OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE ROWING STYLES. 273 



ing to the old-fashioned models the arms straight 

 until the body has fallen back to an almost upright 

 position ; then comes the sharp drop back of the 

 shoulders beyond the perpendicular, the arms simul- 

 taneously doing their work, so that as the swing back 

 is finished, the backs of the hands just touch the ribs 

 in feathering. All these things are quite in accord- 

 ance with what used to be considered the perfection 

 of rowing ; and, indeed, this style of rowing has some 

 important good qualities and a very handsome appear- 

 ance. The lightning feather, also, which follows the 

 long sweeping stroke, is theoretically perfect. Now, 

 in the case of the Oxford crew, we observe a style 

 which at first sight seems less excellent. As soon as 

 the oars are dashed down and catch their first hold of 

 the water, the arms as well as the shoulders of each 

 oarsman are at work.*" The result is, that when the 

 back has reached an upright position, the arms have 



* I write this with full knowledge that many Oxford men deny the 

 fact. I have rowed behind Cambridge, Oxford, and London strokes, and 

 have several times taken the place (number 2 thwart) of a London water- 

 man in a four (' stroked ' by John Mackinney) training for the Thames 

 Eegatta. So that I have had ample opportunities for comparing dif- 

 ferent rowing styles ; and I am satisfied that the main defect of the real 

 Cambridge style was (and perhaps is) an exaggeration of the sound rule 

 that a boat should be propelled rather by the body than by the arms. 

 The very swing in a Cambridge boat shows that this must be so. On 

 the other hand, the Thames watermen do too much arm- work; and 

 hence seem to double a little over their oars. I once rowed with some 

 Cambridge friends from London nearly to Oxford and back, taking a 

 Thames waterman as 'help.' We set him, at first, for our strokesman, 

 but presently made him row bow, for we could none of us stand his 

 gripping, arm- working style. 



T 



