ing the bannifters of a ftair-cafe, what his horfe has is perfectly imwhen, though perhaps you really advance, you feel as if you were going backwards. Let him carry his head low, that he may have an eye to the ground, and fee the better where he fteps. The lefs he lifts his fore legs, the cafier he will move for his rider, and he will likewife brush all the ftones out of his way, which might other wife throw him down. If he turns out his toes as well as he fhould do, he will then difperfe them to the right and the left, and not have the trouble of kicking the fame ftone a fecond time. A bald face, wall eyes, and white legs (if your horfe is not a grey one) is to be preferr'd: as, in the night, although you may ride against what you pleafe yourfelf; no one will ride against you. His nofe cannot project too much from his neck, for, by keeping a conftant tight rein on him, you will then fit as firm as if you were held on.. A horfe's ears cannot well be too long a judicious rider fteers his courfe, by fixing his eyes between them. Were he cropt, and that as clofe as we fometimes fee them now-a-days, in a dusky evening the rider might wander the lord knows where. I have found many perfons who have purchafed horfes of me, very inquifitive and troublefome about their eyes; indeed as much fo as if their eyes were any way concerned in the action of the animal. As I know they are not, I give myfelf very little trouble about them. If a rider is in full poffeffion of his own, material; having probably a bridle in his mouth to direct him where to go, and to lift him up with again if he tumbles down. Any gentleman chufing, indeed, to ride without a bridle, fhould look pretty sharp at a horse's eyes before he buys him: be well fatisfied with his method of going, be very certain that he is docile, and will ftop fhort with a "Wohey *," and after all, be rather fcrupulous where he rides him. Let no man tell me that a blind horfe is not a match for one with the best of eyes, when it is fo dark that he cannot fee: and when he can, it is to be fuppofed the gentleman upon his back can as well as he; and then, if he rides with a bridle, what has he to fear? 1 flatter myfelf, I have proved as clear as day, that eyes are of little confequence; and as I am, no doubt, the first author that has made it known, my readers, if they lofe no time, may mount themselves at Aldridge's or the Rhedarium, as well, and for half the money they would have done, before I let them into this fecret. Be fure to buy a broken knee'd horfe whenever he falls in your way: the beft bit of flesh that ever was croffed will certainly come down one day or another; whereas one that has fallen (and fcarified himtelf pretty much) never will again if he can help it. Spavins, fplints, corns, mallenders, fallenders, &c. &c. being all curable, are beneath your notice. A few of thefe little infirmities in your stable, is always a fubject of converfation, and you may, perhaps, now and then want one; it will likewife juftify you to your lady, I have fearched Chambers and Johnfon for this Wohey! but cannot find him. I do not recollect fuch a word in all Shakefpear, and he dealt at large in the language. Neither is it to be met with in Master Bailey's delicate Collection of Provincialifins. What is Wohey? Inftructions to Grown Horfemen. lady, in embellishing your bookcafe with Bracken, Gibson, Bartlett, and Griffiths; excellent authors in their way, and extremely useful! for you will have no occafion to be fending for an apothecary upon every trifling ailment in your family, but will know yourself how to make up a good itout and effectual dofe of phyfic for your wife or fervants, in the goofeberry feafon, and at the fall of the leaf. I would recommend a long tail, if it is to be had for love or money; if that is not to be got, buy a horie with a rat tail, if poffible; though inferior in point of convenience to the former, there is a je ne fçai quoi of comicality about it, that inclines us to merriment whenever it makes its appearance. There is one inconvenience attending long tails in fummer (when the poor animals have moft need of them); and that is, horfes full of grafs are very fubject to fcourings; in this cafe ride your horfe with his tail in a bag, or elfe he may annoy you. Few writers on this fubject have thought it neceffary to prefcribe any peculiar mode of drefs to equeftrians. I am fuch a zealot about the propriety of their appear ance, that I think too much cannot be faid on the fubject. Touching the apparel then, I will begin at top. Wear a wig if poffible, and fhould you be a fportfman, and hunt the foreft, the larger and whiter it is, the fafer for you: for, fhould your horfe prove what is properly termed too many for you, and make off, nothing but the fingularity of your appearance can restore you to your difconfolate family. The hallooing and hooting of the boys that this will occafion, will en able your friends to trace you thro' moft of the villages you may have paft; and at the worst to know, in 213 what part of the country to have you cried. I never admired a round hat, but with a large wig it is infupportable; and in truth, a moft puerile ornament for the head of a fober man. In windy weather you are blinded with it; and in danger of lofing your way. A cock'd hat, befides this advantage over its competitor, and the dignity it gives to the most unhappy countenance, has fo many others, that it is wonderful to me, it is not univerfally worn, but more particularly by equeftrians. If in windy weather you are blinded, in rainy you are deluged by a round hat; whereas one properly cock'd, will retain the water till you arrive at your baiting place, and keep your head (which riding may have heated) agreeably cool; having much the fame effect on it, that a pan of water has upon a flower-pot. Much of the author's friendly advice, as to drefs, is wanting; but the editor recollects he was a warm advocate for the riding in black pluth breeches in fummer: and ever recommended a coat of pompadour or fome confpicuous colour, for the fame obvious reafon, that he thought a large wig of fuch moment. You may wear fpurs, if you are not afraid; and the exercifing thera a good deal will keep your blood in proper circulation, and prevent your toes from being cold. The mode of leaning the body pretty forward over the pommel of the faddle, in a walk or a trot, has been too little in practice of late years, and it is high time it fhould be revived. There is an ap¬ pearance of airinefs in it, that embellishes the figure of a rider very much indeed; particularly, if he be mounted on a long back'd horfe, who throws his faddle well forward, and and is unencumber'd with a crupper: here he exhibits an elegant picture of careless indifference, and feems, contemptuously, to leave all the world behind him. If then, you bend your body well forward, your rump fticking properly out behind, with your legs projected, I fhall have hopes of you; you cannot, I think, fail of foon equalling my moft fanguine expectations; and, after having attained this excellence, (an excellence,let me tell you, arrived at but by few, and thofe, men of the first knowledge and fcience; fuch as the Fellows of Colleges,the Livery-men of London, or perhaps, the crew of a man of war), I would advise you, without delay, to attempt another ftep towards equeftrian perfection; that is, on riding either eastward or weftward, to make your toes point due north and fouth, or vice verfa. Thus your fpurs may be brought into play with little or no exertion; and thus, in turning fharp round a poft, your horfe may be prevented from hurting himself by running against it. The ftanding up in your stirrups, whilft trotting, in the above pofition, has a moft elegant and genteel effect; and I would have you make an effay to accomplish it; no doubt you will fucceed, if you have the genius I take you to have. A horfe has various methods of getting rid of his man; at prefent, I will only advert to one. If your horfe tumbles down with you, he will fometimes get up again, and fhould you not do the fame in concert with him, and your foot remain in the ftirrup, he may probably extend your airing whilft you remain in that aukward pofition; and how ever defirous you may be to remain behind, on you must go during his pleasure. Now, of all the ways of conveyance that I have had a tafte of, this is the leaft agreeable; if it fhould be the fame to you, provide yourself with a pair of patent ftirrups; with them your attachment to your horse may be as fhort as you please; they have done won, ders: can I fay more? I am happy in being able to bear teftimony of their aftonishing efficacy in the cafe of a friend of mine, the Rev. Mr C A. M. when of Pembroke College, Cambridge; by transcri bing his own words, at the conclufion of an advertisement he inferted in all the papers, addreffed to the patentee. Having purchased a pair of his ftirrups, and falling one afternoon, as he was accustomed, from his horse, he fays, "But thanks to providence, and your noble invention, my leg and your ftirrup coming off at the fame inftant, I escaped unhurt.” To what a pitch of perfection is human ingenuity arrived. The being able to guide a horse, is a matter of fome moment on the road, though it may not be fo any where elfe; and I would advise you always to ride witha lash whip; it fhows the fportfman, and will affift you much in your steerage. If your horfe bears too much to the right, of courfe you drop the reins entirely on that fide, and pull them up fharp with both hands on the other; but if that does not answer, you must refer to your whip; and a good fmart cut over his right cheek and eye will foon fet him straight again. This is the mode you will fee adopted by every judicious pigdriver *, and I am told that a pig is * A very in-judicious remark this: were a pig to be driven in a hard and sharp, or a Weymouth, and a horfe in a packthread tied to his hind leg, it is a matter of doubt with me, whether the latter would drive fo hardy as the former. As pigs now can play at cards as well as horfes, I think it is but fair to fuppofe them capable of dancing a minnet with equal activity and grace: whatever Mr Aftley may alledge to the contrary. The author is very hard upon pigs. A Method of preferving Stone Retorts from breaking. is efteemed by judges, to be far more averse to direct progreffion than a horse. You are now mounted; and, no doubt, anxious to fet off: here then, obferve my advice. Before ever your horfe gets into motion, clap both your fpurs into him pretty fharp: this will fet him a going for the whole day, and fhew him you have fpurs on; which, if he did not know, he might incline to be idle. I do not think there can be a more approved mode of fetting off than this is, but I muft caution you, that the furprife will generally cause your horfe to break wind, and with a pretty fmart explofion too: Let not this ruffle you; many a worthy man has loft his feat by fo fudden an alarm; but ufe will foon reconcile you to it, as it does the rifing of a covey of birds to a young sportsman. Thus, then, you go off with eclat, provided nothing is in your horfe's way, and if there is, you have put him fo on his mettle, he will probable leap over it. Indeed, it is far from improbable that he may run away with you; but if he does, you will make a most spirited appearance. When a man is once well run away with, the first thing that occurs to him, I imagine, is how to ftop his horfe; but men by no means agree in their modes of bringing this matter about. Some will run him at a 215 ditch, which I allow to be a promifing experiment, if he leaps ill or not at all. Frenchmen, (and the French are excellent horfemen) will ride against one another; no bad way either. As the means I must approve of for putting a ftop to fuch doings; I am clearly for the ftable door: if, entering it full fpeed, you should be afraid of your head, fpread out your legs fufficiently, and your horfe will go in without you. In riding the road, obferve in paffing a whisky, a phaeton, or a ftage-coach, in fhort, any carriage where the driver fits on the right hand, to pass it on that fide, he may not fee you on the other; and though you may meet with a lafh in the eye, what is the lofs of an eye to a leg, or perhaps a neck? In paffing a waggon, or any tremendous equipage, fhould it run pretty near a bank, and there be but a ditch, and an open country in its other fide, if you are on businefs and in a hurry, dafh up the bank without hesitation; for fhould you take the other fide, and your horfe fhy at the carriage, you may be carried many hundred yards out of your road; whereas by a little effort of courage, you need only graze the wheel, fly up the bank, and by flipping or tumbling down into the road again, go little or nothing out of your way. A Method for preventing Stone Retorts from breaking; or flopping them when cracked, during any Chemical Operation, without lofing any of the contained Subject. By Thomas Willes *. PER ERSONS employed in performing Chemical Operations,whether on the large fcale of bufinefs, or as experiments only, will readily fee the benefit that muft accrue to them from the knowledge of an eafy, cheap, and expeditious mode of stopping any cracks that happen during a procefs, in the earthen veffels employed in ftrong fires. • Tranfaction of Society for Encouragement of Arts, &e The The following Paper, which is the refult of many years experience, and has been confirmed by trials in different laboratories, will therefore prove highly acceptable to all emplayed in Chemical purfuits; for the compofition therein mentioned, has been tried on crucibles employed in melting Metals, and has been found to fucceed. The lofles frequently fuftained by workmen, by the cracking of thofe veffels while the metals within them are in a fluid state, render the difcovery of a method of preventing fuch accidents of great confequence in many of our valuable manufac tures. I HAVE always found it neceffary to ufe a previous coating for filling up the interftices of the earth or ftone, which is made by diffolving two ounces of borax in a pint of boiling water, and adding to the folution as much flaked lime as will make it into a thin pafte; this, with a common painter's brufh, may be fpread over feveral Retorts, which, when dry, are then ready for the proper preferving coating. The intention of this firft coating is, that the subftances thus fpread over, readily vitrifying in the fire, prevent any of the diftilling matters from pervading the Retort, but does in no wife prevent it from cracking. Whenever I want to ufe any of the above coated Retorts, after I have charged them with the fub. ftance, to be diftilled, I prepare a thin pafte, made with common linfeed oil and flacked lime well mixed, and perfectly plaftic, that it may be eafily fpread; with this let the Retorts be covered all over, except that part of the neckwhich is to be inferted into the receiver, this is readily done with a painter's bruth; the coating will be fufficiently dry in a day or two, and they will then be fit for ufe. With this coating, I have for fe veral years worked my ftone Retorts, without any danger of their breaking, and have frequently ufeḍ the fame Retort four or five times; oblerving particularly to coat it over with the last mentioned compofition every time it is charged with fresh materials: Before I made ufe of this expedient, it was an even chance, in conducting operations in frone and earthen Retorts, whether they did not crack every time; by which means great lofs has been sustained If at any time during the opera tion, the Retorts should crack; spread fome of the oil compofition thick on the part, and fprinkle fome powder of flacked lime on it, and it immediately ftops the fiflure, and prevents any of the diftilling matter from pervading; even that fubtile penetrating fubftance, the folid Phosphorus, will not penetrate through it. It may be applied without any danger, even when the Retort is red hot; and when it is made a little ftiffer, is more proper for luting veffels than any other I ever have tried; because, if properly mixed, it will never crack; nor will it indurate fo as to endanger the breaking the necks of the veffels when taken off. Lemn doces var As the above method of preferving Retorts may be of fingular fervice to philofophical Chemifts, as well as thofe who practife the fcience for commercial purpofes, it is my wish it fhould be generally known; as many curious operations may be carried on with greater fafety, and at an easier expence. → I have communicated it to the Dukede Chaulnes, who no doubt will make it known to the French Chemists; and fhall be happy to hear of its being of advantage to a feience fo much cultivated in the present age. f Plan |