BATHING IN AMERICA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4928, 8 January 1877, Page 3

BATHING IN AMERICA.

The Philadelphia correspondent of the Melbourne Argus writes : —Additional honors have been done by the railway companies to the foreign judges and commissioners. What with city receptions and inland trips, these privileged visitors might be imagined by people at home to have very fine times at Philadelphia, but the number of festivities has been small, and there appears to be no city in the United States which, in consideration of its size, is so defectively supplied at this season with entertainments. The excursion in August was from Philadelphia to Atlantic City, a distance of 60 miles, and the invitation came from the Atlantic City Railroad Company. What they did amounted to no more than the supply of two special cars and free tickets, but this was enough to tempt visitors to run down to the seaside for a clay's fun. The chief attraction which the trip had to Britishers was the prospect of a bathd in the society of the ladies, for the Americans have so far advanced beyond us that both sexes take the sea together, and they have lots of innocent pleagu°e—like grown-up boys and girls—in one another's company. No one can say that it is as easy or as comfortable to swim in salt water with clothes on as without encumbrance of any sort, but to see old gentlemen and old ladies, young gentlemen and young ladiesgo hand in hand into the surf, and sport like water animals at play, prejudices the onlooker strongly in favor of the novel custom, and makes him look out for some lovely daughter of Eve with whom (on proper introduction) he may join hands, and enter into the festive ring. As a rule, however, folks go out in small parties. Atlantic City beach is flat, and unpicturesque. The town folk resort to it in July and August, and at the time of the excursion some 5000 visitors were Just above high-water mark, stand long lines of wooden boxes. On payment of 60 cents (25.)

we received the key of a door and a dress, and were at the same time advised to leave watches, &c, in the office. The dress for gentlemen consists of a pair of knickerbockers and a blouse which comes down within five or six inches of the knees. The material is coarse serge. When we had exchanged our ordinary clothes for the new costume we came modestly forth, and noted that ladies and gentlemen occupied the seats in front of the line of boxes. They had had their turn in the water, and wanted now to look on. Ladies are not shocked at our bare legs. The dear creatures themselves show some inches of leg above the ankle. The Bloomer costume is what the ladies affect. The skirt descends to the knees, and the trousers to the ankles. This simple garb be- ; comes all except the stout ladies, whose pro- ' portions it fails to set off gracefully ; but they don't mind appearances in the least. Ladies confine their hair in little skull-caps, and on bright sunny days everybody puts on a straw hat. Regular visitors to the seaside bring their own dresses, which are often an improvement on the common wear. They fit the figure loosely—too loosely to seem graceful—which is the reason perhaps that attention is never diverted from the water to the attractions of individuals, inasmuch as all attractions are for the most part disguised. The favorite hour is high water, for then the waves roll in in splendid style. Boats float on the outside boundary line, to render assistance to venturesome persons who go out too far. The clothes impede the swimmer considerably, and as he leaves the water he fancies he carries a hundredweight of a load, but the clothes get light again very quickly. Few of the ladies attempted to swim, hut it was pleasant to see those few in motion. Some took lessons. The wife rested her hands on her husband's'" shoulders, with instructions given in advance to kick out vigorously, and off the pair went on an We were under no temptation to take a solitary swim, but, as most of the ladies were strangers to commissioners, judges, &c, could only regret that we had not brought wives or lovers with us. Ladies and gentlemen form parties for the hour of high tide as they form them for a game of croquet. The fashion has many things to recommend it, and one of the wholesome results is that it renders bathing more common than it might be under the solitary system. No exclusiveness was apparent, but the rates charged by the boxkeepers probably act as regulators ; at any rate they seem to separate the colors, for we found the negroes at a different part of the beach. The love which the whites have for the blacks increases with the distance in leagues between them. When the parties are side by side lam afraid that it stands at zero. The shores of Pennsylvania are quite free from sharks. There should be no need to say how people behave themselves. From the numbers of the bathers, and the pleasure with which parties look forward to the trip to the seaside, the reader can draw satisfactory conclusions for himself, and then go to work to persuade fellow Australians to follow the example of the Americans, who themselves have followed the French. That the manners of the people are good everybody will testify, but : one must honestly confess, as a defect, that' they lack the influence exercised on middle classes by a high-bred aristocracy, who, even if deprived of all political authority, may still be of service in the State. The time that the bathers stay in the water or on the margin of the shore varies from half an hour, to an hour. Wet woollen clothes are less awkward and inconvenient than one would expect when one strolls about with only the feet in the water. The boxes are roughly fitted up. Part of the floor is open like a grating, and each bather is allowed a bucket of fresh water and two towels of the size of pockethandkerchiefs. The return we ; o-et for our 2s. is small enough to make it look fike an extortion when one considers that in Australia* sea-bath can be obtained in an enclosed space for 3d. or 6d. There the outlay of the box-keeper is small—only what is sufficient to erect 100 or 200 boxes of undressed pine, and to purchase 200 suits of serge. There must be accommodation for several thousands of bathers at Atlantic City, and the fact that competition does not bring down the price shows that the custom is large. The chief objection a visitor has to the United States, at any rate the one that most frequently recurs to his mind, is the prevalence of extortionate charges. From the newspaper hoys upwards, everybody tries to "do" you; newspapers are never sold at stalls for less than five cents., no matter though they be published at one cent. Those published at more than five cents are sold at ten cents. Two shillings for a bath in the free ocean, which would be public property but for the restriction as to dress' There are moments when, like Balak of old, even a Christian must wish for some one " to curse me these people."