Boxing and Athletics, 29 



single-stick, and boxing taught in the Board Schools — 

 especially the first? It is a shame to Englishmen that 

 year after year the accidents from drowning are so often 

 fatal. If poor Captain Webb, who lost his life so miserably 

 in Canada_, had been taken care of by the G-overnment, and 

 been appointed as swimming inspector to prepare pupil 

 teachers in that art, and if swimming was made part of all 

 English boys' education, it would save hundreds of lives 

 every year. At Eton no boy is allowed to go in a boat 

 until he has passed in swimming ; consequently most Eton 

 boys can swim. There should be a swimming bath in every 

 inland to^\Ta, and in London the parks should be utiHzed : 

 a few pontoons, with staunchions and screens, would do all 

 that is necessary, and the swimming-baths are ready made ; 

 and in county towns there should, as I said, be a swimming 

 bath for the boys, and they should be obhged to learn. 

 Why compel children to be vaccinated, and why not com- 

 pel them to learn to swim ? 



The natural propensity for manly sports is shown by the 

 admirable use which young fellows make now of the Satur- 

 day Half-holiday, by giving their attention to boating, 

 cricket, football, volunteering, and the like — by w^hich 

 means the idle, debauched, effeminate shopmen of the past, 

 who had not an idea beyond doing the Sunday swell, a la the 

 Tittlebat Titmouse family, have disappeared, and seeing how 

 naturally athletics come to those w^ho are above the working 

 classes, surely every opportunity should be given to 

 children of the poor to become active and m.anly. The 

 energies of the ragged little boys who turn cart-wheels for 

 coppers might be turned in a better direction ; and, as I 

 said before, above all things, they should be taught swim- 

 ming and athletics. 



One of the most touching stories ever told was how, when 

 the Goliath was burned in the Thames, the little boys obeyed 



