The New York herald., 1870-04-07
Tho English Universities Boat Race-Cam.
bridge Victorious.

bridge Victorious.
The Oxford and Cambridge University eight.
Dared boat race contest came Off on the river
Thames yesterday. The struggle commenced
at five o'clock In tho afternoon. 1t was made
on the usual course, from Putney to Mortlake,
distance Of about four and quarter English
miles. The trial was short, sharp and deoi-
sive, the Cambridge crew winning by one
length In twenty minutes aud thirty seconds.
The Oxfords were the favorites at odds in the
morning Cambridge, however, reversed the
popular anticipation and dissipated the outside
calculations by a viotory--the first which her
sons have achieved over the boys Of the light
blue in ion years.
The scene on the banks of the river, and
on the water itself, under the police rules and
guidance Of the Thames Conservancy, was
brilliant and animated as in former years.
London was "out" In holiday attire. The
royalty, aristocracy and democracy of Great
Britain were side by side for the moment
the social and legislative gulf which
has hitherto separated them having been
narrowed considerably within few
years past and being still in process Of
obliteration, or becoming at least more shall
low hourly, like as to the condition of the river
on the fringes of which they had songregated.
If permitted to indulge in speculation in mat
ters OF science we should say here that the
temporary reversal of the fame and glory Of
Oyfnr1 IN ha offrihrfod IN oa~iair ovtan<
to the working Of the measures of university
reform which have been applied gradu
ally of late by the English Parliament to
the different seats of learning in that country.
The colleges have received new blood. They
have more muscle, more of the crGs0menta1ns
or fibre Of humanity in the classes, and hence
the new, as it were, and more powerful sweep
Of tho oar, the closer approach to an equality
of power, the quick time, and the 'leetle
ahead" only of the result The shortest time
past ten years was made In the year 1864
year Of university reform-when the Oxfords
won in twenty minutes exactly.
The young men of Oxford and Cambridge
universities have now c0ntended in this manly
aquatic sport twenty y-seven times. In the year
1876 the first race was pulled over the course
four and a half miles then-in outraged
eights, and the distance made in twenty-one
minutes and five seconds. OF the whole num-
ber of contests Oxford has now won sixteen
and Cambridge eleven. In addition to the
regular struggles just mentioned the universi-
ties men have contended together five times
at the Henley regattas In the same heat for
the grand challenge cup. Of these races-tO
the year 1s55-Oxford won three and Cam
bridge two. At the Thames National Regatta,
June 22, 1874, Oxford beat Cambridge in
smart, exciting race. We sympathizs with the
young men of Britain in their steady pursuit
and patronage Of a civiizing, healthy sport.
Its yearly progress marks the refining advance
of nation. Manly as free-born men, cosmo-
politan and generous in spirit, and with a
happy comminglement Of the best blood and
most healthy material of the Old World lands
in their veins, hands and arms, the youth of
America have taken to aquatic sports, as if
from the earliest dawn Of the his
tory Of the country. Broad and expansive
in their views Us ia the land of their
birth in territory and resource, they multi
piled rowing clubs rapidly, the history of
these American organizations filling good
sized portly manual to-day. Joyous on the
rivers, many of them have taken to the
"wide, wide sea-" They have ''gone down"
to the ocean in feet yachts, under canvas
and by steam, aud, crossing over the Atlantic,
have surprised-we cannot say intimidated to
parent stock by the exhibi-
ton OF their personal elasticity, skill and cour-
age as is known by the history of the yacht
America victory to the present moment. John
Bull has stared considerably; he has even
growled; but we must recollect that John Is,
for the most part, more practical than an
educated parsonage, and one who can fight
battle or run race without troubling himself
in the slightest degree about either the bal
ances or retributions Of humanity. Oxford
and Cambridge have done well on the river.
America will coax their men to the ocean.
Here they may do better. 1t will be vast
change. Orsin Pinnint, s'the keeper of her
Majesty's bear gardens" memorialized Queen
Elizabeth against zone idle VIII Shakespeare,
as demorslizing the ''manlie sporte of bull
batting" Yet the bull fight has disappeared as
an English sport. The logic Of progress is
inevitable, as the science medal men Of both
Oxford and Cambridge know. AS proof we
need only mention that the universities race
commenced yesterday at Eve o'clock in the
evening, London time, but tho result was
reported at the HERALD Building at two
o'clock in the afternoon, New York time.
Electricity and the prophecy of Puck.
The Proposed New Expedition to the North
Pole.