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You strike the water with your right and left legs, when swimming on the back, at each extension of the legs, lifting them up out of the water one after another, you strike the water so that it starts into the air. Those who are most expert at this bring their chins towards their breast at each extension. There are some who, not satisfied with going so far, only, to perform the business more gracefully, lift up their legs higher than others, strike the water at cach extentioneach extension [sic], sometimes with the right leg, sometimes with the left, and at the same time turn the whole body. This is the most agreable manner of all. To perform this, you must keep your body extended on your back, expand or inflate your breast, and keep it almost out of the water, the palms of both your hands extended and turned towards the bottom; for it is the office of the hands to keep up the body while you strike and open your legs; but if at the same time you have a mind to beat water, and turn yourself, in that case, supposing your right leg is up out of the water, you must strike the water with that, and at the same time lift up the left leg, and by the same action turn your whole body. This agility makes swimming very easy, and does not require so much force as the following.