EXAGGERATIONS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1022, 12 January 1882, Page 4

EXAGGERATIONS.

An American had been bragging for lome time in a public bar-room of various marvellous feats of swimming vhich he had witnessed or performed, vhen an Englishman, who had listened n silent incredulity, bethought himlelf that he would defeat, or try to lefeat, the boastful “ Colonel ” with tis own weapons. The old country >e considered was able to beat the lew at anything—even at fibs—if her one tried ; so he suddenly spoke up. ‘ Well, yes, Colonel,” struck in the iritisher, “ those were big swims, I dmit, that you say you’ve seen ; but ’ve known one that beats all yours ollow. Two years ago I started from fiverpool to New York in one of the ’unit'd boats. There was a little ommotion and excitement on the •harf at leaving, and a man dived into he water ; but we took no particular eed of it Next morning we remernered it though, for sure enough, there as a man swimming abreast of us at W e rate of fifteen knots an hour. We called out to him, and heaved him a rope, but he refused all assistance. At night, of, course, we lost all sight of him ; but when the sun rose, there he was again, striking out as lively as possible. And so he stood by us all the way across, sometimes diving under pur keel, and coming up on the other side ; sometimes playing round us like a dolphin, now on his back and now on his side; now turning head over heels, wheel-fashion. But about two hours before we reached New York he began to forge ahead, and soon distanced us altogether; and when we got alongside, we found him standing on the quay, dressed to receive us.” The Yankee had eyed the speaker fixedly during bis narration. “That’s a true yarn, I s'pose

stranger ?” he said interrogatively. “ O yes, quite true ; I saw it myself,” was the reply. “ You saw that man swim across from Liverpool to New York alongside yer steamer all the way?” “Exactly.” “Stranger, did yer know that man?” “Well, no I answered the Englishman cautiously ; “ I didn’t know him ; but 1 saw him, nevertheless.” “ Stranger, I was that man I”— Chamber s Journal.