Original Letters and Biographic Epitomes | Page 7

ten minutes to two, the swimmer, to confirm his
past exploits and as a climax to his stay in Mount's Bay, swam from
Venton cove to St. Michael's Mount, rather in excess of a mile, in
thirty-one minutes, Ivey, his boatman merely steering his boat
alongside.
It is the swimmer's opinion, that the timing of mid, or half stroke, is the
most elegant, most difficult, and to conceal, yet fully make use of this

"break," constitutes the criterion as to whether the swimmer, be he
amateur or professional, is first-class or not.

From the EXMOUTH JOURNAL, _Sept. 6th_, 1902
A NOTEWORTHY SWIM.
A long swim from Exmouth to half-a-mile beyond the pier of Starcross,
was on Thursday evening undertaken and accomplished by Mr. J.
ATWOOD.SLATER, an Exmouth visitor. Starting from opposite the
pier head, the swimmer, piloted by Mr. H. Tupman, in the _Ernest_,
swam round the Bight on the west side of the Warren, passing the ships
anchored therein, and hugging the west shore of the Exe, paused finally
under the lodge at the further end of Starcross at 5.45 p.m., having, in
logic swum the distance of two-and-a-quarter miles in twenty-three
minutes. The aid the swimmer derived from choosing the flood tide he
admitted was considerable, and served him for nearly half the distance;
when out of the influence of this, the water suddenly became very
choppy, the waves being too small for the swimmer to time, yet with
annoying frequency throwing their crests above the surface of the water.
Subsequently a great stillness was encountered, until Starcross was
neared and passed; the boat, swimmer and pilot lying finally becalmed
at the point aforesaid.--J.A.S.

From the WESTERN DAILY PRESS, _Sept. 15th_, 1903.
A SWIM ROUND MONT ST. MICHAEL, NORMANDY.
Sir,--On August 22nd, at 5 p.m., on August 28th, at 9 a.m., and on
August 29th, at 10 a.m., I achieved in a more successful measure than
had hitherto been accomplished the problem of swimming round Mont
St. Michael, Normandy, at high water. Previously acquainted with the
certainty that an adverse current would at one point or another be met, I
pre-arranged, and made three bold attempts, and by going in a certain
direction, met with the greatest success at the first essay. The tides that
rise and flow against the base of the mount are more insidious and
taxing to strike against than those which encircle the Mount of St.
Michael, in Cornwall; but then the quality of the sea must be more pure
and far more buoyant off the Cornish coast, and freshens to a greater
extent the elastic movements of the swimmer. The sea, speaking from

experience, does not harass one, swimming in the bay of St. Michael,
Normandy, until the "retirage" is met; when all the force that can be
exerted is necessarily called forth to prevent being seaward swept.
Yours faithfully,
J. ATWOOD.SLATER
Albi, Tarn, France,
_September 7th_, 1903.

_ARCHITECTURE._
From the PATRIOTE ALBIGEOIS, _Sept. 29th,_ 1903.
Albigeois, vous qui passez fréquemment dans les rues adjacentes à
votre cathédrale, n'avez-vous pas remarqué la figure d'un artiste
récemment installé, avec son chevalet, auprès du gigantesque
monument et mettant toute la science technique de son art à le
reproduire exactement.
C'est M. John ATWOOD.SLATER qui avait visité notre cité, il y a
quelques années, il avait alors dessiné une belle perspective de
Sainte-Cécile qu'il a exposée à l'Académie Royale de Londres. Il a
admiré la plupart des cathédrales gothiques de notre pays et, en fin
connaisseur, il nous informe que nous possédons un des plus
recherchés specimens d'architecture qui existent en France.
Quelques-unes de ces cathédrales sont à peine plus merveilleuses, mais
il n'en est guère qui se prêtent favorablement comme elle à l'esprit
tranquille de dévotion.
Maintenant pour le profit de ceux a qui cela pourrait faire plaisir M.
John ATWOOD.SLATER, cet artist nous communique bénévolement
ce renseignegnement très spécial: Il est encore fort nageur! C'est lui qui
aux dates de 22, 28 et 29 août a été signalé par la Normandie pour avoir
fait à la nage le tour du Mont St. Michel: ce que personne jusqu'ici
n'avait osé prétendre faire à cause des marées qui sont toujours très
contraires.--J.A.S.

UNPUBLISHED LETTERS.

_MUSIC._
_To the Editor of The Times, London._
Sir,--Whilst admitting the all-importance and the austere role of
circumstance weighted with interest, and fused to an all-volatile point
sufficient to write to you concerning, and always entering, freed from
_schism_, the moot point, I beg leave to advance the suggestion that
(with correct apposition of sentiment, already said) the moment has
arrived for an improvement to be effected in the Hymnal, in the public
offices of St. Paul's Cathedral employed.
For the furtherance of this important item of diocesan and divine
service, "Hymns, Ancient and Modern," be it well known, has stood