WATERMEN'S BOAT RACE.

Otago Witness, Issue 570, 1 November 1862, Page 2

WATERMEN'S BOAT RACE.

A boat race, which cuue oiTon Saturday afternoon, in the harbor, iittiacU'd a gieat number of spectators, seemed to pk-aso them nil, and might, we should think, with very little trouble, be uiu.de the; means ot initialing a movement for a Dunedin regatta.

1 iii- lace, in wh-ilebo.iK was confined to the watermen of DuiH-din ; indeed, it w.u originated by them, and, had tin. re been no aid from the public, the match would have been for a sweepstake of a pound or two. When the intention to have a race became known, Messrs Riordan, Mr Ciieer, and other gentlemen, including Mr Clarance Holt, gave contributions ; so that the treasurer appointed by the men was enabled to anuouuee a prize of £20 for the lirst boat, and of £10 for the second.

Four boats weie entered. The quarter-deck of the Geelong steamer, which wab lying at the new Jetty, termed a convenient post for Captain Dickie, deputy h '.rbor-master, who was very fitly selected to be the judge and readily undertook the office : four o'clock on Saturday afternoon was fixed for the start ; and a course of nearly four miles and a-half was marked oil" by three ri'oored boats, as follows : — Prom the new Jetty to near the north easterly point of the harbor ; thence across to Grant's Braes ; thence to Auder^on's Buy ; and thence to the bt.irting point.

As we have said, there wab a large gathering of spectators. The Geclong and other vessels at the new Jetty, and a considerable portion of the new and oldjctties, were densely crowded ; and upon Bell Hill and its slopes, as well as upon the Rattray-btrcet Pier, there were also goodly musteriner.

Soon alter four o'clock, the boats wore ranged in the following order, counting from the pier, thfc position being sealed by lot :—: — 1. — Aleit, white flu>\ D. Mackenzie, coxswain; George Mason, stroke ; Peter Andrew , John Daly, William Macker.->y, and Frederick Pa.ttei&ou. 2. — Marion, white with red cross, P. Johnson, coxswain ; llobcrt Skellv, >tn»ke ; J. Smith, T. Bradley, A. Hogluud, and W. Wb.itni.-r. 3. — Eclipse, red. \Vm. Phillips, coxswain ; Daniel O'Brien, stroke; James Baxter, Edward M'Kenna. John Mackei->y, and John Keith.

4. — City of Hobart, blue- Thomas Faneil, coxswain ; Wm. Tkomp-On, stroke; Jame-. Fletcher, Frederick Banuisttr, Jlouis iiiigelhuff, and ' Jacob Tuinbull.

At eight minutes after four, the signal to go ■was given by the dipping of theGeelon»'s ensign, and a capital start was made. The City of liobart seemed to have " the call" amongst those indued to bet ; and the Eclipse apparently lind more friends than the Alert. S6on after starting, the City of Ilobart took the lead, and the Alert drew slightly ahead of the other two. The iir.-t boat was lounded at 4.17; Eclipse, which was second, closely followed by Alert, being 18 or 20 seconds after the City of Ilobart. In the pull to Grant's Brae, Alert came well up with the Kclipse, but neither of them gained on the City of Hobart, which rounded with a lead ot 2o seconds. Thence to the' Anderson's Buy boat, the City ot' Ilobart increased her lead to half a minute, and the Alert collared and slightly passed the Eclipse, the Marion being comparatively " nowhere." The stroke up to this time had been rather quick and very vigorous ; but it was quickened for the pull home, especially by the crew of the City of Hobart, and the boats came up, the first three at a splendid pace, as follows :—: —

The first boat did tlie distance in 27^ minutes, or at the rate of ten niiks an hour. The prizes were during the evening delivered to the coxswains of the City of Ilobart and Alert, at the Theatre Royal. During the afternoon, a very wuarfc four-oaied gig, smartly liandled, attracted a good deal of notice. She was commonly spoken of as " The Princess Boat," and we are glad to learn that she will probably become the lirst craft of a local club, -which ought to be a success, if at all fairly managed.

3ity of Hobart ... A.iert Eclipse Mai ion 4 35 30 4 3;S 3 4 3li 20