Show thames usually mann mannerly erly river canadian who paddled canoe length of stream describes journey NV washington ashIngton the thames v which aich suddenly overflowed its banks nt at lou lon don causing loss of life and property Is usually one of ef the hie most mannerly of rivers the thames within the small compass of a hundred miles shows lust just what Is characteristic in scenery history and modern life says R J erans who paddled a co ca nadian cootie canoe from near its source at cricklade klade down to london and reported his journey to the national geographic society at the river Is little more than a rivulet writes mr evans in fact the local people all referred to it as tile brook and that thai the name was well deserved we found from personal experience walked on bed of river tile the first eleven miles allies to Lec lechlade hlade Is not really navigable water and for or most of the distance we had to walk in the bed if fe the stream guiding the canoe over the shallows which occurred every few yards while if there were sufficient depth of water our progress was impeded by the file heavy weeds which thanks to enforced neg led during the war were a able obstacle Le chlode Is a cotswold Cots wold town bulli built around the wide find and sunny market place from one side of bich alces the sixteenth century church with its spire so loved by the poet the houses tire are or of stone bril k being ge rarity in the Cots wolds anil and have an air of mingled spaciousness and dignity which Is most attractive four miles below Is 14 the terry where matthew arnold saw the flip scholar gipsy crossing tile hie stripling thannen at and about a 11 mile on the right the village of cum am nor where was enacted the tragedy of amy Rob sort described by sir wal ter scott in kenilworth at one point we could see oxford but bill as the river deet describes eribes a great horseshoe curve it was some timp time before we approached the lie outskirts of the city from oxford the river runs to alney a little village two miles fillies below this stretch Is the scene of the col lege bumping races itle in tile the lent term and the rights eights in the summer slimmer term both are eight oared races extending over a 0 week the boats starting in a line ahead forma tion feet feel apart in both sets of races the principle Is that each hour boat endeavors to over take and touch the one in front and if successful takes its place on the succeeding day few sights are more beautiful than this abe crowd of undergraduates running on the towpath the long string of racing boats and tile the line of boats and barges crowned crowded with bright blazers and pretty tresses dresses two miles below Is sandford here from ame time immemorial the lungs kings arms arius has bus been the goal of undergraduate der boating parties getting through sandford lock we padl paddled led on to abingdon below are the twin villages ot of goring coring and Str streatley eatley they occupy what was tile most beautiful spot on tile the thames but now bins alas ore are crowded with tile ilie houses of the deiy newly rich and what was a paradise Is now an inferno of money and motor cars the country round Is still uns un spoilt and the reaches town down to Pong bourne full of beauty we paddled away past sunning to ShIp laRe where here we camped on the long island by tile the lock getting up early the next morning and reaching henley in good time henley lenley I Is a quiet little place for lifty fifty one line weeks in the year but for one crowded week in july it is the scene of the first river regatta in the world and here once again we have a typical picture of english life from froin tile bridge there Is a clear view of the course almost down to the starting poil paint rit the course Is kepi hept clear hy by white boonis booms and posts ond and along these on either side able are file bouts boats and punts of the spectators often twelve melve or fifteen rows deep windsor was aus a tilting fitting goal the castle I 1 Is a perhaps pei haps the most regal building in tile ilie world founded by william tile the conqueror eror it has always been a favorite royal residence still and to do justice to a tithe of its interests would demand a volume and that a large one in itself nestling under its shadow Is the little town nod and a few fields away eton college the most famous school in england lle bere re we bade farewell to father thames after a journey through the heart hearl of england which had shown us more variety of late interests rests quaint beautiful cud and historic than can be shown by any other area in a land full fall of beauty and possessing a noble history of nearly two thousand years |