their faces, Crowds of people followed to see what would happen. Keate caught them between the Hopes and shouted, ‘ Foolish boys, I know you all. Lord >; 1 know you.- A——, you had better come ashore. Come here or you will all be expelled.’ The boat however pursued its course, several of the masiers followed on horseback, and the ruse was not disco- vered until the crew disembarked and took off their masks with aloud * Hurrah!’ Keate was furious, and yowed that there should be no Easter holidays unless the boys who had been hooting him behind hedges gave themselves up, and some twenty victims were accordingly swished.
As a matter of fact the river was permitted from March 1 till Easter holidays for long boats, and from Easter till Mid- summer for boats of all kinds. In going to or from the river a boy had to shirk 2 master by getting into a shop out of his sight. The masters avoided going along the river when rowing was practised ; they ignored, or pretended to ignore, the procession of boats on June 4 and Election Saturday, and winked at the Fireworks and the boys being late for lock-up on those days. On June 4, 1822, Dr. Keate sent for the captain of the boats and said to him, ‘The boys are often yery noisy on this evening and late for lock-up. You know T know no- thing! But | hear you are in a position of authority. I hope you will not be late to-night, and do your best to prevent dis- order, Tock-up time will be twenty minutes later than usual : it is your customary privilege.’
On March 1, 1860, the captain of the hoats went boldly up to Dr. Goodford and requested that the ‘boats’ (or boys who belonged to the eight-oared boats) might be allowed to go to the Brocas without shirking, and somewhat to his surprise the Doctor gave his consent. In the following half shirking was abolished in Eton for all the school.
There is however one important condition on which a boy may boat : he must ‘pass’ in swimming. When the authorities ignored the boating, boys who could not swim daily risked their lives, and casualties sometimes occurred. It was in 1840
