Middletown transcript., 1875-07-31
4 Five Days Trip Down tie Del
aSsre Bay and Back

r. Five Days Trip Down the Del
sNsre Bay and Back
Again.
Editor The Reverend, the Res
tor Of Emmanuel Church, New Castle
ii the owner a staunch little yacht
twenty-five feet long and seven IN,
one-half feet beam. This little craft j
the "Petrel." !" and her owner is Ias skill
full in her management as the Petrol
lis ssxworthy, snd-shs is fllsd with con
veniences for sailing fishing, sleeping
and booking. from stem to stern.
Your correspondent, whose early
years are associated with scenes ant
adventures on the waters about Nor.
folk. Virginia, eagerly accepted an in
yitation TO- sail down the bay in ths
Petrol" 80 a
Our party, Eve in number, cast Of
FROM tie wharf at New Castle, severa
hours before day. on Monday morning,
the 18th inst. With scarcely breath
Of cir stirring and with an easy plying
of, our oars, we dropped slowly down
with the tide, passing under the sullcn
shadows Of Fort Delaware, and greet.
ing the first gray Of dawn below Salem.
New Jersey: And never was the east
sru sky pencilled with richer or more
far reaching glory, and never did sun
rise see it's glory more splendidly re-
flected, than Oh the nnrippled water ol
that morning, = green belt all along the
! Jersey shore dividing the painting on
the sky from the painting in the water.
With occasional breezes along the
route, sunset found Us anchored about
Eve miles inside Cape May. aday's run
iof about sssentylfiss miles tst {
Bread and butter, cold ham and hot
coffee, being disposed Of BY whetted APP
petites, (T commend kerosene oil stoves
to help forsaken housskeepers, we
spread our canvas over the boom. hook
ed it down to the sides; and, under
this shelter, and beneath the eye Of
Him who makes and unmakes storms
and calm, we were soon rocked to sleep
BY stiff southwest wind.
Tuesday morning we rounded Cape
May under cracking breeze, and,
coming to anchor directly in front Of
Cape May City. landward we had full
view of tie hotels with their balconies,
the carriages, the beach and the wharf
crowded with their thousands Of specta-
tors; while rseaward, At anchor. rode
a feet Of yachts, schooner and sloop
rugged including some Of the fastest,
costlieH and most graceful crafts ID that
line to be found in. American waters,
and perhaps in the world. s7a6 hoE 4
Numberless other vessels and steam-
ers and smaller fry waited in eager ex-
pectation for the signal gun from the
U. s Steamer .Tallapoosa, gay with
flags. and streamers' from ALI her rig.
ging; which should announce the be-
ginning Of the regatta: To seven fathom
light, twenty miles out, and back to
the Cape was the course of the race,
and land lubbers must know that it was
q right royal sight that morning -thosei
faultless models Of naval skill. their.
canvas. % white as the dashing foams
that capped the waves, and their bosoms
stoutsr and braver. as onward they
swept with hearts Of controversy.
but With motion a. light and graceful
as the fight Of the white gpllsgand
Mother Cary chickens that kept them
Company. The .sPetreln with dignity
followed 7 out 4 few miles, her Grew
keenly enjoying the novel and grand
sight. as we rode the long roll9ofa the
pecan and snuffed the wind that SO re-
sently kissed the shores Of the Bahamas
and St. Salvador. s''s2'' is9'''l = :
But We had not the remotest inten.
lion of shaming New York and Phila-l
ielphia BY taking the lead and running
over the forty miles ahead Of the yachts ;,
u .ai' we put The ..Petrel" about; and
sooD, the topsails IF ths yachts passed
beneath the blue RIM Of the mighty
waters h OK Is5ad al yai s7ae3 s
And now the bathing hour was come,
it Cape May. and the surf was beating
lgainst men and women innpmerable asi
Re passediin front Of the hotels. And
Norfolk boys always did think shat III
sas wEetcbadly spoef ifnnlto bathe with
,l!othss hanging and dragging around
,pet person; and always will think
Hat Il Il . violation Of genuine and true
'ehse of fdslioacy forffieh and womsn' to
,sihestngetheraIT zod Gi, tlasaa 4
H Kidding good bye teothso GapasO1e
,arbored that night in the mouth of
river. where We had taste Of
he Jersey mosquitoes: ", more sttictly
IpeakiBg, where ethe Jersey mosquitoes
lad q, taste Iof us.as aaei saa as.a.Qg
: Twill tell you how prepared myself
Or, not bed, but. for the seat of the
,oat, that night. A large towel was
,laced over ny head. its edges pinned
ogether at my eyebrows and at the |
hin. leaving an opening for breathing Il
ny oysrcoat was tightly buttoned over
he ends Of the towel around my neck,
,oots were not taken of. a rubber cloth
Ess pulled over me, my hands we're
tufsd drinto the pockets Of my overcoat
sailors do not Icendescend to gloves, |
md. 50, securely whistlipg at the mos
luitoes. while they fiercely whistled at
ne. fell asleep. But "the best laid
chemes Of mice and men gang aft
Igley" Made restless, doubtless. by |
he complex character Of my defences,
tossed my arms about during the
light. and the music Of. many mosqui-
oes ceased temporarily; and when the |
morning light came. there had been
title sleeping done the proceeding |
light, and the hands that had been at |
be bottom Of the overcoat pockets, bore
striking resemblance to very course
lutmeg graters painted red.
"Wednesday morning, after breakfast