NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 300, 29 May 1875, Page 3

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

By the Northumberland which arrived in Melbourne on the 16th, five days’ later news was received. The following extracts are published in the Argus\ — THE UNIVERSITY BOAT RACE. (. Abridged from the Times, March 22.) The eight-oared match between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge was rowed on Saturday afternoon upon the customary Thames course between Putney and Mortlake, with a result which was foreseen, almost to the minutest detail, by men who make boating their pastime, and who of late years have reduced the surveillance of the crews to a science. From the table appended to this narrative it will be seen that previously to the present year thirty-one races had been rowed between the Universities, of which number Oxford had won sixteen and Cambridge fifteen, speaking strictly, so that a sixth consecutive victory on the part of the latter would have put the two boat clubs on an equal footing, but this was not to be.

The weather for the whole fortnight of practice, with the exception of the first two days, when the breeze was south-west and the temperature mild, has been most inclement, a biting wind blowing from northeast and east with more or less force, accompanied on one or two occasions by a drizzling rain and sleet, equally miserable for performers aud spectators. On Friday there was a delusive shifting of wind to the south-west, but it only lasted for an hour or two and then flew round again to the northeast. By Saturday, however, it had backed a trifle, and came out from due north—a cold, piercing, polar wind—fortunately unaccompanied by snow or rain, as on the miserable morning when the boat race was rowed in 1872. Despite the dullness of the day, thousands of sightseers made their way to the scene of the contest, and stationed themselves on the most favorable spots for commanding a vie v of the passing boats; but the attendance, taken as a whole, was a comparatively limited one. Last year the Times pointed out the falling off in the number of spectators, after the enormous assemblage of 1873, but we doubt if the crowds present on Saturday counted one-half of those who were there the year before last. No doubt the keenness of the temperature was mainly accountable for the alteration, but the hour at which the race was rowed may have had something to do with it. Still, one would have thought the lateness of the hour named for the race—one o’clock—would have

attracted more spectators than were visible; but it is more than likely that the current impression that the race was a foregone conclusion for Oxford, helped to keep away many people who would otherwise have defied the elements in the hope of seeing an exciting contest. Be this as it may, it is a fact that the attendance was, for late years, a meagre one. About ten minutes to one o’clock the Oxford eight was launched from the London Boat-house, and the crew embarked ard pad died down towards the aqueduct, wearing their blue caps and thick over-jerseys. Leisurely turning, they made their way to the outer or Surrey station, having, it was at once apparent, lost the choice of position. Nearly ten minutes later they were followed by the Cambridge crew, clad in their light blue jackets and straw hats, a ringing cheer from the crowd on the towing path greeting the departure of each boat. The arrangements for the start were as follows ;—Two lighters were moored on the Middlesex side of mid-stream, nearly abreast of the first house on Putney-terrace, 100 yards above the aqueduct, more or less. To these lighters two skiffs were made fast, and in each skiff sat a waterman prepared to hold the stern of one of the racing boats. A third lighter had been moored nearer the Fulham shore, and to this were made fast the umpire’s boat, Citizen P, and the Press boat, Warrior—the former next to the crews, and the latter on the starboard hand, nearest the shore. Two other paddle steamers, conveying a limited number of members of either University, were made fast to the aqueduct, away on the port quarter of the umpire’s steamer, over on the Surrey side of midstream, with a clear view of the crews, and a long open piece of water before them. On board the umpire’s boat the Prince of Wales, attended by his suite, occupied a prominent position, Mr J. W. Chitty, of Exeter College, Oxford, officiating as arbiter from the bows ; while Mr Edward Searle was seated in a third waterman’s skiff in readiness to start the crews. Having taken up their position at the Middlesex station, which was the better one, and rather more sheltered from the wind, which blew diagonally off the Fulham shore, than the outer station, the Cambridge men took off superfluous raiment, and made ready for the business of the day. The crews, as they lay at the post prepared to start, were composed of the following oarsmen : OXFORD. st lb 1. J. M. D. Courtney, Pembroke ... 10 13 2. H. M. Marriott, Brasenose 11 13 3. J, B. Bankes, University 11 11 4. A. M. Mitchison, Pembroke ... 12 10 5. H. J. Stayner, St John’s 12 2' 6. J. M. Boustead, University ... 12 3 7. T. C. Edwards-Moss, Brasenose ... 12 5 J. P. Way, Brasenose (stroke) ... 10 12 E. 0. Hop wood, Ch Ch (cox) ... 8 3 CAMBRIDGE. 1, P, J. Hibbert, bt John’s 11 2 2. W. B. Close, First Trinity ... 11 10 3 G. C. Dicker, First Trinity ... 11 4, W. G. Michell, First Trinity ... 11 12 g, E. k. Phillips, Jesus 12 5 6, J. A. Aylmer, First Trinity ... 12 10 j, O; W. Benson, Third Trinity ... 11 6 ' H. B. Rhodes, Jesus (stroke) ... 11 8 G. L. Davis, Clare (cox) ... 6 10 At 13 minutes past 1 the signal was given by Mr Searle, and the race commenced, but the bows of the umpire’s steamer prevented us from seeing which crew took hold of the water first, though really it is a matter of no moment whatever. The Cambridge crew, who commenced with a sharp stroke of 38 to the minute against 36 on the part of Oxford; quickly led out, and, rowing nicely together without any scrambling, left their opponents rfast, being, as well as could be judged from astern, a quarter of a length in front off the Duke’s Head, a third of a length at Simmon’s yard, half a length at the London Boathouse, and two-thirds of a length at the Bishop’s Creek, Along under the Willows, below

Craven Cottage, the Oxford crew, apparently chopped by the speed of their opponents, or surprised at the rapidity with which they drew themselves ahead, were all abroad, and, although their stroke never quickened, the crew were momentarily out of gear, their time wretched, and their pace slow. This state of affairs was not improved when, off the site of the old half-mile post below Craven cottage, the Cambridge boat, now nearly, if not quPe, clear, was gradually fetched out toward mid-stream, as if to give the Oxford crew its backwash. In rounding the bend off the cottage grounds it was straightened again, as the Oxford crew were seen to be holding their own, if not overlapping. Opening out Crab Tree Reach, the crews entered upon a waste of rough water, the foul north wind blowing straight down the river, and, as it met the flowing tide, raising a nasty surf, though not by any means as formidable a one as was encountered during the fortnight’s practice on the Thames. Directly they met the wind and entered the rough water off the Grasswharf, the Cambridge crew grew slightly irregular, their boat being then about threequarters of a length ahead, but things were precisely the same with the Oxford crew, who had not yet settled down to good rowing, and were out of time, and short in addition. The retarding influence of the opposing wind and rough water caused the rate of stroke to fall in the Cambridge boat to 36 and in the Oxford 34 a minute off Rose bank, where Cambridge still held an advantage of half a length—one mile having been rowed. Between Rose bank and the Crab Tree the Oxford crew went up to their opponents fast, both being nearly in mid-stream, the Oxford coxswain steering a remarkably straight course, while the Cambridge boat fetched in, a trifle out of the proper course, towards the Middlesex shore. This, it is probable, was owing to the stroke-side oars rowing the bowside oars round, and not .to any default of the steersman, who had been using his lee rudder-line for some time previously. Consequently, Oxford;; drew up alongside Cambridge off the Crab Tree, and at once commenced to lead in their turn. Off Dorset Villa they were leaving Cambridge foot by foot, and at the Soapworks wharf they were three qarters of a length in front, despite a spurt from Mr Rhodes. So fast did they quit their opponents that they were clear of them half way between the Soapworks and Ham • mersmith, and they passed under the Suspension bridge with a good lead of one length and a half, a gap of half a length intervening between the rudder of one boat and the nose of the other—time, Bmin 58»ec. Up to this point the Cambridge boat had been kept wide of Oxford, so as to escape the wash from their bow-side oars, but it now followed on in the wake of the leading eight. From this point of the course there is little more to tell, for Oxford steadily increased their lead all the way to the finish, being two lengths ahead off the Doves, and three and a half at the Oil Mills. Here the Cambridge boat again went wide, apparently from the same cause as before, and this was once more the case above Chiswick Church, which Oxford passed four lengths in front, pulling nicely together, long and light, 36 strokes to the minute* in marked contrast with their exhibition over the first mile of the course — such is the difference between rowing a winning race with an opponent in full view astern, and a loosing one with an adversary out of sight in front. Barnes-bridge was passed by the Oxford crew five or six lengths ahead in 18 min 13 sec, and they breasted the flag-boat—moored some little distance above the Ship, so as to maintain the four miles and a half of the course, which was foreshortened at the starting place—easy winners by six lengths according to John Phelps, the judge, but by something like ten lengths according to competent authorities on board the steamers, which, though some distance astern of the hindmost crew, had an uninterrupted view of the race throughout. The time occupied by the winning crew in covering the whole distance was 22 min 2 sec, as taken by the chronograph by Dent, of Cockspur street. This was by no means fast, but the foul wind and the comparative slug gishness of the tide, which was not a very fast though a high one, are responsible for the slowness of the match. An interval of 26 seconds was found to have elapsed between the winning and losing crews passing the judge. After a short rest to recover themselves, the crews paddled on up stream towards Strand on the Green to avoid the fleet of small vessels and other craft which completely covered the course as soon as the boats had passed, and, disembarking, returned by steamer to Putney. Both rowed in boats built by J. H. Clasper, of Oxford. The betting, or what little there was of it, may be quoted as 3 to 1 on Oxford (offered); indeed, we saw 4 to 1 laid just before the start, and we heard 2 to 1 offered on them during the race when a length astern, such was the confidence felt in the result. There is really very little to be said concerning the rowing of the two crews which has not been mentioned during their practice. That the Oxford men were faster than their opponents was abundantly manifest from their respective timings over various portions of the course, and that there were weak places in the Cambridge crew was equally patent. The winners had gone through a long and uninterrupted preparation, whereas the losers had been subjected to innumerable chops and changes almost up to the day of their arrival at Putney. The former were a fairly good crew, made up of average oarsmen all round ; they had been well trained ; they had no palpable blots in their boat; and as all contributed their due share of work they won easily. Cambridge, on the other hand, contained some good and some very indifferent oarsmen, and as they were not a fair average crew, and besides were deficient in speed, even if not short of training, they were defeated, as it was foreseen they would be. It is reported that one of their number, rowing on the bow side, broke his slide early in the race, which placed him more or less hors de combat, but although this fact may to some extent have contributed to the distance by which they were beaten, and is quite sufficient to account for the stroke side pulling the bow side round, nothing could have altered the result in the least degree. Considering the fact that from Hammersmith upwards they were rowing a losing race in the wake of their opponents, at a quicker stroke of 38, and were under other disadvantages, they pulled far better together, and with more uniformity than was expected, and did not split up and tumble to pieces in the palpable manner of losing crews in general. The following table of the winners of the University Boat Race, from its commencement, is extracted from the Homing Almanac