The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-12

saAG 81 4OlRt anu II WIS 10
| hope that our rivals were having better
/ weather than ourselves. Once hove to,
the yacht rocked laZily and pleasantly;
the waves rushed and the winds howled
past, but did not disturb her.
! OFF AGAIN.
| Before noon the next day (Dec. Ie)
| the wind had luHed, and the ship again
started off briskly, as if rested and re-
| freshed. Everybody now changed his
attire, and for once an old superstition
! proved true, for the wind shifted to the
/ North and West again The sun shone
| pleasantly, but the sea was still run
| ming high; the waves, blown about like
sandhills of desert, disclosing strange
mirages of tents and sails, as they re-
| Yealed strips of the horizon here and
1 there. We made our shortest distance
on this stormy day, gaining only one
| hundred and fifty-three miles. At
three T. NJ. we were going fifteen knots,
I and kept up this pace for several hours.
/ In the evening We sailed calmly in the
mellow moonlight that marked our
track before US with its sheeni the cabin
! FIRE was allowed to die out. and over
coats were discarded.
| The sea rose on either side like walls,
and the yacht ran swiftly between them
| at the rate of fifteen knots an hour.
| There could have been no stronger
1 contrast to the incidents ofthe previous
night. Sailing at the same pace the
next morning We scored two hundred
and sixty miles by noon. The clouds,
moving in a grand procession from
East to West, and forming in solid
masses behind us, promised a continu-
! ance of the fair wind. At three 2. NJ.
| we passed the steamer LouiSiaTd, bound
! West, making out her name from
Maryatt's signal flags. That night
everything was cheering, the yachtmen
| ang Justify in the cabin, and the sail
ors answered as Justify from the fore
castle; the Captain turned in for the
first time since our start; but nothing
Is so variable as the weather.
| REFRESHING IN A CALM.
By. one o'clock the next morning
there was dead calm, and we came on
deck after breakfast TO find a warm
Summer day. The yacht was scarcely
moving through the water, the sails
hung dropping from the yards, the
ocean was perfectly smooth. The still
ness was remarkable. There was no
ripple of the waves, no rustling of the
sails. OF course, another superstitious
change of the toilet ensued. One of
| the servants was discovered to be pro-
fessional barber, and a shaving shop
was imProvised, everybody contribu-
ung OILS, pomatum, and perfumery.
There was a general "rejuvenation !"
Those who had not been shayen for ten
! days came out from the barber's hands
| as from disguise. Bits of unsuspect-
ed finery-such as neck ties and scarf
pins-were displayed. One would have
thought it a gala day; but, in truth;
nothing could have been worse for us
than this calm. Welcome even another
gale, so that it came from the West.
All this mummery was again effect
ual; about eleven a. NJ a fine breeze
sprung up from the South, and under
full canvas, all the sails drawing well,
/ the Henrietta cut her way through the
calm ocean. The cabin was too warm
for comfort, and the yatchmeu reclined
on deck like turtles in the sun. a
school of pOrpoiSes passed the ship and
the second mate started Il legend which
cannot but believe, that the yacht was
going so fast as to strike one OF the fish
and cut it in two. Better evidence of
/ her speed is to be found in the log,
which records that she sailed one hun.
dred and htty-SeVen miles that day de-
spite the time lost by the calm. BY
night we were making eleven knots,
with everything as snug and trim as on
the first day out.
\ soft, balmy morning succeeded,
and we were reused up at sunrise to sa-
lutte Bremen steamer that dipped her
colors as she passed. The yacht now
ran easily, like machine, rolling up
two hundred and hfty-two miles by
MONDAY; at three p. m. we fell in with
a Scotch mist, in the midst of it We
-
eleven days out from Liverpool The
captain of the Philadelphia doubly en-
couraged us by reporting that he had
heard nothing of the other yachts. and
that the winds were Westerly.
LOOKING TO THE RESULT.
The excitement in regard to the race
now reached fever heat. All jokes and
talked of but yachts, and time, and
wind, and the probabilities and possi-
bilitieS of the contest. In every dis
tant vessel we saw a FLeetLCinO: every
star near the horizon was transformed
into the VeStG's signal light. At eight
P. NJ. we were on soundings; at twelve
midnight, of Cape Clear. Thus the
next morning, December "a, found us
in the chops of the Channel, hoping to
eat our Christmas dinner at Cowes. It
was murky, foggy, dark, damp, disa-
greeable morning, and even at noon it
was impossible to take a solar observa-
ton; but by dead reckoning we had
made one hundred and seventy-two
miles. The carpenter, who had given
us one sensation, by discovering a spur
iouS leak, now treated us to another by
announcing that the F'EeetDiu0 was in
sight. Everybody clambered on deck.
BInnacular glasses, eye glasses, specta-
cles and telescopes were brought to bear
upon the imaginary yacht, which was
soon made out to be an English topsaiI
schooner bound the other way. Indig-
nation followed excitement, and both
quickly merged into a hearty laugh.
Nearing the land of Christmas carols
and Dickens uPon Christmas eve, it
was impossible to go to rest After
very late dinner we had our Christmas
songs and stories; among the former was
a ditty composed in honor of the Hen
Tiettd and sung to the familiar air of
"Sweet Evelina." While these festivi-
ties were in progress, we made the Scilly
Island lights at a quarter to eight P NJ.
The current drifting US to leeward, we
steered South Southeast for an offing
and passed the islands handsomely,
having made no tack since we left New
York, and having only varied eleven
miles from the straight line between the
two points. So admirable a landfall
reflected great credit upon Capt. Sam
uels. At three o'clock A. NJ. we passed
the Lizard light, going thirteen knots
an hour steadily, the Henrietta, like a
well jockeyed racehorse, reserving her
best pace for the finish.
PILOT on BOARD.
Running close in to the bold coast we
sighted the Eddystone, Start Point. and
Portland Hill, and at forty minutes
past twelve P. NJ. on Christmas Day
took on board Cowes pilot. A heartier
cheer never rent the air than that which
greeted the pilots announcement that
no other American yacht had passed
up the channel. The race seemed won.
aud sudden blaze of sunshine lit up
the chalk cliffs of Old England in sill
very gloryi it was like an illumination
of welcome.
THE RACE WON.
Under every inch of canvas, with even
ID -Srk, L.