The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-31 00:00:00

I rise with what I may call extraordinary and un-
usual embarrassment, and under a great disadvan-
tage. I am, perhaps, the only person in our party
who has not his speech carefully written out ready
for delivery. (Laughter.) I did expect to be able
upon this occasion to make our apology for coming
-to Cowes in December, instead of waiting for the
regular yachting season ; but even that subject has
been taken from me. (Laughter.) There is no necessity
for any apology. (Cheers.) I find that December
is just the time to come to Cowes. (Cheers.) Here-
after I shall advise all my American friends who
want to go to Europe to go in a yacht in the month
of December, and arrive at Cowes. (Cheers.) They
will be perfectly content to stop here. (Cheers.)
This little but most hospitable town is all that I
have seen of Marie England ; but I would be satis-
fied to go home without seeing any more. (Cries
of "Stay with us.") Already I Legin to feel like a
naturalised citizen, so great has been your kindness,
so overwhelming your generosity. (Cheers.) I am,
indeed, at home here. (Hear, hear.) Let me join
you, Mr. Chairman, in welcoming my young Ame-
rican friends to this yachting centre. (Laughter and
cheers.) Ido not refer particularly to the other
yachting centre—Mr. Centre, of New York, the in-
ventor of wire rigging—although I might be under-
stood to do so. (A laugh.) I tell you seriously,
my friends, that we did not, we could not, antici-
pate such a reception as this. (Hear, hear.) Our
yacht race was made up at dinner. Two gentlemen
arranged it, and one of them, as if to outdo the
other, said, "Let us make it fram Sandyhook to
Cowes." "That suits me" was the reply. (Cheers.)
" Let us make the stakes thirty thousand dollars
aside." " That suits me." (Cheers.) " Let us
sail in the stormy month of December." " That
suits me." (Applause.) Then another gentleman
—a young gentleman, a modest gentleman--Cap-
tain Bennett., now present—(loud cheers)—asked if
they would let his yacht into the match. They
were very willing to do so, as she was considered
decidedly the slowest boat. (Laughter.) This slowest
boat has won the race, gentlemen. (Cheers.) I then
proposed to make the match "play or pay," and
that decided the affair. You know the rest. Here
we are, and very glad to be here. (Cheers.) In
conclusion, let me say, let us bring our yachts and
racehorses into friendly competition, meet together
in this social way, and keep aloof from all the
politicians, and there can never be any difficulty
between England and America. (Loud cheers.)
With our flags hanging together, as we see them to-
night, our national mottoes side by side, and our
hands united in the cordial grasp of a sincere friend-
ship, the two countries will go on together in their
career of glory, the envy, the admiration, and the
rulers of the world. (Loud and continued cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN, in giving the next toast, said it
was perfectly natural that on such an occasion they
should dilate on the great national advantages of
union between the two great countries respectively
represented ; it was most satisfactory to find the
manner in which that sentiment was echoed on
both sides of the Atlantic, especially by their
honoured guests. They must all feel that this was
a very peculiar occasion. It was not a political oc-
casion—not a meeting of statesmen, not a conven-
tion of States which might be friendly or hostile—
it was simply a meeting of friends from both sides
of the Atlantic, all animated by their attachment to
a common pursuit, that great sympathy which
united the Anglo-Saxon race in attachment to any-
thing having a semblance of sport about it. In the
Isle of Wight they well knew what sport upon
water meant. They knew something of yachting
—(cheers)—and they were justly proud of their
Royal Yacht Squadron. New York also boasted of
its yacht squadron, so admirable and valuable in
many points by which a yacht squadron should be
distinguished. We had learnt a lesson from them,
and a great lesson. He believed that to the yacht
squadron of New York must be attributed all ad-
miralle qualities of vessels they had lately seen.
(Cheers.) They had been most successful, and ac-
complished everything they had attempted. He
had much pride and satisfaction in seeing present
so many of the m:nubers of that club, and that they
had brought with them three such beautiful speci-
mens of yacht architecture to excite their admira-
tion. Ile was glad to see Commodore Vickar
present—(cheers)—an excellent representative from
another hemisphere of the social and manly quali-
ties on which they prided themselves on this side
of the water. (Cheers.) He was glad to
see at this board a gentleman who merited the

suffrages of his fellow citizens, who had placed him
in the important and responsible position of com-
modore of their yacht squadron. lie had no doubt

they would give the toast he now proposed a most
cordial welcome, " The health of the New York
Yacht Club, coupled with the name of their hen-

oured guest, Commodore Vicar." (Cheers.)
The toast was drank with loud cheers.
Commodore VICKAR said—l confess I felt for
some time that the task I had undertaken was a
difficult one, but now we arc here, and after all the

kindness we have received, 1 must say I feel very
proud of the result. There are a few incidents con-

netted with the formation of this match which, per-
haps, may be of interest as indicative of the feelings
with which it was begun. Mr. Jerome has men-
tioned some of the circumstances, but he has omit-
ted to state that when the terms of the match were

adjusted, a destination was not named, but silently
and unanimously it was felt it should be Cowes.
(Cheers.) Your kindness since our arrival bas

----- made us feel that you have established as a fact

what must be felt at home, that in coming here we
did not come as strangers to a strange land.
(Cheers.) And were there any lingering doubt in
our mind we have only to look at the mottoes which
grace this room to feel there can be no mistake.
(Cheers.) One I see runs thus—" God save the

Queen," to which I am happy to think every Ame-
rican heart will respond. (Loud cheers.) Again,
I see, " Separated, not divided." I have no ques-
tion of the fact ; and if there were I would point to
the other side and say, " Evil be to him that evil

thinks." (Cheers.) Remembering where we came
from, and what we came from, the " Welcome to

Old England" is indeed a welcome home. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN said he had now arrived at what
might be called the toast of the evening. They were
met to celebrate one of the most dashing and daring
exploits on record. (Cheers.) They had met to cele-

brate the triumph of the winner of the great yacht
race between New York and Cowes. As he for-
merly stated, they had long been accustomed to
yachting, but in number of yachts and yachtsmen
there had never been a match carried out so spi-
ritedly. Never had yachts so braved the billows of
of the broad and stormy Atlantic. (Cheers.)
They had long been accustomed to yachting, but it
had been reserved for those who were called the
children of the mother country to teach Old England
to know what yachting could be made, and what
America had made of it. He hoped they would
take a lesson from what they saw before them. He
did not know that they had anything to learn in the
way of yacht-building, but they had to learn the
patriotism which converted even the yacht into an
instrument for the good of the country. This was
not the first time that Mr. Bennett, jun.—(pro-
tracted cheering)— had signalised himself and his
yacht. (Cheers.) The Henrietta had not borne
her maiden colours to Cowes. She was long before
devoted to the service of her country, and did good
and gallant service in the great American :war.
(Cheers.) They were proud to welcome Mr. Ben-
nett as the winner of the race. (Cheers.) To be
second or third in such a match was only a degree
less gallant and glorious than to be first. (Cheers.)
Mr. Bennett had come over in his own yacht, and
his position as winner was therefore all the more
gratifying. He hoped they would often seem him,

and that he would be accompanied by many of the
members of the New York Yacht Club. (Cheers.)
He had great pleasure in proposing "The Health

of Mr. Thomas Gordon hennett, winner of the
Ocean Race, and their American Cousin."
The toast was drunk with loud and continued

cheers.

Mr. THOMAS GORDON BENNETT, who was received
with repeated acclamations, expressed his thanks for
the great and generous kindness he had received

since his arrival in a very few brief sentences. He
regretted that his time had been so entirely occupied
that he bad not been able to prepare a speech more