You take the pail of water, and hang it by the handle upon the projecting end of the stick, in such a manner that the handle may rest on it in an inclined position, with the middle of the pail within the edge of the table. That it may be fixed in this situation, place another stick with one of its ends resting against the side at the bottom of the pail, and its other end against the first stick, where there should be a notch to retain it. By these means, the pail will remain fixed in that situation, without being able to incline to either side; nor can the stick slide along the table, or move along its edge, without raising the center of gravity of the pail, and the water it contains.
TO LIFT A BOTTLE WITH A STRAW.
Take a straw, and having bent the thicker end of it in a sharp angle, as in figure subjoined, put this hooked end into the bottle, so that the bent part may rest against its side; you may then take the other end, and lift up the bottle by it, without breaking the straw, and this will be the more readily accomplished as the angular part of the straw approaches nearer to that which comes out of the bottle. It is necessary, in order to succeed in this feat, to be particularly careful in choosing a stout straw, which is neither broken nor bruised; if it have been previously bent or damaged, it is unfit for the purpose of performing this trick, as it will be too weak in the part so bent, or damaged, to support the bottle.
THE DANCING PEA.
If you stick through a pea, or small ball of pith, two pins[8] at right angles, and defend the points with pieces of sealing wax, it may be kept in equilibrio at a short distance from the end of a straight tube by means of a current of breath from the mouth, which imparts a rotary motion to the pea.
THE TOPER'S TRIPOD.
Place three tobacco pipes in the position shown in the engraving, the mouth of the bowls downwards, and the lower end of the stems upon the stem just by the bowls. This tripod, if carefully put together, will support considerably more than a pot of ale.