inflated India-rubber suit of Cap- or even drag him by the hair, or by tain Paul Boyton, shown in the an arm or leg. If possible, his head illustration. By putting on this suit should be supported, but this is not a man makes a boat of himself, and absolutely necessary. He should can paddle or sail, as he wishes, be brought to shore as quickly as carrying provisions with him. In he can be, either above or below one of these suits Captain Boyton water. In case he is insensible when has performed many remarkable brought to shore, or apparently feats, such as crossing the English drowned, the water must first be Channel on May 28, 1875, in twenty-forced from his lungs, and he must four hours, descending the Danube, then be made to breathe. Many 460 miles, in six days, in May, 1876, ways of effecting this have been recand floating from Cedar Creek, Montana, to St. Louis, Mo., 3580 miles, which took him from September 17 to November 20, 1881. General Advice. The swimmer should not stay too long in the water. Usually twenty minutes at a time is long enough. The head should be wet before going in, for as cold water drives the blood from the surface of the body as it touches it, there might be a rush of blood to the head if it were the last part of the body to enter the water. It is wrong to bathe just after a meal. At least two hours should be allowed to pass after eating before entering the water. It is a good plan for the swimmer to accustom himself to swim with his clothes on. This may be of great use in case of accident. He should also practise undressing, or at least removing his heavier garments, while in the water. Where it is necessary to plunge into the water at once to save life, only the coat and shoes should be removed. Life-saving. It is often difficult to bring to shore a person who is drowning, for such people sometimes lose their presence of mind and grasp the rescuer so that he cannot swim. If the person to be saved has a clear head, he should be directed to place his hands lightly on the hips of the rescuer, who can then easily swim ashore with him; but if the drowning man has lost his presence of mind, the rescuer should approach him from behind, if possible, and push him to shore, ommended. In all cases there must be no delay, as to wait even a few seconds may cause the loss of life. The patient should not even be removed to shelter, as that takes time, but he must be treated in the open air. Efforts to make the blood circulate must not be made till the patient begins to breathe. To remove water from the throat, place the rescued man on the ground face downward, with one arm under the forehead, when the fluid will drain away. Breathing may now begin. If not, it may be excited by smelling-salts, by tickling the throat with a feather, by rubbing the chest and face, or by dashing cold water on them. If this is not successful, the motions of breathing must be imitated. Lay the patient on his face, supporting the chest by a folded coat. Turn him gently on one side, and a little beyond, and then back again. As the body is turned back on the face, the back should be pressed firmly between the shoulder-blades. These movements must be repeated every four or five seconds. When the patient is on his chest, the air is forced from the lungs, and when he is turned on his side the air enters again. While these efforts are being made, the hands and feet should be dried, the body stripped and dry clothes or coverings put on, without interfering with the movements described. History. Men have been able to swim from the earliest times. The Israelites knew how, as we learn from the Bible, and there are references to swimming on the Assyrian tablets in the British Museum. The ancient Greeks thought it so necessary that one of their proverbs, describing an uneducated man, was, "He knows neither how to read and write, nor how to swim." Swimming was taught to the Greek youths, especially the Spartans, as a part of their regular athletic training (see the history of ATHLETICS). The Roman soldiers were trained to swim, and swimming-races formed part of the Roman athletic contests. Julius Cæsar once saved his life by knowing how to swim. The Romans built enormous bathing-houses, of which there were 850 in the city at one time, one of which had a swimming-tank measuring 200 by 100 feet. The art has always been practised more or less, but in the last century it was opposed in Europe by many teachers and physicians who thought that it injured the health,, and people did not learn it as generally as they do now. In the beginning of this century it came again into favor, and now almost every one thinks that both boys and girls should know how to swim. Swimming-schools are to be found in all countries, but the art is taught most carefully in France and Germany. In France the method of learning the stroke before entering the water is in favor. It is said that out of twenty-six military cadets taught in this way, who were made to enter the river Marne, nineteen swam at once without further instruction. In this country this method is not favored. A recent writer on the subject says: "Ten minutes' work in the water is worth ten hours on a chair." The first writer on swimming in this country was probably Benjamin Franklin, whose advice to learners is often quoted. It is much the same as that given above, except that he advocates plunging at once into water breast deep after a white stone or other object, for the purpose of teaching the swimmer the buoyancy of his own body. Swimming-races, though not as common as other kinds, are frequently held, and skilled swimmers often attempt feats in the water, such as long distance swims, long swims under water, and the like. The records of some of these are given in the Appendix. It should be remembered that these are influenced greatly by the direction of the current or tide, or the fact that some were performed in a tank where the swimmer had to turn frequently. rules for SWIMMING RACES. The rules of the National Amateur Athletic Union for swimmingraces are as follows: Sec. 1. Officials shall consist of one referee, three Judges at the finish, three Time-keepers, one Starter, one Clerk of the Course, with assistants, if necessary. Sec. 2. Duties and powers of these officials shall be the same as is prescribed for them in the foregoing rules (see ATHLETIC GAMES). Sec. 3. In the 100 yards swimming-race, each competitor shall stand with one or both feet on the starting-line, and when the signal is given shall plunge. Stepping back, either before or after the signal, will not be allowed. Sec. 4. The half mile and one mile start shall be the same as the 100 yards, except that competitors may start in the water (tread-water start) from an imaginary line. SEC. 5. A competitor shall keep a straight course, parallel with the courses of the other competitors, from his starting station to the opposite point in the finish line. Competitors will be started ten feet apart, and each one is entitled to a straight lane of water, ten feet wide, from start to finish. Any contestant who, when out of his own water, shall touch another competitor, is liable to disqualification-subject to the discretion of the Referee. SEC. 6. Each competitor shall have finished the race when any part of his person reaches the finish line. SWINGING. the swing jumps from it, and contests may be held by two or more persons, in which each tries to jump farther than the others; but such jumping is dangerous, and may result in injury to one not accustomed to it. In thus jumping the forward impetus is given entirely by the swing, and the skill of the jumper is shown only in knowing when to jump. If he wait too long, until the swing is nearly at the end of its path, it moves so slowly that he will be given scarcely any forward movement; and if he jump too soon, the swing will not be far enough advanced. The simplest form of seat for a swing is a board with a V-shaped notch in each end, which is fitted into the rope, and kept in place by the weight of the swinger. In another form the rope is put through a hole in each end of the board before fastening it at the top; or if the swing is made of two ropes, each is passed through one of the holes of the seat and tied beneath. Seats are sometimes made with backs and arm-rests. Such a seat may be formed of an old chair by removing the legs and fastening the rope to the seat. Two holes should be bored on each side, through each pair of which a rope is passed, and the ends of each of these ropes are tied to one of the swing ropes. Swings are made usually of a single rope, fastened at both ends, two to six feet apart, to the limb of a tree or a cross-piece of timber. The rope must be of such a length that the loop hangs within three or four feet of the ground. In the loop is fastened a wooden seat, on which the person who swings sits while a companion pushes him forward. The push is repeated every time the swing returns to its original position, and it thus rises a little higher each time, till the pusher can run quite under the swing, giving it a parting push as it swings up out of his reach. The longer the swing is the pleasanter the motion, for the person in a long swing moves more nearly in a straight line than in a short one, and the time of a swing is longer. A swing about thirteen feet long should go backward and forward in two seconds, one twenty-nine feet long in three seconds, and one fifty-two feet long in four seconds. The time is nearly the same, no matter whether the swing be sent high or low; if it be sent high it moves faster, so that it goes over its path in about the same time. The person who sits in the swing may move himself by pulling the ropes back, leaning backward and stretching out his feet every time the swing moves forward. It is better still to stand in the swing while executing this movement. Two persons standing in a swing face to face and doing this alternately may make the swing rise very high. This is called "pumping" or "work-body should be inclined backward, ing." Each must stoop down, lean and the heels dug into the ground backward, and push his feet for at every step. The farther apart ward while the swing moves in the the ropes of the swing are at the direction he is facing. top, the size of the seat remaining the same, the less likely it will be Sometimes the person sitting in In pushing a rope-swing care must be taken that it is not given a motion to one side, or a twist. If it acquires either of these motions, the best plan is to stop and begin again. To stop a swing the pusher must wait till it has reached the point nearest to him, and then, seizing the seat or ropes with both hands, run forward with it, holding back with all his strength. The to move sidewise. When the ropes are very near together, it is almost as easy to move the swing sidewise as straight ahead; but when they are far apart, the backward and forward motion is the easier, as will be seen by trial. When the ropes are farther apart and slope toward the seat, the swing is also less likely to twist. But, on the other hand, when the ropes are far apart it is harder to keep one's seat. A swing that will neither move sidewise nor twist can be made by fastening the ends of the rope to trees 30 to 50 feet apart.. The motion of such a swing is delightful, but it requires great skill to sit in it. Swings that will not twist are made also entirely of wood. They are usually hung in a wooden framework, which may be set up anywhere. Some kinds are set in motion by the swinger, who presses with his feet on a board in front of the swing. SYNTHESIS, or SETTO, a game played by any number of persons with 64 cards, 25 of which contain each one root of a word; 19, three prefixes (or beginnings of words) each; and 15, three suffixes (or ends of words) each. There are also five prize-cards, each with one suffix. Words can be formed by putting a prefix before a root or a suffix after it, or both. Thus, with the root act, the prefix trans and the suffix ion can be formed the words transact, action, and transaction. At the beginning of the game each draws a card, and he who gets the first prefix deals. There are several ways of playing. In the first method four cards are dealt to each player, and four are placed face upward on the table. When all have played their cards as described below, the dealer gives four more to each, and so on till all have been dealt, but no more are dealt to the table. The player at the dealer's left begins the game by trying to make a word by combining cards on the table, using any of the prefixes and suffixes he pleases. If he can do so, he places the word in front of him, and it becomes his property. Whether he has been able to do so, or not, he then plays one of his own cards, and tries to combine it with some card or cards on the table in like manner to form a word. If he cannot, and has other cards in his hand which will form a word with the one he is playing, with or without any on the table, he may play, saying "I form,” giving the word he intends to make, and piling together the cards that form part of it. He must take it as soon as possible, and can play on no other word before he does so. Any other player may take it by forming the announced word, but no other. If the player can neither take a word nor form, he must lay his card with the others on the table. The next player has the same choice, but instead of using his card to form a word with those in the middle of the table, he may add it, if possible, to the word the first player made, thus taking it away from him. The other players go on in like manner, each in his turn. When a word made by any one has remained uncaptured during one round, it cannot be taken afterward. When all the cards have been played, he who has taken the largest number of cards scores 3 points; and every word of 4 syllables scores 1 point, of 5 syllables 2 points, and of 6 syllables 3 points. When a player takes all the cards from the middle of the table, he is said to have made a "sweep" as in CASINO, and every sweep counts a point for him who makes it. In addition, the five prize-cards each count toward game the number of points marked on it. He who has most points wins the game. Another way of playing is to give six cards to each, and put none on the table. The players must not look at their cards. They play, in order, till some one can make a word with the cards on the table, when he takes it as before. Any player may retake it by putting on another syllable at any time during the game. But if a player can take more than one word in one turn, he may do so, and such words cannot then be retaken. A third method is to remove the root-cards. Twelve cards are placed on the table, face upward, and the players have no cards, but each, in playing, may use any root in the English language. In a fourth way of playing, the prizes are removed and four cards dealt to each. No one looks at his cards. The first prefix or suffix card played is called the Leader. A player may take all cards on the table any of whose syllables is the same as a syllable on the card he plays. The greatest number of cards like the Leader scores 3, every syllable like one on the Leader scores I, and the greatest number of cards taken scores 2. The game is 13 points. These games may be varied, or others devised, at the pleasure of the players. The word Synthesis is from two Greek words meaning a putting together. Farrago. The same game as Synthesis, except that each card bears but one syllable. Farrago means a mixture. It was originally a Latin word, meaning a kind of mixed fodder for cattle. PUMP, without a valve. Now make a tiny hole in the side or bottom of the bottle, either by directing the tip of a BLOW-PIPE flame on the glass or by boring with a file moistened with turpentine. The smaller the hole, the greater the force with which the water can be driven out by pushing in the piston. 2. A syringe may be made also from a piece of any kind of wood that contains pith. The pith must first be punched out, and then one end of the pipe thus made must be plugged with a bit of wood having a small hole in the centre. The piston can be made as be. fore. SYRINX, or Pan-pipe, an ancient musical instrument. One can be made by a boy with an ear for music, of any wood that contains pith. Punch out the pith, and plug one end with a wooden stopper. By blowing across the open end, a rough musical sound can be made. By cutting different lengths and trying them, a perfect scale may be obtained. The pipes should now be fastened side by side to a cross strip so that all the open ends are in line, when a tune can be played on them with a little practice. SYRUP, Experiment with. Threequarters fill a bottle with very thick syrup, and then, having corked it, turn it upside down. After most of the syrup has descended to what is now the bottom of the bottle, what remains will form into a curious shape resembling a water-spout, large at the top and tapering at the botSyrup. tom. The tapering part twists about curiously till all the syrup has run down, which takes several minutes. Experiment with |