yachts will be measured by D. J. Lawlor. The measure¬ 
ment will be the length on the water-line, the allowance In 
time to be determined in accordance with, the schedule 
adopted by the Boston Yacht Club, by the judges, consist¬ 
ing of Comd’r Benj. Dean, Hon. Ohas. Levi Woodbury, ,T. 
Jeffries, Jr., Esq.,' Hon. A. H. Rice, B. E. Preble, Esq., 
who will give all necessary information in regard to the 
courses and the sailing regulations. The start will be 
a flying one and take place between meridian and ®ne 
o’clock. Ten minutes will then be allowed for yachts of 
the first class to cross the line hereinafter mentioned, after 
which no yacht’s time will be taken. Quite a number of 
yachts belonging to Toston, Portland and elsewhere have 
already signified their intention of entering, and it is hoped 
that some of the fast ones from Hew York, Brooklyn and 
intermediate ports will- also be on hand. 
—The “Wivern” of the Boston Yacht Club sailed Sun¬ 
day from Boston on an eastern cruise, having on board 
Ex-Commodore Thomas Manning and Capts. Arthur Cheney 
and A. Claxton Gary. Capt. Cheney’s steam yacht, Ane¬ 
mone which has lately been put in thorough order and 
remodeled Paternally, accompaning them as tender. On 
the evening previous Capt. Cary entertained aboard, 
Commodores Dean and Bangs, Capt Hathaniel Wales, her 
owner, and a party of friends, who visited her to wish them 
“bon voyage.” 
—The Sloop Yacht Harragansett, Capt. Frank Tufts, be¬ 
fore reported on a “down east” cruise, was last heard from 
at Camden, Maine. 
—The Sloop Yacht Mariquita, Capt. Dexter, is also on a 
cruise eastward with a party of friends aboard. 
—The yacht “Comet,” belonging to W. H. Langley, 
Esq., of tiie Hew York and Brooklyn yacht clubs, arrived 
in Boston harbor Saturday afternoon, from Martha’s Vine¬ 
yard, via. Provincetown, en route for Portland. 
—There are now sailing in the vicinity of Hewport, Hew 
Bedford, Martha’s Vineyard and Hew Haven 136 yachts 
owned by gentlemen of Hew York, Brooklyn, and Boston. 
What a lovely sight! 
—The “Cue Regatta Club” is a recent organization at 
St. Augustine, Florida. It has already a large member¬ 
ship and a fleet of ten yachts. Dr. J. Hume Simons is the 
Secretary. The first regatta of the club took place on the 
10th of July between the Fleetwing, Carrie, G-ue, and 
Beauty, in which the Due was the winner. At a subse¬ 
quent race the Carrie took the pennant. The interest in 
yachting and boating is growing rapidly at the south. 
—On Wednesday last, (August 5th) the challenge race 
took place on Lake St. Clair, between the Annie Cuthbert 
of Cobourg, and the Cora ©f Detroit, for the “Goodwin 
Cup.” There is a great deal of interest in this match be¬ 
cause the cup is said to be the one offered by Queen Vic¬ 
toria to be sailed for in a race open to “all comers.” The 
Cora was built at Pamrapo. Race fifteen miles and re¬ 
turn. 
—The Halifax, Hova Scotia, Chronicle says that George 
Brown will, in a few days, send to England a challenge to 
Joseph Sadler to row a five mile scull race, with a turn, for 
£500 sterling. Brown will agree to row on any water in 
Great Britain, excepting the Tyne and Thames rivers, with 
which Sadler is familiar; and will pay his own expenses, or 
will allow Sadler £60 for expenses if the latter will come 
to America. 
—James Ten Eyck and Odell Dyckman both of Peeks- 
kill, H. Y., rowed a three mile sculling match on August 
1st, during a rain storm. Ten Eyck dropped his oar on 
starting, but quickly regaining it, he soon caught up with 
Dyckman and passed him, which advantage he held through¬ 
out the race, coming in about a boat’s length ahead. 
Dyckman entered a claim of foul, which was overruled by 
the judges. The referee was Mr. Marshall Lyons. The 
time, as stated, was 28m. 50s. 
—The Harlem Regatta Association are likely to hold a 
regatta in the fall, as the prospects begin to look very 
favorable. This is owing to the untiring exertions of Presi¬ 
dent Meeker. 
—The Athletic Boating Club will send several members 
to the Oakland Beach "Regatta near Providence, R. I. 
Keator, Rathbone, and McCready have most likely entered 
for the single scull race. 
—The Hew Jersey boat clubs have organized a State As¬ 
sociation and intend holding a regatta in the fall. 
—A regatta takes place at Oakland Beach, near Provi¬ 
dence, to-day and to-morrow, August 5th and 6th, which 
will be one of the great events of the rowing season of ’74. 
Among the professionals who will wield the spruce on the 
occasion are the famous Ward brothers, the Biglins, Butler 
of Philadelphia, Scharff of Pittsburgh, Ten Eyck of Peeks- 
kill, Morris, Brown, and several others. 
CANOE CRUISING. 
NUMBER FOUR—PADDLING, SAILING AND PORTAGING. 
T HE exercise of paddling is not so graceful as that of 
rov 7 ing, and the strength is not exerted so advanta- 
geously; nevertheless, there is much to be said in its favor. 
The voyager looks in the direction in which he is travel¬ 
ling, and has not to strain his neck by looking over his left 
shoulder to see where he is going. He can observe the 
scenery better, guide his craft more easily in a winding 
river, and take advantage of back eddies by keeping close 
in shore when going against stream. There is a good deal 
of healthy excitement, too, in going down a rapid, and 
paddling in a rough and tumbling sea. The canoeist has 
a comfortable seat, and a support for his back, and is not 
so liable to uncomfortable abrasions from the friction of 
the thwart. 
The process of paddling a boat along by a stroke, first on 
one side and then on the other, appears to me as requiring 
more brute force than skill; but I believe certain principles 
will be laid down, when paddling is more carefully exam¬ 
ined, so as to enable the paddler to put forth his strength 
to the best advantage. According to my experience, the 
best “form” for speed is with the body bent forwards, the 
knees slightly bent, the paddle grasped with the hands 
about two , feet apart (Macgregor says the width of the 
chest), both thumbs undermost, and the strength exerted as 
if. the paddler wished to pole, or shove his craft forwards. 
The head should be kept quite steady, and the feet firmly 
pressed against the stretcher. With a “feathering” paddle 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
the wrist requires to be slightly turned, so as to put the 
blade of the paddle square into the water. Although I 
have had one of these for some years, I use it compara¬ 
tively seldom, preferring the ordinary paddle, with oval 
blades, slightly spoon shaped. It is a good plan to have 
the lower ends of the blades sheathed with copper, to pre¬ 
vent their being split or broken when used for poling or 
shoving off the canoe. 
The average pace of a cruising canoe in still water, with¬ 
out current, is about four miles an hour. The difference 
in speed between one of fourteen feet and one of seventeen 
feet long is not very great in smooth water, but in a toss 
the latter has a great advantage from carrying her wav so 
much better. 
Sailing .—From what I have already said, it will easily be 
inferred that I consider it useless to attempt to sail a small 
craft, of the build of a canoe, except with a fair or leading 
wind. Were I cruising with a “sailing” canoe in company 
with a man who attempted to beat his craft against a “nose 
ender,” I should paddle to a convenient point, land, and 
amuse myself watching his gyrations, but would feel no 
desire to imitate them. A lateen sail, such as I described 
in the previous paper, I believe to be one of the most con¬ 
venient. The pressure of the sail is evenly exerted, it is 
not. too lofty, and requires very simple gear. The mast 
should be stepped about one third of the boat’s length from 
the stern, and should rake aft. The boom will come be¬ 
hind the paddler. 
The canbeist steps his mast from the cockpit, makes fast 
the boom to it just above the deck by a spring hook, and 
having drawn up the hatch and seen that his sheet is clear, 
hoists his sail from his seat. The sheet can be arranged 
like the sheet of a sailing boat, i. e ., made fast to the gun¬ 
wale on one side, passed through a thimble at the end of 
the boom, and then through a small pulley on the opposite 
gunwale, and led up to a cleat on the deck beside the cock¬ 
pit. The grommet at the end of the boom, through which 
the sheet passes, should be sufficiently loose to allow the 
boom to turn easily when it is desired to reef. The pro¬ 
cess of reefing is effected in the following manner:—The 
sail is lowered, the boom detached from the mast, and the 
sail rolled round it until it is reduced to the size desired, 
and three or four reef points are then tied; an opening is 
made in the sail, where the boom is made fast to the mast, 
to allow of the sail being rolled round it, without interfer¬ 
ing with this fastening, and to enable the canoeist to see 
better before him. Steering is easily effected with a little 
practice from either side with the paddle. 
Portaging —To raise a canoe on to the shoulders and carry 
it requires a little practice and knack. I was shown how 
to “portage” a canoe by a gentleman at whose house I 
stopped one night when on a canoe cruise down the St. 
Lawrence, from Quebec to the Saguenay. He had had 
great experience in cruising in birch bark canoes, etc., in 
the Hudson’s Bay Company, and was much interested in 
my little craft, t have not* seen the plan described in any 
work on canoes, and doubt if any one has applied it to the 
“civilized” canoe. Yet it is very simple, the weight of the 
canoe is evenly distributed, and it can be easily guided 
through a forest path. It is effected thus:—A strap or bar 
is stretched from gunwale to gunwale amidships, so that 
when the canoe is raised by it the stern and stern counter 
balance each other. The canoeist stands on the right side 
of the canoe, grasps the strap with his right hand, and 
raises the boat onto his left thigh; the left hand is then 
passed under it, it is turned on to the shoulders, and car¬ 
ried bottom upwards, “fore and aft.” The strap or bar 
supporting the canoe rests on the nape of the neck and 
across the^shoulders. and it is balanced and guided by the 
hands in front. [A photograph is being prepared of the 
author, with the “Passenger Bird” on his shoulders, and 
will be sent with the next.] An Indian will carry a birch 
bark canoe weighing from 80 to 150 pounds for some miles 
in this manner. 
While writing this article, some letters on cruising ca¬ 
noes, from well-known canoeists, have appeared in the 
English Field , (May 28d, 30th, etc.) These bear chiefly on 
the subjects of sheer and camber. A certain amount of 
both is ’undoubtedly necessary in the outlines I gave in a 
previous paper of dimensions for a cruising canoe. I men¬ 
tioned three inches sheer, and one and a quarter inches 
camber. This will, I believe, be found suitioient for all 
practical purposes in a canoe seventeen feet long. If a 
shorter canoe is desired for use in rough water, an increased 
sheer might be given to it. 
The desiderata in a cruising canoe are the following:— 
1st., Safety. The generality of cruisers are built with es¬ 
pecial’ regard to this important point, and whether of the 
Rob Roy, Hautilus, or Ringleader type, are safe little ves¬ 
sels, and will live in a sea that would swamp an ordinary 
boat of twice their size. Ho one would wish to take a 
cruise in a craft like an outrigger in varied waters, as sea, 
lake, and river, whatever amount of speed might be got 
out of it. 
2d., Strength. As the woik for which canoes are required 
often’exposes them to rough usage, this is a very necessary 
qualification. A cruising canoe ought to be strong enough 
to stand the strain of grounding on a rock or snag, and, on 
certain occasions, slept, in. 
3d., Handiness. This comprises portability, roominess, 
draught of water, etc. A good cruiser should be easily car¬ 
ried, either by the canoeist, or by rail or wagon, should have 
sufficient space for stowage of traps, as provisions, clothes, 
tent, etc., and should draw very little water, (about four 
inches.) A fiat floor, with little keel, is therefore neces¬ 
sary, and a fair amount of beam and depth. 1 gave two 
feet four inches for the beam of a canoe seventeen feet in 
length. This should not be diminished for a shorter ca¬ 
noe, but should rather be increased to give the necessary 
carrying capacity—for a canoe fourteen feet long I should 
therefore recommend two feet six inches beam, ten and a 
half inches depth amidships, and fourteen or fifteen inches 
at stem and stern. These dimensions would give a handy 
little cruising canoe, like the Hautilus, without her draught 
of water. She would not be so fast, however, as the longer 
one. 
4th. Speed and steadiness under paddle. 
5th. Speed and steadiness under sail, with fair or lead¬ 
ing winds. 
6 th. Simplicity of rig, arrangement of hatch, etc. This 
might be included under heading No. 2, and is a very im¬ 
portant feature, which any one who has tried long cruises 
in these craft will appreciate. All these points must be 
carefully considered in designing a canoe, and undue prom¬ 
inence should not be given to any one of them without re¬ 
gard to the others. C. M. D. 
Hatifax,lfova&coiia, July tlth, 1874; 
407 
^tnnwevs |f a (fomxpondentf 
We shall endeavoi - in this department to impart and hope to receive 
stich information as may he of service to amateur and professional sjxrts 
men. We will cheerfully answer all reasonable questions that fall with in 
the scope of this paper, designating localities far good hunting, fish¬ 
ing, and trapping, and giving advice and instructions as to outfits, im 
plements, routes, distances, seasons, expenses, remedies, traits, species, 
goyerrdng rules , etc. All branches of the spoilsman's craft, will receive 
attention. Anonymous Communications not Noticed. 
W. F. P., Boston.—The gun you mention will be ready second week 
in August, and would suit well for duck shooting. 
Dr. Hathaway. —Be kind enough to send your address to Forest 
and Stream office. There is a Philadelphia letter for you here. 
J. M. D., Bergen Point.-Will you please inform me where is the best 
place to buy rowing suits, and oblige? Ans. Shannon, Miller & Crane, 
46 Maiden lane. 
R. C., Utica, N. Y.—Which is the strongest, cleanest and best powder 
for a muzzle loading pocket rifle, and what quantity for a load? Ans. 
Try Hazard, and Laflin and Rand, 30 grains. 
Roscoe, N. Y.— How much powder and shot should the 10-bore, muz¬ 
zle loader I wrote to you about stand without recoil; it is a.28-inch, Wm. 
Moore, maker? Ans. 4 i drachms powder and 1} oz. shot. 
Frank.— My setter dog will retrieve a glove or stick of wood, but can¬ 
not be induced to pick up a bird. How can I overcome his aversion to 
feathers? Ans. We have sent you Forest and Stream with the an¬ 
swer in full. 
Black Red, N. Y.— Is there any sort of shooting around Newport, R. 
I. , and what sort? Who will put me in the way of it? Ans. Newport 
is not a noted place for shooting. There are a few bay snipe, but up¬ 
land shooting is very poor. 
J. L. P.,-Brookline, Mass.—What is the best way to cleanse brass 
shells? Ans. The easiest method is to put them, one by one, in a turn¬ 
ing lathe, take the brush of the cleaning rod, insert it % the shell, give 
half a dozen turns of the lathe, and they will come out clean and bright. 
Or, boil them in water and then wipe them dry. 
G. W. J., St. Louis.—A Remington 80-inch, 44 cal., weight 10 pounds, 
would be just what you require. Shells made for them. Wingate’s 
Manual would be all you wanted. “Trapper’s Guide,” $1.50, is a book 
which would be useful. Could not have the rifle tried for you. Do not 
think it would be necessary. The cheapest hammocks are Mex¬ 
ican; good ones cost $2.50; very flne qualities South American, $6 to $12. 
Jackson, N. Y.— Can you refer to a good guide in the Northern 
Woods, Franklin county? Ans. We personally know but few, but feel 
free to recommend all the Martins, Steve Turner (if not too old), Moses 
St. Germain, John McLaughlin, Bloomingdale Post-office, Essex county; 
J. Grover, Lute Evans, Martin Moody, Jesse Corey, Lower Saranac P. 
O., Franklin county; and Seth Wardner, Merrillsville, Franklin county. 
J. L. C., Augusta, Me.—Please inform me through the columns of 
your paper what size brass shells I shall order for a 10-gauge breech 
loader, and what kind are considered best; also please inform me if 
there is any difference in chambering a gun for metal or paper shells? 
Ans. 10 gauge. The Sturtevant is an excellent one. There ought not 
to be, but some makers taper too soon. Read “The Breech Loader,” 
by Wilson. 
Old Pop.— Iu yonr answer to “C. R. S., Boston,” you say that the sea¬ 
son for trout fishing closes September 15. Are yon not ini staken ? Ans. 
Yes; the law of 1873 makes the close season to include th r e months of Octo¬ 
ber, November, December and January. We are much annoyed 
at our error; the answer we gave we intended to apply to Canadian 
salmon Ashing, in reply to another correspondent. We trust none of 
our correspondents will be inconvenienced. 
Physic, Fort Edward, N. Y.—Mocking bird food is either wet or dry 
food, composition of both the same. Take bullock’s hearts boiled, dry 
perfectly, and grate. Mix this in the proportion of one-eighth with five- 
eighths raw meal or poppy meal, and the rest of pounded biscuit. This 
is the dry food. For the moist food add a little lard and grated carrot. 
The best way, we think, is to send to Mr. Reiche (see advertisement) for 
the food, for we doubt if you can get the poppy meal. 
J. B. H., Philadelphia.—What is the best form for fly book; oue that 
will keep gut straight, and allow flies to be inserted and removed couven - 
iently? Ans. There are two or three fly books of the kind you refer to, 
the inventions of Mr. Charles Hutchinson of Utica, Mr. Hyde oi 22 Mai¬ 
den Lane, and one other gentleman, whose name we forget; but we are 
not aware that any such are sold in the shops. The simplest has stiff 
card-board leaves with metal hooks for the loop of the gut, and elastic 
rubber eyes for the hooks. The elastic keeps the gut straight. 
Peet. —Where, within a few hours of New York City, is the best 
place for English snipe? Ans. The salt marshes and beds of the Rari¬ 
tan, Hackensack and Passaic rivers. The meadows that border the Del¬ 
aware and Schuylkill are good snipe grounds, but the best are on the 
Northern Neck of Virginia. Take stage to Leonardstown, cross to 
Pope’s Creek. There are a few English snipe shot every year at Pine 
Brook and Wallkill, Orange county. What game is there near Tom’s 
River, N. J.. during the month of August? Ans. Bay snipe, curlew, 
yellow legs, &c. 
H. C., Attlebro, Mass.— I notice in last week’s paper yon speak of a 
brace of nine months’ old pup;? that can be bought for $50 for the brace. 
Can one be bought for $25, and are they all right and pure blood 
(Gordons); also if these are disposed of, do you know of any pure 
blood pups two or three months old (Gordons or Macdonas) that can be, 
bought for $25 or $30? Ans. We believe the owner is a reliable man. 
If you would drop him a line he would answer your questions in full. 
See “Idstone’s” tetter week before last. Macdona pups are sold for 
$100 at three months old. 
G. H. J., Bridgeport, Conn.—What kind of elastic varnish or shellac 
is used to finish off hooks which are tied on gut, as in fly hooks, at the 
head, especially for salmon fishing; also, where it can he procured? 
Ans. Make it yourself. Thad Norris’ receipt is: One ounce purest 
resin, one drachm gutta percha, one teaspoonful crude linseed oil, heat 
them, stirring with a stick so as to mix them thoroughly, and pour the 
compound into a bowl of cold water. When it has cooled, work it as 
boys do taffy. Gutta percha may be omitted, but it makes it tougher. 
To soften in cold weather, add a few drops of oil; to harden, add a little 
resin. 
A. G.,Chicago.— How can I reach West and Middle Florida, and what is 
the character of the land? Ans. From Jacksonville a railroad extends 
west as far as Tallahassee. From Fernandina, on the northeast coast, 
another road crosses the peninsula diagonally to Cedar Keys, intersecting 
the other road a few miles from Jacksonville. To visit Taylor and ad¬ 
jacent counties you might leave the northern road at the nearest station, 
where you would have to hire private conveyance or take the Suwanee 
River steamer, once a week from Cedar Keys. We cannot see, however 
why you should wish to visit these counties, if you are agriculturally 
inclined. The land is not so good as farther north and east, the distance 
from market great, and many other circumstances render them undesir¬ 
able. The best lands for general farming, such as raising wheat, tobac¬ 
co, cotton, &c., are in the northern central counties, where the surface 
is more rolling than upon the coast. About Gainesville there is much 
good pine land, but it is generally held in large plantations, and unless 
a man wishes to sink his capital, he had better not attack; an old planta¬ 
tion. If oranges are to be raised, the east and southeast coast and the 
central portions of Florida contain the best soil and climate. Orange 
county is the banner connty as yet. Indian River is famous for its 
oranges, which mature earlier and command a higher price than those 
of the St.Johns. Wherever you buy land, be sure it has communication 
more or less direct with the great cities. Landis cheap enough, and this 
season is a good one to buy m. If you. will write more fully as to what 
•rops you wish to raise we can advise you better. - ‘ 
