African Swimming Ferry.—­The people of Yariba have a singular mode of transporting passengers across rivers and streams, when the violence and rapidity of their currents prevent them from using canoes with safety.  The passenger grasps the float (see fig.), on the top of which his luggage is lashed; and a perfect equilibrium is preserved, by the ferry-man placing himself opposite the passenger, and laying hold of both his arms.  They being thus face to face, the owner of the float propels it by striking with his legs.  The natives use as their float two of their largest calabashes, cutting off their small ends, and joining the openings face to face, so as to form a large, hollow, watertight vessel.

[Sketch of African swimming ferry].

Makeshift Life-belt.—­A moderately effective life-belt may be made of holland, ticking, canvas, or similar materials, in the following manner, and might be used with advantage by the crew of a vessel aground some way from the mainland, who are about to swim for their lives:—­Cut out two complete rings, of 16 inches outer diameter and 8 inches inner diameter; sew these together along both edges, with as fine a needle as possible and with double thread:  add strong shoulder-straps, so that it shall not, by any possibility, slip down over the hips; and, lastly, sew into it a long narrow tube, made out of a strip, a foot long and two inches wide, of the same material as the belt.  At the mouth of this, a bit of wood, an inch long, with a hole bored down its middle, should be inserted as a mouthpiece.  Through this tube the belt can be re-inflated by the swimmer while in the water, as often as may be necessary; and, by simply twisting the tube and tucking its end in the belt, its vent can always be closed.  After a canvas belt is thoroughly drenched, it will hold the air very fairly:  the seams are its weakest parts.  For supporting a swimmer in calm water, a collar is as good as a belt.

Transport on Water.—­Parcels.—­The swimmer’s valuables may as well be put inside the empty vessel that acts as his float, as in the turban on his head (see “Floats").  A goat-skin is often filled half full of the things he wants to carry, and is then blown out and its mouth secured.  A very good life-belt may be bought, which admits of this arrangement:  it has a large opening at one end, which is closed by a brass door that shuts like the top of an inkstand, and is then quite air-tight.

A small parcel, if tightly wrapped up in many folds, will keep dry for a long time, though partly immersed in water:  the outside of it may be greased, oiled, or waxed, for additional security.  If deeply immersed, the water is sure to get in.