P. 19.—“Navvy.” Short for navigator, formerly slang, but now a recognized
term applied to those employed in excavating canals, making dykes and
like work.
“Longshoremen.” Said to be abbreviated from _along shore men_. “The Slang
Dictionary” says that all people who get their livings by the side of the
Thames below bridges are called Long Shore folk. The particular class to
which Mr. Blaikie refers is that of laborers employed about wharves.
P. 25.—“Tom Brown of Rugby.” The hero of the story, “Tom Brown’s School
Days,” by Thomas Hughes.
“Hares and Hounds.” A game sometimes called “paper hunt.” A team of any
number of players is formed, from which one is chosen as the hare. To him
is given a start of a few minutes called “law.” He starts off with a bag
of cut paper called “scent,” which he scatters as he runs. When “law”
is up the hounds or remainder of the team start in pursuit, following
“scent” as closely as possible. The game continues until the hare is run
to the ground or the players baffled.
P. 27.—“Turners.” During the time that Napoleon controlled Prussia
Friedrich Jahn, a German patriot, conceived the idea of forming schools
in which the young men should be trained in gymnastic exercises and in
patriotic sentiments, in order that eventually they might drive the
French from the country. These schools were called _Turnvereine_. The
first one was established in 1811, and when in 1813 the country was
called to arms, the Turners rendered signal service. Though for a time
prohibited in Germany, they were afterward reorganized and have been
introduced into various countries.
P. 41.—“Tantalus.” A character of Greek mythology, who, having given
offense to the gods, was punished in the lower world by confinement in a
river where the water always recedes from his lips, and the branches over
his head, laden with fruit, withdraw from his hand.
“So bends tormented Tantalus to drink,
While from his lips the refluent waters shrink.
Again the rising stream his bosom laves,
And thirst consumes him ’mid circumfluent waves.”—_Darwin._
P. 50.—“La Ligne.” The line.
“Dumas,” düˌmäˈ. French novelist and dramatist. (1803-1870.)
P. 53.—“Sebastian Fenzi,” se-băsˈtian fentˈse.
P. 62.—“Nathalie,” nâ-ta-lēˈ; “Farini,” fâ-rēˈnē.
P. 81.—“Periauger,” pĕrˈi-auˌger. One of several forms of the word
pirogue. A kind of canoe formed out of a tree trunk.
P. 85.—“Choate,” chote. (1799-1859.) Choate was sixty years of age when
he died, instead of fifty-five.
P. 86.—“O’Connell.” (1775-1847.) The Irish statesman.
P. 87.—“Brougham.” See THE CHAUTAUQUAN for November.
“Canning.” (1770-1827.) A British statesman.
P. 135.—“Double-first.” In the English universities one who wins the
highest honors in both the classics and mathematics is said to win “a
double-first.”
P. 136.—“Mazzini,” mät-seeˈnee. (1805-1872.) An Italian patriot and
revolutionist. He early devoted himself to bringing about the unity of
Italy, then divided and oppressed by Austria. In 1831 he was banished,
thereupon he formed a political organization to secure the liberty of
Italy and union of the states. In every way he worked to gain his ends.
In 1849 he assisted Garibaldi in his struggles for Italy’s freedom, and
later directed an insurrection in northern Italy. Mazzini was the author
of several works. Carlyle says of him: “I have had the honor to know M.
Mazzini for a series of years, and I can, with great freedom, testify to
all men that he, if I have ever seen one such, is a man of genius and
virtue—a man of sterling veracity, humanity and nobleness of mind.”
P. 147.—“Bowdoin,” boˈdwin.
P. 156.—“Thwart.” A nautical term applied to the bench of a boat, on
which the rowers sit.
P. 176.—“Palmerston,” pāmˈer-ston. (1784-1865.) Prime minister of England.
“Thiers,” te-erˈ. (1797-1877.) French statesman and historian.
P. 193.—“Adipose tissue,” adˈi-pōse. The fatty matter distributed through
the cellular tissues of the body.