What yachtsman can ever forget the beautiful scene Cowes Road presented
on a regatta morning in the palmy days of the club, when the broad
pennant of its noble commodore flew at the masthead of his gallant
little ship, the "Falcon," and numberless beautiful craft, of all rigs
and sizes, with the white ensign of St. George at their peaks, and the
red cross and crown in their snowy burgees aloft, willingly followed the
orders of their honoured leader? Then, from far and near, assembled
yachts and pleasure-boats, of all degrees, loaded with eager passengers
to witness the regatta; and no puffing, blowing, smoking, rattling
steamers came to create discord on the ocean, and to interfere with the
time-honoured monopoly of the wind in propelling vessels across the
watery plain. Small thanks to the man whose impertinently-inquisitive
brain could not let the lid of his tea-kettle move up and down at its
pleasure without wanting to know the cause of the phenomenon! Smaller
to him who insisted on boiling salt water on the realms of Old Neptune!
Stern enemy to the romance and poetry of a life on the ocean! Could you
not be content to make carriages go along at the rate of forty miles an
hour over the hard land, without sending your noisy, impudent demagogues
of machines to plough up the waves of the sea, which have already quite
enough to do when their lawful agitator thinks fit to exert his
influence? It was a work of no slight difficulty and risk to cruise in
and out among the innumerable craft at anchor, and dodging about under
sail just when the yachts were preparing to start. I doubt whether many
of your "turn-a-head and back her" mariners, with their chimney-sweep
faces, would possess seamanship enough to perform the feat without
fouling each other every instant. But I must not go on harping on the
smoke-jacks. Back, memory! back, to those glorious yachting days. Of
the regatta I am treating. While afloat, all was movement, gaiety, and
excitement; there was not less animation on shore. The awning of the
club-house shaded crowds of gay visitors; and on the broad esplanade in
front of it were drawn up the carriages-and-four of the noble house of
Holmes, and those of Barrington and Simeon, with blood-red hands
emblazoned on their crests; while, in like style, some might by chance
come over from Appuldercombe, and others of equal rank from the east and
the west end of the island; and thus, what with booths of gingerbread
and bands of music, scarcely standing-room was to be found on the quays
during the day, while every hotel and lodging was overflowing at night.
And then the ball! what lofty rank, what a galaxy of beauty, was to be
seen there! And the fireworks! what a splutter, what a galaxy of bright
stars they afforded! Alas, alas! how have they faded! how have they
gone out! The pride of Cowes has departed, its monopoly is no more, its
regattas and its balls are both equalled, if not surpassed, by its
younger rivals! "Tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in illis." I am now
about to speak of times when that change had already commenced, and the
fleets of the Ryde, the Thames, the Western, the Irish, and other clubs
dotted the ocean. The first day of a Cowes Regatta broke fair and
lovely, then down came the rain in torrents to disappoint the hopes of
the pleasure-seekers, like the clouds which at every turn beset our path
in life; but again, as they do happily in our mortal course, the clouds
passed away, and the sun shone forth bright, warm, and cheering; a light
air sprang up from the westward, and the whole scene on shore and afloat
looked animated, joyous, and beautiful. While the rain-drops were still
hanging on the trees, a large party of ladies and gentlemen collected on
the Yacht Club slip, by the side of which were two gigs, their fine,
manly crews, with their oars in the air, ready to receive them. Three
or four servants followed, laden with cloaks and plaids, to guard
against a repetition of the shower; and several white baskets, of no
mean proportions, showed that delicacies were provided from the shore
which might not be found afloat. Never was a merrier set of people
collected together. Cheerful voices and shouts of laughter emanated
from them on all sides.
"Who's for the first boat?" sung out Ned Hearty, the owner of the
"Frolic." Ned had tried shooting, hunting, and every other amusement
which the brain of man has invented to kill time; and he was now trying
yachting, which he seemed to enjoy amazingly, though practically he knew
very little about it; but I never met a man, green from the shore, so
'cute in taking in the details of marine affairs. In a week he could
box the compass, knew the names of all the sails and most of the ropes
of his craft, and had a slight notion of steering, though I'll wager he
never touched a tiller in his life before. "I say, old fellow," he
continued, turning to me--I had joined him the day before, and had taken
up my quarters on board for a spell--"do you take charge of the first
gig, and see some of the ladies safe on board. Send her back, though,
for the two boats won't hold us all, and the Cardiffs and Lorimer have
not come down yet."
"Very well: I can stow four ladies and three gentlemen," I answered,
stepping into the boat, and offering my hand to Miss Seaton, who was
considered the belle of the party by most of the men: at all events, she
was the most sought after, for she was that lovable thing, an heiress.
She took her seat, and looked up with her soft blue eyes to see who was
next coming.
"We'll go in the first! we'll go in the first?" exclaimed the two Miss
Rattlers, in one breath; and forthwith, without ceremony, they jumped
into the boat, disdaining my proffered aid. Fanny Rattler, the eldest,
was dark, with fine flashing eyes and a _petite_ figure; but Susan was
the girl for fun. She had not the slightest pretension to beauty, of
which she was well aware; but she did not seem to care a pin about it:
and such a tongue for going as she had in her head! and what funny
things it said!--the wonder was it had not worn out long ago.
"Who'll come next?" I asked. "Come, Miss May Sandon, will you?" She
nodded, and gave her delicate little hand into my rough paw. She was
one of three sisters who were about to embark. They were all fair, and
very pretty, with elegant figures, and hair with a slight touch of
auburn, and yet they were not, wonderful as it may seem, alike in
feature. This made them more attractive, and there was no mistaking one
for the other. The three gentlemen who presented themselves were Harry
Loring, a fine, good-looking fellow, a barrister by profession, but
briefless, and the younger son of Sir John and Lady Loring. He was a
devoted admirer of Miss Seaton. The next was Sir Francis Futtock, a
post-captain, and a right honest old fellow. "Here, I must go, to act
propriety among you youngsters," he said, as he stepped into the boat.
The third, Will Bubble, the owner of a small yacht called the "Froth,"
laid up that year for want, as he confessed, of quicksilver to float
her. Will, like many a man of less wisdom, had been, I suspect,
indulging in railway speculations, and if he had not actually burnt his
fingers, he had found his capital safely locked up in lines which don't
pay a dividend. "Shove off!" was the word; and I, seizing the
yoke-lines, away we went towards the "Frolic."
"I say, Sir Francis, take care they behave properly,--don't discredit
the craft," sung out her owner. "No flirtations, remember, till we get
on board--all start fair."
"Hear that, young ladies," said Sir Francis, looking, however, at Miss
Seaton, whereat a _soupcon_ of rosy tint came into her fair cheek, and
her bright eyes glanced at her own delicate feet, while Henry Loring
tried to look nohow, and succeeded badly.
"I vote for a mutiny against such restrictions," cried Miss Susan
Rattler. "I've no idea of such a thing. Come, Sir Francis, let you and
me set the example."
The gallant officer, who had only seen the fair Susan two or three times
before, stared a little, and laughingly reminded her that he, as a naval
man, should be the last to disobey the orders of the commander-in-chief.
"Though faith, madam," he added, "the temptation to do so is very
great."
"There, you've begun already with a compliment, Sir Francis," answered
Miss Susan, laughing; "I must think of something to say to you in
return."
She had not time, however, before the whole party were put in terror of
their lives by a large schooner-yacht, which, without rhyme or reason,
stood towards the mouth of the harbour, merely for the sake of standing
out again, and very nearly ran us down, as she went about just at the
moment she should not. We did not particularly bless the master, who
stood at the helm with white kid gloves on his hands, one of which
touched the tiller, the other held a cambric handkerchief to his nose,
the scent of which Bubble declared he could smell as we passed to
leeward. Two minutes more took us alongside the "Frolic." She was a
fine cutter of between ninety and a hundred tons; in every respect what
a yacht should be, though not a racer; for Ned Hearty liked his ease and
his fun too much to pull his vessel to pieces at the very time he most
wanted to use her. She did not belong to the Cowes squadron; but Ryde
owned her, and Ryde was proud of her, and the red burgee of the Royal
Victoria Yacht Club flew at her masthead. The water was perfectly
smooth, so the ladies stepped on board without any difficulty. The
gentlemen were busily engaged in arranging the cloaks and cushions for
the ladies, while the other boats were coming off. In the next came,
under charge of Captain Carstairs, who was yachting regularly with
Hearty, Mrs Sandon, and two more of her fair daughters. Mamma was a
very amiable gentlewoman, and had been a brunette in her youth, not
wanting in prettiness, probably.
Then came a Mrs Skyscraper, a widow, pretty, youngish--that is to say,
not much beyond thirty--and with a good jointure at her own disposal;
and a very tall young lady, Miss Mary Masthead by name, a regular jolly
girl, though, who bid fair to rival the Rattlers. Then there was Master
Henry Flareup perched in the bows, a precocious young gentleman, waiting
for his commission, and addicted to smoking; not a bad boy in the main,
however, and full of good nature. Hearty himself came off last with
what might be considered the aristocracy of the party--Lady and Miss
Cardiff, Lord Lorimer, and the Honourable Mrs Topgallant; and with them
was young Sandon, an Oxonian, and going into a cavalry regiment. Her
ladyship was one of those persons who look well and act well, and
against whom no one can say a word; while Clara Cardiff was a general
favourite with all sensible men, and even the women liked her; she
talked a great deal, but never said a silly thing, and, what is more,
never uttered an unkind one. She was so incredulous, too, that she
never believed a bit of scandal, and (consequently, or rather, for such
would not in all cases be the _sequitur_) at all events she never
repeated one. She was not exactly pretty, but she had a pair of eyes,
regular sparklers, which committed a great deal of mischief, though she
did not intend it; her figure was _petite_ and perfect for her height,
and she was full of life and animation. Mrs Topgallant was proud of
her high descent, and a despiser of all those who had wealth, the
advantages arising from which they would not allow her to enjoy. It was
whispered that her liege lord was hard up in the world--not a very rare
circumstance now-a-days. I almost forgot Lord Lorimer. He was a young
man--a very good fellow--slightly afraid of being caught, perhaps, and
consequently very likely to be so. The Miss Sandons, in their quiet
way, set their caps at him; Jane Seaton looked as if she wished he would
pay her more attention; and Mrs Skyscraper thought his title very
pretty; but the Rattler girls knew that he was a cut above them; and
Clara Cardiff treated him with the same indifference that she did the
rest of the men. Such was the party assembled on board the "Frolic."
I have not yet described the "Frolic," which, as it turned out, was to
be my home--and a very pleasant home, too, for many a month on the ocean
wave; and yet she was well worthy of a description. She had the first
requisite for a good sea-boat--great breadth of beam, with sharp bows,
and a straightish stem. Her bulwarks were of a comfortable height, and
she was painted black outside; her copper, of its native hue, was
varnished so as to shine like a looking-glass. Some people would have
thought her deck rather too much encumbered with the skylights; but I am
fond of air; provided there are ample means of battening them down in
case of a heavy sea breaking on board, they are to be commended. A
thorough draught can thus always be obtained by having the foremost and
aftermost skylights open at the same time; in a warm climate, an
absolute necessity. Besides her main cabin, she had five good-sized
sleeping-cabins, a cabin for the master and chief mate, store-rooms, and
pantries; a large fore cuddy for the men; and Soyer himself would not
have despised the kitchen range. I might expatiate on the rosewood
fittings of her cabin, on the purity of her decks, on the whiteness of
her canvas and ropes, on the bright polish of the brass belaying-pins,
stanchions, davits, and guns, and on the tiller with the head of a
sea-fowl exquisitely carved; but, suffice it to say, that, even to the
most fastidious taste, she was perfect in all her details. Before
Hearty came down I had engaged a crew for him, and as soon as he arrived
on board, I mustered them aft in naval fashion. They were, truly, a
fine-looking set of fellows, as they stood hat in hand, dressed in plain
blue frocks and trousers, the ordinary costume of yachtsmen, with the
name of "Frolic" in gold letters on the black ribbon which went round
their low-crowned hats. The name of the master was Snow. He was a
thorough sea-dog, who had spent the best part of his life in smuggling,
but not finding it answer of late, had grown virtuous, and given up the
trade. He was clean and neat in his person; and as he appeared in his
gold-laced cap, and yacht-buttons on his jacket, he looked every inch
the officer. Odd enough, the name of one of the other men was Sleet, so
Carstairs chose to dub the rest, Hail, Ice, Frost, Rain, Mist, Thaw, and
so on; while one of the boys always went by the name of Drizzle. Hearty
had brought down his own man, but was very soon obliged to send him on
shore again; for John, though an excellent groom, proved a very bad
sailor. Among other disqualifications, he was invariably sick, and
could never learn to keep his legs. The first day we got under weigh,
he caught hold of the swing table, and sent all the plates and dishes
flying from it. After breakfast he hove overboard half a dozen silver
forks and spoons when shaking the tablecloth; and as he went to
windward, of course all the crumbs and egg-tops came flying over the
deck. Indeed, it were endless to mention all the inexcusable atrocities
poor John committed. On his retiring on sick leave, we shipped a
sea-steward to serve in his stead, who, having been regularly brought up
on board yachts, proved himself admirable in his department; but a more
impudent rascal to all strangers whom he thought not likely to know his
master, I never met.
Who can fail to look with pleasure at the mouth of the Medina on a fine
summer's day, filled as the roadstead is with numerous fine yachts, as
well fitted to contend with the waves and tempests in a voyage round the
world as the largest ship afloat! The scenery itself is beautiful--a
charming combination of wood and water. On one side, to the east,
Norris Castle, with its ivy-crowned turrets and waving forest; on the
other, the church-spire peeping amid the trees; and the pretty
collection of villas climbing the heights, and extending along the shore
from the Club-house and Castle to Egypt Point, with the fine wild downs
beyond. On the opposite coast, the wooded and fertile shores of
Hampshire; the lordly tower of Eaglehurst, amid its verdant groves; and
Calshot Castle on its sandy beach, at the mouth of the Southampton
Water; while far away to the east are seen, rising from the ocean, the
lofty masts and spars of the ships-of-war at Spithead, and the buildings
in the higher parts of Ryde; altogether forming a picture perfect and
unrivalled in its kind. Osborne--fit abode of Her Majesty of England--
has now sprung up, and added both dignity and beauty to the scene.