,,pr,,cis ,,writing ,,for ,,beginners ,,by ,,guy ,n4 ,,pocock1 ,m4,a4 ,royal ,naval ,college1 ,dartmouth ,late ,head of the ,history and ,english ,department1 ,military ,side1 ,cheltenham ,college ,,blackie ,,and ,,son ,,limited #ej ,,old ,,bailey ,,london ,,glasgow ,,and ,,bombay ,,foreword ,the object of this little book is to teach prcis writing from the very start4 ,it has been found from experience that the average boy who in the ,lower ,fifth ,form starts making prcis of ,government ,blue ,books and ,collected ,correspondence1 will flounder about for a whole term without understanding what he is really expected to do4 ,the following exercises are progressive and the rules of strict prcis writing are learnt one by one4 ,the exercises are really very simple parodies of ,government ,reports1 c41 such as a boy will have to deal with in the higher forms and the ,army ,examinations4 ,they are arranged in groups1 e4g4 ,reports1 ,correspondence1 ,trials1 ,ships' ,logs1 and so forth4 ,after working through the series a boy should be perfectly competent to tackle the real thing4 ,incidentally1 there is no better training than prcis writing for concentration of thought and expression4 ,g4 ,n4 ,p4 ,,royal ,,naval ,,college1 ,,dartmouth4 ,april1 #aiag4 ,,exercises ,page #a4 ,,reported ,,speech #aj #b4 ,,george ,,oakes #ac #c4 ,,the ,,cobra #ae #d4 ,,the ,,two ,,lieutenants #ai #e4 ,,the ,,black ,,republic #bc #f4 ,,the ,,professor ,,and ,,the ,,monkeys #bg #g4 ,,the ,,island #ca #h4 ,a ,,seventeenth-,,century ,,witch ,,trial #ce #i4 ,,the ,,miser #ci #aj4 ,,the ,,boy ,,scouts #dc #aa4 ,,child ,,labourers ,,in #ahcf #dg #ab4 ,,the ,,museum1 #cjj ,b4,c4 #ea #ac4 ,,the ,,warning #ee #ad4 ,,science ,,as ,,taught ,,in ,,our ,,great-,,grandfathers' ,,school-,,days #ei #ae4 ,,the ,,hut-,,tax #fc #af4 ,,the ,,mandarin #fi #ag4 ,,isaac ,,newton #gc #ah4 ,,the ,,battle ,,of ,,the ,,nile #gg ,,pr,,cis ,,writing ,what ,prcis ,means ,a prcis is the essence of a longer story of any kind4 ,you take your story and #8boil it down'1 so as to get rid of all the parts that do not really matter2 you then collect what is left1 and put these points together in a short concise #8summary'4 ,but the result must not be a #8list' of important points1 or a series of #8jottings'4 ,it must be the same story told clearly and readably1 in a very much condensed form4 ,for instance1 you may have to make a prcis of a long pile of letters dealing with some particular subject2 or perhaps the account of a trial2 or a long report written by one individual4 ,it doesn't matter what the longer #8story' is4 ,what you have to do is to read it through1 extract all the parts that matter1 and put them down in readable form4 ,the ,object of these ,exercises ,now prcis writing is unlike free ,english composition4 ,it is much more exact and scientific2 and it must be written according to certain definite rules4 ,it is no use trying to learn all the rules at once2 you will learn them one by one1 and without trouble1 as you work through the following exercises4 ,these exercises are not the real ,government ,blue ,books1 reports1 trials1 c41 that you will have to tackle later on4 ,they are all #8made up'4 ,but they are exactly like the real thing4 ,the only difference is that they are much easier and shorter--and they are not so dull4 ,and as they are the same sort of thing on a small scale1 you should be able to deal with the real ones later on when you meet them4 ,how to tackle a ,prcis ,all prcis1 whether easy or difficult1 should be tackled in the same way4 ,first read the whole thing through very carefully without writing any notes or underlining any passages4 ,all depends on this first reading4 ,for if you once get into the way of writing your prcis or even making notes #8as you go along'1 you will never grasp the subject as a whole4 ,and the result will be that your prcis will lack balance4 ,either you will write too much about the first half and skimp the rest1 or you will write a great deal about the picturesque points that appeal to you1 and leave out things that really matter4 ,when you have read it carefully through1 and got the whole story in your mind1 run through it quickly a second time marking the passages you mean to use4 ,for the purposes of this book the best plan will be to underline in pencil those passages which will have to be used with little alteration1 and to put a wavy line against those which cannot be left out altogether1 but must be greatly condensed4 ,last1 work up all the marked passages into a short continuous #8story'4 ,,rule ,i4--,start your ,prcis with a title4 ,this title must not be of the imaginative kind that would suit a story1 such as #8,a ,misunderstanding'1 or #8,the ,adventures of a ,red ,cross ,man'4 ,it must be a clear and concise statement of what the prcis is about4 ,thus3 8,prcis of the correspondence between the ,british ,government and ,dr4 ,wilson1 ,president of the ,united ,states1 concerning contraband of war04 ,and if dates are given you should add1 8between ,feb4 #ah1 #aiae1 and ,oct41 #aiaf04 ,,rule ,,ii4--,every ,prcis must be written in the form of ,,reported ,,speech4 ,this rule is so important that it is impossible to write a prcis till it is thoroughly understood4 ,it will be necessary to explain what is meant by #8reported speech'1 and to practise a few examples4 8,reported ,speech0 ,suppose you say to somebody1 8,i can't be bothered1 as ,i am busy writing a prcis60 you are using a form which is called ,direct speech4 ,and suppose the person you were addressing goes away and says to somebody else1 8,so-and-so said he couldn't be bothered1 as he was busy writing a prcis01 he is reporting what you said4 ,in other words1 he has turned your #8direct speech' into #8reported speech'4 ,notice what has happened4 ,you are no longer the person speaking1 but the person spoken about3 therefore #8,i' becomes #8he'4 ,also you are no longer speaking3 what you said is now #8in the past'2 therefore #8can't' becomes #8could not' and #8am' becomes #8was'4 ,this is quite straightforward4 ,the difficulty arises when you are dealing with words that imply future time4 ,without going into the syntax1 one may just explain that in ,reported speech the #8future' must be referred back to the time at which the ,direct statement was spoken4 ,thus3 8,i will write when ,i get home01 becomes 8,he said that he would write when he got home04 ,thus for the purposes of simple prcis writing the following rules must be observed3-- 7a7 ,never use the ,first or ,second persons3 always the ,third4 7b7 ,never use the ,present tense3 always the ,past4 7c7 ,never use the ,future tense3 always refer it back to the past4 ,even a verb such as #8must'1 which usually implies the future1 should be changed to #8would have to'1 or some such phrase4 7d7 ,possessive adjectives1 my1 your1 our1 must be changed to the ,third person4 7e7 ,adverbs and adverbial phrases must be changed in the same way4 #8,now' becomes #8then'2 #8at the present time' becomes #8at that time'2 #8here' becomes #8there'1 and so on4 ,take one more example4 ,you know this familiar quotation3 8,i will arise and go to my ,father1 and say unto ,him1 #8,father1 ,i have sinned against ,heaven and before ,thee1 and am no more worthy to be called ,thy son'04 ,now suppose you were telling the story of the ,prodigal ,son to a ,japanese gentleman1 or somebody who had not heard it before1 and you wished to keep pretty close to the original1 you might put it in this way3 8,the prodigal son then determined that he would arise and go to his ,father1 and confess that he had sinned before ,him and against ,heaven1 and was no more worthy to be called ,his son04 ,compare these two forms1 and note all the differences4 ,no4 #a4--;,exercises in 8,reported ,speech0 7#a47 ,the following are written in the form of ,direct speech4 ,rewrite them in ,reported speech3-- 7a7 8,sister ,anne1 sister ,anne1 do you see anyone coming80 asked the poor wife again4 8,i see nothing but a cloud of dust10 her sister replied4 7b7 8,i cannot speak to you here and now2 but after the match is over ,i shall take the first opportunity of telling you exactly what ,i think of you40 7c7 8,i don't know whether ,i shall be able to come4 ,i will if ,i can1 but that must depend on how things turn out4 ,at this moment ,i cannot say definitely that ,i will come40 7#b47 ,report the following speech1 beginning thus3-- 8,on rising to introduce ,mr4 ,elijah ,timmins1 the mayor elect1 the retiring mayor said that4'''0 8,gentlemen1 ,i have the honour to bring to your notice ,mr4 ,elijah ,timmins1 who is to be your mayor for the coming year4 ,mr4 ,timmins1 gentlemen1 has had--not the experience ,i have had1 of course1 for my experience has been exceptional4 ,i have had a hard struggle1 gentlemen1 but by solid work and honest dealing--and you will bear me out when ,i say that my pork sausages are always of the highest order--,i raised myself to the top of the tree4 ,modesty forbids me to speak of myself1 gentlemen2 but ,i have felt that in these times of war and stress it is very important to have at the helm a mayor of real tact and business capacity2 and ,i cannot help thinking that ,i have been the right man in the right place4 ,with ,lord ,nelson ,i may say1 #8,thank ,god ,i have done my duty'4 8,mr4 ,timmins1 gentlemen1 is about to step into my shoes2 and ,i only trust he will not undo the good work that ,i have done40 ,we are now in a position to write prcis in its simplest form4 ,we will try a few very easy examples first1 such as 8,george ,oakes0 and the 8,cobra02 after that the exercises will become more difficult4 ,notes ,the following is a letter written by an old cottager to the ,squire of his ,parish4 ,condense it to half the length1 correcting the spelling and grammar4 ,it is very simple1 as there is only one #8subject'1 and therefore only one paragraph4 ,but it will serve to introduce this most important rule of ,prcis writing3 ,,rule ,,iii4--,all points essential to the subject ,,must be put in2 while all unessential points1 repetitions1 c41 should be left out4 7,we may modify the second half of this rule later on47 ,remember that it must be written as #8reported speech'4 ,no4 #b4--;,george ,oakes ,,ivy ,,cottage1 ,,bourton-,,on-,,the-,,water4 ,,dear ,,sir1 ,i ope you are quite well as this leaves me at present which my wife as the swolen glans something bitter but ,i do not complain it being the ,will of ,god1 which my wife do so most monotinous4 ,dear ,sir ,i ave been out of work ,severn weeks come ,toosdy and the price of coals is rose something crool which ,i cannot afford them nohow1 and my wife havin the swolen glans and wot not4 ,dear ,sir if you could give me a job of work in the garden or the fowlouse ,i should take it most grateful bein bread and born in the fowlouse in a manner of speakin sixty years man and boy ,i ave ad truck with fowls4 ,dear ,sir you ave the oner to know me so long there is no need of ,referances1 which perraps you might not ave heard my experance in the foulouse which believe me sir ,i understands all manner of ,fowls1 poultry and wot not1 and my wife as ad truck with ducks but she bein laid aside with the swolen glans she cannot come out which bein the ,will of ,god ,i do not complain4 ,dear ,sir perraps you would like to give me a trial seein as how ,i do not live far a way bein strong in the ,legs4 ,dear ,sir if you will give me a ,trial ,i will take it most kind4 ,dear ,sir ,god bless you and trousers you give me are fine and warm as everso which they are a bit narrer but not to mention4 ,yours umble ,dear ,sir ,,george ,,oakes4 ,notes ,the following is also very simple1 and may be done in one paragraph of ten or twelve lines4 ,make up your mind what the real subject of this paragraph should be2 and notice that the colonel is not really of the slightest importance to the story--except that he tells it4 ,don't forget the title1 beginning 8,prcis of '''04 ,no4 #c4--,the ,cobra 8,talking of snakes10 said the colonel1 pushing back his chair and lighting another cheroot1 8reminds me of a curious incident that happened when ,i was stationed at ,ghurrapore1 in the early 'eighties4 ,ghurrapore was an infernal bad place for snakes1 and the worst of the lot was the cobra or hooded snake4 ,these cobras1 or hooded snakes1 turned up everywhere--in your bath1 under the verandah1 anywhere4 ,now1 one day one of my officers1 ,lieutenant ,simpson1 went into the officers' changing-room to get a pair of tennis shoes4 ,there were a dozen pairs in a wooden box2 and not seeing his own on the top he put his hand in to fish out the bottom ones4 ,now you must know that there had been a regular plague of cobras1 or hooded snakes1 in the lines1 and we were all a bit panicky2 so when ,simpson suddenly felt something pricking him1 and drew out his hand to find two drops of blood on his little finger1 he at once concluded it was a cobra1 or hooded snake4 8,i was sitting in the club at the time drinking some of that excellent #g star whisky--you remember it1 ,major8 ,and when ,i saw young ,simpson running across the compound holding his little finger1 ,i at once said to myself1 #8,that's a hooded snake or cobra6' 8,i then followed him to the carpenter's shop2 but by the time ,i got there the thing was done4 ,he had taken a heavy chisel1 and cut his little finger right off6 ,i helped him back to the club1 sent for the doctor1 and gave ,simpson a dose of that #g star whisky--you remember it1 ,major8 ,i then sent four men to the changing-room armed with sticks4 ,we upset the box and beat those shoes unmercifully--but no cobra or hooded snake6 ,when ,i felt that the situation was quite safe1 ,i myself examined the box4 ,and there sticking up through the bottom boards were two little nails1 sharp and close together6 ,and so young ,simpson had cut his finger off for nothing6 ,infernal bad luck ,i call it4 ,infernal bad luck4 ,for anyone--even ,i myself--would easily have mistaken the #8bite' for that of a cobra1 or hooded snake40 ,notes ,the following is a study in contrasts4 ,the rest is really quite subsidiary4 ,bring out this point by means of contrasting paragraphs4 ,condense the descriptions of the characters as much as you can1 without leaving out more points than you can help4 ,no4 #d4--,the ,two ,lieutenants ,extract from the ,autobiography of ,admiral ,sir ,hercules ,prout1 ,k4,c4,b4 8''' ,the sphere of influence of the ,british ,navy comprising as it does the waters of the entire globe1 it follows that the average naval officer comes into contact with all sorts and conditions of men2 and if he uses his opportunities he will inevitably become a rare judge of human character4 ,he will tend to range men in groups whether they be his own officers or men1 or persons of every race and grade of society with whom he comes into contact4 8,captains of ,h4,m4 ,ships are often called upon to use powers of selection and discrimination4 ,i recall one particular instance in which ,i was called upon to select from among my junior officers one who could carry through a difficult and dangerous business1 the success or failure of which would be attended with far-reaching consequences4 ,no matter now what the business was4 ,suffice to say that it was connected with gun-running on the part of certain unfriendly chiefs1 and indirectly with the influence of a so-called friendly ,european power4 ,a delicate business requiring rare qualities of daring and tact1 and an aptitude for diplomacy and espionage4 8,i retired to my cabin and went through the list of all officers above the rank of midshipman1 crossing out the unsuitable till ,i had reduced my choice to two4 ,these ,i will call ,lieutenant ,x and ,lieutenant ,z4 8,lieutenant ,x was a very large and powerful fellow1 with fair hair and blue-grey eyes--a typical ,saxon4 ,he was a magnificent athlete and had played back for the ,navy4 ,he was a clever fellow too--,i had noticed that--though he pretended not to be4 ,his manner was boisterous and frank1 and sometimes he used this as bluff4 7,i recall several instances--but that is neither here nor there47 ,he was very popular1 for he #8had a way with him'1 and often made people tell him things when they had had no intention of doing so4 ,his manner was so pleasant that most people failed to realize how masterful he was4 ,as a boy on the ,britannia he had been a strong chief cadet captain1 and yet contrived to be very popular4 ,add to this he was a capital seaman1 and could turn his hand to anything1 especially in emergency2 and in those days and that part of the world emergencies were frequent4 8,lieutenant ,z was the very antithesis of ,lieutenant ,x both in appearance and manner4 ,he was small and dark and wiry2 his features were very clean-cut1 and his thin lips pressed tightly together in a perfectly straight line gave an impression of immense determination4 ,he was then quite one of the cleverest lieutenants in the ,navy1 and as shrewd as he was clever4 ,he was very reticent1 and he possessed a #8biting' tongue1 if one may be allowed a queer metaphor2 no one ever knew what he was thinking about unless he told them1 and then he often told them what he did not really think4 ,and so he was feared but not liked4 ,i had never known him to be taken by surprise2 and he was an absolutely dead shot with a revolver4 8,after taking into consideration all the possible circumstances with which my emissary was likely to be faced1 ,i made my decision1 and sent for ,lieutenant ,z4 ,i need hardly say that ,i had every ground for satisfaction with my choice2 but ,z's adventures must be told in another chapter40 ,notes ,the following exercise is again a study in contrasts1 but in this case there are more than two4 ,you will have seen from the last exercise that the way to make your prcis clear is to arrange all the topics in separate paragraphs4 ,we may put it in the form of a ,rule3 ,,rule ,,iv4--,after you have stated your main subject in the #8title'1 arrange all the different topics in ,,separate ,,paragraphs2 and whenever you can1 make the #8state of affairs' clear in your first paragraph4 ,this rule applies to every prcis you write4 ,the best plan is to jot down in pencil ,headings for all your paragraphs before you start writing your prcis 7three in short prcis2 four1 five1 or six1 in longer prcis74 ,the length of each paragraph depends on the importance of the topic4 ,no4 #e4--,the ,black ,republic ,extract from the reminiscences of ,commander ,brown1 ,r4,n4 ,i have only once visited the ,black ,republic1 and that was some years ago1 when ,i was still a midshipman4 ,i was in the ,argo then1 a curious old tub that has long since been scrapped4 ,we had been cruising about the islands and enjoying ourselves hugely1 when the captain received orders to bring certain pressure to bear upon the ,black ,republicans4 ,i don't know what the fuss was about2 that didn't concern me4 ,what did interest me was the fact that we--myself and four other 8snotties0--were allowed shore-leave for the afternoon4 ,a strange wild place the island looked as we approached it in the picket-boat3 a huge tumbled mass of bare mountain peaks1 for all the world like a crumpled newspaper thrown down on a blue carpet4 ,it was beautiful too in this glare of the tropical sun1 with its gleaming grey rocks and dark forest belt1 and the straggling lines of white houses that backed the harbour4 ,as we drew nearer we could see the yellow lateen sails of little fruit-boats that crowded round the quay1 the green sun-blinds of houses1 and the white dresses and brilliant red and blue parasols of the ladies who thronged the promenade--a regular kaleidoscope of dazzling colour points4 ,and we promised ourselves a jolly afternoon of exploration and ramble4 ,but no sooner had we rounded the mole and entered the harbour than the whole aspect changed4 ,it is difficult to convey a true impression of the extreme shabbiness and tawdriness of the scene4 ,it fell like a blight upon us1 and our spirits sank down into our boots4 ,the whole surface of the harbour was covered with a scum of dirt and oil in which floated banana skins1 bits of orange-peel1 matches1 and dead flies1 while the quay was pervaded by an indescribable stench1 heavy and sweet1 like an old dust-bin4 ,we came alongside and walked up the steps1 slipping on fishes' heads and fruit skins2 and everywhere we were met by the same dirty finery and pretentious tawdriness4 ,crowds of ladies walked up and down the parade--black ladies1 dressed in dirty white frocks and darned canvas shoes4 ,their brilliant parasols were torn1 and their hat-feathers dishevelled like those of a scare-crow4 ,innumerable soldiers--black men1 of course--thronged the streets1 strutting with indescribable self-satisfaction4 ,but they were as shabby as the 8ladies01 in their dirty cocked-hats1 their concertina-like trousers1 and tunics stuck all over with medals and orders like ,christmas-trees4 ,we discovered from the ,commander afterwards that the whole army consists of officers1 very few of them below the rank of ,major-general4 ,they are inordinately proud of their medals1 and quite amazingly inefficient4 ,it was really beastly--there is no other word to describe it--so beastly that we snotties walked along in silence1 unable at first to realize how funny it all was4 ,presently a huge black major-general1 decked with gold tinsel epaulets and as many orders as the ,lord ,high ,executioner1 came across to us and saluted with magnificent gusto4 8,what the deuce does the old buffer want80 whispered ,jones to me4 8,me speak ,englees10 said the major-general1 and paused4 8,well1 out with it1 old son2 what do you want80 asked ,jones disrespectfully4 ,and then at last we saw the humour of the whole ramshackle system2 for what in the world should this affected old turkey-cock of a major-general want1 but to carry the bag which contained our towels and tea for the modest sum of half a crown6 ,we roared with laughter2 and at that moment our #ast ,lieutenant came along4 8,get out6 no want60 he said2 and the disconcerted major-general slunk away with the most humorous expression of offended pride and grovelling servility4 8,i shouldn't stay in the town10 said the lieutenant2 8it stinks4 ,if you carry on down the road1 you will come to a first-rate bathing-place40 ,and so we did4 ,notes ,a short paragraph of explanation is needed4 ,the different lines of investigation fit very easily into different paragraphs4 ,no4 #f4--,the ,professor and the ,monkeys ,translation of a letter written by ,herr ,professor ,otto von ,pumpenstein to the ,mnchen ,philological ,society4 ,,wilhelmstrasse1 ,,hamburg4 ,june #a4 ,,gentlemen1 ,i regret that distance prohibits me from attending the summer meeting of the ,philological ,society in person2 more especially as ,i have been making certain investigations which1 ,i venture to think1 will have far-reaching consequences4 ,allow me to enclose the report of my experiments4 ihr ergebenst ,,otto ,,von ,,pumpenstein4 ,enclosure ,report of certain experiments carried out in the ,monkey-house of the ,hamburg ,zoological ,gardens4 ,the following experiments were made by me by kind permission of the ,herr ,vorsteher of the ,zoological ,gardens1 with the object of ascertaining whether monkeys actually converse in language4 ,i was drawn to make these experiments by a consideration of the extraordinary similarity between the structure of the mouth and vocal chords in ,man and the ,anthropoid ,apes1 and by the amazing correspondence between their brain-charts4 ,i accordingly had a small travelling cage fitted up with table1 ink-stand1 and so forth1 and placed inside the large cage of the chimpanzees1 which happened to be next that of the spider monkeys1 in such a position that ,i could enter it without fear of attack4 ,in this cage ,i spent my holiday1 arriving at the ,monkey-house at #aj every morning1 and leaving at #f p4m4 ,my meals ,i took when the chimpanzees were fed1 to avoid arousing jealousy4 ,during the first week ,i filled five notebooks with the noises made by these animals 7spelt phonetically71 but without being able to attach any particular thought to any of them4 ,my first success was the result of flashing a mirror in the eyes of the old male chimpanzee4 ,he invariably showed signs of distress1 beat the wires of my cage1 and said1 8,kee--kee--r-r-r-t60 which would seem to mean1 8,this ,i can no longer stand60 ,i tried this experiment on #aje occasions1 and always with the same result4 ,my next success was with regard to the spider monkeys4 ,i discovered that by singing a particular note ,i could induce these monkeys to imitate me in a very shrill strident tone1 but always in perfect pitch4 ,in a few days' time they could sing up and down the scale1 but without any articulation4 ,i next sang them 8,deutschland1 ,deutschland ber alles0 in a loud voice4 ,they received the first few lines in silence1 and were then seized with a wild enthusiasm1 gathering handfuls of bran and flinging them into my cage4 ,since that experiment ,i have so far been unable to induce them to sing4 ,i next carried out a series of important experiments with the aid of a gramophone4 ,observing that an old fierce chimpanzee was kept in a cage by himself1 ,i induced his keeper to deprive him of water for several hours4 ,i then approached a basin of water to the outside of the beast's cage1 placing the gramophone close to his mouth as he hung by one foot from the ceiling4 ,i took a record of his remarks1 which appeared to consist of a repetition of the word 8,g-r-r-ump04 ,i then carried the record to my original cage and turned it on4 ,my first trials were unsuccessful1 but on the fifteenth repetition ,i observed that an old female chimpanzee pushed her saucer of water in my direction4 ,from this ,i concluded that the meaning of the old ape's remark was1 8,i a drink of water want04 ,i have made a great number of experiments with the gramophone1 and am inclined to believe that the chimpanzee for 8nut0 is 8warra-yak02 8banana0 is 8kee-e0 7very shrill71 and so forth4 ,i shall spend another fortnight in my cage1 and ,i confidently hope for still more startling and far-reaching results4 ,i have attempted to reproduce these noises1 or phrases1 myself2 but so far they have not been received in a friendly spirit4 ,no4 #g4--,the ,island ,report of ,captain ,h4 ,cardew1 ,r4,n41 on the condition of the ,island of ,ingelos4 ,h4,m4,s4 ,dundonald1 off ,st4 ,helena4 ,june #a4 ,to the ,colonial ,secretary4 ,,sir1 ,i have the honour to inform you that ,i have just returned from a visit to the island of ,ingelos1 and ,i herewith submit my report4 ,the ,dundonald was the first ship to visit this island since ,october1 #aiaj1 though an ,italian brigantine was wrecked there a year ago4 7,all the crew were drowned with the exception of the cook1 one ,antonio ,posillippo1 who has since married and settled down1 and has no intention of leaving47 ,the inhabitants consist of #ch men1 #cj women1 and #bc children4 ,their ,head-man is ,john ,brown1 grandson of the original ,john ,brown who was wrecked there in #ahdh4 ,they appear to be happy and contented1 and there has never been any illness on the island1 barring a virulent cold in the head started by ,posillippo a few days after his rescue4 ,the original flock of goats does exceedingly well on the mountain1 providing the community with milk1 cheese1 and goats' flesh2 while the islanders have developed a wonderful capacity for fishing under difficult conditions4 ,potatoes do very well1 and the yearly wheat crop is most carefully looked after4 ,the ,head-man told me that the community had suffered very seriously for many months from a plague of rats1 the ancestors of which had swum ashore from the wrecked brigantine4 ,they swarm in prodigious numbers1 spoiling crops and even killing kids4 ,the ship's terrier wrought great havoc during our three days' stay1 and ,i have left several tins of rat-poison4 ,under the direction of the ship's carpenter some #ej rat-traps were constructed1 and the people are setting to work to make many more4 ,the ,head-man is deeply religious and possesses the ,bible that belonged to the original ,john ,brown4 ,he conducts a service on the day after every new moon--for there are no 8days of the week04 ,we attended one of these services1 and found it to consist of a strange mixture of traditions1 very crude1 but reverent4 ,the ,chaplain has given the ,head-man a prayer-book4 ,all the inhabitants talk and read ,english1 but their language is interspersed with a large number of ,italian and ,spanish words imported by wrecked mariners4 ,there are a certain number of words that appear to be indigenous1 such as 8skat0 and 8glob0--the names of certain fish2 8latt0 for porridge1 and 8lootoos0 for the long goat-skin waders that the fishers wear to protect their legs from stinging fish4 ,the island is quite self-supporting2 but the ,head-man is anxious to have a telescope1 and knives of all sorts would be exceedingly useful4 ,the people are very grateful for the illuminated texts and pocket-handkerchiefs sent out in the ,dundonald1 and they are wearing both upon their persons4 ,the education of the children is entirely in the hands of the ,head-man ,brown4 ,i have the honour to be1 ,your obt4 ,servt4 ,h4 ,,cardew1 ,captain ,r4,n4 ,notes ,the following three exercises are short accounts of trials and investigations4 ,,rule ,v4--,in making a prcis of the evidence of various witnesses ,,do ,,not ,,proceed ,,by ,,question ,,and ,,answer4 ,it is often convenient to keep the evidence of different witnesses in separate paragraphs1 but do not repeat the same points4 ,just tell the story in your own words1 and as far as possible in the order in which events happened4 ,in making a prcis of the ,witch ,trial be careful to write in modern ,english4 ,no4 #h4--;,a ,seventeenth-,century ,witch ,trial ,the fourteenth day of the third month in the year of ,grace #afaf1 ,his most gracious1 learned1 and religious ,majesty ,king ,james ,i being on throne1 was brought to trial at ,quarter ,sessions one ,mistress ,banbury1 charged with having correspondence with the ,prince of ,darkness1 and of practising the detestable rites of witchcraft1 whereby sundry persons suffered grievous harm4 ,whereof the evidence of witnesses was thus and thus4 ,master ,mark ,rubbleyard duly sworn4 ,may it please your worship1 on ,wednesday last at high noon ,i and my servants1 having felled certain trees in ,bishop's copse1 and having tied them upon a wain1 did drive by the cottage of ,mistress ,banbury4 ,now the trees being large and the branches thereof stretching athwartwise1 they catched upon the fence of ,mistress ,banbury's garden4 ,and thereupon1 incontinent looked forth ,mistress ,banbury1 and in a loud voice put a curse upon me1 upon my horses1 and upon my wain4 ,and the curse was of such power that the wain did fall into the ditch ere reaching my farm2 moreover1 my horses are fallen sick and eat not their oats1 and ,i myself am stricken with a grievous colic4 ,mistress ,kate ,brokedish duly sworn4 ,may it please your worship4 ,not long since came ,mistress ,banbury to my house selling simples and charms4 ,and may it please your worship1 ,i did purchase certain snails stewed in milk as a cure for my goodman's warts4 ,and as ,i made my purchase she did maliciously cast her eyes upon my son ,nicholas1 he being two years old4 ,and before the day was out my son ,nicholas was smitten with a cough and did spit pins until the evening4 ,master ,noak1 ,beadle1 duly sworn4 ,may it please your worship4 ,yesternight three lads of the village passing by the house of ,mistress ,banbury1 she cast an evil eye upon them2 and they being affrighted threw sundry stones4 ,whereupon did ,mistress ,banbury curse them roundly1 debeasting herself with detestable oaths4 ,and incontinent the lads have become crossed-eyed1 and do hourly vomit forth needles4 ,questioned as to whether she were in league with the ,devil1 ,mistress ,banbury answered1 ,yea2 howsoever1 not with the ,prince of ,darkness1 but with three demons4 ,on being questioned as to their names1 she replied1 8,pluck1 ,catch1 and ,chitabob40 ,on being questioned as to which had forced her to do these things1 she replied1 8,chitabob did this thing40 ,then said the judge unto her that was accused3 ,mistress ,banbury1 you are accused of the most heinous crime of witchcraft before ,god and man4 ,whereof to make an ensample1 and to insure right judgement1 ,i hereby give order that your thumbs and your great toes be tied together as it were in the form of a cross1 and that you be cast into ,tiddler's ,pond4 ,and if the sacred element receive you1 and mercifully you shall be drowned1 then is your innocence approved4 ,but if the sacred element cast you upon its surface and you swim1 then is your guilt proven2 your body shall be burnt unto death1 and your soul shall enter into torment4 ,notes ,the following exercise will obviously work out at five paragraphs3--,in the first tell the #8state of affairs'2 in the others give the evidence of the various witnesses without repeating or overlapping more than is necessary4 ,remember that the story must be told in good ,english1 not in the language of the witnesses4 ,no4 #i4--,the ,miser ,evidence concerning the death of ,mr4 ,timothy ,keek1 of ,no4 #bae;,a ,tapley ,street1 ,bristol2 before ,mr4 ,jules ,curtis4 ,evidence of #ast witness in answer to questions4 ,my name is ,clara ,cloggs4 ,i am a charwoman and charred for ,mr4 ,keek regular4 ,once a fortnight1 ,fridays1 ,i done his room out with soap and soda and opened the winders and made the bed4 ,no1 he never had no fires4 ,i was charring on the #crd floor at #aa o'clock ,friday1 leaving ,mr4 ,keek's room to the last1 as per usual4 ,i knocks at his door with the broom-'andle1 which there was no answer4 ,mrs4 ',uggins from #bnd floor calls up1 8,he ain't been down for his walk yet1 ,mrs4 ,cloggs60 ,i tries the door1 which it were no good2 so ,i calls to ,mrs4 ',uggins1 8,mrs4 ',uggins60 ,i sez1 8we better fetch the perlice10 ,i sez2 8and ,i for one don't want to be mixed up with no locked doors and suchlike60 ,i sez4 ,so me and ,mrs4 ',uggins fetched the perlice sergeant2 and me1 ,i goes 'ome to mind the children's dinner4 ,evidence of #bnd witness4 ,i am ,police ,constable ,blades1 #g,x4 ,on ,friday1 #aa4bj a4m4 precise1 ,i was on my beat between ,tapley ,street and the ,king's ,arms1 when ,i was met by ,mrs4 ,cloggs and ,mrs4 ',uggins1 which they are both well known to me4 ,they told me of the business in 'and1 and me and ,mrs4 ',uggins proceeds to the apartment of ,mr4 ,keek1 which we reached it at #aa4cb a4m4 ,i then knocked smartly on the door with the knuckles of the left 'and4 ,receiving no reply ,i continued the process1 at the same time sending ,mrs4 ',uggins for the poker4 ,i then broke open the door1 and discovered the deceased ,mr4 ,keek at the table with his 'ead on his arms1 and his arms on a pile of golden sovereigns4 ,two or three thousand at a rough estimate4 ,i then whistled for assistance1 and sent ,mrs4 ',uggins for the doctor4 ,this was at #aa4ec a4m4 precise4 ,evidence of #crd witness4 ,mrs4 ,jane ',uggins ,i am4 ,yes ,i knew ,mr4 ,keek1 five years ,i knew 'im4 ,very quiet regular old gentleman he was4 ,went out the same time every day1 and took his meals out4 ,couldn't say what his business was--nobody didn't know4 ,i went with ,mrs4 ,cloggs to fetch the perlice4 ,i 'elped ,sergeant ,blades open ,mr4 ,keek's door1 and ,i see him lying on the sovereigns4 ,evidence of #dth witness4 ,i am ,doctor ,theodore ,simpson4 ,i was fetched to ,no4 #bae;,a ,tapley ,street at noon on ,friday4 ,i found the police in possession of ,mr4 ,keek's room1 and ,mr4 ,keek lying across a great pile of gold1 as the sergeant told in his evidence4 ,upon making an examination ,i found that the deceased had literally died of starvation4 ,he must have been starving himself more or less for years2 and for the last few days ,i should say he had eaten nothing at all4 ,notes ,remember that you must not proceed by question and answer4 ,just tell the story shortly in the order in which events took place4 ,you will see that it is of no importance whatever to know the names of the persons concerned4 7,if mentioned1 they should be enclosed in brackets47 ,but perhaps it is important to know the ages of the boys1 as this affects the story4 ,no4 #aj4--,the ,boy ,scouts ,part of the evidence taken in the ,police ,court1 in the trial of two boys1 ,albert ,home 7#af7 and ,james ,hopkins 7#af74 ,mr4 ,carter1 ,j4,p4 8,your name80 #ast ,witness--a boy scout4 8,tom ,appleby1 sir40 ,mr4 ,c4 8,age80 #ast ,w4 8,fourteen-a-half1 sir40 ,mr4 ,c4 8,tell the ,court exactly what you were doing on ,thursday afternoon40 #ast ,w4 8,me and my patrol were doing ,spider and ,fly--that's a scout game1 sir--down below ,barley's ,farm1 and ,i was creeping through the trees so as not to make no noise when ,i heard somebody laugh1 and when ,i crawls nearer ,i sees the--the prisoners sitting on the bank of ,barley's duck pond40 ,mr4 ,c4 8,could you see exactly what they were doing80 #ast ,w4 8,yes1 sir4 ,the short one had hold of a frog by the back legs1 and the tall one had a bicycle pump1 and he put the connection down the frog's throat1 and was blowin' him up with the bicycle pump40 ,mr4 ,c4 8,are you quite certain of this80 #ast ,w4 8,yes1 sir2 and here's the body all busted40 7,frog's body produced47 ,mr4 ,c4 8,and then what did you do80 #ast ,w4 8,crawled back through the wood and signalled instructions to my patrol1 sir4 ,and when we got back they was starting in on another frog40 ,mr4 ,c4 8,and how did you manage to catch these boys8 ,they seem to be much bigger and stronger than any of you40 #ast ,w4 8,we lassooed 'em with ropes1 sir1 and pulled 'em backwards1 sir1 and then all ten of us set on 'em1 sir1 and tied 'em up1 sir60 7,laughter47 ,mr4 ,c4 8,and how did you get them to the camp80 #ast ,w4 8,semaphored for the 'and-cart1 sir40 7,laughter47 #bnd ,witness called4 ,mr4 ,c4 8,your name80 #bnd ,w4 8,my name is ,george ,collinson40 ,mr4 ,c4 8,you are scoutmaster in charge of the scouts' summer camp1 ,i believe80 #bnd ,w4 8,that is so40 ,mr4 ,c4 8,kindly tell the ,court what you saw in connection with this business40 #bnd ,w4 8,at #c4cj on ,thursday afternoon ,i was returning from the railway station with a newly arrived patrol when ,i saw a party of scouts coming from the direction of ,barley's ,farm4 ,they were pulling the small hand-cart in which two boys appeared to be lying4 ,fearing an accident ,i ran to meet them1 and found these two lads tied securely hand and foot and fastened into the cart by means of the luggage-straps40 ,mr4 ,c4 8,and what orders did you give80 #bnd ,w4 8,after hearing the whole story from ,tom ,appleby1 ,i gave directions that the two lads should be taken to my tent4 ,i also sent into ,crickley for the police40 ,several scouts were then heard as witnesses2 and the two lads1 having admitted their cruelty1 were sentenced to receive six strokes each with the cane4 ,notes ,remember that the evidence concerning the treatment of children is the subject of the following letter4 ,the personal feelings of the clergyman are of secondary importance4 ,,rule ,,vi4--,proper ,names and ,titles must be mentioned when it increases the value of the evidence1 or report1 or whatever it is1 to know ,,who ,,is ,,writing ,,or ,,speaking ,,and ,,whom ,,he ,,is ,,addressing4 ,otherwise do as you like4 ,in the following prcis it is obviously important to know both4 ,no4 #aa4--;,child ,labourers in #ahcf ,to the ,rt4 ,rev4 the ,lord ,bishop of ,lancaster4 ,,the ,,vicarage1 ,aug4 #aj1 #ahcf4 ,,my ,,lord1 ,having the welfare of my crowded and poverty-stricken parish at heart1 and being very greatly exercised in my mind as to the condition of the children living therein1 ,i have thought it well to write to you giving you a brief outline of certain investigations ,i have made--of which ,i am now preparing full reports--in the hope that you will interest yourself in the matter1 and bring the question of child labour before the ,upper ,house4 ,my ,lord1 to say that ,i am appalled is to use a euphemism4 ,i am shocked beyond all power of expression4 ,few of the horrors recounted of the ,african ,slave-trade--now so happily abolished--can surpass the callous cruelties inflicted upon children of our own race1 living in our own towns--not only by their task-masters and slave-drivers 7for one can use no other term71 but by their parents even1 who1 though not altogether dead to feelings of affection1 are so ignorant and so harassed that they cannot grasp the idea that any better system is possible4 ,let me cite two or three cases1 my ,lord1 in general terms4 7,detailed evidence ,i reserve for my report47 ,first there are the boy chimney-sweepers4 ,orphan boys of eight1 nine1 and ten1 are given away or even sold by the town authorities--who are only too thankful to be rid of the encumbrance--to abandoned ruffians1 who1 quite dead to all feelings of pity1 treat them worse than they treat their half-starved asses4 ,the boys are flogged incessantly1 kicked1 and starved2 they spend their lives climbing about the chimneys of the district in an atmosphere of soot and filth2 and if the work is not done soon enough to suit the slave-drivers1 as often as not a fire is lit below1 and the boy falls burnt and struggling1 half-suffocated with the smoke4 ,and the only excuse that the town authorities bring forward for their connivance at this horrible cruelty1 is the fact that 8many chimneys in the district are built in the old style1 and it is absurd to allow these new-fangled ideas of humanity to interfere with the comfort of the home40 ,my parish1 as you are aware1 my ,lord1 is in the mining area2 and ,i have found by personal investigations that the condition of the children in the pits is worse even than that of the chimney boys4 ,for a miserable wage of one shilling a week1 and an occasional extra penny for several hours' work overtime1 hundreds of little boys are kept working down in the pits for from twelve to sixteen hours a day4 ,often the children are so young--very many of them are not more than six or seven years old--and so feeble that they are carried to the pit's mouth by their fathers1 and this at four o'clock in the morning4 ,they are then taken down to work all day1 even during 8meals01 and only return to the surface after daylight is over4 ,i myself have been down the shafts many times1 and the sights ,i have seen there are pitiful in the extreme4 ,the galleries in deep mines are provided with doors and traps1 8to prevent inflammable drafts01 and children of six are trained to sit by themselves all day long1 in the dark1 opening and shutting these doors as the trucks pass and repass4 ,can it be wondered at that these infants often become feeble-minded8 ,but the lot of the older children is even worse4 ,little boys of eight and nine are harnessed by chains round the hips to small flat trucks1 and these they pull on hands and knees through passages only a couple or two and a half feet high4 ,the mines are very wet1 and often these narrow pipes through which the children drag their loads are more than half full of water4 ,their food is wretchedly inadequate2 they are beaten incessantly to keep them awake1 for1 as the men have often told me1 the boys 8will fall asleep over their work02 and their home life1 such as it is1 is wretched and demoralizing beyond words4 ,in this letter1 my ,lord1 ,i can do no more than touch upon the surface of things4 ,but for the sake of countless children's lives1 ,i beg you will interest yourself in this matter1 that you will read the full report which ,i have prepared1 and use your great influence towards causing these horrors to cease4 ,believe me1 my ,lord1 ,your humble and obedient servant1 ,h4 ,,stokes4 ,notes ,in this prcis the curator and the ,nizam should occupy a very small place4 ,the ,museum is the real subject--not the curator4 ,arrange the points of interest1 and group them in separate paragraphs4 ,remember that ,euclid was the best-known figure the ,museum produced2 and treat him accordingly4 ,no4 #ab4--,the ,museum1 #cjj ,b4,c4 7,the ,nizam ,ramayana ,gosh1 from the ,ganges ,valley1 is shown over the ,museum at ,alexandria by the chief ,curator47 ,if the great ,nizam will deign to step through the portico1 ,i will conduct his ,mightiness at once to the two great libraries4 ,here beneath these two great domes is gathered all the literature and learning of the world4 ,these shelves that you see are loaded with books in papyrus or parchment by the hundred thousand1 many of them dispatched from ,babylon by the great ,alexander himself4 ,this door upon our right leads to the amphitheatre where sages and philosophers debate1 while upon our left is the hall of banquets4 ,as your ,mightiness will observe--permit me to throw open the door--it is the hour of the afternoon meal4 ,here you can see some two thousand students reclining at the feast4 7,slave6 wine for his ,mightiness the ,nizam67 ,we cultivate the luxury of our tables and the subtlety of our cooking to the fullest extent4 ,the dignity and splendour of our dinners is beyond belief4 ,i myself spend many hours a day in quiet mastication and enjoyment4 ,this door opens straight upon the ,porch or ,colonnade where the ,walking philosophers discuss the ,cosmos and digest their dinner4 ,these gardens beyond are set apart for the study of botany4 ,every species of plant and tree has been collected1 from the ,pillars of ,hercules to the shores of the ,euxine1 from ,mesopotamia to the lands of the ,ganges1 which your ,mightiness honours by his gracious rule4 ,we have now reached the ,zoological ,gardens4 7,the collection of these animals was begun by the great philosopher ,aristotle47 ,here are wolves from the ,northern ,isles far beyond the ,pillars of ,hercules2 there are monkeys from ,northern ,africa2 tigers from ,india2 river-horses from the far south2 and this--,i marvel not that your ,mightiness is astonished2 but have no fear1 they harm neither man nor beast6--here is the camelopard1 tallest known of beasts4 ,the neck of this specimen measures seven cubits6 ,those are the bird-houses1 and these are ponds and tanks containing all manner of fish4 ,and here are innumerable pheasants1 bred for the philosophers' table4 ,we now reach the lecture-theatre1 and ,i must lower my voice1 for lectures are now in progress4 ,observe1 your ,mightiness1 this old philosopher with the grey whiskers4 ,that is ,euclid1 professor of ,geometry and ,conic ,sections4 ,it is he who refuted the ,sceptics4 ,the ,sceptics1 your ,mightiness8 ,they are philosophers who say that they know nothing at all1 not even that they know nothing at all--and even that they do not know that they do not know4 ,but ,euclid has discovered certain ,truths that all must admit4 ,observe him now1 demonstrating upon the screen4 ,i have attended his lectures1 and ,i understand4 ,he is now demonstrating that the two angles at the base of an isosceles triangle are equal4 ,listen to the cries of enthusiasm and delight with which the students hail his proof6 ,those cries from the farther room8 ,your ,mightiness is right--those are not screams of enthusiasm and enjoyment1 for that is the dissecting-room where students learn anatomy and all the wonders of the human frame4 ,the city authorities allow us three criminals a week upon whom we may experiment for the advancement of science4 ,the criminal whose screams you hear is a ,nile boatman who stole three measures of meal from the public market4 ,they are now operating upon his stomach1 and ,i am told it is like to be a most entertaining and instructive lecture4 ,your ,mightiness would prefer not to attend8 ,it is as your ,mightiness wishes2 though ,i cannot but feel that much instruction and enjoyment will be missed4 ,these are the instruments of the ,astronomers--armils1 astrolabes1 and the like2 these are the halls for light reading and discussion of general topics4 ,and these padded cells1 marked #8,silence'1 are reserved for poets4 ,here also theologians sit in contemplation1 for in the ,museum six hundred different religions are represented4 ,no1 we have no trouble with them at all1 except occasionally with the devil-worshippers4 ,and now we reach our original starting-point1 and ,i have done4 ,i humbly thank your ,mightiness for your courtesy and attention1 for the honour which you have done us by gracing the ,museum with your kingly presence1 and for the brace of panthers which you have so generously presented4 ,notes ,the following prcis is quite straightforward4 ,start with ,mr4 ,hunt's reasons for writing the letter1 and then proceed with the events in the order in which they happened1 leaving out all unessential talk4 ,this exercise will afford a good example of the following important rule3 ,,rule ,,vii4--,never put in any critical or explanatory remarks of your own4 ,in this prcis1 for instance1 one is tempted to point out that ,mr4 ,hunt was not in a normal state1 that on his own showing he was dreadfully depressed and lonely1 and that this would affect the value of his evidence4 ,but one must do nothing of the sort4 ,one's business in this1 as in every prcis1 is to write a concise summary of the story as it stands1 and leave all criticism to the reader's common sense4 ,no4 #ac4--,the ,warning ,letter to the ,secretary of the ,psychical ,research ,society4 ,,sportsman',s ,,hotel1 ,,alberta1 ,,canada4 ,,dear ,,sir1 ,i should be glad if you would allow me to bring before the notice of the ,society an amazing case of ,forewarning which ,i myself have experienced4 ,to my mind this extraordinary event carries with it its own evidence2 for1 had it not been for this premonition1 ,i should not now be here to write the story4 ,these are the facts1 to which1 if necessary1 ,i am prepared to set my oath4 ,in the summer of the present year1 #aiaj1 ,i and my friend ,colonel ,symes arranged a grizzly-bear-shooting expedition in the ,rocky ,mountains4 ,we wished to be entirely alone1 and so we pushed off into the wilder country1 eventually building our little hut just within the upper limits of the tree-line at a place marked on the enclosed map1 a spot so remote that it has as yet no name4 ,three weeks of excellent sport followed1 and then calamity overtook us4 ,while rounding a precipice path in ,indian file we were met and attacked by a bear1 and1 before ,i could do anything to help1 both the colonel and the bear had fallen over the cliff and were dashed onto the rocks below4 ,there was nothing to be done4 ,thirty seconds had sufficed to close our expedition in appalling disaster4 ,i returned alone to the hut4 ,for the rest of the day ,i wandered aimlessly round the clearing1 trying in vain to make up my mind to return home to civilization4 ,but ,i was numbed by the disaster1 and after much barren thought ,i decided to put a double boarding onto the hut and stay where ,i was4 ,for the next five weeks ,i spent a solitary existence1 living on what ,i shot and on the provisions which the ,indian pack-horses had brought up when we first arrived4 ,and then began the snow4 ,it started little at first1 and ,i cleared it away from the door of the hut4 ,but soon the storms grew in violence1 and before long all hunting was out of the question1 and ,i spent my days in clearing a path from the hut door1 and in reading over the camp stove4 ,on the fourth day of the blizzard the wind got up1 and blew very hard with a most melancholy and dispiriting noise through the pine-trees above my hut4 ,i felt wretchedly lonely2 and1 though ,i managed to pass the day in cooking meals and putting the finishing stitches to a heavy sleeping-suit of bear-skin1 by the time darkness came on ,i was in the depths of depression4 ,at ten o'clock ,i turned in--that is1 ,i rolled myself up on my bear-skin couch--and for half an hour ,i read in my copy of ,shakespeare3 showing that my mind was in a perfectly normal condition4 ,at #aj4cj ,i shut the stove1 blew out the lantern1 and went to sleep1 the blizzard still raging with great violence outside4 ,it must have been about five hours later that ,i woke with a feeling of oppression and horror such as ,i had never before experienced4 ,at first ,i was at a loss to understand the cause of my fright4 ,i sat up1 on one elbow1 and shivered4 ,then ,i realized what it was--there was someone else in the room6 ,now the door was barred against wild animals2 moreover ,i was full fifty miles from the nearest encampment4 ,and the horror of this unseen presence made the hair crawl upon my scalp4 ,i sat bolt upright and held my breath4 ,it was then that a full perception of the ,horror flooded in upon me like a wave--the ,thing was lying on the couch by my side6 ,it was pitch dark of course1 and ,i could see nothing4 ,i merely 8sensed0 this presence on the couch4 ,with a leap ,i was across the room and lighting my lantern with trembling fingers4 ,then ,i returned to the couch4 ,i cannot attempt to express the horror of what ,i saw4 ,my breathing stopped with a jerk and my heart stood still4 ,for there was myself lying dead upon the couch1 crushed across the body by some unseen and appalling weight6 ,i dropped the lamp1 leapt to the door1 and in a frenzy of terror staggered out into the storm4 ,twenty seconds passed--it can hardly have been more--when with a rending noise like an avalanche one of the great pine-trees fell clean across the centre of the hut1 crushing it into matchwood6 ,as soon as it was day ,i pushed off for the lowlands 7luckily my ski and gun were in the outhouse1 and so escaped74 ,i have no evidence beyond the word of a gentleman to prove the truth of what ,i have narrated2 ,i can only assure you of the absolute and literal truth of the premonition2 though whether the apparition was an objective reality or a figment of my own imagination ,i must leave to the opinion of the ,psychical ,research ,society4 ,believe me1 ,sir1 ,yours very truly1 ,,nimrod ,,hunt4 ,notes ,in the following prcis do not proceed by question and answer4 ,arrange the subjects in definite groups as you think best4 ,the main point to remember is that you must not criticize this wonderful medley of nonsense4 ,all you have to do is to give a concise idea of the kind of pseudo-science that boys had to learn by heart a hundred and fifty years ago4 7,the original is largely taken from old school-books47 ,you must not use a single phrase such as #8this absurd idea'4 ,your title should imply that such stuff is very much out-of-date4 ,no4 #ad4--,science as taught in our ,great-grandfathers' ,school-days ,preceptor4 ,what is ,science8 ,child4 ,science is the investigation and proper appreciation of the phenomena of the ,universe in which it has pleased the ,creator to place us4 ,this investigation is applied to the ,elements and to the ,immutable ,laws which govern them4 ,preceptor4 ,how many ,elements are there8 ,child4 ,four3 ,fire1 ,water1 ,earth1 and ,air--the ,igneous element1 the ,aqueous element1 the ,earthy1 and the ,aerial elements4 ,preceptor4 ,what is ,fire8 ,child4 ,fire1 or the ,igneous element1 is the element of destruction4 ,it consists of flame1 which devours materials1 and imparts a comfortable warmth to man and beast4 ,the sun is the primary source of heat2 the interior of the ,earth consists of ,fire2 combustion can be produced artificially by man2 and the ,lightning is its most terrific manifestation4 ,preceptor4 ,what is ,lightning8 ,child4 ,lightning is a large bright flame darting through the air to a considerable distance1 of momentary duration1 and usually accompanied by thunder4 ,preceptor4 ,what is ,thunder8 ,child4 ,thunder is a loud rattling noise accompanied by ,lightning1 caused by the sudden clashing or rushing together of several clouds which are filled with sulphurous and nitrous exhalations4 ,its reverberations fill the hearer with awe1 and turn the mind to thoughts of piety and submission4 ,preceptor4 ,what is the ,earthy element8 ,child4 ,the ,earthy element is the solid ground upon which we live4 ,it is divided into mountains1 hills1 valleys1 and plains1 in a variety pleasing to the eye1 and adapted to all sorts and conditions of men4 ,preceptor4 ,of what is the ,earthy element composed8 ,child4 ,the ,earth is composed of rocks1 sand1 metals1 and mud1 in which are also to be found the more precious stones1 such as the diamond1 the jacynth1 the topaz1 and the chrysoprasus4 ,preceptor4 ,when was the ,earth created8 ,child4 ,the ,earth was created by the ,divine ,will in the year #djjd ,b4,c41 the sun1 moon1 and stars1 being created shortly afterwards for the use and benefit of man4 ,preceptor4 ,how were the ,mountains formed8 ,child4 ,for the first few thousand years it would seem that the ,earth was subjected to occasional violent catastrophes1 both by fire and water4 ,in these catastrophes great mountain chains were sometimes flung up2 at other times the waters swept over the tops of the hills1 and the shells of sea creatures may be found there to this day4 ,preceptor4 ,have these catastrophes ceased8 ,child4 ,they have become less violent in their nature1 though the recent ,earthquake and ,wave at ,lisbon and the ,eruption of ,mount ,hecla in ,iceland attest their continued activity4 ,preceptor4 ,what is the ,aerial ,element8 ,child4 ,it is that elastic fluid with which the ,earth is surrounded4 ,it is generally called ,air4 ,it partakes of all the motions of the earth4 ,preceptor4 ,what is the cause of the ,wind8 ,child4 ,the cause of the ,wind has never been ascertained4 ,preceptor4 ,then are the ,winds of no benefit to us8 ,child4 ,yes1 the benefits arising from them are innumerable3 they dry the damp1 they chase vile humours1 they bring us the rain in due season1 and waft our ships from every corner of the ,earth4 ,preceptor4 ,what is the ,aqueous element8 ,child4 ,the ,aqueous element is generally called ,water4 ,it is the fluid which covers half the surface of the ,globe1 and it is divided into seas and oceans4 ,it is also manifested in rivers1 streams1 springs1 rain1 and mist4 ,preceptor4 ,why is the sea salt8 ,child4 ,the saltness of the sea is due to certain saline properties in water when brought together in very large quantities4 ,preceptor4 ,do we derive any advantage from the study of ,science and ,natural ,philosophy8 ,child4 ,yes2 for without a competent knowledge of ,natural ,philosophy we cannot form a true conception of the ,purpose of ,creation2 nor can we adapt our daily lives in accordance with the ,law by which all things work together for the benefit and improvement of ,mankind4 ,notes ,it is very important to be able to make a prcis of a number of letters or telegrams4 ,,rule ,,viii4--,in making a prcis of a number of letters ,,do ,,not ,,proceed ,,letter ,,by ,,letter4 ,get the gist of the whole story2 then pick out the important points and arrange them in the order in which the events happened4 ,several letters or telegrams may be combined in one paragraph1 if they are on the same topic1 but the topics must be kept separate4 ,,rule ,,ix4--,never omit the principal ,,dates ,,and ,,times4 ,no4 #ae--,the ,hut-,tax ,correspondence between the ,administrator of ,british ,bongoland1 the ,commissioner of the ,m',gobi ,district1 and the ,colonial ,secretary4 #a4 ,to ,mr4 ,commissioner ,philips3-- ,from ,,government ,,house1 ,,bongoland4 ,june #a4 ,there has been a serious falling off in the income from your district1 for which it is difficult to account4 ,you will therefore kindly increase the ,hut-tax to the extent of #b pounds of rubber and #aj brass rods per hut4 ,kindly acquaint me when this has been done4 ,o4 ,f4 ,administrator4 #b4 ,to the ,administrator3-- ,from ,,commissioner',s ,,hut1 ,m',,gobi ,,district4 ,june #ad4 ,,sir1 ,i have the honour to report that the utmost possible has been done in the matter of collecting taxes4 ,the people have suffered great hardship this year owing to sleeping-sickness1 and though the disease has been stamped out1 labour has been scarce1 and ,i do not feel justified in advising ,h4,m4 ,government to increase the tax4 ,i have the honour to be1 ,your ,obedient ,servant1 ,h4 ,,philips4 #c4 ,to ,mr4 ,commissioner ,philips3-- ,from ,,government ,,house4 ,july #a4 ,you are not expected to advise ,h4,m4 ,government4 ,kindly collect the tax as ,i order1 and report to me later4 ,o4 ,f4 ,administrator4 #d4 ,to the ,administrator3-- ,from ,,commissioner',s ,,hut1 ,m',,gobi ,,district4 ,july #aa4 ,,sir1 ,i have the honour to inform you1 from evidence obtained on the spot1 that any attempt to levy an extra tax will be attended with serious consequences--disorder and probable loss of life4 ,i therefore cannot hold myself responsible for the lives of missionaries and other white men in the district in case the tax is levied4 ,i have the honour to be1 ,your ,obedient ,servant1 ,h4 ,,philips4 #e4 ,to ,mr4 ,commissioner ,philips3-- ,from ,,government ,,house4 ,july #bj4 ,you may take what steps you like with regard to missionaries2 but the tax must be collected4 ,o4 ,f4 ,administrator4 7,for ,prcis4 ,paper #b47 #f4 7,by telegram47 ,to the ,administrator1 ,british ,bongoland3-- ,from ,,colonial ,,office1 ,,whitehall4 ,july #cj4 ,,sir1 ,roman ,catholic and ,protestant missionaries in ,m',gobi district report having been removed to coast by order of ,mr4 ,commissioner ,philips4 ,danger apprehended from levy of extra ,hut-tax4 ,h4,m4 ,government is very averse to the imposition of harsh taxes1 and ,i must therefore ask you to delay collection and furnish information without delay4 ,,hedley3 ,assist4 ,sec4 #g4 7,by telegram47 ,to the ,colonial ,office3-- ,from ,,british ,,bongoland4 ,aug4 #a4 ,,sir1 ,i am not accustomed to having my actions criticized4 ,you may leave this matter entirely in my hands4 ,i have the honour to be1 ,your ,obedient ,servant1 ,,obadiah ,,fitzblank1 ,administrator4 #h4 7,by telegram47 ,to ,sir ,obadiah ,fitz,blank3-- ,from ,,colonial ,,office1 ,,whitehall4 ,aug4 #b1 #a p4m4 ,you will inform ,mr4 ,commissioner ,philips that ,h4,m4 ,government are of opinion1 in agreement with him1 that the new tax should not be imposed4 ,you will also resign your office immediately and return by the boat that leaves to-morrow night4 ,your successor has already left4 ,,joseph ,,chamberlain4 ,notes ,remember ,rule ,,viii and ,rule ,,ix4 ,also1 it is often convenient to use a general term instead of names3 such as #8,the ,naval ,authorities' or #8,the ,british ,government'4 ,no4 #af4--,the ,mandarin ,correspondence concerning the bastinadoing of a ,british subject in the village of ,ching-,wang1 #cj miles from ,shang-,hai4 #a4 ,to the ,british ,consul at ,shang-,hai3-- ,from ,,ching-,,wang4 ,april #b4 ,,sir1 ,i write to say as how ,i have been bastinadoed on both feet4 ,my feet is swole something cruel4 ,this was done by the ,mandarin ,lu-,chu4 ,he says as how ,i stole his cherries1 which ,i never done it4 ,please investigate4 ,i am a ,british subjick1 which my mother was a ,chinee4 ,yours truly1 ,,fu-,,ling ,,thompson4 #b4 ,to ,his ,complacency the ,mandarin ,lu-,chu3-- ,from ,,consul',s ,,house1 ,,shang-,,hai4 ,april #h4 ,having been informed by the half-caste ,fu-,ling ,thompson1 a ,british subject1 that corporal punishment had been unjustly inflicted upon him by your orders1 ,i sent my agent to investigate the matter4 ,he informs me that ,thompson speaks the truth1 and that you yourself are perfectly aware of the man's innocence4 ,i therefore suggest that1 to avoid complications with ,h4,m4 ,government1 you compensate ,mr4 ,thompson to the extent of #ej or #ajj1jjj sens4 ,h4 ,,caslon1 ,british ,consul4 #c4 7,translation47 ,to the ,british ,consul3-- ,from ,,ching-,,wang4 ,almighty ,consul whose face shines like the moon4 ,i cannot give ,mr4 ,thompson #ajj1jjj sens1 for ,i am a poor man4 ,moreover1 the cherries were stolen4 ,it was right and fitting that someone should be bastinadoed4 ,,lu-,,chu4 #d4 ,to ,lieut4-,commander ,hanlon of ,h4,m4,s4 ,laverock3-- 7,per picket boat47 ,from ,,consul',s ,,house1 ,,shang-,,hai4 ,april #ab4 ,,dear ,,hanlon1 ,the ,mandarin of ,ching-,wang has been up to his old tricks again--bastinadoing a ,british subject4 ,i have ordered him to pay the man #ej and he refuses4 ,i suggest that you make a demonstration4 7,correspondence enclosed47 ,yours1 ,h4 ,,caslon4 #e4 7,by ,wireless47 ,to ,admiral ,groves1 ,china ,station3-- ,april #ab4 ,another case of unjustified bastinadoing4 ,mandarin refuses compensation4 ,what steps may ,i take8 ,,hanlon1 ,lieut4-,commander4 #f4 7,by ,wireless from ,h4,m4,s4 ,thunderer73-- ,leave entirely in your hands4 ,use great firmness but avoid complications4 ,,groves1 ,admiral4 #g4 ,from ,h4,m4,s4 ,laverock 7by letter73-- ,april #ac4 ,to his ,complacency the ,mandarin ,lu-,chu4 ,in the matter of the bastinadoing of ,mr4 ,thompson1 a ,british subject1 the case as you know has been investigated1 and ,i am authorized to demand the immediate payment of #ajj1jjj sens4 ,unless this demand is complied with before #d o'clock1 ,i shall be reluctantly compelled to blow your house to pieces4 ,,hanlon1 ,lieut4-,commander4 #h4 ,to ,lieut4-,commander ,hanlon 7translation73-- ,most superb ,lieutenant-,commander1 whose guns roar like many devils4 ,i cannot pay ,mister ,thompson #ajj1jjj sens1 for ,i am a poor man4 ,moreover1 ,i did but beat him upon the soles of his feet4 ,,lu-,,chu4 #i4 ,to the ,british ,consul at ,shang-,hai3-- ,from ,h4,m4,s4 ,laverock4 ,april #ad4 ,,dear ,,caslon1 ,lu-,chu flatly refused to pay2 so1 with the ,admiral's leave1 ,i took the law into my own hands4 ,at ten past four ,i stood right into the harbour and fired a large wad of cotton-waste into his cherry-trees4 ,the old fellow was frightened out of his life1 and sent the money within five minutes4 ,yours1 ,j4 ,,hanlon4 ,notes ,,rule ,x4--,,always ,,keep ,a ,,proper ,,balance4 ,that is to say1 it often happens that in the original too much space is given to picturesque details1 and too little to the more important facts4 ,in your prcis this must be put right4 ,this is obviously the case in the following ,life of ,isaac ,newton4 ,no4 #ag--;,isaac ,newton ,newton was born in #afdc1 and was the smallest baby in the world4 ,he went to school when very young1 but does not appear to have done any work till one day the top-boy kicked him violently in the stomach for daring to get his sums right4 ,then ,newton began to work1 not with any idea of becoming the greatest of mathematicians1 but simply because he resented being kicked in the stomach1 and determined to get the better of his tormentor4 ,his spare time was spent in making ingenious little contrivances1 water-clocks1 paper lamps attached to kites with which to frighten the villagers1 a #8wind-mill' turned by a pet mouse with a string tied to its tail4 ,when he left school he was tried on the farm1 but it was no use4 ,newton was always behind a hedge inventing some new automatic toy1 while the pigs wallowed in clover1 and the cows trampled down the corn4 ,so he went to ,trinity ,college1 ,cambridge1 and there his serious studies began4 ,his first discoveries were on the subject of light1 about which very little was then known4 ,on darkening his room and allowing a circular beam of sunlight to pass through a hole in the shutter1 and thence through a triangular glass prism1 he found that an oblong patch of light was cast on the screen five times as long as the hole in the shutter4 ,moreover1 it was no longer white1 but made up of all the colours of the rainbow--violet1 indigo1 blue1 green1 yellow1 orange1 red--always ranged in the same order4 ,he soon came to the conclusion that white is not a separate colour1 but is made up of all the colours of the #8spectrum'4 ,he next invented the reflecting telescope1 forerunner of all the vast instruments by means of which the wonders of the sky have been investigated4 ,he then turned his great mind to the problem of finding out what light really is1 and1 though his theory has been given up for a better1 it was the best that had been suggested up to that time4 ,he also found out that light travels at the rate of nearly #bjj1jjj miles a second4 ,meanwhile the ,plague broke out at ,cambridge1 making it necessary for him to retire into the country4 ,it was in the garden of his country house that the fall of an apple is supposed to have suggested to ,newton the theory of gravitation4 ,scientists had for a long time been familiar with the fact that the earth is a colossal magnet1 drawing everything upon its surface in the direction of its centre2 but it was ,newton who conceived the idea--and whether it was the falling apple that suggested it or no is unimportant--that the influence extended as far as the moon1 and1 if this could be established1 to the stars throughout space4 ,was it not possible that the moon1 trying to shoot off at a tangent1 was continually pulled back by the earth1 and so kept #8falling' round it8 ,newton tried experiments1 applying laws already discovered1 and found that the theory would not work4 ,undiscouraged he put the whole problem aside till more facts should have been discovered4 ,it was not till #afhb that more accurate measurements of the earth gave ,newton fresh data to go upon4 ,again he applied his theory1 and this time he began to see that his problem was #8coming out'--that the moon would fall just the right distance1 #ae feet per minute4 ,as he neared the end of his calculations he became so agitated that he could not go on3 a friend had to finish it for him4 ,and it was right4 ,he had established the fact that not only is the moon subject to the law of gravitation1 but that the whole universe is slung together in one stupendous system4 ,it is this grand discovery1 and the wonderful invention of the calculus1 that establish ,newton's claim to immortal honour4 ,as says the inscription in ,westminster ,abbey3 8,the vigour of his mind was almost supernatural04 ,notes ,in this prcis the story should be condensed1 and told as a continuous narrative1 and not in scraps and jottings as in a log4 ,for the purpose of verifying positions1 c4--especially as the battle was fought at night--it is important to mention names of all ships4 ,it is also necessary to give the times of the chief events2 but one can avoid monotony and scrappiness by using phrases such as 8,ten minutes later4'''0 ,no4 #ah4--,the ,battle of the ,nile ,from the log of the ,swiftsure 7unofficial73-- ,at #f4j p4m4 received order from ,flag-ship to furl and wet all unused sails2 and to sling a cross-bar to the mizzen peak with four ship's lanterns2 also to sling a ship's lantern over each gun-port1 as the fight would be in the dark1 and friend must be distinguished from foe4 ,superintended the sanding of decks1 and final arrangements4 #f4cj1 the fight began4 ,french land batteries opened on the ,goliath1 which ship1 followed by the ,theseus and others1 rounded the tip of the ,french line and dropped anchor on the shoal side4 ,by #g4j it was dark1 the battle raging furiously apparently on both sides of the enemy van4 ,at #g4ae received message from ,captain ,troubridge of the ,culloden that he was on the sands4 ,put helm over and kept away to eastwards4 #g4cj1 sailed down the battle line looking for an enemy's ship to lie alongside4 ,sighted a vessel in movement4 ,order given to stand to the guns1 for she showed no lights4 ,hailed ship1 and received answer3 8,this is the ,bellerophon going out of action disabled04 ,passed close under stern of ,bellerophon4 ,she had apparently lost both main and foremasts1 and much wreckage lay over her sides4 ,as far as could be distinguished in the darkness she appeared to be just under control1 carrying on under mizzen and sprit sail4 #g4dj1 order given to take ,bellerophon's place in fight4 ,at #h4c let go one small bower anchor in seven fathoms of water4 ,at #h4e commenced firing at a two-decked ship called the ,franklin on the starboard quarter1 and a three-decked ship called ,l',orient on starboard bow4 ,apparently ,l',orient was some #bjj yards from our ship4 ,she was using all three tiers of guns1 but some had been put out of action by the ,bellerophon4 ,at #h4cj the ,alexander also closed on ,l',orient added later3 she was ,french ,flag-ship and the fight became very furious4 ,at #i4c ,l',orient caught fire4 ,order given to isolate ,l',orient's poop with cannon and musket-fire1 to prevent the flames being put out4 7,in the glare much loose gear1 such as paint-pots could be seen scattered on the poop47 ,at a quarter to #aj ,l',orient blew up4 ,most of the wreckage fell into the sea2 some on to the deck of the ,swiftsure but without inflicting casualties4 ,hove in cable4 ,lowered two boats1 in charge of midshipmen4 ,picked up nine men and one lieutenant who escaped out of ,l',orient4 ,saw the ,alexander's bowsprit and her main-topgallant sail to be on fire4 ,at #aj4bj ceased firing4 ,sent ,lieutenant ,cowen to take possession of the enemy's ship1 the ,franklin1 that lay on our quarter1 who hailed us that she had struck1 with her main mizzen-masts gone4 ,at #aj4ce he returned1 finding that she was taken possession of by an officer from the ,defence4 ,at #aj4ej saw the ,alexander and another ship1 which proved to be the ,majestic1 engaging the enemy's ships to the left of us at about a mile4 ,bore down to their assistance4 ,for the next four hours engaged enemy's ships to the rear of their line4 ,enemy's fire became wild and inflicted little damage4 ,at #c a4m4 order was given to cease fire4 ,guns' crews much exhausted1 many of the men lying on the gun decks1 their arms swollen from continuous work at the out-hauls4 ,order given for the distribution of rum and coffee4 ,at #e4cj saw that six of the enemy's ships at our end of the line had struck their colours4 ,our carpenters employed stopping the shot-holes4 ,people employed knotting and splicing the rigging4 ,at #f the ,majestic fired her minute guns on interring her captain1 who was killed in the action4