March 28, 1903,] 
263 
took a stretch to the west, hut as the wind kept heading 
us off the Skipper held on that stretch and at 3.30 A. M. 
we made Cobourg. 
At eight o'clock the next day — Saturday, Aug. 2— we 
set out on another drift, and there Avas much profanity. 
At nine o'clock the wind came off the lake and over the 
quarter. It freshened rapidly and at noon, after three 
hours' excellent sailing, we were off Presque Isle and 
had dowsed the foresail so that we might take the nar- 
row tortuous channel in comfort W e went down the 
channel as if we were tied to a runaway engine, gybed 
around the light in the center of the bay and headed down 
the Murray canal. 
Running with only the mainsail and jib the rocky 
banks of the canal raced by us at a merry clip. It was 
a glorious sail. We simply sat and grinned at each 
other and enjoyed the fun. The man at the first bridge 
saw us coming, and gave us a clear passage in ampic 
time. At the next bridge we had to round up in the 
narrow channel, about 50 feet in width, and pay tolls. 
Fifty yards away the Skipper sent a man forward with 
a line. Another man was stationed on the jib sheets, 
while a third took the main sheet. A slip or a hitch, at 
the critical moment, meant the loss of a spar or a dam- 
aged bow. When the schooner's horn almost touched the 
bridge pier in the center of the channel, down went the 
helm. The main sheet was roused in smartly, and the 
jib was started. Around she came, in a little better than 
her own length, and laid up against the booms on the 
canal bank as if men on shore had handled her with bow 
and stern lines. The Skipper hustled ashore to pay up, 
for we were holding the watch upon the trip through 
the canal. Three minutes later we were away again, and 
had the foresail on her. Wing and wing we swept along. 
Below the next bridge a big paddle wheel steamer hove in 
view. A two foot Avail of water kept pace with her up 
the canal. The captain of the steamer never offered to 
slacken speed. On she came, churning up the water in 
the narrow channel. To pass her was a ticklish proposi- 
tion. She altered her helm a trifle and we swept by, our 
foreboom gazing the stones on the bank to starboard, 
and our mainboom just clearing the steamer's guard 
rail. 
Bang! and we plunged into the first roll. The masts 
whipped threateningly and the crew hustled for the 
jumper stays. Down they came before the craft had time 
to ram more than a couple of the short rollers. She 
fairly leaped the broken water. As she rose on the big 
ones", the half gale behind peaked her booms up and 
fairly lifted her across the intervening hollow, and 
smashed her into the next one. We had a couple of 
m.inutes of -this lively work and then we struck our evzn 
gait again. 
The Bay of Quinte! 
We made the trip through the canal, 6yi miles, in 45 
minutes, including the three-minute delay at the tool 
office. That's going some. At least it was a fast stunt 
for a pot-bellied little 25-footer loaded with dunnage. 
Out into the bay we shot, gybed over our mainsail, and 
set her on her course for Trenton, three miles away. The 
Bay of Quinte is noted for its squalls— short and sharp. 
We were introduced to the Bay of Quinte brand right 
on the threshold. Just as we gybed over a squall hit us 
and the sheets as they shot across the deck caught _Cul- 
ham around the neck. They tightened up with a mighty- 
jerk and sawed Charlie's throat. His lamentations were 
quite audible above the whistling wind and clashing 
waters. The squalls kept us hyking out, all the way in, 
and the Skipper was about to order in the foresail, when 
he sighted a dozen boats and a dock crowded with people. 
The Trenton fleet — a nondescript collection of deep 
draughts, scows, catboats, skiffs and other craft — was 
hard at it out in the bay, cracking on every stitch and 
hustling for the finishing buoj'^ just oft' the dock end. 
"Hump ! We can't shorten clown with that bunch out 
there carrying everything," said the Skipper, and we left 
the foresail on her. We were running a bit freer than 
they were and reached the buoy first. We- rounded up 
just for luck, and then bore away, and hustled into the 
dock, like a projectile from a gun. We came in so fast 
that those on the end of the dock crowded in alarm, 
but the Skipper jammed the helm down at the proper in- 
stant, and we rounded up without accident. She threat- 
ened to head reach too far, but Clark swinging a loop 
like a westerner lassoed a post and snubbed her up. It 
was just 3.30. An hour later almost to a minute we were 
away again with a snug meal tucked under our waist 
bands. We were bound for Belleville, 12 miles down the 
bay. The bay is narrow. In some places it is two or 
three miles broad, while in others it narrows down to a 
quarter or half a mile. Sometimes you are sailing down 
a narrow reach betAveen two high banks, and again the 
wind comes at you from OA'er a flat" country. In the Bay 
of Quinte keep your weather eye a-lifting, and your 
sheets ready to let go on the instant, for the squalls are 
quick and hard, and they come over the hills without 
Avarning. One minute you are doddling along Avith slack 
sheets, and the next instant your sheets are taut as boAV- 
strings, and a couple of tucks looks about the proper 
thing. But to come back to the Belleville trip. We 
chased down the bay at an eight-lcnot clip and at six 
o'clock were sounding our horns for the Belleville SAving 
bridge. Inside the bridge the channel buoys made a long 
detour into the harbor docks. The Skipper was in a 
hurry. We cut the buoys. 
C-r-r-r — SAvish ! The centerboard rose up and smote 
the cabin roof, and the booms, still well off, suddenly 
peaked up into the air as Ave checked against a gravel 
shoal. 
The Skipper gybed all his canvas and stood out from 
the shoal. No damage was done so Ave hoisted all the 
board and held away on the short course again. 
"We'll 'see if we can find another shoal," cried the 
Skipper as Ave boAvlsd along. We did not locate any 
more shoals, and I, for one, Avas not sorry, for it Avas 
a mystery to me Avhat kept her sticks in when we struck. 
We hit hard enough to have cleared her at the decks. 
We tied up alongside of a beautiful water front park, 
made snug the ship, and toddled uptown to find a bar- 
ber. The knight of the razor and comb rubbed his eyes 
when the sunburned, tousle-lieaded, bristly-faced collec- 
tion of mariners stormed his shop. 
At Belleville we saw the first of a new brand of sailing 
craft which is popular with the Bay of Quinte amateur 
sailors. 
They are little skiffs or punts, square-sided and flat- 
bottomed. They had a sheer on them Avhich made them 
look like a combination of rocking chair and English' 
punt. They Avere sloop rigged. The great peculiarity 
about these mosquitoes Avas the steering gear. A seven 
foot oar, Avith a curved stock, Avas pivoted in a roAvlock 
on the counter. When the steersman Avanted to put 
about, he reached over to leeward Avith his blade and 
threw his Aveight upon the handle. The boat came about 
Avithout any more ado. In light airs the steering oar is 
decidedly handy. A pull puts the boat about no matter 
Avhat her headway, There Avas no such thing as getting 
in irons Avith such a. steering gear. We left Belleville in 
the gray daAvn of Sunday morning — Aug. 3. It was four 
o'clock when the shrill creaking of halyard blocks Avoke 
droAVsy Clark. At 5.30 Ave were at Massassauga Park, 
four miles east. Just as Ave pulled into the dock Clark, 
Avho had been trolling, yanked out a black bass, the first 
fish caught on the trip. Immediately all Avas excitement. 
"A fish fry! A fish fry!" shouted Clark, and in spite 
of a drizzling rain Ave improvised fishing rods, and Avith 
grasshoppers for bait fished for bass. Inside of half an 
hour Ave had a dozen or fifteen and Chef Culham soon 
had an appetizing panful awaiting us. Even a down- 
pour failed to spoil our breakfast on the unprotected 
deck. We donned our oilskins and fed as Avell as if we 
had our -knees under a millionaire's mahogany. 
After the rain the wind. 
It came down hard. Just off the park we passed 
"Vedette of Toronto bound Avest. The trip to Deseronto 
Avas a delightful one. The sun came out and the wind 
blew fresh over the quarter. Half way down a big sloop 
challenged us, but after half an hour's sailing the hooker 
shoAved her heels to the stranger and Ave gave him our 
Avar cry, "Tainui, Tainui, T-a-i-n-u-i! Rah! 
Rah !" and proceeded. 
Outside Deseronto we SAvung into Forester's Island 
and found plenty of water close to the shore. After a 
trip over this pretty little island and an inspection of the 
wigwam of Oronhyatekha, the Indian head of this big 
order, Ave set sail for the great lumber toAvn of Dese- 
ronto. It blew a gale down Picton Reach, and we were 
glad to hustle for shelter A\rith a dowsed foresail. 
Lumber, lumber, everywhere, describes Deseronto. 
The entire Avater front is a 20-foot rampart of lumber 
and the piles extend a quarter of a mile inland. Dese- 
ronto, a fcAV years ago, Avas SAvept by a conflagration, 
Avhich originated in the lumber district, and now ex- 
traordiary precautions are taken against fire. Smoking 
is not alloAved in the lumber district at all. Clark and 
Culham discovered this fact early. Arm in arm they 
stepped on the dock, each Avith a lighted pipe. 
"No smoking here, young fellow," growled a burly 
chap on the dock. 
"Why?" 
The gruff individual vouchsafed no reply, but swung 
his hand tOAvards the lumber pile. Clark and Culham 
finished their smoke tipon the boat. 
It blcAV dirty all day and rain squalls added variety 
to the Aveather. The bay Avas covered Avith Avhitecaps 
and it Avas bloAving decidedly fresh Avhen a skiff cap- 
sized. The Skipper put off to the rescue in our dinghy, 
and after a heavy pull, and a race Avith a tug, reached 
the overturned craft and rescued the crcAV. Rescued and 
rescuer came back on the tug. A cleated main sheet 
caused the upset. The rain came on and the skiff's creAV 
made the main sheet fast and huddled under an umbrella. 
The Avind came up suddenly and she turned turtle before 
the mainsheet could be started. That's the tale of a 
ducking. 
Deseronto Avas our eastern turning point. It proved a 
dull town, but a fresh wind dead ahead Avhich sprang up 
after the rain kept us tied up there all day. 
At midnight it still blcAV ahead, and we were in a 
quandary, until we discovered that a tug would depart 
at 2 A. M. for Trenton Avith a tOAv of timber. Noav Bay 
of Quinte timber tOAvs are a quarter of a mile long. Cau- 
tious inquiry soon located the tOAV for us, and after bid- 
ding the tug's creAv, with Avhom Ave had been fraternizing, 
an ostentatious good-b3fe Ave set sail. But Ave Averen't 
going to buck up the Bay of Quinte in the darkness. Not 
much. The second stretch took us beyond the prying 
eyes of the tug's crew and put the Tainui, nose on, to the 
tail-piece of that timber tOAV. We made no bones about 
the matter, but set our anchor flukes into the binding 
chain of the last pair of timbers, loAvered our canvas, 
doAVsed our lights, and Avaited for the starting of the 
fug. A shift in the wind drifted the tow out into the 
baj' into the path of the tug en route to take up her 
position at the head of the tow and threatened to betray 
our intention. We pulled the end of the tOAV back Avith 
the dingh}' and to prevent a recurrence of the episode, 
made fast to the dock Avith a line in such a manner that 
we could cast off from the boat the instant the tug 
started. 
The best laid schemes "aft gang agley." We all fell 
asleep and Avhen the tug started she snapped our stern 
line. Before Ave had gone far the gurgle of the Avater 
woke Commeford, and he broke the good news that Ave 
were off for Trenton. 
We shook hands, laughed gleefully at the success of 
our trick and snuggled down into our blankets. 
At daybreak Avhen Culham craAvled out on deck he 
found that we had only gone a fcAV miles. An accident 
had delayed the tug. In the daAvn the tug captain dis- 
coA'ered that he Avas towing more than he bargained for. 
He surveyed the Tainui a moment in the hazy morning 
light and then apparently undecided summoned the mate. 
Still we hung on. About seA'^en o'clock the tug captain 
lost his temper at our persistency and suddenly ran his 
tow into a bank, uncoupled, and came down at us under 
a full head of steam. 
"Here he comes," shouted Culham and we tumbled on 
deck in our night gowns and hustled to get the duds on 
Tainui. We cast adrift in a moment and the cam-as 
went aloft so fast that the Skipper's hair fairly stood on 
end, in apprehension of the safety of the gaffs. The Avind 
was blowing fresh over the quarter, and we were off up 
the channel before the tug was half way down the tow. 
Fortunately the tow was between the tug and the 
schooner. The tug rounded the end of the tow and gave 
chase. For a few moments we were on Anxious street. 
The tug Avas coming fast, but our little craft, with a bone 
in her teeth, Avas footing some, too. The tug failed to 
gain a foot and after a quarter mile chase abandoned 
the pursuit and turned tail. We dipped our ensign in 
mock salute, roared our war cry and then sang, "We 
don't caye if you never come back." 
We were back in our berth beside the park in. Belleville 
at nine o'clock that morning. 
Fishing in the Moira River and a band concert in the 
park kept us occupied all day and during the CA'-ening. • 
In the morning — Aug. 5 — the bay was as smooth as a 
mill pond, so Clark and I had another round out of the 
bass in the Moira Avhile Culham and Commeford woed 
Morpheus. At nine o'clock a breeze sprang up and we 
set sail. We bucked across the bay to the bridge. We 
almost lost our foremast owing to the failure of the ' 
bridge man to open the bridge promptly. 
Outside the bridge the Avind hauled a point and we 
were able to make up the channel by close pinching. Tne 
Avind kept freshening and Ave were glad enough to drop 
our hooks behind Niger Island, three miles from Trenton. 
We found the island in possession of a regiment of 
cranes. 
Clark and I still had the fishing fever. We could not 
find any bait so we attached a piece of Clark's red hat 
to our hooks and tackled the bass again. All things 
looked alike to the bass, and Ave hauled out three-quarter 
pound "rockers" as fast as we could throw out our 
hooks. The Skipper and Culham tried the fishing game, 
but the denizens of the deep had become Avary at the 
depiction of their numbers, and these enthusiastic anglers 
Avisely kept the measure of their success a secret. 
The Skipper got CA^en with us in Trenton that even- 
ing, however, for he landed a four-pounder off the piers 
there. Clark and I got up early in the morning to break 
the Skipper's record, but couldn't catch anything heavier 
than a pound and a half. 
At 10 o'clock on Wednesday — Aug. 6 — we left for the 
Murray canal. The wind was down the channel and we 
tied up at Twelve O'clock Point, a little summer resort. 
We remained there all day and found the place brim full 
of life. In the evening the cottagers gave a concert and 
dance for us and afforded us generally such a good time 
that our visit to TAvelve O'clock Point will ahvays hold 
a prominent position in our memory. 
Next morning — Thursday, August 7 — the Avind was 
still ahead, but we started. We bucked her up the chan- 
nel for two miles but we arrived at the conclusion that 
Ave Avere Avorking harder shifting canvas than ayc Avould 
be- towing her up the canal. We got out a 60-foot line, 
and Avith a piece of rail as a yoke, Culham, Clark and I 
played tOAV mules at first. We galloped up the path with 
the hooker and had the Skipper timing our progress be- 
tAveen the snubbing posts Avhich Avere a couple of hun- 
dred yards apart. At each succeeding post Ave tried to 
break the record for the last one. A mile or so of this 
took the gimp out of us slaves on the rope and we settled 
doAvn to a dogged plod. The wind had increased to a 
gale and the hooker tOAved as heaA'y as a coal schooner. 
We Avere dead tired, Avhen Clark's fertile brain evolved 
a scheme of relief. He shouted for a line. The Skipper 
passed one ashore and he deftly lassoed a Mooley coav 
grazing on the bank and hitched her to the tow. She 
Avas inclined to balk a bit, but a generous application of 
rope's end set her off on a sIoav trot. TAvice she tried 
to break aAvay from the path and threatened to haul the 
craft out on the bank, but the trio on shore wouldn't 
stand for any such dereliction of duty and kept the 
bovine strictly to her task. The Mooley, under a good 
deal of persuasion, tOAved us to the canal mouth and we 
set out to buck up to Brighton, three miles aAvay. 
We reefed doAvn and started. In the first stretch. 
Avhile trying to pinch by the pier end our dinghy fouled 
the abutments and the painter snapped. We had to chase 
the little boat doAvn the canal and had a pretty time 
beating out again. The channel outside in Presque Isle 
Bay Avas almost as narroAV as the canal and accidents 
came thick and fast. The second leg out we carried away * 
ihe first block on the mainboom and had to anchor and 
lash it on again. On the very next leg the second block 
Avent adrift. Again Ave anchored and made repairs. 
When we got under Avay again we ran into a mud bank 
and had to start our sheets to get off. Then the stops on 
the foot of the mainsail started to giA'e. One by one they 
Avent, and when Ave ran into Brighton piers our mainsail 
Avas a first-class imitation of an English lose-footed sail. 
It bleAV hard all day and we stayed at the dock until 
evening. When we ran across the bay to Brighton 
Beach, a sleepy little summer resort near Presque Isle 
Light, Ave ran into a tiny bit of a bay near an old 
Avreck. The Avater Avas deep close to shore and we tied 
up Avith our horn overhanging the sand. 
The next day — Friday, Aug. 8 — ^Ave started out bright 
and early and Avith a head Avind bucked, up the lake 20 
miles. The Avind had been increasing all morning and 
shortly past noon, after reefing doAvn for heavy Aveather, 
Ave discovered that Ave Avere making no progress in the 
heavy sea and ran into Lakeport, Avhich was just under 
our lee. We Avere anxious to get horne and remained 
awake all night awaiting a shift in the wind. The shift 
never came. 
In the morning — August 9 — there Avas a light wind off 
shore, and a heaA^y roll from the southAvest on the lake. 
We started, but our progress Avas tantilizingly slow. We 
did not reach Cobourg, 10 miles away, until three o'clock. 
We picked up our mail and drifted to Port Hope, six 
miles aAvay, arriving there at eight o'clock. 
With the Avind out of the northeast and moderate, we 
bade good-bye to Port Hope at midnight. TAvelve miles 
up shore the Avind shifted to the southeast, blcAV hard and 
a heavy sea picked up quickly. We AA'ere looking for 
Darlington Harbor, 25 miles Avest of Port Hope. Four 
miles east of NeAvcastle Harbor the Avind increased to 
30 miles an hour, and Ave took in her foresail and main- 
sail and Avith the jib behind the mast hustled for the 
shelter of NcAvcastle. We made Newcastle at 3.30 A. M, 
Inside Ave found a couple of big trade schooners whose 
skippers had also discovered that a sheltering pier was 
more to their taste than the gale-swept lake. On Sunday 
morning at nine o'clock we put the tucks in all om can- 
vas and ran down to Darlington, five miles away, with 
the wind over the port beam. It was rmning. It blew 
