SWIMMING MASQUERADE.
{"character_count": 2560, "word_count": 420, "ccnet_language_score": [0.9470000267028809], "ccnet_perplexity": [1676.9000244140625], "fasttext_language": ["en"]}



A letter from Berlin. dated August Sd.
which we find in h. New York ''Courier
des E'a's ITnis.'' SAYS:


son Wednesday morning last. we were
witnesses Of an exhibition probably un
cxampled in modern times, at least in
Germany swimming masquerade. II
wns 20, up bv the pupils o: the ROYAL
Swimming School Of Berlin, TO celebrate
the twenty fifih anniversary OF the cnun-
dation of this establishment which, up
to the present time has produced in all
93.36O. skilful swimmers.


sAt 5 O'Clock. 200 swimmers, FOR the
most part military. assembled in the grand
court OF the barracks Of the infantry Of
the guard. and after hav NO been address.
ed hv Messrs. Zisichen aud Sco,tz, pro-
lessons in the school. repaired TO tents
pitched on the banks Of the river Spree.
for the purpose Of dressing for the sport
At o'clock. there swan out into the river
the following proccsSion:-A large flat
bo,iomed boat transformed into bower.
in which were four numerous military
bands. performing favorite musical pieces;
a car in the form Of seashel. containing
Neptune, with his hair anl beard lo1med
OF scaweeds, ard armed with his trident
the car being drawn by six. dolphins.
and surrounded By nereids arid tritons.
the latter blowing trumpe.s and bea,ng
synbals; q numerous troop Of American
Indians, their heads dressed with brilliant
feathers, their neclss and arms adorned
withnecklaces and bracelets Of coral, and
/ several Of them afhled with war clubs
Scotchmen. Norwcgians, Spaniards. Ita
lians, and Russians, intheir national COS
4 tunes; Bacchus mounted on a gigantic
barrl, crowned with vine and ivy leates
and brandishing his thyrsis, with which
he directed the movements Of hundred
bacchan'es swimming around his throne
and executing grotesque evoluiions; the
king OF the frogs, represented by frog
Of enormous size, rcposing on Il car q
seawccd, and followed by others Of hi.
race Of smaller size: and the procession
closed by two hundred sailors. in thei
appropriate costume, singing nationa
hymns.


"Ihis hisex'raordiiary celebration. which
was favored by delightful weather, at
trac,ed more than forty thousand spec,a
tors. who traversed itt,er on foot. horse
hack, or in vehicles, the banks Of til.
Spree, or sailed along the river in boat:
tastelully adorned with flags, flowers
and garIands.''


The only parallel TO this which live:
in our memory. was the acquatc fete q
kenIworth. during Elizabe,l,'s progress
when Mike LambOurne wnS 10 have
figured as Orion. That affair. however
did not pass off quite so well US the Ger
man fro!ic Pcnnsylranian.