The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-04
COWES HEADQUARTERS
OF ENGLISH SOCIETY
only yachting club tho members OF
which have tho privilege Of flying tho

only yachting club tho members OF
which have tho privilege of flying tho
white ensign OF English men-of-war-
right denied to honorary members
and of making use OF the royal buoys
and wharves. 1t has Il number Of
! other important royal prerogatives be-
slowed upon it in turn by George w,
| William w, Queen Victoria and King
| Edward. Founded IN lSl3 as indi-
Gated by Its seal. 1t held the first OF
! Its annual dinners In 1915, the Water
loo year, at the Thatched House Tav-
ern. in st. James's Street London, with
Lord Grantham in the chair. For some
years afterwards, the dinners, meet
inBs and elections took place at the
Medina Hotel, in East Cowcs, then at
the Gloucester Hotel, West Cowes, until
1856, when. thanks to tho then Mar
quis OF ConynGham- commodore OF the
| squadron, 1t acquired tho old castle
at Cowes. which has ever since been
its headquarters, commanding SPLEEN
did view up and down the Solent
One of the rules OF the Royal Yacht
Squadron. which keeps lots OF people
from becoming members, is that which
requires candidates for election to be
practical yachtsmen, possessed Of d.
plomas as sailing masters, and capable
OF navigating their own boat. King
Edward endeavored to have this regu-
lation amended, as to admit tho
election of men who, while not yachts
men in tho technical sense OF the
word. have. nevertheless, by their own
ership of yachts and by the devotion
OF large sums of money TO the con-
struction of racing craft, contributed
in an Important and effective manner
To this branch Of sport. But the club
has never been willing TO give way in
the matter, and evailed itself OF this
preteXt to black ball last year, In
particularly Overwhelming fashion,
duke. Of stormy antecedents. who is
frequent visitor to America. and whose
name 1t is needless to mention.
From a reader / receive an inquiry
as to the origin of the Scotch High
land garb. which will be worn for the
next two months not only By many
Englishmen, but likewise by a number
OF Americans, sojourninS north OF the
Tweed. for the sake of the shooting
The earliest distinct alluson to the
picturesque Highland Earb. with its
kilt, sporran. etc, Is TO be found in the
Norwegian Saga of Magnus Barcleg, in
which it is related that that monarch,
on his return from his great eXpedi-
ton through the Hcbrides was found
to have adopted, and then introduced
into Norway, the dress-evcn then de-
scribed as ancient-worn by the High
landers of the Western Isles. II con-
sisted OF mantle and kirtlc. the
'broacan" and "fakliunn," or plaid and
kilt the legs being uncovered From
his adoption OF this Scottish Highland
garb, with its bare legs. King Magnus
received from his Norwegian subjects
the nickname of "Magnus Barelcg."
The seals of King Alexander |. in 1907,
of David l. in 1924. and of Malcolm
" In 1883, NIL represent these rulers
of Scotland in what is now known as
Highland Garb. and believe that there
is sculptured evidence tending to show
that the costume had been in use dur
ing several hundred years previously.
George ~. was the first of the Eng
lish sovereigns since the days of the
union to don the kilt-on the occasion
OF his state visit to Edinburgh, when
Sir Walter Scott took leading part
in welcoming him. William ". never
wore it, But Queen Victoria, who was
passionately fond of Scotland. insisted
from tho time when she established
her Highland home at Balmoral that
the Prince Consort and the other mem
bers OF her family should wear not1l-
ing but Highland dress when in Scot
land. Even her German relatives were
compelled TO don it, and some OF them
were wont TO complain bitterly of the
rheumatism with which they became
afflicted thereby, and OF the discomfort
or the Kilt when rendered additionally
heavy by Scotch mist and drizzle
There is nothing more unpleasant to
those not 10 the manner born than Il
wet kilt. which has n way OF cutting
the inside of the knee.
King George and his sons, and the
Duke or Connaueht, as we'll as Prince
Arthur. always wear the kilt north of
the Tweed But King Edward aban-
doned the practice during the closing
years OF his reign; nor did he insist
upon the members of his ontourage
being thus CARRIED when at Balmoral
Copyright. 1918, by the Brentwood
Company