Thirty-four years ago the first race between Harvard and Yale was rowed. It took place on Lake Winnipiseogee, N. H., and was won by Harvard. Since then there has been a race between the two colleges almost every year.

From 1864 to 1870 the races were all rowed in six-oared shells. The course then used was at Lake Quinsigamond, Worcester, which was one and a half miles up the lake and return. Of these seven races Harvard won five, - Yale being victorious in the first two. The races at that time were usually rather unevenly contested, - that of 1876, for instance, being won by Harvard by a minute and twelve seconds.

In 1871 an association of a number of colleges was formed, and in the races which took place for the next five years, there were at times crews representing as many as eleven colleges. Of these five races Amherst won two, and Yale, Columbia, and Cornell one each, - Harvard generally coming in either second or third.

This association was finally given up, however, and Harvard has since that time only raced with Yale, and within the last few years with Columbia. It was decided that the races should be rowed over a four mile straight-a-way course, in eight-oared shells, with coxswains; and this is how they have been rowed ever since. The course selected for this annual race was that on the Thames River, at New London, which has proved to be a most excellent one. Since 1876, the year after the association was given up, Harvard has won six and Yale four races. These have almost invariably been well contested, that of 1882 being especially fine, when Harvard beat Yale by scarcely three seconds. The fastest time recorded was that made by Yale in 1884, when she won in 20m. 31s. Last year, although Harvard had an excellent crew, the time made was rather bad, owing to the poor conditions.

In her races with Columbia, Harvard has been especially successful, having won them all. Columbia has, however, sent very good crews to New London, - the crew of '84, perhaps, being the best.

Since that first race with Yale, in 1852, there has been a great many changes, as is but natural. Changes in the boats used, changes in the men's training, and changes in the distance rowed. The Oneida, which was the name of the Harvard boat used in '52, is described as being "thirty-seven feet long, lap-streak built, heavy, quite low in the water, with no sheer, and with a straight stern. The width was about three feet and a half in the widest part, and tapered gradually towards bow and stern. The boat had plain, flat wooden thole-pins fitted into the gunwale. Her oars were of white ash, and ranged from thirteen feet six inches long in the waist, to twelve feet at bow and stern. The captain's gig of a man-of-war will give a very good idea of her general fittings." Since then a number of improvements have been made, and new boats used, until we have finally obtained the Waters' paper shell, which is perhaps the best racing shell made.

This year the crew which will represent Harvard is the same, with but one exception, as that which won the race last year. The men are now rowing as follows: -

Position. Name. weight.

Stroke. R. A. F. Penrose, R. G., 166

7. H. W. Keyes, '87, 167

6. F. Remington, '87, 156

5. T. P. Burgess, '87, 178

4. W. A. Brooks, '87, 171

3. J. R. Yocum, M. S., 175

2. J. J. Colony, L. S., 161