"^°^;^^^n Wright, Early Records of the Wild Turkey. 335 



1914 J 



trying fall sorts of unearthly, half -supernatural dishes.... As 

 it was, we asked for wild turkey. ... I believe these things. . . . 

 are accounted very good and it amused us trying and experimenta- 

 lizing on them." In this connection, J. F. Cooper remarks,^ "Of 

 fowls there are a rare and admirable collection!. . . .it would do 

 your digestive powers good to hear some of the semi-barbarous 

 epicures of this provincial town expatiate on the merits of . . . .wild 

 turkies, and all the et ceteras of the collection." 



Other travellers always bring their muskets with them^ "to 

 shoot the wild geese and turkies that some of our travellers in 

 America describe so fluently,. ..." They "were always on the 

 watch for an opportunity of practising (on shipboard), believmg 

 that they should have such excellent sport in America shootmg 

 wild turkies." Early in life, the native youth is taught the wiles 

 of the turkey hunter.^' "One important pastime of our boys was 

 that of imitating the noise of every bird and beast in the woods. 

 This faculty was not merely a pastime, but a very necessary part 

 of education, on account of its utility in certain circumstances. 

 The imitations of the gobbling and other sounds of the wild turkeys, 

 often brought those keen-eyed and ever watchful tenants of the 

 forest within reach of the rifle. The Indians, when scattered about 

 in the neighborhood, often collected together, by imitating turkeys 

 by dav, and wolves or owls by night." " Apropos of the rifle. . . . 

 The inhabitants of this country .... (were) wonderfully expert 

 m the use of it: thinkhig it a bad shot if they (missed) the very head 

 of a . . .wild turkey, on the top of the highest forest tree with a 

 single ball.* In fact, this ability to hunt the turkey successfully 

 is so well known an accomphshment of the American man that 

 Fanny Wright (d'Arusmont)^ in speaking of better conditions for 

 American women mentions it as one of the distinctive pursuits or 

 pastimes of the American man which women can not well emulate. 



. Cooper. J. F. Notions of the Americans. London. 1828, Vol. I. p. 183. 



2 Weston. Richard. A Visit to the United States and Canada in 1833. Edm- 



''Tfercheval^'sfLel.- A History of the Valley (Shenandoah). Winchester. 



'^fci!SnJ.^pi'^''sketches of a Tour to the Western Country, through the States 

 of Oliio and Kentucky; etc. Pittsburgh, ISIO p. 30. . ^^. ^. ,„ . s„_ies 



a Arusmont, P. W. d'. Views of Society and Manners ^ America in a Series 

 of Letters, etc., during the years 1818, 1819, and 1820. London, 1821. p. 429. 



