224 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[8, 1889, 



views of land and sea, the many novelties and peculiarities 

 of island life, the really fine fishing, if llogling without a rod 



and reel may- be so considered, make it one of Ibe most at- 

 tractive places ill the world. There are three hundred and 

 sixty-live of these islands, all in an area not over twenty 

 miles long, nor more than six miles wide. It is a beautiful 

 half marine picture, a sunlit jewel of the ocean. 



Among the things attractive and interesting, revealed on 

 closer examination— you can readily see where 1 am steering 

 this— are the fishes.' Take, for example, the angel fish 

 (ffnbttAllthlt* e&faris), which is among the finny tribes whftt 

 the bird of paradise is among birds. If is from twelve to 

 eighteen inches in length, broad, like a bream, which it 

 somewhat resembles, and has the most exquisite tints of 

 blue and gold, and prettily defined stripes on its side-. Then 

 there are two long delicate membranes, one above and one 

 below the caudal fin, wbicli float gracefully as the fish moves 

 wirh evident pride anion" its kind. Others, as the "slippery 

 Dicks," 'Molly Millers/ "Cow Pilots," "Squirrel Fish." and 

 Bermuda bluensh, have colors and decorations, and irides- 

 cent hues, that equal the gorgeous tail of the peacock, and 

 excel i,, beauty any gold orsiiver fish [ ever saw. 



On the roa'd from Hamilton, the port of entry to St. 

 Georges, (he queer little old town at the eastern end of the 

 islands, is a cavernous pond that hassubterranean communi- 

 cation with the sea. In it are kept a large number of groupers 

 or hamlets {Kphitph.elim strintiis). a few angel fish, some 

 green turtles, and other denizens of the deep. The groupers 

 ' ii mi ten to forty pounds each in weight, and they oorne 

 up with all the eagerness and clamor of a drove of hogs. In 

 fact they like to lie fed, and will come to the hand and take 

 a piece of bread or cake with a decisive open and shut of the 

 mouth that is rather startling to the nervous experimenter. 

 And lor reasons, as several persons who miscalculated the 

 extent and suddenness of the forward motion of the risk, 

 nave left portions of their fingers as compensation for knowl- 

 edge, as penalty for ignorance. It is a novel sight to see 

 a lot of big fish following a man about as domestic ani- 

 mals do. eager for the food they are expecting, and still 

 more to sec them leaping over each other to get the coveted 

 morsels. 



In many places on the rugged overreaching rocks oh the 

 coralline shores one can see fishes that go in vast schools 

 that cloud the water, and move about with amazing regular- 

 ity, the outer lines of the mass undulating, shortening and 

 lengthening, breaking up and re-forming, contracting and 

 expanding/as if the school was one immense animal instead 

 of millions guided by ore impulse, or some instinct that 

 enables them all to move with uniformity and precision. II 

 adds greatly to one's interest to see a large fish dash into the 

 mass, throwing it into the greatest disorder. This, however, 

 soon subsides, and the throng come- together again", and 

 pushes on to a place of greater 



These small fry •> re Used for bait for black rOciftSh, red 

 snappers and other large fishes by shore fishermen, and the 

 way the frv was captured was u> me a matter of interest, as 

 I had never seen it done with such skill. The fisherman, 

 with his bell shaped uet in his right hand, the meshes hang- 

 ing, sinkers down, a long, strong cord attached and properly 

 coiled in his left, stands upon a projecting rock perhaps 

 twenty or thirty feel above the water, and with his eye on 

 the mass below" gives his net an easy lint powerful toss, and 

 away it goes, expanding in the air, and dropping on the de- 

 sired spot. It sinks quickly, covering many of the small 

 lishes, and then the long cord is pulled taut, liy which the net 

 is drawn together iu tile shape of a bag, in which the fry is 

 brought to land. The best of these are put in buckets to be 

 kept alive for use, and the rest, are thrown back whenever 

 the game is seen cruising about for something to cat; the 

 easting of the net a few times having the effect to drive the 

 fry away. As the snappers and rocktish weigh from I twenty 

 io Fourly pounds each, yon can imagine there is a good deal 

 of a circus when one is caught and hauled up. 



Among the queer creatures is an eel called the speckled 

 marav iGyiiiiin//iofi.i ■ iwi-im/n) a slimy twister that is per- 

 fectly devilish in habit and impulse. He is frequently 

 Caught by fiskerrneu w-ho are angling for hamlets, snappers, 

 rocktish. 'etc.. and is always disliked, and pulled in with n 

 view to prompt killing, if he is hauled into a boat, and 

 there is any blunder in the effort to dispatch him, he imme- 

 diately puis himself into the shape of a letter S, and goes 

 for his captors, hopping about like a kangaroo, and snap- 

 pinglike a wolf. Usually, however, as soon as a maray is 

 found to bo on, the line is passed through a scupper hole, 

 and the eel is drawn close to that and pounded with a club, 

 which is kept handy for the purpose. But if he gels into 

 the boat and has two seconds the start, the men have to 

 climb the mast or gel out. This happens to those who are 

 not acquainted. 



A few rods of 1 he solid stone w-harf at Hamilton are set 

 i ii i asa market for the fishermen, the men who go oti| i, u 

 or fifteen miles and make good catches with hand lines dur- 

 the day. getting back late, and having their fish displayed 

 on the decks of their little boats next morning, cleaning, 

 selling, and getting ready for another trip. 



The uniform price, whatever kind may be purchased, is 

 lour pence (eight cents) per pound, with the exception of 

 small sharks, which are bought by the colored people, and 

 for which they pay six pence apiece dressed. These sharks, 

 when they are prepared for eating, an old colored woman 

 told me, a're first thoroughly boiled, then the white, rice-like 

 meat is separated from skin and bones, and placed in a cloth 

 or towel and wrung until dry, when it is seasoned with 

 •'yarns," made into balls, and' so placed on the table. It 

 must lie good meat, better than some the lehthyophagis 

 tackle now and then. It is eaten by people who know such 

 angel food as fig-bananas, cheryfnovas. Lisbon lemons, 

 oiaieics (it. for the gods, and cassara pies; and of course they 

 wouldn't eat shark unless they w ere really attractive to the 

 inner being. 



The heads and tins of the fishes as they are cleaned, are 

 tossed overboard, and arc food for vast numbers of fry-min- 

 nows, bream, perch and others, which can always be seen 

 in the clear water gliding about, snatching morsels, and dart- 

 ing off for undisturbed consummation. 



An account of a day's fishing at Bermuda would probably 

 be a mailer of little interest. It is like all sea fishing, and 

 to one who has caught bass in the western lakes and rivers 

 there is in his mind no sea fishing which can he called ex- 

 eellcnl spori. It will do, of course, to allay a desire that 

 cuuuol be gratified in the right way. But this standing on 

 [lie slippery deck of a bobbing bout, or even siltiug or stand- 

 in- somewhat comfortably in the cockpit, using clams or 

 of fish for bait, hands slimy and wet with salt water, 

 and now and then pulling something aboard by sheer mus- 

 cular strength, may lie eailed sport, but it is no more to be 

 compares] to catching bass in a Western river or salmon. 



trout in the Rockies, with rod and reel, than, well, than a 

 modern ward politician to a Roman senator 



The fish are not as good on the table as those of more 

 noil hem latitudes, the meat being coarse and without flavor, 

 excepting, perhaps, the sheepshead, porgies and some of the 

 smaller fishes. The best of the larger arc the turbot. red 

 snappers, gwellys and rocktish. jHROStE BtfBKBTT. 



Washington, Ii. 0. 



MY FIRST VELVETEEN. 



M .lOUK u- JOHN.. 



KIND reader, would you desire to bear what befel a 

 young English lad on his first entering the arena of a 

 sportsman's' life, let me carry you hack, hf imagination at 

 least, to "the days when I was young.'' My revered father 

 Was an- Admiral of the old school, who. having retired for 

 some years from the service, had quietly settled down iu his 

 native' village on i he borders of Wales', to enjoy that well 

 merited and pleasant repose which every defender of his 

 country looks forward to. as Ibe great luxury of declining 

 years. I was the youngest of three brothers. 'and owing to 

 the eldest being far away 00 the Pacific wave in the capacity 

 of midshipman on board H. M. S. Blazer, and the second 

 being equally distant as far east, as the healed plains of 

 India, wheie his regiment was quartered, your humble ser- 

 vant w T as left alone to share the pleasures of home life. 

 Pleasures i hey were undcnbledly to me, although not un- 

 mixed at firm s, with a certain amouut of care, for the gal- 

 lant. Admiral was a true disciplinarian, and never failed to 

 enforce upon his household the regulations of the quarter 

 deck. "Blood and 'ooiw." he would exclaim at a time when 



his authority had been apparently disregarded, "If I'd have- 

 bad that fellow on hoard the Impregnable I'd havi lashed 



him to the grating and given him a round dozen for his im- 

 pudence." All this and more too, bad its effect upon me. 

 and I took precious good care to keep within the bounds of 

 that .liberty which I knew better than to pass. On one oc- 

 casion, however. I 'rose tlie old gentleman's dander by taking 

 upon myself to order (without permission) a bran new vel- 

 veteen shooting coat from the establishment of the village 

 tailor, 



The. establishment in question was not a large one, and 

 consisted of a small room at the entrance of an obscure alley 

 iu a bye street, having a rather disproportionately broad 

 door, painted green, and so constructed that in tine weather 

 the upper half could be folded back, while the lower portion 

 remained shut, a convenience much in use in those days 

 when comfort was considered before appearance. Over this 

 door in Roman text of white on an oblong black board was 

 legibly painted the sign: 



: E. LEWIS. TAILOR, ; 



On one side of the doorway was a small, square window, 

 in which the aforesaid Lewis was wont to display any new 

 piece of material he had acquired from the emporium with 

 which he dealt in the country town not far distant. 



Now, it so happened that about the middle of the month 

 of August of a certain year, when the summer's sun shone 

 gloriously upon all animate life, and the blood of a young 

 sportsman like myself was al a high degree of temperature, 

 raised to that point by the vision which floated on my im- 

 agination of the glories to he participated in on the coming 

 first of September, I chanced to pass Lewis's shop, and there 

 in that, small w indow. glistening in that glorious sunshine 

 was a piece of maroon velveteen. Had Hie wand of the 

 enchanter waved before- my wondering eyes and pointed its 

 charmed apex to the material iu question, it could not have 

 lixeU my stave more pertinaciously upon the objeel than it 

 really was. I was completely spellbound, ami at last when 

 with exceeding difficulty [raised my*yes, 1 thought i saw- 

 behind it those of its proprietor gleaming with satisfaction 

 at the prospect of an order. Noi- was he kept long in sus- 

 pense. 



Entering at the verdant doorway 1 was met, by the figure 

 of Lewis on its immediate threshold, who with a' face beam- 

 ing With -a tailor's smile anticipated my wants by appropri- 

 ately remarking thai "it would make a splendid shooting- 

 coal." "1 am sun-. Sir Thomas would like to see you in it, on 

 the first, Mr. John." " Nol SO sure of that," thought i, my 

 mind reverting to the fact that the olrt gentleman dealt out 

 Ills "bawbees" with a sparing hand. A thought, 

 came into my mind that the bill for the same would at all 

 events not be sent in before Christmas, and 1 might possibly 

 gct a "tip" on my birthday, near at hand, and he able rii 

 settle for it my.-elf. Certain it was, my measurement was 

 made; the number of pockets and their dimensions decided 

 upou, particularly the two •■hare pockets" in the Haps. 

 which went clear from end to end, and were lined with 

 linen lick for the severe service they were to be put to. 

 Hatving Bettled to my satisfaction the number and size of 

 tin- poekeK the ser-oiid great feature rested in the buttons, 

 I,, i as these Would show- prominently iu front from collar to 

 waist, and would be the first object presented to the eye of 

 an observer, I concluded to have a set of the newly invented 

 relievo sporting buttons which Lewis said were " just out " 

 and " extremely nobby." Proceeding to a shelf, he took 

 down a paper box, and on opening if brought out an oblong 

 card covered .with tissue paper, doubtless intended to guard 

 from damage, in the shape of tarnish, the object beneath. 

 "Phew! by George," was the exclamation iu which 1 in- 

 dulged, a favorite one I may mention with the old Admiral, 

 who very naturally adhered to the loyal maxim of affirming 

 by His Mosi Gracious .Majesty. King George, under whose 

 flag he had fought with honor to himself aud damage to the 

 enemy. Those buttons were indeed, in my eyes, perfect 

 works of art, and it was long before I could satisfactorily 

 decide u|. on tin- selection of siv large and four small from 

 the lotto adorn the front and cuffs of the garment to be 

 COnstrnoted, 1 may as well describe those buttons, for the 

 subjects chosen for their adornment were forever indelibly 

 fixed in my memory. No. 1 had a pointer's head on it; No. 

 2, was a WOOfJcOck just flushed; No. M, a hareat full speed; 

 No. 4, two Cross guns; No. 5, a leash of partridges hanging 

 from the legs; No. (i, a spaniel putting up a snipe. The 

 -i, ill Ifieve buttons were likewise adorned in miniature. 



At last all was arranged to my satisfaction and I departed 



from lhal shrine of St. Crispin with feelings akin to those of 

 the s'mceri-sf devotee. 



To the best of my recollection, and should I be wrong in 

 mv calculations, tiie reader will probably forgive when 1 

 inform him that some fortv shooting seasons have come and 

 pone since then. Lewis took ten days to make that, coat, a 

 inxiaus period to me, but like all other troublesome 

 delays it came to an end. and to my intense delight, one 



dressing tab] 



the lad of sis 



It was Sail 

 mpr 



evening when 1 came home, aftei B walk of inspection 

 through the neighboring turtiip and potato fields with one, 

 trusty old setter, Gelert. I found in mv bedroom a neat \ei 

 substantial brown paper parcel, the String Surrounding 

 winch was cut iu a jiffv. and there, sure enough I 

 coat of all coats, resplendent in its every aspect. Off* went 

 my jacket— ves, jacket— for lads of fifteen or sixteen wore 

 short jackets only reaching to the waist in those days, none 

 of your modern fashions were in vogue (hen, and the boy 

 was not allowed to ape the man even inthe nmUerof clothes. 

 Off went my jacket, and into the sleeves of the new garment 

 went my arms; then into the very lowest depths aedrc-esses 

 of every pocket went my hands, 'and after carefully button- 

 ing it up with much difficulty, owing to the material l-eirg 

 stiff and the buttons bulky,! surveyed myself bit',, re Un- 

 ique mirror which stood above the equally antique oak 

 nth all the pride and satisfaction inherent in 



ry evening when it came borne, and so fully 

 with the noble appearance of that velveteen", 



that I had half made up my mind to make my debt ill 



the family pew on Sunday morning, but discretion hinted 

 that possibly the old Admiral's views might not coincide with 

 mine, and 1 therefore, not without a trial of the feelings, 

 gave way. and donned the usual blue jacket instead. Ii was 

 however, a source of much gratification ro me to know mat 

 the 1st of September was only four days distant, and that 

 then, at all event,.. 1 should be able to realize the full effect 

 of ii- appearance, both upou myself and old William the 

 gardener, who was my gun-cleaner, marker and general fac- 

 totum, and whose mjnd I was desirous of impressing wltB 

 the grandeur of that beloved garment. It came at last, that 

 day of all days, the most cherished iu the heart of every true 

 English sportsman, and the gray dawn was scarcely breaking 

 when a tap at my bedroom door from the knuckles of old 

 William roused me in an instant, and with a not, over par- 

 ticular toilet. I slipped my arms into those of the velveteen. 

 How eharmiug it felt, and as 1 passed my hand over its 

 smooth surface, a tin ill of delight pervaded nryfrnro< Ii 1 , 

 an electric shock Down the old oak staircase and into the 

 library went myself and the velveteen, and having discussed 

 a somewhat hasty breakfast proceeded to the kitchen, where 

 1 found my marker preparing for the fray by dipping his 

 beak into a large mug of ale. Into the stable'yard we pro- 

 ceeded, where Dash and Gelert welcomed us with barksthat 

 made the buildings ring again, and seemed set taken with m\ 

 velveteen, that all" the "down charges" I could roar out failed 

 to keep their muddy paws from stamping it with tin ir mat I. 

 of approval. 



The day by this time had fully broken and all objects were 

 clearly perceptible, including,' of course, my velveteen, 

 which, although somewhat, damaged in appearance by the 

 pawing of the dogs, still shone with a lustre peculiar to its 

 material. It soon caught the eyes of old William. "My 

 '■yes. Air. John, that's a simmer," said he. and drawing near 

 comiw need stroking and patting as if it or 1 had been a prize 

 specimen of the genus Canis, '"Well now. dearee me. lobkee 

 here, if them buttons don't beat, everything; ., reuse me. Mr. 

 John," he continued, taking hold of each as he carefully 

 viewed it in turn, "now ain't they just as true as natur', for 

 sure. Oh! ray, came from Lunnun, I spose, and cost a 

 mighty lot. I'll warrant." How long the examination would 

 have continued I know not, but it, was hastily brought to II 

 close by the double report of a distant, gun. "By glim. 3Ir. 

 John, we had better be off. there's the rector's gun. ami I'll 

 be darned if he hain't, got into that big covey in Davies' 

 stubble." 



No need of further parleying: off we set. for let it be 

 known that owing to the kiudness of Lord P.. on i great 

 land-owner, the rector of the parish and my brothers, when 

 at home, were allowed the privilege of shooting over several 

 hundred acres in the district immediately around 

 tried to outdo the other in the size of his bag on Ha- first of 

 September. This year, owing to the absence of my brothers. 

 I was left alone to represent my family, a fact which 1 may 

 perhaps be allowed to plead in mitigation Of the extrava- 

 gance connected with the velveteen, but at all events I was 

 determined to take the shine out of the rector's cap hj bag- 

 ging more brace than he. We were equals iu armament. 

 both had doubles, muzzle-loaders, of course, and our re- 

 spective crews consisted of one man each, till William [ 

 knew, was a tip top-hand at marking, far brio i than old 

 Dick Richards, the parish clerk, who had for years carried 



the rector's game bag and did all the marking a I lie- same 

 time. 



"Bang, bang.'' off went the rector's gun again, a little to 

 the eastward this time. "Consarn it," I could hear William 

 cry out, as he was making his way through a bramble brake 

 to the right, "they've follered that .covey into Rogers' 'la- 

 tur.s and they'll bag 'cm all : let's go for that feggy field down 

 bv Davies's oates, and get at them big 'uns we seed t'other 

 day," So we went, and just as the dogs got to the thorn 

 hedge this side of it, they began to draw. Cautiously I got 

 over through a gap, and had just time to cock both my bar- 



rels, when -whir 

 Richards, and on, 

 still on the other 

 pokers," so said W 



so rapidly loapny; 



steps expecting two or three to ri 

 tnent up got a dozen at least in 



r-r — bang, bang." went, my Wcstley 

 ell Hop on the ground. The dogs were 



ie of the hedge standing "as 

 iarn. by which 1 knew all had not got up. 

 1 'was ready, and taking a few more 

 my Utter astonish- 

 together and topped 



the hedge." I had barely time to tire my right barrel at ran 

 dom just as they disappeared, at the report of. which I heard 

 a terrible eouimotiou on the other side, William giving vent 

 to expressions] am not permitted to record, -mingled with 

 the rustle of wounded birds, and "drop him. Gelert— you 

 Dash, consarn ye." I burst through the nab again, and 

 there sure enough was the old fellow wringing the necks of 

 several birds he had just seemed. The long am 

 of it was that I having "taken thehrownof em," had killed 

 and wounded no less than seven fine plump partridges. Wil- 

 liam was in testacies of delight. Taking his hat off his bald 

 head, aud giving the locks be had left a pull, he cried nut. 

 'Dash my old wig. why. Mr. John, it's that coat that's done 

 it, the rector II be nowberes in ike court at this i 

 hah: hah 1 hah!" and the old fellow fairly held his sides with 

 laughing. I am ashamed to say that this unloOked for event 

 did not cause me to regret sucli an unsportsmanlike method 

 of making up a score. Tor in those, davs I was not very par- 

 ticular so long a. the bagwa.lilhd Sufliee it to say, we 

 traversed oyer a large tract of oouutn that day. and by son- 

 dry judicious Shots not only managed to till the bag. but the 

 hare pockets of the velveteen as well. \Te also managed to 

 keep clear of the route which the rector look, but once or 

 twice evidently profited by falling iu with remuanls of ccr 

 tain coveys which had escaped his marker's eve. but which 

 contributed to swell our bag. 



