Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 22.djvu/800

 768 s w i s w i in three volumes. Invaluable in many respects, it exhibited the process as well as the result of biography, and hence threatened to be too long. Mr H. Craik, succeeding to the post vacated by Forster's death, judiciously reduced the scale, and produced in one volume (1882) a work which will long rank as the standard one on the subject. Remarkable monographs on Swift have been produced by Leslie Stephen in the " Men of Letters " series, Dr Johnson in the Lives of the Poets, Thackeray in the English Humourists. Mr Stephen is anxiously impartial ; Johnson's acute- ness is perverted by his antipathy; Thackeray, as is natural in a novelist, has dwelt disproportionately on the romantic side of Swift's history, and his pity for Stella and Vanessa forms too large an element in his general judgment. But he has, better than any one else, apprehended the fearfully tragic element in Swift's character and fortunes. Swift's early life has been carefully investigated by Dr Barrett of Trinity College, and the final epoch of his life by Monck Mason and Sir William Wilde. His greatness is exaggerated and his failings are extenuated in two brilliant articles in the Quarterly llevicw, vols. cli. and clvi. Minor points in his life and writings have received much elucidation from numerous inquirers, especially the late Mr Charles Dilke and Colonel F. Grant. Mr Stanley Lane Poole has edited selections from his works and cor- respondence, with excellent notes and prefaces, and has prepared a valuable bibliography. (R. G. ) SWIMMING AND DIVING. In the case of man the power of swimming is acquired, not natural. As com- pared with the lower animals, to most of which it comes perfectly easily, he is at a disadvantage in its acquisition, owing not to his greater relative weight so much as to the position of his centre of gravity, along with the fact that in the case of quadrupeds the motions which serve to sup- port and propel them in the water are very similar to those of locomotion on land. No race of mankind, however, can be mentioned to which the art is unknown, and in many barbarous countries it is more widely diffused and carried to greater perfection than amongst the civilized nations of the world. For learning to swim, a quiet sandy beach is the best place, as sea water is more buoyant than fresh. All arti- ficial aids, such as corks, air belts, cork jackets, inflated bladders, and the like, may be avoided ; they raise some parts of the body too high above and so sink others too far below the natural plane of flotation, whereas the first fundamental rule is that the mouth only should be above water, and the legs close to the surface. Belts, &c., are also apt to become misplaced and so cause trouble and annoyance as well as danger. It is best for beginners to take some instruction from a practical teacher, though many have become adepts by merely watching good per- formers. Confidence in the floating power of the body is the first thing to be acquired. The easiest way of floating is to lie on the back (which should be slightly hollowed), the arms being stretched out beyond the head but not lifted out of the water; this attitude not only facilitates respira- tion but counterbalances the weight of the lower limbs. The knees may be bent outward, the toes also pointing side- ways, the hips rigid, so assisting to keep the legs up as close as possible to the top of the water. By easy breathing one will soon be convinced that, properly balanced and with lungs kept charged, the body will assert its buoyancy. To further enable him to realize that water is capable of supporting the human body, the learner may adopt the following plan. Walk down the steps of a bath, or along a shelving beach on a calm day, into about 3 feet of water ; turn and face the shallow place, and, having taken a breath, stoop down and try to pick an egg or some similar object (a handful of sand will suffice) from the bottom. Repeat this several times leisurely, going farther out at each venture, till the water reaches up to but not higher than the middle of the chest. It will soon be found that the object is not so easy of recovery, and the beginner learns that but little exertion is required to keep the body afloat. When this experience has been gained the novice should commence with the Breast Stroke, which is nowadays some- times unjustly set aside as the "old stroke." It is neat, natural, and graceful enough, though necessarily the slowest, from the great resistance of the chest to the water and the fact that part of the arm stroke is negatived by its own movement. Like walking in pedestrianism, however, it forms the groundwork of every other branch of the art, and cannot safely be overlooked. The stroke is com- menced by placing the hands with the backs upward, and the wrists bent so that the fingers will point to the front, the insides of the wrist-joints between arm and thumbs touching the breast not lower than 4 inches under water. Begin the stroke by pushing the arms gently forward to their full extent, keeping the palms flat and the fingers closed. Now turn the palms of both hands outward, and make a strong stroke to the right and left by each arm through an angle of 90; in this part of the stroke the two arms describe a semicircle, of which the head may be termed the centre. It must be most distinctly borne in mind that all depression of the hands will tend to raise the body perpendicularly, whereas the only true position in swimming is the horizontal, which propels it forward. To complete the arm movement, bend the elbows back- ward and inward, until they come close to (but not neces- sarily touching) the sides of the body. Carry the hands in a straight line edgeways to the position from which they started in front of the chest. Simultaneously with the stretching of the hands from the front of the body the feet are struck out to the utmost width in a way cleft for them by the toes. As the arms are being brought round in the semicircular motion the lower limbs are stiffened and brought firmly together by grasping the water, so to speak, with the whole of the leg, more especially between the knees, ankles, and soles and toes of the feet. Whilst thus imparting forward motion to the swimmer, they finish in a straight line behind the body. Then, when the arms are bent, and the hands are being brought to the front of the body, the knees are turned outward, heels kept together, toes also turned out, and the feet are carried up to the body and in this position are once more ready for repeating the movements as de- scribed. Beginners must be careful not to make the arm movements quicker than those of the legs, and it must be distinctly remembered that the latter are the great pro- pellers. Unison of the movements as mentioned, and regularity in each part of the stroke, are indispensable to perfection. All hurry and excitement must be carefully avoided, and every complete stroke and kick gone about with mechanical precision and neatness. The only part requiring strong muscular exertion being the closing of the legs after they have been spread wide apart, the one strong propelling element, every effort is to be made to ensure correctness and power in its performance. The arm movements should be easy and graceful, all jerkiness or suddenness of motion being carefully avoided. Breathing should be unrestrained and natural, without gasping, sputtering, or short or sudden heavings. A safe rule is to have a full breath at every stroke, its division being regulated as follows. Blow slowly outward when the first part of the arm movement is being performed, i.e., stretched out in front ; inspire as the hands are going out- ward and round. Then, as the lungs are fully charged, no effort is necessary to suspend respiration while the hands are carried in to the front of the body again. This regu- larity of breathing is essential to pleasure, comfort, and gracefulness of action. The nostrils and air-passages should always be thoroughly cleared, the mouth cleansed, and the throat gargled before entering the water. Swimming on the Back is a pleasant and useful branch of the art ; the chief requisite for its acquirement is con- fidence. The tyro should begin practice in water reaching