THE CREW DINNER.

THE University Crew Dinner passed off very pleasantly on Monday evening last, with Mr. Trimble, the President of the Boat Club, presiding. There were about seventy gentlemen present; not as many graduates, however, as had been expected.

Mr. Watson was first called on, and was heartily cheered, as were all who spoke. Mr. Close, the coach for three years of the Cambridge, England, University Crew, expressed the pleasure he had had as an old oarsman in seeing our crew row, and he considered it a very good one. Captain Bancroft, in an appropriate speech, presented Mr. Watson with a bronze vase, given him by the crew as an expression of their gratitude toward him. Mr. Roberts then rose, and proposed that a letter be sent to Oxford and to Cambridge by the Secretary, unofficially, asking if they would accept a challenge to row an eight-oared race about the first of August on the Putney-to-Mortlake course; he wished first, however, to impress upon Mr. Watson the necessity of his going as coach, for the mistake made in '69 was in not having a proper manager, and he thought Mr. Watson, who was strongly urged to go at that time, should make good his error by going next year, were the challenge accepted. Mr. Crocker, too, spoke strongly of the necessity of a good coach, and there was no one in whom the crew relied as much as in Mr. Watson. Mr. Watson replied that we now had a veteran crew, who had a year before them to prepare for a race, whereas the crew of '69 did not begin training until the spring, as they had not expected to row in England; therefore he thought we had a much better chance of beating than we had then, and that we could find as good a coach as himself in some one else.

Mr. Peabody of Cambridge, England, formerly captain of the Trinity first eight, on being asked his opinion, said he considered our crew much better than an average English crew, but not better than the best, for, although the material was as good as any he had ever seen, in form and finish they were inferior to the best English crew's. He, too, when asked, went on to say that he thought Cambridge would not accept a challenge, as their crew this year is an inferior one, but that Oxford probably would, as Harvard is considered there the representative college of America, and, too, they felt they were under some obligation to us, owing to our former race with them. He advised sending over first unofficially, as Oxford would be loath to put the affront upon us of refusing a direct challenge, which they would consider was done by a refusal, but circumstances might arise that would make it impossible for them to row us.

The challenge from Cornell was read, and all present favored accepting it providing they would row at New Haven, as it would be impossible for us to row at Owasco Lake should we go to England; moreover, it is the custom for the challenged party to have the choice of place.

It was also proposed that we should try and make arrangements for a race with Columbia.

The dinner broke up soon after this, amid singing and pleasantry of various kinds.