Year: 1869




BOntmen--CsOOd Condition of tine ATen-T ,cIr
Hopes and Prospects.


Inview of the coming international rowing contest,
this correspondence from London to the Boston
r. unScript will be read with INTEREST,"


At the Lighthouses the crew were met by Sir Au-
brey Paul and MIR. Goulston, the President OF the
Ondon Rowing club, who welcomed them very
heartily and Immediately had the boats placed in cx-
cellen quarters and conducted the men To their
own rooms at the which they begged the crew to
consider as their own during their stay i'm ENGLAND
This club has also made the crew honorary mem
bcrs Of the club,aud have shown them every possible
attention and Kindness. Whatever thing they hear
any of the party express desire for however tri-
hng is Immediately procured ana placed at his dis
pusal


In marked contrast to this is the conduct OF the
oxford aud Cambridge men. Not only have they not
met the llarvards personally but they have not even
sent any representative TO greet them on their arr
val IN England, q short note from MIR. Time being
the only communication they have received and this
received on Fri1ay requesting day to be apnoinfcd
soon for arranging the date of the race Not such Is
the conduct OF the London Club The gentlemen Of
this club are an exceedingly fine looking set Of men,


CONDITION or THE BOATS


Thursday morning the jacket was taken off OF the
Eliot shell, and the workman OF L. r. c. has put on
coat of French polish, and now that it Is done she
is perfectly beautiful. No one could LOOK af bar
for mOmeut without expressing his admiration Her
bearings are perfect and everything about her is
model The English gentlemen who have seen her
seen, and Mr. Searlc, whose name is familiar to
those acquainted with boating matters as the
''Starter IN tne nlNCrSlty races, nltnSplf boat
builder, yesterday pronounced her as good boat as
can he built; and this, coming from gentleman
whose object in coming to Putney was to sell the
crew a boat, Is no slight compliment


ENGLISH BOATS.


The English boats differ from ours in some par
t.culars, which the race is likely to decide While
We have been lengthening our boats so that four
oar is over fifty feet long, they have been shortening
50 that theirs is only aeOut fOrty-twO feet. Then,
too, the English boats are built more in the form of
a semi-CirCle amidships, while ours, by being more
fattened, We believe have greater carrying power.
They seem to be little Inconsistent in the matter of
length of boats for they have longer and finer single
sculs than we have at home; and why, if it is better
for these to be carried out to the true point of the
bearings is it not equally good for the four oars?
rudder-gear is decidedly better. They expressed
their surprise at the length of our r1dders they
being about three times as long as their own This
of course, IS necessary IN turning stake, but in Il
straight it is likely to be equally advantageous
tor the boat gets charge Of direction with less resist
auCC to the water with long ruddcr than with Il
short one, which has to be jammed hard down. But
The chief difference is the length Of boats ana If we
are wrong in our ideas it. will he soon apDnrent: but
as the shell lies in the house now, she quite iusfiGes
the eulogy of the anitor of the building g:-"She.s as
'arnsum as pcter, and credit to the man what
built 'er"


DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE


Whatever our notions were as TO the uselessness
of a cOXsWain before arriving ia Putney. one pull
over the course dispelled them, ana convinced all
that a COXswain an absolute necessity: for even
could the river be cleared of boats on the race day
it would be impossible to practise beforehand the
river being so 1ull OF steamers and barges at this
place, and he would be remarkable bow oar who
could learn the and keep it SO as not to lose
On the day Of the race, however, all tratlic is to be
suspended for two hours, and the track kept clear,
and everything is to be done to insure fair play The
tide runs even stronger than was expected and is of
immense assistance, and readily explains the quick
time made by crews over this course


THE CONTESTANTS


or course little Judgment can be formed as to sue
cess in the race. The oxford men are hard at work
about fifteen miles further up the river and though
they tell that such one is nothing more than a
sat boy in Pickwick, and another can't pull his
weight, each believes as much as he pleaseS, aud
grinds away at his work as hard as ever, The men
have seen them. you're good lot say they.
"and if you can row as well as you look, you have
great chance to win" Nothing as yet has been de-
telmined to the time. The men are rapidly get
ting into good form, though they have not yet been
ont together i'll the boat. They get their work how
ever and training diet but they will nr0habIy not
begin their regular pulling till th,J are settled in
their house, which they take possession OF Mon


CURIOSITY OF THE NATIVES.


Correspondence Of til. Boston JoUrndL


The crew was the object of much curious attention
on the way down the line, and especially at the
Liverpool station. There a crowd gathered and was
evidently amazed at the lightness and elegance of
the boats. .'Most extraordinary said one. Gould
row in those things, yo' knO'" ''No style to them
said another The boats were quite as much lioni2ed
the crew, the latter having the rare good sense to
then some ambitious crowds would persist in crowd
ing to the windows to see them.


CONDITION OF THE GREW.


A very general remark in Putney among oarsmen
this evening Is that the IIarVards are the hardest
looking crew they ever saw. They are black and
sunburnt, evidently used to pulling the midday oar
as well as at quiet eVentide. The oxford men do
not seeIh capable Of standing the suns force upon
their heads and backs as do these Sturdy-nerved
Americans No man has suffered at all by the voy-
age, and as soon as te first day or two of lasstude
has passed. which always succeeds sea voyage,
they will be in just as good trim as when they left
New York. Their practice will commence at once
and the oars will be dipped twice daily from about