UO'TOU 'i: 30, 1881.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



225 



which is light, easily worked and rranarkahly durable. 

 The tree very closely resembles the^coWDion aibotvitJE bo 

 generally nsed for hedgeB here in the East, Hut in British 

 Columbia it grows sometimes to a height of 3Q0 feet, trad 

 often attains a diameter ot seven or eight feet. I measured 

 one stump that was eleven feet through eight feet, from the 

 ground. As instancing its durability I may say that I saw 

 i oe fallen log in the woods which was "straddled" by a 

 Douglas fir two and one-half feet in diameter, and which 

 was, to all appearance, as sound as if it had not been lying 

 there a year. The stump of the fit* rested on the log, and 

 its roots stretched down on either side four or five feet before 

 they reached the ground. The cedar log was covered with 

 moss, and hud lost most ot its limbs, but on scraping aw?y 

 the gieen drapery and sounding and outlii g into it, I could 

 not discern that it was in the slightest degree decayed. It 

 can readily be imagined, therefore, that such a wood sup- 

 plies the b.st possible material for canoes built in this way. 

 It has only one objection, and this is the case with which it 

 can be split, at d great c ire has to be taken to keep the ves- 

 sels from receiving any knocks or rough usage. They are 

 never allowed to Temain on the beach within reach of the 

 waves, but are always hauled up far beyond high water 

 mark. I have known of a case where a canoe, not drawn 

 fur enough from the water, was found in the. morning split 

 from end to end. It is a work of no small magnitude to re- 

 pair a craft itt that condition, and too much care cannot he 

 exercised in gum ding the vessel from any rough usage. The 

 canoes might be made much stronger if the Siwashes would 

 only put knees or braces of some kind in them, but this 

 they never seem to do. although they are often seen in eauoes 

 owned by white men. The paddles are made of a species of 

 maple, and are usually about four feet long, with a cross 

 piece for handle, and a blade about four inches wide, termin- 

 ating in a sharp point. They are light and easily wielded, 

 but strong. The prows and sterns of the canoes are often 

 carved aDd painted in red and white. Sometimes the larger 

 canots are Tigged with one or more pairs of rowlocks on 

 either side, and long oars of native manufacture are used, 

 which, it must be acknowledged, help the vessel through the 

 water much faster than the same number of paddles would. 

 There is almost always a chock in the bottom, well forward, 

 to which a mast steps, by a tenon, leading up through one of 

 the braces. The canvas is a lug spritsail, and of course can 

 only be used when the wind is fair, or at most on the beam. 

 Oamp on Bide Inlet. Yo. 



ATLANTIC COAST SHOOTING GROUNDS. 



Kitty Hawk Bat, N. C. 



I HAVE lived during the entire summer on the North 

 Carolina coast, and have become very familiar with the 

 country and people from Whale's Head Light down 10 Cape 

 Hatteras. 1 have spent most of the time on the ocean beach, 

 with the exception of an occasional visit up the country, 

 along the various towns on the rivers emptying into the 

 Albcmailc, Pamlico and Currituck Sounds. 



The elements are continually reshaping the coast — immense 

 white sand hills that lie against the horizon like banks of 

 snow are continually moving southwest from the ocean to- 

 ward the sounds. The Kill Devil Hills, near Kitty Hawk, 

 woe until recently the highest of these, hut now the 

 ' Hill, near Nag's flead, rears its white crest 100 feet: above 

 the ponds of fresh water that lie at its base. These ponds 

 are clear lakes of dark, pure and limpid water, and lie be- 

 tween the sounds and the ocean. There are some twenty of 

 these between Kitty Hawk and Nag's Head, some of them 

 thirty to forty acres in extent, and full of black bass, chub 

 and perch, some of the latter I have caught being twelve 

 inches long aud very sweet. The ponds are much fre- 

 quented by visitors to Nag's Head during the summer, the 

 woods near them affording good shade and pleasant drives. 

 They are continually surrounded by beach cattle and ponies 

 that" resort, here for water, lu dry times, and when Dies 

 and mmuuitots are troublesome, they wade out until only 

 their heads show above the water. 



The ponies fire lively 'little fellows, and scamper over the 

 hills and along the beach at low tide at a lively rate, aud are 

 much better adapted for beach drawing than heavy up- 

 country liorses. A good pair of ponies can be bought for 

 about ifl 25. They are easily kept and live to an old age 

 Once a year they are coralled and branded. The balance of 

 the time they range at will from Cape Henry to Capo Hat- 

 teras. "When away from the fresh ponds and they want water 

 they dig wells with their tore feet near the sound and Had goad 

 Water eighteen inches below the surface. When the chill 

 blasts of winter are too severe, they go to the woods about 

 Kitty Hawk or find shelter under the lea of the sand hills. 



Recently I visited Bbdle's Island Light House to shoot 

 beach birds and to fish for blue lish, which are found in 

 great abundance about Oregon Inlet and in the sound in front 

 of the light house. I went up into the light house, after a 

 toilsome climb up the 223 steps, and after an inspection of 

 the apparatus at the top of the tower, 1 sat for two hours on 

 the iron piazza outside and enjoyed the extended view af- 

 forded by my airy perch. 1 COUjd see with a marine glass 

 over twenty miles in every direction. In the east is the dark 

 blue sea, with its billows rolling grandly towards the white 

 pebbly shore, with all kinds of sail on their way north and 

 8out.li; on the west Pamlico Sound and Croitiii Sounds, 

 Roanoke Island, Duck Island, Off Island, and the cluster of 

 smaller islands near the inlet; north and South i I 

 narrow strip of sand between the sounds and sea, with herds 

 of cattle, ponies and sheep grazing on the green places. 

 Curlew, brown backs, wiilet, sea chickens and gulls in count- 

 less numbers wheeled aud dove below me, and the tide surged 

 aud chafed the Oregon Inlet, almost under my feet. 



This is one of the best light houses on the coast. The 

 lighting apparatus was made in Trance. The tower is built 

 of brick and iron and seems capable of standing any storm 

 without trembling, and yet so powerful is the wind at times 

 thai it sways and rocks in a manner try iDg to weak nerves. 



In the winter millions of brant, swan, geese, duck and oilier 

 fowl pass here in their (light to their feedieg grounds, and 

 many of them are killed by Btrjkipj ulass that 



protects the light. Last year it was found necessary to put a 

 frame work of iron in frout of the g ass ep i fi being 



broken by the heavy geese striking it. Several bushels i •<■ fowl 

 have been gathered from the platform some mornings that 

 were killed during the night by flying against the frame that 

 protects the light. 



i i inlet is gradually opening wider and deeper, and 

 there is now live aud a half feet of water on the inner 

 bar and twelve to eighteen feet on the outer bar. 

 Oregon Inlet is a great place for sportsmen, and there is good 

 sport for rod and guu all the year. Spanish mackerel, sea 

 bass, trout, drum, mullet, shad, blue fish, spots, croakers, 

 diamond-back teirapiD, sea turtle, chicken turtle, rock bass, 

 all have their seasons, while the waters abound in oysters, 

 clams and crabs. 



in the fall and winter wild fowl frequent the islands tiear 

 the inlet, and in the summer all kinds of beach birds are 

 very abundant. It is said that snipe do not breed as far 

 south as this, but I think it is a mistake, for I have seen 

 large numbers of young snipe on the marshes, and have 

 found two nests that contained regular snipe eggs. 



Near New Inlet are the feeding" grounds of the black and 

 white brant. These fowl are destined to be very pop- 

 ular when known among epicures. They are very large, 

 nearly twice the size of a canvas back, and ruauy consider 

 them fully as delicate in flavor. They will be shipped in 

 considerable quantity this winter no doubt, as they can be 

 sent via the Elizabeth City >V, Norfolk Railroad so as to reach 

 markets in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York within 

 twenty-four hours after they arc killed. They " place" from 

 Duck Island to Hatteras; are very plenty frouting the Jesse 

 Etberidge tract, and about New Inlet and about Douglass 

 Island, Pea Island, Jurymen Island and other islands along 

 the coast and in Pamlico Sound. There are also great num- 

 bers of them about Gar Island, where there is a small club 

 established called the Gar Island Olub. This club, snd Hie 

 Kilty Hawk Bay Club, are the only clubs in Hare county, 

 aud own about all the best shooting grounds in the county. 

 The, latter club is a monster affair, and they have bought 

 every island, shoal and beach and woodland of any value for 

 fowl, bird and deer shooting, not already owned by the Cur- 

 rituck county clubs, from Whale's Head down to Gar Is- 

 land, except the property owned by the Nyes at Van Slyck's 

 landing. They control some 300 mile9 of water front and 

 probably over 200,000 acres of laud and island. They have 

 shooting for a very large number of sportsmen and their fish- 

 ing rights are also valuable. 



Very few persons who have not visited this country have 

 any idea of the extent of fresh water navigation within the 

 boundaries of Eastern North Carolina. The sand ridge di- 

 viding the sounds and the ocean is from 100 yards to three 

 miles wide. This is low, but mostly dry, and just above 

 high water. It is firm and solid. The Ocean beach is the 

 finest for bathing I have ever seen — the slope is long, shallow 

 and even, floored with a fine soft sand that feels like velvet 

 under the feet. 



The waves come up the gradual incline which makes the 

 ijoftolll reach the land with gradually diminished force, and 

 I have dining the past, summer been out 200 yards from 

 shore with delicate ladies, and the rollers came over them 

 without violence or danger. 'I he Gulf Stream approaches 

 the shore nearer along this coast than anywhere else aud the 

 water is warmer. The sounds contain a greater amount of 

 fresh water than any other area on the Atlantic coast. All 

 this water is continually flowing into the ocean, carrying - 

 with it an immense amount of sand and dirt from the upper 

 lands along the rivers, some of which head in the mountains 

 of Tennessee and Virginia, hundreds of miles distant. This 

 sand or dirt is being constantly deposited within the outer 

 Teef, and replaces the sands carried on the sand ridge 

 and blown into the fantastic shapes that characterize the 

 sand dunes or hills. 



The only inlet between what, is now Oregon Inlet and 

 C'aoe Henry was Old Currituck Inlet, which was closed in 

 1713, and New Currituck Inlet, south of it, was opened about, 

 1735, ftnd vessels drawing nine feet ol water COU] : : :l ■■■■-- 

 through it. This inlet kept open for nearly 100 years and 



I in 1830. It is said that old Commodore 

 'oili. used to come through this inlet in a trading schooner. 

 His partner was a man named Hatfield, and they made con- 

 siderable money trading in lish, melons, feathers, tar, tur- 

 pentine and other products of North Carolina. Hatfield 

 invested his savings in some islands, which are now rented 

 from his heirs by some of the shooting clubs. Vanderbilt at 

 last decided to settle permanently iu New York city, and 

 tried to induce Hatfield to sell out aud go into the grocery 

 business in New York, but Hatfield told the future many- 

 miltioned man that he was afraid of his kite flying propensi- 

 ties and believed he would rather slay m Currituck. He 

 galled, hunted aud trucked it for the balance of his days and 

 died in Currituck. All the world knows the history of the 

 old Commodore. 



There are no inlets in Currituck. At present the water is 

 slightly brackish and is gradually filling up. Extensive 

 shoals are being formed on which grow the grass on which 

 the countless numbers of ducks, geese and swan that fre- 

 quent these waters feed. 



Northern sportsmen began coming to this county some 

 lime before the war to shoot wild fowl. Tn 1858 Ellas Wade, 

 Valentine Ilieks ar.d Stephen Taper, of New York State, 

 bought 1,700 acres of beach and marsh land from Abram 

 Baum at a cost of §3,000, and organized the Currituck 

 Shooting Club. This club has since bought some other 

 property. About three years ago they built a handsome 

 Club house on the beach, costing, with furniture, some $12,- 

 000. The club is composed of abont sixteen members and 

 the shares are limited to twenty-one, some of the members 

 owning several shares. 



In 1830 Peier Davis and John White organized the Palmer 

 Shooting Club with twenty-live members, and leased the. 

 marshes of Josephus Baum, south of the Currituck Club. 

 The warcaine on and fowl shooting was suspended. 



Soon aftei the war the Monkey Island Club was organized 

 by R. T. Wild, of Boston, and C. B. Mesi i 

 oil y. This property was bnmhl for an insignificanl sum and 

 would probably now sell for $50,000 under the ha ai 



in 18133 Arthur Emory, of New York, bought for $6 000 

 17,000 acres of laud from Abram Baum and organized the 

 Light Bouse Club, so called from its proximity to th,e 

 Whale's Head Light House. This club has twenty-one 

 Bhares, and their property is also valuable. 



The Crow Island Club was organized in 1804. They rent 

 the islands of Mrs. Hatfield, for which they pay about ,$1,000 

 yearly. 



Ragged Island Club, in Back Bay, is compose mostly oi" 



New England men. Solomon House, of Boston, is Presi- 

 dent. They have first-class shooting. 



The smallest club in these waters is the Little Island Club, 

 iu Back Bay. This property was bought by Ben Wood from 

 Major J. J. Burma for $4 000 just before the war, and was 

 sold by him to William R. Travera in 1875, for about $8,000. 

 Old Abe Baum calls this a "one man club." The owner is a 

 rich aud eccentric old geollemau, who lives in New York 

 cily, and from what the natives lellmehemust be quite a 

 character, His instruction to the men guarding his property 

 is that, if any man is found on his grounds with a breech- 

 loader to shoot him on the spot, as he is down on any gun 

 but the old-fashioned muzzle-loader. He has first-class 

 shooting on his property for several sportsmen, but his is 

 the only gun ever fired on the property, and as his islands 

 are isolated and surrounded by shoals, thick with wild celery, 

 the old gentleman can bag his 100 pairs of canvas-backs or 

 red-heads any day without trouble. Old Abe Baum, native 

 and to the manor bom, as his forefathers have been for over 

 two hundred years, says the reason Mr. Travers don't organ- 

 ize a club is "Case he is an opinionated old cuss, and no one 

 can't naturally agree with him and he can't naturally agree 

 with no one." 



Mr. Travers is said to be witty and sharp, and to have a 

 slight impediment in his speech, which make his sayings 

 more pungent. On one occasion he was passing through 

 Norfolk on his way North, after a season of bard shooting 

 among the canvas-backs ; and his clothes were somewhat 

 worn and soiled, after several weeks of beach usage, and he 

 did not look to ignorant eyes the educated, refined gent'e- 

 mau he really is. He was stopping at the Atlantic Hotel, 

 It was some public occasion and the dining room was 

 crowded. He saw only one vacant seat, which was at the 

 right of a majestic Navy Admiral. The chair was tipped 

 against the table to indicate that it was reserved, but Mr. 

 Travers was hungry and did not stand on ceremony. Walk- 

 ing up to the vacant place he pulled hack the chair and was 

 about to sit down, when the head-waiter came to him in a flurry 

 •and, tapping him on the shoulder, said: "This seat is re- 

 served, sir, for a gentleman." 



Mr. Travers looked at the man and replied, " W-w-well, 

 sir, he has c-c-come ;" and took his seat, and quietly began 

 scanning the bill of fare. 



Once when beating down Currituck in a small schooner 

 to take the Norfolk steamer, a northeast storm came up. 

 There was only one man anda boy on board, and Mr. Travers 

 was endeavoring to aid them shortening sail. While doing so 

 he became entangled in the rigging. He had taken off his 

 shoes so as to be ready for swimming for his life. He began 

 to call loudly for assistance, but the raging tempest, the ex- 

 citement of the position and his unfortunate impediment of 

 speech made his words incoherent. The man at I he helm at 

 last got impatient and called out, " Sing it, Mr. Travers, sing 

 it, sir, " The old gentlemau at once sang to the tune of 

 "Drops of Brandy," "Oh! p-p-please let go the jib tackle; 

 my b-b-big t-t-toe is caught in the block," and was at once 

 relieved from his embarrassing position. Jons Bkoshon. 



RANGE AND ROTARY MOVEMENTS OF LIMICOL.E. 



IT -was in the month of April, 1868, that we made our 

 debut as a duck shooter on a Wealern prairie. Born and 

 bred almost within the sound of the breakers on "New Eng- 

 land's rock-bound coast," we had been taught to bdieve that 

 the shore birds— Limicihe— were, with few exceptions, con- 

 fined to the seaboard, and when we saw large flocks of sev- 

 eral species of theBe birds feeding on the prairies we could 

 scarcely believe our eyes, nor would anything short of a dead 

 specimen in hand satisfy us of our errors. A golden plover 

 {Charadriux virginictts, Borck.) was secured and found to be 

 identical in every particular with the golden plover of the 

 Atlantic coast ; and, notwithstanding Prof. Baird had many 

 years earlier declared their habitat to be "all of North Amer- 

 ica, and visiting also other continents," we could not some- 

 how seem to realize the fact that they were so abundant at so 

 great a distance from the sea shore. Other Bpccies were also 

 observed, notably sickle-billed curlew (JYumoiius longiroxtrin, 

 Wils.), Esquimaux curlew (i\wtuniu.i bureau*, Lath.), sum- 

 mer yellow-legs (Totanm tl'ivipen, Vieill.), and pectoral sand- 

 pipers (2 W«o<t fitUomlix, Say.), We endeavored to glean 

 from intelligent gunners of that region some information re- 

 lating to the habits, food, migrations, etc., of these birds, 

 hut our labors iu this direction were vain and futile. The 

 fact was patent that no one cared to waste time or ammuni- 

 tion on such "small birds" as plover or curlew when deer, 

 swan, geese, ducks and their congeners were abundant in every 

 direction. Another very serious obstacle in the way of our 

 inquiries was encountered, viz., synonomy. We found it 

 very difficult to make ourselves understood when undertak- 

 ing to describe a particular species, so very different are the 

 local names of birds. 



Sportsmen, as a general rale, are quick, keen and intelli- 

 gent, but not always literary people, and in the absence of 

 scientific terms — some common platform upon which both 

 parties could stand — our progress was very slow and unsatis- 

 factory. We cannot always account for the origin or intro- 

 duction and retention of such a diversity of common names 

 for our feathered friends. R certainly is a great barrier to 

 the. acquisition of knowledge upon these topics. Names that 

 are familiar as household'words in one section are entirely 

 unknown in another. It is about as perplexing as when two 

 persons Speaking different languages attempt to carry on a 

 : aiion. I«'or instance, the first bird we have named 

 above was not known in the West where we were located as 

 a plover at all, but as a "prairie pigeon." The turnstone in 

 Massachusetts is commonly called " chicken bird," but else- 

 where " calico back." A pectoral sandpiper in our section is 

 "jack snipe," and iu others "kriektr," "grass snipe," etc. One 

 often hears in the West, or even on Long Island, the name 

 "Dowitelier." but. that cognomen would not be recognized in 

 Massachusetts as referring to red-breasted snipe (Macror- 

 , , Leach), but if Ihe bird was called "brown 

 Won d be instantly acknowledged. A "redbreast" 

 ■■■■»,, Linn. ; is variously known as "robin snipe," 

 /irk" and "knot." The marliu of the West is the mar- 

 ble godwit ' Limomfedm, Ord.) of the East, and so on ad in- 

 finitum. This unhappy state of affairs should no longer 

 exist. We have monetary, railroad, religious and other con- 

 ferences to harmonize conflicting interests or opinions, fix 

 values and establish rules of action. Why not have a na- 

 tional or Universal conference to establish a uniform nomen- 

 i or our birds ? Possibly the urbane individual who 

 occupies the editorial chair of Forest aud Stkeam and ex- 



