DEPARTURES.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 86, 19 April 1870, Page 2

DEPARTURES.

Luna, p.s., Fairchild, for Bay of Islands. Jane, schooner, 37 tons, Moller, for Tauranga. Nautilus, cutter, Stephens, for Tairua.

The p.s. Duke of Edinburgh will; leave for the Thames at 12 o'clock to-night. ', The s.s. Star of the South -is expeoted in harbour to-morrow from Napier. \ - Tlie s s. Keera, which has been detained with heavy easterly gales at Taranaki. is expected to arrive in tlie Manukau on ThursThe ketch Eagle, Capt. Loverock, entered outwards at the Customs to-day, for Rorotonga. She will sail in a few days. Woodstock. —The cutter Woodstock arrived in harbour this morning, having left Opotiki on Sunday evening. She brings :—IOO bags potatoes, J. S. Macfarlane; 10 bogs wheat, order. Boat Race. — Hickey v. Rush. — This event, which for some time past has. been creating quite a stir in the aquatic world, was decided on Saturday m favour of the champion. Rush was quite unknown in Sydney until Anniversary-day Regatta, when, with Coulon, he won the double scull race, against Lyons and Connor ; he also won the amateur race on the same day. Subsequently, he and Coulon beat the Tricke.tts, with double sculls in lio-ht skiffs, in a private match on the Parramatta River. His pulling on both those occasions -was much admired, and he found a large number of friends, -who took 2 to 1 that he would beat Hickey. The pulling of our champion is too well-known to need much comment; suffice it to say that he will be a good man that is able to beat him in any boat. The backers of Rush, however, are still confident that had he trained properly, Hickey would have had all his work to do to carry off the stakes. Tho race on Saturday was pulled in heavy watermen's skiffs, Hickey laying £200 to £150; he also staked £60 tp £40 that he would beat Rush by fifty yar Is. The following steamers, well-freighted v..';b passengers, proceeded to the scene of the race, which was over the usual course |on the Parramatta Biver : — Agnes Irving, Kembla, Breadalbane, Herald, Vesta, Cobra, Pelican, Premier, Courier, and Fairy. The river was also thickly 3tudded with boats of.all sorts' and. sizes—the bay where the flagboat was-moored presenting quite an animated and picturesque sight—a ; marked contrast to its nsuaily, r serene and placid appearance. At half-past four o'clock the men pulled up to the bathing-house, from off which the start was ;to. take place, and were loudly cheered by their respective friends. Both men looked admirable, stripped, and Hickey's pinchedup face proved fj that his training had not been neglected. Shortly before five o'clock the anxious spectators on board the various steamers. screamed out "They're off," and such was. the case, both boats coming along at a smart pace, with Rush leading. This fact caused a good deal of consternation amongst the friends of the champion, who; expected he would nev6r be : headed throughout the race. Off Kissing Point Rush had increased his lead to two'boats'lengths, rowing much quicker than his opponent, who pulled a-long-sweeping stroke, which he never altered from the start. The'-t-me distance separated the boats until the'first .half of the' cour9e was pull<_d, when the backers of Rush were beginning to. fancy that, as their man had headed Hickey for a mile and three quarters, that, barring accidents, it was his race ; but alas for the frailty of human hopes. Rush at this portion of the race dropped his head and began to. show signs that his exertions to keep a head had pumped all his steam out, leaving none to fidish the race with. Hickey, maintaining the same long, steady,felling.stroke, gradually drew alongside; and was loudly cheered as his sculls were seen to dip ahead of Rush, who. rolled oh .-iiii seat, rallied again, and pulled a couple of wild strikes, and "then dropped the sculls, leaving Hickey to row tlie remainder of the ouirse at his leisure. The stakes were duly'paid over 'oil Saturday ni^ht, when another matrh was made between Richard Hickey and Rush, the former laying £300 to £200, to be pulled in heavy boats on the Parramatta river, on Saturday, May 21.— Sydney Herald.'