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.
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