ARNST BACK AGAIN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 978, 19 November 1910, Page 3

ARNST BACK AGAIN.

[ FROM THE ZAMBESI. ! "HARDEST RACE I EVER ROWED." [ MAY FARM IN AFRICA. "Dick" Arnst, champion sculler of the world for half the year, and a Tai ' Tapu farmer for the remainder, arrived back from the Zambesi yesterday by | tlio Ruapehu, which vessel he joined- : at Cape Town. When last iu Wellington Arnst had "fined down" as the i result of his training for the Whelch ■ race, rowed shortly before that date. He returns topping the scale at 15J stone—2'i stone heavier than his heavy , rowing weight. Once he ceases to train . systematically he puts on flesh. "Some day," savs Arnst,' "I won't be ■ able to get it oif, and somebody will ! como along and beat me, and the public ■ will say things! Anyhow, we've had a •fine trip and an enjoyable experience." ' Barry No Joke. What about the race? i "I find that there has been all sorts of yarns going around about tho race, I give you my word it was the hardest i race I ever rowed in my life. . I had a bit of luck at the start. Though he caught the water first, Barry did not know enough, to make the best uso of his advantage, but I dug in as hard as I could, and beforo he could realise it I was about threo lengths ahead. That was about 300 yards from the start. Then he started to come at me in good style, and I tried to widen the" gap, but : found it difficult, and I was still only about threo lengths ahead at the mile. I managed to drag ahead another ; length in the second mile, with the Englishman going • strong in my.wake. About a quarter of a mile from the finish Barry made a big spurt, and came up within two lengths of me — one clear length of daylight between our boats. I could only plug ahead and wonder when he was going to givo up. About 200' yards from the finish, Barry stopped dead, dono up, and I only rowed four more strokes when I,'had to stop—everything ; went black, before my eyes. . I dipped my 'hands into the water, and sluiced it over my face. This pulled, ine together enough to paddle to the finish. "I carried my boat back to the shed, . : and was then very sick, and had to lie down for a time. That night I went to Livingstone, where the stakes wore paid over at a dinner, given by the Commissioner of N.W. Rhodesia, but for threo-days after .I felt very queer, and could only speak in a sort of husky whisper—the strain had affected my throat somehow or other. "Tho raco took place on Thursday, August 18, and Barry left for the Capo on the Saturday following. Before leaving, ho begged mo to give him another'-race on tho Thames, and I told him that I would put nothing in his way 'if he could find tho money for my expenses—£soo. • Since-then ' I have heard nothing further." ' • The Ugly incfctent.- • On being questioned about the incident alleged to have occurred beforo tho .-race, in-which Mr. -Spencer-'Gollan ; is stated to have, received a letter from a' person in Arnstf s camp stating that it was in tho writer's power to "fix" Arnst (or words-to that effect), the .champion refused point blank to' say anything. < ' After tho race Arnst, ' in . company .with Harry .'Floyd, !liis"' '"trainer, and jGeorge Sutherland,-of Nelson, went on a-live weeks'.hunting expedition in the back country on the invitation of Mr. .Dreyer, who gavo them a glorious'time, with plenty of good shooting iu picturesque country. "I got a hippopotamus, a lioness, and numerous , haartebeeste, impala eland, reedbuck, waterbuck, sable antelope, roan antelope, lechine, pookoo (all of the deer family), and plenty of guinea fowls and African A £ood many of tho heads are being mounted and sent on to him, . • via!.Boira (this, route .being selected to .avoid the export duty charges at Cape Town). For their expedition they wero presented with complimentary licenses (which ordinarily c-ost £50). Arnst re- . ceived a warm welcome on his return ; to Johannesburg, where ho was enter- ■ tained, and was tho' recipient of several presentations, including one from New Zealanders. . ' Enamoured of Transvaal Farming. The burly oarsman was greatly struck with tho agricultural possibilities of the Transvaal, and is seriously thinking-of settling in that country. "There is ' land just out of Johannesburg," said Arnst, "that grows 14 tons of potatoes, or 35 tons of mangolds to tho acre. ■What more does anyone want?' It is not being farmed to any' . the Boers' methods are old-fashioned— because everybody is earning too much money in other ways, chiefly in connec-tion-with gold-mining. It think a man : .coulll do really well there; and I may give it a "go" yet. 1 Jack Arnst Interviewed. > Jack Arnst, brother of the champion ; sculler, of'tho world, who went to the Zambesi as pacer to Dick, returned 1 from Africa by tho Ruapehu yesterday. 1 His story of the raco —many and diverse have they "been —is that his brother had 1 to row pretty hard to . beat' Englishman >' Barry. Dick certainly made tho best of his opportunities at '. the start where ho got a , splendid l?ad, but later, when -. Barry settled down, Dick -had . to . row all he knew to maintain tho lead. Considering tho conditions, ..with tho I wind and a jcbble ahead, the. pace was ■ pretty hot. He knew that better probably than anyone olso, as he was "on tho river in a wager boat, • and pulled [ abreast of tho two oarsmen for a time.' When in Johannesburg Jack Arnst [ won tho cycling championship of South Africa. When there 110 was challenged by F. Venton, the champion cyclist of South Africa, who had heard of Arnst's prowess on the wheel. Arnst had littlo time to train, but got into fair form, and they raced two distances— half mile and live miles —both of which ! Arnst won after good races. The purso was £50 and half tho gate money, i which amounted to about: £200." Tho • wagering before the race was threo to 0110 on Ventor, and both 110 and two or three New Zealanders managed to pick up a little that was lying Joose around. Jack Arnst is still desirous of becoming a-first-rato oarsman, and intends to leavo for Sydney in about a fortnight's timo to continue his training. Both 110 and. brother Dick will compete in the ; hi" sculling • handicap, which/is to bo 1 held in Sydney towards tho end of . February. ■ A PARLIAMENTARY WELCOME. \ ARNST ON SPORTSMANSHIP. i A wcleomo was extended to Arnst in 1 Bellamy's ou tho. rising of tho House ' at s.3o.'yesterday. ' afternoon. 'J Sir Joseph Ward presided, and on the leftof the guest was Mr. Massey. A,largo number of members and the Speaker 1 . wore present. In v> r0 P 0S > u 5 Arnst's health, tho ' Prime Minister said that it was particu- i larl.v gratifying that 0110 .of New Zea- - land's sons should have won such an honour. He hoped that wo would seo I j Barry out here. _ That would bo' fair, . as a matter of reciprocity. It was sug- \ gtsU-il that Arnst should go Home to ' Sov the second match, hut he (Sir Joseph Ward) would like to see tho event arranged for New Zealand waters.- j Sculling was a sport in which thero 1 could bo 110 deception, it was purely a < trial of skill and strength. It might ]

bs that- Arnst .might want to try his skill on the political fields, and if so lie hoped ho would come to fclio New Zealand Parliament; where ho might try his skill in wordy'contests. Arnst, in responding, .said that he was gratified that t!io members of Parliament. were proud of his success. He knew tho keen interest the match had excited. Ho could assure them Barry was a formidable opponent. Although ho was slow in starting, he was a good iinishor, and had him (Arnst) wondering how he could struggle home' "in front. - They' could take. it that Barry pushed him 'as no man had done yet. Arnst-expressed liis pleasure at being a New Zealander and an Australasian representative. The New Zealanders at Johannesburg had given him a royal lime, and ho had been well treated by Australasians generally in South Africa. He had offered.-: every ...inducement to Barry to.comq.to New. Zealand, but ho had objected-that his wife and family prevented him. '-'There.must, always be a better man in the worlclj" said Arnst in conclusion., "and when I am beaten, as I must bo some day, I hope you will all knqw I 'havo vowed * straight race, and been beaten by a better man." Mr. Massey added his words' of welcome and congratulation.- He hoped Arnst would retain tho championship for a long time, and when lie lost it he would surrender it. to a. New Zealander, or, if not to a New Zealander, at all events to a citizen of tho British Empire. He hoped Arnst would be successful on tho Thames, and would, at all events, win-or,-lose like a man, sportsman, and New Zealander. The Speaker (the Hon. Mr. Guinness) referred to the great'interest that had been taken in Arnst's training, and in the'race itself. We : had all felt confident we were .sending a representative wo could be proud of. Arnst was only ; a young man, and ho would .probably row .many more championships. The company wished him success in liis :match at the heartof-the ' Empire, which would, probably be witnessed, by a million people. v;, ■ . Mr. Rhodes (Ellesmere) said that excitement on the Thames would bo greater than it had been on the Zambesi, for there was still a keen interest in sculling in England. The good wishes of the people would go with him.