110 
FOREST AND . STREAM. 
[Feb. s, 
wc found was farther in shore than it had looked to be. We could 
also see that the boats were after bluefish. Two sloops had been 
sailing back and forth near the reef while wc were fishing, and 
we saw their crews take bluefish after bluefish. Try as we would, 
however, we couldn't get even a strike. It was extremely exas- 
perating to see those two sloops trailing four lines each astern, 
and taking fish which made the water fiy as tliey were hauled in, 
and not be able to catch one ourselves. We finally became dis- 
gusted, wound up our lines and squared away for Block Island. 
Montauk Point was abeam at 12 o'clock, and the wind was so 
light that we hardlj' had steerage way. A long, unbroken, 
bluish-gray swell rolled out of the south, and Svisie rose and fell 
in a really qualm-inducing manner. The sun was still hidden by 
clouds, and there was no sign to indicate that it would shine 
that day. Away down in the east, what appeared to be a dim, 
low cloud showed where Block Island lay. To the nortl^ the 
sound of rumbling paddle wheels told of a steamboat hidden by 
the haze in that direction. On ever}- hand fishing sloops and 
schooners rode the glassy undulations; and scattered far and 
near over the surface of the sea, lobster-pot bvioys twinkled and 
vanished like smouldering embers in a dying fire. Soon there 
was no wind, not even a breath, and we were at the mercv of the 
tide. 
Truly, "it's an ill wind that blows n«body good,*' but here 
were we without any wind at all. There was one consolation left 
to us, however — if we could not sail, we could eat; and eat we did, 
and in a manner that was truly shocking. Fried to a crispy 
brown, porgie after porgie disappeared in rapid succession. It 
m.ay seem a big story, still four of us managed to store away over 
lOlbs. of fish at that meal. 
"We'll have the wind no'theast, if we should be lucky 
enough to get any at all," said Sam, when be came on deck 
after filling up on fish. "It may possibly comie southeast at first, 
but it'll haul no'theast before it blows an hour. Then we may be 
compelled to lay in harbor at Block Island for a week, before it 
lets up." 
"No'theast or no no'theast," replied Stanley, "Susie starts for 
and a. good Winchester with which to thin it out. 
Supper over, Stanley and I started for the post-office. We landed 
at the steamboat wharf and clambered up the stone work at its 
shore end. We walked a mile and a half over a road as dark as 
the jungles of Africa before we found the post-office. After post- 
ing the letter, we crossed the street and entered a large, old- 
fashioned grocery store. Here we tried to get bread, but they 
had only pilot biscuit. We tnen asked for bluefish jigs. "VVe 
haven't any, and I don't know of a place on the island where you 
can get them," answered the clerk. Had we wanted bloomers, 
corsets, cowhide boots, teething rings, or a horse Oridle. we could 
easily have been supplied; but bread or fishing tackle was entirely 
out of the question. We purchased -Slbs. o'f pilot biscuit, and 
trarnped our way back to the wharf. 
We were about to climb down into our skiff, when we noticed 
a stout old fellow who sported a pair of goat-like chin whiskers, 
holding a lantern a short distance away. The lantern's rays fell 
on another, younger man, who was pitching fish out of a small, 
open sloop on to the wharf. We walked to where they were. 
"Well, Bernie, you made quite a haul to-day, and no mistake." 
said the man_ with the lantern, as he critically viewed a huge pile 
of bluefish lying at his feet. 
"Yes, sir; quite a haul, for one man, sir. But I earned 'em 
all — every one on 'em, sir." 
"Right you are, Bernie, my boy. You earn ever}- fish, and all 
the pennies you can get for 'em." Then, noticing us, he continued: 
"Bernie goes out alone in that old trap of a boat, and he brings 
in as many fish as any on 'em. How in the world he does it, I 
can't see. Lord! I wouldn't no more knock around on these 
waters, the way he does, than I'd try to swim to Europe. TIow 
many d'ye say ye got to-day, Bernie?" 
"Twenty-nine bluefish, sir, 'n' a barrel o' flounders." 
"Twenty-nine bluefish 'n' a barrel o' flounders. Jest think of it! 
A'^ot a livin' soul to help him, neither. That's more'n .$7 fer 
ye to-day, ain't it, Bernie?" 
"Yes, sir. But there's no tellin' how much it'll cost me to get 
the leak stopped. It was so dark comin" in that T slapped the 
MOLLCR J/B 
TA BERNACLE 
SHEET BLOCK 
CANOE-YACHT EEL. 
Details of Rig. 
Greenwich the day after to-morrow. And she'll get there, too: 
that is, if she stays atop of the water, and I'll bet she does." 
"Very well, you're captain, and I guess it won't take any more 
water to drown me than it will to drown you." 
"I hope your northeaster '11 hold off until after we fish South- 
west Ledge," I said. 
"We'll fish it to-morrow, if tliere's any chance to do so," re- 
plied Sam. 
For over two hours there was no sign of y/Xnd ; then a light air 
came out of the southeast. The clouds, much to our satisfaction, 
drifted away, and the sun shone forth. The wind came stronger 
and stronger, and slowly but surely hauled to northeast. By 
6 bells the sea was all a-tremble with sparkling light, and the 
blue swells were faintly fringed with white. Fluffy clouds with 
dim, misty edges drifted across the southern sky-line, while off in 
the northwest a very emphatic thunderstorm was under progress. 
'this was Aug. 18, the day when the waterspouts made lively 
times for those who resided in the vicinity of Jamaica Bay. We 
therefore wondered afterward if that squall, working in the south- 
west and northwest, had anything to do with the Jamaica Bay 
commotion. 
The wind held steady northeast, and seemea not to increase. By 
8 bells we were four miles to the northwest of Southwest Ledge, 
and drawing up rapidly on the land. The white houses, against 
the treeless, emerald background of rolling hills, shone out clear 
and distinct. Southwest Ledge was alive with the white-wings 
of the fishing fleet, and we vowed that Susie's would mingle with 
them on the morrow. 
It was nearly 5 o'clock when Susie's bowsprit was even with the 
end of the breakwater at the entrance of Great Salt Pond. While 
beating into the harbor through the narrow channel which con- 
nects It with Block Island Sound, we met the steamboat New 
13runswick on her way out. As the wind was puffy and blowing 
hard, it was close work passing her, especially as the tide was 
running strong against us. We, however, managed to pass in 
ship-shape style; and that our seamanship was fully appreciated 
was manifested by the way in which hats and handkerchiefs were 
waved as Susie shot from under the steamer's bows and sped off 
with buried scuppers on the starboard tack. 
The beat from here across the harbor to the steamboat wharf 
was delightful sailing and full of vim. The pond was covered 
with nervous little waves, which Susie's bows churned into 
creamy foam. Just as the sun's last rays were gilding the roofs 
of hotels and other buildings nestling among the rolling hills, 
Susie came to anchor among a lot of yachts and fishing smacks off 
the end of the steamboat wharf. 
While Sam prepared supoer I sat on deck and wrote a few 
lines home. This was a rather difficult achievement, as, between 
the asthmatic wheezings and miserable squallings of a consump- 
tive accordion, with which a lively son of Ham was murdering 
"The Bowery" on a nearby sloop, and the giddy squeaks, cackles 
and guffaws of a gaudily attired, big-hatted, ancient-looking fe- 
male on another dilapidated sloop, it was difficult for one to keep 
one's wits about him long enough to write anything. About 
that particular time I longed for an "open season" on such game. 
sloop right atop of one o' theiu breakwater rocks. It was done 
afore i knowea I was anywheres near the rock. I tell ye what, 
but it was hard work gittin' her oft' alone, but I managed it after 
awhile. Le's see — I guess that's all the bluefish." 
Bernie felt around in the bottom of the boat a moment, then 
climbed up on the wharf. He proved to be a tall, well-made, light- 
complexioned fellow about thirty-five years of age. Oilskin over- 
alls were drawn over his blue breeches, and fie had on a blue 
sailor shirt. A common stiff-brimmed straw hat sat on the back 
of his head. "Now, sir," said he, addressing the man with the 
lantern, "if ye'll be kind enough to carry the lantern, I'll take 
these fish to the fish-house, and '11 not bother ye any more." He 
tlien filled a bushel basket with fish and carried it down the wharf 
to a small building on the left; the man with the lantern opened 
the door and Bernie carried his fish inside. A number of lanterns 
hanging about cast dim rays over huge piles of fish, and the floor 
of the room was wet and slippery. Many yachtsmen and other 
persons were crowded in the room, buying fish. I noticed two or 
three purchasers who hadn't the exact change with which to pay 
for what they had bought. These handed bills to the -ones who 
sold to them, and in every instance they had to look sharp after 
their change, or they would have lost it, as the sellers were forget- 
ful, but always in their own favor. 
We stayed" in the fish-house until all of Bernie's fish had been 
deposited there. AVe then returned to our boat with the old 
fellow who carried the lantern. We took him to be one of the 
islanders, so we asked him where we would be able to buy bluefish 
jigs. "Bluefish jigs? Lord! ye can't buy one on the island fer 
love nor money. Tliese blamed islanders won't sell em to ye. 
If ye want bluefish, and hain't got eny tackle, ye've either got to 
buy 'em from the fishermen or pay some on 'em fer takin' ye 
to the fishin' grounds, when they go out." 
"Then I guess we won't do any bluefishing, after all," said I 
"Where ye from?" W. H. Avis. 
t [to be CONTINtTED.J 
Gilberts Bar Y. C. 
WAVEtAND. Fla. — Results of races sailed Jan. 8: 
First Class. 
Actual. Corrected. 
Omega 0 5.5 43 0 55 43 
Albatross - 0 58 00 0 58 00 
Petrel 1 03 23 1 02 38 
Joker 0 52 17 0 51 13 
Winner, Joker. 
Second Class. 
Swallow 0 45 31 0 45 31 
Gypsy .1 04 12 1 03 08 
Winner, Swallow. Paul M. Aston, Sec'y- 
Barracouta, steam yacht, has been sold by Mrs. Sarah Drexel 
Fell to D. P. Reighard, of Pittsburg, Pa., who has ordered her 
to fit out for a West Indian cruise this month. 
YACHTING NEWS NOTES* 
The nominating committee of the New York Y. C. has reported 
the following nominations, to be voted on at the annual meeting 
on Feb. 10: Com., J. I'ierpont Morgan, steam yacht Corsair: 
Vice-Com., Lewis Cass Ledyard, sch. Montauk; Rear-Adm,rai, 
August Belmont, cutter Mineola; Sec'y, J. V. S. Oddie; Treas., 
F. W. J. Hurst; Meas., John Hyslop; Fleet Surgeon, Morris J. 
Asch, M. I). Regatta Committee— S. Nicholson Kane. Chairman; 
Chester Griswold and Irving Grinnell. Committee on Admission- 
Edward M. Brown, Chainuan; C. Oliver Iselin, Lewis Cass Led 
yard, W. Butler Duncan, Jr., and James A. Wright, Secretary to 
commUtee. House Committee— Tarrant Putnam, Chairman: C. 
I^. F. Robinson and Frank M. Cronise, Secretary to committee. 
Library Committee— Fordham Morris, Arthur H. Clark and Theo- 
dore C. Zerega. Committee on Club Stations— No. 1, Bav Ridge 
William H. Thomas; No. 2, New York, foot of Twenty-sixth 
street. East River, Frederick H. Benedict; No. 3, Whitestone, 
N. Y., F. Augustus Schermerhorn; No. 4, New London, Conn., 
L. Vaughan Clark; No. 5, Sheher Island, N. Y., Tarrant Putnam: 
Ivo. 6, Newport, R. I., Frederick P. Sands; No. 7, Vineyard 
flaven, Mass., Harrison B. Moore; No. 8, Atlantic Highlands 
(lower bay, New York), John P. Duncan: No. 9, Ardsley {.Irving- 
ton-on-Hudson), Amzi L. Barber; No. 10, Glen Cove, N Y Ed- 
ward R. Ladew. ' 
The American Y. C. held its annual meeting on Jan. 18, the fol- 
lowing officens being elected: Com., C. A. Gouid, steam yacht 
Neaira; Vice-Com., W. R. H[earst, steam yacht Bucaneer; Rear- 
Coni W. H. Butler, steam yacht Forget Me Not; Sec'y, T. L. 
bcovill; Ireas., W. P. Allen; Fleet 'Surgeon, C. L. Pardee, M. 
-U. : Meas., C. H. Haswell; Consulting engineer. George W. 
Magee, U. S. N. Trustees, to serve three years, J. Howard Wain- 
wright, Charles I. Pardee, M. D., Thomas L. Scovill; to serve 
in place of I^. R Lawrence, resigned class of 1900, Edward Litch- 
field, the club has a membershio of 235 and a fleet of seventy-one 
yachts, including twenty-eight steamers, twenty-five sailing and 
eighteen naphtha yachts. The following amendment to the by-laws 
was adopted: "Any member who is absent from the United 
.states for an entire calendar year shall be exempt from dues for 
such year provided he gives notice of his absence to the secretarv 
prior to the first day of April of such year." 
The club house of the Jersey'City Y. C, at Communipaw. was 
ourned at o A. M. on Jan. IS, its contents, including models', pic- 
tures, furniture, etc., and numerous sails, being totally destroyed 
Ihe loss IS estimated at $5,000, insured for $1,800. In the basin 
were the yachts Forsythe I. and Forsythe II., both owned bv 
Alexander Rowe; the yawl Eleanor, owned by P. W. Figuiro'- 
the yawl Bessie owned by Garret Van Horn; the .sloop Elphinr 
owned by F \\ . Babcock, and the catboat John, owned by Paul 
liabcock. All were more or less damaged. 
The old story of a large steel steam yacht for Tames Gordon 
Bennett once more afloat, Mr. Watson being named as the de- 
signer. Ihe details given are a length of 310ft., with 7,000 H P' 
Ihe story- is quite likely to be true and at the same time quite as 
likely to have no better foundation than in previous cases. 
At the annual meeting of the Plymouth Y. C, held at the club 
house on Jan. 18, the following officers were elected for the en su 
H""-' Sailey; Vice-Corn., George D Bart- 
tII^s WII^T^'-V/J'^" Stoddard; Sec'y, Alfred!. Barnes; 
ireas.. Will T Eldndge; Meas., C. F. Bradford. Executive 
&?"^'t"''f~''^''l?"'' la"?.>\,Tl'os. S. Diman, Otto Lormg! Icha 
wif.i°''V'"' T^^''^'^ Regatta Committee-Myles ^. 
Weston, Jr. John T. Stoddard, Geo. D. Bartlett. Delegate to 
■ A Massachusetts, Com. Horace P. Bailey. It was voted to 
indorse the action of the Y. R. A. of Massachusetts in abolishing 
time allowance m racing. 01^.1.5 
At the annual meeting of the stockholders of the Cleveland Y. C. 
oil Jan. 12, the following officers were elected: Com., Geo H 
\\orthington; Vice_-Com., Percy W. Rice; Rear-Corn., W. r! 
Machc"th T= T 'p^"7rf '■' Landreth, Jr.; Measurers, A. D. 
^eon n; V ^ ^atchffe; Surveyor Henry Richter- Fleet Sur- 
geon, l)r. L. E. Beeman. Board of Directors— Geo. H. Worthing- 
ton. Percy W Rice W. R. Huntington, Horace Foote? J E 
ton"T"p {f^Y Overbeck, Jos Kerbel, G. H. Gardner, r'. ^arlt 
',°";,-'-T^' M T^'r/-- h 9°b""e. Burton D. Munhall, A. R. Lan- 
dreth, Jr., W. L. Otis, John Barfh. 
The Tarpon Springs Y. C. still holds its weekly regattas. It 
vnf, nll?^"'^'''^ '■"'"c °^ * "^^ allowance and now has a go-as- 
you-please race every Saturday. The club gives a monthlv en- 
tertainment, the first of the series being a ball at thrTarpon 
thZ^^- °" Jf"--2^- ^'^gana day, and as the w'^nd 
is blowing half a gale, it promises to be a lively one. Tarpon 
^P'm -fTi ^'^""^ ^^^"""i y^''^^ Dorothea, built for Thos. McKean, 
of Ihiladelphia, was launched at the Cramp yard on Jan. 22 
The yacht, which has a "gazelle-like" look, is ' expected to sur- 
pass even Colunibia and Thespia. She is 215ft. over all, 178ft. 
n,^ is 97 ^°^-'.''°'^' .^"'^ 10ft- 'l^aft. Her engines 
aie 18, 27 and 42 by 24, with two Yarrow boilers to carry 2001bs 
ft is expected tliat she will make 14 knots (not miles) under 
rtggef' "° '^^'^ schooner- 
Britannia, cutter, recently purchased by John Lawson John- 
stone, has just been sold by him to Ernest Terah Hoolev, the 
millionaire speculator," as he is described by the cable de- 
spatches. 
r^^'^'^K^T ''^f, ^^""P by Ja"^es V. Coleman to 
Chas. JN. Nelson, who will cruise in her next season. 
T ^'^^o^?^' -^l^^"^ yacht, Robert Goelet, sailed from New York on 
Jan. 22 with her owiier on board, accompanied by Mrs. Goelet, 
Francis B. Riggs and Dr Knapp, of Newport. She is bound to 
Bermuda and thence to the Mediterranean. 
- The Wintlirop Y. C. held its annua! meeting on Jan. 18, the 
lollowing officers being elected: Com., George E. Leighton- 
Vice-Coni., Arthur W. Chesterton; Sec'y, Charles G. Bird; Treas. 
Luther T Harrington; Meas., Harry Hutchinson; Directors: 
Clarence H. Billings, Edgar A. Cook, Lyman S. Weston, Charles 
A. Henry; Regatta Committee: Arthur T. Bliss, Harrv M. Frost 
Aaron Sanderson, Joseph L. Rankin, Edgar A. Cook; Member- 
ship Committee: Flarry W. Hall, Albert Partridge, William W 
Fordham, Franklin H. Richardson, William H. Mirick, Minot H. 
Beacham, John G. Cuthbertson, Albert S. Richards. Joseph L 
Rankm.^ The club passed the following: Resolved, that this club 
favors "no time allowance" as being in line of progress, and 
that the extension of the class limits is desirable for many rea- 
sons. That we heartily approve the Massachusetts Yacht Racing 
Association's action, and that we hereby approve their efforts 
to encourage and improve yacht racing. 
Mayflower, steam yacht, has been sold by the estate of the 
late Ogden Goelet to Henry Sharpe, an English yachtsman. 
Messrs. Tams & Lemoine, who have charge of the 'yacht— the 
sale having been made by their London agents— are now fitting 
her out at the Erie Basin dry docks, and she will sail for England 
m a few weeks. The price paid is reported as $400,000. 
The Yale Cor. Y. C. has elected the following officers: Com.. 
Bruce Clark, Chicago; Vice-Com., C. A. Goodwin, Hartford; 
Rear-Com., Augustus Davis, Hartford; Sec'y and Treas., Fred M. 
Davies, New York; Governing Board: Gouverneur Morris, Jr., 
L. L. Lorillard, C. A. Brayton, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt. For- 
syth Wickes, and F. Havemeyer, all of New York. The club will 
have a house at Morris Cove. 
Fancy, cutter, has been sold to E. M. Whitney and A. S. 
James, of New Bedford. Fancy was the last and one of the best 
30-footers designed by Mr. Burgess. 
Wasp, schooner, has been sold by W. S. Jones, of Buffalo, to 
Dr. A. Brower, of Utica. Wasp was built on fresh water, orig- 
inally cutter-rigged and owned in Chicago. She was brought to 
Lake Erie a few years ago by Com. G. W. Gardner, of Cleveland, 
who rebuilt and altered her. She is 78ft. over all, 70ft. l.w.l., 
19ft. lOin. beam, 7ft. lin. depth, and 6ft. Sin. draft. 
Nourmahal, steam yacht, J. J. Astor, has been out at Downing 
& Lawrence's railways. She has beeij fitted with a promenade 
deck during the winter. She is now fitting out for a cruise to the 
Mediterranean, 
The Roberts Safety Watertube Boiler Co. is now running its 
shops at Red Bank, N. J., continuously day and night, and has a 
large number of orders in hand for boilers for yachts and com- 
mercial vessels. 
Yampa. 
The new owner of Yampa, the Emperor of Germany, has cabled 
as follows to her former owner: 
"Richard S. Palmer, New York city: As the new owner of 
Yampa, I take pleasure to inform you that I am fully satisfied 
with her excellent condition after her three voyages acrossi the 
Atlantic within one year. I am happy to possess the handsome 
schooner, and thank you for the liberal manner in which she was 
handed over. Her last performance in crossing to England w^s 
really astonishing. William I. R." 
