Reel of Eight

Smyth writes:

Place as in the Quadrilles, eight hands round and back again, set to partners, double hands cross, and back again, and set to right and left all eight and set. Double reel by the promenade, and repeat the figures.

A year later, the Lowe brothers published a very similar version:

(Places as in the Quadrilles.) Hands round, back again; double hands across, back again; set and turn partners right and left, all eight.

About 40 years later, J.F. Wallace's The Excelsior Manual of Dancing has a somewhat clearer description:

REEL OF EIGHT

Form as for a Quadrille.

1.	All join hands, go half round to left and back to right	8
2.	Gentlemen take ladies' right hands, the ladies cross with the left hands in the centre, and go once round, change hands by the gentlemen giving left hands across in the centre, and back to places,	8
3.	All set and turn partners	8
4.	All right and left, or grand chain	8

I assume there is a misprint in the description of the star, and that the ladies should give right hands across when it's their turn in the center.

Note that Smyth has the set to partner before the hands across, while the Lowes and Wallace have it after (and Smyth just says set to partner, while the other two say set and turn partner).

Also called "The Eightsome Reel" in J. Scott Skinner's The People's Ballroom Guide from 1898.

Thomas Wilson was the first to publish a threesome, foursome and reel of five, but he did not publish a reel of eight.