ROWE 132 BOWING ROWE, NICHOLAS, an English dra- matist and translator; born in Little Barf ord, Bedfordshire, England, June 30, 1674. He was educated at Westminster under Busby, and studied law in the Middle Temple; but early inheriting a small competency by the death of his father, he devoted himself to literature. Between 1700 and 1714 he produced eight plays, of which three were long popular: "Tamerlane" (1702); "The Fair Penitent" (1703) ; "and "Jane Shore" (1714). The character of Lo- thario in "The Fair Penitent" was the prototype of Lovelace in Richardson's "Clarissa Harlowe," and indeed the name is still the proverbial synonym for a fashionable rake. Rowe translated Lu- can's "Pharsalia." His edition of Shake- speare (6 vols. 1709-1710) at least con- tributed to the popularity of his author. His comedy, "The Biter" (1705), failed. The Duke of Queensberry made him un- der-secretary of state; in 1715 he suc- ceeded Tate as poet-laureate; the same year he was appointed one of the sur- veyors of customs to the port of London; the Prince of Wales made him Clerk of his Council; and the Lord Chancellor Parker clerk of Presentations in Chan- cery. He died Dec. 6, 1718, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. ROWELL, NEWTON WESLEY, a Canadian lawyer. He was born in Mid- dlesex co., Ont., in 1867, and was edxv cated in the public schools and Ontario Law Society. He was called to the bar in 1891 and eventually became head of the law firm of Rowell, Reid, Wood & Wright, Toronto. He became bencher Of the Law Society in 1911 and liberal member of the Ontario Legislative As- sembly for North Oxford. He was leader of the liberal opposition in the Ontario Legislature, 1911-17, and in 1918 became a member of the Imperial War Cabinet. He became president of the Privy Council of Canada in 1917. ROWING, the propulsion of a boat by oars. Fresh water rowing is, of course, carried on primarily by individuals as a means for exercise or as a form of pleasure. Rowing, however, has also developed extensively as a sport, with competitive races between highly trained crews, mostly of amateurs. These crews consist most frequently of eight men, although crews of four and of two are also used. Professional rowing is prac- tically exclusively single sculling. The styles of rowing, as well as the styles of boats used differ with place and time, and each particular style has its adher- ents. Racing boats are light, long, and narrow. In England the eight-men crew is seated in such a manner that each man sits as far away from his rowlock as possible, resulting in an arrangement which leaves four men on each side. In America, however, all eight men sit in a straight line down the center of the boat. The steering in an eight-crew boat is done by a coxswain, sitting in the stern and guiding the boat by means of tiller ropes, attached to the rudder. In a four-crew boat the steering, however, is usually done by the first rower from the stern by means of a board to which the rudder lines are attached and which is worked with his feet. No rudder is used in a two-crew boat. The actual propulsion of the boat is accomplished by whatever the oar does while in the water. Rowing boats, of course, have undergone considerable de- velopment and modern boats are pro- vided with every possible means of in- creasing the speed and of lessening the strain on the rower. The most impor- tant developments are the addition of light iron brackets (outriggers) which have been universally adapted and which increase the power of the stroke. Mod- ern rowing styles are based practically exclusively on the requirements of keel- less boats, the first of which was built in 1856, in England. In 1870 the slid- ing seat was introduced by Yale and after it was improved in various ways, it has been adopted both in England and in America. In England fixed rowlocks are used, whereas in America they work on a swivel. The most frequently used wood for boats is cedar. American oars are lighter and wider than English oars. The most important American rowing competitions are the following: varsity races of eight-crew boats between Yale and Harvard, instituted in 1852 and in recent years held at New London, Conn. In 1920 this race was won by Harvard. The inter-collegiate regatta is rowed at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., on the Hudson, since 1901. The American Association of Amateur Oarsmen, founded in 1871, holds annual championship regattas for all kinds of crews. The American Hen- ley regatta is held on the Schuylkill river, Philadelphia, and so is the annual People's regatta. The Middle States an- nual regatta is held on the Harlem river, New York City. Famous foreign regat- tas are the English Henley on the Thames, the Oxford-Cambridge regatta, and the Royal Canadian Henley. The most famous international rowing con- test is the regatta held in connection with the Olympic games. In 1920 this was held on the Grand Canal course near Brussels. United States oarsmen were entered in four out of five events, winning three and finishing second in one. American crews also frequently
