There are several grave objections to the ordinary or old method of swimming just described. _1st_, The body is laid prone on the water, which exposes a large resisting surface (fig. 41, _A_, _B_, _C_, p. 82). _2d_, The arms and legs are spread out on either side of the trunk, so that they are applied very indirectly as propelling organs (fig. 41, _B_, _C_). _3d_, The most effective part of the stroke of the arms and legs corresponds to something like a quarter of an ellipse, the remaining three quarters being dedicated to getting the arms and legs into position. This arrangement wastes power and greatly increases friction; the attitudes assumed by the body at _B_ and _C_ of fig. 41 being the worst possible for getting through the water. _4th_, The arms and legs are drawn towards the trunk the one instant (fig. 41, _A_), and pushed away from it the next (fig. 41, _B_). This gives rise to dead points, there being a period when neither of the extremities are moving. The body is consequently impelled by a series of jerks, the swimming mass getting up and losing momentum between the strokes. In order to remedy these defects, scientific swimmers have of late years adopted quite another method. Instead of working the arms and legs together, they move first the arm and leg of one side of the body, and then the arm and leg of the opposite side. This is known as the _overhand_ movement, and corresponds exactly with the natural walk of the giraffe, the amble of the horse, and the swimming of the sea-bear. It is that adopted by the Indians. In this mode of swimming the body is thrown more or less on its side at each stroke, the body twisting and rolling in the direction of its length, as shown at fig. 42, an arrangement calculated greatly to reduce the amount of friction experienced in forward motion. [Illustration: FIG. 42.--Overhand Swimming.--_Original._]