604 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



|Jui.Y 36, IBS'. 



FIR AND SALAD. 



LET auy out: who wishes to enjoy this dangerous sport, 

 where there is uo scarcity of 'the raw material, and of a 

 prelt\ ■ siivaw quality, too, coma to Washington Territory, 

 where, if he does not get .-ill In- wants of it, the failure wiJI 

 Hi i| i" for lack of opportunity. 



Extending from Gray's Harbor north to Puget Bound, a 

 distance of about eighty miles, is a trad of country entirely 

 iminhabited, and of wiiich but little is known. Od the 

 Surveyor -General's map it is marked as mountainous, unlit 

 for cultivation, and unsurveyed. It was on the holders of 

 this wild region we pitched our camp in thesnmmerof 188S1, 

 From nu old trapper we had learned that the rdporl v( the 

 country was incorrect, and although somewhat .1 oiling, there 

 were a'nomber ol line prairies, and not far from the head 

 waters of IhU Hunipfulips Kivcr, t lien- was a. large lake 

 with a prairie several miles long adjoining it. lie staled 

 thai some years before, while prospecting, his "pard" and 

 he had discovered if. and building themselves a cabin, hud 

 laid in provisions enough bejiore the rainy season set in to 



last them si\ months. Here I hey passed the winter and re- 

 lumed in the spring laden down with furs. The lal<e 

 abounded in fish and wild fowl, while large herds of elk 

 were frequently seen on the adjoining prairie. Bears ami 

 1 ugars were eery numerous, and seemed to have very little 

 fear of them. All this delighted us extremely, and we de- 

 termined, should opportunity offer, to explore' the promised 

 land for ourselves. Our camp was located on a narrow strip 

 of sand that extended some distance out ' at() "toe bay, and 

 covered with a stunted growth of pine. Between Us and the 

 heavy timber was n Bat about a mile in width, which was 

 covered with water at high tide. Here we had built our- 

 selves a cabin, from which we made, our daily excursions in 

 search of new specimens, 



One rainy afternoon, as we were returning from a long 

 tramp, and as we reached the cabin, some one exclaimed. 

 ' What's that;'". ■ind to our surprise we saw -a beta' sitting in 

 front of the door, lie WftSS little fellow, and seemed very curi- 

 ous to know what kind of beings we wen-, for be raised 

 himself up on his haunches and eyed us suspiciously. Our 

 tir-t impulse was to •bowl him over." and I raised my gun 

 to do so, when someone suggested to "catch him alive." 

 This met with the hearty approval of all, and laying our 

 guns down, we started for him. lie immediately took to 

 his heels, and then followed one of the most exciting chases 

 I ever remember. Around the cabin beweul.tbe whole 

 camp following, shouting at I he top of our lungs. Then he 

 dodged behind a pile of driftwood; and driven from there, 

 back to the cabin he went. By this lime we were' pretty 

 Mi winded, our heavy rubber boots and clumsy "Cape 



Ann" suits having proved too much for us; and notwith- 

 standing our utmost, clients he had succeeded in keeping just 

 out of our reach, and at last, headed across the ilal for the 

 heave timber. 



1 prided myself nut a little on my running (having won 

 several medals on the cinders at Mott Haven); and to have a 

 little cub get away from me in that style was not to be al- 

 lowed without an additional effort on mypari. so 1 con- 

 tinued the chase alone. As long as the sand w is firm 1 

 could hold my own: but I soon got, into the mud and one of 

 my boots came partially off, bringing me to a sudden stop. 

 Sitting down in the mud, 1 drew them off and also my 

 waterproof coat and pants. The change was a decided im- 

 provement, and 1 th.-n gained on the bear very rapid ly. A 

 small creek ran through tho center of the flat, and, having 

 reached it, the game seemed undecided what to do. 1 ex- 

 riled myself to the Utmost, and got within a tew yards of 

 him, when he scrambled into the creek and swam across. J 

 floundered after, and on reaching the other side I had the 

 greatest ditllculty in getting out. often sinking up to my 

 waist in the soft mud. Rut it did not seem lo trouble him 

 in the least; and by the time 1 had reached the hard sand he 

 was fully 200 yard's ahead. I now strained every nerve 10 

 overtake him; but it was of ao use. and I was about twenty- 

 live feet behind him as he disappeared in the salal brush, "l 

 dared go no further, for if his respected mamma had discov- 

 ered me, she would have made a meal of me without re- 

 monstrance on my part, for I had not. even a club to defend 

 111', self wilb, and," moreover, was so exhausted thai I could 

 not have run a hundred yards to save my life. Covered with 

 mud and slime, with my feet bleeding from numerous cuts, 

 I limped back to camp, only to be received with shouts of 

 laughter at my dilapidated "eonditiou. 



Salal and salmon berries were now getting ripe, and the 

 bears, descending from the mountains in large numbers, 

 me decidedly familiar, their tracks beiug frequently 

 seen around our cabin in the morning, and an occasional 

 animal Was Been along 'lie edge of the timber, lull we could 

 not obtain a shot, owing to the almost impenetrable charac- 

 ter of the undergrowth. In these vast forests, where the 

 silence of the grave reigns, giant firs and spruces, frequently 

 nine feel in diameter, tower a bundled feet without a, limb. 

 and generally beneath these giants is a dense growth of vine, 

 maple and alder, and still lower the salal brush. It is 

 almost impossible to make auy headway through these 

 thickets, and so thoroughly does this dense mass ol* vegeta- 

 tion gnu! out Ihe light that even lit midday it puzzled me to 

 read line print- 

 One of our party, wandering off one day alone, met wilh 

 an adventure Unit came near being Ihe end of him. On 

 entering an open glade in the foiest be came suddenly on 

 an immense bear devouring a deer. Tile bear was nol more 

 than ten yards off, and our trembling collector having come 

 i mull birds was not prepared for such a monster. 

 Hastily looking over his shell belt he found to his horror 

 that he had neglected lo bring any buckshot; nothing larger 

 than No. 8 could be find. The bear immediately o, 1 1. n 

 haunches and began to growl savagely; then dropping on 

 all fours walked leisurely toward him." This was too much 

 for our now thoroughly frightened collector, who inennti- 

 , 1 id, leaving the bear master of the situation, and 

 1 : ppeared as Castas bis legs could carry him. Arriving 

 tic procured reinforcements and then returned to 

 .settle matters with his majesty, but of course bruin was not, 

 to be found. We waited patiently until ten o'clock that 

 night, but finding that he did nol return, we built a trap of 

 logs in the shape of a letter V r , and pulling the remains of 

 the deer in it, we attached a siring to it and the trigger of a 

 gun heavily charged with buckshot, and return 



All hands turned out early the following morning, and 

 hastily despatching our breakfast, returned to the trap. We 

 found the logs scattered in every di reel ion ; and to oui tie 

 liehi the bear was stretched out staik and stiff, with a hole 

 in hi boast large enough lo put one's hand in. tie WHS in 

 immense creature, and although we had no means of delin 



itelv determining bis ueighi, n required the unjted strength 



of four of us to get him hoisted over the limb of a tree. He 

 certainly could not have weighed less than BOO pounds, and 

 was in prime condition, the fat on bis hams measuring 

 nearly three inches in depth. 



We now procured the services of a half-breed hunter and 

 his dog. and whenever a bear made his appearance the dog; 



would be immediately put on the trail, and they general hj 

 succeeded in treeing him. when a shot from a rille usually set 

 tied the business. 



The dogs also occasionally treed a cougar in this way. 

 .lust lit re is concerned a subject thai has been of considerable 

 inleresl lo me, and which I have not been able definitely to 

 settle. lu conversations wilh numerous trappers and In 

 dians. 1 found that they universally agree as to the existence 

 of an animal differing from the cougar ( lull, ,;ioeot„r), which 

 Ihev call the panther. They describe it as of nearly the same 

 color, but longer and more slender, with the head elongated, 

 Ihe chest, narrower, and legs somewhat longer. It is much 

 rarer than the cougar, and only an occasional one is killed. 

 1 offered a considerable sum for the capture of one of the 

 animals, but, could only succeed in procuring a skull of one 

 llial was killed some time before. It differed essentially 

 from that of the cougar. Our Indian guide showed us the 

 I rack of one of these animals and explained Ihe difference 

 between it and the track of the. cougar. We then had a 

 large steel trap made which Weighed nearly fifty pounds, to 

 which we attached a log of about 100 pounds' weight. Plac- 

 ing it near where the tracks were seen, we baited it and 

 left it. The result was a very large bear, who, notwith- 

 standing the great weight, dragged it. fully half a mile, and 

 only stopped when the log got entangled in some trees. We 

 caught several others in this way but n'0 cougars. 



Our supplies were very low, and the Indians we had en- 

 gaged to procure more not having arrived, two of our party 

 were detailed to get them at the nearest place, a sawmill 

 situated on the opposite side of the bay and about fifteen 

 miles off. Navigational all limes is extremely dangerous 

 on this bay, but the tide, and a gentle breeze blowing In the 

 right direction, we thought we could safely venture. In 

 order to be safe, should we experience rough weather, we 

 took a heavy salmon boat instead of our light kamin. this 

 nearly cost' us our lives. Everything went lovely for a 

 while, anil we skimmed over the water at, a line pace, but 

 suddenly there came up one of those sudden squalls for 

 which this country is noted, the wind blew a perfect gale, 

 making a very heavy sea, and jerking the sheet, from" my 

 hand, and only with the greatest difficulty was it secured 

 and the sail lowered. We shipped a heavy sea which filled 

 the boat nearly half full of water. Going with the tide run- 

 ning at the rale of six miles an hour, it did not seem to make 

 much difference whether the sail was sel or nol. we fairly flew. 

 We bad now lost the channel, and narrowly escaped* being 

 dashed to pieces on a sunken log, of which there were dozens 

 to be seen in all directions, and as if to add to our danger a 

 heavy mist came in from the sea. shutting out Ihe shore line 

 entirely. Heading her the best we knew for the nearest 

 point of land, we soon bad the satisfaction of seeing the 

 dark limber line appear, and a moment after we struck a 

 snag, smashing in the bow of the boat. Jumping overboard 

 we dragged it on shore and then shouted for assistance, but 

 the only reply was the echo of our own voices. There was 

 no help for it; camp we must. Dragging the sail on shore, 

 we made a bed of it; and collectings large supply of wood 

 we laid down w.t and suppcrlcss. During the night we 

 were disturbed by some animal thai came prowling around 

 us: and as our only weapons consisted of a small hatchet 

 and a revolver, we" did not feel any great desire to secure the 

 unknown intruder, but a shot tired in the direction of the 

 sound sent il off, and we were not further disturbed. In the 

 morning the intruder proved Lo have been a large bear, the 

 tracks being plainly visible in the soft earth. 



Our real danger now commenced. The tide of the pre- 

 vious night, being an unusually high one, had driven our 

 boat far" up on the beach, fully 100 feet from the present 

 water line. It was so heavy that, it was impossible to move 

 il. and after tugging away until we were completely tired 

 out, we gave up amt bethought ourselves of breakfast, It 

 was a scanty affair, consisting of a few salmon and salal 

 berries, Noli a drop of fresh water could we find, although 

 we searched for a half a mile on either side. My "pard" 

 considered himself quite n shot with a revolver, and, as 

 squirrels were very abundant, I meekly suggested that now 

 was the time to show his skill, for I was nearly famished. 

 Walking up within ten feet of a squirrel, he blazed away, 

 but the little animal only ran away a few feet and chattered 

 at him, as if very indignant at such treatment. He tried 

 another shot with the like result, and on my suggesting that 

 they might be blank cartridges, he desisied entirely. Re- 

 turning to the beach we collected some driftboards, and 

 making a kind of roadway, using Hie boom for a roller, we 

 succeeded just at night in getting the boat afloat, and then 

 retired and slept until morning. About noon the next day 

 we arrived at the sawmill with our throats so parched from 

 thirst that we could hardly speak. Securing our supplies, 

 we engaged the mil! steamier rt> take us back to camp, hiring 

 an Indian to bring back our boat. 



Having exhausted the game iu the neighborhood of our 

 camp, we packed our traps in the boat and pulled up the 

 numpfulips Raver for the lake the trapper bad told us 

 abotil, but after going about five miles we came to a bad 

 "drift." It was upward of half a mile long and utterly im 

 passable; as the boats were too heavy to make a portage we 

 had to abandon the expedition and return to the harbor. 

 At some future time I will send you some of our experiences 

 in the new camp. Since writing the above I have learned 

 Ihat the Government has made an appropriation for clearing 

 this river, and ere another year has passed Ibis fertile region 

 w ill be open for settlement.' K u.i.akai.la. 



Rick Lakh: — Port Hope, Ont , July 18.— So far us I can 



yel judge the shooting prospects on Bice Lake for this 

 autumn are good. A great many ducks which breed as far 

 south as this are with us; more I think than usual. The 

 fall duck shooting is always more or less Uncertain, but 

 should be good this year, judging from the number of fall 

 ducks which visited' liiee Lake- this spring 011 their way 

 north. The fishing is .simply magnificent, not only a larger 

 number of fish but fellows of greater weight than . sua] 

 having been already captured. The rice crop is a very large 

 one, and 1 have made arrangements which will insure my 

 haviuga very large quantity on hand.— CHAMLES Gilcutust. 



Vikoi -:ia Game.— Staunton, Va., July If!.— The prospect 

 for quail and ruffed grouse in our country is good. The 

 birds are fast, recovering from flu- destructive winter of 

 1880 -SI, and in another year we will again be blessed n it li 

 lileutv of I hem. —Jack. 



plenty of I hem. —Jack. 



THE REPORTS OF SHOTGUNS. 



NOT many days since, as a Mr. Cole, one of the members 

 of the Board of Supervisors, was returning to bis 

 home in the country from Vicksburg. Miss, about sundown, 

 Some one concealed near the roadside tired a load of buck- 

 shot into his body with such terrible and fatal effect that 

 the. man was dead when be fell from his horse to the ground. 

 Several persons along the road and in the vicinity of Ihe 

 tragedy heard the report of the gun, and a young lady saw 

 Ihe dead man a minute or two after the shot was tired'. The 

 next day an inquest was held, and I have read the evidence 

 of the witnesses before the coroner taken on that occasion. 

 Nearly every one who heard the report of the gun swore 

 thai they knew il was a Doctor Cook's gun which had been 

 tired, as they were used to the sound of his gun and could 

 distinguish it from auy other. 



This line of testimony struck me as a Shade peculiar, if 

 not a little careless. 1 have been thinking the matter over 

 and 1 don't think 1 could go so far as to identify any gim 

 from merely hearing the report of it. It Seems to me im- 

 possible for the report of any gun to be uniform. There are 

 so many conditions that may vary the sound, such as the 

 charge," the distance, the topography of the country, the 

 direction and velocity of the wind, the density of the timber 

 in the vicinity, ami perhaps even the direction the gun may 



1 have always thought my brother has a gun with a more- 

 peculiar report than that of any other gnu 1 ever heard. I 

 would say, as a guess, that 1 have heard him fire it no less 

 than three thousand times, at, distances rangingfrom twenty 

 inches from my ear, to two miles or more "away — in the 

 woods, on the water, on sandbars, in the willows, in calm,. 

 in storm, in sunshine, iu fog, in snow, rain and hail, and 



generally when 1 was listening for its music and could al 



locate him in my mind if outbf sight: and yet 1 could not 

 go before a jury and say upon oath that I knew a certain 

 shot, was fired from his gun unless I saw it with my own 

 ewes. I know that often in hunting with him I have mis- 

 taken the report of other guns for bis, and have failed to 

 recognize his at other times when he bad tired wilhin my 

 hearing, especially if in a different, direction from what I 

 supposed him to be at the lime. 



Imagination was, perhaps, a large factor iu the case cited 

 above The witnesses were mostly colored people. Dr. 

 Cook probably did more shooting in* that vicinity lhan any 

 other man, and as it developed on the investigation that "a 

 feud existed between him and the deceased, and he bad been 

 seen with a gun in hand a little white before the shooting 

 and not far from the scene of it, suspicion naturally fell 

 upon him, and it was easy for an imaginative person to 

 think lie- report was similar to all reports of the Doctor's 

 gun on other occasions. I would say, at a hazard, that. 

 such testimony should be set aside as utterly worthless. 

 Hi' nu H. Polk. 

 Lincoln, Nebraska, July, 1SB3. 



Kvxoeu Shells.— Manitowoc, Wis., July IT. — Editor 

 7-:. ,,-,-„' ..-.,,/ Stream: 1 tried anew sample of the Kynoeh shells 

 yesterday and met with the same difficulty as before, viz., 

 "too muclieestickee," and 1 don't know but that 1 shall have 

 to agree with "H. V. L.,"tlm( there are some imperfections 

 (in Ihe, Chambers or the shells); anyhow, Ihev are not adapted 

 to my gun, so I cannot use therm To sum up this whole 

 matter, my version is that if the chambers of the gun are 

 adapted to the Kynoeh shells, it is policy to use them; but 

 this sportsmen will never know until they give them a per- 

 sonal trial. Crimping should be done by grooving the shells 

 and nol by bending them in at. the end with the fingers, as 

 great, difficulty will be experienced in getting them into the 

 gun if bent iu at the end, while they go in readily when 

 grooved in three or four places. 1 made no bitter patterns 

 With the Kynoeh than I did with paper shells. — I). 



Editor Forest, ,1 ml fit, mw; I have used the Kvuoch shells 

 this season for glass ball and target shooting. I shoot a 

 12-gauge Colt gun. Have loaded shells with" -Mrs. black 

 powder, two pink-edge wads. fez. of shot and one cardboard 

 wad. The shells do not chamber close; never burst; ami 

 retain their shape, giving pattern and penetration equal to 

 best brass shells. — Winkii-isiouee, (Laconia, N. H.) 



Work for the Game Phoiectoji. — As far as I cani 

 judge there is no protection foreven song birds here. Reek- 

 less shooting may be heard any day, Sundays excepted, and 

 I am led to believe that some* young men are shooting for a. 

 taxidermist in town. Quail never have been as plentiful and. 

 bold as they are siuee the five-year law was up. They can 

 be heard calling everywhere*. Yesterday a pab flew up- 

 right in front of the' bouse, but 1 see no reason why the 

 above-named young men should respect, them or any other 

 bird, game or isong. The law here seems to be a dead let- 

 ter, and lias been for years. And 1 know no better par- 

 tridge, quail or woodcock country if only the birds are given 

 a chance. There was something of a flight of large snipe 

 going east last Friday and Saturday. 1 have only seen one 

 English sparrow- since 1 have been down. They do not 

 seem to thrive down here. The robin is the commonest " 

 song bird we have, and meadow larks spend the winter here; 

 but' the farmers protect nothing; they go on the principle 

 "after us the deluge," Here is a splendid opportunity for 

 your "pbilornitby."— T. C. M. (Easthampton, L. I.I. '[The 

 above communication is respectfully referred to Mr, G. A. 

 Whilfakei. of Southampton, L. I., who is the game protector 

 for the counties ol Kings, Queen? and Suffolk.] 



TBHHHSSBE NOTES— Xashvillc, July 33. -Bob Miller, of 

 flje Baivntr staff, shouldered his shotgun and strapped on 

 his gaineliag and ammunition belt for a lew days after 

 squirrels in Alabama, Bob is a dandy editor, and .-aid to 

 be a first class shot. He ought to have a good time, as la- 

 is one of the best of fellows, and if he does have, everybody 

 r him will be made happy. Squirrels are very numer- 

 Ihroughout the wooded districts, and as this is the 

 iliey are in their fattest forms squirrel barbe- 

 cues, pies and stews are the luxuries enjoyed by their killers. 

 I wish I could surprise you all with a reii-hot pot of "Teu- 

 111 ssee squirrel stew," and if you did not fancy yourselves 

 in the promised laud, then I would be very notch mistaken 

 Doves will afford excellent shooting in about two more 

 Weeks.— .1. D, II. 



fjjffiEBP Grouse in New HajiFSIIike.— Entiehl. N-. IT. 

 I ii reply to your inquiry for good sporting locali- 

 ties', I would say that ruffed grouse are very plenty about 

 here, and would afford good snort for any one who "SUOOtB 

 on the wing. Gray squirrels' are also very plenty among 

 the oaks in Ibis vicinity. Black bass fishing is very fair, 

 nothing extra.— P. 



