386 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



that lie liad harpooned it some two hundred miles down 

 the river several days before it was found, and threatened 

 me with all the rigors of the law if I did not deliver it up 

 to him at once. He said he was sure there were marks on 

 the body to substantiate his claim, but upon close exami- 

 nation none could be found, and consequently I would not 

 give it up to him. I had promised to look after the Cap- 

 tain's interest and intended doing so. In the meantime 

 the exhibition was going on with the best of results, and 

 money pouring in. I came to the conclusion that if this 

 could continue for two or three days the result would be 

 splendid, especially as there was to be opened the next day 

 an industrial exhibition in the ancient city, and thousands 

 of visitors would rush to see such a great curiosity as a 

 real whale. I can assure you, I began to think that we 

 had really struck oil, and something else too, and every 

 half hour added large sums to my first calculations of the 

 profits likely to be divided between the Captain and my- 

 self. "Whale stock kept rising, rising, and rising again, but 

 all these great expectations were soon to be dashed to the 

 ground and trouble cast their shadows before. 



The weather was very warm, the sun shone fiercely, and 

 I don't think that old whale had been accustomed to a 

 warm climate. The cold North would appear to agree bet- 

 ter with him, for the old fellow soon began to manifest de- 

 cided symptoms of suffering from the heat. The Port 

 physician had evidently scented that whale, for he came to 

 me in an excited manner and asked me whether I intended 

 creating some fearful disease by poisoning the atmosphere 

 with that whale. We will have the typhoid fever or 

 cholera, sir, raging in the city before twenty-four hours, 

 said he, if you don't get rid of that whale, sir, he must be 

 removed at once, sir. I tried all manner of arguments to 

 induce him to take a more favorable view of the matter, 

 but it was no use. He said, he was bound to see that 

 whale away from the precincts of the city, and go it must. 

 You may imagine this was a damper to all my prospects. 

 I got vexed, then cooled down a little to become more so, 

 and finally told the Doctor to take the whale and do what 

 he pleased with it. 



"No sir," cried he in anger, I will not have anything 

 to do with it- You must see to its being removed sir-, you 

 are the responsible party sir." 



At last we both decided to go out and have a look at 

 him, to see if it were not possible without danger to the 

 health of the inhabitants to keep it a couple of days longer. 

 My hopes began to rise again, but one look at the poor old 

 creature, lowered them like a shot. We found him high 

 and dry on the slip, and such a sight, he was perforated in 

 every part of his body. He had been stabbed and stuck 

 with knives and other sharp instruments, by numerous in- 

 quisitive visitors trying the thickness of his skin, and 

 looked as if seriously affected with the small pox, and I 

 had to admit that it did smell rather strong in that neigh- 

 borhood. This made the Doctor more determined than 

 ever, and about an hour after he left me, down marched a 

 sub-officer of police with three constables, who served me 

 with a peremptory order from the Mayor to remove that 

 whale at once. Now, first fancy the fix I was in. How to 

 remove him? Where to put him? The man who owned 

 the elephant was far better off than I was, for it was alive 

 and could be marched off; but my monster was immovable 

 and could neither be coaxed nor driven away. Not even 

 the claimant was at hand to relieve me. Obey I must, and 

 one trial should be made to save those seventy barrels of 

 oil and the whale bone, which 1 was sure would net 

 handsome profits. At last I decided to charter a tug steamer 

 and tow it off somewhere down the river. I was told that 

 it would not float. Not knowing better, I also chartered 

 two barges, and on the rising tide the whale was got be- 

 tween them, securely fastened with ropes, and off we 

 started with the whale and barges in tow. One of the bar- 

 ges contained one hundred empty oil barrels, several large 

 iron kettles, axes, shovels, and everything necessary to 

 carry on the operations of collecting the oil. We had no 

 idea where we could stop; we did not dare to land near 

 any habitation. At last we espied a quite bay, some dis- 

 tance from the city, and decided the steamer should give 

 the barges good head -way and run them as high on the 

 beach as possible. The condition of the tide favoring this 

 plan, it was carried out, and the whale was left snugly 

 moored to some large trees and on the receding tide it 

 was high and dry in P's Bay. About fifteen or twenty 

 men were engaged to cut it up, boil it down, and barrel 

 the oil. I then returned home, completely used up, be- 

 wailing the hour that made me partner in a whale. 



I paid daily visits to my whaling establishment until I 

 could do so no longer. The scent penetrated my clothing, 

 and prevented my eating for several days. The news of 

 the great whale being at P's Bay, spread in every direcliou, 

 and people came from miles around to see it. It was 

 hacked and cut in pieces by curiosity hunters; some carry- 

 ing away pieces of the sRin to make razor straps, or to 

 cover old trunks. I forbid the men to say that I had any 

 thing to do with it, but it was no use, every one appeared 

 to know that I' was the proprietor. The newspapers pub- 

 lished the most ridiculous accounts of me in connection 

 with that whale, and for many days I got telegrams and 

 letters from friends all over the country, inquiring about 

 my whale, and some of them were very amusing. Several 

 of my artistic friends caricatured me ; in one I was re- 

 presented in bed surrounded by baby whales, beseeching 

 me to return them their mamma. Really I don't think 

 that the celebrated Barnum, as exhibitor of the Woolly 

 Horse, the What Is It, Mermaid, or any other great won- 

 der, occupied a more prominent position than I did at that 

 time. Presidents of Historical Societies and other learned 

 institutions called upon me for the history of that whale, 

 and my name was to be immortalized if I would donate 

 the skeleton to their museums, but I waived aside all such 

 honors until I could consult my partner, the Captain, who 

 I was sure would prefer turning everything into money— 

 and I always answered that he was absent and I could do 

 nothing without his consent. 



Upon one of my visits to the whale, I observed a large 

 barge about a quarter of a mile below us; it was filled with 

 country people ^from the opposite side of the river, who 

 had got up a pie-nic to visit the whale. There were about 

 sixty or seventy, old and young women among the rest. 

 As there was no wharf near, a number of strong young 

 men carried the women ashore on their backs. When all 

 were landed they formed into procession to march up to 

 the bay, but every step onward filled their nostrils with 

 such a scent as to nearly take their breath away. At last 

 they came to a halt, evidently unable to stand it any longer. 

 Several of the young men, not so fastidious as the others, 

 ventured up close to the monster and told such fabulous 



tales of it that the women loudly expressed their regret at 

 not being able to see the sight too. One stout old dame 

 with broad brimmed strawhat, umbrella and spectacles, 

 and apparently the chaperone, told them that she 

 knew how to get over the difficulty. "Just follow me," 

 she cried. They all turned back and went into a field, and 

 were soon intently engaged in gathering some herbs, after 

 which the procession was reformed with the old dame at 

 the head. When on they came, shouting and laughing 

 with a determined air to conquer all obstacles. When they 

 got up near enough, every one was found to have a bunch 

 of wild mint under their noses, and they chuckled greatly 

 over the success of the old woman's plan of seeing the 

 whale, while smelling the mint. 



After several day's work I was rather astonished to find 

 that all the men had secured, was nine barrels of what they 

 assured me was whale oil, and there was no more. This 

 small result upset the Captain's and my own calculations 

 with a vengeance. The man who wrote the article on whales 

 in "Chamber's Information for the People," could not have 

 meant such a whale as ours. I can assure you, I would 

 have sold out my share very cheap, but whale stock had 

 lost its hold upon public confidence, and was far below 

 par. I found that the Captain, after inquiry, had lost all 

 interest in the speculation and did not claim any dividend. 

 However, I was determined to bring the matter to a 

 speedy close. I sent up the nine barrels of oil, and all the 

 materials used in the operation of securing them. Being 

 fond of collecting specimens of Natural History, I had the 

 skeleton also taken up and laid out to bleach on the 

 wharf. 



The oil did not please me, there was a smell about it 

 quite different from that of any whale oil I ever noticed 

 before, and one would have supposed that the old whale 

 had come back in its flesh again. So I accepted the first 

 offer I got, before the Pott \ hysician came around, and sold 

 the nine barrels for thirty dollars on condition that it was 

 removed at once. This was done and it became the prop- 

 erty of a dealer in junk and old stores. I was told he went 

 off boasting of his bargain. Some day's after he found 

 a customer for it. As soon as he started the bung of the 

 barrels to get samples, the contents rushed out and drove 

 himsef and customer away by its fearful smell. Those 

 nine barrels contained nothing'more than boiled whale in a 

 high state of fermentation . There was not an ounce of oil in 

 the old creature's body. It had evidently been afflicted 

 with some disease,worked himself up from the sea into fresh- 

 water, died, and finally floated into the sand-bar where 

 found, (to my cost). I put the best face 1 could in the 

 matter; had the skeleton laid out, and it soon became 

 white, and was really a great curiosity to many. The jaw- 

 bones being each sixteen feet long. 



1 now found myself proprietor of only a whale's skeleton. 

 There is an old saying, that every man has a skeleton in 

 his cupboard. I can assure you mine was not in a cup- 

 board, for it was rather larger than I presume the gener- 

 ality of mankind are supposed to be haunted with. 



1 was one day quietly examining the debit and credit 

 side of the whale account, when I found n yself the loser 

 by a considerable amount. Just as I closed the book, witli 

 much dissatisfaction, I heard a rap at my office door, and 

 desired the person to walk in. A respectable mm came 

 in and asked me whether I was Mr. McG? I answered — 

 u No sir, that is not my name;" the gentleman he named 

 was President of a large company, a few blocks further 

 off, but our names sound a little alike. 



"Well sir," said he, "You will probably say whether 

 you are the person who owned a whale." 



"Oh yes, I answered, I am that unfortunate one. What 

 can I do for you sir?" 



He said, "I am one of the members of the municipal 

 council of St. J., and also a church warden. You had a 

 whale cut up at St. P Bay a few miles above us; a quantity 

 of the offal has floated down with the tide; settled on the 

 beach right opposite our church, and near our homes. 

 The atmosphere is poisoned; we cannot remain in church, 

 nor live in our homes, from the dreadful stench created by 

 that horrid whale, and I am deputed by the council to call 

 upon you and request you to have it "removed before we 

 all die of cholera or some other pestilential disease." 



You may well imagine that this did not make me feel any 

 better over my whale speculation. I managed, however, 

 to work upon the counsellor's good nature, and for a sum 

 of money he promised to get some persons to clear the 

 offal off the beach, and rid me of tins new trouble. 



In the latter part of September a friend, who is Presi- 

 dent of a university in one of the United States, visited 

 our city and I had many pleasant hour's with him. Call- 

 ing at my office, I showed him the skeleton of the whale, 

 he was very much pleased to see it, as it was the first, and 

 certainly a great curiosity. He gave me several gentle 

 hints that it would add greatly to the attractiveness of his 

 university's museum, if it was there . I told him that it 

 cost me much trouble and considerable money. He then 

 said that if I would have it cased and forwarded to him, 

 he thought the trustees of the institution would allow me a 

 fair value for it. As he offered to pay for the packing, I 

 consented, and had it forwarded via. of one of the western 

 steamboat lines. Several months passed before I heard 

 from him, when one day, I received a letter, in which he 

 wished to know whether 1 was not of opinion that that 

 whale had been born to cause trouble to every one who 

 ever had anything to do with it. In due course it had ar- 

 rived at Chicago. Of this fact he was notified by the 

 agent of the steamboat line, but perfectly dumfounded by 

 the bill of cost ; the university being called upon to pay 

 $225 for freight and charges, and he feared under these 

 circumstances my prospects of any further allowance were 

 very doubtful, indeed. So ended my adventures with that 

 provoking old whale. 



Should you ever chance to visit the museum of a certain 

 university in the State of Illinois, I presume you will find 

 the skeleton of the old monster, one of its greatest curiosi- 

 ties. Whether my name in connection with it is to be im- 

 mortalized or not,' I cannot say, and must leave to future 

 generations. However, every thing pertaining to that old 

 whale has disappeared from my view, and I am content 

 again to struggle with salmon, trout, and smaller fry, as 

 you found me when I first had the pleasure of making 

 your acquaintance, rod in hand, on a pleasant July day, 

 on the banks of the River Chaiio, New Brunswick, where, 

 in company with Jack PI., we each killed a basket of fine 

 sea-trout. Stadacona. 



:-*-■>- 



— Plaster from old walls and ceilings is now rendered fit 

 for use by a method of treating with carbonate of soda, 

 w 7 hich gives it all the properties of fresh plaster. 



DUCK SHOOTING IN 



For Forest and Stream. 

 MISSISSIPPI. 



ON the 18th of December last the sloughs, ponds, and 

 bayous were frozen over, and the ducks were driven 

 into the "river"-creek, as I call it. Early in the morning 

 I hitched up and drove by for D ., but he could not get off f 

 so I hsid to go alone. Arriving at the river, I blanketed 

 old "Cantharides," bolted a sandwich, and went for the 

 mallards. It was cold and frosty, the leaves very dry, and 

 the stream nearly level with the banks — a condition of 

 things not very favorable for approaching the ducks. After 

 walking a short distance I saw seven mallards feeding near 

 the shore. There was no underbrush or cane to hide me, 

 and no tree that I could "take on them." I tried to crawl 

 alligator fashion, prone on my face, but found that would 

 notclo, so I buttoned my canvas from top to bottom, and, 

 lying flat on my back, advanced on them like a capsized 

 mud turtle — took the "back position" modified, keeping my 

 feet before, and by dint of rising, elbows and heels, man- 

 aged to get along slowly through the leaves, gun on top. 

 The ducks could not make out what manner of beast I 

 was, so I got up within fair gun-shot, and, rising suddenly 

 into a sitting position, with both hammers at a cock, 

 glanced down the barrels. Alas, right in the line of fire 

 hung a vine nearly as large as my wrist. I moved the gun 

 to the risht and then to the left of the vine, but it threw 

 me too far off either side. The ducks were in a row, and 

 I felt that I was so stiffened by my crawl that I could not 

 spring to my feet, and the low branches of the trees would 

 prevent me from shooting the instant the ducks took wing. 

 There was only a second left, so I «ut away right at the 

 vine. Such a cloud of smoke you never saw; it hid every- 

 thing, and I could hardly rise to my feet. When I did I 

 saw three ducks flapping in the water, one of which got 

 up, but got down again at the crack of the second barrel. 

 Those drifting near the bank were hauled ashore with an 

 old cane fishing rod that lay handy. An examination of 

 the vine showed that it had stopped the greater part of the 

 charge of shot. It was cut nearly in two. 



A little further on a lady mallard — probably a widow- 

 rose with a quarck, quarck from a drift. A sharp crack, 

 and she fell like a stone. Coming to a fresh water slough, 

 fed by springs and not frozen, I followed it a, short dis- 

 tance, when I saw a perfect swarm of blue-wings. They 

 were the busiest little fellows — wading and paddling, and 

 coming right towards me. I sat down at the foot of a tree 

 and watched them. Suddenly they all took wing — a man 

 riding to mill had frightened them. If he had delayed his 

 trip ten minutes I think I could have bagged ten or a dozen 

 of them. I followed the slough, until it emptied into the 

 river, without seeing another duck; then I tried the river 

 again. Soon I saw three mallards swimming down stream. 

 I slipped around a bend and headed them off, taking posi- 

 tion behind a tree. They all came by, two drakes in front, 

 side by side. 1 upset them with my right, and, as the 

 duck got up, winged her with the other barrel. She hid 

 under a drift, and it was some time before I could find her. 

 When I did I slipped in a shell loaded with No. 10 and 

 took the top of her head off. Farther up I saw four feed- 

 ing, and crawling up behind a small log got within gun- 

 shot. There was some thick brush growing in the edge of 

 the water, but the ducks found me out, and I had to take 

 a single one in the water, and one as they got up. The 

 one killed on the wing fell in the centre of the stream, and 

 I had to follow him half a mile to a drift before I could 

 recover him. While standing on the drift I saw an old 

 drake flying down stream; he came along within thirty- 

 five or forty yards, a few yards above the water. I let 

 him pass alittle beyond me, and drawing just ahead of 

 him cut away. He did not alter his flight in the least, and 

 I did not see a feather fall. "Hanged if I didn't miss 

 him," thought I; but at that instant he changed ends, and 

 fell as if just fired at. He had flown at least a hundred 

 yards around the bend of the river. I got another shot 

 just above at a passing duck, winged it, and lost it. This 

 in some localities would be considered no duck shooting at 

 all, but here, where they are scarce and exceedingly wild, 

 and where the nature of the stream and surroundings 

 makes it almost impossible to approach them, it is to be 

 called good sport. 



Turkeys aie very scarce here. The Meleogris gallopaw 

 will soon be classed with the Dinornis, Dodo, and other 

 extinct birds, and the horned buck be a thing of the past, 

 like the fossil elk of Ireland. 



And now, as the end of the year draws near, I send my 

 best wishes to all my brother sportsmen, wheresoever dis- 

 persed. To "Old Pious," to "Guido," to "Dion," et ornne 

 genue. May you all live and flourish through the next, and 

 through many, many years to come, and may you derive 

 health, strength, and happiness unalloyed from a rational 

 indulgence in all field sports. To you, Mr. Editor, long- 

 life and happiness, and success to Forest and Stream. 



Gtjyon. 



Corinth, Mississippi, January, 1876. 



For Forest and Stream. 

 A STAGE RIDE THROUGH ARIZONA. 



ON Friday, July 80th, I entered the stage at San Die- 

 go, California, for a 500 mile ride to Tucson, cross- 

 ing, en route, the great American desert of the Colorado. 

 Our route for the first day was through a gently rolling 

 country, abounding in live oak and mesquite trees, until 

 about two o'clock, when we pulled up at a station for din- 

 ner and a change of horses. We remained here about an 

 hour, when we commenced the ascent of the mountains. 

 It was very hot, and until twelve o'clock at night we con- 

 tinued our slow and tedious ascent, when we arrived at 

 Hill's station. Here we got an excellent supper and splen- 

 did water; for as we were obliged to carry water m our 

 canteens it was a great consideration to get some good, and 

 here we filled up our one and a half gallon canteen and an 

 ordinary soldier's canteen. No one thinks of traveling 

 here wiihout one or more canteens of water. 



At Hill's station we took on four horses, and continued 

 this dragging, up hill work until about daylight, when we 

 were awakened by the driver, who requested us to roll up 

 the curtains, as the wind sometimes blew very hard, and 

 might overturn us. Here we were on the very pinnacle or 

 the mountain, some 4,500 feet high, and day just breaking. 

 Directly in front of Us was the rising sun, looking very 

 hot and angry in his redness, while down, down, as it were, 

 at our very~ feet, lay the great basin of the desert, thou- 

 sands of feet below us. 



