351 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



wards in length, are found attached to the quartz when the 

 latter is associated -with granite. Rolled agates, sometimes 

 transparent, are found on the shores Of some of the lakes; 

 mica slate often occurs, and al Cursoq Lake it immediately 

 joins coarse red granite. Chlorite shite of a peculiar 

 granular texture is met with to the north of Mount Sylves- 

 ter.. The Series of clayslate rooks alternates everywhere 

 With thick strata of the chlorite greenstone, which, owing 

 to its greater durability, projects in outgoings above these, 

 and is therefore ofteuer seen; the clay, .alum, and roof 

 slates have iron pyrites imbedded. 



Throughout this great eastern division of 1he interior we 

 did not see even .the signs of any alluvial soil. This prov- 

 ince of savannas, although of no territorial value at pres- 

 ent, is destined to become a. very important integral pari of 

 Newfoundland. Judginsr from' their countless paths, and 

 from the size and condition of the Tew deer we met, it is 

 already seemingly stocked with that kind of cattle of which 

 jio part of Northeast America possesses so peculiar a terri- 

 tory. What superficial drainage and tilling might effect 

 towards raising green crops here remains to be proved. 

 Many of the savannas exhibit, proofs of being once Wood- 

 ed, and in some places with a much larger growth of trees 

 than that at present in their vicinity. . Boots of large trees, 

 with-portious of the trunks attached, and lying near, are 

 sometimes seen occupying evidently the original savanna 

 soil on-which they grew, but are now partially or wholly 

 covered with savanna. Fires, originating with the Indians 

 and from lightning, have in many parts destroyed ihe for- 

 est; and it would seem that u Century or so must elapse in 

 this climate before a forest of Ihe same magnitude of 

 growth can be reproduced naturally on the savannas. It. 

 is observed of peat that "burning, and the turning of the 

 BOfl by agricultural implements, are the chief means by 

 which tire vegetation of these soils is exchanged for more 

 profitable plants. To these must be added the growth of 

 larch, under Which the original covering is gradually ex- 

 tirpated aud replaced by a green and grassy surface, ap- 

 plicable to the pasturage of cattle." Larch, of all other 

 irees is that to which this climate and the savanna soil are 

 most congenial. The savannas are almost invariably skirt- 

 ed with it, aud it grows from the wettest swamp* to the 

 summits of the highest hills, where fir cannot live. The 

 fruit of the sarsaparilla, two kinds— ,?•»/.'».<■ rot'tndifolia and 

 B. «w'*<lJX«^to— were ripe ami vegetal ing in the beginning 

 of October. Wild currants, gooseberries, and raspberries 

 were plentiful in many places; the latter, as in all other 

 parts of North America, only where the woods have beeu 

 recently burnt. 



Fogs are not frequent in the interior. There was not a 

 foggy day until the 4th of October, which came with a 

 southerly wind. There was uo frost to hurt vegetation 

 materially until the 3d of October, and thai unaccompanied 

 with snow. But the frost of that night changed one half 

 of the vegetation on the surface of the savannas from a 

 light vegetable green to a yellow color. Our attention was 

 arrestea twice by observing the tracks of a man en the sa- 

 vannas. After a scrupulous and minute examination, we 

 concluded that one of Ibem was that Of a Mickmack, or 

 mountaineer Indian, who had beeu hunting bare in the 

 preceding year, and fiom the point of the fool being steep, 

 that he was going laden with furs to the Bay of Despair. 

 The other track was on the shores of (lower Lake, of an 

 Indian who had passed by this season, apparently from the 

 Bay of Despair towards Qower Bay. We saw no trace, 

 however, of the Bed Indians. The print of a foot remains 

 distinct on the surface of the savannas for years or longer. 

 Any track or course differing from those of the deer, in 

 their usual undisturbed walks, is delected by the eye at 

 once. 



(To be continued) 



tor i'omt an J Stream. 

 •WESTERN SPORTS AND SPORTSMEN. 



(Kf'.ojr oult OWB 



I HAVE jam over the western route as far as Omaha, 

 and South to Sedalia, Mo., and find so much shooting 

 everywhere, that I am replete with Ihe sports, and gladly 

 turn my face homeward. Many times have I wished that 

 my friends in the East could participate with me in my 

 pleasure, and taste of the sports that almost go begging in 

 the vast sporting grounds of the West; and yet how little 

 are blessings appreciated where they fall unbidden. True 

 it is we Ion? for what we have not; and thus the sportsmen 

 of the East, look hitherward where they can have tlfeir till 

 of Held sports, aud forget at the same time that our pleas- 

 ures are estimated in proportion to the difficulties sur- 

 mounted. I am often asked, out litre, "What is it Unit in- 

 duces you folks down East to give so much attention to 

 rifle practice, since you have so little game to shoot V" For- 

 getting that honest emulation has its charms, and science its 

 votaries in every section; but I could not help" retort on 

 them, by asking wbj' they hud no ride clubs since they had 

 special use for the rifje'y Their universal reply was, "I 

 don't known, only we have not got into it yet," implying 

 that the time might come when this spirit would be infused 

 amongst them, and clubs organized everywhere for that 

 purpose. One thing I did observe, there was much inquiry 

 of Ihe relative merits of different manufactures of rifles, 

 which exhibited a growing sentiment, and 1 have no doubt 

 Initio a short lime there will be a great demand for breech 

 loading rides. As for bn-ech loading shot gtiiis, these arc 

 absolutely essential to every one who claims io be anything 

 of a shot, and no-oue is "counted in" that shoots with any- 

 thing else, lie is not considered up to the limes, ami is 

 tabooed as an old fogy, and cannot partake of a rehersal 

 among the crack sportsmen of the club. He don't know 

 anything about it and must take the back seat. 



In the excitement of llicehase.no one must think the 

 turf is foraotten. You can pass over the line of most any 

 railroad aud see evidences of clock interest— in well laid 

 out tracks, high bred horses and other slock. Great 

 rivalry here, aa well as to Ihe rising sun, iu high breeding 

 is manifested in every city aud important town, State and 

 count v fairs are in order, the placards of which adorn every 

 eonspleious spot. Mr. Towne, of this city, Supt. of the 

 Hannibal and St. Jo Railroad, has a choice lot of imported 

 stock, consisting of horses, cattle, »wine and sheep. His 

 model farm is situated about fifty miles westward on his 

 road, and contains upward of five hundred acres, It lies 

 on a -gentle undulating prairie, having deep soil; jusl such 

 afartn as would excite the envyot any eastern farmer, 

 who does not care for scriptural injunctins, where to wish 

 is the only siu. 



His forte is in raising thoroughbred cattle, Sheep and 

 hogs, expressly for the purpose of supplying that section of 

 the State with the best improved stock, having imported 

 many celebrated prize animals for that object from Europe, 

 such as the full Bates bull, Lord Wetiierby; see A. It. 

 Book, No. 12,387, also the prize bull, Duke of Belmont, 

 No. 5,545, by second Grand Duke (12,901) out of Nebula, 

 by Lord Oxford (20,214). Many of his cows are of unques- 

 tionable pedigree aud ail recorded in the American Herd 

 Books. 



His imported prize boar "Bismark," breed by Mr. B. 

 Swannock, at the Hoyal Agricultural Farm, Ciresocesler, 

 Gloucester, England," is justly famous, together with his 

 equally celebrated boar, "Lord Derby." They are of the 

 pure Berkshire breed, and command a deep interest with 

 the lovers of fine stock. His sheep are also celebrated; em- 

 bracing almost every variety of imported thoroughbreds. 



His desire is, as 1 said before, to improve the race of do- 

 mestic animals in his State, and to keep pace With the sister 

 SlatCR iu elevating the interests of the farmer aud slock 

 raiser. His efforts are truly commendable, and he deserves 

 more than an "honorable mention," as they say at fairs, but 

 a first-class premium by the hands of bis countrymen. 



In Hannibal 1 found a very large sportsmen's clubj truly 

 infused with the object for which it was organized, who do 

 not forget the visit of your editor -in chief, Mr. Halloek, on 

 his return from the Indian nation with the Irish team.. A 

 unique pistol of harmless intent, presented to a member 

 of the club by him, was exhibited to me as a relict of his 

 visit, and which I understand is to be duly inaugerated in 

 their collection of rare worms, beasts, birds" and lishes. A t 

 a meeting of the club the other night, after the formal pre- 

 sentation of the illustrated leather medal to an unfortunate 

 shot, your representative was elected an honorary mem- 

 ber, which honor he wears with becoming dignity. B. 



— -*.«. 



for Forest and Stream. 

 SPORT IN THE SANDW ICH ISLANDS: 



WILD TUKKEYS IS OAHU. 



THE sun was just putting his first red tints upon the 

 hills on our port bow, where we lay at our moorings 

 in the little harbor of Honolulu. Walton had the morning 

 watch and 1 had promised to walk a while with him and see 

 the Queen Emma go to sea. I felt an 'merest in the little 

 barque, as she had brought me down over the twenty-five 

 hundred miles intervening between Diamond Head aud 

 Cape Race, and when she went back it seemed as if I ought 

 from my place of vantage on the quarter deck of the 

 Bellerophon, to wave a good bye to Ihe tight little craft and 

 her congenial commander. We watched her as she put her 

 helm to windward and fell off around Diamond Head, and 

 as the top gallant sails dropped and the sheets were hauled 

 in and belayed, Walton turned to the quartermaster and 

 ordered him to make it eight bells, and then, with bis en- 

 thusiastic face beaming at the idea of the clay's sport, ex- 

 claimed, "Now, old fellow, we'll go below to get Ham 

 to make us one uniform cocktail and then will call away 

 the cutter and go off and find John." The cocktail being 

 duly manufactured and disposed of, we heard the melodious 

 piping of the boatswain and the drawling "Away 1 first 

 cutters, away 1" and in a moment the war-worn orderly 

 touched his cap to Walton and reported, "The cutter's 

 alongside, sir." The "John," aforesaid, was one of the 

 principal chiefs of the island who had invited Walton and 

 myself to accompany him and David Kaukaha, another 

 mighty chief, to his rancbe to shoot a wild turkey or so and 

 taste some of the sweets of life among the Kanakas, and 

 as he seated himself between the tiller ropes of the cutter 

 and curtly commanded, "Let fall !" "Give way :'* the 

 beaming boy turned to me and exclaimed, "Ob, won't we 

 make those turkeys sing !" A very few of the sweeping 

 strokes of the man-of-war's men Sufficed to lay us along 

 side of the dock and in live minutes more we were enter- 

 ing the enclosure of John's town ranche, the cheerful 

 Aloha of the Keiki-MithiM« greeting our coming. The 

 horses waited iu the yard, three of them wilb the work- 

 manlike colonial saddles and bridles, as pretty pieces of 

 .horse llesh as you will meet in a day's march, the fourth a 

 more sober and dignified looking animal arrayed with a 

 No. 1 bit and Mexican saddle, evidently intended for the 

 delectation of Walton, who, in the matter of horsemanship, 

 had bis spurs yet to win, though a bolder sailor never yet 

 laid out on the weather yard arm iu a gale, John and 

 Kaukaha now made their appearance and we three were in 

 our saddles in an instant ami had already set spurs to our 

 horses and made one or two bounds in Ihe direction of the 

 Pali, when a stentorian "avast heaving" caused us to wheel 

 again to see Walton still stauditig on the ground regarding 

 his stirrup leather with some perplexity. Upon inquiry, 

 he informed us that he found his stirrups too short and did 

 not know how to "unship" them, a keihl hinu soon ar- 

 ranged that matter satisfactorily to all concerned, aud we 

 started together. Before we had ridden many miles I found 

 reason to congratulate myself upon my eight years' experi- 

 ence in the Dragoons. John and Kaukaha were two 



as finished horsemen as I have ever seen, and sal their 

 horses, whose leaps would have caused weaker riders to 

 tremble for their back bon^s, as if the bucking devils of 

 Mustangs had beeu veterans of the inaneye. But, poor 

 Walton ! his experience had beeu gained in the infrequent 

 riding schools, which the intervals of bis sea-service bad 

 enabled him to visit, and his trials on that afternoon were 

 severe indeed. Once, as he leaned forward in the abortive 

 attempt to make a graceful bow to an intimate friend, his 

 nose came abruptly in contact with the top of bis horse's 

 head, and several times losing his grip at an unfortunate 

 moment, he barely missed going once backwards. Lucky 

 was it for Walton that day that his horse was quieter than 

 the normal Kanaka, for bad it been otherwise he had come 

 certainly to an evil end and the navy of the United States 

 would long have had to mourn his blue eyes and geutle 

 ways. 



As we proceeded up Nunanu Valley the scenery grew 

 grander and grander, the foliage through which the road 

 ran, thicker aud thicker, the road itself steeper and steeper 

 until suddenly emerging from the limber we encountered a 

 sharp rise, from the top of which we looked down upon 

 one of the loveliest views the world has to offer. First, 

 a sheer fall of thirty-five hundred feet to the level of the 

 plain, then a rolling country stretching away for ten miles, 

 covered thickly with the luxuriant grass for which Oaha is 

 famous, dotted here and there with palms, mangols, orange- 

 trees, and algerobas; wild cattle feeding in the valleys by 

 the streams, and goats on the mountains, and far in the dis- 

 I tance the blue Pacific rolling in and dashing its white 



foams high up on the beach, as if to do its utmost to add a 

 beauty to ihe perfect picture. This precipice, called the 

 Pali, is the one over which Kamebnmeba 1. drove, in their 

 despair, the defenders of Oalui when he took possession of 

 the island. 



The descent from the top of the Pali to the plain is made 

 by the feeble aid of an insecurely paved road, which 

 rambles irregularly down the side of the mountain, never 

 deigning to make a more acnlc angle with the plain than 

 forty-five degrees. This is, however, sufficient for practical 

 purposes and to the Kanaka miud better than a level road. 

 The simple-minded natives argue that the steeper a path is 

 the easier it is to go down. The chiefs Seemed to be in- 

 fected with the same superstition, fora-sl began lo pick my 

 way cautiously down, John lurried to me, saying earnestly, 

 "JToiu aDleftote Ualojiun, pipiUMu laitu Hgko iii ia," which is 

 being interpreted, "If he wou't run down hill slick the 

 spurs into him," 

 - Feeling that John knew the horse and the road better 

 than 1 did, I gripped the saddle hard with my knees, shut 

 my eyes tight, took a good hold of his mouth and followed 

 his advice. A frightful rush, which I shall remember to 

 my dying day, followed; it lasted, I should think, about 

 five minutes,' at the expiration of which time, feeling my 

 liprses back bone gradually assuming a horizontal position, 

 I opened my eyes slowly, and by the time I had entirely 

 collected myself, John," Kaukaha and I stood together at 

 the bottom of the hill and looking back saw poor Walton 

 painfully threading his way down. We dismounted, re- 

 moved our saddles and lighting our pipes, sat down on the 

 grass and took a good smoke "After we had finished this 

 ceremony, we put the saddles. on again, swinched than up 

 well and remounted just as Walton made his appearance, 

 looking very happy but very pale. Now on a level ground, 

 with tnc reaction after the hill, he felt himself equal lo the 

 emergency aud away we went at racing speed over the 

 winding road aud up and down the Mtlle bills till we reached 

 the gorge through the summit of the line of mountains 

 which forms together with the Pacific the boundaries of 

 John's ranche. Quite a ranche, even for the Pacific, for 

 he has seven miles of sea coast and his land stretches seven 

 miles to the mountains which encompass it. Time fails 

 me in which to tell you of all the magnificence of these 

 feudal lords— of how, when a royal visit is expected, those 

 dizzy and seemingly inaccessible heights are crowned with 

 bonfires— how the retainers crowd in from all parts to the 

 Ivans and livlas, but perhaps at another time I may be able 

 to tell you of these too. 



It was very pleasant to look down from the mountain 

 top upon the long, low ranchb resiling among the mangoes 

 and barely visible at that distance, and to bear the sono- 

 rous, melodious voice, saying, "Gentlemen, this is my home, 

 welcome lo WainiiiiKilo.' 1 



Fifteen minutes moru— remember, it was four miles to 

 the house— aud we were within the enclosure and the boys 

 were taking the saddles off of our dripping beasts. 



After the necessary and welcome ablution, in the course 

 of which Walton called my attention to the fact that the 

 skin had been removed for the space of some four square 

 inches from a certain portion of his body and said that it 

 would prevent his going to church for 'several weeks, we 

 spread ourselves carefully out upon the mats in front of the 

 fanai, or verandah, under the shade of the mangoes and lit 

 our manilas and discoursed manfully of the incidents of 

 the ride for half an hour, when Ah-cboo, the son of Ihe 

 FloWCVy Kingdom, who had the honor to be doing John's 

 cooking, came to inform us that dinner was ready. We 

 seated ourselves with the girls of the family and I created 

 much merriment among them by pulling my fish into my 

 poi. I soon learned, however, that the truly elegant llow- 

 aiian dips bis Augers into theyiw calabash, and having by 

 a skillful twist, removed the mouthful which adheres lo 

 them, transfers thai, to his mouth and then delicately, with 

 the same God given implements, breaks off a piece of fish. 

 A little practice enabled me lo perform the feat with ease 

 and grace. After dinner, more smoking under the trees, 

 and curly lo bed with our souls full of wild turkey, as well 

 as our stomachs. 



At half past; six the next, morning Ah-ehoo brought in our 

 coffee and informed us that we should have lime to take a 

 surf i.aihif we liked before molesting Ihe turkeys. Our 

 souls sat smiling at the prospect of a bath in Ihe curling 

 surf we bad seen from the lop of the mountains the day 

 before, and so we agreed readily lo accompany the party to 

 the beach. A sharp drive of four or live miles brought us 

 to the water, and now let me see if I can excite your envy- 

 by describing our bath. Imagine all the desiderata of baths 

 rolled bodily into one. place and time and you will have a 

 close approximation to the per&ctiieas of this. The soft 

 tropical ait just kissing your skin gently, so gently as lo 

 awaken dreams of \\w hnni-lmui, the sun just high enough 

 to lend a crisp life to each diamond of the surf line as it 

 came rearing its head and hissing up the beach, the turf 

 of the. Billowy ttiftSB I have mentioned bero/o, making a 

 couch for a sybarite. 



At the edge ol mis a stream of fresh water some thirty 

 feet wide, beyond wliich lay the beach of sand widen 

 seemed to'have been manufactured for the purpose. Our 

 clothing soon lay on the grass, aud stepping into the si ream 

 we found its curious-looking bottom to be composed of a 

 species of moss which feels lo the feet like a Turkey carpet. 

 Emerging from the fresh water a run of fifteen yards 

 brought us into the Surf, and as the water closed around 

 my body tn the first dive, 1 fell as if life bad uolbing more 

 to' offer. John had brought a board with him, aud we now 

 had the privilege of witnessing some of the far-famed 

 Kanaka surf board riding. Seizing his opportunity and 

 placing himself at a certain point of the wave as it rose he 

 sailed gracefully in upon the board and landed high up on 

 Ihe beach, the wave sealing him in spite of his fourteen 

 stone lightly as a leather. Seeing how ease it was, pa pla.i 

 diifktie ffjtffVgt ns he said in the Latin quarter French be 

 had picked up from the stray corvettes that had made their 

 waytoOahu. 1 ran after the board, struck the wave at 

 precisely the right instant, and mounting on the board like 

 "yptmg llurrv With his beaver on," found myself iu a mo- 

 ment at the' bottom of the Pacific ocean, with my head 

 firmly imbedded in the sand. Walton was near and pulled 

 me out with no more damage than a belly full of salt water 

 and ft bead full of sand, but. I am glad 1 was not alone. It 

 was his turn now, and be succeeded far better than I, being 

 a sort of water dog by nature, but it may be taken for 

 grunted lhat suit board Tiding is not an accomplishment to 

 be learned in a day. 



On our way back lo the house we bagged two mud hens 

 that bad the temerity to show their noses to Walton, four 

 Kanaka ducks and a stray cauvus back, but there was no 



