A HINT TO SWIMMERS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 377, 31 January 1880, Page 2

A HINT TO SWIMMERS.

1 Lieiitenaht-Gerieral • H. H. Maxwoll Vwrites to the Lifeboats Journal Many ™ years ago, in India', I' was/walking home v ' from mess on: dressed in uniform, and had on. boots, spurs, and straps.; As:passed a-good sized tank or artificial pond for . storing the rainfall, J .heard Jlw;.struggles and gurgles of a drowning; ma,ii< ; ; -Dressed' as I was, I felt that I should bo at- a great, disadvantage's a s\yinimer, so I rushed to to a cart **which ~atooii at• tlip side of the road to fetclf'a ropd I saw attached to.it the.end;of .it to tiie drowning man'..;'ln', less tljaii a roiuut'e. I was back at the edge of tho tank, and there I learned'a - lesson as to lnw a nian should lie 1 lived'by a swimmer. Fortunately for the drowning mail,native with a long staff in his hand happened to be Walking by about tho same tilhe as ray- . self, but;o.wing to tho. darkness I had.not seen him. With his staff he was master, of ,the situation .He jumped with oiie end of his staff directediin -front of him; the drowning man seized it with proverbial eagerness the'ihstattt.it'Waswithin his reach' the-other, swimmiug with his body -nearly .• perpendioular and making very little way it is trile,(gradually towed him ashore. The swimmer was toQ . wise to trust himself ■ wifeliin 'tho drowning .mart's reach i he ke'p.t. hjoi the length of his staff, and. was thus in a P9. s .i,tibii. ; to..prevept any jlpser approach., The lesson to be learnt, as I read it, is, if you have to jump into thewater to save a man, take a stick with you, the longer the better; if you have not' one get a plank, an oar, a boon, a long bit .of woopin short, you will find it materially aisisfr you in both saving auother man's life and' in preserving your own;'; v -