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CHAPTER VI.

THE COXSWAIN AND STEERING,

Tue ‘cock-swain’ wins his place chiefly on account of his weight, provided that he can show a reasonable amount of nerye and skill of hand. A coxswain is seldom a yery practical oarsman, although there have been special exceptions to this rule, cg. in the case of T. H. Marshall, of Exeter, Arthur Shadwell, of Oriel, and a few others. But if he has been any length of time at his trade he very soon picks up a very considerable theo- retical knowledge of what rowing should be, and is able to do yery signal service in the matter of instructing the men whom he pilots. When a youth begins to handle the radder-lines there is offen some considerable difficulty in inducing him to open his mouth to give orders of any sort. Iven such biddings as to tell one side of oars to hold her, or another to row or to back-water, come at first faltcringly from his lips. It is but