118 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



[March 1, 1888. 



may remember, Professor Boyd Dawkins inclines to the 

 theory that the Eskimo are the descendants of the men of 

 the reindeer period, who retreated in a north-westerly 

 direction, a theory based upon certain physical similarities 

 and upon like customs. But this short notice is not the 

 place for its discussion, and, moreover, we hope to return to 

 the subject at a future time. Students of folk-lore and 

 traditions are familiar with Dr. Rink's volume of Eskimo 

 tales, and he has placed them further in hLs debt by the 

 publication of the present treatise. 



Tenants of an Old Farm : Leaves from the Note-booh of a 

 XaturaHst. By Henry McCook, D.D. With an Intro- 

 duction by Sir John Lubbock. (Hodder & Stoughton.)— 

 No compliment is paid to science by dressing up its facts in 

 the guise of fiction, and the wonders of insects, especially 

 ant-life, which are the subjects of this book, stand least of 

 all in need of the story-teller's artifice to enhance interest 

 in truths which are " stranger than fiction." As Dr. 

 McCook has, however, with some hesitation as he tells us, 

 chosen to season natural history with romantic admixture, 

 we must be thankful that the work has fallen into hands as 

 competent as his. The book is written in an attractive and 

 animated style, and is amply illustrated with accurate, and 

 often fantastic, woodcuts. 



'I 



(Pur WBWt Column* 



By "Five of Clubs." 



A SAMPLE OF LAST CENTUUY'S WHIST. 



-I' l.^S'-'i3' j ^^ Australasian publishes an interesting ilhistra- 

 "°* " "^ tion of the whist of a century ago. It remarks 

 tliat " in 1871 Jlr. Hugh Lennon ]ii-escnte(l to the 

 Jlelbourne Public Library a poem in heroic metre i 

 which was published anonymously in London in 

 1791. Tliis bears the title of ■■ Whist, a Poem in 

 Twelve Cantos." The author " thought iiroper 

 to assume the character of a vain, petulant 

 stripling, whose opinion of his own wit and 

 abilities is so overweening that he thinks they entitle him to fall 

 foul of everything that comes in his way." In his poem he not only 

 embodies the accepted canons of the long whist of a century ago, 

 but also discusses the requisites of a good player. Of these he 

 signifies three in particular :— (1) Jlcmory, (2) judgment, C3) temper. , 

 To the tenth canlo he prefixes the following argument : — "Temper, 

 the third requisite at whist. Three causes of loss of temper. 

 (1) Bad Inck, (2) cross play, (.3) a bad partner. Cards a terrible 

 trial for the temper. Story of Smilinda and her lover Pusillo." 

 This story is in brief that "Pusillo" was very much in love with 

 " Smilinda." Being a very cautious " bird," however, he thought it 

 best to make " one nice experimeat" before deraanriing the lady's 

 hand, whereby 



He might the certain knowledge gain, 

 If she her temper could at cards retain. 



The opportunity presents ifself when Pusillo and Smilinda are 

 partners at whist against " cousin Booby's son, a country squire," 

 and " Aunt Rebecca." Pusillo begins by making some deliberate 

 mistakes which are of no great consequence. Smilinda is fuming 

 inwatdly, but her eyes continue " to retain their placid charm." At 

 length, in a close struggle for an all-important odd trick, Pusillo 

 commits a gross blunder, and throws away the game. Thereupon 

 The gentle creature could endure no more, 

 She started up, she stamped, she raged, she swore. 

 Proclaimed her wrongs, and threw the cards away, 

 Nor longer in his presence deigned to stay. 



And thus that flame, wliich had for years endured. 

 In one short minute was entirely cured. 



In the text the author describes the play of the hand in a general 

 way ; in an appendix he gives in detail the cards which fall to the 

 several successive tricks. The result is the earliest example of an 

 " illustrative whist hand " with which we are acquainted. More- 

 over, the hand is fairly well played throughout, except just at the 

 point where Pusillo deliberately throws away the chance of wimiing 

 the odd trick." 



„/D. (trumj)s).— S, 5. 

 -"I.C.— Q, 7, 5. 



D. («y«).— K, C, 4. 

 C— A. Kn. 10, 3. 

 U.— K, :>, 8, li. 

 S.— S, 4. 



THE HANDS. 



H.— A, Q, 7. 



S.— A, Kn, 10, 9, G. 



. fD. (trumps). — A, 

 ^ LC— K, 9, 8, 2. 

 Score (apparently) : 



D.(tps). 

 C— 6. 4. 

 H.— Kn, 10, 

 S.— K, 5, 2. 



Q, Kn, 

 4,2 



, 3. 



2. H.-5 



S.— Q, 7, 3. / 

 Booby and Rebecca, nine ; Pusillo and 

 Smilinda, seven 

 Card underlined wins trick 



B Z 



Rebecca Smilinda 



4. 4. 4. 4. 



4. 4- ♦ 



O 

 O 



10 



11 



card underneath lead.? next. 



NOTES ON THE PLAY. 



Trick 1. — Booby leads cor- 

 rectly from his numerically 

 strong suit. 



Trick 2. — But in preference 

 to returning the club Rebecca 

 ought to have led either her 

 spade ace or her diamond eight. 

 Also, if the club was to be re- 

 turned at all, the seven ought 

 to liave led, not the five. 



Trick 3. — Smilinda properly 

 discards the spade two. 

 Trick 5. — Smilinda — 

 " Nov; with careful eye her 

 hand surveys. 

 And from the knave a heart 



unwilling plays ; 

 A vile, unlucky lead in every 



view— 

 (.\nd yet what better could 



the virgin do .' 

 Her king of spades but once 



defended lay. 

 And could not to the ace he 



left a prey ; 

 Her trumps, the last resort, 



were now too few. 

 Since one from four her former 



triumph drew). 

 A vile, unlucky lead ; for full 



command 

 Lay couched in ambush in 



Rebecca's hand." 

 Trick 6— 

 " And now Rebecca's queen a 

 trick to gain 

 Had sanguine hopes ; nor did 



she hope in vain. 

 The lead should ne'er be 



changed without a cause, 

 So from her hand another 



heart she draws." 

 Trick 7 — Of course Smilinda 

 ought to have played the heart 

 ten. 



Trick 10— 

 " But now the nymph no longer 

 would delay, 

 Though rather weak, her suit 



of trumps to play." 

 Trick 11.— Here, again, Smi- 

 linda plays the higher, instead of 

 the lower, of two sequence cards. 

 Trick 12. — Pusillo makes a 

 gross blunder — 



" (For) had he so inclined, his 

 chance was sure, 

 This trick to conquer, and the 

 game secure ; 



— 7— 



And Booby and Rebecca win the 

 odd trick against two by honours. 



With wilful error slips the trump to play. 

 And throws at one rash stroke their all away." 



But thoughts of different hue 



his mind engross ; 

 His am'rous heart contemns 



the rubber's loss ; 



