FOKEST and stream 



him and the starting buoys being out. of line. Hanlon of- 

 fered to give him two lengths start, but nothing could induce 

 the St. John man to pull. Sheriff Harding, the referee, then 

 threw up his appointment and went ashore from the judge's 

 steamer. In the afternoon, however, Mr. Harding, being 

 telegraphed for, consented to act, and steamed out into the 

 bay on the judge's boat at a quarter to five. Both scullers 

 soon put in their appearance, and a start was effected at oh. 

 8m. For the first 2U0 yards neither seemed to gain. Ross 

 was pulling 36 and Hanlon 39. Rosa then got a slight lead 

 and kept it for the first quarter of a mile ; but Hanlon spurt- 

 ing caught him again, and at the half mile they were once 

 more even, Ross slowing down to 34 and the Toronto man to 

 31. At Appleby's Wharf, two-thirds of a mile, Hanlon led 

 by half a length, pulling 30 against 32 of Ross. Both spurt- 

 ed vigorously, and by the time that the lead was spun out to 

 a length Ross put on another spurt, when suddenly his oat- 

 jumped the patent rowlock and in an instant he was over- 

 board and disappeared. When he came up again lie was res- 

 cued by the judge's boat. Ross claims that his boat got in 

 bad condition soon after the start, and that he was watching 

 it and not his opponent. The prevailing opinion seems to 

 be, however, that he was overmatched and would have been 

 beaten anyway. From the mile mark, where the accideut 

 occurred, Hanlon took matters easy, and paddled over the 

 course in 36m. 58s. And so the great sculler from Toronto 

 has used up another man. Gradually, but surely, the list of 

 candidates for him to pull is being narrowed down to Court- 

 ney of Union Springs, and efforts are now being made to 

 bring about a match between the two at Ottawa for a purse 

 Of $5,000. 



Canoeing in Open Watbb— Mr. Editor : The canvas 

 " Clochette," N. Y. C. C. (Shadow) and " Star" (Rob Roy), 

 ■which left New York on July 6, cruising, and bound for New- 

 port, by way of Long Island Sound, arrived safely and in 

 good order at Newport on July 2(i, after making stops of 

 several days at New Rocnelle, Rye, Stamford, Sachems 

 Head, New London, Watch Hill and Narxagansett Bier. The 

 weather and wind were all that could be desired between New 

 York and New London, but between the latter place and 

 Newport the canoes experienced heavjr weather, stiff though 

 favorable winds, and an ugly sea. While off Rocky Point, 

 three miles west of Point Judith, on July 23, such a heavy 

 sea was rolled in by a fresh south wind, that the canoes were 

 obliged to put for the shore and come in through high surf. 

 No damage was done beyond a thorough wetting, the break- 

 ing of a paddle and some small spars. During the cruise the 

 "Clochette" had an extra two-inch keel attached, which added 

 greatly to her sailing powers. Under sail she was much faster 

 than the "Star," but was no match for the latter with the 

 paddle. L. F. d'O. 



The Dory Nautilus.— The little dory Nautilus has safely 

 arrived in European waters, and put in at Mount's Bay, 

 Cornwall, England, Aug. 1. She left Beverly, Mass., June 

 12, making the passage in fifty days all told. YV it.li the excep- 

 tion of the fatigue occasioned* by their cramped quarters and 

 continuous duty at the helm, the brothers Andrews experi- 

 enced no difficulties on the voyage which good seamanship 

 and watchfulness could not cope with. They propose, after 

 a short rest, to start for Havre. The crew complain only of 

 the fatigue, due to the impossibility of obtaining undisturbed 

 rest, their sleep being akin to stupor and but little refreshing. 

 The dory is 19ft. over all, 15Jft. on the bottom, and 27in. 

 deep ; carries a lug sail of 2o yds. duck ; mast, 8ft. above 

 deck, 8f in. diameter ; and the boat and rig weigh oOOlbs. 

 She was of the usual " dory " model, flat bottom, flaring 

 sides, and raking stem and stern. 



Woodsidb Rowing Club. — The new boat-house of this club 

 was appropriately opened for the use of the members, August 

 6, at Kearney-on-ihe-Passaic. The house is S0x24ft., two 

 stories high, and built in Swiss style. The lower floor will 

 accommodate a dozen club-boats and as many more private 

 shells. A dressing-room is partitioned off, fitted up with 

 lockers, bath and wash-stand. On the upper floor is the re- 

 ception room, handsomely ceiled and finished in black 

 ■walnut. Balconies surround the building, affording a fine 

 view of the River Passaic and the club course. The float is 

 30x16ft. The club is in a prosperous condition and owns six 

 club-boats, besides the private property of the members. The 

 officers are as follows: President, F. B. Littlejohn; Vice- 

 President, E. W. Sadler ; Secretary, F. M. Wheeler ; Treas- 

 urer, E. N. Norton : Captain, J. H. Osborne ; .Lieutenant, 

 F. M. Wheeler. 



BOWING IHFPLES, 



M. F. Davis, F. Plaisted, Evan Morris, and J. A. Kennedy 

 have formed a new professional four in Boston, and have ad- 

 dressed a general challenge through the Boston Herald, with 

 whom they have deposited $1,000. This means business. 

 Their challenge is directed to Messrs. Faulkner, Reagan, Mc- 

 Gahey and Hosmer, the Boston Four VVoodsides, of Kear- 

 ney, N. J., are having a fine boat house built Ricketson 



and Mitchell scored three successive victories at New Bedford, 



Mass., July 20, and take the flags Tufts-Cone crew beat 



the Ross-Foley and Williams crews on Bedford Basin, Hali- 

 fax, July 16, in a four-oared race, four-mile course Weis- 



gerber and Felsniger will pull a three-mile race with turn, for 



$600, at Wheeling, Va., Aug. 13 Erie Railroad carries 



boats free and oarsmen at half fare to the nalional regatta at 



Newark; same on return trip O'Donneli, of Hope Club, 



New Orleans, and Crotty, of Galveston, are likely to meet. 



Bet on Grotty Union Rowing Association offer $400 for 



four-oared shell race, and purses for singles, at Sebago some 



time in August. Big guns all expected to row Hosmer 



may get foul of Davis, of Portland Playford won the 



Wingfleld Scull on the Thames, England, July 22. Fortu- 

 nate for him that Lee, of Newark, was debarred ; lime, 24m. 

 18s.; Putney to Mortlake. 



CANOEING IN THE BAT STATE. 



Putman, Conn., July 19, 1ST8. 

 editor Forest and Stream : 



Perhaps some of the canoeists of the old Bay State who are begin- 

 ning to look forward to the pleasure of a short summer cruise would 

 have no objections to oar pointing out a route over which we paddled 

 a summer or two since, and one winch Includes the advantages of be- 

 ing near to the 'Hub" and yet aflor.ung opportunities of camping, ash- 

 ing ami pleasant incidents that well repay the captain and all bauds lor 

 the troubles and " outs" of the trip. Allow us to draw the attention of 

 the reader to the map of Massachusetts', aud, beginning to trace with 

 the point of your pencil at the rnoalh of the Charles Kiver follow its 

 winding aud devious course as far us the town of Nattck, where you 

 Und yourself only three miiea distant from Lake Coehituate. Follow 

 the lake to its foot, where you approacli the Head of the Bndbury Kiver 

 and again yon trace the coarse of this stream until you reach the Con-' 

 eord ; and from thence into the Merrimao River, which you follow f o 



he city of Lowell, and you are back onoe more to within only twenty-six 

 idles by rail from your starting point. Here you can either have your 

 :anoe and self transported back to the " Hub," or continue your trip to 

 Lake Winnepisankee. 



t f the oanoolafa leisure time is abort he can make the cruise as far aa 

 Lowell by water In a week, including time spent in pstrtages over dams 



across to tbe lake from the Charles ; or, if mora i hoe be at in , dis- 

 posal, he can pass two or three weeks very pleasantly ashing and camp- 

 ing wherever inclination predisposes turn. The canoe win i, si 



over tins route Was a Kob Roy of fourteen feet in length and swa 

 aud one bad In width, ami supplie! ample stowage room lor COOMng 

 utensils, rubber coat aud blauketa, fishing rod aud all the " etceteras' 

 incidentally necessary to tbe comfort of the captain and crew. We car- 

 ried no tent, as it was our Intention to sleep in the "cabin" at night, 

 aud the mast, with mainsail aud jib, when folded up, was about tbe size 



n old-fashioned family umbrella. Canned corned beel ami boiled 

 chicken, coffee, sugar, potatoes and hard tack formed the requiBite 



euder for the inner man, and with everything stowed away lugood 

 sbape, and all hands happy ovor Che strong easterly breeze b.owing in 



favor directly from tbe ocean, the Rob Itoy left the Boal it i 

 Union Boat Club House as the bells of Boston were striking the hour of 

 even one bright July morning In 1S7— . Iu quick succession we pass 

 inder the bridgea that span the Charles Kiver, past the Urighton 

 slaughter house aud Harvard's famous college, past farm aud garden, 

 meadow and woodland, aud at noon reach our drat portage at the town 

 of Watertown, the damtbere Btopplng tbe farther now inland of tide 

 ater. Here we transport canoe and baggage, partake of a short much 

 and halt not In our journey until just beyond Waltbam, where, as night 

 ia approaching, we propose to make our resting place. On tbe edge of 



woods close by the water'a edge we land, draw the canoe ou shore, 

 light a fire, and shortly tbe Btrong odor of ohl Java uuilus with the in- 

 cuse of pickerel fried brown and crisp, caught with a trolling spoon as 

 •e paddled ulong past the lily pads, and, with tbe addition of Med po- 

 tatoes and hardtack, comprised a repast that full justice was done to. 

 Aud here began the troubles of a coffee-pot with a tale, aB that neces- 

 sary tin convenience parted with its spout by Incautiously allowing too 

 much h,eat to strike it from the stone fire-place on which it rested. The 

 day following tbe cover-handle disappeared, then followed In rotation 

 ,he binge of the cover, aud finally the handle of the coffee pot, so that 

 when the cruise waa euded we hung up on a nail the battered and llmb- 



remalns of a once useful utensd in "memento" of our experience. 

 Supper disposed of aud dishes cleared away we open a box of cigars 

 from tbe hold of the Bob Itoy aud, lazily reclining on the grass, with 

 the blankets for a pillow and oue of "Wtlkie Collins' novels for perusal, 



smoke aud read away the time until darkness draws a mantle over 

 the scene; aud remembering the old adage, " early to bed and early to 

 rise," we stow ourselves in the close quarters of. the canoe and, with 

 rubber blanket over the deck-hole to keep out tbe damp air and mots- 



, we are lulled to sleep by the melodioua bass notes of a huge bull- 

 frog executing a solo to admiring brethren from the top of a dead stump 

 protruding near by from the water. 



Shortly after daybreak we are astir, dispose of an early breakfast, 

 and the ltob Hoy is under way again. Passing numberless Bmad towns, 

 stopping here and there to fish, or idle away onr lime, trolling for pick- 

 erel and perch as we sail or paddle along and, when Inclination sug- 

 gests, taking a bath in the clear, cool waters underneath some over- 

 hanging ledge of rocka, or In the shadow of the woods that at portions 

 of the route lino the banks of the river. The end of the tlftb day brings 

 to Natick, where our store of provisions is replenished and the sum 

 of three dollars pays for transporting canoo and cargo to Lake Cocbl- 

 tuate. Three days are passed on the lake, two of pleasure and one of 

 discomfort, as a heavy rain-storm from morning until night made any 

 attempt at enjoyment a decided fadure. Passing bat a day and a haU 

 on the Sudbury Kiver we continued onward to the Conoord, exciting 

 frequent and hearty greeting from the farm hands cutting aud making 

 hay, and the "innumerable " small boy" who stand on the river's bank to 

 see the strange craft invading the hiiherto quiet stream. Into Concord 

 Kiver, past Concord, with its well-tilled surrounding farms and ftuit- 

 laden orchards, we paaa on our way aud are tuliy satisfied with our 

 cruise, when the tall chimneys and brick buildings of Lowell, on the 

 Merrimac, come to view, and our two-weeks' trip Is at an cud. The 

 itob Roy lakes paasage on a freight car to Boaton and we are once 

 again ready for business, hale, browned and hearty, and remember long 

 the beauties and apoit of living in the open air. Bert. 



New Jsrasmr.— Kmsey's AsMey Some, Barnegat InUt, 

 Aug. 3 — Unprecedented success among tbe sheepshead and 

 blackfisk. As high as 210 pounds of sheepshead taken in 

 one day j with one pair of hands 197 taken in one day : they 

 run larger tban heretofore known. Bltickfish weighing from 

 2 to 5 pounds taken off the different wrecks. The following 

 are some of the scores : O. S. Bilyau, T. S. Dando and G. G. 

 Sill, Philadelphia, 07 weaklish, 76 bluckflsh, 1 sheepshead off 

 the mediator : Howard, Middleton & Co , Philadelphia, 71 

 barb; Gr. T. Mills, 4B barb: Geo. Birdsall, Philadelphia, 34 

 barb i G. P. Snowilcn, N. Y., -j; ' Bheepshead ; same day 197 

 taken by all the other boats. Not less than 150 taken per day 

 OD 3l8t, 1st, and 3d. Bluelish— on the 1st a decided improve, 

 ment. Messrs. Cartledge, Westcott & Go. scored 32 on the 

 2d. They run about 2 pounds, aud were caught in the inlet 

 immediately opposite the house. 



f Fish Pkstilbnob in Ili.ikois.— Mr. Editor : A destructive 

 epidemic is raging among the fish of Rock lliver, Illinois, aud 

 oue of its tributaries, the Pecatonica. It was noticed on the 

 20th that hundreds of dead fish were floating on the surf-ace 

 1 tin- . . ; 1 1 er. Thousands of them dri 1 ted to the shore aud lay 

 in heaps upon the flats. They are of all sizes. A sturgeon 

 Stranded nfiair Rook ford that measured eight feet, and weighed 

 150 pounds. It is noticed that no bass, pickerel Or game fish 

 are affected. The fish decaying in the sun emit an intolerable 

 stench. This has become so bad that health officers have 

 commenced cleaning out the river. Twenty boat loads of fish 

 were disposed of in one day at Rockford. The same stale of 

 affairs exist in the Pecatonica. The waters are very high und 

 have a reddish tint never before knowu, and of a soapy, slimy 

 nature. Borne attribute tbe epidemic to the fact that the fish 

 have fed on decayed and putrid vegetation which the high 

 water and hot weather have made rotten und poisonous. At 

 Freeport, ou the Pecatonica, the sloughs and land overflown by 

 high water are full of sick fish, some of a very large size. It, 

 stems that la'go fish are particularly affected with the dis- 

 temper. Newspapers are cautioning people not to eat fish 

 caught at present in the waters. ROVEB. 



We urge our correspondent and others in the locality to 

 make a thorough examination of the causes of this epidemic. 

 Similar instances are not rare, but no satisfactory cause has 

 yet been discovered. 



Minnesota— into MinnetonJm, July 31. — This favorite re- 

 sort, Lake Elmo and White Bear Lake, are now thronged with 

 visitors from all parts of the country, and being well storked 

 with black buss, afford much sport to anglers. Charles Zim- 

 merman, of St. Paul, and friends, have been taking them with 

 a fly. H. 



An Office Box on ma Tkavels.— The following, from one 

 of the Foebst and Stbeam office boys, is characterized by 

 brevity and pith : 



Coast of Mains, Aug. 2, 1S7S. 

 Dbak Forest and Stream : 



I had a good passage to Portland via Jlaine Steamship Company's 

 hue aud can well recommend the route for a short summer voyagb to 

 get a good sniff of the ocean and a little sea sickness, We are camped 

 out on Hog lalaud aud have namBd It " Camp Lookout." All well and 

 feeling good. More anon. Thau. 



j|^r und f£ivei[ 



FISH IN SEASON" IN AUGUST. 



FKESH WATER, SALT WATER. 



Trout, Salmofontinalis. SeaBas*, Scircruipx ootfUfflu 



biahuon, Salvw HaLar. Sheepaliead, ArchObartni* probato- 



Salmon Troat, .s.umo confinis. r.,: r i,- .. . 



Land-locked Salmon, Samogloveri. Stripe I Bass, Roams linneatnu. 

 Grayling, Thymalltix triculor. WflAfi Perch, Morons awericanu. 



Black bass, "iiirn.pt/nci miinoide*; Wcakbsii, Cyncmcion regatta. 



31. nigricans. Bluen-i. atlatHs. 



Muskaiouge, Kxox nobilior. Spanie ;>n macula- 



i-ike or Picserei, Esox lurivs. tw» 



Yellow Perch, Perca fla/Mscens. Cero, Quotum regale. 



Bonito,'.5ariiu pkamyK. 



Kingnsb , ilmticbrrus nebufosus. 



Fish in Market — Eetail Fbices. — Base, 20 cents ; blueflsh, 

 6 ; salmon. 25 ; mackerel, 15 ; weak fish, 10 ; Spanish mackerel. 

 cative, 80 ; green turtle, 10 ; halibut, 15 ; haddock, 6 ; king fieri, IS ; 

 codfish, 6 ; black fish, 12 ; flounders, 10 ; porgiea, 6 ; sea bass, 15 j 

 eels, 18; lobsters, 10 ; sbeepshead, 18; l'roge, 30 ; whiteQsb, 

 12J4' ; Canada brook trout, 40 ; Long Island do., 31 ; pompano, 

 salt water, 25 ; smoked salmon, 18 ; hard crabs, per 100, S3 5 soft 

 crabs per dozen, $1.50. 



Spanish mackerel have been taken in quantity on the New 

 Jersey coast in the vicinity of Port Monmouth, selling at 80 

 cents ; pompano, large catch in Chesapeake Bay , bluefish 

 abundant on the coast from Canarsie east as far as Cape 

 Cod. 



Massachusetts— Nantucket, Aug. 4. — Bluefish are very 

 thick at present, and expect to have good sport for the next 

 week or so. The largest catches are as follows: Gypsie, lu7 : 

 Favorite, 77 ; Flor del mar, 62- Shark fishing is in its prime, 

 one party bringing in thirteen. Last Monday the Undine 

 caught a man-eater— the first Of the season. While coming 

 through Great Point Rip Friday, the Vesta sprung her mast, 

 and was damaged to the extent "of $100. JaOR Curlew, 



Gom w nwx—Bagl Hampton, July 24.— East Hampton 

 Lake, half a mile from the depot, is the resort of aDglers. We 

 spent ini afternoon there the other day, f rum 1:30 to 6 clock, 

 catching 14 black bass and two yellow perch. Used shiners, 

 small bullheads and roach. The Island iu the lake is a favor- 

 ite camping ground. H, C, 



Rhode Island— Pasqus Island Club, August 3. — Two more 

 large bass were taken here lost week, one 50A pounds by Mr. 

 Thomes E. Tripler, and the other 43i- pounds by Mr. A. B. 

 Dunlap. "F. O. H. 



BLACK BASS. 



5 



THIRD PA PEE, 



" It is good luok to any man 10 keep on the good side of the man who 

 knoweth Ash."— Compuu Angler, 



IT would perhaps be well to notice some errors concerning 

 black bass before we enter the last and deep mysteries of 

 black bass fishing. There is no subject on which so little is 

 known as upon this, and yet thousands will tell you that 

 they understand it very well indeed. I notice in Pi 

 Stkeaai that many Florida correspondents speak in glowing 

 terms of the "black buss" they have caught in Florida 

 waters. Now, I deliberately and solemnly deny that there 

 ever waB a black bass fount) in Florida, or, indeed, in the 

 waters of any Southern State, except they have been intro- 

 duced by human agency. I make this bona fide offer to any 

 of the correspondents of whom I have spoken, that if he can 

 find a black bass in Florida— caught there— a native of Flori- 

 da waters, I will send him a fifty-dollar bill, and on his fail* 

 ure to do so he is to send me tbe like sum. The fish to tie 

 sent to any scientific man or men for examination. 



There is a fish in Eloritia— a congener of tue black bass— 

 which looks something like ]*is cousin; but be is no more a 

 black bass than a negro ia a white man. These fish tire fouud 

 iu all southern waters, and they are known from Virginia to 

 Texas as " trout ;" yet they are less like trout than they are 

 bass, They are bold biters, but they soon tire, 

 having none of the game qualities of the black baSBj nOr 

 are they near so fine a fish lor the table, their 1 

 coarse, and in many instances giving forth a pecuhar musky 

 odor. In size they excel the black buss, lor while they Often; 

 attain to the weight of twelve or even fifteen pounds, a black 

 bass that "weighs ten pounds is considered* an exceptionally 

 large fish. Longitudinal bars mark the trout, giving it a very 

 pleasing appearance. In many localities iu" Virginia and 

 North Carolina these fish are called "chub!" Why, is a 

 mystery, for they don't look like a chub • and, indeed, in 

 some parts of Georgia the "wawmoutb," or "mawmoutb." 

 perch is called a chub. Why, is another mystery, for the 

 "wawmoutb" perch is first cousin to the rock bass. And I 

 know no fish that looks less like a rock bass than a chub ; 

 yet the rock bass are found in some southern waters — only in 

 Georgia, and only in three, streams emptying into the Flint 

 River, and in some emptying into Ihe Coosa. 



But our southern fish which is neither a trout nor a bass— 

 where shall we pluce him ? He is often caught iu Kentucky 

 and Missouri while halting for DB88. J I 



1 ilher :i buss nor a 

 trout, like Mahomet's cotlin, between heaven aud 

 remains suspended until he shall have been taken 

 placed in his proper scientific niche. 



But, reveiuz nous a neres bass, Go with me some aili. 

 calm evening In May. Let the locality be the Whitu River 

 in Indiana. "The gentle current sweeps ligul 

 at every obstruction, piling masses of fuam and yell 

 BOms against every ovetli 



1 under them lurk some black bass 'hat will ity 

 your rod, your line, your temper anil your skill. Sit down 

 here while I cut away those vines loaded down with yellow 



