260 THE SEA. 



in the direction opposite to that in which the sharp edge points. Now a wedge of water 

 is forced backwards, and the resistance caused propels the body forward in an opposite 

 direction." When this point is well considered, the importance of drawing the legs well up 

 will at once become manifest. 



Again, too, in dwelling on the stroke (and by " dwelling on the stroke " is meant resting 

 for a few seconds in the water while the body moves forward) , care should be taken that the 

 toes are pointed in a direction contrary to that in which the swimmer is going. The move- 

 ment of the arms is never one in which great difficulty will be found. The two hands should 

 be kept perfectly flat, the palms resting on the water ; and at the same time as the swimmer 

 strikes out his legs each hand should be brought slowly round, one to the right and the other 

 to the left, care being taken that the palm of the hand is horizontal. Were the hands to be 

 placed sideways, it is at once evident that the water would offer but little resistance. By keep- 

 ing the hands in the position named the resistance offered by the water in case of sinking 

 would be very considerable. Should the beginner doubt this, let him enter the water and 

 stoop down, and keeping his hand flat, bring it suddenly downwards in the water; the resist- 

 ance the water will offer prevents him from doing this with any speed at all. On the other 

 hand, should he strike downwards with his hands sideways, he will find that he can do it as 

 fast almost as he could in the air. Now, in reaching forward with the hands the swimmer 

 should always endeavour to reach as far forward as possible. Let him imagine some small 

 object is placed in the water just out of reach, and let him struggle to reach it ; the more he 

 reaches forward the faster he will swim. This is a very important point. 



Every boy should in learning to swim be very particular as to the kind of stroke he 

 acquires with his legs. Bear in mind that if once you get into a bad style you will exparienca 

 ten times the difficulty in altering it into a correct one than you would by commencing to learn 

 to swim afresh; for this reason every one learning to swim should go and watch carefully some 

 first-class swimmer, and note how he moves his legs, and then imitate him as closely as 

 possible. 



Diving from a height requires, as Artemus Ward observed when he took the census, 

 experience, like any other business ; and just as that worthy gentleman got into difficulties 

 with the two first old maids he met, and whose mouths he attempted to examine, not believing 

 their answers to be correct with regard to age, so many a boy who has witnessed the apparently 

 easy feat of taking a header has come to terrible grief by finding himself come down flat on 

 the water, which he has shortly afterwards left with the appearance of having had a 

 particularly strong mustard poultice on his chest. Now, in diving from a height of, say, six 

 feet, the heels must be thrown well up, the legs should be kept straight and well together, and 

 the two hands brought forward in front of the head, exactly similar to the position that a man 

 takes in making his first attempt at swimming on his chest. The hands act simply as a break- 

 water, and they should be turned up the moment the water is reached, thus preventing the 

 diver going deep, and also enabling him to dart forward along the surface the moment he 

 reaches the water. A good diver can dive from a height of forty to fifty feet, and yet never 

 go a yard below the surface. 



On one occasion, when only fourteen years of age, a boy dived from the top deck of Her 

 Majesty's ship President, stationed at the West India Docks. The height above water was 



