ENCOURAGEMENT OF SWIMMING AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
With the view of stimulating our Canadian youth to greater exertion in the preservation of life from drowning, I thought it advisable to present a representation of the handsome silver medallion awarded by the Royal Humane Society for "Swimming Exercises, with reference to Saving Life from Drowning ;" the on the obverse side of the medal, " Nare Est Alienam Nosse Salutem," the free translation of which is, "The ability to swim makes one know how to save others," will commend itself to everybody, while the engraving is sufficiently explicit in itself for the most obtuse intellect; since the first award of these medals, swimming in clothes has re ceived a decided impetus. The following anecdote, taken from the Royal Humane Society's Report of 1885, • will prove interesting showing, as it does, the great value of these exercises in training our youth for gallant deeds : "The swimming competitions under the Society's rules, with reference to saving life from drowning, have now been carried on for four years, and judging by the general opinion expressed by head masters of schools and training ships, they appear to be not only popular, but instructive to the swimmer in the important matter of saving drowning persons.
"Apropos of this, and as an inducement to other school-boys to follow a good example, it is worth mentioning that a Tunbridge school pupil, named Leonard Lockhart Miller, aged fifteen, on the 22nd of October last, gallantly plunged into the Medway and rescued another lad, of eleven years of age, from drowning. It appears that the younger boy, after becoming immersed, was carried out to the centre of the river by the strong current, and sank three times, when Miller swam out with all his clothes on and, after diving, succeeded in bringing the boy to the surface.
" It is stated that the salvor had gained his experience in saving life- by competing, at his school, for the Royal Humane Society's swimming prize. .
•" Miller has been awarded the bronze medal for this act."