BIRTH.

New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator, Volume IV, Issue 322, 7 February 1844, Page 3

BIRTH.

On Monday, January 29, the wife of Mr. Henry Buck, of a daughter.

To the Editor of the " New Zealand Gazette and

Wellington Spectator."

Sir, — We observe in your last paper a letter on the subject of the late sailing match, written by Mr. Hart, in which he takes upon himself to say that the prize was improperly awarded, and that it had been " fairly won " by Mr. Cemino.

Without wishing to enter into any dissertation with those " who though vanquished will argue still," we beg to state that Mr. Ceraino did not win the prize, having, according to all usage in sailing matches, forfeited (in two instances) the benefit of being first in, one of which would be sufficient to lose the race. We took pains to procure satisfactory evidence as to his fouling the two boats^flongside the Three Brothers ; one material witness was a seaman on board this vessel, who had, we should suppose, even a better opportunity of judging than the third officer of the Roman, to- say nothing of other testimony, to our minds perfectly satisfactory — and as to the latter point, it was quite notorious to all the spectators that he fouled the Royal William.

We may mention that G. Houghton having mistaken, the course, and on the question of fouling being brought forward, we the Committee, desirous of giving all a fair chance, proposed that the race should be run again, which was pertinaciously objected to by Cemino, the others with one exception being agreeable, and this exception only undecided. We then informed the General Committee that a dispute had arisen among the competitors, when we were requested to take the settlement on ourselves, upon which we informed the parties that, unless they acceded to our proposition of sailing over again, we should proceed to settle the matter according to the established rules in such cases ; and in terms of the evidence before us, we therefore adjudged that the Fidele had lost the race in consequence of fouling on two occasions, that the City of London had gone out of the course, and that the Happg Jack was therefore entitled to the first prize, the Burnham to the second, and the City of London, having rectified her error, was named the third boat. There was no previous decision whatever come to.

Cemino's mate admitted that, when coming up to the Three Brothers, he thought they ought to give way to the windward boat, but Cemino said " no, he would keep his course."

It would occupy too much of your space to remark on Mr. Hart's observations about the wind being off the "shore" &c. ; he, however, admits that the other boat was to windward of the Fidele, by " taking the wind out of her sails." Is it not a rule in sailing that the lee boat gives way? which Cemino did not do.

With these remarks we allow the matter to rest, as far as we are concerned, conscious that we acted in the matter with perfect propriety; and if certain gentlemen would take the trouble to enquire a little more into both sides of the question, they would not so often write themselves down voces popuii. We are, Sir, Your's obediently, The Committee on Sailing Match. Wellington, January 3, 1844.