166 ROUGH WAYS MADE SMOOTH. 



that " Oxford, sir, always beat us, because they are longer 

 than we are." Now, this is true and yet untrue. At Cam- 

 bridge "length" is acquired by making the men "finish 

 the stroke," that is, by making them " swing well back " 

 beyond the perpendicular. Of course the oar remains longer 

 in the water, but we maintain that the extra time it is kept 

 there by the backward motion of the body is time lost. 

 The " swinging back " throws a tremendous strain on the 

 abdominal muscles, the weakest rowing muscles in the body ; 

 very soon the men feel this strain, become exhausted, and 

 unable to " get forward," and finally lose time and swing 

 and " go all to pieces." Length obtained by going back- 

 wards is of no possible use. A crew ought to be " coached " 

 to get as far forward as they can, to finish the stroke by 

 bringing their elbows past their sides, and their hands well 

 into their bodies, and then complaints about " wind " and 

 " last " will be fewer. This was abundantly proved in the 

 late May races. First Trinity, it is true, kept " head," but 

 only because of their great strength, and because they had a 

 stroke who , understood the duties of his position. Before 

 the races every sporting newspaper, every supposed judge 

 of rowing in the University, was certain about only one 

 thing, and that was that Lady Margaret must go down ; the 

 only question was where they would stop. They, however, 

 not only kept away from Trinity Hall, but finished above 

 Emmanuel and Third Trinity, infinitely stronger ' (which no 

 doubt must be understood as meaning ' far stronger ') ' boats. 

 The reason was that they were the only boat on the river 

 which rowed in anything like a good style. They had the 

 reach forward, the quick recovery, and the equally quick 

 disengagement of the hands, which marked the Oxford crew 

 of 1868. Consequently although a very weak lot of men, 

 they were able to vindicate style against strength. We 

 hope' (added Wat Bradwood) 'that Cambridge generally 

 will appreciate the lesson ; it is one that has not been 

 taught them for years, and results on their own river ought 

 to show its value.' Less than a year after this was written. 



