Western cyclone., 1886-08-19

down the East river and around the Kills
to New Brunswick, where entered the
Delaware and Raritan Canal, reaching
the Delaware river at Bordentown. Down
the river to Delaware City, and from
there by the Delaware and Chesapeake
canal to the Chesapeake bay. Then
down to Norfolk and by the Albemarle
and Chesapeake canal to ALTERNATE
sound, and so down through the connect
ing line of island towns-Albermarle
Currituck, Creation, Pamlico and Cove
sounds-to Beaufort.
Il was caught in the ice and detained
days and weeks in one spot. I have
lived on the Coot and have not taken a
meal away from her nor slept in any
bed but my snug berth aboard. It is,
as you see, a cat-boat, and so requires
most careful handling, so that after a
long sail the strain upon the mind
through the constant attention required
has often been severely felt. [ received
the best attention everywhere, and found
the people of the shore counties in sew
eral states hard workers, intelligent, and
honest. [ did not lose an article until
on my return, when some rascal in
Philadelphia stole my small boat. The
shoremen and fishermen did not take
kindly to the boat model, since they
have far better craft adapted to the hard
work of sailing on these sounds. The
short, choppy seas there are much more
difficult to manage than the long swell
of an ocean. OF course I could not
travel at night, for it was all new dis
trict to me, but the charts were accurate
to the smallest fraction, and in daylight
there was little trouble. [ took time
sailing here and there to see this or that
place, talk with the people and general
" enjoy myself. There is not the least
trouble about such a single handed
cruise, and I find that So per week has
paid all my expenses Of eating and in
cidentals. I have not had a sick mo-
ment and have lived on the provender [
bought as l went along.
"Ihe run down was not the hardest
part of the work, for then I had north
ern winds and could lay my course east
| ly, but coming back was only one con-
tinual beating up against head winds"
Going aboard the Coot, the simple ar
engagements for bed and board we're
readily inspected. On one side of the
centerboard was the bed, and the bache-
lor captain had characteristic bachelor
headquarters An oil stove was mounted
on the other side of the centerboard.
This did all the cooking, and when the
yacht was coated deep with ice made the
wee little cabin very comfortable. Win
dows about six inches square were here
and there on the sides and every part of
the interior walls was utilized for the
storage of some bit of necessary para
phernalia. The captain could, from his
couch, reach every part of the cabin, and
the lamp mounted over the head of the
bed told how he had read and rested.
He raised the anchor, made sail, steered
and acted as lookout, went below as cook,
and for eight months has not had fell
low traveller nor assistant of qny kind.
Leaving the city weighing 100 pounds
he comes back at 148 and brown as a bit
of old parchment. He declares that he
has had the best of enjoyment; has seen
an interesting and little travelled portion
of the country, and would gladly take
the trip over again. He has been close
observer, and portfolio full of sketches
tell the story OF the unique trip in
graphic style.