a: ue. 28, 1884,] - 
—— oe t—<“<‘C:SC;C 
eS a —__ 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
‘On the record Toronto Club leads by most entries and paddling 
oints, Peterboro second, Mohican third, but first for sailing. New 
York GC, G.. fourth, 
‘ Regatta Committee—O. B. Vaux, chairman; H,B. Edwards, L. Q. 
ones, 
Clerk of the Course—W. M. Carter. 
Time Keepers—C, H, Waring, F. §. Westcott. 
Judge and Starter—Col.-H. C. Rogers. 
Police of the Course—Brockville GC. C. 
Measurers—J. H. Rushton, W. P, Stephens. 
The clerk of the course and the time keepers were presented with 
sniall paddles (the gift tothe A.C, A, of the Ontario Canoe Co.) for 
theil faithful services. 
dachting, 
. FIXTURES. 
Sevretaries of yacht elubs will please send early notice of pro- 
posed matches dnd meetings. 
Aug, 28.—Quincy Y. C,, Fourth Match. 
Aug, 30,—Hul1 Y. G@., Second Championship Match, 
Aug. 30,—Beverly Y, C., Open Sweepstakes, Marblehead. 
Sept. 3,—Hull ¥, C., Dhird Championship Match, 
Sept. 4,Salem Bay Y, C,. Second Championship Match, 
Sept, 6.—Beverly Y, C., Marblehead, Special Match, 
Sept, 6,—HullY. O,, Third Championship Mateh. 
Sept. 11,—Quincy Y, C., Last Race. 
Sept. 11.—Krenton’s Reef Challenge Cup, 
. 13,— Boston Y, C,, Ladies’ Day, 
ept. 13.—Boston ¥, C,, Pall Matches, 
Sept. i4.—Quaker City Y. C., Review and Cup Race. 
Sept, 28.—Quaker City Y. C., Review and Harbor Cruise, 
Oct, 5,—Quaker City Y. C., Closing Review and Cruise. 
AFTER THE BATTLE. 
ee Bedouin’s victories this season have finally decided the long 
contested question of type in favor of the cutter, it may not be 
out of place to review briefly the battles, both on paper and water, of 
the last four years, that have oulminated ina triumph of honest 
boats, sailors rigs, and scientific methods in designing, sparring and 
ballasting. Although it is thirteen years since the old Vindex, a cut- 
ter, though only of three beams, first divided the waters of the Dela- 
ware opposite Tinicum Island, itis less than half as long since the 
awful proposition was adyanced that any boat, muchless a ‘‘cuttah,” 
eould equalin any respect an American sloop; so short 4 time, in 
fact, that the din then raised still echoes, and we hear even yet at in- 
tervals the old ery of ‘‘plank on edge," “lead mine,” “‘toothpick,” 
“diving bell.” All interested will remember the scorn and derision 
with which the assertions that a deep boat would move as easily as a 
shoal one, that lead ballast was better than cobble stones or baled 
hay, that a loose-footed mainsail or double jib could sail with the big 
windbags of the sloops, were received as well as the announcement 
that “when it blew, the cutter would lie down and wallow, and when 
it did not blow, she would stand still,” with the accompanying war 
eries of “No bottom for to sail on,’ ‘Our waters,” ‘“‘Aping English 
snobs,” with a vast amount of patriotic buncombe thrown in. 
The early fathers and their converts had a hard time of it at first. 
Argument, abuse, controversy, backed by years of prejudice and mis- 
placed patriotism, made their lives anything but apP for a time, 
with no chance to confound their opponents, Little Yolande in 1880, 
and Oriva in 1881, made the style and rig of the cutter familiar to 
many and won some converts on sight, but much more was wanted, 
anditcame. “One pleasant day in the early fall’ it came up the bay 
on the deck of the Devonia, shored up and securely lashed in a shape 
that astonished many and excited all interested in yachting; the deep 
hull, clean-lined, coppered, handsome, with a fabulous weight of lead 
under it; the high sides, Jong shapely overhang and straight sheer, 
won at once the admiration of many and the derision of many more. 
The queer-looking machine was lifted by a derrick and set afloat, a 
long horn quickly run out, a short mast stuck in somewhere amid- 
ships, a huge topmast set up on top of it, the canny Scot in command 
took the stick, and off she went down the bay to her anchorage. In 
the short time that intervened before the races in which she was to 
take part she was seen more than once on the bay, was met by sloops, 
and sad to say beaten, Fast sloops beat her, slow ones sailed around 
her, and shouts of victory went up from the opposite camp, but ‘the 
Saner he blew a whiff from his pipe, and a scornful laugh laughed 
a 
If this was not enough the newspapers had already settled the 
question 80 thoroughly as to make any further test unnecessary. 
The cutter was slow, wet, had no accommodations, could not point 
with the sloop, clumsy rig, too complicated, etc., the proposition 
standing in about this form: that the American sloop was- faster in 
any weather except, possibly, a very Leavy sea, and was dryer, a 
better seaboat, more weatherly and had greater accommodations. 
We all remember what followed—a victory in Meese that did the 
same for the flat-footed fleet of pleasure boats that the little ‘cheese 
box on a scow” did for the modern navies of the world twenty years 
before—two yictories that side by side stand out above all contests of 
peace or war on the water for the results they have produced. The 
swittly-revolying gun of one penetrated to its most yital spot every 
wooden hull afloat, and left powers that had ruled the seas for cen- 
tures deprived of their greatest defense in a few hours, and the 
hempen sails of the otherswept away in an afternoon the theories, 
traditions and fables concerning displacement, ballast, weights and 
sails that had Jed us to build Mohawks and Sophias. 
We all remember the story how she went down the Bay with 
the Schemer and left her there, Madge coming down the wind ahead 
lugging 8 tons of keel, while Schemer had no ballastin her; how 
little Mistral tried it and came home half drowned and minus her 
sails; how Wave fared,and Schemer’s second trial, as bad as the first, 
and then the Newport races, winning two out of three, one from the 
Wave and one from the fastest sloop of her size ever in our waters. 
lf this was not enough, a second glance revealed more, while Madge 
sailed six races without straining a rope yarn, losing the seventh by 
an accident due to the carelessness of a green hand, of the others 
picked and prepared long before to sail against her, Schemer came 
out of the races in a badly demoralized condition, and Mistral lost 
her sails entirely. After the races, those who had beaten her so badly 
at first Suddenly remembered that Captain Duncan had not set his 
topsail when they were racing him, and they forgotto boast any 
more of their victories. 
Of course an altempt was made to cover up the defeat by bluster, 
partly in the shape of a challenge from a larger boat, Madge's oppon- 
ents being very careful toreckon her ‘ft. of overhang as a part of 
her length; and partly by an attempt to belittle the boats she had 
beaten, with 4 charge of unfairness against the club undér whose 
Ttujes she raced, and their system of measurement, The first charge 
is disproved by the records of the boats before and since, which en- 
titled thet to be called representative sloops, and the second falls to 
the ground when if is considered that Madge beat the larger boats on 
even time, not asking the time they allowed her. 
Tu spite of all blnster and excuses, it was felt that some concession 
was imperative, andit came in the shape of areconstruction of the old 
platform; the mangled remains of the ancient theories and dogmas 
were carefully sorted over, renovated and brought ont ma new shape 
somewhat as follows: The cutter is fast in rough water, bub she has 
no accommodations, she can go to windward, but she is wet, she can 
keep the sea, but she is of no use in our light winds and shoal waters, 
and finally we never cared for speed. but must have room and com- 
fort in our boats. Some subscribed to this new version, but some 
others looked down Madge’s companion, saw the amount of width, 
head room and length in her cabin, good transoms on each side, 
lightiron framed hammocks swung up against the side, roomy fore- 
castle, and cool, light cabin, and came away doubting the second 
clause; some remenibered that Schemer’s crew were soaked, her 
cabin with water in if,and Mistral had her cockpit like a bathtub 
after her race, and they pondered oyer the fourth clause, and the 
idea oceutred to obhers that perhaps with sucha boat a man might 
go where he pleased without the necessity of keeping a shoal harbor 
Gonstantly wider his lee, and that in such a case, a little greater draft 
was not such a bugbear as it looked. Late this season Oriva was 
tried, but under all the disadvantages attending not only a new 
boat, but a style of boat entirely new to all who handled her, and her 
lack of success gave rise to fresh jubilations among the flatfeet. 
Boston already had taken kindly to the new ideas, starting off with a 
flect of little fellows, both cutters and keel sloops wider and deeper 
than cutters, bub the festin New York at this time numbered but 
three, the little Leila. 2 tons; Yolande, 5 tons, and Oriva, 30 tons. 
The next year, hésides the advent of Mageie inthe East, two large 
eulters were added to the fleet, Bedouin and Wenonah. Oriva was out 
of the New Yorkrace in the spring, carrying away the jaws of her 
gail, but in the Seawanhaka race, a few days later, she made a fair 
showing in her class. Late in the same fall Bedoum made her debut 
in the races arranged by the Seawanhaka C. Y.C,, winning the first 
tace from Gracie and josing the succeeding two by a few minutes 
each, but although nominally beaten by the sloop, startling all who, 
looking at the most obvious facts, considered that Bedouin was a new 
boat as yet untried, new gear, ballash nob properly stowed, under all 
the disadvantages that weigh on a boat in her first season and sailed 
partly by her owner, as yet a tyro in cutter sailing, while Gracie rep- 
resented in rig, trim and handling the perfection of our boasted sloop 
fleet. Oriya in these races kept on steadily, adding to the good opin- 
ions of aJl who had watched her carefully. 
The odds at this stage of the battle were still, and for some time 
continued to be, largely in favor of the sloops. Their reputations 
were already made, they were backed by a feeling of so-called patriot- 
ism, narrow-minded and bigoted, that cried down everything new or 
foreign; the pick of the sloop fleet (manned by men and crews who 
had sailed in them season atter season, and who had spent their lives 
aboard similar craft) representing the results of all our yachting for 
thirty years, stood ready to give battle to three cutters, one with a 
season's trial, the other two untried, new boats owned by men who 
were as yet unfamiliar with their handling, manned by crews selected 
with difficulty, and with their failure already announced, their doom 
croaked over, and their owners abused by wholesale. 
The fall races came, more or less shouting was heard from the ultra 
sloop men over the nominal results, those who weighed carefully all 
the points of the races felt that it was a good time to “lay low and 
keep on saying nothin’,”' and all took up a new stand on the question, 
their argument now being about in the shape of this quotation froma 
paper that had championed the side of the sloops, which summed up 
the race as follows: “It was evident that the best of our sloops was 
probably as fast as the cutters,” 
Here was a change indeed in one short y ear, the comparisons of the 
cutter with the exalted standard of the American sloop had changed, 
anew standard of speed had been established, and the claim was 
meekly made that probably the sloops could reach it. 
Public opinion had changed materially and yachtsmen were becom- 
ing more liberal and inclined to accord a fair trial to many points at 
first condemned, the big jib somehow disappeared from sloop after 
sloop, never to reappear, lead ballast displaced iron and gravel, 
masts somehow becaine shorter, and big housing topmasts were no 
longer a curiosity. Counters grew longer with the new boats, floors 
were quietly gecened and afoot or two taken in depth until it was 
finally discovered that these things were nothing new, we had always 
dove so, and many of the details most prominent in the first diseus- 
sion disappeared entirely from the dispute, being coolly appropriated 
by the sloop men, with the claim that they had always adyocated 
them, The controversy lost its distinctive features that it possessed 
at first; as change after change was made in the sloops it became 
difficult to draw the line once so clearly marked between the two 
elasses, until finally the broad claim was made last winter that all 
under six or seven beams were not cutters but American keel sloops. 
Last season (1883) opened with the drifts of the New York and Sea- 
wanhaka clubs in June, the cutters holding their own, even over the 
New York course, with the sloops; and in the former, Weno- 
nah’s maiden race,she beat the pick of the sloop fleet, Mischief, 
Fanny, Gracie and Hildegarde, in their own wind and water, over the 
course most favorable to the sloops of any on the Eastern coast, fol- 
lowing it up a week later by another light weather victory over the 
fleet of the Hastern Y. C, at Marblehead, 
At Newport Bedouin losther boom and was out of the race, and 
Wenonah was beaten by the sloops; but the result of the races and 
cruises was to draw the attention of all to the many good points of 
the cutters, and to win fresh converts, although the advocates of the 
sloop still made a determined fight for their favorite. What was 
needed was a decisive victory for the cutter and it came in the fall, 
when in the Seawanhaka Corinthian Y, C. races, Oriva beat the Vixen 
out of sight, a fair victory over one of the best specimens of the cen- 
terboard sloops afloat, while she finished uncomfortably close to big 
Gracie and Fanny, Wollowing close on the heels of this victory came 
Bedouin’s grand triumphs over Gracie in October, fair and honest 
sailing, no flukes, 19m, im one race, 14m, in another, until it seemed 
that nothing was left to be won; and then the last race, where a Hap- 
ping mainsail on Bedouin gave Gracie a win of 4m, and the sloop 
men enough comfort to carry them over a hard winter, postponing 
the final settlement of the question to this year, and driving their de- 
fense into still another form, 
The light displacement theory was finally renounced, questions of 
rig were less prominently put forward, the limit of draft increased, 
and little left of the American sloop but that cloyen foot, the center- 
board, and the beam, The argument was put m definite form by the 
roposal to build a yacht of three beams, drawing about one-third of 
Eee beam, rig between Boge and cutter,and with heayy centerboard. 
The adyent of this type, the last standby of the shoal-water center- 
board patriot before a final surrender to the foreign ideas promul- 
gated b cutter advocates, promised to add additional zest to the sea- 
son of 1884, as terrible tales came from Boston of a formidable craft 
building there—deep, broad, powerful, with heayy centerboard—that 
was to sweep the leadmines from our coast, while alt Bay Ridge, the 
stronghold of the faithful about New York, a similar wonder was 
building. Of the former little need be said, the season is well over 
and thus far she has done nothing, while reports are current of 
trouble with her big board. The latter, Athlon, has done well for a 
new boat among the sloops, but her performance in the postponed 
New York race and in the Seawanhaka race of the next day, where 
a look outside of the Hook was enough to send her home, show her 
yale as a heayy-weather boat, while her defeat at Newport by Oriva, 
a boat shorter and of but two-thirds of her beam, shows her unable: 
to cope with the cutters in speed. : 
Noseason yet has opened so auspicious)y for the cutters as the 
present one; but, although to those who observed carefully the races 
of the early summer, the results were convincing, the nominal results 
of the races gaye a still further lease of life to the sloop. Bedouin 
was unfortunately unable to sail, Wenonah met with two mishaps, 
Tleen, with anew hand al the stick, did nothing to make a record, 
and all the brunt of the battle fell on little Oriva. On the other side 
were Mischief, Fanny, Gracie, Hildegarde, Vixen, in perfect condi- 
tion, with new Athlon, all thirsting for cutter gore. 
The first day’s drift brought Deen out at the start, but all her ad- 
vantage was lost later on; Wenonah lost 4 topmast, and the fleet 
drifted in late at night tofind no racemade. The second day saw 
wind and weather for the cutters, and Ileen showed what she could 
do to windward, while Oriya beat Vixen over the course. Wenonah 
as wellas Mischief was disabled, The third day saw such weather 
as yachtsmen delight in,a good breeze and lively tumble, which 
drove the sloops inside of the Hook, all except Gracie, while Oriva, 
foing over the course with her, beat her terribly to windward, not- 
withstanding her extra length and size. Following closely on this 
race came that around Long Island, a game of drift, with flukes in- 
terspersed that gave no relative idea of the merits of the boats en- 
tered. 
These races were eagerly seized by the sloop's adyocates as the peg 
on which to hang their last plea. The cutter is faster than the sloop 
when the wind is lizht, or when it blows hard, but when it don*t blow 
ou can’t sail, and when it blows hard no sane man wants to sail, or 
in other words, the question had finally dwindled down to the old ery 
of ‘our weather.” 
The race around Long Island was followed later on by one at 
Marblehead, in the ideal sloop weather, smooth water, good topsail 
breeze all day, and besides a triangular course where no flukes were 
found, and here Bedouin scored her first victory of the year, beating 
the entire fleet, large and small, from big Fortuna down, oyer the 
course on even lime; and at New Bedford a month later it was the 
samé story over again, smooth water, fresh breeze, and Bedouin over 
the course far ahead of all. schooners, sloops, or compromises. 
The fleet that gathered at Newport for the raves of the New York 
Club surpassed any previous fleet in our yachting annals, the repre- 
sentative boats of both classes being all present except Hildegarde, 
of the sloops, and Oriva, of the cutteis, the latter joming in time for 
the last race, and all were in condition for a final test The story of 
the four races is soon told: First day, some sea and light airs with 
calms, Bedouin was first in of all the fleet of twenty-three yachts, 
Teen second and Wenonah third, Athlon an hour and a half astern, 
Mischief nowhere and Gracie withdrawn. The second day, in the 
race to Oak Bluffs, there was more wind and some roll to the sea, 
Bedouin was the first yacht in, beating Montauk, with Mischief nearly 
forty minutes later on even time, this race bempz without allowance, 
Tieen and Wenonah third and fourth, and Athlon so far behind as to 
capture a big handicap forthe race home. The third race on Mon- 
day, home again, in light and varying winds, found Bedouin last in- 
stead of first, the only exception to her remarkable performance this 
season, the honors really going to Mischief, although Athlon, thanks 
to her heavy handicap, takes the prize, The last race was over the 
triangular course of sixty miles for the Bennett cups, no time allow- 
ance, Bedouin beating Mischief 9m, 20s. on eyen time and taking the 
cup, the extra prize going to Mischief by 1s. on time allowance, Ath- 
lon was nowhere in particular at the finish, and Ileen was neariy 
8m, behind Mischief on corrected time. 
Here then is Bedouin’s record for this year in weather picked at 
random in June, July and August along our coast, five first prizes oun 
of six starts, four races out of six in which she led the entire feet, one 
race in which she was beaten and one in which she takes the prize 
but practically ties Mischief on corrected time. Though ifs and buts 
do not make a record in racing fortunately, those who saw the 
first three races this season, and saw Bedouin sail last year and this, 
ean form a prety good idea of the place she would haye taken in 
them, 
Tt will ayail nothing to say that she has beaten Mischief but not the 
other three; many will agree with us that Mischief holds first place 
among our sloops, with Gracie second and Fanny third, and besides 
what Bedouin can do with Gracie is pretty well proved. Oriva’s per- 
formance in the final wats must aah e overlooked, as she beat Vixen 
fairly and squarely, no eg or chances. 
There is aa disputing it, the cutters have beaten the sloops fairly 
and badly in all weathers, the compromises, as competitors with the 
narrow cuiters, have proved failures, and nothing remains to be 
gained by denying either fact. Better acknowledge it openly and 
startin to improve the besb boatit possible. 
Itisnot to be expected that, with the present standard of speed 
which even the sloops have attained, we shal] Have to score 
many more such yictories over them as Madge did, or as the sloops 
once promised the cutters; but gaining the position they have aiter 
an unequal fight of four years, there isno fear thatthe cutters can- 
not hold it with increasing numbers each year, and increased skill in 
handling them. 
The scarecrow held up by some that their use entails the importa- 
tion of designers, builders and sailors from abroad, is an insult to 
American skull and ingenuity; we have found it necessary to call to 
our aid those regularly trained to their pr aes, whose knowledge 
and experience haye taken the place of that guess work and rule of 
thumb once too common in all branches of yaeht construction, with 
already an asbonishing improvemént in the standard of excellence; 
but that we alone cannot build and sail cutters, while we can build 
and sail sloops, is too absurd an idea to be entertained for a moment, 
The part that PormsT AND STREAM has taken in the fight is too well 
known to need comment. In ifs columns appeared the first intima- 
tion that our boats were not what they should be, but that something 
better was possible, and ever since it has continued the course then 
commenced, through along and hard fight toa successful ending, 
and in the future, as in the past, its efforts will always hein the cause 
of honest boats and true yachting. 
YACHTING ON CAPE COD BAY. 
Roe some time past there has been a question as to the respective 
merits of the yachtsin Cape Cod Bay, and to settle the vexed 
question a race Was arranged for Monday, Aug. 18. A much desired 
wholesail breeze was provided in the fresh wind from §. W., and the 
result was unquestionably convincing. 
The start was made from a stakeboat off Brewster Bar, and the 
course thence was EH. fiye miles to stakeboat off Orleans, thence N, 
three miles to Lone Rock buoy, off Hastham, and from there seven 
miles back to Brewster stakeboat. At 2:10 P. M. the Mattie, Ida 
Florence and Wavecrest started, followed at 2:11 by the Nellie and 
Mamie, Perey Allen at 2:12, and Fawn 2:14. The Mattie led until just 
before reaching the Orleans stakeboat, when she was delayed a min- 
ute by fouling a net, The boats rounded the stake in following order: 
Ida Florence and Wavyecrest together, one-half mmute later Perey 
Allen, Mattie, Nellie and Mamie, the Fawn turning two and one-half 
minutes after them. Loné Rock buoy was rounded by Ida Florénee, 
Wavecrest, Percy Allen, Nellie and Mamie, and Mattie. Wrom that 
oa the Percy Allen soon passed the Wavecrest aud Ida Florence, 
olding the lead to the finish. There was no time allowance; all boats 
were centerboard cats and built for 20ft. keel, except the Fawn, 
which was a 25ft. sloop. Length of course fifteen miles: 
SUMMARY. 
Percy Allen, F.§. Allen. Brewster......... 00.0.0... sees ese eeesees 2.12 
Nelly and Mamie, Commings and Howes, Orleans...........,...., 2 18 
Ida Florence, John H. Sweet, Welltieet...................-.22..02. 2 20 
Mattie, Roland Nickerson, E. Brewster... ...... .... ..-,........ a 2B 
Wavecrest, D. L. Young, Orleams...................., Time not taken. 
Fawn, Thaddeus Basset, Brewster............ .-..... Time not taken, 
BEVERLY Y. C. 
ee ninety-first regatta was sailed off Nahant on Aug. 23, 1884, be- 
- ing the third championship match. Wind W.S.W., shifting to 
S.W. light. Judges—Geo. B. Inches, Gordou Dexter, F. J. Bradlee. 
Judges’ yacht, Bluebell, Beverly Y.C. Course for First Class— 
Leaving Whistling Buoy off Graves and Red Buoy No. 2 off Winthrop 
Head on starboard and return, 104 miles. 
Course for Second and Third Classes—Leaving Winthrop Head Buoy 
on starboard and return, 7 miles. 
FIRST GLASS. 
Length Actual. Corrected, 
Cricket, sloop, C. F. Adams, 3d......- 30.07 3 01.20 2 54 21 
Countess, sloop, Geo, B. Chase........ 31.06 3 25 30 3 19 24 
Bessie, schooner, Chas, P. Curtis...... 27.01 Withdrew. 
Cruiser, sloop, A. B. Alley....... ..... 23.06 2 28 45 2 19 13 
Spider, cat, Walter Abbott ........... 20.00 2 34 30 2 21 43 
Hornet, cat, H. L. Harding........... 21.00 2. a4 45 2 22 59 
Rita, cat, H. B. Richardson.........,.. 20.06 Withdrew, 
SECOND CLASS KEELS. 
Witch, cutter, B. B. Crowninshield. . .22.06 3 00 00 2 49 36 
Mosquito, cat, B, W. Codman......... 22 02 Not timed, 
THIRD CLASS, 
Mirage, cat, L. M. Clark........ ae ye 19.04 2 34 40 2 22 O8 
The wind was very light, too light for Bessie and Countess, Cruiser 
had a great advantage under the clubrules, which were not made 
for “jib'and mainsail boats,’ im being allowed to carry a jib while 
the cats had mainsails only. Witch was late at the starting fate and 
Mosquito waited for her starting twenty minutes late, when wind was 
very light; she was six minutes outside the limit of time and it is a 
question for the Regatta Committee to decide whether she takes a 
prize or not, Theruleis: “No prize awarded unless one boatin class 
makes race at rate of 244 miles an hour.” Witeh and Mosquito in 
racing for the pennant were in same class as the catboats, who made 
race in time, but sailed for Separate prizes with allowance. : 
Prizes were won as follows: First prizes, Cricket, Crniser, Mirage 
and probably Witch. Second Prizes, Countess and Spider. Cricket 
and Cruiser take pennants, tieing with Thialfi and Countess, and with 
Witch and Rita. Mirage wins and holds pennant. : 
BLug with a Goup CAsrun, 
LIGHTS ON SMALL BOATS. 
A® will be seen by the following extract from the Syracuse Stund- 
ard, the question of lights on open boats has come up again, in 
connection with the sad accident of Aug, 15 on the St. Lawrence 
River, by which a lady was drowned. On the evening in question, a 
lady and gentleman in a skiff attempted to row across the bow of the 
steamer Rothesay, but were struck by the steamer, thrown into the 
water and the lady drowned, her escort being severely injured. 
It is without doubt highly necessary for their own safety that small 
boats should carry a light at night, but a single white light. visible im 
all directions, as directed by law, will not answer for the reason stated 
below, that it practically blinds the persons in the boat toallafew 
feet distant. Many canoes carry a square brass lamp, with red and 
green sides but haying in addition a lense of plain glass in front, the 
latter being quite thick and, as it is of rather poor quality, siving 
little light to dazzle the eyes, but still powerful enough to be visible 
as a signal at some distance. 
This lamp has been found to answer very well, and although not 
visible to a boat approaching from behind, it is probably the best yet 
devised. With any lights more or less trouble will arisé iu crowded 
waters, the small boats take too great risks,and the steamers, as a 
rule, are utterly indifferent to the danger they put the small ones in 
as longas they donot render themselves liable, ‘lo run so closeto a row 
boat as to Swamp her is only a joke, and it is just as funny to- make a 
sailing boat go off her course, even while racing, though a turn of a 
spoke or two would make no difference, Some samples of this con~ 
duct were shown by steamers on the St, Lawrence at the canoe nieet, 
uotably the E. Vanhorne, which deliberately ran down a rach 
canoe, while the Hero and others van through the racing fleet to give 
a view of the race to those on board, regardless of the danger and 
disappointment of the crews. Perhaps if such sbeamers were com- 
pelled occasionally to stop fora rowboat or pay the penalty, they 
would learn to be more careful, and on the other hand, if there was a 
better feeling between them and the boatmen, the latter would not 
hinder them. The law, as it stands now, is simply absurd, as the 
penalty is so great that it is never enforced, Asit stands it applies 
to all boats, shells and canoes included. 
It is no uncommon thing fora man to be caught ont after dark, in 
a shell or rowboat, with no light, but the danger is only to himself; 
and to fine him $200 for incurring it istoo ridiculous eyer to have been 
enforeed. If the law is worth enforcing, a small fine of $10 or $15, 
imposed on a few, would do more good than can ever be accomplished 
as it stands at present, No distinction is now made bebween large 
vessels and working boats on the one hand and small pleasure eratt 
on the other, andit is unfair to weigh down the latter with a rule only 
intended for the former. 
“It was understood by two orthreepersons only, who saw the rey- 
enue cutter Bibb steam down the riyer yesterday afternoon, that an 
attempt was to be made to enforce the law requiring skiffs to carry a 
bright light 2ft. above the bow. This law has been on the statute 
book tor several years; but has nol been observed, Three years ago 
an attempt was made to enforce it, bub the officers soon saw the ab- 
surdity of it, and gaye the boatmen to understand that no further 
attempts would be made at that time. At the time of the killing of 
Miss Ives last week by the Rothesay, while she was in a skiff without 
a light, Captain Hstes, of that steamer, wrote to Ogdensbul'z. protest- 
ing against the growing habit of going without lights, In view of 
this the Bibb has been senvt down the river to see that the law is ob- 
served, 
“This law is well-meant, and is good in that im extreme cases it Might 
save a single life, but on the whole it is better broken than kept. Had 
Captain Estes stopped to think he would not haye written as he did 
for the law is that skiffs carrying a light haye the right of way and 
ateamers are compelled to stop, and if they happen to strike a skitf 
