INovEMBKi: 24, 1881. 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



325 



cataclysms and upheavals': time has no appreciable effect on 

 them, they can resist its influence. Opposite the entrance 

 of Pigeon Elver is a point of land from whi?h a wonderfully 

 majestic view is had up the course of its valley. It is nar- 

 row, thickly limbered, and walled in on both sides and to- 

 ward its head, by most impressive snow and ice-covered 

 mountains. The view is, in fact, almost arctic in its char- 

 acter, the prcdominaing features being the snow-clad peaks 

 and the ice riveis which flow down their sides, while there 

 is only enough of vegetation to set off the whiteness of the 

 wintry scene. Just before teaching this point wo pass the 

 wonderful cliffy of House Mountains, which rise vertically 

 from the water's edge to a heigut of 2,500 or 3,000 feet. 

 Running close to the shore their top3 cinnot be seen, and 

 the impression of their height is almost awe-inspiritig, for 

 they seem to reach up to the very sky. The great gorge of 

 this mountain is a narrow canon, between it and the height 

 next south of it. The defile is so nearly straight that one 

 can look up it and see the glacier, from beneath which pours 

 the thundering torrent which rushes down with impetuous 

 haste to the level of the Inlet. From beneath the blue moun- 

 tain ofice the tiny white tbrend lulus its way down the slope, 

 constantly increasing in size as it draws nearer and nearer, 

 its volume swollen by a hundred lesser streams which are 

 added to it on its way. Always a torrent and always milky 

 White, it dashes on, sometimes running along an even 

 slope, at others leaping down precipices a hundred feet in 

 height; now undermining a thin crust of soil, green with 

 spruces, again burrowing beneath an enormous snow- 

 drift, which almost fills the gorge. The roar of its falls may 

 be heard at a distance, and when passing its mouth we could 

 only communicate by signs. Just as the Homalko Hiver is en- 

 tered we come in view of the strangely beautiful Hit Moun- 

 tain, which is the most prominent object at the head of the In- 

 let. It rises very steeply from the water's level ; so much so 

 that only na (he lower fourth of its height can the trees find 

 a foothold. Above this is a huge amphitheatre of great ex- 

 tent and marvellous regularity, filled with snow and ice, 

 from which pour forth several glaciers. Behind and above 

 all rises a vertical wall of black granite, sharply outlined 

 against the clear sky, and unrelieved by any touch of white. 

 Over the whole huug the roseate light of the settiug sun, 

 giving to the scene au indescribable beauty aud softness. 

 Viewed by the glare of noonday the picture would have been 

 one of stern— even of harsh— majesty. At the approach of 

 twilight its rugged outlines were blended, its frowning walls 

 softened. The undefined but all pervading pink of the after 

 glow, the curious shadows cast by peaks, snowdrift and 

 ice mountains, presented a view which exceeded in loveliness 

 anything I had ever c mceived of. 



We found the Siwash villige two miles above the mouth 

 of the river, and pitched our fly close to the water's edge, ex- 

 pecting to spend a day or two in exploring the mountains in 

 the vicinity, and then to travel slowly down the Inlet, 

 climbing Mounts Helen and Superb, and examining some of 

 the larger glaciers. When we awoke next morning, how- 

 ever, the dismal sound of. the rain pattering on the canvas 

 told us too surely, even before we looked out, that any 

 attempts at mountain climbing would be useless. The rain 

 fell through a thick, white mist, which hid the mountains 

 and even the opposite shore of tha river, with a steady, per- 

 sistent drip, very depressing to our spirts. All day long we 

 lounged about, eagerly scanning the clouds for signs of bet- 

 ter we ither aud watching for a shift of the wind. It was 

 amusing to not ; the changes of expression that manifested 

 themselves in the countenances of the different members of 

 the party as the day advanced. Before breakfast they all 

 wore a look of disgust, which alt?red as the hours wore on, 

 and the clouds at one time partly broke away, to one more 

 hopeful, and then as the rain continued to fall with a steady, 

 unimermitting pour, settled down to a look of confirmed 

 gloom. For three days we remained at this camp, hoping 

 vainly for a change in the weather, and then, despairing of 

 anything better,, we started down the inlet. The rain contin- 

 ued aud the clouds and fog hung low over the water, so that 

 our glimpses of the mountains were few. Occasionally, how- 

 ever, there would be a break in the clouds, or the mist would 

 partially clear away, so that we could see for a moment the 

 snowy top of a mountain, or a glacier would be visible through 

 a rift in the clouds like a picture in its frame. Perhaps the 

 most superb glacier on the inlet is that em the mountain next 

 north of Gi anite Peak and just south of Bear Bay. It is ap- 

 parently of very great extent and thickness, and ends abruptly 

 on the edge of a high precipice. It is broken and fluted en 

 its lower border, and extensively cracked and crevassed at 

 right angles to its course. All the glaciers would be much 

 larger were the sides of the mountains less steep. The ice 

 rivers all terminate abruptly ou the edge of almost vertical 

 slopes and, breaking off as they advance, fall over these 

 heights. Many of the deeper ravines contain snow down to 

 within a short distance of the water's edge. On Superb 

 Mountain we saw banks of snow not more than 150 feet from 

 the water ; and on the west side of the inlet, somewhat 

 further north, snow was visible only about 00 feet above 

 high- water mark. 



During the next two days the elements continued to work 

 against us, and our paddling was done through wind and 

 rain. Camps were made at Clipper Point, on Bute Inlet, and 

 Deceit Bay, on Redonda Island. An incident of the third 

 day after leaving Bute Met, and just after we had passed 

 Point Sarah, was our being wind bound near White Island by 



a heavy gale, which lasted about half a day, aud against 

 which we were not only unable to advance, but even to hold 

 our own. As provisions were getting a little low, two or 

 three of us started out to hunt. Deer and bear signs were 

 plentiful, and one of the former was secured. The country 

 was a nice one to hunt in, and was in striking contrast to 

 most of that which we had seen. It consisted of open ridges 

 with brushy ravines between, and a little tall timber on the 

 heights. I was interested in seeing the great sizo of the 

 stones turned over by the bears in their search for worrm , 

 bugs and ants' eggs. One cube of granite recently turned 

 out of its bed bj r a bear was not less than two feet through, 

 and so heavy that I could not stir it, a good indication of the 

 enormous muscular power of these animals. They were evi- 

 dently extremely numerous here. Next day we were again 

 wind bound, but happily not until the afternoon was half 

 spent, so that we made some progress. Just before reaching 

 camp we passed some low rocks on which were feeding num- 

 bers of the blackhearted turnstones (Stnjmla.t melanocepha- 

 tua% a large number of gulls; perhaps L. (canus, var.) brnchy- 

 ihymhti.i, rind a.pair of black oyster catchers (JKamatopun 

 I'iffci). Tin- julter acted much like the oyster catcher 

 of the Atlantic coast and >• cl the same sharp whistle. During 

 the day we saw many old squaws (IlareUa glacialk) 

 and a few spotted sandpipers (Trinffoides mandarins). 

 The rain of last, week bad made the brush so wet that hunting 

 was uncomfortable, so I sent the Siwashes out for a deer, the 

 Admiral lending Jimmy his rifle. Hamset returned without 

 anything, but Jimmy, somewhat later, came in with a piece 

 of meat. He told us that, he had killed a big buck which he 

 had packed down to the beRch, but h>ul been unable to bring 

 any further. The boy— he was only about 17 years old— was 

 immensely proud of having killed the deer. He explained 

 to us by signs how he had seen the deer, how it had looked at 

 him, and he had fired twice, the last time breakiug its neck, 

 and ended up by shouting, with a loud laugh, " Hyass 

 mowilrJi, me kill." He afterward told the Sergeant private- 

 ly that "the hearts of his friends were very good toward him, 

 because he had killed a deer that was big and fat." 



Coasting along the shore next morning, we saw a blue 

 grouse standing upon a large rock on a small island, and 

 iandiDg found a brond of a dozen well grown birds, a num- 

 ber of which we secured. Later in the day, while working 

 aloug close to the rocks to avoid the tide, two moving objects 

 were descried upon a low seaweed covered point. We 

 paddled quietly along, and, as we approached, I made them 

 out to be black eagles (II kucwephalm). When we were 

 about thirty feet from them, one flew away, but the other 

 waited until the bow of the canoe was within six feet of 

 him before he moved. He then hopped to a large log 

 about fifteen feet distant, where he sat surveying us in 

 the most unconcerned manner. Both birds were young, 

 and had probably never seen a man before. Turning over 

 the fish upju which they were feeding— which proved to 

 be a dog-fish about three feet long — I found that a great 

 hole had been toru in his side, from which the entrails 

 were protruding. The fish was still alive. The young 

 eagle remained on his perch near the fish until Hamset 

 tried to shoot his head off, when he flew a couple of hun- 

 dred yards to a large pine. Opposite Hardy Island, and 

 just within the entrance of Hotkam Sound, are the beau- 

 tiful Twin Falls, to be visited, we hope, on our return. 



The scenery at the mouth of Jervis inlet is much finer than 

 that at the entrance of Bute, the Inlet being narrower and 

 the hills bolder. Marlborough Heights are very grand, ris- 

 ing over G,000 feet almost vertically, and terminating in sharp 

 pyramids of granite. They have, however, but little snow up- 

 on them. Moorsam Bluffs rise in a series of steps to a height 

 of perhaps 3,000 feet. The faces of the cliffs are for the most 

 part bare of trees, and are scored by ravines, of no great 

 depth, but running up the whole height of the Bluffs and 

 casting, at certain hours of the morning and evening, beauti- 

 tiful shadows over the rocks. There is just enough timber 

 to relieve the bareness of the rock-faces, without giving the 

 heavy appearance which a tree-covered slope always has. 

 Just above these bluffs the conical peak of Mt. Churchill 

 comes into view, lieu .tifullv patched with snow, and again, 

 above it, Mt. Spenser a long wall-like mountain, whose 

 northwestern face rises steeply from a deep amphitheatre- 

 like valley lying inclosed between it and Churchill. This de- 

 pression is a basin, which looks as though a part of the moun- 

 tain had sunk out of sight, leaving here a great hole 

 with abruptly sleep sides. As we move on up the 

 Inlet we pass one snow-capped mountain after an- 

 other, most of them of very great beauty. Mount Albert, 

 near the head of the Inlet is grand, with lofty peaks and ex- 

 tensive snow fields. At Desert Bay is an Indian village and 

 the view up the valley behind it opens up another series of 

 whitened mountains. Yo. 



. — -•»— . 



IT PAYS TO ADYEilTI.HK 

 I« tut, Forest and Stbeam. An Ontario correspondent writes, 

 under date of October 21 : Inclosed please find eight dollars for a 

 two years' subscription to your paper. Although money is scarce 

 with mo I cannot do without F"Iu:stand Stueax. When your 

 paper first oaine here there was only one breech-loading gun in the 

 place, and wc now have more than seventeen breech-loudiug- gnus 

 and four or five rifles, all bought through the advertisements in 

 your paper. When your articles ou Iiittruar powder came out we 

 just about Bending Jor Some,- but in consequence of that ex- 

 we have not, and do not mtcud to risk our guns in trying the 

 compound. I for one cunuot speak too highly of your paper, and 

 it is eagorly looked for every week. 



THE PEOPLE OF THE PINES. 



Kitty Hawk Bat, 1ST. O, Nov 15 



I HAVE just returned to what seems hke home to me 

 here in the Bay, where I am lulled to steep at ni^ht by 

 the roar of the sea beating on the shore hard by, and where 

 I can get my fresh fish, venison and fowl cooked in a 

 Christian style. I board wiih Captain Willett Mott who is 

 from Long Island, and knows tbe art of cooking from A to 

 L. I am told a Mr. Davis, from Boston, keep? a first-class 

 hotel at KittreU'a Staiion, on the R deign and Gaston Bail 

 road, between Weldon and It deigh, where one can tret eood 

 quail and turkey shooting, afi.sudass meal a- d go aYsnrine- 

 bed and mattress to sleep on Tbe River View House, at 

 Washington, N. C is also well kept. Those two places and 

 Moil's are probably ihe only ones hereabouts where 

 tbe frying. pan do: s not reign supreme in ike kitchen I 

 have been on a tramp from Plymouth, on Roanoke River 

 »P lhe r JTo, aS & r ' S Hamil , ton i 'ro«» <«»«« to Tarboro, at 

 ihe head of Tar River, and down Tar River to Washington ■ 

 from there along the shore of Pamlico Sound to Crottean 

 Sound ; from there hi re I found game and fish in all direc 

 lions— deer, turkeys, quail, squirrel, coons, opossum antl 

 in some purls, the small commou black bear. The waters 

 team with chub, pickerel, robbin, white perch, catfish suck 

 ers, horse-fish and eels. The country is very rough No 

 railroads. Every tow,,, however, has a pet railroad scheme 

 by which all the people are to be made bloated bondholders 

 All they want is the railroad and a little help from Matt Ran' 

 som in the way of river and harbor appropriations. Scuool 

 houses are few, and generally unoccupied. The churches are 

 barn-hke structures— generally unpainted. Tbe roads are 

 generally very good, as the only travel is by single steer 

 "crceter,"or mule and cart, which does not cut up the 

 road. v 



The country is mostly a wilderness of pine forests and 

 cypress aud juniper swamps, with here and there a 'small 

 cb armg where the people have a few acres of com, half an 

 acre m sweet potatoes, a few slocks of bees, a scuppernonjr 

 grapevine, a small garden, with a few stalks of collards fa 

 species of cabbage), plenty of poultry, numerous elogs and 

 ■ en collars' worth of furniture— and there you have a'a in- 

 ventory of their apparent wealth. But, perhaps, the familv 

 own one, two or ihree thousand aces of land, which gives 

 sustenance for numerous otttle, hogs and sheep, beside,? 

 game. They have at the head of the " run'' a small " pocosin " 

 where they can make cypress or juniper shinnies, which find 

 ready sale at the store "down to the landing," or they canmale 

 staves or tar. In the fishing season he is in demand at the 

 fishery at good wages. Wood don't cost him anything. The 

 old woman and the " gals" make the best of clothes out of 

 homespun. The boys bring home at night au armful of 

 ligln'ood knots," which make a brgut light, aud the family 

 sit before the wide fire-place with the door wiile open '-so 

 they can see any one passin'." The wells are shallow 

 curbed with hollow cypress butts. The draioage from 

 house, hog-pen and stable contaminates the water, and so 

 they have "chills," and the doctor is a frequent visitor. 



They have droves of a razor-backed, alligator breed of 

 hogs running wild in the woods ; and now and then one is 

 caught, penned and fed a few weeks on corn and swill • and 

 the bacon is lean but sweet and wholesome. Some of the 

 planters near the towns call these wild hogs " third row 

 breed," because they can reach through the fences with their 

 long noses and gather in the third row of corn from the 

 fence. 



The family have, perhaps, one hundred head of cattle 

 running wild in the woods, which "do right well except in 

 winter, when they fare badly." Very few people outside of 

 the towns have any milk or butter, for the cows don't come 

 up. When they have any cream they whip it in a platter 

 with a spoon into a lard-like looking substance, which they 

 call butter. 



These arc tough people, and can stand a wonderful amount 

 of exposure. They will work from Monday morning to 

 Saturday night on a ration of four pounds of b-icon and a 

 peck of meal, with a quart of black molasses. Many of them 

 walk five or six miles night and morning to and from their 

 work. 



The hard-shell Baptist Church is the prevailing religion 

 and next the Methodists. The women are virtuous. These 

 people are all bright and k<en, and can take care of them- 

 selves wonderfully well in a bargain. 



The men and boys all chew, smoke and drink rifle whisky. 

 The women and girls all dip snuff. The young men go into 

 tbe woods, gather the tend, rlinibs of tbe sweet gum, peel the 

 outside bark from ihem, out them into five-inch lengths, split 

 one end into a smaU broom, tie them up in a neat bundle 

 containing twenty-seven sticks (why this mystic number no 

 one c in tell) with some ribbons off cigar bundles, i nd pre- 

 sent them to their sweethearts with their compliments. 

 This is considered a very genteel thing to do, and the fair maid 

 serenely sucks away on ibe dip-sticks, and thinks of her J >hn 

 Henry. When the snuff-sticks are worn out they are called 

 "frazzles," and hence ihe expression often heard, "I'll wear 

 you out to a "fiazzle." When they beat a person severely 

 they call it " lnomicking ;" and I thought I had discovered 

 a new word until I ran across it in Shakespeare the other 

 day. 



in some parts of this country they measure distances by 

 "hollers, 1 ' and a man told me one day it was " about a look 

 and a half to Robersonville." 1 found that it was custom- 

 ary in laying out new roads to blaze a conspicuous place, 

 or in a prominent tree, which one could see from some other 

 tree on the route; and this was a "look," or about five 

 huudred yards. 



1 met some queer characters in my tramp. One old lady 

 invited me to call again "when the days, and nights were 

 longer." Some of the old women are great doctors, and their 

 recipes were something wonderful At one house 1 s*w a 

 "mad" or "snake stone." This is a porous slone, about one 

 and ahalf inch, diameter and twoiuches long. This belonged 

 to au old man named Gotzingeer, and it had been in his family 

 for generations. It will suck the poison from a snake or 

 d g bite if applied within one hour. I heard accounts of 

 its virtues from so many sources that I must believe in it. 

 They are made, it is said, by Wm. Basnight, of Eist L ike, 

 for $25 each, and are said to be made from a certain 

 part of a bear. 



I was too late to see many snakea, but I heard all kinds of 

 snake stories. One man told of a joint-snake, and of killing 

 one in the wood3, and carrying a piece, or joint, home in his 

 pocket. He was sitting after dinner "in a kiud of a 



