Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/338

 October 15,  1859.]  HOW  TO  LEARN  TO  SWIM. 327

“They be  rank  pison!” he  informed  us  in  a loud voice, from  a distance.

The connection  between  these  productions  and the reptiles  with  which  they  are  nominally  asso- ciated is quite  imaginary. I have never  yet  seen a toad either  seated  on  a toadstool,  or  crouching under one. No doubt  toadstools  have  derived that name  from  peculiarities  of  conformation  and colour, which  give  them  an  aspect  of  toadiness. Fat, bloated,  mottled,  many  of  them  may  seem the vegetable  analogues  of  the  toad. That reptile being accounted  “ugly  and  venomous,”  their similarity to  it  in  look  has  procured  for  them  a corresponding  character. But whereas  the  “pre- cious jewel ” which the  toad  has  been  credited with wearing  in  his  head,  is  nothing  more  than  a brilliant  eye — “all  my  eye,”  as  the  toad  might  be excused  for  saying — sundry  toadstools  possess  the really valuable  property  of  serving  for  nutriment, as witness  the  undersigned. Instead of  being  only fit to  be  ingredients  in  a hell-broth,  they  are  ex- ceedingly good things  to  enter  into  the  composi- tion of a hash.

Are there  any  general  rules  by  which  whole- some toadstools can  be  distinguished  from  such as are  poisonous? One only  that  can  in  any measure be  relied  on, — a pleasant  taste  is  a pretty safe criterion  of  their  wholesomeness. The con- verse of this,  however,  does  not  hold  quite  good: some eatable  sorts  are  rather  hot  to  the  palate when uncooked. The proof  of  the  toadstool  is in  the  eating — cautiously  tried; small  quantities only being  at  first  ventured  on,  and  heat  in  the throat, or  any  other  unpleasant  sensation  in  that, or the  continuous  thoroughfare,  being  taken  as  a warning. Add to  this,  that  the  experiment  should not be  hazarded  at  all  till  the  fungus  in  question has been  carefully  identified  by  reference  to minute  descriptions  and  accurate  plates. By these precautions the  explorer  will  be  enabled  to  walk safely on  the  enchanted  ground  which  engenders toadstools, and  to  banquet  on  its  produce  with  im- punity and  satisfaction. P. L.

HOW TO  LEARN  TO  SWIM.

( The few  remarks  lately  made  in  this  publication on  Swimming  as  a desirable  art  and  exercise  for women,  have  occasioned  inquiries  as  to  how women  can  learn  to  swim.  What  means  exist,  it is  asked,  for  enabling  girls  to  use  their  limbs  in the  water?

In such  a case  as  this  the  supply  of  a want  must follow, and  not  precede,  the  demand. When ! parents show  a desire  that  their  daughters  should swim, instructors  and  means  will  turn  up; just  as  a dancing-school  is  sure  to  be  instituted  in  any rising town,  when  the  need  of  one  has  been  talked of for  a little  while. First, then,  let  parents  and daughters make  known  their  opinion  and  wish  on the  subject;  and  there  will  soon  be  as  many swimming-schools in  England  as  there  are  in  France.

In the  “Englishwoman’s  Journal ” of  August; 1858, p.  413,  there  is  an  account  of  the  opening of a metropolitan  swimming-bath  for  ladies  in  the Marylebone Road,  where  instruction  is  said  to  be given  “by  an  efficient  female  teacher.”  It  seems to me  that  when  we  have  got  “an  efficient  female teacher, ” we have  got  all  we  want  for  the  basis  of a system  of  any  extent. There are  multitudes  of young  women  on  the  look  out  for  means  of  honest subsistence. Why should  not  the  teacher  at  the St. Marylebone  Public  Baths  instruct  ten,  or  twelve, or twenty  strong  and  willing  girls  to  swim,  in order  to  teach  others  to  swim? The fathers  and mothers in  any  town  or  village  who  wish  their children to  learn  should  inquire  at  these  baths; and, if  there  is  as  yet  no  supply,  should  cause  a proper  young  person  to  be  instructed.

Wherever there  are  good  and  spacious  baths  for women there  seem  to  be  some  women  who  can swim. At Liverpool,  where  the  baths  are  admira- ble, there are  several  ladies  who  are  perfectly  at home  in  the  water. If each  of  these  ladies  would instruct some  promising  girl  or  girls  from  the schools in  their  art,  in  order  to  make  it  their  occu- pation, no doubt  the  next  generation  of  women  in Liverpool  would  be  swimmers  in  much  greater proportion than  the  present. Let other  towns and any  country  neighbourhood  where  there  is good  water,  provide  baths  of  sufficient  size — either by mooring  bathing-houses  in  the  streams,  or  by making  shallow  docks  on  shore,  and  teachers  will presently offer. If not,  it  would  be  no  great  ex- pense for the  combined  parentage  of  a neighbour- hood to bring  over  a swimming  mistress  from France. There are  probably  several  at  the  bathing places along  the  coast; and  there  are  certainly plenty at  Paris,  if  one  may  judge  by  the  accom- plishment of Frenchwomen  in  the  art.

What prevents  fathers  teaching  their  own  chil- dren in infancy? The earliest  time  is  the  best  for learning an  art  which  is  never  difficult. In most countries in  the  world — actually  over  the  greater part of  the  inhabited  globe — the  children  swim  as soon  as  they  walk,  if  not  earlier. In Egypt,  and throughout all  Mongolian  countries,  and  among the indigenous  races  of  America,  and  throughout the negro  lands  of  Africa,  and  in  Polynesia,  the human being  is  amphibious. There children  of both  sexes  can  spend  the  whole  day  in  the  water, and explore  it  at  pleasure. Any Nile  voyager who has  passed  the  first  cataract  can  tell  how  it is  among  the  Berber  infants,  and  indeed  along  the whole course  of  the  Nile. English children  would do the  thing  just  as  well  if  they  were  put  in  the way of  it. Their mothers  are  the  proper  persons to put  them  in  the  way  of  it: and,  as  the  mothers are at  present  unqualified,  the  fathers  should undertake it. In another  generation  or  two  they would be  saved  the  trouble,  we  may  hope,  by  the mothers being  then  better  qualified. Meantime, it will  gratify,  and  perhaps  surprise  any  parent  to see  how  immediately  a little  child  takes  to  the art, which  really  seems  like  nature  to  it,  if  begun sufficiently early.

Wherever public  baths  are  established,  it  is  no doubt  practicable  to  make  an  arrangement,  either to open  the  swimming-bath  on  certain  fixed  days to women,  or  for  giving  women  a bath  to  them- selves. The whole  thing  rests  with  women,  or with  parents  of  families. Whenever there  is  a real  demand  there  will  be  no  want  of  areas  contain- ing five feet  of  water. The generation  which  has multiplied baths  and  washhouses  and  drinking- fountains, can  enable  children  to  swim.