The Hawaiian gazette., 1882-03-15


This exciting sport is described and illus
rated in .S44fasr, from which We quO,e;
: You 70 On down the river now with a
-,,f wind on the beam. The playful breeze
frcshens in flaws, as If trying to escape you !;
but s,ill vou follow its hayward motions
Yoa start when II starts, fit over tie Ice With
lis own Speed. tara and glide with the hight
ness and The grace Of its own whiriins Gsnee
The ice-vachts darting about look Ike white
winged swallows skimmins over the ice. As
thev cross ard recrcSs ycuT course, yoa hope
that even captain knows his business and Will
avoid collisions The ice-yachis have antlci-
rated vour wish. and flown away 10 various
points Of the horizon while your thought drew
lis slow length along. The ice seems 70 be
running under you with great speed, and YOU
sometimes feel that you might easily drop OF
tie open, spider-like frame Of the yacht. By
such rspid motion. the bubbles, crystals and
lines Of the ice arr all woven into 4 silky web
Of prisusatic hues. You distinguish only the
cracks thar run with the course, and, when
tbsv deyiaie from IL. they seem 20 Jump from
side 20 side without correcting angles or
curves The mounds and the windows seem
10 come up AZ you suddenly, and dodge pSsi.
You begin 10 hold on 10 the hand-rSil, and lie
close down in the box. Ii you are steering,
vuu feel that your hand Is the hand Of fate !;
and the keen excitement nerves YOU to extra
ordinary alertness. The breeze sings in the
rigging, the runners hum on the ice with a
crunchipg sound. and slight ringing and
cracking; and a 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 Sir-her motions are 50
itful, Maynard and sudden. The speed with
which you approach distant scene makes il
grow distinct while you wink with wonder.
Things grow larger, as If under the illusions
Of magic; you feel The prospective almost as
a sensation. You turn toward . brown patch
Of weeds; 1t quickly assumes the form Of
headlands these are pushed apart, and 4
-ur.e appears between them while you stare,
3 stream starts down the rocks, behind the
trees. a mill suddenly grows up: the rocks
are now all coated with ice statues Of win
tiers sculpture are modelled before your ewes.
and decked with flashing crystals jIst As you
turn away 70 some ether point Of the horizon.
80 you seem to be continually arriving a; dis
taut places
&" A regatta is to be sailed over this course,
and YOU arrive in time &c sec the start The
yachts all stand in row, head to the wind.
At the WORT, the first in the line swings stern
around till her sails fill she moves off at once,
and the crew jump aboard-oHe man standing
or lying on the wiudward runncT-plank and
holding on 10 the shrouds, and the helulsman
and another man lying in the box. Then the
other yachts successfully swing around and
II q moment, the whole feet IS under way,
gliding in zigZlg courses among the windows
and mounds. They al diminish in apparent
size with astonishing rapidity they seem
actually to contract in a moment TO . mere
white speck, skimming about the river miles
away. You Join the crowd Of men aud Toys
stamping and slipping to keep warn you
exchange a few words with a friend, and,
when you turn around again, behold the yachts
sweeping down upon you They crow IS they
come, flying at you with Maynard, erratic
course, and you feel the wonder Of embodied
speed. The ten-mile race Of the ice yachts Is
los. and won in IS many minutes. But for
those who sailed it these minutes were filled
with more excitement than is found in many a
long lifetime"