New-York tribune., 1869-04-01

riority which has become so marked. Inc Cam is
river less fit for rowing than the ISIS ana Is thoug
to exercise bad influence on the styie VI
rowing. The water ls so muuuy anu ~
much incumbered with weeds as TO lmpede po'n 'no
froo uovement of the boat and the Tree |
action of the oars. At any rate IL compes .no auop
ton of a certain method, which is found 10 De uh
uitobla IN the clear rapid stream of the Thames 80
that a Cambridge crew is compelled TO aoop. ono
stvle of rowing in its the Cam, ana III i's
home practice for the nter-Uniyersity match' anu
change TO quite another style when IL arrives Oh 'o
Thames ten days or fortnight before tne ia00'
Every oarsman knows that nothing Is so dillcui' 40
TO unlearn bad habit; aman who knows ho'nins u
rowing being much more easily taught Roou S'yio
than a man who has rowed long and ILL III then'
What ia said of the difference between the TWO
rivers ma true. OF il the influence be SO greac
ON the styles of rowing, 1t might go iar
explain the late defeats OF Cambridge Da'
there is another class of critics who oH ho1 10 co
tent with this explanation. They say that ~ OF 10
wears ago Cambridge produced gooo oarsneh'
although their river was no better then than ho"'
Until of late years she maintained steady superior
itv over Oxford; and there was time when the
victory of the latter was looked upon almost as
an extraordinary piece of luck. One old Cam
bridge oarsman explained it to me, by saying
cared more for pc-nics than for rowing, while the
Cam was such ditch that Cambridge men had no
inducement to do anything it but learn 10 ro"
From some cause by some accident, or 1allure oi
tradition-the missing of some connecting hnk-on
which the acquisition Of good style so much depenus
Cambridge lost the art in which it excelieds and
Oxford became the possessor of the secret. But 70
this again it is replied that although Cambridge has
lost ground, Oxford has by no means gained 1t. 90
great an authority as Mr.. Morrison. who last year
coached the Oxford aud this year the Cambridge
crew. affirmed at the dinner last night that the
rowing of the present day was far inferior to that OF
ten years ago; it had now degenerated into scram-
be although the Oxford crews of the last few years
had been good enough to beat those that Cambridge
had sent up against them" There is bit OF encour-
agement for ambitious Harvard mon. IL any there
sti be- who want to come over here and try conclu7
sions with Oxford! / know that Mr. Morrison is not
alone in this opinion. Last year I went up to Cam
bridge under the wing of an old Trinity man. equally
eminent in classics and on the river. The College
races tyeye coming on In o week or two, ana
of cause we visited the clubs, and wandered
nm and down the banks, to watch the
practice OF the crews As for the river itsef II was
had enoueb. thick with slime and Kind OF long
ros. that grew from the bottom to the surface Not
,rcb conld he said in praise of therowing d. critl
osad n unsparingly much more SO than l. stranger
and guest felt inclined to do First and last. we
4aw every crew that had any claim to high place on
the river Out of ALL my friend said there were but
two men whom he should care to SEQ in the UniVer-
sity boat. His judgment of those two was very ac-
curate Oneof them is now President OF the Uni
yersy Boat Club and rowed this year. as last on the
Thames The other was Goldie, now stroke TO the
Cambridge eight and reckoned by good judges 10 Do
x.4l Laot AID aoId IN IN
at that time lust what Morrison said last night TO the
crews and old University who dined together at
Willis's, that the standard of rowing had much de-
clined. Imet last year on the umpire's boat num-
ber of oars very famous in former times from both
Universities They were all of the same mind, and
the testimony is so general that think it must be
accepted as true that not merely Cambridge but Ok
ford also, sends up fewer good oarsmen now than
formerly and that the style Of rowing has deterior-
ated in both The Cambridge team was better this
wear than last yet Mr. Morrison tells us that when
he first went TO Cambridge TO undertake his gener-
ous task he found such a lack of material that ne
seriously advised no challenge should be sent to
Oxford His advice was doubtless good, considering
only the probabilities Of success. but Cambridge
iustly thought il was better to try and be beaten
than not to try Mr.. Anderson, their President IN
sisted that the challenge should 60 as usual and II
went: with what result we all know.
And yet the result of this race proves aosoiuseiy
nothing There are no means OF knowing, except In
fcrentially what Cambridge might have done but for
the ill-luck which, at the eleventh hour deprived
her Of the services of No and obliged her either 20
abandon the race or contest it with an unframed
man In place which is certainly, next to the stroke
the most important in the boat With her wonted
pluck she determined on the latter, and Mr. Still
who rowed the same oar in 1863 showed even greater
devotion in consenting to take Mr.. Mellors place
gnndry critics discussed this change In cavalier
way that showed how little they knew practically oi
rowing think Mr.. Still one OF the best oaIs IN IN
either crew. he certainly the best IN last year
Cambridge crew. All the rowing men ON the umpire
steamer were enthusiastic over his performance at
that time and the boat SS a.er sry s
rowed Seven" But is certain no mancould De put
unframed into that place and supply the place OF
miles Mr. Still rowed in admirable form and most
efficiently but by the end of that time be had rowed
himself to sandstil, and II may be doubted whether
he pulled his weight in the boat Tor the last half
az the race It is no discredt to him. He did his
hest. and better than anybody else could have done;
but all tho pluck in the world will not supply
when mans muscles refuse to obey his
will take il all rowing men have found that out
in the course of their experience 80 mach H allow
that think no criticism, based upon the result OF
the race is of much worth My own opinion is. based
upOn observation Def0ro tne race, ludt WOuiu
in any event have outlived Cambridge, and that
Cambridge. with or without Mr., MellorSwere doomed
to defeat But don't express that opinion with any
particular confidence Great stress Is laid on the
catch which Oxford has, and Cambridge has not
at the beginning Of the stroke; and none too much
theory. Let n man sit down on his thwart and try
for himself into what part of his stroke he can put
most force He will certainly find i Is when bis
arms are stretched his body bent well forward, and
the oar entering the water Every inch that he pulls
his oar through the water, his body STRENGTHENING
up, his hands approaching the body, the boat also
s no mrsferY In the natter IL is familiar rule Of