The Sun.
London, England, 1839-11-26 00:00:00

FOUR.OARED CUTTER MATCH.

There has not been for years a match corresponding
in interest with that announced for yesterday, or one
which has created so much dissatisfaction by its termi-
nation. It bad been looked up to decide a great sport-
ing question, and finished in a manner unlooked for
and unworthy of those engaged in it. About a month
since Charles Campbell, the champion, " was sent for
to form a crew" competent to decide the question of
championship between the watermen of England
and Scotland, and, in eonsequenceoftheexerciseaffair
of
his power on that occasion, the disagreeable
of yesterday owes its origin. Campbell selected two
of his own brothers, and Phelps and Pocock,
to the total exclusion of Coombes, the cele-
brated little man, who has, over and over again defeated
every man but the Champion. Campbell's " cabinet"
was very unpopular, all " liberal" rnen contending that
better watermen could have been found, and that in
so great a struggle for the honour of the Thames
and
championship, he might have exercised a
soundCelryde discreion: Be this as it may, and every un-
prejudiced man will admit it, Coombes ought to have
been in the boat. Many of the lending gentle:nen of
the various clubs subscribed for the formation of the
second crew, consisting of Coombes, J. Newell, Pariah,
Tarrant, and Paddy Noulton, five as fine men as ever
took a pair of sculls in hand. These, as well as the
Campbell party, proceeded to the Mersey, and after
the defeat of the Clyde men by Campbell's boat, Coombes
and his " brothers in oars" exprsssed a desire
to contend with the winners. Campbell expressed him-
self desirous of accommodating them in London, and
on Wednesday week last the backers of each party met
at Aviss's, the Bells Tavern, Putney, and there Camp-
bell objected to the other party rowing in the gig they
had taken to the Mersy, an extraordinary specimen of
boat building, not lapped over in its timbers as usual,
but the eighth of an inch mahogany, seamed in some
unaccountable way ; in fact, " a veneer lined with a
Macintosh," and French polished on the outside. The
point demanded was conceded by Coombes's crew, and
they agreed on two cutters, one built by Springate,
and the other a four, belonging to the Dolphin Club,
and laid down by Searle. The match was made for
100 guineas, and Parish, on the part of his crew, gave
Campbell the first-named boat.
On the application of Parish and his party for the
Dolphin boat, the next day, they were refused her use.
She was subsequently, without any authority on the
part of the Club, obtained in some way, when the gen-
tlemen who compose the Dolphin Club very properly
refused to allow the men to row in her, and, as stated
in a letter our reporter has seen from one of its mem-
bers, on the ground that they had not been solicited or
consulted in a becoming way. In this emergency Pa-
rish and his party procured a very pretty four from
Eton, and, after training in her for a day or two, Camp-
bell declared he would not row against them if they
did not, according to the articles of the wager, use the
Dolphin four. One of Campbell's backers, when ap-
pealed to, under these circumstances, did not object to
their having another four oared boat ; but it was subse-
quently stated by Campbell that he should abide by the
articles of the wager, and in none other than the Dol-
phin had he a right to row against them. Thousands
had been laid out in bets ore this became known. Mr.
C. Lewis, the umpire (one of the celebrated Leander
Club), declined acting, and all were at a loss what to
do. A muster of the men took place yesterday. The
Campbells " would have their bond," and the others
were determined to dispute it.
At half-past two several eight-oared cutters were out,
and at a quarter to three Campbell and his party ap-
peared at Westminster-bridge, not in rowing trim, but
in their jackets. The others were in rowing costume ;
and at the moment they came alongside the assembled
hundreds began to imagine it was right. Campbell's
party started a second before Coombes's, when the
latter rowed by them, and without any endeavour on
the part of the others to prevent it. Some hundreds
had assembled on Putney-bridge to witness the coming
in, and when Coombes and his party came through the
middle arch they were greeted with cheers. The others
were a few minutes later.

Parish and his party then gave Mr. Aviss, the stake-
holder, notice not to give up the money, and the
others claimed, we suppose, on the principle that their
opponents did not row in a boat they could not get.
At the time our reporter left Putney no decision had
been come to, but it was generally understood as a
" drawn" wager.