Double Shot
- Two balls lying so close together that if one be missed there is a very good chance of hitting the other.
Grand Round. -The complete circuit of all the hoops up to the turning post and back again.
Now rarely used.
Hollow Double. - Two balls which lie near enough to one another to distract the aim, but near enough to make the hitting of the one not aimed at likely.
Hong Kong, Off to. - The old term for the driving of an opponent's ball from the croquet to the extreme corner of the ground. Also called driving it "up the country."
Hoops. The iron arches through which the ball must be driven. They have varied much in number and width. A book of instructions in 1867 recommended a width of 18 in., whilst the championship of 1872 was played with a width of hoop of 32 in. The number has varied from ten to six. [See SETTING.] The square-topped hoops are to be preferred to the rounded, which are a reminiscence of pall mall and the very early days of croquet, when the hoops were complete circles, as round as a gong."
Jump Stroke. A stroke which takes the ball clear over another, which may be lying in the way of hoop or object ball. (Also called Leapfrog stroke.) Loose Croquet.-The striking of the player's ball when both are set together, without putting one's foot upon it. The form universally adopted MR. CYRIL CORBALLY. (Winner of the Open Championship, 1902, 1903, 1906, 1908.) now, but formerly only the privilege of the Rover, and termed Roquet Croquet.
Mallet. Consists of head and handle. The latter is now usually about 2 ft. 9 in. to 3 ft. in length, made of ash, and trimmed to an octagon shape at the top.
The head is cylindrical, generally of boxwood, though sometimes of lignum vitæ, 8 in. in length and 3 in. in diameter, the weight of mallet altogether being about 3 lbs. Formerly the mallets were intended for use with one hand, and were very small and light.
The heads were of all shapes-some like a barrel, some like a dice-box, some like pickaxes, and some actually trimmed to a leather-covered point like a billiard cue.
Pass Stroke. The hitting of the ball in croqueting so that both go about in the same direction, but the player's ball goes farthest.
Really a foul stroke made by pressing the player's ball again after the opponent's has started.
Peg.-[See PosT.] Player. The one whose turn comes next.
Post. The two sticks which have to be hit by each ball during the progress of the round. They should be 18 in. above the ground, and I in. in diameter. Also called Peg and Stick, the last two being sometimes used as verbs, for hitting the post.
I2 Roquet. The old and more correct term for hitting the ball off which croquet was to be taken.
Now rarely used.
Roquet Croquet. - [See LoOSE CROQUET.] Rover. A ball which has passed through all the hoops in order, but has not hit the finishing post.
Rush. A position from which one can hit a ball and drive it into a more convenient position for making the croquet stroke proper. Hence to get a rush upon a ball is to put one's self in such a position.
Settings. The original setting had ten hoops.
This was found too easy, and the Eglinton Castle setting with nine hoops, or eight hoops and : cage, was introduced. Finally came the six-hoop or championship settings.
Split Stroke. Taking croquet so as to drive the balls on courses nearly at right angles to one another.
Stick.-[See Post.] Stop Stroke. - Taking croquet so as to drive the object ball to a distance, but, by striking one's own ball low, to keep it near the original position. It resembles the screw shot in billiards.
Strike Out.-To hit the winning post after passing through the hoops in order.
Take Croquet.-After hitting a ball, to carry one's own to it, set it down touching, and then by hitting it, to send both in the desired directions.
Tight Croquet. The old method of taking croquet, which consisted in putting the foot upon one's own ball and driving the other by the shock of the stroke to the required spot. Now illegal.
Toll the Stake.-Old term for hitting the post.
Tunnel. A very narrow hoop, or rather arch, of some length, said to have been used in the early days of croquet, but more probably only proposed.
Up Country.- [See HONG KONG, OFF TO.] Wired. A ball is wired when one or both legs of a hoop are in the way of its effecting the shot desired, or in the way of an opponent who desires to hit it.
Bibliography. Croquet, the Laws and Regulations of the Game, J. Jaques (Jaques), 1864 et seq.; The Laws of Croquet (H. Cox), annual; The Laws of Croquet, Adopted at the General Conference of Croquet Clubs, January 19th, 1870 (De la Rue), 1870-94; Croquet, Lieut.-Colonel the Hon. H. C. Needham (Bell), 1900; How to Play Croquet, W. W. Prince (Beeton), 1904; Complete Croquet Player, J. D. Heath (Routledge), 1904; Modern Croquet Tactics, C. D. Locock (The Homesdale Press), 1907.
CURLEW.-[See SHORE SHOOTING.] CURLING is the most characteristic of Scottish sports, and in one form or another has been practised in that country for more than five centuries back. From some of the words found in the glossary annexed hereto-such as Kuting, Rink, Bonspiel, Tee, &c. some have inferred that the game was introduced into Scotland from the Low Countries, but this inference from etymology is contradicted by historical facts, and there is little doubt that curling, in its origin as in its development, is peculiarly Scottish. Although now to be found in most other countries where ice abounds, [CURLING some there is always a Scottish ring about the game, and even more than golf, which has now spread over the world, it is regarded as a national sport, the title generally given to it by its devotees being " Scotland's ain game." At first the game seems to have been a kind of quoiting on the ice, a stone rounded by the action of river 1 and weighing a few pounds being used, with a niche for the thumb on one side, and one for the fingers on the other. With a curved sweep from behind, the player quoited his large pebble, and the ice carried it to the tee or mark aimed at, the thrower making due allowance for the nature of the surface in delivering his shot. This was the Kuting- Stone or Pilty-cock period of curling. Next came the Giant, or Boulder Age, when the curler took a large boulder or block from the river-bed, inserted a rough iron handle into it, and propelled it along the ice to the desired goal. The variety of weight and shape of stone during this period must have been infinite, for while 60 lb. was about the minimum, we hear of some stones which actually weighed 200 lb., and one will be seen in the forthcoming Glasgow Historical Exhibition which turns the scale at 117 lb. Each player used one stone, and when the many shaped boulders lay around the Gogsee or Tozee they must have had a motley appearance, and some of their owners must have been giants. About the middle of last century the curling stone was found in a more civilised shape, the formation of clubs for the purpose of enjoying the sport having a good deal to do with its improvement. By the end of the century the stones were all rounded with more or less precision, though some were still rather uncouth in appearance, and the variety of chiselling was so great that force rather than scientific accuracy ruled the play. The two most renowned curling clubs of the eighteenth century were the Canonmills and the Duddingston clubs. As a proof of the national character of the game, it may be stated that in the Scottish capital the magistrates used to march in procession, headed by a band playing the Curler's March, to open the winter's sport on the Nor' Loch, where the Edinburgh curlers played before they were driven therefrom to Canonmills when the Loch, now the scene of the North British Railway Station, was drained dry for city improvements. In the history of this popular pastime, the most important event was the institution in 1838 of the Grand 1 Hence the term channel-stone still given to the curling-stone.
CURLING] Caledonian Curling Club, the object of which was to be a Curling Union, in which all clubs would be associated, and which, by representatives from all its clubs annually convened as a curling parliament, would regulate the laws of the game at home and abroad. This association or union has been most successful, and it may safely be said that no sport is so admirably supervised and regulated as Curling, a fact which is due to the admirable way in which the business of the head club is conducted.1 Curling, like golf, is not only ancient, but also royal. There are some shadowy tradihis father as patron, and our present monarch, King George, taking up the same office. From this club's institution may be dated the great improvement that has made the game one of the most scientific, and required the development of the stones on such lines that they are now "things of beauty." By awarding medals for competition between clubs and districts, and by the great national gathering at Carsebreak or Glasgow for the Grand Match, in which the North of the Forth curlers meet those of the South in battle; by the institution of the International CURLING AT ST. MORITZ. tions that several of the Stuart kings played the game; and the unfortunate Darnley, who was for a time husband of the still more unfortunate Queen Mary, is reputed to have been a curler. When the late Prince Consort and her Majesty Queen Victoria were on a visit to Scotland, they were initiated into the mysteries of the game by the Earl of Mansfield, then President of the Grand Club, and the Prince agreed to become its patron. Soon after, the club received permission to wear the title "Royal," and as "The Royal Caledonian Curling Club" it has continued to preside over the sport, the late King Edward having succeeded 1 The present secretary of the club (1910) is Mr. A. Davidson Smith, C.A., and the offices are at 4A, York Place, Edinburgh. In the Annual published by the club may be found all information as to the laws of the game, literary contributions relating to it, and a list of all the associated clubs and their members. a Match-England v. Scotland and in thousand other ways, the Royal Club has fostered and advanced the fascinating icegame, and made it popular far beyond the borders of its home. Through the club's influence, the sport will, no doubt, become still more popular. There is certainly no manlier, healthier game, and the countries are fortunate in which it has been taken up and practised with enthusiasm.
Ice is, of course, the first requisite for curling. But the ice must be in good condition. Quality is of more importance than quantity. Frost being so fickle in our country, curlers have in many places had cement or tar-macadam ponds laid out. With a few degrees of frost they can have a game on these by sprinkling water over the surface, which immediately freezes. In this way play can be obtained when the natural ice is not strong enough. At various times and places, and at great expense, ice rinks have been constructed, where ice is made by an artificial process, and curlers and skaters can enjoy themselves all the year round in a handsome building, independent of the changes of the climate. Those at present existing are at Crossmyloof, Glasgow, and Knightsbridge (Prince's), London. In Canada, with the intense frost which there prevails, curlers have natural ice with covered rinks, and all the comforts which these are supposed to afford. But curling is most enjoyed in the open air, and is to be seen at its best when Greek meets Greek on some moorland loch surrounded by snow-covered mountains.
The majority of curling clubs have natural ponds constructed so that there is no danger to the players from the depth of the water, should the ice give way. These have to be constructed by puddling the bottom with clay about 6 in. thick, and making embankments suitable to the depth. The cost is not great, and the up-keep of such ponds is also simple, so that to start a curling club need not be an expensive matter. Nor is the curler's outfit costly. He must have a Broom, or Kowe, to sweep the ice when directed, for sweeping is a most important part of the game; but the best brooms, made from the plant of that name, cost little or nothing, and if that cannot be had, two shillings will procure besom of sufficient power. The curler's chief equipment is a pair of stones a a exactly matched. These range in value from 30s. to £5, and fancy prices are, of course, paid for fancy pairs. Each stone is fitted with a reversible handle and bolt, a good pair of handles being procurable for IOS. or I2S. 6d. The open or swan-necked are generally used, but a few use the closed oval variety. Curling-stones are named after the places where they are procured.
The principal varieties now in the market are Ailsa Craig, Crawfordjohn, Burnock Water, Douglas Water, Crieff, Carsphairn, and Tinkernhill. By far the larger proportion of curling-stones now in use bear the name of Ailsa Craig, from which they are quarried, and cut into square blocks before being sent to the manufacturers to be rounded and polished. They are so hard that they best resist the effect of hard knocks, and in Canada they are preferred because the excessive frost does not affect them so much as softer varieties. In the home country, Crawfordjohn and Burnock Water are also very popular stones. It is important, however, that these should be boulders before being wrought into shape, [CURLING for the quarried stones, owing to the blasting, are often strained and therefore liable to fracture; whereas the boulders, if well rounded, must have come through a long experience of grinding against each other until their flaws have all been detected and destroyed. By a recent resolution of the Royal Club, the maximum weight of the curling-stone (and handle) has been fixed at 44 lb. From 40 lb. to 44 lb. is a suitable weight for the lead or first-hand player, while from 33 lb. to 40 lb. is appropriate for other players. The majority of stones will be found to be included between 35 lb. and 38 lb. (At Montreal, Quebec, and other places in Canada, where iron with steel bottom is used in place of stone, the usual weight is from 60 lb. to 70 lb.) Each stone has two sides, one for dull, the other for keen ice. The former is usually highly polished, and so curved that the stone runs on a pivot, thus getting easily through slush when the ice is "baugh" or soft; but in Canada, and in many cases at home, a small hollow 2/2 in. or more wide is scooped out, and the stone, running on the ring or rim of the hollow, is supposed to keep better hold of the ice. The dull side of the stone, which is used when the ice is keen, has a much larger concave or hollow, the diameter of the ring in this case ranging from 5 in. to 7 in. This gives the stone a better catch of the ice, and all leading stones should be thus concaved, that they may be able to keep their position in the "house." This side is not so highly polished as the other.
No stone is allowed in play whose circumference exceeds 36 in., and its height must not be less than one-eighth part of its greatest circumference. Those who wish to provide themselves with stones and other curling requisites will find the names of manufacturers in the advertising pages of the Royal Club Annual, which costs one shilling, and may be had at the club's offices from the secretary. Before describing rinkplay, which is the proper game of Curling, we may show the various parts of the game by "points," which are practised by curlers, and for which one day in the season is usually set apart. Just as a golfer might practise driving, lofting, and putting preparatory to a full game at golf, so the curler may learn his art by trying his hand at the various "points" which have been selected to illustrate the anatomy of Curling.
The following are The Rules for the Point Game, laid down by the Royal Club:- 1. Competitors shall draw lots for the rotation of play, and shall use two Stones.
CURLING] 2. The measurement of the Rink for Point Play shall be in conformity with the provisions of Chapter V., Rule 1, for Rink Play. 3. Two Circles, having a radius of 4 ft. and 7. ft. respectively, shall be drawn round the Tee, and a line through the centre of these circles to the Hog score. 4. Every Competitor shall play four shots at each of the nine following points of the game, viz., Striking, Inwicking, Drawing, Guarding, Chap and Lie, Wick and Curl in, Raising, Chipping the Winner, and Drawing through a Port, according to the definitions and diagrams here given. 5. In Nos. 2, 6, 8, and 9, and at Outwicking when played, two Stones shall be played on the right and two on the left. 6. No stone shall be considered without a circle unless it is entirely clear of that circle.
NOTE I.-No scores made in Local Competitions shall be reported in the Annual unless these have been conducted under the above Rules.
NOTE 2.-Much time will be saved if two Rinks be prepared lying parallel to each other, the Tee of the one being at the reverse end of the other Rink; every Competitor plays both Stones up the one Rink, and immediately afterwards both down the other, finishing thus at each round all his chances at that point.
The following is the diagram to be drawn on the ice before playing:- THE TATE LIBRARY, BRIXTON, S.W. inside, it shall count 1; if it perceptibly move both Stones, it shall count 2. 3. Drawing.-A Stone being played, if the same lie within or on the 7-ft. circle, it shall count 1; if within or on the 4-ft. circle, it shall count 2. 2 4. Guarding. - A Stone being placed on the Tee, if the Stone played rest within 6 in. of the central line, it shall count 1; if on the line, it shall count 2. It must be over the Hog, but must not touch the Stone to be guarded. 7 FT CIRCLE 4 FT CIRCLE 2.6 D b C a-b=8 ft.; a-c=10 ft.; a-d=21 ft.
Placed Stones shown. Played Stones shown.
The various points and the values given for them in the point game are shown in the diagrams and definitions here given :- 5. Chap and Lie.-A Stone being placed on the Tee, if struck out of the 7-ft. circle, and the played Stone lie within or on the same circle, it shall count 1; if struck out of the 7-ft. circle, and the played Stone lie within or on the 4-ft. circle, it shall count 2. 2 1. Striking.-A Stone being placed on the Tee, if struck, shall count 1; if struck out of the 7-ft. circle, it shall count 2. 6. Wick and Curl in. -A Stone being placed with its inner edge 7 ft. distant from the Tee, and its fore edge on a line making an angle of 45° with the central line, if the same be struck, and the played Stone curl on or within the 7-ft. circle, it shall count 1; if struck, and the played Stone curl on or within the 4-ft. circle, it shall count 2. 2 2. Inwicking. -A Stone being placed on the Tee, and another with its inner edge 2 ft. 6 in. from the Tee, and its fore edge on a line drawn from the Tee at an agle of 45° with the central line, if the played Stone strike the latter on the 7. Raising.-A Stone being placed with its centre on the central line and its inner edge 8 ft. in front of the Tee, if it be struck into or on the 7-ft. circle, it shall count 1; if struck into or on the 4-ft. circle, it shall count 2. 1 8. Chipping the Winner. - A Stone being placed on the Tee, and another with its inner edge IO ft. in front, just touching the central line, and half guarding the one on the Tee, and a third Stone being placed 4 ft. behind the Tee, with its inner edge touching the central line, but on the opposite side from that on which the guard is placed, if the played Stone strike the Stone placed behind the Tee, it shall count 1; if it strike the Stone on the Tee, it shall count 2. 9. Drawing through a Port.-A Stone being placed with its inner edge on the central line IO ft. in front of the Tee, and another Stone on the opposite side and with its inner edge 2 ft. from the central line, if the played Stone pass between these two Stones without touching either, and rest within or on the 7-ft. circle, it shall count I; if within or on the 4-ft. circle, it shall count 2.
Outwicking. - A Stone being placed with its inner edge 7 ft. distant from the Tee, and its centre on a line making an angle of 45° with the central line, if struck within or on the 7-ft. circle, it shall count I; if struck within or on the 4-ft. circle, it shall count 2.
This point is only played in the event of two or more competitors gaining the same number of shots.
If the competition cannot be decided by these shots, the Umpire shall order one or more of the preceding points to be played again by the Competitors who are equal.
The point game serves a good purpose.
It shows how difficult curling is; for while it is possible to score 72 at these 9 points, no one has ever done so, or hoped to do SO. Twenty-five is accounted a good score, and medals, in the great majority of clubs, are won with scores under that figure.
These points, as we have indicated, are only the "bones" of curling. The living game is the rink-game. The word Rink [CURLING has two meanings. In one case it is the team of four players. When this rink is made up, with a skilled and tried hand as skip or captain, and three other trusty players under him, and three opponents under their skip are drawn against them in battle array, the contest begins. The rink is also the name for the field of battle itself.
This has to be clearly drawn and defined, for it is not only the slippery nature of the field, but also its narrowness, that makes the curling fight so keen. The game is not allowed to go on "all over the place," but a small portion of the ice is taken up, scores and broughs or circles laid down, and limitations fixed which give intensity and excitement to the play. We must now proceed to give a diagram of the ground, or Rink.
The following directions comprise in brief the chief requirements of the diagram and conditions of the rink. It need scarcely be explained that the dark lines bounding the diagram are not to be drawn, and that rinks may be multiplied according to the extent of the pond and of the match, without making any boundaries of that kind, sufficient space being afforded for each two rinks of players to have their game.
DIRECTIONS.
I. The Tees to be 38 yds. apart. 2. Around each Tee draw a circle having a radius of 7 ft. [Inner circles may also be drawn.] 3. In alignment with the Tees, draw central lines to points 4 yds. behind each Tee. 4. Draw scores across the Rink at right angles to the central line, viz. :- (a) The Foot Score-18 in. in length, 4 yds. behind each Tee. (b) The Back Score-behind and just touching outside the 7-ft. circle. (c) The Sweeping Score-across the 7-ft. circle and through each Tee. (d) The Hog Score-distant from the Tee one-sixth part of the distance between the Foot Score and the further Tee.
N.B. The length of the Rink for play is 42 yds. It may be shortened, but in no case shall it be less than 32 yds. (Sect. 1).
All measurements of shots shall be from the centre of the Tee to the nearest part of the stone.
With the diagram and directions before us, we may now deal with the rules of the game as drawn up and recently revised by the Royal Club.
THE RULES OF THE GAME OF CURLING. 1. All Matches shall be of a certain number of Heads, or Shots, or by Time, as may be agreed on, or as fixed by an Umpire at the outset. In the event of Competitors being equal, play shall be continued by all the Rinks engaged for one or more Heads until the Match has been decided. 2. Every Rink of players shall be composed of four a side, each using two Stones, and no player shall wear boots, tramps, or sandals with spikes or other contrivance which shall break or damage CURLING] the surface of the ice. The rotation of play play observed during the first Head of a Match shall not be changed. be finished as if it had been properly played from the beginning. 3. The Skips opposing each other shall settle by lot, or in any other way they may agree upon, Diagram to be drawn on the Ice, and referred to throughout the Rules as the Kink. 12. The sweeping shall be under the direction and control of the Skips. The player's party may sweep the ice from the Hog Score next the player FOOT SCORE 4 Yards!
BACK SCORE 1 FOOT RADIUS 4 FOOTRS SWEEPING 7 Yards SCORE DOH 24 Yards HOG SCORE 7 Yards SWEEPING 1 FOOT RADIUS 4.FOOT R SCORE SCALE OF FEET COMPOLSORY 10 5 0 10 20 30 40 50 ...... OPTIONAL BACK 4 yards SCORE which party shall lead at the first Head, after which the winners of the preceding Head shall do so. 4. All Curling-Stones shall be of a circular shape. No Stone, including handle, shall be of a greater weight than 44 lbs. imperial, or of greater circumference than 36 in., or of less height than one-eighth part of its greatest circumference. 5. No Stone shall be substituted for another (except under Rules IO and 14) after a Match has been begun, but the sole of a Stone may be reversed at any time during a Match, provided the player is ready to play when his turn comes. 6. Should a Stone be broken, the largest fragment shall be considered in the Game for that Head-the player being entitled to use another Stone, or another pair, during the remainder of the Game. 7. All Stones which roll over, or come to rest on their sides or tops shall be removed from the ice. 8. Should the Handle quit the Stone in delivery, the player must keep hold of it; otherwise he shall not be entitled to replay the shot. 9. Players, during the course of each Head, shall be arranged along the sides, but well off the centre of the Rink, as the Skips may direct; and no one, except when sweeping according to rule, shall go upon the centre of the Rink, or cross it, under any pretence whatever. Skips only shall be entitled to stand within the Seven-Foot Circle.
The Skip of the playing party shall have the choice of place, and shall not be obstructed by the other Skip in front of the Tee, while behind it the privileges of both, in regard to sweeping, shall be equal. a 10. Each player must be ready to play when his turn comes, and must not take more than reasonable time to play. Should a player play a wrong Stone, any of the players may stop it while running; but if the mistake is not noticed till the Stone is at rest, the Stone which ought to have been played shall be put in its place, to the satisfaction of the opposing Skip. II. If a player should play out of his turn, the Stone so played may be stopped in its progress, and returned to the player. Should the mistake not be discovered till the Stone is at rest, or has struck another Stone, the opposing Skip shall have the option of adding one to his score and allowing the Game to proceed, or of declaring the Head null and void. If another Stone be played before the mistake is discovered, the Head must VOL. II to the Tee, and any Stone set in motion by a played Stone may be swept by the party to which it belongs. When snow is falling or drifting, the player's party may sweep the ice from Tee to Tee. The sweeping shall always be to a side, and no sweepings shall be left in front of a running Stone. Both Skips have equal right to clean and sweep the ice behind the Tee at any time, except when a player is being directed by his Skip. At the end of any Head, either of the Skips may call upon the whole of the players to clean and sweep the entire Rink. If objected to, this shall be subject to the approval of the acting Umpire. 13. (a) If, in sweeping or otherwise, a running Stone is marred by any of the party to which it belongs, it may, in the option of the opposing Skip, be put off the ice; but if by any of the adverse party, it may be placed where the Skip of the party to which it belongs shall direct. If marred in any other way, the player shall replay the Stone. (b) Should any played Stone be displaced before the Head is reckoned, it shall be placed as nearly as possible where it lay, to the satisfaction of the Skip opposed to the party displacing. If displaced by any neutral party, both Skips should agree upon the position to which it is to be returned; but if they do not agree, the Umpire shall decide. 14. No measuring of shots shall be allowed previous to the termination of the Head. Disputed shots shall be determined by the Skips; if they disagree, by the Umpire; or, when there is no Umpire, by some neutral person chosen by the Skips. All measurements shall be taken from the centre of the Tee to the nearest part of the Stone. 15. The Skip shall have the exclusive regulation and direction of the Game for his Rink, and may play last Stone, or any part in the Game he pleases, but he shall not be entitled to change his position when that has been fixed. When his turn to play comes, he shall select one of his players to act as Skip in his place, and take the position of an ordinary player. He shall not have any choice or direction in the game till he returns to the Tee as Skip. 16. If any player engaged in the Game shall speak to, annoy, taunt, or interrupt another, not being of his own side, while in the act of delivering his Stone, one shot for each offence may be added to the score of the party so annoyed. 17. If from any change of weather after a Match has been begun, or from any other reasonable cause, one party shall desire to shorten the Rink, or to change to another, and if the two Skips cannot agree, the Umpire shall, after seeing one end played, determine whether and how much the Rink shall be shortened, or whether it shall be changed, and his decision shall be final. Should there be no acting Umpire, or should he be otherwise engaged, the two Skips may call in any neutral Curler to decide, and his powers shall be equal with those of the Umpire. The Umpire shall, in the event of the ice appearing to him to be dangerous, stop the Match. He shall postpone it, even if begun, when the state of the ice is in his opinion not fitted for testing the Curling skill of the players. Except in very special circumstances, of which the Umpire shall be judge, a Match shall not proceed, or be continued, when a thaw has fairly set in, or when snow is falling and likely to continue during the Match, nor shall it be continued if darkness comes on to prevent the played Stones being well seen by players at the other end of the Rink. In every case the Match, when renewed, must be begun de novo. 18. Every Stone shall be eligible to count which is not clearly outside the 7-ft. Circle.
Every Stone which does not clear the Hog-Score shall be a Hog, and must be removed from the ice, but no Stone shall be considered a Hog which has struck another Stone lying in position. Stones passing the Back Score, and lying clear of it, must be removed from the ice, as also any Stone which in its progress touches the swept snow on either side of the Rink.
At the opening of the game the two skips take their place at the Boardhead to direct their players. Skip A having won the toss, calls on his "lead" to play. The lead "fits his tee," that is, gets himself into proper position on the crampit or iron footboard, which, with its underspikes fixed in the ice, is prevented from slipping. A canny, or quiet, draw is expected from the lead, and it is better that his stone, when spent, should lie short of the tee, where it is in the way of promotion, than be past, when it is not likely to count. Skip B now has his turn, and he tries to get his leader to play a stone nearer the tee than his neighbour. So the game goes on. If either skip gets a stone [CURLING into good position, he tries to get it guarded or protected by the next player. When the three on each side have done their parts, the skips then take the position of ordinary players, each being directed by his third or or a hin'-han' player. Very often the fate of the end or head depends on them, so they require to be cool and experienced players.
The skips having finished, the "end" "head" is counted. All stones that lie within the 7-ft. ring are eligible for counting, and if one skip had all his shots so well played as to lie therein, while none of his opponent's are nearer the tee, he might actually score 8. This, however, is rare occurrence in the game. Indeed, the game is best when it is a tussle for one shot at each end, and that depending on the last stone. Curling has been called bowling on the ice, but a true curler would call bowling a very feeble shadow of his favourite game. A stone is useless that does not reach the colly or hog score, and of no value if it passes out of the parish, or 7-ft. ring. This confines the area of play, and calls for greater nicety of calculation than in bowling. The twist, which corresponds to the bias at bowling, is also a much more scientific action as seen in curling. The stone itself gives no assistance by an overweighted side as in the case of a bowl. By an elbow-in or elbow-out turn (which is really more from the wrist than from the elbow) a stone may be made to curl round a guard and find a winner, or to go straight to the tee when the bias of the ice leads away from it; the in-turn is made when the curl is to be toward the right, the out-turn when it is to the left.
This is the acme of scientific play, and is seen to perfection on the Canadian rinks, where the players have more practice and CURLING] generally better ice than in this country.
Without this power the player is at the mercy of the bias, and must content himself with such a "borrow" as will eventually lead his stone to the place aimed at. 66 66 66 Any ordinary match will give occasion for all the points" formerly described being required. But others abound as infinite and varied as Cleopatra's charms. Some are of the quiet order. The player will be called on to "crack an egg," to come snoovin down the howe and chuckle gently to the patlid," to "edge in to the fireside," to " smell the ring," to "cuddle into Grannie's wing," to kittle up up" one stone and let another "die" as his skip directs, to "pit doon a bit sidelin' shot on 'ither side of the Wittyr'," and so on, all these directions being redolent of the home of the game. Or, as desperate diseases require desperate remedies, he may be asked to come wi' a hair o' pith," and cannon or "redd the hoose"; he may be asked to "ride" out the winner or drive a "bullet" into him, or if things appear hopeless he may simply try "a thunderin' cast," and wait the result of rebutting, for strange things happen betimes in the parish when every way to victory seems barred. Some years ago, in a match played at Edinburgh, one side were lying five shots, and the skip of the other side sent up his last stone in desperation and with all his might; when the air cleared, it was found that the five shots of the enemy had all been removed, and that his own side actually lay five shots! 66 66 وو It is essential in curling that implicit obedience be given by the players to the skip, and when they are not playing the members of a rink should all be on the alert, ready to sweep their utmost or to desist from sweeping, as the skip directs.
Indeed, the importance of this part of the 66 THE TATE LIBRARY, BRIXTON, S.W. game can scarcely be over-estimated.
Keep your eye on the skip" is a good rule for the player when about to deliver his playe stone. Some hunker, others stand half erect. There is no hard-and-fast rule. But a player who gets into position in the style of the Fig. No. I, follows what appears to us the best plan for taking accurate aim and having complete power over the stone.
As he elevates his body he raises the stone, and, stepping forward, he brings it down in such a gentle curve that it meets the ice without friction, and has a good start in its career, which in curling, as in life, goes for much. Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 are illustrations of various stages in the swing and delivery of the stone which may all be studied with advantage.
It is claimed for curling that it is the healthiest of all sports, giving "birr and smeddum" to the body at the season of the year when it is most needed. Also that it is the most democratic, for on the ice peer and peasant are equal, and Jack is even better than his master, if he can "guard" or "draw" or "wick a bore" in better style. Certainly no game is more sociable.
It is not only that players meet with heartiest "grip" in these matches on the ice, but from time immemorial there has followed on the day's play the evening's diversion, when victors and vanquished meet to partake of "beef and greens," and fight their battles over again as the toddy goes round. Toasts and sentiments relating to the game are proposed, such as "The King and the Core," "The Courts of Just-ice," "The Land o' Cakes and her ain game o' Curlin'," " May we ne'er be a hog, when we should be in the hoose,” “May curlers on life's slippery rink frae cruel rubs be free." Many clubs have also "courts," at which new members are "brothered" or C2 "initiated." These courts are the occasion of many high jinks, the candidates being put through some extraordinary performances prior to receiving the "word" and the "grip." During the meeting fines are imposed for all kinds of factitious offences, and "the roupin o' the stoup," or sale of the box of fines to the highest bidder, closes the hilarious meeting. Dr. Norman Macleod and others have written spirited curling songs which help to make such meetings all the merrier.
Curling has not yet taken such a hold of [CURLING to, and the other associations above named, issue Annuals with information of the same kind, in addition to lists of clubs.
JOHN KERR.
Lambeth Public Libraries GLOSSARY.
Baugh ice.-Damp or bad ice.
Beef and greens. -The traditional dish at a curler's dinner.
Bias. Any deviation of the ice from the level.
Boardhead. The whole 14-ft. circle around the tee (q.v.) Also called HOUSE and PARISH.
Bonspiel. A curling match between two rival districts or parishes. To be distinguished from England as golf. But it is gradually making spiels, which are properly, according to Christo- 1 way in the south, there being now 38 English clubs in direct association with the Royal Club, which has 632 clubs in Scotland. The majority of the English clubs have combined to form an association of their own with its headquarters at Malton.
Associated clubs are found in other places -Canadian Branch 37, New Brunswick I, Newfoundland 2, New Zealand 10, Nova Scotia 2, Russia 1, Switzerland 7, United States 2. This list does not include all clubs, but only those directly under rule of the Royal Club. In the United States there is the Grand National Curling Club, with 25 different local clubs under its care. Then, besides the Canadian clubs above noted, there exists the Manitoba Branch of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, which has no less than 108 affiliated clubs, and which, in respect of the amount of play afforded each season, is perhaps the most favoured of all curling organisations. Other Canadian Curling Associations are the Ontario Branch with 98 clubs, Alberta with 16 clubs, Kootenay with 12 clubs, Nova Scotia with 14 clubs, Saskatchewan with 12 clubs, and British Columbia. The visit of Scots Curlers to Canada under the captaincy of the Rev. J. Kerr in 1903, and the visit to Scotland in 1909 of a Canadian team under the captaincy of the Hon. D. C.
Fraser, Lieut.-Governor of Nova Scotia, have advanced the game in the Mother Country and the Dominion.
Full information as to the evolution and science of curling will be found in The History of Curling, by the Rev. J. Kerr (Douglas, Edinburgh). The Annual of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, from which we have been permitted to take the diagrams in this article, contains all rules and regulations as to the game. The Grand National