The Sun.
London, England, 1869-08-28 00:00:00

TEE CREWS.

Just after Putney Church clock had chimed out five
there was a stir in the crowd by the boathouses on the
Putney side; a shout, and a clapping of hands. A few
moments elapsed, and then the Oxford four were seen
seated in their new boat by Salter, lying low at the water's
edge, almost surrounded by a dense and sombre-looking
multitude of spectators. Pulling gently into mid-stream,
the four gallant youths rested on their oars, and there, in
the full view of the assembled thousands, sat, the sole
object on that wide expanse of water, awaiting the arrival
of their opponents. -In a few minutes ogre the Harvard
pew were seen seated in the boat built for them by
Elliot, and they, too, received from the vast concourse
afloat and ashore a repetition of the acclamations that
had greeted their honourable friends and opponents. As
both crews paddled down towards the umpires' boat, there
'vas, for the first time, an opportunity of fairly comparing
and contrasting the two. In the Oxford boat were four
young and highly-trained Englishmen commending them
delves to the national sympathies by honourable ambition.
To most men the ordeal they were entering upon
would have been a cause of sufficient anxiety to
affect their usual appearance. As for the Oxford
stroke, he did not appear to be concerned at all.
Had Mr. Darbishire been out as one of a scratch for an
evening trip, he could hardly have been more at ease. He
showed an easy confidence that approachaialmost b non-
chatance. Mr. Tinnd showed some signs of anxiety, and
go too did Yarborough, and perhaps Willan also. In
point of form little need be said beyond the fact that the
four seemed to have recuperated after the rather severe
work they had done in the first part of their training.
They looked well and fit, shewing neither an excess of con-
fidence nor signs of depressing doubt as to the result.
The same general remark will . apply to the de-
meanour of the Harvard four as they paddled up
to their station. In point of physique there were
.material features of difference between them and the Ox-
ords. The latter • looked young, sturdy, and rather
heavy, wore light guernseys, covering the arm nearly to
the elbow, and straw hats, and, with the exception of Mr.
Willan, all were of fair rather then lark complexion.
The Americans were all dark ; their brown anus were
bare to the shoulder, giving them a semi-Indian cast,
which was heightened by the effect of the white
handkerchiefs which Loring and Simmonds wore
bound round their heads and temples. With
the exception of Mr. Simmonds, who is as broadly
and sturdily built as any Englishman, the crew
are light and wiry men, and, as they bent forward and
took light, fast sweeps of the oars, they suggested ideas
Of _swiftness and force which the heavier and less pliable
crew in the Oxford boat certainly did not inspire. On the
one side was perfection of training for a loud race,
requiring
us)t
.merely UMW and cudilrauc9) but a high
iissucaltdiadieffilalimAtlitlimainisi

of men who could row a stern race without unduly forcing
the pace, conscious that their powers, if carefully econo-
mised, will befriend them when the time of trial really
comes. In tie American boat was fiery spirit, energy,
and dash—a do-or die spirit that works itself out rapidly
to the last throb ; a crew, in fact, that would adopt for a
four miles' race the tactics that would serve them only-
for two miles. Such were the impressions that naturally
arose on the forms of the two crews.