The Scientific American Boy; Or, The Camp at Willow Clump Island

nd camp out so as to become acclimatized. It is good that we did this, for the very first night a heavy summer shower came up which nearly drenched us. The water be

, a strip of canvas stretched over the tent and spaced a

l Tent with the

t F

The Fly R

ich were sewed together as before and the ends turned up and hemmed. Tie strings were sewed to the ends of the strips so that the fly could be tied to the wall

ns and S

e we lived in our bathing suits, except, of course, on cold rainy days. Our kitchen outfit consisted of a large cooking pot, two kettles, a frying pan, a coffee pot, a small oil stove, a half-dozen each of plates, cups, saucers, knives and forks, a dozen spoons, two tablespoons, and, in addition, several large plates and bowls for pantry use. We also took with us a dish-pan and several dish-towe

r camp, to supply us with fresh eggs. It was a capital idea, and by the dint o

needles, buttons, pins and safety pins, a spool of white and another of black cotton, fishing tackle, a roll of heavy twine, a coil of rope, and a set of dominoes and checkers. But most important

ssb

eave it behind. Of course we didn't miss it at all when we got to the island, because there was so much else to do; but we all agreed with Dutchy, that "it wouldn't be no

n the Schrei

in the

Binding

sed lightning." Of course we had to have one of these wonderful weapons. Down in the ash heap we found two broken umbrellas with 27-inch ri

covered the ribs, making a solid rod of spring steel. But before winding we had laid in between the ribs a piece of heavy

ot very deep, only enough to receive a tenpenny nail with the head projecting half-way above the sides. A notch was cut across the barrel, through this channel, at the trigger end, and a trigger made of heavy iron wire, bent to the shape shown in Fig. 51, was hinged to the gun by a bolt which

gainst the bowstring. Then, on pulling the trigger, the bowstring was lifted out of th

aph

. The M

oard 30 inches square was procured. At the center of one edge a pin was stuck into the cardboard

sting first against the inner knot and then against the outer one, two arcs were drawn on the paper, one of 5-inch radius and the other of 29-inch radius.

of the arc. From a point 1 inch to the left of the pin we then drew a

shown in Fig. 55. This piece was rolled into a cone with the right edge lapped over the left edge and lying agai

then cut away until the walls were quite thin. The hole was reamed out at the top, as shown in Fig.

, and had provided for that purpose a large scow, which we

Sc

inch pine boards, 12 inches wide and 1

e feet back along the edge of the board and then rounding off the edge with a draw-knife. When one board had been shaped, it was used as a pattern for the other, which was thus cut to exactly the same size. For the end pieces two strip

nd laid between the seams so as to make the boat perfectly water-tight. The side and end boards were then nailed together, wi

strips of cloth being inserted between them, as well as along the edges of the side and end boards. To brace the bottom a 3/4-inch board

the side boards two strips 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick were nailed. Two notches were cut in the inner side of each strip befor

rmed with two central notches, to receive the rowlocks for a steering oar. This strip, however, was 3 inches wide, and projected 1 inch above the end board, so as to

boards inside, 7 inches below the upper edge, served to support a seat board 1 inch thick and 2 feet 10-1/2 inches long. The aft edge of the seat was about 10 inches forward of the rowlocks. The b

e handle and 2 inches immediately below, tapering down to a diameter of 1-1/4 inches at the top of the blad