urned and had to swim;
and the chance of who might win was still open to the man of strength and
spirit, with reasonably good luck. Once more the competing canoes came
swiftly back to shore, and were dragged round the flag, and another time
paddled round the flag-boat; and now he was to be winner who could first
reach the shore again and bring his canoe to the Tribune: a well-earned
victory, won by the Hon. A. F. Kinnaird, far ahead of the rest.

[Picture: The struggle]

The whole affair lasted not much longer than might be required to write
its history; but the strain was severe upon pluck and muscle, and called
forth several qualities very useful in life at sea, but which mere rowing
in a straight race does not require and cannot therefore exhibit.
Instantly after this exciting contest, a Frenchman challenged the winner
to another chase over the same course. But as the challenger had not
thought fit to enter the lists and test his powers in the chase, which
was open to him like the rest, it would, of course, have been quite
unfair to allow him, quite fresh, to have a special race with the
hard-worked winner, though the Englishman was at once ready to accept the
gage.

Among the visitors to the regatta was M. Forcat, whose peculiar system of
propelling boats I have mentioned in the account of a former voyage; and
he brought up for exhibition, and for the practical trial by the winner
of the canoe chase, a very narrow and crank boat, rowed by oars jointed
to a short mast in front of the sitter, and thus obtaining one of the
advantages possessed by canoeists, that their faces are turned to the
bow, and so they see where they are going.

It is no doubt an enormous disadvantage that in ordinary rowing your back
is turned upon the course, with all its dangers and beauties; and this
inconvenience is only put up with because you can go faster as you row
with your back foremost, and the scenery is of no account if a river
serves only to float the skiff but not to please the eye. As for
travelling on new and lovely waters in this style, with face to the
stern, it is just as if you were to walk backwards along a road, and to
think you could appreciate the picturesque either by a stare at the
retreating beauties you are leaving, or by a glance now and then over
your shoulder at what is coming. But though M. Forcat's boat had the
rower's face to the bow, the form and size of the nondescript novelty