Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 03.djvu/438

* BOX-ELDER. 386 BOXING. States for windbreaks, shade, fuel, etc. It is of rapid growth, and serves as an excellent nurse- tree for other species. In some parts of the Northwestern States sugar is made from the sap, although that is not so abundant as in the sugar-maple. BOXFISH. See Tbunktish. BOXHATJLING. A metliod of clianging a ship from one tack to the other. It is resorted to when a ship fails to go around (i.e. misses stays) while attempting to tack in narrow waters, or on a lee shore, and there is no room to laar, and in narrow channels when there is danger of running on shore in tack- ing. The first part of the manoeuvre resembles tacking: the helm (q.v.) is put down and the ship brought up head to wind with all the sails aback. Her headway is thus quickly cheeked, the head yards (those on the forema.st) are then swung around (i.e. braced ahox, from which cir- cumstance the manoeuvre takes its name), as if on the other tack, and the after yards (those on the mainmast and mizzenmast) squared (i.e. ])Iaced athwartship) . She now gathers stern- board (i.e. starts to sail astern), and continues to back around, turning her stern up into the wind, which operation is facilitated by bracing the after yards like the fore as soon as the wind is abeam. After the wind has passed the stern, the ship gradually gathers headway and comes up to the wind on the new tack, when the opera- tion is completed. BOXING (probably akin to Dan. bash, slap, blow, baske, to slap, strike). Since the days when lighting with tlie bare fists was made un- lawful, the tendency of the interpretation of the word 'bo.xing* has been to limit its use to exhibi- tions of skili, and to use the word pugilism when referring to professional contests under the old rules and to ancient gladiators. Jlodern boxing- rules, known as the 'Queensberry Rules,' which govern even professional prize-fights, have elimi- nated the worst features of the pugilism of an- tiquity, and efTected a great improvement in modern methods. The ancient method was to make the punishment as cruel as possible by wearing a cestus of bronze, several thicknesses of rawhide strongly fastened together and pro- jecting beyond the knuckles, and by binding the «rist and forearm with leather thongs, by these means adding to the capacity of the bare hand to inllict injury. The present custom of wearing a l)addcd glove lessens this capacity. The last remnant of barbarism disappeared from pugili.sm when wrestling, which played an important part in the contests of the Eighteenth and first half of the Nineteenth centuries, was ruled out. How late it lasted is testified by the reports of the historic battles of Mendoza, Bendigo, and Sayers, in which such passages as the following were common: ".fter a short struggle both men went down, the Tipton Slasher uppermost:" or, "They then closed, and after a short tussle, the Infant threw his man, falling heavily ujmn him." How ancient was the practice of pugilism may be gathered from manj writings of antiqiiity. In the roll-call at the siege of Troy, Pollux is de- scribed as "good with his fists." There are many interesting details of it at the funeral of Patro- clus, including the mention of the belt, which is still the emblem of pugilistic championships, and the habit of having such contests as part of a funeral celebration has survived to this day in Siam. Vergil's description of the fight between Dai'es and the Sicilian Entellus is another class- ical description of the sport. Among the Knglish sports of the Middle Ages boxing did not occupy so prominent a place as cudgeling and quarter-staff; and Figg, whose portrait was ])ainted by Hogarth, may be consid- ered as the modern father of the 'noble art of self-defense.' From his time until 1800, when Sayers fought Hcenan, the list of champions is unbroken. Up to this period the science of self- defense had made but little progress, and strength and endurance constituted the only recommenda- tions of the practitioners at Smithficld, iloor- field, and Southwark Fair, which had long had booths and rings for the display of boxing. Broughton, who occupied the position of "cham- pion of England.' built a theatre in Hanway Street, Oxford Street, in 1740, for the display of boxing; advertisements were issued announcing a succession of battles between first-r;ite pugil- ists, who never qiiitted the stage till one or the other was defeated, the reward of each man being dependent upon and i)roportioneil to the re- ceipts. Broughton was for eighteen years cham- pion of England. He propounded some rules for the regulation of the ring which remained in authority till 1838. or nearly a century. They are now spoken of as the 'old rules.' Rule 1 is, that a square of a yard be chalked in the middle of a stage, and that in every fresh set-to after a fall, the seconds are to bring their men to the side of the square, and to place them opposite each other; and until this is done, it is not law- ful for one to strike the other. Rule 2, that if either of the combatants be iable to he brought up to the square within thirty seconds after a fall and the close of a round, he shall be deemed a beaten man. No man is permitted to hit his adversary when he is down, or to seize him by the breeches, or below the waist, and a man on his knees is to be reckoned down. These rules laid the foundation of fair play. To Broughton also is due the introduction of gloves for 'spar- ring-matches,' whereby lessons could be taken without injury. The greatest professor of the art was Jackson, who was champion in 1795. He was not only the most scientific boxer of his day, but he gave his art such a prestige and popular- ity that half the men of rank and fashion of the period were proud to call themselves his pupils. He opened rooms for the practice of boxing in Bond Street, and for years these were crowded by men of note. His 'principles of pugilism' were, that contempt of danger and confidence in one's self were the first and best qualities of a pugilist; that, in hitting you must judge well your distances, for a blow delivered at all out of range was like a spent shot, and valueless; that men should fight with their legs, using all possible agility, as well as with their hands, and that all stiffness of style or position was wrong. .Jackson is still regarded as one of the best theorists on the art. At this period pugil- ism was actively supported by many persons of high rank, in 1814, when "the allied sove- reigns visited England, among other entertain- ments, a sparring display was provided under Jackson's management, and the distinguished foreigners expressed much gratification at the exhibition of so much science and fine physical development. Besides Jackson, Belcher, GuUey,