at? 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



for bears, perhaps it will be well to make a few remarks upon 

 the natural history of the black bear, The hear comes out of 

 his -winter's deu aS soon as the snow disappears, generally 

 about the end of Apiil- The he bear dens by himself. The she 

 bear cubs about the first week in February, and the young are 

 at first about the size of a common squirrel (Sawrus frudsonivf). 

 They obtain nourishment from the mother until about the 

 latter end of June, and den with her through the next winter, 

 remaining with her till two years old, and leave her for good 

 ■when she" leaves her deu the seco: d spring after birth. Bears 

 are fat when they leave their dens in spring, but soon get poor, 

 finding but little food at that time of year. It 19 at.this time 

 that they are apt to commit forages upon the flocks of the b?.ck 

 settlers. The animals arc known to sit and watch at the 

 falls of streams for fish passing up in the spring. Then- 

 principal food, however, consists of the wild fruits of the 

 forest and ants, hornets, wasps and bees, whose nests they in- 

 vade for the purpose of securing th« larvce, wax or honey 

 within. They care nothing for The stings of the infuriated 

 hornets and wasps, but the cribs cry out when stung, but 

 nevertheless keep fast hold of the comb. Cubs will not fight 

 with the mother when she attacks any one, but run up trees. 

 Butting time is in June, when the he bears are very savage, 

 sometimes going in gangs of twenty or more, and when they 

 come near a she bear they commence fighting among them- 

 selves furiously, making the most kidtous roarings all the 

 time, and if one gets killed in the fray the rest fall upon and 

 eat him. Thev- fight by first rising on their hind legs, and, 

 rushing at each other, hugging, biting and scratching, en- 

 deavoring to rip their antagonists' stomachs open with their 

 hind claws. Bears shed their coats about July. They stalk 

 • young moose by creeping upon them, and when close to mate 

 a great spring. Having killed the moose, they skin him just 

 as clean as a man would, and begin to cut the chest first, tear- 

 ing out the paunch, which they throw aw r ay. They dislike 

 wet weather, and take shelter where they can keep dry under 

 rocks, etc., and other places. When the old bears go into 

 dens in the fall they take plenty of dead leaves and ferns and 

 make a good bed of them, and the she bear makes no further pro- 

 vision at cubbing time, they always return, if alive, to the same 

 den each fail, but if a porcupine takes possession while they 

 are away in summer, and leaves droppings about, the bear 

 will not return to that den again. A large sized bear will 

 weigh over six hundred pounds, and give one hundred pounds 

 of grease, for which one shilling sterling per pound is given 

 at Shelburne, while at Halifax a wine bottlef ul sells for four 

 shillings. The most of the bear is excellent eating, tasting 

 something like mutton. It is best boiled to render it tender, 

 and then fried with pieces of fat. The tongue is very similar 

 to a calf's tongue when boiled. The Indians cure bear meat 

 by cutting it up into long strips and placing it on a framework 

 of poles, lighting a fire underneath so as to dry it in the smoke, 

 which process takes about two days, and if kept dry after- 

 wards in a proper place will keep for a year or more. They 

 never make use of the inside portions of the animal — viz : 

 heart, liver, etc. When they cook fresh meat they cut it into 

 small pieces and fry it. The meat when partially smoked we 

 found much better boiled than fried— frying making it too 

 hard. The bones of the bear are salted down and used to put 

 into soup. The gall of the bear the Indians use for sprains 

 and wounds. 



The Indians appear to be a very superstitious race of beings, 

 and the most trivial events cause anxiety. For instance, one 

 night the light of our fire attracted a little Acadian owl 

 (Btrix acadid), which perched on a branch close by, making a 

 curious noise. One of the Indians at once predicted that bad 

 luck would attend our exp dition, and - begged us to level a 

 gun at the unfortunate bird, whose death alone, he believed, 

 could cast away the spell that rested upon us. 



One day we started with Peter Paul in a westerly' direction 

 from the camp, and after travelling about two miles through 

 thick forests and swamps, we arrived on the borders of a good 

 sized like, with an outlet at its western end. On walking 

 round we came upon a large beaver house, situated on the 

 lake edge, where the water was deep. The house appeared as 

 if two cart-loads of faggots had been thrown down in a heap 

 and flattened above. Having no implements to enable us to 

 take it asunder, we w T ere obliged to leave it as it was. Going 

 still further down the lake side we arrived at the outht. which 

 we found dammed across by the beavers. It was constructed 

 of sticks and mud, overgrown with grass and weeds, the sticks 

 laid over each other in a line of lace- work, almost entirely- 

 stopping the escape of the lake water do*-n the brook. There 

 was an older dam below this one, about fifteen yards L wer 

 down the brook. The smaller alders, poplars, and other trees 

 near the dam were cut short off near the ground. This lake 

 on its west side is muddy, with a vigorous growth of rushes, 

 sedges, etc. An island of about half an acre, covered with 

 spruce and piue, divided from the south shore by a narrow 

 passage, has upon its eastern side a very large beaver house 

 uponthe shore, extending into the waiter. The house, or rati* r 

 stack of stick?, is very large, built of larger sticks than usual. 

 In this large pile there must be several cart-loads ef slicks and 

 small logs, from the small twig up to pieces four inches in 

 diameter. Some pieces are several feet in length, while others 

 are only three or four inches long. The beaver pups early in 

 spring, having cwo cubs, but they are sometimes known to 

 have young in August. When the cubs are two years old they 

 pair and go off to another place. Beaver skins sell about 

 Shelburne now for from four shillings sterlings per pound, 

 while some years ago they sold for eighteen shillings per 

 pound. A good skin will weigh four pounds. 



About Whetstone Lake the m\An(Tvrdm migratorim) was 

 very common, flocking together in large numbers at sundown 

 on the shore, picking up insect food. The hermit thrush ( T. 

 valazi), well named so from its retired habits, occi rr d there 

 also, treating us, as the shades of evening drew around, to its 

 plaintive notes ; an 6ft he spotted snake (G&hiber tirtaMs) was 

 fond of sunning itself on the granite boulders by the lake side, 

 about mid-day. These boulders had been carried up from the 

 lake to their present position by the action of the ice, for the 

 course they had traveled was clearly perceptible in the deep 

 channel which led from each of them to the bed of the 

 lake. 



After three days spent in thi9 locality, we made a move to 

 the northwest, but had not proceeded far before some of our 

 party shot another bear, and we had to call a halt in order to 

 skin him. We had now arrived on the upper 3 idge of the gran 

 ite plateau, from which we had a magnificent view of the 

 country around for many miles on every side, and a wild and 

 urious scene it was. Ail around us lay a perfect wilderness 

 f granite boulders, among which rose a dense growth of the 

 blueberry and huckleberry, and interspersed with thickets of 

 a species of dwarf spruce, birch and alder. The Labrador 

 tree (Ledum catifolium) and a specks of ATyrka were also 

 abundant. Small lakes were seen in every direction, and the 

 ^bxiU cry of tkeioon marked the breeding place of that shy 



and solitary bird. Our camp here was an exceedingly primi- 

 tive one— a few small poles stuck against the side of an over- 

 hanging boulder,and covered with brushwood, was all that gave 

 us shelter; but the day's toil sufficed to send us into a sound 

 sleep, which was only broken by the sharp frost of the early 

 morning. On awaking early, I went out to survey the scene, 

 which was indeed lovely in the extreme. The sun was just 

 rising, illuminating the eastern sky with glowing colors : a 

 flock of wax wings {Ampdis cedronrm) sat preening their 

 feathers on the bleached branches of a blasted pine hard by, 

 in company with a few migratory thrushes, while a keen 

 northwest wind was blowing, bracing up the nerves, and the 

 wh< lie country round became gradually lit up to the life of an- 

 • alter day. 



We now traveled si iH upon the elevated table laud, pass- 

 ing here and there through some terribly- swampy ground cov- 

 ered with moss, which sank ft every step, letting us up to the 

 kuess. We were freighted with our heavy packs, and above 

 all the heavy green bear skins, and the work told upon all. 

 Sometimes our route lay over spots where, in addition to the 

 mossy swamps, fallen spruce and pine lay beneath, with their 

 sharp-pointed spikes of branches sticking up, on which we oc- 

 casionally got a painful reminder ; but after all our trouble, 

 about noon we gained the summit of a high point of upland' 

 on which rested a huge granite boulder split into two pieces^ 

 under which was a large rill of delicious water. We gave 

 this the name of "Split-Rock Well." Leaving this place, we 

 arrived a little before sundown near a stream which joined 

 two large lakes. The stream was deep and about twenty feet 

 wide, and presenting a good site, we camped here. At dusk, 

 three of us started for the upper lake to see the beavers which 

 Peter Paul told us he had seen some time back when in com- 

 pany with an old Indian he had visited it. We came cautious- 

 ly upon its banks, and lay down looking and listening for the 

 animals. In a short time, at some di tance, we could see in 

 the twilight ripple marks on the surface, and presently a head 

 or two moving about swimming in the direction of the oppo- 

 site shore. We watched them carefully anti observed that 

 the beaver coasted along shore, engaged now and then in look- 

 ing for food, just as we have often seen the muskrat do in a 

 pond. After watching them for some time, we heard on our 

 right, where Peter Paul had gone, a loud flap on the water, 

 just as if a paddle had been struck on the lake, and all signs 

 of beaver vanished at once. This, we considered, ca^e from 

 a sentinel beaver, who, having heard Paul coming in the di- 

 rection of their headquarters, had sounded this tocsin of 

 alarm. Although we waited for some time after this, not a 

 beaver could be seen. 



The next day we traveled also along the table-land in a 

 northwesterly direction, pas-ing over much the same kind of 

 laud, the spruce woods getting larger. I chased a porcupine 

 for about a hundred yards, when he took to a spruce tree 

 some twenty feet high and was killed I noticed that the 

 Indians shaved the porcupine of his quills before carryine 

 him. The process is as follows : Taking a sharp knife they 

 shave from the tip of tail to head, and are extremely careful 

 not to get any of the small quills in their hands, as the punc- 

 ture is very painful. The old woman's tale of a porcupine 

 throwing its quill at a person chasing it is untrue ; the truth of 

 the matter being that if a stick be presented to it, or any one 

 attempts to handle it, it immediately strikes the offender with 

 its tail, driving the smaller quills with such force ss even to 

 stick them firmly into u piece of wood. The flesh of the 

 porcupine is delicious, tender and sweet, the tail when fried 

 nicely being the choicest morsel. We camped th s night in 

 dense woods by the side of a stream, and having exhausted 

 all our provisions, began to feel somewhat alarmed that if we 

 did not reach the settlement on the west or Weyfhouth Coast 

 before long we should fa--e badly. I may say that we fully 

 expected to have struck some marks of civilization at noon of 

 the first day, according to our reckoning, but on sending an 

 Indian up the highest trees during the afternoon, he only gave 

 us the unwelcome intelligence— "No sign clearing ; big woods 

 all along." The next morning early we were determined to 

 try our best to get out of our dilemma, and so it was decided 

 that we should stow away all our goods and chattels, and 

 leave lb m covered up with branches, so that if we got out all 

 safe we might send in for them afterward, there being but 

 little fear of robbery in such a situation. We there forelock 

 with us only a blanket and our guns, and being thus lightly 

 burdened we made good way. But after a long and tedious 

 march until mid-day, we could strike no blaze (i. e , the 

 marks placed upon trees by surveyors in the back settlements;, 

 and we sat down to rest and devour our last scrap of biscuit 

 and a small tin of chocolate among six, with anxious thoughts 

 as to what would constitute the next meal. Off again, we 

 traversed thick woods, descending all the time, and in a val- 

 'ey first discovered an old blaze, which gave us fresh courage, 

 and we contrived to follow it for some distance, until, to our 

 chagrin, we found ourselves on the shore of a large lake, 

 about midway from its extremities, so there was nothing for 

 it but to trudge, wearied as we were, all round its lower end, 

 which, having been accomplished, we struck out through the 

 forest again by compass, no blaze being seen. It was getting 

 dark, and we had given up all hope of getting out that night, 

 when Peter Paul, who was some distance ahead, called out, 

 ■•Road! road!" and, on arriving at the spot, sure enough 

 there lay an old track, which, following to the southward till 

 dark, we came to an open spot surrounded by wro 's, in which 

 was a field of potatoes and turnips. I may be excused when 

 I say that we dispensed at such a time with the ordinary 

 courtesies of society, and every one was allowed to help him- 

 himself ; and a ludicrous fight it was indeed to see through 

 the gloomy darkness the forms of six hungry individuals 

 sitting in the midst of a turnip patch refreshing themselves 

 with the vegetable esculents. An old shed, with large holes 

 in the roof, stood in one corner of the clearing, and to this we 

 adjourned, and, making a fire outside, roasted potatoes and 

 made ourselves as comforlable as we could ; but the ram be- 

 gan to pour down in torrents, and, drenched and weary, we 

 passed an almost sleepless night. The morning, however, no 

 >ooner dawned than we trudged down the road, and hearing 

 Ihe sound of an ax, directed our course that way, and s on 

 found ourselves in the presence of a worthy settler, whose, 

 snug farmhouse lay close by on the banks of the Siniboo 

 Biver, in Digby County. A forlorn-looking group, indeed, 

 We must have appeared, all tattered and torn as we were after 

 our hard travel over mountain and swampy barren, but the 

 heart of the worthy man warmed toward us as he hurried us 

 along to his dwelling ; and scon with his table groaning under 

 the weight of good fare, he bade us welcome To civilized life 

 once more ; and it is almost needless to add that, while enjoy- 

 ing such welcome hospitality, we soon forgot the weary 

 tramp we had made through the trackless depths of the Nova 

 Scotian backwoods. J. -Matthew Josks. 



Halifax, N. &, 



For Forest imd Stream and Rod awl Gun. " 

 A RAMBLE ON THE PALISADES. 



r\F all the places in the vicinity of New York City, noted 

 ^^ for their beautiful scenery, the Palisades are the most 

 celebrated— for their proximity to the city as well as for 

 the grandeur of their scenery. There, within twenty miles of 

 the City Hall, one im.y wander for miles through an uninter- 

 rupted forest continually encountering new and varied objects 

 of interest. 



"i et how few have ever explored them ; nearly all think 

 they have "done" the Palisades by sailing up the Hudson, or, 

 perhaps, by going up to the hotel. Viewed from the river 

 they appear nothing more than a rocky bluff, and those who 

 have seen them at the Palisade House have seen bnt a small 

 portion of the less interesting scenery. 



The summit was once surveyed for a railroad,but happily that 

 was all. At the thought of a railroad through this romantic re- 

 gion one feels something of the indignation of Ruskin when all 

 he poetical associations of certain English glens were driven 

 off by the whistle of the locomotive. 



The origin of the Palisades is too well known to be men- 

 tioned. The cliffs, v, ith but few exceptions, are divided by a 

 wide, imperfect crystallization into cubical masses, by the ac- 

 tion of frost and water aided by the prying power of roots 

 growing in the crevices. Whole columns of these are fre- 

 quently precipitated to the increasing debris below. All 

 along the verge, rocks weighing many tons may be thrown 

 down by prying, so exactly are they poised. Several miles 

 above the hotel an irregular fissure, nearly a hundred yards 

 from the edge, has recently appeared. It is about a yard in 

 width, and accessible to a depth of twenty or thirty feet, and 

 extends, though interrupted in places, for upward of a mile. 

 From these facts we must infer that the time is not so far in 

 the future when the Palisades, as such, will no longer exist. 

 Already the debris in many places extends upward over three 

 hundred feet, and greatly detracts from the grandeur. 



Many of the rarer birds of prey make their eyries in some 

 niche in the overhanging wall, baffling the most enthusiastic 

 oologist; the rocky fissures afford a congenial retreat for 

 many of the smaller mammals, and, upon rare occasions, the 

 den of a wild cat has been discovered in the more inaccessi- 

 ble fastnesses. In some of the brooks west of the Palisades 

 trout abound. I caught sixty-eight last season, many of them 

 weighing over half a pound, from one small stream in which 

 one would not have believed it possible for them to exist. 

 Many rare mountain plants flourish upon the scanty soil to re- 

 ward the botauist. In fact, every one will find something of 

 interest, while he will meet with but one obstacle, the copper- 

 head. Even this is more imaginary than real, for though I 

 have traveled the entire extent of the Palisades, I only once 

 encountered this venomous snake. While swinging down a 

 precipitous place by means of trees, some large rocks were 

 overthrown, ant a nest of copperheads disturbed, four of 

 which were duly killed and preserved. 



But perhaps the Palisades are most interesting to the stu- 

 dent of nature in her more poetical forms. The upper portion 

 of the Pa'isades is by far the most interesting— the cliffs are 

 said to be one hundred feet higher. Rocky pinnacles, far ex- 

 ceeding in height the Egyptian obelisks, which look as though 

 the gentlest breeze might overturn them, point to the sky 

 rugged caves and deep fissures, partly concealed by the dense 

 foliage of evergreens— all tend to render the scenery wild and 

 fascinating. 



In winter the Palisades and their surroundings present a mag- 

 nificent spectacle. During the spring, when all nature seems to 

 have been born again, they are exceedingly beautiful ; but 

 there is a certain portion of October when they arc surpassing- 

 ly lovely. 



During one of tluse fall days, the lover of nature in her 

 wildest forms should seek some one of the grotesque, moss- 

 covered rocks overhanging the precipk:e. Here, with some 

 pine's gnarled branches swaying over one, gazing down the 

 perpendicular mass of rock the view is unobstructed, save 

 by perhaps a struggling cedar that forcibly reminds one of 

 Shelley's "Prometheus." Below the Hudson is seen stretch- 

 ing away in either direction from the Highlands to the Nar- 

 rows. To the east, the glimmering Sound and Connecticut 

 shore are seen beyond miles of intervening country. West- 

 ward the eye wanders over miles upon miles of varied land- 

 scape bounded by the distant P ( amapo?. 



^■Euanus. 



SPLIT BAMBOO RODS. 



To our customers and the public :— In reply to the damag- 

 ing reports which have been circulated respecting the quality of 

 our split bamboo rods, by " dealers " who are unable to com- 

 pete with us at our reduced prices, we have issued a circular 

 which we shall be pleased to mail to any address, proving the- 

 falsity of their assertions. 



CONROY, BtSSTJTT & MaLLESON, 



Manufacturers, 65 Fulton Street, N. Y. 



— The Gkasse Hlmtree tell* of how a groom overcame the 

 obstinacy of a pair of ponies, lie was leading the little fel- 

 lows by a halter, when both of them became obstinate and 

 refused to pass through a certain gate. The animals were 

 such pets that he did not like to whip them. So, considering 

 for a moment, and being a powerful man, he just lifted up in 

 his arms one of the miniature horses and carried him inside 

 when his companion quietly followed. 



—It is understood that His Majesty the King of Sweden, 

 has instituted a new order of knighthood, and that honors are 

 to be given to leading farmers and agriculturists in the king- 

 dom. We may shortly look for Boron Beans, Prince of Par- 

 snips, Count of Carrots, Marquis of Mushrooms and the Duke 

 of the Dunghill. 



