256 WAYFARING NOTIONS 



next you hear a commotion as of an organised 

 rush, the river swells in height suddenly, little 

 white horses show, coming up where a peaceful 

 ripple slid down. You have the impression of a 

 wild run as of stampeded cattle, or a crowd racing 

 from danger or to attack in a narrow way ; waves 

 curl and swirl up the sides of the bank, low 

 water is turned into nearly high water at a 

 stroke, the hurly-burly ceases, giving place to a 

 steady-going, well-mannered flood, and if you are 

 a stranger ignorant of bores and eagres, you rub 

 your eyes and ask whether volcanic disturbances 

 are afloat or visions about. Anyway you must 

 be thankful that as an explorer of strange waters 

 you are not caught napping in navigating in the 

 face of so startling a disturbance, which really is 

 very alarming on the reaches that bend about 

 much. 



Poor Randolph Cook I suppose turned out 

 such excellent little skiffs because he knew himself 

 so thoroughly how a boat should feel. In his 

 younger days (and he always seemed to me to 

 decline to grow old) he was one of the finest 

 professional scullers in the country. In his time 

 he coached several of the Oxford College crews, 

 and after a meritorious career on the Thames he 

 went to Chester in order to coach the Royal 

 Chester Rowing Club. To them Mr Cook 

 introduced the Oxford style of rowing, and 

 through his able tuition the club scored many 

 successes. He was the oldest boat-proprietor in 

 Chester, and one of the first to cater for pleasure 

 boating on the Dee. Very much pleasure was 

 he thereby responsible for to myself among count- 

 less other river folk. 



There is plenty to give a good word to in 



