602 



GYMNASTICS. 



It may be varied by die leatner's placing himself in 

 front of the bur, hanging by both tiands, and moving 

 the latter alternately sideways. 



11. When a person is in the position of No. 3, it 

 is very easy for liiin to throw the left leg over the 

 our and across the right one ; then to let go the arms 

 entirely, and liang by the knee joints only. This 

 exercise is perfectly safe, strengthens the knee joints, 

 and is olu-n useful in climbing. 



12. The body being in the position of No. 2, the 

 learner endeavours to sit upon the bar. The first at- 

 tempts frequently fail, since some strength and agi- 

 lity are required. The easiest way ot doing it is 

 Urns : suppose you wish, when in the position of No. 

 2, to get up on your right side of the bar ; take a fast 

 hold by the right knee joint, grasp firmly with the 

 right hand, and bring the left arm over the bar so 

 tliat the latter may be exactly under the armpit. 

 From this position, the required or riding one is ob- 

 tained with very little trouble. 



13. When a person is in the riding position upon 

 the bar, it is very easy for him to turn towards the 

 front of the bar e,f ; viz. by supporting himself upon 

 one thigh, while the other leg hangs down. He 

 then moves along the bar sideways, by raising his 

 body with his hands, which are placed on the bar on 

 each side of him. This exercise is very useful in 

 practising a person to proceed a great way along a 

 hiili beam. 



14. The learner is in front of the bar, with his 

 hands resting upon it, as in No. 5 ; he then removes 

 his hands either to the right or left, and supports 

 himself, in this manner, as tar as he can along the 

 bar. 



15. Suppose a person to be supporting himself by 

 the hands upon the bar, as before, No. 5 ; he then 

 throws his head down forward, and dives, as it were ; 

 the middle of the body rests momentarily upon the 

 bar, the feet swing upward, the whole person turns 

 completely round, and the feet come to the ground. 

 This is swinging round the bar forward ; it is more 

 difficult, but prettier, backward. Supported by the 

 hands as before, the learner swings his feet once or 

 twice backward and forward ; when in the last swing 

 he throws them quickly forward underneath the bar, 

 forcing them upward on the opposite side, and then 

 passes them over. See No. 6. In this he also rests 

 momentarily with the middle of the body upon the 

 bar, and then returns to his first position. This swing 

 romid the bar backward is not easy at first ; it re- 

 quires a good deal of agility and exertion of the elas- 

 tic force. The exercise should always be performed 

 upon a smooth round bar, as g, h, or i, k. Exercises 

 of this kind admit of numerous variations, and boys 

 soon find them out ; but the teacher should always 

 stand by to observe them, and to give his assistance 

 to iiny one who may require it. 



Climbing and Mounting. These arts are of the 

 utmost importance to the military, maritime, and civil 

 inhabitants of Britain. The soldier who has been 

 well taught in the gymnastic school, lias an immense 

 advantage over both his comrade and his enemy, in 

 case of an attack upon a place difficult of access, 

 such as the storming of a town, or the carrying of a 

 commanding height. The sailor's life is spent in 

 climbing, and he would always feel the benefit of early 

 instruction in these practices. The traveller, afraid 

 of danger or fatigue, passes rocks or mountains 

 commanding the most beautiful prospects, which, if 

 well instructed, he might ascend with ease and plea- 

 sure, and the inhabitant of the city would sleep more 

 secure from the apprehension of fire, if he felt con- 

 fident in being able, at the shortest notice, to descend 

 the loftiest and most awkward elevations. Such se- 

 curity may be promised to him who has mastered the 



gymnastic art, as practised in various parts of Ger- 

 many, and as now taught in I>riiain. 



Ike Climbing-stand. This is represented in the 

 Plate, fig. 8. It consists of two strong posts a and b 

 firmly fixed in the ground ; twenty leet high, and 

 about thirty feet distant from each other. They sup- 

 port the beam c d, which is strongly fastened to tin in. 

 The mast e, is fixed upright and very firmly iu the 

 ground, and hi such a manner as to pass close by the 

 beam c d, to which it may be attached by means of 

 an iron band ; though this is not necessary if it be 

 supported by the slant post q on the other side of the 

 stand. To the beam c d, are attached the imple- 

 ments for climbing, viz. two poles / and g, time 

 ropes /, m, and n, a rope ladder ', and a mast A. The 

 two standing places o and p are intended for the. ex- 

 ercises in mounting. A ladder leads to the lower 

 one, and is made fast to the mast e ; another leads 

 from the lower to the upper one. The firm construc- 

 tion of these standing places must be executed under 

 the eye of the teacher. 



1. Beginners ascend and descend the ladder which 

 is fixed to the climbing-stand, in the customary way, 

 until they acquire expertness and courage. 



2. They descend with the back turned towards the 

 ladder. 



3. They mount and descend in the usual way, but 

 only with one hand ; and, after a little practice, carry 

 something in the other. See No. 1. 



4. The learner goes up and down without using his 

 hands. See No. 2. The ascent is extremely easy; 

 after which he uses his hands in turning round so as 

 to have his back towards the ladder when descend- 

 ing. In this part of the exercise, the teacher must 

 always be ready to assist him. 



5. Two learners meet upon the ladder, and wish 

 to pass each other. They either both remain on the 

 front part of the ladder, and give way to each other 

 as much as possible, or, if one of them is sufficiently 

 expert in the two following exercises, he swings him- 

 self round to the back part, in order to let his com- 

 panion, pass. 



6. The exercises now commence on the back part 

 of the ladder. The learner easily ascends from step 

 to step by advancing his hands and feet, at the same 

 time, higher and higher. 



7. The learner mounts along the front part of the 

 ladder as usual ; then swings himself round to the 

 back part, along which he descends. 



8. The learner mounts and descends the ladder 

 upon its back part, without making use of his feet. 

 See No. 3. Although this exercise ought not, strict- 

 ly speaking, to be introduced here, yet as we are 

 busy with the ladder, there will be no harm in men- 

 tioning it now. It may be divided into two parts. 

 The first consists in taking fast hold of the most con- 

 venient rundle with both hands, and raising the body 

 forcibly upward. At this moment, one hand seizes 

 the next highest rundle, and immediately afterwards 

 the other hand does the same. Both hands again 

 raise the body as before, &c. In the second | art of 

 this exercise, the hands seize the rundles singly and 

 alternately ; which is much more difficult, and only 

 accomplished by practised learners. 



9. Climbing either the Upright or Slant Pile.. The 

 thickness of die upright pole/, is fivm two to two 

 inches and a half, or more, according to the size of 

 the learners. It must be perfectly smooth, and void 

 of splinters. Its upper end is fastened by an iron 

 ring to the beam c d. The slant pole g must be at 

 least three inches thick. Neither of them is made 

 very fast in the ground, but only sunk a little into it, 

 in order that they may be easily replaced by poles of 

 different sizes. The position of the climber is the 

 same in both the upright and oblique pole, ai,u u 



