derful　contribution　to　fiction。　　He　　preferred　fiction　to　truth　at　any　time。　　Once；　while　reading　to　him　a　chapter　of　the　above　work；　his　credulity　was　so　challenged　that　he　became　　excited；　and　broke　forth　with；　〃Say；　boss；　how　do　these　big　book…men　larn　to　lie　so　well？　does　it　come　nat'ral　to　them；　or　is　it　got　by　edication？〃　I　have　since　heard　that　when　Mr。　Bodfish　arrived　in　the　pine…wood　regions　of　New　Jersey　he　　related　to　his　friends　his　adventures　〃in　furrin　parts；〃　as　he　styled　the　Dominion　of　Canada；　and　so　interlaced　the　facts　of　the　cruise　of　the　Mayeta　with　the　fancies　of　the　〃Journey　to　the　Centre　of　the　Earth；〃　that　to　his　neighbors　the　region　of　the　St。　Lawrence　has　become　a　　country　of　awful　and　mysterious　associations；　while　the　more　knowing　members　of　the　community　which　David　honors　with　his　presence　are　firmly　convinced　that　there　never　existed　such　a　boat　as　the　Mayeta　save　in　the　wild　imagination　of　David　Bodfish。
  Mr。　Bodfish's　fictitious　adventures；　as　related　by　him；　covered　many　thousand　miles　of　canoe　voyaging。　　He　had　penetrated　the　region　of　ice　beyond　Labrador；　and　had　viewed　with　　complacency　the　north　pole；　which　he　found　to　be　a　pitch…pine　spar　that　had　been　erected　by　the　Coast　Survey　〃to　measure　pints　from。〃　He　roundly　censured　the　crews　of　whale…ships　which　had　mutilated　this　noble　government　work　by　splitting　much　of　it　into　kindling…wood。　Fortunately　about　two…thirds　of　Mr。　Bodfish's　audience　had　no　very　clear　conceptions　of　the　character　of　the　north　pole；　some　of　them　having　ignored　its　very　existence。　　So　they　accepted　this　portion　of　his　narrative；　while　they　rejected　the　most　reasonable　part　of　his　story。
  The　Mayeta　was　sent　to　Lake　George；　and　afterwards　became　a　permanent　resident。　　Two　years　later　her　successor；　the　Paper　Canoe；　one　of　the　most　happy　efforts　of　the　Messrs。　Waters；　of　Troy；　was　quietly　moored　beside　her；　and　soon　after　there　was　added　to　the　little　fleet　a　cedar　duck…boat；　which　had　carried　me　on　a　second　voyage　to　the　great　southern　sea。　Here；　anchored　safely　under　the　high　cliffs；　rocked　gently　by　the　loving　waters　of　Lake　George；　rest　these　faithful　friends。　　They　carried　me　over　five　thousand　miles；　through　peaceful　rivers　and　surging　seas。　　They　have　shared　my　dangers；　they　now　share　my　peace。
  CHAPTER　V。　　THE　AMERICAN　PAPER　BOAT　AND　ENGLISH　CANOES。
  THE　PECULIAR　CHARACTER　OF　THE　PAPER　BOAT。　　THE　HISTORY　OF　THE　ADOPTION　OF　PAPER　FOR　BOATS。　　A　BOY'S　INGENUITY。　　THE　PROCESS　OF　BUILDING　PAPER　BOATS　DESCRIBED。　　COLLEGE　CLUBS　ADOPTING　THEAM。　　THE　GREAT　VICTORIES　WON　BY　PAPER　OVER　WOODEN　SHELLS　IN　1876。
  Inquiries　regarding　the　history　and　　durability　of　paper　boats　occasionally　reach　me　through　the　medium　of　the　post…office。　　After　all　the　uses　to　which　paper　has　been　put　during　the　last　twenty　years；　the　public　is　yet　hardly　convinced　that　the　flimsy　material；　paper；　can　successfully　take　the　place　of　wood　in　the　　construction　of　light　pleasure…boats；　canoes；　and　racing　shells。　　Yet　the　idea　has　become　an　　accomplished　fact。　　The　success　of　the　victorious　paper　shells　of　the　Cornell　College　navy；　which　were　enlisted　in　the　struggles　of　two　seasons　at　Saratoga；　against　no　mean　antagonists；　　the　　college　crews　of　the　United　States；　　surely　proves　that　in　strength；　stiffness；　speed；　and　fineness　of　model；　the　paper　boat　is　without　a　rival。
  When　used　in　its　own　peculiar　sphere；　the　improved　paper　boat　will　be　found　to　possess　the　following　merits：　less　weight；　greater　strength；　stiffness；　durability；　and　speed　than　a　wooden　boat　of　the　same　size　and　model；　and　the　moulded　paper　shell　will　retain　the　delicate　lines　so　　essential　to　speed；　while　the　brittle　wooden　shell　yields　more　or　less　to　the　warping　influences　of　sun　and　moisture。　　A　comparison　of　the　strength　of　wood　and　paper　for　boats　has　been　made　by　a　writer　in　the　Cornell　Times；　a　journal　published　by　the　students　of　that　celebrated　New　York　college：
  〃Let　us　take　a　piece　of　wood　and　a　piece　of　paper　of　the　same　thickness；　and　experiment　with；　use；　and　abuse　them　both　to　the　same　　extent。　　Let　the　wood　be　of　one…eighth　of　an　inch　in　thickness　　the　usual　thickness　of　shell…boats；　and　the　paper　heavy　pasteboard；　both　one　foot　square。　　Holding　them　up　by　one　side；　strike　them　with　a　hammer；　and　observe　the　result。　The　wood　will　be　cracked；　to　say　the　least；　the　pasteboard；　whirled　out　of　your　hand；　will　only　be　dented；　at　most。　　Take　hold　and　bend　them：　the　wood　bends　to　a　certain　degree；　and　then　splits；　the　pasteboard；　bent　to　the　same　　degree；　is　not　affected　in　the　least。　　Take　a　knife　and　strike　them：　the　wood　is　again　split；　the　pasteboard　only　pierced。　　Place　them　on　the　water：　the　wood　floats　for　an　indefinite　time；　the　pasteboard；　after　a　time；　soaks；　and　finally　sinks；　as　was　to　be　expected。　But　suppose　we　soak　the　pasteboard　in　marine　glue　before　the　experiment；　then　we　find　the　pasteboard　equally　as　　impervious　to　the　water　as　wood；　and　as　buoyant；　if　of　the　same　weight；　but；　to　be　of　the　same　weight；　it　must　be　thinner　than　the　wood；　yet　even　then　it　stands　the　before…mentioned　tests　as　well　as　when　thicker；　and　it　will　be　found　to　stand　all　tests　much　better　than　wood；　even　when　it　weighs　considerably　less。
  〃Now；　enlarging　our　pieces；　and　moulding　them　into　boats　of　the　same　weight；　we　find　the　following　differences：　　Wood；　being　stiff　and　liable　to　split；　can　only　be　moulded　into　　comparative　form。　　Paper；　since　it　can　be　rendered　perfectly　pliable；　can　be　pressed　into　any　shape　desirable；　hence；　any　wished…for　fineness　of　lines　can　be　given　to　the　model；　and　the　paper　will　assume　the　identical　shape；　after　which　it　can　be　water…proofed；　hardened；　and　polished。　　Paper　neither　swells；　nor　shrinks；　nor　cracks；　hence　it　does　not　leak；　is　always　ready　for　use；　always　serviceable。　　As　to　cost；　there　is　very　little　　difference　between　the　two；　the　cost　being　within　twenty…five　dollars；　more　or　less；　the　same　for　both。　Those　who　use　paper　boats　think　them　very　near　perfection；　and　surely　those　who　have　the　most　to　do　with　boats　ought　to　know；　　prejudice　aside；　which　is　the　best。〃
  An　injury　to　a　paper　boat　is　easily　repaired　by　a　patch　of　strong　paper　and　a　coating　of　shellac　put　on　with　a　hot　iron。　　As　the　paper　boat　is　a　novelty　with　many　people；　a　sketch　of　its　early　history　may　prove　interesting　to　the　reader。　　Mr。　George　A。　Waters；　the　son　of　the　senior　member　of　the　firm　of　E。　Waters　&　Sons；　of　Troy；　New　York；　was　invited　some　years　since　to　a　　masquerade　party。　　The　boy　repaired　to　a　toy　shop　to　purchase　a　counterfeit　face；　but；　thinking　the　price　（eight　dollars）　was　more　than　he　could　afford　for　a　single　evening's　sport；　he　borrowed　the　mask　for　a　model；　from　which　he　produced　a　duplicate　as　perfect　as　was　the　original。　　While　engaged　upon　his　novel　work；　an　idea　impressed　itself　upon　his　ingenious　brain。　〃Cannot；〃　he　queried；　〃a　paper　shell　be　made　upon　the　wooden　model　of　a　boat？　And　will　not　a　shell　thus　　produced；　after　being　treated　to　a　coat　of　varnish；　float　as　well；　and　be　lighter　than　a　wooden　boat？〃
  This　was　in　March；　1867；　while　the　youth　was　engaged　in　the　manufacture　of　paper　boxes。　Having　repaired　a　wooden　shell…boat　by　　covering　the　cracks　with　sheets　of　stout　paper　cemented　to　the　wood；　the　result　satisfied　him；　and　he　　immediately　applied　his　attention　to　the　further　development　of　his　bright　idea。　　Assisted　by　his　father；　Mr。　Elisha　Waters；　the　enterprise　was　commenced　〃by　taking　a　wooden　shell；　thirteen　inches　wide　and　thirty　feet　long；　as　a　mould；　and　covering　the　entire　surface　of　its　bottom　and　sides　with　small　sheets　of　strong　Manila　paper；　glued　together；　and　superposed　on　each　other；　so　that　the　joints　of　one　layer　were　covered　by　the　middle　of　the　sheet　immediately　above；　until　a　sheet　of　paper　had　been　formed　one…sixteenth　of　an　inch　in　thickness。　　The　fabric　thus　　constructed；　after　being　carefully　dried；　was　　removed　from　the　mould　and　fitted　up　with　a　suitable　frame；　consisting　of　a　lower　keelson；　two　inwales；　the　bulkhead；　in　short；　all　the　usual　parts　of　the　frame　of　a　wooden　shell；　except　the　timbers；　or　ribs；　of　which　none　were　used　　the　extreme　stiffness　of　the　skin　rendering　them　　unnecessary。　　Its　surface　was　then　carefully　　waterproofed　with　suitable　varnishes；　and　the　work　was　completed。　　Trials　proved　that；　rude　as　was　this　first　attempt　compared　with　the　elegant　craft　now　turned　out　from　paper；　it　had　marked　merits；　among　which　were；　its　remarkable　stiffness；　the　symmetry　of　the　hull　with　respect　to　its　long　axis；　and　the　smoothness　of　the　water…surface。〃
  A　gentleman；　who　possesses　excellent　　judgment　and　long　experience　in　all　that　relates　to　paper　boats；　furnishes　me　with　the　following　valuable　information；　which　I　feel　sure　will　　interest　the　reader。
  〃The　process　of　building　the　paper　shell…boat　is　as　follows：　The　dimensions　of　the　boat　having　been　determined　upon；　the　first　step　is　to　　construct　a　wooden　model；　or　form；　an　exact　　facsimile　of　the　desired　boat；　on　which　to　mould　the　paper　skin。　For　this　purpose　the　lines　of　the　boat　are　carefully　drawn　out　of　the　full　size；　and　from　the　drawings　thus　made　the　model　is　　prepared。　　It　is　built　of　layers　of　well…seasoned　pine；　securely　fastened　together　to　form　one　solid　mass；