Quoits

Quoits, a game much practised in many districts of Great Britain, seems to have been derived from the ancient game of 'throwing the discus,' which was such a favourite amusement of the Greeks and Romans. The discus was a circular plate of stone or metal, 10 to 12 inches in diameter, and was held by its farther edge with the right hand, so as to lean upon the forearm, and was cast with a swing of the arm, aided by a twist of the whole body. It was generally thrown edge foremost, and upwards at an angle of 45°, so as to give it as great a range as possible, and the player who threw it farthest was the winner. Sometimes a kind of quoit was used. The modern game of quoits differs very considerably from this. A quoit is a flattish ring of iron, generally about 8 inches in external diameter, and between 1 and 2 inches in breadth; the weight accordingly varies a good deal, but may in any match be fixed beforehand. The quoit is convex on the upper side, and slightly concave on the under, so that the outer edge curves downwards, and is sharp enough to stick into the ground. The mode of playing is as follows: Two pins, called 'hobs,' are driven into the ground from 18 to 21 yards apart; and the players, who are divided into two parties, stand at one hob, and in regular succession throw their quoits (of which each player has two) as near to the other hob as they can. The points are counted as in bowls or in curling. To facilitate the sticking of the quoits at the point where they strike the ground, a flat circle of clay—about 1 or 2 inches in thickness, and 1½ feet in radius—is placed round each hob; this requires to be kept moist. The quoit, when to be thrown, is grasped with the right hand by one side, and pitched with an upward and forward jerk of the hand and arm, which give it a whirling motion, and cause it to strike the ground with its edge. Players acquire such dexterity in this game that they can very frequently 'ring' their quoit—that is, land it so that the quoit surrounds the hob.