RIGHT AND LEFT.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIII, Issue XI, 15 September 1894, Page 257

RIGHT AND LEFT.

In cases where no hard and fast line has been drawn, the minor habits of man vary considerably. For example, although most right-handed persons put on their coats left arm first,a considerable percentage thrust in the right first. Soldiers fire from the right shoulder, but sportsmen are found who prefer the left. In working with the spade, a proportion of right-handed men grasp the spade with the left and push with the left foot and right hand : though, when nsing an axe, the same individuals would grasp furthest down with the right. The Persians mount their horses from the right side, which is the different side from that mounted by Europeans. The buttons on coats are placed on the right side. Newton records that at first he confined his astronomical observations to his right eye, but afterwards he managed to train his left. But there are persons who could not do this, owing to the unequal strength of their eyes. Strange to say, the Chinese assign the place of honour to the left. At Kunyenye, in Africa, Cameron relates being introduced to the heir presumptive to the throne, the nails of whose left hand bad been allowed to grow to an enormous length as a sign of high rank, proving that he was never required to perform manual labour, and also providing him with the means of tearing the meat which formed his usual diet.