—a severe test of stamina ; and formerly six only of the many
applicants for competition were allowed to row, being selected
by lot. The race is now reformed. It is managed by the
Vishmongers’ Company. The course is changed, so far that it
is now rowed on the flood. This makes it fairer ; on the ebb,
it is hard to pass a leader who hugs the shore in the slack tide.
Trial heats’ are now rowed, to weed off competitors till the
old standard number of six only are left in. Authentic records
of the xace exist since 1791.
Mr. Brickwood, who has taken much pains to look up old
accounts, informs us in his ‘Boat Racing’ that the Westminster
‘ater ledger,’ dating June 1813, is the earliest authentic record
of Thames aquatics of this century. We venture to give the
result of Mr. Brickwood’s researches in his own words :—
This book commences in the year 1813 with a single list of the six-oared boat ‘Fly,’ viz., Messrs. H. Parry, E. O, Cleaver, E. Parry, W. Markham, W. F. de Ros, G. Randolph. The ‘Fly’ continued to be the only boat of this school down to 1816 inclusive, in which latter year it “heat the Temple six-oared boat (Mr. Church stroke), in a race from Johnson’s dock to Westminster Bridge, by half a boat; the latter men having been beat before;’ to which is added a note that the Temple boat ‘requested the K. S. to row this short distance, having been completely beat by them: in a longer row the same evening’ In 1817 there was a six-oar built for Westminster, called the ‘Defiance? and ‘sheepskin seats were introduced,’ In 1818, the ‘Westminster were challenged by the Etonians, and a six-oared crew was in course of preparation for the race, but the contest was prohibited. In 1819 an eight-oar called the ‘Victory’ was launched, but the six-oar ‘Defiance’ appears to have been the representative crew of the school, for there is a note that in the spring of 1821 ‘the boat improved considerably and beat the “Fagle” in a short pull from Battersea to Patney Bridge.’ In 1823 a new six-oared cutter was built, and the name of ‘Queen Bess’ given in honour of the illustrious foundress. In 1823 this boat was started from the Horseferry at half past five in the morning, and reached Chertsey bridge by three o'clock. On their way back they dined at Walton, and again reached the Horseferry by a quarter before nine. The crew of the eight-oar ‘Victory’ in the same year ‘distinguished themselves in the
