OCR Rendition - approximate

270   Art of Travel.

make a fine, strong, and somewhat transparent thread : twisted horsehair can almost always be obtained : and boiling this in soap-lees, takes away its oiliness.

Shoemakers' Wax is made by boiling together common resin and any kind of soft grease, which does not contain salt, such as oil or butter. A sixth or. seventh part of pitch makes it more tough, but it is not 'absolutely necessary for making the wax. Try if the quantity of grease is sufficient by dipping the stick with which the wax is stirred, into water to cool it. When the wax is supposed to be successfully made, pour it into water, then taking it out while yet soft, pull it and stretch it with your wet hands as much as it will bear ; do this over and over again, after dipping it in lukewarm water, till it is quite tough. Wax is used of different degrees of hardness, according as the weather is warm or cold.

Reel.-If you have no reel, make a couple of gimlet-holes,
six inches apart, in the butt of your rod, at the place where
the reel is usually
clamped ; drive wooden
pegs into these, and
wind your spare line
round them, as in fig. 1.
The pegs should not be
quite square with the butt, but should slope a little, each
away from the other, that the line may be better retained

on them. A long line is conveniently wound on a square frame, as shown in the annexed sketch (fig. 2) ; and a shorter line, as in fig. 3.

If you have no equivalent for a reel, and if your tackle is slight, and the fish likely to be large, provide yourself with

Fig. 1.

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