[Feb 7, 1884. 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



85 



metres through a plate of zinc more thai! Winch thick; and at 300 

 metres it has still a velocity of 305 against 392 of the old bullet. Its 

 accuracy of aim is said to be 33 per cent, greater than the Vetterh, 

 and it makes a pattern on the target up to 2,000 metres, whereas the 

 other cannot be depended upon to do so over 1,600 metres. In the 

 matter of trajectory the Rubin weapou is equally superior. With the 

 Vefcterlirifle the ground covered bv its range, and called the "dan- 

 gerous space." is about 360 prods; with the Rubin 8.0 bore it is in- 

 creased to 460 yards, and with the 7.5 bore to nearly 500 yards. The 

 new ride has four shallow grooves, equal in width to the space sep- 

 arating them, and these have a twist more than twice as rapid as that 

 of the Vctterli grooves, The next experiments are to be conducted 

 with a view to establishing the relative merits of the Rubm system 

 and that of M. Heller, a professor of Zurich, who has also invented a 

 new small-bore rifle. 



JAMESTOWN, N; Y., Feb. 4, 1884.— Club medal shoot of yesterday 

 afternoon, SOOyds., Creedmoor target, 10 rounds; wind at 8 o'clock, 

 medium, light, bright. 



S Is Avi-fs, Stevens ,88-cal 45 Geo Shattuek, muzzleloadev. . .42 



OHLillv " " 14 R H Burns. Bal. .38-eal 42 



A F Wnfner, " " 44 F R Dowler, muzzleloader 41 



H V Ferry, muzzleloader 44 E Perry, Bal. .48-cal 39 



N .1 Pefiner, " 44 W N Ookv. Win. .Ileal 38 



J R Moore, Bal, .44-cal 43 A F Ward, muzzleloader 38 



W H Sprague, Rem. ,38-cal 43 R. H. B. 



BULLSHEAD RIFLE CLUB— Thursday, Jan. 31.— Twelve-ring tar- 

 get: possible 120. 



G Zimmermann. 118 S F C Weber 106 



HI Dorrler 117 P Holland 103 



G Rein 117 S Mehrbach W8 



H Holzmann 117 G D Johnson 100 



ALober 115 J F Campbell 96 



H Hackmann 113 G Wendelken 06 



VSteinhach ....108 H A Wasmuth 95 



G F Sehroeder 106 H. Loder, Secretary. 



SARATOGA SPRINGS, Feb. 2, 1884.— The following are the high 

 est scores shot by each member during the week: 



AG Hull 10 12 10 12 10 12 12 12 10 12—112 



I Davis 10 12 111110 12 12 111111—111 



SP Wells 12 111112 10 9 10 1110 11—107 



W Gage 10 10 10 111112 10 10 12 0-105 



WHGibbs 1111 9 111110 11 9 9 8-100 



FA "White 10 8 8 12 10 10 12 9 11 9-99 



Howard ... 9 8 8 12 10 8 10 11 8 11—93 



O J Wing 9 10 9 10 10 8 In 6 8 9—89 



A. G. Hull, Adjutant. Saratoga Rifle Club. 



NATIONAL GUARDSMEN.— A meeting of the National Guard 

 Association of the United States will beheld at Cincinnati, O . on 

 Weduesdav and Thursday, March 26 and 27. The association held 

 its first meeting in New York, its second in St. Louis, and the last in 

 Philadelphia. The association aims to promote military efficiency 

 throughout the active militia of the United States, and to secure 

 united representation before Congress for such legislation as it may 

 deem necessary for this purpose. The Secretary of War will be 

 requested to honor the proposed meeting at Cincinnati with such 

 a representation from the United States Army as he maydeem ex- 

 pedient. Information as to all subjects which it is proposed to bring 

 before this meeting should be sent to the secretary of the association. 

 — W. L. Alexander, Des Moines, Iowa. 



NEWARK. N. J.. Jan. 80,— The annual meeting of the Newark Rifle 

 Association was held this evening, at the Frelinghuysen range, 189 

 Market street. The Secretary's report shows an increase in member- 

 ship over last -year. The Treasurer's report showed a balance on 

 hand of $25.12. Tee following officers were elected for the ensuing 

 year: President, Alfred Ku*t; Vice President. J. K.Walsh; Secre- 

 tary, A. C. Neumann; Treasurer, C. F. Jackson; Association Scorer, 

 .T. E. Pollard; Financial Committee. President, Secretary, Treasurer, 

 J. Huegel and J. Yel9or. 



THE TRAP. 



Correspondents who favor us with club scores are particularly re- 

 quested to write on one side of the paper only. 



FALL RIVER, Mass.— The Fall River Gun Club held an all day 

 tour»arnent Jan. 11, which was well attended by shooters from Provi- 

 dence, East Providence, Pawtuaket, Brockton and other places. It 

 was expected that Mr. W. S. Perry, of Worcester, woudl shoot a 

 match with Mr. J. A. Negus, of Fall River, for the Massachusetts 

 champion clay-pigeon badge, but owing to sickness Mr. Perry did not 

 appear and the match was postponed. The day was spent in sweep- 

 stake shooting with the following results: 



First match, 7 glass balls— Wilbur of Brockton and Valentine of 

 Providence divided first, Negus of Fall River and Palmer of Provi- 

 dence, second. Braley and Hall of Fall River third. 



Second match, 7 clav-pigeons— Sheldon and Bourne of Providence 

 divided first. Luther and Paine of East Providence divided second, 

 Wilbur and Braley third. 



Third match, "glass balls— Hall first, Wilbur and Valentine second. 

 Palmer third. 



Fourth match, 7 clav-pigeons— Paine first, Bradley second. Tinker 

 third. 



Fifth match, 7 glass balls— Braley and Palmer first, Wilbur and 

 Luther second. Tinker third. 



Sixth match, 7 clay-pigeons— Wilbur first, Luther and Tinker 

 second. Sheldon third. 



Seventh match. 5 clay-pigeons— Wilbur and Valentine first, Sheldon 

 and Luther second. Braley third. 



Eighth match, 5 clav-pigeons— Sheldon and Luther first, Braley 

 second. 



Ninth match, 5 clay -pigeons— Braley first, Sheldon second. 



The Fall River Gun Club held a shoot on the 30th, Mr. W. S. Perry. 

 of Worcester, and Mr. J. A. Negus, of Fall River, contesting for the 

 Massachusetts Champion Clay-Pigeon Badge at 50 clay-pigeons each, 

 Mr. Perry winning by a * core of 43 against Mr. Negus's 36. A num- 

 ber of sweepstakes were then shot, with the following results: 



Badge Match— 50 Clay-Pigeons Each. 

 W S Pfirrv ( 1111001110111111011111111 



°™ ) | 1111111111111101111101110—43 



T A Neonifl ' HlOllllOllOlllOlOllOlllO 



^ ->eguh - 0101110011011011111111101-36 



First match, 7 glass balls— Wilbur and Negus first, Hall and Pal- 

 mer scoud, W r hite third. 



Second match, 7 clav-pigeons— Wilbur and White first, Hall second, 

 R. Perry-third. 



Third match, 7 glass balls— Hall and Wood-first, R. Perry second, 

 White third. 



Fourth match, 7 clay-pigeons— W. S. Perry and Shepard first, R. 

 Perry and White second. Palmer third. 



Fifth match, 7 glass balls— W. S. Perry first, Wilbur and White 

 second. Palmer third. 



Sixth match, 7 clay-pigeons— W. S. Perry and G. Barney first, Wil- 

 bur and White second, Palmer third. 



Seventh match, " glass balls— H. C. Braley first. Hall second, White 

 third. 



Eighth match, 7 clav-pigeons— Hall first, H. C. Braley second. 

 Wilbur third. 



Ninth match. 7 glass balls- Wilbur first, Palmer second, Rounse- 

 veile third. 



Tenth match, 7 clay-pigeons— Wilbur first, H. C. Braley second.— 

 T. S. H. 



BOSTON GUN CLUB.— Jan. 30.— A large number of trap-shooters 

 occupied the range at Walnut Hill to-day to enjoy their favorite 

 sport Fourteen events were shot, with the following result: 



First event. 5 clay birds.— Severence first, Curtis and Barnard sec- 

 ond, De Rochemont third, Eddy fourth. 



Second event, 5 glass balls.— Lewis and Sawyer first, De Rochemont. 

 Law and Curtis second. Eddy and Nichols third, Saunders and Field 

 fourth. 



Third event, 5 clay birds.— De Rochemont and Field first, Curtis 

 and Dickey second, Law third, Adams foxu-th. 



Fourth event, 3 pairs glass balls.— Tinker and Law first, Nichols 

 second, Curtis third, Lewis and Eddy fourth. 



Fifth event. 5 clay birds.— Tinker first, De Rochemont, Draper and 

 Law second, Curtis and Adams third, Shumway fourth. 



Sixth event. 5 glass balls.— Decker first. De Rochmont second. 

 Tiuker third, Eddy fourth. 



Seventh event, 3 pairs clay birds.— Law first, Barnard and Sawyer 

 second. Draper and Decker third, Eddy fourth. 



Eighth event, 5 giass balls.— Lewis and De Rochemont first. Nichols 

 and Sawyer second, Sampson third, Short fourth. 



Ninth event. 5 clay birds.— De Rochemont. Curtis, Short and Eddv 

 first, Sawyer and Barnard second, Decker and Field third, Saunders 

 and Gove fourth. 



Tenth event, 3 pairs glass balls.— Decker first, Law second. Tinker 

 and Curtis third. De Rochemont fourth. 



Eleventh event, 5 glass balls.— De Rochemont first, Decker second, 

 Barnard third. 



Twelfth event, 7 clay birds.— Field, Sawyer and Sampson first. 

 Decker and Draper second, Barnard third. Law and Eddv fourth, 



Thirteenth event, 5 clay birds.— Law, Field and Decker first, Gove 

 and Drapersecond, De Rochemont third, Eddv fourth. 



Fourteenth event, 5 clay birds.— Law and Sampson first, De Roche- 

 niout and Decker second, Gove third, Sawyer fourth. 



TORONTO. Ontario, Jan. 81.— To-day C. Cockburn, of this city, and 

 George Grant, of Woodstock, shot a match of 25 birds each, 21yds. 

 rise, for $800 a side, at Ouicott's Hotel, Yonge street. There was a 

 large delegation from the city, as the match had excited consider- 

 able interest. There was not much betting, and no odds, but at even 

 the Woodstock man had the call, as his townsmen were inclined to 

 support him liberally. Cockburn missed his first bird through ne- 

 glecting to have his gun cocked, but ultimately won by two birds. 

 The following is the score: 



C Cockburn 11101111101111911110101 1—19 



George Grant. . 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0-17 



A second match will be shot at Woodstock during the coming 

 week, also under the Dominion rules. 



Subsequently, James Douglas, of this city, and John Forbes, of 

 Woodstock, shot five birds each at $1 a bird. The result was as 

 follows: 



James Douglas 1 1 1 1 1— 5 



John Forbes 1111 0-4 



LOADING FOR CLAY-PIGEONS-Phelps, New York. Feb. 4.- 

 Editor Forest and Stream: I use a Lefever hammerless gun. 10- 

 bore, full choked, weight 9V>lbs. I always use paper shells. For 

 glass balls I use 4-fcJdr. of FF Hazard or No. 3 ducking powder, two 

 No. 9 pink edge wads over powder, l^oz. No. 9 chilled shot, card wad 

 over shot. For clav-pigeons I use 5dr. No. 3 ducking powder, two 

 pink wads, IMoz. No. b chilled shot, card wad over shot. H "Clay- 

 Pigeou" will load in the above manner and hold his gun riglu when 

 the hammer falls he will have good results. If he tries it would be 

 pleased to hear from him.— H. B. W. 



(^nnoeing. 



FIXTURES. 



Winter Camp-fire.— Tuesday, Feb. 19, 8 P. M., No. 23 East Fourteenth 

 street, Room 16. Subject — Tents and Camp Outfit." 



Secretaries of canoe clubs are requested to send to Forest and 

 Stream their addresses, with name, membership, signals, etc., of 

 their clubs, and also notices in advance of meetings and races, and 

 reports of the same. Canoeists and all interested in canoeing are 

 requested to forward to Forest and Stream their addresses, with 

 logs of cruises, maps and information concerning their local waters, 

 drawings or descriptions of boats and fittings, and all items relating 

 to the sport. 



IRRAWADDI CANOE CLUB. 



DAVENPORT, lowa.-Organized April 27, 1883. M. C. Smith, Com- 

 modore; St. Clair Putnam. Secretary. Eight active members. 



Signal, blue ground with white letters. 



NEW YORK C. C. 



SEVERAL of the members have been afloat this week. On Wed- 

 nesday last one of the members in company with a friend visited 

 the club house, and on entering discovered two young men packing 

 up the clothing of the canoeists in rubber bags. Each seized a man. 

 but after a struggle »ne escaped. -The other was taken before Justice 

 Carey and committed for examination. The second man was after- 

 ward arrested by officer Hall and identified. The house had been en- 

 tered through a" rear window which was broken open. 



Mr. Coudert is having a 14x30 cruising canoe built by Stephens of 

 West Brighton. She will be lug rigged, with light iron board. The 

 Red Rover has been sold to Mr. Wm. Childs, who wdl fit her with his 

 new centerboard and make a practical test of it on a canoe. It has 

 already been tried successfully on an oyster skiff. The board has 

 been much improved during this winter. 



Marmalade Lodge, Staten Island. — On Feb. 3, wind southwest, 

 light, sun shining brightly, McMurray and Cooke, of N. Y. C. C, 

 launched Jersey Blue, aud started for a tandem paddle. The heavy 

 ice had gone out with the ebb tide, and thepaddlers encountered noth- 

 ing worse than an occasional floating cake and a thin coating, newly 

 formed, which was easily broken. The trip, though uneventful, 

 proved eminently satisfactory to the participants, judging at least 

 from their later actions. 



LARGE vs. SMALL CANOES. 



I HAVE just seen for the first time Outing, for last October. From 

 the article on the canoe meet at Stony Lake, written by Kirk 

 Monroe, I extract the following: 



"In striking contrast to these airy skiffs, floating lfke egg shells on 

 the very surface of the water, were the big Pearl canoes, exhibited 

 by the members of another Canadian club, the Toronto. They are 

 the largest and heaviest canoes built, and are best fitted for use in the 

 roueh waters of the British Isles, where they originated. They carry 

 an immense spread of canvas, have iron centerboards, are heavily 

 ballasted, and partake more of the nature of small yachts than 

 canoes." 



The "airy skiffs" he refers to are the open Peterboro canoes. Mr, 

 Munroe tben goes on to state that the American crusing canoes offer 

 a happy mean between these two extremes. 



From the foregoing, canoeists may infer that Canadian sailing 

 canoes are all Pearls, or small yachts, and that the canoeists in the 

 States would not use such heavy craft. In a late number of your 

 paper a canoeist signing himself "Widgeon" also makes an attack 

 on large canoes. I desire to reply to Mr. Munroe and "Widgeon." 



Mr. Munroe has been a member of the New York Canoe Club for 

 some years. Is he aware that the first Pearl built in North Am- 

 erica was for Dr. Bronson of the same club? Mr. Oudin. owner of 

 the Pearl Tramp, and Mr. Whitlock, of the No. 3 Pearl Ripple (since 

 destroyed) are also members of that club. The latter craft carried 

 more ballast and had a larger mast and sail area than was ever used 

 on either of the Toronto Pearls. As a striking commentary on Mr. 

 Munroe's remarks, I give a report of a race of theN.Y.C. C. on 

 Sept. 29, just about the time Mr. Munroe must have written his article 

 for Outing. 



Ballast carried 

 Sail area, including board. 

 Canoe. feet. pounds. 



Dot 95 75 



Freak 105 HO 



Surge 73 125 



Tra»p 135 150 



Esmeralda 85 60 



Won by the Dot. 



The Tramp is a Pearl, and the Freak as large as any Pearl. At 

 least she is in class B, as a 16x30 should. 



The Pearl and Nautilus models are English, but there are other 

 models used in that country. 1 do not think I am mistaken in assert- 

 ing that seventy-five per cent, of the thousands of canoes in use in 

 Great Britain are Rob Roys and similar craft, while Pearls and other 

 heavy ballasted canoes are. not five per cent, of the whole. 



I do not believe that Mr. Munroe meant to say anything against the 

 Toronto Club, but I suppose he thought that in writing an article for 

 the general public it was not necessary to be very particular, I feel 

 all the more inclined to pardon him, for apparently he has seen the 

 error of his ways and is going in for something larger than Pearls, 

 and which is even outside of the liberal A. C. A. definition of a canoe. 

 I suppose his Alligator will weigh more than a Pearl, heavy board 

 included. 



The Cincinnati club use large eraft. Dr. Heighway and I think 

 also Commodore Longworth use the Princess model, 15x31 at bottom 

 of top streak. Rushton advertises three sizes of that model— 14x31, 

 15x31 and 15x36; Stephens advertises, and has built, more Pearls 

 than any other builder in America; the Racine Co. advertise double 

 canoes 16x38 and I8x>40, weighing 150 and 170 pounds respectively; 

 Joyner, of Glens Falls, 16x36, and so on. And yet with all this I do 

 net think that all future canoes will be large and heavy with iron 

 boards, 



"Widgeon" need not fear that all canoeists will wish to be racers, 

 they will never number more than a small percentage of the whole. 

 In all regattas there are always more races tor the medium than for 



the extremes in either paddling or sailing. At Stony Lake a medium 

 canoe, the Snake, entered for five races, and won four. In my Boreas 

 I could only enter in one sailing race. In paddling canoes it is the 

 same; the 28 or 30in. craft has a tar better chance for prize,-; than the 

 24in. The A. C. A. regatta rules will-no doubt justly— always favor 

 the all-round canoe. 



"Widgeon" menti'ous the Stella Maris as a compromise type. Surely 

 the Jersey Blue, the Ellaid or the Lansingbuigh models like Mr. W. 

 Wnckerhagen's Henrietta, are much more of a compromise than the 

 Stella Maris. The Stella Maris is a Rob Roy with a little sheer, and is 

 nearer the extreme in the way of small size than a compromise. 



At the risk of being considered egotistical I give some particulars 

 about my Pearl Boreas as a cruising craft. e>he is 14-32: board 

 weighs 46 lbs.; onlv one carried; carry no ballast; sails balance lug, 

 mainsail teas than 60ft. ; dandy, a Racine lateen of 10ft : lines on deck 

 one halliard, one reef line and the two sheets; can reef mainsail to 

 35ft. in any wind or in any position, running, reaching or elosehauled, 

 m five seconds: can shake, reef out in one second; the hull "weighs 

 lOOlbs; centerboaru is removable at pleasure. I only weigh 120lbs. 

 aud am not as strong as a team of horses, yet I can take 'he Boreas 

 out and in boathouse without assistance even when board is in. 



Let "Widgeon" once, use a balance lug simply rigged and I think he 

 will admit it is the safest sail he ever tried. I have used all kinds- 

 leg of muttons, standing lugs, lateens and balance lugs— and 1 swear 

 bv the latter. 



"Widgeon" is unfortunate in his reference to the cruise of the Maria 

 Theresa. Mr. Bishop used oars on the greater portion of that trip. 

 and when he afterwards made the journey in comparatively smooth 

 water down the Mississippi de used a sneakbox with oars Let 

 "Widgeon" read Mr. Bishop's reasons for making the change hefore 

 he condemns all large canoes. 



And now to close, will "Widgeon" come to Grindstone Inland next 

 August, and some day when a strong southwester is blowing and a 

 good sea is being kicked up. I shall be happy to try a race with him. 

 three or four miles dead to windward and return, he to paddle aud I 

 to sail. Hugh Neilson (Canoe Boreas). 



CANOE OR SNEAKBOX. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I met a drummer on the Lake Shore train a day or two ago who was 

 loudly arguing with his neighbor in the next seat on the question of 

 the sailing qualities and general cruising efficiency of a sneakbox 

 as compared to the modern canoe. The drummer maintained that 

 upon large rivers and open waters, where portages are unnecessary, 

 the canoe has no right to exist; that the sneakbox, when fitted with 

 centerboard and balance lug sail, is a perfect little yacht, possessing 

 ample cabin accommodations for crew, large stowage space and bal- 

 last enough to go to windward in a stiff breeze and sea. 



Being interested in boats in general and canoes in particular. I took 

 a seat nearer the pair, and under cover of a newspaper took it all in. 

 The longer the cruise, continued the commercial man, the more 

 marked the superiority of the sneakbox: take your proposed Florida 

 trip via Ohio and Mississippi rivers, for instance. No canoe can be 

 slept in many nighte in succession without becoming strained, and 

 consequently leaky, and before you reach Cairo you and the bailing 

 can wdl be well acquainted. "Dunkirk," yelled the brakeman, and 

 as I made my way to the door I caught the words, "Heavy, clumsy 

 canal boat"— "Oars, too"— evidently from the other fellow. 



Now, Mr. Editor, up to last Saturday 1 bad intended to buy a canoe 

 and cruise up the lake to Long Point this coming summer, but at 

 present writing am somewhat undecided as to the proper craft, and 

 would like to ask you in all confidence your opinion on the two ques- 

 tions following: First. Will a cauoe compare favorably in sailing 

 qualities with a sneakbox. each having centerboarfi and balance lug 

 sail? Second. Is a canoe liable to become leaky after a fortnight's 

 eruise, the crew (150 lbs.) sleeping on board every night; 



Mr. Bishop, in his "Four Months in a Sneakbox,' seems to agree 

 with the drummer when he says: "Light indeed must be the weight 

 and slender and elastic the fonn of the man who can sleep many 

 nights comfortably in a 70-lb. canoe without injuring it. Cedar ca- 

 noes, after being subjected to such use for some time, generally be- 

 come leaky; so to avoid this disaster the canoeist, when threatened 

 with wet weather, is forced to the disagreeable task of troubling 

 some private householder for a shelter, or run the risk of injuring his 

 boat by packing himself away in its narrow, coffin-like quarters and 

 dreaming that he is a sardine, while his r< stless weight is every mo- 

 ment straining nis delicate canoe and visions of future leaks arise to 

 disturb his tranquillity." 



My ideal cauoe is aRacine Shadow, 33in. beam instead of 28in., built 

 with more crown to deck and a trifle less freeboard, and provided 

 with the pointed cockpit combing now in fashion. 



By answering the above questions you will greatly oblige a "pros- 

 pective canoeist." a. H. A. 



[The canoe is superior to the sneakbox for general cruising on open 

 waters, as it is fully equal to the latter in sailing aud sea-going quali- 

 ties; it is much more comfortably propelled, weighs much less, and 

 can be much more easily handled on shore by one man aud trans- 

 ported, as is necestary on almost all waters at times. It can be slept 

 in comfortably and without any more danger of leakage than with 

 the sneakbox, if reasonable care is used in placing the boat on a 

 smooth surface and blocking the bilges. Mr. Bishop's remarks, writ- 

 ten some years since, certainly do not apply to the canoes in use now, 

 as many of them have records of thousands of miles as cruisers and 

 are still dry. We would advise A. H. A. to try a canoe of 14x30 or 

 16x31 J^in.. and shall shortly publish the designs of such a cruiser.] 



THE LOG BOOK. 



V.— DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI. 

 tContinued from Oct. 25, 1883.] 

 Editor Forest and Stream.- 



I believe that I promised you from Vi»ksburg a complete narrative 

 of our trip down the Mississippi to New Orleans when it shauld be 

 accomplished. I gave the account of the trip from Chicago to St. 

 Louis, so the present one will consist entirely of our experiences 

 canoeing on the Mississippi. We left St. Louis" Wednesday, Oct. 17, 

 with a strong head wind, and enjoyedt.?) our first attempt at beating 

 to windward. 



It was, to say the least, not pleasant, for the wind blowiug directly 

 against the strong current, raised waves which for ugliness are un- 

 surpassed. They are short, high rollers, just like the stern wash of a 

 •stern-wheeler," and a boat has no time to recover after diving into 

 one before the following one has washed the deck. Added to this, 

 the river is tilled with "eddies" wtiich sometimes fairly threw the 

 boat at right angles to om' course; and to have one of these catch us 



1 T , ■ : — --0— - "."~ «f >, v. uciu uu lui&iiiip, However, 



although a capsize was narrowly escaped in several instances, and 

 camped opposite Kimswiek, where we remained over the next day. 

 1 . e the boat a much needed coat of paint. We found that not- 

 v, ithstanding her hard treatment on the Illinois, her injuries were 

 confined to a few scratches and "digs." none of which amounted to 

 anything. She also was perfectly dry, in fact, she didn't leak a drop 

 all the way down the river. 



Friday morning we continued 011* journey, making about twenty 

 miles, a very good run, considering that we didn't get away from 

 camp until about noon. Being novices in Mississippi traveling, we 

 were for a long time under the impression that our camping places 

 must be situated upon the banks, although their steepness made them 

 far from pleasant. They average about thirty feet high, and have 

 become terraced fron* the different stages of water, so that carrying 

 our "camp truck" up these rude steps was quite a tiresome occupa- 

 tion. Eveu after reachiug the top the ground was not as inviting as 

 it seemed from the river, bebig usually "hardened muck," so that 

 one night, being forced to.take to' a saud bar on account of the inac- 

 cessibility of the banks, we found it so handy, clean and comfortable 

 that we resolved to make the bars our camping places in the future 

 and with but one or two exceptions we did. 



Of course every bar would not serve as a fit camping ground some 

 of them being entirely destitute of fire wood, but as there is a bar for 

 every bend, and also for every island, not counting tne ones that are 

 •'just bars on thai r own hook, there are plenty of chance* 10 pick 

 out one with a drift pile on it. To the man who'has done his canoe- 

 ing on opon water or small streams these drift piles are indeed a 

 revelation. The river banks from St. Louis to Viek-sburg we found 

 to be fairly covered with logs, fence rails, slabs, tree trunks and gen- 

 eral debris, m some places piled so high as to render futile any 

 attempt to get back into the woods; and as most of the stuff was 

 thoroughly seasoned, it was like having a woodpile in your back 

 yard. After passing Vicksburg we found the wood not so plentiful, 

 as the banks were more thickly populated and the. "niggers" burnt 

 it up, but enough can always be found to make a fire for a regiment. 



But to return to our suhjeet. W r e had fan winds the next few days, 

 with the exception of one or two when it was dead calm, and readied 

 Cairo Oct. 26. The distance from St. Louis to Cairo is 215 miles, and 

 was made in ten days; but our record will show up better when 

 allowance is made for three full days used up in painting and trying 

 to keep out of the rain. An evil spirit seemed to pursue us in'this 

 form, for we were treated to rain storms about three times a week, 

 and finally "knocked out" entirely by it. The night before reaching 

 Cairo we camped about nine miles above it, and the neat morning 



