when they got hold of me I found it difficult, and sometimes
impossible, to shake them off. When I rescued Robert Brown, the night
was pitchy dark, and for some time I could not see him; and when I got
to him he clutched me in such a manner as to prevent my swimming. When I
seized the young Woodman, I thought he was dead, but, after a few
moments, he made a great spring at me, and clutched hold of my head in
such a way as to prevent me swimming for some seconds. When pinioned
closely, I generally adopted this plan, which proved to be the best
under the circumstances:--I threw myself on my back and pushed the
drowning person on before me, and in this way I managed to keep them up
for a time, and with comparative ease to myself. I often said to persons
in a drowning state, "Now, hold fast by me, and don't exert yourself,
and I'll make you all right." It was not often I could persuade them to
act thus, but whenever they could, they got upon me; for "a drowning
person will catch at a straw." I believe I have fetched out of the water
not fewer than fifty drowning persons, and, with scarce an exception,
they tried to seize me, and thus rendered their deliverance a matter of
great difficulty. In fact, it would be comparatively easy to fetch a
drowning man out of water if he would just take hold of one's arm, and
thus keep himself from sinking, and let one tow him ashore.

[Sidenote: HE SEARCHES FOR THE DROWNING.]

'In many instances, as will be seen, I had to run a great distance, and
when almost out of breath, I have plunged into the water, and in that
state had to struggle with those on the point of drowning. I remember
that, on one occasion, when staying at a public house in America, the
landlord came running into the room, and cried out, "a man overboard." I
ran 200 yards, and on reaching the spot I was out of breath, when in I
plunged, but soon found I could not stay under the water for more than a
few seconds. The water was clear and fresh, with long grass at the
bottom; but alas! I could not find the young man, and he was drowned. I
arrived too late to be of any service, for it was found afterwards that
he had pulled himself on the bottom of the river with the long grass to
a distance of fifty yards from the spot where he fell in.

'My first object, after I had plunged into the water, was to catch a
sight of the drowning person, and if I could once do that, I always felt
confident I should soon have him in my grasp. I