FOREST AND STREAM 
235 
London. What do you think of this result?” [A letter 
from “Engineer,” in this issue, will answer the above 
query.—E d.] 
_'We congratulate the world of sportsmen and game 
conservators upon the organization of the “Sportsman’s 
club of Western Pennsylvania,” which we have alluded to 
briefly in a previous number of this paper. A very im¬ 
portant section of country lies within its jurisdiction, em¬ 
bracing as it does several of the wilderness counties of the 
State, and isolated tracts where the need of protection is 
sorely felt. Great destruction is caused by netting and 
shooting out of season, and especially in an indirect way 
by the encouragement given to poachers, who bring illegal 
o-ame from Virginia and North Carolina to sell in Pennsyl¬ 
vania. It will be the province of the Sportsman’s club to 
put a stop to this, as one of its chief objects is to enforce 
all laws and ordinances against the unlawful killing of 
o-ame. The officers are:—Robert Dalzell, President; D. C. 
Phillips, Vice President; O. T. Wharton, Secretary, and 
J. E. Harper, Treasurer. A large number of the members 
are subscribers to Forest and Stream, which, of course, 
accounts for their enthusiasm and energy. 
—We can personally attest to the value of Rigg’s Bel- 
montyle oil as a prevention against rust, and we are sure, 
from the number of testimonials appended to the circular 
which accompanies the preparation, that others consider 
it an excellent article also. It seems to form a cuticle which 
prevents either local water, or hygroscopic moisture from 
touching iron, steel, or brass. It is not intended as a lub¬ 
ricant. Iron manufacturers, machinists, and sewing ma¬ 
chine makers, all use it. 
—The Worcester, (Mass.,) Sportsman’s Club have elected 
the following officers for this year:—President, John 
Boyden; Vice-President, A. P. Cutting; Secretary and Treas¬ 
urer, J. C. Bates Smith. This club has about seventy 
active members. 
—There is no definite date fixed as yet for the Tourna¬ 
ment of the New York State Association at Oswego. 
WHAT SHOULdTgOOD GUN DO? 
Editor Forest and Stream;— 
I observe that an expert tried a couple of Remington shot guns for 
you some time since, that you published the same, and have subsequent¬ 
ly alluded in your Answers to Correspondents to the performance, as a 
good one. Your expert did not give the size of shot used; but if it was 
the American standard No. ?, both pattern and penetration were fear¬ 
fully low. Using the English standard paper, or ‘ ‘Pettit’s pads, 11 as they 
are termed, with No. 7 shot, American standard, or any shot which runs 
from 280 to 295 pellets to the ounce, and at 40 yards distance a good aver¬ 
age gun should put 125 shot in a thirty-inch circle, 17 shot in the centie 
pattern (the ten-inch square centre pad used for determining penetra¬ 
tion), and of these seventeen shot, one-half should penetrate eighteen 
sheets of paper, the deepest shot being at or abo'. t 28 sheets. A very 
good gun should show a pattern of 180, a centre pattern of 32 to 35, and 
two-thirds of the centre pattern should show through at 18 sheets. The 
two best guns in the New York trial of last fall ran up to a pattern of 212 
but the penetration was unreliable, owing to the bad quality of the 
paper. 1 would suggest that in future trials (and I would be glad to see 
as many as possible made under your auspices), that your expert should 
adhere to the standard shot, distance, paper and size of target which 
have obtained prominence in all the public trials up to date. The 
paper pads can be had of Pettit & Co., Frith street, Soho, London, or 
McLaran & Williams, St. Louis, who have imported a large number of 
them. 
I observe, also, that in your “Answers to Correspondents” you state 
the old formula, viz: That to improve the pattern use less powder, and 
that an increase of powder scatters the shot, but improves the penetra¬ 
tion. This is erroneous, except in certain cases. Both pattern and pen¬ 
etration improve with an increase in the powder charge until a maximum 
Doint is reached, after which the pattern first begins to spread and be¬ 
comes irregular, and then the penetration falls off as the recoil becomes 
greater, unless the charge of shot is reduced as the powder is increased, 
so as to keep the recoil at the same point. The performance of a No. 10 
Dougall, which I tested lately, will serve to illustrate this fact, Six shots 
were made to each charge: 
3£ drachms and 1£ ounce shot; pattern 129; penetration 15. 
3$- drachms and li ounce shot; pattern 132; penetration 16. 
4$ drachms and 1 ounce shot; pattern 166; penetration 22. 
5£ drachms and 1 ounce shot; pattern 132; peneration 19. 
Trusting that your expert will continue to test guns for the benefit of 
your readers, I remain very truly yours, “Enoineer ” 
[The penetration and pattern was confined to the 8-inch bullseye, 
which we consider excellent shooting. The size shot used was standard 
No. 7 .-Ed.] 
--- 
THE COMING JULY WOODCOCK SHOOT¬ 
ING. 
Philadelphia, Penn., May 14, 1874. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
Woodcock shooting this summer, I doubt not, will be poor indeed, for 
from every quarter 1 hear reports of the almost total destruction of the 
young broods by either flood or cold, owing to the heavy rams in the 
Middle States and the unseasonable snows in the more northern latitudes. 
In ordinary spring weather and where the birds are at all favored, they 
hatch their young by the middle or latter part of March, even earlier at 
times; but the present season has been so backward the woodcock did 
Rot reach their breeding grounds before the last of March, and conse¬ 
quently their oroods were brought forth about the third week of the fol¬ 
lowing month. Northern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Southern New 
York experienced a heavy snow on the 28th and 29th of April, and 
throughout the entire Eastern and Middle States the storm was felt, 
either in the form of snow or rain, to such an extent as to he fatal to the 
young woodcock in every section. A host of old birds settled in Sussex 
county, N. J., this March, paired and bred, and everything favored cap- 
tal shooting for the summer; but the snow killed the greater portion, 
and a second brood will now be raised by the parents, which, when the 
law allows them to be shot, will be hardly half grown. Granting that 
woodcock are four years oat of five in full condition to be killed in July, 
how much better, how much more sportsmanlike it would be to allow 
them to remain unmolested until autumn, when no doubt can exist that 
they are in full plumage, strong and vigorous on the wing and without 
the cares of a family? 
Ir the year 1841, as late as the 5th of May, just such a snow and rain 
occurred as we have experienced the present spring, and in July of the 
same year woodcock were shot, afterwards found to have been nesting. 
Many a parent will be destroyed rearing young this summer likewise. I 
will not say intentionally, but through ignorance. “Homo. 1 1 
[We agree with our correspondent as to the eminent wisdom and pro¬ 
priety of foregoing the mid-summer woodcock shooting; nevertheless 
we are pleased to state that in parts of Hudson and Essex counties there 
is a fine show of young spring woodcock on the farms of our friends. 
One gentleman of our acquaintance has two pairs of chicks so tame that 
they come regularly for food which has been placed for them not far 
from the house. We trust the mortality has not been so great as 
“Homo” apprehends.— Ed.] 
A CARD. 
To correct any misapprehension in the minds of sportsmen, arising 
from the article of “W L.” in your issue of April 30, as to the kiHd of 
gun suitable for altering, we beg you will insert the following: “W. 
L.” says “the hooks of the muzzle-loader must be taken out, the barrels 
cut oil, and a chamber bored. Now if the gun was not of sufficient thick¬ 
ness after the chamber was bored, the gun would be unsafe. The heel 
plate is done away with and replaced by tips; this requires another re¬ 
moval from the old stock. Therefore, it is not safe to send any and 
every gun to be altered, but only those guns which have thick barrels and 
are, as muzzle-loaders, fine shooters.” In reply we would state that any 
and all muzzle-loading guns can be altered to breech-loading, if metal 
shells are used, as the metal taken from the barrels to allow their inser¬ 
tion is so trifling as not requiring consideration, when the fact is well 
established that a gun barrel will stand the most excessive charges of 
powder when burned in a metal case, whereby the gas generated is kept 
from contact with the naked metal of the barrel at the breech, for with¬ 
out the shell,if there were any flaw or defect in the texture of the barrels 
the gas would force itself into them, and tear the barrels apart, but pro¬ 
tected by the shell there is no danger. In experimenting we have seen 
a barrel standing seventy discharges when the metal shell was used, 
burst at the second discharge when the powder was burned, the naked 
barrel showing, on examination, that the gas had forced itself through 
an imperfect welding of the coils. Paper shells, requiring so much more 
metal to he taken out for their insertion, can be used only in guns having 
a certain thickness; a few guns do not possess it; 1 hey are the excep¬ 
tion. A fine shooting gun is not injured by the alteration; a poor shoot¬ 
ing one can be made to shoot properly. With the exception of new ham¬ 
mers, the uid stock, with its locks crook length and mountings un¬ 
changed, is retained; for the “hooks, false breech,” or more accurately, 
patent breech of the muzzle-loader, is substituted the solid breech of the 
breech-loader; the barrels are shortened never more than half an inch, 
usually less. 
In conclusion, we would assert that any gun, safe as a muzzle-loader, 
is safer, using metallic shells, as a breech-loader. 
Clark & Sneider. 
Baltimore , May 11th, 1874. 
All communications from Secretaries and friends should be mailed not 
later than Monday in each week . 
HIGH WATER. FOR THE WEEK. 
DATE. 
BOSTON. j 
| NEW YORK, j 
| CJIARL’ST’N 
h. m. 
h. m. 
| ____ f 
h. m. 
May 21. 
3 43 
0 29 
morn 
May 22. 
4 36 
1 23 
0 36 
May 23. ... 
1 5 29 
2 15 ! 
1 29 
May 24. 
6 20 
3 6 | 
3 20 
May 25. 
1 7 8! 
3 53 | 
3 8 
May 26. 
i 7 54 
1 4 39 
3 54 ' 
May 27. 
1 8 40 
1 5 26 1 
i 4 40 
—Herewith we append the log of the sloop yacht “Vin- 
dex,” Captain Robert Center, N.Y.Y.C., which has just re¬ 
turned from a cruise in southern waters, giving the run 
from Savannah to New York, believing that it must prove 
interesting to our yachting readers, considering the incle¬ 
ment season in which the voyage was undertaken:— 
LOG OF THE “VINDEX.” 
Monday, April 20th .—Got under weigh with pilot at 2:30 
P. M. M ind south, and light. Came to anchor oil Tybee; 
weather threatening; discharged pilot; night moderate. 
Tuesday, 21st. —At 7 took pilot from pilot boat “Nicka,” 
and got under weigh in company with her for Fishing 
Banks, where we hove to. The scrub match arranged pre¬ 
vious to starting resulted in favor of the Vindex. Wind S. 
S. W., veering to S. S. E.; light. Fished until 12:45, at 
which time parted company with pilot. Shaped course 
N. E. at 1:15; had Martin’s Industry bearing IN. W. dis¬ 
tance 5 miles; at 4 P. M. Wind S. S. W., and very light. 
Wednesday, 22d. —At 2 A. M. wind shifted N. E., veering 
E., and continued light until 12 M., at which- time fell flat 
calm. Lat. by observation 32 degrees, 59 minutes. Sound¬ 
ing, found 19 fathoms at 2 P.M. Wind N. and light, 
shifted to N. N. E. at 3, and increasing, and 4:30 wind N. 
E.; furled topsail and housed topmast. At 11:30 wind 
hauled to south. 
Thursday 25.—Wind S. E., at 1:30 A. M., double reefed 
mainsail, got jib on deck, wind strong, hauled oft' shore on 
course E. by N.. at 6 A. M., course E. by N. f N., took 
soundings, got Twenty fatlioms. At 7 wind moderating 
bent jib without bonnet. At 8 bore away on our course and 
shook out one reef in mainsail, and at 9:30 set whole main¬ 
sail. At 11 wind S. found no bottom in forty fathoms. 
Course N. E. i N. Lat. by observation, 34 degrees 03 
minutes. At 12:30 got topmast on end and set gall topsail 
at 7:30, wind increasing, took in top sail. At 9 still in¬ 
creasing, double reefed mainsail. At 10 strong wind from 
S. S. VV. with heavy sea running. 
Friday 24.—By dead reckoning having passed Hatteras 
hauled up N. At 3 wind shifted to IN . in heavy squall, 
stripped ship, housed topmast and got jib on deck; set try¬ 
sail and fore stay sail without bonnet. At 3:30 wind veered 
to N. E., tacked ship and stood in to N. W. At 9 A. M. 
put bonnet in staysail. At noon lat. by observation 35 
degrees 20 minutes. In twenty-four fatlioms of water. At 
1 twenty-two fathoms. At. 1:30 took in try-sail; set double 
reefed mainsail whole foresail, jib without bonnet. At 
4:30 made Body Island light bearing 8. S. W. eight miles 
distant. At 6 wind strong N. E. took jib oft bowsprit and 
set try-sail. 
Saturday, 25.—Blowing hard from N., but moderating 
towards 4, wind veering N. E. with fog. At 7 set double 
reefed mainsail. Wind. S. E. at 8, set jib. At 9 set whole 
mainsail, wind S. E., thick fog, took soundings in twenty 
fathoms. No observation. At 1:30, clearing weather, wind 
S. W., freshening with rain. At 3:30, made land. Wind 
shifted W. and squally at (j, and at 7 was obliged to put 
double reef in mainsail and take jib oft' bowsprit. At 8 
blowing hard and smothering yacht into it, took three reefs 
in mainsail and bonnet oft fore staysail. Made Cape Henry 
Light bearing N. by W. 
Saturday , 26.—Abreast of Cape Henry, blowing hard, 
hauled up to beat inside of Capes at 2 A. M., had gotten a 
mile further to leeward, but by making short tacks under 
Cape Henry at last got in, wind moderating about 5, shook 
out a reef and put bonnet in fore stay sail. At 7 abreast of 
Thimble Light, bent jib and set it alter passing Sewell’s 
Point, let go anchor at 11 oft Norfolk. 
Wednesday, May 5.—At 8:30, A. M., got underway with 
light, N. W. wind for New York. At 1, calm. At 3, wind 
N. N. E. veering to S. S.E. At 7, off Cape Henry, calm. At 
8 :S0, light breeze sprung up from S. W. Cape Charles, 
bearing W. at 11. 
Thursday, May 6.—Wind N. W. Hog Island Light, bear¬ 
ing W. at 2:30. Took in gaff topsail at 3 and set it again at 
5, wind N. At 7 wind N. by E., Chincategui Light due 
W. at 9:30. At 10 wind was N. E., hauling E. by ,N. At. 
11 3et jib topsail, wind hauled S. E. by E. and remained 
light for balance of evening. At 1 Five Fathom Light 
Ship due W., wind freshening and veering S. W., took in 
jib topsail, and at half past 6 the topsail. Absecum Light 
bearing W. N. W., jibed over and set jib topsail. Barne- 
gat bearing W. at 10, at 11 wind shifted to W. flawy and 
strong. Called the watch, took in jib and gaff topsails and 
double reefed the mainsail. At 2:45 the black buoy off the 
point of the Hook bore W. Stood on up to the city. Wind 
lightening in the Bay. Set whole sail, passing Battery at 
4:15. Came to anchor off 27th street at 6. 
Note, —Saturday 25th of April, which log of Vindex 
describes as blowing hard, we understand ocean steamers 
postponed their sailing.—E d] 
—The schooner yacht Josephine, Mr. Lloyd Phoenix, has 
been hauled out at the yard of Mr. Henry Steers, and will 
have the bowsprit gammoning, and stem strengthened 
before she is again launched. 
—The schooner Prospero, new last season, and designed 
for Mr. Comptoirt by the eminent marine painter and naval 
architect, Mr. A. Cary Smith, is again in commission, hav¬ 
ing been thoroughly overhauled, lier decks planed, and her 
bottom coppered. The Prospero has not been sDarred and 
canvassed for a racer, but with the cruising sails'her owner- 
used last season slie has shown great speed, notably upon 
the occasion of the fall regatta of the N.Y.Y.C. 
—A regular meeting of the Seawanhaka Yaclit Club was 
held on Friday, the 15tli instant, at Delmonico’s. After 
the routine business for the evening had been finished the 
club proceeded to the election of new members by ballot, 
and ten candidates were admitted, among whom w ere the 
owners of the Restless, Vindex, and Gracie. The flag offi¬ 
cers of the club, Commodore W. L. Swan, Vice Commo¬ 
dore J. Wm. Beekman, and Rear Commodore S. J. Col¬ 
gate, signified their intention of giving a prize for cabin 
sloops, to be sailed for under the Corinthian system on the 
3d of July next. ‘The club then elected as a committee for 
the arrangement of all necessary preliminaries the same 
gentlemen who are now serviug in a similar capacity in 
connection with the Seawanhaka Yacht Club’s Corinthian 
cup for schooners. As yet no details for a sloop race have 
been decided upon. 
—The Sadie, one of Herreslioff’s most successful boats, 
is now owned in New York, and has established lier moor¬ 
ings off the residence of her owner, Mr. Ford, of New 
Brighton, Staten Island. 
—The schooner yacht Clio, Messrs. Aston and Bradhurst, 
it is rumored, will sail another match race with the Eva] 
It will be remembered that there was a private match be¬ 
tween these yachts, on the occasion of the Cape May race 
last fall, which was won by the Clio. 
—The Rev. Mr. Aspinwall has a steam yaclit, seventy- 
five feet on deck, building for him at one of the Long Island 
yards. 
—The schooner yacht Restless, Mr. George De Haven, is 
preparing for the coming season, and almost ready to’go 
into commission. 
—The Bayonne and Pavonia yacht clubs have combined 
forces under the name of the Union Yacht Club of New 
Jersey. As soon as a suitable location has been decided 
upon they intend building a new club house. 
East Boston Yacht Club.—A new yaclit club was or¬ 
ganized on the 7tli instant in East Boston. A constitution 
very similar to the Bunker Hill club was adopted, and by¬ 
laws read which will be acted, upon hereafter. A commit¬ 
tee of four was appointed to nominate at the next meeting- 
a list of officers, and another committee of three to con¬ 
sider the feasibility of getting rooms and making other 
arrangements for the club. At the meeting about ten yachts 
were represented. 
On the Wave. —Gentlemen in Boston having at heart 
the welfare of aquatic sports, have inaugurated measures 
to bring together, if possible, all the leading oarsmen of 
New England—both professional and amateurs—in a regatta 
to take place on Charles River June 17. Gold medals will 
be offered, one valued at $125, for professionals, and an¬ 
other worth $100 for amateurs, in single sculls; and also 
medals for four-oared sculls, Whitehall, and working boats. 
An efficient committee, of which Mr. Thomas Butler is a 
member, is at work perfecting the arrangements. Among 
the rowers who will probably enter the races are Paudeen 
Harrington, of Springfield; O’Leary, of Worcester; Lan¬ 
ders, of Salem; Randall and Brown, of Portland; and Mc¬ 
Nulty and several others of this city; and double and four- 
oared sculls, including the North End, Howard, and Shaw- 
mut clubs, and other crews .—Boston Journal. 
—The Arlington Yaclit Club held their annual meeting 
May 4th, and after transacting tlie regular business of the 
evening proceeded to the election of officers for 1874, with 
the following results:—Commodore, S. P. Prentiss; Vice 
Commodore, John Gray; Secretary and Treasurer, Tlios 
Gray; Measurer, N. B. Walker. The first regatta of this 
club will take place May 30th, and the regular annual re¬ 
gatta on tlie 4tli of July. This club is in a most flourishing 
condition, and have enrolled on the books the following 
yachts:—Angie, Mr. W. G. Peck; Adelaide, Mr. H. K. Os¬ 
born; Alice, Mr. E. W. Richardson; Agnes, Mr. C. W. 
Chamberlain; Blue Bird, Messrs T. and J. Grav; Edith 
Mr. S. F..Hicks; Fannie, Mr. W. L. Frost; Helen, Mr. R 
W. Hopkins; Lilian, Mr. F. H. Peabody; Millie, Mr. T. G. 
Bucknam; Nellie, Messrs. J. J. Eaton, Jr., and S. P. Pren¬ 
tiss; Nameless, Mr. F. H. Peabody; Yankee Blade, S. P. 
Prentiss; Clara, F. E. Peabody. The measurement adopted 
by this club for time allowance in regattas is based upon 
length on the water line. 
—Tlie Portland Yacht Club has chosen the following offi¬ 
cers for the ensuing year:— 
Commodore, A. M. Smith; Vice Commodore, John P 
Thomas; Fleet Captain, Howard Knowlton; Secretary and 
Treasurer, George W. Holden; Measurer, Joseph W Dyer- 
Trustees, A. M. Smith, ex-officio, Charles T. Richardson’ 
Henry T. Carter, R. I. Hall, and George H. Holden, ex- 
officio; Regatta Committee, A. M. Smith, B. J. Willard 
William Taylor, J. Hail Boyd. Howard Knowlton, the 
fleet captain, is building a fine new steam yacht for his 
use. There are several other yachts being built, which will 
belong to the club. Charles M. Goodrich is building a fine 
