THE 



SPORTSMAN' 



JOURNAL. 



NEW YORK, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1878. 



For Forest and Stream and Rod and Gun. 



§0$ ^tier ffcsmngg. 



WE wero four : Feeder, a tried manufacturer from the 

 region of the once pure and unadulterated Fall River ; 

 Kinayk, a tall, slender Yankee " business fellow " from New 

 Hampshire ; Btirkill, one of the best of shots and of artists and 

 of fellows in New Hampshire ; and Sohnvil, a dignified doc- 

 tor and editor and Pennsylvania Dutchman from Philadel- 

 phia. Four men less alike — except in their taste for venison 

 — could hardly be gotten together, and therefore they were 

 just the kind to camp out together. Tho Doctor started tho 

 ball rolling and picked up his chums on tho way, so that 

 when Montpelier, Vt., had been reached we were all together, 

 happy and jolly, and about to enter the "good time " which 

 had been planned by correspondence months before. All 

 night at Burlington, and next morning we rode in the little 

 steamer across Lake Champlain to Port Kent, where our con- 

 veyance, previously arranged for by Feeder, awaited us, to 

 take us fifty-three miles into the wilderaes3. The stage- 

 driver was a model " baggage agent." He made no attempt 

 to smash our trunks, we noticed, but wherever they needed 

 handling he invited some one to assist. "Blessings on the 

 man," as Sancho Panza would say, who invented rifles and 

 guns which you can pack in your trunk. Now all day 

 through that wildly beautiful valley of the Saranac, whence 

 New York gives up her iron wealth to the unrelenting miner, 

 and where the iron yields its original sinfulness up to the 

 persuasive alchemy of charcoal— onward and upward, until 

 just at the hour of dusk we reached Martin's, on the Lower 

 Saranac Lake. 



Here we found other four awaiting our arrival — our guides, 

 with their slender boats, to carry ua to an objective point, 

 sixty miles away. I must say a word about these faithful 

 men, for all the pleasure of a month like ours depends so 

 much upon the guides you have. 



Edson Flagg is well known to many of your readers, for 

 he has guided through the woods and waters in this region 

 almost a quarter of a century. His principal recommenda- 

 tion, aside from his experience and amiability, lies in his 

 length, which enables him to reach up a tree higher with an 

 ax for tho purpose of obtaining bark for the roof and side 

 construction of a sanctum sanctorum in the wilderness, and 

 to get his arms around a wounded deer, with his jack-knife 

 at its throat, a shade sooner than any of his sect — advantages 

 which the experienced will understand. He was appropriated 

 by Captain Feeder. 



Robert W. Nicholls has also had long experience, and few 

 can excel him in maneuvering a boat in such manner as will 

 prevent the coveted game from "winding" you; and he is 

 just as talented in eamp as on the water, especially about an 

 hour before meal times. He is the sole inventor and owner 

 of a secret process for producing "Biscuit a la Bog River," 

 which cannot be eaten in any other latitude and which would 

 cause certain death to any one who ate them, or even smelled 

 them, without the usual accompaniment of venison and maple 

 syrup. When Rob was away from camp everybody was 

 hungry. Kinayk was just " business fellow '' enough to se- 

 cure such a guide. 



Hosea Colbath is another old trapper and woodsman, skill- 

 ful and careful and faithful, with a knowledge truly astonish- 

 ing as to just where you can get a shot or strike a trout. 

 When he says "'ttint no use to try tbar," why, then 'taint, 

 and you may as well as not surrender. Our good friend Bur- 

 kill monopolized Hosea, and from the time the two met 

 Hosea neither wore a nightcap nor said his prayers before 

 going to bed, for the reason that he never went to bed, be- 

 cause Burkill never sleeps nor rests while he is in the woods, 

 and therefore his guide needs neither nightcap nor prayers,for 

 he is doomed unlit they two separate. 



Alembert Corey belongs to a race of guides, and the race 

 has improved in size and strength, for " Leni" is the largest 

 of his tribe. He is the youngest of our four, but he began 

 early in life, and is equal in skill to any. He can paddle his 

 boat so suddenly and so closely to a deer that nothing but an 

 attack of "buck fever" can prevent that deer from lying 

 dead across your boat within a very short space of time. He 

 is always on the alert, as quiet as the woods themselves, hears 

 everything— even to the crackling of the smallest twig— sees 

 everything. He knows every twist and turn of the Adiron- 

 dack region, and is a most careful and skillful guide. He 

 was awarded by the captain to Sohnvil, as a slight reward for 

 virtue and good behavior, especially at meal time. " Lem " 

 also cooked the venison. 

 The address of all these guides is Saranac Lake, Franklin 



Co., N. Y. We bought our stores at Martin's, and, being all 

 ready, started side by side down thelake on a bright Saturday* 

 morning. Our journey was southwesterly through the Sar- 

 anac and Ronna lakes, Roquelte, Tupper lakes. Stony Creek 

 and Bog River to the Chain Ponds, passing on the way, of 

 course, Bartlett's, Corey's and Cronk's. Before we reached 

 Bartlett's we saw our first deer, head above the alders, calm- 

 ly surveying us. It was a doe, and there were plenty of bucks 

 ahead, so we all passed. 



Wo arrived at the first pond on Bog River and there located, 

 by taking possession of a little knoll on the north shore, where 

 we cut and carved us a camp. In two days we had a splendid 

 bark house, cook-shed, dining-hall and all the conveniences, 

 together with an icy cold spring near by, which was a real 

 blessing. The first two nights we bunked in a tent. Scarce- 

 ly had we fallen asleep on the first night when a loud splash 

 in the water awakened us, and Feeder cried out : " Boys, did 

 you hear that ? did you hear him splash ?" It was a fine fel- 

 low who fed near us. The next night about two o'clock, 

 Sohnvil, awakened by some noise, went out to the door to 

 see about it. Being somewhat of a mimic he barked like a 

 cur and yelled " Git out!" at the imaginary canine. No 

 sooner done than a great buck started within ten feet of him, 

 and the repeated cracklings of the underbrush and the gradual- 

 ly fainter whoosh ! whoosh ! of the gentleman told how rapid- 

 ly he was making his departure back to Hornet Lake. Kinayk 

 said, " Boys, there are plenty of deer hereabouts, and we must 

 get some to-morrow," and we all fell asleep again with mur- 

 derous intent in our hearts. 



But do not for a moment think that we were without meat 

 all these two days. When we had passed the rapids on Bog 

 River, Feeder pushed ahead of the rest of us tofind something 

 to eat. Hardly fifteen minutes had elapsed ere we heard the 

 dreadful utterance of his gun. Our guides, having left oars 

 behind, now paddled up, and before we came within twenty 

 rods of Feeder he turned in his seat and cried out, "I've got 

 him," and sure enough there was a fine young buck lying 

 across the boat, whose sweet and juicy flesh contributed to 

 our first meal ashore. Camp being in order by the third 

 night, Feeder and Burkill went out with their jacks, and each 

 came back before midnight with a deer. And thus the sport, 

 fairly started, went on for three red-letter weeks, and venison 

 at every meal. Long Pond, Bog River and Mud Lake all 

 contributed to our sustenance. We went to live and only 

 killed what we wanted to eat, avoiding the does as much as 

 we could. Kinayk and Rob, however, 3eemed determined 

 one night to break this latter rule ; for, not content with giv- 

 ing an old doe one Maynard ball, just enough to enable her to 

 tell her next season's fawns how it felt, they had to scramble 

 ashore after her with their jack, and chase her around among 

 the alders until her body held two more balls, and then they 

 helped her into the boat and brought her to camp. 



The old buck whom Sohnvil seared the second night evaded 

 us to the end. We all saw him, hunted him, fired at him, 

 missed him, and there is a chance to get him yet. Any of 

 our four guides will ensure you a shot at him at any time. If 

 I were to attempt to tell you of all the events which tran- 

 spired or the history in detail of each success, I would tire 

 you and tax your space too much. We never shot but one 

 deer on a trip, though we often saw four, five or six others, and 

 heard as many more, never two under the same circumstances 

 or looking at all alike. This endless variety of game is one of 

 the great charms of this wild region. Neither did we spend 

 our whole time hunting deer. Trout made a pleasant addition 

 to our diet, and we never wanted for them. Both lake trout 

 and " them speckled fellows " appeared often on the bill of 

 fare, and, though not just in season, we had all the sport we 

 wanted with the troll and with the fly until the time came 

 when we reluctantly broke camp and bade good-bye to Its 

 delightful associations. Feeder will remember it because of 

 his success, both as a murderer and as a feeder at the table. 

 Kinayk will remember it because of his pleasant dreams there, 

 and because he never turned over to get up without first 

 having snored ten horns, Burkill will not remember it, be- 

 cause lie was never there, it being his constant anxiety to get 

 that old buck. Sohnvil will remember it because of his failure 

 to eat all of the trout he caught, especially tho " largest one 

 caught on a fly," which rewarded hia patience and persistence. 

 Tho guides will never forget the four gourmands they had to 

 cook for, and we left a notice up in camp that all who follow 

 us are welcome to occupy it, provided they keep it clean and 

 in order, and leave it so as we did. 



Good-bye, now, ye basso profundi froggilegioni of Mud 

 Lake ; adieu, sweet Phebe bird, with your lazy, lingering 

 Phe-be-be-e-e-e-e ! An revoir, old hoot-owl, who cares for 

 you ? Good-bye, boys. Remember our promises for next 

 year. 

 When Byron was in Venice he wrote : 



"' ' ■ ' this Is breatli 1" 

 I have been in Venice, also, and although there are no wheeled 

 vehicles there, nor horses, nor cattle, and it is still and lonely, 

 yet the Venice of New York is so still that the touch of the 

 ride upon the boat side sounds and resounds for miles; and as 

 to the air there, it 



"Is breath! " 

 Go try it, ye overworked ones ; it will be a feast and a carni- 

 val to you, and yet not such a carnival as they have in Venice, 

 which, being interpreted, implies farewell to flesh, for flesh 

 and fish are plenty and allowable. 



Edward Livingston Bora Yin. 



For Forest and Stream and Hud and Gan., 

 CARIBOU HUNTING. 



IT was in the month of March not long ago when I had my 

 first adventure with caribou, for it is considered that in lhat 

 month it is easier to kill the Canadian deer, as they are un- 

 able to run upon the crust which forms on the snow at that 

 time of the year, but break through it and are thus impeded 

 in their course and become an easy prey to the hunter. It 

 was in true Chasseur style that we started from the city of 

 Quebec in our search of the caribou. It was not a numerous 

 party, but consisted of myself and friend, whose name for all 

 purposes in these presents shall be Edward Willis. Like my- 

 self, he had never before experienced the adventure of a cari- 

 bou hunt, although we had often been together on a fishing 

 expedition in the winter, and had hutted and tented alongside 

 many a lake and stream, and set our night lines and caught 

 numberless trout and 'lunges of fabulous weight. Often had 

 we sat together in the evening in our temporary habitations, 

 fatigued and drowsy after our day's amusement, talking over 

 the chances of success, and calculating the best localities For 

 the morrow. Many a mile had we trudged together along 

 desolate roads, dragging our laden traineaux, sometimes weary 

 but always with joy and happiness at our heart, for in the 

 country, be it summer or winter, there is always in the air 

 au exhilaration which excludes the possibility of that ennui 

 which in the crowded city often oppresses one. We started 

 from Quebec on foot, each having an Indian traineau packed 

 with our rifles, ammunition, provisions and blankets. Our 

 provisions consisted of tea, sugar, flour, biscuit, salt pork, salt 

 and a few other articles, for in the brush one's difficulty is not 

 appetite except in the way of quantity, and that is often a 

 matter of surprise. The unusual exercise, the bracing atmos- 

 phere, both combine to render one voracious. 



Our road lay to the westward, to lakes in tho roar of Val- 

 cartier, about thirty miles distant from Quebec. Our start 

 was made in the early morning, and we tramped steadily 

 onward at the rate of three miles an hour, and did not make 

 a stoppage till about twelve o'clock, when we halted at a 

 hotel to partake of our mil tag mahl, aud have an hour's rest. 

 Again we started with renewed vigor, and reached the fur- 

 ther part of Valcartier in the afternoon, and found two In- 

 dians, whom we had engaged in town to perform the hard 

 work of camp life. They lived in miserable little shanties 

 about twelve feet square, possessing in front a window and 

 a door, and another window on one side. These buildings 

 were within a short distance of each other, and were situated at 

 the foot of a mountain. The Indians werd both married men, 

 but we saw neither squaw nor papoose, us we did not. en tee 

 the abodes, for the atmosphere of such dwellings is generally 

 far from pleasant or wholesome. They did not take long in 

 making their preparations, in fact they seemed to me not to 

 take more than a blanket a piece, and some tobacco, and, of 

 course, their rifles and ammunition, which they placed on tho 

 traineaux. The latter they immediately took charge of, and 

 we were not at all sorry to deliver them up, for our 

 tramp had rendered their weight rather a sore trial of endur- 

 ance. Our Indians were good specimens of the race, belong- 

 ing to the Huron tribe, which occupies the Indian village of 

 Lorette. Sioui, the elder one, was a noted ckawur, about 

 fifty years of age, of a dark copper color, thin and slightly 

 bent, caused, I presume, by the habit of carrying provisions: 

 on his back. His eyes were dark and quick, and he bad no 

 whiskers or any hairy ornament about his face. The other 

 man, Gros Louis, was about forty, nearly as dark as the other 

 and of stouter build. Their chief occupation was either hunt- 

 ing for themselves or acting as guides to others. They some- 

 times also acted as assistants to surveying parties, in which 

 work they are of great utility. As we trudged along they 

 spoke of the many hunting expeditions l hey had joined, of 

 the countless moose and caribou that had fallen victims to 

 their unerring rifles, but they invariably wound up by saj 

 that the deer were year by year getting more scarce, tii;n n 

 a few years there would be none to kill, and that the Indians 

 would have to move further north. Sioui and Gros Louis 

 were the most Inveterate smokers I ever met. From the 

 time we left their huts to the time we reached the ramping 

 ground their pipes were ever lit. It was near the edge oL the. 

 lake, whose tint snow covered surface stretched outward for 

 the distance of about eight, miles and was nearly three, miles 

 broad. Its borders were fringed with trees of rir, birch and 

 maple, the latter two now bare and Stripped of their leaves. 

 High uiouutains completely surrounded the lake and were 

 clothed to their summit with forest trees. 



Our camp was a hut which had beeu built by former 

 hunters, a log hut of about twelve feet square, and fortu- 

 nately contained a stove, and the floor was strewn with 

 dried fir branches and the remnants of utensils left 

 by its quondam occupants. Our chasseurs soon gathered suf- 

 ficient wood to have a fire going, and then proceeded to lop 

 off some fresh fir branches' anil cut more lirewood. Rapidly 

 and scientifically did these Indians do their work. They un- 

 loaded our traineaux, placed the rifles and ammunition in safe 

 positions, piled away the provisions, laid out our blankets, ar- 

 ranged the cooking utensils, procured water, and soon had a, 



