Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-08-10
miscellaneous.


You 60 on down the river now with a
good wind on the beam. The playful
breeze freshens in flaws, as If trying to
escape you: but still you follow its way
ward motions you start when it starts,
fit over the ice with its own speed, turn
and glide with the lightness and the grace
of its own whirling dance. The ice-yachts
darling about look like white-winged
swallows skimming over the ice; as they
cross and recross your course. you hope
that every Captain knows his business and
will avoid collisions. The ice-yachts have
anticipated your wish, and flown away 10
various points Of the horizon while your
thought drew its slow length along. The
ice seems to be running under you with
great speed. and you sometimes feel that
you might easily drop off the open. spider
like frame Of the yacht By such rapid
motion. the bubbles, crystals, and lines Of
the ice are all woven into silky web Of
prismatic hues. You distinguish only the
cracks that run with the course; and,
when they deviate from il, they seem to
jump frop side to side without con-
Meeting angles or curves. The mounds
and the windows seem 10 come
up at you suddenly. and dodge past.
You begin to hold on to the hand-rail, and
lie close down in the box. If you are
steering, you feel that your hand is the
hand Of fate and the keen excitement
nerves you 10 extraordinary alertness.
The breeze sings in the rigging the run
ners hum on the ice with a crunching
sound, and slight ringing and cracking
and a little squirt of crushed ice flies up
behind each rnnner and flashes like a
spray Of gems. The yacht seems more
and more thing of the air-her motions
are so fitful, wayward and sudden. The
speed with which you approach a distant
scene makes ii grow distinct while you
wink with wonder. Things grow larger
as If under the illusions Of magic; you
feel the perspective almost as a sensation.
You turn toward brown patch Of woods ;
il quickly assumes the form OF heldlands !;
these are dashed apart, and a gorge APP
pears between them; while you stare. a
stream starts down the rocks. behind the
trees; mill suddenly grows up; the
rocks are now all coated with ice statues
Of Winters sculpture are modelled before
your eyes, and decked with flashing
crystals. just rs you turn away to some
other point of the horizon. So you seem
to be continually arriving at distant
places. A regatta is to be sailed
over this course. and you arrive in
time to see the start The yachts all stand
in row. head to the wind. At the word,
the first in the line swings stern round till
her sails fill she moves off mt once. and
the crew jump overheard man stand
ing or lying on the windward runner
plank and holding on TO the shrouds, and
the helmsman and another man lying in
the box. Then the other yachts success
fully swing round; and in a moment the
whole fleet is under way. gliding in zigzag
courses among the windows and mounds.
They all diminish in apparent size with
astonishing rapidity; they seem actually
to contract in IL moment to mere white
speck. skimming about the river miles
away. You join the crowd of men and
boys stamping and slapping to keep warm ;
you exchange few words with n friend.
and when you turn round again. behold
the yachts sweeping down upon you,
They grow rs they come, flying ut you
with maynard, erratic course. and yet
you feel the wonder of embodied speed.
The ten-mile race of the ice yachts is lost
and won in rs many minutes. But for
those who sailed it. these minutes were
filled with more excitement than is found
in many a long -time.-Scribner's
Monthly.