THE ART OF SWIMMING.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIII, Issue XVIII, 28 October 1899, Page 782

THE ART OF SWIMMING.

HOW IT SHOULD BE PRACTISED AS A RECREATION. One of the most useful books published during the present) summer is a treatise by Captain Davis Dalton, champion long-distance swimmer of the world, called “How to Swim.” The author earned his title by swimming sixty miles on a stretch, and by saving 281 persons from drowning, for which he has received 169 medals, and he is at present the chief inspector of the United States Volunteer Life-saving Corps. So he knows what he is talking about when he recommends swimming as one of the finest recreations in the world, apart from the usefulness of it, and its

value both to those who understaud and practise the art aud those who are tbijwu in contact with them upon occasions of watery peril, jf it is a noble thing to save human life tliere is nothing whlcli can' be learned so likely to bring "about this end as- a knowledge of swimming. In fact, there is probably not a person in America who has not acquaintance with some one whose life might have been saved had he only known a little about the methods of swimming. Captain Dalton describes all the strokes in use, and sets forth in detail the manner of acquiring them. He does not pretend that this will serve as useful a purpose as personal instruction by a competent teacher, but he might have added that his descriptions are excellent for the correction of errors in practice, should any one be taught a less usefid method than his own. In any event he is as explicit as possible about the details.

Walking and swimming are alike in this, that reasonable strength and practice enable one to traverse great distances with little fatigue and much benefit. But swimming has the advantage in the exercise it gives the arms and ehest muscles, and, above al 1 !, in the improvement of the staying powers, based upon the wind. It is safe to say that there were no expert swimmers in the American university teams recently beaten by the Englishmen at long-distance runs or the outcome would not have been so uneven. To be in the water at all one must learn to breathe quick and deep and to use all of his lung capacity—that is, unless he means to bask on the surface and never leave the seclusion of some quiet and untroubled lake.

The most useful of the swimming motions is the ordinary breast stroke. In this the arms are used merely for the purpose of keeping the head above water, the legs affording the propelling powers. They do this in. two ways—one by the direct thrust of the sole of the foot against the water, the other by the bringing of the heels together at the end of the stroke, thereby pushing the body forward on the wedge of water between the legs at the beginning of the stroke. The arms come more into play in the easiest method of swimming, called dog-fashion, but rather less when swimming on the back. In the swifter strokes the extra speed depends almost entirely on the arms, and they are consequently much more exhausting to the swimmer. The secret of traversing distances in the water, when time is not a feature of the performance—that is, when one is swimming for recreation merely’ and not in a race—lies in the ability to rest before fatigue comes on. This is done in two ways—by the repeated change of stroke, breast, side, and back, and by learning how to rest on the water. Floating is practically impossible in fresh water, exeeept in the ease of persons with small bones and a great deal of flesh. But it does not require much practice to. acquire a very slow method of swimming on the back, whereby any loss of breath can be made up. It is well to wateh the action of the heart also, and to rest whenever one becomes conscious of its beating. The manner of breathing is of the first importance, and to this end the mouth must be used. A very small quantity of water in the nose leads to strangling, unless it is forcibly expelled immediately. But water drawn into the mouth inadvertently can be ejected or swallowed without evil results and quite by instinct. It is well to keep the mouth closed except when breathing, until the swimmer has fairly well earned the knaelc of keeping enough air in the open mouth to prevent the water from coming in. Above all. the thing to be in the water is cool and collected, A moment's flurry or indecision may result disastrously, and undue haste is always worse than no progress at all. In this, as in everything else in life, the battle is to those who have their wits about them, and the discipline of swimming is, therefore, the discipline of life.