174 YACHTING ON THE ST. JOHNS. 



need not be unjointed, or his guns uncased. He can 

 stuff his specimens, load shells, and tie dainty flies by 

 a window before which new and varied scenes are pass 

 ing ; and after a hard day s tramping come back to 

 abundant comforts. As yet there are but few of these 

 dainty craft afloat, and few are aware of the charming 

 life they offer. The fleet and dainty private yacht Fal 

 con, on the St. Johns, was a pleasant exponent of a 

 sportsman s craft, and in time many more will follow in 

 her wake. 



Of course there is a good deal of expense inseparable 

 from steam yatching, but very complete launches and 

 small yachts are now put afloat in perfect trim for hardly 

 any greater cost for purchase or maintenance than is 

 represented by each of hundreds of fine carriages that are 

 to be met with on the fashionable avenues of our great 

 cities, and the writer is confident from personal experi 

 ence that, abandoning all ambition for the luxuries of 

 cuisine, and seeking only plain and needful arrange 

 ments, a small family or a few gentlemen may make sum 

 mer or winter trips with no more cost than is incurred 

 by hundreds of pleasure parties who find far less of com 

 fort and independence than they would commanding 

 their ow r n yacht and their own movements. A man 

 of as much skill as is required to make a successful 

 sportsman, can do a great deal in attending to his 

 own boat, so that the cost and annoyance of having 

 too many men may be avoided ; but unless our inspection 

 laws are made more liberal, he must provide himself and 

 his men with expensive licenses, and be sometimes com 

 pelled to take his men from a guild or union commanding 

 needlessly high wages. All this, however, is in course 



