254 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Oct. 20, 1887. 



tackting* 



KEEL BOATS AND FALSE PILOTS. 



THOUGH the defeat of Thistle was by no means pleasant for 

 yachtsmen on the other aide <o£ the Water, it might at least 

 have been made highly profitable to them had they chosen to con- 

 sider it carefully and thoroughly; but the entire effort now seems 

 to be in the direction of false conclusions and baseless statements 

 and excuses. Carried away at. once by the fact that Volunteer 

 had a ceutef board, some of the British papers have declared out- 

 right that their boats must have center-boards also to retake the 

 Cup. Some allowance must be made for non-technical journals 

 Which grasp only at the most obvious features and waste no time 

 inking beneath the surface, but it is surprising to read the fol- 

 lowing m such a journal as the London Field: "It appears likely 

 that there will be some clamoring that any future British chal- 

 lenger should make use of our invention of the centerboard. The 

 Americans have now had an almost exclusive monopoly of this 

 British contrivance for more than half a century, and have become 

 to regard it of purely American origin. With this amiable foible 

 we will not quarrel, nor do we think they can quite blame us if 

 we again take up with a long discarded notion. It is quite possibl e 

 that if Thistle had been fitted with a type metal 'fin' in her lead 

 jkeel, to drop 4ft., that she would have held Volunteer on a wind 

 m the second race." 



The part which the Field took only a few months since in the 

 proposed Mayflower- Arrow match, is still fresh in the memory of 



to see such a great wonder in so very short a time; that such a 

 conservative journal as the Field should tenderly take under its 

 care that abominable, mischievous and altogether reprehensible 

 device, the centerboard: a device proscribed by British yacht 

 clubs and not recognized on British courses. Only a short half 

 'ear since, and the Field was foremost in the effort to penalize 

 Mayflowers centerboard to an extent that would have crippled 

 her materially, and now we find it seriously speculating over what 

 might have been, had Thistle only been provided with a center- 

 board. 



No one can blame British yachtsmen if they decide to adopt the 

 centerboard permanently after being convinced of its merits, but 

 the present position in which some of their representatives have 

 placed them is by no means a creditable one to their fairness and 

 good sense. On the one hand the centerboard is condemned and 

 prohibited, no test of its merits or defects is possible in British 

 waters; British yachtsmen know not hing of it and do not want to 

 learn. On the other hand, now that Volunteer with a centerboard 

 has beaten Thistle with a keel, the newspapers, from the Field 

 down are ready to pave the way for the national adoption of this 

 ''British Contrivance," and a termination of the American "mo- 

 nopoly'' of the board. Had a fair and liberal stand been taken 

 years ago by the Y. R. A., admitting centerboard boats to its races, 

 the centerboard would have been tested beside the best keel boats, 

 the shortcomings of the latter might have been remedied long 

 since, the defeats of the last three years might have been avoided 

 and the weak-kneed adherents of the keel who are now ready to 

 throw it over for the board might have been spared much sorrow 

 and mortification. The system of protection which has been pur- 

 sued by British yachtsmen has fostered a delusion which only 

 succumbed in the late outside race, that any of the large keel 

 cotters can hold to windward with such a powerful combination 

 of keel, lead and board as Volunteer. Genesta, Galatea, Thistle, 

 have all tried it and failed, and it is beyond question that neither 

 Irex nor Marjorie would be much, if any, better. 



Why they have failed, and what the remedy maybe, are ques- 

 tions which involve the existence of the present keel racing fleet, 

 questions of the first importance to yachting, but those to whom 

 yachtsmen might look in this emergency have entirely failed. 

 For the "why" they are told that the lessened immersed surface 

 and skin friction of Volunteer made her faster, and that the 

 board held her to windward; for the "what" they are advised to 

 "copy a leaf from their rival's book," to put centerboards in their 

 keel yachts. The excuses and explanations quoted below are 

 amusing, and to a certain degree interesting, as showing publia 

 opinion among British yachtsmen, but there is one prime error 

 which is of far more importance. As long as the large cutters 

 sailed alone, or even sailed against the old sloops in this country, 

 they were considered invincible to windward, but unfortunately 

 for them, the rule against centerboards made any preliminary 

 trials with the latter impossible until the grand contest came in 

 1885. Lacking any direct comparison, it was only natural that 

 the powers of the cutter to windward should be rated very high, 

 and that the serious defect which has resulted in three defeats 

 should have been unsuspected until too late. 



The weak point of Genesta, of Galatea and later of Thistle, has 

 been the deficiency of the lateral plane, either in form, area, or 

 both, and the consequent failure of the yachts to hold on. The 

 responsibility for this defect, must rest largely with the theorists 

 and scientists, headed by the Field, who pose as guides for the 

 designer and naval architect whose opportunities for personal 

 research and elaborate investigation are hampered by the 

 demands of business. For the dozen years that centerboards and 

 keels have came into direct rivalry these authorities have held up 

 one point as paramount to all others, the immersed area and skin 

 friction. Year after year the deep keel boat in American waters 

 has beaten the shoal centerboard of far less immersed surface 

 when running free, but in spite of such practical demonstration 

 the doctrine based on tank experiments and pure theory has 

 remained unaltered abroad. Madge beat Schemer, Genesta out- 

 ran Puritan, Galatea held Mayflower better when free than to 

 windward, Thistle is beaten 15m. to windward and beats Volun- 

 teer 3m. in running, but the grand old theory remains unshaken, 

 and compels a certain admiration for the colossal obstinacy and 

 and blindness of its adherents. 



This spring the Field said: "Mayflower will still have some ad- 

 vantage by the reduction her immersed surface can be made to 

 undergo when her board is lifted some three or four feet. The 

 main advantage of a centerboard is that it can be housed when 

 sailing on a broad reach, or down wind." * * * "So far as sail i eg 

 by the wind is concerned, the board does not appear to hold the 

 yacht to more advantage than a fixed keel does a modern yacht of 

 deep cross section." * * * "Where the centerboard has the ad- 

 vantage is in lifting the board for sailing off the wind. By hous- 

 ing the board in a yacht like the Mayflower, a reduction of 10 per 

 cent, is at once made in the area of the immersed surface, and the 

 effect of this is always manifest, especially in light winds or low 

 speeds." 



Since this was written the races of the season have added fur 

 ther proof of its error, but now, after Thistle has beaten Volunteer 

 under the conditions when according to theory Volunteer should 

 have beaten her the worst, the same false beacon light shines out 

 clear and bright. "This superiority in sail, spread and diminu- 

 tion of wetted surface, due to the shifting centerboard, were quite 

 sufficient to bring about success with any decently designed ves- 

 sel." * * * "The latter (Volunteer) although drawing less 

 water than Thistle, is owing to her extra 3ft. breadth, the stiller, 

 and carries probably 5 per cent, more canvas. This fact, taken in 

 conjunction with the small wetted surface of Volunteer, and the 

 efficiency of the centerboard in holding a boat to windward, will 

 account for Thistle's defeat." 



The same "amiable foible" of skin resistance is made too shoulder 

 most of the blame, though now a part of the beating is laid to the 

 power of the board to windward. Volunteer is taken as the 

 standard, her reduced surface, and her shifting centerboard won 

 the race, the possible defects of Thistle are of little account, and 

 the way is paved for a further perpetuation of the old errors and 

 for further defeats of the keel. The main point, the whole gist 

 of the matter is left untouched, though it appears in one single 

 sentence in the Field's comments, as follows: "The necessity of 

 having the vertical longitudinal section so pared away at the ends 

 to reduce the wetted surface for light weather sailing, would 

 obviously reduce the resistance to leeway." 



That such a cutting away was a necessity is the doctrine that 

 the Field has always preached, with what results is seen in all the 

 late Cup races. The importance of a reduced surface has been 

 exalted above all other considerations, and the question of obtain- 

 ing adequate lateral resistance has been left unnoticed. It is this 

 question that alone concerns the designers of keel boats to-day. 

 All the experience in this country goes to prove that the import- 

 ance of skin friction and reduced area lias been vastly overrated, 

 and that instead of being the first and great consideration, it may 

 be left in a great measure to take care of itself. 



What designers now r want to know- is the required area of lateral 

 plane, the best disposition of this area to secure the maximum 

 lateral resistance, and the effect on lateral resistance of the vari- 

 ous plane and curved surfaces and angles which make up the side 

 of a yacht. Such data is as yet unobtainable; if science and theory 

 can give it to the designers, so much the better; if not, science had 

 better take a back seat. Theory dictates curved surfaces every- 

 where—at joiniqg of keel and garboard, at bottom of keel— but 

 where this is done the waste of holding-on power is so immense 

 that it must be compensated by excessive draft. Race after race 



has proved this, and offers a sufficient justification for a refusal 

 to accept the theory as complete and of practical application ih 

 its present form. 



We do not wish to deny the great value and importance of the 

 experiments made of late years: they have thrown light on many 

 dark subjects, widened tho sphere of research, and placed new 

 tools in the bands of the naval architect; but that there is great 

 danger of their results being overestimated or misinterpreted is 

 shown in the present instance. The tank experiments of the late 

 Mr. Froude on the. subject of skin resistance are in themselves of 

 the greatest value, hut we cannot forget that in the Cup races the 

 yachts arc not tow T ed in a tank, but sailed in broad waters, and if 

 the facts in these races contradict the theories, so much the worse 

 for the latter. 



The result of the Volunteer-Thistle race is to put the keel boat 

 in a position of defense, it rests with it how to prove its quality 

 with the board. W r hat help is it getting from its old adherents 

 and friends? No investigation as to its weak points and possible 

 improvements, only the bald conclusion, the centerboard and re- 

 duced surface did it; hence, build centerboard boats. The excuses 

 in the British papers are simply laughable to those who know both 

 boats and have seen them sail. Land and. Water lays the defeat to 

 the board, and at the same time echoes the cry about square 

 courses. "Although the defender of the Cup was not' so fast 

 through the water as the challenger, she ate to windward, probably 

 by the aid of the mechanical contrivance under water, in such a 

 wonderful way that after reaching for five minutes she could have 

 easily headed the Scotch cutter." * * * "As the winner scuttled 

 away to tho 'Hub of Creation' soon after her victory, the respect- 

 ive merits of the two boats on a broad reach or with the wind on 

 the quarter remains untested." * * * "General Paine would 

 not consent to sail his vessel against the Thistle over a triangular 

 course." * * * "On the third point of sailing the Americans 

 interested in the Thistle have not given an opportunity of testing 

 the two types of vessels." 



As these statements will possibly be accepted by British readers, 

 it is but fair to correct them. Thistle was beaten so thoroughly 

 to windward as to satisfy all her American friends that Volunteer 

 was the better boat by the standard set up long since by British 

 yachtsmen, that a yacht's pow r er to windward Was the measure of 

 her good qualities, and that even a haystack would go to leeward. 

 Even if reaching powers were in question, and they were not, and 

 never have been where etitters and sloops raced in America, 

 Thistle was so easily held by Volunteer when off the wind that 

 she could not have won on even a square course. As to Gen. 

 Paine shirking a triangular race, and Volunteer "scuttling off," 

 tho facts are that no definite proposal for such a race was made, 

 and all who saw the second race, even though friends of Thistle, 

 had all they wanted. 



A correspondent of the Field, a "Dundee yachtsman," after 

 lamenting that Thistle is both too wide and too deep, continues, 

 "There is no doubt whatever that any other shape of course than 

 a square one is not a fair test for a seagoing yacht." His further 

 complaint against the .New York course is just enough, but he has 

 surely forgotten that two out of three races were set for the open 

 sea, and also that when some years since Vanduarabeat Samoena 

 solely in windward work, though slower at reaching, all Scotland 

 stood firmly committed to a windward course as a proper test. 



Another correspondent, an "Ex-commodore," drops a sigh over 

 the "hollowness" of Thistle's defeat, and then continues, "If it is to 

 be always a contest between a skimming dish with a centerboard 

 and a deep-keeled vessel, it seems to me we had better cave in for 

 good and all. It is not within the compass of human skill to 

 devise a heavy ballast-carrying vessel which shall under ordinary 

 circumstances defeat one of light draft but of sufficient stability 

 to cany an equal or greater amount of canvas in proportion to 

 tonnage. The Americans can, of course, impose what conditions 

 they like. They are cute enough to know that, no matter what 

 the size and power of the English yacht may be, they can build a 

 skimmer to beat her. We admit the unfairness of the competition 

 by not allowing it. Why are we fools enough to engage in it? 

 Nearly every yacht race is won by superiority in getting to wind- 

 ward, and in this the centerboard is and will be matchless." 



How it would astonish this worthy "ex-commodore" to stand 

 beside Volunteer on the dry dock and see this "skimming dish" in 

 her true proportions. A keel yacht of greater draft, depth and 

 displacement than many a famous cutter of not so long ago, a 

 boat little inferior to Thistle in size or displacement, and to the 

 eye a more powerful craft. When it is considered how well in- 

 formed generaUy in regard to the British fleet all American 

 vachtsmen are, it is wonderful what ignorance prevails in Eng- 

 land in regard to the leading American yachts. The doings, di- 

 mensions and possibilities of Irex, Genesta. Marjorie, Clara, Tara 

 and the rest, have been familiar to American yachtsmen for 

 years, while abroad such a boat as Volunteer is gravely held up as 

 a mate to Fanny, Gracie and the American sloops. 



Another correspondent of the Field, Mr. W. D. Gainsford, after 

 finding comfort in the thought that some of the Cup races would 

 have been won under the old Y. R. A. rule, continues: "No fixed 

 keel boat can sail against the centerboard. Then why do we not 

 have centerboards? Because they would not be of any use outside 

 the Solent. Americans do not cruise. Their boats, however big, 

 are practically what we call day boats, and a centerboard is good 

 enough for that purpose. Our yachts are ships, and naturally 

 and properly our racing yachts are ships too. They are not the 

 fastest craft in the world, but they are the fastest ships. If not, 

 why do not the Americans send over a centerboard to sail here? 

 Simply because they are a good deal cuter than we are. They 

 know too well that no boat that could get across would stand 

 much chance of winning in our waters." 



Mr. Gainsford is partly right, no centerboard would stand any 

 chance of winning in British waters as long as any way of crippl- 

 ing her in the interests of the keel could be devised, as in the case 

 of Mayflower this spring. British yachtsmen have reaped a full 

 reward for their prohibition of the centerboard; had a center- 

 board boat crossed a year or two since, the defects of the keel 

 would have been discovered sooner, and might have been remedied 

 in Thistle; had Arrow's owner made such fair conditions that 

 Mayflower and Mr. Burgess would have crossed and spent the 

 summer abroad, the forces would have weakened to an extent 

 that would have made a victory for Thistle easily within the 

 limits of possibility. That Volunteer cannot, cross the Atlantic in 

 perfect safety, or cannot hold her own in British waters anywhere 

 outside the Solent, is a fiction that can harm no one but British 

 yachtsmen. 



Still another writer finds the cause of the defeat in the fact 

 "that Volunteer sailed more or less on her keel and Thistle sailed 

 more or less on her side, "his conclusions being favorable to the 

 former. It has been a noticeable fact for three, years that the 

 wide American boats have sailed at as great an angle very fre- 

 quently as Genesta and Galatea, at times even exceeding them in 

 heeling; while this year Thistle undeniably stood straighter than 

 Volunteer, so the bottom drops out of this idea. 



In nearly all the comments that have appeared abroad there 

 are the same condemnat ions of American boats, American courses, 

 and American methods, the demand for reaching rather than 

 windward courses, the admission that the centerboard did it all. In 

 none is there any serious attempt at a fair comparison of the two 

 boats, any suggestion that Thistle's shortcomings rather than 

 Volunteer's excellence contributed to the result, or any earnest 

 effort to improve the keel boat; in fact, the friends of the keel 

 abroad are making but a sorry showing. 



That the ease is not as bad as t hey make it, that the time has 

 not come to follow their weak-kneed counsels and build center- 

 board yachts or give up racing, is plain enough to those who have 

 seen the course of events in America since Genesta came here. 

 There is much that points to a great future for keel boats, even in 

 this country where they must be in constant competition with 

 centerboards, but the work will be no child's play; to build a per- 

 fect keel boat is no easy task, but there is no reason as yet to 

 consider it an impossibility. The ability to alter the lateral piano 

 within wide limits by raising or lowering the board, or even by 

 permanently altering its size or shape after trial allows the 

 designer of the centerboard boat, to correct errors of trim or sail- 

 plan to an extent not possible with the fixed keel, and makes the 

 work of beating a really good centerboard boat like Volunteer 

 with a keel boat a difficult matter, but there is no reason as yet to 

 believe that it cannot be done. 



The first step toward such an improvement in Thistle seems to 

 he to discard, as fully as the leading American designers have 

 done, (be theory of skin friction, and to devote all the labor to 

 improving the efficiency of the lateral plane. How this is best 

 done, what area is necessary, how it should be distributed fore 

 and aft, and in what form its bounding surfaces should be, the 

 designer may properly look to the scientist and investigator to 

 show; hut until both have gone further into the problem than has 

 yet been done, it is too soon to condemn the keel and to formally 

 adopt the centerboard for all racing craft. 



THE DINNER TO PAINE AND BURGEfig. 



THE dinner given by the New York Y. C., in honor of Messrs. 

 Paine and Burgess, on Oct. 18, was attended by a large num» 

 ber Of ya chtsmen, mostly members of the club. Delmonico*s large 

 ball room was gaily decorated with yachting colors, while the 

 tables were covered with prize cups. In the center of the main 

 table, opposite the Commodore's chair, was the America's Cup. 

 Lander's orchestra and a vocal quartette furnished music during 

 the evening. Gen. Paine and Mr. Burgess were seated on the right 

 and left hand of Com. Gerry. After a. short speech from the Com- 

 modore the Song of the Cup was sung, and then, in answer to the. 

 Commodore's toast, "Charles .1 . Paine — our thrice victorious cham- 

 pion; our antagonists always follow his memorable order, 'Keep 

 astern;' " General Paine responded as follows: 



1 beg to thank you as heartily as I am able for the honor that 

 you do me here to-night. I wish I cotdd thank you as deeply as I 

 feel for the cordiality and heartiness of this reception. But I 

 must beg that you will believe that my feelings are deeper than 

 I can express, and take for granted what I wish I could say to 

 you. 



I- think, gentlemen, that we ought all of us to recognize the great 

 debt that we owe to challengers that come here for this Cup. They 

 not only encourage yacht building and thereby give us more 

 yachts, but they develop u most amazing enthusiasm for yachting 

 all through the country. And when they have gone away they 

 have left a very comfortable feeling of satisfied patriotism. I 

 only hope that our next friend who comes on the same errand will 

 leave us With the same feeling. 



1 have been asked a good many questions since the late races 

 about the speed of the Thistle— the amount by which she was 

 beaten seemed not at all compatible with her record on the other 

 side, and when site goes back she will be used in all probability to 

 measure the speed of any new yacht that comes over for the 

 Cup. I think it will be very important to have as near as can be 

 a correct judgment as to her speed here, and I wish to put on 

 record my very strong opinion that we have never truly measured 

 the Thistle in this country; that the speed that she is really 

 capable of has not beeh ascertained here. In my opinion she is a 

 great deal faster than many people here credit her with being. I 

 wish, gentlemen, before I sit. down, to thank the members of this 

 club for all the courtesies that 1 have received from them, and to 

 record my obligations to the owner of the Oneida for the assist- 

 ance received from him during the races. 



Mr. Burgess spoke briefly in response to the following toast; 

 "Edward Burgess— our model American yachtsman, who designs 

 only to surpass himself." 



Other toasts and speeches followed, and the old song of the 

 America— 



"Where did she come from? 



New York town. 

 Who's her skipper? 



Old Dick Brown," 



was sung by Mr. Frank Robinson, followed by other songs, after 

 which the meeting broke up. 



THE DEPARTURE OF THISTLE.— On Oct. 14, at 7 A. M., the 

 anchor was quietly weighed and Thistle sailed out of the Narrows 

 on her return trip to Glasgow. But. few were on hand to see her 

 off, only the yachts Vision and Hinda firing salutes as she left. 

 She is under the same rig with which she crossed— short topmaBt, 

 howsprit and boom— and has the same crew, Captain Barr sailing 

 her, with Captain Kerr as navigator. 



JO, AN OLD TIME CRUISE. 



""|\iTORNIN', boss. Wat's name told me to tell you that him and 

 JLYJL wat's callem and the other feller'd be 'board de Hcrcy as 

 soon as they git fit with life'servers. Guess Jo haint got no call 

 fo' dem Pings zackly, fur de curds say I be choked with a rope, 

 spec it be froat halids," and diving into the forepeak Jo was loHt 

 among the sea stores. 



The trio having arrived, the Hercules got under way. Our crew, 

 Budd (broker), avoirdupois OTlbs., wiry, quick as a cat and per- 

 fectly fearless; Lyons (college), splendidly formed, up in the 

 classics, and one of the very best of very good fellows; Chrystell 

 (theatrical), witty, gay and full of music and dance; Jo (cook), 

 active, amiable and obedient; the writer (drygoods), and the least 

 said about him the better. 



We had a continuous fair wind (where the Hercules loves to 

 romp and enjoy herself) up to the evening of the fourth day, and 

 were abreast of a little creek at sundown, when the wind hauled 

 in S.E. and got up a bubble. We put the "old gal" at it without 

 avail, and were obliged to run back to Mahone's for a harbor. 



We had made about sixty miles in the four days and were happy. 

 While waiting for another fair wind I will introduce you to our 

 ship. She is not beautiful but powerful, as stubborn as Bob 

 Fitch's mule, and twice as independent. She goes rooting about 

 in lumpy water like an "old sow in a tater patch" (1 borrow from 

 Jo) then turns tail and sails off down wind like a school girl with 

 ribbons flying. She came near drowning us once in her tantrums 

 and we gave her away to an oysterman at Squan, on the Jersey 

 coast, but she came back in a week all the same, "by herself." A 

 river pirate stole her but she was home next day, head up and 

 pert as a blooded pup. 



The storm lasted two days, and cleared up with the wind N. W., 

 off land, ran over Hawk's Nest and swamped, bailed out and pro- 

 ceeded. "Laws a-mighty, boss, how cum dem crazy birds to build 

 a nest way off yar in de bottom of de hoeean," said Jo, rather be- 

 wildered. Sailed two days and nights with a quartering \vi id and 

 smooth water. Sighted the sand hills at Cape Henlopen morning 

 of the third day, and ran into Lewes 5 P. M. 



I want to put our ship on record. The run from Camden to 

 Lewes, 100 miles, was made in ten days gross and seven net. Hired 

 a little bull team and went over to the lighthouse on the cape. 

 Chrystell went through some dangerous gymnastics on the iron 

 rod running at right, angles with the top of the tower, used as 

 nilot signals, and was reprimanded severely by Lyous for his fool- 

 hardiness. As we approached the ship on our ret urn saw some- 

 thing strange at the masthead. Jo explains, "Caught dat young 

 moke in our grub locker filteren, so I gist sent 'im up dar on froat 

 halirds to sweat the grease out on Mm. All de folks in town's bin 

 yer. I told his mudder 1 was gwine to make soup or hash out on 

 'im, and you ort to see de old gal git cross that bridge." Jo got 

 double rations for his faithful performance of duty. 



Went over to Rehobeth and had good beach bird shooting; 

 walked a mile inland and saw the place where the mythical brig 

 was stranded years ago and recently exhumed. While we were 

 knocking about the cape Jo had been attending to a little business 

 outside of the general routine, and had become such a favorite 

 with the ladies and a terror to their lovers that we deemed it pru- 

 dent to leave. Started with a fair wind for Cane May. When 

 ncaring land the wind flew around to the eastward, and the ship 

 became nervous under cramped sheets and seemed determined to 

 take the back track for the Breakwater. But we kept the cotton 

 on her, with the boom off a trifle to Lumor her; and after a deal of 

 coaxing and driving ran into Fishing Creek, around the cape. 



"Poor old Hercy, she groaned and slobbered worse ner dat old 

 longer you gin der terbackey over dar among the crows." And 

 Jo, "grinning, pointed across the bay. Clear weather and fair 

 wind once more: doubled the cape and ran into Cold Spring Inlet. 

 Took in the town and started for Atlantic City, running tho inside 

 passage, with Jo as pilot, who claimed to know every inch of the 

 way. But he hasn't been quite right since we left Lewes and is 

 clean daft now. - 



"You see. boss, dat water takes yer to de Cow Sheds, and dis is 

 Frog Gut dat runs roun' and roun', and dis yer goes nowar' 'ticu- 



lar, and dat on de fort ban' jines the fas' land, den lem me 



see— by gosh! now I strike 'im shu'." Arid so we spent a week in 

 the mud feeding mosquitoes and getting nowhere. Lyons and 

 Christcll were nearly dead, and even Jo, who boasted he had lived 

 a. month in a muskrat hole, was getting fillip and cross-eyed. At 

 last we fell in with a native in a small scow, who for a considera- 

 tion, mixed probably with a little compassion, took us back to 

 Cold Spring. Here the sick ones left lor home, and it was many 

 days before they entirely recovered. 



"Never node, a poor little 'skeeter to get away wid a lion befo'; 

 dey sucked all de big talk out of 'im, 'cept when he used 'fanity 

 words about de uncartainty of 'uman 'vents and de 'skete: dem 

 be blooded, boss; gosh allmitey, how dey .made Mars Chrystell 

 dance; arter dey feasted on de under fellers dey roosted on Mars 

 Budd's nose (Roman at large) and sing him ter sleep. 1 like tun; 



used to raise um in a hothouse to fight hornets wid " a green 



head struck Jo on the lower lip and ended tho palaver. His mouth 

 is also cross-eyed now. 



Rove off cloth lines in place of stranded halliards, scraped mud 

 off the bottom and got the sii'P in shape for a run home at the first 

 suspicion of a fair wind. "Reservoir Boss," iist leave Jo in de 

 mash where he was born." Toe poor fellow, sick as he was, could 

 not refrain from getting oil a. joke as a "masher," remembering 

 perhaps the reason we left Lewes so suddenly. 



Many incidents occurred to break the monotony of a long and 

 tedious trip up the bay. Two of our comrades had left us, our 

 ship every day was getting more obstreperous, while Jo, our best 

 man, became helplessly sick, leaving "971bs." of man and a left- 

 handed boss to run the ship and nurse the cook. Arrived home 

 safe after five weeks' absence. We were all in our teens, and as 

 Nvill be seen novices. All are dead now save the writer, even 

 Hercules (a late stayer) succumbed to the inevitable, stubborn 

 and strong-headed to the last. Poor Jo; he was a noble-hearted 

 fellow, true as steel, and in all our many cruises together he was 

 always the same honest, obliging, good-natured Jo. 



R. G. Wit-kins- 



Coopek's Point, Camden, N. J. 



