Star.
London, England, 1823-07-31 00:00:00

sponms prEuropisii.
BAILING MATCH.
An excellent match took place yesterday above Black friars.
bridge for a handsome Silver Cup and Cover, weighing 61 ounces,
and presented by a Club, founded for the Annual Celehralitm of
his Majesty's Coronation. Considerable exertions were made
by the Gentlemen of the Club and the Proprietors cf Vauxhall
Gardens to render it attractive, and it was satisfactory to find
that they were highly efficient. The first part of the afternoon
proved extreme:), fine, and crowds eol'ected on thc Bridge%
Wharf% Gardens, he. at an early hour to witness the display.
A steam-boat was moored off &mkt-tiara-bridge with a band of
music on board, and several others' were distributed up the ltiv.'r.
The pleasure-boats on the water were extremely numerous,
well handled, fashionably filled, and had a very gay appearance.
The hour proposed for starting was three, r.x. but some un-
avoidable delay retarded it, without, however, exhausting the
patience of the spectators. Twelve boats were entered to con-
tend fur the prize ; and having taken their stations according to
lot at the pier heads of Black&lars-bridge, a boat was deputed
from the steam vessel to exhibit the cup to the competitors; it
did so, anti the beauty of the trophy created fresh sensations of
desire. At about twenty minutes past five, all being fully
prepared, the gun fired, and a very seaman-like start was
made by the majority of the boats. The St. George, a ten
ton boat, having an excellent station, and being neatly east,
took the lead; but the Antelope, of six tons, was the first un-
der well trimmed sails. They all gathered way without any
material accident; but all hands being to leeward in the Swift,
or the sail bring too much for her, she heeled and turned right
over: we are most happy to say,' however, that there were
kw lives lost; and the misfortune being hardly known to many
of the boats, the ardour of the match was not destroyed.-r-
The Swift iying,,en her beam-ends, appeared the signal fur tout-
ing, for the Venus, a/mit of thirteen tons, and the largest of the
tlelve, instead of bearing up, ran her bowsprit between the main
aid and boon of the- Anretapetopped her way, and lost her the
ground her previous activity had gained her. The breeze was
light and pleasant ; the St. George. had decidedly the windward
and bead ; but the boats had not proceeded far when the
Waterloo ran foul of the unfortunate Antelope and snapped her
own bowsprit in two; this, of course, threw her astern, and ren •
dered her unfit for immediate service. The boat to be sailed
round wax moored off Putney-bridge, and the appearance of the
boats passing Waterloo, Westminster, Vauxhall, and Battersea-
bridges was extremely pretty. Unfortunaiely before they
reached the moored boat, the weather became cloudy, the
rain fell, and much of the breeze died away. It was beating ,
wind all the way up the river, and, consequently, much activity
was displayed in working the vessels. The St. George first
rounded the boat, taking the lead down, and was followed
by the Spitfire, a small boat of five tons. We should have
mentioned, that this boat, a short time previous to starting, car-
ried away her mast, both at the hounds and upper part of the
cuing, and the crew shewed great celerity and activity in re-rig-
ging her in so short a space of time. The St. George kept the
lead, and was the first boat that reached Vauxhall Gardens, the
goal of victory. She arrived at about twenty minutes past eight
o'clock, and was received With loud cheering, and a discharge of
cannon. The Spitfire was but a very short distance astern of the
St. George, and some objections were made to the latter boat
having hadltwo helmsmen,but she fairly won the race :and there
was nothing in the printed conditions to support the dispute
raised by the Spitfire. The match generally gave great aatisfac.
faction; notwithstanding the rain, and many parties, even of
ladies, continued on the water till the victory had been decided.