battis. Slowly and feebly I crept back to the
Fulton Chain, hung up at the Forge House, and the cruise of the Susan
Nipper was ended. Later in the season, I sent for her and she was
forwarded by express, coming out over the fearful Brown's Tract road to
Boonville (25 1/2 miles) by buckboard, From Boonville home, she took
her chances in the baggage car without protection and reached her
destination without a check or scratch. She hangs in her slings under
the porch, a thing of beauty--and, like many beauties, a trifle frail--
but staunch as the day I took her. Her proper lading is about 200
pounds. She can float 300 pounds.

Of my last and lightest venture, the Sairy Camp, little more need be
said. I will only add that a Mr. Dutton, of Philadelphia, got into her
at the Forge House and paddled her like an old canoeist, though it
was his first experience with the double blade. He gave his age as
sixty-four years and weight, 140 pounds. Billy Cornell, a bright young
guide, cruised her on Raquette Lake quite as well as her owner could do
it, and I thought she trimmed better with him. He paddled at 14 1/2
pounds, which is just about her right lading. And she was only an
experiment, anyhow. I wanted to find out how light a canoe it took to
drown her skipper, and I do not yet know. I never shall. But, most of
all, I desired to settle the question approximately at least, of weight,
as regards canoe and canoeist.

Many years ago, I became convinced that we were all, as canoeists,
carrying and paddling just twice as much wood as was at all needful,
and something more than a year since, I advanced the opinion in Forest
and Stream, that ten pounds of well made cedar ought to carry one
hundred pounds of man. The past season has more than proved it; but, as
I may be a little exceptional, I leave myself out of the question and
have ordered my next canoe on lines and dimensions that, in my
judgment, will be found nearly perfect for the average canoeist of 150
to 160 pounds. She will be much stronger than either of any other
canoes, because few men would like a canoe so frail and limber that she
can be sprung inward by hand pressure on the gunwales, as easily as a
hat-box. And many men are clumsy or careless with a boat, while others
are lubberly by nature. Her dimensions are: Length, 10 1/2 feet; beam,
26 inches; rise at center, 9 inches: at seams, 15 inches; oval red elm
ribs, 1 inch apart; an inch home tumble; stems, plumb and sharp;