Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-07-18
Ladies' Swimming School in Paris.

Quarnier' Swimming School for Ladies' opens
in the month of May, and it il difficult to ina
gine more novel or prettier scene than it pre-
sents on warm afternoon Neither at concert
race, nor ball, in Paris, have beheld so many
beautiful faces as at this school; one reason
perhaps, being that many girls from ten to
fifteen are visitors to the bath, who are excluded
by their age, from sharing in public amuse-
ments.
The young ladies Of the aristOcratic Faubourg,
st. Germain, the daughters of the wealthy
'sinanciers, +" the families attached to the En-
perOr all meet here with the same intention
namely, to swim; and ali who are able gambol
race and laugh in the water, forgetful of party
and social distinctions. The costume is gener-
ally of some dark material, gaily trimmed
with red or blue wOrsted, binding which does
not lose its color The upper part of the dress
resembles boys blouse; the lower, pair Of
trousers. 1t is all in one, and tunic is sewn
to the waist and falls to the knee Some of
the girls go in without any kind of head dress
beyond their own fine hair, neatly plated;
others wear nets of gray colOrs, or a slight-net-
ted scarlet or blue scarf gracefully arranged.
basin of about l5O or 100 feet long, and
about Is or 30 feet broad, surrounded by a
broad platform, enclosed by the dressing rooms
and screened alike from the sun and from pub
lie observation by an awning stretched over
all. The machine is 40 arranged that the DOW
erful current Of the Seine rushes through ii; it
is, in fact, large cage sunk to the required
depth.
That part Of the basin, which is from four
to five feet deep is crossed by bridge; and the
mailer portion thus indicated is used by those
who wish to battle only, or who are not suffi-
clently good swimmers to exercise, as yet. in
the larger one. But the large basin is the GEN.
tire Of attraction. At the end where the water
is deepest, flights of steps lead down for those
who like to swim smoothly and quietly off but
far the greater number prefer leaping in either
from the platform, or from the little fsnciful
construction, half arch, half temple, raised at
the end of il and which gives a descent any
height you please-between ten and thirty
feet-to the surface of the water.
Fearless. gay, and graceful, they plunge be-
meath the food to reappear almost instantly
gliding down the stream without any apparent
effort; floating, swimming on the back, &C.
vary the amusements, which more than hun
dred ladies may sometimes be seen sharing to-
gether, their eyOlutiOns being watched and
s'lmuialed r oy as many lockers on - their
inothers and female friends who are seated
around. Little did think when inscribed
myself on NJ Quarnier's list, that should be
nung on nook at the end of line and then
thrown into the water with directions TO initiate
| frog to the best of my ability; it was even So
dear, how helpless you feel.-how Won wish
you had never thought of learning to swim
But you are ashamed 10 say so; you know you
cannot be drowned; the man adjusts his line so
nicely to the level of the water, You feel quite
sure of that So he counts, ''One, two, three.
and you perform froggy awkwardly enough,
putting out your hands when you ought to keen
them in, stretching your arms forward when
they ought TO be close to your body, kicking
| in anything but measured cadence, and getting
| Il good mOuthful, notwithstanding you, silly
creature, stifen your neck: and try to keep