LYTTELTON REGATTA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 21, 31 May 1851, Page 5

LYTTELTON REGATTA.

Our pretty little colonial town was the scene of unusual bustle and gaiety on Saturday last, on account of the Regatta and Public Sports arranged to take place in celebration of Her Majesty's thirtysecond birthday. During the preceding fortnight the waters of Erskine Bay had been threaded all day long by craft of all sizes and capabilities, managed both by amateur and practised hands in the exhilarating sport, all anxious to acquit themselves well upon the coming day of trial. That day at length dawned, but rather inauspiciously. During the preceding night a stiff breeze had blown, but spent itself before the morning, which was most provokiugly calm. It was therefore arranged that the pulling matches should be proceeded wfyh, in the hope of a breeze bye-and-bye springing up. For the first race five five-oared whale boats were entered, of which four were in the hands of -Maori steersmen.and.crews,-.the_fiftli-heing managed by a fellow-townsmen, Mr. BeresforJ,j and his ..... (

rowers ; the course was from the jetty, round a reef towards the head of the harbour, and a buoy moored, off Quail Island, thence round the Travancore, which was lying some distance below the town, and back to the jetty, the whole of the race being visible either from the town or the Sumner Road. Many, to view the proceedings on the water, sought the same element. The first boat to round the bluff, and come within sight of the spectators on the jetty, was that of John Bungare,-a Maori, thesecond being that of Horomona, or Solomon, and the third that of Te Wahea.

The ill success of the Frances, belonging to MrBeresford, was no doubt chiefly owing to the wai of perseverance in his bow-oarsman, who gave v pulling at an early period of the race. The fou: oared race proposed in the printed rules had bee altered to a four-oared and a five oared race, on purpose to allow of several whale-boats from the peninsula being entered. But none entered, why, we do not know. It was whispered about that they did not like to enter against the Maoris. "We can hardly credit this. "We never heard of Englishmen shirking a contest on their own element, with the natives of any country in the world. If there were any feeling of this kind, we think it far more creditable to Mr. Beresford's crew to pull unsuccessfully, than to those who would not enter against the Maori crews. The natives pulled admirably, and came in apparently but little distressed after the race. But we are certain there were many whale boats with English crews, which would have passed them easily, as we hope another year will show.

The match between four-oared boats next came offi Four had entered; the Happy-go-lucky, H. Tulloch ; the Lass of Erin, E. Ward; the Shagroon. W. Taylor ; and the Queen of thjs Heathcote, R. Taylor. The course was round the buoy off Quail Island, round the Travancore, and back. Mr. Ward's boat took the lead from the commencement, (Mr. Ward himself pulling the stroke-oar) and retained it through the whole of the run, the Shagroon coming in second, but very far behind, and the Queen of the Heathcote third. An objection however, was raised against the Lass of Erin, because no steersman and steer-oar or rudder had been carried, as in the other boats. The umpires decided this to be a valid objection, and the first prize was therefore allotted to the Shagroon. The other nautical amusements consisted of a two-oared boat race, between the Hon. J. S. Wortley and Mr. Sidebotham in one boat, and two mem - bers of the Emerald Club in the other; the latter winning. Some sculling dingy matches, and the laughable sport called a duck-hunt, enacted between a whale boat and dingy, completed the sports on the water: what were intended as the chief attractions of the festival, viz., the match between sailing vessels from 8 to 15 tons, engaged in the carrying trade from Lyttelton, and that for open sailing boats under 8 tons, were unfortunately prevented from taking place by the dead calm that existed throughout the day, otherwise most pleasant. This caused the other amusements, we fear, to appear insignificant, and spread a feeling of general disappointment. The fun on shore, consisting of sack racing and other similar sports, was to most of us far less interesting than the war-dance performed by the Maories on the level ground in London Street. Older settlers, however, who have seen the wardance by the northern tribes, felt disposed to laugh at our interest in this spectacle. It was plain to them that these were actors, not warriors. The dance of the natives here is only in mockery of their own customs. It has lost all the reality of the war-dance. And it is well that it should be so. By an act of liberality on the part of Mr. and Mrs. Alport, refreshments of a substantial and generous kind were provided in the store of that gentleman, within a convenient distance from the scene of the amusements. We believe nearly one hundred guests partook of Mr. Alport's hospitable cheer. A dinner was .also given by Captain Brown onboard the Travavcore, followed by a ball in the 'tween decks of that noble vessel, tastefully decorated and illuminated for the purpose. In this manner it was that the Canterbury settlers manifested their loyalty, and recreated themselves after the steady application to the work before them tliey have found it necessary to exercise. Two advantages will accrue from the fete we are recording. One is, that the good folks at home will see that the Canterbury colonists are not so unceasingly engaged in struggling with difficulties, as not to be able to have and enjoy a few at least of the pleasures and relaxations of the country they have left. The other is, that these Regattas will tend to improve the construction of boats in this place. Mr. Ward's boat, whose excellent qualities were so fully proved, was built by a man of the name of Andrew Geddes, who came out in the " Charlotte Jane." Friday Night.—We are most reluctantly compelled to defer our report of.the sailing matches postponed from the Regatta, which came off this afternoon, until our next number, when due notice shall be taken of these trials of speed, of which, the first, between the larger vessels, was well contested.