The New York Times, August 24^th, 1871

The course and the Boat Crews - Interesting Gossip About the Men

The correspondent of the Boston Journal gives the following interesting details:

"The Halifax Royal Yacht Clubm which was established on the 23^rd of March, 1857, and is foremost in promoting aquatic sports in this sectoin, was the originator of the present carnival, and the starting-point for all the races is to be from boats startioned in the harbour exactly opposite their elegant boat-house on the waterside at Richmond, on the north suburbs of Halifax.

The course, which has been carefully measured nautically, begins and extends more than three miles down the noble harbour. The grand four-oared race for the championship of the world on Wednesday will really be over a distance of seven miles less 160 yards, since the nautical measurement is much more formidable than that ordinarily employed on the Kennebecasis. The coming race for the championship is exciting the intensent curiousity, both on account of the large prize, $3,000, and the curious relations of the contestants.

The Tyne crew, which has just lost Renforth, professes to entertain no hopes of winning. Bright, the substitute, has hardly been in a boat for three months, and has not kept himself in tolerable training previous to Renforth’s death, but they say they are desirous of getting something for Renforth’s widow, and if they should win by chance they should greatly rejoice. In addition to this, they do not like to see the St. John men so confident, and are anxious to beat them. They are still undecided whether or not to come to the United States. Should they get through the four-oared race with any distinction, they will doubtless lay their oars in American waters, but the spirit of the crew seems quite broken.

The Halifax four-oared crews entered for the great race are physically of magnificent build, but, as scientific oarsmen, stand but little chance beside the English, the New Brunswickers, or the Americans.

I visited the Taylor-Winship crew, at their quarters at the Atlantic Hotel, today, and found them all hearty, clever, North Country Englishmen, heavy in build, with tremendously-developed muscles, and a dialect almost impossible to understand. I was obliged to to ask the name of the boat in which they propose to row four times before I could make it out from Winship’s lips. Taylor, the bow, and veteran of the crew, is past thirty, but looks still very young and vigorous. He has a clean-cut, expressive face, with sparkling eyes, wears a very light mustache and small tuft of whiskers. His career has been a very long one, full of triumphs, and the number if races in which he has rowed is legion. Winship, the stroke, is also very well known in all the Tyne region, and both he and Taylor are famous throughout the Provinces, because they were of the crew which beat the St. John men at Lachine last year. Both the men, who have been so intimately associated with Renforth, feel his loss deeply, and one of them, when he heard of the champion’s death, cried out, "Ma God! Are ye sure its comed correct?" Winship is a thin featured man, with but little beard, and about twenty-eight years of age. He is a stalwart and scientific oarsmen, and to see him pull in his place as stroke is a treat to all who admire the English style of rowing. Sadler is the only Thames man on the crew, just as Kelley is the only one in the Renforth organization. His latest exploit, and one of a great many brilliant ones, was beating Kelley last year upon the Thames in a single-scull race. Sadler has also carried the prize for single sculls at the Thames regatta, which is considered a great distinction. He is the tallest of the crew, talks with the least dialect, and sits number two in the boat. He will probably enter in the single-scull race of Thursday, in which I learn both Kelley and Chambers have entered. Thursday promises to furnish quite as good sport as Wednesday. Bagnall, who sits number three in the Taylor-Winship crew, is a young man, who thus far has done the most extraordinary feats in rowing. He has signalized himself especially in one or two single-scull races, and has never been beaten yet when rowing alone. He is a young man of powerful build, with a plain, English riverman’s face, full of the hues of weather.