The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-19 00:00:00

AQUATICS.

INVASION OF FRANCE.
On the sth inst. six sons of the Thames effected a land-
ing at Dieppe, to compete for the different prizes offered at
the regatta which took place on the 7th.
al!Our countrymen soon became aware that their riv.
were numerous and determined to offer the strongeot
sible resistance to any English that might present theme
selves. In fact, the Frenchmen felt apprehensive that
same " intruders" might again appear who perforrad
atta
gloriously a short time ago at the Paris Spring ~at
held at St. Cloud, in which the English thrashed the
ac-
men of France at the very moment they were made
quainted with the victory of Magenta. Our Alit:
friends took the offensive, and on the 7th took up t."--
position to struggle against thepicked crews of Paris, 143vic?
Rouen, and Dieppe. Pais, indeed, was well represente
a very spirited French gentleman having for the last thre:
months trained six of the best rowers in France to comp
for the supremacy, and he had already challenged.3lr.
John Arthur of Paris, who has always taken so activeii
part in upholding the honour of English acquallea .11
France, to row any English crew for the Championshlf:
Mr. Arthur was too happy to take up the glove, and
vited our Londoners to France, not only to Dieppe, but t°
Rouen and Paris, also to assist at three grand regattal.
given on occasion of the Emperor's fete. It is to-dal. °To
agreeable task to report the rapid march of our Well ,
through France, quite in the style of Maxlborougll
Havelock, triumphant from beginning to end, three battle!
and eleven victories, some under certain difficulties, and
many of them hard-fought encounters, for it is not gear
rally known that there are now some aquatic men 111
France who are ready and fully equal to row against al.

best English crews.
At Dieppe the races were for four. oared and sii-nar:d
.
gigs; and a second four-oared race as a prize of honour I°-
the victors of the above races, a handsome gold cup, gilt°
by the Emperor.
„nie of
Thirteen boats started for the four-oared prize, a P— 4.1,0
£l6 and a gold medal. The weather was delightful,
sea quite smooth, the shore lined with all the elite ol
to
Dieppe, and the elegantly-dressed ladies added Lunt,
the eclat of the scene. At three o'clock the eignal;t
fired to prepare ; a second pop made every men •
blade of his oar. A few minutes sufficed to show the Ll°4
Jack had a slight advance, but they were not yet disenten,,,
from two of their adversaries, although it was evident thatlia%
long, quiet stroke of the Englishcrew would lastlongsretil
the over-quick, energetic style of the French. BY dere
they increased their distance, and had the pleasure of shwas
ing the others the way over the course. The crew
composed of Thomas White, A. Chitty, W. Bell, anciA So
Bain. The same crew were joined by G. Driver all('
Bell, and soon started for the six .oared race for Pr's'
-
purse of £2O and a gold medal. The same success, '.1,51
greater advantage, the French crew appearing to 110 e
some of their gunpowder and much of their strenell;"be
fact, John Bull's stamina was too much for them
next day the race for the Emperor's Gold Cup took to ice
and was won by our countrymen. It was gratifying
that, with the exception of some few, most of the sPer:
tors admitted the superior skill and strength of the English

and their style of rowing was much admired. for ward
After the above successes our little corps pushed
to Rouen—or as one of the crew termed it " rOW.011"
and there they found the whole town alive, and out to sed,eu
them row on or be rowed out. Races for pairs, four-4:0_4
six-oared, and skiilling boats were offered. The first 070,
was the pair-oared race. The English crew, W. and 13, le
had a very inferior boat, which caused terrific
whostrua
between themselves and another French crew, .b.
had a very superior and faster boat, with white%
they took a considerable lead, but after 15 rahlitity
of the hardest pulling in the world, British pluck rove"
them, winning by 10 boats' lengths. hieb
Then followed the 4 and 6-oared and sculling races, W lci
they won, amounting to about £3O in money, with g°
medal for each race.
to
Elated with their good luck our crew moved on the
evening to Paris, where they were much surprised 011,6
the crowds of Zouaves, Tunes, and every other deserio°
of French soldiers, who had that morning made the.",
triumphal entrance into Paris.
the
The following morning our six Britons were again on 0/
banks of the Seine ; and, owing to the great nuraberis
boats that were entered for the different races, 15 an
-
he
for each raze, they had to pull trial matches.
,d,far'
final heats commenced at three o'clock, and
some of the hottest races ever run the En lish crew won
them all, five in number, and added another £4O and floa
medals to their trophies.
free, to pick up fresh strength from English
This little band have returned again to the land of al
stout, highly delighted with their trip, and with a bette.ig,
opinion than they had hitherto had of their French ri"—
Although this affair in itself
may appear hi
still •
it helps to restore the prestige • h Nr-
elif
of the Britis ce
after the Crimean war, appeared to be entirely lost in Frail
but which has again appeared since the Indian camPaigfr;
The boats the Englishmen rowed in were built by
Wyld, of Lambeth. beef sob
•

GREAT SCIILLERS' RACE FOR £lOO.
One of the finest scullers' races ever seen came off Yeateri
day afternoon between Thomas Pocock, a watertaa,u„ic,)
Lambeth, and Benjamin Oxlade, a waterman of riti:
Wharf. They are both fine men, and fine rowers, Oin;
being a few years older than his opponent, and a trro
heavier. They have rowed several matches, Oxlade for "
vaned sue.
last ten years, and Pocock for the last six, with varl ant
cess, and Oxlade was at first the favourite, but the 0
rowing of Pocock on Monday, when he came in second
Wise, of Kew, for the Scullers' Prize in the Royal Tut„i
National Regatta, had made the odds go upon hips at
the rate of 6 to 4. %vial
The Venus, Captain Sharplin, accompanied the race, vsl
a large number of spectators, and shortly after their arrL 4
off Putney the men took up their stations at the aquearrilh°l
the distance being from there to the Ship at Mortlake'
were in splendid condition, and Pocock obtained the belt
place. His umpire was his brother ; Henry 01E10 n
o'o 00
his old opponent, Frank William • and Andrew Wetz•
was referee. They were, as usual, " by Cutteelli
c.
Oxlade dashed off with a tremendous lead,
,nwhieh he
wuei
owing to Pocock catching a crab, but Pocock's rewirl,gvo•
very superior, and he caught his man just below' Find of
A clipping race ensued for a mile, for the greater „Pail—ear
~,
the time both being level, then their sculls just 410
and they ought to have rowed on, but Oxlade claimed
des
ell
foul. Pocock finished the distance a winner by the
of the referee. Pocock trained at the White Hart/
8 by
and was piloted by Joe Leech. His boat was built
Jewett.