380 THE FARMER AT HOME. 



second, he forms his ball, and covers himself almost over with silk. 

 The third day, he is quite hid ; and the following days he employs 

 himself in thickening and strengthening his ball; always working 

 from one single end, which he never breaks by his own fault ; and 

 which is so fine, and so long, that those who have examined it atten- 

 tively, think they speak within compass, when they affirm that each 

 ball contains silk enough to reach the length of six English miles. 



SKATING. An exercise on ice, both graceful and healthy. 

 Although the ancients were remarkable for their dexterity in most of 

 the athletic sports, yet skating seems to have been unknown to them. 

 It may therefore be considered as a modern invention ; and probably 

 derived its origin in Holland, where it was practised, not only as a 

 graceful and elegant amusement, but as an expeditious mode of trav- 

 elling when the lakes and canals were frozen up during winter. In 

 Holland long journeys are made with ease and expedition ; but in 

 general less attention is "there paid to graceful and elegant move- 

 ments, than to the expedition and celerity of what is called journey 

 skating. 



It is only in those countries where it is considered as an amuse- 

 ment that its graceful attitudes and movements can be studied ; and 

 there is no exercise whatever better calculated to set off the human 

 figure to advantage. The acquirement of most exercises may be 

 attained at an advanced period of life ; but to become an expert 

 skater, it is necessary to begin the practice of the art at a very early 

 age. It is difficult to reduce the art of skating to a system. It is 

 principally by the imitation of a good skater that a young practitioner 

 can form his own practice. Those who wish to be proficients should 

 begin at an early period of life, and should first endeavor to throw oft 

 the fear which always attends the commencement of an apparently 

 hazardous amusement. They will soon acquire a facility of moving 

 on the inside ; when they have done this, they must endeavor to 

 acquire the movements on the outside of the skates, which is nothing 

 more than throwing themselves up on the outer edge of the skate, and 

 making the balance of their body tend towards that side, which will 

 necessarily enable them to form a semicircle. 



SKIN. The skin is the external covering of the animal body. 

 The impressions made on it, by the contact of foreign substances, are 

 transmitted to the brain, by means of the nerves coming from this 

 latter, and give rise in the mind to the sensations of roughness or 

 smoothness, hardness or softness, heat or cold, according to the prop- 

 erty of the substance applied. In other words, the skin is the seat of 

 the sense of touch and like all the other senses, is capable, when 

 strongly impressed, of acting powerfully on the brain, and producing 

 great mental disturbance, accompanied in some cases with convul- 

 sions ; and, in others, going on to insanity. During the wars of 

 religion in France, between the CV>holics and Hugenots or Protestants* 



