consisted in gradually sloping across the river, so as to take the Soapworks Point ata tangent, and thence to make for the Surrey arch of Hammersmith Iridge. ‘This ‘shoot’ is now out of place : firstly, because the tide up the first reach from the start of itself now tends to bring the boat more into mid-river off the Grass Wharf and Walden’s Wharf ; secondly, because the Soapworks Point should now be taken zde, and not close. The reason for this latter injunction is that the races of to-day, by agreement, go through the centre arch of Hammersmith Bridge, Now the flood tide does not run through the bridge at tight angles to the span. It is working hard across to the Surrey shore. Therefore, if a boat hugs Soapworks Point as of ald, and as if the course lay through the shore arch, that boat will have to came out, across tide, at an angle of about 25° to the set of the tide, in order to fetch the outer arch and to clear the buttress and the steamboat pier. Year after year the same blunder is seen, Pilots, of sculling boats and of cight-oars alike, wander away to the Surrey bay off Craven ; then they hug the shore till they reach the Soapworks foot-bridge, and then they have to cross half the tide on their right before they can safely point for the outer arch of the Suspension Bridge. A pilot should endeavour to keep in mid-river off Rosebank and the Crab Tree, and after passing the latter point he will, while pointing his bows well to the right of the arch which he intends to pass under, find the river move to the lefi under him, until, with little or no use of rudder, he finds himself in front of his required arch just as he reaches the bridge.
After passing the bridge a boat should keep straight on for another two hundred yards, else it will get into dead water caused by the eddy of the Surrey pier. At Chiswick the course may be taken wide (save and except, as in all cases, where force of wind alters circumstances). ‘lhe main tide runs nearest to Chiswick Eyot. Horse Reach should be entered in mid-river ; there is little or no tide on the Surrey point below it.
Making for Barnes Bridge, the boat should keep fairly near to the Middlesex shore—how near depends upon whether the
