The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-10-04
THE ART OF SWIMMING.
EuIe- 3u = >utsheu for the Eensft Of
Beginners.

Rules iu a >utsheII for the EeneGt OF
Beginners.
Swimming is a little hard at first.
All one wants IS to get used to the
water first, for when he gets a mouth
ruI IL dIstresses him. y good swim
mer will throw IL out, turn over on
mis- back and will be all right in
moment. The best way to pick up
swimming Is TO go into the water up
20 YOUR arms and strike out, keeping
both feet off the bottom. Mind, don't
let one drag. Just think you won't
90 under, and YOU viii he all right.
In striking of, the beginner should
fall upon the water gently, keeping
his head and neck perfectly upright,
his breast advancing forward in unison
with the legs. The back cannot be
too much followed, or the head too
much thrown back.
The hands should be placed Just in
'front.' Of the breast, the fingers point
ing forward and kept close together,
with the thumbs to the edge Of the
fOrefingers; the hands should be made
rather cOncave on the inside, though
not too much. On the stroke of the
hands they should be carried forward
90 the utmost extent; they should
next be swept to the side at a distance
from but as low a. the hips, and
should then be drawn up again by
bringing the arms toward the side,
bending the elbows upward and the
wrists downward so As TO let the hands
hang down while the arms are raising
them 70 the first attitude, and 50 on.
The legs should be moved alter
uately with the hands. They should /
he drawn up with the knees inward |
and the sOles Of the feet inclined out (
ward. They should be thrown back 7
ward a. widely apart from each other (
AS possible. These motions of the F,
hands and legs may be practiced out !
II water, and 10 would be well to do
30, and become familiar with the mo-
lions. When i'm the water the learner
should draw in his breath when his
hands are descending toward the
hips, and expel the air from the
lungs when beginning to stroke with
the hands.
Next to swimming, floating is just
a. ueedful. One tired out may turn
over and rest. The position In the
water is the same as that in swim
ming, except as TO the legs; the arms
should be stretched out over the head
in the direction Of the body. If the
legs begin to sink, you should throw
out your chest and keep the lOins as
low as possible. In this position the
human body, which is specifically
lighter than water, may float at your
tlledSuIe- III hOdllhB, lIe iHouIn
should always be kept closed, and
respiration should be rapid.
There are perhaps half a dozen
strokes in swimming. The over hand
stroke Is the fastest, but then 1t is
tiresome. BY far the best is the
or side stroke. One |
can make five feet at n stroke in a fair
current. The body is turned either
ON the left or right side, as the swim
mer chooses. The feet perform the
usual motions in this style of swim
ming. The arm from under the
shoulder stretches itself out quickly
1t the same time the feet are strik-
ing.
The other arm strikes at the same
lime as the impelling of the feet. The
hand of the latter arm begins its
stroke on a level with the head, while
he hand is again brought forward in
4 fiat position, and the feet are con-
.racted; the stretched out hand is,
while working, drawn back toward
he breast, but not so much impelliDg
~ sustaining. Greater speed can be
made on the side than in swimming
he breast-stroke, there being less re-
distance to the water.
Treading the water Is easily learn
I'll. There are two ways. In the first
he hands are compressed against the
Iips, and the feet describe the usual
.iTcle; the other consists in not con-
racting both legs at the same time,
,ut one after the other, so that while
me remains contracted the other des-
ribes the circle. In this motion
he thighs are placed in distended
POSITION, and curved as If in u half
lifting posture.-New York Ledger.