FOREST AND STREAM 



211 



if you choose to do so; but with a couple of good hounds 

 magnificent sport could be had in the Fall. 1 have shot 

 partridges -with my rifle from the canoe while trolling. M 

 they were Strutting on the shore, and their "drumming" 

 vyaa one of the pleas.™ test every day sounds. 



You go from Niagara to Toronto; from there to RosseaU, 

 via railroad, stB&mboat and wagon, and from there to 

 where yon take your boat, by buck-board. If anyone 

 wishes more particulars, they can be had on application ut 

 1338 Chest. nut. street, Philadelphia, addressed to the ■Writer. 

 I have BO possible interest In noticing this region, except 

 thai. L believe it to be unsurpassed in many ways. Do not 

 try to go witli some guide. There are men in 



Oiillia who claim to know the country, and they might be 

 secured; but if you get in there alone", you will have little 

 sport and muo.li trouble. 



ff desiivd by any of my fellow admirers of woodland 

 spoiis, I will describe hereafter some of my adventures, 

 for adventures Ihct'e were, plenty of them, in that delight- 

 ful region; but for fear of wearying them I will close. 1 

 hope next year to go again with honest Ned Jenkins to the. 

 lovely tain-sheep, and renew our Camp on the little isle, to 

 repeat with variations my delightful Summer in the Free 

 Lands of Muskoka. Music. 



■«■»■ 



For Fores! and Stream. 

 A NIGHT ON ALBANY LAKE. 



T11K day had been sultry, the low muttering thunder 

 i tokened rain, and in the cool breeze which had 

 sprang up we gladly availed ourselves of the chance of a 

 quiet 9iGSta; so lying flat on our backs, we watched the 

 smoke curl up lazily from our pipes, and took solid com- 

 fort, such as is known only to those gloiious old woods. 

 Suddenly our musings were broken by our guide Carl, 

 wiih "well boys, we must have a little venison to night if 

 i tlon'l rain too hard." "Second the motion," came from 

 both Franks at once. We had been rather short of venison 

 fnr ft number of days and were a little tired of flapjacks 

 jiid limit, so it was "decided that fresh meat should once 

 i .1,- i :i>'e <mr .table. So Carl busied Irimselfin impro- 

 vising- aitick of spruce bark, which was better made, I 

 venture io say, with what tools he had, than some would 

 have uiaflo with a carpenter's chest at their command. A 

 Phi , ,>i window glass nitted nicely into the front of the 

 jack made it complete for a wiudy or still night. Where 

 t be glass come from was a mystery till I found out it was 

 ft piece bid in some bushes a year or so ago, and -which he 

 had just unearthed. The amount of traps hid in the 

 vicinity of a camp, would astonish anyone unacquainted 

 with the mystery of wood craft. Darkness settling down 

 w u wended! our way to the boat, and placing the jack in 

 its proper position in the bow, and bidding my companion 

 adieu, we shoved off into the fast settling darkness. We 

 crossed the main Jake, and soon reached the point, where I 

 lighted the jack and made ready for business. Taking off 

 my shoes, so as to make no noise, and seating myself 

 directly back of the jack, I placed my feet well under the 

 bow of the boat, and with niy trusty Maynard across my 

 arm, signaled to Carl to be off. With a silent sweep of the 

 paddle, lie obeyed, and we soon lost sight of our distant 

 camp lire, and plunged into the darkness, made more dis- 

 mal by the rain, which commenced falling in good earnest. 

 A poor night for floating, but we were in for it, rain or no 

 ruin. 



Now perhaps some will think that floating for deer is 

 fun, and easy work. The name indicates it certainly. We 

 think of floating lazily on some placid lake, floating through 

 the air in a balloon, or on some fleecy cloud. But sitting 

 on a hard board seat iu one position for hours, is the hard- 

 est work I ever did, and let any of your readers try it and 

 I think they will agree with me. There is something pecu- 

 liarlv fascinating to me in ^floating on the lovely lakes of 

 this" northern wilderness. Sitting quietly behind your 

 jack, your guide in the stern with his paddle, you move 

 quietly from point to poiut like a phantom boat with a 

 phantom paddle. Now some bullfrog twangs his guttural 

 notes, or the hoot of some distant owl strikes your ear. 

 Ever on the alert, you listeu for the splash, splash, of the 

 deer, if your guide is lucky enough to paddle you up to 

 one. 



We skirted the left shore of the lake, listening intently 

 for the well known sound of a deer iu the water, Hark! 

 what's Ehat? The boat's bow swings round to Carl's paddle, 

 but the jack revealed not a deer but a rock close to the 

 edge of the slime, with the waves lapping up against its 

 side, sounding exactly like, a deer walking in the water. 

 Around goes the boat's bow again, through water grasses 

 Which rasp its sides with harsh grating sounds; over lily 

 pads whose broad flat leaves gleam iu the light of our 

 caudle like silver. On we go, eye and ear strained to its 

 utmost, but naught is heard save the pattering rain, which 

 by this time had given us a pretty thorough soaking. And 

 now 1 began to grow weary; gradually I began to slip back- 

 ward on my seat. My poor back was already in a horrible 

 stale, my rifle weighed at least twenty pounds, my feet 

 were asleep, in fact 1 ached all over. I tried to change, my 

 feel to a. little easier position, but it was no go; at last na- 

 ture gave out and I whispered, "Carl old boy, run your 

 boat ashore behind this point, and let me change my posi- 

 tion." Our boat soon ran her nose ashore behind a clump 

 of hemlocks, and I struck a new position, much to my re- 

 lief. A nip from my flask warmed us up a little and we 

 were once morein motion. "A poor night for deer" I whis- 

 pered to my guide as we glided down the lake. " Yes, but 

 we may catch one in yet, so ready again and look sharp." 



\V r e had now reached the lower bay, as it is called, but 

 without success. Still on we went, cautiously stealing up 

 to the shore and again backing out as quietly as we came. 

 .At last we reached the outlet of the lake, but not a sign of 

 B deer bad we seen or heard, although we knew there were 

 plenty of them, it they would Only come to water. 



We headed our boat towards camp, determined to take 

 all the chances. Around the lower bay we glided, skirting 

 the opposite Shore, and soon reached the old bridge place, 

 known to all who sojourn on this lake. Silently as a snow 

 flake our boat, glided up its narrow channel, when suddenly 

 I heard the sound of a deer in the water; yes! no mistake 

 this time. Soon the jack lights up his phantom side, and 

 silently shoving my rifle forward, I caught the sight, and 

 as the sharp crack died away we heard him dashing off into 

 the woods 



"The deuce!" said Carl, "you've missed him, and such 

 a shot too. What's the maltcr? Have you got the buck 

 atfuc?" 



Leader did you ever sit back of a jack, within easy 



shooting distance of a deer, so near that if you had thrown 

 your gun at him you could have hit him? If so you can 

 imagine my feelings, especially after a paddle of seven hours 

 in a soaking rain. I wanted the water to swallow me, hut 

 it did'nt, And then to hear that rascally guide, old Carl, 

 say, "well, next time Frank, 1 tell you, we'll bring a boat 

 load of stones and stone them to death; or, I'll gel a pole 

 with a spike in it, and you can spear them." But the deer 

 was gone to his native woods, far back of the lake, and 

 would give some one else a shot at him perhaps, some time, 

 and with him went our only chance that night. We 

 slowly paddled towards ramp, but. no more deer, gladdened 

 our eyes that night. After all I comforted myself with tue 

 fact that I had known crack shots by daylight miss good 

 shots at night time after time, and if any one thinks night 

 shooting is" easy, let him try it. In the night everything 

 assumes a ghostly look, your deer looks like a phantom, 

 you don't, perhaps, see your rear sight, only the front one, 

 and consequently you fire high, and, well never mind, try 

 it and see for yourself. Seizing the oars as we rounded 

 the point, I was glad Io put my best muscle into them, as 

 I was by this time, nearly frozen, and aided by Carl's 

 powerful paddle we soon run our boat's bow on the sandy 

 beach in front of our camp, glad enough to stretch our 

 cramped limbs and warm ourselves by the crackling camp 

 fire, which my chum had carefully tended while we were 

 off. Of course I had to be laughed at by him and Carl 

 combined, but I stood it like a hero. And now we turn 

 in, and as the rain patters down on our bark roof, 1 think 

 over the events of the night and resolve to do better next 

 time, and then I'll write you how I shot a deer on Albany 

 Lake, perhaps. F. Uolles. 

 ♦•••■ 



For Forest and Stream. 

 A HAPPY DAY IN THE HIGHLANDS. 



TWO Summers ago, while passing a few days with 

 friend "Elisha," of the S. house, some dozen miles 

 back of West Point, in the mountains, when Sunday night 

 came, I found that my two male friends would leave the 

 following morning, and, consequently, that the duty of 

 entertaining three young ladies would rest upon me. ">io 

 small burden, you may rest assured; but as it could not be 

 helped I cast around in my mind as to what was best to 

 do, and finally decided if a conveyance could be procured 

 to take them over to Camp Roe, some three or four miles 

 distant. Having come to a decision, an early rise and a 

 brisk walk brought me down the valley by daylight, and 

 a tedious round among the farmers finally secured a con- 

 veyance, with a very"" agreeable driver. Driving up the 

 mountain, we arrived at Llisha's just, as breakfast was fin- 

 ished, and found the girls— Hat tie, Ida, and Katie— await- 

 ing our return somewhat anxiously. 



A pleasant drive brought us to the edge of the woods which 

 surrounded the lake, and a minute after we were delighted 

 by a glimpse of Camp Roe. Exclamations of surprise and 

 delight burst from the girls, increasing as we drew nearer 

 to the cottage, where we found our welcome was most cor- 

 dial. 



The lake is situated iu oue of the highest peaks of the 

 range, and perhaps is a mile long by oue third of a mile 

 broad, bordered on one side by r some towering rocks, and 

 skirted on the other by a forest of maples and oaks. 

 Among these, on a little rising ground, is located the camp 

 — a rustic house, with two rooms and pantry, furnished 

 with cot beds and all things necessary for comfort. Step- 

 ping out of the doors just iu front is the dining tent; Io 

 the left a tent for the gentlemen when ladies are in camp; 

 to the right, the cook house, and near it the icehouse. The 

 presiding genius of this "spot of beauty" in the wilder- 

 ness, is a whole souled, warm hearted friend, and though 

 the ladies were strangers they were none the less welcome. 

 One object was a fish, so the large boat was soon in order, 

 poles, lines, and bait procured, and, with ladies placed as 

 best they might bo, we pulled for the lower end of tne 

 lake. A short pull brought us to the ground, and anchor- 

 ing in a spot where I had often been successful before, we 

 prepared the ladies for sport. They were all amateurs, 

 and could not muster courage to bait a hook with a worm, 

 or fasten on a minnow. Scarcely was the last hook baited, 

 when a shout from the bow of the boat caused me to turn 

 quickly, just in time to be met with a slap in the face by a 

 good sized fish, which Hattie had pulled up rather sud- 

 denly. Here was another dilemma, for the girls would not 

 take the fish off; so there was another duty for me. Just 

 then a big oh! caused me to look up, and I found Ida was 

 tugging away at something in the water, which, when 

 landed, proved to be a half pound bass. Katie, meantime, 

 was not idle, and before our hands were disengaged she, too, 

 had a perch awaiting removal. And so it went, sometimes 

 one and then another, and again all three falling together, 

 while the screams of delight and laughter, as an unfortu- 

 nate fish would come in Contact with my face, made it any- 

 thing but sportsmanlike, though full of fun. After a 

 couple of hours' fishing the clouds began to gather, and 

 the large drops to patter on the lily pads, warning us to 

 return to camp; soup anchor and we started, while the 

 rain came faster, and iu our hurry wc paddled out of the 

 course, only to run hard ashore on a sunken rock. After a 

 hard push we floated again, this time reaching the landing 

 all right, but the girls slightly moist. Our catch consisted 



cook is 

 employ 

 table ai 



villi 



meanwbil 

 ter, for oi 

 ing sun w 

 our name 



in 



id perch — but none 

 I for the girls, and a cracker 

 ere ready for use, and then 

 •I the table for dinner. Our 

 le that no females are to be 

 ;amp except as guests. The 

 around, our host presiding 

 ok two hours to dine, the time 

 I with wit and jest and laugh- 

 ist, is charming as an entertainer. The siuk- 

 d us that it was liuie to deparl, so registering 

 sottage on the partition, bidding our host 



nit forty fish— I 

 ■y large. A taste of cordi 

 myself, to prevent cold, i 

 : girls were requested lo E 

 ade, it being -a. n 

 ■r allowed around 

 ged, we gathered 

 able grace. It t 



good bye with reluctance, for we disliked to leave so pie; 

 saul a place, and talcing oue more look around, we started 

 lor the train. 1 found it necessary to hold flattie on the 

 seat as we went over the bunksrs, much against my will, 

 though! The train reached the depot first, but the engi 

 neer seeing us eouiiug in such haste waited a minute, and 

 Katie was soon inside waving us adieus from the window. 

 The rest of us toiled up the mountain again, as we were 

 all becoming tired; but the good team pulled us through, 

 and we arrived safely at Klisha's just iu lime for a late sup- 

 per. Tuesday We returned to the city, each one asserting 

 that our trip was full to the brim willi pleasure, and prom- 

 ising ourselves a repetition of it, but the fates were not pro- 

 pitious, and we are as yet enjoying it in anticipation. 



Ijiave been to the camp since then shooting, and it still 

 remained a "spot of beauty and a joy forever," though the 

 doors were closed and the boats laid up for the Winter. 

 The coming Summer we hope to see it again, and look for- 

 ward with pleasure to the promised time. Circle. 



NOTES FROM LOUISIANA. 



fr ' " 



M.wdevills,:!,:!., November, 1874. 



Editor Forest and Stream:— 



I have been taking your most excellent paper, through a New Orleans 

 bookseller, for some months, hut have seen nothing in your columns 

 from Hits section or the country. New Orleans abounds in anient sports- 

 men or all classes, bnt they arc rather an exclusive crowd, and are not 

 ns well known to their brethren or other States as they should be. Your 

 journal can brills; lliem into communication with other parts of the coun- 

 try, and make known the united attractions of the Orescent City and lier- 

 adjaeem hunting and fishing grounds. 



Mandcville is A pretty Summer bathing and Winter hunting and fish- 

 ing resort for New Orleans people, situated thirty miles from the city an 

 the north shore of Lake Poneharfrain, which is crossed every day by an 

 .l,L'.,iii passenger steamer. Everything here wears a tropical aspect. 

 The Autumn birds have been flying soulhward.and every citizen and vis- 

 itor stands In the yards and streets in the morning and evening and 

 cracks away at the birds as ihey pass over the town. Indeed the bang- 

 ing of breech loaders and tile rattle or bird shot on the roofs resembles u 

 small-sized battle. 



Our game cousiets, along the coast, of what our French Creole citizens 

 call the gftusee, a very small bird; two varieties of the eye, somewhat 

 larger; magnolia birds, robins, snipe, woodcock, cedar birds, French and 

 Enalish duck, teal in abundance, wild geese, Ponies d'e.r- it I ; J | 604, 

 with half a dozen other less important varieties. If I had room I would 

 take pleasure in giving the rank each of these birds holds in the favor or 

 the New Orleans public, and their respective prices lo the market. If 

 there isany one thing in which the French restaurants of the city excel, 

 it Is the. superb manner in which they cook wild birds. 



The northern part of this parish, near Pearl River, is poor land, thinly 

 inhabited, and abounds in wild pine, live oak, and magnolia forests and 

 swamps. Here targe numbers of deer, wild turkeys, quails, arid squir- 

 rels, and occasionally a few bears, are killed by whoever chooses to go 

 after them. 



Lake Ponchartrain is generally brackish, sometimes qnito fresh from 

 the Mississippi crevasses, and sometimes again quite salty. The fresh 

 water streams that flow into it from the pine hills abound in yellow and 

 red perch, with some pickerel, and not a few "green trout." This latter 

 lish 1 have identified as what you call the. black bass. It Is our favorite 

 fresh water game fish. The Tangipahoa River, twenty mites from here, 

 1 em reliably informed, contains a species of fre3h water speckled trout 

 and many large rock fish, which, like the green trout, are canght with 

 a "bob." 



Lake Ponchartrain is a glorious fishing ground. With a crab and cast 

 net yon can catchall the red crawfish, crabs, shrimps, and mullet yon 

 want for bait (or food) iu a few moments. With these you can, from a 

 hath house, wharf, or boat, catch striped bars, the famous sheepshead, 

 redrish, sea perch, sea trout, and croakers, not to mention a superior 

 quality of speckled catfish. The llshing is good all the year round, but 

 best, on the whole, in the Winter. Striped bass are most plentiful almost. 

 all Winter. Some amateurs of our town catch twelve or fifteen hundred 



at tii:- - i -en, lint, are difficult (o catch with a hook, because we have net 

 got the right, bait— soft clams. We use shrimps and crabs for them with 

 some success. A seine iu the lake hauled over a thousand sheepshead ut 

 one drag the other day. 



The. rediisu is becoming quite plentiful. He is most delicious the 

 way they broil him iu the restaurants. And lie is the giuuest. lish iu the 

 lake. With mullet for bait and a reel, the sport of playing him is mag- 

 nificent, lie is the staple good salt water lish of the South, and bites 

 well on the Oulf coast all the year round. It is, when first hauled out of 



the 



-, the 



The speckled sea trout visit us a conplc of mouths In the A 

 hiie voraciously a.t any kind of hail, "bob" or fly. While 

 seems to he a stranger to you in New York, I wonder if y. 

 "croaker" up there? It is a beautiful silvery, symmetrical fish, and o 

 rives its name from the croaking noise it makes when hauled out. As 

 table fish, it may be said to be quite as popular as the sheepshead, and 

 h gteal demand. It is best fried floating in grease until brown. V 

 catch It from boats, out a mile or so in the lake, and with hand It 

 soft shell crabs or mullet for bait. It goes in schools and bites eagerly 

 What is it. V Whatis its scientific name? It. is certainly a most delicious 

 plentiful, and important lish. More anon. J, E. L. 



THE BLACKWATER REGION. 



and 



the 



,th 



respondent!).: 



Editor Forest and Strkam:— 



In yuur issue of September I7tb ult, yo 

 ol the Greenback Department at Washing! 

 our friend "Porte Crayon," the veteran explorer of the Virginia Moun- 

 tains— allusioua so flippant in tone and so full of blunders, that we feel 

 constrained to notice them. 



The first literary notice of the Ulackwater region appeared about the 

 year 1850, and was written by Chas. Lauuian, Esq., of Washington, 1), 

 C, whether from actual experience or hearsay we do not know. 



The next season— 1851 — a party was organised in Martlnsbnrg, Va., 

 which penetrated the country as far as the neon -neam of Itlaekv aler, 

 which they mistook for the Bbek Folk of Che .; Rfver. They remained 

 in the wilderness five days, hunting, fishing, and sketching, and on their 

 return an acconut of the trip was written by one of the compauy-1'. 

 Pendleton Kennedy. Esq., a cultivated and accomplished gentleman, 

 brother of the Hon. John P. Kennedy of Baltimore. 



This volume, entitled the "Ulackwater Chronicle." was illi-i r:;. ,1 In 

 P. U. Strother, the artist, of the expedition, and published by J. S. Reil- 

 fiehUtCo .of New York. It was reproduced by stealth ill England, 

 had a mud. less sale than it, deserved iu this country, and is now, I be- 

 lieve, quite out of print. 



In 1S.J-J the same parties organized a larger ami better appointed expe- 

 dition, WhlCh explored tie- nwltl stream and two eonsiderahle tributaries 

 of the Ithickwi.'or, remaining iu camp about two weeks. 



An illustiiu. -.i a eeouni ,.,i this expedition was prepared by D. II. Stro- 

 ther's pen and pencil, and published in lhr/ier's Maijosiltc of Pee. 1853. 

 In this article, entitled tne "Virginian Canaan," c0vXsrtn° Mil fifteen 

 pages, the nam deplume of "Porte Crayon" appeared for the first, time in 



This article was afterwards republished with ft Beries called lie VI 

 v. Mini.- i I Porta Crayon and his Cousins," the wnole foniiim 1 ■ tune 

 entitled ■•Virgiulaillustrilted," by Porte Crayon. Tin author III I Jftli - 

 entered this region from the east, oven the nig plains of tin- Alleghany, 

 on the headwaters of lied Clock, and again from ttie Bill i I i . '- . 

 Client, exploring the Ulackwater from its mouth to the Great Falls, some 

 notice of which mav be found in "The Mountains," ilhistr itod by Porta 

 i ,;,., ,-.,,, appearing in fHuv • » Mu/attiu , serially io < fS i 



Having tnu- disposed of your cm ro-pondeiit's literary "illuefous," I 

 ,,„,,, uftoi n 1 -i into lie " i- pi teal junglas of the Canaan country, 

 .... ,,,.,.,, ira.ieit.iii; that "Tie e i rayon," who is as noted foi topograph- 

 ical accuracy as for his graphic delineations of nature, will need any de- 

 fense on ibac score. Yuuitas. 



♦♦♦■ 1 



Professions exercise a great influence on longevity. Of 

 1,000 . individuals wllb arrive ut the age ot seventy years 

 farty-three are priests, orators, or public speiri;ers, thirty 

 are agriculturists, thirty three are workmen, thirl) -two are 

 soldiers and militiamen, twenty-nine advocates and engin- 

 eers, twenty-seven professors and doctors, 



