The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 24 March 1891, Page 3

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.

. + The annual es^^^ared boat rac< between the UnllrjenFities of Oxforc and Cambridg^wa's- rowed . qu Saturday, ****£ day, and>rfi|^^d:in a'winffor Ox ford bjdg&alfer oTa te«g^ T"lh course^^the usnal one,' starting al •ajwintf^jJ^SbpvePutady bridge anc writhing <*s£ ".The Ship ' *' >.-. inn al M-^rtlaker "Cambridge led • at the start, but We're" ddjeedily overtaken bj Oxford-, and the hoats were on even terms on jfasiing under .:H^mmerter ot a len*j^lL io fhe gbdu opposite Thon_^t^i?Vtf6o*f« of a mile above the bridge. An obstinate and well fought struggle took place over the remainder of the course. Oxford gradually reduced theiropponents lead, and putting on a fbj*|. spurt after shooting Barnes Railway^Bridge, parsed > the Jhdge's beat a quarter oi a length ahead in 21min 48sec. 'The race was the grandest seen for years, and throughout it there never was a clear* length between the Ixsat9. The latest betting was 11 to 4 "on Oxford. The scene^on the riv t er and along the n Da^fife , .c|n j tt^ race day almost baffles *(fescrip J ti6n, as tbe river is lined-with'crafts, a very large number of steamers follow the Umpire's boat and the bridges and banks are packed with dense masses of people. We notice 'from our English exchrth{dfes that both crews have had very rtftfcli difficulty in getting practices owing to their usual rowing waters having being either wholly frozen, or spoilt by floating ice. The first contest between the two Universities took place in 1829, the neW? *' to M_Md ' "and the third in 1839, and frdhfthfe 'latter date they have bden held annually. Oxford won the first race,, and Cambridge won Ih-a.next four, and then Oxforß won, an^'ifjhas thus I varied throughH out the period, sometimes one 'Yaw sity makilig a record^sometimes thi other. There have been 48 coptestß of >which C'rtmbridge has won 22 alii Oxford 25. There" has been only onfl dea^ b^t, ■ I fa&W&ifaA in' 1877i J *"M