Boat-sailing cannot be taught by any book, and certainly not by a few short notes of this description. The traveller, therefore, who intends using a boat for exploration, should gather some experience before starting, which can be done at any fishing village on the coast. This will be the more necessary if he intends to use his boat on a lake, or for sailing along the coast, from the mouth of one river to another, and the following hints may, it is hoped, be useful to those who have had but small experience in boat-sailing. _When under sail_, never, _under any circumstances_, allow the sheet to be made fast; a turn should be taken round a cleat, and it should be held by one of the crew ready to let go at any moment. Do not let the crew stand up, or sit on the gunwale. When about to round-to, remember that you cannot carry the same canvas on a wind that you can before it. If caught in a squall, put down the helm at once, ease the sheet, and if the squall is a bad one, lower the sail while it is still shaking. When approaching a danger, such as a rock, do not stand on if you are in doubt about weathering it, but go about in time, and have an oar ready to help the boat round if she appears likely to miss stays. Never carry too much sail, as there is considerable danger in doing so, and a boat will often sail faster with a reef taken in, than she will when unduly pressed. If necessary to take in a reef when sailing _on a wind_, do not luff, but check the sheet, lower the sail sufficiently to shift the tack, gather the sheet aft so that the men may take in the reef without leaning over the gunwale, shift the sheet, hoist the sail, while the sheet is slack, and do not haul the sheet aft until the men are again in their places. _Rowing._—This can only be acquired by practice, and though the traveller will seldom be called on to take an oar himself, circumstances may arise when he may have to do so, and we would, therefore, advise him to learn how to handle an oar before leaving England. Under ordinary circumstances, rowing on a river is sufficiently simple, and calls for no special instructions. The case, however, is very different when a river bar has to be crossed, or a landing made on a beach where a surf is breaking, and in either case it will be well to remember the following hints. On approaching the shore, a surf when seen from seaward never looks so bad as it really is. Where possible, a landing should not be attempted until opposite a village where the natives will be ready to assist the moment the boat touches the beach. When the surf is heavy, the boat should be backed in, pulling a few strokes to meet each heavy sea, and then backing in again until the shore is reached. The great thing to avoid is, letting the boat get broadside to the sea, as she will then capsize; a steer-oar should always be used, as a rudder is of little use in a surf, when backing in.