316 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



jr: 



s£ — A thoughtful correspondent in Florida sends us the 

 following interesting account of game in his particular 

 neighborhood, which is well worthy of attention: — "Within 

 eight miles of Mellenville we have deer, bear, panther, tur- 

 key, snipe, quail, duck, plume birds of various kinds, such 

 as white heron, pink curlew, blue heron, &c, squirrels, 

 foxes, mink, otter, sand-hill crane, and hosts of other fine 

 game. Deer, bear, and panther are hunted with hounds, 

 and a fine pack can be collected on short notice. Fox hunt- 

 ing is good sport, but our foxes climb trees, and last night, 

 after a two hours' chase, and treeing twice, Reynard got 

 away from us. Strangers will find plenty of gentlemen 

 who have hounds, and know the stands, who are always 

 willing to give them sport. 



"William M. Humphries and Count Nersgaroo are the 

 most noted deer stalkers, and have each killed over 2,000 

 since 1867. They reside near Mellenville. We have no 

 game laws. The finest hunting ground is the southwestern 

 part of Orange county, on the coast. The country is inva- 

 riably too rough, being covered with saw palmetto, but in 

 the interior a carriage ca*h be driven one hundred miles 

 through the pine woods, with scrubs or thickets on every 

 hand, where the deer ean be "jumped" at all times. 



"Our only mode of travel is by steamer on the St. John's 

 River, and hunters should take a team and wagon at Mel- 

 lenville, with tent and supplies to last a few days, and 

 about forty miles from Mellenville they will find the best 

 hunting ground in America on Davenport Creek. 



"We have hotels here, but none in the hunting grounds. 

 We have no sportsmen's clubs yet. Fish abound in all 

 our streams and lakes, but I am not an angler, and would 

 not venture to give advice. "J. A. M." 



Salem, Mass., December 15th, 1873. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: — 



Among the remarks in Fin, Far, and Feather about the 

 resorts of game, is the following upon the "upland plover." 

 It says "it is the least maritime of their race," (true); and 

 also says, "and never visits salt marshes or water meadows 

 of any kind." I do not think this is correct, as I have 

 seen them on snipe ground in the spring at Newburyport. 

 They are common about the hills of Ipswich Neck from 

 August until frost, and some of them breed, but I have 

 never seen a nest. Though generally shy, they are taken 

 comparatively often, and I have repeatedly seen them alight 

 upon the marshes and slough holes which intercept these 

 hills, and further, I have, when in a booth, decoyed and 

 shot them; but, though often answering the whistle, they 

 will seldom be decoyed, and about here are considered the 

 most difficult of our bay birds to shoot. It may not be 

 generally known to sportsmen that the bird ie, no plover at 

 all, but a "tattler," (Acitmus bartramius). I do not know why 

 it is called a plover, as it has very few characteristics of 

 the Charadrilda. My experience, as above, with this bird 

 may be an exception, but as it is the result of careful ob- 

 servation I present the same to your readers. Yours truly, 



R. S. Newcome. 



— A correspondent from New Orleans tells us teal and 

 duck are coming in quite lively into the bayous, and speaks 

 of Rigolet's and Miller's Bayous as swarming with birds. 

 The New Orleans markets are full of wild fowl, and 

 pirogues are at a premium. 



— • — 



All communications from Secretaries and friends stiould be mailed not 



later than Monday in each week. 



♦ 



HIGH WATER, FOR THE WEEK. 



DATE. 



BOSTON. | NEW YORK. | CIIARL'ST'N 



Dec. 25 



Dec. 26 



Dec. 27 



Dec. 28 



Dec. 20 



Dec. 30 



Dec. 81. 



h. m. 

 3 46 



38 



33 



6 31 



32 



3Q 



9 29 



h. m. 

 32 



h. m. 



morn. 



3 16 



4 17 



38 

 33 

 31 



32 



30 



5 29 



— The Columbia Yacht Club'held their regular meeting 

 at the club house, foot of west Fifty-seventh street, last 

 week to elect officers for the coming year. The following 

 were the choice of the members: Commodore, John S. 

 Gave; Vice Commodore, R. McWhinney; Secretary, James 

 A. Smith; Treasurer, Robert Wilson; Measurer, F. Pabst; 

 Steward, J. P. Smith. 



— The Brooklyn Yacht Club held a special meeting in 

 the club house, at 26 Court street, Brooklyn, last week. 

 There was a large number of members and their friends 

 to witness the distribution of the prizes won by the com- 

 peting yachts during the regatta of June last. W. P. Os- 

 trander, Esq., presided. Vice Commodore Dickerson, in 

 presenting the two prizes won by Commodore Voorhis, of 

 the celebrated Schooner Madeleine, made a happy speech. 

 The first of these, the club prize, was a magnificent mando- 

 line; the second, the flag officers' prize, a beautiful silver 

 fish knife. The Commodore responded, i hanking the mem 

 bers for their uniform kindness and courtesy. Then fol- 

 lowed the presentation of the Union prize to the Fleur de 

 Lis, Vice Commodore Dickerson. First class sloops: 

 Vision, Joseph J. Alexandre, silver ice-tongs, flag officers' 

 prize, and two bronzes, American birds in full flight, the 

 club prize; Undine, Brasher and Fowler, Union prize, dozen 

 silver desert knives with pearl handles. Second class 

 sloops: Sophia, Chauncey N. Felt, two oil paintings, (not 

 yet finished;) J. T. Seagrave, Nceanic Club, silver wine 

 castor, Union prize. Third class sloops : William T. Lee, 

 Chauncy N. Felt, two oil paintings, (not yet finisned:) 

 Brooklyn, William Edgar Morris, large marine glass, Union 

 prize 



—Now that our northern waters are closed by ice, and 

 snow covers the ground, nothing seems left for us jolly 

 yachtsmen but to haul down our burgees, make everything 

 snug alow and aloft, up kellick, and get into winter quar- 

 ters. Little is being done in yachting and boating circles, 

 though preliminaries are being arranged for the season to 

 come. When any news of progress made is obtained by 

 us, it will appear in these columns under its proper head. 



Yachting is not ®ne of those diversions that belong to 

 the Christmas season. At the frozen north it is the ringing 

 skate and merry jingle of the sleigh-bells that make the 

 holidays joyous and enjoyable. In the Middle States it is 

 coursing the hare or night hunts for opossums and coons. 

 Even in North Carolina and middle Georgia the water- 

 courses are sometimes skimmed with ice, and the hoar frost 

 whitens the fields. Certainly, yachting has no interest or 

 claim to attention when the Yule log burns. Flirtations 

 under the pennant must give place to blushes under the 

 mistletoe. The "wet sheet and flowing sea" have no affin- 

 ity with the snap dragon and holly. It is true that in genial 

 southern climes — in those flowery realms of low latitude, 

 where no frost nips the orange buds, and the cape jessamine 

 and oleander grow to stately trees, yachting is indulged in 

 throughout the winter months, and jaunty steam yachts 

 cruise up and down the Indian River and St. John, or 

 thread the intricacies of the Kissimer and Ochlawaha. But 

 as we must make up our portfolio from sources more ac- 

 cessible than Florida, we shall winter our yachts, house our 

 shells and barges, and wait till the coming spring once 

 again invites our practice crews to open waters and straight- 

 away courses. Fain would we, if consistent with our avo- 

 cation, board some jolly yacht that is even now lying at 

 Jacksonville with steam up, waiting only the arrival of its 

 last hamper to start to the upper waters of the St. John. 

 We would gladly enjoy again our well-remembered sailing 

 excursions on Lakes George and Monroe, or our boating ex- 

 peditions into lagoons and bayous in quest of ducks, egrets, 

 and alligators. Many a pleasant cruise have we taken at 

 Cedar Keys and Fernandina, and down the bay at St. Au- 

 gustine to the lighthouse, where great ray fish scull lazily 

 over the shelly bottom at the bar, and great dorsal fins of 

 sharks cut the water in the channel ways among the reefs. 

 Even now, at the beautiful St. Lucie, our Forest and 

 Stream commissioner and special correspondent, Fred. 

 Beverly, has his chosen camp, fitted out with boats and 

 guides and all things needful, with full access on the one 

 hand to Indian River and its beach-bound channel two hun- 

 dred miles in length, and on the other to the water courses 

 that thread the mysterious and intricate recesses of interior 

 Florida. If it were possible, we would join him there, and 

 aid in gathering an ample store of pen and pencil sketches 

 for the entertainment promised at some future day; but 

 circumstances forbid. And so, herewith, we dip our pen- 

 nant thrice to the yachts and yachting memories that are 

 fading away from sight and mind, and bear away for snug 

 harbor and winter quarters. 



THE ARGONAUTA ROWING ASSOCIATION OP BERGEN POINT, 

 NEW JERSEY. 



Although comparatively in its infancy, this club has a 

 history its members may well be proud of. Their active list 

 shows~ eighty members, and their beautiful boat house, sit- 

 uated on the banks of the Kill von Kull, is stocked with a 

 number of boats unequalled by any club in this country, 

 comprising one eight-oared barge, two four-oared barges, 

 one English six oared shell, built by Je wett ; one six-oared 

 shell, built by Fearon; one six-oared gig, four four-oared 

 shells, two pair oared boats, two double sculls, fifteen 

 single sculls, and one Rob Roy canoe, making a total of 31 

 boats. The oificers of the Association are Mr. A. R. War- 

 ner, President; L. L. Spring, 1st Vice President; Charles 

 W. Fuller, 2d Vice President; E. W. Humphreys, Captain; 

 E, R. Craft, Treasurer; W. F. Hobbie, Corresponding 

 Secretary; B. Stephenson, Recording Secretary. The in- 

 itiative of their rowing the past summer was their club re- 

 gatta on the 4th of July, in which they rowed two sixes, 

 two fours, two pair oared, and a single scull race, a num- 

 ber of boats and oarsmen that scarcely any other rowing 

 association in this country could rival. Their next appear- 

 ance was at the Saratoga Regatta, where they entered a 

 four-oared shell against the Pape Club of Cincinnati, the 

 Duquesne Club of Alleghany City, Pa., the Beaverwycks 

 of Albany, the Ballston Club of Ballston Spa. , and the Po- 

 tomacs of Washington, D. C. This race was 1-J- miles and 

 return, and though they did not win, they came in a good 

 second, 55 seconds ahead of the Beaverwycks of Albany, 

 and it is but fair in this connection say that their bow 

 oar, Mr. Smith, had been sick for two months previous, 

 and had only rowed with the crew four times, before the 

 start. At the National Amateur Regatta, which was rowed 

 on the Schuylkill river at Philadelphia, on the 7th and 8th 

 October, they entered a four-oared crew, a pair oared crew 

 and a single scull, the gentlemen composing the four-oared 

 crew were F. C. Eldred, stroke; B. Stephenson, Walter 

 Man, and Ed. Smith, bow. In the first day's heat they 

 were drawn against the Nassau Club in a mile and one-half 

 straight away race. Taking the lead from the start they 

 came in winners in 8 minutes 16 seconds, beating their an- 

 tagonists 29 seconds. The next day Mr. Smith rowed a 

 single scull race against Dr. Russell Withers of the Atalan- 

 tas, in which Smith was ahead from the start, winning in 

 10 minutes 43 seconds, while his opponent was 29 seconds 

 behind. Mr. Smith declined to enter for the final single 

 scull heat, having already participated in three races that 

 day. The final heat of the fours was the next heat in 

 which they were engaged. Their opponents were the An- 

 alostans of Washington and the Quaker City of Philadel- 



phia. In this race the Argonautas were again successful, 

 winning in 8 min. 30 seconds, the Analostans second in 8 

 min. 42 seconds, and the Quaker City third in 9 min. 10 

 seconds. This final heat of four-oared shells won for the 

 Argonautas the Challenge Cup offered by the National Am- 

 ateur Association at their first annual Regatta. Following 

 the race above named was a pair oar and double scull race, 

 in which they entered Eldred and Smith in a pair oar 

 against Addicks and Taylor of the Vespers of Philadel- 

 phia, in a pair oar, and Steel and Witmer of the Crescent 

 Club, also of Philadelphia, in double sculls. This race was 

 won by the double scull boat of the Crescent Club, the Ar- 

 gonautas being second. On the 18th of October they 

 rowed their annual four-oared race against the Neptune 

 Club of West New Brighton, S. I., in which they entered 

 the same crew they rowed at Philadelphia, against Messrs. 

 C. H. DeKay, stroke; W. F. Barrett, J. McMurray, Frank 

 Bacon, bow; and seldom, if ever, have we seen so much 

 interest manifested in a race, not only by the friends of 

 both clubs, but by the boating fraternity generally, as was 

 shown by the display of steamers on the water, equipages 

 on land, and crowds of people lining both shores from the 

 start to the terminus. This, race was three miles straight 

 away from stake-boats anchored off New Brighton, to a 

 line opposite Elm Park Dock, and is a surveyed course of 

 three miles. The Neptunes were first to get away, but 

 were soon overhauled by the Argonautas, who, on passing 

 them, kept the lead to the finish, gaining at every stroke, 

 and winning the race in 15 min. 49£sec, the Neptune's time 

 being 16£. This closes their rowing record for 1873; what 

 the rowing season of 1874 shall score, either against 

 or for them, remains to be seen. 



In conclusion we feel impelled to congratulate their Presi- 

 dent, Mr. Warner, and Mr. E. W. Humphreys, their Cap- 

 tain, for the very efficient manner in which they have per- 

 formed the onerous duties which have devolved upon 

 them. 



\ntionnl $§apimez. 



Secretaries of University and College Athletic Clubs will please mail 

 heir reports not later than Monday in each week. 



THE RULES OF CRICKET. 



ARTICLE FIRST. 



IT has been wisely said that "those exercises which in 

 their nature and operation have a direct tendency to 

 draw the bands of society closer together by friendly inter- 

 course; which substitute the feats of man for the freaks of 

 the fop, hardihood for effeminancy, dexterity lor luxurious 

 indolence; and which, being free from the the taint of 

 crnclty, oppression and selfishness, may be pursued without 

 shame or reproach, are entitled to special encouragement 

 in a matter so important as that of selecting a sportive ex- 

 ercise for the people." Now there is no field exercise in 

 vogue which so fully answers to the above description of a 

 sport for the people as the English national game of crick- 

 et, for not only is it eminently social in its operation and 

 surroundings, and especially promotive of friendly inter 

 course, but the pluck, nerve and courage of true manhood, 

 the activity and endurance of a healthy physique, and the 

 absence of anything of a cruel or oppressive nature, are es- 

 sential characteristics of the best exemplars of the game. 

 Moreover, the faculties of a well trained, muscular system 

 find ample employment in the game; it is equally important 

 that the individual desiring to excel in cricket should be 

 possessed of his full share of mental ability in order to be- 

 come a thorough proficient in all the departments of the 

 game. 



Cricket besides occupying a large space in current litera- 

 ture has shown its vitality by creating a language of its 

 own. In cricket "lingo" the ball is not the ball but the 

 "leather" or "circle;" the bat figures as the "willow;" the 

 stumps are the "timber." A ball hit into the air' is a 

 "spoon," unless it goes a long way, when it becomes a 

 "skyer" or a "slog." A player who scores a blank gets a 

 "duck egg," and if he fails to score in either innings he 

 gets a "pair of spectacles." If however he should make a 

 hundred runs, he is said to "complete a century," and if 

 less he "puts on forty," or fifty, as the case may be. A 

 sentence like the following is frequently seen in Bell's Life 

 cricket reports? "The new trundler then put down a tice 

 almost a Yorker, which the Surrey colt snicked through 

 the slips for a single." This is decidedly in language of 

 its own, and one which none but a regular frequenter of 

 "Lord" could correctly interpret. 



The earliest mention of the game of cricket in English 

 records occurs in the "Constitution Book of Guilford," 

 wherein it is recorded that in some legal proceedings which 

 took place in 1598 as to the ownership of a garden, a wit- 

 ness aged fifty-nine years gave evidence that "when 'he was 

 a scholar in the free school at Guildeford he and sev- 

 eral of his fellowes did runne and plaie there at crickette 

 and other plaies. " In the beginning of the eighteenth cen- 

 tury we first hear of the game being played which may be 

 strictly termed cricket. Previously the game of ball chief- 

 ly in vogue was the simple "rounders" of our school boy 

 days, now changed to the American game of base- ball 

 In 1780 three stumps appeared in the then "new o-ame of 

 ball,'; and in 1814 the regular game of cricket as now" played 

 was introduced. 



Cricket has no "National Association" under whose au 

 thority a correct and intelligent code of playing rules can Tbe 

 enacted. By tacit consent the government of the ^ame hf s 

 been left since 1787 in hands of the Marylebone Club of 



