The New York herald., 1876-03-20
Letter from q Cambridge Uni
Versity Oarsman.
ISIS YER SUS GAM.
English Crews for the Cen
tennial.
THE INTERUNlVERSlTY RACE.

adapt the words Of Gray
say Father Thames for thou hast
Full many sprighty race,
saw bcseech thee what thou knowest as to the re-
suit OF the 'scoming race" But alas there is no
longer poetic mountain or hallowed stream Every
thing becomes commonplace. IL is n work-a-day
world now, and he who would know must trust to
sharp observation and not to inspiration.
/, therefore, proceed to lay before you what have
learned on matters aquatic that may be of interest
both sides of the Atlantic know well that address
nm appreciatvo audience Your readers have for years
past taken n kindly interest in the interuniversIty
race. They know well as do that the
'sBLUs FEVER" IS APPROACHING,
when all London and, for that matter, half England
will break out in light or dark blue, as the
wearers partial to Cambridge or Oxford
Indeed / have been surprised at tho intimate
knowledge of the Thames aud the Cam which
Americans have incidentally betrayed in converse
with Doubtless the lively sketch Of the old Uni
versty tho Cam by talented countryman of yours
has something do with this and the "New Pilgrims
Progress" conducted by Mark TWAIN, has generally
Included visit to oxford and Cambridge. However,
,here must be many of your readers who are per-
sonally unacquainted with two famous rowing
rivers and will therefore give short description of
sacn
THE THAMES
Not OF its pool below London Bridge crowded with
he shipping of all nations Of tho beauty OF It's
banks from Richmond upward, nor yet of proposed
steam ferries or enormous tunnels to relieve the
traffic of London Bridge-not anything, in fact, con-
with dollars and sovcreigns arc thousands OF
young hearts now concerned mol 1t is a much
simpler but in their eyes, a much more important
matter that troubles minds yet devoid of the i'm
ngination of youth. Are the waters outs That is ALL
Dear old Sir John Denhaml How different must the
hnve bee addresses
ihus:--
Oh could flow like thee, and make thy stream
My great example; as it Is my themel
Though deep yot clear, though gentle yet not dull,
Strong without rage, without o'eriowing iull.
Sir John by these last two lines has gained mmor-
,aty, Immortality which he owes, like
many another man, to the Thames But,
As matter OF fact, the good river now over
flows very often and the Oxford Captain is sadly pat
to it manage his coaching efficiently You see,
feet OF water the road is rather hindrance the
best ofhorscs, and the Mentor OF the usually
dspenses his wisdom from the back OF oxford bnck
he and his placed at great disadvantage when
The waters arc over the towpath. At present the
waters decidedly out and the Oxford men have to
forsake their usual training ground.
And now a lew words as TO the rivor itself. The
Thames, from its source to its mouth, is 2l5 miles
long--a brook compared with your mightier
rlvers-but deep enough few miles below London to
admit the largest vessel aaoat and navgabe for barges
almost TO its source. At Oxford is wide enough
allow OF two cights to abreast with ample
room and plenty of depth OF water. There is
bend in the rowing there, which slightly favors
the inner boat, and the rowcd up against
stream, tho is only about mile and half
IL has something, too, OF that quiet beauty which
Americans accustomed to tho grand natural pho
nomeDa of their own country, so highly appreciate.
1t is not exqulsitely wooded like that other cele-
prated course further Henley but the adjacent
pinnaccs and spires of the various colleges the build
ings Of Christ church. founded by Cardinal Wosey,
and the thoroughly English hcdgerows and pasture
fields give it peculiar charm.
Rightly is II named; for. by Interpretation II is
ssthc crooked''-a poor, twisted little ditch which
ends its sluggish at Ely the old Cathedral town.
where Hereward the Wake bravely held out against
the Norman William, and where the trial eghts
rowed in December for the selection Of the crew to
compete against Oxford. The Cam is almost unknown
10 poetic fame though Chaucer does locate his thievish
miller n little above Cambridge
A. Trompyntoun, nat fer fro Cantcbrrsc,
Upon the whiche brook ther meiie--
aud SO forth And at this day the road to the said
Trumpingon ali the way to the bridge over tho Grania
for Cam) the favorite Sundays of artlcss
undergraduates who there dsport their most magni6
attire to the admirng eyes OF all the pretty
maids of the town. There If IL not that never
blot out a word would have told you
that Let us get back TO the and be safe. Very
pretty flows by the trim lawns and beautiful
gardens Of college after college, and just little too
wdo for active TO leap across with long pole
The racing is about three miles below the town.
and consists OF two big twists and bend. IL is the
worst rowing river in England, and as there IS
straight Of four mites in the country you Will
why coxswainless boats somewhat at discount
10
that tney cannot be made Of and the universities
have to decide their the Puincy course which
has two bad bends. rhe poor little Cam is narrow
that eight has 10 cease rowing while another
masses and SO shallow before the University Rowing
Club spent some thousands OF pounds in deepening
that il article of belief that IL the town dram
age diverted elsewhere there would not be liquid
enough float the cghts. Such being the advantages
or disadvantages under which our universities acquire
the art of rowing, will now say something on tho
MERITs THE RIyAL CREWS,
both individually and a whole AS the stroke OF tho
Cambridge has been undergoing the trying ordeal
OF the classical Trpos for the last nine or ten days tho
practice Of that has been TO a certain extent
ierrupted however, they now in full swing, and
very lew, If any, further changes are anticipated The
following tho nsnes of tho individual Oarsmen:
Bow, Branker, OF Jesus College, very good
indeed for IL ST. lbs he has rowcd three
times In the Jesus College four, generally one
Of the best, aud sometimes tue very best
that any college turn out. lie Is a good slayer,
hard worker and a neat npurc IN boat No 2 Lewis of
Caius College, perhaps little soit bni strong man,
does his work honestly. No 2, W. B Close lrin-
ny College, the President, whose chief caraci criscs
Hockin OF Jesus College. No. s. Pike of Cairs, and
No g. Gurdon, of Jesus making steady improve
ments their original style, but there Is st room
left for much, heavy being much harder TO lick
into shape Gurdon perhaps the most promising OF
the three. No Z, Rhodes. OF Jesus College. the
President, about whom the fame OF past years has lett
htte TO be said, except that he rows and, IN our
opnion always did row, bcter on bow Than on stroke
SIDE whore hc figured the races Of former years.
He has added flesh he last before the boat
ing public, but much OF that will doubtless disappear
IN training, and what Is lett will IN physique
stroke, Shails OF Jesus College, man who can
set long ana at The same time lively stroke and do
a good share OF work-a combination more and
dnhcut than those unacquantod with the art are apt
20 imagine. IL Will be seen that Of the eight hyc
men are selected from Jesus Cocgc--an uncxamplcd
number TO be chosen from any club and especially
remarkable MS that college soidom numbers more than
40 students In last years cignt indeed had four
from the First Trinity club alone, but then 1t contains
Just about three times as many members and turns