WE have frequently called attention to the melancholy and often preventible loss of life which summer after summer takes place from accidents to bathers on the shores and inland waters of the United Kingdom.

It might naturally be supposed that the inhabitants of a country like Great Britain, surrounded by the sea, whose welfare is dependent on it, whose history has always been associated with it, and who every summer flock in multitudes to its shores, would be a race of swimmers. Such, how- ever, is far from being the case. Of its male inhabitants but a small proportion can swim, possibly not one in twenty; and a female swimmer is a veritable rara avis, probably not one woman in five hundred, in these islands, being able to swim. Yet even a slight proficiency in the art, which is very easily learned by most young persons, would be the means of preserving many valuable lives which, as regularly as each summer comes round, are lost by drowning on the coasts and inland -waters of the United Kingdom.

But surely, it may be said, if people who live inland, and only occasionally or periodically visit the coast, find no special inducement to learn to swim, yet our seamen and coast or river boatmen, whose daily avocations expose them to risk of being drowned, will, for the most part, be able to do so. On the contrary, we believe that even a smaller proportion of our seafaring and boating population can swim than of the inhabitants of inland parts of the country; and even the men who fearlessly work our Life-boats in the severest storms, if they "were not provided with efficient life-belts, would frequently be drowned through their ignorance of the art.

We have heard various reasons assigned for the neglect to learn this healthful and exhilarating accomplishment. Perhaps in the majority of instances it arises from lack of opportunity when young, and, like riding, unless learned in youth, swimming is rarely acquired afterwards with pro- ficiency.

Another cause is, we suspect, the cold- ness of our climate, the temperature being only occasionally sufficiently high to make bathing a luxury. Then again we are most of us in the present day so constantly occu- pied that we do not find time to do many things that would otherwise attract our attention.

Be that, however, as it may, we have to deal with the fact that the majority of men and very few women in these islands .

are able to swim. We then find two classes of persons who are liable to be drowned, viz., those who are thrown into the water involuntarily, as on occasions of shipwreck and collisions at sea, and from the upset- ting of boats, and those who are drowned whilst bathing.

It is in the interest of the latter class of persons that we chiefly offer these re- marks, to which, our attention has been specially drawn; in the first place by the large number of deaths from drowning that have taken place during the past summer, culminating in that of four of our compatriots—two gentlemen and two ladies—at Boulogne, on the 24th Septem- ber; and secondly, by the circumstance that a safety "bathing dress" has been brought to our notice, which, if it should come into general use, would, we feel per- suaded, be instrumental in saving many lives, and be the means by which many would learn to swim who could not do so before. It would also much enhance the pleasure of bathing in the case of non- swimmers, by enabling them to float buoyantly in any position, and to use all their limbs with the same freedom of movement as the best of swimmers.

The " bathing dress " to which we wish.

to draw attention, and which, after testing it ourselves, we have no hesitation in re- commending, might with equal correctness be termed a life-jacket, or life-vest. It may be described as an inflated bodice, fitting closely round the waist and round the neck, and may be either worn over an ordinary knickerbocker bathing suit, or be made a complete "bathing dress in itself, with sleeves, and knickerbockers or drawers, attached, but the body alone being inflated. It must not, however, be supposed that it is an india-rubber dress ; it is composed of nothing but ordinary fine linen, which—although doubtless few of our readers will be aware of the fact- becomes air-tight when wet. It has merely to be saturated with water before being put on, and is then inflated through a small tube within easy reach of the mouth. Its buoyancy is so great that the wearer can float buoyantly in any position, and can lie on his back without moving hand or foot, as comfortably as if he were lying on a bed.

If, after being some time in the water, a portion of the air should have escaped, it can be re-inflated by the wearer whilst floating, without difficulty or inconveni- ence. When dried, after use, it can be folded up in as small a compass as an ordinary shirt.

The inventor of the Safety Bathing Dress is Captain G. PEACOCK, formerly a master in the Royal Navy, and inventor of the celebrated paint for ships known as "PEACOCK and BUCHAN'S Paint," and author of several other inventions.

Captain PEACOCK states that he de- signed this dress as far back as the year 1828, and has had one in use himself ever since that period. He has, however, only recently been induced to make it public, which he has now done, and placed its manufacture in the hands of Messrs. PINDER and TUCKWELL, clothiers and outfitters, at Exeter, having registered it under the title of the " Nautilus Safety Bathing Dress." Its cost is, for a man's dress 15s., and for a female's from that sum upwards.

SURF-SWIMMING,—A correspondent writes :— " Allow me, as one who has for many years been accustomed to swimming in the heaviest surf, and still practises it with pleasure, to make a few re- marks on surf-swimming. It is easy enough to pass out through any surf by simply sinking under each roller as it comes along; but it is quite a different thing to get on shore again. However, it can be managed safely, if only time is taken.

On the approach of each roller, dive out again below it, then swim towards the shore until the next roller overtakes you, then underneath it again.

Nearer shore comes the more difficult part, when, if you do not take care and bide your time, you will be rolled over, get your nose and ears filled with sand, and at last arrive at the surface only to find yourself being run out to sea again much faster than you like, and another roller waiting for you to repeat the dose. There is the danger.

You get well blown, and then, unless there is a saving hand, it is all up. Never fight against the waves; go with them. When you find yourself being drawn out in the reflux, swim with it, and when you meet the incoming roller, go over it with a spring if possible; and if not, under it; then wait for the next roller, or, if very bad, for a small one, and swim in with it, putting on a spurt.

The moment the reflux commences throw yourself on your feet, one foot well in front, and stand firm, until the water runs off, then do so yourself; but if you cannot keep your feet you must just go with the reflux out to sea again and make another attempt. The most important thing to remember is to save your wind. Never let your- self get blown, for if you get blown you cannot go under a roller when necessary. Another piece of advice is—never to let a blue roller fall on the top of your head, or it may stun you In many cases it will be found that, after the fifth, sixth, or seventh wave, there is a comparative lull—a short one—when a smoother, long-drawn wave intervenes. It is worth while studying this before going in, because it helps in coming out, though the coming back is always the most difficult part. When that smoother wave travels towards the shore, the utmost rapidity in action on the part of the returning swimmer is, of course, necessary; side-stroke swimming is then the best, because the quickest. However, any one who is not an experienced swimmer, and who has not great strength, had better steer clear of surf- swimming.