The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-17

barge. Inc rlVer, on each side OF tne uiNl-
sion, was lined by barges more or less de-
corated, for admission to which half-a-guinea
was taken; while from apenny to half crown
was exacted for permission even to stand on the
banks on sites whence the show could be
seen, and the ISLANDERS thereon might hear
the concerts and the cannon, both OF which
made desperate noise upon the perplexed
waters. Walpole himself was angry about a
matter which he felt to be fine, but which he
failed TO see perfectly, and therefore
abused. "You was much in the right
indeed, Madam" he wrote at IL o'clock
that summer night to Lady Ossory, mot to
come to town for the foolish regatta, as did,
and of which have seen no more than do
now. / went at 6 o'clock to Richmond House,
and it was beautiful to see the Thames covered
with boats, barges, and streamers, and every
window and house-top loaded with spectators.
l suppose so many will not meet again till the
Day of Judgment, which was not to-day. In
the middle of the river was o street of lighters
and barges covered with pent-houses like
carpenters yard, which totally prevented all
the other millions seeing anything. The
rowers passed through this street, so that we
never behold them at all. It rained once or
twice, and cleared the gardens and shores;
and now all the company is stewing in Rane-
lagh. A great deal of the show was spoilt by
everybody being in black. Let us intercalate
here that other accounts say that ''the ladies
were dressed in white, the gentlemen in un-
dress frocks of all colours" but Walpole's
Everybody meant the equality, as Chester
field would have called them; and so eceryb0dy
'being in black it looked like general
mourning for Amphitrite rather than for the
Queen of Denmark. The Corps Diplomatique
was in the Lord Mayors barge. There are
such tides of people in the streets that l could
scarce pass home. l feel as glad to be re-
turned as l did from the Coronation"
While Walpole was writing in Arlington
street, quarter of million of people were
circulating about the streets. Various
matches had been rowed off Millbank and the
Temple of Neptune at Ranelagh was crowded
with jewellers. Dancing and supper followed,
Long after the day had broken, daring per-
sons full of wine, and damsels full of pretty
terror, went home by water. Tipsy rowers
conveyed a tipsy freight; boats fouled each
other, crushed in each other, one or two went
down; and of the jewellers who had gone
joyously to Ranelagh the night before, seven
lay that morning dead at the bottom of the
river.
just fifty-one years ago, after much tempta-
ton and desire and doubling ambition, the
best rowers of Westminster School had the
happy audacity to challenge the Templar stu
dents. Immense interest was excited by this
match, in which the Westminsters won no
inglorious victory over the Templars.
few years later it was thought that trial
of endurance was as worthy of thews and
sinews as that of speed. Then came one
of the most remarkable feats of rowing on
the Thames-which was achieved about forty
years ago. 1t was very much thought of at
the time, and is talked of along-shore by
old watermen still. 1t consisted in a boats
crew of gentlemen rowing from Oxford to
London in one day. Considering the dis
tance, trebled perhaps by the winding of the
river, apd that the tide was strong against
them during part of the day, and that little
rest was taken, the feat was q rare one. The
crew landed at Old Hungerford Stairs much
exhausted. Some of them had to be carried
ashore. The slightest young fellow of the
party, Captain Douglas, is now the sole sur
vivor, we believe, of that crew. He is the
present Lord Penrhyn. Since that time,
Captain Nisbet performed the same feat, with
sculls.
At that period there had not yet gone quite
out an old river practice, when the propre-
tors of Vauxhall and of Astley's frequently
got up matches on the river. These were
rowed for prize wherry, which was delivered
to the winner in the gardens or on the stage
at the Amphitheatre. This ceremony drew
many of the crowd who had witnessed the
match; but if the race was honest, the trim
built wherry was a delusion. The winner
seemed to be publicly put in possession
of it, but he privately took a small
sum in its place, and the same wherry was
rowed for over and over again. 1t was, in
some sort, like the diamond snuff boxes which
used to be presented by the sovereign to
every new ambassador to our court. There
was, in fact, only one. Rundell q Bridge, the
royal goldsmiths, used to receive the order to
send a box to the envoy, in the kings or
prince regents name. They of course
obeyed; but they always bought the box back
| from the presentee, and then sent IN their
| little account for new box to the official at
| st. James, who received and paid it
Till Thames regattas, and clubs, and uni
| versity matches challenged public notice, few
contests on the river attracted such notice as
| those between the Westminster boys and the
! Etonans. The honors of victory seem to have
| been impartially shed on both. The matches
were rowed on various parts OF the river be-
| tween Windsor and London. Sometimes Eton
won by seven, at others Westminster by eight
| beats lengths. Much was said, in 1916, OF
| Westminster rowing five miles i'll eight-and-
| twenty minutes, but as Elton was close III the
wake of the yictors there was no humiliation
| in the defeat In 1913 Eton beat Westmin-
| ster by seven boats lengths, but in the year
previous Westminster had gone ahead OF the
| Etonians, on the same course, by ten lengths.
| Thus swung the pendulum OF triumph; so was
| drawn the see-saw of victory.
An incident not wanting in dignity con-
meets the old King William the Fourth with
| these lusty Young fellows. Windsor was all
astir one Nav afternoon in 1887, after the
| famous race from Datchet Bridge to a turn
ing point a mile and quarter down stream,
and back again through the bridge. IL was
| No., h., NUaSt,,,inetar EtOn was eight lengths