are bent, arms everywhere in the compass, and the thick stick (that is but too often carried) is frantically struck and stabbed about in all directions, rendering the performer, by his energetic efforts applied to mistaken purposes, almost an object of compassion. Who does not remember the capital description of sliding and skating in "Pickwick," when the impostor Winkle comes to grief by steering himself, against his will, into a reel which was in full swing? The uncertain skater, who knows not where he is going to, is rather a dangerous customer. If a man wants to skate backwards, he should at least learn to do so in a manner that will enable him to see where his skates are taking him.

Contrast then by an ideal picture the old inside with the new. In its new form the skater is without a stick, the knee of the employed leg is straight, the unemployed leg is kept behind, the heels are nearly together, &c. ; the body is turned much away from full front, the head not so, however; as to the arms, one is slightly raised, the other hangs gracefully down behind, and slightly away from the body, but it, the arms, and the legs are, as it were, in a position, sideways to the line of progress.

As this skater advances towards us, we immediately detect that the unsightly prop is gone, it has disappeared; he appears to lean over unprotectedly, which thus, at once, gives the inside the dress of the outside, by causing that appearance of danger from falling which is its characteristic.

CHAPTER VII.

FIRST STEPS.-(Continued.)

THE OUTSIDE EDGE.

THE attention and ambition of the learner is always prematurely directed to this, by the remarks of his friends, who tell him, that when he can do it he can easily master everything else in skating. This may be true so long as he confines himself to the limited movements of former years: the simple figure 3, and the outside forwards or backwards. But it stands to reason, when he wants to combine both edges, and graft in and link with them several turns in movements of great difficulty, that unless he has learnt both edges thoroughly he will be, in the language of the turf, "nowhere." And therefore, we say, it is unwise and premature to direct the attention of the skater to the outside before he has "passed" in inside. That is not so, however, with the learner who has followed us thus far, and become completely versed in inside. Then, indeed, he may turn with pleasure to learn the very beautiful movement, the name of which heads this chapter; a movement to acquire which, has called forth from a few writers on skating some of the most extra

ordinary and absurd directions. We can hardly imagine such a delusion, as to put two or three pounds of shot in the skater's pocket to help him to the side he wants to go or lean to! Yet that is one of the methods recommended. But we will leave such nonsense, and turn at once to what we consider to be the most natural, easy, and proper method of learning it, which is this. Let the learner skate somewhat in the usual manner round the circumference of an enormous circle (we say "somewhat," because the outer leg will be on the inside edge, and the inner leg either on the flat of the iron or on the outside edge) so large a circle; then, that he can but just feel the outside of the one and the inside of the other skate. After having by this means obtained impetus, let both feet run together in the parallel curves of such a circle at intervals, and for some yards without striking. Now when he does this, as one skate must be on the inside and one on the outside, he has only to ease off the weight of the body more and more from the foot describing the inside, until he can entirely raise that skate from the ice at the moment he feels steady, and the problem is solved. When he can do this, he can strike with the unemployed foot (the outside,) thus keeping up and increasing the impetus and centrifugal force. If he has sufficient nerve, let the unemployed foot be used entirely for pushing himself round and round. In bolder moments, in order to gain practical experience of the manner in which he is sustained, the beginner should occa

sionally turn his skate a little more in towards the centre he is working to, and he will find that

Plan of the Outside Edge forwards. The stroke is given on the inside, therefore the curves at their forward extremities become inside. A moment before the stroke, the unemployed begins to move into action. The foot that has given the stroke then becomes the unemployed, &c.

the centrifugal force immediately increasing, desires to place him in a moment upright, or, if we may use the expression, in a safer position, for a learner who has not acquired sufficient balance to dwell longer on the edge. A few of such occasional trials, and the beginner will have no fear of falling, because he possesses the antidote to it in this great and valuable power of correction.

The inclination of the body depends upon the size of the circle and the given velocity. What scope is there not for practice in the knowledge of this? The direction of going must of course be altered for practice on the other skate.

Having acquired the edge thus far, the tyro must now resort to bolder measures, by striking direct to the outside in alternate large curves on either foot (Fig. 16), acquiring at the same time the sideways attitude, which up to this moment he has doubtless neglected, notwithstanding it may have

been practicable at various times in the preliminary lessons; in this manner he must accustom himself to skate about the ice. He will afterwards easily describe two alternate circles, and thus form the third 8 on our list (Fig. 17). Finally he will practise for greater boldness by taking a run forwards, and when at great velocity striking out, and so on to the