IW 21, 1884.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



77 



canoes is duo to the fact that all of the early canoes, from the pub- 

 lished descriptions of which the first canoes in this country were 

 built, were of W ro 27in. beam. Since the introduction of the 14x30 

 canoes, they have largely displaced the smaller ones for cruising:, as 

 is shown by Dr. Neidcs Aurora, 15x31. Captain Kendall's Solid t om- 

 Mr. Gardner's canoe, 14x81, Mr. Eckman's, 1 4x30, all of 

 which have lately been down the Mississippi, and many other cruis- 

 'ing boats. The idea that one boat can do well all varieties of work 

 has been long since rejected by canoeists, and it is admitted thai 

 several varieties are desirable, broadly speaking, a 14x27 canoe for 

 river work, a 14x30 for general cruising, and the Pearl type for open 

 waters. If "Widgeon" will describe a boat that can paddle easily 

 against a head wind and heavy sea, can he portaged or carried on the 

 back by a man of ordinary strenath, and will go to windward under 

 sail in a heavy sea, he will solve the question that has so long 

 vexed canoeists. Tae assertion that "many points which were quite 

 important to general cruising were given over because tliey were det- 

 rimental to speed" is very indefinite. Will "Widgeon'' mention some 

 Of those whieli have been sacrificed in the leading boats of the last 

 three seasons?] 



AMATEUR CANOE BUILDING. 



Seventh Paper. 



TOOLS AND APPARATUS. 



THE excellence of amateur work depends not, as many im- 

 agine, oil the number of tools at hand, but on the 'care 

 and perseverance devoted to it. The best work maybe done 

 with very few tools; but, on the other side, it can be done 

 much more quickly with a larger number. 



If the amateur desires to build but one boat, at as small an 

 outlay for tools as possible, he will find the following suffi- 

 cient : 



Panel saw. 16in., S teeth to the inch $100 



Ripsaw, 2Sin., 5 teeth to the inch 2 00 



Compass saw, 12in 40 



Jack plane, double iron 1 00 



Smoothing plane, double irou 85 



Thumb plane , .,,. 25 



Clawhammer ..,..,, 75 



Riveting hammer 40 



Cutting pliers, Stubbs's or Hall's 85e. to 1 25 



Small screwdriver 50 



Three gimlets, 1-16, 1414m '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. 50 



Three brad awls 25 



Six-inch try-square 35 



Spokeshave 50 



Marking gauge 10 



Chisels, 14 14 lin 75 



Two foot rule \ 25 



Gauges, i-sj-lin. . inside bevel ' 50 



Oilstone '.'..]'.. 100 



Compasses, Sin 40 



Four iron clamps, 4in 2 00 



Chalk line and scratch awl .' 25 



The above arc about the prices of the best quality tools, 

 ', cheap ones not being worth buying, and with them any kind 

 \ of small boat can be built, but the addition of the following 

 tools will save some time and trouble: 



Eight-inch ratchet brace* gl 85 



Center and German bits, various sizes 1 50 



Countersink 25 



Rabbetplane 63 



Bead plane, one-quarter inch '....'.'. 50 



Draw knife, nine-inch wide blade 1 50 



Screwdriver, ten-iuch 65 



Twenty-six-inch hand saw (Instead of sixteen- j 1 75 



Eight- inch back saw j inch panel saw 1 1 10 



These will be all that are needed, except a few files, and 

 two or three drills to fit the brace, for the brasswork, such 

 as the stemband, but there are some others that are very use- 

 ful, though by no means indispensable, as follows: 



Two-foot steel square. 



Bench axe. 



Expansion bit, seven-eighths to three-inch. 



Level. 



Convex spokeshave, for oars and paddles. 



Mortise gauge. 



Adze, for larger boats. 



Small hand-drill stock with drills. 



Two or three round sole planes for spars. 



Besides these tools there will be needed a small block of 

 iron called a "set," used to hold against the head of a nail 

 in riveting, a "burr starter," which is a piece of iron or brass 

 rod fin. in diameter and Sin. long, with a small hole in one 

 end, used to drive the burrs on to the nails, and some wooden 

 entmps, shown m Pig. 7. The solid ones are sawed out of 



Fig. 7. 

 |>ak, G to Sin. long and lin. thick, strengthened by a rivet 

 bhrougk them. The others are of the same size, but in two 



pieces, joined by a bolt or rivet. In use a wedge is driven 

 in the back, closing the other ends of the jaws. 



A work bench of some kind must be had, the simplest 

 form being a plank Sin. thick, lOin. wide, and, if possible, 

 several feet longer than the intended boat, so as to allow 

 room for a vise on one end, as well as space to plane up long 

 boards. This plank should be securely fastened along a 

 wall, 2ft. Sin. above the floor and with its outer edge 20in. 

 from the wall, the space at the back being filled in with lin. 

 boards, making a bench 20in. wide, the top being level and 

 smooth, as the-material to be planed on it will be very thin. 

 A vise of some kind must be placed near the left hand end, 

 an iron one being the best, but the common wooden one will 

 answer, and is much cheaper. 



Fig. 8 shows a permanent bench fastened to the wall. The 

 top is 3in. thick, of oak, and should be 24in. wide, and at 

 least 10ft. long, a piece of 2in. plank being fastened at the 

 right hand end by way of an extension for planing long 

 stuff. A series of fin. holes about 3in. apart are boi-cd in 

 each leg, a peg being inserted in, one of them to support long 

 boards, in planing the edges. A bench hook (a) is placed 

 near the vise; the bracket (b) is cut out of 2in. stuff and is 

 bolted to the bench, being used to support spars, paddles 

 and similar pieces, one end being held in the vise, and the 

 other resting ou the bracket. 



Drawers are provided under the bench for tools, nails, 

 screws, etc. At the back of the bench an upright board 12m. 

 wide, carries a rack for the chisels, gouges, gimlets and 

 small tools, above it, on the wall, the saws, draw-knife, 

 spokeshave, brace, etc., are hung, a rack for the small 

 planes, and another for sandpaper is fastened, also small 

 boxes for such naps and screws as are most frequently re- 

 quired. 



Two saw horses or benches are also necessary, the tops 

 being 3in. thick, 6in. wide and 3ft. long, and the legs 

 2ft. long. Two pins of hard wood lin. in diameter are 

 driven tightly into holes about l|in. apart in one of the 

 benches. When not in use they are driven down^ush with 

 the top, but in slitting long boards, they are driven up 

 and the board wedged between them. 



Another useful piece of furniture is a stool about 1ft. x 

 18in. on top and 18in. high, one-half of the top being a seat 

 and the other half, the right hand side, making a tray to hold 

 nails, screws, hammer, pliers, and other small tools used iu 

 fastening the plank, thus avoiding the necessity of stooping- 

 over the work, and also keeping the tools off the floor. 



A framework of some description is always necessary to 

 support the boat or vessel in building. If a ship or yacht, 

 the keel is laid on blocks a short distance apart, but in boat 

 work, the "stocks," as they are called, are usually a plank 

 set on edge, at such a height above the floor as will bring 

 the boat in a convenient position (Fig. 9). The piece (a) is 

 a common pine or spruce board, lin. thick, 8 or lOin. wide 

 and l;ift. long, the upper edge being cut to the rocker of the 

 keel, as taken from the drawing. This* board is supported 

 on three legs and securely braced in all directions, the top 

 being 20in. from the floor, so as to give room to work on the 

 garboards, 



Another style of stocks is shown in Fig. 10, a table being- 

 built about 13ft. long and 30in. wide, somewhat like a canoe 

 in breadth; the top, which is 20in. from the floor, is per- 

 fectly level. A line is drawn down the center, while across 

 the board ; battens, lin. wide and l^iu. deep, are nailed, 2ft. 

 apart, to each of which a mould is screwed, the boat, of 

 course, being built keel upward. 



This method of building (similar to that employed for shell 

 boats) is the easiest and best, but involves more labor in the 

 construction of the table or stocks; however, if several boats 

 are to be built, it will pay to make a strong level table, as 

 when once a set of moulds are made and each fitted to the 

 screw-holes in its respective crosspiece, they may be set in 

 place in a few minutes with every certainty that they are 

 correctly placed, and that they must remain so, while the 

 table makes a convenient place to lay tools. 



Finally a steam box of some kind is necessary, its size de- 

 pending on the work to be done. Usually all the steaming 

 required for a canoe is the timbers, perhaps \ or -,%in. thick 

 which may be done with care in a trough of boiling water 

 but if anything larger is to be bent, a kettle, holding a couple 

 of pails of water, should be arranged over a stove, or roughly 

 bricked in if out of doors, a top of 2in. plank being fitted 

 closely to it with a pipe leading from the top to the steam- 

 box, winch is of \\ or even lin. boards, and may be 3x6in. 

 inside and 7ft. long, supported on trestles or legs near the 

 kettle, and fitted on one end with a hinged door to close 

 tightly, or the end may be closed with a bundle of rags. 



AMSTERDAM O, C.- Editor Forest and Stream: The ice has gone 

 out ot the Mohawk River, and a view of open water once more has 

 revived tke Amsterdam C. C., and they wish to claim a club flag. A 

 pointed burgee, 10xl5m white ground with a blue malte.se cross. 

 Ihe club trusts to have their members at the Newburgh meet.— C. H 

 Wakring (Canoe La Polka), 



THE LOG BOOK. 



V.- DOWN THE MISSISS PPI. 

 [Continued from page 56,] 



ABOUT 10 o'clock the fog disappeared, and we started out to see 

 what the chances were for getting off, and finding the chute 

 about 200yds. wide, with quite a current, and no skiff iu sight, we 

 concluded that it was "raft" or swim. We didn't exactly like the 

 idea of swimmingin that cold water and carrying our clothes besides, 

 so after calling to some negroes who happened 10 come along on the 

 bank, and learning from them that there were no skiffs on that side 

 of the river nearer than two and a half miles, we decided that we 

 needed a raft in our business, and started about making it. 



There were quite a number of trees and saplings which bad been 

 left on the bar in high water, and we picked out a, log about lit. in 

 diameter and 20ft. long, and two willow saplings Oin. in diameter, 

 besides some smaller stuff for braces, and carried them down to the 

 wafer. The big log was partially rotten, but it had to go. Wo put 

 the big log in the middle, the willow saplings on either side, and the 

 smaller saplings inside of them, and bound them all together with 

 willow poles spiked clown laterally and obliq ely. She worked first 

 rate, being quite buoyant; but you had to straddle the whole business, 

 and throw all your weight on the two large saplings 1 , for if you 

 stepped on the rotton log it would let you through into the drink, as 

 we didn't have nails enough to make it fast. 



I mounted the old craft and started her off, and after a few min- 

 utes' paddling landed her on the opposite side of the river. It v, as a 

 great satisfaction to be able to get to "dry land" once more, and 1 

 stepped out for the nearest landing on the "double quick." We had 

 spent nearly all our money at . Vicksburg, but had a sufficient amount 

 of provisions to last us to Baton Rouge, where a supply of funds 

 awaited us. I had therefore to make a bargain with the negroes 

 whereby we were to pay them in camp truck for taking us and our 

 tent, etc., down the river to Ellis's Cliff, about five miles from our 

 bai. 



They borrowed a skiff from the storekeeper, and we started for • 

 the bar, which was soon reached, and after "loading our goods we 

 set out for the "Cliffs," landing at nightfall. On the way down we 

 were very much amused by the talk and actions of the two speci- 

 mens of "nigger" which constituted the crew. Their rowing in par- 

 ticular was most ludicrous, and reminded me very forcibly of the 

 little mechanical rowers which we see in the toy shops. We camped 

 at the landing that night, and the next day learned that the steamer 

 Ed.Richardson would be along about 3 A. M. Sunday. 



In the afternoon we learned that our boat had been picked up 

 about ten miles down the river, and carried back into the country 

 about one-fourth of a mile, so B. started out to walk down and look 

 for it. As he could not get back in time to catch the steamer I got 

 all our things together and put them in shape 

 bunked that night in the hut of an old negro fisherman, and got 

 aboard the steamer all right. Being absolutely "dead broke" I had 

 to make arrangements for our transportation to New Orleans, 

 "standing them off" until We could reach our fimds. B. came aboard 

 when we reached his landing, and reported "no boat," so 1 guess that 

 she's "up a hollow stump." 



We had a very pleasant time on board the Ed. Richardson, audi 

 must confess that it was very agreeable to think that one was not de- 

 pendent upon his own exertions for either meals or lodging. Captain 

 Campbell, who, by the way, commanded the R. E. Lee in her famous 

 race with the Natchez, took a great deal of interest in our cruise, and 

 expressed himself as being very sorry that we had been unable to 

 finish it; but whenever I sat down to the table and filled up with a 

 Square meal, stowing away such quantities of grub that the waiters 

 seemed to wonder where it went to, I wasn't so very sorry, you know, 

 as I wanted folks to think. We reached New Orleans Monday aftet - 

 noon at 1:30, having had to lay up Sunday morning from the time I 

 got on until about y o'clock, and all Sunday night 011 account of dense 

 fog. From about Baton Rouge to New Orleans, 130 miles, the whole 

 river is navigable, and steamers can make a landing anywhere. The 

 canoeist will therefore be compelled to;take the bank for his camp- 

 ing ground, and trust to luck for dry wood. 



The country along here presents the appearance of one large vil- 

 lage, as it is built up the whole distance to New Orleans, the houses 

 being at no time perhaps more than a quarter of a mile apart, and 

 most of the time about 100 yards, it is called the Sugar Coast, and is 

 quite a surprise to any one coming from the upper river, as we did, 

 We stayed in New Orleans a week, taking in most of the town, and 

 arrived in Chicago Bee. 2, just eleven weeks from the day of starting 

 on the cruise. 1 had intended to come back by steamer to St. Louis, 

 reviewing the old scenes, but my brother was ill. and the family tele- 

 graphed me to return at once, so I was unable to carry out niy- inten- 

 tions. At Cairo, however, I saw that the point where we had camped 

 had eight'feet of water on it, and the old scow was gone, as was also 

 our ancient friend. 



From my experience on this trip I don't think that I want to take 

 as loug a one again under similar circumsiances. A eruise of a month 

 or six weeks is as long as the thing continues to bo thoroughly enjoy- 

 able, especially when you have camp to pitch, grub to cook, etc. 

 Above all, a person wants company. Two persons in one boat cease 

 very soon to be entertaining to each other, and such a cruise should 

 be made by at least three, and they ought each to have a boat. Even 

 two persons in separate canoes could have a good time, as the races 

 which they could have would enliven proceedings and chase away 

 ihe "blues"; but no more "one boat for two" for me. There was an 

 article in the Canoeist last spring to the same effect, and that article 

 recurred to my mind several times on our cruise. ' J. W. Keogh. 



CANOE OR SNEAKBOX. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 

 In reply to "A. H. A.'s" question as to whether he should procure a 



'•canoe or sneakbox," I would say, let him get acanoelirst. and then, 

 if he is not satisfied with it he can readily exchange it for the heavy, 

 unwieldy, hard-rowing and slow to windward sneakbox. 



As to the durability of the canoe, both as to hard knocks and as a 

 sleeping apartmeut. let me say that, on my recent eruise from Lake 

 George, N. Y., to Peusacola, Fla., I believe my canoe had the roughest 

 kind of usage. Heavily laden, she was portaged for 70 miles by rail, 

 and many more in a spriagless wagon over rough roads; was jumped 

 over dams, tracked over the stony bed of the Alleghany River 

 LSI snags on the Mississippi, and dashed on the hard sand 

 beaches of the Gulf of Mexico by the powerful force of the surf. 



I used her as a sleeping apartment for more than five months, sim- 

 ply pullmg her out ou the shore, using a little care to see that she 

 rested on an even keel, blocked her bilges with a stick or two of drift 

 wood and with her forward and after compartments fitted with stores 

 and duffel, her decks loaded with the contents of the cockpit I 

 stretched myself at full length and took the usual "roll oyer" daring 



