CUT-WATER.
The toy known as the Cut-Water is made in the following manner:—Cut a circular piece of tin or sheet-lead, three inches or so in diameter, into the form of a circular saw; bore two holes in it along the diameter at about an inch apart; through these holes pass the two ends of a string, tie the ends of the string together, and the toy is made. To use it, the string is to be taken up in the two hands, the metal saw being allowed to hang loosely at the middle of the string, and then thrown round and round until the string becomes very tightly twisted. Upon the hands then being drawn outwards, the string untwists, and the metal saw rapidly revolves. So soon as the string is all untwisted, the hands should be allowed to go slightly nearer each other, when it will be found that the Cut-Water will revolve in the opposite direction. Again, when the string has become once more twisted, the hands should be drawn outwards, then inwards, and again outwards, and so on alternately. The name of "Cut-Water" is derived from a common way of playing with the toy. It is dipped a little below the surface of water whilst being spun, and it then sends showers of spray towards the player who spins it, or away from him, according to the direction in which it may be spinning.
Cut-Water.
An imitation Cut-Water may be more readily, and indeed often is, made by passing a piece of string through two of the holes of a common breeches' button, and treating the toy so made as explained above.