HOW TO MAKE A YACHT.

PART II.

AVING hollowed out the hull, your next

Hoe dongo will be to put in the

schooner has two masts. You must make a hole through the deck, into the bottom (at 12, Fig. i.), and put the foremast in about one inch before the foremast sectional line (3, Fig. i.) The mainmast should be about two iuches before the after sectional line (see 4, Fig. i.), and should be placed at 11. The following will give you the size of the masts and spars: the lower masts should be about one inch and threequarters round; the topmasts one inch; the bowsprit one inch and a quarter; the booms one inch and a quarter; the gaffs one inch.

For the sails, a piece of good linen is best. The sheets, or ropes, and the rigging should be made of fishing lines of different sizes, according to its use. The shrouds are the ropes which extend from the masthead down on each side of the masts, and which support them by being fastened to the sides of the vessel. These should be made of large-sized whipcord. The blocks, dead-eyes, caps, etc., could be made of wood, but as that would be a very tedious and delicate operation, perhaps the best course will be to buy them, of bone or lead, at any nautical toy.

maker's.

The length of the spars, masts, etc., should be as follows (refer to the figures on Fig. iii.) : Bowsprit (2), three and a half inches; foremast (5), fifteen inches; mainmast (9), sixteen inches, with a topmast (13), six inches long, above it; fore boom (8), eight inches and a half; fore gaff (7), eight inches; main boom (11), twelve inches; main gaff (12), eight inches.

2

is to step them so that the greatest propelling force of the sails may be brought to bear on the principal part of the yacht, and how this force will affect the rudder. If the rudder requires but a slight deviation, or small angle, when sailing, then the masts and sails are rightly arranged, and she will sail the faster; but if the rudder requires a great deviation, or angle, the case will be otherwise, and her sailing will be slow. If our diagrams have been carefully followed, this should come out all right.

It is scarcely necessary to give the exact measurement of the sails, either in the schooner or cutter. They should be made to fit the spars, of which we have already given the dimensions (see page 111).

A schooner (see Fig. iii.) has four sails: stay foresail (4); gaff foresail (6); mainsail (10); and gaff topsail (14), but the last could be very well dispensed with. A cutter (see Fig. vi.) has three sails: jib (5), foresail (4), and mainsail (9). Sometimes a gaff topsail (12) is added.

For the ballasting of your vessel, take a piece of lead, the length and thickness of the keel, and either screw it or nail it on to the keel. Use a good-sized piece of lead first, as you can easily reduce it if it is too heavy.

Fig. vi. represents a cutter yacht, fully rigged, with sails set, etc. The dotted lines are the margin of the sails, showing their shape and size. The marginal line of the piece of wood is still retained, so that the learner may see how to place his masts, spars, ballast, and rudder. One shroud each side of the cutter's mainmast is enough, and one each side of the schooner's foremast, but these are not absolutely necessary, as the peak and throat haulyards (13 and 14, Fig. vi.) brought down on each side of the mast will be sufficient support in such small vessels.

Fig. vii., in the top left-hand corner, shows appearance of end of stern (1, centre of keel; 22, counter).

Evenings at Home.

Pleasant Hours with the Magic-Lantern.
BY A. A. WOOD, F.C.S.

SE

VIII. THE GAS AND GAS-BAGS.

(EVERAL times in describing the production of the lime-light reference has been made to gas-bags; and now we will explain more fully what they are. Gas-bags are usually made of stout india-rubber cloth, wedge-shaped, their length being half as much again as their width, and the base usually equal to their width. A tap is provided and attached to the apex of the bag, so as to allow of the admission and expulsion of the gas. In order to press out the gas from a filled bag, two boards are used.

Fig. 9.

These

oxyhydrogen light), the double pressure-board (Fig. 9) should be employed; the two bags are then placed one above the other, and one set of weights only is required instead of two sets. The weight required to be used with a bag of eight feet capacity when employed for the oxy calcium lamp or jet should be about 56 lb., but at least three times that amount should be placed on the bags for the production of the oxyhydrogen light.

It is not desirable to keep either oxygen or hydrogen gas in india-rubber bags for any length of time. Oxygen can be kept for a few days or a week, but any hydrogen gas that may remain in the bag after an exhibition should be expelled before the bag is refilled. When two bags are in use, each should be marked; O on the oxygen bag, and H on the hydrogen bag; and the bags should not be used interchangeably; i.e., hydrogen gas should not be put into an oxygen bag, nor oxygen into a hydrogen bag. In arranging the apparatus, place the pressure boards and bags where they will not be meddled with. Let the weights be securely placed on the pressure boards, so that they may not slide or roll off during the exhibition. Do not on any account allow any one to stand upon or press the boards with his foot as a substitute for, or in addition to, the weights. The lime cylinder should be wiped clean from dust before it is put upon the holder, and it should be exposed to the flame of the lamp or simple hydrogen flame some minutes before the oxygen is turned on, so that it may not fracture when the light is being produced. When all arrangements are complete, the hydrogen should be turned on and lighted, and oxygen should be gradually turned on until the requisite degree of light is obtained. With the oxycalcium light some exhibitors use the compressed oxygen, the gas being compressed into an iron cylinder, and thes bags, boards, and weights are not needed. This arrangement has the advantage of portability, but the cylinders have to be filled by means of a steam pump-a thing not always to be obtained. When a cylinder is used it should be placed as close to the jet as possible, and the flow of gas must be regulated by the valve of the cylinder, and not by the tap of the jet.

Correspondence.

WE must ask our readers and correspondents to exercise a little necessary patience, and they will find that all their many requests will receive due attention, that the prizes will be awarded as promised, and that questions needing answers in our columns will not fail to receive them.

But as we have said, there must be just a little patience exercised, and we will now explain why. "THE BOY'S OWN PAPER" has already become so great a favourite with the boys of England (aye, and we are receiving orders from the colonies too), that we are now printing nearly two hundred thousand copies of each number. This involves, if very many readers are not to be disappointed in obtaining the paper week by week, that we should go to press with the numbers in advance of the date each week's paper bears.

Let us see what this means. We had to wait

until the evening of January 31st before we could attempt to award the prizes for the competition announced in our first number, that being the last day for sending in. We then had nearly three thousand separate essays to read and compare. Next week, however, we hope to announce the names of the prize winners; and encouraged by the excellent work others have done, we have also decided to go beyond our promises, and award handsome Certificates to the fifty who, though not so successful as to win prizes, come the nearest to the more fortunate Competitors in point of merit.

CONUNDRUMS.

HIDDEN RIVERS.

1. As soon as in, I leave him alone. 2. Miss C. held tight to the post. 3. He at once rose, in extreme perturbation. Answers.

Conundrums in last week's Number.

1. Sal (e), is, bury Salisbury.
2. Hart (r)ing, ton = Hartington.

PRIZE ESSAY SUBJECT.

III.

("Nobly Done.")

CONDITIONS.

THIS Competition is open to readers of all ages up to twenty

one.

We offer prizes in books to the value of 20s. and 10s. respectively for the best description, in verse, of this pic

ture.

We shall also award Certificates to additional Competitors should any seem to merit them.

The stanzas may be either in rhyme or blank verse, and should not occupy the space of more than half a column.

All letters must be plainly marked "Prize Competition.' should be addressed to the Editor, at 56, Paternoster Row, and must reach him by March 31st.

Parents, teacher, employer. or other responsible person should certify that the work is the unaided effort of th Competitor

reason before given, and also to avoid the risk of falling down any gap in the wall which time might have produced.

As Bill had expected, the further end of the wall was broken gradually away, forming an easy descent. Down this they climbed, feeling their way with their feet, and not letting go of one mass of ruin till they had found a foothold on a lower. Thus they at length had the satisfaction of standing on the firm ground outside the walls.

They had now to consider in which direction they should direct their flight.

The river was on one side of them, and though they might swim across they would run the risk of being discovered while so doing. They finally decided to make for the seashore, to the westward of the bay, and to lie hid among the rocks till the search for them should be given up.

They accordingly stole round the building, keeping on the side away from the guard-room, till they got into a lane which led at the back of the village down towards the shore. If they could once get there they hoped to be safe.

Few lights in the village were burning, as the inhabitants retired early to bed; but two or three still twinkled from some cottages at the farther end. Possibly the owners had gone out fishing, and had only lately returned.

They had got some distance from the tower, and no cottage was near, when Jack stopped.

"I've been thinking that we might get on board one of the fishing-boats, which have just come in, and go off in her," he whispered.

"I could not do it," said Bill. "I have said before what would the poor fishermen think in the morning when they found their boat gone? the only means they may have of supporting their wives and families."

Jack did not agree with Bill in this, but it was not a time to argue the point, so they set off again, and continued running till they reached a gap in the cliff, down which the road led. They then made their way to the left, under the cliffs, in the direction of the village where they had so long resided.

The tide was out, and they wisely kept close down to the water, so that the returning sea might obliterate their footsteps.

Jack proposed returning to Captain Turgot's, but Bill observed that that would not be fair to their friends, who would of course be exposed to great danger by again harbouring them, and who yet would not like to deliver them up.

'No, no, we must not do that," he said. "The sooner we can find a place to hide in the better. The cliff hereabouts appears to be broken, and full of hollows, and perhaps, if we search for it, we shall discover some spot fit for our purpose."

While they were talking the moon rose; and, though on the decrease, afforded a good deal of light, and greatly assisted

them in their search.

The sea where they were would, they saw, at high tide, completely cover the whole beach, so they must take care to find a place beyond its reach.

They anxiously searched about. The night was drawing on, and they must find concealment before daylight, which would expose them to the view of any boats passing near the beach, or to people looking for them from the cliffs above.

They had climbed up at several places

without discovering any hollow sufficiently deep to conceal them effectually; still they persevered, and at last they reached a black rock which projected out from the cliff, and ran some way down the beach. From its appearance they saw that it must be covered at high water. They made their way round it, as the sides were too smooth to climb over, and then once more reached the foot of the cliff.

The tide was now rising rapidly, and they saw that they would be exposed to the danger of being caught by the sea, could they not get some distance up the cliff. They were hurrying on when Bill exclaimed,"

"There's a cave, and it may perhaps run some way back in the cliff. We shall soon find out by the feel of the rock whether the water fills it up, and if not, we couldn't have a better hiding-place."

They climbed up the slippery rock, and found themselves in a cavern with a low arched entrance. This looked promising. They groped their way onwards. As they advanced, their ears caught the gentle sound of a tiny streamlet, which issued from the rock, while the ground beneath their feet was perfectly dry, consisting in some places of hard rock, in others of soft, warm sand.

Looking back, they could distinguish the ocean, with the moonlight shining on it.

“We shall be safe here, I think," said Bill. "When daylight comes we shall be able to find our way farther in, and perhaps discover some nook in which we may remain hidden, even were people to come to the mouth of the cave to look for us."

Jack agreed that there was no risk of the tide rising to the place where they then were, so they sat down on the dry sand, and being tired from their exertions, very soon fell fast asleep.

Jack was not much addicted to dreaming. When he went to sleep he did so in right earnest, and might have slept through a general engagement, if he had not been called to take a part in it.

Bill had a more imaginative mind, which was seldom altogether at rest. He fancied sometimes that he was escaping from the top of the tower, and tumbling head over heels to the bottom; at others, that he was running along, with the Frenchmen shouting after him to stop. Then he fancied that one with a long pair of legs had overtaken him, and was grasping him tightly by the arm.

He awoke with a start, and found that Jack was trying to arouse him. Daylight was streaming through the mouth of the cavern; beyond could be seen the blue sea shining brightly in the rays of the sun, with a chasse-marée, or some other small vessel, gliding swiftly across it, impelled by a smart breeze off shore.

Jack had taken it into his head that the people on board might see them.

"I don't think there's much chance of that," said Bill. "Even if they happen to turn their glasses this way, depend on it, if we sit quiet, they'll not discover us." The vessel soon disappeared, and they then looked about to examine more carefully the cavern in which they had taken refuge.

The tide was still at its highest, and the water washed up to the ledge in front of the cavern. The ground rose considerably above that point to where they sat, and on looking round they saw that it continued to rise behind them for some distance.

Bill advised that they should at once explore it, observing that though, even at spring-tide, with the wind off shore, the water might not reach to where they sat; yet should a gale blow from the northward, it might drive the waves far up the cavern, and expose them to great danger.

"We cannot tell what may happen," he said, "and it's as well to be prepared for the worst. Besides, if the soldiers come to look for us, they may find the mouth of the cavern, and make their way some distance in, but if they do not discover us they'll fancy we are not here, and go away again as wise as they came.'

Jack saw the wisdom of this proposal. They accordingly groped their way on, aided by the light, which, though dim, pervaded the part of the cavern they had reached. Every now and then they stopped, and, on looking back, could still see the entrance, with the bright sea beyond it.

At length they came to a rock, which seemed to stop their further progress: but feeling about them, found that the cavern made a turn here to the left. They now proceeded with the greatest caution, for fear of coming to some hole down which they might fall.

66

If we had a torch we might see what sort of a place we have got to," observed Jack.

"But we haven't got a torch, and no chance of getting one; and so we must find out by making good use of our hands," answered Bill. "We must move slowly on, and feel every inch of the way, putting out one hand before we lift up the other."

They were groping forward on their hands and knees, and were in total darkness; still, as they looked back, there was a faint glimmer of light, which appeared round the corner of the rock, and this would enable them to find their way back again. Hitherto they had met only with smooth rock, gently inclining upwards; possibly it might lead them, if they went on long enough, to the top of the cliff, though they hoped that there was no opening in that direction.

Here, at all events, they thought that they should be secure, even should their pursuers enter the cavern.

As they were getting hungry, they agreed to go back and eat their breakfast in daylight near the spring, which would afford them a draught of cool water. They returned as they had come, feeling their way along the rock.

Just before they reached the turning in the cavern, they discovered a recess which would hold both of them; and they agreed to make it their hiding-place, should the soldiers by any chance come to look for them.

Without much difficulty they got back to the spot where they had slept, which was close to the stream. Here they sat down, and produced the provisions which they had brought from the tower. On examining their stock, they calculated that they had sufficient to last them for a couple of days.

"When that's gone, what shall we do?" asked Jack.

66

'We must try to pick up some shellfish from the rocks," "answered Bill. "The soldiers by that time will have got tired of looking for us, and if any persons from the top of the cliffs see us they won't know who we are, and will fancy we are fisherboys getting bait. Perhaps before that time a smuggling lugger may come off here, and we may manage to hail her before we run short of food; at all events.

there's no use being frightened about what may happen."

Every now and then one or the other went towards the mouth of the cave to look out. As long as the tide remained high there was no danger of their being discovered; but at low water the French soldiers were very likely to come along the sands, and could scarcely fail to see the mouth of the cavern.

The tide was now rapidly going down, black rocks appearing one by one above the surface.

They accordingly determined to retire to the inner part of the cavern, and to wait there till they calculated that the tide would once more have come in.

"We must make up our minds to enjoy

six hours of daylight, and to endure six of

darkness," observed Bill.

"I shan't care much about that; we can but go to sleep and amuse ourselves the best way we can think of while the tide is in," said Jack.

"If we had some hooks and lines we might fish," said Bill.

We should only catch rock fish, and they are not fit to eat," replied Jack.

The boys carried out their plan. It was an easy matter to get through the sleepingtime, but they became somewhat weary from having nothing to do during the period that the tide was in. They could do little more, indeed, than sit looking at the sea, and watching the few vessels which appeared in the offing. Now and then they got up and walked about to stretch their legs. They were afraid of bathing, lest while swimming about they might be seen from any part of the cliff above. Whether the soldiers had come to look for them they could not tell; one thing was certain, they had not been discovered, and there were no signs of any persons having approached the mouth of the

cavern.

They husbanded their food, but it was rapidly diminishing. At night they therefore, when the tide had gone out, crept down on the sands, and managed to cut off some limpets and other shellfish with their knives from the rocks. These would have sustained them for some days, had they been able to cook them, but they had no means of lighting a fire. Though limpets may help to keep body and soul together for a short time, they are not wholesome food, especially when raw. Their bread was all gone, but as long as they had some figs and cheese they got down the limpets very well; but both figs and cheese came to an end, and they both felt that they were getting very weak. "If we don't take care we shall starve," said Bill.

"We must do something or other. I don't see anything but trying to get on board a lugger, as we talked of; but then in searching for her we should run the chance of being made prisoners again." "You must come round to my plan, and run off with a boat of some sort," said

perhaps they might tell us of some boat in which we could get off without the owner being the worse for the loss. If you'll stay here, I'll go this very evening as soon as the tide is out. I calculate that I should have time to get there and back before the flood is up; and I'm not afraid of being refused, at all events."

Jack wanted to go too; but Bill urged that one was less likely to be discovered than two, and that it would be better for him to go alone. Jack at last agreed to this, and directly the sand appeared below the mouth of the cavern, Bill set out.

(To be continued.)

CAPTURE OF A HUGE SERPENT. MR. R. CHARLES WATERTON, whose battle with an alligator we lately described, was fond of perilous adventures. His conflict with a huge serpent is almost as stirring a story as that of the capture of the cayman.

He had been long looking for one of those enormous snakes known by the name of Coulacanara, whose length sometimes extends to eighteen or twenty feet, and at length one was discovered coiled up in its den. The plants and creepers were cleared away. The blacks were urgent to shoot it, but Mr. Waterton desired to take it alive, in order to obtain its skin perfect, and to dissect it while fresh. As he advanced, his two negroes stood close behind him, the one with a lance, the other with a cutlass, both terribly frightened. The head protruded from the second coil, and rested on the ground, in a position favourable Slowly and silently he crept towards it, the for pinning the monster down with a lance. trembling negroes at his back. The snake did not move; Waterton took the lance, and with a spring struck him on the near side, just behind the neck, and fixed him to the ground. "That moment the negro next to me seized the lance and held it firm in its place while I dashed, head foremost, into the den to grapple with the snake, and to get hold of his tail before he could do any mischief. On pinning him to the ground he gave a tremendous loud hiss, and the little dog ran in the den, the rotten sticks flying on all sides, away, howling as he went; we had a sharp fray and each party struggling for the superiority. By the assistance of the negro I got firm hold of his tail; he was overpowered and secured; one negro continued to hold the lance firm to the ground, the other was helping me; I contrived to unloose my braces, and with them tied up the snake's mouth."

my face, and then, with all the force I was master of, I drove my fist, shielded by my hat, full in his jaws. He was stunned and confounded by the blow, and ere he could recover himself I had seized his throat with both hands, in such allowed him to coil himself round my body, and a position that he could not bite me; I then marched off with him as my lawful prize.'

A RIDE FOR LIFE.
BY AN OLD TRAVELLER.

HEN our vessel was lying in harbour at Monte Video, I accepted an invitation from an English settler-who had been one of the first to substitute sheep-farming on a large scale for the cattlebreeding which had hitherto been almost the only occupation of the natives of the country -to visit his place in the interior. He owned stations in various parts, but his principal homestead was on the Rio Negro.

It had been a very dry season, but rain had just commenced to fall-and only in time to prevent terrible loss and suffering. This circumstance led us to talk of the droughts to which those countries are at times liable, and, recalling the mention made in Darwin's Travels of the celebrated dry season known as "el gran seco," or the great drought, when cattle in thousands rushed into the river and perished, I asked my host, who was a man past fifty, if he had been in Banda Oriental then.

We were riding when I put the question along the bank of the Plate, not far from the junction of the Uruguay with it.

La Plata is, even when fifty miles from the comparatively shallow, and thus more resembles sea, a stream of many miles in width, although

an island-lake than a river.

The land on shore just where we were made a great semicircular bend, forming a promontory projecting into the stream. This, like all the rest of the country, was a treeless, rolling plain, or prairie, but not nearly so level as that on the south or Buenos Ayres side of the river. Cliffs, or steep banks of fifty or sixty feet, terminated it, and a broad margin extended between the

foot of these and the now shrunken waters of the river.

"You could not have put that question in a more fitting place," my friend replied, "for it was in this bend of the river that a circumstance

happened which, long as it is ago, will never allow me to forget the great drought. Do you see those white specks and patches here and there, between the present edge of the river and the cliffs? Ride a little nearer and look along, the foot of the rocks. See those white spots? It is not to be supposed that the creatureThose are bones, the remains of innumerable accepted all this unexpected and unsolicited cattle, who have rushed madly to their deaths. anxiety on his behalf quietly, but he was My own bones had nearly found a similar restoverpowered; they continued to make him ing-place, and farther on those of my horse are twist himself round the shaft of the lance, buried beneath them. and then conveyed him out of the forest. "I stood at his head and held it firm under my arm, one negro supported the belly, the other the tail; in this order we began to move slowly towards home, and reached it, after resting ten times for the snake was too heavy for us to support him without stopping to recruit our strength." The creature was fourteen feet long, and as thick as the body of a boa of four-andtwenty feet. That night he was placed in a sack, and kept in the room under Mr. Waterton's sleeping apartment, awaiting dissection on the

morrow.

Soon after this he had another battle, but single-handed, with a young coulacanara, only ten feet long. Our wanderer saw it moving slowly onwards; there was not a moment to be lost. "I saw he was not thick enough to break my arm, in case he got twisted round it. I laid hold of his tail with the left hand, one knee being on the ground; with the right I took off my hat and held it as you would hold a shield for defence. The snake instantly turned and came on at me, with his head about a yard from to take liberties with his tail. I let him come, the ground, as if to ask me what business I had hissing and open-mouthed, within two feet of

"I was then a lad of sixteen or seventeen, and had only recently joined my uncle, who was a merchant in Monte Video. He had purchased and imported a number of sheep, when the great drought visited the country. All the smaller rivers were either dried up or else rendered so salt as to be useless, and the larger ones were terribly diminished.

"Nearly the whole of the back country was at last deserted, and every one endeavoured to save some of his stock by migrating to the main streams, where still some trifle of herbage could

be found here and there. We were better off than the rest, being on a rincon,' that is, a place nearly enclosed by a bend of the channel, while a deep back-water running through the other part almost made it into an island; and we managed, by incessant care and watchfulness, to prevent being invaded and overrun by the starving cattle which came straying in thousands from all parts.

"The few sheep we then had were stationed at the place we shall sleep at to-night; but as the feed there began to fail, we were obliged to then on this river. I was engaged on this serbring them to the main homestead, which was vice, and I had a lad with me, the son of one of