NOV. 15, 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



303 



fu I is confident of it aa 11 there was uo other land in exist- 

 . : thought it a very wild, woody part, and aa we 



walked along We beheld tlie wanipcrs and divers oilier 



reptile- whidl came out to meet and inspect us. Naked 



fuel bough, if 1 don't forget, are not just the things for 



tout through that country. We journeyed up 



' for a mile and came to a marsh. We turned 



traveled across for half a mile and came to a marsh. 

 We walked down a mile and n half and were stopped by a 

 marsh. Then wb concluded that, we were on an island. 

 There wasno dwelling, no human being. A cowbell told 

 of animal life, and the crow of u rooster a volume on 

 feathery animation. How they ever got there, and when 

 they should rould have been a grand theme 



• isideration had webeeu less husy With our thoughts. 



□owever, [aid i : subsequent consideration have 



hi me Lo the conclusion tnatitwas either a ease of 



I transportation for life, or that they, like ourselves, 



i: in the cruel spoil of the waves and wind, which 



liter opinion seemed the most feasible, since, one of the 



prisoners gave the same name as Wni. Defoe did in his 



famous history, only he left out tbe Robinson. 



i and sawmarsh everywhere, but one of 



us discovered, quietly nestling among the reeds, a roof, 

 Which seemed to indicate the existence of a bouse beneath 

 it, only a mile or so distant. A chorus of joy at once broke 



in tin- word.-, "Thou art so near, and yet so far.*' A 



family consultation resolved itself into a family compact, 

 and ended in trying tbe solidity of the bog, for foot it we 

 must, and the whole interval between us and the coveted 

 dwelling was filled with mud. We ventured. One tuft of 

 floating bog would sink deeper and deeper, as one foot tried 

 ils bu.ee>!, patience while we were, using the other as a blind 

 man would his stick, to punch and feel the next one. and 

 before w« had come to any satisfactory conclusion concern- 

 bag it we would lie compelled to spring at it because our 

 Other leg was gelling uoi', u somewhere in the neighborhood 

 of Australia, and we Were anxious to call it back. Many 



we discovered a brother so low down in theworld that 



i" part of himwaaviatble but his head and shoulders. Then 

 li i'd rally would be in Order, one getting as close as he 

 i is unmentionables by way of encourage- 

 ment and aid. another would do the same by him, and so on. 

 We arrived within hailing distance of the dwelling at 

 dark, and had consequently been nearly eight hours wading 

 and thuindcritig in the worst marsh 1 know of. It is a provi- 

 i aJ thing thai strength gave out as it did. for had we- 

 nt tempted to ford what appeared to be a small stream, which 

 was now the only Obstacle between US and shelter, we 

 should have been drowned twice over. This "small 

 ii ''ii " is 11 hundred yards wide and without a bot- 

 tom, at least on this side of one hundred feet. We rested 

 and hollowed, and although for waul of strength we did not 

 make much noise, yet wemadeupin quality what was lack- 

 quantity. Nevertheless, it did its duty, and we re- 

 i i in hear in echo a clear rinsing butnau voice, urging 

 us "stay Where you are and I'll come to you." A few mo- 

 ral nis brought in view a great, tall, moving object, greatly 

 i Mill . i llo.ittng wind-mill, which on closer' observation 

 mined out to b'-a man flinging B long pole upanddowu, and 

 i propelling what appeared to be a plank, but a still 

 i look and au inquiry, brought to light the fact that 



i ■ tviugfl.] pi s was a skiff. 



TVi w.ri very willing to trust ourselves to anything at 

 sit. h a lime, hni really as we shoved off from the shore. 1 

 experienced the most' unusual nerve twitching, no matter 

 bow tightly I graW ed either side of this skiff, I found my 

 'lenniucd to squirm and twitch, and my head jerked 

 Convulsively from side to side, as I involuntarily used' it for 

 :l balancing pole. I couldn't have been acting aiiy worse had 

 1 been squatting on a galvanic battery. Then that king pad- 

 dle just over my head looked very dangerous, as it swung to 

 and fro, as if threatening to come down whack on my head. 



i, inopportune season, when I was entirely unable to 



resist embracing the skill' with all my remaining energy, and 

 consequently not at liberty to defend myself, i think a 

 bridge over that river would be better. I was amazed, how- 

 ...it the agility, prowess, and scientific equilibrium of 

 that man, who could absolutely stand and work like, an en- 

 gine in that thing, when I could not with uny degree of Com- 

 fort or safety sit in it. Prof. El.hu.rdo, who astonished the 

 World, by standing on a ball and rolling himself up aud down 

 a narrow Spiral plank, deserves very little more credit than 

 do thesepunters, ii they are all gifted with nerves of tbe same 

 elasticity as mine, 1 was as glad to bo across that river as a 

 schoolboy is to have his whipping over and wounds healed,; 

 Kindly did the good keeper aud his wife treat us, soft were 

 ' . nl il. soundly did we sleep, after partaking of 

 ' . , I. i ,i I a clip of warm tea Lo drink. 



We found that we had been washed ashore on the eastern 

 Byerson Wand, which runs in a northerly direction 

 from Long Point, and is the only land in connection with it, 

 yet separate from it, all the remaining adjuncts are those 

 mar-dies, so celebrated in sporting history for wild ducks. The 

 house ol our refuge was tbe club house at the company's 

 ■ ml our host the chief keeper. The distance we 

 led .\ a.-_ a mile and a half. Our troubles are not all told yet, 

 We were wounded, our legs and feet were cut, lacerated with 

 marsh grass. Balaiklava heroes had uo Worse sabre cuts, and 

 survive it, thcu we bad, in a like portiou ol their body, 

 for a s;ii, re to make such wounds would break the 

 bone. Our little sabres cut quietly but honestly. We 

 were anxious about one of the party in particular, who was 



in. i re Severely bandied (or legged) than the others. 



Alicia long, heavy, but truly satisfactory sleep, we awoke 

 to realize what hunger la, We eat. Hardly had we time to 

 ', "i peels io the Outside momiug, than we were sur- 

 rounded by a mob; such a queer looking, dressed, and be- 

 having set ot men one seldom meets, except, we should 

 happen in a locality exempt from tailors, hatters, barbers, 

 water, combs and brushes Where did they come from'/ 

 There they were, evidently waiting for our appearance, like 

 the striped-back Colorado gents hi spiine, roosting on the 

 newly planted potato hills, anxious but expectant. The fact 

 is, they had seen our yacht, as vultures scent the carcass; 

 had made full calculations as to her value, possibility of 

 floating her. etc., aud so approached us with expressions of 

 desire to take the job. They were certainly a most accom 

 mi ■ i ding set of beings i hey would buy, or they would 

 raise, or they would superintend the work, in short, auy- 

 e a quiet life; but when- the hitch came was in the 

 M for doing so. For instance, the price their 

 mmiifii i i ii ii .re willing to bestow in the purchase 

 i i mi . , ,, in i- signal halliards cost; and the con- 

 i i - igned for the raising of her was a few dollars 

 more then what was paid into the builder's hands as he 

 piaccd her in lull commission on her first regatta day; and as 



to superiuter dine the job, it would hardly pay T any one to sub- 

 tract this amount from the former, for little would remain. 



A conclusion I came to was that we might as well have 

 given ourselves up to the lake sharks as take the marsh ex- 

 ercise of yesterday, and then fall into the still more avari- 

 cious looking maws of the land-monsters. We agreed at 

 length to bribe a friend — the price being the only remaining 

 article of value left in our possession, a magnificent, meer- 

 schaum pipe and ease, which had clung to Our captain's 

 bosom with the tenacity of a much valued keepsake. We 

 found the desired ally, picking him out by his looks, which 

 by the bye were greatly enhanced when he got that beautiful 

 pipe in That sweet liioath. I should like you to see his 

 photograph. He proved a real man, a regular confidence 

 one, wdio soon showed us a very much more simple mode of 

 procedure. All we had to do was to send to a neighboring 

 port, at a cost of only some $20, there to engage a tug at a 

 cost of only some $100 a dav, and let her come over, and 

 afferwaiting a lew days, unable to work out of respect to the 

 heavy sea, not out of respect to our pocket, hitch on and 

 then yank the yacht all to pieces. We weighed that man 

 just in time, and even with the increased gravity of the pipe 

 he ■• is found wanting. 



Our captain thereupon borrowed a small yacht from the 

 keeper and set sail across the buy to the main land, to see 

 there what could be done, aud also to telegraph home our 

 safety and .situation. As he was crossing with a companion 

 a small schooner yacht spoke' him, with every good inten 

 lion of being of service to us. as it afterward proved, but 

 OUT executive was wary, and refused an answer. The 

 schooner, however, persisted, and requested leave to help us 

 in our dilemma by either getting our yacht raised or by 

 taking her off our hands in purchase and" sending us home; 

 then by way of furthering his petition introduced himself 

 as a clergyman, "What!" exclaimed our watchful, sus- 

 pecting captain to his companion, "are they all wreckers 

 and land sharks in this country? I should have hoped that 

 I he black cloth gentry, at least. Would have been free from it." 



This gentleman, however, succeeded in persuading a ship- 

 builder, who was busy finishing a steam barge for launching, 

 and preparing for the fall trade, to leave his work, take his 

 men over a distance of fourteen miles, work hard in water 

 during the best part of two days, and spend the night on the, 

 beach to raise the yacht, haul her out. refasteu some plank, 

 re-caulk the seams and charge only Sit 4 for so doing. Heart- 

 ily do wc thank this noble man for his kindness. 



We bad lo separate. Three of us went home by train. 

 Our skipper was surprised aud pleased to come across, a Buf- 

 falo chum, both of a medical and nautical turn, who had 

 been commissioned lo hunt our party up, and render assist- 

 ance ; so these t wo determined to brave the deep again and sail 

 home. Since fhev were wrecked on the voyage there, might be 

 much more to tel), of an interesting nature, but their pride 

 perhaps keeps them from being as outspoken as I have been; 

 or, as they tire more of a "salt" than 1, they think nothing of 

 it, if they enjoyed it, all right! "Ghtttnin ii son l/Qiil." 

 Port How an, Out. VekAX. 



AN INCIDENT OF MEXICAN TRAVEL, 



Y\7-E were going to Alamos, a tine old typical Spanish 

 Vl town in Southeastern Sonora. However, the incident 

 here related took place before we got there, so I shall give no 

 details of Alamos. 



There were two ways of going; one by sailing vessel, 

 which went at long irregular intervals, plying bctw een Oue.v- 

 mas aud Ajiavampo, and after a trip of "extreme dirt, hard 

 ship and tedium, left the traveler to find his way on mule 

 back from the latter port to Alamos. The other", to hire a 

 wagon and leave the Sonora Railroad at Ortiz, when by driv- 

 ing for about a week you could make the journey comfortably. 



We went by wagons. One four-mule wagon carrying two 

 engineers, General Earl, myself, the driver, and a little boy 

 to throw stones at the leaders. Another wagon with two 

 animals carried the extra baggage. This last vehicle was re- 

 markable both for team and driver. The team consisted of 

 a mule twice the size of a mouse, and the well-meauiog but 

 feeble remains of a horse. The first glance would make, you 

 believe that the concern would never go a mile, but you 

 would be reckoning without your driver. This person was 

 a Russian Finn. He spoke no language intelligibly, but 

 several fluently, and, trained in a rough school, lie was able, 

 by using his whip, to galvanize the most weak and tired 

 beast into temporary life. 



We drove for several days through the flat barren low- 

 lands, gauging our stretches by the chauces of water aud 

 corn stalks for the mules. The road was pretty good, thanks 

 to benevolent nature, for no work except that of chiving 

 over it was ever put on it; and the warm, clear nights would 

 have made it necessary to sleep out of doors even 'if wc had 

 had a bouse at our disposal, so -,ve got on well. 



Our route took us through Buena Vista, a town on the 

 Yaqui River just at the end of the Yaqui country. 



And here a curious fact is to be noted that" deserves a 

 digression. 



The Yaqui River is the largest stream in Souora, the only 

 one in fact, except perhaps the Mayo, which reaches the Guff 

 of California in spite of the maps 'to the contrary: the other 

 rivers all evaporating or sinking ou the way. In dry times 

 the Yaqui carries perhaps as much wa'er as the Mohawk at 

 Utica, and when swelled by rain, the Yaqui and Ma vo spread 

 so far over their plains as sometimes to quite join together. 

 This low ground near the mouths of the Yaqui and Mayo 

 rivers forms an extensive, indeed the only extensive farming 

 district in Sonora; and it will give one ah idea of the Mexi- 

 can people and government foknow that a band of ignorant, 

 undisciplined Indians rule this part of the country, and 

 permit no interference by the whites, or rather the yellows. 

 Now and then they let a" white man buy a farm amiil them, 

 but they take both farm and money and turn the intruder 

 out at any moment they think tit" As a great concession 

 they let the mail-rider pass through their country, but other 

 pi ople cannot do so unless they contribute their" firearms to 

 the chief's collection, or have exceptional luck. 



To return to our journey. Nothing of note had taken 

 place until we reached the Mayo River, except the determin- 

 ation to embody ti description of the trip in verse, which had 

 been foiled after the production of these eight lines-. 



■ The 



brought te thorn-gai 

 'lie cardinal bird On 



01 ••'j.hlnsrparroq 

 Of emerald, quairal 



stagnant air. 

 12 uhaot, 



i hare; 



■ , ten 



Rut now we were getting into a mining region, and the hills 

 began to swell into more bold and rugged forms. 



Our two engineers with the four-mule wagon stopped to 

 examine some mines, and General Earl and I kept on our 

 journey in the wagon with the Russian Finn. 



It was getting toward night, aud as we bad driven all day 

 fasting, the General .grumbled greatly, ne was chiefly con- 

 cerned with the cruelty of the driver", and made loud solilo- 

 quies on that subject, which were even insulting to the Finn 

 however, I took a more philosophic view and ch-cked him, 

 for, if the beasts should die. they would rest from toil, while, 

 if they were not whipped, neither we nor tbev stood any 

 meatordriuk. 



For a lew moments the General's attention was distracted 

 by a singular ridge on our right. The name I was told was 

 Guiebieahui, but that gives but a faint notion of its character. 

 (July a picture could truly reproduce that remarkable moun- 

 tain, but if will not be 'far wrong to imagine a family of 

 leaning towers of Pisa, greatly d, formed, and frozen stilt' on 

 SO occasion of drunken not. 



The Genera! carried a portable camera ami would gladly 

 have photographed I he spot, but to till the truth, his pictures 

 developed so much blur and so little outline, that I did not 

 encourage the idea. 



Soon after this Agua Calienre came in sight. Aijua eoMente 

 means hot spring (more literally "hot Water"), aud with the 

 singular poverty of nomenclature which prevails among 

 rude people, is applied lo numberless places. This spring, 

 however, had marked beauties. 



A pond, covering some twenty acres, was fed by different 

 supplies which boded Up, in some places very hot aud in 

 some quite cool, while the hottest spring of all rising separ- 

 ately was carried in pipes over a line orchard full of orange, 

 [emon and other tropical fruit trees, while a lordly grove 

 of date palms, the largest I have ever seen, rose majestic 

 and graceful around the, adobe house where the wagon 

 drew up. 



The young man wdio owned the house came forward with 

 the graceful hospitality inborn in the good Mexican to bid 

 us welcome. No doubt he would have spread us a feast 

 could he have done so, but knowing the poverty and abstem- 

 iousness of the people I was not surprised to find his pro- 

 visions limited to four fresh eggs. 



Mow the General, a man of extensive experience, insisted 

 that hard-boiled eggs were easier of digestion than any other 

 dish; but as he also was a loud-spoken believer in the spon- 

 taneous generation theoiy of certain wild crops, 1 stuck to 

 my old custom of having my eggs soft. 



Bo'I told my host that I wanted my share of the. dinner 

 cooked soft or Mi Mos, which he politely corrected to ■ 



more, idiomatic tibioB or tepid. However, he undei 



that they were to be boiled but. two minutes, so 1 considered 

 the matter settled. 



I saw the flash of a match in a rear building and sei tied 

 down to wait. 



My host returned after a time and I reminded him of the 

 required tepiduess of my eggs, which he assured me should 

 be eared for, and meanwhile be conversed affably with us. 



After a great while of waiting, I asked for my dinner 

 with increased energy, aud at last il came. 



I cracked the shells and the eggs rolled out as hard as a 

 Scotchman's head. 1 called the landlord's attention to the 

 State of the eggs, which be sympathetically regretted but 

 could not account for. Suddenly an idea seemed to strike 

 him. "Good gracious!*' he cried, "I have it; the water must 

 have been too hot." n. G. Prune, 



"OLD JOE CALL." 



LAST February the Pobkst asm Stream asked for some 

 inloimation about "Old Joe Call." lie lived and died 

 in this town. Jay, E-sex county, X. Y. and one of bis sons. 

 Mr. Joseph £. Call, resides here now. "Joe Call, the modern 

 Hercules, "died at the age of fifty-two years. Tim Keeseville 

 Harold of 1836 gives tbe following interesting reminiscences 

 of him: 



"The life of the late Joseph Call was rife with incidents, 

 and although not to our purpose to play the part of biogra- 

 pher, yet we have thought it not unprofitable to give sonic of 

 his experience, in which was displayed the great and almost 

 incredible strength with which he was gifted. 



"Of his early childhood we know but little, vet one inci- 

 dent, however, has been related, that displays that peculiar 

 trait of humor for which he was so remarkable. It set ins 

 that upon a certain occasion, Joe, indignant at being publicly 

 whipped in school, no sooner made his appearance upon the 

 floor than, seizing upon the 'knight of the birch,' aa 'tin die 

 Toby did on tlie fly,' incontinently flung him neck and 

 heels out of the window, amid the uproarious shouts of his 

 companions. 



"As he grew older, his natural joviality of disposition led 

 him to frequent whimsical displays of hi's physical superior- 

 ity. At one time he would lift a barrel of eider to his lips, 

 and after satisfying his own thirst from tin- buaghole, he 

 would offer to pass it around to his companions. At another 

 lime he would silently steal behind a teamster's wagon, ,-,eize 

 hold of the wheel, aud suddenly bringing the team to a ball, 

 would quietly remark. 'A breathing spell to your nags,' 

 neighbor.' 



"At one period of his life when a teamster himself he 

 often found his immense strength of great service, for 

 Whenever his team would get ' set ' in a mud-hole he would 

 get under the wagon and with his broad shoulders beneath 

 the load he would raise load and wagon until his team 

 could drag it out. 



"A celebrated wrestler from Albany having heard of Joe's 

 reputation, made kirn a visit for the express purpose, a-, be 

 declared, ' of giving him a touch of the fancy.' Joe, with 

 his usual modesty, disclaimed knowledge ol the exercise, but 

 upon the stranger pressing him to 'take hold,' he finally con- 

 sented. Accordingly they grappled, the stranger throwing 

 himself into the most scientific position, while Joe. pre- 

 tending utter iguorance of all rule, assumed the most care- 

 less and exposed attitudes. They bad scarcely got fair hold 

 when the stranger, placing his foot on Joe's 'toe. attempted 

 with a sudden jerk r,o throw him with what i.-. termed, the 

 doe lock.' But Joe. anticipating his movement, quietly per- 

 mitted him to assume the necessary position, a id then as he 

 stood balancing himself on Joe's foot, Joe gravely raised 

 him into tlie air and danced him about as a mother would 

 her child. 



"On one occasion Joe happened to spend a night at Si, 

 Johns, and as ho Sal in the office of the hotel where he 

 Stopped, the Conversation turned U|»0n wrestling. Joe, he 

 ing a stranger to all, took no part in the conversation. At 

 length one man, after rel ting s vend wonderful feats he 

 had accomplished, boldly asserted that lie had thrown Joe 

 Call ! Joe, as might readily be supposed, was not a little- 

 surprised at this assertion from an entire stranger, and in 



