The republic., 1851-09-08
The Yacht Clubs.
[FrOm the Reporter Of the London 1ymss.l

CowEs, THURsDAY AFrERNooN.
The challenge of the Americans has at last
been accepted. Mr.. Stephenson, M. p, has
taken up the gage, and all that remains is to
sail the match as soon as the regatta tomorrow
is over. The conditions of the race are not
known, but the sum staked on the event by Mr..
Stephenson is fl00. The vessel which is op-
posed to the America is an iron schooner of one
hundred tons, called the Titania. She was
built by Messrs. Robinson & Russell, and is
said to be a fast vessel in smooth water; but
must confess share in the doubts expressed by
most people here as to her being fit rival for
the America, and am inclined to think she will be
beaten hand over hand, notwithstanding the high
reputation OF her builders. However, Mr.. Stephen
son Will have the credit of taking up a challenge
whch Gould not nave been permitted to lie before
us much longer without some degree of discredit
being attached to the spirit of our yachtsmen
which hitherto has been unquestioned If he win
the America may pull down her stars and sirpes
as soon as she likes III he be heaten, ii will only
be after good race; and no one say he did not
do his best for the credit of the country, and that
he did not lose one hundred pounds with becom-
ing grace honoras cOrsd. 1t s characteristic trait
that the honorable member puts his trust in iron,
but wonderful as are the capabilities of that uni
yersal metal it is yet to be proved that IL is bet
ter material than wood for the hulls of yachts.
Under the rays OF bright sun and clear sky,
scarcely freckled with light patchessf cloud, the
appearance of Cowes to- day is very animated and
picturesque. The moorings in front of the espla-
made and before the Royal Yacht SQUADRON Club
house are studded with yachts, which il may be
fairly said are nnumerable, for the graceful confu-
sion OF huls sails, and spars, and the shifting about
OF the various vessels from place to place, render il
impossible to count them. The waters of the go
lent in every direction are studded with ynchts
careening over in fine sailing breeze, with every
stitch set leaving the roads and beating up towards
the Needles or running up to their anchorage from
Southampton water and the Nab. In the middle
OF them all lies tae America, easily distinguished
by the peculiar cut of her hull, her bows and entry
80 hne and acute, and her stern cooking up
slightly at the end; by her tall raking nastss
but, above all, by huge square ensign at her
main, of blue bunting, dotted with whole heaven
OF white stars, and by her distinguishing flag
at the peak-white with red stripes, a square blue
patch IN the upper quarter with circle of white
stars round foul anchor-the flag of the New
York YachtClub Further out lies the trim little
Fairy, with her fiery -coored funnel, and the royal
yacht as bright as new pin. Boats pulling to
and fro in all directions. Every steamer from
Ryde, Southampton, and Portsmouth, brings over
full freight OF gentlemen in yachting costume.
and of ladies in the peculiar attire devised at wa
tering- places TO keep off the weather. Lucky is
the man who has berth aoat, and is not forced to
run up and down the little mountainous streets of
Cowes looking for bed with heavy carpet bag
and the thermometer at 90o-and that too gene
rally without success On the beach and esplanado
pretty little groups strolling about and talking
over the great event of tomorrow crtcising the
various yachts; some of the ladies being greatly
any clean nice ropes, or any thing attractive like
the vessels near her, being able to sail SO
WE'LL" and a tremendous traffic is going on in
the transfer of hampers, bottle cases, and ionts
OF meat, fowl, and such creature comforts from
the shore to the men at The club. house
is crammed with members, and altogether there
Is more excitement than is usually visible on
such occasions among the easy going yachtsmen.
IL does ones heart good to the Marquis of An
glesey full of life and fire as in his best DAYS,
with Jaunty tarpaulin hat on his head, pair of
lowing canvas trousers, and dapper little blue
jacket, walking about in front of the club with a
hearty shake of the hand for all his friends and
word for all around and then getting into his boat
with stout, stiff stride, as though he never had
LETT leg behind at Waterloo. But that the old
Pearl had no chance, am certain that the MARQUIS
would not have allowed the Americans to have it
to say that IT was weeks before any Englishman
took up their challenge. Lord Jersey and other
members of both Houses are also here looking
much better, but very different regards the OUT
ward man from what hey were few weeks ago
IN London. About one o'clock FLIP given to
the saunterers and idlers by the America showing
signs that she was getting under weigh She hoist
ed her mansal, then her fore and aft foresail and
when her prodigious foresail up and filed,
shot from her moorings like arrow towards the
Needles, greatly 10 the discontinue of a little
fleet of artists around who were busily engaged
in taking her portrait l had good opportu-
nifty of seeing how she was handled as I was
close alongside at the time speaking to Mr..
Stephens, and l must say that, though her
men were smart, in that respect we have no
thihg 10 rear from ner, the start being made only
in fair average way This is no criterion, to be
sure, OF what she can do, there was no occasion
Tor haste, the commodore merely wishing TO have
a sail In her; but it did not strike me thlt her
crew, undoubtedly fine, able bodied young men,
were at all superior to our ordinary sailors
Her exterior is so finely smoothed-I might saw
polished-that it is difficult to believe till YOU touch
her sides that she Is not made of iron, and again
observed the curious way in which the water fixed
up from her bows; it not raised up in foam
breaking away before the prov, as with our cut
ters but started up in thin little jets. and fell away
under the bows just in the same way that water
spurts up before knife. blade moved rapidly
through 1t. Another popularity, and one, | think
which it would be well if our yachtsmen copied is
that her sails are laced to the booms and masts SO
that not the slightest particle Of wind can escape
the sails Long as her masts SEEM, she stands re-
markably well under canvas. Judging from her
course to day, she steers easily and is very man
ageable. With all sail set she is not SO handsome
to our eyes as our own craft, mainly account of
the cut of her main and fore and aft oresaiIs which
are more in the shape of leng .hened obtuse
paralielograms than our own and have not near
so great difference between the length at the
boom and at the gaff
Just as am writing this the people are runniup
down to the piers and to the beach. II is nearly
O'Clock, and the America is sailing back from the
Needles, past Cowes, with hotila of yachts
around her. She has foresal, fore and aft foresai
and mainsail set, Cher new jib not being used,) and
goes almost as softly, lightly, and quickly through
the sea q swallow skins over a meadow About
twenty CUTTERS schooners, and yauls after her,
most of them with every sail they set, but she
shoots away from them with the greatest ease
Several yachts which have been cruising about
alter their course and drop in before her. but the
America gains on the best OF them as if they were
not moving at all, and before she had passed the
point which shuts out my view of the Solent, iust
OF the entrance to Cowes from the Portsmouth side
she had left them all hopelessly in the rear, tho
work of about ten minutes
FRONTIER PRoTEcTloN.-t appears from COM
nunlcatlon in the Austin Gazette, of the 26th ult
that General Belknap event out in May with two
companies OF infantry, to make reconnaissance of
the country and to select sites for line of mill
tary posts to be established from the Arkansas
frontier to Don Anna on the Rio C,onde