Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 6.djvu/749

Rh CURLING 713 bring the stone over the tee when delivering it ; or, accord ing to another arrangement, he occupies a small circle a foot in diameter behind a ring of 7 feet radius drawn round the tee. To cover this goal or lie close to it is the player s chief object : but often when he has realized his aim, a rival stone &quot; up the rink like Jehu roars,&quot; driving his stone nowhere, settling down in its pride of place, but only to be served perhaps in a similar way itself before the match is at an end. No stones that lie outside the large Diagram of Curling Rink. circles of 7 fest radius round the tee are allowed to count, and all laggard stones that manifest a pig- like indolence, and do not pass the well-named hog score, which is drawn at a distance of one-sixth the rink from each tee, are removed as obstructive cumberers of the channel. Games can be played by two persons, but usually matches are arranged for with numerous competitors formed into rinks of four players a side, two stones being used by each player. It is customary for the parish clubs of a district, marshalled by their respective skips, or captains, to try their skill against each other once a year or so ; while annually (when weather permits) a great contest, which is at least semi-national, is waged between the curlers north and south of the River Forth. At first the game is remarkably simple, the leader, as we have said, endeavouring to top or closely neighbour the tee, and his immediate opponent having a similar object in view. When, during the progress of the game, one, two, or more stones have been well planted, the supporters of those who placed them there are usually directed by their skip rather to guard the winning stones than venture too near them at the risk of injuring their position. On the other hand the tactics of the opposing party will consist in efforts to knock off the guards, dislodge the well-planted stones, or get their own still better placed where that is possible. It sometimes happens that the stone nearest the tee the winner, as it is called is so well protected that it cannot be touched directly, and defies removal unless it be assailed by an ingenious master-stroke technically termed wickiny or inring uig, whereby a stone is sent in an oblique direction so as haply to hit the winner ; and, if it not only does that, but becomes the winner in its stead, the man who throws it is sure to be hailed by his exulting comrades as a prince among curlers, if not &quot; the king o a the core.&quot; &quot; Wicking, or inringing,&quot; says the late Sir Richard Broun, Bart., in his admirable work Memora bilia Curliaiia (published in 1830), &quot;the prettiest and most scientific point in the game by far, is to take the shot and leave yourself behind the rampart of your adversary s barricade, when to all appearance their winner was impreg nable ; &quot; and this is done &quot; by taking an inner angle off a side shot in such a manner as to change and direct the course of your stone upon the one to be projected.&quot; When, however, science fails, and the ice is so blocked up as almost to hide the tee, an effort of strength and hazard is resorted to in the hope of some benefit &quot; turning up.&quot; This, by the curlers of the south of Scotland, is called &quot;rebutting.&quot; The player in such cases is usually told by his skip to &quot; put plenty of powder in the horn,&quot; and the stone is delivered with tremendous force, so as to go crashing through guards and double guards, sometimes doing more harm than good, and sometimes also changing in a moment the whole fortunes of the game. Many fine songs have been written about curling, from which lines might be quoted descriptive of all its leading points, its implements, &quot; channel stones, crampets (flat pieces of iron with spikes below fastened on the sole of the shoe to keep the player from slipping), and besoms so green,&quot; with which the rink is swept ; also in praise of the game as a promoter of mental enjoyment, bodily health, and the best of good-fellowship. The late Dr Henry Duncan s song on the subject has never been excelled ; and he succeeds in packing into a single stanza some of its chief characteristics : &quot; There draw a shot ; there lay a guard ; And here beside him lie, man ; Now lot him feel a gamester s hand ; Now in this bosom die, man. There fill the port, and block the ice ; We sit upon the tee, man ! Now take this in-ring sharp and neat, And make this winner flee, man.&quot; Tha Ettrick Shepherd also ranks among the laureates oi the rink. The following rules of the game are abridged from the Annual of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club : 1. The tees shall be set down 40 yards apart ; and in an exact alignment with the tees aline shall be drawn on the rink. Seven feet behind each tee a circle 6 inches in diameter shall be also drawn on the ice on the left-hand side of said line (looking to the tee to be played to), the inner side of which shall be distant from said line 6 inches. Upon this circle, and as near as may upon the centre of it, eveiy player, whether standing on the ice or .on a board or other rest, shall, in the delivery of his stone, place, or in stepping out, put down his left or fore foot, if he be a right hand player. For a left- hand player, another such circle shall be placed in like manner, and for the like purpose on the right hand side of said line. And in the event of a hack, hatch, trigger, &c., being used, it shall be right behind said circle, and not less distant therefrom than 2 feet, nor greater in length than 12 inches. A circle of 7 feet radius to be described from each tee as a centre, and every stone to count which is either within, or resting on, this circle. All played stones passing the tee, and going beyond the 7 feet radius, shall be put off the ice. The hog-score to be distant from each tee one-sixth part of the length of the whole rink played on. Every stone to be a hog which does not clear this score ; but no stone to be such which has struck another stone lying over the hog-score. A line shall be drawn on the ice, at a right angle to the rink, half-way betwixt the tees, called &quot;the middle line.&quot; In no case shall the rink be less than 32 yards. 2. All matches to be of a certain number of heads, to be agreed on by the clubs, or fixed by the umpire, before commence ment ; or otherwise, by time, or shots, if mutually agreed on. 3. Every rink to be composed of four players a side, each using two stones. The rotation of play observed during the first head of a match shall not be changed. 4. The skips opposing each other shall settle by lot. or in any other way they may agree upon, which party shall lead at the first head, after which the winning party shall do so. 5. All cm-ling stones shall be of a circular shape. No stone shall be of a greater weight than 50 R&amp;gt; imperial, or of greater circumference than 36 inches, or of less height than one-eighth part of its greatest circumference. 6. No stone, or side of a stone, shall be changed after a match has been begun, or during its continuance, unless by consent. 7. Should a stone happen to be broken, the largest fragment shall be considered in the game for that end the player being entitled afterwards to use another stone, or another pair. 8. If a played stone rolls over, or stops, on its side or top, it shall be put off the ice. Should the handle quit the stflne in delivery, the player must keep hold of it, otherwise he shall not be entitled to replay the shot. 9. Players, during the course of each end, to be arranged along the sides of the rink, anywhere skips may direct ; and no party, except when sweeping according to rule, shall go upon the middle of the rink, or cross it, under any pretence whatever. Skips alone to stand at or about the tee that of the playing party having the choice of place, and not to be obstructed by the other. 10. If a player should play out of turn, the stone so played may be stopped in its progress, and returned to the player. Should the mistake not be discovered till the stone be at rest, or has struck another stone, the opposite skip shall have the option of adding one to his score, allowing the game to proceed, or declaring the end null and void. But if a stone bo played before the mistake has been discovered, the head must be finished as if it had been pro perly played from the beginning. 11. The sweeping shall be under the direction and control of the skips. The player s party may sweep the ice anywhere from the VI. --90