The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-02-10
Swimming for Girls.

Hardly any physical exercise is more healthful,
as hardly any is so graceful, as swimming. Yet
it is somewhat curious that we, who live in an
island, aud who can in no way approach our
nearest Continental neighbours except by water,
should give comparatively little attention to the
acquisition of the art of swimming. Forced by
a. imperative necessity OF circumstance ~ oe-
come sailors, if we would have intercourse at all
with the outer world, We yet trust to the frame
work Of orr good ships if we venture on the seas
and, if accident happens, few have so little power
OF keeping themselves a6Cat as those who are
seamen by profession. 1t is not so in other mari
time nations. In Sweden eVsry child Is taught to
swim, as he is Taught to walk. In. Germany also
we learn that all the people whose dwellings are
situate on the banks of rivers are taught to swim,
as q necessary part of their training for the enjoy
ment of life. Why are we so much behind other
nations ; aud why, especially, is it that girls are
not taught to swim as we'll as boys?
The answer to the first Of there questions is,
probably, that it has not hitherto been the fashion
that swimming should be universally taught.
Just as thirty years ago a man who bad learnt his
military drin was quite an experienced person, so
now n man who sWims well is still rather remark
able. Still more remarkable is a woman who
swims well ; and Miss Beckwith, when she performs
one of her feats of swimming. either in the Lam
beth Baths or in the broader area Of the Thames,
exciles as mnch attention as if she were a verita-
BILE mermaid, instead of being only the nearest APP
proach to it that a human being can be.
Yet, IL we may judge from what we see at the
seaside. and what we can observe in the compara-
lively few swimming baths that are in London open
10 women, persons Of the weaker sex seem to
have no insuperable objection to going into the
water noe do they hesitate to learn to swim, II
they can hnd tsaeherz. We hope that the day is
rapidly approaching when public swimming baths
will no longer be opened to women as q kind OF
but as the natural sequence Of the existence of baths
in any place at all. We also venture to hope that
the day may not be far distant when the teaching
Of swimming will be considered one OF the things
which q woman may quite well undertake as q
means Of earning n livelihood, and that by no means
a very poor one. At present we are bound to say
thai one Of the things most difficult to procure in
London is q good female teacher for women and
Urls Not long n ago an advertisement for q female
teacher Of swimming, inserted in the columns OF
this Journal. produced only one reply, while others,
inserted in other papers. produced none at all.
Women are slowly aEaksning-how slowly only
those who are watching know-to the fact that re-
Rulated physical exercise as good for them as 1t IS
for men that, in fact, for them, as the mothers OF
the coming race, q Eell-deyeloped physique 10 an
absolute necessity, if the race Is TO continue without
decrease Of strength. Healthy mothers have healthy
ehildrens, and children whose parents are m
healthy have not q fair start given them In the Raee
Of life. The old Greeks knew this, and Greek
women had o training provided for them which was
to develop their bodies in the highest Perfectlon.
We are q long way of yet, We fear, from the days
when regulated physical exercise, either IN the
gymnasium, in the swimming oath' or IN some
other way. viii form part of the education of every
girl /; but we see now and then faint indications that
light Is about to dawn for ever on our darkened
perceptions in these maitsrs--LoHdon PaPsr.
TsE FAMINE IN INDn-The famine in Southern
and western India has increased, and now occu-
mics ofseiai attention exclusively. At Billory,
Madras Presidency, $4,000 people are employed
on the relief works. At Sholapore. Bombay, 2O.-
600 are being fed with cooked rice at the Govern
ment expense. Cattle are dying for want OF fod-
der. and many deaths of Coolies have taken place
from starvation and cholera. The Times of India,
under Sste Sholapore, 9th November, referring to
the famine in the Deeesn, says it is diaseait 70
realise the distress. Yesterday rs persons died OF
$500. ona nhOlara M0Fa tEan two laklS OF
neonIe have deserted the villages Ia this district.
Through the city about %, 900 persons have passed
TO the Nizam's dominions. 10000 cattle have
been osacialIy passed over TO the Nizam: Further
not knowing Ehsre, thinking the famine to be
local. @t 30