AQUATICS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14277, 18 August 1910, Page 5

AQUATICS.

i THE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE. BOTH MEN FIT AND WELL. iPress Aeeoriation-By Telegraph-Copyright Received 11.5 p.m., August 17th. CAPETOWN, August 17. The scullers have completed their training. Both men stood a severe preparation, and the race promises to be the finest ever seen. THE ARNST-BARRY MATCH. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 17. A cable message received by the selcreaary of Artists committee states that the champion is in his best form and is feeling confident of winning. Dr Thacker, who is now at Victoria Falls. lias telegraphed to Arnst's friends here, and the telegram has been placed at the disposal of the Christchurch "Star." He says: "The champion is down to 13st. Arnst and his party are very confident. Harry Floyd has recovered from fever. Both Arnst and Barry are well. The course is an ideal one. The weather has been excellent, but some afternoons have been windv, and the water then rather rough. The British South African Company people have lately been clearing 'hippos' from the championship cour.-e, and Arnst had a day on the river with them, and bagged "one. Full arrangements have been made for the regatta, which opens to-day with the South African events. Trains are arriving daily with excursionists. So far. the visitors have experienced no seriou? troubles from insect pests, popularly supposed to infect the region.

The cable station at Wakapnnka vcill remain open t'll 3 a.m. to-morrow to enable the result of the sculling match on th'-> Zambesi in come through if pos-ihle. but it is considered doubtful whether it can reach New Zealand by that time. ARRIVAL AT THE RIVER. FIRST IMPRESSIONS. Mr Harry Floyd, manager tor Dick Ariut in Airea, writes to the Sydney "bun," describing the party's journey iron: Capetown tu the Zambesi, and their liist impression of the river, ax lohWs:—

•Livingstone, July 2. —We got away from the Cape through rough and barren country. Talk of barren country in Australia, why it is not in it. The boats were in a train in front- of us, and we were to try and. feet them hitched on to our tram when we got to Kimberley, but the train was too hea w there, and we could not do so; so they were to follow soon after. We gradually got into better eonntry, but we had a taste of the dust in a coupl* of places we passed through. It would nearly smother you. As you get up towards Rhodesia the country gets a lot better. There is plenty of coarse grass as high as your head, but not much stock to be seen or much land under cultivation—nothing but niggers and the old block-houses on the side of th» line that -nere in use the time of the war. There are lots of places you pass through very like parks, the trees and scrub being free. In other places yon would think were orchards. We stayed in Buluwayo some time. Some New Zealanders and Australians met us, and gave us a good time and a drive around. We got here on Saturdav morning, after four nights and five days in the train (1650 miles). The trains are well fitted up, and it cost as much as 3s 6d for "a feed." The further you come up the more it costs—--2s for brandy and soda. Is 6d for a beer, and not too long either. ''Some of the officials met us at Vietorial Falls, which is seven miles from here. Our boats were to be here on Monday, but by some blunder they have been stopping all along the line, and to finish un they came along, but were not shunted here, so thev went on to Broken Hill. 500 miles "further up: so had to be returned, and we hear they have just arrived. All this after special 'iiurnctions io mish them all from headquarters. Dick has told me that owing to the delay he claims the right to nostpone the date later on, if he wish?s to. There has not been anything dene yet, and won't be until Hairy arrives, as to signing articles. Dick drow th« £3OO guarantee from the hnnk on bis arrival.

"The river from here is 3i miles awav. so we are roiii" down to camp there. They are building some huts now for us. The r : ver is not as wide as we expected to find, it being about 300 yards at the most, with a bit of a bend at the start, but it looks a good course. There are lots of 'hippo.' in and they have engaged a man to sbont them off but they don't come quite on the course proper, so I don't expect Dick to b? upset by thorn.

'•So far we have not encountered any lions, but we ran ui> against a large crowd of big baboons the other day, while looking round the falls to. shoot anvtliing of note. We have to take out £'2o licenses, so we are verv much disappointed at all the talk about the fine shooting we were going to have. "Xo doubt the falls are a great eight. They are a quarter of a mile, across the top. then they drop down into a narrow gortre. which the "railway bridge crosses. This is the only sight here to see. The unvn is built on quite a sandy rid<re. wiili about 200 of a whits nopulation. and thev are nearly all in the U.S.A. service at'l3s per day. The -pub" gives you what you could get in Sydney for one-third." The only tli ng <-!ie.->n—if yon can call it cheap—is black labour These chaps do everything. The white man comes along and takes his country, aud now tie coloured fellow dare not pass a white man without takinc off hisJiat—that is if he has one. As a rule he has verv little to cover him.

"The weather is perfect, with nice warm days very s'milar to Svdnev weather, and Dick thinks it will suit him well. We have not seen Barry yet We are all wg]l. and wish to be remembered to all in Svdnev. -U f ar as we can see there is not likelv to be anv betting here unle=s it comes out just before the race. jr ost of t]le > , favour Dick.