The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-08-04
Ice-Yachtlng on the Hudson.

This exciting sport is described and
illustrated in the Midsummer Scribner
from which we quote:-
"lou 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,
tilt 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 to various points of the horizon
while your thought drew it's slow length
along. The ice seems to be running I'M
der you with great speed, and you some
times feel that you might easily drop Oft
the open, spider-like frame of the yacht.
by such rapid motion, the bubbles, crys-
| tails, and lines Of the ice are all woven in
| to a silky web of prismatic hues. You
distinguish only the cracks that run with
it, they seem to jump from side to side
without connecting angles orcurves The
| mounds and the windrows seem to come
up at you suddenly, and dodge past. You
begin to hold on to the hand-rai, and lie
| close down in the box. If you are steer
ing, you feel that your hand is the
hand of fate; and the keen excite
ment nerves you to extraordinary alert
ness. The breeze sings in the rigging
| the runners hum on the ice with crunch
ing sound, and a slight ringing and crack
ling and Il little squirt of crushed ice
flies up behind each runner and flashes
like spray of gems. The yacht seems
more and more a thing of the air, her
motions are so ittul, hayward, and sud
den. The speed with which you approach
Il distant scene makes it grow distinct
| while you wink with wonder. Things
grow larger, as if under the illusions of
magic you feel the perspective almost
rs a sensation. You turn toward brown
patch OF woods it quickly assumes the
apart, and gorge appears between
them while you stare, a stream starts
down the rocks, behind the trees Il 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 as
you turn away to some other point of the
horizon. So YOU seem to be continually
arriving ut 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 Oft at once, and the crew Jump
aboard, one man standing or lying ON
the WindWard runner plank and holding
Oh to the shrouds, and the hclmsman and
another man lying in the box. Then the
other yachts successfully swing around ;
and, in moment, the whole fleet is UNI
der way, gliding in zigzag courses among
the Windr0ws and mounds They all
diminish in apparent size with astonish
ing rapididy; they seem actually to con
tract in a moment to Il mere white speck.
skimmng about the river miles away.
You Join the crowd of men and bows
stamping and slapping to keep warm;
you exchange a few words with Il friend.
and when You turn around again, behold
the yachts sweeping down upon you
They grow us they come, flying at You
with a wayWard, erratic course, and You
feel the wonder of embodied speed. The
cn-mile race OF the ice yachts is lost and
won in as many minutes. But for those
who sailed it, these minutes were filled
with more excitement than is found in
many a long life time"