284 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[November 10, 188 1 



THE ATLANTA RIFLE TOURNAMENT. 



B3 tii' n! from the Secretary of (lie National Rifle 

 .inn ii will In; seen Unit it is possible for us to 

 hold an attractive rifle meeting at the Gate City Of tlie Bomb 

 fluting m. i ii . ;i .Mh. The intention is u good one, 

 and as tho managers of i lie most successful display, now in 

 progress in Atlanta, have made it a general one, and art- 

 working to make it an exposition of the South in all its 

 material ■ ati > I the crtnfltiet Of a ridernatekis in entire- 

 accord with their plan. They have invited the Directors of 

 the National Ritle Association to become the managers of 

 this feature of the general display and that trust has been 

 accepted. It this National Rille Association were indeed 

 national, there would lie no trouble at all in this trusteeship, 

 but it is really a local organization of use only in being well 

 aud widely known and being thoroughly able to manage a 

 ride meeting in all its multifarious details. 



A wise step haa been taken, though very tardily, in making 

 a canvass of the riflemen of the country, in order that some 

 previous estimate, can be made as to the probability of suc- 

 cess. What is wanting now is a full statement from the 

 Pair managers as to what tlioy can do aud what they can 

 offer in the way of prizes. We want also to hear from the 

 riflemen nf the South. Will Ihty be represented at the pro- 

 posed ritle meeting, aud in what style of shooting do they 

 care to meet the invite I guests ami competitors from other 

 parts of the Union. On three and many other points it 

 would be well if Ihe Exposition Commissioners would speak 

 promptly and fully. The prizes should not be "in kind." 

 A prize of this sort is more than likely to become a white 

 elephant in the bauds of the winner. We do not take it 

 that there is any idea of pecuniary advantage on the part of 

 those who would undertake the journey from a Northern city 

 to participate in the proposed tournament, but it is discour- 

 aging to know that the prizes are to be a collection of mis- 

 cellaneous goods, which, though valuable intrinsically, are 

 valueless to the riflemen securing them. Trophies would 

 form excellent rewards. They would be at once artistic 

 vouchers of the superior skill shown and 'mementos of a | 

 pleasant visit. If the managers will make such an an- 

 nonneemsnt without delay, we have no doubt that not only 

 military teams will visit Atlanta, but private club teams as 

 well, with a good following of marksmen to participate iu 

 the individual matches. 



The importance ,,f (he meeting if held will be very great. 

 There is need of just such a good exhibition of marksman- 

 ship as the visit of a few teams from New York regiments, 

 and Eastern ride clubs will afford to let the Southern gentle- 

 men know how little they understand of target, practice. 

 We hear of a few good rifles going into the South. There 

 are plenty of weapons sue a Bs they are after the " Saxon" 

 type scat I erc-.l about among the negroes. Many of the old 

 settlers swear by old tire irons, and actually shoot from 

 machines which ought long since have been laid away in the 

 cases of a museum. There are a few good rifle clubs in the 

 Bouth. New Qrleaus is doing good work in military as in 

 "any ride" shooting. Mobile, loo, has a live organization, but 

 how rarely do we bear of any scores from Kentucky, the old- 

 time home of the rifleman, and the remainder of the country 

 does uot give a sign of any rilie interest. A carefully-drawn 

 match of the riflemen of the South vx. the riflemen of the 

 North would scud this neglect to foster ahealthful interest in 

 rifle-shooting home to many men of the Southern States. 

 The military interests, too, would be stirred and improved. 

 Every State in the Union should have a well-regulated 

 militia establishmenti and until that is brought about aud 

 rifle practice given a proper place in the tactics of this body 

 of citizen soldiers, we are living on in neglect of an im- 

 portant element in our national safety. A well-attended 

 meeting at Atlanta would afford the text for every Southern 

 newspaper on this topic. Mauy of our Northern States are 

 neglectful enough, but others are attentive and afford com- 

 mendable examples in this respect. What they can do 

 would be shown before the butts at this winter gathering, 

 and (lie contrast, we take it, would be so strong and the in- 

 efficiency of the representatives of the careless States so ap- 

 parent, that for very shame something would be douc, and 

 good, thereby, grow out of the enterprise, 



The time for prcpara' ion is short, but much can be done 

 in a brief period with our present means of communication, 

 audit a prompt -and roll statement or rues at ones from the 

 exposition managers, v/e doubt not that before the winter 

 holidays a. memorable meeting on the old Georgia soil will 

 have been recorded. 



Cruising is Florida Wathp.s.— Sir. N. II. Bishop, the 

 well-known author, is soon to underlake some extensive 

 cruising on the Florida Gulf I -oast, and we hope to be able 

 to rejiort mubh definite and reliable news concerning that in- 

 teresting and comparatively unknown portioned' the Flowery 

 Find. Mr. .Bishop's letters describing his " Voyage in a 

 Paper Cano a" down the Atlantic coast, which appeared in 

 his journal originally, were so well received by the public 

 and added so much that was novel and interesting to our 

 stock of knowledge of Southern sea board life, that his in- 

 tended observations will bo eagerly read by the rapidly- 

 growing numbers proposing to make their home in Florida. 



Last Week- we printed a communication in which the 

 writer wanted to know what had baeu practically accom- 

 plished by all the talk about game protection. We had 

 thought to devote some space in the present issue to showing 

 him, and other carpers like him, that much has been done. 

 But our columns are so filled with other timely matter, that 

 we must leave him for the present to indulge in his sneers. 

 Meanwhile, the world moves. 



ToLEm Pisiit.w ako Huntixg ('i.t'ii.— Wc have received 

 the constitution and by-laws of the Toledo, <)., Fishing aud 

 limiting Club, in whole roll of members we recognize mauy 

 expert handlers of rod aud reel. The membership of the 

 society should make it influential. 



Faumeh.-. &.SP SeoiiTSMus. -A Massachusetts farmers' so- 

 ciety took up this subject last week. A report of what was 

 said is given elsewhere. We welcome all such public dis- 

 cussions Of the mailer. It is of vital interest to both parties. 

 The more it is talked about the better. The farmer has 

 rights which the sportsman must be made to respect. The 

 sportsmoi lee. rights which the farmer must be made to re- 

 spect. There are hoggish farmers; and there are lawless 

 gunners; the former can be conciliated by fair treatment: 

 the latter caa be Suppress :(] hy rigorous measures. 



Criiu Cosstiti:tima-s.— We arc in frequent receipt of re- 

 quests for OOustilutions and by-laws suitable for newly or- 

 ganized game protective clubs. Societies are invited to send 

 us printed coph-s of such forms that we may furnish them 

 to new clubs. 



j|7/£ ^ai[tsimn ^omi§t. 



FROM OKEECHOBEE TO THE GULF. 



THIS n.OKIDA EXPEDITION OF 1381, 



FOR camp life in winter Florida is unsurpassed in* our 

 country, so far as healthand comfort are concerned. In 

 the early winter rainy weather sometimes prevails in the 

 northerly portions of the Stale, but aEter the middle of Janu- 

 ary the climate of ihe peninsula is delightful. Who would 

 not, then, if he could, leave the snow, slush aud mud of our 

 Middle Slates for a sky more blue and a sun more warm, 

 " where the flowers ever blossom and the beams ever shine." 

 Thcic it rarely rains, and when rains do come they Are but 

 thunder showers. The sun is warm— hut not too warm ; the 

 air is pure from the ocean on either side. Here the invalid 

 may resl ; bis racking cough is stayed, sweet and unbroken . 

 sleep comes to him onct more, and, if he goes there iu 

 lime, the fell destroyer, consumption, is robbed of his Victim. 

 I have a firm faith in the healing virtues of the climate, for 

 experience has been my teacher. 



In the winter of WIS the writer descended the Kissimmee 

 River from its source to the groat and once mysterious Lake 

 Okeechobee. The old "Forest and Stream," the boat that 

 carried the explorers sent out by ibis paper some 3'ears before 

 to explore the -river aud lake, was then rotting at a wharf in 

 Lake" T'hopakliga. On this trip the idea — not a new one — 

 was conceived Of an expedition duwn the Kissimmee, through 

 the Like, and thence to the Gulf via the Caloosahatchie River. 

 This it was my good fortune to accomplish the past wiu'.er as 

 one of a party Of live who met at the Duval in Jacksonville 

 lust January. Our supplies were laid iu at this place, and 

 afler a visit to Al. Fresco, who kindly gave m some valuable 

 in formation concerning our route, we took tha steamer for 

 the Upper St. Johns. Arrived at Sanford, on lake Monroe, the 

 South Florida Railroad (narrow gauge) carried us and our 

 effects to Orlando, where a learn was iu waiting to convey us 

 to lake Tohopakliga, eighteen miles distant. We lingered 

 among the beautiful oraugc groves aud lakes about Orlando 

 for two or three days, and reached the lake on the 15th of 

 January. Our guide had preceded us and we found our 

 boat in readiness. She was twenty feel, long and seven and 

 a half fe't beam, decked onlv about seven feet forward. 

 Bu4t of Florida rich pine, she "was, of course, heavy, a poor 

 model an<l an indifferent sailer, but sUnnck and strong. 

 Many a hard thump we gave her, aud site carried us where 

 no-boat had ever floated, exceptiug, of course, the canoe of 

 Mr. Lo, the Seminole. On the 16,h we sailed down the lake, 

 which is a beautiful sheet of water, some fifteen miles in 

 length anil thiee to live in widlh. A number of settlements 

 are ou its shores, and game in its vicinity is scarce. The 

 entrance to the river from the lake is narrow, the water is 

 swift aud the channel as crooked as fate. Five or six miles 

 brought us to Lake Cypress, through which we passed in the 

 night, reaching Fort Gardner Island, on ihe shores of Lake 

 Kissimmee, after midnight. Here we spent several days 

 hunting with poor success, as the island is much frequented. 

 Lake Kissimmee is a lovely sheet of water, about twenty 

 miles long and five lo ten broad. After leaving the : siand 

 we camped on the eastern shore of the lake, where we found 

 our first turkeys. 



Here begins the Kissimmee Prairie, which extends to 

 Okechobec. In some places it is miles in width, ;n others 

 the pine timber comes close to the river, which winds about 

 in a vast, maisb.lrom two to ten miles wide, occasionally touch- 

 ing the bluffs, if such the low banks may be called. UjJ this 

 prairie and in the adjacent pine timber deer were plentiful 

 aud venison steaks were soou frying iu the pan. Procuring 

 a team aud wagen from the one settler near the lake, we 

 camped ten mites east, where ihe water Hows both to ihe St. 

 Johns and the Kissimmee. Our boat was lef 1 on the shore, 

 where we found her safe ou our return. 



We saw more deer in this neighborhood than at any other 

 point on our route. I had here my first experience in tire 

 hunting, in the most primitive style. Our guide took a rich 

 pine stump, four to ttve inches in diameter and seven lo eight 

 feet lone, and, splitting the larger end, inserted in the cracks 

 splinters of fai pine. Lighting Ibis end at. the fire, aud plac- 

 ing a good pad on his snouhier, be would carry it for miles 

 through the woods, the blaze behind Ids hack and a huuter 

 or two carrying gun and hatchet at his heels. In this way 

 alter several failures 1 killed my first deer, firing at two 



Iverysparki looked the size of a dime. At this point 



we esotrienced the dimculty of hunting in the lint woods, as 

 we could hardly go half a mile from camp aud find our way 

 back without a guide. There arc no landmarks, and to in- 

 experienced eyes all portions of the forest seems alike. 



Our next camp was ou B jamah Islaud, iu the southern end 

 of Lake Kissimmee. Wild turkeys were abundant here and 

 we secured a number; they were in good condition and hue 

 eating, 



Leaving our pleasant camp on the island, we once more 

 headed down the swifl and tortuous stream, camping at, 

 night on the shores, aud hunting morning aud evening with 

 varying success— most of the game being turkeys, ducks und 

 snipe. At Fort Bassiuger, forty miles above Okeechobee, is 

 the lust and almost the only settlement on the river. Here, 

 on the 10th of February, we had green corn fur dinuer from 

 the garden of Mr. John Pearce, who lives on the site of the 

 old station. In this neighborhood wc spent several days 

 wailing for favorable winds, which came at last; and ou Ihe 

 evening of Ihe 12th wc reached the groat lake, too late to find 

 a camp on shore, so what sleep we got was on a pine board, 

 and a hard one, too. 



The next day we sailed along the northern shore of the 

 lake, our objective point being the mouth of Fish Eatirg 

 Creek, bo often sought for but never entered by a boat from 

 the lake since the Seminole War. Our camp that, night was 

 a narrow sandy beach, over which the wind breaks wnen the 

 winds blow from the South. The next morning, the 14th of 

 February, we were off bright and early, and by eight o'clock 

 sighted Al. Fresco's mark for the mouth of the creek — a dead 

 cypress tree standing in the lake about a half mile north of 

 the creek. The latter was found without difficulty and, to our 

 joy, perfectly open and free from all obstructions. It is 

 narrow, but deep and full of very fine bass. In a short time 

 wc had fifty pounds of fish in the boat, some of the bass 

 weighing ten pounds each. 



If was our original plan to attempt to pa c s from the lake to 

 the Caloosahatchie, leaving the former at a point nearly east 

 of the head of the river; but we abandoned this On learning 

 the. terrors of the saw grass. We then thought of ascending 

 Fish Eating Creek to New Fort Centre, there to hire 'a team 

 to convey our boat across the prairie to Fort Thompson. On 

 the Kissimmee, however, we met with an old cattle herder 

 who was familiar with the shores of the great niarah on the 

 west, side of the lake. He thought it practicable to convey a 

 boat from Fish Eating Creek through the comparatively open 

 water lhal lay between the prairie and the vast field of saw- 

 grass that stretched away for miles to tke shore of the lake. 

 This course wc determined to ad opt, and when our boat had 

 ascended the crock lo a point within sight of Ihe prairie we 

 left the open water and took to the marsh. 



Here our trials began, which for nearly three days taxed 

 our utmost endurance. One of our party was a middle aged 

 gentleman, a dentist from Ohio; two others were young and 

 robust Yankees from Massachusetts, full of the spirit of 

 adventure, hardy and cheerful, nothiDg daunted by any 

 fatigues or hardships. May I always have such companions 

 for the wilderness. The other two were West Virginia 

 farmers, one of whom lives lo regret having called himself a 

 "fool"— when in that marsh — "for coming to iuch a country." 

 Well, he felt as proud of the achievement as any of us when 

 we finally sailed out of the Caloosahatchie into the Gulf; and 

 so did our Doctor, who had been in favor of turning hack 

 from Fort Bassinger, when told by Mr. Pearce of that place 

 that he had spenl six days and nights in goim: two miles 

 through the saw grassbel ween luke Okeechobee and lake Kick - 

 pochea. We had a guide who was man-of-all-work, a good 

 hunter and sailor — also drunkard and ruffian when within 

 reach of liquor. There was also a"cullud geinmeu" for 

 cook, who was generally in mortal terror of wolves and tigers 

 by night, and " gators" by day. This individual professed, 

 iu common with bis race, a great love for "possum." One 

 night a great rattling among the dry leaves was heard near 

 where some venison hung ; a rush was made for Ihe intruder 

 and a fat 'possum was captured. Charley roasted him in 

 most approved style, but he alone partook of the dish, aud, 

 notwithstanding his alleged love for it, I saw the next day a 

 Mexican buzzard dining off the larger half of thero:sten 

 'possum. After that no more were cooked, though we had 

 trouble lo keep them away from our fresh meat. 



Well, we were in the marsh ; it was morniug, and our 

 spirits were high ; but at night, when a dejected and worn- 

 out crowd gathered around the camp stove — which was set 

 up in the boat for want of dry land— il seemed to be the 

 opinion of soine-that we would never get out of that "mash," 

 as our cook called it. A night's sleep, however, refreshed all 

 hands, though ihe bed was again of pine boards; and we re- 

 sumed our march, as I may now call it, for the water was so 

 choked wilh vegetation that we were compelled most of ihe 

 time to wade, pushing the boat or propelling her by poles. 

 Fortunately our Yankees had brought an Osgood folding 

 canvas boat, 15 feet long. In her we placed a large part of 

 the baggage and our dentist (incapacitated by his office life 

 and some surplus flesh for hard work), who looked something 

 lilec Neptune, as with his long beard he sat enthroned iu the 

 little Osgood, amid a chaos of cracker boxes, venison hams 

 and blankets— only In place of the trident he carried a note- 

 book aud pencil. This lightened our larger craft materially. 



All day we toiled; and _at night, though our day's Iravel 

 was estimated at twelve miles, we could see but one ray of 

 hope ; that was the timber line in front, supposed to border 

 the Caloosahatchie. Him and blue it looked, but it was the 

 raiubow of promise to a forlorn and weary company. 



To the east, as we advanced, was the marsh, stretching its 

 dense growth of saw-grass to the lake shore, aud beyond 

 the great Lake itself." To the west, as far as the eye could 

 reach, lay the Indian Prairie, dotted here and therewith pal- 

 metto hammocks. In front, rising slowly oa the horizon, as 

 we nea.-ed it, was the line of timber. 



This night wc again slept in our boat. All hands dreaded 

 the morrow, for we feared that after all of our labor aud toil 

 we should And the way closed ; but as usual, when we had 

 eaten and slept, our spirits returned, and we all went to work 

 the next morning with a will, wading and pushing the boat. 

 After two or three hours' work we began to notice that the 

 spears of grass in the water seemed to lean in one direction, 

 which indicated a current ; and shortly afterward it could be 

 plainly seen. About ten o'clock we struck a little open 

 stream of clear water, no wider than a cow trail at first, but 

 deep and running swiftly. Willi joy we hailed it. Oar 

 labors were over. Though we did not then know it, we were 

 at the very head of the Caloosahatchie, where the water first 

 forms a running stream as it leaves Lake Kickpochee, a good 

 sized lake separated from Okeechobee by from two to six 

 miles of dense saw grass. This lake is deeper than Okee- 

 chobee, and receives a part of the overflow from it. 



We now sailed smoothly on amid the mildest and most 

 tropical sccucry I had ever beheld. Immense flocks of bright 

 plumaged birds were on either side. The clear water was 

 alive with the finest bass, which we landed until weary of 

 the sport. Alligators were plenty and large, rcceiviug a due 

 share of attention from the rifles. In places the current was 

 swift, and the river divided into many channels. Sometimes 

 we seemed to be in a labyrinth out of w T hich there was no 

 escape. Tall reeds formed a wall on either side. Again, the 

 river wideued into beautiful lakes. 



A fair wind bore us swiftly on, and at night we camped at 



