The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-24
TIE HARYARD AND OXFORD BOAT
~ ia 7i RICE. ...r ra

Tho Thames from Putncy to HIortlakc.
cas- tho tirac approaches for the international
boat race on tho Thames, between the crews
ofthe Universities of Harvard and Oxford, tho
public interest increases naturally in all that
relates 10 tho novol and interesting contest.
Our readers will therefore receive kindly, per-
haps, l;;atch Of tho ground, or, more strictly
spec king, tho water course, over which the
race will bo rowed.
THE Thames. which from Shoobury and
Sheerness wilero it enters the German
Ocean, to the Pool below London Bridge, B q
and worthy. from it's tidal fow. of bearing upon
it's bosom the vast commerce Ut London, rapid-
ly dminishes IN volume us YOU ascend 1t nbove
Battcrsea, until az Richmond 1t becomes. to
ewes accustomed to tho Hudson. tho Potomac
1t is nowhere wide roadslcId. At Grave
send it is not mo1e than half q mile acr oss,
and ut London lis width cannot exceed three
hundred yards. Tho ocean tides, however,
which rise from seventeen to TWENTY-FIVE feet,
give volume aud current to tho Thames tar
greater and stronger than, in other latitu les
belong to larger rivers. Whnt the Thames
loses in strength above London is yet moro
than gaincd in interest aud beauty. Ascend
ing It you pasa the emboweIe ed villa Of Pope,
andtlie noble palace of Wolsey' and William, !,
-R,Hdsor, and the antique: towers" OF Eton
CoIeguy which are all: eweetIy reflected ;fr I'M
its. surface Beyond Eton !it rolls through
hoh pastures, narrowing more and more, and
rent, by The tomb OF FAIR Rosarnond and tba
venerable walls OF Oxford's Colleges. -r.i
London is peculiar, IN the loseiiness OF its
saRgrbs All That is naeap p END squalid and re-
lleus Of Whiteohapel and st. Giles. OF stretches
away toward thor Plumatead mashes. AH soon
as the country il reached in any other direc-
tion, The fi6h iuEf, ihe'waviIiR trees, the bow.
ges. mSES tho prospect soothing and delight
.1pi, Thai part of the 'environS &hithT borders
b6 ihe., Thames beyond Chelsea Hospital ID
especially attractive. 7 he river, as yet uiipol7
lutedi obythe wash heroti thet METROPOLIS, and
very iu1aae Of purity and peace. Tho locality,
which has Witnessed for several years tie boat.
races OF Oxford and Cambridge, aud which has
been chosen for tho coming contest between
England and America, is bend OF the river OF
i've miles. reaching from Putnoy- to. Mortlake.
On the mao u q horseshoe. or more nearly an
eye {of hooks and eNes) in shape. By the rail
way or the high.road the distance between the
two places is not more than two miles and a
half!d hsir ru ,ut a. ua'- .f.H ,t..t.
~ ~ PGtneS is o quiet little town Of about six
thpntand inhabltants, immediately opposite
fqiham. wi'h - which It is connected BY wood
an bridge. Tho pipes Of thu Chelsea water
works company cross the river on piers just
above the bridge. There Ia little OF interest in
Putney, which Was the, birthplace Of GIbbon,
built ages ago. and enlarged in the reign of
Henry VII. Some pretty villas lie scattered
about along the river, the village bank of
which, Immediately at tho bridge, Is edged
tom chiefly from the boating cluos. rs va.
About midway of tho course the Thames is
spanned by noble suspension bridges at Ham
,persmith, an outlying Inbnrb of London;ahd
here the river hank on tho northern side is
lined with buildings for n cnnaideruhie .''s.
tauce. Every window OF these buildings Is
crowded with spectators on tho occ iston OF n
tlled when an imposing procession rs to pass
by.ti Tho bridge also, from shore to shore,
presents dense mass OF human beings, occu'
pying every foot OF space, from an early hour
OF the morning. .t
Above Bammcrsmith, on the same side, is
Chiswick, and beyond Chisw,ck, on tho other
sid is Barnes, q small antiquatcd cluster OF
brick houses, built along narrow lanes, with o
tower pceping out Of the foliage-the tower of
the parish church, where Melville preaehes.
Here n solid iron railway bridge raised on
stone plers crosses the river. Il No spectators
i0l AS soon 'ssthe boats shoot uuder it's arches
the cocEsvains catchfsight OF the 'ship" Mt
Mortlake, where q flag signal iniicates the
goal, Not moro than Blk hundred yards now
and as BArnes Bridge is passed the excitement
OF tha spectators reaches it's acme. ~ 5-
On the southern bank Of tho Thames, oil the
way from Putney to M0rtlake, there is tow
path for the horses employed IN tho barge
transportation, and this toWpath ia compactly
thronaed with ;'Gents." the!tradespeople, tho
multitudinoIs hoi potloi Of London town. Hero
the "K'rect Kyard" II the race, with the dress,
two crews is hawked about by ragged littie
Arabs. Hero ulountebanks. stI olhng gypsies
and Ethiopian strenaders beguile the weary
hours Of waiting with their performances.
Here the pickpocket plies his nimble trade.
andthe yoice OF tho little Joker makes itself
audible: "Oue, two, three; two little thmbe.
aud ono small pea" As the gun is heard On.
nouncing that the boats are off, the immense
mass sways to aud fro with eager expsciation,
end the towpath then becomes q dangerous
place, for great numbers Of horsemen and
..hQrsewome among the latter many of the
pretty horsebreakeIsn at the Ladies' Mile
charge up the river, keeping paco with the as
rowy flight OF the boats and running over suoh
nnlucky people as may be in their way. 10
On the northern bank OF the river, f.r the
greater part OF the distance, the grounds arc
Here privileged parties OF spectators enay ibe
seen grouped upon the sward, or on the portt--
Pans@ sss y sa gsss opposite the
surrounded by a W,de-spreading park, fs, of the
Bishop 81 london, and further on ia. the conn
try residence of Poole, tho tailor. who s,gna-
lizes every race by breakfast OF faultless ex-
cellence OF cuisine, to which the most aristo-
cratic OF bis customers only are invited.
Immediately following the boata in the con-
test ooInes large aotilla OF tho, river ateam-
DUaS~ k-~-- h-..a~.> t1" nj. vui tl,-
have come to witness tho spectacle from the
river itself. Nothing more dangerous or moro
uncomfortable than thie mode Of attending the
rare oould Vol DO i.aa6i"ou, yvt !lo acciueuts
are few; ard the cocknoy likes his steamboat,
which is tho worst specimen of that kind OF
convey snce knnwp to exist. But the steam
boats nre not merely uncomfortable for the
passengers, they are groat outrage upon tn
contestants, and have not unfrequeniIy swamp.
ed the unsuccessful boat 10 the swell they
create. Eight or ten OF them ascending the
and embarrssses the crews that are imn1o-
diately In advance OF them. Il IL to be hoped
that some restriction may b, imposed upon
also be cleared of barges, which, by some per.
verse ohanco: seem always to- get In the way, =.
The ssso o. shama the siss
than one million OF spectators. and ovsr y,
oaution should be taken, as we'll sof ths pe pre.
vention OF accident as for giving tho semneti-