28 WHALEBONTE TIPS. 



other,) there is no diminution in their several 

 strength. Moreover this affords an opportunity 

 of introducing, as I said before, the best sort of 

 wood for elasticity as well as lightness ; viz. 

 Bamboo cane, which could not be procured of 

 sufficient length for a top without splicing, owing 

 to the intervention of the natural joints or knots ; 

 and lancewood, though too heavy, and perhaps 

 too brittle when so much reduced in substance, 

 for the point of the rod, is yet elastic ; and, 

 forming the thickest splice in the top, constitutes 

 a medium weight and pliancy of wood between 

 the hiccory of the "jozw/*," and the bamboo of 

 which the second and other splices of the ** top,"" 

 are composed. There is another advantage in 

 spliced tops, namely, that if a breakage should 

 happen, the damaged part can be replaced with- 

 out the expence of an entire new top. 



Whalebone Tips. — No was to the '•^weighty' 

 objection to whalebone tips, what an exquisite 

 sense of feelino;' must a man have to detect it ! 

 But supposing it to be perceptible, look at the 

 immense advantage whalebone affords. Elastic 

 toughness is introduced in the thinnest part of 

 the rod, — the part which is almost solely engaged 

 in receiving the first shock of striking a fish ; 

 and as the fault of fishermen is mostly to strike 

 too forcibly, it is as well that they should 

 have something not liable to break. Notwith- 



