FOREST AND STREAM. 



121 



THE NEW SPORTING FIELD. 



, ♦— — < 



READERS of the earlier numbers of our paper will re- 

 call a series of letters written from Northampton 

 county, Va., describing the plover and snip'e shooting at 

 Mockhorn and Hog Islands, a short distance below Chin- 

 coteague Bay. Although admitted to be one of the best 

 points for bay birds, as well as upland shooting along our 

 whole coast, the difficulty of reaching it was so great as 

 to prove an almost insuperable obstacle to such sportsmen 

 as have not an unlimited command of time. It was neces- 

 sary to go first to Norfolk, then take a small steamer back to 

 Cherry Stone, and from there hire a fishing smack, or other 

 chance conveyance, to the beach. Now, however, by the 

 opening of three new railroads the last of which will be 

 in operation next month, all this is changed, and these fine 

 shooting grounds become most easy of access. These rail- 

 roads are the Junction and Breakwater, the Breakwater 

 and Frankford, and the Worcester Railroad. The sports- 

 man leaves New York by the steamers of the Old Domin- 

 ion Steamship Company, which, in Summer, sail daily, 

 and in Fall and. Winter every Monday, Wednesday and 

 Friday, from pier 37, North River, at 4 P. M. ; Lewes, Del., 

 is reached at 5 P. M. the next morning; at 9 o'clock a train 

 starts for Berlin, Snow Hill, and Chinee teague Bay, reach- 

 ing Snow Hill early in the afternoon and the Bay by 3 or 4 

 o'clock. Return trains run daily, connecting with the 

 steamer at Lewes on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays 

 at 4 P. M., reaching New York at 5 A. M. on the following 

 morning. Mr. N. L. McCready, President of the Old Do- 

 minion Steamship Company, is also President of the Rail- 

 road Company. 



The formation of the country around Chincoteague and 

 Worcester county generally, and also the adjoining coun- 

 ties of Accomack and Northampton, in Virginia, is like 

 that of the Long Island and New Jersey shores, and 

 the varieties of game very similar, the more southern lo- 

 calities having a fortnight advantage in the Spring and be- 

 ing the same period later in the Fall. Every variety of bay 

 bird, so called, from the little sand-piper to the great jack 

 curlew, are found on the beach, together with an occa- 

 sional flock of black plover, while in the Fall and Winter 

 the various points afford excellent duck shooting, without 

 the enormous expense attendant upon the sport at the 

 "club" grounds. The main land of the above mentioned 

 counties has long been noted for the excellence of the 

 quail and rabbit shooting, and ruffed grouse are also 

 abundant in some localities. The neighborhood of Lewes 

 possesses some fine English snipe ground, and there are 

 doubtless many meadows further south equally as good. 

 Altogether sportsmen may congratulate themselves upon 

 the opening up of this new country, where fair sport can 

 be almost certainly relied on, at a reasonable distance from 

 the city, easy and pleasant of access, and above all, inex- 

 pensive. We have said nothing about the oysters, those 

 of Accomack possessing a world-wide reputation, or of 

 the fishing, which must be equal to that of Bamegat. 



Equatorial Africa and the Arctic Circle.— It is but 

 a few days since reports were circulated concerning the 

 supposed death of Cameron and Stanley, the African ex- 

 plorers. We are still without news from Cameron, but 

 Stanley has been heard from. It will be remembered that 

 Stanley, who became famous as an explorer through 

 finding the long-lost Livingston, organized an expedition 

 under the auspices of the London Telegraph and New York 

 Herald, and started from Zanzibar for the interior on the 

 15th of November, 1874. Letters have now been received 

 announcing his arrival at the town of Kagehyi, in the 

 country of the Usukuma, on the shores of the Lake Victo- 

 ria N'yanza, and that he was making a survey of its shores. 

 Further information from the intrepid traveler will be anx- 

 iously awaited, although months must elapse before it can 

 be received. 



Turning from where Stanley and his men are sweltering 

 under an equatorial sun, we have tidings of another expe- 

 dition, which by this time is undergoing the opposite ex- 

 treme of temperature. The British Arctic Expedition has 

 been heard from at Disco, in Greenland, from whence they 

 were to sail for Upernavik, and thence • strike into the ice 

 of Melville Bay. Hall's grave at Polaris Bay was to be 

 visited, after which the ships would go into Winter quar- 

 ters, pursuing their explorations by means of sledge jour- 

 neys, and making every effort to reach the North Pole. 

 No Arctic expedition ever started under more favorable 

 circumstances, or better fitted for the work in hand, and 

 the results, it is hoped, will set at rest many vexed ques- 

 tions in Arctic navigation. 



.***. 



The call for the annual meeting of the Missouri State 

 Game Law Association has been issued by ex-Gov. Silas 

 Woodson, the President of the Association. It will take 

 place at St. Louis on the 6th of October, at eight o'clook 

 P. M., in the Director's room of Mercantile Library. As 

 this date comes just in the middle of "Fair week," when 

 thousands of visitors from all parts of the State are in St. 

 Louis, it is natural to expect a large attendance of sports- 

 men. Every club in the State will send its delegates, and 

 no doubt many clubs will form between now and the time 

 of meeting, at points where there is now no organization 

 for enforcing the laws. A State like Missouri, containing 

 an abundance of every variety of game, should be the 

 banner State in the number and efficiency of its game law 

 associations. The game laws are good; they only need en- 

 forcing; and this can best be* done by the union of all inter- 

 ested parties. We hope to hear of good results following 

 the October meeting in St. Louis. 



/fru ^iflt. 



' — The National Rifle Association have published for gra- 

 tuitous distribution ■& brief description of their rules and 

 regulations. 



—On Thursday several detachments of the Eleventh 

 Brigade shot at Creeemoor. In the Twenty third Regiment 

 Lieut. H. K. Smith made the highest score, 21 at 300 yards, 

 and 18 at 400 yards; total, 39. Of the Thirty-second Regi- 

 ment Corporal Schmidt scored 13 at 300 yards, 23 at 400 

 yards; total, 26. In the contest of the Forty-seventh, Pri- 

 vate Miller led the score, making 18 at 300, and 16 at 400 

 yards; total, 34. 



— The Autumn meeting of the National Rifle Associa- 

 tion opened on Tuesday with every prospect of being 

 brought to a successful termination. Three matches were 

 shot, of which our space and the hour of going to press 

 will only permit us to give an outline. A detailed report 

 of the meeting will appear in our next issue. The first 

 shot was the Judd match, for which there were 188 en- 

 tries, distance 200 yards with any rifle. The principal prize 

 was won by Capt. Joseph Mason, of the Canadian team, 

 with a score of 30 points out of a possible 35. Messrs. 

 W . Robertson and E. S. Browe made similar scores, but 

 their shots were not similarly placed. There were in all 

 twenty prize winners in this match. 



The Short Range Match, at the same distance, had 257 

 entries, seven shots each. Sergeant T. R. Murphy, of the 

 Eighth Regiment, scored 32 out of a possible 35, and took 

 first prize, Messrs. Starr & Marcus' diamond badge. There 

 were also twenty prize winners in this match. The last 

 shot was the Cavalry Match, open to teams of five from 

 any troop of the N. G. S. N. Y., distance 200 yards, weapon 

 Remington breech loading carbine, seven rounds. Three 

 teams contended, the Yates Dragoons, Sixth Division, tie- 

 ing the Separate Troop, Twenty-fourth Brigade, on 112 

 points, the latter winning. The Washington Grays scored 

 109 points. The best individual scores were: — 



H. Freer, Third Regiment 27 II. B. Kelsey, W. G. T 24 



M. B. Nicholson, Yates Dragoons.26 W. Wagner, Twenty-fourth Brig. 24 



G. Sheldon, Twenty-fourth Brig. 26 D. Lackeman, Fifth Brigade 24 



A. T. Decker, W. G. T 25 



The day was fine and favorable for good shooting. 



Match with the Canadians. — This most interesting 

 contest, which dates back as far as April of tjiis year, origi- 

 nated in a challenge sent by C. K. Murray, Esq., President 

 of the Victoria Rifle Club, to Col. Wingate, which was ac- 

 cepted by the Amateur Rifle Club. At that time the Ama- 

 teur Club were fully engrossed with the arrangements ne- 

 cessary for the Dollymount match, and though this contest 

 was always fully in their minds, perhaps as careful pre- 

 paration for it as was necessary was not made . Some ex- 

 cuse may be plead, that the original Dollymount team, 

 fatigued by their heavy exertions, could not be assembled, 

 and that as the match was to be shot just prior to the Au- 

 tumn meeting, the time was an inconvenient one. Now 

 that a new American team has won the victory, the least 

 said about the preparation would be the better, but if we 

 had been worsted, doubtless recriminations among the 

 losers would have been constant. It can readily be under- 

 stood that our original team cannot be required to shoot on 

 every occasion. There must be some limit to the tax put 

 on these gentlemen. Rifle shooting is a very good thing, 

 but it sometimes must give place to business. The team 

 that shot at Dollymount may be said to have been fully 

 five months at their work, and what with the serious task 

 of training and shooting, and the illimitable amount of 

 junketing, they must have been fagged to death. But there 

 is no reason why a second team, a double of the first, 

 should not always be kept up for handy work. If the seniors 

 have the honors, let the juniors have the labor, and some day 

 two of our own teams might be so closely approximate 

 as to skill, that there might be but the difference of a few 

 points between them. In this way, in case of accident, or 

 illness, the National Rifle Association would never be with- 

 out her champions. The want then in the Amateur Rifle 

 Club, or in any other club, is more teams, not one or two 

 additional replacing members, but a full eight of accurate 

 and steady men. Certainly a fine beginning has been 

 made, which only wants training and encouragement to 

 perfect. The day of the match, Saturday last, the 26th of 

 September, was a fine one. Above the heavens were clear, 

 with just occasionally a fleecy speck in the sky. Tke snn 

 gave no unusual glare, and objects were clearly and sharply 

 defined; the mirage and quivering of the air were but slight, 

 and the heat never unpleasant. But the wind! It was a 

 dreadful wind. It cannot be said to have been more than 

 brisk, and yet it was of the most capricious character. It 

 was what is termed a fish-tail wind. Icthyological readers 

 know the peculiar flare of a fish's caudal appendage, and 

 how it streams out. Now the wind would blow from the 

 back to the targets— right along the range, while the 

 streamer on both sides of the grounds would point inwards; 

 that is, in rifle lingo, it blew IV, VIII, and IV, all at the 

 same time. It is said in philology that he who acquires, 

 of the commonly used languages, Russian, can manage all 

 other living tongues; so he who is "canny" of the Creed- 

 moor zephyrs, has at his fingers ends any other tantelizing 

 breezes, effecting winds on ranges. And so it proved. 

 There is undoubtedly some slight element of luck attend- 

 ing Creedmoor, and the elements have been propitious. In 

 the International match at Creedmoor last year, the hot 

 sun melted down the gallant Irishmen; on Saturday last, 

 the fickle wind blew the Canadian bullets off their track. 

 The Americans were at home with the wind, the Canadians 

 were at sea. 



Punctually at 11 o'clock, there being a goodly, number of 



people on the grounds, the match opened, the final results 

 being as follows: — 



Creedmoor, L. I , Sept. 25, 1875.— Match between teams of eight from 

 the Victoria Kifle Club, of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and the Amateur 

 Rifle Clnb, of New York City; distances, 300, 900 and 1,000 yards; fifteen 



olinfa o»r>h c\iatar\Pc* nor man» ntio i-ifln .iTifViin +V10 vnlf>R* flnv TOftSltlOTJ : 



THE AMERICAN SCORE. 



"W. B. FARWELL— REMINGTON CREEDMOOR RIFLE. 



Yards. Score. Totals. 



800 ...5555525445554 5 5—69 



900 5 235*443445 5 35 5-61 



1000 45445454345335 5-63—193 



A. V. CANFIELD, JR. — REMINGTON CREEDMOOR KIFLE. 



800 ...5 355455 5 344540 5—62 



900 5 3 553 5 45544555 5-68 



1000 , 3352335535423 5-5—56—186 



L. L. HEPBURN— REMINGTON CREEDMOOR RIFLE. 



800 3 53445 5 5524505 5—60 



900 4 445555554544 3—62 



1000 4 5 454555355505 2-62-184 



L. C. BRUCE— SHARP CREEDMOOR RIFLE. 



800 5 5 4 4 3 4 4 5 4 4 5 5 5 2- 59 



900 5 5425345345455 4—63 



1000 ...35533555344354 4-61—183 



F. HYDE— REMINGTON CREEDMOOR RIFLE. 



800 2 54555535 3 4554 5—65 



900 3 3 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 3 4 4 5 5 5—60 



1000 3 045532334455 5 5—56—181 



H. S. JEWELL— SHARP CKEKDMOOR RIFLE. 



800 4 5545424555425 4-63 



900 555003 3 535542 3 8—51 



1000 4 34545554 3 5545 5-66—180 



J. S. CONLIN— SHARP CREEDMOORlRIFLK. 



800 3 554324 n3 83553 3-51 



900 5 3 550433353354 4—55 



1000.. 4 3 554043533404 5—52-158 



L. GEIGER— REMINGTON CREEDMOOR RIFLE. 



800 5 55003205534 4 3 2—46 



900 32242452403345 4—47 



1000 2 505 3 454425530 3-50—143 



Total 1 , 409 



THE CANADIAN SCORE. 



GEORGE MURISON— METFORD MATCH RIFLE. 



800 4 555 3 455354555 4—67 



900 5 4 5 4 2 2 5 5 3 3 3 5 4 5 3-58 



1000 4 5 5 3 5 5 2 4 4 5 3 5 5 5 5- 64-189 



J. J. MASON— METFORD MATCH RIFLE. 



800 5 5 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 3 5 4 4 5—63 



900 5 333 2 555345234 4—56 



1000 4 5545555334 3 25 4-62—181 



DAVID MITCHELL— METFORD MATCH RIFLE. 



800 5 32 3 555324 553 3—53 



900 2 5444455535455 5—65 



1000 4 4035555505555 3—59—177 



"WM. MITCHELL — METFORD MATCH RIFLE. 



800 5 4445253434443 4—58 



900 5 52 554443 5 23 53 3—57 



1000 3 4554445322435 4—57—172 



F. SCHWARZ— METFORD MATCH RIFLE. 



800 3 4535453345 5 34 2—58 



900 444450 334535 5 3—52 



1000 4 50 5 54553355245 -60—170 



C. R. MURR AT— METFORD MATCH RIFLE. 



800 3 4534544254355 4—60 



900 3 44503254324 3 5 4—51 



1000 3 33535 33 353554 4—57—168 



GEORGE DISHER— METFORD MATCH ItlFLE. 



800 25 3 44554344443 5—59 



900 2 2 333044444552 5-50 



1000 4 3 453343423555 5—58—167 



JAMES ADAM— RIGBT MATCH RIFLE. 



800 4 4544 3 35330234 5—54 



900 4 2332 3 25543552 2—50 



1000 5 354443442443 3 4—56-160 



Total 1,384 



RECAPITULATION . 



Americans. CanadiauS. 



Total afl?800 yards 475 472 



Total at 900 yards 467 439 



Total at 1,000 yards 467 473 



Grand totals M 1,409 1,384 



One thing noticeable in the shooting of the Canadians, 

 was that they shot laying down on their stomachs, while 

 the Americans, with the exception of Mr. Geiger, shot lay- 

 ing on their backs. Mr. Geiger is a left handed shooter. 

 We think the back position at long ranges is the better, 

 and we fancy that in time, those who shoot a la Bodine, 

 will be the exceptions. Some day later we may enter into 

 the details of the back positions, as it has already several 

 modifications. There are a half dozen different ways of 

 shooting in this manner . 



It may be seen that at 800 and 900 yards the American 

 team led, while at 1,000 yards the pluck and steadiness 

 of the gallant Canadians told, they making six points more 

 than our men. Every one knows that the peculiarity of 

 Creedmoor is that at sundown the wind quiets. It may be 

 be noticed how the Canadians improved just as soon as the 

 conflicting and puzzling elements of the wind were with- 

 drawn, their averages being better at 1,000 yards than the 

 American team. Mr. Farwell was the high man on the 

 American side, with a total of 193, and Mr. Murison took 

 the same place on theXJanadian eight. Some duck's eggs 

 are visible in the scores, in one or two cases due to firing 

 on the wrong target, but the majority were clear misses on 

 both sides. Mr. Geiger's low score was said to be due to 

 the loss of his front sight, and having to substitute for it 

 another. As Mr. Geiger is a very steady man, no doubt 

 his poor score can be accounted for in this way. The 

 match was conduced in the most admirable way, and not a 

 single dispute took place. The exceeding courtesy rendered 

 to our men when in Canada last, was we believe fuly re- 

 turned. Questions of what are called "nippers," balls 

 striking just on the edge of the defined limits of the targets, 

 were always accepted without a murmur. The marking 

 was highly creditable, being prompt and accurate. A 

 handsome collation was offered to the guests, and all the 

 riflemen and members of the press, and by five o'clock 

 the match was concluded, with uproarous cheers for hoth 

 sides. Gen. Dakin and Col. Gildersleeve made happy 

 speeches, which brought forth an admirable reply from 

 Mr. Murray. What he said was noteworthy, and from 

 his excellent speech, we only have room to cull the follow 

 ing, that "he acknowledged the superiority of American 

 arms, and that he believed they were beaten not by the 

 men, but by the guns." 



It was with great pleasure that the representative of the 

 Forest and Btrjjam welcomed mck old friends as Messrs. 



