April 22, 1886.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



253 



BROCKTON, April 15.— The Knoxville blackbird shoot at the 

 grounds of the Brockton Gun Club this afternoon attracted a large 

 number of experienced gunners. The principal shoot of the day was 

 for the New England championship badge, which was contested for 

 for the sixth time. The shooting was interesting throughout, owing 

 to the closeness in the score, and was finally tied by Eager and "Web- 

 ber and Anally won by Webber. Following is the score: 



Davis 



Allen a 



Aldoes 3 



Eager 9 



Wilbur 8 



Schaefer 8 



Nichols 3 



Ring- 4 



Baker 5 



South o 



Copeland. 3 



Single. Double. Total 



10 

 8 

 6 

 13 

 12 

 12 

 5 



r 



8 



11 



4 



Single. Double. Total 



Adams S 



Dickey 8 



Oilman 7 



Farrar 5 



flarllett G 



Stanton 9 



Ames 9 



AVebber 8 



Wright 6 



Jones 8 



3 



7 



2 



10 



3 



10 



3 



8 



3 



9 



3 



11 



3 



12 



5 



13 



1 



7 



3 



11 



Ties on 13 for badge: H. W. Webber, of Worcester, won. At the 

 conclusion of the badge match a large number of sweeps were shot. 



DUNELLEN, N. J., April 10.— Middlesex Gun Club, match for a 

 gun; $10 second prize; 5 live birds: 



Canon. 26yds.... 1 1 1 0-3 Rich, 22yds 1 1 ^ 1 



Quimby, 24yds.. 1 1110-4 Miller, 24yds I 1 y, \ 



Craft, 22yds 1 110 0-3 Dickens, 22yds. 1 10 1—3 



Williams, 22yds. 1 1 1 1-4}^ 



Williams took gun; Miller and 'Quimby divide second. The birds a 

 good strong lot of flyers.— Doffer. 



WINCHESTER, InJ.— The Winchester Run Club bave reorganized, 

 and elected officers as follows: Rev. W. H. Sands. President; Frank 

 Marman, Vice-President; L. W. Norton, Secretary and Treasurer. 



SYRACUSE, N. Y. — The Onondaga Sportsmen's Club has com- 

 pleted the building on its new grounds on the Anderson farm, Onon- 

 daga Valley. The grounds are said to be the finest in the Stare. The 

 opening shoot on the new ground began yesterday and will be con- 

 tinued to-day. 



THE DICKERMAN PATTERN. — Editor Forest and Stream: We 

 note your mention of the shooting qualities of our gun and regret to 

 state that in some way tne distance shot as mentioned is incorrect, 

 as the actual distance was 23yds. and not 33yds. We do no 1 ; want to 

 claim more than we can substantiate, and therefore hasten to inform 

 you of the mistake.— Strong Fire Arms Co. 



THE RAUB TAR GET. — Editor Forest and Stream.- I would like to 

 hear from your readers woo have used the " Raub " trap. I am 

 going to put a brit tle clay target on the market soon, have put the 

 work in the hands of one of our best potteries, and will bring out a 

 target to fly to pieces when hit with ball or shot. The clayboard 

 target will still be used largely for practice shooting, on account of 

 its cheapness, and convenience in carrying. I keep an outfit in an 

 outhouse— trap, box of targets, a few boxes of conical B. B. caps 

 and a Remington action Flobert rifle, from which I get lots of amuse- 

 ment, in odd half hours. I fasten the trap by the knee to a piece of 

 board eight or ten inches wide and four feet long, on which I lay a 

 stone sufficiently heavy to keep it in place. When through shooting, 

 I coil the line and throw it over the trap, roll off the stone, and carry 

 board and trap to the house, losing no time fixing. One hundred 

 shots will afford an hour's amusement and twenty -five targets will 

 la«t for several hours. I find the best arrangement in standing 

 about eight paces from the irap and setting it to throw an average 

 of twelve feet high, and inclining to the direction of the wind, the 

 targets will vary several feet in height and direction so as to keep 

 one constantly on the alert. I find the 22 Winchester repeater too 

 heavy for me to handle, and have tried expert riflemen who use it, 

 who can hit five out of ten maroles tossed up over their heads, but 

 cannot hit fifty per cent, of targets at t wenty feet in sixty seconds. 

 When using the B. B cap I can hear the shot strike the target with 

 certainty, and mostly see the chips fly off. The target should be 

 retrieved, score counted and holes marked at the end of each score. 

 — R. (New London, Conn.). 



WELLINGTON, Mass , April 17.— To-day was no exception to the 

 rule of good attendance ana good shooting at the range of the Wel- 

 lington Gun Club. Results: 1. Five, blue rock birds— Bradstreet first, 

 Francis second, Adams and D. G. Walton third. 2. Three pair pigeons 

 —Adams and G. H. Walton first, Scbaefer second, Francis and Crosby 

 third. 3. Three pair pigeons -Schaefer first. Francis second, Adams, 

 Crosby and Williams, third, G. H. Walton and Wilson fourth. 4. Five 

 blue rock birds— Williams and Francis first, Schaefer, G. H. Walton 

 and Wilson second, Jones and Short tnird, Smith and Crosby fourth. 

 5. Six bats— Schaefer and G H. Walton first. 6. Five blackbirds- 

 Wilson first. 7. Six bats— G. H. Walton, Shumway and Schaefer first. 

 8. Five Knoxville birds— H irt first. 9. Five blue rock birds— Adams 

 and Wilson first. 10 Three pair pigeons— Hart and Williams first. 

 11. Six pigeons— Williams and Wilson first. 12. Five blue rock birds 

 -Shumway first. 13. Six pigeons— Wilson, Crosby and Shumway first. 

 14. Five blue rock birds— Adams, Hart and Crosby first. 15. Five 

 pigeons— Crosby first. 



ST. LOUIS, April 15. -The Excelsior Gun Club held a crowded meet- 

 ing this evening. Fred Trescher donated a $100 gold medal to the 

 club. The terms in relation to the same are: That it shall be shot for 

 at live birds, at the monthly shoots, the biggest scorer on the occa 

 siou to wear the trophy until the next monthly shoot. At the end of 

 the season the scores of all participants will be cast up and the killer 

 of most birds altogether will become the absolute possessor of the 

 medal It is quite possble that, some one who has not been first in a 

 monthly shoot may carry off the trophy. The club decided to order 

 another goM medal for general skill, and as George W. Rinkle turned 

 in his gold and Joe Weiber his sUver medal, the Excelsiors have no 

 less thau four medals to shoot for this season. 



HARTFORD, Conn., April 16.— The season's shooting of the Colt 

 Hamrnerless Gun Club began to-day, and the results of the contests 

 were as follows : 



J F Ives 101111110111111— 13 W Johnson 001100110011111— 9 



MCook.... 100001111111101—10 J Melrose 101110011010101- 9 



EC Howe nillllOOlOOOll— 10 ST Colt 011000011001110— 7 



J Howe 001111110101100— 9 G Tolles 001001010010101— G 



All shooting was at eighteen yards. The next shoot will be on tb 

 30th inst. 



SARATOGA. April 14— The Saratoga Gun Club made the following 

 score at Glen Mitchell to day: 



JMColcord 1110101110—7 II M Levengston, Jr. 1001101101— 6 



WH Bokes ££110100111— GJ^ W H Gibbs 0010010111—5 



F M Crawford 1010101011-6 LeG C Cramer 1100001010—4 



W Shepard 11.1110000-6 



Owing to the traps not working well, the scores were not as good as 

 usual. Next week the club expects some new birds and traps, which 

 will probably improve the scores. 



LEOMINSTER, Mass.. April 15.— The Leominster Gun Club bave 

 elected the folio wiug officers: President, I. F. Gorham; Vice-Presi- 

 dent, 0. W. Bnrbank; Secretary, H. B. Andrews; Treasurer, A. G. 

 Powers; Directors, A. W. Woods, E. F. Blodgett, George L. Rice. 



FITCH BURG, Mass., April 15.-A few of the members of the Fitch- 

 burg Gun and Rifle Club went out to the River street range yesterday 

 to shoot clay-pigeons. The totals out of a possible 30 were as follows: 

 C. R. Burleigh li, H. I. Wallace 10, 1. O. Converse 10, G. A. Colony 9. 

 H. F. Bout well 5. J ' 



ONE-ARMED SHOTS. — The second pigeon shooting match between 

 the one armed maiksmen, Samuel Burbank and Captain David H. 

 Cortelyou, for ,$100 a side, at 10 birds each. 21 varJs' rise, two trips, 

 80 yards boundary, came off April 17, at Sea View Park, New Dorp, 

 S. I, The birds were very strong flyers, and the score, although 

 small settled, the superiority between the one-armed champions in 

 Richmond county as follows : Burbank killing his first, sixth and 

 seventh birds to Lortelyou's second and eighth. Burbank challenges 

 the State on a similar match. 



WESTMINSTER CLUB.— A pigeon shooting match between James 

 Watson and Chauncey Floyd, of the Westminster Kennel Club, on 

 the grounds of the club at Babylon, L. I , April 17, for 81.000 a side, 

 was won by Mr. Watson by two birds. Each shot at 12G birds, Mr. 

 Watson killing ninety seven, to ninety-five by his antagonist. 



BROOKLYN, Aprd 14.— The Coney Island Rod and Gun Club had 

 two shoots to-day at Prospect Park Fair Grounds. The first was the 

 club handicap. W. Jones, 30yds.. won in Class A, killing 6 out of 7, 

 using the second barrel three times. J. Temple, 21yds., won in Class 

 B, killing 7 straight, only using his second barrel once. He also won 

 the silver cup for the highest score, lu the special prize shoot, W, 

 Jones, 20yds., won, killing 5 straight birds. The birds were an especi- 

 ally good lot. 



FORT BENTON GUN CLUB. -The Fort Benton Gun Club consists 

 of fourteen members, divided into two teams, which hold weeklv 

 contests attbe trap. On the third Saturday of each mouth they shoot 

 for a gold badge, which is to become the property of the person win- 

 ning it in three consecutive contests. 



Join the National Gun Association.— Send 10 cents, for handbook 

 giving all information, to the Secretary. Matt R. Freeman, General 

 Manager. F. C. Ethbpidge, Secretary and Treasurer, Macon, Ga. 

 Board of Directors: Dr. L. E. Russell, Springfield,' O. : C. M. Stark, 

 Winchester, Mass.; J. Von Lengerke. New York city; Washington A. 

 Coster, Flatbush, L. L; Wm. G. Cooper, Savannah, Ga. ; E. A. Craw- 

 ford, Tallahassee, Fla. ; M. R. Freeman, W. W. Parker and F. C. 

 Etheridge, Macon, Ga.— Adv. 



(^anoeittg. 



FIXTURES. 



Mohican Races every Thursday through the season. 

 May 1— Brooklyn C. C , Challenge Cup and Paddling Race. 



May 15— Brooklyn C. C, Sailing Race. 



May 22— Knickerbocker C. C. Sprine Regatta. 



May 29. 30, 31— Connecticut Meet, Calla Shasta Grove. 



May 29, 30, 31— Hudson River Meet, Coddington's Dock, Rouudout. 



May 30— Mohican Cruise, Susquehanna River, 



May 31— Pittsburgh Regatta. 



June 12— Brooklyn C. C, Paddling Race. 



July 10— Brooklyn CO.. Paddling Race. 

 Aug. 7— Brooklyn C. C, Paddling Race. 



Aug. 15-29— A. C. A. Meet, Grindstone Island. 

 Sept. 4— Rrooklyn C. C, Paddling Race. 



Sept. 18— Brooklyn C. C, Bailing Races. 



Sept. 25— Brooklyn C. O - Challenge Cup. 



THE AMERICAN CRUISING CANOE. 



A NUMBER of inquiries bave reached us for a table of offsets for 

 this canoe, the lines of which were published in the Forest and 

 Stream of Nov. 20, 1884, and also in "Canoe and Boatbuddiug for 

 Amateurs," Plats XI. The following table has been carefully laid 

 down full size. The fractions given are all eighths of an iuch , as in 

 other tables lately published. The design should be carefully faired, 

 as described in "Canoe and Boat Building." To make the same lines 

 answer for a 15x3J canoe the moulds, six in number, may ue spaced 

 25 7 iu. apart instead of 24in., as shown. An extra, mould at each end, 

 Nos. 1 and 13, will be useful in building: 



Stations. 



Depths. 





Half-Breadths. 





Deck. 



Rabbet. 



Deck. 



L. W. L. 



6in. 



4in. 



2in. 





Ft. In. 



Ft. In. 



Ft. In. 



Ft. In. 



Ft. In. 



Ft. In. 







1 6 





1 









1 



1 4* 



I s 



3T 



2 3 



I 3 



0° 



2 



1 2 7 



0* 



7* 



6* 



4 



S 8 



3 



I' r 4 -a** 



0' 



102 



8i 



6" 



4* 



4 



1 0« 







1 0» 



10' 



-p ••' 



6« 



5 



ll 5 





1 1» 



1 1 



11« 





6 



11' 





1 2 a 



1 2 2 



1 l 3 



ll 3 





11 





1 2" 



1 2' 



1 2" 



1 2 



8 



11' 





1 2-» 



1 2» 



1 ft 



IV 



9 



113 





1 2» 



1 1» 



1 0* 



103 



10 



1 





1 1 



11° 



10< 



7 6 



11 



1 0« 



0i 



10" 



9 



7* 



6i 



' p \ 



1 15 







5 s 



4< 



3* 



13 



1 £« 





0* 



2« 



2 



1 



14 



1 4 





1 



0i 



J 





A 500-MILE CRUISE ON THE RIVERS OF 

 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. 



{Continued from page 232.) 



THE next morning at 7 we boarded the steamer Dover, and as we had 

 stowed the canoes the day before there was nothing for us to do 

 but to eat breakfast and enjoy the scenery. After breakfast we lay 

 upon the hurricane deck of the steamer smoking our briar pipes 

 filled with genuine Durham, talking in the mean time of the glorious 

 trip that lay before us. The prospect was certainly lovely, the morn- 

 ing was perfect, and everything was calculated to heighten our enjoy- 

 ment. Shortly after leaving Sacramento we passed the mouth of the 

 American inver, whose bed is nothing more thau a great, shifting 

 sandbar, and, as we afterward found to our cost, it sometimes dams 

 itself with its own sediment until the obstructed waters gather 

 strength to sweep the obstruction away. Twenty miles above Sacra- 

 mento the river, which has hitherto been as yellow as clay can make 

 it, suddenly becomes clear, owing to our having passed the mouth of 

 the Feather, on the tributaries of which nearly all the hydraulic 

 tniniug in the State is carried on. The junction of the two rivers 

 is quite an interesting phenomenon. The turbid waters of the 

 Feather, although far less in volume than the Sacramento, impart to 

 it a color scarcely less than their own. But before tbey mix thor- 

 oughly they roll along side by side for some little distance, presenting 

 a very marked contrast. 



For the next seventy-five miles the scenery is perfectly tropical, 

 excepting of course from the pilothouse. Massive trunks of syca- 

 more and cottonwood trees rise to a heighth of fifty or sixty feet 

 above the banks, crowned with magnificent masses of foliage and 

 supporting countless numbers of wild grape and other trailing viues 

 which depend from them and make an impenetrable curtain reaching 

 to the water's edge. This continues with unvarying aud vet inter- 

 esting monotony on either side of the river, and the only sign of 

 human visitatiou is where some stock-raiser has here and there cut a 

 trail down to the water side to enable hi-; cattle to obtain a drink with- 

 out risking their necks in the attempt. Night comes on with all the 

 accompaniments of a tropical evening, and after a vain attempt, to 

 sit up in the pilot house and n atch the river's course, we at last suc- 

 cumbed to the soporific effect of the warm, perfume laden air and 

 retired to our btrths to dieam of future glories to be achieved in the 

 cruising line. 



The next morning the scenery had changed, the fringe of tropical 

 verdure had disappeared and in its place were fern-covered banks, 

 capped with a growth of smaller trees. Below each point was a beau- 

 tiful beacn of sand or gravel, covered on the. top with a generous al- 

 lowance of driftwood and behind it a small sort of bay which seemed 

 the ideal place to harbor a canoe. 



During the day we passed, as before, a few small settlements, and 

 about four in the afternoon arrived at Jacinto, the destination of the 

 steamer. We at once preceded to embark in our canoes, and after 

 receiving the good wishes of our friends, the officers of the steamer, 

 and a welcome present in the shape of a supply of fresh meat from 

 the celestial steward, started for a small bar which projected from a 

 point above the town. Here we made our first camp for the season, 

 and doubtless every canoeist and woodsman can imagine the satis- 

 faction with which we stood and viewed the picture made by our two 

 canoes, as they lay on the shelving beach, their glossy sides nestling 

 in the sand with which we had shored them, and the tents giving 

 promise of luxurious comfort when we should be snugly esconced 

 therein. Higher on the bank burned a brignt fire of old drift, and 

 from its middle came a cloud of steam, which to the nostrils of the 

 rusticating citizen is sweeter than all the perfumes of Pans— that of 

 coffee. 



Our canoes were admirably adapted for cruising in company. The 

 Undine was a kind of Jaeksonian model, with lots of room for stow- 

 ing sails, spars, pots, pans, and all the rest of the things that make 

 cruising such a bugbear to the average "Saturday afternoon" canoe- 

 ist, while the Talisman, Racine Shadow, had in her dry stowages 

 ample room for best clothes, cartridges, sugar, tobacco, and all other 

 thitigs which do not improve with water. Undine had pinned his 

 faith to a "V" tent, coated with parrafiue, while I had a simple box 

 tent without any waterproofing at all, and, "if I do say it myself." 1 

 had never had more enjoyment and comfort out of any one thing 

 than I had out of that tent So it was with Undine, and he expresses 

 it as his belier that those canoeists who depreciate the value of canoe 

 tents are sadly lacking in practical experienee. 



The first meal of our trip had its pleasures enhanced by the visit of 

 some young ladies from tne town below, and while we phed ourselves 

 with coffee, steaks and hot potatoes, they phed us with questions con- 

 cerning ourselves, our projected trip ano past experiences. Their 

 bright presence made us forget for the time our resolve, that we 

 would have no thought for anything but for the wildwoods life that 

 we were to lead for the next few weeks. It was nearly dark when 

 they left, and with a heavy sigh I started to wash the dishes. I put 

 them in a sack, and they being only tin, I found that I could wash 

 them to my satisfaction, but not to the cook's, by sousing them up 

 and down in the river, and then hanging them up to dry. 



After making all snug for the night we retired to our tents, and 

 lighting our briars proceeded to eB joy bf e as only canoeists may. It 



seems selfish for the cruising canoeist to have all the good things in 

 this world, but it is my opinion that he has them all the same. Sleep 

 interrupted our pleasant thoughts, and till the blazing sun awoke us 

 in the morning we did not miss a single wink; then gathering some 

 driftwood we soon had a blaze to cook our hotcakes and coffee. We 

 then packed the canoes and started on our descent of the river. 



Owing to the slight current and our "constitutionally tired" dis- 

 position we did not intend to make more than twenty miles per day, 

 but from the fact that our time was limited we were forced into 

 greater activity, and on one occasion with a favorable wind traveled 

 sixty. On this particular day we had not gone over twelve miles 

 when we came to a fish camp on the river bank, to which we hud 

 been directed by our friend the pilot. Landing at the bar, our canoes 

 at once became, objects of general inteiest, and excited the admira- 

 tion of the fishermen. As for ourselves, however, we were looked 

 upon with cold distrust, and it was not until two days afterward that 

 we fouud the reason of it. Our object had been to do some fishing 

 by way of variety, and we thought there was no better place than 

 here. So. unlacing the tents, we spread them as canopies over the 

 canoes, supported wn'th willow saplings. The first day in camp our 

 attempts ended in dismal failure, but, taking the advice of" a neigh- 

 boring farmer, we arose the next morning at three, and proceeded 

 1o w/dp the stream for salmon. Not succeeding in this, however, we 

 changed our tackle, and using lighter rods and a fly were successful 

 in landing several shad. The river, which several years ago was 

 amply stocked with these fish, is now so depleted by the inroads of 

 the fishermen with their illegal nets, that it will only be a matter of 

 a few years before the market supply will be a thing of the past. 

 The next day we had an explanation with our friends the fisjiermen. 

 It seemed that they had taken us for agents of the fish commissioners 

 sent to catch them in the act of violating the fish law, which was 

 their regular practice. Upon Undine's a-suring them that we were 

 nothing but innocent canoeists, bent only upon pleasure, their cold- 

 ness at once vanished, and we were invited to take part in their 

 evening's work of drawing the nets. We did not look upon this as 

 as very entertaining sport for the evening, but after the first haul 

 which landed a six-foot sturgeon we became enthusiastic, and wad- 

 ing into the water thereafter worked as hard as the rest. Twelve 

 o'clock came and still our interest had not flagged, so we concluded 

 to make a night of it. One of the largest shad taken from the nets 

 was selected by the fishermen for their supper, while. Undine and I 

 concluded to regale ourselves with fried salmon fresh from the water. 

 Building a fire upon the beach, the fishermen proceeded to cook their 

 midnight meal; a frying pan of gigantic proportions was filled with 

 the fish, and a coffee pot which might have served ior a regiment 

 boiled merrily over the fire. The contents of these two dishes, with 

 some camp bread, constituted the entire repast. Returning to the 

 nets we worked until six o'clock, and none were more interested in 

 the results of each haul than were we, and had the profit been ours 

 we could not have exerted ourselves more. When morning came we 

 were too tired to think of proceeding on our journey for that day, 

 and so dsvoted our time to writing descriptive letters to our less 

 fortunate friends who were still toiling away at the office. Then each 

 finished up with a letter home, we laid down in our canoes and slept 

 peacefully until evening. 



Having been invited to the fishermen's camp for supper, we con- 

 cluded to go and see something of their domestic life. Their camp 

 was situated under a clump of lovely trees overlooking a bluff at the 

 edge of the river. A bark shanty without sides was their kitchen, 

 and at a little distance from it was the tent where they slept On the 

 other side of the clearing there dwelt an old trapper, who hunted 

 during the summer and in winter tanned bis skins and made traps 

 for the next year's use. A number of deer and bear skins hanging 

 around the camp gave things a picturesque appearance, and the old 

 hunter himself did not detract from the wildness of the I ffect. 

 Though not dressed in the costume w hich is worn by trappers on the 

 stage, he was still so uncouth that one might know that it had been 

 long since he had seen the city. While we were conversing with him 

 supper was announced. The bill of fare was essentially the same as 

 the night before, only that the quantities were liberally augmented, 

 and we were expected to partake of them in an equally increased 

 ratio. Dessert consisted of blackberry pie, made as it can be made 

 only in camp; of the crust the less we say the better, but the black- 

 berries inside were at least as good as nature had made them. 



Supper over, we stretched out around the fire which, on account of 

 the coolness of the evening and our supposedly delicate constitutions 

 was piled up until it looked like a conflagration. Our pipes were 

 brought cut. and tobacco of inky blackness was offered by our hosts. 

 This we were in dutj bonnd to accept, although three whiffs made us 

 both turn pale. Whisky of a milder quality was produced in liberal 

 quantity to give the proper eclat to the evening's entertainment, and 

 when we left we felt that we could not have fallen into more hospit- 

 able hands. 



The next morning, the cook being indisposed, I prepared the break- 

 fast myself. Not having cooked before on this trip, I had not gauged 

 our appetites correctly, and when the cook looked at the pile of ouJy 

 eighteen cakes he smded a smile in which was more pity than scorn, 

 and sitting down at the table he disposed of the whole"; that opened 

 my eyes, and cooking about twice the number we finally had enough 

 to satisfy our appetites. 



By 7 o'clock we had pulled up stakes and were ready to be under 



ay. The river just below the bar where we had been encamped, 

 breaks into small rapids, and after that there is a long, swift run, in 

 which we both ran the risk of upsetting, as we had not taken the pre- 

 caution to remove our masts from their steps, This done, however, 

 we felt once more at home in our floating domiciles, and put them 

 through antics that no other craft except a cauoe would ever submit 

 to without indignantly capsizing to show how aggrieved it felt at 

 such treatment; dodging under sweeping ends of grape and honey- 

 suckle vines, running behind stumps that had fallen into the water 

 and cut the bank out back of them, and then for variety giving chase 

 to each other and splashing water as hard as we could in the' mean- 

 time. Of this play we soon tired, then laying down, we would float 

 with the stream until some obstruction barred the way and brought 

 us up all standing. Though the river is unvarying in its scenery for 

 miles, still there is a strange fascination about it that grows on one, 

 and as each succeeding bend is reached, one looks forward with in- 

 creased interest to see what the next will be like, and the fact that 

 this is not a common every-day cruising ground for canoeists, adds 

 to the novelty of each otherwise unimportant incident. 



One thing that rather surprised us was the fact that there are so 

 few boats on the river. On asking an "oldest inhabitant" the reason 

 of it, he explained that, as the river rose and fell with the rains in the 

 mountains, boats were swamped when it rose and hung when it fell. 

 I wonder if there is a canoeist alive who could not overcome that 

 difficulty? About 4 in the afternoon we commenced to look for a bar 

 that ban the requisite amount of beauty in its surroundings to suit 

 our requirements for a camping ground, as well as a more substan- 

 tial recommendation in the shape of an abundant supply of wood for 

 a camp Are. 



White we were engaged in this occupation, and I was explaining to 

 Undine why it was that, experienced canoeists like ourselves never 

 got into any bad predicaments through carelessness, we were sud- 

 denly conscious of a great acceleration of our speed. I looked up 

 and saw that we were drifting into a sort of cut-off, where the river 

 ran with terrible velocity and occasionally broke into big swirls, 

 which circled about, threatening destruction to our canoes and dan- 

 ger to ourselves. I was already too far advanced to think of return- 

 ing, and Undine, seeing my position, bravely started forward to see 

 me through The Talisman, always quick under paddle, seemed to 

 know r what was required of her, and sprang forward to the middle of 

 the narrow passage as by instinct, just in time to avoid a mass of 

 tree roots against whish tne current set. The next instant she struck 

 the edge of a swirl which set her clean about in less time than it 

 takes to say it. In the meantime Undine passed, going so fast that he 

 looked as though the devil were after him, white the Talisman, hav- 

 ing completed ber gyration, started in pursuit, stern first, and faster 

 than before. Being now r unable to see where I was going, I was in 

 the act of jumping overboard to save myself, when the trunk of a 

 fallen tree, under which ihe canoe passed, struck me on the back of 

 the head and knocked my paddle out of my hand, immediately after 

 which I shot into calm water. Undine was there all right, excepting 

 the loss of his hat, which came floating down with my cap and pad- 

 dle shortly afterward. We then made across to the opposite shore, 

 where we' found just such a beach as we had been looking for. We 

 then proceeded to tun our canoes upon terra Jirma t and the threat- 

 ening appearance of a cloud in the south warned us to prepare for a 

 thunder storm. 



Our a'-rangements for the night were easily made. I unpacked the 

 cauoe*, made the beds in them and set the tents in them, while Undine 

 made a fire, boiled coffee, fried bacon and eggs and cooked hot cakes. 

 Then, by the lime I had laid a piece of tarpaulin on the ground and 

 set the tin dishes on it, we were both ready for our dinner, which sel- 

 dom.took Ihe cook more than half an hour to prepare. The dinner 

 over, I washed the dishes in the usual way and hung them up in the 

 sack to dry. . 



Scarcely had I finished when a few large drops of rain fell, and we 

 noticed that the black cloud had spread itself nearly over us, and its 

 edges were whirling about in an ominous manner. Undine's tent 

 being waterproofed, he simply weighted the edges down by tying 

 rocks thereto, and then turned in to wait for the storm to wreak its 

 fury on my devoted head, Borrowing his rubber blanket, I tied it 

 over the top of my tent in the same way that he had secured the 

 edges of his tent, and then ran guy ropes from the mainmast to the 

 ground and fastened them to pegs, so that the canoe might not be 

 blown over by the fury of the gale. No sooner were my arrange- 

 ments completed than we heard a tremendous roaring in the trees 



