The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-03 00:00:00

Vt 927:titian+

OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE
ROWING MATCH.
(THIS DAY.)

(FROM OUR OWN REPORTER.)

The great aquatic contest between the students of
Oxford and Cambridge came off to-day under the MOW
favourable circumstances. The weather was propitious,
the tide good, and the wind all that could be desired.

The race was appointed to take place between Putney
and Mortlake. a distance of about four miles and a
half, the stetting point being
Putney-bridge. Of course,
on such a fine, sunshiny day, with so great an out do or
attraction in store, London poured forth its hundreds of
citizens to the neighbouring. suburb. There was, how-
ever, not so great an assemblage as might have been ea-
pected, but this was probably owing to the match coming
off on a Saturday, when every one knows Londoners have
little time to devote to. pleasure. The South-Western
Railway brought a considerable number of spectators to
Putney and Mortlake by a special train, which left the
Waterloo station at twelve o'clock, but the great ma-
jority reached those places by the aid of Old Father
Thames. More than half-a dozen of the Citizen steam-
boats brought from town full cargoes of anxious sight-
seers. Two of them were specially engaged by Messrs.
Searle and Son, to enable their friends and subscribers
to follow the match. There were also several other
steamers' which. virtNtlitatt -Oki-lure a 'patronage.

The small craft upon the river was rather limited.
Notwithstanding, however, the large muster of people,
there was a want of animation about the scene, which
showed that these sports on the Thames are not so
fashionable as in times gone by. The long wooden
stand has given place to willow plantations, and the ta-
vern, with its spacious and commodious rooms over-
looking the river, and once so thronged on
proofshut
ofti the deoliae of aquatic
andPt untenanted, damp,
these
dreary.occasions,
contests, as an amusement to the higher classes, was to
be found in the almost entire absence of the fair sex.
We should say that the sons of the Isis and
the Cam composed a goodly portion of the
theisr
crowd, judging from the number who wore the colours
of the contending parties. The colour of the Oxford
men was dark blue, and that of the Cambridge men

light blue. Many of them were mounted on horseback,
and endeavoured to keep up with the race along the
banks of the river—an attempt which could scarcely
be successful, owing to the rough state of the pathway
and the advance of the tide.

The start was fixed for half-past ono o'clock, as it
would be high water at Putney at half-past two, but it
did not take place until eleven minutes before two.
All admitted that better or more equally matched
crews could not have been selected, and they were both
in excellent training. They were all fine, active men,
in prime condition for the work, and weighed on the
average about eleven stone each. The crews consisted
of the following gentlemen:—
OXFORD—I, Prescott; 2, Greenhall; 3, King; 4,
Buller; 5, Denne; 6, Houghton; 7, Nynd; 8, Chittey;
and the coxswain.

CAMBRIDGE.-1, H. E. Tukey; 2, H. Brandt; 3, J.
Shaw; 4, B. B. Foord; 5, E. Hawley; 6, W. S. Long-
more; 7, J. W. Sirron; 8, .1-). B. Corker. C. Crosse
(coxswain).

Every one spoke in high terms of their outriggers,
which are of very beautiful construction. They were
both built by Messrs. Searle and Son, whose eminence
in this particular branch of art is well knowe. The
Cambridge boat is 62 feet in length, and the Oxford one
63 feet, both being about two feet three inches in breadth.
Both crews entered their boats opposite the premises of
Messrs. Searle amidst encouraging cheers, and rowed
smartly to the bridge, where they took up their several
positions. Yesterday decidedly the Oxford men were the
favourites, but less certainty existed as to their superior
merits to-day, it being thought that the wind
would favour their opponents in consequence of a pecu-
liar way in which they handled their oars. It is but
right, however, to state that no two tartlet; could agree
on the probable prospects of either of the antagonists.
There was very little betting, and what did take place
was entered into with much hesitation and no spirit.
As we have already mentioned, the contest com-
menced at eleven minutes to two. The start was
excellent. For a few hundred yards they kept
abreast, but the Oxford men shot gradually ahead,
and they were nearly a full boat's length be-
fore the Cambridge men on reaching the end
of the Bishop's grounds. Nor did they lose
theiru contrary, they gained an addi-
tional they proceeded, and when they
n
the:he river the length of a boat and a
turned
arl e
fadvantagewasbend
ground;abo non nthe of
distance that separated them. At
Putney it was generally supposed that the Cambridge
men purposely kept behind, and would, before the raoe
termieated, get up their steam, and slyly advance before
their competitors; but the result will show how far that
supposition was justified.
(FROM ANOTHER REPORTER.)
The annual aquatic contest between the Oxford and
Cambridge Cubs came off this afternoon upon the ac-
customed spot above Putney-bridge. The day was fine,
though piercing cold, the wind blowing from the south-
east, and the company was more than usually numerous.
Considerable interest was attached to the match, be-
causen
up to their work, and it was we--
understood that the two clubs
wore remarkably
it was generally
uni-
versally predicted beforehand that the contest would be
a close and severe one. The betting, therefore, was about
even, but the Oxford crew appeared to have the most
supporters, and the odds of 5 to 4 were taken about
them with spirit and freedom. The respective managers
on both sides bad taken care to charter several of the
Citizen
Citizen boats, and sometime
before twelve o'clock the
presented river beyond Westminster-bridge a lively and
animated aspect. Rowing boats, from the aristocratic
eight-oar down to the dingy punt of the coalwhipper,
water, while here and there
was an overcrowded steamer, furnished with the
dotted the surface of the
colours of the party to which the passengers belonged,
and a somewhat soisy brass band, whose performances
were observed to be more distinguished for vigour than
musical precision or delicacy of taste. Of course,
" cigars and Cognac, relieved with occasional draughts
rleof bottled stout and bitter beer, was the order of the
day; and each steamer contained as jovial a set of fel-
lows as ever figured at a classical examination or pre-
stthoidoeekrdeaandtovweannedteacigtieermaotfiehafekrsinead sporting
invitatifoenet,ivfeolr.waWrdeed etuorsuesivbeys
and Sons, and left Stangate
shortly after the clock struck twelve in the Citizen boat
" Haberdasher," surrounded by a motley group of gay
Cambridgedivision, who sported
gloried in neat cravats of i
lightrks of the
rosettes
set tes o r
the same pleasing colour. The
Journey up the river was
done in capital style, no stoppages occuring to ruffle
young
brilliant
e
the tempers of the fashionable cargo, though now and
then a cockney sculler would persist in getting in the
track of the vessel, giving rise to tremendous shouts of
" Ease her," " Stop her, on the part of the call-boy,
and terrible anathemas on the part of the University
men. In this way Putney was soon reached, where the
scene was all life and animation. The little town was
completely choked with visitors, and we were not dis.
appointed to find that h
t ere was a tolerably good
sprinkling of the fair sex present, because they always
lend a charm to these festivals, which they otherwise
would not possess. There were numerous equestrians
cantering up and down_ on the banks on
either side of the river, and the Bun having approached
his meridian: he shone forth gloriously, adding vastly to
the cheerfulness of the surrounding Prospect. The first
gun fired preparatory to the starting went bang! bang!
about five minutes before two, and in another
second the starting shot was fired, :amidst a
roar of " They're off, they ft! off
The bet •
ting was even at starting, with here and there a
stray offer to lay 5 to 4 bgfallet Cambridge, but im-
mediately after the start the odds came to 2 to 1 on
Oxford, and as Oxford came. round the bend above
Putney, a clear length adieu' o their opponent, the
odds advanced to 4to 1. The style of rowing on both
sides was highly scientific, and displayed both the
"skill and dexterity which Dibdin sings about. It
was, of course, much admired, but the steering of the
Cambridge boat was pronounced to be perfection
itself. After the boats had passed Ilammersinitb,
the Oxford men, however, were evidently the most
practised pullers, and they kept the
__ lead from the start
to the finish, passing under Hammersmith-bridge
nearly two lengths a-head,
ea and
gradually increasing
the distance until they won in a
The nter (to use a turf
phrase) by a dozen length.pace was god
throughout, the entire distance of four miles
r in twe ty
and a quarter! being
got
halfOve less thann-th-ono minutes,
being three minutes and atime to say thate
occu-
pied last year. It is needlessas they the Oxford
men were cheered tremendously tiy returned home,
by their friends and admirers, while the Cambridge
division appeared to be greatly h chagrined at the
hollow nature of a contest wale previous reports
bad led them to anticipate would be a very fine
affair. All MOO Fitts Made. 65 6466863 always are,