Page:Boating - Woodgate - 1888.pdf/157

 goes forward to an acuter angle than an oar, with the same reach of body. Nothing puts out a sculler’s hands more than a recoil of the scull from the stapper, for want of room to reach out, The sculler should examine whether his rowlocks are true ; the sills of them should be horizontal, not inclined, and mest of all net inclined from stern to bow ; the latter defect will at once make him scull deep. Next, let him examine his thowl. This should be clean faced, not ‘ grooved’ by the upper edge of the loom of oars which haye been handled by operators who feather under water, and who thus force at the finish with the upper edge and not with the flat back of the loom. Half the hack gigs that are on hire will be found to have rowlocks so worn, grooved, and disfigured, that not the best sculler in the world can lay his strength out on them until he has filed them ito shape. The thowl should show a flush surface, and rake just the sinallest trifle aft, so as to hold the blade just a fraction of an angle less than a rectangle to the water, but this ‘rake’ should be very slight.

Having now got his tools correct, the workman will have no excuse for grumbling at them if he fails to do well. Let him begin by paddling gently and slowly. He had better not attempt to work hard. If he secs some other sculler shooting past him in a similar boat, he must sink all jealousy. Every motion which he makes in a stroke is now laying the founda- tion of habit and of mechanical action hereafter ; hence he must give his whole mind to each stroke, and be content to go to work steadily and carefully. He must feel his feet against his stretcher, both legs pressing evenly. He must hold his sculls in his fingers (not his fists), and Jet the top joint of each thtimb cap the scull. This is better than bringing the thumb under the scull; it gives the wrists more play, and tends to avoid cramp of the forearm. He must endeavour to do his main work with his body and legs, when be has laid hold of the water. He should keep his arms rigid, and Jean well back, Just as he passes the perpendicular his hands will begin to cross each other. Whichever hand he prefers to row over, he should