Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-09-29
SOME CURIOUS SWIMMERS.
NATAToRIAL DIVERSIONS OF VA
RIOUS RACES.
Surf-Board Swimming In the Sand
wfch Islands - The Eskimo's
Handy Paddle-Use of Bladder.

SufI-bOaru swimming In the sand
wfch Islands - The Eskimo'3
Handy Paddle-Use of Bladder.
~ NE of the most venturesome
sports 5e is lna Rraetioed ,byus by any peo-
ming of the Sandwich Islands.
The surf-board is a plank of light
wood twelve to fourteen feet long,
with one end rounded. The edges are
also rounded, but the other end of the
board is left square. piece of cloth
is usually bound around this end, per-
haps for the support of the foot while
swimming, or rather being projected
like cannon ball by the wave
A crowd of natives will swim out,
towing their boards, diving under and
dodging the heavy rollers coming in,
until they are quite distance from
land. Every third wave is larger than
the others, and on the broad back of
this huge breaker the natives ride in
like the wind. Sometimes they stand
erect on the boards, but they usually
crouch, or lie down, and keep bal
ance with dextrous stroke of the foot
or hand, or by swaying the body
This sport is not without mishap, but
the natives are such "water dogs" that
the accidents rarely terminate fatally.
Captain Cook says that he saw with
horror one of these surf boards dashed
into pieces but an instant after man
had quilted it. To be compelled to
leave the board and dive back under
the wave is considered very disgrace
full and, besides, the oiled, polished
and highly valued board, which has
required whole tree trunk for its
manufacture, is lost. Both sexes en-
gage in this extraordinary sport, and
the chiefs enjoy it as much as their
subjects.
The Sandwich islanders skill in
swimming is the result of long prac-
tice. 1t would be good thing if our
learning this manly and useful art as
these athletic natives, who teach their
children to swim as soon as, or even
before, they can walk.
In other parts of the world sport
loving people have invented various
helps in swimming. The Labrador
Eskimo makes small paddles which are
held in the hand by swimmers, who,
it is presumed, dig the water ''dog
fashion" A bath iii ice cold water
must be great luxury to the Eskimo
during the brief but comparatively hot
summer.
1t may be suggested to our inventors
that they set about devising some ap-
pliance that will make swimming easier
and swifter.
An English officer is said to have
boards, to be held in the hands, but
they do not seem to have come very
largely into use as yet.
The idea of using bladders in very
old, Richelieu's Little wanton boys
on bladders" is familiar phrase.
When [ was boy some one told me
that the way to learn to swim was TO
tie bladder to the back before ventur-
ing into the water The advice was
never followed, but / remember going
to the rescue of boy who tied blad-
ders to his feet
Along the Tigris and Euphrates the
natives still follow the very ancient
method of crossing rivers by swimming
upon the inflated skins of animals held
under the arm.
English lads get buoyancy by means
of bundles of bull rushes and cork
floats.
No doubt the harness and strap have
been used ever since people began to
swim. The Dyak mother, more care
full of her baby than the Polynesian
mother, ties a band under its arms
and prevents its sinking by holding
the ends while the child paddles about
Ill great glee.
1t is remarkable how long some of
the Polynesian natives can remain in
the water without i'll effects. This is
due largely, no doubt, to the equality
of the temperature of the air and
water. The oiling of the body with
cocoanut oil may have something to
do with il.
In long distance swimming great
feats have been performed. | doubt,
however. il any modern Leander of
the sporting world would care to un-
dertake IA twelve-mile swim as did an
Eskimo | call to mind, who leaped
from ship, Wild with desire 10 return
to his native paradise of desolation. -
st, Louis Republic