Deo. 13, 1S8&J 



FOREST ANt) STREAM. 



A CRUISE IN THE SYLVIA. 



MY perusal, over the post-prandial pipe, of Knox's exquisite 

 "Devil of a Trip," has fired me with a desire not to imitate 

 his inimitable stylo, but to help him and your very excellent 

 paper in exciting in the breasts of our overworked and over- 

 worried people a desire to engage in that most heallhfnland 

 manly of sports, yachting, by a little sketch of the incidents of a 

 firuise on that most, magnificent and least known of our great 

 water stretches— Lake Superior. The little three-ton. yawl Sylvia, 

 enrolled on the books of the Thunder Bav Y. C. and flying then the 

 burgee of its vice-commodorc, lay alongside the L of the Govern- 

 ment pier at Port Arthur one bright, breezy day in the end of 

 June, her white duck hanping loosely from the half-peaked gaff, 

 the cockpit lumbered with loaves of bread, fishing rods, coal oil 

 cans, and other articles too numerous to mention, but which 

 every yachtsman will picture to himself, and the blue peter 

 streaming from the masthead. And it was the skipper and afore- 

 said vice-commodore who ceased his labor of stowing away 

 tnisccllania in the cabin from time to time to thrust his head out 

 of the cabin hatch, gaze townward and mutter "cues words" to 

 himself. He. is expecting his crew and steward, and thay are 

 behind time. 



Presently his countenance clears as a navy blue serge coat and 

 pants appears at the shore end of the pier— They incase the nobJe 

 and somewhat portly form of the Com., the jovial postmaster of 

 Port Arthur; may his sh idow never grow less. Under one arm Is 

 a fishing rod, and under the other a box of cigars; and in the star- 

 board side of his jaw is inserted a brierwood pipe filled with myr- 

 tle navy. Close behind him comes the steward, of lighter form 

 and less majestic gait, who soon ranges up alongside his confreres, 

 his pockets distended with beefsteak and sugar, and Iris bands 

 full of tar, marline and manilla. 



A good-humored apology and a gruff absolution from the skip- 

 per follow, then the articles are tossed aboard, the steward nim- 

 bly, and the crew more ponderously follow; the former dives be- 

 low, and the latter receives the warp from a willing "dock-wol- 

 loper," and shoves off the Sylvia's nose with the t piuaker boom. 

 Then he mans peak and throat, the snowy sail bellies out witli the 

 northwest breeze, the skipper sheets home and puts the helm hard 

 up, the Sylvia careens slightly, nods gently to the light swell as 

 if bowing acknowledgment to the waving hands on shore, and 

 then as a sharper gust comes over the warehouse tops she settles 

 down to business and goes tearing out across the harbor, past the 

 lighthouse aud out on 10 the broad expanse of Thunder Bav with a 

 howling breeze on the starnoard beam, aud ner lee rail awash. 

 _ The crew then tackles the jib, and the Sylvia answers with a 

 little more heel and a Uttle Joudev roar from her starboard bow, 

 the gaff topsail yard is lashed in the seething lee scuppers and the 



nearly finished labors and remarks, "We're just a humrain'," and 

 as the smoke begins to stream out to "loo'ara" from the freshly 

 lighted pipes, a great satisfaction and delight steals over us and 

 we realize that our trip has fairly begun. The sun sinks in the 

 west, the breeze lightens, and as we range up abreast the great 

 bluffs of Pie Island wc have the mizen and foresail on her, and 

 are standing almost on an ever, keel, though making [air progress. 



As the excitement lessens appeti te increases, and wistful glances 

 are cast at the steward and his coal oil stove— whence appetizing 

 odors come from time to time— by the expectant denizens of the 

 cockpit. For aClong time he is Sphinx-like and moves only to jab 

 a fork into this or put a pinch of salt, on that, but lust as patience 

 is almost worn out he puts out the cups and plates on the lee 

 bunk, takes his teakettle from the stove, and yelling in clarion 

 tones which echo from the lofty cliffs abreast of us, "Supper is 

 now ready in the . diniug car," crawls out to take his spell at the 

 helm and cool his fevered brow. 



Suppor over the pipes are again in requisition, and we lounge 

 about in the gatheriug twilight, discussing the probabilities for 

 to-morrow, the destination of the steamer towing the scow over 

 there under the land, the kind of life the exile in the mining 

 cabin under the Pie leads, and whether we shall have breeze 

 enough to carry us out into the open lake, or whether we had 

 better come to at Jarvis Island. 



Nine o'clock, and still some daylight is left as we steal gently 

 into the rough little homemade wharf at Jarvis Island and 

 answer the cheery hail of the manager of the mine: "Deep 

 anchorage round here*" "Yes, on the other side of the island/' 

 'Sheltered?" "No, not from the lake side." We listen to the 

 booming of the surf on the other side, and conclude that we do 

 not want to lay rolling scuppers under in that swell all night. 

 So borrow the manager's corkscrew, draw the cork from a bottle 

 or. beer, have a glass together and prepare to put to sea again. 

 Yes, Mr. Editor, Ave were amateur sailors and fishermen off tor a 

 holiday trip, and the only thing we forgot to take with us which, 

 wa 8 really essential to our comfort was a corkscrew— speaks well 

 for the innocence of our enjoyment and the severity of the ship's 

 discipline, does it not? 



Out into the gathering darkness, the booming surf, glancing 

 white from the dark rocks on either hand, just sufficient wind to fill 

 the sails and keep them from slatting as the yacht plunges into 

 the swell. It seems foolish to lose a night's rest when we might 

 have tied up alongside the wharf, but we are not sleepy and will 

 not turn back, and as we draw clear of the land there is more 

 weight in the light breeze, and the swells get larger in the back, 

 and a little murmur comes from the lee how again. The binnacle 

 lamp is lit, and the chart is consulted, but there is little need for 

 either; we have only one point of land ahead, the southwest point 

 Of Isle Royale, with its outlying reefs aud shoals, and it will be 

 three or four hours before we come abreast of them. Now we 

 are crossing the international bounrlarv, and an extra glass of 

 grog is piped and a stanza of Yankee Doodle sung in honor of 

 uncle Sam. 



It is now about 11 P.M. The moon rises in majesty over the 

 dark mysterious wooded heights of Isle Royale to leeward and 

 lights up the tops of the broad-backed swells and reveals the can- 

 vas s-aked with dew and standing as if made of sheet iron. 

 Silence reigns on board save for the occasional creaking of a 

 block aloft and the surging of the waters under our forefoot. 

 The white star of Victoria Island light has been brought well on 

 our quarter. The steward takes it all in for the last: time and 

 with a stretch and a yawn turns in to his sung berth and is soon 

 enshrouded in blankets and slumber, but the crew still keeps 

 watch with the skipper for the dreaded Rock of Ages, the outlying 

 spur of Isle Royale which was the last resting mace of the" ill- 

 fated Cumberland on just such a night as this thirteen years ago 

 We never see it and when the first gray streaks of dawn appear 

 m the east at 3 A.M. we are a long way to windward of the reef 

 and well out to sea. 



At 4 A. M. the red ball of the sun shows dimly through the mist 

 on the horizon, the breeze dies to nothing, and what a scene of 

 calm aud solitude is revealed, Not a sail or a puff of smoke visi- 

 ble anywhere; only the waste of gently undulating water, the 

 great mass of Isle Royale looming up on the port quarter, aud the 

 jagged outline of the north shore astern, stretching off league 

 after league until the sky, land and water all merge into one in 

 the west. There is not a cloud in the skv, and the only ones on 

 the spirits of skipper and crew are the sense of intense littleness, 

 the want of wind, and apathy of the steward to our appeals to 

 him tor breakfast. In desperation the crew at length lights the 

 coal oil stove himself, and the steward, no doubt impelled by fear 



that he will poison himself and the skipper and that, the ship will 

 be lef t in charge or himself at the mercy of wind and waves, and 

 ttmt, like Coleridge's ancient mariner, he will drift awav for years 

 in a floating coffin with the corpses of his late comrades around 

 him rather than by any sense of duty or qualms of conscience, a t 

 length arouses himself and sets to work. 



becomes more, and more like a cloud in our wake. Hoar after 

 hour steals quietly along, and al ter lunch some dark shapes ahead 

 are pronounced to be tho heights of Keewenaw Point, but turn 

 out to be only fog banks. A dot appears on the waste of waters 

 ahead, and soon we come alongside a large pine log, and then an- 

 other and another, lazily rolling in the languid swell. The smoke 

 of a stoumtug is made out, and soon her hull and an attendant 

 towboat, and we see she is engaged in picking up and reuniting 

 the constituent members of a large raft which has been broken 

 up otf Ontonagon or Ashland and scattered over the lake Other 

 streaks of smoke and indistinct shapes appear on cither hand 

 and we are soon in the irack of commerce; and ahottt 2 P M a 

 great ugly three-masted propeller passes close ahead of 'us,' so 

 close that wo can read her name, tho Martha Smith, OT sorflel brag 

 of that sort, of Buffalo, and hear the thud, thud, ihud of the pro- 

 peller and engine, while the grimy soot from her smokestack tali- 

 tor a tew seconds on our bright deck and white sails. We guess 

 she is bound for Duluth with coal from Cleveland, to return with 

 grain or iron ore. 



Evening draws on again, the breeze dies out again and then 

 comes up dead ahead, but steady and freshening; shapes rumen r 

 ahead which are unmistakably land, and as another propeller, fol- 

 lowed by three great schooners in tow, goes past our odwa we hail 

 the last In nautical tones and inquire, "How does Houghton Light 

 bear?" "Right abreast of us now," comes back the auswi r, and 

 we settle down to supper and a long beat to windward. 



As darkness closes down the breeze comes up fresher and 

 fresher, and we run along merrily, every board bringing the out- 

 lines of the land out sharper and clearer, but still we cannot make 

 out to a certainty Houghton Lighthouse, and with goo J reason it 

 is still below the horizon. Nine o'clock and quite dark, aud a t 

 last the keen young eyes of the steward decry a flickering point of 

 light, and he sings out joyfully, "Tnere it is." The breeze is pip- 

 ing up lively now, accompanied by a short, angry chop of a sea. 

 All hands stow mizen and jib, and the bowsprit is EeefeiJ, Under 

 the shortened sail Sylvia, dashes eagerly along as if She too sees 

 the light and is anxious to come to a halt, and have a. rest aft er her 

 long run of over one hundred miles. Soon another and smaller 

 liglit appears close to the first. We hold on until we get the two 

 in line. 



"Ready about?" "Ready," comes the response. "Helm alee " 

 yells the skipper. And there is a flapping of dewy canvas and 'a 

 rattle, of bl ocks aud cordage, but only for five seconds, for the S vl v i a 

 is quick in stays as a catboat and far surer, and is off again a- 

 eagerly as before on the starboard tack. We stand in for ten 

 minutes, and the sea has sensibly diminished tU size. "Ready 

 about," and again we look up to the range a second and third 

 time. The anchor is got up from below and ben t to the cable, 

 the sea has decreased to a mere ripple, though the wind still 

 whistles through the shrouds and backstays, and the greal staring 

 eye of the lignthouse seems to be almost over us. Dawn fore- 

 sail!" Down she comes, aud down goes the helm at the same 

 time; and the crew sees stars as the niainboom comes amidships 

 and introduces the maiusheet block to his frontal bone. The 

 hurrying bubbles alongside slaeken their speed, stop, begin to 

 retrograde. "Let go anchor," a plunge and a rattle of iron chain, 

 a slight "snub" and we have got hold of American soil and are 

 holding on to It. A few minutes suffice to get the mainsail stowed 

 and the riding light rigged, and at midnight the weary skipper 

 and crew turn into the snug little brightly lighted cabin and 

 settle down for a well earned sleep, while the steward, in company 

 with a blanket and a pipe, curls up in the cockpit to keep an anchor 

 watch for the few remaining hours of darkness. 



The crew gives his first snore, when "crack!" every one is wide 

 awake and alert. "Crack!" again followed by a shriek through 

 the rigging which cannot be mistaken for wind, and that again 

 by a ' Hallo," which comes unmistakably from human lungs. 

 "Hallo! What's the matter? Don't shoot again," yells ttie steward. 

 "Take in that light," comes the voice again across the water. 

 Never did steward obey an order with more alacrity or prompti- 

 tude. A minute's sleepy reflection convinces the skipper that the 

 voice and revolver belong to the lighthouse keeper, that he fears 

 the bright solitary light in the little roadstead will be taken for a 

 range light and lure some entering vessel to a bed on the beach, 

 and that this Is bis forcible aud distinctively western wav of 

 arguing with us and communicating his views; and another two 

 or three seconds show nitn that in 10ft. of water, on a lonely 

 shore, and a bright moonlight night, a riding light is more a 

 matter of form and style than use. The light is consequently 

 blown out. The tired denizens of the bunks roll over, and in five 

 minutes silence and Morpheus reign. Skipper 



YACHTING IN AUSTRALIA. 



THE recent visit of an Australian yacht designer, Mr. Walter 

 Reeks, and his proposition to build a yacht to challenge for 

 the America's Cup. has called the attention of American yachts- 

 men to the fact that in that far distant corner of the world the 

 sport is generally popular, and that yachts and yacht racing 

 abound. To those who wish to learn more of Australian yachts 

 and yachting, and also to all who delight in a sailorman's story 

 of rough- water cruises in small craft, we recommend the book, 

 "Twenty-five Years of Australian Yachting," by W. H. Bttadey, 

 Esq., tor fourteen years an officer of tho South Australian Y. G„ 

 duriugtenof which he flew the commodore's pennant. Not only 

 is Com. Bundey a most enthusiastic sailor and possessed of a keen 

 appreciation ot those details of sea life which go to make up an 

 interesting log, but the surroundings of the Australian yachtsman 

 are such that a great part of bis work is in verv rough water and 

 strong and squally winds. Consequently in the" first half of the 

 book, which is made up of extracts from the logs of many cruises, 

 there is little of the idle dawdling which too often takes up the 

 greater part of yacht cruises, but the record deals most with long 

 bouts against stormy seas, and such adventures as fall to the lot 

 of those who cruise in small craft in open waters. The writer, 

 besides a keen enjoyment in both branches of yacht ing, racing and 

 cruisiag, is a staunch upholder of the importance of all hearty 

 outdoor sports, and a chapter of the book is devoted to a discus- 

 sion of the subject in an advanced and liberal spirit. A part of 

 the book is devoted to a history of yachting in Australia, the 

 origin of the sport dating back to the early "sixties," though it 

 was not until about 1873 that it was firmly and permanently es- 

 tablished. The yachts are mainly cutters, keel boats of the older 

 English type, with a proportion of about four beams, aud though 

 the centerboard is by no means unknown, it has not come into 

 favor. Besides the strictly yachting episodes in the book, it con- 

 tains several miscellaneous papers relating to travel and oat- 

 door spbrts, the most interesting being an account of a trip from 

 England to Australia by the way of China and Jtpan, made by 

 the writer in 1881. One of the most striking features of the book 

 is the kindly mention of all his old sailing companions, both paid 

 hands and guests, by the author, and many evidences of the ex- 

 istence of that hearty good-fellowship such as should always exist 

 between yachtsmen. 



BUILDING MOTES.-Lawley & Son have the cabin partly fin- 

 ished in (he Richardson 45ft. boat, and will begin a similar craft 

 for Mr. Ellis of Philadelphia next week. Mr. Forbes's schooner 

 will be laid down next week.... Williams is busy over a design for 

 a 40-footer for the Lakes, to be built on fresh water. He is also 



keel. She will carry 205 sq, ft, in mainsail, 82ft. in jib, and 185ft. 

 in spinakcr. The model is quite handsome, showing a wineglass 

 section with considerable hollow to floor. . . . Queen Mab is hauled 

 out at Hiitchin's to be altered to jib and mainsail rig . . . Bayadere, 

 the Scotch cu t ter, is out at Frisbie's yard, Salem, to he caulked and 

 coppered. Edith, cut ter, is at the same yard, her lead keel being 

 removed to bo replaced by a new one of 3,5001bs. Bonita, schr., is 

 also m Frisbie's hands for a longer stern. . . . At Bay Ridge Ayers 

 is building several launches for the Ofeldt naphtha engines.. . 

 At Murnm's yard Lagonda is still on the ways, the new compro- 

 mise model is nearly completed, but has not yet found a pur- 

 chaser, aud the keel of the Lawton cutter is laid, and stem and 

 sternpost in place ...Wallin & G-ormnn are busy with the lead 

 keel catboat for Mr. Sage previously mentioned. ... At Poillon's 

 Dauntless is receiving a new piece of rail and some small repairs. 

 The Eureka is at the dock preparing for a trial trip which is ex- 

 pected within a couple of weeks. Isoline, steam yacht, (formerly 

 Gleam) is receiving seme, repairs. Sue is greatly changed in ap- 

 pearance by rebuilding, her sides being curried higher. Oneida, 

 steam yaeh t, is also at the yard for repairs, and alterations to her 

 macninery. 



DORCHESTER Y. C— The Dorchester Y. C. is now comforta- 

 bly established in its new winter club house at 99 Boylston street, 

 Boston. Here the regular monthly meeting was held last week 

 with Com. Savage in the chair. Twenty-five new members have 

 lately been admitted. A letter was read fr. m Com. Canfield. Sea- 

 wanbaka C. Y. C, in answer to an invitation to address the club 

 and regretting that he was unable to do ao. Arrangements have 

 been made for a class in marlinspike work to be held on each 

 Tuesday, beginning this week, and on Wednesdays the house will 

 be open from i to 6 P. M. for ladies accompanied by members, a 

 hmch being provided. The following committees were elected: 

 On nominal ion of officers for the ensuing year, C. H. Whiting, T. 

 W. King, Francis Gray, Charles L. Perrin, Louis M. Clark; on 

 annual dinner, W. B. McOlellau, Jesse S. Wiley, S. G. King, John 

 Dearborn, Charles L. Perrin; on entertainment, E. Howard Gray, 

 W. B. McClellan, John Dearborn, L. M. Clark, E. P. Tilton; onre- 

 ve-ing the sailing regulations, L. M. Clark, C. H. Whiting, Vice- 

 Commodore Soley. 



WINTER CRUISING.— Br unhilde, schr., Mr. J. J. Phelps, was 

 cruising about the Leeward Islands at last advices.— Norna, schr. 

 Mr. Townsend Smith, left Newport last week after several day 

 delay through bad weather, and came through the Sound to New 

 York, sailing on Dec. 5 for the West Indies.— Keva, steam yacht 

 Mr. Pierre Lorillard, arrived at Ncwherne, N. C, from Norfolk 

 on Dec. 3, and sailed next day. She will winter in Florida waters 



CORINTHIAN Y. C. OF NEW YORK.— At the general meeting 

 ot the club lately held Admiral Pomeroy read ajmemorial address in 

 honor of Messrs. Stewart and Lee, which was unanimously adopted 

 by the club. Mr. d'Oremieulx, secretary of the Seawanhaka C. Y 

 C, was present, and with a copy of the memorial lately adopted 

 by the latter club, which was received with appropriate' acknow- 

 ledgments. 



NEW YACHTS FOR NEW YORK.-Orders have been lately 

 placed for two new keel cutters for New York owners, both mem 

 bers of the Seawanhaka C. Y. C. The larger cutter will be in th 

 40ft. class and the snml ler in the 30ft. They will be built of wood 

 probably about New York, and will be of the latest design, good 

 draft, clipper stem and long counter, with cutter rig. 



PETREL.— This little sloop, built some years since for Mr 

 Howard Paul of Gloucester by Higgins & Gilford, has turned 

 out quite a traveler, having been taken to Melbourne, Australia 

 on a ship's deck, and after racing successfully there, being taken 

 to San Diego, Cal, where she sailed a race on Oct. 21 with the 

 Teaser, beating her easily. 



SEAWANHAKA C. Y. C.-The first entertainment of the season 

 a musicale, under the able direction of Mr. J. Dunbar Wright, was 

 given on Dec 8, a large number of members and guests being 

 present. The evening passed very pleasantly. A model of Sea 

 Fox has lately been added to tho collection. 



NEW YORK Y. C— The second subscription dinner of the sea- 

 son will be given on Dec. 22 at the club house. A musical enter- 

 tainment will be given during the evening. 



SPORT.— This craft, which is believed to be the oldest Ameri 

 can yacht, went ashore in Dorchester Bay in the late gale. 



\mwm to f&orrtsyon&mtg. 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Pub. Co. 



lEP~No Notice Taken of Anonymous Correspondents. 



J. H. B. , Laconia, N. H. —You will find a paper on Newfoundland 

 in our issue of Nov. ill*, by Mr. Edward Jack, of Frederic ton, N. B. , 

 who will no doubt supply you with the information. 



it&'~$S B -« Brooklyn. -For wildfowl books select Lefflngwell's 

 \\ lldtowl," advertised on another page, and Trumbull's ""Bird 

 Portraits,;' also advertised. Stephens's "Canoe and Boat Build- 

 ing," or Kunhardt's "Small Yachts" will show you how to set up 

 the ribs of a boat. v 



O. W. G., New York.— Please tell me where I can practice with 

 the rifle on Sundays near the city, where I will not annoy any one 

 and not be liable to arrest. I am a mechanic and can't be spared 

 ou week days, and like "Kahkahlin," am considered a crank by 

 my shopmates for loving to roam the woods, as I do on every 

 Sunday aud holiday. Ans. There appears to be nothing in the 

 way of rifle shooting in New Jersey on Sunday; there are some 

 public roads in that State, within twenty miles of New York, on 

 which a man's life is in danger on Sundays from the rifle balls of 

 target shooters and others. 



Small Yachts. By C. P. Kunhardt. Price $7. Steam Yachts and 

 Lamultes. By C. P. Kunhardt. Price $3. Yadits, Boats and 

 Canoes. By C. StimsJiifd^Ridks. PrieetS.S9^ 'SteainMcicMncrii. Bt 

 Donaldson. Price $1.50. " 8 



6& 



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