[ Home ] [ Books ] [ Search Inquiry ] [ Contents ]
Swim
[ Home ] [ Up ]

By Dan Beard

Kites for Swimming.

As the writer grows older he becomes more and more modest in his claims for originality. For it has often happened that his brightest and most treasured original ideas are found upon investigation to be claimed also by someone who lived long ago.

A kite for swimming is one of those ideas, and the writer really thought it a brand new one. But, alas! he has discovered that that rare old American, Ben Franklin, has a prior claim which, since Ben lived first, the author cannot dispute. But Ben only floated on his back and allowed the kite to tow him, and you can at least improve upon Mr. Franklin's idea by using a plank for a float, which will allow you to see where you are going, and a double belly-banded kite that you can guide in the direction you wish to go. 

All who have tried this sport pronounce it delightful, and it will be preferred by many to kite-sailing. Of course the kite-swimmer must be careful not to hitch his kite to his float, or if he does to guard both float and kite, for his steed will run away upon the first opportunity and never stop running until the wind fails or some obstruction is met.

There are only a few days in which all these kite sports can be enjoyed in some of the inland parts of the country, but in other sections there is seldom a day the year 'round that there is not wind enough and to spare.

Outdoor Handy Book

Search  Inquiry Net

[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Next ]

Additional Books

Site Contents
[Warning: Large File]

Additional Information:

Peer- Level Topic Links:
[ Introduction ] [ 25 Kites That Fly ] [ 2 Stick Frames ] [ 3 Stick Kite Frames ] [ Broom-Straw Frames ] [ Accessories ] [ Adjustments ] [ Altitude ] [ Balloon ] [ Barrel ] [ Bear Dancing ] [ Boat Sail ] [ Box, Pyramidal ] [ Box, Rectangular ] [ Box, Square ] [ Box, Square with Wings ] [ Box, Tri,  Wings ] [ Triangular Box Kite ] [ Boy ] [ Loose Kites ] [ Butterfly 1 ] [ Butterfly 2 ] [ Butterfly Chinese ] [ Cannibal ] [ Kite Clubs ] [ Cross ] [ Dragon Chinese ] [ Dragons & Fish ] [ Eddy ] [ Elephant ] [ English ] [ Filipino ] [ Fish ] [ Fisherman ] [ Kite Flying ] [ Flying Machine ] [ Frog 1 ] [ Frog 2 ] [ Girl ] [ Imp ] [ Japanese Square ] [ Keeled Buoy ] [ King Crab ] [ Knives & Cutters ] [ Luna Kite ] [ Kite Making ] [ Malay ] [ Maley or Bow ] [ Maly Triple ] [ Man ] [ Messengers ] [ Military ] [ Moving Star ] [ Neptune Notes ] [ Owl 1 ] [ Owl 2 ] [ Pennants ] [ Preface ] [ Pulley Weight ] [ Shield 1 ] [ Shield 2 ] [ Star ] [ Star, 5 Point ] [ Star, 6 Point ] [ Star, Belly-Band ] [ Steering ] [ Hargrave ] [ String 1 ] [ String 2 ] [ Swim ] [ Tailless ] [ Tailless R Best ] [ Tandem ] [ Tetrahedral ] [ Turtle ] [ Useful Info ] [ Wagon ] [ War ] [ Armed ] [ Unarmed ] [ Where to Fly ] [ Wind ] [ Winding In ] [ Windmill ] [ Ship ] [ Woglom ] [ Woman ] [ Yacht ]

Parent- Level Topic Links:
[ Kite Making Plans ] [ Marble Games ] [ Marble Basics ] [ Stilts ] [ Tops ] [ Fish Bait ] [ Fish Sense ] [ Hoops & Wheels ] [ Pet Frogs ] [ Sucker ] [ Balloons ]

The Inquiry Net Main Topic Links:
[ Traditional Scouting ] [ BSA to B-P Dictionary ] [ Adult Association ] [ Advancement ] [ Ideals ] [ Leadership ] [ Outdoors ] [ Patrol Method ] [ Personal Growth ] [ Uniforms ]

External Sponsor Links:

Search Amazon.Com:

Dead Bugs, Blow Guns, Sharp Knives, & Snakes:
What More Could A Boy Want?

Click on Underlined Green text to follow a hyperlink.  Let me know if you find a broken link, especially those that reference a hard drive :-/

Click on Small Pictures to Enlarge Them.  
If this enlarged picture won't print on a single page, search your software for a printing option like "Best Fit."  This is the default setting in most browsers.  
If the pictures are missing, send me the URL, and I'll scan them for you.  

To Email me, replace "(at)" below with "@"
Rick(at)Kudu.Net
If you have questions, you must send me the URL!
The URL tells me what page you're talking about.  This URL is sometimes called the "Address" and it is usually found in a little box near the top of your screen.  Most URLs start with the letters "http://"
Did I mention that you must send me the URL?

©2003, The Inquiry Net, www.inquiry.net: In addition to any Copyright still held by the original authors, the Scans, Optical Character Recognition, extensive Editing,  and HTML Coding on this Website are the property of the Webmaster, Rick Seymour.   My work may be used freely by individuals for non-commercial, non-web-based activities, such as Scouting, research, teaching, and personal use so long as this copyright statement is included in the text. 

The purpose of this Website is to provide access  to hard to find, out-of-print documents.  Much of the content has been edited to be of practical use in today's world and is not intended as historical preservation.   I will be happy to provide scans of specific short passages in the original documents for people involved in academic research.  

The Kudu Net is a backup "mirror" of The Inquiry Net.  When linking to this Website, note that pages that end in "inquiry.net" are updated far more often than the corresponding "kudu.net" versions.

Old School Scouting:
What to Do, and How to Do It!

Since August 24, 2002
+550,762

Last modified: May 01, 2005.