Instructions in All Kinds of Gymnastic Exercises (extract)

50 habit of each individual. The upper hand must be placed so as to have the thumb upward. The lower hand must not lie too near the bottomof the pole ; the partwhich, it seizes must be at a height proportionate to that of the leap : for instance, if the height of the leap is six feet, this hand must be at least fromfive and a half to six feet distant from the lower end of the pole. The leaper is soonenabled after a little practice, to seize the pole in the proper way, from a mere glance of the height of the leap. The posi­ tion of the upper hand is always regulated by that of the lower one; as this advances higher up, the former must also be raised equally as much. 2. The preparatory run of from 12 to 15 paces, is accelerated as the leaperapproaches the cord. Upon it principally depends the successand the facility of the leap. For, since the spring can only take place with one foot, as seen in fig. 1, Plate VI., and this must arrive exactly at the proper place whence the spring is to be aiade, it is there­ fore necessarythat the leapershould arrange the order of his steps so as to effect this object. If he is obliged to correct himself