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well celebrated in verse and prose, but this feat has been easily
accomplished many times since, and is hardly to be classed as
extraordinary. Herodotus says that the Macedonians were skilful
swimmers; and all the savage tribes about the borders of waterways are
found possessed of remarkable dexterity and endurance in swimming.

In 1875 the celebrated Captain Webb swam from Dover to Calais. On
landing he felt extremely cold, but his body was as warm as when he
started. He was exhausted and very sleepy, falling in deep slumber on
his way to the hotel. On getting into bed his temperature was 98
degrees F. and his pulse normal. In five hours he was feverish, his
temperature rising to 101 degrees F. During the passage he was blinded
from the salt water in his eyes and the spray beating against his face.
He strongly denied the newspaper reports that he was delirious, and
after a good rest was apparently none the worse for the task. In 1876
he again traversed this passage with the happiest issue. In 1883 he was
engaged by speculators to swim the rapids at Niagara, and in attempting
this was overcome by the powerful currents, and his body was not
recovered for some days after. The passage from Dover to Calais has
been duplicated.

In 1877 Cavill, another Englishman, swam from Cape Griz-Nez to South
Forland in less than thirteen hours. In 1880 Webb swam and floated at
Scarborough for seventy-four consecutive hours--of course, having no
current to contend with and no point to reach. This was merely a feat
of staying in the water. In London in 1881, Beckwith, swimming ten
hours a day over a 32-lap course for six days, traversed 94 miles.
Since the time of Captain Webb, who was the pioneer of modern
long-distance swimming, many men have attempted and some have
duplicated his feats; but these foolhardy performances have in late
years been diminishing, and many of the older feats are forbidden by
law.

Jumpers and acrobatic tumblers have been popular from the earliest
time. By the aid of springing boards and weights in their hands, the
old jumpers covered great distances. Phayllus of Croton is accredited
with jumping the incredible distance of 55 feet, and we have the
authority of Eustache and Tzetzes that this jump is genuine. In the
writings of many Greek and Roman historians are chronicled jumps of
about 50 feet by the athletes; if they are true, the modern jumpers
have greatly degenerated. A jump of over 20 feet to-day i