FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Feb, 20, 1904. 
fall; so that at 7:30 the topsail was again on deck. It 
was plain that we were in for a blow, and the skipper 
laughed silently in his heart, for he knew that this time 
his crew could not protest. At 8:30 set the small jib 
and took in staysail. At 9 lay to and reefed the main- 
sail. The sea made up rapidly, and soon we were fight- 
ing our way over the lower end of the Stelwagon bank 
against a heavy, steep while-crested chop. Five miles 
N. by E., from Race Point, we needed the second- reef, 
the gale becoming stronger minute by minute. Finally, 
just as we were slacking down the sail for a close reef, 
the wind fell within a few seconds to a flat calm. 
You who have been there know how unpleasant and 
dangerous a heavy breaking sea becomes when the wind 
deserts you. 
A big, white-headed comber, towering high above 
his fellows, came rushing along, stood Istar on end so 
that the water came in over the stern into the cockpit, 
and pushed her backward so rapidly that when the 
wave passed and the bow fell, it came down like a great 
hammer right across the nose of the tender. We 
looked for fragments, but "to our surprise, when we had 
hauled what we supposed were the remains up from the 
depths, it was still a boat, though the sheer strake at the 
U. S. Cruiser Newport. 
bow looked as if a shark had been playing with it. By 
great effort we got the tender aboard across the cock- 
pit and saved here. Smashed about in a heavy, rippy 
sea for some ten minutes, and then the strong wind 
came again as suddenly as it had gone, and we rushed 
away for Provincetown, where we dropped a hook in 
the early after^noon. We looked Istar over, and found 
that she had sustained no damage other than the loss of 
some of the green paint from her bottom. 
Tired' and sleepy, we turned in at sunset, and slept 
soundly until 7 the next morning. All day we lay at 
anchor, and after drying out and cleaning ship, loafed 
and dreamed, for within the circle of the bay is much 
to dream of. Here, Nov. 20, 1620, the Mayflower first 
dropped her anchor to the sands of the western world; 
here the first contract of mutual government was 
signed; here the first child was born in the new colony, 
and here our foremothers did their first Monday wash- 
ing. It is quaintly told in "Mount's Relation" how the 
Mayflower had sailed from her English port on Sept. 
16, 1620, and how, "after many difficulties in boysterous 
stormes, at length by Gods prouidence vpon the ninth 
of Nouember (Nov. 19) following, by break of the day 
we espied land which we deemed to be Cape Cod, and 
so it proued. And the appearance of it much com- 
forted vs, especially, seeing so goodly a Land and 
wooded to the brinke of the sea, it caused vs to rejoyce 
together and praise God that had giuen vs once againe 
to see land. And thus wee made our course South 
Bald Porcupine Island — Frenchman's Bay. 
South West, purposing to goe to a Riuer ten leagues 
to the South of the Cape, but at night the winde being 
contrary, we put round againe for the Bay of Cape 
Cod; and vpon the 11. of Nouember (Nov. 21), we came 
to an anchor in the bay (Provincetown Harbor), which 
is a good harbour and a pleasant Bay, circled round, 
except in the entrance, which is about foure miles ouer 
from land to land, compassed about to the very Sea 
with Okes, Pines, luniper. Sassafras and other sweet 
wood; it is a harbour wherein 1000. saile of ships may 
safely ride, there we relieued our selues with wood 
and water, and refreshed our people, while our shallop 
was fitted to coast the Bay, to search for a habitation; 
there was the greatest store of fowle that euer we saw. 
"The bay is so round and circling, that before we 
could come to anchor, we went around all the points of 
the Compasse. We could not come neere the shore by 
three quarters of an English mile, because of shallow 
water, which was a great preiudice of vs, for our people 
,in;^oing a-land, which caused many to get colds and 
coughs, for it vi^as ny times freezing cold weather." 
The woods have gone and the cape is now bare and 
wind-swept, but often in the soft light of the crescent 
moon when 
"The whispering waves were half asleep 
And on the bosom of the deep the smile of heaven lay," 
you may, like many another dreamer, have seen the 
Mayflower riding to her anchor and the flocks of 
sea birds resting in their flight to the south. 
At 6 on the morning of Aug. 27, Long Point Light 
was abeam, the wind was brisk N., and we were expecting 
a fine run over the shoals. At 8 we were off Race 
Pomt in a head tide and light head wind. At 2, Race 
Pomt was still abeam, and the light air ahead. We 
had hope of getting over the shoals on the westerly set 
of the night tide. This was only hope, for we drifted all 
night, and at 7 the next morning were still in sight of 
the Highland Light, and the calm continued. Broad 
of the port bow two white streams shot into the air, 
curved out from each other, and fell back into the sea. 
"Blows!" yelled the skipper. "Blows! blows!" 
"■\yhat are you giving us?" came a voice from below, 
but its owner nevertheless came tumbling up on deck, 
find we all watched with great interest the antics of a 
school of right whales leisurely making their way^ up 
the cape, blowing at regular intervals, and at times 
tossing their great flukes high out of the water. Fin- 
backs and blackfish are seen quite often, but the right 
whale is now almost an unheard-of rarity along this 
coast. Yet one reason why the Mayflower adventurei s 
settled at_ Plymouth was that "Cape Cod was like to be 
a place of good fishing, for we saw daily great Whales 
of the best kind for oyle and bone, come close aboord 
our Ship, and in fayre weather swim and play about vs; 
there was once one when the sun shone warme, came 
anl lay aboue water, as if she had beene dead, for a 
good while together, within half a Musket shot of the 
Sliip, at which two were prepared to shoote to see 
whether she would stir or no; he then gaue fire first, 
his Musket flew in peeces, both stocke and barrel, yet, 
thankes be it to God, neither he nor any man else was 
hurt with it, though many were there about; but when 
the Whale saw her time she gaue a snuffe and away." 
While the whales were still playing about us a little 
air from S.E. came in, and very gradually freshened as 
we ran on, so that at 2:23, when we had passed the four 
lightships, marking the intricate way over the shoals 
and set our spinnaker for the run from the Handker- 
chief to Hyannis, it was a good wholesail breeze, and 
at 4:30, when the Hyannis Breakwater lay outside, it 
was blowing a light gale. During Saturday, Sunday 
and Monday there was a heavy blow from eastward, and 
with decks wet with the flying spray, Istar pitched and 
strained at the two cables which held her to her 
anchors. 
At Hyannis the skipper's wife and daughter came 
; toard, and had a jolly time, while Istar went by easy 
runs to the westward and home. 
The total distance sailed on this cruise was 1,645 sea 
miles, including all the twists and turns from Green- 
port to Greenport. While there was less fog than 
usual, there were many days of strong winds and 
many days of calm. The average speed per hour's sail 
w-^s a trifle less than five and one-quarter nautical 
miles. ' . ' • . - 
Finis. 
■ Scootef Races. 
On Friday, February 12, a scooter race was held off 
Blue Point on Great South Bay. The race was to de- 
cide the championship of Suffolk county, and as the con- 
ditions were satisfactory it was an unqualified success. . 
Some twenty-five boats entered, and the course was iS 
miles ; three times around a six-mile triangle, with two 
miles to each leg. 
At the end of the first round Leader, owned by Captain 
William Still, of Bedford, was first, im. 42s. ahead of 
Daisy, owned by Mr. Morgan, of Bayport. Leader was 
again in the lead at the end of the second round by 3m. 
6s. ; Vamoose, owned by Mr. C. W. Ruland, of Patch- 
ogue, was second. On the last round Leader increased 
her lead, and won the race by 6m. 43s. Vamoose was 
second, which boat did very well, considering she had 
met with an accident. The scooter owned by Mr. Wilmot 
D. Overton, of Bayport, finished third. | 
The House Committee of the New York Y. C. has 
arranged for the following entertainments: 
Sunday, February 14, — Chamber music, 4 to 6:30 
P. M. Von Praag's ochestra. 
Thursday, February 18. — Lecture, "The Depths of the 
Sea" with stereopticon views, Mr. C. H. Townsend 
director. New York Aquarium. 
Thursday, March 3 — Lecture, "London and the Cor- 
onation of the King" with stereopticon views, Mr. D. 
L. Elmendorf. 
Sunday, March 6. — Chamber music, 4 to 6:30 P. M. 
Von Praag's orchestra. 
Thursday, March 17.— Mr. Charles Battel! Loomis, 
humorist. 
Sunday, March 27.— Chamber music, 4 to 6:36 P. M. 
Von Praag's ochestra. 
Thursday, April 17.— Lecture, "Paris to New York 
Overland" with stereopticon views, Mr. Harry de 
Windt. . 
Thursday, April 14— An Evening with th? Commo- 
Power Yachting. 
BY PARKER H. KEMBLE. 
A paper read before the members of the Winnipesaukee Y. C. at 
the Hotel Bellevue, Boston, Mass., on Jan. 6. 
The history of steam yachting in America practically 
begins about 1857. The first small power boat was bui't 
by John Aspinwall, then a boy, to sail in a pond on his 
father's place. The boat was 12ft. long by 3!/2ft. wide, 
flat bottomed, and the burner consisted of six alcohol 
lamps, the fuel being quietly procured from a demijohn 
in his father's pantry. He paddled around the pond at 
the rate of one-half mile per hour, much to the disgust 
of the swans. 
Two or three other boats were built, and in 1865 he, 
with some of the other boys of the parish, built a flat 
bottomed side-wheeler some 20ft. long drawing only 5111. 
She was sold to a Southerner for twice what she cost 
and taken to Savannah. 
The next launch was 3Sft. long. At this point the his- 
tory broadens, and we will leave it and take up the situa- 
tion at present. 
The dividing line between what is commonly known 
as a power boat — that is, a boat propelled by some 
mechanical agency not steam — and a steam-driven boat — 
a steam launch — would seem to lie between 6cft. and 70ft. 
Not that boats over 70ft. have not and will not be built 
Succonesset Shoals Light Vessel — Nantucket Sound. 
with gasolene engines, or boats less than 70ft. with steam 
engines ; but when 70ft. is passed and a fixed professional 
crew is required for the engine room, the reliability of 
steam and the less cost of coal becomes a strong argument 
in its favor. Similarly under that length the gasolene 
engine or electric motor has the greater convenience. In 
the smaller powers required for launches — from 15ft. to 
6oft. — the weight and space occupied, particularly in cruis- 
ing boats, is most decidedly in favor of the gasolene 
motor. For speed, however, it is still an open question 
whether even for boats as small as 30ft. steam will not 
give a higher speed than any other form of power. In 
discussing racing boats this- comparison will be taken up 
again. 
Power boating has outgrown the yachting field, and is 
now taking an important part in many aquatic industries ; 
canal boats, fishing boats, lighters, oyster boats, mail 
carriers, custom house officers, and harbor police, form 
but a part of the list of commercial enterprises in which 
the power boat is a welcome arrival. 
Compared with the earlier models the changes are 
numerous and noticeable. The rank sheer has been done 
away with, and the boats have more freeboard amidships 
and less at the ends. The long clipper bow ending in a 
pole the size of a broomstick and dignified by the name of 
bowsprit, has given place to the modern clean cut full 
lined entrance ; while the putting into practice of the 
theory of clearing and fining the run by section lines in- 
stead of waterlines has led to the various present types of 
stern, which are a vast improvement both for speed and 
weatherliness over the fantail formerly in vogue. When 
A Five-Master— Portland Harbor. 
I first began to take interest in yachts and boats, there 
were several steam yachts from 40ft. to 70ft. waterline, 
with masts, bowsprits, deck houses, pilot houses, and all the 
paraphernalia of the able bodied ocean-going cruiser. Now 
the fashion has set the other way, and while some, notably 
the fair sex, decry the loss of spars, the general type of 
clean cut, powerful launch model which is now estab- 
lished up to looft. or so is certainly safer at sea and less 
work at anchor. The passing of the glass house with its 
horse-car effect and the advent of the strong and com- 
pact trunk cabin is another visible sign of the wholesome 
tendency of modern designing. While speed on the whole 
has increased somewhat there is at present a large fleet 
afloat and under construction of distinctly moderate 
speed, and for every question asked me about speeds above 
12 knots, three or four are asked about 8, 9, or 10. Possi- 
bly .the large increase in prime cost and maintenance for 
each additional knot may have something to do with this, 
