March 31, 1867.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



211 



PROVIDENCE, R. I., (March. 17.— There was ii gathering of 

 more than a hundred at the grounds of the Narragansett Gun 

 Club this afternoon, and some of the best shooting was seen that 

 has been done on the grounds for a long time. The air was keen 

 ami the wind blew freshly, but there were hut few who eared to 

 seek I lie shelter of the club house, preferring to watch the shoot- 

 ing and keep run of the scores of the favorite shooters. From the 

 right hand trap clay-pigeons were sprung all the afternoon, while 

 the center trap sent blue rocks whirling in the air. The main 

 event of the day was the shoot for the Rhode Island Kennel Club 

 c ham nion cup. presented lo the club two weeks ago. The condi- 

 tions "call for 16 weekly shoots at 3(1 blue rocks and the man or 

 men making the highest score at each shoot counts one point, 

 toward tho cup, the holder of the most points at the end of the hi 

 weeks to be the winner. To-day there were LO entries in the race 

 and though the first 60 birds did not: rise well the shooting was ex- 

 cellent. The int erest throughout was intense and the score card 

 was watched with the closest attention. Each man shot at 6 birds 

 in turn and the shooting on the last six was trying to those witli 

 nerves, for a single slip might lose the race. The birds flew 

 strong, going away with the wind in a very lively fashion. The 

 scores were as follows: 



E 8 Smith 4n<}55-25 C M Sheldon 85404 -22 



P I i Randall 64564-25 F. W Tinker 35445-31 



W H Sheldon 56454—84 W (4 Crandall 44361-20 



C B Potter IW354— 23 1 Barney 42343-16 



C O Grav 45344V- 23 ( 1 F Bald win 33352- 1 6 



Messrs. Smith and Randall making the highest score were each 

 credited with a point toward the cup. 



In the meantime the 50 bird race (clay-pigeons) had been begun, 

 and this also was a most exciting contest. The scores made were 

 as follows: 



C H Sheldon r^smV),"! 46 K W Tinker ... :;s:;fvi i;.;;;:, - 



C }.\ Adam? 4544435554—43 C O Gray 54+3845243— 36 



W H Sheldon F>44455!>34— 43 I Barney 2254433355—35 



P II Randall :V»3413+255—»(l <4i:o Barney 3'J31 l33.Vi ( —32 



C B Potter 4,554325435-40 E S Smith 1442423343-30 



Geo Carey 3:535344445-38 G T Kaylor 2333311244-27 



The next on the programme was a 35-bird (clay-pigeon) sneep- 



C Sheldon : 55554-24 Gray 54432-18 



R an d all 55344-21 G Carey 83353- 1 7 



Potter 45548-21 I Barney 22544-17 



Adams 45444-21 G T Naylor .23313-15 



W Sheldon 45444—21 E Smith 1442 V 15 



Tinker 34354—19 G Barney 32314- 13 



A second sweep at 25 clay-pigeons was then started, and this 

 found as many more ready to enter and shoot. The shooting in 

 this was equally good, and Messrs. C. M. Sheldon, C, A. Adams 

 and W. R. Sheldon tied on 32 birds out of 58, and divided first 

 money, George Carey taking second. C. B. Potter third and C. C. 

 Gray fourth. The scores were as follows: 



C M Sheldon 34555- 22 I'll Randall 34255-V.) 



CM Adams 35551-22 G Barney 23554—1!) 



W Sheldon 55534-22 C C Gray 15243—13 



G Carey 4 4445-21 I Barney 33355 -18 



EW Tinker 45343—19 E S Smith- 33313 ir, 



C B Potter 25435-19 G T Naylor 11244-12 



CINCINNATI, ()., March 25.— Never in the history uf trap- 

 shooting in this cit y had the shooters such difficult and puzzling 

 wind to contend against as that of yesterday. From the opening 

 to the close of the shoot it blew a perfect gale, and in consequence 

 very few straight scores were made. The occasion was the 

 dedicating of the East End Gun Club's team of fine champion- 

 ship pennant won by a team of five of that club tho latter part of 

 1.H86. At precisely 12 o'clock noon the pennant— a handsome silk 

 streamer some 16ft. in length, blue in color, and with the word 

 ''champions'* inscribed in gold let t ers thereon— was hoisted to the 

 top of the 65ft. flagstaff (relic of t he ill-fated steamer Bob Morgan I 

 and three ringing cheers rang out from the throats of the 300 

 enthusiasts present. Following this the Columhoo was announced 

 by the president of the club, and all present were cordially invited 

 to make themselves at home. The "Columboo," which up to 

 yesterday had so much mystery attending it, is a grand spread of 

 luncheon, comprised of roast wild duck, turkey, chicken, boiled 

 eggs, sandwiches of all kinds, and no end of other eatables, with 

 appetizing salads and vegetables, hot coffee and tea, set off with 

 cigars as a finis. There was an over supply of everything, aud 

 everybody appeared good-natured and happy. An attendance 

 numbering, including the participants, some 500, with a sprinkling 

 of ladies, witnessed the shooting. Barring the terrific gale which 

 blow, the weather was tine ; the good, warm sun shining, made 

 what wotdd otherwise have been a chilly day comfortable. The 

 birds shot were the newly patented clay tongue Ligowsky clay 

 bird, donated by that company to the shooters present to test. 

 There was very little breakage attending the trapping, and the 

 flight and breaking qualities are excellent, far superior to their 

 old paper tongue bird. Many of the birds sprung, with the assist- 

 ance of the wind, flew fully 100yds. Teipel, Briggs, Shott. Baudle, 

 Wick, Parker, Taylor and Miller especially distinguished them- 

 selves by their shooting, and all turned out fairly good winners. 

 Over 3,000 birds were sprung, but only the scores made in the 

 sweepstake matches kept for publication. Appended are the 

 official scores: 



Match No. 1—10 single Ligowsky clav birds: Al Bandle 9, Par- 

 ker 9. F. Ferris 3, Wick 5, Taylor 7, Cole. 5, J. E. Miller 8, Briggs 9, 

 Bing'4, Bemis 5, II. Robinson 5, T. Hen- 5, B. Teipel 9, Shot t 7, 

 Snider 5, Irwin 7. Bandle, Parker, Teipel and Briggs divided first , 

 Miller won second, and Taylor, Shott and Irwin divided third. 



Match No. 2—5 Ligowsky clav birds: Baudle 3, Parker 4, Cole 3, 

 Briggs 3, T. Herr 4, Bemis 2, Teipel 3, Biug 4, Miller 3, McGraw 3, 

 Cider 3, Irwin 4, Ferris O.Wick 5, Shott 5, Robinson 3, Taylor 5, 

 Snider 0. Wick, Shott and Taylor divided first, Parker and Cider 

 in shoot off won second, Briggs and Teipel in shoot off won third, 

 and Bemis won fourth alone. 



Match No. 3— Single Ligowsky clay birds: Bandle 5, Herr 8, Ring 

 4, Ferris 3, Irwin 6, Taylor 5. Shott 5. Teipel 6, Parker 7, Jones 6, 

 Wick 7, McGraw 6, Bemis 3, Briggs 5. Bruce 3, Miller 6, Snider 4, 

 Cole 6, Gun 1, Cider 3. Wick and Parker divided first, ties on six 

 each divided second, and Briggs in shoot off won third. 



Match No. 4—7 single Ligowsky clay birds: Bandle 5, Taylor 5, 

 Teipel 7, Biug 3, Briggs 5, Irwin 4. Bemis 4, Cole 4, Ferris 3, Parker 

 3, Bruce 4, Killer 7, McGraw 0. Herr 3. Jones 4, Robinson 2, Cider 

 0, Dick 2, Wick 4, Shott 4. Teipel and Miller divided first. Bandle. 

 Briggs and Taylor divided second, Irwin, Shott and Cole divided 

 third, after shoot off, and Bingand Parker, after shoot off, fourth. 



Match No. 5—7 single Ligowsky clay birds: Baudle S.iMiller 4. 

 Reno 3, Cole 3, Bruce. Briggs, 4, Wick 5, Parker 5, Biug 1, Stewart 



3, Teipel 7, Shott 7, Ferris 2, Richards 4, Bemis 3. I rwin 3, Herr 3, 

 Spring 4, Taylor 5. Teipel and Shott divided first, Baudle, in 

 shoot off, won second alone, and Briggs, in shoot off, third alone. 



Match No. 6—7 single Ligowsky clay birds: Teipel won first 

 mouey, Bandle, Wick and Briggs divided second, Irwin and Tay- 

 lor divided third, and Shott won fourth alone. 



Match No. 7— Miss and out: Shott and Briggs divided on 7. 



Match No. 8— Miss and out: Cheek and Irwin divided on 3. 



NEW JERSEY TRAP NOTES.-R. Bustard and S. Cartwrigkt 

 shot a matcli at. Paterson, on Tuesday, March 82, Bustard gi vrag 

 Cartwright two live birds. Each killed seven, and an agreement 

 was made to shoot at double the number of birds for $160 in two 

 weeks. The first match was for $50, and Bustard shot at ten while 



Cartwright shot at twelve The monthly shoot of the Essex 



Gun Club was held on Thursday at Erb's. Each member shot at 

 ten live birds with the following result: R. H. Breintnall, 30yds. , 

 killed 10; C M. Redden, 28yds., 7; F. Class. 30yds., x ; Roberts' 

 26yds., 10; C. R. Heddcn, 26yds., 7: Hunt, 30yds., 10; Freeman, 

 26yds., 5; Youmans, 30yds., 9; William Graham, SOvds., 9: A- 

 Whitehead. .28yds., 7; Freche, 28yds., 8; Kinsev, 30yds., 6: Ford* 

 30yds., 10; A.Herman, 28yds., 7 : Dr. Nicholas. SOvds.. 8: Thomas- 

 26yds., 4; Ten-ill, 26yds.. 8: Haves, SOvds., 8: Hawk. 28vds., 5; C- 

 Heath, 28yds., 9. Referee, Mr. Charles Sworer. ...The third 

 monthly shoot of the Essex Gun Association was held on Wed- 

 nesday. March 23, at the grounds of the South Side Club. The 

 conditions were teams of five men from each club in the organiz- 

 ation to shoot at twenty clay birds each at 18yds. rise. The club 

 trophy, a tall silver cup, embellished with seven guns, was won for 

 the third time by the South Side Gun Club. The individual scores 

 were as follows: Mountain Gun Club— Miller 15, Conover 16, Badg- 

 ley 7, Gonndman 7, McGall 7; total 52. Woodside. Gun Club— 

 Coeyma»7, Evans 6, Geoffrey 8, Maxwell 7. Shepherd 3; total 31. 

 Nimrod Gun Club— Goldsmith 9, S. Castle 12, Coekefair 8, F. Castle 



4, W. I. Bcattv 8; total 41. East Orange Gun Club— Thomas Dukes 

 12, A. W. Wheaton. 13, H. S. Babbage 6, C. R. Hodden 7, L. Dents 

 9; total 47. Mountain Side Gun Club— Burnett 9. Bond 3, Clarkson 

 4, Seggins 16, Williamson 16: total 38. South Side Gun Club— 

 Breintnall 16, Hunt 16, Whitehead 11, Edwards 13, O. Von Len- 

 gerke 16; total 72. 



CHATHAM CENTRE. N. Y., March 12.-Matek at Peoria black- 

 birds, Peoria blackbird trap, 18yds., new Long Island rules- 

 Milton Powell 1100111100—6 Geo Bogardus OOOlUUtlOUO— 1 



Jesse Goodrich 1010100101—5 Edgar More 0001001000 -2 



Bush Chichester. . . .0100000000— 1 Chas Miuisee 0011100101—4 



James Williams 1000000010—2 Frank Fowler 1011110100-6 



Abe Van Alstyne. . .1000000000—1 Bert Lanoree 0101101111-7 



CROWS IN A TRAP.— The South Side Gun Club, of Newark, is 

 a live club. They have a roll of something like seventy members, 

 many of whom are also members of other clubs, to wit, tho Essex, 

 the Jersey City Heights, New Jersey, etc. It is emphatically a 

 clay-pigeon club, and the champion of Essex county in that par- 

 ticular, having won the county trophy and beaten all other clubs 

 with whom they have shot. Thursday, the 2iith Inst., was then- 

 first attempt as a club at anything really alive. Before trying 

 their skill at the fleeting bluerock or the lightning Antwerp, they 

 proposed a larger living target. It was a members' subscription 

 match, members putting down their names for a certain number 

 of crows each. The crows arrived, 300 or more, and the boys were 

 on hand about 8 P. M„ with a large crowd of curious spectators, on 

 their club ground, Emmet street station, where they have a com- 

 modious club house and all the paraphernalia for imitation target 

 shoots. If any one expected to see extra lightning birds and ex- 

 traordinary fine and quick shooting they were disappointed. The 

 Com/sis not that kind of a bird, at least not from a trap, though 

 he evidently gets away as fast as he can. As the trap is sprung he 

 throws his eye quickly first on one side then the other, makes a 

 clumsy jump, throwing out one leg with a, quawk and a look be- 

 hind, saying. "Good-bye, this is no place for me," and rather 

 lazily Oops off, generally direct aw ay from the trap, but he affords 

 an easy mark for a pigeon shooter. Neveriheless, the hoys had 

 considerable fun, and some of lite farmers were evidently much 

 pleased at the destruction of wha t many believe to lie a pestiferous 

 varmint. The following are the sweeps, Hurlingham rules, with 

 exception that the first two sweeps were at 25yds. instead of 30yds., 

 and no handicapping of guns; all ties divided throughout; Jacob- 

 stall! as refciec had tin easy job. Many of the birds dropped dead 

 just out of bounds, notably Old South Paw's; he used No, 8 or 

 pigeon shot', where No. or seven would have heen better. Some 

 lost their birds through laughing at the comical action of the 

 creatures or the lujieroiisness of the situation. 



First sweep, 25yds.: 



Brintnall,- 11122—5 Stringer 00212—3 



Phillips. 22210-4 Paul . . - 02020-3 



C R Heddcn 10001-2 H linger 11222-5 



OVon Lengerke 12101-4 VV Sicgler 01112-4 



Old Sent h Paw (10212—3 C Leroy 11211 -5 



D I) Terrill 02110-3 (' M Redden 12221-5 



White 12210-4 



Second sweep, 25yds.: 



Brintnall 32311-5 Siegler 11112—5 



Phillips 11111-5 Leroy 11110-4 



C R Redden 03321-4. C M Hedden 31111-5 



OVon Lenserke 21121-5 stile 01130 3 



Old South Paw 01011-3 Fisher 30000-1 



White 11323-5 Becker' 31111-5 



D D Ten-ill 11201 — t I H Terrill 1 1020-;; 



II Unger 31101-4 



Third sweep, 30yds.: 



Brintnall 11111-5 C M Hedden 12113-5 



Phillips 13111-5 Still 10001-3 



C It Heddcn 22110-4 Fisher 00001-1 



Vou Lengerke 10011—3 Becker 10112-4 



Dr. Nicholas 22112-5 1 H Jewell 22111-5 



linger. ... ...11121-5 Beatty. 12001-3 



Siegler 11022—4 Stringer OUOiO-J 



Leroy 21 101 - 4 Me I lougall -20020-2 



Fourth sweep, 30yds.: 



Brin! nail 1011 1-4 Siegler 11111-5 



Phillips 00110-;.' Leroy - 31223 -5 



R Hedden 11012-4 CM Hedden 21111-5 



I/O Hedden 00211-3 Still 021132-3 



linger. 20211-4 Beatty 20220-3 



Fifth sweep, 30yds.: 



Brintnall 1101-3 C R Hedden 1331-4 



Still . 3101-3 O Von Lengerke 1321—! 



Unger 1320-;> Siegler 1012-3 



Leroy .1012-3 



Last sweep Oscar Von Lengerke and Leroy shot with only one 

 hand. C. M. Hedden killed his 20 birds straight, and may well be 

 crowned champion crow shot of the State. Brintnall followed 

 close after with 19, attributing his one miss to a single shell he had 

 of powder which is, he says, "slower than a crow." Ct ow shooting 

 from a trap may do once in a while for variety, but it is poor busi- 

 ness aud far from sportsmanlike, and they are good for nothing 

 when dead. Since the Audubon Society's philanthropic move- 

 ment even the lady hat trimmers won't purchase them.— Jacob- 

 staff. 



PETTICOATS AT THE TRAP.-i-Jditur Forest and Stream: 

 Mrs. W. B. Kennedy, otherwise known as "31exis, the Rifle 

 Queen," shot on exhibition here the past week, and although the 

 Shotgun she used was one she had never seen before, and one en- 

 tirely too heavy for her, yet she performed some very difficult 

 feats, which won for her the applause and admiration of all those 

 who witnessed it. The biros were thrown in a high wind, the 

 fourth notch was used and Ligowsky clay-pigeons were sent ail 

 over the field for all they were worth. At 18yds. she broke 17 out 

 of 20 singles. At another time she broke 15 consecutive blackbirds 

 without, a miss. With her back to the ( rap she broke 4 out of 5. 

 Calling "pull" with gun lying upon the ground she broke 5 straight. 

 Calling pull with gun upon the ground 15ft. away broke 4 out of 5. 

 Increasing the distance to 25ft. she broke 4 out of 5, and standing 

 40ft. from the gun she broke 5 consecutive birds without a miss, 

 running and picking up the gun after the trap was sprung. She 

 is still suffering somewhat from injuries received in a railroad 

 disaster in the West in January last. Her style of shooting is casv 

 and graceful, and the way she "snuffs out" Peoria blackbirds and 

 clay-pigeons is sure proof that her birds are well centered. Her 

 shooting was. witnessed by a large crowd of spectators.— C. C. 



BROOKLYN, March 23.— The regular monthly shoot of the 

 Washington Gun Club took place to-day at Dexter's Park. On 

 account of the strong northwest wind blowing, many birds got 

 away. S. Newton 25yds.. A. C. De Graw 25yds., and J. Simpson 

 25vds., killed 6 out of 7, the latter winning the club badge on the 

 shoot off. 



BROOKLYN, March 15.— The Ivanhoe Gun Club, of Ridgewood, 

 held their regular monthly shoot for the club badge to-day. The 

 scores were: 



W Dean 11111-5 A W R olio 11110-4 



E Dean 11110—4 J M Lawrence 11011-4 



C H Hunt 01111—4 A Killian 111C1-4 



E Southard 11110—4 HB Southard 10111-4 



A sweepstake was then shot and (4. H. Litchfield and B. Jones 

 divided the prize, having made a clean score. 



SAN FRANCISCO, March 13. -The pigeon shooting contest ar- 

 ranged by the Golden Gate (tun Club to take place at McMahon's 

 Station to-day. was postponed because the ground was not in 

 good order. Members of the club made improvements upon it 

 and decided to hold the first club -hoot of the season next Sunday. 

 This year five traps will be worked instead of three as last vear. 

 The first tournament of the season will be held on the first Sun- 

 day in April, the entrance fee to which is $2.50. The contest for 

 first prize will be 15 pigeons at 18yds. rise, and second prize ten 

 pair doubles at 15yds. rise. There will also be a scries of sweep- 

 Stakes, single and double matches, 



TORONTO, March 25.— Nearly a score of members of the 

 Toronto Gun Club met at Charley Ac re's place, to-dav and shot a 

 number of sweepstake matches with the following result: First 

 sweep at '■• birds each— D. Black 9, W. Brigg 7. <>.' Pcarsall 6, D. 

 Blea 5, E.LeRoy 4. G. Leslie 4, C. Ayre. 4, H. George 3, W. .Jeffer- 

 son 3, J. Ayre 3. Second sweep, at 12 birds each— B. Black 0, C. 

 Ayrc Si, H. George 8, G. Pearsall 7, E. LeRoy 6, W. Jefferson 6, J. 

 Ayre 5, B. Pearsall 5, G. Leslie 4, D. Blea 4. Third ."sweep, at 12 

 birds-D. Blea 11, E. LeRoy 10, H. George 10, J. Avre 6, \V. Me- 

 Dowall 4, G. Leslie 4. 



BREWER VS. GRAHAM.— There is considerable excitement in 

 regard to the Brewer— Graham match to take place on the J.C.H. 

 C. grounds, r..arion, N. J., on the 31st, if Brewer is not again ailing: 

 also in the match between Cannon (the one-arm shooter) and Geo. 

 Davis, on the same grounds, the 21st of next month. Both con- 

 testants, we understand, are training birds for the occasion, and 

 it will be a close thing.— Jacobstaff. 



Give diMniKX' and target, ■when you scad scores. 



The Forest a^d Stream appears this week with four 

 additional pages, making thirty-two in all. It has always 

 been the leading journal with all lovers of the rod and gun, 

 and theincrease of four pages proves its willingness to please 

 all patrons.— WellsvUle, N. V., Reporter, March ,f, 



C. E. Wilkinson, manufacturer of medals and badges, whose 

 advertisement has appeared in our columns continuously for a 

 number of years, has lately removed to No. 42 John street, more 

 commodious quarters, and is prepared to flU orders for medals, 

 etc, of all descriptions. He will furnish designs on application. 



gmwring. 



Secretaries of canoe clubs are requested to send to Forest a no 

 Stream their addresses, with name, membership, signal, etc, of 

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

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

 requested to forward to Forest and Stream their addresses, with 

 logs of cruises, maps, and information concerning their local 

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

 relating to the sport . 



FIXTURES. 



May. 



2s-;;n. East. Div. Spring Meet, Haddam island. 



Jujs K. 



18. Brooklyn, Annual, Bay Ridge. 



July. 



18-31. W. C. A. Meet, Ballast Island. 



August, 



12-26. A. C. A. Meet, Lake Champlain. 



A CRUISE OF THE WASHINGTON C. C. 



PART I. 



OFF for a cruise! Hurrah, boys! Shake off the languor born of 

 a twelve months' indoor application, come with us and 

 breathe deep drafts of the ozone of the woods and waters. Throw 

 off the conventionalities of city life with your frock coats and 

 Standing collars. Cast care aside as you fling the pen on the desk, 

 and donning a blue flannel shirt and knickerbockers, prepare to 

 unbend and come down, or rather rise up, to the enjoyment of the 

 freedom of the demi-savage. 



We were seven— most of us just beginning to feel, in the want of 

 appetite and the disinclination to active exercise which follow 

 too constant application to desk work, the necessity for a, change 

 —for an unbending of the tightened bow. Spring had come; the 

 merry month of May was at hand. The canoes were brought out, 

 inspected, duly scraped, caulked, varnished and their fittings 

 OVel-haUled, Sails were bent to yards, and club and private flags 

 drawn from dusty resting place; and then one fine Monday after- 

 noon, the 3d of May, the little fleet of wkife-wioged crafts stood 

 prettily out from the boat house, aud down the stream from 

 Georgetown, with a cloudless sky overhead, and the rippling 

 wavelets, stirred by a gentle breeze, glinting and flashing under 

 the rays of a declining sun. 



The. Petrel, manned by the youngest of the party— the "boys" as 

 u e flubbed them — was the first into the water and off; then the 

 Mermaid, a heavy centerboard boat, sailed by an old navigator 

 who had sailed round and about the world in many sorts of era Its 

 before finally settling down to canoeing; next the lola, a graceful 

 but skittish creation of the Wisconsin boat builder's skill, sailed 

 by an excise man, with a novice in canoeing acting, somewhat 

 passively it is true, as crew; and lastly, the commodore in the 

 Meteor, with Corporal Hatch as his crew. 



A light wind and an ebb tide were the accompaniments when 

 we started, and we sailed free to Long Bridge. The four canoes 

 danced merrily over the water until that, was reached, when the 

 wind failed altogether and the fleet lazily drifted for a half hour 

 or more, when puddles were reluctantly taken out and leisurelv 

 plied until Alexandria was reached. A short stop here by the 

 Lola and Meteor and we are off again, determined at least to get 

 out of hearing of the hum of the city before making our first 

 camp. 



As we start off the paddles are again brought into requisition, 

 but only leisurely used, for most of us want to enjoy t he beauty of 

 the evening with as little distraction as possible. And it is here 

 that the novice begins to appreciate the delights of canoeing. 

 Seated with ease in the bottom of the boat, which rests as lightly 

 as a feather on the surface of the stream, and by a series of gentle 

 strokes impelling it quickly through the water while facing in the 

 direction of his progress, he can admire the beauty of the scene 

 presented to his gaze. Above him the rich azure of the sky; below 

 him, but so near that he. can lave his finger tips, the broad waters 

 of the grand Potomac, swelling up from the sea without a ripple 

 to disturb the glassy surface; on either side the gently undulating 

 and wooded banks ol the mighty river— over all a stillnes as re- 

 freshing to the tired nerves as a soft couch to a weary traveler. 



For an hour or more was this scene presented to the view, every 

 bend in tho river unfolding new beauties, and then it suddenly 

 changed and another feature of canoeing was presented' to the 

 cruisers. The sun had hardly sunk beneath the horizon and the 

 echoes of the sunset gun discharged at Arsenal Point had not 

 ceased reverberating along the wooded shores, before the face of 

 the river changed as if magically. A sunset breeze had sprung 

 up, coming at first in gentle puffs that made cat'spaws on the 

 water, but gradually strengt hened until it blew with a vigor aud 

 steadiness that roughened up the stream. 



It had been our purpose when we found that paddling was the 

 order of the day, to camp just above Fort Footc, but this breeze, 

 which overtook us just as we reached that point, was not to be 

 lost, so sails were hastily run up and soon we were scudding along 

 at a lively rate. 



The sudden change from the quiet of the moment before was 

 marvelous, and acted like it stimulant. In two minutes, the four 

 canoes, which had been drifting along so closely together that a 

 blanket; might have covered them all, were widely dispersed aud, 

 strange sight to the novice, seemed to be pointing each in a differ- 

 ent direction. 



The Mermaid quickly plunged ahead, .standing well down the 

 river, the lola took second place, with the Meteor and Pet rel close, 

 together behind. After a half hour's sail the lola stood in to 

 shore, and the crew, keeping a good lookout "for'ard," picked out 

 a promising landing-place. Here the craft was beached, and a 

 shrill "whoop-pee" notified the nearest, of the fleet, who signaled 

 the others, and all came ashore in fine style just as night was set 

 tling down. We had reached Broad Creek, making our first run 

 of about four hours. 



The boats were hauled up or anchored and made secure, one 

 man started a tire, others set up the tents, others gathered wood, 

 aud the cook getting out the provision chests and kitchen utensils 

 set to work at our first al fresco meal. 



Our first night out. What recollections will in the future linger 

 round this first night out; the novelty of it all ; the bustle of land- 

 ing, gathering of drift wood for the tire, putting up of tents, un- 

 packing of provisions and blankets and other dunnage, the cook- 

 ing itself, and the supper round the camp-fire! 



The camping place, hastily selected after landing, was at the, 

 mouth of it charming ravine, the steep slopes inclosing which were 



if the forest, the lire was built. 



How readily a properly-constituted man can adapt himself to 

 circumstances! Here were seven of us, mostly fresh from office 

 work and from all the conventionalities of city life, suddenly be- 

 come demi-savages, and dropping as readily into the ways of the 

 child of nature as if to the manor born. True canoeists most of 

 the party were- ready and willing, aye rejoiced, to rough it for 

 the time being. 



Imagine the supper! Here is the bill of fare: Oxtail soup (p. t ... 

 hot), potted corn beef, hard-boiled eggs, hard tack, pilot brea 

 raisin bread, cheese, tea. 



Canned ox-tail soup drank out of tin cups, which afterward 

 served as the vehicle of communication between the teapot and 

 our mouths, chipped corn beef, hard-boiled eggs, bread and cheese, 

 and last, but by no means least, a raisin loaf contributed by the 

 captain of the. Mermaid and bearing the encouraging indorsement 

 of his boarding-missis as to its freedom from dyspepsia-inducing 

 qualities— the last link between our present state and the civiliza- 

 tion we had left. 



A somewhat rude meal, but then, think of the accessories! Pic- 

 ture the dining-room in which we ate, more spacious even than 

 the famed baronial halls of feudal times, the fresh greensward 

 the best of carpeting, the blue vault of heaven for a roof, the 

 rugged trunks of trees, gilded by the light from a rare wood fire, 

 whose many tongues of flame shooting up united in one grand 

 pyramid and leaped madly on high as if in an effort to overlook 

 the forest for columns supporting the dome. 



And the after-supper siesta, when lounging in pictuiescue atti- 

 tude about the fire, the song and the story went around, enlivened 

 with hearty laughter, while those of us who were smokers lay 

 dreamily puffing the blue smoke from our lips and drinking tit 

 deep drafts of peaceful enjoyment. Can any other sport conjure 

 up anything that; will more strongly appeal to the lover of out- 

 of-door life. And then, when a yawn or two proclaimed the ap- 

 proach of the drowsy god, with what assurance of fresh, invigora- 

 ting sleep we sought the shelter of our tents. Here, oh couches 

 made by strewing the ground with young branches of trees aud 

 then dried leaves, over which rubber cloth and oilskins were 

 spread to keep down the dampness, we stretched ourselves, and 

 each man, wrapping a blanket about him, wooed slumber, lulled 

 by the ceaseless swish of the waves on the oeach. 



