THE ADVENTURES OF A SWIMMER. From the United Service Magazine. Of moving accidents by flood- It is my hint to speak. whether any have more of that confidence in swimming, which is only to be acquired by long habit, and whether any one can more heartily relish an exercise which, of all exercises, is the most healthy, invigorating, and delightful. very EVERY man, I suppose, has his passion. Mine, for many years, was swimming. It would, in- from those ordinary accidents to which swimmers Yet it is by no means to my having escaped deed, have been strange had it been otherwise, are exposed that my confidence is owing. Cramp, for I was, in a sense, brought up in the sea; my and the little mishaps which may arise from overchildhood was spent upon its shores, and many fatigue or stiffness are matters, which, as a thing years of my after life were passed in trips and ad- of course, must be expected, and I have had my ventures upon its friendly and familiar bosom. share of them. Whilst still a very child, I acquired for the ocean, adventures-have befallen me, too, such as I do But accidents-I may term them for its waves, and its sands, and its shells, and its not think fall to the share of the generality of swimpebbles, and its rocks, and the pleasant and invig-mers-accidents of a very unusual kind, the orating atmosphere of its weedy beach, a fondness remembrance of which is not unaccompanied, even and enthusiasm which made me long look upon it to this day, with a thrill of horror. Cramp is a as a spirited but affectionate steed, and which, trifle, if it be slight, and if it is very serious, it is even now that I have been for many years residing a thing for which there is no help, and of which, in an inland district, makes me wish to "lay therefore, it is almost unnecessary to speak. If it my hand upon its mane" once more. but a little thing of but four or five years old, with is a small matter. When yet is merely in a limb—in the leg, for example—it what delight, with what a terror of delight did I seized with cramp, will probably struggle foolishly, A tyro, it is true, if suddenly not venture forth into the deep waters, borne upon and, of course, sink; he will lose his presence of the shoulders of a cousin of mine, a capital swim- mind, and he is lost; but an older hand will, at mer-how I chuckled, and struggled, and screamed, worst, remain as quiet as possible till the pain subbetween an irresistible glee and an uncontrollable sides, whilst with his hands and arms he takes fear. By and bye, I grew taller and stronger, and care to keep his head above water, or, I could manage for myself, and after the usual or- he will "shoulder his crutch," or rather let it if he can, deal of sinking, and sprawling, and swallowing drag, or, in other words, pull his aching and parmany a draught of the bitter brine, I came, at alyzed leg after him, supporting it, if necessary, length, to bear my head above water, and to strike with one of his hands, whilst with the remainder out boldly, and to look upon the blue sea with a of his body he makes the best of his way to the sympathy unalloyed by apprehension, even when land. the billows would toss, and fret, and curl with the stomach, and, of course, an agony which is alBut sometimes cramp may attack the crest of angry serpents, and rise in hillocks be- most killing when the patient is in a warm bed, tween me and the land, leaving to my eyes no cannot be expected to prove otherwise than fatal other prospect than the palpitating waves and the when the sufferer is in the midst of the sea, or in overarching sky, or, perhaps, the glimmering sail a deep river, far from the shore, with danger of a ship far, far away in the distance. dred-fold to his imagination by its suddenness. around him, and that danger exaggerated a hunHowever, people who get the cramp in this form inust have something wrong about them. It is an ailing I never experienced, either in the water or elsewhere, and I do not pretend to know much about it; but those who suffer from this serious kind of cramp, must, evidently, have a constitutional tendency to the disease, or they must have entered the water under very foolish circumstances Others may be much better swimmers than I am, for great expertness in swimming depends upon many qualities, which are seldom found united. It depends on long and lithe limbs, depth of chest, a light head. (By the way, it is remarkable that Byron, whose head, though not large, is said to have been so heavy, so full of brain, should have been the swimmer that he was.) It depends, too, on the slight bones, and on a frame in whic nerve and energy have the pre--immediately after a meal, for example, or when ponderance over mere strength and blood. and stoutness, though vulgarly supposed to be relaxed to repel the chilling influences of the Fat heated and exhausted by fatigue, the frame is too capital points for a swimmer, are, no doubt, very water. useful things in ennabling a man to float, but the ability to float depending entirely on confidence, they become points of very little consequence, or rather drawbacks to the experienced swimmer, for whom a body that offers as small a surface as possible to the opposition of the waters, and a length of limb that will lend a considerable purchase to his movements, are the most desirable qualifications. But others, I say, may be better swimmers than I am, but I doubt if any can be much more familiar with the waters than I be given is, do not attempt to swim. If they are To such people, the only advice that can liable to serious attacks of the cramp when on land, the odds are that they are certain to be seized with it in the water; or if they will venture to swim in a fool-hardy spirit, they may thank themselves for the consequences. other ordinary, or, indeed, extraordinary accidents in swimming, the best safeguard is coolness. Coolness, which in this, as in other cases, springs from practice and experience, and being prepared for what may occur-coolness will almost infall Against all and enlivened by the chat and laughter of a merry English pic-nie, or, when the more noisy music of knives and forks and champagne corks had subsided, by the sentimental anguish of some poor all these amusements, but I had my own besides, and a boat, with a gun to frighten away the wild ducks, or, better still, a pleasant and long swim in the great Atlantic, or in one of the numerous arms into which it branches in this portion of France, was what I relished above all things. About noon, on a fine summer's day, alone, or with a few congenial spirits, I would start forth, and spend the hours till dusk, perhaps in swimming at some favorite spot, occasionally coming to land, and, halfdressed, lolling on a rock, looking at the sea, or the boats far off, or the sea-birds, or criticizing with the bly extricate one. Often, after having ventured further from the land than I found I could do with ease, I have, on my return towards it, felt puffed, and tired, and stiff. A few seconds' stretch upon my back, or a moment's delay in an upright posi-exile's lips singing "Home, sweet home." I liked tion, allowing the waves to heave me up and down at their will, pleasantly; an instant's look at the sky, or the sea-gulls flying overhead, or at any object in sight, so as completely to divert my mind from any silly thoughts of danger, which, when a man is overpowered by his own littleness in the midst of the immense ocean, is very apt to obtrude itself even upon the most experienced swimmer; in a word, one calm effort to summon up my self-possession thoroughly, and then a quiet strike out towards the land once more, and it is soon reached. Such is the only sound rule for a swimmer, and with it, any one, who is not con-eye and tongue of a connoisseur the aquatic feats stitutionally subject to cramp, or other maladies of of my companions, and then again plunging in, a similar nature, or who has committed no impru- and, by and bye, repeating the process of lolling, dence, may safely venture as far as his arms and and so on till the day was spent, and the great legs and his physical strength will allow him to object of English idlers on the continent obtainedreturn from; and if the thoughts of cramp or ac- "I had killed time, and the dinner hour was come." cidents should enter his mind, let him lay them Such a system of perseverance will, of course, apaside as he would the thought of a brick crushing pear to run-like too much smoking, or too much him in the street, or a thunderbolt entering his of anything-from a pleasure into a vice, and I have room and consuming him. In the sea, as on the often felt the bad effects of the excess. Many a earth, there is a Providence above, and as long as sun stroke have I had to endure upon my feet-the we do not risk our life uselessly and recklessly, only portion of my body I did not take the pains of and in a position from which our natural quali-protecting-many a tedious day have I been invaties do not afford us the means of extricating our- |lided and unable to walk, owing to the swollen state selves as long as we are indulging with prudence in a useful gratification, we ought to look with calmness upon what may await us. of those indispensable limbs to an idler; and many has been the yolk of eggs which (after the "goodwife," but excellent prescription of the place) I have had to lavish on their scorched and burning surface before I was again all right. All this 1 mention, in order to account for the fact that swim intensity, that it will almost seem ridiculous to those who do not reflect that any, even the most trifling pursuit, if allowed for any time to engross one's time, will end by thoroughly engrossing one's thoughts. But to come to incidents to which an adventurous swimmer may be exposed, and which have entered into my own individual experience. Some years ago I resided for a considerable time on the west-ming, by degrees, becaine for me a passion of such ern coasts of France, where towns are few and thinly scattered, and where the allurements of a scanty and not very entertaining society are not such as to tempt the sojourner from the more congenial pleasure of shooting, fishing, and sea sports. The little parties of English who are grouped here I had often heard of, I had often seen in the and there in various localities, and who are com- newspapers, very flaming accounts of the "heroic posed for the most part of half-pays with a small conduct" of swimmers who had saved others from income and an excellent appetite, or of family peo- drowning by plunging into the water and extricatple with children to educate, signalize themselves, ing them, and in the existing temper of my mind, as usual, among their French neighbors by their it had naturally occurred to me, to consider and fondness for those simple enjoyments which the examine the circumstances under which this "heroic French cannot relish, and always spoil by carrying conduct" had been displayed. I knew very well into them the sickly taste of the petit maitre and of that in the case of a child or of a weak woman fallthe ball-room. Strong in his own independence, ing into the water, it would be no very hard matter the wandering Briton might be daily seen lounging for any man capable of swimming to save them through the fields or thickets, with his pointer by from drowning; in such cases there could be little him and his gun in his hand, astonishing the simple or no difficulty. It would be no more than taking peasants with his shooting jacket, or at other times a piece of wood or anything light and unresisting striking them with superstitious awe by the use of out of the water. But, in the attempt to save a his plummet, which (I am quite serious) they, good strong man from drowning, a man who could not souls, were invariably convinced would be used for swim, and having consequently no presence of no other purpose than sounding the way for the mind, would be sure to use his strength, at best, boats of some English man-of-war. Sometimes to obstruct your kind services, or perhaps, in his the grand but neglected walks and woods of the frantic agony, to drag you with him to a watery old chateaux of the decayed noblesse were startled grave-in the case of a man, then, I felt that the attempt would be no child's play. An attempt I | anywhere within a distance of at least ten minutes, perceived it would necessarily be, in which success for it was in the middle of the day, when the fishwould not be easy, in which danger would be very ermen of the place were out fishing, and any one probable, and though I thought of a variety of who has been so far as Calais, must be aware that, plans, not one, practised swimmer as I was, could so great is the innate antipathy which the French I think at all likely to be available. My reflections have to salt water, there are, with the exception on the subject were generally concluded with a of the fishermen's, very few boats ever to be found shudder, at the very idea of an attempt so hazard- in a sea-port of France. In the mean while, whilst ous and so awful. Yet strange, or rather natural, a boat was being sent for, and amidst the shouts to say, the more I considered the subject, and the and screams of the people on the quay, the surface more deeply I became impressed with the awful of the water beneath became ruffled and the head position in which one might be placed in the attempt of a man struggling made its appearance. A rope to save a strong man from drowning, the more my was immediately thrown towards him, but he could ideas became riveted upon the subject, and I began not or would not reach it, and he sunk again in an soon to look upon the possibility of making such an instant. By this time something like a boat was attempt with a feeling of desperate curiosity, with seen approaching, but a very long way off; but it a reckless and determined spirit of enterprise. I was not difficult to perceive that, unless something confess, indeed, that though I hope a feeling of more immediate was done, the boat would be too philanthropy was at the bottom of my reflections late. My mind was made up in an instant. I on the subject, yet the influence in my mind was should, indeed, have sprung in immediately on the spirit of my art, not the anxiety to do a deed reaching the spot, but there was no landing-place of humanity. I confess this candidly, and I believe near, and as the quay rose very high from the that something of the same feeling may be found in water, it would have been utterly hopeless for me physicians, in soldiers, in lawyers-with them, as to be of any service. The appearance of the boat, in my case, their paramount is the spirit of their however, altered matters; if I could but support art. No doubt the good of their species is at the him for a minute or two, it would be enough, and nucleus, but their actuating motive must necessarily I therefore flung off my coat, and swung myself be the enthusiasm of their profession; the enthusi- down into the water, holding one end of the rope asm of cutting off a limb nicely; of sweeping down already mentioned in my hand. Owing to the a batch of regiments, by well concentrated fire; of wretched bungling and agitation of the people on returning happiness to the bosom of an innocent the quay, the rope was pulled from me, but once client by the clever application of a case in point; in the water I resolved not to delay, and went on and very probably philosophers would tell us that without it. If I can do anything well, it is diving, it ought to be so. If in all these instances human- and down I dived accordingly, but though I remained ity was the absorbing feeling, if the anxiety to assist under water as long as my wind would last, I could in an object of philanthropy were paramount, the catch not a glimpse of the object of my search. knife would shake in the hands of the surgeon, the This may perhaps be attributed to my having dived military chief would sicken over the contemplation too soon, before reaching the spot where he had of blood, the lawyer would be as agitated and as sunk, and once under water, especially in a molittle self-possessed as if the case were his own- ment of excitement, it is most difficult to preserve thus it was with me. I did not wish that any one the proper direction, which, indeed, must appear should be drowning in order to exert my skill in evident; but whatever may be the cause, I searched extricating him, but I wished to be present when in vain-I opened my eyes, well accustomed to so unfortunate an accident might happen, that I salt water, as wide as they would open, I groped might see if I could not succeed in saving him. and shifted about, I went round and round, but the Though I do not pretend that philanthropy was at waters overshadowed by the quay were very dark, all an engrossing feature in my wish, still I hope and I saw nothing, and came into contact with noththat no one will place me in the same category as ing, and up I rose again. The crowd above seethat Eastern tyrant, who is said to have struck off ing me reäppear unsuccessful, shouted “la, la,” the head of a slave in order to show how well his and pointed towards a spot where the water was scimitar could cut. ruffled at a yard or two from me. I understood At length I had a rare opportunity of testing my their meaning, and with scarcely any delay dived prowess, and I received a lesson which cured me again in the direction they pointed out. By this for a time of my self-sufficiency. One day I was time I had discovered that it is a very different passing near the quay of the little town near which thing diving for mere amusement, and on an occaI resided, when my attention was attracted by a sion like the present. A strange fluttering of the group of people crowding to the water's edge, heart, an intense anxiety, oppressed me as I deshouting and throwing about their arms with that scended a second time. I kept as good a look-out indescribable agitation and fuss which characterizes as I could, but somehow or other the water was the do-nothingness of Frenchmen. I approached darker than before, and I could distinguish nothing of course, and soon perceived, by the lamentations at all. I persisted, however, for some time in my un homme se noye," that some one had fallen search, but at length feeling it impossible to keep from the quay into the water, which at that point in my breath any longer, I threw back my head was very deep. There was not a boat to be had and rose upwards, giving up the matter as a bad of 66 me. THE ADVENTURES OF A SWIMMER. At length I appeared, in the dead embrace of my At It may readily be imagined that this event was a lesson which I did not soon forget. A burnt child dreads the fire, and a half-drowned man may be easily supposed not to have a much greater For some time I could not relish for the water. job, and rather glad, in fact, to be rid of it. I was | Some time elapsed before I appeared again, and already just near the surface, I could perceive the all hope had been abandoned of seeing me again light of the sun through the uppermost waters, my above, and already drags had been sent for. chest was already gulping for want of breath, I had now forgotten everything in the paramount anxiety to breathe, when—who shall express the horror of that moment!—my arms were suddenly pinioned to my sides, my body was clasped by two wiry arms from behind, and I was dragged forcibly downwards. That sensation was indeed terrible-I felt as if my frame would have burst with emotion; when suddenly, as suddenly as I had been seized-as suddenly was the grasp loosened, and I felt the wretch's arms beating about frantically in the water around I had as yet kept in my breath with the most dreadful exertions, and once I felt myself free, I sprung fiercely upwards, but I could not do this quickly enough, for the drowning man clenched my leg like a vice before I had reached the surface. The impetus I had taken, however, drew him along with me, and for one second-for one awful second-I emerged into the air, and had had just time to open my mouth and relieve my chest, not, however, without swallowing some of the bitter brine. Down he dragged me again; he now clasped my waist-I thought he would have stifled me -I endeavored to tear his arms from me, but I might as well have tried to wrench off an iron girdle. I dived downward in hopes to rid myself of bring myself to bathe again, and when at length him, but he kept fast-I grasped the muddy sand my old propensity began to return, I had the at the bottom in my frantic despair, and the water, keenest horror of being touched by any one, or that was already dark, was made black, thick, and indeed of having any one near me whilst swimhorrible. At length I thought he was loosening ming. I had before been foolishly presumptuous; me-I made a last effort to tear myself away; but I had now grown ridiculously timid. no, he tightened his arms again-I had but shifted" merry sport," common enough among swimmy position. Now we 'were face to face, and I felt mers, of one coming upon another suddenly, his head burrowing in my neck, and his teeth mounting upon his shoulders, and giving him, by mumbling my waistcoat. Can I ever forget the an expert and unexpected push downwards, a very horror of that moment! I could hold in my breath humorous kind of ducking, which, as he is taken no longer-I have a vague recollection of seizing by surprise, almost infallibly makes him gulp down This was a prank his throat with my hands and endeavoring to stran- some mouthfuls of salt water. gle him. Then the water began to choke me, and which, in my day, I had not been at all sparing in then quickly there crept through me a strange, un- playing upon my natatory companions—so much definable sensation that felt as a relief—a sensation so, that in one instance I remember well that in not unlike that agreeable languor and dizziness the thoughtless exuberance of my energy, I had which follow a long and severe fever, when, too kept an unfortunate friend so long under water, exhausted and weak to be actually delirious, the that it was very near being dangerous to him; and senses yet become benumbed and indistinct, and of course, on the principle of tit for tat, I was surrounding objects rock and swim around in the always ready to undergo the same species of imshape of trees, of fields, and fountains, and cas-mersion whenever I might be taken unawares. cades, familiar and friendly faces. I became ex- Now, however, this amusement, which to conhausted and half unconscious, like one drunk with tinual swimmers varied and enlivened the monotopium, and a plaintive sound, something between ony of bathing, this amusement, and all other the pealing of bells and the hum of a sea shell, practical jokes of a similar nature, had become rung in my ears, and then it dropped away by de- odious to me, and by degrees, as I could never be grees, and darkness seemed to close around me-secure from their occurrence whilst I was bathing and I remember no more. When I awoke again to consciousness, I was in bed, and at a friend's house. I was then told that whilst I was in the water, the boat of which I have spoke had arrived upon the scene, and that when I rose to the surface for the first time the people in it had endeavored to assist me, but that I had sunk again before they were able to do so. There is a with friends, and as my companions did not at all enter into my feelings of horror on the subject, but, on the contrary, very unmercifully quizzed my nervousness and increased their persecution in proportion as I seemed to dread it; by degrees, I say, I grew fond of solitary bathing, where I might indulge myself alone, without the recollection of the drowning man's dreadful gripe forever haunting me. This feeling wore away by-and-bye, and swim- | then, when an opportunity occurred, to seize him ming still continuing to be a matter of some im- by the back of the neck, or, if that were not pos portance to me, occupying, as I have said it did, a sible, to pinion his arms within my own, and then good portion of my time whenever the weather swim to land with my feet. Although a strong was tolerably fair, it was insensibly replaced by a and wiry man, he was small and light, and I might feeling of a very different character. Ever since reasonably hope to succeed. As I was proceeding the awful accident which I have above related-I under water as stealthily as I thought this plan call it awful, for to me it was and still is so, though demanded, endeavoring at the same time to catch by those who have not the memory of having un- a glimpse of his whereabouts, my hand was suddergone it to quicken their imagination, its awful- denly grasped. Seldom have I felt such a thrill ness can be but imperfectly conceived-ever since of horror as at that moment, for the grasp was of that accident, I had often reflected on the means the same frantic, indescribable character as that of of avoiding danger oneself whilst endeavoring to the man with whom I had formerly meddled. rescue a man from drowning; and an accident which I shall presently describe having suggested to me a plan, which, with a little management, I thought would answer, I now began to look forward to an opportunity of trying it, not, indeed, with the sanguine impatience of my less experienced days, but with a sober kind of sternness and a calmer determination. Such an opportunity in the course of time offered itself at length. That grasp, if I may so express myself, was the Frantically About a twelvemonth had passed away, and I was fonder of swimming, if possible, than ever I had been, and my squeamishness had entirely disappeared. One day in winter I had been in a boat shooting wild ducks with a party of friends; I had dropped them all, with one exception, on a part of the coast where they resided, and with my only remaining companion I was sailing across the half river, half sea, which is known by the name of the Morbihan, and making the best of my way Notwithstanding all this, we were now at last on to the point at which we both resided. A lively the surface; I had recovered all my self-possesbreeze was up, we had stretched all our canvass, sion, and had leisure to consider, and perceiving and our little boat bending on its side skimmed that my efforts to gain the shore were rendered inpleasantly over the waters. When we were still effectual by his struggling, (the utmost I could do at some distance from our destination, and just was to keep above water,) and as I was really passing a rudely built jetty, raised for the con- getting quite stiff from cold and fatigue, I at venience of fishermen, my friend stood up smoking length reluctantly made up my mind to resort to a a cigar, and inhaling, as he expressed it, the plan which I had often meditated, and which, bracing evening breeze. He was beginning to though somewhat unpleasant, was not likely to expatiate on the beauty of the scenery, when a prove unsuccessful. We were alone-not a creakind of squall sprung from the turn of the river, ture was in the neighborhood; it was already the boat was jerked on one side, and my friend growing dusk; there could be no hope of assistlosing his equilibrium was capsized overboard. At ance from any quarter; it was therefore no time first I was tempted to laugh, but when I found for trifling. Accordingly, I forthwith began by that the tide was bearing him away quicker than" planting a blow" with my hand that was free, I could make the boat tack towards him, and that and in the true milling style, between his two he had already, being no swimmer, lost his presence of mind, I really began to be alarmed. At once I changed my tactics, ran the boat on the jetty, threw the anchor on the stones, and jumped into the water in spite of the cold, which was no joke at that time of year and hour of the day. He was still above water, but fast sinking, and the distance between us was increasing. I darted forwards, however, and when he sunk I dived after hiin. Then, for the first time, did something of a misgiving, something of an apprehension lest a fate similar to that of former days should again befall me, take possession of me. Nevertheless, proceeded very cautiously. The water was clear, and that was an advantage. I intended if possible to watch him from a respectful distance, and eyes. This of course called forth all his frenzy ; I felt the arm that had held him growing benumbed and powerless, so I "planted" another, and another, and another, as quickly as possible. The fourth or fifth was scarcely given, when he lay unresistingly in my arms. This end obtained, I made the best of my way with him towards the jetty. The icy water had a very revivifying effect upon him, for by the time we were reaching land, he was again beginning to struggle. I got him on shore nevertheless, and then into the boat, much to my relief and his own after satisfaction. I need hardly say that he did not "demand an explanation" for my having struck him. I may as well relate here from what a casual accident the above somewhat vigorous but very |