,transcriber's ,notes ,this ,plain ,text version prepared for smoothreading uses symbols from the ,,ascii and ,latin-#a character sets4 ,italic typeface is represented by underscores4 ,small capital typeface is represented by ,,upper ,,case4 ,fractions are shown in the form #a_/b1 #b-a_/d etc4 ,greek transliterations are shown 7at this stage7 as ,greek3 444 4 a1 e represent a-acute1 e-acute2 'e represents e-acute2 ,e' represents ,e-grave2 oe represents the oe ligature2 o represents ,greek omega4 ,detailed notes on corrections to the text etc4 are listed at the end of the book4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,isthmian ,,library3 ,a ,series of ,volumes dealing popularly with the whole range of ,field ,sports and ,athletics4 ,edited by ,b4 ,,fletcher ,,robinson1 and ,illustrated by numerous ,sketches and ,instantaneous ,photographs4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 each4 ,vol4 ,i4 ,rugby ,football4 ,by ,b4 ,,fletcher ,,robinson1 with chapters by ,,frank ,,mitchell1 ,r4 ,h4 ,,cattell1 ,c4 ,j4 ,n4 ,,fleming1 ,,gregor ,,macgregor1 and ,h4 ,b4 ,,tristram1 and dedicated by permission to ,mr4 ,,rowland ,,hill4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,the ,complete ,cyclist4 ,by ,a4 ,c4 ,,pemberton1 ,mrs4 ,,harcourt ,,williamson1 and ,c4 ,j4 ,,sisley4 ,vol4 ,,iv4 ,rowing4 ,by ,r4 ,c4 ,,lehmann1 with chapters by ,,guy ,,nickalls and ,c4 ,m4 ,,pitman4 ,vol4 ,v4 ,boxing4 ,by ,r4 ,,allanson ,,winn4 ,other volumes are in preparation1 and will be duly announced4 ,,rowing ,illustration3 ,,the ,,oxford ,,and ,,cambridge ,,boatrace1 #ahid4 ,the ,isthmian ,library ,edited by ,b4 ,fletcher ,robinson ,no4 #d ,,rowing ,,by ,r4 ,c4 ,,lehmann ,,with ,,contributions ,,by ,,guy ,,nickalls1 ,g4 ,l4 ,,davis1 ,c4 ,m4 ,,pitman1 ,w4 ,e4 ,,crum1 ,,and ,e4 ,g4 ,,blackmore ,,illustrated ,,london ,a4 ,d4 ,,innes ,,company ,,limited #ahih 99 99 99 99 99 ,,as ,a ,,slight ,,token ,,of ,,friendship ,i ,,dedicate ,,this ,,book ,,to ,,mr4 ,,herbert ,,thomas ,,steward1 ,,chairman ,,of ,,the ,,amateur ,,rowing ,,association2 ,,chairman ,,of ,,the ,,committee ,,of ,,management1 ,,henley ,,regatta2 ,,and ,,president ,,of ,,the ,,leander ,,club4 ,,author',s ,,preface4 ,my thanks are due to the proprietors of the ,daily ,news and of the ,english ,illustrated ,magazine for permission to include in this book the substance of articles originally contributed to their columns4 ,i have not added to the ,appendix any lists of winning crews1 as these are to be found very fully and accurately set out in the ,rowing ,almanack1 published every year at the office of the ,field4 ,for the rest1 ,i have endeavoured to make the rowing instructions which will be found in this book as concise as was compatible with perfect clearness1 assuming at all times that ,i was addressing myself first of all to the novice4 ,no doubt other oarsmen will differ here and there from my conclusions4 ,absolute unanimity on every detail of rowing is not to be expected4 ,all ,i can do is to assure my readers that nothing has been set down here the truth and accuracy of which ,i have not proved--at least1 to my own satisfaction4 ,the illustrations are reproduced from photographs by ,messrs4 ,stearn1 of ,cambridge2 ,messrs4 ,gillman1 of ,oxford2 ,messrs4 ,marsh1 of ,henley-on-,thames2 ,messrs4 ,hills and ,saunders1 of ,eton2 ,messrs4 ,pach ,brothers1 of ,cambridge 7,mass472 and ,mr4 ,j4 ,g4 ,williams1 of ,east ,molesey4 ,r4 ,c4 ,l4 ,october1 #ahig4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,,page ,i4 ,,introductory #a ,,ii4 ,,first ,,lessons ,,on ,,fixed ,,seats #ad ,,iii4 ,,first ,,lessons ,,on ,,sliding ,,seats #ch ,,iv4 ,,combined ,,oarsmanship ,,in ,,eights #ee ,v4 ,,combined ,,oarsmanship ,,in ,,eights 7continued7 #gb ,,vi4 ,,combined ,,oarsmanship ,,in ,,eights 7continued7 #hi ,,vii4 ,,of ,,ailments--,,of ,,training ,,and ,,diet--,,of ,,staleness--,,of ,,discipline--,,of ,,coaching #aji ,,viii4 ,,of ,,the ,,race-,,day--,,of ,,the ,,race--,,of ,,the ,,necessity ,,of ,,having ,a ,,butt--,,of ,,leisure ,,time--,,of ,,aquatic ,,axioms #abh ,,ix4 ,,four-,,oars ,,and ,,pair-,,oars--,,swivel ,,rowlocks #add ,x4 ,,sculling4 ,by ,,guy ,,nickalls #aeg ,,xi4 ,,steering4 ,by ,g4 ,l4 ,,davis #agf ,,xii4 ,,college ,,rowing ,,at ,,oxford4 ,by ,c4 ,m4 ,,pitman #aid ,,xiii4 ,,college ,,rowing ,,at ,,cambridge #baa ,,xiv4 ,,rowing ,,at ,,eton ,,college4 ,by ,w4 ,e4 ,,crum #bcd ,,xv4 ,,australian ,,rowing4 ,by ,e4 ,g4 ,,blackmore #bee ,,xvi4 ,,rowing ,,in ,,america #bgj ,,xvii4 ,a ,,recent ,,controversy3 ,,are ,,athletes ,,healthy8--,,mr4 ,,sandow',s ,,views ,,on ,,the ,,training ,,of ,,oarsmen #bhh ,,appendix--,,henley ,,regatta ,,rules2 ,,rules ,,of ,,the ,a4,r4,a42 ,,rules ,,of ,,the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 ,,and ,o4,u4,b4,c4 #cjg ,,list ,,of ,,plates4 ,,page ,,the ,,oxford ,,and ,,cambridge ,,boat-,,race1 #ahid ,frontispiece4 ,,first ,,henley ,,regatta ,,programme ,to face #f ,,fixed ,,seats4 ,,number #a #bj #b #bb #c #bd #d #bf #e #cj ,,sliding ,,seats4 ,,number #a #ch #b #dj #c #da #d #db #e #dd #f #de #g #dg #h #dh #i #ej #aj #eb #aa #ed ,,snap-,,shots--,,crew ,,in ,,motion4 ,,numbers #a ,,and #b #ef #c ,,and #d #eh #e ,,and #f #fa #g ,,and #h #fd ,,mr4 ,c4 ,w4 ,,kent #gh ,,mr4 ,h4 ,g4 ,,gold #ha ,,henley ,,regatta1 #ahig #acj ,,henley ,,regatta3 ,a ,,heat ,,for ,,the ,,diamonds #aeg ,a ,,bump ,,in ,,the ,,eights #aid ,a ,,start ,,in ,,the ,,eights #bjb ,,the ,,goldie ,,boat-,,house #baa ,a ,,harvard ,,eight ,,on ,,the ,,river ,,hudson1 ,,at ,,poughkeepsie #bgb ,,coaching ,,on ,,the ,,river ,,hudson #bhd ,,rowing ,,types4 ,,number #a #bhi #b #bih #c #cja #d #cjc #e #cje ,,rowing4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,introductory4 ,my object in the following pages will be not merely to give such hints to the novice as may enable him1 so far as book-learning can effect the purpose1 to master the rudiments of oarsmanship1 but also to commend to him the sport of rowing from the point of view of those enthusiasts who regard it as a noble open-air exercise1 fruitful in lessons of strength1 courage1 discipline1 and endurance1 and as an art which requires on the part of its votaries a sense of rhythm1 a perfect balance and symmetry of bodily effort1 and the graceful control and repose which lend an appearance of ease to the application of the highest muscular energy4 ,much has to be suffered and many difficulties have to be overcome before the raw tiro1 whose fantastic contortions in a tub-pair excite the derision of the spectators1 can approach to the power1 effectiveness and grace of a ,crum or a ,gold2 but1 given a healthy frame and sound organs inured to fatigue by the sports of ,english boyhood1 given also an alert intelligence1 there is no reason in the nature of things why oarsmanship should not eventually become both an exercise and a pleasure4 ,and when ,i speak of oarsmanship1 ,i mean the combined form of it in pairs1 in fours1 and in eight-oared racing boats4 ,of sculling ,i do not presume to speak1 but those who are curious on this point may be referred to the remarks of ,mr4 ,guy ,nickalls in a later chapter4 ,but of rowing ,i can speak1 if not with authority1 at any rate with experience1 for during twenty-three years of my life ,i have not only rowed in a constant succession of boat-races1 amounting now to about two hundred1 but ,i have watched rowing wherever it was to be seen1 and have1 year after year1 been privileged to utter words of instruction to innumerable crews on the ,cam1 the ,isis1 and the ,thames4 ,if1 then1 the novice will commit himself for a time to my guidance1 ,i will endeavour to initiate him into the art and mystery of rowing4 ,if he decides afterwards to join the fraternity of its votaries1 ,i can promise him that his reward will not be small4 ,he may not win fame1 and he will certainly not increase his store of wealth1 but when his time of action is past and he joins the great army of have-beens1 he will find1 as he looks back upon his career1 that his hours of leisure have been spent in an exercise which has enlarged his frame and strengthened his limbs1 that he has drunk delight of battle with his peers in many a hard-fought race1 that he has learnt what it means to be in perfect health and condition1 with every sinew strung1 and all his manly energies braced for contests of strength and endurance1 and that he has bound to himself by the strongest possible ties a body of staunch and loyal friends whose worth has been proved under all sorts of conditions1 through many days of united effort4 ,it has often been objected to rowing1 either by those who have never rowed1 or by those who having rowed have allowed themselves to sink prematurely into sloth and decay1 that the sport in the case of most men can last only for a very few years1 and that having warred1 not without glory1 up to the age of about twenty-five1 they must then hang their oars upon the wall and pass the remainder of their lives in an envious contemplation of the exploits of old but unwearied cricketers4 ,judging merely by my own personal experience1 ,i am entitled to pronounce these lamentations baseless and misleading1 for ,i have been able to row with pleasure even in racing boats during the whole period of nineteen years that has elapsed since ,i took my degree at ,cambridge4 ,but ,i can refer to higher examples1 for ,i have seen the ,grand ,challenge ,cup and the ,stewards' ,cup at ,henley ,regatta either rowed for with credit1 or won by men whose age cannot have been far1 if at all1 short of forty years1 and of men who won big races when they were thirty years old the examples are innumerable4 ,but putting actual racing aside1 there is in skilled rowing a peculiar pleasure 7even though the craft rowed in be merely a fixed seat gig7 which1 as it seems to me1 puts it on a higher plane than most other exercises4 ,the watermanship which enables a party of veterans to steer their boat deftly in and out of a lock1 to swing her easily along the reaches1 while unskilled youths are toiling and panting astern1 is1 after all1 no mean accomplishment4 ,and in recent years rowing has taken a leaf out of the book of cricket4 ,scattered up and down the banks of the ,thames are many pleasant houses in which1 during the summer1 men who can row are favoured guests1 either with a view to their forming crews to take part in local regattas1 or merely for the purpose of pleasure-rowing in scenes remote from the dust and turmoil of the city4 ,let no one1 therefore1 be repelled from oarsmanship because he thinks that the sport will last him through only a few years of his life4 ,if he marries and settles down and becomes a busy man1 he will enjoy his holiday on the ,thames fully as much as his cricketing brothers enjoy theirs on some country cricket field4 ,of the early history of boats and boat-racing it is not necessary to say very much4 ,it is enough to know that the written ,cambridge records date back to #ahbg1 though it is certain that racing must have begun some years previously2 that ,oxford can point to #ahbb as one of the earliest years of their ,college races2 that the two ,universities raced against one another for the first time in #ahbi2 and that ,henley ,regatta was established in #ahci1 when the ,grand ,challenge ,cup was won by ,first ,trinity1 ,cambridge4 ,opposite is a facsimile copy of the programme of this memorable regatta4 ,those who desire to go still further back1 have the authority of ,virgil for stating that the ,trojans under ,aeneas could organize and carry through what ,professor ,conington1 in his version of the ,aeneid1 calls a rivalry of naval speed4 ,the account of this famous regatta is given with a spirit and a richness of detail that put to shame even the most modern historians of aquatic prowess4 ,after reading how ,gyas1 the captain and coach of the ,chimaera-- ,huge bulk1 a city scarce so large1 ,with ,dardan rowers in triple bank1 ,the tiers ascending rank o'er rank --how ,gyas1 as ,i say1 justly indignant at the ineptitude and cowardice of his coxswain1 hurled him from the vessel1 and himself assumed the helm at a critical point of the race1 it is a mere paltering with the emotions to be told1 for instance1 that ,mr4 ,pechell1 who owes much to the teaching of ,goosey ,driver1 steered a very good course1 or that he began to make the shoot for ,barnes ,bridge a trifle too soon4 ,how1 too1 can the statement that both crews started simultaneously1 ,cambridge1 if anything1 striking the water first1 compare with the passage which tells us 7,i quote again from ,professor ,conington7 how at the trumpet's piercing sound1 ,all from their barriers onward bound1 ,upsoars to heaven the oarsman's shout1 ,the upturned billows froth and spout2 ,in level lines they plough the deep-- ,all ocean yawns as on they sweep4 ,it may be noted in passing that no one else seems to have felt in the least inclined to yawn1 for ,with plaudits loud and clamorous zeal ,echoes the woodland round2 ,the pent shores roll the thunder peal-- ,the stricken rocks rebound2 which seems1 if the criticism may be permitted1 a curious proceeding even for a stricken rock during the progress of a boat-race4 ,finally1 a touch of religious romance is added when we learn that the final result was due1 not to the unaided efforts of the straining crew1 but to the intervention of ,portunus1 the ,harbour ,god1 who1 moved by the prayer of ,cloanthus1 captain of the ,scylla1 pushed that barque along and carried her triumphantly first into the haven--invidious conduct which does not appear to have caused the least complaint amongst the defeated crews1 or to have prevented ,cloanthus from being proclaimed the victor of the day4 ,only on one occasion 7in #ahei7 has ,father ,thames similarly exerted himself to the advantage of one of the ,university crews1 for during the boat-race of that year he swamped the ,cambridge ship beneath his mighty waves1 and sped ,oxford safely to ,mortlake4 ,lord ,justice ,a4 ,l4 ,smith1 amongst others1 still lives1 though he was unable to swim1 to tell the exciting tale4 ,before ,i take leave of this ,virgilian race1 ,i may perhaps1 even at this late date1 be permitted as a brother coach to commiserate the impulsive but unfortunate ,gyas on the difficulties he must have encountered in coaching the crew of a trireme4 ,not less do ,i pity his oarsmen1 of whom the two lower ranks must have suffered seriously as to their backs from the feet of those placed above them1 while the length and weight of the oars used by the top rank must have made good form and accurate time almost impossible4 ,a ,cambridge poet1 ,mr4 ,r4 ,h4 ,forster1 has sung the woes of the ,athenian triremists and their instructor-- ,just imagine a crew of a hundred or two ,shoved three deep in a kind of a barge1 ,like a cargo of kegs1 with no room for their legs1 ,and oars inconveniently large4 ,quoth he1 ',greek3 pantes proso' and they try to do so4 ,at the sight the poor coach's brains addle2 ,so muttering ',greek3 oimoi1' he shouts out ',greek3 hetoimoi1' ,and whatever the ,greek is for 'paddle4' ,now do look alive1 number ninety and five1 ,you're 'sugaring1' work seems to bore you2 ,you are late1 you are late1 number twenty and eight1 ,keep your eyes on the man that's before you4 ,so much for the trireme4 ,but neither the ,greeks nor any other race thought of adapting their boats merely to purposes of racing until the ,english1 with their inveterate passion for open-air exercise1 took the matter in hand4 ,african war-canoes have been known to race1 but their primary object is still the destruction of rival canoes together with their dusky freight4 ,in ,venice the gondoliers are matched annually against one another1 but both the gondola and the sandolo remain what they always have been--mere vessels for the conveyance of passengers and goods4 ,the man who would make war in a racing ship would justly be relegated to ,hanwell1 and to carry passengers1 or even one passenger1 in such a boat is generally looked upon as a certain presage of defeat4 ,consider for a moment4 ,the modern racing ship 7eight1 four1 pair1 or single7 is a frail1 elongated1 graceful piece of cabinet work1 held together by thin stays1 small bolts1 and copper nails1 and separating you from the water in which it floats by an eighth of an inch of ,mexican cedar4 ,the whole weight of the sculling-boat1 built by ,jack ,clasper1 in which ,harding won the ,searle ,memorial ,cup1 was only nineteen pounds1 i4e4 about #aab pounds lighter than the man it carried4 ,considering the amount of labour and trained skill that go towards the construction of these beautiful machines1 the price cannot be said to be heavy4 ,most builders will turn you out a sculling-boat for from ,l#ab to ,l#ae1 a pair for about ,l#bj1 a four for ,l#cc1 and an eight for ,l#ee4 ,but the development of the racing type to its present perfection has taken many years4 ,little did the undergraduates who1 in #ahbi1 drove their ponderous man-of-war's galleys from ,hambledon ,lock to ,henley ,bridge1 while the stricken hills of the ,thames ,valley rebounded to the shouts of the spectators--little did they imagine that their successors1 rowing on movable seats and with rowlocks projecting far beyond the side would speed in delicate barques1 of arrowy shape and almost arrowy swiftness1 from ,putney to ,mortlake--in barques so light and crank that1 built as they are without a keel1 they would overturn in a moment if the balance of the oars were removed4 ,the improvements were very gradual4 ,in #ahdf the ,university race was rowed for the first time in boats with outriggers4 ,that innovation had1 however1 been creeping in for some years before that4 ,mr4 ,hugh ,hammersley1 who rowed in the ,oriel boat which started head of the river at ,oxford in #ahdc1 has told me that in that year the ,university ,college boat1 stroked by the famous ,fletcher ,menzies1 was fitted with outriggers at stroke and bow2 and the bump by which ,university displaced ,oriel was generally ascribed to the new invention4 ,in #aheg the ,university race was rowed in boats without a keel1 and oars with a round loom were used for the first time by both crews4 ,at the ,henley ,regatta of the preceding year the ,royal ,chester ,rowing ,club had entered a crew rowing in this novel style of keelless boat for the ,grand ,challenge and the ,ladies' ,cups4 ,her length was only fifty-four feet1 and her builder was ,mat ,taylor1 a name celebrated in the annals of boat-building1 for it is to him1 in the first instance1 that our present type of racing-boat owes its existence4 ,the ,chester men1 ,mr4 ,w4 ,b4 ,woodgate tells us in his ,badminton book on boating1 could not sit their boat in the least2 they flopped their blades along the water on the recovery in a manner which few junior crews at minor regattas would now be guilty of2 but they rowed well away from their opponents1 who were only ,college crews4 ,they won1 as a matter of fact1 both the events for which they entered4 ,one might have thought that with this invention improvements would have ceased4 ,but in course of time the practical experience of rowing men suggested to them that if they slid on their seats1 both the length and power of their stroke through the water would be increased4 ,at first they greased their fixed seats1 and slid on those4 ,but it was found that the strain caused by this method exhausted a crew4 ,in #ahga a crew of professionals used a seat that slid on the thwarts1 and beat a crew that was generally held to be superior1 and from that moment slides1 as we now know them1 came into general use4 ,in #ahgc the ,university crews rowed on sliding seats for the first time4 ,since then the length of the slide has been increased from about nine inches to fifteen inches1 or even more1 a change which has made the task of the boat-builder in providing floating capacity more difficult2 but in all essentials the type of boat remains the same4 ,it ought to be added that the ,americans1 to a large extent1 use boats moulded out of papier mach'e1 but this variation has never obtained favour in ,england1 though boats built in this manner by the well-known ,waters of ,troy 7,u4,s4,a47 have been seen on ,english rivers4 ,the ,columbia ,college crew won the ,visitors' ,cup at ,henley in #ahgh in a paper boat1 and she was afterwards bought by ,first ,trinity1 ,cambridge1 but she never won a race again4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,first ,,henley ,,regatta4 ,,henley ,,regatta ,june #adth1 #ahci4 ,illustration ,entrances for the ,,grand ,,challenge ,,cup4 ,,oxford4--,,brasen ,,nose ,,college1--,blue ,cap1 with ,gold ,tassel2 ,rosette1 yellow1 purple1 and crimson4 ,,cambridge4--,,trinity ,,boat ,,club1--,blue stripe ,jersey and ,trowsers2 ,rosette1 ,french blue4 ,,oxford4--,,etonian ,,club1--,white ,jersey1 with pale blue facings2 ,rosette1 sky blue4 ,,oxford4--,,wadham ,,college1--,white ,jersey1 with narrow blue stripes1 dark blue cap1 with light blue velvet band1 and light blue scarf4 ,entrances for the ,,town ,,challenge ,,cup4 ,,wave4--,white ,jersey1 pale blue facings4 ,,dreadnought4--,blue ,striped ,shirt1 blue ,cap ,,albion4--,blue ,striped ,jersey1 crimson scarf4 ,,turn ,,over4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,order ,,of ,,the ,,races4 ,,grand ,,challenge ,,cup4 ,the first trial heat will commence at ,,four o'clock precisely4 ,the second trial heat will follow immediately4 ,the final heat will take place at ,,seven o'clock precisely4 ,the ,race for the ,,town ,,cup1 ,will take place at ,,six o'clock precisely4 ,previous to each ,race1 a ,signal ,gun will be fired at the ,bridge to clear the course1 another when the course is clear1 a third at the ,island when the ,boats start1 and a fourth at the ,bridge to announce that the race is ended4 ,lithographic ,drawings of the ,cups1 ,two ,shillings per pair1 ,and the ,henley ,guide1 ,two ,shillings1 ,may be had of ,,hickman ,,kinch1 ,post-,office4 ,hickman ,kinch1 ,typ4 ,henley4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,first ,,lessons ,,on ,,fixed ,,seats4 ,if the tiro who aspires to be an oarsman has ever seen a really good eight-oared crew in motion on the water1 he will probably have been impressed not so much by the power and the pace of it as by the remarkable ease with which the whole complicated series of movements that go to make up a stroke is performed4 ,the eight blades grip the water at the same moment with a perfect precision1 making a deep white swirl as they sweep through2 the bodies swing back with a free and springy motion2 the slides move steadily2 and almost before one has realized that a stroke has been begun1 the hands have come squarely home to the chest and have been shot out again to the full extent of the arms1 the blades leaving the water without a splash4 ,then with a balanced swing the bodies move forward again1 the oar-blades all in a level line on either side1 and1 presto6 another stroke has been started4 ,nothing in these movements is violent or jerky2 there are no contortions--at least the tiro can see none1 though the coach may be shouting instructions as to backs and shoulders and elbows--and the boat glides on her way without a pause or check4 ,what sort of spectacle1 on the other hand1 is afforded by a thoroughly bad eight8 ,the men composing it have chests and backs together with the usual complement of limbs that make up a human being2 they are provided with oars2 their ship is built of cedar and fitted with slides and outriggers--in short1 as they sit at ease in their boat1 they resemble in all outward details the crew we have just been considering4 ,but watch them when they begin to row4 ,where now are the balance1 the rhythm1 the level flash of blades on the feather1 the crisp beginning1 the dashing and almost contemptuous freedom of bodies and hands in motion1 the even and unsplashing progress of the ship herself8 ,all these have vanished1 and in their place we see a boat rolling like an ,atlantic liner1 oars dribbling feebly along the water or soaring wildly above it1 each striking for the beginning at the sweet will of the man who wields it1 without regard to anybody else2 eight bodies1 cramped and contorted almost out of the semblance of humanity1 shuffling1 tumbling1 and screwing1 while on eight faces a look of agony bears witness to such tortures as few except ,englishmen can continue to suffer without mutiny or complaint4 ,it is not a noble or an inspiring sight2 but it may be seen at ,oxford or at ,cambridge1 on tidal waters1 and even at ,henley ,regatta4 ,what1 then1 is the main cause of the difference between these two crews8 ,it lies in good style--style which is present in the one crew and absent from the other4 ,and this style in the rowing sense merely sums up the result1 whether to individuals or to a crew1 of long and patient teaching founded upon principles the correctness of which has been established ever since rowing became not merely an exercise1 but a science in keelless racing ships4 ,and here one comment may be added4 ,it is the habit of every generation of rowing men to imagine that they have invented rowing all over again1 and have at last1 by their own intelligence and energy1 established its principles on a firm foundation4 ,within my own experience1 five at least of these generations believed that for the first time the virtues of leg-work had been revealed to them1 four thought they had made out a patent in the matter of body-swing1 and six were convinced that they had discovered length of stroke and firmness of beginning4 ,in the eyes of these young gentlemen1 the veterans whom they occasionally condescended to invite to their practice were harmless and well-meaning enthusiasts1 who might have made a figure in their day1 but who were1 of course1 utterly unable to appreciate the niceties of rowing as developed by their brilliant and skilful successors4#a ,amiable presumption of youth and innocence6 ,the fact is1 of course1 that the main principles of good rowing are the same now as they have always been1 on long slides or on short slides1 or even on fixed seats4 ,and1 personally1 ,i have always found that the hints ,i gathered from such men as ,dr4 ,warre1 ,mr4 ,w4 ,b4 ,woodgate1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,c4 ,tinne1 or ,sir ,john ,edwards-,moss1 whose active rowing days were over before sliding seats came into use1 were invaluable to me in the coaching of crews4 #a ,i shall never forget the tone of kindly patronage in which the stroke of my college crew once observed to his coach1 a man about fifteen years older than himself3 ,ah1 ,i suppose1 now1 they all used to row in top-hats in your day6 ,how is a novice to be taught so that he may some day take his seat with credit in a good crew8 ,i answer that there is no royal road2 he must pass through a long period of practice1 often so dull that all his patience will be required to carry him through it4 ,his progress will be so slow1 that he will sometimes feel he is making no headway at all2 but it will be sure none the less1 and some day1 if he has in him the makings of an oar1 he will realize1 to his delight1 that his joints move freely1 that his muscles are supple1 that his limbs obey his brain immediately--that1 in short1 the various movements he has been striving so hard to acquire have become easy and natural to him1 and that he can go through them without the painful exercise of deliberate thought at every moment of their recurrence4 ,every oarsman must begin on fixed seats4 ,this statement is to an ,english public school or ,university oar a mere platitude2 but in ,america1 and even in some of our ,english clubs outside the ,universities1 its force and necessity have been lost sight of4 ,here and there may be found a born oar1 whose limbs and body do not require an arduous discipline2 but in the case of ordinary average men like the immense majority of us1 it is impossible1 ,i believe1 to acquire correct body movement without a stage1 more or less prolonged1 of practice in fixed-seat rowing4 ,for it is on fixed seats alone that a man can learn that free and solid swing which is essential to good oarsmanship on slides4 ,i will1 therefore1 ask my novice reader to imagine that he is seated on one of the thwarts of a fixed-seat tub-pair1 while ,i deceive myself into the belief that ,i am coaching him from its stern4 ,my first duty will be to see that all his implements are sound and true and correct1 since it is probable that faults are often due as much to the use of weak or defective materials as to any other cause4 ,i must satisfy myself that his oar is stiff and of a proper length2 that when pressed against the thole in a natural position it can grip the water firmly and come through it squarely2#b that the stretcher is properly set1 and that the straps pass tightly over the root of the toes4 ,i must also see that he is properly dressed1 and not constricted about the waist by impeding buttons4 ,a belt is never permissible4 ,now for instruction4 #b ,the breadth of beam of an ordinary in-rigged fixed-seat gig for the use of novices may be stated at #c ft4 #aj in4 ,a line drawn horizontally across the boat1 at right angles from the rowing thole1 would be from #aa-a_/b in4 to #ab in4 distant from the aft1 or sitting edge of the thwart4 ,oars should measure #ab ft4 over all1 with an in-board length of #c ft4 #e in4 to #c ft4 #e-a_/b in4 ,breadth of blades #e-a_/b in4 to #e-c_/d1 not more4 7#a7 ,sit erect on the aft edge of your seat1 exactly opposite the point at which your heels touch the stretcher4 ,the feet must be placed firm and flat upon the stretcher1 the heels touching one another1 and forming an angle of about forty-five degrees4 ,the knees must be bent to about one-third of their scope1 and set a shoulder's breadth apart4 ,shoulders must be well set back1 the chest open1 and the stomach well set out4 7#b7 ,now swing your body slowly forward as far as you are able from the hips1 without bending the back1 being careful to let your head swing with your body4 ,repeat this movement several times without holding the oar4 7,note4--,the ideal swing is that which takes the whole unbending body full forward till it is down between the knees4 ,this1 to a novice1 is impossible1 and the coach must therefore be content to see the first efforts at swing very short4 ,it is better that this should be so than that a man should prematurely attain length by bending his back1 doubling in his stomach1 and over-reaching with his shoulders1 faults that1 once acquired1 it is extremely difficult to eradicate47 ,illustration3 ,,fixed ,,seats4 ,,no4 #a4--,,position ,,at ,,beginning ,,of ,,stroke4 7,this is a stationary photograph4 ,in the movement of the swing the body will come still further down47 ,the swing must be slow and balanced1 for the time occupied in coming forward should be the body's rest1 when the easy1 measured swing1 erect head1 braced shoulders1 and open chest1 enable heart and lungs to work freely and easily1 in preparation for a defined beginning of the next stroke4#c #c ,from an article by ,mr4 ,s4 ,le ,blanc ,smith4 7#c7 ,take hold of your oar1 the fingers passing round it1 thumbs underneath1 and the hands one hand's-breadth apart4 ,the grip on the oar should be a finger-grip1 not the vice-like hold that cramps all the muscles of the arm4 ,it is important1 too1 to remember that1 while the arms are presumably of the same length1 the outside hand 7i4e4 the hand at the end of the oar7 has1 during stroke and swing forward1 to pass through a larger arc than the inside hand4 ,the inside wrist should1 therefore1 be slightly arched even at the beginning of the stroke1 thus shortening the inside arm1 but without impairing its use during the stroke4 ,this arch1 too1 will give the inside hand a greater leverage and ease for performing the work of feathering1 which devolves mainly upon it4 7#d7 ,draw your oar-handle slowly in till the roots of the thumbs touch the chest1 the elbows passing close to the sides1 and the body maintaining the erect position described above in instruction 7#a71 but slightly inclined beyond the perpendicular4 ,i assume that the blade of the oar is covered in the water in the position it would have at the finish of a stroke4 7#e7 ,drop your hands2 in fact1 not merely the hands1 but the forearms and hands together4 ,this movement will take the oar clean and square out of the water4 7#f7 ,turn your wrists1 more particularly the inside wrist1 with a quick sharp turn4 ,this movement will feather the oar4 7#g7 ,without attempting to move your body1 shoot your hands sharply out to the full extent of your arms1 taking care to keep the blade of the oar well clear of the water4 ,repeat these last three movements several times1 at first separately1 then in combination4 ,illustration3 ,,fixed ,,seats4 ,,no4 #b4--,,position ,,just ,,after ,,catching1 ,,beginning4 7,instantaneous ,photograph47 7,note4--,these three movements are sometimes spoken of incorrectly as the finish of the stroke4 ,properly speaking1 however1 the finish1 as distinguished from the beginning1 is that part of the stroke which is rowed through the water from the moment the arms begin to bend until the hands come in to the chest4 ,the movements ,i have described are in reality part of the recovery1 i4e4 they are the movements necessary to enable the oarsman's body to recover itself after the strain of one stroke1 and to prepare for the next4 ,smartly performed1 as they ought to be1 they have all the appearance of one quick motion4 ,as to the dropping of the hands1 the novice must practise this so as to get his oar square and clean out of the water4 ,it is1 however1 necessary to guard against exaggerating it into the pump-handle or coffee-grinding style1 which merely wastes energy and time4 ,later on1 when an oarsman is rowing in a light racing ship1 a very slight pressure will enable him to release his oar1 the movement and elasticity of the boat helping him47 7#h7 ,you have now taken the blade out of the water1 feathered it1 and have shot your hands away1 the blade still on the feather1 to a point beyond the knees4 ,in so doing you will have released your body1 which you must now swing forward slowly and at a perfectly even pace1 in a solid column from the hips1 as described in instruction #b4 7#i7 ,obviously1 if you keep your arms stiff in the shoulder-sockets1 you will eventually1 as your body swings down1 force your hands against the stretcher1 or into the bottom of the boat1 with the blade of the oar soaring to the level of your head4 ,to avoid this windmill performance let your hands1 especially the inside hand1 rest lightly on the oar-handle1 and as the body swings down let the hands gradually rise1 i4e4 let the angle that the arms make with the body increase4 ,you will thus1 by the time you have finished your swing1 have brought the blade close to the water1 in readiness to grip the beginning without the loss of a fraction of a second4 7#aj7 ,during the foregoing manoeuvre keep your arms absolutely straight from shoulder to wrist4 ,many oarsmen1 knowing that they have to get hold of the beginning1 cramp their arm-muscles and bend their elbows as they swing forward1 the strain giving them a fictitious feeling of strength4 ,but this is a pure delusion1 and can only result in waste1 both of energy and of time4 ,illustration3 ,,fixed ,,seats4 ,,no4 #c4--,,position ,,half-,,way ,,through ,,stroke4 7,stationary ,photograph47 7#aa7 ,as you swing1 use the inside arm and hand to shove against the oar4 ,you will thus keep the button of the oar pressed up against the rowlock1 a position it ought never even for a moment to lose2 you will help to steady your swing1 and you will go far towards keeping both shoulders square4 ,most novices and many veterans over-reach badly with the outside shoulder4 7#ab7 ,while you are carrying out the last four instructions1 your feet1 save for a slight pressure against the straps during the very first part of the recovery 7see instruction #bc71 must remain firmly planted1 heel and toe1 against your stretcher4 ,during your swing you should have a distinct sense of balancing with the ball of your foot against the stretcher4 ,this resistance of the feet on the stretcher helps to prevent you from tumbling forward in a helpless1 huddled mass as you reach the limit of your forward swing4 7#ac7 ,as to taking the oar off the feather4 ,good oars vary considerably on this point4 ,some carry the blade back feathered the whole way1 and only turn it square just in time to get the beginning of the stroke4 ,others turn it off the feather about half-way through1 just before the hands come over the stretcher4 ,for a novice1 ,i certainly recommend the latter method4 ,turn your wrists up and square your blade very soon after the hands have cleared the knees4 ,it will thus be easier for you to keep your button pressed against the rowlock2 your hands can balance the oar better1 and you will not run the risk1 to which the former method renders you liable1 of skying or cocking your blade just when it ought to be nearest the water1 so as to catch the beginning4 ,a good and experienced waterman1 however1 ought certainly to be able to keep his oar on the feather against a high wind until the last available moment4 ,the movement of returning the blade to the square position ought to be firm and clean4 7#ad7 ,as the body swings1 your hands ought to be at the same time stretching and reaching out as if constantly striving to touch something which is as constantly evading them4 ,illustration3 ,,fixed ,,seats4 ,,no4 #d4--,,position ,,as ,,arms ,,are ,,bending ,,for ,,finish4 7,instantaneous ,photograph47 7#ae7 ,when you are full forward1 the blade of your oar should not be quite at a right angle to the water1 but the top of it ought to be very slightly inclined over1 i4e4 towards the stern of the boat4 ,a blade thus held will grip the water cleaner1 firmer1 and with far less back-splash than a blade held absolutely at right angles4 ,besides1 you will obviate the danger of slicing into the water and rowing too deep4 ,at the same time1 ,i am bound to admit that ,i know only a few oars who adopt this plan4 ,one of them1 however1 is the present ,president of the ,oxford ,university ,boat ,club1 ,mr4 ,c4 ,k4 ,philips1 as good a waterman as ever sat in a boat4 ,i am quite firmly convinced that the plan is a sound one1 and ,i believe if it were more generally followed1 we should see far less of that uncomfortable and unsightly habit of back-splashing1 which is too often seen even in good crews4 7#af7 ,i have now brought you forward to the full extent of your swing and reach4 ,your back is 7or ought to be7 straight1 your shoulders are firm and braced1 your chest and stomach still open1 though your body is down somewhere between your open knees4 ,your hands have been gradually rising1 and your oar-blade is1 therefore1 close to the water4 ,now raise your hands a little more1 not so as to splash the blade helplessly to the bottom of the river1 but with a quick movement as though they were passing round a cylinder4 ,when they get to the top of the cylinder the blade will be covered in the water4 ,at the same moment1 and without the loss of a fraction of a second1 swing the body and shoulders back as though they were released from a spring1 the arms remaining perfectly straight1 and the feet helping by a sharp and vigorous pressure 7from the ball of the foot1 and the toes especially7 against the stretcher4 ,the result of these rapid combined movements will be that the blade1 as it immerses itself in the water1 will strike it with an irresistible force 7a sort of crunch1 as when you grind your heel into gravel71 created by the whole weight-power of the body applied through the straight lines of the arms1 and aided by all the strength of which the legs are capable4 ,this1 technically speaking1 is the beginning of the stroke4 ,the outside hand should have a good grip of the oar4 7#ag7 ,swing back1 as ,i said1 with arms straight4 ,the novice must1 especially if he has muscular arms1 root in his head the idea that the arms are during a great part of the stroke connecting rods1 and that it is futile to endeavour to use them independently of the body-weight1 which is the real driving power4 7#ah7 ,just before the body attains the limit of its back-swing1 which should be at a point a little beyond the perpendicular1 begin to bend your arms for the finish of the stroke1 and bring the hands square home until the roots of the thumbs touch the chest about three inches below the separation of the ribs4 ,here you must be careful not to raise or depress the hands4 ,they should sweep in to the chest in an even plane1 the outside hand drawing the handle firmly home without lugging or jerking4 ,as the hands come in1 the body finishes its swing1 the elbows pass close to the sides1 pointing downwards1 and the shoulders are rowed back and kept down4 ,the chest must be open1 but not unduly inflated at the expense of the stomach1 the head erect1 and the whole body carrying itself easily1 gracefully1 and without unnecessary stiffness4 7#ai7 ,do not meet your oar1 i4e4 keep your body back until the hands have come in4 ,if you pull yourself forward to meet your oar1 you will certainly shorten the stroke1 tire yourself prematurely1 and will probably fail to get the oar clean out of the water or to clear your knees on the recovery4 7#bj7 ,do not try to force down your legs and flatten the knees as if you were rowing on a sliding seat4 ,the mere movement of the body on the back swing and the kick off the stretcher will cause a certain alteration in the bend of the knees1 but this tendency should not be consciously increased4 ,remember that fixed-seat rowing is not now an end in itself4 ,it is a stage towards skilled rowing on sliding seats1 and its chief object is to give the novice practice in certain essential elements of the stroke1 and particularly in body-swing1 which could not be so easily taught1 if at all1 if he were to begin at once on sliding seats4 ,swing is still1 as it always has been1 all important in good rowing1 and if a novice attempts to slide 7for that is what it comes to7 on fixed seats he will begin to shuffle and lose swing entirely4 7#ba7 ,do not let your body settle down or fall away from your oar at the finish4 ,sit erect on your bones1 and do not sink back on to your tail4 ,the bones are the pivot on which you should swing4 ,illustration3 ,,fixed ,,seats4 ,,no4 #e4--,,the ,,finish4 7,stationary ,photograph4 ,in movement the body would go a little further back47 7#bb7 ,the blade of the oar1 having been fully covered at the very beginning of the stroke1 must remain fully covered up to the moment that the hands are dropped4 ,if the oarsman1 when he bends his arms during the stroke1 begins to depress his hands1 he will row light1 i4e4 the blade will be partially uncovered1 and will naturally lose power4 ,on the other hand1 if he raises his hands unduly1 he will cover more than the blade1 and will find great difficulty in extracting it from the water properly4 ,the outside hand should control the balance of the oar1 and keep it at its proper level4 7#bc7 ,as to the use of the stretcher-straps4 ,many coaches imagine that when they have said1 ,do not pull yourself forward by your toes against the straps1 they have exhausted all that is to be said on the matter4 ,i venture1 with all deference1 to differ from them4 ,i agree that in the earlier stages of instruction it is very useful to make men occasionally row in tub-pairs without any straps1 so as to force them to develop and strengthen the muscles of stomach and legs1 which ought to do the main work of the recovery4 ,but later on1 when a man is rowing in an eight1 and is striving1 according to the instructions of his coach1 to swing his body well and freely back1 he can no more recover properly without a slight toe-pressure against the straps--the heels1 however1 remaining firm--than he could make bricks without straw4 ,the straps1 in fact1 are a most valuable aid to the recovery4 ,take them away from a crew and you will see one of two things3 either the men will never swing nearly even to the upright position1 and will recover with toil and trouble1 or1 if they swing back properly1 they will all fall over backwards with their feet in the air4 ,this slight strap-pressure just helps them over the difficult part of the recovery2 as the body swings forward the feet immediately resume their balance against the stretcher4 ,indeed1 if these movements are properly performed1 you get a very pretty play of the toes and the ball of the foot against the stretcher1 you counteract the tendency of the body to tumble forward1 and you materially help the beginning from that part of the foot in which the spring resides4 ,totally to forbid men to use their straps seems to me a piece of pedantry4 ,on this point ,i may fortify myself with the opinion of ,mr4 ,w4 ,b4 ,woodgate1 as given in his ,badminton ,book on ,boating4 ,i am glad1 too1 to find that ,mr4 ,s4 ,le ,blanc ,smith1 of the ,london ,rowing ,club1 a most finished and beautiful oarsman1 whose record of victories at ,henley is a sufficient testimony to his knowledge and skill1 agrees with me4 ,in an article published during a recent rowing controversy1 he remarks1 ,i think ,mr4 ---- will find that all men1 consciously or unconsciously1 use the foot-strap more or less1 to aid them in the first inch or two of recovery4 ,if he doubts this1 let him remove the strap and watch results1 be the oarsman who he may4 ,i need only add that this pressure should never be greater than will just suffice to help the body-recovery4 ,if exaggerated1 its result on slides will be to spoil swing by pulling the slide forward in advance of the body4 ,i have now1 ,i think1 taken you through all the complicated movements of the stroke1 and there for the present ,i must leave you to carry out as best you can instructions which ,i have endeavoured to make as clear on paper as the difficulties of the subject permit4 ,but ,i may be allowed to add a warning4 ,book-reading may be a help2 but rowing1 like any other exercise1 can only be properly learnt by constant and patient practice in boats under the eyes of competent instructors4 ,do not be discouraged because your improvement is slow1 and because you are continually being rated for the same faults4 ,with a slight amount of intelligence and a large amount of perseverance and good temper1 these faults will gradually disappear1 and as your limbs and muscles accustom themselves to the work1 you will be moulded into the form of a skilled oarsman4 ,even the dread being who may be coaching you--winner of the ,grand ,challenge ,cup or stroke-oar of his ,university though he be--had his crude and shapeless beginnings4 ,he has passed through the mill1 and now is great and glorious4 ,but if you imagine that even he is faultless1 just watch him as he rows1 and listen to the remarks that a fearless and uncompromising coach permits himself to address to him4 ,and to show you that others have suffered and misunderstood and have been misunderstood like yourself1 ,i will wind up this chapter with ,the ,wail of the ,tubbed1 the lyrical complaint of some ,cambridge rowing ,freshmen4 ,sir1--,we feel we are intruding1 but we deprecate your blame1 ,we may plead our youth and innocence as giving us a claim2 ,we should blindly grope unaided in our efforts to do right1 ,so we look to you with confidence to make our darkness light4 ,we are ,freshmen--rowing ,freshmen2 we have joined our college club1 ,and are getting quite accustomed to our daily dose of tub2 ,we have all of us bought uniforms1 white1 brown1 or blue1 or red1 ,we talk rowing shop the livelong day1 and dream of it in bed4 ,we sit upon our lexicons as ',happy as a ,king' 7,we refer you to the picture71 and we practise how to swing2 ,we go every day to chapel1 we are never1 never late1 ,and we exercise our backs when there1 and always keep them straight4 ,we shoot our hands away--on land--as quick as any ball3 ,balls always shoot1 they tell us1 when rebounding from a wall4 ,we decline the noun 'a bucket1' and should deem it--well1 a bore1 ,if we 'met1' when mainly occupied in oarsmanship1 our oar4 ,but still there are a few things that our verdant little band1 ,though we use our best endeavours1 cannot fully understand4 ,so forgive us if we ask you1 sir--we're dull1 perhaps1 but keen-- ,to explain these solemn mysteries and tell us what they mean4 ,for instance1 we have heard a coach say1 ,five1 you're very rank2 ,mind those eyes of yours1 they're straying1 always straying1 on the bank4' ,we are not prone to wonder1 but we looked with some surprise ,at the owner of those strangely circumambulating eyes4 ,there's a stroke who 'slices awfully1' and learns without remorse ,that his crew are all to pieces at the finish of the course2 ,there's ,a41 who 'chucks his head about1' and ,b41 who 'twists and screws1' ,like an animated gimlet in a pair of shorts and shoes4 ,and ,c4 is 'all beginning1' so remark his candid friends2 ,it must wear him out in time1 we think1 this stroke that never ends4 ,and though ,d4 has no beginning1 yet his finish is ,a#a2 ,how can that possess a finish which has never been begun8 ,and ,e4 apparently would be an oar beyond compare1 ,if the air were only water and the water only air4 ,and ,f41 whose style is lofty1 doubtless has his reasons why ,he should wish to scrape the judgment seat1 when rowing1 from the sky4 ,then ,g4 is far too neat for work1 and ,h4 is far too rough2 ,there's ,j41 who lugs1 they say1 too much1 and ,k4 not half enough2 ,there's ,l41 who's never fairly done1 and ,m41 who's done too brown1 ,and ,n41 who can't stand training1 and poor ,o41 who can't sit down4 ,and ,p4 is much too limp to last2 there's ,q4 too stiffly starched2 ,and ,r41 poor fool1 whose inside wrist is never 'nicely arched4' ,and1 oh1 sir1 if you pity us1 pray tell us1 if you please1 ,what is meant by 'keep your button up1' and 'flatten down your knees4' ,if an oar may be described as 'he1' there's no death half so grim ,as the death like which we hang on with our outside hands to 'him2' ,but in spite of all our efforts1 we have never grasped1 have you8 ,how not to use 'those arms' of ours1 and yet to pull it through4 ,s4 'never pulled his shoestrings4' ,if a man must pull at all1 ,why uselessly pull shoestrings8 ,such a task would surely pall4 ,but ,t4's offence is worse than that1 he'll never get his ,blue1 ,he thinks rowing is a pastime--well1 we own we thought so too4 ,then ,v4's 'a shocking sugarer1' how bitter to be that6 ,x4 flourishes his oar about as if it were a bat2 ,and ,y4 should be provided1 we imagine1 with a spade1 ,since he always 'digs1' instead of 'merely covering his blade4' ,lastly1 ,z4's a 'real old corker1' who will never learn to work1 ,for he puts his oar in gently and extracts it with a jerk4 ,oh6 never has there been1 we trow1 since wickedness began1 ,such a mass of imperfections as the perfect rowing man4 ,p4,s4 ,,by ,,two ,,cynics4 ,so they coach us and reproach us 7like a flock of silly jays ,taught by parrots how to feather7 through these dull ,october days4 ,we shall never understand them1 so we shouldn't care a dam#d ,if they all were sunk in silence at the bottom of the ,cam4 #d ,dam--an ,oriental coin of small value4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,first ,,lessons ,,on ,,sliding ,,seats4 ,let me assume 7,i am still addressing my imaginary novice7 that you have passed through the first few stages of your novitiate4 ,if you are an ,oxford or a ,cambridge freshman you will have been carefully drilled in a tub-pair1 promoted later to a freshmen's four or eight1 and during the next term may have been included in the ,torpid or ,lent-,boat of your ,college4 ,at any rate1 ,i am assuming that you have by now rowed in a race or a series of races for eight-oared crews on fixed seats4 ,but ,i prefer to leave the general subject of combined rowing1 whether in eights or fours1 to a later chapter1 while ,i attempt to explain the mysteries and difficulties of the sliding seat4 ,illustration3 ,,sliding ,,seats4 ,,no4 #a4--,,position ,,at ,,finish ,,of ,,stroke4 7,stationary ,photograph47 ,the slide may be described as a contrivance for increasing the length of the stroke 7i4e4 of the period during which1 the oar-blade remaining covered in the water1 power is applied to the propulsion of the boat71 and for giving greater effect to the driving force of the oarsman's legs4 ,long before the actual sliding seat had been invented professional oarsmen and scullers had discovered that if they slid on their fixed thwarts they increased the pace of their boats1 and even amongst amateurs this practice was not unknown4 ,mr4 ,r4 ,h4 ,labat has told me that so far back as #ahgj he and his colleagues fitted their rowing trousers with leather1 greased their thwarts1 and so slid on them4 ,in #ahgb slides were used at ,henley ,regatta1 and in #ahgc the ,oxford and ,cambridge crews for the first time rowed their race on slides1 ,cambridge winning in #ai mins4 #ce secs41 which remained as record time until #ahib4 ,this performance1 though it was undoubtedly helped by good conditions of tide and wind1 served to establish slides firmly in popular favour1 and from that time onwards fixed seats were practically retained only for the coaching of novices and1 in eights1 for the ,torpids and ,lent ,races at ,oxford and ,cambridge4 ,now1 proceeding on the principle that rowing is meant to be an exercise of grace1 symmetry1 and skill1 as well as of strength and endurance1 ,i think ,i may lay it down as an essential rule that it is necessary on slides to observe those instructions which made fixed-seat rowing in the old days a pleasure to the eye4 ,in the very early days of slides1 while men were still groping for correct principles1 this important axiom was too often neglected4 ,it was imagined that swing was no longer necessary1 and accordingly the rivers were filled with contorted oarsmen shuffling and tumbling and screwing on their slides4 ,veteran oars and coaches1 to whom form was as the apple of their eye1 were horror-struck1 and gave vent to loud lamentations1 utterly condemning this horrible innovation1 which1 as they thought1 had reduced oarsmanship to the level of a rough and tumble fight4 ,if both ,universities1 wrote the ,rev4 ,a4 ,t4 ,w4 ,shadwell in his ,notes on ,boat-building1 published in the ,record of the ,university ,boat ,race in #ahha1 would condescend to ask ,dr4 ,warre to construct for them1 and if their crews would also either learn to use the sliding apparatus effectively1 or to discard it as pernicious and as an enemy to real oarsmanship when not thoroughly mastered1 then we should be treated again to the welcome spectacle of boats travelling instead of dragging1 riding over the water instead of the water washing over the canvas1 combined with that still more-to-be-desired spectacle of faultless form and faultless time--eight men ground into one perfect machine4 ,nothing short of that result will satisfy those who know what eight-oared rowing ought to be1 and lament its decadence4 ,yet ,cambridge had produced the #ahgf crew1 ,oxford the #ahgh crew1 both of them models of style1 unison and strength1 and ,leander both in #ahge and in #ahhj had won the ,grand ,challenge ,cup with admirable crews composed exclusively of ,university men4 ,it would seem1 therefore1 as if ,mr4 ,shadwell's strictures were undeserved1 at least by the better class of ,university oars4 ,the fact is that by that time1 and for some years before that time1 the true principles of sliding had been acquired1 and the more serious defects of form had once more become the cherished possession of inferior college crews4 ,but then1 even in the glorious old fixed-seat days1 ,college crews were not always remarkable for the beauty and correctness of their form4 ,i am not going to deny that the difficulty of teaching good style has been increased by the addition of the sliding seat2 but there have been innumerable examples during the last quarter of a century to prove that this difficulty can be faced and entirely overcome4 ,four crews ,i have already mentioned4 ,i may add to them1 not as exhausting the list of good crews1 but as being splendid examples of combined style and power1 the ,london ,rowing ,club crew of #ahha1 which won the final of the ,grand from the outside station against ,leander and ,twickenham2 the ,oxford crews of #ahib1 #ahif and #ahig2 the crews of ,trinity ,hall1 the ,oxford ,etonians1 and the ,thames ,rowing ,club in #ahhf and #ahhg2 the ,cambridge crew and the ,thames ,rowing ,club crew of #ahhh2 the ,london ,rowing ,club crew of #ahij2 the ,leander crews of #ahia1 #ahic1 #ahid and #ahif2 and the ,new ,college and ,leander crews of the present year4 ,it is fortunate that this should be so1 for1 the proof of the pudding being in the eating1 it is hardly likely that crews will abandon a device which1 while it has actually increased pace over the ,henley course by close on half a minute1 has rendered skill and watermanship of higher value1 and has given an additional effect to physical strength4 ,illustration3 ,,sliding ,,seats4 ,,no4 #b4--,,position ,,just ,,after ,,finish ,,of ,,stroke4 7,as the recovery movements begin1 the hands have been dropped and the wrists have begun to turn over for feather4 ,instantaneous ,photograph47 ,illustration3 ,,sliding ,,seats4 ,,no4 #c4--,,the ,,recovery4 7,arms have been sharply straightened out and the body has been released for the swing47 7,stationary ,photograph47 ,illustration3 ,,sliding ,,seats4 ,,no4 #d4--;,,forward ,,position ,,on #af ,,inch ,,slide ,,level ,,with ,,work4 7,in movement the body would swing a little further forward1 the chest pressing against left knee47 7,stationary ,photograph47 ,during my undergraduate days at ,cambridge1 and for some years afterwards 7say1 up to about #ahhd71 the slide-tracks in racing boats were sixteen inches long4#e ,this1 allowing seven inches as the breadth of the seat itself1 would give the slide a play1 or movement1 of nine inches4 ,the front-stop1 which forms the limit of the forward movement of the slide1 was fixed so as to bring the front edge of the slide to a point five inches from the work1 i4e4 from a line drawn straight across the boat from the back1 or rowing1 thole4 ,at the finish of the stroke1 therefore1 when the slide had been driven full back1 its front edge was fourteen inches away from the work4 ,to put it in technical language1 we slid up to five inches from our work and finished fourteen inches away from it4 ,since that time slides have become longer1 and there are but few racing boats in which the slide-tracks are less than twenty-two or even twenty-three inches long1 giving the slide a play of fifteen or sixteen inches4 ,the front edge of the slide now moves forward 7when ,i say forward ,i speak in relation to the movement of the body and not in relation to the ends of the boat7 to a point which is level with the work4 ,in other words1 we now slide up to our work and finish fifteen or sixteen inches from it4 ,on these long slides1 when the body has attained the full reach1 the flanks are closed in upon the thighs1 the knees are bent until the thighs come fairly close to the calves1 and1 ex necessario1 the ankle-joints are very much bent4 ,it is plain that great flexibility of hip-joints1 knees1 and ankles must be attained in order that the slide may be used fully up to the last fraction of an inch in coming forward4 ,this flexibility very few novices1 and not all old stagers1 possess4 ,the muscles and joints at first absolutely refuse to accommodate themselves to this new strain1 and you will see a man as he slides forward1 taking his heels well off the stretcher in order to ease the strain upon his ankles1 and moving his shoulders back long before his oar has gripped the water in order to relieve his hip-joints4 ,this results in his missing the whole of his beginning1 striking the water at right-angles to his rigger instead of well behind it1 and having absolutely no firmness of drive when it becomes necessary for him to use his legs4 ,in order1 therefore1 that matters may be made easier for novices1 and that they may be brought on gradually1 ,i strongly advise coaches to start them on slides much shorter than those now in vogue4 ,a slide with a play of eight inches1 coming to a point six inches from the work1 is ample4 ,a few days will make a wonderful difference1 and later on1 when the first stiffness has worn off and the movements have become easier1 the slide can be gradually increased4 ,at ,oxford and ,cambridge the proper seasons for such preliminary practice would be the ,lent ,term1 when ,torpids and ,lent ,races are over1 and the beginning of the ,october term1 when many ,college clubs--at any rate at ,cambridge--organize ,sliding-seat ,trial ,eights in clinker-built boats4 #e ,the ,metropolitan rowing clubs had1 ,i believe1 lengthened their sliding some time before this4 ,illustration3 ,,sliding ,,seats4 ,,no4 #e4--;,,beginning ,,of ,,stroke4 7,instantaneous ,photograph4 ,n4,b4--,head inserted by engraver47 ,illustration3 ,,sliding ,,seats4 ,,no4 #f4--,,position ,,of ,,body ,,about ,,half ,,through ,,stroke4 7,stationary ,photograph47 ,two further points remain to be noticed4 ,on fixed seats the ankles hardly bend up as the body swings forward1 and it is possible1 therefore1 to use a stretcher fixed almost erect in the boat1 the seat being placed eleven or twelve inches from the work4 ,but with slides1 as ,i have explained1 the seat moves to a point which in racing boats is now level with the work1 and few ankles are capable of submitting to the strain which would be involved if the stretchers were set up as erect 7proud is the technical term7 as they are with fixed seats4 ,it is necessary1 therefore1 to set the stretchers more off on an incline 7technically1 to rake them74 ,it will be found1 ,i think1 that1 assuming a stretcher to be one foot in height1 a set-off of nine inches will be amply sufficient for most novices1 even on full slides4#f ,i have myself never found any difficulty in maintaining my feet firm on a stretcher of this rake or even of less1 and ,i have known some very supple-jointed men1 e4g4 ,mr4 ,h4 ,willis1 of the ,leander ,crews of #ahif and #ahig1 who preferred to row with a stretcher set up a good deal prouder4 ,but the average oar is not very supple-jointed1 though his facility in this respect can be greatly improved by practice4 ,to make things easier--and after all our object should be to smooth away all the oarsman's external difficulties--,i consider it advisable to fix heel-traps to the stretcher4 ,this simple device1 by the pressure which it exercises against the back of the heels1 counteracts their tendency to come away from the stretcher2 but even with heel-traps1 ,i have seen stiff-jointed oarsmen make the most superbly successful efforts to bring their heels away4 #f ,the angle made by the back of the stretcher and the kelson may vary from #dc deg4 to #ec deg44 ,personally1 ,i prefer #ej deg44 ,the prouder 7up to a certain point7 you set the stretcher the firmer will your leg-power be at the finish of the stroke4 ,illustration3 ,,sliding ,,seats4 ,,no4 #g4--,,position ,,just ,,before ,,finish ,,of ,,stroke4 7,the hands have still to come in to chest and a few inches of slide remain for final leg-pressure47 ,the second point is this3 ,with sliding seats you require an oar of longer leverage 7i4e4 inboard measurement from rowing-face of button to end of handle7 than with fixed seats4 ,for a fixed seat an oar with a leverage of #c ft4 #e-a_/b ins4 should suffice4 ,with long slides the leverage of an oar should not be less than #c ft4 #h ins41 nor more than #c ft4 #h-a_/b ins4 ,for this ,i assume that the distance of the centre of the seat from the sill of the row-lock is #b ft4 #g ins4 ,with regard to leverage1 there is a practical unanimity of opinion amongst modern oarsmen4 ,with regard to the outboard measurement of oars and the proper width of blade1 they differ somewhat1 but ,i can reserve this matter for the next chapter1 merely premising that in any case it is not advisable to start your novices in gigs with oar-blades broader than #e-c_/d ins4 ,let me imagine1 then1 that my pupil is seated in the gig1 his stretcher having been fixed at a point that will enable him1 when his slide is full back1 and he is sitting on it easily without pressing1 to have his knees slightly bent4 ,and now to the business of instruction4 #a4 ,remember and endeavour to apply all the lessons you have learnt on fixed seats4 ,slides add another element to the stroke4 ,they do not alter the elements you have previously been taught4 #b4 ,,beginning4--,get hold of this just as you would on a fixed seat1 with a sharp spring of the whole body1 which thus begins its swing-back without the loss of a fraction of time4 7a7 ,the natural tendency of a tiro will be to drive his slide away before his shoulders have begun to move4 ,this must at all costs be avoided4 ,in order to secure the effectual combination of body-swing and leg-work1 it is essential that the swing should start first4 7b7 ,it is equally reprehensible to swing the body full back before starting the slide2 you thus cut the stroke into two distinct parts1 one composed of mere body-swing1 the other of mere leg-work4 ,therefore3 7#b7 ,when the body-swing backwards has started1 but only the smallest fractional part of a second afterwards--so quickly1 indeed1 as to appear to the eye of a spectator almost a simultaneous movement--let the slide begin to travel back1 the swing meanwhile continuing4 7a7 ,remember what was said in fixed-seat instructions as to the use of the toes and the ball of the foot at the beginning of the stroke4 ,on slides this is even more important4 ,illustration3 ,,sliding ,,seats4 ,,no4 #h4--;,,bad ,,position ,,full ,,forward4 7,overreach with shoulders1 head left behind47 7#c7 ,body and slide are now moving back in unison1 the feet pressing with firm and steady pressure against the stretcher1 and the arms perfectly straight4 ,as the slide moves1 the leg-power applied must on no account diminish4 ,if anything it ought to increase1 for the body is beginning to lose its impetus1 and the main part of the resistance is transferred to the legs1 the blade all the time moving at an even pace through the water4 7#d7 ,the body must swing a little further back than on a fixed seat4 7#e7 ,body-swing and slide-back should end at the same moment4 7#f7 ,as they end1 the knees should be pressed firmly down so as to enable you to secure the last ounce of leg-power from the stretcher4 ,simultaneously with this depression of the legs1 the hands 7and particularly the outside hand1 which has been doing the main share of the work of the stroke all through7 must bring the oar-handle firmly home to the chest1 sweeping it in and thus obtaining what is called a firm hard finish4 ,as the knees come finally down1 the elbows pass the sides1 and the shoulders move back and downwards4 ,illustration3 ,,sliding ,,seats4 ,,no4 #i4--,,thoroughly ,,bad ,,position ,,full ,,forward4 7,overreach with shoulders1 back doubled over1 arms bent1 hands heavy on handle4 ,a position entailing great labour and resulting in a short weak stroke47 7a7 ,mr4 ,w4 ,b4 ,woodgate1 in the ,badminton book on ,boating1 says3 ,many good oarsmen slide until the knees are quite straight4 ,in the writer's opinion this is waste of power3 the knees should never quite straighten2 the recovery is1 for anatomical reasons1 much stronger if the joint is slightly bent when the reversal of the machinery commences4 ,the extra half-inch of kick gained by quite straightening the knees hardly compensates for the extra strain of recovery2 also leg-work to the last fraction of a second of swing is better preserved by this retention of a slight bend1 and an open chest and clean finish are thereby better attained4 ,if ,mr4 ,woodgate means that the legs are not to be pressed down as the stroke finishes1 but are to remain loosely bent1 ,i differ from him1 though1 considering his high authority1 with hesitation and regret4 ,as a matter of fact1 the front edge of the thwart catches the calves of the legs at the finish1 when the legs are pressed down1 and prevents the knees from being absolutely straightened4 ,but ,i am certain that unless an oarsman assures his legs in the firm position that ,i have explained1 he will lose most valuable power at the end of the stroke1 and will materially increase his difficulty in taking his oar clean out of the water and generally in getting a smart recovery4 ,this final leg-pressure not only supports the body in a somewhat trying position1 but enables the hands to come home to the chest without faltering4 ,as on fixed seats1 it is essential that the body should not be pulled forward to meet the oar4 ,and it is equally essential that it should not sink down or fall away from the hands1 thus rendering an elastic recovery impossible4 7b7 ,the blade1 as on fixed seats1 must be kept fully covered to the finish1 and there must be power on it to the last fraction of an inch4 ,if a man takes his oar out of the water before he has fairly ended his stroke1 and rows his finish in the air1 or if he partially uncovers his blade and rows light1 he commits in either case a serious fault4 ,in the former case his whole body-weight1 which ought to be propelling the boat1 not only ceases to have any good effect1 but becomes so much dead lumber1 and actually impedes her progress4 ,in the latter he can only exert half1 or1 it may be1 one quarter of his proper power during an appreciable part of the stroke4 7#g7 ,the drop of the hands1 the turn of the wrists1 the shoot-out of the hands1 and the straightening of the arms must be performed precisely as on a fixed seat1 but the legs1 meanwhile1 are to remain braced1 so that knees may not hamper hands4 ,as soon as ever the hands have been shot out1 and immediately after the start of the forward swing1 the slide comes into play1 and the knees consequently begin to bend outwards and upwards4 ,it is very important not to pause or hang on the recovery4 ,illustration3 ,,sliding ,,seats4 ,,no4 #aj4--;,a ,,thoroughly ,,bad ,,and ,,very ,,common ,,position ,,at ,,finish4 7,body lying much too far back1 elbows sticking out4 ,from such a position a smart and elastic recovery is impossible47 7#h7 ,the recovery movements ought to release the body smartly1 but care must be taken not to hustle the body forward with a rush before the arms are straightened4 ,the body begins to swing from the hips as soon as the hands release it1 but the swing is to be a slow one4 7a7 ,do not begin to slide forward before you swing4 ,let your swing just have the precedence1 and let it then carry your slide with it4 7#i7 ,the pace of the swing forward must be slow and unvarying1 and the slide1 therefore1 must also move slowly4 ,the time occupied by the swing should be the body's rest4 7#aj7 ,remember the fixed-seat instructions as to balance against the stretcher with the feet during the swing forward1 and especially during the latter part of it4 ,the fault of tumbling forward over the stretcher is far too common1 and can only be avoided or corrected by maintaining the pressure on the stretcher4 ,in fact1 never let your body get out of control4 ,you ought to feel and to look as if at any moment during the swing forward you could stop dead at the word of command4 ,swing and slide should practically end together1 the body snaking out1 as ,i have heard it expressed1 in the final part of the swing1 but without pecking over the front-stop4 ,there must be no over-reach with the shoulders4 7#aa7 ,when the body is full forward the knees should be opened to about the breadth of the arm-pits1 the flanks closed in against the thighs4 ,the knees should bend steadily and gradually into this position1 and at the moment of beginning they must maintain themselves there and not fall loosely apart4 ,such a movement entails a great loss of power at the beginning of the next stroke4 ,nor1 on the other hand1 ought the knees to be clipped together as the stroke begins4 7#ab7 ,remember1 finally1 that grace1 erectness1 straightness of back and arms1 and a clean precision1 balance and elasticity of all movements are as important now as they were on fixed seats4 ,a man who on slides rounds his back1 humps up his shoulders1 and hollows his chest may do good work1 but it will be in spite of and not because of these serious disfigurements4 ,only by carefully observing fixed rules and by prolonged practice will you be able to attain to the harmonious ease and elegance by which a comparatively weak man can so economize his strength as to outrow and outlast some brawny giant who wastes his power in useless contortions4 ,illustration3 ,,sliding ,,seats4 ,,no4 #aa4--;,,another ,,bad ,,position ,,at ,,finish4 7,body doubled up over handle of oar1 elbows sticking out4 ,with the body in this position heart and lungs get no chance of working properly47 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,combined ,,oarsmanship ,,in ,,eights4 ,the novice1 having passed successfully through his period of apprenticeship1 is by this time ready1 let us suppose1 to be included in an eight-oared1 sliding-seat crew1 either for his college or for the rowing club to which he may happen to belong4 ,he will marvel at first at the fragile and delicate fabric of the craft in which he is asked to take his place4 ,one-eighth of an inch of cedar divides him from the waters that are to be the scene of his prowess4 ,in stepping into the boat he must exercise the greatest care4 ,the waterman and the coxswain are firmly holding the riggers1 while the oarsman1 placing a hand on each gunwale to support himself1 steps cautiously with one foot on to the kelson1 or backbone of the ship4 ,then he seats himself upon his slide1 fits his feet into the stretcher-straps1 and inserts his oar in the rowlock1 finally getting the button into its proper place by raising the handle1 and so working at it until the button comes in under the string that passes from thole to thole1 and keeps the oar from flying out of the rowlock4 ,his seven companions having performed the same feats1 the boat is now shoved out from the bank1 and the work of the day begins4 ,illustration3 ,,snapshots ,,of ,a ,,crew ,,in ,,motion4 ,,no4 #a4--;,,just ,,before ,,full ,,reach4 ,illustration3 ,,no4 #b4--;,,full ,,reach4 7,reach out and row67 ,the oarsman who thus takes his first voyage in a racing-ship1 built1 as all racing-ships are1 without a keel1 must remember that her stability1 when she contains her crew1 is obtained merely by the balance of the oars4 ,remove the oars1 and the boat would immediately roll over to one side or the other1 and immerse her crew in the water4 ,with eight bodies and oars in a constant state of movement1 the problem of keeping the boat upon an even keel is not an easy one4 ,it can only be solved satisfactorily in one way3 ,there must be absolute harmony in every movement4 ,the hands must come in and out at the same moment and at the same level1 and the oar-blades must necessarily be maintained1 on the feather and throughout the swing1 at the uniform level prescribed for them by the harmonious movement of eight pairs of hands4 ,the bodies must begin1 continue1 and end the swing together2 the blades must strike the water at precisely the same moment2 all the bodies must swing back as if released from one spring2 the slides must move together2 the arms bend as by one simultaneous impulse2 and the eight oar-blades1 having swept through the water in a uniform plane1 must leave it as though they were part of a single machine1 and not moved by eight independent wills4 ,when this unison of movements has been attained by long and persevering practice1 marred by frequent periods of disappointment1 by knuckles barked as the boat rolls and the hands scrape along the gunwale1 and by douches of cold water as the oars splash1 then1 and not till then1 may it be said that a crew has got together4 ,the above details concern the harmony and unison of the crew4 ,it is obvious1 however1 that the eight men who compose it may be harmonized into almost any kind of style1 and it is important1 therefore1 to settle what is the best style--the style1 that is1 which will secure the greatest possible pace at the smallest cost of effort4 ,in the first place1 then1 you must remember and endeavour to apply all the instructions ,i have laid down in the two previous chapters4 ,these were framed upon the supposition that you were trying to qualify yourself to row eventually in a light racing-ship4 ,summing these up generally1 and without insisting again upon details1 ,i may say that you are required to have a long1 steady1 and far-reaching body-swing2 you must grip the beginning of the stroke well behind the rigger at the full reach forward without the loss of a fraction of a second1 with a vigorous spring back of the whole body1 so as to apply the body-weight immediately to the blade of the oar4 ,as your body swings back1 your feet are to press against the stretcher and drive the slide back1 in order that1 by the combination of body-swing and leg-drive1 you may retain the power which you have applied at the beginning evenly throughout the whole of the stroke4 ,it is essential that the body should not fall away at the finish1 but maintain an easy1 graceful position1 so that1 with a final pressure of the legs1 the swing of the elbows past the sides1 and a rowing back of the shoulders which opens the chest1 the hands may be swept fair and square home1 the oar-blade being meanwhile covered1 but not more than covered1 from the moment it enters the water until it is taken clean out4 ,the hands must then leave the chest as a billiard-ball rebounds from the cushion1 in order that you may have a smart and elastic recovery4 ,this swift motion of the hands straightens the arms1 and releases the body for its forward swing4 ,the body-swing forward1 as ,i cannot too often repeat1 must be slow1 especially during its latter part2 in fact1 during that swing1 a perfect balance must be maintained1 the feet being well planted against the stretcher4 ,when a man rows in this style with seven other men1 in absolute time and harmony with them1 he will find a rhythmical pleasure and a delightful ease in movements which at the outset were cramped and difficult4 ,then1 as he swings his body1 grips the water and drives his swirling oar-blade through1 he will feel that every ounce of strength he puts forth has its direct and appreciable influence upon the pace of the boat4 ,not for him then will it be to envy the bird in its flight1 as1 with all his muscles braced1 his lungs clear1 and his heart beating soundly1 he helps to make his craft move like a thing of life over the water4 ,illustration3 ,,snapshots ,,of ,a ,,crew ,,in ,,motion4 ,,no4 #c4--;,,just ,,after ,,beginning ,,of ,,stroke4 ,illustration3 ,,no4 #d4--,,slides ,,beginning ,,to ,,move4 ,that is the ideal4 ,let us come down to the actual4 ,i will imagine myself to be coaching an average crew in a racing-ship4 ,i must first of all assure myself that the boat is properly rigged1 and that the men have a fair chance of rowing with comfort4 ,the thole-pins should stand absolutely straight from the sill of the rowlock4 ,if the rowing-pin is bent outwards towards the water in the slightest degree1 the oar will have a tendency to slice1 and a feather under water will be the result4 ,the actual wood of the rowing-pin1 however1 should be slightly filed away at the bottom1 so as to incline a very1 very little towards the stern of the boat4 ,care must be taken also to have a sufficient width between the thole-pins to prevent the oar from locking on the full reach4 ,the rowlock-strings must be taut4 ,they must have a sufficient pressure on the oar to prevent the button being forced out of the rowlock4 ,for these and other details1 the table of measurements given at the end of this chapter should be consulted4 ,illustration3 ,,snapshots ,,of ,a ,,crew ,,in ,,motion4 ,,no4 #e4--;,,arms ,,about ,,to ,,bend ,,for ,,finish ,,of ,,stroke4 ,illustration3 ,,no4 #f4--;,,arms ,,bent ,,for ,,finish ,,of ,,stroke4 7,sit ,up ,no4 #c67 ,in this crew ,i will suppose that five of the members have already had experience in lightship rowing4 ,the three others--bow1 ,no4 #c1 and ,no4 #d--;are quite new to the game4 ,i point out to these three1 to begin with1 the importance of balancing the boat by having their arms rigidly straight as they swing forward1 so as to be able1 by the slightest amount of give and take from the shoulders1 to counteract any tendency to roll1 by sitting firmly on their seats1 and not shifting about to right or to left1 and by keeping their feet well on the stretchers4 ,that done1 the words of command will come from the cox4 ,get ready all6 7,at this command1 the oarsmen divest themselves of all unnecessary clothing47 ,forward all6 7,the oarsmen swing and slide forward to within about two-thirds of the full-reach position1 the backs of the blades lying flat upon the water47 ,are you ready8 7,this is merely a call to attention47 ,paddle6 7,at this the blades are turned over square1 and immediately grip the water1 and the boat starts47 ,during the progress of this imaginary crew1 ,i propose to invest them individually and collectively with certain faults1 and to offer suggestions for their improvement1 just as if ,i were coaching them from the bank or from a steam-launch4 7#a7 ,stroke1 you're tumbling forward over your stretcher4 ,keep the last part of your swing very slow by balancing against the stretcher with your feet as you swing forward4 ,that's better4 ,you got a beginning twice as hard that time4 7#b7 ,seven1 you're feathering under water4 ,keep pressure on to the very finish of the stroke1 and drop your hands a little more1 so as to get the oar out square and clean4 ,use the legs well at the finish4 7#c7 ,six1 you're very slow with your hands4 ,consequently1 your body rushes forward to make up for lost time4 ,shoot the hands away quickly1 with a sharp turn of the inside wrist4 ,then let the body follow slowly4 7#d7 ,five1 you slide too soon and fall away from your oar at the finish4 ,get your shoulders and the whole of your body-weight well on to the beginning1 so as to start swinging back before you drive your slide away4 ,at the finish keep your shoulders down and sit up well upon your bones4 7#e7 ,four and three1 your blades are coming out of the water long before any of the others4 ,this is because you are afraid of reaching properly forward4 ,you therefore get your oars in scarcely if at all behind the rigger1 and consequently there is not enough resistance to your oar in the water to enable you to hold out the stroke fully to the finish4 ,swing1 and reach well forward1 and let your oars strike the beginning at the point to which your reach has brought it4 ,you may splash at first1 but with a little confidence you will soon get over that4 ,three1 you're late4 ,as you come forward you press heavily on the handle of your oar1 the blade soars up1 and is coming down through the air when the rest have struck the water4 ,keep your hands1 especially the inside one1 light on the handle of the oar1 and let them come up as the body swings forward4 7#f7 ,two1 your arms are bending too soon4 ,try to swing back with perfectly straight arms4 ,don't imagine that you can row your stroke merely by the power of your arms4 ,also try and keep your shoulders down at the finish and on the recovery4 7#g7 ,bow1 swing back straight4 ,your body is falling out of the boat at the finish4 ,use the outside leg and hand more firmly through the stroke1 and row the hands a little higher in to the chest2 also arch the inside of the wrist a little more to help you in turning the oar on the feather4 ,so much for individuals4 ,now for the crew4 7#a7 ,the finish and recovery are not a bit together4 ,i can almost hear eight distinct sounds as the oars turn in the rowlocks4 ,try and lock it up absolutely together4 ,there ought to be a sound like the turning of a key in a well-oiled lock--sharp1 single1 and definite4 7,note4--,this is a very important point4 ,on the unison with which the wrists turn and the hands shoot away depends the unison of the next stroke4 ,when once1 in coaching1 you have locked your crew together on this point1 you will greatly decrease the difficulty of the rest of your task47 7#b7 ,don't let the boat roll down on the bow oars4 ,stroke side1 catch the beginning a little sharper4 ,bow side1 when the roll of the boat begins1 do not give in to it by still further lowering your hands4 ,keep your hands up4 7,the same instruction applies1 mutatis mutandis1 when the boat rolls on the stroke oars4 ,apart from individual eccentricities1 a boat is often brought down on the one bank of oars by the fact that the opposite side1 or one or two of them1 grip the water a little too late47 7#c7 ,you are all of you slow with your hands4 ,rattle them out sharply1 and make your recovery much more lively4 ,steady now6 don't rush forward4 ,keep the swing slow and long4 ,you are all much too short on the swing1 and consequently get no length in the water4 ,illustration3 ,,snapshots ,,of ,a ,,crew ,,in ,,motion4 ,,no4 #g4--;,a ,,bad ,,lurch ,,on ,,to ,,stroke-,,side4 ,illustration3 ,,no4 #h4--;,a ,,lurch ,,on ,,to ,,bow-,,side4 7#d7 444 ,watch the bodies in front of you as they move1 and mould yourself on their movement4 7#e7 ,you have fallen to pieces again4 ,use your ears as well as your eyes1 and listen for the rattle of the oars in the rowlocks4 ,whenever you fall to pieces1 try to rally on that point4 ,also plant your feet firmly on the stretchers1 and use your legs more when the boat rolls4 ,these1 ,i think1 are a fair sample of the faults that may be found in almost any crew1 and to their eradication coach and oarsmen have patiently to devote themselves4 ,,measurements ,,of ,,an ,,eight-,,oared ,,racing-,,boat4 ,for purposes of convenience1 ,i have taken the following measurements from a boat built by ,rough for ,leander1 in #ahia4 ,in that year she carried a very heavy crew1 who won the ,grand ,challenge ,cup at ,henley in record time4 ,she repeated her ,grand ,challenge victory in #ahib and #ahic1 with crews very differently constituted from the first one3-- ft4 ins4 7#a7 ,length over all #fj #c 7#b7 ,beam amidships1 under gunwale #a #aa 7#c7 ,depth #a #a 7#d7 ,height of thwarts above skin of boat #j #g-a_/h 7#e7 seats #j #i-a_/hg 7#f7 rowlock sills above seat #j #f-g_/h 7#g7 heels above skin of boat #j #a-a_/d 7#h7 ,position of front edge of slide in relation to rowing-pin when well forward level 7#i7 ,length of movement of slide #a #d 7#aj7 ,distance from rowing-pin1 measured horizontally and at right angles to boat1 to centre of seat #b #g 7#aa7 ,distance from wood of one thole-pin to wood of the other #j #d-g_/h ,this boat1 like nearly all ,english ,eights1 was side-seated1 i4e4 the centre of the seat1 instead of being over the kelson1 was set away from it1 and from the outrigger4 ,bow's and stroke's seats were #b-a_/b ins4 from centre1 ,no4 #e's #c-a_/b ins4 ,nearly all ,fours and ,pairs in ,england are now centre-seated1 as are ,eights in ,america4 ,of course1 with centre-seating1 assuming that you want the same leverage1 you require a longer outrigger4 ,otherwise1 the only difference between the two systems would seem to be that with centre-seating you naturally align the bodies better4 #g ,a few very short-bodied men have to be built-up1 i4e4 their seats have to be raised even higher than this to enable them to clear their knees and to swing4 ,this1 however1 should not be done unless absolutely necessary1 as it tends to make the boat unsteady4 ,since #ahia boat-builders have somewhat increased the length of the boats they build1 and it is not uncommon now to find boats with a measurement of #fc feet and a few inches over all4 ,the boat whose measurements ,i have given had1 if ,i remember rightly1 a slightly wider beam at ,no4 #c stretcher than she had amidships4 ,i have noticed1 and my experience in this respect confirms that of ,mr4 ,w4 ,b4 ,woodgate1 though it is entirely opposed to the ,rev4 ,a4 ,t4 ,shadwell's theories1 that a boat with a full beam somewhere between ,no4 #d and ,no4 #c is always a fast one4 ,a boat should never dip her head1 but should always maintain it free4 ,,measurement ,,of ,,oars4 ,on this matter there is now a great divergence of opinion amongst rowing men4 ,from #ahia inclusive up to the present year1 the ,leander crews have1 with trifling divergences1 rowed with oars built on the following measurements3-- ft4 ins4 7#a7 ,length over all #ab #j 7#b7 ,length in-board1 i4e4 measured from rowing face of bottom to end of handle #c #h ,note4--,in some cases an extra half-inch was added1 which would make the length over all #ab #j-a_/b 7#c7 ,length of button from top to bottom1 measured in a straight line #j #c-a_/d 7#d7 ,length of blade measured over the arc of the scoop #b #g 7#e7 ,breadth of blade #j #f ,note4--,these are what are called square blades1 i4e4 the widest part came at the end4 ,barrel blades are those in which the widest part comes about the middle4 ,in #ahic an extra half-inch was added out-board4 ,in #ahif the length of the ,leander oars over all was only #aa ft4 #aa-a_/h ins41 the in-board measurement being #c ft4 #h ins4 ,with these oars the ,leander crew defeated ,yale1 and in the next heat1 after a very severe struggle1 rowed down and defeated ,new ,college1 who were rowing with oars three inches longer out-board4 ,here are the measurements of the oars with which the ,eton crew won the ,ladies' ,plate in #ahhe-- ft4 ins4 ,over all #ab #f ,in-board #c #g-a_/b ,length of blade #b #e ,breadth of blade near shank #j #f-c_/h at end #j #e 7,these blades were coffin-shaped on a pattern invented by ,dr4 ,warre47 ,measurement of ,oars of ,oxford ,crew1 #ahij4 ft4 ins4 ,over all #ab #c-a_/h ,in-board #c #h-a_/b ,length of blade #b #g ,greatest breadth #j #f-a_/b 7,these were barrel blades47 ,in #ahif the ,oxford crew rowed with oars measuring #ab ft4 #b ins4 over all1 with a leverage of #c ft4 #h-a_/d ins41 and blade #f ins4 broad4 ,with these1 it will be remembered1 they rowed down and defeated ,cambridge1 after a magnificent struggle1 by two-fifths of a length1 ,cambridge using oars measuring some #c ins4 longer out-board4 ,it will thus be seen that short oars have a very good record to support them--especially over the ,henley course4 ,this year1 however1 a reaction took place at ,oxford in favour of longer oars with narrower blades4 ,the ,oxford ,eight of this year rowed with oars measuring #ab ft4 #f ins4 over all1 the extra length being1 of course1 out-board1 and their blades were cut down to a breadth of #e-a_/b ins4 ,they were1 by common consent1 a very fine crew1 but were unable to command a fast rate of stroke1 and in the race against an inferior crew they hardly did themselves or their reputation justice4 ,this pattern of oar was used by ,new ,college at ,henley1 the blades1 however1 being further cut down to #e-a_/d ins4 ,in the final heat of the ,grand ,challenge ,cup1 they met ,leander1 who were rowing with #ab-;ft4 oars4 ,leander1 rowing a considerably faster stroke1 at once jumped ahead1 and led by a length in three minutes4 ,new ,college1 however1 came up to them1 still rowing a slower stroke1 then picked their stroke up1 and1 after rowing level with ,leander for about #bej yards1 finally defeated them by #b ft4 ,the result of this race cannot be said to have settled the question as between long oars and short4 ,in the ,stewards' ,fours1 on the other hand1 ,leander1 rowing with oars measuring #ab ft4 #a_/b in4 over all1 and blades #e-c_/d ins4 in breadth1 defeated ,new ,college1 rowing with #ab ft4 #f ins4 oars1 and blades of #e-a_/b ins41 the leverage in both cases being #c ft4 #h-a_/b ins4 ,the advocates of the long oar maintain that they secure a longer stride1 and are thus able to economize strength by using a slower rate of stroke4 ,those who favour the shorter ones believe that the extra lightness of their implement enables them to row a faster stroke without unduly tiring themselves4 ,personally1 ,i found1 after trying the experiment several times1 that ,leander crews ,i have coached invariably rowed better and commanded more speed in practice with #ab ft4 to #ab ft4 #a in4 oars than with oars #c ins4 or #d ins4 longer4#h #h ,mr4 ,s4 ,le ,b4 ,smith informs me that1 to the best of his recollection1 the oars used by the ,london ,rowing ,club1 up to #ahgh1 measured--for ,eights1 #ab ft4 #b ins4 all over1 and for ,fours1 #ab ft41 the inboard measurement being #c ft4 #f-a_/b ins4 ,my impression is that they used riggers shorter by #b ins4 than those now in use4 ,their blades were not quite #f ins4 broad4 ,it must be remembered1 finally1 that men1 as well as measurements1 have something to do with the pace of a crew1 and that style and uniformity count for a good deal4 ,the advocates of long or short oars will always be able to explain a defeat sustained by one of their crews by alleging causes that are totally unconnected with the measurement of the oars4 ,on the other hand1 such is their enthusiasm1 they will attribute the victory of their crew entirely to their favourite pattern of oar4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,combined ,,oarsmanship ,,in ,,eights 7continued74 ,now that the novice has been safely launched in his racing-ship1 we may hark back for a space and consider some important points connected with the organization and management of an eight-oared crew4 ,and first as to its selection and arrangement4 ,as a general rule1 it may be laid down that two middle-weights 7men ranging from #aa st4 #e lbs4 to #aa st4 #aj lbs4 or even to #ab st47 will be best at stroke and ,no4 #g2 three heavy-weights 7#ab st4 #d lbs4 and upwards7 will suit for ,no4 #f1 ,no4 #e1 and ,no4 #d2 then with two more middle-weights at ,no4 #c and ,no4 #b1 and a light-weight 7#aj st4 to #aa st4 #c lbs4 or so7 at bow1 your crew will be complete4 ,this sounds easy enough1 but in practice the matter is complicated by a hundred difficulties1 such as 7a7 a superfluity or 7b7 a total absence of good heavy-weights2 7c7 the absence of any good middle-weights possessing the peculiar qualities necessary for stroke and ,no4 #g2 and 7d7 the inability of good oars to row on one side or the other of the boat1 for you may find that of six valuable oars whom you may want to include in a crew1 every one will tell you that he can only row on the stroke side or the bow side1 as the case may be4 ,in theory1 of course1 every man ought to be able to row equally well on both sides4 ,in practice it will be found that most men1 apart from any conscious preference on their own part1 do better work on one side than on the other1 while some are absolutely useless if shifted from the side they prefer4 ,this last class is1 however1 not nearly so numerous as it used to be2 and if1 for instance1 you consult the list of victorious ,oxford crews from #ahij up to the present year1 and compare it further with lists of ,leander crews and ,oxford ,college crews1 you will see that a very large number of men have rowed and won races on both sides of the boat4 ,i may mention specially ,mr4 ,guy ,nickalls1 ,mr4 ,c4 ,w4 ,kent1 ,mr4 ,w4 ,a4 ,l4 ,fletcher1 ,mr4 ,r4 ,p4 ,p4 ,rowe1 ,mr4 ,w4 ,f4 ,c4 ,holland1 ,mr4 ,h4 ,b4 ,cotton1 ,mr4 ,m4 ,c4 ,pilkington1 ,mr4 ,c4 ,d4 ,burnell1 ,mr4 ,t4 ,h4 ,e4 ,stretch1 ,mr4 ,c4 ,k4 ,philips1 ,mr4 ,c4 ,m4 ,pitman1 and ,mr4 ,h4 ,g4 ,gold4 ,on the other hand1 ,i cannot remember--to take only two instances of excellent heavies--that ,mr4 ,e4 ,g4 ,tew or ,mr4 ,w4 ,burton ,stewart ever rowed except on the bow side4 ,all such difficulties the captain and coach of a crew must overcome as best they can4 ,in any case they will find it advisable to put their lighter men in the stern and the bows1 dumping down their heavies in the waist of the boat1 where they will have more room1 and where it will be easier to correct the clumsiness which is often associated with great weight4 ,,stroke4 ,for stroke ,i like a man of not more than twelve stone4 ,a few good strokes1 e4g4 the late ,mr4 ,j4 ,h4 ,d4 ,goldie1 have topped this weight by a few pounds4 ,but a real heavy-weight is almost invariably slow and lacking in initiative when placed at stroke1 although1 in the middle of the boat1 with another man acting as fugleman for him1 he may be able to row perfectly well at any rate of stroke that may be set to him4 ,a long-backed1 supple-jointed man is of course best1 for the short-backed1 long-legged man invariably has trouble in clearing his knees1 and consequently develops faults of style which it is hard to eradicate or even to reduce when he has no model in front of him4 ,these faults will therefore exercise a very deleterious influence on the rest of the crew4 ,as to temperament1 ,i should select a good fighter1 a man1 that is1 who would rather die than abandon the struggle1 and whose fiery determined nature does not exclude perfect coolness and mastery over himself when a crisis calls for resource4 ,let me cite some examples4 ,i may begin my list with ,mr4 ,h4 ,p4 ,marriott and ,mr4 ,c4 ,d4 ,shafto1 the ,oxford and ,cambridge strokes of #ahgg1 the dead-heat year4 ,it is rare indeed to find two such splendid performers matched against one another4 ,mr4 ,l4 ,r4 ,west1 the ,oxford stroke of #ahhj1 #ahha1 and #ahhc1 was as good a stroke as ever came to the ,university from ,eton4 ,he only weighed eleven stone1 but his style was simply perfect4 ,the finest demonstration of his racing judgment was given when he took his crew off at the start in #ahhc1 and left ,cambridge1 on whom odds of three to one had been laid1 struggling hopelessly in the rear4 ,more familiarly known to me was the rowing of ,mr4 ,f4 ,i4 ,pitman4 ,in the ,university ,boat ,race of #ahhf both crews started at a very fast rate1 and rowed little under thirty-eight to the minute all the way to ,hammersmith ,bridge1 which was passed by ,cambridge with a trifling lead4 ,immediately afterwards a strong head-wind and a rough sea were encountered2 the rate of stroke in both boats dropped to about thirty-two1 and ,oxford began to forge steadily ahead1 until at ,barnes ,bridge they led by nearly two lengths4 ,here the water was again smooth1 and ,mr4 ,f4 ,i4 ,pitman1 the ,cambridge stroke1 nerved himself for a supreme effort4 ,with a wonderful spurt he picked it up1 and in the first half-minute after ,barnes1 actually rowed twenty-one strokes1 and in the full minute forty4 ,the result of the race in favour of ,cambridge is a matter of history2 but1 even had ,cambridge lost1 the merits of that wonderful spurt would have remained as striking4 ,illustration3 ,,mr4 ,c4 ,w4 ,,kent4 ,mr4 ,c4 ,w4 ,kent1 of ,oxford and ,leander fame1 is another remarkable instance of a born stroke4 ,he rarely rowed as much as eleven stone1 and his general appearance outside a boat hardly gave promise of his marvellous vigour and endurance in a race4 ,he is a loose-limbed1 long-armed man1 with no superfluous flesh1 and with very little muscle4 ,in any purely gymnastic competition he would stand no chance whatever4 ,yet it is not too much to say that as stroke of an ,eight or a ,four no man has ever been of greater value1 none has a more brilliant record of victories secured by his own courage and resource after desperate struggles4 ,he was not a very easy man to follow in the early stages of practice1 but when once he had got his crew together behind him1 he had the most absolute control over them1 and could always get the last possible ounce of work out of them1 and yet leave himself with sufficient vigour to wind them up to a final extra spurt if the necessity arose4 ,his crew behind him became a single living entity1 on which he could play as a musician plays on an instrument over which he has perfect command4 ,he seemed to have a sort of intuitive knowledge1 not merely of the capacity of his own crew1 but also of the capacity of his opponents1 at any given moment in a race4 ,and he had1 moreover1 the gift--inestimably valuable in a stroke--of taking his men along at their best pace while economizing his own strength1 thus always leaving himself with a margin to put in extra work and pace when a close finish required them4 ,for there is no crew1 however hard the men may have worked1 and however greatly they may be exhausted1 that cannot screw itself up to follow if only their stroke will give them a lead4 ,mr4 ,kent's record of brilliant achievements begins in #ahhi1 when1 as stroke of the ,brasenose crew1 with ,mr4 ,w4 ,f4 ,c4 ,holland at ,no4 #g1 he maintained his boat at the head of the river against the repeated attacks of a considerably stronger and faster ,new ,college crew4 ,in #ahij he was stroke of a ,brasenose four at ,henley4 ,in one of the preliminary heats of the ,stewards' ,cup1 this crew defeated a strong ,leander ,four by two feet4 ,in the final heat they had to meet the ,thames ,rowing ,club4 ,at ,fawley ,court1 the halfway point1 ,thames had secured a lead of two lengths1 and were apparently rowing well within themselves4 ,from here1 however1 ,mr4 ,kent began an extraordinary series of spurts4 ,with a relentless persistence1 his crew rowing as one man behind him1 he drove his boat inch by inch up to the ,thames boat1 drew level with them about #cjj yards from the finish1 and then1 reinvigorated by the sight of his rivals1 sailed past them and won the race by something more than a length4 ,in #ahia1 as stroke of the ,leander ,eight he still further distinguished himself4 ,rowing from the unsheltered station against a strong ,bushes wind1 he just managed by a final effort to avert defeat at the hands of the ,thames ,rowing ,club1 and made a dead heat of it4 ,on the following day1 there being no wind1 ,leander beat ,thames by two lengths1 and in the final heat beat the ,london ,rowing ,club by a length4 ,again1 in the final heat of the ,grand ,challenge ,cup in #ahid1 he won another terrible race from the worse station by half a length against the ,thames ,rowing ,club4 ,no one who saw that extraordinary race can forget the wonderful succession of efforts put forth both by ,mr4 ,kent and by the ,thames stroke1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,c4 ,gardner1 a very fine and powerful oar1 who had stroked ,cambridge to victory in '#hh and '#hi4 ,time after time did ,mr4 ,gardner force his boat almost level with ,leander1 and time after time ,mr4 ,kent just stalled him off and reasserted his crew's lead1 until at the last he went in with horse1 foot1 and artillery1 and won the furious contest4 ,i cannot forbear citing another instance which shows merit as great1 though of a different order1 in this remarkable stroke4 ,in #ahia he stroked the ,oxford ,eight1 a crew of very heavy metal1 but not well arranged1 and containing one welter-weight1 who1 in consequence of a severe attack of influenza during the earlier stages of training1 could not be depended upon to last at top pressure over the whole of a course of four miles and a quarter4 ,in fact1 ,oxford1 considering their material1 were unaccountably slow1 and ,cambridge1 admirably stroked by ,mr4 ,g4 ,e4 ,elin1 were as unaccountably fast4 ,the race1 it will be remembered1 was a very close one1 and was won by ,oxford by only half a length4 ,during its progress there were many temptations to ,mr4 ,kent1 a man whose favourite rate of stroke was as a rule not less than forty1 to increase the pace4 ,he saw the ,cambridge crew hanging doggedly on to him1 and there were not wanting voices from his own crew to urge him to pick it up4 ,but ,mr4 ,kent knew the capacity of his crew1 and knew that1 though a fast spurt might give him a temporary advantage1 it would leave him in all probability with a completely exhausted heavy-weight on his hands to struggle hopelessly against ,cambridge's next effort4 ,so he resolutely kept the stroke slow until he got to ,chiswick1 where he made his only effort1 a slight one1 it is true1 but just sufficient to give him a margin on which he could win the race4 ,illustration3 ,,mr4 ,h4 ,g4 ,,gold4 ,i have dwelt at some length on ,mr4 ,kent's performances1 because ,i think that he showed in the highest degree all the qualities that make a man a good stroke in spite of the absence of mere brute strength4 ,mr4 ,c4 ,m4 ,pitman1 who as a freshman stroked ,oxford in #ahib1 was a worthy successor to ,mr4 ,kent4 ,the three ,oxford crews stroked by him won with comparative ease1 a result of which the credit in a very large share must go to ,mr4 ,pitman1 who proved his judgment and coolness1 not only in the races1 but during practice against scratch ,eights4 ,mr4 ,h4 ,g4 ,gold's remarkable victories are too recent to require any comment beyond the statement that they stamp him as one of the company of really great strokes4 ,of non-,university strokes1 the best ,i have seen have been ,mr4 ,j4 ,hastie1 of the ,thames ,r4,c42 ,mr4 ,f4 ,l4 ,playford1 of the ,london ,r4,c42 ,mr4 ,j4 ,a4 ,drake-,smith1 of the ,thames ,r4,c42 and ,mr4 ,g4 ,b4 ,james1 of the ,london ,r4,c4 ,the three last of these possessed1 in addition to considerable natural strength and endurance1 a rhythmical ease and finished elegance which made their rowing a pleasure to the eye1 and rendered it easy for a crew to shake together behind them4 ,mr4 ,hastie had enormous power and perfect judgment1 and no man ever knew better exactly how and when to crack up an opposing crew4 ,,no4 #g4 ,this position is every whit as important as that of stroke4 ,indeed1 ,i have known many crews that were made by a good ,no4 #g1 in spite of an inferior or an inexperienced stroke4 ,of the converse ,i cannot at this moment remember any instances4 ,no4 #g is the keystone of the crew4 ,if he fits perfectly into his place1 the whole fabric remains firm2 if he fits badly1 it will crumble to pieces at the first shock4 ,it is the duty of ,no4 #g to weld the two sides of the crew into harmony1 to transmit to the rest of the crew the initiative of the stroke-oar1 to be ever on the watch to make stroke's task an easy one by following him implicitly and immediately4 ,but1 more than this1 a good ,no4 #g can control and manage an inexperienced stroke1 can check him when he attempts to hurry unduly1 can inspirit him and renew his energies when he shows signs of flagging4 ,the style and elegance of a crew depend even more upon ,no4 #g than they do upon stroke4 ,therefore select for this position a man whose movements are graceful1 rhythmical and easy1 who can show style in his own rowing1 and thus instil it into the rest of the crew4 ,it is important for ,no4 #g that he too should be able to economize his power in a race4 ,i do not mean that he is to be a sugarer 7a word we use to indicate a man who may show style1 but who never works honestly71 but he must row with judgment4 ,i have seen many very big men row well at ,no4 #g1 but ,i should always prefer a man of the stamp of the late ,mr4 ,h4 ,e4 ,rhodes1 the late ,mr4 ,t4 ,c4 ,edwards-,moss1 ,mr4 ,r4 ,p4 ,p4 ,rowe1 and ,mr4 ,w4 ,e4 ,crum4 ,these were all born ,no4 #g's1 though the reputation of the first was chiefly gained at stroke4 ,still1 ,i consider that his best rowing was shown in #ahgf1 when he rowed ,no4 #g of the ,cambridge crew behind ,mr4 ,c4 ,d4 ,shafto4 ,those who can recall the marvellous flexibility and adaptable ease of ,mr4 ,t4 ,c4 ,edwards-,moss1 and who have seen similar qualities exhibited by ,mr4 ,rowe and ,mr4 ,crum1 will realize what ,i mean when ,i insist upon the importance of grace1 rhythm1 and elegance1 in a word1 of style in a ,no4 #g4 ,you can rarely1 of course1 count upon such a paragon for your ,no4 #g1 but at any rate get a man who approaches more nearly than the rest to this ideal4 ,,no4 #f4 ,this1 again1 is a very important place2 for your ,no4 #f must back up stroke1 and must1 by genuine hard work1 take as much as possible of the burden off stroke's shoulders4 ,choose for the position a man who combines great weight and power and endurance with a large share of experience1 a man who can row every stroke hard1 and by his swing can help to keep it long4 ,mr4 ,s4 ,d4 ,muttlebury1 in the ,cambridge crews of #ahhf and #ahhg1 was such a ,no4 #f4 ,such1 too1 was ,mr4 ,w4 ,a4 ,l4 ,fletcher1 in the ,oxford and ,leander crews of a later date1 and such is the veteran ,mr4 ,guy ,nickalls at the present time4 ,it must be an inspiration to the rest of the crew to have the broad back of this iron oarsman swinging up and down with an untiring vehemence1 and slogging at every stroke as if he had no thought whatever of the strokes that had to come after4 ,but then ,mr4 ,nickalls is equally at home at ,no4 #e in an ,eight2 and as stroke-oar of a ,four or pair--a position from which he invariably steers the boat--he is to my mind unapproachable4 ,he would not himself assert that he was a model of elegance1 but for power and endurance1 and for the knack of infusing these qualities into the rest of the crew1 no man has ever1 in my experience1 surpassed1 and very few indeed have equalled1 him4 ,,no4 #e ,,and ,,no4 #d4 ,these two are places which require weight and power4 ,the details of elegance and polish are not here so important1 though it is1 of course1 well to secure them if you can4 ,a ,no4 #e who swings long and steadily is of the utmost value1 and the same may be said of ,no4 #d4 ,for instance1 no small part of the merit of the ,oxford and ,leander crews in which he rowed was due to ,mr4 ,w4 ,b1 ,stewart1 their ,no4 #e4 ,a very tall1 well-built1 and extremely powerful man1 he rowed1 ,i think1 with the longest swing ,i have ever seen4 ,it was for this quality that we picked him out of his college crew1 when he was a comparative novice1 and gave him ,no4 #e's seat in the ,leander crew of #ahic1 and his rowing in that crew and in others subsequently proved the correctness of our judgment4 ,the late ,mr4 ,t4 ,h4 ,e4 ,stretch1 too1 was a remarkable ,no4 #e1 a position in which1 however1 he only rowed once1 viz4 in the ,leander crew of #ahif4 ,he was then certainly1 for style and power combined1 the best heavy-weight oar at ,henley ,regatta4 ,mr4 ,broughton1 of the ,thames ,rowing ,club1 was another fine example of what a ,no4 #e ought to be--a really slashing oar of wonderful power4 ,i might use the same words to describe ,mr4 ,r4 ,s4 ,kindersley1 of the ,oxford crews of #ahhj1 #ahha1 and #ahhb4 ,amongst good ,no4 #d's1 ,i should specially select ,mr4 ,s4 ,swann1 in the ,cambridge crew of #ahhd2 ,mr4 ,c4 ,b4 ,p4 ,bell1 of the ,cambridge crews of #ahhh and #ahhi2 and ,mr4 ,f4 ,e4 ,robeson1 of the splendid ,oxford crew of #ahib4 ,,no4 #c ,,and ,,no4 #b4 ,of these positions little need be said4 ,weight here ceases to be of great importance compared with briskness and liveliness of movement4 ,yet instances are not wanting of genuine heavy-weights who rowed at ,no4 #c in fast crews4 ,mr4 ,e4 ,f4 ,henley1 in the ,oxford crew of #ahff1 rowed at #ab st4 #ac lbs42 ,mr4 ,p4 ,w4 ,taylor1 in the ,oxford crew of #ahhe1 and ,mr4 ,w4 ,b4 ,stewart1 in the ,oxford crew of #ahid1 were placed at ,no4 #c in spite of their weighing well over #ac st42 and ,mr4 ,vivian ,nickalls1 in the ,leander crew of #ahia1 was little short of this weight4 ,but where these cases have occurred1 they were generally due to the fact that the authorities had at their disposal a great number of really good heavy-weights1 and1 rather than lose one of them1 they placed him at ,no4 #c4 ,,bow4 ,bow should be light1 alert1 compact1 springy and cat-like1 and a good waterman4 ,such discomforts as may exist in a boat seem to concentrate themselves at bow's seat4 ,he has less room than any other man in the boat1 and any unsteadiness affects him more4 ,i can recall a long list of good bows1 but none better than ,mr4 ,w4 ,a4 ,ellison of ,oxford1 ,mr4 ,r4 ,g4 ,gridley of ,cambridge1 ,mr4 ,c4 ,w4 ,hughes of the ,thames ,r4,c41 ,mr4 ,w4 ,f4 ,c4 ,holland and the late ,mr4 ,h4 ,b4 ,cotton of ,oxford1 and ,mr4 ,c4 ,w4 ,n4 ,graham of ,leander fame4 ,the last two rarely rowed as much as ten stone1 but their work was remarkable4 ,in their respective college crews1 they proved that they could row at stroke just as well as at the other end of the boat4 ,finally1 a captain of a crew must remember1 if with these great examples before his eyes he feels inclined1 as he runs over his list of available oars1 to despair of getting together a good crew1 that wonderful results have been achieved by college captains who had to draw their men from a comparatively narrow field1 and were often forced by the exigencies of the case to fill places in their boats with men who were far removed from ideal perfection4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,combined ,,oarsmanship ,,in ,,eights 7continued74 ,from the hints given in the preceding chapter it will have been gathered that good oarsmen are of all sizes and weights4 ,but it must not be forgotten that no small part of the motive-power of a crew comes from heavy men4 ,by weight ,i do not1 of course1 mean that which results from mere adipose deposit2 but weight1 as it is usually found amongst young men1 that depends on the size of the frame and the limbs1 and on their due covering of muscle and sinew4 ,i cannot1 therefore1 too strongly advise a captain or a coach to spare no labour and no patience in endeavouring to teach big men how to row4 ,there will be disappointments4 ,every one who has experience of rowing must remember at least one massive and magnificent giant who failed to learn1 in spite of infinite pains on his own part and on the part of those who had to teach him4 ,out of a boat he may have looked the very model of what a heavy-weight oarsman should be--erect1 strong1 well-proportioned1 supple1 and active4 ,but put him in a boat1 and at once he suffered a river change4 ,his muscles turned into pulp1 his chest became hollow1 his arms and legs were mere nerveless attachments1 and his whole body assumed the shapelessness of a sack of potatoes4 ,in the end1 after many days1 the hopeless effort had to be sadly abandoned1 and the would-be oarsman returned to the rough untutored struggles of the football field1 or the intoxicating delights of lawn-tennis and golf4 ,but1 on the other hand1 there are innumerable instances to prove that a big man who has never touched an oar before he came to ,oxford or ,cambridge1 or joined one of the ,metropolitan clubs1 may1 by care and perseverance1 be turned into the pride and mainstay of his crew4 ,therefore1 ,i say1 persist with big and heavy men1 in spite of occasional discouragements2 for there is more advantage to a crew in one rough thirteen-stoner who really works and swings than in two light-weights polished ad unguem4 ,in the shapes of oarsmen1 again1 every kind of variety may be found1 not merely in minor details1 but in the whole physical characteristics of their bodies4 ,bob ,coombes1 the professional champion of #ahdf1 #ahdg1 and #ahea1 has recorded his opinion that the best physical type of oarsman is the man who is1 amongst other things1 deep-chested and straight and full in the flanks2 who1 in other words1 has no waist to speak of4 ,to this type ,mr4 ,s4 ,d4 ,muttlebury and ,mr4 ,guy ,nickalls conform1 and there can be no doubt that it is the best4 ,but ,i have known oarsmen who varied from it in every detail1 and yet did magnificent work in a crew4 ,i have already mentioned ,mr4 ,c4 ,w4 ,kent1 and ,i may add another example in ,mr4 ,h4 ,willis1 of the ,leander ,club1 a very finished and valuable oar1 who has given his proofs not only in an ,eight1 but also as ,no4 #c of the winning ,stewards' ,four at ,henley ,regatta this year4 ,mr4 ,willis is tall and loose-jointed4 ,he is not furnished with any great quantity of muscle1 and his modesty will not resent my adding that1 though he has a well-framed chest1 he also possesses a very distinct waist4 ,i might multiply such instances2 but they may all be summed up in the statement that a really good oarsman is never of a bad shape--for rowing4 ,the ultimate test is to be found not in the examination of his muscle or the measurement of his frame1 but in the careful and patient observation of his work while he is actually engaged in rowing4 ,a mere weed1 of course1 cannot row to advantage2 but ,i have seen more than one instance of so-called weeds who eventually developed under the influence of the exercise into solid and capable oars4 ,and1 as a rule1 there is more promise in the comparative weakling than in the gymnast whose tight binding of muscles impedes the freedom and alertness of his limbs4 ,we may now consider how the practice of an ordinary eight-oared crew should be conducted4 ,there is a certain amount of difference of opinion as to how long a crew should remain in their tub--that is1 in their clinker-built boat--before taking to the racing-ship4 ,most college captains1 ,i think1 keep their men in the heavy boat too long4 ,four or five days are1 ,i think1 an amply sufficient period4 ,experienced oars are none the better for rowing in a heavy boat1 and novices who have much to learn in watermanship1 and want a long period for the learning1 can be taught the requisite lessons only in a light ship4 ,the difficulties of sitting such a ship are1 as a rule1 much exaggerated2 and the young oar who watches the scratch crews rowing against a ,university crew1 or sees a ,leander ,eight setting out for the first time1 is apt to be surprised when he notes how eight men1 who have never rowed together before1 can move along with uniformity and steadiness4 ,there are1 no doubt1 difficulties of balance and quickness in light ship rowing2 but the sooner these are faced the better for all concerned4 ,i am assuming1 of course1 that the novice has been already drilled in the manner described in previous chapters4 ,as to the total length of the period of practice from the start to the day of the race1 that must1 and does1 vary according to circumstances4 ,a ,university crew practising for a long race will be at work generally from about the middle of ,january until towards the end of ,march1 some ten weeks in all4 ,cambridge college crews have six weeks1 ,oxford college crews only about four1 for the college races4 ,a ,london1 ,thames1 or ,kingston crew can command at least seven weeks for the practice of its ,henley crew4 ,on the other hand1 no winning ,leander crew that ,i have known has ever practised for more than three weeks as a combination2 though individual members of it1 who had not been at work since the previous year1 may have been taking rowing exercise on their own account for some little time before the eight got to work4 ,as a typical example1 ,i may take the remarkable ,leander crew of #ahif4 ,five members of this crew--,mr4 ,guy ,nickalls1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,a4 ,ford1 ,mr4 ,c4 ,w4 ,n4 ,graham1 ,mr4 ,t4 ,h4 ,e4 ,stretch1 and ,mr4 ,h4 ,willis--had had no rowing exercise for a year2 one1 ,mr4 ,w4 ,f4 ,c4 ,holland1 had not worked1 except for a casual regatta in ,portugal1 since the final of the ,grand ,challenge ,cup in #ahic2 the other two1 ,mr4 ,h4 ,gold and ,mr4 ,r4 ,carr1 had been in regular practice at ,oxford or at ,putney since the previous ,october4 ,two weeks before practice in the ,eight began1 ,messrs4 ,holland1 ,ford1 ,stretch1 and ,graham began work in a ,four1 with ,mr4 ,graham1 the eventual bow of the ,eight1 at stroke4 ,mr4 ,willis had half this period of preliminary practice in a pair4 ,mr4 ,nickalls had for some weeks been working at ,putney in a ,four and a pair4 ,just three clear weeks before the first day of ,henley ,regatta the ,eight was launched2 but it was not until three days after this that ,mr4 ,nickalls was able to come into the boat1 and the crew for the first time rowed in its final order1 the advent of ,mr4 ,nickalls resulting in four changes in its arrangement4 ,and yet this crew defeated ,yale ,university1 who had been practising for months1 and other crews1 composed of good material1 that had been together for six or seven weeks4 ,i have in my mind1 too1 another crew1 a combination of three ,oxonians1 two ,cantabs1 two ,etonians1 and one ,radleian1 who1 on one week's practice1 managed to beat over a one-mile course the ,eights of the ,london and ,thames clubs1 in spite of their ten or eleven weeks of practice4 ,i do not wish to have it inferred from the foregoing facts that in my opinion those crews are likely to turn out best which practise together for a very short time4 ,still1 the qualities of skill1 keenness of enthusiasm1 strength1 condition1 and racing ability1 are factors in success even more important than length of practice4 ,it ought1 of course1 to be true that if you could get two crews equally matched as regards these qualities that which had had the longer period of practice should win because of its greater uniformity4 ,moreover1 in most cases extra length of practice up to a certain point ought to imply superiority of condition4 ,beyond that point a crew1 though it maintains its outward uniformity and style1 will fall off in pace1 because overwork will have dulled the edge of its energies1 and robbed it of the brisk animation that marks the rowing of men trained to the very needle-point of perfect condition4 ,and on the whole1 taking condition and the risks of staleness into account1 ,i should prefer to take my chances for an ordinary race with a crew that had practised from four to five weeks1 rather than with one that had been at it for ten or eleven4 ,i leave out of account the ,oxford and ,cambridge boat-race1 both because of the length of the course over which it is rowed1 and on account of the frequent changes to which the authorities generally find themselves compelled to resort4 ,and even for this race1 if a president could at the outset be absolutely certain as to the general composition of the crew1 he would find1 ,i think1 that a period of seven weeks at the outside would be fully sufficient for him and his men4 ,the whole matter amounts to this1 that a captain or a coach must consider carefully all the circumstances of his case--the skill1 the condition1 the experience and the strength of his men1 and the distance over which they have to race1 and must decide on the period of practice accordingly4 ,i cannot on paper lay down any fixed general rule for his guidance1 but can only bring before him a few detached considerations which may be useful to him as food for reflection4 ,for my own part1 ,i may add that ,i have never found the least difficulty1 even after a year's rest from rowing1 in getting into very good racing condition on three or four weeks of work4 ,,how ,,to ,,arrange ,,the ,,daily ,,work ,,of ,,an ,,eight4 ,let the real hard work be done in the earlier stages of practice4 ,you thus accustom your men to one another1 and you grind them into a uniformity which makes all their subsequent work easier4 ,this plan has been very successfully followed by ,oxford crews4 ,before they get to ,putney they will have rowed over the long course of four miles some ten times4 ,as a result1 the men are hard and row well together2 and during their stay at ,putney it is found possible to ease them in their work1 so as to bring them fresh and vigorous to the post on the day of the race4 ,supposing you have five weeks for practice1 you ought1 ,i think1 during the first fortnight to row your crew over the racing course at least four times4 ,during the next ten days one full course will be sufficient4 ,the work of the last ten days must vary according to the condition of the men1 but two half courses and one full course at a racing stroke will probably be found sufficient4 ,save for the rare case of an exceptionally long row1 a practice of about an hour and a half every day is enough4 ,at ,henley all crews practise twice a day1 but ,i do not think they spend more than two hours1 if so much1 on the water every day4 ,,rate ,,of ,,stroke4 ,the practice rate for paddling ought not in the early stages to be less than twenty-eight to the minute1 which you may raise two points when rowing hard4 ,later on1 when your men are doing their rowing work at thirty-six or more1 and when they are1 or ought to be1 well together1 you may drop the rate of paddling to twenty-six or twenty-five1 in order to give them periods of rest1 and to instil into them that steadiness of swing which they are apt to neglect when engaged in the effort of working up the stroke to racing pace4 ,for a course of a mile to a mile and a half1 a crew should be able to start at forty1 continue at thirty-eight1 and1 if necessary1 finish at forty in the race4 ,even for the ,putney to ,mortlake course a crew ought to be able to command forty at a pinch4 ,as a rule1 however1 over a four-mile course a crew will go quite fast enough if it starts for not more than a minute at thirty-seven to thirty-eight1 and continues1 in the absence of a head-wind at an average of thirty-five4#i ,at ,henley most crews will start off at forty-one to forty-two for the first minute1 and continue at thirty-nine4 ,anything higher than this is dangerous1 though on a course of two-thirds of a mile ,i have known a ,four to row forty-six in the first minute with advantage4 #i ,against a head-wind the rate of stroke must be slower4 ,a coach's instructions would be1 ,swing down and reach out well1 and swing hard back against the wind4 ,a following wind makes a crew very unsteady1 unless they remember that1 since the pace of the boat is increased by the wind1 they must catch the beginning sharper1 to prevent the boat running away from them1 and take their oars out even quicker and cleaner than before1 in order to prevent the boat catching them up1 as it were4 ,above all1 they must keep the swing slow when they have a following wind4 ,these instructions are intended to apply to light racing ships4 ,for the clinker-built fixed-seat boats that are used at ,oxford and ,cambridge for the ,torpids and ,lent races1 a racing rate of thirty-seven ought to be high enough1 seeing that the crews are mainly composed of young oars4 ,the second division crews of the ,cambridge ,may races row with slides1 but in heavy1 clinker-built boats4 ,the advantages of this arrangement are not obvious4 ,still1 these crews ought to be able to race at thirty-six to thirty-seven4 ,as a rule1 however1 when ,i have seen them practising a minute's spurt1 nearly all of them seem to have imagined that thirty-two strokes were amply sufficient for racing purposes4 ,,paddling4 ,paddling should be to rowing what an easy trot is to racing speed on the cinder-path4 ,a crew when paddling is not intended to exert itself unduly1 but to move at a comfortable pace which excludes any sense of fatigue1 and enables the men to give their best attention to perfecting themselves in style1 and to harmonizing their individual movements with those of the rest4 ,in paddling men do not slash at the beginning so hard1 nor do they grind the rest of the stroke through with the same power as when rowing4 ,less violent energy is put into the work1 and the stroke consequently does not come through so fast4 ,the rate of paddling must therefore be slower than that of rowing1 since each stroke takes a longer time for its completion4 ,as a rule1 too1 the blade is in paddling not quite so deeply covered1 and cannot make the same rushing swirl under water4 ,during the earlier stages of practice paddling is merely easier rowing2 it is not so sharply distinguished from hard rowing as it becomes later on4 ,at the outset it is necessary to make your crew both paddle and row with a full swing1 in order to get length ineradicably fixed in their style4 ,but later on a coach may tell his men1 when he asks them to paddle1 not only to use the easier movements prescribed above1 but also to rest themselves additionally by using a somewhat shortened swing4 ,then1 when they are to row1 he must call on them to swing forward and reach out longer2 to swing back harder and longer1 with a more vigorous beginning2 and to put more force into their leg-drive4 ,a very useful plan1 especially for the purpose of getting a crew finally together1 is to make them do long stretches of paddling varied here and there by about a dozen or twenty strokes of rowing1 care being taken1 however1 not to allow the paddling to get dead and dull1 and a special point being made of getting the rowing not only hard1 but very long4 ,paddling is a difficult art to learn1 and only the very best crews paddle really well with balance1 rhythm1 and ease4 ,many a time ,i have seen a good crew and an inferior one paddling along the course together1 and almost invariably the good crew1 which had mastered the trick of paddling at a slow stroke and with perfect ease1 was distanced4 ,yet a moment afterwards1 when they ranged up alongside1 and started together for a two minutes' burst of rowing1 the good crew would leave its opponents as though they were standing still4 ,,how ,,to ,,work ,,the ,,stroke ,,up ,,to ,,racing ,,pace4 ,there comes a time in the history of every crew when1 having been plodding along comfortably at thirty-four1 they suddenly realize that the race is barely a week off1 that if they are to have any chance of success they must raise the stroke1 and that they don't know how on earth it is to be done1 seeing that they have usually felt pretty well cleaned out after rowing even a half course at their present rate4 ,however1 they generally do manage tant bien que mal to get it done1 and find in the end that thirty-eight is not really much more difficult for men in good training than thirty-four4 ,the best plan1 ,i think1 is to devote the greater part of an afternoon's practice to short rows of half a minute and a minute at1 say1 thirty-seven1 and to wind up with three minutes of this4 ,on that day there will probably be at first a terrible amount of rushing and splashing4 ,on the following day you will find that things have settled down1 and you will be able to row for five minutes at the faster rate4 ,on the third day practise short pieces again at thirty-eight1 thirty-nine1 forty2 and on the fourth day row your full course at as fast a rate as you can command4 ,a coach should impress upon his crew that a fast stroke is to be secured not by rushing forward with the bodies1 but by rattling away the hands quicker and by increasing the force employed in forcing the oar through the water4 ,the pace of the bodies on the forward swing1 though1 of course1 it does increase1 should feel as if it were slower4 ,relatively to the rate of stroke used1 it is1 in fact1 slower at a fast than at a slow stroke4 ,the best stroke-oars have been men who fully realized this1 and who1 either in breaking from a paddle into a row1 or in spurting during a hard piece of rowing1 gave their crew a delightful sense of steadiness and balance1 which enabled them to put their utmost energies into every stroke4 ,,practice ,,in ,,starting4 ,during the week preceding the race a coach should devote a great part of his attention to the task of getting his crew quick off the mark4 ,if a crew starts in a brisk and lively manner1 and gets pace on its boat immediately1 it is far more likely to continue well1 so long as its strength and condition last1 than a crew that ponderously drags its boat off1 with the notion that it can put pace on later4 ,at the end of half a minute the lively crew would be well ahead--no small moral advantage where two crews are evenly matched4 ,the best position for the first stroke is a little more than half forward with the body and three parts forward with the slide4 ,the mind1 as well as the muscles1 must be intent on the effort4 ,at the word ,go at once cover the blade deeply1 spring the body on to the work1 use the arms vigorously on this occasion only1 and1 above all1 drive1 drive1 drive with the legs1 wrenching the stroke fully home with outside hand4#aj ,then make a special point of rattling hands out like lightning1 and get hold of the second stroke when the hands are over the stretcher4 ,again a lightning rattle1 followed by a longer swing4 ,the fourth stroke should be a full one4 ,during the first two strokes the crew should watch stroke's blade1 and take their time from that4 #aj ,the simplest and easiest plan is to have the back of the blades flat on the water while you are waiting for the word4 ,in rowing with a strong tide it may sometimes be advisable to have the top of the blades turned over towards the stern and to square blades at the ,are you ready8 ,but this requires a lot of practice1 and even then generally causes unsteadiness4 ,,the ,,necessity ,,of ,,being ,,exhausted4 ,i hold it to be absolutely necessary that during practice men should learn thoroughly to row themselves out4 ,if they do not1 they need never expect to become properly fit for the hard strain involved in a race4 ,if men will only consent to put their best and hardest work into a practice course1 so that they may feel at the end of it that they have neither wind nor strength left1 ,i will guarantee that all the subsequent work will become infinitely easier for them1 and the race itself will be a pleasure instead of a pain4 ,i hate to see a crew finish a practice row1 no matter how short it may be1 in perfectly fresh trim4 ,that is a sign that they must have shirked their work4 ,yet ,i have often read in newspaper reports of the practice of crews some statement like the following3--,the boat travelled well all through1 and the time accomplished was fast2 but when it was over most of the men were much distressed--as if this were a reproach instead of a compliment4 ,such distress is one of the necessary stages through which crews must pass on their way to good physical condition and perfect racing power4 ,if a crew never tires itself in practice1 it will never row fast in a race4 ,,how ,,to ,,judge ,a ,,man',s ,,work ,,in ,a ,,boat4 ,this can only be done properly by watching both the movements of the body and the action of the blade in the water4 ,it may be assumed that if the blade strikes the water fairly at the full reach1 is covered at once1 produces a deep boiling swirl under the water1 and remains covered to the end of the stroke1 the oarsman who wields it must be working1 in spite of many possible faults of form4 ,again1 if the body moves well1 and with a vigorous briskness through the stroke1 it may be found that the swirl of the blade through the water does not show properly1 because the blade is put in too deep4 ,this1 of course1 is a fault1 for the oarsman is giving himself too much work1 and the effect on the propulsion of the boat is smaller2 but1 at any rate1 there is honesty of intention4 ,on the other hand1 a man may make a great show of form with his body1 and a great splash in the water1 by merely covering half his blade through the stroke1 or by missing his beginning and rowing light at the finish2 or he may seem to be swinging his body on to his work1 and yet by some subtly contrived disconnection between body and arms and legs1 produce no effect on the water4 ,for all this a coach must be on the look out4 ,if he has once done hard rowing himself1 and watched it in others1 he will never mistake the sham article 7the sugarer7 for the genuine1 though possibly clumsy1 worker4 ,,the ,,value ,,of ,,tub-,,pair ,,practice4 ,practice in the tub-pair is one of the greatest possible aids towards the consolidation of an eight-oared crew4 ,a coach or captain should never omit during the early stages of work to take out his men two by two in a tub4 ,sitting at ease in the stern1 he can lecture them to his heart's content1 and can devote himself with far better effect than when his crew are in the ,eight to eradicating individual faults and drilling the men into one uniform style4 ,during the latter part of training1 however1 the tub-pair is1 with rare exceptions1 an unnecessary burden4 ,the crew then require all their energies for the work of the ,eight1 in which they ought to be learning the last important lessons of watermanship and uniformity every day4 ,to drag them into tub-pairs at such a time can only weary them4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,of ,,ailments--,,of ,,training ,,and ,,diet--,,of ,,staleness--,,of ,,discipline--,,of ,,coaching4 ,,ailments4 ,i may preface what ,i have to say about ailments by stating1 as emphatically as it can be stated1 that every man who proposes to take part in a race ought1 before he begins practice1 to be thoroughly overhauled by a medical man4 ,i do not believe that any man whose heart and lungs and general constitution are sound can be injured by rowing4 ,on the contrary1 ,i have seen scores and scores of instances in which sound but imperfectly developed youngsters were formed and solidified and made into robust men by the exercise4 ,but if a doctor reports of an apparently powerful man that his heart is weak and his circulation defective1 or that the state of his lungs is unsatisfactory1 no power on earth would induce me to include him in my crew4 ,race-rowing is one of the severest strains to which a man can submit himself1 and only a perfectly sound man can go through it without taking harm4 ,coaches are sometimes ridiculed for the excessive care they take of their men2 and there are not wanting those who draw the inference that rowing men are peculiarly liable to illness1 and suffer1 when attacked by it1 more than others4 ,nothing can be further from the truth4 ,if we are anxious1 it is because we know that for the special strain involved in racing a man must be in specially good condition1 and we desire1 above all things1 to avoid anything that may keep him back in his training and his work4 ,moreover1 even a slight illness may entail temporary retirement from the crew1 and thus necessitate changes in its order which will prevent the men from getting together4 ,in rowing hard a man should keep a good colour4 ,if you see him turning green and yellow1 you may be sure that something is wrong with him1 and you must pack him off to the doctor at once4 ,it may turn out that his digestion is in fault1 and that a careful attention to diet is all that is necessary to cure him4 ,i have seen only two men actually faint during a race4 ,one of them was a distinguished ,oxford ,blue1 who collapsed during a heat of the ,grand ,challenge ,cup at ,henley2 the other was a college oar rowing in the ,cambridge ,fours4 ,with regard to him1 we discovered afterwards that he had overtaxed his strength by working in the ,cambridge engineering workshop for about six hours every day4 ,both these cases took place a good many years ago1 and in neither has any permanent injury resulted4 ,i have1 of course1 seen hundreds of men absolutely rowed out at the end of a race2 but1 with hardly an exception1 they were perfectly fit a few minutes afterwards and1 possibly1 in the course of a few hours they might be seen rowing in another severe race with unimpaired strength and vitality4 ,with regard to ailments generally1 ,i cannot do better than quote ,mr4 ,woodgate in the ,badminton book3 ,a crew should be under strict orders to report all ailments1 if only a blister1 instantly to the coach4 ,it is better to leave no discretion in this matter to the oarsman1 even at the risk of troubling the mentor with trifles4 ,if a man is once allowed to decide for himself whether he will report some petty and incipient ailment1 he is likely to hush it up1 lest it should militate against his coach's selection of him4 ,the effect of this is that mischief which might otherwise have been checked in the bud1 is allowed to assume dangerous proportions for want of a stitch in time4 ,an oarsman should be impressed that nothing is more likely to militate against his dream of being selected than disobedience to this or any other standing order4 ,the smallest pimple should be shown forthwith to the coach--verily the coach is not only ,greek3 dios1 but ,greek3 polytlas--the slightest hoarseness or tendency to snuffle reported1 any tenderness of joint or sinew instantly made known4 ,to these golden words ,i would merely add that in all more serious cases1 such as boils1 colds1 coughs1 severe diarrhoea1 or strains1 it is best for the coach not to attempt any amateur doctoring1 but to send his oarsman at once to a qualified doctor4 ,in nearly every large rowing club1 and at the ,universities1 there are to be found doctors who have either rowed themselves1 or have had long experience of treating the ailments of rowing men2 and it is far better to take their advice1 which1 as a rule1 does not incline to molly-coddling1 than to run the risk of losing a valuable oar out of the crew through one's own quackery4 ,blisters4 ,blisters are a common accompaniment of the early days of practice4 ,they are ordinarily innocuous enough if well treated2 but a neglected blister may result in a raw hand1 and lead to blood-poisoning4 ,the best plan is to prick a blister at its side with a clean needle before going to bed1 and on the following day or two to row with a glove and a pad of cotton-wool over the blister4 ,the skin very soon hardens into a callosity4 ,boils4 ,these are a sure sign that the blood is in a bad condition1 due probably to over-eating4 ,they afflict novices much more often than old oars1 who have learnt by experience to diet themselves4 ,a mild dose of ,eno's ,fruit ,salt before breakfast may be recommended4 ,the quantity of beef and mutton eaten must be largely reduced4 ,fish and the dark meat of poultry should be the staple articles of diet1 and not too much of those4 ,nor must the mistake be made of making up for the decrease of meat by over-loading the stomach with immense masses of vegetables1 though in moderation vegetables are excellent4 ,having thus done his best for the patient's inside1 the coach must send him to a doctor to have the boil treated externally4 ,diarrhoea4 ,cut off fruits of all kinds2 reduce meat2 give an extra glass of port1 and if the complaint continues1 send the afflicted to a doctor4 ,strains4 ,ordinary muscular strains generally yield to a good rubbing with an embrocation4 ,for wrist-strains a leather band may be recommended4 ,abdominal strains must be seen to by a doctor4 ,colds4 ,the best remedy for a severe cold is to give your man at least one day's complete rest1 and make him keep his room4 ,indeed1 with most ailments a day's rest will work wonders2 and it is far better for a coach to make up his reluctant mind to grant it1 than to run the risk of losing a valuable man altogether by keeping him chained to his oar when he is unfit to work4 ,however1 no man who takes proper care of himself1 and always makes a point of wrapping up when his crew easies1 ought to catch a cold4 ,,training ,,and ,,diet4 ,the rules of training and diet should be the rules of common sense1 applied to cases in which the body has to prepare itself1 by severe work and perfectly simple1 healthy living1 for an exceptional effort or series of efforts4 ,rules there must be1 if only on account of the advantage that comes of being able to make exceptions to them4 ,but the chief points must be regularity and simplicity--a regularity1 that is1 which shall not entail an unvarying and wearisome monotony1 and simplicity which shall not exclude occasional little luxuries that act as a stimulus to a man's jaded energies4 ,i shall give here two tables showing the hours and the dietary of an ,oxford crew training during a little more than five weeks for the race against ,cambridge1 and of a ,leander crew training for nearly three weeks for the ,grand ,challenge race at ,henley ,regatta4 ,i4 ,oxford ,crew4 #g ,a4,m4 ,out of bed1 and without bathing or washing dress immediately in flannels4 ,a cup of milk and a biscuit4 #g4ae ,out of the house4 ,a brisk walk with one sharp run of #aej yards4 #g4ej ,back to the house4 ,bath1 etc4 #h4cj ,breakfast4--,fish1 plainly cooked1 without sauce4 ,soles1 whiting1 and smelts are best4 ,salmon is not allowed4 ,cutlets or beefsteaks1 or grilled chicken4 ,eggs1 boiled1 or poached1 or fried1 sometimes scrambled4 ,mustard and cress1 or water-cress4 ,toast4 ,limited amount of butter4 ,marmalade is allowed only during the last fortnight of training4 ,not more than a cup and a half of tea4 #aa ,at ,putney1 when the state of the tide permits it1 exercise in the boat4 ,it should be noted that the tide sometimes makes it necessary for the crew to do its rowing in the morning1 sometimes in the afternoon4 ,occasionally work can be done both in the morning and afternoon4 #a ,p4,m4 ,lunch4--,cold meat4 ,tomatoes plainly made into a salad with oil and vinegar4 ,toast4 ,small quantity of butter4 ,oatmeal biscuits4 ,one glass of draught beer1 or claret and water4 #c or #d 7according to tide74 ,work in the boat4 #f4cj ,dinner4--,fish1 as at breakfast4 ,an entr'ee of pigeons1 or sweetbread1 or spinach and poached eggs4 ,roast joint 7not pork or veal71 or else chicken1 with potatoes1 mashed or boiled1 and boiled vegetables4 ,stewed fruit with rice puddings4 ,sometimes jelly4 ,two glasses of draught beer1 or claret and water4 ,for dessert1 figs1 prunes1 oranges1 dry biscuits1 and one glass of port wine4 #i4ej ,p4,m4 ,a glass of lemon and water1 or a cup of water-gruel4 #aj ,bed4 7,note4--,once or twice during training there is a champagne night1 when champagne is substituted for beer or claret and water2 but this only occurs when the crew have been doing very hard work1 or when they show evident signs of being over-fatigued1 and require a fillip47 ,,ii4 ,leander ,training at ,henley4 #g to #h4cj ,a4,m4 ,same as in previous table4 #h4cj ,a4,m4 ,breakfast4--,same as in previous table1 save for the frequent absence of meat4 ,marmalade allowed4 ,strawberries or peaches without sugar2 no cream4 #aj4cj or #aa1 or #ab ,p4,m4 ,out on the water4 #a4cj ,p4,m4 ,lunch4--,same as in previous table4 #d4de ,cup of tea with a slice of bread and butter1 or a biscuit4 #e4cj or #f ,p4,m4 ,out on the water4 #g4cj or #h ,dinner4--,same as in previous table4 #i4ej ,p4,m4 ,same as in previous table4 #aj4ae ,bed4 7,note4--,with most ,leander crews1 which are composed of experienced oarsmen1 it has been found possible to abolish restrictions on the amount of liquor1 and to allow the men to take what they want to satisfy their thirst1 which at ,henley time is naturally more severe than it is in the early spring at ,putney4 ,with a college crew of younger and less experienced oars such liberty of action is not to be recommended2 but a trainer ought1 during hot weather1 to tell his men that if they really want an extra half-glass or so1 they are not to hesitate to ask for it4 ,men in training will1 however1 generally find that if they exercise a little self-control during the first few days of training1 when the restriction on their drink seems specially painful1 their desire for drink will gradually diminish1 until at last they are quite content with their limited allowance4 ,if1 on the contrary1 they perpetually indulge themselves1 they will always be wanting more4 ,on this point ,i may cite the authority of the following remarks extracted from a recent article in the ,british ,medical ,journal3-- ,among the various discomforts entailed upon us by the hot weather is thirst1 which leads to many accidents4 ,first and most especially is the danger arising from the ingestion of ices and cold drinks1 which so many people fly to directly they feel hot4 ,difficult as it may be to explain in precise physiological terms the evil consequences which so often follow the sudden application of cold to the mucous membrane of the stomach when the body is over-heated1 there is no doubt about the fact1 and people would do well to remember the risk they run when they follow their instinct1 and endeavour to assuage their thirst by huge draughts of cold fluids4 ,there can be but little doubt that the profuse perspiration which is the cause of so many dangers is greatly aggravated by drinking1 and especially by drinking alcoholic fluids4 ,no one can watch a tennis match without noticing how the men perspire1 while the girls hardly turn a hair4 ,some1 perhaps1 will say that the girls play the feebler game2 but1 game or no game1 they exert themselves4 ,the same also may be seen at any dance4 ,the secret is that the men follow their instinct and slake their thirst1 while the girls simply bear it4 ,it should be remembered that thirst is the result of want of fluid in the blood1 not want of fluid in the stomach1 and that a pint or more may be drunk before a single ounce is absorbed4 ,any attempt1 then1 to assuage thirst by rapid drinking must of necessity lead to far more being taken than is wanted1 the moral of which is that if we must drink1 at least let us drink slowly4 ,besides asking his men to drink slowly1 a coach will do well to see that they take no drink at all before they have eaten a certain amount of food4 ,between meals1 except as set out in the tables given above1 no drink of any kind should be allowed4 ,over-eating1 too1 is a very common danger1 especially in the case of youngsters1 and a coach must warn his crew severely against it47 ,a captain ought to be specially strict in insisting on getting his men out of their beds at a fixed time1 and in seeing that they do not stay up too late at night4 ,absolute punctuality all round ought to be rigidly enforced4 ,if1 however1 anybody should resent the severities entailed by this dietary1 and pine for freedom1 he may be recommended to try what ,i may call the ,ouida system4 ,it is fully set out in ,under ,two ,flags1 from which1 in a spirit of humble admiration1 ,i venture to give an extract3-- ',beauty don't believe in training4 ,no more do ,i4 ,never would train for anything1' said the ,seraph1 now pulling the long blonde moustaches that were not altogether in character with his seraphic cognomen4 ',if a man can ride1 let him4 ,if he's born to the pig-skin he'll be in at the distance safe enough1 whether he smoke or don't smoke1 drink or don't drink4 ,as for training on raw chops1 giving up wine1 living like the very deuce1 and all as if you were in a monastery1 and changing yourself into a mere bag of bones--it's utter bosh4 ,you might as well be in purgatory2 besides1 it's no more credit to win then than if you were a professional4' ',but you must have trained at ,christ ,church1 ,rock1 for the ,eight8' asked another ,guardsman1 ,sir ,vere ,bellingham--',severe1' as he was christened1 chiefly because he was the easiest-going giant in existence4 ',did ,i6 ,men came to me2 wanted me to join the ,eight4 ,coxswain came1 awful strict little fellow1 docked his men of all their fun--took plenty himself1 though6 ,coxswain said ,i must begin to train1 do as all his crew did4 ,i threw up my sleeve and showed him my arm2' and the ,seraph stretched out an arm magnificent enough for a statue of ,milo4 ',i said1 ,there1 sir1 ,i'll help you thrash ,cambridge1 if you like1 but train ,i won't for you or for all the ,university4 ,i've been captain of the ,eton ,eight2 but ,i didn't keep my crew on tea and toast4 ,i fattened 'em regularly three times a week on venison and champagne at ,christopher's4 ,very happy to feed yours1 too1 if you like--game comes down to me every ,friday from the ,duke's moors2 they look uncommonly as if they wanted it6 ,you should have seen his face6 ,fatten the ,eight6 ,he didn't let me do that1 of course2 but he was very glad of my oar in his rowlocks1 and ,i helped him beat ,cambridge without training an hour myself1 except so far as rowing hard went4' ,and the ,marquis of ,rockingham1 made thirsty by the recollection1 dipped his fair moustaches into a foaming seltzer4 ',quite right1 ,seraph6' said ,cecil4 ',when a man comes up to the weights1 looking like a homonunculus after he's been getting every atom of flesh off him like a jockey1 he ought to be struck out for the stakes1 to my mind4' ,the obvious inference from this is that if we want to avoid looking like homonunculi we must acquire dukes as fathers1 and get fattened on venison and champagne4 ,,smoking4 ,there are no smokes in training4 ,,staleness4 ,in the practice of almost every crew there comes a period1 generally about half way through training1 when they begin to show the effects of hard work by a certain lassitude and loss of vigour4 ,this1 in fact1 is not genuine staleness1 but is the half-way house to perfect condition4 ,an experienced coach can always detect the signs of it amongst his men4 ,their tempers will be short1 they will begin to mope about the room1 and their general manner will betray languor and listlessness1 instead of that brisk cheerfulness that one has a right to expect4 ,their appetite will decrease1 and at meals they will dally with their food instead of consuming it with a hearty zest4 ,if a coach is blind to these signs1 and pursues1 in spite of them1 the scheme of work and diet which he may have laid down at the first1 he will probably bring to the post a crew as stale and lifeless as ,london shrimps4 ,if1 however1 he grants certain indulgences to those who are most affected2 if he lets them lie in bed of a morning1 adds a basin of soup to their lunch or dinner1 gives them extra liquor1 or champagne in place of their ordinary liquor1 and eases the work of the crew all round1 he will probably find that within three days they will be perfectly brisk and fit again4 ,i remember the case of an ,oxford crew which showed the worst symptoms of staleness on a ,friday4 ,saturday to ,monday they spent in ,brighton1 and returned so reinvigorated1 that on the following ,wednesday they were able in the race to row ,cambridge down at ,chiswick and win by a length4 ,for extreme cases of what ,i call genuine staleness1 ,i do not think there is any remedy except complete rest for a period more or less prolonged4 ,i have seen instances of this at ,henley amongst ,university oarsmen1 who had had practically no rest since the previous ,october4 ,,discipline4 ,not the least important point in the management of a crew lies in the preservation of strict discipline4 ,while they are in the boat and engaged in rowing1 no man1 except the captain or the cox1 should speak a word1 unless he is appealed to by the coach4 ,a wise captain1 too1 when he has a coach in whom he trusts1 will content himself with saying very little indeed4 ,to be constantly cursing his crew1 or to be shouting directions to them from the boat1 not only irritates the other men1 but increases all the difficulties of a coach4 ,to answer back a coach is a capital offence1 which ought to lead to immediate removal from the crew4 ,i can only remember one instance of it in all my experience1 and that was promptly followed by a humble apology4 ,silence1 prompt obedience1 absolute subordination of the individual self to the collective good of the crew1 a quick and hearty willingness in endeavouring to carry out orders or instructions1 a cheerful temper when things are going awry1 and a constant keenness whether in rowing or paddling--these are model qualities which will go far to make a man a valuable oar4 ,nothing has so bad an effect upon a crew as the display of moroseness or sullenness on the part of one of its members4 ,if that member should chance to be the captain1 the baneful effects are increased tenfold4 ,there are times of inattention and slackness when a coach does well to be angry1 and to bring his men sharply back to a knowledge of their duty4 ,,the ,,coach4 ,i cannot deal with this subject at any length1 for good coaching is a matter of temperament1 sympathy1 tact1 and intelligence--qualities that cannot be taught4 ,the man who has these necessary qualities1 and adds to them a wide experience of rowing1 can never go very far wrong in coaching a crew4 ,if a man can once establish between himself and his crew that subtle bond which comes of their conviction that their welfare and success are his chiefest desire1 and that everything he says is absolutely right1 the rest will be comparatively easy4 ,a few simple hints may1 however1 be given4 7#a7 ,never nag at your crew1 or at an individual4 ,point out his fault2 explain to him as clearly as you can how he ought to correct it1 and then leave him alone for a bit4 ,never weary your men with an incessant stream of talk4 ,periods of complete silence on your part are very valuable1 to you and to the crew4 7#b7 ,if you see signs of improvement in a man whom you have been correcting1 never fail to tell him so4 ,a little encouragement of this kind has more effect than heavy loads of objurgation4 7#c7 ,rebuke any carelessness very sharply1 but always keep strong measures1 such as taking a crew back to the start1 for really serious emergencies4 7#d7 ,show no partiality1 and make as little difference as you can between man and man4 ,it is useful to begin by coaching old hands with some severity4 ,new hands are encouraged by feeling that even a ,blue or a ,grand ,challenge winner is liable to error1 and that a coach is not afraid to tackle these eminent men4 7#e7 ,make a gallant effort never to lose your temper with an individual1 though loss of temper with a crew as a whole need not always be avoided4 ,when things go wrong in a crew1 impress upon each and every man that he is individually responsible for the defects4 ,every man is probably doing something wrong1 and in any case a determined and united attempt to row better can do no harm4 7#f7 ,never tell your men that they are rowing well1 or better1 when these statements are contrary to the truth4 ,the men in the boat can generally feel what is happening as well as you can see it from the bank or the launch1 and they are apt to lose confidence in a man who talks smooth things when everything is rough4 7#g7 ,never confuse a man by telling him more than one thing at a time while he is rowing4 ,when the crew has easied you can lecture him and them more at length4 7#h7 ,remember ,dr4 ,warre's rule1 that general exhortations1 such as ,time1 ,beginning1 ,smite1 ,keep it long1 and the like1 are to be given at the right moment1 not used as mere parrot cries4 7#i7 ,vary the tone of your voice as much as possible4 7#aj7 ,vary1 if possible1 the expressions you use in pointing out and correcting faults4 7#aa7 ,always insist on your crew putting on their wraps when they easy after rowing hard4 7#ab7 ,never allow men during summer training to stand1 sit1 or lie about in the full blaze of the sun4 7#ac7 ,teach by example as well as by precept4 ,the coach should be able to take his seat in a gig pair1 and to show his men practically the style he wishes them to row in1 and how their faults may be corrected4 7#ad7 ,always remember1 while paying attention to the form of individuals1 that your main object is to secure uniformity in the crew4 ,never fail1 therefore1 to correct faults of time instantly4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,of ,,the ,,race-,,day--,,of ,,the ,,race--,,of ,,the ,,necessity ,,of ,,having ,a ,,butt--,,of ,,leisure ,,time--,,of ,,aquatic ,,axioms4 ,,the ,,day ,,of ,,the ,,race4 ,on this tremendous day1 towards which all their efforts for weeks past have been directed1 the coach will find that all his crew are suffering from that peculiar nervousness to which rowing men have given the name of the needle4 ,it is a complaint against which no length of experience can harden a man1 and the veteran of a hundred races will feel it as acutely as the boy who is engaged in his first struggle4 ,a sort of forced cheerfulness pervades the air4 ,men make irrelevant remarks about their oars1 their stretchers1 or the notorious incapacity of their rivals1 while they are reading the newspapers or discussing the politics of the day4 ,even a coach is seized with the universal affection1 however gallantly he may strive against it1 and endeavour to entertain the crew with all his best stories of triumphant victories1 of defeats averted by brilliant spurts1 or of the last sayings of some well-known aquatic humourist4 ,old oars drop in1 and for a few moments divert the conversation1 only to flow back with it into the one absorbing topic that occupies all men's minds4 ,the feeling goes on increasing until at last1 oh joy6 the time comes for getting into the boat4 ,with his faithful oar in his hand1 and his feet fixed to the stretcher1 a man regains his confidence1 and when the word is given he will find that the only effect that the needle has had upon him has been to brace his energies to their highest pitch4 ,the duty of a coach on such an occasion is clear4 ,he must try to keep his men cheerful1 and prevent them from brooding over the race that is to come4 ,visits from old oars should be encouraged1 for it is often a relief and an amusement to a youngster to find that some solid oar of the past is even more agitated than he is himself4 ,one thing must not be omitted1 and that is the preliminary spin1 which should take place about two hours before the race1 and should consist of two sharp starts of ten strokes each and one hard row of a minute4 ,this has an invaluable effect in clearing the wind4 ,i have always felt1 when ,i have rowed more than one race in a day1 and ,i think my experience will be confirmed by most other oarsmen1 that ,i have been able to row better1 harder1 and with less distress1 in the second race than in the first4 ,an hour and a half before the race a man will be all the better for a biscuit and a hot cup of strong meat soup1 with perhaps a dash of brandy to flavour it1 but this must depend upon the hour at which the race is rowed1 for if you have lunched at one and have to race at half-past three you will want nothing between times to stay your stomach4 ,the early morning sprint should be taken as usual4 ,illustration3 ,,henley ,,regatta1 #ahig4 7,new ,college v4 ,leander4 ,won by ,new ,college by #b;ft47 ,,the ,,race4 ,i shall say1 ',are you ready8' once2 if ,i receive no answer1 ,i shall say1 ',go6' ,it is the voice of the umpire addressing us from the steam-launch in which he will follow the race4 ,he must be a man dead to all feeling1 incapable of sympathy1 for he actually turns to one of his fellow-passengers and makes a jesting remark1 while our hearts are palpitating and our minds are strung up to face the stern actualities of the race4 ,the other crew look very big and strong1 and fit and determined4 ,we shall have to row our hardest1 and we all know it4 ,get the top of your shorts properly tucked in1 says our captain1 so as not to catch your thumbs2 and mind1 all of you1 eyes in the boat1 and when cox shouts for ten strokes let her have it4 ,come forward all4 ,touch her gently1 bow 7it is the cox who speaks1 and his voice sounds thin and far away and dream-like74 ,one more4 ,that'll do4 ,easy1 bow4 ,now we're straight4 ,are you ready8 from the umpire4 ,great heaven6 will he never say----,go6 he shouts4 ,there is a swish1 a leap1 a strain1 a rattle of oars1 a sense of something moving very swiftly alongside1 a turmoil of water1 a confused roar from the bank3 we are off6 ,we started splendidly4 ,for half a minute ,i am a mere machine2 thoughts1 feelings1 energies--all are concentrated into one desire to work my hardest and to keep in time4 ,then my mind clears1 and ,i become conscious once more of myself and my surroundings4 ,have we gained8 ,i must steal a look4 ,by ,jupiter1 they're leaving us6 ,eyes in the boat1 four1 screams the cox2 you're late6 ,be hanged to cox6 he's got eyes like a lynx4 ,yes2 there's no doubt of it--,i can see1 without looking out of the boat1 out of the corner of my eye4 ,they're gaining still4 ,now their stroke is level with me2 now he has disappeared1 and for a few strokes ,i am conscious of a little demon cox bobbing and screeching alongside of me4 ,then he1 too1 draws away1 and their rudder is all ,i can see4 ,at last that also vanishes1 and a sense of desolation descends on us4 ,nearly two minutes must have gone2 ,i know that by the landmarks we have passed4 ,surely we ought to spurt4 ,what can stroke be up to8 ,is he going to let us be beaten without an effort4 ,ugh6 what a shower-bath that was4 ,it's six splashing1 as usual4 ,well1 if we're beaten1 we must just grin and bear it4 ,we shall have to congratulate the other ruffians4 ,hateful6 ,somebody must get beaten4 ,but we're not beaten yet1 hang it all6 ,three minutes4 ,what's this8 ,cox is shouting4 ,now1 ten hard strokes together2 swing out1 and use your legs6 ,he counts them out for us at the top of his voice4 ,grand6 ,we're simply flying4 ,that's something like it4 ,and ,i'm not a bit done yet4 ,we're none of us done4 ,the boat's going like smoke4 ,nine6 yells the cox4 ,ten6 ,now1 don't slack off1 but keep her going4 ,you're gaining1 you're gaining6 ,on to it1 all of you4 ,he is purple in the face1 and foaming at the mouth4 ,glorious6 ,their rudder comes back to me2 ,i see their cox4 ,we are catching them4 ,now for it6 ,a few strokes more and the boats are running dead level1 and so they continue for half a minute4 ,stroke has now1 however1 taken the measure of his foes4 ,we are steadying down and swinging longer1 and ,i am conscious that the other crew are rowing a faster stroke4 ,it is now our turn to leave them4 ,foot by foot we creep past them2 their bows come level with me1 and then slowly recede4 ,i can see the back of their bowman4 ,his zephyr has come out from his shorts2 the back of his neck is very pale4 ,there can't be more than two minutes left now1 and ,i'm still fit1 and my wind is all right4 ,we are winning2 ,i'm sure of it4 ,no2 they're spurting again1 and1 by ,jove6 they're gaining6 ,spurt1 stroke1 spurt6 ,we mustn't get beaten on the post4 ,but stroke1 that wary old warrior1 knows what he is about4 ,unmistakable signs prove to him that this effort is the last desperate rally of his enemies4 ,he sees their boat lurch2 their time is becoming erratic2 two of them are rolling about in evident distress4 ,his own crew he has well in hand2 we are rowing as one man1 and he feels that he has only to give a sign1 and our restrained eagerness will blaze forth and carry us gloriously past the post4 ,let us wait1 he seems to say1 a very few seconds more1 until the opposing spurt fades out to its inevitable end2 so he rows on imperturbably4 ,but isn't he running it too fine8 ,not he4 ,he gives a quick word to cox1 rattles his hands away1 and swings as if he meant to strike his face against the kelson of the boat4 ,pick her up all6 screams the cox4 ,now then6 comes in a muffled gasp from the captain4 ,we feel that our moment has come1 and1 with a unanimous impulse1 we take up the spurt and spin the ship along4 ,in a flash we leap ahead2 we leave the other crew as if it was standing still4 ,we are a length ahead2 now we are clear2 half a length of open water divides us from them4 ,to all intents and purposes the race is over4 ,the crowd grows thicker2 the shouts from the bank become a deafening din4 ,enthusiasts scream futile encouragements to pursuer and pursued1 and in another moment the flag is down1 the cox cries1 ,easy all6 and with triumph in our hearts we realize that we have won4 ,the captain turns round to us--he is rowing ,no4 #g--;his face glowing with pleasure4 ,well rowed indeed1 you men6 he pants4 ,you all did thundering well6 ,and as for you1 stroke---- but words fail him1 and all he can do is to clap his delighted stroke on the back4 ,then1 having duly exchanged the customary ,well rowed6 and its accompanying rattle of oars in rowlocks with our gallant enemy1 we paddle home to the raft1 where our exultant coach and our perspiring partisans receive us with hand-shakings and embraces and fervently epitomized stories of the struggle4 ,i knew you had got 'em all the way6 says the coach4 ,did you hear me shout when you got to the half-way point8 ,hear you shout8 we reply in a chorus of joyful assent4 ,of course we did4 ,that's why we spurted4 ,of course1 we had heard nothing2 but at this moment we almost think we did hear him plainly1 and in any case we are not going to be so churlish as to detract from anybody's joy over our victory4 ,and so the struggle is ended1 and we have won4 ,pleasant though it is to know that training is over1 there is not one of us who does not feel a sense of sorrow as he realizes that these days of toil and hardship and self-restraint1 of glorious health and vigorous effort are past4 ,all the little worries under which we chafed1 the discipline that at times was irksome1 the thirst1 the fatigue1 the exhaustion1 the recurrent disappointments--all these become part of a delightful memory4 ,never again1 it may be1 shall these eight men strike the sounding furrows together4 ,the victory that has crowned us with honour has at the same time broken up our companionship of labour and endurance2 but its splendid memory1 and the friendships it knit together--these remain with us1 and are a part of our lives henceforth wherever we may be4 ,,the ,,necessity ,,of ,,having ,a ,,butt4 ,let me turn now to lighter matters1 for there are lighter matters connected with rowing4 ,and first let me insist on the necessity of having a butt in a crew4 ,it appears strange at first sight that the system of training--that is to say1 of diet1 of early hours1 of healthy exercise1 and of perfect regularity in all things1 which has so admirable an effect upon the condition of the body1 should sometimes impair the powers of the mind1 and absolutely shatter the temper4 ,i have seen eight healthy1 happy1 even-tempered young men go into training together for three weeks4 ,they were all the best of friends4 ,tom had known ,dick at school1 and both had been inseparable from ,harry ever since they had gone up to the ,university4 ,with these three the other five were closely linked by a common pursuit and by common interests4 ,each one of them was a man of whom his friends could say1 he was the easiest man to get on with you could possibly meet4 ,yet mark what happened4 ,at the end of three weeks every man in that crew was the proud possessor of seven detested foes4 ,they ate their food in morose silence2 they took no delight in the labour of the oar1 and each one confided to his outside friends his lamentable opinions about the seven other members of the crew4 ,even now1 though years have passed away1 no one who rowed in that crew can look back without horror on those three terrible weeks4 ,why was this so8 ,the simple answer is this1 that the crew in question did not number among its members a butt4 ,i doubt if the importance of a butt in modern boat-racing has been properly recognized4 ,speaking from an experience of many years1 ,i should affirm unhesitatingly1 if ,i did not remember what ,i have written in previous chapters1 that in an ordinary crew1 composed1 as ordinary crews are1 of men and not of angels1 the position of butt is a far more important and responsible one than that of stroke or ,no4 #g4 ,if you can find a good1 stout1 willing butt--a butt who lends himself to nicknames1 and has a temper as even as a billiard-table and as long as a tailor's bill--secure him at once and make him the nucleus of your crew4 ,there may be difficulties1 of course1 if he should happen to be a heavy weight without a notion of oarsmanship1 but these defects can easily be mitigated by good coaching1 and in any case they cannot be allowed to count against the supreme merit of keeping the rest of the crew in good temper4 ,salient characteristics are apt to be a rock of offence to a training crew4 ,to be a silent thinker does not give rise to happiness in the seven who watch you think4 ,it is an even deadlier thing to be an eloquent gabbler or a dreary drawler4 ,there is nothing an ordinary rowing man detests so much as windy eloquence1 unless it be perhaps the miserable indolence which is known as slackness4 ,the butt must therefore be neither silent1 nor slack1 nor a drawler4 ,nature will probably have saved him from being a thinker or an orator4 ,he must be simply good-natured without affectation1 and ready to allow tempers made stormy by rowing and training to break upon his broad back without flinching4 ,your true butt is always spoken of as old ,so-and-so1 and1 as a rule1 he is a man of much sharper wits1 with a far keener insight into character1 than most of those who buffet or tease him4 ,among eminent butts may be named ,mr4----1 but on second thoughts ,i refrain4 ,,leisure ,,time4 ,it seems a mere platitude to say that a man who can occupy his spare moments in writing or reading is likely to be happier and more even-tempered than one who is never seen with a book or a pen in his hand4 ,yet it is a platitude of which not many oarsmen realize the force2 and1 indeed1 it is not an uncommon sight to see most of the members of a crew sitting about listlessly in armchairs or talking the stale futilities of rowing shop when they might with more solid advantage be engaged1 let us say1 in following ,mr4 ,stanley ,weyman's or ,dr4 ,conan ,doyle's latest hero through the mazes of his exciting adventures4 ,at ,oxford or ,cambridge1 of course1 a man has his lectures to attend1 his fixed tale of work to get through4 ,but at ,putney or at ,henley this is not so4 ,there a man is thrown back on his own resources1 a companionship which he does not always seem to find particularly cheerful or attractive4 ,a billiard table1 of course1 is a valuable adjunct to training quarters1 but this is scarcely ever found at ,henley1 and not always at ,putney4 ,besides1 most of us1 after a short time1 cease to take any pleasure whatever in a game in which we are not qualified to shine4 ,the joy of reading the sporting reporter's account of your doings1 and of proving conclusively that he knows nothing about rowing1 lasts but a short time every morning4 ,i may1 therefore1 offer the oarsman a piece of advice which is1 sound1 in spite of its copybook flavour1 and that is1 that he shall cultivate a habit of reading1 and1 if possible1 of reading good literature4 ,many moralists might recommend this habit on the common ground that good literature tends to improve the tone of a man's mind2 and even a coach who is not a moralist will find it useful in distracting the thoughts of his men4 ,besides1 it is quite pleasant in after life to recognize a well-worn quotation in a newspaper article1 and to remember1 probably with complete inaccuracy1 where it originated4 ,a little attention to writing and spelling might also prove valuable4 ,oarsmen who had devoted themselves1 say for ten minutes a day1 to these simple tasks1 would have been saved from perpetrating the following correspondence1 which ,i quote verbatim et literatim from letters in my possession3-- ,,dear---- ,it has been reported to me that you broke training last night you were seen smoking not only a few wiffs but a whole pipe ,i have therefore decided to turn you out of the boat4 ,yours1 etc4 ,answer to the above-- ,,dear---- ,i am in reciet of your letter it is true that ,i smoked two whifs 7not wiffs as you say7 out of another man's pipe but that's all however ,i don't want to row in your beastly boat4 ,yours1 etc4 ,,aquatic ,,axioms4 ,i may add here some axioms which have been printed before1#aa but which ,i may venture to repeat in a treatise on rowing4 ,the years that have passed since they were first set down have not weakened my conviction that they are accurate4 ,i still believe myself justified in stating-- 7#a7 ,that if two crews row a course within ten minutes of one another1 the wind is always more violent and the stream more powerful against the crew in which you yourself happen to be rowing4 7#b7 ,that it is always right to take off at least five seconds from the time shown on your stop-watch in timing your own crew1 and to add them1 by way of compensation1 to the time shown on the same watch when timing a rival crew4 7#c7 ,that your own crew is absolutely the only one which ever rows the full course right out or starts at the proper place4 7#d7 ,that if your crew is impeded while rowing a course you must allow ten seconds2 but if any other crew is impeded you must allow only two seconds4 7#e7 ,that if you row a slow course1 ,no4 #e's stretcher gave way1 or his slide came off4 7#f7 ,that you could always knock a quarter of a minute off when you row a faster stroke1 but that-- 7#g7 ,you never do1 as a matter of fact1 row a faster stroke4 7#h7 ,that your crew always rowed a slower stroke than the rest4 7#i7 ,that you are sure to do a faster time to-morrow4 7#aj7 ,that your private opinion is1 that if everybody in the crew did as much work as you do yourself your crew would be many lengths faster1 and-- 7#aa7 7and last7 ,that you always lose by the steering of your coxswain three lengths1 which all other crews gain by the steering of theirs4 #aa ,in ,in ,cambridge ,courts4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,four-,,oars ,,and ,,pair-,,oars--,,swivel ,,rowlocks4 ,a good coxswainless four-oared crew represents skill and watermanship1 as distinguished from mere brute strength1 in their highest development4 ,i may lay it down as an axiom that any man who can row well in a coxswainless ,four will row equally well in an eight-oared crew4 ,the converse of this is1 however1 by no means true4 ,a man may do good work in an ,eight1 and yet be incapable of doing himself justice in a ,four1 or1 indeed1 of helping the pace of the boat in any way4 ,rowing of a more refined order is requisite for a ,four4 ,greater power of balance is needed1 and a more perfect sense of that rhythm which goes far to secure uniformity in rowing4 ,you may have in your ,eight a clumsy heavy-weight1 who at ,no4 #e can use his strength to wonderful advantage1 in spite of various aberrations from correct form4 ,but if you put this man at ,no4 #c in a ,four1 the results are sure to be disastrous4 ,an easier style of movement is required for a ,four4 ,a strenuous application of all the body-weight at the beginning of the stroke is still1 no doubt1 necessary4 ,the beginning must1 of course1 be gripped1 and that firmly2 but the best four-oared rowing ,i have seen always gave me the impression that a sort of oiling method of progression1 in which steady leg-pressure plays a prominent part1 was best suited to a ,four which is not encumbered with the weight of a coxswain4 ,over and over again have ,eights been defeated at ,henley for the ,grand ,challenge ,cup1 and yet ,fours1 selected from their members1 have been able to beat all comers in the ,stewards'4 ,from #ahfh to #ahgh the ,london ,rowing ,club won the ,grand five times4 ,in the same period of eleven years their ,four was only once defeated for the ,stewards'1 proving1 if any proof were needed1 that an inferior ,eight 7,i use the term merely relatively7 may contain a first-class victorious ,four4 ,on the other hand1 from #ahia to #ahig1 a period during which ,leander won the ,grand five times1 they were able to win the ,stewards' only once1 and that was this year1 when their ,eight was defeated4 ,instances of this kind might be multiplied4 ,but besides skill in oarsmanship1 another element1 which adds greatly both to the difficulties and pleasures of a ,four1 has to be considered4 ,this is the necessity that one of the oarsmen should not only row1 but also guide the course of the boat by steering with his foot4 ,it is evident that watermanship of a very high order is needed for this feat4 ,the steerer must know the course and all its points perfectly4 ,the ordinary oar often finds it difficult to keep time when his eyes are glued on the back of the men in front of him1 but the steerer in a ,four has to keep time and regularity1 even though he may be forced to look round in order to ascertain the true direction of his boat4 ,an oarsman in an ,eight has both his feet firmly fixed2 a steerer of a ,four must keep one foot constantly ready for movement4 ,and all this he has to do without making the boat roll1 or upsetting the harmony of his crew4 ,these difficulties1 no doubt1 are great2 but when once they have been overcome1 and the crew has shaken absolutely together1 there can be few pleasures in the world of exercise comparable to that of rowing in a ,four4 ,during a long period the ,london ,rowing ,club had almost a monopoly of good ,fours4 ,their crews showed a degree of watermanship which in those days ,university oarsmen despaired of attaining to4 ,gulston1 ,stout1 ,a4 de ,l4 ,long1 ,trower1 and ,s4 ,le ,b4 ,smith were not only names to conjure with1 but showed in their rowing that perfection of apparently simple ease which lies at the root of success in four-oared rowing4 ,who that ever witnessed it can forget the sight1 once well-known at ,henley1 of ,mr4 ,f4 ,s4 ,gulston as he rowed and steered his ,four to victory8 ,as a recent ,cambridge versifier said of him-- ,they can't recall1 but ah1 ,i can1 ,how hard and strong you looked1 sir2 ,twelve stone1 and every ounce a man1 ,unbeatable1 uncooked1 sir4 ,our ,french friends1 had they seen your rude ,vast strength had cried1 ',ah quel beau ,rameur1 celui qui arque le coude'-- ,that is1 protrudes his elbow4 ,your ship could run like ,charley's ,aunt1 ,and you1 demure as ,penley1 ,knew all the wiles that might enchant ,the river nymphs at ,henley4 ,no piles had yet marked out the way ,forbidding men to try on ,the tricks that found round every bay ,the short cuts to the ',lion4' ,each inch of bay you knew by heart1 ,you knew the slackest water2 ,all foes who faced you at the start1 ,you beat1 and beat with slaughter4 ,to 'form' a stranger1 yet your style ,the kind that much endures was4 ,i never saw--forgive the smile-- ,a rounder back than yours was4 ,but round or straight1 when all dismayed ,your rivals lagged in trouble1 ,still with a firm1 unfaltering blade ,you drove the swirling bubble4 ,with you to speed the hours along ,no day was ere spent dully1 ,our stalwart1 cheerful1 matchless1 strong1 ,our undefeated ,gully4 ,as a matter of record it may be stated that ,mr4 ,gulston won five ,grand ,challenge ,cup medals and ten ,stewards' ,cup medals1 ,mr4 ,a4 de ,l4 ,long five ,grand ,challenge ,cup medals and eight ,stewards' ,cup medals1 and ,mr4 ,s4 ,le ,b4 ,smith four ,grand ,challenge ,cup medals1 and seven ,stewards' ,cup medals4 ,no oarsman of the present day can boast of anything like such a record in these two events4 ,the art of four-oared rowing1 then1 was brought to perfection by the crews of the ,london ,rowing ,club many years ago2 but there is no danger that it will be forgotten by oarsmen of the present day4 ,indeed1 the rowing of the ,leander ,four that won the ,stewards' ,cup this year was about as good as four-oared rowing can be4 ,they were absolutely together1 they rowed with most perfect ease1 and in the race they beat record time by seven seconds1 and might have beaten it by still more1 had they not easied a length or two from the finish4 ,their weights were as follows3-- ,bow4 ,c4 ,w4 ,n4 ,graham #aj st4 #b lbs4 #b4 ,j4 ,a4 ,ford #ab st4 #a lb4 #c4 ,h4 ,willis #aa st4 #ab lbs4 ,guy ,nickalls 7stroke1 and steers7 #ab st4 #g lbs4 ,from the above remarks it will be gathered that the great points to be insisted upon in four-oared rowing are uniformity1 and again uniformity1 and always uniformity4 ,a coach should insist1 if possible even more strenuously than he insists in an ,eight1 on bodies and slides moving with a faultless precision and perfectly together4 ,let him devote his energies to getting the finish and recovery locked up all through the crew1 and let him see to it that the movements of their bodies shall be slow and balanced on the forward swing1 and strong and not jerky on the back swing4 ,more it would be difficult to add4 ,when a ,four is practising for a four-oared race alone--that is to say1 when its members are not rowing in an eight-oared crew as well1 their course of work should be similar to that laid down for an ,eight4 ,but when1 as often happens at ,henley1 a ,four is made up out of the members of an eight-oared crew1 it will always be found better to allow its members to do the bulk of their work in the ,eight1 and to confine themselves in the ,four principally to long and easy paddling1 varied by short1 sharp bursts of rowing4 ,it may be necessary for such a ,four to go over the full course once at top speed1 but that ought to be enough4 ,their work in the ,eight should get them into condition2 all that they really need in the ,four is to be able to row perfectly together4 ,the ,brasenose ,four that won the ,stewards' in #ahij had never rowed over the full course before the day of the race4 ,their longest piece of rowing1 as distinguished from paddling1 had been a burst of three minutes4 ,their men acquired fitness by working in the ,eight1 and proved their condition by the two desperate races they rowed4 ,as to steering1 it used to be said that anybody might steer in a ,four except stroke1 but ,mr4 ,guy ,nickalls has proved that a stroke can steer as well as row4 ,he has won four ,stewards' ,cup medals1 has stroked and steered in every race1 and his boat has always been kept on a faultless course4 ,in the case of the ordinary oar1 however1 the old saying1 ,i think1 holds good4 ,bow naturally is the best place to steer from1 not only because in turning his head he can obtain a clear view of the course1 but also because he has a considerable advantage in leverage1 and ought to be able to control the direction of his boat merely by relaxing or increasing the power applied to his oar4 ,the best part of the stroke for looking round is1 ,i consider1 towards the finish4 ,a turn of the head1 accompanied by an outward movement of the outside elbow to suit the slightly altered position of the body1 while keeping pressure on the oar1 is all that is necessary4 ,yet ,i have seen ,mr4 ,guy ,nickalls look round in the middle of his forward swing without apparently disturbing the equilibrium of the boat4 ,in any case1 the best thing a steerer can do is to learn his course by heart1 so that he may be able to steer for the most part without looking round at all1 judging the direction she is taking by her stern and by well-known objects on the bank as he passes them4 ,personally ,i prefer1 and ,i think most men prefer1 to steer with the outside foot4 ,the captain of a ,four should always look carefully to his steering-gear to see that the wires and strings are taut1 and that they move properly and without jamming over the wheels4 ,i have seen more than one race lost by accidents to the steering-gear that might have been avoided by a little preliminary attention4 ,,pair ,,oars4 ,this1 too1 is a very pleasant form of rowing1 both with a view to racing and merely for casual amusement4 ,the main elements for success are similar to those laid down in the case of ,fours4 ,in pair-oared rowing1 however1 there is one important point which distinguishes it from all other forms of rowing4 ,it is absolutely essential that the two men composing a ,pair should not row jealous1 i4e4 neither of them must attempt to row the other round in order to prove his own superior strength and ability4 ,such a course of action not only makes progress circuitous and slow1 but also ends by entirely destroying the tempers of both oarsmen4 ,in a ,pair1 even more than in a ,four1 the bow oar has a considerable advantage in leverage1 whence it comes that a lighter and less powerful man can often row bow in a ,pair with a strong and heavy stroke4 ,the most surprising instance of this occurred in the ,oxford ,university ,pairs of #ahia1 which were won by the late ,mr4 ,h4 ,b4 ,cotton1 rowing bow at #i st4 #ab lbs41 to the stroke of ,mr4 ,vivian ,nickalls1 who weighed close on #ac st4 ,an instance to the contrary was afforded by the winners of the ,goblets at ,henley in #ahgh4 ,these were ,mr4 ,t4 ,c4 ,edwards-,moss1 bow1 #ab st4 #c lbs41 and ,mr4 ,w4 ,a4 ,ellison1 stroke1 #aj st4 #ac lbs4 ,the ,goblets at ,henley have been won six times by ,mr4 ,guy ,nickalls1 and five times by his brother ,vivian4 ,,swivel ,,rowlocks4 ,there has been1 during the past year1 a movement in favour of using swivel rowlocks1 not only in sculling-boats1 but also in ,pairs1 ,fours1 and ,eights1 though the majority of ,english oarsmen1 even when inclined to use them in ,pairs and ,fours1 set their faces against them for ,eights4 ,the advocates of swivels contend that by their use the hands are eased on the recovery1 and the jar that takes place when the oar turns on a fixed rowlock is absolutely abolished4 ,these advantages seem to me to be exaggerated1 for1 though ,i have carefully watched for it1 ,i have never seen an ,eight or a ,four retarded in her place for even a fraction of a second by the supposed jar due to the turning of the oar on the feather in fixed rowlocks4 ,on the other hand1 ,i am convinced that for an ordinary eight-oared crew the fixed rowlock is best1 and for the following reasons3-- ,the combined rattle of the oars as they turn constitutes a most valuable rallying-point4 ,the ears are brought into action as well as the eyes4 ,this advantage is lost with swivels4 ,in modern sculling-boats a man must use swivels1 for the reach of the sculler extends to a point which he could not reach with fixed rowlocks1 as his sculls would lock before he got there4 ,as he moves forward he is constantly opening up1 his arms extending on either side of his body2 but in rowing1 one arm swings across the body1 and unless you are going to screw the body round towards the rigger1 and thus sacrifice all strength of beginning1 you cannot fairly reach beyond a certain point1 which is just as easily and comfortably attained with fixed rowlocks as with swivels4 ,moreover--and here is the great advantage--you have in the thole-pin of a fixed rowlock an absolutely immovable surface1 and the point of application of your power is always the same throughout the stroke4 ,with a swivel this is not so1 for the back of the swivel1 against which your oar rests1 is constantly moving4 ,to put it in other words1 it is far easier with a fixed rowlock to get a square1 firm1 clean grip of the beginning1 and for the same reason it is easier to bring your oar square and clean out at the end of the stroke4 ,a really good waterman can1 of course1 adapt himself to swivels1 as he can to almost anything else in a boat1 but his task will not be rendered any easier by them4 ,for average oars1 and even for most good oars1 the difficulties of rowing properly will be largely increased1 without any compensating advantage1 so far as ,i am able to judge4 ,in the case of novices1 ,i am convinced that it would be quite disastrous to attempt to make them row with swivel rowlocks4 ,measurements of ,racing ,four built by ,j4 ,h4 ,clasper4 7,in this boat ,leander won the ,stewards' ,cup1 #ahig47 ft4 ins4 ,length over all #db #c ,greatest breadth of beam1 exactly amidship #a #h-c_/h ,from centre of seat to sill of rowlock #b #h-a_/b ,length of play of slides #a #c-g_/h ,height of sliding-seat above skin of boat #h-g_/h ,height of heel-traps above skin of boat #a-e_/h 7,this would make the heels about one inch above skin of boat47 ,height of sill of rowlock above seat #f-c_/d ,depth forward #f-a_/h ,depth aft #e ,measurements of ,oars used4 ,length over all #ab #j-a_/b ,length in-board #c #h-a_/b ,length of blade #b #h ,breadth of blade #e-c_/d ,this boat is some three feet shorter than the average of ,fours nowadays4 ,the oars used by the ,new ,college ,four measured over all #ab ft4 #f ins42 in-board1 #c ft4 #h-a_/b ins42 breadth of blades1 #e-a_/b ins4 ,measurement of a ,pair ,oar built by ,sims1 of ,putney4 7,in this ,pair ,mr4 ,h4 ,g4 ,gold1 and ,mr4 ,r4 ,carr won the ,university ,pairs at ,oxford1 their weights being #aa st4 #aj lbs4 and #ab st4 #h lbs4 respectively47 ft4 ins4 ,length over all #cg #a ,greatest breadth #a #c-c_/d ,length of slide play #a #d ,distance from sill of rowlock to centre of seat #b #h-a_/b ,height of seat above skin of boat #h-a_/h ,height of heels above skin of boat #a-a_/d ,illustration3 ,,henley ,,regatta4 7,a ,heat for the ,diamonds47 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,sculling4 ,by ,guy ,nickalls4 ,in writing an article on sculling1 a sculler must of necessity be egotistical4 ,he can only speak of what he himself feels to be the correct way of doing things1 and cannot judge of how a different man feels under the same circumstances4 ,i therefore put in a preliminary plea for forgiveness if in the course of these remarks the letter ,i should occur with excessive frequency4 ,sculling is so entirely an art by itself1 that a man might just as well ask a painter how he produces an impression on a canvas as ask a sculler why he can scull1 or how it comes that so many good oarsmen cannot scull4 ,ask an ordinary portrait-painter why he cannot sketch a landscape1 and ask an ordinary oarsman to explain why he cannot scull1 and to the uninitiated the answer of both will have the same sort of vagueness4 ,sculling differs so vastly from rowing that no man who has not tried his hand at both can appreciate how really wide apart they stand2 and the fact that sculling depends to such a great extent on one's innate sense of touch and balance1 makes it extremely hard for a man who has tried his hand with some success at both sculling and rowing to explain to the novice1 or even to the veteran oarsman1 wherein the difference lies4 ,there is as much difference between sculling and rowing as there is between a single cyclist racing without pacemakers1 steering and balancing himself and making his own pace1 and a man in the middle of a quintette merely pedalling away like a machine at another man's pace1 and not having the balance or anything else solely under his control4 ,the difference in feel is so great that one might liken it to the difference between riding a light1 springy1 and eager thoroughbred which answers quickly to every touch1 and pounding uncomfortably along on a heavy1 coarse-bred horse1 responding slowly to an extra stimulus1 and deficient in life and action4 ,to scull successfully one must possess pluck1 stamina1 and a cool head1 and must1 above all1 be a waterman4 ,a man may row well and successfully1 and yet possess none of these qualities4 ,nothing depresses a man more when he is sculling than his sense of utter isolation4 ,if a spurt is required1 he alone has to initiate it and carry it through2 there is no cheering prospect of another strong back aiding one1 no strenuous efforts of others to which one can rally1 no cox to urge one to further effort4 ,you feel this even more in practice than in actual racing1 especially when going against the clock4 ,you are your own stroke1 captain1 crew1 and cox1 and success or failure depends entirely and absolutely upon yourself4 ,no one else 7worse luck7 is to blame if things go wrong4 ,the pace of a sculling-boat is strictly proportionate to the quality of its occupant4 ,a good man will go fast and win his race2 a bad man cannot4 ,a good man in an ,eight cannot make his crew win2 and a bad man in an ,eight may mar a crew1 but he can also very often win a race against a crew containing better men than himself4 ,people have often asked me why a first-class oar should not of necessity be a good sculler4 ,this1 although a hard matter to explain1 is partly accounted for by what ,i have said above1 in that sculling is so greatly a matter of delicate touch and handling4 ,even good oars are as often as not clumsy and wanting in a quick light touch4 ,very few really big men have ever been fine scullers4 ,this is partly accounted for by the fact that so few boats are built large enough to carry big weights1 and consequently they are under-boated when practising4 ,many big weights1 e4g4 ,s4 ,d4 ,muttlebury and ,f4 ,e4 ,churchill1 have been good and fast scullers at ,eton1 but two or three years afterwards are slow1 and get slower and slower the longer they continue4 ,this1 ,i think1 is a good deal owing to the muscle which a big man generally accumulates1 especially on the shoulders and arms1 and he therefore lacks the essential qualities of elasticity1 lissomeness1 and quickness with the hands4 ,big1 strong men also generally grip with great ferocity the handles of their sculls1 and these being small1 the forearm becomes cramped1 and gives out4 ,many good oarsmen have never tried to scull1 and those who have generally give it up after a first failure1 which is more often than not due to want of attention to detail4 ,what passes for good watermanship in an ,eight is mere clumsiness in a sculling-boat1 and1 as a matter of fact1 there are far fewer really good watermen than the casual observer imagines4 ,i asked three of our best modern heavy-weight oarsmen to tell me the reason why they could not scull4 ,the ,thames ,r4,c4 man said the only reason why he had never won the ,diamonds was because he had never gone in for them4 ,this was straightforward1 but unconvincing to any one who had watched this gentleman gambolling in a sculling-boat4 ,the ,cambridge heavy-weight affirmed solemnly that he could scull1 and was at one time very fast4 ,he subsequently admitted that he could never get a boat big enough1 and1 secondly1 his arms always gave4 ,the ,oxford heavy-weight replied much to the same purpose1 without the preliminary affirmation4 ,many men can scull well and slowly1 but few can really go fast1 and this1 ,i think1 is due to the fact that they do not practise enough with faster men than themselves1 and so do not learn by experience what action of theirs will best propel a boat at its fastest pace4 ,nothing is more deceptive than pace2 when a man thinks he is going fastest he is generally going slowest4 ,he gets the idea that he is going fast because his boat is jumping under him1 and creating a large amount of side-wash2 but an observer from the bank will notice that although the sculls are applying great power1 that power is not being applied properly1 and his boat will be seen to be up by the head and dragging at the stern1 and bouncing up and down instead of travelling4 ,the first and foremost thing1 then1 to be attended to for pace is balance1 i4e4 an even keel1 and to obtain this your feet should be very firm in your clogs4 ,as those supplied by the trade are of a very rough and rudimentary character1 they will nearly always require padding in different places4 ,you should be able to feel your back-stop just so much that when leaning back well past the perpendicular you can push hard against it with a straight leg4 ,you are then quite firm1 and can control your body in the event of your boat rolling4 ,although when a man has become a waterman he will find the back-stop unnecessary1 it is safest for the novice to have it1 so as to be able to press against it2 otherwise1 having nothing to press against at the finish of his stroke1 he may acquire the bad habit of relying entirely on his toes to pull him forward4 ,in such a position he is unstable1 and if his boat rolls he has no control over his body4 ,having got your balance1 the next thing to be thought of is the stroke4 ,reach forward until the knees touch either armpit2 put the sculls in quite square1 and take the water firmly 7be most careful not to rush or jerk the beginning72 at the same time drive with the legs1 sending the slide1 body and all1 back2 the loins must be absolutely firm1 so that the seat does not get driven away from underneath the body4 ,if you allow the loins to be loose and weak you will acquire that caterpillar action which was to be seen in several aspirants to ,diamond ,sculls honours last year1 and which ruined whatever poor chance they ever possessed4 ,this diabolical habit of driving the slide away1 although common to many professionals1 cannot be too severely condemned1 as it relieves the sculler from doing any work at all except with the arms1 which1 if thus used1 without swing and leg-work to help them1 cannot1 unless a man is enormously muscular in them1 hold out for any great length of time4 ,the firm drive will start the swing of the body1 which may be continued a fraction of time after the slide has finished4 ,you will find that when you have driven your slide back your body will have swung well past the perpendicular 7and in sculling you may swing further back than you are allowed to in rowing74 ,when in that position a sculler is allowed to do that which an oarsman must not1 viz4 he may help to start his recovery by moving his body slightly up to meet his sculls as they finish the stroke4 ,thus by keeping his weight on the blades in the water as long as possible1 instead of in his boat1 he strengthens the finish and prevents his boat burying itself by the bows4 ,the stroke from the beginning should go on increasing in strength to the finish1 which should be firm and strong1 but1 like the beginning1 not jerked or snapped4 ,strength applied to the finish keeps a boat travelling in between the strokes4 ,the finish is by far the hardest part of the stroke1 and is most difficult to get clean and smart4 ,the position is naturally a far weaker one than that of the oarsman1 as the hands are eight inches or so further back1 and at the same time six inches or so clear of the ribs4 ,in this position nine out of ten scullers fail to get a really quick recovery with the sculls clean out and clear of the water1 the hands away like lightning and clear of the knees1 and the body at the same time swinging forward4 ,as soon as the hands have cleared the knees they should begin to turn the blade off the feather1 so that by the time you are full forward the blades are square and ready to take the water4 ,professionals recommend staying on the feather until just before the water is taken1 but this is apt to make the novice grip his handles tightly1 and press on them almost unconsciously when he should be very light4 ,he will thus make his blade fly up and miss the beginning4 ,in order to ensure both hands working perfectly level and taking and leaving the water exactly together1 a man should watch his stern1 and by the turn given either way he can easily detect which hand is not doing its right amount of work4 ,which hand you scull over or which under makes little or no difference4 ,personally1 ,i scull with the right hand under4 ,in holding a scull the thumb should cap the handle2 this prevents you from pulling your button away from the thowl even the slightest bit1 and makes your grip firmer and steadier4 ,if in steering you must look right round1 do so shortly before you are full forward1 as soon as the hands have cleared the knees1 but generally steer by the stern1 if you can1 without looking round1 and almost unconsciously by what you notice out of the corner of either eye as you pass4 ,modern professionals1 with very few exceptions1 scull in disgracefully bad form4 ,w4 ,haines1 ,wag ,harding1 and ,w4 ,east1 at his best1 are perhaps the only exceptions ,i know to this rule4 ,english professionals1 owing to the manual labour with which most of them start life1 become abnormally strong in the arms1 and trust almost entirely to those muscles4 ,their want of swing1 their rounded backs1 and hoicked finish they carry with them into a rowing-boat4 ,nothing shows up their bad form in rowing so much as sandwiching a few pros4 in a goodish amateur crew--by their style ye shall know them4 ,they have acquired a style which does not answer1 and which they cannot get rid of1 and they consider an ,eight can be propelled in the same manner as a sculling-boat4 ,nothing is more erroneous4 ,they cannot assimilate their style to the correct one4 ,two pros4 sometimes make a fair pair1 because they may happen to hoick along in the same style4 ,professional ,fours are a little worse than ,pairs1 and their ,eights disgraceful4 ,i am of opinion 7and ,i fancy most men who know anything about rowing will agree with me7 that ,england's eight best amateurs in a rowing-boat would simply lose ,england's eight best pros4 over any course from a mile upwards4 ,this inability to assimilate one's style to that of another man1 or body of men1 may be the reason why some excellent amateur scullers proved inferior oars1 or it may be that they can go at their own pace and not at another man's4 ,i myself have often felt on getting out of a sculling-boat into an ,eight great difficulty and much weariness at being compelled to go on at another man's pace1 and only to easy at another's order4 ,if you are practising for sculling as well as rowing there is nothing like being captain of an ,eight or stroke of a ,pair or ,four4 ,the novice1 if he has toiled so far as this1 is no doubt by now saying to himself that ,i am only repeating what he knows already1 and that what he especially requires are hints as to rigging his boat1 size and shape of sculls1 and various measurements1 the pace of stroke he ought to go1 etc41 ,of course1 the smaller the blade the quicker the stroke1 and vice versa4 ,it should be remembered that even #a_/af of an inch extra in the breadth of a blade makes a lot of difference4 ,blades1 ,i think1 should vary according to the liveliness of water rowed on1 and according to the strength of the individual4 ,for myself1 ,i am rather in favour of smaller blades than are generally used4 ,my experience leads me to believe that racing sculls should be from #i ft4 #h-a_/b ins4 to #i ft4 #i-a_/b ins4 in length all over2 in-board measurement from #b ft4 #h-a_/d ins4 to #b ft4 #i ins41 but1 of course1 this entirely depends on how much you like your sculls to overlap4 ,when they are at right angles to the boat1 my sculls overlap so much that there is a hand's-breadth of space in between my crossed hands4 ,the length of blade should be about #b ft42 breadth of blade1 from #e-c_/d ins4 to #f-a_/d ins4 ,even on the tideway sculls should be as light as a good scull-maker can turn them out1 so long as they retain their stiffness4 ,do not1 however1 sacrifice stiffness to lightness4 ,it is rather interesting to compare these measurements with those of a pair of sculls hanging over my head as ,i write2 these were used in a championship race eighty years ago1 and have a heavy square loom to counteract their length and consequent weight out-board4 ,the measurements are--#h ft4 #h ins4 in length over all1 #a ft4 #i ins4 in-board2 length of blade1 #b ft4 #e ins42 breadth of blade1 #c-a_/h ins4 ,i give below roughly what should be the measurements of a boat according to the weight of the sculler4 ,for a man of-- #i stone4 #ab stone4 #ac stone4 ,length #cj ft4 #ca ft4 #ca ft4 #c ins4 ,width #i ins4 #aj-a_/b ins4 #aa-a_/b ins4 ,depth #e-a_/d ins4 #e-a_/b ins4 #e-c_/d ins4 forward #c-a_/d ins4 #c-a_/b ins4 #c-e_/h ins4 aft #b-a_/b ins4 #b-a_/b ins4 #b-e_/h ins4 ,weight #bd lbs4 #bh lbs4 #cd lbs4 ,as to slide1 ,i hold that a man should slide to a point level with his rowing-pin--never past it1 lest the boat should be pinched instead of being driven at the beginning of the stroke4 ,the clogs should be fixed at an angle of #ee deg4 to the keel 7i4e4 an angle measured along the back of the clogs74 ,if the angle is much smaller1 the feet and legs lose power when the sculler is full back1 and the drive at the finish is weakened4 ,if the angle is greater1 the difficulty of bending the ankle-joints sufficiently as the slide moves forward becomes very serious4 ,the distance of fifteen inches from the heel of the clogs to the edge of slide when full forward may be slightly reduced1 but only slightly4 ,for instance1 if reduced1 as is sometimes done1 to ten inches1 the body comes too close to the heels in the forward position to enable the sculler to get a strong1 direct1 and immediate drive1 and the boat is pinched4 ,a very old sculling-boat of mine--and perhaps the best that ,clasper ever built--was built for ,mr4 ,f4 ,i4 ,pitman in #ahhf4 ,she owed her pace to the fact that she was very long aft1 and consequently never got up by the head2 her cut-water was always in the water1 even when her occupant was full forward2 and the most marvellous thing was that1 low as she was1 she did not bury her nose1 considering that she had to endure a weight of #agj lbs4 or so1 shifting its position fore and aft to the extent of sixteen inches4 ,she is a marvel of the boat-builder's art1 and was built of exceptionally close-framed cedar1 which takes a long time to get water-soaked1 and indeed should never do so if properly looked after4 ,her dimensions were3 ,length1 #ca ft4 #b ins42 length from edge of sliding seat when forward to stern-post1 #ad ft4 #f-a_/b ins42 width1 #aa-a_/d ins42 depth forward1 #c-a_/d ins42 depth aft1 #b-e_/h ins42 depth amidships1 #e-a_/b ins42 from heels to back edge of slide when back1 #c ft4 #e-a_/d ins42 leverage1 i4e4 measurement from thowl to thowl across1 #d ft4 #i ins42 from heels to edge of seat when forward1 #ae-a_/d inches4 ,she won the ,diamond ,sculls in #ahhf1 #ahhh1 #ahhi1 #ahij2 the amateur championship in #ahhf1 #ahhg1 #ahhh1 #ahhi1 #ahij2 besides the ,metropolitan ,sculls and several minor races4 ,it is a great mistake to try and get a boat too light4 ,the eagerness a man will display in cutting down everything to lessen the weight of his craft1 until he is sitting on the water on a weak bit of nothing1 is really astounding4 ,three or four extra pounds often make all the difference1 whether a boat is stiff and keeps on travelling1 or whether she jumps1 cocks her head1 and waggles about generally4 ,as to the pace of stroke1 from twenty-two to twenty-six strokes a minute is a fair practice paddle1 twenty-four to twenty-eight for sculling hard1 and in racing1 even for a minute1 never attempt anything over thirty-eight4 ,i once sculled seventy-eight strokes in two minutes1 and felt more dead than alive at the end of it4 ,it is harder work to scull thirty-eight strokes in a minute than it is to row forty-four in the same time4 ,if you do start at thirty-eight1 drop down as soon as possible to thirty-four1 thirty-two1 or even thirty1 according to circumstances of wind and weather1 etc4 ,my best advice to the novice is to go just fast enough to clean out his opponent before the same thing happens to himself1 or1 even better still1 to get his opponent beaten1 and leave himself fresh4 ,but always remember if you are at all evenly matched1 that however bad you feel yourself1 your opponent is probably in just as bad a plight4 ,talking of pace reminds me of how soon even the best scullers tire4 ,in sculling a course against time at ,henley1 a good man may get to ,fawley1 the halfway point1 in about the same time as a ,pair1 and yet will be half a minute slower from that point to the finish2 and for the last quarter-mile the veriest tiro can out-scull a champion1 provided the latter has gone at his best pace throughout4 ,in scull-racing the advantage of the lead is greater than in rowing1 as a sculler can help his own steering by watching the direction of the other's craft4 ,yet you should never sacrifice your wind to obtain the advantage1 for recollect that in sculling you can never take a blow or an easy for even a stroke4 ,if you are behind1 never turn round to look at your opponent1 as by doing so you lose balance and pace1 and many a good man has lost a race by so doing4 ,keep just so close up to your man as to prevent him giving you the disadvantage of his back wash4 ,training for sculling requires more time and practice than training for rowing4 ,if it takes an ,eight #f weeks to get together and fit to race1 it takes a ,four #i weeks1 a ,pair #ab weeks1 and a ,sculler #ae weeks4 ,if a man is training for both rowing and sculling at the same time1 and racing in both on the same day1 it takes lengths and lengths off his pace1 for rowing upsets all that precision so necessary in sculling4 ,if a man sculls and rows at ,henley1 and does both on the same day1 and practises for the same daily for a month beforehand1 ,i should think it would make him from six to eight lengths slower on the ,henley course4 ,otherwise1 train as you would for rowing1 the only difference being that a little more time should be spent in the actual sculling than is spent in the actual rowing4 ,having attended ,henley ,regatta since #ahhc1 and having raced there for twelve years in succession1 ,i have met with various scullers4 ,mr4 ,j4 ,c4 ,gardner1 taking him all round1 was the finest ,i have ever seen of amateurs4 ,he was quite the best stripped man ,i have ever seen1 his muscles standing out like bars of steel all over his body2 he was a very neat1 finished sculler1 the only fault ,i could find with him being a tendency to a weak finish4 ,w4 ,s4 ,unwin1 a light weight1 was extremely neat1 but his style was rather spoilt by a roundish back4 ,f4 ,i4 ,pitman1 his great rival1 was perhaps a better stayer1 and had a more elegant style4 ,vivian ,nickalls1 for a long man1 was a fine sculler1 handicapped by an awkward finish and handicapped also by the fact that he never entirely gave his time up to sculling only--his chief characteristic being a fine1 healthy1 long body swing4 ,m4 ,bidault1 a ,frenchman1 who rowed in the ,metropolitan ,regatta some years ago1 was #g ft4 #d-a_/b ins4 high2 he weighed #ag stone2 his boat weighed #ej lbs41 was #ce feet long1 had a #e ft4 leverage2 his sculls were #aa ft4 #aj ins4 long4 ,compare with him ,wag ,harding1 with a boat #ai-a_/b lbs4 in weight1 weighing #i stone himself1 and you will see in what different forms and shapes men can scull4 ,and ,m4 ,bidault was a fast man for a quarter of a mile4 ,the fastest sculler for half a mile ,i have ever seen was ,herr ,doering1 who sculled for the ,diamonds in #ahhg4 ,the slowest man ,i have ever seen was---- ,well1 ,i won't mention names1 as he might go in for the ,diamond ,sculls again4 ,rupert ,guinness1 although not what ,i should call a born sculler1 obtained his great proficiency in sculling by dint of a very long and careful preparation1 by months and months of continual practice1 and by not hampering his sculling by entering and practising for rowing events at the same time--in fact1 by making a speciality of sculling4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,steering4 7,,some ,,hints ,,to ,,novice ,,coxswains47 ,by ,g4 ,l4 ,davis1 ,cox of the ,cambridge ,eight1 #ahge-gi2 ,cox of ,leander1 #ahhj-he4 ,many people think that any one1 provided he be of the proper weight1 is fitted to fill the post of coxswain4 ,nobody1 however1 knows better than the actual rowing man what an amount of useless labour and irritation a crew can be saved by possessing a good man in the stern1 not to mention the assistance he can afford both directly and indirectly in getting a crew together4 ,certainly a mere tiro1 having acquired the elementary knowledge that if he pulls the right rudder-line he will turn his boat to starboard1 i4e4 to the right1 and that if he pulls his left line he will turn her to port1 i4e4 to the left1 may be able to guide a boat sufficiently well for ordinary purposes2 but even in the period of training a crew1 and still more so in the race1 there is undoubtedly plenty of scope for a clever coxswain to distinguish himself4 ,there is no royal road to good steering4 ,pains and perseverance are necessary1 as in every other branch of athletics4 ,the attainment of perfection in steering is not all that is requisite2 there are many other qualities added to this skill which combine to make a coxswain worthy to be reckoned in the front rank--a position which all coxswains should aim for4 ,in the days of ,tom ,egan the steerer had to act as coach to his crew1 but nowadays he is no longer called upon to do so4 ,he is1 in the first place1 chosen on account of his light weight2 but eligible though he may be in this respect1 he is too often quite incapable in other ways of performing his duties4 ,should this be the case1 a crew would be well advised in carrying a few more pounds1 or even a stone or two extra1 if by so doing they manage to gain an able and experienced coxswain4 ,there are certain qualities which are absolutely essential in the right sort4 ,he should have light hands1 judgment1 a cool head1 and plenty of nerve to enable him to keep his presence of mind in the face of a sudden predicament or unforeseen danger4 ,there are numberless occasions both in practice and during races when risks are run4 ,a boat laden with pleasure-seekers may suddenly pop out from the bank into the course4 ,the coolness of the coxswain may avert very much more serious consequences than the loss of a stroke or two1 such as a broken rigger or an injury to an oarsman1 by a touch of the rudder and a ready appeal to his crew to mind their oars4 ,during a ,university ,boat ,race1 in which ,i was steering the ,cambridge ,boat1 a waterman's wherry1 with two or three occupants1 was suddenly pulled out from the ,surrey shore at a short distance above ,hammersmith ,bridge4 ,the course at this point lies somewhat near to the bank1 and the ,oxford ,boat was nearly level with mine4 ,the wherry was directly in my way1 and1 as far as ,i could make out1 those who were in it seemed to be in doubt as to whether they should row still further out or make for the shore4 ,if ,i went to the right1 a foul was imminent with the ,oxford ,boat2 if to the left1 ,i should have got into slack water and lost ground by the d'etour4 ,there was no time for those in the wherry to waste in making up their minds1 so ,i promptly made straight for them with the object of driving them out of my course4 ,the desired effect followed4 ,they got sufficient way on in the direction of the shore to enable me to steer straight on and clear them4 ,my action involved the ticklish question of judgment of distance and of pace1 namely1 should ,i reach the spot before the wherry was clear2 and this anecdote illustrates my point--that quickness in making up the mind1 and1 when it is made up1 in acting1 is essential to a coxswain4 ,the duties of a coxswain consist of many and varied details4 ,to make a smart crew1 attention should be paid to discipline both in and out of the boat1 and he can and ought to further this object to the utmost of his power1 thereby saving the coach or captain a great deal of trouble4 ,if the coxswain of a light eight-oared racing ship has been ordered to get her into the water1 he ought to be there to superintend the order being carried out4 ,he should bid his crew stand by their riggers1 and see that each man is in readiness to lift and carry her to the water's edge4 ,there is generally a waterman at hand1 but whether there is or not1 the coxswain should be ready1 if necessary1 to remove any stool upon which the ship may have been resting1 so as to prevent any stumbling on the part of his men4 ,his place is near the rudder 7unless she is launched stern foremost1 when1 of course1 it would be impossible71 to prevent any injury happening to it1 until the boat is safely in the water4 ,he will then get the oarsmen into her in an orderly manner4 ,there is necessity for this1 for otherwise the boat's back may be strained4 ,this might occur by allowing stroke and bow to get in first1 owing to a boat of such length and lightness of build being supported in the centre and at the same time weighted at each end4 ,the best order for the men to take their places is1 #d1 #e1 #c1 #f1 #b1 #g1 bow1 and then stroke4 ,the coxswain should call out their numbers one by one1 holding the boat firmly whilst they take their seats1 and on no account allow more than one man to get in at the same time4 ,in disembarking1 it is part of his duty to see that the crew leave the ship in the reverse order4 ,the coxswain seats himself in the aftermost thwart perfectly upright1 with his legs crossed tailor-fashion1 and takes up the rudder-lines one in each hand2 and1 before he gives any command1 should see that his steering gear is in proper order4 ,it is a common and useful custom for the purpose of preventing the hand from slipping1 to have attached to each line a piece of wood of about three to four inches in length1 and one and a half in circumference1 called a tug4 ,these the coxswain clasps tightly1 one in each hand4 ,some coxswains hold their rudder-lines in front of the body1 others behind2 but in my opinion the best place to hold them is by the side1 with the hands resting one on each gunwale4 ,the coxswain1 by thus supporting himself1 can better preserve a firm and steady seat4 ,he should never slip about on his seat1 but always keep his body as nearly as possible erect1 and balanced from his hips4 ,he must on no account roll with the boat1 and should endeavour to prevent himself being moved to and fro by the action of the rowers4 ,often a narrow strip of wood is nailed to the seat the better to enable him to sit firm4 ,the lines must be kept taut1 and tied together in front of him1 lest by any accident he should lose one or both overboard4 ,after having shoved off and paddled into position1 he should see that the bows of his boat point straight for the course he wishes to steer4 ,he will then start his crew by calling upon them to get ready1 when they will divest themselves of any superfluous clothing and make any other necessary preparations4 ,he will then say ,forward6 or ,forward all6 for them to come forward in readiness for the first stroke4 ,he should now take care that his boat is level1 and should tell the oarsmen on the side to which she may list to raise their hands1 or call upon the crew to get her level4 ,after that he asks1 ,are you ready8 as a final warning1 and lastly cries1 ,row6 or ,paddle6 as may be required4 ,some other forms are employed1 but this is as good as any1 and better than most1 and the same words should always be used when once adopted4 ,in the event of a crew making a bad start1 they should be at once stopped and restarted4 ,if the coxswain be desirous for his crew to stop rowing or paddling1 ,easy all6 is the term to use1 and this order should be given almost immediately after the commencement of a stroke1 to prevent the rowers coming forward for the next one4 ,in case it may be necessary to bring his boat up sharp1 he will say1 ,hold her up all6#ab and if 7at any time7 there is any danger of the oars touching anything1 he should cry1 ,mind your oars1 bow side1 or stroke side1 as the case may be4 ,the boat is ordinarily turned on the port 7left7 side by calling upon bow and ,no4 #c to paddle1 and stroke and ,no4 #f to back water1 or back1 for brevity2 and on the starboard 7right7 side by calling upon ,nos4 #b and #d to paddle1 and ,nos4 #e and #g to back4 ,in each case the coxswain naturally assists with the rudder4 ,when turning a racing ship1 for fear of weakening her1 the paddling and rowing should not take place simultaneously4 #ab ,this is the term used at ,cambridge1 where ,hold her is also used with the same meaning4 ,at ,oxford1 ,hold her up means ,paddle on gently2 and ,hold her all1 or ,stop her all1 would be the order if a sudden stoppage were required4 ,to carry out such an order the rowers turn the blades flat on the water1 and raise their hands quickly1 thus burying blades in the water4 ,whatever the coxswain addresses to his crew should be spoken clearly and distinctly1 so that all may hear without difficulty4 ,the preceding instructions comprise most of the everyday terms that a coxswain should know4 ,now let me turn to his functions of a semi-coaching character1 of keeping his crew in time4 ,whether the crew are rowing or paddling1 he must carefully watch the time of the oars1 both as they catch the water and leave it4 ,if the oarsman catches the water too soon1 he should be told not to hurry2 if too late1 he should be told1 ,you're late4 ,if he leaves it too soon1 or1 as it is called1 clips his stroke at the finish1 he should be told to finish it out1 etc4 7but if an oarsman finishes it after the stroke1 ,i cannot advise the coxswain to take notice of it74 ,all these semi-coaching remarks1 if ,i may so call them1 should be prefaced with the number of the crew to whom they are addressed1 for the purpose of calling his attention1 and must be used with judgment and tact1 for nothing can be more aggravating1 not to say maddening1 to an oarsman at any time1 more especially when fagged in a race1 to hear incessantly the possibly high-pitched and monotonous tones of a coxswain4 ,there is only one fault that will excuse him shouting himself hoarse1 if he be so disposed1 and it is the fault1 or rather vice1 of one of the crew looking out of the boat2 and he should at once cry1 ,eyes in the boat6 and continue to do so until he is obeyed4 ,there are certain acts of watermanship which an efficient coxswain will not neglect to carry out1 namely1 when turning to come down-stream1 to swing his boat round by pulling her head outwards into the current2 and1 on the other hand1 when turning to proceed up-stream1 to thrust her nose into the slack water inshore1 and allow her stern to come round in the same manner2 and always to bring his boat in to the raft or landing-stage with her head pointing up-stream4 ,there is no need for me to set out the rules of the road for a coxswain to follow1 as they can be read at any time in the ,rowing ,almanack1 which comes out annually1 and is published at the ,field office4 ,to steer a straight course1 a coxswain should fix upon a high and conspicuous object some distance ahead1 and endeavour to keep the nose of his boat dead on it2 and when learning his course1 he should remember to choose objects of a permanent nature1 or in the race he will be in difficulties4 ,now1 the keeping of a straight course is not so simple as it appears2 in fact1 it is a most difficult thing to do properly1 and there is no case in which the advantage of a coxswain with light hands is better displayed4 ,it will be noticed that such a one leaves scarcely a ripple in his wake1 whilst another will leave a considerable wash4 ,the reason of it is this3 that whilst the former uses practically no rudder1 the latter1 by first pulling one line and then the other1 causes the stern of his boat to swing from side to side1 until1 as the sailors say1 she becomes wild--that is to say1 so unsteady that the further she travels the more rudder she will require to prevent her bows from yawing and to keep her course4 ,he should never steer for a curve in the bank or for other projections--as1 for instance1 the buttress of a bridge--in such a manner as to be compelled to sheer out to clear them4 ,he should approach a sharp corner as wide as possible1 in order to reduce the acuteness of the angle at which he will have to take it1 and should have the boat's head round by the time that the axis or pivot1 if ,i may use the term1 on which the boat swings1 and which in the eight-oared boats ,i steered was usually trimmed to be somewhere between the seats of ,nos4 #d and #e1 is off the most prominent point4 ,the difficulty of taking this sort of corner is increased when the course lies up-stream1 according to the strength of the current2 for not only does the current acting on the bows tend to prevent the boat coming round1 but also to drive her head towards the opposite bank4 ,when the ,cam at ,cambridge is in flood1 ,grassy and ,ditton are corners of this character1 but usually that river runs sluggishly4 ,but even then these corners present many difficulties4 ,grassy is on the right bank of the river1 and therefore on the coxswain's left2 ,ditton is on his right4 ,the former is the harder to manipulate properly1 by reason of the river becoming a narrow neck shortly before the corner is reached4 ,in taking ,grassy1 the coxswain should keep close to the tow-path bank until he commences to make the turn4 ,it is impossible to explain on paper the exact spot when he should do so4 ,the common fault is to begin too soon4 ,practice and experience only can teach him when to time his action correctly2 but having acquired this knowledge1 he will get his boat round with but a moderate amount of rudder1 especially if he call upon bow and ,no4 #c for a little extra assistance4 ,some years ago1 during the ,lent ,term ,bumping ,races at ,cambridge1 the coxswain of one of the boats1 with the intention of cutting off the preceding one as it was being steered round in the correct way1 took this very corner close to the inside bend at its very commencement1 and in so doing acted contrary to the principle of giving a sharp corner a wide berth at the first part4 ,the consequence was that1 having failed to calculate the pace at which the other was travelling1 and having missed his bump1 he found it impossible to bring his boat round1 ran high and dry on to the opposite bank1 and was1 of course1 himself bumped4 ,ditton should be approached as wide as the coxswain can manage1 by hugging the opposite bank until he begins to bring the boat's head round1 which1 as in the case of ,grassy1 should not be done until as late as possible4 ,here1 too1 ,nos4 #b and #d may be called upon to help her round4 ,the rudder should be put on between the strokes as a rule1 gradually1 and not with a jerk1 which has a tendency to cause the boat to roll4 ,it should be used as lightly as possible1 and never under ordinary circumstances put hard on4 ,the effect of a cross wind is to drive the stern of a boat to leeward1 and to bring her bows up into the wind4 ,this should be counteracted by the coxswain steering to windward of his usual course1 and by lee rudder to meet her3 how much can only be learnt by experience1 and must be regulated by the strength of the wind4 ,the fin1 which is a thin plate of metal fixed slightly abaft the coxswain's seat on her keelson1 is of great assistance in keeping the boat straight under such circumstances4 ,the coxswain should pick up information relating to his course by observation1 inquiries1 and in every way he can1 and1 previous to a race1 he should take careful stock of the direction and force of the wind1 and shape his course accordingly4 ,it is a good plan to be taken over the course either in a row-boat or launch1 by some one acquainted with it1 for the purposes of instruction4 ,he can gain a general idea of the ,putney to ,mortlake course by watching the barges which float up and down the river with the tide1 and are kept in mid-stream by long sweeps4 ,but every coxswain should learn to scull2 he can then not only get his weight down by exercise1 if required1 but familiarize himself with the set of the stream1 flats1 and other peculiarities of a course by actual experience4 ,training for the purpose of reducing the weight of the coxswain is a questionable expedient2 but if practised with moderation1 and if natural means are employed1 the object1 if worth it--which ,i very much doubt--may be attained1 and little harm done2 but weakness1 the result of excessive wasting1 is not unfrequently accompanied with an impaired judgment and loss of nerve1 the absence of which may lead to serious consequences4 ,moreover1 a coxswain not only requires a certain amount of physical strength to manage a boat of the length of an eight-oar1 but1 to do himself justice1 should come to the post feeling full of energy and determination4 ,in level races the coxswain of the leading boat should never take his opponents' water1 unless reasonably certain that he cannot be overtaken1 for a sudden sheer out involving loss of pace and ground at a critical time has before now lost a race2 and when alongside1 and in close proximity1 he should avoid watching the other boat1 otherwise he will in all probability steer into it1 such is the apparent force of attraction exercised over a coxswain by the opposing crew4 ,one coxswain should not bore the other4 ,boring is the act of one coxswain steering closer and closer to another until he gradually succeeds in pushing him out of his own water4 ,this cannot take place when both coxswains engaged are equally skilful1 and equally well acquainted with the course1 for neither will give way4 ,at the best it is not sportsmanlike1 and there is no desire on the part of the majority of rowing men to win a race by the trickery of the coxswains4 ,at the annual ,university ,boat ,race ,dinner1 when the old ,blues and other friends assemble to do honour to the two crews1 it is the time-honoured custom to drink the health of the coxswains4 ,on one of these occasions1 a well-known ,oxford coxswain1 who1 in the fog that prevailed at the start of the race1 had been pressed out of his course by the opposing crew1 in returning thanks made a witty allusion to the subject in these words3 ,i have been1 he said1 very much interested in this race1 but ,i have also been very much bored4 ,it was a speech meant for the occasion1 and was received with the applause it deserved2 but it was not meant seriously1 nor was it taken so by his equally well-known ,cambridge rival4 ,i may at this point give a word of advice to a coxswain in a ,bumping ,race4 ,he should1 throughout the race1 keep his true course1 and not follow any vagaries of the boat in front of him1 except with the immediate object of making his bump2 he must never shoot for his bump when going round a corner1 and ought always to make sure of his position before making a shot1 so as not to waste the energy of his men by missing time after time1 and zigzagging across the river4 ,when he has been bumped1 or has made a bump1 he should at once clear out of the way to make room for the boats following4 ,in all races he should encourage his crew at intervals with such expressions as1 ,now1 you fellows6 ,well rowed6 ,on to it6 etc4 ,but an incessant flow of language not only sounds ridiculous1 but must be a nuisance to the crew themselves4 ,in a ding-dong race1 however1 when neither crew can get away from the other1 he will naturally urge them more strenuously to further exertions4 ,he should watch the time as carefully as in practice1 and call upon his crew to ,reach out1 or ,keep it long1 if he notices that they are getting short and scratchy2 and he may quietly keep the stroke posted up in the doings of the opponents1 telling him how they are rowing1 how far ahead they are1 and so on4 ,in training quarters1 especially if the crew are despondent1 the more depressed they are1 the more he should endeavour to cheer them up and inspire confidence in them4 ,finally1 let me advise coxswains when steering to wear warm and waterproof clothing in cold and wet weather1 and thus possibly save themselves much suffering from rheumatism and other complaints in after-life4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,college ,,rowing ,,at ,,oxford4 ,by ,c4 ,m4 ,pitman1 ,new ,college2 ,president ,o4,u4,b4,c4 #ahie4 ,if we try to examine the causes of success or failure1 of a run of good crews or bad crews from one ,university or the other1 it is impossible to overestimate the importance of good organization1 good management1 and friendly rivalry in the college boat clubs4 ,in the long run1 the success or failure of the ,university ,crew depends in no small measure upon the amount of trouble taken and the amount of keenness shown by the various colleges in practising for their different races during the year4 ,it is only by very careful coaching and assiduous practice in his college ,torpid and ,eight1 that a man who has not rowed before going up to the ,university can ever hope to attain to a place in the ,university ,crew2 and it is only by trying to apply his learning to advantage in college races during the year that one who has just gained his blue can hope to be of greater value to the ,university in the following spring4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,bump ,,in ,,the ,,eights4 ,only a small number of the men who take up rowing at the ,university attain to a seat in the ,trial ,eights1 and fewer still1 of course1 get their blue4 ,it is by rowing for their college1 then1 in ,eight or ,torpid1 that the majority of ,university men gain their experience1 and so it is but natural that even more interest is usually manifested in the practice of the ,eights than in that of the ,university ,crew itself4 ,most of the colleges at ,oxford have now what is known as an amalgamated club1 which supplies the finances of all the various branches of athletics4 ,that is to say1 every undergraduate member of the college pays a fixed subscription to the amalgamated club fund1 and the money thus collected is allotted proportionately to the different college clubs4 ,the money thus allotted1 with the addition in some cases of small sums received as entrance fees for college races1 forms the income of the college boat club2 and out of this income is paid a capitation fee to the ,university ,boat ,club1 which varies according to the number of undergraduates on the college books1 the rest of the money being devoted to providing boats1 oars1 etc4--the ordinary expenses1 in fact1 for carrying on the college boat club4 ,a freshman1 when he first comes up to ,oxford1 has1 as a rule1 made up his mind to which particular branch of athletics he intends to devote himself4 ,if he intends to play football1 and does not happen to have come up with a great reputation from his public school1 he finds it somewhat hard at first1 however good he may be1 to make himself known2 but if he makes up his mind to row1 he finds everything cut and dried for him4 ,at the beginning of the ,october ,term1 a notice is put up for the benefit of freshmen and others1 that those desirous of being coached must be at the barge on and after a certain day1 at #b4cj4 ,the coaching is undertaken by any of the college ,eight of the preceding term who are in residence1 and any others whom the captain of the boat club may consider qualified4 ,the men are taken out at first in tub-pairs or heavy fours2 and grotesque1 to say the least of it1 are the movements of the average freshmen during the first few days of his rowing career4 ,the majority of men who get into a boat for the first time in their lives seem to imagine that it is necessary to twist their bodies into the most uncomfortable and unnatural it positions1 and is hard at first to persuade them that the movements of a really good oar are easy1 natural1 and even graceful4 ,it is not long1 however1 as a rule1 before a considerable improvement becomes manifest1 and1 at the end of the first fortnight or so of the term1 most of the novices have begun to get a grasp of the first principles of the art4 ,about the end of the second week of the term the freshmen are picked up into ,fours4 ,these crews1 which row in heavy tub-boats1 practise for about three weeks for a race1 which is rowed during the fifth or sixth week of the term4 ,after a day or two of rest1 the best men from these ,fours are taken out in eights4 ,no one who has not rowed in an eight with a crew composed almost entirely of beginners can imagine the discomfort1 ,i might almost say the agony1 of these first two or three rows4 ,one of the chief causes of this is that the boats used on such occasions are usually1 from motives of economy1 very old ones1 the riggers being often twisted and bent by the crabs of former generations1 and the boats themselves heavy and inclined to be waterlogged4 ,during the last day or two of the term1 the captain1 with a view to making up his ,torpids for the next term1 generally tries to arrange one or two crews selected from the best of the freshmen and such of the old hands as are available2 and justly proud is a freshman if1 having got into a boat for the first time at the beginning of the term1 he finds himself among the select few for the first ,torpid at the end of it4 ,at the beginning of the ,lent ,term the energies of the college boat clubs are entirely devoted to the selection and preparation of the crews for the ,torpids4 ,the smaller colleges have one crew and the larger ones two1 and in some cases three1 crews each4 ,no one who has rowed in his college ,eight in the races of the previous summer is permitted to row in the ,torpid1 so the crews are generally composed partly of men who rowed in the ,torpid of the preceding year1 but who were not quite good enough to get into the ,eight1 and partly of freshmen2 the boats used must be clinker built of five streaks1 with a minimum beam measurement of #b ft4 #b in4 measured inside1 and with fixed seats4 ,although ,i do not propose here to say anything about the general subject of training1 ,i cannot refrain from making one remark4 ,it is in practising for the ,torpids that freshmen generally get their first experience of strict training1 and for this reason there is no crew more difficult to train than a ,torpid4 ,most of the men after their first experience of regular work have fine healthy appetites1 and1 as a rule1 eat about twice as much as is good for them1 with the result that1 even if they escape violent indigestion1 they are painfully short-winded1 and find the greatest difficulty in rowing a fast stroke4 ,the ,torpids train for about three weeks before the races1 which take place at the end of the fourth and the fifth weeks in term4 ,they last for six nights1 and are bumping races1 the boats starting #afj ft4 apart4 ,a hundred and sixty feet is a very considerable distance to make up in about three quarters of a mile1 and at the head of a division a crew must be about fifteen seconds faster over the course to make certain of a bump4 ,of performances in the ,torpids that of ,brasenose stands by itself4 ,they finished at the head of the river in #ahhe1 and remained there for eleven years1 until they were displaced by ,new ,college in #ahif4 ,the only other race in the ,lent ,term is the ,clinker ,fours4 ,this race is rowed in sliding-seat clinker-built boats1 and the crews consist of men who have not rowed in the ,trial ,eights or in the first division of the ,eights in the previous ,summer ,term4 ,for some occult reason there is never a large entry for the ,clinker ,fours1 although the race affords an excellent opportunity of seeing how the best of the ,torpid men row on slides1 and should thus be a great help to the captain of a college boat club in making up his ,eight for the next term4 ,with so small an entry for the ,clinker ,fours1 most of the college captains devote their time after the ,torpids1 for the rest of the term1 to coaching their men in sliding-seat tubs1 the time at the beginning of the ,summer ,term being so short that it is absolutely necessary to get the men who have been rowing on fixed seats in the ,torpids thoroughly accustomed to slides by the end of the ,lent ,term1 and also to have the composition of the next term's ,eight as nearly as possible settled4 ,illustration3 ,,lent ,,races ,,in ,,the ,,plough ,,reach4 ,at the beginning of the ,summer ,term1 time1 as ,i have said1 is rather short1 and consequently it is the custom at most colleges to make the ,eight come into residence about a week before the end of the vacation4 ,the esprit de corps and energy which are shown during the practice are1 perhaps1 the most noticeable features of college rowing at ,oxford--a circumstance to which may be attributed the fact that the crews turned out by the colleges at the top of the river are often wonderfully good1 considering the material out of which they are formed4 ,the ,eights are rowed at the end of the fourth week and at the beginning of the fifth week in term1 six nights in all4 ,they start #acj ft4 apart--that is to say1 #cj ft4 less than the ,torpids4 ,about the same number of boats row in a division in the former as in the latter1 the bottom boat starting at the same place in each case2 consequently the head boat in the ,eights has a slightly longer course to row than the head ,torpid4 ,the start of a boat race is always rather nervous work for the crews1 but the start of a bumping race is worse in this respect than any4 ,a spectator who cares to walk down the bank and look at the crews waiting at their posts for the start cannot fail to notice that even the most experienced men look extremely uncomfortable4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,start ,,in ,,the ,,eights4 ,the start is managed thus3 at the starting-point of each boat a short wooden post is driven firmly into the ground4 ,these posts are exactly #acj ft4 apart1 and to each is attached a thin rope #fj ft4 long with a bung at the end1 while by each post a punt is moored4 ,about twenty minutes or a quarter of an hour before the appointed time1 the crews start from their barges and paddle gently down to their respective starting-places1 where they take up their positions alongside of the punts4 ,five minutes before the starting-time the first gun is fired as a sort of warning4 ,these guns are fired punctually to the second1 and by the first gun the men who are going to start the different crews set their stop-watches4 ,the duty of these starters is to keep the crews informed of the exact time1 by calling out1 ,one minute gone1 ,two minutes gone1 etc4 ,the second gun goes one minute before the start1 and as soon as it is fired1 the waterman slowly pushes the boat out from the side of the punt by means of a long pole pressed against stroke's rigger1 the coxswain holding the bung at arm's-length in his left hand1 with the cord taut so as to counteract the pressure of the pole1 and bow and two paddling very gently so as to keep the boat at the very furthest extension of the rope4 ,thirty seconds more1 calls the starter2 fifteen1 ten1 five1 four1 three1 two1 look out--,bang6 and1 except for those who are doomed to be bumped1 the worst is over till the next night4 ,directly a bump is made both the boat which has made the bump and the boat which is bumped draw to one side1 and on the next night the boat which has made the bump starts in front of its victim of the preceding evening4 ,the ,eights are the last event of the season in which the colleges compete against one another on the river1 and the interest and excitement of the college in the doings of its crew generally find their final outlet1 in the case of a college which has made five or six bumps or finished head of the river1 in a bump supper--an entertainment of a nature peculiar to ,oxford and ,cambridge1 which is1 perhaps1 better left to the imagination than described in detail4 ,it is a curious fact that1 although the ideal aimed at by each college is the same1 different colleges seem to adhere1 to a very considerable extent1 year after year to the same merits and the same faults4 ,one college gets the reputation of not being able to row a fast-enough stroke2 another1 of being ready to race a week before the races and of getting worse as the races proceed1 and1 try as hard as they like1 they do not seem to be able to shake off the effect of the reputation of their predecessors4 ,so1 again1 one college gets the reputation of rowing better in the races than could possibly be expected from their form in practice1 or of always improving during the races4 ,the most notable case of late years1 perhaps1 was the traditional pluck of ,brasenose4 ,for eleven years in the ,torpids and for three years in the ,eights their certain downfall was predicted1 but year after year1 sometimes by the skin of their teeth and sometimes with ease1 they managed to get home4 ,the best performances in the ,eights1 as a matter of mere paper record1 are those of ,trinity and ,magdalen1 who have each rowed head of the river for four years in succession1 the former in #ahfa1 #ahfb1 #ahfc1 and #ahfd1 and the latter in #ahib1 #ahic1 #ahid1 and #ahie4 ,magdalen can also boast of not having finished lower than third in the ,eights for some fifteen years4 ,brasenose have finished head of the river fourteen times since the races were started in #ahcf2 ,university nine times1 and ,magdalen seven times4 ,the best performance in any one year is that of ,new ,college in the season #ahie-if1 when they completely swept the board1 being head of the river in ,eights and ,torpids1 and winning the ,university ,fours1 ,pairs1 and ,sculls4 ,the only other college race besides those ,i have described is the ,fours4 ,this race is rowed in coxswainless racing-ships during the fourth week of the ,october ,term4 ,it is a time race1 the crews1 which row two in a heat1 starting eighty yards apart1 the finishing-posts being1 of course1 divided by the same distance4 ,a time race is a very unsatisfactory affair compared with an ordinary breast race1 but it is rendered necessary by the narrow winding river1 for there is not room between ,iffley and ,oxford for two boats to row abreast4 ,oxford ,college crews1 undoubtedly excellent though they often are1 have been singularly unsuccessful at ,henley4 ,the ,grand ,challenge ,cup has only been won by a college crew from ,oxford twice within the memory of the present generation 7i4e4 by ,exeter1 in #ahhb1 and by ,new ,college in the present year74 ,wadham1 it is true1 won it in almost prehistoric times 7#ahdi71 and the tradition is handed down that they took the light blue in their colours from those of the crew which they defeated--a tradition which ,i need hardly say the members of the sister ,university always meet with a most emphatic denial4 ,it may1 perhaps1 seem that so far ,i have described college rowing as if its organization were so perfect that there is little or no difficulty in managing a college boat club successfully4 ,this is by no means the case4 ,uneasy lies the head that wears a crown1 even though it be merely that of the captaincy of a college boat club4 ,in the first place1 it is not always as easy as might be imagined to get men to row4 ,men who cannot be induced to row when they come up to the ,university may be divided into two classes--those who refuse because they do not wish to take up any branch of athletics1 and those who will not row because they wish to do something else4 ,the former class 7i4e4 those of them who1 after a moderate amount of persuasion1 will not come down to the river7 are not1 as a rule1 worth bothering about4 ,they are generally weak1 soft creatures1 whose highest ambition is to walk overdressed about the ,high1 and1 if possible1 to be considered horsey without riding--the class1 in fact1 generally known as bloods4 ,or else they belong to that worthy class of beings who come up to the ,university to read and only to read1 and imagine that it is therefore impossible for them to row4 ,the blood is1 or should be1 beneath the contempt of the rowing authorities1 and the bookworm is generally impervious to argument1 in spite of the fact that he would be able to read much harder if he took regular exercise4 ,with regard1 however1 to those men who refuse to row because they want to go in for something else1 a little diplomacy and a little personal trouble on the part of the college captain1 such as coaching men at odd hours1 once or twice a week1 when it suits their convenience1 will often work wonders4 ,instances of this may be seen in the fact that many colleges have of late years been materially assisted by a sturdy football player in the ,torpid or ,eight1 and in the fact that ,rugby football blues have rowed in the ,university ,eight during the last three years4 ,another great difficulty which the captains of the smaller college boat clubs have to face is that of procuring good boats with very limited finances4 ,the usual practice is to save up money for several years to buy a new eight1 and to continue to row in her long after she has become practically useless1 and1 indeed1 positively incompatible with good rowing4 ,this is a difficulty which can to a great extent be got over by getting second-hand boats4 ,these can be bought for about half price when they have only been used one or two seasons by the ,university1 or by one of the larger 7and therefore richer7 college boat clubs1 which can afford to get a new boat as often as they want one4 ,by this means a college boat club1 however poor1 can always have a boat which1 if not quite new1 is at least comparatively modern1 instead of being a water-logged hulk some eight or ten years old1 such as one often sees wriggling along at the tail end of the ,eights4 ,yet another obstacle is there which it is not easy to overcome4 ,it is often almost impossible to find a trustworthy coach4 ,there is nearly always some one in residence who is considered capable of looking after the college ,eight1 but the ignorance of college coaches is often only too manifest from the arrant nonsense they may be heard shouting on the bank4 ,there is only one remedy ,i can suggest4 ,let the college captain secure some member of the ,university ,crew1 or any one else who knows what he is talking about1 to take the crew for a couple of days1 and make the ,college coach accompany him4 ,he will thus learn something of the rowing of the crew1 and you will hear him the next day pointing out the real faults to which his attention has thus been called4 ,in conclusion1 ,i must add that1 keen though the rivalry between the various colleges always is1 it is a rivalry which1 by the encouragement it gives to rowing1 confers good and good only upon the interests of the ,o4,u4,b4,c41 and never degenerates into a jealousy which might be prejudicial to the success of the ,university as a whole4 ,the college captains elect as president of the ,o4,u4,b4,c4 the man whom they consider to be best fitted for the post1 to whatever college he may belong1 for they know that the president will select his crew absolutely impartially1 will never think of unjustly preferring men who belong to his own college1 but will always do his best to serve the interests of the ,university4#ac #ac ,for further details of college rowing at ,oxford and ,cambridge1 the reader is referred to the extracts from the rules and regulations of the two ,university ,boat ,clubs printed in the appendix to this book4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,goldie ,,boathouse4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,college ,,rowing ,,at ,,cambridge4 ,the casual visitor would scarcely imagine that ,cambridge resembled either ,macedon or ,monmouth in the possession of a river4 ,he sees in ,the ,backs what looks rather like a huge moat1 designed to keep marauders from the sacred college courts1 and filled with discoloured water1 destitute seemingly of all stream4 ,this he knows cannot be the racing river4 ,the innumerable bridges forbid the notion1 although ,ouida has1 in one of her novels1 sprinkled it with a mixture of racing ,eights and water-lilies4 ,he wanders on from college to college1 and nowhere does he come across the slightest sign of the river of which he has heard so much4 ,indeed1 a man may stroll on ,midsummer ,common within about a hundred yards of the boat-houses without suspecting the existence of the ,cam4 ,i can well remember convoying to the river an enthusiastic freshman who had just joined his college boat club4 ,at every step ,i was asked whether we were yet approaching the noble stream4 ,i answered evasively1 and with an air of mystery which befits a third-year man in the presence of freshmen4 ,at length we turned on to the common1 which is bounded by the ,cam2 on the further bank stand the boat-houses4 ,there were crowds of men busy in the yards1 there were coaches riding on the nearer bank1 but of the river itself there was no indication4 ,we were still about two hundred yards away when a ,lady ,margaret ,eight passed1 the heads of the crew in their scarlet caps being just visible above the river-bank as they swung backwards and forwards in their boat4 ,i felt my freshman's grip tightening on my arm4 ,suddenly he stood stock still and rubbed his eyes4 ,good heavens6 he said in an awestruck voice1 what on earth are those little red animals ,i see running up and down there8 ,funniest thing ,i ever saw4 ,i reassured him1 and in a few moments more we arrived at the ,cam1 crossed it in a grind1 and solved the puzzle4 ,distance1 therefore1 can scarcely be said to lend enchantment to the view1 since at anything over one hundred yards it withdraws the ,cam altogether from our sight4 ,it is not easy1 indeed1 to see where the attractions of the ,cam come in4 ,it has been called with perfect justice a ditch1 a canal1 and a sewer1 but not even the wildest enthusiasm would have supposed it to be a running stream1 or ventured at first sight to call it a river4 ,yet this slow and muddy thread of water has been for more than seventy years the scene of excitements and triumphs and glories without end4 ,upon its shallow stream future judges and bishops and ,parliament-men--not to speak of the great host of minor celebrities and the vaster army of future obscurities--have sought exercise and relaxation2 to its unsightly banks their memory still fondly turns wherever their lot may chance to be cast1 and still some thousand of the flower of our youth find health and strength in driving the labouring ,eights and ,fours along its narrow reaches and round its winding corners4 ,it may well excite the wonder of the uninitiated that1 with so many natural disadvantages to contend against1 the oarsmen of ,cambridge should have been able during all these years to maintain so high a standard of oarsmanship4 ,time after time since the year when ,first ,trinity secured the first race for the ,grand ,challenge have her college crews carried off the chief prizes at ,henley against all competitors1 until1 in #ahhg1 ,trinity ,hall swept the board by actually winning five out of the eight ,henley races1 other ,cambridge men accounting for the remaining three4 ,the record of ,cambridge rowing is thus a very proud one2 but those who know the ,cambridge oarsman and his river will find no difficulty in accounting for it4 ,the very disadvantages of the ,cam all tend to imbue the man who rows upon it with a stern sense of duty1 with the feeling that it is business and not pleasure1 hard work and not a picnic1 that summon him every day of the term to the boat-houses and urge him on his way to ,baitsbite4 ,we are forced to do without the natural charms that make the ,isis beautiful4 ,we console ourselves by a strict devotion to the labour of the oar4 ,the man who first rowed upon the ,cam was in all probability a lineal descendant of the daring spirit who first tasted an oyster4 ,his name and fame have not been preserved1 but ,i am entitled to assume that he flourished some time before #ahbf4 ,in that year the records of ,cambridge boat clubs begin4 ,there is in the possession of the ,first ,trinity ,boat ,club an old book1 at one end of which are to be found the ,laws of the ,monarch ,boat ,club1 with a list of members from #ahbf to #ahbh1 whilst at the other end are inscribed lists of members of the ,trinity ,boat ,club1 minutes of its meetings1 and brief descriptions of the races in which it was engaged from the year #ahbi to #ahcd4 ,the ,monarch ,boat ,club was by its laws limited to members of ,trinity1 and1 ,i take it1 that in #ahbh the club had become sufficiently important to change its name definitely to that of ,trinity ,boat ,club4 ,at any rate1 it must always have been considered the ,trinity ,club2 for in the earliest chart of the ,cambridge boat races--that1 namely1 of #ahbg--;in the captains' room of the ,first ,trinity ,boat-house1 ,trinity stands head of the river1 and no mention is made of a ,monarch ,club4 ,these ancient laws form a somewhat ,draconian code4 ,they are twenty-five in number1 and eight of them deal with fines or penalties to be inflicted upon a member who may absent himself from his appointed crew and not provide a substitute for his oar1 or who may not arrive at the boat-house within a quarter of an hour of the appointed time4 ,there were fines 7by no means to be remitted1 except in the case of any member having an aegrotat1 exeat1 or absit1 or having been prevented from attending by some laws of the college or ,university7 for not appearing in the proper uniform1 for giving orders or speaking on a racing day1 or on any other day1 after silence has been called 7exception being made in favour of the captain and steerer71 and for neglecting to give notice of an intended absence4 ,to the twelfth law a clause was subsequently added enacting that the treasurer be chastised twice a week for not keeping his books in proper order4 ,from the minutes of the ,trinity ,boat ,club ,i extract the following letter1 dated ,stangate1 ,december1 #ahbh1 which shows that even at that early date the first and third persons carried on a civil war in the boat-builder's vocabulary3-- ,rawlinson ,lyon's compliments to ,mr4 ,greene wish to know if there is to be any alteration in the length of the set of oars they have to send down have been expecting to hear from the ,club1 therefore have not given orders for the oars to be finished should feel obliged by a line from you with the necessary instructions and be kind enough to inform us of the success which we trust you have met with in the ,new ,boat4 we remain ,sir ,your obt ,servts ,,rawlinson ,,lyon4 ,in #ahcc it is curious to read1 towards the end of this ,easter term six of the racing crew were ill of influenza1 etc41 when the boat was bumped by the ,queens'1 which we bumped next race1 but were bumped again by them1 and next race owing to a bad start the ,christ's boat bumped us immediately being nearly abreast of us at the bumping-post4 ,was this the grippe1 ,i wonder8 ,in the ,lent ,term1 #ahcd1 it is stated1 ,the second race we touched the ,christ's after the pistol was fired the first stroke we pulled1 and lost our place to the ,second ,trinity for making a foul bump4 ,by the way1 in the oldest minute-book belonging to the ,university ,boating ,club1 extending from #ahbh to #ahcg1 ,i find the ,second ,trinity boat occasionally entered on the list as ,reading ,trinity4 ,it continued to enjoy this bookish reputation up to #ahgf1 when a debt which continued to increase while its list of members as constantly diminished1 brought about its dissolution4 ,its members and its challenge-cups were then taken over by ,first ,trinity4 ,in an old book belonging to ,first ,trinity is preserved a map of the racing river1 which explains much that would be otherwise inexplicable in the various entries4 ,in those days the races began in the short reach of water in which they now finish4 ,a little below where ,charon now plies his ferry were the ,chesterton ,locks1 and in the reach above this starting-posts seem to have been fixed for the various boats4 ,when the starting-pistol was fired the crews started rowing1 but apparently no bump was allowed before the bumping-post1 fixed some little way above the first bend where the big horse-grind now works4 ,any bump before this was foul1 and the boat so fouling appears to have been disqualified4 ,this post once passed1 the racing proper began and continued past ,barnwell up to the ,jesus ,locks4 ,it must be remembered that the ,jesus ,locks were not where they are now1 but were built just where the ,caius boathouse now stands1 there being a lock cut in the present bed of the river1 and the main stream running quite a hundred yards south of its present course1 and forming an island1 on which stood ,fort ,st4 ,george4 ,this was altered in #ahcg1 when the ,cam was diverted to its present course1 and the old course from above ,jesus ,green ,sluice to ,fort ,st4 ,george was filled up4 ,a few more extracts relating to the first beginnings of college boat-races may be of interest4 ,in #ahbg there were six boats on the river--a ten-oar and an eight-oar from ,trinity1 an eight-oar from ,st4 ,john's1 and six-oars from ,jesus1 ,caius1 and ,trinity1 ,westminster4 ,in #ahbi this number had dwindled to four at the beginning of the races on ,february #bh2 but in the seventh race1 which took place on ,march #ba1 seven crews competed1 ,st ,john's finishing head of the river1 a place they maintained in the following ,may4 ,usually from seven to nine races appear to have been rowed during one month of the term1 certain days in each week having been previously fixed4 ,crews were often known by the name of their ship rather than by that of their college4 ,i find1 for instance1 a ,privateer1 which was made up1 ,i think1 of men from private schools1 a ,corsair from ,st4 ,john's1 a ,dolphin from ,third ,trinity 7which was then1 and is still1 the ,club of the ,eton and ,westminster men71 ,black ,prince from ,first ,trinity1 and ,queen ,bess from the ,second or ,reading ,trinity4 ,the following regulations1 passed by the ,university ,boat ,club on ,april #ah1 #ahca1 will help to make the old system of boat-racing quite clear3-- #a4 ,that the distance between each post being twenty yards will allow eleven boats to start on the ,chesterton side1 the length of the ropes by which they are attached to the posts being ten yards4 #b4 ,that the remainder of the boats do start on the ,barnwell side at similar distances1 but with ropes fifteen yards in length4 #c4 ,that there also be a rope three yards long fixed to the head of the lock1 which will be the station of the last boat1 provided the number exceed twelve4 ,these arrangements allowed thirteen boats to start at once1 and special provision was made for any number beyond that4 ,obedience to the properly constituted authorities seems from an early period to have characterized the rowing man4 ,i find that in #ahca a race was arranged between the captains of racing crews and the rest of the ,university1 to take place on ,tuesday1 ,november #bi4 ,on ,monday1 the #bhth1 however1 there arrived a request from the ,vice-,chancellor1 backed by the tutors of the several colleges1 that we should refrain from racing on account of the cholera then prevailing in ,sunderland4 ,we accordingly gave up the match forthwith1 and with it another which was to have been rowed the same day between the quondam ,etonians and the private school men4 ,the secretary1 however1 adds this caustic comment1 ,it is presumed that ,dr4 ,haviland1 at whose instigation the ,vice-,chancellor put a stop to the race1 confounded the terms 7and pronunciations87 'rowing' and 'rowing1' and while he was anxious to stop any debauchery in the latter class of men1 by a slight mistake was the means of preventing the healthy exercise of the former4 ,the umpire for the college races seems never to have been properly appreciated4 ,indeed1 in #ahcd1 the ,u4,b4,c4 solemnly resolved that the umpire was no use1 444 and accordingly that ,bowtell should be cashiered4 ,in consequence of this resolution1 it was proposed and carried that the same person who had the management of the posts1 lines1 and starting the boats should also place the flags on the bumping-post1 and receive for his pay #ds4 a week1 with an addition of #bs4 #f;d4 at the end of the quarter in case the starting be well managed1 but that each time the pistol misses fire #as4 should be deducted from his weekly pay4 ,in #ahce1 in consequence of the removal of the ,chesterton ,lock1 the ,u4,b4,c4 transferred the starting-posts to the reach between ,baitsbite and ,first ,post ,corner1 and there they have remained ever since4 ,side by side with the college boat clubs1 formed by the combination of their members for strictly imperial matters1 regulating and controlling the inter-collegiate races1 but never interfering with the internal arrangements and the individual liberty of the college clubs1 the ,university ,boat ,club grew up4 ,with two short but historical extracts from its early proceedings1 ,i will conclude this cursory investigation into the records of the musty past4 ,on ,february #bj1 #ahbi1 at a meeting of the ,u4,b4,c4 ,committee1 held in ,mr4 ,gisborne's rooms1 it was resolved inter alia ,that ,mr4 ,snow1 ,st4 ,john's1 be requested to write immediately to ,mr4 ,staniforth1 ,christ ,church1 ,oxford1 proposing to make up a ,university match2 and on ,march #ab1 on the receipt of a letter from ,mr4 ,staniforth1 ,christ ,church1 ,oxford1 a meeting of the ,u4,b4,c4 was called at ,mr4 ,harman's rooms1 ,caius ,college1 when the following resolution was passed3--,that ,mr4 ,stephen ,davies 7the ,oxford boat-builder7 be requested to post the following challenge in some conspicuous part of his barge3 ',that the ,university of ,cambridge hereby challenge the ,university of ,oxford to row a match at or near ,london1 each in an eight-oared boat1 during the ensuing ,easter vacation4' ,thus was brought about the first race between the two ,universities4 ,mr4 ,snow was appointed captain1 and it was further decided that the ,university ,boat ,club should defray all expenses1 and that the match be not made up for money4 ,it is unnecessary for me to relate once again how the race was eventually rowed from ,hambledon ,lock to ,henley ,bridge1 and how the ,light ,blues 7who1 by the way1 were then the ,pinks7 suffered defeat by many lengths4 ,the story has been too well and too often told before4 ,each crew contained a future bishop--the late ,bishop of ,st4 ,andrew's rowing ,no4 #d in the ,oxford boat1 whilst the late ,bishop ,selwyn1 afterwards ,bishop of ,new ,zealand1 and subsequently of ,lichfield1 occupied the important position of ,no4 #g for ,cambridge4 ,of the remainder more than half were afterwards ordained4 ,so much1 then1 for the origins of ,college and ,university racing4 ,thenceforward the friendly rivalry flourished with only slight intermissions2 gradually the race became an event4 ,the great public became interested in it1 cabmen and 'bus-drivers decorated their whips in honour of the crews1 sightseers flocked to the river-banks to catch a glimpse of them as they flashed past1 and their prowess was celebrated by the press4 ,it is not1 however1 too much to say that without the keen spirit of emulation which is fostered by the college races both at ,oxford and ,cambridge1 the ,university boat-race would cease to exist4 ,truly a light blue cap is to the oarsman a glorious prize1 but there are many hundreds of ardent enthusiasts who have to content themselves with a place in the college boats in the ,lent or the ,may ,term4 ,want of form1 or of weight1 or of the necessary strength and stamina may hinder them from attaining to a place in the ,university ,eight1 but they should console themselves by reflecting that without their patient and earnest labours for the welfare of their several colleges it would be impossible to maintain a high standard of oarsmanship1 or to form a representative ,university ,eight4 ,let me1 therefore1 be for a page or two the apologist1 nay1 rather the panegyrist1 of the college oarsman1 with whom many of my happiest hours have been spent4 ,before entering upon the serious business of life as a freshman at ,cambridge1 the youth who is subsequently to become an oar will in all probability have fired his imagination by reading of the historical prowess of past generations of ,university oars in races at ,henley or at ,putney4 ,goldie who turned the tide of defeat1 the ,closes1 ,rhodes1 ,gurdon1 ,hockin1 ,pitman the pluckiest of strokes1 and ,muttlebury the mighty heavy-weight1 are the heroes whom he worships1 and to whose imitation he proposes to devote himself4 ,a vision of a light blue coat and cap flits before his mind2 he sees himself in fancy wresting a fiercely contested victory from the clutches of ,oxford1 and cheered and feted by a countless throng of his admirers4 ,with these ideas he becomes as a freshman a member of his college boat club1 and adds his name to the tubbing list4 ,he purchases his rowing uniform1 clothes himself in it in his rooms1 and one fine afternoon in ,october finds himself one of a crowd of nervous novices in the yard of his college boathouse4 ,one of the captains pounces on him1 selects a co-victim for him1 and orders him into a gig-pair1 or1 to speak more correctly1 a tub4 ,with the first stroke the beautiful azure vision vanishes1 leaving only a sense of misery behind4 ,he imagined he could row as he walked1 by the light of nature4 ,he finds that all kinds of mysterious technicalities are required of him4 ,he has to get hold of the beginning to finish it out1 to take his oar out of the water clean 7an impossibility one would think on the dirty drain-fed ,cam71 to plant his feet against the stretcher1 to row his shoulders back1 to keep his elbows close to his sides1 to shoot away his hands1 to swing from his hips1 under no circumstances to bend his back or to leave go with his outside hand1 and1 above all1 to keep his swing forward as steady as a rock--an instruction to which he conforms by not swinging at all4 ,these are but a few points out of the many which are dinned into his ears by his energetic coach4 ,a quarter of an hour concludes his lesson1 and he leaves the river a much sadder1 but not necessarily a wiser man4 ,however1 since he is young he is not daunted by all these unforeseen difficulties4 ,he perseveres1 and towards the end of his first term reaps a doubtful reward by being put into an ,eight with seven other novices1 to splash and roll and knock his knuckles about for an hour or so to his heart's content4 ,next term 7the ,lent ,term7 may find him a member of one of his college ,lent boats4 ,then he begins to feel that pluck and ambition are not in vain1 and soon afterwards for the first time he tastes the joys of training1 which he will be surprised to find does not consist entirely of raw steaks and underdone chops4 ,common sense1 in fact1 has during the past fifteen years or so broken in upon the foolish regulations of the ancient system4 ,men who train are still compelled to keep early hours1 to eat simple food at fixed times1 to abjure tobacco1 and to limit the quantity of liquid they absorb4 ,but there is an immense variety in the dishes put before them2 they are warned against gorging 7at breakfast1 indeed1 men frequently touch no meat71 and though they assemble together in the ,backs before breakfast1 and are ordered to clear their pipes by a short sharp burst of one hundred and fifty yards1 they are not allowed to overtire themselves by the long runs which were at one time in fashion4 ,far away back in the dawn of ,university rowing training seems to have been far laxer1 though discipline may have been more strict1 than it is now4 ,mr4 ,j4 ,m4 ,logan 7the well-known ,cambridge boat-builder7 wrote to me on this subject3 ,i have heard my father say that the crews used to train on egg-flip which an old lady who then kept the ,plough ,inn by ,ditton was very famous for making1 and that crew which managed to drink most egg-flip was held to be most likely to make many bumps4 ,i believe the ingredients were gin1 beer1 and beaten eggs1 with nutmegs and spices added4 ,i have heard my father say that the discipline of the crews was of an extraordinary character4 ,for instance1 the captain of the ,lady ,margaret ,boat ,club used to have a bugle1 and after he had sounded it the crew would have to appear on the yard in high hats and dress suits with a black tie4 ,the penalty for appearing in a tie of any other colour was one shilling4 ,the trousers worn on these occasions were of white jean1 and had to be washed every day under a penalty of one shilling4 ,the wearing of perfectly clean things every day was an essential part of the preparation4 ,all this1 however1 is a digression from the freshman whom we have seen safely through his tubbing troubles1 and have selected for a ,lent ,boat4 ,i return to him to follow him in a career of glory which will lead him from ,lent ,boat to ,may ,boat1 from that to his college ,four1 and so perhaps through the ,university ,trial ,eights to the final goal of all rowing ambition--the ,cambridge ,eight4 ,he will have suffered many things for the sake of his beloved pursuit2 he will have rowed many weary miles1 have learnt the misery of aching limbs and blistered hands1 perhaps he may have endured the last indignity of being bumped2 he will have laboured under broiling suns1 or with snowstorms and bitter winds beating against him2 he will have voluntarily cut himself off from many pleasant indulgences4 ,but1 on the other hand1 his triumphs will have been sweet2 he will have trained himself to submit to discipline1 to accept discomfort cheerfully1 to keep a brave face in adverse circumstance2 he will have developed to the full his strength and his powers of endurance1 and will have learnt the necessity of unselfishness and patriotism4 ,these are1 after all1 no mean results in a generation which is often accused of effeminate and debasing luxury4 ,a few words as to our scheme of boat-races at ,cambridge4 ,of the ,lent races ,i have spoken4 ,they are rowed at the end of ,february in heavy ships1 i4e4 fixed-seat ships built with five streaks from a keel4 ,thirty-one boats take part in them4 ,every college must be represented by at least one boat1 though beyond that there is no restriction as to the number of boats from any particular college club4 ,no man who has taken part in the previous ,may races is permitted to row4 ,in fact1 they are a preparatory school for the development of eight-oared rowing4 ,next term is given up to the ,may races1 which are rowed in light ships1 i4e4 keel-less ships with sliding seats4 ,no club can have more than three or less than one crew in these races4 ,in this term the pair-oared races are also rowed1 generally before the ,eights4 ,the ,fours1 both in light ships and1 for the less ambitious colleges whose ,eights may be in the second division1 in clinker-built boats1 take place at the end of ,october1 and are followed by the ,colquhoun1 or ,university ,sculls1 and next by the ,university ,trial ,eights1 two picked crews selected by the ,president of the ,university ,boat ,club from the likely men of every college club4 ,the trial race always takes place near ,ely1 over the three miles of what is called the ,adelaide course4 ,besides all these races1 each college has its own races1 confined to members of the college4 ,but of course the glory of college racing culminates in the ,may term4 ,who shall calculate all the forethought1 energy1 self-denial1 and patriotic labour1 all the carefully organized skill and patient training which are devoted to the ,may races2 for so they are still called1 though they never take place now before ,june8 ,every man who rows in his college crew feels that to him personally the traditions and the honour of his college are committed4 ,the meadow at ,ditton is alive with a brilliant throng of visitors1 the banks swarm with panting enthusiasts armed with every kind of noisy instrument1 and all intent to spur the energies of their several ,eights4 ,one by one the crews1 clothed in their blazers1 with their straw hats on their heads1 paddle down to the start1 pausing at ,ditton to exchange greetings with the visitors4 ,in the ,post ,reach they turn1 disembark for a few moments1 and wander nervously up and down the bank4 ,at last the first gun is fired1 the oarsmen strip for the race4 ,their clothes are collected and borne along in front by perspiring boatmen1 so as to be ready for them at the end of the race4 ,the men step gingerly into their frail craft and await the next gun4 ,bang6 ,another minute4 ,the boat is pushed out1 the coxwain holding his chain2 the crew come forward1 every nerve strained for the start2 the cry of the careful timekeepers is heard along the reach1 the gun fires1 and a universal roar proclaims the start of the sixteen crews4 ,for four nights the conflict rages1 bringing triumph and victory to some1 and pain and defeat to others2 and at the end comes the glorious bump-supper1 with its toasts1 its songs1 and its harmless1 noisy rejoicings1 on which the dons look with an indulgent eye1 and in which they even sometimes take part for the honour of the college4 ,happy are those who still dwell in ,cambridge courts and follow the delightful labour of the oar6 ,for the rest of us there can only be memories of the time when we toiled round the never-ending ,grassy corner1 spurted in the ,plough1 heard dimly the deafening cheers of the crowd at ,ditton1 and finally made our bump amid the confused roar of hundreds of voices1 the booming of fog-horns the screech of rattles1 and the ringing of bells4 ,what joy in after-life can equal the intoxication of the moment when we stepped out upon the bank to receive the congratulations of our friends1 whilst the unfurled flag proclaimed our victory to the world8 ,to such scenes the mind travels back through the vista of years with fond regret4 ,for most of us our racing days are over1 but we can still glory in the triumphs of our college or our ,university1 and swear by the noblest of open-air sports4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,rowing ,,at ,,eton ,,college4 ,by ,w4 ,e4 ,crum1 ,captain of the ,boats1 #ahic2 ,president ,o4,u4,b4,c4 #ahif1 #ahig4 ,in most books that have been published on rowing matters1 a chapter has been devoted to rowing at ,eton4 ,but these accounts have been mainly of a historical nature1 and have not1 ,i think1 dealt sufficiently with the career of an ,eton boy1 from the time when he passes through the ordeal of the swimming examination up to the proud moment when he wears the light blue at ,henley1 representing his school in the ,ladies' ,plate4 ,before any boy is allowed to go on the river at all1 he is obliged to satisfy the authorities of his ability to reach the banks of the river safely if he should upset while boating4 ,this swimming examination is held about once a week after bathing has commenced in the summer half at the two bathing-places1 ,cuckoo ,weir and ,athens1 which are reserved for the use of the boys alone4 ,on the ,acropolis1 a mound raised some ten feet above the water for diving purposes1 sit the two or three masters whose duty it is to conduct the passing4 ,on one side a punt is moored1 from which the boys enter the water head first as best they can4 ,they have to swim a distance of about twenty yards1 round a pole1 and return1 showing that they can swim in good style1 and can keep themselves afloat by treading water4 ,when a boy has successfully passed this examination1 he is at liberty to go on the river4 ,as it is probably well on in the summer half before he has passed1 and it is more than likely that he has never before handled an oar1 we will suppose that he does not enter for the ,lower ,boy races that year1 but has to learn by himself1 with no coaches to help him1 the rudiments of rowing and sculling on fixed seats4 ,always on the river1 whenever he has an hour to spare from his school duties1 the ,lower ,boy soon acquires that knowledge of watermanship for which ,etonian oarsmen are famous4 ,by the end of the summer half1 he can sit his sculling-boat in comparative safety1 and has learnt1 perhaps1 at the cost of several fines1 the rules of the river1 which are considered sacred by all ,eton boys4 ,the ensuing winter terms are devoted to football and fives1 rowing not being allowed2 and we may pass on to the next summer1 when our ,lower ,boy will probably enter for both ,lower ,boy sculling and pulling 7i4e4 pairs74 ,these two races are rowed in boats almost peculiar to ,eton4 ,that used for the ,lower ,boy pulling is called a perfection1 of which the design is due to the ,rev4 ,s4 ,a4 ,donaldson2 it is an open1 clinker-built1 outrigged boat1 which recalls the lines of the old ,thames wherry4 ,that used for the ,lower ,boy sculling is known as a whiff1 an open clinker boat with outriggers4 ,on an average about a dozen competitors enter for these events1 five or six boats being started together1 the first and second in each heat rowing in the final4 ,the course1 which is about two miles long1 begins opposite the ,brocas1 extending for a mile upstream1 where the competitors turn round a ryepeck1 and then down-stream to the finish1 just above ,windsor ,bridge4 ,if fairly successful in his school examinations1 the boy whose career we are considering will1 after his second summer1 have reached the fifth form1 a position which entitles him to be tried for the boats4 ,he probably does not succeed in obtaining the coveted colour at the first attempt2 and it is1 say1 in his third summer1 that he first comes under the eye of a coach4 ,for the last month of the summer half1 as many as ten or a dozen eights are taken out by members of the ,upper ,boats every evening1 and four crews are selected from these1 put into training1 and carefully coached1 and after about a fortnight's practice race against each other from ,sandbank down to the bridge1 a distance of about three-quarters of a mile2 the race is called ,novice ,eights1 and each crew is stroked by a member of the ,lower ,boats4 ,every boy who rows in this race may be sure that he will get into the boats on the following #ast of ,march2 and having reached this important point in an ,eton wetbob's career1 ,i must endeavour to explain the meaning of the term ,the ,boats1 which ,i have already frequently used4 ,the ,boats are composed of one ten-oared1 and nine eight-oared crews1 presumably made up of the eighty-two best oarsmen in the school2 the boats are subdivided into two classes1 ,upper and ,lower ,boats4 ,the ,upper ,boats comprise the ten-oared ,monarch1 and the two eights1 ,victory and ,prince of ,wales2 the ,lower ,boats are more numerous1 consisting of seven eights1 which have characteristic names1 such as ,britannia1 ,dreadnought1 ,hibernia1 and ,defiance4 ,each of the ,upper ,boats has a distinctive colour just like any other school team1 whereas all members of the ,lower ,boats wear the same cap4 ,at the head of the ,eton wetbob world there reigns supreme the ,captain of the ,boats1 who is always regarded in the eyes of a small ,eton boy as next in importance only to the ,prince of ,wales and the ,archbishop of ,canterbury4 ,he is captain of the ,monarch1 and after him1 in order of merit1 come the captains of the other boats1 who act as his lieutenants2 these captains are practically appointed by the first captain of the previous year1 and were probably all members of the ,upper ,boats in that year4 ,at the beginning of each summer term the ,captain of the ,boats calls a meeting of his other boat captains2 he has by him a list of all those who were already members of the boats the year before1 and he knows pretty correctly the form of every one of them2 thus1 with his lieutenants' help he can assign to each oarsman the boat in which he considers him worthy to row4 ,the first boat to be made up is the ,monarch4 ,though nominally the first of the boats1 the ,monarch is actually composed of those who1 from their place in the school1 or from their prowess at other games1 deserve some recognition2 in fact1 ,i may best designate the members of the ten1 as good worthy people1 who have tried to row well and have not succeeded4 ,the next boat is the ,victory1 and here we find the pick of the previous year's ,lower ,boats4 ,though junior1 and in order of precedence below all the captains of the various boats1 these eight have just as much chance of rowing in the eight at ,henley as any of the captains2 for the younger oar1 whose faults can easily be cured1 is often preferred to his stronger senior1 whose faults are fixed and difficult to eradicate4 ,similar to the ,victory1 though of rather a lower standard1 is the ,prince of ,wales1 or ,third ,upper2 and this is composed of the remnants of the previous year's ,lower ,boats who are not quite good enough for the ,victory4 ,the great distinction in the present day between ,upper and ,lower ,boats is that all those in the former may row in any boat on sliding seats1 while to those in the latter only fixed seats are allowed4 ,having completed his ,upper ,boats1 the captain has now to fill the seats in the seven ,lower ,boats4 ,a few of the refuse1 one may almost call them1 of the year before are still left2 refuse1 because it is rarely the case that a boy who is more than one year in ,lower ,boats develops into a really good oar4 ,to these are generally assigned the best places in the ,lower ,boats1 and after them come1 in order of merit1 as far as possible1 all those who rowed in the previous summer in the ,novice ,eight race4 ,thus1 just as the ,victory is always better than the ,monarch1 so the ,dreadnought1 the second ,lower ,boat1 is often better than the ,britannia1 which may be composed of old crocks4 ,on the #ast of ,march and the #dth of ,june in each year the boats row in procession1 in their order1 each boat stroked by its captain1 up to ,surley ,hall1 where1 on the #dth of ,june1 a supper is held4 ,but ,i will leave a description of the #dth of ,june till later1 and will return to where ,i left our successful ,etonian1 who has just received his ,lower-,boat colours4 ,during his first summer half in the boats he is practically never out of training4 ,as soon as he has rowed one race he must begin practice for the next4 ,the first race of the season is ,lower ,eights4 ,four crews are chosen from among members of the ,lower ,boats1 are coached for three weeks by members of the ,upper ,boats1 and then race for a mile and a half4 ,after this follow ,lower ,fours1 in which1 again1 four crews take part1 chosen from the best of those who have raced in ,lower ,eights4 ,these two races are rowed in order that those in authority may see how their juniors can race1 and also that the said juniors may profit by efficient coaching4 ,no prizes are awarded2 they simply row for the honour of winning4 ,after these come ,junior ,sculling and ,junior ,pulling1 two races again confined to the ,lower ,boats4 ,they are rowed in light1 keelless1 outrigged boats1 with fixed seats1 no coxswain being carried by the pairs4 ,and here1 again1 much watermanship is learned1 for the ,eton course is a difficult one to steer1 and only those who steer well can have any chance of a win4 ,as many as fifty entries are sometimes received for ,junior ,sculling1 for though an ,eton boy may have no chance of winning a race1 he will start1 just for the sport of racing and improving his rowing1 a proceeding which might well be imitated at ,oxford or ,cambridge4 ,each boy who starts in one of these races has to wear a jersey trimmed with a distinctive colour1 and carry a flag in his bows2 and it is extraordinary what ugly combinations some of them choose and think beautiful4 ,these four races have taken our young friend well on into the summer half2 but after ,henley is over1 he will probably have to represent his ,house in the ,house ,four race4 ,perhaps at his tutor's there may be one or two who have rowed at ,henley in the ,eight1 and with these1 and possibly another boy in ,lower ,boats1 he has to train for another three weeks to row in what has been called1 in a song familiar to ,etonians of late years1 the race of the year4 ,it is an inspiriting sight for any one who wishes to get an idea of an ,eton race to see the crowds of men and boys1 masters and pupils1 wetbobs and drybobs1 running along the bank with the race1 some so far ahead that they can see nothing1 some with the boats1 some tired out and lagging behind1 but all shouting for a particular crew or individual as if their lives depended on it4 ,in the last few years another race has been established for the ,lower ,boats2 but it has not met with the approval of many ,old ,etonians4 ,it is a bumping race1 similar to those at ,oxford and ,cambridge1 rowed by the different ,lower ,boats--,britannia1 ,dreadnought1 etc4 ,it is claimed that by practising for this race many of those who would not otherwise get much teaching are coached by competent people1 and thus the standard of rowing is raised2 but the opponents of the measure object1 and as ,i think rightly1 on the grounds that the average oar in the ,lower ,boats has quite enough rowing and racing as it is1 and that even if more racing were needed1 a bumping race is the very worst that can be rowed4 ,it is necessary at the ,universities1 on account of the narrowness of the rivers1 to hold these races1 for two boats cannot race abreast2 but they must tend to make crews rush and hurry for two or three minutes1 and then try to get home as best they can4 ,so much for the ,lower ,boat races4 ,and there is only one more point to add concerning the ,lower ,boats3 at the end of each summer half a list is published called ,lower ,boat ,choices1 comprising about twenty of the ,lower ,boat oarsmen2 to these also is given a special colour2 and it is in the order of these choices that places in the ,upper ,boats are assigned in the following spring4 ,having1 therefore1 in the next year1 risen to the dignity of the ,upper ,boats1 our ,etonian has before him almost as many races as when he was in ,lower ,boats4 ,his first is ,trial ,eights4 ,this takes place at the end of the ,lent term1 between two eight-oared crews1 rowing on sliding seats1 and chosen by the ,captain of the ,boats4 ,it is from these two crews1 picked from the ,upper ,boats and the boat captains1 that the ,henley ,eight has to be chosen2 and it is1 therefore1 the object of the first and second captains of the boats to equalize them as far as possible1 so that they may have a close race1 and that the rowing and stamina of individuals at high pressure may be watched4 ,in the summer half come the ,school ,pulling and ,sculling1 similar to junior races1 but rowed on sliding seats1 and confined to the ,upper ,boats4 ,the winner of a school race1 besides getting his prize1 is entitled to wear a ,school ,shield--a small gold shield1 on which are engraved the ,eton arms1 and the name and year of the race won4 ,to secure a ,school ,shield is one of the greatest ambitions of every ambitious ,etonian4 ,these two races being over1 practice for the ,eight which is to row at ,henley begins4 ,every day the ,captain of the ,boats1 aided by one or two masters1 who have probably represented their ,universities at ,putney in their day1 has out two crews1 composed of the best of those who are in ,upper ,boats4 ,these crews are gradually weeded out till1 perhaps1 only an eight and a four are left2 and then1 at last1 the ,eight is finally chosen4 ,it is difficult to say who should be pitied most while this process of choosing the crew is going on--the captain or those who are striving for their seats2 the captain always worried and anxious that he should get the best crew to represent his school1 the crew always in agony lest they should be turned out1 and should never be able to wear the light blue4 ,of course1 the captain has the advice of those much more experienced than himself2 but if there is a close point to settle1 it is on him alone that the responsibility of the choice falls4 ,once safely settled in the boat1 there follows a period of five or six weeks of mixed pleasure and pain1 for every crew1 however good1 must pass through periods of demoralization when for a few days they cease to improve1 and periods of joy when they realize that1 after all1 they have some chance of turning out well4 ,for the last three weeks of this ,henley practice the ,eight is in strict training2 but training for ,eton boys is no great hardship4 ,the days of hard steak and a harder hen are over4 ,the ,eton boy is always fit1 and the chief point he has to observe is regularity4 ,his meals are much the same as usual--breakfast at eight1 lunch at two1 a light tea at five1 supper together at eight in the evening1 and bed at ten4 ,there is no need to pull him out of bed in the morning1 as at the ,universities1 for he has to go to school every morning at seven o'clock2 he does not usually smoke--or1 at any rate1 is not supposed to by the rules of the school1 and it is rarely that this rule is broken--and he does not indulge in large unwholesome dinners1 after the manner of many undergraduates4 ,every evening at six o'clock he goes down to the river1 and is probably tubbed in a gig-pair before rowing down the ,datchet reach in the ,eight4 ,about twice a week the crew rows a full racing course1 and is taken in for the last three minutes by a scratch crew1 which goes by the name of duffers1 composed of five or six ,old ,etonians and masters1 and one or two ,eton boys1 who are kept in training as spare men4 ,the crew is coached from a horse by one of the masters--of late years ,mr4 de ,havilland1 who is certainly as keen for his crew to win as any boy in the school4 ,for the last five years the crew has taken a house at ,henley for the days of the regatta1 and gone to ,henley by train the afternoon before the races4 ,though much wiser1 this departure from ,eton is not as impressive as in older days1 when the crew used to drive to ,henley for each day's racing2 when1 filled with pride and shyness1 the young oarsman used to issue from his tutor's1 wearing for the first time his light-blue coat and white cap1 and walk to ,mr4 ,donaldson's or ,dr4 ,warre's house1 where waited the brake which was to convey the crew1 with the cheers of the crowd1 along the hot1 dusty road to ,henley4 ,in #ahia1 the last year that this drive was taken1 the crew1 before the final of the ,ladies' ,plate1 had to drive no less than seventy-five miles in three days4 ,they were only beaten by a few feet1 and there is little doubt that but for this most tiring drive they would have won4 ,once at ,henley1 all is pleasure4 ,no crew is more popular1 none more cheered1 as it paddles down the course to the starting-point and as it arrives first at the winning-post4 ,the scene of enthusiasm1 not only among ,etonians1 but among the whole rowing world1 when an ,eton crew wins the ,ladies' ,plate after a lapse of several years1 is past description4 ,after ,henley come ,house ,fours2 and then the list of ,upper ,boat choices is made up by the ,captain of the ,boats4 ,the captain1 by this means1 appoints his successor for the following year1 for he arranges these choices in order of merit1 just as ,lower ,boat choices are arranged1 and the highest choice remaining at ,eton till the next year becomes captain4 ,thus the power of the captain is absolute2 he can appoint whomever he likes to be his successor1 and it is seldom that the choice falls on the wrong boy4 ,besides being the sole authority in these matters1 the captain has to arrange all the money matters of the ,e4,c4,b4,c42 over five hundred pounds pass through his hands in a year1 and this gives an extra responsibility to his post4 ,of course all his accounts are carefully audited by one of the masters1 and the experience gained1 not only in looking after money1 but also in arranging dates of races1 in choosing and in captaining his crew1 and in judging disputed points1 is well worth all the trouble and worry entailed4 ,our ,eton ,lower ,boy has now reached the position of ,captain of the ,boats1 and here ,i will leave him to go on either to ,oxford or ,cambridge and represent his ,university at ,putney4 ,a few words1 however1 may still be added4 ,there is a great difference between teaching a boy of sixteen and a man of twenty to row1 and this difference lies in the fact that it is much easier1 and perhaps even more important1 to teach your boy to row in good form4 ,by good form1 ,i mean the power to use all his strength directly in making the boat move so that no energy is wasted in making the body pass through the extraordinary contortions and antics often seen in an inferior college crew4 ,it is easier to teach the boy of sixteen to row in good form1 because his muscles are not yet formed1 and his body still lithe and supple2 it is more important to teach him1 because he is not so strong as his elders1 and consequently has not as much strength to waste4 ,a description of best how to use your strength would be out of place here1 for it will be found set forth in another part of this volume4 ,let me1 therefore1 pass on to a subject which lately has caused considerable discussion--the subject of the length of the course for the ,junior and ,school races4 ,all these races are held over a course of about three miles in length1 and take some twenty minutes to row4 ,they start opposite the ,brocas1 and continue up-stream round ,rushes1 and then down-stream to ,windsor ,bridge4 ,the contention of many is that the length of these races is too great1 and that the trial put on boys of perhaps fifteen years of age is too severe4 ,from this view of the matter ,i differ1 for to any one who has rowed over both the ,henley and ,putney course it will be evident that the forty strokes per minute for a mile and a half would be more trying to a young boy than the thirty-four per minute for four miles4 ,a short note on the proceedings of the wetbobs on the #dth of ,june1 the great day of celebration at ,eton1 may have some interest4 ,as ,i have said1 a procession of all the boats takes place on this day4 ,about five o'clock they start in order from the ,brocas1 and row to ,surley ,hall1 where1 in tents on the grass1 a supper is prepared4 ,after supping1 they return to the rafts in time for a display of fireworks1 the crews standing up in their boats and tossing their oars1 whereby a very pretty effect is obtained4 ,the dresses worn by the crews are quaint and old-fashioned on this great day4 ,all are dressed in white ducks1 a shirt of the colours of their boat1 a dark-blue ,eton jacket trimmed with gold or silver braid1 and a straw hat covered with various emblems of their boat4 ,the coxswains of the ,upper ,boats wear naval captain's clothes1 while the ,lower ,boat coxswains represent midshipmen4 ,so much for ,eton rowing2 and1 in finishing1 ,i must pay a slight tribute to three old ,etonians1 to whom the success of ,eton rowing is mainly due4 ,they are ,dr4 ,warre1 the ,rev4 ,s4 ,a4 ,donaldson1 and ,mr4 de ,havilland2 and ,i feel sure that out of these three1 who have all done yeomen service for their school1 ,i may single out ,dr4 ,warre1 and yet give no offence to his two successors4 ,before ,dr4 ,warre came to ,eton as a master1 in the early sixties1 the masters had taken little interest in the proceedings on the river2 consequently the traditions of rowing1 learnt mainly from the riverside watermen1 were not of a very high standard4 ,eton had never rowed in any races1 except against ,westminster1 and it was due to ,dr4 ,warre's efforts that competition for the ,ladies' ,plate was first allowed4 ,from this date till the middle of the eighties1 ,dr4 ,warre was always ready to coach when asked1 but never till asked1 for he believed1 and still believes strongly1 in allowing the boys to manage their own games as far as possible4 ,how well he kept his principles of rowing up to date is shown in his pamphlets on rowing and coaching1 for probably no one but he could have written so clear and concise a description as he has given4 ,besides being an eminent coach1 he understands thoroughly the theories of boat-building1 his ideas being well exemplified of late by the boats which won for ,eton in '#ic1 '#id1 '#if1 and '#ig4 ,when the duties of head-master became too engrossing to allow him to devote as much time to the ,eight as formerly1 his place was taken1 and well filled1 by ,mr4 ,donaldson4 ,mr4 ,donaldson was always a most keen and patient coach1 and followed closely on the head-master's lines2 and his cheery voice at ,henley--clear above all the din of the race--once heard1 could never be forgotten4 ,he was very successful with his crews1 and helped them to win the ,ladies' ,plate several times4 ,in #ahic ,mr4 de ,havilland first coached the ,eight1 and1 since this date1 has had an unbroken series of wins4 ,in the first year of his coaching1 fifteen-inch slides1 instead of ten-inch1 were used1 and this1 aided by his excellent advice1 helped to produce one of the fastest ,eights that ,eton has ever sent to represent the school4 ,mr4 de ,havilland has that wonderful knack1 possessed by some good coaches1 of training his crew to the hour1 and it is surprising with what speed his crews always improve in the last week or so of practice4 ,i can only hope1 in conclusion1 that ,i have to some extent succeeded in explaining to the uninitiated the mysteries of the career of an ,eton wetbob during the five or six happiest years of his life spent at the best of schools4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,australian ,,rowing4 ,by ,e4 ,g4 ,blackmore4 ,a country which has produced such scullers as ,beach and ,searle1 not to mention ,trickett1 ,laycock1 ,kemp1 ,nielson1 ,stanbury1 and many others of less calibre1 may well claim a place in a work treating of the science and art of rowing4 ,in the limits of a chapter it is scarcely possible to give an exhaustive account of ,australian oarsmen and oarsmanship1 and as the performances of the leading ,colonial scullers are sufficiently well known1 from their having competed on ,english waters1 this record will be almost entirely confined to amateur rowing1 as practised in ,australia4 ,that large continent1 with the island of ,tasmania1 consists of six colonies1 in all of which the art is cultivated1 with more or less enthusiasm4 ,the first record we can find of anything like boat-racing occurs in #ahah1 when ships' gig races were rowed in the ,sydney ,harbour1 while the first regatta was held in the same place in #ahbg4 ,in #ahcb an ,australian-born crew1 in a locally built whale-boat1 beat several crews of whaling ships4 ,passing over a series of years1 in which nothing of more than local and momentary interest occurred1 we find that in #aheh1 in the first race rowed on the present ,champion course1 the ,parramatta ,river1 ,green beat an ,english sculler1 ,candlish1 in a match for ,l#djj4 ,i am inclined to regard this as the real foundation of ,new ,south ,wales professional sculling1 which afterwards culminated in the performances of ,beach and ,searle4 ,the mother colony is the only one of the group which has produced a professional sculler of any class4 ,amongst amateurs none has yet appeared who could be placed in the first rank4 ,in all the ,colonies there are rowing associations which regulate and control amateur rowing4 ,of these1 ,new ,south ,wales alone has attempted to maintain the amateur status on ,english lines4 ,the other associations recognize men who would not pass muster at any regatta in the ,united ,kingdom where the regulation definition obtains4 ,to the ,new ,south ,wales ,association about ten clubs are affiliated4 ,under its auspices regattas are held in the harbour of ,sydney1 and one on the ,parramatta ,river4 ,the former water is utterly unfit for first-class racing1 as it is exceedingly rough1 exposed to sudden winds1 and hampered with steam traffic of all sorts4 ,in ,september--regarded as the commencement of the rowing season--there is an eight-oar race1 the winners of which rank as champions for the ensuing year1 and fly the ,premiership ,pennant4 ,on ,january #bf is held the ,anniversary ,regatta1 which1 founded in #ahcd1 has been an annual event since #ahcg4 ,the ,parramatta ,river course1 on which champion events are decided1 and which ,hanlan1 ,beach1 and ,searle have made classic ground1 is #c miles #ccj yards4 ,it is practically straight1 with a strong tide1 the set of which is very difficult to learn4 ,at times it is so affected by wind1 as to render rowing impossible4 ,the most perfect water is that of the ,nepean ,river4 ,here a straight #c-a_/d miles course can be found1 perfectly calm1 and with no current4 ,it was on this river that ,beach beat ,hanlan in #ahhg4 ,the ,victorian ,rowing ,association holds three ,championship events in the year--sculls1 fours1 and eights rowed in best boats on the ,lower ,yarra1 and an annual regatta on the ,albert ,park ,lake1 though in former years it has taken place on the ,upper and the ,lower river4 ,important meetings are also held at ,ballarat1 ,geelong1 ,warrnambool1 ,bairnsdale1 ,colac1 ,nagambie1 and ,lake ,moodemere4 ,the length for ,intercolonial and ,championship races is #c miles #aaj yards1 with the tide1 which may be set at three miles an hour4 ,the ,south ,australian ,association holds an annual regatta on the river ,torrens1 and has champion races for eights1 fours1 and sculls1 on the ,port ,river4 ,the city course is one mile1 that for the champion races1 three miles4 ,the ,torrens is at the best an inferior river for rowing1 while the ,port ,water is a broad tidal stream1 exposed to south-west winds1 and at times exceedingly rough4 ,queensland1 ,tasmania1 and ,western ,australia1 like their sister ,colonies1 have associations1 and hold regattas4 ,the great event of the year is the ,intercolonial eight-oar race1 rowed alternately in ,sydney1 ,melbourne1 and ,brisbane4 ,western ,australia is now 7#ahig7 entering the field1 but her crew is composed almost entirely of former ,victorian oarsmen4 ,in the past the rowing of ,victorian crews has been generally far superior to that of the other ,colonies1 and in #ahid the ,victorian combination was the nearest approach to ,english form that has yet been attained4 ,south ,australia has not so far been represented4 ,speaking generally1 none of the picked eights of the ,colonies have ever shown form or pace within measurable distance of the best college crews at ,oxford and ,cambridge1 or the eights which may be seen at ,henley4 ,there is no approach to that systematic rudimentary teaching1 coaching1 and training1 which proves so successful on ,english waters1 and without which no crew can ever become that perfect human machine which a finished eight should be4 ,public ,school ,rowing4 ,sydney4 ,the principal rowing schools in ,new ,south ,wales are the ,church of ,england ,grammar ,school1 ,north ,shore1 the ,sydney ,grammar ,school1 and ,st4 ,ignatius ,college4 ,under the ,athletic ,association of the ,great ,public ,schools an annual regatta is held on the ,parramatta ,river in ,may4 ,the events are--,schools ,championship1 ,maiden ,fours1 ,junior ,eights1 and a ,june ,handicap ,sculling ,race4 ,the association has fixed the distance at #a-a_/d miles4 ,the races are rowed in string test gigs2 and #h mins4 #ae secs4 is considered good time for school crews1 whose age1 it must be remembered1 does not equal that of ,english schoolboys4 ,the boathouses of the two grammar schools are at ,berry's and ,woolloomooloo ,bays1 in the harbour2 and they are at a disadvantage compared with ,st4 ,ignatius ,college1 which1 at ,lane ,cove ,river1 has a splendid course and smooth water4 ,the ten days of the ,easter vacation are spent by the two former schools in ,rowing ,camp1 i4e4 they migrate to the ,parramatta ,river1 where there are better opportunities of systematic work and coaching4 ,each club1 notably ,st4 ,ignatius1 has a good set of boats1 those of the ,north ,shore ,school being fitted with convertible fixed or sliding seats1 carried on frames4 ,the form of the two grammar schools is decidedly good1 and conforms to the ,english standard much more nearly than that of most of the clubs4 ,victoria4 ,there are five schools approaching1 as nearly as circumstances allow1 the great public schools of ,england1 viz4 in the capital1 the ,church of ,england ,grammar ,school1 the ,scotch ,college1 ,wesley ,college1 ,st ,patrick's ,college1 and the ,church of ,england ,grammar ,school at ,geelong4 ,two races are rowed annually1 for first and second crews1 each school in turn having the choice of course1 which is either on the ,upper or ,lower ,yarra1 the ,albert ,park ,lagoon1 or the ,barwon at ,geelong4 ,for first crews the distance is #a-a_/d miles1 for second a mile1 the boats being string test gigs1 fixed seats4 ,of all the schools none has a record equal to that of ,geelong1 where rowing1 in comparison with other sports1 occupies the same position as at ,eton4 ,to the ,cambridge ,eight it has contributed four oars1 including the well-known heavyweight ,s4 ,fairbairn2 while in the memorable race of '#hf1 when ,pitman made his victorious rush on the post1 the school had an old boy in each boat--,fairbairn rowing for the ,light ,blues1 and ,robertson1 whose father had been in ,hoare's famous '#fa crew1 for ,oxford4 ,in the ,cambridge ,trial ,eights seven old ,geelongs have rowed2 in the ,oxford ,trials only one2 while the school has also been represented in the ,grand ,challenge and other races at ,henley4 ,the ,public ,schools' ,race for first crews was established in #ahfh1 and for second in #ahgh4 ,geelong first rowed for the former in #ahge1 since when it has twelve wins to its credit1 and the same number in the minor event4 ,the ,boat ,club was established in #ahgd1 and at the present date has a roll of fifty-six members1 an excellent boathouse1 and nineteen boats4 ,it holds an annual school regatta in ,june4 ,rowing at the other schools is very spasmodic1 mostly confined to a few weeks' training for the above races4 ,south ,australia4 ,there are only two schools in ,south ,australia which merit the designation of public schools in the ,english sense1 viz4 ,st4 ,peter's ,collegiate ,school and ,prince ,alfred ,college1 both in the immediate neighbourhood of the city4 ,adelaide is bisected by the river ,torrens1 where1 by reason of a dam1 a mile and a half of water is available for rowing4 ,but the course is so tortuous that racing is limited to a mile4 ,the accumulation of silt is so great1 and the growth of weeds and rushes so rapid1 that for some five months in the year the river is kept empty for necessary operations2 and at the best of times the water is slow and sluggish4 ,at the annual regatta1 under the ,rowing ,association1 the rivals have often competed in a special race2 but they ran the chance of being drawn to row private schools4 ,in order to make rowing as important a part of school athletics as cricket and football1 the present writer1 who was then chairman of the ,rowing ,association1 instituted in #ahic an annual race between these schools for a challenge shield1 to be rowed on the tidal river at the ,port1 over a straight mile course4 ,the boats used are half-outrigged1 clinker1 keelless fours1 fixed seats1 with a twenty-six-inch beam4 ,the crews practise on the home water1 and finish their preparation on the scene of the contest4 ,so far1 ,st4 ,peter's ,college has won each event in the easiest style4 ,a race has also been established with the ,geelong school4 ,of three1 each of which has been of the closest1 ,geelong has won once1 ,st4 ,peter's twice4 ,the boats used are full outrigged clinkers1 with sliding seats4 ,in spite of the inferior water1 rowing at ,st4 ,peter's is becoming almost as popular with the boys as cricket and football4 ,to this state of things their success against ,prince ,alfred and ,geelong crews has materially contributed1 as well as the institution of school regattas4 ,the club has a good boathouse1 with the right class of boats for teaching and coaching1 viz4 steady1 roomy1 half-outrigged1 clinker fours1 with keels1 convertible as fixed or sliders4 ,university ,rowing4 ,there are three ,universities of ,australia--those of ,sydney1 ,melbourne1 and ,adelaide4 ,racing was first instituted when ,sydney and ,melbourne met on the water of the latter in string test gig fours over a three and a half miles course4 ,in the following year they met on the ,parramatta4 ,melbourne won on both occasions4 ,the race was then discontinued1 but in #ahhe the ,sydney ,university ,boat ,club was founded1 and in #ahhh the three ,universities mutually agreed to establish the race as an annual event in eights1 to be rowed in turn on the ,parramatta1 the ,yarra1 and the ,port ,adelaide rivers1 over a three mile course4 ,of nine races rowed--in two of which ,adelaide1 and in one of which ,sydney1 did not compete--,sydney has won four times1 ,melbourne thrice1 and ,adelaide on two occasions4 ,the presentation by ,old ,blues of ,oxford and ,cambridge of a magnificent cup1 to be held by the winners1 has given a great stimulus to the race1 and invested it with an importance which otherwise would not have attached to it4 ,it has served to establish the continuity of the contest1 and to connect the local ,universities with their more famous elder sisters of ,england4 ,the ,sydney ,u4,b4,c4 undoubtedly takes the lead in prosecuting rowing4 ,it promotes annual races for ,freshmen1 and intercollegiate fours between the three colleges of ,st4 ,john's1 ,st4 ,andrew's1 and ,st4 ,paul's4 ,since their inauguration1 in #ahib1 ,st4 ,paul's has won on every occasion except in #ahid4 ,in #ahie and #ahif the ,u4,b4,c4 won the ,rowing ,association ,eight-oar ,championship4 ,there is an annual race in eights between ,ormond and ,trinity ,colleges of the ,melbourne ,university1 besides a few other less important events1 but the rowing spirit is not in such evidence as in ,sydney and ,adelaide4 ,the latter is simply a teaching and examining ,university1 with members so few that it is rather a matter of finding eight men to put in a boat than of picking or selecting a crew from a number of aspirants4 ,its success and enterprise are the more remarkable4 ,speaking generally of ,university form in ,australia1 it is far inferior to that of a good college eight4 ,nor is the reason far to seek4 ,there is no such recruiting ground as1 for instance1 ,eton or ,radley1 not to mention other rowing schools1 nor are there the opportunities for making oars such as the college clubs at the two great ,universities present1 with the successive stages of the ,torpids and ,lent races1 the ,may and ,summer ,eights1 ,henley1 and the ,trial ,eights4 ,coaching1 as in ,england1 from the tow path or a fast steam-launch1 is practically impossible1 and the number of those who have a scientific knowledge of oarsmanship1 and1 what is rarer still1 the gift of imparting it to a crew1 individually and collectively1 is small indeed4 ,coaching in ,australia is done from the stern1 or from another boat1 or by an occasional view from the bank1 sometimes from a launch seldom fast enough to keep up1 or range abeam4 ,pair-oar tubbing is of course utilized4 ,sydney ,university rowing is1 however1 far superior to non-,university oarsmanship4 ,the men sit up1 use their backs and legs well1 understand the knee work at the end of the slide1 and do not rush their recovery4 ,they are somewhat deficient in fore and aft swing1 have a tendency to sky the feather1 and rarely catch their water at the first4 ,melbourne rowing is wanting in body work1 and conspicuous for absence of length4 ,the men apparently are taught to discard on slides every approach to fixed-seat form1 instead of to retain as much as possible4 ,thanks to a strong ,oxford inspiration in ,adelaide1 and a belief in fixed-seat form as the foundation of good rowing on slides1 an ,adelaide school or ,university crew is conspicuous for length1 reach1 and swing4 ,the pace of the eights is far behind ,english standard4 ,boatbuilding in ,australia4 ,it was the opinion of ,hanlan that in the matter of boats and sculls he had never been so well served as by ,donnelly and ,sullivan of ,sydney1 a judgment as regards sculls endorsed by ,beach and ,searle4 ,chris4 ,nielsen1 the sculler1 has brought out a boat which he claims to be faster than the ordinary wager boat1 with1 against1 or without tide1 in rough water or smooth4 ,the dimensions for an #aa-a_/b stone man are--length1 #bc ft42 beam1 #af ins42 depth1 #g ins42 for'ard1 #f ins42 aft1 #e-a_/b ins42 full lines throughout2 height of seat from heel plates1 #g ins42 height of work from seat1 #e-c_/d ins42 needs no fin1 steers well1 very light off hand2 weight without fittings1 #ad lbs4 ,riggers are bicycle tubing fittings1 ordinary ,davis gate2 ,colonial cedar1 pine1 and hickory timbers4 ,the ,australian-built boats are probably1 so far as lines1 general design1 and workmanship1 quite equal to the best ,english craft4 ,for pairs1 fours1 and eights the ,melbourne builders1 ,fuller1 ,edwards1 and ,greenland1 are of the first class4 ,they use a skeleton frame for the slides1 built with angle pieces4 ,this has all the rigidity of ,clasper's more solid style1 is lighter and stronger1 and when the boat is being emptied allows the free escape of water4 ,a ,colonial eight is certainly lighter than those sent to ,australia by ,clasper or ,rough4 ,probably the ,english builders have overestimated the weight of ,australian eight-oar crews1 which do not scale anything approaching a ',varsity eight4 ,seating down the middle is generally preferred1 which the present writer thinks has everything in its favour4 ,the great drawback from which local builders suffer is the want of seasoned cedar4 ,from this cause their boats do not last as long as ,english ones4 ,times4 ,i am not disposed to place much reliance on time as a test of a crew or a sculler1 as conditions can never be so identical as to make comparison a safe guide4 ,still a certain interest attaches to records4 ,it is contended that the ,parramatta is a fifth slower than the ,thames4 ,the best trial with the tide that ,i know of is for a mile1 #e mins4 #bj secs4 with a four2 #d mins4 #dg secs4 with an eight4 ,over the whole course1 #c miles #ccj yards1 an eight has put up #ag mins4 #ab secs41 one mile of which was compassed in #d mins4 #eb secs4 ,on the ,yarra the ,victorian ,eight of #ahhi is said to have rowed two measured miles in #aj mins4 #b secs4 ,at ,brisbane1 in #ahie1 the ,sydney ,international ,eight1 with a strong stream1 compassed three miles in #ae mins41 but the distance is doubted4 ,on the ,nepean course1 #c miles #ddj yards1 ,sullivan beat ,bubear in #ai mins4 #ae secs41 no current4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,rowing ,,in ,,america4 ,the sport of rowing1 as ,i gather from ,mr4 ,caspar ,whitney's well-known book1#ad was in its infancy in ,america when it had already taken a prominent place amongst our amateur athletic exercises in ,england4 ,the ,detroit ,boat ,club1 established in #ahci1 was the first rowing organization in ,america4 ,next came ,yale ,university1 which established a ,boat ,club in #ahdc1 and was followed by ,harvard ,university in #ahdf4 ,the first boat-race between ,harvard and ,yale took place in #aheb on ,lake ,winipiseogee1 ,new ,hampshire1 in eight-oared boats with coxswains4 ,other meetings between these two followed at intervals until #ahei1 when a ,college ,union ,regatta was instituted4 ,this took place at ,worcester 7,mass471 on ,lake ,quinsigamond1 in six-oared boats without coxswains1 the bow oar invariably steering1 and was continued1 with an interruption of three years during the ,rebellion1 until #ahgj1 when the course was changed to the ,connecticut ,river4 ,up to this time two ,universities only had competed besides ,yale and ,harvard2 but in #ahgb the number increased considerably1 and in #ahge no less than twelve different ,universities were represented in one race4 ,these were1 in the order in which they finished1 ,cornell1 ,columbia1 ,harvard1 ,dartmouth 7,hanover1 ,n4,h471 ,wesleyan 7,middletown1 ,conn471 ,yale1 ,amherst 7,mass471 ,brown 7,providence1 ,r4,i471 ,williams 7,williamstown1 ,mass471 ,bowdoin 7,brunswick1 ,maine71 ,hamilton 7,clinton1 ,n4,y471 and ,union 7,schenectady1 ,n4,y474 ,the most eventful of these big regattas was that of #ahgd at ,saratoga1 when nine boats entered4 ,harvard and ,yale1 having adjoining stations1 unfortunately became engaged in a dispute as to water1 and were left disputing by several boats4 ,harvard got away from the entanglement first1 leaving ,yale with her rudder and one oar broken1 and went in pursuit of the others2 but in spite of the most heroic efforts1 were beaten by ,columbia and ,wesleyan1 who finished respectively first and second4 ,in #ahgf ,harvard and ,yale decided to withdraw from these crowded meetings1 and in this and the following year they rowed a private match at ,springfield in ,eights with coxswains1 and in #ahgh on the ,thames at ,new ,london1 where they continued their annual contest up to and including #ahie4ae ,in that year there took place a break in the athletic relations between these two ,universities1 and in #ahif ,harvard took part in a quadrangular race with ,cornell1 ,columbia1 and ,pennsylvania ,universities4 ,this was won by ,cornell1 ,harvard being second1 and was rowed on a perfectly straight four-mile course at ,poughkeepsie on the ,river ,hudson1 where ,cornell1 ,columbia1 and ,pennsylvania had decided some previous contests4 ,in the present year1 however1 the differences between ,harvard and ,yale were happily adjusted1 and a race was rowed at ,poughkeepsie between them and ,cornell1 in which ,cornell came in first1 ,yale defeating ,harvard for second place4 ,harvard1 ,yale1 ,columbia1 ,pennsylvania1 and ,cornell possess at the present day the most important ,university rowing organizations1 and at all of them the sport is practised with that intense keenness which characterizes the young ,american in everything that he undertakes4 ,especially is this the case with ,harvard and ,yale4 ,their rivalry has continued for many years1 and a meeting between them in rowing1 or in any other sport1 evokes among their members an eagerness and an enthusiasm of which an ,englishman can have little conception4 ,most of the ,universities that took part in the contests of the seventies seem to have dropped altogether out of the rowing world4 ,last year saw a new arrival in the shape of the ,university of ,wisconsin4 ,these ,westerners1 in spite of their difficulties of climate1 were able to form a very good freshman crew1 which defeated the ,yale freshmen in a two-mile race4 ,this year the ,wisconsin ,university ,eight rowed a two-mile race against the ,yale ,university ,eight1 but were unable to make much of a show against them4 ,the ,united ,states ,naval ,academy at ,minneapolis can also put a very fair crew on the water1 though the course of their studies allows them but little leisure for practice4 ,this year they were defeated by ,cornell in a two-mile race4 ,the chief rowing school of ,america is undoubtedly ,st4 ,paul's1 at ,concord1 ,new ,hampshire4 ,it is divided into two boat-clubs1 the ,halcyon and the ,shattuck1 and the teaching and training of the boys are looked after by ,mr4 ,dole1 a man of great knowledge and experience in rowing matters4 ,they practise on a large lake situated close to the school buildings1 and show on the whole very fair form1 though in this respect they cannot equal an ,eton crew4 ,rowing recruits from this school are eagerly sought after by ,harvard and ,yale1 in whose contests old ,st4 ,paul's boys have a very brilliant record4 ,at ,groton ,school1 in ,massachusetts1 the boys row in ,fours on the river ,nashua1 their coach being ,mr4 ,abbot1 a graduate of ,worcester ,college1 ,oxford4 ,rowing1 however1 at ,groton has not yet assumed the importance it has at ,st4 ,paul's1 baseball being considered of the first importance1 and the captain of baseball having the right to claim rowing boys for his team4 ,not a few ,groton wet-bobs have1 however1 done well in ,harvard and ,yale crews4 ,besides these two rowing-schools1 there is also the ,high ,school of ,worcester 7,mass471 whose ,eight this year--the first1 ,i believe1 in its rowing history--rowed a severe but unsuccessful race against the ,harvard freshmen on ,lake ,quinsigamond1 and later in the summer won the race for ,intermediate ,eights at the ,national ,regatta held on the ,river ,schuylkill at ,philadelphia4 #ad ,a ,sporting ,pilgrimage 7published in #ahie by ,messrs4 ,osgood1 ,mc,ilvaine ,co471 one of the best all-round accounts of ,english sport that it has ever been my good fortune to read4 #ae ,for many of these details ,i am indebted to an article by ,mr4 ,j4 ,a4 ,watson-,taylor in the ,granta4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,harvard ,,eight ,,on ,,the ,,river ,,hudson ,,at ,,poughkeepsie4 ,to an ,english reader1 with his experience of ,henley ,regatta1 it will seem strange that the ,universities in ,america should take little or no part in any rowing contests except their own private matches1 and should have no voice1 and apparently no wish to have any voice1 in the general management of the sport outside the ,universities4 ,but such is the case4 ,the ,national ,association of ,amateur ,oarsmen of ,america has more than sixty clubs affiliated to it1 but neither ,harvard nor ,yale nor ,cornell is amongst the number4 ,the ,national ,association holds a successful regatta every year in ,august1 but no really representative ,eight from ,harvard or ,yale has ever1 ,i believe1 taken part in it4 ,with that exception1 this ,association corresponds to our ,amateur ,rowing ,association1 and in its constitution states its object to be the advancement and improvement of rowing amongst amateurs4 ,by ,article ,,iii4 of the ,association an amateur is defined as one who does not enter in an open competition2 or for either a stake1 public or admission money1 or entrance fee2 or compete with or against a professional for any prize2 who has never taught1 pursued1 or assisted in the pursuit of athletic exercises as a means of livelihood2 whose membership of any rowing or other athletic club was not brought about1 or does not continue1 because of any mutual agreement or understanding1 expressed or implied1 whereby his becoming or continuing a member of such club would be of any pecuniary benefit to him whatever1 direct or indirect2#af who has never been employed in any occupation involving any use of the oar or paddle2 who rows for pleasure or recreation only1 and during his leisure hours2 who does not abandon or neglect his usual business or occupation for the purpose of training1 and who shall otherwise conform to the rules and regulations of this ,association 7as adopted ,august #bh1 #ahgb1 amended ,january #bj1 #ahgf1 and ,july #ah1 #ahhh74 #af ,this clause is intended especially to prevent any so-called amateur oarsmen being surreptitiously compensated for rowing1 as1 for instance1 by being furnished lucrative employment in sinecure positions4 ,any club which shall issue or accept a challenge for the purpose of holding a professional race1 shall be for ever debarred from entering an individual or crew in the ,regattas of the ,association1 and such club1 if connected with the ,association1 shall be expelled4 ,in point of strictness1 it will be noticed this ,rule does not suffer by comparison with that of our own ,amateur ,rowing ,association4#ag ,indeed1 in some respects it is both fuller and stricter4 ,practically the only difference is that whereas we disqualify as an amateur one who has been employed in manual labour for money or wages1 or who is or has been by trade or employment for wages a mechanic1 artizan1 or labourer1 or engaged in any menial duty1 this exclusion finds no place in the ,american ,amateur definition4 ,the ,laws of ,boat-racing adopted by the ,association are practically the same as our own4 #ag ,see ,appendix4 ,it may be interesting to contrast the organization and management of rowing at an ,american ,university with the systems that a long tradition has consecrated at ,oxford and ,cambridge4 ,in our ,universities1 in the first place1 each particular sport is entirely independent of all others4 ,each has its own club1 its own funds1 derived from the subscriptions of its members1 and each manages its own affairs and arranges its own contests1 except occasionally in the matter of convenience of date1 without any reference whatever to the others4 ,a don is usually treasurer of these clubs1 but he has no special authority or control merely because he is a don4 ,his experience and greater knowledge are placed at the disposal of undergraduates in matters of finance2 that is all4 ,certain general ,university rules as to time of residence1 etc41 have to be observed1 but beyond this the dons assume absolutely no authority at all in the sports of the undergraduates4 ,the undergraduates themselves1 through undergraduate officers1 elected by themselves1 make all their own arrangements as to dates1 matches1 and everything else connected with their competitions2 and a don would as soon think of flirting with a barmaid as of interfering with these matters in virtue of his donship4 ,this point is really of capital importance4 ,the responsibility of everything connected with the sports of the ,university thus falls upon the proper shoulders--those1 namely1 of the undergraduates who take part in them4 ,the full glory of the victory is theirs1 and a defeat they must feel is due to them alone4 ,they cannot shift the blame to any don or committee of dons1 and1 as they must acknowledge themselves responsible1 so the necessity of taking steps to restore the fortunes of their club is the more strongly brought home to them4 ,the captain of a ,boat ,club is its absolute autocrat as regards work and discipline and the selection of his crew4 ,the coach whom he asks to instruct them may possibly be old enough to be his father1 but the coach1 none the less1 defers with an almost filial respect to the captain1 through whom all executive orders are issued4 ,in practice1 of course1 the wise captain is guided in most matters by his coach1 but1 should a serious difference arise between them1 it is the coach who must give way to the authority of the captain4 ,this uncontrolled management of their sports by the undergraduates is1 it seems to me1 no unimportant part of a ,university education2 and a man may learn from it even more valuable lessons in conduct1 self-control1 and the treatment of his fellow-men1 than from all the books1 papers1 and examinations of his ,university curriculum4 ,at an ,american ,university a very different situation exists4 ,i will take the case of ,harvard1 not merely because it is more familiar to me1 but because it is typical in its general features1 though not1 of course1 in all its details1 of the position taken up by the authorities at most ,american ,universities with regard to the sports of the undergraduates4 ,from the earliest days of athletic exercises the ,faculty1 or ,governing ,body1 of the ,university has kept a very tight control over them4 ,it has issued rules and ordinances1 allowing or forbidding certain competitions1 deciding not only the number1 but the date and place of matches in which it was allowable to take part1 and regulating and controlling the conduct of those undergraduates who took part in athletics4 ,this system1 no doubt1 originated at a time when the numbers at ,harvard were comparatively small1 and when the men entered ,college at an age considerably younger than is usual in ,england4 ,but the numbers at ,harvard have increased by leaps and bounds1 and the age of undergraduates is now on an average the same as at ,oxford and ,cambridge4 ,in recent years1 indeed1 a slight change has been found advisable4 ,the control of all athletics1 whether rowing1 baseball1 football1 or track athletics1 is vested in what is called an ,athletic ,committee1 composed of three professors 7,anglic'e1 dons71 three graduates of the ,university1 and three undergraduates4 ,these nine1 who are not selected on any representative system1 promulgate laws1 conduct negotiations1 settle dates1 and generally perform those details of business which in ,england are left entirely to the undergraduates4 ,for instance1 the negotiations for a resumption of athletic relations with ,yale ,university were on the ,harvard side managed by and through the ,athletic ,committee4 ,moreover1 the ,athletic ,committee has in its hands the appointment of coaches for the crew1 and for the football1 baseball1 and athletic teams4 ,the captain of a crew or a team is1 to be sure1 elected by the undergraduates themselves1 the established system being that the crew should1 before disbanding itself1 elect the captain for the ensuing year4 ,but no election of this kind is valid until it has been confirmed by the ,athletic ,committee4 ,from the above account1 in which ,i have confined myself to facts1 and have not attempted to criticize1 it will be seen how profound are the differences between athletic organizations at ,english and ,american ,universities4 ,but there are further differences which have nothing to do with the system of control and management4 ,an ,english ,university is composed of many colleges1 each entirely independent1 so far as the management of its affairs are concerned4 ,an ,english ,university ,boat ,club is organized on the same principle4 ,it is made up of representatives of all the ,college ,boat ,clubs1 and combines these autonomous institutions for what may be termed ,imperial purposes4 ,college rowing at ,oxford and ,cambridge foments a keen and healthy rivalry1 and to no small extent helps to keep up the standard of ,university rowing4 ,in ,america1 on the contrary1 the ,university is one1 and apparently indivisible4 ,there are no colleges1 and1 therefore1 there is no aggregation of ,college ,boat ,clubs such as we have at home4 ,the want of this element is1 no doubt1 a serious disadvantage to an ,american ,university ,boat ,club4 ,the only element of rivalry comes from the competition of the four different classes 7i4e4 years1 as we should call them--freshmen2 second-year men1 or sophomores2 third-year men1 or juniors2 and fourth-year men1 or seniors7 against one another in an eight-oared race in the spring4 ,beyond this there has been hitherto no internal competition between members of the ,university ,boat ,club4 ,compare this single race with the long series of contests in which an ,english ,university oarsman takes part4 ,he may begin in ,october with the ,fours1 row in the ,university ,trial ,eights in ,december1 and in the ,university crew in the following ,march4 ,then come the ,college eight-oared races in ,may or ,june1 followed by ,henley ,regatta in ,july1 to say nothing of pair-oar races1 and sculling races1 and ,college ,club races1 or of the various ,thames regattas1 in which he may take part during what remains of the summer4 ,he thus gains invaluable lessons1 both in watermanship and in racing experience1 which are not open to his ,american cousin4 ,for this absence of competitions in an ,american ,university ,boat ,club1 the severe ,american winter1 which closes the rivers from about the middle of ,december until early in ,march1 is only partly responsible4 ,during ,october and ,november the rivers are open2 but up to the present very little advantage has been taken of these valuable months4 ,at ,harvard there has hitherto been no race or series of races for ,fours or ,pairs or ,scullers1 and freshmen1 during their first term1 have been exercised on a rowing machine1 when they might1 with infinitely greater profit1 have gained instruction on the water4 ,early in ,january1 when the undergraduates have returned from their short ,christmas vacation1 a squad for the ,university crew has generally been formed and sent to the training-table1 and the men composing it have been put into regular exercise1 consisting of running varied by occasional skating1 and of rowing practice every day in the tank4 ,when the ice breaks up in ,march an ,eight appears upon the water1 and practises regularly from that time until towards the end of ,june1 when its race against the rival ,university takes place4 ,this long period of combined practice has many obvious drawbacks1 which will at once strike an experienced oarsman4 ,i believe better results might be obtained by allowing members of the ,university squad to take part in the ,class races1 and then1 after a period of rest1 selecting the ,university crew4 ,illustration3 ,,coaching ,,on ,,the ,,river ,,hudson4 ,notwithstanding1 however1 all these disadvantages1 rowing at ,american ,universities has reached a high standard--a result due to the extraordinary earnestness and enthusiasm of those who take part in it4 ,the ,american ,university oarsman is in every respect as strong and as well-developed in physique as the average ,englishman4 ,all he lacks is the prolonged racing experience1 which makes the ,englishman so formidable and robust an opponent4 ,there are men amongst the old oars of ,harvard1 ,yale1 and ,cornell1 who have made skilled rowing their special study1 and whose knowledge of all points of the game is fully as great as that of our ,english oars4 ,yale1 in particular1 has1 during the last ten years1 been able to turn out some wonderfully fine and powerful crews2 but the tendency amongst the ,american ,university oarsmen1 during recent years1 has been to sacrifice body-swing to the mere piston action of the legs on a very long slide4 ,there is now1 however1 a reaction1 due to the visits paid by ,cornell and ,yale to ,henley in #ahie and #ahif1 and the long body-swing and general steadiness1 which are marked features of ,english rowing1 are now being very successfully cultivated in ,america4 ,at the five chief rowing ,universities--,harvard1 ,yale1 ,columbia1 ,pennsylvania1 and ,cornell--it is also customary to train a freshman crew every year1 not merely for the local class races1 but for competition against one another1 the races taking place a few days before those in which the ,university crews compete4 ,this year ,yale defeated ,harvard by something more than a length1 ,harvard being about three-quarters of a length ahead of ,cornell4 ,the race--a two-mile one--was very severe1 and the crews1 considering their material1 showed1 on the whole1 better form than that displayed by the ,university crews4 ,a week later the ,cornell freshmen defeated those from ,pennsylvania and ,columbia over the same course4 ,it is surprising to see what good results can be obtained from these freshmen crews4 ,the men composing them have1 for the most part1 not rowed before coming to the ,university2 they have had no graduated system of instruction on fixed seats4 ,up to ,march1 all their rowing has been done on hydraulic machines in the gymnasium4 ,they then launch a sliding-seat ,eight and practise for the ,class races at the beginning of ,may4 ,after that they are carefully taken in hand1 and trained for their race in ,june against the other ,universities4 ,it is from this freshman crew1 and from the older hands1 who may have been rowing in the ,class races1 that the ',varsity crew of the following year will be recruited4 ,the number of students at ,american ,universities is thus stated in ,mr4 ,caspar ,whitney's book3 ,harvard1 #cajj2 ,yale1 #bdjj2 ,pennsylvania1 #bejj2 ,columbia1 #afjj2 ,cornell1 #ahjj2 as against about #bdjj at ,oxford1 and #bhjj at ,cambridge4 ,i ought to add that the use of swivel rowlocks is almost universal in ,america1 and that all their ,eights are built with the seats directly in a line in the centre of the boat4 ,boats of papier mach'e have had a great vogue1 their builder being ,waters of ,troy2 but there is now a reaction in favour of cedar boats1 as being stiffer and more durable4 ,the ,harvard and ,yale boats this year were built by ,davy of ,cambridge 7,mass471 and were beautiful specimens of the art4 ,american boats1 however1 cost at least twice as much as ,english boats4 ,t4 ,donoghue1 of ,newburgh1 ,n4,y41 makes most of the oars that are used in first-class racing4 ,they are lighter by a full pound than our ,english oars1 and are every bit as stiff4 ,it is a real pleasure to row with them4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,a ,,recent ,,controversy3 ,,are ,,athletes ,,healthy8--,,mr4 ,,sandow',s ,,views ,,on ,,the ,,training ,,of ,,oarsmen4 ,it would not be right1 ,i think1 to send forth a new book on rowing without referring to the controversy that has recently been carried on in the columns of the ,st4 ,james's ,gazette under the general title of ,are ,athletes ,healthy8 ,the discussion1 which concerned itself mainly with oarsmen1 is naturally of very deep interest1 not only to them1 but to the fathers and mothers who are anxious about the welfare of their energetic sons1 and who1 if the charges alleged against rowing can be proved1 will1 of course1 do their best to dissuade their offspring from indulging in this pernicious exercise4 ,i should have preferred to discuss the matter in the earlier chapters of this book1 but the printing was already so far advanced as to render this course out of the question1 and ,i am therefore compelled to deal with it somewhat out of its place in this final chapter4 ,illustration3 ,,rowing ,,types4 ,,no4 #a4 ,it would be idle to deny that there was some reason for beginning this discussion4 ,within the past two years three magnificent young oarsmen1 ,mr4 ,h4 ,b4 ,cotton1 ,mr4 ,t4 ,h4 ,e4 ,stretch1 and ,mr4 ,e4 ,r4 ,balfour1 have died2 the first after an illness of six months' duration1 the other two after being ill for less than a fortnight4 ,they were all ,oxford men1 had rowed in victorious races both at ,putney and at ,henley1 and two of them--,mr4 ,cotton and ,mr4 ,balfour--had been actually rowing and racing till within a short time of the attack that proved fatal to them4 ,mr4 ,stretch had not raced1 except in scratch ,eights at ,putney1 since the ,henley ,regatta of #ahif1 some ten months before he died4 ,it has been asserted that these three untimely deaths were due directly to the severe strain undergone both in preparation for racing and in the actual races in which these oarsmen took part1 and that had they been content with unathletic lives they might have lived on for many years4 ,can that be proved8 ,i admit that ,i do not wish to think the allegation capable of proof1 for these three were my familiar friends4 ,i had coached and trained them all2 with two of them ,i had rowed in several races2 ,i had spent innumerable happy days in their society1 and the sorrow ,i feel in having lost them would be terribly increased if ,i were forced to believe that our favourite sport had had any part in hastening their end4 ,in these cases ,i will confine myself to stating facts within my own knowledge1 and will leave those who read my statement to say whether on a fair view of the matter the exercise of rowing can be held blameworthy4 ,i may begin by saying that it is the invariable rule at ,oxford to send all men who may be required for the ,university ,eight to undergo a preliminary medical examination4 ,this examination is no perfunctory one4 ,it is conducted by ,mr4 ,h4 ,p4 ,symonds1 a gentleman of very wide experience1 especially amongst undergraduates1 and ,i have known several instances in which1 owing to his report1 an oarsman has had to withdraw temporarily from the river1 and has lost his chance of wearing the coveted blue4 ,there has never been any question about yielding to ,mr4 ,symonds's judgment4 ,his verdict1 if adverse1 has always been accepted as final both by the oarsman concerned and by the president of the ,boat ,club4 ,in all the three cases with which ,i am dealing1 ,mr4 ,symonds passed his men as perfectly sound in heart and lungs and in every other organ4 ,i take the case of ,mr4 ,stretch first1 in order to eliminate it conclusively4 ,the cause of his death was appendicitis1 followed by severe blood-poisoning4 ,it is quite impossible to connect this painful and malignant illness with rowing or with any other exercise4 ,the appendix vermiformis1 which is the seat of the disease1 is an unaccountable relic in the internal organization of human beings2 it is liable to be affected mysteriously and suddenly in the young and the old1 and the only effective remedy1 ,i believe1 is by means of an operation which removes it altogether4 ,mr4 ,stretch had1 as ,i said1 not trained and raced for ten months1 and up to the moment of his illness had been in the enjoyment of robust and almost exceptional health4 ,mr4 ,cotton1 whose case ,i now proceed to consider1 was an ,eton boy1 and had rowed a great deal during his school days1 though he had not been included in the ,eton crew at ,henley4 ,he was a man of small stature1 beautifully built and proportioned1 well-framed1 muscular1 strong1 and active4 ,on coming to ,oxford he continued his rowing1 and being a good waterman and a man of remarkable endurance and courage1 he was in his second year placed at bow of the ,university crew4 ,altogether he rowed in four victorious ,oxford crews1 he won the ,grand ,challenge ,cup at ,henley twice as bow of a ,leander crew1 he won the ,stewards' ,cup in a ,magdalen ,college ,four1 rowed ,head of the ,river three times1 besides taking part in many other races more or less important4 ,during his whole rowing career ,i knew him to be unwell only once1 and that was in #ahic1 when he suffered from a sore throat at ,putney4 ,in #ahie he rowed bow of the ,oxford ,eight for the fourth time4 ,the training of this crew was a very anxious one4 ,influenza was very prevalent1 and one after another the ,oxford men were affected by this illness4 ,there were only two exceptions1 and one of these was ,mr4 ,cotton1 who was never sick or sorry for a single day during the whole period of practice4 ,shortly after the race he came to stay with me4 ,he was then perfectly strong1 perfectly healthy1 and in wonderfully good spirits1 and showed not the least sign of being stale or exhausted4 ,he told me himself1 on my congratulating him on having escaped the influenza1 that he had never felt better or stronger in his life than he did at that time4 ,on the ,easter ,monday he bicycled from ,bourne ,end to ,oxford and back 7a distance of nearly seventy miles as he rode it71 and1 as he had had to battle against a strong cold wind on the return journey1 he was very tired on his arrival4 ,on the following morning1 however1 he appeared perfectly well4 ,towards the end of that week he complained of feeling very lackadaisical and having a bad headache1 but he attached no importance to these symptoms1 and soon after went back to ,oxford with a view to rowing in the ,magdalen ,eight4 ,the tired feeling and the headache1 however1 continued1 and eventually got so bad that he had to take to his bed with a high temperature and all the other symptoms of violent influenza4 ,this illness1 neglected at the outset1 almost immediately settled on his lungs1 both of which were congested with pneumonia4 ,owing1 as ,mr4 ,symonds himself told me1 to his good general condition and his great strength1 he fought through this1 but in the mean time signs of consumption had declared themselves1 and of this he died at ,davos ,platz in the following ,october4 ,with regard to ,mr4 ,balfour1 the facts are these3 ,he was a man of ,herculean build and strength4 ,he played in the ,oxford ,rugby ,union ,football team for two years1 #ahid and #ahie4 ,in #ahif and in this year he rowed in the ,university ,eight1 and last ,july he rowed at ,henley in the ,leander ,eight1 and won the pair-oared race with ,mr4 ,guy ,nickalls4 ,i can answer for it that during all his races he was absolutely fit and well4 ,i saw him daily at ,henley1 and1 though ,i knew him to be strong and healthy1 ,i was surprised not merely by his improvement in style1 but by the great vigour he displayed in rowing4 ,on the morning after the ,regatta ,i saw him for the last time4 ,he was then in splendid health and spirits4 ,on the #abth of ,august he shot grouse2 on the following day1 in very cold wet weather1 he went out fishing1 and came home wet through1 complaining of a chill4 ,on the following day he took to his bed in a high fever1 with both lungs congested4 ,the illness next attacked his kidneys1 and soon after his life was despaired of4 ,however1 he rallied in an extraordinary way until symptoms of blood-poisoning declared themselves1 when he rapidly sank1 and died on ,august #bgth4 ,now1 this illness was due either to an ordinary chill or to influenza1 or1 as ,i have since heard1 primarily to blood-poisoning1 caused by leaky and poisonous drains at a place where he had been staying before his shooting excursion4 ,a subsequent examination of these drains revealed a very bad condition of affairs immediately underneath the room that ,mr4 ,balfour had occupied4 ,in any case it does not appear--and the strong testimony of the doctors who attended him confirms me in this--that ,mr4 ,balfour's death was due to his rowing4 ,but an objector may say1 ,it is true that neither in ,mr4 ,cotton's nor in ,mr4 ,balfour's case can death be directly attributed to rowing2 their exertions1 however1 so exhausted their strength1 the soundness of their organs1 and their powers of resistance to disease1 that when they were attacked they became easy victims4 ,to this ,i oppose 7#a7 the report of ,mr4 ,h4 ,p4 ,symonds1 who examined both these oarsmen before they rowed in their ,university ,eights2 7#b7 my own observation of their health1 condition1 and spirits during practice1 in their races1 and afterwards when the races were over2 and 7#c7 the reports of the doctors who attended them during their last illnesses1 and who declared 7,i speak at second hand with regard to ,mr4 ,balfour1 at first hand with regard to ,mr4 ,cotton7 that they were both1 when struck down1 in a surprising state of strength1 due to the exercise in which they had taken part1 and that in both cases their powers of resistance were far greater than are usually found4 ,do ,i go too far in asserting that any doctor in large practice could find in his own experience for each of these two cases at least twenty cases in which non-rowing and non-athletic men have been suddenly carried off by the same sort of illness8 ,i am not concerned to prove that rowing confers an immunity from fatal illness3 my point is that in the two cases ,i have considered1 and in all cases where it is pursued under proper conditions of training and medical advice1 rowing does not in any way promote a condition favourable to disease4 ,i pass from these particular cases1 the discussion of which has been painful to me1 to the general question of health amongst the great mass of those who have been1 or are1 active rowing men4 ,it may be remembered that some twenty-five years ago ,dr4 ,j4 ,h4 ,morgan1 of ,oxford1 moved to his task by a controversy similar to that which has recently taken place1 instituted a very careful inquiry into the health of those who had taken part in the ,university ,boat-race from #ahbi to #ahfi4 ,their number amounted1 if ,i remember rightly1 to #bid1 of whom #bee were alive at the date of the inquiry4 ,of these #aae were benefited by rowing1 #afb were uninjured1 and only in #ag cases was any injury stated to have resulted4 ,and it must be remembered that this inquiry covered a period during which far less care1 as a general rule1 was exercised both as to the selection and the training of men than is the case at the present day4 ,i may add my own experience4 ,since ,i began to row1 in #ahgd1 ,i have rowed and raced with or against hundreds of men in college races and at regattas1 and ,i have watched closely the rowing of very many others in ,university and in ,henley crews4 ,i have kept in touch with rowing men1 both my contemporaries and my successors1 and amongst them all ,i could not point to one 7putting aside for the moment the three special cases ,i have just discussed7 who has been injured by the exercise1 or would state himself to have been injured4 ,on the contrary1 ,i can point to scores and scores of men who have been strengthened in limb and health--,i say nothing here of any moral effect--by their early races and the training they had to undergo for them4 ,i could at this moment pick a crew composed of men all more than thirty years old who are still1 or have been till quite recently1 in active rowing1 and1 though some of them are married men1 ,i would back them to render a good account of themselves in ,eight or ,four or ,pair against any selection of men that could be made4 ,nay more1 in any other contests of strength or endurance ,i believe they would more than hold their own against younger athletes1 and would overwhelm any similar number of non-athletes of the same or any other age4 ,as contests ,i should select a hard day's shooting over dogs1 cross-country riding1 tug-of-war1 boxing1 long-distance rowing1 or1 in fact1 any contest in which the special element of racing in light ships has no part4 ,for such contests ,i could pick1 not eight1 but eighty men well over thirty years old1 and if the limit were extended to twenty-four years of age ,i could secure an army4 ,is there any one who doubts that my rowing men would knock the non-athletes into a cocked hat8 ,for it must be remembered that the bulk of rowing men are not exclusively devoted to oarsmanship4 ,a very large proportion of those that ,i have known have been good all-round sportsmen4 ,illustration3 ,,rowing ,,types4 ,,no4 #b4 ,as to the general effect of rowing on strength and health ,i may perhaps be pardoned if ,i cite my own case1 not because there is anything specially remarkable in it1 but because it bears on some of the questions that have been raised1 and ,i can speak about it with certainty4 ,in early childhood ,i had a serious illness which considerably retarded my physical development4 ,at school1 however1 ,i took my part in all sports1 played three years in the ,cricket ,,xi4 and in the ,football ,,xv41 and won several prizes at the athletic sports4 ,i went to ,cambridge in #ahgd1 when ,i was three months short of nineteen1 and immediately took to rowing4 ,i was certainly not a particularly strong boy then1 though ,i had a fair share of activity4 ,i rowed persistently in ,eights1 ,fours and ,pairs1 at first with labour and distress1 but gradually1 as time went on1 with ease and pleasure1 and ,i found that the oftener ,i rowed the greater became my powers of endurance4 ,i ought to add that ,i never rowed in the ,university ,race1 but ,i have borne my share in thirty-six bumping races1 as well as in numerous other races ranging in distance from three-quarters of a mile to three miles4 ,i believe that the six consecutive races of a ,may ,term call for endurance at least as great as the single race from ,putney to ,mortlake4 ,my actual muscular strength1 too1 increased very largely1 and has ever since maintained itself unimpaired4 ,i have found that this exercise has1 in fact1 strengthened and consolidated me all round2 and ,i can think of no other exercise that could have had upon me the same salutary effect that ,i am justified in attributing mainly to rowing--an effect which has enabled me to endure great exertion1 sometimes in extremes of heat or of cold1 without the smallest ill result1 and has brought me to middle age with sound organs1 a strong constitution1 active limbs1 and a good digestion4 ,there are hundreds of other men who could1 ,i doubt not1 give a similar account of themselves4 ,illustration3 ,,rowing ,,types4 ,,no4 #c4 ,out of this main discussion on the health of athletes there sprang a subsidiary one1 which proved of even greater interest to rowing men4 ,it was started by ,mr4 ,sandow1 the eminent weight-lifter and modern representative of ,hercules4 ,mr4 ,sandow1 stimulated by a disinterested love for his fellow-men in general1 and for those of ,cambridge ,university in particular1 wrote an article in the ,st4 ,james's ,gazette in which he put forward his own peculiar views on the proper system for the training of athletes4 ,he ended by declaring that if he were allowed to train a ,cambridge crew according to his system 7it being understood that rowing instruction was at the same time to be imparted to them by a properly qualified teacher71 he would guarantee to turn out a crew the like of which had never before sat in a boat4 ,we were to infer1 though this was at first sight not obvious1 that this crew would easily defeat an ,oxford crew trained on a system which ,mr4 ,sandow evidently considered to be absurd and obsolete4 ,according to ,mr4 ,sandow's system1 as he subsequently developed it1 the members of this crew were to have complete license in all things4 ,they were to eat what they liked1 drink what they liked1 smoke as much as they liked1 and1 in fact1 make their own good pleasure the supreme law of their existence4 ,all that ,mr4 ,sandow stipulated was that for some two hours a day during a period of several months these men were to put themselves in ,mr4 ,sandow's hands for the purpose of muscular development all round according to the methods usually employed by him4 ,any spare energy that might then remain to them might be devoted to the work of rowing in the boat4 ,now1 in the first place1 there are certain elementary difficulties which would go far to prevent the adoption of this experiment4 ,the crew is not selected several months before the race2 and even if it were1 it would be practically impossible for the men composing it to spare the time required by ,mr4 ,sandow4 ,after all1 even the most brilliant of us have to get through a certain amount of work for our degrees4 ,there are lectures to be attended1 there is private reading1 not to speak of the time which has to be devoted to the ordinary social amenities of life at a ,university4 ,sport has its proper place in the life of an undergraduate2 but it does not1 and cannot1 absorb the whole of that life4 ,yet if a man is to spend two hours with ,mr4 ,sandow1 and about two hours and a half 7,i calculate from the moment he leaves his rooms until he returns from the river7 on the exercise of rowing1 it is not easy to see how he will have sufficient vigour left to him to tackle the work required even for the easiest of pass examinations4 ,i can foresee that not only the man himself1 but his tutors and his parents might offer some rather serious objections4 ,illustration3 ,,rowing ,,types4 ,,no4 #d4 ,but ,i am not going to content myself with pointing out these preliminary difficulties4 ,i go further1 and say that the whole proposal is based upon a fallacy4 ,the method of training and development that may fit a man admirably for the purpose of weight-lifting1 or of excelling his fellow-creatures in the measurement of his chest and his muscles1 is utterly unsuited for a contest that requires great quickness of movement1 highly developed lung-power1 and general endurance spread over a period of some twenty minutes4 ,it does not follow that because a man measures forty-two inches round the chest1 and has all his muscles developed in proportion1 he will therefore be better fitted for the propulsion of a racing-boat than a man who in all points of development is his inferior4 ,if ,i produced ,mr4 ,c4 ,w4 ,kent incognito before ,mr4 ,sandow and asked whether it would be feasible to include this gentleman in an eight-oared crew1 ,mr4 ,sandow would probably laugh me to scorn4 ,mr4 ,sandow could doubtless hold out ,mr4 ,kent at arm's length with the greatest possible ease4 ,i am perfectly certain that ,mr4 ,kent--if he will pardon me for thus making free with his name--could do nothing of the kind to ,mr4 ,sandow4 ,yet ,i am perfectly certain1 too1 that1 in a severely contested race1 ,mr4 ,kent--admittedly one of the finest strokes that ever rowed--would1 to put it mildly1 be more useful than ,mr4 ,sandow4 ,all gymnasium work1 and even the modified form of it patented by ,mr4 ,sandow1 must tend to make men muscle-bound1 and therefore slow4 ,skilled rowing consists of a series of movements which have to be gone through with a peculiar quickness1 precision1 and neatness4 ,to be able to go through ,mr4 ,sandow's eight weight exercises1 to lift weights1 to carry horses on your chest1 may indicate great muscular strength1 but it has absolutely nothing to do with being able to row4 ,if a rowing man requires some exercise subsidiary to rowing1 he would1 in my opinion1 be far better advised if he devoted some of his spare time to boxing and to fencing1 exercises which necessitate immense quickness and perfect combination between brain1 hand1 and eye1 than if he were to spend time in building up his body with such exercises as are included in the ,sandow curriculum4 ,but1 in the main1 rowing must develop for itself the muscles it requires4 ,it is an exercise which1 when all is said and done1 can only be learnt effectively in a boat on the water4 ,it is thus1 and thus only1 that a man can acquire the necessary movements1 and perfect himself in that sense of balance and of rhythm which is as necessary to a rowing man as muscular strength4 ,my experience leads me to the conclusion that men who1 though naturally well-framed and proportioned1 are not afflicted with excessive muscle1 are more likely to be useful in rowing than the pet of a gymnasium or the muscle-bound prodigies made in the image of ,mr4 ,sandow4 ,i may cite as examples such men as ,mr4 ,r4 ,p4 ,p4 ,rowe1 ,mr4 ,r4 ,o4 ,kerrison1 ,mr4 ,w4 ,burton ,stewart1 ,mr4 ,w4 ,e4 ,crum1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,a4 ,ford1 and ,mr4 ,c4 ,w4 ,kent4#ah ,all these men acquired their unquestionable excellence as oarsmen by the only possible method--that is1 by long practice of rowing in boats4 ,even an exercise so nearly resembling actual rowing as the tank work practised in the winter by ,american crews has very serious disadvantages4 ,it might be supposed that it would exercise and keep in trim the muscles required for actual rowing2 but its effect is to make men slow and heavy1 faults which they have to correct when they once more take to the river4 #ah ,the photographs reproduced in this chapter are those of active rowing men4 ,no4 #d1 whose muscular development is the slightest1 is one of the most brilliant oarsmen of the day4 ,see also photographs of ,mr4 ,kent and ,mr4 ,gold in ,chapter ,v4 ,illustration3 ,,rowing ,,types4 ,,no4 #e4 ,with regard to ,mr4 ,sandow's revolutionary proposals about diet1 smoking1 and hours1 ,i have only this to say4 ,we rowing men have shown time after time that by adhering to what ,i do not hesitate to call our common-sense system of rules tempered with indulgences we can bring our men to the post in the most perfect health and condition1 absolutely fit1 so far as their wind and powers of endurance are concerned1 to take part in the severest contests4 ,what has ,mr4 ,sandow shown that should avail1 with these results before our eyes1 to make us exchange our disciplined liberty for his unfettered license8 ,in the mean time we shall very properly hesitate to take the leap in the dark that he suggests4 ,i trust that the ,president of the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 will1 in future1 conduct the practice of his crew according to the methods that have proved their efficacy over and over again1 and that he will not listen to the voice of ,mr4 ,sandow1 charm he never so unwisely4 ,non tali auxilio are boat-races to be won4 ,,appendix4 ,,henley ,,royal ,,regatta4 ,secretary3 ,j4 ,f4 ,,cooper4 ,,qualification ,,rules4 ,,the ,,grand ,,challenge ,,cup1 ,,for ,,eight ,,oars4 ,any crew of amateurs who are members of any ,university or public school1 or who are officers of ,her ,majesty's army or navy1 or any amateur club established at least one year previous to the day of entry1 shall be qualified to contend for this prize4 ,,the ,,stewards' ,,challenge ,,cup1 ,,for ,,four ,,oars4 ,the same as for the ,grand ,challenge ,cup4 ,,the ,,ladies' ,,challenge ,,plate1 ,,for ,,eight ,,oars4 ,any crew of amateurs who are members of any of the boat clubs of colleges1 or non-collegiate boat clubs of the ,universities1 or boat clubs of any of the public schools1 in the ,united ,kingdom only1 shall be qualified to contend for this prize2 but no member of any college or non-collegiate crew shall be allowed to row for it who has exceeded four years from the date of his first commencing residence at the ,university2 and each member of a public school crew shall1 at the time of entering1 be bona fide a member in statu pupillari of such school4 ,,the ,,visitors' ,,challenge ,,cup1 ,,for ,,four ,,oars4 ,the same as for the ,ladies' ,challenge ,plate4 ,,the ,,thames ,,challenge ,,cup1 ,,for ,,eight ,,oars4 ,the qualification for this cup shall be the same as for the ,grand ,challenge ,cup2 but no one 7coxswains excepted7 may enter for this cup who has ever rowed in a winning crew for the ,grand ,challenge ,cup or ,stewards' ,challenge ,cup2 and no one 7substitutes as per ,rule ,,ii excepted7 may enter1 and no one shall row1 for this cup and for the ,grand ,challenge ,cup1 or ,stewards' ,challenge ,cup1 at the same regatta4 ,,the ,,wyfold ,,challenge ,,cup1 ,,for ,,four ,,oars4 ,the qualification for this cup shall be the same as for the ,stewards' ,challenge ,cup2 but no one shall enter for this cup who has ever rowed in a winning crew for the ,stewards' ,challenge ,cup2 and no one 7substitutes as per ,rule ,,ii excepted7 may enter1 and no one shall row1 for this cap and for the ,stewards' ,challenge ,cup at the same regatta4 ,,the ,,silver ,,goblets1 ,,for ,,pair ,,oars4 ,open to all amateurs duly entered for the same according to the ,rules following4 ,,the ,,diamond ,,challenge ,,sculls1 ,,for ,,sculls4 ,open to all amateurs duly entered for the same according to the ,rules following4 ,,general ,,rules4 ,revised ,december #ast1 #ahid4 ,definition4 ,i4--,no person shall be considered an amateur oarsman1 sculler or coxswain-- #a4 ,who has ever rowed or steered in any race for a stake1 money1 or entrance-fee4#ai #b4 ,who has ever knowingly rowed or steered with or against a professional for any prize4 #c4 ,who has ever taught1 pursued1 or assisted in the practice of athletic exercises of any kind for profit4 #d4 ,who has ever been employed in or about boats1 or in manual labour1 for money or wages4 #e4 ,who is or has been by trade or employment for wages1 a mechanic1 artisan1 or labourer1 or engaged in any menial duty4 #f4 ,who is disqualified as an amateur in any other branch of sport4 #ai ,this clause is not to be construed as disqualifying any otherwise duly qualified amateur who previously to ,june #bc1 #ahid1 has rowed or steered for a stake1 money1 or entrance-fee1 in a race confined to members of any one club1 school1 college1 or ,university4 ,eligibility4 ,,ii4--,no one shall be eligible to row or steer for a club unless he has been a member of that club for at least two months preceding the regatta1 but this ,rule shall not apply to colleges1 schools1 or crews composed of officers of ,her ,majesty's army or navy4 ,entries4 ,,iii4--,the entry of any amateur club1 crew1 or sculler1 in the ,united ,kingdom1 must be made ten clear days before the regatta1 and the names of the captain or secretary of each club or crew must accompany the entry4 ,a copy of the list of entries shall be forwarded by the secretary of the regatta to the captain or secretary of each club or crew duly entered4 ,,iv4--,the entry of any crew or sculler1 out of the ,united ,kingdom1 other than a crew or sculler belonging to a club affiliated to the ,union des ,soci'et'es ,francaises de ,sports ,athl'etiques1 or of the ,deutscher ,ruder ,verband1 or of the ,verbonden ,nederlandsche ,roeivereenigingen1 must be made on or before the #cast of ,march1 and any such entry must be accompanied by a declaration made before a notary public1 with regard to the profession of each person so entering1 to the effect that he has never rowed or steered in any race for a stake1 money1 or entrance fee2 has never knowingly rowed or steered with or against a professional for any prize2 has never taught1 pursued1 or assisted in the practice of athletic exercises of any kind for profit2 has never been employed in or about boats1 or in manual labour for money or wages2 is not1 and never has been1 by trade or employment1 for wages1 a mechanic1 artisan1 or labourer1 or engaged in any menial duty2 and is not disqualified as an amateur in any other branch of sport2 and in cases of the entry of a crew1 that such crew represents a club which has been duly established at least one year previous to the day of entry3 and such declaration must be certified by the ,british ,consul or the mayor1 or the chief authority of the locality4 ,the entry of any crew or sculler belonging to a club affiliated to the ,union des ,soci'et'es ,francaises de ,sports ,athl'etiques1 or of the ,deutscher ,ruder ,verband1 or of the ,verbonden ,nederlandsche ,roeivereenigingen1 must be made on or before the #ast of ,june1 and any such entry must be accompanied by a declaration in writing by the secretary of such ,union1 or ,verband1 or by the ,council of the club from time to time appointed by the ,verbonden ,nederlandsche ,roeivereenigingen1 with regard to the profession of each person so entering1 to the effect that he has never since the institution of the ,union des ,soci'et'es ,francaises de ,sports ,athl'etiques1 or the ,deutscher ,ruder ,verband1 or of the ,verbonden ,nederlandsche ,roeivereenigingen1 as the case may be1 either rowed or steered in any race for a stake1 money1 or entrance fee2 or knowingly rowed or steered with or against a professional for any prize2 has never taught1 pursued1 or assisted in the practice of athletic exercises of any kind for profit2 has never been employed in or about boats1 or in manual labour for money or wages2 is not1 and never has been by trade or employment1 for wages1 a mechanic1 artisan1 or labourer1 or engaged in any menial duty2 and is not disqualified as an amateur in any other branch of sport2 and in cases of the entry of a crew1 that each member thereof is and has been for two months a member of such club1 and that such club has been duly established at least one year previous to the day of entry4 ,v4--,no assumed name shall be given to the secretary unless accompanied by the real name of the competitor4 ,,vi4--,no one shall enter twice for the same race4 ,,vii4--,no official of the regatta shall divulge any entry1 or report the state of the entrance list1 until such list be closed4 ,,viii4--,entrance money for each boat shall be paid to the secretary at the time of entering1 as follows3-- ,l s4 d4 ,for the ,grand ,challenge ,cup #f #f #j ,ladies' ,challenge ,plate #e #e #j ,thames ,challenge ,cup #e #e #j ,stewards' #d #d #j ,visitors' #c #c #j ,wyfold #c #c #j ,silver ,goblets #b #b #j ,diamond ,challenge ,sculls #a #a #j ,,ix4--,the ,committee shall investigate any questionable entry1 irrespective of protest4 ,x4--,the ,committee shall have power to refuse or return any entry up to the time of starting1 without being bound to assign a reason4 ,,xi4--,the captain or secretary of each club or crew entered shall1 seven clear days before the regatta1 deliver to the secretary of the regatta a list containing the names of the actual crew appointed to compete1 to which list the names of not more than four other members for an eight-oar and two for a four-oar may be added as substitutes4 ,,xii4--,no person may be substituted for another who has already rowed or steered in a heat4 ,,xiii4--,the secretary of the regatta1 after receiving the list of the crews entered1 and of the substitutes1 shall1 if required1 furnish a copy of the same1 with the names1 real and assumed1 to the captain or secretary of each club or crew entered1 and in the case of pairs or scullers to each competitor entered4 ,objections4 ,,xiv4--,objections to the entry of any club or crew must be made in writing to the secretary at least four clear days before the regatta1 when the committee shall investigate the grounds of objection1 and decide thereon without delay4 ,,xv4--,objections to the qualification of a competitor must be made in writing to the secretary at the earliest moment practicable4 ,no protest shall be entertained unless lodged before the prizes are distributed4 ,course4 ,,xvi4--,the races shall commence below the ,island1 and terminate at the upper end of ,phyllis ,court4 ,length of course1 about #a mile and #eej yards4 ,,xvii4--,the whole course must be completed by a competitor before he can be held to have won a trial or final heat4 ,stations4 ,,xviii4--,stations shall be drawn by the ,committee4 ,row over4 ,,xix4--,in the event of there being but one boat1 entered for any prize1 or if more than one enter1 and all withdraw but one1 the crew of the remaining boat must row over the course to be entitled to such prize4 ,heats4 ,,xx4--,if there shall be more than two competitors1 they shall row a trial heat or heats2 but no more than two boats shall contend in any heat for any of the prizes above mentioned4 ,,xxi4--,in the event of a dead heat taking place1 the same crews shall contend again1 after such interval as the ,committee may appoint1 or the crew refusing shall be adjudged to have lost the heat4 ,clothing4 ,,xxii4--,every competitor must wear complete clothing from the shoulders to the knees--including a sleeved jersey4 ,coxswains4 ,,xxiii4--,every eight-oared boat shall carry a coxswain2 such coxswain must be an amateur1 and shall not steer for more than one club for the same prize4 ,the minimum weight for coxswains shall be #g stone4 ,crews averaging #aj-a_/b stone and under #aa stone to carry not less than #g-a_/b stone4 ,crews averaging #aa stone or more1 to carry not less than #h stone4 ,deficiencies must be made up by dead weight carried on the coxswain's thwart4 ,the dead weight shall be provided by the ,committee1 and shall be placed in the boat and removed from it by a person appointed for that purpose4 ,each competitor 7including the coxswain7 in eight and four-oared races shall attend to be weighed 7in rowing costume7 at the time and place appointed by the ,committee3 and his weight then registered by the secretary shall be considered his racing weight during the regatta4 ,any member of a crew omitting to register his weight shall be disqualified4 ,flag4 ,,xxiv4--,every boat shall1 at starting1 carry a flag showing its colour at the bow4 ,boats not conforming to this ,rule are liable to be disqualified at the discretion of the umpire4 ,umpire4 ,,xxv4--,the ,committee shall appoint one or more umpires to act under the laws of boat-racing4 ,judge4 ,,xxvi4--,the ,committee shall appoint one or more judges1 whose decision as to the order in which the boats pass the post shall be final4 ,prizes4 ,,xxvii4--,the prizes shall be delivered at the conclusion of the regatta to the respective winners1 who on receipt of a challenge prize shall subscribe a document of the following effect3-- ,i_/,we ,a 7,b ,c ,d1 etc47 7members of the club71 having been this day declared to be the winners of the ,henley ,royal ,regatta ,challenge ,cup 7or diamond sculls71 and the same having been delivered to us on behalf of the stewards of the said regatta1 do 7jointly and severally7 agree to return in good order and condition as now received the said cup 7or diamond sculls71 to the stewards on or before ,june #ast next1 and ,i_/we do also 7jointly and severally7 agree that if the said cup 7or sculls7 be accidentally lost or destroyed1 or in any way permanently defaced1 ,i_/we will on or before the date aforesaid1 or as near thereto as may be conveniently possible1 place in the hands of the said stewards a cup 7or diamond sculls7 of similar design and value1 and engraved with the names of the previous winners 7their officers7 7and crews7 as now engraved on the present cup and base4_/case4 ,in witness of which agreement ,i_/we have hereunto subscribed my_/our 7respective7 name4_/names4 ,committee4 ,,xxviii4--,all questions of eligibility1 qualification1 interpretation of the ,rules1 or other matters not specially provided for1 shall be referred to the ,committee1 whose decision shall be final4 ,,xxix4--,the laws of boat-racing to be observed at the regatta are as follows3-- 7,the same as the ,a4,r4,a4 ,laws47 ,,the ,,amateur ,,rowing ,,association4 ,hon4 ,sec43 ,r4 ,c4 ,,lehmann1 #cj1 ,bury ,street1 ,st4 ,james's1 ,s4,w4 ,revised1 ,april #bcrd1 #ahid4 ,,constitution4 ,i4--,this ,association shall be called ,the ,amateur ,rowing ,association1 and its objects shall be-- #a4 ,to maintain the standard of amateur oarsmanship as recognized by the ,universities and principal boat clubs of the ,united ,kingdom2 #b4 ,to promote the interests of boat-racing generally4 ,,ii4--,the ,association shall consist of clubs which adopt the following definition of an amateur1 viz43 ,no person shall be considered an amateur oarsman1 sculler1 or coxswain-- #a4 ,who has ever rowed or steered in any race for a stake1 money or entrance-fee4#bj #b4 ,who has ever knowingly rowed or steered with or against a professional for any prize4 #c4 ,who has ever taught1 pursued1 or assisted in the practice of athletic exercises of any kind for profit4 #d4 ,who has ever been employed in or about boats1 or in manual labour1 for money or wages4 #e4 ,who is or has been by trade or employment for wages a mechanic1 artisan1 or labourer1 or engaged in any menial duty4 #f4 ,who is disqualified as an amateur in any other branch of sport4 #bj ,n4,b4--,this clause is not to be construed as disqualifying any otherwise duly qualified amateur who previously to ,april #bcrd1 #ahid1 has rowed or steered for a stake1 money or entrance-fee1 in a race confined to members of any one club1 school1 college1 or ,university4 ,,iii4--,any amateur club willing to bind itself to observe the rules of the ,association may become affiliated upon making application to the ,hon4 ,sec4 of the ,a4,r4,a41 and being elected by a majority of two-thirds of the meeting of the ,committee4 ,every affiliated club shall have at least one vote at ,general ,meetings4 ,any club having more than two hundred full members shall have in addition one vote for every hundred or part of a hundred members in excess of two hundred2 but no club shall have more than six votes4 ,every affiliated club shall1 when required1 send to the ,hon4 ,sec4 of the ,a4,r4,a4 a list of its members and a copy of its last balance-sheet4 ,the ,committee shall not consider an application for affiliation from any club previously refused1 until after the expiration of twelve calendar months from the date of such refusal4 ,,iv4--,each club shall pay to the expenses of the ,association an annual subscription to be fixed by the ,committee2 such subscription not to exceed one guinea4 ,v4--,the government and management of the ,association shall be vested in a ,committee of twenty-five members1 who shall meet once at least in every six months1 or as often as may be required4 ,at the first meeting of the ,committee in each year a chairman shall be elected1 who shall remain in office until the next ,general ,meeting4 ,at all meetings of the committee the chairman shall preside1 and in his absence a chairman shall be elected for the occasion2 seven members shall form a quorum1 and the chairman shall have a casting vote4 ,,vi4--,for the purpose of electing the members of the ,committee a ,general ,meeting of the representatives of the affiliated clubs shall be held once a year at a date to be fixed by the ,committee4 ,ten days' notice of this meeting shall be given4 ,each club shall notify to the ,secretary in writing1 not less than three days prior to the ,annual ,general ,meeting1 the names of its authorized representatives1 the number of whom must not exceed the number of votes to which such club is entitled2 but should a club nominate one representative only such representative can record the number of votes to which his club is entitled4 ,,vii4--,five members of the ,committee shall be elected at each ,annual ,general ,meeting1 and shall remain in office for three years4 ,the ,committees of the ,cambridge ,university ,boat ,club1 the ,royal ,chester ,rowing ,club1 the ,kingston ,rowing ,club1 the ,leander ,club1 the ,london ,rowing ,club1 the ,molesey ,boat ,club1 the ,oxford ,university ,boat ,club1 the ,thames ,rowing ,club1 and the ,twickenham ,rowing ,cub shall each nominate annually a member of the ,committee1 and such nomination shall be sent to the ,secretary prior to the ,general ,meeting4 ,the ,hon4 ,sec4 of the ,a4,r4,a4 shall be an ex officio member of the ,committee of the ,a4,r4,a4 ,in the year #ahid1 in order to complete the number of twenty-five1 the fifteen members of the ,committee elected and nominated as hereinbefore provided shall meet and co-opt the remaining ten members1 and the business of that meeting shall be confined to this object alone4 ,five members of the ,committee shall retire annually by rotation1 but shall be eligible for re-election4 ,five of the co-opted members shall retire in #ahie1 the remaining five in #ahif4 ,the ,committee shall have power to fill up any vacancy that may occur during the year amongst the elected members1 but any vacancy amongst the nominated members shall be filled up by the club affected4 ,,viii4--,the ,committee shall have power to affiliate clubs to the ,association1 to appoint officers1 to make or alter rules1 to suspend1 disqualify1 and reinstate amateurs1 and generally to determine and settle all questions and disputes relating to boat-racing which may be referred to them for decision4 ,and further1 the ,committee shall take such other steps as they may consider necessary or expedient for carrying into effect the objects of the ,association4 ,,ix4--,the ,committee shall have power on due cause being shown to suspend any affiliated club or to remove it from the list of affiliated clubs4 ,no motion for the suspension or removal of a club shall be considered except at a ,committee ,meeting specially called at not less than seven days' notice for the purpose4 ,such a motion shall not be deemed carried except by a majority of two-thirds of the ,committee present4 ,a resolution for the removal of a club must be confirmed at a subsequent meeting of the ,committee specially summoned at not less than seven days' notice for the purpose4 ,x4--,the hon4 sec4 shall be elected by the ,committee2 he shall keep a proper record of the proceedings of the ,committee and of ,general ,meetings1 and shall be responsible for the books1 accounts1 and funds of the ,association4 ,,xi4--,no member of any club affiliated to the ,association shall compete in any regatta in ,england which is not held in accordance with the rules of the ,association4 ,,xii4--,no addition to or alteration in these rules shall be made except by the vote of a majority of two-thirds of a meeting of the ,committee specially summoned at not less than seven days' notice for the purpose4 ,such notice shall state the alteration or addition proposed4 ,,list ,,of ,,affiliated ,,clubs4 ,n4,b4--,the figures denote the number of votes to which each of the clubs is entitled4 7#a7 ,albion ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,anglian ,boat ,club4 7#a7 ,ariel ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,avon ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,barry ,amateur ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,bedford ,amateur ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,bewdley ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,birmingham ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,bradford ,amateur ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,bridgnorth ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,broxbourne ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,burton ,rowing ,club4 7#f7 ,cambridge ,university ,boat ,club4 7#a7 ,cardiff ,amateur ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,cecilian ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,cooper's ,hill ,boat ,club4 7#a7 ,gloucester ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,henley ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,irex ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,iris ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,ironbridge ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,kensington ,rowing ,club4 7#b7 ,kingston ,rowing ,club4 7#f7 ,leander ,club4 7#a7 ,leicester ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,liverpool ,rowing ,club4 7#f7 ,london ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,marlow ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,medway ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,mersey ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,molesey ,boat ,club4 7#a7 ,north ,london ,boat ,club4 7#a7 ,nottingham ,rowing ,club4 7#f7 ,oxford ,university ,boat ,club4 7#a7 ,pembroke ,rowing ,club4 7#b7 ,pengwern ,boat ,club4 7#a7 ,reading ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,redcliffe ,rowing ,club4 7#b7 ,royal ,chester ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,royal ,savoy ,club4 7#a7 ,staines ,boat ,club4 7#a7 ,stourport ,boat ,club4 7#e7 ,thames ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,twickenham ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,vesta ,rowing ,club4 7#a7 ,warwick ,boat ,club4 7#a7 ,worcester ,rowing ,club4 ,,rules ,,for ,,regattas4 ,i4--,the laws of boat-racing adopted by the ,association shall be observed1 and the ,association's definition of an amateur shall govern the qualifications of each competitor4 ,,ii4--,the ,regatta ,committee shall state on their programmes1 and all other official notices and advertisements1 that their regatta is held in accordance with the rules of the ,a4,r4,a4 ,,iii4--,no money or value prize 7i4e4 a cheque on a tradesman7 shall be offered for competition1 nor shall a prize and money be offered as alternatives4 ,,iv4--,entries shall close at least three clear days before the date of the regatta4 ,v4--,no assumed name shall be given to the secretary of the regatta unless accompanied by the real name of the competitor4 ,,vi4--,no one shall enter twice for the same race4 ,,vii4--,no official of the regatta shall divulge any entry1 or report the state of the entrance list1 until such list be closed4 ,,viii4--,the ,regatta ,committee shall investigate any questionable entry irrespective of protest1 and shall have power to refuse or return any entry up to the time of starting1 without being bound to assign a reason4 ,,ix4--,the captain or secretary of each club or crew entered1 shall1 at least three clear days before the regatta1 deliver to the secretary of the regatta a list containing the names of the actual crew appointed to compete1 to which list the names of not more than four other members for an eight-oar1 and two for a four-oar1 may be added as substitutes4 ,x4--,no person may be substituted for another who has already rowed or steered in a heat4 ,,xi4--,the secretary of the regatta1 after receiving the list of the crews entered1 and of the substitutes1 shall1 if required1 furnish a copy of the same1 with the names1 real and assumed1 to the captain or secretary of each club or crew entered1 and1 in the case of pairs or scullers1 to each competitor entered4 ,,xii4--,objections to the qualification of a competitor must be made in writing to the secretary of the regatta at the earliest moment practicable4 ,no protest shall be entertained unless lodged before the prizes are distributed4 ,,xiii4--,the whole course must be completed by a competitor before he can be held to have won a trial or final heat4 ,,xiv4--,in the event of there being but one boat entered for any prize1 or if more than one enter and all withdraw but one1 the crew of the remaining boat must row over the course to be entitled to such prize4 ,,xv4--,in the event of a dead heat taking place1 any competitor refusing to row again1 as may be directed by the ,regatta ,committee1 shall be adjudged to have lost4 ,,xvi4--,every competitor must wear complete clothing from the shoulders to the knees--including a sleeved jersey4 ,,xvii4--,the ,regatta ,committee shall appoint one or more umpires4 ,,xviii4--,the ,regatta ,committee shall appoint one or more judges1 whose decision as to the order in which the boats pass the posts shall be final4 ,,xix4--,a maiden oarsman is an oarsman 7,a7 who has never won a race with oars at a regatta2 7,b7 who has never been a competitor in any ,international or ,inter-,university ,rowing ,match4 ,a maiden sculler is a sculler 7,a7 who has never won a sculling race at a regatta2 7,b7 who has never competed for the ,diamond ,sculls at ,henley1 or for the ,amateur ,championship of any country4 ,,xx4--,a junior oarsman is an oarsman 7,a7 who has never won a race with oars at a regatta other than a school race2 a race in which the construction of the boats was restricted2 or a race limited to members of one club2 7,b7 who has never been a competitor in any ,international or ,inter-,university match4 ,no oarsman who has won a race at a regatta in which the construction of the boats was restricted1 shall compete as a junior in any such race after the end of the current year4 ,a junior sculler is a sculler 7,a7 who has never won a sculling race at a regatta other than a race in which the construction of the boats was restricted2 or a race limited to members of one club2 7,b7 who has never competed for the ,diamond ,sculls at ,henley1 or for the ,amateur ,championship of any country4 ,n4,b4--,the qualification shall in every case relate to the day of the regatta4 ,,xxi4--,all questions not specially provided for shall be decided by the ,regatta ,committee4 ,,laws ,,of ,,boat-,,racing4 ,i4--,all boat races shall be started in the following manner3--,the starter on being satisfied that the competitors are ready1 shall give the signal to start4 ,,ii4--,a boat not at its post at the time specified1 shall be liable to be disqualified by the umpire4 ,,iii4--,the umpire may act as starter1 or not1 as he thinks fit2 when he does not so act1 the starter shall be subject to the control of the umpire4 ,,iv4--,if the starter considers the start false1 he shall at once recall the boats to their stations1 and any boat refusing to start again shall be disqualified4 ,v4--,each boat shall keep its own water throughout a race4 ,a boat departing from its own water will do so at its peril4 ,,vi4--,a boat's own water is its due course1 parallel with the course of the other competing boat or boats1 from the station assigned to it at starting1 to the finish4 ,,vii4--,no fouling whatever shall be allowed2 the boat or boats committing a foul shall be disqualified4 ,,viii4--,it shall be considered a foul when1 after a race has been started1 any competitor1 by his oar1 boat1 or person1 comes into contact with the oar1 boat1 or person of another competitor2 unless1 in the opinion of the umpire1 such contact is so slight as not to influence the race4 ,,ix4--,a claim of foul must be made to the umpire or the judge by the competitor himself before getting out of his boat4 ,x4--,in case of a foul the umpire shall have power-- 7a7 ,to place the boats not disqualified in the order in which they come in4 7b7 ,to order the boats not disqualified to row again on the same or another day4 7c7 ,to re-start the boats not disqualified according to his discretion4 ,,xi4--,the umpire shall be sole judge of a boat's own water and due course during a race1 and he may caution any competitor when in danger of committing a foul4 ,,xii4--,the umpire1 when appealed to1 shall decide all questions as to a foul4 ,,xiii4--,every boat shall abide by its accidents1 but if during a race a boat shall be interfered with by any outside boat1 the umpire shall have power1 if he thinks fit1 to re-start the boats according to his discretion1 or to order them to row again on the same or another day4 ,,xiv4--,no boat shall be allowed to accompany or follow any race for the purpose of directing the course of any of the competitors4 ,any competitor receiving any extraneous assistance may be disqualified1 at the discretion of the umpire4 ,,xv4--,boats shall be held to have completed the course when their bows reach the winning post4 ,,xvi4--,any competitor refusing to abide by the decision of the umpire1 or to follow his directions1 shall be disqualified4 ,,xvii4--,the umpire1 if he thinks proper1 may reserve his decision1 provided that in every case such decision be given on the day of the race4 ,,xviii4--,the jurisdiction of the umpire extends over a race and all matters connected with it1 from the time the race is specified to start until its termination1 and his decision in all cases shall be final and without appeal4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a brief explanation of some points arising out of the ,rules and ,regulations of the ,a4,r4,a4 may be useful4 ,,professional4 ,up to #ahid the ,a4,r4,a4 gave a very wide interpretation to the term professional1 which was held to include any person not qualified as an amateur under ,a4,r4,a4 ,rules4 ,mechanics1 artisans1 labourers1 men engaged in menial duty1 or employed in manual labour for money or wages1 were1 therefore1 not merely disqualified as amateurs1 but were considered to be professionals1 and competition against them for a prize involved disqualification to the amateur so competing4 ,in #ahid1 however1 the whole code of ,a4,r4,a4 was submitted to the revision of a sub-committee1 and their report1 subsequently adopted by the full committee1 laid it down that from this time on the word professional must be interpreted in its primary and literal sense1 i4e4 one who makes money by rowing1 sculling1 or steering4 ,an amateur rowing1 or sculling1 or steering with or against a professional for a prize is still disqualified1 but the amateur status of one who rows or steers with or against mechanics1 artisans1 etc4 7provided1 of course1 the race is not for a stake1 money1 or entrance fee71 is not affected4 ,at the same time it must be remembered 7,rule ,i of ,rules for ,regattas7 that at regattas held in accordance with ,a4,r4,a4 rules no mechanic1 artisan1 etc41 can be admitted to compete1 and by ,clause ,,xi4 of the ,constitution no member of any club affiliated to the ,a4,r4,a4 is permitted to compete at a regatta not held in accordance with ,a4,r4,a4 rules4 ,the result would seem to be1 therefore1 that whereas an amateur who is not a member of a club affiliated to the ,a4,r4,a4 can compete against mechanics1 artisans1 etc41 at a regatta not held in accordance with ,a4,r4,a4 rules without incurring any penalty1 a member of a club affiliated to the ,a4,r4,a4 can compete against this class only in a private match4 ,any member of an affiliated club transgressing ,clause ,,xi4 would unquestionably render himself liable to suspension under ,clause ,,viii4 of the ,constitution4 ,there are now1 therefore1 three classes of oarsmen1 viz4 amateurs1 non-amateurs1 and professionals4 ,,non-,,amateurs4 ,the ,a4,r4,a4 holds that apprenticeship is no disqualification4 ,nobody1 therefore1 is to be disqualified for serving an apprenticeship1 even if it involves 7as in the case of engineers or nurserymen7 manual labour for a money payment4 ,but such manual labour on the part of one who has passed through his ordinary apprenticeship and still continues at the work for a year or two would disqualify4 ,the committee has held that disqualification attaches1 for instance1 to-- 7#a7 ,a watchmaker's assistant who works1 or has worked1 at the bench4 7#b7 ,a baker's assistant who not only helps to make bread1 but also delivers it4 7#c7 ,engravers and etchers4 7#d7 ,a man having an interest in a boat-letting business1 and taking in or starting boats at a raft4 ,but not to-- 7#e7 ,a #crd engineer1 sea-going1 who goes to sea and works for money1 where such sea-service it necessary to qualify him for passing his examinations for the position of chief engineer4 7#f7 ,a draughtsman in an engineering firm1 though working for wages4 ,decisions #c and #f are not easily to be reconciled4 ,,regatta4 ,,junior ,,oarsmen ,,and ,,scullers4 ,doubts have occasionally arisen as to what is the correct meaning of the word ,regatta in ,clause ,,xi4 of the ,constitution1 and in ,rules #ai and #bj of the ,rules for ,regattas4 ,the committee has held that any meeting1 whether or not called open1 at which more than one club1 or members of more than one club1 compete1 is a regatta4 ,this decision does not cover a private match1 but does cover a regatta where1 for instance1 the competition is limited to certain clubs1 specially invited by the club or committee who arrange and manage the regatta4 ,thus1 if a junior competed and won1 either as an oarsman or sculler1 at a regatta limited1 say1 to members of the ,london1 ,kingston1 and ,thames ,rowing ,clubs1 he would by so winning cease to be a junior1 provided the race was neither a school race nor one in which the construction of the boats was restricted4 ,the committee has decided that a man who rows over for a junior sculls race1 even though he receive no prize 7the committee not awarding one in any race in which there was only one starter71 ceases to be a junior sculler4 ,a junior sculler may be a senior oarsman1 and vice versa4 ,,extracts ,,from ,,the ,,rules ,,and ,,regulations ,,of ,,the ,,cambridge ,,university ,,boat ,,club4 ,,laws ,,of ,,the ,,club4 ,i4--,that the ,,cambridge ,,university ,,boat ,,club consist of the members of the several boat clubs in the ,university4 ,,ii4--,that the affairs of the club be under the management of a president1 a vice-president 7who shall also be hon4 secretary71 a treasurer1 the captains of all boats rowing in the regular ,university races1 and all those who have been members of the ,university crew4 ,the president and vice-president shall be elected at the first meeting in each term1 and those only to be eligible who shall have been members of a ,university crew4 ,the treasurer shall be a resident graduate of the ,university1 to be elected annually at the first meeting of the ,easter ,term4 ,,iii4--,that to assist the officers in case of extraordinary and pressing business1 a small committee be formed1 consisting of the president1 vice-president1 treasurer1 and three extra committee-men1 who shall be elected at the last meeting of the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 in each term4 ,that members of the ,committee shall have the right of attending meetings of the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 and voting at the same4 ,that at meetings of the committee all except the treasurer must be present in person or by deputy4 ,the treasurer must attend all meetings of the committee on financial questions4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,,viii4--,that all cases of dispute be referred to the president or his deputy1 and the four first-boat captains1 in residence1 of the clubs in their order on the river who are not concerned in the dispute3 whose decision shall be final4 ,that representatives of the clubs concerned be present at the meeting4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,,xviii4--,that the secretary of each boat club do send in to the assistant-secretary of the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 a balance-sheet of the receipts and expenditure of his club for the past year1 within three weeks of the beginning of the ,october ,term4 ,that the penalty for neglecting this ,rule be one guinea4 ,,xix4--,that every club do pay to the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 a subscription in proportion to its receipts for the previous year4 ,,xx4--,that the rate per cent4 of this tax be fixed by the treasurer of the ,c4,u4,b4,c41 and1 when confirmed by the ,finance ,committee1 levied in three equal instalments4 ,,xxi4--,that all moneys1 however obtained1 be included in the receipts of a ,college boat club1 except such as are specially subscribed towards the expenses of a crew going to ,henley4 ,,xxii4--,that any club neglecting to pay the subscriptions or arrears due to the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 within six weeks of the beginning of full term be fined one guinea2 and that no captain be allowed to vote whose club is in arrear4 ,,xxiii4--,that medals be given by the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 to each member of such ,university crews as shall be winners of the ,university match with ,oxford4 ,also to each member of those ,college crews which shall be head of the river at the end of the ,lent and ,easter ,term races2 and to each member of the ,trial ,eights4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,,xxvi4--,that all boats1 except tub-pairs1 used for coaching purposes be obliged to carry an india-rubber ball fixed to the nose of the boat4 ,that the penalty for neglecting this ,rule be one guinea4 ,,regulations ,,for ,,boat-,,racing4 ,i4--,that none but members of the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 be allowed to row or steer in the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 races4 ,,ii4--,that there be regular eight-oared races in the ,easter and ,lent ,terms1 and that the days on which they shall take place and the number of races be appointed and declared at the last general meeting of the preceding term respectively4 ,that in these races two umpires be appointed by the president or his deputy2 that in all other ,c4,u4,b4,c4 races one umpire be appointed4 ,,iii4--,that the number of boats be limited in the ,easter ,term to thirty1 rowing in two divisions of fifteen and sixteen respectively1 including the sandwich boat1 and in the ,lent ,term to thirty-one1 rowing in two divisions of sixteen each1 including the sandwich boat4 ,,iv4--7#a7 ,that in the ,lent and ,easter ,terms the two divisions be named respectively first and second division4 ,that in the ,lent ,term both divisions shall row in clinker-built boats not more than #eg feet long1 with not less than five streaks on a side1 none of which shall exceed #d-a_/b inches 7outside measurement74 ,all such boats must be passed by the president and secretary of the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 before they can be used in the races4 ,that in the ,easter ,term the first division shall row in racing ships on sliding seats1 and the second division in clinker-built boats1 as above1 and sliding seats4 7#b7 ,that every college boat club have the right to be represented by at least one boat in the ,lent races2 and by at least one1 and not more than three1 in the ,may races4 ,v4--,that during the races no person shall row or steer in both divisions 7the crews of the last boats in a division excepted71 except under peculiar circumstances1 to be decided by the president or his deputy and the four senior captains in residence who are not concerned1 which decision must be obtained before the crew or crews in question be allowed to start4 ,,vi4--,in the races in the ,lent ,term no one be allowed to row or steer who rowed or steered respectively in any race of the previous ,easter ,term4 ,,vii4--,that no one be allowed to row in the ,lent or ,may races1 or ,fours or ,pairs1 after more than four years have elapsed from the first term he came up1 unless he keep in residence three-fourths of the term in which he desires to row4 ,,viii4--,that each crew be chosen from one club and college in the case of ,trinity and ,st4 ,john's1 and from not more than two clubs or two colleges in the case of other colleges2 and that the crew of the two colleges joining be considered as a fresh one1 and start from the bottom4 ,,ix4--,that in order to take a boat off the river the captain must give notice to the hon4 secretary of the ,c4,u4,b4,c41 who shall place lists of the boats entered for the races1 arranged according to their order1 in the different ,university boat-houses1 at least a week before the commencement of races in each term1 and on every race day during the term4 ,x4--7#a7 ,that in the ,easter ,term any club desirous of putting on a second or third boat shall have the right to challenge the lowest non-representative boat to a bumping-race1 but if successful shall start at the bottom of the river4 ,that if there be more challenging crews than one1 they shall row a time race amongst themselves1 and the winner shall row the challenged boat4 ,that the entrance fee for such races be five guineas2 that the date for them be fixed at the first general meeting of the term1 and that at least ten clear days' notice be given to the secretary of the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 by the captains of crews desirous to compete4 7#b7 ,that no man who has rowed in the successful challenging boat shall row in a higher boat during the following ,may races1 except as in ,chapter ,,iii41 rule #g4 ,,xi4--,that the boats row down to their stations in reversed order1 the last boat of each division starting first4 ,,xii4--,that on racing days in the ,lent ,term a gun be fired at the ,railway ,bridge1 at #c p4m41 as a signal for the last boat of the second division to row down2 at #c4ae p4m4 for the first boat of the division2 and a third at #d p4m4 for the first boat of the first division4 ,that in the ,easter ,term corresponding signals be fired for the second and first division boats at #e1 #e4ae1 and #f4ae p4m4 respectively4 ,that boats starting late be fined one guinea4 ,that at the close of each race of the second division in the ,lent ,term1 and of the second division in the ,easter ,term1 a gun be fired at the ,bridge2 and that until this gun be fired no boat of the other racing division shall pass below the ,ash ,plantation under penalty of one guinea4 ,that the umpire be responsible for the punctual firing of these guns4 ,that any racing boat1 leaving so late as to be obliged to pass the first boat of its division below ,ditton ,corner1 be fined one guinea by the captain of the latter on behalf of the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 ,that the captain of the first boat starting late1 or neglecting to act as this rule directs1 be fined one guinea4 ,,xiii4--,that the races be bumping races1 and the starting posts be #age feet apart4 ,that the last post be at ,baitsbite-lock1 and the winning-posts at the ,big ,horse-grind and the first ditch above the ,railway ,bridge4 ,,xiv4--,that the first seven boats in all divisions be obliged to go up to the further post at the ,big ,horse-grind1 and the other boats be obliged to stop at the nearer post at the first ditch above the ,railway ,bridge2 also that the eighth boats have the option of stopping at the nearer or going on to the further post4 ,,xv4--,that each boat start with the coxswain holding a line #cf feet in length attached to its post 7or1 if he by chance lose the line1 with ,no4 #g's rowlock opposite the post72 that otherwise it cannot make a bump1 but is subject to be bumped and to be fined one guinea4 ,,xvi4--,that if a boat miss a race1 the boat behind it shall row past its post and be allowed the bump1 and that the boat missing the race be fined one guinea4 ,,xvii4--,that the boats be started by three guns3 the first gun shall be fired when the head boat shall have arrived at its post1 the order being given by the captain of that boat2 the second gun three minutes after the first1 and the last gun one minute after the second4 ,,xviii4--,that a boat be considered fairly bumped when it is touched by any part of the boat behind it1 before its stern is past the winning-post2 passing a boat being equivalent to a bump1 providing the passing boat draw its whole length in advance4 7,the word boat includes the ship1 crew1 and oars1 if in rowlock74 ,that the coxswain of a boat so bumped shall immediately acknowledge the bump by holding up his hand1 and that the crew making the bump immediately cease rowing2 that any crew neglecting this rule be fined one guinea4 ,,xix4--,that when one boat bumps another1 both shall immediately draw aside till the racing boats have passed2 that the last boat carry a white flag in the bows2 that any boat neglecting this rule be fined one guinea4 ,,xx4--,that if one boat bumps another they exchange places1 whatever may have been their position before starting4 ,that any boat making a bump may row up after the race with its flag hoisted2 as also the boat rowing head4 ,,xxi4--,that in order to claim a bump1 the captain1 on arriving at the ,goldie ,boat-house1 must bracket the bump1 state where it took place1 and sign his name on the secretary's list2 if the bump be not bracketed he shall be fined one guinea1 but that the bumps shall1 on sufficient evidence1 be allowed2 and that no bumps can be claimed after six o'clock in the ,lent ,term1 or after nine in the ,easter ,term1 or disputed after nine on the following morning4 ,,xxii4--,that all cases of disputed bumps be referred to the president1 or his deputy1 and the four first-boat captains1 in residence1 of the clubs in their order on the river who are not concerned in the dispute1 whose decision shall be final2 and who shall have the power1 in all doubtful cases1 of causing the boats concerned to row the race again1 starting from their original posts2 and that there be representatives at the meeting of the clubs interested in the dispute4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,,xxv4--,that watermen be allowed to coach members of ,college boats in tub-pairs only till within a fortnight of the first day of the races4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,,xxvii4--,that breaches of ,regulations issued by the officers of the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 be liable to a fine of one guinea4 ,,lent ,,term ,,races ,,and ,,time ,,races4 ,i4--,that all clubs wishing to put another boat on the river must enter such boat with the secretary of the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 on or before a date to be appointed by him at the beginning of the ,lent ,term4 ,entrance fee1 three guineas1 to be paid at the time of entry4 ,,ii4--,that the ,rules for these races be the same as those for the ,getting-on races in the ,easter ,term1 and that the races be under the management of the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 or their deputies see chapter ,,ii41 rule #aj 7#a74 ,,iii4--,that no first boat of a club be obliged to row for its place4 ,,iv4--,that these races be rowed on days preceding the ,lent races4 ,v4--,that no man shall row in these time races 7#a7 who has rowed on any night of the previous ,may races1 or 7#b7 who does not comply with ,chapter ,,ii41 rule #g4 ,,vi4--,that no man who has rowed in the successful boat or boats during these trial time-races shall row in a higher boat in the following ,lent races1 except under peculiar circumstances1 to be decided upon by the president1 or his deputy1 and the four senior captains in residence who are not concerned4 ,,vii4--,that when more than two boats start in a heat to race for getting on the river1 such heat be started by three guns3 the first gun to be fired when the last boat to come down shall have arrived at its post1 the order being given by the umpire2 the second gun three minutes after the first1 and the last one minute after the second4 ,that chains #cf feet in length be provided #ajj yards apart4 ,that each boat start with the coxswain holding the chain allotted to it 7or1 if he by chance lose the chain1 with ,no4 #g's rowlock opposite the post71 that otherwise it is liable to be disqualified4 ,,viii4--,that in time races1 under the management of the ,c4,u4,b4,c41 the pistols at the winning-posts be fired by ,university men1 who shall be called on to do so in the following order3-- ,the president1 secretary1 and committee of the ,c4,u4,b4,c42 then the first captain of the boats in their order on the river1 or deputies from their own clubs2 provided that no one of the same club as any of the competitors shall fire a pistol in any race in which such competitor of his own club is rowing2 and that no one need1 by reason of this rule1 refuse to umpire4 ,and that to prevent all difficulties of a pistol missing fire1 a second person be appointed by the ,president or his deputy to stand at each winning-post and hold up a white flag1 which shall be dropped the moment that the nose of the boat passes the post4 ,,ix4--,that in time races no boat draw more than one bye4 ,x4--,that if in any time race any boat touch any part of1 or pass on the course1 or be in any way inconvenienced by any boat in front of it1 and the boat so touching1 passing1 or being inconvenienced1 shall not come to its post first in order1 such boat shall be allowed to start in the following day's race1 whether the same would otherwise have been a final or a trial heat1 and shall start on the same footing as regards drawing for stations1 etc41 as the other boats left in4 ,or the boat so impeded shall row again with the boat coming in first4 ,,rules ,,for ,,the ,,university ,,clinker ,,fours4 ,i4--,that the ,university ,clinker-built ,fours be rowed as time races over the ,colquhoun course4 ,,ii4--,that the race be open to crews from any club1 such crews to be composed solely of men who did not row in the first division of the previous ,may races4 ,,iii4--,that no ,blue be allowed to compete4 ,,iv4--,that the coxswains must be members of the clubs they steer1 and must weigh not less than #gst4 #glbs4 ,v4--,the definition of a clinker boat is as follows3--,that no boat have less than five streaks on a side1 none of which shall exceed #d-a_/b inches 7outside measurement74 ,all such boats must be passed by the president and secretary of the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 at least one week before the commencement of the races4 ,,vi4--,that the entrance money for each boat be one guinea4 ,,laws ,,of ,,the ,,magdalene ,,silver ,,pair-,,oars ,,and ,,university ,,presentation ,,cups4 ,i4--,that watermen be allowed to coach and steer for these races4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,,iv4--,that any member qualified to pull in the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 races be qualified to start for these oars4 ,v4--,that the crews need not consist of members of one club4 ,,vi4--,that no winning pair be allowed to enter together a second time4 ,,regulations ,,of ,,the ,,colquhoun ,,silver ,,sculls4 ,,iii4 ,that only those members of the ,c4,u4,b4,c4 who have not exceeded five years from the date of their first commencing residence be allowed to start1 on complying with the terms herein specified4 ,,extracts ,,from ,,the ,,rules ,,and ,,regulations ,,of ,,the ,,oxford ,,university ,,boat ,,club4 ,,general ,,rules4 ,i4--,that the club be open to all members of the ,university on the following conditions3-- ,,ii4--,that any graduate of the ,university by paying two pounds1 or any undergraduate by paying three pounds ten shillings1 may become a life member4 ,,iii4--,that any member of the ,university by paying one pound may become a member for one term1 not being thereby qualified to row or steer in any of the ,university races unless he has paid four such terminal subscriptions4 ,,iv4--,that the subscription must be paid before the admission to the club4 ,v4--,that this club is affiliated to the ,amateur ,rowing ,association1 and that members are therefore bound to observe the ,a4,r4,a4 rules4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,,vii4--,that the officers of the club consist of president1 secretary1 and treasurer2 who1 with two other members of the club1 shall form a committee4 ,,viii4--,that no member who is not strictly residing be on the committee4 ,,ix4--,that the president1 secretary1 treasurer1 and committee be elected by the captains of ,college boat clubs1 or their representatives4 ,x4--,that the election of the president and secretary take place at the first captains' meeting in the ,summer ,term1 that of the treasurer and the other members of the committee at the first meeting in the ,october ,term4 ,,xi4--,that the president have the entire supervision of the property of the club2 that he preside over all captains' meetings2 have the sole selection and management of all ,university crews1 and that he have absolute authority and entire responsibility in all matters immediately concerning the ,university boat2 that he have charge of the president's book1 and make such records in it as shall be interesting and useful to the future of the club2 and that he keep the official records of all ,university races4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,,xxv4--,that if ,henley ,regatta do not take place at such a date in relation to ,commemoration ,day as is convenient to the ,o4,u4,b4,c41 the club reserves to itself the right of withdrawing its subscription4 ,,xxvi4--,that the racing boat last purchased be not let or sold under any circumstances whatever4 ,,rules ,,for ,,races4 ,i4--,that all future members of the ,o4,u4,b4,c4 shall show a certificate of having passed a satisfactory swimming test before being allowed to row in ,university races4 ,,ii4--,that such certificate be either 7#a7 that of some public school approved by the committee1 or 7#b7 a certificate from ,dolley's ,baths1 signed by the bathman1 and countersigned by the captain of the ,college boat club4 ,,iii4--,that any ,college boat club rowing a member who has obtained a certificate unfairly shall be fined five pounds1 and lose one place on the river for each night on which he has rowed4 ,,iv4--,that each college shall have its own punt and waterman during the races4 ,v4--,that the captain of each boat club shall1 so far as possible1 fix upon the maximum number which his punt is able to carry1 and that this number shall in no case exceed twelve1 and that the fine for overcrowding be five shillings4 ,,vi4--,that each barge shall be furnished with two lifebuoys4 ,,vii4--,that the bows of all racing ,eights and ,fours1 both keel-less and clinker-built1 and of all racing pair-oars and sculling boats be protected by an india-rubber ball1 and the penalty for violation of this rule be1 in the case of ,eights and ,fours1 one pound2 in the case of all other boats1 ten shillings4 ,,viii4--,that all ,challenge ,cups which are the property of the ,o4,u4,b4,c4 shall either be taken home by the captain of the boat club which holds them1 or be deposited at ,rowell and ,harris's during the vacation4 ,,the ,,eights ,,and ,,torpids4 ,i4--,that all gentlemen rowing or steering in the races must be life members of the ,o4,u4,b4,c4 ,,ii4--,that no boat be allowed to start in the races with more or less than eight oars4 ,,iii4--,that all boats starting in the races carry a coxswain over the whole course4 ,,iv4--,that the names of the crews be sent to the treasurer at least one day before the races begin1 and that afterwards no change can be made1 unless notice is given to the president at least one hour before the races begin1 under a penalty of one pound4 ,v4--,that every club neglecting to send in the names of its crew to the treasurer1 and pay the entrance money1 five pounds1 into the ,old ,bank1 on or before the day previous to the first race in which they intend to row1 shall forfeit five shillings2 and that every club entering a boat after the races have begun shall pay one pound for every night of the races on which it has not had a boat on4 ,,vi4--,that no club start a boat in the races till all its arrears are paid1 whether of fines1 entrance money1 or annual subscription4 ,,vii4--,that no crew be allowed to start in the races which shall have employed any waterman in capacity of coach or trainer within three weeks of the first race4 ,,viii4--,that no college be allowed to enter more than one boat for the ,eights1 unless it has had on a ,torpid in the same year4 ,,ix4--,that each boat start from a rope held by the steerer1 and fastened to a post on the ,berkshire shore2 the rope to be #ej feet in length4 ,x4--,that the last boat be stationed above ,iffley ,lasher2 and that #acj feet be the distance between the posts4 ,,xi4--,that the boats entered for the races be divided as equally as possible1 and row in two divisions2 that the second division row first1 and never contain fewer boats than the first division2 that the head boat of the second division may row again with first division2 and that the last boat of the first division start head of the second division on the following day4 ,,xii4--,that the president provide a starter1 who shall fire a signal gun for the boats to take their places2 after four minutes another gun2 and after the interval of one minute another gun for the start2 after the third gun the race be always held to have begun4 ,,xiii4--,that any boat starting before the gun goes off do lose a place forthwith4 ,,xiv4--,that when a boat touches the boat or any part of the boat before it1 or its oars or rudder1 it be considered a bump2 and also if a boat rows clean by another it be equivalent to a bump4 ,,xv4--,that both the boat which bumps and the boat which is bumped immediately row out of the course of the other racing boats2 and in case any obstruction be caused by culpable neglect of this1 the offending boat be fined five pounds4 ,,xvi4--,that after every bump the boat bumping change places with the boat bumped1 whatever be their orders before starting2 also in a bumping race no boat can make more than one bump1 but of four boats1 ,a1 ,b1 ,c1 ,d1 should ,b bump ,c1 then ,a may bump ,d1 and the next race ,a and ,d change places with each other4 ,,xvii4--,that in the case of any boat not starting1 the boat immediately behind them do row past their starting-post and be considered to have bumped the other boat4 ,,xviii4--,that all boats stand by their accidents2 and that1 in case of dispute1 boats must take the place assigned them by the committee4 ,,xix4--,that an umpire be appointed by the first six colleges of each division in rotation1 who shall sit and vote on the committee to decide disputes on the day on which he is in authority4 ,,xx4--,that the races finish at the lower of the white posts to which ,salter's barge is moored1 on which a flag is to be hoisted1 and that a boat is liable to be bumped till every part of it has passed that post1 and that a judge be appointed by the president4 ,,xxi4--,that if any boat after passing the post impedes another which has not passed the post1 it be fined five pounds4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,,xxvi4--,that all disputes concerning bumps1 etc41 arising out of the races1 be referred to the committee on the day of the race1 who shall decide the point before the next race4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,,xxviii4--,that the ,college races take place in ,easter or ,act ,term1 and be six in number4 ,,xxix4--,that no non-resident member of the ,university may either row or steer in the races1 unless he has resided in ,oxford at least ten consecutive days before the races commence4 ,that this rule apply to all ,university races1 viz4 ,eights1 ,torpids1 ,fours1 ,pairs1 and ,sculls4 ,,xxx4--,that no one may be allowed to row or steer in the races for a college or hall of which he is not a bona fide member4 ,,xxxi4--,that a man may be held to have rowed or steered in the ,eights or ,torpids when he has so officiated for three days4 ,,torpid ,,races--,,special ,,rules4 ,that the ,torpid races be regulated by the above rules as far as they are applicable3 but 7#a7 ,that the races take place in the ,lent ,term1 and be six in number4 7#b7 ,that no one who has rowed or steered in the ,eights may officiate in the same capacity in the next ,torpid races4 7#c7 ,that no one be allowed to row in his ,torpid who has exceeded sixteen terms from his ,matriculation4 7#d7 ,that unless a college has had an ,eight on the river more than three nights during the previous year1 it be not permitted to start a ,torpid1 unless it engage to put on a distinct ,eight in the ensuing ,eights4 ,that in this case the distinct ,eight 7a7 do contain five men1 at least1 who have not rowed in the ,torpids4 7b7 be compelled to row more than three nights1 under penalty of ,l#aj4 7#e7 ,that the committee have power to relax this rule at their discretion in the case of boats in the second division4 7#f7 ,that these races be rowed in gig boats1 of the specified mould1 measuring inside at the gunwale not less than #b;ft4 #b;in41 clinker-built of not less than #e streaks4 7#g7 ,that the distance between the starting-posts be #afj feet4 7#h7 ,that no ,torpid be allowed to use sliding seats4 7#i7 ,that if more than twenty-five ,torpids enter1 the races shall be in three divisions2 the boats to be divided as equally as possible1 so that a higher division shall not contain more boats than a lower one4 ,,four-,,oar ,,challenge ,,cup4 ,i4--,that the ,cup be open for competition to members of any one college or hall who have not exceeded eighteen terms from their ,matriculation4 ,,ii4--,that the race take place annually1 in the ,michaelmas ,term4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,,vii4--,that no crew be allowed to start which has had any waterman in the capacity of coach or trainer within three weeks of the first race4 ,,clinker ,,fours ,,race4 ,i4--,that the race be called the ,clinker ,fours race4 ,,ii4--,that the race take place annually in the ,lent ,term4 ,,iii4--,that it should be open for competition to members of any college or hall who have not exceeded eighteen terms from their ,matriculation1 and who have not rowed either in the ,university ,race at ,putney1 or the ,trials1 or rowed in a ,college ,eight which finished in the upper division of the summer races in the previous year1 sandwich boat reckoning as ,second ,division4 ,,iv4--,that the race shall be rowed in keeled clinker-built boats with slides of not more than #ab inches1 having not less than #e streaks in each side1 exclusive of saxe-board4 ,the streaks shall not be more than #d-a_/d inches in breadth4 ,the maximum inside width of each boat shall not be less than #bd inches1 measured on the top of the gunwale4 ,no batswings1 false outriggers1 splayed-boards1 or other device will be allowed to take the place of saxe-boards1 and the committee of the ,o4,u4,b4,c4 reserve the right of determining in each instance whether these conditions have been fairly carried out or not4 ,v4--,that no boat be allowed to start with more or less than four oars and a coxswain4 ,,vi4--,that no crew be allowed to start which has had any waterman in the capacity of coach or trainer4 ,,rules ,,for ,,the ,,university ,,trial ,,eight ,,race4 ,i4--,that the race be called the ,university ,trial ,eight ,race4 ,,ii4--,that the race take place in ,michaelmas ,term1 and subsequent to that for the ,four-,oared ,challenge ,cup4 ,,iii4--,that the crews be selected by the president4 ,,iv4--,that the crews be in practice not less than twelve days4 ,v4--,that each member of the two crews pay ten shillings entrance money4 ,,vi4--,that a silver medal be presented to each of the winning crew4 ,,vii4--,that any member of the two crews who refuses to row in the ,university ,eight if called upon to do so1 be suspended by the committee from rowing in any ,university race till the end of the ,summer ,term1 unless he shows reasonable grounds for refusal4 ,,printed ,,by ,,william ,,clowes ,,and ,,sons1 ,,limited1 ,,london ,,and ,,beccles4 99 99 99 99 99 ,november1 #ahig4 ,,new ,,recent ,,books ,,published ,,by ,a4 ,d4 ,,innes ,,company ,,bedford ,,st4 ,,mdcccxcvii4 ,,drawing-,,room ,,plays ,,for ,,children4 ,just ,ready4 ,cinderella4 ,by ,,santos4 ,crown #hvo4 ,paper wrapper1 #f;d4 ,beauty and the ,beast4 ,by ,,santos4 ,crown #hvo4 ,paper ,wrapper1 #f;d4 ,,half-,,hour ,,plays4 ,by ,,amabel ,,jenner4 ,rumpelstilskin4 ,tommy ,trout and the ,owl4 ,jack and the ,beanstalk4 ,silverlocks and the ,three ,bears2 and the ,snow ,queen4 ,little ,prit4 ,each ,play in ,paper ,wrapper1 ,price #f;d41 or bound together in a ,volume1 ,cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,terra-,,cotta ,,plays4 ,by ,c4 ,m4 ,,prevost4 ,the ,sleeping ,beauty4 ,the ,white ,cat4 ,jack and the ,beanstalk4 ,snowdrop and the ,seven ,dwarfs4 ,each ,play in ,paper ,wrapper1 ,price #f;d41 or bound together in a ,volume1 ,cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,london3 ,a4 ,d4 ,,innes ,,co41 #ca and #cb ,bedford ,street1 ,strand4 99 99 99 99 99 #ca #cb1 ,,bedford ,,street1 ,,strand1 ,w4,c41 ,november1 #ahig4 ,,new ,,books ,,published ,,by ,a4 ,d4 ,,innes ,,co4 ,,history1 ,,biography1 ,,etc4 ,by ,f4 ,h4 ,s4 ,,merewether4 ,through the ,famine ,districts of ,india4 ,being an ,account1 by ,reuter's ,special ,correspondent1 of his experiences in travelling through the ,famine ,districts of ,india4 ,profusely illustrated4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 #afs4 ,by ,sir ,,joseph ,,fayrer1 ,bart41 ,k4,c4,s4,i41 ,m4,d4 ,the ,life of ,sir ,ranald ,martin1 ,c4,b4 ,a ,brief ,account of the ,life and ,work of the great ,sanitary ,reformer in ,india4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 with ,portrait1 price #fs4 ,from the ,letters of ,major ,w4 ,p4 ,,johnson4 ,twelve ,years of a ,soldier's ,life4 ,edited by his ,widow4 ,being an ,account of the experiences of a ,major in the ,native ,irregular ,cavalry in ,india and elsewhere4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 with ,portrait1 price #fs4 ,by ,professor ,w4 ,c4 ,,lawton4 ,the ,successors of ,homer4 ,being an ,account of the ,greek ,poets who followed from ,homer down to the time of ,aeschylus4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 gilt top1 price #es4 ,by ,lieutenant-,colonel ,,ross-,,of-,,bladensburg1 ,c4,b4 ,the ,coldstream ,guards in the ,crimea4 ,being a ,sketch of the ,crimean ,war1 treating in detail of the operations in which the ,coldstream took part4 ,with numerous ,maps4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 price #fs4 ,,second ,,revised ,,edition4 ,by ,lieutenant-,general ,,mcleod ,,innes1 ,v4,c4 ,the ,sepoy ,revolt4 ,a ,critical ,narrative1 covering the whole field of the ,indian ,mutiny1 its causes and course1 till the final suppression4 ,with numerous ,maps and ,plans4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,the picturesque aspects of the ,indian ,mutiny have been frequently treated4 ,the purpose of this volume is to convey in a clear and compendious form the underlying causes as well as the immediate circumstances which led up to the ,revolt2 and the true relation and importance of the various phases4 ,by ,general ,sir ,,charles ,,gough1 ,v4,c41 ,g4,c4,b41 and ,,arthur ,d4 ,,innes1 ,m4,a4 ,the ,sikhs and the ,sikh ,wars4 ,with #ac ,maps and ,plans4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 #afs4 ,an account of the rise of the ,sikh ,state2 of the struggle with the ,british1 the most stubborn in our ,indian record2 and of the subsequent ,annexation4 ,with especial reference to current misapprehensions as to ,lord ,gough4 ,by ,lieutenant-,colonel ,,ross-,,of-,,bladensburg1 ,c4,b41 late ,coldstream ,guards4 ,dedicated1 by permission1 to ,h4,m4 the ,queen4 ,a ,history of the ,coldstream ,guards1 from #ahae to #ahhe4 ,with numerous ,coloured ,plates1 ,drawings1 and ,maps by ,lieutenant ,,nevile ,r4 ,,wilkinson4 ,crown #dto1 cloth1 gilt top1 two guineas net4 ,an account of the famous regiment since ,waterloo2 with the history of the political events and the campaigns with which it has been associated4 ,by ,a4 ,,hilliard ,,atteridge1 ,special ,correspondent of the ,daily ,chronicle with the ,dongola ,expeditionary ,force4 ,towards ,khartoum4 ,the ,story of the ,soudan ,war of #ahif4 ,with numerous ,maps and ,illustrations from ,photographs taken by the ,author4 ,demy #hvo1 buckram1 price #afs4 ,mr4 ,atteridge's letters to the ,daily ,chronicle contained no more than the skeleton of the present work1 which is in no sense a reprint of them4 ,by ,c4 ,r4 ,b4 ,,barrett4 ,dedicated1 by permission1 to ,general ,h4,r4,h4 the ,duke of ,connaught1 ,k4,g4 ,battles and ,battlefields in ,england4 ,with an ,introduction by ,h4 ,d4 ,,traill1 and profusely ,illustrated by the ,author4 ,super royal #hvo1 buckram1 gilt top1 #ahs4 ,compiled from a thorough examination of the authorities1 and personal inspection of the ground4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,recent ,,works ,,of ,,history1 ,,etc4 ,by ,g4 ,,boissier 7de l',acad'emie ,francaise74 ,cicero and his ,friends4 ,translated by ,a4 ,d4 ,,jones4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,m4 ,boissier's work in the ,french is familiar to historical students2 but it has been felt that a translation would make it available for many more readers4 ,the addition of an index and analytical contents increase its advantages for reference4 ,by ,j4 ,s4 ,,risley1 ,m4,a41 ,b4,c4,l4 ,the ,law of ,war4 ,a ,study of the ,legal ,obligations and ,conditions applying to ,belligerents or ,neutrals in ,times of ,war4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 #abs4 ,compiled primarily for the use of the ordinary reader rather than the technical student4 ,first ,review4--,the book 444 is admirably done4 ,it avoids technicalities and 444 is admirably suited to serve as a guide and first introduction to a most instructive subject4--,scotsman4 ,,new ,,and ,,revised ,,edition4 ,by ,lieutenant-,general ,,mcleod ,,innes1 ,v4,c4 ,lucknow and ,oude in the ,mutiny4 ,a ,narrative and a ,study4 ,with ,numerous ,maps1 ,plans1 etc41 and an ,index4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 #abs4 net4 ,a critical narrative of the causes and course of the ,mutiny1 with a full account of the operations in ,oude and the siege of ,lucknow1 from personal knowledge4 ,a most valuable contribution to the history of the great crisis4--,times4 ,recent literature concerning the ,indian ,mutiny has brought us nothing so valuable4444 ,his knowledge of ,india and her people is accurate and profound4444 ,the facts are marshalled with consummate skill4 ,in this book ,general ,innes has rendered invaluable service in regard to the military history of the ,mutiny and the ,indian ,empire4--,army and ,navy ,gazette4 ,by ,dr4 ,,wilhelm ,,busch1 ,professor at the ,university of ,freiburg1 in ,baden4 ,england under the ,tudors4 ,vol4 ,i4 ,henry ,,vii4 7#adhe-aeji74 ,translated from the ,german by ,miss ,,alice ,m4 ,,todd and the ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,,johnson1 some-time ,fellow of ,all ,souls ,college1 ,oxford1 under the supervision of1 and with an ,introduction by1 ,mr4 ,,james ,,gairdner1 ,editor of the ,paston ,letters4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 #afs4 net4 ,since a body of ,oxford ,tutors published a translation of ,ranke's ,english ,history just twenty years ago1 no more important step has been taken to give ,english readers access to recent ,german work on ,english ,history than in the book now before us4444 ,the general value of what we hope will ultimately be the best general text-book of ,tudor ,history is too well known to scholars to make it worth while to dwell upon it here4--,speaker4 ,by ,,arthur ,d4 ,,innes1 ,m4,a41 ,author of ,seers and ,singers1 etc4 ,britain and her ,rivals4 #agac-aghi4 ,a ,study dealing chiefly with the ,contests between the ,naval ,powers for ,supremacy in ,america and ,india4 ,with numerous ,plans1 ,maps1 etc4 ,large crown1 buckram1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,the ,pall ,mall ,gazette1 in a review headed1 ,history as it ,should be ,written1 says3 ,the book is indeed just what was most wanted3 444 a great deal more than a popular work in the usual sense of the term1 seeing that it is accurate and thoughtful1 besides being eminently readable4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,new ,,and ,,recent ,,belles ,,lettres4 ,eighteenth ,century ,letters4 ,edited by ,r4 ,,brimley ,,johnson1 with ,introductions by eminent scholars4 ,illustrated with ,photogravure ,portraits of the writers4 ,crown #hvo1 half-parchment1 gilt top1 price #fs4 each volume4 ,,vol4 ,i4--,,swift1 ,,addison1 ,,steele4 ,with an ,introduction by ,,stanley ,,lane ,,poole4 ,,vol4 ,,ii4--,,johnson ,,and ,,chesterfield4 ,with an ,introduction by ,,george ,,birkbeck ,,hill1 ,d4,c4,l4 ,by ,,maidie ,,dickson4 ,the ,saga of the ,sea ,swallow4 ,illustrated by ,j4 ,d4 ,,batten and ,,hilda ,,fairbairn4 ,fcap4 #dto1 cloth1 gilt top1 #ds4 #f;d4 net4 ,the narrative is told with the most engaging circumstantial vividness1 and it held us as we read4--,academy4 ,by ,,cosmo ,,monkhouse4 ,in the ,national ,gallery4 ,the ,italian ,schools from the ,thirteenth to the ,sixteenth ,century4 ,illustrated with numerous examples specially prepared for this work4 ,crown #hvo1 buckram1 gilt top1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,one of the most popular handbooks yet issued on the development of ,italian art as exemplified by the works in our ,national ,collection4 ,the author's name is a guarantee of the precision of the facts he produces1 and of the excellence of the writing by which they are connected4 ,the book is illustrated by a good number of excellent reproductions of the principal pictures4--,magazine of ,art4 ,by ,a4 ,j4 ,,butler4 ,dante3 his ,times and his ,work4 ,a ,popular ,treatise dealing with the great ,poet4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the work should be interesting and profitable both to every ,dante student and to every general reader who wishes to acquire a knowledge of a most interesting epoch of modern history1 and one of the most interesting figures of any epoch4--,illustrated ,london ,news4 ,by ,,arthur ,d4 ,,innes1 ,m4,a4 ,seers and ,singers4 ,a ,study of ,five ,english ,poets 7,,browning1 ,,tennyson1 ,,wordsworth1 ,,matthew ,,arnold1 and ,,mrs4 ,,browning74 ,cloth antique1 extra gilt top1 #es4 ,never were great poets and their gifts to us dealt with in a more reverential and yet discriminating fashion4 ,comments and criticism are alike delicate and suggestive4 ,all followers of the great five should posses this little book1 whose dainty get-up is still its least charm4--,pall ,mall ,gazette4 ,by ,,clifford ,,harrison4 ,the ,lute of ,apollo4 ,an ,essay on ,music4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth1 gilt top1 #es4 net4 ,no real lover of music will fail to give an easily accessible and honoured corner on his or her favourite bookshelf to this little volume4 ,it has a unique charm which no words of mine can properly define or describe4--,ladies' ,pictorial4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,recent ,,books ,,of ,,travel4 ,by ,,gwendolen ,,trench ,,gascoigne4 ,among ,pagodas and ,fair ,ladies4 ,being an ,account of a ,tour through ,burma4 ,with numerous ,illustrations from ,photographs4 ,medium #hvo1 buckram1 #abs4 ,by ,g4 ,f4 ,,scott ,,elliot1 ,f4,s4,s41 ,f4,r4,g4,s4 ,a ,naturalist in ,mid ,africa4 ,being an ,account of a ,journey to the ,mountains of the ,moon and ,tanganyika4 ,with numerous ,illustrations from ,photographs and ,sketches by the ,author1 and ,three ,coloured ,maps4 ,medium #hvo1 buckram1 #afs4 ,by ,,robert ,k4 ,,douglas4 ,society in ,china4 ,an ,account of the ,everyday ,life of the ,chinese ,people1 ,social1 ,political1 and ,religious4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 7,library ,edition1 with #bb ,illustrations4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 #afs47 99 99 99 99 99 ,theological and ,devotional ,works4 ,by ,rev4 ,w4 ,f4 ,,cobb1 ,d4,d4 ,origines ,judaicae4 ,an ,inquiry into ,heathen ,faiths as affecting the ,birth and ,growth of ,judaism4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 #abs4 ,we cannot help feeling very grateful to our author4 ,he has obtained a competent knowledge of what recent investigation has revealed in ,egyptology and ,assyriology1 and he has brought his stores of knowledge to interpret the ,old ,testament religion and history1 and by his conception of ',menotheism1' if not by the coining of the word1 he has brought a welcome illumination to the obscure subject of the primitive ,hebrew religion4--,daily ,chronicle4 ,with an ,introduction by the ,very ,reverend ,f4 ,w4 ,,farrar1 ,d4,d41 ,dean of ,canterbury4 ,the ,new ,life in ,christ ,jesus4 ,essays on ,subjects relating to ,spiritual ,life4 ,edited by ,,julian ,,field4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth1 gilt edges1 #es4 ,prayers1 ,penitence1 and ,holy ,communion4 ,selected from the ,writings of the late ,rev4 ,e4 ,b4 ,,pusey1 ,d4,d4 ,by ,e4 ,h4 and ,f4 ,h4 ,bound together in one volume4 ,royal #afmo1 cloth extra1 bevelled boards1 with red edges and silk book-markers1 #ds4 #f;d4 ,the three parts may be had separately1 price #as4 #f;d4 each4 ,daily ,text-,book4 ,selected from the ,writings of the late ,rev4 ,e4 ,b4 ,,pusey1 ,d4,d4 ,by ,e4 ,h4 and ,f4 ,h4 ,with ,preface by the ,right ,rev4 the ,,lord ,,bishop ,,of ,,lincoln4 ,square #afmo1 cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,on the ,catholic ,faith4 ,notes and ,questions4 ,compiled from the ,works of the late ,rev4 ,e4 ,b4 ,,pusey1 ,d4,d4 ,with ,preface by the ,rev4 ,canon ,,carter4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d42 or in paper wrapper1 #as4 ,the ,spiritual ,combat2 with the ,path of ,paradise2 and the ,supplement2 or1 the ,peace of the ,soul4 ,by ,,scupoli4 7,from the ,italian47 ,edited by the late ,rev4 ,e4 ,b4 ,,pusey1 ,d4,d4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,the ,sufferings of ,jesus4 ,composed by ,,fra ,,thom,e' ,,de ,,jesu1 of the ,order of ,hermits of ,s4 ,augustine4 ,translated for the first time from the original ,portuguese4 ,in two parts4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth1 #es42 or separately1 each #bs4 #f;d4 ,the ,soul's ,hour ,glass4 ,translated from the ,horologium of ,drexelius4 ,edited by the ,rev4 ,canon ,,atkinson2 being a ,book of ,devotions for the ,twenty-four ,hours4 ,printed in red and black4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,new ,,and ,,recent ,,verse4 ,by ,,george ,,cookson4 ,poems4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 gilt top1 #ds4 #f;d4 net4 ,by ,a4 ,e4 ,,hills4 ,elfinn's ,luck1 and ,other ,poems4 ,crown #hvo1 buckram1 gilt top1 #ds4 #f;d4 net4 ,by ,,mostyn ,t4 ,,piggott4 ,songs of a ,session4 ,a ,volume of ,political ,verses4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,by ,e4 ,h4 ,,lacon ,,watson4 ,verses ,suggested and ,original4 ,crown #hvo1 buckram1 gilt top1 #ds4 #f;d4 ,by ,,robert ,,george ,,legge4 ,songs of a ,strolling ,player4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 parchment wrapper1 #as4 net4 ,by the ,,same ,,author4 ,player ,poems4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 parchment wrapper1 #as4 net4 ,by the late ,,james ,,russell ,,lowell4 ,last ,poems4 ,being the ,last ,unpublished ,poems written by the late ,,james ,,russell ,,lowell4 ,crown #hvo1 gilt top1 buckram1 #ds4 net4 ,by ,,clifford ,,harrison4 ,on the ,common ,chords4 ,verses by ,,clifford ,,harrison4 ,crown #hvo1 buckram1 gilt top1 #ds4 #f;d4 net4 ,by ,,arthur ,d4 ,,innes1 ,m4,a4 ,verse ,translations from ,greek and ,latin ,poets4 ,large post #hvo1 buckram1 gilt top1 #es4 net4 ,by ,w4 ,j4 ,,robertson4 ,a ,century of ,french ,verse4 ,being a ,series of ,translations from the ,french ,poets since the ,revolution1 with ,biographical ,notices and ,appreciations4 ,fcap4 #dto1 buckram1 gilt top1 #fs4 net4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,isthmian ,library4 ,,vol4 ,i4 ,by ,b4 ,,fletcher ,,robinson4 ,rugby ,football4 ,with ,chapters by ,,frank ,,mitchell1 ,r4 ,h4 ,,cattell1 ,c4 ,j4 ,n4 ,,fleming1 ,,gregor ,,macgregor1 ,c4 ,b4 ,,nicholl1 and ,h4 ,b4 ,,tristram4 ,illustrated1 post #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,,vol4 ,,ii4 ,by ,a4 ,c4 ,,pemberton1 ,,mrs4 ,,harcourt ,,williamson1 ,c4 ,p4 ,,sisley1 and ,,gilbert ,,floyd4 ,the ,complete ,cyclist4 ,illustrated1 post #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,,vol4 ,,iii4 ,by ,e4 ,f4 ,,knight4 ,sailing-boats and ,small ,yachts4 ,illustrated1 post #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,in ,preparation4 ,,vol ,,iv4 ,by ,r4 ,c4 ,,lehmann4 ,rowing4 ,with ,chapters by ,,guy ,,nickalls and ,c4 ,m4 ,,pitman4 ,illustrated1 post #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,,vol4 ,v4 ,by ,r4 ,,allanson ,,winn4 ,boxing4 ,illustrated1 post #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,,vol4 ,,vi4 ,ice ,sports4 ,illustrated1 post #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,,vol ,,vii4 ,by ,,montagu ,s4 ,,monier ,,williams4 ,figure ,skating4 ,illustrated1 post #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,other ,volumes are in preparation1 and will be duly announced4 99 99 99 99 99 ,new ,one-,volume ,novels4 ,by ,a4 ,e4 ,w4 ,,mason4 ,lawrence ,clavering4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,by ,,fred ,t4 ,,jane4 ,the ,lordship1 the ,passen1 and ,we4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,by ,,lady ,,helen ,,craven4 ,katharine ,cromer4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,by ,c4 ,m4 ,,campbell4 ,deilie ,jock4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,by ,,francis ,,gribble4 ,sunlight and ,limelight4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,ready ,january1 #ahih4 ,by ,,eden ,,phillpotts4 ,the ,king's ,chamber4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,ready ,january1 #ahih4 ,by ,,esther ,,miller4 ,shadows of ,guilt4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,by ,,fred ,t4 ,,jane4 ,to ,venus in ,five ,seconds4 ,demy #abmo1 cloth1 #bs42 or in paper wrapper1 #as4 #f;d4 ,by ,,francis ,,gribble4 ,only an ,angel4 ,demy #abmo1 half-parchment1 yellow edges1 #bs4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,recent ,,popular #fs4 ,,novels4 ,by ,j4 ,c4 ,,snaith1 ,author of ,mistress ,dorothy ,marvin4 ,fierceheart the ,soldier4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,mr4 ,snaith has given us a resource that for terse1 pregnant phrasing1 exception character1 and recurring and vivid depiction of dramatic situation1 is the best thing of its kind we remember to have seen for a long time4--,observer4 ,by ,,max ,,pemberton4 ,christine of the ,hills4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,assuredly he has never written anything more fresh1 more simple1 more alluring or more artistically perfect4--,daily ,mail4 ,by ,,eden ,,phillpotts4 ,lying ,prophets4 ,third ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,an excellent novel4444 ,a place of serious and admirable work4444 ,not unworthy of a place with ,george ,eliot's ',adam ,bede' and ',mill on the ,floss4'--,pall ,mall ,gazette4 ,by ,,isabel ,,clarke4 ,the ,episode of ,alethea4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,the author deals with admirable taste and tact with the situation4444 ,the story is one of high merit from beginning to end4--,scotsman4 ,by ,,esther ,,miller4 ,the ,sport of the ,gods4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,it is very well told4444 ,the novel is exciting1 and preserves its interest to the end4444 ,excellent story4--,athenaeum4 ,by ,e4 ,f4 ,,benson1 ,author of ,dodo4 ,limitations4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,mr4 ,benson has written an interesting and truly human book4 ,his range is much wider than it was3 his character-drawing has gained in depth1 delicacy1 and precision2 while the sparkling dialogue which we enjoyed in ',dodo' has lost none of its old brilliancy4--,daily ,telegraph4 ,by ,,francis ,,gribble4 ,the ,lower ,life4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,a very remarkable novel1 well thought out1 well sustained1 and inspired from first to last4--,national ,observer4 ,by ,g4 ,b4 ,,burgin4 ,tomalyn's ,quest4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,mr4 ,burgin has just scored a second shining success with ',tomalyn's ,quest1' a tale of the keenest interest4--,daily ,telegraph4 ,by ,w4 ,l4 ,,alden4 ,the ,mystery of ,elias ,g4 ,roebuck4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,mr4 ,alden has the true gift of honour4444 ,it is impossible to read the collection of short stories without genuine enjoyment4--,times4 ,by ,c4 ,r4 ,,coleridge and ,,helen ,,shipton4 ,ravenstone4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,the love interest of ',ravenstone' is twofold1 and is admirably sustained throughout this bright1 vigorous1 and refreshing story4--,daily ,telegraph4 ,by ,x4 ,l41 ,author of ,aut ,diabolus aut ,nihil4 ,the ,limb4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,,mr4 ,,gladstone writes3 ,pray accept my thanks4444 ,i was so imprudent as to read it at once1 and since that act have found great difficulty in laying it down4 ',the ,limb' is unquestionably one of the most fascinating books of the season4--,birmingham ,daily ,gazette4 ,by ,,roma ,,white4 ,a ,stolen ,mask4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,a capital story1 and ,mrs4 ,roma ,white tells it with a delicate humour and a spontaneous brilliancy as rare as they are delightful4 ',a ,stolen ,mask' is a novel that stands high above the average1 and can be strongly recommended4 ,it is a long time since we have come across anything so thoroughly fresh and bright4--,pall ,mall ,gazette4 ,by ,,francis ,,gribble4 ,the ,things that ,matter4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,is an extremely psychological study4--,times4 ,it is a very amusing novel1 full of bright satire directed against the new woman and similar objects4--,speaker4 ,by ,g4 ,b4 ,,burgin4 ,the ,judge of the ,four ,corners4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,a delightfully humorous sketch1 full of the purest fun1 and irresistibly laughable4--,saturday ,review4 ,by ,,eden ,,phillpotts4 ,my ,laughing ,philosopher4 ,illustrated by ,,george ,,hutchinson4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,we commend to the notice of any one wanting a good laugh ',my ,laughing ,philosopher1' whose varied character-sketches amply prove ,mr4 ,eden ,phillpotts to be endowed with those two excellent gifts of humour and imagination4--,spectator4 ,the book will be welcome to every one who likes a book from which a man can get a good laugh4--,scotsman4 ,by ,,leslie ,,keith1 ,author of ,the ,chilcotes1 ',lisbeth1 etc4 ,for ,love of ,prue4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,plot and incident in this present story are alike remarkable 444 altogether we heartily commend ',for ,love of ,prue' as a sensible1 humorous1 and thoroughly wholesome book4--,speaker4 ,by ,,dorothea ,,gerard4 ,lot #ac4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,a bright1 buoyant1 and bustling story1 with plenty of local colour derived from the scenery and the society1 black and white1 of a ,west ,indian plantation4--,times4 ,by the late ,mrs4 ,j4 ,k4 ,,spender1 ,author of ,thirteen ,doctors1 etc4 ,the ,wooing of ,doris4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,has much to commend it to novel-readers4 ,a clever plot3 well-drawn characters--such are the leading features of a novel by which the reputation of its much-regretted writer is fully sustained to the last4--,world4 ,by ,j4 ,c4 ,,snaith4 ,mistress ,dorothy ,marvin4 ,a ,romance of the ,glorious ,revolution4 ,illustrated by ,s4 ,,cowell4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,the author has succeeded in making his story intensely interesting4444 ,one of the very best adventure stories we have had for a long time past4--,speaker4 ',mistress ,dorothy ,marvin1' most delightful and winsome of women1 and one of the freshest and most unhackneyed heroines whose acquaintance we have had the pleasure of making for a very considerable period4444 ,mr4 ,snaith has a great gift of observation1 and his book is a remarkable picture of the age it is intended to depict4--,world4 ,by ,,stanley ,,weyman4 ,my ,lady ,rotha4 ,a ,romance of the ,thirty ,years' ,war4 ,illustrated by ,,john ,,williamson4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,no one who begins it will lay it down before the end1 it is so extremely well carried on from adventure to adventure4--,saturday ,review4 ,by ,,frank ,,barrett1 ,author of ,the ,admirable ,lady ,biddy ,fane4 ,a ,set of ,rogues4 ,a ,romance of the ,seventeenth ,century4 ,illustrated by ,s4 ,,cowell4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,he has related the adventures of a set of rogues 444 with so pleasant a tongue and in such attractive fashion that it impossible for mere flesh and blood to resist them4 ,his set of rogues have won our entire sympathy1 and his narrative our hearty approval4--,pall ,mall ,gazette4 ,another capital story4444 ,strongly recommended4 ,stirring tale this1 without a dull chapter in it1 and just enough human sentiment in it to soften down the roguery4444 ,let the honest reader procure the book4--,punch4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,scarlet ,,novels4 ,a ,,series ,,of ,,popular ,,novels ,,by ,,well-,,known ,,authors4 ,crown #hvo1 uniform scarlet cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 each ,volume4 ,,anthony ,,hope',s ,,society ,,novels4 ,comedies of ,courtship4 ,he is undeniably gay in the best sense of the word1 now and then almost rollicking4 ,an admirable example of what we mean by gaiety in fictional literature4--,daily ,telegraph4 ,half a ,hero4 ,the book is delightful to read1 and an excellent piece of work4--,standard4 ,mr4 ,witt's ,widow4 ,a brilliant little tale4444 ,exhibits unborrowed ingenuity1 plausibility1 and fertility in surprises4--,times4 99 99 99 99 99 ,by ,,max ,,pemberton4 ,a ,gentleman's ,gentleman4 ,this is very much the best book that ,mr4 ,max ,pemberton has so far given us4--,daily ,chronicle4 ,by ,,richard ,,pryce4 ,the ,burden of a ,woman4 ,the conception and execution of this interesting story are excellent4 ,a book to read and remember with pleasure4--,lady's ,pictorial4 ,by ,c4 ,r4 ,,coleridge4 ,amethyst4 ,extremely amusing1 interesting1 and brightly written4--,guardian4 ,by ,f4 ,,frankfort ,,moore4 ,two in the ,bush and ,others ,elsewhere4 ,carry the reader on from page to page till criticism is forgotten in enjoyment4--,daily ,graphic4 ,by ,,roma ,,white4 ,punchinello's ,romance4 ,we give ,roma ,white the warmest of welcomes into the world of fiction4444 ,admirably and irresistibly comic1 without anything in the nature of force or even of apparent exaggeration1 ready at the least moment to run into equally true pathos4--,graphic4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes ,there is some text missing between ,page #fd and ,page #fe3 the beginning of paragraph 7#d7 with an opening quotation mark is missing1 as shown by '7#d7 444'4 77#d7 444 ,watch the bodies in front of you as they move1 and mould yourself on their movement47 ,factual errors were noted as follows3 ,page #bgc3 ,reference to ,minneapolis instead of ,annapolis 7,the ,united ,states ,naval ,academy at ,minneapolis 4447 ,changes to the text are as follows3 ,title page3 added comma after ,c4 ,m4 ,,pitman 7 444 ,c4 ,m4 ,,pitman1 ,w4 ,e4 ,,crum1 ,,and ,e4 ,g4 ,,blackmore7 ,page xii3 added missing line in the ,list of ,illustrations 7,,lent ,,races ,,in ,,the ,,plough ,,reach #bjj7 ,plate ,henley ,regatta originally facing page #aeg3 changed ,heart fo to ,heat for 7,a ,heat for the ,diamonds47 ,page #beh3 changed ,warnambool to ,warrnambool 7,important meetings are also held at ,ballarat1 ,geelong1 ,warrnambool1 ,bairnsdale1 4447 ,page #cci3 changed captain's to captains' 7 444 at the first captains' meeting 4447