Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-08-31
lRlGlN OF YACHTING.
skNGEs IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
VESSELS IN 800 YEARS.


Sharles II Among the Earliest Patrons.
The term yacht" is derived from the
i'enisb word 'jaght," meaning a chase;
h|nce yachting is the chasing of one YES
f1l after another. and accordingly yacht
s and yacht racing are synonymous
<pressions.
yacht is and always has been essen.
llly pleasure craft, but in the EARL
li'3s 10 yacht Of any size existed. Thus
VI End writer in 1708 referring to a
fseht as "a small ship built for swiftness
md pleasure rather than for merchan-
t'ife or wa1like service" History does
lleI ic' rH where, when or under what
.ances yachts were first built,
a il is certain they are of ancient ori.
~ and were only owned by royal per-
so,ls and great mobiles. The latter fact
I&ceives corroboration from an ancient
6rt carefully compiled dictionary of sim
eg'ar words, where yacht is described
M Ia pleasure craft of not more than
10 tons fer the kings use."
The earliest mention of yacht in this
t00ntry was as far back as the Anglo
kon period, when King Athelstan re
tf'7ed from the king of Norway pres
eaio Of a magnifcer. state barge, rugged
WIN purple sails and decorated with
Htought gold. Queen Elizabeth, we
know, frequently used state barge,
and so have successive sovereigns to this,
leB 1t is curious to relate, and goes
faf to show tho primitive nature of our
early resources, that while foreigners
were able to build yachts their example
WDs not followed in this country till
i5se. when the first English yacht was
fnnstructed ut Cowes and launched
from that port.
But while 1888 may be fixed as the
ccn1nencement of yacht building in
E1eland, it cannot be said that during
The next half century much progress was
sNNae with the newly acquired industry.
fnaeed, had it not been for Charles II,
a Is probable that the trade would not
have been established for some time to
c65ae. King Charles. however, was very
fond of sailing, and the Dutch East India
company with the view OF gaining royal
favor, presented him with small sloop
fifged vessel. The advent of the foreign
builf vessel evidently stimulated native
talent, as we find Evelyn, in his diary of
Oct 4, 1861, writing, 81 sailed this morn
iEfPith his majesty in one of his yachts or
pleasure boats, vessels not known among
ns ill the Dutch East India company
presented that piece to the king"
! But the king was not only yachtsman;
he was also a designer, and drew the
lines of the Jamie, a 25 tonner, built at
Lambeth, and raced her against the Be-
Kan, small Dutch built vessel belong
ing TO the Duke OF York.
The course was from Greenwich to
6Fayesend and back and the prize e100,
which was won by the Bezsn. AS the
eilips were designed and constructed in
different countries the race may fairly
claim to have possessed an international
ctarhcter, while from the fact that the
royal owners steered their own boats it
was dearly an amateur match. Unfor-
funakely with the death of Charles II
came another lull in the history of yacht
ing, md it was not till early in the eight
eanth century that any real revival took
place During this long interval, how
.tN<N8' llau DCOOA1O a
lAQHa democratic amusement, and the
rteft of kings had descended to the level
of oommoners. Cork harbor became a
laTo,ite yachting ground and during
Tia snmmer months was crowded with
4i1uinurive pleasure vessels. Indeed, so
popalar did the sport become that in 1720
tAe Cork HarDor Water club was formed
10 etcourage yacht racing. The club ul-
HAaaaely developed into what is now the
koyal Cork Yacht club. Here, then, we
have the first authentic attempt at organ
iaation in the yachting world.
"A lew years later the sport came into
fHF0f In the south of England, and Matt
iailN. In his "History of London" Q739),
refers to sailing as one of the amrse-
naeefs to be met with on the river
EbNknes, while later still Q60D Strut,
"a IiR well known work on -tsSports and
Fattimes," mentions the existence of
society consisting of certain gentlemen
#h9 gave silver cup to be sailed for
tifnnhily in the vicinity of London. To-
ward fhe close of the eighteenth century
ENMt6 became the favorite resort of
yacht racing, but still the contending
H2ss3is were of small size, none being
ffz 5 tons. 1t was not until the foun-
atlit1 of the yacht club, afterward the
kfaI Yacht club and now the world re-
n0Nngd Royal Yacht squadron, that
wanting in this country may fairly bs
41l1 ~ have established itself as ma
f4t sport, and even then Q819 the
|'lF of yachts afoat only reached so,
q t'4 But from this time the popu-
'1E'sHH yachting rapidly grew, and club
'pb followed in quick succession.
48pn Times.
Charm against Cholera.
lme immemorial superstitious and
'ized races have practiced peculiar
''"|'es to ward of the plague In re-
'H the Persians have suffered sadly
.4''' '|# faVages OF cholera, and they resort
#'fn rites to avert its attacks. One
#pst common OF these is that of
t''| fpder the Koran.
yners stand opposite each other,
#Fl"een them scroll Of the Koran,