RECREA TION. 



401 



AN AMERICAN SLOOP. 



share of the pulling, hauling and hustling 

 as part of the day's recreation. 



Outdoor sports are the means by 

 which youth gains the stamina needful 

 for the fulfillment of the duties of man- 

 hood ; and it is fortunate for the rising 

 generation that they live in an age that 

 not only tolerates, but encourages all 

 rational sports and games. In my youth, 

 when our men's minds were bent chiefly 

 on money making, any indulgence in 

 such pastimes was generally looked upon 

 as the rankest folly. I thank my stars 

 that my parents did not share this gen- 

 eral sentiment. I was encouraged to go 

 out of doors as much as possible, and 

 to meet nature face to face. 



Yachting has not as many followers 

 as some of the other sports, although its 

 followers make up in ardor their lack of 

 numbers. Of course, the true stage for 

 the yachtsman's efforts is the sea, 

 although on this vast continent of lakes 



and inland seas we find flourishing yacht 

 clubs at what are generally thought of 

 as inland cities. Detroit, Buffalo, Cleve- 

 land, Chicago, are all yachting centres, 

 although the inland yacht differs in 

 many essentials from the standard de- 

 manded for salt water cruising. 



When I speak of yachting, I mean 

 cruising rather than racing. To the 

 racing mania may be justly attributed 

 the popular idea that yachting is an 

 expensive pastime. So it is, if we 

 attempt to keep tuned up to racing 

 pitch, ordering a new boat, centreboard, 

 cutter or fin-keel, from year to year, to 

 keep pace with the experimental theories 

 of our crack builders ; but four men can 

 live better and more cheaply afloat in a 

 30-footer than they can live at a hotel, 

 during a vacation. Handicap races, 

 with their liberal time allowances, fur- 

 nish exciting sport for such as are fond 

 of them. 



