82 
FOREST AND STREAM 
sea boats. They are sailed under two sprit sails, with 
sometimes a small jib, and usually manned by two hands. 
The lines, hooks and sinkers are of the commonest and 
strongest description. Two hooks are made fast five feet be¬ 
low the lead; herring or capelin is the bait generally used. 
Having reached their fishing ground, half a mile, more or 
less, from the shore, the boat is made fast to a mooring 
and the lines allowed to run out until the lead touches the 
bottom, then about a fathom of the line is hauled in, and 
if the fish are taking well, they are hauled up as fast as the 
fisherman can bait his hooks. When he has got his boat 
loaded , he goes alongside the stage and discharges. The 
fish are split open at once, their entrails and half the back 
bone taken out, then they are salted and afterwards spread 
out on large tables or platforms to dry. This latter process 
is most troublesome and tedious; the fish have to be turned 
and piled together in layers in the evening, and on the ap¬ 
pearance of damp weather, lest they become mildewed 
and spoiled. They are exposed thus for a month or so be¬ 
fore they are sufficiently dry to be stored. 
June 19.—This morning was bright and calm, so we has¬ 
tened to get under weigh. After the strong west wind of 
the last two days there was a very strong current setting 
down the river which carried us on its back without much 
exertion in rowing on our part. When opposite “Griffin’s 
Cove,” a little harbor about six miles below Fox river, and 
very like it, a breeze sprang up from the northeast and ap¬ 
peared to be bringing up fog with it. Nevertheless we 
set sail and stood out northward towards Anticosti. The 
current was so strong that a comparatively short tack 
enabled us to weather Capes Rozier and Gaspe. The latter 
called “La Vielle” by tliejEishermen, is a bold, rugged cape, 
the cliffs steep for miles on each side of it. Going around 
this point we eased off the sheets and then booming out a 
sail on each side we ran up Gaspe Bay with. a fair wind. I 
made the mistake of running past the entrance to the har¬ 
bor, owing to too careful an observation of the chart, for I 
expected to see a light and observatory, which we were after¬ 
ward told had been done away with some time before, and a 
light ship put in their place. After running up the north¬ 
west arm of the bay some two miles the water began to 
shoal, so we put about and rowed back, arriving in Gaspe 
harbor about four P. M. 
Gaspe harbor is perfectly landlocked, and has the appear¬ 
ance of a lake, woods and green fields rising with a gentle 
slope from its calm waters. The town or village is built 
on both sides of the harbor, and at this time had a deserted 
look. At anchor in the harbor were two handsome yachts 
“La Canadienne,” a schooner, and the “Nooya,” an aux¬ 
iliary screw schooner and yacht, belonging to Mr. Molson, 
of Montreal. About an hour or so after we arrived the 
Gulf Ports steamship came in, on her way up from Pictou, 
and I asked the Captain if he would take up my boat on 
his retnrn voyage. This he kindly promised to do. The 
time I had allotted for my cruise was now drawing to a 
close, and I was afraid I might not be able to get the Min¬ 
nie on board at the other places of call. The next day was 
cold and disagreeable. We remained at Gaspe, visited the 
craft in harbor, and came to the conclusion it was one of 
the dullest places we had stopped at on our cruise. 
June 21.—Prepared for sailing this morning, and rowed 
out of the harbor at ten o’clock on a cruise to the Malbaie 
river, about thirty miles by sea from Gaspe. We went on 
board La Canadienne as she was being towed out of the 
harbor by a boat, and were hospitably received by her 
pleasant, genial captain. An unfortunate accident had 
occurred about three weeks before which threw rather a 
gloom over the ship. One of the boats coming across the 
bar of Grand river, at the entrance of the bay Chaleurs, 
was capsized, and the sailing master and three of the crew 
drowned. Leaving the schooner we set sail, rounded Point 
St. Peter, and stood up Malbaie with a northwest wind. 
On coming to the entrance of the river we found a tolerable 
surf on the bar, as it had been blowing hard from the east¬ 
ward the day previous, and not wishing to meet with the 
fate of La Canadienne’s unfortunate boat, we took in our 
sails and prepared to cross it under oars. Our first al tempt 
was unsuccessful. We got across the bar all right, but the 
strong current setting out from the river caught the boat’s 
head and nearly turned her broadside on to the rollers. C., 
with a few vigorous strokes, brought her head to sea, and 
then we backed in stern foremost. A heavy roller carried 
us in with a rushing surge, and turning the boat we rowed 
up to a village close to the mouth of the river, called “Bar- 
rachois,” from the bar at its entrance. We had been 
watched from the shore and the fishermen gave us “kudos” 
for the Management of our boat when they found we had 
come in without shipping any water. None of them had 
been outside that day. We went two or three miles up this 
river and camped, remaining there three days fishing for 
trout. On the 24th we rowed down; had no difficulty in 
crossing the bar this time as it was nearly calm; then we 
took a cruise round the Perce rock, a curious rock about 
200 feet high, steep and abrupt as a piece of wall, and look¬ 
ing as if split off from the neighboring cliff by the blow of 
some stupendous axe and left in the sea close by.. Close to 
its outer side is a large hole, through which, at high water, 
boats can sail. This was the furthest point we reached in 
the Minnie. According to our estimates, and from meas¬ 
urements of our course, nearly 550 miles from Quebec, 430 
nautical miles on the chart. We returned to Gaspe on the 
25th, running up the bay with the sea breeze. 
Next morning I shipped*the Minnie on board the steam¬ 
ship Secret, took her to the Point du Chene, and from 
thence to Halifax by rail, where she arrived none the worse 
for all her wanderings, and the owner a good deal the bet¬ 
ter for his cruise. C. TJ. D 
Halifax, February 18, 1874, 
For Forest and Stream. 
A HUNT ON SENECA RIVER. 
- *- 
O NE beautiful autumnal morning last October a party 
of three gentlemen sportsmen, “armed and equipped 
as the law directs,” were to be seen briskly tramping along 
the railroad track eastward from the little village of Savan¬ 
nah. They had arrived on late trains the previous night, 
from neighboring cities, and their destination was the 
Seneca River, some two and a half miles distant. The 
elder of the trio will answer to the name of “the Elder,” 
Ben and Chad being his companions. The beautiful fresh 
morning air had invigorated them, and they were in exu¬ 
berant spirits, and in anticipation of glorious sport among 
the ducks. They had no dogs, choosing to flush their own 
birds and swim themselves in order to recover birds, if 
necessity compelled. 
Striking off from the railroad towards a piece of wood¬ 
land beyond which a marshy meadow expanded, our sports¬ 
men began to hold their double shooters in shootable shape, 
and casting eager and expectant glances to the right and 
left flanks and dead ahead. Ben and Chad sought each 
other’s companionship on the march, while the Elder acted 
as flanker. Soon after the meadow was reached up went 
a fat lively snipe directly in front of the Elder, but before 
he had made a half dozen evolutions of his shiny wings, 
they were riddled by at least a half ounce of No. 8 shot, a 
very dead bird. First bag for the Elder. Ben and Chad 
witnessing this first exploit now advanced with great cau¬ 
tion in perfect readiness. Whir-r, and up go two more snipe, 
but out of range. They very soon went to earth, and the 
two sports went for them. Nearing the birds they exer¬ 
cised very sportsmanlike caution and discretion. The 
birds flushed beautifully and bang, bang, bang was rever¬ 
berated over the meadow in quick succession, but not a 
feather was raised; “missed slick and clean every shot, 
Ha! Ha! Hal” roared the Elder. “You are fine cubs to go 
shooting. Do’nt believe you could hit the broadside of a 
barn.” “The laugh may be on the other side of your 
mouth soon,” said Ben, sullenly, which alas, proved too true. 
In endeavoring to cross a marshy slough a few moments 
later, the Elder missing his footing on the firm bogs, sud¬ 
denly disappeared below the tall grass, and with difficulty 
extricated himself from the soft mud into which he had 
sunk nearly to. the waist. All begrimed with mud and 
water the Elder presented a pitiable sight. “Ha! Ha! Ha! 
old man, you are a nice one to hunt snipe on a marsh,” was 
chorused by Ben and Chad. “Do’nt you know any better 
than to try to cross such a place as that? Why you might 
have gone under head, ears, gun and all.” The Elder was 
forced to join in the laugh, and our friends were soon trudg¬ 
ing along in the best of humor, notwithstanding mishaps. 
Arriving at the river without further occasion to use 
gunpowder, and with no repetition of the slough adven¬ 
ture, they approached a log shanty near the banks of the 
marshy Seneca, and soon negotiated for two boats with the 
necessary appendages thereto. Ducks were to be seen in 
every direction, and our sportsmen were on the qui-nme. 
A steady pull of ten minutes brought the boats into the 
immediate neighborhood of hundreds of ducks, some flying 
high, some low, and some floating lazily along upon the 
placid waters. Ben in one boat and the Elder and Chad in 
the other, they endeavored to play into each others hands 
by driving, but this did not work as well as they anticipa¬ 
ted. It was apparent that the ducks were up to snuff, and 
knew to a nicety how near they could allow the boat to ap¬ 
proach before taking wing, and how near they could with 
safety approach the boat when on the wing. The sharp 
crack of the guns reverberated from shore to shore at short 
intervals, but not a duck could be brought to bag. The 
Elder and Chad seeing three large black fellows leisurely 
sailing along on their weather beam, tacked and as stealthi¬ 
ly as possible made for them; Ben seeing their movement 
made a flank advance. When at long range the Elder’s gun 
spoke to them just as their wings were spread to fly, result¬ 
ing happily in wounding one which soon came to water. 
Ben’s right now sent forth its missiles of death, then Chad’s 
left, but still the ducks swam. Gaining a nearer range, 
however, Chad’s right ended the fray and the poor bird 
was bagged. Four shots at one duck! too bad, too bad. 
The explosion of gunpowder was extravagant during the 
entire day, and when the shades of evening approached, a 
black duck and two coots made up the sum total of reward. 
By this time our friends began to think a good deal about 
eatables and bibables, and not quite so much about ducks. 
They discovered that they had wandered considerably from 
their point of embarcation, and the only course for them to 
pursue was to seek a place of shelter as soon as possible. 
At the first eligible landing place they drew their boats 
high upon the sand, hid the oars and struck out inland in 
quest of such a haven of rest. A saw mill was the first 
building they encountered, and the next the miller’s abode. 
Upon making an application to abide with him over night, 
the miller readily assented, at which the trio were much 
delighted notwithstanding the very uninviting surround¬ 
ings of the place. A small slab shanty with three rooms 
sparsely furnished with home-made furniture, the rooms 
neither lathed, plastered or ceiled, along lank red haired 
man with sharp features, and very ignorant, who had the 
appearance of having been born and reared in a saw mill, 
a sickly looking small woman with black eyes, also void of 
“book laming,” four or five children ranging from a seven 
months old baby in the home-made cradle, a boy of eight 
or nine, who by the way was having “the ager Tight smart,” 
a dog pup, a cross between a bull and something^else, and 
a large Tom cat, both of which latter had the perfect free¬ 
dom of the house, and you have a partial description 
the surroundings. Supper, which was very, very simr>]° 
was prepared so speedily that our friends could scarcer 
find fault at being kept in waiting. Ben exhibited unmi/ 
takable signs of daintiness, sipping his tea and eating 0 f 
a little bread very sparingly. His companions rallied hh 
upon his sudden loss ot appetite, to which he returned era 
sive replies. He had shown himself to be blessed vi t V 
splendid advantages for making away with victuals at pr e 
vious meals, and the Elder and Chad wondered at liis sud 
den loss. The explanation soon came, however, when the 
guests had retired out of ear-shot of the hosts. Did’nt y 0u 
see that woman go and get a sheet off the bed in the next 
room and spread it on the table, says Ben? This was ex 
plaoation sufficient, and his two companions motioned him 
with teeth firmly set, to forego any further remarks. At 
an early hour the tired duckists were shown- to a bed, just 
one bed in one little room 8x10, a very small bed made ex 
pressly to fit the room. After drawing straws for position 
the Elder was packed in against the wall, Chad was placed 
in a very straight attitude in the centre, and what room 
then remained Ben accepted with a very good grace 
About two hours were devoted to the narration of brief 
anecdotes which were silently listened to by the hosts in 
the next room, when it was remarked that there was a 
very unpleasant odor about the bed. Hens, ducks, tur. 
keys and other birds’ feathers and quills had apparently 
been used in its make up, and evidently while in a very 
crude and uncured state. If there is one thing more un¬ 
pleasant than another about a bed, it is the stench arisino' 
from green feathers. Ben with a cry of “more oxygen* 
more oxygen,” jumped up and raised the lower sash to its 
extreme height about a dozen times, and the night beip 
rather cool would force him to lower it every ten or fifteen 
minutes. It is useless to add that sleep was almost a 
stranger to the guests of “Howland Island House” that 
night; when the first faint streaks of dawn appeared Ben 
was up and dressed. The room being on the first floor 
front, he proceeded to make his exit in search of “more 
oxigen” through the window. Chad upon turning himself 
over caught sight of Ben’s lower extremities in a horizon- j 
tal position stretching out from the window sill and imme¬ 
diately seized them with a hunter’s grasp. The lower ex- , 
tremities kicked, the loosened lower sash slipped from ils I 
position striking first on Chad’s pate, thence on the said j 
lower extremities, and finally found a resting place on the I 
bare floor with a crash peculiar to falling window sashes, 
The Elder who before had been in a troubled sleep now 
sprang up demanding the meaning of all this clatter. Ben 1 
having in the meantime released himself, now besieged the j 
inmates of the room with a ten foot rail through the open j 
window, and the Elder in plaintive tones was obliged to beg ] 
of him to “cease his raillery” ere the besieging party would 
consent to withdraw. This ended the first day’s hunt on | 
Seneca River. 
We will reserve the recounting of the second day’s ad¬ 
ventures for another letter. Yours, 
Muzzle Loadee. I 
- -- 
For Forest and Stream. 
FLORIDA SKETCHES—YACHTING DOWN 
SOUTH. 
T HE last sketch left us tied to the few remaining posts | 
of an abandoned pier for the night. These piers are 
often carried a long way into the broad river before reach* | 
ing water of sufficient depth for a steamboat, so shallow 
are many of the bays, and they do not endure long in a 
climate where heat and moisture expedite decay, and j 
where under water various borers are ever at work running 
their galleries through and through even the gummy pitch ( 
pine logs. 
With some ingenuity very comfortable beds were impro¬ 
vised from cushions, rugs, etc., and despite the hot breath 
and loud respirations of the furnace and boiler, very near 
our heads, we made out a comfortable night on our steam 
tug. At daybreak a fog hung over the stream, and we were 
forced to await its clearing. It did not delay long, but 
rolled away like a curtain, and opened a morning view o 
the scenes that we were so reluctant to have oversliadovvet 
the night before. 
Our cook was busy in a caboose a little smaller than ^ 
watch box, from which drifted a fragrant odor of Java a- 
we came on deck and freshened up in pails of clear water, 
and ate our fruit before breakfast. We were drifting a on,, 
with summer all around, air, water, and sky all hi o 
warmth. Our will our law, to go, to stop, hasten oi * 
ger as we fancied at the moment, and, in unison with n 
soothing influences of the scene, we gave ourselves up 
vigorous idleness. , . 
After our meal, as our crew was small, your correspon e 
took the wheel while the captain enjoyed his breakfast, 
pilot house was low and open. Just in front, in easy .ca 
chairs, sat the rest of our little party smoking, with > 
guns on a cable box in front, all of us feeling little m e ^ 
in getting anywhere, the one fact'of gliding along 
slowly varied scenes being sufficient. It was indee u 
rious. Our black imp was at hand to respond to e v 
wish and attend to every want that might have cjW 
greater exertion than winking, and we were convince ^ 
man’s natural bent was laziness, from the very rapi m 
complete surrender of three hurrying, worrying, nen 
active northerners to the abandon of the sunn ^l° U 
There was but little game in sight as yet. We * 
the highway, where from the forward decks of every 
