The New York herald., 1870-03-29
MIR. Dougins 10 MIR. Ashbury.
PARIS, March, 1870.

PARIS, March, 1870.
JAMES AsHBuRY, EsQ:-
DEAR SR--iIaying simply acknowledged your
letter OF the 22d OF February now reply detail.
Although know OF no code IN yachting matters
which gives 10 challenged party the exclusive
right selecg such he pleases, yet assuln
ing that you are correct In your suppostion, this IN
no way affects the present case. iou must remem-
ber that challenged the Cambria TO sail, not over
any course, but over any open course Gee rom ne
tafueace or lght lana breezes, currents, DEC. TINS
did not leave you NJ oerty to select courses pecu
liarly subjected to the above Influences. such IA
ground the Isle OF Wightn &c. &c. Not wishing
unnecessarily 70 proong our correspondence !eit
the choice Of the TO be setticd between US
after my arriyal IN England Tor although you had,
as yon say, clearly defined the courses you wished 10
sail, had clearly declined them.
The extracts wh cn you give nom the Spt1rt nf TIE
Times and tue NEW YORK II ERALD were entirely un-
necessary II their object W as TO convince me that
time allowance for difference OF tonnage is gene
rally gwen IN regattas not only In England, but in
America, although In private matches qles-
tloD is always a or agreement. aud ls gene
rallywaived-,ide matches between L'Irondelle and
yesta. Rambler and Magic. Magic and Eva. / never
for inoment thougnr OF either asserting or imply
ing that such not. however the usual custom.
did consider that to DO the subject under dis
agreed to 'lorego the diierence IN tonnage be-
tween the Cambria and sappho? In your letter OF
February 81, 1870 you admit having agreed 10 do
so, and the excuse which you now give
for Withdrawing your promise l ca mot but
consider triling The Sappho has added
but four inches TO her extreme breadth 1858,
aud has not had an onnce OF cad run into her. The
Cambria, the other hand has had her bows filled
out, wonderful Improvement according to the Eng
aha 10 hat tnn ruJl fn
maSts nave been 4axe! an uy i..l.st accouats size
IS 10 have more lead 9nd additional SAILS. II the
sapDho or 1870 Is not me same vessel as the Sappho
oil 1855 III equal justice may it De said that the Gam
bra OF 1870 Is Dy no means the same vessel as The
Cambria oi 1905.
Notwuhslauding your promise. however had you
given auy Do,tI dle open race, sucn as 10 tue
Azores aud back, or across the Atlantic, where any
superior power The Sappno may possess would have
told III her favor. snould have been perfectly Will
lug 10 nave given tue Cambria lull allowance OF
llme e,ner py tue New York Yacht Uiuo D. tue lng-
lish Gu tom house measurement. Over such courses
round The Isle OF WIGHT or tBe triangular one you
mentioned the advantage Is often decidedly Ia hVor
OF the smaller vessel
iD reference 70 the word courage 10 which you
taAe exception In my letter OF teoruary TO- allow me
to say that only made OF that word IN contra
dlstnoJon to the wora "faarn tiear oi defeat'')
twice used by you In your letter Of November IA,
1853, Wnen replying TO paragraph two OF Mr.. Ben
neb's letter ol Octubel. tAe presence OF fear I'M.
plies the absence Oh courage; but did not suppose
THAI any one would understand me as referring 10
paJsict.I courage.
II Is needless again to discuss the series OF races
Wuich you UIcr me III your ietber OF fcuTuary ~,
1910 they being for tue most part (wth tue excep
of tour and SIX almost Identical with
what you nave before suggested ia series lour and
SIX yo oher 10 race the ;oappno sixty niles dead 10
windward aud BACK, no conditions OF time allow
ance. either in English American waters. In
a as this the Camora would have
sixty miles on what ~ admitted TO be her
best point OF sailing, head wind, whist the Sappho
would oe entrey cut OF IRON What consider 10 he
her pest pont-ualnaig, beam Wtnd. TINS ~ weIgh
Ing tue oappho pretty neavly. / 5aouJ THINK tnab
turee races OF Sky mnes eacli--tne lrst to wlnd-
ward, the second vita beam wind and the third
with the wlnd dead atl--wauld have oeen better
test which the best boat all rouiiu Never
tueiess, accept buth series. Nos and T. H. how
ever, you do not visa 10 sa as many as six races
! VIII sall two England ana one IN America, or.
Two IN America ana one mere. FalIng tniS accept
sores No. alODe. and VIII SAIL the Cambria stXty
miles dead To wndward and back IN tue EnQLsn
Channel We saaii lake flying start from
suitable poinG outside the Soent, waiting such
"a WIND as shall enable the yacuts beat out INTO
either vessei hugglng the ana taxing advan-
ttQe OF currents ur sants VI WlId from the iaud.
la the concluding paragraph OF your letter Of Feb
ruary ~ sou suggest that my crew sDoid De purely
Americans, inasmuc as SHOULD WIN with selected
English crew success woulu be greatly essened.
l cannot agree with you there. Ny Object IS TO test
tue Quality OF my vessel under the best nalenent.
] stall therefore make every eort the snort time
tnat is' left ne anu .aoofitlg as do, under great
disadvantages 10 get together tne best set OF men
that | can, Irrespective OF nationality leoing thaC
my baDp.e est efforts produce crew superior,
" equal TO the celebrated raca. crew or Tie Cam
bla.
Iremain, dear Sir, truly yours,
NM. DOUGLAS.