March 17, 1892. | 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



2B9 



Com, Winne has been in a position to see : more of the members of 

 the A. C. A. and to come into closer relationship with the men and 

 clubs iu their homes than any previous officer; and he has devoted 

 the greater part of such time as he could take from business during 

 the winter to visiting the leading canoing centers. He has not only 

 doue much in the Atlantic, Central and Eastern divisions to awake 

 and keep up the enthusiasm of canoeists, but he has broken down 

 the barrier of distance which has separated the Northern Divison 

 from the others for the past three years, and by his visits to Montreal, 

 Ottawa, Peterborough and other Canadian cilies he has awakened a 

 strong interest in the coming meet, and a large attendance seems as- 

 sured from the Northern Division. 



The A. C. A. Book is promised early this season by Messrs. Wack- 

 erhagen and Winne, who have >>een obliged to undertake the com- 

 pilation and publication. Whether or no this promise is kept 

 depends first on the pursers of the four divisions and then on the in- 

 dividual members. It is the duty of each purser to furnish the com- 

 plete lists of members, canoes, etc., for his division, and if this is 

 done promptly and properly the labors of the secretary-treasurer, 

 already too heavy, are greatly lessened. It also rests with each 

 member to send in his name, canoe, ect., early in the year if any 

 changes are to be made in the lists. 



The Butler sliding seat, facetiously called the '-piazza" by Ameri- 

 can canoeists, has at last found its way into British canoeing, the 

 Northern C. C, of Newcastle, having altered its rules to admit sliding 

 seats not longer than the beam of the canoe; while the Royal C. C. 

 will give a race for canoes with sliding seats at its annual regatta in 

 June. 



We venture the prediction that the trial of the Butler seat during 

 the coming season, it' it is at all thorough, will result in the general 

 adoption of the seat in British canoeing, in which case there is hope 

 for a renewal of international racing between this country and 

 England. " 



A CANOE TRIP IN THE MAINE WOODS. 



IN 1831 it was my a-ood fortune to make a canoe trip down the West 

 Branch of the Peuobscot River, accompanied by three friends, 

 whose excellent qualities both socially and under the. more trying 

 conditions of stream and carry have become a cherished remem- 

 brance. . ..... 



I have written out these incidents from notes taken at the time, as 

 a rest from severer labors, partly because sucb writing helps to re- 

 call the scenes of summer and out o' door life. Thus we can enjoy 

 again something: of the freshness of nature, and in imagination at 

 least breathe the resinous odors of the forest, or hear again per- 

 chance the muffled hoot of the owl, or the long shrill cry of the loon. 

 With all comes something of rest and joy, which other pursuits can- 



""our'party consisted of Mark, Mack, Steve and myself. Some of us 

 had talked of this trip for quite a long time, but had not been able, 

 till this year, to bring it. about. Mack, who was a native of Bangor, 

 and knew something of woodcraft, and I think the other members 

 of the party had been in the woods before, as I left all preparations 

 to them. On August 1, we started for Moosehead Lake, Mark on 

 the steamer from Boston, and Steve on the night train. Mack had 

 gone ahead to Bangor to see about guides, canoes and provisions. I 

 had been in Auburn. Me., and knew nothing of the arrangements ex- 

 cept the time, of starting from Boston. 



It was planned for nie to meet them at Brunswick, Me., where the 

 train from Auburn connects with the Boston train at midnight. On 

 reaching Brunswick I inquired of the porter of the sleeping car, and 

 learned that no such persons as I described were on board. After 

 looking through the cars among the drowsy passengers, I concluded 

 sleep was the best remedy for such troubles, and having secured a 

 berth, I turned in, aud awoke, or rather arose in Bangor; for sleep 

 in a railroad car is at best a succession of prolonged rumbliugs, strik- 

 ing of hammers on the wheels, tramping of feet on the platforms, 

 cries of "all right here," the flashing of lanterns, and again the dull 

 rumbling, followed by a drowsy consciousness that you might sleep, 

 perhaps, if you had a chauce. 



At Bangor no familiar face was seen, and I concluded sickness or 

 some other cause bad prevented my associates from starting, and 

 after making careful search among the baggage and finding nothing, 

 I resolved to carry out my part of tne plan, and throw the bJatne on 

 those who didn't. 



Acting on this conclusion, I took the train for Blsnchard. which 

 was then the terminus of the railroad for Moosehead Lake. As we 

 were nearing the end of our journey I was surprised to see one of 

 our party going past my seat. Explanations soon followed. Only 

 Steve was on board the train at Brunswick, and he was built on a 

 style of architecture so composite that the porter had failed to make 

 hi'm out. But our party were now all on board, and on reaching 

 Blanchard we soon got ready for our stage journey of nine miles to 

 the lake. 



About 8 P. M. we reached Greenville and mustered our forces, three 

 guides, three canoes, with guns, fishing rods, supplies of flour, 

 molasses, bacon, salt pork, sugar, coffee, condensed milk, etc. The 

 landlord of the hotel was a pleasant man, and, as it was raining and 

 blowing hard, I had made up my mind to spend the night with him. 

 These anticipations were the result of inexperience, for our party 

 hal already resolved to be off. 



When we were loaded and ready to start, and I saw the rail of my 

 canoe within Sin. of the water, I had harrowing doubts, and wished "i 

 had taken some other con veyanee. The boys laughed at my hesita- 

 tion and said, "come on," and I came, but with fear and trembling. 

 We intended to camp on an island about two miles up the lake, and 

 headed accordingly, but soon found the waves coming over the sides 

 of our canoes and were compelled to seek the shelter of some 

 islands and work our way along in their lee. The camp ground was 

 reached witnout any mishap, and my experience in camp life com 

 menced. We had three tents, one for ourselves, one for the guides, 

 and one for the luggage and provisions. In order to facilitate our 

 work, we were divided into squads, each with a special duty, thus, 

 while one party was pitching the tents, the second was gathering fir 

 t>ougli3 for our beds, while a third was cutting logs of yellow birch or 

 maple for our Are. 



A camp-fire is said to require considerable art in its construction. 

 Two logs of hard wood are placed on tbe ground side by side, on 

 which the Are is built. Thi « affords a good place for cooking, and 

 the hardwood logs last till morning. The fir boughs for our beds 

 have a fragrant and woodsy smell, and are believed by some to pro- 

 mote sleep and prevent colds. However this may be, one rarely 

 takes cold in camping in the woods. I suspect this is due more to 

 active exercise in June air. No doubt the wonderful appetites, of 

 which we hear so much, are due to a similar cause. Properly pre- 

 pared food tastes well in the woods, as well as out. If it is not'prop- 

 erl.v prepared, camp-life will not help it much, although hard work 

 and spare meals will fend to make one less particular anywhere. 



The. first trial of our canoes was a severe test. A canoe is not well 

 adapted to a lake, as it is too light aud too low. There is no danger 

 of capsizing, but it there is much wind, the waves are liable to come 

 over the side and fill it. But for river service probably no boat has 

 ever been built that equals the birch canoe. It is light, convenient 

 and safe, and has, moreover, great carrying power. There is no 

 metal in us construction. All its materials are found in the forest. 

 The canoe birch furnishes its covering, and the cedar iis ribs. Roots 

 of the black spruce are used for thongs, and pine pitch mixed with 

 fat serves to stop the cracks. When injured it is quickly repaired 

 with materials always at, hand. As the draft is from 1 to -lin.it can 

 be used in very shallow water and on small streams. 



It has no keel and can thus be turned very quickly, and thrown 

 around or off a rock by a quick motion of t he paddle, which is a very 

 great advantage in swift and dangerous water. It can readily be 

 carried around rapids and, old or new, is never water-staked, and 

 with little care is always ready for use. Perhaps not least among 

 its many merits is its shape, which tapers toward each end, so that a 

 stroke of the paddle will propel it in rhe direction of the length with- 

 out that constant recovery necessary in most boats. Owing to its 

 extreme lightness and t he absence of a keel it. lacks steadiness in the 

 water, and to a novice seems treacherous, for if rudely approached 

 it shies like a maiden. The Thoughtless intruder rarely escapes its 

 swilt rebuk". For me there is poetry in a canoe. Its graceful lines 

 are suggestive of beauty, and its associations and perfect adapta- 

 tion are sources of pleasure. It is not a thing of commerce. No 

 boat-builder ean furnish it. It knows naught of profits or discounts. 

 It is born of the forest and is a part of it. While the bow and arrow 

 of the American Indian has been fairly supplanted by gunpowder 

 and the modern rifle, the biroh cacoe for forest use st)\l retains its 

 unquestioned supremacy. 



Our nest day was more favorable to lake travel and wo camped 

 near the mouth of the K p nnebec River, which onipties from the lake, 

 on the west side, about thirtv miles from Us foot. A dam is thrown 

 perns? here to control thq waters of the lake, affording us. a very 



likely place to fish, but we caught nothing. I found a few ruffed 

 grouse, which were very tame and would almost beg to be shot. 

 There is no real pleasure in hunting birds as tame as chickens. Our 

 Melrose birds have learned a different trick from sitting on a limb 

 till thpy are clubbed off. If they hadn't I would sell my gun for old 

 junk and my dog to the sausage maker. 



Our next day took us to Sandy Island, which is not an island, for it 

 is connected oil the west by a sandbar. This island, or promontory, 

 extends half way across the lake, and affords a fine view of Mount 

 Kineo, which lies about five miles north. When we reached here the 

 wind was very high, and we were compelled to remain two days 

 windboimd. The first day we enjoyed very much, for it was a beau- 

 tiful spot, warm, sunny and well protected from the cold wind. But 

 as there was neither hunting nor fishing, it was getting a little tire- 

 some waiting for the wind to go down. 



On the second morning, as we were silting on a log in the sun, 

 watching Mark's futile attempts to set fire to a wet stump and listen- 

 ing to Mack's doleful sophistries of rent and population, I suddenly 

 interrupted, and asked Mack it he would like to fish. "Oh, pshaw!" 

 he said, "there hasn't been a flsh hero in the memory of the oldest 

 inhabitant." This was. 1 thought, a safer statement than some of his 

 conclusions of Ricado's theory; for there were no inbabitants, and 

 never had been any, as far as I knew. Now, I have noticed that wbeu 

 a man begins to doubt, he is apt to prop up his weakening convic- 

 tioDS by strong statements; so I didn't feel discouraged by his em- 

 phatic generalization, and replied, "Get your flsh pole aurl a piece of 

 salt pork, and come with me." Now, Mack especially prided himself 

 on his skill in fly-fishing, and before leaving home had given me in- 

 struction in the" gentle art and had kindly gone with me to Dame, 

 stocldard ,v Kendall's to select a rod and some choice flies especially 

 adapted to Moosehead Lake trout. I had taken great interest in his 

 disclosures of the secrets of the art, and I think he had taken some 

 pride in me as a pupil; and now to hear me call his split-bamboo a 

 fish pole and to suggest salt pork for bait made him groan. I think, 

 however, something in my manner inspired confldeuce, for he came 

 along slowly, and I led the way to a big pool or bog hole not far back 

 of our camp. 



Dead logs lay across and in it, some floating and some fast. A 

 greenish skum lay in patches on the surface, and an unpleasant sug- 

 gestion of malaria hung around it. It was a batrachian paradise. 

 Progs had pre-empted it. Or to speak more accurately, they were 

 exercising the right of squatter sovereignty, and we emptied it, for 

 we captured every frog in that pool. 



Did you ever catch a frog with bait? A frog is not a fish, and any 

 skill acquired in catching fish is lost on a frog. He does not seem to 

 understand you. If you drop a fly softly before his nose he manifests 

 no interest in your movement; you discoverno nervousness nor agita- 

 tion. He has an air of calmness and introspection t hat bewilders and 

 baffles you. If the fly touches his nose, the eyelid nearest, the source 

 of irritations drop? and rises. He has apparently solved the mys- 

 teries of this world and is once more at rest. He is cold, calm and 

 incomprehensible. No tides of emotion ever stir the depths of his 

 being. These peculiarities were new to Mack. A frog needs to be 

 studied. He could catch fish, but he wasn't worth a cent on frogs. 



We are not equally gifted, and each must wait the opportunity that 

 calls for his special power. This was mine. I took an alder pole and 

 fastened a stout line and hook to it, and attached thereto a piece of 

 salt pork about the size of a backgammon die. Mack took a. position 

 on a stump near by and watched proceedings with evident disgust, 

 while 1 dropped the bait about two inches from a frog's nose. This 

 was, I think, a Christian frog; at any rate, judged by the pork test, 

 he was neither Jew nor Mohammedan. There was a convulsive move- 

 ment and the mouth opened and closed like the jaws of a tramp's 

 gripsack, and he settled back into the same monumental calmness as 

 before. The great bulges over his eyes, the alderman ic fulness of 

 his person, helped to complete this picture of satisfaction and con- 

 tentment in which there was no shadow of impendiogdoom, although 

 a string was even then leading from his mouth to the end of my pole. 

 My heart shrank from my part in this act; but the thought of salt 

 meat for supper stifled all feelings of mercy, and I landed him. kick- 

 ing and sprawling in a way a contortionist might despair to imitate. 



Mack soon became interested and we worked that pool for busi- 

 ness. We captured twenty or more, without any distinction of race, 

 color or previous condition. Meanwhile Steve had joined us and 

 agreed to dress them if I would tell him how. I did this and also in- 

 structed him how to cook them, although I had never dressed nor 

 cooked them myself. But Steve was a lawyer and inclined to have 

 original notions about his food, so I didn't assume to judge of the 

 competency of his witness in a case like this. I had heard that only 

 particular colors should be used, and, not remembering what the 

 correct color was, I advised to take all colors for fear we might not 

 get the right ones. However, all went well and we all helped to eat 

 them: The cook said they tasted well enough, but made bim feel 

 kind of squirmy. Steve said they had an oleaginous taste. I don't 

 know what an oleaginous taste, is, but presume it is something very 

 agreeable from the number he ate. I think it was an excellent 

 change of diet, and we slept with no more than usual restlessness, 

 although I thought I detected in Mack's tones while asleep an ex- 

 traordinary depth and sonority, and there seemed to be a want, of 

 regularity in the movement of Steve's legs, which led me to think 

 the frogs had not preserved the same calmness as in their native 

 pool. 



Next morning we signalled the steamer that runs between Green- 

 ville and the head of the lake, and got on board, canoes and all, for 

 Mt. Kineo House. The house, which has since been burned, stood on 

 a point of land that extends from the eastern shore about half way 

 across tbe lake. Mt. Kineo forms the western end of this cape and 

 seems to rise from the center of the lake. The hotel stood at the 

 southern base of the mountain, commanding, it is said, the finest 

 lake scene in Maine. From the mountain may be seen nearly the 

 whole lake, forty-five miles long. The views of Lake George, with 

 their rocks, cliffs and forests scattered on the gray hillsides, backed 

 by mountains, are more grand, but here, as iu nearly all the inland 

 scenery of Maine, the mountains are clothed nearly to their sum- 

 mits by spruce and cedar. 



In the lowlands are maples and yellow canoe-birches, with tbe 

 evergreens affording a flue contrast of light and dark-green. In the 

 Umbagog basin one may look upon a hundred square miles of un- 

 broken forest, where it seems as if the tops of the trees were the 

 solid earth on which one might walk. For any une accustomed to 

 the haunts of men, to cultivated fields, or even to our rugged shores, 

 these scenes have a new and strange fascination. I wonder if it is a 

 sense of nearness to nature that charms; or is it a taint of barbarism 

 in us, derived from savage ancestors. 



Why do we love the woods? Why do tales of the sea and forest 

 have such a charm for children? Perhaps Plato was right. Who 

 knows but the lisp of leaves from the groves of the infinite, and the 

 sound of waves from the eternal shore may still linger in their young 

 souls, aud find responsive echoes in the groves, and on the shores of 

 earth. However this may be, the sweet voices die too soon in us by 

 hard contact with tbe world. . 



We were left at the Mt. Kineo landing, and camped in a little bay 

 not far from the hotel. The lake widens south of Mt. Kineo, and 

 forms a deep bay, extending eastward quite a distance into the un- 

 broken forest. Just at dusk on the evening of our arrival, the wind 

 had died out, and Mark and I took a canoe to explore the eastern 

 shore and see what we might find. We paddled softly along, looking 

 into every little cove and saw the mossy ^boulders marked by water 

 lines, piles of drift wood and dry logs on the shore, bleached by the 

 sun and worn by the beating of many waves. We glided over sandy 

 beaches, as only a canoe can glide, and saw huge stumps thrown 

 upon the banks, reminding us of the size of the trees that once grew 

 on these shores. 



As we rounded a small point on the easterly end of the bav, Mark 

 pushed his paddle into the sand, and stopping the canoe, said '"'Look." 

 Standing near the lake before us we saw a pine stub, dry and bark- 

 less. 2ft. or more in diameter and 40ft. high, with a single limb near 

 the top reaching out toward the south like a giant arm, showing in 

 majestic pantomime the way its companions had long since departed, 

 and mocking in its grandeur the vandalism of man. Tuere it stood, 

 towering above tbe lake, round, smooth and dry, and there were dry 

 sticks on the shore. 



When I daw Mark fumbling in his pocket for matches I said "How 

 about the laws of Maine?" He smiled, and an infant class in Sunday 

 school could have read on his face, recent rain, moss damp, dusk, 

 hotel a mile away. But let me look! Great Caesar, if she were only 

 hollow! We hauled up the canoe and examiued. I crawled under 

 the roots, where the water had washed out the earth, to see if any 

 opening could be found in the center. 



No opening could be found, and we sat dovn on the bank dis- 

 couraged but thoughtful. After a while I noticed the pitch oozing 

 out of some cracks in the side and told Mark I thought we could 

 pile dry wood about the trunk, and thus reach the pitch. He at once 

 became, poetic: 



"He who would quickly rouse a mighty flame, 

 Must begin it with weak straws." 



As he quoted this from the great poet, he drew a match along the 

 smooth portion of his canvas pants and applied it to a piece of birch 

 bark, adding at first a few small twigs, which I had placed conveni- 

 ently near, and then larger and larger ones, till soon a bright flame 

 arose, which we, a little alarmed, attempted to put out by piling cm 

 roots and slumps until the trunk of thai stub was wrapped in lambent 

 flame, and its exposed roots were consumed with the fervent boat. 



Soon with sputtering, crackling sound, the fire climbed the pitoby 

 ?Mfw, While we launched, oiff panpe and s»W the lengthening column. 



rise, till trunk, arm and crest were a mass of flame, Which, topped by 

 a blacky, pitchy smoke, rolled out into a murky cloud over forest 

 and lake. Michael An gel o might have taken it for a scene of the 

 Last Judgment, or Dante for the Inferno. Here were the fiends, 

 the lake of fire, and the torch of Lucifer. 



"There's a lantern for you, Mark. How would your Cane Dodders 

 like that to do their chores by?" This broke the spell. We realized 

 that self-preservation is nature's first law, that the hotel with a 

 hundred guests is in view, that a score of boats lie ready at the wharf 

 with skilled hands to propel them. I do not remember that we felt 

 guilty, but we thought it best to make a change. We moved, silently, 

 swiftly moved, and darkness received u«. Behind that wall of dark- 

 ness we were as safe as if transported to the clouds. We were not 

 any too soon, for immediately three boats from the hotel passed 

 within 20ft of us. 



We quickly paddled back to camp and, joined by Mack, returned 

 in an hour to the scene. As we had expected, the hotel boats had 

 gone. The flames were still brilliant, and the trunk was covered 

 with glowing embers. It could now be seen that 20ft. or more of the 

 top was hollo iv, and a rift had formed in the side, through which the 

 fire had made its way to the interior and was blazing out at the top 

 of this hollow cylinder as from a chimney. It looked like a huge up- 

 right cannon, sending forth a column of Are and sparks far above the 

 highest trees. It was a furnace worthy of the gods. Vulcan could 

 have forged the armor of Achilles there. The roaring of the chimnev, 

 the crackling of the flames, and the crash of falling pieces helped to 

 complete the picture. 



Soon a small seam began to open near the base of the great h'rab. 

 We had been sitting on a log not far away, but we now quickly 

 pushed our canoe out into the lake and saw the lift widen, showing 

 the burning interior. Suddenly the huge limb began to quiver and 

 shake as if wrenched from the trunk by some giant hand and then 

 fell, making the forest and bay luminous. 



Meantime the fire had undermined and burnt off the roots, and 

 when the heavy limb dropped the trunk, relieved of its weight, 

 surged in the opposite direction, and went down, crushing the trees 

 and saplings in its course, and filling tbe air with sparks and splin- 

 ters. The woods that had been light as day, were now suddenly 

 dark, and glowing cinders floated out over the forest and fell hissing 

 iu the lake. 



As the last act had ended, and the curtain of darkness had fallen, 

 we returned to camp, leaving tbe hero of this tragedy upon the bosom 

 of the forest that had nourished him so well, and at last had so kindly 

 wrapped him forever in its solitude and gloom. 



[to be concluded ] 



THE A. C. A. MEET. 



COM. WINNE has recently visited Ottawa, Montreal and Port, 

 Henry, N. Y., meeting with the most cordial reception in all 

 three places, each promising a large delegation to the meet at Wills- 

 borough Point. We quote the following notices from our ex- 

 changes: 



"Mr. 0. V. Winne, commodore of the American Canoe Association, 

 was dined in Cafe Pari-ien last evening by the members of the Ot- 

 tawa C C. and those interested in canoeing in this city. Those pres- 

 ent were Com. Gisborne, of the Ottawa O. 0., presiding; Sec.-Treas. 

 AV. B. Wackerhagen and W. Howard Bwn. of the Mohican C. C. of 

 Albany; C Christie, Montreal, and Messrs. W. L. Scott, W. H Cronk, 

 R. W. Baldwin, Henry Roi, C. G. Rogers, A. Adamson, P. Pmard. fi 

 W. Wiggins, J, A. D. Holbrook, Dr. Wicksteed, W. E. Black, P. B. 

 Taylor, P, B. Symes and W. Wainright. After an excellent menu 

 had been partaken of, several speeches, songs and recitations were 

 given. Com. Winne, in response to his toast, said that he held most 

 sanguine expectations that the meet of the Association next summer 

 would be an unprecedented success 



"Ledge Top, the palatial residence of Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Wither- 

 bee, was the scene of a brilliant reception Thursday evening given by 

 them in honor of the vsiit of Com. Cbas V. Winne, of tbe. American 

 Canoe Association, to tbe Bulwagga C. C. of which Mr. Witberbee is 

 mate. At dinner supporting the. host and hostess were the Commo- 

 dore, Captain and Mrs. C. A. Neide, Dr. and Mrs. Warner and Mr. and 

 Mrs. Parker. At 8:30 sharp the members of the club assembled in the 

 parlors. The old country fiddler was introduced, and set after set 

 was formed and they went through the mazes of the merry dance 

 until midnight, when a most tempting collation was served and the 

 Commodore delighted the company by reciting "McFluffy's Canoe," 

 which was followed by other recitations and songs, which closed one 

 of the mostenjoyable evenings of the winter in Port Henry. 



Mr. W. H. P. Weston, of Toronto, having resigned as purser of the 

 Northern Division. Mr. J. W. Sparrow, also of Toronto, has been 

 elected bv a vote by mail to fill the vacancy. Mr. Sparrow is one of 

 the small delegation from the Northern Division who has been 

 present at both the '90 and '01 meets, and is an enthusiastic A. C. A. 

 man. 



Com. Winne has appointed the following transportation committf e: 

 Chairman. I. V. Dorlaud, Arliugton, N. J.; Wm. Stuart Smith, Cap- 

 tain of Rochester C. 0.; Sidney Bisbop, Bridgeport, Conn.; J. W. 

 Sparrow, Toronto, Can. The site committee is not yet made up, but 

 will be announced very soon. 



The entire work of preparing and publishing the A. C. A. Year 

 Book has this year fallen upon Com. Winne and Sec'y-Treas. Wacker- 

 hagen, and has demanded a very gieat amount of time and labor. 

 They propose to make the advertising pay the cost of the book, so 

 that" the A. C. A. will be under no expense, and nearlv enough ads. 

 have already been secured, but more will be welcomed. Kverytbing 

 points to a large and successful meet. 



THE W. C. A. MEET. 



THE change of location of the W. C. A. meet promises to prove 

 most beneficial, as the coming meet at Lake Winnebago will of 

 necessity partake more of tbe character of a woodland camp than 

 was the case at Ballast Island, and further, a strong interest in the 

 W. C. A. is springing up in Wisconsin. One day last wef'k Mr. N. H. 

 Cook, of Chicago, and F. W. Dickens, of Milwaukee, and Sec'y-Treas. 

 Woodruff metat Oshkoshand inspected Corn Point, Lake Winnebago, 

 where the '92 meet will be held. A party of fifteen citizens, headed 

 by the mayor, took us in charge, and many a good story was told and 

 several good songs sang during the 8 mile ride in the big " 'bus." 



The point is a perfect spot for a canoe camp, 900ft. loDg and 85 

 to 100ft. wide. Beautifully wooded, aud with an open circle near the 

 end that looks as though o'd Winnebago himself had cleared it up and 

 arranged the trees for a council ground. The beach north of the 

 point is white, hard sand 150ft. wide, and there is good shallow bath- 

 ing on this side. 



On the south the shore is rocky and abrupt. The Association has 

 secured a lease of the point for the month of July, and made arrange- 

 ments with Mr. G. V. Craft, steward, and one of the owners of the 

 Tremont House, Oshkosh (which provides one of the best tables 

 in the State of Wisconsin). Mr. Craft will put up a cook house 

 and mess tent, capable of feeding 100 at a time, on the narrow 

 neck of the point which is near the shore. This will cut the camp off 

 from the mainland and give a camp ground 90x700ft. The commis- 

 sary will buy all meats in Chicago, except the chickens, which he 

 raises on his own chicken farm. 



The West and Northwest is showing the greatest interest in the 

 coming meet and it is certain that there will be over 100 canoes in 

 camp. Lake Winnebago is 80 miles long and 8 to 12 miles wide, and 

 is one of the finest bodies of water in the country for canoeing and 

 yachting. The shores are very picturesque and there are any number 

 of interesting places to cruise to. The fishing is good in the neighbor- 

 ing streams. 



NEWS NOTES. 



One of the most energetic of the English canoe clubs, the North- 

 ern, of Newcastle on the Tyne, has just adopted the following 

 amendments to its rules: 1. That deck seats be allowed to extend 

 beyond the sides of the canoe, not exceeding its own width. 2. 

 That the sail area for first class canoes be not more than 130;q ft. 

 4. That in Rule 26 (second class canoes) the words "and to be clench- 

 built" (plank edges overlapping and forming lands) be eliminated. 

 The first amendment is very awkwardly worded, but. the intention as 

 we understand it, is to allow a Butler seat, with a slide not project- 

 ing beyond the beam of, when run in, or a 30in. sliding seat for a 

 16x30 canoe. 



The Massasoit C. C , of South BosIod, has elected the following 

 officers: Com . J. J. Kelleher; Vice-Corn., J. R. Warner; Sec'y, R. S. 

 Landers, No. 3, Winthrop Square, Boston; Treas , O. L. Ellis; Meas , 

 E. T. Landers. The club has a membership of 35 and is rapidly in- 

 creasing. The winter headquarters are at tbe foot of K, street, South 

 Boston. The summer house is on Ragged Island, Hingham Harbor. 

 Organized 1889; incorporated 1890. 



The Model Yachtsman find Canoeist comes to us on white paper 

 in place of the old buff color, and improved in appearance. The lines 

 of Birdie, a fast British canoe, but of tbe American type, designed 

 by Mr. R, de Quiricy, R. C. C,, are given, accompanied by a very fine 

 photogravure of the canoe under sail. 



The challenge cup race of the Royal C. C, will be sailed on Hendon 

 Lake, on June JJ, the annual regatta taking place at Kingston on the 

 Thames on June 24-25. For this latter event Mr. S. F. Staples has 

 offered two special prizes, first aud second, tor a paoe in which thft 

 Butler sliding float, will be allowed. 



