June is, 1901.3 
after publication for two weeks in the official organ of the 
Association he becomes a member. The entrance fee is 
$1 and the annual dues $1. 
A Final Reminder. — The administration is sparing no 
effort to make this one of the most successful meets in 
the history of the Association, and urges every one that 
can attend to come. They will not regret it. 
Further particulars will be given later in the usual 
camp circular. 
The racing petition as presented to the Executive Com- 
mittee for approval has passed. A gist- of the clianges is 
as follows, viz : 
First— A limit has been put on distance between bulk- 
heads and size of cockpit. (Rule i. Par. i.) 
Second — A minimum weight has been placed on decked 
sailing canoes. (Rule i, Par. i.) 
Third — ^A canoe must use the same suit of sails at a 
meet with reduced area for decked canoes and increased 
area for open canoes. (Rule i, Par. i.) 
Fourth (a new rule) — Rule 2. Classifying the canoes 
into three classes. 
Fifth — Flags not to be given as prizes except for the 
paddling and sailing trophy races. (Rule 6, Par. i.) 
Sixth — Putting a fixed length and time limit on the 
record races. (Rule 6, Par. 3.) 
Seventh — Putting a fixed length on the paddling trophy 
and adding other fixed races, (Rule 6, Par. 6.) 
Eighth — Allowing all comers to enter the trophy sailing 
race. (Rule 6, Par. 7.) 
Ninth — Decision of protests of members present at meet 
to be final. (Rule IQ, Par. 2.) 
Tenth — A canoe upsetting in a race debarred from win- 
ning prizes. (Rule 13. Par. 2.) 
Eleventh — Allowing old canoes to race at 1901 meet. 
(Rule 25.) 
'Mid Reef and Rapid.— Xm. 
BY F. R. WEBB. 
"Well, what do you think of it?" queried George, an 
hour later, as he paddled across to us. "The rain's let up 
for the present, but it's evidently going to rain more or 
less all day. Hadn't we better make camp here and be 
through with it? This will make an excellent camp 
place." ■ 
"It's a very good place," said the Colonel, "and I don't 
know but what, perhaps, the most sensible and comfortable 
thing will. really be to hang up and make ourselves com- 
fortable right here. It is almost lunch time now. and I'm 
afraid we can't make Bear Lithia to-day. The great 
objection to this place is the lack of water. There's none 
nearer than the mill, and that's a quarter of a mile 
away." 
"Yes ; it's about three-quarters of a mile away, across 
those fields and in the rain," said Lac}', whose job it is to 
carry the water. _ "I move we go on, now that it has quit 
raining, and if it comes on to rain again we can easily 
find as good a place as this, with the chance of its being 
closer to water." 
"Well, it's all the same to me," said George from his 
canoe. "What do you say. Commodore?" 
"Well, I'll tell you," I replied. "This is a good enough 
camping place, barring the lack of water, but I'm particu- 
larly anxious to reach Bear Lithia, if possible, this even- 
ing, as I wrote Compton we would be there to-day, 
and " 
"But he will hardly expect us on such a day as this," 
the Colonel broke in. 
"That may be," I replied, "but there is no harm in 
making the effort, and if worst comes to worst we can 
easily find as good a place as this to camp in, and, as 
Lacy says, with the chances in favor of its being closer to 
water. I vote to go on." 
"So do I." said Lacy. 
"Well, it's all the same to me one way or the other," 
said George. 
"Same here," said the Colonel, as he began to take 
down the fij, in which operation Lacy lent him a helping 
hand, and in a few minutes it was folded up and repacked 
in George's canoe, and we were paddling out into the 
still, deep pool, headed for the bend ahead, while the 
clouds still hung low, heavj'- and wet, across the entire 
heavens. A little breeze rippled the water into cold, leaden 
wrinkles and shook the drops from the overhanging 
trees in miniature showers into the w^ter beneath with a 
soft musical tinkle. 
Around the bend the river seemed to come to an end 
like a large pond in a broad, flat, gravelly beach, at the 
outer edge of which was strung a low fringe of bushes 
and small clumps of cottonwood trees, which extended 
clear across the river. A nearer approach disclosed the 
cottonwood patches to be small, clumpy islands, between 
two of yvhich most of the river rushed and pitched 
headlong in a foaming mass down a short, narrow and 
very steep slope, in a glorious rapid, whose tumultuous 
waves tossed their shaggy white crests high in air.- At 
the foot of the islands, below this deep, narrow pitch, the 
river spreads out in a broad, shallow, fan-shaped rapid, 
down which the water shoots swiftly with a flat, gently 
rippling surface. At the bottom, and extending clear 
across the river, is the usual fringe of loose stones, over 
which the water tumbles in a mass of pearly foanl in a 
fall of a couple of feet or so. 
This final shoot is always shallow, and we were well 
aware that we couldn't jump it on the present stage of 
water. _ Last year we disembarked some little distance 
above it, and led the canoes down to and over the fringe 
of stones, but this morning, after a glorious rush down the 
shoot above, over the big waves, over which our canoes 
bobbed up and down like corks, we let the canoes run 
swiftly out over the glassy shallows below, back paddling 
vigorously all the time, and gradually checking their 
speed, so that when they began to grate gently on the 
gravelly bottom a few yards above the pitch we sprang 
quickly out before the canvas skins of our boats had 
time to come to harm on the uncompromising stones, and 
by means of the stern painters gently eased them down 
the fall into deeper water below, where we drew them 
alongside of us, as we stood, knee-deep, in the swift, foam- 
ing water, and dropped over the sides into our' seats with 
our feet hanging out over the gunwales on either side to 
allow the water to run out of our canvas shoes. 
We had harly got settled comfortably in our canogs 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
before the rain began again— a chill, fine, penetrating rain, 
which shimmered grayly on the cold surface of the river 
and glistened like a sheet of varnish on our decks and 
hatches. We speedily drew our rubber capes and hats 
from under the front hatch, where they are usually car- 
ried, for accessibility, and put them on. Thus attired and 
with closed hatches and aprons, we were in position to 
disregard the rain and so kept right on down the river. 
The three miles between the Shaver and Rivcrbank 
dams is pretty much one continuous rapid, and is a con- 
glomeration of reefs and ledges requiring great care and 
skill to successfully navigate, particularly with the rain 
shimmering on the water and obscuring the surface in- 
dications ; but we succeeded in slipping in and out among 
them, and threading our way through them with but little 
trouble and without mishap. Fortunately, at the present 
stage the water was not so swift and powerful as usual, 
giving us time and opportunity to negotiate the reefs com- 
fortably and leisurely. 
The "big fish dam a mile and a half below Shaver's 
looked formidable as we approached it. It is one of the 
biggest dams of this character on the river — really as big 
as most of the mill dams — and it required not a little skill 
and care, as well as nerve, to jump it successfully. In 
one spot the water shoots over a little gap in the top 
of the dam in a long, narrow tongue, breaking up into 
big foam-crested surges at the foot, two or three suspicious 
lumps along the edges in the course of this tongue being 
suggestive of big rocl<s. I landed on the dam and in- 
spected it closcl}'-, feeling out the rocks with my pike 
pole, while George, after maneuvering for position by 
back paddling, hung poised above the fall while he studied 
it. Becoming satisfied as to the position of the rocks, he 
let go. His canoe dropped down into the powerful suc- 
tion, settled down into the water to the gunwales as it 
dropped over the verge, and then shot out into the long 
tongue of water below the dam. For an instant she was 
buried in the snowy foam below, and then emerged, with 
the water streaming in sheets from her decks, as she shot 
down the swift rapid below in safety. The rest of us 
made the shoot with equal success, the Colonel and I each 
scoring a slight bump from the rocks as we went over. 
The next quarter of a mile required peculiar care, as 
the water was not only reefy but, owing to a consider- 
able fall of two or three hundred yards or so in length at 
this place, was quite strong. However, there is a fairly 
good boat channel through this fall, along close to the 
left bank, down along which we shot swiftly, without 
much trouble, and we passed on down into deeper water 
below. 
The art of back paddling is a very useful and valuable 
one — I might say, indispensable one — to the practiced 
canoeist in threading his way in and out among the reefs 
and ledges. He works his boat around from one little 
cross chanel to another, or gets her in position to slip 
through opportune little gaps in the ledges much easier 
and surer than by driving ahead in a frequentl}^ vmsuc- 
cessful attempt to beat the current through. He holds his 
canoe stationary while he surveys his course, and if an 
eligible opening appears to right or left he inclines the 
stern of his .canoe — not the bow — in that direction, and by 
holding the boat stationary with a few easy back strokes 
with the paddle, the current gently swings the canoe into 
position, when, on getting in line with the shoot, he lets 
go, and she gently slips through or over. Care must be 
exercised in this backward swinging around or across cur- 
rents, that a swift shoot of water from around the corner 
of some rock does not catch him, or it will take his boat 
by the stern and throw it around end for end in a 
twinkling, and with consequences that may prove disas- 
trous. 
"Hello, you fellows !" came a hail from a little group of 
three or four disconsolate looking rustics huddled up 
shivering together und,er the trees along the hznk out of 
the rain as much as possible, while the "set" fish poles, 
strung out in a row along the" edge of the gravelly bar, 
pointing out over the water, with the lines sagging away 
down stream in the set of the current;, proclaimed their 
occupation. 
"Where you all from ?" 
We admitted our abiding place, 
"Where you all goin'?" 
We confessed to our destination. 
"Must be runnin' a race, ain't ye?" 
We modestly disclaimed any pretentions to speed. 
"Mebbe you're surveyin' the river?" 
We admitted that we undoubtedly were surveying the 
river, but not strictly in the interests of science, technically 
speaking. 
"Well. say\" in a hopefully pleading tone, "can't you all 
come ashore for a few minutes and give a feller a nip of 
somethin' hot? It's powerful chillin' settin' here in the 
rain, and nothin' to drink." 
"Singular," said George, in a musing tone, as we drifted 
slowly by on the deep, gently moving water into the 
Riverbank mill pool, after apologetically explaining that 
our section had just passed through a heated prohibition 
campaign, and that we had all reformed. "Singular 
how when a stranger learns that this crowd hails from 
Staunton he at once assumes that there must be some- 
thing to drink along. Now this is the second time in the 
last three days that this expedition has been hailed from 
the bank by thirsty gentlemen, hopeful of procuring liquid 
refreshment of a spirituous character. I didn't expect 
this when I consented to join this expedition. I am not 
accustomed to it, and my reputation will be ruined." 
"Yf-1 ; it's a pity about that reputation of yours," Lacy 
ric-pliwd. "Let's see, how does that celebrated old quotation 
feO? I think it is something in regard to the difficulty 
experienced in injuring eggs that are already in a hopeless 
condition." 
"That's all right about that reputation," George re- 
torted; "you Staunton fellows need some one along to 
give tone to the crowd, but while I am willing to make 
some sacrifices to benefit my friends, I feel that there are 
limits to what a man ought to be expected to stand, and in 
justice to myself I feel that I really ought to draw the 
line somewhere." 
We portaged the Riverbank dam in a light drizzle. The 
portage was an easy one— in fact, so easy that all we had 
to do was to slide the canoes over the round, smooth, 
slippery log that formed the crest of the dam next to the 
right bank, and drop them about 3ft. into the swift water 
below, and each man portaged his pwi} canoe without 
assistance from the others. 
471 
The heavy, swift rapid below the ferry at the mill was 
shot without touching — in fact, as we proceeded down the 
river we were surprised and delighted to see how our 
hopes of finding better water were realized. _ On leaving 
our temporary camp at Shaver's, I really anticipated con- 
siderable trouble in navigating the section of river between 
that place and Elkton, which is particularly shallow, swift 
and rocky, and I fully expected we would be out in the 
water half the time; but, except at the dams, we really 
had but little getting out to do. Of course our intimate 
acquaintance with the river stood us in good stead, for 
there was really as little water in the river down here—' 
allowing for its increased size — as there was up in North 
River, but in running the falls and rapids, if there was any 
water at all to be had, we knew just where to find it. 
The rain obligingly let up for an hour, when we reached 
the fine old Yancey place — our usual stopping place for 
lunch — so, after easily sliding the canoes over the low 
mill dam looyds. above, we went ashore and opened up 
our canoes, and taking the niess chest and our camp 
stools with us, we enjoyed a very satisfactory lunch. 
While the rest of us were enjoying our after-dinner 
smoke, George took his fly tackle — which he always keeps 
rigged up and strapped to the deck of his canoe — and 
wading out into the swift, shallow stream, he made a 
few casts around in likely spots, and, as the result of his 
experiments, he soon had four nice bass on his stringer, 
insuring us a good fish supper. He might eaily have taken 
more, but the return of the rain hurried us into the shelter 
of our canoes and our rubbers, and we pushed out into the 
rapid stream and proceeded on our way, while the rain 
descended in a fine, penetrating, mist-like shower. 
The Blue Ridge Mountains throughout the entire extent 
of the valley are more or less hidden from near view 
by a parallel line of buttress-like spurs and foothills, 
which jut out from the main range, through which at 
close range onlj'' occasional glimpses may be had of the 
great mountain chain proper. In the reach to the right 
a few miles below a most impressive, beautiful and im- 
posing view is obtained through a broad gap in these foot- 
hills, through which a brawling creek finds its way down 
to the river. 
The rain opportunely ceased, giving us a wider, clearer 
view, and- the mountain slope was most beautiful and 
majestic, as seen through this gap ; its lofty summit 
shrouded from view in the heavy rain clouds which en- 
veloped it, and whose black masses loomed up ominously 
up the river, while light, fleecy folds and wreaths lingered 
caressinglyjower down the mountain sides. 
The rain swept in a dense, leaden gray cloud from up 
the river, down along the flanks of the mountain chain, 
blotting out everything from view as it advanced, like a 
huge curtain, streaked with slanting, wavering, parallel 
lines from top to bottom. 
It came hissing and blistering down the river in a 
long, white line across the still surface of the pool in 
which we were floating, and swallowed us up in its 
whirling embrace as it passed, shutting us up closely in its 
heavy, drenching folds, through which each canoe loomed 
up in vague, blurred outline, while the big, heavy drops 
pelted fiercely on our decks and hatches, smashing into 
snray, and the water ran in little rivulets down the black, 
shining folds and little gullies of our gossamers, into the 
hollows of our oiled canvas aprons over our laps, where it 
collected in pellucid little pools, into which the big drops 
splashed again, while the entire visible surface of the river 
was covered with little ets and spouts of water, as the 
fierce slanting lines of rain penetrated the surface. 
We backed in under the dense, low-hanging trees on 
the left bank, to wait until the fierce onslaught should pass 
over, where Lacy and the Colonel, under the shelter of 
some particularly thick, overhanging boughs, managed to 
light their pipes, while I, at the same time, secured a light 
for a cigar. 
The storm, meanwhile, raged around us with increased 
fury, and the mountains and foothills were entirely blotted 
from view by the dense cloud of rain, while the trees on 
the other side of the river loomed up in an indist'nct 
mass as though seen through a fog. 
[to be continued.] 
Meet of the Atlantic Divison, A. G* A. 
The rneet of the Atlantic Division, A. C. A., was held 
at the Lime Kiln, on the west bank of the Hudson, oppo- 
site Yonkers (Glenwood), N. Y., on May 30 and 31 and 
June I, last, and although the lateness of the season and 
the constant rainfalls of April and May doubtless tended 
in some degree to diminish the attendance at the meet, yet 
it turned out to be a highly pleasant and successful affair. 
The registered attendance was' about thirty, and the 
members present included such old-timers as Robert J. 
Wilkin, C. Bowyer Vaux, H. Lansing Quick. Daniel B. 
Goodsell, Frank C. Moore, Robert H. Peebles and Thomas 
Hale, Jr. 
Camp was made on Thursday morning, a number of 
out-of-town canoeists having spent the night with the Yon- 
kers C. C, to whose courtesy and hospitality the suc- 
cess of the meet was in great measure due. and was con- 
tinued until Sunday afternoon, after the official termina- 
tion of the meet on Saturday. The camp site had been 
carefully prepared by the Camp Site Committee, con- 
sisting of M. Ohlmeyer, Jr., chairman, and Mr. Louis 
Simpson, and would have been able to accommodate triple 
the number of canoeists in attendance. 
The campers had the good fortune to have a little in- 
terval of generally fair weather during the meet, and im- 
proved it to the utmost. The Regatta Committee, with 
Mr. Goodsell as chairman, arranged a number of races 
for those in attendance. On Thursday two paddling races 
wei"e held, the first a tandem, double-blade paddling race, 
in which Messrs. Davis and Conrad defeated Messrs. 
Stark and Eastmond in a close race; the second a double- 
blade paddling race, in which Mr. Stark defeated Mr. 
Davis by a very narrow margin. 
On Saturday the possession of the Atlantic Division 
sailing trophy was contested, and the race won by Mr. 
Alexander H. Paula, of the New York C. C, with Mr. 
H. Lansing Qiiick, of the Yonkers C. C, present. 
The meet as planned was a practical cruising meet, no 
general mess_ being provided, the members bringing their 
own camp kits and stores and preparing their meals in 
camp. The result demonstrated very clearly the pos- 
sibility of a successful meet on a purely cruising basis. 
