2^0 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[April 3, 1890. 



from a terrible hallucination, than was in the power of the 

 greatest medical expert. 



I will pass over the next few weary days ; all we had to do was 

 to renew the chafing gear when necessary. To onr surprise the 

 creek wa,« alive with black backed perch and rock ; thev were so 

 thick that we could turn them up out of the water with the blade 

 of an oar. Being hungry for fish, we improvised a hoop net out 

 of some wire rigging and old matting, and bailed the fish out of 

 the creek as you would wattr out of a boat. The ducks were 

 driven completely oft' the buy and were obliged to fake shelter in 

 the inland ponds and streams, where many were killed with 

 sticks and stones. 



Daring Ihe storm we lived high, being well supplied with 

 oysters and game. However, salt pork and "lobseouse" were now 

 Doc's favorite dishes, especially after prolonged exercise. The 

 great showman never had as happy a family as ours. 



Oct. 16 was a cold, frosty morning. Doc and I were at the pond 

 by daylight, the birds returning to their old feeding grounds. He 

 is no longer unsteady as he looks along his gun barrels, and woe 

 be to the bird that comes within range. When I miss, he smiles, 

 and begs me 10 send the cook with him in my place. We have all 

 got to liking him he is so changed. Becoming tired of slaughter- 

 ing ducks, we long to be away, but the mouth of the creek is 

 sanded and choked up and we must wait until the outer water 

 flow washes it away. Every ebb tide we stir up the sand with 

 oars and poles, and the water deepens. 



Oct. 17. We have, made our escape and are now bowling along 

 with a close hauled wind for Delaware breakwater. Doc is in- 

 specting a Couple of geese he killed the evening before while 

 strolling along tbrt beach hunting for shells and other curiosities 

 thrown uu, ot which he has a bushel. Anchored under the 

 '• Stone Pile " at 3 P. M. 



Oct. 18.— Secured two barrels, packed our game, shipped it and 

 wrote home. Wired Dr. W.. "Doc has gained 181bB, of solid fat." 



Oct. 19.— Blowing hard N.W. Not a vessel iu harbor has moved 

 to-day. ;'0,h. wind still strong and sea running high, some dan- 

 ger of vessels going on the beach. 21st, no let up as vet, still lying 

 close to the Stone Pile with heavy cable a' bore. 22d, some chance 

 of a shift, of wind, weal her moderating, but all hands kept their 

 ground tackle down. 23d, a fine morning, wind doe south and air 

 balmy, most of the fleet getting under way, especially those bound 

 up the coast. Still quite a roll outside, but we are going through 

 the water at a rapid rate with lower sails set, bound for Cape 

 May. Anchor off steamboa t landing at point of Cape May and go 

 on shore. Yacht laid across tide and rolled badly. Made'sail and 

 ran around in front of the town, and then stood over for Henlopen 

 with the last of the ebb tide. Came to at our old quarters at the 

 Stone Pile. 



Oct. 24.— Wind S. W., made sail and ran down the coast to 

 Rehobeth (Indian River), but as the wind was freshening, ran 

 back to the Breakwater, another delightful sail. Doc steers a 

 pretty good stick now. In fact, he would do all the work if we 

 would let him. He superintends the cooking, and when Jack is 

 busy helps him. 1 believe he is the strongest man board ship, and 

 most obliging. It is hard to realize he was almost a skeleton 

 scarc ely a fortnight ago. 



Oct. 25.— Another nice morning. Witd west, air crisp. Off for 

 SI augn lev Creek beach. While at Lewes we made the acquaint- 

 ance of a farmer living on Slaughter Creek. He gave us a kind 

 invite to shoot over his place (we were armed with the. necessary 

 legal documents), and offered also the use of his dogs. We had to 

 sail around for some hours waiting for the tide to rise sufficiently 

 to get in. 26th, weather fine, with a cold N.W. wind. Pulled up 

 to the. farm house in the skiff. Tne old gent was glad to see us 

 and introduced us 10 his family. Madame is a hue looking hearty 

 old lad v, and her two grown up daughters are very like her. The 

 sixteen-) ear-old boy is more of the lather's build, and with plenty 

 of go in him. 



We spent five happy days with these kind, hospitable people, 

 and regretted to leave. On the second day we took the family out 

 sailing down around the Breakwater and back. They were 

 all delighted, especially the boy. The old colored women left in 

 charge, of the house had a grand supper for us on our return. 

 Doc (tatters himself that our set out board ship wasn't so bad, 

 our cool; being highly complimented bv the ladies. 



Nov. 1.— Wind light southeast. Had kedged out of the creek and 

 lay at short cable with mainsail set, when our friend the farmer 

 came on board iu a dugout , with a goodly supply of homemade 

 bread, pics and fresh milK. Our cow by this time had nearly run 

 dry. For Ave days we cruised about, calling at Salem and about 

 Bombay Hook. 



Nov. 6.— Wind northeast and blowing a fret close reefed, boarded 

 boats and secured everything on deck. Fetched up to New Cas- 

 tle without a back hank. Encountered a heavy sea. wind blow- 

 ing directly down northeast reach, which extends up the bay to 

 the hook. There is no sneak ing or dodging t he rough water here. 

 Once or twice our ship showed the wnite feather and would 

 have turned tail to, but we wouldn't have it that way. "Isn't 

 this perfectly grand," said Doc. Just then a puff wafted his sou'- 

 wester into the seething waters. The ducker went next, and Doc 

 would have followed her but for the slack of the leeward jib 

 sheets which he held on to with grim energy. We had just gone 

 around off shore at Deep Water Point when this occured and she 

 got, a knock down before recovering her way. It was a long time 

 before, with a great deal of trouble and danger, we succeeded m 

 capturing the truant skiff. As we could not reach Cooper's Point 

 that night, concluded to run into Wilmington Creek. 



Nov. 7. — Wind northeast and blowing harder than the day before. 

 Doc said he had the mumps and was all broken up. Up to 12 M. 

 had only seen one vessel under way, an oyster schooner close 

 reefed and she was wallowing through the heavy sea and making 

 little progress, so we concluded to ruu up to Wilmington. 



Nov. 8.— Will this nort heaster never let up? Got under way and 

 came to under the light at the mouth of Ihe creek. .Nothing 

 showing cotton to-day. 



Nov. 0.— Whew, ho w it snorted, nothing under way except vessels 

 outward bound, still made up our minds to take a hack at it and 

 fouud it the worst water to open on the trip. At times it was 

 only by careful nut sing the sheets we were able to make the little 

 ship face the music. Tne mainsail was wet to the peak and the 

 sea had a nasty fashion of sweeping the deck. Doc's face wore a 

 grave expression, and when an unusual heavy sea came aboard, 

 he clappsd a down haul on his brows and took a hitch. Ran in 

 under the hook for smoother water, to take breath and pump 

 ship, for the water was up to the cabin floor. The wind had 

 hauled moTe to the northward and was gradually decreasing, save 

 when a wicked one saluted as a reminder the northeaster was not 

 dead yet. 



At Chester the wind was north, growing weaker and water 

 smoother. Shook out reefs at Fort Mifflin and made better 

 progress. Stretched in close to Gloucester and hove to, having 

 been signaled from shore. Doctor W. came on board in a row- 

 boat, which he sent back with the owner. We had written the 

 Doctor f lorn Salem, and so he headed us off. The first remark lie 

 made was, ''You fellows look like a set of toughs." "Yes," replied 

 Doc, "you big over-grown heathen, and if you will step up here 

 on the cabin top I prove to your satisfaction that—" "Medicine 

 chests and doctors are no good," added the Doctor quizzically. 

 Then turning to Harry and Jack, "How many times have you 

 sera lied the barnacles off this sea monster?" 



Had a rattling sail through the wind's eye to our home moor- 

 ings, which the Doctor enjoyed very much. Alter takiug a short 

 spin around the point, to stretch our legs and do a little hand- 

 suf king on our home coming and return to civilized life. Doctor 

 W. left u.-, promising to see us in the morning. Went on board 

 and turned in early, for to-morrow will be the hardest work of 

 our trip. 



Nov. 10.— Up with the sun as usual. The wind appeared to be 

 down the mast; no matter, we have no further use for it now. 

 Now it is old memories coming knocking at the door of our brain. 

 When sixteen years old I made my first cruise in a sloop-r:gged 

 skiff 9ft . long on the keel, 13ft, over all and 4ft. beam, through the 

 (then to me) unknown waters of the Delaware River and Bay, to 

 Cape Henlopen, Cape May and return, a distance of 213 miles. 

 During the half century since I nave made one or more cruises 

 every consecutive year. Many of them were ripe with interesting 

 detail and stirring events. But the one just brought to a close is 

 more deserving of notice from the fact, that a valuable life has 

 been saved. From the first the very helplessness of the man 

 aroused ray sympathies, and now, knowing him well, I esteem him 

 not only for his sterling worth, but because he fought the good 

 fight and won. This in a measure was brought about, and I say it 

 without egotism, through the instrumentality of myself and crew. 

 When at last the dreaded time came for Doc to say good-hy, big 

 tears that woula not down Aveiled upon his eyes, and with a chok- 

 ing "God bless you," he left us. R. G. Wixkins. 



Cooper's Point, Camden, N. J. 



A LONG CRUISE.— The centerboard sloop Hattie, of Warwiek, 

 R. L, has just returned from a cruise from that port to Jackson- 

 ville; the trip down occupied two months and the return still 

 longer. Only two weeks were spent at Jacksonville, and the pro- 

 jected cruiBe down the Floi ida coast was abandoned. The Hattie 

 is a heaviJy.buiU '-party boat," 36f t. waterline, lift, beam m& tft. 

 draft. She .carrie? a crew pf Jour ail tpjd. 



INTERNATIONAL RACING. 



IN the course of a couple of weeks it will probablv be known 

 whether or no there is to be any resumption of international 

 racing this year, but at present the whole matter is in a very 

 mixed and indefinite state. In addition to the replies from Lord 

 Dunraven and Mr. Paul Ralli, which may he here in a week, the 

 news is cabled from London that a new challenge from Lord Dun- 

 raven for the America's Cup is now on its way to New York; be- 

 sides which the following letter was received 'on Mondav of last 

 week, but only made public, at the meeting of the New York Y.C. 

 on March 27: 



27 Norfolk Street, Park Lane, W., March 11. 



Dear Sir— On Aug. 16 last I wrote a letter to the New York 

 Y. C, in which I stated that if the New York Y. C. and Royal 

 Y. S. arrived at, a settlement as to the terms on which the Amer- 

 ica's Cup should be held in the event of its coming into the pos- 

 session of the latter club, I hoped my challenge would be consid- 

 ered as merely postponed, and that I was willing to sail Valkvrie 

 this year against any vessel that could have been selected to de- 

 fend the Cup last season. 



On Sept. lf> you acknowledged my letter, but since then I have 

 received no further communication on the subject. 



It will be within your recollection that on June 39 the commit- 

 tee appointed by the Royal Y. S. wrote that, thev could not con- 

 firm my challenge "with condition attached that if the Cup is 

 won by the club challenging U shall be held under and subject to 

 the full terms of the new deed." 



On July 16 th" committee of the New York Yacht Club wrote 

 that they thought if opportunity were given, the objections to the 

 new deed of gift "would be found susceptible of easv explanation." 



On Aug. 4, the Royal Yacht Squadron cabled: "Your interpre- 

 tation of deed and suggestion, that ohjectionin our letter of June 

 29 can be overcome, alters case. Challenge holds good, provided 

 cup can be held subject to challenge under Volunteer-Thistle 

 conditions;" to which you replied on the following day: "Cable- 

 gram to Smith received. When you withdrew your challenge 

 America Cup Committee was discharged. Meeting of club cannot 

 now be called until its return from squadron cruise." 



No further correspondence on the subject has, I believe, passed 

 between the two clubs. 



The position and opinion of the Royal Yacht Squadron, and, I 

 think I may add, of all yacht clubs over here, is, defined in tha 

 message of Aug. 4, quoted above. 



I should be glad to know whether the New York Y. C. is able to 

 agree to these terms, and, in that case, whether my challenge of 

 last year holds good according to the meauing of my letter of 

 Aug. 16. 



As I shall be fitting out shortly, I should think it a favor if you 

 would let me have a definite reply at your earliest convenience. 



Yours faithfully, Dunraven. 



To J. V. S. Oddie, Esq., See'y, New York Y. C. New York: 



A committee including Messrs. J. R. Busk, Lloyd Phoenix, C. J- 

 Paine, Stephen Peabody and Philip Schuyler was appointed to 

 answer the letter. Further than this it is reported hy cable that 

 both Lord Dunraven and Mr. Ralli have declined the challenge 

 of tho 70ft. owners. 



The Field of March 15 discusses the matter of international rac- 

 ing at, some length as follows, but with no other result than to 

 complicate it still further: 



"There is nothing in the letter of the New York Y. C. Committee, 

 to show they intended it to be understood that the Royal Yacht. 

 Squadron could, if Valkyrie won, hold the cup under Thistle- Vol- 

 unteer conditions, and, failing that, we think the New York com- 

 mittee were crediting themselves with extraordinary pow r ers of 

 persuasion if they really believed they could convince Englishmen 

 that their objections to the new deed were purely imaginary. 



"We understand that Lord Dunraven adheres to his undertaking 

 to send the Valkyrie to New York to sail for the America Cup, 

 providing the adoption of the new deed is not insisted on, and we 

 cannot help express'ng surprise that the New York Y. C. should 

 stand in the way. If they have the power to ignore the new deed, 

 as they did in accepting Valkyrie's challenge under the conditions 

 of the old deed, it is clear that the newdeed is not a legally-binding 

 document, and a club ought not to be asked to bind itself to accept 

 such a discredited deed. It seems to us that, if the New York 

 Y. C. really desire to carry out the intentions of the donors of the 

 cup, they will at once revert to the original deed, and attach to it 

 such regulations as experience has shown are necessary to insure 

 fair and sportsmanlike contest-; but any regula tion which will 

 render the cup more worth the wiuning than any ordinary prize 

 should be avoided. These suggested regulations could be sub- 

 mitted to the Royal Yacht Squadron as the challenging club, and 

 the. latter would, of course, undertake to abide by the regulations 

 in the event of winning the cup. 



' It has been announced that the owners of tho American eut- 

 rers Katrina and Shamrock have sent challenges to the owner of 

 Valkyrie to sail some matches with the view of testing the merits 

 of American and British 70-footers, but the same authority then 

 goes on to say that the Titania 'is the champion of the class easily.' 

 If that is correct— and according to the record of last year's rac- 

 ing, just issued hy the New York Y. C, it is correct— it cannot be 

 considered a compliment to challenge the owner of the Valkyrie 

 with a second-rate boat. Beyond this the Shamrock is said to 

 have been lengthened, so she cannot now he a 70-foot, waterline 

 boat. It seems to us t hat the proper course for the owners of the 

 Katrina and Shamrock to adopt should be to bring their beauti- 

 ful vessels here. Their challenges would then be accepted as a 

 matter of certainty, and we should be able to test the merits of 

 their yachts with great exactness. American yachtsmen should 

 endeavor to understand that it is not a very brave or chivalrous 

 act to challenge a man to come 3.000 miles to a match. A chal- 

 lenger should show more boldness than to desire to sail a match 

 in his own waters.. It is also, however, said that if the Valkyrie 

 visited the United States she could coinp-te in the match for the 

 Paiue champion cup for 70-footers, value fSOO. We thought the 

 value of the cup was £200, but that does not signify; what we 

 wish to point out. is that a strange yacht among a fleet of home- 

 built cracks would have only a very remote chance of winning 

 the cup in a single race, and then w ild pa'aus would rend the air 

 again that another British yacht had been beaten and American 

 superiority proven. We believe t he cup has not yet been sailed 

 for, but if put up at all for international competition, a foreign 

 yacht should be only asked to sail against the winner among the 

 home yachts after a trial race. 



"While alluding to the extraordinary efforts which are being 

 made to beguile British yachtsmen into competitiows in Amer- 

 ican waters, it will be well to rctniud yachtsmen of the United 

 States of America that the Cape May challenge cup is still iu 

 possession of a British yachtsman on this side of the Atlantic, 

 and until an American yacht has been here aud competed for 

 that trophy, it is rather out of place asking British yachts to go 

 to America to sail for challenge cups of more recent niiiiuifue- 

 ture. In connection with this matter reference should he made 

 to t he fact that there is a growing feeling on this side of tho At- 

 lantic that we should provide a challenge cup to be sailed for an- 

 nually, and be open to all foreign yachts. We presume that the 

 proper method lor providing such a trophy would be for the 

 principal yacht clubs to subscribe a fund for the purchase of the 

 cup, and choose by ballot which club should have the right to 

 hold it until challenged for by some other club. We think a 

 challenge cup subscribed for in this way would be a much more 

 important trophy than any similar cup subscribed for by 

 individuals would be. There are about twenty -five clubs which 

 occupy a first-class position, and a subscription of £10 each 

 trom them would provide a £250 cup. Two or three years ago the 

 Council of the Yacht Racing Association contemplated pro- 

 viding a challenge cup but it was thought desirable that such an 

 institution should have nothing to do with prizes or in any way 

 adopt functions exercised by clubs. We, however, certainly do 

 not see that there would be any objection to the Yacht R iciug 

 Association taking the Initiative iu inviting the club* to promote 

 an international challenge cup in themauner we have indicated." 



Before proceeding to the main points at issue we need onlv note 

 that in its comments on the 70ft. challenge the Field has fired a 

 shot without waiting to see what it was aiming at; had it 

 awaited the receipt of Mr. Peabody 's letters it would have 

 learned that Titania was included with the others, and that the 

 terms offered were as fair as could possibly be. We may state 

 also that Titania's name was omitted in the first vague reports of 

 the challenge merely because Mr. Iselin was on a cruise in the 

 South, and the matter leaked out before his formal consent had 

 been obtained. Shamrock, too, was formerly but 68ft., and is 

 noyv just under 70, so there is nothing to complain of on her ac- 

 count. 



the many and various issues that have arisen from the hasty 

 adoption of the last deed of gift and the exceedingly foolish 

 challenge of Lord Dunraven form a tangle which a layvyer mignt 

 enjoy, but which is more apt to terrify a mere yachtsman who is 

 used to nothing more complicated in the way of mental exercise 

 than the discussion of measurement and classification by cor- 

 rected length, or the wave-form theory of yftcht designing. We 

 do not feel equal to an attempt to unravel the whole snarl, but 

 there are several important points that have been brought out so 

 emphatically during the past year that it is strange how the 

 Royal Yacht Squadron, t, or d Puaravgn *ad <<ho Field have, com* 



pHUiy eY»F.M#ed mm 



The first of these coucerns the conditions which a holder may 

 offer to a challenger, as alluded to in the fifth clause of Lord Dun- 

 raven's letter, as above, and the second clause of the Field's article. 

 It is not necessary for a club to ignore the new deed in order that 

 it may give more liberal terms to a. challenger; the power is given 

 by the deed to make as many concessions as he nleases. The great 

 objection which we have always made to the deed is that it gives 

 to the holder the power to insist on terms so unfair and one-sided 

 that they would never ba thought of for a moment in any club or 

 open race or a private match; terms which put the challenger at 

 a most extreme disadvantage. The Field'* remarks as to the 

 ignoring and discrediting of the deed arc simply absurd: as under 

 the wording of the deed the Neyv York Y. C. could fo-morrow 

 offer Lord Dunraven a series of five races yvith Titania or Katrina 

 over open sea courses, and yvith a waiving of ten or even six 

 months notice. The same blunder was made by the committee 

 of the R. Y. S. in its letters of June 27, 1889; so far from receiving 

 more favorable terms from a challenger in case it won the Cup, 

 it could insist on the last letter of the new deed in all its incon- 

 sistency and unfairness should it once attain that proud position. 



Further tnan this, it, must be apparent to all who have followed 

 the course of events since the Thistle raced here that for the 

 present at least- (he Neyv York Y. O. will concede nothing of im- 

 portance to achallenger.bnt will insist on every advantage secured 

 to it by the deed. It may, indeed, generously offer five instead of 

 three races, or if it feelsstroug enough it may throw off a couple of 

 months from the time of notice, but it vrill not match a small yacht 

 with one of the same size. Lord Dunraven may as wellmake up his 

 mind finally that a race for the Cup by Valkyrie means an un- 

 equal contest yvith Volunteer, or perhaps a 90ft. yacht if a neyv 

 one were built. The injustice of such a course yve condemned 

 very sttongly last year aod it need not be discussed further; it 

 simply stands as a fixed fact which all challengers must recog- 

 nize. 



The final point of the Field's criticism, "the extraordinary 

 efforts yvbich are being made to beguile British yachtsmen," is 

 only on a par with other hasty statements. This same question 

 of ihe necessity ot American yachts crossing the Atlantic has 

 been Jaised before, but it seems such a simple one that no discus- 

 sion is necessary. The present position is briefly this: The 

 American yachts have proved victorious in three successive 

 series of international races, conducted on the whole on very fair 

 terms; and consequently America now holds the championship in 

 yachting, and others who would win it must come to her: she is 

 under no obligations to go forth in search of rresh victories. Un- 

 fortunately the chief token of this supremacy, the America's Cup, 

 has been placed outside the bounds of fair and equal competition 

 by the hasty and selfish action of a handful of American yachts- 

 men. At the same time there are many who are desirous of see- 

 ing a continued international competition, and four of these gen- 

 tlemen, inspired probably by a passage in a letter of Lord Dunra- 

 vens, m which he expresses his wish tor a match without regard 

 to the value of the prize, have combined to give him w T hat the 

 New York Y. C. has repeatedly refused him, a series of matches 

 under terms wdiose fairness is be\ond question, yvith representa- 

 tive yachts ot his own class. It we understand the repeated as- 

 sertions of Lord Dunraven, that all he wanted was sport, without 

 regard to the value of the prize, he is offered just yvhat he has 

 asked for, and the very least that he and his advisers can do, is 

 to decline it as graciously as it has been offered by Messrs. 

 Auchincloss, Maxwell, Iselin and Earle. 



WHO WILL DEFEND THE "CUP? 



THE New York Time* gives the folloyving report of a recent 

 interview yvith Gen. Paine, yvhich is of interest just now in 

 connection w ith the rumors of a race. The question whether 

 Volunteer yvould be entered in the trial races if any were held, 

 was asked. 



"1 don't know," was the smiling but evasive reply, "That is one 

 of those bridges which I don't cross until I come to them." 



''Will you put the Volunteer in racing form this summer?" 



"No, that is just what I don't want to do. I shall put her in 

 commission in the ordinary cruising trim. You know it is one 

 thing to get a boat out to use for your ordinary pleasure sailing 

 and quite another thing to get her down to the fine edge necessary 

 for international competition. The first is fun; the second is 

 yvork." 



"But you will race her, will you not?" 



"I have no definite intention of racing her at all, but I shall 

 quite probably put her into the ordinary club races if there are 

 any that come conveniently yvithin reach." 



"Do you still adhere to your intention of running the Volunteer 

 as a sloop?" 



"That is my present intention, though I should have changed 

 her to a schooner if 1 could have foreseen the recent changes in 

 the 90ft. schooner class. A short time ago it looked as if there 

 would be nofiOtt. schooner class, and I gave up my intention of 

 changing the Volunteer to a schooner." 



"Speaking of racing," went on the famous yachtsman, "it seems 

 absurd to talk about racing the Volunteer as there is practically 

 no class for her noyv, the Puritan being her only competitor, and 

 the Puritan is so much smaller that it is not very satisfactory." 



"Will Capt. Haff be yvith you this summer?" 



"Yes, there is nothing in the report that he had obtained 

 another positiou which would prevent him from sailing yvith me. 

 1 had a letter from him three or four days ago. 



"No, said the Volunteer's owner, though tiully, "if there should 

 be a challenge some one ought to build a new boat. Even 

 assuming that the Volunteer snotdd go in, there is no good 'trial 

 horse' to help in getting her into fix. You can't tell whether 

 vou are improving a yacht or not unless you have some dose 

 oomuetitor to test her with. The New York Y. C. should not 

 depend upon any boat three years old. Three years makes a 

 great difference in the science of naval architecture. We on this 

 side have improved a great deal in three years, and there is no 

 telling how much they may have advanced in England. They 

 hav T e been making their boats more powerful and have added the 

 centre board. That new boat of Mr. Jameson's is not to be 

 sneezed at, and if we should be obliged to cope with a craft of 

 that description we ought not to alloyv her to have the advantage 

 of three years over us." 



THE SIZE OF CUP CHALLENGERS. 



THE Field makes some very pertinent comments on the size of 

 yachts which mat' challenge for the America's Cup. Though 

 many are not yet yvilling to admit it, the fact is very cleai ly 

 recognized by American yachtsmen that the big boats, the largest 

 only 86ft., were au accident, and that however important they 

 have been as an experimental class, and in the past defense of 

 the Cup, they are not suited to the needs of yachtsmen. Not only 

 has no 90ft. class ever existed, but it was proved impossible to 

 maintain an 85ft. class of sloops. The large cutters have gone 

 out on both sides of the Atlantic, the sole oemand is for yachts of 

 40 to 70ft„ and no amount of encouragement or special legislation 

 can bring into existence such craft as a racing single-sticker of 

 90ft. or a schooner of 115ft. The latter is even worse than the 

 former, a 90ft. sloop, if a failure as a racer, may still make a very 

 fair schooner; bur no such conversion is possible in the case of a 

 big racing schooner. No cruiser's mantle can be found ample 

 enough to eoy r er her. The Field says: 



"A belief appears to exist iu America, as it did here many years 

 ago, that because the larger the yacht the more certain she is to 

 yvin, therefore the more excellent she must be. This is a very 

 unfortunate error, and conditions should not exist which almost 

 render it imperative that a very large yacht must challenge tor, 

 and an equally large one defend, the cup. No one wants 90ft. 

 cutters, and the lessons derived from the contests bat ween them 

 are not nearly so useful as encounters between, say, cutters of 

 70ft. or 75ft. water-line would be, and if any limit of length at all 

 is mentioned in the regulations, we certainly do not consider it 

 desirable to go so far as 90ft for a cutter-rigged yacht." 



NEW YORK Y, C— At the March meeting on Thursday last, 

 but little business was transacted. Tne letter from Lord Dun- 

 raven, given in another column, was read and a committee ap- 

 pointed to answer it. The question of a station on the water was 

 also discussed, the oft-propjsed site on City Island being again 

 mentioned, and the following committee was appointed to con- 

 sider the matter: Messrs. Chas. Watrous, £. M. Broyvn, F. T. 

 Robinson, J. H. Bird and J. V. S. Oddie. The date and piace of 

 rendezvous for the annual cruise have not been formally decided 

 on, but the former at least is likely to remain unchanged, which 

 yvould make it Aug. 6. Superintendent Neils Olsen has just Bailed 

 for a short visit to his old home in Norway, from which he has 

 been absent for 26 years. 



CAPITAL CITY Y. C— A new club with this name has lately 

 been organized at Albany, The officers are: Pres., Albert J. 



