May 5*6, 1887;] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



401 



tw© in A BOAT. 



hnUE Tiles of March, 1,98(5, found me An restless as ever lift the 

 Jl woods, and this year mingled soinewhat tvith the glorious 

 recollections of birds and trees and lofty altitudes came visions bt 

 a summer's surf beating against an iron-bound coast, and then 

 again, further to the south, a long stretch of sandy beach; up 

 wlioso gentle declivity the same mad surf rushed in eager haste 

 to lap the trunks of the trees growing far above the Water's edge. 

 Then 1 bethought me of the low strains and glees and carols of all 

 the wood birds found even in the far North, mingled with the 

 doleful cry of the great northern diver, rearing its young amid 

 the wild solitudes and bays of the Lake Superior coast, and all 

 these thoughts crowding upon me in a throng almost drove me 

 mad: and T said to myself, "1 will go and live in the forest for a 

 brier spell this summer, if all the business accumulations of years 

 hie themselves nnto hades." Actuated and inspired by these 

 louglngs, it became necessary, of course, to have a confidant, and 

 who was so fit a confidant, who so appreciative of my desires »nd 

 tastes, as she who had in her younger days been herself a vvild 

 wood bird, a creature of the woods and snows Of a f?emi=Ai*etie 

 region? Besides, was she not the partner of all Hay joys and so r* 

 !'ows» and was it not at, least fair of me to suppose that she cher* 

 •shed like longings with myself? Whereupon 1 communicated to 

 }m all these thhigs* atid she said. "1 will go with yrJm" . And thus 

 it came to pass; when the fierce dog star yvftS rolling high in the 

 heavens; that we listened to the guiles of the passenger agent of 

 the Northern Pacific Railroad; and leaving Buffalo oh a New 

 Ybfk Central train; were hauled swiftly along the banks of the 

 Niagara, saw the inists and spray ever rolling upward from the 

 mighty chasm; and then breathlessly slid along under the lofty 

 precipices of Lewiston, just across the river from Quoenston 

 Heights, and were speedily transported to the steamer Chioora, 

 ferstwhilc a blockade runner, seeking to introduce arms and am- 

 munition among our rebellious brethren at the South, but now 

 peacefully and successfully engngod in passenger traffic. With 

 (lie same speed as of yore; she crossed .the. Western arm. of Lake 

 (lutario just os uiglit cldseS down, and landed ds id the Canadian 

 city of Toronto. The following morning the railroad again took 

 charge Of us and transported us up to Owen Sourid; where we 

 found the Clyde built steamer, the princely Alberta; awaiting us, 

 and the throb of her mighty engines rapidly propelled us north- 

 ward and still further northward, until a second day found us 

 through the locks of the Sault. Ste. Marie and clea ving the deep 

 blue waters of Lake Superior in an air-line course for Port Arthur 

 on the north shore. 



A few days were spent here with a party of friends in yachting 

 and fishing, and steaming up the devious and curiously winding 

 Kamtni8tiq.ua, a fit modern prototype of the ancient Meander, 

 until I felt that my days were growing precious, and I began to 

 took about for the means of passing over to Isle Royale, lying 

 dim and blue and eloudlike in the distance, which was the goal of 

 my summer desires. No other conveyance offering, we at last 

 look passage in a little sailboat belonging to the. keeper of the 

 Passage Island Lighthouse, a small island lying some three miles 

 to the eastward of Isle Royale, and with two weeks 1 provisions 

 Mrs, B, and myself loaded ourselves on board the light -keeper's 

 craft abnut 3 o'clock in the afternoon one bright, sunshiny day, 

 whereupon his assistant, a bright specimen of the typical French 

 voyageur, pushed off the boat, and amid the solemn warnings and 

 the tearful wishes for our safety of some kind friends on the 

 piazza of the Northern TTotel we hoisted sail and bore away for 

 the Sleeping Giant, stretching his slow length along the rocky 

 Promontory which forms Thunder Cape, Right here our troubles 

 began with the boat, which waft of the composite type, being quite 

 deep draft and possessed of a ponderous iron centerboard; the 

 craft was entirely decked over, except a small and very deep 

 cockpit aft; and was rigged with an amount of aggravating cus- 

 sedhPSs that would have spoiled, the. temper of an angeL She. had 

 two masts, the foremast being s?t well up into the eyes of the 

 boat; and hoisted by a single halliard a gaffsa'J and gait topsail in 

 One piece on each mast, the gaff being split and the halves 

 ©lamped on each side of the sail. Probably tt mote awkward or 

 embarrassing arrangement of canvas was never .conceived of 

 man, and to add to our difficulties she had no headsail to keep her 

 Off, and by simply letting go of the tiller she could be depended on 

 to luff and go about on the other tack at least four times per min- 

 ute; In length she was about 26ft;, with 8ft; beaut. 



The wind was very light, and the light-keeper,- wbo was a Dane, 

 held her so close, that we made almost no headway rit all, until I 

 applied for the position of helmsman; and insisted upoti keeping 

 her full- no matter how much the rudder dragged across her 

 course. It) a couple of hours we had got out into the sea which 

 sweeps up between Pie Island and the mainland, and found it a 

 very nasty lump, although the wind had Increased but slightly, 

 and it was dark before we were in the lee of the Welcome Islands. 

 Then the wind began to rise, and by 8 o'clock it, was blowing in 

 sharp gusts from the southwest, and the seas broke on the deck at 

 intervals. Hour after hour went, by, and still Thunder Cape light 

 seemed as far away as over. The moonlight just sufficed to show 

 the angry rocks jutting out to the eastward from Pie Island, and 

 the lofty', overhanging heights of Thunder Cape above our heads. 

 At midnight the Frenchman, whom 1 had posted forward, re- 

 ported Thunder Cape light, about a mile off the port bow, and said 

 that in his judgment, if would be safe to run around the head of 

 the cape at that distance from the shore. Meanwhile, the Dane, 

 whose flow of talk seemed interminable, sat in the stern with Mrs. 

 B., and added to her other discomforts of the night. In a few 

 minutes more we were by the cape, and just as I had feared, found 

 ourselves in a strong ground swell, with a stern wind barely suffi- 

 cient to move i he boat. It was obviously impossible to reach Pas- 

 sage Island, still twenty-live miles away, that night, and with the 

 present wind, probably not until late the next day, to say nothing 

 of the possible dangers, aud extreme discomforts of tossing about 

 in those rough waters in that tub of a boat. 



Great Tee and Little Tee harbors were only a mile up the shore, 

 nestling right in among the cliffs at the Giant's feet and some 

 fishermen had their huts there who might give us food and shelter, 

 but in the darkness I feared to make for the narrow mouth of the 

 harbor, which in the impenetrable gloom, we could not have dis- 

 tinguished from any other part of the rocky coast line, so I in- 

 sisted on running up the shore to Silver Islet, some five or six 

 miles away. The Dane at this point said that he was thoroughly 

 familiar with the outline of the shore and would go forwaad and 

 act, as lookout, while I brought the Frenchman aft, where he 

 busied himself with a long oar in keeping my little 16x28 boat 

 from either smashing her nose or her counter. The roar of the 

 surf as we alternately rose and fell in the deep trough of the sea 

 was the most terrifying that I had ever listened to and argued ill 

 for our lives in case, we should make a mistake and strike a rock. 

 The wind was light with a constant tendency to shift, and in 

 order to prevent jibing I had the mainsaillowered, letting her run 

 slowly along under the foresail, boomed out with ah oar. One 

 o'clock came, no Silver Islet in sight ; 2 o'clock came and the look- 

 out ordered me to keep out further from the shore, although I 

 bare.lv had steerageway on her, as he fancied there was a rock 

 ahead. A moment, later he shouted: "It's all right, there is Silver 

 Islet out there and here is Burnt Island on our left; turn in close 

 around the point, of the island." Obeying his instructions, I 

 turned in so closely that our old iron centerboard reached the 

 tops of numerous rocks underneath the water and bounded and 

 thumped along at such a rate that Mrs. B., for the first, time, lost 

 her nerve and intimated a strong desire to walk ashore if possible. 

 However, we passed in safety and shot out in the perfectly smooth 

 water between Burnt Island and the shore and saw the old docks 

 and rotting dwellings of an abandoned mining location perhaps 

 a hundred yards above us. The wind now began to freshen and 

 our clumsv old craft declined to beat up in the narrow channel, 

 so there was no help for it but to get out a couple of ungainly 

 sweeps, apparently intended for a Mississippi River coal boat and 

 laboriously work oar way up to the dock. 



The boat securely fastened to a spile, Mrs. B. and myself dragged 

 ourselves ashore almost too stiff and lame to walk, and seeing a 

 li&lxt in a little house up on the bank, rapped loudly at the door 

 for admittance. A tall figure clothed in a shock of black hair and 

 a night shirt, stated that the house was full and that they were 

 not in the habit of giving lodging to tramps. Whereupon he 

 slammed the door viciously. I resumed my by no means gentle 

 tappings, and stated in somewhat firmer tones that we were not 

 tramps, that there was a lady with us, and that we proposed to 

 ha ve shelter and warmth if we had to make a bonfire of the loca- 

 tion to do it. Our abrupt friend thereupon emerged from his 

 habitation, and, becoming convinced of the truthfulness of some 

 of my statements, kindly volunteered to see what could be done 

 for lis next door, with so good a result that a short ten minutes 

 found us safely and comfortably quartered in the house of a Mrs. 

 Fenn. whoso efforts to see us comfortable and provide for the 

 necessities of Mrs. B. we shall not soon forget. At 3 o'clock we 

 dropped off to Bleep, if you can call a dull stupor following upon 

 such labors and anxieties as ours sleep, and at 9 o'clock we were 

 down to breakfast, somewhat refreshed, aud feeling at least a 

 quarter of a century younger than we did the night before. Our 

 interlocutor turned out to be Mr. Gilford, clerk andassayer of the 

 mine in its prosperous days gone by, who, with Mr. Coe, still 

 remained in charge of the stores, etc., and they proved to be 

 delighful gentlemen, hospitable and kind to the last, degree, and 

 whose isolation in this God-forsaken spot in the wilderness is a 



emed tc 



ten feet of 

 paradise, a 

 n'e on Isle 

 ittlc cockleshell 



cause of amazement to us yet. All that day we: sptent visiting 

 with them, looking over the mine under their guidance,- and 

 listening to pleasing legends of blocks of silver ore, tales of Gol- 

 cohda and Eldorttdo, until we felt surfeited with riches, and no 

 Jbnger bemoaned the fact that our account was low at an Eastern 



Lving d little o'ver one htindred feet from Lake Superior, and 

 twentr-seven feet above it, is Surprise Lake, perhaps half a nnle 

 long and one-third lis wide; running back into ft nook In the lolls 

 that probably nature had provided for itj a never ceasing wonder 

 to the stranger or the scientist, lying in such proximity to the 

 larger body of water and at such an elevation abovt* it without 

 any outlet or inlet that has as yet becndiscovcrcd. The next, day 

 we" were visited with sundry heavy thunder squalls, but about 11 

 o'clock, wrapped in oilskins and blankets, we bade our Samaritan 

 friends good-bye and shot out into the lake for Isle Royale or fas- 

 sage Island. The wind was stronger than we bad it in crossing 

 Thunder Bay, and about 3 o'clock wc. slid gently over a mass of 

 rocks which climbed up from the bottom si 

 threaten our- little bark with destruction, 1 

 water on top of it, and found ourselves ii 

 fairy amphitheatre, near the mouth of Mi 

 Royale. Here we transferred our duffle tc ... 

 towiiig astern, and Mrs. B. and myself took our position in it and 

 bade adieu to our lilifd friends of the sail boat, they presenting us 

 as a farewell gift with a dozen fresh eggs which we would not 

 have, exchanged afterwards for nuggets of gold. I took the oars 

 and Mrs; B. hid herself behind a. barricade Of tent, blankets, photo- 

 graphic apparatus, firearms; fishing-Hackle, cooking utensils and 

 grub; arid expressed herself as perfectly happy; Of this more 

 anon: The sliote at, ibis point seemed to have been scalloped out 

 by no uncertain of inartistic hand in chaotic days, presenting an 

 appearance of successive MttlS bays. in whose wafers the surround- 

 ing trees were strongly mirrored; white up and back on the island 

 the land gradually rose in rough and rdeky steps until at the sum- 

 mit it attained a height above the water' of perhaps seven Or eight 

 hundred feet. 1 had a chart of the island which 1 had secured from 

 the coast survey, and with thia spread on the bottom of the. boat 

 between my knees J paddled along to the westward about a mile 

 until we saw McCargoe's Cove running back into the island at 

 least twb milcs'i aim looking like a gigantic cleft that some Titan 

 hand laid iriade in a fit. Of anger upon the rocky face, of nature. 

 The trees grew thick arid close down to the water's edge, consist- 

 ing of birch and spritec arid cedar, and occasionally a maple, but 

 cedar predominated very largely.- . 



We rowed rapidly along, and 6 o'clock found us unloading our 

 duffle, on the old dock away up at the bight of the cove, and 

 within sight of some of the old houses and huge rock piles of the 

 dead and gone Minong mine. It, was dreary and desolate enough 

 to satisfy the most: exacting recluse, and the long drawn out, 

 mournful cry of the loon added terror to the solitude. There 

 were loons to the right of us, loons to the left of us, and loons 

 swam in all sorts of lit tle bays and notches in the rocky island, 

 who all took up their cry of horror at our sacrilegious approach, 

 until it required no vivid imagination to fancy that the whole 

 island screamed in protest. With the tent roughly pitched, and 

 eggs and bacon and coffee cooking over the alcohol stove, we 

 began to lose some, of our sense of fa tigue, and after a hasty sup- 

 per sat out on the end of the dock and watched the tish jump, and 

 listened to a thousand strange soundB of the forest, until dark- 

 ness and the mosquito warned us it was time, to retire. We had 

 barely withdrawn to the shelter of our tent before a severe thunder- 

 storm, which had been grumbling and muttering around Thunder 

 Cape all the afternoon, came rapidly across the eighteen miles 

 intervening between us and it, and burst over our heads with an 

 added protest against our trespassing upon its favorite solitude. 

 Then it passed away us rapidly as it, came, and the stillness 

 became oppressive. Some animal prowling along the bank above 

 our heads loosened a clod of earth and stoues, which came rolling 

 down with prodigious clatter and tuning our already excited 

 nerves up to a still higher pitch. 



It was our first night out in the woods for years, and though it 

 all seemed natural, we were so far from our fellow beings and on 

 an unknown island that we feared everything in the nighttime. 

 Presently some small animal bounded lightly up to the ridge pole 

 of the tent and gave vent to a mournful cry, while a field mouse 

 ran slowly up the prostrate form of my wife and took a hasty sur- 

 vey of her hair, apparently with a view to pre-empting it. I 

 "shooed" him away, and he departed with an injured air that 

 showed plainly he understood bis rights and was disposed to insist 

 upon them< After such art interval of silence as only our camp- 

 ing j dace or the dark cell of a prison can possess, another heavy 

 shower burst upon us with even greater fury than the former, and 

 after a while We listened to a third, which was loud dhough to 

 suggest the dissolution of this mundane sphere. Again the per- 

 fect silence, and a noise of something crashing through thebusbes 

 near us, and so we passed the night, nervous and excited almost 

 bevond endurance, until the first break of day seemed like a par- 

 don from on high, and after a short debate as to the propriety of 

 spending part of the day where we were in much needed sleep, 

 wherein I took the affirmative, and the negative, ably represented 

 bv Mrs. B., stated that they would rattier die than spend another 

 night in that entrance to the lower regions; the decision was 

 given to the latter by a narrow majority, and We began to packup 

 and start for a pleasanter clime. The chart showed it to ho thir- 

 teen or fourteen miles in an air line to Blake's Point, the eastern 

 extremity of the island, probably eighteen as wc would have to 

 go, aud at 7 o'clock wc took our places in the boat and began the 

 long struggle with sleep and wind and sea, detcrmi ned to cross 

 from Blake's Point the, three miles to Passage Island if the water 

 was smooth enough, and if not, to reach the location of the wreck- 

 ers at work on the hull of the Algona, ten miles up on the south 

 side of Isle Rovale. 



Half an hour took us out of the cove, and after crossing the open 

 bay where we had left the lighthouse keeper, we kept due N.E. 

 through the passage, locally known as Met llellan's Channel, be- 

 tween Anygdaloid and Fish islands, with a strong wind dead 

 ahead aud the fog so thick that we could only sec about 300yds., or 

 the width ef the channel. The shores were rocky, but heavily 

 covered with evergreens and birches, as indeed is the entire island, 

 aud the moss in places was very thick. Landing about 11 o'clock 

 at an old log fishing shanty, apparently deserted several years 

 before, we found the moss knee deep in it, and a more gruesome 

 place I was never in. The water in the channel was very deep, 

 and it would be a good harbor for any vessel on the lakes knowing 

 how to get in. Its length is about four miles. At noon 1 saw a 

 small opening on our right, with a small fall or rapid, and ran 

 down it into a small pool about 50ft. in diameter and nearly as 

 deep. The water -was clear as a crystal, and the light-colored rock 

 so rounding underneath that we christened it the Devil's Punch 

 Bowl, and a right handsome use he. must make of it. There was a 

 little outlet on one side, and I suppose the rapid must have been 

 caused by the wind piling the water up in the chaunel. It was a 

 svlvan scene of rare beauty, the trees hanging over the pool on 

 all sides, and Mrs. B. was so impressed that she breathed freer 

 when we had breasted the current and left the fairy lake behind 

 us. . * ' * * ' 



At 1 o'clock we turned off into a wide shallow bay, thick with 

 islands, and landing on a huge rock, raising his gray back a few 

 feet above the water, we discussed canned tongue, crackers and 

 cheese beneath a huge cedar trunk, gnarled and twisted as the 

 trees Dor6 placed at the gates of hell. This, we flattered ourselves, 

 was a spot never before trodden by human foot; but alas! happen- 

 ing to go around the trunk 1 found a deep surveyor's blaze on the 

 eastern side. Why won't those surveyors let somebody else dis- 

 cover something? 



Two o'clock found us again on our way, with rocks anr 1 islets all 

 around us. By this time my severe and protracted labor at the 

 oars had blistered my bands so badly that I cringed at every 

 stroke, and made the. recover with my thumbs. The wind was 

 still fresh, and our little craft tossed and pitched in the choppy 

 sea in a decidedly uncomfortable manner. In order to let 

 me get a few minutes' rest, Mrs. B. now took the 

 oars for a mile or two, while I reclined in the stern 

 and exulted in the magnificent panorama the shores pre- 

 sented. Then we drew around Lock's Point, where 1 resumed 

 charge of the motive power and slowly we crossed Duncan's Bay 

 and found ourselves beneath the lofty and picturesque cliffs of 

 Blake's Point. We had intended to visit this bay, it being one of 

 the most exquisite bits of water known on the lakes, but it is over 

 three miles deep, and if we intended to round the island before 

 dark it must be done soon, as it was already after 5 o'clock. 

 Meanwhile we paddled slowly along and glutted our admiration 

 of the rocks above us, they being somberly decorated in aU the 

 dull reds and greens and yellows of a Turkish rug. Lichens made 

 fantastic faces on them and one "study" of a beautiful woman 

 engaged in tying her bonnet strings appealed strongly to my com- 

 panion who thought dubiously of her own Tamo' Shanter and the 

 possibility of her never seeing civilization again. 



As we approached Blake's Point the wind died away, but the sea 

 was all that our boat could stand and live. However, at 6:15 P. M., 

 we rounded it in safety and disembarked on a small island, near 

 the remains of an Indian camp, where we cooked our supper aud 

 speculated on the prospects of reaching the wrecking camp, twelve 

 miles up Rock Harbor, before giving out entirely. I hoped it could 

 be done by midnight, but the fog was again coming up so thick 

 that it looked very doubtful. Passage Island was not to be 



thought of in our cockle-shell, especially as its exact whereabouts 

 was hidden by the fog. At seven we resumed our labors, but the 

 numerous islands constantly looking up out of the fog and as 

 rapidly disappearing would have unnerved a pirate. Soon it got 

 dark, a. darkness augmented and thickened by the fog until it was 

 fairly sticky, and all bearing vanished into utter oblivion. To 

 keep from running into the open lake 1 carefully opened and fas- 

 tened the chart oh the floor of t he boat, la,id my compass on it, 

 and by occasionally looking at ii by the light of a fusee, succeeded 

 in keeping generally in the. desired direction. But it waf ticklish 

 work, and several times we nearly knocked an island into the lake, 

 to say nothing of discovering dozens of rocks, submerged and 

 otherwise, not down on the chart. 



About 10 it began to raiu, but covering my wife with a water- 

 proof and our dufile with the tout, I kept up the monotonous pull 

 at the oars, half asleep and wholly afraid we were heading for 

 some Western territory we did not care to visit. Presently wc 

 heard the old Thunder Cape orchestra tuning up, and knew there 

 was music 111 the air. In a few minutes it started, roared dis- 

 tantly across the water, swept grandly up the northern slope of 

 the island, and rushed down upon us with a scream and a jump 

 like a West Indian hurricane. It was pitch dark, and when the 

 wind struck us the water on all sides burst into a foam, frighten- 

 ing my better seven-eighths out of her wits, as she wildly implored 

 me to "pull for the shore." As the rain was falling in torrents, I 

 pointed out to her as well as I could in the confusion the small 

 margin of difference between being upset and staying in the boat; 

 but, womanlike, she was deaf to reason, and insisted upon reach- 

 ing trrr a firtna. It was only about a hundred yards to the land, 

 and as soon as we struck it she sprang out of the boat and asked 

 for brandy. 



A hurried examination revealed the fact that the brandy bottle 

 was not. wet through, and satisfying myself to that effect I handed 

 it to her, when part of its contents disappeared like a, flash. I then 

 pulled the tent over some low bushes growing on the rocks, put 

 her under it, for I saw she was thoroughly chdlcd and soon had 

 our baggage inside. The oars served as tent poles, and lashing 

 the ropes to huge stones I crawled in myself and removed my wet. 

 clothing, putting on dry found in our bags. The waterproofs and 

 blankets failed to bide the existence of nature's bones, but tired 

 and exhausted as I was after a, thirty mile pull, I dropped off to 

 sleep with a stone under my head and at least a hundred under 

 my back and slept the sleep of a hard working man. Mrs. B. 

 woke me up about four, when I found she bad another chill, hut 

 our old friend the brandy helped that and we. slept on until morn- 

 ing, when a suspicious feeling in my feet convinced me that all 

 was not as it should be. So I arose and investigated, finding that 

 I had slid down until the waves slapped the soles of my feet as they 

 ran up on the gravelly beach. 



Mrs. B.'s watch said it was 8 o'clock, and as the sun was shining 

 brightly, the fog had disappeared, and we did not know where we 

 were, we concluded to make another effort and try to reach some- 

 where before night. While bacon, eggs and coffee (our entire 

 menu) were preparing by the cook, I rowed out on the water and 

 found we were O. K.; that four miles more and the goal of our 

 temporary desires would be attained. So we ate breakfast, 

 loaded the boat, and were just about to start when a large sail 

 came around the point above us, and never was sight of vessel to 

 shipwrecked mariner more welcome. A hail brought her along- 

 side, when a hasty conversation killed all our plans. They were 

 the wrecking party, and had had the misfortune to sink their tug 

 the night before; so there was no way of putting us on a passing 

 vessel until another tug arrived from below. This might be a 

 week or more hence, and, as I saw Mrs. B. was pretty well used up 

 from our rough experiences of the last two days, 1 decided to 

 return to Port Arthur in the sailboat. Our stuff was trans- 

 ferred, and the flat-bottomed clinker-built sloop filled away. 



Bat our troubles had not ceased. All daylong that old tub 

 pounded and fell off in the heavy sea, occasionally shipping a little 

 water to sweeten her bilge, while the whole of us sat up to wind- 

 ward and tried to hold her down. At last my remonstrances 

 caused a reef to be taken in the sail, when she rode better, and 

 supper time saw us beating up to the landing at Silver In let, tired, 

 hungry and mad, but filled with a grim determination to try the 

 trip again in a modern keel boa t, large enough to sleepand live in, 

 when wind and rain and sea would have no terrors for us. A 

 chance Ashing tug, the Kitty Marks, carried us back to Port 

 Arthur, where our friends welcomed us as risen from the dead, 

 and where the reaction laid us by the heels, but did not finish us. 



Next year we hope to' explore Isle Royale from Truck to keelson, 

 and if anyone on fishing bent longs for an almost unknown 

 island, forty-five by eight miles, filled with lakes and bays and 

 streams, containing trout who have never heard of a fly, or even 

 a fisherman, and surrounded by waters abounding in lake trout 

 and pickerel, with lofty scenery and dense forests, wherein rumor 

 hath it the pixies dwell, and in whose rocky bosom ancient pits, 

 and still more ancient and primitive tools, tell of the great pre- 

 historic race who came from the West for copper, found it, cut it 

 by their rude instruments when red-hot from fires kindled on it, 

 whereof the remains are vet to be seen, and then one day left and 

 never came again, let him gather a small and congenial party, 

 equip themselves with plenty of provisions and a small steam 

 launch, and after a month's sojourn around the shores of Isle 

 Royale, if they don't thank me for my suggestion, I will go to jail 

 for five years, and that is almost as long a sentence as this is. 



Ahmeek. 



THE NEW YORK C. C. 



THERE is nothing that tests the stamina and backbone both of 

 individuals and clubs like a little hard luck and adversity, 

 and it is hardly too much to say that if one succumbs it is only in 

 accordance with the just law of the survival of the fittest. A 

 very good exemplification of the sweet uses of adversity js found 

 in the New York C. C, which two years ago was saved from disso- 

 lution only by the hard work of three or four of its members. 

 Driven from its home by the encroachments of a railroad, with an 

 emptv treasury, and weakened at the same time by serious dissen- 

 sions among some of its members, it seemed a hopeless task to keep 

 up the club organization. Since then it has built a temporary 

 house that, while far from perfect, still answers very well; it has 

 carried on two seasons of racing, and last year organized and car- 

 ried out alone the most important series of canoe matches yet 

 sailed bv any club. To-day it has a membership of -38 active mem- 

 bers, gg associate members and 8 honorary. Every member is an 

 active canoeist, unlike some boat and canoe clubs, which many 

 join for social purposes, and many have honorable records as 

 racers and cruisers. The Meet includes forty-eight canoes, three 

 being club boats, and six sailing boats, including one sailing skiff, 

 one Rushton cruiser, oi:e sneakbox. two Baruegat cruisers and one 

 canoe yawl. The club has lately improved the bouse at the Cor- 

 inthian Y. C. Basin, at Tompkinsville, so as to give larger and 

 more comfortable quarters, which are more accessible than any 

 other about the city. 



Two difficulties have always impeded its growth, the member- 

 ship being scattered over a large territory it has been difficult to 

 unite the men and to have them meet, frequently; and further the 

 d i Hksulty of obtaining a suitable perma nent location has prevented 

 the erection of a suitable house. The latter is likely to disappear, 

 as steps are being taken to secure a permanent site, on which a 

 fine house will be erected, giving all facilities for camping and re- 

 unions and to a great extent removing the first trouble. The club 

 holds the International Cup, offered by it last year and won by 

 Mr. Vaux, for which it is prepared to receive a challenge from 

 any foreign canoe club. 



CANOE RACE IN FLORIDA.— A canoe race formed one of the 

 features of the Florida Y. C. regatta on May 12, the entries and 

 times being as follows: 



Start. Finish. 



Mad aline, B. Barnett 3 25 21 4 54 00 



Annie B.. Court-land Buekman .3 25 00 i 55 52 



Irene, Robert Buekman 3 25 41 4 57 30 



Louise -: 3 25 50 4 57 3tf 



IdaC 3 26 00 4 57 50 



Pelicon 3 26 15 



Eriola 3 25 07 



THE ASSAULT ON MESSRS. VAUX AND BURCHARD. — 

 The case of Vaux against McTamany came up on Monday last, the 

 defendant being fined $10 by Justice Powers. The charge against 

 Johnson will be tried on Tuesday next.. The case of Burchard 

 against McTamany will be brought before the Grand Jury. 



A. O. A. MEMBERSHIP.— Trenton, N. J., Mav 21— Editor Forest 

 ami stream: Messrs. George Stanton, Jr., and Cassius Thayer, of 

 Grand Rapids, Mich., have applied for membership in the A. C. A. 

 — W. M. Cabtbb, Sec. 



A CRUISE DOWN THE DELAWARE .-Several members of 

 the Mohican C. C. wiU make a cruise down the Delaware, start- 

 ing this week. Messrs. Brown and Stanton, of New York, will 

 join them. 



