18 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Jan. 23, 1890. 



TACKINO SHIP OFF SHORE. 



HPHE weather-leech of the topsail shivers, 



The bowlines strain, and the lee shrouds slacken. 

 The braces are taut, the lithe boom quivers, 

 And the waves with the corning squall cloud blacken. 



Open one point on the weather bow, 

 Is the light house tall on Fire Island Head, 



There's a shadow of doubt on the captain's brow. 

 And the pilot watches the heaving lead. 



I stand at the wheel, and with eager eye 



To sea and to sky and to shore I gaze. 

 Till the muttered order of " Full and by ! " 



Is suddenly changed for " Full for stays ! '' 



The ship bends lower before the breeze, 

 As her broadside fair to the blast she lays; 



And she swifter springs to the ri9ing seas. 

 As the pilot calls, " Stand by for stays I " 



It is "Silence all 1 " as each in his place, 

 With the gathered coil in his hardened hands, 



By tack and bowline, by sheet and brace, 

 "Waiting the watchword impatient stands. 



And the light on Fire Island Head draws near. 



As, trumpet -winged, the pilot's shout 

 From his post on the bowsprit's heel I hear, 



With the welcome call of " Ready ! About 1 " 



No time, to spare ! It is touch and go; 



And the captain growls, " Down helm ! Hard down 1 " 

 As my weight on the whirling spokes I throw. 



While heaven grows black with the storm cloud's frown. 



High o'er the knightheads flies the spray. 

 As we meet the shock of the plunging sea: 



And my shoulder stiff to the wheel I lay, 

 As I answer, " Aye, aye, sir ! Ha-r rd a-lee ! " 



With the swerving leap of a startled steed. 



The ship flies fast in the eye of the wind, 

 The dangerous shoals on the lee recede, 



And the headland white we have left behind. 



The topsails flutter, the jibs collapse, 



And belly and tug at the groaning cleats; 

 The spanker slats, and the mainsail flaps; 



And thunders the order, " Tacks and sheets 1 " 



'Mid the rattle of blocks and the tramp of the crew, 



Hisses the rain of the rushing squall; 

 The sails are aback from clew to clew, 



And now is the moment for " Mainsail, haul ! " 



And the heavy yards, like a baby's toy, 



By fifty strong arms are swiftly swung; 

 She holds her way. and I look with joy 



For the first white spray o'er the bulwarks flung. 



" Let go and haul ! '" 'Twas the last command, 

 And the headsails fill to the blasts once more; 



Astern and to leeward lies the land, 

 With its breakers white on the shingly shore. 



What matters the rain, or the reef, or the squall ? 



I steady the helm for the open sea; 

 The first mate clamors, " Belay, there, all ! "' 



And the captain's breath once more comes free. 



And so off shore let the good ship fly; 



Little care I how the gusts may blow, 

 In my fo'castle bunk, in a jacket dry, 



Eight bells have struck, and my watch is below. 



Walter Mitchell (born in Nantucket, Mass., 1?2G). 



CAPTAIN ALEXANDER CUTHBERT. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I send you herewith a brief sketch of the late Capt. Cuthbert, 

 partially prepared by myself and with necessary corrections as to 

 matters of fact: 



Capt. Alexander Cuthbert, the well known designer and yacht 

 builder, died at Trenton on Tuesday, 4th inst., in the 50th year of 

 his age. Capt. Cuthbert was born in the north of Scotland and 

 came to Canada at an early age. His youth was spent at Cobourg, 



donald in Cobourg, his first attempt at yacht building. She proved 

 a great success for several years. He nest built the Lady Stan- 

 ley at Cobourg, and subsequently at the same place the Annie 

 Cuthbert. With the latter, owned by himself, he won the Fisher 

 cup at Detroit, beating the Cora very badly. And in 18.S3 the Ata- 

 lanta beat this same Cora out of sight at Chicago. The Cora 

 was built by P. McGiehan, of Pamrapo. New Jersey. These were 

 followed by the Countess of Dufferin. of Chicago, the Katie Gray, 

 of Oswego, and Surprise, of Trenton, all of which were built by 

 him at Cobourg. Next he built the Madcap at Belleville, the 

 Wideawake. Emma, Escape, Guinevere and Bloodhound (now 

 Norah) at Trenton, the Atalanta and Iolanthe at Belleville, the 

 Minnie M. at Chicago, the Vision at Cobourg, the White Wings 

 and a 25-foot er at Trenton, and at the time of his death he was 

 busy at Cobourg with a 45-footer to beat White Wings. 



Every yacht that this remarkable man designed developed 

 great speed, in a word, he swept the lakes in all classes, and to- 

 day Atalanta, Norah, White Wings, Minnie M. and Iolanthe are 

 at the head of their respective classes. He twice endeavored 

 with the schooner Countess of Dufferin, in 1876, and the sloop 

 Atalanta in, 1881, to win the America's Cup, but failed, chiefly 

 through the lack of means to properly equip his vessels. In 

 addition to the famous yachts mentioned above, Capt. Cuth- 

 bert had also built others of lesser note, as well at several 

 steam boats, steam yachts, etc. Besides successes gained by 

 his own craft, he also won many races for others. On one 

 occasion he handled the Ida, of Lachine, which was matched 

 against the Gorilla, of Cobourg, for $1,000. The race was sailed 

 in an a gale of wind, off Cobourg, the Ida, which was only a ten 

 ton yacht, badly beating the Gorilla, a first class jacht of thirty- 

 eight tons. Many will mourn the genial Cuthbert, whose genius 

 placed the flag of Canada far in the van of yachting on the great 

 lakes. Port Tack. 



Belleville, Jan. IP. 



CORINTHIAN Y. C. OF MARBLEHEAD. 



THE annual meeting of the Corinthian Y. C. was held in the 

 Parker House, Boston on Jan. 8, with Commodore Crowuin- 

 shield in the chair. The report of the treasurer showed the club 

 to have had last year 347 paying members, who paid in $3,470. 

 Reports of the secretary, house committee and the regatta com- 

 mittee were next presented and accepted. The full amount 

 collected by the treasurer was spent by the house and regatta 

 committees. It was voted to devote $500 yearly to a sinking fund 

 until the indebtedness on the new house is paid. The club will 

 probably have but three races in the midsummer series instead 

 of five as last year. The regatta committee leported that the 

 Chiquita and Papoose were tied for the Augustus Hemenway 

 prize of $300. The owners of the yachts were notified to this 

 effect, and they have requested that the money be used as a prize 

 for racers during the coming season. The club will also have a 

 cupl valued at $125 for 80-footers and one worth $100 for boats 

 under 21ft. 



The following changes in the rules were made: Classification 

 —Yachts shall be divided into classes according to waterline 

 length, as follows: First class yachts, 25ft. and less than 30; second 

 class yachts, 21ft. and less than 35. [Any yacht enrolled in the 



club list Jan. 8. 1890, exceeding the upper limit of the second 

 class by not more than a foot, shall be eligible to sail in the 

 second class until sold out of the club.] Third class, centreboard 

 yachts, 18ft. and less than 21ft.: fourth class, keel yachts, 16ft. 

 and less than 21ft.; fourth class, keel yachts, 18ft. and less than 

 21it.; tifth class, centreboard yachts 16ft. and less than 18ft. If a 

 yacht has no competitor in her own class she may enter at her 

 usual rating the class of the next lower number in which there 

 may be a starting yacht. 



Sailing Rules— In all races the wheel or tiller of each yacht 

 shall be held only by an amateur who must be a member of this 

 club or the club from which the yacht is entered. 



Yachts in the first and second class must carry two serviceable 

 life buoys; and yachts in the third, fourth and fifth one service- 

 able buoy, placed within easy reach of the helmsman. The re- 

 gatta conimittee will not award a prize to any yacht not con- 

 forming to this rule. 



The following officers were elected: Com., B.W. Crownin shield; 

 Vice-Corn., C. H. W. Foster; Sec'y, Everett Paine; Treas., J. B. 

 Rhodes; Meas., J. H. Keating; Executive Committee, W. S. 

 Eaton, Jr., and E. E. Peabody; Regatta Committee, W. P. Fowle, 

 F. C. Newhall, A. G. Van Nostrand, G. W. Mansfield and J. H. 

 Paine; Membership Committee, C. S. Dennison. F. M. Wood, W, 

 L. Smith, S, W. Sleeper and Arthur Binney; House Committee, 

 F. A. Seamans, B. W. Russell and E. W. Hodgkins; Board of 

 Judges, D. Appleton, G. W. Mansfield, J. A. Paine, F. E. Snow 

 and F. L. Rhodes. 



It was voted to withdraw from the New England Y. R. A. 



PHILADELPHIA MODEL Y.C.-The Philadelphia Model Y.C. 

 began the third year of its existence on Jan. 11, when the annual 

 meeting ana election of officers took place. The secretary re- 

 ported a membership of 18, 10 of whom are model owners. Six 

 new members were admitted during the past year. The number 

 of models owned by members is 26—24 sailing and 2 steam; 21 are 

 are on the sailing register as follows: First class— Length 3ft., 2 

 models. Second class- Length, 30in., 2 models. Third class- 

 Length, 2ft„ 9 models. Fourth class— Length, 18in., 6 models. 

 Steamers— Length, 4ft. , 2 models. Eight club prizes were dis- 

 tributed last year, toget her with several prizes given by individ- 

 ual members. Following are the officers for lSS'O: Pres., Geo. A. 

 Koenig, Ph. D.; Vice-Pres., Rev. R. M. Luther, D.D.; Com., T. E. 

 Biddler; Treas., Ed. Bancroft; Sec'y, E. W. Fowler; Sailing Com- 

 mittee, Rev. R. M. Luther (chairman), Capt. Biddle and Wm. 

 Porter. 



KNIOKEItDOOKETl Y. C— Officers 1890: Com., D. Rousseau, 

 sloop Nyssa; Vice-Corn., J. F. Black, sloop Tourist; Rear-Corn., 

 Charles Coughtry, cutter Nanita; Sec, Alfred Varian; Treas., 

 Jabez Harris; Meas., E. P. Mowton; Fleet Surgeon, Dr. E. Ringer. 

 Board of Directors: E. E. Colell, O. H. Chellborg, G. H. Bour- 

 quard, J. A. Morrison and E. Macdonald. 



CHART CORRECTIONS.— The monthly notice of chart cor- 

 rections includes a number of corrections of interest to yachts- 

 men in Fisher's Island Sound, Hempstead Harbor, Execution 

 Light and Hell Gate. Owners of 40-footers will be glad to know 

 that the depth of water over the rock off 34th street ferry, marked 

 by black buoy No. 1, has been increased from 10 to 19ft. at mean 

 low water. 



SAVIN HILL Y. C— Officers, 1890: Com., F. O. Vegelahn; Vice- 

 Corn.. J. Howard; Treas.. H. G. Patten; Sec'v, J. H. Shaw; Meas., 

 A. L. Kidd. Directors, W. H. Besarick, N. T. Robinson and J. H. 

 Tuttle. Regatta Committee, W. H. Besarick, James L. Corr, H. 

 G. Patten, R. K. Rice and G. A. Swallow. Delegates to the New 

 England Y'acht Racing Association were also elected. 



FALL RIVER Y. C. — For several years past there has been con- 

 siderable racing at Fall River, but no club; this year a club has 

 been organized, and with good water for racing there will prob- 

 ably be a lively season. 



NEW YACHTS.— In spite of the many reports of a new 70 from 

 Fife, for Sir Roderick Cameron, that gentleman denies positively 

 that he is to have a new boat. It is reported that Mr. E. D. Mor- 

 gun has ordered a new 40 from Mr. Burgess, 



ROCHESTER Y. C— This club is doing good work during the 

 winter by a series of talks and lectures. On Jan. 16, Mr. E. W. 

 Wallbridge addressed the club on the subject of the use of the 

 log and local pilotage about Lake Ontario. 



MASSACHUSETTS Y. C— The first of the winter course of 

 lectures of the Massachusetts Y. C. was given on Jan. 17 by 

 Commander Eaton, U. S. N., who spoke on the subjects of mag- 

 netism and the mariner's compass. 



SE A WANHAKA CORINTHIAN Y. C.-On Jan. 18, Com. Cen 

 ter delivered a very practical and interesting lecture on the sub- 

 ject of "Cruising Yachts and Yacht Cruising," to a large audience 

 at the club house. 



MAYFLOWER, schr., has been sold by Mr. F. T. Underhill to 

 Mr. W. A. Gardner, of Boston, owner of the schooner Rebecca. 



AMERICAN Y. C— The American Y. C. has settled on July 7 

 as the date for its sailing regatta on the Sound. 



pg"Ko Notice Taken ol Anonymous GorreapondeBti. 



S. C. wishes address of a Nebraska taxidermist. 



Brooklyn Sportsman.— We do not know the address of the 

 trap maker. 



L, B. A., Princeton.— The New Jersey law does not apply to the 

 species you name. 



J. C. B.— The several barrels of the three-barreled guns shoot 

 as effectively as if they were different arms. 



D. M. T., Mahaony City, Pa.— Fritz, A.K.R 268, is not a cham- 

 pion. Princess Draco II. is registered No. 2,171 A.K.C.S.B. 



C. E. N., Hagerstown, Md.— The partridge and rabbit seasons 

 vary in the different counties of your States, but the latest sea- 

 sons closed Jan. 15. 



J. L. B., Philadelphia.— Will you kindly state the difference be- 

 tween "trap shot" and "chilled shot," as to size, condition of 

 hardness, eic. Ans. The term "trap" relates to size, "chilled" to 

 hardness. Trap shot of a designated number is smaller than 

 other shot of the same number; and may be chilled or soft. 



W. T. R., Ridgeway, Va. — I have a .22-cal. Marlin rifle, rim fire, 

 which I would like to have bored to a .25-cal. Will you please in- 

 form me if it cau be done; if bo, who to send it to to have the 

 change made, and the probable cost. Ans. Yes, it can be done; 

 but would it be more advisable to get a new arm. See our adv. 

 columns for gunsmiths. 



R. B. S.— A few weeks since a pigeon match was shot under the 

 Hurliugbam rules, with an agreement between both parties and 

 50yds. boundary; and within the boundary is situated a club 

 house, left of the traps and a little behind the score. In the 

 course of the shoot a dispute arose over a bird that was shot at 

 and flew into the club house, the doors being open. Not knowing 

 the exaet part of the inside of the building (which is one story) 

 where the bird alighted, the bird was uncovered, and upon ex- 

 amination was found to be dead. Would it in accordance to the 

 Hurlingham rules be pronounced a dead bird? Ans. It was a 

 dead bird. 



G. D. L„ Landis Valley, Pa. -1. What size round ball can be 

 used in .38cal. Marlin to give satisfactory results? 2. Also, how 

 are they to be loaded? 3. In what particular is a Damascus bar- 

 rel superior to a twist barrel? 4. Does the quality of the arms 

 justify a man in paying the difference? 1. Use a ball dropping 

 snugly into the muzzle; reduce charge in proportion to loss of 

 weight in bullet. 2. Use annular cork wads to center the ball. 

 3. It gets a more intimate union of metals and has more strength 

 for the same weight. 4. Yes. The better-priced arms are gener- 

 ally better finished throughout. 



G. W. R., Yale College.— In the second volume of "Shooting" 

 (Badminton Library) is the following statement: "Wild Duck.— 

 The male is properly known as a 'mallard,' the female as a 'duck' 

 or 'wild duck.' " Is this distinction made in America? If not. 

 what fowl is known as the "mallard" and what as the "wild 

 duck?" Also, what is the best scientific work on American fowl? 

 Ans. 1. Trumbull in "Names and Portraits of Birds which In- 

 terest Gunners," gives to Anas hosctoi the names mallard, green. 



head, wild drake, wild duck, common wild duck; and he adds 

 this explanation of the curious name duckinmallard, a term used 

 by Lewis and Clarke: "If the word occurred but once it might 

 be considered a typographical error, but it certainly seems to 

 have been so printed intentionally. Old writers ' commonly 

 referred to this fowl as the 'duck and mallard.' Bartram, 

 for example, in his 'Travels Through North and South Caro- 

 lina,' etc., 1791, speaks of 'the great wild duck, called duck 

 and mallard;' not meaning duck or mallard (though, as pre- 

 viously stated, the single word 'duck' sometimes distinguishes 

 this from all other species) but duck and drake-mallard being de- 

 rivatively male. The above queer name is therefore believed to 

 have grown from this old cusLom." The term wild duck as used 

 in this country commonly applies to no particular variety. 2. 

 The best book is Gordon Trumbull's work alreadv quoted. We 

 can supply it. 



LUNCHING ON SHOE-BLACKING. 



AN effort on the part of the Polar bear to digest a box of 

 French shoe-blacking has aroused a speculative inter 

 est in the minds of the keepers at the Zoo. Nearly all shoe- 

 blacking contains sulphuric acid, as an ingredient which 

 causes the paste to dry and glisten when rubbed with h 

 brush. Although sulphuric acid is sometimes administered 

 in extremely diluted compounds to the diseased human econ- 

 omy, its effect upon the interior of a Polar bear has never 

 been conclusively shown by experiment of absorbing interest. 

 The bear is still living, although from the general way he 

 deports himself there is a suspicion that he wishes he were 

 not living. 



The keepers have found that the blacking was thrown 

 into the cage with a vicious motive by an Italian bootblack 

 who went into the garden to shine shoes contrary to the reg- 

 ulations and was stopped by the keepers. When he left the 

 garden he revenged himself by giving tbe bear the box of 

 blacking. 



The bear worked the box about and finally worked the lid 

 off. Then he smelled it with manifest signs of an appetite, 

 and, feeling quite positive that it was a palatable and delic- 

 ious substance for food, he dug out small chunks and ate 

 them. His eyes snapped with approval, and he was having 

 a regular picnic, when he was discovered and a frantic 

 effort was made by the keepers to dislodge the box from the 

 cage, 



Long bars, sticks and everything else that could be stuck 

 in between the bars were used with dexterity and desperate 

 perseverance until the bear was driven at bay and the mis- 

 chievous box secured. Around the mouth the bear began 

 to resemble a black bear, and his teeth looked as if they had 

 been carbonized. He howled resentfully at the way he had 

 been despoiled of the only delicacy and variety of food be 

 had known during the monotony of this long captivity, A 

 little later on he grew quieter and more serious. He ap- 

 peared to be buried in abstract contemplation. 



Occasionally he would shake himself and throw out an ex- 

 pression from his eye that was very ugly. He grunted and 

 swore— at least he made sounds in an accent, with accom- 

 panying looks and gesture that corresponded closely with 

 an explosion of profanity from the human breast. The keep- 

 ers tried to comfort him, and were filled with anxious soli- 

 citude for his future. He got over it slowly. Now he is 

 considerably better, and on a fair road to recovery. His ex- 

 perience has developed an ineffaceable suspicion that he was 

 betrayed, that he was victimized by a cowardly, degraded 

 and contemptible imposition, and while the. internal fires 

 are fed by this burning consciousness of abuse, it is better 

 to keep away from him. For some time to come patrons of 

 the Zoo will be warned not to approach the Polar bear's 

 cage, and naturalists will find all interesting new channel 

 of research founded upon the chemical combination of vit- 

 riol and carbonized bone with the digestive fluids of a bear. — 

 Philadelphia Telegraph. 



A YANKEE SKIPPER IN FLORIDA. 



KEY WEST, Jan. 16.— Capt. Lane, of the schooner Hat- 

 tie S. Clarke, owned in Gloucester, Mass., was in- 

 dicted by the Grand Jury on the last day of the last term of 

 the Circuit Court, the 11th inst., and is now under bonds to 

 answer the same at the next term. The Times-Union's 

 correspondent called on Capt. Lane at Tift's wharf, and 

 there found him engaged in mending some seines and pre- 

 paring to go out for another haul. Capt. Lane spoke as 

 follows: "Previous to coming down here I fished in Tampa 

 Bay all last winter and sold my fish to merchants in Tampa. 

 Last April I came to Key West for a load of pineapples, and 

 on my way up I ran into several schools of fish which I 

 knew to be Spanish mackerel, and so 1 came down to fish, 

 and fished. Since my arrival here in November I have* 

 shipped several thousand dollars' worth in ice to Tampa 

 and New York." 

 "Captain, how came you to be indicted?" 

 "Well, you see, I don't know; but a certain gentleman 

 came to me and wanted to go into partership with me. Of 

 course, I could not agree, as I am not the owner of the boat, 

 and the crew of ten men are all hired on shore. This gen- 

 tleman then went to the Collector of Customs and reported 

 me, and from what 1 hear it was not the partnership he 

 cared so much for, as he said so to the Collector, but that 

 he wanted to find out how I fished. However, tbe Collector 

 could not do anything for him, as there is no United States 

 law to prevent me from fishing on the Florida coast, nor 

 any State law, unless I fish in the rivers or creeks. I think 

 I have at least as good a right to fish off the coast as the 

 Cubans or Bahamians.', 



"Captain, how do you fish, that you want to keep it a 

 secret?" 



"It is no secret, sir. Why, the children in Gloucester can 

 fish as well as I can. There is my seine (pointing to a huge 

 pile of corks, seines, etc., lying on the deck); it is what fish- 

 ermen call a 'purse' seine. We go along until we see a 

 school of fish, perhaps a quarter of a mile off; then we pre- 

 pare our seine, which is 180 fathoms long, and drop it. the 

 crew taking the dingys, or little boats, and carrying the 

 seine go on each side of the school until they surround it, 

 the seine in the meantime forming a purse, which incloses 

 the fish. This is how we catch them. 



This is how the Yankee fisherman does his hauling, while 

 the Key West fishermen go out in little boats with hook and 

 line (as a boy would on a river bank to catch a trout), and fish 

 from dawn to dark, catching a few hundred, which are sold 

 here, and oftentimes one cannot find a mackerel in the mar- 

 ket, although the gulf is teeming with millions. No doubt 

 if they only had the appliances, and knew how to use them, 

 the amount realized from the fisheries of Key West would 

 equal those of the Chesapeake Bay or New England, and, 

 instead of being only §40,000 or §50,000 per annum, would be 

 at least a couple of millions, as is evidenced by the success 

 of this now indicted Yankee fisherman. — Jacksonville (Fin.) 

 Times-Union. 



Honored With a Medal.— Charley Crew, a Marion, 

 Ohio, jeweler, has completed a medal which is to be given 

 to Ira Williams. Mr. Williams is the farmer who had the 

 following sign posted on his farm regarding hunting; 

 "Hunt all you please, and when the bell rings come in to 

 dinner." 



Forest and Stream, Box 2.832, N. Y. city, has descriptive illus- 

 trated circulars of W. B. Leffingwell's book, " Wild Fowl Shoot- 

 ing," which will be mailed free on request. The book is prc- 



, nouDced by "Nanit," "Gloan," "Dick Swiveller " "Sybillene" and 

 other competent authorities to be the best treatise on the subject 



j extant. 



Bbbcham's Pills cure sick headache,— A.dv. 



