CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



Fig. 9. 



with the movements of the legs, greatly helps the 

 locomotion, and is advantageous in exercising 

 the muscles of the shoulders and expanding the 

 chest. The motions of the arms, however, should 

 be on a moderate scale, the hands not swinging 

 through a greater space than eight or nine inches 

 before and behind the leg. 



Running is a rapid leap- 

 ing kind of walk, the leap 

 being from each foot alter- 

 nately, and the motion being 

 promoted by throwing for- 

 ward the weight of the per- 

 son. The following are 

 Walker's definitions of run- 

 ning, which we illustrate by 

 fig. 9 : 'The upper part of 

 the body is slightly inclined 

 forward ; the head slightly 

 thrown backward, to coun- 

 teract the gravity forward ; 

 the breast is freely pro- 

 jected ; the shoulders are steady, to give a fixed 

 point to the auxiliary muscles of respiration ; 

 the upper parts of the arms are kept near the 

 sides ; the elbows are bent, and each forms an 

 acute angle ; the hands are shut, with the nails 

 turned inwards ; and the whole arms move but 

 slightly, in order that the muscles of respiration 

 on the chest may be as little as possible disturbed, 

 and follow only the impulse communicated by 

 other parts. 



' At every step the knees are stretched out, the 

 legs kept as straight as possible, the feet almost 

 graze the ground, the tread is neither with the 

 mere balls of the toes nor with the whole sole of 

 the foot, and the spring is made rapidly from one 

 foot to the other, so that they pass each other 

 with great velocity. 



' During the whole time of running, long inspira- 

 tions and slow expirations are of the greatest 

 importance ; and young persons cannot be too 

 early accustomed to this practice. To facilitate 

 respiration towards the end of the race, the upper 

 part of the body may be leant a little forward.' 



TRAINING PEDESTRIAN FEATS. 



The method of training in modern times for 

 pedestrian feats and other laborious undertakings, 

 does not differ materially from that pursued by 

 the ancient Greeks. The great object is to in- 

 crease the muscular strength, and to improve the 

 free action of the lungs or wind of the person 

 subjected to the process. The means principally 

 adopted to accomplish the end in view are sweat- 

 ing, to take off the superfluous fat and humours ; 

 daily exercise, to strengthen the muscles and 

 system generally; and a peculiar regimen to 

 invigorate the body. To this we add the use 

 of the bath, to remove impurities and promote 

 a healthy action in the skin. 



Prepared by training, and acting under certain 

 precautions as to diet and rest, a person may 

 perform very surprising feats of pedestrianism. 

 He may, for instance, completely out-travel a 

 horse, by walking for days continuously from 

 thirty to forty miles, and yet be as fresh at the 

 end of his journey as at the beginning. Without 

 preparatory training, however, the most fatal 

 injuries may be committed in attempting pedes- 



trian feats. To attempt a heavy day's walking 

 without previous training is, it may be said, sur 

 to be injurious. This mistake is often committee 

 by young men at the commencement of walking 

 excursions. Begin, if out of training, with mode- 

 rate distances, and increase the journey day by 

 day. Be careful, too, on such excursions not to 

 overeat, for, in travelling, you do not need more 

 food than usual ; and when the body is exhausted, 

 the digestion is enfeebled, and the stomach 

 scarcely able to deal with even your ordinary 

 amount of food. The less of any kind of stimu- 

 lating drink you take the better. 



OUT-OF-DOOR RECREATIONS. 

 CRICKET. 



This is a game of very ancient date. It has 

 been supposed that it is identical with ' club- 

 ball,' a game of the I4th century. For a hundred 

 years, at anyrate, it has been a truly national 

 game in England, and there its popularity is still 

 on the increase. Within a comparatively recent 

 period it has been introduced into Scotland and 

 Ireland, and has been fairly naturalised in both 

 countries. It has also established itself in Canada 

 and the United States ; and in the Australian 

 colonies, to which our countrymen carried it, it is 

 almost as much a favourite as it is at home. In 

 Great Britain, there is now scarcely a town, 

 village, or school that does not own its cricket- 

 field, and our military authorities hold it in such 

 estimation as a healthy recreation, that our sol- 

 diers are encouraged to give their leisure time to 

 it. Among the points in its favour is, that it is, so 

 to speak, a levelling game. Men of all ranks are 

 to be found united in it ; and though skill in the 

 game is the only distinction acknowledged in the 

 cricket-field, the association in the game of men 

 of different position is found to be highly pro- 

 motive of social good-feeling. Betting on cricket- 

 matches prevails to some extent, but to a much 

 less degree than in the case of any other game 

 equally popular. While there are in London and 

 in other large towns many cricket-clubs of influ- 

 ence and numerous membership, the Marylebone 

 Cricket Club is to cricket what the Jockey Club 

 is to horse-racing not only the most important 

 club, but the club which legislates for the game. 

 There are enthusiasts who play cricket at all 

 periods of the year ; but the season proper lasts 

 from spring to the latter part of autumn, the 

 season during which, even in our climate, dry 

 turf can reasonably be looked for. 



Cricket is played in two distinct forms ; one 

 called Single Wicket, and the other Double Wicket. 

 The latter is the form generally adopted, the 

 single-wicket game being only resorted to whe 

 a sufficient number of players for double wicket 

 cannot be obtained. We shall accordingly de- 

 scribe the double-wicket game first. 



The requirements for this game are ist, a 

 piece of level turf an acre or two in extent at the 

 least ; 2d, a sufficient number of players to for 

 two sides of eleven each ; 3d, two bats, two sets 

 wickets and bails, and a ball. Bats, balls, and 

 stumps or wickets, and bails, are now so largely 

 in use, and so well known, as to require no 

 detailed description. When a match is to be 

 played between two ' elevens,' the first thing to 



