ATHLETICS AT ETON.

The interest taken in athletics by the students of this famous English preparartory school almost equals the enthusiasm of the English universities in such matters. The Thames river, which is at Eton, a calm, quiet stream, of sufficient breadth to allow a race in which several boats may enter, is within two minutes walk of the school buildings. Every pleasant afternoon in spring the crews may be seen rowing on the river, as also a host of clumsy inexperienced oarsmen, paddling about for mere pleasure. First and most important of all the various crews is the Eton crew itself, which presents a splendid appearance. Eton has a thousand students, and, as we might expect, the picked eight from so large a school is a strong crew. Each building or dormitory has a crew, and there occurs every year a race between these representative crews which corresponds somewhat to the Harvard class races. There are also at Eton many "scrub" crews, and boating is perhaps the most popular of all the sports. The boating men have a trainer appointed and paid like any other master of the school, and, in fact, the school government encourages the students in all their sports. The races between Eton and the other great preparatory schools are oecasions of great interest and excitement. The position most coveted at Eton is that of "captain of the boats," and the individual who receives that honor, due solely to his strength and skill as an oarsman, is the lion of the school greatly admired and respected, especially by the lower class men.

Field sports receive their due share of attention. Lovers of foot-ball, baseball, cricket, etc. find all that their hearts could desire in the famous playing grounds of Eton. These grounds consist of a large extent of beautiful park country stretching down to the river, and divided by avenues and pleasant groves of oak and chestnut trees into three broad lawns, smooth and well sodded. Eton has possessed these playing grounds for a hundred years or more, and they have been the scene of many a fierce battle at foot-ball and of numberless contests of all sorts between teams from rival schools and from rival buildings. From Easter until August is the time of greatest activity in all sports.

The hearty co-operation of the masters in out-door sports is well illustrated by the fact that a valuable cup was.

[Continued on fourth page.]

[Continued from first page.]

once offered by them to the best runner in school. A few years ago there was considerable discussion in England about the large amount of time given to athletics at Eton, and how study was secondary to sport, and so on in the same strain that we have so often heard. One particularly severe article appeared in the Edinborough Review, criticising harshly the condition of affairs at Eton. However, cause for complaint, if it ever existed, has, we believe, now disappeared.

SCRIPTOR, '87.