WITH DOCTOR HENSHALL IN CUBA 
IN 1886, WHILE ENROUTE TO SPAIN, THE FAMOUS ANGLER VISITS HAVANA AND WIT- 
NESSES THE EXPLOITS OF MAZZANTINI, THE BEST KNOWN BULL FIGHTER OF HIS DAY 
SEVENTEENTH PAPER 
M Y friend and shipmate, Judge 
Nicholas Longworth, of Cincin- 
nati, had a sloop yacht built at a 
shipyard on the Detroit river, which 
proved to be one of the fastest among 
the racing craft on the Great Lakes, and 
is worthy of mention here in connection 
with one of the most remarkable races 
ever sailed on Lake Erie. The Minx 
was built somewhat on the lines of the 
international cup winner Puritan, so far 
as could be done with a light-draft cen- 
terboard boat. She was 72 feet water- 
line and carried an immense mainsail. 
During a canoe regatta at Ballast 
Island, near Put-in-Bay, the schooner 
Wasp was in attendance. Her owner, 
Commodore of the Cleveland Yacht Club, 
refused all overtures for a race with the 
Minx, saying she was not fit. During 
the following winter, however, the Wasp 
was thoroughly refitted, her masts re- 
stepped and a new suit of sails pro- 
vided. In the following season she won 
some races at the interlake regattas, 
and later arrived at Put-in-Bay eager 
for a race with the Minx. 
At the conference to settle the terms 
of the race, Longworth waived his right 
to time allowance, notwithstanding that 
the Wasp was fully fifty feet longer than 
the Minx. And, moreover, as the Wasp 
was not provided with extra sails, her 
owner insisted that the race be sailed 
under cruising rig, regardless of the 
fact that the Wasp carried double the 
amount of canvas as the Minx. I in- 
sisted that we be allowed the use of 
balloon- jib and spinaker, but Longworth 
waived that right also, saying that if 
he could not beat 
the Wasp boat for 
boat, he did not 
care to beat her 
at all. 
The course was 
to be from Put-in- 
Bay around Mid- 
dle Island and re- 
turn, about ten 
miles. On the 
morning for the 
race the wind was 
easterly and 
blowing half a 
gale, so that it 
was necessary to 
take a double reef 
in the mainsail of 
the Minx, inas- 
much as the run 
to Middle Island 
would be with the wind dead aft. 
The vessels crossed the starting line 
almost abreast. The Wasp, with foresail, 
mainsail and topsails, wing-and-wing, 
walked away like a thing of life, while 
the Minx, with idly flapping headsails 
and reefed mainsail, yawed and fol- 
lowed like a bird with a broken wing. 
But as she could beat to windward sev- 
eral points nearer than the best of them, 
we relied on the run home when close- 
hauled. 
As the Wasp passed from sight be- 
hind Middle Island she was five min- 
utes ahead of the Minx — a good long 
lead. When we reached Middle Island 
the Wasp was already headed for home, 
and had made her second tack to wind- 
ward. As the Minx shot out from be- 
hind the island on the port tack, the 
Wasp crossed her bow on the starboard 
tack with a good slant to windward. 
For some time we crossed and recrossed 
on opposite tacks, the Wasp still to 
windward, but with the Minx gaining 
steadily. 
When the Minx was making the last 
port tack before turning on the star- 
board tack for the final run home, we 
decided to make as long a leg as pos- 
sible, in order that we might catch the 
Wasp when also on the starboard tack. 
To do this it was necessary to run the 
risk of sailing through the stakes of sev- 
eral dismantled pound-nets. The result 
was just as we had planned, for as we 
came about on the starboard tack, paral- 
lel with the Wasp, we were to the wind- 
ward of her. We knew then that victory 
perched on our peak, and so it proved, 
for we crossed the finishing line a minute 
ahead of the Wasp, or to be exact, fifty- 
nine seconds. 
S KIPPER LONGWORTH and I hav- 
ing decided to go abroad, and having 
discussed the matter from various 
angles, we finally decided to forego the 
i 
IT) ' A- 
M 
Malolo — a flying fish of Hawaii 
usual lines of European travel from 
New York, and to take the southern 
route from Cuba to Spain, as more likely 
to insure pleasant weather in winter. 
Accordingly we took passage on the 
Manhattan for Havana and left New 
York in December, 1886, in a violent 
snow blizzard. In a day or two, however, 
we encountered balmy breezes and pleas- 
ant weather under the genial influence 
of the Gulf Stream. In order to avoid 
the three-mile northerly current of 
the Gulf Stream, steamers bound for 
Havana and Gulf ports sailed close in- 
shore, within hailing distance, along the 
southeast coast of Florida, the water 
being quite deep and free from rocks. 
As we passed Jupiter and Lake Worth 
I was reminded of former days when, 
with the wind off shore, I paddled out 
from the inlets in my canvas canoe to 
intercept passing steamers in quest of 
newspapers and magazines. As I could 
keep along pretty well for a short dis- 
tance, the passengers crowded to the 
rail to wonder at such a cockle-shell rac- 
ing along so far below them. But the 
little Curlew was perfectly safe, and 
was so buoyant that she rode the bil- 
lows like an eider duck. 
We arrived in Havana during the 
Christmas holidays and found the city 
quite gay and much more enjoyable than 
during a former visit in the Lenten sea- 
son. Among other attractions and 
amusements was Mazzantini, the most 
famous bull-fighter of his day. He was 
announced to give ten exhibitions at the 
Plaza de Toros, or Bull-Ring, for which 
he was to receive an honorarium of 
forty thousand dollars! We attended 
his benefit on Christmas Day, when he 
was to kill six bulls especially bred for 
the purpose in Spain. 
The bull-ring was a large amphithea- 
tre with rows of seats and stalls entire- 
ly surrounding it. Double price was 
charged for the seats in the shade. A 
high fence or bar- 
rier separated the 
seats from the 
arena. The section 
reserved for la- 
dies was crowded 
with senoras and 
senoritas dressed 
as for the opera. 
The fluttering of 
their gayly deco- 
rated fans might 
have been likened 
to a swarm of 
butterflies flitting 
among the or- 
chids of a tropical 
garden. The show 
began with the 
grand entree of 
the entire com- 
pany, announced 
by heralds. First came the espadas, 
then the matadors, toreadors, and 
banderilleros, marching on foot, and 
dressed in silk knee breeches and stock- 
ings, embroidered jackets and dancing 
pumps, surmounted by the characteris- 
tic toque. The picadors brought up the 
rear, mounted on horses, dressed like 
'V 
