Year: 1869

match. The Yale and Harvard contest produces
certain excitement in New-England. but even there
nothing to what spreads all these isandsns the
time approaches for the great struggle between the
two English Universities. The selection and train
ing of the two crews is watched and commented on
long before either of them has left its river.
The Times printed three weeks ago q minute analysis
Of both crews, some two columns long, describing
the precise form" of each man, praising his merits,
and crticsng his faults with the most perfect free
dom. From the day when the crews arrived on the
Thames, fortnight since, all the London journals
have contained daily reports of their practice, con-
diton and prospects; reports always elaborate and
sometimes more than column in length. For more
than week you could see nothing in the windows
of the drapers' shops but the coors Of the Oxford
and Cambridge-dark blue and light blue. All sorts
of topics collateral TO the race were discussed not
only in the newspapers In the CLUBS,
and in drawing g-rooms. but in Parlia-
ment itself, where the condition Of Hammer
smith Bridge became subject Of inquiry addressed
to the Home Secretary. The arrangements for keep
ing the river clear, for preventing the overlooking
of the bridges for the conveyance of spectators to
and from the race, for prohibiting the use OF the
towing path to equestrians, and know not what
other matters have occupied the columns of the press
with correspondence and leading articles The furry
got up last year by an eminent surgeon about tho
physical danger of such contests was not renewed,
though the serious illness of of the Cambridge
crew would have been good text for the croakers.
In place of it we are treated to dissertations on the
management of the great crowd, and COL Henderson,
the new Chief of Police, was warned that test OF
his capacity would be found in his dealing with the
vast multitude that between o'clock in the morn
ing and o'clock at night must find its way out OF
London and back again. 1t would be too much to
say that the boat race has ecpsed the Derby in pop
ular interest but it has certainly become rival TO
that great national holiday. although the money
staked upon the boats is trihe compared with the
vast amounts lost and won at Epson. Happily the
University contest can never offer very great
inducements to betting since there are but two COM
potitors and cheating. There is some betting. of
course suppose no doubtful event IS ever per-
mitted to occur in England without being made the
occasion for wagers. When the late Archbishop OF
Canterbury died. there were bets on the appointments
of his successor, and High Churchmen gave or
took the odds with Low Churchmen, quite as
matter of course But the respectabty Of betting
is ON the decrease, and everybody agrees IN hoping
that this race may escape its demoralizDg and de-
grading influence. II the papers which express the
hopo would keep the betting quotations out OF their
columns it would, perhaps, be more TO thc purpoee
To those who for rowing the boat race has been
n daily spectacle for a fortnight, while the Derby IL
exhausted in a single day. Mississppian swal-
lows whisky cocktail at one gulp. Hundreds
every day, and many days thousands OF people, have
gone up to Putney and from Putney along the
towing path to Hammersmth and Mortlaka to
watch the practicing of the two crews. It was q
very pleasant way of spending couple of hours, and
ono or two such visits give TO competent critic n
far more accurate notion Of the relative merits of
the two crews than can be. got in any other way
whatever For on other days, though not on the day
of the race you may ride along the towing path from
end to end and watch every stroke and study every
man In each boat till you come 10 know his merits
and defects "a well as those of the two crews taken
each as a whole.


II happened most unluckily that Easter comes very
early this year. and tradition predicts that tho
race shall be rowed before Easter IL fell upon time
when the weather in London is at its worst. There
NAV be countries where March has charms but not In
England Chill east winds and rains then torment
the people of this island tho is regretfuy re-
membered as an old friend whom We may hope TO sec
again. and il has been observed that during this pc
Rod suicides bankruptcies and odions forms oil crime
abound. Last year the race was rowed late In April
on day filled with q soft. luminous haze, through
which the abundant foliage Of the grove s' sa- =,
la, charmed the eye with fantastic freshness OF
beauty and the spectacle Of tho race, the myrads OF
people the shining stream the countless boats, the
broad meadows had a singular enchantment of their
own. / remember that day rs one OF the loyelest,
and the spectacle almost unequaed in variety and
interest This year Iit was sad disappointment
The day was as dismal as rain and east wind, and
smoke beating down into the valley Of tho river
could mako it, and thenswInd on the Thames
ia worse than wind elsewhere because IL IN
sucked through the long tunnels formed by the sop
ing banks in some Of the reaches, and everywhere
below Putney by the lofty piles OF the buildings on
either side left the Temple Pier some two hours
before the race The umpire's boat to call for
Mr. Chtty at the same pier and other steamers we're
every moment arriving and departing, 40 that the
place was thronged with crowds Of shvering en-
thusiasts We were all mufiied up II it was mid
Winter and our sole consolation lay in the fact that
the wind and tide running together, promised that
the surface of the water should be smooth For tho
race itself as IL turned out. the day was not bad
one Spring food tide of unusual strength swept
ND the river The wind, for most Of the course was
all in favor of speed and the time was extraordinary
But the half million or million of people who have
como from oil over England may not care for few
seconds, more or less, of speed. How many out of
the mass know much about rowingf The actual
twenty minutes Of contest are TO the great majority
but one item Of interest out Of many, and they have
to endure good deal of positive discomfort instead
of enjoying as they did last year, all day long the
delights Of picnic in sunny May. Nor can the most
devoted amateur rise wholly superior to the disap-
pointment which the weather and the early date Of
the race occasion. The trees on the river bank shook
their leafess branches drearily oyer our heads The
dull gray air ruined oil the effects of color and cos
tume. The crowds would not even cheer, or cheered
in spiritless way.


The arrangements for keeping the river clear from
Putpey to Mortlake were only partially successful,