legs, from the very beginning of the stroke, so that when the body comes upright, the arms have nearly done their work. Let not the stroke be hurried, but a steady (not sluggish) recovery, precede the simultaneous grip at the beginning. I will undertake to say that, even at the first trial (absolutely important though practice is in this style, where everything depends on the work being done in perfect time), even at the first trial, I say, the result will be such as to show unmistakably how much more effective, and also how much easier, this style is than the style inculcated forty years ago-for boats as different from those of our time as a barge from a pleasure-boat, or a pleasure-boat (with a party of ten under her awning) from the old clinker-built racing craft.

The following letter, sent to me when my series of papers on rowing were completed, gave me much pleasure, as showing that my reasoning and observation had not been unsound :

:

CAMBRIDGE AND OXFORD STYLES.

"DEAR SIR,-As the stroke oar of the winning boat in the Oxford and Cambridge race, 1845–46, and, I believe, the introducer of the slow recovery by which both races were won (though I can really, however, say that only of the first, for, in the latter race, Milman pulled very nearly my stroke), I wish to

say how much I approve of all you have written in Knowledge, and to remark that Cambridge loses now because they both hurry forward and go too far back -at least, this latter is often a fault with them. The rapid recovery is always a fault, and, I think, the most exhausting fault that can be made, either in the old boat or the new boat, but very particularly so in the new boat.-Yours faithfully,

"C. G. HILL."

CHAPTER XII.

LEARNING TO SWIM

VERY ONE admits that we ought all to be able

EVERY

to swim; yet, if you ask the first ten men you meet whether they can swim, you will find that at least five cannot, and of women (who can learn the art much more easily than men) not one in ten can swim, Yet, out of a hundred men in all classes above the very poorest, ninety-nine have the chance of teaching themselves to swim with perfect safety, and quite easily, for one part at least of every year; and nearly the same proportion among women have similar opportunities.

It seems to me the reason why, despite the talk which goes on every year in the summer and autumn months about learning to swim, so few, who might, do really achieve the easy task, is that erroneous ideas are formed respecting the thing to be learned. A skilful swimmer, professional or otherwise, describes the art of swimming as eventually it should be acquired by the learner. He tells a man or boy who cannot support himself for a moment in the waterexcept, perhaps, by floating on his back-that he

must go through such and such movements. Here for instance, is a first lesson, extracted verbatim from an old magazine:-"Suppose a person standing up to his breast in water, and about to strike off in swimming; the hands are placed close to each other, with the palms undermost near the breast, the body is thrown forward in the water, the hands are thrust out, and when the arms are fully extended, they diverge horizontally (the backs of the hands being turned towards each other), describing curves" [excellent description !], "until they are brought round under the armpits and again extended. Whilst the arms are describing their curves, the legs are drawn forwards under the body, the knees being separated as much as possible, and the toes turned outwards, and whilst the arms are regaining their extended position, the legs are extended backwards and outwards, the soles of the feet being turned outwards." Now this is very pleasant to read. So the learner, standing up to his breast, puts his hands close together, the palms undermost near the breast, throws his body forward in the water, and presently comes up spluttering, having accomplished no part of the suggested operations except "describing curves" very vaguely and very uncomfortably.

The fact really is, that the first efforts of the learner should be of a much less ambitious kind. No one ever yet learned to swim all at once; and many are prevented from learning to swim at all by the circumstance that every one fails who tries to do what most

books on swimming tell him to do, and what professors of swimming pretend to expect him to do.

In the first place, the learner should not stand breast-high in the water, at least on a sloping shore, or where there is any stream. Not many years ago, some simple lessons on swimming, beginning with some such advice as we have quoted above, led a beginner to his grave; for, tumbling forwards in trying to carry out the instructions, he began to flounder, and floundering into deeper water, was drowned. In a bathing-place with level floor, a learner may safely take his first lessons with the water up to his armpits when he stands upright. But on a sloping shore (and even then he must be well assured that the slope is uniform and gradual, and the bottom such as he can stand on firmly) he should be content to stand in water some three or four inches below the armpits. If there is a stream, he will do well to fasten round his waist a stout cord, attached to some thoroughly trustworthy post on the bank. The same also at sea, if there is any tide or current, or any but the slightest undulations. It is better also to be with persons who can swim. In fact, avoid all danger. You will not learn the worse for being safe.

So much premised, note that the first thing to be learned the first, but after it is learned everything else comes easily-is the art of retaining the balance in the water. It is better, if you want eventually to be a really good swimmer- that is, to have good