AN EXTRAORDINARY RACE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1110, 26 May 1883, Page 1

AN EXTRAORDINARY RACE.

The most wonderful race on record (says an exchange) was that between Messenger and Beach the other day in Australian waters. Largan, the English sculler, was also in the race, but had his boat cut in two by a 14ft open sailing boat shortly before the start. He, how. ever, started in a borrowed outrigger, but retired after going 200 yards. The weather was very rough, and, after changing places repeatedly, Messenger, who was leading, bad his boat burst open snd swamped forward by a sea, the after part sticking up in the air about three feet. Beach, who had broken his slide, and was pulling on a fixed seat, then shot up o him, and yelled out, “ I’ve beaten you now.” Messenger was of course inclined to give in, but the people on the steamer yelled out to him to go on in hopes something would happen to Baach also. Sure enough they were right, for in a few minutes the stern of his boat sunk, and the bow cocked up at an angle of 45 degrees. Then Messenger, seeing hope once more, removed his feet from the straps, took off his roller slides and held them in his mouth, and then, standing up in his boat, half of w hich was completely buried under water, he turned round and sat straddle-legs across the boat, his legs dangling in the water—a tempting bait for any shark in the vicinity. He faced the nose of the boat, and, after an hour’s hard rowing, during which the water was breaking over him, he rowed his boat stern first the last quarter of a mile, and passed the flagship a winner of one of the most singularly-contested races ever recorded. After swamping, Beach gave up the contest.