CATALOGUE RAISONNE OF THE ROWING MATCHES OF THE SEASON 1817.

Anglo-Maori Warder, Volume 1, Issue 6, 30 May 1848, Page 3

CATALOGUE RAISONNE OF THE ROWING MATCHES OF THE SEASON 1817.

In writing a resume of the most interesting contests of the rowing season, just expired, we do not intend that it should be a barren aquatic almanac or chronology, but rather a catalogue raisone, pleasantly descriptive, and meicuuUy and generously critical. In out descriptions we shall try to ''nothingextenuate," and in our cri'icisms mist assuredly " we shall naught set down in molice " We trust that our record of the pw tifitorwn inaloruiu uf the vanquished win prove as to them as possible, and lint our details of the triumphs of the victors will be pscscived dJe by side witu the trophies won, the happy posse-sors, as they lack tlu'iuup amongst the licir*looms of their fimihps, e\uhingly taaruiuring—'" hcec mtntinisic }uvabrf." V. c nave been ourselves tauym pars m the sports of that river Grc.it, ploriousi and free, I'irat rein of the earth, and fii&t nurse of the sea, and when we speak of them, it will not be in the cold, disp.isMon.ite language of ths sporting man who looks upon tlivm only as event* to bn upon, but in ili.it of one who has revelled in the manly amusements a " trim built wheiry" can afford. With this succiuct pnas of enr intentions, we shall "jump off with the lead'' into bus'.uess. During the winter recess (IS IG-7) the London aquatic world looked with undivided interest to the doings at Oxford and Cambridge, todi«c3Vcr there wlitt promising oarsmau, or dashing stuiHer, tu;ht be ushered into fame on a mote glury-giving arena. During the period mentioned, the cjiitcst for the Cambridge sculis was anxiously discussed and looked forward to, and the accounts gnen ol Mr. Maule, ufterwurda tlis winner, led moat persons to r.\pect a successf-il cared* lor him id a wider lijlJ; a 'U, coultiry to the general Ute of piuwnciil star?, \vh-»sj indlvtluU fires pale whin opposed to t -t ibhshrd t.ivuntes, his rose bii'liaut «n the ascendant. Though so fortunate m their scu'Lt, Cambridge was far from being so in leading oarsni.n, in respect to ttlnch her deurth was very g«e«t. I*or instance, Uie wiuners oi their pair o.ired iuc?s (Messrs, Gisborne and Hoare), -howed, certaiul), strength and. determination, hut wore clo-ely pressed by Wool-* stenholuie and Vnccn', who wrre afterwards easily directed at Utility, bv a pair, who. in turn, were vanquished at Putue). Th; champions cuuuot, tnertiorc be ioo> iM on as holding the mirror up to rowing men. The winter of lSlo-7 may le cunHder4.ll a u n-ev.-n'ful onr, piodiun.* nothing lomous for the " Cuiubi' l_je Ca-w-'dji', 1 ' wiib ihu singlo exception betj e m'.Ms'ion L 'd, .mi I this opinion proved correct «L.e lii»c'»r of tins Umteisi') wji rnirnsted to tbs.baud» a cuoh'ii ] Ik |H)v. lty of the land winh6r£made l.i'jif'i'ul'ly .'j'parem. Frn m stem to stt rn uotoneahotfe 1 x vi-u wi the style of Stiude),uv lite rtfo.uth t'i C'L'V.s - in. 0 »i CVibold's pUllf OT

dashiug ease. Where were tuuy gone, anil «>rii tbem. for the present, Cam's success. Oxford's winter was equally as drear as that of Cambridge, and for the scullers' prize, the only match deserving comment, Mr. Burton (Mr. Moon the champion of 1846, being invalided J 'beat all his opponents off baud, uone of whom showed great srience, and their coudition looked as i', ms'ead of exercising hybernis in und'ts, it mi-ht have been said of thira — Mntuaque inter se l»'i convivia curant: limtat genialis hyeins, curusque rcsolvit. Subsequently, of Oxford we can Epeak more cheerily, for when Vere tumcnt terrte, genitalia semina poscont, fresh bh»c«d appeared to have been inlu*ed into their forces, though it produced no p!i nomena. However, we must not form?t to state, in justice to thut London men haveilways been more inJebttd for brilliant examples of .-tyle to her athletic alumni than to those of Oxford, for it will be recollected mat while London oarsmen ui*ht have watched with advantage the following erst celebrated Canlabs— Ciranville, Siai" ley, Vials. Waricn Jones Pjris, Nicholson, &c„ there were few contemporaneous Oxford oarsmen, whose style presented an advantageous copy. liven the succcwlul eight of Menzifs, ever to be mentioned wUh respect, though they showed strength, weight, long and rowing together, evinced no bril iaucy of style—and if of late years Oxlord l»as beeu nchtr in specimens of that qualification, testibus, Stapyiton, Milm m, Wilson (the style of no others is impressed strongly on oar memory), yet they c>n scarcely appropriate to tbemsatves one niche from that temple, in which is so amply b'azjneil, not only the fame of tue Cambridge oarttdien above named, but also of others, above all of whom in pride of place apprar the nurival cd D*lgfeisb, the sterling Cbapmau, Charles Pollock, atd» of earlier date, trrd. Hooieu>an, and Dick Cannon, Though we m .y subject ourselves 10 the trite taunt of being '* laudaiores temporis acti," wp should contend, if called upon to detiue the a ffe»euce of btyle of the prominent oarsmen of the prestnt »'.d past eras, tliat it is now less prononce, that there is not on it the stamp of rreuiuK, or ihe originative powar, aod for the lack of it laborious tuition, aud the powers of imitution are dmwii largely upon, producing, as they dj invariably in eveiy other matter, a far less striking aod faultless result* Notwithstanding, Oxloid turned out, last season, a fine, dashing, gallaut crew, comprising many valuable fresh oars, and one that gives great promise of afl' rdiug the gt-rm at least of a crew next year that will not be a whit inferior to its pre 'ecessor. Having said thus much of the winter aquatics of Oxfjrd and Couibridgct we now come to a part of our catalogue thnt will be of more general inured to our readers. A grn vous dfrappoiotuient d »roped the cptrning of the Li'fldou season. The Isis aud the Cam did not, as usual, send t';e:r representatives to strive for that portion of the wreath of fame, to be plucked only on the Thames ; and, in consequenee, the rowing world were deprived of ihe phasure and advantage derivable from a minute inspection of two first rate ciews of well trained aquatic enthusiasts. Thus ot a race, p< s»ing over, the London amateurs began to show a head, (though with oumbe.s somewhat thinned by asphysU, sciatica, and other ills symptomatic of paddle wheels; stid, despile the swamping swell of stetmers, their fire and zsal for rowing bhooe palpably unabated, aad the Thames, -St. Gtorge's Tiifcti-, E-jgiu«'ers, weic almost daily rattling over tue course, taking their trial galiop* preparatory to thsir r<jal contests. The Leander (once composed of Ajaces Oi'lei—swilt as the Wind, aud not derogating from M >lus their sire—but now comprised of Ajaces Telamonis, tarde gradtente* raytlier) anil the Herne club-s, with muuy others, proceeding with a decorous gravity of slj le and pace. Matters in their incipicncy standing thus, the St. George's were the first to open the ball by accepting a challenge from the Thetis, a spirited though ful club, and the respective trials ot the crews eviuccd such speed as lo arrest the attention of the ac uarii. The Tnetis were very confident—we may hint, their confidence w s •» all their own"—at any ratj, the gallant Georges were not a whit dismayed by it, relying complacently ou their greater strength, on a stjle superior and wa'erman-like, and on pluck unquestioned. The decisive hour—fivs p.m., Jane 14 —arrived, whsn thauks to their strength and stamina, theirstyle, along and rapid stroke, the reach well forward, the w*ter gripped instanter, springing with the legs, and water hurled well aft—these movements repeated usque ad nauseam for their oppooents, landed the St. George's easy winners by a great distance. The following gentlemen composed the St. Gejjge's crew —W. Falls, 9st Gibs. J. Lane, 10st. liilbs. S. Wallace, 12st. 81b». W. Coulthard, list. 81bs. H. White,coxswain. Meanwhile, preparing for the Henley regatta, the Cambridge end Thames crews were in active training at Putney, an J the candidates for the sculls' and oars' prizes, were, during then brief respites from the toils of cutter rowing, snatching a burst in wherry or beat. The anxiety attached to this charming regatta was all absorbing, and on the day before its commence ment, all the crews and men* save the Thames Club, holders of the Cup, showed upon the Course. Many of the cognoscenti, our humble selves among the rest, were there thus betimes, to see these firs.«class mam* mafia taking their exercise. It would be nearly superfluous to describe the beau, ties ot this aquatic arena, for what rowing man of any note does not see, in his mind's eye, as he glances o'er these liuei, the prospect Henley bridge presents ? The fioftiag from him smoothly, deeply, a-jd invitingly —rich meadows on the their long gceen surfaces undulating to the loot of hills picturesquely wooded, and pleasantly dotted with charming vjlias—*on the left, the beautiful little town of Henley, its church, with its handiome tower, a sort of beacon to rowers, the gaudily decorated steward's stand, the noble mansion and splendid demesne of W. Freeman, Esq., and the Lest os-like l'ttle island in the distance, with its clastic temple—who, having seen all this can forget He ley, its waters aud land iceuerv aroused from their ordinary quietude, and rendered delightfully auimated by the boppy groupes of "fine women and brave men" the regatta season brings joyfully together ? One of a large steam flight from London, we dropped at Maidenhead, and thence with a fly alighted on the destined spot, and from the steep hill ere we teach the bridge, we saw, showug off on the reach, the 8 uller, Mr. Moon of Osto d, Wuo was booked to wm. l>reat practice and couditkn in him were apparent, as -well as a coufirmtd sty le of the pretty rather thsn the dashing aud waterman-hke school. Notwithstanding, he was eulogized to tue skies i y a party, no inccnsi le--able one, and was the favon.e at high odda. Mr. Maule »e scanned next, aud his style was sterling. a< d nit Ttiat cou d be wished, though we considered it a thovht too bigi j etioned. Mr. Wailtce apj eir-u nc-o, and herr, if atreigtb could »in,'eweri-"wl.o but lie!" sin 1 , ui)lr£> sculling m the mind's eye, !•' v i* too j oinlerous, and his frame too massive fort e ear, bark?. On 'h J*}' of our n r.tul oil the preliminirits ftr r i ■* ch was to cutniiunoe ntx- «'ay, inur-.-«iv*c tliat the sports should open with the m iU h f r the Diamond Skulls, for the first heat of which, Mr.

Moule, «»i C«mbrnlge, and Mr. Wallace, of Jjondon* were to contend—!or the scsond beat Mr Moon, of Oxford, and Mr. Walmesley, of London. This sculling nm'ch exoited most passionate interest, not unlike thit of an overture, to some new, and long, and auxieusly expected opera. The men, at the appointed hour, took theii stations, and at the word off, M**ssr#. Maule and Wallace iustantly put on all the r steam, eafh setting the die upon the start, which led to a terrible and even struggle (or three quaiters of a mile. Here M-tule gradually drew away from his opponent, sloivly increasing h : s lead, and eventually winning by two lengths, desiiite the thews, sinews, and pluck of bis more hthletic versary. Time, 10 mio. 15 sec. Now, for the second heat, came Mc«sr<. Moon and Wolmesles, who started with equil fei'Oi iiy with the former, each direly intendmjr in vain to jump off with the lead. Th«-y were scull and scull for half a mile, Moon then creeping a head, when at the Poplar Po nt, Walmesley, l>y an oaken effort, rowed on to Moon's quarter, nni there, overlapping, to ti.e steward's stand, but was beaten at the post by only a few feet. Tinif*, 10 min. 3' sees, Nj»w couio** the tug of war, when Maule and Moon must try conclusion?. Slnrily alter the start, Maule assumed the lead, «n? closely pressed by Diana's name* sake for the mile, who, when well round ths point and nearly opposite the Laiivs' stand, put on » lunntic spurl, nearly overhauled his adversary, and then de»» pon<!ingly " c'jsed his knife." '1 irue, 1U min. 30sees. Mr. Maule has undoubtedly proved himself a good man and a fine sculler-—but thus early in the season London men will always contend undera disadvantage, and th-y having, on past occasions, turned the tables on their victors, at later matches, we he«i'ate to pronounce Mr. Maule as sculler A 1, the more s?, as be did not throw down the gauntlet either at Putney, or for the silver sculls. Next on the list was !he pair oared prize of Silver Wherries, for which in the firs': hiar, Messrs Fellowvs and Pollock (Leander), and Mesar*. H S and J. Pole" hampton (Oxford), entered. At the start, the Oxonians escaped altogethsr, like a strcik of light, and soon ledb; three boats' length. Ihev then ran a*hore and a'tenvards steered so badly, that the Leander pair drew up to them, and, at the second poplar, passed them, ultimately winning by two boats' length. Of the winning pair in this he at we cannot say much favorably, and as Mt. Fellowes is avowedly tha better of the two, him only need we criticize. Very few men over six feet have achieved greatness at nn oar's end. Mr. F. h-is been run up hastily, and when distressed co'lapscs readily-his style, moreover, is not good* The two Pclebamptons had speed for a mile, so much speed that had they ensured the assistance of Dollond, they wou'd (with spoctncle on no*;*) have won their heat. For the second heat were entered Messrs. Coulthard and Falls (Si. George's), aud Messis. Woo'strn'iolme and Vincent (Cambridge). After some hard rowing, the Sr. George's men won the heat right out. Thet.'am* bridge men rowed badly and steered vilely—of management having the unknown quantity. For the decisive heat, therefore, we had Messrs. Coulthard and Falls opposed by Messrs Fellowes and Pollock. At the start the latter took the lead, which was soon converted into one of two boats'length. By the point, however, the S». George's, by line rowing, good watermanship, and downright pluck, overhauled their oppo nenls. and appeared to be giving them the go* b). The Leander pair hei e shot across the river, and thus prevented the Georgians from going a head as they would otherwise have done, and, consequently, the umpires declined them the winners. Messrs. Coulthard and* Falls, the winners, and the best pair there rowed very prettily, and, without beiug first-rate, they handled the boal aitistically. The exhibition of pair-oared rowing at this regatta, we consider to have been mediocre. The match for the Donktn Fotir-oared Cup was contended foi by the Oxford and St. George s cre«s* The Oxford crew was compo»ed of four good sterling men—Ethelstone, lOst. lOlhs. Haggard, ]Oht. lOlbs. Burton, list. hlheUtone, I Oat. 12lbs. Richards, coxswain. Thev mav be classed among the first-rates, and if not first in Ihe very first line, just leaving room for an ea*y selection of four to beat them. This could not be done by the St. George's four, consisting as it did of two first-rate oarsmen, and two enthusiastic ditto, not so good in the flesh as they « eie in the spirit. The strong in the spirit, and ihe strong in itand the body united, contested every inch oi water tnost fieicely, were beaten by a length only, and the distance was rowed in nine minutes, a time hitherto unprecedented, and which the two College eights failed to do in less. Although the preceding matches had created unbounded interest, still Me match—the crowning event of the regatta—was the eight-oared contest for the Grand Challenge Cup, the Cantabs, Oxonians, and Thames Club all directing their energies to achieve possession of it. The Thames, from their success during the previous year, from tJ*e congregation of distinguished individuals forming their crew, and their reported progress in training, were ihe favourites at 0 to 4. Of the two Universities, Oxford bad the call —a firm one; for, at Henley, ftom the fair view of the whole reach, obtained from the bridge and bouses adjacent, crews while practising can be timed with chrouotnetiical accuracy, and the Oxford men were put down as having done the distance in twelve seconds less lime than the Cambridge. The style and quality of the latter, we have alteudy couiniented on ; the) were of such an unpromising character as to induce their most enthusiastic well-wishers to despiir of their success. The Oxford, though a dashing crew, were not fully appreciated. The Thames being the holdeis of the cup, the two Universities met to low the trial heat, and decide w bich should face the cup-bearer in the filial one. Fiora the very start the Oxford shone superior, evincing power and dashing lowing, were well logetiiet, ami m-jst magnificently coached by C. Soanes, Esq., wbotn we consider to be second only to Thomas Egan, Esq , (he Wellington of the hues. After the first day's r cing, the Thames came do'vvn, and on training over the cot.r&e were keenly scrutinized, when their lowing c.-ifainh, in comparison u lih that of theOxlord University ctew, showed a want of evenness ami a lack of the lilt and fall togethei. This, combined « 11 the splendid victory of the Ovlord over the &ist *t University, cuus.'d a depreciation in the odds on ibt! London men a point or two, tf.ough the names of Chapman, Walines.'ey, Playford, and Stietton, backed by four Pelides, reudeied th»*tn still the fuvoutit's. The anxiety on tins oca*

sion was most intense ; not influenced by tlio amount of the bets, but demonstrating in n most gratifying manner that amongst a certain class* the luve of glory is as all-absorbing as the excitement or gain. Groups of athletes uere eagerly discussing on the Kialto and on the towpath the merits of the crews, und invoking Providence, and eke the fallen impels, to heap sue* cess on their champions, and to hurl confusion on the adverse power. At three o'clock on the afternoon of the IStb, both crews jogged down to the island in all the pride of flowing health and strength 5 in muscle and in sine# both were fairly matched, the Thames, how ever, the more maturely set and &taluait of the two. Mr. Wood, the umpire, in his cutter, manned by eight Loudon watermen, having arrived, and having been informed of the stations chance had assigned, desired them to occupy them, when the Thames took the Berk* bhue shore, the Oxford the inid-streain ; both crews resting upon their oars, and level, await the signal. The umpire exclaims" Off," and the instantaneous dash of the oars was greeted with a cumulating roar, whose sound, culminating and expansive, proved the soundness of the myriads of lungs fro in which it suddenly and spontaneously issued. For half a mile the struggle was severe and even ? then the Oxford, swinging well together, drew slightly ahead. The Thames, goaded by the cheers of hosts of friends to frantic exertions, strive feui fully to regain lost ground. All that high courage, strength, and individual efforts could do, were done by them, but in vain. The Oxfoid nobly held their lead, nay, more, increased ic f<>ot by fo»t, till at the biidge they won by a boat's length clear. The tune, eight minutes as yet unrivalled, indicated the terrific pace, and the exhausting exertions that must have been made. The Okford party were in ecasies at their champions' victory, and during the race most properly encouraged them with vociferous nnd hearty cheers, interspersed, we regret to add, with groans and sneers at tlie Thames crew, an example that ihe below.bridge roughs, in the match between Coombs and Newell, we were glad to see, were too well-bred to follow There both men were manly cheered, hut to neither was an epithet applied that could pain their own feelings, or hurt those of their friends and partisans. Many reasons were, of coarse, assigned by the London party to account for the defeat of tho Thames. The Thames were argued, and in that point we agree with them, to have been as badly steered as the Oxford were artistically and beautifully. In addition, the Oxford men had the advantage of an outrigger, while the ill-advised London crew stuck to the old fashioned style of boat. But all honour to the brave. The Oxcnions had the worst station, and won gallantly ; they were the belter crew. Here we wt-uld not be misunderstood. V>'e have always considered that the Thames possessed eight hundred individuals superior in power to the eight Oxomons, but eight first-rate individuals do not necessarily make a first-rate crew; there must be great practice under judicious coaching, that they may row well together, i. e., rise and fail, and apply their strength stinmltaneon'dy. Their style must be perfectly uniform, and their time, as it were, mesmerically sympathetic. Indeed is in glee singing where it is an t-xiora that four first-rate voire*, by continual practice, study, and -attention to tach other's peculiarities, will ultimately produce a fir* t rate effectj so, in cutter rowing, each individual, whatever hi* own excellence of style, should consider it of the first importance to watch " the stroke," to copy his mode of rowing, and, by sinking any peculiarity ofhis own, to mod-iy his style as to make it Mend with that oi his colleagues, and, by so doing produce the most harmonious result. In this desideratum the Thames, from over confidence aud carelessness, were deficient; and thus, with materiel, we believe, supetiur to their opponents, they were on this occasion decidedly inte nor to them. The' Oxonians, also, won the Stewards' Challeng Cup lor four oared boats ; indeed, walt over for it. A mure chivalrous feeling on their pari would hive obviated it, and though the result would probably have been ihe same, yet the St. George ?, had not their post entry been objected toby the Oxford, would have rowed for this as for the other cups, with all their hearts: the spectators would have been atified by witnessing a beau'ilul contest; and the c edit to the Oxford, as bona Jiile victors, would have been uneclipsed by something very like a timid adherence to punctilio. The Ladies' Challenge Cup, for eight oared boats, was contested for by the Childe of Hale, Brazenose, Oxford, and the (Old Trinity) Cambridge, the head college boats of their respective Universities, and was won by the former, much to the astonishment of the Cambridge, and, indeed, of the Oxford also, for all were inclined to back the Cambridge. If was oar and oar, and no repairs, up to the point, after passing this the Oxford put on a manly spurt, which the Cambridge could not copy, and was beaten Irom that moaieut. Time, 9 mins. The winners of the eight oared matches deserve a separate and prominent niche in which to record their Grand Challenge Cup. Ladies' Challenge Cup. Oxford and Wyfold Cup Brazeuose. Oxford, for winuers of the trial heat. Moon Jones Haggard Earl Oldham Oldham R-jyds Ogie Griffiths Royds King Smyth Wyn;er Win«er Burton Noel C. Soanes (coxswain) Knight (coxswain) Thus terminated the Hcnly Regatta, most gloriously for Oxford, who won notewer than five cup 9 ; of all its rivals, certainly the most charming. It is the Goodwood of mer races. Three years elapsed since Oxford were victorious, but in this ye*r they made as it wer* & " tria juacta in uno " one, for The palms of three jeais into one they throng, They won them fairly, may they weai them long. LEONATUS. [We have changed the designation of " Ist Trinitv" in o " Old Trinity," in which tLat club more properly rejoices. It is the l club, whether first or second 01 the river, claiming that title by immemorial prescription. —Ed. A. M. W.]

Dancing is mentioned by Aristotle as an imitative art, whose business was to express the sentiments and affdct.oiis ot ihe mind, by the attitude* and gestures ot the body, in the most pleiiing and intelligible manner : but the distortion* of tutßllin: arc now mixed with the graces of pantomime ; and as they appear difficult, the majority of niaukmd vr.il probably contiuue to be pleaded \v,th them,—JPtiyne Knight 0:1 the prwctiu'ssof taste.

Commerce is thk Days of Abraham.—The annus particulars of the transaction between Abraham'md tbe children of tfeth «vmcp very considerable progress at that early period in economics, in commerce, in law. There is money, and of a given deoonuuufou or coin—'balanees for welffhin? it—a standard th-reof, such as was current with the merchant —.1 superiority therefore in the methods of trade above the way of barter—forms in the conveyance and exchange of property before witnesses, as here irr the audience of the people of Heth—the terras and specifications of a bargain, by which its several particular* wpre made sure to Abraham in the presence of and before many witnesses—all serving to confirm the doctrine that the progress in these days was from an original civilization duwn to barbarism—the civilization being coeval with the first and earliest revelations, or with Adam himself. A thorough attention to these early chapters of Genesis co'firms our belief in this te^et—supported as it is by this very strong negative argument, that a nation was never known to emerge simultaneously and unaided from the savage state—the civilization thereof having always, as far as is known, originated in, or been aided bv, a rooverrent or influence from without.—2?/v Chatemrs's Datlt/ Scripture Readings.