UXHjtoiS U. OF t. VttaAKA-OtiASAFMSH 
as it plays in the stream, the comfort of our 
little tent induces sleep. . - 
A flock of crow? voicing their noisy yells 
tells us that a new day is well advanced. With 
many miles of paddling ahead of us, we lose 
little time in cooking breakfast and in pack¬ 
ing our outfits, and in a little while are under¬ 
way. A small outfit it desirable because of 
the numerous short carries over fallem-trees, 
and it also facilitates matters in trying to skim 
over a rapid where the depth of water may be 
only six inches. 
From morning till evening we travel along, 
our eyes riveted upon the ever-changing 
scenery. The general character of the country 
being the same, the detail along the water’s 
edges is ever changing. From narrow and ob¬ 
structed places we glide into comparative!.)! 
wide open expanses, where the shadows of the 
trees are reflected in the water with mirror-like 
accuracy, and as one looks down upon the 
images of the clouds, there is needed but a 
small amount of imagination to feel as if float¬ 
ing in air. 
One of the greatest pleasures to be found on 
these inland streams comes in not knowing 
what is ahead. At one place we drifted along 
past an old barn almost concealed from view 
by the silk-like branches of weeping willow 
trees. Resting on our paddles and falling into 
our old habit of disregarding approaching signs 
of trouble, it is only when, within fifteen feet 
of a dam, the river makes a right-angle turn 
and carries us into a rapid with such speed that 
for a brief space it looks as though we will do 
some wading. Compared with the delightful 
inactivity of a few minutes before, the sudden 
changes to vigorous action serve as another 
illustration of the distracting influence to be 
found among interesting and beautiful sur¬ 
roundings. We pass on through strange 
avenues of oak and maple, their branches 
stretching far out over the water, the pinxter 
flowers or purple azalias dotting the landscape 
with their delicate blossoms. Over in a pro¬ 
tected curve of the river, a sort of lead away 
from the main stream, amid the tall grass a 
large dragon fly suspends itself _ seemingly 
motionless in air, by quick vibrations of its 
delicate wings, then darts, returning to its 
former station with a swiftness only equaled 
by its departure. One’s eyes must be quick 
to follow the zigzag flight of the king of insects 
as it darts here, there and everywhere, picks 
a meal of mosquitoes and small insects of the 
air, which it consumes in abundance. It is sup¬ 
posed to be a natural enemy of the mosquito, 
but according to the authorities, it does not 
propagate in sufficient numbers to be a real 
factor in holding down to an appreciable extent 
the numbers of our puncturing pests. 
At noon we stop for an hour or two in a 
small opening beside an island and under the 
shade of the large oaks enjoy a pleasant rest. 
Had the river’s course been straight, we would 
have covered ten miles; as it is, we may have 
traveled fifteen or twenty thus far. We used 
canvas-covered canoes, two men. to a canoe. 
This is a very good way to travel on these 
waters, but when we think of the numerous 
carries, short though they be, it seems that the 
small ten-foot canoe such as “Nesm.uk” used 
—one man, double blade—would be ideal. 
Many of the turns in the river hardly allow 
the sixteen-foot canoe to pass because of its 
length, and in such places as rapids or in steal¬ 
ing under overhanging limbs a small canoe is 
more responsive to the blades. 
To travel very light, one must use his skill 
in obtaining comforts from the woods. In 
these days the canoeist finds that in many 
places where he travels he is on private prop¬ 
erty or on State park land, where the law is 
very plain regarding the cutting of trees, etc. 
The comforts of a log fire of hemlock or chest¬ 
nut in front of a leanto and the bed of balsam 
boughs are some of the joys of woods life 
which it is necessary to do without in many 
places; hence, in order to be comfortable, the 
canoeist must carry a more complicated outfit. 
For these short trips small alcohol stoves 
are very serviceable and enable one to camp 
on the most exclusive property without leav¬ 
ing any trace of his presence. By carrying two 
pneumatic life preservers, an excellent air bed 
is obtained with the advantage over the regular 
pneumatic bed, that they may be utilized as seat 
cushions, while paddling. The modern canoe¬ 
ist’s outfit must be composed of those articles 
which conduce to the same comforts which in 
the past were found in the woods and which 
greatly enhanced traveling light. 
One of the features of our oufit on this trip 
was its lightness. In our desire to reduce the 
weight, we carried only such food as we thought 
we would need. We intended to cover a cer¬ 
tain distance in a certain time. At times some¬ 
thing might go. wrong which would necessitate 
camping another day. along the river miles 
from the nearest town. If such a condition had 
presented itself, I doubt whether in the entire 
outfit there would have .been enough food to 
produce one meal. Is there anything more 
ridiculous than cruising in this manner? One 
of the foremost lessons to be derived from 
cruising is to always be prepared. This must be 
borne in mind when we reduce our outfit, as a 
certain arpount of stock food, such as rice, 
beans, some cake chocolate, erbswurst, or beef 
extract would go a long way in an emergency, 
and none of the above articles is canned goods, 
which are undesirable because of their bulk, as 
well as because of the preservatives used. 
Faint recollections of the manner in which 
food disappeared in a certain restaurant after 
we finished our trip induces me to believe that 
more attention can be given to the develop¬ 
ment of special outfits designed for these short 
two-day trips, where the question of food and 
shelter will receive the amount of attention they 
deserve. There is something foreign to the 
proverbial preparedness of the canoeist in let¬ 
ting a restaurant become so important a 
feature, and I predict that on our next trip 
we will have a more wholesome idea of going 
light. 
But while outfits are very important, we 
never forget that the real joy of our sport con¬ 
sists in coming in contact with nature as it 
exists, untrammeled by man; where trees grow, 
ripen to old age, die and crumble, still adding 
beauty to the surroundings; where all but that 
which is in its prime is removed by man, there 
is a lack of those things which charm. If it 
is by contrast that the real beauty of color is 
brought out, then real beauty among trees is 
to be found where there is that happy as¬ 
semblage of variegated development, some trees 
in their prime, some stunted and others dying 
off, presenting contrasts which tend to enhance 
the beauty of the whole; but where each tree 
stands out individually, all other growth being 
discouraged and rooted out, instead of getting 
the charm which is desired, there is something 
decidedly lacking. It is as a song with all parts 
in the same key. 
We leave these small streams reluctantly, 
treasuring the many pleasant scenes which have 
transpired during the day, and nursing the firm 
conviction that we will be afloat again in the 
late fall, when the river will have another tale 
to tell. Theodore J. Cornu. 
Larchmont Y. C. 
The annual meeting of the Larchmont Y. C. 
was held at Delmonico on Wednesday, Dec. 15. 
The usual reports were read to the members, 
and plans were laid before them to increase 
the income of the club. One suggestion was to 
increase the membership to 1,000 instead of 
600, and in order to get more members to sus¬ 
pend the initiation fee for a time. It was 
argued that with 400 more members the annual 
income would be increased by $30,000 and the 
dues remain as they are at present. In support 
of this plan, it was also argued that with so 
many more members the income. of the club 
would be materially -increased because more 
money would be spent in the club house. It 
was finally decided to increase the annual dues 
to $100 and keep the limit of membership as it 
is now. 
The prizes won by the yachts that took part 
in the regattas of the club were on exhibition 
during the evening. The election of officers 
resulted as follows: 
Commodore, Leonard Richards, steamer 
Carola IV.; Vice-Commodore,'H. L. Maxwell, 
sloop Avenger; Rear-Commodore, R. J. 
Schaefer, sloop Edmee; Secretary, Frank 
Hardy; Treasurer, William Murray; Trustees— 
Wilson Marshall, William Knabe. 
Gravesend Bay Championships. 
The Yacht Racing Association of Gravesend 
Bay, at its meeting last week, announced the 
winners of the championships in last season’s 
competitions. Twelve championship races are 
sailed in a season, and to qualify a yacht must 
start in at least eight. Points are credited ac¬ 
cording to the usual system, and percentages 
are figured on the highest possible number of 
points a yacht could score had she won every 
race in which she started. 
In Class S there was a tie. Gunda and M. 
and F. each scored 22 points and 73 per cent. 
7 ’here is no rule to govern such a case. These 
two yachts sailed off the tie, but without the 
consent of the association, and so it was de¬ 
cided to give each a trophy. 
The records in each class follow: 
Class P—Two qualified: Peri, 13 points, 81 
per cent.; Vorant, 10 points; 62 per cent. 
Class Q—Soya, the winner, being the only 
yacht to qualify. 
Class S—Three qualified: Gunda, 10 starts, 
22 points, 73 per cent.; M. and F., 10 starts, 22 
points, 73 per cent.; Pester, 14 points, 58 per 
cent. 
Handicap Class (first division)—Two quali¬ 
fied: Miana, 19 points, 95 per cent.; Careless, 
7 points, 41 per cent. 
Handicap Class (second division)—Mischief 
only yacht to qualify. 
Class X (knockabouts)—Six qualified: Mouse, 
51 points, 75 per cent.; Merry Widow, 38 points, 
70 per cent.; Chico, 42 points, 65 per cent.; 
Slow Poke, 35 points, 64 per cent.; Bobs, 30 
points, 55 per cent.; Queen, 26 points, 46 per 
cent. 
Class Y (sailing dinghies)—Five qualified.: 
Little Devil, 10 starts, 38 points, 76 per cent.; 
Skeets, 12 starts, 40 points, 67 per cent.; Bull¬ 
finch, 12 starts, 38 points, 63 per cent.; Osiris, 
28 points, 62 per cent.; Meteor, 25 points, 55 
per cent. 
Conference of 'Catboat Men. 
The conference of yachtsmen interested in 
catboats and catboat racing will be held at 
Providence on Jan. 15. The delegates will meet 
at either the Rhode Island or Edgewood Y. C. 
houses. T. R. Goodwin is to preside at the 
conference, and there will be two delegates 
present from each of the following associations: 
Narragansett Bay, Massachusetts Bay, Barne- 
gat Bay, Buzzard’s Bay and Great South Bay. 
The purpose of the conference is to adopt 
rules to govern future races for the challenge 
cup y 011 last season on Barnegat Bay by. Ina. 
These rules are to cover fully all the details of 
the races including the eliminating races, the 
measurements of the contestants and time 
allowance. It is likely that there will be some 
difficulty in getting the delegates of these as¬ 
sociations to agree on the measurement rules 
because on each bay the conditions are so dif¬ 
ferent that there will be trouble in framing a 
rule that will suit all. 
There is already talk of next summer’s races 
for the cup and possible contestants. If the 
rules are framed to suit all, there is no doubt 
that the Great South Bay Association will send 
boats to Narragansett Bay to compete for the 
trophy and on the Great South Bay there are 
some very fast catboats. They are shoal draft 
and have to be, because there is not much 
depth to the water of that bay. 
Gil Brown, who sailed Bother last summer, 
wants to sell that boat and build another, and 
ir is probable that Harvey Flint and some 
ether Narragansett men will have new boats. ; 
