BOATING AT CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY.

EDITORS MAGENTA, - In view of the new boating-system at Harvard, you asked me to write you what I know about college rowing here. The science of rowing, or, rather, of turning out a good crew, may be resolved into one grand and simple element, and a few minor ones. The all important element is "tubbing"; a "tub" being a clinker-built boat about twelve feet long and four wide, with an experienced oarsman sitting in the stern, and two green hands, or otherwise, at the oars. I say "or otherwise," for even the members of the 'Varsity are tubbed up to the day of the race. When a man is given up as hopeless, he may amuse himself by going down the river in an eight or a four; but if a man in a scratch eight shows any approach to good form, rescue him, at once, and put him to tubbing. One great reason why boating has not been even more of a success at Harvard is that the boat, though rowed by good men, is not necessarily rowed by the best; for many men, who never touch an oar during their college course, would, if properly trained, have changed defeat into victory; and there should be more crews, to induce a larger number to row. Every man who will row should be tubbed daily; and every pair should be taken out twice, about fifteen minutes each time.

The present stroke at Cambridge is as follows:-

At the word "ready," remove your scarf (every one is obliged to put one on during an "easy"), settle yourself in your seat, grasp the handle of the oar, thumbs under, about a hand's-breadth between the hands, the outside hand an inch from the end of the oar. At the word "forward," slide up to your stretcher, knees well apart, body down between them as much as possible, arms at their fullest extent, wrists depressed slightly so as to have the outside edge of the blade an inch above the water, and the inside edge resting on the surface. At the word "row," turn the oar barely more than square, raise the hands sharply, swing the body to the perpendicular, slide back (arms still rigid), swing slightly past the perpendicular and then bring the hands to the chest, high enough to keep the blade just covered, till the thumbs meet, while the elbows pass close to the side. Then force the handle down, feather, and throw the hands clear of the knees as quickly as possible. On passing the knees, come off the feather, slide, and swing steadily forward (not drawing yourself up by your toe-straps), stiffening the arms for the next stroke, and keeping the hands well up over the stretcher. When you have reached your full swing, turn the oar, raise the hands suddenly, and repeat. Nine tenths of the work should be done in the first part of the stroke; the oar should be well covered throughout, with no "snatching" at the end. Many men row with the arms from not having them in the right position. To secure this, extend the hand, palm upward, and turn over the wrist only, leaving the fore-arm nearly horizontal. Coaches should insist on having the men swing their elbows close to their sides, and well past them; as this encourages a proper position of the arm. If a man does not "get the hands away" immediately, but "buckets forward" with the body, the hands are caught between the body and knees in an awkward position; some force is required to get them forward, and he has no time to begin the stroke properly, but must make a wild grab at the water. Moreover, he is never in a position where he can draw a good, full breath, but is obliged to row with lungs half inflated, as fatal an error as could be made. Care should also be taken that no man gets forward too soon, as he has, in that case, to wait at full stretch till the others are forward, and all the air has gone from his lungs. If a man does this persistently, it is well to lengthen his stretcher.

I may write to you again, in relation to the "trial eights," an important feature of our boating-system. Till then, I can only say, "Tub, if you wish good oars."

EX '75.