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

HARVARD AHEAD.

When in the first few strokes it was seen that the
Harvards were drawing away, a tremendous shout of
mingled cheers to them, and of encouragement or urgency
to Oxford, arose from the throng on both sides of the
river. Away went the Harvards at a headstrong pace of
forty-five strokes per minute, applied so well as to send
their light boat along without a dip, without a jerk, and
with the even continuous action of a screw-steamer.
Oxford, calm and unexcited, laboured away in the rear,
now drawing a little closer as the Harvards half-relapsed;
falling back almost imperceptibly as the others
put it on, but sticking doggedly, imperturbably to their
38 to 40 strokes per minute. So they rowed on for nearly
half a mile, the Americans, well up to the Middlesex
shore, laying themselves to their work with intense
ferocity, and sending their boat along at a pace which, if
maintained throughout, must inevitably have won them
the race. Their friends on board the two steamers
following were loud in applause. As the boats darted
up to the Craven Point, Mr. Burnham, the
coxswain, aiming to take a course which would
have been perfectly legitimate had the water been
free, drew his boat nearer to that of Oxford, and as
the latter, profiting by the deviation, drew up a little,
there was some danger of the race being marred by a foul.
Seeing this, and taking the only way that was open to
him to avoid it, Mr. Burnham called on his men, and,
directing them outwards, again took them away from the
Oxford boat. The deviation was a slight one, but an un-
doubted error. Oxford had so far managed her boat
as to diminish the first lead of the Harvards to half a
length, and at the crossing from the Craven to a
quarter of a
_length. They failed, however, to overhaul
them completely ; and when, as both aimed straight up
the river towards the next point, at the Soapworks on the
Surrey side, Harvard put on another spurt, their boat,
responsive to the fast and well-directed strokes, again
darted a full length ahead. They looked to be full of life
and vigour ; Oxford, by comparison, seemed languid And
slow. Harvard increased their lead before reaching the
Soapworks to one length and a quarter, appearing at the
same time to be using less violent efforts than they made
at the start.

OXFOUD PICKING UP.

Up to Hammersmith Bridge the Harvards undoubtedb,
looked best. But their rush, the way in which they
pulled on with determination without allowance, soon
told. After Hammersmith Bridge came symptoms of
distress. The courage and the determination svere there,
but the bodily powers were failing. still the cheers went
on. Double-knock shouts from AmeriCan friends in the
two steamers, hearty English cheers from the shore went
on Still, but as Chiswick was approached Oxford was seen
to be creeping up ; she took the lead, and Harvard never
recovered her lost ground.

THE FINISH'.

Meanwhile the Oxford boat gradually drew up, and or.
nearing the oil mills came abreast of the others ; op-
posite Chiswick Church a fine spurt brought them to the
front with a clear lead. Round Chiswick Eyot the boats
passed with very slight change in their relations ; but
what change there was served to enaLle Oxford to
forge ahead, and to lead ly a clear length. Here
the American co::swain, Mr. Burnham, resorted to
a plan for the spurring on of his crew seldom or
never, we think, witnessed in Erilish waters. Re-
leasing his hold of the tiller, he proceeded to use his
hands as ladles for throwing water in the faces and on the
bodies of the oarsmen. At the 'West Middlesex Water-
works Oxford maintained a good lead. Near the bridge
the Harvards put on a spurt, or rather tried, for they had
already begun to spew strong signs of fatigue, and the
boat answered not to their efforts. The race was, in fact,
virtually over, though the Oxonians came within the pos-
sibility of losing when within two hundred yards of
home. Just as the crew was gaining the winning post, a
man, dressed like a gentleman, pulled a boat deliberately
in front, amid such a burst of execration from the
bystanders as made him look pale, foolish, and abashed.
A lady was with the fellow, or it is quite possible more
serious consequences would have followed. As it is, the
person may congratulate himself upon furnishing the
solitary exception to a day of general order and good
feeling. The danger to the crew was escaped, however,
and Oxford shot past the winning post three lengths
ahead. Time.—Oxford, 22min. 400ec. ; Harvard.
22min. 46 !,sec.