id="plt_XVIII"></a> -<a href="images/img-114-18_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-114-18_sml.jpg" width="550" height="404" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XVIII</p> - -<p>CURLING AT MURREN</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XIX" id="plt_XIX"></a> -<a href="images/img-114-19_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-114-19_sml.jpg" width="550" height="387" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XIX</p> - -<p>THE THREE KULM RINKS</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XX" id="plt_XX"></a> -<a href="images/img-114-20_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-114-20_sml.jpg" width="393" height="550" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XX</p> - -<p>LADIES’ CURLING MATCH, ST. MORITZ</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_115" id="page_115">{115}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV<br /><br /> -<small>TOBOGGANING</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">To</span> descend an ice-run like the Cresta at St. Moritz is no doubt a most -thrilling and skilled adventure, but the vast majority of people who say -(with perfect truth) that they enjoy tobogganing would sooner think of -ascending in an aeroplane than descending the Cresta, and would freeze -with fright at the thought of embarking on it. On the other hand, the -skilled Cresta runner would no more think that the quiet descent of -snow-covered roads on a Swiss luge was tobogganing in his sense of the -word, than the aeroplanist would allow that a man practising high jump -was flying. From which we may rightly infer that there are various sorts -of movement which are covered by the word tobogganing.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact there are, commonly practised in Switzerland, three -broad and widely differing species of tobogganing. They are as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hang">(i) Proceeding—quickly or leisurely—down frozen roads or -artificial snow-made runs.</p> - -<p class="hang">(ii) Proceeding—as quickly as possible—down artificial ice-runs.</p> - -<p class="hang">(iii) Bobsleighing (or bobbing)—as quickly as possible—down roads -or artificial runs.</p></div> - -<p>The number of folk who practise the first of these immensely<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_116" id="page_116">{116}</a></span> outnumbers -those who practise the other two; for everybody in Switzerland in the -winter is guilty of the first practice, from the small Swiss native, -aged perhaps eight or under, who marches up to school with its books -tied on to its luge, and gaily and jauntily returns home seated on it, -steering and guiding with its ridiculous little feet, and shouting -“Gare” or “Achtung,” according to the canton, up to the skilled racer on -the skeleton who carries off the Symonds bowl in the race on the -Klosters road at Davos. But all these, different as their performances -are, are going on snow-runs. The snow may in places, it is true, where -it has thawed and frozen again, intimately resemble ice. But the ice-run -is different in kind from any snow-runs.</p> - -<p>For ordinary travel, let us say from your hotel down to the rink, where -there is no question of racing, but just getting there, the toboggan -generally used is the Swiss toboggan or luge. It is a high wooden frame -(high, that is, compared to the skeleton) with two runners shod with -steel or iron, and you sit on it exactly as is most comfortable—it is -never very comfortable—and tie your lunch and skates on to it, and push -off. If you want to turn to the right, you put your right heel into the -snow, or dab with your hand on the right side; if you want to go to the -left, you perform the same operation in a sinister manner. If you want -to stop, you put both heels into the snow. If you want to go quicker, -you, while still sitting down, walk with both feet simultaneously. This -sounds complicated; but it is quite clear the moment you feel you want -to go quicker—it is done instinctively. Finally, if you are going fast, -and must make a sudden stop,</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/img-116_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-116_sml.jpg" class="brdrgreen" width="405" height="550" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>“ACHTUNG!”</p> - -<p><i>From the Drawing by Fleming Williams</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_117" id="page_117">{117}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">owing to some obstacle in the shape of an old lady or a sleigh -immediately in front of you, you turn into any convenient snowbank at -the side of the road, and having picked yourself up, look injured, which -physically you are not. Or, if there is no convenient snowbank, you fall -off to one side or the other, and often observe your malicious luge -proceeding calmly on its course without you. In fact, you do anything -that occurs to you at the moment, except upset the old lady or charge -the sleigh.</p> - -<p>The foregoing is a complete compendium of all that it is necessary to -know or do, when tobogganing on an ordinary road. It is as simple as -walking and generally quicker. The same, in the main, applies to the use -of luges on an artificially-made run. But every artificial run implies -the idea of racing, and thus the object is to get down it as quickly as -possible. But every artificial run has turns in it, and the idea is to -get round these turns without capsize and with as little loss of speed -as possible. The outside of these turns is therefore banked up (<i>i.e.</i> -if the turn is to the right, the left side of the track is banked up, -and <i>vice versa</i>), so that you do not (if you manage properly) run out -of the track, but climb the bank and descend again into the track. But -if you do not manage properly, one of three things will happen to you.</p> - -<p class="hang">(i) You go over the bank and are heavily spilled. This is fatal if -you want to win a race, unless everybody else does the same.</p> - -<p class="hang">(ii) You upset on the bank. This is not necessarily so fatal, -unless you entirely part company with your toboggan, which then -finishes triumphantly without you.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_118" id="page_118">{118}</a></span></p> - -<p class="hang">(iii) In excess of caution, you diminish your speed so much before -you get to the bank that you merely crawl round the bend. This is -moderately fatal.</p> - -<p>But we need not waste more time over artificial snow-runs. They are only -a compendious form of road-running, and what is necessary in the way of -steering and judgment of pace on them, is equally true with regard to -such fine natural runs as the Klosters road. Here there are no -artificial banks to keep the runner in his course. He has to get around -the corners by judicious steering, and crawling when necessary, and, -above all, by adjustment of weight. On the ordinary luge or Swiss -toboggan there is little adjustment of weight that can be made, but it -is a very different affair when you negotiate the same road on racing -toboggans, namely skeletons, which are also used on ice-runs.</p> - -<p>Here, instead of this little high wooden platform on which you sit, -there is a very low framework supported on round steel runners, blunt -nosed in front, and instead of sitting on it you lie on it, face -downwards. The runners, sharply bent upwards in front, return and form -the support of the low frame, and you grasp these with your hands, and -lie down with arms bent or extended as required. But the cushion on -which you recline moves backwards and forwards in the manner of a -sliding seat, so that you can lie with legs right out behind the base of -the machine, and can use great part of your weight, inclining it to one -side or the other of the toboggan, in order to get it round curves. -Similarly, the hands have an immense leverage behind them, and with one -foot lying out behind and raking the snow, a curve can be made at high -speed, which it<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_119" id="page_119">{119}</a></span> would be impossible to get round on a Swiss toboggan -without heavy braking and great loss of velocity. When riding a -skeleton, the toes of the boots are fitted with toothed irons, so that -they can be used together as brakes, or singly, in order to make the -toboggan curve in the required direction. The runners of these toboggans -are not rectangular like those on luges, but of circular shape, thus -producing the minimum of friction on their travelling surface. Even on -snow-tracks these are capable of tremendous speed, though that speed -does not approach what they compass on frozen ice-runs, where they -travel almost frictionless.</p> - -<p>Apart from the “storm and stress” of racing, there is a wonderful -pleasure, if the track is smooth and trafficless, in this swift gliding -over frozen snow, and one of the most romantic of experiences in all the -gamut of motion is tobogganing by moonlight. Never will the writer -forget one such night on the Klosters road. We had sleighed up from -Davos, a party of friends, to Wolfgang, on one of those magical nights -when no breath of wind stirred the lightest jewels of hoar-frost on the -pines, when the moon was full, and the stars burned like diamonds -aflame. All the way up, after dinner, there had been talk and laughter, -and standing ready to go, we arranged that there should be two minutes’ -pause between the despatch of the toboggans, and one by one we slid off -into the unspeakable silence of the Alpine night. It so happened that I -was the last to go, and for two minutes I waited at the head of the -track in a stillness that is unimaginable. When I started there was in -all probability not a living soul within half<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_120" id="page_120">{120}</a></span> a mile, and the nearest -was sliding swiftly further away every moment. For a little way the -track lay open to the full blaze of the zenithed moon, but soon it -plunged beneath the impenetrable canopy of pines. It was possible to see -the white glimmer of the road ahead, otherwise there was nothing -visible. Then, with the suddenness of a curtain withdrawn, the blackness -became a celestial and ineffable glory of close burning constellations, -with the full disc of the moon shining imperially among them. Far below, -distant and dim, I could see the lights of Klosters, and half-longed to -reach them, in order to get out of this awful and burning and frozen -solitude, half-longed that my travel might be lengthened into an -eternity of wheeling stars and flying road. Sometimes it seemed that I -was rushing headlong through space, sometimes it seemed that I was -stopping absolutely still, and that it was this unreal world of trees -and road and bridges and banks that hurled itself by me, and that the -stars and I were the steadfast things. Once the sudden roar of a stream -over the bridge of which I passed sounded loud and menacing, but in a -moment that was past, and the hissing spray of frozen snow coming from -the bows of my toboggan was the only sound audible. And then the lights -of Klosters gleamed larger and nearer, and this wonderful swift solitude -was over.</p> - -<p>(As a matter of fact, I had an awful spill by the cabbage garden corner: -but though that was very vivid at the time, there remains nothing of it, -except the fact, in my memory. It would have been more romantic, but -less realistic, not to have mentioned it.)<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_121" id="page_121">{121}</a></span></p> - -<h4><i>Ice-runs</i></h4> - -<p>There is one Mecca: there is one St. Peter’s: there is one Cresta. As is -Mecca to the Mohammedan, as is St. Peter’s to the Catholic, so is the -Cresta run at St. Moritz to the tobogganer. It is <i>the</i> ice-run. There -may be others, and there certainly are, but what does the Cresta care? -It has a <i>cachet</i> which no other possesses.</p> - -<p>The Cresta was first engineered, I believe, in the year 1884, and its -chief architect was Herr Peter Badruth of St. Moritz. From that time -onwards it has yearly been built up with as much thought and care as is -lavished on a cathedral; every yard of it is staked out, and the angles, -curves, and shaping of its banks and corners most accurately calculated. -It is built up from the bottom upwards, so that the lower part of it can -be used while the construction of the upper part is still going on, and -the whole run is generally open not until after the middle of February. -Every winter is this amazing architecture in crystal planned and carried -out under the direction of Mr. W. H. Bulpett, who has for many years -been chief architect.</p> - -<p>To begin with, the snow is trampled down, after the manner of making the -foundation of an ice-rink, so as to form a firm solid base, and where -the banks are to be built snow is brought in sleigh-loads, shovelled on -to it, and beaten down. More snow will then be still required, and again -more, till the whole of the banks are solid and of the necessary height -and curve. Then the banks and the rest of the course (the straights) are -sprinkled with water<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_122" id="page_122">{122}</a></span> and again beaten down, and the glazed ice surface -begins to be made. When this has frozen, water is again sprinkled on it, -and again and yet again, till the whole section has become, banks and -course alike, a surface of smooth hard ice. Down each side of the narrow -racing track (except at its banked corner it is only a few feet wide, a -riband of ice) are little walls of firm built snow, also iced, so that -the runner, if he is going moderately straight, cannot leave the track, -though he often comes into slight collision with these walls. But even -slight collisions when travelling at a speed that sometimes exceeds 70 -miles an hour are not experiences to be encountered unarmed, and the -elbows and knees are thickly protected by felt pads, while on the toes -of his boots are toothed rakes made of steel, which are used to guide -the runner round the bank and to check his speed if it is so excessive -that, unchecked, he would run over the tops of the banks.</p> - -<p>A very high degree of nerve, skill, and judgment is required on such an -ice-run as this. The rider’s object being to cover the course in as few -seconds as possible, he must clearly take his banks (<i>i.e.</i> get round -the curves) with as little loss of speed as possible, and he will only -use his brakes when his judgment tells him that if unchecked he would be -carried over the top of them. On the other hand, he does not want to -brake unless it be necessary, and you will often see him with his top -runners within an inch or two of the edge of these huge sloping -ice-curves. At Battledore and Shuttlecock, the two biggest banks on the -Cresta, he enters the second immediately after coming out of the first, -and the two form a great S curve. Lower down again, before he threads -the</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/img-122_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-122_sml.jpg" class="brdrgreen" width="550" height="391" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>ON THE CRESTA RUN</p> - -<p><i>From the Drawing by Fleming Williams</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_123" id="page_123">{123}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">arch of the railway bridge, there is another called Bulpett’s corner, -designed to protect him from running out to the left of the course, and -then a headlong descent takes him to the winning-post, which is at the -bottom of the hill. Passing this he snaps a thread with an electric -connection, which registers the exact fraction of a second at which he -passes it. Then, on his run out, he whirls up a steep ice-covered slope, -for if this were not iced too, his speed would be so abruptly checked -that he and his toboggan would be bowled over and over like a shot -rabbit, and comes to a stop just outside the little village of Cresta. -But even with this steep slope to check him after his race is over, the -momentum acquired is so great that, if he does not brake heavily all the -way up this hill, he will, on reaching the level ground at the top, -shoot high into the air, toboggan and all.</p> - -<p>Some idea of the speed at which toboggans travel on the straight reaches -of the course may be gathered from the average speed at which the course -can be run. It is over 1300 yards in length, and has been traversed in a -shade over 60 seconds! This means that the highest rate of speed must be -well over 70 miles an hour. This on a pair of steel runners, head -foremost, with your face a few inches above the solid ice, with nothing -to check you except a small-toothed rake on the toe of each boot! Yet so -wonderfully skilful is the construction of the run, so cunningly is it -built to safeguard the headlong traveller, that accidents are very few. -Two fatal ones, indeed, there have been, but of these one had nothing to do -with the course itself, but was owing to the fact that a rider started -from the top before one of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_124" id="page_124">{124}</a></span> barriers across the course, which show -that it is not open for racing, had been removed. In the other, the -rider ran over a bank and his toboggan fell on the top of him. One of -the great difficulties which the builders and managers of this run, in -company with other ice-runs, have to contend against, is the power of -the sun. It is, of course, absolutely necessary that the icing of the -run should be so solid that there is no chance of the runner of a -toboggan going through it, which would naturally mean a bad spill. But -it is also necessary that certain of the banks must have the sun blazing -into them all day long, which would cause them to lose ice faster than -it could be made by the sprinkling which goes on when the sun is off -them. At such points, therefore, big canvas screens are put up, which -shade the bank from the direct rays; also tobogganing is never permitted -to go on all day. It starts early in the morning, when the run has been -recuperated by the night of frost, and is closed when, in the opinion of -the management, the sun has so softened the banks that there is danger -of a toboggan cutting through the crust.</p> - -<h4><i>Bobsleighing (or Bobbing)</i></h4> - -<p>This charming form of the sport may be described as combined -tobogganing, and in bobbing races teams of four enter against each -other. The form of toboggan used is, of course, immensely larger than -that employed in single tobogganing, since it will hold five or six -persons, and its construction is altogether different and most -elaborate. It consists of a long, low platform<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_125" id="page_125">{125}</a></span> some 10 feet in length, -and is mounted, not on one pair of runners, but on two. The pair that -supports the fore part of the bobsleigh is a sort of bogie-truck, -pivoted under the platform, and it can be turned to the right and left -in order to direct the course of the bob round curves. This turning of -it is done by the captain, who sits first at the bows of the sleigh, and -is worked by ropes, which he holds in his hands, or by a wheel which -controls its movements. In long runs, as on the Schatz-alp at Davos, the -wheel is far better than the ropes, since it entails so much less strain -on the hands of the steersman: on a short run the ropes are as good. -Behind the captain sit the members of his crew in line, with the loops -of rope just outside the framework of the sleigh, in which they fix -their heels. Last of them all sits the brakesman, at the stern of the -sleigh, who has in his control a powerful steel-toothed brake, which -crosses the sleigh behind and is worked with levers. But it is the -captain who is in command of the bob, and the brakesman and other -members of the crew only perform his orders. The word “bobsleigh” is -derived from the movement of leaning or “bobbing” forward, which is done -by all the crew together, to get up speed or increase it. They come -forward quickly with a jerk, and go back again slowly and steadily, and -this without doubt accelerates the movement of the sleigh.</p> - -<p>As in all other forms of tobogganing, braking is employed to diminish -speed in coming to corners, where otherwise the momentum would cause the -whole concern to leave the track altogether. So also, just as the -ice-tobogganer inclines his body<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_126" id="page_126">{126}</a></span> inwards in a similar position, the -captain and crew lean to the inside of the track when going round a -corner so as to help the toboggan round it, while the inclination of the -front pair of runners is directed to the same end. By strong leaning -inwards, combined with the inclination of the bogie-pair of runners, -quite considerable curves may be taken at high velocity without the use -of the brake at all, and the consequent loss of speed. But all this is -left to the judgment of the captain, who has to decide whether by -direction of the bogie-runners alone, or by that in conjunction with the -leaning inwards of his crew, he can safely negotiate a corner without -calling for the use of the brake. And the responsibility is entirely in -his hands. At the same time much depends on the prompt obedience of the -crew to his orders, for it is easily possible that a corner might have -been safely coasted round if they had obeyed his call to lean inwards, -which would spill them all if his call was not immediately responded to. -How great the effect of this inward shifting of the weight can be, if it -is thoroughly carried out, may be guessed from Plate XXXI. In this same -photograph the inward direction of the front pair of runners may also be -seen assisting the work of the crew. And it is this “teamwork,” the -sense of working in unison under orders, which gives much of its charm -to bobbing. Everyone feels—rightly—that much of the success of the run -depends on his individual work, even though his individual work is only -to lean as far as possible out of the bob without parting company with -it altogether.</p> - -<p>Bobbing can be practised on an ordinary road covered with hard snow, or, -<i>in excelsis</i>, on runs constructed for this express</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/img-126_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-126_sml.jpg" class="brdrgreen" width="550" height="393" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>TAILING</p> - -<p><i>From the Drawing by Fleming Williams</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_127" id="page_127">{127}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">purpose. Of these the two most famous are the St. Moritz bob-run, which -starts by the Bandy rink and finishes side by side with the Cresta -ice-run, after passing under the railway bridge, and the Schatz-alp run -at Davos. Previous to its construction, not many years ago, bobbing at -Davos chiefly took place on the Klosters road, which was the same track -as that used by the ordinary toboggan, but now each has its own course. -These artificially constructed bob-runs are engineered with the same -care and nicety as ice-runs for the single toboggan, and at corners -curved banks are built solidly of beaten-down snow. The track is then -iced, for no snow could stand the continual passage of the heavy bobs -over the same banks and narrow course without speedily being worn into -ruts that would entirely spoil the going and upset the goers, and the -ice is then sprinkled over with loose snow to prevent the toboggan -skidding. But the greater part of bobbing is done on the public roads, -which are frozen and hardened by the passage of sleighs. At most Swiss -winter resorts there are facilities for this delightful form of sport.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_128" id="page_128">{128}</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXI" id="plt_XXI"></a> -<a href="images/img-128-21_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-128-21_sml.jpg" width="550" height="391" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXI</p> - -<p>THE BUILDING OF THE CRESTA—“BATTLEDORE”</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXII" id="plt_XXII"></a> -<a href="images/img-128-22_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-128-22_sml.jpg" width="550" height="395" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXII</p> - -<p>THE TOP OF THE CRESTA, ST. MORITZ</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXIII" id="plt_XXIII"></a> -<a href="images/img-128-23_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-128-23_sml.jpg" width="550" height="377" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXIII</p> - -<p>STARTING ON THE CRESTA</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXIV" id="plt_XXIV"></a> -<a href="images/img-128-24_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-128-24_sml.jpg" width="388" height="550" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXIV</p> - -<p>CHURCH LEAP, CRESTA RUN</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXV" id="plt_XXV"></a> -<a href="images/img-128-25_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-128-25_sml.jpg" width="384" height="550" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXV</p> - -<p>CHURCH LEAP, CRESTA RUN</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXVI" id="plt_XXVI"></a> -<a href="images/img-128-26_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-128-26_sml.jpg" width="550" height="396" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXVI</p> - -<p>“BATTLEDORE” CORNER, CRESTA</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXVII" id="plt_XXVII"></a> -<a href="images/img-128-27_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-128-27_sml.jpg" width="550" height="377" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXVII</p> - -<p>CROSSING THE ROAD, CRESTA</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXVIII" id="plt_XXVIII"></a> -<a href="images/img-128-28_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-128-28_sml.jpg" width="394" height="550" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXVIII</p> - -<p>NEAR THE FINISH ON THE CRESTA</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXIX" id="plt_XXIX"></a> -<a href="images/img-128-29_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-128-29_sml.jpg" width="550" height="397" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXIX</p> - -<p>BOB-RUN, ST. MORITZ: IN THE LARCH WOODS</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXX" id="plt_XXX"></a> -<a href="images/img-128-30_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-128-30_sml.jpg" width="550" height="334" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXX</p> - -<p>ROUNDING SUNNY CORNER, ST. MORITZ BOB-RUN</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXXI" id="plt_XXXI"></a> -<a href="images/img-128-31_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-128-31_sml.jpg" width="550" height="342" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXXI</p> - -<p>BOB-RUN, ST. MORITZ</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXXII" id="plt_XXXII"></a> -<a href="images/img-128-32_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-128-32_sml.jpg" width="397" height="550" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXXII</p> - -<p>THE STRAIGHT FROM THE BRIDGE, ST. MORITZ BOB-RUN</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXXIII" id="plt_XXXIII"></a> -<a href="images/img-128-33_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-128-33_sml.jpg" width="550" height="351" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXXIII</p> - -<p>ST. MORITZ BOB-RUN</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_129" id="page_129">{129}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V<br /><br /> -<small>ICE-HOCKEY</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Many</span> of the Swiss winter-resorts can put into the field a very strong -ice-hockey team, and fine teams from other countries often make winter -tours there; but the ice-hockey which the ordinary winter visitor will -be apt to join in will probably be of the most elementary and -unscientific kind indulged in, when the skating day is drawing to a -close, by picked-up sides. As will be readily understood, the ice over -which a hockey match has been played is perfectly useless for skaters -any more that day until it has been swept, scraped, and sprinkled or -flooded; and in consequence, at all Swiss resorts, with the exception of -St. Moritz, where there is a rink that has been made for the -hockey-player, or when an important match is being played, this sport is -supplementary to such others as I have spoken of. Nobody, that is, plays -hockey and nothing else, since he cannot play hockey at all till the -greedy skaters have finished with the ice.</p> - -<p>And in most places hockey is not taken very seriously: it is a charming -and heat-producing scramble to take part in when the out-door day is -drawing to a close and the chill of the evening beginning to set in; -there is a vast quantity of falling down in its componence and not very -many goals, and a general ignorance about rules. But since a game, -especially such a wholly admir<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_130" id="page_130">{130}</a></span>able and delightful game as ice-hockey, -may just as well be played on the lines laid down for its conduct as -not, I append at the end of this short section a copy of the latest -edition of the rules as issued by Prince’s Club, London.</p> - -<p>For the rest, everybody knows the “sort of thing” hockey is, and quite -rightly supposes that ice-hockey is the same “sort of thing” played on a -field of ice by performers shod in skates. As is natural, the practice -and ability which enable a man to play ordinary hockey with moderate -success are a large factor in his success when he woos the more elusive -sister-sport; another factor, and one which is not sufficiently -appreciated, is the strength of his skating. It is not enough to be able -to run very swiftly on the skates: no one is an ice-hockey player of the -lowest grade who cannot turn quickly to right or left, start quickly, -and above all, stop quickly. However swift a player may be, he is -practically useless to his side unless he can, with moderate suddenness, -check his headlong career, turn quickly, and when the time comes again -start quickly.</p> - -<p>I have often been asked whether ice-hockey is “bad” for skating. Most -emphatically it is not: on the other hand, it is extremely good for most -skaters, since it gives them strength of ankle and accustoms them to -move at a high speed. Strength, as we have seen before, is not the prime -need of a skater, but balance: strength, however, is a most useful -adjunct. But though hockey is good for the skater, he will certainly -find that he will not skate well or accurately immediately after playing -hockey, any more than he will skate well the moment he has taken off his -skis. But the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_131" id="page_131">{131}</a></span> feeling that to play hockey unfits the skater for that -which he may regard as his more artistic job, is, as far as can be seen, -unfounded.</p> - -<p>It is a wonderful and delightful sight to watch the speed and accuracy -of a first-rate team, each member of which knows the play of the other -five players. The finer the team, as is always the case, the greater is -their interdependence on each other, and the less there is of individual -play. Brilliant running and dribbling, indeed, you will see; but as -distinguished from a side composed of individuals, however good, who are -yet not a team, these brilliant episodes are always part of a plan, and -end not in some wild shot but in a pass or a succession of passes, -designed to lead to a good opening for scoring. There is, indeed, no -game at which team play outwits individual brilliance so completely.</p> - -<p>But such is not the aspect of the game that will strike the observer who -watches the usual pick-up or inter-hotel match on the rink, which -generally begins as soon as skaters hear the curfew of the tea-bell. -Here will be found the individualist who, sooner than pass when he has -once got the puck, would infinitely prefer to fall and be trampled on; -and you will see him, while still sitting on the ice, hacking wildly at -the beloved india-rubber, in flat contravention of the rule. Common, -too, are the “non-stops” (like Wimbledon trains) who, once having got up -speed, are practically brakeless. Indeed, it was in connection with -non-stops that the present writer saw the most ludicrously comic -incident that it has ever been his good luck to encounter in these -winter places, where so many funny things happen. And it was in this -manner. A round dozen of these delightful non<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_132" id="page_132">{132}</a></span>stops had made up a hockey -match. The rink where they played bounded on three sides by snow-banks; -on the fourth, at the edge of which was one of their goals, an extremely -steep descent (caused by the levelling up of the ground to make the -rink), about 15 feet in height, plunged into the snow-covered field below. It -was a very cold afternoon, and (so rightly) the two gentlemen who were -deputed to keep goal preferred to plunge into the fray and go for the -puck whenever they could catch sight of it. In general, there were some -four or five out of the twelve players on their feet simultaneously: the -rest were momentarily prone. All this was delightful enough, but I had -no conception how funny they were all going to be.</p> - -<p>It so happened that the puck was in the neighbourhood of the goal away -from the steep bank down into the field: it so happened, also, that all -the twelve were on their feet. Somebody in the mélêe near the goal hit -the puck with such amazing violence that it flew half-way down the rink. -The whole field, with ever-increasing velocity, poured after it, -spreading out on both sides of it. Another whack brought it close to the -goal at the edge of the steep bank, and again at top-speed every player -on the field was in pursuit. Faster and ever faster they neared the -goal: somebody, with stick high uplifted in the manner of a -three-quarter swing at golf, made a prodigious hit at it, but completely -missed it. The next moment every single one of those players had poured -like a resistless cataract down the steep snow-slope into the field -below, leaving the rink completely untenanted except for a small -innocent-looking puck, which lay a few yards in front of a yawning -goal.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/img-132_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-132_sml.jpg" class="brdrgreen" width="550" height="408" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>ICE HOCKEY</p> - -<p><i>From the Drawing by Fleming Williams</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_133" id="page_133">{133}</a></span></p> - -<p>For a little while this impressive stillness and depopulation lasted. -Then the first “strayed reveller” returned, heavily limping. He took his -time, and with a superb, lightning-like shot sent the puck whirling -through the unguarded goal. Simultaneously he sat down. Simultaneously a -second player showed his head over the ice-bank and shouted “Offside!” -Simultaneously also, the puck hit him in the face. It is hard to -believe, I know; but I assure the reader that it was harder to stop -laughing.</p> - -<p>At any rate, here are the rules:</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Rules of Match Play</span></h3> - -<p>1. The puck shall be made of india-rubber, 3 inches in diameter, 1 inch -thick, and shall weigh 1¼ lbs., or shall be of such other size or -shape as shall from time to time be decided.</p> - -<p>The stick shall be so made that it can pass through a ring 3 inches in -diameter.</p> - -<p>2. The goal-posts at each end of the ice shall be 4 feet high and 4 feet -apart.</p> - -<p>3. The team shall consist of six players.</p> - -<p>4. The goal is scored when the puck passes between the goal-posts.</p> - -<p>5. The game shall consist of two halves of 20 minutes each. The teams -change goals at half-time.</p> - -<p>6. The match is won by the team who scores the greater number of goals. -If, when time is called, the number of goals<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_134" id="page_134">{134}</a></span> is the same on both sides, -the match is said to be a tie. Five minutes each way must then be played -until the tie is decided, or the teams may arrange another match.</p> - -<p>7. A referee shall be appointed whose duty it shall be to decide all -disputed points, and his decision shall be final.</p> - -<p>He shall appoint, if possible, four goal umpires, two at each end.</p> - -<p>The referee shall have power to stop the game for any cause and for such -time as he shall think fit.</p> - -<p>In the case of unfair or rough play he shall caution the offender, and -if the offence is repeated, he may order the offender off the ice for a -certain interval, or for the rest of the match.</p> - -<p>If no referee is appointed, the captains shall arbitrate all disputes.</p> - -<p>8. The game shall be started by placing the puck between two opposing -players on the half-way line in the centre of the ice; the sticks of the -two players must meet three times before either may touch the puck. -After a goal the puck shall be placed in the centre of the ring and -restarted as above.</p> - -<p>9. When the puck goes off the ice, it shall be restarted as in Rule 8, -and from a point 3 yards from the side where it left the ice. In case -the puck leaves the ice behind the goal line, it shall be restarted at a -point 5 yards from the goal line and 3 yards from the side.</p> - -<p>10. No charging, crossing, riding off, pushing or tripping is allowed.</p> - -<p>11. The player may not raise his stick above his shoulder.</p> - -<p>12. No player may carry, stand on, kick or throw the puck<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_135" id="page_135">{135}</a></span> except the -goalkeeper, who may kick it, catch it, or knock it away with his hand or -leg, or stop it with any part of his body.</p> - -<p>13. A player having fallen is considered <i>hors de combat</i>, and may take -no part in the game until he has regained his feet and his stick.</p> - -<p>14. Should the game be stopped by the referee by reason of the -infringement of any of the rules, or because of an accident or change of -players, the puck shall be started at the spot where it was last played -before the infringement, accident or change of players shall have -occurred.</p> - -<p>15. No player shall play a forward pass unless at the time of his so -doing there are not less than two of his opponents (including the -goalkeeper) between him and the opponents’ goal line (the goal line for -this purpose being an imaginary line drawn from the goal-posts to the -side). In the event of such forward pass being played by or hitting such -player as aforesaid, or of his interfering with the game in any way, the -puck shall be restarted at the point where such forward pass was made.</p> - -<p>16. In the case of one of the players being disabled, the captain of the -opposing team may decide whether he will allow a substitute or take out -one man from his own side.</p> - -<p>17. No alteration shall be made in the rules unless it be supported by -at least two-thirds of those present at a Special General Meeting called -for the purpose, of which at least seven days’ notice must be given in -writing to each member, or by seven days’ notice posted on the Club -Notice Board—the suggested<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_136" id="page_136">{136}</a></span> alterations to accompany any such notice or -to be affixed to the Club Notice Board. Any amendment to be brought -forward at such Special General Meeting must be signed by the proposer -and sent to the Hon. Secretary at least four days before the date of -such Special Meeting.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_137" id="page_137">{137}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI<br /><br /> -<small>SKI-ING</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Of</span> all the hundreds of folk who yearly spend a few weeks or, if they are -excessively fortunate or opulent, more than a few weeks in Alpine -resorts during the winter, there are many who devote themselves almost -entirely to one sport. Thus you may, as a rule, never meet a man except -on:</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td class="rt">(i) </td><td>The skating rink,</td></tr> -<tr><td class="rt">(ii)</td><td> The curling rink,</td></tr> -<tr><td class="rt">(iii)</td><td> The ski-ing slopes, or</td></tr> -<tr><td class="rt">(iv) </td><td>The toboggan runs.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p class="nind">Weather bad for his particular branch of sport may temporarily drive him -to another and slightly despised diversion, but when possible, where his -heart is, there will his legs be also. He will be adopting one -particular method of sliding (I count curling a method of sliding, -because your object is to make your curling-stones slide in a definite -manner) to the exclusion of others, and sliding in some form or other, -whether on skates or toboggan or skis, lies at the base of all winter -sports. That is why we all go to Switzerland in the winter, because -there we find frozen water (or hope to) in abundance. We then, having -fixed on the particular and hazardous manner in which we wish to slide -over frozen water,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_138" id="page_138">{138}</a></span> with steel blades or long wooden shoes, proceed to -do so. In all cases the desire to slide instead of walk regulates the -choice of our holiday. Exclusive tobogganers we must regard as a -comparative rarity, for there are few who practise tobogganing whenever -possible and nothing else at all. As a rule, tobogganers do not toboggan -for the whole of every day. It entails too much hill-climbing.</p> - -<p>But of these three classes, I think the confirmed and inoculated skier -is most absolutely wedded to his sport. You will find him a rarer -visitor to either form of rink than is the inoculated skater or curler -to the ski-ing slopes. It will often happen, also, that the inoculated -curler visits the skating-rinks, or the inoculated skater the house and -the hog. But the man who comes out to Switzerland in order to ski very -seldom visits either. For various and intricate as are the manœuvres -which the expert can perform on skates, and various as are the movements -which the expert can cause his curling-stones to perform, there is at -the command of the skier a greater expanse of conquerable territory. Not -only has he his figures, so to speak, to cut on the snow-fields, his -Telemark and Christiania swings, and his stemming turns, which -correspond roughly to the threes and rockers and change of edge in the -skater’s art, and the outwicks and inwicks of the curler, but he has his -travel over the snows for travel’s sake: he is an artist in climbing, -and the whole horizon (omitting such mountain peaks as the Matterhorn or -the Aiguilles) are part of his rink, which reaches, broadly speaking, -wherever there is snow. And some part of his rink, however bad the -weather, is pretty certain<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_139" id="page_139">{139}</a></span> to be in order. The skater’s rink may be (as -has been known within the memory of man to happen) an inglorious series -of pools, or have vanished entirely under a covering of snow, and -similarly, the curler’s rink is occasionally found to resemble a sort of -cold wet toffee. But the skier’s rink is hardly ever altogether -impracticable, and he can both travel and in his travelling cut his -figures. Hardly ever, though he may have to go far to get it, will he -fail, except when a severe fall of snow is actually going on, to find -slopes on which he can at any rate “play about.” Consider also the -infinite variety of his tumbles. His falls are more complicated, have -more pleasing uncertainty about them, than those which any skater can -indulge in. Also they hurt far less. There are few skaters who can -manage to fall more than about half a dozen times a day, unless they are -exceptionally young, or, as the inquests say, very “well nourished,” and -yet continue their practice with undiminished vigour. But there are few -skiers, old or young, lean or otherwise, who will be the least -discouraged by twice that number of tumbles.</p> - -<p>Here, too, is another reason for the fidelity of the skier to his sport. -It yields him, if he is a novice, a quicker dividend of pleasure than -skating yields to the beginner, or curling to the curler. After a week’s -practice, starting from the beginning, the skater will scarcely yet have -felt himself firmly travelling on an outside edge, which, when he has -accomplished it, is after all only the beginning of further trouble, -while the curler, after the same lapse of time, will not have begun to -deliver his stones with the most distant approach to what could possibly -be called accuracy. But the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_140" id="page_140">{140}</a></span> skier will already be cognisant of the -rapture of sliding swiftly downhill on the hissing snow, and though the -“frequent fall” awaits him, he will have experienced a genuine taste of -the authentic joy. He will, too, have climbed high and heavenwards, have -seen new horizons spread themselves, have seen further peaks in the -magic of the Alpine air and sunshine rear their austere heads. -Stumblingly, perhaps, he will have penetrated into new valleys among the -“holy hills,” and felt the surprise and sting of exploration. He will -also, if he has devoted himself to the tricks—the skating-figures of -his art—be appreciably nearer the achievement of stemming turns than -the skater will be to the accomplishment of a simple three, or the -curler to the hope of coming into the house round a guard. Thus, if -anyone who can get three weeks in Switzerland, without solid hope of -getting more in subsequent years, were to ask how, being active of body, -he could get the maximum of enjoyment out of those three weeks, I should -unhesitatingly advise him to practise ski-ing, though, should he have a -reasonable prospect of coming out in future years, I should just as -unhesitatingly recommend him to persevere for a little while, anyhow, -with his skates, or stick to the curling-rink if he desires a less -hazardous sport. But if he has a short holiday, without reasonable -prospects of coming out again, I think if he is young and active he will -get more fun in a short time if he betakes himself to the skis. -Moreover, whatever resort he honours with his presence, he is certain to -find there fair ski-ing slopes, especially in unfavourable weather, and -in the vast majority of cases, excellent ones. Indeed, if he only -anticipates one visit<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_141" id="page_141">{141}</a></span> to Switzerland, he will find everywhere slopes -that will be for him excellent.</p> - -<p>Also there is a greater simplicity about his needs. Nature provides his -rink, and it stretches further in every direction (except downwards -towards the valleys) than he is able to go. He wants no marking out of -house and hog-line, he wants no surface nightly renewed and rendered -flawless. He only wants his equipment, as the skater his skates, and the -curler his stones and his broom. And if, like the curler, he is, so to -speak, “never up” for a day or two, he is never down for long, and -cannot hurt his side, and probably will not hurt himself. Also, the -minimum of experimentalism will enable him to enjoy himself, and I doubt -whether the skater really enjoys himself with so little expenditure of -time and trouble, unless his only object is to progress in a straight -line. To progress in a straight line, in fact, is no fun for the skater, -but it is great fun for the skier.</p> - -<p>Without going into any excessive details with regard to his equipment, -certain facts about it must be broadly stated. The ski itself, as anyone -seeking those altitudes in winter is probably aware, is a long narrow -slip of wood turned up at the bows and fastened to his foot. It is -smooth on the under-surface, thicker under the place where his foot -comes than elsewhere, and should have a shallow groove running up the -middle of it. In length it should be a few inches shorter than its owner -if he stands with his arms outstretched above his head. In other words, -a man 6 feet high will want a ski about 7 feet long. This is only a -rough-and-ready rule, and if the skier arrives at his Alpine resort<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_142" id="page_142">{142}</a></span> -with the intention merely of hiring skis, he should not choose them -shorter than this. It is easier to travel on skis that are too long than -on those which are too short. But, however long the skis are, they -cannot be too narrow. Mr. Caulfield (an adept and authority) lays down -that at the narrowest part (<i>i.e.</i> where the foot rests) they should -never be more than 2¾ inches in breadth. Instantly the novice will -exclaim that his boot at the ball of the foot is broader than that, and -that his boot will project beyond the skis. He is perfectly right: it -will. But Mr. Caulfield is right too. He should also see that the grain -of the ski lies longitudinally, and that the ski itself is slightly -arched, the top of the arch lying underneath the wearer’s foot. If the -ski is quite flat, it will bend downwards in soft snow under the weight -and impede the going. These directions, which sound slightly advanced -for him who has never seen a ski at all, are really most elementary. No -beginner should attempt to ski on contraptions that do not fulfil all -these requirements. He might as well begin learning to walk in boots -that are not adapted for ordinary wear.</p> - -<p>Next comes the awful, the intricate, the debated question of “bindings,” -by which is denoted the system by which the boot of the skier is -fastened to the ski. Into the merits of the different schools concerned -with this I do not propose to enter, nor (under the breath be it spoken) -does the fervour of the disputants seem quite to be warranted by the -importance of the subject. Provided that the bindings are easily -adjustable, and when adjusted are not easily displaced, and provided -they are not so rigid as to render likely, in case of the “frequent -fall,” a serious strain on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_143" id="page_143">{143}</a></span> foot, resulting in a sprain or a broken -bone, they must be considered satisfactory enough. Such bindings are:</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td class="rt">(i) </td><td>The Huitfeldt binding;</td></tr> -<tr><td class="rt">(ii)</td><td> The Ellefsen binding.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p class="nind">Many experts will be found to disapprove of each of these: on the other -hand, each of them is supported by expert opinions. But the beginner, in -choosing his skis, is solemnly warned against selecting unknown and -patent bindings unless advised of their excellence by an expert who is -familiar with them. He is safe, however (if anything connected with the -skis can by any stretch of imagination be considered safe), if he -selects either of the two above-mentioned bindings. They differ -enormously in principle but are both excellent. A third binding, the -Lilienfelt, has also many devotees: its opponents, however, assert that -it is dangerously rigid. But it is possible to fall down, quite often, -when using any of these bindings, with the most satisfactory results.</p> - -<p>Of the actual equipment (<i>i.e.</i> of tools necessary for ski-ing at all) -the next matter is sticks. Of these the skier should always carry two, -by the help of which he makes a supplementary punting movement when -going along the level or up gentle slopes; while on a steeper upward -slope he leans on them to distribute his weight, and thus prevent -back-slipping of his skis. They should therefore be strong and light, -and made of cane. They terminate at their lower end in sharp steel -points, and some few inches above those points they should be fitted -with a light circular disc of wicker-work which prevents them sinking -into the snow. Otherwise the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_144" id="page_144">{144}</a></span> holder, leaning on them, would merely be -plunged up to his shoulders in soft drifts, which would not serve his -purpose. They also help to steady him, in the manner of an ice-axe, when -climbing very steep slopes or when zigzagging, and should be at least -shoulder high. Coming downhill the beginner, when the pace grows too -fast for his liking, is accustomed to lean heavily on them, grasping -them together in both hands and making of them a brake to his headlong -career. This manœuvre is called “stick-riding,” and is unanimously -discouraged by all experts, however divergent may be their views on the -subject of bindings. Later, when the beginner is joining himself to -these austere folk, he will cease to stick-ride, and make -stemming-curves and Telemarks and Christiania-swings instead. But as -long as the world goes round, and the force of gravity continues to -exercise its accelerating force, so long, whatever the experts may -teach, shall we see the beginner descending a slope, bending low, with -eyes starting out of his head in pleasing terror, and leaning heavily on -his conjoined sticks. It is safe also to assert that the austere experts -did exactly the same when, in the dark ages, they were starting on their -glorious careers. Therefore, by all means, let the beginner select -strong sticks. Any anchor, however illegitimate, is better than an -anchor that snaps in half. For the counsels of perfection are only -appreciated when the possibility, not of perfection, but of moderate -skill, begins to dawn on the rosy heights. Till then, O fellow-tyro and -novice, gaily descend slopes that terrify and unnerve you, conscious -that, when the terror becomes unbearable, you can lean heavily on your -sticks and check your mad<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_145" id="page_145">{145}</a></span> career. This is profoundly immoral advice, -but the knowledge that you have strong sticks in your hands will enable -you to contemplate and thus imperfectly negotiate these places in a -straight direct line. You will know what it feels like to face straight -down these abominable precipices, and will have gained a sensation. But -without the knowledge that you held in your hands a powerful instrument -of retardation you would, very likely, have never gained the sensation -at all. This is a counsel of imperfection, and if you design to be a -first-rate skier you will not follow it. But if you have, as in our -hypothetical case, only a few weeks in these uplands, without prospect -of more, launch yourself with your strong sticks on a blood-curdling -incline, see what it feels like, and, when your nerves cannot bear it, -lean heavily on both sticks.</p> - -<p>But the moment we progress a little further than the hypothetical case -of the man who for one winter has three weeks of Switzerland in front of -him, and then, as far as seems probable, no more Switzerland at all, the -joys of the skier increase in a quickly ascending scale. Just as the -skater in the English style finds that the threes and the rockers and -the counters that he has so painfully learned are not only delightful in -themselves, but help him towards qualifying as a good skater in the -combined figures, and just as the Continental skater finds that those -same figures assist him to produce a first-rate programme in -free-skating, so also does the skier who on easy slopes has made himself -acquainted with the various turns, find that his education there vastly -increases his enjoyment in and proficiency at the glorious<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_146" id="page_146">{146}</a></span> excursions -which are all to be made on his immense rink. Slopes and descents that -would be impracticable for him to descend if he had not learned the -tricks, the figures of his sport, are easy and pleasurable if he can -make his Telemark, his Christiania, his stemming turns, and not only do -they become practicable, but his negotiation of these slopes becomes an -artistic performance instead of being a terrified and stick-riding -descent, just as to make a vol-plané from the skies is a beautiful feat, -whereas to slide down a rope merely hurts the hands. In the same way, -the ascents, which were a mere succession of stumblings and misdirected -efforts, and sweatings unspeakable, lose their arduousness when he has -learned how to climb steep slopes with the minimum of exertion. All his -practice with other elementary enthusiasts in the field behind the hotel -(or in front of it)—there is everywhere some such field at a suitably -steep angle—works into what must always be in ski-ing, the main object -of the sport, which is to be able to traverse the snows and make -mid-winter expeditions over the high enchanted country, which is -otherwise inaccessible. For on skis you can with ease climb slopes which -are absolutely impossible to the pedestrian, since the skier goes -unsinking over soft snow and drifts that would engulf the man in boots -as in a frozen quicksand; while in descents over such places the -difference is only emphasised. A ski-runner will in a few minutes -descend, thrilled with the joy of a movement that really resembles -flying, places which at the least take the pedestrian hours of plunging -labour. He is indifferent as to the depths of snow, since he is only -concerned with an inch or two of it, and rapturously descends<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_147" id="page_147">{147}</a></span> a -thousand feet, while a walker is cursing at the first hundred of them. -But the ski-runner’s enjoyment and speed, both in the climb and in the -descent, are vastly increased if he has learned the elements of his art. -Thereby he saves effort, saves time, saves tumbles, and saves temper; at -the end of a run his mental bank is rich with pleasure, whereas a man -who has not taken the trouble to learn these tricks of the trade comes -in with a debit balance, so to speak, mis-spent labour, unnecessary -falls, and loss of time and temper. He must learn the elements of -climbing, of turning, and of braking, not by heavily leaning on his -strong poles, but by the far simpler and less tiring methods of using -his skis to do the braking for him.</p> - -<p>The first difficulties that beset the beginner must be considered as -concerned with climbing, since he has to get to the top of his hill -before he can experience the pleasing terror of proceeding to slide down -it. As he flounders and falls and back-slips, he will be astonished to -see some more practised performer strolling along up the slight slope -which he finds so baffling, without the slightest effort or exertion. -Looking more closely he will perhaps notice that this expert is stamping -his feet a little as he walks, merely as if to warm them on this cold -morning. Then for a moment perhaps he seems to slip, and the beginner -anticipates the delight of seeing somebody else flounder in the snow -without being able to get up. But he sees nothing of the sort. Hardly -has the slip begun before the expert has put down one ski behind the -heel of and at right angles to the other. The slip is stopped, and the -next moment he moves easily on again.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_148" id="page_148">{148}</a></span></p> - -<p>Higher up the slope becomes steeper, and, still watching, the tyro -observes that the skier has changed his direction, and instead of -mounting in a straight line is crossing the slopes in a direction, -zigzagging across them. He has moved perhaps a hundred yards to the -right, but is then confronted by a wall of rock obviously unscaleable. -But without effort he lifts one foot rather high and turns it, putting -it down again in the direction opposite to that in which he has been -zigzagging. The other foot comes round too, and immediately the climber -begins progressing again in the reversed direction, having executed that -easy and necessary manœuvre called the kick-turn. Then a belt of trees -closes his new zigzag, and here, by way of variety, he bends down and -jumps, revolving in the air as he jumps and lands facing round the other -way. This, of course, the beginner imagines to be a merely acrobatic and -impossible performance; he resents it as we resent a conjuring trick.</p> - -<p>Then it seems that the climber has got tired of his zigzags, and facing -the hill directly again he proceeds, this time with some slight -appearance of effort to walk straight up it with his feet and skis -turned outwards in something of the attitude of the frog-footman in -<i>Alice in Wonderland</i>. Each ski just avoids treading on the heel of the -other, and clears it by an inch or two, so that the track left resembles -the outline of a piece of herring-bone brickwork. There is the same -resemblance in the name of this manœuvre, since it is called -herring-boning. Then once more the climber varies his style of progress, -for here the slope is exceedingly steep, and he has come to a narrow -gully, where his zig-<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_149" id="page_149">{149}</a></span>zags would have to be very short, and instead of -interspersing every few steps with a kick-turn he stands sideways to the -slope and puts down one foot horizontally across it and brings the other -close up to and parallel with it. Then he steps sideways again with the -first foot, and repeats the manœuvre. Twenty or thirty paces of this -sort bring him to the top of his gully, and he stops a moment looking -over the view which his climb has opened out to him. (That also is a -frequently-practised ski-ing manœuvre and quite easy. The view-trick is -indulged in after a steep bit of climbing, and is dictated by a love of -scenery combined with the need of getting your breath again.)</p> - -<p>Now all these devices, the stamping of the skis, the stopping of the -slip, the kick-turn, the jump even, the herring-boning and the -side-stepping are all quite easily learned, and, if we except the jump -round, which is never necessary, since the kick-turn produces the same -result (<i>i.e.</i> change of direction), the beginner will in a few days -have so far mastered the elements of them that he will be able, without -undue fatigue, to climb slopes on which at first he helplessly -floundered. But he is advised to make practical acquaintance with all of -these conjuring tricks, for they each have their special uses. On -certain slopes there may not be sufficient room to zigzag without -continually turning, while again the surface of the snow may be so hard -and icy that herring-boning, which is quite easy if there is soft snow -on the top, may be practically impossible, in which case the -side-stepping must be employed. But any slope negotiable at all on skis -is negotiable by one of these methods, which are none of them at all -hard to acquire.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_150" id="page_150">{150}</a></span></p> - -<p>Now, it is no part of any of these treatises to do more than state how -various manœuvres on ice or snow or with the curling-stones are done, -and in ski-ing (even as much as in skating) written instructions would -be of very small use. What is far more to the point is to sally out (in -print) on to a fairly easy slope and attempt to make these phenomena -appear, so that the beginner will understand them when he sees them, and -try to imitate with a knowledge of what he has to imitate. Best of all -is it to get somebody actually on skis to show you what the thing looks -like. Then—for we are all descended from the monkeys—it is part of our -human birthright to attempt to ape what is shown, and a practical -illustration, followed by actual practice, will do more for the beginner -than a host of learned treatises. Still, when dusk has fallen, and he -can no longer even see to fall down, he is strongly recommended to study -some practical manual of ski-ing. Of these I will mention three, all of -which are illustrated by a series of admirable photographs, which make a -visual guide more valuable than any written instruction. These are:</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td class="rt">(i) </td><td><i>How to Ski</i>, by Vivian Caulfield. (Nisbet.)</td></tr> -<tr><td class="rt">(ii)</td><td> <i>The Ski-runner</i>, by E. C. Richardson. (Richardson & Wroughton.)</td></tr> -<tr><td class="rt">(iii) </td><td><i>Ski-ing</i>, by W. R. Rickmers. (Fisher Unwin.)</td></tr> -</table> - -<p class="nind">Here he will find careful analyses of ski-ing manœuvres, clearly and at -length explaining them, and elucidating the explanation by photographs. -The curious student will no doubt find certain differences of opinion -expressed by these Masters, but,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_151" id="page_151">{151}</a></span> if he is wise, he will leave academic -disputation alone, and try to put into practice the precepts and -instructions given by any one of them. He may rest assured that, however -disputatious the pundits become over any theories advanced by these -authors, there is a great deal to be said for them. Indeed, their very -disputatiousness shows how much there is to be said!</p> - -<p>To return to our forlorn beginner on the slope, who has seen vanish from -his ken the figure of the expert climber, we will suppose that he -occupies himself with his flounderings while others with equal ease and -absence of effort pass him in their ascension. Some of them, it appears, -are not going out for any expedition, for they pause when they have got -to a sufficient height and begin descending again. And here the tyro -should surely find encouragement, for he will observe that they often -stagger, fall, and are smothered in snow. That does not in the slightest -degree deter them, and probably he will begin to realise that falling, -even in the case of experts, is part of the day’s work, and, as a rule, -does not hurt at all. Indeed the skier who does not fall is either so -cautious a performer that he cannot be called a skier in any sense of -the word, or so supreme a master that he is evidently not human but some -form of Alpine ghost. On the skating-rink he will see the same thing, -for even the “plus-players,” so to speak, if they are really practising, -execute the most amazing tumbles, while on the curling-rink, the gods -and demigods make shots of the most putrescent nature.</p> - -<p>But as he watches he will notice that these ladies and gentlemen who are -ski-ing are busy not with merely descending the slope<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_152" id="page_152">{152}</a></span> they have -climbed, but descending it in a particular manner, and interspersing -their descent with certain definite manœuvres. Sometimes, perhaps, one -who has climbed into the gully out of which the first expert has -disappeared, will stand for a moment facing downhill, and then launch -himself on a perfectly straight course. He will be standing upright, but -leaning forward, which is not a contradiction in terms, if this phrase -is considered. In other words, his whole head, body, and legs will be -inclined a little forward, but he will also be upright because there is -no bend in his knees or hips or neck. In other words, he will be -standing at right angles to the slope, though leaning forward. His skis -will be quite close together, so that they make but one track in the -snow, and his right foot probably will be a few inches in front of his -left. His arms will be a little raised, so that his sticks, which swing -pendulum-like from his hands, do not touch the snow, and his descent is -that of a stooping hawk. A spray of fine snow rises round the toes of -his skis, like the feather of water round the bows of some -lightning-speeded boat. A moment ago he was but a speck high up on the -mountain-side, the next he is but a speck at the end of the slope below. -If not so fortunate, he is somewhere in the middle of that -sudden-spouting billow of snow that mars the smooth whiteness of the -hill. But in any case, the beginner has seen a specimen of ordinary -straight-running, the figure upright and inclined forward, the skis -close together, with sinecure for the sticks. And if our beginner’s -courage is high, he will instantly attempt, from the more gradual slope -on which he stands, to do the same. Probably, if he remembers to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_153" id="page_153">{153}</a></span> ape -this flying Mercury in the points mentioned, he will progress quite a -considerable number of yards at his sedater speed without falling. Then -a wild panic will seize him at the thought that his pace is steadily -increasing, and that he has not the slightest idea how to check it. That -thought alone will most likely be sufficient so to unsteady him that he -will instantly fall down and find that he has grasped one method, -anyhow, of stopping. He may then employ the few moments’ pause that -invariably succeed a tumble to observing whether, from the tracks his -skis have left, he has kept his feet together. If he has, he may feel -justifiably pleased with himself, but must not be discouraged if the -tracks resemble the old broad gauge of the Great Western Railway.</p> - -<p>Then comes another descender. He is going quite straight also, but he -appears merely to be strolling down the same slope that the other fellow -flew down. Yet he does not use his sticks to lean on, but stands upright -also, but with toes pointed inwards, legs apart, and heels pointing -outwards. Instead of travelling on level skis, it is clear that he leans -on their inside edges; and since they are not pointing straight down the -slope it is obvious that they are side-slipping all the time instead of -sliding straight. That is the case: he is “stemming,” descending -straight, but using the sideways position of his skis to check his -speed. Our beginner, warming to his work, tries this also. He instantly -gets the toe of one ski across the toe of the other, and has discovered -another method of abruptly stopping. This time he will very likely fall -forward in the manner of a breaking wave on to a snowy shore.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_154" id="page_154">{154}</a></span></p> - -<p>This time the question of the technique of getting up obtrudes itself. -Probably his skis are still lovingly entwined together, and, leaving -them in a fond embrace, he will attempt to rise. Nothing happens: at -least he is only conscious of violent and enraged effort, which is -productive of no appreciable alteration in his position. Then it occurs -to him that he had better have his feet free of each other, and this he -strugglingly accomplishes, pointing them both symmetrically downhill. -Again he attempts to rise, digging his sticks in the snow, upon which -his feet slide sweetly and smoothly away from under him, and he is prone -on his back again. But if, after disentangling his feet, he plants them -sideways across the slope he will find they cannot slip away, because -they are edged into the snow and are as firm as everlasting mountains. -But this is instruction.</p> - -<p>A third runner comes down the slope, this time running slantways. But -after a little he assumes the stemming position, and then his right ski -crosses in front of the other, and he comes round in a curve to the -left. Then his left foot takes the lead and he swerves again to the -right ... <i>da capo, da capo</i> ... he describes a slow serpentine line, -running with feet together on his zigzags, and widening the distance as -he approaches the turn. First one foot and then the other goes in front -at their appropriate corners, and down this precipitous slope he comes, -but at moderate speed, weaving his dance. Each turn is made in the -stemming-position—for these be stemming-turns.</p> - -<p>Thereafter comes a more inexplicable runner. He progresses straight for -a little way, and then advancing his right foot, he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_155" id="page_155">{155}</a></span> proceeds apparently -to kneel down on his left knee, bending the right leg also, but keeping -the knee up. Then it is clear that his weight is almost entirely on the -advanced right leg, the other but trails behind. Then with a visible -effort he leans on the inside of his right ski and turns it round in -front of the other towards his left. As by a conjuring trick he slews -round altogether towards his left, and comes to a dead stop facing -nearly in the direction from which he has run. And if anybody is -standing near our beginner the latter will probably hear for the first -time the mystic word Telemark.</p> - -<p>Here, then, is a more comfortable manner of stopping dead than that of -falling down. The latter is nature, the former is art. On the steepest -slope, provided only there is a decent covering of softish snow, the -expert will make this short sharp turn and come to a standstill facing -nearly or quite uphill. Or, if so he please, he will make a -half-Telemark, bring himself sideways to the slope, and then continue -his downward descent, starting from rest again. Should he wish to turn -towards the right he will kneel on his right knee, or nearly kneel, with -heel raised, and, advancing his left ski, put all his weight on to that, -trailing the right one behind, which acts, as Mr. Caulfield points out, -like the rudder of a boat. Probably our beginner will attempt this also. -His first difficulty will be to kneel down at all without upsetting. If -he safely accomplishes this, he will have a crisis of nerves in finding -himself in so abnormal a position, and dig his stick into the snow. -Anything whatever may happen then.</p> - -<p>A fifth and final runner on this morning of revelation begins<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_156" id="page_156">{156}</a></span> his -descent, travelling not quite straight down the slope but on a steepish -zigzag. He does not proceed to pray in the Telemark attitude, but, -standing straight, advances his right foot, leaning his weight on it, -and trailing his left behind. Then he makes a twist of his shoulders and -body towards the right, exactly as if he was cutting a three-turn on -skates, and, lo, he has turned round in exactly the same manner as in -the Telemark. He does not, it is true, continue the back-edge downhill, -but halts on the cusp, as it were, facing uphill, as at the end of the -Telemark swing. But what he has done is to make a Christiania swing, -with the foot towards the direction of his turn advanced instead of the -opposite foot, as in the Telemark. But the effect is the same: he has -stopped in the middle of a swift downward descent without falling down -or braking. Probably, to touch for a moment on <i>minutiæ</i>, he has made -his Christiania on a hard and ice-crusted place, whereas the Telemarker -has selected a spot of soft snow for his performance. So, if the -beginner is tempted to try this last manœuvre, he is advised to look out -for an icy patch where the sun has thawed the surface of the snow, which -has subsequently frozen again. On arriving at such a patch, he will -probably conclude (as our American cousins say) to reserve the -Christiania for another day.</p> - -<p>Now this gifted series of practisers on the slope have, in imagination, -presented to the would-be skier all that is demanded of him in the -practice of ski-running. When he has learned the more effortless ways of -ascending slopes, as exhibited by the expert whom he first observed, and -when he can make in his descents,</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/img-156_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-156_sml.jpg" class="brdrgreen" width="550" height="362" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE TELEMARK TURN</p> - -<p><i>From the Drawing by Fleming Williams</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_157" id="page_157">{157}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">with a fair prospect of success, the stemming-turn, the Telemark, and -the Christiania, he is, for all practical purposes, an accomplished -ski-runner, a master of that delightful art. But for as many years as he -is active of body, he will gain in facility in accomplishing these -things, and probably no skier has ever reached anything approaching -perfection, any more than any skater has attained that undesirable goal. -It is advisedly that I say “undesirable,” since to our limited skill it -seems to me that half the fun of any sport would be subtracted if we -could possibly become perfect in it. But, on the other hand, the skier, -if he is at all master of his limbs, will more easily attain that -moderate degree of excellence which will enable him to join comfortably -and easily in these climbs and expeditions which are the joy of -ski-running, than he would attain the excellence required of a member of -a fair combined figure in skating or of a player in a respectable -curling team. But whereas in skating and curling he can only spoil the -amusement of other people (or perhaps, if they are humorously inclined, -add to it), he incurs grave danger if he attempts to go on arduous -ski-ing expeditions without having got some facility in the easier -ski-ing figures, such as the kick-turn on his ascents and the -stemming-turn on his descents. Odd as it may appear, everyone has not -the nerve to fall down in time, in case a sudden obstacle appears in -front of him, or, which is perhaps worse, a sudden absence of anything -at all, in the guise of a precipice. But a man who can, with the ease of -habit, make a stemming-turn or, better still, both of the other turns, -can stop when he chooses. To attain such moderate skill is not at all a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_158" id="page_158">{158}</a></span> -difficult matter, but without it, only a lunatic would join any long -expedition. If he is incapable of climbing slopes except with an -infinite degree of slipping and stumbling, he is a nuisance to his -companions; while if in the descents he is incapable of any turn, he -may, if he has the nerve to fall down promptly, be only a worse -nuisance; but if he has not, he may become a source of much danger to -himself.</p> - -<p>Further, however expert a skier he may eventually become, he should -never dream of making an expedition alone, unless he is always close to -some well-frequented track or road, or unless he is certain that other -skiers will pass that way before nightfall. For the best skiers in the -world are not exempt from falling, and it is always possible that a fall -may result in a very severe sprain, such as will make it impossible for -the injured man to go on, or in a broken bone. It is quite true that -such injuries are rare, but no consolation will be found in the rarity -of your injury if you find yourself on a high and unfrequented snowfield -towards evening in an incapacitated condition. For nobody has skill -enough to eliminate this danger from his own case, just as no climber -will go alone, if he has a grain of sense in his head, on places where -there is any reasonable prospect of his slipping. He makes his party, -whether with guides or without, takes a rope, and puts it on when a slip -might lead to severe injury or worse. It is only the ignorant who take -unreasonable risks, or the foolhardy. It is the same case with the -skier. But with him any steep slope may result in a tumble, and any -tumble may result in an incapacity to move. Therefore, without any -exception, a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_159" id="page_159">{159}</a></span> skier, however skilful, should never go alone on any -expedition that takes him away from frequented paths. Nor, on such an -expedition, should unfrequented places be left behind until all the -members of the party have negotiated them. And in such it is the -unskilful straggler who falls continually, and having fallen does not -know how to get up, and has to ride his stick and go slow over all steep -places, who is so unmitigated a nuisance to his companions.</p> - -<p>A word more of warning. Clothing is a most important item in the skier’s -equipment. He perhaps will start from his hotel in a blaze of sun, and -knowing there is a long ascent in front of him will adopt an investiture -which is altogether unsuitable for that which lies before him, -forgetting that though he will certainly get extremely warm during the -course of the day, he may also run the risk of frost-bite. He may -perhaps be no worse than the man who clothes himself scantily for -reasons of the hot upward ascent, and remembering that close-fitting -thick garments are productive of extraordinary warmth, will proceed to -put on thick woollen stockings, which make the donning of his boots over -them a matter of some difficulty. “Thick leather, thick stockings,” says -he to himself, “now I <i>can’t</i> be cold.” But he could not have adopted a -worse procedure, for it is just through this thick, closely-fitting -clothing that frost-bite penetrates. Outside, on the boot, is a frozen -spray of snow, inside is the moisture of the foot asking, positively -demanding, to be frozen also. The tightness of the boot and stocking -further impedes the surface-circulation, and a frost-bitten foot is very -likely the response to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_160" id="page_160">{160}</a></span> this well-meant protection of it. Instead, the -boot should be so large that it can easily accommodate two layers of -woollen stuff loosely. Then the natural heat of the body, unchilled by -surface pressure, is diffused through these woollen coverings, and -makes, instead of a layer of icy moisture, a temperate atmosphere round -itself. Similarly with the hands: loose gloves, instead of thick tight -ones, should be worn, and the finger-receptacles should be made all in -one piece, as is the fashion with babies. Then they warm and comfort -each other, instead of being each enclosed in a solitary prison.</p> - -<p>In other respects the clothing should be that of the mountain climber, -warm but as little heavy as possible. For the lower part of the legs -putties are admirable, for it is necessary to protect the chinks between -boot and stocking: otherwise snow collects there and forms into icy -deposits. Coat and knickerbockers should be made of smooth and -wind-proof material, and such a garment as a sweater should not be worn -as an outer covering, for the roughness of it causes the snow to cling -to it. The coat should be capable of being buttoned closely round the -neck, so that in tumbles the snow does not get inside it, and for the -same reason long gloves covering the opening of the sleeves are useful. -A woollen cap, of the type known as “crusader,” which can be brought -over the ears and neck when encountering cold winds, and be rolled up, -when so desired, is as good a head-covering as can be devised. Snow -spectacles of smoked glass, to shield the eyes from the intense glare, -should always be carried, and put on before (not after) the eyes begin -to smart and water from the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_161" id="page_161">{161}</a></span> dazzle of whiteness. Otherwise it is easy -to get a touch of snow-blindness.</p> - -<p>Now, when the snow is soft and inclined to thaw, it has an odious habit -of balling on the sole of the ski, so that you walk uphill clogged with -a great lump of snow dependent from each foot, which makes it heavy to -lift, and at the same time makes lifting necessary, since it is -impossible to slide forward on it. But since it is equally impossible to -slip back, the beginner will find a certain consolation if the snow -balls slightly on his ascent, for he will climb severe slopes -laboriously indeed, but without slipping. But no consolation rewards him -when he begins his descent. In vain he encourages his skis to slide, for -the loose mass of soft snow sticking to them effectually prevents their -doing anything of the kind, and unless he has come prepared for such a -contingency he will assuredly have to stamp along all the way home. But -balling can be largely avoided by waxing the bottom of the skis, -preferably before he starts. This wax can be obtained anywhere in tubes, -and when rubbed on to the skis prevents the snow from sticking to them, -and you will see a man whose skis have been well waxed running swiftly -and easily over snow that would entirely prevent his moving if this had -not been done.</p> - -<p>On the other hand, the snow on an ascent may, instead of being soft and -balling, be hard and icy, so that it is a difficult matter even for the -expert to prevent back-slipping. To discourage this tendency he -sometimes will tie a cord to the toes of his skis and pass it several -times round them, fastening it to the bindings. Others tie strips of -seal-skin to them, which also counteracts the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_162" id="page_162">{162}</a></span> tendency to slip. These, -of course, are removed when the ascent is over.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Jumping</span></h3> - -<p>Of all spectacular feats compassable upon frozen snow surfaces, -ski-jumping is, to the minds of most people, the most amazing, and -compared with it all performances on ice-rinks and toboggan-runs seem to -the spectator almost tame. Not having the smallest or most elementary -practical experience of it (I should freeze with terror if told that I -had to go over even a very mild ski-jump, and probably be found hiding -in the station waiting-room to take the next train home), I can but give -an impression of it as it strikes the observer.</p> - -<p>The glad word is passed round the hotel one evening that some famous -ski-jumper has arrived and will give an exhibition next day; and next -day, accordingly, you trudge out on to the slope where the jump has been -erected. This is a long steep hillside, and the platform for the jump -has been put up some hundred yards from the top of it. It is a champion -jumper who has arrived, and the apparatus is on the big scale. Out from -the slope of the hill is this platform, built in the manner of a dormer -window in a house-roof or a header-board above a pool. It is made of -wooden planks supported on posts, and covered with a layer of -down-trodden snow. It is some 5 yards or so in length, 5 or 6 feet -broad, and the edge of it is some 6 feet perpendicularly above the slope -at its base. At the corners of it, to guide the jumper who approaches -it, are<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_163" id="page_163">{163}</a></span> boughs of fir stuck into the snow, or flags. Above it the slope -is of moderate steepness, sufficient, anyhow, for a skier to get up a -considerable speed when running straight down towards it from above; -below the hillside is considerably steeper, and continues at a steep -angle for two or three hundred yards. Both above and below the platform -the snow is being industriously trodden down by those engaged on the -preparations, so as to make a smooth firm run for the jumper before he -gets to his platform, and a smooth firm landing-place after his flight -through the air. The reason of this is that it is absolutely essential -that the jumper should have no check when he touches ground again after -his flight: if he landed in soft or deep snow he would quite certainly -have a bad fall. But with hard smooth snow to land on there is no such -check, and on landing he continues his course at high speed straight -down the hill. It is also extremely important for him to land on a steep -slope; for if the slope was but gentle, the shock of coming in contact -with it from such a height would clearly be extremely severe, and broken -bones would undoubtedly result. But the steep slope lends itself to the -pace he is going and the height from which he comes, and, as it were, -continues his flight on the ground. Also, the steeper the slope is, the -longer obviously will the jump be, as measured from the platform to the -point where he first lands.</p> - -<p>A good place to see the jumping from is to the side of the track down -which the jumper will come and a little way below the platform: here let -us suppose ourselves standing. On each side of the course stretch out -lines of spectators, and a hundred yards<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_164" id="page_164">{164}</a></span> above the jumper is standing -talking to friends and seeming positively to enjoy what lies in front of -him. Then the word is given, and, steadying himself on his two sticks he -points his skis straight down towards the jump. He shoves off with his -sticks, leaving them standing in the snow (for no jumper uses sticks -when he jumps, which would be highly dangerous), and at swiftly -accelerating speed glides down the slope. As he approaches the -jumping-platform he crouches low, and just as he traverses it he springs -upwards and forwards into the air. High above your head, a veritable -flying man, he soars, with all the impetus that his run and his spring -have given him. For a hundred feet or more he continues this amazing -flight in a superb curve, and you wait breathless, scarcely able to -believe that when he touches the ground again at that pace and from that -height there will be anything but a heap of broken bones there. But he -alights without shock or the least appearance of unsteadiness, and -simultaneously, it appears, he is already another hundred feet down the -slope, going like an arrow. Then comes perhaps the most astounding feat -of all: he suddenly kneels, and in a moment has swung round with a -Telemark, and has come to rest, facing up the hillside over which he has -flown and skimmed. And then this extraordinary young man (he is usually -rather young) will climb his slope again and instantly repeat the -process, in evident enjoyment, or, more remarkable yet, he will get hold -of another like himself, and they will take their jump hand-in-hand, let -go of each other on landing, and Telemark, one to the right the other to -the left!</p> - -<p>This jumping is certainly ski-ing <i>in excelsis</i>, and jumpers tell</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/img-164_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-164_sml.jpg" class="brdrgreen" width="434" height="550" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE JUMP</p> - -<p><i>From the Drawing by Fleming Williams</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_165" id="page_165">{165}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">us that if the beginner starts with small jumps, and is careful to do -everything correctly and in the proper style from the beginning, he will -not find it either a difficult or dangerous pursuit. But he must be -careful to make his movements (his crouch, his spring, his angle in the -air, the levelness of his skis as he alights, &c.) with accuracy and -correct timing; while it is not less important that the jump itself -should be properly constructed and the slopes that lead to and from it -be of suitable steepness. Indeed, what appears to the ignorant onlooker -the most hazardous part of the whole affair, namely, the landing on a -very steep slope, is safe only if the slope is steep, and the real -obstacle that lies in the way of most men taking up jumping as a sport, -is not that it is dangerous so much as that their nerves tell them that -it must be, and refuse to make the crouch and spring (the <i>säts</i>, as the -Norwegians call it) with vigour and confidence, even if they can master -their nerves so far as to let themselves run down on to the platform at -all. But having once reached the platform, the spring must be made: -otherwise the would-be jumper will merely flow stickily, so to speak, -over the edge, bury the toes of his skis in the snow, and certainly have -a bad fall. But, indeed, the nerves must be in good condition, for the -platform, approaching it from above, looks exactly like a cliff’s edge, -and, jutting out as it does from the slope, it entirely conceals the -slope below it: your eye tells you that you are merely leaping over the -end of all things. But if, after considering the question, you decide, -as most people do, that you will not begin jumping this season, you have -only to repeat that prudent resolution for a few more seasons, and then -you will<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_166" id="page_166">{166}</a></span> be able to tell yourself and everybody else that it is no use -trying to learn to jump unless you begin it quite as a boy. This does -not really happen to be the case; but it is one of those excuses that -are always granted acceptance, and, having firmly established it in your -own mind, your nipped ambition will cease to worry you any more.</p> - -<p>A further delightful pastime to be indulged in on skis is that known as -ski-joring. For this it is necessary to secure the co-operation of a -horse, and fit him with long reins or ropes, which you hold one in each -hand, and stand behind the horse out of the way of his heels. He is -lightly harnessed, and from his collar passes a long leather loop of -rein, which passes round the ski-jorer’s body. You then encourage your -horse to proceed, and if he is good enough to do so, he will naturally -pull you along on your skis by this loop of rein from his collar. It is -a fascinating pursuit to watch, and can be practised over a frozen lake -or along the down-trodden snow of roads. Especially in the Engadine you -will hear the sound of bells, and observe a horse trotting or cantering -briskly on the road, followed at a yard or two distance by an upright -figure that glides along after him, a charioteer with only his skis as -chariot. But though it is concerned with skis, it is not exactly -concerned with ski-ing, which enters into it, as an art, less than does -the knowledge of horses and the use of reins.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/img-166_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-166_sml.jpg" class="brdrgreen" width="405" height="550" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>SKI-JORING</p> - -<p><i>From the Drawing by Fleming Williams</i></p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXXIV" id="plt_XXXIV"></a> -<a href="images/img-166-34_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-166-34_sml.jpg" width="550" height="435" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXXIV</p> - -<p>AT ST. MORITZ</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXXV" id="plt_XXXV"></a> -<a href="images/img-166-35_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-166-35_sml.jpg" width="550" height="355" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXXV</p> - -<p>PRACTICE SLOPES, MONTANA, SWITZERLAND</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXXVI" id="plt_XXXVI"></a> -<a href="images/img-166-36_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-166-36_sml.jpg" width="550" height="386" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXXVI</p> - -<p>A SLIGHT MISHAP</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXXVII" id="plt_XXXVII"></a> -<a href="images/img-166-37_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-166-37_sml.jpg" width="550" height="395" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXXVII</p> - -<p>SKI-JUMPING</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXXVIII" id="plt_XXXVIII"></a> -<a href="images/img-166-38_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-166-38_sml.jpg" width="550" height="379" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXXVIII</p> - -<p>SKI-JUMPING, MONTANA, SWITZERLAND</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XXXIX" id="plt_XXXIX"></a> -<a href="images/img-166-39_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-166-39_sml.jpg" width="550" height="390" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XXXIX</p> - -<p>VETERANS OF THE ST. MORITZ SKI CLUB</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_167" id="page_167">{167}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII<br /><br /> -<small>NOTES ON WINTER RESORTS</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Of</span> late years the number of the English and other nations who annually -go to spend a portion at any rate of the winter at some High Alpine -resort has enormously increased, and in consequence every year fresh -hotels are opened in valleys which hitherto have hybernated like dormice -beneath their snow-laden roofs, during the months of short days. But it -is by no means every high-perched hotel that is suitable as a centre for -winter sports, for there are several conditions to be considered. In the -first place, such a spot must be sufficiently high up to make it -probable that there will be fairly continuous frosts there throughout -the winter, and this again depends not only on height but also on -aspect. As regards height you cannot reasonably depend on getting this -continuity of frost (allowing for reasonable breaks) under the height of -round about 4000 feet, especially if the place in question is to enjoy -long hours of sun. True, an exceptionally severe winter may come, and -the strictness of the binding of the frost may hold, week after week, at -a much lower altitude, but it is natural that the holiday-maker, who has -only a week or two abroad and wants during all his hours of daylight to -be employed in sliding movements, should wish to be fairly safe to find -the conditions suitable, and he has, obviously, a better chance of -finding them<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_168" id="page_168">{168}</a></span> if he goes high. But there are several places considerably -below this 4000-foot level, such as Grindelwald, which lies in a very -cold valley, where he may in an average year find himself unhampered and -rendered idle by thaws, and it is wonderful how continuous frost is at -Grindelwald. But there both skating-rink and curling-rink are, all day -long at midwinter, entirely in the shade, for the sun does not rise high -enough at noon to look over the great barrier of rock that lies to the -south of it. That protection, of course, preserves for the place its -excellent ice, whereas if, as at other winter resorts, it basked in the -sun all day, the rink would speedily be metamorphosed into a degraded -glue with discouraging pools interspersed. But if you go to greater -heights, you can combine the pleasures of skating with those of sitting -in the sun, and that to this writer is a remarkably charming -combination. But in order to enjoy that you must have greater height -than is possessed by Grindelwald, and a place like Montana, where the -sun is on the rink by nine in the morning, and continues to beat down on -it till somewhere about five in the afternoon, would see its ice and -snow disappear into slush and torrents of water were it not perched -nearly 5000 feet above sea-level. St. Moritz and Mürren are throned -higher yet, and it has to be a very warm winter indeed which will cause -a general thaw at such places. And there is nothing more irritating than -to have gone to some comparatively low place and find that day after day -goes by in melting mood, and at the same time to know that a thousand -feet higher up ideal conditions are being experienced.</p> - -<p>The skier naturally is less dependent on the altitude of his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_169" id="page_169">{169}</a></span> village, -provided that there are high hills abounding in suitable slopes round -him. It is part of the essence of his sport that he climbs for it, -whereas skaters and curlers demand their playgrounds at the door and no -climbing at all. Thus the high valley leading across from Montreux in -the Rhone valley to Spiez by the Lake of Thun is, though its highest -villages and hotels are below 4000 feet, ideal for the skier, since it -has on each side of it lofty hills which are rich in good slopes. But -for the others, skaters, curlers, and tobogganers alike, it is important -that the frost should hold in the immediate vicinity of their hotels. -They do not seek their various joys on the tops of neighbouring -mountains.</p> - -<p>Now this question of sun is, of course, a personal one, and the -popularity of Grindelwald shows that there are multitudes of folk who do -not mind skating and curling in the shade. For them, then, that is all -right, but if you happen to like skating and curling in a blaze of sun, -you will be wise to go somewhere not below the 4000-foot level. Even -there, of course, you cannot be safe against thaws, and the deplorable -series of days known as the winter of 1911-1912, when thaw succeeded -thaw at almost all Swiss resorts, taught us all that the malice of -climate is infinite and incalculable, and the summer of 1912, here in -England, where the general temperature was about the same as that of the -previous winter in Switzerland, repeated the same lesson. But in the -average year winter places over 4000 feet in height can be trusted to -let the visitor enjoy sunshine and hard frost together.</p> - -<p>A second consideration is wind. It would be no use at all to spend the -winter on a mountain-top: what is necessary<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_170" id="page_170">{170}</a></span> is a high sheltered valley, -like that of Davos or St. Moritz, or a high sheltered shelf on the -mountain-side, like Villars or Mürren. To be able to skate at all, it is -necessary that the day should be practically windless, and quite a -gentle breeze spoils it altogether. Moreover, even gentle breezes are -currents of moving air above or below freezing-point. If they are above -freezing-point they spell ruin, for they melt both snow and ice with -amazing swiftness; if they are below freezing-point they feel quite -intolerably cold. Therefore, all winter places should be screened from -the wind on the north and east, so that, if such airs are astir, they -pass over the valley in which you are, and their icy blasts are unfelt. -It does not matter so much whether the valley is screened from southerly -winds, for this blowing of a southerly wind means in itself that warm -currents of air are coming up from the Mediterranean, and as long as -that lasts there must be more or less of a thaw, and a screen to the -south almost necessarily implies a cutting off of the sun. This -southerly wind, so justly abhorred by all altitudinists, is generally -known as the <i>föhn</i> wind. Philologists may try to interest us in it by -telling us that the word is derived from the Latin <i>favonius</i>, or south -wind, but when the <i>föhn</i> blows you are not the least consoled by -knowing its derivation: you only wish it had another destination. It -brings clouds, mists, sleet, and even rain, all undesirable aliens, into -our sunny valleys.</p> - -<p>So much, then, for the two main conditions—sun (for those who like it) -and absence of wind for everybody. And the next prime essential is a -good rink, for out of every hundred people who<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_171" id="page_171">{171}</a></span> come out in the winter, -it is safe to say that at least eighty either skate or curl. And not -only is a good skating-rink necessary, but good skaters also, for the -encouragement and instruction of the learner, and, we may add, the -mutual admiration of each other. But it is extraordinary how a good rink -seems to breed skaters: sooner or later (usually sooner) good skaters -are attracted to it, like flies to honey, though we hope they do not -stick in it, and other mere beginners rapidly develop into sound -performers. The Davos rink developed skaters thus, and more recently the -immense rink at Villars has brought to birth a whole fresh school of -English skating. The writer is tempted to be anecdotal. Not more than -six or seven years ago he first went there and found that the only -skating-rink was one flooded lawn-tennis court. On it the most -accomplished skater in the place was instructing and demonstrating to -two pupils. She was showing them the change of edge, and as, perhaps a -little falteringly, she passed from one edge to the other she -proclaimed: “The change from the outside edge to the inside is possible, -but the change from the inside to the outside is impossible.” Indeed -that would save an infinity of trouble to many of us, if we thought it -was strictly true. But Villars made up its mind otherwise, and nowadays -the great rink, which would hold hundreds of lawn-tennis courts, holds -hundreds of skaters also who demonstrate the falsity of that sublime -pronouncement.</p> - -<p>Now ice varies enormously, not only in smoothness or roughness of -surface, but in texture and in hardness, and without doubt the -pleasantest and at the same time the easiest ice to skate on<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_172" id="page_172">{172}</a></span> is that -which has been frozen at temperatures not unreasonably low. Should the -thermometer have stood all night at zero or below, the ice made under -that benumbing influence will be both very hard and rather brittle; -whereas if the rink had basked in a mellow moonlight of say 10 or 15 -degrees of frost, the ice, though perfectly solid and dry, will be far -kinder to the skate blade and lend itself more amenably to the edges. -Indeed, after a very cold night, the ice is absolutely unskateable on -until the sun has relaxed its adamantine rigidity; the edges of the -skate will not bite. This appears to be due to the amazing fact, not -generally known, that the skate actually moves over a thin layer of -water, which its passage, its weight and friction causes to be -momentarily produced. This transient, minute and local thaw (which -instantaneously ceases in the wake of the skate) does not take place -when the temperature is abnormally cold, and, in consequence, the skate, -instead of travelling smoothly and firmly, cannot be prevented from -skidding on the marble-like and uncuttable surface, and even when the -sun has to some extent mitigated this hardness, the ice tends to be -brittle and unkind. Thus, since in very high places there are recorded a -large number of very low temperatures, the skater will probably find -pleasanter ice at lower altitudes. Much, of course, depends on the -making of it, and the whole question perhaps may be regarded as -trifling, but in the writer’s opinion the resorts at which, as a rule, -very low temperatures do not occur, yield the greatest abundance of -jolly ice. On the other hand, the higher the place, the greater is the -probability of immunity from thaws.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_173" id="page_173">{173}</a></span></p> - -<p>So much, then, for the more technical considerations. But however -absorbed we may be in our inwicks, our Telemarks, our brackets, there -are still moments when we happen to look up and regard and appreciate -our surroundings. In fact, though we do not go out to Switzerland -primarily for the sake of the view, the natural beauty of the places we -go to make, even to the sternest and most determined athlete, a certain -appeal. And though every place alike has the witchery and magic with -which the radiant frost clothes peak and mountain-side, there are four -places, three of which are set on high shelves on the mountain-side -facing south, which, to my mind, altogether outshine the rest, and these -are Mürren, Montana, Grindelwald and Villars. Of Mürren mention has -already been made in the first chapter of this book, but those who have -seen it only in summer have no idea of the incomparable majesty of the -huge outspread panorama of the Oberland when the winter suns shine on -the winter snows. Nowhere else in all Switzerland is there to be had so -near and unimpeded a view of so great a stretch of big mountains. Eiger -and Monch and Jungfrau and Silberhorn, and the amazing precipice of the -Ebnefluh are all spread out immediately in front, with only the narrow -valley of Lauterbrunnen interposed between you and them. Their size and -nobility of form when thus seen close at hand is almost overwhelming: -almost you join in the worship of the mountains and hills that so -visibly are praising the Lord.</p> - -<p>Utterly different, yet in its way no less sublime, is the immense -panorama of big peaks as seen from Montana. Here again<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_174" id="page_174">{174}</a></span> (though perhaps, -strictly speaking, you are in the Rhone valley) there is no impression -of being in a valley at all, so lofty is the shelf on which Montana -stands, so swiftly the ground plunges into the Rhone valley proper -below. But this is no narrow cleft as at Mürren, and the hills that -climb out of it on the further or southern side are miles away. But what -a row of glistening giants is piled up on those hills. The kings and -captains of all the Zermatt ranges soar skywards against the incredible -blue, Weisshorn, Roth-horn, Dent Blanche, Gabelhorn, Matterhorn are -standing in their immemorial stations, and in the west Mont Blanc, with -its guard of arrow-headed aiguilles, looks down over France and -Switzerland. Nowhere else, unless you climb the inhospitable peaks -themselves, shall you enjoy so immense a range of vision that contains -so many giants of the mountain world.</p> - -<p>Utterly different again is the quality of the view at Grindelwald. -Unlike these other eyries Grindelwald is tucked away at the head of a -valley, and immediately above it rise the appalling presences of the -mountains. High and menacing above it climb the sheer walls of the -Eiger, not those sunny crags that face towards Mürren, but the black and -sunless precipices of the north and east. Further away are spread the -snows of the Wetterhorn, and the precipice to the north of it, over -which the wicked avalanches pour and thunder; while over the ridge just -to the south of the hotels the Finster-Aarhorn points its single -pinnacle to the sky. But there, long after the sun has set to the -valley, Wetterhorn burns in rosy flame, and the Finster-Aarhorn is -incandescent above the black night-beleaguered slopes. But splendid as -are<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_175" id="page_175">{175}</a></span> these overhanging walls of rock, there is something to my mind of -imminence and threat about them. They are crushing.</p> - -<p>Villars, again, in the Rhone valley, is neither of the type of Mürren -nor Grindelwald: it is of the Montana class, though with less austerity. -It lies among pine woods and gentle slopes, and its high southern-facing -shelf has a wonderful charm and amenity. Below it the hillside tumbles -swiftly away into the Rhone valley, and opposite is spread an entrancing -panorama. The Dent du Midi, one of the most distinguished of -mountain-forms, dominates the nearer distance; behind, much closer than -at Montana, rise the prodigious aiguilles of Mont Blanc. If you walk but -for ten minutes either up or down from Villars towards the east, a gap -opens out, and you shall see the most part of the Chamounix range, and -the vast dome of Mont Blanc itself. Magical are the wonders of cloudland -spread out before you in the Rhone valley below. Sometimes an ocean of -cloud, solid as if made of grey marble, and to all appearance as level -as the sea, is spread from the promontories a little below where Villars -stands straight across to the hills on the far side of the valley. It -seems as if some cloud-boat would put out from behind a cape opposite -and glide across this grey sea. Or again, the valley will be full of -cloud in form of breaking waves, and tossing crests throw themselves -against the hillsides and are shattered into wreaths of cloud-spray. No -boat could live in so turbulent a water. Then, as the sun declines to -its setting, rosy beams of fire pierce this wonderful sea, and it is -shot with flame, and lit from within by a glow that baffles all -language. On another day and for many days together not<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_176" id="page_176">{176}</a></span> a speck of mist -or shred of cloud hangs above the valley, and it is mapped out at your -feet 2000 feet down and half a dozen miles away with the clearness of -etching. And sometimes, I am sorry to say, when the weather is behaving -morosely, the cloud comes up from the valley and envelops Villars -itself. Then we take our skis or toboggan and flee up the hillsides -through the pine-woods, all encrusted with the miracle of hoar-frost, -into the unobscured sunshine that lies like a benediction on the heights -of the dazzling Chamossaire.</p> - -<p>Switzerland, as regards its winter resorts, may be broadly divided into -districts, such as the Engadine, the Oberland, the Rhone valley, and the -strip of country between Montreux on the Lake of Geneva, and Spiez on -the Lake of Thun, and pride of place must certainly be given to the -Engadine and Davos, which are the cradle of winter sports. And the -following are (at present) the chief hill-stations, with the sports for -which they are famous.</p> - -<p>(i) <i>St. Moritz.</i>—This is the highest and probably the most populous of -winter resorts. It is situated 6090 feet above sea-level, and is eminent -for its rinks and toboggan-runs; namely, the Cresta or ice-run, spoken -of already at length, the bob-run, and the village-run for luges. Rinks -both for skating and curling are numerous, and below the town lies the -St. Moritz lake, and further off towards the Maloja pass the Sils lake. -The bandy-rink is one of the largest rinks in Switzerland; bandy is -played here every day, and numerous skating contests are held. Owing to -its height, the winter weather, as a rule, lasts here till well into<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_177" id="page_177">{177}</a></span> -March: indeed it is not till March that the big events happen on the -Cresta.</p> - -<p>Round about St. Moritz are other smaller winter resorts: Celerina, with -a fine skating-rink, lies a little below the end of the Cresta run, and -further down, towards Chur, is Samaden. In the other directions, towards -the Maloja pass down into Italy, is Campfer, with rink and greater -length of sun than even at St. Moritz, from which it is distant about a -mile and a half. The ski-ing also is much better there than at that -place. St. Moritz and all these other smaller centres are fortunate in -the number of hours of sun that they enjoy: they are less fortunate in -the wind that rather frequently blows up from the Maloja pass, a chilly -and disconcerting current of air that not very infrequently starts to -blow shortly after mid-day. But there is probably no place in -Switzerland which enjoys a larger proportion of perfect winter days, and -in none are the rinks more carefully made and preserved. It was one of -the earliest places in which the pursuit of winter sport began to -develop, and from the earliest days the St. Moritz school of English -skating was renowned for the strictness of its requirements. Of late -years the International style has greatly developed there, owing -probably to the very large number of German visitors who annually go -there. But there is enough ice for everybody, since many of the hotels -have private skating-rinks of their own, and there is no reason why the -two schools should not flourish side by side. Just round about St. -Moritz itself there is not any very extraordinary display of Alpine -scenery, for the larger peaks are not visible therefrom. But there<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_178" id="page_178">{178}</a></span> are, -in addition to the winter sports already mentioned, innumerable -excursions to be made, and the lake-skating, when the chronology of -snow-fall and frost is propitious, is a tremendous though usually a -short-lived attraction. The journey from England can be luxuriously made -in the Engadine express, which reaches St. Moritz in the middle of the -day after which the voyager has left London.</p> - -<p>(ii) <i>Davos</i>, in an adjoining valley, is now closely linked up to St. -Moritz by train, so that it is accessible from it without a long detour -by rail, or by crossing on sleighs the Fluela pass. It is rather over -5100 feet above sea-level, and, as already recorded, was probably the -earliest place at which an attempt was made, by Mr. John Addington -Symonds and a few friends, to construct an artificial ice-rink. This -they did by industriously working the handle of a pump which stood in a -meadow. Davos was originally known to the world as a resort for -consumptives and the place where the open-air treatment was first -scientifically adopted. There are to-day many sanatoriums for patients -there, and readers of this essay may have heard of a false and wicked -report that in consequence the whole native population is now riddled -with consumption, and that there is a certain risk in staying there. No -more absurdly malicious and unfounded statement could be made, and there -is probably far more risk of catching consumption by walking down a -London street than in staying at Davos. For since the dry cold of this -wonderful valley is fatal to the bacillus, it is hard to see how it -could be supposed to spread! In addition, to ensure a double security, -the most<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_179" id="page_179">{179}</a></span> stringent regulations are enforced and every requirement of -hygiene insisted on. Visitors, therefore, can go to Davos with precisely -the same security as to any other place.</p> - -<p>Davos is excellent alike for its rinks, its ski-ing slopes, and its -toboggan-runs. Of the latter there is the excellent Klosters road for -luges and skeletons, which leads from the hills above Davos down to the -village of Klosters, where tobogganists find a train neatly drawn up -close to the end of their run, in which they can return to Davos, if -they will, or to Wolfgang again to make another descent. For this is no -affair of a few hundred yards: the course is several miles in length. -Lately a first-rate bob-run has been constructed from the Schatz-alp -down into Davos: this is served by an electric railway for the ascent. -Just below Davos, on the level land at the basin of the valley, lie the -skating-rinks, three in number, an enormous public rink, the rink -constructed by the English for purposes of English skating, and the -curling-rink. Here all manner of important competitions are held: -European championships in the International style, speed skating -competitions round the circumference of the large rink, and for English -skaters the annual Davos bowl. Indeed, Davos has had more to do with the -formation of the modern school of English skating, especially in the -matter of combined figures, executed large and fast, than any other -place, and there is scarcely a single skater of any eminence in this -style who has not “studied,” so to speak, at Davos. Usually the ice is -of very good quality, but a better surface would probably be more often -attained if the management would resort to sprinkling more, instead of -letting a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_180" id="page_180">{180}</a></span> flood make ice for several days’ use. Above the town is a -lake of considerable extent, on which occasional skating can be had. But -a commoner phenomenon than the skater on that lake are the horse-drawn -sledges which are loaded with solid blocks of ice sawn out of the frozen -surface and taken away to make puddings with instead of figures on. The -valley is gloriously free from wind, and extraordinarily healthy with -its very dry cold air and abundance of sun.</p> - -<p>(iii) Between Chur and St. Moritz lies a high upland valley some 4800 -feet above sea-level, and reached from Chur by a drive of some twelve -miles, which, however, include 3000 feet of ascent. Here is situated -Lenzenheide, one of the new winter resorts opened by the Public Schools -Winter Sports Club, which is responsible for so much of the increased -sporting population of Switzerland in winter, and has developed many -fresh and suitable centres. There is a good skating-rink, curling-rink, -a toboggan-run, and unlimited expeditions for skiers on country -admirably adapted for the sport. Like Davos, it lies in a very sheltered -valley, and is singularly free from wind. It is a four and a half hours’ -sleigh-drive to Chur, while St. Moritz is two hours distant.</p> - -<h3><i>Oberland District</i></h3> - -<p>(i) First among the Oberland resorts, by virtue of its age and -established attractions, must be mentioned Grindelwald. It is one of the -lower winter centres, but, as has already been mentioned, the limitation -is largely discounted from the point of view of skaters and curlers, -because the rinks during<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_181" id="page_181">{181}</a></span> the months of mid-winter lie practically -entirely in the shade, and thus preserve their solidity. And if Davos -and St. Moritz must be called the cradle of English skating, Grindelwald -has no less earned the title of cradle of scientific ice-making. For -years the Boss family, who own the Bear Hotel, have studied this -intricate and delicate question, and their methods are beyond doubt -productive of the best possible ice. Grindelwald, it is true, is not -liable to exceedingly low temperatures, and thus the ice does not often -become of that very hard and brittle quality which results therefrom; -but, though the Bosses have not had to contrive how to deal with these -unpleasant conditions, they must be considered the parents of the school -of scientific ice-production. Originally Grindelwald was exclusively of -the English school of skating, but it has now passed into International -tutelage. Indeed there was hardly room for two schools; for excellent as -is the quality of the ice, it is certainly defective in area, and the -rinks should be increased in size or number, for even the Bear rink, -which is the largest there, is but of very moderate extent, and cannot -hold many skaters in comfort. There are curling-rinks of the same -superlative quality of ice, good road toboggan-runs, both for luges and -the bob-sleigh, while in every direction almost (except that of the -Eiger precipice) there are admirable ski-ing runs. It is situated 3450 -feet above sea-level, and is reached by a light railway from Interlaken.</p> - -<p>(ii) But if instead of taking that portion of the train from Interlaken -that branches off to the left up to Grindelwald, the voyager disposes -himself otherwise, he will be carried straight up<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_182" id="page_182">{182}</a></span> the Lauterbrunnen -valley, until he arrives at that village. On the right the incredible -funicular ascends to Mürren, while a cog-line, lying in loops and curves -up the hillside to the left, brings him to Wengen, which, like Mürren, -has lately been opened up as a winter resort by the Public Schools -Alpine Sports Club. It faces the Eiger, the Monch, and the northern and -precipitous face of the Jungfrau, and is admirably sheltered from the -north and east. It stands about 4500 feet above sea-level, basks for a -long day in the sun, and is excellently equipped in the way of rinks for -skating and curling. There are two rinks, one about 8000 square metres -in extent, the other half that size. Here, as at Grindelwald, the -International style “hath the pre-eminence.” The cog-railway by which -the village of Wengen is reached continues up the Wengern Alp, where are -excellent ski-ing slopes, and you can take a lift, instead of climbing, -up towards the Scheidegg, from which the skier can descend to -Grindelwald. Wengen was opened originally for the winter season in the -years 1909-1910, and has already grown enormously in popularity.</p> - -<p>(iii) Opposite Wengen (or rather a little further south) and on the -other side of the Lauterbrunnen valley, stands Mürren, at an altitude of -5500 feet, 1000 feet higher than Wengen. It has only been opened lately -as a Swiss winter resort, and is blest with many natural and artificial -excellences. A curling-rink adjoins the large skating-rink, and the ice, -made in the “Boss method,” is wonderfully good. Here the Continental and -English skaters may be seen side by side, and the two schools flourish, -as is reasonable, without the smallest friction. For the skier<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_183" id="page_183">{183}</a></span> there -are any amount of expeditions, and the very large extent and variety of -the northern slopes above Mürren, combined with its height, render it -safe even in bad winters from continued thaws: it owns also (for the -more daring) one of the best jumps in Switzerland. This year (1912) the -railway has been continued to the top of the Allmendhubel, from where a -bob-sleigh run will start, and will give skiers a lift to the upper -snows. The inter-university ice-hockey match has for the last three -years been played here. Apart from its excellent faculties for sport, it -is a place of unrivalled natural beauty ... but perhaps you have heard -enough about the view. It is excellently shielded from the northerly -winds, and its height, as in the case of Davos and St. Moritz, gives it -a reasonable chance of immunity from thaw.</p> - -<p>(iv) On the other and northern side of the Lake of Thun, and looking -across the lake and the Interlaken valley straight at the Monch and -Jungfrau (I am sorry to introduce this lady and gentleman again, but -they cannot help dominating Oberland resorts) stands Beatenberg. It lies -below the 4000-foot level, being only 3750 feet above sea-level, and in -a warm winter (like that of 1911-1912) has the penalties of its day-long -sun rigorously exacted from it. For the skier there are admirable runs -above it on the Amisbühl, and there are good skating and curling rinks, -and an artificial toboggan-run. But Beatenberg is distinctly a place to -be visited in <i>severe</i> weather, in which the conditions there are ideal. -But from its comparatively low altitude and its enormous abundance of -sun, it must necessarily be among the places that soonest feel a thaw. -It is an exceedingly picturesque village,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_184" id="page_184">{184}</a></span> and the lake below and the -Oberland beyond make a charming panorama. It is within an easy -sleigh-drive from Interlaken.</p> - -<p>Slightly away from the Oberland lie two other attractive -resorts—Kandersteg and Adelboden. Of these Adelboden is reached by a -short train transit from Spiez on the Lake of Thun, followed by a -sleigh-drive. It is essentially one of the high valley places, as -opposed to the high “shelf” villages like Mürren and Wengen, and has -admirable ski-ing expeditions to be made from it. The skating to be -obtained there is not of the best; it has not “caught on” as a skating -centre, and the rinks, when last the writer was there, were not up to -the mark of that which the skater who goes to Switzerland for the sake -of skating is entitled to expect. Skaters, for some reason, have not -been enticed there, and thus that inter-breeding of good skaters and -good rinks seems not to have taken place. But it lies in a high valley, -the altitude being about 4500 feet, and both tobogganing and bobbing are -catered for. Undoubtedly it is charming in situation, as all these -upland valleys are, but, apart from the ski-ing expeditions which can be -made from it, it does not boast any special attraction.</p> - -<p>Kandersteg is approached also from Spiez, and lies high on a valley base -leading to the Gemmi pass. It is lower than Adelboden, being only 3800 -feet above sea-level, but is capable of extreme frigidities, since it -lies in a northward sloping valley. But though it has been opened to -winter sports only six or seven years, it is already a sort of Mecca for -curling, and for the curler it is already a classical name. For the last -eight years there has been instituted an International Bonspiel for -curling, in which Scottish,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_185" id="page_185">{185}</a></span> English, Canadian, and Swiss teams have -taken part, and out of these eight annual events the contest has been -held four times at Kandersteg. Indeed the curler who has not been there, -excellent though his prowess may be, has got his Swiss St. Andrews to go -to, and there is probably no place that has had so many different -nationalities so often intent on winning a cup as Kandersteg. On the -first occasion of the institution of this bonspiel, twenty-eight rinks -were competing, and all curlers who have been there will acknowledge -“the atmosphere” that surrounds it. At the approach of the bonspiel a -holy hush dominates the valley. Curling is in the air, and the great -event obscures all other interests. A skater of the highest eminence -might make his appearance, a skier who could negotiate the most -incredible jumps, a tobogganer who could ride the Cresta backwards might -be announced, but all these masters of their craft would be looked on as -amiable aliens if the bonspiel was at all imminent. At such a time there -is no talk but of curling. The immediate ski-ing is not very good, but -there are excellent long excursions.</p> - -<p>This line from Spiez terminates at Zsweisimmen, and at Zsweisimmen -begins a light mountain railway which traverses the upland valley -southwards, and debouches at Montreux on the Lake of Geneva. This valley -itself is of an average height of between 3000 and 4000 feet, but on -either side of it are lines of hills of considerably greater altitudes, -which abound in admirable ski-ing slopes. Zsweisimmen, Saanan, and -Gstaad are all first-rate centres of the sport, and there is skating and -tobogganing, including bob-sleighing, to be had. But the <i>clou</i> of all -these<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_186" id="page_186">{186}</a></span> places is the ski-ing, which is excellent both in quantity and -quality.</p> - -<p>Further on towards Montreux stands Château d’Oex, an exceedingly -charming little place with a good skating-rink. It is not more than 3200 -feet above sea-level, and thus the visitor cannot expect the greater -security in the matter of frost that the higher places afford, but the -ice there is often excellent, and in an average cold winter his -enjoyment of it should be uninterrupted. After that the line passes -through Les Avants, which is about the same height as Château d’Oex. -Here there is a rink, and facilities for tobogganing and bobbing. -Finally, at the level of about 3600 feet, Caux, with its palace of a -hotel, overlooks the lake itself, much in the manner that Beatenberg -overlooks the Lake of Thun.</p> - -<p>We are now on the Lake of Geneva, at the upper end of which begins the -Rhone valley, which extends right away up to the Simplon pass and the -tunnel into Italy. Here are situated three winter resorts, opened and -controlled by the Public Schools Winter Sports Club, and a hill-station -called Leysin, which, however, in the main, is a place of out-door cure -and sun for invalids. These other winter-sport centres are Montana, -Villars, and Morgins.</p> - -<p>Of these Morgins lies on the south side of the Rhone, at a height of -4600 feet, and is in a well-sheltered basin. A light railway goes up -from Aigle to a small village called Trois Torrents, from which Morgins -is reached by a sleigh-drive. It is surrounded by excellent ski-ing -slopes, and there are good expeditions to be made. This year (1912-1913) -it has also started into ardent activity as a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_187" id="page_187">{187}</a></span> nucleus of skating in the -English style, and has a very fine rink of about 10,000 square metres. -Lying as it does on northern slopes (since it is on the south side of -the valley), it is far colder than places of corresponding height facing -south, and thus in the matter of the permanence of its ice and snow. At -mid-winter the hours of sun are rather short, about four.</p> - -<p>Opposite, on the north side of the Rhone, stands Villars, on a shelf of -the mountain-side rather than in a valley. It is reached by a -mountain-railway from Bex on the main line, and has an altitude of 4200 -feet. Climatically it is absolutely ideal in a decently cold winter, and -the big hills which shield it to the north and east afford several very -good ski-ing expeditions. It has not, however, from a skier’s point of -view, the limitless scope of Davos, and it is in the main as a centre of -English skating that it has become so popular and widely known. The rink -is in extent second only to the public rink at Davos, being about 17,000 -metres in extent, and is maintained on the principles of ice-making -which have come from Grindelwald. But at Villars the whole expanse of -the rink lies in the blaze of the sun, and, as at Davos, there is a -restaurant immediately adjoining. Of this big ice-surface a certain -part, of adequate size for practice and combined figures, is reserved -for those who have passed the National Skating Association’s Third Test, -or the lower of the two Villars tests. This, then, forms a club-rink for -English skating, which is the only school that at present exists at -Villars. There, rink and skating alike have quickly grown big from the -small beginnings of some seven years ago, and annually a large number of -good skaters spend a month<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_188" id="page_188">{188}</a></span> there. Elsewhere on the rink is a strip -reserved for curlers, who have also another small private rink. For -tobogganers there is provided both an artificial snow-run for the use of -luges, and for skeletons a very good ice-run, not, indeed, of the -arduousness of the Cresta, but fast and well banked. In addition -bob-sleighing can be had on the mountain-track up to La Bretaye, and -there are the usual suitable slopes for luges. The place has now been -open some eight years, and yearly the four big hotels are crowded with -visitors. Nor is this to be wondered at, for, apart from the excellence -of its provisions for all manner of winter sports, Villars, set in its -pine-woods and faced by the splendid open view across the valley, is -possessed of an extraordinary charm of situation and natural beauty.</p> - -<p>On a similar northern shelf of mountain, but higher up the Rhone valley, -and also higher up in the air, stands Montana. It is reached by an -amazing funicular from Sierre, and is 4900 feet above sea-level. Behind -and above it and around it stretch limitless ski-ing slopes, and there -are any amount of expeditions to be made from it. There are two good -rinks: one for curlers, another for skaters; and after a considerable -period of Laodicean apathy, Montana seems to have made up its mind to be -of the English school. But up till lately it had put its chief energies -into ski-ing and curling, and had not pursued skating in that tense and -scientific spirit which it deserves. There is a fairly good artificial -ice-run for toboggans, and another snow-run down valleywards, and plenty -of those quiet, hard-trodden paths down which the amateur tobogganer -likes to ramble. There are two<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_189" id="page_189">{189}</a></span> lakes which, when the snow has made an -agreeable arrangement with the frost, can be used for skating, and in -summer, when the sun has come to an understanding with the snow, a fine -golf-course is found to reveal itself. But all winter long the sun -blazes on Montana, while its altitude and the cold of its nights -preserves its frozen mantle. Of the view I have already spoken: there is -something to be said for a view in the intervals of falling-down, and in -the meditation and quiescence which such falls sometimes entail.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_190" id="page_190">{190}</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XL" id="plt_XL"></a> -<a href="images/img-190-40_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-190-40_sml.jpg" width="550" height="419" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XL</p> - -<p>A PRACTICE GROUND</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XLI" id="plt_XLI"></a> -<a href="images/img-190-41_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-190-41_sml.jpg" width="394" height="550" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XLI</p> - -<p>CROSSING THE ROAD ON THE CRESTA</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XLII" id="plt_XLII"></a> -<a href="images/img-190-42_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-190-42_sml.jpg" width="550" height="375" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XLII</p> - -<p>TOP OF KLOSTERS RUN, DAVOS</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XLIII" id="plt_XLIII"></a> -<a href="images/img-190-43_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-190-43_sml.jpg" width="550" height="368" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XLIII</p> - -<p>THE START, SCHATZ ALP RUN, DAVOS</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XLIV" id="plt_XLIV"></a> -<a href="images/img-190-44_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-190-44_sml.jpg" width="393" height="550" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XLIV</p> - -<p>BOBBING ON THE SCHATZ ALP RUN, DAVOS</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XLV" id="plt_XLV"></a> -<a href="images/img-190-45_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-190-45_sml.jpg" width="550" height="396" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XLV</p> - -<p>SKATING-RINK AT VILLARS</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XLVI" id="plt_XLVI"></a> -<a href="images/img-190-46_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-190-46_sml.jpg" width="550" height="377" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XLVI</p> - -<p>AT LA BRETAYE, VILLARS</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="plt_XLVII" id="plt_XLVII"></a> -<a href="images/img-190-47_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-190-47_sml.jpg" width="550" height="381" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p class="smcap">Plate XLVII</p> - -<p>“BLOW, BLOW, THOU WINTER WIND<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_191" id="page_191">{191}</a></span>”</p></div> -</div> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII<br /><br /> -<small>FOR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">I have</span> attempted in the foregoing pages to give some general account of -the out-door sports which are, as a rule, indulged in by altitudinists -in winter. But any picture of this enchanting Swiss life, however -slight, would be imperfect without some allusion to other entertainments -which take place between sunset and sunrise. As a matter of fact, there -are a good many such, and at most Swiss resorts there is in one hotel or -another a dance, or a fancy-dress ball, or a concert, or very often more -than one of these, practically nightly.</p> - -<p>Now this piece of information, which I have thus baldly set down (for I -do not believe in the gradual breaking of bad news), will, I am aware, -strike a species of terror into many middle-aged and austere breasts. -There are large quantities of folk who would sooner die than dance, and -who would feel themselves affronted if, at the end of an active day out -of doors, they were expected to sit in rows and be sung to or amused, or -even worse, were expected to sing or amuse. At the most, they think they -would desire merely to sit quietly and read or converse, or perhaps -occupy a morose corner in a card-room, and the thought of being kept -awake after they have retired to their early beds by the sound<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_192" id="page_192">{192}</a></span> of bands -or dancers would rouse them to a state of frenzied rage. As for dancing -themselves——</p> - -<p>Now, I hasten to add words of consolation for all sedate folk. There is -not the slightest need for them to be apprehensive, for they will find -their quiet corners and card-rooms provided for them, unraided by the -frivolous, and nobody wants them to dance and sing unless they feel -inclined to. They have an erroneous notion, from hearing enthusiastic -young friends on their return from Switzerland say that they had a dance -every night, often fancy-dress, except when there was an ice-carnival or -a concert, that they are expected to appear as Pierrots or Columbines, -or otherwise cover themselves with shame and glory by public -performances of some such kind, or, after dinner, sally forth again with -a false nose and tights and proceed to dash about the skating-rink among -squibs and fireworks. But there is no kind of reason why they should -harbour any such fears; they can be as quiet and sedentary as they like.</p> - -<p>But the probability is that they will not, when they have become -altitudinists, feel quite so sedentary as they do in, let us say, -Cromwell Road, after the day’s work in town. Without doubt there is -something slightly intoxicating to the mind, some sort of juvenile -effervescence in the air and the sun of these high places, which seems -to affect the steadiest head, and it is not uncommon to see sober -persons of middle-age capering about in a manner altogether surprising. -They get a sudden access of youth and high spirits, and make themselves -ridiculous (this would be their judgment on themselves while still in -Cromwell Road)<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_193" id="page_193">{193}</a></span> with immense enjoyment and <i>élan</i>. Probably in Cromwell -Road they would never dream, for instance, if there was a fall of snow, -of making a snow-man in the back-garden, even if the snow was not -covered with smuts, but out here if by chance a heavy fall renders rink -and toboggan-run impracticable for the moment, they are perfectly likely -(they will not believe me, but it is quite true) to build up a sumptuous -piece of statuary. Similarly, unaccustomed as they are to go out of -doors on a winter’s night after dinner, except to be taken in a taxi to -the theatre, it is quite probable that they will don coats and gouties -and see what is going on at this absurd ice-carnival, which they have -been told is to take place on the rink. And really it is almost worth -seeing, even if you take no part in it.</p> - -<p>A circle of light from hundreds of electric lamps, or a less potent but -more variously-coloured illumination from lines of Chinese lanterns, -surrounds the rink, so that in that blaze of light the great -frosty-burning stars are invisible in the vault overhead, and even the -full moon seems no more luminous than a circle of pale yellow paper. -These are reflected, wherever there is room for reflection, on the ice -they enclose, but there is not very much room for anything, as the whole -surface of the rink is covered with brilliant, gaily-dressed figures -gliding about in some interval of the dancing. Each carries a Chinese -lantern on a stick, and the whole place is an intricate pattern of -interweaving lights and colours. Then the band rings out again -(“ringing” is the only word that the least describes the sound of -violins and horns in this resonant frosty air), and instantly this sheet -of weaving light and figures<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_194" id="page_194">{194}</a></span> begins to be permeated by rhythm. Couple -by couple are swept into this rhythm, circling, oscillating with long -gliding steps, their lanterns making a series of luminous loops as they -swing to the measure of the dance. What was but a company of mysterious, -huge fire-flies, all darting about on separate businesses, is turned -into a rhythmical and living pattern of flame, controlled by the lilt -and measure of the band. Eye and ear alike are dazzled by this musical -and moving and illuminated rhythm. Faster grows the tune as it -approaches its end, faster is formed this living and luminous pattern. -Then it stops, and the pattern dissolves itself again into streaks of -darting lights; the dance of the uncontrolled fire-flies again. And it -is far from unlikely that the middle-aged and sedate will hurry back to -the hotel to get some skates and a lantern, and some sort of -preposterous headgear.</p> - -<p>Or, while still the fireworks and Bengal lights are unlit, you can walk -to the end of the rink, and, turning your back on its brightness, look -out over the lower valley below and the hills beyond. Away from the -glare of the festooned lights, your eye gets accustomed to the gloom, -and presently it ceases to be gloom at all. Ivory white shine the -untrodden snows beneath the full moon and the glory of innumerable -stars: far below, perhaps, a level sea of cloud extends like a marble -floor over the valley, and across it the aiguilles of Mont Blanc, and -nearer the summits of the Dent du Midi stand sparkling like crystals. -Then from behind you sounds the swish of an aspiring rocket, and across -the firmament streams a line of light. Slower and slower it mounts, then -from the end of it bursts a huge constellation of coloured</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/img-194_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/img-194_sml.jpg" class="brdrgreen" width="550" height="405" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE ICE CARNIVAL</p> - -<p><i>From the Drawing by Fleming Williams</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_195" id="page_195">{195}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">globes of flame. Then suddenly the whole hillside, the village, the -pine-trees, and the snow-slopes begin to shine with a red glow as if the -whole world was on fire. Then stars are quenched, the moon resigns -altogether, even the lights on and around the rink grow dim in the glow -that turns everything into molten fire. But it is only a Bengal light -behind the châlet. “Only” indeed! As if there was anything more magical -than these blood-red snows and red-hot pines beneath the cold of the -winter night! For it requires a hideously-sensible person to outlive the -joys of fireworks.</p> - -<p>Then after a while the lights are quenched and the band goes home, and -you walk back beneath the moon to your hotel. All that artificial fire -has not stained the white radiance of the guardians of the night. They -whirl steadfast and remote and sparkling, turning the snow to glistening -ivory and the shadows to ebony, as they “quire to the bright-eyed -seraphim.” And all night long (thoughts come strangely and incongruously -mixed in this intoxicating air) the patient and laborious ice-man will -be clearing up the rink, and sprinkling it through the dark hours, so -that to-morrow you shall have a virgin field for your quavering rockers.</p> - -<p>The most absorbed votary of quavering rockers must not mind an -occasional violation of his frozen sanctuary by day as well as by night, -for there are entertainments known as ice-gymkhanas that must from time -to time be permitted to those more frivolous than he. In other words, he -will come down to the rink on some fine morning with perhaps a new and -illuminating theory that shall<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_196" id="page_196">{196}</a></span> make all his difficulties with regard to -rockers vanish like breath on a frosty morning, to find his ice -desecrated by the presence of crowds in gouties, and shovels and -potatoes and sacks and barrels. Eager young people will put other eager -young people on the shovels and race against each other: they will pick -up a series of potatoes singly, and see who can deposit them most -speedily in a receptacle placed at the end of the line. They will have -obstacle-races and climb through barrels, or more probably stick in -them, they will perform every imaginable antic on a surface which -renders those antics most perilous, and they will assuredly shout with -laughter all the time, and cut up the ice in a manner that makes the -grim skater’s heart to bleed. But it really is all great fun, and if he -finds he cannot bear it he had better go for a walk until it is over. -The best plan of all, however, when such things are going on is to join -in them. The worst that can happen to you is that you are disqualified -for some profoundly unsatisfactory reason.</p> - -<p>But the main point for parents and guardians to remember is, that they -will feel quite different, when they are at a sufficient altitude on a -sunny day, from what they do when they are coming out of the twopenny -tube into a London fog. An exhilaration, approaching, as I have said, to -a sort of intoxication, will invade their stately limbs, and they will -feel inclined to do all kinds of things which their sober and city minds -tell them are silly and ridiculous. But then a sober and city mind, like -the tubercle bacillus, cannot live in this enchanted atmosphere. -Fortunately or unfortunately, it does not quite die, for it slowly -resumes its activity<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_197" id="page_197">{197}</a></span> when they have returned to Cromwell Road, and they -will find that it is probably quite unimpaired by this temporary -anæsthetic of the air at 4000 feet up in winter. They need not feel -afraid of becoming schoolboys permanently again, or of behaving like the -adorable Mr. Bultitude when his son had changed places with him in Mr. -Anstey’s <i>Vice-Versa</i>. Their business capacities will be quite -unimpaired when they get home: indeed they will very likely prove to -have been brightened up by such experiences.</p> - -<p>And already the year is on the turn again, and these foolish long summer -days are beginning to get short. Very soon it will be time to settle -whether we go to A——, or B——, or try that new place C——.... And -then people speak well of D——, but on the other hand E——, which we -went to three years ago, has got a new ice-run, and the rink has been -enlarged. But there is more sun at F——, and even in that awful winter -of 1911-1912, when Switzerland was a mere puddle, G—— held out against -the thaw. But the hotels at H—— are very comfortable, and the ski-ing -is good, though not so good as at I——.... That is the only Debating -Society in which I enjoy taking a part.</p> - -<p class="fint"> -Printed by <span class="smcap">Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.</span><br /> -at Paul’s Work, Edinburgh<br /></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_198" id="page_198">{198}</a> </span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_199" id="page_199">{199}</a></span> </p> - -<hr /> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p><i>The original Drawings in colour by C. Fleming Williams reproduced in -this book are for sale.</i></p> - -<p><i>For particulars apply to the Publishers.</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_200" id="page_200">{200}</a></span></p> -</div> - -<hr /> - -<p class="cund"><i>Recent Fine Art Books</i></p> - -<p class="cb">HANS HOLBEIN</p> - -<p class="cb">THE YOUNGER</p> - -<p class="c"><span class="smcap">By</span> ARTHUR B. CHAMBERLAIN</p> - -<p class="c"><small>ASSISTANT KEEPER OF THE CORPORATION ART GALLERY, BIRMINGHAM</small></p> - -<p class="c">With 252 Illustrations, including 24 in Colour</p> - -<p class="c">Demy 4to. Two Volumes. Cloth, gilt top, <b>£3, 3s.</b> net.</p> - -<p class="c">With Complete Lists of the Artist’s Pictures and of those exhibited, a -Bibliography, &c.</p> - -<p><small>In this book the writer has endeavoured to give as complete an -account as possible of the life and career of the younger Holbein, -together with a description of every known picture painted by him, -and of the more important of his drawings and designs. It is -primarily intended to provide a complete biography of the painter, -embodying all the more recent discoveries regarding his pictures.</small></p> - -<hr class="shrt15" /> - -<p class="cb">HOMES AND HAUNTS OF RUSKIN</p> - -<p class="c"><span class="smcap">By Sir</span> EDWARD T. COOK</p> - -<p>With 28 Full-page Illustrations in Colour and 17 in Black and White by -Miss <span class="smcap">E. M. B. Warren</span>. Demy 4to. Cloth, gilt top, <b>21s.</b> net.</p> - -<p><small><i>Daily Telegraph.</i>—“This beautiful book supplements the valuable -literary labours bestowed on the life and art of John Ruskin.”</small></p> - -<p class="c"><i>EDITIONS DE LUXE.</i> <span class="smcap">By</span> MAURICE MAETERLINCK</p> - -<p class="cb">THE LIFE OF THE BEE</p> - -<p class="c">Translated by <span class="smcap">Alfred Sutro</span>. With 13 Plates in Colour by <span class="smcap">E. J. Detmold</span>. -Demy 4to, gilt top, <b>21s.</b> net.</p> - -<p><small><span class="smcap">M. Maeterlinck</span> writes: “All Detmold’s plates which represent bees -are real, incontestable chefs-d’œuvres, and are as fine as a -Rembrandt. The interiors of the hives seem works of genius.”</small></p> - -<p class="cb">HOURS OF GLADNESS</p> - -<p class="c">EIGHT NATURE ESSAYS</p> - -<p class="c"><small>Translated by <span class="smcap">A. Teixeira de Mattos</span>. With 20 Plates in Colour by <span class="smcap">Edward -J. Detmold</span>. Demy 4to, gilt top, <b>21s.</b> net.</small></p> - -<p><small><span class="smcap">M. Maeterlinck</span> writes: “The Illustrations by Detmold are very -remarkable. It was infinitely difficult to give style to the -flowers, and to give them character ... all technically correct.”</small></p> - -<p class="fint">LONDON: GEORGE ALLEN & CO., LIMITED</p> - -<hr class="full" /> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Winter Sports in Switzerland, by E. F. 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