348 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



\ 



Florida Harbors. — The following directions for enter- 

 ing the various harbors on the Florida coast, together with 

 the depth of water on the bar of each, have been furnished 

 the New York Board of Underwriters by Mr. Thomas S. 

 Eels, of Jacksonville^— 



Fernandina Bar. — Low water, 10 feet; high water, 17 

 feet; Spring tide from 18 to 21 feet. If the wind is east- 

 erly there is a full tide. If westerly, the tide falls off. 

 Course from sea buoy, inward bound, S.W., W. to No. 4 

 buoy; thence W. by NfN. to No. 6 buoy; thence N.WiW. 

 to No. 1 buoy; thence follow the buoy and range up to the 

 harbor; plenty of water inside the turn buoy. 



Nassau Inlet Bar.— At low water, 7£ feet, and from 11| 

 to 13 feet at high water; Bring tide, 14 to 15 feet, governed 

 by the winds . 



St. John's Bar. — A short bar; only about 150 yards over 

 it, subject to changes. A heavy N.E. storm will sometimes 

 close up or shoal the water over the north channel and 

 deeoenthe south channel. The average depth of water 

 during the last year has been from 6 to 7 feet, low water; 

 high water, from 10 to 13 feet; Spring tide, from 13 to 16 

 feet, governed by the wind. Vessels do cross the bar 

 drawing 111 to 12 feet. Plenty of tugs here to tow ves- 

 sels in and out. 



St. Auyustine Bar.— Low water, 7 feet; high water, 11| 

 to 14 feet; Spring tide, from 15 to 16 feet. The bar is 

 changable, but it is only about 200 feet over it. No tugs, 

 but good pilots. 



Mosquito Inlet Bar. — Low water, from 4^- to 5 feet; high 

 water, trom 8i to 10 feet. Good pilots, but no tugs; dan- 

 gerous bar for vessels drawing over 8 feet. 



Indian River Inlet Bar. — Low water, shoals out of water; 

 high water, about 4-| feet. Nothing can cross over 4 feet; 

 No other inlets south of Jupiter. 



—The room of the St. Augustine, Fla. Yacht Club is 

 now open daily, its banners flying, and all has an ap- 

 pearance of business and life. A yacht race took place on 

 Christmas day between the Henrietta, Brooklyn Belle, 

 Lucy and Maud. 



•^♦*»- 



A CORRECTION. 



New York, December 27th, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: — 



In your issue of December 16th, among the list of winning yachts for 

 1875, the Octoplexara is mentioned as the winner of the Queens County 

 regatta, when it should have been the Chester A. Arthur, which now 

 holds the cup and pennant. Your correspondent, no doubt, was misled 

 in the matter from the fact that the race was sailed twice, the judges de- 

 ciding the first contest (won by the Octoplexara) unfair. The second 

 contest was won by the Chester A. Arthur, which was awarded the prize 

 above mentioned. Geo. W. Looan, 



Chester H. Southwortu, 

 Geo. Coffin, 



owners Chester A. Arthur. 



tytwtml Uptimes. 



— The chess contest between Messrs. Mason and Bird 

 has progressed so far as to indicate a promised victory for 

 the American player, Mason. When the two met in the 

 series of exhibition games played at the Cafe International, 

 Mr. Bird had the best of it, winning the majority of games 

 without apparent difficulty; but in the money match now 

 in progress, Mason seems to be developing his full strength, 

 and to give promise of being one of the coming American 

 chess players in the Centennial Tourney. Up to the 4th 

 inst twelve games had been played between Messrs. Mason 

 and Bird, and of these Mason had won six and lost but 

 three, three being drawn. They have to play until one or 

 the other wins eleven games. Bird has now to win eight 

 and Mason but five. Of course no such brilliant play has 

 been shown as in the exhibition games, both players being 

 too anxious to win the. purse in the money match, to run 

 the risk in dashing moves, which they do in most exhi- 

 bition contests. The match is a good thing for chess in 

 this city as it has quite revived interest in it, the daily 

 papers now recording the scores of the games played, 

 though generally very incorrectly. 



— The National Chess Association from some cause or 

 other seems to have lost the confidence of the chess frater- 

 nity of the country, at least to the extent of giving it influ- 

 ence enough to successfully organize a grand Centennial 

 tournament. Action should have been taken last year in 

 organizing this tourney; but nothing of importance was 

 done, and now we find the Philadelphia Chess Club the 

 most influential chess organization of the country— taking 

 the subject up in earnest, as will appear from the appended 

 circular which they have recently issued: — 



Whereas, The Philadelphia Chess Club has been frequently importun- 

 ed by numerous chess organizations throughout the country to hold a 

 tournament under its auspices during the Centennial year; therefore, 



Resolved, That the Philadelphia Chess Club offers playing accommoda- 

 tions and the sum of $250, at least as a nucleus for a fund for a grand 

 international chess tournament, to be held under the auspices of the 

 Philadelphia Chess Club, during the Centennial Exposition of 1876: 

 and 



Resolved, That in accordance with the above resolution the Centennial 

 Board of Management of the Philadelphia Chess Club requests each 

 chess organization subscribing to a fund for this tournament to delegate 

 one member as a representative of such organization m the said Board 

 to arrange the rules of plays, distribution of prizes, &c. 



Resolved, That we cordially iavite the co operation and assistance of 

 the various chess organizations and all chess players throughout the 

 country. Jos. M. Bennett, President. 



W. H. Sayen, Secretary, 



By order of the Board— L. D. Barbour, Corresponding Secretary. 



Every chess player in the country should promptly re- 

 spond to this call of the Philadelphia club. Let each club 

 at once get up a Centennial subscription list in its rooms, 

 to which every chess player can subscribe to the extent of 

 his means. Tournaments in the several clubs to assist the 

 fund too, would be a good thing to do. It is to be hoped 

 that the Brooklyn Chess Club and the Down Town Club, 

 will at once take action in response to the Philadelphi a 

 club's circular. _ 



—The Union Square Rooms, which, since the death of 

 Chris. O'Conor nave been run in the interest of his 

 widow, were sold Dec. 31. "We are gratified to learn that 

 the sale does not necessitate any change in the former 

 name, and that as of yore they will be styled " O'Oornor's 

 Union Square billiard rooms." The purchaser is Mr. John 

 D. O'Conor, who in conjunction with Capt. Tom Murphy, 



formerly owned the Columbia Room. Mr. O'Connor is well 

 known in billiard circles and Cris' Mantle, could not have 

 fallen on better shoulders. 



Maurice Vignaux.— A'correspondant writes: " Vignaux 

 lately played an interesting match with a new aspirant for 

 billardistic fame, a Mr. Piot. The contest was for a purse 

 of 4,000 francs and the game, French, 5,000 points up, re- 

 quiring several days to bring it to a terminus. Vignaux 

 proved the conqueror." Vignaux is expected to arrive in 

 this country during the month of February, and in all pro- 

 bability his late antagonist will accompany him. Who 

 will be the next challenger for the Collende rcup emblamatic 

 of the three-ball championship of the world? 



— Ned Bryan at last replies to the challenge of Clarke 

 E. Wilson. He says he will play for not less than $500 a 

 side, the games to take place in any two New England 

 cities . He also offers to play any man in the United States 

 for $1,000 a side at his place of business in Provi- 

 dence. What does Cyrille Dion say to that? 



All Sorts. — The posters announcing the coming match, 

 Jan. 27th, between Slosson and Sexton, have a very sug- 

 gestive heading: "Native experts to contend at last at 

 three-ball American game." Slosson is working like a 

 beaver practicing continually from morning until night, 

 and expected to beat Daly's unparalleled run of 212. He 

 has several times done it, but not in a match where it must 

 be performed to get a record. Sexton and Gamier were to 

 have left for Baltimore and Washington on the 2nd inst., 

 on an exhibition tour under the management of Dr. Tay- 

 lor. Upon Sexton's return it is his intention to settle down 

 to uninterrupted practice, under the membership of Gar- 



nier, if such a thing is possible Joseph Dion has been 



the recipient of a gold medal on which is engraven: "Pre- 

 sented to Joseph Dion, champion of the Billiard tourna- 

 ment held at Tammany Hall, Nov., 1875 The games 



for the medal offered by the Dion bros. closed Dec. 31st. 

 The prize was for the best record at fifteen-ball pool, and 

 confined to the amateur patrons of the place. Two 

 players tied for it, each pocketing fifteen balls in a sin- 

 gle inning. . . .Wm. Grey, of Dublin, who contended with 

 Foulkes in 1857 for the Racket championship of the world, 



is suffering with the consumption Over 1,500 ladies 



and gentlemen inspected the rooms of Major J. A. Walker 



in New Orleans, Dec. 23d, The prizes for the Canadian 



Tournamentare $500; first, $200; second, $150; third, $75; 

 fourth, $50; fifth, $25. Entrance five percent, of whole 



money. Game, 3-bail, 300 points up, for residents only 



A handicap tournament is now in progress in Massachu- 

 setts. It is proposed to play three games a week alter- 

 nately in Salem, Lynn and Swampscott, which will pro- 

 long it to nearly four months. The prizes are an elegant 

 silver emblem and $75 for first; $50 for second; $30 for 

 third, and $15 for fourth. The contestants are George F. 

 Balchalder, of Swampscott, James O'Gorman, Frank Ba- 

 ker, Mr. Cheney, and Lyman Hayes, of Ljnn, and E. H. 

 Marshal], James Sullivan, David Riley, and Frank Ladd, 



of Salem Davenport, Iowa, also boasts of a tournament. 



The game is four-ball, 300 points up, and the managers are 

 the Messrs. Hawley Brothers, of Hill's block. Nine 

 contestants participated, in the persons of H. Moore, J. 

 Haupt, T. S. Buck, E. Hart, W. Dolan, L. Martia, G. G. 

 Shanks, C. Davis, and W. W. Woods. On December 27th 

 H. Moore had the lead. He had won five games and lost 



one. 



.*♦♦. 



Wonders of New Guinea.— A new book has just made 

 its appearance in England, entitled "Wanderings in 

 Guinea," by Capt. J. Lawson, of the ship Nautilus. Among 

 the wonders he describes is a mountain, said to be 30,000 

 feet high, the highest by few in the world . Capt. Lawson 

 assended it to the height of 25,000 feet, when his party be- 

 came almost frozen and insensible, the blood gushing from 

 their eyes, mouths, and ears, and they were compelled to 

 return. They also met with a race of large apes, of which 

 he shot two specimens, the male measuring five feet three 

 inches high and the female five feet high; a cataract 900 

 feet wide with a fall of 179 feet, throwing Niagara quite in 

 the shade; butterflies with wings a foot long; scorpions 

 ten inches long; a tree 337 feet high; and other things in 

 proportion. 



It is this old skipper, we believe, who witnessed the com- 

 bat between a sea serpent and a whale, the former raising 

 himself sixty feet out of water, and the whale taking his 

 punishment without a sign of weakening or blubber. Capt, 

 Lawson evidently has not gone to see for nothing. 



What Correspondents Ask.— We have a most indul- 

 gent constituency. We print herewith a few extracts from 

 friendly letters received this week: — 



"Why don't yon print more horse?" 



"Give us more dog and gun, and less rifts reports and yachting." 



"What do you want to touch base ball for. The game is played out, 

 and your space is too valuable." 



"I am glad you have got a new Natural History editor. If you will go 

 a little more into fish culture, your paper will be nearly perfect." 



"Why don't you print fuller reports of rifle and pigeons matches?" 



"You have a very neat engraved title; but I would suggest that you 

 add the word "Ocean" to Forest and Stream." 



"What have you taken up billiards for? I do not encourage my child- 

 ren to play billiards." 



"Give us more miscellaneous sketches; You used to print three or 

 four pages." 



"I am glad you have taken to printing poetry again. It is one of the 

 most attractive features of your paper. I give herewith a package of 

 contributions for the "Poet's Corner." 



, "Would it not be well to revive your Art and Drama Departments? 

 We would like to see these treated from a brighter stand-point than the 

 other papers do." 



"Why don't you print more humorous articles? Your paper is some- 

 times a little dry." 



"I like your paper very much, but would prefer more attention given to 

 agriculture and gardening. I think it would benefit your paper. " 



These are specimens of the friendly attentions we con- 

 stantly receive. The fact is, our journal is so complete 

 and pleasing to everybody, that each one is eager to add 

 just that feature which he thinks will make it perfect, and 

 then he fancies that all will be satisfied. At this beginning 

 of the year, these hints, come in abundantly with new sub- 

 scriptions and renewals, and in acknowledging our appre- 

 ciation thereof, we can only promise to continue our best 

 'efforts to please. 



JBtw §uhlication8. 



. — ♦ 



In Doors and Out. By Oliver Optic: Lee & Shepard 

 Boston. r ' 



This book, originally issued twenty-one years ago, is reprinted and re- 

 published at the request of many friends of the author. Some of the 

 sketches appeared in different periodicals originally, but all are spright- 

 ly and pointed, hijting some social absurdity or vice. 



Fungi; Their Nature, Influences and Uses. By M. C 

 Cooke, M. A., LL.D. Edited by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, M A* F 

 L. S.: HenryS. King & Co., 65 Cornhill, and 12 Paternoster Row* 

 London. 

 This is a book that will prove of much value to students of science. 



The illustrations are very numerous. 



The Reading Club. By Geo. M. Baker: Lee & Shep- 

 ard, Boston. 



This little book is a "handy speaker," comprising selections in prose 

 and poetry of serious, humorous, pathetic, patrioile and dramatic- 

 sketches for readings and recitations. The young elocutionist will find 

 it a convenient pocket companion, and the general reader derive much 

 amusement at odd moments from its perusal. 



Inpelice. By Augusta Evans Wilson: New York. G-. 



W. Carleton & Co. 



Mrs. Wilson, or as we more familiarly know her, Miss Evans, has a rep- 

 utation almost world-wide, through her other works, cf which, perhaps, 

 "Beulah" has been trie most popular. In the present volume we have a 

 plot of great interest, with a denouement carefully worked up, and cul- 

 minating in a satisfactory manner. The works of this authoress are all 

 pleasantly told stories, and command the attention of the reader from 

 title page to finis. 



The Modern Cook. A. practical guide to the culinary 

 art in all its branches. By Charles Elmo Francatelli. Illustrated; 

 Philadelphia. T. B. Peterson &> Brothers, publishers. 

 This is emphatically a regal cook-book, prepared by the chef de cuisine 

 of Her Majesty Queen Yictoria. In addition to English cookery, it 

 comprises the most approved systems of French, Italian and German 

 cookery, and teaches those who are able to comprehend its instructions 

 the most ingenious methods and contrivances for disguising and meta - 

 morphosing the commonest viands out of all semblance and favor of 

 their original properties. In it all the mysteries of Tourtes, Chartreuses, 

 Fricandanux, Pates and Souffles are exemplified and explained by nu- 

 merous illustrations, without which the ordinary mind would be bewil- 

 dered and befogged. Only the professional caterer can grasp the situa- 

 tions, and educated palates only can be gratified. This is true of the 

 book in its greater part. In its ministration to the wants of the inner 

 man, it is so far above the comprehension and pecuniary means of im- 

 pecunious plebians, that only toe aristocratic and wealthy should ven- 

 ture to look between its covers. For the latter it is eminently adapted. 

 Any aspirant for distinguished reputation as a high liver, can here du- 

 plicate the dinners set before the Queen of England, and in the gusta- 

 tory delight that altends the serving and the swallowing, almost imagine 

 himself a prince of the loyal blood, and be happy in the extravagance 

 and temporary illusion. Eating, a la mode, as exemplified here, need 

 not be aspired to by the simple sportsman in his backwoods life. Such 

 a massing and distributing of incongruous ingredients, such lavish use 

 of garnishes and wines, such utilizing of improbable and outre portions of 

 the animal anatomy, such phenomenal juitapositions of miscellaneous 

 messes, would not only require tribute from every known resource, but 

 absolutely appal and confuse the man of simple tastes. Yenator could 

 not thmk of serving on primitive dishes of birch bark the wonderful 

 Turbans of Ox Palates a la Perigueauz, the Souffles of Partridge, Sal- 

 mis of Woodcocks Tongues, Fillets of Larded Rabbits, the boudius 

 (entrails) of Whitings, Calves Ears a la Tortue, and the fourteen hun- 

 dred other dishes here offered for his selection. He could not toast any 

 of these on a stick, or frizzle them over the coals. Indeed, we find very 

 few plain dishes. There is only one recipe for Hash, we regret to say, 

 and to manufactu r e this, en regie, we must have pepper and salt, chopped 

 onions, Havey source, mushroom catsup, a half pint of broth, and sip- 

 pets of toasted bread! On the whole, the exposition of Francatelli is 

 wonderful; that his talent is appreciated, is shown by the fact that his 

 book has run through nine editions in Europe. We can therefore freely 

 recommend it to young housewives here, especially those of New Eng- 

 land, who desire to astonish their palates, provoke the gossip of the 

 neighbors, or pass their leisure hours in experimenting. It comprises 

 600 pages, and the price is five dollars. 



>«m-*- 1 



MAGAZINES. 



Horticultural Magazine. The Horticulturist, the oldest 

 horticultural magazine in the United States, has recently been purchased 

 by the proprietors of the Gardeners' Monthly, publishedin Philadelphia, 

 and edited by Thomas Meehan, Esq., of Germantown. The two maga- 

 zines will hereafter be united. 



The American Naturalist. — We have been watching with 

 some attention for the appearance of this, the first number under the 

 new regime; and now that it is here, we cannot but express some disap- 

 pointment The old Naturalist was, at best, always good as a biologi- 

 cal magazine. It needed an element of popularity, the lack of which fi- 

 nally resulted in its failure financially . In this respect the present number 

 is no better. Nor does its new dress and type become it any better. The 

 old was extremely good. Trie list of contents includes "Burs in the 

 Borage Family," by Prof. Asa Gray; "The Florida Chameleon," a capital 

 article, by the Rev. S. Lockwood; "The Availability of Certain Bartram- 

 ian Names in Ornithology," by J. A. Allen, discussing Dr. Coues' recent 

 paper in the Proceedings of the Philadelphia Acade~y; "The Harvard 

 Summer School of Geology," by Prof. Shaler, which was printed word 

 for word in the New York Tribune of Nov. 26th, 1875; "Ancient Euins 

 in Southeastern Colorado," a rehash of the explorations of Wm. H. 

 Jackson and Ernest Ingersoll in the United States Geological Survey of 

 1874, printed in the Bulletin of the Survey six months ago. Its illustra- 

 tions are borrowed from that Bulletin. There are two other short and 

 technical papers, and a review, with illustrations of the stag, reindeer 

 and elk, of Caton's "Summer in Norway." The departments are Bot- 

 any, Zoology, Geology and Paleontology, Anthropology, Geography and 

 Exploration, Microscopy and Scientific News, all of which are full of in- 

 teresting notes . But, although the improvement in the Naturalist is not 

 yet so easy to be seen, it is nevertheless an interesting and useful mag- 

 azine, and one which ought fully to succeed; and we heartily wish it 

 every bit of the success which it deserves. It stands alone in publish- 

 ing the result of American naturalist's studies, as Fobest and Stream 

 stands alone in recording their deld observations. 



— We acknowlege the receipt of an invitation of the 

 Cuvier Club of Cincinnati to attend their second annual 

 reception on New Years day. Alas ! that so much space 

 should have intervened to prevent our accepting. In spirit 

 we were present, and acknowledged with thanks the kind 

 invitation which " circumstances over which we had no 

 control," prevented being met in a more material manner. 



—Daniel Coon, of Chesterfield, New Hampshire, has 

 trapped one hundred and thirty-three foxes within five 

 years, sixteen this f all ; all done with st eel traps. 



—Thomas F. Stone, the veteran billiard player, died of 

 heart disease on Tuesday, Dec. 28th, at his residence m 

 this city. He was fifty-five years of age. 



— J. Warner won the first prize of $100 at the Newark 

 three-ball tournament, just closed. 



