March St, 1890.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



— - — — — , *. 



181 



could only count up to five, in tact, bis entire knowledge of Eng- 

 lish was limited to these words: which he made to answer for 

 everything. This was very puzzling to me at first, hut Anally I 

 caught his drift and fell into a hearty fit of laughter in which 

 both he and the old lady joined with a will; though they had not 

 the slightest idea of what I was laughing at. This was all we had 

 in common, conversation having failed entirely, and at every re- 

 mark that anvbody made thereafterwe all fell to roaring, the old 

 gentleman doing his share in no mean fashion. 



While thus engaged the woman asked me something which I 

 took to mean, "Will you have some nice fresh eggs cooked?" 

 Making a point of always accepting such offers, and forgetting 

 that I had brought with me some bad eggs purchased near Mon- 

 treal. I gave a hearty "Oui. s'il vous plait." Now* these very 

 eggs I had boiled and parboiled for an hour at mv fire last night, 

 partly for pastime and partly in hopes that thev would keep 

 longer in t hat condition, and bad brought them with me here ex- 

 pecting to subsist on them should nothing better turnup. Sud- 

 denly I beard a clip, then an exclamation of surprise from Madame 

 and, on turning round beheld her nose elevated in a supereili<"is 

 manner ahove an egg which she had chopped in two overafrv- 

 Ine pan. It was as hard as a rock, so nSthing fell out but an in- 

 tolerably bad odor. This tickled the old man fairly intra fits, 

 while I began apologizing for my apparent rudeness, the woman 

 doubtless imagining that I was perpetrating a practical joke. 

 The mistake came from my misunderstanding her speech, as she 

 had really asked me whether I would be pleased to have her cook 

 some of my eggs, as it turned out afterward. However, wo 

 smoothed it all over by pantomime and sundry smirks, where- 

 upon she brought out some more recent spec imeus of "des coufs," 

 enjoying the mistake as well as the rest of us. 



I was quite chagrined at not beine able to converse with them, 

 as they were old settlers, iind I desired some information about 

 the country. I was slowlv picking up a little of the lingo, hut 

 could mention only my ordinary needs, connected conversation 

 being impossible. Lea ving these good people at 9 P. M., I pushed 

 on about a mile further, rowing exactly 40 miles for the whole 

 day. I tied up to a dead balsam tree that had fallen into the river, 

 then fixed my boat snugly for the night, t ying a poncho Over the 

 well to exclude the dew and rolled up in mvthre blankets, and 

 hy 10 o'clock was journeying in the laud of dreams. 



Richelieu River, Sahirdan, Oct. 11.— A steamer passing in the 

 night gave me a little tossing, but that was the only disturbance. 

 Having dressed and packed up, I rowed on at 6:15 to the first 

 house that should come in sight, where a btix<mi dark-eyed girl 

 was tending to the cottage, as the old lady wa3 sick. I did not 

 object to this, however, the change suiting me nicely; I never 

 saw any one who could catch an idea quicker than this young 

 lady, as she understood about all that I said to her. She cooked 

 eggs and potatoes for me while I made some tea, and a fine break- 

 fast was the result, though she made much fun over my tea. 



I am pit kine up the Ftench gradually, hut when I remarked 

 "les rameaux" (oars) to show mv fair hostess what I was doing, 

 going through the motions of rowing at the same time to make it 

 more explicit, she laughed heartily, as several others bad done 

 before. This was puzzling at lirst, but it transpired subsequently 

 that I had been pronouncing I he words "rats mort," or in their 

 patois, "dead rats." At such a discovery I sat down in petrified 

 amazement, and on recalling the many times I had used the ex- 

 pression, endeavoring to make a good effect, I relapsed into a 

 state of profound melancholy. The roars of laughter or blank 

 stares of astonishmeut resulting always after hearing the above- 

 all was now explained. At breakfast a farmer sat down with 

 me, but ate nothing except hug* chunks of dry bread and raw 

 pork, one dainty in either fist. 



I got off at 8:30, being delayed half an hour on account of my 

 efforts to converse with my friend the damsel. A very strong 

 head wind prevailed from the south, which, on the long stretches 

 of the river, made a disagreeable little chop to row in, and caused 

 the boat to pound in an unpleasant manner. During the morn- 

 ing I passed the towns of St. Denis, six miles from St. Ours; St. 

 Rock, St. Antoine and St. Marks. Every house along the river 

 had, near the shore, a large iron pot hung on a tripod, and a little 

 platform consisting of two cart wheels and two or three boards 

 extending out into the water, for washing purposes; the clothes 

 thus cleansed being afterward huug on the hushes to dry. 1 wit- 

 nessed this process more than once, and was considerably inter- 

 ested to see the fair dames thus engaged; who, with short skirts 

 and hare arms, hually plied their Industry, with hut a passing 

 glance at the passing voyageur. After this J vote unanimously 

 for the Richelieu laundry. 



Several sloops and small schooners, and a steamer or two, went 

 down the stream, all looking much out of place, the river being 

 so small, never more than a quarter of a mile across, while at 

 many places one could almost have thrown a stone from one. 

 hank to the other. Some of the boats have large squar-sails, 

 which add much to the foreign aspect of the country. Quaint 

 old windmills were in full blast, and manv crosses, of all kinds, 

 sizes and styles of decoration had been erected around about the 

 fields. The very swell ones generally have a tin rooster on top, 

 though sometimes the cross consists of two rough sticks or 

 branches, others being most elaborate in design I passed two 

 small islands and some beds of eel grass, which latter I had not 

 seen for a great while. 



About the middle of the morning I observed some mountains, 

 the Beloeil range, several miles away. The wind was exceedinglv 

 strong, interfering sadly with my progress. The people along the 

 Way continued to be very curious, and would pause at their work 

 as the boat passed, hut all were respectful. I did not have a stn- 

 gie invitation to "come out o' that and have a bead put on yer." a 

 frequent request in our free and independent States. The peas- 

 ants all wore moccasins < r sabots, and some bucksMn breeches. 

 This morning my eggs were cooked by an hour glass, clocks 

 there were none. 



A great many cows, horses, sheep, calves, pigs, dogs and cats, 

 besides turkeys, chickens, geese and dueks were wandering alone 

 the pretty shores, and I amused myself trying to imitate their 

 several peculiar noises, with much success, at one time causing a 

 stampede up a steep bank of a herd of cattle which were drink- 

 ing. The gale being severe, on two occasions I did not make over 

 154 miles per hour in its face, and never over 4 miles per hour, 

 though pulling steadily. 



At 1:30 P.M., 14 miles from my breakfast station, I stopped near 

 a very neat farmhouse, prettily situated in a grove. There were 

 four young women in the well-stocked kiteheh, busily employed 

 in putting up something all bloody, which brought out the white 

 skin of their arms to perfection.. They all had a merry time over 

 my French, (hough 1 took care not to say anything about "rats 

 mort" again, being anxious ro make a good impression. I procured 

 here some lamp oil, bread, butter, apples, etc., and the prettiest 

 of the "fommes" aided me in making my tea, which I was con- 

 verting into a wnefnl mess, being unused to cooking at a stove. 

 They pretended for some time not to comprehend my discourse, 

 and seemed to enjoy the Joke exquisitely. 



Tying up near the bank beyond I made a glorious dinner of 

 canned turkey, cheese, pie, milk and canned peaches, starting on 

 again at 3 o'clock. Just above this spot the river branches around 

 a large island, and the view to the north is very fine. The island 

 and much of the country around was covered with noble wood- 

 land, the changing foliage making a landscape of peculiar beauty. 

 About the middle of the morning J had entered a veritable 

 "Acadia" called Acadie, and a romantic and rural region it is. 

 Some more sloops, laden with ruddy Faineuse apples, were sail- 

 ing along with the wind, and in an hour more I was opposite St. 

 Hilaire, a pretty village on the river and nestling at the foot of 

 the Beloeil Mountains, which, towering above the place, covered 

 with dense forests and presenting a precipitous front, convert 

 this Bpot into oneof the most attractive placeslhave. ever beheld. 



The range consists of three peaks or separate mountains, closely 

 joined together and very high. There was much pine and hard 

 timber on them, and their huge masses of rock contrasted 

 strongly with the bright hues of the maple, birch and other trees 

 on their broad sides. The views on all sides were perfectly lovely; 

 the quiet river meandering through the scene, with elms hanging 

 over its sunny banks; further back, verdant meadows and fine 

 groves of trees dispersed here and there, all combined to make a 

 picture of rare effect, the aspect of the beetling Beloeil range 

 being in harmonious contrast with the quiet and peaceful land- 

 scape below. 



One mile above St. Hilaire a railroad bridge crosses the Riche- 

 lieu, the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, the only one which 

 disturbs this country, running east and west. The river here is 

 narrow and the current runs swiftly through between the piers of 

 the bridge. A kind of water gate and bulwark, to ward off the 

 current, have heen constructed for the use of vessels. Just before 

 reaching the bridge a large sidewheel steamer with passengers on 

 hoard went, by me. From this point the rivCr turns from south to 

 southwest. On the east side, adding beauty to the scenery, are 

 short ranges of hills; while ten miles distant to the west are seen 

 some mountains called the St. Hilaire range. On the west bank 

 stood a fine large granite house, with curious roof and shutters, 

 peculiarly French and of massive proportions: doubtless the resi- 

 dence of some wealthy parson, who preserved the quiet of Acadia 

 to the uoisy world outside. 



i >Darkness fell shortly, followiug an ominous sunset. After 

 dark, hut before I lit my light, I came in unpleasant proximity to 

 a barge with a huge square sail, which, lootoing up suddenly, was 



bearing directly down on me from behind, and approaching rap- 

 idly but noiselessly. It was quite startling, as I got away from 

 her how just in time, the yard of her sail swinging over my head. 

 There was no light on the boat save one in the sternsheets, where 

 it could do little good. The wind, which had been troublesome 

 all along, now blew stronger, but I rowed without; halt from 3 

 to 7:30 P. M., and harder than usual, as there was quite a current 

 against mo in addition. 



About (1 o'clock I arrived at a place where the river widened out 

 iuio a broad lake, three miles across and nearly round, which 

 they call Ohambly Basin. I pulled for some lights which I judged 

 were the canal locks, though it was impossible to tell with cer- 

 tainty. The wind blew up a sea hero which wet me a little and 

 made rowing doubly hard. It seemed a groat while before I 

 reached Chambly town, but on gaining the entrance to the canal 

 I ate some bread, milk and canned peaches, glad of a rest after 

 bein«* six hours in the boat. Made 16 miles this afternoon, mak- 

 ing 30 for the day's rowiug, which is the best for some time, as the 

 obstacles were great. These distances were obtained from the 

 collector here. 



Putting the boat away I went to the Hotel Bellevue, a brick 

 house, large and quite neat, in the French quarter and near the 

 canal. The landlord was drunk, but still I preferred his roof to 

 the prospect of a rainy uight outdoors. I played for a while on a 

 curious French piano before retiring. The journey from Montreal 

 has taken but 2}4 days, 90 miles; Chambly being due east from 

 that city is but 20 miles distant, by land. It contains about 4,000 

 people, living in two distinct quarters, English and French. 



Rlcliclinu River, Oct. 12, Sunday. —It rained hard in the night, 

 and the morning was dark and lowering. Anico view of Chambly 

 Basin is had from the rear of the hotel. I got an old fellow named 

 fSchaffer, with a funny wagon and a chunky little Canadian 

 horse, to cart me around the locks, which are not opened on Sun- 

 day. There are eight of these in one mile, and three opening into 

 each other at first. The total elevation is Tal'f., and each lock is 

 110x86ft. We got off and tramped down the canal at 9:15 in a 

 sticky mud of peculiar adhesiveness. Bidding farewell to friend 

 Schaffor and his pony, beside two or three lads of rough but court- 

 eous demeanor at the last lock, I rowed d iwn the quiet water 18 

 miles to St. Johns, there being but one level. 



The day had a Sabbath stillness, and it cleared off in the course 

 of the morning. I had the canal all to myself, and saw only a few 

 people driving by. The French-Canadian way of making a horse 

 go is to say with great rapidity, "Allons done!" which moans 

 literally in "American" Gee up, donkl I halted but once in the 

 canal to view a fine piece of scenery where the Richelieu, broad, 

 shallow and full of rocks, wound about through the hills in a suc- 

 cession of rapids. About half way to St, Johns the canal widened 

 out, with pretty shores and some woodland. Here I saw also a 

 lone mountain, seven miles distant across the Richelieu to the 

 eastward. 



At, the end of the level I carried around the uiuth lock, the last 

 one, and in a quarter of a mile more rowed into St. Johns, arriv- 

 ing at 11:30. Across the river from St. Johns is St. Athanase, a 

 smalltown. When inquiring along the wharves for a hotel I ac- 

 cidentally met three gentlemen, owners of yachts, who gave me 

 much information, besides introducing me to the collector of 

 the port, who imparted instructions about my pass, clearance, 

 etc , this being my last Cauadian port. I dined at 1 P. M. at the 

 Windsor Hotel, a small, but neat house, waited on by a little 

 black-eyed French girl, which was exceedingly pleasant. She 

 vanished abruptly toward the close of the feast, when, summoning 

 up all the French at my command, I said, "Vous etc la plus 

 belle petite femme." 



After dining I played a few hymns on the piano in the parlor, 

 among them Rubenstein's melody in F. A young man with a 

 black moustache was sitting in the room listening to me, and 

 after I had finished he asked me what that selection was. I then 

 requested him to play, to wlib'h he replied that he was an organ- 

 ist in town and did not handle the piano well. After some persua- 

 sion he sat down, and pulling out Mendelsohn's ' March of the 

 Priests," from " Athalie," rendered it very agreeably. Afterward 

 he followed me to the boat and we parted mutually well pleased, 

 the forerunner of a subsequent strange coincidence. 



St. Johns is a quaint old place, with a population of 5,000 people. 

 I left at 3. and passing under a drawbridge entered the widened 

 part of the river. The country beyond was quite flat and wooded 

 on all sides. The river, for 5 miles only as wide as the Schuyl- 

 kill, afterward became over a mile across and had much the 

 appearance of a long lake. It is a splendid feeding ground for 

 ducks, some parts of the shore being swampy, with reeds and 

 grass growing out of the water, and I saw numbers of them. For 

 some distance the shores wound in and out in graceful curvt s, 

 with pretty beaches, the woods continuing in an unbroken line to 

 the water's edge. The reflection of the foliage, brilliant with 

 color, was a lovely sight, and the place resembled a veritable 

 paradise. One could see six or seven miles up or down the river 

 at a stretch. 



Just where it widened out appeared a small lighthouse, built on 

 a sandy reef, and three miles further on I stopped in a bay, and 

 after walking half a mile to a farmhouse, the first seen since 

 leaving St. Johns, got some milk and bread of a very nice family 

 of French Canadians, and, returning to tne boat in company with 

 two young colts, pushed off after wading a hundred yards in the 

 shallow water to float the boat. There were two or three parties 

 of men, with a large yacht or two, camping on the shore with the 

 evident intention of waging war on the ducks. At 6 P. M. I 

 passed the little village of La Colle, on the west bank. Here the 

 river turns again southwest, having been due south from Cham- 

 bly. There was wild and long extent of water from this place, 

 the shores of which were wild and heavily wooded. 



Darkness came on at 6, and as I rowed by the peaceful little 

 village the Angelus was ringing, the tolling bell sounding sweetly 

 over the water. All else was still as death, and the scene was an 

 impressive one. Beyond La Colle I had great difficulty iu keep- 

 ing on the direct course, the river being wide with a great many 

 islands dotting its surface, while the uight was inky dark, it 

 having clouded up again. AU that I could discern was the dark 

 line of the forest, and even then I could not determine whether it 

 was half a mile or t wo miles distant. Meeting a Frenchman row- 

 ing in a skiff, I found more difficulty in understanding him than 

 the navigation. The sound of his oars could be heard a great 

 while before he passed, and it seemed at first as if there was a 

 phantom off in the dark, always keeping a certain distance 

 ahead. 



Later on I nearly collided with a barge coming along with a 

 barge coming along with a gentle breeze. It, too. had a square- 

 sail, and was full of Fameuse apples. In the gloom I did not see 

 its approach until within a few yards, though the rich perfume 

 from the apples had been perceptible for some time. The oppor- 

 tunity was not wasted, or the apples either, for the skipper threw 

 down all I could cat for two days. They are a delicious lutle 

 fruit, called in Philadelphia "Canadian Spitz." 



From this point I steered my course for a lighthouse S miles 

 distant, whose light shone brightly, and at 7 stopped at a point 

 to eat some bread, milk and jam, beaching the boat on a sandy 

 shoal. While discussing supper, a largo animal camo through the 

 brush, doubtless confused by my lamp. I could see nothi r g out a 

 pair of bright eyes, which disappeared after a time. I was greatl » 

 tempted to fire at them. It was a wild spot, and reminded me of 

 some out-of-the-way lake in the North Woods. 



Beyond the lighthouse I passed under a curious drawbridge 

 across the river, which was here much narrower, and one mile 

 beyond this I tied up at 9 P, M. on the west shore in a aout 4in. of 

 water with a sandy bottom. O vis made it lively during the night, 

 calling to each other across tne Richelieu. This, is my last night 

 in Canada. I have rowed 30 miles to- >ay and carried one m'le, 31 

 miles in all. A dog came down to the edge of the water. 50yds. 

 from me, and evinced his displeasure by sundry growls. Tnis in- 

 dicated the proximity of a house, however, and I was glad to hear 

 from him. M. B. 



Philadelphia, Pa. 



THE CENTRAL DIVISION MEET. -The following circular 

 has been sent out to members. The Executive Committee 

 of the Central Division of the A. C. A. desire to announce 

 that they have decided to have a division meet at Lake Chautau- 

 qua, N. Y., commencing on July 17 and lasting until July 15. In- 

 formation as to the camp site, transportation, accommodations, 

 etc., will be furnished to any canoeist upon application to the 

 purser. This lake is familiar to many members of the A. C. A, 

 It is admirably suited for a meet, not only on account of the 

 nature of the lake itself, but also for the reason that it is centrally 

 located and is in direct connection by railroad with all parts of 

 the United States —James K. Rakkwell, Parser Central Division, 

 A. C. A. 



HULL Y. C.-At a meeting on March 11 the Hull Y. C. made an 

 important change in the club (lag, the yellow ground being re- 

 placed hy a red one, and the black bars by blue. The change is a 

 great improvement, as the combination of yellow and black was 

 about as displeasing to the eye as any in the list. Tne correspond - 

 rag alteration of the officers' pennants was left to the discretion 

 of officers. The club is endeavoring to have a spindle placed ou 

 Seal Rock, and a tuition to that effect has oeeu seat to the Light- 

 house Board. 



THE LOG OF THE ESPERANCE. 



a cruise vs a canvas boat. 



AS the subject of folding canvas boats has excited some interest 

 among our readers, we reproduce the following account of 

 the cruise made by Dr. C. M. Douglas last summer, from the Field 

 of March 1. Dr. Douglas, who is known to all cambists as well as 

 to the readers of the Forest and Stream as a cruiser and boat- 

 ing man of long and varied experience, is the inventor of the boat 

 bearing his name. Some time since we ordered from Mr. J. Z. 

 Rogers, of the Ontario Canoe Company, a smaller boat than had 

 yet been built, only 7ft. long and 3ft. beam. This diminutive 

 craft weighs but.Salhs., and folds rnto a bundle- 7ft, long and about 

 Gin. thick, which with tne small oars or a_ paddle, may be carried 

 in a shawl strap or over the shoulder. We have taken it easily 

 on a horse car, unfolding it when the water was reached and 

 being afloat, in two minutes. As to its capacity, it will safely 

 carry two men and some weight in addition in calm water, though 

 of course the length cau=es some crowding of the extremities. 

 One man can row or paddle it in quite rough water, th" former 

 being preferable on accouut of the proportion of beam to length 

 being so nearly that of a washbowl that the boat can be spun 

 round on her keel by a single vigorous stroke of the paddle. 

 Under oars she will easily keep a straight course. She has proved 

 very strong and durable, standing all kinds of hard knocks. Dr. 

 Douglas's story of his cruise is as follows: 



How a coRapsible, or, as they are called on this side of the 

 Atlantic, folding boat, behaved on a coasting cruise between New 

 York and Boston, may, perhaps, interest some of your boating 

 readers. 



The Esperance is a skiff, built after a modification of the well- 

 known Rerthon boat. This modification was designed and 

 patented by me in Canada and the United States some > ears ago. 

 The many hinges which form a prominent feature of the Rerthon 

 boat are done away with; in their place strong ribs are used to 

 expand the boat and keep it in shape, the skin or covering is of 

 single canvas, stiffened by longitudinal battens. The ribs are 

 kept in position by blocks on the kelson, and by staples which fit 

 into notches in the flooring boards. By removing the latter and 

 knocking the ribs toward the center of the boat, it can be col- 

 lapsed in a momem, and it can be set up in about the same space 

 of time as a Berthon boat (one or two minutes). 



By this method of construction, a light and shapely single skin 

 boat can be built, the model of which will compare f a r . orably with 

 a wooden b"at of the same dimensions. When the ri bs are in 

 their places it seems almost impossible to collapse the boat with- 

 out breaking It. During the Riel emeute in the N. W. of Canada 

 in 1885, one of these boats was lying on the guard of a river steam- 

 boat, when another larger steamer collided with it and the boat 

 was caught between them at the point of contact; even under 

 these circumstances it did not collapse; the ribs were broken and 

 the broken ends forced through Ihe canvas skin; but by substitut- 

 ing barrel hoops for the broken ribs (it was a small canoe) and 

 sewing up the rents in the canvas, the boat was made serviceable 

 again. The drawbacks to a double skin boat are, the extra weight 

 the inside lining involves, and also the annoyance caused when 

 leakage occurs hetweeu the skins, for the canvas siding with 

 wooden bends will sometimes leak when left exposed to a hot and 

 dry atmosphere, though it swells up very quickly when put in 

 water; it is then impossible to get the water out without collaps- 

 ing the boat, which it is often troublesome to do. In the event of 

 the canvas being torn or injured, a single skin is also easier to 

 repair. To give safety in case of accident, collapsible air cham- 

 bers are fitted fore and aft, which are removable at pleasure, so 

 that their efficiency can always be ascertained, and they can be 

 left behind when they are not likely to be required. 



I may remark that the danger of a canvas boat being accident- 

 ally injured hy striking against anything iu the water seems to 

 be much exaggerated, as for as my experience goes. I have used 

 canvas boats habitually for the last, fifteen years in different 

 parts of the world— in Nova Scotia, in England. India, Ontario 

 and the northwest of Cmada— and haye grounded on rocks and 

 snags, a great many times, but have never hud the canvas skin of 

 nay boat torn once when navigating it. I use moderately thick 

 sail-cloth, protected hy outside battens or bilge pieces. 'Never- 

 theless, in a canvas boat of anv size, air- tight compartments are 

 no doubt a great safeguard, like the revolver which it is consid- 

 ered advisable to carry in Texas; you may not require them, but 

 if you do want them you want them bad. It would be more in- 

 teresting to know if the canvas "curraghs," wmch are so much 

 used on the west coast of Ireland (boats of from 18ft. to 22ft. long, 

 and 3Wft. or 4ft. wide), are often injured by beaching, etc. Unless 

 I am very much mistaken, they are very safe, bouyant boats; 

 much of t his is no doubt due to their model, but the lightness of 

 the material Of which they are constructed is also an important 

 element. 



To return to the Esperance. Her dimensions are: Length, 17ft; 

 widt h, 3ft. 6in.; depth amidships, 17in.;26in. at stem, 22in. at stern'. 

 She has a 3in. keel to enable her to take advantage of a side, wind, 

 and is propelled by a pair of sculls or a standing hlgsail when the 

 wind serves. It was July 4, a dull lowering morning, when I 

 launched my boat from a float at the mouth of Spuyten Duyvil 

 Creek, when it debouches into the Hudson River, just opposite 

 the Palisades. This muddy estuary, which becomes the Harlem 

 River a little further to the soufheas', is now being converted 

 into a ship canal, so that vessels proceeding from the north to the 

 eastward aud vice versa will be able to cross from the Hudson to 

 Long Island Sound, and so save the long detour through the 

 crowded waters on each side of the city. The tide and wind were, 

 both against me as I sculled slowly down the Hudson; although 

 the left bank was the city of New York, the wooded hills sloping 

 down to the river gave no evidence of being part of that great 

 human hive. After I had accomplished about four miles, how- 

 ever, warehouses aud factories began to appear, and the busy city 

 loomed through the haze. ' 



Finding I made slow progress, I put imo a neighboring canoe 

 club house to wait till the tide turned. Here was a solitary mem- 

 ber celebrating the national holiday by "monkeying" at his canoe, 

 who gave me a hospitable reception. After I had been intbe club 

 house about half an hour, a heavy squall of wind and rain got np, 

 and I was glad to haul the Esperance. on to the float and carry my 

 lading under shelter. The rain came down wiih tropical severity; 

 but even this could not extinguish the. small boys' firecracker, the 

 noise of which rose superior to the elements. Finding there was 

 no prospect of the weather clearing. I returned to the friend's 

 house I had left in the morning, and took a fresh departure next 

 day. This was under much more favorable auspices. In the 

 early morning, with a fair wind and tide, I sailed slowly down 

 the river, and tfie Esperance was soon bobhing about in the swell 

 of the numerous ferryboats carrying their thousands of passeu- 

 gers to their daily toil iu the city. After I had run the gauntlet of 

 these, successfully, though. not without some apprehension of being 

 run down or swamped, 1 reached the comparatively quiet waters 

 of the bay, a run across which brought me to Staten Island, and 

 thence across the Narrows to Bay Ridge, where there is a shel- 

 tered anchorage much frequented by yachts. Here I landed and 

 replenished my slender stores. Though my patriotism is of a 

 eolo less aud nondescript variety —the English Canadian— Ievoked 

 qint'. an unexpected hurst of the national characteristic from 

 the steward of the neighboring yacht club by asking if he had 

 heard anything of the Valkyrie's proposed or expected trip across 

 the Atlantic. "What was the use of their sending yachts over to 

 be beaten? Weren't they always heaten?" aud so on. Then he 

 gave me some useful information about my projected ctuise, and 

 I looked at the various 3 r achts which were lying in the dock. 

 Certainly, in respect to seaworthiness and comfort, immense 

 strides have been made in American yachts, the old skimming- 

 d'sh centerboard type is becoming a thing of the past, and the 

 d ep keel or deep centerooard seems to bo firmly established for 

 cruising or racing. 



Toward evening I began to think of continuing my journey 

 with the rising fide. Finding the ebh lusted longer than I ex- 

 pected, I laid down in my boat and slept for a few hours. About 

 half-past eleven I woke just as tne moon was setting, and, getting 

 out of the dock, the Esperance was on the back of a strong flood, 

 which, with the help of my sculls, soon carried me up to New 

 York. Of course a big city never sleeps, hut I was scarcely pre- 

 pared to find as much wakefulness on and near the river be- 

 tween twelve and one A. M. Vessels were being loaded and un- 

 loaded, a tug with a tow surged out of the darkness underneath 

 Brooklyn suspension bridge and nearly ran me down, terries were 

 crossing, and the noise of workmen wa* heard in the lighted ware- 

 houses near the wharves. I would recommend anv one in search 

 of anew experience to row or paddle a. small craft past a big city 

 at midnight; it has a weird and curious effect. The day was 

 breaking as I passed Ward's Island and through the once formi- 

 dable Hell Gate. The removal of the rocks which once barred 

 the channel at this point has robbed this passage of its terrors, 

 and it can now be passed at any time of the tide almost. A short 

 distance below Hell Gate I overtook the ebb tide, and continued 

 on down the Sound, which now widened out till the opposite shore 

 of Long Island disappeared from view. At norm I pasted the 

 mouth of a bay or creek, where a fle«t of yachts were gathered, 

 aud watched them start on a race, which must have heeu a flaky 

 one, as the wind died away to a calm, with occasional cats paws 

 from the sea. ft was three o'clock before 1 reached a yacht club 

 Where I could leave my skiff, as I wished to retuiin to the city for 



