New-York tribune., 1874-04-14

steps. knowing as do the traditions among the
rowing men of that University, don't suppose they
will Mr.. Lorng carried back with him the c6nVic-
ton that nothing to be learned here, and nave
heard that Mr.. Dana and his colleagues are still OF
that opinion. 1t couldn't do them any harm to
come and judge for themselves.
This, however, is an aside. / was saying that
might take it for granted You know about the
course and how it is kept, and what 1t looks Ike
But learned to-day with some dsmay, that no less
a person than the Lord Mayor of London is head OF
the Thames Conseryancy Board, and that he might
open or close the river for racing purposes, as he
liked. That is, he might refuse to keep it clear,
which would be tantamount to closing it. Did Ok
ford know this awful fact when they declined to
dine with his Lordship' He must be forgiving
creature. All, nevertheless, went on in the usual
way Only rather better related to the small boats
and rather worse as related to the big barges and
anchored steamers. OF steamers in motion with the
race there were, nsua four; one for the Umpire,
one for the Press, one for each University hasten
to say that this year the Press steamer in luck.
We were side by side with the Umpire all the way,
and within so yards or less Of the racing boats.
We were SO fast that the Umpire had to
order us back once twice, lest we should
go ahead of that great functiOnary himself de was
Mr.. Chitty, as always-by common consent OF all
rowing men-the most competent person IN England
for the post. OF late years the umpire has had SO
little to do that bis office seems less important than
it is. Were any question raised, his is the only
voice that can decide it, and l ask University men
in America to observe that Oxford and Cambridge
dispense wholly with all that elaborate pretentious,
and perfectly useless paqeantry of judges and referee
which is thought essential to an American Univer-
sity race. Mr.. Chitty-quite lately made Queens
Counsel and for years one of the rising men at
the Chancery Bar-knows the river; knows every
current and eddy and shoal Of it was in his day
wonderful oar Is at this day, though an Oxford
man, an umpire in whose honesty and impartiality
every Cambridge man trusts absolutely. Is there
no similar man among Yale or Harvard graduates to
hold similar placef
As eleven o'clock drew near the banks on the Full
ham side became thinly garnished with people, and
there was a great throng about the Putney boat
houses an eighth of mile away. Out OF that throng
there presently shot long thin brown streak into the
river, and number of white spots, and one dark
blue spot soon appeared in the brown streak, and
we knew that the Oxford crew were aiioat. They
rowed slowly down to u.s. and we criticised them as
they rowed Criticisms on Oxford have been some
what abundant in the past fortnight. There is per-
haps, no fault oarsmen can commit OF which they
have not been accused. 1t is agreed that they did
not commit them all at once, and that, ragged and
rough as they were at their first appearance on the
river, they have steadily improved. Perfection OF
style their best friends did not claim for them nor
can it be said that their appearance as they APP
preached was prepossessing. powerful lot
of young fellows of course; nearly every one
of them a good oarsman individually. But
eight good oarsmen do not make good eight
necessarily. Cambridge soon foIowed bigger men
and better TO look at, better together. yet by no
means the most polished eight that have been seen
on Putney waters, dropping down to start for tue
| tremendous 20 minutes that await them-much the
| longest 20 minutes any of them will ever 1--we
! through. Note that Cambridge wisely come OH
shore in their thick blue jackets and keep them on
till the last moment before starting when they are
put off and out of the boat; Oxford, meantime
shvering in their tght-ftting jerseys, and having
little if ever 80 little, taken out of them So In
race which patience and pluck and science and ex-
perience have reduced to ne point, neither crew
can afford to throw anything away. Another detail
Oxford wear white duck trousers, Cambridge white
drawers ending at the knee. The pound or two
saved might weigh half ton at Mortlake-dld IN
fact, about counteTbalance the extra three pounds
weight Of the Cambridge coxswan. Here are the
latest official statistics OF the crews