There are but few places in the world where this exciting sport can be indulged in and Tientsin on account of the floods which annually cover the plains, affords excellent opportunities to lovers of iceboating. I say lovers, because one has to be somewhat of an enthusiast to stand the severe cold and thoroughly enjoy it. Our good old Mowocacv furnishes us with strong. contingent of members and they muster between them four first-class iceboats, the intest built this winter, designed straight from Poughkeepsie and intended to "knock spots" off everything, and, considering that she carried about 450 sq. feet of canvas or 100 feet more than any other boat, it. was fully expected she would do so. 'We muster about fifteen boats in Tientsin, ten of which were sent out to the station, the fifteen minutes' walk doubtless accounting for more not turning up, though reasons have operated to prevent many who formerly took a great interest in the sport—the old excuse "I've married a wife and cannot come," only they don't put it that way. Itis strange how marriage affects certain kinds of sport. A year or two ago we had an excellent football team until several got married, and that seemed to demoralise the rest, for ever since it has been impossible to get a team together. There has been quite an epidemic in the marriage line this last year and plans are out for twenty-five new houses to provide for the increase of population. H.M.S. Linnet mustered three boats, and officers and men derived considerable amusement from what was to them a decided novelty in the way of sport. Tceboating in a strong breeze is decidedly amusing to onlookers on account of the numerous accidents which nearly always happen. Our first race this season resulted in four boats out of five being disabled, two crashed through the ice going about fifty miles an hour, the other two being dismasted. In another race a collision took place utterly wrecking one of the boats, some of the crew having very narrow escapes; experience has taught some of the older hands, and these accidents generally happen to griffins, though the others have all had similar experiences.
Iremember once starting out for a sail at the beginning of the season, the members round the Club House assuring me the ice was all solid and safe, and so it looked.
Ice Bow But I had not gone more than a hundred yards before I crashed through the ice into about five feet of water, head first. The thermometer was about zero and a bitterly cold wind blowing, boat smashed, your men struggling in the water to get out. Now crawling out of water and getting safely on the ice when it keeps on breaking requires both science and skill; the ignorant man makes a wild clutch at the edge, puts his whole weight on it, the ice breaks, down a piece strong enough to support him; but he goes, and so he keeps on until he finds
the wise man who has had some experience in this kind of business knows a thing worth two of that, he calmly tests the edge and if nearly strong enough he throws both arms and one leg as far forward on the ice as possible, thus distributing his w ight over larger piece of ice, and by thrusting his other leg downwards raises himself right on the ice. If anyone doubts this he can test it whenever an opportunity presents itself.
Tt has often been stated the Chinese have no "nerves" and consequently can endure pain which no foreigner can. Instances of this occur in iceboating; I have seen some of our coolies stand in the water half an hour, when the glass was about zero, hauling out an iceboat that had gone through. Tonce had a little experience of this kind of thing and shall never forget the intense pain which resulted from the cold numbing my lower limbs. I was miles away quite alone; my boat went through the ice; not a coolie in sight; waited some time, still no-one came, could not leave the boat, or everything on it_ would be stolen, so stripped and tried to lift the boat out, but ten minutes in the water produced such a painful sensation that I gave it up and was busy for more than half an hour trying to get the circulation back... The pain was excruciating, and yet our coolies go and stand in water below freezing point for a considerable time and do not appear to suffer; truly these people have no nerves Our races during the past season included six forthe "Challenge Cup," originally presented by the Winter Sports Committee and won by the Rocket, (owner T. W. Tuckey) on a protest against the first boat for not properly rounding one of the flags, The Cup was put up the following year and won by the I-e Kins (owner F. H. Clarke), winning two out of four races; was this season presented to the Club to be raced for as a "Challenge Cup," best out of five
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.