also the play of the great muscles across his broad and deeply indented
chest: his oar entered the water smoothly, gripped it severely, then came
out clean, and feathered clear and tunably on the ringing rowlock: the
boat jumped and then glided, at each neat, easy, powerful stroke. "Oh,
how beautiful and strong he is!" cried Julia. "I had no idea.

Presently the competitor for this heat came down: the Cambridge boat,
rowed by a fine crew in broad-striped jerseys. "Oh, dear " said Julia,
"they are odious and strong in this boat too. I wish I was in it--with a
gimlet; he _should_ win, poor boy."

Which corkscrew staircase to Honour being inaccessible, the race had to
be decided by two unfeminine trifles called "Speed" and "Bottom."


Few things in this vale of tears are more worthy a pen of fire than an
English boat-race is, as seen by the runners; of whom I have often been
one. But this race I am bound to indicate, not describe; I mean, to show
how it appeared to two ladies seated on the Henley side of the Thames,
nearly opposite the winning-post. These fair novices then looked all down
the river, and could just discern two whitish streaks on the water, one
on each side the little fairy isle, and a great black patch on the
Berkshire bank. The threatening streaks were the two racing boats: the
black patch was about a hundred Cambridge and Oxford men, ready to run
and hallo with the boats all the way, or at least till the last puff of
wind should be run plus halloed out of their young bodies. Others less
fleet and enduring, but equally clamorous, stood in knots at various
distances, ripe for a shorter yell and run when the boats should come up
to them. Of the natives and country visitors, those who were not nailed
down by bounteous Fate ebbed and flowed up and down the bank, with no