198 
sport, which was" enjoyed by the Red Dragons at their midwinter 
camp-fire on Feb. 23. 
The new enertainment committee— we always have a new en- 
tertainment committee after .the ; annual meeting, who immedi- 
ately proceed to distinguish themselves, or extinguish themselves, 
by giving the annual winter camp-fire — I say the new entertain- 
ment committee did themselves proud. We haven't had such a 
smoker in a long while. From 8 P. M., when the Dragon's spike 
tail and forked tongue began to waggle with glee, till long after 
two in the morning, when that noble, long-suffering beast, who 
ever grasps the fiery paddle in his forward flippers, was lulled to 
deep slumber by the classic air "As long as the beer goes round 
the Sons of the Dragon made merry. 
The minstrel part was pretty good, especially when Pat, our 
new bull-terrier pup, took a fancy to Fleischmann's red stocking. 
The Living Pictures were masterly examples of scenic art; but 
the farce-comedy, which almost turned to a tragedy (again the 
new bull-terrier pud), was out of sight. 
Be it known to all, the Sons of the Dragon play tennis, some of 
them; some play at football, and some, alas! shoot the janitor's 
chickens. Therefore, a large field of sport is opened up; aud as 
tour champions of these manly recreations, including canoeing, 
loomed up on the improvised stage, to be afterward thrown out 
the window (the stage, not the champions), and began to sing of 
their own powers, the audience rose en masse and cheered till 
they scared the aforementioned bull-terrier pup out of the room. 
Some more pictures, all more or less living, came next; and then 
the farce-vaudeville-tragedy-comedy-drama-grand-bouffe-opera- 
roof -garden performance began to slow music. 
Description is impossible; it was out of . sight, and will be for- 
ever; for was it not for one night only? 
After it was over, the stage was slipped through the forward 
hawsehole out into the cold night air, and some boxing came off. 
Then some more singing and boxing, and then the worst singer in 
the A. C. A. had to get up and do his litt.'e part. This made most 
of the audience very thirsty, and what follows is another story, as 
Kipling has it. 
Skating has been very good on the Delaware for nearly four 
weeks past, but it was at its best on the night of Feb. 23. 
M. D. WILT. 
(We regret that we cannot reproduce the programme.) 
Canoeing at Santa Barbara. 
A correspondent writes to know whether a canoe yawl or suial 
sailboat can be used to advantage at Santa Barbara, Cal ., and if 
so, whether there is any builder near at hand. Possibly some of 
our readers can give the information. 
Hclltittfl, 
FIXTURES. 
APRIL. 
19. Mosquito Fleet Open regatta.^Boston Harbor. 
MAY. 
0. South Boston"Open,"Boston!Harbor. 
JUNE. 
8. Knickerbocker annual, L. I. 17. Massachusetts open, Nahant. 
Sound. 22. Douglaston annual L. 1. 
11. Atlantic Annual, N. Y.Bay. Sound. 
15. Larchmont spring regatta, 25-26. Seawanhaka Cor., annual 
L. I. Sound. race, to New London. 
IE. Philadelphia annual, Dela- 29. New Rochelle annual, L. I 
ware River. . «. s ... iSound. 
1. Indian Harbor special, L. I. 10. Huguenot special, L. I. 
Sound. Sound. 
2. Seawanhaka Cor.,7 annual 12. Larchmont 34 ana 2i-foot 
L. I. Sound. classes, L. I. Sound. 
3. Seawanhaka Cor., race to 13-21. Larchmont cruise, L. I. 
Larchmont. s « Sound. 
6. Larchmont annual, L. I. 13. Hempstead Harbor annual, 
Sound. L. I Sound. 
6. American special, ~ L. I. 15. Savin Hill open. Boston Hai- 
Sound. bor. 
4. Riverside annual, "L. I. 20. Sea Cliff annual, L. I. Sound. 
H Sound. 27. Indian Harbor annual, L."I, 
8. Seawanhaka Cor. special, L. Sound. 
I. Sound. 27. Quincy, Boston Harbor. 
9. Horseshoe Harbor special, L , 
\S*£ J, Sound. , t i i 
AUGUST." 
3. Monatiquoit open, Boston 17. Corinthian ope.n,Marblehead, 
Harbor. 19. Manchester open, Manches- 
3. Shelter Island annual. ter, Mass. 
13. Larchmont 34 and 21 foot 24. Squantum open, Squantum, 
classes, L. I. Sound. Mass. 
10. American annual, L. 1. 24. Horseshoe Harbor annual, L. 
Sound. I. Sound. 
10. Winthrop open, Boston Har- 24. Norwalk, L. I. Sound. 
bor. 31. Larchmont 34 and 21-foot 
13. American open, Newburyp't. classes, L. I. Sound. 
15. Sea Cliff, L. I. Sound. 31. Huntington annual, L. I. 
17. Huguenot annual, L. I. ^^^Sound. 
, a | Sound. 
SEPTEMBER. 
2. Lynn open, Nahant. 7. America's Cup, first race, 
2. New York Y. R. A. annual, New York. 
York Bay. 7. Revere, open. 
%. Larchmont Fall Regatta, L. 7. Larchmont, cabin cats, L. I. 
I. Sound. Sound. 
5. Larchmont 34 and 21-foot 12. Sea Cliff, L. I. Sound. 
classes, L. I. Sound. 14. Larchmont schooner race, L. 
I. Sound. 
* The news of the Tweek includes three important events, the ill- 
ness of Mr. N. G. Herreshoff, the selection of a material— alumi- 
num bronze— for the skin of the Cup defender, and the promise 
of an international contest in small yachts. 
The illness of the designer and builder of the new defender is at 
best a very serious matter at the present time, as all work on the 
Herreshoff boats is done under his immediate direction; and even 
in the case of the speediest convalescence which can be looked 
for, and the absence of the after-effects which follow the grip, the 
work must suffer more or less delay. 
I Mr. Herreshoff has undoubtedly been under severe nervous 
strain in dealing with the many details of model, construction 
and rig of the new boat in addition to other similar work, and at 
the same time he has exposed himself to the severe weather of 
last month, falling into .the icy water when the Eugenia was 
launched,and being outdoors during the long operation of casting 
themew keel. As a result, he has been for some days prostrated 
with the grip, and is now very ill, from'all accounts, with typhoid 
fever; the disease which resulted fatally to Mr. Burgess and Mr. 
George A. Stewart. With a splendid constitution to help him, 
there is no reason to anticipate such a result in Mr. Herreshoff 's 
case; but there is reason to fear that his illness, which is likely 
to be followed by a long period of convalescence, will be a serious 
drawback to the proper defense of the Cup. 
The sudden and unexpected illness of the principal one of the 
three or four men on whom the defense of the Cup depends, shows 
clearly the danger which we have so often commented on, of 
putting all of one's eggs in one basket; no matter how large and 
strong this basket may be. The best defense of the Cup cannot be 
obtained by the mere lavish expenditure of money, or even through 
the skill of any one designer; but through the combined efforts of 
the leading yachtsmen in building many boats and encouraging 
the best efforts of all designers. 
It is quite safe to assume that the new boat represents a distinct 
advance on Vigilant, quite as much as Mr. Watson has made on 
Valkyrie II.; but even then her best speed can only be obtained 
by constant racing with others of her class. On the other hand, 
there is much about her that is experimental, and the possibility 
j. Arthur brand— From the Yachting World. 
certainly exists that she may turn out a Navohoe or Colonia in 
place of a Vigilant or Wasp; in which the America's Cup would 
probably take a sea voyage. If the Cup is held again this year, 
the first move of the New York Y. C. for its proper defense in 
the future should be to transfer the racing to a class in which a 
number of yachts will be built, and in which many of the leading 
yacht owners will take a direct and personal interest. 
At the present time, with the entire defense of the Cup depend- 
ing on two yachts, first the unnamed and untried syndicate craft, 
and secondly on Vigilant as a trial boat and las t resort, there is 
dire need of a little patriotic effort on the part of American 
yachtsmen. The construction of a second new defender is now 
hardly possible, but a great deal may be done in the way of pro- 
viding an adequate fleet for the trial and working up of the new 
boat, if not to provide a substitute in the event of any failure on 
her part. There should be in the New York Y. C. the spirit and 
money to take in hand at once both Jubilee and Colonia, making 
such alterations as are known to be necessary, and having both at 
the line by the time that Vigilant is ready; and with her and 
Navahoe serving to tune up the new boat in good season. 
While Volunteer can hardly be expected to hold her own with 
the newer craft, she, too, if properly rigged, would add materially 
to the interest in the class, and help to keep up that steady and 
sustained racing which has been the mainstay of Cup defense in 
the cases of Puritan, Mayflower, Volunteer and Vigilant. 
The late completion of purely experimental craft was a marked 
feature of the Cup defense of 1833; and, though no harm resulted, 
the lesson of Jubilee, Colonia and Pilgrim should not be unheeded 
this year. With plenty of boats-.afid plenty of races before the 
first of September, the chances of success against the new chal- 
lenger may be easily trebled over those now existing. 
The latest report as to the material of the new boat states that a 
contract has been made with the Pittsburg Reduction Co., makers 
of aluminum bronze, an alloy of great strength, containing a evry 
small percentage of aluminum. According to various estimates, 
the added strength over Tobin bronze means a gain of at least 4 
tons over that metal, or more than by composite construction; 
while the surface is quite as good as that of Tobin bronze. There 
is no doubt that the entire range of materials, steel, wood and 
the aifferent patent alloys, has been carefully studied by the de- 
signer of the new defender, and while a week since the indications 
were strongly in favor of the composite construction, there is good 
reason to believe now that aluminum bronze has been chosen. 
Compared with the racing of real 90-f ootors, such small craft as 
the half-raters seem but children's toys; but while even the 
wealthy yacht owner is able to participate in the 90ft. racing, 
only through a binocular from a club steamer, the small class 
is within the reach of all; and the racing may be made quite as 
keen and exciting. We hope that the proposed races may be 
arranged, and that Spruce III. may be seen here next fail, with a 
suitable fleet of boats to meet her. It must not be forgotten that 
one of the fastest boats in the half-rating class on the Sulent was 
the Herreshoff Wee Win. 
In the course of some discourteous remarks concerning the 
Forest and Stream, the Yachting World asserts that we have mis- 
represented the feeling of British yachtsmen over the surrender 
of the Rc.yal Yacht Squadron. 
While we are aware that one swallow does not make a summer, 
we cannot forbear quoting the following from a letter received by 
the same steamer as the journal mentioned. The writer is an 
English yachtsman and Corinthian sailor. "I must congratulate 
you over the line you have taken over the Cup negotiation. It 
passes my comprehension to divine how the R. Y. S. could have 
let us down so heavily as it has over the whole business. There is 
no doubt that Dunraven is very popular, but a more complete 
back out of a distinctly tenable and very justifiable position on 
the part of the R. Y. S. cannot be imagined, and I think your 
people must hug themselves over the very decided victory in 
tactics they have gained over slow-witted John Bull." 
A Chance for Small Class Racing- 
What promise of sport there is for the coming season is confined 
mainly to the latter part, after the three or four largest cutters 
has-6 been set going in earnest. As for general class racing in the 
medium sizes, it will probably bo limited to a few schooners, and. 
" spruce ill." — From the Yachting World. 
as last year, to Wasp, Gloriana, Queen Mab, Minerva and Gos- 
soon. With no yachts building and no general interest, the rac- 
ing promises to be anything but exciting and interesting until the 
final Cup contests come off. Within the past week, however, there 
has.beeh a development in an entirely new direction which prom- 
ises .plenty of ;keen and ^exciting sport, and of a sort within the 
i 
