New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-18
SOME DUELLING RULES.
MUCH USEFUL INFORMATION" FROM
AN OLD BOOK.
Navy and Army Illustrated.

From The Navy ana Army illustrated.
To the subjects If Queen Victoria it is, hap
PLY. a lost art but sixty five years since duel
ling was sufficiently in vogue to induce an
anonymous writer to publish book containing
much useful information" ironically dedicated
TO Daniel O'COnncl Esq. VI p. and James silk
buckingham, Esq. NJ p. as entertaining the
opinion first promulgated by the immortal Fal-
staff Of happy memory, that discretion is the
better part OF ValOr.
The author advises all my cOuutrymcn who
go abroad to use the pistol instead Of the sword
when they nave the choice OF the weapon as TIE
balance Of killed and wounded is now much in
favor Of the French. who. upon the termination
Of the late war. amused themselves by occa-
sionally splitting some half dozen Of our travel
ling young fashorables before breakfast" He
recommends "Purdoy i'm OXfOrl-st, the
maker Of the best ducll.ng pistol locks" care in
the selection Of a stock which fits the hand com
fortably, and to cscheW "slW-handlos." Bar
rels should be ten inches long, and half rined,
which, considering that throughout his volume
he poses as q man Of the strict"st honor, is
pulling; for he admits that Il wholly rihad
pistol is considered an unfair weapon. therefore
che not appearing to be rilled should be subst-
tuted.
HOW TO PROTECT THE PERSON
On "thc chances" he writes: Many a poor,
ong-armed. struggling fellow has received the
coup iii (sic) co,ur COR fatal stroke) who might
stil have been in existence had he known how
TO protect his person in the field" the necessary
protection consisting in standing sideways and
drawing in the stomach Should the party be
hit" presumably because he could not draw in
his stomach. he must not feel alarmed" This
seems difficult, as a man with bullet in his
stomach can hardly be expected not to display
some little natural anxiety, for as is admitted
later. "a shot in the digestive organs must be
particularly annoying to a bon vivant." To al
dermcn his advice is the old method Of fight
ing-the back to the adversary, and discharging
over the shoulder" THE chances of mans
being killed are about fourteen to one. and Of
his being hit. about six to one" He arrives at
this conclusion by dividing mans body. when
opposed to his adversary, into nine parts. There
fore he says: AS i'm only three of these n wound
would prove mortal. the chances are three to
against his being killed. and five TO one against
his being hit; that is. however" he hastens to
add, "provided his antagonist has never read
my work; If ne has, the case may be different"
The combatant is told mot to allow the idea
of becoming a target to make him uneasy, but
to treat the matter loosely" He is to laugh
away the evening over bottle of port and
play rubber of whist, but he must avoid drink
ing to excess. or taking amy food that tends to
create bile" because bilious objects not
seen either distinctly or correctly" This would
rather be valid reason for getting as bilious
as possible. a man with attack of iaundce
should be invisible. and able TO blaze at his an
tagonist in perfect safety. If he cannot sleep
retiring to rest. he is to read Byron's "Childe
HAROLD; his servant is to call him at >, and
give him a strong cup of coffee; then he is tn
smoke cigar. and ION his way to the scene Of
action" he is to take brandy and soda. as a
most grateful stimulant and corrective"
No wonder our author recommends him. at
this point. to draw in his stomach. "If he dies,
he is to go off with good grace as POSSIBLE"
On the other hand. II he hits his antagonist he
is to take off his hat to him and express regret.
NO RIIYMING CHALLENGES.
A challenge is not to be in rhyme, such IA
certain poetcal. brandy-lovnS ma jor general OF
marines" wrote to a brother officer who ran of
with his wife:
Wounds the flesh a surgeons skill may heal
But wounded honor's only cured with steel.
An Irishman Is not to be chosen as second for
fighting they cannot bring an affair to an AMIGA
bic adjustment; and the first duty Of second
is to prevent the affair coming to a serious is
sue. other advice is for the second to take care
his principal is not Inconvenience by the sun,
and to get his antagonist with something dark
behind him, when ii will be much more easy II
hit him.
As may he Inferred. the author holds by duel
ling, for-"The man who falls in duel and the
Individual who is killed by the Overturn Of a
stage coach are both unfortunate victims 70
practice from which We derive great advan-
tages It would be absurd 10 prohibit stage
travelling because occasionally a few lives arr,
lost by an overturn; and unless men endeayorei
to destroy each other they might live tn a pa
triarchal age and multiply SO rapidly that ms
soil would soon be insufficient To supply theN
with nourishment"-wi which reductio al aD-
surdum the volume may we'll be put back ON ina
shelf.