226 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Aug. 5, 1911. 
Down the Chester River and up the 
Chesapeake. 
It was on a Monday in July, 1906, when ten 
of us, most of whom were members of the Dela¬ 
ware C. C., boarded the train -at Wilmington, 
Del., for Millington, Md. Our cruise was to 
last a week, down the Chester River from 
Millington to the Chesapeake, up the Chesa¬ 
peake to Betterton. We had taken our canoes 
to the railroad station the previous Saturday 
and given instructions as to their forwarding, 
desiring them to go on the same train on which 
we ourselves went, but when we got to Mill¬ 
ington our canoes were not there, and that 
showed us where we had erred in not taking 
the trouble to walk down the track and inquire 
whether our canoes were on the train or not. 
by so doing we would not have been compelled 
to lose a day. 
We had no trouble in obtaining permission 
to store duffle, cook supper, sleep and get 
breakfast in a blacksmith shop which stood on 
the bank of the stream. 
Starting next morning at 7:00 o’clock, we 
went down the river a short distance to some 
sand flats, where we were obliged to get out 
and pull our canoes along, as the tide was out 
and there was very little water. The distance 
was short and we were soon on our way again, 
a happy-go-lucky crowd for the time being. 
When we had traveled about four miles we 
came to a small town on the banks of the 
stream. A young fellow, who was standing on 
the bridge, when asked the name of the place, 
replied, “Halifax.” The town was Crumpton. 
Up to this time we had not been able to get 
an idea of the surrounding country, as the 
banks were covered with trees, but now the 
stream flowed through open country and we 
saw that it was a rolling, productive section of 
the “Eastern Shi.” 
I'wo miles above Chestertown we stopped and 
cooked dinner at a fisherman’s shack. He had 
left a lot of his nets and equipment hanging 
around, good evidence that the people were 
honest. At Chestertown. which we reached 
about three oclock, is Washington College, 
founded in 1782 by an act of the Legislature of 
the State of Maryland, with the consent of 
George Washington it was named Washington 
College as a memorial to him. Toward the 
erection of the. necessary buildings he con¬ 
tributed fifty guineas, if that was acceptable, be¬ 
ing, he thought, a small sum. He did not con¬ 
sent to having his name placed on the 
“visitor’s” list, or committee, as he would not 
be able to help the institution and would ex¬ 
clude some one who could. The college was 
the growth of the Kent County School founded 
in 1723. The first commencement was held May 
l_ 4 - I 7 § 3 - It bestowed upon Washington the 
title of Doctor of Laws. He visited the college 
in 1784. 
Four miles further down the river we stopped 
for the night, having made twenty miles that 
day, and sent a colored man up to the owner’s 
house to ask if we might stay all night. We 
always ask permission to camp, as it makes us 
more welcome and makes it easier for us to 
camp again if we so desired. The owner came 
down in the evening and stayed awhile. On 
leaving he extended a cordial invitation to 
come again. 
Wednesday we left early. At East Island 
Narrows the channel was very narrow and 
sometimes not distinguishable for the seaweed 
and sluggishness of the current. Passing 
through the Narrows we found ourselves upon 
the flats, which extended fan-shape for a mile 
or more around the opening to the Narrows. 
We here had another experience of dragging 
our canoes behind us. We were surprised at 
the great number of crabs which we saw. We 
gathered a peach basket full in a short time. 
We were now opposite Baltimore, and saw 
land only on one side. We looked across the 
bay and there, half a mile or more from shore, 
stood great blue herons like sentries guarding 
the flats. After four miles more we camped 
for the night, and as the day had been very hot, 
we were all glad of a night’s rest. 
The night was so hot that three of the party 
decided to sleep on a straw-stack not far away. 
As we were climbing the stack we stepped upon 
an old sow and some little pigs—a dangerous 
combination to play with. On the stack we 
slept soundly with the stars for a covering. 
The next day was still hotter. No one felt 
like paddling, and some of the party had head¬ 
aches before we had gone far, and thought it 
best to hunt a cool spot and rest, which we 
did, choosing Huntingfield Creek. The shore 
here was lined with Chesapeake Bay dugouts. 
They are made by bolting five white pine logs 
together, and then digging them out with an 
adze, and shaping on the outside with adze and 
plane. The thickness of the hull is from five 
to seven inches. They are then built up to a 
depth of about three feet and are from seven to 
nine feet wide. The oystermen use them in 
gathering oysters during the season, often put¬ 
ting seven tons of oysters in them and then rac¬ 
ing to their particular creek or harbor. 
Friday we were off early, as we wished to 
make Betterton that night, but that was not to 
be. We passed Tolchester Beach about dinner 
time and stopped only for a few minutes, then 
paddled until half past five, when we were blown 
ashore on Howell’s Point by a storm. These 
storms are characteristic of the Chesapeake. 
The water may be so glassy that you can see 
your reflection, and within five minutes a gale 
will be blowing. The place upon which we were 
blown was a sand spit with a marsh behind it, 
full of mosquitoes. The wind, fortunately, was 
off shore and so we were not troubled with 
mosquitoes. 
After supper two of the party went to Bet¬ 
terton for water, and while they were gone the 
storm descended in its fury. All our tents save 
one were blown over, and that one remained up 
by the exertions of one person within, trying 
to hold down four sides of a tent in the teeth 
of gales, and another outside placing logs on 
the tent pegs to hold them down. 
The tent in which the senior and another 
member of the party were sleeping blew over 
upon them and they were so indifferent that 
they let it lie upon them all night. When the 
storm had ceased there was not a dry blanket 
or stitch of clothing in camp, but we all slept 
well and no one caught cold. 
Saturday we were off early as some of the 
party wished to catch the 10:30 boat from Bet¬ 
terton for Delaware City. 
Thus the party was disbanded and a jollier or 
more congenial cruise there has not been for a 
long time. When we settled with the purser 
we were out $3.25, but no one objected, who 
would? 
The only two who did not take the boat from 
Betterton went on up the Sassafras River to 
their summer residence, and as they disappeared 
up the river, the Ericson liners hid herself be¬ 
hind Grove Point. S. C. Singleton. 
Gyroscope for Canoes. 
Another valuable source of news is about to 
be lost to the newspapers, and that is the up¬ 
setting of canoes and accidents which result 
therefrom. Daniel Allen, who is stopping at the 
Coleman House, is the adapter, the gyroscope 
is the principle, and Jean Brylawski, of Walter 
Rosenberg’s Savoy Theater, the demonstrator. 
Mr. Allen gave Brylawski a gyroscope yesterday 
and the latter gentleman placed it in his canoe 
and ventured forth on Deal Lake to try how the 
pesky thing worked. To tell the truth he did 
not at first have much faith in the machine 
which was in a tight box, and although it could 
be heard whirling around, still it did not look 
as if it would keep such a cranky craft on an 
even keel, but when Brylawski had run into 
the swell of a few motorboats and finally get¬ 
ting more and more confidence in the gyroscope, 
had tried every means of capsizing his craft, 
including standing up and rocking as violently 
as possible, he decided that a canoe with a gyro¬ 
scope in it is as safe from capsizing as an ocean 
liner and lay down to think it over. Lulled by 
the gentle motion of the boat and its steadiness, 
he fell as'eep about noon, and being something 
in the order of owls did not awake until 7 in the 
evening. The effect of his exposure to the hot 
sun may be imagined. No red Indian ever had 
anything on him and he can even put a boiled 
lobster to shame. 
When he woke up there were about twenty 
boats around wondering what was the matter, 
and what the infernal machine in the canoe was. 
When they found out, they were much in¬ 
terested, and it is safe to predict that the gryo- 
scope, if not too expensive, will soon be placed 
in all canoes, as it will absolute'y remove the 
element of danger from this popular sport. The 
gyroscope only weighs fifteen pounds, hence adds 
but little to the weight, although assuring such 
absolute safety that a child can be trusted in a 
canoe and not only will not but cannot upset it. 
The gyroscope is one on the principle of a top 
which travels up and down a string and is used 
on mono railroads, one of which is running be¬ 
tween Pelham Manor and City Island, N. Y.— 
Asbury Park Journal. 
Western Division Meet. 
This meet was held at Rocky Roost, Lake 
Mendota, Madison, Wis., July 1 to 5, inclusive. 
Rocky Roost is an island owned by ex-Vice- 
Commodore R. M. Lamp and has been used 
by the Western Division for their division camp 
three different years. The meet this year was 
attended by about thirty members and was thor¬ 
oughly enjoyed by all present. The weather 
unfortunately was not such as to permit of 
much racing. 
The annual meeting of the division was held 
Monday, July 3, at which the following officers 
were elected: Vice-Commodore, F. B. Hunt¬ 
ington; Rear Commodore, A. W. Friese; 
Purser. J. E. Dixon; Executive Committee, 
John A. Berkey, D. H. Crane; Member Board 
of Governors, H. C. Morse; Member Racing 
Board, J. McConnell. 
It is expected that a considerable number of 
Western men will attend the general meet at 
Sugar Island in August, and much enthusiasm 
is shown by members for the activities of the 
coming year. 
A. C. A. Membership. 
NEW MEMBERS PROPOSED. 
Atlantic Division.—Charles Gilman, 1228 
Lenox avenue, Plainfield, N. J., by Oscar J. 
West. 
NEW MEMBERS ELECTED. 
Atlantic Division.-—6298, M. Raymond Wat¬ 
son, 120 E. Pearl street, Burlington, N. J. 
Central Division.—'6290, Robert E. Buffing¬ 
ton, 411 McNair street, Wilkinsburg, Pa.; 6295, 
Howard B. Charles, 817 Coal street, Wilkins¬ 
burg, Pa.; 6296, Carl H. Merrill, 59 Davis street, 
Binghamton, N. Y.; 6297, Jeremiah Jenkins, 317 
Webster avenue. Scranton, Pa. 
Northern Division.—6291, J. H. Macnee, 44 
Clarence street, Kingston, Ont., Can.; 6292, B. 
Noble Steacy, 197 Johnston street, Kingston, 
Ont., Can.; 6293, John J. Harty, M.D., 107 
Bagot street, Kingston, Ont., Can.; 6294, PI. R. 
Connolly, care of Kingston Y. C., Kingston, 
Ont., Can. 
Western Division.—6285, Robert T. Hanson, 
1265 Victor avenue, Chicago, Ill.; 6286, Joseph 
W. Barker, 414 N. Court street, Rockford, Ill.; 
6287, Henry C. Mueller, 1201 Wright street, 
Milwaukee, Wis.; 6288, John F. Butt, 1911 
Meinecke avenue, Milwaukee, Wis.; 6289, John 
H. Fowles, 492 Frederick avenue, Milwaukee, 
Wis. 
MEMBER TRANSFERRED. 
4997 , John W. McConnell, care of Chicago 
Daily Journal, Chicago, III., from Atlantic Di¬ 
vision to Western Division. 
