THE NORTH RIDING PROJECT

The ease and grace which which the maidens of the valley propelled themselves through the water, and their familiarity with the element, were truly astonishing.  Sometimes they might be seen gliding along just under the surface, without apparently moving hand or foot – then throwing themselves on their sides, they darted through the water, revealing glimpses of their forms, as, in the course of their rapid progress, they shot for an instant partly into the air – at one moment they dived deep down into the water, and the next they rose bounding to the surface.

Melville/Typee