On the shore, and round the castle
battery, the congregated groups of lovely females traversed to and
fro, and the witchery of blight eyes and beauteous faces upon the manly
hearts of the sons of Neptune must have been magically triumphant. The
Pearl beat the Arrow, and the Julia the Liberty,--thus equalizing the
victory between the contending parties. The procession of the pilot
boats, about forty in number, was a very animated scene; and in the
sailing match of the succeeding day, our little craft, the Rover, came
in second, and received the awarded prize. The race ball at East Cowes
gave the young and fair another opportunity of riveting their suitors'
chains, and the revels of Terpsichore were kept up with spirit until the
streaking blush of golden morn shone through the dusky veil which Hecate
spreads around the couch of drowsy night. But the day of parting was at
hand; the last amusement of the time was a match made between Captain
Lyon and a Mr. Davey, of London, to sail their respective yachts,
the Queen Mab and the Don Giovanni, upon the challenge of the last
mentioned, a stipulated distance, for a sum of two hundred guineas--an
affair which did not, to use a sporting phrase, _come off well_, for
the Don most ungallantly refused to meet his fair opponent; and being
wofully depressed in spirits, either from apprehension of defeat, or sea
sickness, or some such fresh water fears, the little Queen was compelled
to sail over the course alone to claim the reward of her victory.
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