148 



FOREST AJND STREAM. 



[March 28. 1888. 



age 'I"' summer shooter 'Iocs him in a single day is more 



than the value ol nil the birds that ate on hisp B 



whole year Neither does he admire a charge of shot spat- 

 tering among lite cows when he is milking— a circumstance 

 thai tins occurred in this town. 



So greal has the early shooting and Fence-destroying nui- 

 sance! a some." sections, that the farmers, to prated 



Ibcn- ou ii in ,, | n, been obliged to post thcil land* and 

 prohihil friend and foe alike from hunting on them. 



When October comes the farmer has gathered most .if his 

 crops, mid he frequently turns his stock int.. the fields where 

 the crops were BTDWU, SO fed he suffers hut little if a fenee 



own, and as Hie birds are then in the ewsraps and 

 pastures there is bnl little necessity for crossing his eulti- 



Ids. He does not then feel ihe auimosii j toward 

 hunter Ii. tic Intto [itnmer, 



Game birds, of all Kinds an- rapidly disappearing; and 

 unless great care is taken to preserve them, in a tewyears 



ii' i i atirdygone. It is a aelf-evMeut proposition 



that the longer ii.e mason for shooting the more [At dt n ill 

 and as their numbers arc decreasing -.. t.-.-t nn.' i 

 the open seas..ii, rest rioted as it is now to tin- short late .•lu- 

 ll faster will they disappear if the season be length- 

 > adding the sumaierl 

 I Drdffl 'I- nluiv, t., keep ihe presenl scant number of 

 id, it would seem the eorreet policy rather to shorten 



than Extend the length of the present open season. W, 



Would i( not l,e well for sin h as- ■( lericus" to rent, a frail 

 and buy a lot of clay pigeons for use in the vacation season? 

 ' i ■ ■ "Ni.i then get their shooting ••without sacrificing the 



Hid my opinion is it would he iuuehni.il'- 

 .iein ...I kill any kind gf game in the close season. It is goon 

 sport, and Jet ill.- si.t here, he or anyone else will Ii ud it 

 about as Warm worn as tramping the fields, and Ihe "brain 

 will find no troub e in sleeping the sleep nt tin- 

 josl alter a contested shoot at glass bans or clay pigeons 



from l'utai-\ screened traps. |'i<\ 



Applk t on, Wis. 



WILD BOAR HUNT IN SANTO DOMINGO. 



THE winter of 1W0-7J found me with niv companion 

 Conroy and d guide (Monway) encamped on the upper 

 waters of the Rio MtOW . at the junction of Rio Ccdn, in the 

 province of Seb.nv. Isla Sumo Domingo, enjoying existence 



Ilea climate a- the world affords, teaniio 

 Wherein it eould be mad.- more pleasant or more conducive 

 tin health and longevity. As 1 write a flood of pleasant 

 memories ol in, exguisito pleasure of existence in Ihe mild 

 soothing atmosphere of this favored clime, fill my heart 

 with longing for enjoying Once again those happy'honrs 

 The location of Our Camp was in the foot-hills of ihe main 

 "dl savannas, deep gulches, and high hills with 

 almosl perpendicular sides Th<- gulch.-- r,,-..- clothed With 

 growth of tiooiea! timber, shrubs and tropical 

 plants, with I heir broad, rich colored foliage, and at Un- 

 root a stream of cool Ciysta] water. The savanna was 



adorned with pitch-pines, tall and straight, from four to 



ods apart, with a carpet of a variety of grasses. 

 d.1 the point w here we were encamped' there were sinit- 



wtild hogs. By ere I i -. ■'. I Fool on wild land. 



and all wa- vain.- Ihar ciunc lolle- hunter's bag. I had not 

 at this time had a personal introduction to a wild boar, and 



only I n him bj the representation of Sir Walter Scott 



and others, but I was anxious to become more familiar with 

 Monway and niyself, accompanied b\ a mr.iiLTei 



lot of the canine speeiestothe numbee of eight, on.- day 

 ' lie river, following slowly a path on the ridge of "a 



spur for half an hour, when the pack gave tongue. Mon- 

 way moved off at a lively pace, leaving me to follow as best 



1 might. When I came up with him he was standing by 

 the side of a grisly gray hoar with a monstrous head anil 

 neck running off to almost a peak behind, the whole form- 

 ing a striking contrast to the plump porkers of the Western 

 States. M. informed me this was the second .nu nelad 

 killed, there being one other a short distance from there. 

 After partially dressing them we each shouldered one and 

 started for camp. There they were skinned and the bones 

 removed. The meat lying upon the akin was well saturated 

 with sour orange juice and sittlicicnt salt, and huua- over 



a pole to .ii •--. 



| in i P. ieril moment I am debating in my mind if the 

 stews made from this meal owed their delicious flavor to a 

 gameness derived from the pig's diet of palm nuts and coots 



of various plants, or to our sharpened appetites and ro- 

 mantic surrounding. Whatever it was, T would give much 

 for the condiment that would make my meals once again so 

 palatable, 



Weeks passed by and although we were indebted to the 

 Wild bogs for our supply of meat I had so far failed to be in 

 at. the death. I felt somewhat chagrined, for 1 fancied n.v 



self something of a hunter, having hunted and killed deer 



and bear in Canada and in different States of the Union. 

 Time that brings all things even at last brought for mm mm, 

 opportunity. We had changed camp three times, and al the 



present time our campwas mad..- high up on the Kio Oedrd. 



Cassava, rice, sugar and coffee were netting al a low ebb. 

 'Twas decided lhat earn.-, de puorko would" not satisfy all 

 our cravings; thereto e Con would keep camp, and myself 

 i H ay would go down to the nearest, ranches for a 

 supply of the accessaries. Two .lavs' ride over a mountain 

 path hiOUL'hl us to Pannarahoc." Monway's home. The 

 following day we purchased a jack ox (oxen are used very 

 Lacking in the West' Indies) and provisions con- 

 sisting of plantains, rice, sugar, coffee and cassava. 



Monway wished to stay al home for a few days, and 

 Thursday f stalled for camp, driving the ox ahead loaded 

 with a portion of provisions purchased. Thursday night 1 

 and Friday traveled until afternoon, when -the three 

 dogs gave tongue. There- passed in sight a larger hog than 

 I had yet seen, and I was al once seized with a strong desire 

 to add him to my cargo. Tying the animals I followt d the 

 sound of the baying dogs, armed with a sharp knife, fif- 

 teen-inch blade, and a navy revolver. On eomfngin sight 

 of the quarry (which had taken his sland on a level piece of 

 ground, not entirely clear fiom brush and plants) I was 



iM'i troubled to get a fair shot without, fear of maim- 

 ing some one of the dogs. 1 was within iiftv feel of his 



- I i m | ., as 1 stood with pistol cocked watching their [.lav, 

 the boar occupying a circle the periphery of which Was 

 tonne.] b\ the dogs and myself. Whetting his, formidable 

 be foam dripping from his jaws, his tormentors 

 keeping up a constant barking, with an interval of the one 

 at his Stem, as he slyly approached, and gn ing the boar 

 a nip, then retreated with all his power of speed, pursued by 

 the boar, he in turn pursued by the other doe, who 



very cautious not to make too intimate, an acquaintance, 

 just giving a nip and in their turn retreating. Forward 

 and backward, advance and retire, went the fray. I en- 

 joyed the sport until in one of his raids his eyes lit ou me, 

 and he advanced with a speed T did not suppose one of his 

 kind to possess. In a moment's time he had received a 

 bullet in the buck of his neck, and had torn irtv pistol hand 

 with his wicked tusk. Thcdogshad nipped hirtvaud be- 

 Fore I eould give a second shut, away they went, with the 

 boat iii hot pursuit, Then I began to realize that a wild 



fioar is really formidable. He ran about twelve rods and 

 again stood for light, with his wiry, grislv bristles till point- 

 --'J bis ears, wetting his tusks, which projected fat- 



head lik. eyes tin 

 looked theembod 

 approached withit 



.ind.r a tree, llicl. 

 my hands. The 1- 

 riehi I opened fin 



. lb.- lY-ah .hipping fr, 



inlit 



er Hi 



and li 

 1 hate. He 

 d of one. T 

 taking the precaution to stand 

 of Which I could reach with 

 left, hand and pistol in my 

 tubers were emptied iu quick 

 m -I mm without visible effect, when he seemed intent 

 on coming to closer quarters, observing which I put myself 

 above lhat limb with an agility that would have done credit 

 to a professional gymnast. He stopped under the tree and 

 saluted ttie with some sonorous grunts, then disappeared in 

 the woods with the doss in hot, pursuit. 1 then decided to 



hunt 



VOW 1 I 



On 



e hogs wii 



rifle or double gun. which 



id 



iting my adventure, Con 

 malion thai he had not 



thai if SO good a chance 



dd have been pork for supper. 



•ith a double gun, 1 secured three 



id; 



complimented me by 

 supposed me so groa'l 

 had offered him. there 

 The next day. armed 

 boars. 



Lafei we demonstrated the fact that a ball tired from a 

 navy revolver three feet distant, would not enter the vitals 

 of a full grown wild hog if directed toward any portion of 



the forward part, of the hod 

 hunting, as he preferred keepi 

 and mi self look for pork. A 

 boar that I did not get, Con 

 camp for a week. Takings i 

 a tin pail to boil rice and male, 

 into the heart of the main ra 

 "round that was never before 

 placed our reliance for pork 

 log, the others having Ii 



lid not oTteu indulge in 

 ngeamp and letting Monway 

 .out six weeks after my first 

 and myself decided to leave 

 ilanket and tin cup each, and 



coffei 



, and salt, we, went, 

 ihably went over 

 mortal man. We 

 oading rifle and 



Toward night of the first day the dog was set loose and 

 soon gave tongue. Con followed with the Tine. In a Jew 



minutes a report, followed by distressed hallooing, im- 

 pressed me that the shot had been a failure and Cot 



" :alt with. Armed only with my knife 1 made 

 spot from which the' cries proceeded. Th 



ng badly 



haste to th 

 stood Coi 

 cartridge, 

 rifle and r 

 distant, the! 

 explained tin 

 was making t 

 tin game wat 

 Thedogimra 

 and pursued. 

 site gambrol. 

 rods i 



ndeavoring I 

 his excitement preveiitin 

 ' .ading I tired a " 



,'ithdn 



t the first he kn 



ad that 

 gilt feet, i 



e and ( 



f the he 



fired 



Thi 



shot had broke 



the empty 

 Taking the 

 about four rods 

 i shoulder. Con 

 s whereabouts it 

 snap shot when 

 izzle of the gun. 

 - My off 



ny pork, 



ad pr 



Al'te! 



• hip 



ed t,h( 



crippled condition. 



again closed with her, and she fought 

 until life ebbed in crimson flood from a knife wound of the 

 heart. There was a very good opportunity to return Con's 

 compliment; of cowardice, but I rbrehore, simply a.skinghis 

 opinion of wild hogs, and if he thought there was any tight, 

 in them. He i.-plied that never again would he venture 

 near, one until he was sure it was dead. L. Kent. M. I). 



THE NEGRO AND THE GAME. 



>■ Forest «,/(' Stream: 



rhaps a few more words about the negro ns a sports- 



y not be uninteresting. Some days ago 1 was tak- 

 ing a little recreation with my gun not far from Palestine. 

 I noticed two negro men beating about the bushes in com- 

 pany with a solitary stump-tailed "y idler dorg." As 

 they had no gun that was visible to' me, 1 could hardly 

 imagine what they were about, but, at last concluded that 

 they were rabbit-hunting, and that their stump-tail dog was 

 their sole dependence for catching the rabbit. This dog's pe- 

 culiar build was such that it did hot seem to be possible that 

 he could be very swift. 1 therefore concluded that these 

 two sportsmen' would be quite sure to go home at night 

 without, any rabbit. At last it chanced that the two sports- 

 men and myself came right up together. 1 then noticed 

 that one of' them carried an old-fashioned horse-pistol, 

 smooth bore, and the other carried no other weapon than a 



t long. I said to thei 

 g about the brush for some 

 is greatly excited to know 

 ey replied thai 



hickory stick, about fi 

 that l'had noticed th 

 time, and that my ct 

 what they were drivin 



Saturday evening they thought they would go out and get i 

 rabbit, or two, in order to have a good rabbit pie on Sunday. 

 One of these gentlemen was a powerful man of at least 340 

 pounds weight; the other considerably less in size, but a 

 full grown man. They had secured no game yet, but were 

 in high spirits and enthusiasm. They were entirely confi- 

 dent that, they wuuld revel in all the luxury of rabbit pie at 

 noon the next day. Now.it is my opinion that these ne- 

 groes had just come into Ihe possession of that remarkable 

 old pistol; that they believed that they had an inestimable 

 treasure in it, and that as they contemplated tire formidable 

 Telic of antiquity, the ancestral instinct, to go a-liunting 

 broke out within 'them in uu ungovernable manner and hur- 

 ried them forth into the road and briar-patches. I Was 

 curious to knowwhat they loaded their artillery with. They 

 used shot of the biggest sort, such as our white folks would 

 for turkeys. I notice that 1 lie colored sportsmen invariably 

 use a much bigger shot, than our white folks do. They have 

 nothing smaller than No. 4 iu their vocabulary. Even if 



they should turn out to she 



would not use a -mall. -r -in a lhat No. 4. 



Shortly after separating from these two 

 upon another colored sportsman carryi 

 musket. Just before 1 reached him a 

 passed within what I would call fair 

 of 1 1 i in With such a chance 1 would fit 

 the colored sportsman merely looked at t 

 putting his gun to his shoulder. I asked him why he 

 r pulls ' 



tomtit, they 



gentlemen I came 

 ag an old army 

 flock of mallards 

 shooting distance 

 t- every time, but 

 ic ducks without 

 did 

 till 



uol lire upon them. Suid he, "I ne 



I sees dat the thingl shoots at is gwine to be my meat. Ef 



1 had shot . -it dcni. lucks 1 inightcr got one, but Us most 



reasonable dat I mought not. Mebbe de ducks warn't too 



fur, but I never had a bit o' luck on de wiring, and I can't 

 resk my ammcrnition on onsartainties. Afore I pulls de, 

 trigger I must see my meat shore," 



Before the unpleasantness the only hunting enjoyed by 

 the negroes was rabbit hunting on Sundays and 'possum 

 and 'coon-hunting o' nights. Thev had no firearms in those 

 days, and had to depend exclusively on the don- for their 

 rabbits, and on the dog ami ax for their 'coons and 'possums 

 Great was the fun which I hey hud on such occasions, as the 

 writer hereof can testify, he having often been with them 

 both m their Sunday rabbit hunts and their night 'possum 

 and 'coon hunts. To be with them on their Sunday hunts 

 he had to steal away from home, bur, the parental' consent 

 was generally readily obtained to go on the 'possum and 

 coon hunts, they having the utmost confidence that "our 

 black folks" would take good cue of their hoy This was 

 in North Carolina, a good many years ago. 



The negroes pursued these' sports, particularly 'possum 

 and coon hunting, with a wonderful enthusiasm and enjoy- 

 ment. Possum and coon hunting may be said to have been 

 their race amusement, just as bul.ligh. iug is the race amuse- 

 ment, of the Spaniards, And yet "since they have become 

 free they have totally abandoned the 'possum and the 'coon 

 as far as f can learn. 1 cannot speak of the other Southern 

 States now, but it certainly is a fact as regards Texas. The 

 negro now seems to regard it as almost an insult to talk to 

 bun about a 'possum, lie can stand reference to the 'coon 

 yet, not, however, with a very good grace, but the 'possum 

 is entirely too much for his philosophy. He seCms to con- 

 sider that he has entirely outgrown the 'possum, got far 

 above him in the social scale, and to look upon any refer- 

 ence to that animal in his presence as an intentional and 

 heartless reminder of his previous condition of servitude. I 

 have noticed this so frequently among our colored people- 

 that 1 am now very careful to abstain from all allusion to 

 the 'possum when in their hearing. Have the negroes in the 

 other Southern States grown so proud as this. 1 f hear that 

 they have, but could not peisonalJv say so. If they have 

 then the poor 'possum has fallen from the proud position of 

 a glorified monarch to that of a very humble individual, in- 

 deed, with it bare tail. 



■'Since he miscalled the morning slur. 

 Nor man nor fiend hath fallen so tar." 



The ducks and geese arc now leaving us in immense 

 Swarms, I hear them during all hours of the day and night, 

 as they wing their swift way toward the pole. 'They go" to 

 the polar snows to do their love-making, but they always 

 come south to live well and grow fat. You hyperborean 

 people send them down to us in the fall 'dead-poor: 

 we send them back to you in the spring seal-fat. This I 

 suggest is no fair exchange. But is it not strange tnat these 

 birds should go to the cheerless and barren hyperboreans to 

 do their love-making? Why not stay south and attend to 

 that business under the full perfume of the orange blossoms'.' 



I'ALEsriN.!. Tex., March 18. V A. T. 



THE LONDON SOCIETY. 



THE annual meeting of the District Fish and Game 

 Protective Society was held at the Revere House March 

 13, the president, Mr. Gill, in the chair. The minutesof 

 the, last meeting were read by the secretary, Mr. Skirving. 

 and adopted. The annual report, read by Ihti president! 

 was also unanimously adopted. The report was as follows: 

 SEVENTH .us'xuai, iu-.fok.t. 



in presenting the customary annual report of thework of 

 our society, we feel that there is ground for congratulation 

 on the continued success which has followed the efforts made 

 toward the protection of game and enforcing a proper re- 

 spect for Ihe game laws within the county of Middlesex. No 

 violation of the game laws has been reported to the society 

 since last year's report. Posters containing every Informa- 

 tion necessary for acquainting the public with the periods 

 of the close seasons have been sent lo all parts of the county 

 and to many points beyond our special limits, aud we may 

 feel satisfied that our past efforts have been successful to a 

 very great extent in imparting to a large community a 

 thorough knowledge of the advantages to be derived from a 

 proper observance of the game laws. In accordance with a 

 resolution passed at a meeting of our society held mNov.-m 

 her last petitions addressed to the Legislative Assembly 

 of Ontario for the passing of an Act to prevent the 

 exportation of game from Ontario, were distributed at vari- 

 ous points in Ontario for signature. These petitions, con- 

 taming the signatures of 1,981 of the ratepayers of Ontario. 

 were presented to the Assembly at its last session. That 

 body, however, decided that, though willing they had not 

 the power to grant the desired relief. The papers have now 

 been placed in the hands of 1). Macmillan, M. P., who has 

 promised his best endeavors to get the much required law 

 enacted. Other sister societies are also assisting with their 

 influence in the same direction. Unless .such relief is granted 

 either' by way of an Act of Parliament to prevent exporta- 

 tion of game' or by placing a heavy duty on game intended 

 for exportation (cither by residents or non-residents of 

 Ontario), for purposes of sale in foreign markets, the game 

 of Ontario will soon disappear from the country. The only 

 exception in a law of this kind should be in the case of wild 

 ducks and geese, as these are mostly shot on large preserves 

 owned by small bodies of sportsmen, who shoot, for their 

 own use and pleasure and not for market purposes. 



A bill was also brought before the Legislature to amend 

 the present game laws, but as it did not in any way meet the 

 views of the sportsmen it was thrown out in committee. 

 Our worthy vice-president, Dr. Niven, was delegated by 

 the society to attend in our interests before the committee'. 

 Our game laws certainly require amendment, on some points, 

 anil as it is proposed to hold a meeting of sportsmen at 

 Ottawa shortly, to which our society has be, n a,.l-...d tos.-nd 

 a delegate, the matter will he fully discus-. .1 there and a 

 bill agreed upon SO as to obtain legislation al the firSI oppOl 

 tunity. 



The standing of our society numerically and financially is 

 satisfactory. "We now number seventy-five members, and 

 as our objects are solely to protect game, fish and insectivor- 

 ous birds; and to assist in the rigid enforcement of the gain. 

 laws Which sometime entails ;, good deal of expense' and 

 trouble, it is to he hoped that the public at large will so far 



,1, i mm us in our efforts by giving their liberal support 



ship may be at least doubled during the year. The influence 

 of our society is not, however, confined 'to the limits of the 

 county of Middlesex. We are often called upon for advice 



i , i tance from places where there is no gameprot.ee 



tiou society, but which our large postei-.s have reached. In 

 all such cases the society, either through its individual 

 members or officers, has always cheerfully afforded the ad- 



