The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-14 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

MANCH ESTER, Feb. 12.—The advance in prices
from week to week, and almost daily for some time
past, under the influence of an excited and rising
cotton-market, have almost had the effect of stopping
business in cloth, and yesterday, though shirting and
printing cloths were quoted 3d. per piece higher than
last week, and jaconets and mulls were 4d. dearer,
there was really verly little business transacted.
Both home trade and shipping yarns were quoted
id. per lb. higher. The finer counts of yarns
(chiefly spun at Bolton) were ld. to 2d. per lb.
dearer. To-day private telegrams report that,
although a large business has been done in cotton
at Liverpool at a further advance in values there
was a weaker feeling subsequently, with some de-
cline, and in Manchester we have had some renewal
of inquiry for jaconets and mulls, with a fair num-
ber of operations. Prices, however, are still toler-
ably firm, and the Let that holders of cloth, and
especially of re-sale lots, have withdrawn their
stocks, has a tendency to support quotations. As
regards shirtings and printers the present high rates
seem to preclude business. There is a moderate
but steady inquiry for domestics, long cloths and
T cloths, in which the advance has been more mode-
rate than in Eastern fabrics. The home trade
houses are doing a moderate business, but hesitate
to purchase at very full rates.
BELFAST, Feb. 11.--Flax—Supplies in the various
markets were about the usual average ; attendance
of buyers numerous ; all flax well bought up ; in
some instances prices had an upward tendency.
Yarns—Demand has been good for all descriptions,
especially for line wefts and tows, which have been
in active request, and approved qualities of these
have changed hands at an advance of 4d. per
bundle.

PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL BOAT-RACE.

We quote the following from TVilkes' Spirit of
the Times:—" It is very probable that during next
summer there will be a great international boat-
race, if not two, between the best crews of the Ox-
ford University and Harvard College. Communi-
cations have already been opened by the Harvard
men, and the proposition has bean met in a frank
and candid manner by those who wear flat caps and
gowns in High-street, Tide to the hounds in the
vales of White House and Aylesbury, and merrily
pull their boats in the waters of the Isis and the
Thames. The llarvard men proposed a race between
six-oared boats. Their crew, which defeated the
Yale crew last year, was no doubt the best amateur
crew that has yet been seen in this country. A pro-
fessional crew, say four of the Wards and two of
the Biglins, could, no doubt, pull away from them,
but no amateurs that we have seen could do so. The
Oxford men are ready for a race, but they want it
to be in eight-oared boats, to carry coxswains. This
would make it like the great annual contests between
the Oxford and Cambridge crews. The Harvard
men are willing to make the race in au eight-oared
boat, but they do not want the aid of a coxswain,
and propose that each crew shall do as it pleases in
that respect. According to the general opinion of
boatmen, it would be snore satisfactory for both to
carry coxswains, or both to do without them. When
no coxswain is carried, the bow-oarsman steers the
boat, by an arrangement through which he moves
the rudder with his feet. He loses a little of the
strength of his stroke at the oar by looking over his
shoulder to see the line, but not enough to make up
for the extra weight of a coxswain. Therefore a
boat without a coxswain would have an advantage
over one with, and at the same time it might not be
convenient for the Oxford men to dispens?, with
their coxswain because it has always been their
method to have one, and their bow-oarsmen have
not been accustomed to steer the boat. This matter
will no doubt be arranged, and the collegians of the
two countries will have a meeting upon the waters.
The next question is, Where ? Shall the Harvard
men pass over to the land of their ancestors, to pull
near the dome of St. Paul's, under the vast canopy
of smoke which night and day overhangs the streets,
the parks, the palaces, the suburbs, and the rivers
of the great city ? For them this would be very
well, as they would, whether victorious or defeated,
receive honourable distinction, as our yachtsmen
did, besides entertainment and hospitality in the
ancient halls of Magdalen, Merton, Christchurch,
St. John's, &e. But the people of this country
would like to have a chance to reciprocate the good
feeling evinced towards our yachtsmen in England,
and this would be afforded if the men who sport the
deep, dark blue should come over here to row. The
Oxford would not merely
young gentlemen from
meet with a warm reception from the young gentle-
men of Harvard, Yale, &c., but from the American
people, who instinctively reverence the institutions
of learning, and admire proficiency in manly sports.
Therefore we hope the Oxford men will come here
to row. In this point of view it will make no dif-
ference which wins, as we hold it to be certain that
the losers will pull a good race. The lads of the gay,
light blue, the Cambridge crew, have been defeated
by the Oxford men for a series of five or six years,
but they lose no honour thereby.
They struggle
gallantly for victory,
and next year, with undimi-
nished pluck, go
in again. Constancy and courage,
under defeat and difficulty, excite as genuine admi-
ration as successful effort. \Ve feel quite certain
that the American people will be pleased at the
announcement of this projected race and its pro-
bable success. We do not well see how it can now
fail. With a long pull, and a strong pull, and a pull
altogether, it cannot fail. Meantime, the relatives
of the youngmen at the colleges need take no notice
of the amiable twaddle which will be current about
the dangers of training, &c. Every now and then
some medical man invents a theory which is entirely
erroneous. In regard to Heenan it was seriously
announced that he had low vitality, because he had
great volume of muscle. Now, this was mere non-
sense. The latest theory about training is, that it
brings on disease of the heart, and Paterfamilias'
and other old fools believe it, and write to the limes
to denounce boat-racing. Training might aggra-
vate a disease, or cause one in a weak persun ; but
it might more probably cure one, or eradicate a
tendency to it. Besides, the young men selected to
be trained for the University races are not weak,
but powerful and of good wind. It is true enough
that prize-fighters who arc often trained commonly
die young. But it is not the training that kills them.
In the intervals they give themselves over to disso-
4ite) riCOU4 liyiiig, and thus, going from one ex-