CHAPTER IV.

ACCOUTREMENTS CONTINUED.-CAP A PIED.

Coat, Pantaloons, Knapsack, Hat, Stick, and Gloves.

41. Most men are accustomed to wear a frock coat, and beyond all question it is the neatest and best style of coat, and therefore, though we shall take occasion to suggest another kind as presenting on the whole more advantages for the traveller, yet we do not mean to say anything against the frock coat as such. Colonel Shaw recommends it: "For a coat nothing is so good as a surtout, made of the finest cloth; it should button up close to the neck to avoid cold." This requires, however, from its limited accommodation in the pocket way, the use of a knapsack for stowing away your linen and general travelling baggage in case you are going to exceed a couple or three days. What we are going to recommend will carry three days change, &c., without encumbering you in your tour. We mean the adoption of a

42. Velveteen Shooting Jacket as being capitally suited for walking in-fine or wet, windy or frosty. There are many kinds of material now introduced, such as the plaids and similar manufactures, any of which will keep you warm enough in winter, or in summer as cool as can be accomplished consistently with anything like provision against showers of rain, and windy we ather. The velveteen is the most durable for wearthere is no end in fact to such a jacket-the colour varies the lighter colours have the advantage of freedom from smell-which particularly when wet the black dye is always irremovably subject to. On the whole we are inclined to think the plaided jackets the best, all reasons

considered. You don't get so soon chilled by wind or wet in this woollen as you do in the cotton (velveteen) mixture. This remark of course does not apply to any such luxurious dress, as velvet itself which is silk, and no doubt unexceptionable save on the score of expense-to which some don't hesitate to go. It would be foreign to the direct object of this little treatise were we to digress into the various scientific reasons for every suggestion. Most of readers know that the fact of an article being a conductor or non-conductor of caloric and electricity regulates the choice of its use in the variations of climatethe object being generally to keep in the animal heat by winter's clothing, and to keep out the heat which is external to the body in summer: the body neither relishing an external absence of heat, (cold) which deprives it too rapidly of its own by conducting away its caloric-nor an external presence of heat, which is so great as to equal, or by ever so little to exceed the temperature of its own blood-that heat being oppressive to people in general which approaches blood heat. Woollen garments fulfil the greatest number of these desiderata for the body's self defence. They do not chill the body, though they may become moist-they retain air in their interstices, and do not condense moisture.

43. Waterproof dresses have called forth considerable attention latterly, from the elaborate eulogies of various interested patentees, and their frequently trumped-up authentications as to their waterproof qualities. We do not mean to deny that such may be more or less the case, but we do assert that a great oversight has occurred on the part of both patentees, experimenters and the public, regarding the point, or points rather, to be kept in view. It is just because these articles, as Indian rubber, oil-silk, chemically-prepared cloth, &c., are rendered impermeable that they are on this very account in

jurious in their use to the health of the body. We must explain this, by going on to state, that the impermeability to external wet is not all required in a dress, but also a transpirability of insensible perspiration from within, which requires to be kept in view-both which conditions it will probably never be practicable to accomplish thoroughly, as the article must acquire the nature of a (safety) valve, permitting escape of vapour from within-refusing the entrance of water from without. If any one has possession of such an inestimable coat, let him enjoy it; until he does get such, let him take our word for it, that mere waterproof garments are prejudicial for any length of wear; they may do for a short time, as during a passing shower, but not for a long walk in a settled rain-the perspiration freely generated, though in an insensible form in its nascent state, under strong exercise, is retained by the waterproof clothing, and being thereupon condensed, not only actually communicates a chill to the body, from the water so condensed inside the waterproof", but moreover presents a source of danger to the constitution, from the fact of this condensed perspiration being a real and energetic virus, the poisonous nature of which, in developing the worst types of fever, has long been known to the medical profession as so subtle an agent that, though refractory as yet to the tests of the chemist, it is yet so active as to be detected by our nervous system in the short space of a few hours-whose precursory monitions of alarm at the selfborn foe most readers may have had more or less occasion to observe, in their own personal experience of headache, languor, faintness, &c. after a close-fastened waterproof coat or cloak-compared with the evil results of which a

A fact which accounts for the interior of the india rubber coats being moist after being worn sometime, and which is therefore supposed to leak, but improperly.

simple good wetting from the penetrating rain would be an evil almost to be dignified with the name of good! We have, after all, digressed perhaps a little but it may be of service to have given this explanation for those readers who have not access to other medical discussions of the subject. The remark has a general bearing on the question of dress, and the reader can apply it in many ways if he will take the trouble. It is for this very reason that under garments especially should be changed frequently, and washed, even if in a few days they may not appear sullied at all-viz. on account of retained perspiration.

44. It is for the convenient arrangement of the pockets, further, that the style of shooting-jacket is so good, for in these wallet-like recesses you can stow away things sufficient for two or three days' tour, without needing such a thing as a knapsack. In the half dozen pockets you can so dispose symmetrically around you of all your travelling chattels, as to carry them at the least expenditure of strength; and, therefore, more agreeably than when dangling about in the folds of a long-skirted coat; though we do not find fault with the long tail of a frock coat in other respects,provided your journey's length, &c. requires the introduction of a wallet upon your shoulders. Another shirt, a pair or two of stockings or socks, a small case of "morning exercises," as the condensed toilet case has been facetiously labelled, a pair of light shoes for a change in the resting place, and an extra handkerchief or so, will generally be sufficient. A silk night cap is no bad addition to this slender stock of usefuls, for those, especially, who are fond of lying down to take their siesta on the inviting fresh grass under the shade of some, perhaps, "far spreading beech," when the hat can never completely be retained on the head. It forms a protection against catching cold in the head; and further by pulling it over

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the ears it will prevent insects from getting into them; for although in the generality of cases the drum of the ear is a perfect barrier, securing the internal ear from foreign bodies, yet this is not the case in every instanceit having in a certain proportion of cases been attacked by inflammation, causing more or less destruction of its membranous drum, in which case small insects might have an opportunity of gratifying their prying curiosity to thread the mazy labyrinth of your ear: or, in any case they might lodge themselves in the outward tube of the ear much to your annoyance, though unattended with further consequences.

45. If you have a great liking for ease, you will not have your coat made with any fashionable tightness, but quite loose, particularly in the arms. By having it to button very easy in ordinary, it just fastens up comfortably when the pockets are stowed away. The button loop is a good plan: the coat does not cut so soon in the arm-holes, and it keeps the skirts down in walking.

46. The waistcoat would be well to be made either double-breasted, or at least so as to button up tight across the chest and up to the neck, for rough weather, independent of the coat: it can be buttoned or thrown back in fine weather.

47. The cravat may be taken off with comparative impunity whilst in the act of walking, but it should be readjusted on stopping; owing to this simple rule being disregarded, many have had to thank themselves for sore throats, which unpleasant companions might have been kept at a respectable distance by a little exercise of common reflection.

48. With regard to pantaloons, &c. Col. Shaw says"Have two pair of trousers, of dark gambaroon. As it is of consequence to walk cool, if possible march without drawers, but be sure to put them on at the end of the