THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND 
 
 MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID 
 
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ACCESSIBLE EIELD SPORTS. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2007 with funding from 
 
 IVIicrosoft Corporation 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/accessiblefieldsOOgillrich 
 
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 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOETS: 
 
 Zhc (Exp^mnrrs of a §V0rtsman in llcrtlt Jlm^rira. 
 By *^UBIQUE," 
 
 AUTHOR OF "GUN, EOD, AND SADDLE," ETC. 
 
 CLOSE QUARTERS. 
 
 LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL, 193, PICCADILLY. 
 1869. 
 
TO 
 
 HENEY LEE, ESQ., 
 
 F.L.S.,F.G.S.,F.Z.S., 
 
 MEMBER OF COUNCIL ROYAL MICROSCOPICAL SOQIETY, MEMBER OF COU>'CIL 
 
 RAY SOCIETY, MEMBER OF COUNCIL PALvf:ONTOGRAPlIICAL 
 
 SOCIETY, ETC., ETC., 
 
 I DEDICATE THIS BOOK, 
 
 FOR A FRIEND, IN THE TRUE ACCEPTATION OF THE WORD, 
 I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND HIM. ' 
 
 UBIQUE. 
 

 The WaldronSy Croydon y 
 
 April 3rd, 1869. 
 Bear Me. Gillmoee, 
 
 Your letter asking my permission to dedicate to me 
 your forthcoming work on "Accessible Field Sports" has 
 gratified me exceedingly y and I accept with pleasure your kind 
 proposition. 
 
 When on your return to this country after years of foreign 
 travel y LoED Richard Grosyenor mentioned to me his appre- 
 ciation of your talentSy I did not, of course, foresee that his 
 introduction would lead to our becoming friends. Since then, 
 however, circumstances and kindred tastes have brought us closely 
 together. Intimately associated, as I have the privilege to be, with 
 my dear friend Mr. Frank Buckland in almost all his under- 
 takings, public and private, the love of Natural History which 1 
 have felt from my boyhood has been fostered by him, and he has 
 imbued me with much of his enthusiasm respecting pisciculture, I 
 immediately recognised the practical character of your writings on 
 these subjects and on the Field Sports of the many countries you 
 have visited, and if I have in any way aided you in making known 
 the results of the observations you have made during an adventurous 
 life, I congratulate myself and the public on my having been able 
 to do 80. 
 
 I assure you that the kind and complimentary tribute you now 
 offer me more than repays me for any encouragement I may have 
 been enabled to give you. 
 
 With every good wish, believe me to be. 
 
 Dear Mr. Qillmore, 
 
 Your very sincere friend, 
 
 HENEY LEE. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In producing this Work, I am actuated by the hojDe 
 that many of our English Sportsmen may be induced 
 to cross the Atlantic ; for well I know they will be 
 amply rewarded for their trouble, provided they are 
 of the right stamp, and do not mind roughing it, in 
 search of sport with '' Gun, Rod, and Saddle." 
 
 The expense is not great for such a trip; the sea 
 voyage, under ordinary circumstances, does not extend 
 over ten days, while the accommodation and cuisine 
 on board ship are excellent. 
 
 I much prefer the Inman Line of Trans- Atlantic 
 steam ships to all others, and I therefore recommend 
 them, for the reason that the officers are more obliging 
 and willing to afford information than those I have 
 sailed with in other lines. 
 
 On arrival in New York, select the Brevoort House, 
 in Fifth Avenue, for your residence ; it is conducted 
 in the same manner as an English hotel. You can 
 choose what hours are most convenient and suitable 
 for your meals, while the domestics are always civil. 
 The proprietors of this house can afford reliable 
 information as to the hunting-grounds, the best 
 means of reaching them, and other local details. 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 Messrs. J. D. Dougall and Son, St. James's Street, 
 London, I can recommend to supply the sportsman 
 intending to go abroad with enduring, hard-hitting, 
 well-finished guns. Their Lock- fast patent for breech- 
 loaders is the strongest known, is extremely simple, 
 and therefore not liable to get out of order; and if 
 such a casualty should by any possibility occur, can 
 be repaired by the least skilful mechanic, a desidera- 
 tum of no ordinary importance when in a distant 
 foreign land. 
 
 For duck-shooting and salmon-fishing wading stock- 
 ings and waterproof clothing will be found necessary ; 
 in fact, without such protection from wet, the strongest 
 constitutions may sufier. Those made by Messrs. 
 Woolgar & Co., Ludgate Hill, I cannot praise too 
 highly. For camping out, the waterproof ground- 
 sheet, and the waterproof boating-bag, both of which 
 are made by the same firm, I can recommend, after 
 long experience, to be superior to all other productions 
 with which I am acquainted. 
 
 If rods or fishing tackle, extra guns or ammuni- 
 tion, should be required for the lakes and rivers, or 
 the hunting-field, Messrs. Andrew Clerk & Co. will 
 supply the former, and Messrs. Schyler, Hartley and 
 Graham, the latter ; both these firms have their places 
 of business in Maiden Lane, New York, and the 
 utmost reliance and confidence can be placed in their 
 attention, selection, and promptness in attending to 
 your wants. 
 
 Follow my advice, and you will not be disappointed. 
 
 UBIQUE, 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. PAGE 
 
 I.— A Night's Adventure 1 
 
 II.— First Deer m America 13 
 
 III. — Trout Fishing on the Androscogan ... 22 
 
 lY.— Wild -Fowl Shooting in Illinois .... 32 
 
 V. — The Black or Silver Fox {Canis argentatus) . 43 
 
 yi. — American Woodcock {Microptura Americana) . 52 
 
 VII. — BUEFALO Hunting {Bison Americanus) ... 59 
 
 VIII.— On the Grand Prairie 82 
 
 IX. — Moose Deer {Cervus Alces) 96 
 
 X.— Shooting in Illinois 115 
 
 XI. — Black Bear [TJrsus Americanus) 125 
 
 XII.— Flight Shooting on Grand Prairie . . .143 
 
 XIII.— Salmon Fishing in Labrador 147 
 
 XIV. — Prong-horned Antelope {Antilocajyra Ameri- 
 cana) 218 
 
 XV. — Pinnated Grouse [Tetrao cupido) 233 
 
XU CX)NTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. PAGE 
 
 XYI. — Trout Fishing in Maine 24*7 
 
 XYII.— Instructions for English Sportsmen . .273 
 
 XYIIL—MusK Sheep of Arctic America . . . .283 
 
 XIX. — Snipe Shooting {Scolopax Wilsonii) .... 292 
 
 XX. — Hints for American Shooting 301 
 
 XXI.— Shooting in Missouri 310 
 
 XXII.— A LONG Deer Hunt . 313 
 
 XXIII.— The Split Bamboo Fly-Eods 330 
 
ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOETS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 A NIGHT'S ADVENTUEE. 
 
 Thirty miles north of Toronto commences a network 
 of lakes that extend over many hundred square miles 
 northward, scattered in every direction through the 
 dense forest that covers that picturesque locality. 
 Game and fish of almost every variety are here to be 
 found, making one of the best retreats for enthusiastic 
 sportsmen that can be found within a similar radius 
 of the Atlantic sea-board of Northern America. True, 
 the prairie chicken, the capricious salmon, and the 
 timid trout are wanting ; but this deficiency is well 
 supplied by the number and variety of other species 
 of game well worthy of the attention of both hunter 
 and fisherman. Bear and deer are here numerous, 
 roaming undisturbed in the retreats of their pro- 
 
 B 
 
2 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 genitors ; while tlie clear, sparkling waters are well 
 stocked with the voracious muscalonge and the active 
 impetuous black bass. But he who is desirous of 
 visiting this elysium in pursuit of game must be no 
 feather-bed sportsman — no grumbler at imaginary 
 troubles, or shirker of hard work ; for, once he leaves 
 the edge of civilisation, no roof- tree will be found to 
 greet the eye after a hard day's tramp, no luxurious 
 downy couch on which to rest his wearied limbs, but, 
 often unjDrotected, he must submit to the pelting of the 
 pitiless storm. No ; he must ' accept mother earth 
 for his bed, his hunting blanket for his covering, the 
 heavens for his canopy, and — if fortune should favour 
 him with a touch of a north-easter — the leeward of his 
 reversed canoe will give him such shelter as will enable 
 him to keep dry perhaps thirty minutes longer. Know- 
 ing what you have to be prepared for, provided you 
 have the constitution and pluck, make a try, and I am 
 certain, on your return, you wiU be in ecstasies with 
 your trip, recalling with pleasure the hardships you 
 have gone through, and laughing at the little misad- 
 ventures that chequered (like clouds portending a shower 
 on a sunny day) the tenor of your path. We cannot 
 have all play. Few go through the world without an 
 occasional rub. '^ Variety is the spice of existence ; " 
 and without an odd contretemps we should become a very 
 
A NIGHT S ADVENTURE. 6 
 
 ■animaginative, unambitious, namby-pamby lot, unfit 
 for tlie wear and tear, bustle and excitement, tbat all 
 must endure before their course is run. 
 
 To those determined to accept the conditions, a word 
 on the best sporting gear may not be out of place. 
 Pirst and foremost, a good double-barrel of ten bore, 
 that will throw ball as well as shot ; an abundance of 
 ammunition, not forgetting buck-shot; a couple of 
 strong bait-rods, about fourteen or fifteen feet each ; 
 several of Buell's patent spoon-baits, reels, &c., &c., with 
 a good assortment of strong untied hooks. Your 
 camping equipments I leave to yourself, or rather 
 to your Indian guide; one thing, however, let me 
 advise — make them as light and few as possible, 
 as many an arduous journey across rugged portages is 
 before you, when you have not only to carry these 
 etceteras, but also your canoe. 
 
 Why this rigmarole ? some may justly inquire. Now 
 for my reason. Numbers frequently ask me where 
 sport is to be obtained, as they are desirous of an expe- 
 dition, but know not in what direction to guide their 
 steps. They do not want to travel as far as the vast 
 prairies of the West, and if they did, only small game 
 could be obtained, unless beyond civilisation. Let me, 
 therefore, advise them to make choice of the afore- 
 mentioned wilds ; they are easy of access, and there a 
 
4 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 large variety of fisli and fowl are to be found. Duck 
 in great numbers taunt this locality, as well as snipe 
 and plover, wbicb select this retired nortbern situation 
 as a breeding place, wbere tbey can safely raise tbeir 
 timid, helpless families, without fear of the constant 
 intrusion of the much-dreaded lords of creation. 
 
 From Toronto proceed to the village of Orillia, at the 
 head of Lake Simcoe. At this pretty little place you will 
 have no difficulty in procuring one of the Chippewa 
 Indians from the village of Rama, on the other side of 
 the lake, to undertake the duties of Palinurus, for a 
 moderate remuneration. All of these redskins may 
 safely be trusted, and they will be found, not only 
 excellent hunters and trappers, but very obliging, as 
 long as you keep them from the curse of their race, 
 whiskey. Of course, as soon as they leave civilisation, 
 they cannot obtain their dire enemy unless you should 
 give it, or, what is equally culpable, leave it in their 
 way. How I became acquainted with this region was 
 strange and unlocked for. Some years since, having 
 business in Toronto, I was detained longer than I 
 expected, and got both out of funds and out at elbows. 
 Returning from the Post Office much disappointed and 
 disgusted at the dilatoriness of my friends, I turned 
 into a tavern to have a glass of ale, when I chanced to 
 run foul of a former acquaintance who had turned 
 
A NIGHT S ADVENTURE. D 
 
 liermit, having built a house on the edge of one of 
 those lovely sheets of water embosomed in the forest 
 several miles further to the north than any of his 
 neighbours. Soon my troubles were all before him, 
 and he, with characteristic hospitality, offered me 
 accommodation for an indefinite period. Next morning 
 we were both en route for his solitary home, and never 
 shall I forget the feelings of pleasure and admiration 
 that rose in my bosom when first I beheld this charm- 
 ing retreat, situated on a bluff, washed by crystal 
 water, and backed by the handsomest varieties of forest 
 trees, truly looking to my mind the heau ideal of a 
 hunter's home. 
 
 After being domesticated some weeks, from the 
 beauty of an afternoon and the coolness of the weather, 
 I was induced to shoulder my gun, and start cross 
 country to Lake St. »John, with the hopes of killing 
 some ducks to add to the fare of our already sumptuous 
 table. I had never visited this place before, and as I 
 
 left the clearing, the last words of H were, *^ Take 
 
 care you do not get lost.'^ With an amount of con- 
 fidence, ''usually denoting ignorance,^' I responded 
 that I was too old to be guilty of such a green pro- 
 ceeding. With little trouble I found my destination. 
 Game was abundant and tame, they being overcome 
 with that languor which makes them perfectly indifferent, 
 
b ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 and whicli is so frequently the precursor of bad and 
 stormy weather. In a little time my bag was heayy, too 
 much so to be agreeable, and, considering that I had 
 committed havoc enough, I determined to retrace my 
 steps. Another and yet another duck would come in 
 my way, and presented such fascinating shots that I 
 could not resist, so that by the time I had returned to 
 the place where I first struck the water, I was com- 
 pletely loaded. Have any of my readers ever walked 
 two or three miles, with from eight to a dozen mallard 
 ducks in the skirt of his shooting-coat ? If so, they 
 undoubtedly have vivid recollections of their weight. 
 If still a tyro, I advise you to make a trial, as a new 
 sensation will be experienced, particularly if the ground 
 is soft and muddy. I had scarcely re-entered the 
 sombre forest, when my spaniel found some ruffed 
 grouse, and treed them a short way off on the left. A 
 brace of these delicate birds would be a most acceptable 
 addition to a future dinner ; so, without hesitation, I 
 struck off to the right, to cultivate their more intimate 
 acquaintance. Advancing upon them unwarily, the 
 covey flushed, but flew only a short distance. I thought 
 my chances so remarkably good, that I would make 
 another try, but again the watchfulness of my feathered 
 friends foiled me. "With a malediction on my lips, I 
 turned to retrace my steps, but for my life could not 
 
A NIGHT S ADVENTURE. 
 
 tell In whicli direction my route lay. To be lost, pooh ! 
 pooh ! what nonsense ! I was not still a school-boy, and 
 had been too long cut loose from my mother's apron 
 strings. The whole thing appeared too absurd and 
 ridiculous. Off I went, as I thought, straight back to 
 the place I had left ; I must cross my own path in a few 
 minutes — only a few steps farther ! I am certainly close 
 now! and thus arguing and consoling, I proceeded. 
 By degrees it began to dawn upon me, though much 
 against my inclination, that I was " certain sure out 
 of my reckoning." The more convinced I became of 
 the uncertainty of my position, the more I became 
 excited ; at first I walked faster, talked to myself, and 
 tried, though I fear very indifferently, to treat the 
 whole affair as an admirable joke. But soon my counte- 
 nance became elongated, and a very gloomy expression 
 usurped the place of my previous smile. For change, 
 I shouted, with the hope some one might hear me — a 
 very improbable thing — except, perchance, some solitary 
 aborigine should be out in attendance on his bear or 
 other traps. At last I became fairly desperate, and 
 broke into a headlong run ; the pace was too fast to 
 keep up, and fairly blown, wearied, and exhausted, I 
 sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree. The depression 
 I felt will never be forgotten. The terrible loneliness, 
 the perfect solitude and monotony, with the certainty 
 
8 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 of haying to pass tlie niglit al fresco, made my frame 
 of mind anything but enviable. The mosquitoes, wbicb. 
 previously I bad scarcely noticed, now put in a claim 
 for attention, for my wretched plight seemed to give 
 them confidence, and they attacked me front, rear, and 
 flanks, and in columns. It was useless to attempt 
 to drive them off; their perseverance would have 
 been most commendable, if engaged in a better 
 cause. Night was rapidly approaching, and the giant 
 shadows had become indistinct in their outline, mingling 
 together in one dark gloom. Distant rumbling of 
 thunder portended a coming storm, reminding me that 
 I had better make all snug, for a dirty night was at 
 hand. 
 
 I soon found a prostrate monarch of the forest, 
 under whose side I expected to find comparative 
 shelter; in a short space I had gathered sufficient 
 debris and flammable matter to make a fire, determining 
 to sacrifice one of my ducks to the implacable tor- 
 mentor, hunger. Out of the few matches I had, four 
 missed, or would not light ; but two more remained. 
 With what care and anxiety did I try the others ! 
 Alas ! the head of Ifo. 5 flew ofl*, and but one remained 
 to save me from Erebus, and the incursions of some 
 erratic midnight prowler. With the utmost care I 
 undertook the trying ordeal of squeezing myself into 
 
A kight's adve:ntuee. 9 
 
 a corner, sheltering my hands with my cap, and sacri- 
 ficing a portion of the last letter from my lady-love 
 for tinder; success rewarded me, and soon the sur- 
 roundings were brought out in deep relief by the 
 brilliant glow, reminding me of the deep contrast of 
 light and shadow in one of the much-admired pictures 
 by Rembrandt. The rain was not long delayed, and 
 after a few premonitory drops, came down as if the 
 flood-gates of heaven had been opened, accompanied 
 by the loudest thunder and most dazzling lightning. 
 There is nothing more powerfully impresses man with 
 the omnipotent power of the Creator, or with his own 
 utter insignificance, than being placed alone, unpro- 
 tected from the warring elements, listening to the 
 dismemberment of limbs from the parent tree-trunks by 
 the fury of the blast, or the scathing power of the 
 electric fluid. All my efforts to keep a good fire were 
 futile — -sleep was out of the question — while the inces- 
 sant attacks of the mosquitoes made me restless and 
 irritable. No sick man or storm-tossed mariner ever 
 more ardently longed for break of day. The night 
 appeared endless, and doubts of whether the sun 
 had not been delayed in his course, or taken his de- 
 parture to gladden with his rays the inhabitants of 
 other planets, intruded themselves. At last, faint 
 lines of light glimmered in the east, foretelling the 
 
10 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 departure of darkness, and with, greater satisfaction 
 than I ever previously experienced, I rose from my 
 wet and uncomfortable resting-place. To seek my 
 lost route was my first endeavour, and for more than 
 an hour I wandered without success. At last, when 
 almost yielding to despair, I struck the margin of the 
 lake I had been shooting on the evening before ; and 
 what a beautiful, enthralling scene lay before me ! 
 The placid water only rippled where the wild duck 
 sported, or the voracious fish pursued to the surface 
 their destined prey ; while the shadow of each tree that 
 grew near the margin was so distinctly reflected that 
 the minutest limb or twig could be traced with perfect 
 precision. 
 
 I stood entranced, and so great was my admiration, 
 that nothing could have induced me to disturb the 
 harmony of the picture by destroying the life, or 
 disturbing the retreat, of the beautiful creatures which 
 formed its prominent features. To the left were several 
 deer and fawns, knee- deep, feeding upon the tender, 
 succulent leaves of the water-lily, the youngsters occa- 
 sionally chasing one another in sport, and unknow- 
 ingly practising and developing those muscles which 
 Nature intends to be their protection in the hour of 
 danger ; their beautiful, graceful mothers frequently 
 raising their eyes from their morning repast with 
 
A night's adventure. 11 
 
 maternal solicitude for their progenies' safety. What 
 sportsman could witness such a scene without feelings 
 of the greatest pleasure ? and, in my opinion, unless 
 hunger could be pleaded, he would be unworthy of the 
 name who could desecrate the hallowedness and peace- 
 fulness of the view by wantonly shedding blood. Long 
 I gazed with feelings of rapture, congratulating my- 
 self in having at last discovered a hunter's elysium. 
 Uncertainty in reference to my position had vanished, 
 as without trouble, by following the margin of the 
 water, I could find my back track. At last hunger 
 told me it was time to think of home and breakfast. 
 An hour after found me in my bedroom undergoing 
 the luxury of a good wash, preparatory to an amplq. 
 meal. My friend, who was rejoiced to see me, having 
 dreaded the inconvenience of hunting me up, listened 
 with great pleasure to my glowing, and, perhaps, 
 unintentionally exaggerated description of all I had 
 seen and endured. On one point, however, we were 
 resolved — an immediate visit to the beautiful locality 
 I had so lately left. Before a month had elapsed many 
 visits had been paid, and heavy game bags, or still 
 heavier fish baskets, were the result. Game is still 
 abundant in the region where my night adventure 
 took place, but like every locality, the hunter will have 
 to proceed a little farther beyond the bounds of civili- 
 
12 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 sation ; for as certain as the red man vanishes before 
 the progress of the stream of emigration, or the morn- 
 ing mists before the gladdening rays of the rising sun, 
 does game before the dreaded sound of the squatter's 
 axe, or the sharp report of the deadly rifle. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 FIRST DEER IN" AMERICA. 
 
 Although this is but a reminiscence, and one of a day 
 a few years gone by, the feelings, incidents, et ceteras^ 
 are much the same as every tyro experiences when he 
 sees the first antlered monarch of the woods prostrated 
 at his feet. How many lately have written of their 
 advent in salmon fishing, their novitiate with dog and 
 gun on the boundless heather or golden stubble; but 
 not one has touched on the pleasurable sensations first 
 experienced as you draw the keen edge of your 
 hunting-knife across the graceful, swan -like neck of 
 the deer that has succumbed to your skill as a shot, or 
 your knowledge of the hidden mysteries of venery. 
 
 While visiting in Canada West, I chanced to make the 
 acquaintance of a young Highlander ardently devoted 
 to the chase, and who, when he found that I was also a 
 would-be disciple of the chaste Diana, at once proposed, 
 as the season was suitable and business afiairs did not 
 
14 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 interfere, that we should start for the gigantic and then 
 unbroken woods which covered the township of Oro, 
 lying on the edge of that placid sheet of water, so 
 well known for its lovely woodland scenery, Lake 
 Simcoe. After a great deal of bad travelling, both on 
 foot and horseback, over the most villanous roads that 
 ever unfortunate was condemned to progress on, we 
 arrived late at night opposite Snake Island, then 
 inhabited by a remnant of the once numerous and 
 powerful Chippewa Indians. The distance across to 
 this island retreat was too far for our lungs to inform 
 its denizens that two benighted travellers were desirous 
 of joining them, and, as there was no boat, a camp 
 fire and blanket were required to do duty for roof 
 and feather bed. But, alas ! our limbs and bones 
 were demoralised from our former life, and absolutely 
 refused to be satisfied, so that both tossed, fumed, 
 and fretted till the sun thought proper to make his 
 reappearance. Nor was that all ; a scoundrelly wolf, 
 whose midnight propensity for serenading had taken 
 hold of his thoughts, kept up a most objectionable 
 chant, however pleasing it might have been to his 
 lady-love, till we wished the brute in Jericho, or any 
 other remote district ; not only that, but I will not say 
 that fear had not a little to do with my feelings, for I 
 can distinctly remember, as I listened, my blood became 
 
FIRST DEER IN AMERICA. 15 
 
 exceedingly cold and stagnant, my hands clammy, and 
 my throat parched. Moreover, all the stories I had eyer 
 read of the sanguinary propensities of these scourges 
 of the distant settlements, from " Little Red Riding- 
 Hood '^ to ^^ Robinson Crusoe," recurred vividly to my 
 recollection. 
 
 However, quiet came with the sun, and, after a few 
 ineffectual efforts, we succeeded in attracting the atten- 
 tion of a worthy redskin, who, for a trifling remunera- 
 tion, landed us in the precincts of his island domicile. 
 Our business was soon made known, and a hunting party 
 was organised in an inexpressibly short time. The 
 inner man was still to be satisfi.ed, and, on making our 
 wants known, we were borne off willing captives to the 
 grandest and most capacious log-cabin, no less a worthy 
 than a chief assuming the responsibility of providing 
 us with breakfast. I cannot help here mentioning a 
 little episode which, although it had not the appetising 
 effect of Worcester sauce, chutney, a squeeze of lemon, 
 or other familiar auxiliaries, still had its influence on 
 our then pleading stomachs. Sun-fish were destined for 
 the standing dish, and as the good old squaw had a 
 very small frying-pan and a large stock of the above 
 finny treasures to operate upon, it behoved her to 
 make several cookings ; and, to prevent the results of 
 her first efforts getting cold while the second lot were 
 
16 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOKTS. 
 
 undergoing culinary operations, tlie aged matron, with 
 a talent that denoted great skill in adapting herself 
 immediately to circumstances, snatched a very battered 
 and greasy straw hat off the head of one of the filthiest 
 youngsters, and made it do duty for dish-cover. Of 
 course, any squeamishness would have been a base 
 return for the anxiety displayed that we should not 
 eat our morning repast cold. An hour afterwards 
 we were all en route, three buoyant, graceful birch 
 barks transferring the party, which was now aug- 
 mented to ten, and three half- fed hounds, to the oppo- 
 site beach. 
 
 Well, all that forenoon to mid-day we tramped, 
 tramped, tramped ; the only alteration in the per- 
 formance being an occasional halt, when an acute 
 observation of some sign would cause comments from 
 all parties, excepting we two pale- faces. First, it would 
 be a broken twig ; next, an indentation of the ground ; 
 and thirdly, what would not have appeared to the 
 uninitiated a rarity in sheep pastures. Although this 
 was all Greek to us, we determined to look knowing, 
 say nothing, and possibly, like many another under 
 similar circumstances, get credit for being perfect Nim- 
 rods. A halt was at length called for, and old Chief 
 John, no small bug, spoke like an oracle. The deer 
 had gone to the big swamp, and if we wanted buck 
 
FIRST DEER TN AMERICA. 17 
 
 we must go there. Off again we started, I having 
 come to the determination that the whole thing was a 
 humbug, and that I would slip off the first available 
 opportunity. The desired chance soon offered, and 
 after half an hour's walking I struck the margin of 
 the lake where the canoes had been left. Another I 
 found before me at this rendezvous, which helped much 
 to console me for not being the only deserter. We 
 had not been long dawdling and attempting to kill 
 time, when some pigeons came down to drink ; so 
 drawing my buck-shot and replacing it with No. 6, 
 I came to the conclusion, as I could not have venison, 
 I would try and procure some of them. Nor was I 
 unsuccessful, for soon half a dozen long tails (the wild 
 pigeons of America have long tails) swelled the volu- 
 minous proportions of my pockets. There is an end to 
 all things, and even pigeons got wary of our proximity, 
 and a second period of inaction followed. However, 
 the scenery was pretty, the foliage brilliant, the tem- 
 perature pleasant, and a hunter might be far less 
 comfortably situated. 
 
 Time was passing rapidly, the sun was fast dipping 
 into the horizon, and consequently our indefatigable 
 friends could not much longer be absent. Thus I 
 thought when Master Eedskin jumped suddenly up out 
 of a canoe in which he had been lolling, clapped his 
 
 c 
 
18 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOETS. 
 
 ear to the ground, and remained in that ludicrous and 
 ungraceful position for some minutes, exciting greatly 
 my curiosity. On asking him for an explanation, 
 naught but a grunt could I get for an answer, and a 
 non-describable wave of the hand, as if to invoke 
 silence. After manoeuvring thus, my nearly exhausted 
 patience received the explanation that one of the hounds 
 was running a deer, and that they were coming this 
 way. Immediately afterwards I was bundled into a 
 canoe, and although I had never previously handled a 
 paddle, was now forced to take one of those implements 
 and attempt a trial ; but no use — the obstinate com- 
 position of birch bark would only spin round and make 
 most indisputable signs of objection to its freight, which 
 were manifested by the gunwale several times taking 
 in water and almost upsetting, so that my now irate 
 companion almost got out of his wits with rage. At 
 length I attained a slight dexterity, and succeeded, 
 assisted by the skilful steering of the Chippewa, in 
 propelling our frail boat under a cedar that grew on 
 the termination of a promontory. Whatever might 
 have been my doubts before as to my friend's assertion 
 that game was afoot, they were now dissipated; for, 
 true enough, the deep voice of a hound could be 
 distinctly heard resounding through the forest, and 
 coming towards us; every bound the good hound spoke, 
 
FIRST DEER IN AMERICA. 19 
 
 till the echoes and his voice were blended in one pro- 
 longed, deep, musical note. My pulsation increased 
 as the sound approached, my whole nervous system 
 was in a state of extreme tension ; even clasping my 
 gun, setting my teeth, only gave me temporary relief, 
 and never from that day to this has my excitement 
 been so intense. " Look ! look ! " said the Indian, 
 and, following the direction of his hand, I saw a 
 splendid doe breasting the water and heading for the 
 middle of the lake. Like all green hands, my first 
 prompting was to Sttart in pursuit ; but my more wily 
 friend put a veto on that proposition, begging me to 
 restrain my impatience till the quarry got well out 
 from land. Long — very long — appeared the next few 
 moments. But it was evident I was not boss* — ^only a 
 deck hand of very ordinary acquirements. Remon- 
 strance was, therefore, out of the question ; so sub- 
 mission, with the best possible grace, was adopted. By 
 this time the doe had got nearly a quarter of a mile 
 out — for few animals swim so fast as deer — when the 
 signal was given to commence the chase. Never did 
 oarsman more energetically pull— never did race-horse 
 more gallantly struggle ; every thew, every muscle was 
 brought into play, and what I lacked in skill was made 
 up in vim. It, however, took all the dusky gentle- 
 ♦ American for " master." 
 
SOi' ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 man's skill to keep tlie craft's lieaci straight. For 
 many minutes we did not appear to have gained 
 an inch ; the perspiration ran down my face, and 
 even lodged in my eyes ; but there was no time for 
 rest, no desire for respite; each succeeding stroke 
 equalled its predecessor in strength. At length, we 
 commenced gaining — a further inducement to renewed 
 exertion — and the paddle was dipped deeper and 
 handled still more swiftly. Inch by inch we crept up, 
 at first slowly, then more rapidly, till but twenty yards 
 severed the victim and destroyer. I was about to drop 
 my paddle and seize my gun, when Master Redskin in- 
 formed me, " Not time yet ! '' On we advanced ;/ ten 
 feet at most intervened. Mr. Chippewa gave the 
 desired permission, and as I pitched my gun to the 
 shoulder he veered the canoe a point or two to the left. 
 A sharp report followed, and the water boiled with the 
 inefiectual efibrts of the stricken animal. Quickly the 
 birch bark was shot up, and just as the deer was disap- 
 pearing it was grabbed by the ear, and after several 
 inefiectual efforts lifted on board. Know you, reader, 
 that a dead deer will sink; and although I remem- 
 bered it not at the time of drawing the trigger, my 
 double-barrel was loaded with No. 6, which at that 
 short range, and pointed at the back of the head, 
 almost instantaneously destroyed vitality ; and, however 
 
FIRST DEER IN AMERICA. 21 
 
 easy it may be to lift a heavy body into a boat, it is a 
 different thing to bring a dead deer into a birch canoe. 
 
 On our way to shore we picked up the hound, which 
 was taken on board, and enjoyed himself by licking 
 the blood that trickled from the shot-holes. Feel- 
 ing fatigued from my seyere exertions, I halted for a 
 few moments, and commenced handling our trophy, 
 when the confounded dog flew at me, inflicting a most 
 disagreeable impression of his ivories on the palm of 
 my hand — a habit I believe he had with all, excepting 
 his owner; which peculiarity, doubtless, was much 
 approved of by him, but was far from raising this 
 canine in my estimation. 
 
 That night I was the hero of the day— the lion of 
 the hour ; an honour to which I was no more entitled 
 than many whose fame has been made through force 
 of circumstances, and whose memory will live when an 
 abundant crop of grass, perhaps thistles, are growing 
 over a hero's last resting-place, and the dwellers upon 
 earth have forgotten that such ever existed. 
 
CHAPTER IIL 
 
 TROITT FISHING ON THE ANDROSCOGAN. 
 
 Got up at daybreak ; morning foggy, witli little wind ; 
 started to the falls as soon as I had swallowed a cup 
 of coffee. Found the river a little lower than yester- 
 day. Took my stand on the big rock near the tail of 
 the rapid. Tried several flies without success, and 
 ultimately put up two black hackles, one with salmon- 
 coloured body, the other with blue. On the second 
 cast, raised a heavy fish, which I pricked; turned round 
 and took half a dozen throws in another direction, 
 hoping the big one would in the meantime forget his 
 previous rough treatment. Took two little fellows just 
 over half a pound, which I returned to their element. 
 Thought I would give the big one another show, 
 and got fast to him first cast ; with all my exertion 
 could not prevent him making the rapid, and taking out 
 nearly all my line ; nevertheless, having put the brake 
 on, succeeded in turning him, when he came back to 
 
TROUT FISHING ON THE ANDEOSCOGAN. 23 
 
 me like a skyrocket, preventing me from recovering the 
 slack. I feared that this run had effected his libera- 
 tion, but on getting reeled up, was agreeably surprised 
 to find that I still held him. Five minutes more 
 brought him on his side, when Collins neatly handled 
 his landing net, and I had the satisfaction of safely 
 securing a good four- and- a-half pounder. Within an 
 hour and a half I had killed eleven fish, averaging 
 two and a quarter pounds, when suddenly they stopped 
 rising, and all my skill was wasted, for I could not 
 raise a fin. This striking peculiarity in both trout 
 and salmon fishing, which no fisherman can fail to 
 have observed, I am unable to account for. That all 
 the inhabitants of a portion of a stream should desist to 
 feed instantaneously, when a few minutes previously 
 they have been seizing with avidity your flies, is a 
 subject on which I should like to hear the opinion of 
 some competent authority. I remember asking an 
 old hand, whose success in his neighbourhood was a 
 household word, and his response was that a sudden 
 change in the atmosphere caused it. This answer 
 somewhat astonished me, nor could I reconcile myself 
 to the idea that fish which) in the majority of instances^ 
 lie some distance beneath the surface of the water, 
 should be cognizant of an alteration which is impercep- 
 tible to us. From continued want of success^ I changed 
 
24 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 my position, and remoyed to a hole some way farther 
 down. After much, difficulty from the quantity of 
 brush that grew on the margin of the stream, and 
 carrying a rod among such obstacles, I reached the 
 water. The appearance of the pool much pleased me, 
 but it was difficult to fish, from the timber growing so 
 close to the water, and wading being almost out of the 
 question from the rough and irregular bottom being 
 thickly packed with large boulders. Obliged to make 
 a virtue of necessity, with a short line, and a quick, 
 contracted cast, I commenced operations. My com^ 
 panion informed me that he much doubted if a line had 
 been wet there that season ; from the result, I think 
 his statement must have been correct. Scarcely had 
 my flies touched the water, when two beauties, radiant 
 in their handsome golden hues, simultaneously dashed 
 at the deception; one I hooked firm and strong, 
 and soon brought to net : a dozen times did I go 
 through the same performance, only varied by occa- 
 sionally hooking a brace at the same cast. I feared, 
 with such incessant work, my perfect little rod would 
 get strained, but I was disinclined to give up. Having 
 once filled my large basket, and being in a fair way to 
 repeat the performance, I moved forty yards lower 
 down towards the tail of the stream, where, from the 
 placid appearance of the surface, I had little dpubt I 
 
TROUT FISHING ON THE ANDROSCOGAN. 25 
 
 could wade. With the assistance of the pole of my 
 landing net, I succeeded in staggering out to a shoal 
 bank of gravel, about ten yards from the brink, and 
 although quite up to the knee, established a firm foot- 
 ing ; and each cast rose or hooked a fish. The water 
 appeared to be alive with trout ; first one would spring 
 several feet clear of the water with a vim and energy 
 positively speaking of determination ; another would 
 only barely come to the surface, leaving no other indi- 
 cations of his presence than a miniature whirlpool ; 
 while a third would roll over like a grampus, displaying 
 a good view of his golden, strongly-proportioned, 
 handsome side, raising the demon of covetousness in 
 my breast. I have frequently sought for a satisfac- 
 tory reason for the difierent degrees of ardour which 
 fish exhibit in taking the fly. I am inclined to believe 
 that much is to be attributed to caprice, and not 
 hunger, for it is very rare to see a heavy fish entirety 
 disengage himself from the water when about to seize 
 the cunningly-devised imitation. Several fine fish had 
 fallen to my prowess, and step by step, with cautious 
 care, I advanced down the river, till I had almost 
 got within casting distance of the bottom of the pool, 
 where the stream was contracted previous to forming 
 another rapid. 
 
 In taij^ng my last throw, I was so near the broken 
 
26 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 water that my trail-fly was without doubt in it, when, 
 without seeing a fish, I felt a smart pluck at my line. 
 On elevating the top of my rod, I found that a small 
 chub had taken my hook. Reeling up to get rid of 
 the incumbrance, and fetching him to the surface, what 
 was my surprise to see an immense trout dash, at the 
 unfortunate captive, and in. the twinkling of an eye, 
 I had my reel going at telegrapb speed. Here was an 
 adventure, truly, but one out of which I could scarcely 
 expect success. Running out something like fifteen 
 yards, the interloper became stationary, and well I 
 knew he had returned to his sanctum, probably to 
 pouch the bait at pleasure. With but a slight strain 
 upon my rod, I waited on the will of his mightiness, 
 hoping it would not be long ere his royal pleasure 
 would dictate swallowing the booty. Ten minutes, at 
 least, I remained in statu quo, when, supposing due 
 courtesy had been extended, I took a slight pull just 
 by way of reminder. Alas ! the chub came away, and, 
 being now dead, combined with, the rapidity of the 
 water, trailed upon the surface. I was not disappointed 
 — the result was but probable. Commencing to reel 
 up to divest my hook of the mangled corpus, I had not 
 more than taken a few feet in when, mirahih dictu, tbe 
 same episode was enacted, and the unfortunate mangled 
 remains of the shiner were borne ofi", apparently 
 
TROUT FISHING ON THE ANDROSCOGAN. 27 
 
 to the same location. Patiently now I determined to 
 rest, hoping against chance, that in sportive mood, 
 while playing with his intended dejeuner, his highness 
 would get the point of the insidious hook attached to 
 his royal person. What time elapsed I know not, but 
 my necessary inertness and the disagreeableness of my 
 position induced me to endeavour to bring the drama 
 to a finish. With a gentle strain, I evoked a succession 
 of rapid, quick jerks, admonishing me that I had a 
 gentleman of short temper to deal with. Gradually I 
 continued shortening my line, which, although an 
 unusual proceeding thus early, I succeeded in doing 
 without the least hindrance. Still the dead strain that 
 existed proclaimed that no ordinary contestant was at the 
 other end. In all my previous experience I had never 
 seen a fish come without an efibrt almost up to my 
 hand, without once making a rush, or giving a chance 
 to judge of his paces. By this time nearly all my line 
 was in, and the trout could not have been over fourteen 
 or fifteen feet from me, but down in deep water, 
 moving slowly in rings of a foot or two in diameter. 
 Whatever some persons might have done, I did 
 not exactly like bivouacking in two feet of rapid 
 stream, with a very precarious footing, and a cloud 
 of mosquitoes singing either a requiem or a lullaby 
 about my unprotected face. My patience exhausted, I 
 
28 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 inwardly made up my mind, let the results be what they 
 would, that I would force the giant to declare himself. 
 Gradually raising the point of my rod, inch by inch, 
 with a steady motion, to my astonishment I brought 
 him to the surface, giving me a good view of his 
 massive form. The chub was across his mouth, as a 
 spaniel would carry a stick, and devil a hook had 
 touched him ! Worse than all, it was apparent, from 
 the constant strain, that my hold of the impromptu 
 bait was nearly at an end. Being humbugged and 
 victimised is at all times disagreeable, and as the laugh 
 was decidedly against me, with a sharp jerk, I dis- 
 engaged my flies, anathematising the brute which had 
 caused me so much trouble, and sincerely hoping his 
 breakfast would disagree with him. With a flourish 
 of the tail, my tormentor bid me good morning, and I 
 returned to the shore in far from an enviable frame of 
 mind. On my way to the shanty for my morning 
 meal, I scarcely spoke a word, no doubt moralising on 
 the uncertainty of all worldly afiairs ; but just as I 
 was entering the domicile, with feelings of dire revenge, 
 I told my attendant not to say a single word on the 
 subject, for that I had a plan in my head by which I 
 trusted to wipe off* all old scores. With vindictive 
 feeling I munched my food in silence, avenging myself 
 on the finny tribe by the quantity of fish I put under 
 
TROUT FISHING ON THE ANDROSCOGAN. 29 
 
 my belt, and only did I begin to feel in a placid frame 
 of mind after I had smoked an inch of my morning 
 cigar. Tobacco — divine tobacco ! how much does 
 irascible man owe you ! Companion in our solitude, 
 amuser in our idleness, and soother in our troubles, 
 what happy fancies and castles in the air can we build 
 whilst watching thy smoke curling gracefully towards 
 the azure heavens or dingy roof- tree ! What henpecked 
 husband has not enjoyed your soothing influence when 
 he has escaped to the safety of his sanctum ? The 
 lords of creation owe much to the taste and good 
 sense of Sir "Walter Raleigh, the ladies little — ^un- 
 doubtedly the reason that he lives less vividly in our 
 memories than his deserts. 
 
 About an hour before sunset I returned to the field 
 of action, armed, however, with a strong bait-rod and 
 a bait-kettle filled with well- selected minnows and 
 chubs. With a determination equal to the undertak- 
 ing of the most arduous and hazardous enterprise, I 
 mounted a minnow-tackle (don't turn away, gentle 
 fisherman, to hide your blushes ; any apologies which 
 are due, I freely tender ; remember the aggravation I 
 had suffered), and boldly stalked into the water, a short 
 way above where my tormentor domiciled. In working 
 my way down, I killed several of the smaller gentry, 
 but with these I dealt most cavalierly, they being far 
 
30 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 beneatli my present ambition. At length I readied tlie 
 very stone on wbicli I stood in the morning, and, with 
 nervous, anxious eye, I made my throw. Slowly the 
 bait swung round, and described an arc of a circle 
 to the charmed spot. A rush, a dash and splash, and 
 away flew my line, the reel discoursing sweetest melody 
 (perhaps not sweetest, for the music of the deep-mouthed 
 pack deserves the superlative degree), and I had my 
 gallant tormentor fast. Every efibrt that ever was 
 successfully perpetrated by fish was put in play. 
 Down and up the stream he frantically rushed ; first 
 to one side, then the other, but all without avail. Ten 
 minutes of these futile efibrts told a tale, and the 
 shortened and less vigorous exertions proclaimed an 
 early approach to the finish. Carefully I backed out, 
 step by step, feeling cautiously the inequalities of the 
 ground, till I stood confident on terra firma. My 
 attendant waited, with landing net ready, and at a 
 preconcerted signal I gave the word ; excitement 
 caused him to act too precipitously, and the splash 
 made Instilled fresh vigour into my victim's now 
 exhausted frame. Game to the last, another efibrt 
 was made for life, and with an impetuous rush he 
 again started for his time-honoured, watery haunts. 
 With a nervous grasp on my rod, I was prepared to 
 give him line ; but imagine my astonishment when the 
 
TROUT FISHING ON THE ANDROSCOGAN. 31 
 
 slack returned to my hand, minus hooks and leader ! 
 The swivel, where they joined, had been worn out, and 
 with a rueful countenance, I stood the picture of 
 desperation. I doubt if the physiognomy of Marius 
 over the ruins of Carthage could have looked more 
 doleful. On my way home, to-lking the matter over 
 with m.j fidus Achates, we agreed upon the verdict of 
 " served me right," for attempting to immolate so 
 noble a victim in such an ignoble manner, and doubly 
 was I convinced of the time-honoured French adage, 
 " L'homme propose et Dieu dispose.'' 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 WILD-FOWL SHOOTING IN ILLINOIS. 
 
 Something like thirty-five years ago Colonel Hawker 
 wrote a work on duck shooting, which not only lauded 
 this amusement to the skies, but thoroughly and lucidly 
 explained how it could be successfully followed in 
 England. His descriptions were terse and clear, his 
 sketches graphic and true, the whole interspersed with 
 a certain amount of romance, which gained his work 
 many admirers, and this description of shooting many 
 votaries. The result, as might be expected, was that 
 from duck shooting only being followed by those who 
 shot for the market, it became a fashionable sport ; 
 and many who previously ignored such amusement, 
 — as much as a genuine foxhunter would running a 
 bagged fox, or a crack shot killing a bird on the ground, 
 — followed the now popular mania, and spoke with as 
 strong superlative expressions in its favour as they 
 formerly would have used in its condemnation. During 
 
WILD-FOWL SHOOTING IN ILLINOIS. 33 
 
 Winter, the coast of England, the fens of Lincolnshire, 
 and the northern portion of France, are visited by 
 numbers of wild fowl. These migratory birds receive 
 rest neither by day nor night as soon as their advent 
 is known. Half-a-dozen mallard is considered an 
 ample recompense for a sleepless night, wet feet, and 
 the cramped interior of a skiff; and so imbued have 
 some become with this passion, that though they may 
 be possessed of wealth and all the requisites of comfort, 
 they persistently follow, night after night, this adven- 
 turous and hazardous recreation, confidently believing 
 that there is no other portion of the world where such 
 glorious results can be obtained — a proof of the old 
 adage, "Where ignorance is bliss 'tis folly to be wise.'' 
 
 " Sic venator immemor tenor 8e sposse 
 Jacet sub frigidi tempore." 
 
 It has often struck me that if such enthusiasts could, 
 by electric telegraph or some fairy incantation, be trans- 
 ported from their sea-girt island-home to one of the 
 Western prairies, at the proper season of the year, 
 when the immense migratory flocks of the web-footed 
 gentry are travelling southward from their arctic 
 summer breeding retreats, their senses would be con- 
 siderably astonished, their former hallucinations would 
 receive a wholesome shock, and their most expanded 
 imaginations be far surpassed. And better than all, 
 
 D 
 
34 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 these legions of birds are free to every one, the shooter 
 not being in constant peril of writs for poaching, tres- 
 passing, and violation of game laws, as every one 
 is, whether rich or poor, who follows the fascinating 
 amusement of shooting in the British Isles. I have 
 little doubt, in alluding to English sportsmen and their 
 ignorance of many of the advantages which America 
 enjoys in this respect, that there are thousands across the 
 Atlantic equally deficient in knowledge of sights which 
 almost daily may be realised, and who, though sports- 
 men, through lack of experience, miss witnessing 
 scenes that would cause them such pleasure and admi- 
 ration, that the impression left would never be eradi- 
 cated in future years. 
 
 In confirmation of this, I will state an instance that 
 came under my own observation : — I was shooting on 
 a prairie in Illinois, on the edge of a large slough, 
 accompanied by a gentleman who had been born and 
 bred in a town in the immediate vicinity. As we 
 progressed along the margin of the wet ground a 
 brace of duck flushed ; each of us cut down one, the 
 mallard falling to his lot : so greatly was he elated 
 over his success that a person would have imagined 
 that he had never previously killed a similar specimen. 
 This supposition entered my head, and I inquired if he 
 would like to obtain a few more. " A strong desire '' was 
 
WILD-FOWL SHOOTING IN ILLINOIS. 35 
 
 his assent. In consequence I proposed a return to the 
 same spot about sunset, promising numerous shots as a 
 recompense, and, possibly, the pleasure of witnessing 
 thousands of duck arriving on their feeding ground. 
 The evening was eminently suited for the purpose of 
 exhibiting a large show of birds, it being dark, stormy, 
 and threatening, with a rapid decrease in the tempera- 
 ture, strongly indicative of frost or snow. In truth, if 
 I had made a selection, I could scarcely have chosen 
 better- adapted weather. After a tiresome and unpro- 
 fitable day, we found ourselves back at the requisite 
 station, wet, weary, and fatigued, and not by any 
 means in the best of spirits ; still, I did not wish to be 
 the proposer of an adjournment of my promised exhibi- 
 tion, and my friend felt placed upon his mettle, lest he 
 should appear to suffer more from his long tramp than 
 myself, or less capable of e^during the fatigues of the 
 hunting field. How often, if we could read one 
 another's internal feelings, should we find that external 
 appearances are only assumed, and that the companion 
 who ostensibly looks as fresh and capable of travelling 
 for hours, as he was at the time of starting, is suffering 
 from extreme lassitude and disinclination to more 
 exertion, only he is restrained from confessing his 
 weakness by a certain amour propre and repugnance to 
 acknowledge himself beaten ; at least, I speak from my 
 
36 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 own experience, and I belieye that the majority of men 
 are similarly constituted. If men would but give 
 the same attention, the same pertinacious assiduity 
 to business affairs that are bestowed by the devotee on 
 field sports, it cannot be doubted that their fortune 
 in amassing wealth would be equal to their success in 
 filling game bags. 
 
 As the sun dipped in the western horizon, or as near 
 as possible to that time — murky, dark, threatening 
 clouds preventing the luminary from being seen — we 
 entered the wet, marshy margin which bounded our 
 future scene of operations. With much difficulty, and 
 the energetic use of all the vim left in us, we pro- 
 gressed slowly and steadily, till we reached the edge of 
 the water, where, ensconsing ourselves in the centre of 
 some of the scattered aquatic-loving brush which vege- 
 tated in the vicinity, we awaited the result. 
 
 Permit me, kind reader, to deviate from facts, and 
 give a hint to all who love the gun that they may find 
 useful in their future essays against all descriptions of 
 game. I have heard sportsmen, and they gentlemen of 
 experience, condemn Colonel Hawker for impressing 
 upon his pupils the necessity of particular attention to 
 their costume, many thinking he devoted too much time 
 and pains to what appeared to them a very unnecessary 
 desideratum. If any one who peruses these lines should 
 
WILD-EOWL SHOOTING IN ILLINOIS. 37 
 
 be of tliat impression, allow me, with all kindly feeling, 
 to take an opposite stand, and assert that there is 
 nothing ' which will more certainly guarantee your 
 success than paying due attention to wearing clothes 
 that at all times harmonise with the colouring of the 
 ground over which you are about to shoot. I have so 
 many times had convincing proofs of the efficacy of 
 attending to this important point, that I consider it 
 scarcely possible to impress it too strongly upon the 
 minds of all. An instance I will state, out of many 
 others I could tell of, which I think will prove that the 
 grounds I take are strong, and beyond opposition. 
 While sojourning West I made the acquaintance of a 
 good-hearted, kind gentleman and thorough sportsman, 
 whom the uncertainty of worldly affairs had reduced 
 much in pecuniary circumstances ; in those days, 
 although I had experience, still, as now, I had much 
 to learn; my friend was, if anything, my superior 
 as a shot, more particularly on wild fowl. On the 
 breaking up of winter in the spring of '65 — in fact, 
 the morning after a decided thaw had set in — he 
 arrived at my house at an early hour, and invited 
 me to accompany him odl the prairie to kill duck. 
 For some time previously all the water that was stag- 
 nant, or had but slight current, had been frozen, 
 and there being in consequence no feeding ground for 
 
38 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 the broad-bills, tbey bad taken tbeir departure for 
 more hospitable regions. My want of success a few 
 days before caused me to doubt if better results could 
 be obtained on this occasion, but being aware that 
 H was better posted on these matters than any 
 
 man in the vicinity, I shouldered my ten-bore, strad- 
 dled my Indian pony, and started for what he con- 
 sidered the most appropriate place for doing havoc. 
 On reaching the confines of the prairie, we found that 
 duck had come in, and in myriads. In no direction 
 could we gaze without seeing flights in those strange 
 mathematical figures which they always assume when 
 on the wing. (Quefy— Are they not proficients in 
 Euclid?) We at once held a council of war, and 
 determined to leave our steeds (having first spread a 
 horse blanket on each to protect them from the bitter 
 blast ; for every true votary of Diana is humane, 
 though the virgin goddess herself displayed but little 
 of this virtue to the unfortunate Actaeon), and after 
 striking the wet land, to separate, one to take the 
 right side and the other the left. My clothes, through 
 chance, were adniirably suited for our work, being 
 composed of that common coloured velveteen which so 
 
 much resembles withered grass, while H 's were 
 
 dark and conspicuous ; without doubt, his inattention 
 to colour being caused by the lightness of his pocket 
 
WILD-FOWL SHOOTING IN ILLINOIS. 39 
 
 and inability to procure more suitable raiment. After 
 four hours' shooting, on comparing results, my pro- 
 ceeds were more than double his, while two wild 
 geese, the most wary of all game, were among my 
 victims, he having failed to get a shot at this noble 
 quarry. I was at a loss to account for this superior 
 fortune, and might have remained long without satis- 
 factory reasons, but my comrade's experience taught 
 him that the difference of colour in our costume was 
 the cause. 
 
 But to return to our work. As soon as thoroughly 
 located, we divested ourselves of shot-pouches and 
 powder-horns, hanging them on the bushes that we 
 might the easier use them when required— for once the 
 game commences to arrive every moment is of value; 
 Before we had been stationary many minutes a few 
 stragglers made their appearance, the advance guard, 
 doubtless, of the main body ; some old and experienced 
 veterans, I should think, are generally chosen for this 
 duty, as these forerunners are wary in the extreme, 
 and seldom or ever come within gun-shot. How- 
 ever, we were not detained idle, a bunch of mallard 
 passed within range, and a salute welcomed their visit ; 
 another and another party rapidly followed in such 
 quick succession that it was impossible to shoot at all. 
 These birds, so far, had only flown past, and as night 
 
40 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 approached their numbers increased, and we being pro- 
 bably less conspicuous from decreasing light, the open 
 water at our side was chosen for their resting-place. 
 Down they would come on the water, almost imperilling 
 our heads, with the rustling sound of the eagle in the 
 act of swooping upon his prey, while some of their com- 
 panions, less certain of the security of this halting- 
 place, would sweep round and round our locale before 
 they finally selected it. As soon as the birds struck 
 the water they would commence bathing themselves^ 
 flapping their bodies with their wings, diving with 
 short plunges, and cutting so many capers that one 
 might imagine them stark, staring mad. The fact, 
 however, is, that all this apparent eccentricity is caused 
 by the necessity the ducks feel of cleaning themselves 
 of the insects about their plumage, as well as the 
 pleasure they experience in finding themselves again 
 in a milder climate, with abundance of food around 
 them, after enduring a hard journey from the stormy 
 North, protracted possibly through a day and night. 
 On arrival, therefore, they wash themselves and 
 arrange their dress before commencing their meal — an 
 example other travellers would do well to imitate. 
 But, as the night advanced, some strangers are mixed 
 with the throng. The dusky duck, the gadwall, the 
 pintail, the blue and green winged teal, shoot past 
 
WILD-FOWL SHOOTING TN ILLINOIS. 41 
 
 like arrows from a bow, the latter making, with the 
 rapid motion of their wings, a sound not unlike an 
 ungreased wheel or hinge. When the travellers are 
 satisfied with the neighbourhood, they dash down 
 upon the water, causing it to fly in spray for yards 
 around, while the first arrivals welcome the new 
 comers with innumerable quacks. The report of a gun 
 then will scarcely alarm them, and, if they should rise, 
 in a moment they will re-settle, doubtlessly feeling 
 security in their numbers. 
 
 Tarry a little longer, friend, it may be too dark to 
 shoot, but a better sight than all is yet before you ; be 
 not impatient — don't you hear that strange voice ? 
 The geese are coming— ay, and brant, too — can't you 
 hear their noisy chattering P Move not an inch, these 
 fellows have two eyes, equal in excellence to the whole 
 hundred of Argus' placed together. Soon a dark line 
 is seen against the sky advancing directly to us. 
 Honk ! honk ! honk ! comes from its difierent sections, 
 doubtlessly inquiries from the leader as to the pro- 
 priety of calling a halt. Keep close — stir not, or 
 think of shooting, till they are over you. You cannot, 
 perhaps, see them fall, but the splash they will make 
 tells the tale. Another and another regiment of 
 these worthies came in till perfect Erebus enclosed us, 
 and further shooting became impossible. Our dogs 
 
42 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 had been busy gathering the slain, and a noble bag 
 we had. The thermometer continuing to fall, and the 
 appearance of a snow-storm becoming momentarily 
 more marked, we mutually determined to desist, well 
 satisfied with our night's recreation. 
 
 It took time and trouble satisfactorily and securely 
 to sling our booty ; and if any of our friends could 
 have seen our noble selves and nags strung around 
 with the fruit of our labour, they could not have sup- 
 pressed a smile. That evening, over a glass of hot 
 whiskey punch, my friend told me that, had he not 
 been a witness to the scene I have attempted to 
 describe, the description would not have been believed. 
 
CHAPTER T. 
 THE BLACK OR SILVER FOX. 
 
 {Cania argentatus.) 
 
 A SHORT time since, on visiting the Zoological Gardens, 
 Regent's Park, two specimens of this valuable and 
 beautiful animal were pointed out to me, which had 
 lately been presented to the institution by the Hudson's 
 Bay Company. I could not help being much delighted 
 with the fine proportions and magnificent coat, par- 
 ticularly of the larger specimen, as he excelled in size 
 and beauty any representative of this family that I had 
 ever previously seen ; although for a long period I had 
 resided in a part of Northern Canada that probably 
 supplies as many of these extremely rare animals as 
 any portion of the American continent, and during the 
 entire length of my residence was constantly associated 
 with trappers and fur traders, et hoc genus omne, as 
 well as having a line of traps constantly set that 
 required my daily supervision. 
 
44 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 The fabulous value that a prime black- fox skin is 
 worth causes him to be universally sought after ; the 
 tawny redskin or the swarthy half-bred hunter when 
 he discovers the haunt of one of these beauties, never 
 ceases day or night to ponder over schemes for his 
 capture ; the martin and mink traps are for a time 
 neglected, and every artifice, every trick and ingenuity 
 that ever entered trapper's brain, is at once put into 
 practice. Nor is this fox less wary than his confreres^ 
 but quite the reverse ; and I believe, not without truth, 
 there is no animal more difficult to circumvent. Often 
 of an evening I have listened to the broken English of 
 the snake- eyed aborigines, or the curious patois of the 
 Canadian habitant, recapitulating how they all but 
 succeeded on such an occasion, or were rewarded with 
 success upon another. By the bright glow of a log 
 fire, illuminating the unhewn log walls, rough chink- 
 ing and shingle roof of a frontier cabin, the cold and 
 bitter night being made doubly severe by the howling 
 blast that impetuously rushes with angry noise through 
 the disturbed trees, these narratives of perseverance 
 and hardship form a pleasant way of passing the 
 long wintry night. The cup goes round, ihe pipe is 
 smoked, and the company, although illiterate and 
 unpolished, possess one great quality — sincerity. If 
 they quafi" your health or shake your hand, it is not an 
 
THE BLACK OR SILVER FOX. 45 
 
 empty form, but one which emanates from genuine 
 friendship and unselfish feelings. 
 
 There are no distinctive differences between the 
 black and red fox excepting colour, save it be that 
 the fur of the former is much finer ; but this can satis- 
 factorily be accounted for by his residence being always 
 in much colder latitudes ; in fact, his chief resorts 
 appear to be the intermediate space between the homes 
 of the red and Arctic representatives. Nevertheless, I 
 claim that he is of different species from either of the 
 afore-mentioned. My reason I will state. 
 
 The black fox has been known in North America 
 since the first settlement of the country. We learn 
 of one of the Indian chiefs presenting some of the 
 earliest settlers with a skin of this species, as a mark of 
 the high estimation placed on the white man's friend- 
 ship. Not so with the red fox of the eastern portion 
 of the North American continent* In searching over 
 some old works among the admirable writings on 
 natural history emanating from the pen of Postmaster- 
 General Skinner, now dead many years, we learn that 
 the red fox was introduced into the state of Maryland 
 from England about one hundred years ago. The 
 introducer was no other than the gallant and loyal 
 old soldier. Colonel Guy Carlton, whose name so con- 
 spicuously appears associated in all the efforts made by 
 
46 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 the royal troops to suppress the revolution. This noble 
 old soldier was doubtless a hard-riding and enthusi- 
 astic foxhunter. The little grey fox indigenous to the 
 country did not suit his exalted ideas of the noble sport 
 as he had enjoyed it at home, and to remedy the evil 
 he went to the trouble, and doubtless, in those days, 
 great expense, to imporfc the larger, gamer, and more 
 lasting animal. The result was the success he so emi- 
 nently deserved. The first arrivals were turned down 
 in Maryland, not far from Baltimore. From there 
 they have gradually extended north, south, and west, 
 marking their advent by the gradual annihilation of 
 the grey species. I have had the pleasure for some 
 years of enjoying the friendship of Colonel Skinner, 
 son of the old postmaster- general ; from him I learn 
 that he frequently heard his father speak on this sub- 
 ject, and that he has often visited the spot where the 
 first English or red foxes were turned down. From 
 my own personal experience I can state a circumstance 
 corroborative of the fact, that with the entree of the 
 red fox into any section of country the grey species 
 either migrates or perishes. Some years since I lived 
 in a hilly portion of Southern Illinois. On my arrival 
 the little grey foxes were so numerous that with a 
 moderate pack of hounds two or three could be killed 
 daily. I had not been there over a year when, to my 
 
THE BLACK OR SILVER FOX. 47 
 
 surprise, when deer sliooting, I jumped up a noble 
 specimen of the red. From that date the grey com- 
 menced to diminish, and I am informed by reliable 
 authority that at the present time not a single represen- 
 tative of the smaller breed is now to be found in that 
 district. Audubon, an authority on whom generally the 
 greatest reliance can be placed, regards the black and red 
 fox as simple varieties of the same species. Doubtless 
 he never heard of the red fox being a foreigner, or he 
 would have probably agreed in the decision I have come 
 to — knowing the truth of the red fox's introduction — 
 that the black and red fox are entitled to be regarded 
 as representatives of different species. Nor has the red 
 fox belied his ancestry or deteriorated by his immigra- 
 tion. The keen and persevering foxhunt ers of Vir- 
 ginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Carolina, and Georgia, 
 give him the credit of being the most lasting and 
 difficult animal to run down that the forests produce. 
 From the natural differences between England and 
 America, fox-hunting is not only a very dissimilarly- 
 conducted sport in the latter, but one associated with 
 more labour and hardship. The woods are so immense 
 that it generally results in cover-hunting from start 
 to finish ; consequently slower hounds require to be 
 used, and every advantage of pug taken. At dawn 
 the Field assemble, so as to catch their quarry with a 
 
48 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 full stomacli, and it is no uncommon tiling for the sun 
 to have reached the western horizon and the hunters to 
 be thirty miles from home ere the death whoop is 
 sounded. 
 
 But to the black fox. I had often longed to capture 
 one of these beauties during my boyish residence on the 
 American continent. The price that the pelt would 
 bring was a supply of pocket money rhat I could see no 
 end to ; but once, and only once, had I the fortune to 
 almost realise my wish. I had been hunting all day by 
 the margin of a distant lake. Tired and unsuccessful, 
 about the hour of sunset I approached a clearing of a 
 few acres in the forest, where Indian corn had been 
 grown and just gathered into shocks. My companion 
 was a little half-bred terrier, who had endeared him- 
 self to me from his sagacity and obedience. As I 
 neared the brush fence which surrounded the opening, 
 with the habitual caution that residents in wild lands 
 learn, I secreted myself behind a stump, and took a 
 careful survey ; for deer are fond of corn, so are bears, 
 as well as all the smaller varieties of game. I had not 
 remained thus hidden for many minutes when what I had 
 taken for a charred stump suddenly became animated, 
 and remarkable were the movements that heralded 
 this change. One more glance told me it was a fox of 
 the long- coveted species ; but what the mischief was he 
 
THE BLACK FOX. 49 
 
 about ? mad surely, and for this reason, no creature in 
 his senses could make such a fool of himself. First he 
 took hold of his tail, and spun round like a kitten, next 
 moment he was turning summersaults, or struggling on 
 his back, kicking his legs in the air, then the tail- trick 
 was reverted to again, and so on. For several minutes 
 I stood transfixed; pug was too far ofi* to shoot at, 
 and any attempt at a stalk was too dangerous to put 
 into practice. But my patience was not severely 
 taxed. With a sudden spring the fox dashed forward ; 
 up flew a dozen spruce grouse {Tetrao Canadensis), and 
 the black- coated gentleman, with a bird in his mouth, 
 quietly trotted towards cover, giving me a cross shot 
 at forty yards' range — a chance which I was not slow 
 to avail myself of. With the report, pug turned head 
 over heels, but quickly picked himself up, forgetting 
 however his prey, and made^or the timber. With 
 rapid steps I gained the bird — small consolation for 
 my disappointment ; but my hopes were again revived 
 when my little cur dog took up the scent, and waking 
 the echoes with his insignificant bark, went ofi* as if he 
 intended work. At the best pace I could command I 
 followed, singing every few strides a word of encourage- 
 ment to my trusty companion. Farther and farther 
 into the woods I advanced, but soon it was so dark 
 that at length, with barked shins and sundry tumbles. 
 
60 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 I was obliged to beat a retreat. Several times in the 
 pursuit, when I came to a stand-still, Prince's voice 
 appeared as if lie had brought the foe to bay. Now 
 as I halted the same thing occurred, and as the dog 
 did not appear to be much over a hundred yards 
 distant, I determined to make another effort, which 
 resulted in no better success. This led me to believe 
 that my dog came up with the fox, and brought him 
 to bay, but as the latter was the larger, Prince was 
 afraid to lay hold, and on my advancing too close to 
 the belligerents, pug would make off again, to halt 
 when he thought himself out of harm's way. 
 
 Next morning I instituted a search, which was un- 
 successful ; but a week afterwards, when shooting wood 
 grouse in the same vicinity, I accidentally came across 
 the carcass of a dead black fox, partly immersed in 
 a pool of stagnant water, which had utterly destroyed 
 what must have been a most perfect and prime pelt. 
 
 Now, although I am convinced that the black or 
 silver fox is not of the same species as the red, I believe 
 he is only a chance variety of the kit or cross fox. 
 Mr. Mac Donald, who formerly resided on the upper 
 end of Lake Simcoe, assured me that he has taken the 
 young of this species on several occasions, and that 
 twice he found puppies perfectly black, although the 
 fixen and the brothers and sisters bore the usual 
 
THE BLACK FOX. 51 
 
 coloured coat of tlie cross species. The cross fox of 
 ordinary colouring, althougli far from numerous, is not 
 so rare as the black, and the value of their respectiA^e 
 skins is very different. Still a prime pelt of the former 
 will often sell for £5, the value generally being deter- 
 mined by the darkness of the colouring. The Indians 
 have an idea that age turns foxes black, and when 
 a dark specimen of the cross fox has fallen into their 
 hands, I have heard them regret that he was not a few 
 years older, so that he might have been black, and con- 
 sequently more valuable. 
 
 Perhaps these views of the origin and species of the 
 black or silver fox may not be new ; at the same time, 
 I know that they are essentially different from what 
 has been the belief of the majority of naturalists. 
 
CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 
 
 {Microptura Americana.) 
 
 These woodcocks are undoubtedly migratory, passing 
 the winter in the genial South and the summer in the 
 North; they are also nocturnal, doing all their travel- 
 ling at night. From the peculiar formation of the eye, 
 their sight is much better after the sun has declined. 
 Strong light is their detestation, for, judging from 
 their conduct when flushed in the noonday glare, 
 their optics are then of little use, hence the idea that 
 is so frequently current that this bird is stupid. Such 
 is not the case, but quite the reverse, experience having 
 taught me that they are as capable as any other of 
 availing themselves of artifices and hiding-places that 
 are likely to throw out the dog, or shelter them from 
 molestation. This bird, although undoubtedly of the 
 same family, must not be confounded with the European 
 {Scolopax rusticola), which is coloured differently in 
 
AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 53 
 
 plumage and mucli larger in size. The woodcock 
 killed in England generally measure about 14 J inches 
 in length, and weigh from 14 to 17 ozs., although one 
 is reported to have been killed at Narborough, of the 
 enormous weight of 27 ozs. I do not here give all the 
 minutiae of the English bird, for it is not of it that 
 I wish to speak, but only sufficiently to show that 
 there is a marked difference between it and its name- 
 sake of the American continent, whose peculiarities I 
 will here, so /ar as memory serves me, attempt to 
 describe, for the benefit of the young hunter and the 
 sportsman who have the misfortune to reside in a 
 neighbourhood that may seldom be visited by this 
 gamest of birds. Length, from point of bill to end 
 of tail, 11 to 12 inches ; across the wings, 9 J inches ; 
 weight from 6 to 7 ozs. The females generally ex- 
 ceed these measurements by about 1-10. In shape they 
 much resemble the Wilson snipe [Scolopax Wilsoni), 
 only they are more round and compact, the eye larger 
 and more prominent, and wings shorter but fuller. In 
 colour the bill is a yellowish brown ; legs and feet of a 
 pinkish flesh colour ; claws dark olive or brown ; iris, 
 brown ; forehead, dirty yellow, with two black bars 
 across the back of the head, and two narrow ones in front 
 on the neck, a finely-pencilled dark line running the 
 whole length of the head, the eye dividing it into two 
 
64 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 parts, with another similar line underneath, and mark- 
 ing the outline of the lower mandible. Three broad 
 bands of brownish-black pass lengthways and parallel 
 from the shoulder to the tail, divided from one another 
 by a narrow line of bluish grey. The stomach and 
 breast are of a warm fawn colour, becoming deeper in 
 shade as it approaches the tail and termination of the 
 wings. 
 
 This description, I am aware, is far from perfect, or 
 such as the naturalist would demand ; still, I think it is 
 sufficiently clear to enable the novice to distinguish what 
 he has got when the first American woodcock falls to his 
 companionable gun. Although this woodcock resem- 
 bles, in many respects, the snipe, in point of character 
 it is essentially difierent. For instance, snipe will, 
 in the middle of the day, without any perceptible 
 reason, be seen taking long and erratic flights, ascend- 
 ing so high that the keenest sight fails to trace their 
 course, and again wheeling about in the heavens, as if 
 they were creatures of extraordinary momentary im- 
 pulses ; one instant, with speed, dashing ofi* to the right, 
 and in the next moment returning with equal velocity. 
 Not so with woodcock; they very seldom take flight 
 during the glare of daylight unless disturbed, and then 
 it is short, and only sufficient to avoid, if possible, the 
 intruder a second time disturbing their privacy. When 
 
AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 55 
 
 on the wing nnalarmed, they rarely elevate them- 
 selves above the tops of the neighbouring trees, and 
 are seldom seen before sunset or after sunrise, un- 
 less disturbed in their bowery, shady retreats. The 
 descriptions of ground which they prefer are moist 
 bottoms, close- covered woods of second- growth timber, 
 and evergreen shrubs, or dry ridges of maple, oak, and 
 beech, where they turn over the decaying leaves in 
 search of insects. Although, as I have stated, these 
 birds have a strong dislike to taking flight and being 
 exposed to the glaring light of day, yet, in searching 
 for them, you will always find more success attend 
 your pursuit upon those declivities that receive the 
 warm, genial rays of the sun. In spring, when 
 the woodcock are on their migratory journey north 
 from their winter residence, these birds travel singly, 
 but are followed in rapid succession by others, fol- 
 lowing in each other's wake : consequently, where one 
 day not a single specimen could be seen, the day after 
 they will abound. This has given rise to the erro- 
 neous impression that they go in flocks; but during 
 many years' experience I never saw over two or three 
 on the wing at the same time, and then it occurred 
 through the birds having paired, or two or more being 
 flushed from a favourite feeding-place. From what 
 I can learn, I am led to believe that Nova Scotia, 
 
56 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 New Brunswick, and Maine are their principal breed- 
 ing-places, although annually numbers take up their 
 temporary quarters in the middle States of the Union. 
 I have even heard of their nests being found in 
 Georgia, North Carolina, and Alabama ; but these are 
 only stragglers, and unimportant, numerically, when 
 you compare them with those that are to be found in 
 their more northern retreats. 
 
 The nest of the woodcock is very primitive — com- 
 posed of grasses and leaves, placed in some secluded 
 spot near the root of a bush, or under the shelter of a 
 fallen log. They commence to lay early in April in 
 the State of New York, and sooner or later as they 
 happen to be further south or north ; four eggs are the 
 usual number, although occasionally five may be found. 
 These are about the size of the domestic pigeon's, 
 smooth, of a yellow clay colour, and prettily marked 
 with irregular patches of puce or brown. The young, 
 as soon as hatched, run about like the plover, snipe, 
 and the majority of waders, and at the age of four 
 weeks are able to fly. The mother bird, during the 
 infancy of her progeny, is a most attached and solicitous 
 parent, frequently permitting herself to be captured 
 rather than desert her offspring. What a beautiful 
 example the human family may frequently learn from 
 the apparently insignificant inferior animals ! 
 
AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 
 
 For shooting woodcock, a sport that I prefer to all 
 other field sports, I prefer the setter to the pointer, 
 for the reason that the former are better protected 
 by their thick coats from the thorns of the briars; 
 again, I have found them less liable to become foot- 
 sore, with a stronger relish for hunting through damp, 
 and sometimes wet ground; besides, they are more 
 easily taught to retrieve, and are, in my belief, more 
 intelligent. Mr. D , a gentleman who has fre- 
 quently shot with me, uses with great success a pair 
 of cocking spaniels, which answer admirably and make 
 an extremely lively and pretty team^ but they are 
 rather too quick for a veteran ; twenty years ago, I 
 should have enjoyed nothing better than such com- 
 panions. One thing I would recommend, that for 
 woodcock shooting your dogs have plenty of white in 
 their colour, for unless such is the case, you will fre- 
 quently lose a point and shot by walking past your 
 dog without seeing him, an annoyance to yourself and 
 a disappointment to your setter. 
 
 Before concluding, I would call the attention of 
 all good and true lovers of the dog and gun to a 
 practice that exists in Louisiana, and doubtless else- 
 where, of killing woodcock with poles at night in 
 the corn fields, with the assistance of a brilliant torch. 
 Like the noble salmon, the woodcock becomes fasci- 
 
58 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 nated or stupefied by the brilliancy of the glare, and 
 falls a ready victim to the club of the midnight 
 prowler. America is now coming to that age that it is 
 absolutely necessary to enact laws,* and insist on their 
 being enforced, for the protection of game and fish. 
 If not, half a century hence, the haunts which now 
 abound with game will be as thoroughly divested of 
 it as the Hudson or Connecticut River is of the 
 princely salmon. Once extermination takes place, it 
 will be too late to do aught but repine. 
 
 ♦ This was done last year by the legislatures of nearly all the States. 
 
CHAPTER YII. 
 
 BUFFALO HUNTmG. 
 
 {Bison Americanus.) 
 
 When studying on the distant and Far- West plains of 
 America the habits of the buffalo (for though this 
 name is erroneous, still it is the appellation by which 
 I knew them, and daily heard them called), or pursuing 
 them to supply our camp with food, I never, in the 
 retrospect of a long and adventurous life, enjoyed such 
 true happiness. The air on these distant plains is the 
 purest I have ever breathed. Frequently on a knoll I 
 have stood, after some unusually hard run, inhaling 
 and enjoying its freshness as the thirsty traveller 
 does a cup of clear cool water drawn from a mountain 
 stream. Each day you perform your allotted work, 
 and no cares are sufficiently weighty to be dwelt upon 
 or procrastinated, to return with redoubled force. 
 Your horses are your companions; hardy and en- 
 during you have proved them to be ; and between 
 master and steed a bond of sympathy springs up, the 
 
60 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 animal being all reliance, the owner determined that 
 the confidence shall not be misplaced. With the true- 
 hearted sportsman, who loves hunting for the pleasure 
 it affords, and the opportunities of studying nature as 
 it emanates from the Creator's hands, carnage when 
 useless is detestable ; unnecessarily taxing the endur- 
 ance of his steed, or paining it with uncalled-for 
 punishment, is a crime he would jio more be guilty of 
 than the honest man of despoiling his friend. Again, 
 your gun or rifle, ever a willing servant when properly 
 taken care of, requires no small amount of attention : 
 to no other hands than your own trust it to be cleaned. 
 However high your birth, delicate your nurturing, or 
 boundless your means, to do without the assistance of 
 hirelings, and rely entirely on yourself, is in no way 
 derogatory ; on the contrary, it is deserving of commen- 
 dation, and the benefit that will result in after life from 
 such lessons cannot be too highly estimated. I have 
 known a few months of wild Western life do more good 
 in forming a character than years passed in cities or 
 continental tour ; for here the fop forgets his folly, 
 and the timid and nervous becomes self-reliant. 
 
 Imagine spread before you an immense plain ; 
 all around, in whatever direction you look, the same 
 expanse of level country stretches before you. Such 
 is the prairie. The dear old ocean, as viewed from 
 
BUFFALO HUNTING. 61 
 
 the deck of a vessel, is the nearest simile I can 
 think of. In both an almost level horizon in each 
 direction is met by the sky. Nothing in either is to 
 be seen to break the stillness, save it be the animal life 
 that have these elements for their home. Although 
 this may be applicable, as a general rule, to prairie 
 scenery, there are portions less monotonous ; in places, 
 heavy belts of timber mark the margin of streams that 
 ultimately help to feed some of the giant rivers of the 
 American continent ; while as you approach the great 
 vertebra of the country-^the Rocky Mountains — hill 
 after hill rises, overtopping each other ; again frowned 
 down upon by lofty mountains, beautiful in colouring, 
 soft in their distant outlines, and grand in their 
 irregular and picturesque shape. Moreover, between 
 these hills, almost impassable at first glance, through 
 canons and gulches you can thread your way, perhaps 
 for many, many miles, when, perchance, a beautiful 
 meadow,* thousands of acres in extent, opens before you, 
 rich and bright in the abundance of its grasses, while 
 the slopes that gird these retired retreats are covered 
 with the densest and loveliest of indigenous trees. 
 Such spots as these are a naturalist's elysium, for game 
 of every variety select them for retreats. The buffalo 
 cow comes to them frequently to calve ; the worn-out, 
 
 * In America termed Park. 
 
62 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 fierce looking bull, over whose head so many years 
 have passed that he no longer has strength to keep 
 pace with the migratory herd, and struggle in its 
 dense phalanx for female favour or choice croppings of 
 pasture, retires to them to spend in abundance the 
 winter of life; while the graceful deer, the timid 
 hare, and the sagacious beaver, here pass their lives in 
 peaceful, happy contentment, except some adventurous 
 white man or snake- visioned redskin should pay it 
 a visit, destroying, as man ever does, the serenity that 
 reigned around previous to his advent. 
 
 But come, the morning has broken clear and in- 
 vigorating, breakfast has already been discussed, and the 
 horses have got a rough rub over. The neighbourhood 
 is well suited for a gallop, for from the slight shower 
 of the previous eT3ning the soil is springy, and fewer 
 of the indefatigable little burro wers — the prairie dogs 
 — ^have undermined the vicinity. Meat is wanted, and 
 as we start our minds are made up that, unless success- 
 ful, the sun must dip the western horizon ere we 
 return. Attending our own nags, and giving an extra 
 pull upon the girths ere getting into the saddle, at a 
 sober, steady pace we start. An old practised bufialo 
 runner (for so the Western man terms his favourite 
 and experienced horse) will quietly settle to his 
 master's will, for from experience well he knows that 
 
BUFFALO HUNTING. 63 
 
 probably a bard day's work is before bim, and all bis 
 strengtb will be required ; wbile tbe youngster or griffin 
 at tbis work frets and prances, almost pulling bis rider 
 from tbe pigskin. Forbear, rider ; curb your annoy- 
 ance ; give and take a pull upon your snaffle ; soon 
 tbe youngster will settle down, and tbis day's work 
 will probably teacb bim a lesson tbat will act advan- 
 tageously on bis future conduct. 
 
 Discussing subjects suitable for sucb occasions, miles 
 are passed; so far, witb tbe exception of numerous 
 bleacbed bones, or an occasional deer or antelope track, 
 no indication of game bas been seen. From a knoll a 
 survey is made, a fresb bole or two is taken up in tbe 
 girtbs, and tbe scarcity of game commented upon. To 
 tbe Indian, of course, tbe blame is laid ; war parties or 
 moving villages of redskins are always saddled witb 
 being tbe cause of every disappointment and annoy- 
 ance in wild life. But look tbere ! Wbat is tbat ? A 
 distant cloud of dust. Buffalo for a tbousand, and 
 advancing towards wbere tbe bunters are stationed. 
 How is tbe wind ? is inquired. One wets bis fingers 
 witb bis saliva, and bolds it up. In a few moments 
 tbe position is declared untenable, and botb vaulting on 
 tbeir borses, burry ofi" to get more to leeward, availing 
 tbemselves of a swell in tbe prairie to keep perdu. 
 Having marked well tbe direction in wbicb tbe berd is 
 
64 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 advancing, keeping as much out of sight as possible, 
 scarcely speaking a word, and then not louder than a 
 whisper, the distance between the hunters and game 
 is rapidly diminished. From the nature of the ground, 
 no longer can they remain hid, so, taking their horses 
 well in hand, forward they dash, and, in a few strides, 
 what a sight is before them ! Cows, bulls, and calves, 
 all intermingled, forming a straggling drove of thou- 
 sands, heading in the same direction, and feeding 
 as they progress. Occasionally this harmony of action 
 is disturbed. Two ragged, clumsy-looking, veteran 
 bulls approach each other — perhaps they have been 
 former rivals for some dusky-hided beauty's favours. 
 With a deep bellow one throws down the gauntlet, 
 which the othqr is not loth to take up ; and, 
 with fire flashing from their partially-hid eyes, each 
 rushes at the other ; but the herd have become 
 alarmed — a foe equally dreaded by both bulls is at 
 hand ; their rencontre will brook delay to be settled at 
 a future date ; and, with a startled stare and toss of 
 the head, both turn and rush ofi* after the herd, which 
 is already making a most hurried stampede. However, 
 when the hunters are old hands, the bulls might have 
 saved themselves the trouble : while young cow-beef 
 is to be obtained, none but the veriest novice would 
 think of wasting ammunition on their rough and 
 
BUFFALO HUNTING. 65 
 
 rugged old carcasses. No time Is now to be lost. These 
 animals, unwieldy as they appear, for a mile or so are 
 wonderfully swift, and if they should gain rough 
 ground will beat an indifferent horse. Sitting well 
 down in their saddles, nags in hand, and gun resting 
 across the tree, at a grass- country pace, both push for 
 the sleekest and squarest looking cows they can mark. 
 The pace commences to tell, the distance that sepa- 
 rates sportsman from quarry is rapidly diminishing, 
 a few strides more and one ranges alongside ; the 
 gun, which has been just taken in the right hand, 
 has its barrel depressed ; low down, and eight or ten 
 inches behind the shoulder, is the spot, if shooting 
 forward. 
 
 A puff of smoke is seen, followed by a report. The 
 coup de grace has been administered by a master-hand, 
 for the huge animal loses the power of its fore-feet, 
 comes down on its shoulders and head, and nought of 
 life is left but a few spasmodic struggles. But where 
 are the hunters? Look well among the retreating 
 herd, and you may occasionally catch a glimpse of 
 their hunting- shirts. A few moments more^ and 
 another shot is fired. This time not so successfully. 
 Again the gun speaks ; still the quarry retains her 
 legs, but blood is already pouring from her nose, an 
 indication that surely tells of speedy demise, so stop, 
 
 F 
 
66 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 let the poor creature die in peace — aggravate not her 
 last moments. 
 
 The scene which I have tried to describe took place 
 about ten miles on the south side of the Yellow Stone. 
 An old and tried friend from Germany was my com- 
 panion, and on this occasion we each killed two cows. 
 Double the number, or even more, could have been 
 shot without trouble ; but the requisite amount of beef 
 had been obtained, and I was jealous of husbanding 
 the strength of my horse, for then, as now, but little 
 reliance could be placed on the professed peaceful 
 intention of the Indians. 
 
 The range of the bujffalo was at one period much 
 more extensive than at present. The same reasons 
 that have decreased, and in some instances almost 
 annihilated, other genera, can be safely urged as 
 the cause of this— the cultivation of wild lands and 
 the unprecedented increase of inhabitants on the 
 American continent. On the eastern limit of the 
 Grand Prairie, in Indiana, I have frequently found 
 bones of the buffalo, telling too plainly that this had 
 once been his home. At the present day, at least 
 twelve hundred miles farther westward must be 
 traversed before the sportsman can hope for a chance 
 to use his rifle on this game ; and year after year 
 farther distances will require to be journeyed to 
 
BUFFALO HUNTING. 67 
 
 accomplish, this purpose. Their southern limits are 
 Northern Texas and New Mexico, while the inter- 
 mediate expanse up to 65 degrees of north latitude, 
 according to the season, contains them in more or less 
 abundance. Of late years their range north has been 
 increased between 3 and 4 degrees, so that Indians 
 who formerly had to come two hundred or more miles, 
 if desirous of obtaining a supply of beef for winter 
 use, have the animals now on their home hunting- 
 grounds. I am disposed to believe that this is caused 
 from their finding these northern regions less dis- 
 turbed — for this is far north of where the constant tide 
 of emigrants crosses the plains — and that the poor, 
 persecuted creatures prefer sufiering from the cold of 
 these inhospitable localities to facing the dangers that 
 always are connected with a rencontre with the pale- 
 face. Although the bufialo can endure a great amount 
 of cold, and can find food even after a thick covering 
 of snow covers the earth, yet he is not provided like 
 the musk sheep for an Arctic winter, and from his 
 greater bulk requires so much food, that a protracted 
 sojourn in the northern barrens must ultimately have 
 the result of reducing his strength, and therefore his 
 fitness to cope with the severity of the climate. Again, 
 he has other enemies as well as man. The wolves 
 seldom leave him alone. Day and night they bestow 
 
6^8 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 upon him the most devoted attention. However, as 
 long as he is in good health he has little to fear 
 from the marauder; but the moment that accident, 
 sickness, or loss of strength from starvation occurs, the 
 buffalo's unhappy position is known, and half-a-dozen 
 of these robbers will remain by him night and day, 
 watching for an opportunity to complete the wreck ; 
 and should not this occur as soon as desirable, sometimes 
 they will make a simultaneous assault, one pretending 
 to fly at the victim's head, while another attacks in the 
 rear, endeavouring to cut the hamstring, in which they 
 invariably succeed unless the presence of man should 
 disturb them. 
 
 On one occasion, while hunting, I obtained an excel- 
 lent opportunity of witnessing one of these encounters. 
 At the distance of half a mile I perceived an old bull * 
 going through a variety of eccentric movements, at the 
 moment perfectly incomprehensible. To know what 
 might be the cause, as well as perhaps to learn some- 
 thing new regarding this species, I left my horse and 
 made a most careful stalk without once exposing my- 
 self, retaining the advantage of wind till within a 
 hundred yards of the old gentleman. The ground in 
 the vicinity was much broken, and before attempting 
 to obtain a survey of the situation, I ensconced myself 
 behind a boulder. I had been eminently successful, 
 
BUFFALO HUNTING. 69 
 
 the first glance told me. There was the bull pretending 
 to feed, while four prairie wolves were lying around 
 him on the sparsely covered soil, tongues out, and 
 evidently short of breath from some excessive exertion. 
 None of the dramatis personce had seen me, and I 
 chuckled in my shoes as I grasped more firmly my 
 double-barrel, knowing how soon I could turn the tide 
 of battle. By the way, the prairie wolf has always been 
 a favourite of mine, as well as his half-brother, the 
 coyotte. Their bark has often recalled pleasant memo- 
 ries, and their services have several times recovered a 
 wounded deer. In a few niinutes the apparent ring- 
 leader of the quartette got up and shook himself. This 
 was the signal for the others to get upon their pins. 
 Prairie wolf number one walked quietly towards the 
 bull, occasionally stopping (I believe after the manner of 
 dogs to pluck grass) ; then, witli a sudden spring, made 
 a feint at the persecuted bufialo's head. The buffalo in 
 his turn lowered his os frontiSy and rushed a few steps 
 to meet him ; but this was unnecessary. Now the 
 rest of the fraternity rushed up. Another took the 
 post of teaser, while our friend number one dropped in 
 the rear ; and when a second feint at the head was made 
 by his comrade, number oi;e, watching his chance, 
 left a deep scar over the bull's hock. Again and again 
 this game was played, the same wolf always retaining 
 
70 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 his rear position. Is not the instinct of animals most 
 similar to the reason of man ? Here each wolf had his 
 allotted work — doubtless that which was best suited 
 for his capacity. The rear assault was the most 
 dangerous ; for a kick well directed would unquestion- 
 ably have caused instant death to the adventurous 
 assailant ; but the most experienced and expert had 
 selected the post of danger and honour. The flashing 
 eyes and foaming mouth of the bull told plainly the 
 result ; so I stepped from my concealment. However, 
 all were so occupied that until I awakened the echoes 
 with a loud ^* war-whoop" I was unseen; but man's 
 voice always has its efiect in cases of this kind. The 
 vermin, with startled stare, plainly asking what the 
 deuce right I had to interfere, sulkily trotted ofi* as 
 I advanced; while the persecuted, in return for my 
 kindness, lowered his head, and pushed rapidly for me, 
 compelling me to seek safety in flight. Such conduct 
 in the buffalo was scarcely commendable, and very 
 unusual. I accounted for it by the harassing his temper 
 had suffered, as well as his feeling how inadequate his 
 strength was for escape by flight. 
 
 Poor old creature, his days were numbered, for as 
 soon as my back was turned, and a safe distance inter- 
 vened between us, the wolves returned, and as I rode 
 homewards, occasionally turning and halting to watch 
 
BUFFALO HUNTING. 71 
 
 the gradually more indistinct belligerents, the victim 
 was still employed in battling for life. After all^ was 
 he not paying the debt of nature, and dying as his 
 ancestors for generations had died before him ? Man 
 yields his spirit to the source from whence it emanates, 
 on a luxurious couch or humble straw bed, after fre- 
 quently suflFering from protracted and painful illness. 
 The veteran buffalo, effete from age, after a long and 
 happy life, when unable to keep with his companionSj 
 dies in a gallant and short struggle, overpowered by 
 his too numerous enemies, a death worthy of a hero. 
 
 The cow produces her calf in spring, although I 
 have, on several occasions, met with a mother as 
 late as the end of July with a youngster by her side, 
 not over a couple of weeks old. The attachment 
 shown by the parent for her offspring, and the 
 solicitude she evinces for its safety, impart a touching 
 lesson, which even the human family would do well 
 to follow. I remember on one occasion I had been 
 setting traps in a small stream that had abundant 
 signs that beaver were numerous in the vicinity* 
 I had waded up this watercourse for upwards of a 
 mile, all the time being hid from view of animals 
 on the prairie by the bluffness of the banks. Having 
 performed my task, I left the stream and ascended 
 to the level of the country. The first glance I took 
 
72 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 disclosed a beautiful and interesting picture, for a 
 young cow, with her calf almost between her legs, 
 stood determinedly facing several wolves. The baby 
 was evidently sick, and the instinct of the party of 
 prowlers told them so, and so far the attached mother 
 had kept them off. My sympathies, of course, were 
 not with the aggressors, and, the better to prove it, 
 I picked out the apparent ringleaders, doubling one 
 up with the first barrel, and accelerating the retreat of 
 another with the second ; for although he did not 
 drop, an ominous *'thud^' gave him a hint that the 
 neighbourhood was dangerous, and that he had better 
 leave it while he had the power. 
 
 In September the rutting season commences, and 
 furious encounters between the bulls take place ; their 
 actions on these occasions remind the spectators very 
 much of domestic cattle. The combatants at first stand 
 apart, eyeing each other with flashing orbs, while they 
 paw up the soil with their feet, throwing it frequently 
 higher than their withers ; their ahprt tails lash their 
 sides, and occasionally they bellow in a low guttural 
 voice, working themselves into a fury ; their horns are 
 dug into the soil, and the vegetation scattered to the 
 winds. At length they rush at each other ; the shock 
 sometimes brings one or both to their kuees ; this 
 is repeated again and again : for pver thirty minutes 
 
BUFFALO HUNTING. 73 
 
 frequently, when well matclied, the struggle will be 
 protracted. At length the weaker commences to give 
 way, first slowly, always keeping his head to the foe, 
 till with sudden energy he wheels and leaves the victor 
 triumphant. All this time the cow has stood by, an 
 inert spectator, waiting for the hero of the hour to claim 
 her love. These battles seldom or never terminate 
 fatally. They occur at the period when the coat is 
 in the greatest perfection, and the almost impene- 
 trable mane which densely covers the brows and fore- 
 quarters is unquestionably of the greatest service as a 
 protection. It is my belief that when the sexes thus 
 mate, the male remains faithful to his spouse, for up to 
 within a month of the cow's confinement both keep 
 together. Early in autumn the bulls are in good con- 
 dition, but after the rutting season they gradually lose 
 flesh, and by midwinter have become so poor that they 
 are scarcely fit for food. The cow, on the other hand, 
 keeps fat, and even in spring fat may be found along 
 the vertebrae and lower portion of the carcass an inch 
 thick. 
 
 With the advent of the first mild weather, even 
 before the snow has disappeared, they commence to 
 shed their rough coat, first from between the fore legs, 
 then the prominent parts of the body, and later from 
 the fore limbs and hump. This long hair — or, as it is 
 
74 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 frequently called, wool — comes oflf in patches, trees 
 and rocks being used to rub against ; the result is, that 
 by March a more ragged, tattered, weather-beaten 
 creature can scarcely be imagined. The horns of both 
 bull and cow are about the same length ; those of the 
 former are thick, blunt, and clumsy, while the latter 
 are sharp, slim, and trim-looking. Both sexes much 
 resemble each other ; at the same time the figure of 
 the female is more delicately formed, and not within a 
 couple of hands as high at the shoulder, nor is she 
 clothed with such a quantity of the rough, coarse 
 covering over the fore quarters. 
 
 When a herd of buffalo are alarmed by the approach 
 of the hunter, the cows in a few seconds head the 
 retreating herd, closely followed by the yearlings and 
 calves, while the lumbering old bulls, from incapacity, 
 drop in rear. When not disturbed, in lying down or 
 rising they exactly resemble others of the Bos family ; 
 but if they be come upon unawares by an object of 
 fear, the velocity with which they gain their legs 
 and break into a gallop is truly surprising. They are 
 excellent swimmers, and have no hesitation in enter- 
 ing water ; nevertheless, annually, great numbers are 
 drowned ; but this generally occurs in spring, when 
 the broken ice is clearing out of the streams. Through- 
 out the Western country there are numerous quag- 
 
BUFFALO HUNTING. 75 
 
 mires, and frequently unfortunates get imbedded ; it 
 appears, in such, eases, that without exerting themselves 
 they submit to their fate. I have formed this con- 
 clusion from having unseen perceived a bull get into 
 such a scrape. I watched him ; inch by inch he kept 
 sinking, still I felt convinced that a protracted, ener- 
 getic struggle would take him across to terra firman 
 yet no such effort did he make. Thoroughly believing 
 that his earthly course was run, I advanced to have a 
 closer survey of the finale. The unfortunate did not 
 see me till within a few yards ; but when he did, his 
 habitual fear of man predominated over all other feel- 
 ings ; again and again he plunged forward ; dread of 
 my proximity had given him* strength and endurance, 
 for after a few minutes his feet got on soundings, from 
 which the margin was gained, and the brute was once 
 more free. I think this apathy to death in certain 
 forms is common to the majority of animals. 
 
 The dangers attending the chase of this noble game 
 are very much overrated. True, a horse may put his 
 foot in the burrow of a wolf^ swift fox, or prairie dog, 
 and send his rider sky-rocketing on his head. The 
 result might be a broken neck, or if such a fall took 
 place when in the centre of a large herd, trampling to 
 deatb might be possible ; but I am convinced from 
 long personal experience that, so long as the game can 
 
76 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 keep going, they will seldom or never turn on pur- 
 suing man. At the same time, if you fire at a buffalo 
 as you ride past him, without much changing the 
 direction they are pursuing, he or she may slightly 
 deviate towards the pursuer. However, your bridle 
 hand should invariably sheer your steed from the 
 quarry, not only to avoid this deviation, but to clear 
 the animal if it drop to shot. The majority of horses 
 accustomed to this work do so of their own accord. At 
 the same time I should particularly caution the tyro 
 that on himself and his own nerve he should invariably 
 rely, not on that of his dumb companion. To be a 
 good horseman of course is particularly desirable, and 
 the person who can ride bare-back will often come in 
 for a run when a saddle may not be at hand. Many of 
 us of course can ride in this primitive manner ; but there 
 are very few Americans or Europeans who can com- 
 pare for a moment in this respect with the Indians — 
 they appear so perfectly at home on their horses' backs : 
 anywhere and everywhere they place themselves, and 
 but seldom get a fall. Many a fat cow I have killed 
 without saddle. However, the paces of horses are so 
 very difierent, that some I used for running buffalo 
 I preferred riding with blanket and a surcingle ; on 
 others I did not feel sufficiently at home without 
 the saddle. For some months I had an under- sized 
 
BUFFALO HUNTING. 77 
 
 chestnut, very little over fourteen hands. My associates 
 called her a mustang. In some points she much re- 
 sembled one ; but there was a well-bred look about her 
 small head, narrow muzzle, broad forehead, and lean 
 neck, that told of aristocratic lineage. Moreover, she 
 was very fast and high couraged, as well as easy in 
 her paces. Her back, while in my possession, was 
 seldom crossed by a saddle, although she was the 
 favourite mount, and as such was more frequently 
 used. I purchased her for a trifle from a fellow with 
 " villain '' plainly written 09. his countenance, and, as 
 might have been expected, she was recognised and 
 claimed* To part with her was a great trial ; but I 
 had the satisfaction of learning that my surmises of 
 her parentage were correct, her sire being thorough- 
 bred, and her dam a mustang. 
 
 When bufialo are so severely wounded as to feel 
 incapacitated for further flight, they will then some- 
 times turn to bay. When this takes place, unless the 
 animal be an old bull, you may safely conclude the 
 wound mortal, and that but an hour or two will 
 elapse before death comes to their relief; but if you be 
 desirous to terminate the final sufie rings, when dis- 
 mounted, be very cautious how you approach to deliver 
 the coup, for with velocity almost marvellous they will 
 dash at their tormentor, gathering all their energy 
 
78 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 for the occasion. A bull I had disabled stood at 
 bay, and, judging from appearances, was within a 
 few moments of dropping; blood flowed profusely 
 from his nose, and already he had commenced to 
 straddle his legs to support his towering carcass. 
 Carelessly I approached. The manner of the rider 
 was infectious on the steed. When twenty yards 
 distant from me down went his head, and at me he 
 sprang. The activity of the horse alone saved me, 
 and the shave was so close as to be far from pleasant. 
 It was a cleverly executed charge, and a fitting finale 
 to life. The Impetus of his motion he was unable 
 to control. The strength of the body was unequal 
 to his courage of heart, for, ere he could halt, over 
 he rolled to rise no more. In hunting, as In civilised 
 life, it is dangerous to trust in appearances, — we know 
 how often they are deceptive. 
 
 The visitor to the plains desirous of hunting bufialo, 
 and doing so comfortably and under the most advan- 
 tageous circumstances, should always take his saddlery 
 with him. A hunting-saddle from Peat or Wilkinson 
 and Kidd, made of the best pigskin, would be my choice, 
 remembering always to be provided with spare girths. 
 The high-peaked saddle, generally used in the West, 
 has advantages for frontier use ; but for a firm seat, 
 hard and rough riding, give me our English pro- 
 
BUFFALO HUNTING. 79 
 
 duction. A double- reined snaffle I would take in pre- 
 ference to all bridles. At the same time much depends 
 on how a horse is broken. If the nag in his youth 
 had his jaws dislocated with a barbarous Mexican bit, 
 a snaffle will have no more power of control over his 
 actions than offlcers over a panic-stricken regiment. I 
 once possessed such a beast. The rider with a snaffle 
 might as well have pulled at a stalwart oak as at this 
 creature's mouth. He was a light-necked, star-gazing, 
 hot-tempered beast. The number of scrapes he got me 
 in was so numerous that to this day I wonder he did 
 not break my neck. At Cambridge, in England, I 
 hired from a livery-stable a counterpart of this 
 animal for a day with the neighbouring fox-hounds. 
 There was not a fence I ran him at that Bucephalus 
 did not appear to see till he was almost on it. Mar- 
 vellous to say, he retained a good place in the hunt ; 
 and, still more wonderful, got home without himself 
 or his rider having any broken bones. General 
 Williams — a steeple-chase horse who long contested 
 with Zigzag for the honours at the various race- 
 courses in the vicinity of New York — was just such 
 another. I crossed him once with the intention of 
 a preliminary gallop before riding him in a flag 
 race. However, I found the preliminary more than 
 sufficient. As to lifting him at a jumj), or saving 
 
80 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 him as lie lighted, why you might as well have 
 attempted to fly as do either. 
 
 Of the arms most suitable for bufialo shooting from 
 horseback, I believe the old-fashioned, large-bore 
 duelling pistol the best. They are easily loaded while 
 on the gallop, for the butt can be placed between your 
 thigh and the flap of the saddle, and thus held. How- 
 ever, to save an occasional use of ramrods (and if your 
 bullet goes home tight, this cannot be avoided), and 
 for shooting with a depressed muzzle, they are absolutely 
 necessary. The breech-loader pistol, on the central 
 fire principle, must be excellent. For my part I used a 
 double-barrelled shot-gun, with the barrels reduced to 
 twenty-two inches in length. The stock, however, was 
 always inconvenient, particularly when loading while 
 the horse was going at speed. Small-bored arms are to 
 be avoided. The trappers and professional hunters use 
 them ; but the reason is that they require much less am- 
 munition than those of larger calibre ; and at the same 
 time, in killing fur-bearing animals, the pelt does not 
 become so much torn. A small bullet, when properly 
 placed, will do its work instantaneously; but deviation 
 of a few inches is so frequent in this, which may be 
 called snap shooting, that the more severe shock and 
 larger wound of the big projectile are eminently more 
 efiective. 
 
BUFFALO HUI^TING. 81 
 
 If the reader be a dweller in any part of the civilised 
 earth, and a sportsman of means, I sincerely advise 
 him to essay a trip to the plains for bufialo shooting ; 
 but if he be a resident of old England, and a fol- 
 lower of Nimrod, then his remissness in not prov- 
 ing America's sporting resources is unpardonable. The 
 duke, marquis, or baron, may have his grand preserves 
 well stocked with game, and well protected; but the 
 American has the indigenous buffalo roaming in a state 
 of nature over his original haunts, a description of 
 game so noble that in no portion of the world can his 
 superior be found. 
 
CHAPTEK YIII. 
 
 ON THE GRAND PRAIRIE. 
 
 The events which I am about to narrate were not 
 written on the ground, for the simple reasons that it 
 was often difficult to obtain a comfortable, quiet comer, 
 where a man could collect his thoughts, and, perhaps 
 better still, that generally I was so fatigued, after a 
 hard day's work, I was disinclined to deprive myself 
 of the pleasure of discussing with my companions the 
 adventures and results, mishaps, bad and good shots, or 
 anything else, which so happily, and not the least 
 agreeably, form a portion of a sporting tour. On this 
 occasion we had the fortune to discover a venerable 
 countryman, who relied on his gun for a living, and as 
 his business did not appear a paying one, our party 
 agreed to take him into our service, giving him dis- 
 tinctly to understand that one of his duties would be 
 gun washing. Well, he proved quite up to the mark, 
 and took that disagreeable business off our hands most 
 
ON THE GRAND PRAIRIE. 83 
 
 satisfactorily, giving us more time to enjoy the social 
 weed, and no less companionable glass, spinning yarns 
 of deeds performed, shots made at miraculous distances, 
 and anecdotes of dogs and previous shooting com- 
 panions. During the early portion of our excursion 
 the weather was excellent, but the latter two days rain 
 never ceased, causing us to take home a much smaller 
 quantity of game than we had anticipated. 
 
 On the first day we breakfasted at seven a.m., and on 
 rising from the table found the team waiting, according 
 to orders. But few minutes were necessary to stow in 
 our traps, and get under way. Near the confines of 
 the village (Kent, Indiana) we found birds, but our 
 driver (who was a regular Tom Draw) would not allow 
 us to alight, insisting that we must go first to our 
 intended day's sporting ground. About forty minutes 
 took us there, our charioteer beguiling the time with 
 innumerable anecdotes and songs, never being silent 
 for a moment. One ditty he was particularly attached 
 to, which I can scarcely forget, he having sung it at 
 least a dozen times : — 
 
 " My health, and wealth declining, 
 The doctor was called in ; 
 He spoke to me so serious — 
 He spoke to me so plain — 
 * You've racked your constitution 
 By getting drunk again.* " 
 
84 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 However, the warning that the medical attendant 
 appears to have given him seemed to be thrown away, 
 for he drank more spirits, with more gusto, and that 
 without showing the effect, than any representative of 
 the genus I ever previously met. 
 
 Arriving on the ground, we determined to hunt 
 Beau and Belle, and keep Jock and Fan for the after- 
 noon. Leaving our waggon by the side of an Osage 
 orange hedge, separating the prairie from a large corn- 
 field, and having inserted cartridges in each barrel, 
 we commenced work. The ground we intended first 
 beating was rolling prairie, with a sufficiency of 
 grass on it to make the walking good, and the cover 
 tolerable. My companions and self stretched into line 
 and started with the wind in our faces. Before pro- 
 gressing a hundred yards Belle set dead as a statue, 
 and Beau immediately backed. Steadily we walked 
 up to the dogs, expecting immediately to commence 
 fire upon a pack of pinnated grouse ; but what was our 
 disappointment to find that the dogs were standing 
 to a covey of partridge [Perdrix Virginie^isis) , scarcely 
 half grown : so we let the young ones go without 
 molestation, and continued our range. Our previous 
 forbearance was soon rewarded, for twenty yards 
 farther our setters again drew on game, Beau now 
 having the lead. Up we went, and although alongside 
 
ON THE GRAND PRAIRIE. 85 
 
 the dogs, notliing showed. By coaxing they advanced 
 farther, and lay down. There was no mistake now; 
 this indication I seldom knew to fail. Short was 
 the period of suspense, for up the grouse commenced 
 rising, not all together, but by twos and threes. Each 
 gun killed two birds at the first fire, and not being 
 delayed in loading, our dogs were soon ordered to re- 
 trieve. Belle had not gone five paces to perform this 
 duty when she again stood, and bang, bang, from all 
 our guns followed; in five minutes we had fifteen birds 
 on the ground, and more flushing every moment. 
 What luck we were in ! We had evidently got out of 
 bed on the right side this morning, and were in for a big 
 day's work. In retrieving the birds two more fell to 
 our aim, making seventeen out of the covey, a pretty 
 good account ; and, better still, those that had not been 
 shot at, did not continue their flight more than a 
 hundred and fifty yards, when they lit on the brow of 
 a sunny bank. Having bagged our game, and handed 
 them to Hank (for that was our charioteer's name), 
 we progressed after the balance, and soon were at 
 work again ; the dogs struck them ofi* at once, and 
 save that two escaped, who were out of bounds, 
 and took a lengthened journey out prairi^ wards, we 
 bagged all. 
 
 Hank now returned, and gave us the satisfactory 
 
86 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 information that there were plenty more, but at the 
 same time adding, " Look you here, jist leave some to 
 breed." We found that our fat friend was correct, for 
 before ten minutes we were again enfilading a second 
 covey. I must tell you how splendidly Beau found this 
 pack. When ranging two hundred yards off, at his usual 
 swinging gallop, he stopped, and sticking his old know- 
 ing head perpendicularly in the air, commenced walk- 
 ing straight forward, with a delicate, careful step, well 
 suited for progression over eggs. As I had seen him 
 do so previously, I knew what was coming, and called 
 my friends' attention, so that they might gradually close 
 up towards the faithful canine. Belle soon saw what 
 Beau was up to, and followed him with equally cautious, 
 gingery steps. H., who was off on my right, flushed a 
 bird, which he cleverly cut down with his first barrel, 
 making a very pretty cr6ss shot. But where were the 
 beauties ? Both down in the grass waiting for us to 
 come, nor could they be persuaded to leave the game 
 they were on to find the victim first killed. After 
 looking for a few moments, we gave it up, I marking 
 the plac6 as near as I knew by dropping my white 
 pocket-handkerchief, intending to return as soon as 
 I had learned what the dogs had found. As we 
 advanced. Beau and Belle rose, and continued drawing 
 for near a hundred paces more, when they stood. 
 
ON THE GRAND PRAIKIE. 87 
 
 that some artist had been there to sketch them on 
 the spot ! Nothing would I grudge for the picture. 
 The attitude of setter or pointer, when standing, is to 
 me the personification of grace and heauty. Well, 
 the old story : the birds were put up, so packed that we 
 all had difiiculty in singling birds ; five more fell to our 
 lot ; the balance, after going about sixty rods, dropped, 
 scattered among a thick growth of iron weed. The dogs 
 must, on this occasion, have winded their game at least 
 two hundred yards off, so strong is the effluvium emitted 
 by this game and noble bird. In reading, the other day, 
 in a sporting periodical, I noticed that a correspondent, 
 in a very agreeable and readable letter, confessed that 
 himself and companion fired into the body of a covey. 
 Fie on him ! where are his modesty and sporting reputa- 
 tion — first, to commit so gross an outrage, and secondly, 
 to blazon it to the world ? Does he not know that for 
 one bird he bags in this ignoble manner, several will 
 go off wounded, to die a lingering death, or, crippled, 
 fall a prey to the first filthy buzzard or rapacious hawk 
 that comes across him ? Gentlemen, when you shoot, 
 think of this, and do not uselessly destroy the precious 
 gifts of an ever-bountiful Providence. 
 
 The majority of the last family we got possession of, 
 and ere noon had arrived, had seventy head of prairie 
 chicken fairly bagged. 
 
bb ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 Hank selected a well- suited place for our meal, and 
 with otium cum dignitate we passed the meridian hours 
 of the day, happy and contented, at peace with all men, 
 and conscious of the pleasure of successfully following 
 an innocent pursuit. 
 
 We remained under the hedge till after two o'clock, - 
 eating, chatting, and smoking, the irrepressible Hank 
 relating, in the most facetious manner, several most 
 amusing anecdotes of his previous career. One story 
 in particular caused me to laugh more than ever I re- 
 member to have done, saving the night that a Dutch- 
 man told me a yarn of his first experience of a wasps' 
 nest ; but as the western sun commenced to elongate 
 its shadows, and the afternoon breeze began to cool 
 the atmosphere, a start was agreed upon, and with 
 one accord each rose and shouldered his gun, intent on 
 doing good shooting and further swelling the capacity 
 of our already distended game-bags. The fresh brace 
 of dogs were uncoupled, and, amid the discordant notes 
 and piteous whining of our discarded morning favour- 
 ites, we started for the beat. 
 
 The ground we were about to hupt exactly resembled 
 in appearance and vegetation what we had traversed 
 in the morning, and our anticipations of sport, from 
 former experience, were up to the boiling-point.? How- 
 ever, we must have walked quite an hour before either 
 
ON THE GRAND PRAIRIE. 89 
 
 obtained a shot, although the slut ran up two birds, 
 for which she got a severe rating. In prairie chicken- 
 shooting I have frequently observed, and on this occa- 
 sion it was a corroboration of the fact, that during the 
 heat of mid- day, or immediately afterwards, pinnated 
 grouse are seldom or never to be found near cultiva- 
 tion ; why, I cannot say, but they always appear in an 
 unaccountable manner to have transferred themselves 
 to the uninterrupted prairie. 
 
 Our lengthened tramp had now brought us to 
 ground more irregular, with vegetation more rank, 
 and sparsely sprinkled with dwarf osier and willow, 
 the surface being damp, and occasionally intersected 
 with rivulets. Our spirits were all becoming depressed 
 from our want of success, and even a new beat had been 
 proposed, and was on the eve of being accepted, when 
 both our canines stood, not ten yards apart, and each, 
 apparently, on different birds. This pleasing inci- 
 dent revived pur drooping spirits, and with steady, 
 regular stride we approached the dogs. As we got to 
 them, three birds flushed, which were immediately cut 
 down ; still another, and another, met the same fate ; 
 and in less "th^n five, minutes nine were on the ground* 
 These were without difficulty retrieved, and the dogs 
 ordered on to find more ; scarce a hundred yards had 
 they ranged when they a second time found game, the 
 
90 ACCESSIBLE FIEIJ) SPORTS. 
 
 slut leading and the dog just at her shoulder, backing. 
 It was perfectly evident that we had found the retreat 
 of the prairie chickens : water or solitude had un- 
 doubtedly caused them to assemble here. The prairie 
 fowl, although partial, at some seasons and portion of 
 the day, to damp ground, I believe do not drink like 
 the majority of other birds, but simply pick off the 
 minute globules of dew that adhere to the grasses. 
 This I know from my own personal observation, and 
 accounts for the difficulty of keeping this species alive 
 in a state of captivity. The majority of persons 
 having them in confinement would undoubtedly place 
 a cup of water in their cages, little imagining that 
 scattering the moisture over some grass would be 
 the way most acceptable. 
 
 Soon we got to the dogs, and never in the course of 
 my experience did I see a sharper half hour's work. 
 Bird after bird rose, and was knocked over ; scarcely 
 had we time to thrust into the breeches fresh cartridges 
 before we were called upon to deliver our fire ; not less 
 than a hundred and fifty birds must have been flushed in 
 that space of time, out of which number nearly half fell 
 to our guns. At one moment, over twenty were on the 
 ground, waiting to be picked up ; and, better than all, 
 we did not lose a single cripple, although one old cock, 
 which had only been pinioned, cost us five minutes before 
 
ON THE GRAND PRAIRIE. 91 
 
 he was placed In the bag. With universal consent 
 we agreed to retrace our steps, and before we reached 
 the conveyance, five more grouse had shared the fate 
 of their fellows. On arriving at the scene of our 
 trencher performances at noon-day, we observed 
 several flocks of duck hovering over a portion of a 
 corn-field in the vicinity, and as the day had still an 
 hour or two before dark, we concluded to try our luck. 
 Cartridges with No. 5 shot were soon substituted for 
 the balance we had left in our pockets, and scattering 
 each in the direction which the bent of his fancy dic- 
 tated, we sought the friendly cover of the giant corn- 
 stalks. Progressing slowly and cautiously, prepared 
 for aught that chance should throw in my way, on 
 casting my eyes to the left, I perceived I was near the 
 edge of a small sheet of water, the margin of which 
 was densely covered with water-lilies. Here, no doubt, 
 was the sanctum of the web-footed gentry ; so doubling 
 my back almost in two, and gliding along as carefully 
 as if about to circumvent a buck, I reached the line 
 of demarcation between the grain and the aquatic 
 plants. 
 
 Slowly raising my head, the first animate object that 
 struck my vision was the looming, dark figure of a 
 goose, his head under water, carelessly feeding, as if he 
 were perfectly satisfied that his retirement was free from 
 
92 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOUTS. 
 
 interruption. Self-confident that his fate was in my 
 hands, I complacently waited till he should raise his 
 caput, and I should have the satisfaction of enjoying 
 his surprise. My patience was not long taxed, and a 
 more ridiculous scene you could scarce imagine, for as 
 he raised his long neck, the first thing his eye rested 
 on was the figure of your humble servant; a rush, 
 splutter and honk, and he was fairly on his way, still 
 evidently undecided which direction to choose to avoid 
 danger. Little time, however, I left him for choice, and 
 thirty-five yards did not divide us ere my charge of 
 No. 5 brought him summarily back to the bosom of his 
 liquid home. The echoes had scarce answered my 
 report when dozens of duck were on the wing, and 
 some of them rose so close that it was truly extraordi- 
 nary that I had not previously seen them ; among their 
 number a splendid old green-headed mallard struck my 
 fancy, and my left barrel enabled me to cultivate a 
 closer acquaintance, Soon I had both retrieved, for I 
 had brought one of my setters with me, which was 
 equally good on land or water. On inspection, Mr. 
 Goosey proved remarkably fat, his corpulency possibly 
 being the reason that he had remained behind, and not 
 migrated with his comrades to their northern summer 
 haunts and breeding retreats. How my mouth watered 
 when I thought of the delicacy and flavour of a slice of 
 
ON THE GRAND PKAIRIE. 93 
 
 his plump breast, if properly roasted, not too mucli 
 done, with a squeeze of fresh lemon over it and a tiny 
 pinch of cayenne pepper, and mentally resolved that 
 his corpus should form the dish of honour on our board 
 at no distant date ! On the bank of this pond I deter- 
 mined to wait, convinced that I should not find a better 
 situation for dealing destruction to the much-coveted 
 broad-bills. 
 
 What sportsman is there who does not take pleasure 
 in bagging a duck ? He may have killed dozens, and 
 examined minutely each, still he does not tire admiring 
 the last ; the brilliant plumage, the gorgeous colouring 
 of the neck and head, have charms so deeply seated 
 that it is impossible to satiate the fancy. For about 
 ten minutes no visitors arrived, when a cunning old 
 mallard hove in sight, bearing down direct for my 
 screen, undoubtedly a scout out on observation ; lower 
 and lower I cowered as he approached, trusting that 
 the colour of my clothes and the shelter of the corn 
 would prevent his keen eye from perceiving my where- 
 abouts, well aware if I could only fetch him down, his 
 companions would soon follow, as their scout would not 
 return to report unfavourably. On the drake came 
 straight as a line, and was almost within range, when 
 he turned to the left, too far distant to shoot with pro- 
 bable success. " Confound him V^ I could not help mut- 
 
94 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 tering In disgust at his wlldness. However, lie continued 
 to fly round in circles, each gradually diminishing in 
 diameter, of which the water formed the centre. Move 
 I dare not, one inch would probably betray me, and I 
 nearly squinted my eyes out of my head, following, as far 
 as possible, his circular flight. At length the wished- for 
 chance arrived, and he presented a fair broadside, about 
 thirty-five yards distant ; holding my gun almost two 
 feet in advance, I pressed the trigger, and down he 
 came all of a heap, and almost to the ground ; my dog 
 was already on his way to pick him up, when, with a 
 violent efibrt, the bird recovered himself and com- 
 menced slowly at first to rise, quicker and quicker 
 became his ascent. " Why don't you put in your 
 second barrel ?'* I hear you exclaim. Well, simply for 
 this reason, that I had already commenced loading, and 
 the whole performance was so unexpected that I lost 
 my self-possession. Higher and higher he went, almost 
 perpendicularly, as if he were bound for a trip to the 
 clouds. Watching, with straining eyes, his extra- 
 ordinary performances, feeling fully convinced he was 
 hit in the head, I suddenly perceived him turn on 
 his back, and if his ascent had been rapid, the descent 
 was doubly so, for, when he struck terra firman the 
 thud that he made was sufficient to indicate, if life had 
 not previously been extinct, it now undoubtedly was. 
 
ON THE GKAND PRAIRIE. 95 
 
 Soon more stragglers commenced coming in, and 
 the fusilade became constant. Mallard and teal were 
 both worthy game, and as I was shooting well, I soon 
 had a large number at my feet. Nor did duck alone 
 pay me a visit, several prairie chickens, on their way for 
 their evening feed, bit the dust ; and just as I thought it 
 was high time for retiring, Hank's stentorian voice was 
 heard summoning stragglers, the team being already 
 hitched, and he impatient to be en route for the settle- 
 ment. Fifteen duck and five prairie chickens were the 
 result of little over an hour's shooting, and that without 
 moving five yards to the right or left, and better still, 
 without getting a wet foot. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 MOOSE DEER. 
 
 [Cervus Alces.) 
 
 I NEVER think of the State of Maine without the 
 most intense feelings of pleasure, for there among the 
 pine-clad hills and wood-embosomed lakes I have 
 enjoyed many, many weeks and months so free from 
 care, so productive of pleasure, that the recollection 
 can never pass away; but these pleasures are not with- 
 out alloy. Alas ! that we should grow old, and the 
 companions whose society we dearly cherished should 
 be no more, and that he in whom all our confidence 
 had been centred, and whose society we loved, should 
 in his youth be summoned to occupy a soldier's grave ! 
 
 A truce to these painful reminiscences. Moose deer 
 and moose hunting is the subject; sentiment we will 
 leave to the poet or the love- sick schoolboy. 
 
 The State of Maine is characterised by the numerous 
 labyrinths of lakes that are scattered over it in every 
 direction, divided from each other by mountainous 
 
MOOSE DEER, 97 
 
 ridges, clotlied to their summits with giant pine trees 
 and the many varieties of hard woods peculiar to 
 these latitudes, alike giving beauty to the landscape 
 and affording food and shelter for every kind of 
 Northern game. On the extensive flat meadows that 
 edge these lakes or form the margin of many of the 
 numerous noble rivers, in the hollows, ravines and 
 hill-sides, will the moose deer's home be found, his 
 choice of quarters being regulated by the changes of 
 the seasons. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia also 
 are favourite resorts of this giant deer. In these 
 provinces he still remains numerous ; but in northern 
 New Hampshire, Vermont, and north-eastern New 
 York State, where, a quarter of a century since, moose 
 were plentiful, I doubt if at the present date a single 
 specimen can be found. Such is the result of civilisa- 
 tion and the influx of the white man. 
 
 The size to which the moose deer grows has been 
 variously stated. Audubon says over twenty hands ; Mr. 
 Hays, an animal artist of great talent, and who has spent 
 many years studying his profession in the native haunts 
 of all the subjects he has used his brush upon, informs 
 me that he has known animals to grow much larger. 
 From this gentleman's experience as a hunter and 
 naturalist, I have not the slightest doubt that he is 
 correct. However, I believe about sixteen and a half 
 
 H 
 
98 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 hands to be the average height of a full-grown male, 
 and that certain localities — possibly where greater 
 abundance of the most suitable food is to be found — 
 produce much larger animals. All the moose that I 
 have heard of being killed in Labrador — where the 
 winters are particularly severe and vegetation sparse — 
 have been smaller than those shot in the State of 
 Maine ; nor can I see any reason to doubt such being 
 the case. We know how other genera are affected by 
 such local peculiarities, and why should this animal be 
 an exception ? 
 
 It is the habit of sportsmen and naturalists to praise 
 the appearance of the moose. My own impression is 
 that there is no animal more ungainly, awkward 
 looking, and apparently disproportioned. That he 
 is admirably constructed for the part he has to 
 play in life there is no question, but the very 
 requisites with which he is endowed, give him such an 
 unusual appearance that prejudice alone can call him 
 handsome. 
 
 The Virginian deer, the fallow deer, the Wapiti, 
 and the red deer, are, to me, perfect in shape, graceful 
 in their movements, and ornamental to the landscape ; 
 but the moose, on the other hand, with his short, thick 
 neck, asinine head, protruding eyes, heavy broad ears, 
 tremendous antlers, long, awkward, powerful legs and 
 
MOOSE DEER. 99 
 
 disproportionate withers, looking even liiglier than 
 they are from the mane that surmounts them, can never 
 be considered by an Impartial judge but an awkward 
 and clumsy-looking brute. 
 
 Of all the ruminants on the American continent, the 
 moose Is the tallest. I doubt not that a stall-fed ox 
 can be made to weigh as heavy, but not to attain the 
 stature, and on this account, as well as many others, it 
 Is really a duty that the legislatures of the various 
 States of which he is an inhabitant owe to the country 
 at large to pass and enforce such laws as will prevent 
 his ultimate annihilation. 
 
 Probably it may never again be my good fortune to 
 revisit America ; but can I ever forget the happy days 
 and nights I have spent in the dense swamp, sparsely 
 covered, barren, tangled wood-land, or over the brilliant 
 camp-fire, when, miles and miles away from civilisation, 
 I have been on an expedition to hunt moose ? 'No ! 
 Though I have shot in all parts of the world, gone 
 through scenes exciting, both as soldier and hunter. 
 Northern Maine, with all its glorious lakes, rivers, and 
 mountains, will stand paramount: for there my experi- 
 ence of moose hunting was gained ; there I made my 
 maiden effort, which was a failure, to return years 
 afterwards and awake the echoes with the war-whoop 
 that proclaims success. 
 
100 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 In December, moose deer cast their horns ; by 
 April, the successors commence to sprout ; by the end 
 of June full form is developed, but not till many weeks 
 later are they denuded of velvet ; when that takes 
 place the horns are perfectly white, but exposure to the 
 atmosphere soon gives them a tawny shade, which 
 deepens with the lapse of time. The cow, of course, 
 never bears these ornaments, but the young bull-calf 
 at one year throws out a brace of knobs an inch in 
 length ; in the second season these are about six inches 
 long ; the third year the antlers increase to nine or 
 ten inches, with a fork. In the fourth season palma- 
 tion is exhibited with several points. From this age 
 there is a gradual increase in the palmation and num- 
 ber of points till the animal attains its greatest vigour, 
 from which period the horns decrease in width and 
 weight, at the same time becoming more elongated. 
 Twenty-three is the greatest number of points I have 
 seen on one head, and the weight of the horns just 
 exceeded seventy pounds. I doubt if larger has ever, 
 of late years, been found. 
 
 The young moose deer, that is, those under five years, 
 frequently do not show their new head-dress till 
 March. Instances have been known — still, I have 
 no doubt that such were great exceptions — of young 
 males bearing the old horns as late as the calving 
 
MOOSE DEER. 101 
 
 season, whicli is in the end of April, and in Labrador 
 and far northern localities, May. 
 
 In September the rutting season commences. Then 
 is the period to see this great animal in all the magni- 
 ficence of his strength. Reckless and furious he rushes 
 about, bellowing forth defiance to his own sex, and 
 what is accepted as notes of love by the other. Woe 
 betide the traveller, the unarmed or inexperienced man 
 who should then meet him, if no place of safety is at 
 hand, for nought but their total destruction would be 
 the result. I knew an instance where a French Cana - 
 dian nearly lost his life by one of these furious beasts. 
 He had gone with his pony and sled to bring a boat 
 across a portage, and on his return, while threading 
 the intricacies of the bush-path, a moose, excited with 
 rage and lust, rushed past him. Indiscreetly he fired 
 a charge of small shot after the retreating termagant, 
 which brought him to the right-about, and caused 
 him to charge. Into the boat jumped the Canadian, 
 but the thin ribs and planks afibrded no protection 
 from such an assailant. The frail craft was soon 
 knocked to pieces, and our friend took to a tree, when, 
 from his perch, he witnessed his pony gored and 
 trampled to death. Moral : Don't fire small shot at 
 moose if you have any regard for your life. 
 
 During the rutting season many bull moose are 
 
103 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 annually killed, for the hunters, taking advantage of 
 their then combative disposition, secrete themselves, 
 and imitate, by means of a roll of birch bark, the 
 challenge note of an excited male. Some gallant lord 
 of the wilderness hears the false, deceptive call, and, 
 believing that his demesne has been invaded by a rivab 
 towering with rage, he rushes in the direction whence 
 the sound proceeds, intent on repelling the invader. 
 Listening to the repeated calls, again and again 
 the bull answers, till at length he is drawn within the 
 range of the rifle of the secreted hunter. My maiden 
 efibrt at moose shooting was made in such a manner. 
 As if it were but yesterday, the whole adventure is 
 written plainly on my memoi:y. I had only been 
 in America a few months. The attractions of Saratoga 
 I could not avoid, and when there became acquainted 
 with a family of St. Francis Indians, earning a pre- 
 carious subsistence by basket-making. Before this I 
 had never met any of the aborigines of the American 
 continent, and hour after hour I passed idling around 
 their encampment, listening to stories of the chase, 
 and more especially of moose hunting. The dark- 
 skinned race got my spare pocket-money, and I in 
 return all their knowledge of woodcraft that could be 
 theoretically imparted. The spirit of adventure had 
 become excited within me, and ere I left Saratoga I had 
 
MOOSE DEER. 103 
 
 faithfully promised to visit St. Francis in autumn, to 
 join one of my new acquaintances in a moose hunt. 
 
 The beautiful tints of an American autumn were in 
 their greatest brilliancy when I reached the termination 
 of a long and tedious journey to accept the proffered 
 hospitalities. My reception was not so enthusiastic as 
 I expected ; in fact, my ardour was a little damped by 
 the marked coolness of my host. Yet, after coming such 
 a distance, I was determined to do some hunting, and a 
 well- stocked purse enabled me to carry out my wishes. 
 Starting at early morning, on a beautiful clear day, 
 we descended a stream, a tributary of the Penobscot 
 River, for eight or ten hours. The easy motion of the 
 birch bark, the grand scenery and the brilliant coloured 
 foliage, recalled many a vision I had formed of what 
 fairyland must resemble. About four o'clock we dis- 
 embarked, our birch bark was shouldered, and a 
 portage of a mile or two traversed, when the margin 
 of a clear, calm lake was reached, surrounded with 
 beautiful green hills. Soon again we were on the 
 bosom of the waters, arriving at a second halting-place 
 as the sun in glorious splendour dipped the western 
 horizon. Hiding the frail canoe in some brush, my 
 attendant leading, we started up an acclivity, when, 
 after an hour's rough and difficult walking, the Indian 
 stopped and sounded a note on his birch-bark horn* 
 
104 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 To this there was no response, but my friend assured 
 me, " Plenty moose by-by." 
 
 The night was as beautiful as the day preceding it. 
 The hunter's moon was at its full, and near objects 
 could be seen almost as distinctly as when the sun was 
 high in the heavens. Several efforts with the call 
 had been made ; disappointment and failure began to 
 appear certain, when a distant and unknown sound 
 struck my ear. At the same moment the redskin 
 seized my arm and whispered, ** Old bull.'' We both 
 placed ourselves in a hemlock tree, and numerous 
 were the injunctions I received of the necessity of 
 silence. Afraid to move, cramped in an awkward 
 position, for near a mortal hour I endured the tor- 
 ments, certainly not of the blessed ; still move I 
 would not, ultimately could not, as the answering 
 voice of the bull in response to the Indian's call 
 told that the giant was rapidly approaching. At 
 length— oh, how glad I was ! — the noblest fellow 
 I had ever set eyes upon broke into the opening at- 
 a gentle trot, stopped and impatiently stamped his 
 foot. The distance that the game was from us could not 
 have been more than thirty yards. Slowly and imper- 
 ceptibly the Indian's gun was getting into shooting 
 position. I attempted to do the same with mine, when 
 — oh ! what excuse can I offer ?— bang went the right 
 
MOOSE DEER. 105 
 
 barrel, and, but for a yigorous effort, I should have 
 fallen from my perch. 
 
 I had better draw a veil over the recriminations that 
 ensued, for homicide was nearly the result, whether 
 justifiable or not must be for others to decide ; but 
 St. Francis was not long honoured with my presence. 
 Of moose hunting I had seen enough for one season, 
 and for many a year not even my bosom friends knew 
 that I had ever made an attempt on such a large class 
 of game. 
 
 In the close, warm weather of July and August this 
 game is much pestered with flies. To avoid these 
 plagues, the moose almost becomes aquatic in his 
 habits ; for hours he will completely submerge himself, 
 with nought but his head above the surface. At this 
 season their principal food is the long, succulent limbs 
 and leaves of the water lily. In the tributary streams 
 that help to feed Moosehead Lake it is no uncommon 
 thing for the fisherman or tourist, on his aquatic 
 excursions, to come across moose floating, or see them 
 reach the shore in advance of him, as the wary animals 
 have been alarmed, either by voices or the wind. 
 Such was my fortune once when fishing in a tributary 
 of Lake Parmacheney. Trout had all day been on the 
 feed ; my gun lay carelessly at my feet, half buried in 
 blankets and other hunter's paraphernalia, in the 
 
106 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 bottom of my canoe, wliich I had permitted silently 
 to drift with the current. Suddenly I heard a splash, 
 as if all the fish in the river had collected to make a 
 simultaneous rise ; but> instead of fin, it was fur, and 
 a splendid moose, bearing a noble set of antlers, 
 plunged through the weeds, and soon disappeared in 
 the recesses of the forest. If I had been prepared, or 
 even had my gun been obtainable at a moment's notice, 
 I could with ease have administered the coup de grace. 
 
 When the season advances, and the sparse advent 
 snows occasionally give warning that winter is at hand, 
 the moose deer leave the morass and river banks for 
 higher ground. Here they collect in families, previous 
 to yarding, which takes place as soon as the lands of 
 these Northern wilds have received their annual deep 
 and pure white covering. At this time the moose 
 lives in comparative security, his length of limb and 
 tremendous power enabling him to defy all pursuers. 
 Enjoy well thy rest — enjoy it, I say, for it is but for 
 a short season: for when the sun again warms the 
 landscape, and a crust becomes formed through the 
 thaw by day and frost of night, you will require more 
 than that superhuman power to save you from the 
 persevering Indian or venturous white man. Poor 
 creature ! your chance when once pursued, when a 
 heavy crust is formed, is indeed small. I know no 
 
MOOSE DEER. 107 
 
 denizen of the forest that, at any period of life, has the 
 odds so fearfully against him. 
 
 As may be imagined, the end of February and 
 March are the periods when the greatest havoc among 
 these animals takes place, and I regret to say that 
 frequently the fiendish love of carnage alone seems to 
 occupy the mind of the pursuer. I have known 
 instances — I grieve to say many — when moose have 
 been killed simply for the sake of killing ; for, with 
 the exception of one or two titbits, the giant carcass 
 has been left to satiate the appetite of the wild beasts 
 of the forest* If one who has been guilty of such 
 unjustifiable conduct should read this, let his con* 
 science reproach him for the past, and the sting of 
 remorse cause him to resolve never to be again an 
 ofiender. 
 
 The exact position of the scene which I am about to 
 describe I will not name. Gentle reader, say not that I 
 am selfish : for probably never again shall I fire a shot 
 upon it ; but my well-tried friend and hunting companion 
 visits it still each year, and, as he introduced me to its 
 well-stocked grounds, I had no hesitation, when last we 
 parted, in pledging my word to keep my knowledge 
 from the world. Suffice it to say, that it lies within 
 the limits of the State of Maine. 
 
 The days that had heralded the advent of March 
 
108 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOKTS. 
 
 had been extremely warm, tte nights clear, with sharp 
 frost; just such weather as would be pronounced 
 first-class for the collecting of sap to make maple 
 sugar. Two days' journey had been required to bring 
 us to the desired locality, for we had both agreed that 
 no search for moose should be made till a favourite 
 neighbourhood alike beautiful in summer or winter was 
 reached. Moreover, here we should find a log hut, 
 erected two seasons previously, and. which we had 
 every reason to believe would be in a thorough state of 
 repair. In due course of time we arrived at our ren- 
 dezvous ; the snow was cleared out of the structure, 
 and, considering all things, the two Penobscot Indians 
 who accompanied us succeeded in making our tempo- 
 rary residence look more than inviting. The first 
 night passed in the usual manner; we each pledged 
 the other's health more than once, and again and again 
 the pipes required filling. Still we slept soundly, and 
 day had well broken before either turned out. A 
 hurried cup of cofiee and a few morsels of cold meat 
 and biscuit sufficed for breakfast, so that ere the sun 
 had risen over the neighbouring hill we were en route 
 for the scene of action. The country that we traversed 
 was covered with hard wood, but not densely crowded 
 — so open, in fact, that a fair shot would severely have 
 punished woodcock which had taken shelter in a similar 
 
"MOOSE DEER. 109 
 
 locality. After tramping three miles, the Indians 
 leading, and I causing much amusement by a suc- 
 cession of catastrophes from one snow-shoe overlapping 
 the other, a halt was made, and the expression of the 
 guide spoke plainly of the vicinity of game ; without 
 questioning, we turned off to the left, still following in 
 single file. Stooping low and slowly advancing for 
 some moments, we came upon a yard — but, alas! 
 deserted ; but such had not been long the case. Our 
 dark-skinned companions were jubilant ; visions of 
 moose meat floated before them, and straight they 
 directed their steps to the place of exit, for the occu- 
 pants had winded us earlier than expected. To a 
 novice but one track appeared, yet the Indians held up 
 their four fingers to indicate that that had been the 
 number of inmates. Soon we found their informa- 
 tion correct ; for, after a pursuit of an hour and a half, 
 we perceived our game — a bull, cow, and two calves — 
 going over a neighbouring swell. The reason of this 
 deceptive appearance of the trail is caused by the male 
 leading, and the cow and calves in succession stepping 
 as nearly as possible in the footsteps of their pre- 
 decessors. 
 
 Just as we supposed ourselves on the verge of 
 success, the pursued passed through a second yard, 
 easily known by the trampled state of the snow and 
 
110 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 barked sides of the trees. The occupants of this 
 retreat had joined those we were following. This 
 additional force to the pursued added fresh excitement 
 to the chase, and the distress resulting from pace was 
 for the time forgotten. In an hour more we were 
 again in view, and soon afterwards among the game. 
 My companions I will leave to themselves, and confine 
 myself to my own performance. One of the males had 
 a noble head of horns. These I determined to be pos- 
 sessed of; so, marking him for mine, I resolved not 
 to halt till successful. Again and again I thought 
 that but a few minutes would elapse till I could shoot ; 
 but either from the snow being less deep, or the animal 
 making extra efibrts, at least an hour had elapsed before 
 the quarry was sufficiently close to deliver with pre- 
 cision a fatal shot. 
 
 Soon I was joined by one of the Indians, then by 
 the others. Four moose had been killed ; so my com- 
 panion and self agreed that we had reaped enough 
 reward for one day^s work. Next day was equally 
 successful, and more game was seen than on the first 
 essay. I doubt not if we had been so minded, for days 
 we might have continued this slaughter; but, as it 
 was, we had as much meat as we could transport to the 
 settlement. 
 
 A more rapid manner of taking moose when there 
 
MOOSE DEER. Ill 
 
 is a crust, and one mucli practised, is to be accom- 
 panied by a small, active dog, which, if properly trained 
 to his work, will never lay hold, but only snap at the 
 quarry's heels. The poor moose is thus soon brought 
 to bay ; but his active pursuer, whose weight is so 
 light that he does not break through the crust, 
 dances around him scatheless, snapping at every mo- 
 mentarily exposed point, and so engaging the victim's 
 attention that the hunter can approach the game 
 sufficiently close to deliver with certainty an unfailing 
 shot. 
 
 The flesh of the moose, although sweet, is very 
 coarse. Still, many people prefer it to all other. I 
 cannot say that such is the case with me, good beef 
 being to my idea infinitely superior. The tongue, last 
 entrail, and especially the mouffle or extremity of 
 the upper Up, are great delicacies, more particularly 
 when eaten cooked in the primitive style of the 
 backwoods. It may be the wood fire, it may be the 
 want of seasoning, or more probably still the fresh air 
 and severe exercise of the hunt ; but all that I have 
 eaten when snugly housed about a camp-fire has been 
 relished with additional gusto. A honne hoiiche which 
 must not be forgotten, and which only the moose 
 hunter can enjoy, or those who live near the haunts of 
 this animal, is the marrow from the shank-bones of the 
 
112 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 legs, cooked immediately after the animal is killed. 
 This, served on toast, with a sprinkling of cayenne 
 pepper, would make the mouth of the most fastidious 
 epicure water, if he had previous experience of its 
 excellence. 
 
 The moose deer changes much in appearance with 
 the rotations of the seasons. In summer the coat is 
 short and fine ; in winter coarse and long. Under- 
 neath the hair is found an abundant crop of soft wool, 
 which doubtless enables them to endure the greater 
 severity of the northern winters. The face-hair, differ- 
 ent from that of the horse or cow, grows upwards from 
 the mouffle, on the termination of which there is a 
 triangular bare spot. The power of the jaws and teeth 
 of the moose is very great. The facility with which 
 they strip the bark from those trees that constitute 
 their favourite food is wonderful. Their pace is either 
 a walk or trot, the usual bounding gait of other 
 species being unknown to them. Even if a fallen tree 
 interrupt their progress, instead of rising at it like a 
 horse, they manage to clamber over in a most effective 
 manner. 
 
 Not far from Trois Rivieres, in Canada, I heard of a 
 moose deer being broken in for saddle purposes. The 
 truth of this I am more than sceptical about. I have 
 also been informed that a brace were broken for harness, 
 
MOOSE DEER. 113 
 
 and that long and well they performed their part, being 
 possessed of immense powers of draught. This latter 
 report does not to me appear so improbable as the 
 former. 
 
 Two methods of capturing moose I have not alluded 
 to, — for why? They appear so antagonistic to all 
 those feelings that should actuate the gentleman ; viz., 
 by snaring, and immense steel spring traps. The 
 minutiae of the modes of proceeding by which the 
 unsuspicious game is induced to enter either of the 
 above devices, I am certain would not be interesting 
 to a sportsman. 
 
 For many years it was a disputed point whether 
 the moose deer of America and the elk of Europe were 
 the same species ; but the most eminent of recent and 
 present authorities agree that they are identical. 
 Captain Hardy, of the Royal Artillery, who was 
 stationed many years in Canada, and devoted much of 
 his time to moose hunting, as well as studying this 
 animal's habits, and who is also conversant with the 
 European elk, in the admirable articles which he has 
 published in that deservedly esteemed periodical on 
 practical natural history — Land and Water — empha- 
 tically asserts that there are not the smallest grounds 
 for any diversity of opinion on the subject. Audubon, 
 an authority second to none, refuses to give a decision, 
 
 I 
 
114 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 and justly so, for he was not conversant with the 
 European animal. 
 
 His Eoyal Highness the Prince of Wales has a brace 
 of Scandinavian elks at his country residence, Sand- 
 ringham. They are both rising two years in age. If 
 any of our naturalists will take the trouble to inspect 
 them, doubtless they will concur in the decision of 
 Captain Hardy. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 SHOOTING IN ILLINOIS. 
 
 After having eaten a good dinner, changed my wet 
 clothes for dry, and made all comfortable for the 
 evening, — not even gun-washing to trouble me, — as 
 I whiff my glowing pipe, I feel in good fellowship 
 with all the world; and only desire, to complete 
 the enjoyment of the past day, " to fight my battles 
 o'er again.'' Some may smile at what they think 
 a feather-bed sportsman's fancy, but among the 
 most ardent Nimrods the retrospect of the day's 
 sport has always caused almost as much pleasure 
 as the actual performance. Who that has been out 
 in the open air from morning till night, probably 
 with damp or even wet feet, has not felt and enjoyed 
 the luxury of warm slippers, dry socks, and invigo- 
 rating ablutions? Yes, gentle reader, as I sip the 
 juice of the grape, inhale the fumes of the fragrant 
 
116 , ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 weed, and recline comfortably in my arm-chair, I feel how' 
 much I have reason to thank the Creator for the blessings 
 He has so bounteously showered upon me. But to our 
 work : — The first day^s partridge {Perdrix Virginiensis) 
 shooting of the season is past, and, like all its pre- 
 decessors, is numbered with days gone by, one sole 
 peculiarity marking it ; namely, that the birds, gene- 
 rally speaking, were larger, stronger, and more nume- 
 rous than I ever remember seeing them. The weather, 
 too, coidd not have been more appropriate ; bright, 
 clear, and bracing, with just sufiicient wind and damp- 
 ness to make the scent good. Although, the previous 
 evening, 7 a.m. was the hour appointed for breakfast, and 
 all promised most faithfully to be present at that time, 
 it was fully an hour later before the muster-roll could 
 be read over without finding absentees. Perhaps the 
 cause of this remissness may be indicated by repeated 
 calls for brandy and soda-water at an early hour, a 
 demand which, if I remember aright, is always more 
 than ominous. However, by a few minutes after nine 
 we left the house, and, with many a pungent joke 
 and sharp repartee, entered the belt of woodland that 
 divided us from the prairie. 
 
 At this season (October),* who, that has the slightest 
 
 * In tlie majority of States partridge shooting commences on the 
 1st October 
 
SHOOTING IN ILLINOIS. 117 
 
 sense of colour in his composition, can fail to admire 
 the manifold shades and tintings of the foliage during 
 an American autumn.? True, the change of colour 
 denotes decay and departing glory ; still the richness 
 and brilliancy of the numerous hues have far from 
 a depressing effect. The European poets have sung 
 of autumn in strains so sad that one can scarce read 
 their effusions without getting the dolefuls ; perhaps 
 this arises from their landscape lacking the brilliant 
 hues of the sumach, maple, and Virginia creeper, 
 which contrast so magnificently with the less radiant 
 oak or beech, or the intensely green pine and 
 hemlock. There is but one period of the year that 
 can compare, in my humble opinion, with the Fall, 
 and that only in the Western States . I allude to 
 that portion, of the spring when tl^e snow-white dog- 
 wood and refulgent pink-bud are in the full pos- 
 session of their delicate and lovely blossom. A 
 quarter of a mile brought us to the edge of our in- 
 tended b&at, and as the faithful and keen- scented 
 setters were uncoupled, we individually felt luck was 
 on our side, and in all human probability we should 
 have fij-str class sport. Soon our guns received the 
 correct quantity of ammunition, and while Sancho and 
 Don were down at " charge," the lively sound of the 
 ramrod, or the sharp, clear clicking of the Iqcks, as 
 
118 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 each half-cocked his gun, announced the determination 
 of all to do their best to give a good account of the 
 first unfortunate covey we should come across. Like a 
 general of old or modern times, I mustered my forces 
 in line, and, as if skirmishing, advanced on the still 
 invisible foe. Lawrence County, Illinois, where we 
 were, is eminently suited for partridge shooting, and 
 from its open nature, clear shots are generally ofiered. 
 Therefore, there is not so much credit due to the 
 sportsman who kills nearly every shot, as there would 
 be in the Eastern States, where the piece of ground 
 the least accessible is the most probable on which to 
 find game. 
 
 Well, the dogs were uncoupled, and the guns 
 loaded, and forward we rapidly advanced over the 
 elastic turf, happy in our anticipated pleasure, brim- 
 ful of energy and expectation. Our two canines, which 
 had not been hunted lately, quartered their ground in 
 splendid style, laying down to their gallop like 
 thoroughbreds, and anxiously sniffing the pure atmo- 
 sphere, in hope of inhaling the taint emitted by that 
 most beautiful bird, and one perfectly adapted for the 
 sportsman's amusement, the American partridge. I 
 am aware that many will question this assertion, 
 and perhaps bring volumes of argument to prove 
 that I am wrong ; but, at the risk of the charge of 
 
SHOOTING IN ILLINOIS. 119 
 
 obstinacy, I trust I shall be pardoned if I retain my 
 opinion. We were not long kept unemployed, for on 
 the edge of a corn-field, where the briers occupied an 
 uninterrupted space, both Sancho and Don set. With 
 considerable difficulty I restrained the ardour of my 
 companions ; one in particular, who seemed always to 
 regard it as a matter of life and death to get as soon 
 as possible wifchin shooting distance, and invariably 
 missed his birds after all. We soon reached the staunch 
 dogs, nor were we kept long waiting, for a sudden 
 whirr showed us the entire family on the wing, and 
 every barrel vomited forth its intended fatal contents. 
 Four birds fell, two being claimed by Gr., without 
 quibble, and the remaining duo I felt confident were 
 mine ; at least, never was my gun held straighter, or 
 my aim more deliberate; still, T., our impatient 
 friend, emphatically declared that one of them was a 
 victim to his prowess. To dispute the point I deemed 
 unnecessary and unbecoming, for I was host ; so 
 without further words^ and I trust with becoming 
 dignity, I relinquished the claim of possession, 
 although I could not help thinking it really strange 
 that my hand and eye should so suddenly have lost 
 their cunning, beside having that internal conviction, 
 which we all possess, of having made good shots. 
 Our quarry was rapidly brought to bag> and the 
 
120 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 balance of the persecuted family was followed. Instead 
 of their making for the timber, or the brush which 
 grew upon its edge, they had flown out, perhaps a 
 couple of hundred yards farther, into the prairie, 
 where there was nothing to cause a deviation in their 
 flight, or prevent our obtaining clear and uninter- 
 rupted aim. 
 
 The splendid chance thus presented of filling our 
 game bags was greedily accepted and acted upon. Don 
 found the beauties in a few minutes, and Sancho 
 stealthily approached his brother with cautious step, 
 frequently stopping and backing with praiseworthy 
 zeal. The partridge* on this occasion were more 
 difiicult to force on the wing, and nearly all got up 
 singly. One circumstance, however, I noted, that 
 although G. and self did clean work, our friend T. 
 failed on both occasions. But undoubtedly this was 
 the result of accident, as he informed us that one 
 barrel hung fire and the other exploded just at the 
 moment that the bird had made a sudden alteration in 
 its flight. I could not help commiserating with him 
 at these untoward circumstances, and felt almost irate 
 with Gr. (who was an old friend and former shooting 
 chum of T.'s), for heartlessly laughing at his friend's 
 
 * This bird has the extraordinary power of withholding its scent, 
 which it frequently does for ten or fifteen minutes after lighting. 
 
SHOOTING IN ILLINOIS. 121 
 
 mishaps. Finally four birds flushed, and six barrels 
 again spoke, the quarto falling simultaneously with 
 the report. Scarcely had they touched the ground 
 when T. informed us with evident satisfaction that 
 he had got his hand in now, as two of the last 
 victims could well attest. However, on picking up 
 the game, what was my surprise when a bird I felt 
 confident was mine was a second time claimed ; nor 
 was this all: Gr. vowed he had killed both of his; 
 still T. equally energetically disputed his success, and 
 would not listen to anything to the contrary ; more- 
 over he offered to prove, and in truth did with logic 
 and argument worthy of the benph, how he was un- 
 doubtedly the proper proprietor. 
 
 We are all aware that strange coincidences take 
 place in the hunting-field — so very strange that the 
 narration of them suggests a liberal draft on the imagi- 
 nation. I felt willing to attribute these incidents to 
 this source ; so thinking a great deal and saying very 
 little, we resumed our labours. Only one bird out of the 
 first lot had escaped, and his flight was in the direction 
 we intended proceeding, so that the chances were all 
 in our favour of picking him up. Again we spread 
 into line, and the well-bred dogs parcelled their 
 ground ofi* as systematically as a merchant's clerk would 
 measure off goods. As we advanced, T., who was on 
 
122 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 the right flank, with your humble servant in the 
 centre, walked-up the sole survivor of the now deci- 
 mated family. The bird sprang from his very feet, 
 and both barrels in rapid succession greeted its depar- 
 ture ; still Mr. Partridge did not fall, nor did I 
 see the slightest appearance of its having suffered 
 inconvenience. T., however, assured us that it was 
 badly hit and would fall immediately, requesting us 
 to mark it well, as he much desired to get it, in 
 order to see where it was struck, and ^^how the mis- 
 chief^' it did not drop at once. - We all strained 
 our optics, at least I did, till my sight was almost 
 obscured by liquid, so earnest was I to gratify my 
 friend's wishes; but, alas ! the bird was possessed of 
 a most unusual amount of vitality, and ultimately 
 vanished, apparently going stronger than when it 
 started. T. then appealed to G., if he did not see the 
 feathers fly, and when he answered in the negative, my 
 opinion was demanded ; however, I was loth to confess 
 that the only feathers flying I was aware of, were those 
 that assisted the bird in ridding himself of such dan- 
 gerous neighbours and getting as far from our vicinity 
 as possible. In fact, I was commencing to *' smell a mice," 
 as the Dutchman said, and thought our worthy^ ener- 
 getic friend much resembled Mr. Jogglebury Crowdey, 
 the gentleman whose acquaintance Mr. Sponge made 
 
SHOOTING IN ILLINOIS. 123 
 
 in his "sporting tour," and there certainly was a strong 
 likeness in more than one way. 
 
 I will submit the description, and let my friends 
 see if I had not just grounds for coming to this con- 
 clusion. " Jog had had many a game at romps with 
 these birds, and knew their haunts and habits to a 
 nicety. The covey consisted of thirteen originally, 
 but by repeated blazings into the * broun of 'em ' he 
 had succeeded in knocking down two. Jog was not 
 one of your conceited shots who never fired but when 
 he was sure of killing ; on the contrary, he always let 
 drive far or near, and even if he shot a hare, which he 
 sometimes did with the first barrel, he always popped 
 the second into her to make sure. Jog's shooting 
 aflbrded amusement to the neighbourhood. On one 
 occasion, a party of reapers having watched him miss 
 twelve shots in succession, gave him three cheers on 
 coming to the thirteenth*" 
 
 Our worthy friend T. was the greatest theoretical 
 sportsman I ever met, and to hear him talk you would 
 imagine that he had reduced the whole performance 
 to such a certainty, that to let a bird get ofi* '* scot 
 free " was unknown to his double-barrel when he had 
 the pulling of the triggers. 
 
 On one occasion, when on a shooting expedition, he 
 dropped into a tavern the evening before commencing 
 
124 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 operations. The room was full of loungers, many of 
 whom were good shots, and were to accompany our 
 friend on the morrow. Shooting soon became the 
 absorbing subject of conversation, and so admirably 
 did T. blow and expatiate on his skill — explaining and 
 proving, in the most scientific manner, how every 
 man, no matter what his infirmities, might become a 
 perfect crack — that the listeners got scared, and pre- 
 ferred remaining at home to being beaten by a *' city 
 gent.'' 
 
 Our day terminated with a heavy bag, and my 
 friend T. to this day enjoys among his circle of 
 acquaintances the reputation of being the very best 
 theoretical, and the very worst practical, sportsman in 
 the State of Ohio, 
 
CHAPTEE XI. 
 
 BLACK BEAU. 
 
 ( Ursu8 Americanus.) 
 
 None of the ferce natiircB are better known in a state of 
 captivity than the black bear. What village schoolboy, 
 however remote the hamlet in which he resides, cannot 
 remember poor Bruin being led round by some half- 
 washed, uncombed foreigner, or his forming a portion 
 of the attractions which drew the gaping crowd to 
 enter the strong- smelling precincts of the annually- 
 visiting erratic menagerie ? Alas ! hard is the poor 
 bear's life when he is thus a prisoner. In summer he 
 is kept on half diet, and shut up in a miserable den ; 
 in winter he is stowed away in a cellar, and possibly, 
 at least once a week, baited with curs, that the black- 
 guard owner may raise enough funds to carry on his 
 vagrant, idle life. How different this from the life the 
 bear enjoyed in his native woods, wandering about at 
 pleasure, enjoying every luxury of nature that the 
 
126 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 season produces ; and, if in a country subject to a 
 severe winter, quietly sleeping througli that portion 
 of the year when the winds, loaded with frost and 
 snow, whistle round his snug retreat ! The black bear 
 at one period was very widely distributed over the 
 IsTorth American continent. Its range now, on account 
 of the advance and increase of population, has been 
 much restricted ; still, wherever there are large tracks 
 of uncultivated ground, representatives of this species 
 will be found, whether in Canada or Labrador, Florida, 
 Georgia, or the Far West, until you reach the Rocky 
 Mountains, beyond which I have never heard of the 
 black bear being seen, the cinnamon bear ( Ursus cin- 
 namomus) and the grizzly bear {Ursus ferox) there 
 supplying his place, So numerous still are the black 
 bears in some parts of the United States that a 
 portion of each year is set aside by the squatters and 
 farmers for their capture, and large packs of curs, 
 specially trained to assist, are kept for this purpose; 
 and numerous instances are on record of thirty, or even 
 forty bears having in a couple of months fallen before 
 one hunter's rifle. The flesh, which is with justice 
 much prized, is either salted down or smoked for 
 future use ; while the pelt furnishes a bed, or is sold to 
 the traders, ultimately to be made into rugs for sleighs 
 or the coarser kinds of furs for women and children. 
 
BLACK BEAR. 127 
 
 The different sizes to whicli black bears attain in 
 various sections of the country are somewbat remark- 
 able ; so much so that I have often been induced 
 to believe that they were entitled at least to be con- 
 sidered varieties, but otherwise they are so similar 
 in habits of life, choice of food, and residence, that 
 it would only be opening a path that might lead to 
 innumerable intricacies without the probability of re- 
 sulting in benefit. The black bear of Michigan, 
 Wisconsin, and the. regions bordering on these States, 
 never exceeds two hundred and fifty pounds; these 
 are generally denominated hog bear; but when 
 you descend the Mississippi and get into the cane- 
 brakes of Arkansas, numbers are annually killed 
 that reach four hundredweight. Coming eastward, 
 you find a still larger animal, and I have heard from 
 undoubted sources that in the State of Maine; and 
 along the edges of New Brunswick, six, or even seven 
 hundred pounds' weight is no unusual size for bears to 
 attain. Doubtless these differences are occasioned by 
 varieties or abundance of food that the different 
 regions produce, not temperature or climate, as the 
 difference between the latitude of Wisconsin and Maine 
 is very trifling. 
 
 Without further preamble, I will attempt a de- 
 scription. The bear is very short in carcass, with 
 
128 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 an unusually baggy, slack look ; tlie legs are long 
 and powerful in their sweep, and the animal can 
 handle them with the skill and proficiency of a pro- 
 fessed pugilist ; the head is very nearly an equi- 
 lateral triangle, with the nose for an apex; the ears 
 are small and rounded, the same distance in situa- 
 tion behind the eye that the eye is from the nose ; 
 the measurement in circumference close in front of 
 the shoulder is almost as great as behind, which 
 gradually increases as it ranges backwards till the 
 loftiest point of the spinal vertebrae is reached ; while 
 the hind limbs, from their immense muscular power, 
 as well as abundance of flesh, appear like the extremi- 
 ties of a man encased in pegtop trousers. In walking 
 the toes of the fore feet are turned in, while the use of 
 the nether limbs is so human as to appear like a bur- 
 lesque on genus homo ; but if a casual observer be thus 
 struck, the anatomist or student of nature recognises in 
 this exaggerated formation the means supplied by nature 
 to ascend trees, escape enemies, or earn its support. The 
 colour when the pelt is prime is gloss}^ black, but in 
 early spring a rufous tint is strongly developed ; this 
 is assisted by the undergrowth of wool becoming 
 elongated, and showing through the coarser black 
 hairs that at other seasons are the only visible cover- 
 ing, unless a close and minute inspection be made. 
 
BLACK BEAR. 129 
 
 From the eyes in a straight line almost perpendicular 
 to the nose the fur is brown, with a tip of the same 
 colour sometimes over the eyebrow. At the same time, 
 exceptions, more particularly among those of the North- 
 western States, are to be found which are black to the 
 termination of the olfactory organ. 
 
 As a general rule, when this bear is in a state of 
 nature, he is extremely timorous of man, flying from 
 him with a stealth and rapidity almost marvel- 
 lous ; but wound him, hurt him, even insult his 
 dignity, and the huntsman may be prepared for a 
 conflict that will only terminate in death ; for, once 
 enraged and drawn into conflict, his combativeness 
 increases, never lessening till life is extinct. How- 
 ever, instances have been known where Bruin has 
 not had these excuses for commencing hostilities. 
 Either an old cub engaged with her progeny in 
 imparting to them her extensive knowledge of the 
 world, some gallant lover worshipping at the shrine 
 of his devotion, or scarceness of provisions and desire 
 of gaining some certain retreat where appetite could 
 be gratified, have been the exciting causes in rousing 
 their otherwise peaceful temperament. 
 
 The first bear I ever shot was doubtless sufiering 
 from the last cause. I will narrate the circumstance. 
 In the State of Wisconsin, near Green River, there are 
 
 K 
 
130 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 Situated some beautiful retired sheets of water. These 
 spots had long possessed me with their attractiveness, 
 for game abounded in their vicinity ; the scenery was 
 beautiful, and, above all, you were entirely free from 
 man's intrusion. Could it be wondered, then, that sel- 
 dom a week passed that I did not find time to visit 
 them ? Summer had unconsciously glided into autumn, 
 the dark, dense covering of the trees had changed to all 
 the gaudy hues of the rainbow, and the enlarged ripples 
 on the water, and occasional sighings of the wind, pre- 
 dicted that at no distant period another shroud than 
 the green grasses would cover the surface of the earth. 
 On the day in question when I left my couch im- 
 mense numbers of wild fowl were seen migrating south- 
 ward — evident signs that cold weather had made its 
 appearance north. So, hoping possibly to kill a swan, 
 or a scarce specimen of wild duck, I determined to 
 visit my lakes once more ere they were frozen up. 
 At noon, when I started to fulfil my purpose, large 
 flakes of snow were noiselessly descending, but not 
 in sufficient numbers to obliterate my trail. The 
 water reached, the first glance exposed a sight only 
 seen by those who reside beyond the verges of civi- 
 lisation, where the wild denizens of the air or in- 
 habitants of the land reign supreme. The surface of 
 the water was covered with ducks of every variety ; 
 
BLACK BEAR. 131 
 
 moving room even looked scarce ; still phalanx after 
 phalanx came swooping down before the wind wdth 
 the well-known velocity that a wild duck's wings 
 command. Quack, quack, quack, went the ducks on 
 the water; a prolonged note from those in the air 
 answered. The three notes were an invitation, the one 
 note a hearty response, as willingly accepting the invi- 
 tation as the most hospitable host could desire. 
 
 A few shots filled my bag, and I seated myself on a 
 rock, regardless alike of snow or wind, to admire and 
 learn the instinct of the animal world. Hour after 
 hour glided on, and night was near as I returned my 
 pipe to my pocket, unfolded my covering from around 
 my gun-locks, and rose to depart. The snow had, in 
 the meantime, obliterated my path ; still the familiar . 
 trees and the ever- true- speaking mosses told with 
 certainty the direction. Indolently and self-satisfied 
 I broke into the bush on my homeward route ; the 
 weight of the game told heavily on my shoulders. 
 When half of the journey (which I had long 
 wished had been the whole) was reached, I heard a 
 rustling in the brush, evidently caused by large game. 
 Such a warning instantly aroused me, and, on the 
 alert for further sport, I took all the surrounding 
 visible objects in at a glance. In front was a bear. 
 A monster to my vision he appeared, for I was un- 
 
132 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 initiated at that time — and I believe the eye has a 
 trick of dealing in the marvellous with unaccustomed 
 objects — and, to my horror, Bruin was coming directly 
 towards me. My first feeling was to fly; next, to 
 ascend a tree; thirdly, to disappear into my boots. 
 The second glance gave me more assurance. Mr. 
 Bear was evidently on urgent private afiairs ; his 
 whole manner bespoke this ; and he did not see me ; 
 so I determined to stand still, hoping he would 
 remain ignorant of my presence, or, at least, give me 
 a fair show, if compelled to fight. Onward advanced 
 Bruin ; closer and closer he came, and the nearer 
 he approached the farther my heart went into my 
 mouth. Still he was fifty yards ofi", and had plenty 
 of time to change his course; but no such change 
 took place ; for if he had been a ball bowled at a 
 wicket the precision of his course could not have 
 been truer. Twenty yards could not have intervened 
 between us when my presence became known, and the 
 manner of welcome I received was far from encourag- 
 ing, for he halted, snified in the air, and gave an angry 
 growl. I wished myself at home in bed, or at the 
 antipodes, or in any place but my present stand- 
 point. For remember, reader, my gun was only 
 loaded with duck shot ; and I was green, and, I fear, 
 very soft. It was evident that my appearance was 
 
BLACK BEAR. 133 
 
 not intimidating, for my adversary neither swerved to 
 right nor left, and his wicked eyes blazed forth flashes 
 of malignant hate. Eight or ten yards more the dis- 
 tance was diminished, when, whether from fear, certain 
 that my last moments had arrived, or knowledge of 
 animals' habits, I gave a shout, — a feeble one, of no 
 distinct note, I believe ; but the result was fortunate, 
 for the foe halted, and really seeni^ed uncomfortable, 
 occasionally glancing around, as if he believed retreat, 
 if possible, would be advisable ; but second thoughts are 
 not always best. The irresolution was fatal, and the 
 bear found it so ultimately, for he again advanced 
 towards me. When scarcely eight yards divided us, 
 a second shout brought him again to a halt, and, as he 
 sat up, displaying his teeth — symptoms that too truly 
 said, *'I will teach you a lesson" — I let him have the 
 contents of the right barrel, aimed for the nose, well 
 knowing the shortness of range would throw the pro- 
 jectiles up. And so it did. At so short a distance the 
 concussion was irresistible ; both eyes were destroyed, 
 the forehead up to the apex of the crown fearfully 
 cut up, and the poor bear rolled over, clawing the 
 injured parts in life's last agony. Without hesita- 
 tion I delivered the coup de grace by discharging the 
 second barrel at the butt qf Bruin's ear, thus surely put- 
 ting a finishing touch to his earthly career. This bear 
 
134 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 weigted about two hundred and twenty pounds, and 
 was, in the vicinity where killed, deemed a very large 
 one. 
 
 When in the State of Maine I was called from my 
 writing by the landlord of the small roadside hotel 
 at which I was residing. He informed me that a bear 
 had entered the clearing,* evidently with the intention 
 of attacking his drove of sheep. Seizing my unloaded 
 gun, and hastily charging both barrels with bullets, I 
 rushed down to join him, bootless as I had been sit-, 
 ting. From an eminence a few yards from the house 
 we took a survey ; no bear could be seen ; but the timid 
 sheep were huddled in a fence corner, evidently having 
 suffered no ordinary fright. 
 
 With anxious gaze we scanned the enclosure ; every 
 moment a blackened, charred stump, the memento 
 of some giant monarch of the forest, was mistaken for 
 the bear. Again and again our mistake was found out, 
 and a new object was metamorphosed into a Bruin. 
 Ten minutes were thus spent, the flock of sheep became, 
 if possible, more uneasy, when, with sudden energy, 
 they ihade a simultaneous dash and crossed to the far 
 side of the field ; still no bear was visible, but that he 
 was close at hand was now evident. Loss of time or 
 prolonged suspense began to make us careless ; an 
 
 * Where tlie forest has been cut away for cultivation. 
 
BLACK BEAK. 135 
 
 advance into the field had even been proposed, and was 
 about to be executed, when the sheep made another 
 start, evidently intent on returning to the position we 
 found them in ; but as they passed a log out rushed 
 Bruin, and cut ofi" the retreat of the hindermost. The 
 poor victim made two or three feeble efforts to regain 
 his fellows, then turned and looked his enemy in the 
 face, and from that moment succumbed to fate, at the 
 same time retaining the use of his legs. Nor did 
 Bruin rush up and seize him. He only headed him off 
 when inclined to turn out of the proper direction, 
 driving him all the time towards the right side of the 
 field, which edged on a piece of swamp. Soon the fence 
 was gained ; here the sheep's fortitude forsook him, 
 and as both landlord and self had followed as close in 
 rear as advisable, we were witnesses of a proceeding 
 almost incredible. Bruin was evidently in a magnani- 
 mous frame of mind, or was overcome by his natural 
 politeness, for without worrying or mauling, never for 
 a moment using his teeth, he picked up the poor 
 sheep between his paws, placed it on the top of the 
 rails, then pushed it over, and with the agility of a 
 greyhound cleared the fence himself. The shock 
 had roused the victim and reanimated him, for both 
 walked off into the bush, the one satisfied to be 
 driven, the other apparently a not over-exacting 
 
136 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 shepherd. Following up the duo as rapidly and 
 silently as circumstances would permit, we again came 
 on both ; but the bear had been annoyed, or the sheep 
 could or would not do what was wanted, for Bruin 
 had seized the unfortunate and dragged him on a log, 
 and was using both teeth and claws with animosity 
 and purpose. Making a stalk I got within twenty 
 yards of both; the sheep's head had already been 
 almost severed, and the hot and liquid gore was evi- 
 dently giving intense satisfaction to the slayer. With 
 a long steady aim I covered the white horseshoe on the 
 bear's breast ; the gun was a large and heavy one, the 
 necessary pressure of the trigger was given, and with- 
 out a moan, almost without a kick, the would-be 
 despoiler and his prey fell to the earth together. 
 The shot was a good one ; the results on dissection 
 proved with what precision and force a solid bullet 
 can be fired from a common shot-gun. This bear 
 weighed four hundred pounds, and, from the decayed 
 and worn teeth, must have been an old stager; in 
 fact, I think age is wanted to give Bruin the courage 
 and desire to attack and kill animal food. The neigh- 
 bours were soon assembled, my gun was examined and 
 commented on, and I was the hero for the time being. 
 The white shoe on the breast is commonly, in some 
 sections of the country, the spot which tHe trapper waits 
 
BLACK BEAR. 137 
 
 to be exposed, to shoot at. A ball entering there, and 
 going either upwards or horizontally, always proves 
 fatal. However, behind the shoulder, very low down, 
 is the favourite aim with me. In these cross shots, if 
 obtainable, you always have more to shoot at, and the 
 regions of the heart are reached nearer the surface. 
 The butt of the ear, a little backwards, if close enough 
 to make certain, is another deadly point ; but the size 
 of this delicate and mortal place is small, and should 
 never be chosen beyond thirty yards. The head shot 
 can, with conical bullets, easily be performed; but a 
 spherical bullet, especially from a small-bore rifle, from 
 the wedge- shape of the cranium, is very apt to glance 
 oS without injuring more than the skin. 
 
 In hunting bears with dogs, the commonest cur that 
 has pluck enough to snap at his heels is the best 
 animal for the purpose. The bear gets worried, then 
 cross, and ultimately ascends the first tree that his 
 judgment tells him is suitable, resting most frequently 
 on the soonest reached branch out of harm's way, 
 unless the hunter be seen or heard ; if so, then the 
 highest foot of bearable timber will be selected. It 
 is not uncommon on these occasions for him to 
 ascend too high for the strength of the limb, when, 
 the bough breaking, both come tumbling to the earth. 
 Although such a rapid and lofty descent would 
 
138 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 certainly destroy a man, Brum will arise uninjured, 
 shake himself, and trot off as if nothing had hap- 
 pened. 
 
 The vitality of the bear is immense. His powers of 
 destruction when wounded are equally so. So, gentle 
 reader, if it should be your fortune to go bear hunting, 
 pray be careful if you approach them when wounded. 
 A sportsman's maxim, that should never be forgotten, 
 is, "always load your gun before you move from where 
 it was discharged, and never let the temptations or 
 excitement of the moment permit you to hurry when 
 performing this useful duty.'' 
 
 A great many bears have been killed with the knife 
 only, but the person who performs so dangerous a feat 
 must truly be fool-hardy and reckless of consequences, 
 and in my belief such conduct is, except in cases of 
 emergency, most unjustifiable. For one who returns 
 safe in limb and skin from such a contest, the majority 
 who attempt it would be fearfully mauled, or very pos- 
 sibly disabled for life. 
 
 The black bear in a state of captivity is extremely 
 restless, and, when old, bad-tempered and treacherous, 
 more especially should he have been teased in his 
 youth ; but when he roves the forest, free, he is the 
 laziest and most luxurious fellow, sleeping the greater 
 portion of his time, feeding on nuts or luscious fruits, 
 
BLACK BEAR. 139 
 
 plav-'ng in the sun's heat with comrades, and seldom 
 quarrelling with his brethren. When passages of 
 arms take place, loye is the cause, and the battle is 
 waged more in words than blows. 
 
 Two or three years ago, in the autumn, about mid- 
 night, I was passing through a chain of lakes in the 
 State of Maine ; the night was lit by an occasional star, 
 struggling through the rapidly fleeting dark clouds 
 for an opportunity to show the earth its brilliancy. 
 I was alone, and, save the splash of my paddle and the 
 occasional unearthly call of the Joon, all was still as 
 the grave. In entering a narrow passage to avoid the 
 weeds, I had to hug the land so close that occasionally 
 the limb of a tree would brush against me or my birch- 
 bark canoe. With a suddenness that made my heart's 
 blood run cold, a yell from some unknown beast, loud, 
 shrill, and unearthly, so close that I almost believed 
 for a moment that the cause was within reach, echoed 
 from tree to tree, and died away, reverberating in the 
 distance. Again and again it was repeated. For 
 awhile I remained motionless, till the cool breeze 
 recalled me to myself, and I proceeded homewards. 
 Next morning I returned to examine the place. A 
 veteran hunter was my companion, and we found 
 such convincing proofs that bears had been there, 
 that one of them I feel certain produced this noise, 
 
140 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 my companion assuring me that at the period the 
 sexes come together, If rivals are In the way, the call 
 or note of defiance Is quite dissimilar from their general 
 voice. 
 
 Early In spring the young are born. At first they 
 are very small. In six weeks they are able to accom- 
 pany their mother, who cares for them with the 
 greatest solicitude and attention, hauling the logs on 
 one side for the cubs to obtain the coveted grubs 
 and larvae underneath ; pulling down the uppermost 
 branches that produce fruit ; and If, by accident, the 
 young should be placed In a position of danger, her 
 life Is always willingly sacrificed In their defence. 
 
 Walking across a portage In Maine, close to the 
 borders of New Brunswick, In front of the party of 
 which I was a member, my guu loaded, in the hope of 
 killing a partridge or two, I perceived a small animal, 
 about the size of a King Charles spaniel, running along 
 the track a hundred or more yards In front of me. 
 Without troubling myself to look closely, I concluded 
 It was a porcupine, animals which were extremely com- 
 mon in the vicinity. Soon after a dog belonging to one 
 of my companions passed me ; stooping to the trail he 
 gave tongue, and went In pursuit at his best possible 
 speed. In a few more moments I knew he had brought 
 something to bay, and, proceeding to his assistance, I 
 
BLACK BEAR. 141 
 
 found a young bear, the size of a badger, treed in a six- 
 inch, sapling. Where was the mother ? Answer says, 
 " Don't know ; " for young Bruin, after a vixenish 
 fight, was secured, and, although half-an-hour elapsed 
 in the operation, the old lady still remained non est. 
 
 It is very common for bears to be killed after they 
 have retired to their dormitory for the winter sleep. 
 When living near Lake Couchachin, in Canada, I 
 assisted on such an occasion. An Indian from Rama 
 came to me in great haste, with the hope I would sell 
 him some ammunition. From his earnestness and 
 anxiety I knew that he had made a valuable discovery, 
 which, after a little higgling, was disclosed. He had 
 found a bear's retreat in a hollow log, nearly imbedded 
 in snow, and the ammunition was for poor Bruin's de- 
 struction. 
 
 Stipulating that I should have a share of the sport, I 
 supplied the ammunition, and we started. The distance 
 was short. Mr. Chippewa Indian knocked on the log, 
 and the writer stood at the entrance. Poor Bruin at 
 length forsook his snug retreat, yawning and looking 
 stupid as he emerged into daylight, when a bullet at less 
 than five yards settled the matter. When a bear is 
 thus housed in a log a heavy vapour of steam, should 
 the weather be calm, perceptibly hangs over it. 
 
 Many naturalists for years considered this species 
 
142 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 identical witt the bear of Europe ; but of later date 
 all those accepted as authorities have agreed that the 
 black bear of America and the bear of Europe are 
 totally distinct species; and if any of my readers should 
 have the opportunity, let them closely examine both, 
 which will be found together at the Regent's Park 
 Gardens, in London, and they will no longer hesitate 
 that the conclusion is the correct one. 
 
CHAPTEE XII, 
 
 FLIGHT SHOOTING ON GRAND PRAIRIE. 
 
 While resting for a day or two at MacComb's, Grand 
 Prairie, Illinois, when on a tour, at the commencement 
 of severe weather, one of the hands who had been out 
 collecting cattle on the prairie, on returning to dinner, 
 , infornaed me thg-t both ducks and geese were arriving 
 in immense numbers. Soon my No. 10 gun was brought 
 out, and with seven pounds of shot and my large 
 powder-flask full, I started in the direction indicated. 
 The weather since morning had undergone a complete 
 change, for instead of a damp, mild atmosphere, snow 
 was falling in large but few flakes, with the ther- 
 mometer below freezing-point. 
 
 On reaching the sloughs I found birds abundant, 
 but too wary for great success ; so, after firing a few 
 long shots with indifierent success, I determined to 
 change my beat. I had remarked the day before a field 
 of a few acres of indifferent Indian corn which had not 
 
144 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 yet been gathered, and whicli was excessively wet and 
 soft from the dampness of the soil ; thither I deter- 
 mined to turn my footsteps, and well it was I did so, for 
 a finer afternoon's sport I have seldom enjoyed. Before 
 I got within a quarter of a mile of my destination, I 
 could see duck in numerous large flights hovering 
 over the place in question, giving hopes of sharp work. 
 On gaining the edge of the field and taking a survey, I 
 found the ground in many places perfectly covered 
 with birds, and strings of fresh arrivals coming in 
 momentarily — mallard, butter duck, teal and winter 
 duck, all making the best use of their bills to further 
 destroy an indifferent crop. After a survey of the 
 situation I selected a stand, forming a screen of corn 
 stems and iron weed, and scarcely was I ensconced, 
 when the honk ! honk ! honk ! of a distant flock of wild 
 geese told me that the wary scoundrels were en avant. 
 However, so many duck came within easy shooting 
 distance that I could not resist opening fire, and I com- 
 menced skirmishing forthwith. The birds appeared 
 totally devoid of fear either of the report of my gun 
 or my presence, and flew frequently within fifteen or 
 twenty yards in the most leisurely and business-like 
 manner. Again and again I loaded and shot till my 
 barrels got agreeably warm. Old Nep, whom doubt- 
 less many companions remember, soon had the ground 
 
FLIGHT SHOOTING ON GRAND PRAIRIE. 145 
 
 around my feet thickly strewn with slain, and when 
 an unfortunate duck less severely peppered than 
 others, or only broken- winged, would attempt to hobble 
 off, Master Ifep would give him a pinch about the 
 regions of the cranium that immediately reduced the 
 most obstreperous to submission. Greese commenced to 
 arrive after I had been at work about half an hour ; 
 first a solitary gander, whose coat I dusted and secured, 
 next two or three, and ultimately half-dozens and dozens 
 in squads, while the duck whistled by with all the 
 velocity of sky-rockets. By four p.m. my powder- 
 flask commenced to show signs of giving out, and with 
 sickly, hollow rattle proclaimed that the remaining 
 charges were few. To prolong the sport I reduced 
 my charges, but still the end was drawing near and 
 could only be delayed a few minutes, for with regret, 
 though the snow was now falling fast and the 
 weather anything but enjoyable, I was brought to a 
 halt. On collecting the spoil I had nineteen geese 
 and forty-one ducks, a load sufiicient for a Canadian 
 pony. However, I managed to stow them all in a 
 fence corner, there to remain till sent for, and most 
 unwillingly I turned towards home. My last view of 
 the field was of broad bills in even increasing regi- 
 ments rushing on to the devoted crop, and I have 
 little doubt if my ammunition had lasted that I could 
 
 L 
 
146 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 have sliowii a score that had seldom previously been 
 made. 
 
 The society of a companion was the only thing 
 wanting to complete the enjoyment ; for talking over 
 the results by a comfortable fire, with a goodly supply 
 of tobacco and a hot glass of Scotch whiskey punch, is 
 no small portion of the pleasure of the day's amuse- 
 ment and a fitting climax. Moreover, such exploits are 
 a bond of fellowship with a comrade which does more 
 to promote good feeling than aught else I know of. 
 If one of my old friends had been with me, that duck 
 hunt would have doubtlessly formed a standing dish 
 at our most frequented haunt for the greater part of 
 the winter, or till some performance more brilKant had 
 taken place, to throw the old yarn in the shade and 
 eclipse its splendour. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 
 
 Halifax, — reader, have you ever been in Halifax? 
 Many places are to be found less to be admired and less 
 agreeable to live in, althougb I bave beard sailors 
 quote tbe saying, usually applied to its namesake in Old 
 England, ** deliver us from Hell, Hull, and Halifax.^' 
 Why this condemnation, I know not. For my part, 
 I bave been in many towns less pleasant ; tbe inha- 
 bitants are hospitable and genial, the society is good, 
 and the ladies have no small pretensions to being 
 considered beautiful. Having spent a couple of weeks 
 lounging about Halifax with nothing to do, at length 
 I decided to go in search of adventure, and, if possible, 
 get a few days' salmon fishing. 
 
 Having come to this conclusion, on examining the 
 local papers, I found that the good schooner Alert, re- 
 gistered A 1, would sail on the morrow for the Straits of 
 Belle Isle, to collect salt fish from the coast, weather 
 
148 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 permitting, so without delay I hastened to the desig- 
 nated wharf, to examine the craft, and strike a bargain 
 with the skipper. The captain was below, in the cabin, 
 one of the deck hands informed me, as I passed the 
 gangway, indicating the position of the companion- 
 ladder with a jerk of his finger over the left shoulder. 
 On getting at the bottom of that most inconvenient 
 piece of mechanism in every small craft, the com- 
 panion-ladder, — a little faster than expected, having 
 slipped my foot on the second or third step, and sKd 
 the rest of the way to the bottom, only saving my 
 neck by the hold I had of the banisters, and making a 
 tremendous racket by my rapid descent, — I was saluted 
 with, " Jock, you careless lubber, can't you mind your 
 feet ? This is the second time you have made that 
 infernal clatter this day V And what more would 
 have come I know not, for I interrupted the speaker 
 in his invective by knocking with considerable energy 
 at the door, which appeared to stand between us. On 
 being desired to enter, I turned the handle, when 
 Captain MacGregor was presented to my view, lathered 
 all over, and in the act of giving the finishing touch on 
 the strap to his razor. He was a big man, powerful, 
 raw-boned, but kindly-looking, and with great courtesy 
 he apologised for his undress, and the rough salute he 
 had given me ; the companion-ladder he condemned in 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 149 
 
 no measured terms, but at tte same time lie could make 
 no allowance for a young callan like Jock being not 
 spry enough, with, his feet to keep a grip of aucht that 
 he could get his heel or toe on. I saw that the skipper 
 was a bit of a character, and with all his external 
 roughness, had a good, warm, kind heart underneath. 
 I determined, therefore, to trust myself to his seaman- 
 ship, if suitable terms could be made. At once the 
 subject of my visit was broached and his charge for 
 the trip ascertained. After thinking a minute or two, he 
 asked my n^me, and whether or no I was from the 
 States. On being answered in the negative and my 
 cognomen given, he took a good look at me, and laying 
 down his razor, the lather being still on his face, he 
 delivered himself in these words : — " The passage I'll 
 just charge you five pund sterling for. I'm thinking 
 you'll na deem that ower muckle, but if I didna like 
 your cut, twenty pund, let alone five, would na hae let 
 you aboard. And I suppose it's a' right, and gin 
 you'll jist wait till I get scraped, I can gie you a 
 glass of real Islay that nare was gauged by excise- 
 man." Soon the scraping operation was performed to 
 his satisfaction, and a black bottle was produced the 
 contents of which fully reached the proper standard of 
 excellence, if strength is considered to constitute it. 
 In the meantime the captain had got ready to go on 
 
150 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOETS. 
 
 shore, and Jock was summoned for final instructions, 
 but the deck hands stated that he was not on board, 
 but fishing off the end of the dock. A stentorian shout 
 summoned the truant. With line in hand and a string 
 of flounders he made his appearance. "How darst 
 you gang ashore wi'out my permission. You're mair 
 bother than the whole ship's company, you de'iFs 
 buckey you. Yinst we get hame, your mither maun 
 keep you to hersel, for though she be my ain sister, 
 I'll no be longer fashed wi' the likes o' you. Now 
 listen to me : hae dinner sharp at twa ; see that the 
 cook dun'na boil the haggis ower muckle, and set twa 
 places. You'll tak your dinner wi' me, sir ; I ha got a 
 real Scotch haggis, and the likes you maybe nare tasted 
 afore. I'll fcak no refusal, mon, unless you're promised 
 to a friend." With pleasure I accepted the invitation, 
 and, much pleased with both captain and schooner, 
 returned to the hotel to pack my traps and make final 
 arrangements before sailing. Sharp at two I was 
 again on board, and the agreeable odour which per- 
 vaded the craft, if it I'ose from the haggis, was a 
 guarantee of future excellence. The captain welcomed 
 me with great warmth, and expressed hopes that we 
 should have a rapid and pleasant passage, but at the 
 same time informed me that there was no more kittlish 
 navigation in the world, excepting it be on his own 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 151 
 
 native coast. Our meal passed pleasantly, and while 
 performing the office of host, his brusqneness dis- 
 appeared, and with it a good deal of the broad dialect. 
 The haggis was excellent, the bacon and chickens were 
 as good, and the West Indian preserves which formed 
 the dessert were of the best quality. As I stretched my 
 limbs under his table, in the snug little cabin, after 
 the cloth had been removed, and a kettle of boiling 
 water flanked with lemons had made its appearance, I 
 felt satisfied that there were worse lots in the world 
 than commanding a clipper schooner in the West 
 Indian trade. 
 
 As the toddy circulated our companionship in- 
 creased, and to a question I asked in reference to his 
 success in the last voyage, he made the following 
 statement : — " Well, sir, you see a man that com- 
 menced the world without a bawbee. My father and 
 mither were baith poor, and when I thought I had 
 enough schooling, our family being big, I bound my- 
 self as an apprentice on board a bark called the 
 Kihnore, that traded out of Clyde to the West Indies. 
 She was one of the old-fashioned sort, and would make 
 as much on a wind as a hay- stack. Still, she was a 
 snug little boat, strong as oak and dry as could be. 
 On the last run I made in her the captain took sick 
 and died, most before we lost sight of Cantire. This 
 
152 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 made me second mate, and the former first mate took 
 charge. Our voyage was prosperous, and we dropped 
 anchor off Demerara in near the shortest time that then 
 ever had been made. One thing only disturbed the har- 
 mony of the passage, viz., the acting first officer was so 
 puffed up with his new post that he neither performed 
 his duty or would let others do theirs. The temporary 
 captain was, after a deal of forbearance, compelled to 
 place him under arrest, and prefer charges against 
 him on dropping anchor. The result was, he was 
 discharged, and as the bark was to go to sea imme- 
 diately, and a first mate could not be procured, I was 
 advanced to act in that capacity. 
 
 "When we got back to Clyde, the very day we sighted 
 old Ailsa Craig, my time was out, and as we ran up 
 the river with a fair wind astern, and all our stunsails 
 set, I would have given most aught if my mither and 
 father — who lived at Saltcoats, close by — could have 
 seen their boy, in his new and advanced berth. The 
 owners of the old KUniore launched a new ship next 
 year, and, much to my unexpected satisfaction, I got 
 the berth of first officer in her. A year or two after, 
 when at Jamaica, I was offered the command of a brig 
 in the Honduras trade, o-nd here I saved some money ; 
 in three years I purchased a share, ^.nd in two years 
 more was half owner. The world prospered wi' me, and 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 153 
 
 every few year or so I see the auld folks and gie tliem 
 a little comfort in their auld age. When young, many's 
 the trout I had tane, and when I would make my 
 fleeing visits to the old hearthstone, I would generally 
 get a day or two to try the salmon in Doon, for I was 
 aye fond o' fishing, so was my father, and his father 
 afore him, an' somehow I ne'er kent a fisher who was 
 na an honest man " — (as he warmed with the subject 
 he resumed his native dialect), — *' and when I looked 
 at you, and heard you say you were going for a bit o' 
 fishing, my heart warmed to you, and tho' I ha' been 
 so fashed wi' passengers, and had maist made up my 
 mind nare to take anither, I jist thought I'd brak my 
 rule on your account." 
 
 The afternoon passed pleasantly ; the captain had 
 been everywhere, and discoursed with great good sense 
 and knowledge upon different countries, and he was 
 destitute of the disagreeable egotism that so frequently 
 stamps our uneducated countrymen. Moreover, he 
 was^ loyal and true subject of his queen and country, 
 which made me the more appreciate him. Next morn- 
 ing we got to sea with a fair wind, and every prospect 
 of a short run ; the schooner was a remarkably fast 
 sailer, built after the model of one of our modern 
 yachts, low and close to the water ; with plenty of 
 beam, and long, tapering, rakish spars. Her decks 
 
154 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 were without hamper, and showed from their whiteness 
 that holystone was not spared ; while the crew, which 
 consisted of six men, the redoubtable Jock, and a 
 sturdy nigger, were as efficient, clean, and smart as could 
 well have been found. The captain took a great deal 
 of pleasure in his craft, and handled her as none but a 
 man of experience could ; besides, he was half owner, 
 and this made him have an -interest in all the details 
 that one employed by the month or cruise would be un- 
 likely to possess. In talking to the skipper, reading, 
 and looking over my tackle, the day passed rapidly, 
 and as night closed in and the breeze lessened^ I con- 
 cluded that I had seldom passed a pleasanter day* 
 
 After supper, MacGregor produced his rods and fly 
 book for my inspection, and a long and careful examma^ 
 tion we had of these common subjects of interest. His 
 rods were remarkably heavy, longer than I should 
 deem necessary, while his flies were coarsely tied, 
 although the colouring was all that could be desired. 
 If one had been dismembered, I have little doubt, 
 from the dubbing and feathers of which it was com- 
 posed, three, or at least two> of my treasures could have 
 been fabricated. Of course, I soon produced my tools, to 
 all of which he gave an abundance of praise, but doubted 
 if they could do more execution than his own. My reel, 
 alone, he acknowledged to be better than his, and con- 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 155 
 
 eluded, if ever lie went to New York,* he'd be guilty of 
 the extravagance of purchasing its counterpart. Bed- 
 time arrived, and having discussed a night cap, I turned 
 into my bunk, while the captain went on deck to keep 
 the middle watch with the second mate — a practice he 
 always followed when on the coast. The motion was 
 just sufficient to lull me to sleep, and soon my eyes 
 were closed to the outer world. Three hours at the 
 utmost must I have been asleep, when the violence 
 of the motion, the stamping on deck, and the sten- 
 torian voice of the skipper, thoroughly aroused me 
 from my slumbers. From the even keel that we had 
 been on a few hours before, we now careened so far 
 over that I found it next to impossible to brace myself 
 in my berth ; the wind fairly screeched through the 
 rigging, and the racket caused by chairs, and other 
 movables adrift, banished slumber for the time being. 
 At length I could remain no longer below, from a 
 desire to see and ascertain the nature of our position. 
 After many ineffectual attempts, and not without 
 assuming all kinds of strange attitudes, I got into my 
 nether garments and boots, and succeeded in gaining 
 the upper regions. The scene was truly terrific ; the 
 sea was wild with agitation ; billow after billow rolled 
 past, crested with foam, while the blast fairly howled 
 * Made by Andrew Clerk and Co., of Maiden Lane. 
 
156 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 about us. The captain stood aft, holding on to the 
 weather mainstay, occasionally giving an order to the 
 men at the wheel. From the spread of canvas we had 
 formerly carried we were now reduced to a close- reefed 
 mainsail, foresail, and storm jib. Sometimes the vessel 
 would appear to jump, as she would leave the top of 
 one roller to reach the next. Jfobly the gallant craft 
 bore the ordeal, and splendidly did she behave ; still, 
 the cool self-possession ol the captain failed to prevent 
 my thinking how much better I should be satisfied to 
 be again standing on terra firma, and although pride 
 prevented my making the confession, I internally 
 registered a vow, that if ever I again placed my foot on 
 land, nothing should again tempt me to trust my safety 
 on board a coaster. 
 
 I fear, however, my vow had no more stability in it 
 than many made by others under similar circumstances. 
 On the coast of China I was on board a vessel which 
 had the misfortune to be caught in a typhoon, and all 
 thought our last hour was not far distant. The person 
 who commanded her was the most profane man it ever 
 was my chance to encounter ; he could not give an order 
 of the most simple nature without qualifying it with 
 an oath. As sea after sea broke over us, and we were 
 in momentary danger of being swamped, I heard him 
 say that if he got out of this fix he'd never use a foul 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 157 
 
 word again. The vortex of the storm soon afterwards 
 passed to leeward, and we were safe ; but this swearer 
 changed not from his evil habit, but, if anything, 
 swore more. On another occasion, proceeding from 
 Malta to Naples, I encountered a gregali or levanter — 
 a violent description of storm frequent in that portion of 
 the globe. The vessel I had shipped in was a small brig, 
 of Trieste, manned by Albanians, Greeks, and Italians. 
 As soon as our position became one of danger, all 
 appeared paralysed and incapable, through fear, of per- 
 forming the slightest duties. In the after part of the 
 brig a niche was fitted up with some pictures of the 
 Virgin, and various saints, with two or three candle- 
 sticks, the whole intended to represent a chapel ; around 
 this the mongrel crew crowded, praying and counting 
 their beads. One who appeared more devout or terrified 
 than the rest, and whom I had previously remarked 
 from his villainous cast of countenance, kept promising 
 in all the most impressive language he could select, 
 silver candlesticks, and other expensive ornaments to 
 the shrine of his patron saint, if he would only inter- 
 pose to save him this time. Three days after we dropped 
 anchor in the Bay of Bays. Giovanni's vows and 
 promises had stirred my curiosity, as I was certain his 
 meagre pay would not fulfil one-half of what he doubt- 
 lessly had intended. "Wandering a few days afterwards 
 
158 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOETS. 
 
 in one of the loneliest suburbs, I came across mj quon- 
 dam acquaintance, in the middle of a number of lazza- 
 roni, engaged in gambling. The scene tempted me to 
 remain and see the sequel, which was not far off, for 
 after fifteen minutes he arose, shook himself, pro- 
 nounced an anathema on his luck, and disappeared. 
 Having to visit the brig, in reference to some baggage 
 I had left on board, I found Giovanni on deck, when I 
 asked him if he had provided the offerings he had 
 promised his saint. With a jocular smile he acknow- 
 ledged he had not, but intended doing it at some future, 
 indefinite date. I fear human nature is much the same 
 everywhere, under whatever clime, or in whatever land 
 it may be nurtured. Mussulman, Roman Catholic, or 
 Protestant — -all make promises or vows on the spur or 
 compulsion of the moment, too often afterwards, under 
 happier auspices, to be disregarded. 
 
 But to my narrative. With each hour the gale in- 
 creased, and to such violence that the gallant schooner 
 was momentarily in peril. Next morning dawned bleak 
 and wild, the waves tumbled over one another, the 
 larger swallowing up the lesser for want of something 
 else to satisfy their devouring inclination. This day and 
 several others were only a repetition of the first night ; 
 no reckoning could be obtained; still we stood upon 
 our course. With half an eye I could detect that our 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 159 
 
 skipper was uneasy, and anxious again for a glimpse of 
 the old familiar sun. 
 
 One of our sails had been blown to ribbons, and our 
 bowsprit became partially sprung, still as long as we 
 had plenty of sea-room all was comparatively safe ; 
 sailors' ingenuity had obviated temporarily the injury 
 of the latter, and the sail room had supplied fresh 
 canvas. The fourth evening the gale exhausted itself 
 about midnight, and I, who had not closed an eye during 
 these days, experienced a few hours of the balmiest 
 sleep that ever fell to the lot of storm-tossed mariner, 
 notwithstanding that there was not a dry stitch, even 
 among the bedding, on board the Alert, How often 
 do I think of the affectionate, kind mother of my 
 childhood, and her anxiety that her boy should not 
 sleep in damp sheets ! Could she see or know the trials 
 and hardships which he, with others, has encountered 
 in his journey through life, her maternal solicitude 
 would receive a severe shock. Truly, the journey of 
 life is a rough path, made up of storms and sunshine, 
 wintry snows and tropical showers ; one time ascend- 
 ing hills, the next descending ; fortune smiling to-day, 
 frowning to-morrow ; ignorant of what the future has 
 in store for us ; but, doubtless, all is for the best, and 
 those troubles and temptations which in our spleen we 
 grumble at, are but intended to fit us for our ultimate 
 
160 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 resting-place, where perpetual sunshine and unclouded 
 happiness will reign for ever. 
 
 Next morning when day awoke me, I was delighted 
 to find that we were once more on a level keel, and 
 when I gained the deck, so bright and joyous appeared 
 the weather, that you could imagine that nature was 
 laughing and enjoying our previous discomfort. 
 Sambo, the cook, soon supplied me with a cup of 
 cofiee, which, with my morning pipe, I thoroughly 
 enjoyed, while I watched the detached banks of fog 
 roll lazily over the water, occasionally shutting out or 
 opening vistas of the distance. The whole water was 
 alive with fish, the surface in many places being 
 broken, and resembling the rapids of a river, with 
 their gambols, but soon a giant porpoise would roll in 
 among them, when all the terrified fry would disappear 
 for a few minutes, to re-present themselves when the 
 intruder had departed. Gulls, in immense numbers, 
 floated upon the water, as if resting from the fatigue 
 caused by the war of the elements, and adding beauty 
 to the picture by their pure white, spotless plumage. 
 I remember hearing an old salt in answer to the 
 question of why sea fowl, in bad weather, so much 
 more fearlessly approach vessels than when it is 
 calm, give the following solution : — ^* Well, you see, 
 those good folks who die don't go to Davie Jones, but 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 161 
 
 turn into cape pigeons and kittiwakes, and them kind 
 of birds, and when they think it's rough and kind of 
 dangerous, they naturally like to hover about their 
 friends to protect them/' If angels visit earth in 
 these modern and wicked times, there are many garbs 
 they could assume less beautiful and less suitable than 
 that of the snowy- white sea-gull. 
 
 At breakfast our captain expressed much satisfaction 
 at the bad weather having passed, and particularly at 
 its being so unusually calm, for he much feared, what 
 with the usual incorrectness of dead reckoning and 
 strong tides — which exist to a greater extent here * 
 than probably in any other portion of the globe — 
 that he was some way off his course. On taking 
 soundings, the depth indicated by the lead line and 
 the composition of the bottom so completely differed 
 from what we expected that there scarcely remained 
 a doubt that we were astray ; still we were drifting 
 very rapidly to the north-west, the fog, if anything, 
 growing denser. About eleven our captain, having 
 given the look-out strict injunctions to keep his 
 eyes open while he again went below to examine 
 his chart, I followed suit. I could scarcely have been 
 in the cabin over five minutes when the schooner 
 received a severe shock, which caused me to rush on 
 
 * In the Bay of Fundy the tide sometimes rises over twenty feet. 
 
 M 
 
162 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 deck. We liad struck a rock forward, a little to star- 
 board of the stem, but the tide bad fortunately swung 
 us round clear, and we were drifting on as if nothing 
 had happened. On sounding, we found we were 
 making water rapidly, faster than the pumps could 
 throw it out. True, we had the boats, and our danger 
 was trifling, but the security of the gallant craft was 
 imminent. Not a word of anger did the captain 
 permit to escape his lips, but accepted all as destiny. 
 Scarcely twenty minutes had we been in this uncertain 
 state when a gentle breeze sprang up and the fog 
 rapidly lifted, giving us an observation, and disclosing 
 a panorama never to be forgotten. Tier after tier of 
 sterile hills overtopped each other to the north, grand 
 in their bold and fantastic outline, while a white sandy 
 beach met the blue water, occasionally interrupted by 
 a reef of rocks jutting out into the azure element. 
 Not over a mile separated us from the shore, and pro- 
 jecting headlands shut us in from west and easterly 
 gales ; while a reef of rocks, the extremity of which 
 we had touched, formed a natural breakwater a mile 
 and a half to the eastward. If so disposed, with the 
 wind from its present direction, we should have found 
 it a difllcult matter to beat out, and when the skipper 
 informed me that he intended running in and strand- 
 ing the vessel at the first high tide, I not only highly 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 163 
 
 approved, but was much delighted with the prospect. 
 The welcome word to let go the anchor soon rang 
 forth, and the emblem of faith took hold on firm sand 
 at four fathoms. 
 
 In discussing our early dinner, the captain informed 
 me that he intended going ashore to seek out a suit- 
 able place to strand his craft, and that I might as well 
 accompany him and explore to the westward, for a 
 stream was marked on his chart which could not be 
 over a few miles from our anchorage. Soon we trod 
 terra firma, and, while MacGregor remained, I started, 
 double-barrel in hand, on a reconnaissance, with light 
 steps and lighter heart. The soil was thin and unpro- 
 ductive, bearing nothing but stunted brush, excepting 
 in the ravines and hollows, sheltered from the prevail- 
 ing winds ; here a dwarf deformed pine or stunted 
 larch would rear its diminutive head, or an antiquated 
 birch, covered with its hoary bark, hang precarious from 
 a jutting rock. Intense solitude reigned around, and 
 nought broke the stillness of the landscape, save the per- 
 severing, wicked hum of the bloodthirsty mosquito. 
 With buoyant hopes I walked on, and just as I began 
 to think I had traversed quite two miles, I suddenly 
 came upon the margin of a bright, pure river, about 
 seventy yards wide, running in a continuous, rapid 
 stream towards the sea. Mungo Park's first view of 
 
164 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 the Niger, or Speke 'and Grant's first sight of the 
 upper waters of the Nile, can scarce have afibrded more 
 satisfaction to those illustrious travellers than I expe- 
 rienced on this occasion. Several seals were fishing 
 in the current, and their disregard of my presence 
 convinced me that their acquaintance with the lords of 
 creation had been very limited. Several families of 
 wild duck were conspicuous, while salmon and sea 
 trout broke water wherever the stream was undis- 
 turbed by the unwelcome seals. Reader, have you 
 ever been on rivers and witnessed how rapidly the 
 arrival of a seal in a pool is transmitted ? The 
 moment before his unwelcome presence is known, 
 thousands of fish sport themselves, but on his advent 
 being published, not an indication can be noted that 
 aught else tenants the water save this amphibious 
 animal. After taking a due survey I started up- 
 wards, following the margin of the stream. In less 
 than a mile I found its general characteristics changed, 
 and from a steady rapid current it became a boiling, 
 seething cataract. Again its character changed, and 
 large sombre-looking pools interrupted its precipi- 
 tous course. How I longed for a rod! It required 
 much less experience than mine to be aware that this 
 was a magnificent fishing- ground. Salmon rose on all 
 sides, pitching themselves clear of the water and 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 165 
 
 making it fly in spray, like the splash of a heavy 
 stone. I had beheld enough to satisfy the most fasti- 
 dious, and with hurried steps I retraced my way, brim- 
 ful with what I had seen, and anxious to convey 
 the important information to my kind and worthy 
 acquaintance, the captain. 
 
 That evening we discussed our plans, MacGrregor 
 being in excellent spirits, having found that the ship's 
 leak could easily be stopped, and that the injury was 
 far from serious. As he was his own employer, he 
 thought he would indulge in a little recreation, and 
 set his men to painting, sail-making, and all those 
 minor et ceteras so constantly wanted on board ship, 
 while we in company flogged the river, or other- 
 wise enjoyed ourselves. That night we sat up later 
 than usual, and fishing excursions for years gone 
 by were discussed, tales told of the first blood we 
 had drawn, of the largest fish we had captured, 
 and where they had succumbed to our prowess. Old, 
 musty, moth-eaten fly-hooks and feathers, that appeared 
 as if they had not not seen the light of day for years, 
 were produced from his numerous lockers, and as they 
 were examined, and various pages turned over, nume- 
 rous were the anecdotes narrated in connection with 
 each. So the evening sped along, and chancing to 
 refer to the sea- trout, he seized upon the subject as on 
 
166 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 a favourite hobby, and informed me that ''if there 
 were whitling,* he would show me some sport ere we 
 reached the river, for he kent of a flie that they could 
 na resist ava, but just loupet at it like mad.'' His 
 fly-hooks were again appealed to, but a perfect specimen 
 could not be found; some wanted wings, others bodies, 
 and in all the gut was in an imperfect state. What 
 was to be done ? As luck would have it, I fortunately 
 had the materials, and his debris afibrded a good 
 pattern. On oflfering them for his use, he declined, 
 but requested me to become manufacturer. The fly was 
 simple, and easily tied; and for the benefit of those 
 who may some day be similarly situated, I will here 
 describe it. Wings from the swan or white goose; 
 body scarlet mohair ; two or three strands of scarlet ibis 
 for the tail ; the body wrapped loosely and wide with 
 silver tinsel, with a scarlet hackle under the wings. 
 In half-an-hour I had tied six ; and taking a night-cap 
 in the shape of a strong glass of the genuine Islay in the 
 form of punch, turned in to dream of fish and fishing. 
 Jock roused us ah hour before daylight, and having 
 discussed an excellent cup of cofiee, we got into the 
 stern sheets of one of the boats, with two of the 
 crew to pull us to our destination. After leaving 
 the side of the schooner, MacGregor determined to 
 
 * Scotticism for sea-trout. 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 167 
 
 mount one of the flies which I had made the previous 
 evening, and troll behind the boat. Soon the deception 
 was overboard, and scarcely had twenty yards left the 
 reel before he had a strike, but the fish did not hold. 
 On satisfying himself that the tackle had not parted, 
 more line was -^aid out, and ere we had progressed a 
 hundred yards, he hooked a fish, and that a good one. 
 The reel rushed with the greatest velocity, although the 
 rowers had backed water to impede the progress of 
 the boat, and for a good quarter of an hour it was give 
 and take. The scientific manner in which my friend 
 handled his rod at once convinced me that he was no 
 novice, and his coblness proved that he was master of 
 the art. At length the previously unseen and game 
 antagonist was brought under the gunwale, and with 
 little difficulty I struck the gaff* into his beautiful side, 
 and brought him into the boat. My friend called the 
 captured fish a pollack, and confessed to having killed 
 hundreds of them on his native coast. I have since 
 become aware that he was right, and that this fish is 
 well known in British waters. Again his flies were 
 astern, and similar results took place, till I got im- 
 patient l^st we should be late in arriving at our desti- 
 nation. So far we had not seen a sea-trout, but this 
 delay was not to be long continued. On entering the 
 estuary of the river, our first one was hooked — -a lively 
 
168 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 fellow of three pounds ; another and another followed 
 suit, till over a dozen white struggling beauties lay 
 upon the foot-boards. I am convinced, if we had re- 
 mained and devoted ourselves to this sport, that we 
 could almost, between the two rods, have loaded the 
 boat ; but nobler game was in prospect, and splendid 
 fishing was resigned for sport in prospective. 
 
 Before leaving the white trout, a few words on 
 its habits and characteristics may not be inappro- 
 priate. Along the coast of Labrador and Prince 
 Edward's Island, about the mouth of the numerous rivers 
 that flow into the St. Lawrence, they are to be found 
 in immense numbers, visiting the various streams about 
 the time, or perhaps a little later, than the salmon. 
 Their size varies from one-and-a-half to six pounds, or 
 even more. They spawn in fresh water, like salmon, 
 which they much resemble in shape and habit. They 
 are greedy feeders, easily hooked, and not fastidious in 
 their taste ; and, for their weight, are second to no fish 
 in the world for their persevering, determined efibrts to 
 escape, jumping frequently several feet clear of the water, 
 and using every efibrt to tax the angler's skill. 
 
 In appearance the sea-trout* is much like the Sahno 
 salar, and when cooked it would be diflScult to tell the 
 two apart. In fishing for them, the same skill in the 
 * The sea trout of America and Britain are different species. 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 169 
 
 choice of flies is not necessary, but brilliant ones should 
 always be selected, for invariably they will be found the 
 most eflective. If in a boat, the angler should gene- 
 rally confine himself to such portions of the coast 
 as receive the fresh water of a river or brook. The 
 flies that I should prefer using for this description of 
 sport would be at least several sizes smaller than those 
 commonly employed for the capture of the larger 
 species (Salmo salar). 
 
 Having pulled up into the current as far as the 
 stream would permit, we landed upon a rock, behind 
 whose jutting sides the water formed many a miniature 
 whirlpool. As the captain raised his rod to take in 
 the surplus line, a fine sea-trout rose at the fly. 
 Judging from the splash, he was of more than usual size, 
 and worth making a second efibrt for. Again the cun- 
 ningly-disguised hook was passed over his retreat, but 
 with the same success ; a third trial was essayed, and 
 as the third time is said to be lucky, so it proved, for 
 the fish was hooked. The struggles and devices this fish 
 practised to escape were worthy of success ; three times 
 he ran out many a yard of line, and on each occasion 
 jumped several times clear of the water ; but all was 
 futile, for after upwards of ten minutes' play, he was 
 obliged to surrender to skill and practice. My com- 
 panion called upon me to use the gafl*, and with the first 
 
170 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 effort I succeeded in landing him on terra firma. We had 
 no scales to weigh him, and we were too tired, and had 
 killed nobler specimens before we returned to think more 
 of this little hero ; but from experience I am confident 
 he must have reached nearly five pounds. On examina- 
 tion of our ground, we mutually agreed to separate, 
 one taking the left, and the other the right side of the 
 river. Trees and brush did not grow sufficiently near 
 its margin to seriously incommode us, and the rocks, 
 which became uninterrupted after leaving the coast, 
 were flat and in regular strata, affording excellent 
 footing, and in many places their table- like surface 
 was only a few inches above the level of the stream. 
 One of the sailors accompanied me to ^ct as gaffer, and 
 afford assistance, while the other went with the captain. 
 In our council of war, which we held before sepa- 
 rating, it was determined that we should try and fish 
 opposite one another as much as circumstances would 
 allow, and under no occasion get out of haiL A few 
 hundred yards higher than my exploring had led 
 me the day before, the water tumbled over some rocks, 
 making a fall of six or seven feet, and then expanded 
 into a broad sullen pool, with a disturbed but slow 
 current down its centre, covered with patches of foam. 
 Soon my rod was together, and an old favourite fly 
 added to my stretcher, whose performance was frequently 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABrvADOR. 171 
 
 on previous occasions satisfactory. This fly has no 
 name that I am aware of; in fact, I go so far as to 
 imagine myself the inventor ; but whether my title is 
 good or not to this honour, I will give its description, 
 pro bono publico. Wings from the wing feathers of the 
 bustard (a bird now to be found in quantity only on 
 the steppes of southern Russia or Tartary : in plumage 
 and colour it much resembles the wild turkey, whose 
 feathers, I have no doubt, would answer equally weU), 
 with a few strands of the scarlet macaw or ibis mixed 
 with it. Body of two colours, equally divided ; upper 
 portion of dark blue mohair, lower of gingery red, a 
 red hackle round the lower portions of body, and a 
 black round the upper. A band of silver tinsel, if for 
 a bright day, and gold> if for a dark one, wrapped 
 carefully and regularly between the hackles ; the whole 
 terminating with a scarlet tail either of ibis or worsted, 
 — the latter I prefer. To say that this fly has not been 
 tried previously might be deemed presumptuous ; but 
 this I will say, that when I first made it, I had 
 no pattern, neither did I try to copy anything I 
 had seen. I have used it in many waters, and inva- 
 riably with success, although I am aware that fre- 
 quently what is found most deadly on some streams 
 is totally ineflfective in a neighbouring river. 
 
172 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 My fly being on, and the cast well stretched, I com- 
 menced operations, and at the third throw rose a heavy 
 fish without pricking him. However, I thought I would 
 move down, and return when I had got to the bottom 
 of the pool, and offer his excellency another chance. At 
 the fifth throw I rose and hooked a fine fish, who, as 
 soon as he felt he was impaled, rushed down into the 
 still water. Not less than seventy yards did he run 
 out at this burst, and when I thought I had turned 
 him, the scoundrel sulked and remained sullen at the 
 bottom. I thought he was hooked strong, for I struck 
 him quick and forcibly, and therefore felt confident, 
 barring accidents, that he was destined to be mine. 
 Slowly, but surety, I worked down stream, taking in 
 with guarded hand every inch of slack that I could 
 with safety. "When abreast of him, not over thirty 
 yards were off my reel, and the ground was more than 
 usually accessible. With patience I waited some 
 minutes, but I might just as well have been fast to a 
 rock. Other salmon were breaking around me, and I 
 could not afford the time to remain inactive. I 
 was determined to rouse my prize, and my anxiety 
 increased when the sailor who accompanied me an- 
 nounced that the skipper had just landed a fish. 
 In my excitement I had lost sight of my friend, 
 but Crosby's news recalled him. The captain had 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 173 
 
 drawn first blood. This fact brought my impatience 
 to boiling-point, and I could stand it no longer. Crosby- 
 was instructed to throw a few stones above the fish, 
 and thus endeavour to start him from his retreat. 
 The first piece of rock had scarcely touched the water 
 when the object was attained. Ofi" he went, with the 
 velocity of electricity, and the handle of my reel spun 
 round like the fly-wheel of an engine ; although I kept 
 a considerable check upon my line, still over ninety 
 yards must have run off, when, much to my satisfaction, 
 he broke water three times, the first time throwing 
 himself good three feet clear of his element. This 
 manoeuvre, although frequently successful, pleased 
 me in one way. I was certain that his route would 
 now be changed, and probably I should succeed in 
 getting in some of my line. True to my former expe- 
 rience, the fish now headed up stream, and permitted 
 himself to be somewhat controlled. At moderate pace 
 he retraced his steps, and almost had got to where 
 I struck him, when, putting a little more strain on 
 than he admired, round he wheeled, and with his pre- 
 vious velocity pointed his head again for the sea. Still, 
 the struggle had its effect ; this dash was not equal to 
 previous ones, and fifty yards of line brought him up. 
 For ten minutes it was give and take, back and forward, 
 up and down, till at last I brought him, all resplendent 
 
174 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 in his silvery armour, into shoal water. *^ Now, Crosby, 
 now's your chance ; careful, man ; don't be in too big 
 a hurry." But my advice was disregarded ; the sailor 
 made a plunge at the fish with the gafi* as if it had been a ^ 
 harpoon, scratched the salmon's side, and all my work 
 was again before me. The drawing of blood instilled new 
 vitality into the fish's veins, and the previously beaten, 
 vanquished foe was running out line as if he had been 
 fresh struck. I could not be angry ; when a novice I 
 had done likewise, and, no doubt, my attendant had 
 just made his virgin efibrt. In fact, I could not help 
 being amused at his astonished countenance, for, doubt- 
 less, he had already counted the fish as safe. This last 
 struggle did not continue long ; again I got him in shoal 
 water, when, having cautioned and instructed my 
 excited attendant as far as words could avail, he made 
 a second efi'ort, and that correctly. Twelve pounds 
 was the weight of this noble salmon, and often have I 
 found that those of this size are more game and afford 
 a harder fight than larger fish. The strain on your 
 rod is not so severe, or the contest so long as with a 
 heavier antagonist, but the activity and energy dis- 
 played are sharper. 
 
 Having overhauled my tackle, and lit a weed as a 
 reward for my prowess, I again ascended to the top of 
 the pool and commenced afresh ; visions of the first fish 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 175 
 
 I rose, whicli I felt convinced was a formidable one, 
 inducing me to this course. My leader had now got 
 straightened, from the action of the water, and the 
 strain it had so lately successfully withstood. To get 
 my line clear away to the requisite length, I threw across 
 the surging portion of the stream and dipped my tip, 
 to prevent any unnecessary delay when I reached my 
 friend's ambush ; a couple of casts brought me to the 
 spot, and with careful, steady hand and measured throw 
 I placed my fly, straight as a bee line,* a few yards 
 above where my prey was supposed to be lodged ; and 
 with that regular motion that resembles the passage of 
 a shrimp through the water, I brought the bright, 
 fascinating deception towards me, the current at the 
 same time carrying it downwards. Description, parti- 
 cularly if you enter into detail, is always longer than 
 action. My handspme imitation — of what ? for a 
 similar living fly I never saw — was a foot or two 
 above the desired eddy, when a splash, a flourish of 
 a broad, dark tail, answered by my quick, nervous hand 
 giving an electric strike, fastened me to a splendid fish. 
 As man and animals choose diflerent methods of assault 
 or defence, so this salmon chose a diflerent course to 
 free himself. The hook had scarcely been in him, 
 
 * A common Americanism, originating from loaded bees always 
 flying straight to their home. 
 
176 ACCESSIBLE EIELD SPOKTS. 
 
 when four times lie sprang with, determined energy 
 from his watery home, each spring causing me, in 
 courtesy, to lower the point of my weapon, as an inferior 
 would salute a senior officer; but this steeple-chase 
 escapade had not the desired effect, and the salmon, 
 comprehending this, altered his plan of combat, and 
 settled down deep in the pellucid river, remaining im- 
 movable and inactive, although far from conquered. 
 An occasion of this kind is a trying ordeal, and often 
 as dangerous to the tackle as any stratagem that is 
 put in practice ; in fact, I have thought that it is 
 practised for the purpose of rubbing their snout on the 
 rocks or gravel, as frequently I have found, after kill- 
 ing a fish who had thus performed, that my fly was 
 much frayed and worn. 
 
 After waiting for many minutes, trusting that my 
 foe would change his mind and his quarters, I became 
 impatient, and believing my tackle to be good, put on 
 a little extra purchase; this ruse was successful, for 
 with astounding velocity the fish started down stream, 
 at racing pace, for parts unknown. The reel fairly 
 yelled, and instead of the well-made sonorous click 
 being heard, a discordant screech was its utterance. 
 Close on a hundred yards of line rushed through the 
 heated rings before he slackened up, and a good twenty 
 yards more I had followed his course ; at the end of 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 177 
 
 this dash he broke water splendidly, causing the spray- 
 to fly for many feet around. Again and again his argen- 
 tine flanks reflected brilliant radii in the sunlight, 
 and at each glistening reflection of the solar rays I 
 feared that we should part company without the most 
 remote chance of further or more closely renewing our 
 acquaintance. Fortune and good tackle, however, 
 favoured me ; and I had the satisfaction of turning 
 his head for the source of the river, and probable 
 birthplace of himself and relations. With the greatest 
 satisfaction I took in yard after yard, my hopes rising 
 as the body of my reel expanded ; at length I saw the 
 loop which attached the line to the leader, and the sight 
 caused me more satisfaction than one can possibly 
 imagine who is daily engaged in the ordinary pursuits 
 of life. salmon fishing ! what pleasure have I 
 enjoyed following thy peaceful pursuit ! What ecstasy, 
 what delight ! Would that I had the pen of the most 
 fluent writer, or tongue of the most eloquent spokes- 
 man ! I could do you far more justice ; but still I 
 doubt if it is in the power of words to mete to you an 
 iota of the laudation and praise your fascinations so 
 eminently deserve. 
 
 Why wander from facts ? Simply because I cannot 
 help it. But if I must be recalled from the enchant- 
 ment of scenes which may never be re-acted, bear 
 
 N 
 
178 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 with me for a moment ; it is but tlie allotted time for a 
 breather between the heats-— the welcome respite before 
 the final burst that is to terminate the race. So it 
 was in this instance ; the strength, if not the courage 
 of the regal foe, was weaker, and each succeeding effort 
 became less powerful. Many a yard of line was 
 again run out and safely restored to its resting-place. 
 Up and down both immolator and yictim traced and 
 retraced their course ; the one fearing to pursue, the 
 other momentarily becoming more unfit. Time did its 
 work, and, as in all things, brought the last scene to 
 a close. A shoal bank of gravel lay at my feet, and 
 giving my fish the butt, I drew him in towards Crosby, 
 who, ankle deep, stood beneath me in the cool, clear 
 water, and struck the gafi" into the spotless silver side, 
 and landed him with the adroitness of one who had 
 served a long apprenticeship to the trade. Don't 
 imagine that there is no science in handling a gafi* ; 
 for one expert many muffs will be found. How, 
 then, you may ask, did this sailor learn so difficult 
 a business in so short a space? Probably because 
 he had a natural aptness ; or, more likely, being a 
 sailor, he could turn his hands much sooner than per- 
 sons of any other trade to a business which required 
 coolness and dexterity. 
 
 This fish weighed over eighteen pounds, and was 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 179 
 
 fresh run from the sea, for he had not yet cleansed 
 himself of the sea-lice ; his breadth and depth were 
 enormous in proportion to his length — the best proofs 
 of condition. In this capture, from the time the fish 
 was struck till I had him floundering on the bank, full 
 forty minutes elapsed, I having noted time previous 
 to making the first cast at the head of the pool. 
 
 On examining my tackle, I found that it had 
 suflered considerably, particularly the fly, which not 
 only had one of the hackles broken, but also the tinsel ; 
 I therefore stuck it carefully in the crown of my hat, 
 and replaced it with another, intending in the evening, 
 when comfortably seated in our snug cabin, to bring 
 my pliers, scissors, vice, &c., into play, and construct its 
 counterpart, being well satisfied that the combination 
 of colour which in previous exploits had done me good 
 service, was again destined to reap fresh laurels and 
 further establish its reputation. The upper portion of 
 the stream, and the only part I had so far fished, was now 
 well rested ; and while refreshing myself preparatory to 
 making a third essay, several noble fish broke water in 
 the immediate vicinity where I had hooked both of my 
 trophies. From what I had already seen, I was con- 
 vinced that magnificent sport was before me, and that 
 I had at last arrived in the land of plenty — of salmon. 
 There was a satisfaction in knowing this — a feeling I 
 
180 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 will not attempt to describe, a gratification of a long- 
 ing often felt, but never expected to be realised. Fancy, 
 brother fishermen, having salmon as abundant as trout 
 in a good trout stream ! In ten casts I had three rises, 
 out of which I had hooked and killed two fish ; and 
 my friend across the water had also been busy — 
 possibly five salmon taken out of one reach, and that 
 within an hour and a half! Ye lords and com- 
 moners, who pay enormous rentals for salmon rivers, 
 can you, with all the paraphernalia that a London 
 fishing-tackle establishment can supply, with all the 
 attendance and accessories that wealth can purchase, 
 show a finer record ? Truly I doubt if it is possible. 
 Again I commenced at the head of the pool, and slowly 
 progressed downwards ; one fish I stirred, but on a 
 second time casting over him, he refused to put in an 
 appearance. Step after step I descended, and when not 
 more than ten yards below where I had hooked my first 
 fish, I struck another ; but, alas ! the hook did not hold ; 
 a few spasmodic struggles, and he was free. That I 
 was too slow in striking I attribute as the cause; 
 for at the moment I had observed a mink standing 
 on a stone watching my proceedings with curious 
 eye — no doubt wondering what kind of creature his 
 optics, possibly for the first time, rested on. Of one 
 thing I am certain — you cannot be too quick in 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 181 
 
 striking salmon; they come up with, sucli velocity 
 that not a moment should be lost in responding to 
 their call. 
 
 Salmon or trout fishing is not alone enjoyable for 
 the pleasure of killing fish, but for the scenery and 
 attachments which form the necessary adjuncts to the 
 sport. The distance from the haunts of fellow men, 
 the solitude of perhaps the surrounding forest, the soft 
 murmuring of the descending and rushing water, the 
 opportunity afibrded to study nature in its unalloyed 
 purity — all tend to enhance, to the true lover of nature, 
 this princely sport ; the very combination of all these 
 et ceteras making the perfection, \Yhich all will acknow- 
 ledge to belong to fly-ashing. During the noon hours 
 I determined to remain behind, while my friend the 
 skipper returned to his schooner, on the proviso that 
 Jock should be landed with orders to report himself to 
 me, to perform as gafier for the evening's fishing ; 
 while the boat, at sundown, would come to the estuary 
 to carry self and booty back for a late supper. As my 
 friend departed, and the sullen plash of the oars, 
 momentarily less distinct, told of increasing distance 
 between me and mankind, my enjoyment of the scene 
 became doubly enhanced by the depth of the solitude ; 
 and with full appreciation of the beautiful lines of 
 Byron, — 
 
184 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 northern latitudes, and mucli valued for its fur. The 
 little episode was in keeping with what all who are 
 observant of nature may daily witness — the stronger 
 insect devouring the weaker, the more powerful 
 animal the lesser, or man, the greatest tyrant of all, 
 whatever falls within his reach, if worthy of the exer- 
 tion, or suited to his fastidious palate. 
 
 The better to keep at bay the pestiferous blood- 
 suckers, I lit a cigar, and again lounged, trying to kill 
 time, and pass as agreeably as possible the interval 
 between Jock's arrival and my evening's fishing. 
 About half-past two the boy came, and we both started 
 for the upper pool. Already I had christened our scene 
 of operations the upper, lower, and middle pool, and 
 the stretch, which was a long rapid, connecting the two 
 latter ; so that^ in speaking of them by these appel- 
 lations, the reader will be aware to what portion I 
 allude. 
 
 On reaching the water, although little after three 
 o'clock, much to my satisfaction the fish were on the 
 move, and during the few minutes that were necessary 
 to arrange my tackle, over a dozen succeeded in ascend- 
 ing the shoot. It is seldom that the lover of nature 
 can witness a more satisfactory and pleasing exhibition 
 than that of salmon passing up a leap. Their efibrts 
 and perseverance are truly astonishing, and frequently 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 185 
 
 dozens of essays will be made before one is successful. 
 The manner of performing their ascent is a proof 
 of the immense yelocity, strength of body, and 
 enormous power, with which they are gifted ; from 
 six to eight feet can be accomplished by them,- and 
 I have heard many persons assert more. When once 
 the fish gain the summit over the edge of the upper 
 bend, a few spasmodic, rapid motions of the tail carry 
 them forward, and they disappear from view so suddenly 
 as to leave the beholder in doubt whether they have 
 succeeded, or been carried down in the surging fall. 
 
 The flies continued exceedingly troublesome, particu- 
 larly a small species of sand-fly. So minute are they 
 that when on your hand it is almost impossible to 
 detect their exact situation ; but however insignificant, 
 their powers of torture are intense, for immediately 
 after they have punctured the skin, a small water- 
 blister rises, which smarts as acutely as a burn from 
 the application of nitric acid. 
 
 All the concoctions that I have ever used to repel 
 these pests have, so far, signally failed to give the 
 desired relief; oil of pennyroyal, camphor, hartshorn, 
 &c. &o., are useless, because their power evaporates 
 the moment they are exposed to the atmosphere ; fish- 
 oil and oil of tar retain their virtue a little longer, but 
 they require too frequent applications for one engaged 
 
186 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 in exciting sport, as well as being filthy and soiling 
 to all you come in contact with, making your approach 
 most objectionable to your companions, from the ofien- 
 siveness of the smell. If some of our numerous inge- 
 niouis chemists would set their brains to work and 
 discover a practical means of 1-epulsion of these vam- 
 pires, they would earn the goodwill of all the followers 
 of the gentle craft. 
 
 The fifth or sixth throw rose and hooked a fine fish, 
 which made me uncommonly busy ; he was remarkably 
 lively, and kept me on the move the first ten minutes. 
 I scarcely ever remember to have seen a salmon break 
 water so frequently ; after the first burst, with about 
 sixty yards out, he showed himself six or seven times, 
 springing on each occasion several feet clear of the 
 surface. However, these exertions told upon my foe, 
 for when I turned him he submitted to be guided till 
 all surplus line was in. Through a stumble which I 
 made on passing over the rocks, I accidentally checked 
 him more abruptly than Mr. Salmon thought was 
 courteous, for off again he went with the velocity of a 
 steam-engine; however, my tackle was strong and 
 hook well planted, and soon, a second time, I had him 
 under control, and by exercising a little politeness of 
 the give-and-take order, I brought him into shallow 
 water. Jock, my faithful attendant, was by, and with 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 187 
 
 intense deHght waded into the stream. "Careful, boy ! 
 be cautious ! '* But all was thrown away ; he made a 
 grab at the fish with the gaflf, as a sailor would with a 
 boat-hook, but fortunately dragged the fish in water too 
 shoal for swimming. Jock saw he had made a bungle, 
 and was determined to retrieve if possible his lost 
 reputation ; he threw himself on the struggling salmon, 
 and after a groping match of some minutes, with im- 
 minent danger to my tackle, proudly walked ashore, 
 wet from head to foot, with the prize tightly cuddled 
 up in his arms. Although at first tempted to anathe- 
 matise the young scamp, I enjoyed a hearty laugh at 
 the nonchalance with which the monkey treated his 
 ducking. 
 
 Moving down the water, I recommenced opera- 
 tions and rose two good fish ; soon I got fast to a third, 
 which gave me ten minutes' splendid sport, then he 
 sulked, and after two or three futile attempts to escape, 
 succumbed. I was surprised at obtaining so easy a 
 victory, but this was explained by finding a piece 
 cut out of his back, in front of the first dorsal fin, 
 upwards of an inch in width, and two or three long. 
 In trout fishing, I have once or twice taken fish 
 similarly wounded, and as there were no gill nets at 
 either place, the only satisfactory reason I can attribute 
 is, that either a seal or an otter was the perpetrator. 
 
150 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 As the evening advanced I changed flies, and selected 
 what I have long known by the sobriquet of "the 
 drummer ; 'Mt is composed thus : the mottled feathers 
 of the peacock's wing, with a few strands of golden 
 pheasant for wings ; body, light brown fur of the bear 
 next the hide, mixed with orange-sable fur and gold- 
 coloured mohair ; gold tinsel, loosely but regularly 
 wrapped with blood or claret coloured hackle round 
 the shoulder, and ordinary red hackle lower down. 
 This fly has always been with me a great favourite, 
 more particularly if the water is clearing out after 
 rain, and with confidence I recommend it; at the 
 same time I would have two or three sizes, the choice 
 to be dictated by the size of water, colour, and hour. 
 Some persons, in addition, have forked it with two or 
 three hairs of the squirrel for tail ; and a very worthy 
 friend and admirable fly-fisher, whose success was a 
 guarantee of his skill, used to affirm, that when fish 
 wouldn't rise at " the drummer, '* you might as well go 
 bed. As the results will show, my couch was not 
 put in requisition, for ere many minutes I touched 
 a splendid fish, but unfortunately didn't hold him. 
 After a few miuutes without success, I moved a very 
 heavy fish without touching him. Again I gave him 
 a chance, and he tumbled over the fly like a porpoise, 
 without any apparent inclination to take. The third 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 189 
 
 time that I offered, however, I was more successful, 
 for in striking I hooked the fish foul. The result 
 was curious and far from satisfactory, for this fellow 
 put me through a course of spurts which opened 
 my optics, and further convinced me of the uncer- 
 tainty of the movements or plan of escape that 
 is probable to be adopted by the impaled. What 
 was my surprise — and I am confident many others 
 would have been similarly affected — to see my victim 
 remain on the surface, not jumping out of the stream, 
 but beating the water with his tail, and violently 
 struggling, making the liquid fly for feet around. For 
 several moments this continued, when, changing opera- 
 tions, down stream he went with surprising velocity. 
 The reel screeched, and I followed with agile and care- 
 ful steps, when, — cod found it ! the d — 1 take it ! — 
 readers, you must excuse, remember the aggravation — 
 my rod broke at the ferrule of the second joint, and my 
 line returned to my feet like a coil of rope scientifically 
 thrown by an expert boatman. I was in despair. 
 Such damage could not be repaired where I then 
 was ; my leader and new fly were gone, possibly for 
 the estuary of the St. Lawrence, and, like a vessel 
 stranded in a falling tide, I was perfectly helpless. 
 To find the cause of this unexpected casualty was 
 my first endeavour. The wood of the rod at the frac- 
 
190 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 ture looked fresh and sound, the brass appeared to 
 be put on correctly, but there was something to be 
 discovered yet of which I was still ignorant, and to the 
 reel I went to solve the problem. In winding up or 
 taking in line I had, through carelessness, permitted 
 one round to lap across the other. In paying away the 
 two had jammed, coming to a full stop. My rod had 
 been broken, my fly stolen, and my casting line was 
 probably performing duty for a pennant to a fish 
 totally disregarding distance or trespass. *' There's 
 no use grieving over spilt milk," some one says, and 
 after I had got rid of the fizz, like a bottle of soda- 
 water, I was calm enough, only regretting I had lost 
 the salmon, for, with all fishermen, the fish that gets 
 ofi* is, of course, a very great deal larger than any you 
 have captured. 
 
 To be a perfect fisherman you require more excel- 
 lences than are usually to be found in such a small 
 space as is allotted to man's carcass; you should be 
 patient, forbearing, vigorous, decided and prompt in 
 emergency, with the constitution of a water- spaniel, 
 and the ingenuity of an Arkwright or a Fulton. Being 
 deficient in many, more particularly in the latter 
 requisites, I was compelled to shut up shop by putting 
 up my rod in its canvas covering, regretting my bad 
 luck, my stupidity, and last, though not least, the 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 191 
 
 fish that had worsted me at my own game. Not being 
 in the best of humour, of course Jock was out of the 
 way and not within hailing distance. What a capital 
 chance to vent the balance of my spleen, not at all 
 improved by the confounded flies, whose attacks, since 
 I had ceased to be employed, became more noticeable ; 
 in truth, if it were possible, I doubt not that I should 
 have liked to saddle the boy with his absence being the 
 cause of my mishaps. After several times shouting 
 his name he at length appeared, hat in hand, bare- 
 headed, with a smile of childlike satisfaction on his 
 face that, even in my irate state, I had not the 
 heart to destroy. To my inquiry where he had been, 
 with a look of satisfaction he informed me he had 
 found and harried a nest, producing his hat full of the 
 stolen treasures. After giving him a lecture on the 
 impropriety of such a course, and the probabilities of 
 his being devoured by wolves and bears, or even canni- 
 bals, if he left my side, I could not help making an in- 
 spection of what his bonnet contained. Trul}^^ he had a 
 hat full, for upwards of a dozen pale cinnamon blotched 
 eggs, a trifle larger than those of the domestic pigeon, 
 lay at the bottom. The nest and parent bird, from de- 
 scription, left me in no doubt that Master Jock had 
 deprived some luckless Rock Ptarmigan {Lagopus alhus) 
 of her embryo brood ; and after lecturing him on the 
 
192 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOUTS. 
 
 enormity of sucL. a proceeding, and begging a share of 
 the spoils, we started for the place of rendezvous. 
 
 The evening after my first day's sport was not an 
 idle one, for though the body inclined to rest, full well 
 I knew that on my exertions in fly- tying depended the 
 sport of to-morrow. To make a good fly requires not 
 only skill, but patience and knowledge, with a correct 
 taste in the blending of colours ; a strong hand, to 
 make secure work, and the employment of the best 
 materials. How frequently indiflerent hooks and gut 
 are purchased because the}^ are a trifle cheaper ; but 
 if we could foresee the severe ordeal that may some 
 day be in store for our tackle, and the splendid fish 
 that may be lost through this want of judgment, we 
 should be better suited with half the quantity at double 
 the cost. Your feathers should, if possible, be fresh, 
 with the pile unbroken ; your furs and mohair uncut 
 by moths, and your silk the strongest, yet the finest 
 that can be procured. Of course many of your prin- 
 cipal feathers will require to be purchased, but if the 
 fisherman is also a shooter, there are few game birds 
 that will not afibrd him choice materials ; so that during 
 autumn and winter, when his gun, instead of rod, is 
 his companion, he can daily make additions to his 
 treasures, which will serve him in pursuing the sister 
 amusement. 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 193 
 
 Everything which makes deception more alluring 
 should be resorted to by an angler ; for, let his experi- 
 ence be ever so great, he will always find opportunities 
 to regret his deficiencies. Where all depends so 
 much upon chance, it is impossible to see the dis- 
 advantages under which you may frequently labour, 
 or the awkward positions in which you may occa- 
 sionally be placed ; where it is absolutely necessary 
 for the fisherman to put on an unusual and severe 
 strain to turn a hooked fish, so as to prevent his going 
 over some surging fall, or down or up stream, inaccessible 
 to the steps of the angler. Sometimes, of course, the 
 loss of fish, or even fish and tackle, cannot be avoided ; 
 but good, careful work, and the best materials, will fre- 
 quently obviate so annoying an ordeal. However, 
 having struck your fish, the tackle and your own 
 coolness are generally responsible for the issue, and woe 
 betide you if careless knot or indifi'erent tying should 
 have been made in constructing your leader or fly. 
 
 I would therefore advise all gentlemen to acquaint 
 themselves thoroughly with the method of their con- 
 struction, for though they may not have time and 
 inclination to follow it as a pursuit, they may chance 
 to be placed in positions where their pleasure and the 
 success of their expedition may be entirely marred by 
 want of this knowledge. 
 
194 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 I would further advise that joxxr leaders should be 
 stained as nearly as possible to the colour of the water ; 
 but care should always be taken not to make them too 
 dark, as you thus go to the opposite extreme that you 
 adopt this plan to avoid. Brown and a bluish- grey or 
 light neutral tint are decidedly the best colours, the 
 former to be used when the water is clearing out after 
 heavy falls of rain. To procure the first-mentioned 
 colour, a few ounces of alum dissolved with a pound 
 of the bark of the walnut tree when the sap is up, I 
 think is the simplest recipe ; while the latter colour 
 can be got by substituting logwood for walnut. 
 
 Of course, as the season advances, and the quantity 
 of water diminishes, and the noonday sun becomes more 
 powerful, the size of your flies must be proportionably 
 less. Even the hours of the day have to be consulted for 
 choice of size ; for instance, from break of day till sun- 
 rise and from sunset till dark, very large flies frequently 
 will take, while the smaller would be totally neglected. 
 
 An Irish gentleman, who had for many years been 
 considered one of the most successful and expert per- 
 formers on the river Corib, while on a fishing tour in 
 America, had the kindness to show me the treasures 
 contained in his valuable fly-book. Among a remark- 
 ably choice collection of all sizes, shades, and con- 
 struction I observed many so large that they excited 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 195 
 
 my curiosity and inquiry. Some were several inches 
 long in the body, and were commonly used in Gal way 
 for early morning or late evening fishing. 
 
 Those projecting an excursion to the distant wilds of 
 Labrador should pay particular attention to arriving 
 there at the correct season. As to specifying a day or 
 a week, that is perfectly impossible, for as long as the 
 water is impregnated with snow not a fish will be 
 taken ; and, of course, the lateness or earliness of 
 spring, which frequently varies one or two weeks, 
 must receive consideration and guide your steps. The 
 first few days after the salmon commence to run flies 
 of a large size are more successful, but as the season 
 advances their size must be reduced. 
 
 The next morning, bright and early, found us again 
 upon the river. The number of seals which I had 
 seen the previous evening induced me to take my rifle, 
 with the intention of having a little practice during 
 the noonday rest. The rocks in the estuary appeared 
 a perfect nursery of these curious animals, and from their 
 numbers and well-known destructive habits, immense 
 quantities of salmon must be annually destroyed to 
 satisfy their fastidious and insatiable appetites. I have 
 since found out that the Habitants (persons of French 
 extraction) frequently pay visits to this locale for the 
 capture of these valuable Amphibia, their oil and skins 
 
196 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 fetching long prices in our principal markets. Since 
 yesterday the water had fallen some inches, but I had 
 little fear that where fish were so numerous and little 
 disturbed it would unfavourably afiect their disposition 
 to take. Having faith in the fly I designated *' the 
 drummer," I determined to experimentalise with others, 
 retaining my old friend as a last resource in case of 
 failure. I therefore selected a former favourite, known 
 by many as " the hornet," and whose texture and shape 
 had produced good results in many localities. The fly 
 is made as follows : wings from the fine fibres of the 
 English cock pheasant's tail ; body of yellow worsted 
 or amber- coloured mohair, the mohair to be preferred ; 
 the body to be ribbed with black and made full, with 
 a large red cock's hackle, black at the roots, wrapped 
 several times under the butt of the wings. Having got 
 my rod together I commenced work, and the success 
 which had attended my efforts of the day before and 
 my choice of flies were quite equalled by this day's 
 performance. The third cast I rose a superb fish, but, 
 unfortunately, scratched him, and had the same mis- 
 fortune repeated before many minutes. However, 
 by the time I had got thirty yards down the water, 
 I struck another, whose unusual size and activity 
 evoked unlimited admiration. His first rush was truly 
 magnificent, and as soon as I succeeded in stopping 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 197 
 
 his precipitous course, he returned almost to my hand 
 with the same velocity, preventing my immediately 
 recovering the slack of my line. From pleasure a 
 moment before, I was now nearly in grief, and but for 
 luck should certainly have lost my prize. However, 
 being thus favoured, I got again upon equal terms. A 
 quarter of an hour more and the gaff pierced his silver 
 coat of mail, and I had the satisfaction of capturing a 
 handsome and well-made fourteen-pound fish. 
 
 That morning I killed eight fish, the majority 
 weighing about nine pounds, and the number I rose 
 and touched must have been quite equal. One 
 salmon I rose six times in succession, but ultimately 
 failed to secure : from the swirl he left in the water, 
 I should imagine he was about fifteen pounds. On 
 my way down to the tideway I observed two new 
 specimens of birds, whose plaintive notes were very 
 sweet ; their names I have never been able to ascer- 
 tain, but doubtlessly they belong to the numerous 
 bunting family. Crossbills, snow-birds, and cedar- 
 birds were abundantly numerous ; and, although I did 
 not succeed in obtaining any of their nests, I am con- 
 vinced that they were engaged in rearing families, as 
 I perceived several gathering grubs and insects, with 
 which they flew to the neighbouring brush. 
 
 Having got to the boat, we started for the reef to 
 
198 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 try what could be done with the seals. But they 
 did not like our appearance, and commenced scuffling 
 off the rocks and dropping into the water ere we got 
 within range; however, one old scoundrel — grim and 
 savage-looking through age — appeared less alarmed 
 than his fellows, and remained stationary, watching 
 our motions with dubious eyes. When within fifty 
 yards the men ceased pulling, and permitted the boat 
 to forge ahead with her own way. Pulling the tiller 
 lines so as to alter the course, I got a clean shot, and 
 turned the ungainly, awkward brute over; but his 
 struggles carried him down the incline till he fell in 
 the water, when he sunk immediately. After much 
 difficulty we managed to get him out, and, on exami- 
 nation, found the ball had pierced the skull a little 
 over the right eye. His weight must have been up- 
 wards of three hundred pounds, and the quantity of 
 grease that came from the carcass, as we divested 
 him of his pelt, was surprising. The hide of these 
 animals makes most excellent shoes when properly 
 tanned, and I have been told that nothing in the shape 
 of leather is so capable of turning water. One shot 
 was sufficient to expel the seals from their haunt, so 
 we returned shoreward ; however, just as we were 
 about to land, a youngster popped up his head, which 
 I let drive at, but without precision. 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 199 
 
 The flies to-day continued very annoying, and the 
 irritation caused by their bites itched so severely, that 
 it aiFected the majority of our tempers ; the only 
 respite that could be obtained was when out on the 
 water, where the draught of air had full scope. Oh, 
 that some one, versed in the likings and dislikes of 
 these insidious foes, would find a method that would 
 protect the angler from these pests, when he is enjoying 
 a trip that has no other drawbacks. To describe my 
 sufierings would be impossible ; suffice it to say, that 
 my actions were sufficient to cause a physician to 
 imagine me fit for incarceration in a lunatic asylum ; 
 even now I can scarcely revert to the subject without 
 feeling irritated. 
 
 JRevenons a nos moutons. "With salmon fishing, the 
 imaginary moment of victory is frequently the pre- 
 cursor of defeat ; the noble adversary but relaxes his 
 ejSForts that, in the resulting confidence which follows, 
 he may the more successfully concentrate his powers 
 for a final dash, that frequently results as I have 
 shown. I can compare it to nought else than the 
 skilful swordsman, who, finding himself overmatched 
 in his antagonist, gives ground and feigns fatigue 
 to imbue his foe with confidence, hoping that a 
 careless pass will still afford him an opportunity to 
 deliver the deadly thrust. Men have always foibles, 
 
200 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 always paramount pleasures ; their tastes are as diver- 
 sified as tlie colouring in Joseph's coat, as the physi- 
 ognomy which we bear. While one is devoted to 
 the horse, another is to the hound ; while one loves 
 the gun, another loves the rod ; to question their 
 tastes and argue with them the reason, would probably 
 be unproductive, but of this I am convinced, no man 
 ever felt the pleasure, the intense excitement of 
 having a salmon on a rod, or even the more diminu- 
 tive trout, without being again desirous of renewing 
 the sensation ; the very uncertainty causes this fasci- 
 nation. A gentleman for whom I have much esteem, 
 and who has been busily employed all his life 
 in mercantile pursuits, principally abroad and in 
 countries where fly-fishing was not practicable, a few 
 years ago met me on a fishing excursion. His essays 
 with the fly, from lack of experience, were not gene- 
 rally successful; but when I hooked a heavy fish 
 and handed him the rod to play the deluded victim, 
 his countenance, particularly if victorious, exhibited 
 more satisfaction than I believe it would have done if 
 he had made thousands of dollars. Fishing — legiti- 
 mate fishing with rod and fly — requires but to be 
 known and practised to have more votaries than any 
 other sport extant. 
 
 That afternoon I killed four more fish, all worthy of 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 201 
 
 a place in the memory of the most successful angler, 
 all deserving of notice for their plucky efforts to avoid 
 their doom. But numbers have satiated my memory, 
 and their efforts, ruses, and struggles cease to occupy a 
 place in my retrospect ; for the gallant fight of the 
 salmon that you have been fortunate enough to impale 
 — unless his exertions are marked by some new 
 device or specialty in the conflict — lives no longer in 
 the memory than kindnesses do in that of many. 
 How many strive after a prize, use all their efforts and 
 energy to be so successful as to obtain it, and how 
 often, when successful, they throw the coveted treasure 
 on one side, as if no longer worthy of possession ! I 
 much fear that such is as often the case with the dis- 
 ciples of the gentle art, as with those who follow less 
 fascinating pleasures. 
 
 Just as I was thinking of closing up for the night, 
 my companion shouted to me that there was a bear 
 in the water; on looking up stream, sure enough 
 there was bruin, stemming the current and boldly 
 pushing for this side. With hasty impidse I laid my 
 rod down to grasp my rifle, but, alas ! my attendant, 
 fatigued with carrying it, and seeing small prospect of 
 its being required, had left it leaning against a rock some 
 distance off. You may well imagine my disappoint- 
 ment, for when the bear left the water he was not over 
 
202 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 twenty -five yards above my position. This animal, 
 judging from his size, must have been quite four 
 hundred pounds — a size much greater than it gene- 
 rally attains in the north-west. Until he had firialy 
 gained his footing he had not observed us, and the 
 ludicrousness of his alarm and astonishment when he 
 became aware of our vicinity was laughable in the 
 extreme. Off he went with a rush into the brush, 
 making dry and withered limbs crash before him. 
 
 As the constant and severe attentions of the flies 
 put a nap out of the question, and I had become sur- 
 feited with tobacco from the number of cigars I had 
 consumed, under the fallacy that the smoke would 
 deprive me of their company, I was compelled as a 
 last resource to start on a tour of inspection ; at the 
 same time hoping that my exertions would be rewarded 
 with the discovery of some quadruped or bird with 
 which I had been previously unacquainted. On enter- 
 ing the scrub bush the mosquitoes became more 
 numerous, and I have little hesitation in saying, that 
 the bloodsuckers of Arkansas and Mississippi, which 
 bear the same name, are far from proficients when you 
 compare them with those of Labrador. After half an 
 hour's rough scrambling through the morass, I suc- 
 ceeded in gaining more open ground. Rising towards 
 the upper ridges of high lands, the squawberry and 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 203 
 
 blueberry grew in profusion, and the wild strawberry- 
 was scattered in patches wherever sufficient sustenance 
 from the impoverished soil could be gained for its 
 support. In straying about I found two nests of the 
 night hawk, and both of different plumage from those 
 I have so frequently seen of a summer evening on the 
 banks of the Ohio River ; the eggs in both were four in 
 number, of a dirty colour, smudged with brown, and 
 almost lying on the bare rock. This bird is doubt- 
 lessly migratory, resorting here in summer for the 
 purpose of propagation, and spending its winters in the 
 more genial climate of the Southern States, where it 
 changes its plumage to one of less brilliancy and 
 receives the local appellation of '^buU bat/' 
 
 In the rocks and sand I found some fossils of shells, 
 and on such elevated ground that it caused me at the 
 time surprise and wonder whether shell-fish were once 
 denizens of land instead of water, or whether these 
 mountains had once been submerged. Hares appeared 
 to be numerous, as their paths crossed and recrossed 
 each other, forming a perfect labyrinth. Ptarmigan and 
 the Canada partridge I also saw so frequently, that 
 I have little doubt, in the month of September, fine 
 sport might be obtained with dog and gun. Bear 
 signs were also abundant, a solitary stump showing 
 evidence of the power of their claws, and from the 
 
204 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 height some of these conylncmg proofs extended up its 
 side, the bruin family are evidently not stunted in growth 
 in this locality.* After walking for almost an hour, I 
 succeeded in reaching the crest of one of the nume- 
 rous swells, and, as I turned to survey the scenery, 
 one of the most enchanting panoramas that ever I 
 witnessed broke upon my vision. Bays and arms of 
 the sea, innumerable small islands, numerous reefs of 
 rocks and uncountable mountain peaks stretched as far 
 as the eye could see ; while almost beneath my feet lay 
 our goodly little schooner, reduced by distance to a 
 mere cockle-shell, — the busy crew passing to and fro 
 upon the beach, looked scarcely larger than ants. 
 Here, with the unobstructed breeze playing upon me, 
 I got a little peace from the troublesome insects, and I 
 would have remained longer but that the hour indi- 
 cated the close proximity of the time to commence my 
 evening fishing. 
 
 The fly I had used in the morning had done me 
 such good service that I determined to re- employ it, 
 and the result was quite equal to anticipation. I 
 soon got to work, and in a few minutes was fast in 
 a fine fish, who, although he made a noble struggle, 
 
 * In every locality where bears are numerous, all appear to select the 
 same tree to try their claws upon. Of course the larger bears make the 
 highest incisions. From these marks an expert hunter can form a 
 good estimate of the size of the visitors. 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 205 
 
 succumbed in less than twenty minutes. Moving 
 my position from some slow water, I took a cast in 
 the throat of a stream formed by the projection of 
 some rocks, not that I expected to rise a fish, but to 
 get the line out of my way as I scrambled over some 
 rough ground; in fact the water, although rapid, 
 looked too shallow for the retreat of anything over a 
 pound weight. With surprise I rose a fine brook trout 
 (Salmo fontinalis). Of course such a fish was not to 
 be despised, so I gave him a second chance, and had 
 the satisfaction of succeeding in striking him. With 
 my strong tackle and rod I treated him cavalierly, 
 and, in about ten minutes, had the pleasure of hand- 
 ling and canvassing his weight, which was a trifle over 
 five pounds. 
 
 I never remember to have seen a fish of more bril- 
 liant colouring and beautiful proportions, and I have 
 little doubt that on a seven- ounce trout-rod he would 
 have given a good half-hour's pleasure. These streams 
 — or those which lie in this portion of the American 
 continent — swarm with trout, more particularly when 
 you ascend some distance above the tideway ; and 
 from information I have received from fishermen who 
 are acquainted with those waters that lie nearer to 
 civilisation, I have reason to believe that brook trout 
 can there be caught upwards of ten pounds in weight. 
 
206 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 Moving down to the run, I recommenced, and 
 rose a very large fish the second cast ; but our ac- 
 quaintance got no further, for all my blandishments 
 were futile to induce him again to move. A little 
 lower down I was more successful, for I struck a 
 regular Trojan, whose memory still lives, and to whose 
 performances I award the palm over all others. As 
 soon as he felt himself pricked, contrary to the custom 
 of his brethren in a similar predicament, he rushed up 
 stream with the velocity of a bullet, through the throat 
 of surging water and into the next pool ; fortunately 
 the ground was accessible, and I was enabled to follow, 
 but for the life of me I could not, dared not, take a pull 
 on him. From the fish's movements I should think 
 he was swimming about two feet deep, and, from the 
 power and speed that he showed, appeared totally to 
 ignore any control. However, it's a straight road that 
 has no turn, and if I was led a dance in the first 
 instance, my turn was coming. After walking two 
 hundred yards and giving out nearly one hundred yards 
 of line, the drag told, and my friend thought it better to 
 change his course ; down stream he came with a rush, 
 still without showing, but just as he got to the smooth, 
 oily-like water that preceded the break of the rapid, 
 he commenced springing with great rapidity. Five or 
 six times this ruse was repeated, when ofi* again my 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 207 
 
 gallant foe went down stream, with as mueli energy 
 and spirit as lie had at first displayed. Well, to make 
 a long story short, to and fro we both went, up and 
 down, first one way and then another, till the fun 
 became hard work, and the exertion caused globules 
 of perspiration to stand on my face, and worse than 
 all, the confounded flies attacked me with renewed 
 vigour, availing themselves of my unprotected situa- 
 tion. Again and again I took in line, — as frequently 
 to be run out ; but the exertion had told on the foe, and 
 at length I succeeded in getting him into shoal water. 
 Truly he was a beauty — twenty pounds if an ounce — 
 and already I felt that he was mine. Soon the silver 
 sides alternately showed, and all that was wanted was 
 a skilful gafier. My man, however, did not prove 
 himself so ; he got directly between me and the fish — • 
 made an awkward attempt — managed in some un- 
 accountable manner to get the line under his arm, 
 w^hich he had previously tried to take hold of, and 
 made a stumble that alarmed the salmon, which, with 
 a violent plunge, summoned all his energy and made 
 again for the deep water, taking away the hook and 
 part of my leader. 
 
 With regret, after supper that evening, I heard the 
 captain state that he had made up his mind to be off 
 on the morrow, for well I knew it was more than im- 
 
208 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 probable tbat I should ever wet my line m such another 
 salmon river. The number of fish T had killed was not 
 so extraordinary, for I had not entirely devoted myself 
 to the sport, had bad luck in breaking tackle, and lay 
 oflF for many hours during the middle of each day ; 
 however, here there was no fear of a jealous antagonist 
 cutting in before you, flogging your favourite pool, or, 
 perhaps, on your arrival, finding him fast in the only 
 fish in the river at that time on the feed. 
 
 If there is one thing in the world more trying than 
 another to a man's temper, it is the above misfortune ; 
 and I often fear that though the tongue be tipped with 
 courtesy and politeness, very far from amicable feelings 
 are dominant in the heart ; but because a favourite 
 resort has just been threshed over, that is no reason 
 you should not make an essay. Salmon are fastidious 
 and fickle, and possibly the allurements you can ofier 
 will please their ideas more than all the blandishments 
 of the first visitor. An acquaintance, not long ago, 
 told me the following, which will prove the truth of 
 the above. Some years since he was disappointed on 
 arriving on his fishing ground, by finding one of the 
 most successful anglers hard at work. Disheartened, 
 perhaps, but not discouraged from making a trial, he 
 put his rod together and commenced operations, the 
 result of which was, that in a short time he had 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 209 
 
 three fine fish, whereas his antagonist had not ob- 
 tained a single rise. Nevertheless, I would much 
 prefer to be the first to pass over the ground, or 
 rather water, in spite of all that can be said to the 
 contrary. 
 
 The last evening little else was done but fight our 
 battles over again, and the number of cigar stumps 
 and diminished bottles clearly bespoke the length of 
 our sitting, and the relish we had for one another's 
 conversation. A happier night I don't think I ever 
 spent ; and even now I look back to those few 
 delightful days with unfeigned delight. Before re- 
 tiring we settled that till noon on the morrow we 
 would fish, and get under way as soon after as pos- 
 sible, both being repugnant to tear ourselves away 
 from a locality which had afibrded us so much 
 pleasure. 
 
 With break of day on the morrow we were again re- 
 seated in our boat, starting for the river on our parting 
 visit. The captain put out two lines astern with the 
 hope of catching some hungry straggler of the deep, nor 
 did the lines long remain idle ; one in particular, which 
 was attached to a large-sized Buell spoon, was kept 
 constantly at work, and on two occasions it had 
 scarce got well clear of the boat before it was seized. 
 Several whales and innumerable porpoises kept plung- 
 
 p 
 
210 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOKTS. 
 
 ing on either side ; one of tlie latter, of a pink, salmon 
 colour,* rose so close to the boat as almost to be within 
 reach of the oars. In the mouth of the river several 
 sea-trout were taken, one a splendid fellow nearly six 
 pounds. At first when he was struck, we thought 
 it was a salmon from the rush he made, but soon 
 after his spring from the water told us that our adver- 
 sary was only first cousin to the king of game fish. 
 On arrival at the place of disembarkation, the colour 
 of the river pleased me much, being scarcely as clear as 
 the day before, possibly caused by a shower up country, 
 or some light slate-coloured clouds that floated in the 
 westward heavens. As I marched up the course of 
 the stream, I found not less than a dozen seals having 
 a grand pow-wow, and with the hope of learning some- 
 thing of the habits of these strange Amphibia, or their 
 method of catching their prey, I watched them from 
 behind a rock ; but the appearance of the captain on 
 the other side of the stream, who was unaware of my 
 ruse, put them all to rout like a flock of scared 
 sheep ; nor did they again show themselves till they 
 were several hundred yards down the river. 
 
 I have never been able to learn to my satisfaction, 
 from books or friends, how these ungainly creatures 
 catch their prey, more especially when I know with what 
 
 * White porpoise, common ii; many parts of the world. 
 
SALMON FISHING- IN LABRADOR. 211 
 
 swiftness a hooked salmon can swim even with the strain 
 of a powerful rod and stiff reel to impede his progress ; 
 and again, who, that has ever witnessed a fresh run 
 salmon endeavouring to divest himself of sea-lice, can 
 doubt for a moment that if the fish does not become 
 charmed' or entranced so as to paralyse his powers of 
 locomotion, in a race he could far outstrip his awkward 
 and ungainly foe. That seals prey upon salmon, and 
 that to an enormous extent, is beyond a doubt, but 
 hpw they succeed in capturing them is to me still a 
 mystery. 
 
 On arriving at the upper pool I found the water 
 perfectly boiling with fish ; up, down, or across, wher- 
 ever you cast your eyes, you could either see the dark 
 back of a salmon or the splash made by its plunge. 
 This symptom, I am inclined to believe, is frequently 
 ominous of bad sport, as fish will play in the manner 
 described before a fall of rain, and at the same time 
 will totally disregard the most alluring fly that can 
 be fabricated. In trout- fishing, particularly, I have 
 found this to be the case. One evening, a few years 
 since, when on a fishing excursion in Northern Maine, 
 the show of fish was immense, and the water being 
 perfectly smooth permitted every break to be seen. 
 The forenoon had been unusually warm, in fact the 
 atmosphere felt as if surcharged with electricity, and^ 
 
212 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 consequently I had determined to fish no more that 
 day ; still this extraordinary show caused me to break 
 my resolution ; but far better had I stayed at home, 
 for two hours were spent fruitlessly, scarcely having 
 killed a single fish ; when, under ordinary circum- 
 stances, on the same pools, I could have doubly filled 
 my basket. However, this want of success was soon 
 explained, for that evening, an hour after sunset, one 
 of the most severe thunder-storms I ever witnessed 
 took place. A "New Yorker, whose fly-book I had the 
 pleasure of lately examining, — the contents of which 
 included the most perfectly tied trout-flies I ever 
 saw, and who was reported to be as skilful in hand- 
 ling the rod as he was in making dubbing and 
 feathers represent an insect, — informed me that he 
 could always tell by the barometer when fish would 
 feed well ; now, this is a novel use to put this instru- 
 ment to. 
 
 But to my story. I commenced fishing with san- 
 guine expectations, and the issue was commensurate. 
 The third cast I hooked and killed a ten-pounder. 
 Again I went to work, and before many minutes was 
 fast to another, which, after the first run, unfortu- 
 nately escaped, my hold doubtlessly being a bad one. 
 Nothing daunted by the mishap, I was soon again 
 firm in a third fish, and from the strain and headlong 
 
SALMON FTSHIXG IN LABRADOR. 213 
 
 force of the rush, doubtless a good one — twenty pounds 
 if an ounce — and such he proved when he broke 
 water, with every prospect of success ; for I consider 
 the first burst, until the fish is turned, as far more 
 dangerous and probable to result in disaster than any 
 other portion of the fray. At least an hour did I 
 give to gain the victory ; but as I brought my prize, 
 now thoroughly exhausted, into shoal water, I felt 
 that I would sooner have undergone five times the 
 labour and loss of time than lose my fish. With 
 repeated cautions, my attendant entered the water, 
 the same man who had accompanied me the first day, 
 and using his gafi* with the proficiency of one who 
 had served a long apprenticeship, skilfully landed the 
 salmon at the first attempt. This one when weighed 
 barely turned twenty pounds, and was, by long odds, 
 the finest that was captured by either myself or the 
 skipper. 
 
 As I passed down the comparatively stagnant por- 
 tion of the pool, an indication of current that eddied 
 round a point of rock in the centre of the river 
 particularly struck me as being a place worthy of 
 attention. Easing out a few extra yards of line so 
 as to throw above and beyond it, I made a cast, and 
 almost simultaneously two. fine fish dashed at the fly, 
 but without success. At the second cast I was more 
 
214 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 successful, for I hooked a salmon, which I landed In 
 a very short time. Although this fish had all the 
 appearances of being fresh run he afibrded very- 
 little sport, and but that he was well- formed, solid, 
 and had not lost the sea-lice, I should have been 
 inclined to believe that he was a spent fish. As 
 such an occurrence has happened to me before, I 
 think that the niost satisfactory elucidation is that 
 he had just arrived in fresh water, and had 
 not had time to recover from the fatigue of his 
 journey. 
 
 The afternoon of the first day of my visit Master 
 Jock had amused himself catching chub, and, boy- 
 like, had made a cache in the sand in which he 
 deposited about a couple of dozen. On passing this 
 spot I found that it had been visited by bears the 
 previous night, who had devoured all the results of the 
 lad's prowess. From the footprints left on the sand, 
 I concluded that the bruin party consisted of an old 
 lady and a couple of young hopefuls. Doubtless good 
 sport could be had here trapping. A few properly- 
 constructed bowers, with hanging baits and good traps, 
 would give the hunter abundant and remunerative 
 employment. 
 
 At the head of the riin I recommenced fishing, and 
 in less than ten minutes had struck and risen three 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 215 
 
 beauties ; but, unfortunately, the gentleman 1 hooked, 
 in the first exhibition of his disgust at being so egre^ 
 giously sold, returned the complimeiit and victimised 
 me by taking away a portion of my leader and the 
 fly. The hornet so far had done my morning's work, 
 and not having a second, I mounted the drummer ; 
 the alteration in choice was not detrimental^ for at the 
 seventh or eighth cast I hooked a handsome fellow, 
 who after a well- contested battle struck his colours. 
 On moving downwards, 1 almost placed my foot on 
 a duck with a numerous progeny. Depositing my 
 rod carefully, I started in pursuit. Though scarcely 
 as fleet as a greyhound, I have a tolerably long pair 
 of useful legs, but although I put them to the best 
 use, it was all of no avail : the little bunches of fluff 
 and down fairly ran me to a standstill. Several times 
 I tried to throw myself on them, but their agility 
 and marvellous powers of dodging, — first squatting in 
 one tuft of grass, then in another, — forced me to give 
 up the contest. A few minutes after, I saw the whole 
 party, under their parent's guidance, making their 
 best exertions to reach the opposite shore. This duck 
 was of a variety to me entirely new, about the size 
 of the wood duck, but entirely different in colouring. 
 The nearest approach to it I know of is a water-fowl 
 known on the Ohio and Wabash rivers as winter duck 
 
216 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 or whistler, the difference of plumage possibly being 
 caused by the season. 
 
 Four more salmon I killed that morning, making, 
 as I think our friends will agree, a handsome fore- 
 noon's work; but as the sun was becoming very 
 powerful, and with its increased heat the confounded 
 flies were again attentive, with more than ordinary 
 repugnance I determined to unlimber, hoping that 
 Providence, in her kindness, would at some future day 
 land me on the solitary shores of this picturesque and 
 admirably-adapted river for pursuing with success and 
 ease the ever-fascinating, ever-changing, ever-exciting, 
 gentlemanly sport of salmon fishing. 
 
 By one o'clock we weighed anchor, and after a few 
 tacks got out into open water, where a favourable 
 breeze quickly carried us from a spot that will ever 
 hold a bright, happy impression in my memory ; 
 and as the sun set in golden, refulgent splendour, a 
 low lii;ie of distant, indistinct, bluish hills, were the 
 only visible marks in the horizon that remained to 
 indicate where the choicest river on which I had ever 
 wetted a fly rolled its pellucid, sparkling water to the 
 all-absorbing ocean. 
 
 My friend, the captain, I have not met since we 
 parted at Russell's Hotel, Quebec (where he was 
 pbliged to go for repairs), after drinking to auld lang 
 
SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 217 
 
 syne and future meetings ; but a year since I heard 
 that fortune had smiled upon him, and that he had 
 returned to the land of Burns, amply provided to enjoy 
 peace and plenty for the rest of his days, and give 
 some comfort, as he used to say, *'to the gude auld 
 folks/'* 
 
 * During my visit to America last winter, I was presented by- 
 Livingston Stone, Esq., with five hundred pregnate ova of American 
 salmon, which I forwarded to Frank Buckland, Esq., Commissioner of 
 her Majesty's Fisheries. They are now to be seen in the Museum of 
 Economic Fish Culture at South Kensington. Introducing new blood, 
 even among fish, may be found beneficial. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 THE PRONG-HORNED ANTELOPE. 
 
 {Antitocapra Americana.) 
 
 This is the only species of the genus, and is about 
 the size of Cervus Virgimamis, graceful and elegant in 
 form and action, and probably as swift as any known 
 quadruped. Well may the Americans be proud of pos- 
 sessing the only representative of the race, and truly 
 with good reason. When the antelope is seen on the 
 boundless prairies of the Far West, untrammelled by 
 limit, free to go and return as they choose, the impres- 
 sions caused will never be effaced, or a better represen- 
 tation of perfect independence and freedom beheld. It 
 is with sorrow I state that the limits of this beautiful 
 creature are day by day becoming more and more con- 
 tracted, and predict that, with the bison (Bos Americanus) 
 and the Indian, it will ere long cease to exist, save in 
 the memory of those who knew these princely hunting- 
 grounds before the intruding, grasping white race 
 
THE PRONG-HORNED ANTELOPE. 219 
 
 scattered themselves over what had been sacred and 
 free from their intrusion. I do not love my own race 
 less, but at the same time cannot deny that there is a 
 pleasure on the boundless plain, the dense forest, when 
 you can commune with yourself alone, and say, " I am 
 the first of my nation who has ever penetrated or stood 
 upon this spot. And then the precursors of civilisation, 
 however capable they may be of breaking up soil, 
 felling timber, and splitting rails, are of all society the 
 least qualified to be thrown among the representatives of 
 the aboriginal animals, for they slay without discretion, 
 slaughter for the sake of shedding blood, are more blood- 
 thirsty than the wolf or panther, and only cease when 
 all are exterminated or banished from their vicinity. 
 
 The prong-horned antelope is in height about three 
 feet at the shoulder, over four feet from tail to tormina^ 
 tion of nose, smaller in the ear than the Cerms family, 
 while the beautifully sabre- curved prong-horn is from 
 six to eight inches in length. The colour on the back, 
 down the thighs and hips, is dark brown ; the stomach, 
 throat, and exterior side of ham a yellowish white, 
 while a distinct dark bar, like a collar, girds the throat, 
 eight or ten inches below the setting on of the head. 
 The eye is large, soft, and protruding ; nostrils ex- 
 tended, and the ears stand usually horizontal, and are 
 very pointed. The limbs are tall in proportion to the 
 
220 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOUTS. 
 
 animars height, excessively muscular in make, and 
 strongly indicative of the immense velocity with which 
 it can travel. So great is this animal's speed that I 
 feel confident in saying that neither greyhound nor 
 racehorse would have the slightest chance to overtake 
 it on any description of tolerably firm soil. The 
 Indians catch them generally by making a surround, 
 when the squaws enjoy the honour of the slaughtering. 
 Hundreds are frequently taken in this manner. Again, 
 they are sometimes captured by frightening them into 
 the snowdrifts ; but, after all, the greatest numbers fall 
 a prey to their own curiosity. To stalk within gun- 
 shot of the prong-horn is at all times difiicult ; they 
 are gifted with the most acute senses of hearing and 
 smelling, and once alarmed but a short space of time 
 will elapse before they have placed miles between them- 
 selves and the intruder ; but if the hunter approach up 
 wind within two or three hundred yards of his prey, 
 carefully conceal himself, draw his ramrod, and on it 
 place a boot, cap, or piece of rag, and describe ec- 
 centric rotary motions through the air, the unsuspi- 
 cious but curiosity-excited beauties will soon observe the 
 novel machine, and keep gradually approaching, till 
 they will frequently come so close that the swarthy 
 redskin can without fail pierce them with an arrow. 
 As food, when young, they are excellent ; when old, 
 
THE PRONG-HORNED ANTELOPE. 221 
 
 unless hung for a long time, tlie flesh, is tough and 
 stringy, although well- flavoured, having a peculiar 
 gamey flavour not unlike hare. 
 
 The sexes can be distinguished by the inferiority 
 of height in the female, by the horns being only 
 prickers without the prong, and by the absence of 
 mane, which the male when in winter pelage possesses 
 of considerable size. 
 
 These animals at one time were found abundant as 
 soon as the great plains were reached that lay westward 
 of the Mississippi ; now, however, their eastern limit is 
 much farther ofi* towards the Rocky Mountains, while 
 from Northern Mexico to fifty-two or fifty-three degrees 
 north latitude, may be asserted as their northern and 
 southern bounds. From their being at home in, or in- 
 digenous to, so large an extent of country, where every 
 temperature can be felt, from the heat of Africa to 
 the cold of Siberia, it seems that they are well worth 
 attention for acclimatisation. If this be not done 
 they will soon cease to exist, and what a reproach it 
 would be that an animal so beautiful, graceful, and 
 appropriate for our parks should pass away without a 
 representative. 
 
 I am now making efibrts to procure some of these 
 antelopes. I hope soon to be able to report success, 
 for I should truly feel proud if I were the instrument 
 
222 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 by whicli they became adopted as fit inhabitants for 
 our parks and demesnes. 
 
 In referring to my diary, I find the following nar- 
 rative of a day's shooting : — 
 
 ^* Cap., are you asleep ? '' such was the welcome sound 
 that informed me that some one else was awake besides 
 myself. Such a night I do not think I had ever pre- 
 viously passed, and trust shall never have to again. 
 To ask a man nurtured in a Christian land whether he 
 was asleep ! — the thing is perfectly preposterous : a 
 gale of wind blowing the entire night, with drops of 
 rain as large and so numerous that a brick wall would 
 scarcely have repelled them, let alone a flimsy break- 
 wind composed of green boughs, yet these western com- 
 panions of mine slept I Half-a-dozen times I determined 
 to rout my companions out, and as often gave up the 
 idea ; for one was quarrelsome whenever his rest was 
 disturbed, the other had a disagreeable way of telling 
 the most doleful stories, and keeping the listeners in a 
 constant state of excitement, for in every shadow, 
 every movement of the horses, every unusual soimd, he 
 saw an indication that a whole tribe of Indians, fully 
 decked with war-paint, and thirsting for scalps, were 
 about to make an onslaught on our defenceless bivouac. 
 Further, I must inform my readers that Cap. is an 
 abbreviation of captain, used all over the western por- 
 
THE PRONG-HORNED ANTELOPE. 223 
 
 tion of the United States, for every man who has; 
 borne arms, whether in the militia or regulars ; 
 whether he has been a full private or only a camp 
 follower. Yes, I was awake, as wide awake as a pool 
 of water under each arm, each knee, and every pro- 
 tuberant portion of the figure could make me. With 
 an anathema against weather, country, and out-door 
 life, I sprang up, and willingly busied myself in raking 
 together the fragments of what had been a fire ; long 
 and tedious were the efforts to coax a blaze, but at 
 length the reward of patience was vouchsafed, and in 
 spite of the almost insurmountable obstacles a sufficient 
 heat was obtained, by which we could cook the debris 
 of last night's supper, the sole remnants of provisions 
 the larder could boast of. 
 
 At the time to which I allude we were on a branch 
 or small fork that flowed into the Pawnee Eiver from 
 the south. I and my companions had come from the 
 westward, and had experienced as hard a time as it is 
 possible to conceive; we had been about two weeks 
 together, and although I am doubtful of the propriety 
 of picking up strange acquaintances when beyond civi- 
 lisation, those squeamish ideas never enter the heads of 
 western habitues ; a white man is always a friend until 
 he proves himself to be otherwise, and then it is your 
 own look-out that he does not get the upper hand. Wild 
 
224 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 life makes you wonderfully wide awake, and although 
 an appparent honhommie may lay on the surface, a con- 
 stant guarded caution should never be neglected. My 
 friends, however, were really good fellows, a little 
 eccentric, for each was in the habit of picking his teeth 
 with his bowie knife ; but they were honest, plucky, 
 and enduring, ready to face whatever emergency oc- 
 curred, and pretty certain to get out of it if a bold 
 hand and quick eye could be of assistance. Break- 
 fast ! what a misnomer for a few mouthfuls of half- 
 charred, half- cooked, pieces of tough venison ! what a 
 contrast with one of our home hunting-feeds that bear 
 the same sobriquet ; still I doubt much whether pates de 
 fois gras, game pies, and spiced round of beef, were ever 
 relished with more gusto than that meal. 
 
 After the viands had disappeared, over the consoling, 
 soothing pipe, our course for the day was discussed, 
 and, as the rain had ceased and clouds lifted, giving 
 every prospect of fine weather, it was decided that we 
 should remain another night where we were, and in 
 the meantime each start in difierent directions to seek 
 for a supply of game, that we might not go supperless 
 to rest and resume our journey on the morrow with 
 empty stomachs. I had a horse ; from his wonderful 
 formation and intense ugliness I dubbed him '^ Broom- 
 stick ; " he was truly a doleful beast to look at ; no 
 
THE PRONG-HORNED ANTELOPE. 225 
 
 amount of food seemed to do him any good ; lie always 
 appeared in the last stage of consumption, although, 
 his capacity of stowage of forage was immense; nor 
 did he ever lose a chance to get a cow kick at the 
 unwary, or make his teeth meet in the flesh of the 
 too confiding. Broomstick, from having lately had a 
 very easy time, was selected for the day's work, and 
 with expressions of grief that would break the heart 
 of the most obdurate, he submitted to be saddled up, I 
 returning every few minutes to take an extra pull 
 upon the girths, for the villain would expand himself 
 like a bull frog that had fallen into the hands of 
 unfeeling schoolboys, so that when you imagined you 
 had got safely seated and ready to start, by a succession 
 of the most mulish and awkward, back-jumps, the 
 saddle would get forward beyond where his withers 
 ought to have been, and nought but wonderful skill 
 or fortune in the laws of equitation would prevent 
 the rider from kissing mother-earth. Now Broom- 
 stick could go if you knew how to take it out of 
 him, and that was accomplished by commencing with 
 a high hand from the start, and giving him *' the 
 brumagems " every pace or two, and twice as often if 
 you felt his back getting up (which he used to raise 
 after the manner of a half-starved sow), or at any 
 attempt to get his head down. 
 
 Q 
 
226 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 After a few ineflGectual efforts, in which my steed 
 showed an inclination to differ from me in opinion, we 
 jogged on comfortably for several miles on the edge of 
 prairie and timber, the usual markings of a water- 
 course. The sun was near mid- day, and still no game 
 was to be seen. No game, in quiet, retired situations 
 like this, is an unhealthy sign. Game are not in the 
 habit of leaving a favourite feeding- ground without 
 reason, and where we were was well known as such. 
 Discouraged at want of success, I dismounted, fastening 
 up Bucephalus, and took my pipe again into confidence. 
 On an old rotten limb of a partially-decayed button- 
 wood a family of redheaded woodpeckers were busily 
 at work, making the wood echo with the violence of 
 their tapping. Watching the sprightly movements of 
 these active little beauties, I became totally absorbed in 
 their energetic pursuits, when a half snort and uneasy 
 movement on the part of Broomstick caused me to 
 look round, and well I did so, for about forty yards off, 
 leisurely feeding, were about thirty full-grown wild 
 turkeys. My smooth-bore had ball in each barrel, still 
 as I had two or three loads of buck-shot, I determined 
 to substitute the one for the other. Behind a log like 
 a snake I glided to perform the change of missiles, and 
 was about to draw the last fragment of myself out of 
 sight, when the confounded warning of a rattlesnake 
 
THE PRONG-HORXED ANTELOPE. 227 
 
 SGunded so close that I involuntarily gave a jump to 
 avoid the threatening danger, when the turkeys took 
 wingj without a chance of a shot at them being afforded, 
 and turkey less I was compelled to remain ; but you may 
 bet that snake never scared anyone afterwards. He 
 was one of the largest and most venomous of his family, 
 being quite five feet long, a& yellow as gold along the 
 abdomen, and possessed of sixteen rattles. He be- 
 longed to the variety which generally goes by the name 
 of timber- snake, much larger and totally different in 
 colour from the prairie rattlesnake or massasauga, 
 which is always black, and never exceeds eighteen 
 or twenty inches in length. 
 
 Having found no game in the timber, I struck out 
 for the open land, and riding several miles I saw two 
 small droves of antelopes. This beautiful animal is 
 very difficult to stalk ; but as there appeared to be no 
 other means of getting on intimate terms with them, 
 I hobbled my horse, and taking advantage of all inter- 
 vening obstacles, managed unseen to get within five 
 hundred ^^ards. Further approach now appeared impos- 
 sible, and I had almost relinquished the idea, when 
 it struck me that by making a slight detour to leeward 
 I could find a scant shelter from a dip that appeared to 
 lead in the direction of the game. On hands and 
 knees, slowly, I crossed the open, my stomach almost 
 
22S ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 on the ground. The antelopes still continued feeding ; 
 so far they had not been alarmed. Twenty yards more 
 would again place me under cover. He who wishes 
 successfully to stalk game must never deem precaution 
 thrown away. On the care with which you pass over 
 an open spot depends often the success of all your 
 labour. With a feeling of gratification I regained 
 shelter, and such shelter as I was able to take the 
 twists and knots out of my legs and arms, with the 
 consciousness that I could do so without imperilling 
 success. A few moments' inspection of the game suf- 
 ficed. Like a snake in the grass, slowly, but steadily, 
 I made for the back of an unusually high prairie-dog's 
 earth. From the back of it I would be within eighty 
 or a hundred yards of my prey. The antelopes, per- 
 fectly ignorant of my presence, were quietly feeding, 
 while occasionally one or two of the youngsters, like 
 young goats, would shake their heads at each other, 
 rear up or stamp with their feet, and make other 
 grotesque threatenings of attack. The prospect of 
 venison was now in the ascendant. I commenced to 
 believe my eggs near enough hatched to count them 
 chickens, when a confounded prairie-dog, who doubtless 
 had been watching all my strategy, uttered his shrill, 
 quick whistle, and took a header into his burrow. 
 This was enough ; the antelopes simultaneously closed 
 
THE PRONG-HORNED ANTELOPE. 229 
 
 into a bunch, and with every sense strained, looked 
 eagerly around for the cause of alarm. A closer 
 stalk was impossible, the movement of a mouse could 
 not escape their notice, so springing on one knee, I 
 pulled both triggers almost simultaneously, taking 
 sight for the centre of the ruck. As the smoke lifted, 
 with satisfaction I beheld two victims, one apparently 
 dead, the other making violent efforts to get upon his 
 pins, while the remainder of the drove were scamper- 
 ing across the prairie at suqh a pace as these animals 
 only are capable of going. As quickly as possible I 
 reloaded my gun, and on advancing to bleed my 
 victims, the wounded buck got his legs under him, 
 and had I not given him the right barrel, a nice clean 
 shot at fifty yards, tumbling him all of a heap, I should 
 have been left with only a solitary specimen. 
 
 After bleeding my trophies, I went after Broomstick, 
 who, like all perverse beasts, had fed off at as rapid a 
 pace as possible in exactly the reverse direction to that 
 wanted. Oh, Broomstick, you provoking brute ! was 
 ever an unfortunate sportsman so tortured by having to 
 endure the vagaries of so ugly and obstinate a steed ! 
 Venting my indignation on his sparsely-covered ribs, 
 and giving him every second stride a reminder that his 
 owner was on his back, I hurried back to my quarry, 
 in the hope of making camp at an early hour, and 
 
230 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 having a good fire before my comrades returned, 
 Nor was I too soon, for already a coyotte had scented 
 blood, and was about to whet his sharp tusks on the 
 results of my labour. With considerable hoisting I 
 got both antelopes on my nag's rump, lashing them 
 fast with the lariat to the cantle of the saddle, but in 
 this performance I was not successful till I had blind- 
 folded my mount. Swinging myself into the pig-skin, 
 congratulating myself on the success of my stalk, for 
 camp I headed, and already had commenced in imagi- 
 nation to enjoy a hearty meal on some of the tit-bits. 
 Humming possibly the old regimental march, and my 
 thoughts wandering to far-off scenes, I was surprised, 
 on issuing from a dip in the prairie, to see several ante- 
 lopes feeding undisturbed about a hundred and fifty yards 
 off. Throwing my head forward over the saddletree, 
 in a moment I was on my feet, and hurriedly hobbling 
 my beast, I made a cast to the right to obtain a better 
 leeward position. Prairie-dog earths were numerous, 
 and apparently untenanted, or else the whole popula- 
 tion had turned in for their afternoon siesta. These irre- 
 gularities of the surface afforded an abundance of shelter. 
 A few minutes' crawling, and I was within easy range, 
 when springing to my feet, the game commenced their 
 succession of buck-jumps, which they invariably prac- 
 tise before settling to their regular stride. Pitching my 
 
THE PRONG-HORNED ANTELOPE. 231 
 
 gun to the shoulder, I drew sight upon the leader ; over 
 he went; while my second shot, fired too hurriedly, 
 sent its bullet harmlessly ricochetting, its course being 
 marked by a puff of dust where the missile each 
 bound hit the soil. The fall of the leader turned the 
 remainder of the flock, and with the velocity of falcons 
 they rushed past Broomstick ; up went his tail and 
 down went his head ; half-a-dozen violent struggles, 
 and the hobbling broke. For a moment he stood, then 
 threw his mane recklessly about, turned round and gave 
 his dead load a sniff, and breaking into a succession of 
 buck-jumps, finishing with kicks, divested himself 
 of his burden, and in spite of all I could shout, with 
 the most perfect disregard for consequences, started 
 for home at a pace so unusual and so corky that 1 
 vowed if ever I laid leg over him again he should give 
 me a specimen of the same gait for my gratification. 
 
 I do not think I ever felt more savage in my life. 
 Two or three times I hesitated whether I would try the 
 effect of a leaden messenger after him ; if so long a 
 journey to civilisation had not been before me I believe 
 I should, but finally satisfied myself with the hopes 
 of speedy revenge. After spending half-an-hour in 
 dragging the game together, and possibly as much 
 longer in ruminating over the awkwardness of my 
 position, and the mutability of human and horse 
 
232 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 affairs, debating the pros and cons whether to return 
 to camp or remain where I was, to my intense satis- 
 faction I saw one of my comrades coming directly 
 towards me with the now- submissive Broomstick cap- 
 tive, and looking as if any pace faster than that of a 
 funeral procession was entirely beyond his powers of 
 exertion. My friend had spied the truant making 
 straight for camp. After an exciting chase, he had 
 succeeded in capturing him, when by taking the 
 reverse direction from which my nag was seen to 
 come, he happily tumbled across me, much to my 
 relief; for, after all, the little shelter afforded by 
 timber, where you can always have a good fire, is 
 infinitely preferable to a smouldering smudge of buf- 
 falo-chips, with the wind playing at hide-and-go-seek 
 round your shirt tails. On reaching the settlements I 
 parted with Broomstick for a fair price. The pur- 
 chaser was a character ; and, judging from the manner 
 he mounted, had never been outside of a horse before. 
 However, he was one of those hawk-featured men that 
 would be about the very last that you would select to 
 trifle with. If he and his horse had not numerous 
 misunderstandings, and if the latter did not get well 
 paid off for the several scurvy tricks he practised on 
 me, I will at ori,ce acknowledge that I am no judge of 
 character. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 PINNATED GROUSE. 
 
 {Tetrao cupido.) 
 
 Scarcely can I sit to write of this prince of game 
 birds without longing for the delightful weather 
 of September, and the verdant, smooth, undulating 
 prairies of the Western States. The associations con- 
 nected with this class of shooting are to me delightful, 
 recalling vividly the society of friends and re-unions, 
 the result of sincere friendship. Then it is the advent 
 in America of the shooting- season proper : the gun, 
 which, in many instances, has been shut up in its cell- 
 like case, smothered with tow and grease, has a fresh 
 nativity ; the new setters or pointers, reared and 
 broken perhaps far from the owner's eye, have to 
 make their debut, and not improbably a new sporting 
 suit, fresh from the skilful hands of some reputed 
 clothier, is to have its maiden lustre first dimmed. 
 Every disciple of the chase, if he lives within reach, or 
 
234 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 has the means wherewith to visit the sacred haunts 
 of these noble fowl, looks forward with as much 
 pleasure to the longed-for period and the anticipated 
 sport as ever did city belle to courtly /e^e, or expectant 
 children to the morrow, which is to announce what the 
 ubiquitous Santa Claus has left for their future amuse- 
 ment. The 12th of August and the 1st of September 
 have for ages been venerated in our tight little island, 
 and been made trysting days as solemnly to be wel- 
 comed by the sportsman as has ever been sacred fast 
 by recluse or holiday by gourmand ; and although 
 the first legal fixture does not here receive so much 
 attention, the day chosen for each individual's first essay 
 of the season does. The English have long been dubbed 
 a nation of shopkeepers ; the Americans, with more 
 justice, might be called a race of traders: for while the 
 former, who are fortunate enough to have the means, 
 invariably tramp down the golden stubble or scatter 
 the purple blooming heather upon the advent morning 
 of shooting, the latter, though possessing the where- 
 with, have more frequently to wait for days or weeks 
 till press of business or respite in the rush of trade 
 will sanction their absence from the dingy walls or 
 mouldy books of counting-room or office. Again, 
 the acknowledged day in America — the 1st of Sep- 
 tember — to commence operations on the prairies, is 
 
PINNATED GROUSE. 235 
 
 SO early in the season that the birds are invariably 
 not full grown, incapable of more than short flights, 
 and the heat is so intense that both Ponto and 
 Juno have had enough quartering and pointing in a 
 couple of hours to satisfy them for that day ; so that, 
 if the sportsman has the constitution of a locomotive, 
 with the disregard to heat that is credited to the sala- 
 mander, if desirous of further replenishing his volu- 
 minous skirt pockets, he has to perform not only his 
 own part of the programme, but that of his now half- 
 foundered canines. It has long been a great desire 
 of mine to see one more month granted for these 
 splendid birds to enjoy, uninterrupted^ their family 
 cares — a lengthening of the close season which would, 
 not only in many ways be advantageous to both 
 pursuer and pursued, but can have no possible objec- 
 tions, on the other hand, to be urged against it. 
 
 The best prairie-^chicken shooting I have ever had 
 was in the month of October; and although September 
 had been both wet and boisterous, yet the birds had 
 not packed, and lay well. Day after day I killed from 
 twenty brace upwards, and this in the northern 
 portion of Illinois, with a fourteen-bore, light-made, 
 twenty-six-inch-barrelled gun. I have little hesitation 
 in saying, that if I had had a ten-bore, which I now 
 always use for general shooting in America, my score 
 
236 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 would have been at least double. As it was I saved 
 nearly every bird, for in the numerous shipments 
 which I made to a wide circle of acquaintances I 
 did not hear of one arriving at its destination unfit 
 for the table. Now, in September, this would have 
 been impossible, though hours had been spent over 
 each packing-case, and the expected hamper contained 
 at starting as much ice and a little, more sawdust than 
 game. Some knowing hands profess that by imme- 
 diately drawing the fowl upon being knocked over, 
 and stufl&ng a wisp of grass in the cavity, putre- 
 faction will be delayed ; but what an agreeable opera- 
 tion to have to perform! Fancy stopping in the 
 middle of a covey, with dogs standing, to perform 
 the functions of the kitchen-maid ! — the humanity or 
 refinement of the proceeding, the afterwards loading 
 and handling your handsome breech-loader with your 
 well-daubed hands ! or, perhaps in a fit of desperation, 
 caused by the attack of some bloodthirty mosquito 
 giving your nose or forehead the benefit of their 
 friendly intervention ! But it is too horrible to think 
 of. All these drawbacks can be warded off or pre- 
 vented by not shooting till the weather is suitable ; 
 or, better still, not permitting shooting till such a 
 date as we have reason to expect a sufficiently cool 
 temperature ; making it actionable for game-dealers to 
 
PINNATED GROUSE. ' 237 
 
 expose for sale the temporarily forbidden treasures be- 
 fore the termination of the close season. Gentlemen of 
 America, if you wish to keep game abundant and near 
 home, and to increase and preserve the fine feelings that 
 should imbue the breast of every true sportsman, 
 devote a little attention to this important point. 
 
 Like the deer, bear, and sundry varieties of American 
 game, which once were to be found in abundance in 
 almost every section of the country, so was the 
 prairie chicken ; but as civilisation and population 
 have increased, in such a ratio their numbers have 
 diminished. In Kentucky, forty years ago, they 
 abounded ; it is more than doubtful that this day 
 one can be found in that State. All along the Atlantic 
 seaboard, from Virginia to Maine, they were once to be 
 found ; while now, save a scattered few on the scrub 
 plains of Long Island, Martha's Vineyard, and Mount 
 Desert Island, not a single specimen will be seen. 
 The pinnated grouse has abandoned its old haunts, like 
 the Indian, and removes every season farther to the 
 westward, to avoid the society of the pale-faced inter- 
 loper. Fortunately, all game does not thus dread the 
 stranger's presence, for as civilisation increases so does 
 the partridge, and the familiar call of Bob White will 
 soon entirely supplant the deep, musical, but strange 
 booing of the prairie fowl east of the Mississippi. 
 
238 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 To get sport now- a- days, the ultimate western edge 
 of Indiana and the State of Illinois, for the eastern 
 sportsman, are undoubtedly the nearest points; but 
 even after having travelled thus far, if you desire 
 results commensurate with your trouble, rest not near 
 the track of the iron horse, but pursue, to the right or 
 left, your course till you find people who still talk of 
 the cars* as seven-day wonders, and report as a marvel, 
 that one still night, a month ago, Hans or Jacques 
 heard them whistle. When such originals have been 
 found, call a halt, unpack carefully your traps from the 
 waggon and your private store of edibles. 
 
 The prairie chickens are very erratic in their habits, 
 and the situations in which they abound one season may 
 be almost entirely deserted the next. It has often 
 puzzled me to account for this strange uncertainty in 
 their choice, and I have thus far failed to satisfy my 
 mind, unless the burning of the grass or inundations, to 
 which the western country is particularly subject, can 
 be accepted as a reason. About two years ago a low 
 prairie close to my dwelling was most amply stocked 
 with prairie fowl, so much so that I used to limit my bag 
 to one dozen and a half, and seldom did it take more 
 than an hour to obtain this number. Last year, on the 
 same land, not one solitary bird was to be found. Now, 
 ♦ Railroads. 
 
PINNATED GROUSE. 239 
 
 this prairie had not been burnt, although others in the 
 vicinity had undergone the operation. Early in the 
 season, before the young have attained maturity, and ere 
 the cold and boisterous winds of autumn have caused 
 them to pack, the sportsman must indeed be a bad 
 shot who cannot tumble them on nearly each discharge, 
 for they are easy of approach, lying very close, and 
 rising and flying slowly, without making much of that 
 disconcerting disturbance so apparent in the flushing 
 of partridge and of rufied grouse. Again, the ground 
 in which they are found is open and clear from inter- 
 ruptions, afibrding an abundance of time for the most 
 precise and formal to take aim ; but after the autumnal 
 equinoctial gales have whistled over the unprotected 
 landscape, and the sharp night frosts have changed the 
 verdant leaves to a vermilion or golden hue, rapid and 
 precise shooting is required, for not only will they rise 
 at long range, but take hard and fair hitting to bring 
 them down, and instead of finding the quarry on the 
 sun-warmed, open, grassy slopes, the dense tall corn 
 will be more frequently selected as their chosen retreat. 
 Of course, the farther you proceed West, till you reach 
 the ultimate extremities of civilisation, the greater will 
 be your prospects of heavy bags, and more particularly 
 80 late in the season, as the population being sparse, 
 and the intrusion of cattle, sheep, and dogs less fre- 
 
240 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 quent, the birds still continue comparatively tamer 
 than in the more densely settled quarters. However, 
 it is not convenient for all, nor even would many choose 
 to sacrifice every comfort for the sake of slaughter, and 
 turn a pleasure into a labour and a pursuit of discom- 
 fort ; for living in a squatter's hut is scarcely, as an old 
 friend used to say, " What it's cracked up to be :" 
 besides, what can you do with the results, a very small 
 portion of which will satisfy your own demands ; 
 for my part, give me from eight to ten brace daily, 
 with means of using them, to the most tremen- 
 dous bags, if they are to be thrown away, Not over 
 two years since, when travelling through a remote 
 and unfrequented section of the State of Illinois, I 
 came across a party of young men who were daily 
 destroying from twenty to thirty couple per gun, and 
 as the season was warm, and the connection with the rail- 
 road difficult and uncertain, when asked by the tavern- 
 keeper what they intended doing with their game, 
 they laughingly responded, " Throw it in the hog-pen," 
 and for upwards of a week they continued this das- 
 tardly behaviour. Can it then be wondered that game 
 rapidly diminishes, when persons are to be found 
 capable of such disgraceful conduct ; the only check 
 that I can see, is the organisation of proper game- 
 laws, prohibiting the birds from pursuit excepting 
 
PINNATED GROUSE. 241 
 
 at suitable seasons, the violation of whicli should be 
 punishable by heavy fines, the whole or greater, part to 
 go to the informer. 
 
 The pinnated grouse are very capricious in choice 
 of sites on which to place their nests; solitude and 
 vicinity to favourite food or other causes, of which 
 an outsider can know but little, must be accepted 
 as the probable reasons. However, I have generally 
 observed that a preference is shown for those places 
 where the prairie is covered with bunch- grass, par- 
 ticularly if the subsurface is moist, and the neigh- 
 bourhood not overstocked with cattle. This grouse 
 is easily caused to desert her nest, whether the in- 
 trusion be committed by man or beast; on such 
 occasions a new nursery is chosen and a second lot 
 of eggs laid, but if misfortune should deprive her of 
 her brood after the young have left the egg, all 
 idea of raising a second family is laid aside, and the 
 chickless mother joins company with the first simi- 
 larly-situated unfortunate she may chance to meet. 
 Odd hen-birds, when found by the sportsman, are 
 frequently supposed to be barren, but in nine instances 
 out of ten, I am satisfied that some luckless cur dog, 
 mink, or weasel deserves the onus for the poor bird's 
 chickless lot. Towards the end of March or early 
 in April they commence pairing, the first indication 
 
242 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 being the booing of the males, wbicli may be heard 
 for upwards of a mile, if the weather is still. This 
 sound, which is very peculiar and melodious, much 
 resembles the lowing of a bull, and has frequently 
 been mistaken for it. The noise is made by the cocks 
 forcing air out of the two inflated air-bags which are 
 to be found on either side of their necks. 
 
 Then the large flocks begin to break up and divide 
 into parties of twenty or thirty, each detachment 
 selecting a knoll on which to exhibit their fasci- 
 nations to the fair sex and select partners. On the 
 first indication of day the males utter their war- 
 cry, and either wait to receive their rivals in love or 
 swiftly wing their way to accept the challenge of 
 some distant gallant. The fiercest battles now ensue ; * 
 nor is it only between two, for sometimes a dozen may 
 be observed engaged in the melee, each fearlessly 
 attacking his nearest neighbour, rising and striking 
 with the wings and feet much after the manner of 
 domestic poultry, when feathers fiy and severe and 
 numerous injuries are received, till the weaker, 
 finding their strength inadequate to the trial, reluc- 
 tantly retire, and some old veteran alone remains, 
 
 * Until a late date I believed these battles were a description of 
 tournament, in fact, all for show. However, this is not the case, and 
 numbers of the combatants get severely injured. 
 
PINNATED GROrSE. 243 
 
 exhausted and war- stained, to make selection of his 
 future mate. Often have the birds been found, after 
 these contests, so exhausted that they were scarcely- 
 able to rise off the ground or avoid the traveller's feet. 
 And well do. the hawks know their enfeebled condi- 
 tion, and are not slow to avail themselves of the ad- 
 vantage and pounce upon the unfortunate conquerors, 
 who, but for their prowess and now-exhausted condition, 
 could easily have beaten off the relentless destroyer. 
 As aoon as the victor has made his choice he retires. 
 The same scenes are again and again enacted till all 
 are mated. 
 
 Like the turkey-cock and domestic pigeon, when 
 making love they ruffle their feathers, drop their 
 wings and tails, and strut about with more pomposity 
 than ever did city beau. 
 
 The nest, which is generally placed upon the top of 
 a hillock among the long grass, in shape is irregular, 
 but on examination it will be found carefully con- 
 structed of leaves and interwoven grasses. The eggs, 
 which seldom exceed twelve, are a trifle smaller than 
 those of the doniestic fowl, and are of a dull, yellowish 
 colour, much resembling those of the ruffed grouse. 
 In eighteen or nineteen days they are hatched, and the 
 chicks leave their nest immediately afterwards. Froni 
 this period the female is deserted by her mate, and 
 
244 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 until severe weather causes tliem to pack, the old males 
 and females are not found again together. 
 
 In crossing the prairie, I have often come across the 
 hen engaged with the charge of her diminutive family, 
 and the anxiety and courage she will display if sud- 
 denly surprised, is truly amusing. But the young 
 are seldom in danger from man, for their powers of 
 concealment are wonderful, and unless aided by a 
 dog, it is impossible for a human being to find their 
 retreat. On several occasions I have jumped off my 
 shooting -pony, confident of success, but never succeeded 
 in their capture, unless on such occasions as one of my 
 setters was in company. 
 
 By the first week in August they are capable of 
 short flights, when they do not much exceed our par- 
 tridge in size, and if shot thus early, which is too 
 frequently the case> it is diflficult to imagine more 
 delicious food; but they will not bear keeping, and 
 sooner taint than any other game-bird I am acquainted 
 with. In October they have attained full strength of 
 wing, becoming more difilcult of approach daily till 
 severe' weather has caused them to pack, when they 
 will seldom lie, either to dog or gun, unless when 
 feeding in tall corn or dusting themselves at mid-day 
 if there should chance to be a strong sun. 
 
 Although the pinnated grouse seldom leave the open 
 
PINNATED GROUSE. 245 
 
 country, yet If winter be excessively severe they will 
 frequent the edges of the timber, roosting on the tallest 
 trees, more particularly girdlings or those destitute 
 of small limbs. Under such circumstances they are 
 exceedingly wild, and the most successful deer or 
 turkey-hunter may practise all his cunning and most 
 cautious methods of approach with signal failure in 
 getting even within rifle range ; however, in a snow- 
 storm, by putting white clothes on. or a night-gown 
 over your attire and tying a towel around your head, 
 at feeding- time, when they are seated on the fences or 
 corn- stacks, you can easily get within ten or fifteen 
 yards of them. 
 
 When flushed they invariably utter several separate 
 clucks, but after they have succeeded in placing a safe 
 distance between themselves aipid the intruder they 
 continue their course in silence ; nor if when on the 
 wing they should chance to fly over a sportsman do 
 they repeat their note of alarm. 
 
 Their favourite food is buckwheat, corn, oats, wheat, 
 and grass- seed, the buds of fruit trees and the seed of 
 the sumach. 
 
 Their size is eighteen inches long by twenty- seven 
 inches across the wings ; bill short, stout and curved, 
 with the upper mandible considerably overlapping the 
 lower 5 legs feathered to the any e ; feet of ordinary size ; 
 
246 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 toes covered above with numerous small scales ; hind 
 toes very short ; claws moderately long, curved and 
 concave beneath ; feathers compact, those of the head 
 and neck long and flexible, with a continuation taper- 
 ing to a crest on back of head ; on either side a tuft of 
 fine long hackles, covering a bare portion, which is 
 orange coloured in the males and dull brown in the 
 females; the wings short and much rounded; pin feathers 
 hard and short; tail short and fan-like, composed of 
 eighteen broad feathers ; bill dusky ; iris yellow ; toes 
 dull yellow ; claws bluish ; the neck and upper portion 
 of back dark brown, mixed with grey, getting lighter 
 beneath ; tail dirty brown, tipped with white, except the 
 middle feathers, which are mottled with a deep brown ; 
 and a dark line from mandible to eye, thence back 
 to neck, and a beautiful patch of soft slate- coloured 
 feathers under each wing, invaluable to the fly-tier,^ — 
 is a correct description of their appearance. 
 
a 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 TROUT* FISHING IN MAINE. 
 
 As the seasons roll past in rapid succession, and each 
 year appears to flit by with more velocity than its 
 predecessor, the same pleasures, the same sports recur 
 to our memory, always with the appetite more sharp- 
 ened for their enjoyment by the lapse of the close 
 season, in which the true sportsman would not enjoy 
 his favourite pastime, even if law and weather were 
 not both adverse. Age, if not accompanied by infir- 
 mity, in few instances reduces the enjoyment of field- 
 sports, if they were in our youth our all-absorbing 
 passion. A few pleasant spring-like days have their 
 efiect upon the angler ; he that is skilled in flies and 
 rods, — he that well knows the resorts of the speckled 
 beauties of the brook, their habits^ and their devices to 
 
 * [Salmo fontinalis.) Live specimens of these fish, which I procured 
 last winter in America, may now be seen alive at Mr. Buckland's 
 Museum of Economic Fish Culture, Royal Horticultural Gardens, South 
 Kensington. 
 
248 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 escape the landing-net, after the insidious, treacherous 
 hook has pierced their mouth, — commences living 
 in anticipation, and, doubtless with faithful and well- 
 tried friends, plans numerous and stolen visits to 
 favourite streams or well- stocked rivers. 
 
 Rods, lines, flies, and reels, which have for months 
 rested in dusty closet or well-secured packing-case, 
 again see the light of day and undergo careful 
 scrutiny, that neither break nor flaw may be un- 
 repaired; rings which were lost the previous season 
 are now replaced ; frayed wrappings of silk have been 
 stopped, a drop or two of oil has been donated to the 
 sonorous reel, and, doubtless, the moths have had 
 sundry imprecations hurled at them for wholesale 
 destruction of gaudy feathers, which have cost many 
 a pound, or sundry hours of labour to procure, 
 and whose deficiency has got to be replaced before 
 the outfit can be deemed perfect. Of all field 
 sports, there is none that requires more particular 
 attention to all the many details ; every portion must 
 be kept in perfect repair, for the probability is, that 
 the very first time you are caught wanting you will 
 have reason to rue it for the balance of the season. 
 Strange as it may appear, we have invariably found it 
 80. If we were scant of tackle, or our outfit had 
 l^ecome injured, and unreliable, we were certain to 
 
TROUT FISHING IN MAINE. 249 
 
 hook a heavy fish, such a one as required the utmost 
 skill and attention under favourable circumstances to 
 master. Of course, as might be expected, the wreck 
 was completed by a break, and the foe made good his 
 escape. However, it invariably happens that the angler 
 considers those that escape much larger than any that 
 have succumbed. A day or two since, having some 
 business in that portion of the town where many of 
 the elite of the disciples of dear old Izaak congre- 
 gate, I came across two whose prowess and skill had 
 been well tried by long experience, and whose success 
 as anglers is probably second to no others. After the 
 usual greetings, the sine qua non, the 7ie plus ultra of 
 their pleasures were broached, and the prospects dis- 
 cussed. May we say that it was with feelings almost 
 akin to selfishness that we listened to the numerous 
 delightful distant visits arranged, where well- stocked 
 murmuring brooks or rapid rivers pursue their erratic 
 and picturesque course to the ocean, far, far away from 
 the busy haunts of man, where the wild duck and deer 
 rear their harmless young, and where the lordly, 
 silver- sheened salmon leaps in sportive plunge over 
 the foaming crest of the headlong rapid? But no 
 such trip is in store for us. Pens, ink, and paper have 
 to be our companions, and the monotonous and well- 
 known walls of a city do duty for a rural landscape. 
 
250 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 Of all the localities where trout fishing can be 
 enjoyed in perfection, the State of Maine in North 
 America, in our opinion, is the most deserving of 
 notice, for not only can the fisherman here capture 
 immense numbers, but occasionally a giant, whose 
 efibrts for liberty will imbue the angler with a due 
 appreciation of the power and perseverance of the 
 monarch of the brook. The scenery also in this State 
 is truly magnificent, being as diversified by wood, 
 mountain and water, and that in such close proximity 
 and rapid succession as must please the taste of the 
 most fastidious connoisseur. Supposing that the fisher- 
 man, say about the middle of May, should choose to 
 visit these haunts, it may be a saving of considerable 
 trouble to know the most convenient method of reach- 
 ing the homes of the speckled beauties. We are aware 
 that a Railroad Guide is always one of the most 
 intricate and mysterious books to the uninitiated, and 
 would, therefore, in the cause of humanity, save you 
 the unsatisfactory task of hunting over Appleton's, 
 (the Bradshaw of America), or others of these far from 
 lucid works, for the requisite information. Moreover, 
 it is well for a fisherman to arrive at his destina- 
 tion in an amiable frame of mind, and at peace with 
 all men, which we consider morally impossible if he 
 fail to make connections in the railroads, or is 
 
TROUT FISHING IN MAINE. 25l 
 
 bullied by officious conductors, or left shivering in some 
 out-of-the-way situation where nought can be done but 
 smoke and court Somnus in a railroad wrapper. To 
 avoid all these troubles, and, probably, a great many 
 more, if New York be your starting-place, take steam- 
 boat thence to Portland, — a delightful short cruise of 
 from thirty to thirty-six hours, — and if you should 
 experience bad weather, especially if it results in sea- 
 sickness, the ulterior effects will be beneficial, terra firma 
 will be more appreciated, and your appetite stimulated 
 to an unusual extent. Besides, the scenery, in those 
 places where land is visible, is pretty, while fleets of 
 fishing and trading crafts will be constantly in sight. 
 The steam- vessels on this route are very comfortable and 
 sea- worthy, and under the command of most able officers. 
 Having arrived at Portland, and enjoyed a good 
 meal and rest at one of the numerous hotels^ the ter- 
 minus of the Grand Trunk Railroad will have to be 
 reached, where you will procure your ticket for Bethel, 
 Oxford County. The scenery through which you will 
 now rush, dragged by the iron horse, is magnificent, 
 alike suited to the taste of artist or sportsman ; but 
 one thing is certain to cause a regret, viz., that the 
 numerous beautiful rivers and brooks that so frequently 
 will be seen or traversed, are now destitute of fish, — at 
 least so I was informed, although I could not learn 
 
252 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 the reason. Visions of mill dams, without fish-ways, and 
 tons of sawdust floating in islands, hovered before me, 
 and, probably, whispered a true cause of the destruction 
 of the thousands of fish which doubtlessly swarmed 
 here before genus homo, with his devices and march of 
 improvement, had defiled these formerly pure, pellucid 
 brooks. Bethel, where you leave the train, will be 
 found a model village, which, for cleanliness and neat- 
 ness, it would be impossible to surpass. As you pro- 
 gress along the principal thoroughfare, the pretty 
 dwellings, overshadowed by handsome shade trees, re- 
 mind you of some of Longfellow's beau ideal New 
 England homes. The hotel, also, is very comfortable, 
 and Mr. Lovejoy, the proprietor, can give good in- 
 formation and instruction as to your future proceed- 
 ings. He also will supply you with a conveyance to 
 take you to Upton, distant about twenty-seven miles, 
 over a road far from good ; but if the weather be 
 fine, you will be so delighted with the beautiful 
 panoramas of wild and magnificent scenery that time 
 will slip by rapidly, and ruts and jolts will be totally 
 forgotten. For the first five or six miles of your drive 
 you pass along the margin of the grand Androscogan 
 River, exhibiting a succession of pools and rapids, so 
 eminently suited for retreats for salmon, that you 
 cannot fail to regret that these ^oble fish are debarred 
 
TROUT FISHING IN MAINE. 253^ 
 
 from visiting this choice water. A few miles farther 
 your course winds by a beautiful mountain brook 
 well stocked with trout, and in which a good basket 
 can always be taken. We will now suppose you 
 have reached the half-way house, a pretty little 
 road- side tavern, where the horses are baited, and the 
 traveller, if he chooses— -we would strongly advise 
 you not to fail to — may make the acquaintance of 
 mine host, a worthy man with a wonderful fund of 
 information on various interesting subjects. The 
 allotted half-hour having expired, and the inner man 
 been refreshed, forward is again the word, and more 
 beautiful becomes the scenery. Wild, irregular hills, 
 with bases densely covered with timber, but stony and 
 irregular towards their summit, frown over your head ; 
 precipices, cliffs, and yawning chasms alternately vary 
 the prospect, throwing, for grandeur, the choicest 
 wilds of Scotland in the shade. Only an able poet, 
 with a romantic turn of mind, is wanted to immortalise 
 by soul-stirring lays these stupendous mountain fast- 
 nesses, accessible alone to the wild denizens of the forest, 
 or to him who is gifted with the nerve, steady foot, 
 and reliable eye of the chamois hunter of the Alps. 
 
 Having at length reached the upper portion of the 
 village of Upton, an entire change comes over the land- 
 scape; far beneath your feet, lies nestled, in all the 
 
254 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 splendour of luxuriant timber, with irregular and 
 changing outline, the lovely sheet of water, XJmbagog, 
 thickly studded with innumerable islands of every 
 form, size, and outline. On first beholding this scene, 
 Loch Lomond was vividly recalled to mind, and the 
 more frequently we beheld this picture, the stronger 
 was the impression of the striking similarity. Again, 
 this lake will have additional charms to the sportsman, 
 for here trout abound in immense numbers. But sup^ 
 posing you started from Bethel after breakfast, the 
 sun must now be near dipping the horizon, when you 
 have reached thus far, so that you had better hurry 
 forward and gain the hospitable roof- tree of Mr. 
 Simeon Frost, the hotel proprietor, ere night envelopes 
 the earth with her sombre mantle of darkness. 
 
 Being met on the porch by the honest, straights 
 forward Simeon, you may safely resign yourself to his 
 care, which would be dangerous in this locale in many 
 other hands, as some of the hosts are peculiar in 
 their belief, and strongly adhere to. a sinister inter- 
 pretation of the words, " I was a stranger and ye took 
 me in.'* But once marshalled under the banner of 
 Mr. Frost, you will be safe from their philanthropic 
 designs ; and further, you will be well fed and housed. 
 If you be an epicure, fail not to ask for a honne houche — 
 which we relished among these pine-clad hills — viz., 
 
TROUT FISHING IN MAINE. 255 
 
 trout stewed in cream. The white-bait of the Londoner, 
 , the canvas-back duck of Delmonico's, and the green 
 turtle-steak of the City Fathers, are all thrown in the 
 shade by this delicious dish. You have but to scent it 
 in future to make your mouth water, and visions of 
 epicurean feasts float before your eyes. Now, if you 
 will only place yourself in my hands — and well I know 
 the smooth water and rocky shoals, the pleasures and 
 disappointments that beset the stranger in this beautiful 
 but inhospitable region — I will keep your feet free 
 from pitfalls, and your purse safe from too-frequent 
 incursions. Having eaten your evening meal, and 
 retired to your room, send for your host, and learn 
 from him all particulars necessary to guide your future 
 steps. Wherever you go you will catch fish; sometimes 
 the fishing at Errol* is so good as to well deserve a 
 visit ere you go up to the dam where the Androscogan 
 River leaves Lower Richardson Lake. Supposing the 
 season to be the end of May — the time we should 
 advise to be selected for your visit — delightful brook- 
 fishing may be obtained beneath the dam in the Little 
 Cambridge River, which flows within fifty yards of the 
 hotel. Many and many a morning and evening I have 
 taken here three or four dozen beauties, some of them 
 over a pound, and all game to the last. I know no 
 ♦ A village a few miles distant from Upton, 
 
256 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 river better suited for the increase of trout, and doubt- 
 less at tbe present time it would swarm with thousands 
 all along its course, but that some selfish being projected 
 and erected a dam about twenty feet high, to collect 
 water to drive a mill ; and worse, had the inhumanity 
 not even to leave a fish- way ; consequently, Izaak 
 Walton's disciples have to walk many a wearisome 
 mile up this brook before fish can again be found 
 abundant, and then they are so poor and badly fed that 
 they are almost unfit for the table. Now, the difierence 
 between those beneath the dam and those above, is 
 doubtlessly caused by the unfortunate denizens of the 
 upper water being prevented from making their annual 
 visits to Lake Umbagog to recruit, or enjoy the cool 
 retreats afibrded in its deep waters, at that portion of 
 the season when the summer sun pours down its 
 refulgent, heated rays upon the unprotected water. 
 Persons who resided in this locality years ago, informed 
 me that before this impediment on the Cambridge was 
 made, trout swarmed all the way up to the source in 
 ten times the quantity they do now. But why grumble 
 or find fault in this particular instance? Are such 
 shameful structures not to be found in every section 
 of this and my own land, a glaring example of want of 
 forethought, or selfishness, or worse ? But, thank good- 
 ness, such abuses in America are about to be stopped ; 
 
TROUT FISHING IN MAINE. 257 
 
 State legislation lias taken the matter in hand, and is 
 determined to enforce such severe penalties, that we 
 hope, ere long, to see the temporarily -deserted retreats 
 of the spotted, brilliant-hued trout again teeming with 
 their numbers, and the placid, sheltered pools, now still 
 and tenantless, boiling with their breaks and rises, as 
 they either roll over in sport, or rush headlong to the 
 surface after the dainty and fragile ephemera. 
 
 A lady, who formed one of our party, frequently 
 of an evening, without moving from the bridge, took 
 a dozen fish in an hour or so, plainly proving that 
 even the uninitiated can here be successful, for Madame 
 previously had never seen a trout captured in her life. 
 The flies which we should recommend for this stream 
 are about the same in size as those in use on Scotch and 
 Irish rivers, and of the same colouring, black and red 
 hackles being preferable. We also found a fly con- 
 structed as follows most killing : wings from the tail 
 of the ruffed grouse, with a few strands of scarlet ibis, 
 brown cock's hackle under wings, body of ground hog's 
 fur, plucked off the stomach, with a couple of strands 
 of guinea-fowl feather for tail. If the water should 
 have been discoloured with rain, substitute a little of 
 the golden-pheasant topknot for the termination, instead 
 of the guinea-fowl. By coming here early in the sea- 
 son, as above advised, you will moreover escape the 
 
 s 
 
258 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 attacks of those confounded pests, the black flies, whicli 
 generally make their appearance the second week of 
 June, when woe hetide you ; for if you are compelled 
 to submit to their persecutions, your tortures from the 
 results might turn your hair grey in a night, or drive 
 you crazy for the remainder of life. No one can 
 sympathise with the unfortunate Egyptians so well as 
 he who has visited the Maine fishing-regions in the 
 fly season ; getting rid of the Israelites, if they took 
 the plague with them, was under any circumstances 
 most desirable. 
 
 Before leaving Upton for the Wilds, as by this name 
 your future resting-places may well be called, we would 
 revert to the practice of throwing sawdust that comes 
 from mills into the water. Now, although some may 
 not be aware of it, there is nothing more destructive 
 to trout and salmon than these minute particles of 
 timber. The fish, as they rest head up stream, imbibe 
 them into their mouths, whence they pass into the 
 gills and stomach, ultimately causing disease and death. 
 When this is known to be the case, would it not 
 be well to insist that this debris should otherwise 
 be disposed of, which may, without much labour or 
 inconvenience, be accomplished by fire, after trans- 
 porting it to a suitable distance. Hendrick Hudson, 
 the first explorer of the magnificent river which bears 
 
TROUT FISHING IN MAINE. 259 
 
 his name in America, speaks of that river as swarm- 
 ing with salmon ; but where are they now ? Gone, 
 never to return, unless repopulated by artificial means ; 
 in fact, expelled by dams and sawdust, and such like 
 accompaniments of the human race. As with the 
 Hudson, so it would be everywhere, if preventive 
 measures were not adopted to stop these abuses, so 
 glaring and unjustifiable, that every well- thinking 
 man can scarce fail to anathematise the short-sighted 
 policy that has formerly marked the advance of civili- 
 sation. But it is not only fish in America ; game has 
 also thus ruthlessly been dealt with, till forests and 
 farms cease to re-echo the musical, plaintive notes of 
 the partridge, or the sonorous, drumming call of the 
 rufied grouse. For our part, the most picturesque 
 walk, the most delightful rural drive, if not graced 
 with the presence or note of the feathered warblers, 
 the cooing of the dove, or the flight of birds, loses 
 half its fascinations, half its enchantments, and conse- 
 quently half the pleasures it would otherwise afford. 
 
 Supposing that you have passed a few days at 
 Upton, and enjoyed, with that relish which is so 
 natural to a sportsman, the raanifold pleasures of a 
 country excursion, we should advise your uow leaving 
 civilisation and revelling in the solitude of the pathless 
 wood, where man seldom intrudes and nature remains 
 
260 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 undefiled or deformed except by tlie assassin hand of 
 the axeman. If you be a good pedestrian, we would 
 recommend your feet as the most enjoyable and natural 
 method of gaining the portage where the upper An- 
 droscogan has to be crossed ; but as you may not be 
 experienced in woodcraft, and all the sciences that 
 teach the solitary hunter to surely follow a blazed 
 path, procure the services of Collins, an agreeable and 
 obliging man^ to perform the duty of guide ; and if he 
 still possesses his noble dog, the jaunt might possibly 
 be diversified by the treeing of a bear, for Mr. Bruin 
 here roams at large, undisputed master of a gigantic 
 demesne. At the same time, care must be taken to 
 ascertain that a boat is available to transport you 
 across the river, for thus earlv in the season the 
 water will be found too high and too cold for fording or 
 swimming. 
 
 But if previous confinement and sedentary habits 
 have relaxed the muscles and made the feet tender, 
 get Mr. Frost to negotiate for the services of the 
 steamboat,* taking care that a direct understanding as 
 to charge is made before embarking. In fact, go not 
 to the dam ; do nothing till you are certain what will 
 be the cost ; for once you are caught sleeping, if away 
 
 * By what other name to desigate this extraordinary piece of 
 mechanism I know not, but be advised while on board always to keep 
 the wood bunkers between you and the boiler. 
 
TROUT FISHING IN MAINE. 261 
 
 from Mr. Frost's protecting influence, you may, on 
 awakening, find your molars gone, or your strength, 
 if it consists in the length of your purse. To be 
 forewarned is to be forearmed, and now if you fall into 
 the snare, blame not the writer. 
 
 The voyage by water, distance fourteen or fifteen 
 miles, is charming; after leaving the place of em- 
 barkation you proceed about two miles down the 
 Cambridge, which is here dead and sluggish,* till you 
 reach the entrance to Lake XJmbagog, when your 
 vessel's prow is pointed for distant hills fringed with 
 giant timber. On either side, islands after islands dot 
 the bosom of the water, while verdant mountains and 
 primeval forests stretch far, far beyond the limits 
 allotted to vision. The two or three hours which are 
 taken to cross the lake will flit by rapidly, if you have 
 appreciation of what is sublime, of what Nature in her 
 grand conceptions formed, and the impressions in- 
 dented on the tablets of your memory will doubtlessly 
 be permanent. It matters not how sceptical and un- 
 believing some may be, place them where the giant 
 works of the Creator are visible, and how insignificant 
 for ever after must they view the puny efibrts and con- 
 structions of their fellow-beings, and cease to disbelieve 
 that there is One above omnipotent and all-powerful ! 
 
 Fail not, on reaching the centime of the lake, to face 
 * Once a favourite haunt for moose. 
 
262 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 about and look for the White Mountains,* and if the 
 day is clear, ample will be your recompense, for, 
 towering high above all other contestants, they frown 
 gloriously over the landscape, softened into a dreamy 
 reality by distance, and furrowed on their summits by 
 lines of virgin snow, reflecting a thousand brilliant 
 prismatic colourings. But the irrevocable pace of 
 time glides on, and pleasure flits with rapid stride. 
 Our primitive boat now appears to head direct on 
 shore, and so we advance till, when within a few 
 yards of the rocks, the helm is put hard down, and we 
 quickly turn to the left and enter the Androscogan, up 
 whose waters a most charming vista is beheld, the 
 drooping limbs of the trees on either side playfully 
 kissing the rippling stream, and the irregularly formed 
 rocks splitting the water, and, diverting its course in 
 tangent lines, making many a miniature whirlpool 
 or gurgling eddy, the haunt and breeding-place of 
 innumerable trout. If the river is sufficiently high 
 you will be able to proceed, without leaving the steam- 
 boat, as far as the commencement of the portage ; but, 
 should it be otherwise, your baggage and self will 
 require to be transferred to boats, to be propelled up 
 stream by pole and paddle in the skilful hands of some 
 of the proficient backwoodsmen. 
 
 * Mount Washington is six thousand feet high. 
 
TROUT FISHING IN MAINE. 263 
 
 The trip up the river is worthy all the distance you 
 have travelled. The view is ever changing and ever 
 beautiful : now you float over some still, dark pool ; 
 next, with laborious and slow progress^ ascend some 
 seething rapid ; one time the centre of the stream only 
 is navigable, the next moment the brush and branches 
 on the margin grate against your boat's gunwale. A 
 solemn stillness reigns around, only broken by the 
 murmuring of the water, the occasional shrill cry of 
 the fish hawk, or the laborious, incessant hammering 
 of the industrious woodpecker. Again, as you ad- 
 vance, many a wild duck or merganser, on rapid 
 wing, will whistle past, or flutter over the rippling 
 stream, followed by a numerous, inofifensive brood, 
 perhaps but the other day divested of the egg-shell > 
 yet, thus early, proficient in aquatic exercise — all 
 adding peace to the scene and suitable figures for 
 foreground to the picture. 
 
 From this point, where you leave the boats, a port- 
 age of four miles occurs, which has to be traversed on 
 foot ; however, the walking is not bad, although too 
 rough for driving. The path is well defined and 
 erratic, one moment pointing direct for the impene- 
 trable woods, the next following the margin of the 
 river. Some persons have christened this portion of 
 the Androscogan " Mad River/' a name far from inap* 
 
264 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 propriate, as for more than a mile it is one succession 
 of grand rapids and miniature cascades, boiling, surg- 
 ing, and rushing for the placid bosom of Lake Umba- 
 gog. Good fly-fishing can be obtained at low water 
 all along this portion close to the margin, where the 
 water forms many miniature eddies, but woe betide 
 your tackle if you should chance to hook a heavy fish, 
 whose gallant spirit dictates a rush for the turbid 
 centre stream ! no rod or line on earth could possibly 
 hold, and the shores are too rough for the angler to 
 follow downwards. 
 
 It will be well to have a gun with you in taking 
 the tramp across this portage. The first time we tra- 
 versed it we saw a young bear, and the last time one 
 of our party came in such close contact with an old « 
 lady bruin as to be frightened almost to deaih, if it is 
 admissible to judge from his appearance rather than 
 from his description. 
 
 Having progressed a little over half the distance, 
 a pretty fishing- shanty, the property of a Bostonian, 
 most opportunely ofiers itself as a resting-place, while 
 the panorama from its porch fairly earns the eulogy of 
 sublimity. Above, below, and in front seethes the pre- 
 cipitous river, white with foam, while in the distance the 
 placid surface of a miniature lake, unpoetically dubbed 
 ^' the Pond/' recalls to memory the stories of our child- 
 
TROUT FISHING IN MAINE. 265 
 
 hood, in which naiads and nymphs, with the enchanting 
 Lurline for their sovereign, prominently figure. 
 
 The Pond, at some seasons, afibrds splendid sport, 
 especially at the entrance and exit of the river, which 
 flows through it, but it cannot be fished except from a 
 boat, which can be brought down, if desired, from the 
 dam above, — no easy task to be performed, but fre- 
 quently accomplished by the expert lumbermen, who 
 appear equally at home in handling the axe or shooting 
 rapids in their flat-bottomed punts. 
 
 Having rested sufficiently to recruit, and probably 
 imbibed a small glass of something stimulating, diluted 
 with water that trickles from a neighbouring spring — 
 which is always cold as ice however warm the weather 
 may be — as scarcely more than a couple of miles are 
 before us, we may just as well hurry on. The walk 
 now leaves the river and becomes much more hilly and 
 enclosed ; one time crossing a deep boggy ravine, the 
 next, threading its erratic course along the summit of 
 some stony hill- side. The timber here is very beau- 
 tiful, much superior to what we have formerly met, 
 and the graceful, silver birch prevails — a tree than 
 which no prettier or more beautiful exists. Although 
 the road, in some places, must be quite half a mile 
 from the water, still the deep rumbling of the nume- 
 rous rapids is distinctly audible — the neighbouring 
 
266 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 portion of the A ndroscogan River being wild and 
 broken in the extreme. 
 
 We have scarcely ever threaded, this part of 
 our journey without seeing ruffed grouse, and fre- 
 . quently Canada grouse, one of the most beautiful of 
 the indigenous birds, and resembling more closely than 
 any of the American family the red grouse of Scotland ; 
 the deep scarlet iris, the rich, dark chestnut colouring 
 of both are similar ; but they are totally opposed to one 
 another in habits of life, the one preferring the open, 
 heather-covered mountain slopes- — wild as a hawk, 
 unless when engaged with family cares — the other, 
 thoughtless and careless of danger, and never seen 
 away from the densest retreats of the woods. So tame 
 are the Canada grouse that, during my residence 
 in Maine, I knew one of the hotel proprietor's sons to 
 catch an old cock-bird, by slipping a noose, attached to 
 the end of a stick, over its head. But our promenade 
 is near an end. The woods appear less dense as we 
 advance, and soon the flag, that floats over the shanty 
 which is to be our future dormitory, appears in view, 
 with the placid waters of Richardson Lake close by, 
 while numerous irregular hills, all clothed with pine 
 timber to the summit, form the background. 
 
 Generally this beautiful lake is smooth as glass, 
 without a ripple, excepting what may be caused by the 
 
TROUT FISHING IN MAINE. 267 
 
 break of fish, or sudden appearance or descent of the 
 great northern diver, whose wild weird notes have not 
 Tinfrequently startled the uninitiated, brought a cold 
 shiver to their system, or vividly recalled stories of 
 ghosts, sprites, panthers, and wild cats. You are at 
 last fairly in the wilds, miles from man's habitation — • 
 if you except a couple of fishing shanties only occupied 
 a few weeks yearly. You may strain your eyes up 
 and down, no snow-white, smiling cottage will greet 
 your vision. This country is the same still as in the 
 days when the red man knew no superior, and owned 
 every inch of soil from the Atlantic to the Pacific, save 
 it be that the cruel axe of the lumberman has culled 
 out the choicest giant monarchs of the forest. But 
 having done a pretty good day's walking, we may as 
 well lay up for an hour or so, before making our debut 
 on the Androscogan ; moreover, the trout in the 
 middle of the day do not rise so freely, and a couple 
 of hours' work in the evening, if the weather is pro- 
 pitious, will afibrd as many fish and as much sport as 
 the most exacting can possibly desire. 
 
 In the spring the best fishing is to be obtained under- 
 neath the dam — which is built across the river a few 
 hundred yards below where it debouches from the lake, 
 and formed for the purpose of gathering a good head of 
 water to assist in shooting the lumbermen's logs. In 
 
268 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 autumn, however, it is the reverse, for above the dam 
 the greatest numbers and the heaviest fish are found. 
 Why trout should, at the various seasons, select dif- 
 ferent resorts, is still a matter of surmise ; our opinion 
 is, that in summer all that are able leave the river and 
 betake themselves to the locality of the springs in the 
 bottom of the lake, or lie down in such deep water as 
 has not been rendered tepid by the rays of the sun ; but 
 as the season advances, and becomes proportionably cool, 
 the fish retake themselves to the streams, either for the 
 purpose of spawning, or because the rapid water is a 
 more suitable residence during the severity of a northern 
 winter. This migration, if such it may be called, has 
 a great resemblance to the movements of salmon, ex- 
 cept that the latter have the choice of the ocean instead 
 of the land-locked lakes. From the above, our readers 
 will see that midsummer is not the season to select 
 for a visit to this picturesque neighbourhood, even sup- 
 posing that the flies and mosquitoes were less numerous ; 
 but even if the sport was then to be enjoyed in perfec- 
 tion, the assaults of the insatiable pests would render the 
 most fascinating pleasure of fly-fishing a perfect labour. 
 Turning from the house, a foot-path, sufficiently 
 clear to permit you to carry your rod ready for 
 work, leads ofl" to the right, and soon you reach the 
 river, tumbling with a headlong, impetuous rush 
 
TROUT FISHING IN MAINE. 269 
 
 ttrougli several flood-gates and a shoot. "^ The river 
 above and below the fall is lovely, yet almost the 
 opposite in efiect. Looking towards the lake the 
 water is placid and calm, with islands and bays, 
 covered or sheltered with trees, reposing in quiet 
 peace, while beneath the fall, from the effects of the 
 descent, a broad course of white foam-water rushing 
 with headlong speed, first striking one margin, then 
 ricochet ting towards the other, — now divided by abrupt 
 rocks of irregular outline, or swaying round in real 
 whirlpools, — descends on its uncontrollable route. The 
 best stand to fish from, for those who object to wet 
 feet, is a rock about the size of a waggon, thirty or 
 forty yards beneath the falls, on the right-hand side. 
 From this place a person may work for hours with con- 
 stant success. However, if the visitor be of an adven- 
 turous disposition and fears not to wade, the opposite 
 shore is well worthy of attention ; but as the bottom 
 is extremely rough and irregular, and in some parts 
 the current very strong, care must be taken not to 
 make a false step or stumble, as fatal results might be 
 the consequence. I should advise the constant use 
 of the handle of your landing net to feel and guide 
 your steps, on no account permitting the excitement 
 of hooking a large fish to make you lose your head. 
 
 * A smootli incline, down which the logs are floated. 
 
270 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 A couple of hundred yards beneath the dam is a 
 splendid pool, difficult to fish and difficult of access, 
 but your perseverance will be amply rewarded. 
 Scarcely in the memory of a long fishing career have 
 we ever enjoyed such a couple of hours' sport as fell 
 to our luck the first time we wetted a line upon its 
 well-stocked surface. On the first cast not one but 
 half a dozen of the spotted beauties rushed to the 
 surface, so that we were ultimately compelled to reduce 
 the number of flies we were using to a solitary speci- 
 men. For two hours we confined ourselves to this 
 pool, with the simple change of altering situation or 
 cast, and even then only desisted, not from want of fish, 
 but for fear the constant strain would wear out the rod. 
 On this occasion the results were nearly four dozen, 
 and none under half a pound, many reaching as high 
 as three and even three and a half. The guide, whom 
 I have previously mentioned, was my companion, and 
 most satisfactorily he did his work, although on many 
 occasions he was compelled to wade up to his middle ; 
 in fact, I never met a more obliging person, or one 
 more fearless in entering water, or better skilled in 
 handling a landing net. 
 
 The flies I would advise for use are the same in 
 size as those generally employed for sea-trout fishing, 
 but less gaudy. However, if the water should be 
 
TROUT FISHING IN MAINE. 271 
 
 very clear and low, it would be well to use smaller. 
 On every occasion not more than two flies should be 
 employed at the same time, as in this portion of the 
 Androscogan fish are abundant and sometimes very 
 large, and you may chance to impale a couple of gentle- 
 men that will give you more to do than desirable. 
 Having spent as much time here as you feel inclined, 
 I would advise your proceeding to the upper dam, 
 fifteen miles farther on. The sail is pretty and pic- 
 turesque, particularly through the passage denomi- 
 nated the Narrows, which connects upper and lower 
 Richardson Lakes. If adverse winds do not oppose 
 your progress, five or six hours will be sufficient to 
 transport you to your destination ; but if they should 
 set in, your patience will be severely tried, and a tem- 
 porary encampment for the night, in some well- 
 sheltered valley, be found preferable to bufi"eting on the 
 lake. 
 
 During our sojourn a steamboat was spoken of to 
 ply between these two points, fox the better accommo- 
 dation of visitors ; of course, if it is built, much 
 time will be saved and considerable inconvenience. 
 The table and accomniodation at the Upper Dam are 
 very good, considering its isolated position ; more- 
 over, the employes are civil and attentive — which 
 cannot be said for those at the lower establishment. 
 
272 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 Charges are not nearly so exorbitant here as at the 
 Lower Dam, although all the provisions supplied by 
 the proprietor have to be transported a greater distance. 
 The same flies as used before will here be found to 
 answer equally well, and the weight of the fish to 
 range higher. During my stay, I heard of a Bos- 
 tonian killing two trout at one time, each weighing 
 nearly seven pounds, but such a performance as this is 
 rare ; in truth such an essay should form an era in the 
 lifetime of any of the disciples of Izaak Walton.* 
 
 * These lakes are known by the extraordinary^ Indian names of 
 Moonluckmaguntic and MoUechunkamunk. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 INSTEUCTIONS FOR SPORTSMEN. 
 
 There are no classes of society who are more apt to be 
 doubted in their assertions than travellers and sports- 
 men. I will not deny that they are occasionally given 
 to exaggeration, but frequently the excitement under 
 which they may have laboured, at the period of 
 beholding what is strange and novel, causes them 
 unwittingly themselves to be deceived. 
 
 When Gordon Gumming' s narrative of sporting 
 events first made its appearance, the majority of readers 
 were inclined to doubt the veracity of his statements, 
 more particularly in reference to the countless herds of 
 wild animals that could be seen frequently in a day's 
 ride. Poor Bruce, one of the greatest of African ex- 
 plorers, after years of toil and research spent in his 
 country's service, enduring fatigue, hunger, and thirst, 
 had the mortification to find himself entirely disbe- 
 
 T 
 
274 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 lieved on his return to his native land, and not till 
 lately has proper credit been given to this patriotic 
 man, years after he has mouldered to dust, because not 
 till lately did research confirm the truth of all he had 
 stated. Not caring whether or not I am believed, for 
 the ignorant are ever the most sceptical, I state that 
 more bufialo will be sometimes seen in a day's ride 
 over the gigantic western table-lands of America than 
 ever spectator beheld of domestic cattle in the best 
 adapted region for growing stock. 
 
 Kind reader, fancy yourself transported from the 
 busy haunts of man, far, far beyond the turbid waters 
 of the giant Mississippi, to the rolling uplands that 
 border thcTertebrate chain of mountains which longitu- 
 dinally intersects the western continent : the season, 
 spring of the year, when tender, succulent grasses com- 
 mence to sprout, and if you have the fortune to strike 
 the chosen route selected by these superb and matchless 
 animals, you will behold a migration, which for 
 numbers appears to equal the dense flights of the wild 
 pigeon or innumerable phalanxes of duck pursuing 
 their biannual journey to and from the sterile north. 
 And for grandeur of effect, all other sights fall far 
 short of this to the sportsman's eye, the surface of the 
 ground being frequently obscured, and nought but a 
 dense, uncountable surging mass of dark, tawny hides, 
 
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SPORTSMEN. 275 
 
 whose tramping and lowing can be heard for miles, 
 offering itself to view. 
 
 At one period the buffalo was to be found almost all 
 over the American continent, from the St. Lawrence to 
 Florida, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific ; but culti- 
 vation and emigration have done here their usual havoc, 
 and not a single specimen can now be found in many- 
 localities where fifty years ago they swarmed ; and if we 
 look into futurity, say fifty years hence, it is more than 
 probable that but few of these lordly animals will exist. 
 Like the poor red man, their days are numbered, and to 
 future generations nought will remain but the remi- 
 niscence or literary mention of these races. This animal 
 forms the principal resource of the Indian — his food, his 
 covering, and his amusement ; it is even the constant 
 topic of his conversation, and the two, that are thus 
 closely associated, are doubtless destined to make their 
 final exit from the world about the same date. 
 
 While these animals exist in numbers, and travelling 
 is so easily accomplished, it is surprising that more 
 of our gentlemen do not visit their resorts, to enjoy 
 with uninterrupted freedom a sport which is at the 
 same time exciting and healthful; true, to be a pro- 
 ficient requires many qualities, such as a firm seat 
 on horseback, a quick eye and ready hand, decision 
 and capacity to act on an emergency, with a consti- 
 
276 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 tution and physique capable of bearing fatigue and 
 bardsbip. But still, altbougb you lack some of tbe 
 above, you may bave ample sport, a tbousand times to 
 repay you for botb outlay and loss of time ; for few 
 ever return wbose bealtb has not been benefited by 
 tbe trip ; tbe pure unadulterated air and wbolesome 
 primitive diet sufiusing tbe cbeek witb tbe ruddy 
 glow of bealtb, and imparting an energy and strengtb 
 only too often wanting in tbose wbose callings con- 
 stantly incarcerate tbem in over-populated cities. 
 
 For tbose contemplating such an excursion tbe 
 experiences of one wbo bas trod tbe patb are not with- 
 out value, so that I will endeavour to impart my know- 
 ledge. First and foremost, take as little baggage as it is 
 possible to do with ; let your horse or horses be as good 
 and well bred as you can procure, — mules being pre- 
 ferable to carry baggage, — and your ammunition and 
 arms of the best quality, always taking care of tbe 
 latter yourself, and never leaving camp without them ; 
 for remember, you are in a country where scalps are at 
 a premium and life deemed of little value, skulking 
 hostile redskins only kept civil through intimidation, 
 and rascally whites (even more to be dreaded) by 
 knowing that the odds are against them if they should 
 attempt any liberties. 
 
 "Why I prefer thoroughbred horses, or those nearly 
 
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SPORTSMEN. 277 
 
 SO, IS that speed is one of tlie great desiderata required ; 
 and again, they are generally pleasanter in their paces 
 and cleverer on their feet. Moreover, I am inclined to 
 believe they can stand hardship and even work better 
 than half-bred brutes ;* at the same time I would par- 
 ticularly caution you against a headstrong, nervous 
 devil, who gallops with his head in the air as if he was 
 star-gazing, or one whose mouth is so hard that it 
 requires constant exertion to keep him under control, for 
 out of such you can never expect to make a good buffalo- 
 runner. Small horses I also prefer to big ones ; it may 
 only be a fancy* but I always think that they are more 
 generally well made and are tougher. Few nags at first 
 will be got to range alongside your quarry, but after a 
 few essays, if practised judiciously, this objection will 
 be overcome. For shooting buffalo when running them, 
 as the range is only a few feet, a large-bored breech- 
 loading pistol will be found the most convenient, as 
 it can be rapidly loaded by placing the stock under 
 your left thigh and between it and the flap of the 
 saddle, and does not require capping, an operation which 
 on horseback can scarcely be performed without using 
 both hands ; and where the riding is rough and irre- 
 
 * During the Crimean campaign I frequently remarked how much 
 better the weU-bred horses stood the hardships than those of comnion 
 lineage. 
 
278 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 gular, particularly if your horse is blown, relinquishing 
 the hold of your nag's head will not unfrequently 
 seriously incommode your animal, and sometimes cause 
 jOoth him and the rider abruptly to become acquainted 
 with the surface of the soil. 
 
 A good rifle and shot-gun will also find abundant 
 work, for besides the grand bufialo, abundance of other 
 game will be found, such as deer, antelope, bear, and 
 wild fowl, all welcome additions to the fare of the 
 hungry hunter. In selecting a rifle for this purpose 
 it should not be small in the bore, an error that too 
 many make, originating doubtlessly from the pioneers 
 and trappers who first visited these distant regions 
 being compelled to use such weapons, from the saving 
 of ammunition, and the comparatively trifling ipjury 
 a small bullet would do to the hide. Doubtless, a 
 small bullet properly placed will do all that is neces- 
 sary, but should your projectile deviate the slightest to 
 the right or left, you may have the satisfaction of 
 seeing your game go off for parts unknown, or have 
 the felicity of being placed in juxtaposition with a 
 wounded, dangerous customer; whereas, if the ball 
 had been a large one, the paralysation that would have 
 resulted to the animal's system from the concussion, 
 and the haemorrhage that would ensue from the size of 
 the wound, would at once incapacitate the stricken from 
 
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SPORTSMEN. 279 
 
 further exertion. I am aware that my ideas on the 
 above point will have many adversaries, more par- 
 ticularly among Americans, but I feel certain, after 
 years of experience, that I am right, and that con- 
 tinued adherence to the old theory of using small 
 bores is but the result of custom and obstinacy, 
 examples of which we can see every day in the tenacity 
 with which the old muzzle-loader was upheld in the 
 army, or still more so, in the years that elapsed before 
 sportsmen could be induced to resign the antiquated 
 flint-gun for the more modern percussion. 
 
 An addition to a hunting cortege, which may be 
 difficult to obtain, but worthy of any amount of 
 trouble, for they will afford you more real sport than 
 anything I am aware of, is, a couple or more large 
 rough greyhounds, such as are known familiarly as the 
 Scotch deer-hounds ; but as this breed is scarce, an 
 admirable substitute can be obtained by the follow- 
 ing cross, — three-quarters greyhound and one-quarter 
 mastiff or foxhound, the former preferable. They are 
 the only dogs that can catch and kill a wolf, and many 
 is the pleasant hour you may enjoy pursuing these 
 prowlers. Deer, when you can get them in the open, 
 will be easily overtaken by these dogs ; they will also 
 be found no small protection for your camp at night, 
 for all the greyhound family are gifted with remarkably 
 
280 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 quick sight and hearing, and when crossed, as above 
 advised, have an abundance of courage. 
 
 Their method of attacking formidable animals is their 
 protection ; for, instead of laying hold like the bulldog 
 and terrier species, they only snap, and from the power 
 of their enormous jaws, cut deep and severely at every 
 essay. Over and over again I have laughed myself 
 uncomfortable, to see the skill with which they would 
 exhaust a wolf; their speed being very great, they 
 would overhaul the prowler, and the first warning 
 he would have of their vicinity would be a severe snap 
 in the loins or hams. The wolf would then show fight, 
 and as he would dash at one (which would nimbly 
 avoid him), the other would make his tusks acquainted 
 with the foe's flesh. On the approach of the hunter, 
 Lupus would again make ofi", to be halted in the 
 same peremptory and uncourteous manner, till the 
 unfortunate wolf would be compelled to yield to cir- 
 cumstances and want of speed. 
 
 The only animal that these dogs are unsuccessful in 
 overtaking is the antelope. The large hare of the 
 plains [Lepiis Townsendii), familiarly known as jackass 
 rabbit (if unable to gain cover), will seldom go over 
 three hundred yards before being picked up. 
 
 Although I never had a chance to try these hounds 
 on a grizzly, there is no doubt but they could divert 
 
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SPORTSMEN. 281 
 
 that formidable gentleman's attention, so as to afford 
 the sportsman unusual opportunities for administering 
 the coup de grace. 
 
 For hard and fast riding I would recommend the 
 common English hunting- saddle, although for tra- 
 velling long distances, and carrying game or weighty- 
 additions, the American saddle is preferable. It would 
 be well, therefore, to be provided with both ; and as it 
 can always be carried on the back of an unused animal, 
 it will be seldom found in the way. 
 
 The exact locality to be certain to find bufialo is a 
 difficult matter to say, as they are so erratic in their 
 habits that a place where they have abounded one season 
 will be found almost deserted next — the progress of 
 vegetation, the severity of the weather, and the vicinity 
 of war or hunting parties of Indians, having doubtless 
 much influence ; still, if I were about to revisit these 
 sporting Elysiums, I would take myself to St. Louis, 
 and go on board one of the numerous steamboats that 
 start each spring on trading excursions for the Upper 
 Missouri. There are few parts of the upper river where 
 a landing cannot easily be efiected, and your horses, by 
 this means, can be placed fresh and in good condition 
 where their labours are about to commence ; independent 
 of which a supply of grain can be taken along that 
 will be invaluable in keeping your nags in good heart. 
 
282 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 The vicinity of many of the forts is much to be 
 recommended, for you will there have opportunities of 
 making the acquaintance of numbers of the officers of 
 the United States regular army, whose society, like that 
 of all educated gentlemen, will do much to dissipate 
 ennui and the monotony of camp-life in bad weather ; 
 moreover, there are many first-class hunters among 
 them, and they are proverbial, as a body, for their 
 hospitality and good social qualities, while from the 
 numerous attaches that surround the forts, the most 
 authentic and reliable information can always be ob- 
 tained of the movements and locale of game. 
 
CHAPTER XVIIL 
 
 THE MUSK SHEEP OF ARCTIC AMERICA. 
 
 Why this animal should be designated ox is to me a 
 mystery. Plainly do its appearance, habits, &c., desig- 
 nate it as a member of the Ovis family, instead of the 
 Bos, However, Blainville, a naturalist of good repu- 
 tation, to avoid censure, boldly seizes both, and 
 designates it Ovibos, thereby claiming a distinct stand- 
 ing and title to the honour of its representing a new 
 genus by adopting the sobriquet of two old ones. 
 Audubon does likewise, and heads his chapters on 
 these animals with the title of '* Genus Ovibos/' As 
 an authority on American natural history, the latter 
 is entitled to the highest consideration. At the same 
 time I cannot help feeling that the name adopted is a 
 shuffling pretext to prevent controversy, and the pos- 
 sibility of making a mistake that in future years would 
 require to be corrected. 
 
284 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 I have just returned from a most delightful party, 
 the lion of which was a gentleman who for upwards of 
 ten years had shut himself out of the civilised world, 
 by residing upon one of the numerous lakes of North 
 America, that are situated on the extreme edge of the 
 Rocky Mountains and the barren lands in sixty- four 
 or sixty-five degrees north latitude. Here the musk 
 sheep (for I must call it so) is found occasionally, but 
 when he progressed farther to the north-west it was 
 no uncommon occurrence in a day's march to see 
 several herds ; in fact, they were so numerous that the 
 camp was always well supplied with them for food. 
 Their flesh he pronounces excellent and nutritious 
 when fat, but quite the reverse when, by a long pro- 
 tracted winter, they become thin and attenuated. The 
 flavour is much the same as that of venison, although 
 much coarser in the grain, and is entirely free from 
 any musky odour, except in very old males, and during 
 the rutting season. The ground which they principally 
 frequent is the same on which is found the small 
 cariboo — immense stretches of rolling, rocky steppes, 
 most sparsely supplied with vegetation, except where 
 an occasional brook winds its solitary course towards 
 some giant river, rapidly hurrying on its northern 
 course to the Arctic Ocean. Their principal food is 
 the various mosses, the leaves of stunted brush, and 
 
THE MUSK SHEEP OF ARCTIC AMERICA. 285 
 
 the fine velvety grasses that sparsely crop up in wet 
 localities. 
 
 For animals so unwieldy in shape and appearance 
 they are wonderfully nimble, making always for the 
 roughest grounds when pursued, leaping with agility 
 from rock to rock, and scaling the faces of slopes so 
 perpendicular that the hunter, with hands and feet 
 brought into play, finds it almost impossible to follow. 
 Their hearing and sight are very acute ; at the same 
 time so suspicious and cautious are they that, although 
 always assembled in little parties of from ten to twenty, 
 sentinels are regularly told ofi" for duty, which place 
 themselves in the most commanding positions, ready 
 to whistle the signal of alarm on the slightest suspicion 
 of danger, accompanied by the usual sheep-like stamp 
 of displeasure, which summons the herd to assist in 
 inspecting the supposed intruder before they shift their 
 feeding grounds for haunts that previous experience 
 has taught them are more secure. 
 
 From the high latitudes in which they are found. 
 Captain Parry, the celebrated voyager, classes them 
 among the dwellers north of the Arctic circle ; and well 
 might he or others do so, for so well are they pro- 
 tected by nature from the inclement weather of the 
 inhospitable regions which they inhabit, that the most 
 severe snow and frost little interfere with the routine 
 
286 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 of their life. Their wool is remarkably soft, long, and 
 densely close ; so that at a small distance, if they are 
 walking over irregular- surfaced soil, their feet are 
 scarcely seen, the body of surrounding fringe giving 
 the observer the impression which would arise if you 
 saw an animal surrounded with a petticoat. Their 
 colour is much the same as that of the buffaloes of 
 the plains, possibly a little darker, and at a distance 
 they might easily be mistaken for them ; but on closer 
 inspection the delusion cannot continue, for their out- 
 line of form, sheep-like movement and figure, at once 
 corrects the error. In height they stand from eleven 
 and a half to twelve and a half hands, the males 
 being the largest and most cumbersome in appearance. 
 Their legs are excessively short, and gifted with great 
 muscular power, while the track of their hoof is about 
 the size of a two-year-old steer's, but straighter and less 
 pointed. The head is ornamented with handsome horns 
 which almost unite at the base, and taper off with grace- 
 ful, handsome sweeps to sharp points, which are gene- 
 rally in the mature animal on a level with the eyes. 
 The nose is covered with soft downy hair, and the eye, 
 which is large and full, gives the physiognomy an in- 
 telligent look, which would induce the belief that no 
 great difficulty would occur to prevent their domesti- 
 cation. If such could be effected, great benefit might 
 
THE MITSK SHEEP OF ARCTIC AMERICA. 287 
 
 result from the introduction of their wool into our 
 markets, as from its extreme length, elasticity, and 
 fineness, it could be manufactured into the most supe- 
 rior class of cloths. 
 
 Their rutting season occurs at the breaking up of 
 the autumn, when the cold and fitful winds of October 
 commence to warn us that warmth is gone, and snow 
 and ice are coming. The male, who generally is very 
 inoffensive, unless he chance to receive a wound inca- 
 pacitating him from escape, becomes now most quarrel- 
 some and vindictive, attacking with the greatest fury 
 whatever provokes his displeasure ; and woe be to the 
 white man or Indian who then meets him, if away 
 from a place of escape or unprovided with fire-arms. 
 At this time furious engagements take place among 
 the males, which sometimes continue till one or both 
 of the contestants are so much exhausted that they fall 
 an easy prey to the Indian's arrows or the tusks of 
 the northern large grey wolf. 
 
 In May the female produces a single lamb, over 
 whose welfare the mother shows great solicitude. The 
 young, until three or four weeks' old, are unable to 
 follow the parent, but are hid away in the manner 
 usual with deer ; the old lady, however, on such occa- 
 sions never wanders far from her offspring's hiding- 
 place, and on the least suspicion of danger rushes to 
 
286 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 of their life. Their wool is remarkably soft, long, and 
 densely close ; so that at a small distance, if they are 
 walking over irregular- surfaced soil, their feet are 
 scarcely seen, the body of surrounding fringe giving 
 the observer the impression which would arise if you 
 saw an animal surrounded with a petticoat. Their 
 colour is much the same as that of the buffaloes of 
 the plains, possibly a little darker, and at a distance 
 they might easily be mistaken for them ; but on closer 
 inspection the delusion cannot continue, for their out- 
 line of form, sheep-like movement and figure, at once 
 corrects the error. In height they stand from eleven 
 and a half to twelve and a half hands, the males 
 being the largest and most cumbersome in appearance. 
 Their legs are excessively short, and gifted with great 
 muscular power, while the track of their hoof is about 
 the size of a two-year-old steer's, but straighter and less 
 pointed. The head is ornamented with handsome horns 
 which almost unite at the base, and taper off with grace- 
 ful, handsome sweeps to sharp points, which are gene- 
 rally in the mature animal on a level with the eyes. 
 The nose is covered with soft downy hair, and the eye, 
 which is large and full, gives the physiognomy an in- 
 telligent look, which would induce the belief that no 
 great difiiculty would occur to prevent their domesti- 
 cation. If such could be effected, great benefit might 
 
THE MUSK SHEEP OF ARCTIC AMERICA. 287 
 
 result from the introduction of their wool into our 
 markets, as from its extreme length, elasticity, and 
 fineness, it could be manufactured into the most supe- 
 rior class of cloths. 
 
 Their rutting season occurs at the breaking up of 
 the autumn, when the cold and fitful winds of October 
 commence to warn us that warmth is gone, and snow 
 and ice are coming. The male, who generally is very 
 inoffensive, imless he chance to receive a wound inca- 
 pacitating him from escape, becomes now most quarrel- 
 some and vindictive, attacking with the greatest fury 
 whatever provokes his displeasure ; and woe be to the 
 white man or Indian who then meets him, if away 
 from a place of escape or unprovided with fire-arms. 
 At this time furious engagements take place among 
 the males, which sometimes continue till one or both 
 of the contestants are so much exhausted that they fall 
 an easy prey to the Indian's arrows or the tusks of 
 the northern large grey wolf. 
 
 In May the female produces a single lamb, over 
 whose welfare the mother shows great solicitude. The 
 young, imtil three or four weeks' old, are unable to 
 follow the parent, but are hid away in the manner 
 usual with deer ; the old lady, however, on such occa- 
 sions never wanders far from her offspring's hiding- 
 place, and on the least suspicion of danger rushes to 
 
288 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 her lamb, prepared to do battle with all intruders, 
 whatever may be their size or appearance. The 
 droppings of these animals, with the exception of their 
 size, exactly resemble those of sheep. 
 
 I will here relate two anecdotes told by Mr. McNabb, 
 illustrative of the chances of accident that will occa- 
 sionally occur to the sportsman, even when in pursuit 
 of animals which are generally deemed harmless ; and 
 clearly proving how necessary presence of mind and 
 decision of character are to the person who adopts wild 
 life, or hopes to return safely from a trip to the com- 
 paratively unknown tracks of the great north-western 
 portion of the American continent. 
 
 '^ The ice had just disappeared from the rivers ; the 
 wild duck had already arrived in immense numbers, 
 so that our table daily had been graced with the choicest 
 varieties, when a thought struck me that an alteration 
 of fish for fowl would be most acceptable to the palates 
 of the encampment. About a couple of miles distant, 
 where the river, contracted to one-fourth its usual 
 breadth, rushed into a noble pool, I had on the pre- 
 vious year been most successful ; moreover, it was a 
 pleasant pool to fish — no overhanging bushes, but 
 gently sloping, gravelly banks nearly the entire length 
 of its margin. In an hour I had secured more trout 
 than I felt disposed to carry; so, work being over, 
 
THE MUSK SHEEP OF ARCTIC AMERICA. 289 
 
 I treated myself to a pipe. While enjoying my 
 baccy, a wader of a description I never before saw lit 
 close to me. It was so tame that I threw several stones 
 at it, almost with success, for the distance was not over 
 ten or fifteen yards, before it took to wing, and went 
 farther down the stream. Anxious to procure a new 
 specimen, I followed till almost a mile lay between me 
 and my fish. To save distance in returning, I deter- 
 mined to cut across the angle formed by the bend of 
 the river, and had progressed about half the way when 
 I saw a female musk-sheep coming after me. When a 
 lad in the Highlands I had got dreadfully punished by 
 a tup, and the remembrances of the event had not yet 
 been forgotten. A mountain ram is a small beast 
 compared to my present pursuer, and he was able to 
 do enough mischief. The ground was very roughly 
 sprinkled with boulders, some of great size, and for 
 the most inaccessible of those I made the best speed I 
 could muster, and only succeeded in gaining a place of 
 safety when the ewe's horns were within a foot or two 
 of my hurdies. For over an hour she kept watch on 
 me ; and, worse than all, when I got back to my fish 
 some vermin or other had carried all the best ones off, 
 and it was getting too late to hunt up its nest. When 
 at home the Indians soon explained the reasons of this 
 unprovoked attack, and proved the correctness of their 
 
290 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOKTS. 
 
 assertion by shooting tlie mother next morning and 
 bringing the lamb home, which we were unable to 
 keep alive for over three days, much to the regret 
 of all." 
 
 The second adventure is a repetition of the inex- 
 cusable folly of not immediately loading your gun be- 
 fore approaching wounded game. ^^ In stalking some 
 barren cariboo, eight musk sheep crossed directly be- 
 tween me and the deer. I was well hid at the time, 
 so that they came unsuspiciously within thirty yards. 
 In a moment I gave them both barrels. To the first 
 shot an old buck dropped, and rolled into a ravine ; 
 the second barrel crippled a three-quarter grown sheep 
 so badly that I knew less than a mile would lay her up. 
 In my hurry to secure the old one, without loading I 
 hurried to the ravine. There he was, as I thought, in 
 the last struggle. Down I jumped into the hollow, 
 which was about ten feet deep ; but no sooner did he 
 see me than up he got, and, head down, charged. I 
 turned tail, and fortunately scrambled out a wiser man ; 
 for, deil tak' me, if ever I gang near any o' them with- 
 out powther and lead baith in my gun." 
 
 The average weight of the full-grown male is about 
 four hundred and fifty pounds, while the female is 
 generally from fifty to seventy-five pounds less. The 
 Indians state that they live to an immense age, which 
 
THE MUSK SHEEP OF ARCTIC AMERICA. 291 
 
 belief is probably caused by their venerable and ragged 
 appearance at the time they cast their coats. 
 
 So little is known of this animal, and there are so 
 very few who have had any experience of its habits, 
 that I trust the readers of ** Accessible Field Sports '^ 
 will excuse my writing from the experience of others 
 instead of from my own. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 SNIPE SHOOTING ON ILLINOIS PEAIRIES. 
 
 Who that is a sportsman, if lie has time and means, 
 can remain immersed in town or mercantile pursuits 
 in tliis most prolific season of the year for field sports 
 — spring ? Consider only the contrast of winding 
 your course along the solitary brook, bubbling and 
 leaping with impetuous energy over its rocky course, 
 and singing lullabies of soft music so soothing to the 
 mind, while Nature, as if revived from her winter's 
 rest, sends forth odours so suggestive of returning 
 summer ; or, on the other hand, wandering over the 
 boundless prairie, drinking into your very soul the 
 invigorating breeze surcharged with vitality and 
 health, instead of being seated with the constant pens, 
 ink, and paper before you, the incessant hum caused 
 by toiling life grating on your ears, and the everlast- 
 ing mental excitement of the busy world resting upon 
 vou. 
 
SNIPE SHOOTING. 293 
 
 Last season but one, on the prairies, I shot snipe 
 day after day, till a surfeit might have been expected, 
 and only desisted when the advancement of the season 
 proclaimed the approach of the period for breeding ; 
 and, though some might imagine such a lengthened 
 campaign would have sufficed for coming years, before 
 twelve months had slipped past I stretched my arms, 
 looked at the sky, observed the wind, all three of 
 which being favourable, anathematised, perhaps, the 
 destiny or fate that compelled me to accfept more 
 sedentary town occupation. 
 
 With that intuitive feeling that tells the swallow 
 when to migrate, the fish a change of weather, or the 
 cattle the portended storm — we feel certain that all the 
 southern prairies of Illinois are now alive (March) with 
 snipe, that they are lying well to the gun, and that 
 heavy bags are being made. We can even shut our 
 eyes and imagine that we are just approaching some 
 favourite spot either bordering on a slough or stream, 
 or rich-loamed dip between swelling slopes, and that 
 the game is flushing right and left, as we cautiously 
 pursue our course down wind, while our trusty and 
 well-tried gun rapidly responds to our aim. Again 
 and again we fill and empty our blood-stained pockets, 
 till the body, from fatigue, calls ** Hold, enough ! '' or 
 we return, with waning day, to our little bald-faced 
 
294 Accessible field sports. 
 
 pony, ever ready with a neigh to welcome his master's 
 re-appearance. Though to revisit these secluded haunts, 
 to re-enact these scenes, may not be my lot, why should 
 they not be the reader's ? If you have courage to dis- 
 charge a gun, you will find abundance to shoot at. If 
 you are a proficient in the art, you will make such a 
 bag of snipe as an English sportsman scarcely ever 
 dreamt of, embellished with numerous duck, teal, and, 
 possibly, curlew ; and if you are a true disciple of the 
 virgin goddess, you will enjoy more real pleasure than 
 probably ever was your fortune. Go, by all means 
 — do not stop to hesitate— and I will guarantee you 
 an amount of sport that will induce many a future 
 return. 
 
 Those gentlemen who live in the cities that surround 
 these sporting localities, are well aware of the excellence 
 of the shooting at this season upon the prairies, and 
 make up large parties to have a week or so at the Wilson 
 snipe, erroneously called Jack snipe. In the course of 
 a day's shooting I have met visitors from Louisville, 
 Cincinnati, and St. Louis, marching like companies in 
 skirmishing order, and keeping up a regular fusillade. 
 But so great is the extent of hunting-ground, and so 
 numerous the game, that in each day, over the same 
 heat, no visible diminution can be observed. We do 
 not mean to say that no English sportsman ever made 
 
SNIPE SHOOTING. 295 
 
 a trial of these western haunts, but we are thoroughly 
 impressed that the excellence of these grounds is far 
 from as widely known as it deserves, and that many 
 persons possessed both with means and inclination are 
 unaware that within thirty-six hours' journey of New 
 York they can have such snipe shooting as is to be 
 enjoyed in no other portion of the globe. 
 
 As to all the haunts of snipe, the visitors must go 
 well prepared with a good supply of water-proof boots, 
 for the walking is always damp, sometimes wet ; also 
 a good stock of flannel clothing will be found indis- 
 pensable, for at this season the weather is frequently 
 80 variable, that although noon may be oppressively 
 warm, sunset and the hour of the tramp home — espe- 
 cially if your feet are wet may be found sufiiciently cold 
 to chill the warmest blood. As the ground frequently 
 is very destitute of cover, the birds will not lie for a 
 dog to set them ; nor does this matter, the snipe being 
 so abundant ; but a good retriever, who will keep well 
 to heel, and is under perfect control, will be useful. 
 Moreover, few days will pass without several duck 
 which you have killed or disabled falling in the 
 adjoining sloughs, which, without a retriever or a 
 wading escapade, would inevitably be lost. 
 
 In our opinion, there is no kind of field sport in 
 which the breech-loader so plainly shows its superiority 
 
296 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 over tlie old muzzle-gun as in snipe shooting. From 
 our experience of the past season, unless compelled, we 
 should never use any other for this description of sport. 
 The rapidity with which they can both be loaded and 
 cleaned, dispensing with the ramrod, which is always 
 difficult to handle in cold weather, being able to load 
 without placing the butt on the ground or in the mud, 
 and the non-necessity of using caps, are advantages in 
 all sporting, but in none more decided than in snipe 
 shooting. 
 
 At first when the snipe arrive, they are poorer 
 in flesh, and wilder than further on in the season ; but 
 if the day should be mild and the sun warm, they will 
 almost lie to be tramped upon, and when flushed only 
 fly a few yards before lighting. In fact, you will fre- 
 quently have trouble to get them to take wing if the 
 cover chance to be good. But for choice, the snipe 
 generally prefer the bare ground which has been burned 
 over during the fall or winter, or has been overflowed 
 by the rising of some neighbouring river, the allu- 
 vial surface deposit apparently suiting them better to 
 bore in. 
 
 As an estimate of what may be considered a good 
 day's sport at this season of the year on these grounds, 
 we will recur to our own experience, and only state 
 facts. An acquaintance, who was a good shot, killed, 
 
SNIPE SHOOTING. 297 
 
 to our certain knowledge, nine dozen snipe in seven 
 hours, and we ourselves have frequently killed from 
 seven to eight dozen in the same time. The first day's 
 shooting of my last season, over indifferent ground, and 
 very difficult to walk upon from its inequality of sur- 
 face, in five hours I to my own gun bagged four 
 dozen, and but that the birds were extremely wild, 
 would possibly have knocked over fifty per cent, 
 more. 
 
 Where we should advise the shooter commencing 
 snipe shooting in spring would be at Vincennes, on 
 the Ohio and Mississippi railroad. From here you 
 can have sport in every direction, and when you feel 
 desirous of change of scene, the prairies, which begin 
 here and continue north almost uninterruptedly to the 
 great lakes, will be found abundantly stocked from the 
 date of the arrival of the first flight of the migratory 
 hordes. Of one thing we should like to caution the 
 novice; viz., the using of too large shot. No. 9 will be 
 found the best. A snipe requires but little hitting to 
 bring him down, and then his body is so small, that at 
 the distance of forty yards, although your aim may be 
 correct, if you shoot large shot, it is far from impro- 
 bable that the game may fly through it. Of course, 
 it would be well, particularly when using a breech- 
 loader, to carry a few cartridges of IsTo. 5, in case you 
 
298 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 come across duck, for the facility with which you can 
 withdraw one charge and substitute another, is one of 
 the great points of excellence which the new gun 
 possesses over the old pattern. Moreover, when your 
 day's work is over and your domicile reached, if you 
 are careful of your ammunition and dislike throwing 
 away a couple of charges-, you can extract your car- 
 tridges in a moment. Persons residing in the country 
 often deem it necessary to retain at least one gun in 
 the house, loaded, for the reason, that if you should be 
 suddenly called upon to shoot some marauding hawk 
 which is decimating the hen-roost, the delay of loading 
 would be fatal to any chance of killing the bloodthirsty 
 scoundrel. Still, at all times, particularly if there are 
 children about, loaded guns ai*e most objectionable ; 
 but if you chance to be possessed of a breech-loader, 
 this is obviated, for the gun can be loaded almost 
 instantaneously. It is of such frequent occurrence 
 to read in our public papers accounts of frightful 
 accidents, resulting from strangers or youths playing 
 with loaded arms, that we should feel thankful that at 
 length such an invention has been perfected, as will at 
 least reduce, if not totally abolish, these heart-rending 
 misfortunes. 
 
 If your frame be cast in that iron mould which 
 nature has bestowed on some, and you are consequently 
 
Sj^ipe shootixg. 299 
 
 capable of bearing, without inconvenience, fatigue and 
 exposure, and are, at the same time, desirous of making 
 as heavy a bag as possible, while shooting over your 
 snipe beat, pay particular attention to the water- 
 courses and sloughs, and when you become satisfied 
 that you have found a spot where the ducks are in the 
 habit of spending their evenings, which may be ascer- 
 tained by the down-trodden weeds and muddy appear- 
 ance of the water, mark the place, for when it becomes 
 too late to continue peppering the snipe, you can 
 return and lie in ambush for the web-footed gentry. 
 Duck, from flying high when on the move, can be 
 seen much later than small game (which, being flushed 
 on the ground, head away from you, parallel to it), 
 more particularly if watching for them, as you can fre- 
 quently get them against some clear spot in the sky. 
 Frequently, I have killed in half an hour half-a-dozen 
 of that prince of birds and epicurean dainties, the 
 mallard, in this manner, when it was so dark that, 
 after they had dropped, but for the sagacity of my 
 retriever I was scarcely aware whether I had correctly 
 aimed. If the evening should be dark and loomy, 
 with indications of change to cold weather, and a high 
 wind blowing, it will be unnecessary to wait as late as 
 sunset before visiting the feeding ground of the duck ; 
 for, under such circumstances, we have known them 
 
300 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 to come in fearlessly early in the afternoon. How- 
 ever, you cannot practise this work successfully with- 
 out some kind of screen, which will require to be 
 larger and thicker if your clothes do not in colour 
 closely approximate the hue of the ground. 
 
 Brother sportsmen, let me once more advise you to 
 take this western trip, and on your return I know 
 I shall receive your thanks for being the means of 
 introducing you to sport that cannot fail to rejoice the 
 heart of every true lover of the dog and gun. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 HINTS FOR AMERICAN SHOOTING. 
 
 No breed of dog combines so tborougbly as the setter 
 tbe following tbree important points : speed, endu- 
 rance, and beauty of form. The greyhound may be 
 more swift, but he lacks the endurance ; the foxhound 
 may be as lasting, but he falls far short in personal 
 appearance and sagacity. 
 
 Some sportsmen prefer the pointer ; for general 
 purposes, give me the setter ; for hard work and 
 constant shooting, in America I would have no other. 
 If you are the happy possessor of a pure, good breed, 
 you will seldom or never know the annoyance of 
 sore feet, and the frequent consequent loss of a good 
 day's sport, as their paws are well protected against 
 the sharp wire grasses of the prairies by the quantity 
 of hair growing between their toes, and around their 
 pads. In briers, thorns, and thick covers generally, 
 he again shows his superiority, owing to his being 
 
302 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOUTS. 
 
 defended by the thickness of his coat, enabling him to 
 penetrate thickets that a pointer will scarcely look at. 
 For a person who shoots but seldom, and that over a 
 smooth country, the pointer is good, on account of his 
 less high-strung disposition ; but for the hard-working, 
 indefatigable sportsman, who finds a variety of game 
 upon his beat, where a retriever, both by land and 
 water, is sometimes necessary, the smooth" coated dog 
 cannot be compared to his feathered brother. With 
 regard to which of the two has the best nose, the 
 balance of opinion will be found in favour of the 
 pointer ; but this idea has, in a majority of cases, been 
 hastily adopted. It has, no doubt, arisen from the 
 greater inclination which the pointer manifests to 
 point, and from over docility dwelling on places which 
 birds have left some time, and which a setter will 
 scarcely notice. This circumstance, however, causes 
 me to think quite the reverse, the superior scenting 
 powers of the latter informing him that the game has 
 gone. The better, and, perhaps, the best method of 
 determining this point is, to observe which has the 
 superiority on bad- scenting days, or in retrieving a 
 wounded bird ; but in England setters and pointers 
 are not broken to retrieve ; in America no dog is con- 
 sidered perfect without these qualifications. 
 
 I am aware that many are as ardent supporters of 
 
HINTS FOR AMERICAN SHOOTING. 303 
 
 the pointer as I am of the setter, but I speak not from 
 hastil J- formed opinions, but long experience, having 
 owned both ; in fact, once I thought the opposite to 
 what I do now, but at that period I did not as con- 
 stantly shoot, being only occasionally able to get a 
 few days in the field at a time, and then the adage of 
 ** once broken, always broken,^' so frequently applied to 
 the pointer, was verified, while the setters, from want of 
 work and exuberance of spirit, would, during the first 
 half-hour, perhaps, behave badly, and require rating 
 both with voice and whip, causing annoyance and the 
 probable loss of one or two shots. But then look at 
 the performance of both on the second or third day. 
 Master Don, the pointer, walks at heel sore-footed and 
 crest-fallen, while Beau, the setter, ranges indefati- 
 gably both far and near, neither deterred on his beat 
 by rough' ground, briers, nor marsh. 
 
 All the prairies of the Western States are well 
 stocked with pinnated grouse, familiarly called Prairie 
 Chicken, but they abound principally in Central and 
 Northern Illinois, Iowa, and Northern Missouri. They 
 feed on berries and the tender tops and seeds of grasses. 
 They pair early in the spring, and the female lays 
 from eight to fifteen eggs, in a very primitive nest on 
 the ground. The young leave the nest almost as soon 
 as hatched, and continue to follow the hen, till the 
 
304 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOUTS. 
 
 frosty nights in autumn set in, wlien they unite in 
 packs of frequently as many as a hundred brace. 
 They continue thus packed in the greatest harmony 
 till the approach of spring, when amorous feelings 
 assert the mastery over social amity, and fierce 
 battles ensue between the males, seldom resulting 
 in the wounding and maiming of either of the com- 
 batants. On one occasion, while riding over some 
 burnt land on one of the southern prairies of Illinois, 
 on my way to a slough to kill some ducks in the evening 
 flight, I observed two chickens engaged in fierce com- 
 bat ; they permitted me to approach and capture both, 
 thoroughly exhausted, but unmarked by any wound. 
 The care and assiduity of the female for the protection 
 of her young are truly wonderful ; if she sees danger 
 approach her brood, she will throw herself on the 
 ground, screaming and manifesting an apparent in- 
 capacity of escape ; but when she has drawn the enemy 
 a sufficient distance from her chicks, she leaves the 
 astonished intruder to follow her only with his eyes. 
 
 Chicken shooting is laborious, requiring both judg- 
 ment and experience to be eminently successful, parti- 
 cularly when you happen to be a stranger in the 
 locality ; and the season being generally the hottest 
 in the year, September, it is absolutely necessary to 
 be clothed in the lightest attire. A flannel shirt and 
 
HINTS FOR AMERICAN SHOOTING. 305 
 
 drawers are undoubtedly indispensable, as this material 
 is a bad conductor of beat, and if habituated to it you 
 will experience no increase of warmtb ; at the same 
 time it will most eflFectually absorb the perspiration, and 
 prevent your catching cold. Long boots up to the knee 
 should also be used, as they will effectually guard you 
 against snakes, of which there are no scarcity among 
 the long, rank grass, through which you have fre- 
 quently to walk. To those who may be troubled with 
 tender feet I would advise a little tallow rubbed on the 
 joints before starting in the morning, and a foot-bath of 
 strong salt and water on their return. This method I 
 have never known to fail when strictly attended to. 
 On no account should the sportsman drink the water 
 lying in the low grounds, as fever and ague are in every 
 draught ; but cold tea, or a weak dilution of whiskey and 
 water, will be found a good and serviceable beverage. 
 The former I particularly recommend. 
 
 Immediately after feeding in the morning, and about 
 the time the dew leaves the grass, the birds go to 
 the low and damp grounds, soon afterwards is the 
 proper time to commence the day's sport. From that 
 time, on the edge of the streams or wet ground, till 
 the extreme heat of the day comes, good shooting may 
 be obtained, and also from three o'clock, when the birds 
 again revisit the low grounds, to an hour before sun- 
 
 X 
 
306 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 set, at whicli time you should make the utmost speed 
 to the wheat stubbles, where you can generally 
 shoot till so dark that you have difficulty in dis- 
 tinguishing your ganie. If you are disinclined to lose 
 the meridian hours, and feel strong enough to stand 
 the oppressive influence of a noonday sun, the rolling 
 high grounds, or barren, loose-soiled places, where 
 moulding and scratching d la tame fowl can be enjoyed, 
 will be found the locule ; but I would advise all, if they 
 have no regard for themselves, to have some considera- 
 tion for their canine favourites, for, remember, for one 
 mile you tramp they go ten, and if they feel exhausted 
 with their morning's work, they are incapable of ex- 
 pressing their fatigue, 
 
 In hunting any description of game in which you 
 make use of the dog as an assistant to find it, be 
 careful to give him the wind, and never hurry or force 
 him forward when he shows an indication of winding 
 birds ; remember he knows infinitely better than 
 you do, and that he has some cogent reason to act 
 as he does ; and further, that he has not learned the 
 diplomatic art of lying, although his accomplishments 
 may be numerous and varied. The sportsman who 
 beats his ground slowly and carefully will invariably 
 kill more than he who is always hurrying on as 
 if he were the wearer of the time-hcnoured seven- 
 
HINTS FOR AMERICAN SHOOTING. 307 
 
 leagued boots. On one occasion, wnen in company with 
 a city friend, our dogs kept drawing, and occasionally 
 pointing across a stubble, both of us following close 
 behind ; when we reached the opposite fence, he pro- 
 posed, in a manner that would not brook contradiction, 
 to go to some birds we had previously marked down. 
 He went, while I continued to beat the lower angle of 
 the field, which had so far been neglected ; the result 
 was that I killed eleven, while Mr. Obstinate only 
 got a wild shot as a recompense for his haste and 
 want of perseverance. 
 
 On finding a pack, the old birds are generally the 
 first to take wing. Kill them if you can, and the 
 remainder will be easily accounted for. Without the 
 knowledge and trickery of mature years, they will 
 remain when marked down almost to be kicked from 
 beneath your dog's nose, and, in nine cases out of ten, 
 flush singly. 
 
 No country takes more out of dogs than the prairie ; 
 therefore I should strongly recojnmend that two 
 brace be provided, the one couple to be hunted in 
 the forenoon, the other in the after part of the day ; 
 by changing them thus, they will be sufficiently strong 
 and fresh to do good work as long as you can walk 
 to them. 
 
 Burning the prairies, when performed in the spring 
 
308 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 is very injurious and destructive, for by this means 
 numbers of nests are annually destroyed ; yet the 
 practice will be continued, on account of the benefit 
 derived by the owners of the soil, as the ashes manure 
 the ground, and cause the pasture to come in early 
 and luxuriant. As a general rule, you will always 
 in the commencement of the season find the prairie 
 fowl in the vicinity of stubble fields, where they 
 invariably feed night and morning. Frequently they 
 perch upon fences or stacks of grain, and will often sufler 
 the sportsman to approach within easy gun-shot ; but 
 he that would avail himself of this ignoble means of 
 swelling his bag, should be avoided by his fellow mortals, 
 and condemned to wander the remainder of his days in 
 a terra incognita swarming with mosquitoes and black 
 flies, bed bugs and snakes. Late in the season, when 
 the birds have packed and cease to lie well to the dog, 
 the only time that you can hope to be successful is when 
 the sun has reached his greatest altitude and strength ; 
 then, on the grassy slopes directly facing his genial 
 rays, they often appear, for an hour or two, to become 
 indolent or reckless of their safety, remaining so close 
 that they will flush within easy gun-shot, or early in 
 the morning, or late in the evening, when, if you hide 
 yourself in a fence corner, you will get frequent shots 
 at them as they wing their way to corn-fields to feed. 
 
HINTS FOR AMERICAN SHOOTING. 309 
 
 I remember in the month of November, in Newton 
 County, Indiana, killing over a dozen in this manner, 
 in less than an hour, when waiting for wild duck. Pot 
 hunters and game dealers' emissaries have numerous 
 and successful ways of destroying this noble bird all 
 the year round; but with their shameful practices I 
 have nothing to do, hoping that all who pretend to or 
 appropriate the name of sportsmen in America, will 
 show their disapproval of such outrages by hunting 
 from a neighbourhood, wherever they have influence, 
 these ignoble slaughterers, who will, more than aught 
 else, tend to ultimately banish from the accessible 
 grounds one of the handsomest and largest of the 
 grouse family. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 SHOOTING m MISSOURI. 
 
 AccoRBtNG to advice, my friends and self tried Brook- 
 field, on the Hannibal and St. Joseph's railroad, in the 
 State of Missouri, three years ago, and found the locality 
 as represented. The hotel at the railroad station is well 
 kept, and if the culinary department does not suit its 
 visitors they must be very fastidious. Moreover, there 
 is not a house of public entertainment that I know of, 
 in America, where there is a more evident desire on 
 the part of employer and domestics to do all in their 
 power for the accommodation of their guests, and to 
 render them comfortable. Game, I am assured by those 
 who reside there, is unusually abundant this year 
 (1869), and they attribute as a reason that, during the 
 war, guerillas were so numerous that few had the hardi- 
 hood of risking the loss of their guns, or, possibly, 
 being roughly handled, whatever their love of field 
 sports might have been, so that little shooting 
 
SHOOTING IN MISSOURI. 311 
 
 was then done. But, fortunately, those days are 
 over, and the peaceful sportsman can wander about at 
 large without the slightest fear of molestation. Besides 
 the usual game birds, on my trip I killed several deer, 
 and if I had previously known that they were so 
 numerous would have paid them an earlier visit. A cir- 
 cumstance occurred to me the third day after arrival, 
 which, I think, all will say is unusual; at least, in my 
 long experience, I cannot remember having seen the 
 same, viz., wild turkeys lying to a dog. A large hawk 
 was hovering iu the neighbourhood at the time, and to 
 his unwelcome presence I attribute this piece of for- 
 tune. With hounds admirable sport could here be 
 obtained, for the greater portion of the ground is ride- 
 able, and the land covered with brush, neither too 
 thick nor tail to impede the progress of a good horse. 
 However, let me call attention to an abuse which exists 
 here, as well as in many more of the Western States 
 — the capturing of partridges with the net. American 
 gentlemen ought to do something to stop this barba- 
 rous practice, — one which, in a few years, if continued, 
 will ultimately ruin their finest shooting grounds. To 
 attempt to curtail what the people here deem their 
 privilege is no easy matter ; however, such people as are 
 guilty of this heinous offence are, in nine instances out 
 of ten, worthless village loafers, too lazy to work, and 
 
312 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 earning a precarious existence by supplying city mar^ 
 kets with tieir victims. Shooting, I insist, invigorates 
 the frame, strengthens the mind, and is, without doutt, 
 a most harmless pleasure, encouraging persons to good- 
 fellowship and unselfish intercourse, inducing all tie 
 good traits of character to be enlarged, and the baser 
 to be depressed ; therefore the facilities for legitimate 
 shooting should be encouraged, and game protected, 
 by such wholesome laws as will enable future gene- 
 rations to enjoy this superlative pleasure. 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 A LOISG DEER HUNT. 
 
 To kill deer, if you come across them, is easy enough, 
 or to knock them over if they are driven past your 
 stand is what any schoolboy can do, provided he keeps 
 cool ; but to stalk deer with success, alone and unaided, 
 requires as much practice, twice the experience, and 
 four times the cuteness and observation requisite for 
 any other description of field sport. 
 
 I once knew a man who was pretty nearly master of 
 this art, and he could as well discriminate a good day 
 for deer stalking from an indifferent one as he could 
 a thoroughbred from a mustang. " 'No use going out 
 to-day, Cap.,^' he would say, in answer to an inquiry ; 
 "the woodpeckers have got their heads up, and the 
 deer are lying : best stop at home ; '' and best it always 
 was. Now, after acknowledging myself not to be an 
 expert, I hope the reader will deal gently with me, as 
 I am desirous of relating a little episode that took place 
 
314 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 when my experience was far from being as great as 
 it is now. 
 
 As deer in the Eastern States of America are nearly 
 exterminated, my friends will have, at least in imagi- 
 nation, to believe themselves transported to the grand 
 and luxuriant West, to no less a locality than the 
 Wabash Valley, in Southern Illinois, where the soil is 
 rich and fat, the timber heavy, and corn sometimes 
 reaches fifteen feet in height ; where the atmosphere is 
 redolent of miaslna and fever ; where the inhabitants 
 shake half the time with chills, and their complexions 
 resemble yellow ochre, with a little of its brilliancy 
 extracted ; where, half the year, floods cut you ofi* from 
 the rest of the world, and you are compelled to become 
 a boatman or a Robinson Crusoe, whether you like it 
 or not. However, good fellows, with big, kind hearts, 
 are to be found here ; and if anything in this world can 
 compensate, which I doubt, for loss of health, I am 
 inclined to believe that it is the hon camerade of a 
 genial spirit. But times are changed since the date 
 I name ; the skilful, good, kind, little doctor of the 
 district— a host in himself — has departed for the land 
 of gold ; the hunter, my companion- — a Dutchman by 
 name but not by nature — retired, possibly, to his 
 favourite Yazoo bottom, in Arkansas, to re-awaken its 
 extensive woods with the echo of his deadly rifle, and 
 
A LONG DEER HUNT. 315 
 
 cheer the many-spotted pack to their prey with his 
 musical stentorian voice. By-the-bye, one remains — a 
 German gentleman, whose convivial habits and good- 
 ness of heart, with courteous behaviour, will always 
 endear him to those persons who can appreciate such 
 praiseworthy traits. The better to enter into the spirit 
 of the thing, I will transfer you to the neighbourhood 
 — Vincennes, Indiana, — so that you may learn the 
 characteristic features, and if, the first time you are 
 travelling westward by the Ohio and Mississippi line 
 of rail, you look out of the carriage window, after 
 rumbling over the long Wabash bridge, and take a 
 good view of the surroundings, know that this is the 
 locality over which Ubique once hunted. 
 
 It was in the month of December or January, I 
 cannot precisely state which, but on rising from my 
 bed, to my surprise I found the ground covered with a 
 few inches of snow, just sufficient, and none to spare, to 
 track a deer with a degree of certainty. Now, I 
 was hungry for venison, and such a chance was not 
 to be let slip. From a habit which is unaccountable 
 among many when they go from home, I had a 
 morning cocktail brewed, and with a glass in each 
 hand sought the dormitory of my Yazoo friend, and 
 over the drinks we both discussed the prospects and 
 our plan of campaign. 
 
316 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS 
 
 The horses were ordered to be in readiness after 
 breakfast ; buck-shot and bullets were hunted out, 
 shooting boots greased, and 'baccy and pocket pistols 
 loaded to the neck and stuffed in our saddle bags. A 
 hard day we knew to be before us, so ample justice was 
 done to cur meal ; for, gentlemen sportsmen, rely upon 
 what I say, nothing so materially assists to withstand 
 fatigue and cold as an ample breakfast. 
 
 A ride of about five miles took us to our ground, 
 but our horses were fresh, and we impatient to be at 
 work, consequently the distance was soon traversed, 
 and we dismounted in a grove of saplings, well suited 
 to hitch to and shelter the nags from the wintry 
 blast. 
 
 While we are performing the necessary operation of 
 loading, a description of our armament will not be 
 inappropriate, Will, or so I'll call him, had an old, 
 uncouth rifle, which, although possessed of no finish, 
 could shoot *' plumb centre,'' with the old-fashioned, 
 double trigger, the second to set the hair-spring, — an 
 invention I had seldom previously seen and never 
 used; while I myself had my trusty double-barrel 
 ten-bore, which, from long experience and association, 
 I was aware had only to be held straight to do correct 
 work. 
 
 A large swamp, about half a mile off, was a favourite 
 
A LONG DEER HUNT. 3] 7 
 
 resort for deer, and to it we directed our steps ; but 
 before we had gone half the distance, we came across 
 numerous tracks, so fresh that we kept a sharp look- 
 out in all directions, hoping every moment to be grati- 
 fied with the sight of some an tiered monarch. Failing 
 in this, we changed our tactics, friend Will posting me 
 on the margin of a branch of the swamp, with my back 
 against the butt of a tree, with instructions to remain 
 still and keep a sharp look-out, while he would take a 
 tour around, and possibly drive some stragglers across 
 the run which my stand commanded. Slowly, after 
 Will started, the time passed ; the forest appeared per- 
 fectly deserted ; not a squirrel or bird showed itself to 
 break the monotony, except an angry, squabbling 
 family of woodpeckers, who appeared to have some 
 serious disagreement in reference to the possession of a 
 hole in the trunk of a dead giant tree. Wet feet are 
 never conducive to comfort, and much less so when you 
 are prevented from taking exercise ; besides, it was 
 bitterly cold. First I stood on one leg, then on the 
 other, after the manner of geese, which birds I began 
 to consider I much resembled, till at last the inaction 
 became so unendurable that I was very nearly taking 
 up my gun and starting in pursuit of my supposed 
 recreant friend. 
 
 As I was about to put my resolution in practice, I 
 
318 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 thought I heard a voice, and on looking in the direction 
 from whence it proceeded, I was surprised to see a 
 couple of hunters with a cur dog passing my retreat, 
 about a hundred yards off. He who has^ shot much in 
 the timber, well knows that if he remains quiet the 
 possibility is great that those moving about may make 
 the game start towards his retreat. And well it waa 
 I did so ; for ere five minutes had passed a grand old 
 turkey, head down, and going like a raccrhorse, shot 
 by ; but turkey was not deer, so I let him go, pre- 
 ferring to be without turkey to braving the wrath of 
 Will for firing at illegitimate game. How often 
 patience and forbearance receive their reward ! and so. 
 it was in this instance,^ for scarcely had the gobbler 
 gone by when a fine large buck hove in sight. From 
 his manner he was evidently alarmed, for every now 
 and then he would stop, snort, and continue his route. 
 Unfortunately, he was heading so as to pass too far off 
 to afibrd a good shot, and the ground was too Qlear to 
 permit me, with any prospect of success, to better my 
 position ; so I had almost made up my mind not to 
 shoot. However, I changed my resolution, for as soon 
 as he came abreast of me, he halted, and looked around. 
 The temptation I could no longer withstand ; so, 
 pitching my gun with due elevation, I let drive the 
 first barrel, but with no apparent resiilt, for the deer 
 
A LONG DEER HUNT. 319 
 
 only threw up his head and trotted off. The second 
 barrel I quickly determined to put in, and holding well 
 in front and high, had the satisfaction of seeing his 
 lordship make a tremendous bound and drop his flag, 
 a certain indication that some of the shot had taken 
 effect, but the distance was so great that successful 
 results could scarcely be expected. 
 
 Nothing is so difficult as to obtain a gun that throws 
 buck-shot well. I am inclined to believe that gun-^ 
 makers have not paid the same amount of attention to 
 discovering the proper internal construction of barrels, 
 so as to obtain the greatest range and closeness in 
 throwing this description of projectile. Generally, at the 
 distance of one hundred yards, the side of a barn would 
 be none too large a target to be certain of hitting ; and 
 again, occasionally a barrel will make an unusually 
 good pattern at one discharge, while at the next it 
 will be quite the reverse, so that hitting a deer at a 
 hundred yards I consider more the result of luck than 
 good guiding, if charged with buck-shot. 
 
 After waiting for nearly a quarter of an hour I was 
 joined by my friend, who at once inquired what I had 
 shot at ; but when I told him the distance, he only 
 laughed one of those peculiar, little dry laughs which, as 
 plainly as words, said, " You're a fool if you expect to 
 eat any of that carcass." Nevertheless, we together 
 
320 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 inspected tlie track, and I had not even tlie gratifi- 
 cation to find blood. Well, Will was for giving it up, 
 but I wanted to follow it out ; and after using all his 
 powers of persuasion and argument in favour of his 
 views, my friend succumbed, and consented for once 
 to be dictated to. 
 
 For over a mile we followed our game. The line 
 was straight and the tracks distinct ; moreover, the 
 gait was steady, if one could judge from the regularity 
 of the impressions ; and there was nought to indicate 
 that we might not with as great propriety follow any 
 animal in these bottom lands that had never had a shot 
 fired at him. Will was going ahead, leading, and your 
 humble servant bringing up the rear, when the former 
 suddenly halted and turned round. From the expres- 
 sion of his face I knew something was up, but was 
 scarcely prepared for the information he gave. " Look 
 here," said Will ; " you have hit that deer. Cap., 
 tolerably badly, and I suspect we shall get him yet ; 
 his fore leg is disabled, and he can't travel far without 
 our OA^erhauling him." On inquiring how he gained 
 his information, he pointed to the tracks ; and sure 
 enough the off fore-foot, instead of making a clean im- 
 pression, cut the snow for nearly a foot both before 
 and after. ''You see," said he, chuckling, ''he don't 
 use both alike, for it's all he can do to get this one 
 
A LONG DEER HUNT. 321 
 
 clear of the ground." There was no gainsaying such 
 conclusive evidence, and with renewed ardour we 
 sharpened up the pace of pursuit, alternately changing 
 places, one being constantly on the look-out while the 
 other tracked. Once or twice we got sight of the deer, 
 but too far oflF, or for too limited a period, to shoot ; 
 but the view was always cheering. Forward we 
 pressed, exultingly hoping that each minute would 
 finish the hunt ; but the deer thought otherwise, for 
 he was of a most unaccommodating disposition. Soon 
 it became apparent that the confounded brute was tra- 
 velling the same circle, and that, unless we altered our 
 plans, we might be kept going till dark ; but as we 
 were not disposed to work harder than necessary, it 
 was agreed that I should drop behind and take up my 
 stand beside the most eligible place, while Will con- 
 tinued the pursuit with the hope of driving our wily 
 foe past my ambush. Though the plan was well de- 
 vised, it failed in execution ; for after an hour's tedious 
 delay my companion rejoined me, disgusted and dis- 
 pirited, heaping anathemas upon the foe, pronouncing 
 him to be one of the very ugliest brutes he had ever 
 come across. After all our trouble, it would never do 
 thus to be defeated ; so I proposed doing the track- 
 ing while he took a stand, at the same time changing 
 guns at his request. 
 
 Y 
 
322 acc:essible field spoets. 
 
 Full of hope, and animated with, the desire of 
 distinguishing myself, I pushed forward with re- 
 newed energy. At first the trail was tolerably clear, 
 but, after some time, it led and twisted in every 
 direction through innumerable hog paths. Never 
 was I so sorely puzzled to keep correct, but with per- 
 severance and care I managed to carry the track almost 
 across to clear ground, where I suddenly lost all signs, 
 and was completely brought to a stand-still. I was 
 aware that all dodges were practised, more particu- 
 larly when deer feel the efiects of increasing weak- 
 ness and incapacity for further exertion; so, hoping 
 that fortune would favour me, I determined, like a 
 skilful foxhunter, to make a cast completely round the 
 disturbed ground. After the loss of twenty minutes I 
 fortunately again struck the trail, which, to my sur- 
 prise, led in a reverse direction ; clearly indicating that 
 the deer had retraced his steps probably in the same 
 track, and thus, by this cunning device, almost suc- 
 ceeded in eluding his pursuers. The trail of the animal 
 now became more irregular, and the tell-tale track of 
 the wounded limb greatly assisted me in distinguishing 
 his footsteps from those of his fellows, which on every 
 opportunity he selected; but, all having failed to 
 throw me off so far, the deer adopted a new ruse, 
 which under other circumstances would have been 
 
. A LONG DEER HUNT. 323 
 
 eminently agreeable to the sportsman, but in this in- 
 stance made me so savage that I would have indulged 
 in the amiable weakness of breaking the gun-stock 
 over the nearest tree, if it had not been that my friend 
 might not see the joke of his gun being thus treated. 
 
 So intent was I in watching the tracks that I did 
 not observe the exhausted deer had halted, Becoming 
 alarmed by my near approach, and deeming it advisable 
 to make a fresh effort to place distance between us, he 
 again put forth renewed energy. The brush, unfortu- 
 nately, was so remarkably dense, that although I got 
 several glimpses of his tawny hide, still never for suffi- 
 cient length of time to get a fair chance to shoot, and 
 I was unwillingly compelled to keep tracking. About 
 fifty yards from where I stood a small river, npt over 
 ninety feet across, named the Ambaras, wound its 
 sluggish, peaceful way towards its parent stream, the 
 Wabash, and direct for the nearest part of this river 
 the deer had gone. Still I could not bring myself to 
 believe that a buck at this season, with plenty of ice 
 in the water, would hazard an aquatic performance ; 
 but my doubts were soon solved, for on, reaching 
 the mai-gin, with surprise I saw the deer upon the 
 ledge of ice attached to the bank struggling violently 
 to keep his footing, the disabled leg, which appeared to 
 hang powerless, evidently now causing serious ijicoja- 
 
824 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 venience to his progress over the slippery surface. 
 Such an opportunity to finish my work was not to be 
 neglected, so cocking the rifle I pitched it forward and 
 drew a bead, but still no report followed. All my 
 power and exertion could not pull the trigger. Again 
 and again I looked at the lock, and essayed another 
 effort, but with the same result. At length, in despair, 
 I desisted, and the deer, having altered his mind, came 
 ashore and disappeared through the tangled brake. 
 Of course, to examine the gun and inform myself what 
 was wrong was my first thought. My surprise may be 
 well imagined when, with all my endeavours, I could 
 not get the hammer down ; there it would stand, not a 
 particle of compromise was in the confounded thing. 
 All my skill in mechanism was called into play, all 
 my past experience put to use, and not until my 
 patience was nearly exhausted did I discover the 
 use of the second trigger. Discouraged I was, but 
 whether most at my own stupidity or want of luck I 
 know not. Still hoping for another chance, I followed 
 on in no very amiable frame of mind. 
 
 Time fled and the long shadows of the trees told 
 of the rapid approach of night, still not a sight did I 
 further get of the buck ; and to add to my troubles, 
 the tracks a second time led through ground that hogs 
 had lately fed over. Never was I so sorely puzzled. 
 
. A LONG DEER HUNT. 325 
 
 Back and forwards I searched, my eyes nearly strained 
 to bursting, till at lengtt I was compelled to give up 
 the chase. On looking round to find out as nearly as 
 possible my situation, the better and more directly to 
 return to my horse, I espied a splendid wild turkey 
 busy feeding not over thirty yards ofi*, and still un- 
 aware of my presence. Sheltering myself behind a 
 fallen log, I took sight along my barrel, determining 
 inwardly to have some reward for niy labour ; but, 
 although this time I worked the trigger correctly, 
 nothing but the explosion of the cap took place ; in 
 fact, the rifle had missed fire. The turkey, frightened 
 at the noise, lowered his head, ran about twenty yards, 
 then stopped, and lool^ed around, still ignorant of the 
 cause of his alarm. Substituting a new cap and again 
 taking sight, was but the work of a few moments, but 
 still the gun refused to explode. I now sprung my 
 ramrod and placed on the nipple another cap, but the 
 result was as before, and the turkey having become 
 conscious that he was in a dangerous neighbourhood, 
 sought safety in flight. How often a day's shooting is 
 one tissue of bad luck from morning till night ! and so 
 it was in this case. First, the game had passed too 
 far from my stand ; secondly, changing guns had 
 lost me the deer ; and thirdly, the carelessness of my 
 friend in not sheltering his gun from the damp was 
 
326 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 the reason of my not having turkey for a future day's 
 dinner. 
 
 Tired, hungry, and bad tempered, I struck off direct 
 for my horse, expecting to haVe little more than a 
 mile to walk ; but with surprise, after having tra- 
 velled that distance, i found I was turned round and 
 lost. Already it was sunset, half an hour more would 
 make it dark, and the bottom land which I was now 
 wandering through, was as intricate, densely covered a 
 swamp as ever was inhabited by wild cat. The season 
 of the year> moreover, w^s not exactly the one to be 
 selected for making your couch on the surface of 
 mother earth, and visions of a good dinner, comfortable 
 fire, and dry clothes floated before me. Hark ! what 
 is that — a dog barking? And so it was. Forward I 
 pushed to the sound, and in doing so came across a 
 road, which, on inspection, I recognised as one we had 
 traversed in the morning. The rest of the programme 
 for that day was plain sailing. I found my pony 
 where he was left, my friend's horse being gone ; 
 so, concluding Will had made tracks for home, I 
 mounted my fiery little nag, and with a sufficiently 
 tight rein to guard against accidents, rattled home, 
 almost at racing pace. It was nearly two hours after- 
 wards that Will turned up wet and exhausted — down 
 upon his luck and deer in particular — vowing that 
 
. A LONG DEER HUNT. 327 
 
 lie would be up with the sun in the morning, and not 
 return till he could boast of not having been beaten 
 by a broken- legged deer, when there was enough snow 
 to track. My defeat had similarly operated on myself, 
 so that we mutually agreed to devote the morrow, blow 
 or snow, to re-establish our tarnished honour. The 
 morning was well suited for our task, still and clear, 
 with just sufficient frost in the atmosphere to give zest 
 to travelling. The track was easily found, my back 
 track being taken as the guide to where I had my 
 adventure with the turkey. 
 
 In ten minutes we again had our game afoot, but 
 without getting a shot, the animal having doubled 
 round before lying down, and, consequently, rising 
 behind us. The bed where he had passed the night was 
 soiled with blood, and other indications were such as to 
 justify us in hoping early success. Although perseve- 
 rance is generally rewarded, it was not so on this occa- 
 sion. Hour after hour slipped Hby, the game appeared 
 to moderate its pace in accordance with ours, just 
 keeping sufficiently far ahead to be out of range. 
 The badness of the walking (for a thaw had com- 
 menced), the continued disappointment, and the diffi- 
 culty of following through the bush, commenced 
 to operate upon our spirits, and, but that we struck 
 a more open range of country where the travelling 
 
328 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 was better, doubtless we wouM have given up. 
 However, as we were in the vicinity of our ponies, 
 we determined to continue the pursuit on horseback, 
 hoping to get a view, in crossing some opening, 
 where we could give the buck a run of a few minutes, 
 with the expectation that a sharper gait might 
 break him down ; but luck continued adverse. Time 
 was rapidly gliding by, a few hours more would bring 
 on night, and, as far as we could see, the pros- 
 pect of a termination was as distant as ever. Want 
 of success or fatigue made us careless, and as we 
 slowly wended our unthankful way — first one in front, 
 then the other, unsportsmanlike on such occasions, 
 talking aloud, deploring our misfortune, and paying 
 but little attention to the surroundings — my pony (for 
 I was in front) suddenly shied, turning almost com- 
 pletely round, and at the same time bringing me 
 excessively near getting a spill. And what do you 
 imagine was the cause •of this want of propriety in so 
 experienced a steed ? Simply this : the deer had lain 
 down, and we had almost ridden over him. To wheel 
 round and try to bring my gun to bear was the work 
 of a few seconds, but all my exertions and rapidity of 
 motion were thrown away. The pony would not stand 
 still; he had evidently been frightened, or perhaps 
 '^vas still in ignorance of what caused the alarm. 
 
A LONG DEER HUNT. 329 
 
 Moreover, my manoeuvring so directly intervened 
 between my friend and the deer that, for fear of pep- 
 pering me, he dared not fire. To turn round and look 
 at one another, first sulkily, but afterwards to burst 
 into a roar of laughter at the absurdity of the whole 
 thing, was the result, each agreeing that the buck had 
 well earned his safety, and that two such awkward 
 devils had no right to a feast of venisqn resulting from 
 that hunt, and, therefore, we had better acknowledge 
 that we were beaten handsomely, and that by a buck 
 on three legs. 
 
dHAPTEE XXtll. 
 
 TliE SPLIT BAMBOO FLY-RODS. 
 
 Header, have you ever had the misfortune to be caught 
 in a provincial town, where you have no acquaintances, 
 by such a wet day as confines you, nolens volens, to the 
 limited accommodation of your hotel ? Such has been 
 my luck twice, and the minutes, seconds, and hours on 
 each occasion appeared at least double the length oi 
 those of ordinary times. Such a miserable ordeal was 
 almost forced upon me a month or two since ; in fact, 
 I had almost made up my mind to spend the interven- 
 ing time between lunch and dinner with a book and 
 pipe, when the constant interruptions I sujffered from 
 the impudent, obtrusive servants drove me to a state of 
 desperation, so, seizing my hat and umbrella, I sallied 
 forth, scarcely knowing where to direct my steps to 
 obtain a few hours' peace and amusement. Suddenly, 
 I was struck with the idea, — Why not go down to 
 Messrs. Clerk and Co., Maiden Lane, and see what 
 
THE SPLIT BAMBOO FLY-RODS. 331 
 
 progress they are making with, the split bamboo fly- 
 rods my piscatorial friends in England are looking so 
 anxiously forward for. Acting on the impulse of the 
 moment, I jumped into a street car, and soon reached 
 my destination. A fishing-tackle establishment has 
 always been to me a place of great attraction. True, 
 I had been at this one several times before, but never 
 with sufficient spare time to overhaul and examine the 
 numerous objects of interest that there, on every hand, 
 surround you, with that attention and care that each 
 deserved. And as the proprietors had always been 
 civil and kind on previous visits, I doubted not that 
 they would pardon my prying curiosity. Reach- 
 ing the front of the establishment, which has its 
 specialite well marked by an immense rod projecting 
 over the pavement, a show-case filled with flies of 
 every size and colour, artificial baits so numerous that 
 they must be nameless, reels, flies, books, &c. &c., and 
 a window crowded with piscatorial attractions, of which 
 not the least attractive is a six-pound trout, I turn 
 the handle and enter. Before me extends an immense 
 room, about a hundred feet long, the upper portion 
 enclosed for an office, while the long walls on either 
 side are stored with every machination the fertile brain 
 of man ever invented to entrap the unwary inhabitants 
 of the liquid element. 
 
332 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 As I turn to the left, and lean upon an immense 
 show-case, standing detached and filled with attractive 
 lures, I find myself at the elbow of Michael, one of 
 the attaches of the premises. Here I must come to a 
 halt for a moment. I cannot without a good word pass 
 an old friend, and he one of the most expert fishermen 
 and most perfect fly- tiers I ever met. And more than 
 that, Michael comes from a neighbourhood I know 
 well. Until a year or two since, he lived near Fermoy, 
 and was a constant attendant on the officers of that 
 garrison. There is not a hole, a stream, a stretch of 
 dead-water within ten miles of that town, whether it be 
 on the Blackwater, Bride, Phuncheon or Araglen, that 
 he is not acquainted with. Before him, as he sits, are 
 ranged gut, hackles, golden and European pheasant 
 feathers, hooks, silk, and wax, for day after day, unless 
 he takes a holiday, his deft fingers are tying salmon or 
 trout flies. As soon as Michael sees me, he clears a 
 seat, and, at his request, I sit down and go to work, 
 just, as he says, to keep my hand in. Of course the old 
 country, and the neighbourhood of Fermoy, and the 
 gentry, are the staple of conversation, with an occa- 
 sional inquiry after old military acquaintances, whose 
 cicerone he was wont to be. 
 
 When abroad, how pleasant it is to talk of home ! 
 how the warm blood of afiection rushes to your heart 
 
THE SPLIT BAMBOO FLY-RODS. 333 
 
 when the thoughts wander back to the land of your 
 nativity ! But Doctor Clerk has seen me enter, and 
 here he cotnes with a good-natured smile on his face, 
 which I know predicts an invitation to lunch ; if I had 
 eaten ten previously that day I will accept it; for 
 from the Doctor I shall learn more of salmon fishing, as 
 well as of the habits and peculiarities of Mr. Salmo 
 Salar, than from any one I ever met. The Doctor, 
 who is quite a naturalist, has killed salmon from his 
 own native Scotch stream to the rivers that enter the 
 Pacific ; of late years he has wandered less, still no 
 season passes without his finding his way to Nova 
 Scotia, New Brunswick, or Labrador. Report says that 
 he can beat all comers at throwing a long and light line. 
 I know that few, very few, can tie such a perfect 
 salmon-fly. After the Doctor and self have greeted 
 one another, we pass on, taking a casual look at what 
 appears most attractive. American reels, of which 
 there appears an immense stock, excite much my 
 admiration, they are all so superiorly finished. One 
 that I am shown, but is not for sale, and is the first 
 ever made, is constructed out of pure aluminium ; the 
 mechanism is perfect, the weight is a mere trifle, 
 and there is no amount of exposure will cause it to 
 corrode. 
 
 The Yankees are wondrous smart fellows ; their wits 
 
334 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 appear never to be at rest, and the number of arti- 
 ficial baits that have emanated from their brains is 
 truly surprising. Buell- spoons, kill- jacks, phantom- 
 minnows, and, and — but their name is legion, and 
 certainly many are very deadly. 
 
 Boxes of gut, feathers, hooks, lines, rods, lie ranged 
 around ; the farther up the store you advance the more 
 you see, till the brain becomes mystified, in wondering 
 what portion of the earth did not assist in supplying 
 a portion of the collection. Through the credit of 
 Messrs. Brown Brothers and Co., of New York and 
 London, the Clerks import direct the well-known bam- 
 boo of Calcutta, and the more tough and tapering 
 bamboos of Japan. India and Japan furnish their 
 silk lines, and the tropical climes of both continents 
 are ransacked to supply them with feathers. 
 
 An hour has already flitted past, still not one- tenth 
 of the curios have been seen, — but here comes the 
 junior partner ; his eye is sharp and keen ; you may 
 bet that he can strike quick and certain when a trout 
 rises at his fly. It is so ; and not a brook near New 
 York has not over and over again yielded her brilliant 
 beauties to fill his basket. 
 
 On reaching the office at the top of the store we find 
 the head of the firm, who is not one particle less genial 
 than his confreres. From him I learn that the split 
 
THE SPLIT BAMBOO FLY-RODS. 335 
 
 bamboo fly-rods are finished, and one of the clerks 
 is ordered to produce them for inspection. Gently, 
 handle them gently, for never did fair woman merit 
 kind treatment more than these treasures at the hand 
 of one who knows their use and value. Each one is 
 put together, each joint fits as close as the cylinder 
 of a steam-engine, and turn them as you will no warp 
 or cast can be seen ; twelve feet long is each, not 
 over six ounces in weight, and a four-pound trout, if 
 drawn out by the hair of his head, would not break 
 them. 
 
 Their balance on examination proves perfect, and the 
 only regret that creeps over me is, that I have not a 
 cast of flies on, and am situated by the margin of a well- 
 stocked stream. Yes ! they are worthy of the friends 
 for whom they are intended, and more than worthy of 
 all I have said in their praise. But to lunch No. 2 
 I must go ; the Doctor is impatient, and I wish to learn 
 a new wrinkle in taking salmon. Before I get out of 
 the door, however, I am asked if I would not like to 
 see another floor, ** Another floor ! ^' I internally ejacu- 
 lated ; *' no, I thank you," — sotto voce. By Jemminy, 
 if I did, I should dream of fish and fishing, hooks, 
 feathers and gut, every night for the rest of the 
 week. If any of my readers chance to be in New 
 York, rain or sunshine, frost or thaw, if they be dis- 
 
336 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 
 
 ciples of old Izaak Walton, if they want information on 
 aflfairs piscatorial, whether they require tackle or not, 
 let them visit the hospitable firm of Messrs. Clerk & 
 Co., Maiden Lane, for well am I aware that they will 
 never think the time thus spent thrown away. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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 U. C. BERKELEY LIBRARIES 
 
 C0bl3151S2