The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-10-24
About the Art Of Swimming.

While the cultivation of the mind
receives the attention and encourage
ments of parents regardless of cost,
facts every day heralded to the world
demonstrate that the equally useful
and practical accomplishments of life
are neglected in this country. There
is no doubt, says the Columbus States.
man, that the art of swimming is one
of the most useful Of physical accom-
plishments, as it is one of the most
wholesome and innocent amusements
but it is equally true that nine-tenths
of the good swimmers have acquired
the art, against the protest, if not the
direct opposition of their parents.
This is not as it should be. Fathers
would be doing their children a service
of incalculabe value to encourage and
instruct them in the art of swimming,
instead of devising means to keep
their boys from the water. It is an
requirement eminently useful and
practical, not only in preserving the
lives Of those who possess it but of those
who do not. Aside from this import
ant consideration, 1t is moro useful In
developing the muscle, strengthening
the lungs and purifying the body,
than the health giving exercise ofpugi-
listic training, of which we have beard
so much of late If the mechanic, or
the student, or the business man, was
to rise up in the morning earley, so
soon as the first beams of the sun slant
into the chamber, go down to the riv-
er and with headlong plunge scrape
acquaintance with the pebbles at the
bottom then rising with hearty
grasp strike out for the opposite bank
or against the cnrrent; then make his
morning toilet on the green sward and
go home to breakfast, each and every
one of them would go to work with
great deal more vigor and accomplish
his task with much more ease than
tbay could possibly have attained
without the sunrise swim. Private
baths in private dwellings are very
good things in their way, but are not
to be compared to the river swim, with
the important concomitants of plenty
of light and abundance of fresh air.
1t is not worth while to expatiate
further upon the Importance of know
ing how to swim, and the beneficial
efforts of practising the art, but we
will presume that every sensible per-
son admits the facts. AS to the
best means of learning and the extent
of the practice that can be taken bene-
fcially, eve:y one must be governed
by his own Judgment. That eminent
philosopher, Ben Franklin, wrote an
essay on swimming, while he admitted
the truth of the old saying, that "it is
impossible to learn to swim without
going near the water" C'ature is the
best instructor upon this point, and
with her assistance single bath is
sufficient to make any one good
swimmer One fuy damental rule may
be adopted as sound. The easiest
and most natural motion of the limbs
are the best and, in fact the only means
Of accomplishing the result. Nature
has given hnman beings the same fac
ulty Of keeping their heads above
the water that she has bestowed on all
the lower animals. A few short and
steady strokes, quick but regular res
pirations, and little confidence, and
the tlrst effort is crowned with success.
The long respirations, long and rap
id strokes and any amount of conf
dencc will soon follow. The long pro-
miscuous kicking, plunging and gasp
ing, with which beginners often COM
mence tteir education, are the very
thing that make them sink While
the true principle is adhered to, the
power of floating can be carried to
an unlimited extent. Sailors have
been known to swim in heavy sea,
and even make progress for forty -eight
hours. BY clasping the hands behind
looking steadily at the zenith and
breathing regularly, the head can be
kept above for week, without the
least exertion Of the limbs. In this