ON RAPID STREAMS. 99 



obtain cane of great thickness from the outer to 

 the inner surface, so that, when split and rasped 

 down, the remaining round piece may be of per- 

 fectly uniform dense texture. 



The most common error I have met with in 

 four-jointed rods is, that commencing from a 

 butt of too small diameter the tapering of the 

 rod is extended over too great a length about the 

 middle, so that it is here weak, and consequently, 

 when put in action, as in throwing the line, or 

 made to wave, as it were, by alternately raising 

 and depressing the top whilst holding the rod at 

 the butt, a double action may be at once per- 

 ceived ; in other words, a series of arcs or vibra- 

 tions will pass from the butt to about the centre, 

 or weakest part ; here they will be partially inter- 

 rupted, and, as though from a second point of 

 fixture, a new series of vibrations will pass for- 

 ward to the extreme end ; these, too, seem to have 

 partaken of the force first exerted by the first 

 movement at the butt, together with the accu- 

 mulated vibrations sent forward from the middle 

 weak point of interruption. The consequence of 

 this is obvious, for should we violently strike at 

 a fish whilst we have any slack line between his 

 mouth and our rod, the muscular movement wo 

 have made will generate a force, which though v\v 

 suppose just sufficient to hook our fish, will be 

 increased to such an amount that the mouth of 

 the fish or our tackle will be endangered \ we 

 shall first cause, in the elevation of our arm, 

 vibrations to pass along the rod to the centre 

 H 2 



