The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-16 00:00:00

The Oxfol d and Cambridge Boat Race.

In another ten days the Water Derby will be due.
Its advent is generally received as the opening of
the season. London clubs, whose members are
tied down by business during the day, generally
retire into winter quarters at the end of the long
vacation, at the approach of the short days. But
while these hybernate, the Universities are up
and doing, and " fours" in the fall of the year, with
" trial eights " to follow suit, pave the way for the
operations and selections of the spring, for the long
grinds to Abingdon Lasher, and dreary visits to
Clayhithe, or deeper, to the murky regions of the
" Fens," that season the dull days of Lent, and
through weeks of self-denial and exertion bring
forth fruit a hundredfold on the morn of March 24.
The University Boat Race, private in its origin and
character, has become recognised as public in its
relations, and as a sort of national institution. It
is one of the carnivals of the season ; to lose it would
be to lose the spring out of the year. It was
amusing and astonishing to witness the general
interest that seemed awakened, on either side of
the question, with all parties and classes, when the
possibility was mooted at Christmas time of the
withdrawal for a season of the match. It was like
losing a national holiday ; and while we endorse
and welcome the position which this contest has
attained we can hardly coincide with the views of
a contemporary that devoted, a few days ago, a
" leader," replete with private rrasons for the public
benefit why the race should not be rowed, as at
present arranged between the respective presi-
dents, early in the morning, about nine o'clock, but
that the day or hour should be changed so as to
suit the convenience of such of the public who could
not or would not turn out of bed at such an " un-
earthly hour." In defence of the position of the
crews we may reply, that " times and tides," as the
adage hath it, " wait for no man ;" and the crews
are shy of risking their dignity by demanding what
Canute failed to obtain. And to change the day to
one on which the tide would " serve" at a later hour
would be equally objectionable. The men cannot
be kept in training till after Easter. Private busi-
ness and home ties would cripple some ; to row in
Passion Week is against the creed of the 0.U.8.C.
and C.U.8.C., if not of those who recommend
pleasure excursions and a public " holiday" for
Good Friday. Lastly, to bring the race forward to
an earlier date would be impolitic and prejudicialto
the merits of the boats themselves. The standard
of rowing cannot be sacrificed. The commencement
of term is, like Easter, a moveable feast, and the
traditional length of training and practice must be
adhered to. The last week's practice, of final polish
and perfection, cannot be sacrificed, in justice to
the present generation, who are bound, for the sake
of themselves and their colours, to come up to the
average, no less than to win. The early hour is a
misfortune, not a fault ; and in this light the more
sensible portion of the public will receive the ver-
dict.

And of the crews themselves and their pros-
pects we must say a few
words. For a long time
present performances, and the prestige of the past,
have made the Oxonians strong favourites for the
race. That they were and are entitled to the
preference no one will deny. To say nothing
of the reputation of their " trial eights," the
material therein promised and style displayed,
they had already existing in them the traditional
seeds of good rowing, with patterns to copy and
emulate, while Cambridge, if she ever hoped to win,
bad to teach her fresh hands in a new mould, and
to unteach and eradicate the imperfect style of such
of her old men as might be worth preserving for
the forthcoming trial. And, most of all, she had
to secure a model on which to teach her tyros, a
living and moving example of the required per-
fection; practice to exemplify precept. And with
all these difficulties with which to contend, such an
uphill game to play, none can fail to appreciate the
efforts that Cambridge has made, and to congratu-
late her finally on a palpable improvement, if not
on a glorious victory. We can hardly expect that
the new style can be learnt by them in a single term;
but time and care will perfect all things ; and Cam-
bridge are to be pitied for their ill-luck in bringing
out an improved crew at a crisis when Oxford has
one as good as any of her best. The style of Oxford
was good last year, but the men were below the
average ; this year their frame and physique are de-
cidedly above it; and Cambridge crew is so far an
improvement that it, judging from its present form,
would have scored a victory had it rowed last year.
For then, at one time, hopes were higher than now.
In their earlier training they gave promise of emu-
lating the long swing and " catch" of the first part
of the stroke that has of late characterised Oxford
rowing. They steadily improved till they took to
the " light boat," but since that time their reach has
been shorter, their swing less definite, and their
" catch" degenerated rather to a " snatch." They
began to use this boat before their rivals began
theirs, and perhaps in their embryo state of transi-
tion style were premature in so doing ; whether by
reason or coincidence, the falling off has dated
from that point. Stroke is not rowing anything
like so long as he did at Henley in June last,
and 7 seems light for his place, though neat in
!style, and one of the best " form" in the boat : 6 is
not fully trained as yet, owing to his labours out of
the boat, in coaching
and selecting the crew ; how-
ever, he is rowing fairly, but rather hurried in the
recovery : 5, good as he is, is hardly so elegant as
last year : 4 is one of the strongest men in the boat,
but is clumsy in the way he brings his arm home at
the end of the stroke : 3 is a good and stylish oar,
and about the best of the new men : 2 does plenty
of work, but is not too straight in his swing forward
and backward. Bow is short forward, and does not
by any means mark the first and most important
part of the stroke. So far we have particularised
vices rather than virtues in the rowing. There are,
however, many good points in the boat ; there is a
nearer approach to Oxonian swing and recovery than
has been seen for sonte time in a Cambridge boat ;
and if it were only a little longer in reach might
command great pace. Misfortunes never come
the new boat,
built for the crew by Mat. Taylor, is too light to
singly ; and to crown all ill-luck and difficulties of
training it has been discovered that
carry them, and they will haye to take refuge either