ON any afternoon when the sun shines and the wind does not blow heavily, the boat-houses and the river present a scene of animation which, two years ago, it would have seemed folly to predict. The oldest inhabitant cannot remember the time when the interest in athletics here reached anything like its present height, and this increased interest is not confined to any one pursuit. Never before was so much general interest shown in Boating, but, at the same time, the Foot-Ball Eleven were never in such a prosperous condition, and, according to the wiseacres, we have not been represented by a Base-Ball Nine equal to the present one since the season of '69.

That this increasing general interest in out-of-door sports will not prove an advantage to the University can hardly be believed. We hope most earnestly that its effect will be felt this summer, and that our Nine, and the crews we send to Saratoga will bring back with them the palm of victory; but whether this much-wished-for result is attained this year or not, we feel confident that this interest insures our future success.

The knowledge that other college Nines have made numerous engagements with professional clubs causes us once more to mourn in spirit that this means of improvement is cut off from our representatives.

In another column will be found some words from the Captain of the Nine concerning the arrangements, or rather lack of arrangements, for playing Yale. The Freshman Nine has hardly had an opportunity yet to show what it can do, but their game on Saturday with S. Mark's School was well played, and we hope for much from them.

ON the river, nothing very noteworthy has occurred during the past week. The same number of enthusiasts nightly crowd the boat-house piazza, with open eyes and watches, trying, if possible, to detect the superiority of one crew over another; while the same earnest discussions go on in Style vs. Muscle.

Of the `Varsity,' Mr. Bacon has been pulling stroke during the week, so we are led to conclude that a decision has been reached, and that he is to occupy that position permanently. If this is not the case, we beg to suggest that too much valuable time is taken in making the choice. Two months before the regatta is late enough to find our crew settled upon and hard at work, and where the strokeship lies between three or four men, it is not supremely difficult to make a choice. We are sorry to miss Mr. Taylor on the crew. As an oar, he is undoubtedly faulty, but his strength and endurance will be a bad loss, and we hope his absence may be only temporary. In his stead, Mr. Ely has been rowing, pulling No. 5, while Mr. Wetmore takes the position of No. 3. A speedy announcement of the fixed positions of the men will be welcome to all of us. The College public generally have a great deal of confidence in this crew, and they only need to be assured of hearty, intelligent work on their part, to have that confidence increased.

In the other crews there have been some changes: Mr. Guild has been placed No. 5 in the Holworthy boat, on the retirement of Mr. Gould; Mr. Weld has been placed stroke of the Matthews Six, and Mr. Milton transferred to No. 3. The accident to Mr. Wetherbee on the foot-ball field will oblige him to give up his seat in the Holyoke boat. In another column we give the crews, with positions as correctly as we are able.

It is early, at this time, to attempt any prophecy of the result on the 29th. The difference in the number of strokes per minute in the several crews is marked. Holyoke ordinarily pulls the fastest, very often reaching to 36, while Weld and Holworthy keep down to 30 or less, very rarely above. As the desired end of every crew is to pull together, the slower the stroke - to a certain point, say 28 or 30 per minute - by which this object is attained, the better; and in this we are supported by the best authority. However, it rests with each captain to pull the stroke that pleases him best, and the result of the races will judge it. Of the Matthews Six it is difficult to say much. They are more irregular than the other crews; but they look remarkably strong and capable of quantities of hard work. They are, by all odds, the heaviest crew. If the next three weeks' work brings them together, we venture to predict for them a front place in the race. The Weld crew are pulling the most finished stroke of any; how effective it is we cannot say, but their appearance when in practice is decidedly favorable. This crew lately made a trial of speed with the Freshman crew, and as the captain of the latter is endeavoring to arrange similar contests with the other club crews, the results will be of service in determining their relative merits. The excellence of our Freshman crew is very gratifying, after the failures in that direction of all the classes now in College; it is a wise plan to give it all possible practice in hard rowing by the side of other crews, both to accustom the crew to the kind of work required in a race and to test the value of their stroke. As we said last week, we should be very sorry to see a man taken out of the boat, and we regret even to hear of the probability of a man being taken to row regularly in the University. It is better to leave one crew whole, than to mar two.

There are very many possible criticisms to be made on the rowing of each and every one of the crews. Most of the points open to criticism may, however, be remedied by more carefulness on the part of individuals. If one fault is generally more patent than another, it is in regard to the recover and the beginning of the stroke. The idea is not understood, or certainly not put into practice, that in the recover the motion of the hands should be fast, that of the body slow; and the beginning of the stroke should be emphasized by the whole force of the back thrown into it the moment the full extent of the recover is obtained. Two more weeks will make a great difference with all, and by that time let us hope that the oarsman's prayer for warmer and fairer weather may have been heard, and that he may no longer be kept within short distances by the waves in the Back Bay.