[Entered According to Act of Congress, in tno year 1879, by the Forest and Stream Publishing Company, in the Office of the Lib: 



of Congress, at ■Washington. 



NEW YORK, THURSDAY, MAY 13,1880, 



CONTENTS. 



Answers to Correspondents ... 289 



Archery:— 

 liuw Shooting in Northern Minnesota; Oritani Archers; 

 New York Archery Club 888 



Cricket :— 



Mulches and News Notes 289 



Editorial s— 

 Notes ; The True History of Alaska G old Mining 290 



Fish CuisirKH:— 



The Berlin Fishery Exposition 283 



Game Bag and Gdn :— 

 How to Make a Camp; Notes; Awll Allerinn Parium— 

 Cheap Guns Again; Pattern and Penetration: Shooting 

 Matches 291 



Game Protection :- 



New York Association; Migratory Quail 291 



?he"Kkxni:l:— 

 The New York Tinp Show; The Training of Foxhounds; A 

 Mississippi Dog Story: A Suggestion to the Westminster 

 Kennel i hiu ; Something about Breakers and Hog Break- 

 ing ; Notes 286 



Miscellany:— ' 



Syseiedobsis and Passadumkeag , 281 



NATURAL History:— 

 History of North American Mammals ; Some Southern Rep- 

 tiles: Miinv-coinrfJ squirrels; An Introduced Shell; 

 Tame Buffed Grouse; Pngnaeii.v of the English Sparrow; 

 Animals at the Zoological Garden, Cincinnati. 281 



Notes and Queries 270 



Publishers' Department..., , 208 



Tile Kiflb:— 



Range arid Gallery v- 273 



Sea and River Fishino:— 



Oqnossoe Angling Association; Notes; A Wide-Awako 

 Club; The " Redtlsli " Me, Milled : Remarkable Freak of a 

 Trout; A Simple Minnow-Net 286 



Yachting ano Canoeing:— 

 M issaehusel is YuelMing Association; Y'aehting News; A 

 Ten Davs' Cruise in '79. Concluded; New Y'ork and Jersey 

 Citj Canoe Clubs '. 295 



grtsehtUbsis mid jlasxadumlmg. 



THE northern and eastern portions of the counties of 

 Penobscot and Washington, in the old Pine Tree 

 State, contain a remarkable lake region, unsurpassed in 

 extent and diversity of scenery, affording variety for the 

 sportsman who, with rod and gun, is willing to rough it 

 for ten days . The everlasting hills and meadows are 

 supplied in unlimited quantity with deer, black bear and 

 ruffed grouse, and the lakes and rivers with duck, land- 

 locked salmon and trout. The variety of routes this re- 

 gion affords is not the least of its attractions, and has 

 only to become more widely known to be visited and ap- 

 preciated by a large number of sportsmen who cannot 

 afford the expense of long trips West. 



Parties can leave Boston by rail at night, andnext morn- 

 ing reach the pleasant town of Lincoln, Me., the most 

 central point from which to reach the lakes. A charming 

 drive of twenty miles to the town of Springfield brings 

 you to Gowell's, at the head of Duck Lake, where you 

 can find Indians and canoes. Crossing Duck and Junior 

 lakes, through Junior stream into Grand Lake, all 

 well-stocked with land-locked salmon, you have the 

 choice of several routes, either of them offering suf- 

 ficient attractions to render them enjoyable, and not to 

 be forgotten. You may cross Grand Lake to the falls, and 

 by a sliort carry enter Big Lake, thence into Long Lake 

 to Princeton. Carrying by the mills a short distance you 

 can continue your route by the St. Croix River to Calais. 

 At Grand Lake Palls is unexcelled land-locked salmon 

 fishing in the season. There Mr. Atkins, the agreeable 

 fish commissioner, has charge of the breeding houses, 

 and has had uniform success, sending fish from this sta- 

 tion all over the country, 



Another route from Grand Lake, some distance longer, 

 is through Pocompas Lake and stream into the beautiful 

 Syseiedobsis Lake, crossing a short carry into the chain 

 lakes, headwaters of Maehias River, down which you can 

 reach Maehias. In this region is one of the most re- 

 markable watersheds in existence. The lakes— Chain, 

 First, Second, Third, Duck, Unknown and several smaller 

 ones — are nestled together in a comparatively small space, 

 all easy of access to each other by short carries. We 

 have, here the waters of Maehias, St. Croix, Union and 



Penobscot rivers. From this point many excursions may 

 be made into the surrounding wilderness, or by "lakes 



■ . ' 1 1 ' . ' - 1 1 ■ mi extent, and one can pass the time with 



profit and enjoyment. 



SI ill another route presents itself from Syseiedobsis 

 Lake, which is the one we have just completed. I sub- 

 join a few notes from a journal "kept during the trip, 

 trusting they will be of sufficient interest to warrant 

 their reading. 



Through the genial landlord of the Lincoln House, Mr. 

 David gtockbridge, familiarly known as "David,'' we se- 

 cured canoes and a man to do general work, who proved 

 efficient in the canoe and an excellent cook. Under 

 David's good management we had the canoes and supplies 

 properly loaded and sent on ahead, and on the arrival of 

 the train, Tuesday, Sept. 9th, lie was in readiness with a 

 first-class team to convey us to Gowell's. It bad rained 

 during the previous night sufficient to lay the dust, and 

 we had a most agreeable ride through the green wilder- 

 ness, over a good road, reaching Duck Lake about 3 p.m. 

 On the shore of the lake is a club bouse, owned by Bos- 

 ton parties, under the care of Mr. Gowell. and twice a 

 year they visit here, having fine success and exhilarating 

 sport hunting and fishing. We shortly had the canoes 

 afloat, loaded and underway. Our man Henry was in 

 charge of one canoe, and "Brick Top," having been over 

 tiie route before, was appointed guide of the squadron, 

 and took the lead with the other canoe. Besides the two 

 mentioned, our party consisted of Mr. E. V. Cross, of 

 Lawrence, Mass., an expert disciple of "Izaak," and a 

 thorough sportsman, and Prof. Mills, well known in 

 Eastern Maine as a "dead- shot" and taxiderdmist, and 

 for his agreeable loquacity on hunting' subjects, which 

 afforded as much enjoyment and instruction. We pad- 

 dled leisurely across the lake and entered its stream. 

 nearly bidden by dense alders, and being exceedingly 

 narrow and rapid we soon reached the beautiful, clear 

 water of Junior, as the sun, sinking behind the high ridge 

 on our right, was illuminating the entire surface in gor- 

 geous colors, which we accepted as a welcome and good 

 omen for our success. About a mile below the mouth of 

 the stream we found on our left an excellent camping 

 Spot, and while some were engaged in gathering boughs 

 and making camp the rest were busily employed in get- 

 ting supper". David had accompanied us thus far for the 

 purpose of being with us one night in the camp, and he 

 proved a pioneer in the work. 



Camp and supper were soon in readiness, and under 

 the combined inspiring effects of juniper tea, camp fire 

 and a feeling of freedom from all care, the Professor be- 

 gan a relation of some of his wonderful experiences by 

 land and water. He had the field entirely to himself, 

 and we listened long in admiration until" he began a 

 thrilling narration of his experience at Bar Harbor dur- 

 ing a gale of wind, when we quietly dropped out one by 

 one, and left him talking to the stars. We had an excel- 

 lent bed, and slept tranquilly until the rays of the rising 

 sun. shining in our faces, awakened us to a day of sport. 

 While we were seated about the breakfast table au ex- 

 clamation from the Professor turned our attention to the 

 lake. His experienced eye had discerned in the distance 

 a tlock of ducks approaching us. We all made prepara- 

 tions for their reception, and began the day with seven 

 black ducks, handsomely stopped by the Professor and 

 "Brick Top." While Henry was gone to Gowell's, with 

 David, we broke camp and were ready to start on his 

 return. The day was warm and clear," and the six mile, 

 stretch of water before us was calm and ti ansparent as 

 glass. Hie numerous islands at the head of this Jake, 

 closely crowded together, somewhat interfere with its 

 Outline, but after passing them it expands into beautiful 

 shape nearly two miles in width and the shores hand- 

 somely wooded. Near the islands land-locked salmon 

 are found in plenty, of good weight and game. Vose 

 tried them with go >d success, while the Professor and 

 the rest of us gave exhibition of skill in shooting king- 

 fishers on the wing. 



The high ridge on our right, about a mile in width, is 

 all that separates us from the Syseiedobsis lakes, and is 

 the home of the deer in great numbers, man}- of them 

 being taken every season. We paddled lazily along, reach- 

 ing Junior stream at noon, and proceeded down its placid 

 length, not a sound disturbing the solemn quiet about us 

 —conducive to reflection and study. Near its mouth 



the stream widens considerably, its shores becoming 

 meadow and marsh. This place seemed a perfect ren- 

 dezvous for wood, black duck, anil blue-winged teal. 

 The Professor shot very handsome specimens of wood 

 drake and blue- winged leal, while our success was excel- 

 lent in shooting snipe and sheldrake. A tongue of land 

 about twenty feet wide on our left extends up I be stream 

 nearly a mile, and we beard the waves of Grand Lake 

 beating on its shore long before we entered it. Passing 

 through just a narrow break in this narrow strip of land, 

 we enter at once on the lake, must appropriately named 

 Grand. Looking by the point of Big Island, the expanse 

 of water seems almost limitless until we notice the high 

 hills about the stream at the foot of the lake, blue in the 

 distance. The shores of the lake, seem almost straight, 

 looking like a huge canal, but there are deep coveB, in 



crossing which a person with a canoe will have to exer- 

 cise due caution when there is any wind. We took din- 

 ner on the beach, with this handsome view before ua, 

 and Vose. noticing the peculiar formation of the point of 

 land opposite us, drew from the Professor this story, 

 which he told with thrilling effect : — 



"Several years ago the enterprising lumbermen of 

 Calais sent men into this region to secure the pine. Dur- 

 ing the season of rafting, men were employed in squads 

 of three and four to pick up the scattered logs. One of 

 these squads, while so engaged, went ashore on this 

 point to prepare their breakfast. Just as they got it in 

 readiness they discovered their batteau adrift, and one 

 of them started to recover it, saying in reply to one of 

 his mates, who urged him to eat his breakfast first, that 

 be 'would get that batteau or eat his breakfast in h — .' 

 He swam out to the boat, and put his hands on to it to 

 get in, when he gave one despairing yell and went down. 

 After several hours' search his mates recovered his body, 

 took it back to the point, and tied it to a tree near the 

 shore with a two inch hawser, and then started to the 

 settlement to procure a coffin. They returned the next 

 day, bearing the coffin, but found their mate gone and 

 the hawser broken in two. They left the coffin and re- 

 traced their steps to the settlement, saying their mate 

 had been dragged into the lake by a large serpent, whose 

 track they plainly saw." 



From that day the point has been known as "Coffin 

 Point," and the story of the man's disappearance is 

 firmly believed by the Professor and every one about the 

 mills below. The Professor confirms this story by find- 

 ing the bottom of the coffin five years afterward, while 

 there winter fishing, and using it to make a pair of Bnow 

 shoes. 



We passed into the lovely Pocompas Lake, apparently 

 as primitive and wild as when the Indian alone canoed 

 its waters and hunted its majestic shores. Entering its 

 stream, we passed up two miles and camped for the night. 

 While supper was in progress "Brick Top" started on an 

 exploring expedition on his own account, and shortly 

 returned with the intelligence that we were on the right 

 stream, but a few rods below Syseiedobsis dam. This so 

 relieved the anxiety of Vose and the Professor that they 

 became at once animated and happy, particularly the 

 Professor, who felt somewhat limited in time, having an 

 engagement to deliver a lecture on natural history to- 

 ward the close of the month. 



Thursday morning was bright and warm. Soon after 

 breaking camp we reached the dam. We found Mr. Ball 

 here, one of the assistant fish commissioners, who has 

 admirably arranged breeding houses, and, being an en- 

 thusiast in his work, is very successful. He also has 

 care of the house owned by the "Dobsis Club," which 

 club is composed of several prominent gentlemen of 

 Massachusetts, who visit here regularly. Their catch of 

 land-locked salmon in May was fully up to the average 

 foi several years, which is "large. We passed the morn- 

 ing here, visiting the hatching works, and getting much 

 useful information from Mr. Ball. He and his wife re- 

 main here the year round, twenty miles from any settle- 

 ment, their mode of locomotion being canoes in summer 

 and snowshoes in winter. We left the dam, accompanied 

 by them, about 3 o'clock, and started around Big Island 

 and up the lake to our camping spot, selected for us 

 while at the dam. We met nere two gentlemen from 

 Boston, returning from a cruise in Chain lakes, reporting 

 excellent success. Reaching the head of Lig Island, we 

 bade adieu to Mr. Ball and wife. Following their instruc- 

 tions, we trolled for salmon in both canoes, and caught 

 several beauties, some weighing five pounds. 



We reached our camping spot about dark, and found it 

 a dry, sandy beach. After supper we prepared birch bark 

 torches, and lashing the canoes together started around 

 the shore of the lake to spear any luckless fish we should 

 see. 'Vose made a striking tableau as he stood motion- 

 less in the bow with the spear poised aloft, the lurid light 

 of the torches casting a brilliant halo about him, show- 

 ing him in bold relief against the surrounding darkness. 

 Suddenly he made a vigorous thru-st, and in a second 

 landed a huge sucker. So we fished for an hour, catch- 

 ing nothing but those big, listless fellows who gave up 

 the ghost with a squeak like a guinea pig. 



Friday morning was raie and beautiful, even in this, 

 our best season of the year in Maine, and the glorious 

 prospect before us of water and wilderness was sufficient 

 to repay us for our journey thither. After an early 

 breakfast, Vose and Henry went up the lake to try the 

 salmon, while the Professor and "Brick Top" took the 

 high ridge behind us. In two hours we were assembled 

 about the camp fire comparing notes, with the following 

 results: Five land-locked salmon, averaging three 

 pounds ; two salmon trout, weighing respectively one 

 pound and one pound and a half (these last named are 

 the handsomest fish that swims) ; seven partridges, one 

 white-headed eagle, shot by the Professor ou the wing, 

 and one red-headed woodpecker. While the Professor 

 was busily employed with knife and scissors preserving 

 the eagle and woodpecker, we had camp broken and 

 were in readiness to Btart. 

 I Pushing out into the lake, we had a beautiful scene 



