With a fair wind and a strong flood tide, and carrying full mainsails and jibs, they senated through the shipping at a rattling e. The Arrow had slightly increased her lead at Tung-ka-doo, where the Pinafore was still a little ahead of the Fairy, which was closely followed by the Gemini, the Falke being a couple of hundred yards in the rear, When clear of the junks, the mainsails were eased and jibs boomed out for the run before the wind, but scarcely had this been done than it was necessary to perform the ticklish operation of gibing. All managed it, however, fairly well. Meanwhile, the Gemini had improved her position and was now on even terms with the Fairy, while soon afterwards she challenged the Pinafore for second place and had obtained it before the Arsenal was reached. Here the Avrow had considerably increased her lead, and the Gemini was also drawing away from the Pinafore, which seemed to be fully two hundred' yards ahead of the Fairy. This order was maintained to the stakeboat with the difference that the Gemini got nearer to the Arrow, and the Fairy fell further behind the Pinafore, while the Falke's sail was only visible overland in the distance, The following was the order in which the stake-boat was rounded 1 25 00
It will thus be seen that the run from Shanghai had been made in the quick time of 1h. 6m. 50s. by the Arrow, which beat the Gemini by one minute, the Pinafore by din. 458., the Fairy, by 6m, 15s., and the Falke by 12m, 30s. The conditions of sailing now entirely changed, the boats having to beat against wind and tide. After rounding the stake-boat, the Arrow and Gemini stood well over to the Pootung side of the river, no doubt fancying that it was slack water there, and they made several short tacks. The Pinafore seemed disposed to follow their example, but did not go so far over as they did, while the Fairy, as soon as she got round, shaped a course down the centre of the river and stood over to the Pagoda side, sailing very close indeed to the wind, and standing well up to it. This gave her the lead, but, following her example, both the Pinafore and Arrow, with the Gemini well up, picked her up at the foot of the first' reach, and so close did the four boats get together that they were almost within touching distance of each other. They soon separated, however. The Fairy again went away with the lead, followed by the Pinafore, the Arrow and Gemini falling behind in company. The Gemini failed to hold her own with her larger opponent, a remark which also applies to the Pinafore in regard to the Fairy, which proved her superiority in ling over a strong tide with an adverse wind. Being the first to obtain the benefit of a change in the tide, she ran away with a splendid lead, which she increased to fully half a_ mi the entrance to the Pagoda Reach, the Arrow deprived the Pinafore of second place. The Gemini was now more than a quarter of a mile behind these boats, and the Falke was so far in the rear that she could not be seen. From thi point there were no other changes of posi. tions. The Fairy gradually increased her
of 9m. 32s., while it was a good tussle Tead and won the race with an advantage between the Arrow and Pinafore for second place, the former proving victorious by a few seconds. Appended is the official time that the various boats finished Fairy 3 47 30 Arrow 3 57 02 Pinafo 3 57 38 Falke 4 33 40 Gemini 4% 19
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.