"ALIEN'S" LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 67

"ALIEN'S" LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

(Specially written for the Witness Ladies' Eage.) THE UNIVERSITY BOAT RACE, ETC.

The Ist of April dawned cold and grey, imt a bitiirg- east- wind and a leaden sky *!id not- check enthusiasm for the historic Bxce between Oxford and Cambridge. The tide permitted a reasonable hour, and long Ijefore 3JL 3O- streams of people between Putney and Mortlake were wending their way to the poinis of vantage along the four and a-half river miles between the starting and the- finishing points. The Thames Between Putney and Mortlake forms a horseshoe, and over this semicircle it is that the Universities test their cars, and this last race showed no diminution, in the public interest. This track of the river does not" flow away from' civilisation^ and the banks are fringed with Tesidences: some -old — as,, old as when. Putney and . Hammersmith-, and MoEtlake were- far "front- the. Kusy haunts-- of oJeetric cars,, motor cars, an4i all .the. other contrivances which takff the* masses, wnere-Tjnsa.i tbe= indivMual imposed in- seclusion; Some of <fcfee houses" are hofr too old to* rejoice in red' roofs oar to" Be' built of red! Brick-; picturesque' and comfortable- they nestle in their gardens-, ifrhich run dawn, as near to the river as the towing, path,- and residence mansions with their charming Balconied; fiats, intersperse between, the houses. The, crowd whichlined: the- banks and bridges was a record •ne. from a balcony- near Hammersmith Bridge I- saw the- grsat. river, steel cold, with hers and tihere a white glint, and with nothing in the morning- to account to a dweller under southern skies for the plea-sure-of the people in Being out and about. ' But tfae> leaden -clouds- and the raw wind did not deter Londoners who were attracted to the Thames to witness an ancient contest. -At Hammersmith Bridge there was the biggest crowd between Putney and Mortlake.' The great bridge was black ■with. people : and an. either side the banks ■were massed? with; ar human forest. The morning" was so grey and. cold- that scarcely « touch of- colour" relieved", an the costumes, the prevailing sombreness. Although many thousands ware the colours — pale blue or dark blue — in the great dark mass, no distinctive colour-note was visible. And the ancient trees* all- along the river had" not "yet unfolded their '*bnds to leaf, so one might look through' t-Eeir branches at the sweep and eurvs of the stream. ■ • The steel-glinted_river, wide and cold, was swept bare of traffic; t>k<6 motor- boats, tearing, the .notice, ''River, Police," went up . and *tlown,~ but there -seemed no enthusiasts to clear- off the track ; a few row-boats, a few motor boats kept by the River Police close to the,- bank, were- But dots upon the course: But on the- banks near Hammersmith Bridge there was- what even London calls a: crowd": "a surging, mass of humanity, striving — and vainly at this pomt — for a stand where the contest would be •visible. TBe itinerant musician -was- in. full, force, and beguiled the. moments of "waiting w-itlL fefaet- latest papular music-hall songs: Beneath- the- baloony a group- ol "niggers" had; stationed themselves, dressed for the- occasion in. caricatured', gowns- and ties of the University professors, making bay of tfi£ occasion, or-, rather, coppers, which fellin showers. Bufe. presently tfceside showir were-- swamped' in the, interest of tho show which hundreds, of' thousands had congregated" to see. JLcry ran along tEe banks, whicE -meant the boats had started,, and. the enthusiasm. depended neither upon "scene? noss weather,, hut- upon; the fact that, once again, Oxford, and Cambridge.- tested' their, strength over the- historic horseshoe. The grey> skies' and' raw wind were forgotten,: the- youth of. the, nation were at a contest^ and, tihet cry, deepened, to. a, roar. aIL along the ank&j-aa;- tbe= two- frail long, oafts- shotinto: sight and!' skimmed 1 ; the w-ater like living, things,, Oxford: leadings »nd~ Gambiidge a length, beaimrl Tfie Dark Blue and thei^htr Blue* rival oars rose- and? fell' .upon the.- wide,, lonely stream, while- men- and"women snouted: from.- the; shore^ and, craned' tbeit-ne,pB r to. ascertain: the. issue-.. Ofßcialmr>*or-. boats- racedUbehihd importantly,, umpire-, boatsy anil- pjcesst boats,'. anti- boats abostidlof whwihrare^ important peraonages-.. TJrese make muck' more* fuss than: the two> arrow--li£e^ crafts shooting* ahead; which cut the. water " swiftly and silently, and presently disappear round, a- bead "in tier-,, stream. The uoaar tthexc- ceases*, and- the> people talk, while- they wait for confirmation-;- Oxford will win- assuredly ; the Eteulc Blkes- whs leading easily, and by^-and-bye the- motor-boat- rusKes^ back- flying the Dark Blue triumphant- colours. Their, as. magicalLy, as a London crowd' collects, the crowd dispersed;, and. ther hostesses, of the river villas and! mansions^ dispense, their liesgLtafitj;. Meanwhile, on 1 the Sandwich Golf 1 Links the contest besse«a. the- Hbuse- of- Commons and the "Fishermen was. in. progres&. Deal and Walmer- and Sandwich went out to see, -and- in th» afternoon, crowds were on ■ thfc links; The- scarlet coats- of the ma- - rines front the- barracks- splashed: tke- scene Trirh colour, the- wind: had spurred: the "white- horses" in ih» Channel, and- thosev."Kq were not' absorbed in golf- watched the prancing; waves-- that touched' the edge•of.'tbe sandhills, and looked over to the fateful Goodwins — grave of a thousand brave ships. The University Boat Race ■was spoken of among the lifeboat men leaning on, or standing by, their boats on the boulder-strewn beach/ but it was the con ; test between the House of Commons and; thp. SeotcQi Fishermen golfers that vras the chief topic between them. And tae Fishermen, golfers had- very bad luck, Mr Bslfour and^Mr Harabro proving too skilful, or* too lurky,. car too much at horn? on the lirfks for tlieir opponents' success, although the Fishermen played well, and Mr Hal fcur was- not grudging of praise at ever/ good shot. The final result was eight matches to the House of Commons and two to the Fisheiusen, wht> though naturally disappointed, were delighted with their day* and the [

chief of their victors, who presented each member with a new chib as a memento. In tovra the evening was gay. The holiday spirit was abroad, and not only ;ho University crews entertained each other at a restaurant dinner (for it is the custom of tlie defeated crew to dine the victors), but many other interested persons made the occasion" one of entertainment. The great restaurants were crowded with diners iisfeinguished and undistinguished, for London — heart of the world though it be — is very local, and is more concerned with what affects it than the rise and fall of other nations, if nations could rise and fall and leave it unaffected. So on this night of a contest between, its youth and jxmt'h; strength and strength, no excuse was made far festivity; grave dons and the young -men alike bad a common feast ground. Oxford itself, even to the denizen of its mest secluded cloister, responded with a thrill to- its- victory. For, after all, the.se tests of physical skill are but shadows of the greater tests of brain. And from Oxford and Cambridge have come men who have* ruled, and rule tbe world. In those ] "two striving boats victory and defeat were personified by men who, at that hour, had no higher- hope than to be in at the Morfclake- winning post; but perhaps a Prime Minister- of the future, a judge, a bishop, and a general rowed in those- boats. The Church, the Bench, the Army, the Navy j have University boat race records, and i- j is safe to say that on the night of April 1 many old tales were retold as many old. races weTe re-rowed. The lawn, sleeves and the wig- were forgotten, in recollection of the Dark "and' Light Blue. Th& women, of course, responded to the sentiment of the hour, and from my lady to her kitche i maid wore their- colours boldly — before the iace-, and stuck to them loyally after — a spits of pessimistic delineators of the feminine character, which, according to smn t biographers, is- so degenerated that a bad man is to be trusted before a good woman ; but among its millions there is still a fair share of women in London, as elsewhere, who loyally don their colours for the man before the result of his race is mode public. And these women do not always participate in the honours of the winning Blue. ! Visitors- to the metropolis, as well as its winter- weary dwellers, will notice the stir which the spring has brought with it. Wherever you go the posters remind you that- Easter is at hand, next only in importance to Christmas ; but so different in its' pleasures. It is a season of new j clothes- for the body, and this side of the world of new clothes for the earth. The fields and trees have from brown to green, the budding trees seem enveloped in a green mist, and the green caTpet I betSSath- is traced in an unconventional pattern in yellow daffodil and primrose, and the faint blue- haze of wild hyacinths. But these pictures are not on the posters. The excursionist? is tempted by the railway companies on all sides to go further afield. Ambitious- views of Swiss scenery with snow-capped mountains and sky-blue-lake- invite the holiday-maker to spend a- few., days in' the- vicinity of Mont Blanc, and' for a ridiculously small sum, but which the experienced traveller recognises as the bait which, erp the trip is over, will necessitate a much deeoer dip into his pocket- But one. can. get a Continental peep for a much less sum than; even foots- these- sunny landscape marvels of the- ar,t of' colour-painting, and which transform many an- otherwise ugly hoarding: into a. thing, of beauty — almost. Say one' liv-es in< the- far: suburb of Kew, now fast losingf the 1 dignified repose it has.- eitjoyect since- George 111 walked in its gardens: One- passes^ the old Georgian Church with, its bright- green" copper dome, and through: the old village green where' the church' stands, and" across the handsome stone- structure- which spans the Thames at this- point, and' which was opened by King, Edwai v d v in. the first year of his reign, the- ever-increasing, traffic over and undeu the, bridge demanding the demolition* of? the old artistic structure that stood in its^place. A few yards from, fehe bridge brings , u&- ta the- electric tramway, w.hich foe the small sum.' of- twopence whirls us to the t-erminxis-' of* the tube, where for another- twopence' one can alight at Tottenham Court road-. Turning down fche Charmg 1 Cross road, an upward glance at the names'- of the shop fronts -will- reveal befope two hundred yards have been traversed many which proclaim the alien birth, of" tli* occupier. These increase in frequency as we dip further into theregioir; of. Soho. A\ few minutes and we findv ourselves in Leicester square, which the foreign, sojourner in our midst has made almost, liis. own. The two variety theatres whose outside lights make this the most luminous, spot in the metropolis keep the fact of the foreign colony before them. and. at either place- of amusement fehe visitor may be sure of being entertained by more than: one .artist from the Continent. The various Jjpstelries have foreign legends on their frontages. Enter one which has •'Brassarde'' ovei one of its many portals, and through which streams of- humanity are- entering, and leaving. Descend a handsome carpeted- staircase, which in the days nf our grandfathers- would have led, minus the carpet and accessories, to the cellars. The glass swing doors that are constantly in. motion reveal a very different scene, however, for as we push them and enter a confused- hum of voices greets the ear, which on closer acquaintance proves a ver'table babel of tongues. The company is of both sexes, and, number about a hundred, all seated at- round tables imbibing J beverages as various as their nationalities. I England seems to have vanished as the doors swing to behind, and the guide who piomised us a- glimpse of Continental life without leaving London smiled triumphantly, for it was not difficult to imagine i oneself in a Continental cafe with a few !

English \isitors, the Englishwoman being conspicuous by her absence. A uniformed orchestra is performing a selection ot English airs, which no one appears to be listening to, and is but an accompaniment to the general hubbub. A glance round is sufficient, however, to show that it lacks the vivacity of a similar Continental scene with its outdoor habit, and one is constiained to admit that London affects tho Continental style in an underground sort of way after all, and it is with a si°h nl relief that the pavement is again reached.