time having the profoundest respect for the genius of Mr. Watson, whose talent as a naval architect nobody admires more than I do.
But after my visit to the Erie Basin in Brooklyn I formed the opinion that the America's cup was, barring accidents, perfectly safe for another year. Defender exhibited all the grace of a thoroughbred horse, while Valkyrie was a clumsier but apparently a more powerful creation. Defender, in point of fact, was as highly finished a product of the skillful naval architect as was the Scotch cutter Minerva when compared with some of the "brutes" that were built to beat her.
I had plenty of time to examine both vessels, and I need not say that each had a wondrous attraction for me. I saw Captain Cranfield mix his famous black varnish for Valkyrie's bottom, a compound whose two principal elements are coal tar and "turps," but which gives a surprising gloss and sleek finish when mingled in correct proportions. I saw this applied to the wooden planking of the English clipper, and thought to myself that something more potent and speed-compelling would be necessary to plaster her with if the cup were to be carried away. My friends on the staff of Outing remember that on my return to the office from the Erie Basin I told them my views of the rival yachts, and predicted an easy victory for the Yankee craft.
