THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.

West Coast Times, Issue 707, 30 December 1867, Page 2

THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.

The weather on Saturday was most unpropitious for tho resumption of tho Christmas festivities. The early morning was bright and fair, but shortly before ten o'olock the sky became overcast, and at half-past eleven o'clock the rain came down in torrents, and continued in one downpour far into the night. Of course the rain put a stop to most of tho outdoor sports. The Regatta was proceeded with — tho Stafford street sports — and the North Rovcll street railway sports commenced, but could not be gone on with on account of tho pouring rain— and the Weld street sports were not begun, but are, we understand, postponed until New Year's Day. The streets were one mass of slush and mud, and walking out-of-doors was anything but pleasant. The inclement weather of Saturday had its depressing effects upon the various places of amusement ; there was, however, a very fair house at the Prince of Wales Opera House — the pantomime evidently being a great attraction. We not subjoin an account of the sports so far as they were undertaken :—: — •THE REGATTA. THIRD DAT. "As rash as the man who dared to prog no3ticate the weather on the West Coast of the Middle Island" would be a forcible simile to transmit to posterity, for surely in no other part of the world are the atmospheric changes* so sudden and unaccountable. "All' through them mountains there," said a sage old salt, whose experiences extended over half a century, and to nearly every corner of the aqueous portion of this planet ; " and," continued he, " so long as them mountains remain there so long will this seaboard bo blessed with a pretty considerable damp climate." Whatever may be the cause, the disagreeable effect was only too patent in the drenching ruin that again fell on Saturday and quitp. marred the pleasure that would otherwise have been derived from the concluding events of tho regatta. Of theso only two came off — viz , the Youths' Race and the Champion Sculling Mateh — tho sailingmatch for the ten pounds given by the crew of tho Customs boat, and the row off for the disputed socond prize of the first day's pairoared skiff race, being postponed until New Year's Day, when it to bo hopod that his clerk' ship of the weather will prove alittle moreaccomuiodatiug. There was no mistaking the rainy indications that were only too manifostou Saturday morning, and accordingly tho race-com-mittee hurried matters, with the view of getting the champion-match over before tho downpour commenced. This intention was, however, frustrated, and the most important and that which should have proved the most exciting event of tho meeting was decided in the midst of drenching rain that fell unceasingly from the start to tho finish. We say tho race should have produced the most excitement — and certainly anticipated something better than the very tame affair of Saturday. But again, the boats wero wretchedly matched, and until the championship of this river is made worth contesting wo fear that no improvement in this respect can be hoped for, for men will scarcely be inducod to provide crack boats aud undergo tho disagreeable process of training unless a substantial reward is in prospect. The race committee certainly did its best, as, out of the scanty funds at disposal, L2O was appropriated for the prize, an amount we hope wijl bo at least trebled when next year's regatta is announced, under, let us hope, the auspices of a popular and effective Westland Acquatic Club.

Saturday's racing commenced with a youths' pair oared skiff race, for which only two boats started, and resulted in an easy victory to a couple of smart lads who pulled the' Livo Yankee. Exceptiug a display of very pretty rowing on the parfc of these boys, there was nothing in the race worth observing, the other boat, . the Rebecca, being rowed by a couple of youngsters who were anything but up to their work, and never had the slightest chance of winning. The Champion Race was contested by four boats, whose characteristic differences were no less marked and distinct than those of the thorough bed racer and the serviceable hackney. Zerlina, a regular racing skiff, which had been brought from Greymouth for the occasion, and Lady of the Lake, a light and very pretty waterman's boat, alone approached a match in the slightest degree — Jane and Live Yankee being altogether too heavy to compete with them with any hope of success, and considered alone were not a well matched pair — a very marked difference in their lines being perceptible. The race was pulled by three professional watermen and an amateur, named Giblin, although the latter displayed a Btrongthand finish of stroke thai; might bo copied to advantage by two-thirds of the boatmen who ply for hire on the river. It was ho who handled Zerlina, the winning boat and tho racing skiff above alluded to, and never was victory more easily won, the result of the race not being once in doubt from the commencement, neither were the powers of the rower ut all tested, for he maintained a slow, steady mechanical stroke, apparently at slight effort from the beginning to the end of tho contest, and won with at least a couple of miles of good pulling left in him. Ludy of the Lake, the second boat, was rowed by Toddy Hines, a waterman of some repute but wb,o jn this instance found himself in the wrong

• ■ ■ •■§£■ boat, as notwithstanding a splendid display of *| oarsmanship on his part, and extraordinary exertion that was kept up until the last half, mile commenced, he only once approached within a length of his adversary, and unable to keep up racing speed in the so muck heavier craft fell astern at last, loosing the race by at least twenty lengths. Let the rowers change boats and it would be the Bank of England to nothing upon Hines, but by placing them in evenly matched boats we believe that a magi^ nificent race would be the result. Both the Anne and Live Yankee were well pulled, but their chances were at zero from the first, and the men very wisely dropped out of the race, the Annie at the end of the first mile, whilst tho Yankee caved in when the second mile was completed. The first event was a pair-oar skiff race, open to youths under sixteen years of age. Three boats to start-or no race. Distance one mile ; entrance fee 2s 6d, and the prizes, first L 5; second L 2. For this race there were three entries, viz :—: — NAME. OWNER. COLOE. Live Yankee ... Smith Red 1 Rebecca Palmar No Colour 2 Anne Hooby White 0 The last boat was scratched." No other offering to enter, the Stewards decided that rather than have no race it would be better to let the two boats start. They were accord' ingly marshalled at the starting point, and the gun being fired got away well together, but almost immediately separated, as Live Yankee drew ahead an.l fairly ran away from Rebecca, coming in a winner by a dozen lengths. The second event; was the Champion Scullers Race, open to all coiners, for the Championship of Hokitika. Distance two and a half miles. Prize L2O; entrance fee LI. Four boats entered, viz :—: — Zerlina Giblin Green 2 Lady of the Lake Ogilvie No Colour 1 Live Yankee ... Ward Red 3 Jane Hawkins Pink & Blue 4 Some difficulty was experienced getting the boats in line, but this was at last accomplished — Ward however being about half a length astern— and upon the signal off they went. Zerlina in advance, Gibliu having put on a desperate spurt to secure the lead. The boats got away at precisely twenty-one minutes past ono o'clock, Zerlina leading by a couple of lengths ; Lady of the Lake second ; Jane third; Live Yankee fourth. Zerlina first rounded tho up river boat with Lady of tho Lake about a length and a half astern, she being quite seven lengths ahead of Jaue, which in her turn headed tho Live Yankee, by about half that distance Tho Yankee, however, pushed Jane hard for third place, and gained it during tho down stream pull, the starting line being crossed in the following order: — Zerlina leading her Ladyship by two lengths, Yankee third by six lengths, Jane nowhere. After rounding tho lower boat she gave up the contest. From this point the race was utterly devoid of excitement, as Zerlina had it all her own way, and won as she liked by twenty lengths. Yankee gave up the race at the end of the second mile. As the rain continued in torrents, with every appearaneo of a drenching afternoon, it was decided to put off the other two events until finer weather set in. The race committee met in the afternoon to pay over the prizes, and it was then arranged to complete the programme on New Year's Day, and, if possible, in the mean time, raise sufficient funds for a whale boat race.