THE TURN CALLED RINGING THE BELLS

You have no need of much room for this mode of turning, and may do it either swimming on the back or stomach. If you are swimming on the stomach, draw in your feet and strike them forwards, at the same time striking out your hands backwards, and putting your body in an upright posture.

If swimming on the back, draw in your legs towards your buttocks, and, striking them down towards the bottom, cast your body forwards till you are turned on the stomach; but take heed that you have water sufficient, and that there are no weeds at bottom, as, if you either strike the bottom or get your legs among the weeds, the consequences may be serious.

TO MAKE A CIRCLE.

Keeping one foot inmovable, turn the other round, and thus describe a circle, ending where it began: in the same manner the head may remain immovable, while the legs strike the water, and make the body turn round. To perform this, the body lying on the back, if you would turn from the right to the left, you must first sink your left side somewhat more towards the bottom than the other, and lift out of the water your legs successively, first the left, then the right, and at each of these motions advance your legs outwards about a foot each, towards the left side, your head remaining still in the same place: the eddy on the surface of the water will show the parts of the circle you have described. This movement may serve to remove any thing from the head or feet. In the practice of it you must take care not to elevate your feet too high in the air, for that would immerse the head, nor to strike the water too hard with the feet.

TO TURN IN THE WATER IN AN UPRIGHT POSTURE.

While in the water, in an upright posture, you may turn and view every thing around. To turn to the right, in the first place, press the water with the sole of the right foot, and afterwards with that of the left, at the same time inclining the body towards the left; draw the water as much as you can towards you with your hands, and afterwards drive it off again; first with the left hand, and then with the right. This manner

of swimming may be very useful, especially where it is so desirable to look often about you, to guard against the possibility of your being carried further from land than you calculate on.

TO ADVANCE WITH THE HANDS JOINED TOGETHER.

This is one of the most simple ways of swimming, and is also very graceful. In the practice of it you hold your hands joined together, successively drawing them in towards the breast, and striking them out again. The two hands remain all the while joined, and the thumbs and fingers, being turned towards the surface of the water, seem to be out of it. Besides the gracefulness of this way of swimming, it is also serviceable for traversing or swimming across a heap of weeds, &c.; for the hands, being thus joined as it were in a point, open a passage for you, especially if you take care not to strike them out too far.

TO SWIM ON THE SIDE.

While swimming on the back or stomach, lower or sink the left side, and at the same time elevate the right one. When thus laid, move the left hand as often as convenient, without separating it far from the body, or sinking it, perpetually striking it out and retracting it as in a right line on the surface of the water. By this mode of swimming, you may rest one side while the other is employed.

TO SWIM ON THE STOMACH, HOLDING BOTH HANDS

STILL.

This is easily performed: keep your breast advancing forward, your neck upright on the water, both your hands fast behind your head, or on your back, while in the meantime your legs and thighs push you forwards by the same motions you make when swimming in the ordinary way. This way of swimming may be useful in case of cramp happening to your arms.

TO CARRY THE LEG IN THE HAND.

When swimming on the stomach, if you lift up one leg, and, moving it towards the buttocks, take hold of it with the hand of the opposite side, you may continue to swim with the leg and other hand which are at liberty.

To swim like a dog, lift up and depress one hand successively after another, and do the same also with the feet, with this difference only, that with the hands you must draw the water towards you, and with the feet drive it from you. Begin with the right hand and right foot, following with the left hand and foot, and so successively.

TO BEAT THE WATER.

When swimming on the back, at each extension of the legs, lift them up out of the water, one after the other, and strike the water so that it will rebound into the air. Those who are most expert at this bring their chins towards their breast at each extension.

TO KEEP ONE FOOT ABOVE THE WATER.

This is a mode of swimming more for diversion than advantage. Keep the breast inflated, the palms of the hands extended and turned downwards toward the bottom, and the other leg constantly employed in the water; for, if you omit any of these precautions, your head immediately sinks down.

TO SHOW BOTH FEET OUT OF THE WATER.

It is practicable not only to float with both feet out of the water, but also to make advances forward. Place yourself on the back, and bend the small of it contrari. wise to what is practised in other ways of swimming; the hands must be on the stomach, the palms of them open, moving them to and fro like oars, which must sustain the body while the feet are shown.

TO SUSPEND YOURSELF BY THE CHIN.

By this means you may apparently stand upright in the water, though ever so deep. To make you comprehend, remember, that when you swim on your back, you lie still, your legs being extended; when in that posture, you are to let your legs go down or sink; and when they come to the perpendicular, you must take them up again, bending the knees, and inflating the breast; and as to the arms and hands, whereof the back parts lie flat on the water by the shoulders, you must extend them sometimes on one side, sometimes on the other, and sometimes shut them, turning the palms

towards the bottom, the fingers close to one another, holding your chin as upright as possible. This mode of sustaining the body is very useful to skaters, if the ice should happen to break under their feet.

TO TREAD WATER.

By this feat you remain upright in the water without making any motion with your hands, only you move the water round with you legs from you, the soles of your feet being perpendicular to the bottom. A person might sustain himself by this movement, even if he were cast into the water bound hand and foot. Treading the water has also the advantage of allowing the free use of the hands.

TO SWIM WITH THE LEGS FASTENED TOGETHER.

The legs being bound either by weeds or otherwise, turn on your back, and lay your hands across on your breast, for in that posture you may gain the shore, by striking your legs one against another, and holding them up as much as you can.

TO CREEP IN THE WATER.

Being on your stomach, cast your hands forwards, and your feet backwards, but close together, and thus advance, extending your arms and hands as far from your breast as possible, your fingers close, and the palms of your hands a little bent, and turned towards the bottom: for, being in this posture, if you draw toward your breast with your hands and arms the water that is before you, by that you give time to the rest of your body to advance.

TO SIT IN THE WATER.

Expert swimmers can do whatever they please in the water: they can walk therein, stand perfectly upright, lie still, or even sit down on it. To sit, you must take both your legs in your hands, draw in your breath, and so keep your breast inflated, your head upright, and lifting up successively your arms and legs, by that motion sustain yourself.

TO SWIM HOLDING UP ONE LEG,

This way seems at first to be the same with that of showing the feet out of water, which we have already described, but it is very different; for while you hold

up one of your legs, both your hands must embrace and gather together (as it were) the waters, striking them under you, and driving them off; the other leg must not be lifted up above half way, beating the water frequently therewith, by quick and short strokes.

TO SW IM HOLDING UP BOTH HANDS.

While swimming on your back, it is easy to put your hands to what you please, but it is difficult to hold them upright, and swim at the same time. This is, however, to be acquired by practice. You must take care, while you lift up your arms, that the thorax or breast be not contracted, for in that case you sink, the whole art of this way of swimming consisting in heaving up the breast high, and keeping it as inflated as possible.

If people sink to the bottom of the water, it is their own fault-nature has laid no necessity on them for doing so; indeed, there is occasion for some degree of force and strength to effect it safely, speedily, and handsomely; but the expert in swimming do it as swiftly as an arrow, and descend perpendicularly or obliquely, as they please. Begin with your feet touching the bottom; then rise up, your head bowed down so that your chin touches your breast; turn the crown of your