A SYSTEM OF FIGURE-SKATING.

CHAPTER I.

A GLANCE AT THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF SKATING.

GEOLOGISTS tell us that the earth was formed under great heat, and that it is gradually cooling down, a cheering prospect for future skaters certainly. Astronomers, on the other hand, we believe, incline to the opinion that it has approached a trifle nearer to the sun, and are anxiously awaiting the next transit of Venus to make themselves sure of the fact. Now if this should be the case, it is highly probable that the skater of the future, unless blessed with an artificially frozen surface or an artificial ice, will have to carry out his art on skates with wheels.

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Notwithstanding the great heat which doubtedly accompanied the creation, it is certain that the formation of ice is amongst the earliest phenomena of nature. In the Book of Job (the

oldest in the Bible) we find that when Elihu was reproving him and setting forth the wonderful power of God as displayed in His natural works, he used these words, "By the breath of God frost is given, and the breadth of the waters is straitened;" and that, when God himself takes up and continues that most beautiful exposition of His omnipotence, "the waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.”

Thus we have Divine authority for the very early existence of ice. Now comes the question so difficult to answer: When was it first used for the purposes of the skater?

In our endeavours, as far as we can, to answer it, we shall first bring under the reader's notice the information respecting the origin of skating which we have received from Stockholm through the kindness of a friend, Mr. Kreuger, a native of Sweden. We subjoin a translation, merely premising that it fixes the introduction of the iron skate at two hundred years after the birth of Christ, and attributes the origin of it to the still more antique snow-shoe, and we entirely agree in this latter opinion, and had already written to the same effect.

Remarks on the Origin of Skating.

TRANSLATED FROM THE SWEDISH.

"When this exercise was originated is unknown, for, as far back as we have any account of it, it was

perfectly well known and practised in the whole North. Its origin, however, unquestionably belongs to the people of the North, that is, to the Scandinavians and Germans, amongst whom it is in most common use, because the Greeks and Romans knew nothing of this science, nor have they any special terms in their language to express skates or skating. The origin of skates in their present form of a wooden shoe with iron runners cannot be reckoned further back than the so-called Iron Age, or about two hundred years after the birth. of Christ, because iron first came into general use then throughout the North.

The art of sliding with snow-shoes or runners, from which skating is derived, is still older, and belongs to the inhabitants of the North. But these shoes were made only of wood, and resembled our present form of snow-shoes, which are used by the inhabitants of the most northerly parts of Sweden and Norway in the mountain tracks on their journeys across the immense snowfields. These were also used originally by the Finnish people in the North, for which reason they were called from this time 'Skrid finnai' (sliding Finns), a common name for the most ancient inhabitants of Sweden both in the North Saga and by foreign authors. After iron became known and was worked in the North, iron runners were put under these snow-shoes; and in this way the present form of skates was developed, as well as

proficiency gained in skating on the ice,-a proficiency in which the Northern people early excelled, and which was reckoned as one of their chief accomplishments, and about which the Norsk Saga speaks with pride. But as amongst these Northern people also were Anglo-Saxons, who in the year 450 subdued the south part of Britain, together with Danes and Normans who—the former in 1015, and the latter in 1066-conquered the whole of England, probably the use of skates was introduced by these people into England together with other Northern customs.

"On these grounds the origin of the present form of skates and skating may be attributed to the Northern people about two hundred years after the birth of Christ."

Another of our friends, well acquainted with many Anglo-Russian gentlemen of great ability, sends us their collective and unanimous opinions, which certainly seem to ignore Russia as having any concern in the origin of skating, for they all without exception concur in saying, “that skating not only is by no means a national amusement of Russians, but is of entirely foreign and quite recent introduction. Skates are quite unknown in the interior, and even a few miles from St. Petersburg. Mr. W remembers creating a great sensation in St. Petersburg by showing off a little practice some thirty years ago. No Russians

skate, except those who have resided at St. Petersburg. The way the ice forms, indeed, in the rapid-running rivers of Russia affords no facilities. for the sport; yet it is curious the art has not been cultivated in so cold a country, as there must be many ponds, lakes, &c. that would afford good skating. In St. Petersburg itself the only water that affords skating is an artificial pond kept up by the German and English residents."

From Amsterdam we have not been successful in adding anything to the above information. However, perhaps a closer search in Holland generally would be better rewarded. We regret that at present we are unable to make it, more especially as it is the native country, on the paternal side, of one of the writer's ancestors, all of whom, however, have long since passed away, and sources of information that otherwise might have been available are now dried up. In London, then, must we hunt up something more about this obscure matter.

To the courtesy of C. Knight Watson, Esq., Secretary of the London Society of Antiquaries, we are indebted for the following interesting particulars, which, if not settling the question, yet tend to throw a little more light upon this most puzzling subject, the origin of skating. The information is contained in a lecture delivered 18th February, 1841, by Charles Roach Smith, Esq. F.S.A., who exhibited to the Society an ancient