Dec. 15, le»4.J 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
19 
It was wondered why Sam Redd, a noted Lexington fox- 
hunter, was not at the field trials with some of his noted 
hounds, but it seems that during the week while his hounds 
were running, some one shot into the pack with buckshot 
and the eyes of two of the best hounds— Admiral Jouette's 
Howard and E.oger Williams's Topsy, were shot out. The 
latter bitch it will be remembered won first at Chicago last 
spring. Other hounds were injured but we could not ascer- 
tain to what extent. Mr. Williams can console himself with 
a litter of nine bloodhound pups that his Vigilant whelped 
to Alchemist during the week of the foxhound meet. 
building, ail of which is unnecessary in the case of the challenger, 
the defenders are not allowed necessary time for preparation. 
Smith Ejectors. 
Anticipating that there would be in time a demand for a thoroughly 
practical ejector gun at a moderate price, we ars now ready to fill 
orders for same raDging in price from 860 to $500. Thinking it would 
be of interest to the readers of the Forest and Stream to know that 
they can get a Smith gun of any grade with an ejector attached, we 
invite your attention to a few facts in the case. Our motto, "We 
lead and others follow," prompted us to put the first American 
ejector on the market, this gun has never been changed, and is the 
same perfect mechanism to-day that was put on the first gun of the 
kind shipped from the factory- The Smith ejector gun as made by 
the Hunter Arms Co., of Fulton, N. Y., is no experiment; three years 
of the roughest kind of usage has proven conclusively to its friends 
and convinced its enemies that it is a practical success. By actual 
count of parts it is the simplest ejector in the world, any one can 
understand its principles at a glance. A very important feature 
about all of the Smith guns is that they are the only guns made in the 
world which are guaranteed in every particular and also to shoot any 
nitro powder made and not get loose. — Adv. 
tariffing. 
The two documents which have been received since our last issue 
and which are printed herewith cover a number of very Important 
points mixed up in a rather confusing manner. In giving them that 
careful consideration which they deserve, it is necessary to rearrange 
them in the order of their importance. 
The clauses relating to the primary conditions of a match, the terms 
under which a challenge is made and accepted and the trophy deliv- 
ered to a possible winner, are those which we have numbered in the 
the challenge 1, 2 and 3; and in the letter. 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12. 
The clauses relating to the secondary conditions, such minor details 
of the racing as properly come under the "mutual agreement" clause, 
are all confined to Lord Dunraven's letter, Nos. 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 12. 
This points touched upon in the various clauses first mentioned are 
two: First, the question whether or no the races of 1893 were sailed 
under the new deed of gift, and, secondly, the departures which may 
be made from the literal terms of the new deed. 
It is evident that the Royal Yacht Squadron and Lord Dunraven 
still persist in ignoring the patent fact that the last races were sailed 
under the new deed and nothing else, in spite of the lame and awkward 
attempt of the New York Y. C. to modify some of the more objection- 
able clauses. 
It is no less true that the waiving of the dimension clause and the 
acceptance of one instead of four dimensions, was illegal in 1892, and 
that a similar action this year, as suggested in Clause 3 of the chal- 
lenge and Clauses 5 and 10 of Lord Dunraven's letter, would be 
equally illegal; and would offer good ground for an objection on the 
part of any member of the club to the delivery of the Cup to the 
challenger should he be successful in the races. 
The first point involves a lengthy discussion, which will be found in 
another columD. The second will be clear to any one who under- 
stands the English language and will read the specific provisions of 
the new deed, as to what must be given in a challenge. 
We may say briefly that the communication of the Royal Yacht 
Squadron is not a "challenge in due form," and that as long as the 
new deed exists, the New York Yacht Club has no power to recognize 
it and arrange a race in compliance with it. 
Loud Dunraven's satisfaction, as expressei in Clause 7, will be 
shared by all yachtsmen who wish to see the America's Cup elevated 
to its true position as the great emblem of international supremacy in 
yachting; but at the same time, we question the right of the New York 
Y. O. to accept as a challenger any yacht not specifically mentioned 
and identified by her four dimensions in the challenge. The wording 
of the new deed is so clear and explicit as to leave no room for argu- 
ment on this point. 
The secondary conditions are a mere repetition of Lord Dunraven's 
former letter, and may be briefly disposed of. The matter of meas- 
urement and marking of the loadline, including the question of 
a "ballast crew," has been settled very fairly by the Cup committee. 
Lord Dunraven still harps on the Marblehead course and the wind 
ward start, regardless of the unreasonable nature of the one propo- 
sition and the impracticable nature of the other. It is evident that 
his Lordship is laboring under the delusion that Marblehead is an 
island in the open sea, and that from it a windward course can be 
laid out, regardless of the direction of the wind. On the contrary, it 
is situated in the angle of an |_ quite as pronounced as the shore con- 
tour about Sandy Hook, and with the wind from anywhere in the 
three shore quadrants, a very long tow would be necessary to secure 
a start to windward. His proposal for a windward start for all races, 
and for the abandonment of those races in which no windward work 
is possible, would result in prolonging the contests through an in- 
definite period; and are too impracticable to be considered for a 
moment, 
Tne remarks of Lord Dunraven on the "one gun" start are very 
much to the point, and we regret that the committee has not met his 
wishes in this respect. 
While a ten months notice is one of the indispensable requirements 
of a legal challenge, it is unlike the demand for the four dimensions, 
in that it is specifically recognized as one of the secondary details 
subject to the "mutual agreement" clause. The giving of ten months 
notice is compulsory in order to assure the legality of the challenge; 
but this notice once given, the club is directly empowered to waive it 
and to agree to an earlier date. At the same time there is a very 
general feeling on this side that the New York Y. C. would be quite 
justified in adhering to the letter of the new deed, and not only declin- 
ing to accept Lord Dunraven's suggestion of a race within eight 
months, say in August or September in place of October; but in going 
much further and declining any challenge for 1895, which does not 
name a date within ten months. It is held, that Lord Dunraven, having 
already sailed for the cup, is perfectly familiar with the terms laid 
down, and that his intention of again challenging was informally an- 
nounced by him over a year ago. He has had every opportunity and 
inducement, not only to open preliminary negotiations, but to send a 
formal challenge at least six months ago, and yet has waited so long 
that the acceptance of his challenge must place the defenders at 
serious and needless disadvantage. Considering how much there is to 
d o in the organizing of syndicates and the preliminaries of the actual 
We have repeatedly pointed out in the course of the last five years 
that in spite of all the nonsense about the "mutual agreement" 
clause, the ultimate test of the recognition or repudiation of the new 
deed lies in the final clause defining the document essential to a trans- 
fer of the Cup if won. Our position on this point is now indorsed by 
the last statement of the committee, that "if the challenging club 
will sign a receipt as provided in the new deed of 1887, we will accept 
the challenge." It has always been understood by the New York 
Y. C. that this same condition maintained in the Valkyrie- Vigilant 
match; it now remains to be seen whether Lord Dunraven and the 
Royal Yacht Squadron will realize and appreciate this vital point of a 
challenge, or will persist in ignoring it and discussing petty details 
and extraneous conditions. 
In an interview in the New York Times Mr. H. Maitland Kersey 
disposes of Gen. Paine's interpretation of the "mutual agreement' 1 
clause in the following terse and concise statement: "As for the 
much talked of mutual agreement clause, that was simply a clause 
which related to minor details, such as the courses, whether they 
should be sailed to windward, and other necessary arrangement 8 
relating to a match. In fact, the new deed of gift is de facto, while 
the mutual agreement clause is in futuro, as it does not come into 
existenoe until after the challenge has been accepted," 
THE*Larchmont Y. C. has shown a commendable example of most 
unusual activity in setting to work immediately at the end of one 
season to arrange plans for the next. The usual order of things in 
yachting is to drop everything when the yachts lay up in October, 
and when the experiences of the season are fresh in mind, and to 
resume work at or after the holidays, when men are occupied with 
other things and have partly lost Interest in yachting. The announce- 
ment of the club's fixtures for 1895 was made on Nov. 20, 1894, the 
whole season's work being thus well mapped out long in advance. 
The work of the special committee on the new classes was also 
begun in season and pushed promptly to a finish, so that members 
desiring to build are in a position to make contracts at once, at good 
figures and with a chance of getting their boats in shape before July. 
We hope that some of the other neighboring clubs will follow the 
example of the Larchmont and arrange their fixtures before the new 
year. What is needed on the Sound is a conference of the many yacht 
clubs interested in racing, for the purpose of arranging such a circuit 
as was recently suggested by one of our correspondents. There being 
no body properly charged with the summoning of such a conference, 
the initiative rests with the larger clubs, such as the Seawanbaka- 
Corinthian and Larchmont. Any move on the part of these two 
would probably meet with the co-operation of all the others, to the 
decided benefit of racing next season between New Haven or New 
London and New York. 
We call the attention of clubs about Boston and in other places to 
the desirability of an early selection of dates, and also of announcing 
them in order that other clubs may avoid the selection of the same. 
The Valkyrie— Vigilant Match. 
The challenge of the Royal Yacht Squadron and the various letters 
of Lord Dunraven referring to the "terms of the Valkyrie- Vigilant 
matches" make it necessary to unearth a lot of threadbare detail 
which should have no bearing whatever on the merits of a new chal- 
lenge. As partly explanatory of the matter in dispute, we quote as 
follows from our report in the Forest and Stream of Dec. 15, 1892; of 
the special meeting of the New York Y. C. on Dec. 12, at which the 
challenge was accepted: 
The report of the Cup committee was read, giving the entire corres- 
pondence with Lord Dunraven and the Royal Yacht Squadron, includ- 
ing the challenge, as follows: 
Royal Yacht Squadron Captle, ) 
Cowes, Nov. 25, 1892. f 
Dear Sir— I am requested by the Earl of Dunraven to forward you 
a formal challenge for the America's Cup on the following conditions 
which, 1 understand, have been agreed to between Lord Dunraven and 
the committee appointed by the New York Y. C. to conduct negotia- 
tions and arrange all details, viz.: 
First— The length upon the load waterline of the challenging vessel 
to be the onlo dimensions required. This to be sent with the challenge 
and the Custom House register to follow as soon as possible. 
Second— Any excess over the estimated length on the load water- 
line of the challenging vessel to count double in calculating time al- 
lowance, but the challenging vessel not to exceed in any case such 
estimated length by more than two per cent. The yacht that sails 
against the challenging vessel not to exceed the estimated length of 
tne load waterline of the challenging vessel by more than two per 
cent., and any exaess of length beyond the estimated length of the 
challenging vessel on the load waterline to count double in calculating 
time allowance, providing that no yacht of the specified rig existing or 
under construction on Out. 20, 1892, and available for tne use of the 
New York Y. C. in defending the Cup, shall be barred or penalized 
beyond taking or giving the ordinary time allowance according to the 
New York Y. C. rules. 
Third— It is to be understood and agreed that should the Cup come 
into the possession of a British yacht club it shall be held subject to a 
challenge on precisely similar terms to those contained in this chal- 
lenge, provided always that such club shall not refuse a challenge 
according to the conditions laid down in the deed of 1887. 
Jtherefore, on behalf of the Royal Yacht Squadron and in the name 
of the Earl of Dunraven, a member of the squadron, challenge to sail 
a series of matches with the yacht Valkyrie against any one yacht or 
vessel constructed in the United States of Americi for the America's 
Cup, and I would suggest that the matches should be sailed in August 
or September, 1893. Lord Dunraven would be glad if the precise date 
can be left open for a time, but if your committee so desire he will 
name an exact date on hearing from them. 
The following are the particulars of the challenging vessel: 
Owner — Earl of Dunraven, 
Name of Yacht— Valkyrie, 
Rig— Cutter. 
Length on Load Water Line— 85 feet. 
The Custom House measurement will follow as soon as the vessel 
can be measured for registration. 
I shall be much obliged if you will cable me the receipt of the chal- 
lenge and let me have a reply by letter as soon as the matter has been 
laid before the committee. I have the honor to be, dear sir your 
obedient servant, Richard Grant,' 
m T „ „ „ „ „ Secretary Royal Yacht Squadron. 
To J. V. S. Oddee, Esq., Secretary New York Yacht Club. 
The report of the committee continues: 
"In regard to this challenge your committee would report as follows- 
"Your committee had agreed to recommend for acceptance a chal- 
lenge based on Lord Dunraven's letter of Nov. 7, in which he writes: 
'I trust * * * that a challenge on the terms of my former letter' 
as herein modified, will be accepted.' ' 
"In the former letter here alluded to, that of Sept. 16, to Mr. Oddie, 
Lord Dunraven writes: 'I will sail a series of matches under the 
rules of the new deed of gift, with the following exception and 
addition:' 
"ThiB clause your committee considers as the basis of the whole 
negotiation. 
"The terms of this letter to Mr. Oddie had been declared by the New 
York Y. C. as acceptable with certain exceptions which do not affect 
the force of the clause above quoted. The challenge contains no ref- 
erence or equivalent to this clause, but purporting to recapitulate the 
stipulations required and agreed to, fails to characterize them as 
exceptions or auditions at all and so does not even imply the existence 
of other and very importaat conditions of the deed, such, for instance 
as the covenants and agreements required on the part of the winner 
of the America's Cup under the rules of the new deed of gift. Fur- 
ther, the challenge in no way sanctions the use of the preceding cor- 
respondence for the purpose of its interpretation. 
"Your committee feared that this omission from the challenge of 
the explicit statement contained in Lord Dunraven's letter might in- 
volve a risk of some future misunderstanding, and considered that 
the most expeditious method of preventing any possible misunder- 
standing would be to obtain authority from Lord Dunraven to use his 
letters on which the challenge was to be based as explanatory of the 
challenge itself. 
"As the committee feared that the limited time would prevent the 
btaining of an authorization by the Squadron to so use Lord Dun- 
aven's letters, the following cable was consequently sent: 
'New York, Dec. 6, 1892. 
'Lord Dunraven, 27 Norfolk street, London: 
'Challenge, if explained by your letters, satisfactory. Do you agree? 
Club meeting Tuesday. Paink.' 
"To this the following reply was received: 
"Adare Dec 7 1892 
'•Paine, New York Yacht ClvJb, New York: 
'Copy following cablegram received: Challenge, if explained by 
your letters, satisfactory. Do you agree to club meeting Tuesday? 
Message ends I don't understand. Challenge is in accordance with 
your cablegram of 22d. Dunraven.' 
"As it appeared from this that the committee's cable had been ren- 
dered obscure by an error in transmission, the following cable was 
sent on Dec. 7: 
'■Lord Dunraven, Norfolk street, London: 
"Will you authorize us to use your letters Sept. 16 and Nov. 7 as ex- 
plaining challenge? , Paine.' 
"On Dec. 9 the following cable was received: 
London, Dec. 9, 1892. 
'Gen. Paine, Neio York Y. C. Neio York: 
'Yes, certainly. Cable definitely London. Dunraven.' 
"As above requested to reply definitely, the committee sent the fol- 
lowing cable: 
'New York, Dec. 10, 1892. 
'To Lord Dunraven, Norfolk street, London: 
'Your September letter proposes match according rules new deed 
with {modifications. Challenge states these, but not as exceptions 
or additions to new deed. Your cablegram, "Yes, certainly," is satis- 
factory. Paine.' 
' On Dec. 12 the following cable was received: 
'London, Dec. 12, 1892. 
'To Paine, Yacht Club.N. Y; 
'Have no authority from Squadron relying on yours Nov. 22. Be- 
lieving everything finally settled, challenge forwarded terms. Your 
requested alteration impossible. I cannot further delay. Please cable 
definite acceptance or refusal. Dunraven.' 
"At half-past twelve A. M., Dec. 13, the following cable was sent by 
the committee: 
'New York, Dec. 13, 1892. 
To Lord Dunraven, Norfolk street, London: 
'Committee meeting and club meeting to-day. Will cable result im- 
mediately. Paine.' " 
The report, which was signed by Charles J. Paine, James D. Smith 
Latham A. Fish, Archibald Rogers and A. Cass Canfield, ended as fol 
lows: 
"In conclusion your committee would offer the following resolu- 
tion: 
l Besolved, That this club accept the challenge of the Royal Yacht 
Squadron, in the name of the Earl of Dunraven, for the America's 
Cup, the match to begin ten months from Dec. 5, 1893, the date of the 
receipt of the said challenge by the New York Y. C, but the date of 
the match to be subject to alterations for mutual convenience and by 
mutual consent.' " 
The resolution was put to a vote and carried unanimously, after 
which the meeting adjourned, the result being immediately cabled to 
Lord Dunraven and Secretary Grant of the R. Y. S. 
As regards the cablegram of Dec. 12, which is mere nonsense as read 
when received, durlDg the meeting; its true reading, as afterward 
deciphered, was as follows: 
"Have no authority from the Squadron. Relying on yours of Nov. 
22, believing everything finally settled, challenge forwarded, terms 
you requested. 
"Alteration impossible. I cannot further delay. Please cable definite 
acceptance or refusal." 
This is a distinct statement that Lord Dunraven had no authority to 
consent to a race on behalf of the Royal Yacht Squadron under the 
new deed of gift. 
At the same time he had already written to the New York Y. C. 
that he would "sail a series of matches under the rules of the new 
deed of gift," and at the dictation of the Cup committee he had obedi- 
ently withdrawn an allusion to the former deeds of gift which might 
be construed as reflecting upon the new deed. 
In spite of the straining and distortion to which certain clauses of 
the new deed were subjected by the club and committee in the 
coveted attempt to obtain a race under it, the committee from the 
very first asserted most strenuously that the challenge was under the 
new deed, which point was adhered to throughout the whole corre- 
spondence, and would have been most rigidly enforced had Valkyrie 
finally defeated Vigilant. 
The Centerboard, 
The recent remarks of Mr. Lewis G. Nixon on the centerboard have 
brought out the following comments in the Meld: 
"The Boston yacht designers are said to disagree with Mr. Nixon as 
to the utility of centerboards, and Mr. A. Binney, who designed the 
unfortunate Pilgrim, is said to hold the belief that centerboards are 
somewhat of a nuisance, but 'sportsmanlike,' which Mr. Nixon said 
they were not. Wliat a centerboard has to do with the sport, or 
sport with a centerboard, it is difficult to say. It is pretty certain, 
however, that if the Vigilant had been fitted with a deeply placed lead 
keel, somewhat like the Britannia's, instead of a centerplate, she 
would have been much improved for all round sailing. 
"Talking of all round sailing, it is said the new America's Cup chal- 
lenger is to be built for dead to windward and dead to leeward sailing 
only, the same as the Vigilant was. It is also said that the Vigilant's 
failure on this side of the Atlantic is mainly attributable to the fact 
that she was not built for 'all round sailing' over ordinary regatta 
courses. But we do not see the force of this argument, unless it can 
be proved that the Vigilant was superior to windward on her home 
courses to the Valkyrie. It can scarcely be claimed that, generally, 
she was superior to the Britannia to windward in this country 
although she undoubtedly many times reached faster. Some years' 
ago, when the Sea Belle came out, and showed us what a schooner 
could be made to do to windward, it was thought she lacked in speed 
reaching; her successor, the Miranda, was accordingly designed to 
have greater reaching powers, but as a matter of fact she was more 
weatherly .than even the Sea Belle, but could not reach quite as fast. 
We think this alleged designing of yachts for specific purposes is 
somewhat a matter of uncertainty, and the Vigilant, whatever she 
was intended to do, certainly could be termed a good all round per- 
former, without any special distinction on any point of sailing over 
and beyond another point." 
Yacht Building on the Pacific. 
We are indebted to the San Francisco Call for the following de- 
scription of a novel and interesting craft, sooner or later to be added 
to the pleasure navy of the Pacific metropolis. We cannot but admire 
the graphic and picturesque description, and we hope that when 
completed the craft herself will not discredit it: 
"Some months ago several young men started to build a racer at 
the foot of Hyde street and it was this action that gave birth to what 
will be one of the most wonderful craft afloat (that is if she floats). 
"In a little cover at the foot of Fort Mason and next to the old 
Pioneer woolen mills there dwells a boatman who up to a few months 
ago lived a life of ease and contentment, but when these young men 
began to shape their craft his soul was fired with an ambition to origi- 
nate a craft that would be a world-beater. Many long, dark, dreary 
nights were spent in calculating and drafting lines until his ideal was 
reached. One morning the inhabitants of the adjacent district were 
startled by the music of the hammer and from that time on this dream 
began to take on form, until to-day its realization is very near ready 
for launching. 
"A visit to where she is being built will repay those who take it. 
When her builder was seen regarding the definite figures of her con- 
struction it was found that the whole surroundings were filled with 
an air of mystery which reminded one of the reports from the East of 
the cup defenders. 
"From the natives thereabout it was learned that she was 42ft. over 
all, 15ft. beam and about 30ft. on the waterline. She has a keel of 
about 12in. deep which starts at the rudder-post and keeps its width 
until the bowsprit is reached. The floor of the keel proper is straight 
until the waterline is nearly reached, when it takes an upward shoot, 
giving her a big overhang. This keel running up her stem is supposed 
to steady her and gives those aboard time to think when she is going 
about. 
"The midship section is a study. It has a flat floor, with a sharp 
dead rise till near the water line, where it broadens out a little until 
the latter place is reached, when the freeboard starts to tumble home. 
"The stem has an air about it of the Vigilant, with the cast of 
countenance of Columbus' Santa Maria. It rises from where the 
sternpoBt intersects the hull at about 45 degrees, tapering out to a. 
very narrow transom, which is one of the prominent features of the 
craft. It is here that the likeness to Columbus' good old boat is 
noticed in the plaster-of-paris fancy-work, which has an ancient look. 
It is said that the builder had a window in the stern overhang, which 
some one mistook for a hencoop, and that this so disgusted him that 
he removed it. 
"Her planking is of one-inch stock and the cabin two-inch. She haa 
