should be repeated with the left foot, and the action continued until it can be performed with ease and elegance. The moderate pace differs from the march in one or two particulars: thus, the ball of the foot, instead of the toe, must first touch the ground, and the toes should not be so much turned out as in the slow walk. In the quick step, the body should be thrown more forward than in the other steps, the toes less pointed out, and the knees allowed to be slightly bent and springy; the head, however, must still be kept erect. All these steps should be practiced until they can be executed with grace and precision.

"In a graceful human step," observes a popular writer, "the heel is always raised before the foot is lifted from the ground, as if the foot were part of a wheel rolling forward; and the weight of the body, supported by the muscles of the calf of the leg, rests for the time on the fore part of the foot and toes. There is then a bending of the foot in a certain degree."

Running.

In running, the body should be inclined forward, the head be thrown somewhat back, and the respiration restrained; the upper part of the arms must be kept close to the sides, with the elbows bent; and they should not be swung about, but moved as rarely as possible, in order that no opposition may be given to the free movement of the body by the fluttering of the clothes. As the pupil advances in proficiency, he may try to run long distances in a given period of time; and he will find running in a circle an exceedingly good practice, if he vary the direction so as to work both sides equally. The pupil should be learned to make his inspirations as long, and his expirations as slow, as possible, long wind being of the utmost consequence to a good runner; but he must invariably cease running the moment his breath becomes short and painful, and perspiration takes place. It is highly injurious to run

immediately after meals. A mile in five minutes is reckoned. good speed, although it has been achieved in four minutes and a half; and to run four miles in twenty minutes is considered a feat that the best runner would be most happy to accomplish.

The Long Leap

For this exercise, it is usual to have a trench dug in the ground, widening gradually from one end to the other; but it is not essentially necessary to incur such an expense, as two lines marked on the ground, some distance apart from each other, will equally answer the purpose. The gymnasts must try to leap over this trench, following each other in quick succession, taking the wider part as their practice renders them more expert and capable of clearing it. In leaping without a run, the body should be inclined rather forward, the feet close together, and the spring taken from the balls of the toes; the hands and arms should be thrown forward, and as the leaper descends, his body should still be slightly inclined. In performing the long leap with the run, the latter should be from ten to twenty paces, and made in small, quick steps; the spring should be taken from one foot, to be drawn rapidly up to the other, so that the leaper descends upon both feet; the body must be bent, and the arms should be thrown forward toward the spot which the leaper purposes to reach. On level ground, a distance of twenty feet is considered an excellent leap, and twenty-one is very rarely achieved.

Vaulting.

The vaulting horse is a cylinder of wood, rounded off at both ends, and firmly supported on four stout legs. Two ridges of wood are fixed toward the center of the back, leaving sufficient space between them for an ordinary sized person to sit; this space is called the saddle, and the shape of the horse and its saddle will be best understood by referring

LAA

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.

to the above representations; leathern pads, well wadded with wool, should be buckled on the horse at any part on which the exercises are intended to be performed. In Fig. 1, the manner of leaping on the horse is shown to be by placing the hands upon the top, and springing lightly on it. In vaulting into the saddle, the hands must be placed upon one of the ridges, a spring taken at the same instant, and the body turned on one side; so that only one leg passes over the horse, and the performer then descends into the saddle in the proper position: this exercise may be performed either with or without a run. Fig. 2 shows the position in side vaulting; in which the hands are placed on the ridges, and at the moment the spring is made and the feet are thrown over the horse, one hand lets go its hold, as in the illustration, and the gymnast alights upon his toes on the other side of the horse: this should be practiced from both sides. Fig. 3 represents vaulting on or over the saddle, in performing which, the hands are placed on each ridge, and the spring is taken between them; when the body may either rest in the saddle, or go over it.

The leaping stand

The High Leap.

is formed of two upright posts, with holes bored through them, about one inch apart, and in which two movable pegs. as shown in the annexed illustration

may be placed at any height required; weights are placed on the feet of these posts, to keep them from falling, and over the projecting ends of the pegs a line is laid, having a sand-bag attached to its ends, in order to keep it straight; the leap being always taken from the side of the stand toward which the heads of the pegs are turned,

if the gymnast's feet should happen to touch the cord, it is, of course, pushed off, and falls immediately. The high leap should be practiced, first standing, and then with a short run; in the standing leap, the feet must be kept close together, and in the leap with a run- which ought not to exceed ten paces - as directed for the long leap. In all these leaps, the performer should alight on the balls of his feet, so as to deaden the shock and descent, which, if not thus broken, might occasion injury.

The Deep Leap.

In practicing the deep leap, the body must be bent, and the hands placed in front of the feet, so that they touch the ground before the latter; or this leap may be made without the hands. This exercise is likely to affect the brain if the descent be made on the heels, instead of the balls of the toes an effect only to be prevented by constantly practicing progressive exercises, from three or four to twelve feet: for this purpose, a flight of steps is the best adapted; the pupil ascending a certain number, jumping from the side, and increasing the number of steps, or height, as he attains proficiency.

Climbing the Upright and Slant Poles.

The upright pole may be two inches and a half in diameter, the slant pole about three inches, and both of them perfectly round and smooth. The climber should take hold of the pole with both hands, as high as he can possibly reach, and raise himself by drawing up his legs; he should then hold very fast on with the latter, and move his hands higher; again draw up his legs, and thus continue ascending, moving his arms and legs alternately. When descending, he should slightly loosen the grasp of his legs, and take his hands from the pole, yet hold them in a guarded manner on each side.

Climbing the Rope.

To climb the rope, cross the feet, and hold the rope firmly between them; move the hands one above the other, alternately, and draw the feet up between each movement of the hands. In the sailor's manner of climbing, the rope from the hands passes between the thighs, and twists round one leg, just below the knee, and over the instep-as shown in the annexed figure; the other foot then presses upon the rope, and thus an extremely firm support is obtained.

The slant rope is best climbed by placing the sole of one foot flat on the rope, and the other leg across its instep. In descending the rope, the pupil should not slide down, but lower the hands alternately; else they may be injured by

the friction.

Climbing the Wooden Ladder.

The learner should seize each side of the ladder, and, by moving his hands alternately, ascend as far as his strength will permit. He should next try to climb the ladder by the