Boating Part 38

appeared in 1844. 'Pairs' came into existence in 1845, styled 'silver wherries,' and the then winners, Arnold and Mann, of Caius, have ever been handed down by tradition as something much above the average. The prize became 'silver goblets' in 1850, and the first winners of them were Justice Sir Joseph Chitty and Dr. Hornby, provost of Eton. The Ladies' Plate was called the 'New' Cup when it appeared in 1845. At that time it was open to the world, like the Grand. Clubs from the Thames won it on sundry occasions. In 1857 it was restricted to schools and colleges as now, copying the 'Visitors' Cup' for fours, founded upon parallel principles in 1847. The Wyfold Cup dates from 1847, though it does not figure in the local official calendar of the regatta as a four-oar prize until 1856. In the latter year it became a four-oar prize, open to all, and the Argonauts won it and the 'Stewards,' with the same crew. Later on it obtained its present qualification. As to the forgotten functions of the 'Wyfold' between 1847 and 1856, we venture to record them. The cup originally was held by the winner of the trial heats for the Grand. If the best challenger won the Grand also, or if the 'holders' did not compete, then the same crew would take both Grand and Wyfold for the season; but the Grand holders were ineligible to row for the Wyfold. This latter anomaly in time induced the executive to obtain leave from the donor to alter the destination of the cup and to devote it to fours. Local races flourished in the forties and fifties.

Besides the Town Cup, there were local sculls, sometimes for a 'silver wherry,' and sometimes for a presentation cup. Local pairs existed from 1858 to 1861 inclusive. The Thames Cup began life in 1868 as a sort of junior race, but later on obtained its present qualification. There was a presentation prize for fours without c.o.xswains in 1869, but the Stewards' Cup was not opened for fours of the modern style till 1873; and the Visitors' and Wyfold were similarly emanc.i.p.ated a year later.

The advent and disappearance of the Public Schools' Cup need no comment.

We well recollect the sensation produced by the first keelless eight, that of Chester, in 1856. The club came like a meteor, and won both Grand and Ladies' (the latter being an open race for the last time in that year). The art of 'watermanship' had not then reached its present pitch. The Chester men could not sit their boat in the least; they flopped their blades along the water on the recovery in a manner which few junior crews at minor regattas would now be guilty of; but they rowed well away from their opponents, who were only college crews. In that year, in consequence of the Chester ship being some dozen feet shorter than the iron keeled craft of Exeter and Lady Margaret, a question arose as to how the boats should be adjudicated past the post.

The boats started by _sterns_, therefore Chester would be giving several feet start if adjudged at the finish by bows. So the stewards ordered the races to be decided by _sterns_ past the post. This edict remained in force, but unknown to the majority of compet.i.tors, till after 1864.

In that year the winner of the Diamonds reached the post several lengths before his opponent, but stopped opposite to it in a stiff head wind.

The loser came up behind him leisurely, chatted, and shoved the winner past the post by rowlocks locking. Presently it transpired that the official fiat was 'won by a foot,' and that the judge did not consider the race over until the winner's stern was clear of the line! This discovery caused some inquiry, and the half-forgotten edict of 1857 was thus repealed; and races have since then been adjudged again by bows.

Among other reminiscences, we can recall the old starting 'rypecks,'

with bungs and cords attached; these bungs had to be held by compet.i.tors till the signal to start; the ropes often fouled rudder lines, and were awkward to deal with. In 1862 the system of starting with sterns held from moored punts, now in vogue, was first adopted.

Such are some of the recollections which evolve themselves at this date, when we are on the eve of a new era and a new course. The old 'time'

records, which have been gradually improving and which, to our knowledge, are recorded in the most random manner in the local calendar, will now have to stand or fall by themselves. A new course, with less slack water in it, will hardly bear close comparison with an old one as to time. The old soreness of fluky winds, and 'might have beens,' laid to the discredit of much-abused Poplar Point, must now find no longer scope. Luck in station there still will be, inevitably, when wind blows off sh.o.r.e; but there now will be no bays to coast, and no Berks corner to cut. The glories of Henley bridge have been on the wane for some years past; we can remember when enterprising rustics ranked their muck carts speculatively along the north side of the bridge; but fashion and the innovation of large moored craft have lost the bridge much of its old popularity. Besides, the newly planted aspens along the towpath, which were given to replace the old time-honoured 'poplars,' shut off the view of the reach from the bridge. It is no longer possible, telescopically, to time opponents in practice from the Lion and Angel window, as of old. It is not so much as twenty years ago that steamers were unknown on the reach. The 'Ariel' (the late Mr. Blyth's) was the first of her kind built by Mr. Th.o.r.n.ycroft. Till then, row-boats had the reach to themselves. We are old enough to recall the Red Lion flourishing as a coaching inn; then came its breakdown, when 'rail'

broke the 'road,' and it shut up, until Mrs. Williams, the veteran landlady, who erst welcomed, and is still welcomed by, so many retired generations of oarsmen, migrated from the Catherine Wheel in 1858, and re-opened the Lion once more.

The strength of amateur talent is treble what it was twenty-five years ago. After the pristine Leander retired from action, and the St.

George's shut up, and the Old Thames Club dispersed, the Universities had Henley almost to themselves as to eights and fours until Chester woke them up in eights in 1856, and the Argonauts four a year or two before produced the nucleus of the talent which in 1857 burst upon the world under the new flag of the L.R.C. They were joined by Kingston in a four in 1859. In 1861 Kingston had their first eight. Thames, in like manner, began modestly with a four, which in due time developed winning Grand eights. We have already spoken of the march of watermanship. A quarter of a century ago the idea of amateurs sitting a keelless eight or four, without rolling rowlocks under, until they had first practised for days or weeks in a steady craft, would have been derided. In these days three or four scratch eights can be manned any day at Putney, capable of sitting a racing ship, and of trying starts with trained University crews. We are not _laudatores temporis acti_ as to oarsmanship; sliding seats spoilt form and style at first until they were better understood; but, in our opinion, there are now (_caeteris paribus_ as to slides _versus_ fixed seats) many more high-cla.s.s oarsmen than were to be found thirty, or even twenty, years ago. There are more men rowing, and more science, and better coaching than of old. 'Vixere fortes ante Agamemnona;' but we believe that there are on the average some five Agamemnons now afloat for every two in the fifties and early years of the sixties. Nor do we wonder at it with four or five times as many men on the muster rolls of rowing clubs of the present day. As to boat-building, we think that the 'lines' of racing eights have fallen off. We can recall no such capacity for travelling between the strokes as in Mat Taylor's best craft, _e.g._ the Chester boat and the old 'Eton' ship; both of which did duty and beat all comers for many years.

While looking back with interest, we look forward with hope, and believe that the new Henley will maintain, and perhaps improve, its modern enhanced and extended standard of oarsmanship, and that the new course, when fairly tried, will encourage, rather than discourage, compet.i.tion that looks for fair field and no favour.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PUTNEY COURSE

_London: Longmans & Co._

E. Weller]

_THAMES PRESERVATION ACT._

In 1884 a Committee of the House of Commons sat to inquire into the best method of preserving public rights and those of riparians on the Thames.

The latter had developed so much pleasure traffic during the last quarter of a century that some 'highway' legislation on the subject became imperative. An Act for regulating steam-launch traffic on the Thames had been pa.s.sed in 1883. The report of the Committee produced the following Act, which should be read by all who intend to navigate the Thames for pleasure.

Draft by-laws, to carry out the provisions of this Act in detail, have twice been propounded by the Thames Conservancy during 1886, and a third code was drafted early in 1887, but the first two editions provoked so much hostile criticism that the Conservancy withdrew them; and, up to the date of going to press, the third edition of proposed by-laws, which still seems too objectionable in many details, has not received the sanction of the Board of Trade, which is necessary before the code can become law.

THAMES PRESERVATION ACT, 1885.

48 & 49 VICT. CAP. 76.

_An Act for the preservation of the River Thames above Teddington Lock for purposes of public recreation, and for regulating the pleasure traffic thereon._ [_August 14, 1885._]

Whereas the River Thames is a navigable highway; and whereas, by reason of the increase of population in London and other places near the said river, it has come to be largely used as a place of public recreation and resort, and it is expedient that provision should be made for regulating the different kinds of traffic in the said river between the town of Cricklade and Teddington Lock, and upon the banks thereof within the limits aforesaid, and for the keeping of public order and the prevention of nuisances, to the intent that the said river should be preserved as a place of regulated public recreation;

Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament a.s.sembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

PART I.--NAVIGATION.

1. _Public right of navigation._--It shall be lawful for all persons, whether for pleasure or profit, to go and be, pa.s.s and repa.s.s, in boats or vessels over or upon any and every part of the River Thames, through which Thames water flows, between the town of Cricklade and Teddington Lock, including all such backwaters, creeks, side-channels, bays and inlets connected therewith as form parts of the said river within the limits aforesaid.

2. _Private artificial cuts not to be deemed parts of the river._--All private artificial cuts for purposes of drainage or irrigation, and all artificial inlets for moats, boathouses, ponds, or other like private purposes, already made or hereafter to be made, and all channels which by virtue of any conveyance from or agreement with the Conservators, or the Commissioners acting under any of the Acts mentioned in the First Schedule to this Act, or by any lawful t.i.tle have been enjoyed as private channels for the period of twenty years before the pa.s.sing of this Act, shall be deemed not to be parts of the said river for the purposes of the last preceding section, or any provisions consequent thereon.

3. _Conservators may exclude the public._--Notwithstanding anything in the first section contained, it shall be lawful for the Conservators from time to time to exclude the public for a limited period from specified portions of the said river, for purposes connected with the navigation, or with any public work or uses, or for the preservation of public order.

4. _Right of navigation to include anchoring and mooring._--The right of navigation hereinbefore described shall be deemed to include a right to anchor, moor, or remain stationary for a reasonable time in the ordinary course of pleasure navigation, subject to such restrictions as the Conservators shall from time to time by by-laws determine; and it shall be the duty of the Conservators to make special regulations for the prevention of annoyance to any occupier of a riparian residence, by reason of the loitering or delay of any house-boat or steam-launch, and for the prevention of the pollution of the river by the sewage of any house-boat or steam-launch. Provided that nothing in this Act, or in any by-law made thereunder, shall be construed to deprive any riparian owner of any legal rights in the soil or bed of the river which he may now possess, or of any legal remedies which he may now possess for prevention of anchoring, mooring, loitering, or delay of any boat or other vessel, or to give any riparian owner any right as against the public, which he did not possess before the pa.s.sing of this Act, to exclude any person from entering upon or navigating any backwater, creek, channel, bay, inlet, or other water, whether deemed to be part of the River Thames as in this Act defined or not.

Provided also, that the powers given by this clause shall be in addition to, and not to be deemed to be in subst.i.tution for, any powers already possessed by the Conservators.

5. _Riparian owner to remove obstructions unless maintained for twenty years._--Any person obstructing the navigation hereinbefore described, by means of any weir, bridge, piles, dam, chain, barrier, or other impediment, shall be liable to be called upon by the Conservators to remove the same, and his refusal to do so shall be deemed to be a continuing offence within the meaning of this Act, and the obstruction itself shall be deemed to be a nuisance to the navigation unless the same, or substantially the same, has been maintained for the period of twenty years before the commencement of this Act.

6. _Provision against shooting or use of firearms on the river._--From and after the pa.s.sing of this Act it shall be unlawful to discharge any firearm, air-gun, gun, or similar instrument over or upon the said river within the limits aforesaid, or the banks or towpaths thereof, or any land acquired by the Conservators under the provisions of this Act, and every person discharging any firearm, air-gun, gun, or similar instrument over or upon the said river limits as aforesaid, or the banks or towpath thereof, or any such land as aforesaid, shall be deemed to have committed an offence under this Act.

PART II.--REGULATION OF PLEASURE-BOATS.

7. _Registration of boats._--In addition to the rights and duties of the Conservators relating to registration and tolls already created by the Thames Navigation Act, 1870, the Thames Conservancy Act, 1878, and the Thames Act, 1883, or by any other of the Acts in the First Schedule to this Act mentioned, it shall be lawful for the Conservators to direct by by-law that all boats or vessels, with the exception of any such cla.s.s of boats or vessels as may, together with the reasons of such exception, be specified in any such by-law for pleasure navigation, shall be registered, together with the true names and addresses of the owners thereof respectively, in a General Register to be kept at their chief office in a form by them to be prescribed, and as to all vessels propelled by steam power, and all house-boats, and all rowing or sailing boats plying for hire, and any such other particular cla.s.s of boats or vessels as by them from time to time by by-law, may be prescribed to issue licences to ply upon any part of the upper navigation, or upon a limited part thereof only, according to regulations in each case by them to be made by by-law in manner hereinafter provided.

8. _Navigating without registration to be an offence._--From and after the dates by any such by-law to be fixed respectively, it shall be an offence under this Act to use any boat or vessel of the cla.s.s mentioned in the same by-law, on any part of the river to which such by-law applies, unless such boat or vessel shall have been previously registered or licensed in manner therein provided.

9. _Lists to be kept of private boats and boats for hire._--In the General Register in the seventh section of this Act mentioned, separate lists shall be kept of boats and vessels used for pleasure navigation by private owners, and of boats and vessels let for hire. The former cla.s.s of boats or vessels shall be distinguished, according to regulations to be made from time to time by the Conservators, by a registered number, crest, badge, or mark, and the latter cla.s.s by a registered number; and the provisions of section eleven and section thirteen of the Thames Act, 1883, as to displaying or concealing the same or number of any steam-launch shall be deemed in all cases to apply to the said registered numbers, crests, badge, and marks respectively, with such modifications as the Conservators may by such regulations from time to time direct.

10. _Renewal of yearly registration._--It shall be lawful for the Conservators by by-law to enact as to any or all of the cla.s.ses of boats or vessels by them from time to time required to be licensed or registered as aforesaid, that such licence or registration shall be renewed at any interval not being less than one year.

11. _Fee for registration._--It shall be lawful for the Conservators to charge, in respect of boats or vessels registered under this Act, sums not exceeding the sums following; that is to say, for each registration of a pleasure-boat not being a house-boat, a sum not exceeding two shillings and sixpence, and for each registration of a house-boat a sum not exceeding five pounds; and if such house-boat shall be more than thirty feet in length, a further sum not exceeding twenty shillings in respect of every complete five feet and the fraction of an incomplete five feet by which such house boat shall exceed thirty feet in length.

Provided always that nothing in this Act shall require a boat or vessel not being a house-boat to be registered oftener than once in three years.

12. _Present registration or licence not to be affected._--Nothing in this Act shall require any vessel which may under any Act be required to be registered or licensed by the master, wardens, and commonalty of watermen and lightermen of the River Thames to be registered or licensed under this Act.

13. _First registration._--For the purposes of the last preceding section a fresh registration or licence of any boat or vessel in a cla.s.s other than that in which the same was first registered or licensed shall be deemed a first registration or licence.

14. _Application of ss. 7, 8, 9, and 14 of The Thames Act, 1883, to all registered boats and vessels._--The provisions of sections seven, eight, nine, and fourteen of The Thames Act, 1883, as to registered owners of steam-launches, shall apply to the registered owners of all boats or vessels for the time being registered pursuant to the provisions of this Act, and of the by-laws in that behalf from time to time in force, and the same section nine and section fourteen shall be read as if the words 'boat or vessel' therein were subst.i.tuted for the word 'steam-launch,' and as if the words 'this Act' therein referred to the present Act.

15. _Every boat or vessel to be deemed to be in charge of one person._--Every boat or vessel used for pleasure navigation upon any part of the River Thames within the limits aforesaid shall be deemed to be in charge of one person, who shall be in every case a registered owner, or the person duly appointed or permitted by him to be in charge, or the person hiring such boat or vessel, and, in the absence of any such person, then any person having control or being in command of such boat or vessel.

16. _Person in charge to be responsible for order_.--Every person who for the time being is in charge of any boat or vessel shall be responsible for the preservation of order and decency, and for the observance of the provisions of this Act; and upon proof that an offence under this Act has been committed by any person on board such boat or vessel, and that the person in charge has refused to give the name and address of the offender, then the person in charge shall be deemed to have committed an offence under this Act.

PART III.--GENERAL POWERS.

17. _Conservators may accept and hold land for certain purposes._--In addition to their existing powers to take and hold land, it shall be lawful for the Conservators to accept and hold any land which any person may offer to them for dedication to public uses in connection with the purposes of this Act, upon such terms and conditions as they may see fit, and it shall be lawful for the Corporation of the City of London, or the Metropolitan Board of Works, and for the University of Oxford, or, subject to the provisions of the Munic.i.p.al Corporations Act, 1882, so far as they are applicable, for the Corporation of the City of Oxford, or any corporation or other person, to give, grant, dedicate, convey, or devise any land or right over land to the extent of their estates and interests respectively, unto the Conservators, for the purpose of enabling the public to use such and or any part thereof as a public highway, or as a place of public resort, or for the purpose of creating bathing-places or camping-grounds or landing-places, or for any other purposes connected with this Act, any of the provisions of the Act pa.s.sed in the ninth year of the reign of King George the Second, chapter thirty-six, or any other statute or any rule of law to the contrary notwithstanding.

18. _Acquisition by agreement of right of abstracting water from the river._--Where any company or person is ent.i.tled under any Act of Parliament, grant, custom, or otherwise, to any right of abstracting or appropriating water which might otherwise flow or find its way into the river, it shall be lawful for any such person on the one hand and the Conservators or any other person on the other hand, to enter into and carry into effect an agreement or agreements for the conveyance of such right to the Conservators; and every such right may be conveyed to the Conservators by deed, and shall as from the date of such conveyance be absolutely extinguished to the intent that such water shall thereafter be allowed to flow into the river.

And it shall be lawful for any of the companies supplying water within the Metropolis to make contributions out of their capital or revenue in aid of the acquisition and extinguishment of any such right, and for the Conservators to accept such contributions and contributions from any other person or persons and employ them for that purpose.

19. _Alteration and suspension of by-laws._--It shall be lawful for the Conservators, in addition to all powers of making by-laws already possessed by them under the Acts mentioned in the First Schedule hereto, to make, and from time to time to suspend or alter in the same manner and with the same consent as in the same Acts is provided, all by-laws which they may deem necessary for the purposes mentioned in this Act, or in the Second Schedule hereto.