100 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. 21, 1889. 



INTERNATIONAL RACING. 



SOME excitement, lias been created by the announcement of the 

 receipt of a letter some time since from the Royal Clyde Y. C. 

 by the New York Y. C. inquiring whether a challenge would be 

 received under the second deed of gift: to which an affirmative 

 reply was sent. We can state that there is at present not 

 the least possibility of a challenge behind the letter. The mys- 

 terious Mr. Phelps, N. A., whose postal card of inquiry created a 

 similar ripple of excitement some timo since, is a student of 

 Triuity College, Dublin, who thus far has attained prominence 

 only as a designer of model yachts. The latest reports state that 

 Lord Dunraven's new 60 is to have a cent erboard of some kind, 

 but there is no reason to suppose that either she or the new 90 

 will challenge for the cup this season. 



LARCH MONT Y. C. 



ON Feb. 13 the annual meeting of the Larchmont Y. C. was 

 held at the Brunswick, New York; with Com. Lowery in 

 the chair. The following officers were elected for 188'J: Omi., 

 Girard C. W. Lowery, sloop Daphne; Vice-Corn., Thomas J. Mont- 

 gomery, steamer Cosette; Rear-Com,, Seymour L. Husted, Jr., 

 schooner Tiogn; Sec, William G. Scott; Treas.. Eugene L. Bushe. 

 Trustees to serve for oue year. Williaai S. Alley, Howard W. 

 Ooates. Trustees to serve for two years, Augustin Monroe, 

 William Murray. Trustees to serve for three years, Francis M. 

 Sco't, Edward T. GTeacen. 



The sailing rules were amended to read as follows: "All cabin 

 yachts may carry, in addition to the captain, one man for every 

 5ft. of length over all or fraction thereof. All open yachts may 

 carry, in addition to the captain, one man for every 3ft. over all 

 or fraction thereof. In racing the club flag heretofore shown on 

 all markboats will be replaced by a blue and white-striped ball, 

 while the blue peter will oe replaced by a similar flag with a red 

 in place of a blue ground, tne white being unchanged. The course 

 for open boats was made 10 m pla>r of 10 miles, and the following 

 was added to the sailing rules: "Should the regatta committee 

 think it advisable, they may start any classes not more than 

 half an hour before or after the balance of the fleet, in which case 

 a notice to that effect must be posted in the club house before 

 A. M. the morning of the race." The membership limit of 000 is 

 likely to be reached shortly. Tne fleet now includes 190 vessels. 



THE MUSIC OF THE WATERS. 



"And if you ask for a song of the seas, 

 Wr'll heave the capstan round. 

 With a yeo heave ho, and a rumbelow, 

 The anchor's apeak and away we go, 

 Hurrah for the homeward bound; 

 Yeo-ho, heave ho. 

 Hurrah for the homeward bound." 



SO sings the light-hearted and lighter-heeled Nanki Poo, and 

 the reason why he does not at the same time hitch up his 

 trousers in true (stage) sailor fashion, is the same that he has for 

 not carrying his name on his handkerchief; his picturesque but 

 scanty wardrobe boasts neither of these useful if not absolutely 

 indispensable articles. 



The se t sorg as known to the average landsman comprises a 

 large and varied collection, ranging in excellence from the bold 

 and spirited compositions of Dibdin down to that last dreary 

 specimen of namby-pamby jingle that has been so aptly para- 

 phrased as ''White wintis, they make me so weary." Beyond these 

 limits th. knowledge of the white-gloved and swallow-tailed tar 

 of the concert stage, and his fellow fiend the picnic tenor, goeth 

 not; and it would surprise and perhaps shock both to learn that 

 the sea has a school of music peculiarly its own, and as distinct 

 from theirs as the music of Wagner's Trilogy is from the set 

 marches and conventional arias of Donizetti and Bellini. There 

 are, nevertheless, many songs born of the sea, peculiar to it, and 

 partaking thoroughly of its restlessness and freedom from re- 

 stiaint and conventionality; which songs are classed under the 

 general name of "shanty," or "shanty song". If the origin and 

 meaning «f the term are not plain at first sight, they beer me so 

 as soon as the word is spelled as it sometimes is, "chantey," an 

 obvious corruption of the French Chanter, to bidr. 



While some of Jack's songs serve the ordinary purpose of re- 

 creation and amusement, as on laud, the true shanty is a part, 

 and a very important part, too, of his everyday labors; what the 

 words or sense may be matters little to him, but the air must be 

 lined to the work of pulling and hauling; the double object being 

 to liven and inspirit the workers, and to aid each one to exert his 

 strength in unison with the others. Just what a shanty is, and 

 how it is employed, has been so well told by Charles Reade in his 

 clean, clear-cut English that we have no desire to attempt a bet- 

 ter description, btlt are content to quote as follows from his "Very 

 Hard Cash." The scene is laid in the port of Whampoa, China, 

 where the huge ship Agra is loading for England: 



"Her tea not being yet on board, the ship's hull floated high as a 

 castle, and to the suotle, intellectual, doll-faced, bolus-eyed peo- 

 ple, that sculled to and fro. busy as bees, though looking forked 

 mushrooms, she sounded like a vast musical shell; f( ralusty har- 

 mony, of many mellow voices, vibrated in her great cavities, and 

 made the air ring cheerily around her. The vocalists were the 

 Cyclops, to judge by the tremendous thumps that kept clean time 

 to their sturdy rune. Yet, it was but human labor, so heavv, and 

 so knowing that it had called iu music to help. It was the' third 

 mate and his gang, completing the floor to receive the coming tea 

 chests. Yesterday he had stowed his dunnage, many bundled 

 bundles of light flexible canes, from Sumatra and Malacca; on 

 these he had laid tons of rough saltpeter, iu 2001ns. gunny-bags; 

 aud was now mashing it to music, bags and all. His gang of fif- 

 teen, naked to the waist, stood in line, with huge wooden beetles 

 call' d commanders, and lifted them high, and brought them down 

 on the nitre in cadence, with true nautical power and unison, 

 singing as follows, with a ponderous bump on the last note in each 

 bar: 



Handera, A - mongst onr wood - en com - mandera, 



Where we'll get wine In plen-ty, Earn, bran • dj and genavy. 

 Here goes two. Owe me mere two, ic 



"Aud so up to fifteen, when the stave was concluded with a 

 "Spell, ohP aud the gang relieved, streaming with perspiration. 

 When the saltpeter was well mashed they rolled ton butts of 

 water on it, till the floor was like a halliard table. A fleet of chop 

 boats then began to arrive, so many per day, with the teachests." 



Such is the shanty and such its chief use, and there era 

 hundreds of these crude but vigorous songs upon the sea, every 

 nation having its own. Now and then, as in the instance given 

 above, one is found in a novel or tale of sea life, but it is only 

 recently that this peculiar and interesting branch of music has 

 found a friend both able and willing to collect and arrange it, 

 and to present the best part of it in attractive form. 



Some two years since, at the suggestion of the editor of the 

 Shipping World, Major E. R. Jones, United States Consul at 

 Cardiff, the task was undertaken by Miss Laura Alexandrine 

 Smith, daughter of the Russian Vice-Consul at Newcastle-upon- 

 Tyne; and the result is a most interesting volume entitled "Music 

 of the Waters," lately published by Kegan Paul, Trench & Co., 

 Loudon. 



A thorough musician, a pleasing writer, and full of enthusiasm, 

 Miss Smith was specially fitted for the work, and she well de- 

 serves the success that is likely to attend her labors. Her studies 

 and researches have been carried on iu every possible direction; 

 through correspondence with persons in distant seaports; through 

 study of many collections of old songs; and through searches in 

 person in the forecastle and about the docks, sometimes taking 

 down an air as it was hummed for her by a sailor. The amount 

 of material thus collected made the task of arranging and assort- 

 ing, rejecting much that was useless and yet leaving out nothing 

 essential, a very difficult one. Further than this, there are, be- 

 sides the shanties proper, many sea songs of comparative merit 

 which might seem to claim a place in such a collection, and yet 

 ftre not recognized by Jack himself as a part of his repertoire, or 



as having the true nautical riDg; and it is no easv matter for the 

 landsman to discriminate between the true and the imitation. 

 The selection, however, has been very well made, and such songs 

 as the * Lorelei," where introduced, are accompauied by good 

 reasons for t heir admission. 



The first chapter is taken up with English and American shan- 

 ties, among which we find such old friends as Old Stormy. Rio 

 Grande, Reuben Ranzo, Whiskv for Mv Johnnie, The Flash 

 Packet and several versions of the ever-popular "Roll a Man 

 Down," one of which will be found in the Forest and Stream 

 of May 20, 1885. Perhaps the best in the whole, collection is one 

 that mav be familiar to the readers of Black's novels, a shanty 

 of far more than average merit, credited to the sailors of the 

 north ot England, entitled "Home, Dearie, Home." The air and 

 chorus are both very taking. A place is given to that stirring 



green in the North Coun- tree. And it's home, dear - ie, home I 



chorus of old John Oxenbam, familiar to all who have lead 

 "Westward Ho," but we are left in doubt as to how much of the 

 song was written by Kingsley and how much is genuine, nor is 

 the air given. The song itself is probably new, but the oldchorus 

 has vigor and vitality enough iu it to have kept it alive since the 

 days of Ffanky Drake, with its 



"Randy dandy, dandy O, 

 A whet of ale and brandy O! 



With a rumbelow and a "Westward hoi' 

 Hey, my mariners, heave O." 

 We are loth to admit it, but America has little to be proud of in 

 the way of national songs, either of the land or sea, nearly ail of 

 them being mere adaptations of words and music belonging to 

 other nations, as in the case of "My Country 'tis of Thee." Miss 

 Smith does full justice to our sea songs, such as they are, men- 

 tioning in paiticular the famous one of "Hull's Victory," or the 

 "Constitution and Guerriere," but there is very little room for 

 national pride even in this, as the words are set to a well known 

 English air. The war of 1812 gave to the young nation nearly all 

 of its sea songs, many of them lively and stirring enougn, but at 

 the same time there are few that are anything better than adap- 

 tations of Dibdin and other English song writers, and we find the 

 Hornet's victory sung to the tune of the "Rattle of the Nile," 

 "Truxton's Victory" to "Hearts of Oak," "The Freedom of the 

 Seas" to "Ye Gentlemen of England," and "Perry's Victory" to 

 "Admiral Benbow." Such borrowed ditties may be good enough 

 for all the navy that the United States could boist of during the 

 last twenty years; but let us hope that with tho new fleet of war 

 vessels there will arise some poet of sufficient ability to enshrine 

 in stirring and original words and music the deeds of her old 

 time sailors, of which America can never be too proud. 



The second collection of songs, a very good one, deals with the 

 Gaelic boat songs, and will be appreciated by all readers of 

 Black's novels. Here are given "Fear A Bhata," "The Skye Boat 

 Song," "Ho, Ro, Clansmen," and "The King Sits in Dumfernlino 

 Town." 



We do not know whether to credit it to the musical skill and 

 taste of the coaly bargemen aud watermen of the Tyne or to the 

 local pride of the authoress, but she has gathered together a very 

 interesting collection of songs peculiar to Newcastle and the 

 Tyneside. All of them are evidently bora of the river and its 

 busy life, the famous "keels," the fishing, and also of the sad days 

 of the press gang — "Here's the tender coming, pressing all the 

 men." 



The Canadian boat songs have a chapter to themselves, several 

 good ones being given, though we miss the best, perhaps, of all — 

 "A La Claire Fontaine." We And, however, an old friend in a 

 new dress, and at first failed to recognize under the title of "V'le 

 L'Bcn Vent" the "Boule Roulant," familiar to many American 

 canoeists. 



Though well known throughout Canada, its first real introduc- 

 tion on this side of the line was probably at the meet of the 

 American Canoe Association at Grindstone Island, in 1885. The 

 occasion was a grand camp-lire, such as is held every year; the 

 scene, the top of the round hill overlooking the calm St. Law- 

 rence, a clear blue sky above, against which arose the smoke and 

 flame from a huge pile of logs and stumps. The whole camp, 

 some two hundred or more, was scattered iu a straggling circle 

 in the semi-darkness that framed the bright glow of the tire, 

 while from one side or another in turn came a song, a story or a 

 bit of music on a guitar or banjo, varied at times by a rousing 

 chorus in which all joined. In one of the pauses there stepped 

 quickly from the darkness into the brightest of the firelight a 

 tall, uiuscuhtr figure, surmounted by the picturesque stripod 

 Canadian "toque," and started up in Canadian French, with a 

 rolling reverberation of resounding r-r-rs, the chorus: 

 "En roulant ma boule-le, 

 En roulant ma boule-le; 

 Rouli roulant, ma boule roulan t. 

 En roulant, ma boule roulant. 

 En roulant, ma boule-le." 

 The singer was the chef of the Desoronto camp, a French Cana- 

 dian cook of the lumber camps, an artist whose bread was the 

 envy of the entire canoe camp, a poem iu flour and water. 



Among the odd bits of flotsam and jetsam in the form of song 

 and story that are thrown tip each year at this same meet is a 

 good sea song which wo have never seen in print, a reminiscence 

 of the whaling days of our correspondent "Tarpon," an old sailor 

 as well as canoeist. Tho first verse is as follows: 



"Once more with flowing northern gales 



We're hounding o'er the main, 

 Those verdant hills of the tropic isles 



We soon shall see again. 

 Five sluggish moons have waxed and waned 



Since from those shores sailed we. 

 But now we're bound from the Arctic ground, 



Rolling down to old Mohea." 

 "Rolling down to old Mohea, my boys, 



Rolling down to old Mohea, 

 We're once more bound from tho Arctic ground, 

 Rolling down from old Mohea." 

 The French sailors and fishermen are credited in the next chap- 

 ter with some very good songs, among them being one which, 

 though not properly a sea song (being, wo believe, rather a child's 

 song, like "Malbrock"), deserves at least a passing not ice, the hero 

 being well known to all lovers of Thackeray. The title Is "Le 

 Petit Navire," the little ship, and the song, several verses of which 

 Miss Smith has been unable to supply, goes on to tell how there 

 was once a little ship which had never sailed far before, which put 

 to sea and undertook a long voyage to the coast of Guinea, and 

 how at the end of six weeks there was nothing left on board "but 

 one split-pea." The sailors draw lots as to who shall bo killed aud 



eaten, and the one who draws la courte, pailti is none other than 

 t hat f imons discoverer of "Jerusalem and Madagascar and North 

 and South Amerikee," Little Billee. In short, it was from this 

 little poem that Thackeray derived his amusing yarn of the 

 "Three Sailors of Bristol Citee." 



The Italian aud Scandinavian sea sougs each fill a chapter of 

 their own, the former being, as one would expect, more musical and 

 poetic, largely composed of boat and fisher songs, which partake 

 of the easy and indolent character of the sunny shores of Italy. 

 The Scandinavian songs, on the contrary, are far more vigorous 

 and partake of the sea entirely, as becomes the descendants of 

 the Vikings. 



The German songs are few in number, but include some very 

 good ones. Miss Smitli has included in the collection a little song 

 winch we have heard in this country, but the music of which we 

 have never been able to find in print, and which she is probably 

 the first to put in type. Though the excuses she is forced to make 

 at times for the words apply to part of this, the song.is a peculiar 

 one in some respects. The air is a very plaintive one, well fitted 

 to the sad words of the chorus, and both are entirely at variance 

 with the rather nonsensical words of the song itself. Though 

 popular with sailor-i it is worth while to point out that it is evi- 

 dently not a sailors' song, hut probabiy owes its origin to the 

 immigrant, who at Hamburg says farewell forever to tbe Father- 

 land, and whose efforts to keep his courage up and the tears down 

 are evidenced in the nonsense of the verses no less than in the 

 pathos of the chorus: 



"Ach es filllt uns so schwer, 



Aus der HeimaMi zu gehen, 

 Weun die Hoffnung nicht war 



Auf ein wieder, wiedersehn, 

 Lebe won!, lebe wohl, 



Lebe wohl, lebe wohl, 

 Lebe wohl, auf wiedersehen." 



When the sailor sings of parting, he at the same time couples 

 with it a speedy and safe return; but in this ca e e it is a final fare- 

 well, a parting without hope of reunion. The air is as follows: 



Though not a sailor's song no one will quarrel with the presence 

 of Heme'3 beautiful "Lorelei." especially as it is accompanied by 

 a very good translation, preserving much of the rhythm and poetry 

 of the original, the same, we bel eve, which Mark Twain has 

 given in his "Tramp Abroad." There is much that is worthy of 

 notice in the songs of t he Dutch sailors and fisher in n. the Russian 

 sailors, and the Greek, Japauese, Chinese, Indian and the Nile 

 boatmen, but we have not space to oiscu s them in detail. The 



~. ... „~ — ~ ^.^....yuvu hclrc, iu rvjiiLU i;uiiut'i;iiuu we 



would call attention to the song published in our columns a few 

 weeks since. Taken altogether the collection is a most unique 

 and comprehensive one, and all lovers of the sea will join us in 

 wishing to the authoress the success she so well deserves for 

 bringing into public notice oue of the brighter sides of the hard 

 life of the sailor. If the old saw be true, that a fiddle is as good as 

 ten men on a purchase, then the "Music of the Wa'ers" should 

 be equal at least to a whole outfit of steam winches and capstans. 



HINTS ON YACHT ENGINES AND BOILERS. 



BY FAR too many different kinds of engines and boilers are 

 used that are not well adapted to the work. In looking over 

 the yachts in service it is fouud that engines of all descriptions 

 are in them, styles that were not intended for any such work or 

 position, therefore are bungling, taking up valuable room, are not 

 Tegular in motion, and are unsatisfactory in almost every way, 

 and in many instances are far from being economical, and the 

 owner may not be well enough acquainted with steam machinery 

 to realize their wastefulness. Every upright engine is by no 

 means fitted for a yacht because it is upright, and the failure to 

 realize this to the full extent is the cause of many owners of 

 yachts having put in engines that have turned out very unsatis- 

 factorily as to running, speed, etc. With an engine and boiler 

 properly planned and arranged for a yacht, there is no reasou for 

 t heir takiug or spoiling so much room needed for other purposes; 

 every inch of space in a boat is valuable, as those who have had 

 experience well know, and the machinery should be olamied to be 

 as compact as it is possible to make it (aud here we are to note 

 what perfection is possible in this line if we will make it so). It 

 would seem when we see the crude plan and surplus size of 

 engine, boiler and connections in many yachts, that there was no 

 approach to perfection obtainable, and then again in a few boats 

 we see the effects of good planning aud the use of an excellent 

 engine and boiler, the whole occupying small space and giving 

 entire satisfaction. 



The prime requirement of a good yacht engine Is capability 

 to maintain a high speed. Usually a. high rotation of engine give* 

 the best results (with a proper corresponding pitch of screw). If 

 we want a high rotation of wheel on account of its ability to drive 

 the boat at speed, then an engine that will not onlv run up to the 

 fast revolution desired but one that will maintain this speed on a 

 long run without breaking down or heating any part, packing 

 giving out. or pump failing to work or anything causing a stop, or 

 a slack down, which often occurs with many boats, is needed. 



Regular motion is of much importance, irregularity in this re- 

 spect wastes steam by the jerky motion of wheel absorbing power 

 in such a way that a large proportion of it is not available for driv- 

 ing the yacht as it should be. Next.it fast wears and brings a 

 heavy strain on all parts of the engine, tending to loosen them 

 and heat the bearings. Next, the unpleasant irregularity of the 

 boat's motion and jarring are failures that should not. and need 

 not exist. 



Economy of room occupied by engine and boiler aud connections 

 is an element appreciated by all yacht owners. As has beeu noted 

 above, it is possiole by proper planning to bring the space taken 

 down to a minimum. 



A low center of gravity should be secured in all engines, as a 

 top-heavy machine in a high-speed yacht, with its nanow beam, 

 is, especially in rough seas, an unsatisfactory affair (if not dan- 

 gerous). 



Accessibility of Parts— When on a cruise the time, is valuable, 

 and that spent over the engine causes uneasiness and impatience; 

 therefore, packing, setting up a box or nut, or any little atfcemion 

 the engine may require, should be quickly and easily possible. 

 Both the engine aad arrangement of connections control this. 



Simplicity is a valuable feature in any machine, and especially 

 in a yacht engine, where we want one easily got at. The fewest 

 possible number of joints or working parts are desirable, thereby 

 limiting the amoutit of wear, liability to heat, etc. The simpler a 

 machine the stronger it can be made, securing direct motion and 

 strains. In many boats, especially small ones, those who are run- 

 ning them are practically unacquainted with steam; therefore, 

 the simpler the engine the better. 



The economical use of strain is of importance from a financial 

 point, but more important on account of space taken up by the 

 coal, and weight to be transported, every lOOlbs. lowering the 

 speed of the boat. This makes it highly desirable on a small 

 lauuch as well as ou a large yacht, to bave an engine that will 

 give the highest economy. 



A proper plan giving direct motion; large journals, guides and 

 all moving surfaces, preventing excessive heating and giving long 

 life and satisfactory working of engine is essential. 



In far too many engines poor and improper material is used, the 

 makers trying to increase profits, or being forced by competition 

 to use cheap material. Connecting rods, shaft, piston and valve 

 rods should be of good steel, connecting rod brasses should be of a 

 proper composition of brass, main shaft beariogs should also be of 

 the same composition, giving good wearing ability and minimum 

 amount of power used to overcome friction; bearings should not 

 be formed of babbit metal run around the shaft when bearing 



