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Title: Holiday Frolics; Or, Endless Amusement For the Christmas Fireside - Containing, the Most Astonishing Feats of Legerdemain, and - Astounding Conjurings; Entertaining Experiments in Various - Branches of Science; Tricks With Cards & Dice. Art of - Making Fireworks; Together With an Excellent Collection - of Puzzles, Conundrums, Riddles, Charades, &C. &C. the - Whole Admirably Calculated to Beguile the Leisure Hours - of Our Holiday Friends. Embellished With a Copper-plate - Engraving
Author: Anonymous
Language: English
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*** Start of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Holiday Frolics; Or, Endless Amusement For the Christmas Fireside - Containing, the Most Astonishing Feats of Legerdemain, and - Astounding Conjurings; Entertaining Experiments in Various - Branches of Science; Tricks With Cards & Dice. Art of - Making Fireworks; Together With an Excellent Collection - of Puzzles, Conundrums, Riddles, Charades, &C. &C. the - Whole Admirably Calculated to Beguile the Leisure Hours - of Our Holiday Friends. Embellished With a Copper-plate - Engraving" ***
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[Illustration:
_To make a bird appear as dead._
]
[Illustration:
_Marks fec._
_A curious trick with a cup of tea._
]
HOLIDAY FROLICS;
ENDLESS AMUSEMENT
FOR THE CHRISTMAS FIRESIDE.
CONTAINING,
_The most Astonishing Feats of Legerdemain_,
AND
ASTOUNDING CONJURINGS;
Entertaining Experiments
IN VARIOUS BRANCHES OF SCIENCE;
_TRICKS with CARDS & DICE_.
ART OF MAKING
FIREWORKS;
TOGETHER WITH AN EXCELLENT COLLECTION OF
Puzzles, Conundrums, Riddles, Charades, &c. &c.
The whole admirably calculated to beguile the leisure hours of our
Holiday Friends.
_Embellished with a Copper-plate Engraving._
London:
W. STRANGE, 21, Paternoster Row; G. PURKESS, 61,
Wardour Street; and J. CLEMENTS, 17,
Little Pulteney Street, Soho.
PRICE SIXPENCE.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PREFACE.
Legerdemain and Conjuring are words frequently applied to the same
object, but the definitions of them are quite different.
Legerdemain is that which conveys deception to the eye from
philosophical principles, while Conjuring is nothing more or less than
Sleight of Hand. Simple as the denomination seems from the title which
it bears, many of our first Professors have applied much of their
valuable time in developing the mysteries of it; and our young friends
may rest assured, that the ascertaining of the power of mechanism has,
in many instances, emanated from an hour or two’s amusing experiments.
The Tricks, Puzzles, Conundrums, &c. which are now presented, have been
selected from the best works,—some have never yet appeared before the
Public in print. If the perusal of the following pages, afford one
hour’s amusement, the Author’s wishes will be obtained.
Oct. 16, 1830.
HOLIDAY FROLICS,
ENDLESS AMUSEMENT
_For the Christmas Fireside_,
&c. &c.
_Conundrums._
1. Why is a drunken man like a Quaker?
2. Why is a nobleman like a book?
3. What burns to keep a secret?
4. When is a door not a door?
5. Why is your nose like V in incivility?
6. Which is the left side of a plum-pudding?
7. Why do we all go to bed?
8. In which month do ladies talk least?
9. Why is Paris like the letter F?
10. Why is London like the letter E?
11. Which is the greatest Friday in the year?
12. Why is a book like a tree?
13. Why is a cobbler like a parson?
14. Why is a cook like a barber?
15. Why do cats see best in the dark?
16. Why is an umbrella like a woman?
17. Why does a miller wear a white hat?
18. Why is an apothecary like a woodcock?
19. Why is money like a whip?
20. Why is a pack of cards like a garden?
21. Why is the Pope of Rome like a pepper-box?
_Riddles._
1.
My body is thin,
And no bowels within,
Have neither a head, face, or eye;
Yet a tail I possess,
Forty feet and no less,
And without any wings I can fly.
2.
There is a thing was three weeks old
When Adam was no more;
This thing it was but four weeks old,
When Adam was fourscore.
3.
It has mouth, no eyes, nor nose,
It has two feet with which it goes,
Though strange, its feet don’t touch the ground,
But all the way its head runs round.
4.
I’m rough, I’m smooth, I’m wet, I’m dry,
My station low, my title high;
The king my lawful master is,
I’m used by all, though only his.
_Charades._
1.
My first is always,
My second durable,
My third without end.
2.
My first I hope you are,
My second I see you are,
My third I know you are.
_An Enigma._
A word there is five syllables contains,
Take one away, no syllable remains.
_Solutions to the Conundrums._
1. The spirit moves him.
2. He has a title.
3. Sealing-wax.
4. When it’s a jar.
5. Because it’s between two I’s (eyes.)
6. That which is not eaten.
7. Because the bed will not come to us.
8. February.
9. It is the capital of France.
10. It is the capital of England.
11. Shrove Tuesday.
12. Because it’s full of leaves.
13. Because he mends soles. (souls)
14. Because he dresses hare. (hair)
15. They eat lights.
16. Because her best use is being handled.
17. To keep his head warm.
18. Because he has a long bill.
19. It makes the mare to go.
20. There are spades in it.
21. Because he is holy.
_Riddles._
1. A Kite.
2. The moon.
3. A wheelbarrow.
4. The highway.
_Charades._
1. Everlasting.
2. Welcome.
_Enigma._
Monosyllable.
_To make an Egg Tumble._
Put a penny-worth of Quick-silver into a quill, and seal it at both ends
with wax, then boil an Egg, and as soon as you take it out of the water,
put your quill through a small hole in the narrow end; put the egg on
the table, and it will tumble about as long as the heat remains.
_To make Fire Flash from Water._
Pour a small quantity of clear water into a glass, and put a piece or
two of phosphoret of lime into it. In a few seconds flashes of fire will
dart from the surface of the water, and end in curls of smoke rising in
regular succession.
_To suspend a Ring by a Thread which has been Burnt._
The thread having been previously soaked in urine, or common salt and
water, tie it to a ring, not larger than a wedding ring; when you apply
a flame of a candle to it, though the thread will burn to ashes, it will
yet sustain the ring.
_To take the impression of Butterflies upon paper._
Clip the wings of the butterfly, lay them upon clean paper in the form
of the insect when flying, spread some thick pure gum water on another
piece of paper, press it upon the wings, and it will take them up, lay a
piece of white paper over it, and rub it gently with your finger, or the
smooth handle of a knife. The bodies are to be drawn in the space which
you leave between the wings.
_To Gild the edges of Writing Paper or leaves of Books._
Screw a quantity of pages strongly into a press, after being cut as
smooth as possible, size them with isinglass-glue, mixed up with spirits
of wine, and then apply the gold leaves, when the size arrives at a
proper degree of dryness.
_To clean Gilt Buckles, Chains, &c._
Dip a soft brush in water and rub a little soap on it, and brush the
articles for a minute or two, then wash it clean, wipe it and place it
near the fire till dry, then brush it with burnt bread finely powdered.
_To make Liquid Gold and Silver, for Vellum Painting, Fans, &c._
Grind up gold and silver leaf with gum water or honey, in a mortar, then
wash the gum or honey, and use the powder that remains with gum water.
This may be applied to any article with a camel’s hair pencil, in the
same way as any other colour.
_How to produce Fire from a Cane._
Split a Chinese rattan, and strike the parts together when perfectly
dry, and they will emit fire like a flint and steel.
_To Gild Silk or Ivory by the action of Hydrogen._
Immerse a piece of white satin, silk, or ivory, in a solution of
nitro-muriate of gold (in the proportion of one part of the
nitro-muriate, to three of distilled water) whilst the substance to be
gilded is still wet, immerse it in a jar of hydrogen gas, and it will
soon be covered by a complete surface of gold.
_Glass broken by Air._
Lay a square of glass on the top of an open receiver, and exhaust the
open air. The weight of the external air will press on the glass, and
smash it to atoms.
_To make luminous writing in the dark._
Fix a small piece of solid phosphorus in a quill, and write with it upon
paper; if the paper be then placed in a dark room, the writing will
appear beautifully luminous.
_Incombustible Paper._
Dip a sheet of paper in strong alum-water, and when dry, repeat the
process a second and third time. As soon as it is dry, you may put it in
the flame of a candle, and it will not burn.
_The Animated Sixpence._
To make a sixpence leap out of a pot. This is done by means of a long
black horse hair fastened to the rim of a sixpence, by a small hole
driven through it. This feat should be done by night, with a candle
placed between the spectators and the operator, their eyes being thereby
hindered from discerning the deception.
_Wine upon Water._
Half fill a glass with water, throw a bit of the crumb of a loaf into
it, about the size of a nut, pour some wine lightly on the bread, and
you will see the water at the bottom of the glass, and the wine floating
at the top of it.
_To cast figures in imitation of Ivory._
Mix isinglass and strong brandy with powder of egg-shells, finely
powdered, into a paste. Cast it warm into the mould, which must be
previously oiled over; leave the figure in the mould till dry, and upon
taking it out, you will find that it bears a strong resemblance to
ivory.
_To make a bird appear as if it was dead._
Lay any bird upon a table, and wave a small feather over its eyes, and
it will appear as dead; but by removing the feather it will revive
again. Let it lay hold of the stem part of the feather with its feet,
and it will twist and turn about like a parrot; you may likewise roll it
about on the table at your pleasure.
_The manner of making Water freeze by the Fireside._
This feat can only be performed in winter. Place a stool before the
fire, having first put a little water upon the stool; upon it set a
quart pot, then put a handful of snow into it, having privately conveyed
into the pot a handful of salt; stir it about for eight or ten minutes
with a stick, and the congelation will be effected.
_Engraving in Relief upon an Egg-shell._
Choose an egg that has a thick shell, wash it well in fresh water, then
dry it very carefully with a linen cloth; melt some tallow or fat, and
while very hot, make any figures or drawings you please with it upon the
shell, either with a pen or pencil. This being finished, take the shell
by the two ends, between two fingers, and then lay it gently in a
tumbler filled with good white wine vinegar, the acid of which will have
eaten enough of the thickness of the shell in about four hours.
_To make a party appear ghastly._
This can only be done in a room. Take half a pint of spirits, and having
warmed it, put a handful of salt with it into a bason; then set it on
fire, and it will have the effect of making every person within its
influence look hideous.
_To fill a glass with water in such a manner, that it cannot be removed
without spilling it all._
Lay a wager with any one that you so fill a glass with water that he
shall not move it off the table without spilling the whole contents.
Then fill a glass with water, and placing a bit of paper or thin card
over the top, so as to cover the water and the edge of the glass, you
dexterously turn the glass upside down on a smooth table, and then
drawing away the paper gently, the water will remain suspended in the
glass, and therefore it will be impossible to remove it from the table
without spilling the contents.
_How to make your cup draw your tea out of the saucer._
Empty the tea out of your cup into the saucer; then take a piece of
paper, light it, and lay it on the surface of the tea, and instantly
clap your cup over it, and it will immediately suck the tea into the
cup.
_To make Touch-Paper._
Dissolve in spirits of wine a little saltpetre; take and wet with the
above some blue paper, and when dry it will be fit for use.
_To make a Report like that of a gun with a Tobacco-Pipe._
Before performing this feat you must have a powder made of the following
ingredients in your pocket:—One ounce of cream of tartar, one ounce of
saltpetre, and half an ounce of sulphur, pulverized singly, and then
well mixed together. Convey a single grain of this powder into a
tobacco-pipe, and when it takes fire it will produce a noise like that
of a gun, without breaking the pipe.
_To make a sound similar to St. Paul’s Bell._
Tie a poker, or any other piece of metal, on to the middle of a strip of
flannel about a yard long; then press with your thumbs or fingers the
end of the flannel into your ears, while you swing the poker against any
obstacle, as an iron fender, and you will hear a sound similar to that
of a large church bell.
_How to restore a dead fly to life._
Take a fly that has been drowned in water or spirits, place it in the
sun, and cover it with pounded chalk or salt; in a few minutes it will
revive and fly away. It is necessary that the fly be not squeezed when
taken from the water.
_To melt a piece of steel as if it was lead, without requiring a large
fire._
Make a piece of steel quite red in the fire; then holding it with a pair
of pincers or tongs, take in the other hand a stick of brimstone, and
touch the piece of steel with it; immediately after their contact, you
will see the steel melt and drop like a liquid.
_How to procure laughter._
Take a ball in one hand and another in the other, then stretch your
hands as far as you can one from the other; and if any one will lay a
wager that you will not withdraw your hands, and yet will make both of
them come into either hand, which they please, it is no more to do, than
to lay one down upon a table, and turn yourself round, and take it up
with your other hand, then your wager is won; and it will move no small
laughter to see a fool so lose his money.
_To tell any number thought of by another person._
Desire the person who has thought of a number to multiply it by itself;
then desire him to add unity to the number thought of, and to multiply
that sum also by itself; in the last place, ask him to tell the
difference of these two products, which will certainly be an odd number,
and the least half of it will be the number required.
_For Example._
Let the number thought of be 5, which multiplied by itself gives 25; in
the next place, 5 increased by 1 is 6, which multiplied by itself makes
36; and the difference between these two squares is 11, the least half
of which is 5, the number thought of.
_To make Alum Baskets._
Form a small basket, about the size of the hand, of iron wire; then take
some worsted, and wind it round every part of it. Boil a pound of alum
in a quart of water, let it boil well, stirring it all the time; when
completely dissolved, pour it into a deep pan, and by a thread suspend
the basket into it to a good depth, so as that no part shall touch the
vessel; let it remain for one day, and when you take it out, the alum
will be found crystallized all over the basket. The alum may be coloured
pink, purple, or yellow, by boiling Brazil, logwood, or French berries
with it.
_Silver Tree on Glass._
Put a few drops of the solution of silver in aqua-fortis; on a piece of
glass form a bit of copper or brass wire, to represent a tree with its
branches, but flat, so as to lie upon the glass; lay it in the liquid,
and let it remain for an hour or two. A beautiful vegetation will be
perceived all round the wire, which will nearly be covered by it. This
may be preserved by washing it very carefully with water, and putting
another glass over it.
_A person having written an odd number on one card, and an even on
another, to tell which is the even and which is the odd._
Desire him to multiply the number in his right hand by 5 (or any odd
number) and that in his left by 6, (or any even number) and tell you if
the sum of the products added together be odd or even. If it be even,
the even number is in the right; but if odd, the even number is in the
left hand.
_A Metal which bursts into flame when thrown upon cold water._
Place a piece of potassium, of about two grains weight, upon cold water
in a bason, when it inflames, and exhibits a beautiful light of a violet
red colour.
_The Artificial Spider._
Cut a piece of burnt cork, about the size of a pea, in the shape of a
spider; make its legs of linen thread, and put a grain or two of lead
into it; to give it more weight; suspend it by a fine line of silk
between the arch, and an excited stick of wax.
_To make waves of fire on the surface of water._
On a lump of loaf sugar, let fall a few drops of phosphorized ether, and
place the sugar in a glass of warm water; a very beautiful appearance
will be instantly exhibited: and the effect is increased if the surface
of the water is made to undulate, by blowing gently with the breath.
_Spoons which melt in hot water._
Melt together, in a crucible, five parts of lead, three of tin, and
eight of bismuth; these metals will contain and form an alloy (of which
spoons may be made, possessed of the remarkable property of melting in
boiling water.)
_To prepare Phosphorized Ether._
Suffer sulphuric ether (about sixpenny worth) to stand for some weeks
over a few small pieces of phosphorus, in a well-stopped phial. The
solution is aided by occasional agitation.
_How to extract sixpence from under a glass without touching it._
Place two shillings at an equal distance, so as to allow the rim of a
glass to rest on them, place a sixpence in the centre of the shillings
under the glass; by drawing your nail along the table, the sixpence will
follow the motion of your nail. This feat can only be performed on a
baize, cloth, &c.
_To prepare a luminous Bottle._
Put a piece of phosphorus, the size of a pea, into a phial, add boiling
oil until the bottle is a third full. The phial must then be carefully
corked; and when it is to be used it should be unstopped, to admit the
atmospheric air; the upper part of the phial will be luminous, and if
care be taken to keep it in general well closed, it will preserve this
illuminative power for six months.
_An excellent feat to win a wager._
Lay any person a bet that you will stick a knife in a beam of the
ceiling, and place a halfpenny underneath, so that by striking the beam
the handle of the knife will fall on the halfpenny. To perform this feat
you have only to fill a glass with water, and dip the handle in it while
it is suspended; then observe where the water that is on the handle
drops on the floor, place the halfpenny on the spot where it fell, and
it will be sure to be immediately under it.
_How to make Squibs and Serpents._
First, make the cases, of about six inches in length, by rolling slips
of stout cartridge paper three times round a roller, and pasting the
last fold; tying it near the bottom as tight as possible, and making it
air-tight at the end by sealing-wax. Then take of gunpowder half a
pound, one ounce of charcoal, one ounce of brimstone, and half an ounce
of steel filings; grind them with a muller, or pound them in a mortar.
The cases being dry and ready, first put a thimble-full of powder, and
ram it hard down with a ruler; then fill the case to the top with the
aforesaid mixture, ramming it hard down in the course of filling it two
or three times; when this is done, point it with touch-paper, which
should be pasted on that part which touches the case, otherwise it is
liable to drop off.
_To produce an Electric Spark from a piece of Brown Paper._
Thoroughly dry before the fire a quarter of a sheet of stoutish brown
paper, place it on your thigh, holding it at the edge with one hand,
while with the cuff of the sleeve on the other, you must rub it smartly
backwards and forwards ten or fifteen times, if the knuckle be then
placed near the paper it will emit a brilliant spark, accompanied with a
snapping noise; the prongs of a fork similarly placed, will produce
three distinct streams of light. The experiment must of course be
performed in the dark, and the trowsers and coat be of woollen cloth.
_Magic Squares._
A magic square consists of numbers so disposed that in whatever way you
may add the numbers, which the square contains, they will give the same
amount, whether it be vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
+---+---+---+
15 | 2 | 9 | 4 |
+---+---+---+
15 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
+---+---+---+
15 | 6 | 1 | 8 |
+---+---+---+
15 15 15
+----+----+----+----+
34 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 13 |
+----+----+----+----+
34 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 8 |
+----+----+----+----+
34 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 12 |
+----+----+----+----+
34 | 4 | 15 | 14 | 1 |
+----+----+----+----+
34 34 34 34
+----+----+----+----+----+
65 | 11 | 24 | 7 | 20 | 3 |
+----+----+----+----+----+
65 | 4 | 12 | 25 | 8 | 16 |
+----+----+----+----+----+
65 | 17 | 5 | 13 | 21 | 9 |
+----+----+----+----+----+
65 | 10 | 18 | 1 | 14 | 22 |
+----+----+----+----+----+
65 | 23 | 6 | 19 | 2 | 15 |
+----+----+----+----+----+
65 65 65 65 65
_To make Waterloo Crackers._
Take a slip of cartridge paper, about three-quarters of an inch in
width, paste and double it, let it remain till dry, then cut it into two
equal parts in length, (Nos. 1 and 2) according to the following
pattern:
+-------------------+----------+-------+-------------+
| No. 1. Glass | _S_ | Glass | No. 2. |
+-------------------+----------+-------+-------------+
Take some of the glass composition and lay it across the paper as in the
pattern, put about a quarter of a grain of fulminating silver in that
place marked S, and while the glass composition is moist, put the paper
marked No. 2, over the furthest row of glass. Over all paste twice over
the part that covers the silver, a piece of paper, let it dry and when
you wish to explode it, take hold of the two ends and pull them quickly
from each other, when a loud report will be produced.
_A person privately fixing on any Number to tell him that Number._
After the person has fixed on a number, bid him to double it, and add
four to that sum, then multiply the whole by five, to the product let
him add twelve, and multiply the amount by ten; from the sum of the
whole let him deduct three hundred and twenty, and tell you the
remainder, from which, if you cut off the two last figures, the number
that remains will be that fixed on.
_Example._
Let the number chosen be 6
Which doubled is 12
And 4 added to it, makes 16
Which multiplied by 5, gives 80
To which 12 being added, it is 92
That multiplied by 10, makes 920
From which deducting 320, remains 600
And by striking off the two cyphers, it becomes the former number 6.
_The Camelion Spirit._
Put into a decanter some volatile spirit, in which copper filings have
been dissolved, and it will produce a fine blue tincture, if the bottle
be stopped the colour will immediately disappear, but when unstopped, it
will return.
_Three Dice being thrown on a Table, to tell the Number of each of them,
and the order in which they stand._
Let the person who has thrown the dice double the number of that next to
his left hand, and add five to that sum; then multiply the amount by
five and to the product add the number of the middle dice, then let the
whole be multiplied by ten, and to that product add the number of the
third dice. From the total let there be substracted 250, and the figures
of the number that remains will answer to the points of the three dice,
as they stand on the table.
_Example._
Suppose the points of the three dice thrown on the table to be 4, 6, and
2.
Then the double of the first die will be 8
To which add 5
———
13
5
———
That sum multiplied by 5 will be 65 65
To which add the number of the middle dice 6
———
71
And multiply the sum by 10 10
———
710
To that product add the number of the third dice 2
———
712
Substract 250
———
462
The numbers of the dice and the order in which they stand.
_Easy method of Constructing paper Balloons._
Take several sheets of silk paper, cut them like the covering of the
sections of an orange, join these pieces together into a globular body,
and border the opening with a ribbon, leaving the ends that you may
suspend the following lamp: make a small basket of very fine wire, if
the balloon is small, and suspend it from the following opening, so that
the smoke from the flames of a few sheets of paper wrapped together and
dipped in oil, may heat the inside of it, before you light this paper,
suspend the balloon so that it may, in a great measure, be exhausted of
air, and, as soon as it has been dilated, let it go, together with the
basket, which will serve as ballast.
_A Lead Tree._
To a piece of zinc fasten a wire twisted in the form of the worm of a
still, introduce it into the bottle suspended to the cork. Let the
bottle be filled with spring water, with a small quantity of sugar of
lead added. In a few days the tree will begin to grow, and produce a
most beautiful effect.
_To place a Lighted Candle under Water without extinguishing it._
Take a glass, and fastening a small bit of wood across the mouth, stick
on it a lighted piece of candle, and, with a steady hand, convey the
glass to the surface of the water, then push it gently down, and the
candle may be seen burning under the water.
_To make Detonating Balls._
Half a grain of fulminating silver, is to be wrapped up with a hard pea
in a piece of tissue paper, this, when thrown smartly on the ground or
when trod upon, explodes with a loud report.
_Invisible Ink._
Mix alum with lemon juice, the letters and characters written with this
mixture are invisible till dipped in water. If a little aqua-fortis be
mixed with the water, the writing will dry well and not run out of its
form when the paper is wetted.
_Blue Ink._
Dissolve a small quantity in a little oil of vitriol, and add a
sufficient quantity of water, in which is dissolved some gum arabic.
_Scarlet Ink._
Dissolve vermillion in gum water.
_A pair of Dice being thrown, to find the number of points on each Dice,
without seeing them._
Tell the person who casts the dice to double the number of points upon
one of them, and to add five to it, then to multiply the product by
five, and add to sum produced the number of points upon the other die.
This being done, desire him to tell you the amount, and having thrown
out of it twenty-five, the remainder will be a number consisting of two
figures, the first of which, to the left, is the number of points on the
first die, and the second figure, to the right, the number on the other.
_For Example._
Suppose the number of points of the first die which is turned up, to be
3 and that of the other 4, then if to 6, the double of the points of the
first, there be added 5, and the sum produced, 11, be multiplied by 5,
the product will be 55, to which if 4, the number of points on the other
die, be added, 59 will be produced from which if 25 be substracted, 34
will remain; the first figure of which is 3, the number of points on the
first die, and the second figure 4, the number of the other.
_To make any number divisible by Nine by adding a figure to it._
If, for example, the number named be 72.857, you tell the person who
names it, to place the number 7 between any two figures of that sum, and
it will be divisible by 9, for if any number be multiplied by 9, the sum
of the figures of the product will be either 9 or a number divisible by
9.
_To extract Silver out of a Ring, that is thick Gilded, so that the gold
may remain entire._
Make a little hole through the gold into the silver, then put the ring
into aqua-fortis, in a warm place, it will dissolve the silver, and the
gold will remain entire.
_Light produced by Sugar._
If two pieces of loaf sugar (about a pound each) are struck against each
other in the dark, a light blue flame, like lightning, will be produced.
The same effect is produced when a loaf of sugar is struck with an iron
instrument.
_Singular Experiment with the Snuff of a Candle._
When a candle is burned so low as to leave a tolerably large wick, blow
it out, a dense smoke will arise, if another candle be applied to the
utmost verge of this smoke, a very strange phenomena will take place;
the flame of the lighted candle will be carried to the one just blown
out, as if it were borne on a cloud; or, more properly speaking, like a
flash of lightning, proceeding at a slow rate. The experiment may be
performed by blowing out the candle as often as it is lighted.
_Artificial Lightning._
Provide a tin tube that is larger at one end than it is at the other,
and in which there are several holes. Fill this tube with powdered
resin; and when it is shook over the flame of a torch, the reflection
will produce the exact appearance of lightning.
_To cause a brilliant explosion under water._
Drop a piece of phosphorus, the size of a pea, into a tumbler of hot
water; and, from a bladder, furnished with a stop-cock, force a stream
of oxygen directly upon it. This will afford a most brilliant combustion
under water.
_The Fiery Flash._
Pour iron filings upon the flame of a candle, from a sheet of paper,
about eight or ten inches above it, as they descend in the flame, they
will enter into a very vivid scintillating combustion.
_To split a piece of money into two parts._
Fix three pins in the table, and lay the piece of money upon them; then
place a heap of the flowers of sulphur below the piece of money, and
another above it, and set fire to them. When the flame is extinct, you
will find on the upper part of the piece a thin plate of metal, which
has been detached from it.
_Sympathetic Ink._
Write with the nitro-muriate of gold, and brush the letters over with
muriate of tin in a diluted state. The writing, before invisible, will
now appear of an exquisitely beautiful purple colour.
_A very easy method of gilding ivory._
Place the figure you mean to gild into a solution of nitro-muriate of
gold. On taking out from the latter, it will be covered with metallic
gold.
_How to make the Constable catch the Knave._
Take a pack of cards and look out the four knaves, lay one of them
privately on the top of the pack, and the other three on the table,
saying, here you see, are three knaves got together, about no good you
may be sure, then lay down a king by the side of them saying, but here
comes the constable and catches them together. Oh, oh, says he, have I
caught you then together? Well the next time I catch you together I’ll
punish you severely for your rogueries. Oh, but, says they, you shan’t
catch us together in haste; so they determine to go three different
ways. I’ll go here, says one, (so take one of the knaves and put him at
the top of the cards.) I’ll go here, says another, (so put him at the
bottom.) And I’ll go here, says a third, (so put him exactly in the
middle.) “Nay,” says the constable, “if you run I’ll make sure of one,
so I’ll follow the first, then take the king and put him at the top of
the pack, and let any one cut the cards three or four times, and then
deal; cut the cards one by one, and you will find three together, and
the constable with them.”
_To tell the amount of the Numbers of any two Cards drawn from a common
Pack._
Let the person who has drawn the two cards deduct the number of each of
them from twenty-six, which is half the number of the pack, and after
adding the remainder together, let him tell you the total, which you
privately deduct from fifty-two, the number of cards in a perfect pack,
and the remainder will be the amount of the two cards.
_Example._
Suppose the two cards drawn are 5 and 8; then the person deducting 5
from 26, there remain 21; then 8 from 26 there remain 18; these two
remainders added together make 39, which you substract from 52, and
there remain 13 the number of the two cards when added together.
_To tell the number of Cards by their weight._
Take a parcel of cards, suppose forty, among which insert two long
cards, let the first be, for example, the tenth, and the other the
fourteenth from the top; seem to shuffle the cards, and then cutting
them at the first long card, poise those you have cut off in your left
hand, “there should be here ten cards.” Cut them again, at the second
long card, and say, “there are only four cards.” Then weighing the
remainder, you say, “here are only twenty-eight cards.”
_To hold four Knaves, or four Kings, in your hand, and to change them
suddenly into Blank Cards, and then into four Aces._
You must have cards made for the purpose of this feat, half cards, as
they may be properly termed, that is, one half kings or knaves and the
other half aces. When you lay the aces one over the other, nothing but
the kings or knaves will be seen. Then turning the kings or knaves
downwards, the four aces will be seen. You must have two perfect cards,
one a king or knave to cover one of the aces, or else it will be seen;
and the other an ace to lay over the kings or knaves. When you wish to
make them all blank cards, lay the cards a little lower, and by hiding
the aces they will all appear white on both sides. You may then ask the
company which they choose, and exhibit kings, aces, or blanks, as
required.
_Cards in couples._
Select any twenty cards, and having them shuffled by any person that
pleases, lay them in pairs upon the table, then desire several persons
(as many as there are pairs on the table) to look at different pairs,
and remember what cards compose them. You then take up the cards in the
order in which they have been placed, and replace them with their faces
uppermost upon the table, according to the situation of the letters in
the following word.
M U T U S
1 2 3 4 5
D E D I T
6 7 8 9 10
N O M E N
11 12 13 14 15
C O C I S
16 17 18 19 20
These words, which have no particular meaning, contain ten letters
repeated, or two of each sort. You, therefore, ask each person which row
or rows the cards he looked at are in; if he says the first, they must
be the second and fourth in that row; these being the only duplicates in
them, if he says the second and fourth, they must be the ninth and
nineteenth, and so of all the rest. This amusement, which is very
simple, and requires very little practice, will excite considerable
astonishment in the uninformed.
_Method of receiving the Electric Shock from a Cat._
Put the left hand under the throat, with the middle finger and thumb
slightly pressing the bones of the animal’s shoulders, then gently
passing the right hand along the back, sensible electrical shock will be
felt in the left hand, and very distinct discharges may be obtained by
touching the tips of the ears, after applying friction to the back; the
same may be obtained from the foot.
_A Brilliant Combustion._
If a piece of inflated phosphorus be plunged in a jar of nitrous acid
gas, a very beautiful and brilliant combustion will take place.
_To Tell the Number thought of by a person._
Desire the person to take one from the number thought of, and to double
the remainder, then bid him take one from this double, and add to it the
number thought of; in the last place, ask him to tell you the number
arising from this addition, add three to it, and the third of the sum
will be the number required.
_For Example._
Let the number thought of be 6, if 1 be taken from it, there will remain
5, the double of which 10, being diminished by 1, and the remainder 9
being increased by 6, the number thought of, the result will be 15, if
to this we add 3, we shall have 18, the third part of which, 6, will be
the number required.
_How to lift up a Flint Glass Bottle with a Straw._
Take a straw, which is not broken or bruised, and having bent one end of
it into a sharp angle, put this curved end into the bottle, so that the
bent part may rest against its side, and you may take the other end in
your hand, and lift up the bottle by it, without breaking the straw, and
this will be more readily accomplished, as the angular part of the straw
approaches nearer to that which comes out of the bottle.
_How to produce Flashes of Light resembling the Will O’ Wisp._
Take a small quantity of water in a glass tumbler, and add to it two or
three small lumps of phosphoret of lime, shortly will arise little
flashes of light, darting out like petty lightning and ascending
subsequently into curling clouds, the appearances continue for some
time, and constitute a lively illustration of the formation of a light
proceeding out of shallow pools of water.
_Imitative Medallions._
Medallions, after the antique, cameos and intaglios are made by fusing
the iron with a small quantity of antimony, performing the operation in
a very small furnace. When finished from the mould, rub them over with
burnt porcelain earth, from which they will receive the rich hue of jet,
rendering them fit to be set, even in gold.
_Method of cleaning Playing Cards._
Nothing soils sooner than playing cards. The following method will be
found to remove every thing from them but a stain, and will give the
dirtiest pack possible the appearance of being new. Rub the soiled card
with a piece of flannel and some good fresh butter, until the butter
shall have cleaned off all the dirt. So soon as the dirt is removed,
wipe off the butter with a clean rag, and to restore the cards to its
former gloss, rub the surface sharply with a piece of flannel and some
flour, cut the edges neatly with a pair of scissars, and the operation
is completed.
_To Detonate Fulminating Copper by Friction._
Put a grain of fulminating copper on a hearth-stone, rub it with the end
of a poker, and a loud explosion will immediately follow.
_To make a Stone Float._
To a piece of cork tie a small stone that will just sink it, and putting
it into a vessel of water, place it under the receiver; then exhausting
the receiver, the bubbles of air will expand from its pores, and
adhering to its surface, will render it, together with the stone,
lighter than water, and consequently both will rise to the surface and
float upon it.
_The Fiery Fountain._
If twenty grains of phosphorus, cut very small and mixed with forty
grains of powder of zinc, be put into four drams of water, and two drams
of concentrated sulphuric acid be added thereto, bubbles of inflamed
phosphorated hydrogen gas will quickly cover the whole surface of the
fluid in successions forming a real fountain of fire.
_To make an Exploding Bubble._
If you take up a small quantity of melted glass with a tube (the bowl of
a common tobacco-pipe will do) and let a drop fall into a vessel of
water, it will chill and condense with a fine spiral tail, which being
broken the whole substance will burst with a loud explosion, without
injury either to the party that holds it, or to him who breaks it; but
if the thick end be struck, even with a hammer, it will not break.
_The Changeable Rose._
Take a common full blown rose, and having thrown a little sulphur,
finely pounded, into a chafing dish with coals, expose the rose to the
vapour; by this process the rose will become whitish; but if it be
afterwards held some time in water, it will resume its former colour.
_To Write upon Glass by the rays of the Sun._
Dissolve chalk in aqua-fortis to the consistence of milk, and add to it
a solution of silver. Keep this liquor in a glass decanter, well
stopped. Then cut out from a paper the letters you would have appear,
and paste the paper upon the decanter, which is to be placed in the sun,
in such a manner that its rays may pass through the spaces cut out of
the paper, and fall on the surface of the liquor. The part of the glass
through which the rays pass will turn black, and that under the paper
will remain white. You must observe not to move the bottles during the
time of the operation.
_To take a Shilling out of a Handkerchief._
You must have a curtain ring about the size of a shilling, at first you
put the shilling into the handkerchief, but when you take it out again,
to convince the company that there is no deception, you slip the curtain
ring in its stead, and while the person is eagerly holding the
handkerchief, and the company’s eyes are fixed upon the form of the
shilling, you seize this opportunity of putting it into a hat or basket;
when you get possession of the handkerchief again you slip away the
curtain ring.
_To prepare Gold Powder for Gilding._
Put into an earthen mortar some leaf gold, with thick gum water, and
grind the mixture till the gold is reduced to small particles. Having
done this, a little warm water will wash out the gum, leaving the gold
in a pulverized state.
_To melt Lead in a piece of Paper._
Wrap up a very smooth ball of lead in a piece of paper, taking care that
there be no wrinkles in it, and that it be every where in contact with
the ball, if it be held, in this state, over the flame of a taper, the
lead will be melted without the paper being burnt. The lead, indeed,
when once fused, will not fail in a short time to pierce the paper, and
run through.
_To make a Room seem on Fire._
Take half an ounce of sal ammoniac, one ounce of camphor, and two ounces
of aqua-vitæ, put them into an earthen pot, narrowing towards the top,
and set fire to it. The effect will be so alarming, that persons in the
room will fancy their garments are on fire.
_To make Artificial Fire Balls._
Put thirty grains of phosphorus into a florence flask, with three or
four ounces of water; place the vessel over a lamp, and give it a
boiling heat. Balls of fire will soon be seen to issue from the water,
after the manner of an artificial firework, attended with the most
beautiful vibrations of light.
_To break a Staff placed upon two Glass Goblets full of water, without
Injuring the Glasses or Spilling the Water._
Place the glasses (being full of water) upon two joint stools, equally
distant from the ground, and from one another the length of the staff,
then place the ends of the staff upon the edges of the two glasses, so
that they be sharp, this being done, strike the staff in the middle,
with all the force you can, with another staff, and it will break
without injuring the goblets, or spilling the water.
_To observe an Eclipse of the Sun without injury to the Eye._
Take a spectacle glass that magnifies very much, hold it before a book,
twice the distance of its focus, and you will see the round body of the
sun, and the manner in which the moon passes between the glass and the
sun, during the whole eclipse.
_Invisible Ink._
Take zaffer, and dissolve it in nitro-muriatic acid, till the acid
extracts all the metallic part, then dilute the solution with common
water, if you write with this liquid on paper, the writing will appear
of a beautiful green, upon being partially warmed before the fire.
_Bronze for casting Busts, &c._
Melt in a crucible, seven ounces of pure copper, when fused throw into
it three ounces of zinc, and two ounces of tin. These metals will
combine forming bronze, an alloy, which, from the exactness of the
impression which it takes from a mould, has, in ancient and modern
times, been generally used in the formation of busts, medals, and
statues.
_To put a Ring through your Cheek and then to bring it on a Stick._
You must have two rings exactly alike, one of which has a notch which
admits your cheek. When you have exhibited the perfect ring, you change
it for the other, and privately slip the notch over one side of your
mouth, in the meantime you slip the whole ring on your stick, hiding it
with your hand, then desire some one to hold the end of the stick, whip
the ring out of your cheek, and smite with it instantly upon the stick,
concealing it, and whirling the other ring, which you hold your hand
over round about the stick.
_To tell, by a Watch Dial, the hour when a person intends to rise._
The person is told to set the hand of his watch at any hour he pleases,
which hour he tells you, and you add in your mind twelve to it. You then
desire him to count privately the number of that addition on the dial,
commencing at the next hour to that at which he intends to rise, and
including the hour at which he has placed the hand, which will give you
the answer.
_For Example._
A intends to rise at 6 (this he conceals to himself) he places the hand
at 8, which he tells B, who, in his own mind, adds 12 to 8, which makes
20. B then tells A to count 20 on the dial, beginning at the next hour
to that at which he proposes to rise, which will be 7, and counting
backwards, reckoning each hour as 1, and including in his addition the
number of the hour hand is placed at, the addition will end at 6, which
is the hour proposed; thus,
The hour the hand is placed at is 8
The next hour to that, which A intends to rise at, is 7, which
counts for 8 1
Count back the hours from 6, and reckon them 1 each, there will be
11 hours, viz. 4, 3, 2, 1, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8 7, 6, 11
——
Making 20
H. HETHERINGTON, Printer, 13, Kingsgate Street, Holborn.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
1. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling.
2. Anachronistic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as
printed.
3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.
*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Holiday Frolics; Or, Endless Amusement For the Christmas Fireside - Containing, the Most Astonishing Feats of Legerdemain, and - Astounding Conjurings; Entertaining Experiments in Various - Branches of Science; Tricks With Cards & Dice. Art of - Making Fireworks; Together With an Excellent Collection - of Puzzles, Conundrums, Riddles, Charades, &C. &C. the - Whole Admirably Calculated to Beguile the Leisure Hours - of Our Holiday Friends. Embellished With a Copper-plate - Engraving" ***
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