The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-12 00:00:00

SWIMMING MATCH.

A most inspiriting swimming contest for the posses-
sion of the three silver medals offered to the Glasgow
Swimming Society by the London body of swimmers,
came off in the Clyde on Friday morning, about half.
past six o'clock. About half.past five crowds began
to assemble upon this portion of the Green, and by the
time the combatants entered the water, it was computed
that there were at least 25,000 onlookers present.
Originally there had been the names of fourteen com-
petitors entered, but only ten came forward, to whom
the regulations were read in the floating bath before
starting. They then proceeded to the first spring-board,
and plunged into the stream—the goal being the cigar
or floating bath at a distance of half a mile. Mr. An-
drew Scott, engineer, first reached the winning rope
in the period of nineteen minutes, and became entitled
to the first medal, on which is inscribed the words
" Glasgow Champion." It also entitles him to compete
for the London gold medal, value twenty guineas, at the
annual swimming match of the London Society in 1841.
The second prize was gained by the brother of the cham-
pion, Mr. Stevenson Scott : and the third was awarded
to Mr. William Miller. The last of the competitors
came in within twenty one minutes from starting, but
some of them were much exhausted. An agreeable
soiree was held last night in the Bloating Bath, Mr.
William Gilmour in the chair, at which the medals
were presented to the three successful competitors
amid much applause. In the course of his address tht:
Chairman expressed his intention to grant two guineas
towards a medal to he competed for next year. Having
given the above detail, we would respectfully hint, that
if the Swimming Society means that the art is to be
really useful, they should teach people to swim with
their clothes on. When a man comes to be in risk of
drowning, it is very rarely indeed that he has time or
convenience to divest himself of his garments, and
a good suit of clothes, with, it may be, a pair of
heavy boots, are found to be very unhappy incum-
brances to those who only swim, and swim well,
on holidays ; and the same necessity applies to a
kind-hearted penon on the bank who is anxious to save
a struggling fellow-creature in the stream. In this
we hope we do not recommended anything that is either
unnecessary or impracticable, and we will give a proof
of it. A few days ago, when the Strabane, East In-
diarnan, was under weigh from Greenock for Bombay,
one of the seamen, who had been jollifying overnight
with his friends, and was still scarcely reduced to a
saber working state, took the sudden notion that he
would not accompany the ship. The mate dared him
to go ashore, but Jack jumped overboard, and every
one considered that he had done something like com-
mitting suicide. He was, however, soon observed
breasting the waves so deftly that even his little round
glazed hat was not disturbed on his head, and at each
rising on the water, tho small of his back was seen. A
boat was manned, but he had almost reached Greenock
quay before it overtook him, from which he was hoisted
to the poop, ;Wens volens.—Glasgow Herald.

STONEHAVEN.—On Monday, Archibald Far-
quharson, Esq., of Finzean, was summarily tried before the
Sheriff, for having wickedly and feloniously administered,
or caused to be administered, to the members of the Total
Abstinence v)iree, held at Banchory Ternan on the 16th
June last, a certain quantity of jillap mixed with a pound
of tea, and an ounce and a half of calomel mixed with
fear pounds of sugar, and which was accompanied with the
following note ._" From a well-wisher to the health and
prosperity of the Society." The pannel pleaded guilty to
the crime libelled, unless in so far as it charged him with
an attempt to injure the healths of her Majesty's lieges,
and was fined in the sum of 101. sterling. AI
----ontrose ,
Revicw,