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The mounted hide of which race horse is displayed at the Melbourne Museum in Australia? | Horses� Birthday 2017
In Australia, every horse has its birthday on the first day of August each year..
Tuesday 1st August 2017
All thoroughbreds have the same birthday so that their ages can be standardized for comparison because of the historical lack of records of actual birth days.
All thoroughbred horses celebrate their birth day on the same date, January 1 in the Northern hemisphere and August 1 in the Southern hemisphere.
After the first time a horse is alive on August 1st it is considered a yearling. The next August 1st is it's 2nd birthday and it is considered 2 years old, even though it could conceivably be one year one day old.
Phar Lap
Today we like to remember 'Big Red' better known as Phar Lap . Phar Lap (1926�1932) was a champion thoroughbred racehorse whose achievements captured the public's imagination during the early years of the Great Depression.
Foaled in New Zealand, and brought to Australia, Phar Lap dominated Australian racing during a distinguished career, winning a Melbourne Cup, two Cox Plates and 19 other weight for age races. He then won the Agua Caliente Handicap in Tijuana, Mexico in track-record time in his final race. After a sudden and mysterious illness, Phar Lap died in 1932. At the time, he was the third highest stakes-winner in the world.
His mounted hide is displayed at Melbourne Museum , his skeleton at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and his heart at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.
next birthday
Date: Tuesday 1st of August 2017
2017-08-01
| Phar Lap |
A bust of which British Prime Minister was said to have been removed from the White House and taken to the British Embassy in Washington when Barack Obama took office? | Phar Lap skeleton to cross Tasman for Cup - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Phar Lap skeleton to cross Tasman for Cup
Philippa McDonald in Auckland
Updated June 17, 2010 12:30:00
New Zealand has agreed to part temporarily with the skeleton of Phar Lap, one of its most closely held museum exhibits and a point of pride for both New Zealand and Australia.
The skeleton is to be sent to Australia in time for this year's Melbourne Cup.
Phar Lap was born in New Zealand, but both countries have always claimed Phar Lap as their own.
In death the horse's remains have been divided between both countries. His mounted hide is on display at the Melbourne Museum while his heart is exhibited at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.
To mark the 150th anniversary of the Melbourne Cup, Wellington's Te Papa Museum has agreed to lend Phar Lap's skeleton to the Melbourne Museum for a reunion of sorts.
The great horse's skeleton will be displayed alongside its hide.
Coup for Victoria
The Victorian Racing Minister Rob Hulls says having the skeleton of Phar Lap on show in Melbourne will be an economic boon for the state.
Mr Hulls says New Zealand has never before agreed to lend Phar Lap's skeleton to an international museum.
"Phar lap won the 1930 Melbourne Cup 80 years ago," he said
"He is synonymous with the great race and having his skeleton on display alongside his hide will, I think, be an economic boom for Victoria, with something like 350,000 people expected at the museum during the exhibition period."
Mr Hulls has renewed calls for the National Museum in Canberra to loan Phar Lap's heart to mark the milestone.
"I guess the final part of the jigsaw is for the national museum in canberra to show some heart and allow Phar Lap's heart to also be displayed alongside his skeleton and his hide," he said.
| i don't know |
In humans, steatopygia is a high degree of fat accumulation in and around which part of the body? | What is Steatopygia?
What is Steatopygia?
Apr 4, 2007 15:09 GMT · By Stefan Anitei ·
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Steatopygia is a high degree of fat accumulation in and around the buttocks.
The deposit of fat is not confined to the buttock regions, but extends to the outside and front of the thighs, forming a thick layer reaching sometimes to the knee.
This is a widespread genetic trait of the Khoisan (more commonly known as Bushmen).
It is specially a female feature, but it occurs in a lesser degree at men too (in most genetic variations of Homo sapiens, females tend to exhibit a greater propensity to fat tissue accumulation in the buttock region as compared with males).
This trait is also found amongst the Pygmies of Central Africa or from Andaman Islands (Southeast Asia).
Khoisan see this as a beauty sign: it begins in infancy and is fully developed by the time of the first pregnancy.
Steatopygia is often accompanied by the formation of elongated labia (labia minora may extend as much as 4 inches (10 cm) (!) outside the vulva).
Look how a Boer in the XVIII the century describes this trait:
"The lining of the body appears to be loose, so that in certain places part of it dangles out. They have to themselves this peculiarity from other races that most of them possess finger-shaped appendages, always double, hanging down from the private parts; these are evidently nymphae (labia minora)."
James Cook, the famous British navigator, noted in 1771, while passing by Cape colony:
"The great question among natural historians, whether the women of this country have or have not that fleshy flap or apron which has been called the Sinus pudoris. The most recent testimony of travellers commands us to put the cutaneous ventrale of female Hottentots in the same category as the human tail, and in like manner to relegate it to the fables."
Steatopygia was studied for the first time by scientists in 1805, by French zoologists P?ron and Lesueur, but at that time, many thought this was inaccurate or exaggerated, or that they had examined monstrosities and represented them as normal, or perhaps the subject may had been regarded as indelicate.
The labia forms can vary amongst Bushmen populations: in South West Africa, each labium is flattened and broadened to form a wing-like object, when laid out flat (the 'butterfly' type) while in Botswana and the Cape Province of South Africa the width is reduced and the anterior part thickened, resulting in an object like the wattle of a turkey-cock.
The 'wattle' type is commonly 3-4" long (7? - 10 cm), the 'butterfly' l? - 2" (3.8 - 6.3 cm).
Pygmies (both from Africa and Asia) and Bushmen are seen as the remnants of the most archaic current races and once, they inhabited most of Africa, from the Gulf of Aden to the Cape of Good Hope and all southern Asia till New Guinea.
Hottentots, of mixed Bushmen-Bantu roots, also often present this trait, as do Basters, mulattoes between Boers and Bushmen or Hottentots, while at the Khoisan, males can present steatopygia more often than Hottentot women.
It seems that steatopygia in both sexes was common in early types of Homo sapiens.
Paleolithic figurines and cave paintings from Europe depicting women, some as old as 30,000 years, clearly display stetopygia.
Those Cro-Magnon were more similar racially to the current Bushmen and Pygmies than any current European type.
However, the type of Neolithic Venus figurines (about 10,000 years old) do not strictly match steatopygia, since they have an angle of about 120 degrees between the back and the buttocks, while steatopygia is characterized at an angle of just about 90 degrees.
In 3500 years old Egyptian painting, the queen of Punt is presented displaying steatopygia, so this country still not precisely located could have been situated in Eastern Africa.
These very large buttocks occur sporadically also among current African and Europid women. (of course, some African women can possess Khoisan genes, so they display real steatopygia).
In steatopygia, the buttocks consist of masses of fat incorporated between criss-crossed sheets of connective tissue, joined to one another in a regular manner, while in other greatly enlarged buttocks, there is a mere accumulation of fat between two of the gluteus muscles (maximus and medius).
Steatopygia is believed to be an adaptive physiological feature for female humans living in hot environments, as it maximizes their bodies' surface-area/volume ratio but keeps enough fat to produce hormones needed for menstruation.
With fat deposited heavily in only certain areas in the middle on the trunk of the body, the limbs are left slim enough to expel heat more efficiently.
But more likely, being able to store large fat amounts is important in very seasonal environments like those in African savanna, where during the dry season, a food shortage installs, and live largely off of their stored fat.
Bushmen and pygmies are still hunters-gatherers, unlike other African populations that practice agriculture, so they do not experience severe food shortage during the dry season.
Women possessing these fat deposits can keep on reproducing through the unproductive seasons, thereby increasing their fitness.
Others say that the steatopygia developed as a response to sexual selection.
These Bushmen....
| Buttocks |
Which word can go after Harbour, Quiz and Head to make three other words? | Human Differentiation: Evolution of Racial Characteristics
Evolution of Racial Characteristics
Migration and Differentiation of Modern Humans
The original Homo sapiens environment in eastern sub-Saharan Africa consisted of tropical and equatorial forests, savannahs, and riverine settings that suited their hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Over thousands of years, evolution had optimized their physical characteristics for sustained occupation of their surroundings. Their range extended from latitude 20 deg North to 35 deg South. Their heads tended to be elongated, to better support heat dissipation, and their skin, eye and hair color was likely dark, to protect against relatively high levels of UV radiation.
A global cooling trend that began about 130,000 years ago caused average temperatures to drop from about 10 deg F higher than current levels to about 15 deg F lower than current levels by 70,000 years ago. During the last glacial maximum, 26,000 to 19,000 years ago, ice sheets covered much of northern Europe, northern Asia, and North America. Elsewhere during that period there were numerous mountain glaciers.
A global warming trend that began about 18,000 years ago caused glaciers to recede and brought temperatures close to current levels by 10,500 years ago. These long-term worldwide climate changes affected humidity, vegetation, sea levels and coastlines, and the distribution and abundance of animal prey.
When environmental changes caused some Homo sapiens populations to migrate away from Africa, they encountered new environments and adapted their lifestyles to suit their new-found circumstances. Expanding populations tended to maintain contact with groups they had moved away from, through tribal or family connections or for access to known resources, for example chert, flint, and certain types of wood. Over tens of thousands of years, Homo sapiens traveled tens of thousands of miles and moved into habitats ranging from arid to rain forest, from sweltering hot to frigid, from sea-level to highly elevated, and from plain to mountainous. The vast distances covered, and the encounter of physical barriers that once surmounted were unlikely to be crossed again, sometimes resulted in the practical isolation of populations.
Some populations were isolated sufficiently long in their new habitats to develop inheritable characteristics that distinguished their members from those of different provenance. Certain evolutionary trends were adaptations to the general environment. For example, in general, body size increased with decreasing ambient temperature, and skin darkness decreased with increasing latitude. Other evolutionary trends were driven by local conditions, such as humidity and winds, and by prevalent infectious diseases.
Sustained reproductive isolation of human populations exposed to differing environments led over time to the evolution of distinct human races. The Homo sapiens species came to comprise a number of races, differentiated natural human populations. The area within which a race evolved is its ecosphere. The borders of an ecosphere are either barriers of a physical type, such as seas or mountains, or zones where there is a change in environment, such as a transition from arable land to desert.
Australian Aborigines and Papuans
Australia, New Guinea and nearby islands are the ecosphere of the Australian Aborigine and Papuan race. Before the end of the last glacial period, 19,000 years ago, New Guinea, Australia and Tasmania were part of the same land mass and had similar animal and plant populations. Humans passed through New Guinea and settled there on their way to Australia. Homo sapiens reached Australia about 50,000 years ago, when the expansion of glaciers caused a lowering of sea levels and narrowed the gap between southeast Asia and the New Guinea-Australia land mass. Bands of humans expanded throughout the Australian continent and what is now Tasmania but settled mostly on the eastern regions of Australia.
Australia and New Guinea became isolated from mainland Asia due to rising sea levels since the end of the last glacial maximum 19,000 years ago. The land bridges linking Australia to New Guinea and nearby lands began to be submerged about 13,000 years ago. By 6,000 years ago the Torres Straits reached close to the present configuration.
About 2,000 B.C., seafaring populations from East Asia reached New Guinea and some settled coastal regions that had previously been inhabited only by aboriginal Papuan peoples. Spanish and Portuguese explorers first reached New Guinea in the early sixteenth century. Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon landed in Queensland, Australia, in 1606 A.D.
Australian Aborigines are commonly of fair stature, with well-developed torso and arms, and slender legs. The color of the skin is a shade of chocolate-brown or black, and the eyes are very dark brown or black. The hair is usually raven-black, not woolly, but fine and silky in texture, wavy, and long. The beard in males is well developed, as is the hair upon the body and the eyebrows. Male pattern balding is relatively common. Most Australian Aborigines (61 per cent) have blood type O.
The Australian Aborigines are typically dolichocephalic (narrow-headed), their cranial index (per cent ratio of cranial breadth to length) rarely exceeding 75 or 76. The brow-ridges are strong and prominent. The skull shape, looked from behind (norma occipitalis) is often sharply pentagonal. The nose is broad, the jaws are heavy, and the lips thick. Looked from the side (norma lateralis) the face tends to prognatism.
Aboriginal Papuans, descendants of the humans that first settled New Guinea, are racially similar to Australian Aborigines. Papuans typically have curly and sometimes wooly hair rather than the wavy hair typical of Australian Aborigines.
Australian Aborigine and Papuan populations diverged genetically and culturally during several thousand years of geographical separation. Unlike Australian Aborigines, who were strictly hunter-gatherers, aboriginal Papuans practiced agriculture. Their somewhat lower stature may result from lower protein intake or from adaptation to a more humid environment with greater vegetation cover than the desert-dwelling Australians.
Papuans speak many different native languages which are distinct from Asian and Polynesian languages. Papuan languages spoken in the New Guinea highlands have lexical similarities to reconstructed proto-Australian, indicating enduring similarities despite 6,000 to 8,000 years of geographical separation.
American Indians (Native Americans)
North America, South America, and the Caribbean islands are the ecosphere of the American Indian race. About 20,000 years ago, glaciers forming in the northern hemisphere locked up so much water that the ocean levels became 300 feet lower than today. A land bridge closed the Bering Strait, forming a land passage between northern Asia and America. The asiatic ancestors of American Indians first migrated from Siberia to Alaska about 14,000 or 15,000 years ago . The passage existed until about 10,500 years ago, when temperatures reached current levels and the Bering connection was severed by rising sea levels.
Following their initial migration to North American territories, early American Indians traveled to and settled Central America and the Caribbean islands. They began to settle in South America by 12,500 years ago. The isolation of American Indians persisted until Europeans reached America in 1492, when a Spanish expedition led by Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas.
The term Indian as applied to original peoples of the Americas came about because Columbus was attempting to reach the Far East when he discovered America. At the time, European ideas of how the peoples of Asia and India looked like were vague. Columbus assumed that he had reached the Indies mentioned by Marco Polo in the accounts of his travels and he named the natives Indians. By the time Europeans figured out that America was not the Far East the name Indian was in common use and it remained the standard term. To avoid confusion with the peoples of the Indian subcontinent, the term American Indian is used.
American Indians have reddish-brown skin. The hair is dark brown or black, lank, with circular cross section. Body and facial hair are typically sparse. Male pattern baldness is rare. The eyes are dark brown or black. The nose is typically long and narrow. The head shape is typically dolichocephalic.
Most American Indians (91 per cent) have blood type O. The front teeth (incisors) of American Indians often display a characteristic shovel shape.
Pacific Islanders
Polynesia, a group of over 1,000 islands in the central and southern Pacific Ocean, is the ecosphere of the Pacific Islander race. Geographically, Polynesia is a triangle with its three corners at Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island. Polynesia includes Samoa, Tonga, the Marquesas, the Solomons, French Polynesia, and other island groups located within the Polynesian triangle. About 2,500 B.C., seafaring peoples from East Asia (principally Taiwan) traveled to Indonesia, New Guinea, and islands in the western South Pacific. Later, they migrated by large canoes to islands east of New Guinea and reached Samoa about 1,500 B.C. Continuing their seafaring ways, they reached Hawaii by 100 A.D., New Zealand by 800 A.D., and Easter Island by 1,000 A.D.
Pacific island peoples traveled within the island groups by canoes using a range of navigational techniques, including a form of celestial navigation, the movement of ocean currents, and wave patterns. They derived sustenance from fishing, land animals, and from fruits and vegetables grown in island gardens. Over time, their isolation from others and adaptation to their environment led to the evolution of distinct Pacific Islander racial characteristics.
Pacific Islanders have skin of various shades of brown. The eyes are dark brown or black, with some obliquity and incidence of epicanthal fold. The nose is usually short and the hair is black, lank, and long. Pacific Islanders are mostly dolichocephalic, but some have mesocephalic (medium) or brachycephalic (wide) skull proportions. The most common blood types in Pacific Islanders are A (50 per cent) and O (42 per cent).
Blacks (Sub-Saharan Africans)
Sub-Saharan Africa is the ecosphere of the Black race. Although Africa is the original Homo sapiens environment, the present black population is the result of many thousands of years of natural selection in changing environments. There were several migrations across Africa. The early Homo sapiens migrations out of Africa, over time, were followed by population movements from Europe and Asia back and forth to Africa. But the Saharan desert presented a difficult obstacle, and the sub-Saharan population remained for the most part isolated. Having originated from the initial human population, it is also the most diverse.
Blacks are, except for pygmies, typically of fair stature, and the body and limbs slender. Pygmies are a subrace in central Africa where adult males grow to less than 4 feet 11 inches in average height. In Blacks, the skin is of various shades of brown to black. The primary determinant of skin color is the amount, density and distribution of the pigment melanin, which is associated with environmental factors varying with latitude. Dark skin offers protection from harmful UV radiation. The percentage of light reflected from black or dark brown skin varies from 12 to 42 per cent, whereas it rises to 55 to 72 per cent for white or tan skin.
Blacks have dark brown or black eyes. The hair is black, short and crisp or woolly, kinky, with flat elliptical cross section. In males, the beard and body-hair are usually scanty. Blacks are typically dolichocephalic. Brow ridges are rarely prominent. The norma occipitalis is often pentagonal. In side view, the face tends to prognathism. The nose is flat as well as broad, and the lips are thick and projecting. The majority of Blacks (54 per cent) have blood type O.
Steatopygia, a high degree of fat accumulation on the buttocks, is most common in native southern African populations. This distinctive characteristic, most noted in females, appears to be an adaptation to varying cyclic nutritional opportunities for hunter-gatherers. The front teeth (incisors) of Blacks often display a characteristic flat, spatulate shape.
Whites (Caucasians)
Europe, the Near East and North Africa are the ecosphere of the White race. By about 50,000 years ago, Homo sapiens populations began moving northward into southeastern Europe from the Middle East. The area they moved into was cold and forested. These Homo sapiens populations were followed by later migrations out of western Asia. The Cro-Magnons reached western Europe about 35,000 years ago.
Although there were subsequent back-and-forth migrations, physical boundaries tended to isolate the populations that evolved into the White race. The Arctic to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Sahara desert and the Arabian Sea to the south, and the Indus River, the Sind desert, and the Ural mountains to the east, presented difficult geographic obstacles.
Whites tend to be of relatively tall stature. They have white or tan skin. The tan on some can be quite dark. The eyes are black, brown, blue, green, hazel or grey. Light-colored irises seem to have evolved in response to relatively dim daylight conditions particularly prevalent in forested areas of northern Europe.
Light-colored skin is an adaptation to higher latitudes, favoring low levels of melanin pigmentation for prevalent low levels of UV radiation, to improve Vitamin D synthesis in the absence of brilliant sunlight. In Whites, the hair is black, brown, blond, or red, straight, wavy or curly, and of oval cross-section. In males, the beard is abundant. Male pattern baldness is relatively common. In Whites, the nose tends to be long and narrow. The skull presents all varieties of forms and can be dolichocephalic, mesocephalic, or brachycephalic. In side view, the face tends to orthognathism. The blood type of most Whites is A (44 per cent) or O (40 per cent). The front teeth (incisors) of Whites often display a characteristic flat, spatulate shape.
The breakdown and absorption of lactose, the major sugar in milk, requires the enzyme lactase. Although babies are normally capable of producing lactase in sufficient amounts, more than 80 per cent of non-White humans lose this ability after about age two. Lactose-intolerant adults can suffer from abdominal cramps and diarrhea when they drink more than a little milk. Lactose tolerance apparently evolved in Whites as an adaptation permitting adult consumption of milk following the domestication of cattle about 6,000 B.C.
Dravidians (Indians)
India is the ecosphere of the Dravidian race. Around 60,000 years ago, Homo sapiens populations in the Middle East and southwestern Asia migrated to India. Some continued to southeast Asia, and some stayed. There were subsequent population movements back and forth from the west and east. The Himalayan Mountains separate the Indian subcontinent from north central Asia, so migration to and from the north was limited. The Indus River and the Sind desert present natural obstacles to the west, and the Arakan Mountains impede travel between the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia. The relative isolation led, over time, to the emergence of distinct Dravidian racial characteristics.
Dark-skinned indigenous peoples of India were for the most part isolated since about 6,000 B.C. The Harappan civilization flourished in the Indus valley from about 3,100 B.C. to 1,900 B.C. About 1,500 B.C., Indo-European tribes from central Asia overran northern India. These Aryan invaders formed a ruling class that was mostly assimilated into the indigenous population by about 500 B.C., during the Vedic period. In 326 B.C., Alexander the Great led his armies across the Indus River and invaded northwestern India. The Macedonian occupation was brief. It left its imprint on the northern regions of India, but did not extend to the south.
Dravidians tend to be of relatively tall stature. Their skin ranges from brown to almost black. Eyes are dark brown or black. Dravidians generally possess a dolichocephalic head with a long, narrow face and well-developed forehead. Hair is black or dark brown, straight or wavy, long. The nose is straight, long and narrow. The most prevalent blood types among Dravidians are O (37 per cent) and B (33 per cent).
Asians
China, Mongolia, Southeast Asia, and the American Arctic are the ecosphere of the Asian race. Homo sapiens bands moved into southern Asia from the Caucasus region beginning about 50,000 years ago. Subsequent migrations reached northeastern Asia by 30,000 years ago. The range of the Asian race is an area which lies mainly to the east of a line drawn from the Ural Mountains to Burma. The Ural Mountains and the Taklamakan Desert present natural barriers to the west, and the Himalayas to the south. The eastern boundary is the Pacific Ocean. In the southeast region, the natural obstacles are the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea. The Arakan Mountains separate the southeast Asians from the Indian subcontinent.
There are four main Asian subraces: Yellow (Han Chinese), Mongols, Southeast Asian, and Eskimo. Asians tend to be short in stature, but this may be at least in part due to nutrition. The skin is yellow or yellow-brown. The yellow skin likely evolved as an adaptation to cold temperatures in northern Asia. The yellow color results from a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, visible through translucent outer layers of skin.
In Asians, the nose is flat and small. The eyes have an epicanthal fold and are black or dark brown. The epicanthal fold is a fold of skin that covers the inner corner of the eye, giving Asians a characteristic narrow, almond-shaped eye shape. This adaptation probably evolved as protection against cold and windy conditions in northern Asia. The absence of the epicanthal fold in American Indian populations suggests this characteristic evolved after the Bering connection to America was severed about 10,500 years ago.
Eskimos are Asians related to native inhabitants of eastern Siberia. They first migrated, using small boats, to polar regions of North America about 6,000 B.C. They later reached Greenland. Unlike American Indians, Eskimos (Inuit and Yupik) have the epicanthal fold.
Asians have black, straight, hair, scanty on the body and face, but long on the scalp. In cross section, Asian hair is circular. Male pattern baldness is relatively rare. The head is brachycephalic or mesocephalic, the skull usually devoid of prominent brow ridges. The most prevalent Asian blood types are O (38 per cent) and B (30 per cent). The front teeth (incisors) of Asians often display a characteristic shovel shape.
Comparison of Typical Racial Characteristics
There is a broad variation of features within each of the human races, but a comparison of typical racial characteristics indicates some salient racial differences. Skin color, and hair and eye characteristics are principal visible differential traits.
Comparison of Physical Characteristics
Black, lank, long, circular section
Epicanthal fold, black
O (38), A (24), B (30), AB (8)
There are, as well, invisible distinguishing attibutes. For example, the particular shape in cross section of human hair can only be seen and compared with the aid of a microscope. Blood typing requires taking blood samples and using special equipment to classify the samples. The study of particular bone configurations can only be done by examining skeletons post mortem.
Blood types B and AB are absent from Australian Aborigines and American Indians, and only in Dravidians and Asians does blood type AB occur in more than 5 per cent of the population.
Some skeletal characteristics tend to differ among the human races. Among Blacks, the femur is often straight, whereas in Asians and Whites the femur often displays a slight anterior curvature. In Blacks, the forward tip of the mandible (the chin) is typically blunt; it is typically rounded in Asians, and pointed in Whites. Jaws are relatively larger in Blacks and Asians, and smaller in Whites. The dental arch is usually rounded in Asians, parabolic in Whites, and rectangular (hyperbolic) in Blacks.
In the skull, the nose area, eye orbits, and brow ridges typically show significant racial differences. The eye orbits of Blacks tend to be of a more rectangular shape. Eye orbits of Whites are typically more angular, and eye orbits of Asians and American Indians more rounded. Whites typically have heavy brow ridges; Asians and Blacks have small brow ridges. Australian Aborigines and Aboriginal Papuans have heavy and prominent brow ridges.
There are five distinguishing characteristics of the nose area of the skull. The root is the uppermost part of the nose, where the nasals connect to the frontal bone above. The bridge is the structure formed by the nasal bones, extending downward from the root. The spine is a bone projection at the midline bottom of the nasal opening and the front of the upper jaw bones (anterior maxillae). The nasal opening is the aperture at the front center of the skull below the eye orbits, below the bridge and above the spine and lower border. The lower border is the area at the bottom of the nasal opening, to the sides of the midline.
Medium
Flat, sharp
Racial characteristics such as height, iris color, and skin color are polygenic traits, that is, they are influenced by several genes. Racial attributes map to sets of inheritable characteristics and are regulated by genes in different areas of the human genome. For example, hair color has been linked to genes in chromosomes 4, 15, and 16; skin color to genes in chromosomes 5, 9, 13, and 15; and blood type to genes in chromosome 9. Some invisible racial characteristics affect physical performance; others are associated with resistance or propensity to diseases and medical conditions such as hypertension, lactose intolerance, and sickle cell anemia.
The effect of racial characteristics on human performance is not so marked that it is apparent in the general population. Except due to individual handicaps, all human beings can master complicated skills such as driving an automobile. Being members of the same species, all humans share basic abilities and characteristics. But at the limit of performance, small physical differences can have a measurable effect.
The following table shows results of competitive performance at the 2008 Summer Olympics for a representative set of sports. Only individual competitions are shown, to diminish the effect of coaching and national resources on the performance comparison. Results for women are similar to the men�s results shown.
2008 Summer Olympics Results � Men�s Individual Competitions
Sport
Asian
The data suggest that, at the limit of human performance achieved by top athletes, some racial caracteristics confer competitive advantages for certain sports. For example, at the 2008 Olympic Games, Blacks dominated short-distance races and did well in the longer track trials.
Chronology and Pattern of Human Differentiation
Inferences about the chronology and progress of human differentiation can be made from anthropological and historical records, and from taxonomy, genetics and linguistics, with varying degrees of certainty. The timing and nature of major human migrations can be estimated, and although many secondary back and forth movements also occurred, it is possible to identify principal population flows. As populations occupied new environments, beneficial mutations were preserved because they aided survival. Diverging changes in population traits accumulated, over time resulting in the different human races.
It is well established that anatomically modern humans inhabited sub-Saharan Africa 80,000 years ago. The physical record indicates that by 50,000 years ago modern humans had reached Australia, which implies that migration from the African continent must have begun substantially earlier than that. It is reasonable to assume that the earliest migrations out of Africa involved northeastern populations closest to Asia, and that those least likely to migrate inhabited southwestern areas of the continent. Over time, migrations within Africa and back and forth between Africa and other regions and subsequent relative isolation brought about adaptations resulting in the Black race.
It appears that climate limitations, in particular extreme cold temperatures, blocked human migrations to Europe and northern Asia for many thousands of years. It was not until about 30,000 or 35,000 years ago that humans moved into northern Europe and northeastern Asia. These migrations lead to a divergence between northeastern Asian populations and the inhabitants of Europe and western Asia. Relative isolation and adaptation to different environments ultimately lead to the Asian and White races.
The closing of the Bering Strait about 15,000 years ago allowed Siberian populations to cross over to the American continent. Subsequent separation from Asia lead to differentiation into the American Indian race. Later, about 4,500 years ago, peoples from East Asia began migrating by sea to the islands of the southwestern Pacific, eventually developing into the Pacific Islander race.
Modern humans reached the Indian subcontinent early in the migrations from Africa. Subsequent population movements from the west and the east gave Dravidians a mixture of east and west Asian characteristics. About 3,500 years ago, Aryan invaders moved into northern India, and in 326 B.C. Macedonian Greeks invaded northwestern India. These later influences primarily affected characteristics of northwest Indian populations.
Linguistic Comparison
In the last five centuries, the discovery of America, the circumnavigation of the Earth by European explorers, and the subsequent widespread progress in communications, trade and travel, have resulted in the breakdown of barriers separating many different peoples of the world. One effect of these changes has been the adoption of the languages of European powers by the populations of the territories they colonized, and a reduction, through disuse, of the total number of presently spoken languages. Most languages currently in use are spoken by a relatively small number of people. Only about 300 languages are spoken by more than a million.
There presently are about 6,000 different languages spoken in the world. Languages can be classified in terms of characteristics such as phonology, morphology and syntax into language families. The different languages can be grouped into about 250 language families. Representative language families and their number of speakers are listed in the following table.
Representative Language Families
Austronesian (Polynesian)
Mixed Race Populations
Mixed race populations occur when individuals from different races occupy the same ecosphere and intermarry. A significant portion of the current world population is of mixed race. In Mexico, and in some countries in Central America and South America, a majority of the current population is of mixed race, or mestizo, of part White and part American Indian origin. In Asia, a minority of the population is Eurasian, of part White and part Asian origin. Northwestern areas of the Indian subcontinent have peoples of part White and part Dravidian origin. In Europe, Africa, the United States, Brazil, and some countries in the Caribbean, there are significant mixed race populations of part White and part Black origin.
Negritos
In the sixteenth century, Spanish and Portuguese merchant-explorers first encountered characteristically short, dark skinned peoples in southeast Asia which they called Negritos (little blacks). Negritos are tribal peoples inhabiting certain small islands and coastal areas, from India to the Philippines. They have black to dark brown skin, broad short noses, wooly black hair, and dark irises. Adult males are less than 5 feet tall and females are shorter still. They are descended in part from Africans that settled on coastal regions of southeast Asia 70,000 to 50,000 years ago, at a time when sea levels were hundreds of feet lower than today.
Global climate changes between 19,000 and 13,000 years ago, associated with the current interglacial, resulted in sea level rises to about current levels. Early southeast Asian seaside populations mostly retreated overland to higher grounds in the interior of India, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and nearby regions. But some groups were isolated in small islands without ready access to the mainland. Over time, evolutionary pressures in their constrained environments led to a marked reduction in body size through a natural selection process called island dwarfism.
Significant isolation continues to the present day in places like the Nicobar and Andaman islands, but in most areas there has been some interbreeding between Negritos and neighboring peoples. Currently, Negritos retain their dark skin and short stature but display admixtures of other traits inherited from Dravidians and Asians.
Composition of World Populations
The geographic expansion of humans has been accompanied by a dramatic growth in total numbers. From a total population of about 5 million in 10,000 B.C., the population grew to 233 million by 27 B.C., when Octavian took on the name Augustus and became the first Roman Emperor, and to 477 million by 1492 A.D., when Christopher Columbus discovered America. Worldwide colonization, the industrial revolution, and mechanized agriculture led to further increases in population. The total world human population in 2012 is about 7,000 million (7 billion). The largest population concentrations are in eastern Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Europe. The composition and geographic origin of world populations is as shown in the following table.
Composition of World Populations
| i don't know |
Which word can go after Leg, Ball and Bath to make three other words? | Writing Basics: What Makes a Good Sentence?
________________________________________________________________
Collaboration
Find an article in a newspaper, a magazine, or online that interests you. Bring it to class or post it online. Then, looking at a classmate’s article, identify one example of each part of a sentence (S, V, LV, N, Adj, Adv, DO, IO). Please share or post your results.
Fragments
The sentences you have encountered so far have been independent clauses. As you look more closely at your past writing assignments, you may notice that some of your sentences are not complete. A sentence that is missing a subject or a verb is called a fragment An incomplete sentence that results when a subject or a verb is missing.. A fragment may include a description or may express part of an idea, but it does not express a complete thought.
Fragment: Children helping in the kitchen.
Complete sentence: Children helping in the kitchen often make a mess.
You can easily fix a fragment by adding the missing subject or verb. In the example, the sentence was missing a verb. Adding often make a mess creates an S-V-N sentence structure.
Figure 2.1 Editing Fragments That Are Missing a Subject or a Verb
See whether you can identify what is missing in the following fragments.
Fragment: Told her about the broken vase.
Complete sentence: I told her about the broken vase.
Fragment: The store down on Main Street.
Complete sentence: The store down on Main Street sells music.
Common Sentence Errors
Fragments often occur because of some common error, such as starting a sentence with a preposition, a dependent word, an infinitive A verb form that combines the word to with a verb, such as to buy, to go, or to gather., or a gerund A verb form ending in -ing that is used as a noun, such as running, writing, or celebrating.. If you use the six basic sentence patterns when you write, you should be able to avoid these errors and thus avoid writing fragments.
When you see a preposition, check to see that it is part of a sentence containing a subject and a verb. If it is not connected to a complete sentence, it is a fragment, and you will need to fix this type of fragment by combining it with another sentence. You can add the prepositional phrase to the end of the sentence. If you add it to the beginning of the other sentence, insert a comma after the prepositional phrase.
Figure 2.2 Editing Fragments That Begin with a Preposition
Example A
Example B
Clauses that start with a dependent word The first word in a dependent clause. Common dependent words are since, because, without, unless, and so on.—such as since, because, without, or unless—are similar to prepositional phrases. Like prepositional phrases, these clauses can be fragments if they are not connected to an independent clause containing a subject and a verb. To fix the problem, you can add such a fragment to the beginning or end of a sentence. If the fragment is added at the beginning of a sentence, add a comma.
When you encounter a word ending in -ing in a sentence, identify whether or not this word is used as a verb in the sentence. You may also look for a helping verb. If the word is not used as a verb or if no helping verb is used with the -ing verb form, the verb is being used as a noun. An -ing verb form used as a noun is called a gerund.
Once you know whether the -ing word is acting as a noun or a verb, look at the rest of the sentence. Does the entire sentence make sense on its own? If not, what you are looking at is a fragment. You will need to either add the parts of speech that are missing or combine the fragment with a nearby sentence.
Figure 2.3 Editing Fragments That Begin with Gerunds
Incorrect: Taking deep breaths. Saul prepared for his presentation.
Correct: Taking deep breaths, Saul prepared for his presentation.
Correct: Saul prepared for his presentation. He was taking deep breaths.
Incorrect: Congratulating the entire team. Sarah raised her glass to toast their success.
Correct: She was congratulating the entire team. Sarah raised her glass to toast their success.
Correct: Congratulating the entire team, Sarah raised her glass to toast their success.
Another error in sentence construction is a fragment that begins with an infinitive. An infinitive is a verb paired with the word to; for example, to run, to write, or to reach. Although infinitives are verbs, they can be used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. You can correct a fragment that begins with an infinitive by either combining it with another sentence or adding the parts of speech that are missing.
Incorrect: We needed to make three hundred more paper cranes. To reach the one thousand mark.
Correct: We needed to make three hundred more paper cranes to reach the one thousand mark.
Correct: We needed to make three hundred more paper cranes. We wanted to reach the one thousand mark.
Exercise 4
Copy the following sentences onto your own sheet of paper and circle the fragments. Then combine the fragment with the independent clause to create a complete sentence.
Working without taking a break. We try to get as much work done as we can in an hour.
I needed to bring work home. In order to meet the deadline.
Unless the ground thaws before spring break. We won’t be planting any tulips this year.
Turning the lights off after he was done in the kitchen. Robert tries to conserve energy whenever possible.
You’ll find what you need if you look. On the shelf next to the potted plant.
To find the perfect apartment. Deidre scoured the classifieds each day.
Run-on Sentences
Just as short, incomplete sentences can be problematic, lengthy sentences can be problematic too. Sentences with two or more independent clauses that have been incorrectly combined are known as run-on sentences A sentence made up of two or more independent clauses that have been incorrectly combined.. A run-on sentence may be either a fused sentence or a comma splice.
Fused sentence: A family of foxes lived under our shed young foxes played all over the yard.
Comma splice: We looked outside, the kids were hopping on the trampoline.
When two complete sentences are combined into one without any punctuation, the result is a fused sentence A run-on sentence created by two complete sentences combined into one without any punctuation.. When two complete sentences are joined by a comma, the result is a comma splice A run-on sentence created by two complete sentences separated only by a single comma.. Both errors can easily be fixed.
Punctuation
One way to correct run-on sentences is to correct the punctuation. For example, adding a period will correct the run-on by creating two separate sentences.
Using a semicolon between the two complete sentences will also correct the error. A semicolon allows you to keep the two closely related ideas together in one sentence. When you punctuate with a semicolon, make sure that both parts of the sentence are independent clauses. For more information on semicolons, see Section 2.4.2 "Capitalize Proper Nouns" .
Run-on: The accident closed both lanes of traffic we waited an hour for the wreckage to be cleared.
Complete sentence: The accident closed both lanes of traffic; we waited an hour for the wreckage to be cleared.
When you use a semicolon to separate two independent clauses, you may wish to add a transition word to show the connection between the two thoughts. After the semicolon, add the transition word and follow it with a comma. For more information on transition words, see Chapter 8 "The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?" .
Run-on: The project was put on hold we didn’t have time to slow down, so we kept working.
Complete sentence: The project was put on hold; however, we didn’t have time to slow down, so we kept working.
Coordinating Conjunctions
You can also fix run-on sentences by adding a comma and a coordinating conjunction A word that links two independent clauses. Common coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so.. A coordinating conjunction acts as a link between two independent clauses.
Tip
These are the seven coordinating conjunctions that you can use: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. Use these words appropriately when you want to link the two independent clauses. The acronym FANBOYS will help you remember this group of coordinating conjunctions.
Run-on: The new printer was installed, no one knew how to use it.
Complete sentence: The new printer was installed, but no one knew how to use it.
Dependent Words
Adding dependent words is another way to link independent clauses. Like the coordinating conjunctions, dependent words show a relationship between two independent clauses.
Run-on: We took the elevator, the others still got there before us.
Complete sentence: Although we took the elevator, the others got there before us.
Run-on: Cobwebs covered the furniture, the room hadn’t been used in years.
Complete sentence: Cobwebs covered the furniture because the room hadn’t been used in years.
Writing at Work
Figure 2.4 Sample e-mail
Isabelle’s e-mail opens with two fragments and two run-on sentences containing comma splices. The e-mail ends with another fragment. What effect would this e-mail have on Mr. Blankenship or other readers? Mr. Blankenship or other readers may not think highly of Isaebelle’s communication skills or—worse—may not understand the message at all! Communications written in precise, complete sentences are not only more professional but also easier to understand. Before you hit the “send” button, read your e-mail carefully to make sure that the sentences are complete, are not run together, and are correctly punctuated.
Exercise 5
A reader can get lost or lose interest in material that is too dense and rambling. Use what you have learned about run-on sentences to correct the following passages:
The report is due on Wednesday but we’re flying back from Miami that morning. I told the project manager that we would be able to get the report to her later that day she suggested that we come back a day early to get the report done and I told her we had meetings until our flight took off. We e-mailed our contact who said that they would check with his boss, she said that the project could afford a delay as long as they wouldn’t have to make any edits or changes to the file our new deadline is next Friday.
Anna tried getting a reservation at the restaurant, but when she called they said that there was a waiting list so she put our names down on the list when the day of our reservation arrived we only had to wait thirty minutes because a table opened up unexpectedly which was good because we were able to catch a movie after dinner in the time we’d expected to wait to be seated.
Without a doubt, my favorite artist is Leonardo da Vinci, not because of his paintings but because of his fascinating designs, models, and sketches, including plans for scuba gear, a flying machine, and a life-size mechanical lion that actually walked and moved its head. His paintings are beautiful too, especially when you see the computer enhanced versions researchers use a variety of methods to discover and enhance the paintings’ original colors, the result of which are stunningly vibrant and yet delicate displays of the man’s genius.
Key Takeaways
A sentence is complete when it contains both a subject and verb. A complete sentence makes sense on its own.
Every sentence must have a subject, which usually appears at the beginning of the sentence. A subject may be a noun (a person, place, or thing) or a pronoun.
A compound subject contains more than one noun.
A prepositional phrase describes, or modifies, another word in the sentence but cannot be the subject of a sentence.
A verb is often an action word that indicates what the subject is doing. Verbs may be action verbs, linking verbs, or helping verbs.
Variety in sentence structure and length improves writing by making it more interesting and more complex.
Focusing on the six basic sentence patterns will enhance your writing.
Fragments and run-on sentences are two common errors in sentence construction.
Fragments can be corrected by adding a missing subject or verb. Fragments that begin with a preposition or a dependent word can be corrected by combining the fragment with another sentence.
Run-on sentences can be corrected by adding appropriate punctuation or adding a coordinating conjunction.
Writing Application
They live.
Tip
Add an -es to the third person singular form of regular verbs that end in -sh, -x, -ch, and -s. (I wish/He wishes, I fix/She fixes, I watch/It watches, I kiss/He kisses.)
In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the first person singular and the first person plural.
In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the second person singular and the second person plural. In the singular form, the pronoun you refers to one person. In the plural form, the pronoun you refers to a group of people, such as a team.
In this sentence, the subject is mother. Because the sentence only refers to one mother, the subject is singular. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person singular form.
In this sentence, the subject is friends. Because this subject refers to more than one person, the subject is plural. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person plural form.
Tip
Many singular subjects can be made plural by adding an -s. Most regular verbs in the present tense end with an -s in the third person singular. This does not make the verbs plural.
Exercise 1
On your own sheet of paper, write the correct verb form for each of the following sentences.
I (brush/brushes) my teeth twice a day.
You (wear/wears) the same shoes every time we go out.
He (kick/kicks) the soccer ball into the goal.
She (watch/watches) foreign films.
Catherine (hide/hides) behind the door.
We (want/wants) to have dinner with you.
You (work/works) together to finish the project.
They (need/needs) to score another point to win the game.
It (eat/eats) four times a day.
David (fix/fixes) his own motorcycle.
Irregular Verbs
Not all verbs follow a predictable pattern. These verbs are called irregular verbs Verbs that do not follow a predictable pattern when shifting tenses, such as from the present to the past tense.. Some of the most common irregular verbs are be, have, and do. Learn the forms of these verbs in the present tense to avoid errors in subject-verb agreement.
Be
nobody, no one, nothing
somebody, someone, something
The indefinite pronoun everybody takes a singular verb form because everybody refers to a group performing the same action as a single unit.
The indefinite pronoun all takes a plural verb form because all refers to the plural noun people. Because people is plural, all is plural.
In this sentence, the indefinite pronoun all takes a singular verb form because all refers to the singular noun cake. Because cake is singular, all is singular.
Collective Nouns
A collective noun A noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and treats those people, places, or things as a singular unit. is a noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and considers those people, places, or things one singular unit. Because collective nouns are counted as one, they are singular and require a singular verb. Some commonly used collective nouns are group, team, army, flock, family, and class.
In this sentence, class is a collective noun. Although the class consists of many students, the class is treated as a singular unit and requires a singular verb form.
The Subject Follows the Verb
You may encounter sentences in which the subject comes after the verb instead of before the verb. In other words, the subject of the sentence may not appear where you expect it to appear. To ensure proper subject-verb agreement, you must correctly identify the subject and the verb.
Here or There
In sentences that begin with here or there, the subject follows the verb.
If you have trouble identifying the subject and the verb in sentences that start with here or there; it may help to reverse the order of the sentence so the subject comes first.
Questions
When you ask questions, a question word (who, what, where, when, why, or how) appears first. The verb and then the subject follow.
Tip
If you have trouble finding the subject and the verb in questions, try answering the question being asked.
Exercise 3
Correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following sentences. If there are no errors in subject-verb agreement, write OK. Copy the corrected sentence or the word OK on your own sheet of notebook paper.
My dog and cats chases each other all the time.
________________________________________________________________
Edit the following sentences by correcting the capitalization of the titles or names.
The prince of england enjoys playing polo.
“Ode to a nightingale” is a sad poem.
My sister loves to read magazines such as the new yorker.
The house on Mango street is an excellent novel written by Sandra Cisneros.
My physician, dr. alvarez, always makes me feel comfortable in her office.
Exercise 3
Edit the following paragraphs by correcting the capitalization.
david grann’s the lost City of Z mimics the snake-like winding of the amazon River. The three distinct Stories that are introduced are like twists in the River. First, the Author describes his own journey to the amazon in the present day, which is contrasted by an account of percy fawcett’s voyage in 1925 and a depiction of James Lynch’s expedition in 1996. Where does the river lead these explorers? the answer is one that both the Author and the reader are hungry to discover.
The first lines of the preface pull the reader in immediately because we know the author, david grann, is lost in the amazon. It is a compelling beginning not only because it’s thrilling but also because this is a true account of grann’s experience. grann has dropped the reader smack in the middle of his conflict by admitting the recklessness of his decision to come to this place. the suspense is further perpetuated by his unnerving observation that he always considered himself A Neutral Witness, never getting personally involved in his stories, a notion that is swiftly contradicted in the opening pages, as the reader can clearly perceive that he is in a dire predicament—and frighteningly involved.
Writing at Work
Did you know that, if you use all capital letters to convey a message, the capital letters come across like shouting? In addition, all capital letters are actually more difficult to read and may annoy the reader. To avoid “shouting” at or annoying your reader, follow the rules of capitalization and find other ways to emphasize your point.
Key Takeaways
Learning and applying the basic rules of capitalization is a fundamental aspect of good writing.
Identifying and correcting errors in capitalization is an important writing skill.
Writing Application
Lani is the antecedent of she.
Jeremy left the party early, so I did not see him until Monday at work.
Him refers to Jeremy.
Jeremy is the antecedent of him.
Crina and Rosalie have been best friends ever since they were freshman in high school.
They refers to Crina and Rosalie.
Crina and Rosalie is the antecedent of they.
Pronoun agreement When the pronoun and the antecedent match or agree with each other. errors occur when the pronoun and the antecedent do not match or agree with each other. There are several types of pronoun agreement.
Agreement in Number
If the pronoun takes the place of or refers to a singular noun, the pronoun must also be singular.
Agreement in Person
If you use a consistent person, your reader is less likely to be confused.
Exercise 1
Edit the following paragraph by correcting pronoun agreement errors in number and person.
Over spring break I visited my older cousin, Diana, and they took me to a butterfly exhibit at a museum. Diana and I have been close ever since she was young. Our mothers are twin sisters, and she is inseparable! Diana knows how much I love butterflies, so it was their special present to me. I have a soft spot for caterpillars too. I love them because something about the way it transforms is so interesting to me. One summer my grandmother gave me a butterfly growing kit, and you got to see the entire life cycle of five Painted Lady butterflies. I even got to set it free. So when my cousin said they wanted to take me to the butterfly exhibit, I was really excited!
Indefinite Pronouns and Agreement
Indefinite pronouns Does not refer to a specific person or thing and is usually singular. do not refer to a specific person or thing and are usually singular. Note that a pronoun that refers to an indefinite singular pronoun should also be singular. The following are some common indefinite pronouns.
Common Indefinite Pronouns
worst
Good versus Well
Good is always an adjective—that is, a word that describes a noun or a pronoun. The second sentence is correct because well is an adverb that tells how something is done.
Incorrect: Cecilia felt that she had never done so good on a test.
Correct: Cecilia felt that she had never done so well on a test.
Well is always an adverb that describes a verb, adverb, or adjective. The second sentence is correct because good is an adjective that describes the noun score.
Incorrect: Cecilia’s team received a well score.
Correct: Cecilia’s team received a good score.
Bad versus Badly
Bad is always an adjective. The second sentence is correct because badly is an adverb that tells how the speaker did on the test.
Incorrect: I did bad on my accounting test because I didn’t study.
Correct: I did badly on my accounting test because I didn’t study.
Badly is always an adverb. The second sentence is correct because bad is an adjective that describes the noun thunderstorm.
Incorrect: The coming thunderstorm looked badly.
Correct: The coming thunderstorm looked bad.
Better and Worse
The following are examples of the use of better and worse:
Tyra likes sprinting better than long distance running.
The traffic is worse in Chicago than in Atlanta.
Best and Worst
The following are examples of the use of best and worst:
Tyra sprints best of all the other competitors.
Peter finished worst of all the runners in the race.
Tip
Remember better and worse compare two persons or things. Best and worst compare three or more persons or things.
Exercise 3
Write good, well, bad, or badly to complete each sentence. Copy the completed sentence onto your own sheet of paper.
Donna always felt ________ if she did not see the sun in the morning.
The school board president gave a ________ speech for once.
Although my dog, Comet, is mischievous, he always behaves ________ at the dog park.
I thought my back injury was ________ at first, but it turned out to be minor.
Steve was shaking ________ from the extreme cold.
Apple crisp is a very ________ dessert that can be made using whole grains instead of white flour.
The meeting with my son’s math teacher went very ________.
Juan has a ________ appetite, especially when it comes to dessert.
Magritte thought the guests had a ________ time at the party because most people left early.
She ________ wanted to win the writing contest prize, which included a trip to New York.
Exercise 4
Write the correct comparative or superlative form of the word in parentheses. Copy the completed sentence onto your own sheet of paper.
This research paper is ________ (good) than my last one.
Tanaya likes country music ________ (well) of all.
My motorcycle rides ________ (bad) than it did last summer.
That is the ________ (bad) joke my father ever told.
The hockey team played ________ (badly) than it did last season.
Tracey plays guitar ________ (well) than she plays the piano.
It will go down as one of the ________ (bad) movies I have ever seen.
The deforestation in the Amazon is ________ (bad) than it was last year.
Movie ticket sales are ________ (good) this year than last.
My husband says mystery novels are the ________ (good) types of books.
Writing at Work
The irregular words good, well, bad, and badly are often misused along with their comparative and superlative forms better, best, worse, and worst. You may not hear the difference between worse and worst, and therefore type it incorrectly. In a formal or business-like tone, use each of these words to write eight separate sentences. Assume these sentences will be seen and judged by your current or future employer.
Key Takeaways
The following three steps will help you quickly spot a dangling modifier:
Look for an -ing modifier at the beginning of your sentence or another modifying phrase:
Painting for three hours at night, the kitchen was finally finished by Maggie. (Painting is the -ing modifier.)
Underline the first noun that follows it:
Painting for three hours at night, the kitchen was finally finished by Maggie.
Make sure the modifier and noun go together logically. If they do not, it is very likely you have a dangling modifier.
After identifying the dangling modifier, rewrite the sentence.
Painting for three hours at night, Maggie finally finished the kitchen.
Exercise 2
Rewrite the following the sentences onto your own sheet of paper to correct the dangling modifiers.
Bent over backward, the posture was very challenging.
Making discoveries about new creatures, this is an interesting time to be a biologist.
Walking in the dark, the picture fell off the wall.
Playing a guitar in the bedroom, the cat was seen under the bed.
Packing for a trip, a cockroach scurried down the hallway.
While looking in the mirror, the towel swayed in the breeze.
While driving to the veterinarian’s office, the dog nervously whined.
The priceless painting drew large crowds when walking into the museum.
Piled up next to the bookshelf, I chose a romance novel.
Chewing furiously, the gum fell out of my mouth.
Exercise 3
Rewrite the following paragraph correcting all the misplaced and dangling modifiers.
I bought a fresh loaf of bread for my sandwich shopping in the grocery store. Wanting to make a delicious sandwich, the mayonnaise was thickly spread. Placing the cold cuts on the bread, the lettuce was placed on top. I cut the sandwich in half with a knife turning on the radio. Biting into the sandwich, my favorite song blared loudly in my ears. Humming and chewing, my sandwich went down smoothly. Smiling, my sandwich will be made again, but next time I will add cheese.
Collaboration
Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.
Key Takeaways
| Room |
Which word can go before Pot, Cup and Spoon to make three other words? | Writing Basics: What Makes a Good Sentence?
________________________________________________________________
Collaboration
Find an article in a newspaper, a magazine, or online that interests you. Bring it to class or post it online. Then, looking at a classmate’s article, identify one example of each part of a sentence (S, V, LV, N, Adj, Adv, DO, IO). Please share or post your results.
Fragments
The sentences you have encountered so far have been independent clauses. As you look more closely at your past writing assignments, you may notice that some of your sentences are not complete. A sentence that is missing a subject or a verb is called a fragment An incomplete sentence that results when a subject or a verb is missing.. A fragment may include a description or may express part of an idea, but it does not express a complete thought.
Fragment: Children helping in the kitchen.
Complete sentence: Children helping in the kitchen often make a mess.
You can easily fix a fragment by adding the missing subject or verb. In the example, the sentence was missing a verb. Adding often make a mess creates an S-V-N sentence structure.
Figure 2.1 Editing Fragments That Are Missing a Subject or a Verb
See whether you can identify what is missing in the following fragments.
Fragment: Told her about the broken vase.
Complete sentence: I told her about the broken vase.
Fragment: The store down on Main Street.
Complete sentence: The store down on Main Street sells music.
Common Sentence Errors
Fragments often occur because of some common error, such as starting a sentence with a preposition, a dependent word, an infinitive A verb form that combines the word to with a verb, such as to buy, to go, or to gather., or a gerund A verb form ending in -ing that is used as a noun, such as running, writing, or celebrating.. If you use the six basic sentence patterns when you write, you should be able to avoid these errors and thus avoid writing fragments.
When you see a preposition, check to see that it is part of a sentence containing a subject and a verb. If it is not connected to a complete sentence, it is a fragment, and you will need to fix this type of fragment by combining it with another sentence. You can add the prepositional phrase to the end of the sentence. If you add it to the beginning of the other sentence, insert a comma after the prepositional phrase.
Figure 2.2 Editing Fragments That Begin with a Preposition
Example A
Example B
Clauses that start with a dependent word The first word in a dependent clause. Common dependent words are since, because, without, unless, and so on.—such as since, because, without, or unless—are similar to prepositional phrases. Like prepositional phrases, these clauses can be fragments if they are not connected to an independent clause containing a subject and a verb. To fix the problem, you can add such a fragment to the beginning or end of a sentence. If the fragment is added at the beginning of a sentence, add a comma.
When you encounter a word ending in -ing in a sentence, identify whether or not this word is used as a verb in the sentence. You may also look for a helping verb. If the word is not used as a verb or if no helping verb is used with the -ing verb form, the verb is being used as a noun. An -ing verb form used as a noun is called a gerund.
Once you know whether the -ing word is acting as a noun or a verb, look at the rest of the sentence. Does the entire sentence make sense on its own? If not, what you are looking at is a fragment. You will need to either add the parts of speech that are missing or combine the fragment with a nearby sentence.
Figure 2.3 Editing Fragments That Begin with Gerunds
Incorrect: Taking deep breaths. Saul prepared for his presentation.
Correct: Taking deep breaths, Saul prepared for his presentation.
Correct: Saul prepared for his presentation. He was taking deep breaths.
Incorrect: Congratulating the entire team. Sarah raised her glass to toast their success.
Correct: She was congratulating the entire team. Sarah raised her glass to toast their success.
Correct: Congratulating the entire team, Sarah raised her glass to toast their success.
Another error in sentence construction is a fragment that begins with an infinitive. An infinitive is a verb paired with the word to; for example, to run, to write, or to reach. Although infinitives are verbs, they can be used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. You can correct a fragment that begins with an infinitive by either combining it with another sentence or adding the parts of speech that are missing.
Incorrect: We needed to make three hundred more paper cranes. To reach the one thousand mark.
Correct: We needed to make three hundred more paper cranes to reach the one thousand mark.
Correct: We needed to make three hundred more paper cranes. We wanted to reach the one thousand mark.
Exercise 4
Copy the following sentences onto your own sheet of paper and circle the fragments. Then combine the fragment with the independent clause to create a complete sentence.
Working without taking a break. We try to get as much work done as we can in an hour.
I needed to bring work home. In order to meet the deadline.
Unless the ground thaws before spring break. We won’t be planting any tulips this year.
Turning the lights off after he was done in the kitchen. Robert tries to conserve energy whenever possible.
You’ll find what you need if you look. On the shelf next to the potted plant.
To find the perfect apartment. Deidre scoured the classifieds each day.
Run-on Sentences
Just as short, incomplete sentences can be problematic, lengthy sentences can be problematic too. Sentences with two or more independent clauses that have been incorrectly combined are known as run-on sentences A sentence made up of two or more independent clauses that have been incorrectly combined.. A run-on sentence may be either a fused sentence or a comma splice.
Fused sentence: A family of foxes lived under our shed young foxes played all over the yard.
Comma splice: We looked outside, the kids were hopping on the trampoline.
When two complete sentences are combined into one without any punctuation, the result is a fused sentence A run-on sentence created by two complete sentences combined into one without any punctuation.. When two complete sentences are joined by a comma, the result is a comma splice A run-on sentence created by two complete sentences separated only by a single comma.. Both errors can easily be fixed.
Punctuation
One way to correct run-on sentences is to correct the punctuation. For example, adding a period will correct the run-on by creating two separate sentences.
Using a semicolon between the two complete sentences will also correct the error. A semicolon allows you to keep the two closely related ideas together in one sentence. When you punctuate with a semicolon, make sure that both parts of the sentence are independent clauses. For more information on semicolons, see Section 2.4.2 "Capitalize Proper Nouns" .
Run-on: The accident closed both lanes of traffic we waited an hour for the wreckage to be cleared.
Complete sentence: The accident closed both lanes of traffic; we waited an hour for the wreckage to be cleared.
When you use a semicolon to separate two independent clauses, you may wish to add a transition word to show the connection between the two thoughts. After the semicolon, add the transition word and follow it with a comma. For more information on transition words, see Chapter 8 "The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?" .
Run-on: The project was put on hold we didn’t have time to slow down, so we kept working.
Complete sentence: The project was put on hold; however, we didn’t have time to slow down, so we kept working.
Coordinating Conjunctions
You can also fix run-on sentences by adding a comma and a coordinating conjunction A word that links two independent clauses. Common coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so.. A coordinating conjunction acts as a link between two independent clauses.
Tip
These are the seven coordinating conjunctions that you can use: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. Use these words appropriately when you want to link the two independent clauses. The acronym FANBOYS will help you remember this group of coordinating conjunctions.
Run-on: The new printer was installed, no one knew how to use it.
Complete sentence: The new printer was installed, but no one knew how to use it.
Dependent Words
Adding dependent words is another way to link independent clauses. Like the coordinating conjunctions, dependent words show a relationship between two independent clauses.
Run-on: We took the elevator, the others still got there before us.
Complete sentence: Although we took the elevator, the others got there before us.
Run-on: Cobwebs covered the furniture, the room hadn’t been used in years.
Complete sentence: Cobwebs covered the furniture because the room hadn’t been used in years.
Writing at Work
Figure 2.4 Sample e-mail
Isabelle’s e-mail opens with two fragments and two run-on sentences containing comma splices. The e-mail ends with another fragment. What effect would this e-mail have on Mr. Blankenship or other readers? Mr. Blankenship or other readers may not think highly of Isaebelle’s communication skills or—worse—may not understand the message at all! Communications written in precise, complete sentences are not only more professional but also easier to understand. Before you hit the “send” button, read your e-mail carefully to make sure that the sentences are complete, are not run together, and are correctly punctuated.
Exercise 5
A reader can get lost or lose interest in material that is too dense and rambling. Use what you have learned about run-on sentences to correct the following passages:
The report is due on Wednesday but we’re flying back from Miami that morning. I told the project manager that we would be able to get the report to her later that day she suggested that we come back a day early to get the report done and I told her we had meetings until our flight took off. We e-mailed our contact who said that they would check with his boss, she said that the project could afford a delay as long as they wouldn’t have to make any edits or changes to the file our new deadline is next Friday.
Anna tried getting a reservation at the restaurant, but when she called they said that there was a waiting list so she put our names down on the list when the day of our reservation arrived we only had to wait thirty minutes because a table opened up unexpectedly which was good because we were able to catch a movie after dinner in the time we’d expected to wait to be seated.
Without a doubt, my favorite artist is Leonardo da Vinci, not because of his paintings but because of his fascinating designs, models, and sketches, including plans for scuba gear, a flying machine, and a life-size mechanical lion that actually walked and moved its head. His paintings are beautiful too, especially when you see the computer enhanced versions researchers use a variety of methods to discover and enhance the paintings’ original colors, the result of which are stunningly vibrant and yet delicate displays of the man’s genius.
Key Takeaways
A sentence is complete when it contains both a subject and verb. A complete sentence makes sense on its own.
Every sentence must have a subject, which usually appears at the beginning of the sentence. A subject may be a noun (a person, place, or thing) or a pronoun.
A compound subject contains more than one noun.
A prepositional phrase describes, or modifies, another word in the sentence but cannot be the subject of a sentence.
A verb is often an action word that indicates what the subject is doing. Verbs may be action verbs, linking verbs, or helping verbs.
Variety in sentence structure and length improves writing by making it more interesting and more complex.
Focusing on the six basic sentence patterns will enhance your writing.
Fragments and run-on sentences are two common errors in sentence construction.
Fragments can be corrected by adding a missing subject or verb. Fragments that begin with a preposition or a dependent word can be corrected by combining the fragment with another sentence.
Run-on sentences can be corrected by adding appropriate punctuation or adding a coordinating conjunction.
Writing Application
They live.
Tip
Add an -es to the third person singular form of regular verbs that end in -sh, -x, -ch, and -s. (I wish/He wishes, I fix/She fixes, I watch/It watches, I kiss/He kisses.)
In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the first person singular and the first person plural.
In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the second person singular and the second person plural. In the singular form, the pronoun you refers to one person. In the plural form, the pronoun you refers to a group of people, such as a team.
In this sentence, the subject is mother. Because the sentence only refers to one mother, the subject is singular. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person singular form.
In this sentence, the subject is friends. Because this subject refers to more than one person, the subject is plural. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person plural form.
Tip
Many singular subjects can be made plural by adding an -s. Most regular verbs in the present tense end with an -s in the third person singular. This does not make the verbs plural.
Exercise 1
On your own sheet of paper, write the correct verb form for each of the following sentences.
I (brush/brushes) my teeth twice a day.
You (wear/wears) the same shoes every time we go out.
He (kick/kicks) the soccer ball into the goal.
She (watch/watches) foreign films.
Catherine (hide/hides) behind the door.
We (want/wants) to have dinner with you.
You (work/works) together to finish the project.
They (need/needs) to score another point to win the game.
It (eat/eats) four times a day.
David (fix/fixes) his own motorcycle.
Irregular Verbs
Not all verbs follow a predictable pattern. These verbs are called irregular verbs Verbs that do not follow a predictable pattern when shifting tenses, such as from the present to the past tense.. Some of the most common irregular verbs are be, have, and do. Learn the forms of these verbs in the present tense to avoid errors in subject-verb agreement.
Be
nobody, no one, nothing
somebody, someone, something
The indefinite pronoun everybody takes a singular verb form because everybody refers to a group performing the same action as a single unit.
The indefinite pronoun all takes a plural verb form because all refers to the plural noun people. Because people is plural, all is plural.
In this sentence, the indefinite pronoun all takes a singular verb form because all refers to the singular noun cake. Because cake is singular, all is singular.
Collective Nouns
A collective noun A noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and treats those people, places, or things as a singular unit. is a noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and considers those people, places, or things one singular unit. Because collective nouns are counted as one, they are singular and require a singular verb. Some commonly used collective nouns are group, team, army, flock, family, and class.
In this sentence, class is a collective noun. Although the class consists of many students, the class is treated as a singular unit and requires a singular verb form.
The Subject Follows the Verb
You may encounter sentences in which the subject comes after the verb instead of before the verb. In other words, the subject of the sentence may not appear where you expect it to appear. To ensure proper subject-verb agreement, you must correctly identify the subject and the verb.
Here or There
In sentences that begin with here or there, the subject follows the verb.
If you have trouble identifying the subject and the verb in sentences that start with here or there; it may help to reverse the order of the sentence so the subject comes first.
Questions
When you ask questions, a question word (who, what, where, when, why, or how) appears first. The verb and then the subject follow.
Tip
If you have trouble finding the subject and the verb in questions, try answering the question being asked.
Exercise 3
Correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following sentences. If there are no errors in subject-verb agreement, write OK. Copy the corrected sentence or the word OK on your own sheet of notebook paper.
My dog and cats chases each other all the time.
________________________________________________________________
Edit the following sentences by correcting the capitalization of the titles or names.
The prince of england enjoys playing polo.
“Ode to a nightingale” is a sad poem.
My sister loves to read magazines such as the new yorker.
The house on Mango street is an excellent novel written by Sandra Cisneros.
My physician, dr. alvarez, always makes me feel comfortable in her office.
Exercise 3
Edit the following paragraphs by correcting the capitalization.
david grann’s the lost City of Z mimics the snake-like winding of the amazon River. The three distinct Stories that are introduced are like twists in the River. First, the Author describes his own journey to the amazon in the present day, which is contrasted by an account of percy fawcett’s voyage in 1925 and a depiction of James Lynch’s expedition in 1996. Where does the river lead these explorers? the answer is one that both the Author and the reader are hungry to discover.
The first lines of the preface pull the reader in immediately because we know the author, david grann, is lost in the amazon. It is a compelling beginning not only because it’s thrilling but also because this is a true account of grann’s experience. grann has dropped the reader smack in the middle of his conflict by admitting the recklessness of his decision to come to this place. the suspense is further perpetuated by his unnerving observation that he always considered himself A Neutral Witness, never getting personally involved in his stories, a notion that is swiftly contradicted in the opening pages, as the reader can clearly perceive that he is in a dire predicament—and frighteningly involved.
Writing at Work
Did you know that, if you use all capital letters to convey a message, the capital letters come across like shouting? In addition, all capital letters are actually more difficult to read and may annoy the reader. To avoid “shouting” at or annoying your reader, follow the rules of capitalization and find other ways to emphasize your point.
Key Takeaways
Learning and applying the basic rules of capitalization is a fundamental aspect of good writing.
Identifying and correcting errors in capitalization is an important writing skill.
Writing Application
Lani is the antecedent of she.
Jeremy left the party early, so I did not see him until Monday at work.
Him refers to Jeremy.
Jeremy is the antecedent of him.
Crina and Rosalie have been best friends ever since they were freshman in high school.
They refers to Crina and Rosalie.
Crina and Rosalie is the antecedent of they.
Pronoun agreement When the pronoun and the antecedent match or agree with each other. errors occur when the pronoun and the antecedent do not match or agree with each other. There are several types of pronoun agreement.
Agreement in Number
If the pronoun takes the place of or refers to a singular noun, the pronoun must also be singular.
Agreement in Person
If you use a consistent person, your reader is less likely to be confused.
Exercise 1
Edit the following paragraph by correcting pronoun agreement errors in number and person.
Over spring break I visited my older cousin, Diana, and they took me to a butterfly exhibit at a museum. Diana and I have been close ever since she was young. Our mothers are twin sisters, and she is inseparable! Diana knows how much I love butterflies, so it was their special present to me. I have a soft spot for caterpillars too. I love them because something about the way it transforms is so interesting to me. One summer my grandmother gave me a butterfly growing kit, and you got to see the entire life cycle of five Painted Lady butterflies. I even got to set it free. So when my cousin said they wanted to take me to the butterfly exhibit, I was really excited!
Indefinite Pronouns and Agreement
Indefinite pronouns Does not refer to a specific person or thing and is usually singular. do not refer to a specific person or thing and are usually singular. Note that a pronoun that refers to an indefinite singular pronoun should also be singular. The following are some common indefinite pronouns.
Common Indefinite Pronouns
worst
Good versus Well
Good is always an adjective—that is, a word that describes a noun or a pronoun. The second sentence is correct because well is an adverb that tells how something is done.
Incorrect: Cecilia felt that she had never done so good on a test.
Correct: Cecilia felt that she had never done so well on a test.
Well is always an adverb that describes a verb, adverb, or adjective. The second sentence is correct because good is an adjective that describes the noun score.
Incorrect: Cecilia’s team received a well score.
Correct: Cecilia’s team received a good score.
Bad versus Badly
Bad is always an adjective. The second sentence is correct because badly is an adverb that tells how the speaker did on the test.
Incorrect: I did bad on my accounting test because I didn’t study.
Correct: I did badly on my accounting test because I didn’t study.
Badly is always an adverb. The second sentence is correct because bad is an adjective that describes the noun thunderstorm.
Incorrect: The coming thunderstorm looked badly.
Correct: The coming thunderstorm looked bad.
Better and Worse
The following are examples of the use of better and worse:
Tyra likes sprinting better than long distance running.
The traffic is worse in Chicago than in Atlanta.
Best and Worst
The following are examples of the use of best and worst:
Tyra sprints best of all the other competitors.
Peter finished worst of all the runners in the race.
Tip
Remember better and worse compare two persons or things. Best and worst compare three or more persons or things.
Exercise 3
Write good, well, bad, or badly to complete each sentence. Copy the completed sentence onto your own sheet of paper.
Donna always felt ________ if she did not see the sun in the morning.
The school board president gave a ________ speech for once.
Although my dog, Comet, is mischievous, he always behaves ________ at the dog park.
I thought my back injury was ________ at first, but it turned out to be minor.
Steve was shaking ________ from the extreme cold.
Apple crisp is a very ________ dessert that can be made using whole grains instead of white flour.
The meeting with my son’s math teacher went very ________.
Juan has a ________ appetite, especially when it comes to dessert.
Magritte thought the guests had a ________ time at the party because most people left early.
She ________ wanted to win the writing contest prize, which included a trip to New York.
Exercise 4
Write the correct comparative or superlative form of the word in parentheses. Copy the completed sentence onto your own sheet of paper.
This research paper is ________ (good) than my last one.
Tanaya likes country music ________ (well) of all.
My motorcycle rides ________ (bad) than it did last summer.
That is the ________ (bad) joke my father ever told.
The hockey team played ________ (badly) than it did last season.
Tracey plays guitar ________ (well) than she plays the piano.
It will go down as one of the ________ (bad) movies I have ever seen.
The deforestation in the Amazon is ________ (bad) than it was last year.
Movie ticket sales are ________ (good) this year than last.
My husband says mystery novels are the ________ (good) types of books.
Writing at Work
The irregular words good, well, bad, and badly are often misused along with their comparative and superlative forms better, best, worse, and worst. You may not hear the difference between worse and worst, and therefore type it incorrectly. In a formal or business-like tone, use each of these words to write eight separate sentences. Assume these sentences will be seen and judged by your current or future employer.
Key Takeaways
The following three steps will help you quickly spot a dangling modifier:
Look for an -ing modifier at the beginning of your sentence or another modifying phrase:
Painting for three hours at night, the kitchen was finally finished by Maggie. (Painting is the -ing modifier.)
Underline the first noun that follows it:
Painting for three hours at night, the kitchen was finally finished by Maggie.
Make sure the modifier and noun go together logically. If they do not, it is very likely you have a dangling modifier.
After identifying the dangling modifier, rewrite the sentence.
Painting for three hours at night, Maggie finally finished the kitchen.
Exercise 2
Rewrite the following the sentences onto your own sheet of paper to correct the dangling modifiers.
Bent over backward, the posture was very challenging.
Making discoveries about new creatures, this is an interesting time to be a biologist.
Walking in the dark, the picture fell off the wall.
Playing a guitar in the bedroom, the cat was seen under the bed.
Packing for a trip, a cockroach scurried down the hallway.
While looking in the mirror, the towel swayed in the breeze.
While driving to the veterinarian’s office, the dog nervously whined.
The priceless painting drew large crowds when walking into the museum.
Piled up next to the bookshelf, I chose a romance novel.
Chewing furiously, the gum fell out of my mouth.
Exercise 3
Rewrite the following paragraph correcting all the misplaced and dangling modifiers.
I bought a fresh loaf of bread for my sandwich shopping in the grocery store. Wanting to make a delicious sandwich, the mayonnaise was thickly spread. Placing the cold cuts on the bread, the lettuce was placed on top. I cut the sandwich in half with a knife turning on the radio. Biting into the sandwich, my favorite song blared loudly in my ears. Humming and chewing, my sandwich went down smoothly. Smiling, my sandwich will be made again, but next time I will add cheese.
Collaboration
Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.
Key Takeaways
| i don't know |
Which word can go before Out, Age and Man to make three other words? | WORDS, PHRASES or SAYINGS - Origins, Meanings by Brownielocks.
The first teensy weensy swimsuit known as the "bikini" went on sale in 1947. But how did it get its name? The male reaction to this was often described to be like an atomic bomb. Since a year prior, 1946, the Marshall Islands were used for the atomic bomb test. 167 natives were moved to Rongerik under "Operation Crossroads" by William H.R. Blandy. Later more commonly referred to as "Bikini Island Bomb Tests." Since this skimpy swimsuit created about the same earth shattering reactions as the bomb, it was explosively named the Bikini. After a few years, it was no longer capitalized and became bikini to represent a fashion style that showed a lot of skin, not necessarily for swimwear. I.E. A bikini-style top.
In old days, a rifle (or musket) had 3 major parts: A lock, a stock of wood and a metal barrel. Each part was totally useless without the other one. They had to all work together or well, you got nothing. But when they were all in sync, what a BLAST! Thus, when a person chose to put everything 100% into an decision, action or commitment and not just half-heartedly, he is said to be doing it "lock, stock and barrel."
Alternate origin: lock stock and barrel also referred to when you bought a farm. Lock meant the house , stock was all the animals and barrel was the rain barrel meaning all the trivial junk, so that it was absolutely everything at the time of sale that was on the land that was sold If the previous owner left something valuable behind it was yours (too bad for them) as it had all been sold lock stock and barrel.
Many years ago a heavy cloth was created in Janua (modernly known as Genoa today) and shortened to the term "jean." In 1495, King Henry VIII of England bought 262 bolts it because it didn't wear out quickly and was very prized. It remained its natural shade for years and years until one day a batch was dyed blue and turned over to tailors. For many years, the pants made from this fabric was for men only. Only until women wearing pants became socially acceptable (around WWII?) and later in the 50's and 60's have jeans become a fashion garment for women as well as men. They are no longer worn for their durability, since today mean blue jeans are promoted for being softer and even include spandex for stretch blue jeans.
In ancient Greece, voting for membership into some of their organizations was done via beans. White beans were dropped into a container who favored the candidate and brown or black beans if you didn't. Apparently the jar was not clear and (I assume) when you went to vote you kept your hands folded so no one knew if you dropped a white or black bean? Only the officials knew the actual vote results of black vs. white beans. However....on a few occasions a clumsy voter would knock over the jar and revealed all the beans! This is how the phrase got to refer to someone who reveals the truth or hidden secrets.
Back in the old days, calendars were only made (or seen) by monks and made by hand in monasteries or convents. Scribes often emphasized days of Saints or other important events by using a reddish ink made from ocher (a mineral of oxide of iron). A quick look at the calendar instantly showed all there red marks from the black, so that preparation or anticipation of those days could be acted upon. Today, we consider a "red letter day" as any important day to us in our lives such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries or the beginning of vacations or ending of school years. Some even have them mark special emotional times such as first dates, births of babies, pay raises, etc.
The prairie chicken was often observed by early settlers dancing around at dawn with their fancy mating steps, making noises and strutting as part of their courtship with the females. They were so intense on this, they actually wore some areas of the ground bare! Soon, settlers could just tell by looking at some bare land that it was the mating spots for those frisky prairie chickens, and soon got called their "old stomping grounds." Today the term is used both for areas when males and females gather to meet each other, or for any place in which a group of people just go to have fun and kick up their heels etc.
For some odd reason, the number 9 has always been considered by mathematicians to have some super power? Some say it goes back to the Holy Trinity since 3 x 3 = 9. And later in Victorian times, a person who was all dressed up was said to be "dressed to the nines." So what does this have to do with clouds?
It was believed that clouds existed on a successful level of layers, and the ultimate high layer was 9. So anyone who is suddenly super happy was said to be soaring in the clouds and naturally the level of the cloud they were assumed to be on was the highest...level 9. Today another way of saying you are very happy and even in some cases, in love, is to say that you are on cloud 9.
To be a redneck isn't because anger makes your neck red at all. The term comes from the South, but it refers to anyone who works outdoors, especially in the farm fields, where after a while all that sun exposure gives you a very red neck (from bending over a lot in the fields). Since many wore hats that sheltered their faces, that left them all with red necks. After years of having sun-burned necks, skin just got darker, reddish and more crusty. So the term today, although termed for Southern farmers, can be another who works outdoors rather than in an office.
PS: Along this line, there is a term called a "farmer's tan" which means you have a sun tan from your elbows down, since being outdoors in a T-shirt covers the rest of your body. It's a common phrase in California to tease outsiders (esp. from the Midwest) that they have a "farmer's tan" when in California people pride themselves on having overall tans.
Another version is said that the term originated in the coal mines of Kentucky and West Virginia at The Battle of Blair Mountain, which was the largest civil uprising in US history. In 1921 WVa miners clashed with lawmen and hired hands of the coal companies when they tried to stop the miners from forming a union. Approximately, 13,000 miners with red bandanas tied around their necks (to identify them as a separate group from the others) marched on Logan county. This uprising helped showcase the conditions faced by the minors and helped shape the way unions operated. It also turned union tactics into political battles to get the law on the side of labor. All these miners with red bandanas on their necks is said to be the origin of "red necks."
Submitted 5/19/12
There is also a different version of the origin of this word from a Scottish website. Since this is rather long, I'll just put the Link up:
Illiteracy was common in the old days and so when a person was asked to sign his name to a document, he would put an "X" or a cross and it was perfectly legal. Now, many times this was done under pressure and the party making the "X" had no intention of observing the terms of the contract. Oral lore stated that if a cross was doubled = one was written over the other one, then the second one voided out the first. The contract was then null. So a double-cross was often referred to someone who promised in word or writing, but changed their minds, or never even intended to obey the rules they agreed to.
All companies that work around the clock have a graveyard shift. It really has nothing to do with graveyards or burial places. Actually, any thick liquid was termed "gravy." So if you laughed till you cried you were called "gravy-eyed." And lack of sleep lead to bleary eyes, and sailors who had to stay up on deck all night were often "gravy-eyed" from weariness. When the term was said in pubs and other places on land, these people did not quite get it. Because superstitions were so rampid in those days, they assumed it had to do with graves, being dead tired, etc. So the seafaring phrase go reformed by the landlubbers to mean "graveyard shift."
Another version: The "Graveyard Shift" is actually tied to the term "Saved by the Bell." First, to explain "Saved by the Bell": at one point, being buried alive was a common occurrence, so some people who were paranoid about such a fate were buried in special coffins that had a rope to pull from the inside that attached to a bell above ground. At night a guard was set to watch the graveyard and to listen for any bells to ring, and thereby dig up the living person from underground, saving them "by the bell." The guard that sat watch overnight was said to work the "Graveyard Shift": the night shift at a graveyard.
(Submitted by Jade Tibbals)
In 1748, the fourth Earl of Sandwich was John Montagu who loved to gamble. Anytime he could get a game in, he would. Since his time was limited, and he couldn't formally eat, he told his servants to give him a slice of roast beef between two pieces of bread, so he could eat at the table (did not need utensils). He might not be the first to come up with this, but he was the first to do it in public and often. As a result, this concoction of meat between two slices of bread soon became known as 'the sandwich.'
The term goes back to sailors who brought it to land. The stern of a boat is called the poop. During strong winds and storms, smashed against it repeatedly. Any ship's stern that showed damage from all of this was called "pooped" and lucky to still be floating after days of battering waves. So when the sailors got ashore, in their descriptive way they would often say that they felt as tired and battered and as "pooped" as their ship. People took hold of this phrase and soon used it to describe themselves even when on land as being totally pooped out when they were really tired, fatigued and exhausted from anything.
The term comes from the days of notorious pickpocket activities in London. They had their own language for different pockets that were the style of the day. For example: Jerve as a vest pocket. And Kick was a pocket on the side in a pair of pants. And the Pratt was the back pocket. Of all the pockets, the most difficult to pick was the KICK, because it was close to the victim's leg and was always moving. After a while, smart people discovered that the safest spot to keep your money was in his "side kick" or side pocket of his pants. Today the term now means a faithful partner or pet that is by ones side, often even helpful and protective.
The French painter Paul Gauguin is the source for this saying. Rumor has it that admirers loved his painting but had problems pronouncing his name. So they shortened their admiration to saying that they were just "Ga Ga." Others claim that's just nonsense. And that the word comes from the French origin for "fool" and so the word represents the sounds a mindless person makes.
Alternate: The word 'gaga' originates from the French word 'gateux' (with a circumflex accent on the 'a'). 'Se gater' which means to spoil or go rotten. Soo 'gateux' or 'gaga' could translate as ' soft in the head' as in senile.
(Submitted by: Harry Globus)
There are two versions of where this word began in American culture. (1) One of the most notorious criminals of the Barbary Coast was Muldoon, who had so much muscle he was hard to arrest. The San Franciso newspaper led a campaign to help clean up the town. But rather than printing his name they put it in backwards = Noodlum. A bit obvious, the reported then changed the N to H = Hoodlum. So every time this criminal's activities were written up, it was as Hoodlum. Soon the name was synonymous with crime and illegal activities. (2) Another theory is it is a derivative of the German word 'huddellump' which means miserable fellow, wretch, and scoundrel."
Before the days of the electric or mechanical doorbells, anyone coming to your house just had to pound a metal knocker that was nailed to the front door. Sometimes it took a lot of heavy smacks to get attention. This meant that the nails holding this metal plate on the door got a lot of wear, eventually having the life pounded out of it and it fell out. Today anything that is totally withered or a failed project or situation that is hopeless is considered to be as dead as a doornail.
Alternate origin: Nails were in short supply and high demand in colonial times. People would go out in the night and steal the nails from their neighbors doors. To prevent this from happening, the ends of the nails inside, were bent and hammered down to prevent them from being pulled out, from the outside. The nail was said to be dead and the act was deadening the nail. It could not be removed and all other uses were of that nail were eliminated....i.e. the nail was dead.
(Submitted by David Salls)
Early jugglers altered a Latin phrase used during Holy Communion. They took the word "hocus" which means "here is the body..." and just formed a rhyming word go to with it for their magical presentations resulting in "hocus-pocus." The pocus added to it assumedly meant to play close attention to the object.
Alternate origin: In the Middle Ages, most people were illiterate and certainly didn't understand Latin, the language of the Catholic mass. During the Eucharist in the mass, the priest would turn away from the congregation and look at the cross, making his words hard to hear and/or understand. When he raised the host (bread), he uttered the words "Hoc est corpus mei......", or "This is my body....", in Latin. The congregation didn't understand the meaning of the words, but they did know that, somehow through some magic, these words turned the bread into the actual body of Christ, the fantastic magical event of transubstantiation. So, words that sounded like "hocus pocus" to the illiterate and uneducated masses would enable a magical and miraculous event to transpire, and, presumably, these words were a facilitator or enabler of a magical act or event. (Submitted by Jon Dill )
Shindig
The general store often had a cracker barrel in which citizens of the town would gather to play games, and tell stories. Often listeners did not crack a smile at all. At other times, a lot of laughter was created. If a teller of a tall tail evoked a lot of laughter it was like hitting a bulls eye and so faces with cracked smiles mean "first class." Today the term now signifies anything that isn't first class is well..."not what it is cracked up to be."
Another version: "Cracked Up" also refers to a Civil War time makeup. At this time the makeup mostly consisted of beeswax, ladies had to partially melt the makeup beside the fire before applying it, and after application it would harden. If the lady laughed or smiled it would crack the makeup, and thereby look like her face was "Cracking Up."
(Submitted by Jade Tibbals)
Punishment in the old days often meant that a person often deserved more than just tar and feathers, and deserved a public whipping. In order to prevent him from escaping during this whip lashing, he was tied over-turned barrel (top body bent to the curve of the barrel while feet remained on the ground.) Thus there was no way this person could escape his punishment. Today the term "to have over a barrel" means that someone is in a position in which there is just no way for them to escape their punishment or whatever other dreadful outcome is coming to them.
We live in a right-handed world, let's face it. In the ancient world, the left-side of the body or anything "left" was considered sinister, mysterious, dangerous or evil. So, innkeepers pushed the left sides of the bed against the walls so that a guest HAD to get up on the right side. Today, with queen and king side beds, most people get up on either side and don't bother to think about it. But the term today of "getting up on the wrong side of the bed" refers to when someone is irritable or clumsy.
The origin is from WWII and refers to a bomb that could level an entire block. When the boys came home, the phrase caught on to represent anything that made a real impact.
This is an old-fashion phrase for nudity (or almost nude) women in photos or film. The phrase comes from the fact that a woman's skin appears to be the same creamy color as that of cream cheese.
Its origin goes back to the days of music being put on records (remember those?). Each record had one side that had the main recording (hit song) and then there was always another song on the back, which often was completely different than the front song. This song on the back became known as the "flip side." In society it caught on as every argument or situation can have something on the other side totally different from what's being shown on the front.
We all know it as jealousy. But how? It goes back to the Shakespearean play, "Othello" in Act III. Shakespeare used at cat's green eyes to represent jealousy and referred to it as "the green-eyed monster" in his play. The phrase just caught on.
The Handwriting on the Wall
We know it today as a sign of some upcoming doom. But the origin goes back to the bible when Belshazzar, the successor to King Nebuchadnezzar got drunk one night and drank from sacred vessels from the temple of Jerusalem. Afterwards, it is said that a mysterious hand appeared and wrote 4 strange words on the banquet room wall. Only Daniel (the prophet) could interpret this writing, which he said was ominous. So, any warning today is referred to "the handwriting on the wall."
This is used today to mean someone who has influence to make things happen. The term goes back to a puppeteer, who everyone knew was the man behind-the-scenes manipulating things that made the show happen.
To be the Top Banana or Second Banana
The term goes back to burlesque where the showgirls in the finale formed what appeared to resemble a bunch of bananas. Of course the star was usually on center top and was referred to "the top banana." In many vaudeville comedy acts, the straight man to the comedian was often referred to then as the "second banana." So, this banana ranking comes from the theatre, not the jungle.
Refers to anyone fooling around, either sexual or some underhanded business deal, etc. The phrase originates back to magicians who would wave hankies around to misdirect the attention of the audience from what was really going on. Just like magicians would rhyme words like "hocus pocus", the "panky" got added to just make a rhyme.
To Let Your Hair Down
Back in Napoleonic days, the nobility of Paris were highly condemned if they appeared in public without a hairdo that was pretty elaborate. This mean hours of work and a lot of hairpins. It was only when they got home could they take all those pins out and relax. Of course when the pins came out, the hair fell down. Thus, letting your hair down soon became a phrase to represent being relaxed.
This is not just an old television show from the 1950's. Back in the 1880's an Irish comic/singer named Patrick Rooney created a song about Mr. Reilly, who imagined what his life would be like if he hit it rich in California. The song describes his wonderful life of leisure. Soon, many who heard it identified with how nice it would be and would repeat the song, making the phrase represent having a real easy life.
Ambassador to Portugal, Jean Nicot talked with sailors a lot. In 1560 he got some seeds from these sailors that he planted. And, so the first tobacco plants in France grew. When scientist later discovered that tobacco had a potent substance, they named it nicotine after Jean Nicot.
When all know it means that everything is fine. But, the phrase originated with President Martin Van Buren, when he was running for his second term as president. He was born in Kinderhook, NY. And his nickname was "Old Kinderhook." So, his fans formed a campaign committee called the "Democratic O.K. (old kinderhood) Club."The campaign slogan spread from then on.
To Read Someone The Riot Act
It's real! Back in 1716, King George I of England issued a proclamation that if 12 or more people engaged in a demonstration, his officers were told to read these people this specific Act and send those rioters home. Only a few continued once the edict was read because you could be sent to prison for life. So, once this Riot Act got read, people calmed down rather quickly.
When you get information straight from the horse's mouth, it means you are suppose to be getting honest, correct information. The phrase comes from the old days when determining how old a horse was was done by looking at his teeth. So, before betting on a horse, people wanting to check its teeth to see how old this horse was. Therefore, anyone who worked around the horse (stable hand?) knew how old the horse was and could let the others know. Therefore, the information was acquired, 'straight from the horse's mouth' and not the owner of the horse.
On the other hand, if someone gave you a horse for free, it was considered rude to look in its mouth and check to see how old it was. Therefore, you were not to "look a gift horse in the mouth." Today, this means not to question the quality or motive a gift you get from someone.
A colorful expression that means it is raining very hard, with lightning, thunder and probably a lot of high winds. There are two ideas of how this phrase developed. One is simple: A storm sounds a lot like cats and dogs fighting. The other goes back to Norse mythology. It is believed that witches caused storms and rode the winds in the shape of back cats. And, the God of Storms is described in Norse Mythology being surrounded by wild dogs and wolves. So, add the witchy cat-shaped winds and the wild dogs and you get "it's raining cats and dogs."
This is just another way of defining the person on top, the most important person or the one in authority. The source isn't exactly that meaning. It originates from the Native American word "muck-a-muck"which meant a person who has plenty to eat. In a tribe, it was usually the chief (and his family) who had enough to eat. The settlers sort of messed up the pronunciation as well as the meaning in translation apparently.
It simply means a person who is teetering on the edge of sanity. The origin is pretty simple. It goes back to the Roman belief that the moon (Luna) influenced sanity.
This is a phrase today that means a way to get out of some contract. The origin goes back to the Middle Ages and defending a castle. Up at the top, designers put in small, oval windows that were tapered to be wider inside and narrower from the outside. This made the window difficult to hit (from over the moat) by the enemies, but a good spot to defend the castle from w/o much chance of getting hurt themselves. The window was called the loophole and later the term came to represent any opening that gave an advantage to one side in an argument or contract.
As odd as this seems, back in the old days most people weren't allowed credit. But, when someone did borrow, the records were often kept on the shirt cuff of the lender. When men traveled from town to town, the livery stableman often let them put what they owed on credit. There was no formal contract. But, it was written on the stable owner's cuff. So, guys who had debt owed to stables in different towns were said to live "off the cuff." Today, the phrase just means a casual business deal w/o formal, legal documentation based on a man's word or trust only.
To Paint The Town Red
Isn't it rather obvious that the term goes back to red light districts in towns, because that was the area where the men found most of their well...excitement? ;) Today, we refer to it as having a good time in a place, period. And doesn't have to mean visiting prostitutes.
A poke is just a heavy, thick bag attached to a stick in which pigs were carried to market. Many times, a defective pig, or not even a pig at all was in the bag. And, the sellers would offer a great "bargain" for the poke. Why didn't the buyer take a peek inside first? Because pigs were hard to catch once they got loose, the sellers often refused to let the buyers take a peek before paying. So, many times, the buyers were cheated and ended up paying for either a bad pig or not pig at all once they peeked inside the bag they just bought. Later on, the phrase soon represented anything purchased that seemed to be a good deal and was just a waste of money.
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Many times cats were put into the poke instead of a pig. When a buyer insisted on seeing what was inside the bag and found a cat instead of a pig, he confirmed that he was being cheated and the truth was revealed. Today, "to let the cat out of the bag" means to let secret or hidden information be revealed to others. It doesn't have to do with business, it could simply be telling what a Christmas present is.
Back in sailing days, a ship's food supply was stored in a lot of salt pork. After frying or boiling, a lot of fat (aka slush) was left over. Some of it was used to grease timbers. But, they had LOTS of this stuff! So, a lot was just put into storage. When they got back to port, they sold it. (I'm not sure who buys this stuff and why?) Anyway, the money from selling their slush was used to buy extras for the crew. Soon, the term "slush fund" was used to represent money that was taken from a normal budget and used for extras. More commonly, the extras meant to pay bribes for corrupt purposes, etc.
By the skin of your teeth
This is a phrase that means to barely escape a disaster. But, we don't have skin on our teeth (we have enamel). The origin is from the bible, the Book of Job 19:20 where Job says he's escaped by the skin of his teeth. And, as with a lot of bible verses, they slip into everyday speech. This was one.
This is just a guess. It goes back to early baseball days when the game was played in open stadiums while the sun shined only. The newspapers wanted to know how many came to the game. But, it was hard to get an exact count (and the owners/managers didn't want to tell them, especially if it was low.) So, they'd just give an estimate - give or take a few hundred. Soon, any so-so count is called a "ballpark figure" or estimate.
Barking Up the Wrong Tree
Settlers hunted raccoons, possums and squirrels. Most hunting dogs would chase them up a tree and then bark until their masters came and shot the animals. Sometimes, the animal managed to sneak across to another tree w/o the dog seeing. So, the dog would continue to bark up a tree that didn't have any prey. Soon, the phrase became known in social circles to mean anyone who is wrong about something and/or is being mislead.
To Build a Fire Under Someone
We all know that mules are pretty stubborn. Sometimes they just firmly set their legs and well... So, farmers decided that building a small fire under the mule's belly would get him moving. There's no proof this was really done a lot by muleskinners. But, the idea and imagery was such that people started using the phrase to mean "trying to get someone to move or take some action."
Isaak Walton was a fisherman and author about it. He'd stress how important it was to get that hook stuck in the fish's mouth. To do that you needed to do a sudden jerk! Therefore, to "hook" got associated with the action of "a jerk." Now, we get to schools. When the teacher's back was turned, a kid would bolt off! If he got away with it, he'd hide and not show up for role call. Soon, this represented a "jerk of defiance" similar to like a jerk to hook on a fishing pole. So, it was called "hookey" rather than simply being defiant to mean skipping school.
This is just a name for barnyard excrements from chickens. The phrase first appeared in stories written by Charles F. Brown (aka Artemis Ward) in the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1858. He used the phrase to described the political talk he was hearing from candidates. It seemed to then catch on as a way of expressing any talk that was worthless and stupid, whether political or not.
Putting on the Dog
After the Civil War, lap dogs were a social status among the wealthy. Even today, look at how Paris Hilton goes around with Tinkerbell all dressed up? Back then, French Poodles were the symbol of wealth. So, anyone who was being flashy was jokingly said to be "putting on the dog."
When you've got some unpleasant situation, you simply just grin and bear it and deal with it. This is what a soldier who was being discharged dishonorably had to do. He was given his walking papers, then forced to walk through the ranks of his fellow comrades while instruments played some march for ousted soldiers. The ritual wasn't fun, but the soldier had to deal with it directly. Thus, he had to face the music (instruments playing) and his fellow soldiers. This didn't mean he was guilty. Just like today, someone might have to face a bad situation that he had no cause in.
If a nobleman married beneath himself, custom said that the man would give the bride his left hand, rather than his right. This type of "left-handed wedding" was not really worth much because the man's wife or children could never gain his property. So, the marriage wasn't really valid, but just for social appearances. By the 16th century, these were no longer performed. But, society still referred to anything that on the surface appeared to be something that it wasn't as "left-handed." Today, sometimes a compliment is really meant as an insult (or a snide remark) and is referred to as a left-handed compliment because it's not really sincere.
The playwright, Moliere, created a stupid character named Moron. When the American Association for the Study of the Feeble Minded assembled in 1910, they said that they didn't even have a name for the type of people they worked with. So, someone suggested Moron after the character in the play. It stuck. Someone who thinks that another person is not too bright will call them a moron.
Alternate origin from Lisa Slitas:
MORON really does mean an idiot, in ancient Greek!
It comes from the word μωρός which means someone whole can't
understand that much, and in contemporary Greek is the word μωρό
which means baby. So basically a moron is someone that has the mind of a baby.
Nag
Anyone who constantly annoys someone is called a nag. The origin has nothing to do with horses. The source comes from the fact that rats gnawed away at things and you could hear them constantly and couldn't stop it. The Germans took the Scandinavian word for gnawing and turned it into nag. Soon, the word turned into mean something that was constantly irritating. As far as a person, it means someone who just gnaws at someone verbally.
Nothing to be Sneezed At
The upper class years ago had a craze for sneezing. All the elite would carry snuff boxes with herbs, which made them sneeze when they put a pinch into their noses. It was said that a good sneeze was a way to clear one's mind. Soon, a sneeze was a way of expressing boredom. They'd hear something and if they weren't impressed, they'd sneeze afterwards. Therefore, if something wasn't sneezed at, it meant that it was important or interesting. Today it simply means it is worth taking notice of.
Shoot the Bull
Basically it means to be drunk. The origin comes from sailors. Ships sailed best when all 4 sets of sails and all 4 masts were working. Sometimes, the 4th set didn't work or didn't get set up in time. When a ship was using 3 sets of sails and masts, the ship was in trouble if a gale hit them. A tossing and turning ship was similar to a drunk. So, someone who was drunk and walking rather wobbly soon was called "3 sheets (sails) to the wind."
Alternate origin: On a boat, a "sheet" is a rope used to adjust the sails. An old square-rigged boat used one sheet to control each of the 4 corners of every sail. If a sail had 3 sheets (ropes) untied, it would merely flap around wildly in the wind and be useless.
(Submitted by: Paul Heitkemper)
This is not about drippy juice running all over. The phrase means anyone who has an easy task or job that pays a lot but doesn't really work for it as "being on the gravy train" or "riding the gravy train." The phrase originates with (1) the fact that gravy is an automatic by-product when you cook a roast. The juices to make gravy are just there when the roast is done. (2) Train travel was very popular, esp. during the 1920's. Guys who worked on the railroad used the phrase "gravy train" to mean any job they did that paid well, but wasn't hard. The term then slipped into society.
To Live High on The Hog or To Eat High on The Hog
The origin is pretty simple. It comes from the fact that the best part of meat on a hog is cut high on the thigh. The lesser quality meat comes from the lower thigh (has lots of fat). So, the meaning of the phrase is basically when you are eating (or living) the very best that is available to you; and, are not having second best or lower quality.
Fork Over or Fork It Over
The origin has nothing to do with roosters with their heads cut off. It has to do with guns. Muskets were rather clumsy to load and took time. And, they wouldn't fire until they were cocked. To save time (but to still be safe) hunters would load their muskets but keep them only half-cocked until ready. However, they'd be some real hyper guys who forgot about their guns and just fired when they saw their game! Of course the gun wouldn't fire when it was only half-cocked. The phrase then slipped into society to mean anyone who was trying to do something without first checking that everything was in order for the project.
To Keep A Stiff Upper Lip
The phrase means to show no emotion in times of great emotional distress, or to have a lot of self-control. The origin is pretty simple. It has to do with British soldiers and their mustaches. Even when trimmed and waxed, moustaches sort of moved when standing at attention. This was considered undisciplined! So, a soldier was ordered to control his mustache's movements and keep a stiff upper lip!
"The drinks are on the house!" We all have heard this in a bar. The origin actually comes from British pubs, where the owner would invite their customers to taste their stock (pubs made their own beer back then.) Their hope was to give them a desire to have more and create sales. Today, anything that is given free (whether by a business or a person) is said to be "on the house."
To Put The Screws To
To pressure someone in order to get something out of them (information, money, etc.) is what it means. The term originates back to a method of torture called thumbscrews where jailers would slowly tighten the screws and create a lot of pain until the prisoner confessed or gave him the information they wanted. Examples of thumbscrew torture are seen in some museums today. But, they are no longer used.
Edward I of England forced all noblemen to sign their allegiance to him. This list of those that did was called a "ragman's roll." Once the list was done, couriers were sent all over to publicly read this list. Well, doing this over and over was a bit tiring. So, at times the speech probably got muffled and hard to understand by those listening. So, the incoherency of hearing this list was called "the ragman's roll" which slurred turned into "rigmarole." And, the word eventually got used in society to mean a slurring of a lot of words that couldn't be understood, whether a list or just speech.
When you leave a place where you've been and go to a new spot, you are said to "pull up stakes." The origin goes back to homesteaders, were stakes were put in the ground to mark survey lines. But, sneaky settlers would go out at night and move the stakes of other people to their benefit.
Tell It To The Marines!
When someone tries to tell you a far out tale that you are not going to fall for, you usually tell them to "Go tell it to the Marines." Why? The origin goes back to 1800's when British sailors (professionals) thought the marines were greenhorns. Apparently, the British sailors were told some outlandish tale, they'd tell the person to go tell it to the marines, who were gullible. So, it has nothing to do with the U.S. Marine Corp. It has to do with sailing and mariners.
A whistle (wood) has to be clean to make a good, pure sound. Any little particles in it, will cause it to sound funny. A brand new whistle is the cleanest and best! So, when someone is said to be clean as a whistle, it simple means he's got no imperfections or is not guilty.
Primarily this is used today to mean a really reckless driver. But the origin goes back to the days of the wild West and has nothing to do with cars. When the transcontinental railroad got started, there was a lot of open land between towns. Opportunists after the money of those laboring on working on the railroad in these open spaces, simply rented flatcars and turned them into mobile brothels and gambling casinos. Religious zealots considered such activities the work of the devil and anyone who participated doomed for hell. So, these flatcars with prostitutes, gambling, drinking etc. were called hell on wheels. Other meanings today can be as a compliment that someone is very energetic, a real go-getter, or just very fast-moving.
To Show Your True Colors
Warships often carried flags from many countries in order to elude or fool their enemies. The rules of warfare stated that ships were to hoist their true national ensigns before firing. So, someone who "shows his true colors" is acting like a warship that hailed another ship by falsely flying one flag; but, then as soon as they got within firing range, hoisted their real flag!
(Submitted by: Paul Heitkemper)
To Get The Lead Out
It means to work or move faster. When car racing became popular Bondo hadn't been invented yet. When cars needed body work, lead was used to patch and repair holes in the body. Lead was very heavy and added weight to the car, thus making it drive slower in races. It was said that if you could get all the lead out of your car it would go faster.
(Submitted by: Amanda Hurst)
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Which word can go before Power, Hole and Date to make three other words? | Nine Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Swear Words | TIME.com
Nine Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Swear Words
Earmuffs!
Follow @TIMENewsfeed
Four-letter words have been around since the days of our forebears—and their forebears, too. In Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing, a book out this month from Oxford University Press, medieval literature expert Melissa Mohr traces humans’ use of naughty language back to Roman times. NewsFeed asked Mohr what surprising tidbits readers might stumble upon amidst the expletives. Here are nine talking points from her opus for your next (presumably, pretty edgy) cocktail hour.
(FROM THE MAGAZINE: Help! My Baby Swears )
1. The average person swears quite a bit.
About 0.7% of the words a person uses in the course of a day are swear words, which may not sound significant except that as Mohr notes, we use first-person plural pronouns — words like we, our and ourselves — at about the same rate. The typical range, Mohr says, goes from zero to about 3%. What would it be like to have a conversation with a three-percenter? “That would be like Eddie Murphy,” Mohr says. Presumably from Eddie Murphy Raw, not from Shrek Forever After.
2. Kids often learn a four-letter word before they learn the alphabet.
Mohr’s work incorporates research by Timothy Jay, a psychology professor at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, who uncovered the 0.7% statistic above and has also charted a rise in the use of swear words by children — even toddlers. By the age of two, Mohr says, most children know at least one swear word; it really “kicks off” around the ages of three or four.
(MORE: Why Swearing Helps Ease the Pain )
3. Some of today’s most popular swear words have been around for more than a thousand years.
“S— is an extremely old word that’s found in Anglo-Saxon texts,” Mohr says. What English-speakers now call asses and farts can also be traced back to the Anglo-Saxons, she adds, though in those times the terms wouldn’t have been considered as impolite as they are today.
4. The ancient Romans laid the groundwork for modern day f-bombs.
There are two main kinds of swear words, says Mohr: oaths—like taking the Lord’s name in vain—and obscene words, like sexual and racial slurs. The Romans gave us a model for the obscene words, she says, because their swearing was similarly based on sexual taboos, though with a different spin. “The Romans didn’t divide people up [by being heterosexual and homosexual],” she says. “They divided people into active and passive. So what was important was to be the active partner.” Hence, sexual slurs were more along the lines words like pathicus, a rather graphic term which basically means receiver.
(MORE: Children Who Hear Swears on TV Are More Aggressive, Says Study )
5. In the Medieval era, oaths were believed to physically injure Jesus Christ.
In the Middle Ages, Mohr says, certain vain oaths were believed to actually tear apart the ascended body of Christ, as he sat next to his Father in heaven. Phrases that incorporated body parts, like swearing “by God’s bones” or “by God’s nails,” were looked upon as a kind of opposite to the Catholic eucharist—the ceremony in which a priest is said to conjure Christ’s physical body in a wafer and his blood in wine.
6. However, obscene words were no big deal.
“The sexual and excremental words were not charged, basically because people in the Middle Ages had much less privacy than we do,” Mohr explains, “so they had a much less advanced sense of shame.” Multiple people slept in the same beds or used privies at the same time, so people observed each other in the throes of their, er, natural functions much more frequently — which made the mention of them less scandalous.
7. People in the “rising middle class” use less profanity.
“Bourgeois people” typically swear the least, Mohr says. “This goes back to the Victorian era idea that you get control over your language and your deportment, which indicates that you are a proper, good person and this is a sign of your morality and awareness of social rules,” she explains. The upper classes, she says, have been shown to swear more, however: while “social strivers” mind their tongues, aristocrats have a secure position in society, so they can say whatever they want — and may even make a show of doing so.
(MORE: How Much Does Obama Swear, Compared to Other Presidents? )
8. Swearing can physiologically affect your body.
Hearing and saying swear words changes our skin conductance response, making our palms sweat. One study, Mohr notes, also found that swearing helps alleviate pain , that if you put your hand in a bucket of cold water, you can keep it in there longer if you say s— rather than shoot. Which is a good piece of info to have next time you’re doing a polar bear plunge.
9. People don’t use cuss words just because they have lazy minds.
Mohr discusses the myriad social purposes swearing can serve, some nasty and some nice. “They definitely are the best words that you can use to insult people, because they are much better than other words at getting at people’s emotions,” she says. Swear words are also the best words to use if you hit your finger with a hammer, because they are cathartic, helping people deal with emotion as well as pain. And studies have shown that they help people bond — like blue-collar workers who use taboo terms to build in-group solidarity against management types. When asked if the world would be better off if everyone quit their cussing, Mohr answers with a four-letter word of her own: “Nope.”
This is an edition of Wednesday Words, NewsFeed’s weekly feature on language. For last week’s post, click here .
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Which word can go before Box, Press and Head to make three other words? | Letter-by-Letter Word Games
Letter-by-Letter Word Games
Compiled by Steffan O'Sullivan
This page last updated September 14, 1997 [Yikes! I'm way behind! Folks have been sending more titles, and I haven't gotten to entering them yet - bad me. No excuse. Real Soon Now.]
[Note as of December 24, 1999: no, I never did get around to updating this file. But someone did volunteer to take over! Graham Toal has kindly taken over the task of collating all the notes I had for over two years. The enlarged, updated list can be found at http://www.gtoal.com/wordgames/ .
I recommend you head there now, as it contains everything that's in this page, plus much more! He's not only added games, but also information and letter distributions for some of the games listed. He's also interested in computer simulations of word games, and has a whole section devoted to that.]
If you have information to contribute to this project, you should e-mail it to Graham Toal .
The rest of this page has not been updated since 1997.
Back to Steffan O'Sullivan's Home Page
This is an attempt to list the letter-by-letter word games that have been published, that work with the English language. (And the language of the U.S.A., too, for you UK readers...)
The phrase "letter-by-letter" is used simply to distinguish such word games from word games which use whole words, phrases, sentences, etc. Examples of the latter include Taboo, Guestures, Trivial Pursuit, Charades, etc., all of which can be considered "word games", but are outside the scope of this list. Instead, this list focuses on games in which the basic element is a letter, and words are built up from there. Scrabble is probably the best-known letter-by-letter word game today, so think of games similar to that - at least vaguely similar, at any rate.
This list is not done yet - there have been an astonishing number of such games published. However, I'm burned out on it - I'm no longer seeking other titles of such games, but still am seeking comments for any game listed which lacks them. I'm also asking for corrections to any misinformation below! Send any such suggestions to gtoal @ gtoal.com .
Contributors: Comments are by:
Compiled by Steffan O'Sullivan
Ad Lib published by Lowe. A remake of Scribbage (below). [SOS]
Addiction published by Waddingtons. Choosing one die at a time, place them in a 5x5 grid, making as many words as you can, crossword fashion. [SOS]
Administrative Waltz published by Ariel. This is a satirical board game about rising to the top of various bureaucracies (the military, politics, etc.) in the UK, but in some way it incorporates the making of words from letter tiles. [DB]
Alfred's Other Game published by Selchow & Righter. This tile games is for 1-4 players, and is basically solitaire, whether played alone or with others. Each player has three areas: a place where tiles are laid out randomly at start, a place where completed words are spelled, and a place for leftovers. You form words from each line of six tiles - unused letters go to the leftover area, and can be reused later. Not a great game, unless multi-player solitaire is your thing. By Alfred E. Butts, the creator of Scrabble. [SOS]
Anagrams published by Selchow & Righter. 200 tiles, build words from them. You can steal your opponents words if you can add one or more letters to make an anagram of their words. I like it. [SOS]
Bali published by Avalon Hill, 1980. Kind of similar to rummy where you build words as melds and they can be stolen with anagrams. [RI]. A word is built out of the players' cards on a common area; by adding letters from one's hand, one hand can steal the word. Numerous variants exist. [DT]
Bits & Pieces published by Samuel Ward. Some of the dice sides have individual letters, some have letter combinations. Race against time. [SOS]
Boggle (& variants) published by Parker Brothers. Boggle has 16 dice in a 4x4 pattern (Big Boggle, now called Boggle Master, has 25 in a 5x5 pattern). Shake the holder, the dice settle into place with a single side up, and start the timer. You have 3 minutes to find as many words as you can. A word can be spelled by moving from die to die, orthogonally or diagonally, without hitting the same die twice. Each die can only be used once in spelling a given word, but may be used over and over again for each new word. Words must be a minimum of three letters. Very good game. [SOS]
Buzzle published by Fanjos in 1994. This is the German rerelease of Runes (see below). I believe it was nominated for Spiel des Jahres. [KM]
Buzzword(s?) published by ??? -- You roll a cup full of dice and put them on a scrabble like board. Recent game (a few years). Not as good as it sounds. Reviewed in Games, maybe in The Game Report (check out online). I have a copy, so if you bug me about it I can find company and year. [BB]
Campbell's Alphabet Scoop & Spell published by Warren Industries. Scoop piles of letters out of the Campbell's alphabet soup can to spell words. [SOS]
Catchword published by International Games. Consonants on cards, vowels on dice, which are thrown anew each turn. Variations given. [SOS]
Chessword published by Waddington's House of Games, 1972. Played on an elongated chessboard where the white squares have the alphabet on them, and using only the non-pawn pieces. Each player tries to maneuver any one of his pieces onto the letter he needs for his word, whilst preventing the opponent from doing the same. [DT]
Countdown published by Piatnik (Austria), designed by frederic Leygonie, 2-6 players aged 10+, pub March '97. Make words by playing letter cards: longest wins. [PE]
Crash published in the Feb 1971 issue of Word Ways. Related to Jotto, but in this game, you only score crashes: a crash is an instance of the same letter *in the same position* in the target word. Thus shine/canoe scores 1, parse/spear scores 0. This gave rise to a number of variants. [TU]
Cross Cubes published by Baron Scott. 19 letter cubes, 6 black cubes to use as blanks, as in crossword puzzles. Place the black cubes first, then shake the letter dice and start a timer. [SOS]
CrossCheck published by TSR. A crossword game, something like 'Swoggle, but here you are actually answering clues. [DB]
Crossword published by MB, 1978. Nearly identical to Scribbage. [AM]
Crossword Bingo published by Skor-Mor/Samuel Ward. 240 letter tiles. Words must be formed before you can place tiles on bingo cards. Timer, simultaneous play. [SOS]
Crossword Cubes published by Selchow & Righter. 14 dice, you get two to four tosses (as in Yahtzee), forming words in crossword fashion. You can only score one word of each length from 2-8 letters. [SOS]
Crossword Dominoes published by Selchow & Righter. These domino-shaped tiles contain two letters. On one side, they are horizontally adjacent, on the other, the same two letters are vertically adjacent. You try to spell words with them, crossword fashion. Each player must link on to a tile played by a previous player - there's a bonus for playing all five tiles in one hand, but they must all touch each other. Excellent game. [SOS]
Crossword Lexicon published by Parker Bros., 1937. I haven't seen it, but I suspect it is the same as Waddington's Lexcion, below. [SOS]
Crozzle published by Cadaco. Paper in special holders form crossword frames. Letters are drawn one at a time, and all players fill their own in at the same time, one letter at a time. Try to have the most words when the puzzle is full. [SOS]
Dig-It published by Cadaco. 378 letter tiles, many cards with a subject printed on each. Deal out subject cards, players simply dig into the common pile of letter tiles, spelling words relating to their subject. [SOS]
Dixit published by Waddingtons. [Description needed.]
Dizzy Spell published by Gabriel, 1978. The board is 5x5 with holes which are initially covered with reversible O/X pieces, all on the O side. Then a card with letters which align with the holes is inserted in the base. The first player uncovers two letters, making sure his opponent sees them too, then replaces the plugs, X side up. Play continues with the players alternating. After the third pair of letters has been revealed, each player may guess a word every turn. To do so, announce the word, then expose the letters (from the Xs) in the correct order. If correct, the player keeps the pieces removed and those letters can no longer be used. If incorrect, remove 2 points from the guesser's score. Once all letters are X side up, continue the process but flip the pieces back to the O side. Play continues until all the pieces are back to the O side or both players decide to give up. Score 1 point per piece. [DT]
Eureka published by Amigo Spiel (Germany), designed by Haim Shafir, 2-6 players aged 10+, pub April '97. A word is hidden in the mechanism, players roll dice to enable them to open flaps, revealing letters. When they guess the word they score the values of the closed flaps. [PE]
Foil published by 3M, 1968. Players score points for forming one or more words from the hand of letter-cards they're dealt. They then scramble the word(s) and show it (them) to their opponents. The latter score bonus points for unscrambling the word(s) within one-minute. [DT]
Foresight (4Cyte) published by MB. Tiles. [Description needed.]
Four Letter Words published by Lakeside, 1975. Using a 4x4x4 3D tic-tac-toe board, players try to make four letter words. [DT]
Got a Minute published by Selchow & Righter(?). Seven cubes with letters are ecased in a clear cube & with a minute sand timer. You have 1 minute to find as many words using the 7 letters. [RI]
Grid Word published by Waddingtons. Cards with two letters on them, must be played with other cards to make four-letter words. [SOS]
Hangman published by MB. Each player's word is kept hidden from the opponent - simultaneous classic hangman, basically. [SOS] When a player missed, a dial on the case showing a hangman was turned adding another "body part" until you were hung. The only problem is there were far too many misses allowed (something like 12). [RI]
Hearts published by MB (old). Dice. [Description needed.]
InVerse: The Poetry Game, unpublished, written by Stan Anderson. Link to description . [SA]
Ipswich published by Selchow & Righter, 1983. Each of the up to 4 players has a board with crossword spaces on it (4 intersecting word tracks). Each player draws 14 tiles and arranges as many of them as possible to make up words on his board within 10 minutes. Within the first minute, you have the option of trading tiles in for new ones (this costs score). There are bonuses for making words that intersect. After this first round, players retain any 4 tiles of their choice and then pass the boards, with their remaining tiles, to the left. Each player draws 2 more tiles. Repeat for a total of 5 rounds. [DT]
Jarnac published by Chieftain in Canada (also published in France by a different company). An outstanding and heady Anagrams game in which two players build words on individual boards but have the option to steal letters from their opponents. Superb scoring system. [MT] My favorite word game. [BF]
Jitters published by MB. Jitters has dice with letters and cards with crossword patterns. Start the (noisy) timer, turn over a card, throw the dice, and then use some or all of the dice to form a word pattern that matches the card. If you're stumped you can reroll all the dice. When you succeed, you have the choice of stopping the timer or turning another card and rerolling. If the timer goes off by itself, you lose credit for all the cards you finished that turn. Some of the patterns are easier than others. The harder the card, the more points it's worth. [DW]
Jotto published commercially in 1957 by The Jotto Corporation, later Selchow & Righter. [MK] Basically Mastermind with letters - an excellent game, especially while waiting for your food in a crowded restaraunt - you just need two pieces of paper and two pencils. Here are the rules as I learned them. [SOS]
Kan-U-Go published by Waddingtons. Old (50s, 60s?) card game. Players make words from the cards in their hand, adding them to what's on the table in crossword style. If you can't go you pick up a card, first to get rid of all their cards ends the hand. Score is values of cards left in hand, which count against you. Games ends when someone reaches 100 points and player with fewest points wins. [PE]
Keep Quiet published by Kopptronix. Letter dice with the manual alphabet for the deaf on them. One game is crossword-style, another longest word. [SOS]
Keep Quiet Reword published by Kopptronix. Cards are played four or five at a time to make words, then words can be partially covered up to make new words, as in Up Words. The cards have the English alphabet on the reverse side of manual alphabet. [SOS]
Keyword published by Parker Brothers. Similar to Scrabble, but each letter is 5 points unless played on your color, in which case it's 10 points. There are also keyword squares, which are worth +20 points. And keyword cards, which are turned over one at a time until claimed - if you spell the keyword, claim the card which will add 50 points to your score at the end of the game. The board has four colors of tiles, mostly clumped together in each of the corners. I have fond memories of this game, as it was my grandmother's favorite game, and I played many times with her while growing up. [SOS]
Kontrast published by Matthews & Marshall. 112 cards - empty hand by spelling words. [SOS]
Last Word published by Milton-Bradley, 1985. A 10x10 board is loaded with tiles, randomly. Players then walk their piece across the board, picking up tiles as they go, trying not to become stranded. On your turn, you get to pick up an entire word, so this goes pretty fast. The board is treated as wrap-around (toroidal continuity), which keeps the edges from being traps. Bonus points for isolating an opponent and for being the last to pick up a word. [DT]
Last Word by Sid Sackson, published in the book A Gamut of Games by Random House (1969), Pantheon (1982), & Dover (1992). Pencil and paper game of filling in a 9x9 grid. Start with the middle 9 spaces filed with letters taken from a random sentence, then play one letter at a time in an empty space, adjacent to at least two other letters already played. Score for words formed - you may rearrange the letters, but not skip any, when scoring. [SOS]
Letter Pile publisher unknown. Stylized letters are printed on clear plastic cards. Players gather the letters of their secret words into stacks; opponents try to guess the words by examining the lines and curves on the pile of overlapping cards.[BB2]
Lexicon published by Waddingtons. First published in 1933, this game uses cards, crossword fashion. Cards left in hand when someone goes out count against you - low score wins. Combine two sets to play with up to eight. [SOS]
Lewis Carroll's Chess Wordgame published by Kadon. Played on a chess board, each player starts with a letter in each of his first rank squares. You try to spell words on your fifth rank, moving letters one at a time as if they were queens. You may not stop on your fourth or eighth rank, but may move to your sixth or seventh, in an attempt to block your opponent. Despite the name, it's actually by Martin Gardner, based on a brief mention of the idea in one of Lewis Carroll's notebooks. It's okay - neither great nor bad. [SOS]
Lingo published by Lingo Games. Words are built on a 5x5 grid, any direction, even diagonally. [SOS]
Logomachy, or War of Words published by F.A. Wright Co., 1874. Mentioned in Sid Sackson's book, A Gamut of Games. [SOS]
Montage published by Gamut of Games, designed by Prince Djoli Kansil. You form a word on a board with chips, each color of which signifies several different letters, and give a clue to it; your partner tries to guess it before either opponent can. Whichever side gets it owns those chips. [TU]
My Word published by Gamut of Games (similar to Jotto) [MK]
My Word published by Waddingtons. I think this is a different game than the above - anyone know for sure? [Description needed.] [SOS]
Nexus published by Lodestone Games. Contains many games, some similar to Anagrams. Some tiles have letters, others syllables, the latter scoring more points. [SOS]
Option published by Parker Brothers, 1983. A crossword game using prisms. Play includes flipping prisms already on the board to switch them to the alternate letter. Players score extra if the word is all in one color. Why they didn't use all three sides of the prisms is a mystery. [DT]
Overturn published by Pressman. The letters are printed right on the board in this game. The board for a single game is made up of 9 small squares, each with four letters on them. There are 18 squares included - rotate and shuffle them after each play, and you'll get a different set-up each time. There are circles (green on one side, silver on the other) which fit over the letters. Spell a word as in Boggle and claim those letters by placing circles around them, your color up. The next player must use at least one new letter and one used letter, flipping any circles around letters used to his color. Very good game. I have an article on three-player Overturn . [SOS]
Palabra published by Kondrick. Seven-card hands. Two or three stars on some cards serve as multipliers so you can score 2*2*3*3*3 times the base score if lucky and careful. Player interaction is minor. [TU]
Pass the Bomb published by Gibsons Games, 1996 (box text: "Invented by Los Rodriguez and licenced by Weekend Games; Made in Austria by Piatnik, 1994"). Like Hot Potato, you don't want to be the one holding the bomb when it explodes. In order to pass it to the next person, however, you must first say a valid word containing a given sequence of letters (or, since bluffing is encouraged, make people _think_ you did...). [BB2]
Perfect 10 published by Smethport. Identical to Anagrams (above), but with only 100 tiles. [SOS]
Perquackey published by Pressman. Players roll 7 dice, then rattle off all 3+ letter words. You can only get points for the first 5 words with the same # of letters (5 3 letter words, 5 4 letter words). Point scoring is based on number of words of each type. Once you are vulnerable, you add a few red dice (with more obscure letters) and must start with 4 letter words. Solitairish (take turns, race point score). [BB]
Phlounder published by 3M, 1962. Letters are fed randomly through chute-like troughs; players try to make words out of what comes out. [DT]
Pick Two published by Tah Dah. Form words with cards as quickly as possible. When you form one the other players have to take two more cards and continue. [RI]
Play On Wordz published by Milton Bradley, 1986. It has a plastic case with 9 dice (called a dice roller). There are 6 dice in an outer circle and 3 dice in the middle. Each die is in a cavity and can't be removed. A player rubs his hand over the dice, rotating them, and places the game on the table for everyone to see. The object is to use the letters shown to make words of 4 or more letters. Letters do not have to be adjacent. First player to make 10 words says STOP and players compare lists. Duplicate words are eliminated. Each remaining word counts one point. Words with more than 4 letters get an extra point for each letter over 4. We like it a lot, and adjust the rules for younger players or poor spellers as needed. [CK]
Probe published by PB. Word guessing game like Hangman. [RI]. Sort of simultaneous Hangman. [DT]
Pronto published by Selchow and Righter in the late 1970's or early 1980's. A letter dice game, where you receive credit for various combinations. Similar to word yahtzee but with different scoring possibilities. Excellent solitaire. [MT]
Quadtriple published by Eltron. [Description needed.]
Que published by Knots. Cards with letters - some have one letter, others two-letters, and there are two wild-cards. Many variants given. [SOS]
Quibble published by Just Games. Ten wooden sticks have 10 letters on each edge. Randomly place them to make a 10x10 square of letters. Some variants require finding words in a given row, others in the whole array. [SOS]
Quizzle published by Copp Clark Games, Canada, 1978. There are four plastic crossword grids, a supply of cardboard letter tiles (also wild blanks and black squares) and a special die marked (1 1 2 2 3 *). On a player's turn, he rolls the die and places that many letters of his choice on the grid (other players simultaneously draw the same tiles but place them on their own grids as they choose). A Joker (*) counts for either 3 tiles or the replacement of an already-played tile. The game ends once the grid is filled. Only completed words count for score. [DT]
Qwink published by Selchow & Righter. [Description needed.]
Rätsel Turm, a game by Heinz Meister, published by FX Schmid, 1992. The aim of the game is to build towers with coloured blocks, the lowest block representing the first letter of a word, etc. There are blocks of different colours: green means A, B or C; yellow D, E or F, etc. Five different games use this basic system. For example, each player on his turn builds a tower, and the first other player who finds a corresponding word scores 1 point. Another example: The first player chooses a block, and each player on his turn must add a block on the top of the tower, or accuse the former player of bluffing when he cannot name a corresponding word. [BF]
Razzle published by Parker Bros. Try to move a carriage towards your opponent. The carriage has six letter dice which rotate when the carriage is moved. First to find a word formed with the letters showing moves the carriage towards his opponent, which then rotates the dice to reveal different letters. [SOS]
Red Letter published by Games Gang. Like Scrabble, except all letters are worth 1 pt. Letters can be either upper or lower case allowing proper nouns, bonuses for using all red letters (especially in the red zone -- outmost 5 rows/columns of the board) and bonuses for using words that fit a category listed on a card and with so many letters. [RI]
Rondo published by Ravensburger/FX Schmidt (Germany), designed by Abrahami/Netz, 2-4 players aged 12+, pub 97. Stand holds letter cards and can be extended as the length of the word increases. Players make words by adding, changing or blanking out a letter in the word that's already there. [PE]
Royalty published by US Games. Similar to Word Rummy except you only score if no one can steal your word in one round. [RI]
RPM published by Selchow ↦ Righter(?). The board is round and it winds up and revolves. You spell words with wood letter tiles as the board rotates into your area. [CL]
RSVP published by Selchow & Righter. You have an upright grid, in which letters can be placed from either side. A letter placed shows on both sides - but if one reads "BY" on one side of the grid, it reads "YB" on the other. Object is to score more words than your opponent, taking turns placing one letter at a time. [SOS]
Runes published by Eon. The basic component of this game is actually the letter element: a small straight, a large straight, a small curve and a large curve. Each player's board lists each letter with the one legal way to create the letter using the letter elements. Think of a secret word (five or six letters, determine before starting), and the others try to guess first what elements compose a given letter, then which letter it is, then which word. Excellent game with four players, a bit lacking with less. Longer review. [SOS]
Scoring Anagrams published by Selchow & Righter. Similar to Anagrams, with a scoring system instead of final goal. [SOS]
Scrabble designed by Alfred E. Butts, published by Selchow & Righter, later MB. Originally published in 1931 as Criss Cross. 15x15 board with 104 tiles. The letters are given a value (not always in keeping with their frequency - "H" is worth far too much, for example - Alfred got his original distribution by counting letters on the front page of an issue of the New York Times!), and some spaces are special: double-letter, double-word, triple-letter, triple-word scoring spaces. We play with the official Scrabble Dictionary, and are allowed to look up words before we play. Other Scrabble players find this practice blasphemous, but I suspect they haven't tried it - it makes it a better game, at least from our worldview. This is definitely the classic wordgame - one of the best. R. Wayne Schmittberger has a Scrabble variant with no luck involved: you lay out the tiles at the beginning of the game, randomly, face-up, around the board, so that there are two distinct ends to the line of tiles. After you play, you may draw from either end - but all letters taken in one turn must be from the same end. [SOS]
Scrabble Duplicate published by Selchow & Righter. 7 cards were displayed in a rack. Each player using their own scorepad (with Scrabble board on it) would write in the word they used. And then 7 new letters would be displayed. This way everyone would get the same rack on every turn. [RI]
Scrabble for Juniors published by Selchow & Righter. Actually the side of the board where you could make your own words would count as a legitimate game. [RI] (I had originally requested no pure children's game, listing this game as an example, but Rich Irving rightly points out that it should be included.) [SOS]
Scrabble Overturn(?) published by Selchow & Righter. The letters were on cylindars which could be rotated to change the color of the player getting credit for it. Different than the Pressman game. [RI]
Scrabble Up published by MB. Build words up a rack while the letter come sliding down another track. [RI]
Scribbage published by Lowe. Archetypal game of shake the dice, roll them out, you have X minutes to create words in a crossword pattern using as many dice as you can, pass the dice and cup to the next player, etc. The dice in Scribbage have both letters and a value for each letter on the faces - many dice games have just letters. [SOS]
Shoot & Spell published by Tiger Games, 1989. Letters are shot out of dispensers at each corner of the boxing-ring-like board. Players must make a word as quickly as possible from the displayed letters. [DT]
SI (Sports Illustrated Words) published by Parker Bros. I own this, but no rules, so am not 100% certain that what follows is correct. There are 30 dice, each side a letter, and a number of cards. The cards are specific to a given sport, and have Bonus Words on them. I'm assuming you draw a card, roll the dice, and have X minutes to form as many words as you can related to the sport - scoring extra if you can spell the Bonus Words. [SOS] [Description needed.]
Skirmish published by KDS Industries. Battleship with letters. Really. You make a word using pegs to form the letters, and try to hit the other player's pegs and guess the word. [DB]
Speed Scrabble, unpublished, uses Scrabble tiles. Heath Haley sent me the rules, but does not know who wrote them. I'm reluctant to post them without being able to credit the author. Anyone know who wrote this variant of Scrabble which is played without the board, simultaneously, to your own crossword-shaped words in front of each player?
Spellbinder published by Mattell. [Description needed]
Spellbound published by Lakeside. Letter dice fall into an upright stand which shows letters vertically, on four different sides at once. Each side requires players to find a different type of word formation. Timer. [SOS]
Spellwell published by Value Wargames. Mostly a table using a percentile dice - roll the dice X times, make words. Then make sentences with your words. [SOS]
Spill & Spell published by Parker Bros. 15 dice, timer, make crossword-type words, longer words score more; variants included. [SOS]
Sum-Words published by MPH Games. [Description needed.]
'Swoggle published by Chieftan Products (Canada). One of my favorite games and good to play with just two players. One problem is there's a little too much luck for my taste. On your turn, you roll one die and whatever you roll is how many letters (of your choice) you can add to the board. If you roll a one you're really screwed. The best house rule we found to fix this is to just let the player roll again and add it to the 1. [JG]
Take A Letter published by Rainbow Games, 1985. The board is a 17 x 17 grid with two corners taken out, with a variety of markings on it. There is also a track going around the board featuring letters and a few other squares. Players strive to make words of certain lengths or containing specific letters, as designated by their Word Play cards. The letter track is used to garner the required letters; Word Play cards also allow letters to be stolen from other players. [DT]
That's Incredible published by MPH Games. Actually nine games, only the first one, Zenith, is a word game. Using 81 letter cards, build a 9x9 crossword puzzle. [SOS]
| Letter |
Which word can go after Cast, Throw and Stow to make three other words? | Words | Define Words at Dictionary.com
noun
1.
a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation, that functions as a principal carrier of meaning. Words are composed of one or more morphemes and are either the smallest units susceptible of independent use or consist of two or three such units combined under certain linking conditions, as with the loss of primary accent that distinguishes black·bird· from black· bird·. Words are usually separated by spaces in writing, and are distinguished phonologically, as by accent, in many languages.
2.
(used in combination with the first letter of an offensive or unmentionable word, the first letter being lowercase or uppercase, with or without a following hyphen):
My mom married at 20, and she mentions the m-word every time I meet someone she thinks is eligible.
words.
speech or talk: to express one's emotion in words;
Words mean little when action is called for.
the text or lyrics of a song as distinguished from the music.
contentious or angry speech; a quarrel:
We had words and she walked out on me.
4.
a short talk or conversation:
Marston, I'd like a word with you.
5.
I give you my word I'll be there.
7.
We received word of his death.
8.
a verbal signal, as a password, watchword, or countersign.
9.
an authoritative utterance, or command:
His word was law.
10.
Also called machine word. Computers. a string of bits, characters, or bytes treated as a single entity by a computer, particularly for numeric purposes.
11.
(initial capital letter). Also called the Word, the Word of God.
the Scriptures; the Bible.
the message of the gospel of Christ.
12.
to express in words; select words to express; phrase:
to word a contract with great care.
Idioms
at a word, in immediate response to an order or request; in an instant:
At a word they came to take the situation in hand.
15.
be as good as one's word, to hold to one's promises.
16.
eat one's words, to retract one's statement, especially with humility:
They predicted his failure, but he made them eat their words.
17.
have a word, to talk briefly:
Tell your aunt that I would like to have a word with her.
18.
have no words for, to be unable to describe:
She had no words for the sights she had witnessed.
19.
in a word, in summary; in short:
In a word, there was no comparison.
Also, in one word.
in so many words, in unequivocal terms; explicitly:
She told them in so many words to get out.
21.
keep one's word, to fulfill one's promise:
I said I'd meet the deadline, and I kept my word.
22.
man of his word / woman of her word, a person who can be trusted to keep a promise; a reliable person.
23.
(upon) my word!, (used as an exclamation of surprise or astonishment.)
24.
of few words, laconic; taciturn:
a woman of few words but of profound thoughts.
25.
of many words, talkative; loquacious; wordy:
a person of many words but of little wit.
26.
put in a good word for, to speak favorably of; commend:
He put in a good word for her with the boss.
Also, put in a word for.
27.
take one at one's word, to take a statement to be literal and true.
28.
take the words out of one's mouth, to say exactly what another person was about to say.
29.
weigh one's words, to choose one's words carefully in speaking or writing:
It was an important message, and he was weighing his words.
Origin of word
Old English
900
before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch woord, German Wort, Old Norse orth, Gothic waurd; akin to OPruss wirds, Latin verbum ‘word’, Lithuanian var̃das ‘name’
Related forms
outword, verb (used with object)
well-worded, adjective
5. statement, declaration. 6. pledge. 7. message, report, account. 8. catchword, shibboleth.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Examples from the Web for words
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Contemporary Examples
In other words, his childhood question to his mother has by definition no answer — and furthermore, must have none.
Jolly Sally Pendleton Laura Jean Libbey
British Dictionary definitions for words
Expand
the text of a part of an actor, etc
2.
the text or lyrics of a song, as opposed to the music
3.
angry speech (esp in the phrase have words with someone)
4.
eat one's words, to retract a statement
5.
for words, preceded by too and an adjective or adverb. indescribably; extremely: the play was too funny for words
6.
have no words for, to be incapable of describing
7.
in other words, expressing the same idea but differently
8.
in so many words, explicitly or precisely
9.
of few words, not talkative
10.
put into words, to express in speech or writing as well as thought
12.
say a few words, to give a brief speech
13.
take the words out of someone's mouth, to say exactly what someone else was about to say
14.
words fail me, I am too happy, sad, amazed, etc, to express my thoughts
word
noun
1.
one of the units of speech or writing that native speakers of a language usually regard as the smallest isolable meaningful element of the language, although linguists would analyse these further into morphemes related adjective lexical verbal
2.
an instance of vocal intercourse; chat, talk, or discussion: to have a word with someone
3.
an utterance or expression, esp a brief one: a word of greeting
4.
news or information: he sent word that he would be late
5.
a verbal signal for action; command: when I give the word, fire!
6.
an undertaking or promise: I give you my word, he kept his word
7.
an autocratic decree or utterance; order: his word must be obeyed
8.
a watchword or slogan, as of a political party: the word now is ``freedom''
9.
(computing) a set of bits used to store, transmit, or operate upon an item of information in a computer, such as a program instruction
10.
as good as one's word, doing what one has undertaken or promised to do
11.
at a word, at once
12.
by word of mouth, orally rather than by written means
13.
in a word, briefly or in short
14.
an exclamation of surprise, annoyance, etc
(Austral) an exclamation of agreement
15.
of one's word, given to or noted for keeping one's promises: I am a man of my word
16.
put in a word for, put in a good word for, to make favourable mention of (someone); recommend
17.
take someone at his word, take someone at her word, to assume that someone means, or will do, what he or she says: when he told her to go, she took him at his word and left
18.
take someone's word for it, to accept or believe what someone says
19.
the last word
the closing remark of a conversation or argument, esp a remark that supposedly settles an issue
the latest or most fashionable design, make, or model: the last word in bikinis
the finest example (of some quality, condition, etc): the last word in luxury
20.
the word, the proper or most fitting expression: cold is not the word for it, it's freezing!
21.
| i don't know |
Which word can go after King, Hair and Nine to make three other words? | WORDS, PHRASES or SAYINGS - Origins, Meanings by Brownielocks.
The first teensy weensy swimsuit known as the "bikini" went on sale in 1947. But how did it get its name? The male reaction to this was often described to be like an atomic bomb. Since a year prior, 1946, the Marshall Islands were used for the atomic bomb test. 167 natives were moved to Rongerik under "Operation Crossroads" by William H.R. Blandy. Later more commonly referred to as "Bikini Island Bomb Tests." Since this skimpy swimsuit created about the same earth shattering reactions as the bomb, it was explosively named the Bikini. After a few years, it was no longer capitalized and became bikini to represent a fashion style that showed a lot of skin, not necessarily for swimwear. I.E. A bikini-style top.
In old days, a rifle (or musket) had 3 major parts: A lock, a stock of wood and a metal barrel. Each part was totally useless without the other one. They had to all work together or well, you got nothing. But when they were all in sync, what a BLAST! Thus, when a person chose to put everything 100% into an decision, action or commitment and not just half-heartedly, he is said to be doing it "lock, stock and barrel."
Alternate origin: lock stock and barrel also referred to when you bought a farm. Lock meant the house , stock was all the animals and barrel was the rain barrel meaning all the trivial junk, so that it was absolutely everything at the time of sale that was on the land that was sold If the previous owner left something valuable behind it was yours (too bad for them) as it had all been sold lock stock and barrel.
Many years ago a heavy cloth was created in Janua (modernly known as Genoa today) and shortened to the term "jean." In 1495, King Henry VIII of England bought 262 bolts it because it didn't wear out quickly and was very prized. It remained its natural shade for years and years until one day a batch was dyed blue and turned over to tailors. For many years, the pants made from this fabric was for men only. Only until women wearing pants became socially acceptable (around WWII?) and later in the 50's and 60's have jeans become a fashion garment for women as well as men. They are no longer worn for their durability, since today mean blue jeans are promoted for being softer and even include spandex for stretch blue jeans.
In ancient Greece, voting for membership into some of their organizations was done via beans. White beans were dropped into a container who favored the candidate and brown or black beans if you didn't. Apparently the jar was not clear and (I assume) when you went to vote you kept your hands folded so no one knew if you dropped a white or black bean? Only the officials knew the actual vote results of black vs. white beans. However....on a few occasions a clumsy voter would knock over the jar and revealed all the beans! This is how the phrase got to refer to someone who reveals the truth or hidden secrets.
Back in the old days, calendars were only made (or seen) by monks and made by hand in monasteries or convents. Scribes often emphasized days of Saints or other important events by using a reddish ink made from ocher (a mineral of oxide of iron). A quick look at the calendar instantly showed all there red marks from the black, so that preparation or anticipation of those days could be acted upon. Today, we consider a "red letter day" as any important day to us in our lives such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries or the beginning of vacations or ending of school years. Some even have them mark special emotional times such as first dates, births of babies, pay raises, etc.
The prairie chicken was often observed by early settlers dancing around at dawn with their fancy mating steps, making noises and strutting as part of their courtship with the females. They were so intense on this, they actually wore some areas of the ground bare! Soon, settlers could just tell by looking at some bare land that it was the mating spots for those frisky prairie chickens, and soon got called their "old stomping grounds." Today the term is used both for areas when males and females gather to meet each other, or for any place in which a group of people just go to have fun and kick up their heels etc.
For some odd reason, the number 9 has always been considered by mathematicians to have some super power? Some say it goes back to the Holy Trinity since 3 x 3 = 9. And later in Victorian times, a person who was all dressed up was said to be "dressed to the nines." So what does this have to do with clouds?
It was believed that clouds existed on a successful level of layers, and the ultimate high layer was 9. So anyone who is suddenly super happy was said to be soaring in the clouds and naturally the level of the cloud they were assumed to be on was the highest...level 9. Today another way of saying you are very happy and even in some cases, in love, is to say that you are on cloud 9.
To be a redneck isn't because anger makes your neck red at all. The term comes from the South, but it refers to anyone who works outdoors, especially in the farm fields, where after a while all that sun exposure gives you a very red neck (from bending over a lot in the fields). Since many wore hats that sheltered their faces, that left them all with red necks. After years of having sun-burned necks, skin just got darker, reddish and more crusty. So the term today, although termed for Southern farmers, can be another who works outdoors rather than in an office.
PS: Along this line, there is a term called a "farmer's tan" which means you have a sun tan from your elbows down, since being outdoors in a T-shirt covers the rest of your body. It's a common phrase in California to tease outsiders (esp. from the Midwest) that they have a "farmer's tan" when in California people pride themselves on having overall tans.
Another version is said that the term originated in the coal mines of Kentucky and West Virginia at The Battle of Blair Mountain, which was the largest civil uprising in US history. In 1921 WVa miners clashed with lawmen and hired hands of the coal companies when they tried to stop the miners from forming a union. Approximately, 13,000 miners with red bandanas tied around their necks (to identify them as a separate group from the others) marched on Logan county. This uprising helped showcase the conditions faced by the minors and helped shape the way unions operated. It also turned union tactics into political battles to get the law on the side of labor. All these miners with red bandanas on their necks is said to be the origin of "red necks."
Submitted 5/19/12
There is also a different version of the origin of this word from a Scottish website. Since this is rather long, I'll just put the Link up:
Illiteracy was common in the old days and so when a person was asked to sign his name to a document, he would put an "X" or a cross and it was perfectly legal. Now, many times this was done under pressure and the party making the "X" had no intention of observing the terms of the contract. Oral lore stated that if a cross was doubled = one was written over the other one, then the second one voided out the first. The contract was then null. So a double-cross was often referred to someone who promised in word or writing, but changed their minds, or never even intended to obey the rules they agreed to.
All companies that work around the clock have a graveyard shift. It really has nothing to do with graveyards or burial places. Actually, any thick liquid was termed "gravy." So if you laughed till you cried you were called "gravy-eyed." And lack of sleep lead to bleary eyes, and sailors who had to stay up on deck all night were often "gravy-eyed" from weariness. When the term was said in pubs and other places on land, these people did not quite get it. Because superstitions were so rampid in those days, they assumed it had to do with graves, being dead tired, etc. So the seafaring phrase go reformed by the landlubbers to mean "graveyard shift."
Another version: The "Graveyard Shift" is actually tied to the term "Saved by the Bell." First, to explain "Saved by the Bell": at one point, being buried alive was a common occurrence, so some people who were paranoid about such a fate were buried in special coffins that had a rope to pull from the inside that attached to a bell above ground. At night a guard was set to watch the graveyard and to listen for any bells to ring, and thereby dig up the living person from underground, saving them "by the bell." The guard that sat watch overnight was said to work the "Graveyard Shift": the night shift at a graveyard.
(Submitted by Jade Tibbals)
In 1748, the fourth Earl of Sandwich was John Montagu who loved to gamble. Anytime he could get a game in, he would. Since his time was limited, and he couldn't formally eat, he told his servants to give him a slice of roast beef between two pieces of bread, so he could eat at the table (did not need utensils). He might not be the first to come up with this, but he was the first to do it in public and often. As a result, this concoction of meat between two slices of bread soon became known as 'the sandwich.'
The term goes back to sailors who brought it to land. The stern of a boat is called the poop. During strong winds and storms, smashed against it repeatedly. Any ship's stern that showed damage from all of this was called "pooped" and lucky to still be floating after days of battering waves. So when the sailors got ashore, in their descriptive way they would often say that they felt as tired and battered and as "pooped" as their ship. People took hold of this phrase and soon used it to describe themselves even when on land as being totally pooped out when they were really tired, fatigued and exhausted from anything.
The term comes from the days of notorious pickpocket activities in London. They had their own language for different pockets that were the style of the day. For example: Jerve as a vest pocket. And Kick was a pocket on the side in a pair of pants. And the Pratt was the back pocket. Of all the pockets, the most difficult to pick was the KICK, because it was close to the victim's leg and was always moving. After a while, smart people discovered that the safest spot to keep your money was in his "side kick" or side pocket of his pants. Today the term now means a faithful partner or pet that is by ones side, often even helpful and protective.
The French painter Paul Gauguin is the source for this saying. Rumor has it that admirers loved his painting but had problems pronouncing his name. So they shortened their admiration to saying that they were just "Ga Ga." Others claim that's just nonsense. And that the word comes from the French origin for "fool" and so the word represents the sounds a mindless person makes.
Alternate: The word 'gaga' originates from the French word 'gateux' (with a circumflex accent on the 'a'). 'Se gater' which means to spoil or go rotten. Soo 'gateux' or 'gaga' could translate as ' soft in the head' as in senile.
(Submitted by: Harry Globus)
There are two versions of where this word began in American culture. (1) One of the most notorious criminals of the Barbary Coast was Muldoon, who had so much muscle he was hard to arrest. The San Franciso newspaper led a campaign to help clean up the town. But rather than printing his name they put it in backwards = Noodlum. A bit obvious, the reported then changed the N to H = Hoodlum. So every time this criminal's activities were written up, it was as Hoodlum. Soon the name was synonymous with crime and illegal activities. (2) Another theory is it is a derivative of the German word 'huddellump' which means miserable fellow, wretch, and scoundrel."
Before the days of the electric or mechanical doorbells, anyone coming to your house just had to pound a metal knocker that was nailed to the front door. Sometimes it took a lot of heavy smacks to get attention. This meant that the nails holding this metal plate on the door got a lot of wear, eventually having the life pounded out of it and it fell out. Today anything that is totally withered or a failed project or situation that is hopeless is considered to be as dead as a doornail.
Alternate origin: Nails were in short supply and high demand in colonial times. People would go out in the night and steal the nails from their neighbors doors. To prevent this from happening, the ends of the nails inside, were bent and hammered down to prevent them from being pulled out, from the outside. The nail was said to be dead and the act was deadening the nail. It could not be removed and all other uses were of that nail were eliminated....i.e. the nail was dead.
(Submitted by David Salls)
Early jugglers altered a Latin phrase used during Holy Communion. They took the word "hocus" which means "here is the body..." and just formed a rhyming word go to with it for their magical presentations resulting in "hocus-pocus." The pocus added to it assumedly meant to play close attention to the object.
Alternate origin: In the Middle Ages, most people were illiterate and certainly didn't understand Latin, the language of the Catholic mass. During the Eucharist in the mass, the priest would turn away from the congregation and look at the cross, making his words hard to hear and/or understand. When he raised the host (bread), he uttered the words "Hoc est corpus mei......", or "This is my body....", in Latin. The congregation didn't understand the meaning of the words, but they did know that, somehow through some magic, these words turned the bread into the actual body of Christ, the fantastic magical event of transubstantiation. So, words that sounded like "hocus pocus" to the illiterate and uneducated masses would enable a magical and miraculous event to transpire, and, presumably, these words were a facilitator or enabler of a magical act or event. (Submitted by Jon Dill )
Shindig
The general store often had a cracker barrel in which citizens of the town would gather to play games, and tell stories. Often listeners did not crack a smile at all. At other times, a lot of laughter was created. If a teller of a tall tail evoked a lot of laughter it was like hitting a bulls eye and so faces with cracked smiles mean "first class." Today the term now signifies anything that isn't first class is well..."not what it is cracked up to be."
Another version: "Cracked Up" also refers to a Civil War time makeup. At this time the makeup mostly consisted of beeswax, ladies had to partially melt the makeup beside the fire before applying it, and after application it would harden. If the lady laughed or smiled it would crack the makeup, and thereby look like her face was "Cracking Up."
(Submitted by Jade Tibbals)
Punishment in the old days often meant that a person often deserved more than just tar and feathers, and deserved a public whipping. In order to prevent him from escaping during this whip lashing, he was tied over-turned barrel (top body bent to the curve of the barrel while feet remained on the ground.) Thus there was no way this person could escape his punishment. Today the term "to have over a barrel" means that someone is in a position in which there is just no way for them to escape their punishment or whatever other dreadful outcome is coming to them.
We live in a right-handed world, let's face it. In the ancient world, the left-side of the body or anything "left" was considered sinister, mysterious, dangerous or evil. So, innkeepers pushed the left sides of the bed against the walls so that a guest HAD to get up on the right side. Today, with queen and king side beds, most people get up on either side and don't bother to think about it. But the term today of "getting up on the wrong side of the bed" refers to when someone is irritable or clumsy.
The origin is from WWII and refers to a bomb that could level an entire block. When the boys came home, the phrase caught on to represent anything that made a real impact.
This is an old-fashion phrase for nudity (or almost nude) women in photos or film. The phrase comes from the fact that a woman's skin appears to be the same creamy color as that of cream cheese.
Its origin goes back to the days of music being put on records (remember those?). Each record had one side that had the main recording (hit song) and then there was always another song on the back, which often was completely different than the front song. This song on the back became known as the "flip side." In society it caught on as every argument or situation can have something on the other side totally different from what's being shown on the front.
We all know it as jealousy. But how? It goes back to the Shakespearean play, "Othello" in Act III. Shakespeare used at cat's green eyes to represent jealousy and referred to it as "the green-eyed monster" in his play. The phrase just caught on.
The Handwriting on the Wall
We know it today as a sign of some upcoming doom. But the origin goes back to the bible when Belshazzar, the successor to King Nebuchadnezzar got drunk one night and drank from sacred vessels from the temple of Jerusalem. Afterwards, it is said that a mysterious hand appeared and wrote 4 strange words on the banquet room wall. Only Daniel (the prophet) could interpret this writing, which he said was ominous. So, any warning today is referred to "the handwriting on the wall."
This is used today to mean someone who has influence to make things happen. The term goes back to a puppeteer, who everyone knew was the man behind-the-scenes manipulating things that made the show happen.
To be the Top Banana or Second Banana
The term goes back to burlesque where the showgirls in the finale formed what appeared to resemble a bunch of bananas. Of course the star was usually on center top and was referred to "the top banana." In many vaudeville comedy acts, the straight man to the comedian was often referred to then as the "second banana." So, this banana ranking comes from the theatre, not the jungle.
Refers to anyone fooling around, either sexual or some underhanded business deal, etc. The phrase originates back to magicians who would wave hankies around to misdirect the attention of the audience from what was really going on. Just like magicians would rhyme words like "hocus pocus", the "panky" got added to just make a rhyme.
To Let Your Hair Down
Back in Napoleonic days, the nobility of Paris were highly condemned if they appeared in public without a hairdo that was pretty elaborate. This mean hours of work and a lot of hairpins. It was only when they got home could they take all those pins out and relax. Of course when the pins came out, the hair fell down. Thus, letting your hair down soon became a phrase to represent being relaxed.
This is not just an old television show from the 1950's. Back in the 1880's an Irish comic/singer named Patrick Rooney created a song about Mr. Reilly, who imagined what his life would be like if he hit it rich in California. The song describes his wonderful life of leisure. Soon, many who heard it identified with how nice it would be and would repeat the song, making the phrase represent having a real easy life.
Ambassador to Portugal, Jean Nicot talked with sailors a lot. In 1560 he got some seeds from these sailors that he planted. And, so the first tobacco plants in France grew. When scientist later discovered that tobacco had a potent substance, they named it nicotine after Jean Nicot.
When all know it means that everything is fine. But, the phrase originated with President Martin Van Buren, when he was running for his second term as president. He was born in Kinderhook, NY. And his nickname was "Old Kinderhook." So, his fans formed a campaign committee called the "Democratic O.K. (old kinderhood) Club."The campaign slogan spread from then on.
To Read Someone The Riot Act
It's real! Back in 1716, King George I of England issued a proclamation that if 12 or more people engaged in a demonstration, his officers were told to read these people this specific Act and send those rioters home. Only a few continued once the edict was read because you could be sent to prison for life. So, once this Riot Act got read, people calmed down rather quickly.
When you get information straight from the horse's mouth, it means you are suppose to be getting honest, correct information. The phrase comes from the old days when determining how old a horse was was done by looking at his teeth. So, before betting on a horse, people wanting to check its teeth to see how old this horse was. Therefore, anyone who worked around the horse (stable hand?) knew how old the horse was and could let the others know. Therefore, the information was acquired, 'straight from the horse's mouth' and not the owner of the horse.
On the other hand, if someone gave you a horse for free, it was considered rude to look in its mouth and check to see how old it was. Therefore, you were not to "look a gift horse in the mouth." Today, this means not to question the quality or motive a gift you get from someone.
A colorful expression that means it is raining very hard, with lightning, thunder and probably a lot of high winds. There are two ideas of how this phrase developed. One is simple: A storm sounds a lot like cats and dogs fighting. The other goes back to Norse mythology. It is believed that witches caused storms and rode the winds in the shape of back cats. And, the God of Storms is described in Norse Mythology being surrounded by wild dogs and wolves. So, add the witchy cat-shaped winds and the wild dogs and you get "it's raining cats and dogs."
This is just another way of defining the person on top, the most important person or the one in authority. The source isn't exactly that meaning. It originates from the Native American word "muck-a-muck"which meant a person who has plenty to eat. In a tribe, it was usually the chief (and his family) who had enough to eat. The settlers sort of messed up the pronunciation as well as the meaning in translation apparently.
It simply means a person who is teetering on the edge of sanity. The origin is pretty simple. It goes back to the Roman belief that the moon (Luna) influenced sanity.
This is a phrase today that means a way to get out of some contract. The origin goes back to the Middle Ages and defending a castle. Up at the top, designers put in small, oval windows that were tapered to be wider inside and narrower from the outside. This made the window difficult to hit (from over the moat) by the enemies, but a good spot to defend the castle from w/o much chance of getting hurt themselves. The window was called the loophole and later the term came to represent any opening that gave an advantage to one side in an argument or contract.
As odd as this seems, back in the old days most people weren't allowed credit. But, when someone did borrow, the records were often kept on the shirt cuff of the lender. When men traveled from town to town, the livery stableman often let them put what they owed on credit. There was no formal contract. But, it was written on the stable owner's cuff. So, guys who had debt owed to stables in different towns were said to live "off the cuff." Today, the phrase just means a casual business deal w/o formal, legal documentation based on a man's word or trust only.
To Paint The Town Red
Isn't it rather obvious that the term goes back to red light districts in towns, because that was the area where the men found most of their well...excitement? ;) Today, we refer to it as having a good time in a place, period. And doesn't have to mean visiting prostitutes.
A poke is just a heavy, thick bag attached to a stick in which pigs were carried to market. Many times, a defective pig, or not even a pig at all was in the bag. And, the sellers would offer a great "bargain" for the poke. Why didn't the buyer take a peek inside first? Because pigs were hard to catch once they got loose, the sellers often refused to let the buyers take a peek before paying. So, many times, the buyers were cheated and ended up paying for either a bad pig or not pig at all once they peeked inside the bag they just bought. Later on, the phrase soon represented anything purchased that seemed to be a good deal and was just a waste of money.
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Many times cats were put into the poke instead of a pig. When a buyer insisted on seeing what was inside the bag and found a cat instead of a pig, he confirmed that he was being cheated and the truth was revealed. Today, "to let the cat out of the bag" means to let secret or hidden information be revealed to others. It doesn't have to do with business, it could simply be telling what a Christmas present is.
Back in sailing days, a ship's food supply was stored in a lot of salt pork. After frying or boiling, a lot of fat (aka slush) was left over. Some of it was used to grease timbers. But, they had LOTS of this stuff! So, a lot was just put into storage. When they got back to port, they sold it. (I'm not sure who buys this stuff and why?) Anyway, the money from selling their slush was used to buy extras for the crew. Soon, the term "slush fund" was used to represent money that was taken from a normal budget and used for extras. More commonly, the extras meant to pay bribes for corrupt purposes, etc.
By the skin of your teeth
This is a phrase that means to barely escape a disaster. But, we don't have skin on our teeth (we have enamel). The origin is from the bible, the Book of Job 19:20 where Job says he's escaped by the skin of his teeth. And, as with a lot of bible verses, they slip into everyday speech. This was one.
This is just a guess. It goes back to early baseball days when the game was played in open stadiums while the sun shined only. The newspapers wanted to know how many came to the game. But, it was hard to get an exact count (and the owners/managers didn't want to tell them, especially if it was low.) So, they'd just give an estimate - give or take a few hundred. Soon, any so-so count is called a "ballpark figure" or estimate.
Barking Up the Wrong Tree
Settlers hunted raccoons, possums and squirrels. Most hunting dogs would chase them up a tree and then bark until their masters came and shot the animals. Sometimes, the animal managed to sneak across to another tree w/o the dog seeing. So, the dog would continue to bark up a tree that didn't have any prey. Soon, the phrase became known in social circles to mean anyone who is wrong about something and/or is being mislead.
To Build a Fire Under Someone
We all know that mules are pretty stubborn. Sometimes they just firmly set their legs and well... So, farmers decided that building a small fire under the mule's belly would get him moving. There's no proof this was really done a lot by muleskinners. But, the idea and imagery was such that people started using the phrase to mean "trying to get someone to move or take some action."
Isaak Walton was a fisherman and author about it. He'd stress how important it was to get that hook stuck in the fish's mouth. To do that you needed to do a sudden jerk! Therefore, to "hook" got associated with the action of "a jerk." Now, we get to schools. When the teacher's back was turned, a kid would bolt off! If he got away with it, he'd hide and not show up for role call. Soon, this represented a "jerk of defiance" similar to like a jerk to hook on a fishing pole. So, it was called "hookey" rather than simply being defiant to mean skipping school.
This is just a name for barnyard excrements from chickens. The phrase first appeared in stories written by Charles F. Brown (aka Artemis Ward) in the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1858. He used the phrase to described the political talk he was hearing from candidates. It seemed to then catch on as a way of expressing any talk that was worthless and stupid, whether political or not.
Putting on the Dog
After the Civil War, lap dogs were a social status among the wealthy. Even today, look at how Paris Hilton goes around with Tinkerbell all dressed up? Back then, French Poodles were the symbol of wealth. So, anyone who was being flashy was jokingly said to be "putting on the dog."
When you've got some unpleasant situation, you simply just grin and bear it and deal with it. This is what a soldier who was being discharged dishonorably had to do. He was given his walking papers, then forced to walk through the ranks of his fellow comrades while instruments played some march for ousted soldiers. The ritual wasn't fun, but the soldier had to deal with it directly. Thus, he had to face the music (instruments playing) and his fellow soldiers. This didn't mean he was guilty. Just like today, someone might have to face a bad situation that he had no cause in.
If a nobleman married beneath himself, custom said that the man would give the bride his left hand, rather than his right. This type of "left-handed wedding" was not really worth much because the man's wife or children could never gain his property. So, the marriage wasn't really valid, but just for social appearances. By the 16th century, these were no longer performed. But, society still referred to anything that on the surface appeared to be something that it wasn't as "left-handed." Today, sometimes a compliment is really meant as an insult (or a snide remark) and is referred to as a left-handed compliment because it's not really sincere.
The playwright, Moliere, created a stupid character named Moron. When the American Association for the Study of the Feeble Minded assembled in 1910, they said that they didn't even have a name for the type of people they worked with. So, someone suggested Moron after the character in the play. It stuck. Someone who thinks that another person is not too bright will call them a moron.
Alternate origin from Lisa Slitas:
MORON really does mean an idiot, in ancient Greek!
It comes from the word μωρός which means someone whole can't
understand that much, and in contemporary Greek is the word μωρό
which means baby. So basically a moron is someone that has the mind of a baby.
Nag
Anyone who constantly annoys someone is called a nag. The origin has nothing to do with horses. The source comes from the fact that rats gnawed away at things and you could hear them constantly and couldn't stop it. The Germans took the Scandinavian word for gnawing and turned it into nag. Soon, the word turned into mean something that was constantly irritating. As far as a person, it means someone who just gnaws at someone verbally.
Nothing to be Sneezed At
The upper class years ago had a craze for sneezing. All the elite would carry snuff boxes with herbs, which made them sneeze when they put a pinch into their noses. It was said that a good sneeze was a way to clear one's mind. Soon, a sneeze was a way of expressing boredom. They'd hear something and if they weren't impressed, they'd sneeze afterwards. Therefore, if something wasn't sneezed at, it meant that it was important or interesting. Today it simply means it is worth taking notice of.
Shoot the Bull
Basically it means to be drunk. The origin comes from sailors. Ships sailed best when all 4 sets of sails and all 4 masts were working. Sometimes, the 4th set didn't work or didn't get set up in time. When a ship was using 3 sets of sails and masts, the ship was in trouble if a gale hit them. A tossing and turning ship was similar to a drunk. So, someone who was drunk and walking rather wobbly soon was called "3 sheets (sails) to the wind."
Alternate origin: On a boat, a "sheet" is a rope used to adjust the sails. An old square-rigged boat used one sheet to control each of the 4 corners of every sail. If a sail had 3 sheets (ropes) untied, it would merely flap around wildly in the wind and be useless.
(Submitted by: Paul Heitkemper)
This is not about drippy juice running all over. The phrase means anyone who has an easy task or job that pays a lot but doesn't really work for it as "being on the gravy train" or "riding the gravy train." The phrase originates with (1) the fact that gravy is an automatic by-product when you cook a roast. The juices to make gravy are just there when the roast is done. (2) Train travel was very popular, esp. during the 1920's. Guys who worked on the railroad used the phrase "gravy train" to mean any job they did that paid well, but wasn't hard. The term then slipped into society.
To Live High on The Hog or To Eat High on The Hog
The origin is pretty simple. It comes from the fact that the best part of meat on a hog is cut high on the thigh. The lesser quality meat comes from the lower thigh (has lots of fat). So, the meaning of the phrase is basically when you are eating (or living) the very best that is available to you; and, are not having second best or lower quality.
Fork Over or Fork It Over
The origin has nothing to do with roosters with their heads cut off. It has to do with guns. Muskets were rather clumsy to load and took time. And, they wouldn't fire until they were cocked. To save time (but to still be safe) hunters would load their muskets but keep them only half-cocked until ready. However, they'd be some real hyper guys who forgot about their guns and just fired when they saw their game! Of course the gun wouldn't fire when it was only half-cocked. The phrase then slipped into society to mean anyone who was trying to do something without first checking that everything was in order for the project.
To Keep A Stiff Upper Lip
The phrase means to show no emotion in times of great emotional distress, or to have a lot of self-control. The origin is pretty simple. It has to do with British soldiers and their mustaches. Even when trimmed and waxed, moustaches sort of moved when standing at attention. This was considered undisciplined! So, a soldier was ordered to control his mustache's movements and keep a stiff upper lip!
"The drinks are on the house!" We all have heard this in a bar. The origin actually comes from British pubs, where the owner would invite their customers to taste their stock (pubs made their own beer back then.) Their hope was to give them a desire to have more and create sales. Today, anything that is given free (whether by a business or a person) is said to be "on the house."
To Put The Screws To
To pressure someone in order to get something out of them (information, money, etc.) is what it means. The term originates back to a method of torture called thumbscrews where jailers would slowly tighten the screws and create a lot of pain until the prisoner confessed or gave him the information they wanted. Examples of thumbscrew torture are seen in some museums today. But, they are no longer used.
Edward I of England forced all noblemen to sign their allegiance to him. This list of those that did was called a "ragman's roll." Once the list was done, couriers were sent all over to publicly read this list. Well, doing this over and over was a bit tiring. So, at times the speech probably got muffled and hard to understand by those listening. So, the incoherency of hearing this list was called "the ragman's roll" which slurred turned into "rigmarole." And, the word eventually got used in society to mean a slurring of a lot of words that couldn't be understood, whether a list or just speech.
When you leave a place where you've been and go to a new spot, you are said to "pull up stakes." The origin goes back to homesteaders, were stakes were put in the ground to mark survey lines. But, sneaky settlers would go out at night and move the stakes of other people to their benefit.
Tell It To The Marines!
When someone tries to tell you a far out tale that you are not going to fall for, you usually tell them to "Go tell it to the Marines." Why? The origin goes back to 1800's when British sailors (professionals) thought the marines were greenhorns. Apparently, the British sailors were told some outlandish tale, they'd tell the person to go tell it to the marines, who were gullible. So, it has nothing to do with the U.S. Marine Corp. It has to do with sailing and mariners.
A whistle (wood) has to be clean to make a good, pure sound. Any little particles in it, will cause it to sound funny. A brand new whistle is the cleanest and best! So, when someone is said to be clean as a whistle, it simple means he's got no imperfections or is not guilty.
Primarily this is used today to mean a really reckless driver. But the origin goes back to the days of the wild West and has nothing to do with cars. When the transcontinental railroad got started, there was a lot of open land between towns. Opportunists after the money of those laboring on working on the railroad in these open spaces, simply rented flatcars and turned them into mobile brothels and gambling casinos. Religious zealots considered such activities the work of the devil and anyone who participated doomed for hell. So, these flatcars with prostitutes, gambling, drinking etc. were called hell on wheels. Other meanings today can be as a compliment that someone is very energetic, a real go-getter, or just very fast-moving.
To Show Your True Colors
Warships often carried flags from many countries in order to elude or fool their enemies. The rules of warfare stated that ships were to hoist their true national ensigns before firing. So, someone who "shows his true colors" is acting like a warship that hailed another ship by falsely flying one flag; but, then as soon as they got within firing range, hoisted their real flag!
(Submitted by: Paul Heitkemper)
To Get The Lead Out
It means to work or move faster. When car racing became popular Bondo hadn't been invented yet. When cars needed body work, lead was used to patch and repair holes in the body. Lead was very heavy and added weight to the car, thus making it drive slower in races. It was said that if you could get all the lead out of your car it would go faster.
(Submitted by: Amanda Hurst)
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Which word can go before Star, Axe and Cat to make three other words? | Adjectives
Adjectives
Definition
Adjectives are words that describe or modify another person or thing in the sentence. The Articles a, an, and the are adjectives.
the tall professor
a six-year-old child
the unhappiest, richest man
If a group of words containing a subject and verb acts as an adjective, it is called an Adjective Clause. My sister, who is much older than I am, is an engineer. If an adjective clause is stripped of its subject and verb, the resulting modifier becomes an Adjective Phrase: He is the man
who is
keeping my family in the poorhouse.
Before getting into other usage considerations, one general note about the use or over-use of adjectives: Adjectives are frail; don't ask them to do more work than they should. Let your broad-shouldered verbs and nouns do the hard work of description. Be particularly cautious in your use of adjectives that don't have much to say in the first place: interesting, beautiful, lovely, exciting. It is your job as a writer to create beauty and excitement and interest, and when you simply insist on its presence without showing it to your reader well, you're convincing no one.
Consider the uses of modifiers in this adjectivally rich paragraph from Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward, Angel. (Charles Scribner's, 1929, p. 69.) Adjectives are highlighted in this color; participles , verb forms acting as adjectives, are highlighted in this blue. Some people would argue that words that are part of a name like "East India Tea House are not really adjectival and that possessive nouns father's, farmer's are not technically adjectives, but we've included them in our analysis of Wolfe's text.
He remembered yet the East India Tea House at the Fair, the sandalwood, the turbans, and the robes, the cool interior and the smell of India tea; and he had felt now the nostalgic thrill of dew-wet mornings in Spring, the cherry scent, the cool clarion earth, the wet loaminess of the garden, the pungent breakfast smells and the floating snow of blossoms. He knew the inchoate sharp excitement of hot dandelions in young earth; in July, of watermelons bedded in sweet hay, inside a farmer's covered wagon; of cantaloupe and crated peaches; and the scent of orange rind, bitter-sweet, before a fire of coals. He knew the good male smell of his father's sitting-room; of the smooth worn leather sofa, with the gaping horse-hair rent; of the blistered varnished wood upon the hearth; of the heated calf-skin bindings; of the flat moist plug of apple tobacco, stuck with a red flag; of wood-smoke and burnt leaves in October; of the brown tired autumn earth; of honey-suckle at night; of warm nasturtiums, of a clean ruddy farmer who comes weekly with printed butter, eggs, and milk; of fat limp underdone bacon and of coffee; of a bakery-oven in the wind; of large deep-hued stringbeans smoking-hot and seasoned well with salt and butter; of a room of old pine boards in which books and carpets have been stored, long closed; of Concord grapes in their long white baskets.
An abundance of adjectives like this would be uncommon in contemporary prose. Whether we have lost something or not is left up to you.
Position of Adjectives
Unlike Adverbs , which often seem capable of popping up almost anywhere in a sentence, adjectives nearly always appear immediately before the noun or noun phrase that they modify. Sometimes they appear in a string of adjectives, and when they do, they appear in a set order according to category. (See Below .) When indefinite pronouns such as something, someone, anybody are modified by an adjective, the adjective comes after the pronoun:
Anyone capable of doing something horrible to someone nice should be punished.
Something wicked this way comes.
And there are certain adjectives that, in combination with certain words, are always "postpositive" (coming after the thing they modify):
The president elect, heir apparent to the Glitzy fortune, lives in New York proper.
See, also, the note on a- adjectives , below, for the position of such words as "ablaze, aloof, aghast."
Degrees of Adjectives
Adjectives can express degrees of modification:
Gladys is a rich woman, but Josie is richer than Gladys, and Sadie is the richest woman in town.
The degrees of comparison are known as the positive, the comparative, and the superlative. (Actually, only the comparative and superlative show degrees.) We use the comparative for comparing two things and the superlative for comparing three or more things. Notice that the word than frequently accompanies the comparative and the word the precedes the superlative. The inflected suffixes -er and -est suffice to form most comparatives and superlatives, although we need -ier and -iest when a two-syllable adjective ends in y (happier and happiest); otherwise we use more and most when an adjective has more than one syllable.
Click on the "scary bear" to read and hear George Newall's "Unpack Your Adjectives" (from Scholastic Rock, 1975).
Schoolhouse Rock® and its characters and
other elements are trademarks and service marks of American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. Used with permission.
Positive
Certain adjectives have irregular forms in the comparative and superlative degrees:
Irregular Comparative and Superlative Forms
good
further
furthest
Be careful not to form comparatives or superlatives of adjectives which already express an extreme of comparison unique, for instance although it probably is possible to form comparative forms of most adjectives: something can be more perfect, and someone can have a fuller figure. People who argue that one woman cannot be more pregnant than another have never been nine-months pregnant with twins.
Grammar's Response
According to Bryan Garner, "complete" is one of those adjectives that does not admit of comparative degrees. We could say, however, "more nearly complete." I am sure that I have not been consistent in my application of this principle in the Guide (I can hear myself, now, saying something like "less adequate" or "more preferable" or "less fatal"). Other adjectives that Garner would include in this list are as follows:
absolute
preferable
whole
From The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Styleby Bryan Garner. Copyright 1995 by Bryan A. Garner. Published by Oxford University Press, Inc., www.oup-usa.org, and used with the gracious consent of Oxford University Press.
Be careful, also, not to use more along with a comparative adjective formed with -er nor to use most along with a superlative adjective formed with -est (e.g., do not write that something is more heavier or most heaviest).
The as as construction is used to create a comparison expressing equality:
He is as foolish as he is large.
She is as bright as her mother.
Premodifiers with Degrees of Adjectives
Both adverbs and adjectives in their comparative and superlative forms can be accompanied by premodifiers, single words and phrases, that intensify the degree.
We were a lot more careful this time.
He works a lot less carefully than the other jeweler in town.
We like his work so much better.
You'll get your watch back all the faster.
The same process can be used to downplay the degree:
The weather this week has been somewhat better.
He approaches his schoolwork a little less industriously than his brother does.
And sometimes a set phrase, usually an informal noun phrase, is used for this purpose:
He arrived a whole lot sooner than we expected.
That's a heck of a lot better.
If the intensifier very accompanies the superlative, a determiner is also required:
She is wearing her very finest outfit for the interview.
They're doing the very best they can.
Occasionally, the comparative or superlative form appears with a determiner and the thing being modified is understood:
Of all the wines produced in Connecticut, I like this one the most.
The quicker you finish this project, the better.
Of the two brothers, he is by far the faster.
Authority for this section: A University Grammar of English by Randolph Quirk and Sidney Greenbaum. Longman Group: Essex, England. 1993. Used with permission.
Less versus Fewer
When making a comparison between quantities we often have to make a choice between the words fewer and less. Generally, when we're talking about countable things, we use the word fewer; when we're talking about measurable quantities that we cannot count, we use the word less. "She had fewer chores, but she also had less energy." The managers at our local Stop & Shop seem to have mastered this: they've changed the signs at the so-called express lanes from "Twelve Items or Less" to "Twelve Items or Fewer." Whether that's an actual improvement, we'll leave up to you.
We do, however, definitely use less when referring to statistical or numerical expressions:
It's less than twenty miles to Dallas.
He's less than six feet tall.
Your essay should be a thousand words or less.
We spent less than forty dollars on our trip.
The town spent less than four percent of its budget on snow removal.
In these situations, it's possible to regard the quantities as sums of countable measures.
Taller than I / me ??
When making a comparison with "than" do we end with a subject form or object form, "taller than I/she" or "taller than me/her." The correct response is "taller than I/she." We are looking for the subject form: "He is taller than I am/she is tall." (Except we leave out the verb in the second clause, "am" or "is.") Some good writers, however, will argue that the word "than" should be allowed to function as a preposition. If we can say "He is tall like me/her," then (if "than" could be prepositional like like) we should be able to say, "He is taller than me/her." It's an interesting argument, but for now, anyway in formal, academic prose, use the subject form in such comparisons.
We also want to be careful in a sentence such as "I like him better than she/her." The "she" would mean that you like this person better than she likes him; the "her" would mean that you like this male person better than you like that female person. (To avoid ambiguity and the slippery use of than, we could write "I like him better than she does" or "I like him better than I like her.")
More than / over ??
In the United States, we usually use "more than" in countable numerical expressions meaning "in excess of" or "over." In England, there is no such distinction. For instance, in the U.S., some editors would insist on "more than 40,000 traffic deaths in one year," whereas in the UK, "over 40,000 traffic deaths" would be acceptable. Even in the U.S., however, you will commonly hear "over" in numerical expressions of age, time, or height: "His sister is over forty; she's over six feet tall. We've been waiting well over two hours for her."
The Order of Adjectives in a Series
It would take a linguistic philosopher to explain why we say "little brown house" and not "brown little house" or why we say "red Italian sports car" and not "Italian red sports car." The order in which adjectives in a series sort themselves out is perplexing for people learning English as a second language. Most other languages dictate a similar order, but not necessarily the same order. It takes a lot of practice with a language before this order becomes instinctive, because the order often seems quite arbitrary (if not downright capricious). There is, however, a pattern. You will find many exceptions to the pattern in the table below, but it is definitely important to learn the pattern of adjective order if it is not part of what you naturally bring to the language.
The categories in the following table can be described as follows:
Determiners articles and other limiters. See Determiners
Observation postdeterminers and limiter adjectives (e.g., a real hero, a perfect idiot) and adjectives subject to subjective measure (e.g., beautiful, interesting)
Size and Shape adjectives subject to objective measure (e.g., wealthy, large, round)
Age adjectives denoting age (e.g., young, old, new, ancient)
Color adjectives denoting color (e.g., red, black, pale)
Origin denominal adjectives denoting source of noun (e.g., French, American, Canadian)
Material denominal adjectives denoting what something is made of (e.g., woolen, metallic, wooden)
Qualifier final limiter, often regarded as part of the noun (e.g., rocking chair, hunting cabin, passenger car, book cover)
THE ROYAL ORDER OF ADJECTIVES
Determiner
food
This chart is probably too wide to print on a standard piece of paper. If you click HERE , you will get a one-page duplicate of this chart, which you can print out on a regular piece of paper.
It would be folly, of course, to run more than two or three (at the most) adjectives together. Furthermore, when adjectives belong to the same class, they become what we call coordinated adjectives, and you will want to put a comma between them: the inexpensive, comfortable shoes. The rule for inserting the comma works this way: if you could have inserted a conjunction and or but between the two adjectives, use a comma. We could say these are "inexpensive but comfortable shoes," so we would use a comma between them (when the "but" isn't there). When you have three coordinated adjectives, separate them all with commas, but don't insert a comma between the last adjective and the noun (in spite of the temptation to do so because you often pause there):
a popular, respected, and good looking student
See the section on Commas for additional help in punctuating coordinated adjectives.
Capitalizing Proper Adjectives
When an adjective owes its origins to a proper noun, it should probably be capitalized. Thus we write about Christian music, French fries, the English Parliament, the Ming Dynasty, a Faulknerian style, Jeffersonian democracy. Some periods of time have taken on the status of proper adjectives: the Nixon era, a Renaissance/Romantic/Victorian poet (but a contemporary novelist and medieval writer). Directional and seasonal adjectives are not capitalized unless they're part of a title:
We took the northwest route during the spring thaw. We stayed there until the town's annual Fall Festival of Small Appliances.
See the section on Capitalization for further help on this matter.
Collective Adjectives
When the definite article, the, is combined with an adjective describing a class or group of people, the resulting phrase can act as a noun: the poor, the rich, the oppressed, the homeless, the lonely, the unlettered, the unwashed, the gathered, the dear departed. The difference between a Collective Noun (which is usually regarded as singular but which can be plural in certain contexts) and a collective adjective is that the latter is always plural and requires a plural verb:
The rural poor have been ignored by the media.
The rich of Connecticut are responsible.
The elderly are beginning to demand their rights.
The young at heart are always a joy to be around.
Adjectival Opposites
The opposite or the negative aspect of an adjective can be formed in a number of ways. One way, of course, is to find an adjective to mean the opposite an antonym. The opposite of beautiful is ugly, the opposite of tall is short. A thesaurus can help you find an appropriate opposite. Another way to form the opposite of an adjective is with a number of prefixes. The opposite of fortunate is unfortunate, the opposite of prudent is imprudent, the opposite of considerate is inconsiderate, the opposite of honorable is dishonorable, the opposite of alcoholic is nonalcoholic, the opposite of being properly filed is misfiled. If you are not sure of the spelling of adjectives modified in this way by prefixes (or which is the appropriate prefix), you will have to consult a dictionary, as the rules for the selection of a prefix are complex and too shifty to be trusted. The meaning itself can be tricky; for instance, flammable and inflammable mean the same thing.
A third means for creating the opposite of an adjective is to combine it with less or least to create a comparison which points in the opposite direction. Interesting shades of meaning and tone become available with this usage. It is kinder to say that "This is the least beautiful city in the state." than it is to say that "This is the ugliest city in the state." (It also has a slightly different meaning.) A candidate for a job can still be worthy and yet be "less worthy of consideration" than another candidate. It's probably not a good idea to use this construction with an adjective that is already a negative: "He is less unlucky than his brother," although that is not the same thing as saying he is luckier than his brother. Use the comparative less when the comparison is between two things or people; use the superlative least when the comparison is among many things or people.
My mother is less patient than my father.
Of all the new sitcoms, this is my least favorite show.
Some Adjectival Problem Children
Good versus Well
In both casual speech and formal writing, we frequently have to choose between the adjective good and the adverb well. With most verbs, there is no contest: when modifying a verb, use the adverb.
He swims well.
He knows only too well who the murderer is.
However, when using a linking verb or a verb that has to do with the five human senses, you want to use the adjective instead.
How are you? I'm feeling good, thank you.
After a bath, the baby smells so good.
Even after my careful paint job, this room doesn't look good.
Many careful writers, however, will use well after linking verbs relating to health, and this is perfectly all right. In fact, to say that you are good or that you feel good usually implies not only that you're OK physically but also that your spirits are high.
"How are you?"
"I am well, thank you."
Bad versus Badly
When your cat died (assuming you loved your cat), did you feel bad or badly? Applying the same rule that applies to good versus well, use the adjective form after verbs that have to do with human feelings. You felt bad. If you said you felt badly, it would mean that something was wrong with your faculties for feeling.
Other Adjectival Considerations
Review the section on Compound Nouns and Modifiers for the formation of modifiers created when words are connected: a four-year-old child, a nineteenth-century novel, an empty-headed fool.
Review the section on Possessives for a distinction between possessive forms and "adjectival labels." (Do you belong to a Writers Club or a Writers' Club?)
Adjectives that are really Participles , verb forms with -ing and -ed endings, can be troublesome for some students. It is one thing to be a frightened child; it is an altogether different matter to be a frightening child. Do you want to go up to your professor after class and say that you are confused or that you are confusing? Generally, the -ed ending means that the noun so described ("you") has a passive relationship with something something (the subject matter, the presentation) has bewildered you and you are confused. The -ing ending means that the noun described has a more active role you are not making any sense so you are confusing (to others, including your professor).
The -ed ending modifiers are often accompanied by prepositions (these are not the only choices):
We were amazed at all the circus animals.
We were amused by the clowns.
We were annoyed by the elephants.
We were bored by the ringmaster.
We were confused by the noise.
We were disappointed by the motorcycle daredevils.
We were disappointed in their performance.
We were embarrassed by my brother.
We were exhausted from all the excitement.
We were excited by the lion-tamer.
We were excited about the high-wire act, too.
We were frightened by the lions.
We were introduced to the ringmaster.
We were interested in the tent.
We were irritated by the heat.
We were opposed to leaving early.
We were satisfied with the circus.
We were shocked at the level of noise under the big tent.
We were surprised by the fans' response.
We were surprised at their indifference.
We were tired of all the lights after a while.
We were worried about the traffic leaving the parking lot.
A- Adjectives
The most common of the so-called a- adjectives are ablaze, afloat, afraid, aghast, alert, alike, alive, alone, aloof, ashamed, asleep, averse, awake, aware. These adjectives will primarily show up as predicate adjectives (i.e., they come after a linking verb).
The children were ashamed.
The professor remained aloof.
The trees were ablaze.
Occasionally, however, you will find a- adjectives before the word they modify: the alert patient, the aloof physician. Most of them, when found before the word they modify, are themselves modified: the nearly awake student, the terribly alone scholar. And a- adjectives are sometimes modified by "very much": very much afraid, very much alone, very much ashamed, etc.
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Which word can go before Plant, Guest and Boat to make three other words? | VOA Special English Word Book
VOA Special English Word Book
1,510 Words
This page will print cleanly in black and white on about 44 pages.
The Parts of Speech
n. (noun) - a name word
v. (verb) - an action word
ad. (adjective/adverb) - a describing word
prep. (preposition) - a word used to show a relation
pro. (pronoun) - a word used in place of a noun
conj. (conjunction) - a joining word
A
a (an) - ad. one; any; each
able - v. having the power to do something
about - ad. almost ("about half"); of or having a relation to ("We talk about the weather.")
above - ad. at a higher place
abuse - n. bad treatment causing harm or injury
accept - v. to agree to receive
accident - n. something that happens by chance or mistake; an unplanned event
accuse - v. to say a person is responsible for an act or crime; to make a statement against someone
across - ad. from side to side; to the other side
act - v. to do something
activist - n. one who seeks change through action
actor - n. someone acting in a play or show
add - v. to put (something) with another to make it larger; to say more
administration - n. the executive part of a government, usually headed by a president or prime minister
admit - v. to accept ("admitted to the United Nations"); to express one's guilt or responsibility ("He admitted that what he did was wrong.")
adult - n. a grown person
advertise - v. to show or present the qualities of a product to increase sales
advise - v. to help with information, knowledge or ideas in making a decision
affect - v. to produce an effect on; to influence ("A lack of sleep affected the singer's performance.")
afraid - ad. feeling fear
again - ad. another time; as before
against - ad. opposed to; not agreeing with something
age - n. how old a person or thing is
agency - n. an organization that is part of a larger group ("an agency of the United Nations")
aggression - n. an attack against a person or country; the violation of a country's borders
ago - ad. of time past; before now
agree - v. to have the same belief as someone; to be willing to do something
agriculture - n. farming
aid - v. to help; to support; n. help, assistance
aim - v. to point a gun at; n. a goal or purpose
air - n. the mixture of gases around the earth, mostly nitrogen and oxygen, that we breathe
air force - n. a military organization using airplanes
airplane - n. a vehicle with wings that flies
airport - n. a place where airplanes take off and land
album - n. a collection of recorded music
alcohol - n. a strong, colorless liquid, usually made from grain, used as a drug or in industrial products
alive - ad. having life; not dead
all - ad. everything; everyone; the complete amount
ally - n. a nation or person joined with another for a special purpose
almost - ad. a little less than completely
alone - ad. separated from others
along - ad. near or on ("along the road")
already - ad. before now; even now
also - ad. added to; too
although - conj. even if it is true that
always - ad. at all times; every time
ambassador - n. a nation's highest diplomatic representative (to another government)
amend - v. to add to or to change (a proposal or law)
ammunition - n. the bullets or shells fired from guns
among - ad. in or part of (a group)
amount - n. the number, size or weight of anything
anarchy - n. a lack of order; lawlessness
ancestor - n. a family member from the past
ancient - ad. very old; long ago
and - conj. also; in addition to; with
anger - n. a strong emotion against someone or something
animal - n. a living creature that moves, such as a dog or cat
anniversary - n. a yearly celebration or observance of an event that happened in the past
announce - v. to make known publicly; to declare officially
another - ad. one more; a different one
answer - n. a statement produced by a question; v. to make a statement after being asked a question
any - ad. one or more of no special kind
apologize - v. to express regret for a mistake or accident for which one accepts responsibility
appeal - v. to take to a higher court, person or group for a decision; to call on somebody for help
appear - v. to show oneself; to come into sight; to seem
appoint - v. to name; to choose ("appoint a judge")
approve - v. to agree with; to agree to support
archeology - n. the scientific study of past human life and activities
area - n. any place or part of it
argue - v. to offer reasons for or against something; to dispute; to disagree
arms - n. military equipment; weapons
army - n. military ground forces
around - ad. on every side (of)
arrest - v. to seize a person for legal action; to take as a prisoner
arrive - v. to come to a place, especially at the end of a trip
art - n. expressions or creations by humans, such as paintings, music, writing or statues
artillery - n. big guns
as - conj. equally ("as fast as"); when; while
ash - n. the part left after something burns
ask - v. to question; to say something is wanted ("We ask the teacher questions every day.")
assist - v. to help
astronaut - n. a person who travels in space
astronomy - n. the scientific study of stars and the universe
asylum - n. political protection given by a government to a person from another country
at - prep. in or near ("at the edge"); where ("look at"); when ("at noon")
atmosphere - n. the gases surrounding any star or planet
attach - v. to tie together; to connect
attack - n. a violent attempt to damage, injure or kill; v. to start a fight
attempt - v. to work toward something; to try; to make an effort
attend - v. to be present at
attention - n. close or careful observing of, or listening to, someone or something ("The student paid attention to his teacher.")
automobile - n. a vehicle with wheels used to carry people; a car
autumn - n. the time of the year between summer and winter
available - ad. present and ready for use; willing to serve or help. ("There was a list of available candidates.")
average - n. something (a number) representing the middle; ad. common; normal
avoid - v. to stay away from
awake - ad. not sleeping
award - n. an honor or prize for an act or service
away - ad. not near
baby - n. a newly born creature
back - n. the part behind the front; ad. the other way from forward
bad - ad. wrong; acting against the law; not good
balance - v. to make two sides or forces equal
ball - n. something round
balloon - n. a device of strong, light material that rises when filled with gas lighter than air
ballot - n. a piece of paper used for voting
ban - v. to not permit; to stop; n. an official restriction
bank - n. an organization that keeps and lends money
bar - v. to prevent or block
barrier - n. anything that blocks or makes an action difficult
base - n. a military center; v. to establish as a fact ("Her research was based on experiments.")
battle - n. a fight between opposing armed forces
be - v. to live; to happen; to exist
beat - v. to hit again and again
beauty - n. that which pleases the eye, ear or spirit
because - prep. for the reason that ("He left because he was sick.")
become - v. to come to be
bed - n. a sleeping place
before - prep. earlier
begin - v. to do the first part of an action; to start
behavior - n. the way in which a person or animal acts ("The child’s behavior was bad because he fought with other children.")
behind - ad. at the back of; in back of
believe - v. to think; to feel sure of; to accept as true; to trust
belong - v. to be owned by; to be a member of
below - ad. lower than
best - ad. the most good
betray - v. to turn against; to be false to
better - ad. more good than
between - ad. in the space or time that separates; from one to the other ("talks between two nations")
big - ad. of great size; not small
bill - n. a legislative proposal
biology - n. the scientific study of life or living things in all their forms
bird - n. a creature that flies
bite - v. to cut with the teeth
black - ad. dark; having the color like that of the night sky
blame - v. to accuse; to hold responsible
bleed - v. to lose blood
blind - ad. not able to see
block - v. to stop something from being done; to prevent movement
blood - n. red fluid in the body
blow - v. to move with force, as in air ("The wind blows.")
blue - ad. having the color like that of a clear sky
boat - n. something built to travel on water that carries people or goods
body - n. all of a person or animal; the remains of a person or animal
boil - v. to heat a liquid until it becomes very hot
bomb - n. a device that explodes with great force; v. to attack or destroy with bombs
bone - n. the hard material in the body
book - n. a long written work for reading
border - n. a dividing line between nations
born - v. to come to life; to come into existence
borrow - v. to take as a loan
both - ad. not just one of two, but the two together
bottle - n. a container, usually made of glass, to hold liquid
bottom - ad. the lowest part of something
box - n. something to put things into; a container, usually made of paper or wood
boy - n. a young male person
boycott - v. to refuse to take part in or deal with
brain - n. the control center of thought, emotions and body activity of all creatures
brave - ad. having no fear
bread - n. a food made from grain
break - v. to divide into parts by force; to destroy
breathe - v. to take air into the body and let it out again
bridge - n. a structure built over a waterway, valley or road so people and vehicles can cross from one side to the other
brief - ad. short; not long
bright - ad. giving much light; strong and clear in color
bring - v. to come with something
broadcast - v. to send information, stories or music by radio or television; n. a radio or television program
brother - n. a male with the same father or mother as another person
brown - ad. having the color like that of coffee
budget - n. a spending plan
build - v. to join materials together to make something
building - n. anything built for use as a house, factory, office, school, store or place of entertainment
bullet - n. a small piece of metal shot from a gun
burn - v. to be on fire; to destroy or damage by fire
burst - v. to break open suddenly
bury - v. to put into the ground and cover with earth
bus - n. a public vehicle to carry people
business - n. one's work; buying and selling to earn money; trade
busy - ad. doing something; very active
but - conj. however; other than; yet
buy - v. to get by paying something, usually money
by - conj. near; at; next to ("by the road"); from ("a play by William Shakespeare"); not later than ("by midnight")
C
cabinet - n. a group of ministers that helps lead a government
call - v. to give a name to ("I call myself John."); to ask for or request ("They called for an end to the fighting.")
calm - ad. quiet; peaceful; opposite tense
camera - n. a device for taking pictures
camp - n. a place with temporary housing
campaign - n. a competition by opposing political candidates seeking support from voters; a connected series of military actions during a war
can - v. to be able to; to have the right to; n. a container used to hold liquid or food, usually made of metal
cancel - v. to end; to stop
cancer - n. a disease in which dangerous cells grow quickly and destroy parts of the body
candidate - n. a person who seeks or is nominated for an office or an honor
capital - n. the official center of a government; the city where a country's government is
capture - v. to make a person or animal a prisoner; to seize or take by force; to get control of
car - n. a vehicle with wheels used to carry people; an automobile; a part of a train
care - v. to like; to protect; to feel worry or interest
career - n. a chosen profession; a person’s working life ("The actor’s career lasted for thirty years.")
careful - ad. acting safely; with much thought
carry - v. to take something or someone from one place to another
case (court) - n. a legal action
case (medical) - n. an incident of disease ("There was only one case of chicken pox at the school.")
cat - n. a small animal that often lives with humans
catch - v. to seize after a chase; to stop and seize with the hands
cause - v. to make happen; n. the thing or person that produces a result
ceasefire - n. a halt in fighting, usually by agreement
celebrate - v. to honor a person or event with special activities
center - n. the middle of something; the place in the middle; a place that is the main point of an activity
century - n. one hundred years
ceremony - n. an act or series of acts done in a special way established by tradition
chairman - n. a person leading a meeting or an organized group
champion - n. the best; the winner
chance - n. a possibility of winning or losing or that something will happen
change - v. to make different; to become different
charge - v. to accuse someone of something, usually a crime; n. a statement in which someone is accused of something
chase - v. to run or go after someone or something
cheat - v. to get by a trick; to steal from
cheer - v. to shout approval or praise
chemicals - n. elements found in nature or made by people; substances used in the science of chemistry
chemistry - n. the scientific study of substances, what they are made of, how they act under different conditions, and how they form other substances
chief - n. the head or leader of a group; ad. leading; most important
child - n. a baby; a boy or girl
children - n. more than one child
choose - v. to decide between two or more
circle - n. a closed shape that has all its points equally distant from the center, like an "O"
citizen - n. a person who is a member of a country by birth or by law
city - n. any important large town
civilian - ad. not military
civil rights - n. the political, economic and social rights given equally to all people of a nation
claim - v. to say something as a fact
clash - n. a battle; v. to fight or oppose
class - n. a group of students who meet to study the same subject; also, a social or economic group. ("They were members of the middle class.")
clean - v. to make pure; ad. free from dirt or harmful substances ("clean water")
clear - ad. easy to see or see through; easily understood
clergy - n. a body of officials within a religious organization
climate - n. the normal weather conditions of a place
climb - v. to go up or down something by using the feet and sometimes the hands
clock - n. a device that measures and shows time
close - v. to make something not open; ad. near to
cloth - n. a material made from plants, chemicals, animal hair and other substances
clothes - n. what people wear
cloud - n. a mass of fog high in the sky
coal - n. a solid black substance used as fuel
coalition - n. forces, groups or nations joined together
coast - n. land on the edge of the ocean
coffee - n. a drink made from the plant of the same name
cold - ad. not warm; having or feeling great coolness or a low temperature
collapse - v. to fall down or inward suddenly; to break down or fail suddenly in strength, health or power. ("The building collapsed in the earthquake.” “The government collapsed after a vote in parliament.")
collect - v. to bring or gather together in one place; to demand and receive ("collect taxes")
college - n. a small university
colony - n. land controlled by another country or government
color - n. the different effects of light on the eye, making blue, red, brown, black, yellow and others
combine - v. to mix or bring together
come - v. to move toward; to arrive
command - v. to order; to have power over something
comment - v. to say something about; to express an opinion about something
committee - n. a group of people given special work
common - ad. usual; same for all ("a common purpose")
communicate - v. to tell; to give or exchange information
community - n. a group of people living together in one place or area
company - n. a business organized for trade, industrial or other purposes
compare - v. to examine what is different or similar
compete - v. to try to do as well as, or better than, another or others
complete - ad. having all parts; ended or finished
complex - ad. of or having many parts that are difficult to understand; not simple
compromise - n. the settlement of an argument where each side agrees to accept less than first demanded
computer - n. an electronic machine for storing and organizing information, and for communicating with others
concern - n. interest, worry ("express concern about"); v. to fear ("to be concerned")
condemn - v. to say a person or action is wrong or bad
condition - n. something declared necessary to complete an agreement; a person's health
conference - n. a meeting
confirm - v. to approve; to say that something is true
conflict - n. a fight; a battle, especially a long one
congratulate - v. to praise a person or to express pleasure for success or good luck
Congress - n. the organization of people elected to make the laws of the United States (the House of Representatives and the Senate); a similar organization in other countries
connect - v. to join one thing to another; to unite; to link
conservative - n. one who usually supports tradition and opposes great change
consider - v. to give thought to; to think about carefully
constitution - n. the written general laws and ideas that form a nation's system of government
contact - n. the act of touching or being close to a person or thing ("He was in contact with animals that had the disease.") v. to meet or communicate with ("He wanted to contact his local official.")
contain - v. to hold; to include
container - n. a box, bottle or can used to hold something
continent - n. any of the seven great land areas of the world
continue - v. to go on doing or being
control - v. to direct; to have power over
convention - n. a large meeting for a special purpose
cook - v. to heat food before eating it
cool - ad. almost cold
cooperate - v. to act or work together
copy - v. to make something exactly like another; n. something made to look exactly like another
corn - n. a food grain
correct - ad. true; free from mistakes; v. to change to what is right
corruption - n. actions taken to gain money or power that are legally or morally wrong
cost - n. the price or value of something ("The cost of the book is five dollars."); v. to be valued at ("The book costs five dollars.")
cotton - n. a material made from a plant of the same name
count - v. to speak or add numbers
country - n. a nation; the territory of a nation; land away from cities
court - n. where trials take place; where judges make decisions about law
cover - v. to put something over a person or thing; n. anything that is put over a person or thing
cow - n. a farm animal used for its milk
crash - v. to fall violently; to hit with great force
create - v. to make; to give life or form to
creature - n. any living being; any animal or human
credit - n. an agreement that payments will be made at a later time
crew - n. a group of people working together
crime - n. an act that violates a law
criminal - n. a person who is responsible for a crime
crisis - n. an extremely important time when something may become much better or worse; a dangerous situation
criticize - v. to say what is wrong with something or someone; to condemn; to judge
crops - n. plants that are grown and gathered for food, such as grains, fruits and vegetables
cross - v. to go from one side to another; to go across
crowd - n. a large number of people gathered in one place
crush - v. to damage or destroy by great weight; to defeat completely
cry - v. to express or show sorrow or pain
culture - n. all the beliefs, traditions and arts of a group or population
cure - v. to improve health; to make well ("The doctor can cure the disease."); n. something that makes a sick person well ("Antibiotics are a cure for infection.")
curfew - n. an order to people to stay off the streets or to close their businesses
current - n. movement of air, water or electricity; ad. belonging to the present time ("She found the report in a current publication.")
custom - n. a long-established belief or activity of a people
customs - n. taxes on imports
cut - v. to divide or injure with a sharp tool; to make less; to reduce
D
dam - n. a wall built across a river to hold back flowing water
damage - v. to cause injury or destruction; n. harm; hurt or injury, usually to things
dance - v. to move the body and feet to music; n. a series of steps, usually to music
danger - n. a strong chance of suffering injury, damage or loss
dark - ad. having little or no light ("The room was dark.")
date - n. an expression of time; a day, month and year
daughter - n. a person's female child
day - n. twenty-four hours; the hours of sunlight
dead - ad. not living
deaf - ad. not able to hear
deal - v. to have to do with ("The talks will deal with the problem of pollution."); to buy or sell ("Her company deals in plastic.")
debate - v. to argue for or against something; n. a public discussion or argument
debt - n. something that is owed; the condition of owing
decide - v. to choose; to settle; to judge
declare - v. to say; to make a statement
decrease - v. to make less in size or amount
deep - ad. going far down; a long way from top to bottom
defeat - v. to cause to lose in a battle or struggle; n. a loss; the condition of having lost
defend - v. to guard or fight against attack; to protect
deficit - n. a shortage that results when spending is greater than earnings, or imports are greater than exports
define - v. to give the meaning of; to explain
degree - n. a measure of temperature
delay - v. to decide to do something at a later time; to postpone; to cause to be late
delegate - n. one sent to act for another; one who represents another
demand - v. to ask by ordering; to ask with force
democracy - n. the system of government in which citizens vote to choose leaders or to make other important decisions
demonstrate - v. to make a public show of opinions or feelings ("The crowd demonstrated in support of human rights."); to explain by using examples ("The teacher demonstrated the idea with an experiment.")
denounce - v. to accuse of being wrong or evil; to criticize severely
deny - v. to declare that something is not true; to refuse a request
depend - v. to need help and support
deplore - v. to regret strongly; to express sadness
deploy - v. to move forces or weapons into positions for action
depression - n. severe unhappiness; a period of reduced business and economic activity during which many people lose their jobs
describe - v. to give a word picture of something; to give details of something
desert - n. a dry area of land
design - v. to plan or create plans for
desire - v. to want very much; to wish for
destroy - v. to break into pieces; to end the existence of
detail - n. a small part of something; a small piece of information
detain - v. to keep or hold ("The police detained several suspects for questioning.")
develop - v. to grow; to create; to experience progress
device - n. a piece of equipment made for a special purpose
dictator - n. a ruler with complete power
die - v. to become dead; to stop living; to end
diet - n. usual daily food and drink
different - ad. not the same
difficult - ad. not easy; hard to do, make or carry out
dig - v. to make a hole in the ground
dinner - n. the main amount of food eaten at a usual time ("The family had its dinner at noon."); a special event that includes food ("The official dinner took place at the White House.")
diplomat - n. a person who represents his or her government in dealing with another government
direct - v. to lead; to aim or show the way ("He directed me to the theater."); ad. straight to something; not through some other person or thing ("The path is direct.")
direction - n. the way (east, west, north, south); where someone or something came from or went to
dirt - n. earth or soil
disappear - v. to become unseen; to no longer exist
disarm - v. to take away weapons; to no longer keep weapons; to make a bomb harmless by removing its exploding device
disaster - n. an event causing widespread destruction or loss of life, such as an earthquake or plane crash
discover - v. to find or learn something
discrimination - n. unfair treatment or consideration based on opinions about a whole group instead of on the qualities of an individual. ("He was accused of discrimination against people from other countries.")
discuss - v. to talk about; to exchange ideas
disease - n. a sickness in living things, often caused by viruses, germs or bacteria
dismiss - v. to send away; to refuse to consider
dispute - v. to oppose strongly by argument; n. an angry debate
dissident - n. a person who strongly disagrees with his or her government
distance - n. the amount of space between two places or objects ("The distance from my house to your house is two kilometers.")
dive - v. to jump into water head first
divide - v. to separate into two or more parts
do - v. to act; to make an effort
doctor - n. a person trained in medicine to treat sick people
document - n. an official piece of paper with facts written on it, used as proof or support of something
dog - n. a small animal that often lives with humans
dollar - n. United States money, one hundred cents
donate - v. to present something as a gift to an organization, country or cause. ("She donated money to the Red Cross to help survivors of the earthquake.")
door - n. an opening for entering or leaving a building or room
double - v. to increase two times as much in size, strength or number
down - ad. from higher to lower; in a low place
dream - v. to have a picture or story in the mind during sleep; n. a picture or story in the mind during sleep; a happy idea about the future
drink - v. to take liquid into the body through the mouth
drive - v. to control a moving vehicle
drop - v. to fall or let fall; to go lower
drown - v. to die under water
drug - n. anything used as a medicine or in making medicine; a chemical substance used to ease pain or to affect the mind
dry - ad. not wet; without rain
during - ad. through the whole time; while (something is happening)
dust - n. pieces of matter so small that they can float in the air
duty - n. one's job or responsibility; what one must do because it is right and just
E
except - prep. but for
exchange - v. to trade; to give or receive one thing for another
excuse - v. to take away blame; to pardon; to forgive; n. a reason (sometimes false) for an action
execute - v. to kill
exercise - n. an activity or effort for the purpose of improving the body or to stay in good health
exile - v. to force a person to leave his or her country; to expel; n. a person who is forced to leave his or her country
exist - v. to be; to live
expand - v. to make larger; to grow larger
expect - v. to think or believe that something will happen; to wait for an event
expel - v. to force out; to remove from; to send away
experience - v. to live through an event, situation or condition ("She experienced great pain."); n. something that one has done or lived through ("The experience caused her great pain.")
experiment - v. to test; n. a test or trial carried out to prove if an idea is true or false, or to discover something
expert - n. a person with special knowledge or training
explain - v. to give reasons for; to make clear; to tell about; to tell the meaning
explode - v. to break apart violently with a loud noise, like a bomb
explore - v. to travel in a place that is not well known to learn more about it; to make a careful search; to examine closely
export - v. to send to another country; n. something sent to another country, usually for sale
express - v. to say clearly
extend - v. to stretch out in area or length; to continue for a longer time
extra - ad. more than normal, expected or necessary
extraordinary - ad. far greater or better than the usual or normal
extreme - ad. more than the usual or accepted
extremist - n. a person with strong religious or political beliefs who acts in an extreme or violent way
F
face - n. the front of the head: eyes, nose, mouth; v. to look toward; to turn toward; to have before you, such as a problem or danger
fact - n. something known or proved to be true
factory - n. a building or group of buildings where goods are made
fail - v. to not succeed; to not reach a goal
fair - ad. just; honest; what is right
fall - v. to go down quickly; to come down; to drop to the ground or a lower position
false - ad. not true; not correct
family - n. the group that includes children and their parents
famous - ad. known very well to many people
fan - n. a person who actively supports a sport, activity or performer ("The baseball fan attended every game his team played.")
far - ad. at, to or from a great distance
farm - n. land used to grow crops and animals for food
fast - ad. moving or working at great speed; quick
fat - n. tissue in the bodies of humans and animals used to store energy and to keep warm; ad. thick; heavy
father - n. the male parent; a man who has a child or children
favorite - ad. liked more than others ("Ice cream was her favorite food.")
fear - v. to be afraid; to worry that something bad is near or may happen ("He feared falling down."); n. a strong emotion when there is danger or trouble ("He had a fear that he would fall down.")
federal - ad. of or having to do with a national or central government
feed - v. to give food to
feel - v. to have or experience an emotion; to know by touching
female - n. a woman or girl; the sex that gives birth; ad. of or about women
fence - n. something around an area of land to keep animals or people in or out
fertile - ad. rich in production of plants or animals; producing much
few - ad. not many; a small number of
field - n. an area of open land, usually used to grow crops or to raise animals
fierce - ad. extremely strong; violent; angry
fight - v. to use violence or force; to attempt to defeat or destroy an enemy; n. the use of force; a battle
fill - v. to put or pour something into a container until there is space for no more
film - v. to record something so it can be seen again; to make a motion picture or movie; n. a thin piece of material for making pictures with a camera; a movie
final - ad. at the end; last
financial - ad. of or about the system that includes the use of money, credit, investments and banks
find - v. to discover or learn something by searching or by accident; to decide a court case ("The jury finds the man guilty of murder.")
fine - n. a payment ordered by a court to punish someone for a crime; ad. very good; very small or thin
finish - v. to complete; to end
fire - v. to shoot a gun; n. the heat and light produced by something burning
fireworks - n. rockets producing bright fire in the sky, used in holiday celebrations
firm - ad. not easily moved or changed ("She is firm in her opinion.")
first - ad. coming before all others
fish - n. a creature that lives and can breathe in water
fit - v. to be of the correct size or shape ("These shoes fit my feet.")
fix - v. to make good or right again
flag - n. a piece of colored cloth used to represent a nation, government or organization
flat - ad. smooth; having no high places
flee - v. to run away from
float - v. to be on water without sinking; to move or be moved gently on water or through air
flood - v. to cover with water; n. the movement of water out of a river, lake or ocean onto land
floor - n. the bottom part of a room for walking on ("The book fell to the floor."); the level of a building ("The fire was on the first floor.")
flow - v. to move like a liquid
flower - n. the colored part of plants that carry seeds
fluid - n. any substance that can flow, such as a liquid
fly - v. to move through the air with wings, like a bird or airplane; to travel in an airplane or flying vehicle
fog - n. a mass of wet air that is difficult to see through; a cloud close to the ground
follow - v. to come or go after; to accept the rule or power of; to obey
food - n. that which is taken in by all living things for energy, strength and growth
fool - v. to make someone believe something that is not true; to trick; n. a person who is tricked easily
foot - n. the bottom part of the leg; the part of the body that touches the ground when a person or animal walks
for - prep. because of ("He is famous for his work."); in exchange ("Give me one dollar for the book."); through space or time ("They travelled for one hour."); representative of ("I speak for all people."); to be employed by ("She works for a computer company.")
force - v. to make someone do something or make something happen by using power; n. power, strength; strength used against a person or object; military power of a nation; a military group
foreign - ad. of, about or from another nation; not from one's own place or country
forest - n. a place of many trees
forget - v. to not remember
forgive - v. to pardon; to excuse; to remove guilt
form - v. to make; to start; to shape ("They formed a swim team."); n. a kind ("Swimming is a form of exercise.")
former - ad. earlier in time; not now
forward - ad. the direction in front of; toward the front
free - v. to release; ad. not controlled by another or by outside forces; not in prison; independent; not limited by rules; without cost
freedom - n. the condition of being free
freeze - v. to cause or to become very cold; to make or to become hard by cold
fresh - ad. newly made or gathered; recent
friend - n. a person one likes and trusts
frighten - v. to cause great fear
from - prep. having a person, place or thing as a beginning or cause ("It is a message from the president."); at a place distant, not near ("The school is five kilometers from my home."); because of ("He is suffering from cancer.")
front - n. the forward part; the opposite of back; the beginning; the first part
fruit - n. food from trees and plants
fuel - n. any substance burned to create heat or power
full - ad. containing as much as a person or thing can hold; complete
fun - n. anything that is pleasing and causes happiness
funeral - n. a ceremony held in connection with the burial or burning of the dead
future - n. time after now ("We can talk about it in the future."); ad. in the time to come ("All future meetings will be held in this room.")
G
gain - v. to get possession of; to get more; to increase
game - n. an activity with rules in which people or teams play or compete, usually sports
gas - n. any substance that is not solid or liquid; any substance that burns to provide heat, light or power
gather - v. to bring or come together into a group or place; to collect
general - n. a high military leader; ad. without details; affecting or including all or almost all
generation - n. a group of individuals born and living at about the same time. ("The mother and daughter represented two generations.")
genocide - n. a plan of action to kill or destroy a national, religious, racial or ethnic group
gentle - ad. soft; kind; not rough or violent
get - v. to receive; to gain; to go and bring back; to become; to become the owner of
gift - n. something given without cost
girl - n. a young female person
give - v. to present to another to keep without receiving payment
glass - n. a hard, clear material that is easily broken, used most often for windows or for containers to hold liquids
go - v. to move from one place to another; to leave
goal - n. that toward which an effort is directed; that which is aimed at; the end of a trip or race
god - n. the spirit that is honored as creator of all things ("They believe in God."); a spirit or being believed in many religions to have special powers
gold - n. a highly valued yellow metal
good - ad. pleasing; helpful; kind; correct; not bad
goods - n. things owned or made to be sold
govern - v. to control; to rule by military or political power
government - n. a system of governing; the organization of people that rules a country, city or area
grain - n. the seed of grass plants used for food, such as wheat, rice and corn; those plants that produce the seeds
grass - n. a plant with long, narrow, green leaves
gray - ad. having the color like that made by mixing black and white
great - ad. very large or more than usual in size or number; very good; important
green - ad. having the color like that made by mixing yellow and blue; having the color like that of growing leaves and grass
grind - v. to reduce to small pieces by crushing
ground - n. land; the earth's surface; soil
group - n. a number of people or things together; a gathering of people working for a common purpose
grow - v. to develop or become bigger; to increase in size or amount
guarantee - v. to promise a result; to promise that something will happen
guard - v. to watch and protect a person, place or thing ("He guards the president."); n. a person or thing that watches or protects ("He is a prison guard.")
guerrilla - n. a person who fights as part of an unofficial army, usually against an official army or police
guide - v. to lead to; to show the way; n. one who shows the way
guilty - ad. having done something wrong or in violation of a law; responsible for a bad action
gun - n. a weapon that shoots bullets
H
insect - n. a very small creature, usually with many legs and sometimes with wings
inspect - v. to look at something carefully; to examine, especially by an expert
instead - ad. in the place of; taking the place of
instrument - n. a tool or device designed to do something or to make something
insult - v. to say something or to do something that makes another person angry or dishonored
intelligence - n. the ability to think or learn; information gathered by spying
intelligent - ad. quick to understand or learn
intense - ad. very strong; extremely serious
interest - n. what is important to someone ("He acted to protect his interests." "She had a great interest in painting."); a share in owning a business; money paid for the use of money borrowed
interfere - v. to get in the way of; to work against; to take part in the activities of others, especially when not asked to do so
international - ad. of or about more than one nation or many nations; of the whole world
Internet - n. the extensive communications system that connects computers around the world
intervene - v. to come between; to come between in order to settle or solve
invade - v. to enter an area or country by force with an army
invent - v. to plan and make something never made before; to create a new thing or way of doing something
invest - v. to give money to a business or organization with the hope of making more money
investigate - v. to study or examine all information about an event, situation or charge; to search for the truth
invite - v. to ask someone to take part in or join an event, organization or gathering
involve - v. to take part in; to become a part of; to include
iron - n. a strong, hard metal used to make machines and tools
island - n. a land area with water all around it
issue - n. an important problem or subject that people are discussing or arguing about
it - pro. a thing, place, event or idea that is being spoken about ("The sky is blue, but it also has a few white clouds.")
J
jail - n. a prison for those waiting to be tried for a crime or for those serving sentences for crimes that are not serious
jewel - n. a valuable stone, such as a diamond or emerald
job - n. the work that one does to earn money
join - v. to put together or come together; to become part of or a member of
joint - ad. shared by two or more
joke - n. something done or said to cause others to laugh
judge - v. to form an opinion about; to decide a question, especially a legal one; n. a public official who decides problems of law in a court
jump - v. to push down on the feet and move up quickly into the air
jury - n. a group of people chosen to decide what is true in a trial
just - ad. only ("Help me for just a minute."); very shortly before or after the present ("He just left."); at the same time ("He left just as I came in."); what is right or fair ("The law is just, in my opinion.")
justice - n. the quality of being right, fair or lawful
K
keep - v. to possess; to have for oneself
kick - v. to hit with the foot
kidnap - v. to seize and take away by force
kill - v. to make dead; to cause to die
kind - n. sort ("What kind of dog is that?"); ad. gentle; caring; helpful
kiss - v. to touch with the mouth to show love or honor
knife - n. a tool or weapon used to cut
know - v. to understand something as correct; to have the facts about; to recognize someone because you have met and talked together before
knowledge - n. that which is known; learning or understanding
L
labor - n. work; workers as a group
laboratory - n. a room or place where experiments in science are done
lack - v. to be without; n. the condition of needing, wanting or not having
lake - n. a large area of fresh water surrounded by land
land - v. to come to the earth from the air ("Airplanes land at airports."); n. the part of the earth not covered by water; the ground
language - n. words and their use; what people speak in a country, nation or group
large - ad. big; being of more than usual size, amount or number; opposite small
last - v. to continue ("The talks will last three days."); ad. after all others; the only one remaining ("She is the last person in line.")
late - ad. after the correct time; near the end; opposite early
laugh - v. to make sounds to express pleasure or happy feelings
launch - v. to put into operation; to begin; to send into the air or space
law - n. all or any rules made by a government
lead - v. to show the way; to command; to control; to go first
leak - v. to come out of or to escape through a small opening or hole (usually a gas or liquid)
learn - v. to get knowledge about; to come to know a fact or facts
leave - v. to go away from; to let something stay where it is
left - ad. on the side that is toward the west when one is facing north; opposite right
legal - ad. of or in agreement with the law
legislature - n. a government lawmaking group
lend - v. to permit someone to use a thing temporarily; to make a loan of money
less - ad. smaller in amount; not as much
let - v. to permit to do or to be; to make possible
letter - n. a message written on paper; a communication in writing sent to another person
level - n. the amount or height that something reaches or rises to; the position of something or someone
liberal - ad. one who usually supports social progress or change
lie - v. to have one's body on the ground or other surface; to say something that one knows is not true
life - n. the time between being born and dying; opposite death; all living things
lift - v. to take or bring up to a higher place or level
light - n. a form of energy that affects the eyes so that one is able to see; anything that produces light; ad. bright; clear; not heavy
lightning - n. light produced by electricity in the air, usually during a storm
like - v. to be pleased with; to have good feelings for someone or something; ad. in the same way as; similar to
limit - v. to restrict to a number or amount; n. the greatest amount or number permitted
line - n. a long, thin mark on a surface; a number of people or things organized; one after another; the edge of an area protected by military forces
link - v. to connect; to unite one thing or event with another; n. a relation between two or more things, situations or events
liquid - n. a substance that is not a solid or gas, and can move freely, like water
list - v. to put in writing a number of names of people or things; n. a written series of names or things
listen - v. to try to hear
literature - n. all the poems, stories and writings of a period of time or of a country
little - ad. not tall or big; a small amount
live - v. to have life; to exist; ad. having life; alive
load - v. to put objects on or into a vehicle or container; n. that which is carried
loan - n. money borrowed that usually must be returned with interest payments; something borrowed
local - ad. about or having to do with one place
lonely - ad. feeling alone and wanting friends; visited by few or no people ("a lonely man")
long - ad. not short; measuring from beginning to end; measuring much; for much time
look - v. to turn the eyes toward so as to see; to search or hunt for; to seem to be
lose - v. to have no longer; to not find; to fail to keep; to be defeated
loud - ad. having a strong sound; full of sound or noise
love - v. to like very much; to feel a strong, kind emotion (sometimes involving sex); n. a strong, kind emotion for someone or something; opposite hate
low - ad. not high or tall; below the normal height; close to the ground
loyal - ad. showing strong friendship and support for someone or something
luck - n. something that happens by chance
M
modern - ad. of the present or very recent time; the most improved
money - n. pieces of metal or paper used to pay for things
month - n. one of the twelve periods of time into which a year is divided
moon - n. the bright object often seen in the night sky that orbits the earth about every twenty-nine days
moral - ad. concerning what is right or wrong in someone's actions
more - ad. greater in size or amount
morning - n. the early part of the day, from sunrise until noon
most - ad. greatest in size or amount
mother - n. the female parent; a woman who has a child or children
motion - n. a movement; a continuing change of position or place
mountain - n. a part of the earth's surface that rises high above the area around it
mourn - v. to express or feel sadness
move - v. to change position; to put or keep in motion; to go
movement - n. the act of moving or a way of moving; a series of acts or efforts to reach a goal
movie - n. a motion picture; a film
much - ad. great in amount
murder - v. to kill another person illegally; n. the crime of killing another person
music - n. the making of sounds by singing or using a musical instrument
must - v. a word used with an action word to mean necessary ("You must go to school.")
mystery - n. something that is not or cannot be explained or understood; a secret
N
name - v. to appoint; to nominate; to give a name to; n. a word by which a person, animal or thing is known or called
narrow - ad. limited in size or amount; not wide; having a short distance from one side to the other
nation - n. a country, together with its social and political systems
native - n. someone who was born in a place, not one who moved there
natural - ad. of or about nature; normal; common to its kind
nature - n. all the plants, animals and other things on earth not created by humans; events or processes not caused by humans
navy - n. the part of a country's military force trained to fight at sea
near - ad. not far; close to
necessary - ad. needed to get a result or effect; required
need - v. to require; to want; to be necessary to have or to do
negotiate - v. to talk about a problem or situation to find a common solution
neighbor - n. a person or country that is next to or near another
neither - ad. not one or the other of two
neutral - ad. not supporting one side or the other in a dispute
never - ad. at no time; not ever
new - ad. not existing before; not known before; recently made, built, bought or grown; another; different
news - n. information about any recent events, especially as reported by the media
next - ad. coming immediately after; nearest
nice - ad. pleasing; good; kind
night - n. the time between when the sun goes down and when it rises, when there is little or no light
no - ad. used to reject or to refuse; not any; not at all
noise - n. sound, especially when loud
nominate - v. to name someone as a candidate for an election; to propose a person for an office or position
noon - n. the middle of the day; twelve o'clock in the daytime
normal - n. the usual condition, amount or form; ad. usual; what is expected
north - n. the direction to the left of a person facing the rising sun
not - ad. a word showing that something is denied or untrue ("She is not going.")
note - v. to talk about something already known; n. a word or words written to help a person remember; a short letter
nothing - n. not anything; no thing
now - ad. at this time; immediately
nowhere - ad. not in, to or at any place
nuclear - ad. of or about the energy produced by splitting atoms or bringing them together; of or about weapons that explode by using energy from atoms
number - n. a word or sign used to show the order or amount of things
O
obey - v. to act as one is ordered to act
object - v. to show that one does not like or approve; to protest; n. something not alive that can be seen or touched
observe - v. to watch; to look at carefully; to celebrate or honor something ("They will observe the anniversary of the day she was born.")
occupy - v. to take and hold or to control by force
ocean - n. the area of salt water that covers almost seventy-five percent of the earth's surface; any of the five main divisions of this water
of - prep. made from; belonging to; about; connected to; included among
off - ad. away; at a distance; condition when something is no longer operating or continuing; not on; not connected
offensive - n. a military campaign of attack; ad. having to do with attacking
offer - v. to present or propose; n. the act of presenting or proposing; that which is presented or proposed
office - n. a room or building where business or work is done; a public position to which one is elected or appointed
officer - n. a person in the military who commands others; any person who is a member of a police force
official - n. a person with power in an organization; a representative of an organization or government; ad. of or about an office; approved by the government or someone in power
often - ad. many times
oil - n. a thick liquid that does not mix with water and that burns easily; a black liquid taken from the ground and used as fuel
old - ad. not young or new; having lived or existed for many years
on - prep. above and held up by; touching the upper surface of ("The book is on the table."); supported by ("He is on his feet."); about ("The report on the meeting is ready."); at the time of ("He left on Wednesday.")
once - ad. one time only
only - ad. being the single one or ones; no more than ("We have only two dollars.")
open - v. to start ("They opened talks."); ad. not closed; not secret
operate - v. to do work or a job; to cut into the body for medical reasons
opinion - n. a belief based on one's own ideas and thinking
oppose - v. to be against; to fight against
opposite - ad. different as possible; completely different from; exactly the other way ("North is the opposite direction from south.")
oppress - v. to make others suffer; to control by the use of unjust and cruel force or power
or - conj. giving another of two choices; giving the last of several choices
orbit - v. to travel in space around a planet or other object; n. the path or way an object travels in space around another object or planet
order - v. to give a command; to tell someone what to do; n. a command; the correct or normal way things are organized; a peaceful situation in which people obey laws
organize - v. to put in order; to put together into a system
other - ad. different; of another kind; the remaining one or ones of two or more ("That man is short; the other is tall.")
our - ad. of or belonging to us
oust - v. to force to leave; to remove by force
out - ad. away from the inside; opposite of in
over - conj. above; covering; across, in or on every part of ("all over the world")
overthrow - v. to remove from power; to defeat or end by force
owe - v. to pay or have to repay (usually money) in return for something received
own - v. to have or possess for oneself
P
pain - n. a hurt or suffering somewhere in the body
paint - v. to cover with a liquid color; to make a picture with liquid colors; n. a colored liquid used to cover or protect a surface
paper - n. a thin, flat material made from plants or cloth often used for writing
parachute - n. a device that permits a person or thing to fall slowly from an airplane or helicopter to the ground
parade - n. a group of people and vehicles moving together to celebrate a special event or anniversary
pardon - v. to forgive for a crime and release from punishment
parent - n. a father or mother
parliament - n. a government lawmaking group
part - n. something less than the whole; not all of something
partner - n. a person who takes part in some activity in common with another or others. ("The two men were business partners.")
party - n. a group of people working together for a political purpose; a group of people or friends gathered together for enjoyment
pass - v. to go by or move around something; to move along; to cause or permit to go
passenger - n. a person travelling by airplane, train, boat or car who is not the pilot or driver
passport - n. a document permitting a person to travel to another country
past - n. the time gone by; the time before; ad. recent; immediately before; former
path - n. a narrow way for walking; a way along which something moves
patient - n. a person being treated by a doctor for a health problem
pay - v. to give money for work done or for something bought
peace - n. the condition of freedom from war, fighting or noise; rest; quiet
people - n. any group of persons; all the persons of a group, race, religion or nation ("the American people")
percent - n. a part of every hundred ("Ten is ten percent of one hundred.")
perfect - ad. complete or correct in every way; completely right or good; without mistakes
perform - v. to speak, dance or sing in front of others
period - n. an amount of time within events, restrictions or conditions
permanent - ad. never changing; lasting for a very long time or for all time
permit - v. to let; to make possible
person - n. a man, woman or child
persuade - v. to cause someone to do something by explaining or urging. ("The police persuaded the criminal to surrender his weapon.")
physical - ad. of the body
physics - n. the study of motion, matter and energy
picture - n. something that shows what another thing looks like; an idea or representation of something as seen by the eye; a painting; what is made with a camera
piece - n. a part of something larger
pig - n. a farm animal used for its meat
pilot - n. one who guides or flies an airplane or helicopter
pipe - n. a long, round piece of material used to move liquid or gas
place - v. to put something somewhere; n. an area or a part of an area; space where a person or thing is; any room, building, town or country
plan - v. to organize or develop an idea or method of acting or doing something ("They plan to have a party."); n. an organized or developed idea or method ("The plan will not work.")
planet - n. a large object in space that orbits the sun ("Earth is a planet.")
plant - v. to put into the ground to grow; n. a living growth from the ground which gets its food from air, water and earth
plastic - n. a material made from chemicals that can be formed and made into things
play - v. to have fun; to not work; to take part in a sport; to make music on an instrument; n. a story acted in a theater
please - v. to make one happy; to give enjoyment
plenty - n. all that is needed; a large enough amount
plot - v. to make secret plans; n. a secret plan to do something wrong or illegal
poem - n. words and their sounds organized in a special way to express emotions
point - v. to aim one's finger toward; to aim; n. the sharp end of something
poison - n. a substance that can destroy life or damage health
police - n. a government agency responsible for guarding the public, keeping order, and making sure people obey the law; members of that agency
policy - n. an established set of plans or goals used to develop and make decisions in politics, economics or business
politics - n. the activities of government and of those who are in public office
pollute - v. to release dangerous or unpleasant substances into the air, soil or water
poor - n. people with little or no money; ad. lacking money or goods; of bad quality
popular - ad. liked by many people; generally approved by the public
population - n. all the people in a place, city or country
port - n. a city where ships load or unload goods; a place on a coast where ships can be safe from a storm
position - n. a place; the way of holding the body; the way a thing is set or placed; a job (or level of a job) in an organization
possess - v. to have; to own; to control or be controlled by
possible - ad. able to be done; can happen or is expected to happen
postpone - v. to delay action until a later time
pour - v. to flow; to cause to flow
poverty - n. the condition of being poor
power - n. the ability to control or direct others; control; strength; ruling force; force or energy used to do work ("Water power turns the wheel.")
praise - v. to say good things about; to approve
pray - v. to make a request to a god or spirit; to praise a god or spirit
predict - v. to say what one believes will happen in the future. ("The weather scientist predicted a cold winter.")
pregnant - ad. carrying a child within the body before it is born; expecting to give birth to a baby
present - v. to offer for consideration ("We will present our idea to the committee."); n. a gift ("I gave them a present for their anniversary."); now ("The present time is a good time."); ad. to be at a place ("I was present at school yesterday.")
president - n. the chief official of a country that is a republic; the leader of an organization
press - v. to urge strongly; n. newspapers, magazines and other publications
pressure - n. the force produced when something is pushed down or against something else
prevent - v. to keep or stop from going or happening
price - n. the amount of money for which anything is bought, sold or offered for sale
prison - n. a place where a person is kept as punishment for a crime
private - ad. of or about a person or group that is secret; opposite public
prize - n. something offered or won in a competition; something of value that one must work hard for to get
probably - ad. a good chance of taking place; a little more than possible
problem - n. a difficult question or situation with an unknown or unclear answer
process - n. an operation or series of changes leading to a desired result
produce - v. to make; to create; to cause something to be; to manufacture
profession - n. a job that requires special training
professor - n. a teacher at a college or university
profit - n. money gained from a business activity after paying all costs of that activity
program - n. a plan of action; the different events or parts of a meeting or show
progress - n. movement forward or toward improvement or a goal
project - n. a planned effort to do something
promise - v. to say one will do something; n. a spoken or written agreement to do something
propaganda - n. ideas or information used to influence opinions
property - n. anything owned by someone such as land, buildings or goods
propose - v. to present or offer for consideration
protect - v. to guard; to defend; to prevent from being harmed or damaged
protest - v. to speak against; to object
prove - v. to show to be true
provide - v. to give something needed or wanted
public - ad. of or about all the people in a community or country; opposite private
publication - n. something that is published such as a book, newspaper or magazine
publish - v. to make public something that is written; to include something in a book, newspaper or magazine
pull - v. to use force to move something toward the person or thing using the force; opposite push
pump - v. to force a gas or liquid up, into or through
punish - v. to cause pain, suffering or loss for doing something bad or illegal
purchase - v. to buy with money or with something of equal value; n. that which is bought
pure - ad. free from anything that is different or that reduces value; clean
purpose - n. the reason or desired effect for doing something; goal
push - v. to use force to move something away from the person or thing using the force; opposite pull
put - v. to place; to set in position
Q
quality - n. that which something is known to have or be ("An important quality of steel is its strength."); amount of value or excellence ("Their goods are of the highest quality.")
question - v. to ask; to express wonder or disbelief; n. a sentence or word used in asking for information; a problem; an issue to be discussed
quick - ad. fast
quiet - ad. with little or no noise; having little or no movement; calm
R
race - v. to run; to take part in a competition to decide who or what can move fastest; to take part in a campaign for political office; n. one of the major groups that humans can be divided into because of a common physical similarity, such as skin color
radar - n. a device that uses radio signals to learn the position or speed of objects that may be too far away to be seen
radiation - n. waves of energy from something that produces heat or light; energy from a nuclear substance, which can be dangerous
radio - n. the system of sending and receiving signals or sounds through the air without wires
raid - v. to make a sudden attack; n. a sudden attack carried out as an act of war, or for the purpose of seizing or stealing something
railroad - n. a road for trains; a company that operates such a road and its stations and equipment
rain - n. water falling from the sky
raise - v. to lift up; to move to a higher position; to cause to grow; to increase
rape - v. to carry out a sexual attack by force against a person
rare - ad. not common; not usual; not often
rate - n. speed; a measure of how quickly or how often something happens; the price of any thing or service that is bought or sold
reach - v. to put a hand toward; to arrive at; to come to
react - v. to act as a result of or in answer to
read - v. to look at and understand the meaning of written words or numbers
ready - ad. prepared; completed; organized; willing
real - ad. true; truly existing; not false
realistic - ad. in agreement with the way things are
reason - n. the cause for a belief or act; purpose; something that explains
reasonable - ad. ready to listen to reasons or ideas; not extreme; ready or willing to compromise
rebel - v. to act against a government or power, often with force; to refuse to obey; n. one who opposes or fights against the government of his or her country
receive - v. to get or accept something given, offered or sent
recent - ad. a short time ago
recession - n. a temporary reduction in economic activity, when industries produce less and many workers lose their jobs
recognize - v. to know or remember something or someone that was known, known about or seen before; to accept another nation as independent and establish diplomatic ties with its government
record - v. to write something in order to have it for future use; to put sound or pictures in a form that can be kept and heard or seen again; n. a writing that shows proof or facts about something
recover - v. to get again something that was lost, stolen or taken away ("The police recovered the stolen money."); to return to normal health or normal conditions She is expected to recover from the operation.")
red - ad. having the color like that of blood
reduce - v. to make less or smaller in number, size or amount; to cut
reform - v. to make better by changing; to improve; n. a change to a better condition
refugee - n. a person who has been forced to flee because of unjust treatment, danger or war
refuse - v. to reject; to not accept, give or do something
register - v. to have one’s name officially placed on a list of people permitted to vote in an election or take part in an educational program
regret - n. a feeling of sadness or sorrow about something that is done or that happens
reject - v. to refuse to accept, use or believe
relations - n. understandings or ties between nations; members of the same family; people connected by marriage or family ties
release - v. to free; to permit to go; to permit to be known or made public
religion - n. a belief in, or the honoring of, a god or gods
remain - v. to stay in a place after others leave; to stay the same
remains - n. a dead body
remember - v. to think about the past; opposite forget
remove - v. to take away or take off; to put an end to; to take out of a position or office
repair - n. work done to fix something
repeat - v. to say or do again
report - v. to tell about; to give the results of a study or investigation; n. the story about an event; the results of a study or investigation; a statement in which the facts may not be confirmed
represent - v. to act in the place of someone else; to substitute for; to serve as an example
repress - v. to control or to restrict freedoms by force
request - v. to ask for; n. the act of asking for
require - v. to need or demand as necessary
rescue - v. to free from danger or evil
research - n. a careful study to discover correct information
resign - v. to leave a position, job or office
resist - v. to oppose; to fight to prevent
resolution - n. an official statement of agreement by a group of people, usually reached by voting
resource - n. anything of value that can be used or sold
respect - v. to feel or show honor to a person or thing ("All citizens should respect the law.")
responsible - ad. having a duty or job to do ("He is responsible for preparing the report."); being the cause of ("They were responsible for the accident.")
rest - v. to sit, lie down or sleep to regain strength; n. that which remains; the others
restaurant - n. a place where people can buy and eat meals
restrain - v. to keep controlled; to limit action by a person or group
restrict - v. to limit; to prevent from increasing or becoming larger
result - v. to happen from a cause; n. that which follows or is produced by a cause; effect
retire - v. to leave a job or position because one is old or in poor health
return - v. to go or come back; to bring, give, take or send back
revolt - v. to protest violently; to fight for a change, especially of government
rice - n. a food grain
rich - ad. having much money or goods; having plenty of something
ride - v. to sit on or in and be carried along; to travel by animal, wheeled vehicle, airplane or boat
right - n. what a person legally and morally should be able to do or have ("It is their right to vote."); ad. agreeing with the facts; good; correct; opposite wrong; on the side that is toward the east when one is facing north; opposite left
riot - v. to act with many others in a violent way in a public place; n. a violent action by a large group of people
rise - v. to go up; to go higher; to increase; to go from a position of sitting or lying to a position of standing
risk - n. the chance of loss, damage or injury
river - n. a large amount of water that flows across land into another river, a lake or an ocean
road - n. a long piece of hard ground built between two places so people can walk, drive or ride easily from one place to the other
rob - v. to take money or property secretly or by force; to steal
rock - n. a hard piece of mineral matter
rocket - n. a device shaped like a tube that moves through air or space by burning gases and letting them escape from the back or bottom, sometimes used as a weapon
roll - v. to turn over and over; to move like a ball
room - n. a separate area within a building with its own walls
root - n. the part of a plant that is under the ground and takes nutrients from the soil
rope - n. a long, thick piece of material made from thinner pieces of material, used for tying
rough - ad. not flat or smooth; having an uneven surface; violent; not made well
round - ad. having the shape of a ball or circle
rub - v. to move something over the surface of another thing
rubber - n. a substance made from the liquid of trees with the same name, or a similar substance made from chemicals
ruin - v. to damage severely; to destroy
rule - v. to govern or control; to decide; n. a statement or an order that says how something must be done
run - v. to move quickly by steps faster than those used for walking
rural - ad. describing areas away from cities which may include farms, small towns and unpopulated areas
S
sabotage - v. to damage or destroy as an act against an organization or nation ("The rebels sabotaged the railroad.")
sacrifice - v. to do without something or to suffer a loss for a belief, idea, goal or another person
sad - ad. not happy
safe - ad. away from harm or danger
sail - v. to travel by boat or ship
sailor - n. a person involved in sailing a boat or ship
salt - n. a white substance found in sea water and in the ground, used to affect the taste of food
same - ad. not different; not changed; like another or others
sand - n. extremely small pieces of crushed rock found in large amounts in deserts and on coasts
satellite - n. a small object in space that moves around a larger object; an object placed in orbit around the earth
satisfy - v. to give or provide what is desired, needed or demanded
save - v. to make safe; to remove from harm; to keep for future use
say - v. to speak; to express in words
school - n. a place for education; a place where people go to learn
science - n. the study of nature and the actions of natural things, and the knowledge gained about them
sea - n. a large area of salt water, usually part of an ocean
search - v. to look for carefully
season - n. one of the four periods of the year that is based on the earth's position toward the sun (spring, summer, autumn, winter); a period of time based on different weather conditions ("dry season", "rainy season"); a period during the year when something usually happens ("baseball season")
seat - n. a thing to sit on; a place to sit or the right to sit there ("a seat in parliament")
second - ad. the one that comes after the first
secret - n. something known only to a few and kept from general knowledge; ad. hidden from others; known only to a few
security - n. freedom from danger or harm; protection; measures necessary to protect a person or place ("Security was increased in the city.")
see - v. to know or sense through the eyes; to understand or know
seed - n. the part of a plant from which new plants grow
seek(ing) - v. to search for ("They are seeking a cure for cancer."); to try to get ("She is seeking election to public office."); to plan to do ("Electric power companies are seeking to reduce their use of coal.")
seem - v. to appear to be ("She seems to be in good health.")
seize - v. to take quickly by force; to take control of quickly; to arrest
self - n. all that which makes one person different from others
sell - v. to give something in exchange for money
Senate - n. the smaller of the two groups in the governments of some countries, such as in the United States Congress
send - v. to cause to go; to permit to go; to cause to be carried, taken or directed to or away from a place
sense - v. to come to know about by feeling, believing or understanding; n. any of the abilities to see, hear, taste, smell or feel
sentence - v. to declare the punishment for a crime; n. the punishment for a crime
separate - v. to set or keep people, things or ideas away from or independent from others; ad. not together or connected; different
series - n. a number of similar things or events that follow one after another in time, position or order
serious - ad. important; needing careful consideration; dangerous
serve - v. to work as an official; to be employed by the government; to assist or help
service - n. an organization or system that provides something for the public ("Schools and roads are services paid for by taxes."); a job that an organization or business can do for money; military organizations such as an army, navy or air force; a religious ceremony
set - v. to put in place or position; to establish a time, price or limit
settle - v. to end (a dispute); to agree about (a problem); to make a home in a new place
several - ad. three or more, but not many
severe - ad. not gentle; causing much pain, sadness or damage
sex - n. either the male or female group into which all people and animals are divided because of their actions in producing young; the physical activity by which humans and animals can produce young
shake - v. to move or cause to move in short, quick movements
shape - v. to give form to; n. the form of something, especially how it looks
share - v. to give part of something to another or others; n. a part belonging to, given to or owned by a single person or a group; any one of the equal parts of ownership of a business or company
sharp - ad. having a thin edge or small point that can cut or hurt; causing hurt or pain
she - pro. the girl or woman who is being spoken about
sheep - n. a farm animal used for its meat and hair
shell - v. to fire artillery; n. a metal container that is fired from a large gun and explodes when it reaches its target; a hard outside cover
shelter - v. to protect or give protection to; n. something that gives protection; a place of safety
shine - v. to aim a light; to give bright light; to be bright; to clean to make bright
ship - v. to transport; n. a large boat
shock - v. to cause to feel sudden surprise or fear; n. something that greatly affects the mind or emotions; a powerful shake, as from an earthquake
shoe - n. a covering for the foot
shoot - v. to cause a gun or other weapon to send out an object designed to kill; to use a gun
short - ad. lasting only for a small period of time; not long; opposite tall
should - v. used with another verb (action word) to show responsibility ("We should study."), probability ("The talks should begin soon."), or that something is believed to be a good idea ("Criminals should be punished.")
shout - v. to speak very loudly
show - v. to make something be seen; to make known; n. a play or story presented in a theater, or broadcast on radio or television, for enjoyment or education; something organized to be seen by the public
shrink - v. to make or become less in size, weight or value
sick - ad. suffering physically or mentally with a disease or other problem; not in good health
sickness - n. the condition of being in bad health
side - n. the outer surfaces of an object that are not the top or bottom; parts away from the middle; either the right or left half of the body
sign - v. to write one's name; n. a mark or shape used to mean something; evidence that something exists or will happen; a flat piece of material with writing that gives information
signal - v. to send a message by signs; n. an action or movement that sends a message
silence - v. to make quiet; to stop from speaking or making noise; n. a lack of noise or sound
silver - n. a valued white metal
similar - ad. like something else but not exactly the same
simple - ad. easy to understand or do; not difficult or complex
since - prep. from a time in the past until now ("I have known her since we went to school together.")
sing - v. to make music sounds with the voice
single - ad. one only
sink - v. to go down into water or other liquid
sister - n. a female with the same father or mother as another person
sit - v. to rest on the lower part of the body without the support of the legs; to become seated
situation - n. the way things are during a period of time
size - n. the space occupied by something; how long, wide or high something is
skeleton - n. all the bones of a human or other animal together in their normal positions
skill - n. the ability gained from training or experience
skin - n. the outer covering of humans and most animals
sky - n. the space above the earth
slave - n. a person owned or controlled by another
sleep - v. to rest the body and mind with the eyes closed
slide - v. to move smoothly over a surface
slow - v. to reduce the speed of; ad. not fast in moving, talking or other activities
small - ad. little in size or amount; few in number; not important; opposite large
smash - v. to break or be broken into small pieces by force; to hit or move with force
smell - v. to sense through the nose; n. something sensed by the nose ("the smell of food cooking")
smoke - v. to use cigarettes or other tobacco products by burning them and breathing in the smoke; n. that which can be seen rising into the air like a cloud from something burning
smooth - ad. having a level surface; opposite rough
snow - n. soft, white pieces of frozen water that fall from the sky, usually in winter or when the air temperature is very cold
so - ad. in such a way that ("He held the flag so all could see it."); also; too ("She left early, and so did we."); very ("I am so sick."); as a result ("They were sick, so they could not come."); conj. in order that; for the purpose of ("Come early so we can discuss the plans.")
social - ad. of or about people or a group
soft - ad. not hard; easily shaped; pleasing to touch; not loud
soil - n. earth in which plants grow
soldier - n. a person in the army
solid - ad. having a hard shape with no empty spaces inside; strong; not in the form of a liquid or gas
solve - v. to find an answer; to settle
some - ad. of an amount or number or part not stated; not all
son - n. a person's male child
soon - ad. not long after the present time; quickly
sort - n. any group of people or things that are the same or are similar in some way; a kind of something
sound - n. fast-moving waves of energy that affect the ear and result in hearing; that which is heard
south - n. the direction to the right of a person facing the rising sun
space - n. the area outside the earth's atmosphere where the sun, moon, planets and stars are; the area between or inside things
speak - v. to talk; to say words with the mouth; to express one's thoughts to others and exchange ideas; to give a speech to a group
special - ad. of a different or unusual kind; not for general use; better or more important than others of the same kind
speech - n. a talk given to a group of people
speed - v. to make something go or move faster; n. the rate at which something moves or travels; the rate at which something happens or is done
spend - v. to give as payment; to use ("He spends much time studying.")
spill - v. to cause or permit liquid to flow out, usually by accident
spirit - n. the part of a human that is not physical and is connected to thoughts and emotions; the part of a person that is believed to remain alive after death
split - v. to separate into two or more parts; to divide or break into parts
sport - n. any game or activity of competition involving physical effort or skill
spread - v. to become longer or wider; to make or become widely known
spring - n. the time of the year between winter and summer
spy - v. to steal or get information secretly; n. one who watches others secretly; a person employed by a government to get secret information about another country
square - n. a flat shape having four equal sides
stab - v. to cut or push into or through with a pointed weapon
stand - v. to move into or be in a position in which only the feet are on a surface; to be in one position or place
star - n. a mass of gas that usually appears as a small light in the sky at night, but is not a planet; a famous person, usually an actor or singer
start - v. to begin; to make something begin
starve - v. to suffer or die from a lack of food
state - v. to say; to declare; n. a political part of a nation
station - n. a place of special work or purpose ("a police station"); a place where passengers get on or off trains or buses; a place for radio or television broadcasts
statue - n. a form of a human, animal or other creature usually made of stone, wood or metal
stay - v. to continue to be where one is; to remain; to not leave; to live for a time ("They stayed in New York for two years.")
steal - v. to take without permission or paying
steam - n. the gas that comes from hot water
steel - n. iron made harder and stronger by mixing it with other substances
step - v. to move by lifting one foot and placing it in a new position; n. the act of stepping; one of a series of actions designed to reach a goal
stick - v. to attach something to another thing using a substance that will hold them together; to become fixed in one position so that movement is difficult ("Something is making the door stick."); n. a thin piece of wood
still - ad. not moving ("The man was standing still."); until the present or a stated time ("Was he still there?"); even so; although ("The job was difficult, but she still wanted to do it.")
stone - n. a small piece of rock
stop - v. to prevent any more movement or action; to come or bring to an end
store - v. to keep or put away for future use; n. a place where people buy things
storm - n. violent weather, including strong winds and rain or snow
story - n. the telling or writing of an event, either real or imagined
stove - n. a heating device used for cooking
straight - ad. continuing in one direction without turns
strange - ad. unusual; not normal; not known
street - n. a road in a city, town or village
stretch - v. to extend for a distance; to pull on to make longer or wider
strike - v. to hit with force; to stop work as a way to seek better conditions, more pay or to make other demands
strong - ad. having much power; not easily broken, damaged or destroyed
structure - n. the way something is built, made or organized; a system that is formed or organized in a special way; a building
struggle - v. to try with much effort; to fight with; n. a great effort; a fight
study - v. to make an effort to gain knowledge by using the mind; to examine carefully
stupid - ad. not able to learn much; not intelligent
subject - n. the person or thing being discussed, studied or written about
submarine - n. an underwater ship
substance - n. the material of which something is made (a solid, liquid or gas)
substitute - v. to put or use in place of another; n. a person or thing put or used in place of another
subversion - n. an attempt to weaken or destroy a political system or government, usually secretly
succeed - v. to reach a goal or thing desired; to produce a planned result
such - ad. of this or that kind; of the same kind as; similar to
sudden - ad. not expected; without warning; done or carried out quickly or without preparation
suffer - v. to feel pain in the body or mind; to receive or experience hurt or sadness
sugar - n. a sweet substance made from liquids taken from plants
suggest - v. to offer or propose something to think about or consider
suicide - n. the act of killing oneself
summer - n. the warmest time of the year, between spring and autumn
sun - n. the huge star in the sky that provides heat and light to earth
supervise - v. to direct and observe the work of others
supply - v. to give; to provide; n. the amount of something that can be given or sold to others
support - v. to carry the weight of; to hold up or in position; to agree with others and help them reach a goal; to approve
suppose - v. to believe, think or imagine ("I suppose you are right."); to expect ("It is supposed to rain tonight.")
suppress - v. to put down or to keep down by force; to prevent information from being known publicly
sure - ad. very probable; with good reason to believe; true without question
surface - n. the outer side or top of something ("The rocket landed on the surface of the moon.")
surplus - n. an amount that is more than is needed; extra; ("That country has a trade surplus. It exports more than it imports.")
surprise - v. to cause a feeling of wonder because something is not expected; n. something not expected; the feeling caused by something not expected
surrender - v. to give control of oneself or one's property to another or others; to stop fighting and admit defeat
surround - v. to form a circle around; to be in positions all around someone or something
survive - v. to remain alive during or after a dangerous situation
suspect - v. to imagine or believe that a person is guilty of something bad or illegal; n. a person believed to be guilty
suspend - v. to cause to stop for a period of time
swallow - v. to take into the stomach through the mouth
swear in - v. to put an official into office by having him or her promise to carry out the duties of that office ("The chief justice will swear in the president.")
sweet - ad. tasting pleasant, like sugar
swim - v. to move through water by making motions with the arms and legs
sympathy - n. a sharing of feelings or emotions with another person, usually feelings of sadness
system - n. a method of organizing or doing something by following rules or a plan; a group of connected things or parts working together for a common purpose or goal
T
take - v. to put a hand or hands around something and hold it, often to move it to another place; to carry something ; to seize; to capture; to begin to be in control ("The president takes office tomorrow.")
talk - v. to express thoughts in spoken words; n. a meeting for discussion
tall - ad. higher than others; opposite short
tank - n. a large container for holding liquids; a heavy military vehicle with guns
target - n. any person or object aimed at or fired at
taste - v. to sense through the mouth ("The fruit tastes sweet.")
tax - n. the money a person or business must pay to the government so the government can provide services
tea - n. a drink made from the plant of the same name
teach - v. to show how to do something; to provide knowledge; to cause to understand
team - n. a group organized for some purpose, often for sports
tear - v. to pull apart, often by force
technical - ad. involving machines, processes and materials in industry, transportation and communications; of or about a very special kind of subject or thing ("You need technical knowledge to understand how this system works.")
technology - n. the use of scientific knowledge and methods to produce goods and services
telephone - n. a device or system for sending sounds, especially the voice, over distances
telescope - n. a device for making objects that are far away appear closer and larger
television - n. a device that receives electronic signals and makes them into pictures and sounds; the system of sending pictures and sounds by electronic signals over a distance so others can see and hear them on a receiver
tell - v. to give information; to make known by speaking; to order; to command
temperature - n. the measurement of heat and cold
temporary - ad. lasting only a short time
tense - ad. having fear or concern; dangerous; opposite calm
term - n. a limited period of time during which someone does a job or carries out a responsibility ("He served two terms in Congress."); the conditions of an agreement that have been accepted by those involved in it
terrible - ad. very bad; causing terror or fear
territory - n. a large area of land
terror - n. extreme fear; that which causes great fear
terrorist - n. a person who carries out acts of extreme violence as a protest or a way to influence a government
test - v. to attempt to learn or prove what something is like or how it will act by studying or doing ("The scientists will test the new engine soon."); n. an attempt to learn or prove what something is like or how it will act by studying or doing ("The test of the new engine takes place today."); a group of questions or problems used to find out a person's knowledge ("The students did well on the language test.")
than - conj. connecting word used to link things that may be similar, but are not equal ("My sister is taller than I am.")
thank - v. to say that one has a good feeling toward another because that person did something kind ("I want to thank you for helping me.")
that - ad. showing the person, place or thing being spoken about ("That man is a soldier."); pro. the person, place or thing being spoken about ("The building that I saw was very large.")
the - pro. used in front of a name word to show that it is a person or thing that is known about or is being spoken about
theater - n. a place where movies are shown or plays are performed
them - pro. other people being spoken about
then - ad. at that time; existing; and so
theory - n. a possible explanation of why something exists or how something happens using experiments or ideas, but which is not yet proven ("Other scientists are debating his theory about the disappearance of dinosaurs.")
there - ad. in that place or position; to or toward that place
these - pro. of or about the people, places or things nearby that have been spoken about already
they - pro. those ones being spoken about
thick - ad. having a large distance between two opposite surfaces ("The wall is two meters thick."); having many parts close together ("The forest is very thick."); almost solid, such as a liquid that does not flow easily; opposite thin
thin - ad. having a small distance between two opposite surfaces; not fat; not wide; opposite thick
thing - n. any object
too - ad. also; as well as; more than is necessary
tool - n. any instrument or device designed to help one do work
top - n. the upper edge or surface; the highest part; the cover of something
torture - v. to cause severe pain; n. the act of causing severe pain in order to harm, to punish or to get information from
total - n. the complete amount
touch - v. to put the hand or fingers on
toward - prep. in the direction of; leading to
town - n. a center where people live, larger than a village but not as large as a city
trade - v. to buy and sell or exchange products or services; n. the activity of buying, selling or exchanging products or services
tradition - n. a ceremony, activity or belief that has existed for a long time
traffic - n. the movement of people, vehicles or ships along a street, road or waterway
tragic - ad. extremely sad; terrible
train - v. to teach or learn how to do something; to prepare for an activity; n. an engine and the cars connected to it that move along a railroad
transport - v. to move goods or people from one place to another
transportation - n. the act or business of moving goods or people
trap - v. to catch or be caught by being tricked; to be unable to move or escape; n. a device used to catch animals
travel - v. to go from one place to another, usually for a long distance
treason - n. the act of fighting against one's own country or of helping its enemies
treasure - n. a large collection of money, jewels or other things of great value
treat - v. to deal with; to act toward in a special way; to try to cure
treatment - n. the act of treating; the use of medicine to try to cure or make better
treaty - n. a written agreement between two or more nations
tree - n. a very tall plant that is mostly wood, except for its leaves
trial - n. an examination in a court of a question or dispute to decide if a charge is true
tribe - n. a group of families ruled by a common chief or leader
trick - v. to cheat; to fool a person so as to get something or make him or her do something
trip - n. a movement from one place to another, usually a long distance
troops - n. a number of soldiers in a large controlled group
trouble - n. that which causes concern, fear, difficulty or problems
truce - n. a temporary halt in fighting agreed to by all sides involved
truck - n. a heavy vehicle used to carry goods
true - ad. correct; not false
trust - v. to believe that someone is honest and will not cause harm
try - v. to make an effort; to take court action against a person to decide if he or she is guilty or innocent of a crime
tube - n. a long, round structure through which liquids or gases can flow; a long, thin container in which they can be kept
turn - v. to change direction; to move into a different position; to change color, form or shape
U
under - prep. below; below the surface of; less than; as called for by a law, agreement or system ("The river flows under the bridge." "Such action is not permitted under the law.")
understand - v. to know what is meant; to have knowledge of
unite - v. to join together
universe - n. all of space, including planets and stars
university - n. a place of education that usually includes several colleges and research organizations
unless - conj. except if it happens; on condition that ("I will not go, unless the rain stops.")
until - conj. up to a time; before
up - ad. to, in or at a higher position or value
urge - v. to advise strongly; to make a great effort to get someone to do something
urgent - ad. needing an immediate decision or action
us - pro. the form of the word "we" used after a preposition ("He said he would write to us.") or used as an object of a verb ("They saw us yesterday.")
use - v. to employ for a purpose; to put into action
usual - ad. as is normal or common; as is most often done, seen or heard
V
vacation - n. a holiday; a period of time for travel, pleasure or rest, especially one with pay given to an employee
vaccine - n. a substance containing killed or weakened organisms given to a person or animal to produce protection against a disease
valley - n. a long area of land between higher areas of land
value - n. the quality of being useful, important or desired; the amount of money that could be received if something is sold
vegetable - n. a plant grown for food
vehicle - n. anything on or in which a person or thing can travel or be transported, especially anything on wheels; a car or truck
version - n. the form of something with different details than earlier or later forms
very - ad. extremely ("He was very late.")
veto - v. to reject or refuse to approve
victim - n. someone or something that is injured, killed or made to suffer; someone who is tricked
victory - n. a success in a fight or competition
video - n. a method of recording images and sound without a traditional film camera to be shown on a television, computer or other device
village - n. a very small town
violate - v. to fail to obey or honor; to break (an agreement)
violence - n. the use of force to cause injury, death or damage
visa - n. the official permission given to a person to enter a country where he or she is not a citizen
visit - v. to go to or come to a place for a short time for friendly or business reasons
voice - n. the sound made by creatures, especially humans, for speaking
volcano - n. a hill or mountain around a hole in the earth's surface that can explode, sending hot, melted rock and ash into the air
volunteer - n. a person who chooses to do something without being asked, usually without being paid
vote - v. to choose a candidate in an election; n. a choice or decision expressed by the voice, by hand or by writing
W
wages - n. money received for work done
wait - v. to delay acting; to postpone
walk - v. to move by putting one foot in front of the other
wall - n. the side of a room or building formed by wood, stone or other material; a structure sometimes used to separate areas of land
want - v. to desire; to wish for; to need
war - n. fighting between nations, or groups in a nation, using weapons
warm - ad. almost hot; having or feeling some heat
warn - v. to tell of possible danger; to advise or inform about something bad that may happen
wash - v. to make clean, usually with water
waste - v. to spend or use without need or care; to make bad use of; n. a spending of money, time or effort with no value gained or returned; something thrown away as having no value; the liquid and solid substances that result from body processes and are passed out of the body
watch - v. to look at; to observe closely; to look and wait for
water - n. the liquid that falls from the sky as rain or is found in lakes, rivers and oceans
wave - v. to move or cause to move one way and the other, as a flag in the wind; to signal by moving the hand one way and the other; n. a large mass of water that forms and moves on the surface of a lake or ocean
way - n. a path on land or sea or in the air; how something is done; method
we - pro. two or more people, including the speaker or writer ("He and I will go together, and we will return together.")
weak - ad. having little power; easily broken, damaged or destroyed; opposite strong
wealth - n. a large amount of possessions, money or other things of value
weapon - n. anything used to cause injury or to kill during an attack, fight or war
wear - v. to have on the body, as clothes
weather - n. the condition of the atmosphere resulting from sun, wind, rain, heat or cold
Web site - n. a collection of information prepared by a person or organization on the World Wide Web of the Internet
week - n. a period of time equal to seven days
weigh - v. to measure how heavy someone or something is
welcome - v. to express happiness or pleasure when someone arrives or something develops
well - ad. in a way that is good or pleasing; in good health; n. a hole in the ground where water, gas or oil can be found
west - n. the direction in which the sun goes down
wet - ad. covered with water or other liquid; not dry
what - pro. used to ask about something or to ask for information about something ("What is this?"); ad. which or which kind ("He wants to know what you would like to drink.")
wheat - n. a grain used to make bread; the plant that produces the grain
wheel - n. a round structure that turns around a center
when - ad. at what time; at any time ("When will she come home?"); conj. during or at the time ("I studied hard when I was in school.")
where - ad.. conj. at, to or in what place ("Where is his house?" "The house where he lives is in the old part of the city.")
whether - conj. if it be the case or fact that ("He did not know whether he was right or wrong.")
which - pro. used to ask about what one or what ones of a group of things or people ("Which program do you like best?" "Which students will take the test?")
while - n. a space of time ("Please come to my house for a while."); conj. at or during the same time ("It may not be a good idea to eat while you are running.")
white - ad. having the color like that of milk or snow
who - pro. what or which person or persons that ("Who wants to go?"); the person or persons ("They are the ones who want to go.")
whole - ad. the complete amount; all together; not divided; not cut into pieces
why - ad. for what cause or reason ("Why did she do it?"); conj. the reason for which ("I do not know why she did it.")
wide - ad. having a great distance from one side to the other; not limited
wife - n. a woman who is married
wild - ad. living and growing in natural conditions and not organized or supervised by humans; angry; uncontrolled
will - v. a word used with action words to show future action ("They will hold talks tomorrow.")
willing - ad. being ready or having a desire to ("They are willing to talk about the problem.")
win - v. to gain a victory; to defeat another or others in a competition, election or battle
wind - n. a strong movement of air
window - n. an opening in a wall to let in light and air, usually filled with glass
winter - n. the coldest time of year, between autumn and spring
wire - n. a long, thin piece of metal used to hang objects or to carry electricity or electronic communications from one place to another
wise - ad. having much knowledge and understanding; able to use knowledge and understanding to make good or correct decisions
wish - v. to want; to express a desire for
with - prep. along or by the side of; together; using ("He fixed it with a tool."); having ("the house with the red door")
withdraw - v. to take or move out, away or back; to remove
without - prep. with no; not having or using; free from; not doing
witness - n. a person who saw and can tell about an action or event, sometimes in a court of law
woman - n. an adult female human
wonder - v. to ask oneself; to question ("She wonders if it is true."); n. a feeling of surprise
wonderful - ad. causing wonder; especially good
wood - n. the solid material of which trees are made
word - n. one or more connected sounds that form a single part of a language
work - v. to use physical or mental effort to make or do something; n. the effort used to make or to do something; that which needs effort; the job one does to earn money
world - n. the earth; the people who live on the earth
worry - v. to be concerned; to continue thinking that something, possibly bad, can happen
worse - ad. more bad than
worth - n. value measured in money
wound - v. to injure; to hurt; to cause physical damage to a person or animal; n. an injury to the body of a human or animal in which the skin is usually cut or broken
wreck - v. to damage greatly; to destroy; n. anything that has been badly damaged or broken
wreckage - n. what remains of something severely damaged or destroyed
write - v. to use an instrument to make words appear on a surface, such as paper
wrong - ad. not correct; bad; not legal; opposite right
Y
| House |
Which word can go after Door, Side and Dub to make three other words? | Compound Words | VocabularySpellingCity
Compound Words
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Students begin to recognize and understand simple compound words, such as airplane and toothbrush, in first grade, then progress to more complex compound words. Students learn that compound words are made up of two whole words that function as a single unit of meaning, and that the two words give clues to the meaning of the compound word. Students also begin to notice that there are many compound word families that use the same base word, such as house (doghouse, birdhouse, farmhouse).
There are three different types of compound words:
Closed form: Two words are joined together to create a new meaning (firefly, softball, redhead, keyboard, makeup, notebook).
Hyphenated form: Words are joined together by a hyphen (daughter-in-law, over-the-counter, six-year-old).
Open form: Words are open but when read together, a new meaning is formed (post office, real estate, full moon).
Studying compound words offers a great opportunity to engage students in understanding the English language. It builds an interest in words and will help prepare students to learn prefixes, suffixes, and word roots.
VocabularySpellingCity provides free ready-made word lists and interactive learning games to further engage students in compound word study. Leveled compound word lists range from elementary to high school. Lists can be paired with learning games, like Read-A-Word , to build compound word practice and mastery.
To help engage your students and instill long-term learning of compound words, try a classroom activity like “Compound Words Day,” in which students come to school wearing objects that are compound words (see photo above ). You can have your students go on a scavenger hunt at home or using items you supply in the classroom. The kids can attach the items to their clothes or a hat, and describe them in class, or go “on parade” to another classroom to show their creativity and what they learned.
Common Core State Standards Related to Compound Words
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.4.d
Use knowledge of the meaning of individual words to predict the meaning of compound words (e.g., birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly, bookshelf, notebook, bookmark).
bluebird, starfish, sunset, bathtub, sandbox, sailboat, flagpole, teacup, backpack, playpen
2nd Grade Compound Words:
List 1: suntan, notebook, inside, myself, outside, birdhouse, homework, birthday, without, something
List 2: butterfly, footprint, goldfish, ladybug, mailbox, raincoat, snowman
List 3: seesaw, rainbow, cupcake, sunshine, airplane, lunchbox, lipstick, barnyard, anyone, cowboy
3rd Grade Compound Words:
List 1: downtown, teaspoon, airport, grandmother, snowflake, afternoon, drumstick, baseball, racetrack, handshake
List 2: toothbrush, sunburn, underwater, flashlight, newspaper, peanut, textbook, doorbell, rowboat, spaceship
List 3: anthill, backyard, daylight, earring, handstand, scorekeeper, seashell, shoelace, sunrise, yearbook
4th Grade Compound Words:
List 1: dishwasher, playground, teammate, yardstick, windshield, fisherman, saltwater, weekend, homesick, mailbox
List 2: cardboard, downstairs, fingerprint, haircut, lifeguard, sandpaper, sidewalk, sunlight, thunderstorm, toothpaste
5th Grade Compound Words:
List 1: earthquake, countdown, candlestick, barefoot, bathrobe, classroom, fingernail, roommate, dashboard, overdue
List 2: breakfast, shipwreck, tombstone, wildlife, guardrail, suitcase, surfboard, tiptoe, lighthouse, chairperson
6th Grade Compound Words:
courthouse, landslide, windmill, goalkeeper, coastline, homemade, sawdust, drawstring, skateboard, flashback
7th Grade Compound Words:
heartbreak, whirlpool, daredevil, earache, pitfall, thumbtack, password, wallpaper, soundtrack, newborn
8th Grade Compound Words:
darkroom, masterpiece, sightseeing, drawback, milestone, landmark, stomachache, halfway, newcomer, daydream
9th Grade Compound Words:
| i don't know |
Which word can go before Ache, Mug and Pick to make three other words? | WORDS, PHRASES or SAYINGS - Origins, Meanings by Brownielocks.
The first teensy weensy swimsuit known as the "bikini" went on sale in 1947. But how did it get its name? The male reaction to this was often described to be like an atomic bomb. Since a year prior, 1946, the Marshall Islands were used for the atomic bomb test. 167 natives were moved to Rongerik under "Operation Crossroads" by William H.R. Blandy. Later more commonly referred to as "Bikini Island Bomb Tests." Since this skimpy swimsuit created about the same earth shattering reactions as the bomb, it was explosively named the Bikini. After a few years, it was no longer capitalized and became bikini to represent a fashion style that showed a lot of skin, not necessarily for swimwear. I.E. A bikini-style top.
In old days, a rifle (or musket) had 3 major parts: A lock, a stock of wood and a metal barrel. Each part was totally useless without the other one. They had to all work together or well, you got nothing. But when they were all in sync, what a BLAST! Thus, when a person chose to put everything 100% into an decision, action or commitment and not just half-heartedly, he is said to be doing it "lock, stock and barrel."
Alternate origin: lock stock and barrel also referred to when you bought a farm. Lock meant the house , stock was all the animals and barrel was the rain barrel meaning all the trivial junk, so that it was absolutely everything at the time of sale that was on the land that was sold If the previous owner left something valuable behind it was yours (too bad for them) as it had all been sold lock stock and barrel.
Many years ago a heavy cloth was created in Janua (modernly known as Genoa today) and shortened to the term "jean." In 1495, King Henry VIII of England bought 262 bolts it because it didn't wear out quickly and was very prized. It remained its natural shade for years and years until one day a batch was dyed blue and turned over to tailors. For many years, the pants made from this fabric was for men only. Only until women wearing pants became socially acceptable (around WWII?) and later in the 50's and 60's have jeans become a fashion garment for women as well as men. They are no longer worn for their durability, since today mean blue jeans are promoted for being softer and even include spandex for stretch blue jeans.
In ancient Greece, voting for membership into some of their organizations was done via beans. White beans were dropped into a container who favored the candidate and brown or black beans if you didn't. Apparently the jar was not clear and (I assume) when you went to vote you kept your hands folded so no one knew if you dropped a white or black bean? Only the officials knew the actual vote results of black vs. white beans. However....on a few occasions a clumsy voter would knock over the jar and revealed all the beans! This is how the phrase got to refer to someone who reveals the truth or hidden secrets.
Back in the old days, calendars were only made (or seen) by monks and made by hand in monasteries or convents. Scribes often emphasized days of Saints or other important events by using a reddish ink made from ocher (a mineral of oxide of iron). A quick look at the calendar instantly showed all there red marks from the black, so that preparation or anticipation of those days could be acted upon. Today, we consider a "red letter day" as any important day to us in our lives such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries or the beginning of vacations or ending of school years. Some even have them mark special emotional times such as first dates, births of babies, pay raises, etc.
The prairie chicken was often observed by early settlers dancing around at dawn with their fancy mating steps, making noises and strutting as part of their courtship with the females. They were so intense on this, they actually wore some areas of the ground bare! Soon, settlers could just tell by looking at some bare land that it was the mating spots for those frisky prairie chickens, and soon got called their "old stomping grounds." Today the term is used both for areas when males and females gather to meet each other, or for any place in which a group of people just go to have fun and kick up their heels etc.
For some odd reason, the number 9 has always been considered by mathematicians to have some super power? Some say it goes back to the Holy Trinity since 3 x 3 = 9. And later in Victorian times, a person who was all dressed up was said to be "dressed to the nines." So what does this have to do with clouds?
It was believed that clouds existed on a successful level of layers, and the ultimate high layer was 9. So anyone who is suddenly super happy was said to be soaring in the clouds and naturally the level of the cloud they were assumed to be on was the highest...level 9. Today another way of saying you are very happy and even in some cases, in love, is to say that you are on cloud 9.
To be a redneck isn't because anger makes your neck red at all. The term comes from the South, but it refers to anyone who works outdoors, especially in the farm fields, where after a while all that sun exposure gives you a very red neck (from bending over a lot in the fields). Since many wore hats that sheltered their faces, that left them all with red necks. After years of having sun-burned necks, skin just got darker, reddish and more crusty. So the term today, although termed for Southern farmers, can be another who works outdoors rather than in an office.
PS: Along this line, there is a term called a "farmer's tan" which means you have a sun tan from your elbows down, since being outdoors in a T-shirt covers the rest of your body. It's a common phrase in California to tease outsiders (esp. from the Midwest) that they have a "farmer's tan" when in California people pride themselves on having overall tans.
Another version is said that the term originated in the coal mines of Kentucky and West Virginia at The Battle of Blair Mountain, which was the largest civil uprising in US history. In 1921 WVa miners clashed with lawmen and hired hands of the coal companies when they tried to stop the miners from forming a union. Approximately, 13,000 miners with red bandanas tied around their necks (to identify them as a separate group from the others) marched on Logan county. This uprising helped showcase the conditions faced by the minors and helped shape the way unions operated. It also turned union tactics into political battles to get the law on the side of labor. All these miners with red bandanas on their necks is said to be the origin of "red necks."
Submitted 5/19/12
There is also a different version of the origin of this word from a Scottish website. Since this is rather long, I'll just put the Link up:
Illiteracy was common in the old days and so when a person was asked to sign his name to a document, he would put an "X" or a cross and it was perfectly legal. Now, many times this was done under pressure and the party making the "X" had no intention of observing the terms of the contract. Oral lore stated that if a cross was doubled = one was written over the other one, then the second one voided out the first. The contract was then null. So a double-cross was often referred to someone who promised in word or writing, but changed their minds, or never even intended to obey the rules they agreed to.
All companies that work around the clock have a graveyard shift. It really has nothing to do with graveyards or burial places. Actually, any thick liquid was termed "gravy." So if you laughed till you cried you were called "gravy-eyed." And lack of sleep lead to bleary eyes, and sailors who had to stay up on deck all night were often "gravy-eyed" from weariness. When the term was said in pubs and other places on land, these people did not quite get it. Because superstitions were so rampid in those days, they assumed it had to do with graves, being dead tired, etc. So the seafaring phrase go reformed by the landlubbers to mean "graveyard shift."
Another version: The "Graveyard Shift" is actually tied to the term "Saved by the Bell." First, to explain "Saved by the Bell": at one point, being buried alive was a common occurrence, so some people who were paranoid about such a fate were buried in special coffins that had a rope to pull from the inside that attached to a bell above ground. At night a guard was set to watch the graveyard and to listen for any bells to ring, and thereby dig up the living person from underground, saving them "by the bell." The guard that sat watch overnight was said to work the "Graveyard Shift": the night shift at a graveyard.
(Submitted by Jade Tibbals)
In 1748, the fourth Earl of Sandwich was John Montagu who loved to gamble. Anytime he could get a game in, he would. Since his time was limited, and he couldn't formally eat, he told his servants to give him a slice of roast beef between two pieces of bread, so he could eat at the table (did not need utensils). He might not be the first to come up with this, but he was the first to do it in public and often. As a result, this concoction of meat between two slices of bread soon became known as 'the sandwich.'
The term goes back to sailors who brought it to land. The stern of a boat is called the poop. During strong winds and storms, smashed against it repeatedly. Any ship's stern that showed damage from all of this was called "pooped" and lucky to still be floating after days of battering waves. So when the sailors got ashore, in their descriptive way they would often say that they felt as tired and battered and as "pooped" as their ship. People took hold of this phrase and soon used it to describe themselves even when on land as being totally pooped out when they were really tired, fatigued and exhausted from anything.
The term comes from the days of notorious pickpocket activities in London. They had their own language for different pockets that were the style of the day. For example: Jerve as a vest pocket. And Kick was a pocket on the side in a pair of pants. And the Pratt was the back pocket. Of all the pockets, the most difficult to pick was the KICK, because it was close to the victim's leg and was always moving. After a while, smart people discovered that the safest spot to keep your money was in his "side kick" or side pocket of his pants. Today the term now means a faithful partner or pet that is by ones side, often even helpful and protective.
The French painter Paul Gauguin is the source for this saying. Rumor has it that admirers loved his painting but had problems pronouncing his name. So they shortened their admiration to saying that they were just "Ga Ga." Others claim that's just nonsense. And that the word comes from the French origin for "fool" and so the word represents the sounds a mindless person makes.
Alternate: The word 'gaga' originates from the French word 'gateux' (with a circumflex accent on the 'a'). 'Se gater' which means to spoil or go rotten. Soo 'gateux' or 'gaga' could translate as ' soft in the head' as in senile.
(Submitted by: Harry Globus)
There are two versions of where this word began in American culture. (1) One of the most notorious criminals of the Barbary Coast was Muldoon, who had so much muscle he was hard to arrest. The San Franciso newspaper led a campaign to help clean up the town. But rather than printing his name they put it in backwards = Noodlum. A bit obvious, the reported then changed the N to H = Hoodlum. So every time this criminal's activities were written up, it was as Hoodlum. Soon the name was synonymous with crime and illegal activities. (2) Another theory is it is a derivative of the German word 'huddellump' which means miserable fellow, wretch, and scoundrel."
Before the days of the electric or mechanical doorbells, anyone coming to your house just had to pound a metal knocker that was nailed to the front door. Sometimes it took a lot of heavy smacks to get attention. This meant that the nails holding this metal plate on the door got a lot of wear, eventually having the life pounded out of it and it fell out. Today anything that is totally withered or a failed project or situation that is hopeless is considered to be as dead as a doornail.
Alternate origin: Nails were in short supply and high demand in colonial times. People would go out in the night and steal the nails from their neighbors doors. To prevent this from happening, the ends of the nails inside, were bent and hammered down to prevent them from being pulled out, from the outside. The nail was said to be dead and the act was deadening the nail. It could not be removed and all other uses were of that nail were eliminated....i.e. the nail was dead.
(Submitted by David Salls)
Early jugglers altered a Latin phrase used during Holy Communion. They took the word "hocus" which means "here is the body..." and just formed a rhyming word go to with it for their magical presentations resulting in "hocus-pocus." The pocus added to it assumedly meant to play close attention to the object.
Alternate origin: In the Middle Ages, most people were illiterate and certainly didn't understand Latin, the language of the Catholic mass. During the Eucharist in the mass, the priest would turn away from the congregation and look at the cross, making his words hard to hear and/or understand. When he raised the host (bread), he uttered the words "Hoc est corpus mei......", or "This is my body....", in Latin. The congregation didn't understand the meaning of the words, but they did know that, somehow through some magic, these words turned the bread into the actual body of Christ, the fantastic magical event of transubstantiation. So, words that sounded like "hocus pocus" to the illiterate and uneducated masses would enable a magical and miraculous event to transpire, and, presumably, these words were a facilitator or enabler of a magical act or event. (Submitted by Jon Dill )
Shindig
The general store often had a cracker barrel in which citizens of the town would gather to play games, and tell stories. Often listeners did not crack a smile at all. At other times, a lot of laughter was created. If a teller of a tall tail evoked a lot of laughter it was like hitting a bulls eye and so faces with cracked smiles mean "first class." Today the term now signifies anything that isn't first class is well..."not what it is cracked up to be."
Another version: "Cracked Up" also refers to a Civil War time makeup. At this time the makeup mostly consisted of beeswax, ladies had to partially melt the makeup beside the fire before applying it, and after application it would harden. If the lady laughed or smiled it would crack the makeup, and thereby look like her face was "Cracking Up."
(Submitted by Jade Tibbals)
Punishment in the old days often meant that a person often deserved more than just tar and feathers, and deserved a public whipping. In order to prevent him from escaping during this whip lashing, he was tied over-turned barrel (top body bent to the curve of the barrel while feet remained on the ground.) Thus there was no way this person could escape his punishment. Today the term "to have over a barrel" means that someone is in a position in which there is just no way for them to escape their punishment or whatever other dreadful outcome is coming to them.
We live in a right-handed world, let's face it. In the ancient world, the left-side of the body or anything "left" was considered sinister, mysterious, dangerous or evil. So, innkeepers pushed the left sides of the bed against the walls so that a guest HAD to get up on the right side. Today, with queen and king side beds, most people get up on either side and don't bother to think about it. But the term today of "getting up on the wrong side of the bed" refers to when someone is irritable or clumsy.
The origin is from WWII and refers to a bomb that could level an entire block. When the boys came home, the phrase caught on to represent anything that made a real impact.
This is an old-fashion phrase for nudity (or almost nude) women in photos or film. The phrase comes from the fact that a woman's skin appears to be the same creamy color as that of cream cheese.
Its origin goes back to the days of music being put on records (remember those?). Each record had one side that had the main recording (hit song) and then there was always another song on the back, which often was completely different than the front song. This song on the back became known as the "flip side." In society it caught on as every argument or situation can have something on the other side totally different from what's being shown on the front.
We all know it as jealousy. But how? It goes back to the Shakespearean play, "Othello" in Act III. Shakespeare used at cat's green eyes to represent jealousy and referred to it as "the green-eyed monster" in his play. The phrase just caught on.
The Handwriting on the Wall
We know it today as a sign of some upcoming doom. But the origin goes back to the bible when Belshazzar, the successor to King Nebuchadnezzar got drunk one night and drank from sacred vessels from the temple of Jerusalem. Afterwards, it is said that a mysterious hand appeared and wrote 4 strange words on the banquet room wall. Only Daniel (the prophet) could interpret this writing, which he said was ominous. So, any warning today is referred to "the handwriting on the wall."
This is used today to mean someone who has influence to make things happen. The term goes back to a puppeteer, who everyone knew was the man behind-the-scenes manipulating things that made the show happen.
To be the Top Banana or Second Banana
The term goes back to burlesque where the showgirls in the finale formed what appeared to resemble a bunch of bananas. Of course the star was usually on center top and was referred to "the top banana." In many vaudeville comedy acts, the straight man to the comedian was often referred to then as the "second banana." So, this banana ranking comes from the theatre, not the jungle.
Refers to anyone fooling around, either sexual or some underhanded business deal, etc. The phrase originates back to magicians who would wave hankies around to misdirect the attention of the audience from what was really going on. Just like magicians would rhyme words like "hocus pocus", the "panky" got added to just make a rhyme.
To Let Your Hair Down
Back in Napoleonic days, the nobility of Paris were highly condemned if they appeared in public without a hairdo that was pretty elaborate. This mean hours of work and a lot of hairpins. It was only when they got home could they take all those pins out and relax. Of course when the pins came out, the hair fell down. Thus, letting your hair down soon became a phrase to represent being relaxed.
This is not just an old television show from the 1950's. Back in the 1880's an Irish comic/singer named Patrick Rooney created a song about Mr. Reilly, who imagined what his life would be like if he hit it rich in California. The song describes his wonderful life of leisure. Soon, many who heard it identified with how nice it would be and would repeat the song, making the phrase represent having a real easy life.
Ambassador to Portugal, Jean Nicot talked with sailors a lot. In 1560 he got some seeds from these sailors that he planted. And, so the first tobacco plants in France grew. When scientist later discovered that tobacco had a potent substance, they named it nicotine after Jean Nicot.
When all know it means that everything is fine. But, the phrase originated with President Martin Van Buren, when he was running for his second term as president. He was born in Kinderhook, NY. And his nickname was "Old Kinderhook." So, his fans formed a campaign committee called the "Democratic O.K. (old kinderhood) Club."The campaign slogan spread from then on.
To Read Someone The Riot Act
It's real! Back in 1716, King George I of England issued a proclamation that if 12 or more people engaged in a demonstration, his officers were told to read these people this specific Act and send those rioters home. Only a few continued once the edict was read because you could be sent to prison for life. So, once this Riot Act got read, people calmed down rather quickly.
When you get information straight from the horse's mouth, it means you are suppose to be getting honest, correct information. The phrase comes from the old days when determining how old a horse was was done by looking at his teeth. So, before betting on a horse, people wanting to check its teeth to see how old this horse was. Therefore, anyone who worked around the horse (stable hand?) knew how old the horse was and could let the others know. Therefore, the information was acquired, 'straight from the horse's mouth' and not the owner of the horse.
On the other hand, if someone gave you a horse for free, it was considered rude to look in its mouth and check to see how old it was. Therefore, you were not to "look a gift horse in the mouth." Today, this means not to question the quality or motive a gift you get from someone.
A colorful expression that means it is raining very hard, with lightning, thunder and probably a lot of high winds. There are two ideas of how this phrase developed. One is simple: A storm sounds a lot like cats and dogs fighting. The other goes back to Norse mythology. It is believed that witches caused storms and rode the winds in the shape of back cats. And, the God of Storms is described in Norse Mythology being surrounded by wild dogs and wolves. So, add the witchy cat-shaped winds and the wild dogs and you get "it's raining cats and dogs."
This is just another way of defining the person on top, the most important person or the one in authority. The source isn't exactly that meaning. It originates from the Native American word "muck-a-muck"which meant a person who has plenty to eat. In a tribe, it was usually the chief (and his family) who had enough to eat. The settlers sort of messed up the pronunciation as well as the meaning in translation apparently.
It simply means a person who is teetering on the edge of sanity. The origin is pretty simple. It goes back to the Roman belief that the moon (Luna) influenced sanity.
This is a phrase today that means a way to get out of some contract. The origin goes back to the Middle Ages and defending a castle. Up at the top, designers put in small, oval windows that were tapered to be wider inside and narrower from the outside. This made the window difficult to hit (from over the moat) by the enemies, but a good spot to defend the castle from w/o much chance of getting hurt themselves. The window was called the loophole and later the term came to represent any opening that gave an advantage to one side in an argument or contract.
As odd as this seems, back in the old days most people weren't allowed credit. But, when someone did borrow, the records were often kept on the shirt cuff of the lender. When men traveled from town to town, the livery stableman often let them put what they owed on credit. There was no formal contract. But, it was written on the stable owner's cuff. So, guys who had debt owed to stables in different towns were said to live "off the cuff." Today, the phrase just means a casual business deal w/o formal, legal documentation based on a man's word or trust only.
To Paint The Town Red
Isn't it rather obvious that the term goes back to red light districts in towns, because that was the area where the men found most of their well...excitement? ;) Today, we refer to it as having a good time in a place, period. And doesn't have to mean visiting prostitutes.
A poke is just a heavy, thick bag attached to a stick in which pigs were carried to market. Many times, a defective pig, or not even a pig at all was in the bag. And, the sellers would offer a great "bargain" for the poke. Why didn't the buyer take a peek inside first? Because pigs were hard to catch once they got loose, the sellers often refused to let the buyers take a peek before paying. So, many times, the buyers were cheated and ended up paying for either a bad pig or not pig at all once they peeked inside the bag they just bought. Later on, the phrase soon represented anything purchased that seemed to be a good deal and was just a waste of money.
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Many times cats were put into the poke instead of a pig. When a buyer insisted on seeing what was inside the bag and found a cat instead of a pig, he confirmed that he was being cheated and the truth was revealed. Today, "to let the cat out of the bag" means to let secret or hidden information be revealed to others. It doesn't have to do with business, it could simply be telling what a Christmas present is.
Back in sailing days, a ship's food supply was stored in a lot of salt pork. After frying or boiling, a lot of fat (aka slush) was left over. Some of it was used to grease timbers. But, they had LOTS of this stuff! So, a lot was just put into storage. When they got back to port, they sold it. (I'm not sure who buys this stuff and why?) Anyway, the money from selling their slush was used to buy extras for the crew. Soon, the term "slush fund" was used to represent money that was taken from a normal budget and used for extras. More commonly, the extras meant to pay bribes for corrupt purposes, etc.
By the skin of your teeth
This is a phrase that means to barely escape a disaster. But, we don't have skin on our teeth (we have enamel). The origin is from the bible, the Book of Job 19:20 where Job says he's escaped by the skin of his teeth. And, as with a lot of bible verses, they slip into everyday speech. This was one.
This is just a guess. It goes back to early baseball days when the game was played in open stadiums while the sun shined only. The newspapers wanted to know how many came to the game. But, it was hard to get an exact count (and the owners/managers didn't want to tell them, especially if it was low.) So, they'd just give an estimate - give or take a few hundred. Soon, any so-so count is called a "ballpark figure" or estimate.
Barking Up the Wrong Tree
Settlers hunted raccoons, possums and squirrels. Most hunting dogs would chase them up a tree and then bark until their masters came and shot the animals. Sometimes, the animal managed to sneak across to another tree w/o the dog seeing. So, the dog would continue to bark up a tree that didn't have any prey. Soon, the phrase became known in social circles to mean anyone who is wrong about something and/or is being mislead.
To Build a Fire Under Someone
We all know that mules are pretty stubborn. Sometimes they just firmly set their legs and well... So, farmers decided that building a small fire under the mule's belly would get him moving. There's no proof this was really done a lot by muleskinners. But, the idea and imagery was such that people started using the phrase to mean "trying to get someone to move or take some action."
Isaak Walton was a fisherman and author about it. He'd stress how important it was to get that hook stuck in the fish's mouth. To do that you needed to do a sudden jerk! Therefore, to "hook" got associated with the action of "a jerk." Now, we get to schools. When the teacher's back was turned, a kid would bolt off! If he got away with it, he'd hide and not show up for role call. Soon, this represented a "jerk of defiance" similar to like a jerk to hook on a fishing pole. So, it was called "hookey" rather than simply being defiant to mean skipping school.
This is just a name for barnyard excrements from chickens. The phrase first appeared in stories written by Charles F. Brown (aka Artemis Ward) in the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1858. He used the phrase to described the political talk he was hearing from candidates. It seemed to then catch on as a way of expressing any talk that was worthless and stupid, whether political or not.
Putting on the Dog
After the Civil War, lap dogs were a social status among the wealthy. Even today, look at how Paris Hilton goes around with Tinkerbell all dressed up? Back then, French Poodles were the symbol of wealth. So, anyone who was being flashy was jokingly said to be "putting on the dog."
When you've got some unpleasant situation, you simply just grin and bear it and deal with it. This is what a soldier who was being discharged dishonorably had to do. He was given his walking papers, then forced to walk through the ranks of his fellow comrades while instruments played some march for ousted soldiers. The ritual wasn't fun, but the soldier had to deal with it directly. Thus, he had to face the music (instruments playing) and his fellow soldiers. This didn't mean he was guilty. Just like today, someone might have to face a bad situation that he had no cause in.
If a nobleman married beneath himself, custom said that the man would give the bride his left hand, rather than his right. This type of "left-handed wedding" was not really worth much because the man's wife or children could never gain his property. So, the marriage wasn't really valid, but just for social appearances. By the 16th century, these were no longer performed. But, society still referred to anything that on the surface appeared to be something that it wasn't as "left-handed." Today, sometimes a compliment is really meant as an insult (or a snide remark) and is referred to as a left-handed compliment because it's not really sincere.
The playwright, Moliere, created a stupid character named Moron. When the American Association for the Study of the Feeble Minded assembled in 1910, they said that they didn't even have a name for the type of people they worked with. So, someone suggested Moron after the character in the play. It stuck. Someone who thinks that another person is not too bright will call them a moron.
Alternate origin from Lisa Slitas:
MORON really does mean an idiot, in ancient Greek!
It comes from the word μωρός which means someone whole can't
understand that much, and in contemporary Greek is the word μωρό
which means baby. So basically a moron is someone that has the mind of a baby.
Nag
Anyone who constantly annoys someone is called a nag. The origin has nothing to do with horses. The source comes from the fact that rats gnawed away at things and you could hear them constantly and couldn't stop it. The Germans took the Scandinavian word for gnawing and turned it into nag. Soon, the word turned into mean something that was constantly irritating. As far as a person, it means someone who just gnaws at someone verbally.
Nothing to be Sneezed At
The upper class years ago had a craze for sneezing. All the elite would carry snuff boxes with herbs, which made them sneeze when they put a pinch into their noses. It was said that a good sneeze was a way to clear one's mind. Soon, a sneeze was a way of expressing boredom. They'd hear something and if they weren't impressed, they'd sneeze afterwards. Therefore, if something wasn't sneezed at, it meant that it was important or interesting. Today it simply means it is worth taking notice of.
Shoot the Bull
Basically it means to be drunk. The origin comes from sailors. Ships sailed best when all 4 sets of sails and all 4 masts were working. Sometimes, the 4th set didn't work or didn't get set up in time. When a ship was using 3 sets of sails and masts, the ship was in trouble if a gale hit them. A tossing and turning ship was similar to a drunk. So, someone who was drunk and walking rather wobbly soon was called "3 sheets (sails) to the wind."
Alternate origin: On a boat, a "sheet" is a rope used to adjust the sails. An old square-rigged boat used one sheet to control each of the 4 corners of every sail. If a sail had 3 sheets (ropes) untied, it would merely flap around wildly in the wind and be useless.
(Submitted by: Paul Heitkemper)
This is not about drippy juice running all over. The phrase means anyone who has an easy task or job that pays a lot but doesn't really work for it as "being on the gravy train" or "riding the gravy train." The phrase originates with (1) the fact that gravy is an automatic by-product when you cook a roast. The juices to make gravy are just there when the roast is done. (2) Train travel was very popular, esp. during the 1920's. Guys who worked on the railroad used the phrase "gravy train" to mean any job they did that paid well, but wasn't hard. The term then slipped into society.
To Live High on The Hog or To Eat High on The Hog
The origin is pretty simple. It comes from the fact that the best part of meat on a hog is cut high on the thigh. The lesser quality meat comes from the lower thigh (has lots of fat). So, the meaning of the phrase is basically when you are eating (or living) the very best that is available to you; and, are not having second best or lower quality.
Fork Over or Fork It Over
The origin has nothing to do with roosters with their heads cut off. It has to do with guns. Muskets were rather clumsy to load and took time. And, they wouldn't fire until they were cocked. To save time (but to still be safe) hunters would load their muskets but keep them only half-cocked until ready. However, they'd be some real hyper guys who forgot about their guns and just fired when they saw their game! Of course the gun wouldn't fire when it was only half-cocked. The phrase then slipped into society to mean anyone who was trying to do something without first checking that everything was in order for the project.
To Keep A Stiff Upper Lip
The phrase means to show no emotion in times of great emotional distress, or to have a lot of self-control. The origin is pretty simple. It has to do with British soldiers and their mustaches. Even when trimmed and waxed, moustaches sort of moved when standing at attention. This was considered undisciplined! So, a soldier was ordered to control his mustache's movements and keep a stiff upper lip!
"The drinks are on the house!" We all have heard this in a bar. The origin actually comes from British pubs, where the owner would invite their customers to taste their stock (pubs made their own beer back then.) Their hope was to give them a desire to have more and create sales. Today, anything that is given free (whether by a business or a person) is said to be "on the house."
To Put The Screws To
To pressure someone in order to get something out of them (information, money, etc.) is what it means. The term originates back to a method of torture called thumbscrews where jailers would slowly tighten the screws and create a lot of pain until the prisoner confessed or gave him the information they wanted. Examples of thumbscrew torture are seen in some museums today. But, they are no longer used.
Edward I of England forced all noblemen to sign their allegiance to him. This list of those that did was called a "ragman's roll." Once the list was done, couriers were sent all over to publicly read this list. Well, doing this over and over was a bit tiring. So, at times the speech probably got muffled and hard to understand by those listening. So, the incoherency of hearing this list was called "the ragman's roll" which slurred turned into "rigmarole." And, the word eventually got used in society to mean a slurring of a lot of words that couldn't be understood, whether a list or just speech.
When you leave a place where you've been and go to a new spot, you are said to "pull up stakes." The origin goes back to homesteaders, were stakes were put in the ground to mark survey lines. But, sneaky settlers would go out at night and move the stakes of other people to their benefit.
Tell It To The Marines!
When someone tries to tell you a far out tale that you are not going to fall for, you usually tell them to "Go tell it to the Marines." Why? The origin goes back to 1800's when British sailors (professionals) thought the marines were greenhorns. Apparently, the British sailors were told some outlandish tale, they'd tell the person to go tell it to the marines, who were gullible. So, it has nothing to do with the U.S. Marine Corp. It has to do with sailing and mariners.
A whistle (wood) has to be clean to make a good, pure sound. Any little particles in it, will cause it to sound funny. A brand new whistle is the cleanest and best! So, when someone is said to be clean as a whistle, it simple means he's got no imperfections or is not guilty.
Primarily this is used today to mean a really reckless driver. But the origin goes back to the days of the wild West and has nothing to do with cars. When the transcontinental railroad got started, there was a lot of open land between towns. Opportunists after the money of those laboring on working on the railroad in these open spaces, simply rented flatcars and turned them into mobile brothels and gambling casinos. Religious zealots considered such activities the work of the devil and anyone who participated doomed for hell. So, these flatcars with prostitutes, gambling, drinking etc. were called hell on wheels. Other meanings today can be as a compliment that someone is very energetic, a real go-getter, or just very fast-moving.
To Show Your True Colors
Warships often carried flags from many countries in order to elude or fool their enemies. The rules of warfare stated that ships were to hoist their true national ensigns before firing. So, someone who "shows his true colors" is acting like a warship that hailed another ship by falsely flying one flag; but, then as soon as they got within firing range, hoisted their real flag!
(Submitted by: Paul Heitkemper)
To Get The Lead Out
It means to work or move faster. When car racing became popular Bondo hadn't been invented yet. When cars needed body work, lead was used to patch and repair holes in the body. Lead was very heavy and added weight to the car, thus making it drive slower in races. It was said that if you could get all the lead out of your car it would go faster.
(Submitted by: Amanda Hurst)
| Tooth |
Which word can go before Force, Day and Load to make three other words? | Made up Words | Uncyclopedia | Fandom powered by Wikia
Abortifaciality - Abortion via production line.
Acid Jazz - Jazz that uses Hydrochloric Acid and Copper Sulphate as Instrument.
Adiculous - Something that is ridiculously addictive (i.e. tobacco, liposuction).
Agrenunciate - A word made up to see if English teacher had a clue. They don't.
Algonquarium - A zoo full of Native Americans.
Anaesthetisiium - Freudian slip for "Anus".
Ansticatual - A rare friend.
Antimacassar - An opponent of the Macassarian regime in Yemen.
Asparagusion - Death by asparagus.
Ass Jazz - Piss out of the ass!!
Ass Jizz - Male ejaculate out of the ass!!
Azz Jizz - Usually spoken in a rasp, when two males do it (male on female above).
Autopsicution - The act of performing autopsy on living persons.
Auxhillary - Part of Senator Clinton's re-election campaign.
Baceenenker - A Wanker Bassisr, i.e: Johnny Christ from Avenged Sevenfold
Badenture - An adventure usually involving dentists.
Ballcock - A tautology.
Ballgina - The male equivalent of a vagina; often used for gay sex.
Bassinet - An abbreviation of 'basset clarinet'.
Belligreen - Archaic term for syphilis .
Binomad - A roaming mathematical expression.
Bixeryikseritotsereeoterie - *See Sickeldoodleflooferfoofergoodederierbiig.
Blibber - A sort of puffy jacket with poppers, made out of whale fat.
Blether - Same as above, but for women or girls.
Blocquiche - French food (Synonym for "excrement").
Bon motte - A good trench.
Bonsail - A small, sailing tree.
Bronchopneumonia - Pneumonia resulting from excessive intake of pony meat.
Bulimial - Political messages subtly propagated through blinis.
Caesiumfrankolithicmixialubidiumrixidixidexidoxidroxide - the opposite of "corn syrup".
Californication - To perform sexual intercourse before marriage in California . See also Sodom and Gomorrah.
Calligraph - A graph which shows the intensity of an earthquake judging by how disruptive it is to a team of calligraphers, employed to write all day waiting for earthquakes.
Callipygian - Having well-shaped attractive buttocks.
Cardboard Tunnel Syndrome - Syndrome in which paranoids believe that the world is made of cardboard whilst on board airplanes.
Cenzoiacious - From the Cenozoic era.
Chipolatta - Chips with milky coffee .
Circumambiance - The general atmosphere at a circumcision.
Cockaludicrous - Something so ludicrous that it can instantly give an erection, or make an erection go away.
Coddle - Love of fish .
Control+Alt+Delete - The answer to all your problems!!
Commit - Subdued sickness.
Cotchology - Study of laziness by Type-A personality scientists.
Contrapcetive - A small trap placed on the female genitalia designed to ensnare potential sexual partners and prevent further penetration. Used by over-protective fathers and Catholics.
Cottage Pie - A pie made of bricks. Rather unpleasant to cook or consume.
Defraud - To repent for committing an act of fraud.
Destrierre - A cut of hat used only in Belize.
Disconsolate - An album played too loudly after 11 p.m.
Distemperization - A form of exotic jazz practiced by the Avant-Guard of Chicago in the late 1830s.
Downtowngown - Suit.
Early English - The English Language as practiced by Earls.
Effluvium - Someone made rich by their possession of great amounts of mud.
Eagalitarianism - Government by Eagles.
Electrocute - Sweet little electrical currents.
Electromagnate - A businessman with a disproportionately large share of the electricity market; an electricity baron.
Erruption - Immoral and unprincipled management of Volcanoes.
Eyetooth - Unfortunate disorder in which eyes take the place of teeth and vice versa. See also: Foot and Mouth disease, a similar variant.
Extong - Extra Long.
Fangorious - The manner in which one is devoured by gelatinous monsters.
Finnial - The third movement of Sibelius' twelfth symphony.
Flagg - The only currency with which Cash Flagg Jr. movies may be purchased.
Fleedom - Freedom achieved by fleeing (see the French ).
Fugly - Someone who is both fun and ugly. See'Tori Spelling'.
Geoterrametamorphobia - A long word that makes you sound smart.
Gifro- A ginger person with an afro (see Ronald McDonald).
Golfish Ball - A hybrid of the fish and the golf ball. So far only an unsuccessful scientific anomalie.
Gramminivorous - Animals that feed only on grammar and syntax.
Griffon - A substitute for a shirt and tie, applied with glue - this item of clothing is a cardboard model which, from the front angle, looks identical to a regular shirt and tie, but which from any other angle reveals the wearer's nakedness. So called, because it is "griffed on".
Hagtrim - Clothes worn by an old woman: usually bought from Oxfam.
Haler - The supplier of halos.
Hegemony - The national currency of the Peoples' Republic of Hege.
Hermeneutic - A type of crab.
Hexadexadecimal - Unreleased Pink Floyd album.
Hoboerotic - Erotica consisting of tramps and vagrants.
Holophasia - Possible result of Kitten Huffing
Hoppohammer - A boardgame played by nerds during a cricket game
Hypnognomic - Hypnosis by means of gnomes.
IBM - Idiotic, Brainless Monkeys
Iceland - A land of ice.
Impostultant - Fake consultant.
Infarct - The state of being in violation of parking regulations in Washington D.C.
Intelligent - It means Stupid & Brainless here.
Intinnings - Indoor cricket.
Innuendo - A rude games console released in China in 1995 as a competitor to the PlayStation.
Konkerman - A person who is clinically insane. Addicted to custard creams.
Libellious - The National Enquirer on your nearest supermarket checkout newstand.
Monopeia -The view from left field, possibly a myth.
Mr. Winkler - A gay english teacher who got some sick.
Ocho-Ocho - An individual with rare superpowers of randomness and an uncanny ability to make his girlfriends father cry.
Paracoccidioidomicosisproctitissarcomucosis - A weird disease that contaminates carcasses , making them asplode while killing everyone in a two kilometers radius.
Petrified- When a pet owner makes out with his pet.
Pyrophobia - Fear of Pirates , most common among Yankee and Phillies fans.
Puffters - Well, it's not in my bloody dictionary!
Rhinoplasty - Surgical procedure to alter human DNA to that of an African White Rhino.
Scrumtilious - The only adjective that can describe Steven Seagal 's acting ability.
Scrumtralescent - Describes an incredibly wonderful event, performance, etc.
Sex- When the penis gets trapped inside the vagina and cannot get out.
Shocktopus - Cross between a shark and an electric octopus.
Super-cal a quick version for lazy obese people
Tintinnabulation - Full-on smooshage of A-cup boobs.
Transinsonographicatable- An area of ocean that cannot be graphed by sonar.
Uluguruness - ( Ulu: Like Sakai or Wild Man; Guru: Teacher in Malay) Teacher that don't know how to teach, or teaches like wild animal.
Verocious - Another term for vicious.
XXX XXX
Xyzzy(With a Brittish Accent) - Twice as much happens.....Which is still nothing.
Zooymama - Holy shi#.
| i don't know |
Which chemical element is represented by ‘Se’? | Chemical Elements.com - Selenium (Se)
Bentor, Yinon. Chemical Element.com - Selenium.
<http://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/se.html>.
For more information about citing online sources, please visit the MLA's Website .
This page was created by Yinon Bentor.
Use of this web site is restricted by this site's license agreement .
Copyright © 1996-2012 Yinon Bentor. All Rights Reserved.
| Selenium |
In 1773, who became the first known person to cross the Antarctic Circle? | Selenium - Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table
Chemistry in its element: selenium
(Promo)
You're listening to Chemistry in its element brought to you by Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
(End promo)
Chris Smith
Hello, this week flaky scalps, skunks, dead polo ponies and an element that makes you stink of garlic. Yum! But it's not all bad news.
Bernie Bulkin
We know selenium is there, right under sulfur, in the periodic table, but it doesn't get much attention. The inorganic chemistry textbooks that I studied from talk extensively about sulphur and, where appropriate, say things like 'selenium also forms similar acids', or 'selenium also has many allotropic forms'. How slighted is this important element!
When I was in my early 20s I developed a dry scalp condition for a few years, probably a result of anxiety over research grants I was trying to obtain. The treatment for this was a shampoo containing selenium sulphide, surprising to me because I thought that selenium was highly toxic. In fact a little investigation showed me that it was perfectly safe in small amounts.
Selenium is one of those all too common elements that is essential to life in small quantities, and very toxic in larger quantities. 400 micrograms per day is set as the safe upper intake level in humans. But we require it as part of various enzymes, such as glutathione peroxidase, as well as in the thyroid. It is widespread, and accumulated in various foods, such as nuts, tuna, and lobster, so it is rare for humans to have a selenium deficiency. But for horses, with their more limited diet, selenium deficiency is common and often corrected with dietary supplements. Again, this requires great care. Recently 21 polo horses died from selenium overdose in Florida, the result of a veterinary pharmacist overdoing it in mixing the drugs.
It was Berzelius who discovered selenium in 1817, as an impurity in sulphuric acid. Tellurium had already been discovered, and named after the Greek word for earth, so he named selenium using the Greek word for moon, selene. It occurs in various minerals, together with sulphur as you would expect. We know its evolution in plants goes back a long ways, because we find selenium compounds in coals, and much of what is released into the atmosphere today comes from coal burning. Indeed, the toxicity level of selenium to humans was established only 20 years ago by studies of Chinese victims of selenium poisoning, selenosis, who grew corn on selenium rich coal rocks. Selenosis has some lovely symptoms: a garlic odor on the breath, hair loss, sloughing of nails, fatigue, irritability, and eventually cirrhosis of the liver and death. It is the selenates and selenites that are the most toxic, since the elemental selenium is not readily incorporated into biological processes.
While some of the allotropic forms of selenium resemble those that we know well from study of sulphur, there are others that are different. Most important, so called gray selenium consists of long chains of atoms forming extended helical structures. While selenium is not a metallic element, gray selenium is a good photoconductor, and was used in early photocells. Subsequently, selenium and various selenium compounds have been used in a variety of photoconductor and photovoltaic applications. Indeed, the newest and most promising class of mass produced solar cells are copper indium gallium selenide. At one time virtually all copying machines used selenium ; this has now been largely replaced by organic photoconductors.
But the diversity of uses of selenium does not stop with shampoo and horse food supplements and photovoltaics. Selenium is added to synthetic rubber to improve resistance to abrasion, it has been added to brass, along with bismuth, to replace lead in pipes, and it is used, as sodium selenate, as an insecticide to stop attacks on flowering plants such as chrysanthemums and carnations. Selenium in its allotropic red form is added to glass to give it a scarlet color, but it also can be used to remove the greenish tint sometimes found in glass due to iron compounds.
There have been numerous studies, none of them very conclusive, about the possible role of selenium in cancer prevention, and in increasing the efficacy of chemotherapy. Most of these seem to indicate that if it is effective at all, it works somehow in conjunction with vitamin E, which, like selenium, plays an antioxidant role in the body. Also intriguing to me was a recent study indicating that selenium deficient soils may play a role in susceptibility to HIV/AIDS in Africa. The rationale is that low selenium levels are associated with weakened immune systems, since with lack of antioxidant capacity there is stress on the immune system.
But I save the best occurrence of selenium in nature for last. Butyl seleno mercaptan is the essential ingredient of skunk smell, and is certainly a contender for the title of the worst smelling compound. Once you have smelled it you will never forget it, nor underestimate the impact that this interesting element can have.
Chris Smith
So it can clear up an itchy scalp but it might make you stink in the process. That was Cambridge University's Bernie Bulkin with the story of Selenium. Next week we're visiting the element that Superman made famous.
Angelos Michaelides
Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe, and the native world of the super-heroes Superman, Supergirl, and Krypto the "super dog". Krypton has been portrayed consistently as having been destroyed just after Superman's flight from the planet, with exact details of its destruction varying by time period, writers and franchise.
So much for trying to do a "wikipedia" search for this "hidden" element!
Chris Smith
And you can catch the facts about Krypton, rather than the fiction with Angleos Michaelides at next week's Chemistry in its Element. I'm Chris Smith, thank you for listening and goodbye.
(Promo)
Chemistry in its element is brought to you by the Royal Society of Chemistry and produced by thenakedscientists.com . There's more information and other episodes of Chemistry in its element on our website at chemistryworld.org/elements .
(End promo)
| i don't know |
Which French football team won the 1993 European Cup? | The best not to have won the Champions League - UEFA Champions League - News - UEFA.com
The best not to have won the Champions League
Tuesday 19 May 2015 by Majid Mohamed
Gianluigi Buffon has won so much during his long career but the UEFA Champions League has always eluded him. As UEFA.com discovers, he is in stellar company.
©Getty Images
Gianluigi Buffon has won the FIFA World Cup with Italy, the UEFA Cup with Parma FC and several Serie A titles with Juventus, but the UEFA Champions League has proved elusive – so far. A survivor of the Juve side that lost the 2003 final to AC Milan, Buffon can right that wrong against FC Barcelona on 6 June. Yet, as UEFA.com discovered, some never manage it (in order of competition appearances).
Who do you think is the biggest player never to win? Let us know using #UCLfinal.
1. Zlatan Ibrahimović (AFC Ajax, Juventus, FC Internazionale Milano, FC Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain)
The Swedish international remains without the most coveted club trophy of all – a European crown which, in his own words, "would mean a lot." In the competition's 23-season history, no man has made more appearances than the forward's 109 without going all the way. José Mourinho's Inter, the club he left to join Josep Guardiola at Barcelona, denied Ibrahimović in the 2009/10 semi-finals . A domestic championship winner with six different teams, the 33-year-old still harbours ambitions of ending his European quest with Paris.
THAT Zidane volley
2. Michael Ballack (1. FC Kaiserslautern, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, FC Bayern München, Chelsea FC)
"It's hard to remember details of what happened when you lose such a big game; you just remember how much it hurt," said the ex-Germany captain, who lost two finals in the most unfortunate of circumstances. He was a key member of the Leverkusen side defeated by Real Madrid CF and THAT Zinédine Zidane goal in the 2002 final. Six years later his Chelsea team fell to Manchester United FC in the Moscow showpiece , hinging on John Terry's slip – Ballack had scored the Blues' first goal in the shoot-out.
3. Patrick Vieira (Arsenal FC, Juventus, FC Internazional Milano)
A key figure in transforming Arsenal's fortunes under Arsène Wenger, the 1998 World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000 winner never advanced further than the quarter-finals – with the Gunners – in 2000/01 and 2003/04. The former French international claimed six league titles in England and Italy, but was unable to replicate domestic success on the continent – missing a penalty for Arsenal in a UEFA Cup final shoot-out reverse to Galatasaray AŞ in 2000 .
2003: Agony and ecstasy for Nedvěd
4. Pavel Nedvěd (AC Sparta Praha, SS Lazio, Juventus)
Having missed Juve's final loss to Milan at Old Trafford through suspension, the 2003 Ballon d'Or winner expressed his hope of landing the elusive medal in his final campaign, saying: "I would love to finish my career with victory in the Champions League." Juventus's 2008/09 challenge was ended by Chelsea in the round of 16, however. Before a €41m switch from Lazio, Nedvěd had lifted the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with the Biancocelesti in 1999.
5. Ruud van Nistelrooy (PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United FC, Real Madrid CF)
Leading scorer in three campaigns, the prolific Dutchman holds an unwanted record – no one has hit as many goals in the UEFA Champions League (56 in 73 outings) without securing the trophy. He never got further than the semi-finals, in 2001/02 before being knocked out by a Ballack-inspired Leverkusen . Van Nistelrooy is content though. "I am proud to have won team and individual trophies, but my greatest satisfaction was to be able to work day after day, year after year."
6. Lilian Thuram (AS Monaco FC, Parma FC, Juventus, FC Barcelona)
A 1998 World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000 winner with Les Bleus, the France defender came close with Juve yet suffered 2002/03 shoot-out heartache against the Rossoneri after 120 goalless minutes in Manchester. Thuram stayed on the bench as Frank Rijkaard's Barça endured a last-four exit at the hands of United in 2007/08. He had nearly gone all the way as a 22-year-old when Arsène Wenger guided Monaco to the semi-finals in 1993/94.
The miracle of Istanbul
7. Hernán Crespo (Parma FC, SS Lazio, FC internationale Milano, Chelsea FC, AC Milan)
"Winning the Champions League would be a dream come true," Crespo declared after shrugging off his last-four hoodoo to reach the final in 2004/05. Having lost semi-finals the previous two seasons with Inter and Chelsea, the Argentina forward finally had a chance to achieve his ambition in Istanbul. He struck twice and, leading 3-0, his dream was almost realised by half-time. We all know what happened next ...
8. Fabio Cannavaro (Parma FC, FC Internazionale Milano, Juventus, Real Madrid CF)
Born in Naples, Cannavaro left his home-town team to join Parma in 1995 and four years later the defender picked up the UEFA Cup – it proved his only European trophy. Awarded the Ballon d'Or after attaining his international pinnacle at the 2006 World Cup, he never progressed further than the last four in the UEFA Champions League. His Inter side succumbed to eventual winners Milan in 2003.
9. Francesco Totti (AS Roma)
"I've always dreamed I would wear this shirt for my entire career," said the Giallorossi's talismanic captain. He has managed that, and under Fabio Capello in 2000/01 he helped inspire Roma to the Serie A crown. In Europe, the 2006 World Cup winner has been unable to proceed beyond the last eight, missing out on a semi-final berth in 2006/07 and 2007/08.
10. Sol Campbell (Arsenal FC)
A member of the 'Invincibles' squad that went unbeaten in the 2003/04 Premier League, Campbell and his Gunners team-mates failed to replicate their success in Europe that term, halted by Chelsea in the last eight. Two years later the north Londoners made it to their first final and the England defender scored the opener for Arsène Wenger's ten men before they lost 2-1 to Barcelona in Paris . "It's a shame we couldn't just finish it there and then," he bemoaned.
Ronaldo earns Old Trafford ovation
11. Ronaldo (FC Internazionale Milano, Real Madrid CF)
His star shone bright on the European stage and at international level. However, the prolific Brazilian – a UEFA Cup victor in 1998 with Inter – never strode further than the 2002/03 semis, when Madrid were knocked out by Juventus. The two-time Ballon d'Or winner revealed his only regret after retiring, saying: "I live football with a passion that doesn't give me any peace for not winning the Champions League – it's a trophy everyone would love to win."
12. Dennis Bergkamp (AFC Ajax, FC Internazionale Milano, Arsenal FC)
A two-time UEFA Cup winner, the non-flying Dutchman signed off with a noticeable gap on his CV. At Arsenal he contested the quarter-finals twice (2000/01, 2003/04), before the 2006 decider promised a fitting end to a wonderful career. However, he was left on the bench as ten-man Arsenal were undone by Barça. "If only I'd been five years younger! But that was probably the most we could have hoped for," Bergkamp said recently.
13. Lothar Matthäus (FC Bayern München, FC Internazionale Milano)
The 1990 World Cup and Ballon d'Or winner was in his 30s by the advent of the UEFA Champions League but there was plenty left to come. He was still playing in 1999, and looked set to finally get his hands on the European Cup as Bayern led United 1-0. It had been the same situation 12 years before, against FC Porto, and lightning duly struck twice in a famous comeback . Matthäus retired in 2000 – Bayern collected the trophy the following year.
14. Michael Owen (Liverpool FC, Real Madrid CF, Manchester United FC)
"If I was at a smaller club then I'd never be involved in any big games," Owen stated following a frustrating spell at United. His Old Trafford stay was limited to mainly substitute cameos. The former England forward remained on the bench as the Red Devils lost 3-1 to Guardiola's Blaugrana at Wembley in the 2011 final . In fact, his time at Anfield, Old Trafford and the Santiago Bernabéu produced a solitary European trophy – a UEFA Cup win in 2001 with Liverpool .
Best of Batistuta
15. Gabriel Batistuta (ACF Fiorentina, AS Roma, FC Internazionale Milano)
Argentina's record scorer never experienced the knockout stage with Fiorentina or Roma. The Viola failed to survive the second group stage in 1999/00, finishing third behind Manchester United and eventual runners-up Valencia CF. At 31 he moved to Rome and landed the Scudetto at the first attempt – but again exited before the last eight in two European campaigns with the Giallorossi. The 'Lion King' was omitted from Inter's 2002/03 squad en route to the semi-finals.
16. Laurent Blanc (FC Internazionale Milano, Manchester United FC)
On the international scene 'Le Président' claimed a World Cup on home soil. Two years later he added a UEFA EURO 2000 success to his medal collection. The defender's 20-year club career yielded the 1997 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with Barcelona, yet UEFA Champions League glory escaped him. Part of the United side that crashed to Leverkusen in the 2001/02 semis.
17. George Weah (AS Monaco FC, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan)
Winner of the 1995 Ballon d'Or, the Liberian's goals fired Paris during their last-four odyssey the same year, scoring seven times. A stellar playing career netted him three domestic championships and a haul of individual accolades, though Weah missed out on the continent's ultimate prize.
18. Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers FC, Newcastle United FC)
Announcing the end of his glittering career, which earned him a solitary league title with Blackburn, the England international insisted: "I've never had any regrets." By a distance the Premier League's all-time top marksman, Newcastle's record scorer is on an illustrious list of English players to have notched a hat-trick in Europe's elite competition, a treble against Leverkusen. He never got further than the second group stage, however.
19. Eric Cantona (Olympique de Marseille, Leeds United AFC, Manchester United FC)
Shortly after United's semi-final defeat by eventual winners Borussia Dortmund in 1996/97 , Cantona said he would retire at the end of the season. His surprise statement came a week to the day after his fifth championship in six seasons in England. Sir Alex Ferguson's charges would recover from their captain's departure, becoming champions of Europe two years later. Cantona had also made the last four of the European Cup earlier in his playing days – in 1989/90 – but Marseille succumbed to SL Benfica.
20. Roberto Baggio (AC Milan, FC Internazionale Milano)
The 'Divine Ponytail' represented the biggest clubs in Italy yet rarely had the chance to display his talent in the UEFA Champions League. Baggio was in the Milan side that went out at the group stage in 1996/97, but did venture into the last eight in 1998/99 with Inter. The attacker, who compiled 27 goals in 56 matches for his country, did win a European trophy in his career – the UEFA Cup with Juve in 1992/93 .
Da Berlino alla B.....dalla B a Berlino!!!!!.....questa è la vita!! #ucl
— Gianluigi Buffon (@gianluigibuffon) May 13, 2015
Gianluigi Buffon (Parma FC, Juventus)
Lose on 6 June and the Juventus custodian will slot in at No3 on this list. After helping the Bianconeri to their first UEFA Champions League final since 2002/03, Italy's most-capped player posted a tweet that summed up his extraordinary journey: "From Berlin to Serie B and back again." Having played in the Manchester final loss, one of the greatest goalkeepers of modern times has waited 12 years for the opportunity to add the grand prize to a trophy-laden career. A return to Berlin – venue of the Azzurri's 2006 World Cup triumph – promises to be emotional for the 37-year-old.
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If a creature is lapidicolous it lives under what? | Football (Soccer)/The Leagues and Teams - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
Football (Soccer)/The Leagues and Teams
From Wikibooks, open books for an open world
The countries, teams and their leagues are organized into divisions as shown in the following map.
Football League 3/FIFA Division
Cleveland Bulls
Cleveland Bears
CONCACAF: all of North and Central America, the Caribbean island countries as well as Guyana and Suriname in South America.
CONMEBOL: the ten remaining South American countries.
UEFA: the whole of Europe plus some countries in Asia.
AFC: the rest of Asia plus Australia, which joined on 1 January 2006, having previously been part of the OFC.
CAF: the whole of Africa.
OFC: New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands including Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia.
Confederations, Leagues And Teams
Each division has a confederation which manages a number of leagues within its territory. Let's start with the well-known European confederation, UEFA.
Football League 3
Cleveland Bears
UEFA
UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) is the division where Europe's teams are placed. The most famous teams are especially from this region including Germany, Italy, England ,France, Spain and Netherlands. The teams that are most famous are from these countries especially. Here's a good sort of all kings of football according to countries and leagues from Europe.
FA Premier League
In 1992 the top division of clubs in England formed a breakaway league, enabling them to take a larger share of income from media rights in comparison to the rest of the football league. The Premier League (originally Premiership) currently consists of 20 clubs.
The top four teams in the Premier League currently qualify for the UEFA Champions League (at various stages during the qualifying process). The fifth place club qualifies for the UEFA Europa League, although extra clubs often qualify on the basis of league position depending on the winners of domestic cup competitions. The bottom 3 clubs are automatically relegated.
In terms of income, viewing figures and attendances the Premier League is the most successful domestic football competition in the world, and compares favorably across all sports. However many football fans within England are concerned with the vast sums of money involved, while clubs in the lower divisions struggle, with many entering administration and some going out of business. In addition the formation of the Premier League has lead to a generation of fans growing up with football as a TV only activity (as live games become more expensive to cater for corporate hospitality). This has lead to the slow death of the local football culture which developed over the last 150 years in England.
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club is an English Premier League football club that plays at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester and is one of the most successful clubs in Europe. The club was formed in 1878, as the team Newton Heath F.C. It joined the Football League in 1892, and have only been relegated once since 1938. The mean attendances of the games are higher than any English football league team for all but six seasons starting in 1964. The team won 38 trophies under Alex Ferguson. In 1968, Manchester United became the first European Cup champion from England, defeating Benfica 4-1. Their second European Cup came in 1999 as part of the club's famous Treble. Manchester United has been champions of England 20 times, and have won the FA Cup 12 times. Since the late 1990s, Manchester United has been one of the richest clubs in the world. Jose Mourinho is the current manager, with Wayne Rooney being the captain. Manchester's colours are red (home), blue (away), and white (third colours). Manchester United has classic rivalries with Liverpool, Leeds United, and cross town rivals, Manchester City. The club have won 3 UEFA Champions League titles. Surprisingly,the only honour Manchester United has not won is the UEFA Europa League. Many famous players have featured for the club, such as Peter Schmeichel,Gary Neville,Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Andy Cole, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Teddy Sheringham, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Angel Di Maria, Wayne Rooney, Robin Van Persie and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Arsenal
Known by the nickname of The Gunners, Arsenal are old rivals of both, Manchester United and Chelsea. Arsenal are currently playing in the new Emirates Stadium. They're currently managed by Arsène Wenger.
Chelsea
Known by the nickname of The Blues, they play at Stamford Bridge and are currently managed by Antonio Conte. They are currently owned by Russian oil-baron Roman Abramovich. Chelsea's squad features some famous players such as John Terry, oscar, Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, Falcao, Willian, Pedro, Thibaut Courtois and Cesc Fàbregas.
Liverpool
Liverpool Football Club is a Premier League football club based in Liverpool, currently managed by Jürgen Klopp. Liverpool F.C. is one of the most successful clubs in England and has won more European trophies than any other English team with five European Cups, three UEFA Cups, and three UEFA Super Cups. The club has also won eighteen League titles, seven FA Cups and a record eight League Cups. In spite of their successful history, Liverpool are yet to win a Premier League title since its inception in 1992.
Liverpool was founded in 1892 and joined the Football League the following year. The club has played at Anfield since its formation. The most successful period in Liverpool's history was the 1970s and '80s when Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley led the club to eleven league titles and seven European trophies.
The club's supporters have been involved in two major tragedies. The first was the Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985, in which charging Liverpool fans caused a wall to collapse, killing 39 Juventus supporters and resulting in English clubs being banned from European competitions for five years. In the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives in a crush against perimeter fencing. None of these tragedies were the fault of Liverpool supporters.
Liverpool has long-standing rivalries with neighbours Everton and with Manchester United. The team changed from red shirts and white shorts to an all-red home strip in 1964. The club's anthem isYou'll Never Walk Alone.
League 1
Let's look at some French ruling clubs.
Olympique Lyonnais
Known sometimes as Les Gones or OL, Lyon are champions and ruling Ligue 1 for 4 years in streak. It has a strong lineup and is widely known throughout Europe which includes the great players such as Anderson and Sidney Gouvou. They play at Stade de Gerland and are managed by Claude Puel.
Olympique de Marseille
Known commonly as Marseille or OM, this team may not be known well these days but it had a great history. It even includes famous Spaniard Fernando Morientes. They play at Stade Vélodrome and are managed by José Anigo.
AS Monaco
AS Monaco is one of the more prestigious football clubs in France. A major accomplishment was reaching the 2004 Champions League finals. They play at Stade Louis-II in Monaco.
Paris Saint-Germain
They play at Parc de Princes and are managed by Unai Emery. The club has won six Ligue 1 titles and its roster features big names like Zlatan Ibrahimović, Ángel Di María, Marco Verratti, Edinson Cavani, Javier Pastore and Thiago Silva.
Bundesliga
The Germany had a great history including their players, morale, fan support and the main thing, glory. It is the most watched football league,in 2007 there were 40,775(stadium)
FC Bayern München
Known sometimes as Die Bayern, they have won 25 league titles. They have five European titles. They currently play their home games at the Allianz Arena in Munich and are managed by Carlo Ancelotti.
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund is the second most successful club in Bundesliga having won eight titles. Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang plays for Dortmund.
Bayer Leverkusen
They may now have been forgotten but this club has made the rise to the offensive Bayern Munich by selling the jewels Zé Roberto, Lúcio and Michael Ballack. Although their form has slipped in recent seasons(03,04) due to the loss of Ballack,Lúcio etc.,the team has played better in 05 and 06 . They play at BayArena in Leverkusen.
Schalke 04
They play at Veltins-Arena.
SV Werder Bremen
They have been raised now and are enjoying this new generation, the Werder Bremen has a variety of good players including Diego and Torsten Frings. They play at Weserstadion.
Serie A
The Italians do have a number of excellent teams and star players. These are some "Calcio" kings, "Calcio = Italian football" for here.
Juventus
Juve are referred by many names and are the true Italian kings. They have a beautiful lineup of 5-star players with all offensive and defensive categories including Gianluigi Buffon, Pavel Nedvěd, Alessandro Del Piero, David Trézéguet and many more. They play at Delle Alpi in Turin and are managed by Didier Deschamps.
AC Milan
One part of the Milan brothers (Inter & AC), the AC Milan definitely is out-of-question because of their good players, unbreakable morale and glory. They play at Stadio San Siro.
Inter Milan
The other part of Milan brothers, Inter is likely leveled with their arch-rivals, AC Milan. Playing in the same stadium, San Siro, they also have good players like Diego Militto, Pazzini, Lucio and Javier Zanetti. They are managed by Stefano Pioli. In 2009–2010 season, Inter win the European treble under José Mourinho.
La Liga
Spanish La Liga is the second most-watched league because of its reputation among other leagues by including many great legends and current players. Here are some Kings, España style.
Real Madrid
Known as Los Galacticos, Real Madrid is currently the 2nd the richest club in the world, behind that of Manchester United. It has a very well-known and excellent lineup including Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos, Luka Modrić, Pepe, Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos and many more. They have a good history and are still good. They hold a record of four UEFA Champions League titles and six European Trophies. Their home ground is Santiago Bernabeu stadium. They have achieved La Decima in 2014 winning their tenth European title
FC Barcelona
Known simply as Barça, they are one of the modern ruling generations of football today. With a strong lineup including Luis Suárez, Neymar, Lionel Messi and many more. They play at Camp Nou (sometimes referred as Nou Camp) and are managed by former player Luis Enrique. Barça is the only club to have won treble twice. Formed in 1899, Barcelona has won 24 La Liga titles and five European titles.
(F.) Primeira Liga
Although not known so much maybe, but Primeira Liga do consists of great honored teams. Here are some of them.
Benfica
Benfica is the most successful club in Portugal. It has a average lineup but superb morale. Some famous players are Luisão, Maxi Pereira, Nicolás Gaitán, Júlio César, and others. They play at the Estádio da Luz and are managed by Jorge Jesus.
FC Porto
FC Porto is the second most successful club in Portugal. It has a good variety of players with a good morale. They play at the Estádio do Dragão and are managed by Julen Lopetegui. Some famous players are Jackson Martinez, Quaresma, Quintero and others.
Sporting Lisbon
Sporting Lisbon is the third most successful club in Portugal. It has players with a inspiring hope, not bad. They play at the Estádio José Alvalade XXI and are managed by Marco Silva.
(G.) Dutch Eredivisie
They may have been forgotten but they are relived. Here are some Dutch teams which are ruling these days.
Traditionally, the big three of the Dutch soccer consists of Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV.
AFC Ajax Amsterdam
Ajax is the biggest club of The Netherlands which has got a superior class lineup and good morale. They're managed by Henk ten Cate. In the Netherlands, Ajax is known to play the 'prettiest' football. The youth department of Ajax is considered to be the best of the world.
Ajax won the European Cup in 1971, 1972, 1973 and in 1995, the UEFA Cup in 1992 and the European Cupwinners Cup in 1987. (Former) famous players include Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Marco van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp, Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert, Jaap Stam and many more.
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord is a team that is known for its good morale and team-building, which makes them sometimes win over better skilled teams. Feyenoord won the European Cup and World Club Cup in 1970, and the UEFA Cup in 1974 and 2002.
(Former) famous players include Willem van Hanegem, Mario Been, Ruud Gullit, Ove Kindvall, Coen Moulijn and John de Wolf.
PSV Eindhoven
PSV is a team from Eindhoven, founded by Philips, which is still the sponsor. The biggest successes were achieved in 1978 when the club won the UEFA cup, and in 1988, when the club wins the European Champions Cup.
Some (former) famous players of PSV are Romario, Ronaldo, Ruud Gullit, Luc Nilis, Ronald Koeman, Arjen Robben,Ruud van Nistelrooy, Philip Cocu and Jaap Stam. The most successful coach is beyond any doubt Guus Hiddink, who worked for the team from 1983 to 1990 and from 2002 to 2006.
PSV's nickname is boeren, which means peasants. The fans use this to distinguish themselves from the big clubs from the big cities in the west of the Netherlands.
(H.) Other Great European Teams
Apart from the leagues, they're also some minor leagues with superb teams that are also known throughout Europe. Here are they.
Olympiacos - Greece
Olympiacos is a well-known club of Greece. It's mainly rivaled with Panathinaikos. With a lineup including Rivaldo, they're managed by Trond Sollied.
Steaua Bucharest - Romania
Steaua has spent all its history in the country's top-flight league, and has finished below the sixth spot for only five times.Steaua made it to a European Cup final, which they won in front of FC Barcelona on penalties.Subsequently, the team never relegated and is currently one of the 2 teams to have only played inside the first league, along with Dinamo București.
Panathinaikos - Greece
Panathinaikos is clearly a good club of Greece,with 19 Greek championships and 16 Greek cups. Currently it's managed by Jasmiko Velic.
Rangers - Scotland
Rangers FC are by far the most successful club in the world when it comes to winning the national title. They have achieved this on 53 occasions in their history. Linfield FC (Northern Ireland) are the 2nd most successful with 49. Rangers are managed by Walter Smith, who is managing the club for the second time in his career. In his first term he led the club to 9 titles in a row 1989-1997. In his 2nd term he took the club to the UEFA Cup final in 2008 where Rangers took the largest ever support to an away game when 150,000 fans travelled to Manchester. He retired from Rangers at the end of 2010-11 season clinching his 3rd title in a row, leaving his position to assistant manager Ally McCoist who is looking to beat the record set by Smith in his previous term in charge.
Celtic - Scotland
Celtic won the European Cup in 1967, the first British team to do so. They also made it to the UEFA Cup Final in 2003, about 80,000 Celtic supporters traveled to Seville, Spain for the final. In 1984 Celtic were ordered by UEFA to replay a game against Rapid Vienna after fans threw bottles at the Austrian players while leading 3-0, Rapid won the replay 1-0. During the match a Celtic fan attacked the Rapid goalkeeper, and was arrested by police. The club's traditional playing colours are green and white hooped shirts and white shorts with white socks. The manager is Brendan Rodgers.
Grasshopperclub Zurich - Switzerland
[1] Grasshopperclub Zurich is also very known in their Swiss region. They're the most successful team of the Swiss football with 27 Swiss super league titles and 18 Swiss cups.
Shakhtar Donetsk - Ukraine
Shakhtar Donetsk is also a very good team especially because of their morale. They're managed by Mircea Lucescu.The team has done very well in recent years(they were very close to getting into the champions league second round,but lost to Benfica),having great eastern players such as Darijo Srna and Mariusz Lewandowski.
CSKA Moscow - Russia
CSKA is a very-well known team from Russia,they became the first Russian team to win the UEFA cup(after the break-up of USSR. They're managed by Valeri Gazzaev.Well-known players currently playing at CSKA Moscow are Vágner Love and Sergei Ignashevich.
Club Brugge - Belgium
Club Brugge is a well-known club of Belgium which is arch-rivaled with RSC Anderlecht. They're managed by Jacky Mathijssen.
RSC Anderlecht - Belgium
RSC Anderlecht is the most successful team in Belgium with 29 league championships,5 European cups in all European cup competitions and 16 cups in Belgium competitions. They're managed by Franky Vercauteren.Well known players are(currently) Daniel Zitka,Olivier Deschacht.And former players are Nenad Jestrovic,Seol Ki-Hyeon and Vincent Kompany.
Dinamo Zagreb - Croatia
Dinamo is the most successful and famous team from Croatia. Their arch-rivals are Hajduk. The club has been most successful in the '60s, when they won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (that would later become the UEFA Cup). They were runners up in 1963 and won it in 1967. They were Yugoslavia champions 4 times, and Croatian champions 11 times. They are regular participants in large European competitions (both the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League). Former players include Zvonimir Boban, Davor Suker, Luka Modric and Eduardo da Silva.
CONCACAF
CONCACAF (Confederation Of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) is the division where North America, Central America, Caribbean, and Surinam, Guyana, and French Guiana of South America are placed. The most famous teams are from the power house of Mexico.
(A.) Mexican Primera División
Mexicans aren't very known but games like FIFA 06 are getting their reputation through others up. Here are some good Mexicanos (amigos).After FIFA 06,their ratings has increased and in 2007 they were the 4th highest football league to be watched(stadiums)
Chivas de Guadalajara
Chivas is very well-known. Chivas and América are commonly rivalled with each other. They have won many major titles in their history. They play at Estadio Jalisco and are managed by Jose Manuel "chepo" De la Torre. Chivas is the current Champion in the Mexicna 1st division.
Club América
Club América is very well known in Mexico. It has a number of fans and have won most of the important titles in the league. They play at the famous Estadio Azteca and are managed by Alberto Daniel Brailovsky.
(B.) USA Major League Soccer
The USA is an emerging soccer nation in the World thanks to the creation of MLS in 1996.
D.C. United
The most successful team in the league, has the most number of trophies in the league. 1996 MLS Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup; 1997 MLS Cup; 1998 CONCACAF Cup and Intra-American Cup; 1999 MLS Cup; 2004 MLS Cup. Currently the team is being coached by international Polish star Peter Nowak and consist of star player Jaime Moreno of Bolivia, Ben Olsen of USA, and Christian Gomez of Argentina.
Los Angeles Galaxy
An early rival team of D.C. United, it currently holds the most number of wins in the league. During the early years of MLS it was always successful but was mostly stopped by D.C. United when it came to MLS finals. However, with patience its dividends paid off during the 2001 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Cup; 2002 MLS Cup; 2005 MLS Cup and Lamar U.S. Open Cup. Currently it is coached by former Chelsea F.C. and New Castle F.C. coach Ruud Gullit.
CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL (CONfedración sudaMEricana de fútBOL) {in English: South American Football Confedration} is the confedration that rules the mighty South American region of football, some great emperors have been from this place. Lets explore them.
(A.) Argentine Primera División
Argentina has a very interesting league with many variable teams (i.e. any team beats the king anytime or sometime). It has actually two halves the Clausura and Apertura. Some Argentines are.
Atlético River Plate
River Plate is a good team and has the record of winning most season titles. It has a very famous and strong rivalry with Boca Juniors called the "Superclásico" on the Observer it was voted top of 50 sporting thing to do before you die as 70% of Argentina support River Plate and Boca Juniors. They play at El Monumental in Nuñez and are managed by Daniel Passarella.
Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors are very famous around the world and is very known because of their platinum legend Diego Armando Maradona know as D10S or "Pibe de Oro" and "el barrilete cósmico". They are highly respected throughout the world. They have won several cups and titles(23 division titles and 17 international titles). They play at La Bombonera and are managed by Miguel Angel Russo.
(B.) Brazilian Campeonato (1st Division)
Hola Brazil. Although the English invented football, the Brazilians perfected it. Brazil has many variable teams like Argentina. Here are the Kings.
Flamengo
Flamengo is one of the best clubs in Brazil. These days they have gone down a little bit, because they are organizing their finances, paying the taxes that te other clubs don't. Flamengo is the most followed club of the world, with almost 40 million fans. They have won many championships and titles. They are managed by Vanderlei Luxemburgo, ex-coach of Real Madrid.
Corinthians
Corinthians is the most popular club in São Paulo. They are rivaled with Palmeiras. They have a very good history in winning leagues and cups. They won the Brazilian championship in 2005. They're managed by Antônio Lopes.
Palmeiras
Palmeiras is superior to Corinthians. They are always furious against each other. Marcos, the 2002 World Cup winning goalkeeper belongs to them. They are managed by Émerson Leão.
Santos
They were famous because of the diamond legend, Pelé. They have been excellent at the era of the legend.
São Paulo
São Paulo is one of the major clubs in Brazil with winning a lot of championships, getting the fame and putting themselves in the South American map. They are managed by Muricy Ramalho.
| i don't know |
How wide, in metres, is an Olympic swimming pool? | Volume of a Swimming Pool - The Physics Factbook
Volume of a Swimming Pool
Standardized
Result
AM-02: School Swimming Pools Guidelines for Operators . The State of Queensland (Department of Education and the Arts). 2002.
"Example 1: Pool Dimensions: Length 25 metres Width 10 metres Depth 1 metres to 2 metres (average 1.5 metres) Volume = 25 × 10 x 1.5 = 375 cubic metres One cubic metre is equal to 1000 litres therefore the volume of the example above is 375 000 litres."
375,000 liters
Recreonics Inc. Calculating Swimming Pool Water Volume . 2005.
"Example: The water volume of a pool 60 ft. long, 30 ft. wide and that slopes in depth from 3 ft. to 10 ft. is as follows: 30 x 60 x ((10 + 3)/2) = 11,700 cubic ft. of water 11,700 x 7.5 = 87,750 gallons."
332,170 liters
Decatur/Morgan County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Point Mallard Park Fact Sheet . 2005.
"Wave Pool Capacity: 300 persons.
Wave Pool Volume: 450,000 gallons ….
Olympic Pool Capacity: 250 persons.
Olympic Pool Volume: 648,000 gallons ….
Duck Pond Volume: 26,000 gallons."
1,703,435 liters
Cooke Associates. Sportscience and Engineering in Education . 2005.
"Mathematics: Pool volume. One Olympic pool design is 25 metres wide and 50 metres long. The pool is 3 metres deep at the starting end of the pool and slopes down (linearly) to 2 metres deep at the far end of the pool. How many litres of water are needed to fill this pool?."
3,125,001 liters
"An Olympic Pool must be 25 m wide with a depth of 2.0 m (min) at all parts of the course and must be 50 m in length."
2,500,000 liters
Ever wonder how much water it takes to fill up an entire swimming pool? I know I did. That's why I did some research to come up with that information and now I am sharing that information with you.
The volume of a swimming pool is quite simple to determine. Every pool has certain measurable factors; however, these factors differ depending on the shape of the pool. The most common and most basic is the rectangular swimming pool. To determine the volume of rectangular pools, multiply the length of the pool by its width and by its average depth. For a circular pool, multiply the squared radius of the pool by π (pi) and by its average depth. For an elliptical pool, multiply π/4 by the major diameter, minor diameter, and average depth. For irregular shapes, calculating the volume is less accurate. You will need to determine of volume of a normal shape within the given area and then approximate the volume of the remaining parts of the pool. Volume of a swimming pool is given in units of cubic meters, liters, or gallons.
Jeffrey Gilbert -- 2005
| 25 metres |
Which month in 1985 saw the Live Aid concert, organised by Bob Geldof? | Volume of a Swimming Pool - The Physics Factbook
Volume of a Swimming Pool
Standardized
Result
AM-02: School Swimming Pools Guidelines for Operators . The State of Queensland (Department of Education and the Arts). 2002.
"Example 1: Pool Dimensions: Length 25 metres Width 10 metres Depth 1 metres to 2 metres (average 1.5 metres) Volume = 25 × 10 x 1.5 = 375 cubic metres One cubic metre is equal to 1000 litres therefore the volume of the example above is 375 000 litres."
375,000 liters
Recreonics Inc. Calculating Swimming Pool Water Volume . 2005.
"Example: The water volume of a pool 60 ft. long, 30 ft. wide and that slopes in depth from 3 ft. to 10 ft. is as follows: 30 x 60 x ((10 + 3)/2) = 11,700 cubic ft. of water 11,700 x 7.5 = 87,750 gallons."
332,170 liters
Decatur/Morgan County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Point Mallard Park Fact Sheet . 2005.
"Wave Pool Capacity: 300 persons.
Wave Pool Volume: 450,000 gallons ….
Olympic Pool Capacity: 250 persons.
Olympic Pool Volume: 648,000 gallons ….
Duck Pond Volume: 26,000 gallons."
1,703,435 liters
Cooke Associates. Sportscience and Engineering in Education . 2005.
"Mathematics: Pool volume. One Olympic pool design is 25 metres wide and 50 metres long. The pool is 3 metres deep at the starting end of the pool and slopes down (linearly) to 2 metres deep at the far end of the pool. How many litres of water are needed to fill this pool?."
3,125,001 liters
"An Olympic Pool must be 25 m wide with a depth of 2.0 m (min) at all parts of the course and must be 50 m in length."
2,500,000 liters
Ever wonder how much water it takes to fill up an entire swimming pool? I know I did. That's why I did some research to come up with that information and now I am sharing that information with you.
The volume of a swimming pool is quite simple to determine. Every pool has certain measurable factors; however, these factors differ depending on the shape of the pool. The most common and most basic is the rectangular swimming pool. To determine the volume of rectangular pools, multiply the length of the pool by its width and by its average depth. For a circular pool, multiply the squared radius of the pool by π (pi) and by its average depth. For an elliptical pool, multiply π/4 by the major diameter, minor diameter, and average depth. For irregular shapes, calculating the volume is less accurate. You will need to determine of volume of a normal shape within the given area and then approximate the volume of the remaining parts of the pool. Volume of a swimming pool is given in units of cubic meters, liters, or gallons.
Jeffrey Gilbert -- 2005
| i don't know |
Who did the Green Bay Packers defeat in the first Super Bowl in 1967? | Packers face Chiefs in first Super Bowl - Jan 15, 1967 - HISTORY.com
This Day In History: 01/15/1967 - First Super Bowl
The first Super Bowl was held with Vince Lombardi on the sidelines, the Pentagon opened, Sara Jane Moore shot Gerald Ford in a presidential assassination attempt in This Day in History video. The date was January 15. Thomas Nash used the donkey to represent the Democratic party for the first time on this date.
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Packers face Chiefs in first Super Bowl
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On this day in 1967, at the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the first-ever world championship game of American football.
In the mid-1960s, the intense competition for players and fans between the National Football League (NFL) and the upstart American Football League (AFL) led to talks of a possible merger. It was decided that the winners of each league’s championship would meet each year in a single game to determine the “world champion of football.”
In that historic first game–played before a non-sell-out crowd of 61,946 people–Green Bay scored three touchdowns in the second half to defeat Kansas City 35-10. Led by MVP quarterback Bart Starr, the Packers benefited from Max McGee’s stellar receiving and a key interception by safety Willie Wood. For their win, each member of the Packers collected $15,000: the largest single-game share in the history of team sports.
Postseason college games were known as “bowl” games, and AFL founder Lamar Hunt suggested that the new pro championship be called the “Super Bowl.” The term was officially introduced in 1969, along with roman numerals to designate the individual games. In 1970, the NFL and AFL merged into one league with two conferences, each with 13 teams. Since then, the Super Bowl has been a face-off between the winners of the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC) for the NFL championship and the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy, named for the legendary Packers coach who guided his team to victory in the first two Super Bowls.
Super Bowl Sunday has become an unofficial American holiday, complete with parties, betting pools and excessive consumption of food and drink. On average, 80 to 90 million people are tuned into the game on TV at any given moment, while some 130-140 million watch at least some part of the game. The commercials shown during the game have become an attraction in themselves, with TV networks charging as much as $2.5 million for a 30-second spot and companies making more expensive, high-concept ads each year. The game itself has more than once been upstaged by its elaborate pre-game or halftime entertainment, most recently in 2004 when Janet Jackson’s infamous “wardrobe malfunction” resulted in a $225,000 fine for the TV network airing the game, CBS, and tighter controls on televised indecency.
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What make and model car did Steve McQueen drive in a car chase through the streets of San Francisco in the film Bullitt? | Super Bowl History 1967 - 1969 - Superbowl in the 60's
Super Bowl History 1967 - 1969
Super Bowl I
Los Angeles, California hosted the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs in football's first Super Bowl. Super Bowl 1 featured coaching greats, Vince Lombardi and Hank Stram. Over 61,000 fans watched Bart Starr throw 2 touchdowns, leading the Packers to a 35-10 victory while receiving MVP honors. However, it was unlikely hero, Max McGee who opened eyes, catching 7 balls for 138 yards. Other key players for the Packers' were all-pro safety Willie Wood and running back Elijah Pitts, while the Chiefs were led by QB Len Dawson, and Curtis McClinton.
Super Bowl II
On January 14th, 1968 the Oakland Raiders met the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl 2 in Miami, Florida's Orange Bowl. The game drew over 75,000 people, the first $3 million gate. Super Bowl Two was no different than Super Bowl One for Bart Starr and Green Bay. Starr was named MVP and the Packers won easily for the second straight year, 33-14. Kicker Don Chandler added four field goals, and All-Pro cornerback Herb Adderley had a 60 yard interception return for a touchdown. Daryle Lamonica threw to Bill Miller for both of Oakland's touchdowns. This was Vince Lombardi's last Championship.
Super Bowl III
Super Bowl 3 marks one of the biggest upsets in football history. In Miami, Florida on January 12th, 1969 Weeb Ewbank's New York Jets beat Don Shula's Baltimore Colts for the AFL's first Super Bowl victory. Everyone remembers Joe Namath's "Guaranteed Victory" over the heavily favored Colts. Namath followed through, taking home MVP honors. Running backs Matt Snell and Tom Matte each rushed for over 100 yards for there respective teams. Johnny Unitas came off the bench after starter Earl Morrall was intercepted thrice, but it wasn't enough, as the Jets won 16-7.
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Rhagfyr is Welsh for which month of the year? | This Day In Welsh History: December/Rhagfyr
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December/Rhagfyr
If you were born Welsh or are of Welsh descent then there is something to celebrate (or comemmorate) on every day of the year. If you are looking to learn Welsh history one day at a time or just looking for an excuse to raise a glass and celebrate on any particular day this blog is for you. You will also find the birthdates of many famous Americans of Welsh descent. Though these pages are intended as a serious resource some of our contributors have a sense of humor. Consequently there are a few 'joke' items spread amongst the vast bulk of factual daily entries. We dont think you'll have too much trouble spotting them. To navigate to any date in the calendar please use the rollover menu or the search box above. This will take you to the monthly calendar pages or to individual entries. You might also wish to check out our list of some of the most important dates in the Welsh Calendar which can be found here
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Who plays The Joker in the 2008 film ‘The Dark Knight’? | ��ࡱ� > �� ; = ���� : �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� }� �� � bjbj�5�5 �$ �_ �_ � �� �� �� � � � + + + + + ���� ? ? ? ? K d ? ) < � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � $ e � b � + � � " � � � � + + � � � � l l l � � + � + � � l � � l l l � ���� 0�Sv�w� ? 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Chinaman, Flipper and Leg-Break are all terms used in which sport? | SK Glossary: What is Chinaman Bowling in cricket?
SK Glossary: What is Chinaman Bowling in cricket?
"Fancy being done by a bloody Chinaman."
Analysis 26 Apr 2016, 16:09 IST
Brad Hogg- A modern day chinaman
Sounds like Shaolin Cricket, but is actually not; let’s have a look.
So what is Chinaman bowling?
Essentially the mirror image right-arm leg break bowler (wrist spinner), a Chinaman is a delivery that, when bowled over the wrist by a left-arm spinner, spins away from a left-handed batsman or into a right-handed batsman; i.e. from left to right, as viewed on your screens. The rarity of these bowlers stems from the fact that most batsmen are right handed and that the delivery coming into the right-hander is generally perceived to be easier to play than the one going away.
Chinaman's delivery vs Leg spinner's delivery
vs
Origin
The origins are a mystery, with two people attributed to the Chinaman. Firstly, South African all-rounder, Charlie Llewellyn, who played around the end of the 19th century, claimed to have invented the delivery itself.
But the origin of the term itself is generally believed to be associated with former West Indian spinner Ellis “Puss” Achong; the first test player of Chinese ancestry. History has it that in the 1933 Old Trafford Test, after bowling West Indies out for 375, English batsman Walter Robins joined his captain Douglas Jardine at the crease at a precocious 324/6. The pair added 140 runs before Achong, who was a left-arm spinner, bowled a mystery wrist-spin delivery that spun back sharply into English batsman Walter Robins and had him stumped. On his way back to the pavilion, a bemused Robins is said to have remarked,
Fancy being done by a bloody Chinaman.
Learie Constantine, who was fighting against racism at the time, was taken aback by the comment and asked Robins, “Do you mean the bowler or the ball?” We all know what he meant. And thus, the term Chinaman was coined.
Variation
Just like a traditional right arm leg spinner, the Chinaman bowler has a googly where the ball pitches and spins into a left-handed batsman or away from a right-handed batsman.
How to bowl it?
Do you fancy being a left arm spinner and want to bowl the Chinaman? Here’s how you can:
First, place the top-most joints of the index, middle and third fingers across the seam and rest the ball between a bent pinky and the thumb.
During release, the fingers must straighten and the work on the ball will be done by the third finger, turning the ball clockwise (counter-clockwise if seen front on)
The wrist must be flicked so as to finish having the palm facing downwards.
An amphibian Chinaman?
In 1995, South African Chinaman bowler Paul Adams made his test debut and made headlines; not for his bowling exploits but for his unusual action. So strange was his action that it was likened to a “frog-in-a-blender” by English batsman Mike Gatting after he bamboozled English batsmen in a tour match.
Chinaman Bowling Experts
Rare as they are, some of the famous practitioners of the Chinaman are Sir Garfield Sobers (West Indies), Paul Adams (South Africa), Michael Bevan and Brad Hogg (both Australia)
Kuldeep Yadav, who made his IPL debut for the Kolkata Knight Riders against the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2016, is the first Chinaman bowler to be picked for the Indian Cricket Team.
Tabraiz Shamsi who replaced Samuel Badree in RCB line-up is also a Chinaman bowler.
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How many stations are on the London Underground Central Line? | Left-arm unorthodox spin - iSnare Free Encyclopedia
Left-arm unorthodox spin
This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
(January 2013)
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Trajectory of a left-arm unorthodox spin delivery
Left-arm unorthodox spin also known as slow left arm chinaman, is a type of left arm wrist off spin bowling in the sport of cricket . Left-arm unorthodox spin bowlers use wrist spin to spin the ball, and make it deviate, or "turn" from left to right after pitching. The direction of turn is the same as that of a traditional right-handed off spin bowler; however, the ball will usually turn more sharply due to the spin being imparted predominantly by the wrist.
Some left-arm unorthodox bowlers also bowl the equivalent of a " googly ", (or "wrong'un"), which turns from right to left on the pitch. The ball turns away from the right-handed batsman, as if the bowler were an orthodox left-arm spinner .
Origin of the term chinaman
In cricketing parlance, the word "chinaman" is used to describe the stock delivery of a left-arm "unorthodox" spin bowler (though some reserve it for the googly delivery [1] ). The origin of the term is uncertain. One version relates to a Test match played between England and the West Indies at Old Trafford in 1933. Ellis "Puss" Achong , a player of Chinese origin, was a left-arm orthodox spinner, playing for the West Indies. He had Walter Robins stumped off a surprise delivery that spun into the right-hander from outside the off stump. As he walked back to the pavilion, Robins reportedly said to the umpire, "fancy being done by a bloody Chinaman!", [1] leading to the popularity of the term in England, and subsequently, in the rest of the world.
Among noted players who have bowled the chinaman is Denis Compton , who specialised in the delivery when bowling. Although better known for fast bowling and orthodox slow left arm, Garfield Sobers could also use the chinaman to good effect. In modern day, Brad Hogg is a natural spinner of the ball who popularized chinaman and has one of the most well-disguised wrong-un's. He won Australia two World Cups, picking up 13 wickets in 2003 World Cup and 21 wickets in 2007 World Cup.
References
Cricket and Race by Jack Williams ISBN 1-85973-309-3
Wisden, 1968 and 1987 editions
External links
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Which cheese is known as ‘The King of English Cheeses’? | British Cheese - British Culture, Customs and Traditions
British Culture, British Customs and British Traditions
British Cheese
With dictionary look up. Double click on any word for its definition.
This section is in advanced English and is only intended to be a guide, not to be taken too seriously!
There are now over 450 different cheeses in the UK, these are just a few of the most popular (and my favourite) ones. Often eaten with specialy made savoury biscuits and a glass of wine or port.
A - Z of British Cheese
Brodick Blue - A ewes milk blue cheese from Brodick in Scotland.
Caerphilly - The best known Welsh cheese. A fresh, white, mild cheese with a delicate, slightly salty and lightly acidic flavour
Cheddar - Probably the best known British cheese. A creamy cheese which comes in different strengths depending on its age from Mild to Mature. Cheddar dates back to the 15th century when it was stored in the Cheddar Gorge caves of Somerset.
Cheshire - A slightly crumbly and silky texture with a full-bodied, fresh flavour. There is a white and a coloured cheshire. Britain's oldest cheese, dating back to the 11th century. It can claim a mention in the Doomsday Book and boast to have been a firm favourite at the court of Elizabeth I.
Cornish Yarg - A semi-hard cheese that is creamy and slightly crumbly at the core. It has a young, fresh, slightly tangy taste.
Crowdie - A soft fresh Scottish cheese. Originally made using milk left after the cream has separated naturally. Plain or flavoured with peppercorns, garlic or herbs.
Derby - A smooth, mellow texture with a quite mild, buttery flavour
Double Gloucester - A smooth, buttery texture with a clean, creamy, mellow flavour. Famous for its role in the annual cheese-rolling contest.
Dovedale - A creamy soft, mild blue cheese.
Lancashire - A full-bodied flavour that is slightly salted with a creamy but faintly crumbly texture.
Red Leicester - A rich, orangey coloured cheese whose flaky and slightly open texture plays host to a distinctive mellow flavour.
Sage Derby - A green veined, semi-hard cheese with a delightful, mild sage flavour.
Shropshire Blue - Made in a similar way to Stilton, it is a blue veined, soft, orange coloured cheese with a sharp, strong, slightly tangy flavour that takes between six and eight weeks to mature.
Stilton - Known as the 'King of English Cheeses'. A blue veined cheese with smooth and creamy texture it has a complex, slightly acidic flavour. It originated near Melton Mowbray at the beginning of the 18th century.
Village Green Goat - A popular Cornish goat's cheese with a green wax coating, from whence it gets its name, surrounding a great tasting hard cheese.
Wensleydale - A moist, crumbly and flaky textured cheese with a mild and slightly sweet flavour. It can be traced back to the 12th century when it was made in Yorkshire by the monks at Jervaulx Abbey
White Stilton - A mild, crumbly cheese with a delicious tangy flavour. It is younger than its blue cousin and also comes blended with apricots or cranberries.
| Stilton |
Actor and singer David Essex played Jesus Christ in which 1970’s London stage musical in? | British Cheese: 9 Popular Traditional British Chesses
Cheshire Cheese. Photo © britishcheeseboard
• Cheshire Cheese
Cheshire cheese and was originally produced in the county of Cheshire and the surrounding areas. It is one of Britain’s oldest cheeses believed to date back to the Romans. It can be white or orange (made by adding a red vegetable dye Annatto). It is a firm bodied cheese with a crumbly texture and a tangy finish.
As Cheshire matures it becomes firmer in texture and slightly darker in color. Cheshire Cheese is delicious with fruit cake, fresh and dried fruits, as it has great melting qualities and a strong flavor is superb in cooked cheese dishes.
Cornish Yarg Cheese. Photo © britishcheeseboard
• Cornish Yarg
Cornish Yarg is a delicious young, tangy, semi-hard cheese. The cheese is easily distinguished by its coating of fresh nettle leaves which are picked in local hedgerows and farms then brushed onto the cheese in a distinctive pattern. The leaves attract natural white, green and grey moulds and it is these that help the cheese to ripen and give a delicate flavor to the cheese.
• Durham Blue - Durham Cow Cheese Company
The name is something of a giveaway - Durham Blue cheese is made in County Durham and is only of only a few cheeses made in the area ( Cotherstone the other most well-known.)
The award winning cheese is hand made by Julia Cammis with support from her husband Barry. As of 2009 Durham Blue is still made in the couple's home kitchen and matured in their garage, though plans are afoot for new premises to cope with the growing demand for the creamy blue cheese.
Pear and Cheese Tart Recipe perfect for Durham Blue Cheese. More »
Stilton Cheese. Photo © britishcheeseboard
• Stilton Cheese
Stilton is relatively young compared to some British cheeses having first been made in the 18th century. Though the cheese takes its name for a village near Peterborough it was actually made near Melton Mowbray. It has Protected Designation of Origin(PDO) status so must be made in the counties of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to a precise recipe.
To be called a Stilton a cheese must be:
made only in the three counties from local pasteurized milk
be made only in a traditional cylindrical shape
be allowed to form its own crust
be un-pressed
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What colour is the sofa on BBC television Breakfast Show? | TV presenter Susanna Reid flashes her knickers on the BBC Breakfast in tight dress | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV | Daily Express
15:16, Wed, Dec 4, 2013
Susanna Reid accidentally flashes her knickers on BBC Breakfast this morning [BBC]
For the second time, the 42-year-old star gave viewers an eyeful thanks to a tight, short dress - which probably wasn't the most suitable attire for her stint on the BBC Breakfast sofa.
As her co-presenter Bill Turnbull held up one of the daily papers, Susanna was seen struggling with her outfit and subtly trying to pull it down over her thighs, but in doing so she made her knickers visible.
Susanna first flashed her underwear back in September when a navy blue dress she was wearing revealed her black and white striped knickers.
The 42-year-old looked rather uncomfortable in her black and white dress [BBC]
During today's broadcast, it seemed that at one point Susanna had actually realised that she was showing off a bit more than she intended to - and quickly put her hand on her knees.
The mother-of-three has chosen not to refer to the incident on her Twitter page, and has instead been busy rehearsing for this weekend's 'Strictly Come Dancing' quarter finals.
Susanna faces stiff competition from soap star Natalie Gumede - who is the favourite to win the show - and model and WAG Abbey Clancy.
Susanna first flashed her underwear on the red sofa back in September [BBC]
The TV presenter kept her head down as she left the BBC studio in Manchester [FLYNET]
Related articles
| Red |
Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Savarin are two of the creators of which social networking service, launched in February 2004? | Meet the Team | Good Morning Britain | GMB
Good Morning Britain
Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan is the newest member of the Good Morning Britain team.
The journalist, author, presenter and former newspaper editor has enjoyed an illustrious career in television, from hosting current affairs shows like Morgan and Platell, to sitting on the judging panel of America's Got Talent and Britain's Got Talent. Most recently he's made a name for himself making celebrities and public figures open up about themselves on Piers Morgan's Life Stories.
He joins us on Good Morning Britain every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Susanna Reid
18:17 - 26 Apr 2014
Respected journalist and presenter, Susanna Reid co-presents Good Morning Britain with Ben Shephard , Charlotte Hawkins and Sean Fletcher .
Before joining ITV, Susanna presented BBC Breakfast, and hosted her own show Sunday Morning Live on BBC One.
She stood in for Andrew Marr in 2013, and in September that year Susanna took part in the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing, making it all the way to the final.
During her career, Susanna has grilled the Prime Minister, talked to Kate Winslet and a host of other stars on the red carpet at the Oscars, auditioned for Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and been given a lesson in kung-fu by Jackie Chan.
Ben co-presents Good Morning Britain with Susanna Reid , Charlotte Hawkins and Sean Fletcher .
He is host anchor for Sky Sports Goals on Sunday, and also presents the ITV quiz show Tipping Point.
Other credits include ITV’s Mystery Map, Safebreakers for Sky 1, The Krypton Factor, Behind the Magic of Harry Potter, BBC One’s 1 Vs 100 and, of course, ten years at the helm of GMTV.
In 2009, he set up and co-ordinated the annual C2C event, a coast-to-coast charity run across the entire width of the UK. He has also completed 14 marathons, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief, represented England in Soccer Aid, and holds four Guinness World Records.
Passionate about people, Ben is a patron of several charities.
Charlotte co-presents Good Morning Britain with Susanna Reid , Ben Shephard and Sean Fletcher .
Before joining ITV, Charlotte worked at Sky News for seven years presenting on Sunrise with Eamonn Holmes. She also hosted her own daily news show from 9-10am. During that time she covered many breaking news stories and interviewed many high profile politicians.
Charlotte anchored Sunrise live during the Olympics, presented live on location for the Diamond Jubilee and Royal Wedding, and was also live on location for Sky News’ General Election coverage.
Charlotte supports several charities including the Motor Neurone Disease Association, a disease which her father was diagnosed with in 2011.
Sean co-presents Good Morning Britain with Susanna Reid , Ben Shephard and Charlotte Hawkins .
Before presenting on Sky Sports News and Sky Sports' rugby coverage, he fronted sport on BBC One's Weekend 10 O'Clock News, the BBC News Channel and BBC World News, as well as being a news reporter and presenter for BBC London, BBC Breakfast, and the BBC One O'Clock News.
Throughout his career Sean’s covered events ranging from the Six Nations Championship, Wimbledon and the Grand National, it’s a job that has taken him around the world, from the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, to filming documentaries in Jamaica, the USA and Italy.
A married father of two, Sean was born in New York, brought up in England, and has learnt Welsh.
18:16 - 26 Apr 2014
Ranvir Singh
Ranvir started her career at the BBC in local radio as a bulletin producer and reader, then moved to reporting, and by the time the Manchester Commonwealth Games came around in 2002, she was in the thick of it, presenting live programmes every morning, from around the city.
A screen test for regional TV beckoned soon after, and Ranvir quickly became a very well known face across North West England, co-presenting the daily evening show, which she did for four and a half years.
Alongside this, she was a regular voice on BBC Radio 5 Live, presenting almost every show going, from breakfast with Nick Campbell to drive with Peter Allen, and the late night phone ins.
In 2012, ITV came knocking, and the prospect of working on national and international news everyday, and interviewing the main players on live television, was far too tempting to resist. Her most memorable moments so far, have been reporting ahead of the G20 from Sierra Leone's slums, appearing on the University Challenge Christmas special and meeting Kermit.
Kate Garraway
18:12 - 26 Apr 2014
As well as being a face on Good Morning Britain, Kate Garraway has her own daily radio show on Smooth FM and is currently presenting the National Lottery live every Saturday night on BBC One.
Having presented on GMTV and Daybreak for eleven years, Kate has interviewed some of the biggest names in the world of entertainment, including Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Justin Timberlake, Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts.
In addition to this, Kate has been involved in a wide range of programmes including BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing, which saw Kate partnered with professional dancer, Anton Du Beke.
This year has already seen Kate interview Michael Palin for his new travel show Around the World in 80 days and travel to Ethiopia for Daybreak.
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In which US city is was the first skyscraper said to have been built in 1885? | The First Skyscrapers (And How They Became Possible)
Famous Inventions
The First Skyscrapers (And How They Became Possible)
Exterior of Chicago's Home Insurance Building, widely considered to be the world's first modern skyscraper. Chicago History Museum / Archive Photos / Getty Images
By Mary Bellis
Updated August 10, 2016.
The first skyscrapers -- tall commercial buildings with iron or steel frameworks -- came about in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, and the Chicago Home Insurance Building is generally considered the first modern skyscraper despite being just 10 stories high.
Skyscrapers were made possible through a series of architectural and engineering innovations.
Henry Bessemer
Henry Bessemer (1813-1898) of England, is well-known for inventing the first process to mass-produce steel inexpensively . An American, William Kelly, had held a patent for "a system of air blowing the carbon out of pig iron," but bankruptcy forced Kelly to sell his patent to Bessemer, who had been working on a similar process for making steel. In 1855, Bessemer patented his own "decarbonization process, utilizing a blast of air." This breakthrough opened the door for builders to start making taller and taller structures. Modern steel today is still made using technology based on Bessemer's process.
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George Fuller
While “the Bessemer process” kept Bessemer’s name well-known long after his death, lesser known today is the man who actually employed that process to innovate the first skyscraper: George A. Fuller (1851-1900).
Fuller had been working on trying to solve the problems of the "load bearing capacities" of tall buildings. At the time, construction techniques called for outside walls to carry the load of a building’s weight. Fuller, however, had a different idea.
Fuller realized that buildings could bear more weight—and therefore soar higher—if he used Bessemer steel beams to give buildings a load-bearing skeleton on the inside of the building. In 1889, Fuller erected the Tacoma Building, a successor to the Home Insurance Building that became the first structure ever built where the outside walls did not carry the weight of the building. Using Bessemer steel beams, Fuller developed his technique for creating his steel cages to supported all the weight in his subsequent skyscrapers.
The Flatiron Building was one of New York City's first skyscrapers, built in 1902 by Fuller's building company. Daniel H. Burnham was the chief architect.
First Use of the Term "Skyscraper"
The term "skyscraper,” as far as existing records show, was first used to refer to a tall building during the 1880s in Chicago, shortly after the first 10 to 20 story buildings were built in the United States. Combining several innovations—steel structures, elevators, central heating, electrical plumbing pumps and the telephone— skyscrapers came to dominate American skylines at the turn of the century. The world's tallest building when it opened in 1913, architect Cass Gilbert's 793-foot Woolworth Building was considered a leading example of tall building design.
Today, the tallest skyscrapers in the world approach and even exceed heights of 2,000 feet. In 2013, construction began in Saudi Arabia on the Kingdom Tower, originally intended to rise one mile into the sky, its scaled-down design will leave it at about one kilometer high, with more than 200 floors.
| Chicago |
In which country is Dal Lake? | Skyscraper Day 2015: 10 Facts, Photos Celebrating Ridiculously Tall Buildings Around The World
Skyscraper Day 2015: 10 Facts, Photos Celebrating Ridiculously Tall Buildings Around The World
09/03/15 AT 8:22 AM
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Skyscrapers would seem to command enough attention by their sheer height and grandeur without needing a special day to highlight them. Nevertheless, Thursday, Sept. 3, is Skyscraper Day, and in celebration of the day, here are 10 facts about and photos of skyscrapers, their history and the quest to build the tallest building in the world.
1. Sept. 3 was chosen for the holiday because it was the birthday of architect Louis H. Sullivan, who has been called the "father of skyscrapers" and was widely considered to have designed the first ones.
2. No official qualifications for or definition of the word "skyscraper" appear to exist. Merriam-Webster simply describes it as "a very tall building in a city."
Sept. 3 is National Skyscraper Day. Photo: Creative Commons
3. The world's first skyscraper is generally considered to be the Home Insurance Building in Chicago. It was built in 1885 and was 10 stories tall -- an impressive height back then -- and stood out as well for having a frame of metal, rather than being built primarily from stone. An addition in 1890 later gave another two stories to the Home Insurance Building.
4. Skyscrapers are visually impressive, but they also can be economical in large cities, where real estate is expensive. By going up rather than out, they create a high ratio of space to actual ground area.
5. The tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at 2,717 feet and 163 floors. It was built in 2010. The Shanghai Tower takes second place at 2,073 feet. The tallest building in the United States and fourth-highest in the world is One World Trade Center -- also known as the Freedom Tower -- in New York City. It stands 1,776 feet tall.
6. There are many reasons architects and builders continue pushing skywards in the competition to be the tallest. Some speculate that it's because the sky is viewed as the last frontier for these designers.
7. Can skyscrapers predict economic crises? Some insist they can. The "skyscraper curse," as the theory is dubbed, has tried to show that shortly before major recessions and financial panics come the unveiling of notable buildings and towers. A recent article in the Economist, however, said that there's too little solid data to draw any conclusions about this phenomenon.
8. Here's a picture of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa.
The Burj Khalifa, in Dubai. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Related Stories
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9. This is the Empire State Building, which for decades held the title of World's Tallest Building:
A view of the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center, right, as seen from the Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center, April 30, 2012. Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
10. The fourth-tallest freestanding structure in the world is the Mecca Royal Clock Tower, in Saudi Arabia:
The Clock Tower and the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca, as pictured Oct. 5, 2014. Photo: Mohammed Al-Shaikh/AFP/Getty Images
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Michelle Pfeiffer plays teacher LouAnne Johnson in which 1995 film? | Dangerous Minds (1995) - IMDb
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An ex-Marine turned teacher struggles to connect with her students in an inner city school.
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5 wins & 6 nominations. See more awards »
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Storyline
Louanne Johnson is an ex-marine, hired as a teacher in a high-school in a poor area of the city. She has recently separated from her husband. Her friend, also teacher in the school, got the temporary job for her. After a terrible reception from the students, she tries unconventional methods of teaching (using karate, Bob Dylan lyrics etc) to gain the trust of the students. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
She Broke The Rules... And Changed Their Lives.
Genres:
Rated R for language | See all certifications »
Parents Guide:
11 August 1995 (USA) See more »
Also Known As:
My Posse Don't Do Homework See more »
Filming Locations:
Did You Know?
Trivia
One of the last films worked on by producer Don Simpson . He helped pick songs for the film soundtrack. See more »
Goofs
When Raul gets dragged away by the police from his fight with Emilio you can see that his ponytail is ruined, but in the next shot when they got out of the school his ponytail was back. See more »
Quotes
Louanne : You asked me once how I was gonna save your life. This is it. This moment.
Written by MisDemeanor, Craig Mac, Evil Dee
Performed by Sista featuring Craig Mac
Sista appears courtesy of Swing Mob/Elektra Entertainment, A Division of Warner Communications,
Inc.
Craig Mac appears courtesy of Bad Boy Entertainment/
Arista Records
(Long Island, New York) – See all my reviews
I'm not about to call this movie a "feel-good movie" or a "coming-of-age-tale." What am I gonna do is call it what it really is - a great movie.
Michelle Pfeiffer is at her best. She is absolutely fantastic in this movie. The actors in the classroom hold their own against her as well.
Basically, the plot is as follows: White teacher enters a mostly-minority "alternative" (read: group of kids that act out) classroom and commands respect. In turn, she changes their lives as they change hers. It's basically the story of Raul, Emilio, and Carrie, and how they cope with life as a result of Ms. Johnson.
The movie has some really good lines (my favorite: "You asked me how I was gonna save your life. This is it. This moment.") and really good drama. Sure, some of it is hokey-it-only-happens-in-the-movies, but the majority of it is good. I'm a guy, and I shed a few tears.
Overall: 9/10.
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| Dangerous Minds |
In humans, the right lung is divided into how many lobes? | Watch Dangerous Minds Online | 1995 Movie | Yidio
Watch Dangerous Minds
"She broke the rules... and changed their lives."
Dangerous Minds is a dramatic film that stars Michelle Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer plays LouAnne Johnson, a tough, no-nonsense retired veteran who takes a job teaching high school in an impoverished urban neighborhood. Johnson finds a classroom full of tough, angry teenagers who do not want to listen to her. Drug use and gang membership plague the school.
The students do not respect Johnson at all. They refer to her as White Bread. Johnson tries to act tough in a way to get the students interested in learning. She tries to teach them karate which they respond to but when it comes time to actual schoolwork, the teens don’t care.
Johnson realizes that she needs to come up with creative ways to get the students to do work. One thing she does is give everybody an A at the beginning of the school year. She then tells her students that it is up to them to keep the A. She uses song lyrics to get the teens into poetry. Johnson’s bosses at the school are not supportive of her methods.
They want her to follow a rigid curriculum to teach the teens. Many of the students are facing personal dramas that are affecting their performance in school. Callie is a very smart student who ends up getting pregnant. Raul is a tough kid who becomes involved in a gang and drug dealing. Emilio is also another tough kid who is too proud to ask for help. Johnson tries to work individually with all these kids as a way of keeping them on track to finish their education.
Johnson definitely feels burned out after the school year comes to an end. She decides to leave the school and find another job. However, when she announces her decision, the reaction of the teens amazes her. None of them want her to go. As a result, Johnson decides to stay.
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Which English rugby union team play their home games at The Recreation Ground? | BathRugby.com: The Official Website
4/2/17KO 15:00AwayNewcastle FalconsAnglo Welsh Match information
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What flavour is the liqueur Creme de Noyaux? | Rugby World Cup 2015: England team guide for the tournament on home soil in September and October - Telegraph
Watch: the World Cup lowdown in 100 seconds
Rugby World Cup 2015: England team guide for the tournament on home soil in September and October
Telegraph Sport provides its everything-you-need-to-know guide and profile about England rugby team ahead of the Rugby World Cup on home soil
Fiji, Sept 18, 8pm, Twickenham, London
Wales, Sept 26, 8pm, Twickenham, London
Australia, Oct 3, 8pm, Twickenham, London
Uruguay, Oct 10, 8pm, Manchester City Stadium
How they qualified
Automatically as the tournament hosts.
World ranking 4
The Rugby World Cup final 2015 begins in
World Cup high
No competition here. Every England fan will go to the grave unable to forget Jonny Wilkinson's final-minute dropped goal that sealed the 2003 trophy in Sydney.
World Cup low
2011 was undoubtedly the nadir. Martin Johnson's side just about beat Scotland and Argentina and then went out in the quarter-finals to France, flying home dogged by a series of off-field controversies.
Coach
Stuart Lancaster took over from Johnson and has instilled a hard-working ethic with discipline prized above all else. He has overseen numerous hints of breakthroughs but is yet to allay fears that England could be heading for another World Cup disaster, as it did in 2011. He believes England can win thanks to the "Twickenham factor," pinning hopes on the stadium's "fortress status" and the huge boost to morale that will be provided by home fans.
Touch of magic: Bath centre Jonathan Joseph in action for England (REX)
Most likely to light up the World Cup
Jonathan Joseph took this year's Six Nations by storm. The Bath centre put in a series of scintilating, try-scoring performances and there's no reason he can't do it again, especially alongside club and country teammate George Ford.
Mad, bad and dangerous to know
After Dylan Hartley and Manu Tuilagi sabotaged their squad places, only reformed bad boy Danny Care remains, three years on from a wild period in which he was arrested three times after drinking sprees and was banned from driving.
Campaign bases:
England's main training centre, Pennyhill Park in Surrey, will be their home for the three pool games at Twickenham and they will then move to Salford before the Uruguay game in Manchester.
Indisputable line in their national anthem:
"Long to reign over us."
Alternative World Cup anthem:
Simple Minds: Promised You A Miracle
Fan's kit
The remnants of an explosion in Henry Blofeld's wardrobe, with hats from Timothy Claypole in Rentaghost.
Odds
7-2
A lot will depend on the form of captain Chris Robshaw at the World Cup (GETTY IMAGES)
The stereotype is...
An exceptional front five, who provide power and set-piece dominance, but rather conservative in attack. Substance wins out over style.
The reality is...
The likes of Joseph and fly-half George Ford have begun to add sparkle to the forward power, but basic mistakes when under pressure still cost them dear against the best sides.
Commentator’s go-to stat
The English have not lost to Wales since 1987 in a World Cup, and since 1991 against Australia.
Did you know?
England hold the record for most drop-goals in the history of the RWC, 20. That's seven more than any other side with 14 of these coming from Jonny Wilkinson.
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The medical condition ‘Gingivitis’ affects which part of the body? | How Plaque and Gum Disease Affect Your Health
Rheumatoid arthritis
Premature birth
What's behind the links? Experts can't say for certain, but they believe that oral bacteria can escape into the bloodstream and injure major organs.
Inflammation is probably a common denominator, experts say. Periodontal disease, marked by inflammation, may increase inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation, in turn, is an underlying problem in diseases including heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis .
Gum Disease and Heart Disease
Over the years, many studies have found that people with gum disease are more likely to also have poor heart health , including heart attacks .
A 2009 paper on the relationship between heart disease and gum disease was issued by the American Academy of Periodontology and The American Journal of Cardiology. Its joint recommendations encourage cardiologists to ask their patients about any gum disease problems. In addition, periodontists are encouraged to ask their patients about any family history of heart disease as well as their own heart health .
Continued
Gum Disease and Diabetes
If you have diabetes , you are more likely than people who don't have diabetes to have gum disease. Why? Again, inflammation may be partly to blame. And, those with diabetes are more likely to contract infections, including gum disease.
If your diabetes is not under control, you are at even higher risk of gum disease.
Gum Disease and Dementia
Gum disease has also been found to raise the risk of dementia later in life.
Other researchers have found that periodontal problems may also be associated with milder cognitive impairment, such as memory problems that make activities of daily life more difficult. In a recent study, participants who had the worst gum disease scored the worst on memory tests and calculations.
Periodontal Disease and RA
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease marked by inflammation and painful joints. People with RA are more likely to have periodontal disease, and one study found that they had more missing teeth than people who don't have RA.
Chronic inflammation is common to both conditions. Although scientists haven't found evidence that one condition causes the other, a 2009 study found that people with a severe form of RA had less pain, swelling, and morning stiffness after their periodontal disease was treated.
Gum Disease and Premature Birth
Studies on the link between periodontal disease and preterm birth have produced conflicting results. Some show that women with gum disease are more likely to deliver a baby before term, which sets up the baby for health risks. Others, though, have not found a link. Studies are ongoing.
Other research has found that treating periodontal disease in pregnant women helps them carry their infants to term. One recent study showed that women with periodontal disease who completed periodontal treatment before the 35th week were less likely than those who did not get treatment to deliver their babies early.
Minimizing the Dangers of Plaque & Gingivitis
To keep plaque under control, brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and floss daily. Use an antimicrobial mouthwash to reduce the bacteria in your mouth .
Get your teeth cleaned professionally on a regular basis. Ask your dentist about the best cleaning schedule for you. Find out if you might benefit from a protective coating or sealant applied to the chewing surfaces of the teeth in the back of your mouth where tooth decay often begins.
WebMD Medical Reference Reviewed by Michael Friedman, DDS on November 29, 2015
Sources
SOURCES:
David Cochran, president of the American Academy of Periodontology, and professor and chair of the Department of Periodontics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Sally Cram, DDS, periodontist, Washington, D.C., and consumer advisor, American Dental Association.
American Academy of Periodontology: "Gum Disease and Diabetes," "Inflammation: Connecting the Mouth and Body?", "Journal of Periodontology and the American Journal of Cardiology develop joint clinical recommendations," "Frequently Asked Questions," "Healthy Gums and a Healthy Heart: The Perio-Cardio Connection."
Offenbacher, S. Journal of Periodontology, October 1996; vol 67: pp 1103-1113.
Seymour R. British Dental Journal, May 23, 2009; vol 206: pp 551-552.
Radnai, M. Journal of Dental Research, March 2009; vol 88: pp 280-284.
American Dental Association: "Plaque," "Cleaning Your Teeth and Gums," "Tooth Decay."
Noble, J. Journal of Neurology and Neurosurgery Psychiatry, online May 5, 2009.
Kaisare, S. British Dental Journal, Aug. 11, 2007; vol 203: pp 144-145.
Srinivas, S. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, May 2009; vol 200: p 497 and e1-8.
Smolik, I. Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry, May 2009; vol 30: pp 188-90, 192, 194, 198, 210.
Kamer, A. Alzheimer's & Dementia, July 2008; vol 4: pp 242-50.
Wang, T. Journal of Clinical Periodontology, May 2009, vol 36: pp 372-379.
Ortiz, P. Journal of Periodontology, 2009, vol 80: pp 535-540.
Mercado, FB. Journal of Periodontology, June 2001; vol 72: pp 779-787.
© 2015 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
Pagination
| Gingiva |
Actor Pierce Brosnan made his screen debut in which British gangster film? | Gum disease - Better Health Channel
Gum disease
Gum disease affects most people at some stage in their life.
The two stages of gum disease are gingivitis and periodontitis.
Careful and regular cleaning can help prevent gum disease.
Getting treatment early can help save teeth that are at risk from gum disease and other conditions – see your dentist or oral health professional if you have swollen or bleeding gums or loose teeth.
Most people will have gum disease at some time in their life. Some of the common signs of gum disease are gums that are red, puffy or bleed.
Causes of gum disease
Gum disease is usually caused by a build-up of plaque on teeth and along the gum line. Plaque is a sticky coating containing bacteria. The immune system tries to get rid of plaque with an inflammation response. This is seen by the redness and swelling of the gum around the tooth.
Everybody has a range of bacteria in their mouth. Plaque is constantly being formed by some of these bacteria when they feed on the sugars in the foods and drinks you consume. Plaque provides the perfect environment for the bacteria that can cause gum disease to live and multiply.
Stages of gum disease
The two main stages of gum disease are:
gingivitis
periodontitis.
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is early gum disease. It affects the surface layers of the gum, particularly where the gum meets the tooth. At this stage, there is no damage to the deeper parts of the gums, teeth or bone.
The signs of gingivitis are:
bleeding gums, especially when brushing or eating
redness and swelling of the gum.
The good news is that gingivitis can be reversed.
You might think it is best to stop brushing if your gums are red or puffy. Try to keep brushing, as this will get rid of the bacteria and plaque that is causing the problem. Soon the gums should look and feel better. If not, see your dentist or oral health professional.
Periodontitis
Periodontitis is an advanced stage of gum disease that may occur if gingivitis is not treated.
The periodontium is the name given to a group of structures that surround and support the teeth, keeping the teeth in place. Periodontitis is the inflammation of the periodontium caused by the bacteria in plaque and the body’s immune response to it.
The structures affected by periodontitis include the covering of the tooth root (cementum), the bone and the fibres that connect the tooth root to the bone (periodontal ligament).
When the gum is weakened by gum disease, spaces can form between the tooth root and the gum. These spaces are called ‘periodontal pockets’. Bacteria get trapped in these pockets and cause even more damage to the periodontium. Over time, bone is damaged and lost, and larger spaces begin to form between the tooth and the gum.
If periodontitis is not treated, the structures that hold the tooth firmly into the gum can become so damaged that teeth become loose and may need to be removed.
Smoking and poorly managed diabetes are risk factors for periodontitis.
Signs of periodontitis include:
receding gums (the gum line shrinks away from the tooth making teeth look longer)
bad breath
a bad taste in the mouth
tenderness when biting
loose teeth.
Make an appointment with your dentist or oral health professional if you think you have any of these signs. They can talk with you about how to care for your teeth. They can also professionally remove plaque and hardened plaque (calculus). Early treatment of periodontitis can save affected teeth.
Prevention of gum disease
Regular tooth brushing helps to prevent gum disease by removing the plaque that causes it. Remember:
Brush teeth and along the gum line twice a day, in the morning and before going to bed.
Use a toothbrush with a small head and soft bristles.
Over 18 months of age, use a fluoride toothpaste, low fluoride for children aged 18 months to six years of age and standard fluoride for people six years and older.
After brushing, spit out toothpaste, don’t swallow and don’t rinse with water. This leaves a small amount of fluoride in the mouth to protect teeth.
Eating well can also help prevent gum disease. Sugars provide the food for some types of mouth bacteria to multiply and form a plaque layer on the teeth and gums. A high-sugar diet can contribute to a thick layer of plaque. Avoiding sugary foods and drinks, especially between meals, can help to keep plaque levels under control.
Follow the Australian Dietary Guidelines and enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from the five food groups every day, including vegetables, fruit, grain foods, lean meats (or alternatives), dairy (or alternatives). Drink plenty of water.
Have a dental check-up
See your dentist or oral health professional if you have swollen or bleeding gums, or are worried about anything to do with your mouth. Getting treated early can help save teeth affected by gum disease and other problems. Ask them how often you should visit for a check-up.
Where to get help
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What did English naturalist Charles Darwin study at Edinburgh University? | Charles Darwin: An English Naturalist | Earth 520: Plate Tectonics and People: Foundations of Solid Earth Science
Charles Darwin: An English Naturalist
"I am turned into a sort of machine for observing facts and grinding out conclusions."
-Charles Darwin-
Image Source: http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/rmo0032l.jpg
Biographical Information:
Charles Robert Darwin was born in February of 1809 in Shrewsbury, England and was the 5th of 6 children in his family. Darwin was born into a very wealthy family that had a lot of connections. His family members had all been very successful and Darwin lived a priviledged childhood. Charles’s father was alive for most of his adult life and worked as a local physician and a financer. Unfortunately, his mother died at a very young age, when she was only 52 years old.
Darwin attended a nearby board school in Shrewsbury during his childhood, but after graduating that school, he decided to attend Edinburgh University in October 1985, along with his own brother to study medicine. Darwin was studying to become a physician, much like his successful father had done. While at Edinburgh, Darwin found himself studying marine invertebrates with Robert Grant, one of the most well known biologists of the early 19th century. Darwin soon realized he did not like the field of medicine after he couldn’t stand to see blood or suffering of humans for a regular basis and believed surgery was a form of human brutality, so he quickly left the medical field of study.
Immediately after Darwin left the medicine field, his own father proposed that he get more involved in the church as an alternative. Darwin liked the idea of being able to pursue natural history, and in 1827 became a student of Cambridge University to study theology, with the goal later on of becoming an Anglican parson. While at Cambridge, Darwin studied a lot of the scientific ideas and papers written by geologist Adam Sedgwick and naturalist John Henslow, who were big believers in the idea of evolution of natural species. At the time, Darwin was not a true believer in evolution yet but was exposed to the scientific beliefs behind the theory quite often in his studies.
The Residence of Charles Darwin his 1st year at Cambridge University
Image Source: http://www.aboutdarwin.com/pictures/cambridge/11-25.jpg
From 1831-1836, Darwin was able to journey on the HMS Beagle, a ship whose mission was to travel around the world in search of new scientific discoveries. Darwin served as the naturalist on board the ship, collecting thousands of specimens from various countries around the world, mostly being from South America. Darwin later called this trip across the oceans, “by far the most important voyage of my life.”
Throughout Darwin’s life he continued to study the natural world and later published his most famous book, On The Origin of Species to help explain how evolutionary selection occurred amongst throughout the course of their existence on Earth. “Natural Selection” and “Survival of the Fittest” were some of the scientific terms that originated from his studies published in the book. These theories have laid the ground work for modern scientific evolutionary studies and research going on years later.
Darwin lived to be 73 years old, dying in April of 1882 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. His legacy in the scientific community continues to be respected and celebrated for all the significant contributions he made throughout his lifetime.
*Who Wants to Live a Million Years? Interactive Darwin Game*
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHARLES DARWIN IN A FUN, INTERACTIVE GAME!!
Contributions to Plate Tectonic Theory / Solid Earth Geophysics:
Charles Darwin’s education at both Edinburg and Cambridge was never as a geologist, but he found himself studying the geological structures because of his natural curiosity for science. He was said to be “self-taught” in the concepts of geological phenomena and structures. Darwin was actually an accomplished geologist before he became a successful biologist, publishing his most famous work. He actually published a few pieces of work on the geological structure of coral reefs and volcanic structures of off the coast of South America in the Galapagos Islands.
Darwin began his HMS Beagle voyage under the captain Robert FitzRoy.
A 3-D digital representation of the HMS Beagle - the ship Darwin spent 5 years traveling and studying off the coast of South America
Media Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTo1X9EzFDQ
As a gift aboard the ship, FitzRoy actually gave Darwin the first volume of Charles Lyell’s Principles of Geology to help him become better acquainted with that field of science. One of Lyell’s principles in his textbook was related to a steady state, non-directional Earth where land alteration processes such as deposition, erosion, and uplift altered and changed a landscape. One of Darwin’s early exposures to geologic formations was in February of 1835 when he experienced a strong earthquake while exploring the area of Chile. Darwin claims that he saw visual evidence of a strong uplift of several feet in the area he was located in.
In further studies done by Darwin and principles discussed in the text, Darwin hypothesized that the coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean developed because they were bordering other landmasses that were being subducted downwards – producing three formation stages of coral reefs (Image 1). This related to our modern ideas of plate tectonics because along fault boundaries there is direct evidence of landmasses creating a subduction zone. This hypothesis was made remarkably before he even saw the coral reef himself. Darwin was also able to test his coral reef hypothesis a year later in the Cocos Islands, off the Northwestern coast of Australia, by examining the reef’s structure that formed in this set of islands also.
Image 1: Darwin's View of the 3 Stages of Coral Reefs
Cross-section views of the 3 stages of coral reefs that Darwin studied along the coastlines of specific continents
Key: 1: Fringing Reef (Top) 2. Coral Reef (Middle) 3. Barrier Reef (Bottom)
Image Source: http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/wiredscience/2011/07/fringeatollbarrie...
In 1842, Charles Darwin published a book titled, The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs. In this book, Darwin published a map inside of the southwest Pacific Ocean. Darwin’s hypothesis proposed that three stages of coral reefs (fringing, barrier, and atoll) were concentrated along certain coastlines and boundary lines of specific continents. Darwin discovered that coral reefs have a lot to do with the geology of this part of the Pacific Ocean. Fringing reefs, he claimed, were concentrated along continents that showed evidence of rising geologic areas. On the other hand, atoll and barrier reefs are more located in the central parts of an ocean in which the landmass nearby is sinking. We know today through the plate tectonic theory that subsidence of a landmass is due to the cooling of that material. When the material begins to cool, its density begins to increase as it moves farther away from an active ridge or hot spot.
Other Interesting Scientific Contributions:
Darwin was a very rigorous naturalist his entire life, devoting a good majority of scientific efforts in the field of biology. His major scientific theories are listed below.
On The Origin of Species:
This is the book that Darwin is most famous and well known from. Many scientists consider this text as the foundation behind the concepts of evolutionary biology. In the text, Darwin shares his research and findings that all work together to support the idea of “Evolution.”
Evolution:
The theory of evolution states that as species exist on our planet, they adapt and change to existing conditions that are present in a specific moment in time. In order to survive to the constant changing environment, species must change gradually over time in order to continue their own existence.
Natural Selection:
The theory of natural selection dealt with evolution amongst species on our planet. His theory of natural selection states, “Evolutionary changes come through the prediction of variation in each generation and differential survival of individuals with different combinations of these variable characters.” He goes on to further explain that the species that have more opportunities to reproduce their offspring will have a greater probability of survival, which in turn, helps the offspring acquire these similar traits.
When Darwin explored the Galapagos Islands off the coast of South America, he began observing and collecting data for a bird that was a very common inhibitor of the island. Darwin studied a species of Finches – a small bird that commonly was seen flying around. Darwin did not realize it while he was on the islands, but he finally concluded there were a total of 14 species of finches on the island itself, but all with a common ancestor (Image 2).
Image 2: Darwin's Finches
A set of Darwin's finches that are classified as different versions of the same bird with similar characteristics and a common ancestor.
Image Source: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/01/6/images/l_016_02_l.gif
Common Descent:
This theory states that each type of organism comes from some ancient ancestor and have changed or diversified since the beginning of their existence.
Species Multiply:
This theory states that in order to diversify the various organisms we have on our planet, one type of species has to diverge until they become two separate species. Each time the new species are formed, they are slightly different from the original set.
Gradualism:
This theory states that evolution occurs through many small changes of the populations of species and that any new species that are created don’t happen instantly and suddenly.
Cool Stuff About Charles Darwin:
Darwin Ate An Owl Once:
While he was at Cambridge University, he joined a club called the, “Gourmet Club.” This club’s purpose was to meet once a week and eat animals you can’t typically find on a standard restaurant menu.
Darwin Didn’t Come Up With The Phrase: “Survival of the Fittest”
Herbert Spencer, a contemporary and philosopher of Darwin came up with the phrase. Spencer wrote Principles of Biology in 1864 and came up with this phrase as he extended Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection into his text.
Darwin Played A LOT of Backgammon!
Once Darwin returned from his voyage to South America and other parts of the world, he developed a lifelong sickness that kept him in bed for long periods of time. To help alleviate the symptoms of his illness, he developed a very strict daily schedule where he would play backgammon every single night between 8 and 8:30 p.m. He kept the score of every game he played for many years after he got ill.
Darwin Married His 1st Cousin:
The two married each other and actually kept their marriage going for over 40 years! (Wish you could say that about marriages today) Darwin actually wrote a list of pros and cons to marrying Emma Wedgewood, of which the original document is available from this website:
"10 Fun Facts About Charles Darwin." Neatorama. 4 Dec. 2008. Web. 24 May 2012. < http://www.neatorama.com/2008/12/04/10-fun-facts-about-charles-darwin/> .
"Charles Darwin & Evolution." Charles Darwin & Evolution. Christ's College. Web. 24 May 2012. < http://www.christs.cam.ac.uk/darwin200/pages/index.php?page_id=c9> .
"Charles Darwin: A Centennial Tribute | NCSE." Charles Darwin: A Centennial Tribute | NCSE. National Science Center for Education. Web. 24 May 2012. < http://ncse.com/cej/3/2/charles-darwin-centennial-tribute> .
"Charles Darwin History." BBC News. BBC. Web. 24 May 2012. < http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/darwin_charles.shtml> .
"Darwin: Who Wants to Live a Million Years?: Science Channel." The Science Channel. Discovery Communications LLC, 2012. Web. 23 May 2012. < http://science.discovery.com/interactives/literacy/darwin/darwin.html> .
"Darwin's Theory Of Evolution." Darwin's Theory Of Evolution. AllAboutScience.org. Web. 24 May 2012. < http://www.darwins-theory-of-evolution.com/> .
"Early Theories of Evolution: Darwin and Natural Selection." Early Theories of Evolution: Darwin and Natural Selection. 23 Feb. 2012. Web. 24 May 2012. < http://anthro.palomar.edu/evolve/evolve_2.htm> .
| Medicine |
Who became British Prime Minister in June 1935? | Charles Darwin Biography at Saint Francis University - StudyBlue
StudyBlue
When was Charles Darwin born and died?
1809-1882
Small market town called Shrewsbury.
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What did Charles's father career?
Robert was a physician and a financier.
What happened to Darwin at age eight?
His mother, Susannah died.
What financial situation did he grow up in?
He grew up wealthy.
How many siblings did he have?
born 5th of 6 children.
Where did he go to school to be a physician?
Edinburgh University with his brother.
What did he do in Edinburgh University?
He studied marine invertebrates with Robert Grant.
Why did Charles not like medicine and what was the alternative?
He could not handle blood and gore, and nor could he handle suffering (there was no anesthesia). His father proposed clergy as an alternative.
Why could he not go to school as a clergy?
He needed to know and understand the Greek language. He got a torture and entered school a year later.
What was the school of Clergy called?
Christ's College, Cambridge.
Who else was at Christ's College?
William Darwin Fox, his cousin.
At Cambridge College, he became the devoted follower of what study?
Botany with John Stevens Henslow.
Who invited Darwin along on the HMS Beagle?
John Steven Henslow.
How long did the HMS Beagle sail for?
Five years.
What did he do for three years on the HMS Beagle?
Investigating the geology and zoology of the land he visited like South America.
What did Charles Lyell discover?
Lyell showed how tiny, slow, gradual and cumulative change over immense periods of time could produce large changes. Natural, visible, non-miraculous causes should be sought to explain natural phenomenon.
What is so special about Darwin's Birthday?
He was born on the same day as Abraham Lincoln, February 12 1809.
What was Darwin's job called?
He didn't really have a job, but we could cal it English naturalist.
If Darwin didn't have a real job, how did he live?
He was born int wealth.
What was Darwin's grandfather's job?
He was a famous poet.
What job did his mother have?
She was a Wedgwood owner, china pottery. Very expensive and where most of the money came from.
How long did he last in medical school?
Two years, and then he left.
Was Darwin anti religious?
No, he just couldn't be a pastor. Not his calling.
What was Darwin job on the HMS Beagle?
He was a gentlemen naturalist. He made maps, observations and other science stuff. His real job was to be a companion to the Captain R. Fitzroy.
What was the captain of the HMS Beagle?
Captain R. Fitzory
Who helped him get a job on the HMS Beagle?
John Henslow, who was a professor at Cambridge (botany).
What happened to Captain R. Fitzory?
He committed suicide because he felt directly responsible to Darwin's contribution to the discovery of evolution and thus creationism by the church came down.
What were some of the geological things he investigated on his strip on the HMS Beagle?
Strata (age of the earth), volcanoes (related to the creation of corals), and Earthquake were he studied strata.
What did he observe in South Africa?
Savages that he took to England and tried to educate them. He saw similarities and differences.
What was the overall outcome of his tripe on the HMS Beagle?
He also collected tons of stuff of rocks and organisms and sent them back to England in boxes. He was starting to get a reputation in England before he stepped foot there. There was a lot of time to think, read and reflect on his observations.
What did Darwin do after the HMS Beagle tripe?
Studied barnacles for many years.
He got to meet the royal society, a minor celebrity for all the stuff he collected.
How many children did Darwin have?
10 children, but three died.
Why did Darwin set said his book for 16 years?
No one really knows, but here are the three theories.
1. Fear from the Anglican church. Didn’t like conficlt.
2. He could have had Chagas’ disease illness. Protests that are called kissing bugs.
3. Wanted to collect more data.
What was his most famous book called?
“On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favored races in the struggle for life.”
What does the book tittle On the Origin of Species mean?
Explanation of bio diversity and not where life came from.
Who read On the Origin of Species?
The educated class and wealthy.
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The Dukes of Beaufort are associated with which sport? | Full text of "The eighth Duke of Beaufort and the Badminton hunt : with a sketch of the rise of the Somerset family"
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\ -c -^o JOHNA.SEAVERNS TUFTS UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES 3 9090 014 536 854 / Webster Family Library of Veterinary Medicine Cummings Schooi of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University *^- 200 Wesiboro Road Norti-i Grafton, MA 01536 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT AND THE BADMINTON HUNT ,^ ''9ton^. /d:/^.^. :M^^^^>mziaw»'/^vn^^''^4^' ■M^!ay<u^^z^^/y^^:^^>^ 4 ^ THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT AND THE BADMIN- TON HUNT WITH A SKETCH OF THE RISE OF THE SOMERSET FAMILY BY T. F. DALE M.A. Author OF "THE HISTORY OF THE BELVOIR HUNT" "THE GAME OF POLO" ETC WESTMINSTER ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AND CO Ltd 2 WHITEHALL GARDENS 1901 4& 5^ Butler & Tanner, The Selwood Printing Works, Frome, and London. CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER I Rise of the Somersets 3 CHAPTER n The Great Marquis 27 CHAPTER ni The First Duke— The Founder of Badminton . . 49 chapter iv The Badminton Hounds 65 CHAPTER V The Masters of Badminton and the Young Heir . 89 CHAPTER VI The Boyhood of the Eighth Duke 133 V b CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER VII Famous Servants of the Badminton Hunt . . • ^S^ chapter viii The Eighth Duke 169 chapter ix The Eighth Duke 191 chapter x The Eighth Duke 211 chapter XI The Badminton Hunt and its Followers . . .235 chapter xii Autumn Days 253 VI LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Henry Charles, Eighth Duke of Beaufort. . Frontispiece PAGE The Marquis and Marchioness of Worcester .... 26 Badminton : East Front 48 Badminton : South Front 58 Stag Hunting at Badminton circa 1730, with Portrait of the Third Duke, Lord C. N. Somerset and the Earl of Lichfield 68 Fox Hunting on Salisbury Plain. Stonehenge in the Distance 72 "Echo" 75 The Fox up a Tree 88 Map of the Badminton Hunt loi " Rapture " 105 Hounds (from the picture by Barraud) "Whirlwind," " Poten- tate," "Paragon" 113 The Badminton Sweep 126 The Seventh Duke of Beaufort 132 William Long 150 Portrait of the Eighth Duke of Beaufort when a Boy at Eton 168 William Dale with the Hounds 175 vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE " Petronel " 183 Portrait of the Eighth Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, by Sir F. Grant, 1864 190 The Stables at Badminton 197 A Group of Hunters (from the picture at Badminton) . .210 Portrait of "Petronel" (from the picture at Badminton) . 215 The Duke of Beaufort 234 The Duchess of Beaufort and Children 242 Badminton : Entrance to the Park 252 The Hounds 257 The Greatwood Run with the Beaufort Hounds, Feb. 22, 187 1 261 "Vaulter" and "Despot" 272 " Vaulter" (from the picture by Cuthbert Bradley) . . . 279 Vlll PREFACE 'TT^HE following memorial of a great English -*• sportsman will it is hoped be acceptable to the many who knew and loved him. To the present Duke of Beaufort I am greatly indebted not only for the loan of valuable books and papers, but for advice and assistance as to the plan of the work. The Duke has himself read the greater part of the book before publication. This will be a guarantee that its views represent on the whole the feelings of the late Duke's friends. For their manner of expression I only am responsible. Holding strong views as to what the world at large is entitled to know of a public character, I have endeavoured to show the Eighth Duke of Beaufort as he appeared to those who knew him without trenching on ground where strangers have no right to trespass, I have therefore ix PREFACE devoted myself to those parts of his career which influenced our national sports and life. Next to the Duke himself I am indebted for counsel and suggestions to Mr. Alfred Watson, who with characteristic unselfishness has found time, in the midst of a busy life, to suggest to me several touches as to the Duke's character. These are incorporated in the text. The historical chapters have been read by Mr. J. Horace Round, who is a well known authority on matters of peerage history and pedigrees. From him I have received some valuable hints and one or two corrections. Since writing this book I have read Mr. Round's " Peerage and Family History." Of special interest to me are those parts relating to the Earl of Glamorgan and Charles I. I have carefully studied and thought over the question ; but while I appreciate the learning and force of Mr. Round's remarks, I am entirely unable to agree with him that the Earl of Glamorgan, after- wards second Marquis of Worcester, forged or tampered with the patent of the Dukedom of Somerset and Beaufort, now at Badminton. It seems to me that such an action was entirely out PREFACE of harmony with his character. On the other hand Charles I. does appear quite Hkely to have caused purposely informal or irregular patents to be issued. This according to his favourite method would have left him free to keep or repudiate his promises to the second Marquis of Wor- cester and his father at his pleasure, or accord- ing to the real or fancied necessities of the case. It did not seem to come within the province ot this book to discuss the matter at length, so with sincere acknowledgments to Mr. Round I leave it to professed solvers of historical puzzles. To Sir Richard Green- Price, so well known as a writer on sport, I am indebted for some letters of the late Duke, as also to Mr. Townsend of Cirencester. Mr. Baird-Carter, of 6i Jermyn Street, allowed me to copy the admirable portrait of Petronel in his possession, and Messrs. Dickinson, of Bond Street, kindly supplied me with the portrait of the present Duke. The majority of the illustrations are from the pictures at Badminton, but the frontispiece is reproduced by the kind permission of Messrs. Vinton & Co., the proprietors of Bailys Maga- xi PREFACE zine. I may here acknowledge the generous help the Editor of Baily is always willing to extend to those who are endeavouring to con- tribute to the history of fox hunting. This book has been long delayed, but the South African war seemed to make it undesirable to publish it earlier. I trust it may be not less acceptable to those who have learned in the hard school of war the true value of sport as a national training. E.T.U.S. Club 1 6 St. James's Square S.W xn I Rise of the Somersets CHAPTER I Rise of the Somersets THE founder of the Somerset family was born at a remarkable period of English history. When his father, the third Duke of Somerset, died at Hexham, feudal and mediaeval England was pass- ing away. The age of faith and chivalry was nearing its close. The worldliness of Wolsey, the polite scepticism of Erasmus, and the wilfulness and extravagance of Henry VHI. were in the near future to show the hollowness of the one and the weakness of the other. The Crusades had become a fanciful aspiration, or a diplomatic fiction. Protestantism, that spirit of democracy touched with religious emotion, was to shake the foundations of Church and Monarchy. The kindred ideas of direct approach to heaven and direct government by the people were in the air. Both were as yet immature. The seeds al- ready sown required time to grow up. This was given by the resolute monarchy of the Tudors, and the crushing first of the old historical nobles and secondly of the ecclesiastical power of Rome. 3 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT When Henry VH. reached the throne, the power of the old nobihty was on the wane. In place of a number of semi-independent feudal chiefs, the king had to deal with discontented nobles whose resources had been scattered in the Wars of the Roses, and whose chief strength lay in their great names. Those of the old families whose power was not broken were generally hostile to the king. The crown, therefore, needed a new aristocracy to replace the old. Though Henry probably did not see what the tendencies of his time were — few of us indeed can do so — yet, with the political insight that distinguished his family, he recognised the instruments he needed to carry out his policy of government. The new nobles were to have power and influence derived directly from the favour of the crown, yet by their services to the crown and the nation they soon came to act as a restraint on the kingly power. The English peerage is to-day a record of past and a reward of present services to the crown and country. The history of the country from the fifteenth to the twentieth century tells us that, unless a great house is willing to serve, it cannot retain its influence, but will become a useless though interesting survival of the past, like the suits of armour and the weapons that hang on the walls of its palaces. It is this great Tudor idea that has preserved the English aristo- cracy in a democratic age. 4 RISE OF THE SOMERSETS Almost the first of the new nobility was Charles Somerset, whose early years were passed under the shadow of the misfortunes and death of his father, the third Duke of Somerset. So much was this the case that the date of his birth is not known, though he was always acknowledged as the Duke's son, in days when royal descent signi- fied more and legitimacy less than in our own time. The third Duke of Somerset had been one of the great men of his day, a gallant soldier, a keen sportsman and possessing the love of splendour that has always characterised the Beau- forts. The latter were also illegitimate, though the children of Katherine Swynford had been legi- timatised by Act of Parliament, while at the same time they were expressly excluded from succession to the crown. It seems likely that part of Charles Somerset's early life was passed under the care of Henry VII., who ever after watched over his fortunes and acknowledged the relationship between them. The king was not only drawn to Somerset by the ties of a common descent, but by the attraction of a common taste for sport. In examining the records of Somerset's life, it seems possible to trace a close friendship and confidence between him and the king, and he was certainly privy to Henry's two great ideas of establishing a navy and of found- ing a standing army. That he was a man of con- siderable tact and diplomatic skill may be inferred 5 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT from the fact that he was constantly sent on missions and embassies. His office on these occasions was, we gather, rather social and magnificent than of great political importance, for he was not the kind of man employed by kings and ministers to ferret out the state secrets of friendly courts. The ordinary ambassador of the fiifteenth and sixteenth centuries was indeed a kind of legalised spy, whose duties somewhat resembled those the Dreyfus case has shown to be expected from certain military attaches in our own day. In Henry's time they were often men of inferior birth and were wholly dependent on the minister who appointed them, their duty being to write home the most minute and trifling occurrences at the court to which they were accredited. No- thing came amiss. Gossip and scandal were mixed up with more serious political matters in their com- munications to their Government. Then when the time arrived for the settlement of one of the innumerable treaties that no one of the parties concerned had the slightest intention of observing, a more important person was sent out on a tempo- rary mission to bring to a close the inconclusive arrangement. On such occasions, both under Henry VII. and Henry VIII., Charles Somerset was employed. No doubt both his relationship to the sovereign and the personal friendship that existed between them gave added weight to his magnificent personality and pleasant tact. And Charles Somerset had other titles to the 6 RISE OF THE SOMERSETS kine's confidence. There is a characteristic of the Somerset family that will appear often in the course of this story. They were men of the most un- daunted loyalty. Later on we find them the ad- herents of a lost cause and of an unpopular Church, much to their own hurt. The Somersets were slow to change sides. They were staunch to the Tudor and Stuart monarchs they served so well. Apart too from Charles Somerset's personal character and his kinship to Henry, he had another and possibly a stronger recommendation to the royal favour in his absolute dependence on the crown. Somerset had neither means nor position save such as were given him of the royal grace and bounty. Promotion and grants of land were doled out to him at considerable intervals and only as rewards for past services. So far as I can gather, his first appointment was as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, a force enrolled in Henry's time as a personal guard on the sove- reign, and which was the germ of the standing army of later times. If then we may regard this company as the foundation on which our military organisation has been built up, a Somerset was one of the first officers of that army in which his de- scendants have served ever since. Charles Somerset may also claim the credit of being one of the earliest of English admirals. It has often been said that Henry VIII. was the 7 /THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT founder of the English Navy, but I think he can only be said to have carried out and enlarged an idea conceived in his father's brain. To the first of the Tudor kings belongs the credit of the idea that England's continental influence depended not on her army, but on her fleet. When in 1488 Henry desired to hold the balance between the King of France and the latter's power- ful and rebellious vassal, the Duke of Brittany, he fitted out a fleet. Parliament granted the necessary funds, and the admiral chosen was Somerset. Henry's plans were however, upset by the action of Lord Woodville, who, sailing from Southampton on a filibustering expedition, had his little band of Englishmen slain in the overwhelming defeat of the Duke of Brittany at St. Aubin du Cornier on July 28th, 1488. Later, when Henry, after the death of the Duke, Francis II., meditated interfering on be- half of Anne of Brittany, Somerset was once more sent to sea, this time in the Sovereign^ a ship of the then enormous size of 800 tons. Only the Great Harry was larger. From this period, when he was about thirty years of age, dates Charles Somerset's rise in rank. He was created a Knight of the Garter in 1496, and is said to have been a Commissioner of Array in Wales, and in 1501 he was made Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, an appointment that placed him about the person of the king. There can be, I think, little doubt that the 8 RISE OF THE SOMERSETS very wealthy marriage Somerset made about this time was in some measure the king's doing. The chosen bride was Elizabeth, the only daughter and heiress of William, second Earl of Pembroke, which dignity he had exchanged at the wish of Edward IV. for the Earldom of Huntingdon. This marriage, uniting the heiress of a powerful Yorkist family with the friend and adherent of the king, laid the foundation of the fortunes of the Somerset family, and gave them the large estates on the borders of Wales that henceforth made them powerful. Charles Somerset was styled Lord Herbert in right of his wife's baron- ies, and after her death he was summoned to Par- liament as Baron Herbert of Raglan, Chepstow and Gower. Thus at the beginning of the reign of Henry VIII. he was a peer, a Knight of the Garter, and a privy councillor, beside being a man of consider- able wealth. Every step he had earned by loyal if not exactly brilliant service. Into the spirit of the new reign he threw himself with zeal. He sym- pathised with Henry's love of magnificence and splendour, and he was still young enough to be enthusiastic about field sports and tournaments. Moreover Lord Herbert, who seems to have been of a more phable mould than most of his descendants, was always on the right side in politics, and he supported Wolsey. Probably he recognised what historians have since come to acknowledge — that 9 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT Wolsey was a great statesman. The idea of the great cardinal as a greedy, proud, overbearing, sel- fish Churchman of low birth and rude manners, has gone the way of many other historical legends, and we are able to see him as his contemporaries, Henry VHI. and Charles Somerset, saw him — a great, wise, if not always infallible statesman. Somerset was well able to judge of Wolsey's foreign policy, for no one had had more experience than he. It is as difficult as it is probably unnecessary to thread our path through the mazes of lies, decep- tions and pretences that did duty for diplomatic negotiations during the reign of Henry VII. and his son. But we may imagine that in the end the power, inclinations and personal weaknesses of monarchs and statesmen — which last counted for so much in those days — were pretty accurately known to all con- cerned. Be this as it may, Henry VIII. employed Lord Herbert, and the latter commanded the rear- guard of that curious host of soldiers, priests and jesters that Henry VIII. led into France. He was certainly present at the battle of Torouanne (15 13) and at the siege of Tournay. Shortly after this (1514), Herbert was created Earl of Worcester and returned to his old trade of diplomacy. Pos- sibly the Earl was less successful in treating with that old fox the Emperor Maximilian than he had been in former missions, for he seems not to have seen through the Emperor's falsehoods. It is certain that Maximilian's manner had a great and 10 RISE OF THE SOMERSETS wonderful charm. It was only when those who had to deal with him came to reflect on what had passed that they recognised him for the very slippery person he was. It is not a little amusing, however, to read the letters each member of the mission wrote to the king, and to see how little opinion each had of the other's wisdom and pene- tration. Possibly between them the king, or rather Wolsey, was able to arrive at a true idea of the state of affairs. It is pleasant to think that all the emissaries agreed in one point — namely, that Maximilian should have no English money. The effect of the Emperor's masterpiece of double dealing was to draw England and France together, and when next Worcester was employed on diplo- matic business we find him on a visit to Francis I. From the description given of the interview with Francis, I gather that while envoys of less impor- tance had carried on the preliminary negotiations, it was, as usual, Worcester's duty to step in at the close. It often happens that when an institution is coming to an end its closing years are marked by a strange splendour. The magnificence of the Field of the Cloth of Gold might have shown thought- ful minds the emptiness of chivalry. The jousts had become mere games, and a tournament was no more than a manly sport, such as the polo or cricket of to-day. These contests were only the image of war, which itself was rapidly becoming II THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT a far less ornamental and romantic, though more serious and democratic business than of old. So much was this the case that kings and nobles showed a growing tendency to hire in their cause the strong arms and sturdy hearts of Swiss peasants. The defeat of the Battle of Spurs and the Field of the Cloth of Gold mark the death and apotheosis of the age of chivalry. But this was hidden from the men of the age, for even the victors looked on the Battle of Spurs as an astonishing and unexpected event, not likely to recur, while no doubt the larger number of those present at the Field of the Cloth of Gold took the gathering quite seriously. Among these was the Earl of Worcester and his son Lord Herbert. The former, one of the judges at the jousts, on account of his office and his knowledge of the sport, was one of those chosen to lay out the lists and to arrange the combats. Lord Herbert was among the combatants, since he was acknowledged to be one of the best tilters of his day. The fine presence and magnificence of the Somersets was no small recommendation with the Tudor sovereigns, all of whom liked to see stately figures about the court. But we must turn back for a moment to that Lady Elizabeth Herbert whose estates had endowed the family. She was the great-granddaughter of William ap Thomas, whose son was knighted by Henry VL, and assumed the name of Herbert. It was by this marriage that Raglan Castle and Troy 12 RISE OF THE SOMERSETS House came into the Somerset family. That one of Lady Elizabeth's aunts on the father's side might have been Queen of England is possible, had not Henry VH. been obliged for reasons of policy to espouse Elizabeth of York.^ However this may have been, Henry VH. was and always remained friendly to the Herbert family, although they were politically opposed to him. Elizabeth Herbert was not in herself a person of great consequence. Women in the days of the Tudors were not much considered, even princesses and heiresses having little personal influence. As at the jousts, so in society their place was that of spectators. On the political chess-board they were the pawns whose lot it was to be married to the knights. Yet Elizabeth was of great importance to the Somerset family. She brought to them wealth and a legitimate relationship to royalty. So little is known of Lady Elizabeth Herbert that the date of her death can only be approximated by inferring that it was before the alleged creation of the barony of Herbert by patent in favour of her husband, then Sir Charles Somerset, though during her lifetime holding the barony of Herbert in her right. This would fix the date of her death between the months of July, 1506, up to which time Somerset sat in the 1 The wives of Somerset and Henry VII. were first cousins. Mary Woodville, mother of Elizabeth Herbert, being the sister of Elizabeth Woodville, queen of Edward IV. and mother of Elizabeth of York. 13 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT House of Lords in right of his wife, and November in the same year, when the barony was given to him by letters patent.' Sir Charles, who became successively Baron Herbert and the first Earl of Worcester, married twice again — first Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas, Lord de la Warr, and then Eleanor, daughter of Sir Edward Sutton, and sister of John Sutton, Lord Dudley. It is only from scattered allusions and from the story of his various employments that we can understand anything of Worcester's char- acter. But enough remains written on the pages of history to enable us to picture what the first repre- sentative of the new aristocracy was like. We find the same traits with which we are familiar in the upper-class Englishman of our own day — the aptitude for war, the love of its reflection in sports and games, the common-sense and sound if not far-reaching political talents, and a high sense of duty and of loyalty to king and Church. On the other hand we find no great love of literature or readiness to accept new ideas. Lord Worcester was a just and not unpopular ruler of his estates, one of his acts being to grant a charter to the burgesses of Chep- stow. This he gave as a Lord of the Marches of Wales, an office which the Union of England and Wales was soon to render unnecessary, and of which ^ No trace can be found of the patent, nor would such creation have been necessary. Somerset was tenant by the courtesy of his wife's barony for his hfe. 14 RISE OF THE SOMERSETS he was the last holder. Full of years, riches and honour, the Earl passed away in 1526, and was laid beside his first wife in the Beaufort Chapel at Windsor. He had begun life with little but his sword and his name, and he closed it as one of the greatest of the new nobility that had sprung up under the Tudor dynasty to be the supports and defenders of the crown. The gradual concentration of power in the crown made the career of Lord Worcester's immediate successors more that of courtiers than of soldiers and statesmen. Their acknowledged re- lationship to the royal family drew them to the court. There only was a career possible to a man like Henry, the second Earl of Worcester. In his youth the second Earl had been, as we have seen, a redoubtable knight in the tournaments of the day, tilting in splendid armour at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. Henry, who on his father being created Earl of W'orcester, in 15 14, became known as Baron Herbert, sat in the trial of the Duke of Buckingham in 1 52 1. Five years later he succeeded to the earl- dom. He was in attendance as carver at the coronation of Anne Boleyn, and his wife, with the Countess of Oxford, attended on the queen at the banquet which followed that ceremony. Neither he nor the queen could have foreseen that he was to sit later as a judge in her trial in May, 1536. It was perhaps as a reward for the latter service that he received from the king a grant of the lands 15 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT of Tintern Abbey. These lands were supposed to yield an injcome of ;^i92, a comfortable little sum in those days and really worth a great deal more than it seemed. For the system on which diverted ecclesiastical property was then managed, of low rents and large fines on renewal, made it appear of much less value than it really was, and proved an advantage to the plunderers, as it threw dust in the eyes of the people and prevented them from under- standing the extent of the robberies or the value of the spoil when divided. Thus by the irony of fate Lord Worcester assisted in the ruin of a building which his maternal ancestors had helped to beautify. A devout woman of the Herbert family had erected a stone cloister in place of the wooden one up to that time in use. The second Earl and his wife were buried in Chepstow Church, where a monu- ment erected to them is still to be seen. William, the third Earl, who married Christian, daughter of the first Lord North, was, like most of the men of note of his day, drawn to the court of Queen Elizabeth. He was a successful diplomatist, his most important mission being to the court of France, when he represented the Queen of England at the christening of the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Charles IX. The queen and her ministers were anxious not to break with France. The marriage of Elizabeth with the Duke of Alen9on was still a subject of negotiation, and the negotiations, though not the marriage, were acceptable to the queen. i6 RISE OF THE SOMERSETS At the same time it was necessary that Elizabeth should express her disapproval of the massacre of St. Bartholomew. It was Lord Worcester's duty to convey at once the courteous congratulations customary between friendly sovereigns on such an occasion, and to make clear to the French king that the presence of an English ambassador at his court was not to be taken as condoning the outrage of the recent massacre. Worcester was charged to report the queen's feeling in unmistakable terms. That Elizabeth was satisfied with the Earl's con- duct of this delicate mission is a proof of his diplomatic tact and ability. The fact that he was himself a Roman Catholic rather served to make the expres- sion of disapproval from his lips stronger and more impressive. It gives an insight into the times to learn that the Earl was robbed by pirates in the Channel on the occasion of his voyage to France. That Lord Worcester remained a staunch adherent to the Catholic faith made his loyalty to Elizabeth in some respects of more value. There were points on which he was proof against the influence the queen brought to bear on him, for he could never be induced to acknowledge Anglican orders, though the queen herself tried to make him do so. Yet that Elizabeth had great faith in him is shown by the fact that he was appointed one of the forty- two peers who served as assessors at the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots. There is no shadow of 17 c THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT doubt that he assented to the condemnation of Mary. He also showed his devotion to the crown by raising a force against the Armada, while yet another side of his character is seen in the patronage he extended to the Elizabethan drama. Of his son, the fourth Earl, it would be inter- esting to know more. Like many other men not- able in their own day, he made a greater figure among his contemporaries than he does in the pages of history. If only some chronicle of his long career had been preserved, it would give us a full picture of the social life of the court and aristocracy of the time. Almost all we know of him is contained in the following short extract from Naunton's Frag- menta Regalia : "My Lord of Worcester I have here put last, but not least, in the queen's favour. He was of the ancient and noble blood of the Beauforts and of her grandfather's line by the mother, which the queen could never forget, es- pecially when there was concurrence of old blood with fidelity, a mixture which ever sorted with the queen's nature ; and though there might appear somewhat in this house which might avert her Grace (though not to speak of my Lord himself but in due reverence and honour) — I mean contrariety or suspicion in religion — yet the queen ever re- spected this house, and principally this noble lord, whom she made Master of the Horse and then admitted him to her Council of State." RISE OF THE SOMERSETS A second claim to consanguinity with the royal family was given by the marriage of the fourth Earl with Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon, and of Catherine his wife ; for Lady Huntingdon was the daughter of Henry Pole, Lord Montague, whose mother was Margaret, Countess of Salisbury, daughter of George, Duke of Clarence. It is through this marriage that the present (ninth) Duke of Beaufort is sixteenth in lineal descent from Richard, Duke of York, from whom, through his eldest son, Edward IV., Queen Victoria was fourteenth in descent. This Earl was a good horseman and a tilter of some note. He was one of the commissioners appointed to report on the conduct of Essex, when the latter returned from Ireland without permission, and his opinion was given in the form of a Latin couplet, very concise and to the point. " Scilicet a superis etiam fortuna luenda est, Nee veniam, Iseso numine, casus habet." This shows that the Earl was something of a scholar, besides being a diplomatist and a sports- man. On this occasion Essex got off by favour of the queen, but once again Worcester was called upon to sit in judgment upon him, and then the favourite paid the penalty of his reckless pride and insensate folly. Lord Worcester succeeded to Essex's office as Master of the Horse, an appointment confirmed 19 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT by James I. and given to him for life. Nevertheless he resigned, and on the day following was made Lord Privy Seal, with a salary of ^1,500 a year for life. He was also given a seat in the Court of Requests. The Earl died in March, 1627-8. *' Edwardus Somerset moderatus sed verus " is the anagram preserved of him in Camden's Re- mains. With the fourth Lord Worcester the first period of the family history closes. So far everything had prospered with them, and the Somersets were es- tablished among the great families of England. Every change had brought them good fortune. They had survived when many other noble families had been extinguished. The policy of Henry VH., the caprices of Henry VHL, the changes of the Reformation, the reign of Mary, and the succession of Elizabeth — the latter almost a revolution in itself — left the Somersets rich, favoured, powerful and still Catholics. They were no doubt Englishmen first and Catholics afterwards, but they had re- mained faithful to their Church without having a doubt cast on their loyalty. While there must have been accommodation in their conduct, there had been no apostasy. We shall see them later in greater troubles and difficulties than had ever before disturbed them, and yet emerging from the struggles of the Civil War among the greatest of the English nobles, though less rich and powerful than they had been. Then 20 RISE OF THE SOMERSETS the family had the ill luck to produce a genius, and he nearly succeeded in wrecking their fortunes. How they fared and how they were saved by the Great Protector is not among the least strange inci- dents of the family history. 21 II The Great Marquis 23 ^ CHAPTER II The Great Marquis THE Somerset family was at the height of its prosperity when Charles I. came to the throne. Heiresses, royal grants and the spoils of monasteries had made them rich. Their royal descent was acknowledged. They had steered safely through the perils of the Reformation, and they had retained the confidence of king and people while still holding fast to the an- cient faith. This steadfastness gave them a just sense of dignity and stability amid changes and chances of troubled times. It is difficult to realize in our more tolerant, possibly more indifferent age, how many of the plots and adventures of the time of Henry and Elizabeth came from the troubled or restless consciences of men who had changed their church without changing their faith. Even gentle sceptics like Erasmus were not happy. Thinkers realized that it is impossible to attribute Divine origin to a compromise. But, while many of the nobles and statesmen eased a troubled conscience by restless politics and extreme Calvinistic opinions, 27 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT the Somersets remained firm. They began, how- ever, to withdraw to the country, where indeed their true sphere of influence has been ever since. No doubt at first the Lord Worcester of the day found himself a Httle out of sympathy with the court life. By creation he belonged to the new nobility, by birth and heredity to the old. He still had some fragments of the territorial power of the great nobles of Plantagenet days, and he lived in Raglan Castle, a stately building which had been a good deal modernised to make it more habitable, yet was still able, as we shall see, to stand a siege. From this time till the Commonwealth, Raglan Castle be- came the centre of the family life, and here the stout old lord lived in patriarchal style and enjoyed hunting and hawking. Here, too, his son thought over problems of mechanics, and perhaps came near to the invention of the steam engine. Came near to it, I say, because Edward, Lord Herbert, known later as the sixth Earl and second Marquis of his race, came near to being many things, but just fell short of everything. Almost a soldier, almost a scholar, almost a statesman, almost a genius. Lord Herbert never attained to more than a splendid failure in each department. It is to this failure he owes his place in history. Moreover, he very nearly ruined his family. But during the early years of the reign of Charles I. he was only the eldest son of a great peer, a slight young man of retiring manners and with a lisp or stutter that made him disinclined 28 THE GREAT MARQUIS to general society. Nevertheless, he was highly educated according to the opportunities of the day. He had travelled much, and had found means in his travels to note the mechanical contrivances in which foreign countries then far outstripped England. The sight of these inventions inflamed and ex- cited a natural mechanical talent, and set the young lord on that career of invention that filled his later life with shadowy hopes and left behind an equally shadowy reputation. A humorous instance of the use to which Lord Herbert's mechanical contriv- ances were put is given by that patient chronicler, Dircks, who has done so much to save the " Great Marquis's " name from oblivion. It was, he tells us, at the beginning of the Long Parliament that " certain rustics came into Raglan Castle to search for arms, his lordship being a Papist. The Marquis stood on his privilege as a peer of the realm, and eventually so prevailed that they were at last willing to take his word ; but he, not wishing to part with them on such easy terms, had before resolved to return them one fright for another. With that view . . he brought them over a high bridge that arched over the moat that was between the castle and the great tower, wherein the Lord Herbert had newly contrived certain water-works, which, when the several engines and wheels were to be set going, much quantity of water, through the hollow conveyances of the aqueducts, was to be let down from the top of the high tower, which upon the first 29 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT entrance of these wonderful assinegoes ^ the Marquis had given order that these cataracts should begin to fall, which made such a fearful and hideous noise, by- reason of the hollowness of the tower and neiofh- bouring echoes of the castle and the waters that were between and round about, that there was such a roaring as if the mouth of hell had been wide open and all the devils conjured up, occasioning the poor silly men to stand so amazed as if they had been half dead, and yet they saw nothing. At last, as the plot was laid, up came a man, staring and running, crying out, ' Look to yourselves, my masters, for the lions are got loose.* Whereupon the searchers tumbled so over one another, escaping down the stairs, that it was thought one half of them would break their necks, never looking behind them until out of sight of the castle." The real value of the second Marquis of Worces- ter's inventions has provided subsequent writers with one of those interesting historical problems which, like the authorship of Junius or the man with the iron mask, are unexhausted and perhaps inexhaustible. The story of the captive Earl in his chamber in the Tower of London watching- the boilingf tea kettle and seeing in the lifting of the lid and the clouds of rising steam visions of the future triumphs to be wrought with the imprisoned force, is probably ^ Assinego, a young ass (Portuguese). " Thou hast no more brains than I have in my elbow : an assinego may tutor thee." — Troilus and Cresstda, ii. i. 30 J THE GREAT MARQUIS about as true to facts as that of King Alfred and the burnt cakes, one of the delights of our child- hood. Yet if not literally true to the fact it is true to the character, for the Earl was one of those who saw visions and dreamed dreams that time is in- capable of translating into facts. By the irony of fate and the desperate state of Charles I.'s fortunes he became in turn a general and a diplomatist, and was unsuccessful in both capacities. But to return to the outlines of the events of his life, and to do this we must give more than a cursory glance at the old Earl, his father, who played no unimportant part in the tangled web of his country's history during his lifetime. Henry, fifth Earl of Worcester, and first Marquis of that name, was probably born in 1577, though, according to some authorities, the date should be put later. He went to Magdalen College, Oxford, and afterwards tra- velled in France and Italy. When in his twenty- second year, he married the Lady Anne Russell, the only surviving child of John, Lord Russell, son and heir of Francis Russell, second Earl of Bedford. This wedding, which took place in 1600, was one of the court events of the period. The bride's parents were living in Blackfriars, and considerable incon- venience seems to have been caused to the families on both sides by the delay occasioned by the " queen's pleasure." For Queen Elizabeth had announced her royal intention to be present at the marriage ; and, though she had nearly completed 31 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT her sixty-seventh year, she seems to have borne herself bravely during the prolonged festivities and to have danced at the weddinof. In an old painting of the time there is a spirited representation of the queen's procession to the home of the bride. To follow the quaint description given : " The central figure in the foreground, carry- ing a pair of gloves, is the bridegroom's father, the fourth Earl of Worcester. The bridegroom is one of the six knights carrying the queen's litter — the hindmost on her left hand, or (with reverence be it spoken) occupying the position which, if the knights had been horses drawing a coach, would have been that of the near wheeler — and immediately behind him is his bride." By the death of her grandfather, who had sur- vived her father by some years, the Lady Anne became the head of the elder line of the house of Russell, and it is through her the Somersets are en- titled to quarter the Russell arms. The eldest son of the marriage was Edward, known as Lord Herbert and Earl of Glamorgfan during; the life of his father, and who found the family honours barren of even a livelihood for himself and family when he succeeded to them in 1646. Both father and son were loyally attached to the house of Stuart, and though in the early days of the troubles between Charles and his Parliament they seem for a time to have been objects of suspicion to the Government, the king turned to them with confidence when 32 THE GREAT MARQUIS his needs had become greater and his friends fewer. The fifth Earl, who was about fifty years of age when he succeeded to the title, found himself out of sympathy with the court party. We can readily understand that neither James I. nor Charles were monarchs much to the taste of a nobleman who was honest and straightforward in his dealings, firm in his principles, and perhaps more than a little obsti- nate in his prejudices. Possibly the old nobleman belonged to the not very unusual type of English- man who is unable to discern between his prejudices and his opinions. At all events we find him living chiefly at Raglan. Soon after his accession to the earldom he obtained a dispensation from attendance in Parliament. This probably made little real difference to his way of living, as he had for some time before this retired from public affairs. The religious position of this Earl was somewhat peculiar. He was undoubtedly a Catholic, but he kept a nominally Protestant chaplain. Dr. Bayley, the worthy clergyman to whom we owe the collections of the Earl's wise and witty sayings.^ Dr. Bayley was probably only outwardly a Protestant con- formist, his subsequent submission to Rome being most likely but the declaration in the face of the world of a faith he had long held. The Earl's religious views made him an object of suspicion to ^ Worcester's Apothegms, or Witty Sayings of the Right Hon. Henry, late Marquis a7id Earl of Worcester, 1650. By F. B. 33 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT the Protestant party in England, and rendered his retirement to Raglan a wise and politic move. The Earl had not escaped the influence of the intellectual revival of the reign of Elizabeth, for he had some learning and a magnificent library. He was, like many of his family, of a kindly nature and with a considerable enjoyment of the good things of life. The gout troubled him, as it has always done his descendants, and was for many years probably the only enemy that assailed his splendid retirement at Raoflan. This retirement was roughly broken in upon by the bursting of the storm that seemed likely to overwhelm the house of Somerset, together with the throne, the Church, and the constitution. Little as Lord Worcester was in sympathy with Charles and his policy, he stood by the king. Whatever may be the judgment we now form on the results of the revolution, the acts of the revolutionists and the principles of the Puritans must to a contemporary nobleman have seemed as dangerous as they were distasteful. The outward conformity of the Earl to an heretical form of worship suggests that this wise and witty person was not a religious enthusiast. His son, then Lord Herbert, had the making of a fanatic in him, as we shall see later on, but the old Earl's main idea was to stand by the king, who represented the principles of monarchy and aristo- cracy. So he dipped deeply into his purse for the king's service and lent his money to the Royalist 34 THE GREAT MARQUIS cause. Sums enormous for those times passed into the king's possession, and were but a drop in the ocean of his necessities. The liberality of the Earl was indeed in the end more disastrous to his family than the confiscation of his estates by the Common- wealth. The Stuarts never kept a promise or paid a debt of which they could avoid the fulfilment or the discharge. Lord Herbert for many years lived quietly at Raglan or at Worcester House in the Strand, and was deeply engaged in his speculations and ex- periments. It was in 1628 that he married Eliza- beth, daughter of Sir William Dormer and sister of Robert, the second Baron Dormer, who in the year of her marriage was created Earl of Carnarvon. The young Lady Herbert died in 1635, leaving a son Henry, who became the first Duke of Beaufort, and two daughters. Not long after her death, Lord Herbert exhibited to the king and some of the court a large wheel, "fourteen feet in diameter," which he had set up in the tower " for exhibiting self-motive power." He assures his readers, in his work styled The Century of Inventions, published many years later, the working of this wheel was " a most incredible thing if not seen," and after dis- cussing the mechanism of its working, ends his description with the trite advice, " Be pleased to judge the consequence." But from these peaceful occupations he was to be called away. A dreamer, of unready speech and 35 D THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT uncertain will, Lord Herbert does not seem a likely man for the king to summon to his aid. But Charles chose his agents rather because of their personal relation to himself than for their fitness for the task they were to undertake. He doubtless selected Herbert for the mission to Ireland because he was a Catholic, and Charles wished to counter- balance Ormond's Protestantism, and because he was the heir of a wealthy house and his money was required to prop the king's failing fortunes. Charles believed in his own unlimited ascendancy over Herbert, and underrated the latter's ability and insight into character. There is no doubt that the king thought he could employ Herbert in the delicate negotiations he had in hand, and disavow him with impunity if he should be un- successful. Large claims were therefore made on Lord Herbert and his father for pecuniary help, in return for which the Earl of Worcester was created a Marquis in 1642, and two years later Lord Her- bert was raised to the dignity of Earl of Glamorgan. It was as Lord Glamorgan then that Herbert entered on his perilous mission to Ireland, on which he set out in 1644 ^^ ^^^ beginning of the following year. About the exact time of his departure there seems to have been some doubt. Some four years before this, Lord Herbert had contracted a second marriage with Margaret, daughter of Henry O'Brien, Earl of Thomond, so that from the king's point of view he had the added 36 THE GREAT MARQUIS attraction of having family connections in the sister island. It is this lady who appears seated by her husband's side in the picture reproduced on page 26. Lord Herbert is there represented as a Roman general, while his wife is in the dress of the period. The child standing by her mother is the only daughter of the marriage, who died young. Lord Herbert, or Glamorgan, as from henceforth he must be styled, soon showed he was not quite the helpless tool the king imagined. Although not strong enough to resist the personal charm of the king when in his neighbourhood, he was yet acute enough to discern the falseness and perhaps to see the fatal weakness of Charles's character when he was away from his presence. Yet he was soon to fall under the influence of the papal nuncio Rinuccini, in Ireland, for there can be no doubt that the clever Italian used Glamorgan for his own ends. Into the history of Glamorgan's mission I do not propose to enter, the subject being one of the greatest difficulty, owing to the king's secret orders so often being the opposite of his public utterances that it is impossible to be sure of the true state of affairs. There is every reason to believe that while Gla- morgan learned to appreciate the king's character at a truer value than formerly he was yet loyally devoted to his cause. It must have been a bitter moment when he found himself discredited by 37 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT the master for whom he had made such heavy- sacrifices. Aspersions, too, were thrown on his character by one who in private had always asserted his beUef in his chosen agent's fidehty and zeal. Towards the close of the year 1645, Lord Glamorgan found himself suspected of high trea- son, and was committed a close prisoner to the custody of the Constable of Dublin Castle. When released, Glamorgan was not allowed to leave Ireland, and the anger of the old Marquis, his father, was roused by the treatment meted out to him. So eager had the son been to serve Charles that the father had expostulated at the greatness of the loans the former had made. Now Lord Worcester made no secret of his anger at the way Glamorgan had been treated ; but, in spite of his wrath at the king's duplicity and his son's disgrace, he held his castle loyally for the royal cause. He himself had been promised the Garter and the Dukedom of Somerset for the assistance he had given to his royal master. Now at seventy years of age he underwent a close siege in his castle of Raglan. The garrison of the castle was 800 strong, and although they were closely pressed by a far larger body of Par- liamentarians under Colonel Morgan, and later under General Fairfax, they held out successfully for ten weeks. But at last, when the weaker parts of the castle had been destroyed by the enemy's guns, a breach was made in the eastern wall, and 38 THE GREAT MARQUIS the fall of the place could no longer be prevented. Then the orallant old lord consented for the first time to treat. He stipulated that the garrison should march out " with horses and arms, colours flying, drums beat- ing, trumpets sounding, matches lighted at both ends, bullets in their mouths, and every soldier with twelve charges of powder and ball ; with per- mission to select any place within ten miles of the castle, for the purpose of delivering up their arms to the general in command ; after which the soldiers were to be disbanded and set at liberty, and safe conduct and protection given to all the gentlemen and others who had sought refuge within the walls of Raglan Castle." On Wednesday, the 19th of August, 1646, the garrison marched out, and the castle was taken possession of for the Parliament by General Fairfax. Raglan was almost the last stronghold to fall. The Marquis of Worcester was accompanied by his son, Lord Charles Somerset, governor of the castle ; by his eldest son's wife, the Countess of Glamorgan ; by Dr. Thomas Bayley, the chaplain, who had acted as one of the commissioners to arrange the terms of the surrender ; by the officers of the garrison, and the visitors and members of his household. The terms of the capitulation were shamefully broken in regard to the aged Marquis, for he was taken prisoner and kept in confinement till the time of his death. This occurred less than 39 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT four months later, before the close of the year 1646. The Parliament, which had already ordered the destruction of Raglan and the confiscation of the Marquis's estates, debated the question of allowing ;^500 out of the spoils for the funeral of their late owner. This was agreed to, and it was apparently also decided during Lord Worcester's lifetime that he was to be buried in the Beaufort Chapel at Windsor, as he is reported to have said that he should be indebted to the Parliament when he was dead, for a better castle than they had taken from him during his lifetime. So the fifth Earl and first Marquis of Worcester passed away, leaving his son to struggle throughout the remainder of his life with the troubles that had descended on the hitherto prosperous family. The rich Somerset estates were given by Parliament to Cromwell, as a reward for his services. There were not wanting lawyers, indeed, who were ready to ease the Lord General's conscience by assuring him that there was a flaw in the Somerset title deeds, though possibly without this he would not have seen his way to refuse the princely gift offered. Glamorgan — or the Earl of Worcester, as he seems to have been called after his father's death, the parliamentary Government refused him any higher title — presented a petition for the return of the family lands. The commission before whom the case was brought decided that these had been 40 THE GREAT MARQUIS "forfeited unto the Commonwealth," and that they were therefore to remain in the possession of Cromwell and his heirs. After bringing forward a second petition for the restitution of his rights, which seems to have been equally barren of results, Edward, the sixth Earl and second Marquis of Worcester, went to Paris, where he remained in poverty and exile till the year 1652. Possibly it was the urgent state of his private affairs that caused Lord Worcester to return to England. He was immediately arrested by order of the Parliament and committed to the Tower. No steps were, however, taken for bringing him to trial, and it was only after many petitions had been made by the impoverished Worcester for a " competent maintenance for himself and family," that at last the magnificent sum of ;^3 per week was ordered to be paid " for the subsistence of the Earl of Worcester, prisoner in the Tower, weekly or otherwise as the Earl shall desire." In 1654 he was released on bail, and he then sought to forget his cares in the mechanical studies he loved so well. To the perfecting of his " water- commanding engine " he devoted himself, this having been set up in his " operatory," as the Marquis called his workshop, in Vauxhall. The Century of Inventions was also written, though the work was not published till some eight years later. At the time of the Restoration, when the Marquis must have hoped to be indemnified for some at least 41 ".'it THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT of his sufferings in the RoyaHst cause, he seems to have found himself " an object of general sus- picion." One of the first acts of the new Parlia- ment was to consider whether the Marquis of Worcester had a right to the title of Duke of Somerset and Beaufort,^ a patent to give him this title having been bestowed by Charles I. The history of this patent is wrapped in obscurity, but it was promised by the king to Lord Glamorgan before the latter started on his disastrous mission to Ireland. The Dukedom of Somerset also seems to have been promised to his father Henry, first Marquis of Worcester, but, be this as it may, the claims were now relinquished. Partly owing to his religious opinions — the"ob- noxiousness of his religion," as an old writer calls it — Lord Worcester found himself out of favour at court, and with difficulty obtained a hearing as to the restoration of his estates. When at last these were restored he was still a ruined man, for the vast sums he and his father had given to the royal cause had been raised on the security of their interests in the family property, and his creditors now seized on the restored estates. This left nothing for the Marquis's " support and mainten- ance," as is pointed out in a petition presented by the Marchioness to the House of Lords in 1666. More interested in the perfecting of his invention, and in obtaining a patent for it, than in recovering ^ Conferred by patent dated March 4th, 1646. 42 THE GREAT MARQUIS his lands, Lord Worcester passed the last years of his life in the poverty from which it needed the shrewdness and business capacity of his son to extricate the family. In April, 1667, Lord Wor- cester died, and was buried in Raglan Church. 43 Ill The First Duke — The Founder of Badminton 45 CHAPTER III The First Duke — The Founder of Badminton HENRY, afterwards first Duke of Beaufort, was the son of Edward Somerset, second Marquis, known by the Parliamentarians as Lord Herbert, by his first wife, EHzabeth, daughter of Sir William Dormer. Henry Somerset was born in 1629, and the early years of his life were passed at Raglan Castle. Of his father he probably saw but little, for at that time the former was deeply immersed in his studies and inventions, in conjunc- tion with his assistant, "the unparalleled workman both for trust and skill," Caspar Kaltoff. Henry lost his mother when he was about seven years of age, and his father marrying again, he was sent abroad, and his education was probably entrusted to the Jesuits. He did not return to England till he was sixteen years of age. Among the lesser historical figures of his time, Henry Somerset is one of the most interesting, as well as difficult to understand. His career is well worthy of study. The motives that actuated him at momentous crises are not apparent, but one 49 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT thing is clear — he saved his family. His life, which began under the deepest shadow, closed full of years, riches, and honour. Amid all the changes of the troublous times through which he lived, he continued to prosper. What manner of man could he have been ? In the first place at a very early age he seems to have resolved to rebuild the family fortunes, and to have pursued this object steadily and resolutely, at whatever sacrifice of opinions, principles, or persons. Apart from this leading motive of his life, he seems to have been a reserved, cold man, of strict morals. The one touch of nature that marked his rigidly self- contained character was a love of state and splendour, of which in his early days he had had but little. His return to England was sad enough. His grandfather, the first Marquis, was dead ; his father a penniless wanderer ; Raglan Castle in ruins, and the family estates confiscated. As we have seen, the last had passed into the possession of the Lord Protector. But Cromwell and the English Parlia- ment, though they thought it right to punish what seemed to them treason, by the confiscation of lands, had a most English and conservative respect for the legal rights of property. No doubt there were some fanatics who viewed such matters differently, but the Protector and his councillors were not of these. Henry, Lord Herbert, had undoubted reversionary rights under the legal 50 THE FIRST DUKE settlement of the Somerset estates, which he had done nothing to forfeit. Cromwell seems to have acknowledged this, and granting his premiss, that those who had taken up arms against the Parliament were traitors, he acted in the matter in a perfectly- just way. Lord Worcester therefore being con- sidered as legally dead owing to his attainder, Henry Somerset's claims were admitted, and he appears shortly afterwards to have taken possession of some of the family estates, and to have enjoyed a considerable income from them. The price he paid for the concession was con- formity to the religion of the Lord Protector. He was advised to attend the chapel at Whitehall, and after some little delay he did so. Cromwell liked him personally, and soon admitted him to some degree of friendship. At this time he was known as " Mr. Herbert," and as such he sat in the Long Parliament. To what extent his conformity in the matter of religion was real it is difficult to judge. There are traits in his character not inconsistent with genuine Puritanism, but my own impression is that he was always a Catholic at heart. After the Restoration we find him ever opposed to Protestantism, and he was more than suspected of a leaning towards Catholicism. He never took the oaths to William HI., after whose accession he retired to Badminton. Whether, therefore, his conformity under Cromwell was the result of indifferentism or policy, or a 51 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT mixture of both, cannot be ascertained with cer- tainty. That Henry Somerset was never on good terms with his father is certain, nor did he behave par- ticularly well to him or to his step-mother. No doubt he regarded his father as a hopeless visionary, and believed that the only way to keep possession of the family property was to withhold it from one who would cheerfully spend his last penny in mechanical works in which no one but himself believed. After the Restoration the sun of royal favour shone on Henry Somerset, Lord Herbert. The question of the patent of the Dukedom of Somerset granted by Charles I. was one of the first that came before Parliament in 1660. This patent was then in the hands of Henry Somerset, though his father naturally claimed the title. The Seymour family also laid claim to the dukedom, and to them it was adjudged to belong. As compensation, Henrj^ Somerset, then Earl and Marquis of Worcester, was created Duke of Beaufort in 1682. This title was also an acknowledgment of royal descent, for Beau- fort was a property belonging to John of Gaunt, from whom the Somersets traced their origin. This, however, is anticipating. In 166 1, Henry Somerset, Lord Herbert, was appointed Lord- Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, and two years later he entertained King Charles II. and his queen at Badminton. This estate had been left him by his 52 THE FIRST DUKE cousin, Elizabeth, heiress of Thomas, Viscount Somerset of Cashel. In 1672, five years after he had succeeded to the family honours, further marks of the royal favour were given him. He was appointed Lord President of Wales, and received the Garter the same year. It was in the closing years of Charles II.'s reign that he reached the highest point in his successful career. In 1684 he made the splendid progress through Wales recorded in a curious old book written by one Thomas Dingley, who was himself of the Duke's escort. The following quotation from his work may give an idea, at once of the regal state maintained by the Lord President, and of the quaint style of the historian : — "Towards the evening (Thursday, July 17th, 1684), his Grace the Duke of Beaufort, etc.. Lord President, etc., of Wales, about a mile short of Ludlow was mett by all the Ludlow ofificers of his Presidency, who there waited his Grace's coming, at whose approach the Mace was shoiilder'd, upon which all the Ofificers, with those other belonging to Ludlow Castle and of his Grace's retinue and Family, became uncovered and fell into their places two and two : the inhabitants of Ludlow lineing the road and avenue to the town on both sides." Then follows an imposing list of those who formed the Duke's escort. Among the retinue we find the " Quartermaster for the progress," six pages *' in rich liveries," seven grooms " in his Grace's 53 E THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT livery, each with a lead horse caparisoned," and " four trumpeters in very rich coats." " This splendid cavalcade," we are assured, " attended with shouts and acclamations of the people, ringing of bells in the neighbouring villages, various sound- ings of trumpets, beating of drums, and the con- tinued neighing of horses, made a very agreeable confusion, the latter noyse whereof calls to mind a verse of Mantuan — ' Et procul hinnitu campus sonat omnis acuto,'" After a public presentation of " sweetmeats and wine," in the principal part of the town, " his Grace had a reception at Ludlow Castle equal to his quality. * Regales epulse mensis et Bacchus in auro." On the second visit of the Duke to Powis Castle, in the month of July, he "was met by her Grace the Lady Duchess of Beaufort, the Marchioness of Worcester, and other noble ladys, his Grace's Daughters, with four Coaches of six horses and attendants suitable." A little later we find the Duke "expressing a great deal of satisfaction of the good order in which he found the militia of the severall counties and with his reception and entertainment in all places of North Wales." A wonderful speech made by the recorder of Carmarthen on the occasion of the Duke's entry into the place ends up with a tribute to the Lord Presi- dent in the following terms. An acknowledgment is 54 THE FIRST DUKE made of "his Majestie's great wisdome in settling us under your Grace's Lieutenancy, who to all the em- bellishments of art and nature has the occasion of that which is the best Ornament man is capable of — I mean Loialty and Affection to the King." At one place the chronicler notes that the streets through which the Lord President and his retinue passed "were strewed with Flowers and sweet herbs by the loyall and well-minded people," and at each step of his journey the inhabitants vied with each other to do honour to their ruler, till at his own house at Troy the progress came to an end, and the Duke, before setting out for Badminton, once more expressed himself as being " extreamly satisfyed " with the good order and loyalty he had found to be existing throughout the Principality. With all his love for state, however, the Duke was at heart a frugal and economical person. This is shown by the mode of life practised by himself and his large household at Badminton. In the Lives of the Norths is an account of a visit paid by Lord Keeper Guilford to the master of Badminton, who was his connection by marriage. In this we have an interesting sketch of manners which even then were rather old-fashioned, and savoured of a simplicity and frugality that were rapidly passing away. This picture of the life at Badminton is the first of a series. Each of these gives an interesting presentment of the manners and customs at different stages of the Somerset family history. 55 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT " One year his Lordship (L. K. Guilford), con- cluding at Bristol, made a visit at Badminton to the Duke of Beaufort and staid about a week. For the Duke was descended from a North of his Lord- ship's family by one of Lord Edward North's daughters,^ whom a lineal ancestor of his Grace married. So, besides conformity of principle with respect to the public, they were by this relation qualified for mutual respect and honour. I mention this entertainment as a handle of showing a princely way of living, which that noble Duke used, above any other, except crowned heads, that I have notice of in Europe ; and in some respects greater than most of them, to whom he might have been an example. " He had above ;^2,ooo per annum in his hands, which he managed by stewards, bailiffs, and ser- vants, of that a great part of the country which was his own lying round about him was part of the frustum domi, and were of his family (house- hold), and provided for in his large expanded house. "He bred all his horses which came to the husbandry. First colts, and from thence as they were fit were taken into his equipage, and as by age or accident they grew unfit for that service they were returned to the place from whence they ^ William, third Earl of Worcester, married Christian, third daughter of Edward, first Lord North. From them was de- scended Henry, first Duke of Beaufort. 56 THE FIRST DUKE came and there expired, except what for plenty or unfitness were sold or disposed of. He had about two hundred persons in his family all provided for, and in his capital house nine original tables covered every day ; and for the accommodation of so many a large hall was built with a sort of alcove at one end for distinction, but yet the whole lay in view of him that was chief, and who had power to do what was proper for keeping order among them, and it was his charge to see it done. The tables were properly assigned, as, for example, the chief stewards with the gentlemen and pages, the master of the horse with the coachman and liveries, and under steward with the bailiffs and some husband- men, the clerk of the kitchen with the bakers, brewers and all together, and other more inferior people under these in places apart. The women had their dining-room also, and were distributed in like manner — my lady's chief woman with the gentlewomen, the housekeeper with the maids and some others. The method of governing the great family was admirable and easy, and such as might have been a pattern for any management whatever. For if the Duke or Duchess — who concerned her- self much more than he did, for every day of her life in the morning she took her tour and visited every office in the house, and so was her own superintendent — observed anything amiss or sus- picious, as a servant riding out or the like, nothing was said to that servant, but his immediate 59 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT superior or one of a higher order was sent for, who was to inquire and answer if leave had been given or not. If not, such servant was straight turned away. No fault of order was passed by, for it may be concluded that there are enough of these that pass undiscovered. All the provisions of the family came from foreign parts, as merchandise, soap and candles were made in the house, so likewise the malt was ground there, and all the drink that came to the Duke's table was of malt, sun-dried upon the leads of his house. Those are large, and the lanthorn is in the centre of an asterisk of glades cut through the wood of all the country round, four or five in a quarter almost a perte de vue. Divers of the gentlemen cut their trees and hedges to humour his vistas, and some planted their hills in his lines for compliment at their own charge. All the trees planted in his parks and about were fenced with a dry wall of stone, taken out when the tree was set. And with all this managing and provision, no one that comes or goes for visits or affairs with the Duke, who was lord-lieutenant of four or five counties and Lord President of Wales, that could observe anything more to do than in any other nobleman's house. So little of vain ostentation was to be seen there. At the entrance, where coaches ordinarily came in, the Duke built a neat dwelling-house, but pompous stables which would accommodate forty horses, as well as the best stables he had. This was called 60 THE FIRST DUKE the Inn, and was contrived for the ease of the suitors, as I may call them, for, instead of 2^-. 6d. to his servants at taking horse, sixpence then for form served the turn, and no servant of his came near a gentleman's horse, but they were brought by their own servants, except such as lodged, whose equipages were in his own stables. " As for the Duke and Duchess and their friends, there was no time of the day without diversion. Breakfast in the gallery that opened into the gardens, then perhaps a deer was to be killed, or the gardens or parks with the several sorts of deer to be visited, and if it required mounting, horses of the Duke's were brought for all the company. And so, in the afternoon, when the ladies were disposed to air, and the gentlemen with them, coaches and six came to hold them all. At half an hour after eleven the bell rang to prayers, and at six in the evening, and through a gallery the best company went into an aisle in the church, so near was it, and the Duke and Duchess would see if all the family were there. The ordinary pastime of the ladies was in a gallery on the other side, where she had divers gentlewomen commonly at work upon em- broidery and fringe -making, for all the beds of state were made and furnished in the house. The meats were neat, and not gross ; no servants in livery attended but those called gentlemen only ; and in the several kinds down to the small beer nothing could be more choice than the table was. It was 6i THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT an oblong, and not an oval, and the Duchess with two daughters only sat at the upper end. If the gentlemen chose a glass of wine, the civil orders were made either to go down into the vaults, which are very large and sumptuous, or servants at a sign given attended with salvers, and many a brisk round went about, but no sitting at table with tobacco and healths, as the too common custom is. " And this way of entertaining continued a week while we were there, with incomparable variety, for the Duke had always some new project of building or walling or planting, which he would ask his friends their advice about ; and nothing was forced or strained, but easy and familiar, as if it was, and really so I thought it to be, the common course and way of living in that family. One thing I must needs relate, which the Duke told us smiling, and it was this. When he was in the midst of his build- ing, his neighbour the L. C. J. Hales made him a visit (L. C. J. lived at Alderley, eight miles from Badminton), and observing the many contrivances the Duke had for the disposing of so great a family, he craved leave to suggest one which he thought would be much for his service, and it was to have but one door to his house, and the window of his study, where he sat most, open upon that. This shows how hard it is for even wise and learned men to consider things without themselves. The chil- dren of the family were bred with a philosophical care. No inferior servants were permitted to enter- 62 THE FIRST DUKE tain them, lest some mean sentiments or foolish notions and fables should steal into them, and nothing was so strongly impressed upon them as a sense of honour. Witness the Lord Arthur, who, being about five years old, was very angry with the judge for hanging men. The judge told him that if they were not hanged they would kill and steal. * No,' said the little boy, ' you should make them promise upon their honour they will not do so, and then they will not.' " Of the house at Badminton, we know that the modern residence as it is to-day was built by Duke Henry, on the site of an ancient house formerly in the possession of the Boteler family. The old house, as it came into the hands of the Duke, was apparently quite inadequate to the requirements of the large household maintained by him. Chepstow and Raglan were in ruins, and Duke Henry was not slow to perceive the advan- tages of a family seat built on the lands of his new possession. The church was rebuilt in 1685, and was included within the boundary walls of Badminton House. The park lands were of vast extent, and were ten miles in circumference. As the builder of Badminton and the restorer of the family fortunes, Duke Henry has a claim on the gratitude of his successors. From his time to the present day Badminton, round which the family life has revolved, has been a centre of that sturdy Tory- 63 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT ism to be found in so many of the country homes of England. What the old Tory families lost in political power they gained in local influence. Their long residence made their homes centres of local politics ; and in the case of the Somersets the institution of the hunt extended their influence far and wide, and made the name of Badminton famous. Of the hunt I shall have much to say later. The only fact to be noted here is that its world-wide fame was made possible by the action of Duke Henry, who was the first to devote himself to the home sphere of influence his successors have culti- vated ever since. He recognised the possibility of Badminton being to a modern nobleman what the castles of Chepstow and Raglan had been to his ancestors. In the fulness of time the Duke passed away (January 21st, 1699), leaving to his successors the task of establishing the family he had founded anew. That this was done we know. The build- ing up of the fortunes of the Somersets was, how- ever, a quiet work, and leaves little for the pen of the historian to narrate. When we come to the time of the seventh and eighth Dukes, who again stand out as men of mark, they claim a more detailed notice than do their immediate prede- cessors. 64 IV The Badminton Hounds 65 CHAPTER IV The Badminton Hounds THE speculations so often indulged in by writers on hunting as to the exact date of the origin of fox-hunting, appear to lead to no certain conclu- sion. There is, in fact, no period at which we can say positively that fox-hunting began. The sport as we know it grew up as the result chiefly of the decay of stag-hunting, owing to the increase of enclosures. No doubt the fox had been hunted occasionally from an early date, and by no family earlier than the Somersets. That the fox was hunted round Rag- lan Castle by the first Marquis, of whom I have already written as a jovial person fond of sport with hawk and hound, is likely enough. Some writers have even fixed the date 1642 as that of the first fox-hunt indulged in by a member of the family, and this again is not unlikely. From the year 1728 onwards we have trust- worthy materials for a history of the pack. The 69 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT present Duke of Beaufort, among other books, lent me a kennel book of the above date. This volume was kept with much care. From it we learn that hare-hunting- was much in favour in the early days. The type of hound used was probably the old- fashioned light-coloured harrier, now still surviving in the Cotley and Sir John Amory's kennels. That there were a few richer-coloured hounds the occurrence in the kennel register of the name Tanned Gypsey seems to show. I also gather that this colour was the exception. In 1734 the handwriting of the Badminton kennel entries changes, and at this time there were thirty couple of harriers and only six couple of deerhounds. It is, however, plain that the two were of quite distinct breeds, and each was carefully kept pure. In 1736 the kennels began to be sought to for fresh blood by their neighbours. Lord Bath had a loan or draft of both harriers and deerhounds in 1 738. On the other hand, the Badminton hounds were improved by the introduction of fresh strains, and a hound named Csesar was lent for the purpose by Lord " Padgett." The third Duke of Beaufort and his huntsman evidently took great pains with the breeding of the pack. Some fifteen or sixteen couple were sent out to walk. In 1740 the deerhound pack was increasing, and we may therefore conclude that the Duke was more keen about stag-hunting than was formerly the case. It was three years after this (in 1743) that Henry, 70 THE BADMINTON HOUNDS the third Duke, was separated from his wife, the daughter and heiress of Sir John Scudamore, of Holme Lacy. Into these domestic troubles we need not strive to penetrate, but to judge from old records it seems clear that the Duke sought consolation for them in sport. There were at that time at Badmin- ton two packs of hounds of equal strength, but it was not long before the Duke gave up his harriers and took to foxhounds. Unfortunately at this point the kennel record suddenly ceases. In 1745 the Duke was succeeded by his brother Noel, fourth Duke, who married Elizabeth, sister of Norborne, Lord Bottetourt, to whose barony she succeeded. Allusions to this lady in Walpole's Letters suggest that she was perhaps fonder of London than the country, and it seems not unlikely that the fourth Duke did not devote so much time to hunting as his predecessor had done or his own son was to do later. Henry, the fifth Duke, had a long minority, but I imagine that his guardians kept up the staghounds, for we find him hunting with his own hounds in 1 762. It was about this time that the well-known story is told, how on returning one day after an unsatisfactory hunt after stag he threw his hounds into Silk Wood, and having a great run after a fox, he steadied his hounds from deer and helped to found one of the greatest of our national sports. No doubt this story has arisen from that desire to give an exact date for everything that beset our forefathers. As a matter of fact most packs at that period hunted 73 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT a fox occasionally when they could find one. But already foxes were scarce. Fox-hunting indeed only became popular in time to save the fox from extinction. The stag was the commoner animal of the two on estates of great nobles like the Dukes of Rutland or Beaufort. But the love of fox-hunting was then in the air. The fame of Mr. Meynell was beginning to spread, and the Belvoir hounds were already hunting foxes regularly. Two of the Duke's sisters were married into hunting families, and in my History of the Belvoir Hunt I have shown how this Duke and his son evidently influenced the rise of the Midland packs. In 1 80 1 Belvoir borrowed a hound from Badmin- ton named Topper. This hound is one of the roots of the family of which Rallywood, Weathergage, Gambler, Dexter and Dasher are famous represen- tatives. Now Topper probably goes back to the old Badminton staghound blood, for the name occurs again and again in the kennel. This fact, coupled with the careful in-breeding shown by the kennel books of Badminton, leads us to believe that here we have the link between the old Northern and Southern hounds and the modern foxhound. Nor are we left only to conjecture. The descrip- tions of the Badminton hounds in their early days left to us by contemporaries show plainly their descent from the older races. Of course we have always known that there was such a connection. The history of the Badminton hounds enables us 74 THE BADMINTON HOUNDS to lay our finger upon it at a definite point in the descent of the hound. They were large hounds, powerful and with a great deal of bone. They had fine noses, and already possessed much of the hunting power the sixth Duke delighted in. The eighth Duke noted their staunchness on the line of their hunted fox, though it is true he attributes this to Will Long's style of hunting. I am inclined, however, to believe the Badminton blood must have some of the credit. The original hounds were wiry and rough in their coats, and rather inclined to be throaty. On this point our grandfathers were not so particular as we are. The stamina, tongue, and hunt of the pack made the blood eagerly sought after. The prevailing colour was badger or hare pie. That they had not altogether forgotten their predi- lection for stag, we gather from the fact that Philip Payne, on his arrival at Badminton in 1803, found the hounds being exercised in the park in couples. Philip, as I have noted elsewhere, brought in a change of blood from Cheshire. He found that the hounds did not come up to the Meynellian standard. Many had loaded shoulders, and such hounds soon tire. The blood introduced from Mr. Heron's pack established the connection between Badminton and the Meynell and Osbaldeston blood. This also accounts for the fact that the Badminton and Belvoir strains have ever united well. In the Belvoir kennels is the strongest representation of the old Meynell strains to be found to-day. 77 F THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT Of Philip Payne's relations to the sixth Duke and the hunt I have spoken elsewhere. But with a master so indulgent as the Duke and an heir-ap- parent so keen as the Marquis of Worcester (seventh Duke), and with whippers-in like Will Todd and Will Long-, Philip Payne had perhaps as fortunate a situation as any huntsman that ever lived. Other members of the Somerset family were keen and hard riders. There was Lord Charles, after- wards one of the firmest and most capable Governors of the Cape of Good Hope ; and Lord Fitzroy, who, as Lord Raglan, is still remembered by the present generation as a gallant soldier, and one who was in his youth a keen hunting man. But we have an- ticipated somewhat. When by the increase of enclosures and other causes it was considered advisable to confine the deer to the parks, foxes became the beasts of chase. It was then found that there were not enough to satisfy the keenness of the hunt. About 1 770 the fifth Duke took over the Heythrop country, as it is now called, from Lord Foley, and hunted it first from Cornbury, and later from Heythrop House. The hounds and horses used to be sent into Oxford- shire at the close of cub-hunting, and after spending about two months there they returned to Badminton to finish the season. Many of the Gloucestershire and Wiltshire riders followed the Duke, and lived a jovial life at one of the inns, hunting by day and drinking more claret and port than could have been THE BADMINTON HOUNDS good for them when the day's amusement was over. The two countries necessitated a strong pack of hounds. In the chapter on the Badminton hunts- men I have given a sketch of WilHam Long as a man and as a huntsman. Long was Badminton born and bred. He was a first-rate kennel hunts- man, and one of the men who, with Goosey, Goodall, the Smiths, Dale of Brocklesby, and Frank Gillard, are entitled to be ranked among those who have made the modern foxhound what he is. To the story of this book Long is of great importance, as from him the eiofhth Duke received his first ideas of hunting and of hound lore. Long, when he took up the duties of huntsman, thought the hounds good, but his predecessor, Payne, in his love for bone, had doubtless bred them rather coarse. Payne indeed was an ardent disciple of the Lord Lonsdale of that day, whose servant he had been, and in striving for substance he had perchance missed something of quality. But he had left some splendid strains of blood, and notably the famous Justice, which is, thanks to Mr. Surtees and the "amazin' pop'lar man," better known to the general reader than any other hound of the time. Long set to work to breed the pack finer, and faster, for he loved to see hounds run away from the horses. As a man who had hunted with the Oxford undergraduates pressing on his heels, and the kindly Dukes of Beaufort as his masters, 79 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT this was no wonder. The sixth and seventh Dukes never forgot that they had been young themselves, and if an Oxford man were a trifle too keen they bore with him gently — indeed, it seems to have passed into a tradition with the Heythrop masters to be a little blind to undergraduates' failings, for I can well remember the gentleness with which the Duke's successors treated the too eager under- graduate of my own day. We need not follow in detail the process by which Long improved the Badminton pack. He turned to Brocklesby and to Belvoir of course. Possibly under his guidance the pack reached its highest point of excellence about 1845. In that year, when the eighth Duke came of age, " Cecil " — Cornelius Tongue — visited Badminton, and left on record his opinion of the kennel favourites. This writer notices Flyer, a "strong, hard-looking hound of the Belvoir tan." This dog united Brocklesby, Belvoir and Badminton strains. Then Frankfort, a badger pie, is noted as full of Badminton cha- racter and type. Potentate was regarded as one of the finest hounds of his day. His portrait by Barraud illustrates these pages. He represented in the kennel Lord Lonsdale's sort refined by Will Long. But, famous as these hounds were, when Long, after his retirement, was asked about his favourites, he would speak the praises of Prophetess and Tune- ful by the Warwickshire Tarquin, or of Remus, the 80 THE BADMINTON HOUNDS smartest of the pack, with neck and shoulders that would have satisfied even Gillard, or of Rufus, whose blood still flows in the veins of the Belvoir, When the eighth Duke gave up hunting his own hounds in 1858, Tom Clark from the old Berkshire was engaged to go to Badminton. The famous Tubney pack had been broken up, but Clark brought with him to Badminton a few couples of Mr. Morrell's hounds. The Druid tells how he walked all the way from Chippenham to Bad- minton to see "that first Wonder and Spangle entry which united the scarlet and black collar of Tubney with the green plush of the Duke." This year (i860) was the first of the Tubney cross. Then the visitor records that he saw " thirty-eight couples of dogs, hounds ranging from twenty-three to twenty- four inches." There was Fleecer, with his curious half-face, and a pedigree going right back to Osbaldeston Furrier. Limner was the son of a dam which was the very cast of the famous Potentate's Spangle, the hardy bitch which came to Badminton from Tubney at fifty guineas. She worked on well in her eighth season. There were some also of the Warwickshire Saffron sort, which Clark delighted in. They never were known to tire. Many others there were, but possibly Fleecer has left the most enduring name behind him, for he links the kennel to that common stock from which the best of Brocklesby and Belvoir hounds spring. 81 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT There is one opinion that Tom Clark held with which I believe the present Duke of Beaufort and Lord Lonsdale would both be found to agree. Clark liked his big dog pack the best, and in the Badminton country, where hounds are wanted that can fly the walls, I can well believe they are the most useful. When Clark left, he yielded the horn in the field to the present Duke, then Lord Worcester, and his kennel duties fell to Charles Hamblin, who has just (1900) passed away. Hamblin was a man who loved his work, and the pack lost nothing under his care. The Duke was careful he should have plenty of opportunities of seeing his hounds in their work. Hamblin always carried the horn during cub- hunting, and frequently also during the regular season. I saw the pack in his time, and I remember still one hound, Rubicon, keen and hard-looking, whose dam, Lilly, was by Lumen, a famous Badminton hound. This last is the hound depicted in the Badminton book on hunting, with his hackles up, dashing at his fox, the original picture of which is in the smoking-room at Badminton. In those days Remus was a favourite, and his son. Ranger, was good to look at. I recollect, too, the beautiful Portsmouth dog pack, which later I was to see in the field, for during the next season it was my good fortune to hunt with the Beaufort hounds. The last time I saw the hounds there, Will Dale was the 82 THE BADMINTON HOUNDS kennel huntsman, and he showed me in Vaulter one of the best hounds I have ever looked on. Vaulter, Dexter, and old Gambler at Belvoir represent the highest point of hound-breeding at the present time. Vaulter, which combines the Belvoir Weathergage, grafted on Blankney blood, finds many of his kin at Badminton, for of Blankney blood at its best the Badminton kennel has many strains. Did not Contest come from Lord Henry Bentinck to Bad- minton, and please the eighth Duke greatly by his work ? Of that, however, I have written elsewhere. We have travelled into the present, while of the past there is still much to be said. To that, there- fore, we must turn back. 83 The Masters of Badminton and the Young Heir 85 CHAPTER V The Masters of Badminton and the Young Heir WHATEVER else the Somersets were or were not, they always lived and acted as great English noblemen; and when the eighth Duke came to the title, he succeeded two very magnifi- cent persons indeed. The sixth Duke was not a man who made any very particular impression on the world at large. If we may believe Nimrod, he did not care for town life. The fifth Duke, his father, had also been a great lover of the country, and it is certain that the long-established high Tory principles of the Somerset family had at least some share in their aloofness from London and the court. Necessity and opportunity strengthened their attachment to sport and led them to perfect that map-nificent huntinof establishment which is so identified with the Dukes of Beaufort that it would be impossible to write a life of any one of them without in some degree writing the history of the hunt. 89 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT We could not, for instance, understand the story of the eighth Duke's life without showing the growth of the hunt under his immediate prede- cessors. Here, as in the case of the Bel voir Hunt, I am struck with the invaluable ability and faithfulness of the hunt servants, and I feel more than ever that to these men is due the high character that fox-hunting bears as a sport in our own day. Moreover, a great man's servants are the truest testimony to his character. Noscitur a sociis is not nearly so true as Noscitur a famulis ; for while in great measure the first are chosen for us, the second we choose for ourselves. The Dukes of Beaufort have a short list of hunt servants. Philip Payne, William Long, Nimrod Long, Will Stansby, Will Todd, Jem Hills, Charles Hamblin, and Will Dale are or were all men of sterling; worth as well as of skill in their calling. Nimrod, who contrived to know all that was worth knowing in the world of sport, published a notice of the sixth Duke in Bell's Life (January 3, 1836). " The object of these lines is to pay a short but sincere tribute of respect to the memory of the last departed of these worthy men (John Corbet, Sir Thomas Mostyn), whose remains are now scarcely cold in the grave, and, not merely as a master of foxhounds, but as a conspicuous member of society. Yet it is as a master of foxhounds that it is within my province to speak of the late Duke of Beaufort ; and from the many seasons' ex- 90 THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON perience I had of his Grace in the field, I feel myself in some measure competent for the task. I need scarcely say I was always an admirer of his hounds, although I could not like his country. The greatest improvement I saw in the former, in defiance of all the disadvantages of the latter, convinced me that there was a system at work highly worthy of my consideration. But whence this directing hand I was a long time unable to discover. I doubted it being that of the Duke, not from mistrust of his capacity, but because I had reason to believe the numerous avocations of his station prevented his attending to the minutiae of the kennel, although I did not consider his Grace a sportsman of the first class, in which his hounds certainly stood. I doubted it being that of Philip Payne, for to appearance a duller bit of clay was never moulded by nature. But we should not judge by appearances : I live to confess my error. There was about Philip Payne a steady obser- vance of circumstances which, increasing with the experience of their results, was more useful to him as a breeder of hounds than all the learning of a Porson . . . The establishment was perfect, all but the green plush coats on the men, the regular thistle- whipping colour, which to my eye was offensive. The Duke, as I said in one of my tours, * looked like a Duke,' and his servants looked like servants of the very best description of their line. More civil or generally well conducted men 91 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT were never born than Payne, Long, and Todd, who were in office in my time, and they were sufficiently well mounted chiefly on horses bred by the Duke." Then come two passages so thoroughly Nim- rodian that they will bear no mutilation. " * But how did his Grace carry himself in the field ? ' " ' Why, here he was like a Duke because he was like a gentleman.' " * But was he not difficult of access ? ' ** ' Certainly not, to such as had a right to address him.' " * Did he not " blow up " his field, and swear at them as his father did ? ' " ' No, at least not half as much as they deserved, for no man's hounds were more overridden at one time than the Duke of Beaufort's were.' " When his Grace was a young man, I have reason to believe he was not content with calling out ' Hold hard ! ' in chace, or ' Stand still, gentlemen ! ' when at fault; but afterwards, like the Grecian sage, * Be master of thine anger ' was one of the maxims he cherished ..." Nimrod evidently did not think silence was a virtue in a master of hounds, for he goes on, "If he were a competent judge of what his hounds were doing, he kept it very much to himself." This, I suppose, means that the Duke was not quite so ready to supply Nimrod with copy by discussing matters with him as Mr. Apperley desired, and so far had forfeited the favour of that Olympian 92 THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON dispenser of nods and frowns to the sporting world. It was the sixth Duke who appointed Philip Payne, the latter coming to him from Cheshire in 1802. The staghound origin of the Badminton pack to which I have already alluded was strongly marked at that time. They did not altogether please the new huntsman, fresh from Mr. George Heron's rich black white and tans, which were far more perfect in their legs and feet. The old Bad- minton sort as Philip Payne found them were inclined to be splay-footed, and were also somewhat heavy- shouldered. Philip Payne's former masters, Mr. Heron and Sir Peter Warburton, were both ardent admirers of the Meynell hounds and the Meynell style of hunt- ing. The quicker methods then already coming into vogue, and which a year or two later Gentle- man Shaw was to show to admiring Meltonians in the Belvoir Vale, made good feet and better laid shoulders a necessity. What more natural, then, than that Philip should turn to Cheshire to improve the Badminton pack. What the Duke's views on the best type of hound for his country were we do not know ; but everything seems to show that having a good servant in Payne, he trusted him, and the huntsman was consequently allowed to send hounds to any kennel he chose. His first steps were made with the help of a badger pie, by name Diligent, a descendant of the famous Abelard. 93 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT Payne also borrowed Nectar, a black-and-tan with high peak, long head, and heavy, throaty neck. Like a bloodhound in every respect, save that he had the best of legs and feet. This cross was a great success, and the result was Badminton Nectar. This dog inherited the bloodhound type of head, and was coarse and heavy, but was full of hunt and had a splendid constitution. " At walk," the Druid tells us, " he persecuted the hares day and night, but never showed any unsteadiness with a fox. He ran for eleven seasons ; and even when he was past all use in every way, he rode twice a year to the Heythrop kennels, on the baggage-waggon, for a treat, and wandered about with a perfect ticket of leave into the kitchen, or wherever he liked to go." Another hound, that brought in valuable strains of blood from Cheshire and Sir T. Mostyn, was Dori- mont, a granddaughter of which was Echo by Boxer by Dorimont. The picture of this hound gives a good idea of the type that Payne left in the Badminton kennels, which his successor Long slightly modified. The point that strikes me, when I look at the picture of Echo, is her resemblance to the Heythrop bitches as I recollect them in my Oxford days. I consider this picture painted by Willis as giving a capital illustration of the inter- mediate stage of the foxhound when it still lacked the perfect shape and rare quality of our time. Echo would be called a little throaty by our modern huntsmen, but she evidently had great 94 THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON bone. This, indeed, we know was a point on which Payne was very strong. No hound could have too much bone for him. The Dorimonts were noted for their finding powers, Echo's father, Boxer, being said to find three foxes out of four, while his brother Raffle once distinguished himself by hunting a fox for half a mile along the top of a wall. The hounds of this family were mostly badger pie. They had the short, square, sensible, but rather dour-looking heads that were often to be seen in the Badmin- ton kennels in Charles Hamblin's time. In due course the seventh Duke succeeded to the title, on the death of his father in 1835. The new Duke was a man who had lived more in the world than his immediate predecessors. Not less keen about sport than they, or a whit less devoted to his home and kennels at Badminton, he yet moved in a wider circle. In his earlier days he was one of that brilliant band of soldiers, sports- men, and dandies known in society as '* elegant extracts," and officially as the loth Hussars. Many of the officers of this regiment distinguished them- selves in war, sport, or politics, and not the least brilliant among them was Henry Marquis of Wor- cester. Tall, handsome, an excellent dresser ac- cording to the fashions of his time. Lord Worcester was the very man to be popular in such a regiment. During the brilliant services of the loth Hussars in the Peninsular War, where they often crossed 95 G THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT swords with the loth Hussars of the French army, the regiment won distinction for dash and pluck. They then estabHshed a reputation which they have added to since, winning laurels under the great com- mander of the end of the nineteenth century, as did their predecessors in the closing years of the eighteenth century. Twice has Lord Roberts had them under his command, and each time they have added to their laurels. And, as they are now gay, smart, and very keen, so they were when the Marquis of Worcester, Lord Sandys, Sir George Wombwell, and Lords Charles and Robert Manners were subalterns in their ranks. Lord Worcester, who was on the staff of the Duke of Wellington, was taken a prisoner by Marshal Soult, and seems to have been for some time in the enemy's hands. When the war was over, Lord Worcester mar- ried and entered Parliament. His bride was Georgiana, daughter of the Hon, Henry Fitzroy, third son of the first Baron Southampton. In 1814 Lord and Lady Worcester went to Paris as the guests of the former's old chief, the Duke of Wellington. The dress worn by Lord Worcester at a ball is described by a contemporary, and seems to have been somewhat striking. It consisted of the Beaufort Hunt evening coat of blue lined with buff, with the Beaufort Hunt buttons, a white em- broidered silk waistcoat, tight light-blue silk-web pantaloons, white silk stockings, shoes brodes a jour, and a cocked hat. The narrator ends his descrip- 96 THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON tion by assuring us that " Worcester never looked over-dressed." It is interesting to note that the button of the Badminton Hunt in those days had inscribed on it the initials G.P.R. as a compliment to the " first gentleman in Europe," instead of B.H. as at present. The generally professed admiration for the Prince Regent of which this is a token, must not be criticised too severely. We look at things now from a different standpoint, and, while we only see what George IV. became, men of the time of which I am writing saw what he might be and rested their hopes on the possibilities of the future. During his father's lifetime Lord Worcester and his wife had a house in Brook Street, and the Mar- quis divided his time between politics, the drama, and sport. Elsewhere I have told of his coaching speculations, and he also enjoyed racing. Lord William Lennox writes of delightful journeys with Lord Worcester to Newmarket, when these two old comrades (they had been on the Duke of Welling- ton's staff together) amused each other by telling stories of the Peninsular Campaign. When the sixth Duke died, the parliamentary career of his son came to a close. He seems in- deed later to have received the offer of an embassy, and to have desired to be sent to St. Petersburg, but nothing came of it. Moreover, the Duke was a Tory of the old-fashioned type, who disliked reform as his father had done before him. Indeed the 97 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT sixth Duke had apparently looked forward to a general overturn of society, for on his deathbed he charged his son to bring up the young Lord Glamorgan, who subsequently became the eighth Duke, to earn his own living, as, brilliant though his prospects were, they might never be fulfilled. These forebodings were exaggerated ; but, from the Duke's point of view, no one can say they were entirely without foundation, for the position of a Duke of Beaufort at the close of the century is not what it was at the beginning. As a master of hounds, the sixth Duke and his immediate predecessor had shown sport not only over the Badminton country proper, but in the Oxfordshire territory known as the Heythrop. For a period of eighty years the combined countries were hunted by the Dukes of Beaufort. The Heythrop was only given up by the sixth Duke about a year before his death. During his master- ship he had two kennels, one the well-known Bad- minton buildings, and the other at Heythrop or Heythorpe Hall. This house, which has been re- built by the present owner, Mr. Albert Brassey, was leased by the Duke after he vacated Cornbury, which the then Lord Churchill wished to occupy. The favourite coverts in the Heythrop country of that day are still those that raise a feeling of expectation in the minds of Heythrop men — Farm- ington, Bradwell, and Moreton-in- the- Marsh. The following description of the country and its riders 98 THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON is given by Nimrod in his Hunting Reminiscences. ** The Oxfordshire country . . . embraces a large tract of hill and vale. It joins the Bicester, the Warwickshire, Colonel Berkeley's, Lord Ducie's, Mr. Horlock's, and Sir John Cope's ; but does not transgress the boundary of the county, though it verges on the borders of several. Indeed, the four-shire stone — a stone standing in four several counties — is near to one of the favourite covers of the hunt. In better times the towns of Chipping Norton and Woodstock, as well as the inn at Chapel House, contained parties of gentlemen in attendance on the Duke's hounds ; but those days are gone by. A few old stagers, however, are still occasionally to be found at the village of Charlbury, and now and then a visitor or two to the other places. " For the conspicuous riders of this part of Oxfordshire, we must look to some of the old ones, who have done the trick in better countries. " Mr. Evans, of Dean, once a Leicestershire man also, and Mr. Webb, of Kiddington, Mr. Lewes, and Mr. Thornhill, ranked high ; nor must Mr. Holloway, of Charlbury, be passed over. He was a thorough sportsman, and — like his horses in chase — would go till nature cried ' Enough.' " The Heythrop is not a good scenting country as a whole, though there are times when hounds can fly over it. On December 2, 1827, there was a run from a gorse of some two acres called Swell 99 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT Furze, of which one who was present writes : " The hounds were no sooner thrown in than reynard was out," and went off in gallant style across the open country for Sir Charles Cockerell's plantation at Sezincote (crossing the turnpike road leading from Broadway to Stow), and thence, leaving Bourton-on- the-Hill to the left, he went direct for Welford Wood, a covert belonging to the Warwickshire Hunt ; but, on coming to a check, the huntsman made an unfortunate cast, and we lost our fox within a short distance of Moreton-in-Marsh ; and although we did not kill him, I never remember a more severe thing in the whole course of my life, the distance from the place of finding to the point where the hounds threw up being nine miles in thirty minutes over a stone wall country. " Out of a well-mounted field of from two hundred and fifty to three hundred horsemen there were only two up at the first check (which was for a moment), and these were that well-known sports- man, the Rev. Mr. Winniatt, of Temple Greeting, on his chestnut mare ; and a young gentleman on a dark-brown horse, whom I afterwards understood to be Mr. Woodward, from the neighbourhood of Pershore, in Worcestershire, a first-rate performer across a country." Of this good gallop I give the distance and time as stated, but it might well have been a good run and yet have taken much longer. If there was no mistake as to time, it was a most remarkable performance. The point on the hunt- 100 SiYi/r^ ofEnnh^h 3/7A« 2 3 4 5 The namtur of^uMeeta ara Ths ¥i^urea Aiffre^-r thetr ehs- ■tancB tn MUeg fivm. Beubrunttm. W^ 'iughcs. .MAT OF THE BADMINTON HUNT. •Ihis ninp, wliicli w.is tliavvii after the Oxfordshire Country (now Heylhrop) had been given up, represent^ llie limit as it is at the present time (1900) after the reatoratiou cf the Avon Vale terri- tory to tlie D.idmiiiton. THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON ing-map is not more than seven miles, but there was a considerable detour to Bourton-on-the-Hill, so that the writer was not far out in point of distance. The seventh Duke, then, on his accession to the title, succeeded to the mastership of the Badmin- ton country only. Of this hunt, Nimrod tells us, " There is a great portion of grass land in the Badminton country. Indeed, for some covers, Stanton Park for example, about seven miles from Badminton, and near to Malmesbury, there is as good a country to ride over, and one as advan- tageous to hounds, as almost any part of England can show. The foxes from that cover are also noted for running stoutly and taking a deal of killing. A gorse cover in Badminton Park is like- wise a sure find, and generally shows a run. Some years since a fox was repeatedly found in an old ivy tree in it, and gave some excellent runs. Mr. Kingscote, who married one of the Duke's daugh- ters, now unfortunately no more, made several gorse covers on his property, which are great ac- quisitions to this hunt. Shipton Wood, close to the town of Tetbury, the property of Mr. Estcourt, and Silk Wood, between Tetbury and Kingscote, are likewise favourite covers ; as also Box Wood, the property of Mr. Huntley, whose son, the captain, was a great supporter of this part of the country. Hawkesbury- Upton, Elm-Ash (now called Foss Lodge), and Dray cot Park, the seat of the Misses Long, are also excellent fixtures. 103 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT "There are fine woodlands in the Badminton coun- try. The lower woods, on the Sodbury side, perhaps stand first. These often send out a * traveller ' to Colonel Berkeley's covers, whose pack bring him back at a merry pace, — that is, provided he do not give up the ghost on the road, for the country is a chokinof one." With hounds and country the Duke inherited a sufficiently annoying dispute. Of this quarrel, which began in 1834 and lingered on till 1845, it would be undesirable and unprofitable to rake up the details, though we may note that, as Bell's Life tells us, it was " amicably settled " at last. The outlines of the matter in dispute were as follows : — Mr. Horlock, who, under the nom de guerre of Scrutator, is still deservedly esteemed as a writer on hunting, had been accustomed to draw some coverts that belonged to the Duke's hunt, but had been by him abandoned. When the Duke gave up Oxfordshire, he wanted these coverts back. But Hr. Horlock, who had formed a pack of hounds and a country at considerable expense and trouble, not unnaturally objected. As usual in such cases, each party held to its own view, and there was division in the country of rather a serious nature. Prob- ably the Duke had not been very exact in his stipulations about the coverts lent to Mr. Horlock, and the latter no doubt now stretched his rights to their full extent. It is evident that Mr. Horlock was sore ; but the following excellent account given 104 THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON by him of the Badminton country as it then was is full of interest as coming from one who hunted over it himself, and shows that whatever feeling there had been had died away. " The Badminton hounds commenced their cub hunting in their home country, removed then into Oxfordshire until Christmas, when they returned again for a month or six weeks and finished the season in Oxfordshire. The country now hunted by them comprises a large portion of Gloucester and Wiltshire, extending from Tetbury to Devizes, and includes the large coverts of Rood Ashton, near Trowbridge. Commencing again near Bristol, it reaches to Stanmore and Beckhampton on the Wilt- shire Downs, measuring about thirty miles from west to east, and about the same distance from north to south. Taking the country throughout, it may be considered as one of the first in the pro- vinces, generally holding a good scent, abounding in foxes, and containing some of the finest natural fox coverts in England. Of these I may mention the lower woods in the vale of Sodbury, Hawkes- bury Upton coverts, Silkwood near Tetbury, Stan- ton Park near Grittleton, Greatwood, Christian Malford, and Catcombe Woods, in the Christian Malford or Wiltshire country. " . . . This vale extends from Chippenham to Swindon, and from its excellent pastures the far- famed North Wiltshire cheese is made. The land generally is well drained and firm to ride over. 107 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT The fields are large, with strong fences, high banks and double ditches, which require a thorough-made hunter to clear cleverly in the on and off style, as the majority of them are too wide to take at one leap. There are also two brooks, which, though not very formidable in appearance, are very awk- ward customers to get over. From the banks being hollow, it is very treacherous ground for horses either to take off or land upon." The description of the hounds given by the same writer applies to the period of the mastership of the seventh and eight Dukes, and is therefore of interest here. " To affirm that the Badminton are the best pack of hounds in England would be claiming for them an invidious, though I am inclined to think not an unfair, distinction ; but when we consider by whom they have been kept, and by whom hunted, they have a right to stand second to none in the kingdom. Their noble masters have been invari- ably good sportsmen and excellent judges, both of hounds and hunting, and the present Duke having handled the pack himself, now knows how others ought to do it. Of all knowledge, that derived from practical experience is the best ; and his Grace, although accustomed from boyhood to hunting and field sports, has had an opportunity of testing the business part of the profession, with which every master of foxhounds ought, in my opinion, to make himself acquainted at some period of his life, which 1 08 THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON enables him to form a correct judgment of the work of the hounds, and the conduct of his servants in the field. The Badminton pack are conspicuous for two of the most essential qualities in foxhounds — quickness and stoutness. They have also good noses, and will persevere with a bad scent through difficulties, with an anxious desire to get forward. For speed they have always enjoyed a high reputa- tion, and perhaps on this account principally are great favourites with the fast men. That they can and do go the pace is beyond dispute, but for this reason only they would find little favour with me in the absence of other more enduring and sterling qualities. They are very quick and rapid movers when a fox is first found, spreading and dashing through the covert as well-bred foxhounds ought to do, and they stick to him afterwards, turning quickly with him in his shifts, and have the knack of getting away pretty close to his brush without saying much about it either." To the family life at Badminton in the time of the seventh Duke I have referred elsewhere, but there are certain details connected with the hunting establishment and the stables as described by Nim- rod's vivid pen that will find fitting notice here. Concerning the hounds and their work, this always interesting writer says : " Of the hounds, I believe there to be but one opinion ; and, as far as I am at present qualified for the assertion, that opinion is mine. They stand as 109 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT No. 2 in the eyes of the hunting world ; the Belvoir pack being considered No. i. This much, however, I am able to say, that for high form and power, arising from depth of chest and exuberant muscle in all their acting parts, and the total absence of extraneous substance in parts not called upon to act, the Beaufort pack is most conspicuous, as, also, for their uniform size ; so much so, indeed, that, although it may exist elsewhere, superiority may scarcely be necessary for all the purposes of fox-hunting. Neither does appearance in the ken- nel exceed their performance in the field. Whether with a warm or cold scent, they are allowed to be equally perfect in their work ; and the following facts may be adduced in support of this character. In a short country, not admitting of much cub-hunt- ing, they had killed more than thirty brace of foxes up to the last week in January ; and as a specimen of their speed, under the most favourable circum- stances, one burst may be mentioned, which took place about a month back. The point-blank dis- tance was said to be four miles and a half; the time in which it was run, fourteen minutes ! Now, were I an aspiring young man, well mounted, and determined to go, — in other words, resolved to have a good place with these hounds, — I fear I should now and then be called over the coals for riding * too near to their tails,' as Matty Wilkinson was wont to say ; for what chance would Harkaway have, supposing him to be the jumper his Irish no THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON friends represent him to be, if his rider let them get half a field ahead of him with a scent. I believe only four or five of the field were able to live near them in this terrible burst." Nimrod's visit to Badminton, or rather his "first visit," to which he alludes, was made in January, 1838; and though he had been invited for the express purpose of having some days with hounds, the weather was so severe that hunting was impos- sible. Under the circumstances the visitor turned his attention to the home arrangements, and, as usual, was ready to record any gossip that came in his way. " It may be supposed," he writes, "that I made the acquaintance of the pack by walking and riding with them every now and then when at exercise in the park ; and this much I must say — the more I saw of them, the more I admired them. I cannot re- frain the mention of a few sentences that passed between Long and myself during my first walk with him and his hounds in the park, during the frost. "'Can you show any of the old Justice sort.'*' said I to him. "'Why,' replied Will, 'all those Draco hounds you have been noticing are of that blood.' " ' To be sure they are,' resumed I ; ' how slow I was not to be fly to that. Draco was an Athenian judge, although he dealt not much m justice' " • Sure, sir,' said Will. " ' Yes,' continued I ; ' and, like your old hound, III THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT a devil of a fellow for blood, for he wrote his laws in blood; " But to return to the pack. Woodman, Welling- ton, Dashaway, and Dexter, are of the old Beaufort sort, in virtue of Remus, Woodbine, Workman, Warrior, and Raffle ; and here I am reminded of an amusing anecdote. On my asking the face- tious and clever Mr. William Way (commonly called 'Billy Way'), of Glympton Park, near Wood- stock, a few years back, some questions relative to the old Beafuort blood, knowing he had hunted with the late Duke a great many seasons, he made this reply — ' Why, truly,' said he, ' I am the worst man in the world to apply to on such a subject. It is true, that I have hunted more than twenty years with the Duke of Beaufort's hounds ; but I honestly confess, I only know two of them by their names ; one, because his name is Wellington, and another because he has but one eye instead of two. And I can say more than this : I have always tried to be the last instead of the first in a run ; but owing to generally riding a well-bred horse, I cannot always command that desirable object.' " Leaving the kennels, Nimrod turns his attention to a description of the park land, and of the Duke's farming interests. " The park at Badminton is one of the largest in England, and the head of deer, perhaps, the greatest of any. It consists of about 1,200 fallow, and 300 red deer — the number of the latter quite, I believe, unequalled. From the 112 THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON voracity of these animals, the consumption of food by them must be immense ; and I was not surprised at hearing the steward say that 500 acres of very productive mowing-land did not furnish much more than half the quantity of hay used in the stables, cow-stalls, and the park of this fine domain." " Exclusive of the park, the Duke occupies about 1,200 acres of grass-land, which I rode over one day with Mr. Wedge, the steward, for the purpose of seeing the stock, consisting of Southdown and Welch sheep ; cows and heifers of the improved Gloucester breed, very good of the sort ; and Scots, in store order, and fat. I likewise saw the pad- docks in which the mares designed for breeding hunters are kept, and where there were about twenty two-year-old colts, and yearlings, many of which promise to make hunters, and those of the right sort, not being deficient in substance." Then comes a visit to the stables, the external appearance of the building being, he remarks, nothing very striking, though they are "very con- veniently placed, being within a hundred yards of the back entrance to the mansion." Of the interior, he says it " exhibits a splendid stud, and this com- posed of every description of horse." The thirty- four " regular hunters " and the other ten that are " able to go a-hunting " are passed in review, and then comes the inquiry to the head groom, " What is become of Tom Thumb ? I do not see him here. The Duke told me, at Newmarket, that he would 115 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT not have taken a thousand guineas for him last season ; but he feared he was going wrong, having become lame in the frost.' " ' Tom Thumb,' replied Dick, ' is gone into the Dowager Duchess's coach in London ; and a good job he is. The Duke was terrible fond of jumping gates on him. He jumped seven one day, and, by all accounts, he liked to have jumped one too many. Depend upon it, Tom Thumb had had too many hot shirts with that Scotch gentleman before he came to us ; he was weak in his loins and his hocks.' " But to return to the stud. I much like the style of horse for the Duke's own riding, of which he has twelve ; they are well bred, of commanding height, and quite equal to his weight. Free- Martin and Archdeacon may be said to be the flowers of the flock ; and the Duke told me that Mr. Maxse had given a high character of Arch- deacon (and of Sampson), after having ridden him a run. Will Long has likewise eight first- rate horses for his use, leaving fifteen well-seasoned hunters for the whips and other purposes ; namely, for the use of friends. The remaining ten, which Dick does not admit to the honourable appellation of hunters, are, many of them, first-rate hacks ; amongst them old Mayflower — deserving all Dick's encomiums upon her, and also one of the most elegant animals I ever beheld in any country in the form of a milk-white mare, full of Arabian ii6 THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON blood, which is the Duke's charger when with his yeomanry. His Grace made an offer of this mare to the Queen, as a gift, of course; but her Majesty was dissuaded from accepting her by Sir Richard Quentin, who considered her somewhat too spicy to be entrusted with so precious a burthen as our young and promising Queen." The coach horses naturally are not overlooked, and the " four road horses, ridden and driven by postilions, and looking much like going the pace, which no doubt they do," are duly noted. Next to them are " four phaeton horses, as the Duke calls them, having no driving coach of his own at present," but " making use of Lord Chesterfield's, when in London." These phaeton horses are " two greys and two chestnut pies, neat and elegant in their form. . . . They are small — hardly reaching Sir Bellingham Graham's standard for gentlemen s road work, which he thinks should not exceed fifteen hands — but exceedingly blood-like and well- proportioned. " By the way," goes on Nimrod, ever ready to break into anecdote, — " By the way, the Duke told me an anecdote of this pretty little team, which speaks to their credit, and also to their owner's coachmanship. His Grace was bringing no less than eighteen of his friends from off the Brighton racecourse in his coach ; and all who have been there know the nature of the road that leads from it to the town — a steep hill, with a grass surface, very slippery at that time of 117 H THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT year. ' You had better put the skid on the wheel, Duke,' said that experienced coachman, the Honour- able Fitzroy Stanhope. ' I think not,' replied the Duke ; ' it will very probably cause the hind wheels to strike, and, in that case, we should be floored with this top-heavy load.' 'I never let them know,' said his Grace to me, ' that they were going down a hill at all, and all went well' ' You were quite right, Duke,' said I ; ' I always have been afraid of a skid upon hard and slippery ground, having so many times experienced the danger of it ; and had you let those little wheel-horses once feel the pressure from your load, they would soon have become impatient, and, consequently, of no use to you. It reminds me,' resumed I, * of a remark Gentleman Taylor, as he was called, made to me, when I asked whether his pole-chains (on the Southampton Telegraph) were not lighter than they should be over his hilly ground ? ' Quite strong enough,' replied he ; ' there is never any stress on my pole-chains.' This led to another observation of mine to the Duke, who loves a bit of coaching talk. ' I witnessed a similar case to your Brighton Lark,' said I, ' when one of fifteen, on your friend George Payne's coach, from Croxton Park racecourse to Melton town, and an equally good specimen of coachmanship. Having a very spicy team, put on their mettle at the moment, as horses returning from a racecourse invariably are, a hint was given to him that the skid would be desirable going down ii8 THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON Thorpe Hill, the road being as hard as if it were covered with sheet-iron. ' Leave them to me,' said he ; and beautifully did he conceal from them the trying situation they were in.' " On the occasion of a second visit to Badminton, the same writer, from whom I have been quoting, gives one of his vivid pictures of the state of the country at the time. " The postboy who drove me to Badminton, told me what very much surprised me ; but all that he did tell me was afterwards confirmed by the Duke. He said so numerous had been the highway robberies lately in that part of the country, that the farmers, riding home from market, carried either pistols or life-preservers, and that even waggoners, going for lime or coals, were knocked down on the road, and robbed of the money taken to pay for them. One of this description of foot- pads, indeed, had only a few days before been committed to prison by the Duke." Having reached Badminton in safety in spite of the thrilling tales recounted by the postboy, Nim- rod tells us of a house party assembled to join in the sport the Duke was showing with his hounds. '* The Duke returned not a little pleased with the day's sport, and particularly so, as he had made one of the twelve who were up at the finish of the run. His Grace was accompanied by the Hon. James {par excellence 'Jemmy') Macdonald, brother to the slashing Meltonian of that name ; Captain Charles Jones (brother to Sir Tyrwhitt), of the Guards, and 119 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT the Hon. Edward Somerset ; the two first-named having joined the Duke in London, on his road from Abingdon Abbey, near Northampton, where he had been sojourning for a week, with Lord Chesterfield, and seen some good sport over that fine country." On the following day, when the Duke's meet was at Stanford Park, this fixture being, we are told, " a favourite one in the hunt," the scene is thus touched off. " Carriages with four posters were seen making for it, with all possible speed, as the condition of the nags evinced ; and, amongst others, was the carriage of Mr. Drax, master of the Charborough foxhounds in Dorsetshire, containing himself and some friends. There was, also, amongst the field, one whom I was very happy again to shake by the hand. This was Mr. Henry Peyton, son of my very old friend, Sir Henry, but better known in the sporting world as ' young Peyton,' still going in his usual form, as nearly straight as circu^nstances will admit, and still adhering to the peculiar costume, viz., a flower in the breast, and the signal flag flying." After describing the day's sport, Nimrod criticises pretty freely the horse upon which the Duke had mounted him. " It was one the Duke had upon trial, and sent to him with the character of being a first-rate hunter ; but as, despite of a gag-rein, in addition to a sharp curb-bit, I could not bring his head into place, he was far from being such in my 120 THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON estimation. Although capable of jumping the largest fence in the country, he got over small ones in a very slovenly manner, actually trying for the bottom of two ditches with one of his feet, before he rose, risi7ig as it were from three legs, a fault in a hunter not, in my opinion, to be exceeded. The Duke," he then remarks, "rode Free-Martin this day as first horse, having refused five hundred guineas for him, the previous week, from Lord Chesterfield, who told me he wished much to have had him in his stable. He is nearly as fine a horse as Lord Seagrave's Blood Royal, of whom I have already spoken, as the best stamp of hunter." A characteristic story of the Duke follows. " His Grace of Beaufort is, generally, remarkable for the suaviter in modo ; but on this day — and justly so — he gave us a specimen of his fortiter in re . . . A lawyer from Bath attempted to halloo the hounds to a hare whilst they were on their own game ; and had Job been a master of hounds, I can scarcely believe he would have stood that, especially with a brother master of foxhounds in the field. ' Well done the Duke,' said a good sportsman, in my hear- ing ; ' I never heard him throw his tongue so loud.' But now appears the kind-hearted Duke. When the venison came on the table in the evening, I over- heard him say to his friend * Charley Jones,' * I'll send that lawyer a neck of venison to-morrow.' " There was no time lost on the road when hunting was in prospect, as appears from the following : 121 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT " I have often gone a good pace to cover, but never, I think, so fast as on this day. ' You had better make a start,' said Dick to Mr. Somerset and my- self, as he put him on a whistling bit of blood, and myself on a horse they called the hog-maned pony — strong enough, by the way, to have carried Dan Lambert on the road, and, from his capital fencing, Will Long's favourite hunter in the cub-hunting — * the Duke is going to ride old Mayflower, and he puts her along at a terrible pace.' And so we found it. Although we went very gently till his Grace and his other friends overtook us, we were only thirty-two minutes, from the time I mounted at the stable door, going seven miles over a very in- different cross-the-country road. The old mare slips along at extraordinary speed, although not appearing to be doing beyond eight miles in the hour." The magnificence of a lawn meet at Badminton much impressed the chatty chronicler. He tells us : " The fixture for this day was The Lawn, which implies Badmington ^ Park House ; and it generally happens that there are present, not only a numerous field of sportsmen, but carriages filled with ladies and gentlemen from Bath and Bristol, as also from the surrounding chateaus, merely to enjoy the spectacle, are among the crowd. This morning, however, having been anything but a fit one for a spectacle, prevented such an assemblage ; and, al- ^ Nimrod spells it in this way. 122 THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON though it cleared up before throwing-ofif time, there was by no means a numerous one. But, really, this is a sight worth any one's while to witness. Breakfast, for at least fifty, is served in the great hall, with a full attendance of servants, all in their evening costume, and a most agreeable mixture of le ddjeuner a la fourchette et a I' A?iglais is presented to the choice of the company, which is confined to the inmates of the house and the members of the Badmington Hunt." In the course of a run an accident befell Mr. William Codrington, a son-in-law of the Duke, and Nimrod thus characteristically ends his description of the event: — " Lady Georgiana, his wife, was on her horse, when the words, ' That horse has broken William Codrington's leg,' loudly assailed her ear. And how did she deport herself 1 Did she yield to the weakness (amiable as it may be) of her sex, and add to the sufferings of her husband by either exclamations or cries ? She did neither ; but in- clining her head towards that of her horse, and resting it for a few seconds on her hand, she silently let fall some tears, and then instantly re- covered her self-possession. As I left Badmington on the Monday following, and as the attention of her ladyship was entirely devoted to her suffering husband — for, owing to a contusion being added to the fracture, as well as from its situation, he did suffer very much — I had no opportunity of ex- pressing in person my admiration of such conduct, 123 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT which was quite worthy of the name and lineage of her house." Of the characters of the hunting-field at this time, one of the best known was the famous hunting sweep, whose portrait appears on page 126. An amusing account of this man. Vizard of Chipping Sodbury, is given with the picture as it appears in an old magazine, — " His habit as he lives is by the cunning of the designer placed before the reader as faithfully as if it were in a mirror . . . that implement of his craft which is seen embellish- ing his sinister breast is an inseparable companion known familiarly as his bouquet. It was at the close of a crack run that the courteous Duke of Beaufort addressed him with ' Well, Mr. Vizard, were you in at the death ? ' * There are strong symptoms of it, for your Grace may perceive I have got the brush.' " On Saturday sennight the favourite meet took place on the lawn in front of Badminton House, and, as usual, was quite a show day. The weather being fine, there was a strong muster of carriages with female branches of the neighbouring gentry, and amono^st the horsemen were the Duke of Beaufort, the young Marquis of Worcester, the Earl of Wilton, Lord Andover, Lord Seymour, Mr. C. W. Codrington, M.P., Mr. R. B. Hale, M.R, Mr. Neeld, M.P., Mr. Ramsden, M.P., Captain Boldero, M.P., and others, comprising altogether a well- appointed field of 300, including last, not least, an 124 71. a o >- THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON old friend, ' the hunting sweep,' who was received with warm congratulations by all present." The Duke mounted this real enthusiast for many years on a chestnut horse called " Prosper," The following obituary notice from Bell's Life tells of Prospers end. This is dated August 19, 1849. " On Friday week it was determined that the ex- tended acquaintance of Prosper and his sable rider must end, and on the animal being led to the kennel the knight of the brush and scraper being present, took hoof in hand, giving him a hearty shake, and witnessed the beloved Prosper pay the debt of nature at the advanced age of twenty-four." The days of the seventh Duke were now drawing to a close. His hunting-days were already ended ; and the eighth Duke (then of course Lord Worcester) was acting as master in the field. It was now that the teams of Skewbald horses were so often to be seen. The Duke with four of these ridden by postilions managed to see a great deal of hunt- ing. The present Duke has told me how, when quite a little fellow — he was only six years of age when the old man died — he had his first view of hounds, seated in the hood of his grandfather's carriage. It was in 1853 that the seventh Duke passed away. He was on the whole the most successful and prosperous of his line, and he had led a healthy and beneficent life. He left behind him general regret. He had served his country, managed his estates so 127 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT that his tenants loved and respected him, and he had done many kind and generous actions. He seems to have been a man somewhat of the stamp of the original founder of his family, marked by the qualities of strength, resoluteness, and kindliness, that had raised the old Somersets to rank and power. 128 VI The Boyhood of the Eighth Duke 129 1 TTTF, ST=-VKNTII DUKE OF BEAUFORT. CHAPTER VI The Boyhood of the Eighth Duke IT was on February 12, 1824, that a son was born to the Marquis of Worcester, the heir of the sixth Duke of Beaufort. This child, who received the names of Henry Charles Fitzroy, and bore the title of Earl of Glamorgan, was for many years to be a central figure in English Sport and Society. The heir to the Dukedom of Beaufort, the his- torical associations of which have already been sketched, must indeed be a person of note in Eng- land. We have seen how the Somerset family had been connected with the earlier stages of the tran- sition of the English nobility from a position of personal power to one of political influence. The eighth Duke of Beaufort was to see another great change pass over English society, and to live through that Victorian Era, that has witnessed a transformation of our social life greater than at any period in our history. In 1824 the Reform Bill was still eight years away, and the political power that had been for so long concentrating in the 133 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT hands of our great families had not yet begun to pass from them. Such men as the Duke of Beau- fort, however, with their unbending Tory principles, were excluded by the great Whig oligarchy from place and power. Two careers then only remained to them. The military service of their country, and local leadership in country sports and agricul- tural matters. Both these lines were adopted suc- cessively by the heads of the Somerset family. The eighth Duke was to be a keen soldier, whose regret was deep that no opportunity of active ser- vice was open to him. He was to watch, rather as a spectator than an actor, the political and social changes that followed the first Reform Bill and the introduction of railways. As far as external incidents were concerned, the life of this Duke followed on the whole an even tenour. The various opportunities that his position opened out to him unfolded themselves one by one, and he was in turn soldier, statesman, and a leading figure in country life. It is not the duty of the bio- grapher unduly to exalt and magnify his subject, but he cannot fail to note that Charles Henry Fitz- roy Somerset, eighth Duke of Beaufort, was success- ful in all he undertook. Nor was this due entirely to his position. We need not consider here whether his gifts might or might not have been more pro- fitably employed ; it is sufficient to note that in every line of business or pleasure, in society or in politics, so far as he entered into the last, the Duke was a 134 BOYHOOD OF THE EIGHTH DUKE leading and noticeable figure. He had the gift of a charming personality, and this means that he possessed both the will and the power of shedding happiness about his path in life. The unfailing kindness of his heart, the fine courtesy of his manner, the unaffected desire to make those around him happy, marked him out as one who was to win the affection of his fellows for his good qualities, and to obtain their forgiveness for his errors. The courtesy and thoughtfulness that marked his conduct in life are not so common that they may pass unnoticed. Many people are good or are thought to be so, many are considerate or try to be, but very few are pleasant at the same time. Yet when we come to sum up the lives of our friends, we find that our strongest affections are drawn to those human characters, whose very faults have made them tolerant of the infirmities and weaknesses of their fellows, and whose desire to brighten the lives of those around them has been a continual and conscious effort. Such characters, it is true, may lack the backbone of strength, but when we find them succeeding in all they undertake, we know they must have power and ability as well as the milk of human kindness. The Somerset family, as we have seen, had been for some generations somewhat out of the main stream of public life. They had therefore thrown themselves into matters of lesser moment. But sports and pastimes, though they may seem of trivial 135 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT importance, help to forge the strongest and most enduring of social ties. To one whose position, in a country like ours, marks him out as a leader of men, it is of the greatest importance that he should have the power to enjoy and excel in the things that interest his fellows. Thus the Duke's knowledge of horseflesh, his skill as a huntsman, his marvellous power as a coachman, made his country neighbours more willing to listen to him when he spoke to them on such matters as politics, or some local improvement in agriculture. For men will brook counsel and advice from one to whom they are bound by the love of a common sport. The agricultural classes, too, have ever been glad to have as a spokesman, one who by virtue of his birth, can make himself heard in those regions of court and government, that seem so far away to the man with his eyes on the earth, and his hand on the plough, who yet knows that he may be affected by the action of a far-away lawmaker in London. The late Duke of Beaufort moved in and out among his own people, he met then in every pursuit of life. He was a foremost figure in the hunting-field and was at the head of the most magnificent establishment of the kind that has been seen in our day. He was the accepted leader and adviser of many men in all ranks of life. But most of all he was a prince in his own neighbour- hood. In spite of all the changes that the last 136 BOYHOOD OF THE EIGHTH DUKE fifty years have seen, there is still no more wonderful power than the leadership of a great English noble- man in his own country. The will and opinions of the one man direct and control those of the many, and far more certainly than by men who have what is sometimes called the substance of power in their hands. This influence is entirely unsupported by force ; it is all so intangible and made up of so many threads that it is almost im- possible to define. It certainly is not, however, the result of a splendid isolation. As we follow the course of the eighth Duke's life, we recognise that there has been no more personally influential man among landed proprietors in our time, and none who mixed more freely with his people. In him we find the combination of a very human nature with gifts, ability, and a great position. But we have gone far ahead of the year 1824, and those early days when the little Lord Glamorgan travelled to and from school on the coaches that were then the means of conveyance for all classes. To these journeys the Duke always looked back with pleasure, and no doubt they laid the foundation of that knowledge of the road and the love for driving that never left him. For he was undoubt- edly the finest amateur coachman of our day. In- deed his education and his knowledge of driving went hand in hand. That the latter taste was inherited is clear from the fact that his father, who did not succeed to the dukedom till his 137 I THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT heir was eleven years of age, was himself a very fine coachman. He was both quick and strong, and moreover had those light hands that make any horses go well. Soon after Glamorgan was sent to school Lord Worcester determined to lighten his labours in the House of Commons with some coach- ing, so he started a coach of his own in partnership with one Alexander, a large horse owner in the Borough. The partners soon had two coaches on the Brighton road, one called the Wonder, and an afternoon coach known as the Quicksilver, both leaving at four of the clock. The Quicksilver's name was changed later to Criterion, and this is the dark-blue coach with red wheels drawn by four bays and with Lord Worcester on the box which is depicted in a well-known print. Lord Glamorgan's first school was at Brighton, and a very rough one it seems to have been. Those were the days when flogging was considered a cure for all moral and intellectual failings. Un- luckily for the youth of the period, a doubtful trans- lation of Solomon's proverbs was accepted as inspired truth, and the most tenderhearted parents re- proached themselves if they did not profit by the Biblical warning, "Spare the rod and spoil the child." While this was the effect on the naturally humane, many parents of a harder mould, and schoolmasters who were flagellators by profession, undoubtedly carried out the implied duty in a manner we should consider brutal. Of the kind of 138 BOYHOOD OF THE EIGHTH DUKE education, and the treatment, the little heir of the house of Somerset received at the hands of the schoolmaster, to whose care he was confided when he was eight years of age, he himself tells. "On one occasion, early in November, 1833, I, being then nine years old, had committed the high crime and misdemeanour of ending a pentameter with a three-syllable word, for which the usher caned me at eleven o'clock school. At five o'clock school the doctor came in — I think he must have been served with two writs that day. His eye fell upon me. ' Have you been caned to-day ? ' ' Yes, sir.' * What for ? ' I told him. ' What, a three- syllable word again ! Go and fetch my cane.' The usher was a good fellow, though passionate, and said, ' I caned him severely for it.' * Never mind,' said the doctor, * he will remember two thrashings better than one.' His hand was on my throat, and I was writhing under his blows for fully three minutes. As he went out of the room he turned and said, * After prayers to-morrow morning you shall have just such another thrashing.' " In consequence of this extension of punishment, the little Lord Glamorgan made a determined effort to escape from his tormentors. Early the following morning he crept from the schoolhouse, and with the large sum of fourpence in his pocket, made his way to the yard from which the Wonder was to start. Having persuaded the coachman that, in conse- quence of his father being ill, he had been sum- 139 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT moned home, the runaway proudly mounted to the box, and in due time started. Alas, this pride was the cause of his downfall. When his absence was discovered and search made for him, the news spread that a little boy had been seen on the coach box that morning. Pursuit was instant, and though the coachman was inclined to stand by his young passenger, such cogent arguments were brought to bear on him that his good nature was not proof against them, and the culprit had to return to face his punishments. When the news of the adventure, and its cause, reached Lord Worcester, he " was furious at the treatment " his son had received ; but in spite of this. Lord Glamorgan remained at the school till he went to Eton. No doubt the life at Eton was rougher then than it is now, but it must have been a great improve- ment on the Brighton experiences. The young Lord Worcester — for he became known by the title hitherto borne by his father, after the death of his grandfather, the sixth Duke, on November 23, 1835 — joined in all the sports popular with his schoolfellows, while he was receiving an education not unsuited to the life he was to lead. It is, or perhaps was, the fashion to underrate the training given in our public schools ; but, after all, nothing has been found to come up to it as a general preparation for life. Worcester was no doubt a clever boy, and he owed much of his easy, cultivated power of ex- pression to his Eton training. When, later in life, 140 BOYHOOD OF THE EIGHTH DUKE he undertook the work of editing the Badminton Library, he contributed to those volumes some chapters on hunting and driving, that are the best and brightest to be found in that interesting series. But Lord Worcester learnt a good deal beside the making of Latin verses, an exercise for which he declared he had neither gift nor liking. Natur- ally the training in sport of the heir, not only to the dukedom of Beaufort, but to the master- ship of the Badminton Hunt, was not neglected. By the time he was fifteen he was a fair coach- man, being able to use his whip and to hit either leader without difficulty. He was, too, already learning the secrets of the kennel and of the hunting-field. The life at Badminton was at once easy and comfortable, yet with a touch of regal magnificence, the taste for which no doubt belonged to the Somerset blood, and was hereditary in the race. Nimrod, who had a fine pictorial gift, and who sketched his interiors with the fidelity of a Dutch painter, was a guest at Badminton for the fifteenth birthday of young Lord Worcester, and he gives us a vivid picture of the family life of the Somersets at the time. The seventh Duke who had then been the Lord of Badminton for four years, had a truly regal way of dispensing favours, and Mr. Apperley, who was but slenderly endowed with this world's goods, had been invited to Badminton that he might enjoy 141 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT some days with the hounds on his host's horses. That the Duke was not without a sense of humour is shown by the means he took to check the too great zeal of the bell-ringers on the occasion of the heir's birthday. The bells, which had been going at intervals all day, and as the church actually ad- adjoined the house, were of course somewhat too near to be pleasant, broke out in disturbing fashion just as the house party sat down to dinner. " Tell those fellows," was the Duke's order, " the more they ring the less they shall have to drink," and the chimes presently died away into silence. Of the various attractions that Badminton offered to guests, who, like Mr. Apperley, found their hopes of hunting killed by the weather, the disappointed sportsman says there was, " in the first place, the pleasant party in the house ; secondly, the best fare ; thirdly, the thousand volumes at least in the library, beside the inspection of the house, gardens, grounds, and last — but not least — the kennels, stables, and harness room." All of these substitutes for sport Nimrod tried in turn. Of the interior of the grand old pile, that had grown up round the modest hunt- ing-box of days long past, the description is all that might be expected from Mr. Apperley's pen. The library, with " its superb folios " was, we are told, a " room of vast comfort," while its opening into an immense conservatory filled even in mid-winter with lilies of the valley, hyacinths, and violets, leads to some characteristic poetical reflections that need 142 BOYHOOD OF THE EIGHTH DUKE not detain us. The use of the larger exotics in the decoration of the dinner table, strikes the visitor with admiration. It was the custom to have a certain number of these beautiful flowers embedded in moss, and placed in racing-cups, one to each of the guests of the day. As the name of each flower was duly marked, Mr. Apperley quaintly says they thus served the double purpose of pleasing the eye, and affording " subject of conversation." In a style altogether peculiar to himself, he then g^oes on to remind his readers that though "the display of flowers at an entertainment . . . liveried and unliveried servants, suitable plate and dazzling candelabras will be seen at all great men's houses," Badminton — which Mr. Apperley throughout spells Badmington — " can produce a scene in itself unique. Where, unless it be at Badmington, will be seen the interesting combination of five beauti- ful and elegantly dressed children, seated in a row, and looking, step above step, as the five little Ladies Somerset look, on one side of this dinner-room, during the greater part of the ban- quet, or, rather, until their hour of rest approaches, when they take an affectionate leave of their parents ? " But to leave our rather long-winded and senti- mental chronicler, we may say, in short, that though Nimrod paints for us the glories of the entrance hall, and of the large drawing-room, and bids us remember that the number of rooms in the house is 143 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT 1 1 6, and the distance from his bedroom door to the billiard room on the floor beneath " can be little short of the eighth of a mile," it is when he describes the stable and its accessories, that he is more on his own ground, and that he consequently condescends to a more natural style of narrative. " There is nothing very striking," he tells us, " in the external appearance of the Badmington stables, which are very conveniently placed, being within a hundred yards of the back entrance to the mansion. Their interior, however — by far the most important — exhibits a splendid stud, and this composed of every description of horse." Even here, one or two of Nimrod's quaint obser- vations may occupy us for a moment. We may make a note that the head groom tells him there are thirty-five " regular hunters " under his care, while there are ten more "able to go a-hunting." Mr. Apperley then introduces a subject of special interest to himself — the Duke's fondness for mount- ing his friends. " Would you believe it ? " asked the groom, " the Duke once mounted seventeen gentlemen one day." A certain old favourite covert-hack of his master's, named Mayflower, was introduced by the groom with the remark " two and twenty years old last grass, and now as sound as a ninepin and as playful as a kitten. . . . All our young ladies were brought up upon her." The narrator thereupon does not lose the opportunity for reflecting on " the happy association of female ac- 144 BOYHOOD OF THE EIGHTH DUKE complishments, with the rare virtues of a favourite old mare ! " The horses belonging to the Duchess of Beaufort naturally come in for attention from the visitor. A pair of clever iron-grey galloways were driven by the mistress of the establishment in her phaeton. Then there were " four particularly clever Welsh ponies," which have " been forced into the highest form their natural good points were capable of, by good keep and good bitting," and consequently con- vey the idea of " perfect Lilliputian coach- horses." Of the harness used for this pony team, Nimrod declares : " I never saw anything so complete of its sort, combining ornaments intended for display — such an imitation of precious stones in the bridle fronts — with all the essentials to road work. Who but a coachman," he demands, " would have turned out his lady in such truly classical style ? " The disposition of the young heir towards hunt- ing naturally arises before this stable interview is over, " Will the Marquis do ? " asked Nimrod, alluding to his riding to hounds. " That he will," was the reply, " if they don't spoil him." The meaning of the implied dread of interference is, we are told, founded on the not improbable contingency of Lord Worcester being sent to "foreign parts" before his education was completed. And through all the flummery of Nimrod's little affectations and exaggerations we see the stately home, with its kindly master and mistress, the well- 145 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT ordered household of children and servants, and the simple healthy country life that is unfolded be- fore our eyes. Every department was thoroughly organised and well kept up, and it was into a home atmosphere of good nature and kindly feeling, and an absorbing love of sport, that the young Lord Worcester came from Eton, while he in his turn was being trained to take the headship of his house. 146 VII Famous Servants of the Badminton Hunt 147 WILLIAM LONG. CHAPTER VII Famous Servants of the Badminton Hunt WITH the exceptions of the Belvoir and the Pytchley, no hunt in England has such a roll of servants as the Badminton. If we turn back to the earliest days, we find that Beckford refers to the " famous Will Crane." This man was considered the best huntsman of his day. Tall and powerfully built, he was a strong horse- man, who could, in spite of his weight, always manage to be with his hounds. Too great love of the bottle caused his retirement at last. To him succeeded Thomas Ketch, a man wholly devoted to sport and to his hounds. But he was a little rough with his tongue when spoken to by irrespon- sible persons. His master, the fifth Duke, recog- nised, however, that he had but the faults of his qualities. Ketch continued to carry the horn until old age obliged him to retire on a pension. Thomas Alderton, his successor, was one of those men who are first-rate as whippers-in, but of little use as huntsmen. As Alderton was a man of sound 151 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT sense, he recognised this fact, and one day he as- tonished the Duke by a request to be allowed to return to his old place. The Duke consented, and John Dilworth was consequently appointed to be huntsman. This man was a capital huntsman in the field, but in the kennel he was not so successful, and the quality of the pack soon declined. How- ever, he too served as long as he could, and in the end retired with a pension. Then came Philip Payne. The following story suggests that under his predecessor kennel discipline as well as kennel management had been somewhat defective. Philip Payne used to tell how, after he was installed as huntsman, he was preparing to walk the hounds in the park, when the whippers in appeared in the kennel loaded with couples. " What are these for ? " ** To put on the hounds, sir," and the whippers in went on to explain that they were accustomed to couple up the hounds when exer- cising in the park, for fear of their running riot among the deer. " Stuff and nonsense," was Philip's reply ; " they won't run the deer while I am with them." And so it proved, thus adding one more evidence to the truth, that if you trust your hounds they will both trust and obey you. On Philip Payne's career it is not necessary to dwell further. His successor was William Long, the most famous of all the Badminton huntsmen. Few men have excelled him as a horseman, as a breeder of hounds, or as a huntsman in the field. 152 FAMOUS SERVANTS OF THE HUNT William Long lived in the service of the Dukes of Beaufort for a period of over half a century. His father was stud groom, and Long began his career by riding to and fro with the post bag while he was still quite a little lad. His heart, however, was in hunting, and ere long he was promoted to the hunt stables, where his firm seat and light hands caused him to be entrusted with the schooling of the young horses. The prac- tice thus gained, helped him to become the fine horseman he was in later years. " In this" (horse- manship) said a contemporary, "he is unrivalled. I invite all lovers of a chase to see him ride one : the finest seat, with such hands as are rarely in use, he rides without jealousy and takes the country as it comes." While the seventh Duke was at Oxford, Will Long was often sent with a horse to meet his young master in the Heythrop country. But Long's heart was even more in the kennel than the stable, and the kindly sixth Duke, seeing how strong his wishes were, gave him a chance. In 1807 he was appointed second whipper-in to Philip Payne, and no better school could be imagined. Nor was any one more likely to make good use of his opportunities than young Will. " A man of singular intelligence, one who reasoned and turned over in his mind all things connected with hunting-" we are assured he was. Long at once earned golden opinions as a whipper-in. He could stop a hound or bring on the laggards 153 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT quickly and quietly, and was always, by reason of his thoughtfulness and quickness of observation, exactly where he ought to be. From him most whippers-in might well learn a lesson, for how many are constantly to be seen exactly where they ought not to be ! Long had of course the advantage of serving under Philip Payne, a huntsman whose hounds loved and trusted him and flew to his horn or his voice. For ten years Long served as second whipper-in. Then he was promoted, and for eight years more he was first whipper-in, till age obliged Payne to resign. For some time before that, Long had frequently hunted the hounds. In his eighteen years as a subordinate he learned a great deal. A whipper-in's place was then a great deal harder than it is now. Even the first whipper-in under the sixth Duke had no second horse, and Long himself related that he rode Milkmaid for seventeen seasons on an average twenty times in each. He tells the following story in a letter to a friend. Hounds found in Tarwood, then a much more ex- tensive covert than it is now. If undergraduates of Oxford ever hunt there nowadays, the moderate- sized covert they see, is not the Tarwood that drew their fathers and grandfathers as by a magnet to the covert side. It was an afternoon fox of which Long tells, and the hour was late. The fox was almost beaten, and the earths in Wychwood Forest all open before him. 154 FAMOUS SERVANTS OF THE HUNT " I set off wide of the hounds," says Will, " and managed to head him at a small spinney a little way before he reached the forest. But the fox being determined to make his point, got away, going one field to the left, which gave me a chance of scoring on him again, and I met him on Ramsden Heath, and there bothered him so that he lay down until the hounds got nearly up to him and he jumped up in view. I still kept on between him and the forest, turning him from his point, and at last forcing him into the green kennel yard at Heythrop, and in that yard we killed ; the Duke (sixth) remarking to Philip Payne, * If the young pack enter as well as the young whipper-in, there won't be much the matter next season.'" In another letter Long contrasts the work done by whippers-in in his time with their more fortunate lot at the present day. " During the whole time I was whipper-in I did, first of all, two horses every morning, then went hunting, and assisted for an hour and a half in cleaning my horse be the hour what it might when we got home. On our hunting days did the earth stopping, dressing my horse when I returned, with the addition of having all my hunt- ing clothes, boots, etc., to clean ; but being fond of hunting, it so stimulated me, or I could not have got through the work." The long, hard and faithful service had its reward at last, and Will Long received the horn from Philip Payne and became master where he had been man. 155 K THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT Just at first some of the older followers of the hunt, who had come to believe that old Philip was the only huntsman in the world, found fault with his successor. Long's voice was inharmonious and his dog language inferior. But Long was a born hunts- man, one of those men who trust their hounds and whose hounds love them. He was very quiet with the pack till his quick eye saw that the moment had come to act, and then he would rouse every hound to activity with a ringing cheer. He had a very wide and varied country to hunt over. For nine years of his service as huntsman, the Duke of Beaufort's country included the present Heythrop territory. Every year Long took his hounds to the Heythrop kennels, which stood where the laundry of the present house is now, and ex- changed the woods, light plough, and fine if deep pastures of Gloucestershire and Wilts, for the stonewall country of the Heythrop. The latter does not carry so good a scent as Gloucestershire, and a huntsman needs to be able to lift his hounds at times. When in 1835, shortly before the death of the sixth Duke, the Oxfordshire country was given up, the present Heythrop hunt was founded. The hunt servants there still wear the Badminton green plush instead of pink, as a memory of the days when the country was a part of the Beaufort hunt, just as we are reminded by those same plush coats of the continuity of the Badminton hounds from the stag- hounds of early days. 156 FAMOUS SERVANTS OF THE HUNT Jem Hills, who had been at one time with Long as whipper-in, became the huntsman of the separated country, with twenty-five couple of Badminton hounds to start with, ten couple from Lord Radnor, ten couple of unentered hounds from Mr. Drake, nine and a half in a draft from the Warwickshire, a couple and a half from Mr. Moreton,^ and one couple from Belvoir. As Will Long bred a lighter hound than Philip Payne, so Jem Hills went beyond his master in his efforts to breed for quality and speed. The Heythrop country makes a quick, decisive style of hunting necessary. Scent there is not good. Its fences do not stop horses, and it had in those days at least a good many undergraduates in the field. Thus Jem Hills lifted his hounds *' more frequently than any other huntsman of his day,' and one who hunted with the Heythrop for three seasons can bear witness to the efficiency of his methods. The following instance is given. Hounds found a fox in Sherborne Cow Pasture. There was not much scent, and Hills "seemed determined not to lose a chance whenever a check occurred." A master of hounds from a good scenting county who happened to be out said that ** in his opinion hounds so treated would never hunt when required to do so." Yet these hounds would work for Hills and put their noses down, and spread and try for the ^ Afterwards Earl of Ducie. 157 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT scent when required. No one was quicker away from covert than Hills. So famous was he, the memory of the sport he showed being still green in my own undergraduate days, that he certainly deserves a place among the famous servants of the Badminton Hunt. But to return to Long — good as he was as a huntsman, he was no writer. I have before me his diaries. He kept in them the barest re- cord of the sport, with no echo of the enthusiasm he felt. His journals are consequently somewhat dry reading, and we have to turn to other pages to obtain an idea of the sport enjoyed by the hunt. The seventh Duke was still able to ride, and had not yet taken to the well-known phaeton with the postillions and outriders and the skewbald horses that later became a feature of the field. The eighth Duke was yet a boy, though keen about hounds and hunting, for Long testifies that he was an excellent whipper-in. It was on January 20th, 1842, that the Badminton hounds had one of those runs that may well be called historic. Stanton Park was the fixture, and that well-known covert the draw. Hounds replied to Long's opening cheer with a challenge. In a moment more the famous badger pies were throw- ing their tongues with a charming chorus. The music of the hounds — there is none like it for those who love the chase — rang through the wood and told of a good scent. On the Draycot side hounds 158 FAMOUS SERVANTS OF THE HUNT poured out like a stream in spate, stopped, wavered, and settled to run. At every fence the pursuers grew fewer as hounds held on. The wild chorus of the wood was but a rippling chime, as now one, now another of the pack acknowledged the beauty of the poem that Hartley Coleridge thought scent made to the exquisitely attuned senses of the hound. Silently the pack swept onward, silently the field followed, from time to time one or another dropping out of the chase. Each man is looking straight before him, his vision limited to the eager ears of his horse and the fleeting piebald mass of the hounds. The fences are left behind. Always among the foremost riders is the slight, wiry figure of Will Long — now giving an ecstatic cheer, now " Unconsciously damning Their dear little hearts as they run." His arm flies up at times with a characteristic jerk, a signal to those behind that the hounds are running on. Alas ! in Badminton Park they were halloaed to a fresh fox. But the day was saved by an excited groom, who, running up, told the huntsman, " I seen a 'unted fox, Mr. Long; 'e's as black as my 'at, and 'is tongue's out and 'is brush down." " How long has he been gone .'* " asked Will briskly as he took his horn out of its case. " Three minutes, and 'e can go a bit yet, or I'm mistaken." 159 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT The hounds fly to the horn. (The eighth Duke said Long never let them change foxes.) Horses are standing still everywhere. Only a few go on and see hounds catch a beaten fox, as he tried in vain to top a stone wall. Who-whoop ! What says the chronicler ? " Twenty-five miles in an hour and twenty minutes." ^ Well, it might have taken twice that and more, and still have been a good run, though not a word is to be found in Will Long's own account. Pos- sibly the enthusiasm of the writer confused his memory. It was a great run in any case, and, as Badminton men will delight to acknowledge, over a grand country. But time passed on, and the seventh Duke began to fail. The attacks of gout became more severe, and at last he no longer appeared mounted and attired in the blue and buff uniform of his hunt. In 1853 the seventh Duke slept with his fathers, and the eighth Duke came to Badminton as master. Long had now served under three Dukes of Beaufort. His new master had been a child of two years of age when he became huntsman, and had, as the Duke himself has written, " been brought up under Bill Long." There was a certain cloud over Long's retirement from the post he had occupied so many years. Both master and servant kept a ^ Hounds must have gone a long way round. Stanton to Badminton being barely seven miles. — B. 160 FAMOUS SERVANTS OF THE HUNT diary ; but it is to their credit that the disagreement is not mentioned. We need not therefore rake up from the past a forgotten quarrel, but let the matter rest as they left it. The extracts from the two diaries tell us all we need seek to know. The last entry in Will Long's diary, dated October i8th, 1855, is as follows : — "The Duke sent Nimrod Long home for striking the hound Piper, and the same evening sent for me and Nimrod to his room, and after some little talk, I gave him notice that Nimrod and myself would leave the service. I hunted forty-seven times in this season previous to my leaving, and killed sixty foxes." On October 20th the Duke makes his first entry in the books he kept up with such care during the time he hunted the hounds. The only allusion to the circumstances under which he determined to carry the horn himself is as follows : — " The huntsman, Bill Long, having retired, and Nimrod Long, his son, the first whipper-in, leaving me also on Thursday, the 18th of October, I take to the hounds myself, with the second whipper-in, Bill Walker, and a boy, Tom Goddard, to whip m. Long retired, like his predecessors, on a pension, and he often came out to see the pack he had made, working under the young master. In another part of this book the story of the Duke as huntsman is told in his own words, and we may 161 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT therefore pass on to the time when, politics, society, and racing claiming more of the Duke's attention he decided to appoint a professional huntsman. Just as the young Duke came to this resolution, Mr. Morrell determined to sell his famous Old Berkshire Pack, then kennelled at Tubney. Mr. Morrell's huntsman was Tom Clark. The Duke, who had probably known the Old Berkshire Pack in his Oxford days, thought highly of the hounds, and gave 400 guineas for eight couple at the sale. He also engaged the huntsman to come to Bad- minton. Thus it was that ** sagacious Thomas " came to hunt the Duke's hounds and brought with him some of his favourites from Tubney. Clark's previous career had been as whipper-in to Captain Howarth ; then he was huntsman to the Craven, afterwards to Mr. Morrell of the Old Berk- shire for five years. The impression generally held of him as huntsman seems to have been that he was better in the kennel than in the field. But probably the most exact and just estimate of him is that given by his master, the eighth Duke. " Clark was a first-rate man in the kennel and good in the field. But he was perhaps a trifle too anxious to get away for a gallop. Nor was he very thorough in drawing his coverts, and not seldom drew over his fox. He was proverbially a bad finder of foxes. Once in the open he was, however, in his element ; he loved to show his field a gallop, and could be with his hounds when they ran," 162 FAMOUS SERVANTS OF THE HUNT He was, too, an excellent kennel huntsman, and loved a day on the flags to show his favourites to an appreciative visitor. No one did the honours of the kennel with more of an air than he, espe- cially when sons or daughters of his favourite Fleecer were showing themselves to his satisfac- tion. Clark remained ten years with the Duke, hunt- ing hounds often six days a week, which is hard work for any man. In his day the Duke or Lord Worcester usually drove a team to the fixture, and Tom Clark was generally one of the passengers. He was always neat and smartly turned out, and the Duke mounted him well, being of opinion that a servant, be he huntsman or whipper-in, had better be at home than badly mounted in the field. This opinion, though generally held, is by no means always acted on by masters of hounds. In 1868 Clark left and took an inn at Chipping Sodbury. He now passes out of this story. Time would fail me to tell of all the Badminton servants, many of whom reached to excellence in their profession : of Will Todd, whose holloa was famous ; of steady, careful Will Stainsby ; of Jack West, afterwards huntsman of the Cottesmore ; of Nimrod Long, who made a name for himself with the Brocklesby. It was after Tom Clark left that Lord Worcester took the horn, and Charles Hamblin came to him as kennel huntsman. Hamblin was trained under 163 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT Captain Percy Williams, of the Rufford, and was well worthy to be counted among those whose pluck, skill, and kindness have made their names honoured in the annals of English sport. 164 VITI The Eighth Duke 165 — p CHAPTER VIII The Eighth Duke WHEN the young Lord Worcester came of age he was already prepared for the duties and pleasures of his great position. In the same year (1845), a few months after his twenty-first birthday, he married Lady Georgiana Curzon, the daughter of Richard, first Earl Howe. This was a fortunate choice, for the eighth Duchess will long be remembered at Badminton for her thoughtful care of her poorer neighbours, and the gracious kindliness with which she fulfilled the social duties of her station. For a time the young heir was to lead a soldier's life. Love of soldiering was in the blood, and it had fired each successive heir to the family honours, from the day when the first Earl had served his country aboard ship or on land with equal eager- ness. I have it on the authority of the Duchess herself, that her husband was anxious to see active service. This however was denied him, though all who knew him will not doubt that he would have greatly delighted in such an opportunity as has come 169 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT to the younger English country gentlemen of our day, of showing that they are of the same mettle as their forefathers who won honours in the field. But Lord Worcester's early life was cast in a time of prolonged peace. We need not therefore dwell on his experiences in the service, which were rather of the nature of discipline and the carrying on of a family tradition, than of more serious work at the profession of arms. He began with a commission in the ist Life Guards, though most of his service was with the 7th Hussars, then, as now, a regiment famous in sport and war, and remarkable for its smartness. Those were still the days when the cavalryman's weapon was his sword, and when dash and boldness and a certain jovial recklessness were part of the accepted character of the light horseman. Lever has painted the ideal Dragoon of his day, and if Charles O'Malley in point of time belonged to an earlier period than Lord Worcester, the type was the standard at which the Hussar still aimed. A curious incident of the time of which I am now writing was recalled to me by Mr. Alfred Watson, of whose long friendship with the eighth Duke I shall speak more at length later on. A poster was put forward by the then sergeant-major of the 7th Hussars to attract recruits. In this it was stated that a few high-spirited young men were wanted, but as the regiment had lately been remounted on unseasoned blood horses, recruits would not be allowed to hunt more than once a week ! 170 THE EIGHTH DUKE The young Lord Worcester was popular, and he threw himself heartily into the gay life open to a subaltern of Hussars in the late forties and early fifties. All through his life he was distinguished by a real kindness of heart, that made him one of the most thoughtful of hosts, the most considerate of landlords, and the most genial of companions. He had too, as we have seen, a sterner side to his character, that made him very apt to succeed in all he undertook. Possibly in racing he was less successful than at anything else into which he threw himself But his career on the turf belongs to a period that was certainly not the brightest in the history of racing. The resolute rush to ruin of a few reckless men, and the flourish- ing condition of the parasites who clustered round them, gave to racing an ill name it has not yet lost, though heavy gambling on the turf is now a thing of the past. The influence of men like Lord George Bentinck and Charles Greville, to whom racing was purely a gambling speculation, soon bore fruit, and men less able and more unscrupulous recognised that the sport might be treated as a business. This made it at once more expensive and less satisfactory to those who, like Lord Worcester and the third Lord Exeter, raced for the love of sport. It made the Marquis, and his friend and contemporary Sir John Astley, often the victims of blood-suckers and parasites masquerading as sportsmen. The generous, frank nature of the former laid him open to 171 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT many deceptions, and for a considerable portion of his career he turned aside from the turf altogether. He would have nothing to do with it, till timely penalties, inflicted with unsparing hand, had at least improved the practice of the racing world, if they had not greatly raised its principles. Though no doubt Lord Worcester loved racing, it never en- grossed his time and attention as did other forms of sport. I think, indeed, we may say that hunting and soldiering in the early part of his career, and hunting and politics in the later years, had his heart. It was two years after the death of his father, the seventh Duke, that there came into the eighth Duke's life a period he thoroughly enjoyed. For three seasons he hunted his hounds himself. During this time he kept a journal that is full of touches of interest. It is a relief to turn to its clear-sighted comments and humorous reflections, from the some- what dry records of Will Long. Will Long had now been huntsman for many years. In hunting matters the Duke was his pupil, and it may be the old man was somewhat impatient of the control of the master whom he had instructed as a lad. At all events, the Duke one morning found himself without a huntsman, and he resolved for the future to carry the horn. The Duke records the change in the opening words of his diary. Of the pack with which he started, we find there were of old hounds, " dogs, twenty-five couples; bitches, 172 THE EIGHTH DUKE twenty-six couples. Young dogs, ten and a half couples ; bitches, seven and a half couples. Seventy- two couples in the kennel, sixty-nine couples of working" hounds." It was an anxious undertaking to hunt a pack of hounds that had been made by another man. There can be no doubt that hounds work very differently for a stranger, and the man they have known from puppyhood. Moreover the older hounds will have become accustomed to the ways and the methods of their huntsman, for it is certain that a kind of tradition grows up, that makes them know what the huntsman will do in certain emer- gencies — whether they can look to him for help or whether they must trust to themselves. The old dog hound is a great conservative. He resents any change, and will always respond more readily to the accustomed voice and horn. It is well known that hounds have refused to work at all for a strange huntsman. Such a case occurs to me. In Mr. Courtenay Tracy's pack of otterhounds was one named, I think. Nobleman, that had been a mainstay of Mr. Collier's pack. This hound, on finding himself in new quarters and with a stranger carrying the horn, refused to do any work, nor could anything induce him to take any interest in what went on in the field. To take a fresh pack in hand then in October is a work that few masters would care to venture on, and fewer still would be likely to be successful in 173 L THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT doing so. The Duke, however, was not an entire stranger to the hounds, for all his life he had taken a pride in them and had ridden with them from a very early age. Nevertheless, it was not without some qualms that he donned the huntsman's green plush coat on October 20th, 1855, and trotted off to Shipton Lodge for a nine o'clock meet. The country chosen was that pleasant part between Badminton and Malmesbury. In spite of the cares of office, there were probably few brighter moments in the Duke's life. To trot to covert in the brisk air of a fine October morning, with the pleasures of a season before you, your own hounds clustering round your horse's heels, and looking up to you with their wistful eyes — what can be more enjoyable, especially if, as the Duke had, you have youth and health on your side ? Doubt- less difficulties seemed to fade away, as King Charming bent his head to the rein and rattled his bit with pleasure, and the gay bitches trooped along by the master's side. Fortune indeed was to smile on the Duke's first attempt to handle hounds, as he himself has recorded. " Meet at Shipton Lodge at 9 a.m. Find in the first spinney on the left of the approach to Est- court House. A beautiful find — fox crossing in view to other side of approach. After two hours' good work and hard running with pretty rings over the open and park, ran into him in the lake, between waterfall and bridge near keeper's house. Fox and 174 THE EIGHTH DUKE Fervent nearly drowned. Halloaed hounds out of the water when the fox sank, and when he rose swam to same bank that we were on and was killed — (young fox). Went to Bowlderidge Break — no find. Newnton Gorse — three foxes. After twenty minutes went away through Bowlderidge Break towards Charlton Park, and bearing to the left, ran to ground on Mr. Pacey's farm. Time from covert, eighteen minutes. Ran fast." Indeed it seemed as if the young huntsman was in for a run of luck, for a few days later the follow- ing entry appears in the Duke's writing : — " Meet at Draycot at 9 a.m. Found in the wood at the lower end. Warlike (a young bitch of this year's entry) found the fox. Had three on foot at once. After two hours' knocking about and well rattling all the coverts — having nearly killed two foxes and being beat by storm coming on (the day before and till five o'clock p.m. this day it blew a hurricane, with storms of rain) — we went away towards Angrove. The fox would not face the storm. I waited till it was over, and then tried back into the withy beds and gorse at the end of Starkley Marsh. Vengeance began jumping and nearly caught the fox, which Tom halloaed at ten minutes to one. He took a turn for five minutes and then went straight away towards Mr. Wickham's farm, then bearing to the left through Bincombe, without a check, ran nearly into West Park ; bore to the left before crossing the 177 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT brook, which they crossed opposite Bradfield Wood ; kept straight on nearly to Mr. Barnett's house (Bradfield Farm), turned to the left (across Hulla- vington and Norton Road) for about three or four fields, then to the right again as far as the farm on the Norton side of Surrendell, where they turned to the left again and ran into Surrendell Wood, killing him six minutes after they entered the wood — in forty-seven minutes altogether. Time over open, thirty-six minutes ; from Tom's halloa to Surrendell Wood, forty-one minutes. All this run was over a fine grass country, five ploughed fields only. Hounds ran from start to the kill without interruption, as if they were tied to him, never checking. The best run I have seen for two years." The sport, however, did not consist entirely of such runs as these, for it was on the whole much such an October as that of 1900. The ground was hard and scent was catchy. *' Hounds," as the Duke said, '* could run, but could not hunt." These words describe exactly a state of things familiar to every one who has carried the horn, and indeed to all who have watched hounds care- fully at work. The Duke was very observant ; not an incident escaped his eye, and such entries as the following are found in his diary : — " November 3rd. — Went to West Park. Found ; the fox took a flying leap, clearing the fenced brook 178 THE EIGHTH DUKE below West Park on going away — the prettiest thing I ever saw." Nor is the Duke unwilling to record his mis- takes. The diary states what happened exactly, and with touches of the same vivid pen that de- lighted us afterwards in the Badminton Library. Some instances I cannot refrain from giving, for I feel that every hunting man will enjoy them. The time is still the cub-hunting season of 1855, and on October 31st. " Hounds had been running for an hour, when three-quarters of a mile from Frampton Mansell they checked. Unfortunately Garland fancied he saw the fox, and I held them there and thus lost him. I recovered the fox by a forward and down wind cast some half a mile ahead. It was then, of course, too late." Only a few days after this a fox was lost by false information, given in perfect good faith by a man who would probably have been glad to see one killed. Incidentally this is a lesson to huntsmen, for the probability is that hounds, es- pecially with a sinking fox, will always run on the line between any two given points quicker than you could lift them. " The fox was only about two fields before us, and thinking to take a start on him, we went to the keeper's halloa. He saw him go up the ride and into the covert. The hounds would acknowledge no scent, but after ten minutes Prodigal hit it, and instead of into, out of the covert. He took it into Hazelands, but it 179 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT being six p.m. and lots of good foxes about, gave it up. The fox so beat we should have killed in ten minutes. It is wonderful but not uncommon that a man when he sees a fox never knows where he is gone to, or can distinguish his head from his brush." The lesson, however, was not wasted, for a few days later we find an entry in the diary, the satis- fied tone of the concluding words being justified by the obvious skill and wisdom of the huntsman. Incidentally I note the keen observation, which perhaps was one of the reasons why the Duke was so successful in all he undertook. The diary tells us that old Trojan ran and killed a fox in three fields. Then comes a note showing the Duke's kind- liness, and the manner of telling, the quiet humour that marked his conversation and his writing. " I might have killed the fox in the withy bed, and they very near had him. I could have turned him into their mouths, but refrained and let him go. Very good behaviour for a huntsman, I think." The diary shows too that, like other huntsmen, the Duke had his troubles with the field. Thus on December 7th, 1855, he had met at Foss Lodge ; and, finding a fox, had hunted him through various difficulties, making at least two masterly casts. He had his fox beaten in the covert when some of the field began to crack their whips, and hounds 180 THE EIGHTH DUKE " getting their heads up, I could not get them settled again for ten minutes, and the fox went away." The afternoon was late and the dusk of a December evening coming down, so the Duke had to take the hounds off. The longer I hunt the more I value silence on the part of every one in the field except the huntsman. " We could not," the diary goes on, " have failed to kill him if the whips had been kept quiet." There is a very interesting note on December 26th of the same year : " Had out Lord Henry Ben- tinck's old Contest. Is a capital drawer. Did a great deal of good work and came home very fresh." This hound was a great favourite with Lord Henry, who says of him : " Contest 48. A model and most brilliant animal, noted for his hard running, flying his gates without touching them, and for turning without the need of a drag chain." This hound was by Comus, which Lord Henry Bentinck describes as a model dog, and goes back to Mr. Osbaldeston's Ranter, and to Crazy, *' very crooked," but " ran a capital bitch until eight years old." Again we find a fox, that the huntsman and hounds had fairly earned, saved by an untimely halloa. Truly silence is golden in a fox-hunter, possibly because so rare. Another day was spoilt by a shooting tenant choosing Christmas Day, of all days in the year, to shoot his coverts. 181 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT On January 7th, 1856, "at five o'clock, just as we were coming home, a most curious meteor fell, which Captains Berkeley and Baillie, Colonel Edward Somerset, Mr. Granville Somerset, Lord Suffolk, Mr. John Bailey, and several others, including my- self, saw. It was like a large ball of fire as big as one's head. It fell perpendicularly, leaving a column of light on its course which lasted two or three minutes, and then apparently turned into smoke which was visible for about a quarter of an hour." Sport went on with varied luck, and the Duke was learning what a huntsman has to put up with in the way of false information, well intentioned but generally foolish advice, and most of all the absolute incapability of most people to refrain from halloaing when they see a fox. There are many people who could tell the differ- ence between a fresh fox and a hunted one if, like Mr. Jorrocks, they waited to count twenty, and gave themselves time to think. But no, directly they catch sight of a fox, open goes their mouth and wild yells come therefrom. However, I verily believe that if fields grew silent, foxes would become scarce, so many are the lives saved by shouting in the course of a season. A run that is remarkable, inasmuch as it must have been one of the last seen by Lord Raglan, took place on February 23rd, 1856. Every one had gone home except " Lord Raglan, Capt. Grove, Parson Audrey, and Mr. Tugwell (Devizes). I 182 FETKONEL THE EIGHTH DUKE went back to Biddesdon, and there sure enough was our hunted fox, very tired, and, I think, would have come to hand in about five or six minutes, but just as they came to a momentary check Mr. Little's son halloaed us away, and we went a screecher as if straight for Hay Wood, then bearing to the right between it and the gorse, nearly down to the Plough inn, Kingston St. Michael, where we turned very short to the left, leaving Kingston St. Michael to the right, Easton to the left, and would have gone, I believe, straight into Stanton Park. Suspecting my friend's intentions, I clapped on, and exactly met him as the hounds came to a check, our only one. He turned through Leigh Delamere, as if for Clap- gate Farm, and coming round to the right, down to the little valley to the stile, corner of Stock Wood and the green lane, up which he ran three-quarters of a mile, when he met the keeper, who turned him out to the right, and they ran him up to within sixty yards of the Bell Farm. A man in the field, I believe, turned him short right, but unfortunately a fellow halloaing forward tremendously at the moment, I went to him. I believe the man was drunk — he certainly had never seen a fox ; the hounds could not acknowledge him in any direction. It was most unlucky, as three fields more must have caught him." An incident related in the latter part of this season shows how well some of the landowners and keepers helped the hunt by preserving foxes. 185 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT "Saturday, April 19th. — Met at Lasborough Gate by- most particular desire of Mr. Garland (Mr. Holford's keeper). I think it is too late for those small coverts. However, he has had twenty-one litters of cubs in the last two years, and so I must do as he likes. As it is we did no harm, and the fox (a dog) killed to-day makes eleven and a half brace (twenty-three foxes) on Mr. Holford's property, killed (and found there) this year." I note that late in April, the Duke met early in the morning (7.30 a.m.), and that by so doing he secured some first-rate sport. I have often wished that the indolence of modern times would allow us to meet early as the season draws to a close. About this time Lord Worcester's name appears, so that he began early to learn the science of hunting. The Duke often notes services to the sport rendered by his son, and on March 8th the day's diary ends with the announcement : " This day Worcester put on his first B. H. jacket and waistcoat." As the season drew to a close, the name occurs for the first time of Clark, then huntsman to the Old Berkshire, and destined later to show much sport with the Duke. In this season the Duke hunted 102 days, killed 123 foxes (this includes sixty that Will Long killed in cub-hunting), and ran twenty-eight to ground. 186 IX The Eighth Duke 187 roRTRAlT UF THE EU;HTH DUKE AM) DUCHESS OF 13EAUFOKT. By Sir F. Grant, 1S64. CHAPTER IX The Eighth Duke AFTER the success of the first year it was not to be wondered at that the Duke should enter on the second with high expectations. He began the season with Bill Walker and Charles Long's boy Heber, twelve years old, to whip in to him. Cub-hunting opened on August 21st, hounds meeting at 1 1 a.m. as the weather was cold, and the pack had been fed late the day before. Some days later they had a tussle with a badger. " There was a tremendous row and baying. I told Ted Light I was sure it was a badger. Descended into the wood and found the old gentleman. Bill Walker had never seen one before with hounds, and instead of seizing his tail, appeared whip in hand, ready to hit him as he got back into the covert. I got the hounds away. Very luckily only one puppy. Costly, bitten through the foot." The following day the Duke took his hounds to Dyrham Wood, and found " four beautiful cubs in the corner yclept the dining-room ; two went away 191 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT in ten minutes. Killed one dog, and behaved very well, not going back to kill the other." Some time after this, appears a note in the diary that the Duke had to leave his hounds, and " being a steward of Doncaster races, put the hounds in physic, and go to Heath Hall, near Wakefield — Jack Smyth's. Twenty miles ; two teams. My coach and one team of mine. One he hired — a good one. Capital racing." Another note shows the Duke felt, that with the various duties and occupations then taking up his time and attention, he needed a man who could hunt hounds occasionally. " Will Stansby joins me as first whipper-in. He was for thirteen sea- sons first whipper-in to Bill Long, and then hunted the Worcestershire, and for one season Lord Harry Thynne's. He has been thirty years with hounds, and I hope to derive great benefit and assistance from him." On the 25th September in the same year the Duke writes : " I had tried the last two days hunt- ing later, but found, in spite of the wet and cold, that the hot weather was returning, and that at this time of year it does not pay hunting late " (late at 9 a.m. !). Two more foxes were lost by halloaing, a practice from which the Duke suffered terribly. The diary bristles with such sentences as : " Mr. S (con- found him) halloaed us on to a fresh one." It is at all times very difficult to know whether any 192 THE EIGHTH DUKE particular fox we view is a fresh one, as the follow- ing incident recorded in the diary shows : " I saw the fox within five or six minutes of its death jump a high bush, and gallop, and look clean, and would have sworn it a fresh fox, but it ran three or four rings round me as if I was lunging it by a string round its neck, which made me observe to Mr. E. Estcourt : ' I could swear it a fresh fox, but it must be from its running a beaten one.' " On October the 7th the Duke left home at 6 a.m. to meet the hounds. After a hard morning's work he started off, as he himself says, to ride to Dane- bury, " an awful ride over the downs, and by a miracle, the last eight miles in a fog and dark, reached Danebury at 9.30 p.m." Not a bad day's work, it must be acknowledged. The Duke was a keen observer of the working of his hounds, and delighted to record any special instance of sagacity they showed. This same autumn they were in hot pursuit of a cub. " A woman told me he was barely out of view, up to the wall of the verge, on to which Bachelor, who was leading, jumped. The others flashed over. He stood at the top waving his stern, then popped back into the road and took up the scent just as Fleecer, this year's entry, came back and spoke to it. Just then I viewed the fox within eighty yards, in the wood, unable to jump the wall, not four feet high." On another occasion a fox ran into the out- skirts of a village, and hounds were unable to mark 193 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT him. About an hour after, the fox was seen to crawl out of a pigsty near to where hounds threw up, and to canter gaily off. Of Monday, October 20th, 1856, the diary re- cords: "A most remarkable day, Lord Fitzhardinge's hounds and mine joining — which has not happened since Philip Payne's time, in the Oxfordshire country, in 18 18, March 21st. " Meet Lower woods. Drew all down Moon rid- ings, and did not find till we came to the covert at the side of the brook. We ran to ground in Gibbin's lane. No scent scarcely. Some vagabond had un- stopped the drain. Found a brace in Bishop Hill — one we nearly caught. We went away by back of Wickwar and by Cherry Rock on to railroad in the cutting. Two trains were due. I bustled off as quick as I could. This lost us our fox. Went back and found. He went away immediately by Bedfords and Bishop Hill, back to the wood, in which we ran very hard fifty minutes, and, on coming away again into Bedfords, met Lord Fitzhardinge's hounds running, and we joined and ran one hour all through the woods. Were some way behind him. I got on up the broad trench and viewed him across, halloaed them to him, and in eight or ten minutes more we killed. There were twenty-one and a half couples of Berkeley hounds — all there but one ; all ours were there. No difficulty in separating them. At the Knapp gate Henry Ayris went through ; all my bitches came back to me. All his went through, 194 THE EIGHTH DUKE and both went home. Mr. John Bayly was with me, young Mr. Barker with Lord Fitzhardinge." Once again the diary records the loss of a beaten fox by untimely halloaing. A peculiarly exasperating though not singular instance of this was when the Duke found himself standing in a ride watching a fairly hunted and well- beaten fox crawling about, while his hounds were being halloaed away to a fresh one on the far side of the wood. If, as we have seen, the Duke was a keen ob- server of the working of hounds, he was not less observant of the riding of his field. Meeting at Yate Common in the famous Sudbury Vale, " a most brilliant gallop. Excepting in stone wall country, I never saw hounds run faster. Mr, John Bayly, Captain Paynter and Mr. Donovan, both of the King's Dragoon Guards, and Mr. Bernard and Colonel Nigel Kingscote went best." They had some good sport in December, but after a day made difficult by a too eager field, the diary for December 19th concludes a paragraph with the heartfelt exclamation, " Oh that the field would stand still ! ! ! " But that is, of course, what no field, even the most sportsmanlike, will do, especially when the master is hunting the hounds himself. Later in the same season the Duke had to take hounds home. The increasing crowd that came out at this time no doubt made the master think of having a professional huntsman. 195 M THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT January 20th was a miserable day. There was thick fog and occasional snowstorms, and the Duke would not have hunted, but ** John Bayly and Dr. Simmons of Oxford coming out, and the latter being a keen sportsman and getting but few days' hunting, I went to Withymore and found, and went fast to Lower woods." The Duke's kind-heartedness was not rewarded, for he was left in the wood, and " after an ineffectual search of an hour came home by myself" A few days later the Duke mounted Major " Charley " Hall on Time, one of his own stud, and recorded that the pair went like a bird. The Duke, like his father before him, was always ready to mount his friends, and he writes that on February loth, after a long frost, " I mounted seven people besides myself and men." Hunting was not so popular with women in those days as it is now, but there were some good riders, and they are noted in the diary, for on February 14th " Lady Adelaide [Curzon, afterwards married to the twelfth Earl of Westmorland] rode Evangeline and the Viscount, and as usual went splendidly on both." A charming valentine for the lady. On February i6th a well-known character suc- cumbed to fate. The Duke killed the old stump- tailed vixen, whose end is thus recorded : " Found at the back of the old Hare and Hounds our dear old friend the stump-tailed vixen ; ran her into timber yard. Took away the hounds — Garland caught her 196 M*^ THE EIGHTH DUKE (she bit the top of his finger off) — and put her into a small plantation. Like a fool, she ran into garden and was killed. I was sorry, having for three seasons hunted her. She was bred in Rough ground, and laid up a litter at Shipton last spring. She was very clever, and till to-day, when found, always shifted the responsibility on some one else's shoul- ders. It was awfully hot. No fox could stand before hounds." In addition to the field, the Duke found his whippers-in a trial. As a whole perhaps they mar more sport than they make. " Are whippers- in intended as a trial to our patience, or are they a naturally stupid race .'* " inquires the Duke. Then comes a note written in high spirits : — "Thursday, February 19th. — Old Berkshire Hounds ; Mr. Morrell invited us (Lord Raglan, Colonel Powlett Somerset, Captain Thomas Leslie and myself), gave us a good hunt in the Shriven- ham country, sent his coach and four to meet us at Farringdon, took us and entertained us (36 to dinner) at Oxford. Slept at All Souls' in Gran- ville's rooms. Had a good day's sport, killing one fox. Hunted next day, Friday, February 20th, at Bradwell Grove, with the Heythrop — a bad scenting day, but so bright one could see a fox a mile ahead, and we killed three ; a merry day's sport, though not a brilliant one. Five hundred people out — many of them to meet me. 199 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT " Both packs behaved well. We had great fun ! quite a Mr. Soapy Sponge's sporting tour ! ! ! " I forgot to mention that Mr. Morrell took us to covert on his coach, and I drove as far as Witney, from whence, by post-horses, seven miles. An old cove aged sixty rode the leaders, galloped all the seven miles — up hill or down — never took the draft off the leaders or looked behind him." It would be interesting to know if the malfor- mation described below is common in foxes. I cannot recollect ever to have seen or heard of such a thing. " In Pinkney found a fox with a brush like a Pomeranian dog's tail, but curling to the off instead of to the near side. She could not run." The following is an instance of the value of silence in a huntsman at critical moments. " The fox came close to me and laid down when the hounds came up within five yards of me (I sat still and did nothing). He jumped up. Every hound viewed him, and they ran into him in the open." Probably a holloa would have saved the fox's life, for hounds do not seem to realize a fox unless they see him. On March 21st, when sport had been poor for some time, hounds were at Swalletts Gate, which was the fixture on the day of the Greatwood run. " A very fine hunting run " of one hour thirty-six minutes " marked him into a rabbit's spout, and with two sticks and a hunting whip hook scratched up to him, got him by the 200 THE EIGHTH DUKE brush, and pulled him out. Spades were not used, it being the V.W.H. country. Curiously enough, in the same rabbit spout were four young cubs about eight days old." On May 2nd the Duke finished his season with a fine run from the monument at Hawkesbury, two hours and six minutes. " Good finish to the season," he says ; " may we have a good Qne next year. Vivat Regina / " The third season the Duke carried the horn, that of 1857-8, was undoubtedly a bad one. It was the first winter of the Crimean War. The Duke realized that to hunt a pack like his required a man's whole attention, but first racing, and after- wards the duties of Master of the Horse, which office he held under Lord Derby's first adminis- tration, often took him away. Though Stansby, his first whipper-in, carried the horn well, yet sport is never so good when hounds are hunted by one to whom they are not used. Though the season on the whole was not a good one, it was by no means devoid of sport, and when- ever the Duke was out he never failed to record the day's proceedings in his usual vivid style, and with a keen eye for interesting details. They began hunting in Silkwood at 4.30 a.m., on August 1 8th. The morning sport was ordinary cub-hunting, but the following incident is curious in its way. " A black horse I bought (from Dicky Little, 9th Lancers, ordered out to India) kicked at 201 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT President, a young Trojan dog, which ran home to his old walk at Sopworth, On the following Saturday, President, the dog that was kicked last Tuesday, ran home to his walk directly we found, and oddly enough his brother. Pilot, went home to Badminton. I suppose his brother had told him ! " On August 27th, Lord Fitzhardinge's hounds and the Badminton had a joint day at Mr. Kingscote's Hunter's Hall. " Harry Ayris hunted both packs. His pack very good." This was the first of several joint days these two packs had together. Towards the end of the season, Lord Gifford having given up the V.W.H., the Duke of Beaufort was invited by the covert owners of that hunt (not then divided as now) to hunt the country. It will interest old V.W.H. men to read of a day mentioned in the diary. The meet was at Stonehill Gate. "John Fuller viewed a fox as he was coming to covert, going into Braydon Pond. We went there and found the fox, a very short running one. After an hour of very pretty hunting, were beaten by the Brinkworth crossroads. Found in the Purlieus after an 'arduous draw,' and ran like the wind forty minutes, going through 'the Pond,' after having run between Ravens' Roost and Worthy Hill, by Woodcocks, Pond Coppice, Stonehill Wood, into Purlieus field (twenty-five minutes) ; then by Perry Keans Gorse into Mrs. Keene's wood (forty minutes) ; a check of sixteen minutes 202 THE EIGHTH DUKE in the covert in consequence of the fox being headed. As I got near him he went away. Hounds taking it heelways gave him three fields start. Ran like the wind into Red Lodge. I got into the green lane to keep him out of the Railway drains. Fox deadbeat, at a walk went away — not having been two minutes in the covert. Blew my whistle, not daring to holloa, and getting out of the lane, followed, and passed him. He laid down till disturbed by a foot sportsman. I never lost sight of him, and stopped him again. Wrangler, who had found him in the gorse, caught him, just as the others were coming up. First part, forty minutes; second, twenty-six minutes; check, six- teen minutes. Total, one hour twenty-two min- utes. " As fine a run as could be seen. One hour twenty-two minutes, with but two ploughed fields, and as fast, the whole of it, as it is possible for hounds to run. The work of the hounds this day exceeded anything I ever saw. Their patience in the morning and stoutness in the evening delighted me. Two of this year's entry. Playful and Comrade, deserve all the praise a hound can receive." The last day of this season was Friday, April 30th, so no May fox was killed that year. The hounds were out 147 days, and they killed 113 foxes — no bad record. The diary for this year ends with the note : " Twenty-three foxes killed in the open this year. This does not mean foxes 203 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT caught in the hedgerows, or anywhere out of covert, but fairly knocked off their legs in the open field." Thus came to an end the Duke's three seasons of hunting. Before the next season he appointed Thomas Clark to be huntsman. The Duke, as we have seen, learned hunting under William Long, and Long belonged to that school of hunts- men who desire to kill the fox they find, and whose aim it is to prevent hounds from changing in the course of a run. That hounds can learn this, the French professors of the art of venerie tell us. The Duke considered that his hounds had the quality of holding to the line of their quarry in a remarkable degree. Thomas Clark, however, had no ideas of this kind, albeit he was a good man in the kennel and showed excellent sport. I imagine that Clark was very popular with the hard- riding members of the field, for he was ever keen for a gallop. He would take hounds off a hunted fox in covert, to cry them on to a fresh one that had gone away over the open. He thought of the run first, and of the hunt afterwards. This is but natural in a huntsman whose livelihood and whose reputation depend on the favour and the idle tongues of the least thoughtful and careful of the field. The precepts he had learned in the first instance from Long, and his own long practice of them 204 THE EIGHTH DUKE enabled the Duke to write those few but golden pages of advice, that are to be found in the Bad- minton library treatise on hunting. I would only add one word to them for the benefit of those men who may have to handle a scratch pack of drafts in a foreign land. Hounds that do not belong to one pack, or to one family, will not work together and trust one another, as do those of an old-established pack. Consequently they will need more help from the huntsman, than the Duke found it necessary or desirable to give. With a scratch pack, such as one gets in India for example, the huntsman should be prompt and decisive in his casts, always ready to help his hounds, though never in a hurry. From the story the Duke has given in his diaries, and the precepts he has laid down elsewhere, he should rank high as a huntsman. On the whole, perhaps, he has hardly had the credit to which he is entitled. The first two seasons he carried the horn, he showed good sport in spite of difficulties, and if it was not so good the last year, the reason may be found in the fact that it was a bad scenting season, and he had much to distract him from the business of the hounds and the field. Racing and politics divided the Duke's attention, and he was ever alive to the claims of his increasing family. In May, 1856, came the birth of his only daughter, which was a source of great joy to the Duke. After a day's hunting we find the reason given for 205 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT an early return in the words, "went home to christen Lady Blanche." (May ist, 1856.) This daughter, who became the wife of the fifth Marquis of Waterford, died after a painful illness, and her death added to the sorrow that deepened over the close of the Duke's career. 206 X The Eighth Duke 207 I ■J ^ CHAPTER X The Eighth Duke WHEN the Duke handed over the duties of huntsman to Tom Clark, he did so with regret. To a man who has once hunted hounds, the sport can never be quite the same when he no longer carries the horn. The interest in the working of the pack as a whole, and in the individual hounds which compose it, is so absorbing to the huntsman, that were it not for his responsibilities to his field, there would be but little difference to him between a so-called bad day, and a good one. In- deed it may well be that a day which to many hard- riding followers seems dull, is for the man who hunts hounds a period of absorbing interest and delight. To see Chanticleer, one of this season's entry, rush to the head of the pack at a difficulty and put them all right ; to see old Woldsman take the line down a road for nearly a quarter of a mile ; or to watch Rarity pick up the scent alongside a hedge, and hear her shrill but true notes as she drops her stern and scuttles away, while the rest stream to 211 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT her trusted summons, these things are dehghts in themselves, quite keen enough to make up a day's pleasure. The huntsman recollects too with pride, the successful cast he made when hounds were at fault, how he held them past the sheep or over a bad scenting fallow, and saw them put their noses down and drive forward directly they had passed the foiled ground. But it must be confessed that to hunt hounds successfully, takes up a great deal of time and thought. Many other duties and other occupations were calling the Duke. There were the duties of a great landlord, and the tradition of the Somersets was to manage their estates liberally. They had, moreover, that genuine interest in, and liking for the details of farming, which only could give them the real influence they undoubtedly wielded in their own county. So the Duke was a farmer on a large scale. A great landlord can afford to try improve- ments and show farmers what they should aim at. The English farmer is conservative and slow to change. This is not because he is wanting in intelligence, but because for him farming is his livelihood and he cannot afford to spend capital on doubtful experiments. This the Duke understood, and he entered the lists as a grower and exhibitor of choice stock. He frequently exhibited successfully, and his flock of Southdown sheep was well known throughout Wilts and Gloucester. The good blood 212 THE EIGHTH DUKE thus brought in improved the cattle, and the farmers were glad to avail themselves of the opportunities offered. The Duke thus laid the foundation of the good work he accomplished for stock-raising and horse-breeding in the country round Badminton. It was this liking for and success in farming, that helped to place him in the position of one of the representative country gentlemen of his day. On this work at home was based an influence in politics that made itself felt in London, and brought to him the Mastership of the Horse in 1858, and the Garter somewhat later. The Duke might indeed have taken a larger part in politics than he did, but the years of his greatest influence and activity coincided with the long exile from power of the Tories, and the ascendancy of the Whigs. In sport and social life the Duke found his plea- sure, and he was for many years a supporter of the turf. But as a matter of fact, though he was popular and respected, he was not of a temperament to be successful in racing. When he had, or thought he had, a good thing, he let all his friends know it, and, like Sir John Astley, he was sometimes made use of by unscrupulous and designing persons. Yet his liking for racing came to him early in life, and he may be said to have inherited the taste from his father, the famous seventh Duke. Probably he saw his first race when as Lord Glamorgan, a little lad of six, he watched a colt of his father's carry in first the white jacket and blue cap which 213 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT then were the Beaufort colours. After this the boy went often to Newmarket, and it is said that on one occasion his pony ran away with him past the winning post, and right through the town. When he succeeded to the title he registered fresh racing colours, viz., blue with white hoops and a blue cap. He bought at Hampton Court sale a colt named Furioso, which never was anything but a very ordinary selling plater. A colt named Gin was thought to have an outside chance in Beads- man's Derby, but he never even reached the starting post. A filly Vigil, which the Duke owned about the same time, owes her chief title to re- membrance, to the fact that she was half-sister to Rarey's noted Savage Cruiser. The Duke's horses were trained by old John Day at Danebury, where also the late Duke of Newcastle, the Earl of Westmorland, and the Marquis of Hastings had their respective strings. At Danebury was thus laid the foundation of the fortunes of several well-known bookmakers of the day. Siberia slightly improved the racing fortunes of the Duke in 1865, when she won the 1,000 oruineas, and Rustic was a favourite for the Derby which Lord Lyon won, and for which Saver- nake was second. Fordham, who was one of the finest horsemen that ever rode a race,was the Duke's jockey. Yet, like his master, he never won a Derby. Fordham rode Ceylon when he won the Grand Prix, and Vauban when that good horse won 214 THE EIGHTH DUKE the 2,000 guineas. Vauban was third in Hermit's Derby. This defeat brought about the sale of the Duke's horses, save that flying filly Scottish Queen. She was unluckily a roarer, but carried off the 1,000 guineas nevertheless. For ten years and more after this victory, the Badminton colours were seldom or never seen on a racecourse. In 1870 the Duke once more took up racing, and began well by winning the 2,000 guineas with Petronel, a very handsome horse which afterwards for many years stood at Badmin- ton. The Cob, Button Park, and Ragimunde were all useful, the last winningf the Csesarewitch. But Reve D'Or, winner of the 1,000 guineas and Oaks, was one of the best racehorses the Duke ever owned. Though latterly the Duke entirely gave up racing, he continued to take the greatest interest in horse breeding. As to the turf he always took an active part in its government, and assisted in the deliberations of the Jockey Club. He was also one of those who took part in the foundation of the N.H. Committee. This is a body that has been much abused. Yet without it, we may well believe the condition of steeplechasing would be even worse than it is at present. Yet varied as were the Duke's interests, his happiest days were spent at Badminton. In his own house and among his own people he represented a type of manly, courteous, kindly English gentleman. The hunt was one of his greatest pleasures and was 217 N THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT a means of strengthening his usefulness and in- fluence. A hunt like that ruled over by the Duke of Beaufort was a sort of open-air club. In the days of which I am now speaking the hunting field was free to all, and every one could do what he pleased save to ride over the hounds. The hunt was the Duke's own, carried on at his ex- pense, and the only distinction was the buff and blue uniform. The much-prized right to wear this was given by the Duke. The existence of the hunt and the way it was carried on, brightened the whole neighbourhood. Many a kindly action was done in the field, many a friendly word spoken, much business even was transacted, for the Duke there met his tenants and neighbours in a way unshackled by formality. His household was a very splendid establishment, equalling in state and magnificence anything of the kind in the country. On a hunting morning the coach, loaded with guests and friends, would be driven to the fixture by the Duke or Lord Worcester. When the day's sport was over, the Duke's guests would find a change of clothing and a lunch at some convenient inn, and could return in comfort to Badminton. From the first the Duke's children learned to ride. " We are not allowed to hunt more than three times a week till we are five years old," was the explanation of one of them to a visitor at the house. A kindly hospitality reigned, for the 218 THE EIGHTH DUKE Duke was an admirable host and never happy unless his guests had everything they could desire. The Duchess, and as she grew up Lady Blanche Somerset, cared for the poor and interested them- selves in all the good works of the neighbourhood. This was a golden period in the history of Badminton, the clouds that overshadowed later years being scarcely yet above the horizon. No doubt there were troubles and cares, but they were not allowed to disturb the general aspect of well- being. The Duke and Duchess both had a genuine wish to make others happy, and with whatever faults and mistakes, probably no one was ever more genuinely kind and unselfish than the Duke. Ten- ants, servants, friends and guests, high and low, loved him. Thus the seasons came and went, bringing with them a succession of sport with the hounds. All this time Clark was hunting the pack with fair success, and Lord Worcester was learning the science of woodcraft and hunting, which was to make him one of the best huntsmen of his day. But this is anticipating. Soon after the Duke engaged Clark, as huntsman, Mr. Horlock appeared again upon the scene. The dispute this time was a trivial one, and Mr. Horlock was certainly in the wrong, as the following letter from the Duke will show. " Sir, — My attention has been called to a para- graph in a letter written by Scrutator in this day's 219 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT Bell in which he roundly abuses my huntsman Clark. I regret to be obliged to say that Mr. Horlock, or ' Scrutator,' as he calls himself, has not told the truth. The real facts I will state, and leave you and your readers to judge who ought to complain of want of courtesy, he or I. Mr. Hor- lock wrote to say he was engaged to describe the kennels of England, and that so well did he know my hounds if he only had a few particular de- scriptions of individual hounds, he could perfectly write a description of them. I thought this strange, but both I and the huntsman wrote to him on the subject, giving (without any reference or com- parison with each other) our own version of their general and particular appearance and character. This elicited a reply from Mr. Horlock that the hounds must be improved since he had seen them, and that as he believed Tuesday was a non-hunting day, he would be at the kennels early that morning. In answer he was told ' Tuesday was a hunting day, but the hounds met about three and a half miles off, and Clark shall stay with you to the last minute he can, and sending on the hounds shall gallop after them on a hack.' "He was also told that I was going away for a few days, but that a quiet and pleasant horse was ordered and at his disposal, if he chose to see the hounds in the field. On the Sunday or Monday before the appointed Tuesday, came a letter from Mr. Horlock to say he had lumbago, and could 220 THE EIGHTH DUKE not come. Would Clark send some further par- ticulars, and he would write his article without seeing them. Nothing more is heard till about a fortnight after, when Clark on a Wednesday asked me had I heard from Mr. Horlock. I replied ' No,' and he said ' That is strange ; he has written to Bill Long, and desired him to meet him at the Kennel on Thursday ' — the next day. " Now pause a moment. Who is Bill Long ? A huntsman whose whole history Mr. Horlock knew, and who had left me under circumstances with which Mr. Horlock v/as perfectly acquainted. Was it or was it not strange — I might say im- pertinent — of Mr. Horlock to desire my late ser- vant to meet him in my kennel, and yet not write to either me or my huntsman ? I immediately gave orders to Clark, and most positive orders, that neither one nor the other should be admitted in his absence ; and on his expressing a wish to be at home to show the hounds, I desired him to do nothing of the sort, and took him out hunting with me to see Sir Maurice Berkeley's hounds. Now, the first thing Henry Ayris remarked was, ' Oh, Mr. Horlock came to our kennels yesterday. He came after feeding time, too (a sharp trick for an " old Master of Hounds," you will say, Mr. Bell), and I told him both you and the Duke would be out here to-day.' " Mr. Horlock arrived at the inn at Badminton at nine at night, not 200 yards from the kennels. 221 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT We did not leave till 9.30 in the morning, and he never sent any message either to me or Clark, nor did he go near the kennel till a quarter to ten, when he knew we should be out. Did he not intend, I ask any one, to see the hounds in com- pany with Long and without my huntsman ? I have a pack of hounds that I am not ashamed of showing, and that I am always happy any one fond of animals should see, but I do not choose to be treated in the discourteous way I was treated by Mr. Horlock ; it was not Clark's doing, but my express orders that kept Mr. Horlock out of the kennels the day he mentioned. Had Mr. Horlock told you the whole truth, I should not have troubled you with this long letter, which, as you have published the abuse of my huntsman, I hope you will also in justice publish. As to the nonsense he talks of Clark presuming on his situa- tion, etc., all who know his quiet, unassuming manners will justly appreciate, and as to his talents as a huntsman, those who have hunted with him can inform you. " For myself I can only say it is a pleasure to me to see my hounds so artistically, quickly, and successfully handled. Mr. Horlock has only him- self to thank for being disappointed in seeing hounds. I was quite prepared to show him every possible courtesy, but my hounds are not public property, and I do not like being treated as he treated me, and I resented it accordingly. I have 222 THE EIGHTH DUKE now two things to ask Mr. Horlock : one is to put the saddle on the right horse, and blame me, not Clark (if he does not see that his own folly- was the cause of the door being shut in his face) ; and the other is that he will, when giving an account of any transaction between himself and me, tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. " Yours, etc., " Beaufort." In 1 86 1 the Duke was obliged to winter abroad, and the hounds were placed under the manage- ment of Sir William Codrington, and Colonel Kingscote, his brother-in-law. The Duke himself sailed for Gibraltar with a few hounds, intended as a gift for the Calp6 Hunt, where so many infantry subalterns have been trained in hunting. The then Master of the Calpe Hunt was Colonel Powlett Somerset, a cousin of the Duke's. In 1863 the Duke determined to see how his famous pack would hunt the wolf in France. He started from Folkestone on March 28, with twenty- five couple of hounds under the charge of Clark, eighteen horses, two carriages, and a heavy fourgon. The Journal de la Vienne commemorated the arrival of the Duke and his hounds in Poitou in the following interesting paragraph : — " Everybody knows that from time immemo- rial there have been no wolves in England, the 223 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT race having been destroyed, but there are many in Poitou. The Duke of Beaufort, an EngHsh sportsman, has just passed through Paris with 200 dogs intended to destroy these wild animals, which are the terror of the shepherd and of the inhabi- tants of lonely dwellings. It may be said of the peer that he is a sportsman by profession. He has inherited a rental of 1,000,000 frs., on condition that he shall always maintain three packs of hounds, and shall hunt six days in the week. Another clause in the will binds him to expend 250,000 frs. a year on his hunting establishment. There are collaterals always on the watch who would cause the bequest to be revoked in case the conditions were not carried out. These noble eccentricities are to be found only in England." The Badminton Hunt had always appealed to French sportsmen, and up to the present time a small, though, alas ! rapidly decreasing number of Frenchmen have been masters of the science of venerie. Foreign sportsmen admired the splendour of the Duke's hunt, and many of them came to Badminton for hound blood. To them the Duke of Beaufort and his hounds were representative and typical of the best English hunting science. It was not, therefore, as a stranger, either per- sonally or by reputation, that the Duke went over to France. The origin of the scheme to take fox- hounds to hunt the wolf was as follows : — M. Auguy, Officier de Lotiveterie in Poitou, 224 THE EIGHTH DUKE wrote to the Duke, asking to be permitted to buy some of the Badminton hounds. He received a reply to the effect that the hounds would not be sold, though the Duke would be happy to present him with a couple. At the same time the Duke asked to be informed on several points in con- nection with the sport of wolf hunting. The result was an invitation to go to see for himself. Ac- cordingly the Duke, Lord Worcester, the Hon- ourable M. Russell, and Captains Graham and Wyndham, crossed the Channel and stayed at Rieul I'Espoir, a hunting box lent by Monsieur Chabot. Monsieur Auguy and Count Roget de Chezelles were also the Duke's guests. In due time the horses and hounds arrived and were much admired. But the question naturally arose, would these hounds enter to the scent of the wolf. On this point my own experience in India was that hounds which had already been entered to jackal would acknowledge the line of a wolf, but that no drafts from England would do so at first ; the reason of this being that the scent of the jackal and of the wolf is not nearly so strong as that of the fox. At first the Duke's hounds, steady from all riot to their own quarry, would have nothing to say to the line of the wolf. When, however, they had seen the French hounds kill a wolf, and had assisted in the breaking up, they took readily enough to the scent. Nevertheless, the attempt to 225 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT hunt the wolf with foxhounds was not altogether a success, and the experiment was not repeated. A lawn meet at Badminton in those days was a great function in the neighbourhood, and we find it recorded that on January 17th, 1863, no less than 5,000 people were assembled. " More than 1,000 sat down to breakfast, beside, as the chronicler relates, four or five hundred of the upper classes, for whom luncheon was provided. There were plenty of foxes," and that the Duke's hospitality had been abundant, we gather from the fact that the reporter says he saw more than twenty falls in the course of the morning's sport. In 1864 the members and farmers of the hunt presented the Duke and Duchess with their por- traits. The picture, painted by Sir Francis Grant in his well-known style, still hangs at Badminton. From a writer of this period we find that the hunt was fashionable, and we have already seen that it was popular. But if for a moment we pass from the house to the kennel, which is indeed an easy walk, we shall find that the distinction that had marked the Bad- minton hounds in times past was maintained. In 1866 the Duke and Tom Clark had a won- derfully fine pack. There were many famous hounds in kennel. Marplot, which strained back to Justice, the somewhat coarse hound Philip Payne delighted in, and which was to the Beaufort kennels almost what Rallywood was to Belvoir. Then 226 THE EIGHTH DUKE there were Granby and Guardsman, hounds that brought in the race of Belvoir. Trickster repre- sented the great Warwickshire Tarquin family, and Sunbeam and Sulphur went back to their own famous Potentate (1841). In 1867 the Duke's hounds began cub-hunting on August loth. A man who hunted with them notes the quietness with which the work of the hounds was carried on. Those of my readers who recollect the Duke's experience of holloas related in his diary, will have no difficulty in understanding how this was brought about. Clark's system had been effectual, for on an average he handled a brace of cubs a morning. But that which delighted the Duke most was the entry of this season, and both he and Lord Worcester were always ready to show them to an appreciative visitor. There were 27^ couple, all home bred and walked by the Duke's tenants. The only sires used from other kennels were the Belvoir Nathan, which brought in the blood of Osbaldeston Ranter, Mr. Drake's Duster, and Belvoir Senator, one of Will Goodall's favour- ites. Lord Worcester (the ninth Duke) gave to this entry their names. There was among them a considerable number of the badger and hare pies, for which at that time Badminton was famous. The season of 1867-68 was marked by several events. The Prince of Wales paid a visit to Bad- minton, bringing with him nine horses. There was, of course, a great gathering on the occasion, 227 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT and what is more remarkable, a good run, which the crowd often makes impossible at such times. A fox from Shipton took a line over a fine grass country to Charlton. The Duke always had a high opinion of the Prince's possibilities as a sportsman, had not other and weightier responsibilities inter- fered. This opinion he has expressed in the well- known dedication to the Badminton library. But more important to the fortunes of Badminton was the coming retirement of Tom Clark, who had made up his mind to resign and take an inn in the Sodbury Vale. Among the incidents of this year, too, was one for the account of which, and the following letter I am indebted to that good sportsman, Mr. Town- send, so well known in our time as the Secretary of the Cirencester Polo Club. The story runs as follows : — Lord Colville, who in 1868 was Master of the Buckhounds, on the invitation of the Duke of Beaufort had taken the hounds into Gloucester- shire. On the first day on which the staghounds were out, Mr. Townsend, who was then a lad of eighteen years of age, was out shooting, and know- ing nothing of the presence of the staghounds in the neighbourhood, had no idea that the stag he came across was a hunted one. The young sports- man consequently shot the intruder, and to continue the history in his own words, " I had brought him a mile and a half on the road towards home when 228 THE EIGHTH DUKE we met the hounds, with the late Duke, the present Duke, and Lord Colville, and, of course, a lot of other sportsmen. I had the stag across a pony on the turnpike road when they met me. They ad- mitted they had not seen or heard anything of the stag for as much as two hours and a half. At the time I saw him he was evidently making his way to the river Severn, and they were also making for the river, thinking the stag would swim it and get into the Forest of Dean. Naturally I got most terribly chaffed over the business, and went by the name of ' Tom Valentine ' for a long time afterwards." The transgressor, however, belonged to a sport- ing family, and having all the instincts of a sports- man he was greatly concerned at the misadventure. He consequently addressed letters of apology to Lord Colville and the Duke, both of which were graciously received. Lord Colville wrote that he was convinced the stag had been shot by mistake, and that if he should be Master of the Buckhounds the following season, he hoped he might have another opportunity of bringing them into the young sportsman's neighbourhood. The Duke, in his usual kindly way, wrote as follows : — ** Dear Sir, — " I am very much obliged to you for your letter. A misfortune it certainly was that the stag was killed ; but I am quite convinced that it was 229 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT done without any sinister motive. It will be grati- fying to you to know that not only do all your friends and acquaintances say that none of your family would willingly have done such a thing, but more especially you yourself are looked up to in your own neighbourhood as everything that a young man should be. Our acquaintance began inauspiciously, but we shall be none the worse friends I hope for that, and I shall be very glad to shake hands with you the first time we meet. " I am, yours faithfully, " Beaufort." With the close of 1868, and the retirement of Tom Clark, one period of the Duke's life came to an end. A time of chano^e was to follow. 230 XI The Badminton Hunt and its Followers 231 i THE DUKE OF BEAUFORT, From a Pliotograph by Dickinson, Bond Street. CHAPTER XI The Badminton Hunt and its Followers THE Badminton, Belvoir, Brocklesby and Fitz- william hounds have the distinction of never having changed hands. They have each been for 1 50 years or more the property of one family. Of them the Badminton is the oldest as an estab- lished pack. The link between the staghounds of old and the foxhounds of to-day, is supplied by the Badminton kennel book. The Belvoir pack have no doubt had a greater influence on the modern foxhound than any other ; but so far as I am able to trace their pedigrees, they owe their first start towards excellence to the introduc- tion of Badminton blood. Only the Badminton and the Brocklesby, however, have never had as masters any but members of the family to which they belong. The Dukes of Beaufort have never yielded up even the titular mastership. Relatives, as in the case of Captain Somerset or Sir William Codrington, may have officiated, but the Dukes have always been masters in their own country. This fact has affected considerably the character 235 o THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT of the hunt, and the pecuHar uniform also having its influence, the members of the Duke's field have always regarded themselves as a sort of chosen people among foxhunters. Indeed, they have been fortunate, and consequently the hunt has drawn to itself a full share of hard riders and keen sportsmen. Two other influences have greatly increased the fame of the Badminton hunt. In the early days of the eighth Duke, when he was still known as Lord Glamorgan, the hounds hunted the Heythrop country. Thus few Oxford men in the days of our fathers but learned to look on a day with " the Duke " as the greatest of pleasures. Then, too, the hunt was one of the first to become accessible by rail. It was and is possible to travel down from town by the Great Western Railway over night, hunt the next day and travel back the fol- lowing evening. So a day with the Badminton became a welcome holiday to the busy man who loved hunting, but was obliged to earn his living in London. The fame of the hounds, the splen- dour of the turn-out, the skill of the huntsmen and the courtesy of the Duke, gained a fame be- yond the limits of the country. I well remember hearing how my grandfather, when one of his sons, after hard work, secured a commission in the Engineers, took him down for a fortnight's hunting with "the Duke," as the greatest treat he could give him. 236 THE BADMINTON HUNT If we turn back to the early days of the century, we shall find that the Oxfordshire, or, as for the sake of convenience we may call it, the Heythrop country, was the most favoured by the Dukes. A few years before the date (1824) of which I am writing, there were some famous riders who regu- larly sent their horses to Woodstock, Chipping Norton, and Chapel House. Among these were Sir John Fagge, a Kentish baronet, and Jack Willan, who drove the Brighton coach up and down in a day, and who often exchanged ideas on driving with Lord Worcester (seventh Duke). Lords Granville and Charles Somerset, too, were both fair riders to hounds. But the most famous men in hunting story who gained their experience in the Heythrop country, were the two brothers Rawlinson. Of these, one, who later bore the name of Lindow, went into Leicestershire, where he gained great fame, being not only a very hard man to hounds, but a fine horseman, who could make the most of his horses, and see the end of a long run. His portrait on the lids of snuff- boxes and in the print shops " going a slapping pace," was very familiar to our sporting for- bears. Then there was Jack Bunce, who used to come down either to Chipping Norton or Woodstock. He was a very hard man, especially on his favour- ite horse, Vagrant, bought for ;^40, but which eventually was sold to the Lord Erroll of that 237 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT day for ^400. The rider was immortalised in song : — " See Jack Bunce the raspers taking, Sets the funker's nerves a shaking." Then there was the Rev. John Waller, said by his contemporaries to be one of the hardest old men England ever produced, a most resolute horse- man and a good judge of hunting. *' He was seldom absent," says Nimrod, " at the finish of a good run." Captain Evans, of Dean, commonly known as the " flying Captain," was a regular " Duke's man," and lived well into the eighth Duke's time. He went into Leicestershire, like Mr. Sawyer, for a season, and made something of a figure with his grey horse, but he soon returned to his allegiance to the Buff and Blue. He had a famous hunter, Grimaldi, on which he used to show the way in Oxfordshire. This horse was sold to the Squire for the famous match over the Harrow country, against Mr. Elmore's Moonraker. About 1 83 1 Captain Evans retired from hunting and went to live in Hampshire. He there had a famous pack of dwarf beagles which were turned to him by a retriever named Sam. Prince Albert is said to have been delighted with the working of these little hounds. At all times in the history of the hunt, the Duke's hounds have been supported by the land- owners of the neighbourhood. Such names as those of Codrington, Estcourt, Kingscote, Miles, 238 THE BADMINTON HUNT Calley, Little, and Neeld, recur again and againln the story of the hunt. Their coverts have always been open, and members of the families have been often first-flight riders with hounds. In i860 Captain White, who had been a famous character in Leicestershire, in Dick Christian's time, came down for a day with the Duke, and rode well. His appearance created quite a sensation in the hunt, so many stories of his prowess and his cheery ways having been recorded by the Druid : " In old times Ve used to go slap-bang at them (bullfinches), holloaing like fun to cheer up horses and men ; Captain White was a good 'un at that game. How he would holler to be sure ! . . . What a one the Captain's Merrylad was for rails in a corner ! he popped over for all the world like a deer. The Captain was always for me, he kept hardening me on. I don't think I'd ever have gone at such fences, but he had such a pleasant way with him." Another famous rider was Mr. John Baylly, "the Little of his day " as he was called. He was a fine gentleman rider, and noted as one of the best of the Duke of Beaufort's men. So good a judge as John Day was pleased to have his services ; and Bath, Bibury, and Heaton Park were the scenes of his triumphs. His death is recorded in December, i860. The Captain Little who is referred to was a man who, in an earlier generation, was regarded as one of the finest horsemen of his day. There is one family that has always been closely 239 I THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT connected with the Somersets by ties of marriage, as well as by a common love of sport. The Kings- cotes of Kingscote belong to an ancient and honour- able Gloucestershire house, which received the manor of Kingscote originally as the dower to the first knight on his marriage with Adeva, daughter of Robert Fitzhardinge, whose grandmother was a niece of the Conqueror. Thus the love of sport and war was in the blood. Mr. Thomas Kingscote (1828-1861) married Lady Isabella, a daughter of the sixth Duke. He was considered to be the best heavy-weight rider in the Badminton Hunt. His brother, Robert, was also a good man to hounds. Later in life the latter turned his thoughts to other things than sport, and became a lay evangelist. The famous huntsman to Lord Fitzhardinge, Harry Ayris, of whom mention is frequently made in the eighth Duke's hunting diaries, always said Sir William Miles, of Leigh Court, and Sir Belling- ham Graham, were the finest riders to hounds he had ever seen. Among the older men was Mr. Peach, of Tockington, who was full of recollections of Philip Payne, and the exploits of hounds of the Justice Blood. Then there were Mr. Jack Langley, the hard-riding lawyer, Mr. Southcote Austen, the Reverend " Zach " Taylor, one of the quaintest characters of the hunt, a very fine horseman, but possibly somewhat too convivial in his tastes for a wearer of " the cloth," Mr. George Curtice " com- monly called Snarley Yow," another devoted fol- 240 Tllli DUCHESS OF liKAUFOKT AM) CI 1 1 LI )KF.X . From a Pliotograph by Si'E.ught & Co , Regent S.reet. THE BADMINTON HUNT lower of the Duke, till his admiration for Jem Hills and the Heythrop hounds led him to take up his quarters for hunting at Chipping Norton. Among the pictures at Badminton is one of the fifth Duke and his huntsman and whipper-in, Ketch and Alderton, Lord Worcester (sixth Duke), Mr. Benjamin Hollo way, Dr. R. Penney, John Long, (the father of Will Long), all grouped round a tree. The whipper-in is holding the fox in the fork of the tree, and the Duke has a well-known hunter called " Fox " by the bridle. Among the group beside those I have named, is Mr. T. Estcourt, and I suppose that many of the same name have seen the Beaufort hounds break up their foxes. The Estcourt property is near Tetbury, in the midst of that famous light plough and stone wall country, which is only second to the grass of the vale in the estimation of the followers of the Dukes of Beau- fort. In Nimrod's time, the Beaufort hunt does not seem to have been considered a school for hard riders. Indeed, the country never would lend itself to the steeplechases of Leicestershire. In order to cross the country safely, and to see the end of the runs, it is advisable to ride slowly at the fences. One of the best riders in this part, seems almost to pull up before he tries one of them. In good scenting seasons the ground is sure to be deep, and the flippant style of riding that suits parts of Leicestershire would not do in Gloucestershire or 243 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT Wiltshire. Yet the country has a great charm, and those who have once hunted with the Badminton, will — be their lot cast where it may — always look back with delight on the sport they have enjoyed there. It would be tedious and well-nigh impossible to recall the names of all those who, at one time or another, have hunted with the Duke. Indeed, I suppose nearly every man of note in the hunting world of our day, from the Prince of Wales down- wards, has at some time had a day with these hounds. But the regular followers in a country, where, as we have seen, every rank, from the sweep to the Duke, has been represented, would make a formidable list. Yet there are still some who must not be forgotten. In 1871, there passed away a man whose fame as a cricketer was overshadowed by that of one famous son, and whose prowess as a rider across country was eclipsed by that of another. There was, nevertheless, no man more popular and esteemed in the country than Dr. Grace. He was a very sound cricketer as we all know, and he was a most judicious yet hard man across country. He was, moreover, much liked and trusted by the Duke, and at times acted as field master. The most bril- liant member of the family, however, was Dr. Alfred Grace, who is justly credited — so a relative of my own used to say — with having on one occasion charged and cleared a lane. But space would fail to tell of the Pitmans, the Longs of Rood Ashton, 244 THE BADMINTON HUNT of Percy Barker, who was one of the little band who saw the Greatwood fox marked to ground, of Captain Bill, Lord Rossmore, Mr. T. Saville, T. Donovan, Captain Coote, Mr. Hynam the famous farmer, whose good cob carried Lord Wor- cester during the closing scenes of the great run, Mr. Eustace Chaplin, who also had the extra- ordinary good fortune to be out on the great Water- loo day, and Colonel Ewart. We will turn aside to recall some few of the famous horses of the hunt. At all times since the days of the first Duke, many horses have been bred at Badminton. In the early part of the nineteenth century, there were many sons and daughters of " Sop," and Dairymaid, a daughter of his, was the dam of Milkmaid, Will Long's favourite horse. Then, in later years, came Black Sultan from Shrop- shire, then as now a famous horse-raising country. Most of Sultan's stock were small horses. The demand on horseflesh of the Badminton stables was always great. In the year that Lord Worcester (afterwards eighth Duke) came of age, the stud consisted of sixty horses. Of those, six were kept entirely for the Duke's own riding. Lord Worcester had eight, and each of the hunt servants six. The stamp of horse was much the same as I can recollect seeing in the stables when I was shown over them by the late Lord Edward Somerset. They were all big thoroughbred horses. It was the custom at one time for hounds to be 245 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT taken to the meeting place in a van drawn by four mules, for coaching is a traditional amusement of the Dukes of Beaufort. Their stables never wanted a useful team. Some of the late Duke's bays seen at the Magazine were admirable types of useful work- ing horses. But of course many more horses were required than could be raised at home, and the famous " Bob " Chapman supplied a great many. One of these the Duke considered to be as good a hunter as he had ever possessed. It was the pro- perty originally of the Reverend Richard Yerburgh, who was well known with the Bel voir hounds. Mr. Yerburgh used to say humorously he could never take a ride without running up against hounds. He was, too, an admirable judge of a horse, and seldom made a mistake. That he could please so good a judge as the eighth Duke, is shown by the following extract from an interesting book published last year (1900) by Messrs. Vinton. " In a letter from Curraghmore, on September 24th, 1896, the Duke wrote : " I called the horse ' Parson ' — one from Mr. Yerburgh's stables — and rode him from the second week of November, 1867, and every hunting season until hunting ceased in the spring of 1879. He was a marvellous hunter, could have carried twenty stone hunting, always had a spare leg. I don't remember that we ever parted company, or that I ever lamed him. His only fault was that his feet were flat, and that I had to be very careful about his shoeing. I wish I had a dozen 246 THE BADMINTON HUNT like him, but I fear that I shall never be able to hunt ao-ain. The ' Parson ' was much more of a bay than a brown — a dark bay. But Chapman, the day he brought him for me to look at, was galloping at the fence to jump into the field where I was sitting on my horse. The fence had been cut and plastered, and laid back into the field where he was. I held up my hand and stopped him, saying, ' Any fool of a horse can jump twenty feet when you gallop him fast enough. Walk him up to it and see what he does.' He jumped the fence standing, on to the bank, took one step, and then jumped the ditch, which was a very broad one. I said, ' Now you have sold your horse.' " ^ Indeed, after that the Duke hunted little more. He used to come out on a cob, but age, cares, and gout had left him but a remnant of the gay vitality that had so long distinguished him. When he passed away, a great period in the history of the Badminton hunt came to an end, but that it may have a great future before it, all lovers of the sport will wish. The late and present Dukes have accepted a subscription loyally given by the mem- bers of the hunt. The present Duke, too, has been obliged by other cares to seek the assistance of a professional huntsman. Yet when I last saw the hounds I thought I had never beheld a finer pack. The country has now been restored to its old ^ Leaves from a Hunting Diary in Essex. 247 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT limits, by taking back the part lent to the late Avon Vale hunt. Hounds are out sometimes eight times in a week, two packs going out in one day, and last season the present huntsman, William Dale, told me he had never enjoyed better sport in his life than since he had been with the Bad- minton hounds. 248 XII Autumn Days 249 CHAPTER XII Autumn Days IN days to come historians will mark the decade 1870-80 as being of great importance in the history of our English social life. Great as was the outward prosperity during the Whig ascendancy, the inevitable and logical result of the Liberal prin- ciples that were in the air was the growth of the power of the democracy and the lessening of that of the great nobles. Accordingly we find that a suc- cession of blows was struck by those Liberal minis- tries which even down to our own time were made up to a great extent of members of, or dependents on, the great Whig Oligarchy. The Russells and the Cavendishes diligently sawed off the main branches of the political tree on which they sat. Reform, the abolition of the Corn Laws, and the following and inevitable agricultural depression, began the ruin which the Finance Bill will doubt- less complete in process of time. Those who believe that the survival of sreat fami- lies is not the result of luck or chance, but of certain definite qualities that are of service to the family as 253 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT such in the struggle for existence, will expect to find that some will survive even under the most adverse conditions. Darwin and Wallace, Huxley and Haeckel have made it plain to us, however much we may dislike the conclusion, that social equality is impossible in the nature of things. I believe that both science and history point to the survival of fighting races and men, and to the ultimate subjec- tion to them of the men of learning and commerce. The man who fights has a natural tendency to that feeling for the clan, the subordination to a head, the desire to work for the common interests of its members, which is by no means the least important among the qualities that enable families to survive and to rule. Hundreds and thousands of families in our Eng- lish middle classes have opportunities for founding a clan, of which they do not avail themselves. Every one must note the positive aversion of many well-to-do Englishmen from helping their own rela- tives. The money they will gladly expend on charities or on strangers, is denied to the necessitous among those of their own blood. Now it is just the opposite of this that is the source of the vital power and energy of great families. They desire to for- ward the interests of all who bear their name, and they receive in return from those they help, loyal support and respect. The story of the Duke of Beaufort's life shows us the force of the blows that have fallen on the great 254 AUTUMN DAYS landed families, which yet survive the disasters which have overtaken them. To compare small thinofs to great, the continued existence of our rul- ing families is historically a parallel to one of the causes of the survival of the Church of Rome, viz., the coherence and unity of its members. These thoughts, which come almost unbidden at this point of our story, prepare us for the shadows that fell across the closing years of the eighth Duke's life. The story of adversity shows him at his best — always strong, cheery, and full of thought for the pleasures of others, and ever anxious that his own cares should cast no gloom over the joy of those about him. He showed that fine courage that does not think the whole world should be in tears because it is sad, or grudge to others a joy impossible to itself. Yet the full weight of agricultural depression was not felt at once, though already there were signs of the times. The Duke was himself a good farmer and an experienced landlord, and was in touch with the practical farmers among his tenants. What has since happened did not then take him altogether by surprise. His life at this period had so many in- terests and occupations that time passed swiftly, bringing with it the changes that approach with footsteps so light and soft that they startle us when at last we realise their presence. The Duke of Beaufort occupied a peculiar posi- tion. He was looked up to as a man whose advice 255 P THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT might be sought with advantage on a variety of subjects. By the general public he was regarded as a sort of king of the world of sport. His opinion on such matters was even sought by those who were themselves no mean authorities. To the events of his life as they followed one another we must turn our attention, for the Duke's is a life of action rather than of thought. He had still twenty-nine years of a busy life before him. In another chapter I have referred to the successful time of racing that began in 1870. His long con- nection with the town of Bristol as High Steward brought him much to fill his time besides that regular county business which is part of the ordinary routine of a great land-owner's life. Of this part of his life I have said but little, for such services, though valuable to the country, deal with petty, though by no means unimportant details, and do not make interesting reading. Moreover, they are given and accepted so much as a matter of course, that they make but little mark. Yet in days to come the historian of the nineteenth century will have to record how the wide gap between imperial and parish affairs was filled up voluntarily by the squires and parsons. County Councils and Parish Councils have now altered methods, but the men who have leisure and good-will, who are trusted and beloved by their neighbours, still continue to earn their meed of influence and consideration by service. Circumstances now pointed to a change at the 256 AUTUMN DAYS kennels at Badminton. Tom Clark's day was over, for he could no longer ride to his hounds. In handling the pack he had become nervous and hesitatino-, and he himself felt the time had come for retirement. Lord Worcester, who was growing up, was marked out by his position and aptitude to take a leading place in the hunt. The Duke had not failed to note how keenly his son was interested in the hounds, and how competent he was to take the horn. It is probable that neither father nor son foresaw they were beginning a period that will be ever memorable in the history of fox-hunting. But the Duke gave Lord Worcester the horn when Clark retired in 1868, and the success of the plan was immediate. In his very first season the young huntsman — he was then just of age — had great success, and there was a marked improvement in the sport. Yet it must not be forgotten, in justice to the memory of the late Duke and Tom Clark, that the pack had been raised to a high pitch of ex- cellence, and the entry of that season was very good. Lord Worcester was now leading a very full life. He was at once a subaltern of the Royal Horse Guards and huntsman to his father's hounds. In fulfilment of these two different lines of duty, his time was much taken up. Yet he, like his father before him, carried out his plans with energy and thoroughness. The severest critics a huntsman can have are his hounds. They know much about him, 259 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT and the degree of affection and pleasure they display on seeing him is no bad criterion of his skill in showing sport. At the time of which I am writing Lord Worcester was able to be but little in the kennel, and all the cub-hunting was left to Charles Hamblin, an excellent and faithful servant, who went to his rest while this book was in preparation. Thus Lord Worcester saw but little of hounds save in the field. Yet no sooner did the tall figure in green plush, so often mounted on the white horse (old Beckford) appear at the fixture, than hounds rushed to greet him with every demonstration of delight. There are few huntsmen more careful not to disappoint hounds than Lord Worcester, for it is well known that when they kill a fox they are allowed to break him up while still afire with the enthusiasm of the chase. There is none of the ceremony that newspaper reporters delight to speak of as the " obsequies " which, picturesque and im- posing though they may be, often make hounds careless and indifferent about breaking up their fox at all, and thus defeat the very purpose for which they are blooded. Lord Worcester loved the big, sensible dog hounds, which show the best sport with a first-rate huntsman, but which require so much more patience, tact, and gentleness than is necessary with the bitches and their smaller brothers who run with them. At the time the Duke began to take up racing 260 AUTUMN DAYS seriously again, he was engaged in helping on the revival of road coaching, which, but for him, would perhaps never have been brought about successfully at all. The Duke drove many a load down to see those early polo matches in which Lord Worcester took part. I think, as the former watched the game, then a new one to English eyes, he might well have wished that in his youth such a splendid pastime had been in vogue. Polo, however, was hardly much known until 1872, and Lord Worcester had established his reputation as a master of hounds by the Greatwood run before he began to play. There is probably no better account of this run than that published in Bailys Magazine, and which has been re-published in that useful vade mecum Bailys Hunting Directory. The map is reprinted here, in order that those who wish to do so, may once more trace out the course of a fox-chase, which is perhaps the most wonderful ever seen. This run takes its place in the history of hunt- ing with that of Mr. Anstruther Thomson, from Waterloo Gorse, or the Duke of Rutland's wonderful hunt from Jericho Covert. But of all these famous chases none can compare with the Greatwood run in straightness of course, the variety of country crossed, or the distance between the extreme points, Grittenham, Greatwood and High worth. It began in the Beaufort country, crossed the Vale of White Horse, and ended in Old Berkshire territory. The distance was fourteen miles from point to point, and 263 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT seven-and- twenty as hounds ran. The time was three hours and a half, and there was only one check of less than eight minutes. The run took place on Wednesday, February 22nd, 1 87 1. It may be noted that the Waterloo run also took place in February. The weather was keen, with an easterly wind, and there had been several degrees of frost over night. These condi- tions, it will be remembered, also marked the Billes- don Coplow run, with, " The wind in the east forbiddingly keen," and the memorable loth December, 1805, " When the Duke fixed at Waltham to meet," of which Lord Forester writes, " The frost was so keen I remember, The horses could scarce keep their feet." The Duke of Beaufort himself, however, expected a good day, for he remarked to a somewhat too eager member of the hunt whom he passed on the way to draw : "If you won't ride more forward than you are at present (some twenty paces behind hounds) I think I may promise you something like a good day's sport." By which we may infer that the Duke was very moderate in his demands on the thrusters of his field. The fixture was Swallett's Gate. The Badminton coach and the hound van were left at Sutton, and 264 AUTUMN DAYS the hounds and the Duke's party trotted on from thence. Amonsf those who came from Badminton was George Fordham, who, unHke Custance, was not nearly so good across country as on the flat. Lord Worcester was hunting the hounds, and rode the famous Beckford, a flea-bitten grey. This horse must have been an animal of wonderful courage, as he did all the work of a huntsman's horse, and only stopped at last near Kempsford shortly before the end. Heber Long was first whipper-in. Lord Worcester had a pack of seventeen and a half couples of the big dog pack. In their veins were all the great hunting strains of Badminton, Belvoir, Bramham Moor, Brocklesby, Fitzwilliam and Blank- ney ; of Justice and Dorimant, Potentate (Belvoir), Guider, Lumen, and above all of Badminton Rufus. Writing of the last hound. Lord Henry Bentinck says, " he was of extraordinary sagacity, but had plenty of tongue." There was a long draw, nor was it till they reached the east end of the wood that hounds found their fox. Comparatively few people heard the whistle. The wind had chopped round to the south-west, and was blowing fresh. Lord Worcester and Heber Long with a few followers only got away. Hounds settled down to run, but before they reached Brinkworth brook the fox was headed and swung round again to the wood. A bold fox like this one always makes his point if he possibly can, and entering the wood on the 265 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT opposite side to that from which he had left it, he went through without stopping. The splendid chorus of the hounds through the covert put those who had been left once more on terms. They little knew that the loss of that first ring was a blessings in disguise. Those who were, as they thought, out of the fun, merely saved themselves three miles of stiff going. This time the fox was fairly away, but there lay before the pursuers the Brinkworth brook. Some charged it, some refused, and some went in. Lord Worcester and a few followers saved their horses a little, and obtained a slight pull by going over the bridge. Of those who were weeded out at the brook few saw hounds again. At the village of Brinkworth hounds threw up their heads. Giving them time to make their own cast, Lord Worcester watched them closely, and then, with a low whistle, quietly cast them on. Steadily and without flash they settled on the line again, and now were running hard for Somerford Common, a famous covert well known to followers of the V.W.H. Hounds never paused or wavered on the Common, for the fox had gone right through. Those who had eased their horses found themselves in the rear. Either be- cause he felt hounds too close, or perhaps meeting some obstacle, the fox twisted about here, but hounds (led by Sexton, Sentinel, and Ganymede, while Galloper strove hard to the front for the credit of his Yorkshire blood — he was by Lane Fox's Gainer out of Stately) were never off the 266 AUTUMN DAYS line. From this point onward the fox disdained the shelter of coverts. Over the Tadpole Vale hounds ran hard, and horses began to flounder and fumble at their fences. Every one felt by this time that he was in for a great run, and all were riding resolutely, silently, and making every effort to save their horses. Cricklade was passed, and the waters of the I sis were in front. Lord Worcester's quick eye saw a cattle drinking-place on the opposite bank, and he plunged in, getting out with a scramble ere the tail hounds had scattered the drops from their coats and were straining away in pursuit of their comrades. The foremost hounds, now running mute, had a long lead ; but as the line was parallel to the canal, the towing-path gave the huntsmen a relief Once more the river was crossed, but this time the bridge at Castle Eaton helped the wise ones, though two rash and eager spirits, Messrs. Candy and Byng, tried to swim it again and were nearly drowned for their pains. At Castle Eaton the hounds came to close hunting, and Hamblin's good work at their condition told, for where many packs would have been unable to hunt on for sheer weariness, Hannibal and Nathan led the pack through gardens and a farm-yard, while Lord Worcester and Messrs. Alfred Grace and Candy- were reduced to running on foot, Mr, Pitman fol- lowing with poor old Beckford in tow. Now, luckily, the pace was slow, and the end was at hand. Mr. Hynam lent Lord Worcester a good 267 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT stout cob to finish on. Hounds marked the fox to ground in a rabbit hole in a meadow belonging to a brewer near High worth Street. When Heber Long, who had gone well on a Badminton-bred grey — a descendant of the famous old "Lops" — counted over the hounds, but one couple was mis- sing. It was a very small group at the finish — " Colonels Ewart and Dickson, Messrs. Tom Wild and Pitman," says the writer in Baily, " Captain Candy and Mr. Byng, as well as Mr. Jenkins, who went through the run — omitting the first ring — on a horse named Gifford, belonging to Mr. Walter Powell, of Dauntsey. About a quarter of an hour later the Duke, riding Dyrham, a favourite stout- hearted bay, arrived ; so did Lord Arthur and Mr. Granville Somerset." The heavy-weights, of course, missed their second horses. Hounds and horses went by train from Swindon to Chippenham. They were thirty-five miles from home when they left off. Lord Worcester went on to town to be ready for his regimental work the next day. The Duke was by this time so widely known, and his pack was so famous, that he often had in- vitations to meet in other countries ; and on Tues- day, March 17th, 1874, he and Lord Worcester took the hounds to an invitation meet at Stetch- combe, where Mr. Stephen Butler, a well-known welter weight of those days, kept open house. 268 AUTUMN DAYS There was, of course, a crowd to see the Duke, who rode up on a wonderful dark bay horse he had then, with Lady Blanche Somerset and Lord Edward. Lord Worcester had a chestnut of the big blood-horse stamp he has made so familiar to followers of the hunt, and he brought out the bitch pack. These were drawn a little fine, but it was late in the season, and Hamblin believed in condition. If hounds had it not they would never reach the end of a long day in that deep and holding county. A still longer excursion was made into the New Forest on April 24th, 1875. The charm of spring hunting in the New Forest cannot be exaggerated, but the difficulties for the huntsman are very great indeed. It was something of a trial to Lord Wor- cester, for, as is usually the case in the New Forest in the spring, there were several masters present. Besides Sir Reginald Graham, of the New Forest, the list included such sportsmen as Mr. Portman and Mr. Villebois. The New Forest is a difficult country to kill foxes in, but Lord Worcester succeeded, or rather his hounds did ; for just as he was blowing the pack out of covert, believing the fox to be lost, some two couple that had remained behind came out spotted with blood. The Duke thought these hounds had perhaps killed their fox. So it proved, for on Lord Worcester taking the rest back, they found the fox dead where the hounds had left him. 269 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT On all these trips the Duke made friends and strengthened his position and influence in the world of sport. But he never forgot more serious busi- ness, and the Badminton Farmers' Club was at this time a very flourishing body, though even here some murmurs of complaint at bad times made themselves felt. However, it is evident that the members had not yet come within sight of the dark days when farmers would be no longer able to hunt. In the autumn of 1875, Heber Long, who was leavinof Badminton to become huntsman to the South and West Wilts, was presented with a testi- monial by the local farmers. Heber was a son of Charles Long, a much esteemed whipper-in under William Long, and belonged, therefore, to a family whose services to Badminton and hunting were not soon to be forgotten. The way he came by his name was as follows. The Duke asked Charles why he had given the boy the name. "Well, your Grace," was the an- swer, " I came across the name of Heber the Kenite in the Bible, and at the same time I was reading some sermons by Bishop Heber, so I thought I could not do better." The Farmers' Club presented Heber with a silver horn and a purse of 138 guineas. In 1876 a visitor notes his admiration for the hounds, hunted according to Badminton tradition in three packs — the big dogs, the middle pack, and 270 VAULTER" and " UKSI'OT." AUTUMN DAYS the small one. He remarks how quickly they flew to the cry or their huntsman's cheer, but he also says they were a little light of tongue. At this time the kennel was full of the famous Badminton lines of blood, going back through Potentate to Dorimant. There were many badger pies, and a strong family likeness existed in the pack. In 1879 came that famous Beckhampton run, which is perhaps one of the fastest ever known. A contemporary writer in the Field, who was evi- dently an eye-witness, thus describes it : — " They had drawn the first Beckhampton Gorse blank, but found directly they were thrown into the second. Just one faint whimper, then not a tongue was heard, and only the shrill whistle of the hunts- man told that the pack was away, and stealing over the moorland turf at a pace, which called out the utmost powers of the fastest to catch them — aye, or even to see them, as they sped on over swelling spur and deep hollow towards Alton Priors. To the minds of many came those unpublished lines of Whyte Melville :— " ' How they drive to the front ! — how they bustle and spread, Those badger-pied beauties that open the ball ! Ere we've gone for a mile, they are furlongs ahead, In they pour like a torrent o'er upland and wall. There is raking of rowel and shaking of rein (Few hunters can live at the Badminton pace), And the pride of the stable 's extended in vain, And the Blues and the Buffs are all over the place.' *' Nearly straight as the crow flies they raced on 273 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT over the downs, six good miles and more. There was just one momentary check as they went on to Alton Priors, and a minute after they pulled the good fox down as he tried to jump the rails out of a road. Twenty-two minutes from find to finish. Of those who essayed to ride the line the hounds ran, Mr. Sloper (a local farmer) had the best of it, with Bob (the first whip), on the thorough-bred Shadow, in close attendance, and these two were, in fact, alone after the first mile or two. Lord Worcester, Lord Arthur Somerset, Walter, and many others, managed to keep the hounds in view and to be with them at the finish, by aid of the friendly Wansdyke, which runs along the ridge overlooking the indented slopes where hounds pur- sued their more arduous course." It was about this time that the Duke of Beaufort and Lord Worcester imported some Norwegian foxes. These were ear marked and turned down, and gave very fairly satisfactory results. Even in the Badminton Hunt everything did not always go smoothly. The railways and other causes brought ever larger and larger fields, and there were some cases of fox-killino- which the Duke himself, in a strong letter written to the newspapers at the time, puts down to the criminal carelessness of farmers' interests shown by some hunting men. But, on the whole, this was a great and brilliant period in the history of the hunt. A visitor to Badminton in or about 1887 notes 274 AUTUMN DAYS the excellent condition of the estate, the goodness of the cottages, and the cheerful air of prosperity of the Duke's people. No Badminton tenant or cottager went to "the house," and with the Duchess it was a labour of love to look after the old and sick. But the shadows soon began to lengthen, and troubles came thick and fast. Not for a moment did the Duke think of giving up his hounds. Never- theless expenses were very heavy, and the Beaufort property, being chiefly agricultural, felt the steady fall of prices very much. The Duke found his in- come decreasing rapidly. The country hunted was, therefore curtailed, and the pack known first as Captain Spicer's, and later as the Avon Vale, was cut off from the Badminton Hunt. Then a subscrip- tion was, for the first time in the history of the hunt, accepted, the famous pack remaining the property of the Duke. Shortly afterwards the ownership was transferred to Lord Worcester. Never did the Duke's courtesy, kindness, and courage fail him, for whatever difficulties and sorrows he endured — and Lady Waterford's long sufferings and death were sore trials to a man whose love of his children was so marked a feature in his character — he was outwardly full of courage and cheerfulness. We cannot doubt that an occupation and an interest which came about this time was really a pleasure to him. I refer, of course, to the now 275 THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT famous Badminton Library. The Duke, when once he had undertaken, in 1882, to edit the series, had no idea of being a mere figure head. To the task, unwonted and novel though it was, he brought all the thoroughness of his nature and his priceless gift of charm. No doubt he was fortunate in his publishers ; fortunate, too, in the fact that his assistant editor was Mr. Alfred Watson, who com- bined with a careful literary taste the practical power of guiding his enterprises to success. But still, it is no partiality of the biographer for his subject that causes me to rate the Duke's services to the Badminton Library very highly. In these books the Duke himself wrote much and wrote well. He was not a young man when he undertook the task, but I think every one who has the series on his shelves will agree that the Duke's writing showed a rapid improvement in style and force as the work went on. The chapters on driving and on riding in the Riding and Polo volume are not only most excellent practically, but they are the most readable matter on sporting subjects since the Duke's friend, Whyte Melville, laid down his pen. The Duke's share in the volume on Hunting is particularly excellent, but is not, in many respects, equal to his treatment of the other two subjects. There is surely nothing better in the whole range of sporting literature or history than the remini- scences of coaching and posting in the volume on driving. But it is not only in the late Duke of Beau- 276 AUTUMN DAYS fort's contributions that we find evidences of his skill ; this is also seen in the choice of writers. The volumes on shooting are among the best books ever written on that subject. It is not too much to say that the Badminton Library reformed the style of books on practical sport. The usual slang, historical and social platitudes, found no resting place in these charming pages. There is scarcely one of these books that cannot be read with pleasure by those who desire information on recreations that interest their fellow-men, although they themselves may have no taste for them. In the preface to the twenty-eighth and last volume of the series (the charming collection by Mr. Hedley Peck called "The Poetry of Sport") there is a most generous appreciation by Mr. A. E. T. Watson, of the work of the late Duke as editor. To Mr. Watson, as he looks over the row of the Badminton series, it must come with a sense of added pleasure and pride in a great labour brought to a fair conclusion, that for twelve of the Duke's closing years the work was a delight and a consolation to him. These days were, neverthe- less, as I have said, the darkest in a life that had brought much brightness to others. They were marked by a series of brave and cheerful surren- ders of things much valued and much delighted in. But as the days of the Duke drew to a close a still greater consolation came to him. He was 277 Q THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT spared to see the marriage of his eldest son in 1895 to Louise Emily, daughter of William Harford, of Old Down, Almondsbury. The Duke had always loved children, and they, as their custom is, had returned his affection. When his eldest granddaughter was born, he poured out upon her the affection he had given to his own daughter, of whose birth he speaks so tenderly in his diary. He loved the little granddaughter intensely, and her welfare was his most absorbing thought during the last two years of his life. Thus the clouds lifted, and bright sunshine was shed over his closing days by the intense love he bore the child. Could he have been spared to see the birth of the heir to the ancient name, which took place in 1900, it would have rejoiced him. This, however, was not to be, and we may be glad to think that so much of joy was granted him. When, in the fulness of time, the eighth Duke of Beaufort passed away, all men felt that a familiar and notable figure of our time had been lost. In his faults and his virtues he was a typical English- man, of a very gallant and lovable type. From the day when he gave up an active part in the manage- ment of the hunt and of the estates, he spent most of his time at Stoke Park. The end was very near at hand, his death taking place in 1899. Few men have left a greater blank in English 278 " VAULTER " From the picture by Cuthbert Bradley. AUTUMN DAYS social life. All classes of his fellow-countrymen loved him, and looked to him as a leader in their sports and as an adviser in difficult cases, for his judgment could be depended on, and his kindness was unfailing. What was the secret of the popularity and in- fluence that were his ? That he was liked and looked up to at first because of his great position is true. But later the man himself, apart from his rank, was esteemed and obeyed. The Duke was, as we have seen, a many-sided man, and his energies and abilities were diffused rather than concentrated ; but that they were remarkable no one who has read the previous pages will deny. His head was clear, and was directed by a heart that was full of genuine kindness and liking for his fellows. There have been" many men who for a time have held a larger place in affairs than the eighth Duke of Beaufort. Yet their memory will live no longer than his. Public men, like actors, are soon forgotten when they leave the stage. But men like the late Duke of Beaufort, whose life influenced so many of the most interesting of our occupations, who ruled and guided for good our two great national sports, racing and hunting, will live on in the records of social history. 281 INDEX Alderton, Thomas, 151, 243 Ambassador of fifteenth and sixteenth century, 6 Andover, Lord, 124 Archdeacon, 116 Astley, Sir John, 171, 213 Auguy, M., Officier de Lotiveterie in Poitou, 224, 225 Austen, South cote, 240 Avon Vale pack( Captain Spicer's) , 275 Ayris, Henry, 194, 202, 240 B Bachelor, 193 Badminton — Bequeathed to Henry first Duke of Beaufort, 52 Picture of life at, 56 seqq. Badminton Church rebuilt, 63 Badminton Farmers' Club, 270 Badminton Hounds, 69 seqq. Belvoir hounds and, 77, 80 Brocklesby hounds and, 80 Description of, ']'] Entry of 1867, 227 Harriers and deerhounds, 70 Horlock's description of, 108 Kennel book of 1728, 70 M e y n e 1 1 and Osbaldeston hounds and, 77 Nimrod's opinion of, 109 Oldest established pack, 235 Pack on Greatwood run, 265 Staghound origin, 70, 93 Three packs, 270 Tubney hounds and, 81 Badminton House, 63 Badminton Hunt, 64 Beckhampton run 1879, 273 Button, 97 Country, 243, 247 Horlock's account of, 107 Nimrod's description of, 103 Curtailed, 275 Cub hunting, 107, 179, 191, 201 Dukes of Beaufort always Masters, 235 French sportsmen and, 224 Greatwood run, 263 seqq. Heythrop country hunted with, 78,98, 156, 237 Horses, 245 Influences that have increased its fame, 236 Meet at Stetchcombe 1874, 268 Meet in New Forest 1875, 269 Meets at Laron, 122, 124, 226 Members, 238 seqq. Run on February 23, 1856, 182 Run on January 20, 1842, 158 Run on October 20, 1856, 194 Runs with Lord Fitzhardinge's pack, 194, 202 Season of 1857-8, 201 Servants, 90, 151 seqq. Supported by landowners, 238 Uniform, 160, 218, 236 Badminton Library, 276 Badminton Nectar, 94 Badminton Park, deer in, H2 Badminton stables, 115, 245 Bailey, John, 182 Baillie, Captain, 182 Baiiys Magazine : account of Greatwood run in, 263 283 284 INDEX Bath, Lord, draft of harriers and deerhounds from Badminton, 70 Battle of Spurs, 12 Bayley, Dr. Thomas, at Raglan Castle, 39 Collection of sayings of Henry Marquis of Worcester, 33 Bayly, John, 195 Horsemanship, 239 Beckford, 265 Belvoir pack : influence on modern fox-hound, 74, 235 Bentinck, Lord George, influence on racing, 171 Bentinck, Lord Henry, 181 On Badminton Rufus, 265 Berkeley, Captain, 182 Beaufort, Henry, first Duke of, 35 Builds Badminton, 63 Death, 64 Entertains Charles IL at Bad- minton, 52 Progress through Wales, 53 Sketch of career, 49 seqq. Beaufort, Henry, third Duke of — Domestic troubles, 73 Improves Badminton hounds, 70 Beaufort, Noel, fourth Duke of, Beaufort, Henry, fifth Duke of, 89 Picture of, 243 Story of fox hunting and, Takes over Heythrop country, 78 Beaufort, sixth Duke of, 78, 80, 89 As master of hounds, 98 Nimrod's notice of, 90 Beaufort, Henry, seventh Duke of, 78, 80, 103 Anecdotes of, 117, 121 Coach, 138 Death, 127 Disputes with Mr. Horlock, 104 Marriage, 96 Sketch of, 95 seqq. Beaufort, Henry Charles Fitzroy, Earl of Glamorgan, eighth Duke of, 80, 81, 89 Account of " Parson," 246 Acting master of hounds, 127 As huntsman, 161, 172, 205 As landlord and farmer, 212, 25s Boyhood, 137 seqq. Beaufort, Henry, C. F. — Character, 255 Death, 278 Edits Badminton Library, 276 High Steward of Bristol, 256 Horses trained at Danebury, 214 Hunts with Old Berkshire and Heythrop hounds, 199 Hunts wolves in France, 223, 225 Journal, 172 : extracts from, 174, 177, 178, 179, 180, 182, 186, 191, 192, 194, 196, 199, 200, 202 Letter to Mr. Horlock {Scru- tator), 219 Letter to Mr. Townsend, 229 Marriage, 169 Master of the Horse, 201, 213 Racing, 171, 213 Sketch of, 1 34, 1 69 seqq. Winters abroad (1861), 223 Beaufort, Henry Adelbert Well- ington Fitzroy, ninth Duke of, 82, 247 As huntsman, 259, 263, 269 Descent from Richard Duke of York, 19 First view of hounds, 127 Marriage, 278 Bill, Captain, 245 Black Sultan, 245 Boldero, Captain, 124 Bourton-on-the-Hill, 100, 103 Box Wood, 103 Boxer, 94, 95 Bradwell, 98 Brassey, Albert, rebuilds Hey- thorpe Hall, 98 Brittany, Duke of, defeated at St. Aubin du Cornier, 8 Brocklesby hounds, 235 INDEX 285 Bunce, Jack, 237 Butler, Stephen, 268 Button Park, 217 Byng, Mr., 268 Curtice, George, 240 Curzon, Lady Adelaide, Countess of Westmorland, 196 Curzon, Lady Georgina, eighth Duchess of Beaufort, 169 Caipe Hunt, 223 Candy, Captain, 268 Carmarthen, Duke of Beaufort visits, 54 Catcombe Woods, 107 Ceylon, 214 Chabot, M., lends Rieul I'Espoir to Duke of Beaufort, 225 Chanticleer, 211 Chaplin, Eustace, 245 Chapman, " Bob," 246 Charlbury village, 99 Charles I — Grants patent of Dukedom of Somerset, 42, 52 Sends Lord Herbert to Ireland, 36 Chepstow Castle, 63, 64 Chesterfield, Lord, 120 Chezelles, Count Roget de, 225 Chipping Norton, 99 Christian Malford, 107 Clark, Tom — Brings Tubney hounds to Bad- minton, 81 Career as huntsman, 162, 204 Retires, 228, 259 Cob, the, 217 Codrington, C. W., 124 Codrington, Lady Georgiana, 123 Codrington, Sir William — Accident to, 123 Manages Badminton hounds, 223, 235 Colville, Lord, Master of Buck- hounds, 228 Comrade, 203 Comus, 181 Contest, 83, 181 Coote, Captain, 245 Crane, Will, 151 Cromwell, Oliver — Receives Somerset estates, 40 Respect for legal rights of property, 50 Dairymaid, 245 Dale, William, 82, 90, 248 Danebury, 214 Dashaway, 112 Day, John, 239. Trains eighth Duke of Beau- fort's horses, 2x4 De la Warr, Thomas Earl, 14 Dexter, 83, 112 Dickson, Colonel, 268 Diligent, 93 Dilworth, John, 152 Dingley, Thomas, account of Duke of Beaufort's progress through Wales, 53 Dircks quoted on rustics at Rag- lan Castle, 29 Donovan, T., 195, 245 Dorimont, 94, 95 Dormer, Elizabeth, wife of second Marquis Worcester, 35, 49 Drax, master of Charborough fox- hounds, 120 Draycot Park, 103 Druid— On Badminton Nectar, 94 On Captain White, 239 Dudley, John Sutton, Lord, 14 Echo, 94 Essex, Robert Devereux, Earl of, 19 Estcourt, T., 243 Evans, Captain, of Dean, 99 Dwarf beagles, 238 Ewart, Colonel, 245, 268 Exeter, Marquis of (third), 171 Fagge, Sir John, 237 Fairfax, General, besieges Raglan Castle, 38 286 INDEX Farmington, 98 Field of the Cloth of Gold, 11, 12, 15 Fitzhardinge, Adeva, 240 Fitzhardinge, Lord, hounds run with Badminton pack, 194, 202 Fitzroy, Georgiana, wife of seventh Duke of Beaufort, 96 Fitzroy, Lord {see Raglan, Lord). Fleecer, 81, 193 Flyer, 80 Foley, Lord, 78 Fordham, George, 265 Fordham, jockey to eighth Duke of Beaufort, 214 Fox hunting, date of origin, 69 Francis I, Worcester's interview with, II Frankfort, 80 Free-Martin, 116, 121 Gambler, 83 George IV, 97 Gifford, 268 Gififord, Lord, gives up V.W.H., 202 Gillard, Frank, 79 Glamorgan, Earl of {see Wor- cester, Edward, sixth Earl and second Marquis; also Beaufort, Duke of) Goddard, Tom, 161 Goodall, W., 79 Grace, Dr., 244 Graham, Captain, 225 Graham, Sir Bellingham, 240 Si^xlda.r AioY gentlemen^ s horses, Graham, Sir Reginald, 269 Granby, 227 Grant, Sir Francis, picture of mem- bers of Badminton Hunt, 226 Granville, Earl, 237 Great wood, 107 Greville, Charles, influence on racing, 171 Grimaldi, 238 Guardsman, 227 Guilford, Lord Keeper, visits Bad- minton, 55 H Hale, R. B., 124 Hamblin, Charles, 82, 90, 163 Cub hunting, 260 Harford, Louisa Emily, wife of ninth Duke of Beaufort, 278 Hastings, Elizabeth, wife of fourth Earl of Worcester, 19 Hawkesbury-Upton, 103, 107 Henry VII— Friendship for Charles Somer- set, 5 Navy and, 5, 8 Nobility (old and new) under, 4 Henry VIII employs Lord Herbert, 10 Herbert, Baron {see Worcester, Earl) Herbert, Lady Elizabeth, wife of Charles Somerset, 9 Sketch of, 12 Heron, George, hounds, yj, 93 Heythorpe Hall, 98 Heythrop hunt — Country hunted with Bad- minton, 78, 98, 156 Coverts, 98 Nimrod's description of, 99 Present hunt founded, 156 Run of December 2, 1827, 100 Style of hunting, 157 Hills, Jem, 90, 157 Holloway, Benjamin, of Charl- bury, 99, 243 Horlock {Scrutator) — Account of Badminton country, 107 Description of Badminton hounds, 108 Dispute with Dukes of Beau- fort, 104, 219 Hunt servants, 90 Huntingdon, Francis Hastings, Earl of, 19 Hussars, loth, reputation of, 96 Hynam, Mr., 245 J Jenkins, Mr., 268 Jones, Captain Charles, 119 Justice, 79, 226 INDEX 287 K Kaltoff, Caspar, 49 Ketch, Thomas, 151, 243 Kingscote, Colonel Nigel, 195 Manages Badminton hounds, 223 i Kingscote, Robert, 240 Kingscote, Thomas, 240 Gorse coverts, 103 Kingscotes of Kingscote, 240 Langley, Jack, 240 Lennox, Lord William, and Lord Worcester, 97 Lewes, Mr. 99 Lilly, 82 Limner, 81 Little, Captain, 239 Lives of the Norths, quoted on life at Badminton, 56 seqq. Long, Charles, 191, 270 Long, Heber, 191, 265, 268 Huntsman to South and West Wilts, 270 Long, John, 243 Long, Nimrod, 90, 161, 163 Long, William, 77, 78, 90 As huntsman, 79, 155 As whipper-in, 153 Diaries, 158 ; last entry, 161 Favourite cub hunter, 122 Horsemanship, 153 Retires, 161 Story of Tarwood covert, I 54 Longs of Rood Ashton, 244 Ludlow Castle, 53, 54 Lumen, 82 M Macdonald, Hon. James, 119 Manners, Lord Charles, 96 Manners, Lord Robert, 96 Marches of Wales, office of Lord of, 14 Marplot, 226 Mary Queen of Scots, trial of, 17 Maximilian, Emperor, 10 Mayflower, 116, 122, 144 Meynell, Mr., hounds hunting foxes, 74 {See also under Badminton hounds and Old Berkshire) Miles, Sir William, 240 Milkmaid, 154, 245 Moonraker, 238 Moreton-in-the-Marsh, 98 Morgan, Colonel, besieges Raglan Castle, 38 Morrell sells Old Berkshire pack, 162 Mostyn, Sir T., 94 N Naunton : Fragmenta Regalia quoted, 18 Navy, Henry VII's attitude towards, 5, 8 Nectar, 94 Neeld, Mr., 124 Nimrod (Apperley) Coaching anecdote, 117 Describes Badminton country, 103, 119 — Badminton hounds, 109 — Badminton stables, 115, 144 — Back land at Badminton, 112 — Heythrop country, 99 — his mount, 120 Notice of sixth Duke of Beau- fort quoted, 90, 92 Story of Duke of Beaufort, 121 Visits to Badminton, iii, 119, 142 North, Lord Edward, connection with Duke of Beaufort, 56, and note. Norwegian foxes imported, 274 O O'Brien, Margaret, second wife of second Marquis Wor- cester, 36 Old Berkshire pack (Tubney) sold, 81, 162 288 INDEX " Parson," 246 Payne, Philip, -Ji, 78, 79. 9°, 9i, 93, 152 Paynter, Captain, 195 Peach, Mr., of Tockington, 240 Pembroke, William, second Earl of, 9 Penney, Dr. R., 243 Petronel, 217 Peyton, Henry, 120 Pitmans, 244 Playful, 203 Portman, Mr., 269 Potentate, 80, 227 Povvis Castle, 54 Prophetess, 80 Prosper, 127 Queen Elizabeth and Lord Worcester, 16 Queen Elizabeth at wedding of Earl of Worcester, 31 R Racing, 171 Raffle, 95, 112 Ragimunde, 217 Raglan Castle, 12, 28 Besieged, 38 Searched for arms, 29 Raglan, Lord, 78 Last run seen by, 182 Rally wood, 126 Ramsden, Mr., 124 Ranger, 82 Rarity, 211 Rawlinson, brothers, 237 Remus, 80, 82, 112 Reve d'Or, 217 Rinuccini, papal nuncio in Ire- land, 37 Roberts, Earl, and loth Hussars, 96 Rossmore, Lord, 245 Rubicon, 82 Russell, Hon. M., 225 Russell, Lady Anne, wife of fifth Earl Worcester, 31 Rustic, 214 Rutland, Duke of, run from Jeri- cho covert, 263 St. Aubin du Cornier, Duke of Brittany defeated at, 8 St. Bartholomew, massacre of, 17 Sandys, Lord, 96 Saville, T., 245 Scottish Queen, 217 Scudamore, Sir John, of Holme Lacy, 73 Seagrave, Lord, Blood Royal, 121 Seymour, Lord, 124 Shipton Wood, near Tetbury, 103 Siberia, 214 Silk Wood, 103, 107 Simmons, Dr., of Oxford, 196 Skewbald horses, teams of, 127 Somerset, Captain, 235 Somerset, Charles (.f^^ Worcester, Charles Somerset first Earl) Somerset, Colonel Edward, 182 Somerset, Colonel Powlett, mas- ter of Calpe Hunt, 223 Somerset, Duke of (III), 3 Character, 5 Somerset estates given to Crom- well, 40 Somerset family, 20, 27 Rise of, I seqq. Somerset, Granville, 182 Somerset, Henry {see Beaufort, Henry, first Duke of) Somerset, Hon. Edward, 120 Somerset, Lady Blanche, wife of fifth Marquis of Waterford, 206, 219, 269, 275 Somerset, Lady Isabella, wife of Thomas Kingscote, 240 Somerset, Lord Arthur, 274 Somerset, Lord Charles, 39 Somerset, Lord Charles, 237 Somerset, Lord Charles, Governor of Cape of Good Hope, 78 Somerset, Lord Edward, 245, 269 Somerset, patent of Dukedom, 42, 52 " Sop," 245 Spicer, Captain, pack of hounds, 275 INDEX 289 Stanford Park, meet at, 120, 158 Stansby, Will, 90, 163, 192, 201 Stanton Park, 103, 107 Sudbury Vale, 195 Suffolk, Lord, 182 Sulphur, 227 Sunbeam, 227 Surtees, and " Justice," 79 Sutton, Eleanor, third wife of Charles Somerset, 14 Sutton, Sir Edward, 14 Swiss mercenaries, 12 Swynford, Katherine, her children legitimatized, 5 Taylor, Rev. " Zach," 240 Thomas, William ap, 12 Thomson, Anstruther, run from Waterloo Gorse, 263 Thornhill, Mr., 99 Tintern Abbey lands, 16 Todd, Will, 78,90, 163 "Tom Thumb," 115 Tongue, Cornelius (" Cecil ") visits Badminton, 80 Topper, 74 Torouanne, battle of, 10 Tournay, siege of, 10 Townsend, story of stag and Badminton hounds, 228 Tracy. Courtenay, pack of otter- hounds, 173 Trickster, 227 Trojan, 180 Troy House, 12, 55 Tubney pack broken up, 81, 162 Tuneful, 80 Vagrant, sold to Lord ErroU, 237 Vauban, 214, 217 Vaulter, 83 Villebois, Mr., 269 Vizard of Chipping Sodbury, 124 W Wales, Prince of (King Edward VII), visits Badminton, 227 Walker, Bill, 161, 191 Waller, Rev. John, 238 Walpole's Letters: allusions to Elizabeth Duchess of Beau- fort, ^l Warburton, Sir Peter, 93 Warrior, 112 Watson, Alfred E. T.— Assistant editor of Badminton Library, 276, 277 Friendship with eighth Duke of Beaufort, 170 Way, William, of Glympton Park, 112 Webb, of Kiddington, 99 Wellington, 112 West, Elizabeth, second wife of Charles Somerset, 14 West, Jack, 163 White, Captain, stories of, 239 Whyte, Melville, quoted, 273 Wild, Tom, 268 Willan, Jack, 237 Williams, Captain Percy, 164 Wilton, Earl of, 124 Winniatt, Rev. — of Temple Greeting, 100 Woldsman, 211 Wolf hunting in France, 224 Wolsey, Cardinal, as statesman, 10 Wombwell, Sir George, 96 Woodbine, 112 Woodman, 112 Woodstock, 99 Woodville, Elizabeth, 13 note Woodville, Lord, filibustering ex- pedition, 8 Woodville, Mary, 13 note Worcester, Charles Somerset, first Earl Admiral of the fleet, 8 Birth, 3, 5 Characteristics, 5, 6, 7 Death, 15 Diplomatic missions, 6, 10 Grants charter to burgesses of Chepstow, 14 Lord of Marches of Wales, 14 Marriage, 9, 14 Politics, 9 290 INDEX Worcester, Henry, second Earl, lo Sketch of, 15 Worcester, William, third Earl — Assessor at trial of Mary Queen of Scots, 17 Marriage, 56 note Mission to Court of France, 16 Worcester, Edward, fourth Earl, 18 Marriage, 19 Worcester, Henry, fifth Earl and first Marquis, 69 Besieged in Raglan Castle, 38 Marriage, 3 Sketch of career, 31 Taken prisoner, 39 Worcester, Edward, sixth Earl and second Marquis — Death, 43 In exile, 41 Inventions, 29, 30, 35, 41 Marriage, 35, 36 Mission to Ireland, 36 Petitions for return of lands, 40 Prisoner in Tower, 41 Sketch of, 28 Worcester, Marquis of {see Beau- fort, Duke of) Workman, 112 Wyndham, Captain, 225 Yeoman of the Guard, enrolled, 7 Yerburgh, Rev. Richard, 246 Butler & Tanner, The Selwood Printing Works, Frome, and London. The History of the Belvoir Hunt By T. F. DALE, M.A {SrONECLINK of " The Field.") With 5 Photogravures and 48 Full-page Plates, and 2 Maps of the Country hunted, showing all the principal meets and historic runs. Also Appendices giving the Stud Book Entries from the year 1 79 1 to 1876, pedigrees of celebrated hounds, and a bibliography I Vol. Demy 8vo. 21s. net SOME OPINIONS OF THE PRESS THE FIELD — " A welcome addition to the records of hunting." THE TIMES — "Belvoir was proverbial for its hospitality, and Mr. Dale, takings a wider range than the hunting field, describes the habits and manners of its guests at various periods. Mr. Dale tells many good stories and many interesting facts." SPORTING LIFE—" Mr. Dale's book must be read through and through— by the sportsman for pleasure, the historian for facts, and by the breeders of all animals for the results of judicious mating. It is about the best work on a hunting subject ever written." BAILY'S MAGAZINE — "He has produced a book which is much more than its title promises, and he has indeed been fortunate in his subject. While Mr. Dale's record centres upon the hunting field and kennel with scrupulous care for detail that hunt history- demands, he invests it with stronger claims still upon attention." THE ST. JAMES'S GAZETTE—" Mr. Dale has succeeded admirably, and his book is entitled to a leading place among the standard works on hunting. . . . The book is well got up and contains many valuable and interesting illustrations, also a complete hound list, maps and index." THE GLOBE — "A sumptuous volume. The illustrations are at once varied and ad- mirably executed, and contribute materially to the interest and value of the volume. The work appeals first to all students of county and family history and lovers of fox hunting. . . . Must needs find a place in every country house and in the libraries of all who cultivate the history of sport." COUNTRY LIFE—" Perfect and complete. ... By far the best book of its kind that has come under my notice. It is illustrated profusely and well. The bestadvice that can be given to hunting men and others is that they should buy the book for their use and entertainment." THE MORNING POST— "Mr. Dale is to be congratulated on the production of a work which will be read with keen enjoyment. . . . The volume is one which will appeal not only to the lover of horse and hound. . . . A history of the Belvoir is almost equiva- lent to a history of English fox hunting, and no pack has made more mark on the hounds of other districts than this one. . . . Mr. Dale has performed an arduous task and is to be congratulated on the successful result. . . . The book leaves nothing to be desired." ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AND CO Ltd 2 WHITEHALL GARDENS WESTMINSTER "The Game of Polo" By T. F. DALE (STONECLINK of " rhe Field") Containing a large number of full-page Sepia Plates illustra- tive of Celebrated Ponies by Lillian Smythe, many Text Illustrations, by Crawford Wood and CuTHBERT Bradley, and a Photogravure Portrait of MR. JOHN WATSON Demy 8vo One Guinea net MORNING POST— "A book which is likely to rank as a standard work on the subject." SHOOTING on a Small Income How to Shoot, and the Management of Small Shootings By CHARLES EDWARD WALKER FULLY ILLUSTRATED Cr. 8vo, Cloth Gilt, 5s arms and EXPLOSIVES— "Whilst books on_ shooting are frequently of little interest, in that they cover old ground, the present writer is able to impart to his writing the interest which he himself takes in the pursuit of a favourite sport. The author writes to the point on all subjects that come up for treatment." THE SPECTATOR—" Mr. Walker's sensible book. . . . Both suggestive and useful." LAND AND WATER—" In our opinion the amount of all-round information pre- sented in such readable form would be almost impossible to beat in any single work that has come to our notice." ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AND CO Ltd 2 WHITEHALL GARDENS WESTMINSTER Gold, Sport, and Coffee Planting ^ « \/f X To^t-/:^ ^^^"8 ^^^ Thirty Years' Experiences in IViySOre of a Mysore Planter By ROBERT H. ELLIOTT Crown 8vo, js. td. On Plain and Peak ^'"'"-J^^r By RANDOLPH LLEWELLYN HODGSON Illustrated by H.S.H. Princess Mary of Thurn and Taxis, and from Photographs. Demy 8vo, ']s. 6d. Days in Thule with Rod, Gun, ^nH r^mer^i By john ailU V^d.ll\CYd. BICKERDYKE With Numerous Illustrations. Cloth, 2s. 6d. ; paper cover, i^. 6d. ■p\ ' j_ ^ Series of PORTRAITS of DISTINGUISHED J^Q J* traits ^^^ ^^^ WOMEN OF THE DAY reproduced from Original Drawings By THE MARCHIONESS OF GRANBY £2 2s. net " One of the most artistic and spirited of modern collections of portraits of our contemporaries is the handsome folio published by Messrs. A. Constable & Co." — Athenauni. Peerage and Other Studies in Family History By J. HORACE ROUND, M.A. Author of "Geoffrey de Mandeville," "Feudal England," " The Commune of London," etc. Demy 8vo, \2s. 6d. net Contents : — The Peerage — The Origin of the Stewarts — The Counts of Boulogne as English Lords — The Family of Ballon and the Conquest of South Wales — Our English Hapsburgs : a Great Delusion — The Origin of the Russells — The Rise of the Spencers— Henry VIII. and the Peers — Charles I and Lord Glamorgan — The Abeyance of the Barony of Mowbray — The Succession to the Crown. POPULAR 6s NOVELS Two Fortunes and Old Patch A HUNTING NOVEL By T. F. DALE Author of " The History of the Belvoir Hunt," and " The Eighth Duke of Beaufort and the Badminton Hunt," AND F. E. SLAUGHTER Crown 8vo, 6s SOME PRESS OPINIONS "This is a spirited story, illustrated by those sporting scenes which the collabor- ating authors know and love so well. . . . The sporting scenes are the best part of the book, and they are wonderfully well done." — Country Life. "The dialogue is decidedly smart and there is much variety of character in the personages of the story ... a breezy story of hunting and campaigning." — The Pall Mall Gaaette. In the free and easy description of English sporting life, the book is highly en- tertaining ... A capital sporting story." — The Scotsman. "ZACK" The White Cottage MARY JOHNSTON By Order of the Company The Old Dominion " RITA " The 5in of Jasper ^tandish CLARK RUSSELL The Ship's Adventure MAY SINCLAIR Two Sides of a Question "ALIEN" Another Woman's Terri= tory CAPTAIN CAIRNES The Coming Waterloo H. C. MacILWAINE Fate the Fiddler Dinkinbar F. WARRE CORNISH 5unningwell MARIAN BOWER The Puppet Show MARCUS REED ♦'Pride of England" FIONA MACLEOD The Dominion of Dreams Green Fire BRAM STOKER Dracula E. BERTHET The Catacombs of Paris M. BIDDER In the Shadow of the Crown PAUL LEICESTER FORD The Story of an Untold Love Janice Meredith ABRIDGED PROSPECTUS THE VICTORIA HISTORY OF THE COUNTIES OF ENGLAND DEDICATED BY GRACIOUS PERMISSION TO HER LATE MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA ADVISORY COUNCIL His Grace The Duke of Bedford President of the Zoological Society His Grace The Duke of Devonshire, K.G. Cliancellor of the University of Cam- bridge His Grace The Duke of Rutland, K.G. His Grace The Duke of Portland The Most Noble The Marquess of Salisbury, K.G. ChancellJyrofthe University of Oxford His Grace The Duke of Argyll, K.T. The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Rosebery, K.G., K.T. The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Coventry President of the Royal Agricultural Society The Rt. Hon. The Viscount Dillon President of the Society of Anti- quaries The Lord Bishop of London The Lord Bishop of Oxford The Rt. Hon. The Lord Acton Regius Professor of Modem History, Cambridge The Rt. Hon. The Lord Lister President of t lie Royal Society Sir Frederick Pollock, Bart., LL.D., F.S.A., etc. Corpus Professor of Jurisprudence, Oxford Sir Edward Maunde Thompson, K.C.B., D.C.L., LL.D., F.S.A., etc. Director of the British Museum Honorary Secretary — Aubyn B. R. Honorary Treasurer — The Rt. Sir Clements R. Markham, K.C.B., F.R.S., F.S.A. President of the Royal Geographical Society Sir Henry Maxwell-Lyte, K.C.B., M.A.. F.S.A., etc. Keeper of the Public Records Col. Sir J. Farquharson, K.C.B. Sir Jos. Hooker, G.C.S.L, M.D., D.C.L., F.R.S., etc. Sir Archibald Geikie, LL.D., F.R.S., etc. Director of the Geological Survey Rev. J. Charles Cox, LL.D., F.S.A., ETC. Lionel Cust, Esq., M.A., F.S.A., etc. Director of tite National Portrait Gallery Dr. Albert L. G. Gunther, F.R.S., President of the Linnean Society CoL. Duncan A. Johnston Director General of t/ie Ordtiance Survey F. York Powell, Esq., M.A., F.S.A., etc. Regius Professor of Modem History, Oxford J. Horace Round, Esq., M.A. Walter Rye, Esq. W. H. St. John Hope, Esq., M.A. Assistant Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries Trevor-Battye, M.A., F.L.S., etc. Hon. The Earl of Cassillis. [P.T.O. R THE VICTORIA HISTORY OF THE COUNTIES OF ENGLAND I Contributed by various authorities GENERAL OUTLINE Natural History. Edited by Aubvn B. R. Trevor-Battye, M.A., F.L.S., etc. Geology Flora -p Y Written by specialists Meteorology Pre-historic Remains. Edited by W. Boyd Dawkins, M.A., F.R.S., F.S.A. Roman Remains. Edited by F. Haverfield, M.A., F.S.A. Anglo-Saxon Remains. Edited by C. Hercules Read, F.S.A., and Reginald A. Smith, B.A. Ethnography. Edited by G. Laurence Gomme, F.S.A. Dialect. By Joseph Wright, M.A., Ph.D., D.C.L. Place Names. By W. H. Stevenson, M.A. Folklore Physical Types Domesday Book and other kindred Records. Edited by J. Horace Round, M.A. Architecture. The Sections on the Cathedrals and Monastic Remains edited by W. H. St. John Hope, M.A. Ecclesiastical History "^ „ . , . . V By various authorities Political History J Maritime History of Coast Counties. Edited by J. K. Laughton, M.A. Topographical History of Parishes and Manors. By various authorities History of the Feudal Baronage. Edited by J. Horace Round, M.A., and Oswald Barron Family History and Heraldry. Edited by Oswald Barron Agriculture. Edited by Sir Ernest Clarke, M.A., Sec. to the Royal Agricultural Society Industries, Arts and Manufactures , Social and Economic History . By various authorities Persons Eminent in Art, Literature, Science Ancient and Modern Sport. Edited by the Duke of Beaufort Bibliographies and Indices General Editor oj the Series — H. Arthur Doubleday, F.R.G.S. 2 Whitehall Gardens Westminster THE VICTORIA HISTORY The seventh decade of Her Majesty Queen Victoria's reign has been signalized by the inauguration of this great National Work. It would be impossible more fitly to emphasize the opening of the Twentieth Century, or to find a worthier tribute to the personality and power of the Sovereign who so graciously gave Her name to the work ; for no undertaking so important as the Victoria History in scope, thorough- ness, and picturesque character has ever before been conceived. Written throughout by specialists; embodying facts from official archives, unpublished private records, and transactions of learned societies ; indebted in every county to personal and local research — it will tell the story of England as it has never till now been told. It will trace the life and growth of her people from times pre-historic to the present moment, and will concern itself no less with the humblest interests than with the greatest institutions of the land. In personal interest the Victoria History will be most absorbing. Not only will it make clear the family histories of every country-side, but the names of those who are no longer owners of land will be associated with it through the coats of arms borne by their ancestors ; and those who have recently acquired property, whether large or small, will appear in the list of landed proprietors. The geology, the birds, butterflies and flowers, the fish in the streams — indeed, the entire Natural History and the Sport and Pastimes of every district will find a complete chronicle in its pages. Strange side-lights have often been thrown upon the loves, the intrigues, and the commonplaces of an older day by even long-forgotten letters curiously found ; and the Victoria History will turn all such evidence to account. The romance of the past will reveal itself in places where little suspected. Many a small house by the waterside will prove to have been a home of the monks of old, or the village knoll — now rank with grasses — a chieftain's moated stronghold, grim with iron grate and draw- bridge, gay with the banners of the knights. There will be many thousands of coats of arms in colours, some hundreds of ancient and modern maps, topographical illustrations, portraits of famous men and women, and i6o Plates by a distinguished Landscape Painter, showing characteristic scenery, specially done for this work. Coloured ground plans will also be given showing the history of the architecture of the Cathedrals, Abbeys, Priories, Castles, and Mansion houses. [P.T.O. THE SIZE AND COST OF THE WORK |HE VICTORIA HISTORY of the Counties of England will form a series of One Hundred and Sixty Volumes, Large Imperial 8vo, 12 in. x 8| in. The price of the set of the Histories in i6o volumes is ;i£^252 net, but original subscribers can obtain the set by a payment of ;i^240 in cash, or by paying £^o per annum for eight years by Banker's order, a form of which will be sent on application. Each History of a County is complete in itself, and maybe obtained separately at the price marked in the list below. li is essential that intending subscribers sJwuld make early application, for the number of copies issued will depend upon and be strictly limited to tJie number subscribed for, and on publication, if the whole edition printed be not taken up, the balance will be destroyed in tJu presence of members of the Advisory Council, who will give a cei'tificate to that effect. The names of subscribers will in every case be printed at the end of each History. Her late Majesty Queen Victoria ordered a set of all the Histories to be reserved for the Royal Library of Windsor Castle. A Supplementary Volume will be issued for each County, containing the pedigrees of the present County families, and also illustrations of the arms of the families mentioned in the Heralds' Visitations. These volumes will be issued at a uniform price of Five Guineas net each, to subscribers only, whose names will be printed in the volumes. Periodical payments for these may also be made by banker's order. COUNTIES Number of Vols, not exceeding Price in Guineas Counties Number of Vols, not exceeding Price in Guineas Bedford 3 5 Lincoln 4 6 Berks 6 Middlesex 4 6 Bucks 6 Monmouth 4 6 Cambridge 5 Norfolk 6 9 Chester 6 Northampton 4 6 Cornwall 6 Northumberland . . 4 6 Cumberland 6 Nottingham 4 6 Derby 6 Oxford 4 6 Devon 6 Rutland 3 Dorset 6 Salop 4 6 Durham 6 Somerset 4 6 Essex 6 Stafford 4 6 Gloucester 6 Suffolk 4 6 Hants 6 Surrey 4 6 Hereford 6 Sussex 4 6 Hertford 6 Warwick 4 6 Huntingdon 2 3 Westmoreland ... 2 3 Kent 5 7l Wilts 4 6 Lancaster ... .. 5 ih Worcester 4 6 Leicester 4 6 York 8 12 Lists of Volumes now published may be had on application to the publishers. WESTMINSTER ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE & CO Ltd 2 WHITEHALL GARDENS ?. 7 Webster Family Library of Veterinary Medicine Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University 200 VVestbcro'Road North Grafion, MA 01538
| Badminton |
Who was the only British Prime Minister to receive a Nobel Prize for Literature? | Hunting ... Volume One of The Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes | John STURGESS, fl., illustrator - Henry Charles F.
STURGESS, John (fl. 1869-1903), illustrator - Henry Charles F. Somerset, Duke of BEAUFORT (1824-1899) and Mowbray MORRIS (1847-1911)
Hunting ... [Volume One of The Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes]
London: Longmans, Green and Co. 1885. Large 8vo. (9 3/8 x 7 1/8 inches). Numerous illustrations, including one coloured plate, after J. Sturgess and J. Charlton. Extra-illustrated with 28 original drawings by Sturgess. Number 60 of 250 large paper copies.
Contemporary red morocco by Rivere & Son, arms of the Dukes of Beaufort on both covers enclosed by a single fillet with stirrups and hunting horns at corners and with a motif of horse shoes in the outer panel, spine with raised bands in six compartments, lettered in the second and third, the others with sporting motifs in each compartment, gilt inner dentelles, blue paper endpapers, top edges gilt, other uncut, within a cloth slipcase.
Provenance: M.C.D. Borden (armorial bookplate); Joel Spitz (bookplate)
Rare large paper copy, beautifully bound by Riviere and extra-illustrated with original drawings by Sturgess for illustrations within the book.
Dedicated to the Prince of Wales, The Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes, was a sporting and publishing project conceived and founded by Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort (1824 - 1899). Between 1885 and 1896, it developed into a series of 28 separately published sporting books which aimed to cover comprehensively all the major sports and pastimes, with some additional volumes on new sports (including football and motoring) published subsequently. The work was issued in three forms: a standard trade edition bound in cloth, a deluxe edition identical to the trade edition but bound in half morocco, and the present large-paper deluxe edition limited to 250 numbered copies.
Sturgess was a noted hunting and racing artist who worked mainly for the Illustrated London News between 1875 and 1885, and exhibited widely in the London galleries, including the Royal Society of British Artists and the Royal Hibernian Society in Dublin. His lively original illustrations, however, are seldom encountered.
A lovely, unique copy of a noted sporting book.
Item #29633
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In which UK city is the television series ‘Hollyoaks’ set? | Hollyoaks (TV Series 1995– ) - IMDb
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Hollyoaks takes a look at the lives, loves and careers of a group of teenage friends and their families as they graduate through GCSE's, A-Levels and College into the world of work.
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32 wins & 194 nominations. See more awards »
Photos
The everyday lives of working-class inhabitants of Albert Square, a traditional Victorian square of terrace houses surrounding a park in the East End of London's Walford borough. The square includes the Queen Vic pub and a street market.
Stars: Steve McFadden, Adam Woodyatt, June Brown
A soap opera set in a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales.
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Coronation Street (TV Series 1960)
Drama | Romance
The UK's longest-running TV soap, Coronation Street focuses on the everyday lives of working class people in Manchester, England.
Stars: Helen Worth, Simon Gregson, William Roache
Jeremy Kyle deals with more dilemmas, fiery confrontations and topical issues all in front of a studio audience.
Stars: Jeremy Kyle, Graham Stanier, Georgette Civil
The everyday lives of the people frequenting the frenetic Accident and Emergency department of Holby City hospital.
Stars: Derek Thompson, Suzanne Packer, Ian Bleasdale
Holby City (TV Series 1999)
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The everyday lives, professional and personal, of the doctors, nurses and patients who find themselves, for various reasons, in the wards of the frenetic cardiac unit of Holby City General Hospital.
Stars: Hugh Quarshie, Rosie Marcel, Tina Hobley
The Undateables (TV Series 2012)
Documentary | Reality-TV
Documentary series about disability and dating.
Stars: Sally Phillips, Brent Zillwood, Gareth Cooper
Drama following the life of the officers and men of the King's Own Fusiliers regiment, during their home lives, training exercises and battles.
Stars: Ben Nealon, Robson Green, Jerome Flynn
1 vs. 100 (TV Series 2006)
Game-Show
One contestant competes against 100 people by answering trivia questions for a chance to win a huge cash prize.
Stars: Bob Saget, Dexter Takashi Odani, Richard Rubin
University Challenge (TV Series 1962)
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Jeremy Paxman hosts this trivia quiz show where colleges from around the UK compete against each other.
Stars: Jeremy Paxman, Roger Tilling, Waldemar Januzczak
Uniform officers and detectives from an inner London police station enforce law and order on a day to day basis.
Stars: Graham Cole, Trudie Goodwin, Jeff Stewart
Hollyoaks Later (TV Series 2008)
Comedy | Music | Romance
Unseen scenes from Hollyoaks which are high in gore, violence and sex. Which is why they weren't shown in the first place.
Stars: Jorgie Porter, Rachel Shenton, Jennifer Metcalfe
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Storyline
Hollyoaks is a British TV soap opera, that takes a mundane look at the lives, loves and careers of a group of teenage friends and their families as they graduate through GCSE's, A-Levels and College into the world of work. first broadcast on 23 October 1995, on the Channel 4 network. Originally devised by Phil Redmond, who also devised shows such as Brookside and Grange Hill, the program is set in and around the fictional Chester suburb of Hollyoaks and is centered around a former 1950s technical college which is now a college of higher education called Hollyoaks Community College (often mistaken for the real-life University of Chester), with the characters and main target audience generally being in their late teens or early twenties. Written by Anonymous
Life gets a little bit better when you rub some Hollyoaks on it. See more »
Genres:
23 October 1995 (UK) See more »
Also Known As:
Zycie w Hollyoaks See more »
Filming Locations:
Did You Know?
Trivia
Alex Carter (Lee Hunter) auditioned for the part of Darren Osbourne, but he lost out to Ashley Taylor Dawson . About four years later he was up for the part of Dan Hunter, but was considered to look too young for that part, but ideal for the younger brother. See more »
Quotes
Jack Osborne : If she's old enough to be in college then I'm Miss World.
Sam 'OB' O'Brien : Then put your bikini on, Jack, 'cause she's doing media studies.
Hollyoaks is great at the moment
12 October 2013 | by atinder
Only 14 months ago, I was saying this show is near the Axed but Lucky one of there Advert they showed last year, Looked well mad and it worked on me.
I was never Fan of Oaks before but when I saw that Bus Crash and the aftermath.
Those set of episoed blew me away and the showed had me there and there have some great gripping storyliens Over that gripped.
There as not been one Dull moment this year, there alway drama every week, Shock and so many shocking twist and turns
Hollyoaks is like no other UK soap, it takes Risk and they pay off!,
Lastest soap awards Hollyoaks 3 awards beating Rival Eastenders with 0 awards and Emmerdale with 2.
Since then show as got EVEN better they few months awesome to watch, after long day work.
There I got another huge stunt this week,looks UNMISSABLE Blockbuter stuff.
(I am not teen,My whole family enjoyed, my whole family loves this show!
1 of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?
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| Chester |
Jentacular relates to which meal of the day? | Where is Hollyoaks filmed? | TV Maps
Where is Hollyoaks filmed?
"Hollyoaks", Channel 4's long-running telelvision soap opera, starring Nick Pickard, Stephanie Waring and Jimmy McKenna is set in Chester, but it is filmed at a purpose-built village in studios at Childwall, Liverpool
Filming locations for Hollyoaks
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Which German-based group released a 1978 album entitled ‘Nightflight to Venus’? | “Nightflight to Venus” | Walk Memory Lane
“Nightflight to Venus”
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Tags
#1 album , Albums , Boney M , Brown Girl in the Ring , German , Nightflight to Venus , Painter Man , Rasputin , Rivers of Babylon
Nightflight to Venus (Atlantic, 1978)
Nightflight to Venus was the third album from the German-based vocal group Boney M. (None of the members of the original line-up were German.) The group was put together by German music producer Frank Farlan.) Boney M was formed in 1976 and achieved their fame in the disco era of the late 70s. Nightflight to Venus was the first #1 album in the UK. It was also a huge success in continental Europe, Scandinavia and Canada, topping most of the album charts in these regions. Nightflight to Venus was certified 5x Platinum in Canada, double Platinum in Germany and Platinum in Hong Kong, Spain and the UK.
Nightflight to Venus produced the singles: Rivers of Babylon and Brown Girl in the Ring, a double A-sided single. It topped the UK Singles chart and sold over 2 million copies. It currently sits at #5 on the list of Best Selling Singles of All Time. Nightflight to Venus also contains Rasputin — in most countries, another double A-sided single with Painter Man, a cover of the 1966 hit from The Creation. In the UK, Rasputin and Painter Man were released separately. Rivers of Babylon peaked at #30 on the Hot 100 and was their biggest American hit.
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| Boney M. |
A ‘Granthi’ is the keeper and reader of the scriptures in which religion? | BBC - Radio 1Xtra - Black History - 1978
About
What happened in 1978
Viv Anderson became the first black British footballer to play for England in an international tournament against Czechoslovakia.
Sony introduces the Walkman, the first portable stereo.
South African white activist Donald Woods arrived in London after fleeing South Africa. He had been placed under house arrest by the National Party government and banned from working, travelling, writing or speaking publicly for five years.
Diff'rent Strokes, the popular US sitcom, premiered on television.
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After 20 years on air the Black and White Minstrel show was cancelled after complaints of it being racist. Read more
Grease premiered at the cinema.
Having lost to Leon Spinks earlier in the year, Muhammad Ali beats him to win the heavyweight boxing title and becomes the first ever boxer to regain the championship twice.
Harriet Tubman becomes the first black woman to be honoured on a US stamp. She escaped from slavery in Maryland in the late 1800s. After freeing herself from slavery, she returned to lead more than 300 people to freedom in North America.
In the music
Rose Royce released their third album, entitled Rose Royce III: Strikes Again!. It features I'm In Love and Love Don't Live Here Anymore. Both singles cracked the US RnB top five.
The Euro-disco group Boney M was at the height of its popularity with the release of their double A-sided single Rivers Of Babylon and Brown Girl In The Ring. It became the second-biggest selling single in UK chart history. The album, Nightflight To Venus, also topped the UK charts. Rasputin was another UK top ten hit, followed by the seasonal chart-topper Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord, which became the fifth-biggest selling single in UK history.
The Commodores' Three Times A Lady became the first single to achieve the hat-trick - the No 1 spot in the US pop, RnB and adult charts.
Key Releases
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In August 1960, The Beatles began a residency in the Indra Club in which European city? | 17 August 1960: Live: Indra Club, Hamburg | The Beatles Bible
Pictured here (l-r): John Lennon , George Harrison , Pete Best , Paul McCartney , Stuart Sutcliffe .
The group's contract was to run for two months, from 17 August to 16 October. The Beatles were to receive 30DM (£2.50) per person each day, paid every Thursday. Koschmider also paid their manager Allan Williams a commission of £10 each week.
They were expected to perform for four and a half hours each weekday night, from 8-9.30pm, 10-11pm, 11.30pm-12.30am and 1-2am.
They also had to play for six hours on Saturdays, from 7-8.30pm, 9-10pm, 10.30-11.30pm, 12-1am, and 1.30-3am. Sunday hours were 5-6pm, 6.30-7.30pm, 8-9pm, 9.30-10.30pm, 11-12 midnight and 12.30-1.30am.
The tired and hungry Beatles played to just a handful of spectators on this first night, mainly prostitutes and their clients. The band were also forced by Koschmider to turn down their amplifiers, following a complaint from the woman who lived above the venue.
Feeling cowed by their unfamiliar surroundings, on this opening night The Beatles played the entire four and a half hour show huddled together and stock still. Afterwards they slept in Bruno Koschmider's flat. Compared to what followed, it was a positive luxury.
Of course, on the first night we got there there weren't arrangements for anything. The club owner, Bruno Koschmider, drove us round to his house, and we ended up staying, all in the one bed. Bruno wasn't with us, fortunately, he left us to stay in his flat for the first night and went somewhere else. Eventually he put us in the back of a little cinema, the Bambi Kino, at the very end of a street called the Grosse Freiheit.
Bruno wasn't some young rock'n'roll entrepreneur, he was an old guy who had been crippled in the war. He had a limp and didn't seem to know much about music or anything. We only ever saw him once a week, when we'd try to get into his office for our wages.
The city of Hamburg was brilliant; a big lake, and then the dirty part. The Reeperbahn and Grosse Freiheit were the best thing we'd ever seen, clubs and neon lights everywhere and lots of restaurants and entertainment. It looked really good. There were seedy things about it, obviously, including some of the conditions we had to live in when we first got there.
George Harrison
| Hamburg |
Who became the last state President of apartheid South Africa in August 1989? | The Beatles in Hamburg: 50 Years Later
The Beatles in Hamburg: 50 Years Later
Aug 16, 2010, 13:57 ET from Hamburg Marketing GmbH
HAMBURG, August 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 17th 1960, the Beatles played their very first concert at Indra, a Hamburg music club. Over the following two and a half years, the band played 281 gigs in Germany, and laid the foundations of their career. Now, 50 years later, the all-star band Bambi Kino, which includes members of Maplewood, Nada Surf and Moby, will bring pop history to life by performing the exact set-list of the Beatles from that very day.
Beatles fans from all over the world will jump at the chance to experience this anniversary concert, and to explore to the band's influence on Hamburg's new, fresh pop-music sound: Nowadays, countless cutting-edge music clubs line the neon-bright, world-famous Reeperbahn - a boulevard of entertainment and subcultural hub for the last 20 years, which hosts exciting live music, theatre shows, big musicals, and is home to edgy restaurants.
The Kaiserkeller, where the Beatles played after their guest slot at the Indra, today serves as a basement-club, while the Grosse Freiheit 36 is one of the main stages of the Reeperbahn Festival, which is Germany's biggest club festival and invites about 170 international newcomers to Germany's most creative neighbourhood - St. Pauli - for three nights of fantastic music in September. The festival ticket entitles the holder to attend the weekly Beatles tour with musician Stefanie Hempel, who combines historical insights into the era of the Beatles with performances of their songs.
The Beatles museum BEATLEMANIA comprises five floors exclusively devoted to commemorating the Fab Four. Its exhibitions include memorabilia from the later Beatles-clubs Top Ten and from the legendary Star Club, where the Beatles were performing when their first single "Love Me Do" climbed to number 17 on the British charts.
Hamburg is where the Beatles became stars, and the city now invites everybody to come and discover this magnificent legacy. The Beatles themselves never tired of stressing the importance of their apprenticeship years in the music metropolis Hamburg, with John Lennon confessing: "I was born in Liverpool, but I grew up in Hamburg".
http://www.bambi-kino.com http://www.beatlemania-hamburg.de http://www.reeperbahnfestival.de http://www.marketing.hamburg.de/beatles-in-hamburg Filmfootage: http://www.thenewsmarket.com/hamburgmarketing Contact: Hamburg Marketing GmbH Guido Neumann T +49-40-411110-617 [email protected]
SOURCE Hamburg Marketing GmbH
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In medicine, what is the rare syndrome in children, characterised by physical symptoms suggestive of premature old age? | progeria - Memidex dictionary/thesaurus
progeria
Definition:
a rare abnormality marked by premature aging (gray hair, wrinkled skin, and stooped posture) in a child
Class:
Modern Latin from Greek progērōs, prematurely old from pro, before + gēras, old...
(Source: New World Dictionary) [more]
Definition references
Wikipedia:
Progeria | Hutchinson Gilford Progeria Syndrome | Progeria syndrome
an extremely rare genetic disease wherein symptoms resembling aspects of aging are manifested at a very early age. The word progeria comes from the Greek words "pro", meaning "before" or "premature", and "gēras", meaning "old age". The disorder has a...
progeria
[pathology]
any of several rare human disorders associated with premature aging. The two major types of progeria are Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome, which has its ...
(22 of 457 words)
progeria
[medicine]
premature old age, a rare condition occurring in children and characterized by small stature, absent or greying hair, wrinkled skin, and other signs ...
(23 of 229 words, 1 usage example, pronunciation)
Oxford Dictionary:
progeria
Syllabification: (pro·ge·ri·a) | [medicine] | a rare syndrome in children characterized by physical signs and symptoms suggestive of premature old ...
(18 of 49 words, 3 definitions, pronunciation)
a rare syndrome in children characterized by physical symptoms suggestive of premature old age
(14 of 45 words, pronunciation)
American Heritage Dictionary:
progeria | Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome
A rare congenital disorder of childhood that is characterized by rapid onset of the physical changes typical of old age, usually resulting in death ...
(24 of 45 words, pronunciation)
Merriam-Webster:
progeria
a rare genetic disorder of childhood marked by slowed physical growth and characteristic signs (as baldness, wrinkled skin, and atherosclerosis) of ...
(21 of 40 words, pronunciation)
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What is the name of the teletext information service started by the BBC in September 1974? | Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Clinical Presentation: History, Physical, Causes
Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Clinical Presentation
Author: Kara N Shah, MD, PhD; Chief Editor: Dirk M Elston, MD more...
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Presentation
History
Evidence of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) begins within the first 2 years of life. At birth, infants usually appear healthy, although sclerodermatous skin changes have been noted in some patients. Typically, the onset of the disease occurs at age 6-12 months, when skin changes and alopecia are first noted and when the infant fails to gain weight. The following are other suggestive findings [ 13 ] :
High-pitched voice
Short stature and low weight for height, with prenatal onset of growth failure
Incomplete sexual maturation
Generalized osteoporosis and pathologic fractures
Feeding difficulties
Delayed dentition, anodontia, hypodontia, or crowding of teeth
Low-frequency conductive hearing loss
Hypertension
Prolonged prothrombin time, elevated platelet counts, and elevated serum phosphorus levels
Emotionally, patients with HGPS share the same feelings as age-matched healthy persons with regard to expressing proper mood and affect. Patients with HGPS are keenly aware of their different appearance and remain reserved in the company of strangers; in the presence of friends, they display affection and good social interaction.
Intelligence is normal.
Next:
Physical
The characteristic clinical findings of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) include abnormalities of the skin and hair in conjunction with characteristic facial features and skeletal abnormalities. [ 14 ] The composite appearance of the characteristic facies and parieto-occipital alopecia creates a "plucked-bird" appearance. Evidence of significant growth failure manifests within the first 1-2 years of life and prenatal growth failure is often apparent. [ 15 ] The skeletal anomalies are best characterized as a skeletal dysplasia and are thought to be related to microvascular insufficiency and extracellular matrix abnormalities. [ 15 ]
Skin and hair findings are as follows:
Sclerodermatous skin changes involving the trunk and extremities (see the images below) but sparing the face: These are usually present within the first 6-12 months of life, although they may be present at birth. The skin changes manifest as indurated, shiny, inelastic skin as depicted in the images below. [ 16 ]
Prominent scalp veins
Generalized lipodystrophy with loose, aged-appearing skin: Areas of skin may appear loose, wrinkled, and aged because of the loss of subcutaneous fat, particularly over the hands and feet.
Progressive frecklelike hyperpigmentation in sun-exposed areas
Hair loss: Scalp hair and eyelashes are progressively lost, resulting in baldness with only a few vellus hairs remaining.
Sclerodermatous skin changes in Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. This 12-month-old infant with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome has indurated, shiny skin and mild joint contractures involving the extremities and trunk.
Characteristic facies are as follows (see the image shown below):
Protruding ears with absent lobes
Beaked nose
Thin lips with centrofacial cyanosis
Prominent eyes
Frontal and parietal bossing with pseudohydrocephaly
Large anterior fontanel
Early Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. Note the alopecia, prominent scalp veins, and frontal bossing apparent in this 12-month-old infant with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. Midface hypoplasia and micrognathia are less apparent.
Oral and craniofacial anomalies are as follows:
Midface hypoplasia with micrognathia
Stiff auricular cartilage, small or absent lobules, shortened ear canals [ 18 ]
Musculoskeletal abnormalities are as follows:
Thin limbs with prominent joints
Joint contractures and coxa valga with mild flexion of the knees resulting in a wide gait and "horse-riding" stance as depicted in the image below
Pyriform (pear-shaped) thorax with short, dystrophic clavicles
Bilateral hip dislocations
Avascular necrosis of the femoral head
Enlarged joints, mild flexion contractures, and sclerodermatous skin changes are seen in this 12-month-old infant with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome.
Other reported anomalies are as follows:
Dystrophic nails
Next:
Causes
Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is related to aberrant processing of the nuclear envelope protein lamin A and accumulation of a farnesylated, truncated prelamin A (progerin). [ 19 ]
Autosomal dominant mutations in the LMNA gene, located on band 1q21.1-1q21.3, are responsible for most cases of HGPS. De novo mutations associated with advanced paternal age are responsible for most cases, although maternal transmission of a mutant LMNA gene from an asymptomatic mother who manifested somatic and gonadal mosaicism has also been reported. In addition, autosomal recessive transmission has also been suggested to account for the reported development of HGPS in several sets of siblings born to unaffected parents.
The LMNA genes encodes the nuclear A-type lamins, which are type V intermediate filament proteins that localize to the cell nucleus and form the nuclear lamina, a structure that supports the nuclear envelope. They are important in maintaining nuclear stability and organizing nuclear chromatin. The nuclear lamins also play a role in regulating gene expression, DNA synthesis, and DNA repair. [ 20 ]
The most common LMNA mutation and the one associated with classical HGPS involves a C-->T transition at nucleotide 1824 (G608G). Note the following:
This substitution results in the activation of a cryptic splice donor site in exon 11, which results in a 150-base pair deletion and a truncated lamin A protein, called progerin.
The abnormal progerin protein acts in a dominant-negative manner to prevent the normal assembly of nuclear lamins into the nuclear lamina.
After translation, the mutant preprogerin protein undergoes normal farnesylation of a CAAX tetrapeptide motif located at the carboxyterminus.
The farnesylated preprogerin protein is then incorporated into the nuclear membrane. However, the mutant, truncated protein lacks an important posttranslational processing signal required for cleavage of the preprogerin protein at the carboxyterminus. This cleavage is required for the release of prelamin A from the nuclear membrane, thus allowing its incorporation into the nuclear lamina. The abnormal progerin protein forms insoluble cytoplasmic aggregates.
As a result of the absence of lamin A in the nuclear lamina, the cell nuclei from HGPS patients display abnormal nuclear blebbing and aberrant nuclear shapes. Abnormal chromosome segregation and delayed onset and progression of mitosis have also been demonstrated. [ 21 , 22 ]
The presence of the homozygous missense mutation G1626C (K542N) in LMNA was demonstrated in 5 siblings born to asymptomatic, consanguineous carrier parents. This study confirms that autosomal recessive inheritance of HGPS can also occur.
A transgenic mouse model for HGPS has been created by introducing a splicing defect into intron 9 of the mouse LMNA gene. [ 23 ] Transgenic mice display many of the features of HGPS, including loss of subcutaneous fat, decreased bone density, growth failure, craniofacial deformities, skeletal abnormalities, and early death.
Using microarray analyses, 3 recent studies. [ 24 , 25 , 26 ] compared the gene expression profiles of cultured fibroblasts from patients with progeria with those of healthy people of various ages. In general, changes in gene activity detected in older patients correlated with changes in gene activity in progeria patients.
Of the genes expressed differentially in progeria patients, several that help control mitosis were down-regulated. Many genes that control cell division and DNA or RNA synthesis and processing were also shown to be down-regulated in progeria patients; many of these changes are also seen with normal aging. Some of these changes were postulated to lead to genetic instability and a variety of disturbances in gene function.
Changes were also seen in the expression of many genes involved in collagen remodeling and the formation of the extracellular matrix. In general, the changes favored excess extracellular matrix deposition, which may lead to the characteristic changes seen in the skin and the vasculature in progeria patients. Expression of transforming growth factor-beta, a factor that regulates tissue homeostasis and whose sustained expression is responsible for tissue fibrosis, is highly up-regulated in patients with progeria.
The expression of several transcription factors, including many involved in musculoskeletal development, were also decreased in progeria patients. Expression of MEOX/GAX, a negative regulator of cell proliferation in mesodermal tissue, is elevated almost 30-fold in patients with HGPS, suggesting a contributory role in the development of the musculoskeletal abnormalities seen in HGPS.
A characteristic finding in persons with progeria is an increase in hyaluronic acid excretion. In addition to persons with progeria, it is only detected in those with Werner syndrome, a disease characterized by a later onset of premature aging that occurs during the second decade of life.
Usually, hyaluronic acid and other glycosaminoglycan production increases during the fifth to seventh decades of life. Possibly, the increase in hyaluronic acid is a normal feature of advancing age. Fibroblasts from patients with progeria show a 3-fold increase in total glycosaminoglycan production and, in particular, hyaluronic acid production, compared with age-matched control groups. This increase results from an abnormality in degradation and is not caused by increased synthesis.
Data from embryonic development suggest that changes in the level of hyaluronic acid are extremely important for morphological development. Experiments performed in chick embryos have demonstrated a correlation between cell differentiation and hyaluronic acid degradation. Hyaluronic acid is also necessary for the morphologic development of blood vessels in chick embryos. A reduction or absence of blood vessels is noted in regions of high hyaluronic acid levels. The decreased density of vasculature, sclerodermatous changes in the skin, and the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease present in persons with progeria may be induced by increased hyaluronic acid levels. Increased hyaluronic acid levels may also promote calcification of blood vessels, thus contributing to arteriosclerosis.
In the past, studies of the link between progeria and aging (among other topics) have investigated the role of fibroblast life span.
Cells from older donors exhibit a reduced number of cell divisions in comparison to younger donor cells. The reduction of life span in cultured fibroblasts derived from patients with progeria has revealed inconsistent results. A significant reduction in fibroblast life span has been claimed in some studies but has been questioned in later investigations. A recent thorough study indicates the life span of fibroblasts in culture is independent of donor age.
Further abnormalities observed in cultured fibroblasts from patients with progeria include reduced mitotic activity, DNA synthesis, and cloning efficiency and a reduced capacity for DNA repair in cultured progeria fibroblasts after gamma irradiation. Mutant fibroblasts have been shown to demonstrate impaired DNA damage checkpoint signaling, which results in increased DNA double-strand breaks. [ 27 ]
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References
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Media Gallery
Early Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. Note the alopecia, prominent scalp veins, and frontal bossing apparent in this 12-month-old infant with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. Midface hypoplasia and micrognathia are less apparent.
Sclerodermatous skin changes in Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. This 12-month-old infant with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome has indurated, shiny skin with dyspigmentation.
Sclerodermatous skin changes in Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. This 12-month-old infant has indurated, shiny skin with dyspigmentation.
Enlarged joints, mild flexion contractures, and sclerodermatous skin changes are seen in this 12-month-old infant with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome.
Sclerodermatous skin changes in Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. This 12-month-old infant with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome has indurated, shiny skin and mild joint contractures involving the extremities and trunk.
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What type of creature is a capelin? | Capelin | Endless Ocean Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
The Capelin is a small fish found in the waters of the North Pole.
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In-Game Description
"This fish is covered in countless small scales. It forms large schools during breeding season and spawns along the coast.
Many young die after hatching and large numbers are washed up on shore.
It is often caught for food, and many are exported to Japan."
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What was former US President Richard Nixon’s religion? | What is a dogfish? | Reference.com
What is a dogfish?
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Quick Answer
The dogfish, or spiny dogfish, is a species of shark typified by its long, slender body, flattened head and large eyes. Distinctive spines lie on its dorsal fins. The average size of the dogfish is between 28 and 39 inches.
Full Answer
Dogfish prey on schooling pelagic fishes, such as the herring, mackerel and capelin. The dogfish is a pest to fishermen due to its habit of biting through fish nets to reach commercially valuable fish. Predators of the dogfish include larger sharks, killer whales and seals. The dogfish is not dangerous to humans although its spines cause injury if not properly handled.
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Auskerry, Burray and Cava are part of which Scottish island group? | Orkney Main Page
Orkney Main Page
The local people are known as Orcadians
Landmarks and Places of Interest
The Old Man of Hoy
Scapa Flow - HQ for the north Atlantic naval fleet in both world wars
Maeshowe Chambered Cairn -
Stone circles at Stenness and Brodgar
Monoliths, Setter Stone of Eday, Yetnasteen of Rousay and North Ronaldsay’s Stan Stane.
Skara Brae, a well-preserved Neolithic village on the edge of the bay of Skaill.
Area 990 Sq. km (380 sq. miles)
Population
County Flower - Alpine Bearberry
Orkney, also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in northern Scotland comprising approximately 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. The largest island is known as the "Mainland". Orkney is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, a constituency of the Scottish Parliament, a lieutenancy area, and a former county.
The islands are mainly low-lying except for some sandstone hills on Hoy, Mainland and Rousay and rugged cliffs on some western coasts. Nearly all of the islands have lochs, but the watercourses are merely streams draining the high land. The coastlines are indented, and the islands themselves are divided from each other by straits generally called "sounds" or "firths".
The Parishes of Orkney
Numbers in [..] refer to Parish Map below
Birsay [1]
Burray -- see South Ronaldshay; [17]
Deerness; [2]
Islands with an area greater than 15 hectares (approximately 37 acres).
Auskerry
Wyre
Smaller islets and skerries
Uninhabited smaller Orkney islands (many of which are called "Holm" from the Old Norse holmr, meaning a small and rounded islet), tidal islets only separated at higher stages of the tide, or skerries which are only exposed at lower stages of the tide.
In the vicinity of:
Auskerry: Lunga Skerries, Oessen Skerry, The Clett.
Calf of Eday: Lashy Skerries, The Bow.
Cava: Barrel of Butter.
Copinsay: Black Holm, Corn Holm, Horse of Copinsay, Scarf Skerry, Sow Skerry, Ward Holm.
Eday: Green Holm, Red Holm, Rusk Holm.
Egilsay: Kili Holm.
Gairsay: Holm of Boray, Holm of Rendall, Little Seal Skerry, Skertours, Taing Skerry.
Glims Holm: Dulse Skerry, Glimpsholm Skerry.
Graemsay: Middle Skerry, Skerry of Cletts, Sour Skerry, Sow Skerry.
Hoy: Grassy Cletts, Inner Skerry, Middle Skerry, Old Man of Hoy, Outer Skerry, The Needle.
Mainland: Bo Skerry, Bow Skerries, Braga, Brough of Bigging, Holm of Houton, Holm of Rendall, Iceland Skerry, Kirk Rocks, Little Skerry, Mirkady Point, Nevi Skerry, Outer Holm, Oyster Skerries, Puldrite Skerry, Quanterness Skerry, Scare Gun, Seal Skerry, Skaill Skerries, Skerries of Clestrain, Skerries of Coubister, Skerries of Lakequoy, Skerry of Work, Skerry of Yinstay, Smoogro Skerry, Thieves Holm, Whyabatten, Yesnaby Castle.
Muckle Skerry: Clettack Skerry, Little Skerry, Louther Skerry.
North Ronaldsay: Altars of Linnay, Green Skerry, Hoe Skerries, Reefdyke, Seal Skerry.
Papa Stronsay: Jack's Hole, Jack's Reef.
Papa Westray: Cairn Head, Muckle Quoy.
Rousay: Little Brig, Muckle Brig.
Sanday: Baa Gruna,
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Orkney Islands
From Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia
The Orkney Islands, usually called simply Orkney, are one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. Orkney consists of about 70 small islands 16 km north of Caithness in northern mainland Scotland. The largest island in the group is known as The Mainland, with approximately 20 being inhabited.
Orkney's administrative capital is Kirkwall on "The Mainland." Home to the St Magnus' Cathedral, it has about 7,500 inhabitants and a large port. The only other burgh is Stromness at the western end of "The Mainland", with a population of only about 2,000. The third largest settlement (c. 550) is St Margaret's Hope, on South Ronaldsay.
Orkney is also a former county, and a Lieutenancy area, and the Orkney constituency of the Scottish Parliament.
Islands
The largest island in Orkney is known as "The Mainland". An older name for it is Hrossey (Horse-island). Other islands can be classified as north or south of "The Mainland." The islands north of "The Mainland" are known collectively as The North Isles, those to the south as The South Isles. The remote Sule Skerry and Sule Stack lie around 60 km west of the archipelago, but form part of the council area.
The North Isles
The northern group of islands is the most extensive and consists of a large number of moderately sized islands, linked to "The Mainland" by ferries. Most of the islands described as "holms" are very small.
Auskerry
South Ronaldsay, Switha, Swona
Geography
The Pentland Firth is a seaway which separates Orkney from the mainland of Scotland. The firth is 11 km wide between Brough Ness on the island of South Ronaldsay and Duncansby Head in Caithness.
Orkney lies between 58° 41' and 59° 24' North, and 2° 22' and 3° 26' West, measures 80 km from northeast to southwest and 47 km from east to west, and covers 973 km². Excepting on the west coasts of the larger islands, which present rugged cliff scenery remarkable both for beauty and for colouring, the group lies somewhat low and is of bleak aspect.
The hilliest island is Hoy; the highest point in Orkney, Ward Hill, is to be found there. The only other islands containing heights of any importance are "The Mainland", with (another) Ward Hill (268 m), and Wideford Hill and Rousay. Nearly all of the islands possess lochs (lakes), and The Loch of Harray and The Loch of Stenness on "The Mainland" attain noteworthy proportions. The rivers are merely streams draining the high land. Excepting on the west fronts of the Mainland, Hoy and Rousay, the coastline of the islands is deeply indented, and the islands themselves are divided from each other by straits generally called "sounds" or "firths", though off the north-east of Hoy the designation "Bring Deeps" is used, south of "The Mainland" is Scapa Flow and to the south-west of Eday is found the Fall of Warness.
The very names of the islands indicate their nature: the terminal "a" or "ay" represents the Norse ey, meaning "island", which is scarcely disguised even in the words "Pomona" (an older alternative name for The Mainland) and "Hoy". The islets are usually styled "holms" and the isolated rocks "skerries".
The tidal currents, or races, or "roost" (as some of them are called locally, from the Icelandic) off many of the isles run with enormous velocity, and whirlpools are of frequent occurrence, and strong enough at times to prove a source of danger to small craft.
The charm of Orkney does not lie in their ordinary physical features, so much as in beautiful atmospheric effects, extraordinary examples of light and shade, and rich coloration of cliff and sea.
The islands are notable for the lack of trees, which is partly accounted for by the amount of wind (although the climate in general is temperate). The formation of peat is evidence that this was not always the case, and deliberate deforestation is believed to have taken place at some stage prior to the Neolithic, the use of stone in settlements such as Skara Brae being evidence of the lack of availability of timber for building.
Most of the land is still taken up by farms, and agriculture is by far the most important sector of the economy, with fishing also being a major occupation. Orkney exports beef, cheese, whisky, beer, fish and seafood.
Geology
All the islands of this group are built up entirely of Old Red Sandstone. As in the neighbouring mainland county of Caithness, these rocks rest upon the metamorphic rocks of the eastern schists, as may be seen on The Mainland, where a narrow strip is exposed between Stromness and Inganess, and again in the small island of Graemsay; they are represented by grey gneiss and granite.
The upper division of the Old Red Sandstone is found only on Hoy, where it forms the Old Man of Hoy and neighbouring cliffs on the northwest coast. The Old Man of Hoy presents a characteristic section, for it exhibits a thick pile of massive, current-bedded red sandstones, resting, near the foot of the pinnacle, upon a thin bed of amygdaloidal porphyrite, which in its turn lies unconformably upon steeply inclined flagstones. This bed of volcanic rock may be followed northward in the cliffs, and it may be noticed that it thickens considerably in that direction.
The Lower Old Red Sandstone is represented by well-bedded flagstones over most of the islands; in the south of The Mainland these are faulted against an overlying series of massive red sandstones, but a gradual passage from the flagstones to the sandstones may be followed from Westray southeastwards into Eday. A strong synclinal fold traverses Eday and Shapinsay, the axis being North and South. Near Haco's Ness in Shapinsay there is a small exposure of amygdaloidal diabase, which is (of course) older than that on Hoy.
Many indications of ice action are found on these islands; striated surfaces are to be seen on the cliffs in Eday and Westray, in Kirkwall Bay and on Stennie Hill in Eday; boulder clay, with marine shells, and with many boulders of rocks foreign to the islands (chalk, oolitic limestone, flint, etc), which must have been brought up from the region of Moray Firth, rests upon the old strata in many places. Local moraines are found in some of the valleys in The Mainland and Hoy.
Climate
The climate is remarkably temperate and steady for such a northerly latitude. The average temperature for the year is 8 °C (46 °F), for winter 4 °C (39 °F) and for summer 12 °C (54 °F). The winter months are January, February and March, the last being the coldest. Spring never begins before April, and it is the middle of June before the warmth grows comfortable. September is frequently the finest month, and at the end of October or the beginning of November the "peedie" (or little) summer or milder weather may occur.
The average annual rainfall varies from 850 mm (33 in.) to 940 mm (37 in.). Fogs occur during summer and early autumn, and furious gales may be expected four or five times in the year.
To tourists, one of the fascinations of the islands is their nightless summers. On the longest day, the sun rises at 03:00 and sets at 21:25 — and darkness is unknown, it being possible to read at midnight. Winter, however, is long and depressing. On the shortest day the sun rises at 09:10 and sets at 15:17.
The soil generally is a sandy loam or a strong but friable clay, and very fertile. Large quantities of seaweed as well as lime and marl are available for manure.
Economy
The woollen trade once promised to reach considerable dimensions, but towards the end of the 18th century was superseded by the linen (for which flax came to be largely grown); and when this in turn collapsed before the products of the mills of Dundee, Dunfermline and Glasgow, straw-plaiting was taken up, though only to be killed in due time by the competition of the south. The kelp industry was formerly of at least minor importance.
For several centuries the Dutch practically monopolised the herring fishery, but when their supremacy was destroyed by the salt duty, the Orcadians failed to seize the opportunity thus presented, and George Barry (died 1805) recorded that in his day the fisheries were almost totally neglected. The industry, however, revived, concentrating on herring, cod and ling, but also catching lobsters and crabs.
In recent years, the Orkney economy has seen growth in areas other than the traditional agriculture, livestock farming, and fishing. These include tourism; food and beverage manufacture; jewellery, knitwear, and other crafts production; construction; and oil transportation through the Flotta oil terminal. Public services also play a significant role.
Communications
Frequent ferry services operate on the following routes:
Lerwick to Kirkwall
John O'Groats to Burwick, South Ronaldsay
Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope
Most of the larger islands have their own airfield or airstrip. Loganair operates regular services to six islands from Kirkwall. These include the shortest scheduled air service in the world, between the islands of Westray and Papa Westray. The flight is scheduled at two minutes' duration but can take less than a minute if the wind is in the right direction.
There are ideas being discussed to build an undersea tunnel between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, at a length of about 9-10 miles (15-16 km) or (more likely) one connecting the Mainland to Shapinsay. (Links: both 2005).
Media
The islands are currently served by two weekly local newspapers,Orkney Todayand The Orcadian, both published every Thursday. In addition, a local radio station operates, with a second hoping to return to the isles in the near future. Radio Orkney, the local opt-out of BBC Radio Scotland, broadcasts twice daily, with local news and entertainment. The Superstation Orkney, Orkney's first commercial radio station, will begin broadcasting on 105.4FM in 2006. The station was granted a community radio licence in September 2005 by Ofcom.
Heritage
Located on Mainland is the 'Heart of Neolithic Orkney' a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. This comprises a group of Neolithic monuments which consist of a large chambered tomb (Maes Howe), two ceremonial stone circles (the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar) and a settlement (Skara Brae), together with a number of unexcavated burial, ceremonial and settlement sites. The group constitutes a major prehistoric cultural landscape which gives a graphic depiction of life in this remote archipelago in the far north of Scotland some 5,000 years ago.
Viking settlers comprehensively occupied Orkney, and the islands became a possession of Norway until being given to Scotland during the 15th century as part of a dowry settlement.
Evidence of the Viking presence is widespread, and includes the settlement at the Brough of Birsay, the vast majority of place names, and runic inscriptions at Maeshowe and other ancient sites.
History
Main article: History of the Orkney Islands
The original inhabitants were Picts, evidence of whose occupation still exists in numerous "weems" or underground houses, chambered mounds, barrows or burial mounds, "brochs" or round towers, and stone circles and standing stones. Such implements as have survived are of the rudest description, and include quern-stones for grinding materials including grain, stone whorls and bone combs employed in primitive forms of woollen manufacture, and specimens of simple pottery ware.
The Romans were aware of, and probably circumnavigated, the Orkney Islands, which they called "Orcades". There is evidence that they traded, either directly or indirectly, with the inhabitants. However, they made no attempt to occupy the islands.
If, as seems likely, the Dalriadic Gaels established a footing in the islands towards the beginning of the 6th century, their success was short-lived, and the Picts regained power and kept it until dispossessed by the Norsemen in the 9th century. In the wake of the Scots incursionists followed the Celtic missionaries about 565. They were companions of Saint Columba and their efforts to convert the folk to Christianity seem to have impressed the popular imagination, for several islands bear the epithet "Papa" in commemoration of the preachers.
Vikings having made the islands the headquarters of their buccaneering expeditions (carried out indifferently against their own Norway and the coasts and isles of Scotland), Harold Hårfagre ("Fair Hair") subdued the rovers in 875 and annexed both Orkney and Shetland to Norway. The martyrdom of Earl Magnus resulted in the building of St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall. The islands remained under the rule of Norse earls until 1231, when the line of the jarls became extinct. In that year the earldom of Caithness was granted to Magnus, second son of the Earl of Angus, whom the king of Norway apparently confirmed in the title. Recent studies from the field of population genetics reveal a significant percentage of Norse ethnic heritage – up to one third of the Y chromosomes on the islands are derived from western Norwegian sources, as opposed to the Shetlands, where over half the male lineage is Norse.
Some jarls of Orkney:
Turf-Einar, 910
Thorfinn Turf-Einarsson, Earl of Orkney, 963
In 1468 Orkney and Shetland were pledged by Christian I of Denmark and Norway for the payment of the dowry of his daughter Margaret, betrothed to James III of Scotland, and as the money was never paid, their connection with the crown of Scotland has been perpetual. In 1471 James bestowed the castle and lands of Ravenscraig, in Fife, on William, Earl of Orkney, in exchange for all his rights to the earldom of Orkney, which, by an Act of the Parliament of Scotland, passed on February 20, 1472, was annexed to the Scottish crown.
In 1564 Lord Robert Stewart, natural son of James V of Scotland, who had visited Kirkwall twenty-four years before, was made sheriff of Orkney and Shetland, and received possession of the estates of the udallers; in 1581 he was created earl of Orkney by James VI of Scotland, the charter being ratified ten years later to his son Patrick, but in 1615 the earldom was again annexed to the crown.
The islands were the rendezvous of Montrose's expedition in 1650 which culminated in his imprisonment and death. During the Protectorate they were visited by a detachment of Cromwell's troops, who initiated the inhabitants into various industrial arts and new methods of agriculture.
In 1707 the islands were granted to the earl of Morton in mortgage, redeemable by the Crown on payment of 30,000 pounds, and subject to an annual feu-duty of 500 pounds; but in 1766 his estates were sold to Sir Lawrence Dundas, ancestor of the Earls of Zetland.
In early times both the archbishop of Hamburg and the archbishop of York disputed with the Norwegians ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the Orkneys and the right of consecrating bishops; but ultimately the Norwegian bishops, the first of whom was William the Old (consecrated in 1102), continued the canonical succession. The see remained vacant from 1580 to 1606, and from 1638 till the Restoration, and, after the accession of William III, the episcopacy was finally abolished (1697), although many of the clergy refused to conform.
The toponymy of the Orkneys is wholly Norse, and the Norse tongue, at last extinguished by the constant influx of settlers from Scotland, lingered until the end of the 18th century. Readers of Scott's Pirate will remember the frank contempt which Magnus Troil expressed for the Scots, and his opinions probably accurately reflected the general Norse feeling on the subject. When the islands were given as security for the princess's dowry, there seems reason to believe that it was intended to redeem the pledge, because it was then stipulated that the Norse system of government and the law of Saint Olaf should continue to be observed in Orkney and Shetland. Thus the udal succession and mode of land tenure (that is, absolute freehold as distinguished from feudal tenure) lingered to some extent, and the remaining udallers held their lands and passed them on without written title. By the mid 1800s Orkney was firmly under the rule of Scotland, with absentee sheriffs holding nominal power. For example Lord Neaves, the esteemed Scottish jurist held the sheriff position on Orkney from 1845 to 1852.
During World War I and World War II, the Royal Navy had a major base at Scapa Flow. The base was closed in 1956.
In the Arthurian legend, Orkney is the home to King Lot, Sir Gareth, Sir Gaheris, Sir Gawaine, and Sir Agravain.
Language
The older Norn was replaced by Lowland Scots which in turn is being replaced by Scottish English. However, Orkney does have its own dialect, referred to by the locals as 'Orcadian'.
Orcadian people
Magnus Erlendsson (Saint Magnus) (c1070 – c1117), Earl of Orkney c1105 – 1117
Rognvald Kali Kolssson (Saint Rognvald) (c1103 – 1158), Earl of Orkney 1136 – 1158
James Atkine (1613 – 1687), bishop first of Moray and afterwards of Galloway
Murdoch McKenzie (died 1797), the hydrographer
Malcolm Laing (1762 – 1818), author of the History of Scotland from the Union of the Crowns to the Union of the Kingdoms
William Sinclair (1766 – 1818), Chief Factor at the Hudsons Bay Company
Mary Brunton (1778 – 1818), author of Self-Control, Discipline and other novels
Samuel Laing (1780 – 1868), author of A Residence in Norway, and translator of the Heimskringla, the Icelandic chronicle of the kings of Norway
Thomas Stewart Traill (1781 – 1862), professor of medical jurisprudence at Edinburgh University and editor of the 8th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica
Samuel Laing (1812 – 1897), chairman of the London, Brighton. & South Coast railway, and introducer of the system of "parliamentary" trains with fares of one penny a mile
Dr. John Rae (1813 – 1893), an Arctic explorer
Rev. Matthew Armour (1820-1903), Sanday’s radical Free Kirk Minister
William Balfour Baikie (1825 – 1864), traveller in Africa
Walter Traill Dennison (1826 - 1894), Orcadian folklorist
Edwin Muir (1887 – 1959), author and poet
Stanley Cursiter (1887 – 1976), artist
Eric Linklater (1899 – 1974), novelist, playwright, journalist, essayist, and poet
George Mackay Brown (1921 – 1996), poet, author, playwright.
Luke Sutherland, writer of novels Jelly Roll, Sweatmeat and Venus as a Boy
Constituencies
The Orkney Islands are represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom as part of the Orkney and Shetland constituency, which elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
In the Scottish Parliament the Orkney Islands are themselves the Orkney constituency, which elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post system. Also, the Orkney Islands are within the Highlands and Islands electoral region.
This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
This article was copied on 11 July 2006. The current version with history is available on Wikipedia.
Text on this page is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License (see Copyrights for details)
HHRCOUK_Area_Key a4842463-bd60-43e0-a13a-50124283cee7
| i don't know |
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is the creation of which author? | Rudyard Kipling's "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi": Mixing Words and Pictures | EDSITEment
Rudyard Kipling's "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi": Mixing Words and Pictures
Tools
Credit: Courtesy of Wikipedia , via EDSITEment reviewed Internet Public Library .
During the Victorian Era, British author Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was both respected as a journalist and lauded as "The Poet of the [British] Empire." In his fiction, though, he blended the best of both skills and was ultimately awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907 "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas, and remarkable talent for narration which characterizes [his] creations." "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," a short story from The Jungle Book (1894), is an engaging example of Kipling's ability to mix scientific and historical fact with imaginative characterizations to create a believable and entertaining tale.
In this lesson, students will read an illustrated version of "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," examine how Kipling and visual artists mix observation with imagination to create remarkable works, and follow similar principles to create a work of their own.
Guiding Questions
How does the artist create meaningful illustrations to accompany Rudyard Kipling's engaging narrative "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi"?
Learning Objectives
Demonstrate comprehension of plot events and character motivations.
Describe the author's purpose and evaluate the techniques used to achieve it.
Identify and differentiate between facts and examples of personification.
Understand and apply an artist's media, techniques, and processes.
Preparation Instructions
The Jungle Book including "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" with Drake’s original illustrations is available as an e-text through ebooks@Adelaide from The University of Adelaide Library
Preview the EDSITEment-reviewed " Art Safari ," from the Museum of Modern Art , to gain familiarity with its layout.
Lesson Activities
Activity 2. Your Turn!
Activity 1. Art Safari
If they have not already done so for Lesson One: Rudyard Kipling's "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi": Mixing Fact and Fiction , have your students read the story "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" from The Jungle Book with Drake’s original illustrations that is available as an e-text through ebooks@Adelaide from The University of Adelaide Library.
Remind your students that the "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" tale they read is illustrated. You may wish to explain that while authors create stories with text, artists often create stories with paint or sculpture. Introduce students to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's website by saying they will be going on an "Art Safari" to take a closer look at how artists create "stories" in their works. Then guide your students through the EDSITEment-reviewed " Art Safari " from the Museum of Modern Art .
When your students finish, have them return to the online text and scroll down to the following two illustrations to discuss the artwork:
1. "He Jumped Up in the Air, and Just Under Him Whizzed by the head of Nagaina."
Is this artwork realistic or is it more like a cartoon? How do you know?
Your students should understand that the artist uses a realistic style; the animals and setting look as they would look in nature.
Why do you think the artist chose to draw the scene in this style?
Guide your students to understand that the artist probably drew the scene realistically because Kipling's story, which is grounded in facts about the animals and their behavior, also seems "real." You may wish to have your students imagine what the story might have looked like if the artist used a cartoon-like style to emphasize that the artist mirrored Kipling's writing style.
How do you think each of the characters feels in this picture? Why?
Your students should notice the characters' postures and expressions and draw reasonable conclusions.
2. "Nagaina Flew Down the path, With Rikki-Tikki behind Her"
Sometimes, an artist can use the borders of a piece of artwork to help create a story. How do the unusual borders of this illustration make the scene feel even more hurried?
Your students might suggest that the illustration's borders add to the feeling of haste because the animals appear to be "going the wrong way" across the page, as if they are in such a hurry, they must "cut across" the text.
What else does the artist do to show that the animals are moving quickly?
The artist shows the animals' bodies extended in "running" positions and draws shadows under them to show that they are moving so quickly, they are leaping off the ground.
What does the artist include to show why Nagaina is fleeing so quickly?
In the picture, Nagaina is carrying her last egg; she is fleeing because she does not want Rikki-Tikki-Tavi to destroy it.
Then discuss with your students the following question:
Do the artist's illustrations help tell the story, or do they distract from the story? Why?
Your students should conclude that the illustrations help tell the story: the artist mirrors Rudyard Kipling's style and reflects or adds to the feelings and events in each illustration.
After the discussion, you may wish to have each student illustrate a passage of his or her choice using either the online drawing pad available from Art Safari or traditional art materials. Encourage students to use the techniques to which they have been introduced to create an illustration that enhances the scene. When they finish, you may wish to have them show their illustrations to the class and describe why they created the illustration the way they did.
Activity 2. Your Turn!
Have your students write and illustrate a story about an animal that includes examples of fact and personification.
First, have each student select an animal to write about. You may want to reference a resource on India to use animals from the country where the story takes place. Have students use the Paw-Prints and Footsteps handout (PDF) as a research guide and character and story creation outline.
Assessment
After students finish using the Paw-Prints and Footsteps handout , have them draft a story that includes facts about the animal and one or more examples of personification. If necessary, remind students that "personification" is when an author gives an animal or object human qualities. During teacher, peer, or self-editing, you may wish to have your students specifically identify where they used facts and personification, to confirm that they understand the concepts.
Then have your students use the Art Safari online tools or traditional art materials to illustrate their stories. You may wish to have your students create final illustrated drafts of their stories for class or community sharing or display, perhaps alongside a class Rudyard Kipling exhibit.
If your students enjoy this project, they might enjoy creating additional individual- or group-written stories, or rewriting one or more stories as a script and performing it for the class or community.
Extending The Lesson
Travel Back in Time! EDSITEment resource the Victorian Web affords your students the opportunity to meet the luminaries of the Victorian Era (such as Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, Ludwig von Beethoven, and Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky), learn about the Victorians' daily life, try Victorian games and recipes, test their knowledge of the era, and even discover a 19th-century robot!
What Next? If your students enjoyed "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," they might also enjoy the following works
Additional stories from The Jungle Book with Drake’s original illustrations is available as an e-text through ebooks@Adelaide from The University of Adelaide Library. Meet Rudyard Kipling's other famous characters, such as Mowgli, a boy raised by animals in a jungle, Baloo the friendly bear, and Shere Khan, the cunning tiger in this collection of stories in which "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" is also found.
Just So Stories, by Rudyard Kipling (Puffin Books, 1995) Rudyard Kipling himself illustrated this collection of his humorous tales, which includes "How the Camel Got His Hump," "The Beginning of the Armadillos," and "The Butterfly that Stamped."
Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell (Random House Children's Books, 1993) In this classic story, a horse, Black Beauty, recounts the heart-warming and wrenching story of his life.
The Incredible Journey, by Sheila Burnford (Yearling Books, 1990) Three house pets—a labrador, a bull terrier, and a Siamese cat—journey together across Canada to try to find their way home.
You may be interested in the EDSITEment lesson on Beatrix Potter's Naughty Animal Tales .
Selected EDSITEment Websites
| Rudyard Kipling |
What was the nickname of American Civil War General Thomas Jackson? | The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling.
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The jungle book, by Rudyard Kipling This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The jungle book Author: Rudyard Kipling Release Date: April 30, 2011 [EBook #35997] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE JUNGLE BOOK *** Produced by Suzanne Shell, Ernest Schaal, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
THE JUNGLE BOOK
"LITTLE TOOMAI LAID HIMSELF DOWN CLOSE TO THE GREAT NECK
LEST A SWINGING BOUGH SHOULD SWEEP HIM TO
THE GROUND." (SEE PAGE 246.)
Copyright 1893, 1894, by
Toomai of the Elephants 217
Shiv and the Grasshopper 261
Her Majesty's Servants 265
Parade-Song of the Camp Animals 300
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
"Little Toomai laid himself down close to the
great Neck, lest a swinging Bough should
sweep him to the Ground" Frontispiece
"'Good Luck go with you, O Chief of the
"The Tiger's Roar filled the Cave with Thunder" 11
The Meeting at the Council Rock 17
"Bagheera would lie out on a Branch and call,
'Come along, Little Brother'" 23
"'Wake, Little Brother; I bring News'" 99
"'Are all these Tales such Cobwebs and Moon-Talk?'
"Buldeo lay as still, as still, expecting every Minute
to see Mowgli turn into a Tiger, too" 121
"When the Moon rose over the Plain the Villagers
saw Mowgli trotting across, with two
Wolves at his Heels" 126
"They clambered up on the Council Rock together,
and Mowgli spread the Skin out on
the flat Stone" 129
"They were all awake and staring in every Direction
but the right one" 154
"He had found Sea Cow at last" 162
"Rikki-tikki looked down between the Boy's Collar
"He put his Nose into the Ink" 178
"Rikki-tikki was awake on the Pillow" 179
"He came to Breakfast riding on Teddy's Shoulder" 180
"'We are very miserable,' said Darzee" 181
"'I am Nag,' said the Cobra: 'Look, and be afraid.'
But at the Bottom of his cold Heart HE was
"He jumped up in the Air, and just under him
whizzed by the Head of Nagaina" 187
"In the Dark he ran up against Chuchundra,
"Then Rikki-tikki was battered to and fro as
a Rat is shaken by a Dog" 197
Darzee's Wife pretends to have a broken Wing 201
"Nagaina flew down the Path with Rikki-tikki
"It is all over" 210
"Kala Nag was the best-loved Elephant in the
"'He is afraid of me,' said Little Toomai, and
he made Kala Nag lift up his Feet one
after the other" 223
"He would get his Torch and wave it, and yell
with the Best" 229
"'Not green Corn, Protector of the Poor,—Melons,'
said Little Toomai" 235
"Little Toomai looked down upon Scores and
Scores of broad Backs" 251
"'To Toomai of the Elephants. Barrao!'" 259
"A Camel had blundered into my Tent" 267
"'Anybody can be forgiven for being scared in the
Night,' said the Troop-horse" 275
"'The Man was lying on the Ground, and I
stretched myself not to tread on him, and
he slashed up at me'" 279
"Then I heard an old, grizzled, long-haired Central
Asian Chief asking Questions of a native
Now Rann, the Kite, brings home the night
That Mang, the Bat, sets free—
The herds are shut in byre and hut,
For loosed till dawn are we.
This is the hour of pride and power,
Talon and tush and claw.
Oh, hear the call!—Good hunting all
That keep the Jungle Law!
Night-Song in the Jungle.
MOWGLI'S BROTHERS
IT was seven o'clock of a very warm evening in the Seeonee hills when Father Wolf woke up from his day's rest, scratched himself, yawned, and spread out his paws one after the other to get rid of the sleepy feeling in the tips. Mother Wolf lay with her big gray nose dropped across her four tumbling, squealing cubs, and the moon shone into the mouth of the cave where they all lived. "Augrh!" said Father Wolf, "it is time to hunt again"; and he was going to spring downhill when a little shadow with a bushy tail crossed the threshold and whined: "Good luck go with you, O Chief of the Wolves; and good luck and strong white teeth go with the noble children, that they may never forget the hungry in this world."
"'GOOD LUCK GO WITH YOU, O CHIEF OF THE WOLVES.'"
It was the jackal—Tabaqui, the Dish-licker—and the wolves of India despise Tabaqui because he runs about making mischief, and telling tales, and eating rags and pieces of leather from the village rubbish-heaps. They are afraid of him too, because Tabaqui, more than any one else in the jungle, is apt to go mad, and then he forgets that he was ever afraid of any one, and runs through the forest biting everything in his way. Even the tiger hides when little Tabaqui goes mad, for madness is the most disgraceful thing that can overtake a wild creature. We call it hydrophobia, but they call it dewanee—the madness—and run.
"Enter, then, and look," said Father Wolf, stiffly; "but there is no food here."
"For a wolf, no," said Tabaqui; "but for so mean a person as myself a dry bone is a good feast. Who are we, the Gidur-log [the Jackal People], to pick and choose?" He scuttled to the back of the cave, where he found the bone of a buck with some meat on it, and sat cracking the end merrily.
"All thanks for this good meal," he said, licking his lips. "How beautiful are the noble children! How large are their eyes! And so young too! Indeed, indeed, I might have remembered that the children of kings are men from the beginning."
Now, Tabaqui knew as well as any one else that there is nothing so unlucky as to compliment children to their faces; and it pleased him to see Mother and Father Wolf look uncomfortable.
Tabaqui sat still, rejoicing in the mischief that he had made, and then he said spitefully:
"Shere Khan, the Big One, has shifted his hunting-grounds. He will hunt among these hills during the next moon, so he has told me."
Shere Khan was the tiger who lived near the Waingunga River, twenty miles away.
"He has no right!" Father Wolf began angrily. "By the Law of the Jungle he has no right to change his quarters without fair warning. He will frighten every head of game within ten miles; and I—I have to kill for two, these days."
"His mother did not call him Lungri [the Lame One] for nothing," said Mother Wolf, quietly. "He has been lame in one foot from his birth. That is why he has only killed cattle. Now the villagers of the Waingunga are angry with him, and he has come here to make our villagers angry. They will scour the jungle for him when he is far away, and we and our children must run when the grass is set alight. Indeed, we are very grateful to Shere Khan!"
"Shall I tell him of your gratitude?" said Tabaqui.
"Out!" snapped Father Wolf. "Out, and hunt with thy master. Thou hast done harm enough for one night."
"I go," said Tabaqui, quietly. "Ye can hear Shere Khan below in the thickets. I might have saved myself the message."
Father Wolf listened, and in the dark valley that ran down to a little river, he heard the dry, angry, snarly, singsong whine of a tiger who has caught nothing and does not care if all the jungle knows it.
"The fool!" said Father Wolf. "To begin a night's work with that noise! Does he think that our buck are like his fat Waingunga bullocks?"
"H'sh! It is neither bullock nor buck that he hunts to-night," said Mother Wolf; "it is Man." The whine had changed to a sort of humming purr that seemed to roll from every quarter of the compass. It was the noise that bewilders wood-cutters, and gipsies sleeping in the open, and makes them run sometimes into the very mouth of the tiger.
"Man!" said Father Wolf, showing all his white teeth. "Faugh! Are there not enough beetles and frogs in the tanks that he must eat Man—and on our ground too!"
The Law of the Jungle, which never orders anything without a reason, forbids every beast to eat Man except when he is killing to show his children how to kill, and then he must hunt outside the hunting-grounds of his pack or tribe. The real reason for this is that man-killing means, sooner or later, the arrival of white men on elephants, with guns, and hundreds of brown men with gongs and rockets and torches. Then everybody in the jungle suffers. The reason the beasts give among themselves is that Man is the weakest and most defenseless of all living things, and it is unsportsmanlike to touch him. They say too—and it is true—that man-eaters become mangy, and lose their teeth.
The purr grew louder, and ended in the full-throated "Aaarh!" of the tiger's charge.
Then there was a howl—an untigerish howl—from Shere Khan. "He has missed," said Mother Wolf. "What is it?"
Father Wolf ran out a few paces and heard Shere Khan muttering and mumbling savagely, as he tumbled about in the scrub.
"The fool has had no more sense than to jump at a wood-cutters' camp-fire, so he has burned his feet," said Father Wolf, with a grunt. "Tabaqui is with him."
"Something is coming uphill," said Mother Wolf, twitching one ear. "Get ready."
The bushes rustled a little in the thicket, and Father Wolf dropped with his haunches under him, ready for his leap. Then, if you had been watching, you would have seen the most wonderful thing in the world—the wolf checked in mid-spring. He made his bound before he saw what it was he was jumping at, and then he tried to stop himself. The result was that he shot up straight into the air for four or five feet, landing almost where he left ground.
"Man!" he snapped. "A man's cub. Look!"
Directly in front of him, holding on by a low branch, stood a naked brown baby who could just walk—as soft and as dimpled a little thing as ever came to a wolf's cave at night. He looked up into Father Wolf's face and laughed.
"Is that a man's cub?" said Mother Wolf. "I have never seen one. Bring it here."
A wolf accustomed to moving his own cubs can, if necessary, mouth an egg without breaking it, and though Father Wolf's jaws closed right on the child's back not a tooth even scratched the skin, as he laid it down among the cubs.
"How little! How naked, and—how bold!" said Mother Wolf, softly. The baby was pushing his way between the cubs to get close to the warm hide. "Ahai! He is taking his meal with the others. And so this is a man's cub. Now, was there ever a wolf that could boast of a man's cub among her children?"
"I have heard now and again of such a thing, but never in our pack or in my time," said Father Wolf. "He is altogether without hair, and I could kill him with a touch of my foot. But see, he looks up and is not afraid."
The moonlight was blocked out of the mouth of the cave, for Shere Khan's great square head and shoulders were thrust into the entrance. Tabaqui, behind him, was squeaking: "My Lord, my Lord, it went in here!"
"Shere Khan does us great honor," said Father Wolf, but his eyes were very angry. "What does Shere Khan need?"
"My quarry. A man's cub went this way," said Shere Khan. "Its parents have run off. Give it to me."
Shere Khan had jumped at a wood-cutter's camp-fire, as Father Wolf had said, and was furious from the pain of his burned feet. But Father Wolf knew that the mouth of the cave was too narrow for a tiger to come in by. Even where he was, Shere Khan's shoulders and fore paws were cramped for want of room, as a man's would be if he tried to fight in a barrel.
"The Wolves are a free people," said Father Wolf. "They take orders from the Head of the Pack, and not from any striped cattle-killer. The man's cub is ours—to kill if we choose."
"Ye choose and ye do not choose! What talk is this of choosing? By the Bull that I killed, am I to stand nosing into your dog's den for my fair dues? It is I, Shere Khan, who speak!"
The tiger's roar filled the cave with thunder. Mother Wolf shook herself clear of the cubs and sprang forward, her eyes, like two green moons in the darkness, facing the blazing eyes of Shere Khan.
"THE TIGER'S ROAR FILLED THE CAVE WITH THUNDER."
"And it is I, Raksha [the Demon], who answer. The man's cub is mine, Lungri—mine to me! He shall not be killed. He shall live to run with the Pack and to hunt with the Pack; and in the end, look you, hunter of little naked cubs—frog-eater—fish-killer, he shall hunt thee! Now get hence, or by the Sambhur that I killed (I eat no starved cattle), back thou goest to thy mother, burned beast of the jungle, lamer than ever thou camest into the world! Go!"
Father Wolf looked on amazed. He had almost forgotten the days when he won Mother Wolf in fair fight from five other wolves, when she ran in the Pack and was not called the Demon for compliment's sake. Shere Khan might have faced Father Wolf, but he could not stand up against Mother Wolf, for he knew that where he was she had all the advantage of the ground, and would fight to the death. So he backed out of the cave-mouth growling, and when he was clear he shouted:
"Each dog barks in his own yard! We will see what the Pack will say to this fostering of man-cubs. The cub is mine, and to my teeth he will come in the end, O bush-tailed thieves!"
Mother Wolf threw herself down panting among the cubs, and Father Wolf said to her gravely:
"Shere Khan speaks this much truth. The cub must be shown to the Pack. Wilt thou still keep him, Mother?"
"Keep him!" she gasped. "He came naked, by night, alone and very hungry; yet he was not afraid! Look, he has pushed one of my babes to one side already. And that lame butcher would have killed him, and would have run off to the Waingunga while the villagers here hunted through all our lairs in revenge! Keep him? Assuredly I will keep him. Lie still, little frog. O thou Mowgli,—for Mowgli, the Frog, I will call thee,—the time will come when thou wilt hunt Shere Khan as he has hunted thee!"
"But what will our Pack say?" said Father Wolf.
The Law of the Jungle lays down very clearly that any wolf may, when he marries, withdraw from the Pack he belongs to; but as soon as his cubs are old enough to stand on their feet he must bring them to the Pack Council, which is generally held once a month at full moon, in order that the other wolves may identify them. After that inspection the cubs are free to run where they please, and until they have killed their first buck no excuse is accepted if a grown wolf of the Pack kills one of them. The punishment is death where the murderer can be found; and if you think for a minute you will see that this must be so.
Father Wolf waited till his cubs could run a little, and then on the night of the Pack Meeting took them and Mowgli and Mother Wolf to the Council Rock—a hilltop covered with stones and boulders where a hundred wolves could hide. Akela, the great gray Lone Wolf, who led all the Pack by strength and cunning, lay out at full length on his rock, and below him sat forty or more wolves of every size and color, from badger-colored veterans who could handle a buck alone, to young black three-year-olds who thought they could. The Lone Wolf had led them for a year now. He had fallen twice into a wolf-trap in his youth, and once he had been beaten and left for dead; so he knew the manners and customs of men.
THE MEETING AT THE COUNCIL ROCK.
There was very little talking at the Rock. The cubs tumbled over one another in the center of the circle where their mothers and fathers sat, and now and again a senior wolf would go quietly up to a cub, look at him carefully, and return to his place on noiseless feet. Sometimes a mother would push her cub far out into the moonlight, to be sure that he had not been overlooked. Akela from his rock would cry: "Ye know the Law—ye know the Law! Look well, O Wolves!" And the anxious mothers would take up the call: "Look—look well, O Wolves!"
At last—and Mother Wolf's neck-bristles lifted as the time came—Father Wolf pushed "Mowgli, the Frog," as they called him, into the center, where he sat laughing and playing with some pebbles that glistened in the moonlight.
Akela never raised his head from his paws, but went on with the monotonous cry, "Look well!" A muffled roar came up from behind the rocks—the voice of Shere Khan crying, "The cub is mine; give him to me. What have the Free People to do with a man's cub?"
Akela never even twitched his ears. All he said was, "Look well, O Wolves! What have the Free People to do with the orders of any save the Free People? Look well!"
There was a chorus of deep growls, and a young wolf in his fourth year flung back Shere Khan's question to Akela: "What have the Free People to do with a man's cub?"
Now the Law of the Jungle lays down that if there is any dispute as to the right of a cub to be accepted by the Pack, he must be spoken for by at least two members of the Pack who are not his father and mother.
"Who speaks for this cub?" said Akela. "Among the Free People, who speaks?" There was no answer, and Mother Wolf got ready for what she knew would be her last fight, if things came to fighting.
Then the only other creature who is allowed at the Pack Council—Baloo, the sleepy brown bear who teaches the wolf cubs the Law of the Jungle; old Baloo, who can come and go where he pleases because he eats only nuts and roots and honey—rose up on his hind quarters and grunted.
"The man's cub—the man's cub?" he said. "I speak for the man's cub. There is no harm in a man's cub. I have no gift of words, but I speak the truth. Let him run with the Pack, and be entered with the others. I myself will teach him."
"We need yet another," said Akela. "Baloo has spoken, and he is our teacher for the young cubs. Who speaks besides Baloo?"
A black shadow dropped down into the circle. It was Bagheera, the Black Panther, inky black all over, but with the panther markings showing up in certain lights like the pattern of watered silk. Everybody knew Bagheera, and nobody cared to cross his path; for he was as cunning as Tabaqui, as bold as the wild buffalo, and as reckless as the wounded elephant. But he had a voice as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree, and a skin softer than down.
"O Akela, and ye, the Free People," he purred, "I have no right in your assembly; but the Law of the Jungle says that if there is a doubt which is not a killing matter in regard to a new cub, the life of that cub may be bought at a price. And the Law does not say who may or may not pay that price. Am I right?"
"Good! good!" said the young wolves, who are always hungry. "Listen to Bagheera. The cub can be bought for a price. It is the Law."
"Knowing that I have no right to speak here, I ask your leave."
"Speak then," cried twenty voices.
"To kill a naked cub is shame. Besides, he may make better sport for you when he is grown. Baloo has spoken in his behalf. Now to Baloo's word I will add one bull, and a fat one, newly killed, not half a mile from here, if ye will accept the man's cub according to the Law. Is it difficult?"
There was a clamor of scores of voices, saying: "What matter? He will die in the winter rains. He will scorch in the sun. What harm can a naked frog do us? Let him run with the Pack. Where is the bull, Bagheera? Let him be accepted." And then came Akela's deep bay, crying: "Look well—look well, O Wolves!"
Mowgli was still playing with the pebbles, and he did not notice when the wolves came and looked at him one by one. At last they all went down the hill for the dead bull, and only Akela, Bagheera, Baloo, and Mowgli's own wolves were left. Shere Khan roared still in the night, for he was very angry that Mowgli had not been handed over to him.
"Ay, roar well," said Bagheera, under his whiskers; "for the time comes when this naked thing will make thee roar to another tune, or I know nothing of Man."
"It was well done," said Akela. "Men and their cubs are very wise. He may be a help in time."
"Truly, a help in time of need; for none can hope to lead the Pack forever," said Bagheera.
Akela said nothing. He was thinking of the time that comes to every leader of every pack when his strength goes from him and he gets feebler and feebler, till at last he is killed by the wolves and a new leader comes up—to be killed in his turn.
"Take him away," he said to Father Wolf, "and train him as befits one of the Free People."
And that is how Mowgli was entered into the Seeonee wolf-pack for the price of a bull and on Baloo's good word.
Now you must be content to skip ten or eleven whole years, and only guess at all the wonderful life that Mowgli led among the wolves, because if it were written out it would fill ever so many books. He grew up with the cubs, though they of course were grown wolves almost before he was a child, and Father Wolf taught him his business, and the meaning of things in the jungle, till every rustle in the grass, every breath of the warm night air, every note of the owls above his head, every scratch of a bat's claws as it roosted for a while in a tree, and every splash of every little fish jumping in a pool, meant just as much to him as the work of his office means to a business man. When he was not learning he sat out in the sun and slept, and ate, and went to sleep again; when he felt dirty or hot he swam in the forest pools; and when he wanted honey (Baloo told him that honey and nuts were just as pleasant to eat as raw meat) he climbed up for it, and that Bagheera showed him how to do.
Bagheera would lie out on a branch and call, "Come along, Little Brother," and at first Mowgli would cling like the sloth, but afterward he would fling himself through the branches almost as boldly as the gray ape. He took his place at the Council Rock, too, when the Pack met, and there he discovered that if he stared hard at any wolf, the wolf would be forced to drop his eyes, and so he used to stare for fun.
"BAGHEERA WOULD LIE OUT ON A BRANCH AND CALL,
'COME ALONG, LITTLE BROTHER.'"
At other times he would pick the long thorns out of the pads of his friends, for wolves suffer terribly from thorns and burs in their coats. He would go down the hillside into the cultivated lands by night, and look very curiously at the villagers in their huts, but he had a mistrust of men because Bagheera showed him a square box with a drop-gate so cunningly hidden in the jungle that he nearly walked into it, and told him it was a trap.
He loved better than anything else to go with Bagheera into the dark warm heart of the forest, to sleep all through the drowsy day, and at night see how Bagheera did his killing. Bagheera killed right and left as he felt hungry, and so did Mowgli—with one exception. As soon as he was old enough to understand things, Bagheera told him that he must never touch cattle because he had been bought into the Pack at the price of a bull's life. "All the jungle is thine," said Bagheera, "and thou canst kill everything that thou art strong enough to kill; but for the sake of the bull that bought thee thou must never kill or eat any cattle young or old. That is the Law of the Jungle." Mowgli obeyed faithfully.
And he grew and grew strong as a boy must grow who does not know that he is learning any lessons, and who has nothing in the world to think of except things to eat.
Mother Wolf told him once or twice that Shere Khan was not a creature to be trusted, and that some day he must kill Shere Khan; but though a young wolf would have remembered that advice every hour, Mowgli forgot it because he was only a boy—though he would have called himself a wolf if he had been able to speak in any human tongue.
Shere Khan was always crossing his path in the jungle, for as Akela grew older and feebler the lame tiger had come to be great friends with the younger wolves of the Pack, who followed him for scraps, a thing Akela would never have allowed if he had dared to push his authority to the proper bounds. Then Shere Khan would flatter them and wonder that such fine young hunters were content to be led by a dying wolf and a man's cub. "They tell me," Shere Khan would say, "that at Council ye dare not look him between the eyes"; and the young wolves would growl and bristle.
Bagheera, who had eyes and ears everywhere, knew something of this, and once or twice he told Mowgli in so many words that Shere Khan would kill him some day; and Mowgli would laugh and answer: "I have the Pack and I have thee; and Baloo, though he is so lazy, might strike a blow or two for my sake. Why should I be afraid?"
It was one very warm day that a new notion came to Bagheera—born of something that he had heard. Perhaps Ikki, the Porcupine, had told him; but he said to Mowgli when they were deep in the jungle, as the boy lay with his head on Bagheera's beautiful black skin: "Little Brother, how often have I told thee that Shere Khan is thy enemy?"
"As many times as there are nuts on that palm," said Mowgli, who, naturally, could not count. "What of it? I am sleepy, Bagheera, and Shere Khan is all long tail and loud talk, like Mao, the Peacock."
"But this is no time for sleeping. Baloo knows it, I know it, the Pack know it, and even the foolish, foolish deer know. Tabaqui has told thee too."
"Ho! ho!" said Mowgli. "Tabaqui came to me not long ago with some rude talk that I was a naked man's cub, and not fit to dig pig-nuts; but I caught Tabaqui by the tail and swung him twice against a palm-tree to teach him better manners."
"That was foolishness; for though Tabaqui is a mischief-maker, he would have told thee of something that concerned thee closely. Open those eyes, Little Brother! Shere Khan dares not kill thee in the jungle for fear of those that love thee; but remember, Akela is very old, and soon the day comes when he cannot kill his buck, and then he will be leader no more. Many of the wolves that looked thee over when thou wast brought to the Council first are old too, and the young wolves believe, as Shere Khan has taught them, that a man-cub has no place with the Pack. In a little time thou wilt be a man."
"And what is a man that he should not run with his brothers?" said Mowgli. "I was born in the jungle; I have obeyed the Law of the Jungle; and there is no wolf of ours from whose paws I have not pulled a thorn. Surely they are my brothers!"
Bagheera stretched himself at full length and half shut his eyes. "Little Brother," said he, "feel under my jaw."
Mowgli put up his strong brown hand, and just under Bagheera's silky chin, where the giant rolling muscles were all hid by the glossy hair, he came upon a little bald spot.
"There is no one in the jungle that knows that I, Bagheera, carry that mark—the mark of the collar; and yet, Little Brother, I was born among men, and it was among men that my mother died—in the cages of the King's Palace at Oodeypore. It was because of this that I paid the price for thee at the Council when thou wast a little naked cub. Yes, I too was born among men. I had never seen the jungle. They fed me behind bars from an iron pan till one night I felt that I was Bagheera, the Panther, and no man's plaything, and I broke the silly lock with one blow of my paw, and came away; and because I had learned the ways of men, I became more terrible in the jungle than Shere Khan. Is it not so?"
"Yes," said Mowgli; "all the jungle fear Bagheera—all except Mowgli."
"Oh, thou art a man's cub," said the Black Panther, very tenderly; "and even as I returned to my jungle, so thou must go back to men at last,—to the men who are thy brothers,—if thou art not killed in the Council."
"But why—but why should any wish to kill me?" said Mowgli.
"Look at me," said Bagheera; and Mowgli looked at him steadily between the eyes. The big panther turned his head away in half a minute.
"That is why," he said, shifting his paw on the leaves. "Not even I can look thee between the eyes, and I was born among men, and I love thee, Little Brother. The others they hate thee because their eyes cannot meet thine; because thou art wise; because thou hast pulled out thorns from their feet—because thou art a man."
"I did not know these things," said Mowgli, sullenly; and he frowned under his heavy black eyebrows.
"What is the Law of the Jungle? Strike first and then give tongue. By thy very carelessness they know that thou art a man. But be wise. It is in my heart that when Akela misses his next kill,—and at each hunt it costs him more to pin the buck,—the Pack will turn against him and against thee. They will hold a jungle Council at the Rock, and then—and then ... I have it!" said Bagheera, leaping up. "Go thou down quickly to the men's huts in the valley, and take some of the Red Flower which they grow there, so that when the time comes thou mayest have even a stronger friend than I or Baloo or those of the Pack that love thee. Get the Red Flower."
By Red Flower Bagheera meant fire, only no creature in the jungle will call fire by its proper name. Every beast lives in deadly fear of it, and invents a hundred ways of describing it.
"The Red Flower?" said Mowgli. "That grows outside their huts in the twilight. I will get some."
"There speaks the man's cub," said Bagheera, proudly. "Remember that it grows in little pots. Get one swiftly, and keep it by thee for time of need."
"Good!" said Mowgli. "I go. But art thou sure, O my Bagheera"—he slipped his arm round the splendid neck, and looked deep into the big eyes—"art thou sure that all this is Shere Khan's doing?"
"By the Broken Lock that freed me, I am sure, Little Brother."
"Then, by the Bull that bought me, I will pay Shere Khan full tale for this, and it may be a little over," said Mowgli; and he bounded away.
"That is a man. That is all a man," said Bagheera to himself, lying down again. "Oh, Shere Khan, never was a blacker hunting than that frog-hunt of thine ten years ago!"
Mowgli was far and far through the forest, running hard, and his heart was hot in him. He came to the cave as the evening mist rose, and drew breath, and looked down the valley. The cubs were out, but Mother Wolf, at the back of the cave, knew by his breathing that something was troubling her frog.
"What is it, Son?" she said.
"Some bat's chatter of Shere Khan," he called back. "I hunt among the plowed fields to-night"; and he plunged downward through the bushes, to the stream at the bottom of the valley. There he checked, for he heard the yell of the Pack hunting, heard the bellow of a hunted Sambhur, and the snort as the buck turned at bay. Then there were wicked, bitter howls from the young wolves: "Akela! Akela! Let the Lone Wolf show his strength. Room for the leader of our Pack! Spring, Akela!"
The Lone Wolf must have sprung and missed his hold, for Mowgli heard the snap of his teeth and then a yelp as the Sambhur knocked him over with his fore foot.
He did not wait for anything more, but dashed on; and the yells grew fainter behind him as he ran into the crop-lands where the villagers lived.
"Bagheera spoke truth," he panted, as he nestled down in some cattle-fodder by the window of a hut. "To-morrow is one day for Akela and for me."
Then he pressed his face close to the window and watched the fire on the hearth. He saw the husbandman's wife get up and feed it in the night with black lumps; and when the morning came and the mists were all white and cold, he saw the man's child pick up a wicker pot plastered inside with earth, fill it with lumps of red-hot charcoal, put it under his blanket, and go out to tend the cows in the byre.
"Is that all?" said Mowgli. "If a cub can do it, there is nothing to fear"; so he strode around the corner and met the boy, took the pot from his hand, and disappeared into the mist while the boy howled with fear.
"They are very like me," said Mowgli, blowing into the pot, as he had seen the woman do. "This thing will die if I do not give it things to eat"; and he dropped twigs and dried bark on the red stuff. Half-way up the hill he met Bagheera with the morning dew shining like moonstones on his coat.
"Akela has missed," said the panther. "They would have killed him last night, but they needed thee also. They were looking for thee on the hill."
"I was among the plowed lands. I am ready. Look!" Mowgli held up the fire-pot.
"Good! Now, I have seen men thrust a dry branch into that stuff, and presently the Red Flower blossomed at the end of it. Art thou not afraid?"
"No. Why should I fear? I remember now—if it is not a dream—how, before I was a wolf, I lay beside the Red Flower, and it was warm and pleasant."
All that day Mowgli sat in the cave tending his fire-pot and dipping dry branches into it to see how they looked. He found a branch that satisfied him, and in the evening when Tabaqui came to the cave and told him, rudely enough, that he was wanted at the Council Rock, he laughed till Tabaqui ran away. Then Mowgli went to the Council, still laughing.
Akela the Lone Wolf lay by the side of his rock as a sign that the leadership of the Pack was open, and Shere Khan with his following of scrap-fed wolves walked to and fro openly, being flattered. Bagheera lay close to Mowgli, and the fire-pot was between Mowgli's knees. When they were all gathered together, Shere Khan began to speak—a thing he would never have dared to do when Akela was in his prime.
"He has no right," whispered Bagheera. "Say so. He is a dog's son. He will be frightened."
Mowgli sprang to his feet. "Free People," he cried, "does Shere Khan lead the Pack? What has a tiger to do with our leadership?"
"Seeing that the leadership is yet open, and being asked to speak—" Shere Khan began.
"By whom?" said Mowgli. "Are we all jackals, to fawn on this cattle-butcher? The leadership of the Pack is with the Pack alone."
There were yells of "Silence, thou man's cub!" "Let him speak; he has kept our law!" And at last the seniors of the Pack thundered: "Let the Dead Wolf speak!"
When a leader of the Pack has missed his kill, he is called the Dead Wolf as long as he lives, which is not long, as a rule.
Akela raised his old head wearily:
"Free People, and ye too, jackals of Shere Khan, for twelve seasons I have led ye to and from the kill, and in all that time not one has been trapped or maimed. Now I have missed my kill. Ye know how that plot was made. Ye know how ye brought me up to an untried buck to make my weakness known. It was cleverly done. Your right is to kill me here on the Council Rock now. Therefore I ask, 'Who comes to make an end of the Lone Wolf?' For it is my right, by the Law of the Jungle, that ye come one by one."
There was a long hush, for no single wolf cared to fight Akela to the death. Then Shere Khan roared: "Bah! What have we to do with this toothless fool? He is doomed to die! It is the man-cub who has lived too long. Free People, he was my meat from the first. Give him to me. I am weary of this man-wolf folly. He has troubled the jungle for ten seasons. Give me the man-cub, or I will hunt here always, and not give you one bone! He is a man—a man's child, and from the marrow of my bones I hate him!"
Then more than half the Pack yelled: "A man—a man! What has a man to do with us? Let him go to his own place."
"And turn all the people of the villages against us?" snarled Shere Khan. "No; give him to me. He is a man, and none of us can look him between the eyes."
Akela lifted his head again, and said: "He has eaten our food; he has slept with us; he has driven game for us; he has broken no word of the Law of the Jungle."
"Also, I paid for him with a bull when he was accepted. The worth of a bull is little, but Bagheera's honor is something that he will perhaps fight for," said Bagheera in his gentlest voice.
"A bull paid ten years ago!" the Pack snarled. "What do we care for bones ten years old?"
"Or for a pledge?" said Bagheera, his white teeth bared under his lip. "Well are ye called the Free People!"
"No man's cub can run with the people of the jungle!" roared Shere Khan. "Give him to me."
"He is our brother in all but blood," Akela went on; "and ye would kill him here. In truth, I have lived too long. Some of ye are eaters of cattle, and of others I have heard that, under Shere Khan's teaching, ye go by dark night and snatch children from the villager's doorstep. Therefore I know ye to be cowards, and it is to cowards I speak. It is certain that I must die, and my life is of no worth, or I would offer that in the man-cub's place. But for the sake of the Honor of the Pack,—a little matter that, by being without a leader, ye have forgotten,—I promise that if ye let the man-cub go to his own place, I will not, when my time comes to die, bare one tooth against ye. I will die without fighting. That will at least save the Pack three lives. More I cannot do; but, if ye will, I can save ye the shame that comes of killing a brother against whom there is no fault—a brother spoken for and bought into the Pack according to the Law of the Jungle."
"He is a man—a man—a man!" snarled the Pack; and most of the wolves began to gather round Shere Khan, whose tail was beginning to switch.
"Now the business is in thy hands," said Bagheera to Mowgli. "We can do no more except fight."
Mowgli stood upright—the fire-pot in his hands. Then he stretched out his arms, and yawned in the face of the Council; but he was furious with rage and sorrow, for, wolf-like, the wolves had never told him how they hated him.
"Listen, you!" he cried. "There is no need for this dog's jabber. Ye have told me so often to-night that I am a man (though indeed I would have been a wolf with you to my life's end) that I feel your words are true. So I do not call ye my brothers any more, but sag [dogs], as a man should. What ye will do, and what ye will not do, is not yours to say. That matter is with me; and that we may see the matter more plainly, I, the man, have brought here a little of the Red Flower which ye, dogs, fear."
He flung the fire-pot on the ground, and some of the red coals lit a tuft of dried moss that flared up as all the Council drew back in terror before the leaping flames.
Mowgli thrust his dead branch into the fire till the twigs lit and crackled, and whirled it above his head among the cowering wolves.
"Thou art the master," said Bagheera, in an undertone. "Save Akela from the death. He was ever thy friend."
Akela, the grim old wolf who had never asked for mercy in his life, gave one piteous look at Mowgli as the boy stood all naked, his long black hair tossing over his shoulders in the light of the blazing branch that made the shadows jump and quiver.
"Good!" said Mowgli, staring around slowly, and thrusting out his lower lip. "I see that ye are dogs. I go from you to my own people—if they be my own people. The jungle is shut to me, and I must forget your talk and your companionship; but I will be more merciful than ye are. Because I was all but your brother in blood, I promise that when I am a man among men I will not betray ye to men as ye have betrayed me." He kicked the fire with his foot, and the sparks flew up. "There shall be no war between any of us and the Pack. But here is a debt to pay before I go." He strode forward to where Shere Khan sat blinking stupidly at the flames, and caught him by the tuft on his chin. Bagheera followed close, in case of accidents. "Up, dog!" Mowgli cried. "Up, when a man speaks, or I will set that coat ablaze!"
Shere Khan's ears lay flat back on his head, and he shut his eyes, for the blazing branch was very near.
"This cattle-killer said he would kill me in the Council because he had not killed me when I was a cub. Thus and thus, then, do we beat dogs when we are men! Stir a whisker, Lungri, and I ram the Red Flower down thy gullet!" He beat Shere Khan over the head with the branch, and the tiger whimpered and whined in an agony of fear.
"Pah! Singed jungle-cat—go now! But remember when next I come to the Council Rock, as a man should come, it will be with Shere Khan's hide on my head. For the rest, Akela goes free to live as he pleases. Ye will not kill him, because that is not my will. Nor do I think that ye will sit here any longer, lolling out your tongues as though ye were somebodies, instead of dogs whom I drive out—thus! Go!"
The fire was burning furiously at the end of the branch, and Mowgli struck right and left round the circle, and the wolves ran howling with the sparks burning their fur. At last there were only Akela, Bagheera, and perhaps ten wolves that had taken Mowgli's part. Then something began to hurt Mowgli inside him, as he had never been hurt in his life before, and he caught his breath and sobbed, and the tears ran down his face.
"What is it? What is it?" he said. "I do not wish to leave the jungle, and I do not know what this is. Am I dying, Bagheera?"
"No, Little Brother. Those are only tears such as men use," said Bagheera. "Now I know thou art a man, and a man's cub no longer. The jungle is shut indeed to thee henceforward. Let them fall, Mowgli; they are only tears." So Mowgli sat and cried as though his heart would break; and he had never cried in all his life before.
"Now," he said, "I will go to men. But first I must say farewell to my mother"; and he went to the cave where she lived with Father Wolf, and he cried on her coat, while the four cubs howled miserably.
"Ye will not forget me?" said Mowgli.
"Never while we can follow a trail," said the cubs. "Come to the foot of the hill when thou art a man, and we will talk to thee; and we will come into the crop-lands to play with thee by night."
"Come soon!" said Father Wolf. "Oh, wise little Frog, come again soon; for we be old, thy mother and I."
"Come soon," said Mother Wolf, "little naked son of mine; for, listen, child of man, I loved thee more than ever I loved my cubs."
"I will surely come," said Mowgli; "and when I come it will be to lay out Shere Khan's hide upon the Council Rock. Do not forget me! Tell them in the jungle never to forget me!"
The dawn was beginning to break when Mowgli went down the hillside alone to the crops to meet those mysterious things that are called men.
HUNTING-SONG OF THE SEEONEE PACK
As the dawn was breaking the Sambhur belled
Once, twice, and again!
KAA'S HUNTING
His spots are the joy of the Leopard: his horns are the Buffalo's pride—
Be clean, for the strength of the hunter is known by the gloss of his hide.
If ye find that the Bullock can toss you, or the heavy-browed Sambhur can gore;
Ye need not stop work to inform us: we knew it ten seasons before.
Oppress not the cubs of the stranger, but hail them as Sister and Brother,
For though they are little and fubsy, it may be the Bear is their mother.
"There is none like to me!" says the Cub in the pride of his earliest kill;
But the Jungle is large and the Cub he is small. Let him think and be still.
Maxims of Baloo.
KAA'S HUNTING
ALL that is told here happened some time before Mowgli was turned out of the Seeonee wolf-pack. It was in the days when Baloo was teaching him the Law of the Jungle. The big, serious, old brown bear was delighted to have so quick a pupil, for the young wolves will only learn as much of the Law of the Jungle as applies to their own pack and tribe, and run away as soon as they can repeat the Hunting Verse: "Feet that make no noise; eyes that can see in the dark; ears that can hear the winds in their lairs, and sharp white teeth—all these things are the marks of our brothers except Tabaqui and the Hyena, whom we hate." But Mowgli, as a man-cub, had to learn a great deal more than this. Sometimes Bagheera, the Black Panther, would come lounging through the jungle to see how his pet was getting on, and would purr with his head against a tree while Mowgli recited the day's lesson to Baloo. The boy could climb almost as well as he could swim, and swim almost as well as he could run; so Baloo, the Teacher of the Law, taught him the Wood and Water laws: how to tell a rotten branch from a sound one; how to speak politely to the wild bees when he came upon a hive of them fifty feet aboveground; what to say to Mang, the Bat, when he disturbed him in the branches at midday; and how to warn the water-snakes in the pools before he splashed down among them. None of the Jungle People like being disturbed, and all are very ready to fly at an intruder. Then, too, Mowgli was taught the Strangers' Hunting Call, which must be repeated aloud till it is answered, whenever one of the Jungle People hunts outside his own grounds. It means, translated: "Give me leave to hunt here because I am hungry"; and the answer is: "Hunt, then, for food, but not for pleasure."
All this will show you how much Mowgli had to learn by heart, and he grew very tired of repeating the same thing a hundred times; but, as Baloo said to Bagheera one day when Mowgli had been cuffed and had run off in a temper: "A man's cub is a man's cub, and he must learn all the Law of the Jungle."
"But think how small he is," said the Black Panther, who would have spoiled Mowgli if he had had his own way. "How can his little head carry all thy long talk?"
"Is there anything in the jungle too little to be killed? No. That is why I teach him these things, and that is why I hit him, very softly, when he forgets."
"Softly! What dost thou know of softness, old Iron-feet?" Bagheera grunted. "His face is all bruised to-day by thy—softness. Ugh!"
"Better he should be bruised from head to foot by me who love him than that he should come to harm through ignorance," Baloo answered, very earnestly. "I am now teaching him the Master Words of the Jungle that shall protect him with the Birds and the Snake People, and all that hunt on four feet, except his own pack. He can now claim protection, if he will only remember the Words, from all in the jungle. Is not that worth a little beating?"
"Well, look to it then that thou dost not kill the man-cub. He is no tree-trunk to sharpen thy blunt claws upon. But what are those Master Words? I am more likely to give help than to ask it"—Bagheera stretched out one paw and admired the steel-blue ripping-chisel talons at the end of it—"Still I should like to know."
"I will call Mowgli and he shall say them—if he will. Come, Little Brother!"
"My head is ringing like a bee-tree," said a sullen voice over their heads, and Mowgli slid down a tree-trunk, very angry and indignant, adding, as he reached the ground: "I come for Bagheera and not for thee, fat old Baloo!"
"That is all one to me," said Baloo, though he was hurt and grieved. "Tell Bagheera, then, the Master Words of the Jungle that I have taught thee this day."
"Master Words for which people?" said Mowgli, delighted to show off. "The jungle has many tongues. I know them all."
"A little thou knowest, but not much. See, O Bagheera, they never thank their teacher! Not one small wolfling has come back to thank old Baloo for his teachings. Say the Word for the Hunting People, then,—great scholar!"
"We be of one blood, ye and I," said Mowgli, giving the words the Bear accent which all the Hunting People of the Jungle use.
"Good! Now for the Birds."
Mowgli repeated, with the Kite's whistle at the end of the sentence.
"Now for the Snake People," said Bagheera.
The answer was a perfectly indescribable hiss, and Mowgli kicked up his feet behind, clapped his hands together to applaud himself, and jumped on Bagheera's back, where he sat sideways, drumming with his heels on the glossy skin and making the worst faces that he could think of at Baloo.
"There—there! That was worth a little bruise," said the Brown Bear, tenderly. "Some day thou wilt remember me." Then he turned aside to tell Bagheera how he had begged the Master Words from Hathi, the Wild Elephant, who knows all about these things, and how Hathi had taken Mowgli down to a pool to get the Snake Word from a water-snake, because Baloo could not pronounce it, and how Mowgli was now reasonably safe against all accidents in the jungle, because neither snake, bird, nor beast would hurt him.
"No one then is to be feared," Baloo wound up, patting his big furry stomach with pride.
"Except his own tribe," said Bagheera, under his breath; and then aloud to Mowgli: "Have a care for my ribs, Little Brother! What is all this dancing up and down?"
Mowgli had been trying to make himself heard by pulling at Bagheera's shoulder-fur and kicking hard. When the two listened to him he was shouting at the top of his voice: "And so I shall have a tribe of my own, and lead them through the branches all day long."
"What is this new folly, little dreamer of dreams?" said Bagheera.
"Yes, and throw branches and dirt at old Baloo," Mowgli went on. "They have promised me this, ah!"
"Whoof!" Baloo's big paw scooped Mowgli off Bagheera's back, and as the boy lay between the big fore paws he could see the bear was angry.
"Mowgli," said Baloo, "thou hast been talking with the Bandar-log—the Monkey People."
Mowgli looked at Bagheera to see if the panther was angry too, and Bagheera's eyes were as hard as jade-stones.
"Thou hast been with the Monkey People—the gray apes—the people without a Law—the eaters of everything. That is great shame."
"When Baloo hurt my head," said Mowgli (he was still down on his back), "I went away, and the gray apes came down from the trees and had pity on me. No one else cared." He snuffled a little.
"The pity of the Monkey People!" Baloo snorted.
"The stillness of the mountain stream! The cool of the summer sun! And then, man-cub?"
"And then—and then they gave me nuts and pleasant things to eat, and they—they carried me in their arms up to the top of the trees and said I was their blood-brother, except that I had no tail, and should be their leader some day."
"They have no leader," said Bagheera. "They lie. They have always lied."
"They were very kind, and bade me come again. Why have I never been taken among the Monkey People? They stand on their feet as I do. They do not hit me with hard paws. They play all day. Let me get up! Bad Baloo, let me up! I will go play with them again."
"Listen, man-cub," said the bear, and his voice rumbled like thunder on a hot night. "I have taught thee all the Law of the Jungle for all the Peoples of the Jungle—except the Monkey Folk who live in the trees. They have no Law. They are outcastes. They have no speech of their own, but use the stolen words which they overhear when they listen and peep and wait up above in the branches. Their way is not our way. They are without leaders. They have no remembrance. They boast and chatter and pretend that they are a great people about to do great affairs in the jungle, but the falling of a nut turns their minds to laughter, and all is forgotten. We of the jungle have no dealings with them. We do not drink where the monkeys drink; we do not go where the monkeys go; we do not hunt where they hunt; we do not die where they die. Hast thou ever heard me speak of the Bandar-log till to-day?"
"No," said Mowgli in a whisper, for the forest was very still now that Baloo had finished.
"The Jungle People put them out of their mouths and out of their minds. They are very many, evil, dirty, shameless, and they desire, if they have any fixed desire, to be noticed by the Jungle People. But we do not notice them even when they throw nuts and filth on our heads."
He had hardly spoken when a shower of nuts and twigs spattered down through the branches; and they could hear coughings and howlings and angry jumpings high up in the air among the thin branches.
"The Monkey People are forbidden," said Baloo, "forbidden to the Jungle People. Remember."
"Forbidden," said Bagheera; "but I still think Baloo should have warned thee against them."
"I—I? How was I to guess he would play with such dirt. The Monkey People! Faugh!"
A fresh shower came down on their heads, and the two trotted away, taking Mowgli with them. What Baloo had said about the monkeys was perfectly true. They belonged to the tree-tops, and as beasts very seldom look up, there was no occasion for the monkeys and the Jungle People to cross one another's path. But whenever they found a sick wolf, or a wounded tiger or bear, the monkeys would torment him, and would throw sticks and nuts at any beast for fun and in the hope of being noticed. Then they would howl and shriek senseless songs, and invite the Jungle People to climb up their trees and fight them, or would start furious battles over nothing among themselves, and leave the dead monkeys where the Jungle People could see them.
They were always just going to have a leader and laws and customs of their own, but they never did, because their memories would not hold over from day to day, and so they settled things by making up a saying: "What the Bandar-log think now the Jungle will think later"; and that comforted them a great deal. None of the beasts could reach them, but on the other hand none of the beasts would notice them, and that was why they were so pleased when Mowgli came to play with them, and when they heard how angry Baloo was.
They never meant to do any more,—the Bandar-log never mean anything at all,—but one of them invented what seemed to him a brilliant idea, and he told all the others that Mowgli would be a useful person to keep in the tribe, because he could weave sticks together for protection from the wind; so, if they caught him, they could make him teach them. Of course Mowgli, as a wood-cutter's child, inherited all sorts of instincts, and used to make little play-huts of fallen branches without thinking how he came to do it. The Monkey People, watching in the trees, considered these huts most wonderful. This time, they said, they were really going to have a leader and become the wisest people in the jungle—so wise that every one else would notice and envy them. Therefore they followed Baloo and Bagheera and Mowgli through the jungle very quietly till it was time for the midday nap, and Mowgli, who was very much ashamed of himself, slept between the panther and the bear, resolving to have no more to do with the Monkey People.
The next thing he remembered was feeling hands on his legs and arms,—hard, strong little hands,—and then a swash of branches in his face; and then he was staring down through the swaying boughs as Baloo woke the jungle with his deep cries and Bagheera bounded up the trunk with every tooth bared. The Bandar-log howled with triumph, and scuffled away to the upper branches where Bagheera dared not follow, shouting: "He has noticed us! Bagheera has noticed us! All the Jungle People admire us for our skill and our cunning!" Then they began their flight; and the flight of the Monkey People through tree-land is one of the things nobody can describe. They have their regular roads and cross-roads, uphills and downhills, all laid out from fifty to seventy or a hundred feet aboveground, and by these they can travel even at night if necessary.
Two of the strongest monkeys caught Mowgli under the arms and swung off with him through the tree-tops, twenty feet at a bound. Had they been alone they could have gone twice as fast, but the boy's weight held them back. Sick and giddy as Mowgli was he could not help enjoying the wild rush, though the glimpses of earth far down below frightened him, and the terrible check and jerk at the end of the swing over nothing but empty air brought his heart between his teeth.
His escort would rush him up a tree till he felt the weak topmost branches crackle and bend under them, and, then, with a cough and a whoop, would fling themselves into the air outward and downward, and bring up hanging by their hands or their feet to the lower limbs of the next tree. Sometimes he could see for miles and miles over the still green jungle, as a man on the top of a mast can see for miles across the sea, and then the branches and leaves would lash him across the face, and he and his two guards would be almost down to earth again.
So bounding and crashing and whooping and yelling, the whole tribe of Bandar-log swept along the tree-roads with Mowgli their prisoner.
For a time he was afraid of being dropped; then he grew angry, but he knew better than to struggle; and then he began to think. The first thing was to send back word to Baloo and Bagheera, for, at the pace the monkeys were going, he knew his friends would be left far behind. It was useless to look down, for he could see only the top sides of the branches, so he stared upward and saw, far away in the blue, Rann, the Kite, balancing and wheeling as he kept watch over the jungle waiting for things to die. Rann noticed that the monkeys were carrying something, and dropped a few hundred yards to find out whether their load was good to eat. He whistled with surprise when he saw Mowgli being dragged up to a tree-top, and heard him give the Kite call for "We be of one blood, thou and I." The waves of the branches closed over the boy, but Rann balanced away to the next tree in time to see the little brown face come up again. "Mark my trail!" Mowgli shouted. "Tell Baloo of the Seeonee Pack, and Bagheera of the Council Rock."
"In whose name, Brother?" Rann had never seen Mowgli before, though of course he had heard of him.
"Mowgli, the Frog. Man-cub they call me! Mark my tra—il!"
The last words were shrieked as he was being swung through the air, but Rann nodded, and rose up till he looked no bigger than a speck of dust, and there he hung, watching with his telescope eyes the swaying of the tree-tops as Mowgli's escort whirled along.
"They never go far," he said, with a chuckle. "They never do what they set out to do. Always pecking at new things are the Bandar-log. This time, if I have any eyesight, they have pecked down trouble for themselves, for Baloo is no fledgling and Bagheera can, as I know, kill more than goats."
Then he rocked on his wings, his feet gathered up under him, and waited.
Meanwhile, Baloo and Bagheera were furious with rage and grief. Bagheera climbed as he had never climbed before, but the branches broke beneath his weight, and he slipped down, his claws full of bark.
"Why didst thou not warn the man-cub!" he roared to poor Baloo, who had set off at a clumsy trot in the hope of overtaking the monkeys. "What was the use of half slaying him with blows if thou didst not warn him?"
"Haste! O haste! We—we may catch them yet!" Baloo panted.
"At that speed! It would not tire a wounded cow. Teacher of the Law, cub-beater—a mile of that rolling to and fro would burst thee open. Sit still and think! Make a plan. This is no time for chasing. They may drop him if we follow too close."
"Arrula! Whoo! They may have dropped him already, being tired of carrying him. Who can trust the Bandar-log? Put dead bats on my head! Give me black bones to eat! Roll me into the hives of the wild bees that I may be stung to death, and bury me with the hyena; for I am the most miserable of bears! Arulala! Wahooa! O Mowgli, Mowgli! Why did I not warn thee against the Monkey Folk instead of breaking thy head? Now perhaps I may have knocked the day's lesson out of his mind, and he will be alone in the jungle without the Master Words!"
Baloo clasped his paws over his ears and rolled to and fro, moaning.
"At least he gave me all the Words correctly a little time ago," said Bagheera, impatiently. "Baloo, thou hast neither memory nor respect. What would the jungle think if I, the Black Panther, curled myself up like Ikki, the Porcupine, and howled?"
"What do I care what the jungle thinks? He may be dead by now."
"Unless and until they drop him from the branches in sport, or kill him out of idleness, I have no fear for the man-cub. He is wise and well-taught, and, above all, he has the eyes that make the Jungle People afraid. But (and it is a great evil) he is in the power of the Bandar-log, and they, because they live in trees, have no fear of any of our people." Bagheera licked his one fore paw thoughtfully.
"Fool that I am! Oh fat, brown, root-digging fool that I am!" said Baloo, uncoiling himself with a jerk. "It is true what Hathi, the Wild Elephant, says: 'To each his own fear'; and they, the Bandar-log, fear Kaa, the Rock Snake. He can climb as well as they can. He steals the young monkeys in the night. The mere whisper of his name makes their wicked tails cold. Let us go to Kaa."
"What will he do for us? He is not of our tribe, being footless and with most evil eyes," said Bagheera.
"He is very old and very cunning. Above all, he is always hungry," said Baloo, hopefully. "Promise him many goats."
"He sleeps for a full month after he has once eaten. He may be asleep now, and even were he awake, what if he would rather kill his own goats?" Bagheera, who did not know much about Kaa, was naturally suspicious.
"Then in that case, thou and I together, old hunter, may make him see reason." Here Baloo rubbed his faded brown shoulder against the panther, and they went off to look for Kaa, the Rock Python.
They found him stretched out on a warm ledge in the afternoon sun, admiring his beautiful new coat, for he had been in retirement for the last ten days changing his skin, and now he was very splendid—darting his big blunt-nosed head along the ground, and twisting the thirty feet of his body into fantastic knots and curves, and licking his lips as he thought of his dinner to come.
"He has not eaten," said Baloo, with a grunt of relief, as soon as he saw the beautifully mottled brown and yellow jacket. "Be careful, Bagheera! He is always a little blind after he has changed his skin, and very quick to strike."
Kaa was not a poison snake—in fact he rather despised the Poison Snakes for cowards; but his strength lay in his hug, and when he had once lapped his huge coils round anybody there was no more to be said. "Good hunting!" cried Baloo, sitting up on his haunches. Like all snakes of his breed Kaa was rather deaf, and did not hear the call at first. Then he curled up ready for any accident, his head lowered.
"Good hunting for us all," he answered. "Oho, Baloo, what dost thou do here? Good hunting, Bagheera. One of us at least needs food. Is there any news of game afoot? A doe now, or even a young buck? I am as empty as a dried well."
"We are hunting," said Baloo, carelessly. He knew that you must not hurry Kaa. He is too big.
"Give me permission to come with you," said Kaa. "A blow more or less is nothing to thee, Bagheera or Baloo, but I—I have to wait and wait for days in a wood path and climb half a night on the mere chance of a young ape. Pss naw! The branches are not what they were when I was young. Rotten twigs and dry boughs are they all."
"Maybe thy great weight has something to do with the matter," said Baloo.
"I am a fair length—a fair length," said Kaa, with a little pride. "But for all that, it is the fault of this new-grown timber. I came very near to falling on my last hunt,—very near indeed,—and the noise of my slipping, for my tail was not tight wrapped round the tree, waked the Bandar-log, and they called me most evil names."
"'Footless, yellow earthworm,'" said Bagheera under his whiskers, as though he were trying to remember something.
"Sssss! Have they ever called me that?" said Kaa.
"Something of that kind it was that they shouted to us last moon, but we never noticed them. They will say anything—even that thou hast lost all thy teeth, and dare not face anything bigger than a kid, because (they are indeed shameless, these Bandar-log)—because thou art afraid of the he-goats' horns," Bagheera went on sweetly.
Now a snake, especially a wary old python like Kaa, very seldom shows that he is angry; but Baloo and Bagheera could see the big swallowing muscles on either side of Kaa's throat ripple and bulge.
"The Bandar-log have shifted their grounds," he said, quietly. "When I came up into the sun today I heard them whooping among the tree-tops."
"It—it is the Bandar-log that we follow now," said Baloo; but the words stuck in his throat, for this was the first time in his memory that one of the Jungle People had owned to being interested in the doings of the monkeys.
"Beyond doubt, then, it is no small thing that takes two such hunters—leaders in their own jungle, I am certain—on the trail of the Bandar-log," Kaa replied, courteously, as he swelled with curiosity.
"Indeed," Baloo began, "I am no more than the old, and sometimes very foolish, Teacher of the Law to the Seeonee wolf-cubs, and Bagheera here—"
"Is Bagheera," said the Black Panther, and his jaws shut with a snap, for he did not believe in being humble. "The trouble is this, Kaa. Those nut-stealers and pickers of palm-leaves have stolen away our man-cub, of whom thou hast perhaps heard."
"I heard some news from Ikki (his quills make him presumptuous) of a man-thing that was entered into a wolf-pack, but I did not believe. Ikki is full of stories half heard and very badly told."
"But it is true. He is such a man-cub as never was," said Baloo. "The best and wisest and boldest of man-cubs. My own pupil, who shall make the name of Baloo famous through all the jungles; and besides, I—we—love him, Kaa."
"Ts! Ts!" said Kaa, shaking his head to and fro. "I also have known what love is. There are tales I could tell that—"
"That need a clear night when we are all well fed to praise properly," said Bagheera, quickly. "Our man-cub is in the hands of the Bandar-log now, and we know that of all the Jungle People they fear Kaa alone."
"They fear me alone. They have good reason," said Kaa. "Chattering, foolish, vain—vain, foolish, and chattering—are the monkeys. But a man-thing in their hands is in no good luck. They grow tired of the nuts they pick, and throw them down. They carry a branch half a day, meaning to do great things with it, and then they snap it in two. That manling is not to be envied. They called me also—'yellow fish,' was it not?"
"Worm—worm—earthworm," said Bagheera; "as well as other things which I cannot now say for shame."
"We must remind them to speak well of their master. Aaa-sssh! We must help their wandering memories. Now, whither went they with thy cub?"
"The jungle alone knows. Toward the sunset, I believe," said Baloo. "We had thought that thou wouldst know, Kaa."
"I? How? I take them when they come in my way, but I do not hunt the Bandar-log—or frogs—or green scum on a water-hole, for that matter."
"Up, up! Up, up! Hillo! Illo! Illo! Look up, Baloo of the Seeonee Wolf Pack!"
Baloo looked up to see where the voice came from, and there was Rann, the Kite, sweeping down with the sun shining on the upturned flanges of his wings. It was near Rann's bedtime, but he had ranged all over the jungle looking for the bear, and missed him in the thick foliage.
"What is it?" said Baloo.
"I have seen Mowgli among the Bandar-log. He bade me tell you. I watched. The Bandar-log have taken him beyond the river to the Monkey City—to the Cold Lairs. They may stay there for a night, or ten nights, or an hour. I have told the bats to watch through the dark time. That is my message. Good hunting, all you below!"
"Full gorge and a deep sleep to you, Rann!" cried Bagheera. "I will remember thee in my next kill, and put aside the head for thee alone, O best of kites!"
"It is nothing. It is nothing. The boy held the Master Word. I could have done no less," and Rann circled up again to his roost.
"He has not forgotten to use his tongue," said Baloo, with a chuckle of pride. "To think of one so young remembering the Master Word for the birds while he was being pulled across trees!"
"It was most firmly driven into him," said Bagheera. "But I am proud of him, and now we must go to the Cold Lairs."
They all knew where that place was, but few of the Jungle People ever went there, because what they called the Cold Lairs was an old deserted city, lost and buried in the jungle, and beasts seldom use a place that men have once used. The wild boar will, but the hunting-tribes do not. Besides, the monkeys lived there as much as they could be said to live anywhere, and no self-respecting animal would come within eye-shot of it except in times of drouth, when the half-ruined tanks and reservoirs held a little water.
"It is half a night's journey—at full speed," said Bagheera. Baloo looked very serious. "I will go as fast as I can," he said, anxiously.
"We dare not wait for thee. Follow, Baloo. We must go on the quick-foot—Kaa and I."
"Feet or no feet, I can keep abreast of all thy four," said Kaa, shortly.
Baloo made one effort to hurry, but had to sit down panting, and so they left him to come on later, while Bagheera hurried forward, at the rocking panther-canter. Kaa said nothing, but, strive as Bagheera might, the huge Rock Python held level with him. When they came to a hill-stream, Bagheera gained, because he bounded across while Kaa swam, his head and two feet of his neck clearing the water, but on level ground Kaa made up the distance.
"By the Broken Lock that freed me," said Bagheera, when twilight had fallen, "thou art no slow-goer."
"I am hungry," said Kaa. "Besides, they called me speckled frog."
"Worm—earthworm, and yellow to boot."
"All one. Let us go on," and Kaa seemed to pour himself along the ground, finding the shortest road with his steady eyes, and keeping to it.
In the Cold Lairs the Monkey People were not thinking of Mowgli's friends at all. They had brought the boy to the Lost City, and were very pleased with themselves for the time. Mowgli had never seen an Indian city before, and though this was almost a heap of ruins it seemed very wonderful and splendid. Some king had built it long ago on a little hill. You could still trace the stone causeways that led up to the ruined gates where the last splinters of wood hung to the worn, rusted hinges. Trees had grown into and out of the walls; the battlements were tumbled down and decayed, and wild creepers hung out of the windows of the towers on the walls in bushy hanging clumps.
A great roofless palace crowned the hill, and the marble of the courtyards and the fountains was split and stained with red and green, and the very cobblestones in the courtyard where the king's elephants used to live had been thrust up and apart by grasses and young trees. From the palace you could see the rows and rows of roofless houses that made up the city, looking like empty honeycombs filled with blackness; the shapeless block of stone that had been an idol in the square where four roads met; the pits and dimples at street corners where the public wells once stood, and the shattered domes of temples with wild figs sprouting on their sides.
The monkeys called the place their city, and pretended to despise the Jungle People because they lived in the forest. And yet they never knew what the buildings were made for nor how to use them. They would sit in circles on the hall of the king's council-chamber, and scratch for fleas and pretend to be men; or they would run in and out of the roofless houses and collect pieces of plaster and old bricks in a corner, and forget where they had hidden them, and fight and cry in scuffling crowds, and then break off to play up and down the terraces of the king's garden, where they would shake the rose-trees and the oranges in sport to see the fruit and flowers fall. They explored all the passages and dark tunnels in the palace and the hundreds of little dark rooms; but they never remembered what they had seen and what they had not, and so drifted about in ones and twos or crowds, telling one another that they were doing as men did. They drank at the tanks and made the water all muddy, and then they fought over it, and then they would all rush together in mobs and shout: "There are none in the jungle so wise and good and clever and strong and gentle as the Bandar-log." Then all would begin again till they grew tired of the city and went back to the tree-tops, hoping the Jungle People would notice them.
Mowgli, who had been trained under the Law of the Jungle, did not like or understand this kind of life. The monkeys dragged him into the Cold Lairs late in the afternoon, and instead of going to sleep, as Mowgli would have done after a long journey, they joined hands and danced about and sang their foolish songs.
One of the monkeys made a speech, and told his companions that Mowgli's capture marked a new thing in the history of the Bandar-log, for Mowgli was going to show them how to weave sticks and canes together as a protection against rain and cold. Mowgli picked up some creepers and began to work them in and out, and the monkeys tried to imitate; but in a very few minutes they lost interest and began to pull their friends' tails or jump up and down on all fours, coughing.
"I want to eat," said Mowgli. "I am a stranger in this part of the jungle. Bring me food, or give me leave to hunt here."
Twenty or thirty monkeys bounded away to bring him nuts and wild pawpaws; but they fell to fighting on the road, and it was too much trouble to go back with what was left of the fruit. Mowgli was sore and angry as well as hungry, and he roamed through the empty city giving the Strangers' Hunting Call from time to time, but no one answered him, and Mowgli felt that he had reached a very bad place indeed.
"All that Baloo has said about the Bandar-log is true," he thought to himself. "They have no Law, no Hunting Call, and no leaders—nothing but foolish words and little picking, thievish hands. So if I am starved or killed here, it will be all my own fault. But I must try to return to my own jungle. Baloo will surely beat me, but that is better than chasing silly rose-leaves with the Bandar-log."
But no sooner had he walked to the city wall than the monkeys pulled him back, telling him that he did not know how happy he was, and pinching him to make him grateful. He set his teeth and said nothing, but went with the shouting monkeys to a terrace above the red sandstone reservoirs that were half full of rain-water. There was a ruined summer-house of white marble in the center of the terrace, built for queens dead a hundred years ago. The domed roof had half fallen in and blocked up the underground passage from the palace by which the queens used to enter; but the walls were made of screens of marble tracery—beautiful, milk-white fretwork, set with agates and cornelians and jasper and lapis lazuli, and as the moon came up behind the hill it shone through the openwork, casting shadows on the ground like black-velvet embroidery.
Sore, sleepy, and hungry as he was, Mowgli could not help laughing when the Bandar-log began, twenty at a time, to tell him how great and wise and strong and gentle they were, and how foolish he was to wish to leave them. "We are great. We are free. We are wonderful. We are the most wonderful people in all the jungle! We all say so, and so it must be true," they shouted. "Now as you are a new listener and can carry our words back to the Jungle People so that they may notice us in future, we will tell you all about our most excellent selves."
Mowgli made no objection, and the monkeys gathered by hundreds and hundreds on the terrace to listen to their own speakers singing the praises of the Bandar-log, and whenever a speaker stopped for want of breath they would all shout together: "This is true; we all say so."
Mowgli nodded and blinked, and said "Yes" when they asked him a question, and his head spun with the noise. "Tabaqui, the Jackal, must have bitten all these people," he said to himself, "and now they have the madness. Certainly this is dewance—the madness. Do they never go to sleep? Now there is a cloud coming to cover that moon. If it were only a big enough cloud I might try to run away in the darkness. But I am tired."
That same cloud was being watched by two good friends in the ruined ditch below the city wall, for Bagheera and Kaa, knowing well how dangerous the Monkey People were in large numbers, did not wish to run any risks. The monkeys never fight unless they are a hundred to one, and few in the jungle care for those odds
. "I will go to the west wall," Kaa whispered, "and come down swiftly with the slope of the ground in my favor. They will not throw themselves upon my back in their hundreds, but—"
"I know it," said Bagheera. "Would that Baloo were here; but we must do what we can. When that cloud covers the moon I shall go to the terrace. They hold some sort of council there over the boy."
"Good hunting," said Kaa, grimly, and glided away to the west wall. That happened to be the least ruined of any, and the big snake was delayed a while before he could find a way up the stones.
The cloud hid the moon, and as Mowgli wondered what would come next he heard Bagheera's light feet on the terrace. The Black Panther had raced up the slope almost without a sound, and was striking—he knew better than to waste time in biting—right and left among the monkeys, who were seated round Mowgli in circles fifty and sixty deep. There was a howl of fright and rage, and then as Bagheera tripped on the rolling, kicking bodies beneath him, a monkey shouted: "There is only one here! Kill him! Kill!" A scuffling mass of monkeys, biting, scratching, tearing, and pulling, closed over Bagheera, while five or six laid hold of Mowgli, dragged him up the wall of the summer-house, and pushed him through the hole of the broken dome. A man-trained boy would have been badly bruised, for the fall was a good ten feet, but Mowgli fell as Baloo had taught him to fall, and landed light.
"Stay there," shouted the monkeys, "till we have killed thy friend. Later we will play with thee, if the Poison People leave thee alive."
"We be of one blood, ye and I," said Mowgli, quickly giving the Snake's Call. He could hear rustling and hissing in the rubbish all round him, and gave the Call a second time to make sure.
"Down hoods all," said half a dozen low voices. Every old ruin in India becomes sooner or later a dwelling-place of snakes, and the old summer-house was alive with cobras. "Stand still, Little Brother, lest thy feet do us harm."
Mowgli stood as quietly as he could, peering through the openwork and listening to the furious din of the fight round the Black Panther—the yells and chatterings and scufflings, and Bagheera's deep, hoarse cough as he backed and bucked and twisted and plunged under the heaps of his enemies. For the first time since he was born, Bagheera was fighting for his life.
"Baloo must be at hand; Bagheera would not have come alone," Mowgli thought; and then he called aloud: "To the tank, Bagheera! Roll to the water-tanks! Roll and plunge! Get to the water!"
Bagheera heard, and the cry that told him Mowgli was safe gave him new courage. He worked his way desperately, inch by inch, straight for the reservoirs, hitting in silence.
Then from the ruined wall nearest the jungle rose up the rumbling war-shout of Baloo. The old bear had done his best, but he could not come before. "Bagheera," he shouted, "I am here! I climb! I haste! Ahuwora! The stones slip under my feet! Wait my coming, O most infamous Bandar log!"
He panted up the terrace only to disappear to the head in a wave of monkeys, but he threw himself squarely on his haunches, and spreading out his fore paws, hugged as many as he could hold, and then began to hit with a regular bat-bat-bat, like the flipping strokes of a paddle-wheel.
A crash and a splash told Mowgli that Bagheera had fought his way to the tank, where the monkeys could not follow. The panther lay gasping for breath, his head just out of water, while the monkeys stood three deep on the red stone steps, dancing up and down with rage, ready to spring upon him from all sides if he came out to help Baloo. It was then that Bagheera lifted up his dripping chin, and in despair gave the Snake's Call for protection,—"We be of one blood, ye and I,"—for he believed that Kaa had turned tail at the last minute. Even Baloo, half smothered under the monkeys on the edge of the terrace, could not help chuckling as he heard the big Black Panther asking for help.
Kaa had only just worked his way over the west wall, landing with a wrench that dislodged a coping-stone into the ditch. He had no intention of losing any advantage of the ground, and coiled and uncoiled himself once or twice, to be sure that every foot of his long body was in working order.
All that while the fight with Baloo went on, and the monkeys yelled in the tank round Bagheera, and Mang, the Bat, flying to and fro, carried the news of the great battle over the jungle, till even Hathi, the Wild Elephant, trumpeted, and, far away, scattered bands of the Monkey Folk woke and came leaping along the tree-roads to help their comrades in the Cold Lairs, and the noise of the fight roused all the day-birds for miles round.
Then Kaa came straight, quickly, and anxious to kill. The fighting strength of a python is in the driving blow of his head, backed by all the strength and weight of his body. If you can imagine a lance, or a battering-ram, or a hammer, weighing nearly half a ton driven by a cool, quiet mind living in the handle of it, you can imagine roughly what Kaa was like when he fought. A python four or five feet long can knock a man down if he hits him fairly in the chest, and Kaa was thirty feet long, as you know. His first stroke was delivered into the heart of the crowd round Baloo—was sent home with shut mouth in silence, and there was no need of a second. The monkeys scattered with cries of "Kaa! It is Kaa! Run! Run!"
Generations of monkeys had been scared into good behavior by the stories their elders told them of Kaa, the night-thief, who could slip along the branches as quietly as moss grows, and steal away the strongest monkey that ever lived; of old Kaa, who could make himself look so like a dead branch or a rotten stump that the wisest were deceived till the branch caught them, and then—
Kaa was everything that the monkeys feared in the jungle, for none of them knew the limits of his power, none of them could look him in the face, and none had ever come alive out of his hug. And so they ran, stammering with terror, to the walls and the roofs of the houses, and Baloo drew a deep breath of relief. His fur was much thicker than Bagheera's, but he had suffered sorely in the fight. Then Kaa opened his mouth for the first time and spoke one long hissing word, and the far-away monkeys, hurrying to the defense of the Cold Lairs, stayed where they were, cowering, till the loaded branches bent and crackled under them. The monkeys on the walls and the empty houses stopped their cries, and in the stillness that fell upon the city Mowgli heard Bagheera shaking his wet sides as he came up from the tank.
Then the clamor broke out again. The monkeys leaped higher up the walls; they clung round the necks of the big stone idols and shrieked as they skipped along the battlements; while Mowgli, dancing in the summer-house, put his eye to the screenwork and hooted owl-fashion between his front teeth, to show his derision and contempt.
"Get the man-cub out of that trap; I can do no more," Bagheera gasped. "Let us take the man-cub and go. They may attack again."
"They will not move till I order them. Stay you sssso!" Kaa hissed, and the city was silent once more. "I could not come before, Brother, but I think I heard thee call"—this was to Bagheera.
"I—I may have cried out in the battle," Bagheera answered. "Baloo, art thou hurt?"
"I am not sure that they have not pulled me into a hundred little bearlings," said Baloo, gravely shaking one leg after the other. "Wow! I am sore. Kaa, we owe thee, I think, our lives—Bagheera and I."
"No matter. Where is the manling?"
"Here, in a trap. I cannot climb out," cried Mowgli. The curve of the broken dome was above his head.
"Take him away. He dances like Mao, the Peacock. He will crush our young," said the cobras inside.
"Hah!" said Kaa, with a chuckle, "he has friends everywhere, this manling. Stand back, Manling; and hide you, O Poison People. I break down the wall."
Kaa looked carefully till he found a discolored crack in the marble tracery showing a weak spot, made two or three light taps with his head to get the distance, and then lifting up six feet of his body clear of the ground, sent home half a dozen full-power, smashing blows, nose-first. The screenwork broke and fell away in a cloud of dust and rubbish, and Mowgli leaped through the opening and flung himself between Baloo and Bagheera—an arm round each big neck.
"Art thou hurt?" said Baloo, hugging him softly.
"I am sore, hungry, and not a little bruised; but, oh, they have handled ye grievously, my Brothers! Ye bleed."
"Others also," said Bagheera, licking his lips and looking at the monkey-dead on the terrace and round the tank.
"It is nothing, it is nothing if thou art safe, O my pride of all little frogs!" whimpered Baloo.
"Of that we shall judge later," said Bagheera, in a dry voice that Mowgli did not at all like. "But here is Kaa, to whom we owe the battle and thou owest thy life. Thank him according to our customs, Mowgli."
Mowgli turned and saw the great python's head swaying a foot above his own.
"So this is the manling," said Kaa. "Very soft is his skin, and he is not so unlike the Bandar-log. Have a care, Manling, that I do not mistake thee for a monkey some twilight when I have newly changed my coat."
"We be of one blood, thou and I," Mowgli answered. "I take my life from thee, to-night. My kill shall be thy kill if ever thou art hungry, O Kaa."
"All thanks, Little Brother," said Kaa, though his eyes twinkled. "And what may so bold a hunter kill? I ask that I may follow when next he goes abroad."
"I kill nothing,—I am too little,—but I drive goats toward such as can use them. When thou art empty come to me and see if I speak the truth. I have some skill in these [he held out his hands], and if ever thou art in a trap, I may pay the debt which I owe to thee, to Bagheera, and to Baloo, here. Good hunting to ye all, my masters."
"Well said," growled Baloo, for Mowgli had returned thanks very prettily. The python dropped his head lightly for a minute on Mowgli's shoulder. "A brave heart and a courteous tongue," said he. "They shall carry thee far through the jungle, Manling. But now go hence quickly with thy friends. Go and sleep, for the moon sets, and what follows it is not well that thou shouldst see."
The moon was sinking behind the hills and the lines of trembling monkeys huddled together on the walls and battlements looked like ragged, shaky fringes of things. Baloo went down to the tank for a drink, and Bagheera began to put his fur in order, as Kaa glided out into the center of the terrace and brought his jaws together with a ringing snap that drew all the monkeys' eyes upon him.
"The moon sets," he said. "Is there yet light to see?"
From the walls came a moan like the wind in the tree-tops: "We see, O Kaa!"
"Good! Begins now the Dance—the Dance of the Hunger of Kaa. Sit still and watch."
He turned twice or thrice in a big circle, weaving his head from right to left. Then he began making loops and figures of eight with his body, and soft, oozy triangles that melted into squares and five-sided figures, and coiled mounds, never resting, never hurrying, and never stopping his low, humming song. It grew darker and darker, till at last the dragging, shifting coils disappeared, but they could hear the rustle of the scales.
Baloo and Bagheera stood still as stone, growling in their throats, their neck-hair bristling, and Mowgli watched and wondered.
"Bandar-log," said the voice of Kaa at last, "can ye stir foot or hand without my order? Speak!"
"Without thy order we cannot stir foot or hand, O Kaa!"
"Good! Come all one pace nearer to me."
The lines of the monkeys swayed forward helplessly, and Baloo and Bagheera took one stiff step forward with them.
"Nearer!" hissed Kaa, and they all moved again.
Mowgli laid his hands on Baloo and Bagheera to get them away, and the two great beasts started as though they had been waked from a dream.
"Keep thy hand on my shoulder," Bagheera whispered. "Keep it there, or I must go back—must go back to Kaa. Aah!"
"It is only old Kaa making circles on the dust," said Mowgli; "let us go"; and the three slipped off through a gap in the walls to the jungle.
"Whoof!" said Baloo, when he stood under the still trees again. "Never more will I make an ally of Kaa," and he shook himself all over.
"He knows more than we," said Bagheera, trembling. "In a little time, had I stayed, I should have walked down his throat."
"Many will walk that road before the moon rises again," said Baloo. "He will have good hunting—after his own fashion."
"But what was the meaning of it all?" said Mowgli, who did not know anything of a python's powers of fascination. "I saw no more than a big snake making foolish circles till the dark came. And his nose was all sore. Ho! Ho!"
"Mowgli," said Bagheera, angrily, "his nose was sore on thy account; as my ears and sides and paws, and Baloo's neck and shoulders are bitten on thy account. Neither Baloo nor Bagheera will be able to hunt with pleasure for many days."
"It is nothing," said Baloo; "we have the man-cub again."
"True; but he has cost us most heavily in time which might have been spent in good hunting, in wounds, in hair,—I am half plucked along my back,—and last of all, in honor. For, remember, Mowgli, I, who am the Black Panther, was forced to call upon Kaa for protection, and Baloo and I were both made stupid as little birds by the Hunger-Dance. All this, Man-cub, came of thy playing with the Bandar-log."
"True; it is true," said Mowgli, sorrowfully. "I am an evil man-cub, and my stomach is sad in me."
"Mf! What says the Law of the Jungle, Baloo?"
Baloo did not wish to bring Mowgli into any more trouble, but he could not tamper with the Law, so he mumbled, "Sorrow never stays punishment. But remember, Bagheera, he is very little."
"I will remember; but he has done mischief; and blows must be dealt now. Mowgli, hast thou anything to say?"
"Nothing. I did wrong. Baloo and thou art wounded. It is just."
Bagheera gave him half a dozen love-taps; from a panther's point of view they would hardly have waked one of his own cubs, but for a seven year-old boy they amounted to as severe a beating as you could wish to avoid. When it was all over Mowgli sneezed, and picked himself up without a word.
"Now," said Bagheera, "jump on my back, Little Brother, and we will go home."
One of the beauties of Jungle Law is that punishment settles all scores. There is no nagging afterward.
Mowgli laid his head down on Bagheera's back and slept so deeply that he never waked when he was put down by Mother Wolf's side in the home-cave.
ROAD-SONG OF THE BANDAR-LOG
Now we are talking just like men.
Let's pretend we are ... never mind,
Brother, thy tail hangs down behind!
This is the way of the Monkey-kind.
Then join our leaping lines that scumfish through the pines,
That rocket by where, light and high, the wild-grape swings.
By the rubbish in our wake, and the noble noise we make,
Be sure, be sure, we're going to do some splendid things!
"TIGER! TIGER!"
What of the hunting, hunter bold?
Brother, the watch was long and cold.
What of the quarry ye went to kill?
Brother, he crops in the jungle still.
Where is the power that made your pride?
Brother, it ebbs from my flank and side.
Where is the haste that ye hurry by?
Brother, I go to my lair—to die.
"TIGER! TIGER!"
NOW we must go back to the last tale but one. When Mowgli left the wolf's cave after the fight with the Pack at the Council Rock, he went down to the plowed lands where the villagers lived, but he would not stop there because it was too near to the jungle, and he knew that he had made at least one bad enemy at the Council. So he hurried on, keeping to the rough road that ran down the valley, and followed it at a steady jog-trot for nearly twenty miles, till he came to a country that he did not know. The valley opened out into a great plain dotted over with rocks and cut up by ravines. At one end stood a little village, and at the other the thick jungle came down in a sweep to the grazing-grounds, and stopped there as though it had been cut off with a hoe. All over the plain, cattle and buffaloes were grazing, and when the little boys in charge of the herds saw Mowgli they shouted and ran away, and the yellow pariah dogs that hang about every Indian village barked. Mowgli walked on, for he was feeling hungry, and when he came to the village gate he saw the big thorn-bush that was drawn up before the gate at twilight, pushed to one side.
"Umph!" he said, for he had come across more than one such barricade in his night rambles after things to eat. "So men are afraid of the People of the Jungle here also." He sat down by the gate, and when a man came out he stood up, opened his mouth, and pointed down it to show that he wanted food. The man stared, and ran back up the one street of the village shouting for the priest, who was a big, fat man dressed in white, with a red and yellow mark on his forehead. The priest came to the gate, and with him at least a hundred people, who stared and talked and shouted and pointed at Mowgli.
"They have no manners, these Men Folk," said Mowgli to himself. "Only the gray ape would behave as they do." So he threw back his long hair and frowned at the crowd.
"What is there to be afraid of?" said the priest. "Look at the marks on his arms and legs. They are the bites of wolves. He is but a wolf-child run away from the jungle."
Of course, in playing together, the cubs had often nipped Mowgli harder than they intended, and there were white scars all over his arms and legs. But he would have been the last person in the world to call these bites; for he knew what real biting meant.
"Arr�! Arr�!" said two or three women together. "To be bitten by wolves, poor child! He is a handsome boy. He has eyes like red fire. By my honor, Messua, he is not unlike thy boy that was taken by the tiger."
"Let me look," said a woman with heavy copper rings on her wrists and ankles, and she peered at Mowgli under the palm of her hand. "Indeed he is not. He is thinner, but he has the very look of my boy."
The priest was a clever man, and he knew that Messua was wife to the richest villager in the place. So he looked up at the sky for a minute, and said solemnly: "What the jungle has taken the jungle has restored. Take the boy into thy house, my sister, and forget not to honor the priest who sees so far into the lives of men."
"By the Bull that bought me," said Mowgli to himself, "but all this talking is like another looking-over by the Pack! Well, if I am a man, a man I must become."
The crowd parted as the woman beckoned Mowgli to her hut, where there was a red lacquered bedstead, a great earthen grain-chest with curious raised patterns on it, half a dozen copper cooking-pots, an image of a Hindu god in a little alcove, and on the wall a real looking-glass, such as they sell at the country fairs.
She gave him a long drink of milk and some bread, and then she laid her hand on his head and looked into his eyes; for she thought perhaps that he might be her real son come back from the jungle where the tiger had taken him. So she said: "Nathoo, O Nathoo!" Mowgli did not show that he knew the name. "Dost thou not remember the day when I gave thee thy new shoes?" She touched his foot, and it was almost as hard as horn. "No," she said, sorrowfully; "those feet have never worn shoes, but thou art very like my Nathoo, and thou shalt be my son."
Mowgli was uneasy, because he had never been under a roof before; but as he looked at the thatch, he saw that he could tear it out any time if he wanted to get away, and that the window had no fastenings. "What is the good of a man," he said to himself at last, "if he does not understand man's talk? Now I am as silly and dumb as a man would be with us in the jungle. I must learn their talk."
It was not for fun that he had learned while he was with the wolves to imitate the challenge of bucks in the jungle and the grunt of the little wild pig. So as soon as Messua pronounced a word Mowgli would imitate it almost perfectly, and before dark he had learned the names of many things in the hut.
There was a difficulty at bedtime, because Mowgli would not sleep under anything that looked so like a panther-trap as that hut, and when they shut the door he went through the window. "Give him his will," said Messua's husband. "Remember he can never till now have slept on a bed. If he is indeed sent in the place of our son he will not run away."
So Mowgli stretched himself in some long, clean grass at the edge of the field, but before he had closed his eyes a soft gray nose poked him under the chin.
"Phew!" said Gray Brother (he was the eldest of Mother Wolf's cubs). "This is a poor reward for following thee twenty miles. Thou smellest of wood-smoke and cattle—altogether like a man already. Wake, Little Brother; I bring news."
"'WAKE, LITTLE BROTHER; I BRING NEWS.'"
"Are all well in the jungle?" said Mowgli, hugging him.
"All except the wolves that were burned with the Red Flower. Now, listen. Shere Khan has gone away to hunt far off till his coat grows again, for he is badly singed. When he returns he swears that he will lay thy bones in the Waingunga."
"There are two words to that. I also have made a little promise. But news is always good. I am tired to-night,—very tired with new things, Gray Brother,—but bring me the news always."
"Thou wilt not forget that thou art a wolf? Men will not make thee forget?" said Gray Brother, anxiously.
"Never. I will always remember that I love thee and all in our cave; but also I will always remember that I have been cast out of the Pack."
"And that thou mayest be cast out of another pack. Men are only men, Little Brother, and their talk is like the talk of frogs in a pond. When I come down here again, I will wait for thee in the bamboos at the edge of the grazing-ground."
For three months after that night Mowgli hardly ever left the village gate, he was so busy learning the ways and customs of men. First he had to wear a cloth round him, which annoyed him horribly; and then he had to learn about money, which he did not in the least understand, and about plowing, of which he did not see the use. Then the little children in the village made him very angry. Luckily, the Law of the Jungle had taught him to keep his temper, for in the jungle, life and food depend on keeping your temper; but when they made fun of him because he would not play games or fly kites, or because he mispronounced some word, only the knowledge that it was unsportsmanlike to kill little naked cubs kept him from picking them up and breaking them in two.
He did not know his own strength in the least. In the jungle he knew he was weak compared with the beasts, but in the village, people said he was as strong as a bull.
And Mowgli had not the faintest idea of the difference that caste makes between man and man. When the potter's donkey slipped in the clay-pit, Mowgli hauled it out by the tail, and helped to stack the pots for their journey to the market at Khanhiwara. That was very shocking, too, for the potter is a low-caste man, and his donkey is worse. When the priest scolded him, Mowgli threatened to put him on the donkey, too, and the priest told Messua's husband that Mowgli had better be set to work as soon as possible; and the village head-man told Mowgli that he would have to go out with the buffaloes next day, and herd them while they grazed. No one was more pleased than Mowgli; and that night, because he had been appointed a servant of the village, as it were, he went off to a circle that met every evening on a masonry platform under a great fig-tree. It was the village club, and the head-man and the watchman and the barber (who knew all the gossip of the village), and old Buldeo, the village hunter, who had a Tower musket, met and smoked. The monkeys sat and talked in the upper branches, and there was a hole under the platform where a cobra lived, and he had his little platter of milk every night because he was sacred; and the old men sat around the tree and talked, and pulled at the big huqas (the water-pipes) till far into the night. They told wonderful tales of gods and men and ghosts; and Buldeo told even more wonderful ones of the ways of beasts in the jungle, till the eyes of the children sitting outside the circle bulged out of their heads. Most of the tales were about animals, for the jungle was always at their door. The deer and the wild pig grubbed up their crops, and now and again the tiger carried off a man at twilight, within sight of the village gates.
Mowgli, who naturally knew something about what they were talking of, had to cover his face not to show that he was laughing, while Buldeo, the Tower musket across his knees, climbed on from one wonderful story to another, and Mowgli's shoulders shook.
Buldeo was explaining how the tiger that had carried away Messua's son was a ghost-tiger, and his body was inhabited by the ghost of a wicked old money-lender, who had died some years ago. "And I know that this is true," he said, "because Purun Dass always limped from the blow that he got in a riot when his account-books were burned, and the tiger that I speak of he limps, too, for the tracks of his pads are unequal."
"True, true; that must be the truth," said the graybeards, nodding together.
"Are all these tales such cobwebs and moon-talk?" said Mowgli. "That tiger limps because he was born lame, as every one knows. To talk of the soul of a money-lender in a beast that never had the courage of a jackal is child's talk."
"'ARE ALL THESE TALES SUCH COBWEBS AND MOONTALK?' SAID MOWGLI."
Buldeo was speechless with surprise for a moment, and the head-man stared.
"Oho! It is the jungle brat, is it?" said Buldeo. "If thou art so wise, better bring his hide to Khanhiwara, for the Government has set a hundred rupees [$30] on his life. Better still, do not talk when thy elders speak."
Mowgli rose to go. "All the evening I have lain here listening," he called back over his shoulder, "and, except once or twice, Buldeo has not said one word of truth concerning the jungle, which is at his very doors. How, then, shall I believe the tales of ghosts and gods and goblins which he says he has seen?"
"It is full time that boy went to herding," said the head-man, while Buldeo puffed and snorted at Mowgli's impertinence.
The custom of most Indian villages is for a few boys to take the cattle and buffaloes out to graze in the early morning, and bring them back at night; and the very cattle that would trample a white man to death allow themselves to be banged and bullied and shouted at by children that hardly come up to their noses. So long as the boys keep with the herds they are safe, for not even the tiger will charge a mob of cattle. But if they straggle to pick flowers or hunt lizards, they are sometimes carried off. Mowgli went through the village street in the dawn, sitting on the back of Rama, the great herd bull; and the slaty-blue buffaloes, with their long, backward-sweeping horns and savage eyes, rose out of their byres, one by one, and followed him, and Mowgli made it very clear to the children with him that he was the master. He beat the buffaloes with a long, polished bamboo, and told Kamya, one of the boys, to graze the cattle by themselves, while he went on with the buffaloes, and to be very careful not to stray away from the herd.
An Indian grazing-ground is all rocks and scrub and tussocks and little ravines, among which the herds scatter and disappear. The buffaloes generally keep to the pools and muddy places, where they lie wallowing or basking in the warm mud for hours. Mowgli drove them on to the edge of the plain where the Waingunga River came out of the jungle; then he dropped from Rama's neck, trotted off to a bamboo clump, and found Gray Brother. "Ah," said Gray Brother, "I have waited here very many days. What is the meaning of this cattle-herding work?"
"It is an order," said Mowgli. "I am a village herd for a while. What news of Shere Khan?"
"He has come back to this country, and has waited here a long time for thee. Now he has gone off again, for the game is scarce. But he means to kill thee."
"Very good," said Mowgli. "So long as he is away do thou or one of the brothers sit on that rock, so that I can see thee as I come out of the village. When he comes back wait for me in the ravine by the dh�k-tree in the center of the plain. We need not walk into Shere Khan's mouth."
Then Mowgli picked out a shady place, and lay down and slept while the buffaloes grazed round him. Herding in India is one of the laziest things in the world. The cattle move and crunch, and lie down, and move on again, and they do not even low. They only grunt, and the buffaloes very seldom say anything, but get down into the muddy pools one after another, and work their way into the mud till only their noses and staring china-blue eyes show above the surface, and there they lie like logs. The sun makes the rocks dance in the heat, and the herd-children hear one kite (never any more) whistling almost out of sight overhead, and they know that if they died, or a cow died, that kite would sweep down, and the next kite miles away would see him drop and follow, and the next, and the next, and almost before they were dead there would be a score of hungry kites come out of nowhere. Then they sleep and wake and sleep again, and weave little baskets of dried grass and put grasshoppers in them; or catch two praying-mantises and make them fight; or string a necklace of red and black jungle-nuts; or watch a lizard basking on a rock, or a snake hunting a frog near the wallows. Then they sing long, long songs with odd native quavers at the end of them, and the day seems longer than most people's whole lives, and perhaps they make a mud castle with mud figures of men and horses and buffaloes, and put reeds into the men's hands, and pretend that they are kings and the figures are their armies, or that they are gods to be worshiped. Then evening comes, and the children call, and the buffaloes lumber up out of the sticky mud with noises like gunshots going off one after the other, and they all string across the gray plain back to the twinkling village lights.
Day after day Mowgli would lead the buffaloes out to their wallows, and day after day he would see Gray Brother's back a mile and a half away across the plain (so he knew that Shere Khan had not come back), and day after day he would lie on the grass listening to the noise round him, and dreaming of old days in the jungle. If Shere Khan had made a false step with his lame paw up in the jungles by the Waingunga, Mowgli would have heard him in those long still mornings.
At last a day came when he did not see Gray Brother at the signal place, and he laughed and headed the buffaloes for the ravine by the dh�k-tree, which was all covered with golden-red flowers. There sat Gray Brother, every bristle on his back lifted.
"He has hidden for a month to throw thee off thy guard. He crossed the ranges last night with Tabaqui, hot-foot on thy trail," said the wolf, panting.
Mowgli frowned. "I am not afraid of Shere Khan, but Tabaqui is very cunning."
"Have no fear," said Gray Brother, licking his lips a little. "I met Tabaqui in the dawn. Now he is telling all his wisdom to the kites, but he told me everything before I broke his back. Shere Khan's plan is to wait for thee at the village gate this evening—for thee and for no one else. He is lying up now in the big dry ravine of the Waingunga."
"Has he eaten to-day, or does he hunt empty?" said Mowgli, for the answer meant life or death to him.
"He killed at dawn,—a pig,—and he has drunk too. Remember, Shere Khan could never fast even for the sake of revenge."
"Oh! Fool, fool! What a cub's cub it is! Eaten and drunk too, and he thinks that I shall wait till he has slept! Now, where does he lie up? If there were but ten of us we might pull him down as he lies. These buffaloes will not charge unless they wind him, and I cannot speak their language. Can we get behind his track so that they may smell it?"
"He swam far down the Waingunga to cut that off," said Gray Brother.
"Tabaqui told him that, I know. He would never have thought of it alone." Mowgli stood with his finger in his mouth, thinking. "The big ravine of the Waingunga. That opens out on the plain not half a mile from here. I can take the herd round through the jungle to the head of the ravine and then sweep down—but he would slink out at the foot. We must block that end. Gray Brother, canst thou cut the herd in two for me?"
"Not I, perhaps—but I have brought a wise helper." Gray Brother trotted off and dropped into a hole. Then there lifted up a huge gray head that Mowgli knew well, and the hot air was filled with the most desolate cry of all the jungle—the hunting-howl of a wolf at midday.
"Akela! Akela!" said Mowgli, clapping his hands. "I might have known that thou wouldst not forget me. We have a big work in hand. Cut the herd in two, Akela. Keep the cows and calves together, and the bulls and the plow-buffaloes by themselves."
The two wolves ran, ladies'-chain fashion, in and out of the herd, which snorted and threw up its head, and separated into two clumps. In one the cow-buffaloes stood, with their calves in the center, and glared and pawed, ready, if a wolf would only stay still, to charge down and trample the life out of him. In the other the bulls and the young bulls snorted and stamped; but, though they looked more imposing, they were much less dangerous, for they had no calves to protect. No six men could have divided the herd so neatly.
"What orders!" panted Akela. "They are trying to join again."
Mowgli slipped on to Rama's back. "Drive the bulls away to the left, Akela. Gray Brother, when we are gone hold the cows together, and drive them into the foot of the ravine."
"How far?" said Gray Brother, panting and snapping.
"Till the sides are higher than Shere Khan can jump," shouted Mowgli. "Keep them there till we come down." The bulls swept off as Akela bayed, and Gray Brother stopped in front of the cows. They charged down on him, and he ran just before them to the foot of the ravine, as Akela drove the bulls far to the left.
"Well done! Another charge and they are fairly started. Careful, now—careful, Akela. A snap too much, and the bulls will charge. Hujah! This is wilder work than driving black-buck. Didst thou think these creatures could move so swiftly?" Mowgli called.
"I have—have hunted these too in my time," gasped Akela in the dust. "Shall I turn them into the jungle?"
"Ay, turn! Swiftly turn them. Rama is mad with rage. Oh, if I could only tell him what I need of him to-day!"
The bulls were turned to the right this time, and crashed into the standing thicket. The other herd-children, watching with the cattle half a mile away, hurried to the village as fast as their legs could carry them, crying that the buffaloes had gone mad and run away.
But Mowgli's plan was simple enough. All he wanted to do was to make a big circle uphill and get at the head of the ravine, and then take the bulls down it and catch Shere Khan between the bulls and the cows, for he knew that after a meal and a full drink Shere Khan would not be in any condition to fight or to clamber up the sides of the ravine. He was soothing the buffaloes now by voice, and Akela had dropped far to the rear, only whimpering once or twice to hurry the rear-guard. It was a long, long circle, for they did not wish to get too near the ravine and give Shere Khan warning. At last Mowgli rounded up the bewildered herd at the head of the ravine on a grassy patch that sloped steeply down to the ravine itself. From that height you could see across the tops of the trees down to the plain below; but what Mowgli looked at was the sides of the ravine, and he saw with a great deal of satisfaction that they ran nearly straight up and down, and the vines and creepers that hung over them would give no foothold to a tiger who wanted to get out.
"Let them breathe, Akela," he said, holding up his hand. "They have not winded him yet. Let them breathe. I must tell Shere Khan who comes. We have him in the trap."
He put his hands to his mouth and shouted down the ravine,—it was almost like shouting down a tunnel,—and the echoes jumped from rock to rock.
After a long time there came back the drawling, sleepy snarl of a full-fed tiger just awakened.
"Who calls?" said Shere Khan, and a splendid peacock fluttered up out of the ravine, screeching.
"I, Mowgli. Cattle-thief, it is time to come to the Council Rock! Down—hurry them down, Akela. Down, Rama, down!"
The herd paused for an instant at the edge of the slope, but Akela gave tongue in the full hunting-yell, and they pitched over one after the other just as steamers shoot rapids, the sand and stones spurting up round them. Once started, there was no chance of stopping, and before they were fairly in the bed of the ravine Rama winded Shere Khan and bellowed.
"Ha! Ha!" said Mowgli, on his back. "Now thou knowest!" and the torrent of black horns, foaming muzzles, and staring eyes whirled down the ravine like boulders in flood-time; the weaker buffaloes being shouldered out to the sides of the ravine where they tore through the creepers. They knew what the business was before them—the terrible charge of the buffalo-herd, against which no tiger can hope to stand. Shere Khan heard the thunder of their hoofs, picked himself up, and lumbered down the ravine, looking from side to side for some way of escape, but the walls of the ravine were straight, and he had to keep on, heavy with his dinner and his drink, willing to do anything rather than fight. The herd splashed through the pool he had just left, bellowing till the narrow cut rang. Mowgli heard an answering bellow from the foot of the ravine, saw Shere Khan turn (the tiger knew if the worst came to the worst it was better to meet the bulls than the cows with their calves), and then Rama tripped, stumbled, and went on again over something soft, and, with the bulls at his heels, crashed full into the other herd, while the weaker buffaloes were lifted clean off their feet by the shock of the meeting. That charge carried both herds out into the plain, goring and stamping and snorting. Mowgli watched his time, and slipped off Rama's neck, laying about him right and left with his stick.
"Quick, Akela! Break them up. Scatter them, or they will be fighting one another. Drive them away, Akela. Hai, Rama! Hai! hai! hai! my children. Softly now, softly! It is all over."
Akela and Gray Brother ran to and fro nipping the buffaloes' legs, and though the herd wheeled once to charge up the ravine again, Mowgli managed to turn Rama, and the others followed him to the wallows.
Shere Khan needed no more trampling. He was dead, and the kites were coming for him already.
"Brothers, that was a dog's death," said Mowgli, feeling for the knife he always carried in a sheath round his neck now that he lived with men. "But he would never have shown fight. His hide will look well on the Council Rock. We must get to work swiftly."
A boy trained among men would never have dreamed of skinning a ten-foot tiger alone, but Mowgli knew better than any one else how an animal's skin is fitted on, and how it can be taken off. But it was hard work, and Mowgli slashed and tore and grunted for an hour, while the wolves lolled out their tongues, or came forward and tugged as he ordered them.
Presently a hand fell on his shoulder, and looking up he saw Buldeo with the Tower musket. The children had told the village about the buffalo stampede, and Buldeo went out angrily, only too anxious to correct Mowgli for not taking better care of the herd. The wolves dropped out of sight as soon as they saw the man coming.
"What is this folly?" said Buldeo, angrily. "To think that thou canst skin a tiger! Where did the buffaloes kill him? It is the Lame Tiger, too, and there is a hundred rupees on his head. Well, well, we will overlook thy letting the herd run off, and perhaps I will give thee one of the rupees of the reward when I have taken the skin to Khanhiwara." He fumbled in his waist-cloth for flint and steel, and stooped down to singe Shere Khan's whiskers. Most native hunters singe a tiger's whiskers to prevent his ghost haunting them.
"Hum!" said Mowgli, half to himself as he ripped back the skin of a fore paw. "So thou wilt take the hide to Khanhiwara for the reward, and perhaps give me one rupee? Now it is in my mind that I need the skin for my own use. Heh! old man, take away that fire!"
"What talk is this to the chief hunter of the village? Thy luck and the stupidity of thy buffaloes have helped thee to this kill. The tiger has just fed, or he would have gone twenty miles by this time. Thou canst not even skin him properly, little beggar-brat, and forsooth I, Buldeo, must be told not to singe his whiskers. Mowgli, I will not give thee one anna of the reward, but only a very big beating. Leave the carcass!"
"By the Bull that bought me," said Mowgli, who was trying to get at the shoulder, "must I stay babbling to an old ape all noon? Here, Akela, this man plagues me."
Buldeo, who was still stooping over Shere Khan's head, found himself sprawling on the grass, with a gray wolf standing over him, while Mowgli went on skinning as though he were alone in all India.
"Ye-es," he said, between his teeth. "Thou art altogether right, Buldeo. Thou wilt never give me one anna of the reward. There is an old war between this lame tiger and myself—a very old war, and—I have won."
To do Buldeo justice, if he had been ten years younger he would have taken his chance with Akela had he met the wolf in the woods, but a wolf who obeyed the orders of this boy who had private wars with man-eating tigers was not a common animal. It was sorcery, magic of the worst kind, thought Buldeo, and he wondered whether the amulet round his neck would protect him. He lay as still as still, expecting every minute to see Mowgli turn into a tiger, too.
"BULDEO LAY AS STILL AS STILL, EXPECTING EVERY MINUTE TO SEE MOWGLI TURN INTO A TIGER, TOO."
"Maharaj! Great King," he said at last, in a husky whisper.
"Yes," said Mowgli, without turning his head, chuckling a little.
"I am an old man. I did not know that thou wast anything more than a herd-boy. May I rise up and go away, or will thy servant tear me to pieces?"
"Go, and peace go with thee. Only, another time do not meddle with my game. Let him go, Akela."
Buldeo hobbled away to the village as fast as he could, looking back over his shoulder in case Mowgli should change into something terrible. When he got to the village he told a tale of magic and enchantment and sorcery that made the priest look very grave.
Mowgli went on with his work, but it was nearly twilight before he and the wolves had drawn the great gay skin clear of the body.
"Now we must hide this and take the buffaloes home! Help me to herd them, Akela."
The herd rounded up in the misty twilight, and when they got near the village Mowgli saw lights, and heard the conches and bells in the temple blowing and banging. Half the village seemed to be waiting for him by the gate. "That is because I have killed Shere Khan," he said to himself; but a shower of stones whistled about his ears, and the villagers shouted: "Sorcerer! Wolf's brat! Jungle-demon! Go away! Get hence quickly, or the priest will turn thee into a wolf again. Shoot, Buldeo, shoot!"
The old Tower musket went off with a bang, and a young buffalo bellowed in pain.
"More sorcery!" shouted the villagers. "He can turn bullets. Buldeo, that was thy buffalo."
"Now what is this?" said Mowgli, bewildered, as the stones flew thicker.
"They are not unlike the Pack, these brothers of thine," said Akela, sitting down composedly. "It is in my head that, if bullets mean anything, they would cast thee out."
"Wolf! Wolf's cub! Go away!" shouted the priest, waving a sprig of the sacred tulsi plant.
"Again? Last time it was because I was a man. This time it is because I am a wolf. Let us go, Akela."
A woman—it was Messua—ran across to the herd, and cried: "Oh, my son, my son! They say thou art a sorcerer who can turn himself into a beast at will. I do not believe, but go away or they will kill thee. Buldeo says thou art a wizard, but I know thou hast avenged Nathoo's death."
"Come back, Messua!" shouted the crowd. "Come back, or we will stone thee."
Mowgli laughed a little short ugly laugh, for a stone had hit him in the mouth. "Run back, Messua. This is one of the foolish tales they tell under the big tree at dusk. I have at least paid for thy son's life. Farewell; and run quickly, for I shall send the herd in more swiftly than their brickbats. I am no wizard, Messua. Farewell!
"Now, once more, Akela," he cried. "Bring the herd in."
The buffaloes were anxious enough to get to the village. They hardly needed Akela's yell, but charged through the gate like a whirlwind, scattering the crowd right and left.
"Keep count!" shouted Mowgli, scornfully. "It may be that I have stolen one of them. Keep count, for I will do your herding no more. Fare you well, children of men, and thank Messua that I do not come in with my wolves and hunt you up and down your street."
He turned on his heel and walked away with the Lone Wolf; and as he looked up at the stars he felt happy. "No more sleeping in traps for me, Akela. Let us get Shere Khan's skin and go away. No; we will not hurt the village, for Messua was kind to me."
When the moon rose over the plain, making it look all milky, the horrified villagers saw Mowgli, with two wolves at his heels and a bundle on his head, trotting across at the steady wolf's trot that eats up the long miles like fire. Then they banged the temple bells and blew the conches louder than ever; and Messua cried, and Buldeo embroidered the story of his adventures in the jungle, till he ended by saying that Akela stood up on his hind legs and talked like a man.
"WHEN THE MOON ROSE OVER THE PLAIN THE VILLAGERS SAW
MOWGLI TROTTING ACROSS, WITH TWO WOLVES AT HIS HEELS."
The moon was just going down when Mowgli and the two wolves came to the hill of the Council Rock, and they stopped at Mother Wolf's cave.
"They have cast me out from the Man Pack, Mother," shouted Mowgli, "but I come with the hide of Shere Khan to keep my word." Mother Wolf walked stiffly from the cave with the cubs behind her, and her eyes glowed as she saw the skin.
"I told him on that day, when he crammed his head and shoulders into this cave, hunting for thy life, Little Frog—I told him that the hunter would be the hunted. It is well done."
"Little Brother, it is well done," said a deep voice in the thicket. "We were lonely in the jungle without thee," and Bagheera came running to Mowgli's bare feet. They clambered up the Council Rock together, and Mowgli spread the skin out on the flat stone where Akela used to sit, and pegged it down with four slivers of bamboo, and Akela lay down upon it, and called the old call to the Council, "Look—look well, O Wolves!" exactly as he had called when Mowgli was first brought there.
"THEY CLAMBERED UP ON THE COUNCIL ROCK
TOGETHER, AND MOWGLI SPREAD THE SKIN OUT ON THE FLAT STONE."
Ever since Akela had been deposed, the Pack had been without a leader, hunting and fighting at their own pleasure. But they answered the call from habit, and some of them were lame from the traps they had fallen into, and some limped from shot-wounds, and some were mangy from eating bad food, and many were missing; but they came to the Council Rock, all that were left of them, and saw Shere Khan's striped hide on the rock, and the huge claws dangling at the end of the empty, dangling feet. It was then that Mowgli made up a song without any rhymes, a song that came up into his throat all by itself, and he shouted it aloud, leaping up and down on the rattling skin, and beating time with his heels till he had no more breath left, while Gray Brother and Akela howled between the verses.
"Look well, O Wolves. Have I kept my word?" said Mowgli when he had finished; and the wolves bayed "Yes," and one tattered wolf howled:
"Lead us again, O Akela. Lead us again, O Man-cub, for we be sick of this lawlessness, and we would be the Free People once more."
"Nay," purred Bagheera, "that may not be. When ye are full-fed, the madness may come upon ye again. Not for nothing are ye called the Free People. Ye fought for freedom, and it is yours. Eat it, O Wolves."
"Man Pack and Wolf Pack have cast me out," said Mowgli. "Now I will hunt alone in the jungle."
"And we will hunt with thee," said the four cubs.
So Mowgli went away and hunted with the four cubs in the jungle from that day on. But he was not always alone, because years afterward he became a man and married.
But that is a story for grown-ups.
MOWGLI'S SONG
THAT HE SANG AT THE COUNCIL ROCK WHEN HE DANCED ON SHERE KHAN'S HIDE
The Song of Mowgli—I, Mowgli, am singing. Let the jungle listen to the things I have done.
Shere Khan said he would kill—would kill! At the gates in the twilight he would kill Mowgli, the Frog!
He ate and he drank. Drink deep, Shere Khan, for when wilt thou drink again? Sleep and dream of the kill.
I am alone on the grazing-grounds. Gray Brother, come to me! Come to me, Lone Wolf, for there is big game afoot.
Bring up the great bull-buffaloes, the blue-skinned herd-bulls with the angry eyes. Drive them to and fro as I order.
Sleepest thou still, Shere Khan? Wake, O wake! Here come I, and the bulls are behind.
Rama, the King of the Buffaloes, stamped with his foot. Waters of the Waingunga, whither went Shere Khan?
He is not Ikki to dig holes, nor Mao, the Peacock, that he should fly. He is not Mang, the Bat, to hang in the branches. Little bamboos that creak together, tell me where he ran?
Ow! He is there. Ahoo! He is there. Under the feet of Rama lies the Lame One! Up, Shere Khan! Up and kill! Here is meat; break the necks of the bulls!
Hsh! He is asleep. We will not wake him, for his strength is very great. The kites have come down to see it. The black ants have come up to know it. There is a great assembly in his honor.
Alala! I have no cloth to wrap me. The kites will see that I am naked. I am ashamed to meet all these people.
Lend me thy coat, Shere Khan. Lend me thy gay striped coat that I may go to the Council Rock.
By the Bull that bought me I have made a promise—a little promise. Only thy coat is lacking before I keep my word.
With the knife—with the knife that men use—with the knife of the hunter, the man, I will stoop down for my gift.
Waters of the Waingunga, bear witness that Shere Khan gives me his coat for the love that he bears me. Pull, Gray Brother! Pull, Akela! Heavy is the hide of Shere Khan. Heavy is the hide of Shere Khan.
The Man Pack are angry. They throw stones and talk child's talk. My mouth is bleeding. Let us run away.
Through the night, through the hot night, run swiftly with me, my brothers. We will leave the lights of the village and go to the low moon.
Waters of the Waingunga, the Man Pack have cast me out. I did them no harm, but they were afraid of me. Why?
Wolf Pack, ye have cast me out too. The jungle is shut to me and the village gates are shut. Why?
As Mang flies between the beasts and the birds so fly I between the village and the jungle. Why?
I dance on the hide of Shere Khan, but my heart is very heavy. My mouth is cut and wounded with the stones from the village, but my heart is very light because I have come back to the jungle. Why?
These two things fight together in me as the snakes fight in the spring. The water comes out of my eyes; yet I laugh while it falls. Why?
I am two Mowglis, but the hide of Shere Khan is under my feet.
All the jungle knows that I have killed Shere Khan. Look—look well, O Wolves!
Ahae! My heart is heavy with the things that I do not understand.
THE WHITE SEAL
Oh! hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us,
And black are the waters that sparkled so green.
The moon, o'er the combers, looks downward to find us
At rest in the hollows that rustle between.
Where billow meets billow, there soft be thy pillow;
Ah, weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease!
The storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee,
Asleep in the arms of the slow-swinging seas.
Seal Lullaby.
THE WHITE SEAL
ALL these things happened several years ago at a place called Novastoshnah, or North East Point, on the Island of St. Paul, away and away in the Bering Sea. Limmershin, the Winter Wren, told me the tale when he was blown on to the rigging of a steamer going to Japan, and I took him down into my cabin and warmed and fed him for a couple of days till he was fit to fly back to St. Paul's again. Limmershin is a very odd little bird, but he knows how to tell the truth.
Nobody comes to Novastoshnah except on business, and the only people who have regular business there are the seals. They come in the summer months by hundreds and hundreds of thousands out of the cold gray sea; for Novastoshnah Beach has the finest accommodation for seals of any place in all the world.
Sea Catch knew that, and every spring would swim from whatever place he happened to be in—would swim like a torpedo-boat straight for Novastoshnah, and spend a month fighting with his companions for a good place on the rocks as close to the sea as possible. Sea Catch was fifteen years old, a huge gray fur-seal with almost a mane on his shoulders, and long, wicked dogteeth. When he heaved himself up on his front flippers he stood more than four feet clear of the ground, and his weight, if any one had been bold enough to weigh him, was nearly seven hundred pounds. He was scarred all over with the marks of savage fights, but he was always ready for just one fight more. He would put his head on one side, as though he were afraid to look his enemy in the face; then he would shoot it out like lightning, and when the big teeth were firmly fixed on the other seal's neck, the other seal might get away if he could, but Sea Catch would not help him.
Yet Sea Catch never chased a beaten seal, for that was against the Rules of the Beach. He only wanted room by the sea for his nursery; but as there were forty or fifty thousand other seals hunting for the same thing each spring, the whistling, bellowing, roaring, and blowing on the beach was something frightful.
From a little hill called Hutchinson's Hill you could look over three and a half miles of ground covered with fighting seals; and the surf was dotted all over with the heads of seals hurrying to land and begin their share of the fighting. They fought in the breakers, they fought in the sand, and they fought on the smooth-worn basalt rocks of the nurseries; for they were just as stupid and unaccommodating as men. Their wives never came to the island until late in May or early in June, for they did not care to be torn to pieces; and the young two-, three-, and four-year-old seals who had not begun housekeeping went inland about half a mile through the ranks of the fighters and played about on the sand-dunes in droves and legions, and rubbed off every single green thing that grew. They were called the holluschickie,—the bachelors,—and there were perhaps two or three hundred thousand of them at Novastoshnah alone.
Sea Catch had just finished his forty-fifth fight one spring when Matkah, his soft, sleek, gentle-eyed wife came up out of the sea, and he caught her by the scruff of the neck and dumped her down on his reservation, saying gruffly: "Late, as usual. Where have you been?"
It was not the fashion for Sea Catch to eat anything during the four months he stayed on the beaches, and so his temper was generally bad. Matkah knew better than to answer back. She looked around and cooed: "How thoughtful of you. You've taken the old place again."
"I should think I had," said Sea Catch. "Look at me!"
He was scratched and bleeding in twenty places; one eye was almost blind, and his sides were torn to ribbons.
"Oh, you men, you men!" Matkah said, fanning herself with her hind flipper. "Why can't you be sensible and settle your places quietly? You look as though you had been fighting with the Killer Whale."
"I haven't been doing anything but fight since the middle of May. The beach is disgracefully crowded this season. I've met at least a hundred seals from Lukannon Beach, house-hunting. Why can't people stay where they belong?"
"I've often thought we should be much happier if we hauled out at Otter Island instead of this crowded place," said Matkah.
"Bah! Only the holluschickie go to Otter Island. If we went there they would say we were afraid. We must preserve appearances, my dear."
Sea Catch sunk his head proudly between his fat shoulders and pretended to go to sleep for a few minutes, but all the time he was keeping a sharp lookout for a fight. Now that all the seals and their wives were on the land you could hear their clamor miles out to sea above the loudest gales. At the lowest counting there were over a million seals on the beach,—old seals, mother seals, tiny babies, and holluschickie, fighting, scuffling, bleating, crawling, and playing together,—going down to the sea and coming up from it in gangs and regiments, lying over every foot of ground as far as the eye could reach, and skirmishing about in brigades through the fog. It is nearly always foggy at Novastoshnah, except when the sun comes out and makes everything look all pearly and rainbow-colored for a little while.
Kotick, Matkah's baby, was born in the middle of that confusion, and he was all head and shoulders, with pale, watery blue eyes, as tiny seals must be; but there was something about his coat that made his mother look at him very closely.
"Sea Catch," she said, at last, "our baby's going to be white!"
"Empty clam-shells and dry seaweed!" snorted Sea Catch. "There never has been such a thing in the world as a white seal."
"I can't help that," said Matkah; "there's going to be now"; and she sang the low, crooning seal-song that all the mother seals sing to their babies:
You mustn't swim till you're six weeks old,
Or your head will be sunk by your heels;
And summer gales and Killer Whales
Are bad for baby seals.
Are bad for baby seals, dear rat,
As bad as bad can be;
But splash and grow strong,
And you can't be wrong,
Child of the Open Sea!
Of course the little fellow did not understand the words at first. He paddled and scrambled about by his mother's side, and learned to scuffle out of the way when his father was fighting with another seal, and the two rolled and roared up and down the slippery rocks. Matkah used to go to sea to get things to eat, and the baby was fed only once in two days; but then he ate all he could, and throve upon it.
The first thing he did was to crawl inland, and there he met tens of thousands of babies of his own age, and they played together like puppies, went to sleep on the clean sand, and played again. The old people in the nurseries took no notice of them, and the holluschickie kept to their own grounds, so the babies had a beautiful playtime.
When Matkah came back from her deep-sea fishing she would go straight to their playground and call as a sheep calls for a lamb, and wait until she heard Kotick bleat. Then she would take the straightest of straight lines in his direction, striking out with her fore flippers and knocking the youngsters head over heels right and left. There were always a few hundred mothers hunting for their children through the playgrounds, and the babies were kept lively; but, as Matkah told Kotick, "So long as you don't lie in muddy water and get mange; or rub the hard sand into a cut or scratch; and so long as you never go swimming when there is a heavy sea, nothing will hurt you here."
Little seals can no more swim than little children, but they are unhappy till they learn. The first time that Kotick went down to the sea a wave carried him out beyond his depth, and his big head sank and his little hind flippers flew up exactly as his mother had told him in the song, and if the next wave had not thrown him back again he would have drowned.
After that he learned to lie in a beach-pool and let the wash of the waves just cover him and lift him up while he paddled, but he always kept his eye open for big waves that might hurt. He was two weeks learning to use his flippers; and all that while he floundered in and out of the water, and coughed and grunted and crawled up the beach and took cat-naps on the sand, and went back again, until at last he found that he truly belonged to the water.
Then you can imagine the times that he had with his companions, ducking under the rollers; or coming in on top of a comber and landing with a swash and a splutter as the big wave went whirling far up the beach; or standing up on his tail and scratching his head as the old people did; or playing "I'm the King of the Castle" on slippery, weedy rocks that just stuck out of the wash. Now and then he would see a thin fin, like a big shark's fin, drifting along close to shore, and he knew that that was the Killer Whale, the Grampus, who eats young seals when he can get them; and Kotick would head for the beach like an arrow, and the fin would jig off slowly, as if it were looking for nothing at all.
Late in October the seals began to leave St. Paul's for the deep sea, by families and tribes, and there was no more fighting over the nurseries, and the holluschickie played anywhere they liked. "Next year," said Matkah to Kotick, "you will be a holluschickie; but this year you must learn how to catch fish."
They set out together across the Pacific, and Matkah showed Kotick how to sleep on his back with his flippers tucked down by his side and his little nose just out of the water. No cradle is so comfortable as the long, rocking swell of the Pacific. When Kotick felt his skin tingle all over, Matkah told him he was learning the "feel of the water," and that tingly, prickly feelings meant bad weather coming, and he must swim hard and get away.
"In a little time," she said, "you'll know where to swim to, but just now we'll follow Sea Pig, the Porpoise, for he is very wise." A school of porpoises were ducking and tearing through the water, and little Kotick followed them as fast as he could. "How do you know where to go to?" he panted. The leader of the school rolled his white eyes, and ducked under. "My tail tingles, youngster," he said. "That means there's a gale behind me. Come along! When you're south of the Sticky Water [he meant the Equator], and your tail tingles, that means there's a gale in front of you and you must head north. Come along! The water feels bad here."
This was one of very many things that Kotick learned, and he was always learning. Matkah taught him how to follow the cod and the halibut along the under-sea banks, and wrench the rockling out of his hole among the weeds; how to skirt the wrecks lying a hundred fathoms below water, and dart like a rifle-bullet in at one porthole and out at another as the fishes ran; how to dance on the top of the waves when the lightning was racing all over the sky, and wave his flipper politely to the Stumpy-tailed Albatross and the Man-of-war Hawk as they went down the wind; how to jump three or four feet clear of the water, like a dolphin, flippers close to the side and tail curved; to leave the flying-fish alone because they are all bony; to take the shoulder-piece out of a cod at full speed ten fathoms deep; and never to stop and look at a boat or a ship, but particularly a row boat. At the end of six months, what Kotick did not know about deep-sea fishing was not worth the knowing, and all that time he never set flipper on dry ground.
"TEN FATHOMS DEEP."
One day, however, as he was lying half asleep in the warm water somewhere off the Island of Juan Fernandez, he felt faint and lazy all over, just as human people do when the spring is in their legs, and he remembered the good firm beaches of Novastoshnah seven thousand miles away; the games his companions played, the smell of the seaweed, the seal-roar, and the fighting. That very minute he turned north, swimming steadily, and as he went on he met scores of his mates, all bound for the same place, and they said: "Greeting, Kotick! This year we are all holluschickie, and we can dance the Fire-dance in the breakers off Lukannon and play on the new grass. But where did you get that coat?"
Kotick's fur was almost pure white now, and though he felt very proud of it, he only said: "Swim quickly! My bones are aching for the land." And so they all came to the beaches where they had been born and heard the old seals, their fathers, fighting in the rolling mist.
That night Kotick danced the Fire-dance with the yearling seals. The sea is full of fire on summer nights all the way down from Novastoshnah to Lukannon, and each seal leaves a wake like burning oil behind him, and a flaming flash when he jumps, and the waves break in great phosphorescent streaks and swirls. Then they went inland to the holluschickie grounds, and rolled up and down in the new wild wheat, and told stories of what they had done while they had been at sea. They talked about the Pacific as boys would talk about a wood that they had been nutting in, and if any one had understood them, he could have gone away and made such a chart of that ocean as never was. The three- and four-year-old holluschickie romped down from Hutchinson's Hill, crying: "Out of the way, youngsters! The sea is deep, and you don't know all that's in it yet. Wait till you've rounded the Horn. Hi, you yearling, where did you get that white coat?"
"I didn't get it," said Kotick; "it grew." And just as he was going to roll the speaker over, a couple of black-haired men with flat red faces came from behind a sand-dune, and Kotick, who had never seen a man before, coughed and lowered his head. The holluschickie just bundled off a few yards and sat staring stupidly. The men were no less than Kerick Booterin, the chief of the seal-hunters on the island, and Patalamon, his son. They came from the little village not half a mile from the seal nurseries, and they were deciding what seals they would drive up to the killing-pens (for the seals were driven just like sheep), to be turned into sealskin jackets later on.
"Ho!" said Patalamon. "Look! There's a white seal!"
Kerick Booterin turned nearly white under his oil and smoke, for he was an Aleut, and Aleuts are not clean people. Then he began to mutter a prayer. "Don't touch him, Patalamon. There has never been a white seal since—since I was born. Perhaps it is old Zaharrof's ghost. He was lost last year in the big gale."
"I'm not going near him," said Patalamon. "He's unlucky. Do you really think he is old Zaharrof come back? I owe him for some gulls' eggs."
"Don't look at him," said Kerick. "Head off that drove of four-year-olds. The men ought to skin two hundred to-day, but it's the beginning of the season, and they are new to the work. A hundred will do. Quick!"
Patalamon rattled a pair of seal's shoulder-bones in front of a herd of holluschickie and they stopped dead, puffing and blowing. Then he stepped near, and the seals began to move, and Kerick headed them inland, and they never tried to get back to their companions. Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of seals watched them being driven, but they went on playing just the same. Kotick was the only one who asked questions, and none of his companions could tell him anything, except that the men always drove seals in that way for six weeks or two months of every year.
"I am going to follow," he said, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head as he shuffled along in the wake of the herd.
"The white seal is coming after us," cried Patalamon. "That's the first time a seal has ever come to the killing-grounds alone."
"Hsh! Don't look behind you," said Kerick. "It is Zaharrof's ghost! I must speak to the priest about this."
The distance to the killing-grounds was only half a mile, but it took an hour to cover, because if the seals went too fast Kerick knew that they would get heated and then their fur would come off in patches when they were skinned. So they went on very slowly, past Sea-Lion's Neck, past Webster House, till they came to the Salt House just beyond the sight of the seals on the beach. Kotick followed, panting and wondering. He thought that he was at the world's end, but the roar of the seal nurseries behind him sounded as loud as the roar of a train in a tunnel. Then Kerick sat down on the moss and pulled out a heavy pewter watch and let the drove cool off for thirty minutes, and Kotick could hear the fog-dew dripping from the brim of his cap. Then ten or twelve men, each with an iron-bound club three or four feet long, came up, and Kerick pointed out one or two of the drove that were bitten by their companions or were too hot, and the men kicked those aside with their heavy boots made of the skin of a walrus's throat, and then Kerick said: "Let go!" and then the men clubbed the seals on the head as fast as they could.
Ten minutes later little Kotick did not recognize his friends any more, for their skins were ripped off from the nose to the hind flippers—whipped off and thrown down on the ground in a pile.
That was enough for Kotick. He turned and galloped (a seal can gallop very swiftly for a short time) back to the sea, his little new mustache bristling with horror. At Sea-Lion's Neck, where the great sea-lions sit on the edge of the surf, he flung himself flipper over-head into the cool water, and rocked there, gasping miserably. "What's here?" said a sea-lion, gruffly; for as a rule the sea-lions keep themselves to themselves.
"Scoochnie! Ochen scoochnie!" ("I'm lonesome, very lonesome!"), said Kotick. "They're killing all the holluschickie on all the beaches!"
The sea-lion turned his head inshore. "Nonsense," he said; "your friends are making as much noise as ever. You must have seen old Kerick polishing off a drove. He's done that for thirty years."
"It's horrible," said Kotick, backing water as a wave went over him, and steadying himself with a screw-stroke of his flippers that brought him up all standing within three inches of a jagged edge of rock.
"Well done for a yearling!" said the sea-lion, who could appreciate good swimming. "I suppose it is rather awful from your way of looking at it; but if you seals will come here year after year, of course the men get to know of it, and unless you can find an island where no men ever come, you will always be driven."
"Isn't there any such island?" began Kotick.
"I've followed the poltoos [the halibut] for twenty years, and I can't say I've found it yet. But look here—you seem to have a fondness for talking to your betters; suppose you go to Walrus Islet and talk to Sea Vitch. He may know something. Don't flounce off like that. It's a six-mile swim, and if I were you I should haul out and take a nap first, little one."
Kotick thought that that was good advice, so he swam round to his own beach, hauled out, and slept for half an hour, twitching all over, as seals will. Then he headed straight for Walrus Islet, a little low sheet of rocky island almost due northeast from Novastoshnah, all ledges of rock and gulls' nests, where the walrus herded by themselves.
He landed close to old Sea Vitch—the big, ugly, bloated, pimpled, fat-necked, long-tusked walrus of the North Pacific, who has no manners except when he is asleep—as he was then, with his hind flippers half in and half out of the surf.
"Wake up!" barked Kotick, for the gulls were making a great noise.
"Hah! Ho! Hmph! What's that?" said Sea Vitch, and he struck the next walrus a blow with his tusks and waked him up, and the next struck the next, and so on till they were all awake and staring in every direction but the right one.
"THEY WERE ALL AWAKE AND STARING IN EVERY
DIRECTION BUT THE RIGHT ONE."
"Hi! It's me," said Kotick, bobbing in the surf and looking like a little white slug.
"Well! May I be——skinned!" said Sea Vitch, and they all looked at Kotick as you can fancy a club full of drowsy old gentlemen would look at a little boy. Kotick did not care to hear any more about skinning just then; he had seen enough of it; so he called out: "Isn't there any place for seals to go where men don't ever come?"
"Go and find out," said Sea Vitch, shutting his eyes. "Run away. We're busy here."
Kotick made his dolphin-jump in the air and shouted as loud as he could: "Clam-eater! Clam-eater!" He knew that Sea Vitch never caught a fish in his life, but always rooted for clams and seaweeds; though he pretended to be a very terrible person. Naturally the Chickies and the Gooverooskies and the Epatkas, the Burgomaster Gulls and the Kittiwakes and the Puffins, who are always looking for a chance to be rude, took up the cry, and—so Limmershin told me—for nearly five minutes you could not have heard a gun fired on Walrus Islet. All the population was yelling and screaming: "Clam-eater! Stareek [old man]!" while Sea Vitch rolled from side to side grunting and coughing.
"Now will you tell?" said Kotick, all out of breath.
"Go and ask Sea Cow," said Sea Vitch. "If he is living still, he'll be able to tell you."
"How shall I know Sea Cow when I meet him?" said Kotick, sheering off.
"He's the only thing in the sea uglier than Sea Vitch," screamed a burgomaster gull, wheeling under Sea Vitch's nose. "Uglier, and with worse manners! Stareek!"
Kotick swam back to Novastoshnah, leaving the gulls to scream. There he found that no one sympathized with him in his little attempts to discover a quiet place for the seals. They told him that men had always driven the holluschickie—it was part of the day's work—and that if he did not like to see ugly things he should not have gone to the killing-grounds. But none of the other seals had seen the killing, and that made the difference between him and his friends. Besides, Kotick was a white seal.
"What you must do," said old Sea Catch, after he had heard his son's adventures, "is to grow up and be a big seal like your father, and have a nursery on the beach, and then they will leave you alone. In another five years you ought to be able to fight for yourself." Even gentle Matkah, his mother, said: "You will never be able to stop the killing. Go and play in the sea, Kotick." And Kotick went off and danced the Fire-dance with a very heavy little heart.
That autumn he left the beach as soon as he could, and set off alone because of a notion in his bullet-head. He was going to find Sea Cow, if there was such a person in the sea, and he was going to find a quiet island with good firm beaches for seals to live on, where men could not get at them. So he explored and explored by himself from the North to the South Pacific, swimming as much as three hundred miles in a day and a night. He met with more adventures than can be told, and narrowly escaped being caught by the Basking Shark, and the Spotted Shark, and the Hammerhead, and he met all the untrustworthy ruffians that loaf up and down the high seas, and the heavy polite fish, and the scarlet-spotted scallops that are moored in one place for hundreds of years, and grow very proud of it; but he never met Sea Cow, and he never found an island that he could fancy.
If the beach was good and hard, with a slope behind it for seals to play on, there was always the smoke of a whaler on the horizon, boiling down blubber, and Kotick knew what that meant. Or else he could see that seals had once visited the island and been killed off, and Kotick knew that where men had come once they would come again.
He picked up with an old stumpy-tailed albatross, who told him that Kerguelen Island was the very place for peace and quiet, and when Kotick went down there he was all but smashed to pieces against some wicked black cliffs in a heavy sleet-storm with lightning and thunder. Yet as he pulled out against the gale he could see that even there had once been a seal nursery. And it was so in all the other islands that he visited.
Limmershin gave a long list of them, for he said that Kotick spent five seasons exploring, with a four months' rest each year at Novastoshnah, where the holluschickie used to make fun of him and his imaginary islands. He went to the Gallapagos, a horrid dry place on the Equator, where he was nearly baked to death; he went to the Georgia Islands, the Orkneys, Emerald Island, Little Nightingale Island, Gough's Island, Bouvet's Island, the Crossets, and even to a little speck of an island south of the Cape of Good Hope. But everywhere the People of the Sea told him the same things. Seals had come to those islands once upon a time, but men had killed them all off. Even when he swam thousands of miles out of the Pacific, and got to a place called Cape Corientes (that was when he was coming back from Gough's Island), he found a few hundred mangy seals on a rock, and they told him that men came there too.
That nearly broke his heart, and he headed round the Horn back to his own beaches; and on his way north he hauled out on an island full of green trees, where he found an old, old seal who was dying, and Kotick caught fish for him and told him all his sorrows. "Now," said Kotick, "I am going back to Novastoshnah, and if I am driven to the killing-pens with the holluschickie I shall not care."
The old seal said: "Try once more. I am the last of the Lost Rookery of Masafuera, and in the days when men killed us by the hundred thousand there was a story on the beaches that some day a white seal would come out of the north and lead the seal people to a quiet place. I am old and I shall never live to see that day, but others will. Try once more."
And Kotick curled up his mustache (it was a beauty), and said: "I am the only white seal that has ever been born on the beaches, and I am the only seal, black or white, who ever thought of looking for new islands."
That cheered him immensely; and when he came back to Novastoshnah that summer, Matkah, his mother, begged him to marry and settle down, for he was no longer a holluschick, but a full-grown sea-catch, with a curly white mane on his shoulders, as heavy, as big, and as fierce as his father. "Give me another season," he said. "Remember, Mother, it is always the seventh wave that goes farthest up the beach."
Curiously enough, there was another seal who thought that she would put off marrying till the next year, and Kotick danced the Fire-dance with her all down Lukannon Beach the night before he set off on his last exploration.
This time he went westward, because he had fallen on the trail of a great shoal of halibut, and he needed at least one hundred pounds of fish a day to keep him in good condition. He chased them till he was tired, and then he curled himself up and went to sleep on the hollows of the ground-swell that sets in to Copper Island. He knew the coast perfectly well, so about midnight, when he felt himself gently bumped on a weed bed, he said: "Hm, tide 's running strong to-night," and turning over under water opened his eyes slowly and stretched. Then he jumped like a cat, for he saw huge things nosing about in the shoal water and browsing on the heavy fringes of the weeds.
"By the Great Combers of Magellan!" he said, beneath his mustache. "Who in the Deep Sea are these people?"
They were like no walrus, sea-lion, seal, bear, whale, shark, fish, squid, or scallop that Kotick had ever seen before. They were between twenty and thirty feet long, and they had no hind flippers, but a shovel-like tail that looked as if it had been whittled out of wet leather. Their heads were the most foolish-looking things you ever saw, and they balanced on the ends of their tails in deep water when they weren't grazing, bowing solemnly to one another and waving their front flippers as a fat man waves his arm.
"Ahem!" said Kotick. "Good sport, gentlemen?" The big things answered by bowing and waving their flippers like the Frog-Footman. When they began feeding again Kotick saw that their upper lip was split into two pieces, that they could twitch apart about a foot and bring together again with a whole bushel of seaweed between the splits. They tucked the stuff into their mouths and chumped solemnly.
"Messy style of feeding that," said Kotick. They bowed again, and Kotick began to lose his temper. "Very good," he said. "If you do happen to have an extra joint in your front flipper you needn't show off so. I see you bow gracefully, but I should like to know your names." The split lips moved and twitched, and the glassy green eyes stared; but they did not speak.
"Well!" said Kotick, "you're the only people I've ever met uglier than Sea Vitch—and with worse manners."
Then he remembered in a flash what the Burgomaster Gull had screamed to him when he was a little yearling at Walrus Islet, and he tumbled backward in the water, for he knew that he had found Sea Cow at last.
"HE HAD FOUND SEA COW AT LAST."
The sea cows went on schlooping and grazing, and chumping in the weed, and Kotick asked them questions in every language that he had picked up in his travels; and the Sea People talk nearly as many languages as human beings. But the Sea Cow did not answer, because Sea Cow cannot talk. He has only six bones in his neck where he ought to have seven, and they say under the sea that that prevents him from speaking even to his companions; but, as you know, he has an extra joint in his fore flipper, and by waving it up and down and about he makes what answers to a sort of clumsy telegraphic code.
By daylight Kotick's mane was standing on end and his temper was gone where the dead crabs go. Then the Sea Cow began to travel northward very slowly, stopping to hold absurd bowing councils from time to time, and Kotick followed them, saying to himself: "People who are such idiots as these are would have been killed long ago if they hadn't found out some safe island; and what is good enough for the Sea Cow is good enough for the Sea Catch. All the same, I wish they'd hurry."
It was weary work for Kotick. The herd never went more than forty or fifty miles a day, and stopped to feed at night, and kept close to the shore all the time; while Kotick swam round them, and over them, and under them, but he could not hurry them up one half-mile. As they went farther north they held a bowing council every few hours, and Kotick nearly bit off his mustache with impatience till he saw that they were following up a warm current of water, and then he respected them more.
One night they sank through the shiny water—sank like stones—and, for the first time since he had known them, began to swim quickly. Kotick followed, and the pace astonished him, for he never dreamed that Sea Cow was anything of a swimmer. They headed for a cliff by the shore, a cliff that ran down into deep water, and plunged into a dark hole at the foot of it, twenty fathoms under the sea. It was a long, long swim, and Kotick badly wanted fresh air before he was out of the dark tunnel they led him through.
"My wig!" he said, when he rose, gasping and puffing, into open water at the farther end. "It was a long dive, but it was worth it."
The sea cows had separated, and were browsing lazily along the edges of the finest beaches that Kotick had ever seen. There were long stretches of smooth worn rock running for miles, exactly fitted to make seal nurseries, and there were playgrounds of hard sand, sloping inland behind them, and there were rollers for seals to dance in, and long grass to roll in, and sand-dunes to climb up and down, and best of all, Kotick knew by the feel of the water, which never deceives a true Sea Catch, that no men had ever come there.
The first thing he did was to assure himself that the fishing was good, and then he swam along the beaches and counted up the delightful low sandy islands half hidden in the beautiful rolling fog. Away to the northward out to sea ran a line of bars and shoals and rocks that would never let a ship come within six miles of the beach; and between the islands and the mainland was a stretch of deep water that ran up to the perpendicular cliffs, and somewhere below the cliffs was the mouth of the tunnel.
"It's Novastoshnah over again, but ten times better," said Kotick. "Sea Cow must be wiser than I thought. Men can't come down the cliffs, even if there were any men; and the shoals to seaward would knock a ship to splinters. If any place in the sea is safe, this is it."
He began to think of the seal he had left behind him, but though he was in a hurry to go back to Novastoshnah, he thoroughly explored the new country, so that he would be able to answer all questions.
Then he dived and made sure of the mouth of the tunnel, and raced through to the southward. No one but a sea cow or a seal would have dreamed of there being such a place, and when he looked back at the cliffs even Kotick could hardly believe that he had been under them.
He was six days going home, though he was not swimming slowly; and when he hauled out just above Sea-Lion's Neck the first person he met was the seal who had been waiting for him, and she saw by the look in his eyes that he had found his island at last.
But the holluschickie and Sea Catch, his father, and all the other seals, laughed at him when he told them what he had discovered, and a young seal about his own age said: "This is all very well, Kotick, but you can't come from no one knows where and order us off like this. Remember we've been fighting for our nurseries, and that's a thing you never did. You preferred prowling about in the sea."
The other seals laughed at this, and the young seal began twisting his head from side to side. He had just married that year, and was making a great fuss about it.
"I've no nursery to fight for," said Kotick. "I want only to show you all a place where you will be safe. What's the use of fighting?"
"Oh, if you're trying to back out, of course I've no more to say," said the young seal, with an ugly chuckle.
"Will you come with me if I win?" said Kotick; and a green light came into his eyes, for he was very angry at having to fight at all.
"Very good," said the young seal, carelessly. "If you win, I'll come."
He had no time to change his mind, for Kotick's head darted out and his teeth sunk in the blubber of the young seal's neck. Then he threw himself back on his haunches and hauled his enemy down the beach, shook him, and knocked him over. Then Kotick roared to the seals: "I've done my best for you these five seasons past. I've found you the island where you'll be safe, but unless your heads are dragged off your silly necks you won't believe. I'm going to teach you now. Look out for yourselves!"
Limmershin told me that never in his life—and Limmershin sees ten thousand big seals fighting every year—never in all his little life did he see anything like Kotick's charge into the nurseries. He flung himself at the biggest sea-catch he could find, caught him by the throat, choked him and bumped him and banged him till he grunted for mercy, and then threw him aside and attacked the next. You see, Kotick had never fasted for four months as the big seals did every year, and his deep-sea swimming-trips kept him in perfect condition, and, best of all, he had never fought before. His curly white mane stood up with rage, and his eyes flamed, and his big dogteeth glistened, and he was splendid to look at.
Old Sea Catch, his father, saw him tearing past, hauling the grizzled old seals about as though they had been halibut, and upsetting the young bachelors in all directions; and Sea Catch gave one roar and shouted: "He may be a fool, but he is the best fighter on the Beaches. Don't tackle your father, my son! He's with you!"
Kotick roared in answer, and old Sea Catch waddled in, his mustache on end, blowing like a locomotive, while Matkah and the seal that was going to marry Kotick cowered down and admired their men-folk. It was a gorgeous fight, for the two fought as long as there was a seal that dared lift up his head, and then they paraded grandly up and down the beach side by side, bellowing.
At night, just as the Northern Lights were winking and flashing through the fog, Kotick climbed a bare rock and looked down on the scattered nurseries and the torn and bleeding seals. "Now," he said, "I've taught you your lesson."
"My wig!" said old Sea Catch, boosting himself up stiffly, for he was fearfully mauled. "The Killer Whale himself could not have cut them up worse. Son, I'm proud of you, and what's more, I'll come with you to your island—if there is such a place."
"Hear you, fat pigs of the sea! Who comes with me to the Sea Cow's tunnel? Answer, or I shall teach you again," roared Kotick.
There was a murmur like the ripple of the tide all up and down the beaches. "We will come," said thousands of tired voices. "We will follow Kotick, the White Seal."
Then Kotick dropped his head between his shoulders and shut his eyes proudly. He was not a white seal any more, but red from head to tail. All the same he would have scorned to look at or touch one of his wounds.
A week later he and his army (nearly ten thousand holluschickie and old seals) went away north to the Sea Cow's tunnel, Kotick leading them, and the seals that stayed at Novastoshnah called them idiots. But next spring when they all met off the fishing-banks of the Pacific, Kotick's seals told such tales of the new beaches beyond Sea Cow's tunnel that more and more seals left Novastoshnah.
Of course it was not all done at once, for the seals need a long time to turn things over in their minds, but year by year more seals went away from Novastoshnah, and Lukannon, and the other nurseries, to the quiet, sheltered beaches where Kotick sits all the summer through, getting bigger and fatter and stronger each year, while the holluschickie play round him, in that sea where no man comes.
LUKANNON
This is the great deep-sea song that all the St. Paul seals sing when they are heading back to their beaches in the summer. It is a sort of very sad seal National Anthem.
I met my mates in the morning (and oh, but I am old!)
Where roaring on the ledges the summer ground-swell rolled;
I heard them lift the chorus that dropped the breakers' song—
The beaches of Lukannon—two million voices strong!
The song of pleasant stations beside the salt lagoons,
The song of blowing squadrons that shuffled down the dunes,
The song of midnight dances that churned the sea to flame—
The beaches of Lukannon—before the sealers came!
I met my mates in the morning (I'll never meet them more!);
They came and went in legions that darkened all the shore.
And through the foam-flecked offing as far as voice could reach
We hailed the landing-parties and we sang them up the beach.
The beaches of Lukannon—the winter-wheat so tall—
The dripping, crinkled lichens, and the sea-fog drenching all!
The platforms of our playground, all shining smooth and worn!
The beaches of Lukannon—the home where we were born!
I meet my mates in the morning, a broken, scattered band.
Men shoot us in the water and club us on the land;
Men drive us to the Salt House like silly sheep and tame,
And still we sing Lukannon—before the sealers came.
Wheel down, wheel down to southward; oh, Gooverooska go!
And tell the Deep-Sea Viceroys the story of our woe;
Ere, empty as the shark's egg the tempest flings ashore,
The beaches of Lukannon shall know their sons no more!
"RIKKI-TIKKI-TAVI"
Turn for turn and twist for twist—
(Run and hide thee, Nag.)
Hah! The hooded Death has missed!
(Woe betide thee, Nag!)
"RIKKI-TIKKI-TAVI"
THIS is the story of the great war that Rikki-tikki-tavi fought single-handed, through the bath-rooms of the big bungalow in Segowlee cantonment. Darzee, the tailor-bird, helped him, and Chuchundra, the muskrat, who never comes out into the middle of the floor, but always creeps round by the wall, gave him advice; but Rikki-tikki did the real fighting.
He was a mongoose, rather like a little cat in his fur and his tail, but quite like a weasel in his head and his habits. His eyes and the end of his restless nose were pink; he could scratch himself anywhere he pleased, with any leg, front or back, that he chose to use; he could fluff up his tail till it looked like a bottle-brush, and his war-cry as he scuttled through the long grass, was: "Rikk-tikk-tikki-tikki-tchk!"
One day, a high summer flood washed him out of the burrow where he lived with his father and mother, and carried him, kicking and clucking, down a roadside ditch. He found a little wisp of grass floating there, and clung to it till he lost his senses. When he revived, he was lying in the hot sun on the middle of a garden path, very draggled indeed, and a small boy was saying: "Here's a dead mongoose. Let's have a funeral."
"No," said his mother; "let's take him in and dry him. Perhaps he isn't really dead."
They took him into the house, and a big man picked him up between his finger and thumb and said he was not dead but half choked; so they wrapped him in cotton-wool, and warmed him, and he opened his eyes and sneezed.
"Now," said the big man (he was an Englishman who had just moved into the bungalow); "don't frighten him, and we'll see what he'll do."
It is the hardest thing in the world to frighten a mongoose, because he is eaten up from nose to tail with curiosity. The motto of all the mongoose family is, "Run and find out"; and Rikki-tikki was a true mongoose. He looked at the cotton-wool, decided that it was not good to eat, ran all round the table, sat up and put his fur in order, scratched himself, and jumped on the small boy's shoulder.
"Don't be frightened, Teddy," said his father. "That's his way of making friends."
"Ouch! He's tickling under my chin," said Teddy.
"RIKKI-TIKKI LOOKED DOWN BETWEEN
THE BOY'S COLLAR AND NECK."
Rikki-tikki looked down between the boy's collar and neck, snuffed at his ear, and climbed down to the floor, where he sat rubbing his nose.
"Good gracious," said Teddy's mother, "and that's a wild creature! I suppose he's so tame because we've been kind to him."
"All mongooses are like that," said her husband. "If Teddy doesn't pick him up by the tail, or try to put him in a cage, he'll run in and out of the house all day long. Let's give him something to eat."
They gave him a little piece of raw meat. Rikki-tikki liked it immensely, and when it was finished he went out into the veranda and sat in the sunshine and fluffed up his fur to make it dry to the roots. Then he felt better.
"There are more things to find out about in this house," he said to himself, "than all my family could find out in all their lives. I shall certainly stay and find out."
"HE PUT HIS NOSE INTO THE INK."
He spent all that day roaming over the house. He nearly drowned himself in the bath-tubs, put his nose into the ink on a writing-table, and burned it on the end of the big man's cigar, for he climbed up in the big man's lap to see how writing was done. At nightfall he ran into Teddy's nursery to watch how kerosene lamps were lighted, and when Teddy went to bed Rikki-tikki climbed up too; but he was a restless companion, because he had to get up and attend to every noise all through the night, and find out what made it. Teddy's mother and father came in, the last thing, to look at their boy, and Rikki-tikki was awake on the pillow. "I don't like that," said Teddy's mother; "he may bite the child." "He'll do no such thing," said the father. "Teddy's safer with that little beast than if he had a bloodhound to watch him. If a snake came into the nursery now—"
"RIKKI-TIKKI WAS AWAKE ON THE PILLOW."
But Teddy's mother wouldn't think of anything so awful.
Early in the morning Rikki-tikki came to early breakfast in the veranda riding on Teddy's shoulder, and they gave him banana and some boiled egg; and he sat on all their laps one after the other, because every well-brought-up mongoose always hopes to be a house-mongoose some day and have rooms to run about in, and Rikki-tikki's mother (she used to live in the General's house at Segowlee) had carefully told Rikki what to do if ever he came across white men.
"HE CAME TO BREAKFAST
RIDING ON TEDDY'S SHOULDER."
Then Rikki-tikki went out into the garden to see what was to be seen. It was a large garden, only half cultivated, with bushes as big as summer-houses of Marshal Niel roses, lime and orange trees, clumps of bamboos, and thickets of high grass. Rikki-tikki licked his lips. "This is a splendid hunting-ground," he said, and his tail grew bottle-brushy at the thought of it, and he scuttled up and down the garden, snuffing here and there till he heard very sorrowful voices in a thorn-bush.
It was Darzee, the tailor-bird, and his wife. They had made a beautiful nest by pulling two big leaves together and stitching them up the edges with fibers, and had filled the hollow with cotton and downy fluff. The nest swayed to and fro, as they sat on the rim and cried.
"What is the matter?" asked Rikki-tikki.
"'WE ARE VERY MISERABLE,' SAID DARZEE."
"We are very miserable," said Darzee. "One of our babies fell out of the nest yesterday and Nag ate him."
"H'm!" said Rikki-tikki," that is very sad—but I am a stranger here. Who is Nag?"
Darzee and his wife only cowered down in the nest without answering, for from the thick grass at the foot of the bush there came a low hiss—a horrid cold sound that made Rikki-tikki jump back two clear feet. Then inch by inch out of the grass rose up the head and spread hood of Nag, the big black cobra, and he was five feet long from tongue to tail. When he had lifted one-third of himself clear of the ground, he stayed balancing to and fro exactly as a dandelion-tuft balances in the wind, and he looked at Rikki-tikki with the wicked snake's eyes that never change their expression, whatever the snake may be thinking of.
"Who is Nag?" he said, "I am Nag. The great god Brahm put his mark upon all our people when the first cobra spread his hood to keep the sun off Brahm as he slept. Look, and be afraid!"
"'I AM NAG,' SAID THE COBRA: 'LOOK, AND BE AFRAID!' BUT AT THE BOTTOM
OF HIS COLD HEART HE WAS AFRAID."
He spread out his hood more than ever, and Rikki-tikki saw the spectacle-mark on the back of it that looks exactly like the eye part of a hook-and-eye fastening. He was afraid for the minute; but it is impossible for a mongoose to stay frightened for any length of time, and though Rikki-tikki had never met a live cobra before, his mother had fed him on dead ones, and he knew that all a grown mongoose's business in life was to fight and eat snakes. Nag knew that too, and at the bottom of his cold heart he was afraid.
"Well," said Rikki-tikki, and his tail began to fluff up again, "marks or no marks, do you think it is right for you to eat fledglings out of a nest?"
Nag was thinking to himself, and watching the least little movement in the grass behind Rikki-tikki. He knew that mongooses in the garden meant death sooner or later for him and his family; but he wanted to get Rikki-tikki off his guard. So he dropped his head a little, and put it on one side.
"Let us talk," he said. "You eat eggs. Why should not I eat birds?"
"Behind you! Look behind you!" sang Darzee.
Rikki-tikki knew better than to waste time in staring. He jumped up in the air as high as he could go, and just under him whizzed by the head of Nagaina, Nag's wicked wife. She had crept up behind him as he was talking, to make an end of him; and he heard her savage hiss as the stroke missed. He came down almost across her back, and if he had been an old mongoose he would have known that then was the time to break her back with one bite; but he was afraid of the terrible lashing return-stroke of the cobra. He bit, indeed, but did not bite long enough, and he jumped clear of the whisking tail, leaving Nagaina torn and angry.
"HE JUMPED UP IN THE AIR, AND JUST UNDER HIM WHIZZED BY THE HEAD OF NAGAINA."
"Wicked, wicked Darzee!" said Nag, lashing up as high as he could reach toward the nest in the thorn-bush; but Darzee had built it out of reach of snakes, and it only swayed to and fro.
Rikki-tikki felt his eyes growing red and hot (when a mongoose's eyes grow red, he is angry), and he sat back on his tail and hind legs like a little kangaroo, and looked all around him, and chattered with rage. But Nag and Nagaina had disappeared into the grass. When a snake misses its stroke, it never says anything or gives any sign of what it means to do next. Rikki-tikki did not care to follow them, for he did not feel sure that he could manage two snakes at once. So he trotted off to the gravel path near the house, and sat down to think. It was a serious matter for him.
If you read the old books of natural history, you will find they say that when the mongoose fights the snake and happens to get bitten, he runs off and eats some herb that cures him. That is not true. The victory is only a matter of quickness of eye and quickness of foot,—snake's blow against mongoose's jump,—and as no eye can follow the motion of a snake's head when it strikes, that makes things much more wonderful than any magic herb. Rikki-tikki knew he was a young mongoose, and it made him all the more pleased to think that he had managed to escape a blow from behind. It gave him confidence in himself, and when Teddy came running down the path, Rikki-tikki was ready to be petted.
But just as Teddy was stooping, something flinched a little in the dust, and a tiny voice said: "Be careful. I am death!" It was Karait, the dusty brown snakeling that lies for choice on the dusty earth; and his bite is as dangerous as the cobra's. But he is so small that nobody thinks of him, and so he does the more harm to people.
Rikki-tikki's eyes grew red again, and he danced up to Karait with the peculiar rocking, swaying motion that he had inherited from his family. It looks very funny, but it is so perfectly balanced a gait that you can fly off from it at any angle you please; and in dealing with snakes this is an advantage. If Rikki-tikki had only known, he was doing a much more dangerous thing than fighting Nag, for Karait is so small, and can turn so quickly, that unless Rikki bit him close to the back of the head, he would get the return-stroke in his eye or lip. But Rikki did not know: his eyes were all red, and he rocked back and forth, looking for a good place to hold. Karait struck out. Rikki jumped sideways and tried to run in, but the wicked little dusty gray head lashed within a fraction of his shoulder, and he had to jump over the body, and the head followed his heels close.
Teddy shouted to the house: "Oh, look here! Our mongoose is killing a snake"; and Rikki-tikki heard a scream from Teddy's mother. His father ran out with a stick, but by the time he came up, Karait had lunged out once too far, and Rikki-tikki had sprung, jumped on the snake's back, dropped his head far between his fore legs, bitten as high up the back as he could get hold, and rolled away. That bite paralyzed Karait, and Rikki-tikki was just going to eat him up from the tail, after the custom of his family at dinner, when he remembered that a full meal makes a slow mongoose, and if he wanted all his strength and quickness ready, he must keep himself thin.
He went away for a dust-bath under the castor-oil bushes, while Teddy's father beat the dead Karait. "What is the use of that?" thought Rikki-tikki. "I have settled it all"; and then Teddy's mother picked him up from the dust and hugged him, crying that he had saved Teddy from death, and Teddy's father said that he was a providence, and Teddy looked on with big scared eyes. Rikki-Tikki was rather amused at all the fuss, which, of course, he did not understand. Teddy's mother might just as well have petted Teddy for playing in the dust. Rikki was thoroughly enjoying himself.
That night, at dinner, walking to and fro among the wine-glasses on the table, he could have stuffed himself three times over with nice things; but he remembered Nag and Nagaina, and though it was very pleasant to be patted and petted by Teddy's mother, and to sit on Teddy's shoulder, his eyes would get red from time to time, and he would go off into his long war-cry of "Rikk-tikk-tikki-tikki-tchk!"
Teddy carried him off to bed, and insisted on Rikki-tikki sleeping under his chin. Rikki-tikki was too well bred to bite or scratch, but as soon as Teddy was asleep he went off for his nightly walk round the house, and in the dark he ran up against Chuchundra, the muskrat, creeping round by the wall. Chuchundra is a broken-hearted little beast. He whimpers and cheeps all the night, trying to make up his mind to run into the middle of the room, but he never gets there.
"IN THE DARK HE RAN UP AGAINST CHUCHUNDRA, THE MUSKRAT."
"Don't kill me," said Chuchundra, almost weeping. "Rikki-tikki, don't kill me."
"Do you think a snake-killer kills muskrats?" said Rikki-tikki scornfully.
"Those who kill snakes get killed by snakes," said Chuchundra, more sorrowfully than ever. "And how am I to be sure that Nag won't mistake me for you some dark night?"
"There's not the least danger," said Rikki-tikki; "but Nag is in the garden, and I know you don't go there."
"My cousin Chua, the rat, told me—" said Chuchundra, and then he stopped.
"Told you what?"
"H'sh! Nag is everywhere, Rikki-tikki. You should have talked to Chua in the garden."
"I didn't—so you must tell me. Quick, Chuchundra, or I'll bite you!"
Chuchundra sat down and cried till the tears rolled off his whiskers. "I am a very poor man," he sobbed. "I never had spirit enough to run out into the middle of the room. H'sh! I mustn't tell you anything. Can't you hear, Rikki-tikki?"
Rikki-tikki listened. The house was as still as still, but he thought he could just catch the faintest scratch-scratch in the world,—a noise as faint as that of a wasp walking on a window-pane,—the dry scratch of a snake's scales on brickwork.
"That's Nag or Nagaina," he said to himself; "and he is crawling into the bath-room sluice. You're right, Chuchundra; I should have talked to Chua."
He stole off to Teddy's bath-room, but there was nothing there, and then to Teddy's mother's bath-room. At the bottom of the smooth plaster wall there was a brick pulled out to make a sluice for the bath-water, and as Rikki-tikki stole in by the masonry curb where the bath is put, he heard Nag and Nagaina whispering together outside in the moonlight.
"When the house is emptied of people," said Nagaina to her husband, "he will have to go away, and then the garden will be our own again. Go in quietly, and remember that the big man who killed Karait is the first one to bite. Then come out and tell me, and we will hunt for Rikki-tikki together."
"But are you sure that there is anything to be gained by killing the people?" said Nag.
"Everything. When there were no people in the bungalow, did we have any mongoose in the garden? So long as the bungalow is empty, we are king and queen of the garden; and remember that as soon as our eggs in the melon-bed hatch (as they may to-morrow), our children will need room and quiet."
"I had not thought of that," said Nag. "I will go, but there is no need that we should hunt for Rikki-tikki afterward. I will kill the big man and his wife, and the child if I can, and come away quietly. Then the bungalow will be empty, and Rikki-tikki will go."
Rikki-tikki tingled all over with rage and hatred at this, and then Nag's head came through the sluice, and his five feet of cold body followed it. Angry as he was, Rikki-tikki was very frightened as he saw the size of the big cobra. Nag coiled himself up, raised his head, and looked into the bath-room in the dark, and Rikki could see his eyes glitter.
"Now, if I kill him here, Nagaina will know; and if I fight him on the open floor, the odds are in his favor. What am I to do?" said Rikki-tikki-tavi.
Nag waved to and fro, and then Rikki-tikki heard him drinking from the biggest water-jar that was used to fill the bath. "That is good," said the snake. "Now, when Karait was killed, the big man had a stick. He may have that stick still, but when he comes in to bathe in the morning he will not have a stick. I shall wait here till he comes. Nagaina—do you hear me?—I shall wait here in the cool till daytime."
There was no answer from outside, so Rikki-tikki knew Nagaina had gone away. Nag coiled himself down, coil by coil, round the bulge at the bottom of the water-jar, and Rikki-tikki stayed still as death. After an hour he began to move, muscle by muscle, toward the jar. Nag was asleep, and Rikki-tikki looked at his big back, wondering which would be the best place for a good hold. "If I don't break his back at the first jump," said Rikki, "he can still fight; and if he fights—O Rikki!" He looked at the thickness of the neck below the hood, but that was too much for him; and a bite near the tail would only make Nag savage.
"It must be the head," he said at last: "the head above the hood; and, when I am once there, I must not let go."
Then he jumped. The head was lying a little clear of the water-jar, under the curve of it; and, as his teeth met, Rikki braced his back against the bulge of the red earthenware to hold down the head. This gave him just one second's purchase, and he made the most of it. Then he was battered to and fro as a rat is shaken by a dog—to and fro on the floor, up and down, and round in great circles; but his eyes were red, and he held on as the body cartwhipped over the floor, upsetting the tin dipper and the soap-dish and the flesh-brush, and banged against the tin side of the bath. As he held he closed his jaws tighter and tighter, for he made sure he would be banged to death, and, for the honor of his family, he preferred to be found with his teeth locked. He was dizzy, aching, and felt shaken to pieces when something went off like a thunderclap just behind him; a hot wind knocked him senseless and red fire singed his fur. The big man had been wakened by the noise, and had fired both barrels of a shot-gun into Nag just behind the hood.
"THEN RIKKI-TIKKI WAS BATTERED TO AND FRO AS A RAT
IS SHAKEN BY A DOG."
Rikki-tikki held on with his eyes shut, for now he was quite sure he was dead; but the head did not move, and the big man picked him up and said: "It's the mongoose again, Alice; the little chap has saved our lives now." Then Teddy's mother came in with a very white face, and saw what was left of Nag, and Rikki-tikki dragged himself to Teddy's bedroom and spent half the rest of the night shaking himself tenderly to find out whether he really was broken into forty pieces, as he fancied.
When morning came he was very stiff, but well pleased with his doings. "Now I have Nagaina to settle with, and she will be worse than five Nags, and there's no knowing when the eggs she spoke of will hatch. Goodness! I must go and see Darzee," he said.
Without waiting for breakfast, Rikki-tikki ran to the thorn-bush where Darzee was singing a song of triumph at the top of his voice. The news of Nag's death was all over the garden, for the sweeper had thrown the body on the rubbish-heap.
"Oh, you stupid tuft of feathers!" said Rikki-tikki, angrily. "Is this the time to sing?"
"Nag is dead—is dead—is dead!" sang Darzee. "The valiant Rikki-tikki caught him by the head and held fast. The big man brought the bang-stick and Nag fell in two pieces! He will never eat my babies again."
"All that's true enough; but where's Nagaina?" said Rikki-tikki, looking carefully round him.
"Nagaina came to the bath-room sluice and called for Nag," Darzee went on; "and Nag came out on the end of a stick—the sweeper picked him up on the end of a stick and threw him upon the rubbish-heap. Let us sing about the great, the red-eyed Rikki-tikki!" and Darzee filled his throat and sang.
"If I could get up to your nest, I'd roll all your babies out!" said Rikki-tikki. "You don't know when to do the right thing at the right time. You're safe enough in your nest there, but it's war for me down here. Stop singing a minute, Darzee."
"For the great, the beautiful Rikki-tikki's sake I will stop," said Darzee. "What is it, O Killer of the terrible Nag!"
"Where is Nagaina, for the third time?"
"On the rubbish-heap by the stables, mourning for Nag. Great is Rikki-tikki with the white teeth."
"Bother my white teeth! Have you ever heard where she keeps her eggs?"
"In the melon-bed, on the end nearest the wall, where the sun strikes nearly all day. She had them there weeks ago."
"And you never thought it worth while to tell me? The end nearest the wall, you said?"
"Rikki-tikki, you are not going to eat her eggs?"
"Not eat exactly; no. Darzee, if you have a grain of sense you will fly off to the stables and pretend that your wing is broken, and let Nagaina chase you away to this bush? I must get to the melon-bed, and if I went there now she'd see me."
Darzee was a feather-brained little fellow who could never hold more than one idea at a time in his head; and just because he knew that Nagaina's children were born in eggs like his own, he didn't think at first that it was fair to kill them. But his wife was a sensible bird, and she knew that cobra's eggs meant young cobras later on; so she flew off from the nest, and left Darzee to keep the babies warm, and continue his song about the death of Nag. Darzee was very like a man in some ways.
She fluttered in front of Nagaina by the rubbish-heap, and cried out, "Oh, my wing is broken! The boy in the house threw a stone at me and broke it." Then she fluttered more desperately than ever.
DARZEE'S WIFE PRETENDS TO HAVE BROKEN A WING.
Nagaina lifted up her head and hissed, "You warned Rikki-tikki when I would have killed him. Indeed and truly, you've chosen a bad place to be lame in." And she moved toward Darzee's wife, slipping along over the dust.
"The boy broke it with a stone!" shrieked Darzee's wife.
"Well! It may be some consolation to you when you're dead to know that I shall settle accounts with the boy. My husband lies on the rubbish-heap this morning, but before night the boy in the house will lie very still. What is the use of running away? I am sure to catch you. Little fool, look at me!"
Darzee's wife knew better than to do that, for a bird who looks at a snake's eyes gets so frightened that she cannot move. Darzee's wife fluttered on, piping sorrowfully, and never leaving the ground, and Nagaina quickened her pace.
Rikki-tikki heard them going up the path from the stables, and he raced for the end of the melon-patch near the wall. There, in the warm litter about the melons, very cunningly hidden, he found twenty-five eggs, about the size of a bantam's eggs, but with whitish skin instead of shell.
"I was not a day too soon," he said; for he could see the baby cobras curled up inside the skin, and he knew that the minute they were hatched they could each kill a man or a mongoose. He bit off the tops of the eggs as fast as he could, taking care to crush the young cobras, and turned over the litter from time to time to see whether he had missed any. At last there were only three eggs left, and Rikki-tikki began to chuckle to himself, when he heard Darzee's wife screaming:
"Rikki-tikki, I led Nagaina toward the house, and she has gone into the veranda, and—oh, come quickly—she means killing!"
Rikki-tikki smashed two eggs, and tumbled backward down the melon-bed with the third egg in his mouth, and scuttled to the veranda as hard as he could put foot to the ground. Teddy and his mother and father were there at early breakfast; but Rikki-tikki saw that they were not eating anything. They sat stone-still, and their faces were white. Nagaina was coiled up on the matting by Teddy's chair, within easy striking distance of Teddy's bare leg, and she was swaying to and fro singing a song of triumph.
"Son of the big man that killed Nag," she hissed, "stay still. I am not ready yet. Wait a little. Keep very still, all you three. If you move I strike, and if you do not move I strike. Oh, foolish people, who killed my Nag!"
Teddy's eyes were fixed on his father, and all his father could do was to whisper, "Sit still, Teddy. You mustn't move. Teddy, keep still."
Then Rikki-tikki came up and cried: "Turn round, Nagaina; turn and fight!"
"All in good time," said she, without moving her eyes. "I will settle my account with you presently. Look at your friends, Rikki-tikki. They are still and white; they are afraid. They dare not move, and if you come a step nearer I strike."
"Look at your eggs," said Rikki-tikki, "in the melon-bed near the wall. Go and look, Nagaina."
The big snake turned half round, and saw the egg on the veranda. "Ah-h! Give it to me," she said.
Rikki-tikki put his paws one on each side of the egg, and his eyes were blood-red. "What price for a snake's egg? For a young cobra? For a young king-cobra? For the last—the very last of the brood? The ants are eating all the others down by the melon-bed."
Nagaina spun clear round, forgetting everything for the sake of the one egg; and Rikki-tikki saw Teddy's father shoot out a big hand, catch Teddy by the shoulder, and drag him across the little table with the tea-cups, safe and out of reach of Nagaina.
"Tricked! Tricked! Tricked! Rikk-tck-tck!" chuckled Rikki-tikki. "The boy is safe, and it was I—I—I that caught Nag by the hood last night in the bath-room." Then he began to jump up and down, all four feet together, his head close to the floor. "He threw me to and fro, but he could not shake me off. He was dead before the big man blew him in two. I did it. Rikki-tikki-tck-tck! Come then, Nagaina. Come and fight with me. You shall not be a widow long."
Nagaina saw that she had lost her chance of killing Teddy, and the egg lay between Rikki-tikki's paws. "Give me the egg, Rikki-tikki. Give me the last of my eggs, and I will go away and never come back," she said, lowering her hood.
"Yes, you will go away, and you will never come back; for you will go to the rubbish-heap with Nag. Fight, widow! The big man has gone for his gun! Fight!"
Rikki-tikki was bounding all round Nagaina, keeping just out of reach of her stroke, his little eyes like hot coals. Nagaina gathered herself together, and flung out at him. Rikki-tikki jumped up and backward. Again and again and again she struck, and each time her head came with a whack on the matting of the veranda and she gathered herself together like a watch-spring. Then Rikki-tikki danced in a circle to get behind her, and Nagaina spun round to keep her head to his head, so that the rustle of her tail on the matting sounded like dry leaves blown along by the wind.
He had forgotten the egg. It still lay on the veranda, and Nagaina came nearer and nearer to it, till at last, while Rikki-tikki was drawing breath, she caught it in her mouth, turned to the veranda steps, and flew like an arrow down the path, with Rikki-tikki behind her. When the cobra runs for her life, she goes like a whiplash flicked across a horse's neck.
"NAGAINA FLEW DOWN THE PATH,
WITH RIKKI-TIKKI BEHIND HER."
Rikki-tikki knew that he must catch her, or all the trouble would begin again. She headed straight for the long grass by the thorn-bush, and as he was running Rikki-tikki heard Darzee still singing his foolish little song of triumph. But Darzee's wife was wiser. She flew off her nest as Nagaina came along, and flapped her wings about Nagaina's head. If Darzee had helped they might have turned her; but Nagaina only lowered her hood and went on. Still, the instant's delay brought Rikki-tikki up to her, and as she plunged into the rat-hole where she and Nag used to live, his little white teeth were clenched on her tail, and he went down with her—and very few mongooses, however wise and old they may be, care to follow a cobra into its hole. It was dark in the hole; and Rikki-tikki never knew when it might open out and give Nagaina room to turn and strike at him. He held on savagely, and struck out his feet to act as brakes on the dark slope of the hot, moist earth.
Then the grass by the mouth of the hole stopped waving, and Darzee said: "It is all over with Rikki-tikki! We must sing his death-song. Valiant Rikki-tikki is dead! For Nagaina will surely kill him underground."
So he sang a very mournful song that he made up all on the spur of the minute, and just as he got to the most touching part the grass quivered again, and Rikki-tikki, covered with dirt, dragged himself out of the hole leg by leg, licking his whiskers. Darzee stopped with a little shout. Rikki-tikki shook some of the dust out of his fur and sneezed. "It is all over," he said. "The widow will never come out again." And the red ants that live between the grass stems heard him, and began to troop down one after another to see if he had spoken the truth.
"IT IS ALL OVER."
Rikki-tikki curled himself up in the grass and slept where he was—slept and slept till it was late in the afternoon, for he had done a hard day's work.
"Now," he said, when he awoke, "I will go back to the house. Tell the Coppersmith, Darzee, and he will tell the garden that Nagaina is dead."
The Coppersmith is a bird who makes a noise exactly like the beating of a little hammer on a copper pot; and the reason he is always making it is because he is the town-crier to every Indian garden, and tells all the news to everybody who cares to listen. As Rikki-tikki went up the path, he heard his "attention" notes like a tiny dinner-gong; and then the steady "Ding-dong-tock! Nag is dead—dong! Nagaina is dead! Ding-dong-tock!" That set all the birds in the garden singing, and the frogs croaking; for Nag and Nagaina used to eat frogs as well as little birds.
When Rikki got to the house, Teddy and Teddy's mother (she looked very white still, for she had been fainting) and Teddy's father came out and almost cried over him; and that night he ate all that was given him till he could eat no more, and went to bed on Teddy's shoulder, where Teddy's mother saw him when she came to look late at night.
"He saved our lives and Teddy's life," she said to her husband. "Just think, he saved all our lives."
Rikki-tikki woke up with a jump, for all the mongooses are light sleepers.
"Oh, it's you," said he. "What are you bothering for? All the cobras are dead; and if they weren't, I'm here."
Rikki-tikki had a right to be proud of himself; but he did not grow too proud, and he kept that garden as a mongoose should keep it, with tooth and jump and spring and bite, till never a cobra dared show its head inside the walls.
DARZEE'S CHAUNT
(SUNG IN HONOR OF RIKKI-TIKKI-TAVI)
Singer and tailor am I—
Doubled the joys that I know—
Proud of my lilt through the sky,
Proud of the house that I sew—
Over and under, so weave I my music—so weave I the house that I sew.
Sing to your fledglings again,
Mother, oh lift up your head!
Evil that plagued us is slain,
Death in the garden lies dead.
Terror that hid in the roses is impotent—flung on the dung-hill and dead!
Who hath delivered us, who?
Tell me his nest and his name.
Rikki, the valiant, the true,
Tikki, with eyeballs of flame.
Rik-tikki-tikki, the ivory-fanged, the hunter with eyeballs of flame.
Give him the Thanks of the Birds,
Bowing with tail-feathers spread!
Praise him with nightingale words—
Nay, I will praise him instead.
Hear! I will sing you the praise of the bottle-tailed Rikki, with eyeballs of red!
(Here Rikki-tikki interrupted, and the rest of the song is lost.)
TOOMAI OF THE ELEPHANTS
I will remember what I was, I am sick of rope and chain—
I will remember my old strength and all my forest affairs.
I will not sell my back to man for a bundle of sugar-cane,
I will go out to my own kind, and the wood-folk in their lairs.
I will go out until the day, until the morning break,
Out to the winds' untainted kiss, the waters' clean caress:
I will forget my ankle-ring and snap my picket-stake.
I will revisit my lost loves, and playmates masterless!
TOOMAI OF THE ELEPHANTS
KALA NAG, which means Black Snake, had served the Indian Government in every way that an elephant could serve it for forty-seven years, and as he was fully twenty years old when he was caught, that makes him nearly seventy—a ripe age for an elephant. He remembered pushing, with a big leather pad on his forehead, at a gun stuck in deep mud, and that was before the Afghan war of 1842, and he had not then come to his full strength. His mother, Radha Pyari,—Radha the darling,—who had been caught in the same drive with Kala Nag, told him, before his little milk tusks had dropped out, that elephants who were afraid always got hurt: and Kala Nag knew that that advice was good, for the first time that he saw a shell burst he backed, screaming, into a stand of piled rifles, and the bayonets pricked him in all his softest places. So, before he was twenty-five, he gave up being afraid, and so he was the best-loved and the best-looked-after elephant in the service of the Government of India. He had carried tents, twelve hundred pounds' weight of tents, on the march in Upper India: he had been hoisted into a ship at the end of a steam-crane and taken for days across the water, and made to carry a mortar on his back in a strange and rocky country very far from India, and had seen the Emperor Theodore lying dead in Magdala, and had come back again in the steamer entitled, so the soldiers said, to the Abyssinian war medal. He had seen his fellow-elephants die of cold and epilepsy and starvation and sunstroke up at a place called Ali Musjid, ten years later; and afterward he had been sent down thousands of miles south to haul and pile big baulks of teak in the timber-yards at Moulmein. There he had half killed an insubordinate young elephant who was shirking his fair share of the work.
"KALA NAG WAS THE BEST-LOVED ELEPHANT IN THE SERVICE."
After that he was taken off timber-hauling, and employed, with a few score other elephants who were trained to the business, in helping to catch wild elephants among the Garo hills. Elephants are very strictly preserved by the Indian Government. There is one whole department which does nothing else but hunt them, and catch them, and break them in, and send them up and down the country as they are needed for work.
Kala Nag stood ten fair feet at the shoulders, and his tusks had been cut off short at five feet, and bound round the ends, to prevent them splitting, with bands of copper; but he could do more with those stumps than any untrained elephant could do with the real sharpened ones.
When, after weeks and weeks of cautious driving of scattered elephants across the hills, the forty or fifty wild monsters were driven into the last stockade, and the big drop-gate, made of tree-trunks lashed together, jarred down behind them, Kala Nag, at the word of command, would go into that flaring, trumpeting pandemonium (generally at night, when the flicker of the torches made it difficult to judge distances), and, picking out the biggest and wildest tusker of the mob, would hammer him and hustle him into quiet while the men on the backs of the other elephants roped and tied the smaller ones.
There was nothing in the way of fighting that Kala Nag, the old wise Black Snake, did not know, for he had stood up more than once in his time to the charge of the wounded tiger, and, curling up his soft trunk to be out of harm's way, had knocked the springing brute sideways in mid-air with a quick sickle-cut of his head, that he had invented all by himself; had knocked him over, and kneeled upon him with his huge knees till the life went out with a gasp and a howl, and there was only a fluffy striped thing on the ground for Kala Nag to pull by the tail.
"Yes," said Big Toomai, his driver, the son of Black Toomai who had taken him to Abyssinia, and grandson of Toomai of the Elephants who had seen him caught, "there is nothing that the Black Snake fears except me. He has seen three generations of us feed him and groom him, and he will live to see four."
"He is afraid of me also," said Little Toomai, standing up to his full height of four feet, with only one rag upon him. He was ten years old, the eldest son of Big Toomai, and, according to custom, he would take his father's place on Kala Nag's neck when he grew up, and would handle the heavy iron ankus, the elephant-goad that had been worn smooth by his father, and his grandfather, and his great-grandfather. He knew what he was talking of; for he had been born under Kala Nag's shadow, had played with the end of his trunk before he could walk, had taken him down to water as soon as he could walk, and Kala Nag would no more have dreamed of disobeying his shrill little orders than he would have dreamed of killing him on that day when Big Toomai carried the little brown baby under Kala Nag's tusks, and told him to salute his master that was to be.
"'HE IS AFRAID OF ME,' SAID LITTLE TOOMAI, AND HE MADE KALA NAG LIFT UP
HIS FEET ONE AFTER THE OTHER."
"Yes," said Little Toomai, "he is afraid of me," and he took long strides up to Kala Nag, called him a fat old pig, and made him lift up his feet one after the other.
"Wah!" said Little Toomai, "thou art a big elephant," and he wagged his fluffy head, quoting his father. "The Government may pay for elephants, but they belong to us mahouts. When thou art old, Kala Nag, there will come some rich Rajah, and he will buy thee from the Government, on account of thy size and thy manners, and then thou wilt have nothing to do but to carry gold earrings in thy ears, and a gold howdah on thy back, and a red cloth covered with gold on thy sides, and walk at the head of the processions of the King. Then I shall sit on thy neck, O Kala Nag, with a silver ankus, and men will run before us with golden sticks, crying, 'Room for the King's elephant!' That will be good, Kala Nag, but not so good as this hunting in the jungles."
"Umph!" said Big Toomai. "Thou art a boy, and as wild as a buffalo-calf. This running up and down among the hills is not the best Government service. I am getting old, and I do not love wild elephants, Give me brick elephant-lines, one stall to each elephant, and big stumps to tie them to safely, and flat, broad roads to exercise upon, instead of this come-and-go camping. Aha, the Cawnpore barracks were good. There was a bazaar close by, and only three hours' work a day."
Little Toomai remembered the Cawnpore elephant-lines and said nothing. He very much preferred the camp life, and hated those broad, flat roads, with the daily grubbing for grass in the forage-reserve, and the long hours when there was nothing to do except to watch Kala Nag fidgeting in his pickets.
What Little Toomai liked was to scramble up bridle-paths that only an elephant could take; the dip into the valley below; the glimpses of the wild elephants browsing miles away; the rush of the frightened pig and peacock under Kala Nag's feet; the blinding warm rains, when all the hills and valleys smoked; the beautiful misty mornings when nobody knew where they would camp that night; the steady, cautious drive of the wild elephants, and the mad rush and blaze and hullaballoo of the last night's drive, when the elephants poured into the stockade like boulders in a landslide, found that they could not get out, and flung themselves at the heavy posts only to be driven back by yells and flaring torches and volleys of blank cartridge.
"HE WOULD GET HIS TORCH AND WAVE IT, AND YELL WITH THE BEST."
Even a little boy could be of use there, and Toomai was as useful as three boys. He would get his torch and wave it, and yell with the best. But the really good time came when the driving out began, and the Keddah, that is, the stockade, looked like a picture of the end of the world, and men had to make signs to one another, because they could not hear themselves speak. Then Little Toomai would climb up to the top of one of the quivering stockade-posts, his sun-bleached brown hair flying loose all over his shoulders, and he looking like a goblin in the torch-light; and as soon as there was a lull you could hear his high-pitched yells of encouragement to Kala Nag, above the trumpeting and crashing, and snapping of ropes, and groans of the tethered elephants. "Ma�l, ma�l, Kala Nag! (Go on, go on, Black Snake!) Dant do! (Give him the tusk!) Somalo! Somalo! (Careful, careful!) Maro! Mar! (Hit him, hit him!) Mind the post! Arre! Arre! Hai! Yai! Kya-a-ah!" he would shout, and the big fight between Kala Nag and the wild elephant would sway to and fro across the Keddah, and the old elephant-catchers would wipe the sweat out of their eyes, and find time to nod to Little Toomai wriggling with joy on the top of the posts.
He did more than wriggle. One night he slid down from the post and slipped in between the elephants, and threw up the loose end of a rope, which had dropped, to a driver who was trying to get a purchase on the leg of a kicking young calf (calves always give more trouble than full-grown animals). Kala Nag saw him, caught him in his trunk, and handed him up to Big Toomai, who slapped him then and there, and put him back on the post.
Next morning he gave him a scolding, and said: "Are not good brick elephant-lines and a little tent-carrying enough, that thou must needs go elephant-catching on thy own account, little worthless? Now those foolish hunters, whose pay is less than my pay, have spoken to Petersen Sahib of the matter." Little Toomai was frightened. He did not know much of white men, but Petersen Sahib was the greatest white man in the world to him. He was the head of all the Keddah operations—the man who caught all the elephants for the Government of India, and who knew more about the ways of elephants than any living man.
"What—what will happen?" said Little Toomai.
"Happen! the worst that can happen. Petersen Sahib is a madman. Else why should he go hunting these wild devils? He may even require thee to be an elephant-catcher, to sleep anywhere in these fever-filled jungles, and at last to be trampled to death in the Keddah. It is well that this nonsense ends safely. Next week the catching is over, and we of the plains are sent back to our stations. Then we will march on smooth roads, and forget all this hunting. But, son, I am angry that thou shouldst meddle in the business that belongs to these dirty Assamese jungle-folk. Kala Nag will obey none but me, so I must go with him into the Keddah, but he is only a fighting elephant, and he does not help to rope them. So I sit at my ease, as befits a mahout,—not a mere hunter,—a mahout, I say, and a man who gets a pension at the end of his service. Is the family of Toomai of the Elephants to be trodden underfoot in the dirt of a Keddah? Bad one! Wicked one! Worthless son! Go and wash Kala Nag and attend to his ears, and see that there are no thorns in his feet; or else Petersen Sahib will surely catch thee and make thee a wild hunter—a follower of elephant's foot-tracks, a jungle-bear. Bah! Shame! Go!"
Little Toomai went off without saying a word, but he told Kala Nag all his grievances while he was examining his feet. "No matter," said Little Toomai, turning up the fringe of Kala Nag's huge right ear. "They have said my name to Petersen Sahib, and perhaps—and perhaps—and perhaps—who knows? Hai! That is a big thorn that I have pulled out!"
The next few days were spent in getting the elephants together, in walking the newly caught wild elephants up and down between a couple of tame ones, to prevent them from giving too much trouble on the downward march to the plains, and in taking stock of the blankets and ropes and things that had been worn out or lost in the forest.
Petersen Sahib came in on his clever she-elephant Pudmini; he had been paying off other camps among the hills, for the season was coming to an end, and there was a native clerk sitting at a table under a tree, to pay the drivers their wages. As each man was paid he went back to his elephant, and joined the line that stood ready to start. The catchers, and hunters, and beaters, the men of the regular Keddah, who stayed in the jungle year in and year out, sat on the backs of the elephants that belonged to Petersen Sahib's permanent force, or leaned against the trees with their guns across their arms, and made fun of the drivers who were going away, and laughed when the newly caught elephants broke the line and ran about.
Big Toomai went up to the clerk with Little Toomai behind him, and Machua Appa, the head-tracker, said in an undertone to a friend of his, "There goes one piece of good elephant-stuff at least. 'T is a pity to send that young jungle-cock to moult in the plains."
Now Petersen Sahib had ears all over him, as a man must have who listens to the most silent of all living things—the wild elephant. He turned where he was lying all along on Pudmini's back, and said, "What is that? I did not know of a man among the plain-drivers who had wit enough to rope even a dead elephant."
"This is not a man, but a boy. He went into the Keddah at the last drive, and threw Barmao there the rope, when we were trying to get that young calf with the blotch on his shoulder away from his mother."
Machua Appa pointed at Little Toomai, and Petersen Sahib looked, and Little Toomai bowed to the earth.
"He throw a rope? He is smaller than a picket-pin. Little one, what is thy name?" said Petersen Sahib.
Little Toomai was too frightened to speak, but Kala Nag was behind him, and Toomai made a sign with his hand, and the elephant caught him up in his trunk and held him level with Pudmini's forehead, in front of the great Petersen Sahib. Then Little Toomai covered his face with his hands, for he was only a child, and except where elephants were concerned, he was just as bashful as a child could be.
"Oho!" said Petersen Sahib, smiling underneath his mustache, "and why didst thou teach thy elephant that trick? Was it to help thee steal green corn from the roofs of the houses when the ears are put out to dry?"
"'NOT GREEN CORN, PROTECTOR OF THE POOR,—MELONS,'
SAID LITTLE TOOMAI."
"Not green corn, Protector of the Poor,—melons," said Little Toomai, and all the men sitting about broke into a roar of laughter. Most of them had taught their elephants that trick when they were boys. Little Toomai was hanging eight feet up in the air, and he wished very much that he were eight feet underground.
"He is Toomai, my son, Sahib," said Big Toomai, scowling. "He is a very bad boy, and he will end in a jail, Sahib."
"Of that I have my doubts," said Petersen Sahib. "A boy who can face a full Keddah at his age does not end in jails. See, little one, here are four annas to spend in sweetmeats because thou hast a little head under that great thatch of hair. In time thou mayest become a hunter too." Big Toomai scowled more than ever. "Remember, though, that Keddahs are not good for children to play in," Petersen Sahib went on.
"Must I never go there, Sahib?" asked Little Toomai, with a big gasp.
"Yes." Petersen Sahib smiled again. "When thou hast seen the elephants dance. That is the proper time. Come to me when thou hast seen the elephants dance, and then I will let thee go into all the Keddahs."
There was another roar of laughter, for that is an old joke among elephant-catchers, and it means just never. There are great cleared flat places hidden away in the forests that are called elephants' ballrooms, but even these are found only by accident, and no man has ever seen the elephants dance. When a driver boasts of his skill and bravery the other drivers say, "And when didst thou see the elephants dance?"
Kala Nag put Little Toomai down, and he bowed to the earth again and went away with his father, and gave the silver four-anna piece to his mother, who was nursing his baby-brother, and they all were put up on Kala Nag's back, and the line of grunting, squealing elephants rolled down the hill-path to the plains. It was a very lively march on account of the new elephants, who gave trouble at every ford, and who needed coaxing or beating every other minute.
Big Toomai prodded Kala Nag spitefully, for he was very angry, but Little Toomai was too happy to speak. Petersen Sahib had noticed him, and given him money, so he felt as a private soldier would feel if he had been called out of the ranks and praised by his commander-in-chief.
"What did Petersen Sahib mean by the elephant-dance?" he said, at last, softly to his mother.
Big Toomai heard him and grunted. "That thou shouldst never be one of these hill-buffaloes of trackers. That was what he meant. Oh you in front, what is blocking the way?"
An Assamese driver, two or three elephants ahead, turned round angrily, crying: "Bring up Kala Nag, and knock this youngster of mine into good behavior. Why should Petersen Sahib have chosen me to go down with you donkeys of the rice-fields? Lay your beast alongside, Toomai, and let him prod with his tusks. By all the Gods of the Hills, these new elephants are possessed, or else they can smell their companions in the jungle."
Kala Nag hit the new elephant in the ribs and knocked the wind out of him, as Big Toomai said, "We have swept the hills of wild elephants at the last catch. It is only your carelessness in driving. Must I keep order along the whole line?"
"Hear him!" said the other driver. "We have swept the hills! Ho! ho! You are very wise, you plains-people. Any one but a mudhead who never saw the jungle would know that they know that the drives are ended for the season. Therefore all the wild elephants to-night will—but why should I waste wisdom on a river-turtle?"
"What will they do?" Little Toomai called out.
"Oh�, little one. Art thou there? Well, I will tell thee, for thou hast a cool head. They will dance, and it behooves thy father, who has swept all the hills of all the elephants, to double-chain his pickets to-night."
"What talk is this?" said Big Toomai. "For forty years, father and son, we have tended elephants, and we have never heard such moonshine about dances."
"Yes; but a plains-man who lives in a hut knows only the four walls of his hut. Well, leave thy elephants unshackled to-night and see what comes; as for their dancing, I have seen the place where—Bapree-Bap! how many windings has the Dihang River? Here is another ford, and we must swim the calves. Stop still, you behind there."
And in this way, talking and wrangling and splashing through the rivers, they made their first march to a sort of receiving-camp for the new elephants; but they lost their tempers long before they got there.
Then the elephants were chained by their hind legs to their big stumps of pickets, and extra ropes were fitted to the new elephants, and the fodder was piled before them, and the hill-drivers went back to Petersen Sahib through the afternoon light, telling the plains-drivers to be extra careful that night, and laughing when the plains-drivers asked the reason.
Little Toomai attended to Kala Nag's supper, and as evening fell, wandered through the camp, unspeakably happy, in search of a tom-tom. When an Indian child's heart is full, he does not run about and make a noise in an irregular fashion. He sits down to a sort of revel all by himself. And Little Toomai had been spoken to by Petersen Sahib! If he had not found what he wanted I believe he would have burst. But the sweatmeat-seller in the camp lent him a little tom-tom—a drum beaten with the flat of the hand—and he sat down, cross-legged, before Kala Nag as the stars began to come out, the tom-tom in his lap, and he thumped and he thumped and he thumped, and the more he thought of the great honor that had been done to him, the more he thumped, all alone among the elephant-fodder. There was no tune and no words, but the thumping made him happy.
The new elephants strained at their ropes, and squealed and trumpeted from time to time, and he could hear his mother in the camp hut putting his small brother to sleep with an old, old song about the great God Shiv, who once told all the animals what they should eat. It is a very soothing lullaby, and the first verse says:
Shiv, who poured the harvest and made the winds to blow,
Sitting at the doorways of a day of long ago,
Gave to each his portion, food and toil and fate,
From the King upon the guddee to the Beggar at the gate.
All things made he—Shiva the Preserver.
Mahadeo! Mahadeo! he made all,—
Thorn for the camel, fodder for the kine,
And mother's heart for sleepy head, O little son of mine!
Little Toomai came in with a joyous tunk-a-tunk at the end of each verse, till he felt sleepy and stretched himself on the fodder at Kala Nag's side.
At last the elephants began to lie down one after another as is their custom, till only Kala Nag at the right of the line was left standing up; and he rocked slowly from side to side, his ears put forward to listen to the night wind as it blew very slowly across the hills. The air was full of all the night noises that, taken together, make one big silence—the click of one bamboo-stem against the other, the rustle of something alive in the undergrowth, the scratch and squawk of a half-waked bird (birds are awake in the night much more often than we imagine), and the fall of water ever so far away. Little Toomai slept for some time, and when he waked it was brilliant moonlight, and Kala Nag was still standing up with his ears cocked. Little Toomai turned, rustling in the fodder, and watched the curve of his big back against half the stars in heaven, and while he watched he heard, so far away that it sounded no more than a pinhole of noise pricked through the stillness, the "hoot-toot" of a wild elephant.
All the elephants in the lines jumped up as if they had been shot, and their grunts at last waked the sleeping mahouts, and they came out and drove in the picket-pegs with big mallets, and tightened this rope and knotted that till all was quiet. One new elephant had nearly grubbed up his picket, and Big Toomai took off Kala Nag's leg-chain and shackled that elephant fore foot to hind foot, but slipped a loop of grass-string round Kala Nag's leg, and told him to remember that he was tied fast. He knew that he and his father and his grandfather had done the very same thing hundreds of times before. Kala Nag did not answer to the order by gurgling, as he usually did. He stood still, looking out across the moonlight, his head a little raised and his ears spread like fans, up to the great folds of the Garo hills.
"Look to him if he grows restless in the night," said Big Toomai to Little Toomai, and he went into the hut and slept. Little Toomai was just going to sleep, too, when he heard the coir string snap with a little "tang," and Kala Nag rolled out of his pickets as slowly and as silently as a cloud rolls out of the mouth of a valley. Little Toomai pattered after him, bare-footed, down the road in the moonlight, calling under his breath, "Kala Nag! Kala Nag! Take me with you, O Kala Nag!" The elephant turned without a sound, took three strides back to the boy in the moonlight, put down his trunk, swung him up to his neck, and almost before Little Toomai had settled his knees, slipped into the forest.
There was one blast of furious trumpeting from the lines, and then the silence shut down on everything, and Kala Nag began to move. Sometimes a tuft of high grass washed along his sides as a wave washes along the sides of a ship, and sometimes a cluster of wild-pepper vines would scrape along his back, or a bamboo would creak where his shoulder touched it; but between those times he moved absolutely without any sound, drifting through the thick Garo forest as though it had been smoke. He was going uphill, but though Little Toomai watched the stars in the rifts of the trees, he could not tell in what direction.
Then Kala Nag reached the crest of the ascent and stopped for a minute, and Little Toomai could see the tops of the trees lying all speckled and furry under the moonlight for miles and miles, and the blue-white mist over the river in the hollow. Toomai leaned forward and looked, and he felt that the forest was awake below him—awake and alive and crowded. A big brown fruit-eating bat brushed past his ear; a porcupine's quills rattled in the thicket, and in the darkness between the tree-stems he heard a hog-bear digging hard in the moist warm earth, and snuffing as it digged.
Then the branches closed over his head again, and Kala Nag began to go down into the valley—not quietly this time, but as a runaway gun goes down a steep bank—in one rush. The huge limbs moved as steadily as pistons, eight feet to each stride, and the wrinkled skin of the elbow-points rustled. The undergrowth on either side of him ripped with a noise like torn canvas, and the saplings that he heaved away right and left with his shoulders sprang back again, and banged him on the flank, and great trails of creepers, all matted together, hung from his tusks as he threw his head from side to side and plowed out his pathway. Then Little Toomai laid himself down close to the great neck, lest a swinging bough should sweep him to the ground, and he wished that he were back in the lines again.
The grass began to get squashy, and Kala Nag's feet sucked and squelched as he put them down, and the night mist at the bottom of the valley chilled Little Toomai. There was a splash and a trample, and the rush of running water, and Kala Nag strode through the bed of a river, feeling his way at each step. Above the noise of the water, as it swirled round the elephant's legs, Little Toomai could hear more splashing and some trumpeting both up-stream and down—great grunts and angry snortings, and all the mist about him seemed to be full of rolling wavy shadows.
"Ai!" he said, half aloud, his teeth chattering. "The elephant-folk are out to-night. It is the dance, then."
Kala Nag swashed out of the water, blew his trunk clear, and began another climb; but this time he was not alone, and he had not to make his path. That was made already, six feet wide, in front of him, where the bent jungle-grass was trying to recover itself and stand up. Many elephants must have gone that way only a few minutes before. Little Toomai looked back, and behind him a great wild tusker with his little pig's eyes glowing like hot coals, was just lifting himself out of the misty river. Then the trees closed up again, and they went on and up, with trumpetings and crashings, and the sound of breaking branches on every side of them.
At last Kala Nag stood still between two tree-trunks at the very top of the hill. They were part of a circle of trees that grew round an irregular space of some three or four acres, and in all that space, as Little Toomai could see, the ground had been trampled down as hard as a brick floor. Some trees grew in the center of the clearing, but their bark was rubbed away, and the white wood beneath showed all shiny and polished in the patches of moonlight. There were creepers hanging from the upper branches, and the bells of the flowers of the creepers, great waxy white things like convolvuluses, hung down fast asleep; but within the limits of the clearing there was not a single blade of green—nothing but the trampled earth.
The moonlight showed it all iron-gray, except where some elephants stood upon it, and their shadows were inky black. Little Toomai looked, holding his breath, with his eyes starting out of his head, and as he looked, more and more and more elephants swung out into the open from between the tree-trunks. Little Toomai could count only up to ten, and he counted again and again on his fingers till he lost count of the tens, and his head began to swim. Outside the clearing he could hear them crashing in the undergrowth as they worked their way up the hillside; but as soon as they were within the circle of the tree-trunks they moved like ghosts.
There were white-tusked wild males, with fallen leaves and nuts and twigs lying in the wrinkles of their necks and the folds of their ears; fat slow-footed she-elephants, with restless, little pinky-black calves only three or four feet high running under their stomachs; young elephants with their tusks just beginning to show, and very proud of them; lanky, scraggy old-maid elephants, with their hollow anxious faces, and trunks like rough bark; savage old bull-elephants, scarred from shoulder to flank with great weals and cuts of bygone fights, and the caked dirt of their solitary mud-baths dropping from their shoulders; and there was one with a broken tusk and the marks of the full-stroke, the terrible drawing scrape, of a tiger's claws on his side.
They were standing head to head, or walking to and fro across the ground in couples, or rocking and swaying all by themselves—scores and scores of elephants.
Toomai knew that so long as he lay still on Kala Nag's neck nothing would happen to him; for even in the rush and scramble of a Keddah-drive a wild elephant does not reach up with his trunk and drag a man off the neck of a tame elephant; and these elephants were not thinking of men that night. Once they started and put their ears forward when they heard the chinking of a leg-iron in the forest, but it was Pudmini, Petersen Sahib's pet elephant, her chain snapped short off, grunting, snuffling up the hillside. She must have broken her pickets, and come straight from Petersen Sahib's camp; and Little Toomai saw another elephant, one that he did not know, with deep rope-galls on his back and breast. He, too, must have run away from some camp in the hills about.
At last there was no sound of any more elephants moving in the forest, and Kala Nag rolled out from his station between the trees and went into the middle of the crowd, clucking and gurgling, and all the elephants began to talk in their own tongue, and to move about.
"LITTLE TOOMAI LOOKED DOWN UPON SCORES AND SCORES
OF BROAD BACKS."
Still lying down, Little Toomai looked down upon scores and scores of broad backs, and wagging ears, and tossing trunks, and little rolling eyes. He heard the click of tusks as they crossed other tusks by accident, and the dry rustle of trunks twined together, and the chafing of enormous sides and shoulders in the crowd, and the incessant flick and hissh of the great tails. Then a cloud came over the moon, and he sat in black darkness; but the quiet, steady hustling and pushing and gurgling went on just the same. He knew that there were elephants all round Kala Nag, and that there was no chance of backing him out of the assembly; so he set his teeth and shivered. In a Keddah at least there was torch-light and shouting, but here he was all alone in the dark, and once a trunk came up and touched him on the knee.
Then an elephant trumpeted, and they all took it up for five or ten terrible seconds. The dew from the trees above spattered down like rain on the unseen backs, and a dull booming noise began, not very loud at first, and Little Toomai could not tell what it was; but it grew and grew, and Kala Nag lifted up one fore foot and then the other, and brought them down on the ground—one-two, one-two, as steadily as trip-hammers. The elephants were stamping altogether now, and it sounded like a war-drum beaten at the mouth of a cave. The dew fell from the trees till there was no more left to fall, and the booming went on, and the ground rocked and shivered, and Little Toomai put his hands up to his ears to shut out the sound. But it was all one gigantic jar that ran through him—this stamp of hundreds of heavy feet on the raw earth. Once or twice he could feel Kala Nag and all the others surge forward a few strides, and the thumping would change to the crushing sound of juicy green things being bruised, but in a minute or two the boom of feet on hard earth began again. A tree was creaking and groaning somewhere near him. He put out his arm and felt the bark, but Kala Nag moved forward, still tramping, and he could not tell where he was in the clearing. There was no sound from the elephants, except once, when two or three little calves squeaked together. Then he heard a thump and a shuffle, and the booming went on. It must have lasted fully two hours, and Little Toomai ached in every nerve; but he knew by the smell of the night air that the dawn was coming.
The morning broke in one sheet of pale yellow behind the green hills, and the booming stopped with the first ray, as though the light had been an order. Before Little Toomai had got the ringing out of his head, before even he had shifted his position, there was not an elephant in sight except Kala Nag, Pudmini, and the elephant with the rope-galls, and there was neither sign nor rustle nor whisper down the hillsides to show where the others had gone.
Little Toomai stared again and again. The clearing, as he remembered it, had grown in the night. More trees stood in the middle of it, but the undergrowth and the jungle-grass at the sides had been rolled back. Little Toomai stared once more. Now he understood the trampling. The elephants had stamped out more room—had stamped the thick grass and juicy cane to trash, the trash into slivers, the slivers into tiny fibers, and the fibers into hard earth.
"Wah!" said Little Toomai, and his eyes were very heavy. "Kala Nag, my lord, let us keep by Pudmini and go to Peterson Sahib's camp, or I shall drop from thy neck."
The third elephant watched the two go away, snorted, wheeled round, and took his own path. He may have belonged to some little native king's establishment, fifty or sixty or a hundred miles away.
Two hours later, as Petersen Sahib was eating early breakfast, his elephants, who had been double-chained that night, began to trumpet, and Pudmini, mired to the shoulders, with Kala Nag, very foot-sore, shambled into the camp.
Little Toomai's face was gray and pinched, and his hair was full of leaves and drenched with dew; but he tried to salute Petersen Sahib, and cried faintly: "The dance—the elephant-dance! I have seen it, and—I die!" As Kala Nag sat down, he slid off his neck in a dead faint.
But, since native children have no nerves worth speaking of, in two hours he was lying very contentedly in Petersen Sahib's hammock with Petersen Sahib's shooting-coat under his head, and a glass of warm milk, a little brandy, with a dash of quinine inside of him, and while the old hairy, scarred hunters of the jungles sat three-deep before him, looking at him as though he were a spirit, he told his tale in short words, as a child will, and wound up with:
"Now, if I lie in one word, send men to see, and they will find that the elephant-folk have trampled down more room in their dance-room, and they will find ten and ten, and many times ten, tracks leading to that dance-room. They made more room with their feet. I have seen it. Kala Nag took me, and I saw. Also Kala Nag is very leg-weary!"
Little Toomai lay back and slept all through the long afternoon and into the twilight, and while he slept Petersen Sahib and Machua Appa followed the track of the two elephants for fifteen miles across the hills. Petersen Sahib had spent eighteen years in catching elephants, and he had only once before found such a dance-place. Machua Appa had no need to look twice at the clearing to see what had been done there, or to scratch with his toe in the packed, rammed earth.
"The child speaks truth," said he. "All this was done last night, and I have counted seventy tracks crossing the river. See, Sahib, where Pudmini's leg-iron cut the bark of that tree! Yes; she was there too."
They looked at each other, and up and down, and they wondered; for the ways of elephants are beyond the wit of any man, black or white, to fathom.
"Forty years and five," said Machua Appa, "have I followed my lord, the elephant, but never have I heard that any child of man had seen what this child has seen. By all the Gods of the Hills, it is—what can we say?" and he shook his head.
When they got back to camp it was time for the evening meal. Peterson Sahib ate alone in his tent, but he gave orders that the camp should have two sheep and some fowls, as well as a double-ration of flour and rice and salt, for he knew that there would be a feast.
Big Toomai had come up hot-foot from the camp in the plains to search for his son and his elephant, and now that he had found them he looked at them as though he were afraid of them both. And there was a feast by the blazing campfires in front of the lines of picketed elephants, and Little Toomai was the hero of it all; and the big brown elephant-catchers, the trackers and drivers and ropers, and the men who know all the secrets of breaking the wildest elephants, passed him from one to the other, and they marked his forehead with blood from the breast of a newly killed jungle-cock, to show that he was a forester, initiated and free of all the jungles.
And at last, when the flames died down, and the red light of the logs made the elephants look as though they had been dipped in blood too, Machua Appa, the head of all the drivers of all the Keddahs—Machua Appa, Petersen Sahib's other self, who had never seen a made road in forty years: Machua Appa, who was so great that he had no other name than Machua Appa—leaped to his feet, with Little Toomai held high in the air above his head, and shouted: "Listen, my brothers. Listen, too, you my lords in the lines there, for I, Machua Appa, am speaking! This little one shall no more be called Little Toomai, but Toomai of the Elephants, as his great-grandfather was called before him. What never man has seen he has seen through the long night, and the favor of the elephant-folk and of the Gods of the Jungles is with him. He shall become a great tracker; he shall become greater than I, even I, Machua Appa! He shall follow the new trail, and the stale trail, and the mixed trail, with a clear eye! He shall take no harm in the Keddah when he runs under their bellies to rope the wild tuskers; and if he slips before the feet of the charging bull-elephant that bull-elephant shall know who he is and shall not crush him. Aihai! my lords in the chains,"—he whirled up the line of pickets,—"here is the little one that has seen your dances in your hidden places—the sight that never man saw! Give him honor, my lords! Salaam karo, my children. Make your salute to Toomai of the Elephants! Gunga Pershad, ahaa! Hira Guj, Birchi Guj, Kuttar Guj, ahaa! Pudmini,—thou hast seen him at the dance, and thou too, Kala Nag, my pearl among elephants!—ahaa! Together! To Toomai of the Elephants. Barrao!"
"'TO TOOMAI OF THE ELEPHANTS. BARRAO!'"
And at that last wild yell the whole line flung up their trunks till the tips touched their foreheads, and broke out into the full salute—the crashing trumpet-peal that only the Viceroy of India hears, the Salaamut of the Keddah.
But it was all for the sake of Little Toomai, who had seen what never man had seen before—the dance of the elephants at night and alone in the heart of the Garo hills!
SHIV AND THE GRASSHOPPER
(THE SONG THAT TOOMAI'S MOTHER SANG TO THE BABY)
Shiv, who poured the harvest and made the winds to blow,
Sitting at the doorways of a day of long ago,
Gave to each his portion, food and toil and fate,
From the King upon the guddee to the Beggar at the gate.
All things made he—Shiva the Preserver,
Mahadeo! Mahadeo! he made all,—
Thorn for the camel, fodder for the kine,
And mother's heart for sleepy head, O little son of mine!
Wheat he gave to rich folk, millet to the poor,
Broken scraps for holy men that beg from door to door;
Cattle to the tiger, carrion to the kite,
And rags and bones to wicked wolves without the wall at night.
Naught he found too lofty, none he saw too low—
Parbati beside him watched them come and go;
Thought to cheat her husband, turning Shiv to jest—
Stole the little grasshopper and hid it in her breast.
So she tricked him, Shiva the Preserver.
Mahadeo! Mahadeo! turn and see.
Tall are the camels, heavy are the kine,
But this was least of little things, O little son of mine!
When the dole was ended, laughingly she said,
"Master, of a million mouths is not one unfed?"
Laughing, Shiv made answer, "All have had their part,
Even he, the little one, hidden 'neath thy heart."
From her breast she plucked it, Parbati the thief,
Saw the Least of Little Things gnawed a new-grown leaf!
Saw and feared and wondered, making prayer to Shiv,
Who hath surely given meat to all that live.
All things made he—Shiva the Preserver.
Mahadeo! Mahadeo! he made all,—
Thorn for the camel, fodder for the kine,
And mother's heart for sleepy head, O little son of mine!
HER MAJESTY'S SERVANTS
You can work it out by Fractions or by simple Rule of Three,
But the way of Tweedle-dum is not the way of Tweedle-dee.
You can twist it, you can turn it, you can plait it till you drop
But the way of Pilly-Winky's not the way of Winkie-Pop!
HER MAJESTY'S SERVANTS
IT had been raining heavily for one whole month—raining on a camp of thirty thousand men, thousands of camels, elephants, horses, bullocks, and mules, all gathered together at a place called Rawal Pindi, to be reviewed by the Viceroy of India. He was receiving a visit from the Amir of Afghanistan—a wild king of a very wild country; and the Amir had brought with him for a bodyguard eight hundred men and horses who had never seen a camp or a locomotive before in their lives—savage men and savage horses from somewhere at the back of Central Asia. Every night a mob of these horses would be sure to break their heel-ropes, and stampede up and down the camp through the mud in the dark, or the camels would break loose and run about and fall over the ropes of the tents, and you can imagine how pleasant that was for men trying to go to sleep. My tent lay far away from the camel lines, and I thought it was safe; but one night a man popped his head in and shouted, "Get out, quick! They're coming! My tent's gone!"
I knew who "they" were; so I put on my boots and waterproof and scuttled out into the slush. Little Vixen, my fox-terrier, went out through the other side; and then there was a roaring and a grunting and bubbling, and I saw the tent cave in, as the pole snapped, and begin to dance about like a mad ghost. A camel had blundered into it, and wet and angry as I was, I could not help laughing. Then I ran on, because I did not know how many camels might have got loose, and before long I was out of sight of the camp, plowing my way through the mud.
"A CAMEL HAD BLUNDERED INTO MY TENT."
At last I fell over the tail-end of a gun, and by that knew I was somewhere near the Artillery lines where the cannon were stacked at night. As I did not want to plowter about any more in the drizzle and the dark, I put my waterproof over the muzzle of one gun, and made a sort of wigwam with two or three rammers that I found, and lay along the tail of another gun, wondering where Vixen had got to, and where I might be.
Just as I was getting ready to sleep I heard a jingle of harness and a grunt, and a mule passed me shaking his wet ears. He belonged to a screw-gun battery, for I could hear the rattle of the straps and rings and chains and things on his saddle-pad. The screw-guns are tidy little cannon made in two pieces, that are screwed together when the time comes to use them. They are taken up mountains, anywhere that a mule can find a road, and they are very useful for fighting in rocky country.
Behind the mule there was a camel, with his big soft feet squelching and slipping in the mud, and his neck bobbing to and fro like a strayed hen's. Luckily, I knew enough of beast language—not wild-beast language, but camp-beast language, of course—from the natives to know what he was saying.
He must have been the one that flopped into my tent, for he called to the mule, "What shall I do? Where shall I go? I have fought with a white thing that waved, and it took a stick and hit me on the neck." (That was my broken tentpole, and I was very glad to know it.) "Shall we run on?"
"Oh, it was you," said the mule, "you and your friends, that have been disturbing the camp? All right. You'll be beaten for this in the morning; but I may as well give you something on account now."
I heard the harness jingle as the mule backed and caught the camel two kicks in the ribs that rang like a drum. "Another time," he said, "you'll know better than to run through a mule-battery at night, shouting 'Thieves and fire!' Sit down, and keep your silly neck quiet."
The camel doubled up camel-fashion, like a two-foot rule, and sat down whimpering. There was a regular beat of hoofs in the darkness, and a big troop-horse cantered up as steadily as though he were on parade, jumped a gun-tail, and landed close to the mule.
"It's disgraceful," he said, blowing out his nostrils. "Those camels have racketed through our lines again—the third time this week. How's a horse to keep his condition if he isn't allowed to sleep? Who's here?"
"I'm the breech-piece mule of number two gun of the First Screw Battery," said the mule, "and the other's one of your friends. He's waked me up too. Who are you?"
"Number Fifteen, E troop, Ninth Lancers—Dick Cunliffe's horse. Stand over a little, there."
"Oh, beg your pardon," said the mule. "It's too dark to see much. Aren't these camels too sickening for anything? I walked out of my lines to get a little peace and quiet here."
"My lords," said the camel humbly, "we dreamed bad dreams in the night, and we were very much afraid. I am only a baggage-camel of the 39th Native Infantry, and I am not so brave as you are, my lords."
"Then why the pickets didn't you stay and carry baggage for the 39th Native Infantry, instead of running all round the camp?" said the mule.
"They were such very bad dreams," said the camel. "I am sorry. Listen! What is that? Shall we run on again?"
"Sit down," said the mule, "or you'll snap your long legs between the guns." He cocked one ear and listened. "Bullocks!" he said; "gun-bullocks. On my word, you and your friends have waked the camp very thoroughly. It takes a good deal of prodding to put up a gun-bullock."
I heard a chain dragging along the ground, and a yoke of the great sulky white bullocks that drag the heavy siege-guns when the elephants won't go any nearer to the firing, came shouldering along together; and almost stepping on the chain was another battery-mule, calling wildly for "Billy."
"That's one of our recruits," said the old mule to the troop-horse. "He's calling for me. Here, youngster, stop squealing; the dark never hurt anybody yet."
The gun-bullocks lay down together and began chewing the cud, but the young mule huddled close to Billy.
"Things!" he said; "fearful and horrible things, Billy! They came into our lines while we were asleep. D'you think they'll kill us?"
"I've a very great mind to give you a number one kicking," said Billy. "The idea of a fourteen-hand mule with your training disgracing the battery before this gentleman!"
"Gently, gently!" said the troop-horse. "Remember they are always like this to begin with. The first time I ever saw a man (it was in Australia when I was a three-year-old) I ran for half a day, and if I'd seen a camel I should have been running still."
Nearly all our horses for the English cavalry are brought to India from Australia, and are broken in by the troopers themselves.
"True enough," said Billy. "Stop shaking, youngster. The first time they put the full harness with all its chains on my back, I stood on my fore legs and kicked every bit of it off. I hadn't learned the real science of kicking then, but the battery said they had never seen anything like it."
"But this wasn't harness or anything that jingled," said the young mule. "You know I don't mind that now, Billy. It was Things like trees, and they fell up and down the lines and bubbled; and my head-rope broke, and I couldn't find my driver, and I couldn't find you, Billy, so I ran off with—with these gentlemen."
"H'm!" said Billy. "As soon as I heard the camels were loose I came away on my own account, quietly. When a battery—a screw-gun mule calls gun-bullocks gentlemen, he must be very badly shaken up. Who are you fellows on the ground there?"
The gun-bullocks rolled their cuds, and answered both together: "The seventh yoke of the first gun of the Big Gun Battery. We were asleep when the camels came, but when we were trampled on we got up and walked away. It is better to lie quiet in the mud than to be disturbed on good bedding. We told your friend here that there was nothing to be afraid of, but he knew so much that he thought otherwise. Wah!"
They went on chewing.
"That comes of being afraid," said Billy. "You get laughed at by gun-bullocks. I hope you like it, young 'un."
The young mule's teeth snapped, and I heard him say something about not being afraid of any beefy old bullock in the world; but the bullocks only clicked their horns together and went on chewing.
"Now, don't be angry after you've been afraid. That's the worst kind of cowardice," said the troop-horse. "Anybody can be forgiven for being scared in the night, I think, if they see things they don't understand. We've broken out of our pickets, again and again, four hundred and fifty of us, just because a new recruit got to telling tales of whip-snakes at home in Australia till we were scared to death of the loose ends of our head-ropes."
"'ANYBODY CAN BE FORGIVEN FOR BEING SCARED IN THE NIGHT,'
SAID THE TROOP-HORSE."
"That's all very well in camp," said Billy; "I'm not above stampeding myself, for the fun of the thing, when I haven't been out for a day or two; but what do you do on active service?"
"Oh, that's quite another set of new shoes," said the troop-horse. "Dick Cunliffe's on my back then, and drives his knees into me, and all I have to do is to watch where I am putting my feet, and to keep my hind legs well under me, and be bridle-wise."
"What's bridle-wise?" said the young mule.
"By the Blue Gums of the Back Blocks," snorted the troop-horse, "do you mean to say that you aren't taught to be bridle-wise in your business? How can you do anything, unless you can spin round at once when the rein is pressed on your neck? It means life or death to your man, and of course that's life or death to you. Get round with your hind legs under you the instant you feel the rein on your neck. If you haven't room to swing round, rear up a little and come round on your hind legs. That's being bridle-wise."
"We aren't taught that way," said Billy the mule stiffly. "We're taught to obey the man at our head: step off when he says so, and step in when he says so. I suppose it comes to the same thing. Now, with all this fine fancy business and rearing, which must be very bad for your hocks, what do you do?"
"That depends," said the troop-horse. "Generally I have to go in among a lot of yelling, hairy men with knives,—long shiny knives, worse than the farrier's knives,—and I have to take care that Dick's boot is just touching the next man's boot without crushing it. I can see Dick's lance to the right of my right eye, and I know I'm safe. I shouldn't care to be the man or horse that stood up to Dick and me when we're in a hurry."
"Don't the knives hurt?" said the young mule.
"Well, I got one cut across the chest once, but that wasn't Dick's fault—"
"A lot I should have cared whose fault it was, if it hurt!" said the young mule.
"You must," said the troop-horse. "If you don't trust your man, you may as well run away at once. That's what some of our horses do, and I don't blame them. As I was saying, it wasn't Dick's fault. The man was lying on the ground, and I stretched myself not to tread on him, and he slashed up at me. Next time I have to go over a man lying down I shall step on him—hard."
"'THE MAN WAS LYING ON THE GROUND, AND I STRETCHED
MYSELF NOT TO TREAD ON HIM, AND HE SLASHED UP AT ME.'"
"H'm!" said Billy; "it sounds very foolish. Knives are dirty things at any time. The proper thing to do is to climb up a mountain with a well-balanced saddle, hang on by all four feet and your ears too, and creep and crawl and wriggle along, till you come out hundreds of feet above any one else, on a ledge where there's just room enough for your hoofs. Then you stand still and keep quiet,—never ask a man to hold your head, young 'un,—keep quiet while the guns are being put together, and then you watch the little poppy shells drop down into the tree-tops ever so far below."
"Don't you ever trip?" said the troop-horse.
"They say that when a mule trips you can split a hen's ear," said Billy. "Now and again per-haps a badly packed saddle will upset a mule, but it's very seldom. I wish I could show you our business. It's beautiful. Why, it took me three years to find out what the men were driving at. The science of the thing is never to show up against the sky-line, because, if you do, you may get fired at. Remember that, young 'un. Always keep hidden as much as possible, even if you have to go a mile out of your way. I lead the battery when it comes to that sort of climbing."
"Fired at without the chance of running into the people who are firing!" said the troop-horse, thinking hard. "I couldn't stand that. I should want to charge, with Dick."
"Oh no, you wouldn't; you know that as soon as the guns are in position they'll do all the charging. That's scientific and neat; but knives—pah!"
The baggage-camel had been bobbing his head to and fro for some time past, anxious to get a word in edgeways. Then I heard him say, as he cleared his throat, nervously:
"I—I—I have fought a little, but not in that climbing way or that running way."
"No. Now you mention it," said Billy, "you don't look as though you were made for climbing or running—much. Well, how was it, old Hay-bales?"
"The proper way," said the camel. "We all sat down—"
"Oh, my crupper and breastplate!" said the troop-horse under his breath. "Sat down?"
"We sat down—a hundred of us," the camel went on, "in a big square, and the men piled our packs and saddles outside the square, and they fired over our backs, the men did, on all sides of the square."
"What sort of men? Any men that came along?" said the troop-horse. "They teach us in riding-school to lie down and let our masters fire across us, but Dick Cunliffe is the only man I'd trust to do that. It tickles my girths, and, besides, I can't see with my head on the ground."
"What does it matter who fires across you?" said the camel. "There are plenty of men and plenty of other camels close by, and a great many clouds of smoke. I am not frightened then. I sit still and wait."
"And yet," said Billy, "you dream bad dreams and upset the camp at night. Well! well! Before I'd lie down, not to speak of sitting down, and let a man fire across me, my heels and his head would have something to say to each other. Did you ever hear anything so awful as that?"
There was a long silence, and then one of the gun-bullocks lifted up his big head and said, "This is very foolish indeed. There is only one way of fighting."
"Oh, go on," said Billy. "Please don't mind me. I suppose you fellows fight standing on your tails?"
"Only one way," said the two together. (They must have been twins.) "This is that way. To put all twenty yoke of us to the big gun as soon as Two Tails trumpets." ("Two Tails" is camp slang for the elephant.)
"What does Two Tails trumpet for?" said the young mule.
"To show that he is not going any nearer to the smoke on the other side. Two Tails is a great coward. Then we tug the big gun all together—Heya—Hullah! Heeyah! Hullah! We do not climb like cats nor run like calves. We go across the level plain, twenty yoke of us, till we are unyoked again, and we graze while the big guns talk across the plain to some town with mud walls, and pieces of the wall fall out, and the dust goes up as though many cattle were coming home."
"Oh! And you choose that time for grazing do you?" said the young mule.
"That time or any other. Eating is always good. We eat till we are yoked up again and tug the gun back to where Two Tails is waiting for it. Sometimes there are big guns in the city that speak back, and some of us are killed, and then there is all the more grazing for those that are left. This is Fate—nothing but Fate. None the less, Two Tails is a great coward. That is the proper way to fight. We are brothers from Hapur. Our father was a sacred bull of Shiva. We have spoken."
"Well, I've certainly learned something tonight," said the troop-horse. "Do you gentlemen of the screw-gun battery feel inclined to eat when you are being fired at with big guns, and Two Tails is behind you?"
"About as much as we feel inclined to sit down and let men sprawl all over us, or run into people with knives. I never heard such stuff. A mountain ledge, a well-balanced load, a driver you can trust to let you pick your own way, and I'm your mule; but the other things—no!" said Billy, with a stamp of his foot.
"Of course," said the troop-horse, "every one is not made in the same way, and I can quite see that your family, on your father's side, would fail to understand a great many things."
"Never you mind my family on my father's side," said Billy angrily; for every mule hates to be reminded that his father was a donkey. "My father was a Southern gentleman, and he could pull down and bite and kick into rags every horse he came across. Remember that, you big brown Brumby!"
Brumby means wild horse without any breeding. Imagine the feelings of Sunol if a car-horse called her a "skate," and you can imagine how the Australian horse felt. I saw the white of his eye glitter in the dark.
"See here, you son of an imported Malaga jackass," he said between his teeth, "I'd have you know that I'm related on my mother's side to Carbine, winner of the Melbourne Cup, and where I come from we aren't accustomed to being ridden over roughshod by any parrot-mouthed, pig-headed mule in a pop-gun peashooter battery. Are you ready?"
"On your hind legs!" squealed Billy. They both reared up facing each other, and I was expecting a furious fight, when a gurgly, rumbly voice called out of the darkness to the right—"Children, what are you fighting about there? Be quiet."
Both beasts dropped down with a snort of disgust, for neither horse nor mule can bear to listen to an elephant's voice.
"It's Two Tails!" said the troop-horse. "I can't stand him. A tail at each end isn't fair!"
"My feelings exactly," said Billy, crowding into the troop-horse for company. "We're very alike in some things."
"I suppose we've inherited them from our mothers," said the troop-horse. "It's not worth quarreling about. Hi! Two Tails, are you tied up?"
"Yes," said Two Tails, with a laugh all up his trunk. "I'm picketed for the night. I've heard what you fellows have been saying. But don't be afraid. I'm not coming over."
The bullocks and the camel said, half aloud: "Afraid of Two Tails—what nonsense!" And the bullocks went on: "We are sorry that you heard, but it is true. Two Tails, why are you afraid of the guns when they fire?"
"Well," said Two Tails, rubbing one hind leg against the other, exactly like a little boy saying a piece, "I don't quite know whether you'd understand."
"We don't, but we have to pull the guns," said the bullocks.
"I know it, and I know you are a good deal braver than you think you are. But it's different with me. My battery captain called me a Pachydermatous Anachronism the other day."
"That's another way of fighting, I suppose?" said Billy, who was recovering his spirits.
"You don't know what that means, of course, but I do. It means betwixt and between, and that is just where I am. I can see inside my head what will happen when a shell bursts; and you bullocks can't."
"I can," said the troop-horse. "At least a little bit. I try not to think about it."
"I can see more than you, and I do think about it. I know there's a great deal of me to take care of, and I know that nobody knows how to cure me when I'm sick. All they can do is to stop my driver's pay till I get well, and I can't trust my driver."
"Ah!" said the troop-horse. "That explains it. I can trust Dick."
"You could put a whole regiment of Dicks on my back without making me feel any better. I know just enough to be uncomfortable, and not enough to go on in spite of it."
"We do not understand," said the bullocks.
"I know you don't. I'm not talking to you. You don't know what blood is."
"We do," said the bullocks. "It is red stuff that soaks into the ground and smells."
The troop-horse gave a kick and a bound and a snort.
"Don't talk of it," he said. "I can smell it now, just thinking of it. It makes me want to run—when I haven't Dick on my back."
"But it is not here," said the camel and the bullocks. "Why are you so stupid?"
"It's vile stuff," said Billy. "I don't want to run, but I don't want to talk about it."
"There you are!" said Two Tails, waving his tail to explain.
"Surely. Yes, we have been here all night," said the bullocks.
Two Tails stamped his foot till the iron ring on it jingled. "Oh, I'm not talking to you. You can't see inside your heads."
"No. We see out of our four eyes," said the bullocks. "We see straight in front of us."
"If I could do that and nothing else you wouldn't be needed to pull the big guns at all. If I was like my captain—he can see things inside his head before the firing begins, and he shakes all over, but he knows too much to run away—if I was like him I could pull the guns. But if I were as wise as all that I should never be here. I should be a king in the forest, as I used to be, sleeping half the day and bathing when I liked. I haven't had a good bath for a month."
"That's all very fine," said Billy; "but giving a thing a long name doesn't make it any better."
"H'sh!" said the troop-horse. "I think I understand what Two Tails means."
"You'll understand better in a minute," said Two Tails angrily. "Now, just you explain to me why you don't like this!"
He began trumpeting furiously at the top of his trumpet.
"Stop that!" said Billy and the troop-horse together, and I could hear them stamp and shiver. An elephant's trumpeting is always nasty, especially on a dark night.
"I sha'n't stop," said Two Tails. "Won't you explain that, please? Hhrrm�h! Rrrt! Rrrmph! Rrrhha!" Then he stopped suddenly, and I heard a little whimper in the dark, and knew that Vixen had found me at last. She knew as well as I did that if there is one thing in the world the elephant is more afraid of than another it is a little barking dog; so she stopped to bully Two Tails in his pickets, and yapped round his big feet. Two Tails shuffled and squeaked. "Go away, little dog!" he said. "Don't snuff at my ankles, or I 'll kick at you. Good little dog—nice little doggie, then! Go home, you yelping little beast! Oh, why doesn't some one take her away? She'll bite me in a minute."
"Seems to me," said Billy to the troop-horse, "that our friend Two Tails is afraid of most things. Now, if I had a full meal for every dog I've kicked across the parade-ground, I should be as fat as Two Tails nearly."
I whistled, and Vixen ran up to me, muddy all over, and licked my nose, and told me a long tale about hunting for me all through the camp. I never let her know that I understood beast talk, or she would have taken all sorts of liberties. So I buttoned her into the breast of my overcoat, and Two Tails shuffled and stamped and growled to himself.
"Extraordinary! Most extraordinary!" he said. "It runs in our family. Now, where has that nasty little beast gone to?"
I heard him feeling about with his trunk.
"We all seem to be affected in various ways," he went on, blowing his nose. "Now, you gentlemen were alarmed, I believe, when I trumpeted."
"Not alarmed, exactly," said the troop-horse, "but it made me feel as though I had hornets where my saddle ought to be. Don't begin again."
"I'm frightened of a little dog, and the camel here is frightened by bad dreams in the night."
"It is very lucky for us that we haven't all got to fight in the same way," said the troop-horse.
"What I want to know," said the young mule, who had been quiet for a long time—"what I want to know is, why we have to fight at all."
"Because we are told to," said the troop-horse, with a snort of contempt.
"Orders," said Billy the mule; and his teeth snapped.
"Hukm hai!" (It is an order), said the camel with a gurgle; and Two Tails and the bullocks repeated, "Hukm hai!"
"Yes, but who gives the orders?" said the recruit-mule.
"The man who walks at your head—Or sits on your back—Or holds the nose-rope—Or twists your tail," said Billy and the troop-horse and the camel and the bullocks one after the other.
"But who gives them the orders?"
"Now you want to know too much, young un," said Billy, "and that is one way of getting kicked. All you have to do is to obey the man at your head and ask no questions."
"He's quite right," said Two Tails. "I can't always obey, because I'm betwixt and between; but Billy's right. Obey the man next to you who gives the order, or you'll stop all the battery, besides getting a thrashing."
The gun-bullocks got up to go. "Morning is coming," they said. "We will go back to our lines. It is true that we see only out of our eyes, and we are not very clever; but still, we are the only people to-night who have not been afraid. Good night, you brave people."
Nobody answered, and the troop-horse said, to change the conversation, "Where's that little dog? A dog means a man somewhere near."
"Here I am," yapped Vixen, "under the gun-tail with my man. You big, blundering beast of a camel you, you upset our tent. My man's very angry."
"Phew!" said the bullocks. "He must be white?"
"Of course he is," said Vixen. "Do you suppose I'm looked after by a black bullock-driver?"
"Huah! Ouach! Ugh!" said the bullocks. "Let us get away quickly."
They plunged forward in the mud, and managed somehow to run their yoke on the pole of an ammunition-wagon, where it jammed.
"Now you have done it," said Billy calmly. "Don't struggle. You're hung up till daylight. What on earth's the matter?"
The bullocks went off into the long hissing snorts that Indian cattle give, and pushed and crowded and slued and stamped and slipped and nearly fell down in the mud, grunting savagely.
"You'll break your necks in a minute," said the troop-horse. "What's the matter with white men? I live with 'em."
"They—eat—us! Pull!" said the near bullock: the yoke snapped with a twang, and they lumbered off together.
I never knew before what made Indian cattle so afraid of Englishmen. We eat beef—a thing that no cattle-driver touches—and of course the cattle do not like it.
"May I be flogged with my own pad-chains! Who'd have thought of two big lumps like those losing their heads?" said Billy.
"Never mind. I'm going to look at this man. Most of the white men, I know, have things in their pockets," said the troop-horse.
"I'll leave you, then. I can't say I'm overfond of 'em myself. Besides, white men who haven't a place to sleep in are more than likely to be thieves, and I've a good deal of Government property on my back. Come along, young 'un, and we'll go back to our lines. Good-night, Australia! See you on parade to-morrow, I suppose. Good-night, old Hay-bale!—try to control your feelings, won't you? Good-night, Two Tails! If you pass us on the ground to-morrow, don't trumpet. It spoils our formation."
Billy the mule stumped off with the swaggering limp of an old campaigner, as the troop-horse's head came nuzzling into my breast, and I gave him biscuits; while Vixen, who is a most conceited little dog, told him fibs about the scores of horses that she and I kept.
"I'm coming to the parade to-morrow in my dog-cart," she said. "Where will you be?"
"On the left hand of the second squadron. I set the time for all my troop, little lady," he said politely. "Now I must go back to Dick. My tail's all muddy, and he'll have two hours' hard work dressing me for the parade."
The big parade of all the thirty thousand men was held that afternoon, and Vixen and I had a good place close to the Viceroy and the Amir of Afghanistan, with his high big black hat of astrakhan wool and the great diamond star in the center. The first part of the review was all sunshine, and the regiments went by in wave upon wave of legs all moving together, and guns all in a line, till our eyes grew dizzy. Then the cavalry came up, to the beautiful cavalry canter of "Bonnie Dundee," and Vixen cocked her ear where she sat on the dog-cart. The second squadron of the lancers shot by, and there was the troop-horse, with his tail like spun silk, his head pulled into his breast, one ear forward and one back, setting the time for all his squadron, his legs going as smoothly as waltz-music. Then the big guns came by, and I saw Two Tails and two other elephants harnessed in line to a forty-pounder siege-gun while twenty yoke of oxen walked behind. The seventh pair had a new yoke, and they looked rather stiff and tired. Last came the screw-guns, and Billy the mule carried himself as though he commanded all the troops, and his harness was oiled and polished till it winked. I gave a cheer all by myself for Billy the mule, but he never looked right or left.
The rain began to fall again, and for a while it was too misty to see what the troops were doing. They had made a big half-circle across the plain, and were spreading out into a line. That line grew and grew and grew till it was three-quarters of a mile long from wing to wing—one solid wall of men, horses, and guns. Then it came on straight toward the Viceroy and the Amir, and as it got nearer the ground began to shake, like the deck of a steamer when the engines are going fast.
Unless you have been there you cannot imagine what a frightening effect this steady come-down of troops has on the spectators, even when they know it is only a review. I looked at the Amir. Up till then he had not shown the shadow of a sign of astonishment or anything else; but now his eyes began to get bigger and bigger, and he picked up the reins on his horse's neck and looked behind him. For a minute it seemed as though he were going to draw his sword and slash his way out through the English men and women in the carriages at the back. Then the advance stopped dead, the ground stood still, the whole line saluted, and thirty bands began to play all together. That was the end of the review, and the regiments went off to their camps in the rain; and an infantry band struck up with—
The animals went in two by two,
Hurrah!
The animals went in two by two,
The elephant and the battery mu-
l', and they all got into the Ark,
For to get out of the rain!
Then I heard an old, grizzled, long-haired Central Asian chief, who had come down with the Amir, asking questions of a native officer.
"THEN I HEARD AN OLD, GRIZZLED, LONG-HAIRED, CENTRAL ASIAN
CHIEF ASKING QUESTIONS OF A NATIVE OFFICER."
"Now," said he, "in what manner was this wonderful thing done?"
And the officer answered, "There was an order, and they obeyed."
"But are the beasts as wise as the men?" said the chief.
"They obey, as the men do. Mule, horse, elephant, or bullock, he obeys his driver, and the driver his sergeant, and the sergeant his lieutenant, and the lieutenant his captain, and the captain his major, and the major his colonel, and the colonel his brigadier commanding three regiments, and the brigadier his general, who obeys the Viceroy, who is the servant of the Empress. Thus it is done."
"Would it were so in Afghanistan!" said the chief; "for there we obey only our own wills."
"And for that reason," said the native officer, twirling his mustache, "your Amir whom you do not obey must come here and take orders from our Viceroy."
PARADE-SONG OF THE CAMP ANIMALS
ELEPHANTS OF THE GUN-TEAM
By the brand on my withers, the finest of tunes
Is played by the Lancers, Hussars, and Dragoons,
And it's sweeter than "Stables" or "Water" to me,
The Cavalry Canter of "Bonnie Dundee"!
Then feed us and break us and handle and groom,
And give us good riders and plenty of room,
And launch us in column of squadrons and see
The way of the war-horse to "Bonnie Dundee"!
SCREW-GUN MULES
As me and my companions were scrambling up a hill,
The path was lost in rolling stones, but we went forward still;
For we can wriggle and climb, my lads, and turn up everywhere,
And it's our delight on a mountain height, with a leg or two to spare!
Good luck to every sergeant, then, that lets us pick our road;
Bad luck to all the driver-men that cannot pack a load:
For we can wriggle and climb, my lads, and turn up everywhere,
And it's our delight on a mountain height with a leg or two to spare!
COMMISSARIAT CAMELS
Cannot tell why we or they
March and suffer day by day.
Children of the Camp are we,
Serving each in his degree;
Children of the yoke and goad,
Pack and harness, pad and load.
Transcriber's Notes:
The illustrations have been moved so that they do not break up paragraphs and so that they are next the text they illustrate. Thus the page number of the illustration might not match the page number in the List of Illustrations, and the order of illustrations may not be the same in the List of Illustrations and in the book.
On page 78, "Bandar log" was replaced with "Bandar-log".
On page 80, a period was added after "leave to hunt here".
On page 156, "Novastoshna" was replaced with "Novastoshnah".
On page 171, "floam-flecked" was replaced with "foam-flecked".
On page 299, there is a hyphen at the end of a line of poetry. That hyphen seems to be deliberate, and was kept as-is.
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What number of points come after 15 in a game of tennis? | rules - Points are given in tennis 15-30-40. Why 40? - Sports Stack Exchange
Points are given in tennis 15-30-40. Why 40?
up vote 71 down vote favorite
10
Tennis scoring goes 15-30-40-game. Why 40? Why not 45? What is the meaning of the points being given in tennis as 15-30-40-game? What is the history of this scoring calculation?
up vote 59 down vote accepted
The answer to this is a little convoluted and the answer is just what is "believed" to have been the reason behind the scoring numbers, but since tennis is a game that dates back to the 19th century, it's tough to know for sure.
Anyway, here goes...
Think of a clock face that is divided up into quadrants - which would give you the 15, 30, 45, and 60 intervals. The problem with using that to score tennis games though, is that to win a game, you have to win by 2 points if the score reaches deuce (40-40 or "40 all"). So it is believed that the first 3 points would advance the hand to 15, 30 and 40 - and then the next 2 points would advance the hand by 10 minutes - first to 50, then to 60 - still keeping the game finished at the 60 mark. If the (serving) player failed to win 2 points in a row after deuce, the hand would move back to 40 and the score would be at deuce again.
See here for some additional theories behind the scoring nomenclature.
up vote 28 down vote
The best explanation I could find of this is from Wikipedia :
The origins of the 15, 30, and 40 scores are believed to be medieval French. It is possible that a clock face was used on court, with a quarter move of the hand to indicate a score of 15, 30, and 45. When the hand moved to 60, the game was over. However, in order to ensure that the game could not be won by a one-point difference in players' scores, the idea of "deuce" was introduced. To make the score stay within the "60" ticks on the clock face, the 45 was changed to 40.
Therefore, if both players have 40, the first player to score receives ten and that moves the clock to 50. If the player scores a second time before the opponent is able to score, they are awarded another ten and the clock moves to 60. The 60 signifies the end of the game. However, if a player fails to score twice in a row, then the clock would move back to 40 to establish another "deuce".
It makes very well sense that this is the case.
up vote 10 down vote
As for the history of tennis scoring, there are two background stories:
That it has its origin in medieval numerology. The number 60 was considered to be a "good" or "complete" number back then, in about the same way you'd consider 100 to be a nice round figure today. The medieval version of tennis, therefore, was based on 60--the four points when 15, 30, 45 (which we abbreviate to 40) and 60, or game.
The system may be based on the presence of a clock face at the end of the tennis court. A quarter move of the appropriate hand was made after each rest, with the score being called as 15, 30, or 45. As the hand was moved to 60, this was the game. This didn't explain a score of 40, however.
up vote 7 down vote
The theories of the clock are as I understand it correct in that the score was kept on a clock using the 15, 30 and 45 minute marks ... so why 40? To understand this it is good to realise that this all was established in France and when the scores were called out they would have called quinze (15), trente (30) and quarante-cinq (45) .. however quarante-cinq is a bit of a mouthful (3 syllables instead of one) compared to the other two so it was abbreviated to simply "quarante" or 40. When the rules became standardised in the late 19th century in both the US and Britain ..it became simply ..15, 30 , 40
| thirty |
What is the English name of the American game of checkers? | Scoring | USTA
Scoring
Q. There was a fine player watching our doubles match at the Southern Senior Closed. He and his partner were scheduled to play the winner of our match in the next round. Anyway, there was an honest disagreement about the score in a particular game. All four participants knew and respected the observer and would have accepted his opinion of the score. The rule is that we could not ask him what the score was. I do not understand what the objection to asking him would be. I was told that we were not allowed to ask and he would not be allowed to offer an opinion.
A. I get abuse for answering these “rule questions” with an opinion, as opposed to sticking strictly with the regulations, but here I go again…
Given the situation that you described, where all four players innocently forgot the game score, and to a man you respect the integrity of the observer, then I do not see ANY problem with asking for his input. Now, mind you, this is not a 12 & under junior match where over-involved parents are in the mix; instead, this is a Senior doubles match between gentlemen who understand our sport’s honor code. It is simply common sense to rely on this well-respected observer to clarify the score… so that you can immediately return to the objective at hand: Playing!
Q. What exactly is a "Pro Set" and how is it played?
A. An eight-game pro set is a regular set that is played to eight games (first to eight games by two, with a tiebreaker at eight games all). A ten-game pro set is to ten games. These were established during the old Pro Tour barnstorming days, thus the name “pro set.” It allowed spectators to see more matches per session that way.
Incidentally, eight-game pro sets are used during doubles for all Division I college dual matches.
Q. How do we keep score during a nine-point tiebreaker? When do we switch sides?
A. A nine-point tiebreaker (which used to be called a “sudden death” tiebreaker, by the way) has become increasingly rare. The first person or team to reach five points wins.
In doubles, team A serves two points (always to the deuce and then ad courts), then team B serves the next two points. Switch ends of the court. Then the other member of team A serves the fifth and (if necessary) the sixth point. Lastly, the other member of team B serves the final three points (as necessary). If the score reaches four points all, then the next point wins the set. The receiving player/team decides which side (and which player) receives serve for this “sudden death” point.
Q. My wife and I have a question. Was there a time in the distant past when a score of 4 - 0 won a set rather than requiring the sets to go to six?
A. Within the last few years, some tournaments have tinkered with the scoring format. The only scenario I can recall that is closest to the one you describe is when sets are played to four, and matches are best-of-five sets. This was done briefly in some men’s Futures events.
Q. Could you give some suggestions for teams to practice to overcome tiebreaker slump--that is to play 10-point match tiebreakers in such a way that they are more likely to win. I am on two USTA league teams and we need to practice something.
A. I would suggest that you might expect a team to win 50% of their tiebreakers. Why? Because if they split sets and then play a Match TB, it is apparent that they are pretty even. To succeed in tiebreakers (the regular 12-pointers- first to seven by two- or the Match TB’s), you need to execute the tactics that give you an advantage.
By that I mean that you ought to play your favorite shots, as often as possible, and make your opponent(s) play their least favorite shots. Make sure to take a little extra time between points to gather your thoughts and maintain your composure. Be positive. Negative thoughts can cause you to play a few bad points, and that is recipe for failure over such a short sample of points.
Q. Why is it that during "player challenges" that sometimes the winner of the challenge is awarded the point and at other times the shot is replayed? Replaying the point seems unfair as the challenger has already won the point.
A. If the chair umpire decides that the ball would have been a “winner,” then the point counts. If the umpire believes that the player would have had a reasonable play on the ball, then they play a let. It is solely at the discretion of the umpire, and usually it is not difficult to make this determination.
Q. I need you to settle an argument. It is my understanding that a final set (fifth for men and third for women) in Grand Slams is not decided by a standard tiebreaker resulting in a 7-6 score. Instead, the players play until someone wins by two games. Am I wrong? If I am right, is there a limit to the number of games, or can a final set be 17-15, for example??
A. The final sets in three of the four majors (Australian, French and Wimbledon, but not the US Open) are decided by “deuce sets,” which means that a player must win by at least two games. This also occurs in Davis and Fed Cup matches. I like this tradition. I also like the fact that in the US Open, tiebreakers can decide the final sets because it makes America’s Grand Slam unique.
This practice does not occur in regular (ATP or WTA) Tour events. During these events, tiebreakers decide all sets that reach six games all.
Q. When should you flip the game score card at mid court? Is there proper etiquette for this? And, if the score cards are black and red, then who is who?
A. Whichever player gets to the sideline first (on changeovers after odd games) ought to flip the score cards. This does not always occur, as usually the player who is losing is less inclined to switch the cards, because it announces the bad news to all spectators. Therefore, it seems like the player who is winning does all this “work.” It should be a cooperative effort though.
As for who should be red and who should be black, it is merely a matter of choice. If you are playing for a team (high school, college, USTA League, etc.) make sure that the teams use the same color on every court though.
Q. I hate the new scoring but my biggest beef is with the broadcasters for not showing more doubles on TV. Most recreational tennis players’ play doubles and we would LOVE to watch more at the Pro level. What better way to learn than to watch the pros do it! I'm convinced they'd have more viewers if they showed more doubles.
A. That is a ‘chicken or the egg’ conundrum. If the networks chose to broadcast doubles more frequently, would it ever out-draw singles events? In fact, ratings for ATP Tour singles tournaments are not exactly Super Bowl-like to begin with, so I can understand the reluctance from network executives to televise doubles matches with relatively unknown or obscure professional players.
On your other point, I agree that players can always learn by watching matches. However, the brand of doubles that the Bryan Brothers play (tactics, strategy, and the quality of shotmaking) is vastly different than, say, 3.5-level mixed doubles. Given this, I am not sure that watching is more valuable, from a learning perspective, than taking a doubles clinic from a qualified local teaching professional.
Q. I think the scoring in doubles should remain the same as the singles. In fact, I'll make the chicken-and-egg argument. By diminishing the doubles game the interest will continue to drop. The problem, as I see it, is fame. People are famous for their singles play, so people on the periphery of tennis relate to these singles players. This is a self-feeding loop. Seldom are there doubles teams that stay together. When there are, even with the poor promotion of doubles by tennis governing bodies, these teams gain some degree of fame and people want to see them. So the questions are: what do the players want? (a good livelihood), what do the tennis governing bodies want? (more interest in the game), what do amateurs want? (lots of exciting matches, (singles and doubles), what do the fans want? (to see their heroes battling). Bottom line, the tennis governing bodies need to figure out how to promote doubles. Thanks for letting me vent.
A. Thanks for venting, Tom. I will just address your first question/comment. The players DO earn a good livelihood, although I suppose that is a relative term. The concern that Tournament Directors have is that doubles players create far less value than do the singles players. There needs to be a legitimate return on investment for these tournaments to be profitable and stay in business.
Q. I am dead set against the new scoring used in doubles. Doubles tennis is a great game to watch and (especially for us advancing year players) a great game to play. The change in scoring seems like an attempt to turn doubles into a poor second cousin of the singles game.
Professional Tennis is missing a golden opportunity here. Let’s face it, the singles game in tennis, while exciting at times, can be difficult to watch when you have two baseliners slugging it out for an entire match. Doubles isn't singles tennis with four people on the court at once. It is also most definitely not the refuge of players who cannot make it in the singles game. It needs to be sold as a different form of tennis, a different product.
If the doubles game is marketed to the public in the right way it will not matter that the top single players aren't playing doubles. The doubles game will create its own stars.
A. You offer some interesting points. I will take the role of devil’s advocate in responding to your thoughts.
If doubles is not the refuge of players who cannot make it in the singles game, then why do so few of the top doubles players have comparatively excellent results in singles? Consider the teams who won the four majors this year: Kevin Ullyet & Wayne Black (Australian), Jonas Bjorkman & Max Mirnyi (Roland Garros), Stephen Huss & Wesley Moodie (Wimbledon), and Bob & Mike Bryan (US Open). Only one of these men is ranked among the top-50 singles players in the world. How many of those teams could fill an arena WITHOUT an accompanying singles match?
You bring up an interesting point about marketing the doubles game separately from singles. Would this work? Would a doubles-only event be financially viable? Evidence suggests that this would not be a successful venture, but I can assure you that there would be plenty of doubles-only players who would play in a tournament if the prize money were right.
Q. This is not a question but a response to your request for people to write about their feelings concerning the changes in the doubles format. I am totally disappointed in the way doubles has been handled by all aspects of the game. The NCAA has reduced the role of doubles in college tennis. The Tennis Channel has largely ignored their opportunity to fill the doubles viewing void. Changes in professional tournament doubles also reflect an interest in focusing on singles. As more players play doubles than singles I have started to hope that doubles will split off into its own organization, league, sport, coverage and sponsors the way arena football split off from the NFL. My feeling is that if doubles was packaged where team personalities were highlighted then there would be more interest. Strategy discussions between players and between teams and coaches during the match could be broadcast.
A. I will offer some counterpoints:
1. I believe that the ITA (the governing body for NCAA tennis) has highlighted doubles, not reduced its role, by starting every dual match with doubles.
2. Strategy discussions take too long between points in doubles, and that- to me- is the biggest weakness that doubles has a viable entertainment option. Teammates on the pro tours convene between every single point. Unfortunately a great majority of their points are decided with an unreturnable serve, an unplayable return of serve, or a volley winner on the first “play from scrimmage.” Of course there are many brilliant and athletic points in doubles, but I would argue that more time is spent discussing strategy between points than actual play time. That is a problem for viewers.
3. A doubles-only circuit? Hmmmm…
Q. While it seems a good idea to try and attract more attention to the doubles game, I don't think making an already short game a little shorter is the answer. The change in scoring makes the matches, and the level of respect afforded the players, seem diminished to me.
A. How about keeping the scoring format the same but limiting draw sizes and scheduling doubles in a round-robin format each week on the ATP Tour? That way the best teams would positively be around for at least three matches.
Perhaps there could be eight teams each week divided into two groups of four, the way the Masters is scheduled at the end of the season. Six teams could be direct entries based on rankings, one team could be a wildcard (perhaps two singles stars), and one team would earn their way in by qualifying. A tournament promoter might prefer this format because they would know that, for example, the Bryan Brothers would be available for at least three matches each week. This gives fans and viewers the chance to become more accustomed to seeing these top teams perform more frequently.
This format would eliminate the expenses that Tournament Directors resent having to incur on behalf of the “journeymen” doubles specialists and would allow them to maintain the programming benefits of doubles.
Q. I’ve often wondered why the zero to 15, then 15 to 30 AND the biggie, the switch from the 15's to 40? I see the jump in 15-pt increments, but why the last jump from 30 to 40? I've asked this over and over and nobody seems to give me a straight answer. Is there a reason? Why doesn't it go to 45, not 40? A tennis lover.
A. Originally, the scoring was based on the hands of the clock. Thus, the 15-30-45-Game scoring that would seem logical. Over time, 40 became “slang” (or shortened) from 45. By the way, “love” is zero- which looks like an egg. French for “the egg” is “l’ouef,” and when this is Anglicized it became “love.”
Q. My husband and I are arguing over a scoring question. I believe that the US Open is the only Grand Slam that uses a tiebreaker in the final set and he disagrees. He says it's the only Slam without the fifth set tiebreak. Please prove me right.
A. You are right.
The tiebreaker feels uniquely American to me because the US Open is the only of the four majors to allow for it in a decisive, final set. Is there anything in our sport that is more compelling than a fifth set tiebreaker? Certainly the recent Agassi-Blake match was as riveting as it gets. I prefer that it ended in a dramatic tiebreaker at 1:00 AM with 23,000 screaming fans in attendance than an indefinite deuce set (14-12, anyone?).
I hope that the US Open will always maintain this tradition of a tiebreaker at the end of every set. Frankly, I think that the matches are long enough, and the decisiveness of a tiebreaker is so dramatic that it adds considerable viewing value.
Q. Do you think numeric scoring (1,2,3...) will ever be a replacement for the present system? Can you explain how and when the present scoring system was adopted?
A. If Hall-of-Famer Billie Jean King had her way, the traditional method of scoring WOULD BE replaced. It is hard for me to imagine this, but it must have been difficult for many to fathom tie-breakers when they came on the scene in the early 1970’s. Change is good if it improves our sport.
To my knowledge, the current scoring was based on the model of the clock (15, 30, 40- shortened from 45- and then game). “Love” came from the French word for egg (l’oeuf), which looks like a zero. The Anglicized pronunciation became “love.”
Q. A situation recently arose in league play at our club. Our player announced the game score "6-5" prior to serving the first point of the 12th game in an 8 game pro-set match. His opponent claimed the score was 5-6. They debated the issue for a couple of minutes and then our guy gave in and said "You can have it, let's just play." If both players are sure they are correct about the score, how do you proceed?
A. In this situation, you need to revert back to the last score that is agreed upon and begin again from there. This is one reason why juniors are strongly encouraged to call out the score before each game.
Q. How did the "No-Ad" scoring method get started? And who thought of it?
A. Jimmy Van Alen, who Bud Collins refers to as the “Newport Bolshevik,” created the no-ad scoring method in an effort to shorten the length of long, boring matches. I am sorry to say that he created this about thirty-five years ago, yet some people are still complaining about long, boring matches. Oh, well. The revolution continues.
By the way, no-ad scoring is when you play to four points during a game. Typically, regular numbers (1, 2, 3, and 4) are used instead of our traditional (15, 30, 40, game) scoring. Thus, 40-15 is 3-1 in no-ad scoring. If/when the score reaches 3-3 in a particular game, then the next point decides who will win this game sudden-death style. In these instances, the receiver(s) decide(s) toward which side the server must serve.
This no-ad scoring was used when I played college tennis, but is no longer typically used at the Division I level. In some tournaments, it is used to, for example, shorten the length of consolation matches. World Team Tennis still utilizes the no-ad scoring system during the professional season and it has the potential for creating a lot of “big point” moments during sets.
Q. I am a teacher and I was teaching a group of my students how to play tennis last week. We were wondering if you could tell us why zero is called “love” in tennis.
A. A zero looks like an egg. To the French, the egg is “l’oeuf.” L’oeuf, when anglicized, sounds a little like “love.” Thus, “love” from “l’oeuf” which means “the egg” which looks like zero. I am NOT making this up!
Now, try explaining to your students why you need to win a 12-point tiebreaker by two or more points when you’ve reached six games all in a set. Just kidding.
Q. Does love mean zero?
A. Yes, unfortunately love does mean zero. Don’t get me started…
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In the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, what word represents the letter ‘U’? | NATO phonetic alphabet | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Not to be confused with International Phonetic Alphabet .
FAA radiotelephony alphabet and Morse code chart
The NATO phonetic alphabet, more accurately known as the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet and also called the ICAO phonetic or ICAO spelling alphabet, as well as the ITU phonetic alphabet, is the most widely used spelling alphabet. Although often called "phonetic alphabets", spelling alphabets do not have any association with phonetic transcription systems, such as the International Phonetic Alphabet . Instead, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) alphabet assigned code words acrophonically to the letters of the English alphabet so that critical combinations of letters and numbers can be pronounced and understood by those who transmit and receive voice messages by radio or telephone regardless of their native language or the presence of transmission static.
The 26 code words in the NATO phonetic alphabet are assigned to the 26 letters of the English alphabet in alphabetical order as follows: Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliett, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu. Some of the 26 words have altered pronunciations: Charlie can be either "char-lee" or "shar-lee", and Uniform is either "you-nee-form" or "oo-nee-form", neither of which is the English pronunciation of the word. Oscar is pronounced "oss-cah" and Victor as "vik-tah" without the 'r', even by people who would normally pronounce it. Papa is pronounced "Pa-PAH" with the accent on the second syllable instead of the first. The code word Quebec is pronounced as French "keh-beck". The ICAO and FAA use the standard number words of English (zero, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine) with four altered pronunciations (tree, fower, fife, niner), whereas the ITU and IMO use ten code words for numbers (nadazero, unaone, bissotwo, terrathree, kartefour, pantafive, soxisix, setteseven, octoeight, novenine).
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After the phonetic alphabet was developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO ) (see history below) it was adopted by many other international and national organizations, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). It is a subset of the much older International Code of Signals (INTERCO), which originally included visual signals by flags or flashing light, sound signals by whistle, siren, foghorn, or bell, as well as one, two, or three letter codes for many phrases. [1] The same alphabetic code words are used by all agencies, but each agency chooses one of two different sets of numeric code words. NATO uses the regular English numeric words (Zero, One, with some alternative pronunciations), whereas the IMO provides for compound numeric words (Nadazero, Unaone, Bissotwo...). In practice these are used very rarely, as they frequently result in confusion between speakers of different languages.
NATO
Edit
A common name for this spelling alphabet, "NATO phonetic alphabet," exists because it appears in Allied Tactical Publication ATP-1, Volume II: Allied Maritime Signal and Maneuvering Book used by all allied navies of NATO, which adopted a modified form of the International Code of Signals. Because the latter allows messages to be spelled via flags or Morse code , it naturally named the code words used to spell out messages by voice its "phonetic alphabet". The name NATO phonetic alphabet became widespread because the signals used to facilitate the naval communications and tactics of NATO have become global. [2] However, ATP-1 is marked NATO Confidential (or the lower NATO Restricted) so it is not available publicly. Nevertheless, a NATO unclassified version of the document is provided to foreign, even hostile, militaries, even though they are not allowed to make it available publicly. The spelling alphabet is now also defined in other unclassified international military documents. [3]
History
Edit
The ICAO developed this system in the 1950s in order to account for discrepancies that might arise in communications as a result of multiple alphabet naming systems coexisting in different places and organizations. [4]
In the official [5] version of the alphabet, the non-English spellings Alfa and Juliett are used. Alfa is spelled with an f as it is in most European languages because the English and French spelling alpha would not be pronounced properly by native speakers of some other languages – who may not know that ph should be pronounced as f. Juliett is spelled with a tt for French speakers, because they may otherwise treat a single final t as silent. In some English versions of the alphabet, one or both of these may have their standard English spelling. [6]
Code words
Edit
The pronunciation of the code words accompanying the ICAO audio recording of 1955 [7]
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters.
The final choice of code words for the letters of the alphabet and for the digits was made after hundreds of thousands of comprehension tests involving 31 nationalities. The qualifying feature was the likelihood of a code word being understood in the context of others. For example, football has a higher chance of being understood than foxtrot in isolation, but foxtrot is superior in extended communication. [8]
The pronunciation of the code words varies according to the language habits of the speaker. To eliminate wide variations in pronunciation, recordings and posters illustrating the pronunciation desired by the ICAO are available. [8] [9] However, there are still differences in pronunciation between the ICAO and other agencies, and the ICAO has conflicting Roman-alphabet and IPA transcriptions. Also, although all codes for the letters of the alphabet are English words, they are not in general given English pronunciations. Assuming that the transcriptions are not intended to be precise, only 11 of the 26—Bravo, Echo, Hotel, Juliet(t), Kilo, Mike, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Whiskey, and Zulu—are given English pronunciations by all these agencies, though not always the same English pronunciations.
Letters
Main article: Voice procedure
Several important short words and responses have set equivalents designed to make them more reliably intelligible, and are used in the same situations as the NATO alphabet.
For "yes" and "no", radio operators say affirmative and negative, though to avoid possible confusion affirm is sometimes used for affirmative
"Help" is mayday – emergency, often shortened to mayday; this "mayday" is based on French m'aidez, meaning 'help me'.
Acknowledgement of a message is expressed with roger message, often shortened to roger; " roger " was the World War II-era word for R (modern 'romeo'), which stood for "received".
Ending a turn is signaled by over, short for over to you; the end of a message is signaled by out.
Telegram style is used, with functions words like the, a/an, and is/are dropped, and contractions are avoided for full forms such as do not (don't). And, as noted above, stop is used to end a sentence, contrasting with decimal for a decimal point in a number.
Pronunciation
Edit
Pronunciations are somewhat uncertain because the agencies, while ostensibly using the same pronunciations, give different transcriptions, which are often inconsistent from letter to letter. The ICAO gives different pronunciations in IPA transcription than in respelling, and the FAA also gives different pronunciations depending on the publication consulted, the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual (§ 4-2-7), the FAA Flight Services manual (§ 14.1.5), or the ATC manual (§ 2-4-16). ATIS gives English spellings, but does not give pronunciations or numbers. The ICAO, NATO, and FAA use modifications of English numerals, with stress on one syllable, while the ITU and IMO compound pseudo-Latinate numerals with a slightly different set of modified English numerals, and with stress on each syllable. Numbers 10–99 are spelled out (that is, 17 is "1–7" and 60 is "6–0"), while for hundreds and thousands the English words hundred and thousand are used. [6] [9] [11] [12] [13] [19]
The pronunciation of the digits 3, 4, 5, and 9 differs from standard English – being pronounced tree, fower, fife, and niner. The digit 3 is specified as tree so that it is not pronounced sri; the long pronunciation of 4 (still found in some English dialects) keeps it somewhat distinct from for; 5 is pronounced with a second "f" because the normal pronunciation with a "v" is easily confused with "fire" (a command to shoot); and 9 has an extra syllable to keep it distinct from German nein 'no'.
Only the ICAO prescribes pronunciation with the IPA , and then only for letters. [9] Several of the pronunciations indicated are slightly modified from their normal English pronunciations: /ˈælfɑ, ˈbrɑːˈvo, ˈʃɑːli, ˈdeltɑ, ˈfɔkstrɔt, ɡʌlf, ˈliːmɑ, ˈɔskɑ, siˈerɑ, ˈtænɡo, ˈuːnifɔrm, ˈviktɑ, ˈjænki/, partially due to the substitution of final schwas with the ah vowel; in addition, the intended distinction between the short vowels /o ɑ ɔ/ and the long vowels /oː ɑː ɔː/ is obscure, and has been ignored in the consolidated transcription above. Both the IPA and respelled pronunciations were developed by the ICAO before 1956 with advice from the governments of both the United States and United Kingdom, [20] so the pronunciations of both General American English and British Received Pronunciation are evident, especially in the rhotic and non-rhotic accents . The respelled version is usually at least consistent with a rhotic accent ('r' pronounced), as in CHAR LEE, SHAR LEE, NO VEM BER, YOU NEE FORM, and OO NEE FORM, whereas the IPA version usually specifies a non-rhotic accent ('r' pronounced only before a vowel), as in ˈtʃɑːli, ˈʃɑːli, noˈvembə, and ˈjuːnifɔːm. Exceptions are OSS CAH, VIK TAH and ˈuːnifɔrm. The IPA form of Golf implies it is pronounced gulf, which is not either General American English or British Received Pronunciation. Different agencies assign different stress patterns to Bravo, Hotel, Juliett, November, Papa, X-ray; the ICAO has different stresses for Bravo, Juliett, X-ray in its respelled and IPA transcriptions. The mid back [ɔ] vowel transcribed in Oscar and Foxtrot is actually a low vowel in both Received British and General American, and has been interpreted as such above. Furthermore, the pronunciation prescribed for "whiskey" has no initial [h], although some speakers in both General American and RP pronounce an h here, and an initial [h] is categorical in Scotland and Ireland.
History
Yoke
Zebra
The first internationally recognized spelling alphabet was adopted by the ITU during 1927. The experience gained with that alphabet resulted in several changes being made during 1932 by the ITU. The resulting alphabet was adopted by the International Commission for Air Navigation, the predecessor of the ICAO , and was used for civil aviation until World War II. [20] It continued to be used by the IMO until 1965:
Amsterdam Baltimore Casablanca Denmark Edison Florida Gallipoli Havana Italia Jerusalem Kilogramme Liverpool Madagascar New_York Oslo Paris Quebec Roma Santiago Tripoli Upsala Valencia Washington Xanthippe Yokohama Zurich
British and American armed forces had each developed their spelling alphabets before both forces adopted the ICAO alphabet during 1956. British forces adopted the RAF phonetic alphabet , which is similar to the phonetic alphabet used by the Royal Navy during World War I. The U.S. adopted the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet during 1941 to standardize systems among all branches of its armed forces. The U.S. alphabet became known as Able Baker after the words for A and B. The United Kingdom adapted its RAF alphabet during 1943 to be almost identical to the American Joint-Army-Navy (JAN) one.
After World War II, with many aircraft and ground personnel from the allied armed forces, "Able Baker" continued to be used for civil aviation. But many sounds were unique to English, so an alternative "Ana Brazil" alphabet was used in Latin America. But the International Air Transport Association (IATA), recognizing the need for a single universal alphabet, presented a draft alphabet to the ICAO during 1947 that had sounds common to English, French, and Spanish. After further study and modification by each approving body, the revised alphabet was implemented on 1 November 1951 for civil aviation (but it may not have been adopted by any military): [20]
Alfa Bravo Coca Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf Hotel India Juliett Kilo Lima Metro Nectar Oscar Papa Quebec Romeo Sierra Tango Union Victor Whisky Extra Yankee Zulu
Problems were soon found with this list. Some users believed that they were so severe that they reverted to the old "Able Baker" alphabet. To identify the deficiencies of the new alphabet, testing was conducted among speakers from 31 nations, principally by the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States. Confusion among words like Delta, Nectar, Victor, and Extra, or the unintelligibility of other words during poor receiving conditions were the main problems. After much study, only the five words representing the letters C, M, N, U, and X were replaced. The ICAO sent a recording of the new Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet to all member states in November 1955. [7] [8] The final version given in the table above was implemented by the ICAO on 1 March 1956, [20] and the ITU adopted it no later than 1959 when they mandated its usage via their official publication, Radio Regulations. [21] Because the ITU governs all international radio communications, it was also adopted by all radio operators, whether military, civilian, or amateur ( ARRL ). It was finally adopted by the IMO in 1965. During 1947 the ITU adopted the compound number words (Nadazero Unaone, etc.), later adopted by the IMO during 1965.
Usage
Edit
A spelling alphabet is used to spell parts of a message containing letters and numbers to avoid confusion, because many letters sound similar, for instance "n" and "m" or "b" and "d"; the potential for confusion increases if static or other interference is present. For instance the message "proceed to map grid DH98" could be transmitted as "proceed to map grid Delta-Hotel-Niner-Ait". Using "Delta" instead of "D" avoids confusion between "BH98" and "DH98". The unusual pronunciation of certain numbers was designed to reduce confusion.
In addition to the traditional military usage, civilian industry uses the alphabet to avoid similar problems in the transmission of messages by telephone systems. For example, it is often used in the retail industry where customer or site details are spoken by telephone (to authorize a credit agreement or confirm stock codes), although ad hoc coding is often used in that instance. It has been used often by information technology workers to communicate serial/reference codes (which are often very long) or other specialised information by voice. Most major airlines use the alphabet to communicate Passenger Name Records (PNRs) internally, and in some cases, with customers. It is often used in a medical context as well, to avoid confusion when transmitting information.
Several letter codes and abbreviations using the spelling alphabet have become well-known, such as Bravo Zulu (letter code BZ) for "well done", [22] Checkpoint Charlie (Checkpoint C) in Berlin, and Zulu Time for Greenwich Mean Time or Coordinated Universal Time. During the Vietnam War , Viet Cong guerrillas and the group itself were referred to as VC, or Victor Charlie; the name "Charlie" became synonymous with this force.
Variants
"Delta" is replaced by "Data", "Dixie" or "David" at airports that have a majority of Delta Air Lines flights, such as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in order to avoid confusion because "Delta" is also Delta's callsign. [23]
Other
Edit
Many unofficial spelling alphabets are in use that are not based on a standard, but are based on words the transmitter can remember easily, including first names , states, or cities. The LAPD phonetic alphabet has many first names. The German spelling alphabet ("Deutsches Funkalphabet") also uses first names.
Additions in other languages
Certain languages' standard alphabets have letters, or letters with diacritics (e.g., umlauts ), that do not exist in the English alphabet. If these letters have two-letter ASCII substitutes, the ICAO/NATO code words for the two letters are used.
German and Swedish
In German and Swedish, Alfa-Alfa (aa) is used for ⟨ å ⟩, Alfa-Echo (ae) for ⟨ ä ⟩, Oscar-Echo (oe) for ⟨ ö ⟩, Sierra-Sierra (ss) for ⟨ ß ⟩, and Uniform-Echo (ue) for ⟨ ü ⟩. [24]
Danish and Norwegian
Edit
In Danish and Norwegian the letters ⟨ æ ⟩, ⟨ ø ⟩ and ⟨ å ⟩ have their own code words. In Danish Ægir, Ødis and Åse represent the three letters, [25] while in Norwegian the three code words are Ægir, Ørnulf and Ågot for civilians and Ærlig, Østen and Åse for military personnel. [26]
Czech
Czech ⟨ ů ⟩, historically uo, is Uniform-Oscar (uo).
See also
| Uniform |
In 1968, what animal was depicted as the first mascot of the Summer Olympic Games? | NATO phonetic alphabet - 必应
Sign in
NATO phonetic alphabet
The International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet, commonly known as the NATO phonetic alphabet and also known as the ICAO radiotelephonic, phonetic or spelling alphabet and the ITU radiotelephonic or phonetic alphabet, is the most widely used radiotelephonic spelling alphabet. Although often called "phonetic alphabets", spelling alphabets are not associated with phonetic transcription systems such as the International Phonetic Alphabet. Instead, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) alphabet assigned code words acrophonically to the letters of the English alphabet so that critical combinations of letters and numbers can be pr ... (展开) onounced and understood by those who transmit and receive voice messages by radio or telephone regardless of language barriers or the presence of transmission static. The 26 code words in the NATO phonetic alphabet are assigned to the 26 letters of the English alphabet in alphabetical order as follows: Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta , Echo, Foxtrot , Golf, Hotel, India, Juliett, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu.
NATO phonetic alphabet International adoption
After the phonetic alphabet was developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) (see history below) it was adopted by many other international and national organizations, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). It is a subset of the much older International Code of Signals (INTERCO), which originally included visual signals by flags or flashing light, sound signals by whistle, siren, foghorn, or bell, as well as one, two, or three letter codes for many phrases. The same alphabetic code words are used by all agencies, but each agency chooses one of two different sets of numeric code words. NATO uses the regular English numeric words (Zero, One, with some alternative pronunciations), whereas the IMO provides for compound numeric words (Nadazero, Unaone, Bissotwo...). In practice these are used very rarely, as they frequently result in confusion between speakers of different languages.
NATO
A common name for this spelling alphabet, "NATO phonetic alphabet," exists because it appears in Allied Tactical Publication ATP-1, Volume II: Allied Maritime Signal and Maneuvering Book used by all allied navies of NATO, which adopted a modified form of the International Code of Signals. Because the latter allows messages to be spelled via flags or Morse code, it naturally named the code words used to spell out messages by voice its "phonetic alphabet". The name NATO phonetic alphabet became widespread because the signals used to facilitate the naval communications and tactics of NATO have become global. However, ATP-1 is marked NATO Confidential (or the lower NATO Restricted) so it is not available publicly. Nevertheless, a NATO unclassified version of the document is provided to foreign, even hostile, militaries, even though they are not allowed to make it available publicly. The spelling alphabet is now also defined in other unclassified international military documents. The NATO alphabet appeared in some United States Air Force Europe publications during the Cold War. A particular example was the Ramstein Air Base, Telephone Directory published between 1969 and 1973 (currently out of print). The American and NATO versions had differences and the translation was provided as a convenience. Differences included Alfa, Bravo and Able, Baker for the first two letters.
History
The ICAO developed this system in the 1950s in order to account for discrepancies that might arise in communications as a result of multiple alphabet naming systems coexisting in different places and organizations.
In the official version of the alphabet, the non-English spellings Alfa and Juliett are used. Alfa is spelled with an f as it is in most European languages because the English and French spelling alpha would not be pronounced properly by native speakers of some other languages – who may not know that ph should be pronounced as f. Juliett is spelled with a tt for French speakers, because they may otherwise treat a single final t as silent. In some English versions of the alphabet, one or both of these may have their standard English spelling.
NATO phonetic alphabet Code words
The final choice of code words for the letters of the alphabet and for the digits was made after hundreds of thousands of comprehension tests involving 31 nationalities. The qualifying feature was the likelihood of a code word being understood in the context of others. For example, football has a higher chance of being understood than foxtrot in isolation, but foxtrot is superior in extended communication.
The pronunciation of the code words varies according to the language habits of the speaker. To eliminate wide variations in pronunciation, recordings and posters illustrating the pronunciation desired by the ICAO are available. However, there are still differences in pronunciation between the ICAO and other agencies, and the ICAO has conflicting Roman-alphabet and IPA transcriptions. Also, although all codes for the letters of the alphabet are English words, they are not in general given English pronunciations. Assuming that the transcriptions are not intended to be precise, only 11 of the 26—Bravo, Echo, Hotel, Juliet(t), Kilo, Mike, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Whiskey, and Zulu—are given English pronunciations by all these agencies, though not always the same English pronunciations.
Pronunciation
Pronunciations are somewhat uncertain because the agencies, while ostensibly using the same pronunciations, give different transcriptions, which are often inconsistent from letter to letter. The ICAO gives different pronunciations in IPA transcription than in respelling, and the FAA also gives different pronunciations depending on the publication consulted, the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual (§ 4-2-7), the FAA Flight Services manual (§ 14.1.5), or the ATC manual (§ 2-4-16). ATIS gives English spellings, but does not give pronunciations or numbers. The ICAO, NATO, and FAA use modifications of English numerals, with stress on one syllable, while the ITU and IMO compound pseudo-Latinate numerals with a slightly different set of modified English numerals, and with stress on each syllable. Numbers 10–99 are spelled out (that is, 17 is "1–7" and 60 is "6–0"), while for hundreds and thousands the English words hundred and thousand are used.
The pronunciation of the digits 3, 4, 5, and 9 differs from standard English – being pronounced tree, fower, fife, and niner. The digit 3 is specified as tree so that it is not pronounced sri; the long pronunciation of 4 (still found in some English dialects) keeps it somewhat distinct from for; 5 is pronounced with a second "f" because the normal pronunciation with a "v" is easily confused with "fire" (a command to shoot); and 9 has an extra syllable to keep it distinct from German nein 'no'.
Only the ICAO prescribes pronunciation with the IPA, and then only for letters. Several of the pronunciations indicated are slightly modified from their normal English pronunciations: /ˈælfɑ, ˈbrɑːˈvo, ˈʃɑːli, ˈdeltɑ, ˈfɔkstrɔt, ɡʌlf, ˈliːmɑ, ˈɔskɑ, siˈerɑ, ˈtænɡo, ˈuːnifɔrm, ˈviktɑ, ˈjænki/, partially due to the substitution of final schwas with the ah vowel; in addition, the intended distinction between the short vowels /o ɑ ɔ/ and the long vowels /oː ɑː ɔː/ is obscure, and has been ignored in the consolidated transcription above. Both the IPA and respelled pronunciations were developed by the ICAO before 1956 with advice from the governments of both the United States and United Kingdom, so the pronunciations of both General American English and British Received Pronunciation are evident, especially in the rhotic and non-rhotic accents. The respelled version is usually at least consistent with a rhotic accent ('r' pronounced), as in CHAR LEE, SHAR LEE, NO VEM BER, YOU NEE FORM, and OO NEE FORM, whereas the IPA version usually specifies a non-rhotic accent ('r' pronounced only before a vowel), as in ˈtʃɑːli, ˈʃɑːli, noˈvembə, and ˈjuːnifɔːm. Exceptions are OSS CAH, VIK TAH and ˈuːnifɔrm. The IPA form of Golf implies it is pronounced gulf, which is not either General American English or British Received Pronunciation. Different agencies assign different stress patterns to Bravo, Hotel, Juliett, November, Papa, X-ray; the ICAO has different stresses for Bravo, Juliett, X-ray in its respelled and IPA transcriptions. The mid back [ɔ] vowel transcribed in Oscar and Foxtrot is actually a low vowel in both Received British and General American, and has been interpreted as such above. Furthermore, the pronunciation prescribed for "whiskey" has no initial [h], although some speakers in both General American and RP pronounce an h here, and an initial [h] is categorical in Scotland and Ireland.
NATO phonetic alphabet History
The first internationally recognized spelling alphabet was adopted by the ITU during 1927. The experience gained with that alphabet resulted in several changes being made during 1932 by the ITU. The resulting alphabet was adopted by the International Commission for Air Navigation, the predecessor of the ICAO, and was used for civil aviation until World War II. It continued to be used by the IMO until 1965:
Amsterdam Baltimore Casablanca Denmark Edison Florida Gallipoli Havana Italia Jerusalem Kilogramme Liverpool Madagascar New_York Oslo Paris Quebec Roma Santiago Tripoli Upsala Valencia Washington Xanthippe Yokohama Zurich
British and American armed forces had each developed their spelling alphabets before both forces adopted the ICAO alphabet during 1956. British forces adopted the RAF phonetic alphabet, which is similar to the phonetic alphabet used by the Royal Navy during World War I. At least two of the terms are sometimes still used by UK civilians to spell words over the phone, namely 'F for Freddie' and 'S for Sugar'.
The U.S. adopted the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet during 1941 to standardize systems among all branches of its armed forces. The U.S. alphabet became known as Able Baker after the words for A and B. The United Kingdom adapted its RAF alphabet during 1943 to be almost identical to the American Joint-Army-Navy (JAN) one.
After World War II, with many aircraft and ground personnel from the allied armed forces, "Able Baker" continued to be used for civil aviation. But many sounds were unique to English, so an alternative "Ana Brazil" alphabet was used in Latin America. But the International Air Transport Association (IATA), recognizing the need for a single universal alphabet, presented a draft alphabet to the ICAO during 1947 that had sounds common to English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. After further study and modification by each approving body, the revised alphabet was implemented on 1 November 1951 for civil aviation (but it may not have been adopted by any military):
Alfa Bravo Coca Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf Hotel India Juliett Kilo Lima Metro Nectar Oscar Papa Quebec Romeo Sierra Tango Union Victor Whisky Extra Yankee Zulu
Problems were soon found with this list. Some users believed that they were so severe that they reverted to the old "Able Baker" alphabet. To identify the deficiencies of the new alphabet, testing was conducted among speakers from 31 nations, principally by the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States. Confusion among words like Delta, Nectar, Victor, and Extra, or the unintelligibility of other words during poor receiving conditions were the main problems. After much study, only the five words representing the letters C, M, N, U, and X were replaced. The ICAO sent a recording of the new Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet to all member states in November 1955. The final version given in the table above was implemented by the ICAO on 1 March 1956, and the ITU adopted it no later than 1959 when they mandated its usage via their official publication, Radio Regulations. Because the ITU governs all international radio communications, it was also adopted by all radio operators, whether military, civilian, or amateur (ARRL). It was finally adopted by the IMO in 1965. During 1947 the ITU adopted the compound number words (Nadazero Unaone, etc.), later adopted by the IMO during 1965.
NATO phonetic alphabet Usage
A spelling alphabet is used to spell parts of a message containing letters and numbers to avoid confusion, because many letters sound similar, for instance "n" and "m" or "b" and "d"; the potential for confusion increases if static or other interference is present. For instance the message "proceed to map grid DH98" could be transmitted as "proceed to map grid Delta-Hotel-Niner-Ait". Using "Delta" instead of "D" avoids confusion between "BH98" and "DH98". The unusual pronunciation of certain numbers was designed to reduce confusion.
In addition to the traditional military usage, civilian industry uses the alphabet to avoid similar problems in the transmission of messages by telephone systems. For example, it is often used in the retail industry where customer or site details are spoken by telephone (to authorize a credit agreement or confirm stock codes), although ad hoc coding is often used in that instance. It has been used often by information technology workers to communicate serial/reference codes (which are often very long) or other specialised information by voice. Most major airlines use the alphabet to communicate Passenger Name Records (PNRs) internally, and in some cases, with customers. It is often used in a medical context as well, to avoid confusion when transmitting information.
Several letter codes and abbreviations using the spelling alphabet have become well-known, such as Bravo Zulu (letter code BZ) for "well done", Checkpoint Charlie (Checkpoint C) in Berlin, and Zulu Time for Greenwich Mean Time or Coordinated Universal Time. During the Vietnam War, Viet Cong guerrillas and the group itself were referred to as VC, or Victor Charlie; the name "Charlie" became synonymous with this force.
^ Spelling out words Accessed 20 July 2015
^ International Code of Signals, United States Edition, 1969 Edition (Revised 2003), Chapter 1, pages 18–19, 148.
^ "Globalization and Sea Power". Isn.ethz.ch. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
^ Communication instructions – General, Allied Communications Publication ACP 121(H), Combined Communications-Electronics Board, April 2007, section 318
^ "The postal History of the ICAO". ICAO. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
^ "Alphabet – Radiotelephony". ICAO. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
^ a b "Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions ATIS-0100523.2011, ATIS Telecom Glossary 2011". Atis.org. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
^ a b c Pamphlet included in the 1955 ICAO phonograph recording, viewable at The Postal History of ICAO, Annex 10 – Aeronautical Telecommunications
^ a b c d e International Civil Aviation Organization, Aeronautical Telecommunications: Annex 10 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Volume II (Fifth edition, 1995), Chapter 5, 38–40.
^ "Military phonetic alphabet by US Army". Army.com. 2014-03-14. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
^ a b "ITU Phonetic Alphabet and Figure Code". Life.itu.ch. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
^ a b "ICAO Phonetics in the FAA ATC Manual, §2-4-16". Federal Aviation Administration. 11 February 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
^ a b "Phonetic alphabet in the ''FAA Aeronautical Information Manual'', §4-2-7". Faa.gov. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
^ a b Service de l'Information Aéronautique, Radiotéléphonie, 2nd edition, 2006
^ a b The audio recording, available on airwaysmuseum.com does not follow the details of the ICAO transcription. Apart from the dual pronunciations of Charlie and Uniform, the speaker uses the normal English pronunciations of the code words.
^ The ITU and ICAO (romanized) transcribe this as /nɔːˈvɛmbər/ naw-VEM-bər, presumably an error.
^ "RP 0506 – Field Communication" (PDF). Retrieved 2014-08-11.
^ The pronunciation "fife" is required. Failure to use this pronunciation has resulted in '5' being misheard as '9'. (McMillan, 1998, "Miscommunications in Air Traffic Control")
^ Transcribed as if it were /ˈnɪnər/ NIN-ər, but this pronunciation is never used.
^ Transcribed as if it rhymed with sand, but this pronunciation is never used.
^ "ICAO phonetic alphabet by Canada". Tc.gc.ca. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
^ a b c d L.J. Rose, "Aviation's ABC: The development of the ICAO spelling alphabet", ICAO Bulletin 11/2 (1956) 12–14.
^ International Telecommunication Union, "Appendix 16: Phonetic Alphabet and Figure Code", Radio Regulations (Geneva, 1959) 430–431.
^ "Where does the term "Bravo Zulu" originate?". 6 March 2005. Archived from the original on 6 March 2005. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
^ Civil Aviation Authority, "Aircraft Call Sign Confusion Evaluation Safety Study", April 2000
^ "How to Write Telegrams Properly".
^ "Sambandsregelmente för Försvarsmakten, Telefoni – HKV 12800: 70799" dated 26 June 2006.
^ "Det fonetiske alfabet". Glemsom.dk. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
^ "Internasjonalt alfabet for radiokommunikasjon". Aktivioslo.no. 2013-01-24. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
^ Sotilaan käsikirja 2013. http://www.puolustusvoimat.fi/wcm/c0acb9804173cfc2934ef78fcb266289/SKK2013_web_small.pdf?MOD=AJPERES: Puolustusvoimat. 2013. p.205. ISBN978-951-25-2463-1.
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Santeria (Way of the Saints) is an Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs and traditions, with some Roman Catholic elements added. The religion is also known as La Regla Lucumi and the Rule of Osha. Santeria is a syncretic religion that grew out of the slave trade in Cuba.
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| Santería |
What type of creature is a remora? | BBC - Religions - Santeria: The growth of Santeria
The growth of Santeria
Last updated 2009-09-15
The growth of the Santeria faith (the Way of the Saints) from African roots combined with Catholic elements.
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Santeria is essentially an African way of worship drawn into a symbiotic relationship with Catholicism.
The Encyclopedia of Religion, ed. Marcea Eliade
Santería is an amorphous, practical, and oral tradition which promises wisdom and power in dealing with life's hardships.
Hector Avalos, Introduction to the U.S. Latina and Latino Religious Experience, 2004
Santeria (The way of the Saints) is an Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs and traditions, with some Roman Catholic elements added. The religion is also known as La Regla Lucumi and the Rule of Osha.
Santeria originated in Cuba ©
Santeria incorporates elements of several faiths and so is what's called a 'syncretic' religion. It has grown beyond its Yoruba and Catholic origins to become a religion in its own right, and a powerful symbol of the religious creativity of Afro-Cuban culture.
The centre of the religion is Cuba, but it has spread to the USA and other nearby countries, particularly after the Cuban revolution in 1959.
For a long time Santeria was a secretive underground religion, but it's becoming increasingly visible in the Americas:
Once dismissed as a ghetto religion practiced only by the Caribbean poor and uneducated, Santeria has a growing following among middle-class professionals, including white, black and Asian Americans.
There are police officers in New York who pray to Obatala, the father of all deities, or orishas, before they slip on their gun belts.
There are lawyers and professors, civil servants and musicians whose homes are filled with altars laden with flowers, rum, cake and cigars to keep the gods happy and helpful. Many dress in white to symbolize purity.
Lizette Alvarez, After Years of Secrecy, Santeria Is Suddenly Much More Popular. And Public, New York Times 27/01/1997
Revolutionary Cuba clamped-down on Santeria at first, but over the last 15 years or so the government tolerated it more and more and now allows it to flourish. Cynics say that this is because Santeria brings considerable hard currency to the island.
It's difficult to know how many people follow Santeria, as there's no central organisation, and the religion is often practised in private. Some estimates go as high as a hundred million Santeria believers worldwide.
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Who was President of France from 1969 to 1974? | Georges Pompidou, President of France
France History - Georges Pompidou
Georges Pompidou (July 5, 1911 - April 2, 1974) was President of France from 1969 to his death in 1974.
He was born in Monboudif, Cantal, France and graduated from the École Normale Supérieure.
A supporter of Charles de Gaulle, he served under him as Prime Minister from April 16, 1962 to July 13, 1968. As Prime Minister during the student demonstrations of May 1968, Pompidou was widely regard as having been responsible for ensuring that the disorder had a peaceful conclusion. This led to his dismissal by a jealous de Gaulle.
Following de Gaulle's resignation in 1969, Pompidou was elected to be his successor as President of France, defeating Acting President Alain Poher. As President, Pompidou, though a Gaullist, proved more moderate than his predecessor, notably allowing Britain to join the European Community in 1973.
He died from cancer in 1974 while in office, to the surprise of most of the public. Poher succeeded him as acting president.
| Georges Pompidou |
The Macroplaze (or La Gran Plaza), one of the largest plazas in the world, is located in which Mexican city? | Georges Pompidou, President of France
France History - Georges Pompidou
Georges Pompidou (July 5, 1911 - April 2, 1974) was President of France from 1969 to his death in 1974.
He was born in Monboudif, Cantal, France and graduated from the École Normale Supérieure.
A supporter of Charles de Gaulle, he served under him as Prime Minister from April 16, 1962 to July 13, 1968. As Prime Minister during the student demonstrations of May 1968, Pompidou was widely regard as having been responsible for ensuring that the disorder had a peaceful conclusion. This led to his dismissal by a jealous de Gaulle.
Following de Gaulle's resignation in 1969, Pompidou was elected to be his successor as President of France, defeating Acting President Alain Poher. As President, Pompidou, though a Gaullist, proved more moderate than his predecessor, notably allowing Britain to join the European Community in 1973.
He died from cancer in 1974 while in office, to the surprise of most of the public. Poher succeeded him as acting president.
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Nyctophobia is the extreme fear of what? | Nyctophobia : Fear of Darkness and Night- Causes, Symptoms and Treatment | Healthtopia
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Nyctophobia : Fear of Darkness and Night- Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Nights and darkness have always been associated with grim thoughts and beliefs. While some people thoroughly enjoy the night lives these days, many others dread the ghastly night darkness. This kind of fear of darkness or night is known as nyctophobia.
Nyctophobia (also known as scotophobia, lygophobia or achluophobia) has been derived from Greek word “Nuktos” meaning night or darkness. The intense and irrelevant fear of darkness leads many people to avoid any night routine or dark places completely. This can be a severe interruption in the everyday life of a person. A person having nyctophobia is not scared of finding any unusual or paranormal element in the darkness, but scared of the darkness for no specific reason at all. The fear can be triggered just by a thought or anticipation of being in dark.
How common is Nyctophobia?
Nyctophobia is one of the most commonly occurring phobias in people, especially children. Studies show that 90 percent of children go through intense of darkness and night. If the situation is severe and untreated, the phobia can prolong till adulthood.
What Causes Nyctophobia?
Some common factors responsible for nyctophobia in people, especially children are:
A Traumatic Experience
Any kind of trauma or distressing event related with darkness can be a strong reason for people, especially children to develop nyctophobia. For instance, if a child has been regularly punished by locking in a dark room, then there are maximum chances that he/she develops fear of darkness. Similarly, other traumatic incidents that occurred during nighttime such as abuse and violence, getting lost or accidents may also cause nyctophobia. Such experience instills bad memories and thoughts about how night and darkness are dangerous.
Previous Mental Health Weakness
Any kind of persistent mental health issues can also trigger the phobia in a person. If a person has been suffering through different types of depression previously, it can weaken the energy of his/her mind. Even a small occurrence such as sudden blackout or being alone in a dark room can make the person nyctophobic.
Evolutionary Factors
Nyctophobia has also been associated with the evolution of mankind. In early periods, people used to go for hunting at nighttime and face wild beasts. Darkness has been considered as residence of evil, monsters and paranormal beings. This is the very reason of darkness being the main theme of horror movies and Halloween. Thus, nyctophobia can also be resultant of a learnt behavior that has been given by the human evolution itself.
Symptoms of Nyctophobia
Common symptoms that signify nyctophobia in a person are:
Intense and unreasonable fear of darkness and night ( the fear can triggered by mere thinking or anticipating to be in darkness)
Complete avoidance of dark places
Extreme discomfort whenever in dark places or during nighttime
Compulsive need of light all time during night
Panic attacks with physical signs such as shaking, sweating, trouble in breathing, dizziness and sweating, feeling confused, numbness around limbs, getting fixed and abdominal uneasiness
When to Visit a Doctor?
Nyctophobia can take a severe form when prolonged to a long time period. The person can start avoiding any place which can be dark, or even stop night activities. If the above symptoms have been persistent for more than six months, then visiting a doctor is recommended.
How is Nyctophobia treated?
Combination of different therapies and medicines can help to control nyctophobia.
Exposure therapy
Exposure therapy is a very effective treatment method for nyctophobia. The therapist makes the person confront darkness, and studies why and how the person reacts. The therapist would teach different relaxation ways such as breathing control, mind visualizations and meditating ways to reduce the fear. Through regular exposures, the person builds up toleration for the fear and distress.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is aimed at understanding the negative thoughts and images lying within the person’s mind about darkness and nights. The therapist counsels the person and tries building positive thoughts instead of the negative ones. The therapist also guides through appropriate behavior routines that can help to perform night tasks and tolerate darkness.
Medicines
Only in severe cases, medicines are used such as anti-anxiety and anti-depressant drugs to bring down the symptoms. However, they should be taken only under consultation of a doctor.
| night or darkness |
How many English kings feature in the titles of Shakespeare plays? | Nyctophobia : Fear of Darkness and Night- Causes, Symptoms and Treatment | Healthtopia
Blog
Nyctophobia : Fear of Darkness and Night- Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Nights and darkness have always been associated with grim thoughts and beliefs. While some people thoroughly enjoy the night lives these days, many others dread the ghastly night darkness. This kind of fear of darkness or night is known as nyctophobia.
Nyctophobia (also known as scotophobia, lygophobia or achluophobia) has been derived from Greek word “Nuktos” meaning night or darkness. The intense and irrelevant fear of darkness leads many people to avoid any night routine or dark places completely. This can be a severe interruption in the everyday life of a person. A person having nyctophobia is not scared of finding any unusual or paranormal element in the darkness, but scared of the darkness for no specific reason at all. The fear can be triggered just by a thought or anticipation of being in dark.
How common is Nyctophobia?
Nyctophobia is one of the most commonly occurring phobias in people, especially children. Studies show that 90 percent of children go through intense of darkness and night. If the situation is severe and untreated, the phobia can prolong till adulthood.
What Causes Nyctophobia?
Some common factors responsible for nyctophobia in people, especially children are:
A Traumatic Experience
Any kind of trauma or distressing event related with darkness can be a strong reason for people, especially children to develop nyctophobia. For instance, if a child has been regularly punished by locking in a dark room, then there are maximum chances that he/she develops fear of darkness. Similarly, other traumatic incidents that occurred during nighttime such as abuse and violence, getting lost or accidents may also cause nyctophobia. Such experience instills bad memories and thoughts about how night and darkness are dangerous.
Previous Mental Health Weakness
Any kind of persistent mental health issues can also trigger the phobia in a person. If a person has been suffering through different types of depression previously, it can weaken the energy of his/her mind. Even a small occurrence such as sudden blackout or being alone in a dark room can make the person nyctophobic.
Evolutionary Factors
Nyctophobia has also been associated with the evolution of mankind. In early periods, people used to go for hunting at nighttime and face wild beasts. Darkness has been considered as residence of evil, monsters and paranormal beings. This is the very reason of darkness being the main theme of horror movies and Halloween. Thus, nyctophobia can also be resultant of a learnt behavior that has been given by the human evolution itself.
Symptoms of Nyctophobia
Common symptoms that signify nyctophobia in a person are:
Intense and unreasonable fear of darkness and night ( the fear can triggered by mere thinking or anticipating to be in darkness)
Complete avoidance of dark places
Extreme discomfort whenever in dark places or during nighttime
Compulsive need of light all time during night
Panic attacks with physical signs such as shaking, sweating, trouble in breathing, dizziness and sweating, feeling confused, numbness around limbs, getting fixed and abdominal uneasiness
When to Visit a Doctor?
Nyctophobia can take a severe form when prolonged to a long time period. The person can start avoiding any place which can be dark, or even stop night activities. If the above symptoms have been persistent for more than six months, then visiting a doctor is recommended.
How is Nyctophobia treated?
Combination of different therapies and medicines can help to control nyctophobia.
Exposure therapy
Exposure therapy is a very effective treatment method for nyctophobia. The therapist makes the person confront darkness, and studies why and how the person reacts. The therapist would teach different relaxation ways such as breathing control, mind visualizations and meditating ways to reduce the fear. Through regular exposures, the person builds up toleration for the fear and distress.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is aimed at understanding the negative thoughts and images lying within the person’s mind about darkness and nights. The therapist counsels the person and tries building positive thoughts instead of the negative ones. The therapist also guides through appropriate behavior routines that can help to perform night tasks and tolerate darkness.
Medicines
Only in severe cases, medicines are used such as anti-anxiety and anti-depressant drugs to bring down the symptoms. However, they should be taken only under consultation of a doctor.
| i don't know |
Which English monarch created the National Debt? | The Glorious Revolution of 1688
The Glorious Revolution of 1688
Stephen Quinn, Texas Christian University
The Glorious Revolution was when William of Orange took the English throne from James II in 1688. The event brought a permanent realignment of power within the English constitution. The new co-monarchy of King William III and Queen Mary II accepted more constraints from Parliament than previous monarchs had, and the new constitution created the expectation that future monarchs would also remain constrained by Parliament. The new balance of power between parliament and crown made the promises of the English government more credible, and credibility allowed the government to reorganize its finances through a collection of changes called the Financial Revolution. A more contentious argument is that the constitutional changes made property rights more secure and thus promoted economic development.
Historical Overview
Tension between king and parliament ran deep throughout the seventeenth century. In the 1640s, the dispute turned into civil war. The loser, Charles I, was beheaded in 1649; his sons, Charles and James, fled to France; and the victorious Oliver Cromwell ruled England in the 1650s. Cromwell’s death in 1659 created a political vacuum, so Parliament invited Charles I’s sons back from exile, and the English monarchy was restored with the coronation of Charles II in 1660.
Tensions after the Restoration
The Restoration, however, did not settle the fundamental questions of power between king and Parliament. Indeed, exile had exposed Charles I’s sons to the strong monarchical methods of Louis XIV. Charles and James returned to Britain with expectations of an absolute monarchy justified by the Divine Right of Kings, so tensions continued during the reigns of Charles II (1660-1685) and his brother James II (1685-88). Table 1 lists many of the tensions and the positions favored by each side. The compromise struck during the Restoration was that Charles II would control his succession, that he would control his judiciary, and that he would have the power to collect traditional taxes. In exchange, Charles II would remain Protestant and the imposition of additional taxes would require Parliament’s approval.
Table 1
Issues Separating Crown and Parliament, 1660-1688
Issue
Royal right to control succession
(Parliamentary approval NOT required)
Parliament’s right to meet
(Royal summons NOT required)
Royal authority sufficient to impose and collect traditional taxes.
Parliamentary authority necessary to impose and collect traditional taxes.
traditional taxes traditional taxes.
Royal authority sufficient to impose and collect new taxes.
Parliamentary authority necessary to impose and collect new taxes.
Appropriation
Complete royal control over expenditures.
Parliamentary audit or even appropriation.
In practice, authority over additional taxation was how Parliament constrained Charles II. Charles brought England into war against Protestant Holland (1665-67) with the support of extra taxes authorized by Parliament. In the years following that war, however, the extra funding from Parliament ceased, but Charles II’s borrowing and spending did not. By 1671, all his income was committed to regular expenses and paying interest on his debts. Parliament would not authorize additional funds, so Charles II was fiscally shackled.
Treaty of Dover
To regain fiscal autonomy and subvert Parliament, Charles II signed the secret Treaty of Dover with Louis XIV in 1671. Charles agreed that England would join France in war against Holland and that he would publicly convert to Catholicism. In return, Charles received cash from France and the prospect of victory spoils that would solve his debt problem. The treaty, however, threatened the Anglican Church, contradicted Charles II’s stated policy of support for Protestant Holland, and provided a source of revenue independent of Parliament.
Moreover, to free the money needed to launch his scheme, Charles stopped servicing many of his debts in an act called the Stop of the Exchequer, and, in Machiavellian fashion, Charles isolated a few bankers to take the loss (Roseveare 1991). The gamble, however, was lost when the English Navy failed to defeat the Dutch in 1672. Charles then avoided a break with Parliament by retreating from Catholicism.
James II
Parliament, however, was also unable to gain the upper hand. From 1679 to 1681, Protestant nobles had Parliament pass acts excluding Charles II’s Catholic brother James from succession to the throne. The political turmoil of the Exclusion Crisis created the Whig faction favoring exclusion and the Tory counter-faction opposing exclusion. Even with a majority in Commons, however, the Whigs could not force a reworking of the constitution in their favor because Charles responded by dissolving three Parliaments without giving his consent to the acts.
As a consequence of the stalemate, Charles did not summon Parliament over the final years of his life, and James did succeed to the throne in 1685. Unlike the pragmatic Charles, James II boldly pushed for all of his goals. On the religious front, the Catholic James upset his Anglican allies by threatening the preeminence of the Anglican Church (Jones 1978, 238). He also declared that his son and heir would be raised Catholic. On the military front, James expanded the standing army and promoted Catholic officers. On the financial front, he attempted to subvert Parliament by packing it with his loyalists. With a packed Parliament, “the king and his ministers could have achieved practical and permanent independence by obtaining a larger revenue” (Jones 1978, p. 243). By 1688, Tories, worried about the Church of England, and Whigs, worried about the independence of Parliament, agreed that they needed to unite against James II.
William of Orange
The solution became Mary Stuart and her husband, William of Orange. English factions invited Mary and William to seize the throne because the couple was Protestant and Mary was the daughter of James II. The situation, however, had additional drama because William was also the military commander of the Dutch Republic, and, in 1688, the Dutch were in a difficult military position. Holland was facing war with France (the Nine Years War, 1688-97), and the possibility was growing that James II would bring England into the war on the side of France. James was nearing open war with his son-in-law William.
For William and Holland, accepting the invitation and invading England was a bold gamble, but the success could turn England from a threat to an ally. William landed in England with a Dutch army on November 5, 1688 (Israel 1991). Defections in James II’s army followed before battle was joined, and William allowed James to flee to France. Parliament took the flight of James II as abdication and the co-reign of William III and Mary II officially replaced him on February 13, 1689. Although Mary had the claim to the throne as James II’s daughter, William demanded to be made King and Mary wanted William to have that power. Authority was simplified when Mary’s death in 1694 left William the sole monarch.
New Constitution
The deal struck between Parliament and the royal couple in 1688-89 was that Parliament would support the war against France, while William and Mary would accept new constraints on their authority. The new constitution reflected the relative weakness of William’s bargaining position more than any strength in Parliament’s position. Parliament feared the return of James, but William very much needed England’s willing support in the war against France because the costs would be extraordinary and William would be focused on military command instead of political wrangling.
The initial constitutional settlement was worked out in 1689 in the English Bill of Rights, the Toleration Act, and the Mutiny Act that collectively committed the monarchs to respect Parliament and Parliament’s laws. Fiscal power was settled over the 1690s as Parliament stopped granting the monarchs the authority to collect taxes for life. Instead, Parliament began regular re-authorization of all taxes, Parliament began to specify how new revenue authorizations could be spent, Parliament began to audit how revenue was spent, and Parliament diverted some funds entirely from the king’s control (Dickson 1967: 48-73). By the end of the war in 1697, the new fiscal powers of Parliament were largely in place.
Constitutional Credibility
The financial and economic importance of the arrangement between William and Mary and Parliament was that the commitments embodied in the constitutional monarchy of the Glorious Revolution were more credible that the commitments under the Restoration constitution (North and Weingast 1989). Essential to the argument is what economists mean by the term credible. If a constitution is viewed as a deal between Parliament and the Crown, then credibility means how believable it is today that Parliament and the king will choose to honor their promises tomorrow. Credibility does not ask whether Charles II reneged on a promise; rather, credibility asks if people expected Charles to renege.
One can represent the situation by drawing a decision tree that shows the future choices determining credibility. For example, the decision tree in Figure 1 contains the elements determining the credibility of Charles II’s honoring the Restoration constitution of 1660. Going forward in time from 1660 (left to right), the critical decision is whether Charles II will honor the constitution or eventually renege. The future decision by Charles, however, will depend on his estimation of benefits of becoming an absolute monarch versus the cost of failure and the chances he assigns to each. Determining credibility in 1660 requires working backwards (right to left). If one thinks Charles II will risk civil war to become an absolute monarch, then one would expect Charles II to renege on the constitution, and therefore the constitution lacks credibility despite what Charles II may promise in 1660. In contrast, if one expects Charles II to avoid civil war, then one would expect Charles to choose to honor the constitution, so the Restoration constitution would be credible.
Figure 1. Restoration of 1660 Decision Tree
A difficulty with credibility is foreseeing future options. With hindsight, we know that Charles II did attempt to break the Restoration constitution in 1670-72. When his war against Holland failed, he repaired relations with Parliament and avoided civil war, so Charles managed something not portrayed in Figure 1. He replaced the outcome of civil war in the decision tree with the outcome of a return to the status quo. The consequence of removing the threat of civil war, however, was to destroy credibility in the king’s commitment to the constitution. If James II believed he inherited the options created by his brother, then James II’s 1685 commitment to the Restoration constitution lacked credibility because the worst that would happen to James was a return to the status quo.
So why would the Glorious Revolution constitution be more credible than Restoration constitution challenged by both Charles II and James II? William was very unlikely to become Catholic or pro-French which eliminated many tensions. Also, William very much needed Parliament’s support for his war against France; however, the change in credibility argued by North and Weingast (1989) looks past William’s reign, so it also requires confidence that William’s successors would abide by the constitution. A source of long-run confidence was that the Glorious Revolution reasserted the risk of a monarch losing his throne. William III’s decision tree in 1689 again looked like Charles II’s in 1660, and Parliament’s threat to remove an offending monarch was becoming credible. The seventeenth century had now seen Parliament remove two of the four Stuart monarchs, and the second displacement in 1688 was much easier than the wars that ended the reign of Charles I in 1649.
Another lasting change that made the new constitution more credible than the old constitution was that William and his successors were more constrained in fiscal matters. Parliament’s growing ‘power of the purse’ gave the king less freedom to maneuver a constitutional challenge. Moreover, Parliament’s fiscal control increased over time because the new constitution favored Parliament in the constitutional renegotiations that accompanied each succeeding monarch.
As a result, the Glorious Revolution constitution made credible the enduring ascendancy of Parliament. In terms of the king, the new constitution increased the credibility of the proposition that kings would not usurp Parliament.
Fiscal Credibility
The second credibility story of the Glorious Revolution was that the increased credibility of the government’s constitutional structure translated into an increased credibility for the government’s commitments. When acting together, the king and Parliament retained the power to default on debt, seize property, or change rules; so why would the credibility of the constitution create confidence in a government’s promises to the public?
A king who lives within the constitution has less desire to renege on his commitments. Recall that Charles II defaulted on his debts in an attempt to subvert the constitution, and, in contrast, Parliament after the Glorious Revolution generously financed wars for monarchs who abided by the constitution. An irony of the Glorious Revolution is that monarchs who accepted constitutional constraints gained more resources than their absolutist forebears.
Still, should a monarch want to have his government renege, Parliament will not always agree, and a stable constitution assures a Parliamentary veto. The two houses of Parliament, Commons and Lords, creates more veto opportunities, and the chances of a policy change decrease with more veto opportunities if the king and the two houses have different interests (Weingast 1997).
Another aspect of Parliament is the role of political parties. For veto opportunities to block change, opponents need only to control one veto, and here the coalition aspect of parties was important. For example, the Whig coalition combined dissenting Protestants and moneyed interests, so each could rely on mutual support through the Whig party to block government action against either. Cross-issue bargaining between factions creates a cohesive coalition on multiple issues (Stasavage 2002).
An additional reason for Parliament’s credibility was reputation. As a deterrent against violating commitments today, reputation relies on penalties felt tomorrow, so reputation often does not deter those overly focused on the present. A desperate king is a common example. As collective bodies of indefinite life, however, Parliament and political parties have longer time horizons than an individual, so reputation has better chance of fostering credibility.
A measure of fiscal credibility is the risk premium that the market puts on government debt. During the Nine Years War (1688-97), government debt carried a risk premium of 4 percent over private debt, but that risk premium disappeared and became a small discount in the years 1698 to 1705 (Quinn 2001: 610). The drop in the rates on government debt marks a substantial increase in the market’s confidence in the government after the Treaty of Ryswick ended the Nine Years War in 1697 and left William III and the new constitution intact. A related measure of confidence was the market price of stock in companies like the Bank of England and the East India Company. Because those companies were created by Parliamentary authorization and held large quantities of government debt, changes in confidence were reflected in changes in their stock prices. Again, the Treaty of Ryswick greatly increased stock prices and confirms a substantial increase in the credibility of the government (Wells and Wills 2000, 434). In contrast, later Jacobite threats, such as the invasion of Scotland by James II’s son ‘the Pretender’ in 1708, had negative but largely transitory effects on share prices.
Financial Consequences
The fiscal credibility of the English government created by the Glorious Revolution unleashed a revolution in public finance. The most prominent element was the introduction of long-run borrowing by the government, because such borrowing absolutely relied on the government’s fiscal credibility. To create credible long-run debt, Parliament took responsibility for the debt, and Parliamentary-funded debt became the National Debt, instead of just the king’s debt. To bolster credibility, Parliament committed future tax revenues to servicing the debts and introduced new taxes as needed (Dickson 1967, Brewer 1988). Credible government debt formed the basis of the Bank of England in 1694 and the core the London stock market. The combination of these changes has been called the Financial Revolution and was essential for Britain’s emergence as a Great Power in the eighteenth century (Neal 2000).
While the Glorious Revolution was critical to the Financial Revolution in England, the follow up assertion in North and Weingast (1989) that the Glorious Revolution increased the security of property rights in general, and so spurred economic growth, remains an open question. A difficulty is how to test the question. An increase in the credibility of property rights might cause interest rates to decrease because people become willing to save more; however, rates based on English property rentals show no effect from the Glorious Revolution, and the rates of one London banker actually increased after the Glorious Revolution (Clark 1996, Quinn 2001). In contrast, high interest rates could indicate that the Glorious Revolution increased entrepreneurship and demand for investment. Unfortunately, high rates could also mean that the expansion of government borrowing permitted by the Financial Revolution crowded out investment. North and Weingast (1989) point to a general expansion of financial intermediation which is supported by studies like Carlos, Key, and Dupree (1998) that find the secondary market for Royal African Company and Hudson’s Bay Company stocks became busier in the 1690s. Distinguishing between crowding out and increased demand for investment, however, relies on establishing whether the overall quantity of business investment changed, and that remains unresolved because of the difficulty in constructing such an aggregate measure. The potential linkages between the credibility created by the Glorious Revolution and economic development remain an open question.
References:
Brewer, John. The Sinews of Power. Cambridge: Harvard Press, 1988.
Carlos, Ann M., Jennifer Key, and Jill L. Dupree. “Learning and the Creation of Stock-Market Institutions: Evidence from the Royal African and Hudson’s Bay Companies, 1670-1700.” Journal of Economic History 58, no. 2 (1998): 318-44.
Clark, Gregory. “The Political Foundations of Modern Economic Growth: England, 1540-1800.” Journal of Interdisciplinary History 55 (1996): 563-87.
Dickson, Peter. The Financial Revolution in England. New York: St. Martin’s, 1967.
Israel, Jonathan. “The Dutch Role in the Glorious Revolution.” In The Anglo-Dutch Moment, edited by Jonathan Israel, 103-62. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991.
Jones, James, Country and Court England, 1658-1714. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1978.
Neal, Larry. “How it All Began: the Monetary and Financial Architecture of Europe during the First Global Capital Markets, 1648-1815.” Financial History Review 7 (2000): 117-40.
North, Douglass, and Barry Weingast. “Constitutions and Commitment: The Evolution of Institutions Governing Public Choice in Seventeenth-Century England.” Journal of Economic History 49, no. 4(1989): 803-32.
Roseveare, Henry. The Financial Revolution 1660-1760. London: Longman, 1991.
Quinn, Stephen. “The Glorious Revolution’s Effect on English Private Finance: A Microhistory, 1680-1705.” Journal of Economic History 61, no. 3 (2001): 593-615.
Stasavage, David. “Credible Commitments in Early Modern Europe: North and Weingast Revisited.” Journal of Law and Economics 18, no. 1 (2002): 155-86.
Weingast, Barry, “The Political Foundations of Limited Government: Parliament Sovereign Debt in Seventeenth-Century and Eighteenth-Century England.” In The Frontiers of the New Institutional Economics, edited by John Drobak and John Nye, 213-246. San Diego: Academic Press, 1997.
Wells, John, and Douglas Wills. “Revolution, Restoration, and Debt Repudiation: The Jacobite Threat to England’s Institutions and Economic Growth.” Journal of Economic History 60, no 2 (2000): 418-41.
Citation: Quinn, Stephen. “The Glorious Revolution of 1688″. EH.Net Encyclopedia, edited by Robert Whaples. April 17, 2003. URL http://eh.net/encyclopedia/the-glorious-revolution-of-1688/
© EH.Net - Economic History Services
| William III of England |
Which was the first state in the US to ban smoking in public places? | The Glorious Revolution of 1688
The Glorious Revolution of 1688
Stephen Quinn, Texas Christian University
The Glorious Revolution was when William of Orange took the English throne from James II in 1688. The event brought a permanent realignment of power within the English constitution. The new co-monarchy of King William III and Queen Mary II accepted more constraints from Parliament than previous monarchs had, and the new constitution created the expectation that future monarchs would also remain constrained by Parliament. The new balance of power between parliament and crown made the promises of the English government more credible, and credibility allowed the government to reorganize its finances through a collection of changes called the Financial Revolution. A more contentious argument is that the constitutional changes made property rights more secure and thus promoted economic development.
Historical Overview
Tension between king and parliament ran deep throughout the seventeenth century. In the 1640s, the dispute turned into civil war. The loser, Charles I, was beheaded in 1649; his sons, Charles and James, fled to France; and the victorious Oliver Cromwell ruled England in the 1650s. Cromwell’s death in 1659 created a political vacuum, so Parliament invited Charles I’s sons back from exile, and the English monarchy was restored with the coronation of Charles II in 1660.
Tensions after the Restoration
The Restoration, however, did not settle the fundamental questions of power between king and Parliament. Indeed, exile had exposed Charles I’s sons to the strong monarchical methods of Louis XIV. Charles and James returned to Britain with expectations of an absolute monarchy justified by the Divine Right of Kings, so tensions continued during the reigns of Charles II (1660-1685) and his brother James II (1685-88). Table 1 lists many of the tensions and the positions favored by each side. The compromise struck during the Restoration was that Charles II would control his succession, that he would control his judiciary, and that he would have the power to collect traditional taxes. In exchange, Charles II would remain Protestant and the imposition of additional taxes would require Parliament’s approval.
Table 1
Issues Separating Crown and Parliament, 1660-1688
Issue
Royal right to control succession
(Parliamentary approval NOT required)
Parliament’s right to meet
(Royal summons NOT required)
Royal authority sufficient to impose and collect traditional taxes.
Parliamentary authority necessary to impose and collect traditional taxes.
traditional taxes traditional taxes.
Royal authority sufficient to impose and collect new taxes.
Parliamentary authority necessary to impose and collect new taxes.
Appropriation
Complete royal control over expenditures.
Parliamentary audit or even appropriation.
In practice, authority over additional taxation was how Parliament constrained Charles II. Charles brought England into war against Protestant Holland (1665-67) with the support of extra taxes authorized by Parliament. In the years following that war, however, the extra funding from Parliament ceased, but Charles II’s borrowing and spending did not. By 1671, all his income was committed to regular expenses and paying interest on his debts. Parliament would not authorize additional funds, so Charles II was fiscally shackled.
Treaty of Dover
To regain fiscal autonomy and subvert Parliament, Charles II signed the secret Treaty of Dover with Louis XIV in 1671. Charles agreed that England would join France in war against Holland and that he would publicly convert to Catholicism. In return, Charles received cash from France and the prospect of victory spoils that would solve his debt problem. The treaty, however, threatened the Anglican Church, contradicted Charles II’s stated policy of support for Protestant Holland, and provided a source of revenue independent of Parliament.
Moreover, to free the money needed to launch his scheme, Charles stopped servicing many of his debts in an act called the Stop of the Exchequer, and, in Machiavellian fashion, Charles isolated a few bankers to take the loss (Roseveare 1991). The gamble, however, was lost when the English Navy failed to defeat the Dutch in 1672. Charles then avoided a break with Parliament by retreating from Catholicism.
James II
Parliament, however, was also unable to gain the upper hand. From 1679 to 1681, Protestant nobles had Parliament pass acts excluding Charles II’s Catholic brother James from succession to the throne. The political turmoil of the Exclusion Crisis created the Whig faction favoring exclusion and the Tory counter-faction opposing exclusion. Even with a majority in Commons, however, the Whigs could not force a reworking of the constitution in their favor because Charles responded by dissolving three Parliaments without giving his consent to the acts.
As a consequence of the stalemate, Charles did not summon Parliament over the final years of his life, and James did succeed to the throne in 1685. Unlike the pragmatic Charles, James II boldly pushed for all of his goals. On the religious front, the Catholic James upset his Anglican allies by threatening the preeminence of the Anglican Church (Jones 1978, 238). He also declared that his son and heir would be raised Catholic. On the military front, James expanded the standing army and promoted Catholic officers. On the financial front, he attempted to subvert Parliament by packing it with his loyalists. With a packed Parliament, “the king and his ministers could have achieved practical and permanent independence by obtaining a larger revenue” (Jones 1978, p. 243). By 1688, Tories, worried about the Church of England, and Whigs, worried about the independence of Parliament, agreed that they needed to unite against James II.
William of Orange
The solution became Mary Stuart and her husband, William of Orange. English factions invited Mary and William to seize the throne because the couple was Protestant and Mary was the daughter of James II. The situation, however, had additional drama because William was also the military commander of the Dutch Republic, and, in 1688, the Dutch were in a difficult military position. Holland was facing war with France (the Nine Years War, 1688-97), and the possibility was growing that James II would bring England into the war on the side of France. James was nearing open war with his son-in-law William.
For William and Holland, accepting the invitation and invading England was a bold gamble, but the success could turn England from a threat to an ally. William landed in England with a Dutch army on November 5, 1688 (Israel 1991). Defections in James II’s army followed before battle was joined, and William allowed James to flee to France. Parliament took the flight of James II as abdication and the co-reign of William III and Mary II officially replaced him on February 13, 1689. Although Mary had the claim to the throne as James II’s daughter, William demanded to be made King and Mary wanted William to have that power. Authority was simplified when Mary’s death in 1694 left William the sole monarch.
New Constitution
The deal struck between Parliament and the royal couple in 1688-89 was that Parliament would support the war against France, while William and Mary would accept new constraints on their authority. The new constitution reflected the relative weakness of William’s bargaining position more than any strength in Parliament’s position. Parliament feared the return of James, but William very much needed England’s willing support in the war against France because the costs would be extraordinary and William would be focused on military command instead of political wrangling.
The initial constitutional settlement was worked out in 1689 in the English Bill of Rights, the Toleration Act, and the Mutiny Act that collectively committed the monarchs to respect Parliament and Parliament’s laws. Fiscal power was settled over the 1690s as Parliament stopped granting the monarchs the authority to collect taxes for life. Instead, Parliament began regular re-authorization of all taxes, Parliament began to specify how new revenue authorizations could be spent, Parliament began to audit how revenue was spent, and Parliament diverted some funds entirely from the king’s control (Dickson 1967: 48-73). By the end of the war in 1697, the new fiscal powers of Parliament were largely in place.
Constitutional Credibility
The financial and economic importance of the arrangement between William and Mary and Parliament was that the commitments embodied in the constitutional monarchy of the Glorious Revolution were more credible that the commitments under the Restoration constitution (North and Weingast 1989). Essential to the argument is what economists mean by the term credible. If a constitution is viewed as a deal between Parliament and the Crown, then credibility means how believable it is today that Parliament and the king will choose to honor their promises tomorrow. Credibility does not ask whether Charles II reneged on a promise; rather, credibility asks if people expected Charles to renege.
One can represent the situation by drawing a decision tree that shows the future choices determining credibility. For example, the decision tree in Figure 1 contains the elements determining the credibility of Charles II’s honoring the Restoration constitution of 1660. Going forward in time from 1660 (left to right), the critical decision is whether Charles II will honor the constitution or eventually renege. The future decision by Charles, however, will depend on his estimation of benefits of becoming an absolute monarch versus the cost of failure and the chances he assigns to each. Determining credibility in 1660 requires working backwards (right to left). If one thinks Charles II will risk civil war to become an absolute monarch, then one would expect Charles II to renege on the constitution, and therefore the constitution lacks credibility despite what Charles II may promise in 1660. In contrast, if one expects Charles II to avoid civil war, then one would expect Charles to choose to honor the constitution, so the Restoration constitution would be credible.
Figure 1. Restoration of 1660 Decision Tree
A difficulty with credibility is foreseeing future options. With hindsight, we know that Charles II did attempt to break the Restoration constitution in 1670-72. When his war against Holland failed, he repaired relations with Parliament and avoided civil war, so Charles managed something not portrayed in Figure 1. He replaced the outcome of civil war in the decision tree with the outcome of a return to the status quo. The consequence of removing the threat of civil war, however, was to destroy credibility in the king’s commitment to the constitution. If James II believed he inherited the options created by his brother, then James II’s 1685 commitment to the Restoration constitution lacked credibility because the worst that would happen to James was a return to the status quo.
So why would the Glorious Revolution constitution be more credible than Restoration constitution challenged by both Charles II and James II? William was very unlikely to become Catholic or pro-French which eliminated many tensions. Also, William very much needed Parliament’s support for his war against France; however, the change in credibility argued by North and Weingast (1989) looks past William’s reign, so it also requires confidence that William’s successors would abide by the constitution. A source of long-run confidence was that the Glorious Revolution reasserted the risk of a monarch losing his throne. William III’s decision tree in 1689 again looked like Charles II’s in 1660, and Parliament’s threat to remove an offending monarch was becoming credible. The seventeenth century had now seen Parliament remove two of the four Stuart monarchs, and the second displacement in 1688 was much easier than the wars that ended the reign of Charles I in 1649.
Another lasting change that made the new constitution more credible than the old constitution was that William and his successors were more constrained in fiscal matters. Parliament’s growing ‘power of the purse’ gave the king less freedom to maneuver a constitutional challenge. Moreover, Parliament’s fiscal control increased over time because the new constitution favored Parliament in the constitutional renegotiations that accompanied each succeeding monarch.
As a result, the Glorious Revolution constitution made credible the enduring ascendancy of Parliament. In terms of the king, the new constitution increased the credibility of the proposition that kings would not usurp Parliament.
Fiscal Credibility
The second credibility story of the Glorious Revolution was that the increased credibility of the government’s constitutional structure translated into an increased credibility for the government’s commitments. When acting together, the king and Parliament retained the power to default on debt, seize property, or change rules; so why would the credibility of the constitution create confidence in a government’s promises to the public?
A king who lives within the constitution has less desire to renege on his commitments. Recall that Charles II defaulted on his debts in an attempt to subvert the constitution, and, in contrast, Parliament after the Glorious Revolution generously financed wars for monarchs who abided by the constitution. An irony of the Glorious Revolution is that monarchs who accepted constitutional constraints gained more resources than their absolutist forebears.
Still, should a monarch want to have his government renege, Parliament will not always agree, and a stable constitution assures a Parliamentary veto. The two houses of Parliament, Commons and Lords, creates more veto opportunities, and the chances of a policy change decrease with more veto opportunities if the king and the two houses have different interests (Weingast 1997).
Another aspect of Parliament is the role of political parties. For veto opportunities to block change, opponents need only to control one veto, and here the coalition aspect of parties was important. For example, the Whig coalition combined dissenting Protestants and moneyed interests, so each could rely on mutual support through the Whig party to block government action against either. Cross-issue bargaining between factions creates a cohesive coalition on multiple issues (Stasavage 2002).
An additional reason for Parliament’s credibility was reputation. As a deterrent against violating commitments today, reputation relies on penalties felt tomorrow, so reputation often does not deter those overly focused on the present. A desperate king is a common example. As collective bodies of indefinite life, however, Parliament and political parties have longer time horizons than an individual, so reputation has better chance of fostering credibility.
A measure of fiscal credibility is the risk premium that the market puts on government debt. During the Nine Years War (1688-97), government debt carried a risk premium of 4 percent over private debt, but that risk premium disappeared and became a small discount in the years 1698 to 1705 (Quinn 2001: 610). The drop in the rates on government debt marks a substantial increase in the market’s confidence in the government after the Treaty of Ryswick ended the Nine Years War in 1697 and left William III and the new constitution intact. A related measure of confidence was the market price of stock in companies like the Bank of England and the East India Company. Because those companies were created by Parliamentary authorization and held large quantities of government debt, changes in confidence were reflected in changes in their stock prices. Again, the Treaty of Ryswick greatly increased stock prices and confirms a substantial increase in the credibility of the government (Wells and Wills 2000, 434). In contrast, later Jacobite threats, such as the invasion of Scotland by James II’s son ‘the Pretender’ in 1708, had negative but largely transitory effects on share prices.
Financial Consequences
The fiscal credibility of the English government created by the Glorious Revolution unleashed a revolution in public finance. The most prominent element was the introduction of long-run borrowing by the government, because such borrowing absolutely relied on the government’s fiscal credibility. To create credible long-run debt, Parliament took responsibility for the debt, and Parliamentary-funded debt became the National Debt, instead of just the king’s debt. To bolster credibility, Parliament committed future tax revenues to servicing the debts and introduced new taxes as needed (Dickson 1967, Brewer 1988). Credible government debt formed the basis of the Bank of England in 1694 and the core the London stock market. The combination of these changes has been called the Financial Revolution and was essential for Britain’s emergence as a Great Power in the eighteenth century (Neal 2000).
While the Glorious Revolution was critical to the Financial Revolution in England, the follow up assertion in North and Weingast (1989) that the Glorious Revolution increased the security of property rights in general, and so spurred economic growth, remains an open question. A difficulty is how to test the question. An increase in the credibility of property rights might cause interest rates to decrease because people become willing to save more; however, rates based on English property rentals show no effect from the Glorious Revolution, and the rates of one London banker actually increased after the Glorious Revolution (Clark 1996, Quinn 2001). In contrast, high interest rates could indicate that the Glorious Revolution increased entrepreneurship and demand for investment. Unfortunately, high rates could also mean that the expansion of government borrowing permitted by the Financial Revolution crowded out investment. North and Weingast (1989) point to a general expansion of financial intermediation which is supported by studies like Carlos, Key, and Dupree (1998) that find the secondary market for Royal African Company and Hudson’s Bay Company stocks became busier in the 1690s. Distinguishing between crowding out and increased demand for investment, however, relies on establishing whether the overall quantity of business investment changed, and that remains unresolved because of the difficulty in constructing such an aggregate measure. The potential linkages between the credibility created by the Glorious Revolution and economic development remain an open question.
References:
Brewer, John. The Sinews of Power. Cambridge: Harvard Press, 1988.
Carlos, Ann M., Jennifer Key, and Jill L. Dupree. “Learning and the Creation of Stock-Market Institutions: Evidence from the Royal African and Hudson’s Bay Companies, 1670-1700.” Journal of Economic History 58, no. 2 (1998): 318-44.
Clark, Gregory. “The Political Foundations of Modern Economic Growth: England, 1540-1800.” Journal of Interdisciplinary History 55 (1996): 563-87.
Dickson, Peter. The Financial Revolution in England. New York: St. Martin’s, 1967.
Israel, Jonathan. “The Dutch Role in the Glorious Revolution.” In The Anglo-Dutch Moment, edited by Jonathan Israel, 103-62. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991.
Jones, James, Country and Court England, 1658-1714. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1978.
Neal, Larry. “How it All Began: the Monetary and Financial Architecture of Europe during the First Global Capital Markets, 1648-1815.” Financial History Review 7 (2000): 117-40.
North, Douglass, and Barry Weingast. “Constitutions and Commitment: The Evolution of Institutions Governing Public Choice in Seventeenth-Century England.” Journal of Economic History 49, no. 4(1989): 803-32.
Roseveare, Henry. The Financial Revolution 1660-1760. London: Longman, 1991.
Quinn, Stephen. “The Glorious Revolution’s Effect on English Private Finance: A Microhistory, 1680-1705.” Journal of Economic History 61, no. 3 (2001): 593-615.
Stasavage, David. “Credible Commitments in Early Modern Europe: North and Weingast Revisited.” Journal of Law and Economics 18, no. 1 (2002): 155-86.
Weingast, Barry, “The Political Foundations of Limited Government: Parliament Sovereign Debt in Seventeenth-Century and Eighteenth-Century England.” In The Frontiers of the New Institutional Economics, edited by John Drobak and John Nye, 213-246. San Diego: Academic Press, 1997.
Wells, John, and Douglas Wills. “Revolution, Restoration, and Debt Repudiation: The Jacobite Threat to England’s Institutions and Economic Growth.” Journal of Economic History 60, no 2 (2000): 418-41.
Citation: Quinn, Stephen. “The Glorious Revolution of 1688″. EH.Net Encyclopedia, edited by Robert Whaples. April 17, 2003. URL http://eh.net/encyclopedia/the-glorious-revolution-of-1688/
© EH.Net - Economic History Services
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Roberto Di Matteo was sacked as manager of which English football club in November 2012? | Chelsea sack Roberto Di Matteo | Football | The Guardian
Chelsea sack Roberto Di Matteo
• Chelsea announce they have parted company with Italian boss
Wednesday 21 November 2012 04.17 EST
First published on Wednesday 21 November 2012 04.17 EST
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Chelsea have sacked Roberto Di Matteo as manager just hours after their Champions League defeat to Juventus .
The club announced on Twitter on Wednesday morning that they had parted company with the Italian after a string of poor results. Shortly afterwards they released a statement , stating that results had not been good enough and an announcement on a new manager will be made shortly.
Chelsea's statement read: "Chelsea football club has parted company this morning with manager Roberto Di Matteo . The team's recent performances and results have not been good enough and the owner and the board felt that a change was necessary now to keep the club moving in the right direction as we head into a vitally important part of the season.
"The club faces a difficult task ahead in qualifying for the knockout stages of the Uefa Champions League as well as maintaining a strong challenge for the top of the Premier League while competing in three other cup competitions. Our aim is to remain as competitive as possible and challenge strongly on all fronts."
It continued: "The owner and the board would like to thank Roberto for all he has done for the club since taking over in March. Roberto helped guide us to an historic Champions League victory and a seventh FA Cup. We will never forget the huge contribution he has made to this club's history and he will always be welcome at Stamford Bridge.
"The club will be making an announcement shortly regarding a new first team manager."
Di Matteo took charge of Chelsea in March after the club had sacked André Villas-Boas , initially on a temporary basis. Di Matteo rescued the club's ailing Champions League campaign and steered them to victory over Bayern Munich in the final on the German team's home ground, having already secured the FA Cup .
The new season started well domestically but they have fallen slightly off the pace in recent weeks. Di Matteo has become the first top-flight manager to leave his post this season, having been 33-1 with bookmakers to "win" the Premier League sack race barely 36 hours ago.
Chelsea have already sounded out Rafael Benítez to determine his willingness to take over on a short-term contract, with the former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola the first choice if he can be persuaded to return to work having stated he wanted a year-long sabbatical last May.
Guardiola was a reported target for Chelsea in the summer despite Di Matteo's Champions League and FA Cup success. He had vowed to take a year's break from the game, but he is likely to be the favourite to succeed Di Matteo on a permanent basis.
Sir Alex Ferguson has had a sly dig at the new Chelsea manager, Rafael Benítez, by describing the Spaniard as 'very lucky'
Published: 23 Nov 2012
Chelsea hope to announce the identity of their new manager later on Wednesday with Rafael Benítez expected to take up the reins
Published: 21 Nov 2012
Rafael Benítez has said Chelsea can win trophies this season and that remarks he made as Liverpool manager should not be held against him
Published: 22 Nov 2012
Who will replace Roberto Di Matteo as Chelsea manager? We take a look at the contenders for the hottest of hot seats
Published: 21 Nov 2012
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What is the name of the world’s first test-tube baby, born on 25th July 1978 in Manchester, England? | UEFA Champions League - Di Matteo – UEFA.com
UEFA Champions League
Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo ©AFP/Getty Images
Roberto Di Matteo
Date of birth: 29 May 1970
Nationality: Italian
Playing career: FC Schaffhausen, FC Zürich, FC Aarau, SS Lazio, Chelsea FC
Coaching career: MK Dons FC, West Bromwich Albion FC, Chelsea FC (assistant), Chelsea, FC Schalke 04
• Born in the Swiss city of Schaffhausen, Di Matteo started his career with the local club, scoring two goals in 50 league appearances over three seasons before moving to Zürich in 1991. Won the Swiss league title with Aarau in 1992/93, his sole season with the club, going on to a three-year spell at Lazio.
• Became Chelsea's record signing in 1996 and paid back a chunk of that €5.85m fee with goals in their final victories of the 1997 FA Cup – after 42 seconds, then the fastest in the final's history – and 1998 English League Cup. Scored the only goal of another FA Cup final triumph in 1999/2000, the last final at the old Wembley.
• Having won 34 caps for Italy, Di Matteo sustained a triple leg fracture in a UEFA Cup tie against FC St Gallen early in the 2000/01 campaign and was forced to retire in February 2002. Then-manager Claudio Ranieri asked him to lead out the team for the 2002 FA Cup Final, which Chelsea lost to Arsenal FC.
• Took charge of MK Dons in July 2008 and, having finished third in the English third tier, was appointed by West Brom the following summer. In his first season, led the club to second place in the Championship and promotion to the Premier League but sacked in February 2011.
• That June, Di Matteo returned to Chelsea as assistant to André Villas-Boas and, following the Portuguese coach's dismissal on 4 March 2012, was appointed as interim first-team coach for the remainder of the season. After guiding the Blues to FA Cup and UEFA Champions League glory, Di Matteo was confirmed as manager on a permanent basis that summer but left the club in November 2012, resurfacing at Schalke almost two years later.
Last updated: 31/05/15 4.48CET
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Who plays the title role in the US television series ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’? | Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series) | Women Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an Emmy-Award Winning American television series that aired from March 10, 1997 until May 20, 2003. The series was created in 1997 by writer-director Joss Whedon under his production tag, Mutant Enemy Productions with later co-executive producers being Jane Espenson, David Fury, and Marti Noxon. The series narrative follows Buffy Summers played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, the latest in a line of young women known as Slayers. Slayers are chosen by fate to battle against vampires, demons, and other forces of darkness. Like previous Slayers, Buffy is aided by a Watcher, who guides and trains her. Unlike her predecessors, Buffy surrounds herself with a circle of loyal friends who become known as the "Scooby Gang".
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Writer Joss Whedon says that "Rhonda the Immortal Waitress" was really the first incarnation of the Buffy concept, "just the idea of some woman who seems to be completely insignificant who turns out to be extraordinary." This early, unproduced idea evolved into Buffy, which Whedon developed to invert the Hollywood formula of "the little blonde girl who goes into a dark alley and gets killed in every horror movie." Whedon wanted "to subvert that idea and create someone who was a hero." He explained: "The very first mission statement of the show was the joy of female power: having it, using it, sharing it."
The concept was first visited through Whedon's script for the 1992 movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer , which featured Kristy Swanson in the title role. The director, Fran Rubel Kuzui, saw it as a "pop culture comedy about what people think about vampires." Whedon disagreed: "I had written this scary film about an empowered woman, and they turned it into a broad comedy. It was crushing."
Buffy Casting
Julie Benz as Darla
The title role went to Sarah Michelle Gellar, who had appeared as Sydney Rutledge on Swans Crossing and Kendall Hart on All My Children. At age eighteen in 1995, Gellar had already won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Leading Actress in a Drama Series. In 1996, she was initially cast as Cordelia Chase during a week of auditioning. She decided to keep trying for the role of Buffy, and after several more auditions, landed the lead.
Opening sequence
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The Buffy opening sequence provides credits early in each show. The music was performed by the punk rock band Nerf Herder. The song includes a similar melody to an Austrian pop song from the 1980s called "Codo" by DÖF, but Nerf Herder have said that they had "never heard of DÖF", and that the similarity was coincidental. In the DVD commentary for the first Buffy episode, Whedon said his decision to go with Nerf Herder's theme was influenced by cast member Alyson Hannigan, who had made him listen to the band's music. Janet Halfyard, in her essay "Music, Gender, and Identity in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel", describes the opening:
"It begins with the sound of an organ, accompanied by a wolf's howl, with a visual image of a flickering night sky overlaid with unintelligible archaic script: the associations with both the silent era and films such as Nosferatu and with the conventions of the Hammer House of Horror and horror in general are unmistakable".
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In 2012, which film director became the first solo diver to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench in a submarine? | Julie Benz | Buffyverse Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Julie M. Benz (born May 1, 1972) is an American actress best known for her role as Darla in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel . She is also known for her portrayal of Rita Bennett on Dexter.
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Early life
Benz was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father is a surgeon and her mother was a figure ice skater. Benz began ice skating when she was three, competing in the 1988 US Junior Championships with partner David Schilling, finishing in 13th place. When she was 14, she suffered a stress fracture in her leg causing her to take time off. Benz graduated from Franklin Regional High School.
Career
At the age of 15, Benz was told by an acting coach that she would never make it as an actress. By 1989, her figure skating career had ended and she got involved with the local theater.
Her first small movie role was in "The Black Cat" segment of Dario Argento/George A. Romero horror film Two Evil Eyes. A year later, she was cast in TV show Honey, I'm Home which was cancelled after two seasons.
After graduating from high school, Benz enrolled in New York University to study acting. After graduating from there , she moved to Los Angeles where she was offered a bit part in a 1994 episode of Married...With Children. Her other TV roles included Boy Meets World, Diagnosis Murder and The Single Guy.
In 1996, Benz auditioned for the lead role for upcoming TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer but lost out to Sarah Michelle Gellar . However she was offered the small role of Darla , a vampire who had the first line in the show's run. She appeared in more TV roles including The Big Easy and Fame L.A. She made two movies, dark comedy Jawbreaker and Dirt Merchant. The first season of Roswell saw Benz play undercover FBI agent Kathleen Topolsky.
Benz reprised her role of Darla for TV series, Angel in 2000, appearing in at least one episode every season and appeared as Ursula in George of the Jungle 2 . Benz appeared in Peacemakers , Coupling , NCIS and Oliver Beene . She landed the lead role of Annie Garrett in the Hallmark TV movie The Long Shot . Benz also provided the voice of Miranda Keyes for the video game Halo 2 , though she did not return to the role in the sequel Halo 3 as Bungie wanted to try a new direction with the Miranda Keyes voice by giving the character an accent, replaced by Justis Bolding . She played the lead role of Danielle in Bad Girls From Valley High (a film shot in 2000 under the title A Fate Totally Worse Than Death) which was released on DVD in 2005. She had a small role in the critically acclaimed TV movie Lackawanna Blues . In the Sci-Fi Channel original film Locusts: The 8th Plague , she played the lead female role Vicky. She also appeared in the straight-to-DVD movie 8mm 2 as Lynn. The film was originally called The Velvet Side of Hell and was not supposed to be a sequel to 8MM . Benz appeared in episodes of Supernatural , CSI: Miami , Law & Order and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation . She had a supporting role in a Swedish independent movie called Kill Your Darlings , a lead role in the Lifetime movie Circle of Friends and joined the cast of TV show Dexter as Rita Bennett . Benz played a lead role in the fifth film of the popular horror franchise, Saw V , as Brit , a real-estate developer who is one of Jigsaw 's five victims. She had a supporting role in Punisher: War Zone as Angela. Benz co-starred with Sylvester Stallone in 2008's Rambo , the fourth film of that series .
She plays the title role in the short film Kidnapping Caitlynn , written by her close friend Jenny Mollen , premiered at the Vail Film Festival 2009 and was released online April 6, 2009. She starred in the Lifetime movie Held Hostage as Michelle Estey in July. She also starred in the Hallmark Channel movie Uncorked as Johnny Prentiss which premiered in the UK in July 2009. She is the lead female character Special Agent Eunice Bloom in The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day which had a limited release on October 30, 2009, and was released on DVD March 9, 2010. She has been cast in another independent film called Bedrooms as Anna. She plays Frankie in the upcoming movie Answers to Nothing which is scheduled for a 2011 release.
Benz appeared on The Soup with Joel McHale . Benz next took a recurring role on Desperate Housewives as Robin Gallagher, a stripper with a heart of gold and a Masters degree in education who gets offered the chance to transition into a more legitimate career. The character of Robin is further developed when the audience discovers she is a lesbian and begins an affair with housewife Katherine Mayfair ( Dana Delany ). After the Season 4 finale of Dexter , she returned for the Season 5 premiere.
In early 2010, ABC announced that Benz had landed a lead role as Stephanie Powell, in the network's drama pilot No Ordinary Family . Production of the series commenced the following May and it premiered on September 28, 2010, as part of the 2010–11 season. On May 13, 2011, No Ordinary Family was canceled after one season with only twenty episodes filmed. In 2011, she was cast in the new CBS TV show A Gifted Man . She was originally a co-star but was downgraded to recurring. A Gifted Man was canceled by CBS in May 2012 after one season of 16 episodes. She will also be starring in TV movie Ricochet as Elise Laird. Benz plays the lead female role, Mayor Amanda Rosewater, in the new science fiction series Defiance and also stars in the upcoming indie movie Supremacy and the unaired TV pilot Middle Ages.
Personal life
Benz was married to actor John Kassir. They married in 1998 but filed for divorce in December 2007. Benz re-married in 2012 to Rich Orosco.
Other
She often plays women who have suffered high traumas or distress
Good friends with Buffy and Angel co-stars, Charisma Carpenter and Eliza Dushku , Buffy co-star Clare Kramer and Dexter co-star Jaime Murray.
Auditioned for a role in Eyes Wide Shut but decided against it when she discovered there would be scenes filmed where she'd be topless.
Julie Benz later was part of the main cast into "Dexter" alongside Teddy Lane ( Bouncer ), Jordana Spiro ( Callie Anderson ), Carlease Burke ( Winslow ), Chad Todhunter ( Rickie Thomas ), Beth Grant ( Maude Pearson ), Kristin Dattilo ( Harriet Doyle ), Nick McCallum ( Skateboard Kid ), P.J. Marino ( Peter Wilkers ), Mark Gantt ( Unidentified courier demon ), Scott William Winters ( Jack MacNamara ), Erica Luttrell ( Karen ), Rudolf Martin ( Dracula ), Brett Rickaby (young Denver ), Stewart Skelton ( Harold Jeakins ), Deborah Carson ( Liza Reynolds ), Kyle Davis ( Kenny ), Jennifer Shon ( Rachel ), John O'Leary ( Kaltenbach ), Adam Gordon ( Carl ), Aimee Garcia ( Cynthia York ). Douglas Bennett ( Phillip Todd ), Garrett Brawit ( Frank (Seeing Red) ), David Monahan ( Garrett ), Sam Witver ( John Stoler ), Jim Abele ( Laurence Reilly ) and Nick Jaine ( Sahrvin Clan leader ).
Julie Benz later was part of the main cast into "No Ordinary Family" alongside Kay Panabaker ( Mesektet ) and Amy Acker ( Winifred Burkle / Illyria ). The show include many guest like Eric Balfour ( Jesse McNally ), Krissy Carlson ( Emily Djiemanowicz ), Greg Collins ( Keith ), John Kapelos ( Ronald Meeks ), John Rubinstein ( Linwood Murrow ), Jeff Denton ( Stevie / Pelletti ), Annie Wersching ( Margaret ) and Michael Maize ( Artode ).
Quotes
"I didn't expect them to write such a beautiful ending. I really think it was one of the most beautiful gifts I've ever received as an actor. The last three episodes of her life are so wonderful. They were such a gift to play. It was really amazing. They sent me the script and I was on lunch. I was in my trailer crying. Everybody was asking me if I was okay, and what was wrong, and I had to say it was nothing, and that I was fine. You don't want to tell anyone anything - and, of course, we're not allowed to tell anybody anything. I think she truly is one of the most amazing characters on television." - On her character Darla in Angel.
"I loved the episodes where Rita dressed up as Lara Croft... and gave Dexter things. It was such a fun scene to play and it's the first time you really saw a little bit of her strength and her playfulness, and it was so nice to do after playing so much of this vulnerable, beaten-down woman, to have this fun moment with Dexter. I also love the scene towards the end where she confronts Paul [Rita's ex-husband] in prison and basically lays it on the line from a place of great strength, where she finally just tells him how it's going to be and how he needs to explain to the kids why he's in prison." - Her favorite scenes in Dexter.
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The Nanpu Bridge is in which Chinese city? | Shanghai Nanpu Bridge
Last updated by raynor at 2016/10/27
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The Nanpu Bridge, opened to the public on September 1st, 1991, is a sister bridge to the Yangpu Bridge across the Huangpu River in Shanghai. The bridge with an 8346-meter-length and a main span of 423 meters is one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world.
The towers with an “H” shape are 150 meters high and have the name of Nanpu Bridge written by Deng Xiaoping (one of the greatest leaders in China). The spiral bridge extends to Puxi area is identified as a wonder in the bridge construction of the world.
The main bridge is 30.35 meters wide with 6 vehicles lanes. The speed limit is 40 kilometres per hour on Nanpu Bridge. The two- meter-wide sidewalks on each side of the main bridge are useful for people to go sightseeing. Visitors can take the elevator to the main bridge to enjoy the beautiful scenery on the Huangpu River. Nanpu Bridge is the earliest bridge across the Huangpu River in Shanghai city.
History
Shanghai people treat Huangpu River as the mother river which is the source of Shanghai growth and civilization. The great river separated Shanghai into two parts-backward Pudong District and the thriving Puxi District. Many generations in Shanghai dreamt of there being a big bridge linking the two districts.
The idea of building a bridge has become stronger and stronger since the 1920s. In 1975, Songpu Bridge was built. It reduced pressure temporarily it did not solve the problem of busy traffic on the Huangpu River because it was too far from the central city area.
The idea of building another bridge over the Huangpu River became the focus and was put onto the agenda. In August 1986 the state council approved the application to build the Nanpu Bridge project. In 1990, the Chinese government decided to build Pudong District into a major development area, the building of Nanpu Bridge became an even more important project that must be completed.
Highlights
Nightscape of Nanpu Bridge
The Nanpu Bridge in the daytime is a great bridge across the Huangpu River while at night, the bridge becomes a golden dragon flying above the river. When the lights on the pier were turn on and the stream of traffic flows on the bridge with the light turned on, the whole bridge is like a golden dragon giving out bright light. It is a fantastic nightscape for the shutterbugs.
Shopping
Shanghai is largest and most prosperous city in China and is a great metropolis to do some shopping. Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, Xujiahui, People’s Square , Zhengda Square, Zhongshan Park, Wujiaochang, Pudong New Shanghai Shopping Center are the most active shopping areas in Shanghai. You can buy not only some international well-known brands, but also some cheap local souvenirs.
Nearby Attractions
Visitors can see the modern part and the historical and cultural part of Shanghai. The City God Temple and the Oriental Pearl City Tower are sharp contrast. The bund is absolutely the best place to appreciate to grace of Oriental Pearl City Tower.
Solo Adventure Tips:
Location:
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On a standard dartboard, which number lies between 15 and 17? | Shanghai Pudong Nanpu Bridge Tangqi, China - Booking.com
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One of our top picks in Shanghai. Home Inn Shanghai Pudong Nanpu Bridge Tangqiao Commercial Square offers accommodations in Shanghai.
Each room includes a TV with cable channels. You will find a kettle in the room. All rooms include a private bathroom equipped with a shower. For your comfort, you will find slippers, free toiletries and a hairdryer.
There is a 24-hour front desk at the property.
Shanghai Dongjiadu Ferry Station is 0.9 miles from Shanghai Pudong Nanpu Bridge Tangqi, and Shanghai Dongchanglu Ferry Station is 1.5 miles from the property. Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport is 11 miles away.
Pudong is a great choice for travelers interested in aquariums, cleanliness and fine dining.
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What was actress Rita Hayworth’s last film? | Rita Hayworth, Movie Legend, Dies
Rita Hayworth, Movie Legend, Dies
By ALBIN KREBS
Rita Hayworth, the legendary Hollywood beauty who rose to international fame in the 1940's and 1950's, died Thursday night, of Alzheimer's disease, in her Central Park West apartment in Manhattan. She was 68 years old.
Since 1981 the actress had been under the care of her second daughter, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, who by publicizing her mother's tragic illness had drawn national and international attention to Alzheimer's disease, about which little was known until recent years.
According to Princess Yasmin, Miss Hayworth's health had steadily deteriorated over the years and she lapsed into a semicoma in February.
The ''courage and candor'' of Miss Hayworth and her family in bringing attention to Alzheimer's disease was praised by President Reagan in a statement yesterday.
''Rita Hayworth was one of our country's most beloved stars,'' he said. ''Glamorous and talented, she gave us many wonderful moments on the stage and screen and delighted audiences from the time she was a young girl.
''Nancy and I are saddened by Rita's death. She was a friend whom we will miss.''
The Epitome of Glamour
Rita Hayworth was the epitome of Hollywood glamour and allure, a stunningly beautiful actress and dancer.
During World War II, her pinup pictures decorated barracks walls and ships' bulkheads wherever servicemen went, and over two decades her often tempestuous romantic life thrust her into the headlines.
Fred Astaire, who co-starred with her in two movies, said in his autobiography that she was his favorite dancing partner, and dancing was, indeed, one of her genuine talents.
As a singer, however, she was not similarly gifted, even though she was cast in many musicals. Anita Ellis dubbed Miss Hayworth's songs in four movies, including ''Pal Joey'' and ''The Loves of Carmen,'' and other ''ghosts'' did the singing for her in other films.
But that mattered little to Hayworth fans, who admired her chiefly for the sensuality she exuded, playing temptresses in movies such as ''Blood and Sand'' and ''The Lady From Shanghai.'' The Temptress of 'Gilda'
A particularly memorable temptress role was the title one in ''Gilda,'' in 1946, in which she did a striptease, demure by today's standards, inasmuch as it was limited to removing her arm-length gloves. While the controversial strip scene dazzled tens of thousands of young males, it upset more conservative people across the nation.
So did Miss Hayworth's open affair, in the late 1940's, when such behavior was far less commonplace than it is today, with Prince Aly Khan, the playboy son of the spiritual leader of millions of Ismaili Moslems. They were married in 1949, but she divorced him, as she did four other husbands, including Orson Welles.
As Miss Hayworth grew older, she successfully shifted from her glamour image and took on mature roles in movies such as ''Separate Tables'' in 1958 and ''They Came to Cordura'' in 1959. But by the late 1960's she was appearing in minor movies, most of them made in Europe.
And ultimately, the once-idolized star's health was ravaged by Alzheimer's disease - senile dementia, a devastating mental illness that affects the brain, brings on loss of memory, and ravages bodily functions - which left her ''utterly helpless,'' according to Princess Yasmin.
Miss Hayworth was truly born to show business, in New York City, on Oct. 17, 19l8. Her father, Eduardo Cansino, was a Spanish-born dancer and her mother, the former Volga Haworth, had been a Ziegfeld Follies showgirl. They named their daughter Margarita Carmen Cansino, but she shortened the name to Rita Cansino when she began dancing professionally at the age of 12, and kept that name for her first 10 movies.
Spotted by a Fox Producer
Mr. Cansino's career took the family to Los Angeles, where his daughter attended school through the ninth grade. Then she joined her father's act and performed in clubs in Tijuana and Agua Caliente, Mexico, where, when she was 16 years old, she was spotted by a Fox Film Company producer, who signed her to a contract.
Making her film debut in 1935 in ''Under the Pampas Moon,'' Rita Cansino appeared in a succession of lesser roles, such as that of a dance hall girl in a Spencer Tracy movie called ''Dante's Inferno.'' Other films in her Cansino period included ''Charlie Chan in Egypt,'' ''Human Cargo'' and ''Meet Nero Wolfe.''
The Fox company's merger with 20th-Century Pictures left the young dancer without a contract, but in 1937 she met and married the man who was to become her Svengali and dramatically change her career fortunes. He was Edward Judson, a shrewd businessman 22 years her senior, under whose guidance she had her eyebrows and hairline altered by electrolysis and transformed herself from a raven-haired Latin to an auburn-haired cosmopolitan.
As her manager, Mr. Judson also changed his wife's professional name, choosing her mother's maiden name of Haworth and adding a ''y'' to clarify the pronunciation. He hired press agents to get the name and picture of Rita Hayworth into newspapers and fan magazines, and ultimately won her a seven-year contract at Columbia Pictures.
But low-budget B movies continued to be Miss Hayworth's lot, except for the 1939 ''Only Angels Have Wings,'' with Cary Grant, in which the director, Howard Hawks, cast her as an unfaithful wife. It was the secondary female role, but one that got the actress her first good critical notices.
A 'Love Goddess' Emerges
Beginning in 1941, Miss Hayworth rapidly developed into one of Hollywood's most glamorous stars, inspiring Winthrop Sargent, a Life magazine writer, to dub her ''The Great American Love Goddess,'' a sobriquet that she welcomed and that caught the public's fancy.
On loan to Warner Brothers, Miss Hayworth appeared opposite James Cagney in ''Strawberry Blonde'' in 1941 and, back at Columbia, she achieved full star status when she was cast as Mr. Astaire's dancing partner in ''You'll Never Get Rich,'' a 1941 hit that got her a Time magazine cover article and instant celebrity. In 1942, she appeared in three hit movies, ''My Gal Sal,'' ''Tales of Manhattan'' and ''You Were Never Lovelier,'' the last again as Mr. Astaire's co-star.
Her performance in ''Cover Girl,'' with Gene Kelly in 1944, earned Miss Hayworth the attention of Life magazine, which printed a photograph of her, posed seductively in black lace, that became famous around the world as an American servicemen's pinup. In what was intended, no doubt, as the ultimate compliment, the picture was even pasted to a test atomic bomb that was dropped on Bikini atoll in 1946.
Miss Hayworth, unlike stars who claimed to deplore their own publicity, reveled in hers. ''Why should I mind?'' she said. ''I like having my picture taken and being a glamorous person. Sometimes when I find myself getting impatient, I just remember the times I cried my eyes out because nobody wanted to take my picture at the Trocadero.''
A great boost to Miss Hayworth's career was ''Gilda,'' which ran into censorship trouble in some areas because of the so-called strip scene. In it, she wore a clinging black satin strapless gown and, while coyly peeling off long black gloves, sang a mildly suggestive song called ''Put the Blame on Mame.'' Actually, the voice was that of Anita Ellis.
Marriage to Orson Welles
Miss Hayworth, who had divorced her first husband, married Orson Welles in 1943, and they had a daughter, Rebecca. While Mr. Welles was directing her in one of her best films, ''The Lady From Shanghai'' (1949), she filed for divorce from him. Miss Hayworth had met and fallen in love with Prince Aly Khan and, since neither was divorced at the time, their travels together through Europe provoked some public indignation.
When they were married in 1949, the fact that Miss Hayworth was visibly pregnant was widely reported. She divorced Aly Khan two years later and was subsequently married to and divorced from the singer Dick Haymes and then James Hill, a movie producer.
Miss Hayworth's more than 40 films also included ''Affair in Trinidad'' (1952), ''Salome'' and ''Miss Sadie Thompson'' (1953), ''Fire Down Below'' (1957), ''The Story on Page One'' (1960), ''The Poppy Is Also a Flower'' (1967), and ''The Wrath of God'' (1972).
She attempted a stage career in 1971, but it ended abruptly because she was unable to remember her lines. Six years later, a court in Santa Ana, Calif., named an administrator for her affairs on the recommendation of a physician who said she was disabled by chronic alcoholism.
Despite her heavy drinking, however, it later appeared that the diagnosis of alcoholism might have been erroneous and that Miss Hayworth was actually suffering from the first stages of Alzheimer's disease.
In June 1981, a court in Los Angeles declared the actress legally unable to care for herself and she was put in the care of Princess Yasmin, who took her to New York to live. In 1985 the Princess married a Greek shipping executive, Basil Embiricos, but the marriage was short-lived. They had a son, Andrew. Miss Hayworth's other daughter, Rebecca Welles, lives in Tacoma, Wash.
Princess Yasmin, testifying in 1983 before a Congressional committee concerned with appropriating funds for Alzheimer's disease research, said that the disease had reduced her mother to ''a state of utter helplessness.''
The Princess's appearance was among her many efforts in recent years to draw attention to Alzheimer's disease. She has taken a major role in the growth of the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association Inc., which has headquarters in Chicago and more than 130 chapters and affiliates, backing some 500 family-support groups. She is vice president of that organization and president of Alzheimer's Disease International, which she helped organize in 1985.
A funeral service for Miss Hayworth will be held Monday at 10 A.M. in the Church of the Good Shepherd, Beverly Hills, Calif.
| The Wrath of God |
The second full moon occurring within a calendar month is known as a ‘what’ Moon? | Rita Hayworth Facts
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Rita Hayworth Facts
Rita Hayworth Quotes
In the 1930s, Rita Hayworth (1918-1987) was confined to leads in "B" pictures, but through much of the 1940s she became the undisputed sex goddess of Hollywood films and the hottest star at Columbia Studios.
Whether illuminating the screen with a song and dance or beaming from a magazine photo, Rita Hayworth was an unforgettable sight. Capitalizing on her inherited beauty and talent to become a legendary motion picture star, Hayworth captured the hearts of countless American servicemen during the 1940s. At her peak, she epitomized American beauty, and her career produced several memorable moments: dance routines with Fred Astaire in You'll Never Get Rich (1941); a glamorous photo in Life magazine; a scandalous striptease in Gilda (1946); and mature sophistication in The Lady From Shanghai (1949). While Hayworth's death in 1987 saddened America, it alerted the nation to the plight of those threatened by Alzheimer's disease, the illness that slowly killed her.
Born Margarita Carmen Cansino to Eduardo and Volga Haworth Cansino on October 17, 1918, in New York City, Rita Hayworth was no stranger to show business. Her father, a headliner on vaudeville, was descended from a line of famous Spanish dancers, and her mother, a Ziegfeld showgirl, came from a family of English actors. When the girl was nine years old, the family moved to Los Angeles, California, where the motion picture industry was rapidly growing. There, Eduardo taught dancing and directed dance scenes for various studios. She began her education at the Carthay School and later spent her first and only year of high school at Hamilton High. Throughout her school years, she continued family tradition by taking acting and dancing lessons.
At eleven, the girl found her first acting role in a school play, and by 1932, she had made her professional debut. She appeared in a stage prologue for the movie Back Street at Carthay Circle Theater. At this point, Eduardo Cansino decided that his attractive twelve-year-old daughter was ready for work. The perfect dance partner, she was introduced as Eduardo's wife when they danced at the Foreign Club in Tijuana, Mexico, for a year and a half, and then later on a gambling boat off California's coast. The "Dancing Cansinos" performed twenty times per week.
Makes Film Debut in Dante's Inferno
Rita Cansino, as she was called during this time, received her first big break when she was noticed dancing with her father in Agua Caliente, Mexico. Winfield R. Sheehan of the Fox Film Corporation hired the young woman, then sixteen, for a role in a movie starring Spencer Tracy entitled Dante's Inferno (1935). Though the film was not successful, Rita Cansino was given a year-long contract with Fox. During this year she held minor, ethnic roles in the motion pictures Charlie Chan in Egypt (1935), Under the Pampas Moon (1935), Paddy O'Day (1935), and Human Cargo (1936), in which she played Egyptian, Argentinean, Irish, and Russian dancers respectively. When her contract expired and was not renewed, the actress spent a year playing Mexican and Indian girls; she earned $100 for each role.
When Rita Cansino was 18, she married Edward C. Judson, a car salesman, oil man, and businessman who became her manager. According to the New York Times, Judson "transformed" the actress "from a raven-haired Latin to an auburn-haired cosmopolitan" by altering Rita's hairline and eyebrows with electrolysis and changing her professional name. Rita Cansino took her mother's maiden name, added a "y" to ensure its proper pronunciation, and became Rita Hayworth. Magazines and newspapers captured the image of the new Rita, who won the favor of Harry Cohn and a seven-year contract with his Columbia Pictures.
After fourteen low-budget movies, Hayworth was finally given a leading role. She was hired by Howard W. Hawks to portray an unfaithful wife in Only Angels Have Wings (1939), which starred Cary Grant. Good reviews of her performance attracted attention: she was borrowed from Columbia by Warner Brothers Pictures for the film Strawberry Blonde (1941) with James Cagney, and in that same year, she made Blood and Sand (1941) with Fox. Hayworth began to shine. According to Time, "something magical happened when the cameras began to roll"; the woman who was "shy" and "unassuming" offstage "warmed the set." The New York Times wrote that Hayworth "rapidly developed into one of Hollywood's most glamorous stars."
Hayworth achieved celebrity status when she starred as Fred Astaire's dance partner in You'll Never Get Rich (1941) for Columbia. She appeared on the cover of Time and was dubbed "The Great American Love Goddess" by Winthrop Sargent in Life. In 1942, she made three hit movies: My Gal Sal, Tales of Manhattan and You Were Never Lovelier, with Fred Astaire. As her career skyrocketed, however, Hayworth's marriage failed; she divorced Edward Judson that same year.
Marries Orson Welles
During the early forties, Hayworth's personal life improved and she established her professional allure. She married Orson Welles, the famous actor, director, and screenwriter, in 1943; they had a daughter, Rebecca, two years later. Hayworth was earning more than $6,000 a week as Columbia's leading actress. After she starred in Cover Girl (1944) with Gene Kelly, Life presented a seductive photograph of the actress wearing black lace which, according to the New York Times, "became famous around the world as an American serviceman's pinup." The Times also noted that, in what was "intended … as the ultimate compliment, the picture was even pasted to a test atomic bomb that was dropped on Bikini atoll in 1946."
Hayworth's fame continued to grow after she made Tonight and Every Night (1945) and Gilda (1946). Of these films, critics contend that Gilda is the most memorable. A scene in which Hayworth sang "Put the Blame on Mame" and stripped off her long, black gloves scandalized conservative viewers. It was testimony to her popularity that her 1947 film, Down to Earth, was included in a twentieth-century time capsule despite the fact that the film itself received some bad reviews.
Hayworth did not mind the attention she garnered. "I like having my picture taken and being a glamorous person," she was quoted as saying in the New York Times. "Sometimes when I find myself getting impatient, I just remember the times I cried my eyes out because nobody wanted to take my picture at the Trocadero." Hayworth's daughter Yasmin Aga Khan confirmed this in People: "Mother was very good with her fans, very giving and patient."
While Hayworth starred as a sophisticated short-haired blonde in The Lady From Shanghai (1948) with her husband Orson Welles—who also directed the movie—she was in the process of divorcing him. She was later quoted in People as saying, "I just can't take his genius anymore," and in Time, she noted, "I'm tired of being a 25-percent wife." After making The Loves of Carmen (1948), she married Prince Aly Kahn, with whom she had been having an affair, in 1949. This was an off-screen scandal, for Hayworth was already pregnant with their daughter, the Princess Yasmin Aga Kahn. Although she was quoted in Time as saying, "The world was magical when you were with him," this marriage did not last as long as her second; the couple divorced in 1953.
Hayworth's career began to wane. After making the movies Affair in Trinidad (1952), Salome (1953), and Miss Sadie Thompson (1953), she once again entered a marriage (1953-1955) that would prove to be unsuccessful as well as destructive. This fourth husband, the singer Dick Haymes, "beat her and tried to capitalize on her fame in an attempt to revive his own failing career," said Barbara Leaming, a Hayworth biographer, in People. While Hayworth came out of her temporary retirement after her divorce to make Fire Down Below (1957), which met with some positive reviews, she had only a supporting role in the film Pal Joey (1957). Failing to maintain her glamour, this movie was Hayworth's final appearance as a contracted actress.
At this point in the actress's life, Hayworth's personal life seemed to parallel her professional career. She married producer James Hill in 1958 and divorced him in 1961. People reported that Hill had wanted Rita to continue to make movies instead of "play golf, paint, tell jokes and have a home." After the failure of this fifth and final marriage, it was apparent that Hayworth did not have good luck with the men in her life. While Hayworth was quoted in People as saying, "Most men fell in love with Gilda but they woke up with me," biographer Barbara Leaming asserted that these "doomed" relationships were due to Hayworth's abusive father, Eduardo Cansino. Leaming told People, "Eduardo raped her [Hayworth] in the afternoons and danced with her at night." In her biography of Hayworth, If This Was Happiness, Leaming elaborates on this revelation, which she says was given to her by Orson Welles.
Develops Alzheimer's Disease
While critics agreed that Hayworth gave one of her best performances as a traitorous American in They Came to Cordura (1959), they also noted that her trademark beauty was fading. As a free-lance actress, Hayworth found fewer roles. The Story on Page One (1960), The Poppy Is Also a Flower (1967), and The Wrath of God (1972) were some of her last films. Hayworth's 1971 attempt to perform on stage was aborted; the actress could not remember her lines.
Biographers, relatives, and friends now believe that the first stages of Alzheimer's disease were responsible for Hayworth's memory lapses, alcoholism, lack of coordination, and poor eyesight during the last three decades of her life. Although Alzheimer's, a disease which was relatively unknown at the time, was not diagnosed as the source of Hayworth's problems, it was obvious that Hayworth was ill. In 1981 she was legally declared unable to care for herself. Her daughter, Princess Yasmin Aga Kahn provided shelter, care, and love for her mother, and sought to enlighten the public to the symptoms of the obscure neurological disease by helping to organize Alzheimer's Disease International and serving as its president.
Hayworth's mind slowly began to deteriorate. When she died in her New York apartment on May 14, 1987, she did not even know her own family. Nevertheless, the "All-American Love Goddess," as Time called her, was not forgotten by her fans. The New York Times reported at the time of her death that President Ronald Reagan, a former actor, stated: "Rita Hayworth was one of our country's most beloved stars. Glamorous and talented, she gave us many wonderful moments … and delighted audiences from the time she was a young girl. [First Lady] Nancy and I are saddened by Rita's death. She was a friend whom we will miss."
Further Reading on Rita Hayworth
Leaming, Barbara, If This Was Happiness, Viking, 1989.
American Film, July, 1986, pp. 69-72.
Good Housekeeping, August, 1983, pp. 118-27; September, 1983, pp. 74-82.
Harper's Bazaar, November, 1989, pp. 156-59.
Ladies' Home Journal, January, 1983, pp. 84-89.
Ms., January, 1991, pp. 35-38.
New York Times, May 16, 1987.
People, November 7, 1983, pp. 112-17; June 1, 1987, pp. 72-79; November 13, 1989, pp. 129-32.
Time, May 25, 1987, p. 76.
Variety, May 20, 1987, pp. 4-6.
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Which explorer took the three ships, Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria on his journey to the New World? | 1000+ images about Columbus. 3. Ships on Pinterest | Santa maria, Christopher columbus and Ships
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Latina 1/65 Santa Maria LAT22411 by Latina. $135.58. This is the Latina 1:65 Scale Santa Maria Model Kit. This Static Display boat is an all-wood replica of the Santa Maria one of the three ships that ColumbusThis is the Latina 1:65 Scale Santa Maria Model Kit. This Static Display boat is an all-wood replica of the Santa Maria one of the three ships that Columbus sailed to the New World. Latina rates the difficulty level at two anchors, recommended for beginning to inte...
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| Christopher Columbus |
Cheeser, Six-er and Laggies are all terms used in which children’s game? | Christopher Columbus Biography
By Christopher Minster
Updated January 15, 2016.
Christopher Columbus (1451- 1506) was a Genoese navigator and explorer. In the late fifteenth century, Columbus believed that it would be possible to reach the lucrative markets of eastern Asia by heading west, instead of the traditional route which went east around Africa. He convinced Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain to support him, and he set off in August of 1492. The rest is history: Columbus discovered the Americas, which had been unknown until then. All in all, Columbus made four different journeys to the New World.
Columbus’ Early Life:
Columbus was born to a middle-class family of weavers in Genoa (now part of Italy) which was a city well-known for explorers. He rarely spoke of his parents: it is believed that he was ashamed to have come from such a mundane background. He left a sister and a brother behind in Italy: his other brothers Bartholomew and Diego would accompany him on most of his travels. As a young man he traveled extensively, visiting Africa and the Mediterranean and learning how to sail and navigate.
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What are the Seven Wonders of the World
Appearance and Personal Habits:
Columbus was tall and lean, and had red hair which turned prematurely white. He had a fair complexion and a somewhat reddish face, with blue eyes and a hawkish nose. He spoke Spanish fluently but with an accent which was difficult for people to place. In his personal habits he was extremely religious and somewhat prudish: he rarely swore, attended mass regularly and often devoted his Sundays entirely to prayer. Later in life, his religiosity would increase: he took to wearing the simple robe of a barefoot friar around court. He was a fervent millenarist: he believed that the end of the world was near.
Personal Life:
Columbus married a Portuguese woman, Felipa Moniz Perestrelo, in 1477. She came from a semi-noble family with useful maritime connections. She died giving birth to a son, Diego, in 1479 or 1480. In 1485, while in Córdoba, he met young Beatriz Enríquez de Trasierra, and they lived together for a time. She bore him an illegitimate son, Fernando. Columbus made many friends during his travels and he corresponded with them frequently. His friends included Dukes and other noblemen as well as powerful Italian merchants. These friendships would prove useful during his frequent hardships and bouts of bad luck.
A Journey West:
Columbus may have conceived of the idea of sailing west to reach Asia as early as 1481 due to his correspondence with an Italian scholar, Paolo del Pozzo Toscaneli, who convinced him it was possible. In 1484, Columbus made a pitch to King João of Portugal, who turned him down. Columbus proceeded to Spain, where he first proposed such a trip in January of 1486. Ferdinand and Isabella were intrigued, but they were occupied with the reconquest of Granada . They told Columbus to wait. In 1492, Columbus had just about given up (in fact, he was on his way to see the King of France) when they decided to sponsor his trip.
Columbus’ First Voyage:
Columbus’ first voyage began on August 3, 1492. He had been given three ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the flagship Santa Maria . They headed west and on October 12, sailor Rodrigo de Triana spotted land. They first landed on an island Columbus named San Salvador: there is some debate today as to which Caribbean island it was. Columbus and his ships visited several other islands including Cuba and Hispaniola. On December 25, the Santa Maria ran aground and they were forced to abandon her. Thirty-nine men were left behind at the settlement of La Navidad . Columbus returned to Spain in March of 1493.
Columbus’ Second Voyage:
Although in many ways the first voyage was a failure – Columbus lost his biggest ship and did not find the promised route west – the Spanish monarchs were intrigued with his discoveries. They financed a second voyage , whose purpose was to establish a permanent colony. 17 ships and over 1,000 men set sail in October, 1493. When they returned to La Navidad, they discovered that everyone had been killed by irate natives. They founded the city of Santo Domingo with Columbus in charge, but he was forced to return to Spain in March of 1496 to obtain supplies to keep the starving colony alive.
Columbus’ Third Voyage:
Columbus returned to the New World in May of 1498. He sent half of his fleet to resupply Santo Domingo and set off to explore, eventually reaching the north-eastern part of South America . He returned to Hispaniola and resumed his duties as governor, but the people despised him. He and his brothers were bad administrators and kept much of the little wealth generated by the colony for themselves. When the crisis reached a peak, Columbus sent to Span for help. The crown sent Francisco de Bobadilla as governor: he soon identified Columbus as the problem and sent him and his brothers back to Spain in chains in 1500.
Columbus’ Fourth Voyage:
Already in his fifties, Columbus felt he had one more trip in him. He convinced the Spanish crown to finance one more journey of discovery . Although Columbus had proven a poor governor, there was no doubting his sailing and discovery skills. He left in May of 1502 and arrived to Hispaniola just ahead of a major hurricane. He sent a warning to the 28-ship fleet about to depart for Spain to delay but they ignored him, and 24 of the ships were lost. Columbus explored more of the Caribbean and part of Central America before his ships rotted: he spent a year on Jamaica before being rescued. He returned to Spain in 1504.
Legacy of Christopher Columbus:
Columbus’ legacy can be difficult to sort out . For many years, he was thought to have been the man who “discovered” America. Modern historians believe that the first Europeans to the New World were Nordic and arrived several hundred years before Columbus to the northern shores of North America. Also, many Native Americans from Alaska to Chile dispute the notion that the Americas needed to be “discovered” in the first place, as the two continents were home to millions of people and countless cultures in 1492.
Columbus’ accomplishments should be considered in conjunction with his failures. The “discovery” of America would certainly have taken place within 50 years of 1492 had Columbus not ventured west when he did: advances in navigation and ship construction made contact between the hemispheres inevitable. Columbus’ motives were mostly monetary, with religion a close second. When he failed to find gold or a lucrative trade route, he began collecting slaves: he believed that a trans-Atlantic slave trade would be quite lucrative. Fortunately, the Spanish monarchs outlawed this, but still, many Native American groups correctly remember Columbus as the New World’s first slaver.
Columbus’ ventures were often failures. He lost the Santa María on his first voyage, his first colony was massacred, he was a terrible governor, he was arrested by his own colonists and on his fourth and last voyage he managed to strand some 200 men on Jamaica for a year. Perhaps his greatest failure was his inability to see what was right before him: the New World. Columbus never accepted that he had not found Asia, even when the rest of Europe was convinced that the Americas were something previously unknown.
Columbus’ legacy was once very bright – he was considered for sainthood at one time – but now he is remembered as much for the bad as the good. Many places still bear his name and Columbus Day is still celebrated, but he is once again a man and not a legend.
Sources:
Herring, Hubert. A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to the Present.. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962
Thomas, Hugh. Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire, from Columbus to Magellan. New York: Random House, 2005.
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What is the name of the fairy in the play ‘Peter Pan’ by J M Barrie? | Peter Pan Summary - eNotes.com
Peter Pan Summary
Trivia
Peter Pan Summary
In Peter Pan, Peter Pan takes Wendy and her siblings to Neverland. There, Peter is plagued by the pirate Hook, who is himself plagued by the crocodile who bit off his hand. In the end, Wendy, Peter, and the Lost Boys escape Hook's clutches.
One night, Peter Pan flies into Wendy Darling’s room and convinces her and her siblings to come to Neverland with him. Jealous, the fairy Tinker Bell tries to sabotage them, but is found out and temporarily banished for her efforts.
In Neverland, Wendy and Peter live with the Lost Boys, who are constantly under attack from the pirate, Captain James Hook. When Hook captures Peter's friends, he seeks revenge on the pirate and drives him to jump off his ship into the mouth of a crocodile.
Wendy and her brothers return to the real world, where their family adopts the Lost Boys. Peter, unwilling to grow up, remains in Neverland, watching sadly as Wendy ages and loses the ability to fly.
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In the nursery of the Darling home, a dog is the nurse, or nanny. Perhaps that is one reason there is so much joy there. Nurse Nana bathes the three children and gives them their suppers and in all ways watches over them. One night, Mrs. Darling, on Nana’s night off, sits with the children as they sleep. Drowsing, she is awakened by a slight draft from the window, and, looking around, she sees a strange boy in the room. She screams, and Nana, who has just returned home, lunges for the intruder, but the boy leaps out the window, leaving only his shadow behind. He had been accompanied also by a ball of light, but it too has escaped. Mrs. Darling rolls up the boy’s shadow and puts it in a drawer, thinking that the boy will come back for it sometime soon and thus may be caught.
When Mr. Darling is told of the incident he considers it a little silly; at present he is more concerned with finding a different nurse for the children. Believing that the dog, Nana, is getting too much authority in the household, Mr. Darling drags her out of the house and locks her up.
Mr. and Mrs. Darling go out the following night, leaving only a maid to look in on the children occasionally. After the lights are out and the children are asleep, the intruder returns. The boy, whose name is Peter Pan, is accompanied by Tinker Bell, a fairy who appears as a ball of light. Peter finds his shadow after searching in all the drawers in the nursery, but in his excitement he shuts Tinker Bell in one of the drawers.
As Peter tries to get his shadow to stick to him again, he makes enough noise to awaken Wendy, the daughter of the household. Peter tells Wendy that he ran away the day he was born because he heard his parents talking about all the things he would do when he was a man; he went to live with the fairies so that he would never have to grow up. Suddenly he remembers Tinker Bell, and he looks for her until he finds her in one of the nursery dressers. Tinker Bell, a ball of light no bigger than a fist, is so small that Wendy can hardly see her. She is not a very polite fairy—she calls Wendy horrible names.
Peter tells Wendy, the only girl of the three Darling children and instantly his favorite, that he and Tinker Bell live in Neverland with the lost boys, boys who had fallen out of their baby carriages and were never found again. He had come to Wendy’s house to listen to her mother tell stories to the others. Peter, begging Wendy and her brothers to go back to Neverland with him, promises to teach them to fly. The idea is too much for the children to resist. After a little practice they all fly out the window, barely escaping their parents and Nana, who has broken her chain to warn Mr. and Mrs. Darling of the danger to the children.
In Neverland, the Indians, with their chief and their princess, help to protect the lost boys against a group of mean pirates led by Captain Hook, who has a hook where one of his hands used to be. It is Hook’s greatest desire to capture Peter Pan, for Peter is the one who tore off Hook’s arm and fed it to a crocodile. The crocodile so liked the taste of the arm that he now follows Hook everywhere, waiting for a chance to eat the rest of him. The crocodile has, unhappily, also swallowed a clock, and its ticking warns Hook whenever the crocodile approaches.
To this strange land Wendy and her brothers fly with Peter Pan. The lost boys, seeing Wendy first in the sky when they arrive, think that she is a giant bird, and one of them shoots her with a bow and arrow. The jealous Tinker Bell had suggested the deed. Peter arrives and, after finding that Wendy is only stunned, banishes Tinker Bell for a week to punish her for provoking the attack. He then tells the others that he has brought Wendy to them. They promptly build her a house and ask her to be their mother. Wendy thinks that taking care of so many children is a great responsibility, but she quickly assumes her duties by telling them stories and putting them to bed.
Jealous, the pirates plan to steal Wendy and make her their mother; they intend to force the other children to walk the plank. Peter overhears them plotting, however, and he saves the children and Wendy. He himself escapes by sailing out to sea in a bird’s nest.
Wendy and her brothers begin to worry about their parents, and they decide that they should return home. The lost boys, delighted at the thought of having a real grown-up mother, eagerly accept Wendy’s invitation to come live with her and her brothers and parents. Peter refuses to go, because he wants always to be a little boy and have fun. He lets the others go, however, and asks Tinker Bell to show them the way.
The pirates have learned of the children’s journey, and as Tinker Bell and the children begin to fly from Neverland, Hook and his men seize them. When Peter finds out that Hook has captured all his friends, he vows to get revenge on the pirate once and for all.
On the pirate ship, the children are being prepared to walk the plank. They are all paraded before Wendy, who is tied to the mast. Unknown to the pirates, however, Peter is also on board, and by using tricks and false voices he leads first one pirate and then another to his death. These strange happenings are too much for Hook. When he knocks the seat out from under Peter and the boy remains in place, calmly sitting on air, the pirate throws himself overboard, into the waiting jaws of the patient crocodile.
Meanwhile, at the Darling home, Mrs. Darling and Nana wait, with little hope, for the children to return. They have left the nursery window open constantly, so that their loved ones might enter easily should they ever come home, but Peter and Tinker Bell fly ahead of the others and close the window so that Wendy and the others will think they are not wanted. Peter, however, does not know how to get out of a room through the door, and thus he is forced to fly out the window again, leaving it open behind him. Wendy and her brothers fly in and slip into their beds, and Mrs. Darling and Nana are overcome with joy when they find the children safe again.
The Darlings adopt the lost boys, who have great fun romping with Mr. Darling. Peter returns and tries to get Wendy to fly away with him, but she refuses to leave her parents again. She does go once each year to clean his house for him, but each time they meet she sees him a little less clearly. Once or twice she tries to get him to see her as something more than a mother, but Peter does not know what she means. Then comes the day when Wendy can no longer fly without a broomstick to help her. Peter, watching her, sadly wishes he could understand all that she says. He picks up his pipes and plays softly, perhaps too softly to awaken humans in a grown-up world.
| Tinker Bell |
What type of drink is claret? | Peter Pan
Peter Pan
"The magic is as great as ever." - The New York Daily News
More Information Below:
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NOTE: This is the original NON-MUSICAL version.
The everlasting classic account of two boys and a girl who follow Peter Pan and the invisible fairy, Tinker Bell, into Neverland, where children never grow old and where Captain Hook and his pirates are outwitted. Performed by Maude Adams, Jean Arthur, Mary Martin.
Please note that although this title remains under full copyright protection in the UK and US, it is in public domain in Canada.
REVIEWS
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The ‘Turbo Terrific’ is driven by which fictional character in the television cartoon series Wacky Races? | "Wacky Races" Reviews & Ratings - IMDb
IMDb
trailers and videos full cast and crew trivia official sites memorable quotes
Overview
11 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Funny
Author: plok253
13 June 2000
Wacky Races is one of the best cartoons of the 60s. It contains a bunch of fairly silly racers who are all competing for being the world's wackiest racer. Each cartoon contains a lot of funny obstacles, many of which are created by the racer Dick Dastardly in car double zero. Often times Dick cheats and will create road blocks and such to slow down the other racers. In the end, he always ends up coming in dead last. This is a very inspired cartoon that is good for a laugh or two.
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8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Great Show
from Windsor, Ontario
14 January 2001
A Hanna-Barbera classic, i would probably rate this in the top 5 H-B cartoons of all time. Its a half hour show, with about 8 wild looking cars duelling out to the end. Dick Dastardly was H-B's Wile E. Coyote, using many contraptions to try and stop his opponents. Only difference was that Dick's partner, the snikering Muttley, is there to openly laugh at Dick's foul ups. Cartoon stands the test of time, being funny today as much as it was when it first aired. My personal favorite was the Ant Hill Mob.
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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Definintly Hanna-Barbera's best show.
from PA
19 August 2002
I love this show! It was so hilarious, and brilliant. Dick Dastardly, and Muttley (with his hilarious snickering when Dasterdly had a foul up) were HILARIOUS!! I loved it how Dastardly cheated all the time (and this was when he was winning too!!) when he was in the lead. It was too funny!! The Ant Hill Mob were cool too. This show also had 2 surprisingly good spinoff shows as well ("Dastardly, and Muttley in Their Flying Machines", and "The Perils of Penelope Pitstop). THIS SHOW RULED!!!
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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Trick cars using their non-factory extras to win cross country races.
from Canada
19 April 2006
One of the more influential of the mid-60s Hanna-Barbara cartoons, this fondly remembered pure piece of action showed a dozen racers using tricked up racers that would make James Bond's Q drool - and if you ever want to start a discussion among middle aged cartoon freaks, ask them to name the racers and their vehicles. Number one was the Bouldermobile, driven by Rock and Gravel. It was a rock on wheels, sort of like what Fred Flintstone drove, only a little less sophisticated. As were Rock and Gravel. Number two was the Creepy Coupe, a haunted house on wheels (haunted mobile home?) The Gruesome Twosome drove, but the various supernatural inhabitants of the car did all the work, from additional speed to the occasional dirty trick. Number three was the Convertacar, driven by Professor Pat Pending. A transformer that makes Optimus Prime look like a wannabe, this rolling Swiss army knife could do just about anything but win consistently. Number four was the Crimson Haybailer, driven by the prerequisite Prussian, WWI ace The Red Max. Couldn't have a show based on The Great Race without a German, after all. His vehicle had one of the better names, but one of the poorer vehicles, lacking most of the comic accessories of the others. Number five was the Compact Pussycat, driven by Penelope Pitstop, southern belle and token female. More an automated beauty salon on wheels than a racer, it did not make the jump to the sequel show, The Perils of Penelope Pitstop. Number six was The Army Surplus Special, driven by Sargeant Blast and Private Meekly. It may not have been the fastest, but it carried the most firepower. Number seven is the vehicle which is sure to cause the most geeky argument. The Ant Hill Mob drives a vehicle called "their Bulletproof Bomb" in the opening credits - but which is referred to during one of the episodes as The Roaring Plenty. Whatever the name, it had no special features except for the hole in the floor which allowed the Mob to put their collective feet to good use. This team also would find a second chance at stardom in The Perils of Penelope Pitstop. Number eight, The Arkansas Chugabug, was the pride and joy of hillbilly Luke and his cowardly bear, Blubber. Hard to say what needed the most explanation - how a plank on wheels with a potbellied stove could go 0-60 in 5 seconds, or how Luke managed to steer it. Number nine was the Turbo Terrific, driven by Peter Perfect. Another great name for a car with no real ability except to go to pieces on a regular basis. Number ten was The Buzzwagon, driven by Rufus Ruffcut and his beaver co-pilot, Sawtooth. The car I have always thought of as the Canadian entry, this log cabin with saw-blade wheels must have been hard on the backside, but I imagine the superhumanly strong Rufus could handle it. Certainly he had no problems with traction. Finally, car 00 was The Mean Machine, driven by Dick Dastardly and Muttley. As versatile as the Convertacar and as well armed as the Surplus Special, it also went to pieces far too often, due to its villainous driver's evil plans. Dick and Muttley would get their own show together, but it would be Muttley with his distinctive snicker who would go on to appear again and again in other cartoons.
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9 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Best. Cartoon. Ever.
from Philadelphia
2 April 2006
You had the Flintstones, which was essentially an animated version of the Honeymooners, and you had the Jetsons, which was essentially a futuristic version of the Flintstones. You had Bugs and Daffy, Tom and Jerry, Woody Woodpecker and Popeye and Bluto, but nothing comes close to the Wacky Races for originality.
For the uinitiated, each week there is a "wacky race" to determine the "world's wackiest racer." A dozen cars participate, each with a unique characteristic. There's Dick Dastardly, and his sidekick, Muttley; Penelope Pitstop and her compact-on-wheels; Peter Perfect and his turbo-charged (and "symbolic") long-nosed racing car, and a host of other "Wackos" who became like an extended family of crazy uncles to a generation of youngsters.
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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Wacky Races a gas (possible spoilers)
from United States
28 June 2005
"Wacky Races" was created in response to the rather violent adventure/superhero cartoons of the previous two seasons, and even upon its premiere, it was blackballed by the watchdog group Action For Children's Television. They claimed that since it was bankrolled by game show producers Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley ("Hollywood Squares"), it was enticing children to place monetary wagers on the outcome of each of the show's 34 races. (Hogwash. I had the over/under on how many times Dick Dastardly's contraptions backfired on him.)
For all the atypical Hanna-Barbera use of repeat animation and low-budget movement, "Wacky Races" was still an unusual and entertaining cartoon which would beget such shows as "Bailey's Comets," "Laff-A-Lympics" and "Yogi's Space Race." A lot of the humor derived from Dastardly's machinations, although many of the other racers got to shine as well. In the Gold Key comics, Penelope Pitstop would eliminate Peter Perfect and Red Max by conveniently getting them to fight over her. That wasn't used in the show, although it should have. And it's dotted with great lines. When the narrator calls Dastardly "The Dracula of the drag strip," Dastardly counters "I resent that remark!" Narrator: "But do you deny it?" Dastardly: "No, I just resent it!" It's a comedy cartoon that doesn't forget it's a comedy cartoon, something that many cartoon shows of the 70s and 80s forgot.
And a bit of trivia, Dastardly did cross the finish line twice but was disqualified both times. The first time he extended the nose of the Mean Machine ahead of the others (yet in another episode, Rufus Ruffcut physically extended his neck to reach the finish line and the judges gave him the win--go figure). The second time, a chain reaction collision caused Dastardly and Muttley to get bounced into the Arkansas Chuggabug, which was in the lead. Dastardly also set a precedent the following year--being the first (and to anyone's knowledge, only) villain to get his own show, "Dastardly & Muttley In Their Flying Machines.
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5 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Part of My Childhood!
from scotland
14 August 2000
When I was five years old I never missed Wacky Races. Even though I'm now a grown man I still occasionally tape it. I think Dick Dastardly must be credited with introducing the phrase "drat and double drat" into the English language. My mother used to use old Dick as a piece of moral instruction telling me that he showed that people who cheat never win. They keep on doing remakes of cartoons with real actors these days so how about one of Wacky Races with say Rowan Atkinson as Dick Dastardly.
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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
The original Potpourri of the Hanna-Barbera shows
from Durham, North Carolina
4 December 2006
The Hanna-Barbera series "The Wacky Races" emerged as a slapstick antidote to the violent superhero shows which had saturated the overall landscape of Saturday Morning cartoons during the 1967-1968 season,and when it premiered as part of the brilliant CBS-TV line-up of Saturday Morning shows at the height of the 1968-1969 season,it set off some sort of precedent when a season after its debut,but spun off not one but two other cartoons while continuing its run on the network. The series ran on CBS-TV from the premiere episode of the series on September 14,1968 through the final installment of the series on September 5,1970 with repeated episodes from the first season produced by Hanna-Barbera productions. This was however one of the original Hanna-Barbera potpourri of shows that basically recycled the same formula which assembled a huge cast of characters and involved them in some kind of repetitious activity. The main antagonists in the never ending worldwide car race were the racers themselves and their situations,and to put it bluntly was repeated three times in various carbon copy format during the entire decade of the 1970's(which in turned several animation studios used the same formula for various shows...Filmation and DePatie-Freleng took the same story lines and characters to put in their own shows).
Basically,if you seen one episode of "Wacky Races",you've seen them all,since they rigidly in just about every episode follows the same plot each time:and this was a bunch of animated "theme" automobiles raced across various parts of the country and the world amid manic antics. As far as the characters were concerned they consisted of the following. There was the log-car driven by a beaver and a lumberjack; a spooky-mansion car driven by monsters;an Appalachian backporch car driven by a bunch of hillbillies and a bear;a car with a big engine driven by a handsome young stud;a dainty pink car driven by a female counterpart(Penelope Pitstop);a roadster driven a Ant Hill Mob,a gang of dwarfes in 1920's style clothing. Each episodes follows the same recipe as with one car ahead,and then the others that would used special tricks to catch up. But the straw that stirred the drink and what made the show interesting to watch was the duo of Dick Dastardly and his assistant snickering dog Muttley in their Mean Machine always trying to find ways to cheat,but at the end of each episode he would always failed miserably. The following year,Hanna-Barbera made a spin-off series of "Wacky Races" titled "Dastardly and Muttley" which featured these two characters as part of a squad of villainous World War I flying aces who flew a single four-seater plane(The other two pilots had weird speech impediments as their character shtick.). The pilots were given the job of stopping a heroic carrier pigeon and just like in about every episode was repeated with Dastardly trying any scheme he can to stop the pigeon only with mixed results. The was definitely the version of The Road Runner and the Coyote but not nearly as clever visually. This was part of the CBS-TV schedule for the 1969-1970 season. The other "Wacky Races" spin-off that came around for the 1970-1971 season,"The Perils of Penelope Pitstop",was totally different from the rest of the pack,with one exception. In fact,it was one of the weirdest shows to ever appear on Saturday Mornings. This show was a combination of Snow White,and the combination of the 1930's serial The Perils of Pauline with just about every clinche every added for grand measure. They took two of the characters of Wacky Races;Penelope Pitstop and made the Ant Hill Mob her guardian protectors. In just about every episode she was also stalked,pursued,and sometimes captured by her evil guardian The Hooded Claw(voiced to perfection by Paul Lynde). The Ant Hill Mob was always riding in just a nick of time to her rescue. There was a strange undercurrent to the show too: since Penelope spent large proportions of each episode either tied up or otherwise in bondage. Not to mention some of the kinkiest S&M ever devised for a children's show. The series remained in repeated episodes until mid-1971,where CBS finally got rid of Wacky Races once and for all.
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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Another Hanna/Barbera favorite
from Canada
30 June 2011
As a fan of Hanna/Barbera, I would watch a few of their TV series like "Scooby Doo" and "The Flintstones", and also films like "Charlotte's Web" and "Heidi's Song." I remember watching Wacky Races when it was the TV channel Teletoon a long, long time ago, and the lovely Penelope Pitstop and her "Compact Pussycat" was my favorite racer. Though I don't know why her car was called the "Compact Pussycat", it did not looked like a cat.
The series had became successful, that they had made two spin-off series called "Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines" and "The Perils of Penelope Pitstop"; my favorite spin-off series is "The Perils of Penelope Pitstop". So overall, I love the show and it has become another Hanna/Barbera favorite. R.I.P, Bill and Joe.
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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Better than NASCAR.....
from New York
24 June 1999
I think this show is funnier and better than NASCAR.Its a great show for kids.Muttlys laughing is funny.I rate this show with Ed,Edd,and Eddy.
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| Peter Perfect |
How many compartments does a cow’s stomach have? | Wacky Races: the Complete Series | DVD Review | Film @ The Digital Fix
Wacky Races: the Complete Series
17:00 on 1st Dec 2004
By James GrayJames Gray
Extras
Extras
Four Audio Commentaries, Rearview Mirror: A Look Back at Wacky Races, Spin-Out Spin-Offs featurette, Trivia Tracks on two episodes
Soundtracks
English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, French Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Subtitles
English, French, Spanish
And away they go! Dastardly and Muttley, Penelope Pitstop and the rest finally roar onto DVD with this 3 disk set of the complete series. James joins the race and reveals the real reason why Dastardly's plans always ended with a "Drat, drat and double drat!"
"And now here they are! The most daredevil group of daffy drivers to ever whirl their wheels in the Wacky Races, competing for the title of �The World�s Wackiest Racer!� The cars are approaching the starting line. First is the Turbo Terrific driven by Peter Perfect. Next, Rufus Roughcut and Sawtooth in the Buzzwagon. Manoeuvring for position is the Army Surplus Special. Right behind is the Anthill Mob in their Bulletproof Bomb. And there�s ingenious inventor Pat Pending in his convert-a-car. Oh, and here�s the lovely Penelope Pitstop, the glamour gal of the gas pedal. Next we have the Boulder Mobile with the Slag brothers, Rock and Gravel. Bursting along is the Creepy Coupe with the Gruesome Twosome and right on their tail is the Red Max. And there�s the Arkansas Chugabug with Luke and Blubber Bear. Sneaking along last is that Mean Machine with those double-dealing do-badders Dick Dastardly and his sidekick Muttley. And even now they�re up to some dirty trick��
Opening narration
I have a theory about Dick Dastardly. Watch any random episode of Wacky Races and you�ll begin to notice a rather odd pattern emerging involving this supposedly most villainous of all villains. Time after time he, together with constantly sniggering sidekick Muttley, somehow manages to get so far ahead of the other competitors in the race that he has time to stop, mastermind and then execute an elaborate trap to ensnare those that are behind him. This beggars two questions. One: why does he do it? He�s so far ahead, why doesn�t he just get to the finish line and claim the win that always eludes him? and Two: where does he get all the equipment for his evil schemes? Items such as cranes and helicopters are not readily available in high street stores, let alone the wildernesses the racers career through.
I sense there�s a bit of chicanery going on. I think Dastardly is a mole, put in by the organisers of the races as a bit of light entertainment, some comic relief designed for the audience to love to hate, akin to Wolf from Gladiators or The Critical One from umpteen wannabe pop shows. Together with Muttley, he is briefed on the race beforehand while the equipment for the so-called traps he lays is supplied and left at the appropriate place for him to set up when he gets there. And he gets there because he either takes a short cut or is helicoptered ahead by the production team � how else does he get so far ahead? The Mean Machine can't be that much faster. The traps are then rigged so that they don�t work until after the racers have safely passed, and everyone can cheer as Dastardly is once again hoisted by his own petard, chortling along with Muttley at his incompetence. And, of course, if he�s working for the company, by rights he should always come last to preserve the integrity of the race, which he does � how likely is it otherwise that out of thirty-four races he wouldn�t win a single one? It�s the only explanation that meets all the facts and, as a famous detective once said, once you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
I think I may have been watching too much Wacky Races and yet it becomes extremely addictive. One certainly doesn�t watch it for the plot, as every episode is exactly the same, just in a different setting. The race sets off, Dastardly is foiled a couple of times, a few of the other racers encounter some problems, various laws of physics are broken (including that old chestnut of a character running off the edge of a cliff, looking down, realising what they've done and only then plummeting) before a completely random person wins. As there�s no real coherent narrative running through it, it�s very much in the old style of cartoon making of, as Homer Simpson says, just a bunch of stuff happening. And yet it�s very moreish, almost lulling the viewer into a trancelike state � pretty apt for the time it was made in, the psychedelic backgrounds and fast moving colours no doubt appealing to those who spent the rest of the time handing out flowers and informing people about Bob Marley.
Produced in 1968, the show was another huge hit that made the 1960s Hanna-Barbera�s most successful era. Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, Top Cat, and The Jetsons, all appeared in this decade prior to the start of this show, and Scooby Doo was only a year away when the adventures of Penelope Pitstop and co debuted. Although its primary inspiration is said to have been Blake Edward�s 1965 movie The Great Race, it riffs on many aspects of popular culture for its characters. The Creepy Coupe is an obvious amalgamation of the Munsters and the Addams Family, the Army Surplus Special from Bilko and its ilk, the Ant Hill Mob The Untouchables and so on. The animation, in keeping with much of the output of the time, was simplistic but effective enough for what was, at the time, disposable TV. That famous element of Scooby Doo, when backgrounds are looped so the same tree, house and plant appears time and again as characters run past, is fully in evidence here, but adds to the charm, while there is also plenty of stock footage re-used through the course of the series. If we see Penelope Pitstop use the make-up lever in her car once we see it a hundred of times, and Dastardly and Muttley�s asides to the camera are nearly always the same. These are only really noticeable, though, when watching a lot of episodes close together � if you�re a relatively sane person, restricting viewing to one or two at a time (when originally broadcast, two episodes were shown back-to-back) makes these shortcuts unimportant.
As with all cartoons, only a handful of actors provide all the voices, but it�s noticeable that those voicing the most distinctive characters � namely the Narrator, Dick Dastardly and Penelope Pitstop � are used sparingly. The remaining characters are nearly all voiced by Daws Butler and Don Messick, both Hanna-Barbera veterans (Butler�s most famous role being the voice of Yogi Bear and Messick�s probably Scooby-Doo) and their characters don�t have as distinctive tones as the three mentioned. Narrator Dave Willock, in particular, is very good. A newcomer to cartoons, he throws himself into his commentator�s role with gusto, probably glad that the part was rather different from the cowboys that had made up the majority of his career. Janet �Judy Jetson� Waldo, meanwhile, gives Penelope an annoying, Dolly Parton-esque Southern twang that suits the character perfectly and annoys me beyond belief while Paul Winchell�s work as Dastardly was a major contributor to the popularity of the character.
Each of the characters have their own quirks, and, for those that enjoy that sort of thing, there�s a fine drinking game to be played with the show. Take one drink every time any one of the following happens: Blubber Bear shakes nervously, the Creepy Coupe employs dragon power, Peter Perfect's car falls apart, the Ant Hill Mob are forced to dress in some humiliating disguise to escape the long arm of the law (take two if it involves a reference to their small size, like scouts or little leaguers) - the list can go on. The most annoying of these is traits is Penelope Pitstop's � far from being the heroic, all-American gal she pretends to be, she is actually a brazen hussy, using her feminine charms to get ahead. Watch how, when she gets into trouble, she flutters her eyelids at the others passing, crying �Hay-elp� and �Poor little old me,� only to drive off when some valiant competitor (usually Peter Perfect) comes to her rescue, stranding them with the same trouble she had. (Not that I'm taking the show too seriously or anything).
But of course, the stars of the show are the occupants of the Mean Machine, Dick Dastardly and Muttley. Inspired by those moustachioed villains of silent film who used to tie girls to railway lines so they could steal their estate, he follows in a long line of cartoon villains forever to be thwarted from their aim of stopping some (generally annoying) character, from Elmer Fudd on, although he�s most similar to Wile E Coyote (unsurprisingly, given that one of the writers, Mike Maltese, worked on both shows). I always felt a bit sorry for Coyote � Road Runner is such a smug git with his mocking beep-beep that I always hoped against hope Coyote would splat him one day, and I have a similar sympathy for Dastardly. If my above theory of his being a ringer is incorrect (and I highly doubt it) life must be a constant exasperation to him. Not only do all his plans fail, but the race seems heavily biased against him � whenever someone like Professor Pat Pending moves ahead via some mechanical aid (usually in the Professor�s case by some sort of robotic legs) the race commentator applauds him, but when Dastardly executes any similar manoeuvre he gets accused of dirty tricks and foul play. And then there�s the Muttley problem. Muttley is a bit of a suck-up and seems to secretly rather resent Dastardly � when Dastardly sets up a plan he sniggers, but when the plan goes awry he sniggers even harder. He�s such a poser too � I think he hangs around Dastardly solely for the publicity, a hanger-on who sees a chance to get his face on TV, always playing to the camera, while not really giving a fig about his cohort - in one episode, Dastardly is caught on a water fountain and Muttley, when his cohort calls down to him to �do something!�, breaks into a jolly dance for the benefit of the viewers.
It�s not complicated stuff by any means, and in a way it�s hard to recommend to anyone over the age of about ten who doesn�t have an interest in cartoons of this era. And yet� it�s great. Perhaps it�s just because I watched all thirty-four episodes in three days, but the characters all raise a smile, the episodes zip along, and if you�re in an indulgent mood there�s a lot of fun to be had from it. As an example of the sort of work Hanna-Barbera were producing it�s perfect, and it�s an understandable choice for the first of their Classic Collection releases. Although not amongst the very best of their work, it�s certainly in the upper tier of the second league, and retains much of its appeal over thirty years after its first broadcast. Well worth a visit to the racetrack. (Just don't bet on the Mean Machine - it's rigged, I tell you, rigged).
The Disk
The complete series is presented on three DVDs, coming in an extremely attractive box set. An outer envelope holds a fold-out case that contains artwork from the show. The first two disks hold twelve episodes each and the third ten, and each disk has a Play All function. Each disk�s menus are the same, and have the same illustration of Dastardly and Muttley on them. The extras are spread over the three disks � the on-screen commentaries on the first disk, the retrospective look at the show on the second, and the featurette about the spin-offs and four episode commentaries on the third. All episodes are subtitled, but none of the extras are.
Video
A very nice transfer in that the cartoons themselves are crisp with no sign of digital transfer problems. Unfortunately the prints themselves are quite dirty, with lots of specks on them popping up at regular intervals. Watchable, but the brightness of the pictures themselves show these flaws up more, and remind the viewer constantly of the age of the series.
Audio
An understandably unexciting track, the sound is clean but undramatic, exactly what you would expect from a thirty year old cartoon.
Extras
Commentaries
The commentaries feature a mixture of those who worked on the series (designers Iwao Takamoto and Jerry Eisenberg) and modern cartoon historians, as well as people who work at Hanna-Barbera now. Four episodes have tracks, evidently recorded consecutively at the same time, and aren�t especially illuminating � those who worked on the series have only misty memories of who did what when, and we don�t hear anything about the techniques used to bring the cartoons to life, nor of the history behind the show. That said, there�s some pleasure to be had from listening to them in the way it�s always good to hear from people reminiscing, however vaguely, about the work they did, but these are not as informative as they could have been.
Rearview Mirror: A Look Back at Wacky Races
Decent featurette that covers the history of the show. With contributions from those featured in the commentaries as well as Waldo, this is a nice if unremarkable look at the series.
Spin Out Spin-Offs
Ten minute look at the two shows that had characters originally in Wacky Races, The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop and Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines (the one with the sublime �Stop the Pigeon� as its theme). Features the same contributors as the retrospective above, this is good primarily as a chance to see clips from those shows (although I�m not sure I could now stand a whole show about Penelope Pitstop on her own).
On Screen Pop-Up Factoids
Fun facts about the series, ranging from statistics about how many times each racer won through to sources for the cars, these are found on the first two episodes on Disk One. They reflect well the tone of the show.
Sneak Peaks
Trailers for the following releases: Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection, Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol 2, Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Vol 2, The Flintstones Season 2 and Top Cat: the Complete Series, all of which look very tempting. No trailer for the promised Jetsons release though.
Overall
Wacky Races is what it is, a product of its time. Unlike today�s cartoons, there�s no subversive element, no underlining message, just a collection of cartoon gags strung together for the simple amusement of its viewers. Populated by fun characters, it is a memorable show that is still regarded with a high degree of affection to this day, and rightly so. This DVD release does it credit and it is almost churlish to say that the extras are lightweight, given the show they support � they do enough to be enjoyable to fans of the show. And I still think I�m right about Dastardly.
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In humans, what is the name of the front cutting teeth? | Human Teeth Dental Chart - Bradford Dentistry Resources | Bradford Family Dentistry
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At the time of birth, tooth buds are already in place. Babies typically have 20 primary (baby) teeth, which usually begin to erupt typically around 6 months of age but can be anywhere between approximately 3 months of age until 12 months to begin the accommodation of solid foods and the change in baby’s diet. The above human teeth dental chart are of children’s 20 primary teeth.
Cutting teeth takes time and can be painful for babies, which is usually completed by the age of 3. Teeth start to fall out at various times throughout childhood and by the age of 21; all 32 of the permanent teeth have usually erupted.
Eruption of Primary Teeth Dental Chart
Usually, humans get two sets of teeth during a lifetime. The first, primary or deciduous set is comprised of the 20 “baby” teeth. The second permanent set usually consists of 32 teeth. In each quadrant, there are eight permanent teeth including two incisors, one cuspid, two bicuspids, and three molars.
Eruption of Permanent Teeth Dental Chart
The pictorial below of permanent human teeth can help you to understand the positioning of each of your 32 permanent teeth in an adult mouth. The last teeth to arrive are the three molars. The third molars are more commonly referred to as the “wisdom tooth.”
Tooth Chart Positioning
The upper teeth of arch on the human teeth dental chart are called maxillary teeth because their roots are placed within the upper jawbone of the maxilla. Those of the lower arch are called mandibular teeth because their roots are embedded within the lower jawbone of the mandible. Each arch contains 16 teeth, composed of 6 anterior, and 10 posterior and in a quadrant, there are 3 anterior and 5 posterior teeth.
On this human teeth diagram, there are four classes of teeth, incisors, cuspid, bicuspid and molars, based on appearance, position and complementary functions.
A tooth is a hard, bony appendage that develops on the jaw to pulverize food. In man, the design of the teeth is a reflection of eating habits, as humans tend to be meat eaters so teeth are formed for cutting, tearing, and grinding food.
The human teeth dental chart illustrates the types and working surfaces of the four classes of teeth.
Incisor Teeth
On the dental chart, incisors are located in the front of the mouth and have sharp, thin edges for cutting. Their use is to incise or cut food and the appearance tends to have a shovel-shaped appearance.
Cuspid Teeth
Cuspids, also referred to as canines, are at the angles of the mouth on the tooth chart. Each has a single cusp and is designed for cutting and tearing.
Bicuspid Teeth
Bicuspids, also referred to as premolars, are similar to the cuspids. They have two cusps used for cutting and tearing, and a wider surface to bite and crush food.
Molars
Molars are located in the back of the mouth. Their size gradually gets smaller from the first to third molar. Each molar has four or five cusps, is shorter and more rounded in shape than other teeth and has a broad surface for grinding and chewing solid food.
When viewing the human teeth dental chart, it shows the typical human mouth. People are all different and do not always have every tooth come in or they may appear at different times. When extractions or exclusions occur, depending on the tooth, different methods can get chewing accomplished.
Although your teeth may not be identical to the human teeth dental chart, we can create a smile you can be confident and proud of, while meeting the functions required. Please contact us to discuss any issues concerns or maintenance you may need addressed.
If you live in any of the following areas and would like to book an appointment to see your human teeth dental chart for free, please call us at: 1-877-283-0497 in:
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What is the name of the man in the 1969 5th Dimension hit single ‘Wedding Bell Blues’? | Chapter 11 Review
Chapter 7 Review
Name the surface of the tooth that faces the tongue Lingual surface Which tooth is referred to as the "cornerstone" of the dental arch? Canine Name the most posterior teeth Molars What term is used for the front teeth? Anterior What is the term for the 4 sections of the divided dental arches? Quadrant How many teeth are in primary dentition? permanent? primary-20; permanent-32 Name the 2 sets of teeth humans have in their lifetime primary and permanent The curvature formed by the maxillary and mandibular arches in occlusion Curve of Spee An abnormal relationship of the maxillary teeth to mandibular teeth when they are in centric occlusion Maloccluion Where the teeth contact during biting and chewing movements Functional occlusion Where the max contact between the occluding surfaces of the maxillary and mandibular teeth Centric occlusion Triangular space in the gingival direction between the proximal surfaces of two adjoining teeth in contact Ebrasure Area between adjacent tooth surfaces Interproximal space Chewing surface of teeth Masticatory surface Surface of the tooth distance from the midline Distal Surface of the tooth toward the midline Mesial surface One fourth of dentition Quadrant The lower jaw is your... Mandible The upper jaw is your... Maxilla Teeth in the front of the mouth Anterior Permanent teeth that replace primary teeth Succedaneous The natural contact of the maxillary and mandibular teeth in all positions is termed... Occlusion Baby or primary teeth are called... Deciduous Natural teeth in the dental arch are your... Dentition One sixth of dentition is... sextant What is the name for the curve of the occlusional plane? Curve of Spee What classification is neutrolclusion? Class I What is the technical term for class III malocclusion? Mesioclussion What is the term for teeth that are in poor occlusion? Malocclusion What is the name for the position of the teeth when they are in chewing movements? Functional occlusion What is the name for the third of the tooth nearest the end of the root? Apical Third What is the term for the junction of two tooth surfaces? Line Angle What is the name of the triangular space toward the gingiva between adjacent teeth? Embrasure What is the name of the area where adjacent teeth physically touch? Contact area What is the name for the space between adjacent teeth? Interproximal space What are the 5 surfaces of the teeth? Facial, Lingual, Masitcatory (occlusional), mesial, distal What is the function of incisors? cut food without application of heavy force What is the function of canines? cutting and tearing foods which require application of force What is the function of premolars? pointed buccal cusps hold food while the lingual cusps grind it in What is the function of molars? chew or grind food What are the 4 types of teeth? incisors, canines, premolars, molars What are the terms for the front teeth and for the back teeth? Anterior (front), posterior (back) Chapter 11 Review
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Which King of England was known as ‘The Unready’? | Ethelred the Unready | king of England | Britannica.com
Ethelred the Unready
Alternative Titles: Aethelred, Aethelred Unraed, Ethelred II
Ethelred the Unready
Edward
Ethelred the Unready, also spelled Aethelred, also called Ethelred II, or Aethelred Unraed (born 968?—died April 23, 1016, London , England ), king of the English from 978 to 1013 and from 1014 to 1016. He was an ineffectual ruler who failed to prevent the Danes from overrunning England. The epithet “unready” is derived from unraed, meaning “bad counsel” or “no counsel,” and puns on his name, which means “noble counsel.”
Ethelred II, coin, 10th century; in the British Museum.
Peter Clayton
The son of King Edgar (ruled 959–975), Ethelred ascended the throne upon the assassination of his half brother King Edward the Martyr in March 978. Widespread suspicion that Ethelred may have had a part in the murder created much of the distrust and disloyalty that undermined his authority. Hence, there was no unified defense when the Danish invasions resumed in 980.
Nearly all of the country was ravaged, and Ethelred’s efforts to buy peace only made the invaders more rapacious . When they did begin to settle down in towns, Ethelred provoked further invasions by launching a massacre of Danish settlers (Nov. 13, 1002). By the end of 1013 the Danish king Sweyn I had been accepted as king in England, and Ethelred had fled to Normandy .
After Sweyn died in February 1014, Ethelred’s council of advisers invited him to return to the throne on condition that he agree to satisfy their grievances. At the time of Ethelred’s death in 1016, Sweyn’s son Canute was ravaging England. Ethelred was succeeded by his son Edmund II Ironside (ruled 1016); one of his other sons ruled England as Edward the Confessor from 1042 to 1066. Despite the overall failures of the reign, evidence from his charters and coinage suggest that Ethelred’s government was more effective than was once believed.
Learn More in these related articles:
| Æthelred the Unready |
Which British singer/musician released a 2012 album entitled ‘Kisses on the Bottom’? | King Ethedred the Unready and Headington, Oxford
King Ethelred the Unready (968–1016)
King Ethelred II (968–1016) came to the throne in 978 after the murder of his brother, and was nicknamed Ethelred the Unready. He is one of the earliest inhabitants of Headington known by name. His charter to St Frideswide’s Priory in 1004 was signed “In villa regia quae vocatur Hedindone” (“in the royal vill which is called Headington”).
According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Ethelred built a royal palace at Headington, and legend has it that it was situated near Dunstan Road, on the site of Ethelred Court, which is of course named after him; while Dunstan Road is named after St Dunstan, the Archbishop of Canterbury who helped to get King Ethelred on the throne.
Clifford Jones of the University of Newcastle (pictured here pointing due north) believes that the palace is situated at the eastern end of Headington village.. He has studied aerial photographs, and thinks that it was opposite Emden House in Barton Lane, on the raised ground where his colleague Kristy Wonders is standing.
Excavations in the field, which is owned by Oxford Preservation Trust , were undertaken by Dr Clive Waddington of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in May 2001.
Below is Ethelred’s full entry from The Dictionary of National Biography, written by “WH” in 1888, and reproduced by kind permission of Oxford University Press.
Ethelred or Æthelred II, the Unready 968?–1016, king of England, son of Eadgar and Ælfthryth, was born either in 968 or 969, for he was scarcely seven years old when his father died in 975. His defilement of the baptismal font is said to have caused Dunstan to foretell the overthrow of the nation during his reign (Henry of Huntingdon, p. 748). On the death of his father a strong party was in favour of electing him king instead of his brother Eadward. He lived with his mother at Corfe, and Eadward had come to see him when he was slain there. The child wept bitterly at his brother’s death, and it was said that his mother was enraged at his tears, and, not having a scourge at hand, beat him so severely with some candles that in after life he would never have candles carried before him, a story that, foolish as it is, may perhaps imply that he was badly brought up in childhood (Gesta Regum, sec. 164). He succeeded his brother as king, and was crowned by Dunstan at Kingston on 14 April 978 (A.-S. Chron. Abingdon, and Flor. Wig.; 979, A.-S. Chron. Worcester; on the discrepancy see Mon. Hist. Brit. p. 397 n. b); the archbishop on the day of his coronation is said to have prophesied evil concerning him because he came to the throne through the murder of his brother; it is more certain that Dunstan exacted a pledge of good government from him, and delivered an exhortation on the duties of a christian king (Memorials of Dunstan, p. 355 sq.). Æthelred was good-looking and of graceful manners (Flor. Wig.); his “historical surname”, the Unready, does not imply that he lacked energy or resource, but rede, or counsel (Norman Conquest, i. 286). He was by no means deficient in ability, nor was he especially slothful (Gesta Regum, sec. 165); indeed, throughout his reign he constantly displayed considerable vigour, but it was generally misdirected, for he was impulsive, passionate, cruel, and apt to lean on favourites, whom he did not choose for any worthy reasons; he had no principles of action, and was guided by motives of temporary expediency. During the first years of his reign there was no change in the government by the great ealdormen. The death of Ælfhere, ealdorman of Mercia, in 983, was probably a considerable loss to the country; he was succeeded by his son Ælfric, who was banished by the king in 985, cruelly it is said (Henry of Huntingdon). Dunstan, though he still attended the meetings of the witan, evidently took no part in political matters. The system of defence worked out by Eadgar must have perished at this time, which was naturally a period of disorganisation. A worthless favourite named Æthelsine appears to have exercised considerable influence over the young king, and to have led him to commit and to sanction many acts of oppression (Kemble, Codex Dipl. p. 700). By his advice Æthelred laid claim to an estate belonging to the bishopric of Rochester, some violence ensued, and in 986 Æthelred laid siege to Rochester; he was unable to take it, and ravaged the lands of the see. Dunstan interfered on behalf of the bishop, and, when the king disregarded his commands, paid him a hundred pounds of silver to purchase peace, declaring his contempt for Æthelred’s avarice, and prophesying that evil would shortly come on the nation (Flor. Wig.; Osbern). It is probable that by this date Æthelred had been some time married to his first wife, Ælfgifu. From 980 to 982 several descents were made on different parts of the coast by the Danes and Northmen. Southampton, Thanet, and Cheshire were ravaged; the coasts of Devon and Cornwall suffered severely, and a raid was made on Portland. To these years may perhaps be referred the story that Swend, the future king of Denmark, came over to England as a fugitive, and no doubt as the leader of a viking expedition, that Æthelred treated him as an enemy, and that he was hospitably received by the Scottish king (Adam Brem. ii. c. 32). These attacks were made simply for the sake of plunder; they ceased for a while after 982, and when they were renewed took a more dangerous form, for the invaders began to settle in the country. In 988 they landed in Somerset, but were beaten off after a sharp struggle. An invasion of a more formidable kind was made in 991 by a Norwegian force under King Olaf Tryggvason, Justin, and Guthmund; Ipswich was plundered, and the ealdorman Brihtnoth was defeated and slain at Maldon in Essex. Then Archbishop Sigeric, Æthelweard, the ealdorman of the western provinces, and another West-Saxon ealdorman, named Ælfric, offered to purchase peace of the Northmen, and promised to pay them ten thousand pounds of silver. So large a sum could not be raised quickly, and the Northmen threatened to ravage Kent unless they were paid. Sigeric obtained the money to make up the deficiency from Æscwig, bishop of Dorchester, and pledged an estate to him for repayment (Kemble, Codex Dipl. p. 689). The treaty was accepted by the king and the witan, and was concluded with the Norwegian leaders (Ancient Laws, p. 121). This was the first time that the disastrous policy was adopted of buying off the invaders. Unworthy as the step was, it is sometimes condemned too hastily. It was not taken consciously as an escape from the duty of defending the land; the men who made, and the king and the counsel who ratified, the treaty could not have done so with the expectation that other payments of a like kind would follow, and their action must be judged by itself. It was a moment of supreme danger, for the whole of the south of the country lay open to the enemy, and the three men who bore rule over it may well have thought that as no troops were ready their first duty was to save the people from impending destruction. And the money was not paid with the idea that the Norwegians would in return leave England; the treaty as made by Æthelred distinctly contemplates their remaining; each party, for example, was to refrain from harbouring the Welsh, the thieves, and the foes of the other. In fact, the king, by the advice of the archbishop and the two West-Saxon ealdormen, bought the alliance of Olaf and his host against all other enemies. War was actually going on with the Welsh, and their prince, Meredydd, was in alliance with the Northmen, whose help he had hired (Brut, ann. 988, 991; Norman Conquest, i. 313). And Æthelred can scarcely have failed to take into account the probability of a Danish invasion, and if so, he and his advisers may have flattered themselves with the hope of dividing their foes, and keeping off the Danes by the help of the Northmen (Conquest of England, p. 375). Even allowing that such a hope was certain to fail, time was gained by the treaty, and if it had been used in vigorous and sustained preparations for defence, the advice of the archbishop and the ealdormen might have turned out well. Unfortunately the kingdom was found defenceless again and again, and Æthelred and his nobles, having once got rid of immediate danger by a money payment, bought peace of the Danes on other occasions when they must have been fully aware of the folly of what they were doing. According to William of Malmesbury Æthelred made another treaty this year. He had causes of complaint against the Norman duke, Richard the Fearless; the ports of Normandy afforded convenient anchorage to the Scandinavian pirates, and it is not unlikely that they found recruits among the duke’s subjects. War seemed imminent, and Pope John XV undertook the office of mediator. A peace was made which provided that neither should receive the enemies of the other, nor even the other’s subjects, without “passports from their own sovereign” (Gesta Regum, secs. 165, 166; this, the only authority for this treaty, is, of course, late; the grounds on which Dr. Freeman accepts the story will be found in Norman Conquest, i. 313, 633; it certainly seems unlikely that any one should have invented the pope’s letter).
The peace purchased of the Northmen was broken by Æthelred. In 992 he and the witan “decreed that all the ships that were worth anything” should be gathered together at London (A.-S. Chron.). He put the fleet under the command of two bishops and two lay leaders, Thored, possibly his father-in-law, and Ælfric, the Mercian ealdorman he had banished (Henry of Huntingdon, p. 740). The scheme of taking the Northmen’s fleet by surprise was defeated through the treachery of Ælfric. Nevertheless the English gained a complete victory. Enraged at Ælfric’s conduct, the king blinded his son Ælfgar. The Northmen sailed off, and did much damage in Northumbria and Lindsey. In 994 the two kings, Olaf of Norway and Swend of Denmark, invaded the land with nearly a hundred ships; their forces were beaten off from London by the burghers on 8 Sept., but ravaged Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Hampshire, and then “took horses and rode whither they would”. Æthelred and the witan now offered them money and provisions if they would cease their ravages. They took up winter quarters in Southampton, and a tax was levied on Wessex to pay the crews, while a tribute of sixteen thousand pounds was raised from the country generally as the price of peace (it is possible that Æscwig gave the help which was the subject of an arrangement made in a witenagemot of the next year on this occasion; the threat of ravaging Kent, and the fact that Sigeric seems to have been acting on his own responsibility, appear, however, to point to the peace of 991). Æthelred for once used the time thus gained with prudence, for he sent Ælfheah, bishop of Winchester, and the ealdorman Æthelweard on an embassy to Olaf. The result was that the alliance between the invading kings was broken. Olaf came to Æthelred at Andover, made alliance with him, and, being already baptised, was confirmed by the bishop. Æthelred took him “at the bishop’s hands”, and gifted him royally; he promised that he would invade England no more, and kept his word. Swend sailed off to attack the Isle of Man, and the invasion ended. About two years of peace followed. In 995 Æthelred, probably at a meeting of the witan, acknowledged the faults of his youth, and made a grant to the bishop of Rochester (Kemble, Codex Dipl. p. 688). The next year he held another meeting at Celchyth (Chelsea), where the ecclesiastical element seems to have predominated (ib. 696). At some earlier date he had published at Woodstock a code regulating the English law of bail and surety, and in 997, at a witenagemot that met at Calne, and was adjourned to Wantage, a code was published on police matters, evidently designed for the Danish districts (Ancient Laws, pp. 119, 124; Codex Dipl. p. 698). At these meetings the king again acknowledged the sins of his youth, and restored some land he had unjustly taken from the church of Winchester. In this year the ravages of the Danes began again, though for about two years they were not especially serious, being chiefly confined first to the western coasts and then to the coast of Sussex. During the winter of 998, however, they took up quarters in the Isle of Wight, and forced the people of Hampshire and Sussex to send them provisions. This fresh trouble drove Æthelred to a renewed attempt to pacify heaven; he made a fresh and detailed acknowledgment of his youthful errors, especially in the Rochester matter, laid the blame chiefly on Æthelsine, whom he had deprived of his rank and wealth, and made full restitution to the bishop (Codex Dipl. p. 700). At the same time he was giving his confidence to another favourite as unworthy as Æthelsine, one Leofsige, whom in 994 he had made ealdorman of the East-Saxons (ib. p. 687). Kent was ravaged in 999, and Æthelred made another effort to defend his land. He commanded that the Danes should be attacked both by a fleet and an army, but the whole administration was hopelessly disorganised, and “when the ships were ready they delayed from day to day, and wore out the poor men that were on board, and the more forward things should have been the backwarder they were time after time. And in the end the expedition by sea and land effected nothing except troubling the people, wasting money, and emboldening their foes” (A.-S. Chron. an. 999; for the causes of this inefficiency see Lappenberg, ii. 160; Norman Conquest, i. 324).
After the ravaging of Kent the Danes sailed off to Normandy in the summer of 1000, probably to sell their booty. Æthelred took advantage of their absence and of the preparations of the previous year to strike at the viking settlements close at hand; he led an army in person into Cumberland, which was a stronghold of the Danes, and ravaged the country, while his fleet wasted the Isle of Man (A.-S. Chron.; Henry of Huntingdon, p. 750; for another view of these proceedings see Norman Conquest, i. 328). To this year also is perhaps to be referred Æthelred’s invasion of the Cotentin, for it was probably closely connected with the visit of the Danish fleet to Normandy. William of Jumièges (v. 4) says that Æthelred expected that his ships would bring him the Norman duke, Richard II, with his hands tied behind his back, but that they were utterly defeated. This expedition, if it ever took place, must have led to the marriage of Æthelred and the duke’s sister Emma. While the Danish fleet was wasting the coasts of Devonshire the next year it was joined by Pallig, the husband of Gunhild, Swend’s sister, who had been entertained by Æthelred and had received large gifts from him. The renewal of the war again stirred up the king to endeavour to get heaven on his side. In a charter of this year, granted with consent of the witan, the troubles of the country are set forth, and the king gives, in honour of Christ, and of his brother, the holy martyr Eadward, the monastery of Bradford to the nuns of Shaftesbury, where Eadward was buried, to be a place of refuge for them (Codex Dipl. p. 706). Early in 1002 he and the witan decreed that peace should again be bought of the Danish fleet, and he sent Leofsige to the fleet to learn what terms would be accepted. Leofsige agreed with the Danes that they should receive provisions and a tribute of 24,000l. Some change in the politics of the court seems to be indicated by Æthelred’s promotion of his high-reeve, Æfic, above all his other officers (ib. p. 719). The terms in which this promotion is described have been interpreted as conferring a distinct office, that of “chief of the high-reeves”, an office that has further been taken as a “foreshadowing of the coming justiciary” (Conquest of England, p. 394). This theory, however, is not warranted by any recorded evidence. In the south of England, at least, the high-reeve held an office that was analogous to that of the shire-reeve. The political tendency of the period was towards a division of the kingdom into large districts; ealdormen, instead of being simply officers each with his own shire, were appointed over provinces containing different shires, and in the same way the other shire-officer, the reeve, became the high-reeve of a wider district. There is no evidence that Æfic held any administrative office other than, or superior to, that of other high-reeves; the words of Æthelred’s charter seem to refer to nothing more than a title of honour, which may indeed scarcely have been recognised as a formal title at all. Æfic’s promotion excited the jealousy of the king’s favourite, Leofsige, and while on this mission to the Danes he slew the new favourite in his own house, an act for which he was banished by the king and the witan (A.-S. Chron.; Codex Dipl. p. 719). In Lent Emma came over from Normandy; her marriage with Æthelred was evidently not a happy one, and in spite of her great beauty he is said to have been unfaithful to her (Gesta Regum, sec. 165). The king now attempted to rid himself of his foes by treachery, and, on the ground that the Danes were plotting to slay him and afterwards all his witan, gave orders that “all the Danish-men that were in England should be slain”. Secret instructions were sent in letters from the king to every town, arranging that this massacre should take place everywhere on the same day, 13 Nov. As there was at this time peace between the English and the Danes, the foreign settlers were taken by surprise. Women as well as men were certainly massacred (Flor. Wig.), and among them there is no reason to doubt Swend’s sister, Gunhild, the wife of the traitor Pallig, who was put to death after having seen her husband and her son slain before her eyes (Gesta Regum, sec. 177). The massacre could not of course have extended to all parts of England, for in East Anglia and in some of the Northumbrian districts the Danes must have outnumbered the English. Still, not only in the purely English country, but also in many districts where the Danes, though dominant, were few in number, there must have been a great slaughter. Nor can the guilt of this act be extenuated by declaring that every man among the Danes was a “pirate” (Norman Conquest, i. 344). It is fairly certain that many had settled down in towns and were living in security. A curious notice exists of the slaughter of those who were living in Oxford; it is in a charter of Æthelred, and the king there speaks of the Danes as having “sprung up in this island as tares among wheat”, an expression that indicates that men of both races were living side by side (Early Hist. of Oxford, p. 320). In this charter, which bears date 1004, Æthelred speaks of this event as a “most just slaughter”, which he had decreed with the counsel of his witan.
The only result of the massacre was that the invasions were renewed with more system and determination. Swend himself came with the fleet in 1003. That year the storm fell on the west; Exeter was betrayed to the foe; an attempt made by the local forces of Hampshire and Wiltshire to come to a pitched battle failed, and Wilton and Salisbury were sacked and burnt. On his return the next year Swend attacked East Anglia, burnt Norwich and Thetford, but met with a gallant resistance from the ealdorman Ulfcytel, the husband of one of the king’s daughters. In 1005 there was a famine, so the fleet sailed back for a while to Denmark. During these years of misery nothing is known of Æthelred save that he made some grants to monasteries and to his thegns. Early the next year, however, one of those domestic revolutions took place which expose the thoroughly bad state of his court. For some years a thegn named Wulfgeat had stood far higher than any one else in the king’s favour and had enjoyed considerable power of oppression (Flor. Wig.; Wulfgeat appears in 987, Codex Dipl. p. 658). All his possessions were now confiscated, probably by the sentence of the witan, as a punishment for the unjust judgments he had given, and because he had abetted the king’s enemies. Moreover, while Æthelred was at Shrewsbury, where he seems to have been holding his court, Ælfhelm, the earl of part of Northumbria, evidently of Deira (Yorkshire), was treacherously slain, under circumstances that, as far as we know them, point to the king as the instigator of the deed. Shortly afterwards Ælfhelm’s two sons were blinded by Æthelred’s orders. It is probable that the murder of Ælfhelm, and possible that the treason of Wulfgeat, may in some way have been connected with a raid of Malcolm, king of Scots, that took place at this time; it was checked by Uhtred, son of Earl Waltheof, and the king made him earl over both the Northumbrian earldoms, and soon after gave him his daughter Ælfgifu to wife. The fall of Wulfgeat made way for the rise of another unworthy favourite, Eadric, called Streona, whom the king shortly afterwards made ealdorman of the Mercians, and who married another of Æthelred’s daughters. Later in the year the “great fleet” came back again from Denmark, and the ravages began again. Æthelred made another attempt to withstand the invaders, and called out the levies of Wessex and Mercia. All harvest-time they were under arms, but no good came of it; the Danes marched, plundered, and destroyed as they would, and then retired to their “frith-stool”, the Isle of Wight. About midwinter they began their work of destruction afresh, and Æthelred held a meeting of the witan to consult how the land might be saved from utter ruin. It was again decided to purchase peace, and this time the sum that was wrung from the people to buy off the invaders was 36,000l. After receiving this enormous sum the Danes left the land in peace for about two years.
The year 1008 is the date of a series of laws put forth by Æthelred with the counsel of the witan (Ancient Laws, p. 129). They contain several good resolutions, repeat some older enactments, deal with ecclesiastical as well as secular matters, and forcibly express a sense of the pressing need of patriotic unity. Provision was made for national defence; a fleet was to be raised and to assemble each year after Easter, and desertion from the land-force was to be punished by a fine of 120s. (a re-enactment of Ine’s law of “fyrd-wite”), and when the king was in the field the life and property of the deserter were to be at his mercy. The laws published at a witenagemot held at Enham (ib. p. 133) seem to belong to about the same date, and are of much the same character. Probably by mere chance, they do not mention the presence and action of the king. The fleet was raised by an assessment on every shire, inland as well as on the coast. The hundred was taken as the basis of the assessment, which was in ships and armour, not in money. Every three hundred hides furnished a ship, every ten a boat, every eight a helmet and breastplate (Earle, Saxon Chron. pp. 336, 337; Constitutional Hist. i. 105; on the difficulties as regards the assessment, see also Norman Conquest, i. 368; it does not seem clear why it should be supposed that any part of the levy affected private landowners, except as contributors to the quota of their shire). Æthelred’s assessment was quoted by St. John and Lyttelton acting for the crown in Hampden’s case in 1637 (Tryal of John Hambden, pp. 53, 91). The fleet met at Sandwich about Easter 1009, and Æthelred himself went abroad. An accusation was brought against Wulfnoth, the “Child” of the South-Saxons; he sailed off with twenty ships and began plundering the coast. Æthelred sent his accuser, Brihtric, a brother of Eadric Streona, after him with eighty ships. Some of Brihtric’s ships were wrecked and others were burnt by Wulfnoth. When the king heard this he went home, each crew took its ship to London, and the great effort that had been made came to nothing. Then a fleet came over under the jarl Thurcytel (or Thurkill), and soon after another under two other leaders; Canterbury and Kent purchased peace, and the Danes sailed to the Isle of Wight and thence devastated the southern shires. Æthelred now ordered “the whole nation” to be called out; he took the command of a large army, and he and his people are said to have been prepared to conquer or die (Flor. Wig.). Once he intercepted the enemy, but no attack was made, owing, it is said, to the bad advice of Eadric. The ravages continued unhindered, and early in 1010 Oxford was burnt. Later in the year East Anglia was attacked, and, after a gallant though unsuccessful resistance by Ulfcytel, was thoroughly harried. A series of ravages followed that seem to have crushed all hope of further resistance. By the beginning of 1011 sixteen shires had been overrun (A.-S. Chron.). Then Æthelred and the witan again offered tribute, and 48,000l. was demanded. During the truce Thurcytel’s fleet sacked Canterbury, took Archbishop Ælfheah, and, after keeping him in captivity for seven months, slew him on 13 April 1012. Meanwhile an expedition was made against the Welsh, who had probably taken advantage of the state of the country to make raids on Mercia. The tribute was paid at last, and the “great fleet” dispersed, Thurcytel, with forty-five ships, taking service under Æthelred, who promised to supply him and his men with food and clothing, and gave him an estate in East Anglia in return for his oath to defend the country against all invaders (A.-S. Chron.; Encomium Emmæ, i. 2; Gesta Regum, sec. 176). In the summer of 1013 Swend came over with a splendid fleet and received the submission of all northern England. Æthelred shut himself up in London, and when the Danish army, after pillaging Mercia and marching westward to Winchester, turned eastward, and appeared before the city, a vigorous defence was made, in which the king is said to have borne a foremost part, and the army again marched into the west. Swend was formally chosen as king, and Æthelred took shelter on Thurcytel’s ships, which lay in the Thames. Emma went over to Normandy to her brother, the king sent the two sons he had by her to join her there, sailed to the Isle of Wight, stayed there over Christmas, and early in January 1014 crossed over to Normandy. He is said to have taken over treasure with him from Winchester, and, though the city was then in the hands of Swend, it is not impossible that his voyage to Thurcytel’s station, the Isle of Wight, may have been made in order to meet some keeper of the royal “hoard”. He was hospitably received by Duke Richard, and resided at Rouen (Will. of Jumièges, v. 7).
When Swend died in February the “fleet” chose his son Cnut as king, but all the witan, clergy, and laity determined to send after Æthelred. Accordingly he received messengers from the assembly who told him that “no lord was dearer to them than their lord by birth, if he would rule them rightlier than he had done before”. Then he sent messengers to the witan, and with them his son Eadward, promising that he would for the future be a good lord to them, and would be guided by their will in all things. A favourable answer was sent back, and as Olaf (afterwards St. Olaf, king of Norway) happened to be in some Norman port with his ships, he brought Æthelred back to England in Lent (Othere, Corpus Poeticum Boreale, ii. 153). He was joyfully received, and a witenagemot was held in which some laws were published containing more good resolutions, and a declaration that ecclesiastical and secular matters ought to be dealt with in the same assemblies. At the head of a large force he marched into Lindsey, drove Cnut out, ravaged the district and slaughtered the people, evidently as a punishment for the help they had given to his enemies. The satisfaction that was felt at his return was lessened by his ordering that 21,000l. (A.-S. Chron.) or 30,000l. (Flor. Wig.) should be paid to Thurcytel’s fleet. The next year he held a great gemot at Oxford, and during its session he, and probably the witan also, must have agreed to the treacherous murder of Sigeferth and Morkere, chief thegns in the Seven Boroughs, by Eadric. He confiscated their property, and ordered Sigeferth’s widow to be kept at Malmesbury. Contrary to his wish his son Eadmund married her. When Cnut returned to England in September, Æthelred lay sick at Corsham in Wiltshire. He was in London early the next year, and when Eadmund gathered an army to oppose Cnut, his troops refused to follow him unless the king and the Londoners joined them, but Æthelred was probably too ill to do so. A little later he joined the ætheling. When he had done so he was told that there was a plot against his life, and he thereupon went back to London again. Cnut was preparing to lay siege to the city when Æthelred died there on St. George’s day, 23 April, 1016. He was buried in St. Paul’s. By his first wife, Ælfgifu, he had seven sons, Æthelstan, who died 1016; Ecgberht, who died about 1005; Eadmund, who succeeded him; Eadred; Eadwig, a young man of noble character and great popularity (Flor. Wig. an. 1016; Gesta Regum, sec. 180), who was banished by Cnut and was slain by his order in 1017; Eadgar; and Eadward (Codex Dipl. p. 714); and apparently three daughters, Wulfhild, married to Ulfcytel, ealdorman of East Anglia; Eadgyth, married to Eadric Streona; and Ælfgifu, married to Earl Uhtred; the Æthelstan who fell in battle with the Danes in 1010 and is called the king’s son-in-law (A.-S. Chron.; Flor. Wig.), was probably Æthelred’s sister’s son (Henry of Huntingdon). By his second wife, Emma, he had two sons, Eadward, who came to the throne; and Ælfred, who was slain in 1036; and a daughter, Godgifu, who married, first, Drogo, count of Mantes; and, afterwards, Eustace, count of Boulogne.
Sources: Little can be added to Dr. Freeman’s account of Æthelred in his Norman Conquest, i. 285-417; Green’s notices (Conquest of England) are chiefly valuable when they bear on the intrigues of the court, but some of his statements appear fanciful; Lappenberg’s Anglo-Saxon Kings, trans. Thorpe, ii. 150 sq.; Anglo-Saxon Chron.; Florence of Worcester; William of Malmesbury, Gesta Regum; Kemble’s Codex Dipl. vol. iii. (all Engl. Hist. Soc.); Henry of Huntingdon, Mon. Hist. Brit.; Adam of Bremen; Encomium Emmæ, both Rer. Germ. Scriptt., Pertz; William of Jumièges, Duchesne; Parker’s Early Hist. of Oxford (Oxford Hist. Soc.); Vigfusson and Powell’s Corpus Poet. Boreale; Tryal of John Hambden, Esq., 1719; Stubbs’s Constitutional Hist.
There is an updated entry on King Ethelred in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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What is the longest river in North America? | What is the longest river in North America? | Reference.com
What is the longest river in North America?
A:
Quick Answer
Running between the state of Missouri and its source in Montana, the longest river in North America is the Missouri River. The river flows 2,341 miles until it reaches its mouth at the Mississippi River north of St. Louis. The Missouri River, just slightly longer than the Mississippi River, combines with it to form the fourth largest river system in the world after the Nile, Amazon and Yangtze rivers.
Full Answer
During the early years of North American exploration, the Missouri River was once thought to be the legendary "Northwest Passage," or connecting water route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans across the North American continent. The Lewis and Clark Expedition, which occurred from 1804-1806, proved that belief to be wrong when they reached the western beginnings of the Missouri River in 1805. The river did, however, remain one of the primary routes for American expansion during the 1800s with a growing number of steamboats on the river providing transport to settlers and fur traders to what were then the western territories of the United States.
Nearly 530,000 square miles of watershed are drained by the Missouri River, which spans an area from the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains. Approximately 10 million people live in the areas comprising the river's basin. The largest city in the Missouri River's watershed is Denver, Colo., with more than 600,000 inhabitants.
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What is the name of the daughter of cartoon character Fred Flintstone? | Longest Rivers in USA
Longest Rivers in USA
Map of Americas
Longest Rivers in USA
USA Map locating some of the longest rivers of USA. Missouri, Mississippi, Yukon, Rio Grande, St. Lawrence, Arkansas, Colorado, Atchafalaya, Ohio, Red, Brazos, Columbia and Snake are the longest rivers in USA.
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Longest Rivers in the US
America is a land of geographical diversities. The water discharge of Rocky mountains and the Great Lakes flows through the Great Plains of America. The Missouri River, the longest river in North America, rises from the Rocky Mountains of western Montana. The river flows southeast for 2,540 miles before joining the Mississippi River north of St. Louis in Missouri state.
Lauded in many literary works, the river Mississippi is the chief river of the largest drainage system in the North American continent. Its headwaters lie in northern Minnesota and the river flows southwards for 2,340 miles to reach the Gulf of Mexico. Native Americans have lived along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and its tributaries for centuries.
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The lower half of this river lies in Alaska. The Rio Grande in Texas is one of the major rivers in the southwestern US. The Saint Lawrence River is the primary drainage outflow of the Great Lakes Basin.
The Arkansas River, Colorado River, Ohio River, Red River, and Columbia River are among the longest rivers in the US.
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What is the highest prime number between 1 and 100? | What are the 25 prime numbers between 1 and 100? | Reference.com
What are the 25 prime numbers between 1 and 100?
A:
Quick Answer
The first 25 prime numbers are two, three, five, seven, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89 and 97. A prime number is a positive value only divisible by itself and the number one. For instance, the number 11 has two factors: one and 11.
Full Answer
Greek mathematicians studied prime numbers as far back as 300 BCE when Euclid published a series of theorems in his treatise "Elements." Euclid's work demonstrated that all non-prime numbers, or composites, are made up of a unique combination of prime numbers. In other words, a series of prime numbers can be multiplied to produce each composite number. For example, 2 x 3 = 6, and 2 x 2 x 3 = 12.
Mathematician Eratosthenes designed a rudimentary algorithm in 200 BCE that used a grid system to quickly sort out divisible numbers. The series of prime numbers is considered infinite, and as of May 2013, the largest one discovered contained 17,425,170 digits.
In modern society, prime numbers are used for security encryption, especially in banking and Internet commerce. Large composite numbers are difficult to break down to individual factors, creating a time-consuming roadblock for codebreakers.
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Which English beer is known as ‘Newkie Brown’? | What are the 25 prime numbers between 1 and 100? | Reference.com
What are the 25 prime numbers between 1 and 100?
A:
Quick Answer
The first 25 prime numbers are two, three, five, seven, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89 and 97. A prime number is a positive value only divisible by itself and the number one. For instance, the number 11 has two factors: one and 11.
Full Answer
Greek mathematicians studied prime numbers as far back as 300 BCE when Euclid published a series of theorems in his treatise "Elements." Euclid's work demonstrated that all non-prime numbers, or composites, are made up of a unique combination of prime numbers. In other words, a series of prime numbers can be multiplied to produce each composite number. For example, 2 x 3 = 6, and 2 x 2 x 3 = 12.
Mathematician Eratosthenes designed a rudimentary algorithm in 200 BCE that used a grid system to quickly sort out divisible numbers. The series of prime numbers is considered infinite, and as of May 2013, the largest one discovered contained 17,425,170 digits.
In modern society, prime numbers are used for security encryption, especially in banking and Internet commerce. Large composite numbers are difficult to break down to individual factors, creating a time-consuming roadblock for codebreakers.
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How many grams in half a kilo? | Cocaine Weights
COCAINE WEIGHTS
3.5 grams = 1/8 of an ounce "Eight Ball"
7 grams = Quarter ounce (two eight balls)
14 grams = Half ounce
21 grams = Third of an ounce
28.3 grams = Ounce "an O"
62 grams = 2.18 ounces "Sixty Two"
125 grams = 4.40 ounces "Big Eight" (Eighth of a kilo)
250 grams = 8.81 ounces "Quarter Kilogram"
500 grams = 17.63 ounces "Half Kilo"
750 grams = 26.45 ounces "Three quarters of a kilo"
1000 grams = 35.27 ounces "One Kilo"
* * * A kilogram of cocaine is often referred to as being 2.2 pounds of cocaine. This is somewhat misleading. Although a kilo does weigh out to be about 2.2 pounds. This doesn't mean that it weighs two pounds and two ounces. A kilo actually weighs 2 pounds and about 3.27 ounces (35.27 ounces).
The standard package weight of cocaine is one kilogram and then is later broken into smaller weights for sale and consumption. Sometimes large seizures of cocaine take place, where a ton or several tons of cocaine are seized. This is especially common when a seizure takes place at sea by the military such as the Coast Guard. Cocaine will usually be packed into large sacks where many individual kilograms are inside. A metric ton of cocaine weighs 1,000 kilograms, a short ton contains 907 kilos and a long ton has 1016 kgs.
A "Short Ton" is the equivalent of 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms).
Weights when selling Cocaine
Almost the entire world uses the International System of Units, commonly known as the"Metric System". However, the USA (United States of America) does not use this system. Instead of Kilograms, people in the U.S.A. use pounds. Instead of grams, they use ounces. This leads to an interesting mixture of the metric system in terms of drug dealing.
Most lower level drug dealers and users do not know that a kilogram has 1,000 grams in it. In fact, many law enforcement officials don't know this either but most everybody has at least some familiarity with the term "Kilo".
Typically, a lower level drug dealer in the United States will deal in ounce level quantities of cocaine. At this lower level, the amount purchased and sold will deal with the term "ounce". However, once a dealer starts dealing in more than about 8 ounces, the dealer will now converse in metric system language. Not all, but most will start purchasing quantities that are referred to their metric system weights. This level would equate to be about 250 grams (8.81 ounces). From this level on up, the terms quarter kilo, half kilo, whole kilo, etc; are commonly spoken.
Since a kilogram of cocaine is an exact 1,000 grams it actually makes more sense for a drug dealer to use the metric system. The math in order to determine profit margins are more easily understood when using the metric system. For example, if a person purchases one kilogram (1,000 grams) for $26,000 then the price per gram is $26. If this person turns around sells a quantity of cocaine at $40 per gram then the dealer is making $14 in profit per gram. If the dealer continues to sell in terms of price per gram, then after the entire kilogram is sold then this person would have a profit of $14,000. This is easy math when you really think about it. Multiply $14 (profit per gram) x 1,000 grams and this equals $14,000 total profit.
Now lets say that the person that purchased the cocaine for $40 per gram and got a total of only 30 grams. This person then resold at a price of $50 per gram. This person would be making a profit of $10 per gram on his/her sales. This person would net a net profit of 10 (profit in each gram) multiplied by 30 grams and thus would make a total profit of $300 after his 30 grams were all sold.
If you do this type of math in the non-metric system such as ounces then your ability to determine profit is going to be harder because you are actually going to have to convert ounces to grams or vice versa. If everything were done in the metric system then things would be much simpler.
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What colour is the skin of a courgette? | Cocaine Weights
COCAINE WEIGHTS
3.5 grams = 1/8 of an ounce "Eight Ball"
7 grams = Quarter ounce (two eight balls)
14 grams = Half ounce
21 grams = Third of an ounce
28.3 grams = Ounce "an O"
62 grams = 2.18 ounces "Sixty Two"
125 grams = 4.40 ounces "Big Eight" (Eighth of a kilo)
250 grams = 8.81 ounces "Quarter Kilogram"
500 grams = 17.63 ounces "Half Kilo"
750 grams = 26.45 ounces "Three quarters of a kilo"
1000 grams = 35.27 ounces "One Kilo"
* * * A kilogram of cocaine is often referred to as being 2.2 pounds of cocaine. This is somewhat misleading. Although a kilo does weigh out to be about 2.2 pounds. This doesn't mean that it weighs two pounds and two ounces. A kilo actually weighs 2 pounds and about 3.27 ounces (35.27 ounces).
The standard package weight of cocaine is one kilogram and then is later broken into smaller weights for sale and consumption. Sometimes large seizures of cocaine take place, where a ton or several tons of cocaine are seized. This is especially common when a seizure takes place at sea by the military such as the Coast Guard. Cocaine will usually be packed into large sacks where many individual kilograms are inside. A metric ton of cocaine weighs 1,000 kilograms, a short ton contains 907 kilos and a long ton has 1016 kgs.
A "Short Ton" is the equivalent of 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms).
Weights when selling Cocaine
Almost the entire world uses the International System of Units, commonly known as the"Metric System". However, the USA (United States of America) does not use this system. Instead of Kilograms, people in the U.S.A. use pounds. Instead of grams, they use ounces. This leads to an interesting mixture of the metric system in terms of drug dealing.
Most lower level drug dealers and users do not know that a kilogram has 1,000 grams in it. In fact, many law enforcement officials don't know this either but most everybody has at least some familiarity with the term "Kilo".
Typically, a lower level drug dealer in the United States will deal in ounce level quantities of cocaine. At this lower level, the amount purchased and sold will deal with the term "ounce". However, once a dealer starts dealing in more than about 8 ounces, the dealer will now converse in metric system language. Not all, but most will start purchasing quantities that are referred to their metric system weights. This level would equate to be about 250 grams (8.81 ounces). From this level on up, the terms quarter kilo, half kilo, whole kilo, etc; are commonly spoken.
Since a kilogram of cocaine is an exact 1,000 grams it actually makes more sense for a drug dealer to use the metric system. The math in order to determine profit margins are more easily understood when using the metric system. For example, if a person purchases one kilogram (1,000 grams) for $26,000 then the price per gram is $26. If this person turns around sells a quantity of cocaine at $40 per gram then the dealer is making $14 in profit per gram. If the dealer continues to sell in terms of price per gram, then after the entire kilogram is sold then this person would have a profit of $14,000. This is easy math when you really think about it. Multiply $14 (profit per gram) x 1,000 grams and this equals $14,000 total profit.
Now lets say that the person that purchased the cocaine for $40 per gram and got a total of only 30 grams. This person then resold at a price of $50 per gram. This person would be making a profit of $10 per gram on his/her sales. This person would net a net profit of 10 (profit in each gram) multiplied by 30 grams and thus would make a total profit of $300 after his 30 grams were all sold.
If you do this type of math in the non-metric system such as ounces then your ability to determine profit is going to be harder because you are actually going to have to convert ounces to grams or vice versa. If everything were done in the metric system then things would be much simpler.
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What was the first name of the sister of British monarch Queen Elizabeth II? | Queen Elizabeth II: The platinum monarch? - CNN.com
Queen Elizabeth II: The platinum monarch?
By Victoria Arbiter
Updated 3:54 PM ET, Wed September 9, 2015
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth is the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Look back at moments from her life so far.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth was born April 21, 1926, in London. She is held here by her mother, Elizabeth. Her father would later become King George VI.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Princess Elizabeth in 1928.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Princess Elizabeth is seen with her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales, during a visit to Balmoral, Scotland, in September 1933. He would go on to become King Edward VIII in 1936. But when he abdicated later that year, Elizabeth's father became King and she became heir presumptive.
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Princess Elizabeth is seen in the Duchess' box during a pantomime act at London's Lyceum Theater in February 1935.
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From left, Princess Elizabeth, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret wave to the crowd from the Royal Balcony of Buckingham Palace on June 22, 1939.
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A 14-year-old Princess Elizabeth, right, sits next to her sister for a radio broadcast on October 13, 1940. On the broadcast, her first, she said that England's children were full of cheerfulness and courage.
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Princess Elizabeth shakes hands with an officer of the Grenadier Guards on May 29, 1942. King George VI made Elizabeth an honorary colonel in the Royal Army regiment.
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Princess Elizabeth, right, and Princess Margaret wear summer dresses circa 1942.
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With the Drakensberg Mountains behind her, Princess Elizabeth sits in South Africa's Natal National Park on April 21, 1947, her 21st birthday.
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This portrait of the British royal family was taken in July 1947, after Princess Elizabeth, far left, got engaged to Prince Philip of Greece, a lieutenant in the British Navy. He is second from left. To his left are Queen Elizabeth, King George VI and Princess Margaret.
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The Royal Wedding Party waves from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on November 20, 1947. After becoming a British citizen and renouncing his Greek title, Philip became His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His wife became the Duchess of Edinburgh.
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Princess Elizabeth smiles in March 1950 as she arrives to a state banquet at the French Embassy in London's Kensington Palace Gardens.
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Elizabeth ascended to the throne in February 1952, when her father died of lung cancer. Here, the new Queen leaves the Royal Archers Hall in Edinburgh after a ball in June 1952. It was the first function she attended as Queen following her father's death.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II walks to the altar during her coronation ceremony on June 2, 1953.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony of Melbourne's Government House, during her tour of Australia in March 1954.
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From left, Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother visit Epsom Downs Racecourse in June 1958.
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The Queen holds her son Prince Andrew while his sister, Princess Anne, watches during a family holiday at Scotland's Balmoral Castle in September 1960.
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Queen Elizabeth II is seen during the State Opening of Parliament in April 1966.
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Queen Elizabeth II with her oldest son, Prince Charles, in 1969.
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Prince Charles adjusts his coronet during his investiture ceremony as Prince of Wales in 1969.
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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip wave from a plane ramp shortly before taking off from Tokyo in May 1975.
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Queen Elizabeth II takes a portrait at Windsor Castle for her 50th birthday on April 21, 1976.
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The Queen meets the crowds during her royal tour of New Zealand in 1977.
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The Queen stands next to Prince Charles as he kisses his new bride, Princess Diana, on their wedding day July 29, 1981.
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Queen Elizabeth II takes pictures of her husband during a horse show in Windsor, England, on May 16, 1982.
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The Queen reacts to an elephant as she tours a charity event in London's Hyde Park in June 1987.
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Queen Elizabeth II fires a rifle during a visit to the Army Rifle Association at Bisley, England, in July 1993.
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While at Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip view the floral tributes to Princess Diana after her tragic death in 1997.
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The Queen addresses the nation on the night before Princess Diana's funeral in 1997.
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Prince Charles looks back at his mother after wedding Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in April 2005.
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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip leave London's St. Paul's Cathedral on October 9, 2009, following a commemoration service to mark the end of combat operations in Iraq.
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The Queen, second from right, greets a crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011. Her grandson Prince William, third from left, had just married Catherine Middleton.
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Queen Elizabeth II drives her Range Rover as she attends the Windsor Horse Show in May 2011.
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The Queen's signature is seen in the visitors book at Aras An Uachtarain, the Irish President's official residence in Dublin, Ireland, in May 2011.
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Flags are waved as Queen Elizabeth II leaves St. Paul's Cathedral following its 300th anniversary service in June 2011.
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Madame Tussauds London reveals a wax figure of the Queen in May 2012.
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Prince Charles kisses his mother's hand on stage as singer Paul McCartney, far right, looks on at the Diamond Jubilee concert held June 4, 2012, at Buckingham Palace. The Diamond Jubilee celebrations marked Elizabeth's 60th anniversary as Queen.
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The Queen speaks at a reception for members of the International Olympic Committee on July 23, 2012.
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The Queen tours the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London in December 2012.
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A boy in Belfast, Northern Ireland, takes a selfie in front of the Queen in June 2014.
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The Queen enters the Great Hall at Edinburgh Castle after attending a commemorative service for the Scottish National War Memorial in July 2014.
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The Queen waits to give her speech during the State Opening of Parliament on May 27, 2015.
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The Queen sits at a desk in Buckingham Palace in July 2015.
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The British monarch greets the public after attending church services in February.
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Prince George gets a boost from some foam blocks for a special family photo. The portrait, featuring the four generations of the House of Windsor, was commissioned by the Royal Mail and will be featured on a series of stamps to commemorate the Queen's 90th birthday.
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Queen Elizabeth II acknowledges the crowd as she celebrates her 90th birthday in Windsor, England, on April 21.
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On June 10, Buckingham Palace released a new official photograph to mark the Queen's 90th birthday. It shows her with Prince Philip and was taken at Windsor Castle just after Easter.
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Gotham City is associated with which fictional superhero? | Queen Elizabeth II: Monarch marks birthday in neon style - CNN.com
1 of 48
Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth was born April 21, 1926, in London. She is held here by her mother, Elizabeth. Her father would later become King George VI.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Princess Elizabeth in 1928.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Princess Elizabeth is seen with her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales, during a visit to Balmoral, Scotland, in September 1933. He would go on to become King Edward VIII in 1936. But when he abdicated later that year, Elizabeth's father became King and she became heir presumptive.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Princess Elizabeth is seen in the Duchess' box during a pantomime act at London's Lyceum Theater in February 1935.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
From left, Princess Elizabeth, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret wave to the crowd from the Royal Balcony of Buckingham Palace on June 22, 1939.
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A 14-year-old Princess Elizabeth, right, sits next to her sister for a radio broadcast on October 13, 1940. On the broadcast, her first, she said that England's children were full of cheerfulness and courage.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Princess Elizabeth shakes hands with an officer of the Grenadier Guards on May 29, 1942. King George VI made Elizabeth an honorary colonel in the Royal Army regiment.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Princess Elizabeth, right, and Princess Margaret wear summer dresses circa 1942.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
With the Drakensberg Mountains behind her, Princess Elizabeth sits in South Africa's Natal National Park on April 21, 1947, her 21st birthday.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
This portrait of the British royal family was taken in July 1947, after Princess Elizabeth, far left, got engaged to Prince Philip of Greece, a lieutenant in the British Navy. He is second from left. To his left are Queen Elizabeth, King George VI and Princess Margaret.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
The Royal Wedding Party waves from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on November 20, 1947. After becoming a British citizen and renouncing his Greek title, Philip became His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His wife became the Duchess of Edinburgh.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Princess Elizabeth smiles in March 1950 as she arrives to a state banquet at the French Embassy in London's Kensington Palace Gardens.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth ascended to the throne in February 1952, when her father died of lung cancer. Here, the new Queen leaves the Royal Archers Hall in Edinburgh after a ball in June 1952. It was the first function she attended as Queen following her father's death.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II walks to the altar during her coronation ceremony on June 2, 1953.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony of Melbourne's Government House, during her tour of Australia in March 1954.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
From left, Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother visit Epsom Downs Racecourse in June 1958.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen holds her son Prince Andrew while his sister, Princess Anne, watches during a family holiday at Scotland's Balmoral Castle in September 1960.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II is seen during the State Opening of Parliament in April 1966.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II with her oldest son, Prince Charles, in 1969.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Prince Charles adjusts his coronet during his investiture ceremony as Prince of Wales in 1969.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip wave from a plane ramp shortly before taking off from Tokyo in May 1975.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II takes a portrait at Windsor Castle for her 50th birthday on April 21, 1976.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen meets the crowds during her royal tour of New Zealand in 1977.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen stands next to Prince Charles as he kisses his new bride, Princess Diana, on their wedding day July 29, 1981.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II takes pictures of her husband during a horse show in Windsor, England, on May 16, 1982.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen reacts to an elephant as she tours a charity event in London's Hyde Park in June 1987.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II fires a rifle during a visit to the Army Rifle Association at Bisley, England, in July 1993.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
While at Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip view the floral tributes to Princess Diana after her tragic death in 1997.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen addresses the nation on the night before Princess Diana's funeral in 1997.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Prince Charles looks back at his mother after wedding Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in April 2005.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip leave London's St. Paul's Cathedral on October 9, 2009, following a commemoration service to mark the end of combat operations in Iraq.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen, second from right, greets a crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011. Her grandson Prince William, third from left, had just married Catherine Middleton.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II drives her Range Rover as she attends the Windsor Horse Show in May 2011.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen's signature is seen in the visitors book at Aras An Uachtarain, the Irish President's official residence in Dublin, Ireland, in May 2011.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Flags are waved as Queen Elizabeth II leaves St. Paul's Cathedral following its 300th anniversary service in June 2011.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Madame Tussauds London reveals a wax figure of the Queen in May 2012.
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37 of 48
Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Prince Charles kisses his mother's hand on stage as singer Paul McCartney, far right, looks on at the Diamond Jubilee concert held June 4, 2012, at Buckingham Palace. The Diamond Jubilee celebrations marked Elizabeth's 60th anniversary as Queen.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen speaks at a reception for members of the International Olympic Committee on July 23, 2012.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen tours the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London in December 2012.
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A boy in Belfast, Northern Ireland, takes a selfie in front of the Queen in June 2014.
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The Queen enters the Great Hall at Edinburgh Castle after attending a commemorative service for the Scottish National War Memorial in July 2014.
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The Queen waits to give her speech during the State Opening of Parliament on May 27, 2015.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen sits at a desk in Buckingham Palace in July 2015.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
The British monarch greets the public after attending church services in February.
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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Prince George gets a boost from some foam blocks for a special family photo. The portrait, featuring the four generations of the House of Windsor, was commissioned by the Royal Mail and will be featured on a series of stamps to commemorate the Queen's 90th birthday.
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Queen Elizabeth II acknowledges the crowd as she celebrates her 90th birthday in Windsor, England, on April 21.
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A sitatunga is what type of animal? | sitatunga | mammal | Britannica.com
Sitatunga
bovid
Sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekei), the most aquatic antelope , with elongated, splayed hooves and flexible foot joints that enable it to traverse boggy ground. Though common, even abundant, in African swamps and permanent marshes, the sitatunga is also one of the most secretive and least known of Africa’s large fauna . It is a member of the spiral-horned antelope tribe, Tragelaphini (family Bovidae ), which also includes the nyala and kudu .
Sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekei)
Tom McHugh/Photo Researchers
Female sitatungas stand 75–90 cm (30–35 inches) tall and weigh 40–85 kg (90–185 pounds); males stand 88–125 cm (35–49 inches) tall and weigh 70–125 kg (150–275 pounds). Both sexes have a woolly, bright rufous coat that is marked with 8–10 white stripes, spots on flanks and cheeks, and patches on neck and legs; they also have a white-to-brown spinal crest. Sitatungas develop shaggy, water-repellent pelage , which is brown to chestnut in females and gray-brown to chocolate-brown in males, that partially obscures the markings; coloration varies individually and regionally, with southern populations being the least colourful. Only males have horns, which are 45–90 cm (18–35 inches) long with one to one and a half turns. The sitatunga’s range is centred on rivers and swamps in the rainforest of the Congo basin . Isolated populations occur in wetlands that afford cover in the form of papyrus, reeds, bulrushes, or sedges on the borders of major rivers and lakes in sub-Saharan Africa.
Sitatungas frequent the deepest, densest parts of the swamp , where they make themselves even more inconspicuous by moving very slowly and deliberately, standing and often ruminating in water up to their shoulders and even submerging with only the nose above water in order to avoid detection. Platforms of trampled vegetation serve as individual resting places where sitatungas can lie out of water in daytime. As wetlands are among the most productive habitats, they can support as many as 55 sitatungas per square km (142 sitatungas per square mile). Sitatungas are nonterritorial with overlapping home ranges, yet they are largely solitary, particularly males; two or three females with calves, often accompanied by a male, are the largest herds likely to be seen.
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Sitatungas not only feed on swamp vegetation but also often come ashore at night to graze on green pasture and enter nearby woodlands to browse foliage and herbage. Regularly used passageways between feeding and resting areas make sitagungas unusually vulnerable to poachers’ snares and nets. Their specialized feet and a powerful bounding gait enable them to outrun mammalian predators (wild dogs , lions , and spotted hyenas ) on soft ground and in the water, but they are clumsy runners on dry land.
Sitatungas have no fixed breeding season, but most calves are born in the dry season, after a seven-and-a-half month gestation . Calves remain hidden on platforms in the swamp for a month and even afterward are only seen in company with other sitatungas.
| Antelope |
What does the Latin phrase ‘Cotidiana vilescunt’ translate to in English? | Sitatunga
Sitatunga
Tragelaphus spekii [P.L. Sclater, 1863].
Citation: In Speke, Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile, p. 223.
Type locality: Tanzania, Karagwe, W of Lake Victoria, restricted to Bukoba district, Lake Lwelo, 2oS, 30o57'E
The taxonomic record (above) is taken from Wilson and Reeder (1993). The sitatunga was formerly placed in the genus Limnotragus, but is now included in the subgenus Tragelaphus (Nowak, 1991). T. spekii is sometimes spelt spekei. Invalid synonyms include albonotatus, gratus, inornatus, larkenii, selousi, sylvestris, ugallae, and wilhelmi (Wilson and Reeder, 1993).
Click on the pictures above for a larger view of the photographs
General Characteristics
Body Length: 115-170 cm / 3.5-5 ft.
Shoulder Height: 75-125 cm / 2.2-4.1 ft.
Tail Length: 30-35 cm / 12-14 in.
Weight: 40-120 kg / 90-260 lb.
The shaggy, water resistant coat varies in colour among populations, but is generally a rufous red in females and immature males. As the males mature, they gradually become to a grayish chocolate brown, growing a scraggly mane and a white dorsal stripe. There are white markings on the face, and stripes and spots on the body in both sexes, although they may be obscured by the shaggy pelage. The hooves are long and extremely narrow (up to 10 cm / 4 inches in length) with extended false hoofs, an adaptation to the marshy environment. The horns, found only on males, have 1-1.5 twists and grow 45-90 cm / 18-36 inches long.
Ontogeny and Reproduction
Sexual Maturity: Females at 1-2 years, males at 2-2.5 years.
Life span: Up to 19 years.
Breeding occurs throughout the year, and the young lie in concealment on raised reed beds.
Ecology and Behavior
Spending most of its time among boggy papyrus beds in swamps, the sitatunga's elongated hoofs and flexible toe joints are excellent adaptions, preventing them from sinking into the soft ground. Sitatunga are excellent swimmers, and, when threatened, flee into deep water. They have been known to submerge themselves completely underwater, with only their nostrils above the waterline. Pathways are sometimes forged through the reeds, which are often used by hunters to set snares. While sitatunga are both nocturnal and diurnal, they are most active at dawn and dusk, and may move onto marshy land at night. Males have a loud, barking vocalization.
Family group: Singly or in small, all-female groups.
Diet: Leaves, buds, shoots, fruit, reeds, and grasses.
Main Predators: Leopards, lions, pythons
Distribution
Swamp forests and marshes in Central and Western Africa.
Countries: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire?, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana? [RE?], Guinea [RE], Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger [RE], Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Togo [RE?], Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe? (IUCN, 2002).
Range Map
(Redrawn from IAE, 1998)
Conservation Status
The sitatunga is listed as a low risk, near-threatened species sby the IUCN (2002). Only the population in Ghana is listed by CITES, and is on Appendix III (CITES, 2003).
Remarks
The name sitatunga is from an archaic Bantu language of Rhodesia. Tragos (Greek) a he-goat ;.elaphos (Greek) a deer; in combination referring to an antelope. Captain J. H. Speke (1827-1864) was an explorer of Central Africa.
Local names (from Kingdon, 1997)
Nzohe [Swahili]
Sitatunga, Sumpfantilope, Wasserkudu (Walther, 1990)
Literature Cited
IEA (Institute of Applied Ecology) 1998. Tragelaphus spekii. In African Mammals Databank - A Databank for the Conservation and Management of the African Mammals Vol 1 and 2. Bruxelles: European Commission Directorate. Available online at http://gorilla.bio.uniroma1.it/amd/amd026b.html
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources). 2002. 2002 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available online at http://www.redlist.org/
Nowak, R. M. [editor]. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World (Fifth Edition). Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Walther, F. R. 1990. Spiral-horned antelopes. In Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals. Edited by S. P. Parker. New York: McGraw-Hill. Volume 5, pp. 344-359.
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder [editors]. 1993. Mammal Species of the World (Second Edition). Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press. Available online at http://nmnhwww.si.edu/msw/
Additional Resources
Alden, P. C., R. D. Estes, D. Schlitter, and B. McBride. 1995. National Audubon Society Field Guide to African Wildlife. New York: Chanticleer Press.
Beudels-Jamar, R. C., P. Devillers, and J. Harwood. 1997. Estimating the size of the population of sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekei) in the "Parc National de l'Akagera", Rwanda. Journal of African Zoology 111(5): 345-354.
Densmore, M. A. 1980. Reproduction of sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekei). International Zoo Yearbook 20: 227-229.
Dubost, G. 1979. The size of African forest artiodactyls as determined by the vegetation structure. African Journal of Ecology 17(1): 1-17.
Games, I. 1983. Observations on the sitatunga Tragelaphus spekei selousi in the Okavango Delta of Botswana, South Africa. Biological Conservation 27(2): 157-170.
Happold, D. C. D. 1973. Large Mammals of West Africa. London: Longman Group, Ltd.
Happold, D. C. D. 1987. The Mammals of Nigeria. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Katsy, G. D., M. Y. Treus, and V. N. Zubko. 1987. Dermal structure in antelopes in Ascania-Nove Reseve, USSR. Zoologicheskii Zhurnal 66(8): 1239-1245.
Kingdon, J. 1997. The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals. Academic Press, London and New York: NaturalWorld.
Magliocca, F., S. Querouil, and A. Gautier-Hion. 2002. Grouping patterns, reproduction, and dispersal in a population of sitatungas (Tragelaphus spekei gratus). Canadian Journal of Zoology 80(2): 245-250.
Owen, R. E. A. 1970. Some observations on the sitatunga in Kenya. East African Wildlife Journal 8: 181-195.
Starin, E. D. 2000. Notes on sitatunga in The Gambia. African Journal of Ecology 38(4): 339-342.
Volf, J. 1992. Sitatunga and its breeding at Prague Zoo. Ziva 40(4): 187-189.
Williamson, D. T. 1986. Notes on sitatunga in the Linyanti Swamp, Botswana. African Journal of Ecology 24: 293-297.
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In which year did singer Elvis Presley marry Priscilla Beaulieu? | Elvis and women: He couldn't help falling in love
Elvis and women: He couldn't help falling in love
The King loved to surround himself with beautiful women. We recall his notable flames.
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Elvis and women: He couldn't help falling in love
Elysa Gardner, USA TODAY 9:00 a.m. ET Aug. 12, 2013
The King loved to surround himself with beautiful women. We recall his notable flames.
Singer Elvis Presley and his bride, the former Priscilla Beaulieu, gaze into each other's eyes after their wedding on May 1, 1967.
(Photo: AP)
Presley met Priscilla Beaulieu, the only girl he'd marry, when she was just 14
Co-star Ann-Margret was the one who gave Priscilla something to worry about
Barbara Gray, his date for the day, came forward after seeing her photo in USA TODAY
Like many young men, Elvis Presley longed to surround himself with gorgeous, glamorous women who adored him. Unlike most, he had the opportunity to do exactly that. The singer was linked to a number of high-profile beauties during his short life, and those who have remembered him publicly have generally done so with affection. USA TODAY recalls some of his more notable flames.
Priscilla Beaulieu
Elvis married just once, to a young woman he had courted for nearly eight years. As is well known, he met 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu during his stint in the Army, while serving in Germany. Instantly smitten, he began dating the stunning teen; the couple kept in touch after he returned home, with Beaulieu occasionally visiting her beau in the USA. In 1963, she moved there for good — under strict conditions put forward by her parents, who expected that Elvis would ultimately marry her.
After sowing a few remaining wild oats — see the entry on Ann-Margret — Elvis did tie the knot with Priscilla, in 1967. They welcomed their only child, Lisa Marie, the following year. But the union soon faltered. In her 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me, Priscilla suggested that her husband's sexual interest in her waned once she became a mother, and confessed that she eventually sought consolation in an affair with a karate instructor, Mike Stone.
The fairy tale ended in 1972, when the Presleys separated; their divorce was final a year later, and the two shared custody of Lisa Marie. Priscilla made the decision to open Graceland to tourists in 1982, and remained in the public eye, launching careers as an actress and a businesswoman. Having never remarried, Presley, 68, keeps her ex-husband's name, and oversees his legacy, with discernible pride.
(Photo: AP)
Ann-Margret
It's no secret that the chemistry between Elvis and his leading lady in 1964's Viva Las Vegas didn't dissolve when the cameras stopped rolling. In Elvis and Me, Priscilla Presley describes Ann-Margret as the woman she feared most in the period leading up to her marriage. Elvis had assured her that there was nothing inappropriate going on; when Priscilla found out otherwise, she "picked up a flower vase and threw it across the room."
Though he chose Priscilla in the end, Elvis' sexy Swedish co-star, now 72, clearly made an enduring impression, and vice versa. In her autobiography, Ann-Margret: My Story (1994), the screen siren recalled how Presley sent her guitar-shaped floral arrangements each time she played in Las Vegas, even after she got married — a week to the day after Elvis wed Priscilla. And when Presley died, Ann-Margret traveled to Memphis, with her husband, to be at his funeral.
Natalie Wood
It has been speculated that Elvis' early, brief relationship with Natalie Wood, one of several young starlets he was linked to in the mid-'50s, was a publicity stunt. But in her book Natalie: A Memoir By Her Sister, published in 1984 — three years after the actress died unexpectedly in her early 40s, just as Elvis had — Lana Wood suggested that there was genuine interest, at least on Elvis' part.
The younger Wood described "Natalie's abortive romance" with Presley as having been doomed from the time he flew her to Memphis to meet his family. Natalie called her two days into the trip, Lana wrote, describing Gladys Presley, Elvis' mother, as jealous and domineering. Upon returning, Natalie told her sister, "He can sing, but he can't do much else." Clearly, the Hollywood princess and the Southern boy were not meant to be.
(Photo: AP)
Anita Wood
Not a great deal is known about the pretty blonde who was — with the possible exception of teen beauty queen June Juanico, whom Elvis dated in the mid-'50s — his first serious girlfriend in the public eye. He met Anita Wood, a fledgling performer herself, in 1957, and remained her beau for several years. In an interview with the fan site Elvis Australia last year, Wood, now in her mid-70s, confirmed that she gave up a contract with Paramount Pictures because Presley had asked her to come back to Memphis. She grew close to his family, particularly his mother.
Elvis wrote to Wood frequently while in Germany, by her account, and called, asking her to wait for him. After he returned, though, she overheard Presley telling his father that he was torn between her and Priscilla, and decided to end their relationship. Years later, Wood recalls, after they had both gotten married — Wood to NFL player Johnny Brewer — Elvis asked to meet with her in Las Vegas after a show and "told me how much he had missed me."
Cybill Shepherd
Another beautiful woman, another book detailing her romance with the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Actually, Cybill Shepherd's may take the prize for the most colorful recollections. In her 2000 memoir Cybill Disobedience, the former Miss Teenage Memphis, model and actress revealed that she introduced Elvis to certain, um, sexual techniques when they dated in the early '70s.
Shepherd, now 63, ultimately decided that she couldn't handle his drug use. Still, while plugging Disobedience on Larry King Live, she remembered Elvis as "funny," "kind-hearted" and "brilliant," adding that she visited Graceland years after his death, and "found out that he was a very spiritual man in ways I couldn't appreciate 25 years before."
Linda Thompson
Born and bred in Memphis, where she won or placed highly in a series of beauty pageants in the early 1970s, Linda Thompson was Elvis' first notable relationship after his separation from Priscilla. Tall, blond and curvaceous, Thompson was 22 and — she told Larry King in a 2002 interview — still a virgin when she met Presley, with whom she lived for four years before amicably taking her leave in 1976. Recalling the King to King, Thompson stressed his faith and generosity: "In some ways, it was like living with a saint and being with Prince Charming and Santa Claus every day."
A hard act to follow, it would seem, but Thompson, 63, did, marrying and divorcing Bruce Jenner and songwriter/producer-to-the-stars David Foster. With Foster, the sometime actress forged a career as lyricist, co-writing tunes for latter-day hitmakers such as Whitney Houston (I Have Nothing), Celine Dion and Josh Groban.
Ginger Alden
The last woman linked romantically with Elvis — and the last to see him alive — was another Memphis girl, who bore a striking resemblance to Priscilla Presley. In a 2002 interview with the British magazine Essential Elvis, Ginger Alden, now 56, claimed to have first met Elvis as a 5-year-old, when her dad — a military man, like the ex-Mrs. Presley's father had been — worked as an Army public relations officer.
Their next meeting took place in 1976, when one of Alden's sisters, then Miss Tennessee, was invited to meet Presley. This time, the beauty queen's kid sibling got his attention and the following January, he proposed to Alden at Graceland. Elvis' 20-year-old fiancée was with him when he died in the wee hours of Aug. 16, 1977. She has since found work as an actress and model, but her most famous role will always be that of the young woman who discovered the lifeless body of rock's first superstar.
Barbara Gray
If Barbara Gray's name doesn't ring a bell, it's because it remained a mystery for more than 50 years, until 2011, when Gray revealed that she was the blond bombshell in a June 1956 photo widely known as "The Kiss." In the famed black-and-white shot, snapped by photojournalist Alfred Wertheimer, Elvis and his date for the day — then a "sometime dancer, a shoe-store clerk and an unabashed party girl," according to the Vanity Fair article in which she outed herself — stand facing each other, his arms around her waist, touching noses and tickling the tips of each other's tongues.
Gray finally came forward after spotting a blown-up version of "The Kiss" in USA TODAY, accompanying a story about an exhibition of Wertheimer's Presley pictures. As she told Vanity Fair, she was simply tired of being "the unknown woman in the wings."
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Panama disease affects which food crop? | Happy Anniversary, Elvis and Priscilla! Everything You Need to Know About Their Ultimate Las Vegas Wedding - Vogue
Vogue
Happy Anniversary, Elvis and Priscilla! Everything You Need to Know About Their Ultimate Las Vegas Wedding
May 1, 2016 7:00 am
Elvis and Priscilla Presley on their wedding day, May 1, 1967.
Photo: Courtesy of Graceland Auctions
On May 1, 1967, the real Elvis Presley, King of Rock ’n’ Roll, married his girlfriend of many years, Priscilla Beaulieu, far from Graceland, at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. There were no impersonators in sight, but there were members of the press, who were invited by the star’s manager to a press conference between the intimate ceremony and champagne breakfast for 100 that followed. Though relatively discreet for a celebrity wedding, this was one for the books. Forty-nine years after Elvis and Priscilla said “I do” (but not “I obey”), we revisit, in detail, the couple’s big day.
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Photo: James Whitmore / Getty Images
Meeting and Courtship
Priscilla Beaulieu was 14 in 1959 and living in West Germany when a friend of Elvis’s saw her in a restaurant and invited her to meet the heartthrob, then enlisted in the Army and living off base with his father in Wiesbaden. “I just wore a little sailor dress because I still didn’t believe it,” Priscilla later told UPI. A relationship blossomed that was resumed when she returned to the States (despite the singer-actor’s ongoing involvements with other women). By 1962, Priscilla was installed at Graceland with Elvis and his family and completed her senior year at the all-girls Immaculate Conception Cathedral High School in Memphis.
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Photo: Ullstein Bild / Getty Images
The Proposal
Before Christmas in 1966, Elvis, on bended knee in the bedroom, proposed with a three-and-a-half-carat diamond ring, with 20 surrounding, detachable diamonds, from Memphis jeweler Harry Levitch. “It was very relaxed,” Priscilla would later tell Becky Yanky, Elvis’s private secretary and author of My Life With Elvis. “He just told me about the ring one day and asked if I wanted to marry him. ‘More than ever,’ I told him.” Soon after the ceremony, Elvis would joke: “Well, I guess it was about time. With the life I had, I decided it would be best to wait.”
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Photo: Associated Press
Getting to the “Church” On Time—and In Secret
The wedding was arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’s manager, who gathered the players in Palm Springs in advance of the big day. “Just after midnight on May 1, [1967],” recalls Elvis’s school friend George Klein in his memoir, “the wedding party snuck out the back door of Elvis’s Palm Springs home, climbed over the backyard wall, and got into a car to head to the airport. Elvis had been loaned Frank Sinatra’s private jet for the occasion.” A second chartered plane carried the rest of the guests. As a wedding gift, Elvis flew Priscilla’s parents in. Once arrived, the party was taken to the Aladdin Hotel, where they used the rear entrance to avoid detection.
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Photo: Bettmann / Getty Images
The Ceremony
In the wee hours of the morning, Elvis and Priscilla were issued a marriage license at the Las Vegas Courthouse. Just before 10 a.m., Nevada Supreme Court Judge David Zenoff married the couple in a flower and candle-filled suite at the Aladdin in front of about 14 people. Elvis’s best men (to whom he presented diamond-eyed bull’s head cuff links and tie clasps as gifts) were Joe Esposito and Marty Lacker; Priscilla’s maid of honor was her sister, Michelle. Parker, who had arranged for two MGM photographers to document the ceremony, hit one over the head with a cane when he tried to reposition himself. “My wedding was very unusual,” Priscilla said last year. “It was the people closest to us, and private, and that’s how we wanted it. We didn’t want a fan club. We didn’t want a circus.”
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Photo: Courtesy of Graceland Auctions
What Elvis Wore
Lacker, one of the “Memphis Mafia” (Elvis’s entourage), sketched the star’s tuxedo, which was made in secrecy by an MGM tailor named Lambert Marks (who had previously dressed Elvis for movies like Girl Happy and Spinout), out of black paisley silk brocade. The King’s signature pompadour was supported with wire, and he accessorized his tux with a platinum, diamond, and sapphire watch; diamond and sapphire cuff links; and cowboy boots.
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Photo: © Moviestore Collection Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo
What “Cilla” Wore
Despite reports that Priscilla designed her own dress, it was an off-the-rack number of surprising simplicity, though it was acquired under subterfuge. “I went to places like Neiman Marcus in disguise,” Priscilla later said. “I went with a [blonde] wig and everything just to keep it private!” Using the name Mrs. Hodge, Priscilla finally found her dream dress in Westwood. White, with long lace sleeves and pearl embellishments, the woman who wore it would say: “It wasn’t extravagant, it wasn’t extreme—it was simple and to me beautiful.” To another source, she admitted: “I didn’t have time to stay there forever and look at dresses; I had one fitting for this dress and that was it, I was out of there.”
Her three-foot tulle veil was topped by a rhinestone tiara, neither of which could compete with her jet-black hair (dyed to twin with Elvis’s?), which she wore in a huge bouffant, about which one of the best men said, according to Karal Ann Marling, author of Graceland: “She looked like she had about eight people living in her hair.”
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Photo: Michael Ochs Archive / Getty Images
The Reception
Before the reception, Parker had arranged for the lovebirds to give a press conference, after which they joined 100 guests seated at 10 round tables for a champagne breakfast, served buffet style at the hotel. There are many photos of the couple with their
five-foot-tall, six-tier cake, which was made of yellow sponge, filled with apricot marmalade and kirsch-flavored Bavarian cream, and iced with kirsch-flavored fondant icing. It was decorated with royal icing and, according to one account, 1,600 marzipan roses. Because many of their friends were excluded from the celebration on May 1, the couple had a second reception at Graceland soon after.
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Photo: Charles Trainor / The LIFE Images Collection / Getty Images
The Reaction
“Who could say who was the luckier, the “Pelvis” or pretty Pricilla?” one news agency reported (see the video here ). “The millionaire film star-singer, in bride choosing, as in everything else, a terrific success.” Fans of Elvis were elated or distraught; Lacker reported that “gifts and cards poured into Graceland . . . . Most of the fans were happy for them, but some of the less gracious threatened to kill themselves or, at least, become nuns.”
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Photos: Rolls Press / Popperfoto / Getty Images; Courtesy of Graceland Auctions
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