The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-11
CANOING ON FRESH WATERS.
SLIGHT COST AS COMPARED WITH
THE EEJOYMkNT
Frovisiors and Gasp Uterriir the Csnoist
should Take Aionu-uis Exteuporired
BED and Fornrinc Abroad n, the Country.

|
qujres q special kind Of craft and a man with
special tastes. On salt water the canoe Is
| chiefly impelled with sail. o paddle being
| used occasionally only. Each stage OF tho trip
| lasts only during the day. and the canoist
| must get back to the shore at night, differing
In this respect from the man with a catboat or
yacht. who can keep away from the land for
days On n river or other fresh water space
the canoe is propelled 80 almost entirely by
paddles that IL is hardly worth while to take
along mast and sail Few men canoe on both
fresh and salt water. The men who 90 inland
to spend their vacations prefer rivers and lakes
to bays and sounds. while men who prefer tho
seashore and the ocean to mountains. rocks
and trees naturally canoe on the salt water.
A salt water canoe trip cannot be taken by
mon without company. whio on q river tho
canoe 10 sufficient com panion. like n horse
on q horseback trip. II man ~ content to
take his canoe round the dams and rapids
there is little danger on n river On bay or
sound there is more danger. rs the canoes
move usually under SAIL and to sail canoe is
balancing feat, as diTlcult to beginner as
walking on top OF a board fence or the rails OF
railroad track. From the point OF view OF a
saltwater canost that bit OF danger adds zest
to the sport Careless anagem ent or a'sudden
gust OF wind may capsize the craft at any time.
In which case the canoist will have to hold on
to 1t or swim along and push 1t to the shore.
ANY ono can 20 canoiDg on river like the
upner Hudson. the Delaware. the Mohawk.
the Susquehanna. or the upper Potomac with
out any preliminary training. Even IL he has
never been in a canoe before. and has no one
to show him how to manage one. he will soon
find out how to paddle and steer Then. II he
does not take along the mast and sail. there
will be little danger OF his capsizing unless he
n m fhn
equally hazardous before he has learned how
to do it we'll: but 1t will not take him long to
learn to walk around In a canoe as on the
shore. and to jump out into the water when
the boat is sure to capsize. thereby only get
ting wet himself instead OF losing his stores
and camping outfit, too.
Canoing on a river can be made as indolent
or as active a sport as the canoist may wish.
He can either lie down on a cushion in tho
boat with his head against the stern piece and
his feet to the bow. keeping the boat in the
current with an occasional use OF the paddle.
or he can sit up in the waist OF the canoe and
work as hard padding as II he were saving
tough hickory into fire wood with dull saw.
1t Is about as restful a wav of taking vaca-
ton trip as there is. In this 1t beats horse
back riding. because the canoe cannot drop q
shoe or get sore back or become frightened
at the cars or 60 lame or kick the rider. The
most that can happen to it is to strike on q
rock. and unless tho canoist is very careless.
this accident is not likely to damage his boat
SO much that he cannot go on.
Then fresh water canoist Ia SO independ-
ent. He can go into the wilderness OF the up
per part OF the Delaware and not speak to q
man for week while he paddles down tho
stream. He can live night and day in his
craft and canoe makes q more comfortable
bed than any one who has not tried 1t would
think. His morning bath Is over the side OF
his canoe. His breakfast he can readily get
himself over an alcohol lamp in the canoe. or
he can make q FIRE on shore from the wood and
brush that can always be found along the river.
where it has been loft by the spring floods and
dried in the sunshine. II he is not satisfied
with the provisions that he has taken along. it
is easy to stop near some farm house for the
night to replenish his supplies or to sharpen
his breakfast appetite by travelling on to a lit
tie illage or farm where he will find no
trouble In getting q hot breakfast.
After breakfast the canoist has NO fixing up
or elaborate dressing to do. and hardly any
thing to rack The cooking utensils and
blanket. perhaps. is turned into q cushion
that no can lie on while he enjoys his after
Anv man gets tired OF cooking all his meals,
and 1t IL ,t CUSTOMARY ior the canoist to stop at
snner ISe or nGufe Tor
the newspapers OF that day or the day before.
and the supplies Of tobacco. novels. and the |
other things that go with such a trip can be
replenished. After dinner there can be active
padding until sunset. and theE supper. which |
is enjoyed best at a big fire made OF drift wood |
on the ranks. After supper comes more smok- |
ing. and sleep at s. o'clock.
some men would rather sleep on shore than
house ora country hotel: but this ia In violation |
Of the spirit OF fresh sh canoing and be-
leave the canoe anchored in the water. or to
In mi nj ma bod
There Is little daneer that the foatine canoe SEss
as the centre Of gravity is then below ;'t the
water line. This method OF lodging would be
s0G ss h St Wssa Would f mpPes wt
GOODNESS and wetness on man. no matter
how soTnd nSno he might be asleep; Al:
so that things in the boat will not get wet nv
the, water that may leak in. and these stats
on. provided man Is sleepy and tired enough.
Some canolsts who insist on having the luKu-
ma ttresses which they blow up at night and
put IN the bottom OF the boats over the Stats.
oT Is M
sary as a good blanket or AN ordinary quilt is
enough and no one knows how luxurious a
has tried it at the end Of a days padding.
After the original outlay OF getting a. canoe
made the cost Of csnons
nothing. 1t need not exceed dollar day.
including DOupHt ulnHeT at or !
country inn. There are no hotel bills or rail-
road fares to pay no tips to be given to any
one, and no expenses except for food. The
raw material for breakfast and supper will not
cost over thirty five or forty cents at the most.
unless the canoist goes too extensively into
canned goods. and dinner usually costs less
Canned goods are among the evils OF canoe
trip. They load up the boat, and become
m onotonous TO the taste Then there IL the
trouble OF opening the ans. and the despair OF
ever, eating VI, the contents Of one can at
remaining contents over for the next meal
A bit OF advice may be inserted here to prospec-
tive canoists not to try to make an omelet. A
man who can make perfect omelets is usually
In some other business than oanoing. An at
tenn ut at an omeet can smear three eggs over
ali the dishes fire. wearing apparel. blankets.
and the whole inside Of the boat in a few
The end Of all the painstaking., Boiled or fried
eggs or ham and eggs. should be enough va
rety In tho egg line for any man who makes
canoe trip
traps. A small alcohol lamp. with a rest for
tho coffee pot: afrying pan. metal pot, and
.tn,s aba Ill r.. \