54 
FOREST AND STREAM 
tendencies alluded to, and choke off the success attained 
by their predecessors. However, with these side remarks, 
we wish the sport success, which it is pretty sure to have, 
where the facilities are so abundant as in St. Augustine, 
and where so many yachtmen congregate. 
Hal-a Pendle. 
February 23d.—Yesterday, on Washington’s Birthday, 
the yachts of the club participated in the first Corinthian 
regatta ever held in Southern waters, which scores heavily 
to their credit. No person ought to own a yacht unless he 
knows how to sail her; else what is he to do when emer¬ 
gencies arise? We would go so far as to make this quali¬ 
fication a condition of membership in any club. The per¬ 
sonnel of the St. Augustine Club, we know, is not made 
up of fair-weather sailors. The test of yesterday proved 
that. It did not blow “great guns,” but it called sand 
bags to windward, and lively work. Every one had to 
look sharp. It was not a dirty day in the full acceptation 
of the w r ord, but the weather was variable enough to suit 
the most capricious. It was calm, fresh, squally, and 
rainy by times. It adapted itself by rotation to the sea¬ 
going and working qualities of each craft that entered, 
thereby enabling them to show off their best points to best 
advantage. Spectators had ample scope of view from the 
balconies of the houses that girt the bay. There was a 
lively knot of them also at the club house, and on board 
the graceful U. S. Surveying steamer, the Bache, which 
lies at the landing. The harbor of St. Augustine is full of 
islands, reefs, sand-bars, and currents- To win a race, 
one must be familiar with these. A peculiarly constructed 
flat-bottom boat is also required, such as are built here and 
no where else. This information will save much disap 
pointment to those who contemplate bringing Northern 
yachts here. Letter writers generally forget to mention 
these important facts. 
Those yachts that waited at moorings for the starting 
signal w r ere the Belle, 25 feet; Ida Lyon, 21 feet; Saucy 
Ilnte, 24 feet; and America, 25 feet, with the Belle outside. 
We give the names of the crews:— 
Belle—Maj. W. F. Randolph, 8. Betton, and two others 
whose names I do not have. 
Ida Lyon—R. F. Armstrong, A. F. Lafarge, Dr. J. Sym¬ 
ington, and C. E. Bryce. 
America—D. Edgar, W. N. Brooks, and H. Godcy. 
Saucy Kate—Com. Morse, N. Edgar, F. H- Bangs, and 
Mr. Bradbury. 
The boats got a good send-off, with a light wind abeam. 
A favoring puff, however, gave the Saucy Kate a start, which 
she kept to the finish, being winning boat by nearly six 
minutes. All w'ere handled admirably, and were well 
bunched up to the first turn. After that the wind fresh¬ 
ened, and then came a squall, wilh heavy black rain clouds, 
which the vessels had as much as they could do to stand 
up under. The Ida Lyon was crippled, and went to grass. 
Lulls aud spurts followed—nip and tuck between the Belle 
and America, and the Saucy Kate snapping her fingers at 
the foremost. All well to the second buoy and home, and 
a good dash for the second five miles, with hope still left 
for the hindmost. After rounding the first buoy, second 
turn, the America lost good lime on a mud flat, which she 
inopportunely stopped to investigate, and soon afterwards 
the Belle crippled her rudder, and limped toward home 
with peak dropped and an oar out. When the America 
touched bottom the Kate was a good two miles ahead, but, 
nothing daunted, she took to water again, and was over¬ 
hauling her competitor fast when the latter passed the 
home line, and “settled it.” Start, 10.38:45; finish for 
Saucy Kate, 12:35:20. The prize was a handsome piece of 
silver plate. The conditions of the race were from moor¬ 
ings twice around the club course (ten miles); allowance, 
one minute per fool; entrance, $2; club Tules. 
It is pleasant to state that Capt. John M. Pendleton’s 
yacht Traveller, which carried your reporter, sailed the 
eulire course, keeping good company with the contesting 
boats, and adding much to the interest of the race, so far 
as spectators were concerned. Your correspondent wishes 
to thank the club for courtesies. Hap. 
Boston Yacht Club.— The members of this organiza¬ 
tion to the number of fifty, assembled Tuesday evening, 
February 22d, at the American House, and partook of 
their annual dinner. Previous, however, to the sitting 
down to the good cheer, a special meeting of the club was 
held, Commodore Benjamin Dean in the chair, and Thomas 
Dean acting in his capacity as Secretary. At this meeting 
several new members were elected, and the following letter 
was read: 
Brooklyn Yacht Club, I 
Brooklyn, Feb. 11th, 1876. 1 
Thomas Dean , Esq., Secretary Boston YatM Glut Boston, Mass. 
Dear Sir—I have the pleasure to advise you of the following resolu¬ 
tions passed at the last meeting of the club:— 
‘•That a committee of five be appointed of which the Flag officers 
shall be three, to confer with the Boston Yacht Clnb, aud to arrange,.if 
possible, for a meeting of the fleets during the ensuing summer, at such 
time and place as may be mutually agreed upon, and to report to this 
Club for their action.” 
The following named gentlemen were appointed on said committee :— 
Commodore John S. Dickerson, Vice Commodore John R. Platt, 
Rear Commodore J. G. Johnson, Captain Thomas B. Asten, -Mr. 
Thomas Manning. 
Hoping to be advised favorably, and with kindest regards, we remain 
yours truly. Wit. Lee. Secretary. 
On motion of Augustus Russ, Esq., it was voted that 
the communication he referred to a committee, to report at 
a future meeting, consisting of the Commodore and four 
other members to be appointed by him. 
Commodore Dean appointed as his associates on the 
committee Vice Commodore W. H. L. Smith, Rear Com¬ 
modore Geo. B. Durfee, Treasurer Augustus Russ, aud the 
Secretary, Thomas Dean. 
THE BARNEGAT SNEAK BOAT. 
M R. BISHOP’S voyage down the Ohio and Mississippi 
Rivers and through the Gulf of Mqgico in a Barne- 
gal sneak boat has attracted So much attention towards 
this description of boat, and we are in receipt of so many 
communications on the subject, that we reprint herewith 
from our issue of April 23d, 1874, a full description, to¬ 
gether with diagrams fully explaining mode of construc¬ 
tion. A working model of the boat can be seen at this of¬ 
fice; we are indebted foritand the description to Mr. Robt. 
B. White, of Shrewsbury, N. J. The boat, of which the 
guts below are a representation, is of the following dimen¬ 
sions;— 
Length, 13 feet ; width midships, 4 feel ; width of sleni. 
2 feet 0 inches; depth of stern 7 inches. Sprung timbers 
all of one pattern, 9-16x13-16 inches; distance apart 8 
inches; deck timbers natural bend, 1 inch xi. Cock-pit, 
inside measurement, length, 3 feet 4 inches; width at bow 
and stern, 184 inches; midships, 19 inches. Combing, 
height of inside at bow and slern, 2$ inches; midships, 2 
inches; from bottom of combing to top ceiling, 13 inches. 
Trunk on port side, set slanting to take a 15-inch board 
trunk placed alongside and abaft of forward corner of 
combing. Rowlocks, height, 6 inches; from combing, 9 
inches; middle of to stern, 4 feet 7 inches, made to fold 
down inboard and to fasten up with a hook. Stool rack 
runs from rowlocks to stern, notched at ends into fasten¬ 
ings of rowlocks, also notched at corners and hooked to¬ 
gether, rest against a cleat on deck outside, and are hooked 
to the deck inside. In a heavy sea the apron is used. It 
is held up by a stick from peak to combing. Thus rigged 
the boat has the reputation of being able to live as long as 
oars can be pulled. The apron is tacked to the deck about 
two-thirds its length. The wings are fastened to the top 
and bottom of the rowlocks. Mast hole, 2f inches; 2 in. 
from combing. Drop of sides from top of deck, 5-J inches, 
dead rise, 8 inches. Over cock-pit a hatch is placed. Every¬ 
thing connected with the boat is placed inside, gunners of¬ 
ten leaving their guns, etc., locking the hatch fast. The 
boats sail well, and covered with sedge are used to shoot 
from. With the hatch on, a person can be protected from 
rain, and with blankets, can be accommodated With a 
night’s lodging. Boards for boats, white cedar, i inch 
thick; deck, narrow strips tongued and grooved. 
a a—Apron. Ill shows where it is nailed to deck, 
b b—Cock-pit. 
c—Trunk, 
d d d—Stool rack, 
e e—Rowlocks. 
Fig. 4 shows rowlocks. 
THE AMATEUR QUESTION. 
Bergen Point, N. J., February 28d, 1878. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
The allusions contained in the letter of your correspondent "Hages- 
tolz,” published in your paper of the 17th luBt., are so pointed that our 
dub cannot affect not to know who ia meaut, and what is aimed at; but 
his reckless assertions are so entirely baBed upon his own opinion merely 
(as he himself admits) that our members naturally feel surprised at the 
appearance of his communication in print. 
To avoid newspaper notoriety, our clnb has made it a rule never to 
reply to the various attacks made upon us from time to time through the 
“press,” believing them to be mainly prompted by envy and jealousy. 
To our numerous friends throughout the country no denial of the in- • 
simiatlous of your correspondent are necessary, and to our enemies, 
whoever they may he, we can only say they will have ample opportunity 
to prove any charges they may desire to make by writing to, or appear¬ 
ing before the qualification Committee of any of the various regattas in 
which We may enter the coming season. Our ouly reason for breaking, 
through our established rule Is the fact that our crew are all absent from 
home, and unable to answer for themselves. 
E. W. Humphrey, President, 
E It, Craet, Treasurer, 
Argonauts Rowing Association. 
The fact that the letter which we published last week, 
although mentioning no names, was known at once to be 
directed at the club which has noticed it, shows conclu¬ 
sively that (lie subject was a matter of common gossip in 
boating circles. We published the letter in hopes that it 
would draw forth jnst such a dignified denial sis the one 
above, and that the matter being once ventilated, a stop 
could be put to gossip and hidden inuendo. An open ac¬ 
cusation can he fairly met, and if an unjust one, can be 
combatted and forever put at Test, while secret malice can 
sting unseen, and its fruits expand until silence is accepted 
as a proof of guilt. For our own part, we are satisfied 
that the members of the Argonauta Club are keeping 
strictly within the letter of the law relating to amateur 
boat racing, and the definition of the term as adopted re¬ 
cently. As regards our opinion of that definition, we 
shall have something to say on another occasion. The Ar- 
gouautas have as much right to send a crew tc^Florida to 
train, and pay their expenses from the club funds, loo, if 
I necessary, as tliqy have to send one to Saratoga, or Troy, 
or Seneca Lake to row a race. And a man who chooses at 
his own personal lose or risk to take a eerlain time from 
his business, in order to uphold the honor of his club, or, 
as it is in this case, his country, is entitled to credit instead 
of contumely. For this is the Centennial year, and oars¬ 
men from far and near are coming to contest. If Oxford, 
Cambridge, and Dublin Universities send their crews; if 
the crack men of the London Rowing Clubs come over, 
they will take a deal of beating, and we have the old Har¬ 
vard and Atalanta defeats to wipe out. It is with thi9 in 
view that these'members of the Argonauta Club (a portion 
of whom, we understand, do so every year) are spending 
their winter in Florida, hardening their muscles with camp 
life and enough rowing to keep in form. From the ac¬ 
counts we hear of their camp and of the elegant shooting 
and fishing they are having, we wish we were with them. 
As to whether they have forfeited their right to be consid¬ 
ered amateurs, there is a body with jurisdiction who will 
decide the question at the proper time.— Ed. 
—Bell's Life of February 26th, says that Robert Watson 
Boyd has completed negotiations for a four-oared crew to 
go to America during the ensuing regatta season. Tbe 
crew will be composed as follows: Robert Bagnall, bow; 
W. Nicholson, Robert Chambers, and Boyd himself as 
stroke. Boyd has challenged any crew in England 1o row 
over the championship course, on the Thames or Tyne. 
If this challenge is not accepted, he will' assume the title 
of champion. The four will then proceeed to America as 
the representative English crew. 
—A Herald correspondent writes from Pittsburg that 
a four-oared crew will be made up in that place lo row iu 
the Centennial matches, of which Morris will pull stroke 
with Luther, Scharff and Kaye, or Siebert behind him. 
The crew will commence practice as soon as the river is 
clear of ice. In the scullers’ race Morris will enter against 
all comers, and expresses a wish that the best of Eng¬ 
land’s rowers may be induced lo contend for the prizes. 
In this race, also, Pittsburg will have another representa¬ 
tive in Henry Coulter, whose defeats last year were such 
game ones as to raise ids qualifications as a sculler iu the 
estimation of boating men. 
In tbe amateur event the Duquesnes, the bunch of little 
fellows who did nobly at Saratoga, last season, will parti¬ 
cipate. It is likely, however, there will be some changes 
in the crew, heavier material being substituted, while the 
unity of action in rowing, characteristic of this organiza¬ 
tion, will be retained. 
gen nnd giver 
FISH IN SEASON IN MARCH. 
southern waters. 
Pompano, Trae/wnolus carolmus. GronpBr, h/itnepheljcis ntqHtw i. 
Drum (two species.) Family Scia- Trout (black base,) Cauropristls 
nidee. atrarius , 
Kingfish, MenMe’urus nebvlosus. Stiiped Bubs or Rockilsti, liuccue 
Sea Bass, SeUawps ocellatus. lineatue. 
Sbeepshead, Archosargus probata- Tailortkh, rmnalmnue saltatnx 
cephalus. Black base, Ulicropterus su/mohies; 
Snapper, Lutjaims caxus. M. nigneans. 
I Under the head of "Same and Fish in Season ” we can only specify tn 
general terms the several varieties, be-cause thelaws of States vary so much 
that were we to attempt Co particularise we could do no less than publish 
those entire sections that relate to the hinds of game in question, flics 
would reOuire a great amount, of mr space. In designating game we are 
guided by the laws of nature, upon which all legislation is rounded, and 
our readers would db weii to provide thmselcesmth the laws or their re¬ 
spective States for constant reference. Otherwise, our attempts to assist 
them will only create con fusion,.] 
Fish in Market.— Owing to severe storms along the 
coast during the past week, fishing has been almost sus¬ 
pended, so that the Lenten season opens with a scant sup¬ 
ply and prices advanced from 15 to 30 per cent. Wo quote:— 
Striped bass, 20 to 25 cents per pound; smelts, 18 cents 
blue-fish, 15 cents; salmon (frozen), 50 cents; mackerel, 25 
cents each; shad, Savannah, 50 cents each; North Caro- 
linas, $1, extras; white perch, 18 cents pound; Spanish 
mackerel, 50 cents; green turtle, 20 cents, terrapin, $12 
per dozen; halibut, 18 cents per pound; haddock, 8 cents 
perpound; cod-fish, 8 to 10 centB; black fish, 15 cents; 
herring, 6 cents; flounders, 10 to 15 cents; sea bass from 
Charleston, S. C., 15 cents; eels, 15 to 18 cents; lobsters, 12 
cents per pound; slieepshead, 30 cents; turbot, 25 cents; 
scollops, $1 per gallon; soft clams, 80 to 60 cents per 
hundred; white-fish, 18 cents; pickerel, 18 cents; sunfish, 
10 cents; yellow perch, 10 cents; salmon trout, 20 cents; 
ciscoes, 12 cents; hard shell crabs, $1 per bundled; pom- 
pano, $1. 
—We saw at Blackford's, on Saturday last, three speci¬ 
mens of salmon trout that were received hy the steamer 
Russia, consigned to the U. S. Fish Commission, from the 
Free Public M useum of Liverpool. 
Massachusetts Angler’s Association.— There was a 
large and enthusiastic meeting of the above association on 
Wednesday evening, Feb. 28d, held at their rooms in Bos¬ 
ton, After tbe transaction of important business, on mo, 
tion of Col. Needham, the Advisory Board were requested 
to consider the expediency of making the Fish Commis¬ 
sioners of the different States honorary members, to report 
at the annual meeting in April. 
—Codfish roe is used for bait in the sardine fisheries of 
France, but the supply is inadequate to meet the demand. 
It has been found, however, that grasshoppers, when 
pounded up, imitate it so exactly as to answer the purpose 
admirably. Should the West be inflicted with anolher vis- 
italiou of grasshoppers, they could be turned into some 
aecouut by being converted into fish bait and exported to 
France. The French Government arc importing large 
quantities of these insects from Algeria, in order to try the 
expel imenl on n scale of sonic magnitude. 
