528 
FOREST AND STREAM 
flx«l relation to the weight of the craft. The Breeze 
is one of the class of heavy canoes. Her gallant captain, 
before she was launched, conclusively demonstrated on 
paper that she could safely run Niagara Falls and that 
"considering her great strength she is a light boat.” 
The boat-keeper once helped to carry her from the water 
to the boat-house and was so exhausted by his prodigious 
effort that nothing less than a fee of fifty cents will cow 
induce hun to bear a hand. Her captain has since sold 
her to a young Hercules for half her cost, and the club 
is thus relieved of the necessity of adding a yoke of 
oxen and log chains to its appliances. The Argo, on 
the other hand, weighs about thirty pounds, and her 
captain carries her with less effort tfian is necessary to 
the management of a good sized cotton umbrella in a 
fresh breeze. The canoe is a cruising craft and must be 
carried from stream to stream, and therefore it is bet¬ 
ter to sacrifice strength to lightness than lightness to 
strength. The mean of the two qualities is what is de¬ 
sired. The light canoe is of course faster under paddle. 
Canoe materials are innumerable. White cedar is ex¬ 
cellent, oak is heavy; basswood and pine fair. The 
paper canoes built by E. Waters & Sons, of Lansing- 
burg, N. Y., are superb boats, but they are not included 
in the class of low-priced canoes. 
Canvas has been tried and answers the purpose admir¬ 
ably. The first of these canoes, it is believed, was the 
Qui Vive, built by Mr. Isaac F. West, of the Jersey City 
Canoe Club. The construction is so simple that with the 
material, a jackknife, saw and plane, any man of ordi¬ 
nary ingenuity may build a canoe in which he may cross 
the continent. The puipose for which the canoe is to 
he used will determine her form and interior arrange¬ 
ment. If she is to be a smooth water racing canoe she 
will be a modification of the common shell and afford 
no room for sleeping or stowage. 
Racing Canoe. 
A canoe that is to cruise upon small rivers and creeks 
and to run rapids, is more serviceable without a keel and 
straight stem post, and may dispense with a rudder, while 
for work on large rivers, bays, and open sea all these 
appliances, with addition of "shoes or false keels, are 
serviceable. If the canoeist will deny himself the grati¬ 
fication of sleeping in his canoe he may carry a centre¬ 
board, 
Anything but oars is admissable. They may be car¬ 
ried in barren countries where fire wood is scarce. 
A double canoe is better than none, because a man 
may take aboard a load of ballast and sail her alone. The 
single canoe allows the cruiser the privilege of going as 
he pleases. It is the symbol of generosity, as it accords 
to every other canoe the right to do the same thing. 
The Vice-Commodore is Bilent on the subject of double 
canoes, though usually exercising the right of the citizen 
to express his opinions. He has been reticent about three 
weeks. Four of the club, including the Vice, started in 
single canoes, of course, from the boat-house for the Idle 
Horn. 
They beat down against the tide, until the Vice sudden ¬ 
ly put about and earnestly pointed to the lowering clouds 
in the southwest. A few rain drops pattered on the 
decks ; the captains stowed their rigging below, adjusted 
rubber aprons and took to paddle. 
Where's the Vice ?” 
Three canoeists were startled. 
“ Where's the Vice?” passed along the line. The flag- 
ship’s powerful marine-glass swept the lower bay ; the 
Secretary shouted as he had not done since the days of 
schoolboy declamation j the Argo's captain was just 
about to generously heave overboard his pet cork life-pre¬ 
server when a youngster on a passing sloop shouted : 
‘ 1 There 'e is. mister ! Don't he spin?” 
Three canoes swung quarter around and watched the 
retreating officer. For a moment Ire ceased paddling. 
Against tire breeze — now pereeptably freshened—the fleet 
naught the faint words : " Pull for the boat-house ! It’s 
going to rain 1” 
The fleet, however, kept its course, but the captains 
talked boldly of court-martial. The Idle Horn- was made 
not a moment too soon, for the shower came down as the 
canoes were hauled out. The coffee and sandwiches were 
ready and all hands were speedily made comfortable. 
That" night, when the fleet landed at the boat-house, a 
disconsolate being emerged from the darkness — a drench¬ 
ed being who was striving hard to bear up under accu¬ 
mulation of misfortunes. 
"Hallo, Vico! that you? Why, what’s the matter?” 
asked the sympathetic secretary. 
“Mat-tat-rnut-at-ter!” answered the Vice as crisply as 
he could while his teeth were beating a long roll. “ Mat¬ 
ter? con-found it'! I was caught by the shower and 
drenched: then in my deuced hurry to get ashore I fell 
overboard.” 
No one smiled outwardly. 
“ Well, my dear fellow, why don’t you change your 
clothes ?” inquired the secretary. 
“ Change my clotheB !” Here the teeth drummed furi¬ 
ously. 
"Change my clothes! They, are in the Commodore's 
locker, and he has the key.” 
As the party left the boat-house the Argo's captain 
handed the Vice a cigar and quiotly.remarked: “ Go in a 
double canoe next time, Vice; the chances are that the 
other fellows won’t back out.” 
The canoe’s length should be determined by her cap¬ 
tain's length and weight. A canoeist of 150 jioundB’ 
weight should use a canoe that is fourteen feet long. 
Five inches of length should be added for each additional 
twenty pounds of weight. The cruising canoe should be 
so constructed that she may be slept in comfortably ; 
therefore this rule must sometimes be departed from "to 
accommodate extraordinary length of limb. The midship 
beam should, however, be always the same. Twenty- 
nine inches at the top of the gunwale and thirty-one 
inches at a point three inches below is convenient width 
for paddling, and with flat bottom and usual depth of 
ten and one-hall’ inches affords good bearings. The canoe 
may be built with many or few interior fittings. Water¬ 
tight compartments may be dispensed with, and the lug¬ 
gage carried in rubber bags—one forward and the other 
aft. The compartments add somewhat to the cost of the THE INTERNATIONAL MATCH, 
canoe. The best oanvas canoes are identical with the Belleville (Ont.) is a lively town, and it has a lively 
Shadow canoes built by Everson, of Williamsburg, and ,, , h „_ ,, r y . 
Roahr, of Harlem. The construction is shown by tbs - vaoht club > wlnch P ndes lt3elf u P on the performances of 
following diagrams: I its yachts. The Belleville Intelligencer, which is as lively 
as the town it furnishes with 
news, has the following concern¬ 
ing the account of the recent 
EUa-Katie Gray match: 
Some would-be nautical gen¬ 
ius has sent from Oswego 
Stem and stern parts, heel, keelson, bulkheads and strips. 
The stem and stern posts are hackmatack piec es, one 
inch thick at the dotted lines and beveled down to one- 
half inch or less at the outer line. In these pieces there 
are slots one-quarter inch deep that receive the strips. 
The keel, one inch by inch; keelson, one-half inch by two 
inches; both of oak, and the stem and stern posts are 
bolted together. 
The mould of the midship section is then placed in 
position, six inches aft of the true midship section. This 
mmdd gives the canoe its distinctive shape and largely 
determines its usefulness under sail and paddle. If it 
gives great depth the cauoe will be slow under paddle ; 
if little beam and bearings, she will be crank and treat 
her captain to upsets. 
For cruising purposes the Shadow and Herald are the 
best, as they afford more room and superior sailing quali¬ 
ties. Of these two we prefer the Shadow, because ahe 
will sail closer to the wind and is better adapted for work 
in rough seas. Twenty-nine inches on deck is a conven¬ 
ient beam for paddling. At a point three inches below 
the deck line the beam should be thirty-one inches. The 
depth should be ten and a half inches. The water-tight 
bulkheads of one-half inch pine are then placed in posi¬ 
tion. Their form should be more nearly that of midship 
of the Bob Roy. They should not have the flat bottom 
of the midship section. 
They are not absolutely necessary, and to fit them 
neatly requires mechanical skill. They should be notched 
to receive the strips. The side strips are of spruce and 
planed on both sides, one inch by one-quarter inch, except 
the gunwale strip, that is one and a quarter by one quar¬ 
ter Inch, and rests against a three-quarter inch square 
inwale. They are fastened to stem and stern posts with 
brass screws." The lines at the bow should be slightly 
convex. The concave lines pile up. the water and thus 
retard the progress of the canoe. The ribs may be made 
of split barrel-hoops, and should be placed about five 
inches apart. The deck should have a camber of two 
inches. The timbers should he of pine and very light. 
<£ 
° IXI i 
Oak knees contribute to the strength of the canoe. 
The masts, when stowed below, may be suspended from 
them. The floor board rests upon strips that are screwed 
through the keelson to the keel. The oanvas shoidd be 
light, hut close and hard. No. 8 is quite heavy enough. 
It should he forty-eight inches wide, that there may be 
no break at the keel. Canoes that are covered with sin¬ 
gle-width canvas are generally leaky. To cover a canoe 
she must be turned bottom up and the keel removed. 
The keelson and groves into which the canvas is laid 
and the edges of the water-tight bulkheads should be 
coated with white lead, that may be laid on with a brush. 
The fabric is then cut exactly midway the sides until it 
may be laid smoothly upon the keelson and then turned 
neatly into the grooves. The keel is then bolted or 
screwed in place, the screws or bolts first having been 
coated with white lead. The canvas is then cut to follow 
the grooves, turned under and securely fastened with 
copper tacks. It overlaps the gunwale and is talced to 
the inside of the inwale. The deck should he of canvas. 
The hatches may be of canvas or wood. They may be 
rendered water-tight by rubber strips at their edges. 
They shoidd be fastened" down with brass thumb screws. 
The" canoe shoidd then be treated to a light mix ture of 
oil and white lead, and may then be painted to suit the 
fancy of the canoeist. It is well, especially for a cruise, 
to paint the inside. 
The copper mast tubes are one and three-quarter inches 
in diameter, and are stepped in a block screwed through 
the keelson to the keel. Hie dandy mast is three feet 
eight inches from the stem post, and the ma i n m ast four 
feet from the stem post. There are several simple devices 
for steering with the feet. The Bubble's rudder lines 
lead from the yoke, through the cockpit, combing and 
sliding bulkhead. They are fitted with stirrups that 
rest on the toe of the shoe, and may be easily thrown off. 
Such an arrangement is preferable to the common yoke, 
as it admits of easy adjustment to any length of limb. 
The cost of material for such a canoe is about $13. The 
Argo cost less than $10. It possesses the requisite quali¬ 
ties of beauty, capacity, strength, stiffness, and speed. 
It may be paddled and sailed, slept in, railroaded, carted, 
and dragged, and when the canvas succumbs to weather 
or knocks, it may be removed and new put on at small 
expense. 
Cruising. — Owing to recent absence on a cruise to the 
eastward, correspondents wifi please bear with the una¬ 
voidable delay in attending to their inquiries, and the 
reader will overlook sundry typographical errors in late 
issues. The racing record will be brought up to date at 
the earliest opportunity. 
the New York Forest and Stream what purports to 
be a descripti m of the international yacht race at Kings¬ 
ton. The value of this production can be judged of from 
the fact that it states that at the start the wind was from 
the nor’-nor’-west and light, and that the squall struck 
the yachts from the nor’-nor’-east, drifting the Ella far 
to windward of her course. The wind was from the 
southwest at the start, blowing fresh, and the squall came 
from the west, veering to the northwest, which threw the 
Ella to leeward—not to windward, where her captain and 
crew would have given a good deal to have been. Let 
the Oswego writer try again. 
In justice to the Bay of Quinte Yacht Club we print 
the following very able account of the match, which did 
not reach us in time for the last issue : 
Bellviulb, .July IT. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The International Yacht Race between the sloops Bite of Oswego, 
and Katie Gray, of BeUviUe, for $250 a side, whioh rose out of a 
challenge from the owner of the former, was deoided at Kingston 
on Tuesday, the loth lilt. The race was over a course of thirty 
miles (nearly thirty-five geographical miles),which was duly logged 
with a patent log, aud the rules precluded any shifting of ballast. 
Both are handsome crafts the Katie, which was measured as 
being eleven tons, being one of Couthburt’s models, whilst Ella 
whioh measures twenty-one tons, was built in the State of New 
York, but had an over-hanging stem put on her last year by Couth 
hurt, thereby greatly improving her speed. Time allowance was 
as per Herershoff's scale, the smaller yacht receiving 0 m. 23 see. 
The early part of the morning was very calm, but before 10 
o’clock a nice breeze came down Lake Ontario, and by the hour 
fixed for the start it was blowing from eight to ten miles an hour, 
and freshening at that. The course, It may here be stated, was 
from a buoy off Swift's dook, thence Georges’ horn, on Wolf’s 
Island (about two and-a-half miles S. S.E.); thence west toabuoy 
off the penitentary ; thenceS. S. W. toa buoyoll FourMile Point, 
and return to the starting point, leaving all buoys to starboard. 
Shortly before 11 o’clock the starting whistle was blown, and 
both yachts made for the starting point, each carrying gaff topsails, 
and Katie a Jib topsail in addition. EUa dashed off at precisely 11 
o’clock, Katie following thirty seconds later; but the latter had. 
not gone a quarter of a mile before it was seen that something had 
gone wrong, as the topmast bent badly to leeward, and seemed to 
be about going over her sido; hut the jib topsail was at once taken 
in, and the good stick remained, although still bent considerably by 
the preasure of the gaff topsails. Subsequently It was ascertained 
that the strain had been too much for the lanyards of the topmast 
rigging, which had given away. This was to the art vim i age of 
EUa, whiclrwent on increasing her lead, rounding the first buoy 
lm. 30 see. ahead. It was now a run with sheets nearly close 
hauled to the penitentiary buoy, and after a short run under the 
land gaff topsails were doused, the breoze at the same time increas¬ 
ing materially, so that the larger yacht kept widening the gap be¬ 
tween herself and the former, although the smaller boat stood up 
much better under her canvass. Ella rounded this mark twenty, 
three minutes ahead, and now it was a boat dead to the windward 
to the buoy at Four Mile Point, The breeze still freshening, the 
big sloop passed the other much the faster, but did not point so 
closely, so that there was very little change in their respective 
positions when they got around the mark. For the run back to 
the harbor “ dead before it,” both set gaff topsails and winged out 
huge balloon Jibs, and although Bite sailed a little the faster she 
passed the home buoy on the first round only 8m.35soe. in the 
lead, actual time. One-third of the course had now been oovered, 
and it was stil felt to he anybody’s race, provided the smaller 
yacht did as well as on the first round. But the wind even ob¬ 
tained its maximum blowing over twelve miles per hour, and the 
larger vessel, owing to her great length and weight, forged ahead 
rapidly, heaving a lead of 12 in. 40 see., actual time, which the 
allowance reduces to 3 m. IT see., as she finished the second round . 
It now seemed to be the Ella’s raeo beyond a doubt, as she had 
very nearly reached the first buoy before Katie made the starting 
point. But soon a change occurred which gave the stakes to the 
Canadian yacht. A heavy eloud was observedin thoN. IV., giving 
token of a coming rain squall, which struck the yacht form the 
northward, whilst the EUa was within a mile of the penitentary 
buoy, and the Katie was upwards of two miles behind her, and 
consequently, however, just so muchlead to leeward. The former, 
after being headed off, was on the starboard tack and standing 
from the north shore, whilst the latter was on the port tack and 
standing towards the land. Both yachts were ably handled, and 
despite the fury of the squall and the falling sheets of rain, 
were soon and snugly reefed. All at once the howling wind 
veered to N. W.. and it was all up with EUa, whioh was thrown 
right to leeward of the buoy sbe was attempting to make, whilst 
the Katie, after wearing to escape being driven on shore, was able 
to reach the mark which had to be turned with a free sheet, 
her crew slacking out their reefs as the storm begau to die away, 
and she rounded it 12 m. 15 sec. in the lead. To Four Mile Point 
now a run before the rapidly falling wind, and both yachts 
were covered with light canvass almost ns quickly as the feat can 
be placed on paper. The Katin maintained her lead, but the wind 
subsided so rapidly that it was now a most interesting question as 
to whether the race would be finished within the stipulated seven 
hours. TheAmerioanpartyhopednot,andthe Canadians doubted 
extremly. hut soon all doubt was put at rest by a light breeze 
vering out of the S. TV.,wliich wafted the Katie Gray across the 
line a 5:59:40 a gallant wiuner, with the Ella following at 5:58. 
beating her actual sailing time f our minutes. 
Later, the result was a mere fluke, there is no denying, and it is 
ow more clear to your correspondent then ever before, that it is 
pot desirable to sail matches between yachts so widely apart in 
their tonnageand build as those which contended as above related. 
In a breeze up to six knots, the Katie Oray can hold her own, or 
very nearly so, without time allowance from Ella, bnt as the wind 
increases the heavier yacht must bring her greater powers into 
play. 1 very much regret to add that Mr atone, the owner of 
Ella, behaved in so unsportsman like a way throughout thematch, 
and that his behavior elumimated in accusing his crow of selling 
the race, and ordering them off his yacht, which insult they re¬ 
seated by doing as they were bid. No sportsman will hereafter 
have anything to do with Nelson S. Stone, of Oswego, or with the 
| yacht EUa, so long as she remains in his hands. She is a very fine 
