BOS 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Dec. 9, 1898. 



There is always a satisfaction in having an antagonist who will fight 

 until one side is defeated, and then, if he proves the loser, will own up 

 squarely that he is in the wrong. How this applies to our contro- 

 versy with the Marine Jotirnal may be seen by the latter's brief and 

 evasive reply to our criticism of last week: "Our esteemed contem- 

 porary, Forest and Stream, has seen fit to admit the validity of our 

 referring to the Valkyrie as a sloop. It says: 'The old issue of sloop 

 and cutter, with its clearly marked line of separation over vital points 

 of design, has entirely disappeared, and the two contestants of 1893 

 have very many points of design in common.'' " Such a perversion of 

 our words is neither a bold defense against our criticisms, nor a f rant 

 admission that no such defense is possible. 



The winter crop of paper challenges and new boats promises to be 

 quite up to the usual standard, but thus far, outside of the racing 

 between Valkyrie, Jubilee, Vigilant and Colonia, there is no sign of 

 building in any racing classes, and, to judge from the statement in The 

 Yachtsman, the prospect is as bad on the other side. 



Of the various rumors afloat concerning the future of the Vigilant 

 the only one which is at all probable is that the Emperor William has 

 made an offer for her, with the intention of racing her in British 

 waters next year. It is certain that the Emperor is looking for a new 

 yacht, and the purchase of the Vigilant is perhaps the surest and 

 cheapest way of procuring one. The reports that any of her present 

 owners will take her to England next year, or that any challenges will 

 be sent from this side for the Victoria or Cape May cups are without 

 confirmation, and lack probability. 



Some Useful Definitions. 



New York, Nov. ZS.— Editor Forest and Stream: A.propos of the 

 comments in your issue of December 3 on the yachting news in the 

 New York Herald, will you kindly define in intelligible English what 

 the metacenter of a vessel is? The writer was appealed to the other 

 day and in the effort to define it found on examination that what he 

 believed to be the metacenter was in reahty the metacentric height. 

 A reference to the dictionary left him with a rather hazy idea as to 

 what it was, unless it be as stated in the Hsrald, the center of gravity 

 of the volume of water displaced. The question is asked for informa- 

 tion solely, and in the belief that the majority of yachtsmen are 

 equally ignorant of this question and would De glad to have a clear 

 definition of the matter. Sdbscriber. 



A clear and full answer to our correspondent's question, the second 

 one of the kind which we have received within three weeks, cannot be 

 given in a few words, but necessitates the definition of several other 

 terms used by naval architects, and the construction of a diagram 

 similar to that published two weeks since. The subject, however, is 

 likel,y to be of interest to a great many of our readers whose ideas of 

 the metacenter are as hazy aa those of our correspondent or of the 

 Herald writers, and as the term, a very important one to the naval 

 architect, is likely to be much used in connection with the new war- 

 ships, we shall try to give a clear explanation of it. 



The question of the stability of a vessel, alsvays a most important 

 one, as shown in the historic capsizes of the war vessels Captain and 

 Eurydice and the merchant steamer Austral, as well as of thousands 

 of other missing craft, involves the consideration of two vital attri- 

 butes—the center of buoyancy and the center of gravity. The first of 

 these, commonly designated as C B," may be defined as the center 

 of gravity of the volume of water displaced by a vessel, whether up- 

 right or inclined, the displacement being the same in any position. 



Let ns imagine a ship caught in the ice and frozen fast, then lifted 

 bodily out, leaving a cavity in the ice. If this cavity be filled with 

 water and this water frozen in turn and lifted out, the piece of ice 

 would be an exact counterpart in form of the ship's bottom below 

 water, but would differ from it in that the ice would be solid and 

 homogeneous throughout, while the ship's bottom would be hollow 

 inside, and of different density in its various parts. The center of 

 gravity of the piece of ice would be the center of buoyancy of the 

 vessel, and its position will depend solely on the form. It will be 

 understood that it is different from the center of gravity of the whole 

 vessel, and also from the center of gravitj"^ of the actual bottom of the 

 vessel, as both of these depend, not on the form, but on the consti'uc- 

 tion and the weight of the various parts, the bottom planking or 

 plating, armor, engines or lead keel. The center of buoyancy may be 

 located exactly by a comparatively simple calculation, always lying 

 in the vertical fore-and-aft plane of the vessel, and of course bdow 

 the water line, and being the same for any given model, whether the 

 ship be buUt of wood or steel. It is the point through which the 

 buoyancy of the vessel acts to right the ship and prevent a capsizp, 

 and as the leeward side ia immersed and the windward side einersed, 

 the center of buoyancy shifts to leeward. 



The center of gravity of a vessel, commonly indicated by C. G., is 

 the common center of all the weights, of hull ballast, spars, sails, 

 equipment and crew; the point on which the ship would balance if 

 litted out of water and susppnded by a line. While the center of 

 buo,yancj' shifts to leeward with regard to the vessel as she heels, the 

 center of gravity does not move in relation to the vessel, but is fixed 

 as long as all of the weights remain in their normal positions. In the 

 diagram the center of buoyancy in the upright position is indicated 

 by B. and its new position for a heel of 1.5° by B^ ; the center of grav-. 

 ity being at G, in the middle vertical plane of the vessel and at a con 

 Slant distance from the waterline. 



In order that the vessel may be in a state of equilibrium, G must be 

 in the same vertical as B, and when it is in this vertical the vessel will 

 remain in a state of rest, with no tendency to move from it. As soon, 

 however, as a vessel feels the wind in her canvas and begins to heel, 

 the centers move to leeward, but the center of buoyancy moves much 

 faster than the center of gravity. With a heel of 15°, the C B will 

 have moved perhaps to the position B, while the 0 G has moved but 

 a few inches from its first position. 



When in an upright position, ihe upward pressure of the water acts 

 through B, coincident with the middle vertical longitudinal plane, but 

 as the vessel heels, this middle plane becomes inclined, and the 0. B. 

 at the same time shifts away from it to the position Bj. The upward 

 pressure now acts vertically through B], on the line Bj M, aud the 

 point in which this line cuts the vertical plane, at M, is the metaceu- 

 ter for that given angle of heel. As a matter of fact, the vertical 

 through each successive position of the C. B. as the vessel is gradually 

 heeled will not cut the plane in the same point; but for all angles of 

 inclination up to 10 or 15°, the intersections will practically coincide, 

 and the point of common intersections is called the metacenctr. 



To frame the definition in few words the metacenters of a floating 

 body are the points in which tne verticals through the various posi- 

 tions of the center of buoyancy as the body is inclined, intersect the 

 middle vertical logitudinal plane. There are really an inflnite number 

 of these metaeenters, but as already explained, those for all inclina- 

 tions between 0 and 10 to 15° are so closely coincident that in practice 

 It is assumed that the vessel has but one metacenter, that at some 

 given angle of heel within 15°, commonly denoted by M. 



The metacenter, like the center of buoyancy, depends solely cn the 

 form of the vessel, ^d in no way on the gonstruction or ballasting, 



audits height above the C. B., the distance B.M. in the diagram, may 

 be easily calculated, and this calculation is commonly made for a new 

 vessel. Of itself, however, it is of 11; tie value and in order to reach 

 any useful results it is necessary to know the "metacentric height,'' 

 the distancft G. M., and from it the position of the center of gravity. 



The center of gravity may be located by two methods, first. directl.y, 

 by calculating the weight and the istance from certain assumed planes 

 of every component part of the vessel, each timber, plank, spar, etc. ; 

 and second indirectly, by practical experiment, heeling the ship by 

 known weights, and then calculating the metacentric height. 



This latter process is employed in the case of most war vessels, and 

 has just been completed on the new Machias, with the very unsatis- 

 factory result of a metacentric height of but 4in. The vessel, with her 

 bilges pumped dry and everything on board lashed in place, is moored 

 carefully in smooth water, often in a drydock. and two equal weights, 

 such as ballast, guns or shot, are placed on the extreme sides of .the 

 deck, as at W, W. Sometimes four equal weiehts are used, two on 

 each side. A plumb line and bob are suspenlled from a deck beam 

 amidship, and the position marked when the vessel is upright, with 

 the ballast equally distributed on each side. One pile of ballast is then 

 shifted from starboard to port side, incIiDing the vessel, and the angle 

 is measured by the plumb line. The second pile of ballast is then 

 moved across to the other three, and the new angle marked. Now 

 the two piles are replaced and the plumb line compared with its origi- 

 nal position: then the two port piles are successively moved to star- 

 board and the two angles noted. From the mean of these four read- 

 ing the angle of heel due to the moving of a given weight is calculated, 

 and from this angle b.y another calculation the metacentric height is 

 obtained, and the position of the center of gravity located permanently 

 as a basis for all fur hi r calculations of the effects of varying weighus 

 of coal, guns, ammunition, water, etc. The Amsler integralor, de- 

 scribed in the Forest and Stream of April 14, 189.i, has proved of great 

 service in shortening all stability calculations. 



Should the vessel ba heeled a little more than the 15° shown, the ver- 

 tical through the new center of buoyancy will cut the lino B M. con- 

 tinued a little above and to the left of M., and other verticals for 

 further additions to the angle of heel will intersect each other in suc- 

 cession in a series of points to the left and above M. The curved line 

 through these points is called the "metacentric,'' and is used in the 

 study of stabihty. but it need not be considered here, having nothing 

 to do with the ordinary metacenter and metacentric height; and we 

 only mention it in order that the term "metacentric" may not be con- 

 fused with "metacentric height." 



The nature and importance of the metacenter was first pointed out 

 by a noted French scientist, Bouguer. in his "Traite du Navire," 

 published in 1746; to hira we owe the name and the many original in- 

 vestigations which have since been elaborated by others. It is sup- 

 posed that the name is derived from the Greek words meia, change; 

 and fceiitro?)., center; signifying a changing center, or as some inter- 

 pret it, the limit of change of the center of gravity. To understand 

 the exact relations betwi_«»n the metacenter and the center of gravity, 

 let us look at the operation of the two forces of gravity, and buoy- 

 ancy as shown in the diagram. 



The position of the center of buoyancy is fixed as soon as the lines 

 of the vessel are completed, but the position of the center of gravity 

 may be anywhere in the vertical plane, above or below the center of 

 buoj'ancy, according to the construction, weight of spars and rig- 

 ging, and the material and disposition of the ballast, inside iron or 

 stone, outside iron or outside lead. The righting power of the yacht 

 is always measured by the horizontal distance between the lines of 

 action of the two forces, the weight of the yacht acting downward 

 through G to right her; and the buo.yant pressure of the water acting 

 upward through B, and fonning a fulcrum. 



This horizontal distance, G. Z., is known as the "righting lever," 

 and the longer it is the greater the vessel's stability. With wide 

 decks, a lofty, heavy rig, and inside ballast, the center of gravity 

 must be high above the center of buoyancy; and with a light con- 

 struction, a moderate form, a light rig, and all ballast in a deep lead 

 keel or a bulb fin, the center of gravitj- may be brought well below 

 the center of buoyancy, giving great reserve stabi ity and an im- 

 munity from capsize. 



In any given vessel,ther lows the center of gravity can be brought by 

 means of improved construction and ballasting; the longer the right- 

 ing lever G. Z , and the greater the stability; while a heavier construe 

 tion, which raises the center of gravity, must necessarily shorten G. 

 Z. As the center of gravity ajiproaches the metacenter,'thf; metacen- 

 tric height being lessened in proportion, the righting lever G. Z. also 

 decreases, disappearing entirely when the center of gravit.v coincides 

 with the metacenter and the metai^entric height becomes O. In this 

 position the righting power ha-s vanished, and the vessel is in a dan- 

 gerous condition, and if the center of gravity continiies to rise, or the 

 n^ti'je ii'e' ti suidealy lowered throui^h an added angle of inclina- 

 tion caused by a heavy sea, a new lever then is created, but this time 

 on the wrong side of the center of; buoyancy; the weight of the vessel 

 now acting through the center of gravity to capsize instead of right- 

 ing the vessel. 



It will thus appear that the metacentric height is a most im- 

 portant element of a vessel, and one which the designer must have in 

 mind from the commencement of a design. In the modern yacht, 

 with low lead ballast, there is, in all ordinary forms, an asstirance 

 from the start of ample stability; but in a war vessel, with excessive 

 top weight in the form of armor and .armament, and with the possi- 

 bility of empty bunkers, watertanks, storerooms and magazines at 

 times, the question of the metacentric height becomes a vital one. 

 At the present time, we are sorry to say, there is a strong probability 

 that several of the new vessels are no better off than the Machias 

 whose recent test, as already stated, showed a metacentric height, as 

 reported, of but four inches. 



We have at hand no flgta-es relating to modern yachts, in fact, we 

 are not aware of any experimental determination of the metacentric 

 height of any American yachts: but the following figures give a rough 

 ilia I of the metacentric heights of various types of vessels: The 

 monitor Miantonomah. as rebuilt, is credited with a height of 15.8ft., 

 the ill-fated BritisU warship Captain had but 3.6ft., another warship, 

 the Warrior, had 4 7ft., the Iron.Duke.had •3.0ft. and in the larger war- 

 ships the metacentric height may vary from 2 to 14ft. 



As to yachts, Mr. Uixon Kemp gives the metacentric height of the 

 old schooner Sappho as 7.3rt., of Miranda, with six tons on keel, as 

 3.5ft., of the old cutter Rose of Devon, the same length as Puritan, 

 aft. narrower and some 2rt. deeper, with all ballast inside, as 4ft., of 

 Floriuda as 3 7ft., and the famous yawl Jullanar as 3 3ft. 



Thus far we have dealt only with an Inclination of a vessel at right 

 angles to her length, but as it is possible to incline lier in any direc- 

 tion it f Hows that there must be a metacenter for each of such incli- 

 nations In practice, however, only two positions are considered, the 

 transverse inclination, and that in the dii-Hction of the length of the 

 ship, depressing the bow or tiie stern. The metacenter already des- 

 cribed Is known as the "transverse," the other as the "longitudinal" 

 metacenter. It is found m the same way, but the longitudinal meta- 

 centric height is much greater, approaching the length of the vessel 

 Instead of but two or three feet. In common use the term is applied 

 to the transverse metacenter only. 



While a certain amount of metacentric height Is absolutely essential 

 to safety, too much is very vindesirable, as the vessel, though very 

 stiflf, is correspondingly unsteady and subject to violent and abrujit 

 motions both in rolli ig and in pitching and scending. In a yacht this 

 is merely a matter of comfort, but in a war vessel it is of great impor- 

 ance as affecting the aim of the guns. While the stability wiiioh at- 

 tends a large metacentric height is essential in racing, it is the prac- 

 tice in fitting out for cruising to retain the lofty racing mast and also 

 to raise the inside ballast on cork or by other misans, thus increasing 

 the height of the center of gravity and decreasing the metacentric 

 height 



It wfil be seen that the Herald's definition applied to the center of 

 buoyancy, and not the raetaoentHr ; in a. latei- issue a second attempt 

 was made to explain the suljject, but with little more success. The 

 whole subject of stability, including the metacentric height and the 

 motions ot a vessel under sail or in a sea is a most iruportaut and in- 

 teresting one and well worth further discussion, but for the present 

 we must rest with the attempt to answer the questions of our corres- 

 pondent; we hope in a manner which will prove intelligible to the lay 

 reader. Should we have failed in any way we will gladly endeavor to 

 explain those points which have not been made clear. 



YACHT NEWS NOTES. 



The 10-rater recently ordered from the Herreshoffa Is presumably 

 for Henry Allen, owner of Wenonah. That noted racer has been sola, 

 and sent to Germany, her new owner being Prince Henry of Prussia. 



The coming Christmas number of The Yachtsman promises to excel 

 all previous special numbers, and to be of interest to American as well 

 as British yachtsmen, as it contains excellent pictures of Navahoe, 

 with a design for an imaginary challenger for the America's Cup. It 

 is advertised on another page. 



'I he outlook for the forthcoming season is very far from encourag- 

 ing. So far as racing yachts are concerned, there are practicallv no 

 boats on the stocks, and no orders forthcoming. Almost all' our 

 celebrated yards are in a state of collapse at a season in which the 

 hammer is wont to be painfully heard. The order for a 40 rater re- 

 cently given to Messrs. Fife has been countermanded, and Admiral 

 Montague has also rescinded his order for a vessel of i he same class 

 to be designed by Mr. Watson. BIrs. St;henley has withdrawn her 

 order for a new 5-rater. No new tens, no new twenties, no new forties, 

 no new first-class racers— a sorry report at the end of November.— j/je 

 Yachtsman, 



A Florida Cruise. 



DijRixs the summer of 1898 a scheme was devised at Okoboji Lake 

 la , by a few members of the Okoboji Yacht Club, to take acruise down 

 the west coast of Florida during the following winter. 



Starting from Sutherland, Fla.. a winter resort situated on Clear 

 Water Bay, and "crabbing" along the west coast, taking in the bays 

 and bayous as far as Cape Romano, where we were to leave the main- 

 land and steer across the Gulf for Key West, the objective point of 

 the cruise. 



It is seldom that a plan devised so far ahead is carried out; but our 

 pai-ty carried out our scheme to the end thereof, and the following is 

 a faithful log of svhat occurred: 



We chartered the oyster schooner Blanche for the term of thirty 

 da,ys, the owner was to furnish craft, captain and cook, while we were 

 to furnish provisions, wood and water and help run the schooner, the 

 hire, craft, captain and cook, being IgaoO for thirty days. 



After the bargain was made it was arranged that the captain should 

 have five days to make one more trip to Cedar Keys for oysters. He 

 returned in four days and was much surprised to find an order (from 

 the owner:) to deliver his cargo at St Petersburg, whieh would' take 

 five days' more time, and as we were unwilling to e.xtend the time on 

 the contract, he hauled the Blanche out into six feet of water and 

 dumped seventy barrels of fine, fresh oysters into the bay. 



The good news Hew from house to house, and everybody, old and 

 young, black and white, came with baskets, barrels and boats and 

 "toted" off oysters until the supply was exhausted. We captured a 

 barrel of the.se oj^sters and found them as fat, sweet, and as fine in 

 flavor as any that we had eaten further north. 



We made Ozona a rendezvous to fit out the Blanche for the cruise 

 and while some of the party stopped at the San .Marino, the scribe and 

 tw^o others stopped at the Eavey House at Ozona. 



Of our party of five, the Commodore, the Caterer and the "Distin- 

 guished Landsman." were from Ouiaha. Neb,, and the "Chief Marine" 

 and "Scribe" weie from Iowa. 



It was arranged that (he commodore and the distinguished lands- 

 man, should occupy the two bunks in the little stuffy cabin, while the 

 rest of the boys had ' state rooms" fitted up la the hold of the 

 schooner. 



Feb 11, 1S98 —Large delegations came down to the dock from the 

 San Marino and Eavey House to see us off. A bevy of young ladies 

 from the San Marino presented one of our boys with a rich fruit cake, 

 and with cheers, and much waving of handkerchiefs, we sailed r.ub 

 into the gulf. After sailing a few'miles, a black cloud came up from the 

 south, and the captain ran back under the lee of Anclote Light House, 

 where we anchored for the night 



We turned into our bunks with a strange aud uncomfortable feel- 

 ing, as if we had suddenly lost our liberty. 



There were the strange noises that one alwavs hears on board of a 

 vessel at sea; the bilge water swashmg about under the floor of the 

 hold the never ceasing roll and pitch of the vessel as it heaves on the 

 long, dead swells of the gulf, the creaking of blocks, the groaning of 

 booms and gaffs as they swing back and forth on the masts, the flap- 

 ping of halyards and running rigging, the thumping of the rudder 

 post and the peculiar cracking sound of the barnacles on the bottom 

 of the schooner, were discomforting noises that kept us more or less 

 awake the first, niijht out; but, after a few days, we became so accus- 

 tomed to these sounds that we could sleep right through the whole 

 nighr, as if in our own beds at home. 



Long before daylight, our captain got under way and proceeded on 

 our course, (b, by W ), which would bring us to Egmont Light House 

 situated at the pass into Tampa Bay. ' ' 



After sailing about fifteen miles, we hove to over a rocky reef aud 

 commenced to catch fish; taking them in as fast as we could bait our 

 hooks. Within twenty minutes we had caught more groupers red 

 snapper, Spanish mackerel, aud gruuters, than we could possibly 'use 

 We bore away on our course, throwing nearly all the fish overboard' 

 as fish do not keep long in that latitude. ' 



The commodore caught the largest fish; it was a red snapper that 

 weighed laibs. Our cook made a chowder of the 13-pounder which 

 together with sweet potatoes, hoe-cake and coffee, made up a dinner 

 that made the boys wild with delight. 



We kept the schooner on her course until sundown, when the wind 

 came out dead ahead and soon kicked up a nasty sea. We made lack 

 for tack, and fought our way into the teeth of the wind, the little 

 40-foot schooner jumping over the seas and wetting the cecks with 

 the brmy spray. We secured the hatches, reefed the sails and pre- 

 pared generally for a very wild night; and kept her headed into the 

 wind for an hour longer, when we made the Egmont Key Light and 

 no light was ever rn^jre welcome. 



The wind was now blowing a gale from the south. And the Blanche 

 being a flat-bottomed craft, built for "crabbing" around the bays and 

 bayous inside. Tionmled the great sea,s, every stroke of which made 

 her tremble frrn i .sri i,, i „ ^tern; and we fresh-water sailors thought 

 she would kn.! . : : : ii-om her bottom. 



The captain n for three mortal hours we fought the Un- 



equal fight. Til. .li getting more dim and distant, clearly 



showing that we were uot holding our owu; then came a squall, with 

 heavy rain, shuttin- out the distant light. We hauled down the fore- 

 sail-and jib, thus heaving ijer tu. 



We rode the squall out, again set sail and bucked into the wind and 

 great seas for one hour more, when the captain said that wo could 

 now make the lee of Boca Egg Shoals, which we did, and came to 

 anchor. 



We all ate a hearty supper (except the Distingui.s-lied Landsman 

 who not only lost his dinner, but missed hi.s supper,} and, aUhoucfi 

 the Blanche pounded the heavy rollers and tUL-ged at ihe tvvo ancho'ra 

 all night, we Okoboji yachtsmen turned in and slept the steep of the 

 just. 



Feb. 13.— The late gale blew out long before daylight, and after a 

 breakfast of ham, eggs, sweet potatoes and coft'ee," we got under way 

 and very soon made Egmont Light, around which we sailed into Tampa 

 Hay, which is about sixty miles long and from fifteen to twenty mhes 

 wide. We laid our course 8. by E., which took us into the mouth of 

 the Manitee River, which runs through a belt of land tli.at produces 

 fruit and garden truck in great abunuance. Here, we eame. to anchor 

 and had a fine swim on the beach, and found by i reading with our 

 t-oes that we were over a clam bed. We secured a ilrie lot nf elains 

 which we soon made into a chowder that was highly appreciated bv 

 all hands. - - j 



Feb. 14.— Early in the morning we left the Manitee River and sailed 

 N,E. by N". for the city of Tamua. which we reached at: 3:.30 P. M, We 

 made fast to one of the many dock.-?, and all hands put on their boiled- 

 shirts and went ashore to tak(3 in the town, Tampa contains about 

 15.000 inhabitants. 6,000 of whoiu arn .Spanish, who largely work at 

 cigar making. The north end of the city is given up to these people, 

 and is called Spanishtown. Many of them are of the African race but 

 all speak Spanish, from the gray-headed old man of eighty dow'n to 

 the toddling little babies; and even the parrots talk and swear in Span- 

 ish, making us think we were in some foreign city. 



We saw no one smoking pipes, but nearly all were smoking very long 

 cigars; for every eigarmaker has five wrappers given him by his em- 

 ployer daily with enough fillers to make up said cigars, which he can 

 smoke or sell as he may elect. The people svere well dressed and 

 seemed contented and happy. 



The Tampa Bay Hotel is the largest hotel in the South. The main 

 buUding is TOOft. long and 300ft, wide. The hotel and grounds take in 

 fortv acres, and every foot of this land not covered with buildings is 

 artistically laid out in drives, walks and gardens, the latter containing 

 a great variety of tropical trees, plants and flowers, thescentof which 

 fllied the air, go where you would. 



The dining-room is a vast dome built of iron and glass, with beauti- 

 ful pictures in the base panels. Th- inclosed courts of the hotel are 

 covered with iron and glass roofs, and floored with mosaic tiling 

 These courts are adorned With tropical plants and flowers, with here 

 and there fountains made in grotesque torm, and when these courts 

 are lighted up at night with hundre-osof many-colored electric lights 

 the effect is extremely dazzling and beautiful. 



Outside of the big hotel iliere are no flue buildings in the city. 



Feb. 15,— We were up bright and early to catch the fiood tide and 

 sailed down the bay, u hich is about 60 mUes long. 



We had a free sheet, a tiae whole sail breeze, and made a quick run 

 to Palmasota Pass, the entrance from Tampa Bay ir>fr> Pdhuasota 

 Bay. where we anchored for the night, having clam ;oBp aud fried 

 clams for supper. 



Feb. 16.— After an early breakfast we commenced beating up Palma- 

 sota Bay. We overhauled and passed a schooner, the Nelly Bly with 

 a load of Yankees on a cruise like ourselves. ' 



We finally came to anchor ofl' the captain's home, which is situated 

 near the Pass into Sarasota Bay, where we remained one day for the 

 captain to repair our dinghy. 



We went ashore and dug some clams that our cook made into a 

 chowder that was fid food for the gods. The captain's wife sent us 

 some native wine and one of those plain cakes that our grandmothers 

 used to make, which one can eat as bread aud not dream that you see 

 said grandmother by so r ating. 



About one hour before supper we took our sea bath, which was 

 smiply delightful and luxurious. Indeed, whoever cornea South and 

 returns without taking a sea bath has lost no small part of the pleas- 

 ure of a winter outing on Florida's coast. 



In surf bathing it is better to bathe when the tide is coming in aa 

 then the tide ana waves are in harmony and it is impossible for 'the 

 seas to carry you out; but with the tide running out there is an under 

 tow that has a strong tendency to carry you out to sea, and manv 

 have thus lost their lives. There is no danger from sharks in surf- 

 bathing, if people do not swuu outside of the breakeis, for sharks 

 always keep outside of rhe breakers. When at anchor in shaUow 

 water we l£ept ow roap to wR.tch for shftrks while we Ijathed bu^ 



