BILLIARDS, from the French BILLARD, which cantles from bile, a ball, is a game of skill, which was originally invented by the French, and is now much in practice among all civilized nations. The apparatus necessary in this game is a billiard table, which is a rectangular table about 12 feet long, arid six feet wide, placed in a horizontal position, and covered with green cloth, and surrounded with cushions, a cue, a mace, and ivory balls. At each of the an gles, and in the middle of the two longest sides. is placed a hole, net, or pocket. The cue is a thick piece of wood several feet long, tapering geadually to a point about half au inch in diameter. It is held by the fore finger and thumb, and is laid over the left hand to strike the halls. The mace, which is chiefly used in this country, is a long straight rod of wood, with a head at one end, made either of bone or ivory. It is held by the small end, and the ivory hall is struck with the other. The object of the player is to make his adversary's ball roll into one of the holes, either by striking it directly by his own, or by making his own ball rebound from the sides of the table, and then strike his adversary's hall, so as to carry it into one of the holes. When a ball is thus put into one of the holes, it is called a hazard, which is reckoned for two in favour of the player.
In order to play billiards well, attention must at first be to the method of holding the mace ; to the position in which the player should stand, and the manner of delivering the ball from the mace ; but these are much more easily acquired by observation, or by the direction of a good 'player, than by written rules. A person who plays with his right hand must stand with his left foot foremost ; and, on the con trary, lie who is left-handed, must place his right foot foremost, by which he will stand more steady and firm.
There arc various games at billiards ; viz. the white winning game ; the white losing game ; red, or ca rambole winning game ; the red losing game ; the simple carambule game ; the winning and Lsing ca rambole game ; the bar •hole game ; the bricole game ; the carohne game ; the choice of bulls game ; the commanding game ; the cushion game ; the doublet game ; the four game ; the hazards ; the limited game ; the one hole game; the Russian carambole ; and the fortification billiards : an account of each of which we shall give froin Hoyle.
Ilutel and ftegidations to be observed at the White Winning Game, played with two White Balls.—Tue game scored from winning hazards is twelve in num. bet when two persons play, and fifteen when four play. 1. String for the lead, and the choice of balls.
2. When aperson strings for the lead, he shoild stand within the limits•of the corner of the table, and must not place his ball beyond the stringing nails or spots ; and the player who brings his ball nearest the cushion, at the upper or baulk end of the table, wins the lead.
3. After the first person has strung for the lead, if the adversary who follows should make his ball touch the other, he loses the had. 4. If the player holes his own ball, either in stinging or leading, he loses the lead. 5. If the leader follows his ball with either mace or cue past the middle bole, it is no lead ; and if his adversary ch uses, be may make him lead again.
6. The striker who plays at the lead, must stand vs ith both his feet within the limits of the corner of the table, and must not .place his ball beyond the string ing nails or spots ; and his adversary (only ris bound to see that he stands and Plays fair, otherwise the striker wins all the points he made by that stroke.
7. After a hazard has been won, the balls are to be separated, and the striker is to lead as at first. When a hazard has been lost in either of the corner holes, the leader is obliged (if his adversary requires it) to lead from the cnd.of the table, where the hazard was lost ; but if the hazard tires lost in either of the middle holes, it is at the leader's option to lead from either end of the table he pleases. 8. If the striker does not hit his adversary's ball, he loses one point ; and if by the said stroke his ball should go into a hole, over the table, or on a cushion, he loses three points, viz. one for missing the ball, and two for holing it,
&c. and he loses the lead. 9. If the striker holes his adversary's ball, or forces it over the table, or on a cushion, he wins two points ; but when he holes either his own ball, or both of them, or forces either ur both of them over the table, or on a cushion, he loses two points. 10. No person has a right to take up his own ball without permission from his adversary. 11. If the striker should touch or move his own ball, not intending to make a stroke, it is deemed an acci dent ; and his adversary may put the ball back to the place where it stood. 12. If the and forces his adversary's ball over the table, and his adversary should chance to stop it, so as to make it come on the table again, the striker nevertheless wins two points. 13. But if the same events happen to his own hall, the striker loses nothing by the stroke, and he has the lead : because his adversary ought not to stand is the way, or near the table. 14•. If the striker misses the adversary's ball, and forces his own over the ta ble, and it should be stopped by his adversary, as be fore mentioned, ise loses one point, but retains the lead, if he chuses. 15. If the striker, in playing from a cushion, or otherwise, by touching the ball, makes his mace or cue go over or past it, he loses one polio.; and if his adversary requires it he may put the ball back, and make him pass the ball. 16. If the striker, in attempting a stroke, does not touch his ball, it is no stroke ; and he must try again. 17. If when the balls are near each other, and the striker by accident should make his ball touch the other, it is nevertheless a stroke, though not intended as such. 18- If the striker should make his adversary's ball go so near the brink of a hole, as to be judged to stand still, and afterwards should fall into the hole, the striker wins nothing ; and the ball must be put on the same brink where it stood, for his adversary to play for the next stroke.-N. B. There is no occa sion for challenging the ball if it stops, as some per sons. imagine. 19. If the striker's ball should stand on the brink or edge of a hole, and in playing it off he should make the ball go in, he then loses three points. 20. If a ball should stand on the brink or on the edge of a_ hole, and should fall into the same, before or when the striker has delivered his ball from his mace or cue, so as to have no chance for his stroke, in that case, the striker's and his adversary's balls must be placed in the same position, or as near as pos sible thereto, and the striker must play again. 21. The striker is obliged to pass his adversary's ball, more especially if he misses the ball on purpose ; and the adversary may oblige him to place his own ball where it stood, and play until he has passed. 22. If the striker touches his own hall twice, or plays both balls from his mace or cue, so that they touch at the same time, it is deemed a foul stroke ; and if disco vered by his adversary, and a dispute should arise thereon, he has an undoubted right to appeal to the disinterested company then present ; and the marker, if required, after desiring silence, must go round the table to each person separately, and be particularly careful to ask, if he has any bet depending thereon, if he, understands the game, and the nature of the dis pute then in question ; and if determined by the ma jority of the disinterested company, and the marker, if needful, to be a foul stroke, then it is at the adver sary's option (if not holed) either to play at the ball, or take the lead. But if his adversary shall not discover it to be a foul stroke, then the striker may reckon all the points he made by the same, and the marker is obliged to score them. 23. No person has a right to diseover to the player whether the stroke is fair or foul, until asked by him, or by him or his partner in a match of four. -21-. If by a foul stroke the striker should hole his adversary's ball, he loses the lead. 25. If by a foul stroke the striker holes his own or both balls, or forces his own or both balls over the table, or on a cushion, lie loses two points.