174 ROUGH WAYS MADE SMOOTH. 



half filled the Cambridge boat as she was turning to take her 

 place at the starting-point. In 1860 Cambridge won by one 

 length only. Then, as everyone remembers, there followed 

 nine successive Oxford victories, some of which were of the 

 most hollow kind. Cambridge then gave up the style to 

 which she had so long been faithful One of the ablest of 

 the Oxford oarsmen, who was, however, connected in some 

 degree with Cambridge, trained and coached the Cambridge 

 crew of 1870, the stroke of which, it should be mentioned, 

 was proficient in the correct style before he went to Cam- 

 bridge. That year and for the four next years Cambridge 

 won, though never in the hollow fashion in which Oxford had 

 won the victories of 1861, 1862, 1863, l86 4> and l868 - The 

 lead of Oxford at the finish of these five races averaged over 

 nine lengths, while the lead of Cambridge in the five races 

 of 1870-74 averaged little over two lengths. In 1875 

 Oxford won by ten lengths, Cambridge in 1876 by five. In 

 1877 occurred the celebrated dead heat; but before bow's 

 oar broke Oxford had won 'bar accidents.' In 1878 Oxford 

 won, and again by ten lengths. Of the 25 races actually 

 rowed to a finish (excluding the dead heat) since outriggers 

 were introduced, Oxford has won 14, Cambridge n ; of the 

 19 so rowed out since the true modern racing boat was 

 used, Oxford has won 1 1 and Cambridge 8. The difference 

 is sufficient in either case to show (the numbers being con- 

 siderable) that there is a true difference of style, the style of 

 Oxford being the better. But when we consider how the 

 victories have been won this comes out still more clearly. 

 Making due estimate of the number of lengths correspond- 

 ing to so many seconds of time difference (where the result 

 of a race is so indicated in the list), for which purpose it 

 is sufficient to note that as many seconds as the race 

 itself has occupied minutes are equivalent to about 6J 

 lengths, we find for the n victories of Cambridge since 

 1846 about 30^ lengths, and for the 14 ro wed-out victories 

 of Oxford about 106^ lengths the Cambridge average 

 lead being thus found to be less than three lengths, while the 



