How to learn to swim is not only an important subject for study
and investigation, but " How am I to learn to swim ? " is a question
not very easy of answer, unless through the medium of a regular
treatise on the art ; and yet to learn to swim may be said to be some-
thing very easy of attainment under certain circumstances, among
which may be named the possession of courage, determination and a
measurable degree of what is known as " presence of mind," or, the
nerve to think, the courage to act, and to act promptly on the sugges-
tion of your sudden thought, on the occasion of a critical emergency.
Animals which have never entered the water swim by instinct, the
requisite motions of the limbs to sustain them in the water coming
into play at once by natural influence. Why it is that it is not so in
the case of mankind is simply because the controlling power of edu-
cation too frequently mars the influence of instinct. The Indian
boy at the Sandwich Islands needs no lessons in swimming. From
the first entry of the child into the water the little one strikes out
naturally, and manages to keep afloat, if nothing more, his progress to-
, SPORTS AND GAMES FOR LADIES. I I I
ward perfect swimming being rapid. But our boys, and especially our
girls, inheriting an educated dread of water, lose all confidence, become
paralyzed with fear and muscularly helpless when suddenly thrown
into deep water. Could they realize the fact, at such a time, that it
is really more difficult to keep under the water than it is to float
on its surface, they would then be in possession of that confidence
which would allow natural instinct to have its way, and then to strike
out and swim at once would be at their command. Confidence
is everything in learning to swim. Indeed, the art is almost impos-
sible of attainment without it. The point, therefore, in the very be-
ginning is how to become inspired with the necessary confidence.
We learned to swim in half an hour by obtaining a practical knowl-
edge of how difficult it is to keep under water, after we had used up
months in unavailing efforts with such ordinary aids to swimming,
as floats, corks and rubber life-preservers. Standing in a bathing-
house in water four feet deep, we tossed a pebble in, and, keeping
our eyes open, dived under the water to pick it up. It looked quite
easy, but no sooner was our body under the water than its tendency
to float to the top kept us from reaching the pebble. Realizing this
fact so clearly and palpably, and having become quite familiar with
the movement of limbs necessary in swimming, we at once struck out
in deeper water, and swam with ease the length of the bath, though
previously we could not progress two yards without feeling the fear
of sinking.
Page 66
Presented as published in 1883. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
How to learn to swim is not only an important subject for study and investigation, but " How am I to learn to swim ? " is a question not very easy of answer, unless through the medium of a regular treatise on the art ; and yet to learn to swim may be said to be something very easy of attainment under certain circumstances, among which may be named the possession of courage, determination and a measurable degree of what is known as " presence of mind," or, the nerve to think, the courage to act, and to act promptly on the suggestion of your sudden thought, on the occasion of a critical emergency. Animals which have never entered the water swim by instinct, the requisite motions of the limbs to sustain them in the water coming into play at once by natural influence. Why it is that it is not so in the case of mankind is simply because the controlling power of education too frequently mars the influence of instinct. The Indian boy at the Sandwich Islands needs no lessons in swimming. From the first entry of the child into the water the little one strikes out naturally, and manages to keep afloat, if nothing more, his progress to-
toward perfect swimming being rapid. But our boys, and especially our girls, inheriting an educated dread of water, lose all confidence, become paralyzed with fear and muscularly helpless when suddenly thrown into deep water. Could they realize the fact, at such a time, that it is really more difficult to keep under the water than it is to float on its surface, they would then be in possession of that confidence which would allow natural instinct to have its way, and then to strike out and swim at once would be at their command. Confidence is everything in learning to swim. Indeed, the art is almost impossible of attainment without it. The point, therefore, in the very beginning is how to become inspired with the necessary confidence. We learned to swim in half an hour by obtaining a practical knowledge of how difficult it is to keep under water, after we had used up months in unavailing efforts with such ordinary aids to swimming, as floats, corks and rubber life-preservers. Standing in a bathing house in water four feet deep, we tossed a pebble in, and, keeping our eyes open, dived under the water to pick it up. It looked quite easy, but no sooner was our body under the water than its tendency to float to the top kept us from reaching the pebble. Realizing this fact so clearly and palpably, and having become quite familiar with the movement of limbs necessary in swimming, we at once struck out in deeper water, and swam with ease the length of the bath, though previously we could not progress two yards without feeling the fear of sinking.