rundles, by bringing the elbow of his lower arm firmly down to the ribs previous to pulling himself up by the other. He may, when perfect in this exercise, try to ascend by seizing one side of the ladder, by its outer and upper part, with both hands, and moving them alternately upward. In these three exercises, the legs must be kept close, and as straight and steady as possible.

Climbing the Rope Ladder.

The rope ladder should have several rundles to keep it spread out, and prevent its getting twisted. The great point to be overcome in climbing this kind of ladder is the method of keeping the body stretched out and perfectly upright; for, from the flexibility of the rope sides of the ladder, its steps, as it hangs, are very easily pushed forward, and the climber is consequently thrown into a slanting position, with his weight upon his hands; the necessary straightening of the body can only be attained by steady and careful practice.

The Inclined Board.

The inclined board should be two feet wide, about two inches thick, and rather rough on the upper surface. The pupil must take hold of both sides of the plank with his hands, and placing his feet flat in the middle, ascend by moving his hands and feet alternately. The board may make an angle of about thirty degrees with the ground, during the first attempts; but when the gymnast has, through practice,

acquired power and precision in his movements, the plank may be raised until it is almost perpendicular. When the board is thus slightly, or not at all, inclined, the body should be curved inward, and the legs raised up, so that the highest leg is nearly even with the hand. In descending, small and quick movements should be made both with the hands and feet. It is not requisite that the young beginner should climb to the upper part of the board at the first attempt, but stop about half way.

First, raise the body by the hands, as shown in the illustration; then pass from one end of the bars to the other, by alternately moving the hands; and next practice the same motions backward. Afterward, endeavor to pass along, by moving both hands at once, and keeping the legs close and straight. In performing the swing on the bars, support the body on the arms, and swing from the shoulders, allowing the feet to rise equally high before and behind, as in the annexed representation; at the third swing, throw the body over the bar, either to the right or left, loosening hold of the opposite bar at the same instant; and this must also be practiced backward. To lower the body by bending the elbows gradually, let yourself down until the elbows are level with the

head; at the same time draw up the feet toward the hams, but without allowing the knees to touch the ground; then straighten the arms, and regain the original upright position on the bars. Another exercise may be performed thus: when the pupil is in the position represented in the first figure, the right elbow should be lowered to the bar, and after that the left; the right arm should then be lifted up, next the left, and the first position resumed.

The Horizontal Bars.

In the exercise on the horizontal bar, the first position is assumed by taking hold, with both hands, of the side of the bar toward you, and raising yourself until you can look over it. When you can perform this easily, place the hands on the further

side of the bar, and raise yourself as before. In the next exercise, place your hands on each side of the bar, then raise the body off the ground, and endeavor to pass from one end of the bar to the other, by making a succession of small springs of the hands; and afterward by passing the hands alternately; the legs being, in the mean time, kept close and as straight as possible. Another movement consists in lifting up the legs above the bar, and then allowing them to drop again into the perpendicular position: and when the pupil can swing thus by holding on with his hands and feet, he should try to pass along the bar by moving one hand and one foot alternately; if he can not achieve this, he may slide his feet along the bar, and only move his hands alternately. Next, practice hanging by the right arm and right leg, whilst the left hangs down; and by the right arm and left leg, and left arm and right leg. When perfect in these exercises, take hold of the bar firmly by the right hand, throw the right

leg over the bar, hold on steadily by the joint of the knee, and next raise the body and get the left armpit over the bar; then, by a little exertion, you will be enabled to assume a riding position on it. By firmly holding with the hands, while you bring one leg over the bar, you will be in the position shown in the first figure. Swinging round the bar with the head downward, is performed by taking hold of the bar with both hands, swinging the feet backward and forward two or three times, and then throwing them up in front; by which movement the head sinks down backward, as represented in the second figure. Or, take hold of the bar with the hands, swing round, and while doing so, pass the feet between the hands, returning them the same way, or dropping on the toes to the ground.

The Balancing Bar.

Foremost among the preliminary exercises of balancing are the following: standing on one leg, holding one foot high in the hand, kissing the toe, and sitting down. The two first explain themselves sufficiently; to kiss the toe, lift one foot with both hands, and raise it toward the chin, which should be slightly lowered to meet it. In sitting down, both arms and one leg should be thrust forward, and the other leg bent until the pupil can sit down, as shown in the annexed figure; after which he should carefully rise.up, keeping his arms and leg outstretched, and steadily preserving his balance all the time. The balancing bar is a long, round pole of wood, about fourteen inches thick at one end, and tapering gradually toward the other, where it is not more than half that diameter. It is supported only at the thickest end and in the middle, from whence to the thinner end it is extremely difficult to perform the

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exercises, as the pole yields at each step. In dry weather, the soles of the shoes should be damped, as then the upper surface of the bar is smooth and slippery. Mount the bar either from the ground, or from a riding position on the bar; in the latter case, place the right foot flat on the bar, keeping the heel close to the upper part of the thigh, and allow

the left foot and leg to hang perpendicularly down, with the toes pointing to the ground; and then

stretch both arms forward, as in the illustration, Fig. 2; next gradually rise on the foot, and keep your balance for a

minute or two, before you attempt to walk along the bar. First, try to walk with assistance, then alone, balancing by extending the arms, and afterward with the arms folded behind. When you can walk steadily and easily, endeavor to turn round on the bar, first trying at the broad, and then at the narrow end; and lastly, walk backward. When two persons, in walking on the bar, wish to pass each other, they should join arms, place their right feet forward, and turn quite round, by each stepping with the left foot round the right of the other, as represented in Fig. 1. All the balancing exercises require great care.

The High Leap with the Pole.

The pole should be from seven to ten feet in length, and made of perfectly sound fir; if it makes the least crackling noise while the leaper is practicing, it is unsound, and should be immediately laid aside. Grasp the pole at about the