But, of course, it means that each one of
them must learn swimming first, if he is not already a swimmer, and
must know his knots really well, for actual use, and not merely for
passing test examinations.
It is well worth the trouble, for Sea Scouting, with its adventures
and its games, is full of enjoyment and fun.
* * * * *
WHEN SEA SCOUTING HELPED ME.
When I was last in Canada I had to do a lot of my travelling by canoe,
because the forests there are almost impassable with their thick
undergrowth and boggy soil.
There are lakes and streams everywhere, so it is comparatively easy to
go by water. But there are plenty of adventures to be met with by the
way, in the shape of snags and rocks and rapids, and out on the lakes
gales spring up, with a heavy sea, in a very short time. So a fellow
has to know how to manage a boat and how to face risks if he is going
to get on at all, and it is just as well that he should be able to
swim, as otherwise he is not likely to arrive at the end of his trip
in the way he had intended!
[Illustration: A SEA SCOUT] Well, Jim and Ben and I were paddling in
our birch bark canoe across a good-sized lake where there were a lot
of small islands, when suddenly we scrunched on to a submerged rock,
which brought us to a full stop and bulged in the bottom of our
vessel, so that the water began to run in and flood the floor.
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