LA CROSSE, THE NATIONAL GAME OF CANADA.
onward until their opponents' goal is reached, and the other striving by every means in their power to beat back the ball, and force it in turn into the opponents' ground. Great agility and dexterity are required to play an efficient part in the game. Fleetness of foot and quickness of eye are the essential qualifications of a good player. When one has caught and is carrying the ball upon his crosse, it is allowed to any of the opposite side to strike the ball from his crosse with their own weapon. Thus, at the moment when, after a long contest, he may be on the point of winning the game by a dextrous fling of the ball, which he has obtained with much difficulty, it may be jerked or beaten out of his crosse in a contrary direction, and the struggle may be renewed as from the beginning.
As played by the Indians, who adopt a light and picturesque costume for the purpose, the game, as we have said, is highly interesting to the spectator. Their skill in the finer points of the game is admirable. A player, running at full speed, will frequently catch up the ball on the end of his Crosse, drop it to the ground to baffle a pursuer, dextrously catch it again, and repeat this until he has either passed it on to one of his own side who is nearer the adversary's goal, or carried it well forward himself. For, contrary to the rule in football, in this game the player is allowed to do all he can to pass the ball on to another competitor on the same side who may place himself in a more favourable position.
The following are the rules to be observed in playing the game:—
The ball must not be caught, thrown, or picked up with the hand, except to take it out of a hole in the grass, to keep it out of goal, or to protect the face.
The players are not allowed to hold each other, nor to grasp an opponent's crosse, neither may they deliberately trip or strike each other.
If the ball be accidentally put through a goal by one of the players defending it, it is the game for the side attacking that goal.
If the ball be put through a goal by one not actually a player, it does not count for or against either side.
A match is decided by winning three games out of five, unless otherwise specially agreed upon.
We give an illustration of the crosse, and believe the instructions herein contained will be sufficient to enable any party of players who may not have seen the game to commence it for themselves. It has all the elements of popularity, especially as a winter amusement, and possesses many of the advantages of other games, without that element of danger which is found, for instance, in football and hockey. An accidental blow from the light stick with which the crosse is fashioned could cause no serious hurt, and beyond this, or the chance of an occasional fall, there is nothing to cause incidental injury to the players.
We conclude our notice of the game with an anecdote, from which it will be seen that it once was on the point of endangering the English rule in Canada. About the middle of the last century, after the conquest by Wolfe, the Indian chief Pontiac planned an attack on some of the principal forts, which was to be carried out by stratagem through the medium of "la crosse." The known skill of the Indians in the game frequently induced the officers of the garrison to invite them to play when they were in the locality, and occasionally some hundreds were engaged. Pontiac designed, on one of these occasions, that the ball should be struck, as if accidentally, into the forts, and that a few of the Indian party should enter after it. This was to be repeated two or three times, until suspicion was lulled, when they were to strike it over again, and rush in large numbers in pursuit. They were then to fall upon the garrison with concealed weapons. This ruse was carried into effect, and partially succeeded; but the Indians failed to enter the strongest of the fortifications, and were beaten back with much slaughter. Pontiac afterwards made friends with the English, but he was a treacherous ally, and it was a subject of congratulation when he was at last killed by one of his own race.
