Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-06-23

good spruce paddles Tom and L can leisure
" and easily send her spinning along az . OF
6 miles an hour and after we are seasoned III
tie keen the pace up all day. With the aid OF
a current this rate of travel can be increased;
against one it would be somewhat less. To
those who are curious as to particulars l will
savthat the Cora isis feet long over all; 81
inches beam amidships; stsered with . rud-
der. which Is worked With ropes by the feet;
she is sharp ct both ends, has about 7 inches
sheer at bow and stern; is II inches deep
amidships; Is inches deep at each end; has
a csmbre of about two inches to the deck,
with a good, stiff, high combing, so hat II
she ships q sea she sheds it as would the back
of a duck, without ever taking q drop intern
ally. Her cockpit is Z feet long. and she Is
decked over tight for 81 feet at each end, the
81 feet inboard of each end being water-tight
stowase lockers entered from the deck by
matches which when screwed down are
water-tisht. The extreme ends are the life
compartments. The seven feet cockpit is
amply long for two, but when we have Ben
aboard it makes the thing q little close though
as he Is only cargo we don't let him occupy
much room. The Cora is fast either under
sail or paddles. I do not believe that her ex-
ira length of 2 feet defect is the usual length
for 2 men) makes her q particle harder 10
propel, as she is not increased in beam.
Though apparently narrow for her.length she
Is not cranky, and to US who are used to her
she seems to be as uncapsizable as a,steamer.
The only drawback caused by her length that
I can see is, hat she is 3 little harder to turn
than if she were shorter. But this Is not OF
any consequence, as she Is not hard to turn
after all, and with two paddles properly sp-
piled can be brought about in very pretty
style. with Tom and I, and all our necessa-
ry cruising psrsphernalia. she-draws about .
inches. For sails we use on the main mast .
simple lug, managed with 3 single Asiiiard
and the sheet. The mizzen is . small lateen
sail, with no halliards or ropes except . sheet.
We have a lib also, but have never used it or
| felt the need OF it. With her msinsail, IN
reefed, and her mizzen, both set, and, with
the wind abeam; it need not be very heavy,
| either the little beauty is q flyer and If there Is
enough wind to make white caps and to re-
| auire q single reef to b taken, she ploughs
her-way through the water like an express
train an hour behind time. b is q jolly |
little craft, and barring the wide. wide ocean,
I feel as If Tom and l could see the world
in her; going up one river and down
another and across any Of their lakes,
or for that matter the little things they call
seas over In the old country. And, as for
portages, we two, with the help of 3 rope end
over our shoulders, can. carry her q mile or
TWO in less than as many hours without
fatigue, as she weighs something less than a
hundred pounds, when like mother Eve be-
fore the serpent episode, she is unclad. Then
she is so staunch thai q ride on . common
farm wagon doesnot hurt her in the least. All
Ihayeto say ISL you haven't already done SO,
90 buy q good canoe. Give away your old
row boat; sell your spawned Rosinante; quit
billiards and ten pins if you are addicted to
them, eschew politics, forswear almost any
other amusement n get you a canoe, and
you will never regret 1t. 1t will give you
more pleasure than would 3 fast horse, more
health than q season at Cape May, or ever so
many nights with the boys. 1t is altogether
lovely, and there are no headaches in it, or
regrets for having the balance on the wrong
! side of betting book. 1t not only affords q
\ delightful pastime, but it does so at minimum
. of cost, so as to place its pleasures within the
reach of very modest purses.
I had intended telling you something of our
) fishing and hunting, but here I have filled my
letter with canoe. According to my notion it
could not have been written on q better sub
ject, but all tastes are not alike. However,
, our stay is not half out, and as I have ire
l quent idle hours on my hands I will try to
write to you again.
, It is near our hour for supper, or in more
elegant psrlancs, dinner, for we only eat q
; lunch in the middle Of the day, the better. to
facilitate our raids after fish and game. l
y laid down my pencil q little while ago to go
= and see what Tom and Ben were about at the
2 cooking fire, as they seem to have been very
4. busy there for some time. I was told to 60
about my business until I was called, but
t did not leave until I had found out what ii
a was all about. It seems that Tom had caught
E three unusually large bass,and he determined
s that there should be to accompany them
rather better dinner han common So his
f bass, beautifully baked, are to be nanked
: with q jambalia of young squirrels, and some
. broiled birds which Ben says are snipe, but
5 which, as he killed them and did not exhibit
q them with their heads and feathers on, we
e shall haveito take on trust. With beautiful
r yellow butter, splendid beat biscuit, coffee
made by Tom himself, condiments ad Hs-
Y tum and appetites like hungry ostriches, ]
will venture to say that not one of your Lex.
ington m~illionaires, If you have any,, will bet
: ter enjoy their evening meal than will Ton
r and I. And as I have just about time to &c
the black lead OF of the end of my fingers
r and as Tom does not like to wait when IS h.
q sometimes conceives he has been the architec
\ if not the builder of q 1irst-clsss meal, I viii
cut this off short and simply say adieu, ant
au revoir. Yours, E. f. c.
vi "