ETHNOLOGY OF THE PRESENT DAY. 155 



The horizontal pole should be at least two inches in diameter, entirely 

 round, six to eight feet long, resting horizontally upon two posts, similar to one 

 of the sides of the bars, the difference consisting in the perfect roundness of 

 the pole and the considerably higher posts, which are also much thicker than 

 those supporting the bars, the pole being set in them near the top, not upon 

 them. The horizontal pole must be so high, that the person standing under- 

 neath can just touch the bar with his hands extended straight upwards. The 

 pole must, of course, be of particularly solid Avood, and must not turn, and the; 

 supporting posts should stand firm. 



The simplest and easiest exercises upon the bars are : (1) swinging to and 

 fro, with a hand upon each rail, keeping the arms and body entirely stretched ; 

 (2) walking on the hands, one on each bar, the body perpendicular betwe(^n tfie 

 bars, and without moving the feet ; (3) jumping backwards and forwards with 

 both hands, at the same time, the body and feet following the same rule as in 

 the second exercise. 



An exercise particularly good for strengthening the chest and arms is the 

 gradual raising and lowering of the body, while the hands remain firmly upon 

 the bars, and no other movement being allowed to the legs than the bending 

 of the knees to avoid touching the ground. Swinging and rocking the body 

 between the rails is also a very healthy exercise. 



The exercises upon the horizontal pole are hanging, swinging, and oscillating, 

 which admit of a variety of the most dijQBcult feats. 



In the two upper panels of j)l. 4, two gymnasia are represented. Figs. 1 

 and 2, are the two positions of the body in jumping over a cord, the feet 

 drawn up together and the feet stretched apart : Jigs. 8, 4, and .12 q. are the 

 vaulting horse ; fig. 3 representing the raising of the feet on leaving the 

 saddle ; fig. 4, the vaulting leap with closed feet over the crupper ; fig. 12 ^, 

 the leap up from behind. Figs. 5 and 6 represent leaping with a pole, 

 fig. 5 being the side leap (lengthways), and fig. 6 the upward leap (over 

 a high object). Fig. T, wrestling, one of the combatants being in the act 

 of lifting his opponent from the ground ; fig. 8, dragging a load up a hill ; 

 fig. 9, the cord stretched by weights between two posts, which are so 

 arranged that the cord may be fastened at different heights between them, 

 by way of practising leaps of various degrees of difficulty ; fig. 10, standino- 

 upon the hands, upon the bars, the head being downwards ; fig. 11, climbing 

 forwards upon the rounds of a ladder. Fig. 12 a. the parallel bars ; 6, hori- 

 zontal pole ; c, balancing beam ; </, large mast with cross-trees ; e. posts ; 

 /, cross-beam ; g^ climbing pole ; /i, leaning pole ; 7, Avooden ladder : /.-, rope 

 ladder ; /, ropes ; m, knotted rope (for climbing) ; ??, iron rings attached to 

 ropes, used for SAvinging suspended by the hands ; o, hand staples, and p, foot 

 staples, for keeping the body extended horizontally in the air and in a secure 

 manner. 



Balancing arts, as they are often exhibited publicly for money by itinerant 

 performers, are likcAvise represented in pi. 4, in the lower panel. Gymnastic 

 performers of the present day frequently exhibit dislocations of the limbs 

 the most contrary to nature, so that all the limbs of the body appear 

 inverted. Feats of the last mentioned kind came from England to the 



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