FOREST AND STREAM. 



century. This portion of the count iy in early times formed 

 part of French Louisiana. The right to the Mississippi 'Ter- 

 ritory was disputed between the French and Spam 

 afterward between the French and English. It, was ceded to 

 G reat Britain in 1 768, and in 1788 fell to Spain as part of Florida. 

 In 1798 Spain relinquished it to the United Stales. 



Many interesting traditions connected with its early hislury 

 are told, and the site of Fort Rosalie is still pointed out to the 

 Stranger, Natchez is one of the loveliest places in the South ; 

 hut lacks that stir and bustle characteristic of a railroad town. 

 It has only one railroad, that runs somewhere iuland— or is to 

 run somewhere — built like the present style of ladies' dresses, 

 narrow gauge. It has no manufactories; but nowhere in the 

 South will you find more evidences of wealth and refinement, 

 as shown by the elegance and taste displayed in the private 

 nees and grounds. 



Nowhere will you find better kept streets, better or more 

 imposing public buildings, more handsome and stylish 

 ladies, and last, though not least, nowhere will you find more 

 well-bred sporting dogs. Somebody says: ''Show me a 

 man's friend and 1 will tell you what mauner of a man lie is." 

 Show me the dogs in a town and I will tell you what manner 

 of people inhabit it. When you see all the dags in a place 

 mongrels you may be sure there is a very large element of our 

 in the population. 



Natchez has the handsomest Masonic Temple in the State, 

 a fine Court House, a magnificent cathedral, and an admirably 

 conducted Orphan Asylum. Some pretty churches and many 

 truly elegant puvate residences, notably the Shields Place, 

 and' the Stanton Place, the latter one of the finest residences 

 in the South. Broad streets intersect each other at right 

 angles, shaded by beautiful trees. 



Everywhere in the suburbs you see yards and gardens gorge- 

 ous with flowers and foilage, and redolent of perfume. Ele- 

 gant stores and tasty shops, filled with costly merchandize, 

 give to the business portion of the town a city-like air A 

 beautiful little park, shaded hy masses of foilage and richly 

 carpeted with grass, lies in front of the town on the bluff over- 

 looking the river. 



From this charming spot you can see the; river stretching 

 away on cither hand, can look down the chimneys of the 

 houses in Natchez-under-the-Hlll. Can see lake Concordia 

 beyond the. river, and the rich plantations in redeemed Louisi- 

 ana far away to the southwest. It is a' magnificent view; 

 river and lake, cultivated lands and boundless forests— far as 

 the. eye can reach— spread like a gorgeous panorama before 

 you. 



From this bluff perchance the redskiuned fire-worshiper 

 marked the. coming of the pale faces' boats upon the river. 

 What a charming spot for the Natchez youth lo woo the gun- 

 tie maiden. If she would not let the word be " yes," then lie 

 could jump off himself, or better, perhaps, push her off. 

 North of the town stands a dilapidated IT. S. Marine hospital, 

 that is now being repaired and renovated by some religious 

 denomination North with a view of making it a Normal 

 School for the education of young colored men for the minis- 

 try. Beyond the hospital is the Federal cemetery, beautiful- 

 ly situated and tastefully laid out. The surface of the country 

 is broken hereabouts with deep depressions, called the "Devil's 

 punch bowls." Some of them are one hundred feet deep, and 

 us many yards in diameter. Imbedded in the sloping sides are 

 found the bones of the mastodon. 



To an emiuent physician, long a resideut of Natchez, to 

 whom 1 here gladly record my obligations, I am indebted for 

 much valuable information relating to this interesting town. 



On a high bluff that commands a fine view of the river and 

 surroundings is the site of the Stizette mansion, destroyed 

 during the war, and under the hill not far away is " Brown's 

 Garden," enchanting in its rich prof usion of trees and shrub- 

 ery and flowers. 



" Tliere the young flourets wil.li sweet perfume blow ; 

 There feathery palms their pendent clusters hold, 

 Like foxe's brushes, moving to and fro ; 

 There every evening comes the after glow, 

 Tipping the leaflets with its liquid gold." 



South of town near the river is a rectangular wall of 

 brick inclosing a small space of ground, over which, from 

 the swaying branches, long tresses of mossliang solemnly, and 

 the very trees seem bending down in sadness. Within this 

 inclosure, on a plain granite headstone, is the following in- 

 scription : 



Sakgbant S. Pkentiss, 



Eoru at Portland, Maine, 



Sept. 80th, 1S03. 



Died at Natcln-z 



July 1st, I860; 



Do not think me a Vandal or a relic hunter when I fell you 

 that from a carved buck's head in my little parlor droops a 

 long festoon of gray moss that once waved in sadness above 

 the grave of him who, living, held all hearts entranced by the 

 power of bis eloquence and, dead, leaves the charm of his 

 name an everlasting heritage to the sons and daughters of his 

 adopted state. cton. 



June 10, 1877. 



For Fure.it and Stream and Jiod and Gun. 

 tUNGE FISHING AT LAKE MEGANTIC. 



i>< 



ON the 30th of May last I left Sberbrooke by the 4 p. u. 

 International Railway train, reaching Bury, thirty miles 

 distant, about 6, and Lingwick, twelve miles further by stage, 

 at 8 o'clock. Mv companion was Captain Thoiras, of Mel- 

 bourne, P. Q. . one of the Canadian Wimbledon rifle team for 

 1873 or 4, one of the elect for the present year, and one of 

 the best aud coolest amateurs with rifle, shot-gun, billiard 

 ball and fish spear I ever met. The fish-spearing was in our 

 juvenile days, some twenty-five years since, when large 

 catches w T ere the criterion of a goad fisherman, and fishery 

 laws in embiyo. Next morning, leaving Lingwick, we 

 reached Winslow, fifteen miles, for breakfast, and having en- 



figed a fresh team, after fifteen miles more of the worst road 

 ever drove over, reached Megantic Lake about 1 p. m. Our 

 old guide, Andrew Jackson Foiter, had engaged to meet us, 

 but as he wasn't on hand we prepared to make ourselves com- 

 fortable over a pannikin of tea, some hard-tack and sardines ; 

 but before the tea was ready Andrew Jackson rounded the 

 Major's point, three miles distant, and was soon helping us to 

 dispose of our luncheon. He brought us some nice lunge, 

 caught in trolling through the lake, and explained that the 

 rough water in Victoria Bay had caused him to make a slight 

 detour — no, he didn't say detour, but that's what he meant. 

 After a little delay in packing ourselves and traps all in one 

 boat (the Captain's legs are long and he had to knot them), 



we made our offing, steering directly for Major McMmn's 

 summer box, where we unfortunately found the Major, who 

 accepted our invitation to camp with us that night at Rocky 

 Point, four miles further on, so that by dividing crew and 

 OargQ we got along nicely, reaching camp quite early. The 

 Major held a position in Edinburgh similar to thai, of our 

 barrister or solicitor; is a well-educated, well-read, genial 

 Companion, served in the Confederate army, but like tin 1 im- 

 mortal Weller, having decided " to retire from life and bake a. 

 pike," picked up the wreck of his substance, wended his way 

 to Megantic Lake (now his summer retreat), where, by read- 

 ing and taking an occasional hi nge instead of a pike, and in 

 taking which he has a very taking way, he leads a sort of 

 modern recluse life, happy, however, to see his-friends when 

 they call, aud happier still to oblige a friend when in his 

 power. I shall not forget the kindness with which (last Sep- 

 tember) he placed bis little shanty (Sunnyside) -at the disposal 

 of myself, wife and family, mid where' we made our head- 

 quarters for nefcrly R month, Sunnyside is the most beauti- 

 fully situated of any spot on the hike shore, fronting on a 

 lovely beach of w 7 ater-worn quarto and colored gravel. This 

 gravel has been carted to Winslow, twenty miles, to be used 

 for rooting purposes, although lakes and rivers bordered with 

 gravel abound within a quarter of the distance. The Major 

 has displayed great taste in arranging gravel walks through 

 the small patch of cleared ground surrounding his domicile, 

 and the stumps are carefully concealed by bark-boxes of na- 

 tive and other vines and flowers. Rows of the wild red-cherry 

 tree fringe the principal walks, and if you want to see an il- 

 lustration of the wildnerness being " made to blossom as the 

 rose," visit Sunnyside in autumn. The view southerly of the 

 lake, and the continuation of the Green Mountain range in 

 the background^ spotted with shadows of passing clouds and 

 the. lovely tints of an autumnal foliage, is magnificent, and 

 one in which the lover of nature will constantly see new 

 bcuities. I have seen it on many occasions at different sea- 

 sons, and only to admire it more and more. Meets revenans a 

 rum /m/iitom, or, rather, nos poissonsi We have reached our 

 camp, and — 



" Of hemlock boughs have made our couch, 

 A bed for coughs uud colds condoling ; 

 liiave some biscuit in my ponou, 

 A salmon trout I've caught in trolling" 

 (or rather old Foster has), with a frying pun full of which, and 

 a kettle of stewed, minced collops, with the usual accompani- 

 ments, we gladly satisfy the. cravings of the inner man. It is 

 the first meeting of Foster and the Captain since Foster pro- 

 posed to piny "just eleven games of euchre" at our trout 

 pond camp several years since, and a good many old stories 

 have to lie revamped and new ones introduced. Andrew 

 Jackson's stories are abundant, goocj, and generally original ; 

 probably because he has lots of time to think them "over, 

 although he says he "can't, rikdlcct and tell a story as he 

 used to could." It was late when w r e spread our blankets, 

 and just before I winked for the last time I heard Foster 

 telling of some place in Vermont where they cut no hay, raised 

 lots of cattle, aud manufactured nothing 'but shingles. He 

 said they put green goggles on the cattle and fed them on the 

 shingle Shavings. Next, morning the. Major left us after catch- 

 ing five or six line lunge. A Mr. Howard, au Isle of Man 

 clergyman's sou, who camped With us the previous uight 

 kindly helped us with our traps through the lake and up the 

 Spider and Arnold rivers to our next camp at the outlet of 

 Rush lake. In passing through Moose. Bay opposite the resi- 

 dence of Henry Ryan, Esq., we struck a school of trout dis- 

 porting themselves on the surface, and out of which the 

 Capt. took half a dozen, running one to two pounds each, by 

 throwing and drawing in the spoon (one of Skinner's fluted 

 bait, advertised in Fokkst and Stream). 



Irishmen are proverbial for hospitality, and we can vouch 

 that Mr. Ryan is no exception to the rule, as the occasional 

 supplies of milk and butter of which we were the recipients 

 will bear substantial evidence. We campedat Rush lake until 

 the 5th June, during which time we fished the Arnold and 

 Spider livers and Spider lake, not catching any more bass and 

 few more trout than we required for camp use. The time, 

 and then only, when a bass is delicious as a pan fish is imme- 

 diately after lie is caught. Having satisfied ourselves that 

 Megantic lake was our "strongest hold " at this early season, 

 w r e struck camp and pitched out tent near Rocky point; and 

 here I will give you the result of our last three days' fishing, 

 trolling alone: Our catch on the 5th was 20 lunge, 90 pounds ; 

 U trout, 8j pounds: total, 93i pounds. On the (>th, 21 lunge, 

 103i pounds; 4 trout, 4i pounds ; total, 108 pounds, and on 

 the 7th, 7 lunge, 25 'pounds; 1 trout, 1 pound; total, 26 

 pounds. 



The lake being very rough last day we could only troll for a 

 short time in the morning* Next day we started home with 

 a Horn- barrel full (about 300 pounds) lunge and trout. We 

 caught several in going down the lake. The spoons used were 

 principally the fluted spoons above referred to, and a rounded 

 oblong spoon, having a bronze scaled convex side with bright 

 brown projecting eye at end and red concave side. I do not 

 know the maker's name. The latter is the best troller for 

 lunge, the fluted next. Mann's Syracuse double spoon, 

 small or medium size, I have found best for trout and the 

 larger size for bass. I like the action of the two hook (Mann's) 

 troller best, asT have generally found the fish more securely 

 hooked. I do not think I ever lost a bass with one unless 

 from broken tackle, and I have caught hundreds in Spider 

 lake in August and September. The largest of our lunge 

 weighed 13 pounds, and the average weight was 4i- pounds. 

 We shall probably visit Megantic and Spider lakes" the latter 

 part of Sept., principally for moose hunting, when we hope 

 to be accompanied by our old reliable, guide, Andrew 

 Jackson Foster. Since the above trip I have been at St. Leon 

 Springs, north of the St. Lawrence, within 20 miles of which 

 there is capital trout fishing, and of which I hope to furnish 

 Forest and Stream an account at some future day. 

 Sberbrooke, P. Q., July 20, 1877. D. Thomas. 



$$k §»&*& 



THE CORREGONI. 



SiAP Jaokb foe Campers.— " Quill Driver" sends from 

 Milford, Mass. , the following receipt : 



Flour, one small coffee-cupful ; Indian meal, 3 small coffee- 

 cupfuls ; sugar, 1 tablespoonf ul ; salt, 1 teaspoonful ; Hors- 

 ford's yeast, one measure each acid and soda ; the measure 

 comes with the yeast, which is a dry powder. For con- 

 venience of transportation, the ingredients may be* mixed dry 

 in the above proportions, moistening with water or milk the 

 amount desircd - for use at any time nntil the consistency of 

 thin dough is attained. Cook with a well-greased griddle or 

 frying pan. 



. «»> . 



—Five elephants, belonging to the London show, broke the 

 Sabbath by going in swimming in the Hudson at Poughkeep- 

 sie the other day. 



Their Native History, Native Watees, Eoonomxo Value, 

 and Implements Connected with their Production. 



* No. 34— Part II. 



ALL of those Northern States, bordering on the great 

 lakes, have jointly engaged in stocking the lakes with 

 wdiitefish by means of artificial culture. Michigan is planting 

 annually millions of fry, while Minnesota and Wisconsin are 

 also engaged in augmenting their whitefisheries by artificial 

 means. Ohio has erected a vast hatchery, which is almost ex- 

 clusively devoted to the hatching of whitefish for stocking 

 Lake Erie. The Empire State is also supplementing the 

 natural process by stocking Lake Ontario largely with white- 

 fish, under the direction of Superintendent Green of the N. 

 Y . Commission. The very atmosphere of that great State is 

 fishy from the energetic labors of an enlightened commission. 

 New York has a large number of interior lakes which are 

 being planted with whitefish, which are found to be entirely 

 at home. 



Iowa, too, is coming to the very fore-front of fish culture, 

 and her Legislature, like that of Michigan, appreciates the 

 value of the art, and responds to the calls of her industrious 

 commission with princely appropriations year after year. 

 Her fish officials, supplemented by the labors of the Hon. B. 

 F. Sbaed, Superintendent of the State Fisheries, are dealing 

 with the problem of artificial culture with wonderful success. 

 The lakes of the State are being planted with whitefish, where 

 they take kindly to their new homes. Well may the Iowans 

 feel proud of their State. It is truly a " land of the beauti- 

 ful," a cognomen bestowed by the red man, who must have 

 understood the full import of the name he employed to 

 describe a land of crystal lakes and beautiful prairies, lying 

 in pristine lovelinoss between the two broad rivers in the love- 

 liest of valleys. The Iowa commissioners are not only plant- 

 ing their streams with brook trout, but salmon trout— the 

 Salmo quinat and 8, saldr of the Atlantic coast— and shad 

 which they expect to migrate to the Gulf of Mexico and re- 

 turn to those places in the rivers wherein they were cast in 

 their fryhood. The whitefish 'fever has also reached Cali- 

 fornia, where are many clear lakes well adapted to the pro- 

 duction of this fish: gold-renowned and mirrored with 

 sparkling lakes and rivers, whose shingly bottoms scintillate 

 with shining ore, present magnificent natural facilities for fish 

 culture. Attempts to increase the fruitfulness of these inland 

 waters and sea-fisheries have been crowned with success. We 

 would not individualize the efforts of the older States to the ex- 

 clusion of the youngest born into the fish-cultural guild. Vir- 

 ginia, Kentucky and. Georgia, and even Little Nevada, are 

 wheeling into line and addressing themselves to the work of 

 replanting their exhausted and impoverished fisheries. And 

 while w T e are gratified in recounting the efforts of our people 

 in solving the problem of cheapened food, we hope ere long 

 that the whole sisterhood of States will engage in the practice 

 of this great industry, second only in value in the production 

 of food to agriculture itself. It is proper at this stage to in- 

 troduce some of the prominent apparatus now in use in fish 

 culture. The " Clark Apparatus," in which trays are used 

 with screens of wke in boxes, has already been described in a 

 chapter in connection with the Coste and other trays, to which 

 the reader is referred. It is alike adapted to the hatching of 

 salmon, brook trout and whitefish eggs. One of the inven- 

 tions much in use is the " Holton Tray Hatching Apparatus," 

 developed by Marcellus G. Holton, of Rochester, N. T. (now 

 deceased), assignor of one-half his right to Seth Green of same 

 city. The utility of the Holton trays consists mainly in em- 

 ploying an upward flow of water through layers of spawn 

 upon a series of trays, entering the bottom of the box and 

 emerging from the upper end, thus passing through this series 

 of trays. The bottom of the box holding this series of trays, is 

 like a mill-hopper, giving a space where sediment may settle 

 without detriment to the spawn. The apparatus may be seen, 

 as illustrated, in the Patent Ofilce Report of 1874, covered by 

 letters patent No. 186,834. The invention consists of a 

 wooden box or case made square, and provided with a de- 

 pression at the bottom for sediment, which may be removed 

 at any time by a discharge pipe. There is a channel formed 

 entirely around the case near the top. 'The outer walls of the 

 channel are slightly elevated above the upper edge of the case 

 proper, This arrangement permits a gentle overflow from all 

 sides of the tray-chamber, near the bottom of which is ar- 

 ranged a ledge upon which the trays rest. These latter consist 

 of shallow rectangular frames, each of which is provided with 

 a fine wire gauze bottom, upon which the spawn is spread 

 and held during the hatching. There is a suitable metallic or 

 leather strap attached to two opposite sides of the bottom 

 tray, in each case of trays, whereby the whole set may be 

 raised or lowered when it becomes necessary to remove them 

 from the case. Each side of the case has a vertical recess cut 

 to receive these straps. The latter are perforated to corres- 

 pond to the depth of each tray, and the straps, if made of 

 metal, may be provided with a pin; but if leather straps are 

 used, they may be hooked'Upon a fixed pin at the upper edge 

 •of the case. A pipd conducts the water from the fountain 

 or spring into the bottom of the- case, or a water-chamber may 

 be formed entirely across the side of the case, and also across 

 the bottom. The latter construction is rather preferable for ■ 

 all except the first case in each tier, and in fact would not be 



