Chapter 19

           WespenttwoverypleasantdaysatOxford.ThereareplentyofdogsinthetownofOxford. Montmorencyhadelevenfightsonthefirstday,andfourteenonthesecond,andevidentlythoughthehadgottoheaven. 

           Amongfolktooconstitutionallyweak,ortooconstitutionallylazy,whicheveritmaybe,torelishup-streamwork,itisacommonpracticetogetaboatatOxford,androwdown. Fortheenergetic,however,theup-streamjourneyiscertainlytobepreferred. Itdoesnotseemgoodtobealwaysgoingwiththecurrent. Thereismoresatisfactioninsquaringone’sback,andfightingagainstit,andwinningone’swayforwardinspiteofit—atleast,soIfeel,whenHarrisandGeorgearescullingandIamsteering. 

           TothosewhodocontemplatemakingOxfordtheirstarting-place,Iwouldsay,takeyourownboat—unless,ofcourse,youcantakesomeoneelse’swithoutanypossibledangerofbeingfoundout. Theboatsthat,asarule,areletforhireontheThamesaboveMarlow,areverygoodboats. Theyarefairlywater-tight;andsolongastheyarehandledwithcare,theyrarelycometopieces,orsink. Thereareplacesinthemtositdownon,andtheyarecompletewithallthenecessaryarrangements—ornearlyall—toenableyoutorowthemandsteerthem. 

           Buttheyarenotornamental. TheboatyouhireuptheriveraboveMarlowisnotthesortofboatinwhichyoucanflashaboutandgiveyourselfairs. Thehiredup-riverboatverysoonputsastoptoanynonsenseofthatsortonthepartofitsoccupants. Thatisitschief—onemaysay,itsonlyrecommendation.