318 NATURE'S TEACHINGS. 



who is standing on the defence they are bent, and in the 

 other, who has just made a longe, the Toggles of the right arm 

 and left leg are straightened. It is by the straightening of 

 these joints, and not by the action of stabbing, that the rapidity 

 and force of a thrust are achieved. 



It is just the same in boxing. No one who has the least 

 knowledge of sparring strikes a round-handed blow, for, 

 putting aside the ease with which it is parried or avoided, 

 it has scarcely any force in it. When a boxer hits " straight 

 from the shoulder," he not only straightens the Toggle-joint 

 of his left arm, but that of his right knee also, so that the 

 force of the blow comes quite as much from the leg as the 

 arm. 



It is by the right use of this joint that a small man, 

 provided he be an expert boxer, will easily conquer an ignorant 

 opponent who far surpasses him in size and weight. I have 

 seen in a sparring-match a man not only knocked down, but 

 fairly lifted off his feet, by a blow from a smaller opponent. 

 The blow took effect under the chin, and, as the boxer hit 

 exactly the right moment in straightening both limbs, a very 

 great force was exerted with little apparent effort. I do not 

 know which of the two combatants was the more astonished, 

 the one to find himself on his back without exactly knowing 

 how he got there, and the other to see his antagonist pros- 

 trate without exactly knowing how the thing was done. 



The jointed apparatus by which the heads of carriages 

 are raised or lowered is a good example of the Toggle, and 

 exemplifies the force which a comparatively slight piece of 

 machinery can exercise. 



ANOTHER form of the Toggle-joint is the process called by 

 sailors " bowsing " of rope. If a rope be fastened at both 

 ends, and then pulled in the middle, the ends are drawn 

 forcibly towards each other. This plan is mostly adopted in 

 getting up sails. When a sail, say the mainsail of a cutter, 

 has to be hoisted as far as it will go, the last few inches are 

 always very obstinate. The word is then given to " bowse." 

 The rope, or haulyard, is no longer pulled at the end, but a 

 turn is taken round the cleat, so that it does not give way. 

 The rope is then forcibly pulled away from the mast, when 



