FIELD SPOETS ON CHARACTER 19 



and energy by fielding ; but I have no space to 

 dwell on these, as I wish to examine very briefly 

 one more sport, which, though hardly national, is 

 yet much loved by the considerable number who 

 do pursue it. Boating is seen in its glory at the 

 universities or in some of the suburbs of London 

 which are situated on the Thames. It is also 

 practised in some of the northern towns, especially 

 Newcastle, where the Tynesiders have long enjoyed 

 a great reputation. 



By boating, I do not mean going out in a large 

 tub, and sitting under an awning, being pulled by 

 a couple of paid men or drawn by an unfortunate 

 horse, but boat-racing, for prizes or for honour. 

 The Oxford and Cambridge race has done more 

 than anything to make this sport popular, and the 

 thousands who applaud the conquerors, reward 

 sufficiently the exertions which have been necessary 

 to make the victory possible. 



The chief lesson which rowing teaches is self 

 denial. The university oar, or the member of 

 the champion crew at Henley, has to give up 

 many pleasures, and deny himself many luxuries, 

 before he is in a fit state to row with honour 

 to himself and his club ; and though in the 

 dramatist's excited imagination the stroke-oar 

 of an Oxford eight may spend days and nights 

 immediately before the race, in the society of a 



