The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-08-27
Swimming.

make excellent mock Strawberries.
Swimming.
In former years we have several times
callc'l the attention Of our rea.lcrs TO the
Importance Of teaching young persons of
both sexes how 10 swim. Upon this sub
we find in the Ncw York Courier anil
Enquirer the following sensible remarks -
The season for yachting and boating and
bathing Is upon It's, and almost every day
bring new cases Of death by drowning. In
nne eases out Of ten these death occur from
sheer inability to swim. 1t is an inability
which every civilized man or hoy ought to
tie ashamed. Every Child who can learn
I" walk, can learn to swim; and so far rs
the preservation of life is concerned. the
latter is quite rs important rs the former
i'll fact, more so. There arc very few who.
III the course of their earthly experiences,
do not at some period find themselves IN
"""9'r ct being cast into water beyond their
depth; and every man should be prepared
Tor surh an emergency, for his very liz.
may depend apon it. liz most burbarous
countries, intants arc taught to swim AS in
varlahly and naturally as they are taught
to walk. The young mother takes to the
riverside her baby of a few month old. ties
her girdle round i, and lets ii play in the
water, and find its own way of balancing
itself, and moving from point to point, so
that many child can swim before it is
steady on its feet on dry land. Tn such a
country as Egypt, where the water is the
great highway, and there arc no bridges,
land and water are all one to the natives.
The most trifing cause or whim launches
child ofany age into the water, with or
without its palm,log or bunch OF grass
Everybody there crosses the river or canal
as we cross the road or common. We know
what feas OF diving the people in Malta
will do for the smallest coin; and that in
wild regions where those people live whom
we call savagcs, land and water are as COM
mon to the human inhabitants us the earth
and air TO the birds.
How is it with us meanwhile? There
are hundreds Of young men who walk Broad
way with all the pride of manhood, who
would be no match for even kittenhood in
the watcr-who know no more about the
art of striking ont there, and moving from
place to place than an unborn babe. We
are apt to longings TO fly; and everybody
who dreams at all, dreams Of flying. But
who can say, after all whether, if we had
wings. quarter Of our number would use
the'n2 Birds have wings and yet have to
learn to fly. The majority Of civilized men,
we think, would hardly take the trouble.
AT all events they have four limbs and don't
swim, and we don't know Why the erial
should be more attractiveSthan the aqueous
element. There are parents who are rest.
lees till there children are vaccinateG, and
wholly supine about securing them against
the risk of drowning-in this regard neg
lecting parental duty which Hindoo
mother, ora red Indian attends to most
faithfully. Th&e is great need for improve.
ment here. The levy which death makes
every summer day as penalty for approach
ing the Asfer is as unnecessary as il is cruel,
and it Ss8ht 70 be abolished. Our coronor's
fbaests pronounce the verdic. of"acciden.
Edeath" |" in these cases, but q death which
arises from SO Preventab,e. "a cause; can hard
" becalled aceidsntly-it should be called
rather the result Of culpab,e ignorance.