applied to the ring, the bridle-chains make the nipper clip firmly in the notches, and the heavier the weight the more tightly it holds. A very similar contrivance is used for raising timber.

Fig. 224 represents a "cant-hook," found convenient for rolling over timber by means of a lever or handspike passed through the ring. Sometimes two of them are strung on a chain, and used instead of a nipper. These, made somewhat stronger in the hook, are known as " quarrydogs" or "crane-hooks."

It

The last tool we shall notice is the "marlinespike," Fig. 225, used for rope splicing. consists of a round pointed piece of steel, called the "tusk," fixed in a stout wooden handle. A tusk about 6 inches long, by inch diameter in the largest place, is a very convenient size; but much larger ones are used for splicing very stout ropes, such as capstan ropes. Sometimes the marline-spike is made entirely of steel, or iron steeled in the point, with a hole in the head for passing through a string, or with a pear-shaped loop to form the handle. In other cases the head of the spike is turned off at right angles to form a handle.

Besides understanding how to tie good hitches and knots, every miner should be able to splice well. A short splice is a very useful one; but when the rope has to run through tackle or blocks a long splice is necessary.

HELVES OR HANDLES.

MANY of the tools which we have noticed are furnished with wooden helves, handles, shafts, or sticks, as they are variously termed. A tool helve ought to combine three qualities, viz. :-toughness, with moderate hardness; slight elasticity; and lightness. It should also be sufficiently large to enable it to be held firmly in the hand without cramping the muscles. Ash-wood complies with these conditions better than any other material which is easily procured in this country.

Hickory-a valuable American nut-bearing tree, of various kinds, similar to the walnut tribe -is largely used for helving tools of American manufacture, many of which find their way into English markets. This wood makes very good helves, and is commonly considered to be particularly suited for axes. Some of it is peculiar for the

*

Hickory is very much employed in the manufacture of handspikes-imported from North America, ready made, and weighing about 20lbs. each-fishing-rods, shafts, &c.

lozenge-shape structure of its tissue. For most purposes, however, good ash helves are unsurpassed.*

The holding surface of a helve has all its angles rounded off smoothly, so that it may be used without galling the hands. The best shape is

either oval or round, in cross section. Oval is the better shape for picks, sledges, and axes, because it gives the hand greater control over the directing of the tool; but in the case of shovels round is generally preferred for sliding and turning in the hand. When shovel helves of short or medium length are used, the crutch, or open handle, is serviceable, not only for affording a large pressing surface to one hand, but also for controlling the turning of the helve in the other, and for preventing any capsizing of the plate when filled; but when long helves are used-as with the Devon shovel-their high inclination enables the helves themselves to afford a large pressing surface, and the weight upon the plate is so much below the level of the hands that it has hardly any tendency to capsize; hence the ordinary grasp of the hand gives sufficient control over the turning of the helve when needed. Very common oval

* The following is the order of arrangement usually accepted as showing the relative values of a few sorts of wood for elas. ticity:―ash, hazel, hickory, lancewood, yew.

sizes are for small tools, 1 inch x inch; for medium size, 1ğ × 11; and for large size, 12 × 11 or 1g. The length is not usually less than 18 inches, or more than 36 inches; 24 to 30 inches being most common.

Round helves may be said to vary from 11 to 1 inch average diameter; 1 inch being a very convenient size.

Long shovel helves are commonly from 4 to 5 feet long, and short ones about 30 inches long, except where required for use in confined places. Short-helved shovels are usually bought with helves fitted to them.

Spare shovel helves are often kept in mine stores, although it is comparatively seldom that one has to be replaced; but the helves of sledges, and of picks especially, are found to break so often that a large stock is usually kept at the mine for replacing broken ones. Fig. 226 represents a pick helve, and a sledge helve is shown by Fig. 227.

.*

Both sorts are generally split out of round logs of timber into shapes represented by Figs. 228 and 229. They are next rough hewn by an axe into the shapes represented by Figs. 230 and 231.

* Axe handles do not often break. They are usually replaced by a handle made out of a pick-helve, when they require to be renewed at mines.

Afterwards they are dressed by drawing-knives, spokeshaves, or planes, until they assume the forms shown by Figs. 226 and 227. In consequence of the feathered part, a, b, occurring in a pick helve, there is some extent of timber wasted in forming the haft, b, c, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 226, where the dotted lines show the outline of the piece of timber from which the helve is made. It will be seen this does not apply to sledge helves, Fig. 227, unless they are formed with a feather, as in Figs. 24 and 28, which is not usual. The sizes of helves are, to a certain degree, regulated by the sizes of the eyes, into which they must fit tightly. This is always the case with the feather of a pick helve, which ought to taper as represented in Fig. 226, so that the helve might be taken from a worn-out or broken tool, and used in another, or refitted in cases of wincing. As a rule, it is about 1 to 11 inch thick, by 3 to 4 inches wide, in the largest part of the feather.

A helve should be fitted into the eye of any tool as nicely as possible, by driving it partly in and withdrawing it a few times, so that the too prominent parts, which will be marked by having pressed against the inside of the eye, may be reduced until an equal bearing is obtained. Before the helve is permanently wedged in, it is neces