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CHAPTER XVI.
WATERMEN AND PROFESSIONALS.
The London waterman is the oldest type of professional oars- manship. He was called into existence for the purpose of ioco- motion, and race-rowing was a yery secondary consideration with him in the first instance. Just as in the present day credentials of respectability are required by the Commissioners of Police of drivers of cabs and omnibuses (and none may ply for hire in these capacities within the metropolis unless duly licensed), so in olden days great stress was laid on the due quali- fication of watermen. An aspirant was and is required to serve seven years’ apprenticeship before he can be ‘ free’ of the river, and until he is ‘irce’ of it he may not ply for hire upon it under heavy penaltics for so doing. This regulation is in the interests of public safety. If apprentices exbibit special talent for rowing they can win what are called ‘coats and badges,’ given by certain corporate bodies, and by so doing they can take up their ‘freedom’ without paying fees for the privilege. We believe that no such restrictions exist on our other British rivers. ‘The rule survives on the ‘Thames because in olden times the Thames was a highway for passenger traffic in ‘wherries.’ In those times, where a passenger would now go toa thoraugh- fare or call a cab, he would have gone to the nearest ‘stairs’ and have hailed a wherry. London had not then grown to its present dimensions, and the Thames lay conveniently as a high- way between Westminster, the City, and the docks.
Amateurs began to take up rowing carly in the present century as 4 sport ; and these contests seem to have fostered
