The New York herald., 1869-08-25
THE iSTEa-UsIvERsITY BOAT RACE.

side may win, 1t will 10y no means be race on
equal terms, or in which even an ordinary amount
OF fairness has been shown to the stranger crew.
No fair minded man VIII object to the conditions
made before the challenge Of the Harvards was
finally accepted by the oxford four, as the latter had
theireyes open, ana could have concluded or given
up the match. just as they thought proper. 1t may
be regarded as sharp worx-sharper than even the
much abused Yankee is ordinarily accustomed to
practice-fOr the Oxford crew to have insisted 1rst
upon rowing their chaengers In the English style,
with c0xswain, instead of in the American style.
without a coxswain; and next upon fixing the
course over the water they knew we'll, and refus-
ing to meet their adversares upon any mora neutral
stream. But as the Americans yielded both these
points, in order to leave no loophoe by which OK
ford could back out OF the match, they of course
have no right to grumbe at the conditions, no mat
ter how onesided they may have been or how favor.
able to the English crew. The Harvards, however
have the right to complain. first that they
were pressed and bounded to fix day for
the race before they had received the boat
in which it was to be rowed; that they
were held strictly up to the letter OF the
agreement and compelled to row In August, al.
though two OF their men did not arrive In England
until the first week OF that month; and finally that
they were required to fix the day Of the race unal-
teraby, aud denied the privilege Of postponing it
In case CT severe storm. The latter request every
fair-minded man felt to be most reasonable. Tho
Harvards it is SAID, even offered to refer the ques.
tion to three rowing men to be selected as the Ok
Ion; but the Oxford crew chose to take every chance
one OF which was the luck OF having day for the
race such as the Harvards had never experienced,
In England, and refused TO make even this slight
concession to the strangers who had come over to
tbs is that two Of the Harvard crew viii have at
longest but three weeks to practice; that none Of
them win nave had that length OF tme to practice in
their race boat; and that they may be compelled 10
row IN any sort OF weather, without having Dad
single opportunity to test the capacity Of their
ave Been soaong and ranSH for o
months, are provided with a boat to which
they are thoroughly accustomed for any conceivable
weather, and have been for years used TO practice
on the Thames and over the same course In storms
IN order to be prepared for any weather In the
has right TO grumble at and few people care what
the London papers may say In reference to race
Il IS nothing but right to add TO these
best from the first decry the Harvard crew and to
declare their chance OF success entirely hopeless
and thus adding to the chances or their defeat.
1t is now announced with grand flourish Of
have promised to cnan the course ana to allow no
traiflc on that part Of the river, no steamers,
barges or guerilla wherrles on the track during the
good as their word, and II they should be one Will
withhold from them their need Of praise. 1t must
best people here-unfortunateiy they are.
select party-sncerely hope for clear held and no
make no Complaints, and do not indeed, seem to
care one straw what advantages their Oxford 0ppO.
nents may strive to take over them. They are
quiet, confident and industrious, and act as though
they were resolved to do their best and to pay no
attention to small ann0yauces The following
Is Of Eng
llshman who Is competent judge or the qualities OF
& honest
viction:-
THE HARVARD CREW.
II tine Harvard crew were not gifted with q more
than ordinary amount OF 1rmness they would have
been discouraged long ago. In strange country,
men who are at home, surrounded by their friends
too Is quoted at two to one against tho Hazard men,
and IN fact everything that is calculated to dspirit
carefully carried into effect 10 review the state Of the
case as now stands and to avoid anything like par.
tiality s our object; and setting aside the disad.
tare 70 Give the readers Of the NEW YORK HssHID
the straight Dip" as 1t Is called here In England,
and to endeavor to give our reasons for coming to
on Monday, the 9th instant. the Harvard crew
builder saiter. which is similar i'm arb boat al to to The one
that Will be rOwed by the Oxonlans. This Is an i'm
portant matter; as now, should the Harvards bs
successful, the excuse cannot be made that they
r0wcd IN q much better boat When they took their
places IN the boat for the first time 1t was manifest
not accustomed to row IN boats constructed on the
principle OF the one they were then In, and must
admit that when they started for their practice we
felt that their chance was small, 1t being, we
sidered. almost impossible to acquire proficiency
in this ito them new style Of boat in the very short
time left at the disposal OF the men; could point
out the then faults OF the crew, but as they have
found them out for themselves and still better have
Was on the lit and we we're d
c0uraged on the Monday we were more than com.
aQr ms In
tile boat, and the men being oil strangers to us, we
had to make inquiries in several quarters before we
same men who rowed on Monday, and that they
were rowing in the same boat To use q somewhat
than this they did not ron the boat, @ but sae eded
on an even keel, or rather she would have done 80
4 she had keei at aII better still, the men caught
well through che water. rather lifting the boat at
each stroke and there was regularity between tho
than another. The line Of feather. too. was much
better ana although they dipped the sea with the
blades blades Of the oars occasionally there was very
marked Improvement in this most important fault,
and II the Harvard crew only get accustomed to the
peculiar style OF rowing that Is required for their
boat, instead OF being two to one on the Oxontans
to any unpreudiced minds 1t Is ten to one on the
Americans.
SO much for the Harvard crew, and now for the
oxford men. On Wednesday they made their irst
show at Patney for this race From the many times
that they have trained at Putney, they must be as
well acquainted with the course as with the gates
OF their respective colleges We need scarcely say
that we Viewed their rowing with considerable at.
tenton, and that we sought eagerly for the long
talked OF long drag, clean rowing &C., but we
iound ~ not. The boat they rowed rolled moro
stroke, although long and lasting, lacked that very
necessary arsice, power. 1t Is evident that effect
has been carefully studied, and that too at the cost
OF propeling power. True, the men drag their oars
well through the water but instead Of applying their
force when the oar is at right angles to the boat
they appear to drag when the oar nrst touches the
water, but no longer
Well, then, after due consideration, and wishing
to avoid anything like prejudice, wesc0me TO tho
conclnslOn that oxford has much to learn as Har
ward In the science Of rowing on the Thames aud
that while they have the advantage OF knowing
every inch OF the course they lack tho physical
power that the Harvard crew have In addition TO
which they do not apply the power they nave at tne
we have little doubt but that the Harvard crew VIII
he two boats length ahead on the 27th inst.
EYp0arS AND IMPORTS FOR THE YEAR,