THE morning of the 17th of July promised fair weather for the Freshman race between Cornell and Harvard, and the southerly breeze, which blew quite heavily up the lake and caused some apprehension during the morning before the hour of starting, changed around to the west, so that the course, which was sheltered by high banks on that side, was as smooth as glass.

The trains from Auburn brought large numbers of spectators, who sat for hours and endured the intense heat of the sun most good-naturedly; most of them laboring under the delusion that "the great intercollegiate boat-race," as the hand-bills called it, was to decide the respective merits of Harvard's and Cornell's rowing. As most of them sympathized with the latter college, they doubtless went away entirely satisfied.

Everywhere was to be seen Cornellian and white artistically, not to say conspicuously, displayed over the persons of the gentlemen from Ithaca, who not only completely outnumbered, but also "outyelled," the few Harvard men collected together at one end of the grand stand.

Cornell won the toss, and chose the inside position. At four o'clock she pulled to the starting-point, and a few minutes later Harvard took her place. At 4:16 the word was given, the inside crew getting the word first and the advantage at the start. Cornell was pulling forty strokes to the minute, Harvard thirty-six. When a half-mile was finished Cornell was a little in advance, which lead was increased until a mile and a third, when half a length of open water separated the two boats. At a mile and three quarters, Brandegee increased Harvard's stroke to forty-one, and slightly closed up the gap.

When the two-mile buoy was reached the steady stroke of our crew began to have its effect, and when No. 6 in the Cornell boat actually went to pieces, all thought that Harvard was sure of the race. But Cornell, encouraged by the cheers of the crowds of her friends along the shore, rallied wonderfully soon to recover her lost lead. At the finish she was four lengths ahead, her time for the three miles being 17 min. 13 3/4 sec.; that of Harvard, 17 min. 27 3/4 sec.

Thus ended the race, for which our Freshman crew worked faithfully during the winter months, and for which they sacrificed a considerable part of the summer vacation.

To them, and to the long and patient work of Mr. Crocker, as well as the assistance of Mr. Bancroft, the class owe much. Especially to the coach, who took the arduous position when the interest of the class itself was wanting, are they indebted for sending to meet Cornell a crew that pulled a stern race most pluckily, and in a form that only could be acquired by constant practice and the best of training.

The loss of the race was due greatly to the superior weight of the Cornell crew, who seemed to force their boat through the water regardless of their form or anything else. The fact that Captain North was unable to row had much to do with the result, for it was impossible that even so good an oar as Mr. Foster could fill with his light weight the place in the waist of the boat formerly occupied by the "heavy man" of the crew.

The lack of personal encouragement from Harvard men was greatly to be deplored, and our crew was wholly deprived of this assistance, which helped Cornell so materially.

The arrangements for the day were very complete, and the thousands of people present were enabled without difficulty to witness an exciting and most prettily rowed race.

S.