Page:Art of swimming rendered easy.pdf/5

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and be easily seen there, if the water is clear. It must lie in the water so deep as that you cannot reach it to take it up but by diving for it. To encourage yourself in order to do this, reflect that your progress will be from deep to shallow water; and that at any time you may, by bringing your legs under you, and standing on the bottom, raise your head far above the water; then plunge under it with your eyes open, which must be kept open before going under, as you cannot open your eyelids for the weight of water above you, throwing yourself toward the egg, and endeavouring by the action of your hands and feet against the water, to get forward till within reach of it. In this attempt you will find that the water buoys you up against your inclination ; that it is not so easy a thing to sink as you imagined, and that you cannot but by active force get down to the egg. Thus you feel the power of the water to support you, and learn to confide in that power, while your endeavours to overcome it, and to reach the egg, teach you this manner of acting on the water with your feet and hands, which action is afterwards used in swimming to support your head higher above the water, or to go forward through it.

I would the more earnestly press you to the trial of this method, because, though I think I