154 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



[Aug. 22, 1884. 



existence of the other-self, they gave no key to its nature, 

 to what it is like. Obviously the difference between death 

 and life lay in some unsubstantial or semi-substantial thing. 

 Perhaps, thought some races, it lies in the blood, with the 

 unchecked outflow of which de:itli ensues, and the idea of 

 this connection has not been confined to barbaric peoples. 

 Perhaps, thought other races, it lies in the heart, which, 

 say the Basutos, has gone out of anyone dead, but 

 has returned when the sick have recovered. Among the 

 Greeks some philosophers held that it was fire, which was 

 extinct when the fuel of life was burnt out, or water, which 

 would evaporate away. But, as language shows, it is with 

 the breath that the other-self of the savage and the vital 

 principle of the philosopher has been most widely identified. 

 For it is the cessation of breathing which would in the long- 

 run be noted as the unfailing accompaniment of death ; 

 and the condensing vapour, as it was exhaled, would con- 

 firm the existing theories of a shadowy and gaseous-like 

 soul. In this, as the illustrations to be adduced from 

 various languages will evidence, the continuity of idea 

 which travels along the whole line of barbaric and learned 

 speculation is unbroken. 



THE WORKSHOP AT HOME. 



By a Working Man. 



I HAVE been asked by the Editor of this paper to give 

 directions in its columns for the performance of some 

 of those kinds of handicraft which may be practised by the 

 amateur without assistance. I mean the construction of 

 articles of household use, and furniture, in wood (both by 

 the aid of ordinary joiners' tools and the lathe), and the 

 making of simple apparatus in brass, &c., as well, in the 

 last-named machine. 1 shall begin at the beginning, describe 

 tJie tools to be employed, and their use, and tell the learner 

 not only what to do, but — what is often of as much con- 

 sequence — what not to do. 



And my first piece of advice will be, " Don't buy a chest 

 of tools." There are certain ones which are essential, 

 which will be found in it ; but, on the other hand, it is 

 sure to contain others of comparatively infrequent use, 

 while some which are certain to be wanted, sooner or later, 

 will be conspicuous by their absence. Start with an outfit 

 suitable to your purse, go to a first-class maker, like Buck, 

 Churchill, Fenn, or Melhuish, or (if you are a wealthy man) 

 to Holtzapflel, get just what you require, and add to your 



original collection as necessity arises, 

 by to lathe tools ; just now we will 

 those used by the carpenter or joiner. 



I shall come by-and- 

 confine ourselves to 



FiK. 2. 



To begin with, we ought properly to have the three saws 

 shown in the annexed figures ; where Fig. 1 represents 

 ■what is called a "handsaw," for cutting planking the 

 1 engthways of the grain of the wood ; Fig. 2, a " tenon- 



saw," for cutting across the grain ; and Fig 3, a "bow " or 

 " frame-saw," for sawing round curves. A very thin, 

 narrow saw, sliding through a handle (or " pad "), and 



called a "keyhole-saw," will sometimes be found useful; 

 but we can dispense with it for the present. Next, we 

 bhall require three planes, two of which are depicted in 

 Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 4 is known as a "jack-plane," and is 



Fig. 4. 



used for the first rough planing-up of wood as it comes 

 from the timber merchant. A longer and " finer-set " form 

 of this workmen call a " trying (by which is meant true-ing) 



Fig. 6. 



Fig. 9. 



plane," It is used to produce a perfectly flat surface ; 

 and Fig. 5 is a "smoothing-plane." In addition to this, 

 there are " plough," " rabbeting " (or rebating), " side 

 filister," "match," "grooving," "moulding," "beading," 

 and divers other planes, to more than one of which I may 

 have to return. Any one of these, though, if wanted for a 

 special job, can be bought subsequently. Then we shall 

 require at least four "firmer" chisels," — 1-in., |-in., 

 i-in., and ^-in. — (Fig. 6), and a couple of gouges, 

 together with a wooden mallet, four gimlets, three 

 bradawls, a hammer, a square (Fig. 7), a marking-gauge 

 (Fig. 8), and a moitice-gauge (Fig. 9), a two-foot joint-rule, 

 or else a yard measure, an oilstone, a glue-pot and brush, 

 glue, screws and nails ; Nettlefold's screws in cardboard 

 boxes and the so-called " French " or wire-nails being the 

 best for the amateur. The tools I have enumerated may 



