New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-11-04
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
p,spops ro,rR MONTHS IN A sNEAK-Box.

or pfv xoVo Rx NsmASIkI H. BnHoP svo. pp. s22.
Lee 4 Shepard
The Voyage of the Paper Canoe" describing tte
tourney OF the author from Quebec to the Gull OF
Mexico has gwen him WIDE reputation ~ ven
turesome traveller ard an interesting descriptive
writer. In the voyage which forms the subject oil
the present volume, Mr. Bishop selected boat oi u
purely American model. invented by the ingenious
boat-builders on the NewJersey coast. and recentN
introduced 10 the attention Of sportsmen under Tue
ambiguous name of The " Barnegat SneaS-b"a''
The staunch little craft Afforded ample stowase
capacity with MANY conV-piencos for the use Vi
the voyager. II wss q comfortable, homehke ooa''
and though ouly twelve feet long. four ie't "ioe
and thirteen inches deep, was strong, pereoN
dry, and safe. The weight was aDou' wv
bnndred pounds; il could be sailed or ro"'u
nj pleasure; and could be EASILY transporter
from one stream TO another IN common
wagon The original inventor of the craft was
Cantain Hazeltan Seaman, a boat-builoer ana an
sxnert sbo.,ter q! wild fowl. who IN 1856 con-
celved the idea al constructing for his own use
lov-deck "a punt. in which while the deck was Gov
cred with sedee he could secrote hnis'l
from the wild fowl while shooting IN Barne-
cat and Little Egg liarbcr BAYS. While
secreted IN his boat. on the watch Tor 1oWl'
with the craft hidden by covering OF grass Vi
s.dge. he could approach within shooting distance
"A
done IN sneakIug manner, the boat received the
namo of "sncsk-box," which sobrl9uet she
has retained to tho present day. The
model mas been improved by various build
ers until II is believed that 1t has beStN
or anitc reached perfection. The boat sails wen OH
the wind thonga hard 10 poll against stormy
head sea. A fin-shaped centre-Do"id taAcs '"e
place of u keel, which can be quickly removed
from the trunk. or centre-board weu' ana store"
under the deck. Some 81 those boats carrying
veeht of three hundred pounds well float IN tour
to SIX inche. of water Mr.. Bishops boat, when nc
called the "Centennial Republic was completed
at MAnahawkln, New-Jersey, IN tue month oil
November 1875 and was carried In the lrelght-
cars To Pnliade .phia. where sine WAS delivered 10
the agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad, To Toe Tor
waraed to PIttsbmg. Here dilemma arose
which the author describes in his own hVely
sty.o:-
rhe agent OF the PENNSYLVANIA Railroad IN fhlla
III, rn,n Was soIey puzzled 10 know what 10 chaisc ~"
n baf ne had loadsd . ousauds 0t Gals or PNisbutg'
bus could Gal only proceed, nj to gI'ce a'n.
fve dollars snOuiO be chareed the same Inc
lizard The convcrsation interrupted the agent with
load lauen. "A charge Of twenty-five dollars freight
On h,te tnn- like tBu Why. naA tlat sam Is hraiS
Va ( Der value! How large was ihe boat Gu shp2su
LIS. Fin to Ptlsourg for twenty hive e,i',is. ~
ap.ut ice the 81 one. answered t"e agent
oat, H. or boats boat, 40 We nana.r e"
few OF tncm hH we nav no speoiai "i S Yu nIv
establish a iand 4 you viii boat az you do all
other I,riri Oh tr s.i,me cass Now. Tor Instance boa
do boats rams firsI or thrd class Iels at
1"ird CAS-. sheui t|ihb, STOW s.ou ,, W.
agent: " Ease your conseenoe "a! I,Sna 1
the cleIA ny weighing he boat, Fhu charging TIC
usual iaT Il rate for hiid class rcighL
Tue boat with lis still locked up inside, was
put upon the scales and found 10 weigh three hun
arcd ana ten pounds. when the charge "A sew
entv-two cents hundred amounted to a nttle more
than Two dollar instead OF twenty thus saving
tine owner from p.cuniary loss. beside the feeling
OF beng imposed upon.
Upon arriving At PItts6urg on the morning oil
December 2. 1878. aftera dreary nights journey
by rail from the Atlantic coast, the author found
his boat safely perched on pie OF boards III the
railroad freight-house, winch was conveniently SIT
uated witnn a few rods of The muddy waters OF the
Monongahela. 1t was already past noon when the
sneak-uux was transported to the rivers side Only
lew hours of daylight were left. 1t was the part
of prudence 10 find more retired camping place for
the ght than that afforded by the great CITY
anu the uclghbOrBg towns The little street Arabs
were lighting among themse Yes for the empty pro-
vision boxes left upon the bank as the audaci0ns
yoyager iauncned ms we-iTei GIFTED craft upon the
whiriug current. The stream was swollen BY re-
cent rams, and showed great degree OF tuIbneDce.
Mr. Bishop had expected easy passage down the
river IN advance of floating ice. But the river, as
II flowed from the South, though the thermometer
a.
INMATES he bad passed nearly the whole length Of
the Pittsourg shore. when he suddenly found the
water covered with ice when passing out of the
Allegnany and completely blocked up tue Ohio
from shore 10 shore. This unforeseen trouble had
TO be promptly met. light canoe would have
been gronnd 20 pieces by the icy cakes. but the
deekcd sneak-boat with Its half Inch OF soft but
elastic white cedar, and It's light oaken runner
STRIPS firmly screwed to ITS bOtton..was fully able
TO cope with the difficulty. The resOlute skipper
had only 10 press the boat into the floating Ice
beyond the eddes IIto the steady How OF the sTong
current of tie river He could do nothing more to
expedite the journey, so he sat quietly down IN
the little hold and, wrapped comfortably III
blankets watched the progress of his vessel by the
r,ceding points of interest the high banks of the
stream. The rapid current bore hum twenty-five
mules in four hours and half, and the boat rested
on shelving pe5bly strand on the left bank of the
stream. lie had not slept for thirty-six hours nor
eaten since morning. aud was ready TO go TO bed at
an early hour. 1t took hut few minutes TO
secure his boat to stake. so -ot Que 81 ould
not Oe carried off by sud r.' Il -; liver
while he was asleep, and ..w moments moe we're
occupied IN arranging the thin hair cdshIt ns and
a thick cotton cOverlet the floor of tn, vat.
The bag which contained his wardrobe serveC Gov a
pillow. heavy shawl aud two thin blankets
uished sufficient bed covering. He made GO.
supper of bread and butter. shakers peach sauce,
and generous slice of compressed beef. with "a
draught of water from the ley reservoir thai flowed
past the boat within easy reach OF hls arm. All
was silence and security; his slumber WAS sweeter
than he had experienced IN the most luxurl-
Gus euest-ehsnber; the night wore peacefully
away; and in the early dawn, envcloped in a thick
fog he hastily dispatched cold breakfast, and at
half-past 3 o'clock again in the midst
of the floating ice. he of bitumln-
Gus coal along the river filed the valley