Wine, biscuits and overarm strokes

Swimming Technique, Oct-Dec 1998 by Colwin, Cecil

There is evidence that the Indians of North America swam a form of crawl stroke long before it was swum in either Europe or Australia. Although they may not have held formal competitions, more advanced swimming styles existed in North America as early as 1739!

At that time, William Byrd, founder of Richmond, Va., wrote in his diary. "One of our Indians taught us their way of swimming. They strike not out both hands together, but alternately one after another, whereby they are able to swim both farther and faster than we do."

Another report of Indian swimming techniques tells of We-nish-ka-wea-bee (The Flying Gull) and Sah-ma (Tobacco), who created a memorable splash in 1844 at a specially staged exhibition in London, England, where they swam a stroke that could best be described as a crude form of crawl swimming.

In his classic book, "Swimming" (London: Sampson Low, Marston, 1904), Ralph Thomas excerpted a description of the technique of the two Indians which appeared in The London Times (April 22, 1844). The vivid report described how two Ojibbeway Indians competed for a silver medal presented by the British Swimming Society:

"The Flying Gull beat Tobacco, doing the 130 feet, one length of the bath, in less than half a minute." (Note: Stopwatches had not yet been invented, and so this time was probably a "guesstimate" taken from an ordinary timepiece. ) "Their style of swimming is totally un-European. They lash the water violently with their arms, like the sails of a windmill, and beat downward with their feet, blowing with force, and forming grotesque antics." Thomas added: "It would have been interesting to know what stroke they used under water; as to this, the reporter only gives useless generalities."

As a result of this very brief mention in Thomas' landmark book, the names of The Flying Gull and Tobacco found a permanent place in the literature of the sport, despite the fact that they were famous for one day only.

Starting with Ulen and Larcom's "The Complete Swimmer" (New York: Macmillan, 1939), a reference to the now legendary The Flying Gull and Tobacco and their "totally un-European" and "grotesque antics" became almost de rigueur for any swimming book of note.

Solving a Deep Mystery

Recently, I decided to find out more about The Flying Gull and Tobacco, whose brief moment of swimming fame had always intrigued me. Despite the fact that their one-day appearance in a swimming event in London had found such a permanent place in the history of the sport, the full details of how the whole affair came about remained a deep mystery.

How did these two Indians happen to come to England to take part in a swimming exhibition, of all things? Who sponsored them? Who knew of their swimming prowess in the first place?

To my surprise, the U.S. Library of Congress as well as the National Library of Canada both came up trumps. They soon provided more details than I had ever anticipated on the visit to London of a group of Ojibbeway Indians, among whom were The Flying Gull and Tobacco.

Now I had the full report in the London Times of Monday, April 22, 1844, which describes how the swimming baths in High Holborn, "kept by a Mr. Hedgman, were crowded with private visitors and that gentleman's friends":

"At 12 o'clock, the omnibus, with three of the Indians outside, and the squaws, accompanied by Mr. Anderson, arrived, as also Mr. Harold Kenworthy, the well-known swimmer. In the rear of the omnibus, in full costume and on horseback, were We-nish-ka-wea-bee (The Flying Gull) and Sah-ma (Tobacco) with Mr. Green, their medical adviser, who has attended them since they have been in London, and who, on this occasion, suggested that the temperature of the water should be raised to 85 degrees.

"The Flying Gull and Tobacco were selected as competitors, the rest of the party being seated to witness the trial of skill, and the squaws being accommodated in an interior room. While the two Indians were divesting themselves of their costume, Mr. Kenworthy went through a series of scientific feats, which excited the applause of the Indians and spectators.

"At a signal, the Indians jumped into the bath, and, on a pistol being discharged, they struck out and swam to the other end, a distance of 130 feet, in less than half a minute. The Flying Gull was the victor by seven feet. They swam back again to the starting place, where The Flying Gull was again the victor. Then they dived from one end of the bath to the other with the rapidity of an arrow, and almost as straight a tension of limb.

"They afterwards entered the lists with Mr. Kenworthy, who is accounted one of the best swimmers in England, and who beat them with the greatest ease." (Probably, after their prior exertions, the two Indian swimmers were too fatigued to offer Mr. Kenworthy much serious competition! )

"The Indians then remade their toilet, and the whole party were then shown round the extensive establishment, at which they expressed great wonder. The medal will be presented to The Flying Gull in the course of the week. Mr. Hedgman then conducted them to take refreshment in the room with the squaws, and after partaking of wine and biscuits, they returned in the omnibus to the Egyptian Hall in time to resume the exhibition."