142 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March 22 1888. 



THE ADIRONBACKS. 

 'T'HE State of New York has been very remiss in not 

 -*- caring for the large tract of laud, larger than the Stale 

 of Connecticut, which is popularly known as the Adiro»- 

 daeks. It has sold land to lumbermen at a nominal sum in 

 the vam hope that it would get into the hands of men who 

 would pay taxes on it and so bring in a revenue to the 

 State. This hope lias not been realized. The lumbermen 

 have bought large tracts, in some cases as low as five cents 

 tin acre, and after skinning it have allowed it to revert to 

 the State for non-payment of taxes. 



A bill has just been introduced into the Legislature 

 authorizing Mr. Verplanck Colvin, Superintendent of the 

 Adirondack Survey, to locate the detached portions of State 

 lands with a view to the preservation of the forests, and the 

 laying out of the boundary of the proposed State reserva- 

 tion in that region. It needs no argument at this time to 

 show- how these vast woods shelter the sources of the Hud- 

 son and give oil the water gradually which, if the forests 

 were removed, would come down in floods and sweep over 

 the cities in the valley, as has lately been done in the West. 

 We hope this bill may pass and protect the water supply of 

 our rivers and canals before it is too late. 



The forthcoming report of Mr. Colvin will be looked for 

 with great interest. Tt will contain important maps, records 

 of horizontal taeaBUtemeate of lines and the determination 

 of the latitudes and longitudes, etc.. of lakes, mountains, 

 villages, ami I lie corners Of the great land patents. It will 

 scientific papers on forestry, rainfall, water sup- 

 ply for New York and the cities of the Hudson valley, de- 

 scriptions of the fish found in the tegion and an historical 

 and descriptive account of the Adiiondacks, as well as an 

 •■iticial list of the several pieces of State lands, amounting 

 to 573,872 acres, with details of their location. This will 

 make it a volume Ol exceptional interest, and one that: i he 

 Legislature will do well to have widely distributed. The 

 -' i i"ii"i afford to treat the Adirondack!* with the neg- 

 lect that it has done. Already the Hudson Rirer has hardly 

 R steamboat channel in midsummer, where fifty years ago 

 there was plenty of room for the sailing craft that carried 

 the commerce of I he upper Hudson 



fflfflMS iy BOMK1CS TIMS. 



THE ancient Greeks and Ihe Trojans as well made great 

 use of their horses in battle Among these people the 

 horse was as thoroughly domesticated in Homer's day as he 

 is anywhere at present. Apollo looking down from Perga- 

 mos ami urging tne Trojans to fight calls them "the trainers 

 of steeds.' (II. IV., 506.) Elsewhere they are distinguished 

 as those employing horses in battle, Diomed, a champion of 

 the Greeks, is commonly addressed iu a respectful way as a 

 "tamer of horses." Horses were used in battle only when 

 barneBsed to the car. Tnus Hektor was driving to the field 

 with his fleet steeds yoked to the chariot, when he reminded 

 them of the wheat tin y had eaten from the gentle hand of his 

 wife Andromache, and of the wine that had been mixed for 

 them to drink as though they had been the favored guests of 

 a luxurious house; and he called upon them by noon that 

 day to prove themselves worthy of such favor. 

 Speaking af tar this wij, lie celled to Lis steeds aud addressed them. 

 Xanthos and you, Podarge, and AHImn and Lampot divine one, 

 Now repay me the cost of your keeping, widen, in abundance 

 Audi- macbe, who was child of Eetton, the grea'-hearted, 

 Pat iu your cribs for your fcod as wheat delighting the palate, 

 Mining wine for your drink whenever you should feel thirsty, 

 Before bringing dinner to mo who urn proud of being her husband. 

 Hastily make the pursuit to see if perchance we may capture 

 Shield of Nestor, which now to the gods is familiar In story. 

 S ill to be wholly of gold— the body and even the handles. 

 And from the shoulders may strip of Diomed, tamer of horses, 

 Breastplate skillfully wrought— Hephnistoa toiled at its making. 

 If only those two we take, then hope can I have the Achaians 

 Tate very night for retreat will go on board their swift vessels, 



Ol. Vm„ 1SM97.) 



Hektor calls his horses by their names which will he found 

 expressive, and as appropriate as any pet names a modern 

 jockey would find iu English for his favorite steeds. There 

 was Xanthos, the yellow-coated one, named after one of 

 the horses given by Poseidon to Hern, aud his yoke-fellow 

 was Podarge, SO called from the nimble movement of her 

 feet, Next was Aithon, the fiery, named either for his 

 bright color or for his impetuous spirit. This name had 

 been borne by one of the horses of the sun. Last of all 

 Hektor calls on Lampos the divine, whose name is the same 

 as that given to one of the horses of Aurora who brings the 

 light of day to mortals. (Od. XXIII., 248.) These namesof 

 nektor's horses, and the many others which Homer makes 

 famous by his VcTse, will remind the reader of Virgil of the 

 name that poet gives the horse upon which Dido was 

 mounted when she joined the hunting party. Its .equiva- 

 lent in English would be Foot-of Sound. This is commonly 

 taken as a mere epithet describing the horse by the heavy 

 sound with which ho strikes the pavemcut with his feet; 

 that iB, the horse of the sounding hoofs, But the queen's 

 horse was a palfrey for gentle rein and of easy step, and it 

 seems better to understand the poet as giving it a proper name, 

 and calling it Poot-of -Sound to indicate the speed and ease 

 with which it traveled. 



The horses of Achilleus were two, Xanthos and Balios, 

 immortal steeds which Poseidon had given to Peleus. These 

 were groomed and fed with a care no less assiduous than 

 that bestowed by the gentle hand of Andromache, Often 

 such care was shown by their master's comrade Palroklos, 



and this we may suppose was the reason why at this hero's 

 death these steeds so sensibly felt his loss. Prom his hand 

 were they accustomed to receive their provender, ar/d he 

 used to wash their limbs with pure water, and pour the gen- 

 erous oil over their glossy manes. (II. XXIII. , 381 .1 



Horses of Aiakides, aloof from the battlefield standing, 



Wept as soon as they had intelligence of their driver 



Having fallen in dust at the hands of man slaying Hektor. 



Surely Autoraedon, the stout-hearted sou of Diores, 



Often with quickening whip used to urge them on with his lashing, 



Often with coaxing tones he spoke, and with threatcnings often, 



Now no more l,o the ships on the shore where the Hellespont 



broadens, 

 longed the horses to go. nor to battle with the Achaians; 

 P.ut us a pillar remains firm fixed which has been erected 

 Over ttie tomb of a man deceased, or that of a womun, 

 So did they wait and hold unmoved the beautiful carriage, 

 Drooping their heads to the ground, more over tears that were 



scalding 

 Fell from the horses' lids to the soil as they were lamenting 

 Loss of the charioteer, and their flowing manes were polluted, 

 Having escaped from the baud, and the yoke on both sides over- 

 hanging; 

 Seeing these two shedding tears, the son of Kronos felt pity. 

 Nodding aud shaking his head he talked with himself and he queried: 

 Ah, me I why did we make you a present to Peleus the royal, 

 Him who is mortal, while you are both free from age and undying'/ 

 Was it that you among men most wretched should suffer misfortune! 

 For there is not anywhere than man a more pitiful object, 

 Of all, as many as breathe and crawl upon the earth's surface. 

 Surely not by yourselves, and in chariots skillfully fashioned, 

 Hektor, of Priam the son, shall be drawn, for I wall forbid this. 



til. xxn., isti-aw/i 



Tle> former of these two horses of Achilleus was gifted 

 by the favor of Hera with speech and with prophecy. The 

 death of its master was foretold with confidence, and with 

 too certain fulfilment, ill. XIX., loo.) This cannot fail 

 to remind of the experience of Balaam as told in the 

 Hebrew scriptures, the practice of the Persians to keep 

 horses for purposes of divination; and what Tacitus says of 

 Ihe same practice being common among the Germans in 

 his day, 



The horses of Diomed had served to them for provender 

 wheat which was sweet as honey. (II. X., 308.) This was 

 fed I hem before going to battle. So, too, near by each of 

 the eleven cars belonging to Lykoon stood a span of horses 

 feeding upon while barley and rye. (11. V,, lb'6.) When in 

 camp and idle, the steeds of the heroes were kept on less 

 expensive food. While Achilleus was encamped apart from 

 Agamemnon, indulging his resentment, the horses stood 

 unyoked about the chariots munching the lotus plant and 

 the meadow-nurtured parsley. (11. 11., 775.) 



It is worthy of notice that 'those portions of Greece 

 abounding in meadow lands !in -in ii as were the favorite 

 pasture grounds for horses. It was Argos abounding in 

 springs, and Thessaly watered by mountain streams, that 

 were famed for their steeds in Homer's day. This is a fact 

 that should be tak»n into account by those who attempt to 

 show that the intellectual and political deterioration of that 

 country is due to the increased dryness of its climate. 

 When Teleinaehos was about to leave. Menelaos whom he 

 visited at Sparta, his host presented him with three horses 

 and a well-polished car, but the youth declined the present 

 on the ground that Ithaka was fit only for the browsing of 

 goats. 



As to the gift you would make, pray let it remain as a keepsake. 

 These horses I will not take into Ilbaka, but, lit yoiu' keeping 

 Here wii: I leave them as pets, for you of a plain are the owner, 

 One that is broad and in which grows lotus and hay from the 



marshes, 

 Wheat and the kernels of maize ; the white and the wide-spreading 



barley. 

 Broad roads has Ithaka none, nor has it the least bit of meadow; 

 Fit for the browsing of goats; too steep for the grazing of horses. 

 None of the islands admit of driving, nor have ihey good pasture, 

 As many as lie In the sea, ithaka being first for its poorness. 

 This was the way he spoke; amused was loud-voiced Menelaos, 

 Gave him a slap with his hand, and bluffly took up the disoourse. 

 (Od. IV., 000-610). 



Horses were always driven to the battle-field harnessed to 

 the car; but that the ancient Greeks were familiar with feats 

 of horsemanship that would excite wonder iu our day ap- 

 pears evident from a comparison by which the poet tells 

 how Ajax strode over the decks of the ships when he would 

 urge the Greeks to battle: 



But as for Ajax high-souled, not yet it suited his temper 

 There to remain where the rest stood off— the sons of Achaians, 

 Over the decks of (he ships be strode and haughty his footstep: 

 Swung in bis hands a spear that was long and fit for the sea-fight, 

 Jointed with rings driven an— its length was twenty-two cubits. 

 But as a man who well knows how to ride several horses, 

 When from a numerous drove four horses he has selected 

 Out from the pasture, he takes these steeds and drives to the cily 

 Over the public highway, aud many, admiring, watch him, 

 Men and matrons as well ; not losing his balance, the rider, 

 Springing he changes from one to another While they are flying; 

 So did Ajax upon the numerous decks of the swift ships 

 Stride With a lordly step, aud his voice rose up to the ether. 



—(II. XV., 673-085.) 



Isaac Bassett Choate. 



Death of S. H. Tukbill,— Mr. S. H. Turrill, Chicago, 

 111., died at his home in that city, Wednesday morning, 

 March 14. Mr. Turrill was widely known among the 

 sportsmen of the country. Mr, Turrill was at one time a 

 stockholder in the Bod and Gun before the consolidation 

 of that journal with the Fouest and Stream. He was for 

 many years prominent as a trap shot, and took great in- 

 terest in the Illinois Sportsmen's Association 



\]u $^arhn\nn fHonri$t. 



SKETCHES OF LABRADOR LIFE. 



by j v. onEGonv, of qtjebec. 



DURING the month of July, 1872, my official duties re- 

 quired me to visit the coast of Labrador below Point 

 de Mont. 



The steamer Druid, upon which I made the journey 

 safely, reached the snug little harbor near Egg Island and 

 lay at anchor while workmen, taken down for the purpose, 

 repaired the lighthouse, and other buildings belonging to the 

 station there. 



Finding that the necessary work would detain us for two 

 or three days, I organized a party to visit a small river some 

 six miles off said to contain salmon. We started in the 

 steamer's boat with the captain and four men, well provided 

 with rods, flies, a tent, and provisions for a couple of days' 

 camping. 



On our way we kept near the shore, where we encountered 

 quite a number of seals basking upon the rocks laid bare by 

 the low condition of the tide. They would glide off their 

 resting places at our approach and then come to the surface 

 of the water, staring at us and often affording a fair rifle 

 shot. We fired at them, but could not obtain possession of 

 any r , owing to their sinking as soon as hit. Next day, how- 

 ever, a resident fisherman passing picked up three which he 

 found lying dead in the shallow water when the tide was at 

 its lowest. 



Near the mouth of the Little Trinity River, our destina- 

 tion, we found a fisherman's hut at the edge of the woods, 

 with about an acre of cleared land in which was growing a 

 patch of potatoes, a great luxury to the owner. We landed 

 on the beach opposite the hut, and were met by a tall, power- 

 fully built man, who bid us welcome in the language of his 

 native country — Prance. We inquired about our'chances 

 of getting salmon, and were assured that about seven miles 

 up the stream, at the foot of the rapids, we would find them. 

 We engaged this man, whose name, was Gitony, to act as 

 guide, and were soon en route for the fishing ground. A tedi- 

 ous walk through a tangled fool-path brought us to the pool, 

 where we toiled for two hours trying to get a "rise." Wecaught 

 several fine trout, but salmon did not then show themselves, 

 notwithstanding our changing flies, and employing all the 

 art we were possessed of to make them do so. We therefore 

 decided to return at once to our boat and row back to the 

 steamer, but just as we had turned our faces toward the 

 homeward path, each one shouldering his load of the sup- 

 plies, we heard a splash, and a fine salmon disappeared 

 under the water. This consoled our guide, who until then 

 looked crestfallen at our want of success and apparent dis- 

 belief in his report that salmon would be found in the river. 

 Peeling convinced, however, that the fish, although there, 

 would not take the fly that day, we continued on our way- 

 back to the boat which we rea'ched tired and hungry after 

 our fourtaen miles' walk. Fortunately we had hauled our 

 boat well up on the shore, for a stiff breeze had sprung up, 

 and the waves were rolling on the beach with such force as 

 to render it impossible to launch her; we were therefore, 

 compelled to remain overnight, and accept the shelter of our 

 guide's one-room dwelling, of which his wife and himself 

 were the only other occupants, as they had no chil- 

 dren, 



Mrs. Gitony soon piepared a good meal out of our own 

 supplies, and' when this had been partaken of, pipes were 

 filled, and the men began to relate adventures of different 

 kinds to while away the time. Our hostess not taking any 

 part in the conversation, I looked around, and through the 

 thick tobacco smoke could just distinguish her form sitting 

 in a comer, and also the glow of a lighted pipe which she 

 was quietly smoking. I asked her to come near and tell me 

 how she enjoyed her Labrador life, at the same time placing 

 a three-legged stool near me for her to sit upon. She com- 

 plied with my request, and after some conversation I noticed 

 that she was "very intelligent, and rather well educated for a 

 person of her position. This led me to inquire into her past 

 life, as far as such a slight acquaintance would warrant. 



She appeared to be quite communicative, and informed 

 me that she was born iu Quebec, of respectable and well-to- 

 do parents, had been educated in a convent, and, intending 

 to become a nun, had studied with that object in view, but, 

 owing to some illness which unfitted her for the calling, her 

 doctor prescribed a sea voyage or residence near salt water 

 as her only means of cure. Her uncle, who owned and 

 sailed a trading schooner between Labrador and Quebec, 

 afforded her the opportunity of making the desired sea-trip. 

 They left Quebec late in the summer, bound for the Straits 

 of Belle Isle, but were wrecked near Escpjitnaux Point, 

 barely escaping with their lives. She was kindly treated by 

 the inhabitants and thoroughly recovered her health. 

 While there she met Gitony, a Frenchmau and a cooper by 

 trade, who had come over from St. Malo, France, hoping 

 to build up a fortune making barrels for Canadian fishermen. 

 This he did not succeed in accomplishing; but he wooed and 

 won the would-be recluse, and they were duly married, 

 when a life began for her such as she had never even 

 dreamed of. 



Not long after their marriage Gitony built a fishing barge 

 and with his young wife, provisions and traps, crossed 

 over to the Island of Anticosti, put up a small hut in one of 

 the most isolated localities, and then led the life of a trap- 

 per; often leaving his wife, for days and even weeks at 

 home, her only companion being a laTge Newfoundland 

 dog — not a neighbor within twenty miles of her. It would 

 be "difficult to imagine a more solitary, cheerless life for any- 

 one, particularly a~wonian, and one wbose early training was 

 so ill-calculated' to fit her for such an existence. She was 

 provided with a common single-barreled gun, and plenty of 

 ammunition, and soon became an expert shot. During one 

 winter she killed five black bears and a large number of 

 geese and ducks. Her description of the utter solitude, her 

 mental depression, and the vicissitudes through which she 

 passed was most touching. 



Once, during the severest winter weather, when entirely 

 alone, the hut took fire and was burned down. She man- 

 aged to save her gun, ammunition, some flour and clothing; 

 everthing else was destroyed. She made for herself a suit of 

 men's clothing, with old boat sails, which she lined with her 

 own warm female apparel, and thus she passed six w r eeks in 

 a cabin made by her own hands from the trunks of trees 

 which she cut near by r , stuffing up the interstices with 

 moss to keep out the bitter cold. Upon her husband's re- 

 turn they set to work and erected a new hut. 



The following summer, her husband being away on the 



