264 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



,0CT. 29, 1885. 



pipes, and tliere is one instance, at least (in Baltimore a few 

 years ago), in which it grew in this situation in sufficient 

 quantities to make necessary its removal. 



Those who ^lather sponges go om in small boats provided 

 with a water glass and grappling hooks. The water glass is 

 simply a hollow tube having a olate of window glass set in 

 one end. Its u^e is to enable the men to see clearly objects 

 at the bottom of the sea. By simply placing the closed end 

 a little below the surface of the water and looking through 

 the other end, the disturbing eifects of the waves are avoided. 

 The grappling hooks, or grapnels, consist simply of long 

 poles, in the ends of which long hooks are fixed. They are 

 used to tear the sponges loose from the bottom and bring 

 them to the surface. After a sufficient quantity has been 

 collected they are thrown into an inclosed space of shallow 

 water near the shore and left to die. After haviug lain a few 

 days the men go in and tread upon them with bare feet until 

 the dead flesh has been squeezed out. They are then taken 

 up, thoroughly bleached by acid, and sent away to market. 



For a long time sponges were thought to be plants. It 

 will, therefore, be interesting to consider for a moment the 

 characters by the discovery of which they were relegated to 

 a place among the animals. In the first place, it may be 

 remarked that whatever resemblance they may bear to plants 

 are only superficial. Some of the branched forms are plant- 

 like in shape, and all, in being attached permanently in one 

 place, are like the great majority of plants and unlike the 

 great majority of animals. HoweVer, there are some plants 

 wlich have the power of locomotion, and there are many spe- 

 cies of animals besides the sponges that are fixed ; and so'there 

 is nothing anomalous in the sponge-animal in possessing these 

 two characters. It is when we consider the niore funda- 

 mental characters of the nature of their food and the chemi- 

 cal composition of their bodj'^ substance, that we discover 

 their affinities to be with animals. Sponges require organic 

 matter for their food. Plants, as is well known, live upon 

 inorganic substances, such as w^atcr, carbonic acid and am- 

 monia. In the matter of chemical composition sponges con 

 tain the most characteristic element of animal tissues, viz., 

 nitrogen; and they lack the most characteristic vegetable 

 compound, viz., cellulose. S. 



3IANATEE IN JSTew Yoek. — A live manatee was on exhibi- 

 tion for two or three days last week at Mr. Blackford's place 

 in Fulton Market. It was brought from the Amazon River 

 by the captain of the ship Lisboneuse, and reached here Oct. 

 34. When it arrived it was in good condi'^ion and seemed 

 to greatly relish its diet of lettuce and celery, but owing to 

 its unexpected arrival no provision was made for heating the 

 water in its tank, and it died on Monday last, Oct. 26." Its 

 carcass was sent te Mr. Burt G. Wilder, the anatomist, 

 for dissection. It is a great pity that, owing to the lack of 

 facilities of those having the animal in charge, the temper- 

 ature of the water was allowed to fall so low. Sunday night 

 was quite cold and the mercury fell to about 32°. The man- 

 atee was not protected in any way and could not survive the 

 chill. 



^tff^ ^tjd 0ntj. 



Address all communications to the Forest and. Stream Publish- 

 ing Co. 



RANGE OF THE WHITE GOAT. 



Editor Forest and. Stream : 



Having been "in at the death" of three mountain goats, I 

 will furnish, if you are not weary of the subject, the tale 

 thereof. These were killed Aug. 32. 1883, on the borders 

 of Lake Chelan, Washington Tf-rritory. Luke Chelan is an 

 expansion of Stahaken River, and is a' fissure lake, that is it 

 occupies a rift in the lava and granite, which extends from 

 the summit to base of the Cascade Mountains, and for nearly 

 seventy miles transversely through them, It is walled in 

 many places by almost perpi-ndicular clifl's of basalt and 

 granite 2,500 to 3,000 feet high. Here and there the wall is 

 broken into precipitous slopes, scantily timbered and tufted 

 with grass and chapparal. The foot of the lake is 250 feet 

 above the Columbia and about two miles distant from the 

 river. The altitude of the Columbia at the mouth of Chelan 

 River is 524 feet, so the lake is 774 feet above the sea. A 

 large clay deposit now twenty to twenty-five feet in height 

 at the foot of the lake shows incontestably that the water 

 has stood at a much higher level, this, too, since the occu- 

 pation of the Indians, as rock paintings at the head of the 

 lake now far above water line attest. The convulsions of 

 nature which tore away so much of the barrier and loosed 

 the pent up waters must have been tremendous. 



The mountains which border it are snow-capped. Good 

 harbors, where even a small boat or canoe can find refuti'e 

 during the storms which often sweep over the lake, are infre- 

 quent. Grander scenery cannot be found on this continent. 

 Cascades leap from untold heights. Canons reverberate with 

 the roar of their mountain torrents, while the narrow valleys 

 are filled with the music of babbling brooks, the hum of in- 

 sect life and the rush of the startlVd grouse. The timber 

 frequently shows signs of bear. Poplar and fir are lacerated 

 for seven to eight feet from the ground by the claws of some 

 monster. On seeing them the^ Indians would shake their 

 heads and say, "Hy-a's maserche Itsook." At an altitude 

 of 6,850 feet, near the head of the lake, hoary marmots 

 ("sewelel" of Columbia River Indians) and white weasels 

 were abundant. The former is a very interestsng animal. 

 Its clear whistle re-echoing among the rocks at that altitude 

 seems uncanny, as if the dwarfs of the mountain were call- 

 ing. Black-tailed deer frequented the lake and lakelets on 

 the mountain's side. Grouse— blue, ruffed and Canada- 

 were plenty. Fine trout are found everywhere in the lake, 

 but best at mouths of streams. 



While saihng up the lake we saw seven goats in one bunch 

 and several others singly or in pairs. One was shot at on 

 the very border of the lake. Three were killefl a few hun- 

 dred yards up the mountain, not more than 500 (1,500 feet) 

 so their range was from 800 lo 3.300 feet above tide water! 

 and very far below snow or timber line. I send you a bit of 

 the skm of one of our quarry. The horns of the male, which 

 I now have, measure just seven inches. None of our goats 

 were as large as those reported by Mr. Baillie-Grohman. 



The Rocky Mountain sheep, according to the Indians, is 

 not found here, but large flocks exist furtlier north, near the 

 boundary. I have a horn from Lake Osooyoos. The sheep 

 was killed about twelve miles west of that. Our .specimens 

 of goats did not have their winter coats, so there is a lack of 

 wool. We found the meat excellent, better than full-grown 

 venison. T, E. 



HUNTING FOR MEAT. 



OlSr Oct. 23, 1883, myself and my son, a boy of 13. left 

 our home in Colorado for a four weeks' hunt in Wy- 

 oming, to secure our winter's meat for my family. Our out- 

 fit consisted of a team, saddle horse, 9xl() wall tent, supply 

 of warm bedding, emigrant stove made of sheet-iron and 

 supply of provisions, such as flour, lard, potatoes, sugar, 

 coffee, molasses, etc., with few cooking utensils, tin plates 

 and cups, stowed in a large me,ss-box. 



Our road to Laramie PI dns passed through the Front 

 Range of the Rocky Mountains. At Dale Creek Ranch we 

 saw a large mountain lion that the ranchman had shot the 

 previous night through a window while the beast was trying 

 to purloin a pair of antelope saddles hanging at the end of 

 the log house. Crossing Laramie Plains, between Laramie 

 City and Laramie River, we became lost in a snowstorm, 

 and after driving some time after dark we came to an old 

 sheep corrall, in which was a large stack of hay. Here we 

 camped for the night, giving our horses a good supply of 

 hay from the stack, but we could find no water, so we" had 

 to make what is called iu the West a dry camp. The follow- 

 ing day was cold and windy, but we succeeded in finding 

 water, and having come upon our road again reached the 

 river at sundown, where we made camp on a nice grassy 

 bottom, with but little snow on the ground. A cowboy 

 came to our camp just at dark, riding one horse and leading 

 another, and desired to camp with us for the night, as it was 

 too late for him to make the next ranch. We gladly offered 

 him hospitality, and the evening was passed veiy pleasantly 

 in conversation around our camp-fire. 



When about 175 miles from home we came to a large cattle 

 ranch, known as the "49 Ranch," and owned by the Scotch 

 Company, of Edinburgh, Scotland. Here we fell in com- 

 pany with three Scotchmen who were going on a hunt to 

 Bates's Hole, some fifty miles west of the "49 Ranch." 

 There was no road from'here to the Hole except the "round- 

 up" road, whiph we followed until after crossing the Little 

 Medicine River a few miles, at which point we left the road 

 and followed a dim trail made by hunting parties. Ail along 

 the road from the "49 Ranch" antelope had been continually 

 in sight in large bands, like flocks of sheep, but most of them 

 kept at a good distance from our wagons and out of range of 

 our rifles. After two days' drive from "49 Ranch" wc went 

 into camp in a deep valley on Bates Creek. Here we found 

 the snow all gone and fine grass and water for our horses. 

 If one horse is picketed out with a long lariat rope and an 

 iron picket pin, the other horses will remain near by. Wood 

 was also abundant, and we were soon settled in a comfort- 

 able hunter's camp. On the night of our arrival here we 

 found another party preparing" to start for home with their 

 loads of game, of which they had a fine lot of both elk and 

 deer. The deer of this section are of the blacktail and mule- 

 deer species, somewhat larger than the deer of the Eastern 

 States, while the elk is almost as large as a cow, weighing 

 when dressed from 300 to 500 pounds. They roam over the 

 hills and plains iu countless herds, it being no uncommon 

 thing to find a band of from 500 to 1,000 elk quietly feeding 

 like so many cattle. 



The next day after going into camp on Bates Creek the 

 three Scotchmen and myself struck out over the hills for a 

 day's hunt, and left my son, Elzy, in camp to look after the 

 horses and secure a good supply of camp wood and get 

 everything in good fix about camp. Shortly after leaving 

 camp we divided our party. Billy and I stnick off to the 

 left, while Mack and Jack kept to the right up over a high 

 pine ridge. Billy and I kept on over the hUls until we came 

 down on the creek bottom again, where we found a lot of 

 elk skins hanging up high in some Cottonwood trees, evi- 

 dently left there a year or so before by hunters who had not 

 been able to pack them out and had hung them up for safe- 

 keeping until their return. Then we bore off to our rigbt 

 and came out on a mountain side covered with snow, and, 

 being tired from our long tramp over the hills, we here sat 

 down to rest and take a view of the beautiful picture spread 

 out before us of hills, valleys, pine ridges and huge rocks of 

 immense proportions and all forms. After ten or fifteen 

 minutes we suddenly discovered some three hundred elk 

 feeding among the rocks in the glade, a quarter of a mile 

 brlow us. As we were sitting within full view of them, a 

 little skulking was necessary for us to get back over the 

 ridge out of their sight, and just as we had accomplished 

 this we discovered another band of about the same size com- 

 ing out of the pines upon the opposite ridge, foUuwed by 

 Mack and Jack. They, being inexperienced hunters, did 

 not lollow the elk with as much caution as thej^ should, but 

 came dashing down the mountain side in full view of the 

 game, and soon had the entire band, which now numbered 

 about six hundred, on a trot down the glade, and at the 

 sam'^ time began to fire at them at long range. Billy and I, 

 seeing that ' the elk were making down the glade 

 and would be likely to cross over the lower 

 end of the ridge we were on, hurried off a run 

 as fast as we could toward the lower end of the ridge, 

 which we reached after a hard run of about one and a half 

 miles, and were just in time to meet the elk as they were 

 about to pass over the point. 1 was some distance ahead 

 and to the left of Billy, and as the elk saw me those in front 

 stopped, while those behind came crowding up so as to 

 make a "pack" of the herd. I instantly drew sig- 1 on a fine 

 heifer and fired. The herd turned and ran. The one I had 

 fired at made a few jumps and fell, and another one soon 

 went down, and I found on examination that my ball had 

 passed through the shoulders of the first one and into the 

 body of another one standing directly in range. In the 

 meantime Billy and 1 had fired several shots at the herd as 

 they ran, and Billy succeeded in bringing a fine one down 

 with a broken back. We now made ail haste to dress our 

 dead elk, which done, we filled them full of clean snow. 

 We then hastened on after the herd, which had turned to 

 our left and crossed over another ridge and across a large . 

 flat before going down into the Hole. Mack and Jack had 

 intercepted them on this flat and killed one fine heifer, 

 which we soon helped them dress, and we then all followed 

 the trail to the edge of the Hole, where we discovered the 

 band of elk feeding on a bench or flat about one mile dis- 

 tant. 



It was now 4 o'clock in the afternoon, but Billy and I 

 at once decided to give them another chase before dark, so 

 we_ struck off to the right to try and get in ahead of them, 

 while Mack and Jack lemained on a high ridge near by to 

 see the fun of the chase and then to return to camp, as it 

 was now some distance off. After a hard trip of slipping 

 and sliding, we reached the bottom of the ridge and placing 

 another ridge between us and the elk, we hastened on as fast 

 as we could for some distance and then crawled to the top 

 of the ridge to rcconnoiter a little, but found that the game 

 was still some distance ahead of us. We crawled back 



again and hurried on, when we again approached the top of 

 the divide. After looking for some tirhe as we lav fla.t on 

 the top of the ridge, we discovered a large bull elk and a 

 bunch of heifers a short distance to our right, quietly look- 

 ing at us and trying to make out what sort of aninials we 

 were. I whispered to Billy to lie still and I would slip back 

 and try and get in ahead' of them and at the same time he 

 should follow up the band but keep out of their sight as 

 much as possible. I soon succeeded iu getting in advance 

 of the band by taking a circuitous route ; and placing myself 

 behind a large rock I waited for their approach. As soon 

 as they came within seventy-five yards I opened fire on them 

 and did not cease tiring until 1 had exhausted all the car- 

 tridges in my magazine. One large bull elk I had fired three 

 shots at, for I desired very much to secure his head as a 

 prize, his antlers being very fine and large. By this time 

 they came in_ range of Billy's gun, and he opened fire on 

 them, but being at long range he only suceeded in killing 

 one. On going out from behind my rock I found that I had 

 killed three fine ones, two heifers and one spike buck; and 

 that the big bull I had fired the three shots at was badly 

 wounded through the back and was slowly going down the 

 gulch toward the creek in company with a fine heifer 

 that had one hind leg broken up close lo the hip. 

 1 fired one shot at the bull but missed, him, 

 being down hill. I then discovered that I had but 

 one shot remaining iu my gun and my belt was empty, 

 I called to Billy to "Shoot the two elk going down the 

 gulch," but he replied that "he had no cartridges." Sol 

 gave him my gun with the one remaining shot in it, and told 

 hkn to follow the bull down to the creek bottom and kill 

 him and I would try and catch the wounded heifer. I soon 

 succeeded in overtaking her and with one vigorous shove 

 pushed her into a washout about eight feet wide and some 

 four feet deep, thinkiog this would impede her progress so 

 I could kill her with my hatchet, but she could make about 

 as good speed here as before, so I sprang in on her back and 

 had my first ride on the back of a wild elk. I now drew my 

 hatchet from my belt, and getting a good hold in the long 

 hair on her neck I reached forward and struck her several 

 hard blows between the ears and eyes, which soon brought 

 her down. I then whipped out my hunting knife and cut her 

 throat. At this instant I heard Billy fire, and knowing that 

 my elk was secure I hurried on down the gulch to see if he 

 had killed the bull. I met Billy coming back and said "he 

 had shot the big elk but did not know whether he had killed 

 him or not. We hurried down to the creek and in a short 

 time found him lying in the middle of the creek, stone dead, 

 and in water about twelve inches deep. We now had a big 

 job of dressing on our hands, having six dead elk in a 

 radius of less than half a mile. When we had finished 

 dressing the last elk it was almost dark; this being our first 

 day in the hills we had some misgivings about reaching 

 camp that night. We were tired, hungry, and for my part, 

 wet feet and no coat. 



We started for camp: and night coming on, we took our 

 course by the stars. The mountains and gulches all looked 

 alike in the darkness, and finally Billy gave out and lay 

 down, and begged of me to go on and find camp and leave 

 him there until morning. This I refused to do; and at last 

 succeeded in getting him started when I offered to carry his 

 gun. We felt somewhat "shaky" as we passed through one 

 creek bottom thickly timbered with cotton wood and under- 

 brush, for we were out of ammunition and had nothing to 

 defend ounselves with except my hatchet in case of an en- 

 counter with a silvertip, for these bears are quite numerous 

 here on Bates Creek. But fortune favored us in that re- 

 spect, for after climbing to the top of another high ridge we 

 discovered our camp-fire burning brightly away down on the 

 creek bottorii about a mile off, and could faintly hear the re- 

 port of a signal gun that the boys at camp were firing for 

 us. In due time, almost played out, we reached camp. We 

 soon had a pot of steaming coffee and a panful of fat elk 

 stake frying over a hot fire, as we had taken the precaution 

 to bring iu a tenderloin for our supper. 



The three days following were spent in packing our game 

 to camp. Then we turned our attention to the blacktailed 

 deer. Elzy and I struck out one morning for a place in the 

 Hole seven miles below our camp, where a hunter had in- 

 formed me deer were to be found among the pine gulches. 

 Reaching the edge of the Hole we picketed our horses on a 

 nice grassy slope, there being no snow here, and then clam- 

 bered down the steep sides of a ch>ilk bluff. Reaching the 

 bottom, we were slowly walking down a narrow canon, 

 when glancing up another caiion to our left, we discovered 

 a bunch of deer looking at us. I raised my gun and fired, 

 but too quick, and missed my mark, and the deer went 

 bounding off up the mountain side. We both fired again, 

 and this time with better results, for two deer ftll dead. We 

 dressed them quickly and hung them up as high as we 

 could ou a dead cedar tree, out of reach of the bears, for 

 this was a wild gorge and bears were said to be plenty here. 

 They had the night before devoured two deer which had 

 been killed by a hunter who camped near us. Elzy was 

 now in high glee, for this was his fir<<t deer; and he was 

 eager to be off on the chase again. We now started on a 

 circuitous route for our horses, thinking to take our game to 

 camp with us that night, but after climbing to the top of 

 another chalk bluff we suddenly came upon a band of ten or 

 twelve deer. Elzy had dropped behind and sat down on a 

 large rock to rest. I at once opened fire on them and emp- 

 tied my repeater as they went over the ridge some one hun- 

 dred yards distant. Going up, 1 found that I had three dead 

 deer and one large four-point buck had his back broken; 

 him I soon despatched. It was some time after dark when 

 we reached camp, but Elzy 's horse being a good leader we 

 came in without much trouble; a horse that is good to fol- 

 low a trail is a flue thing to have in these hills after dark. 



On reaching camp we found that we had new neighbors. 

 Two brothers of the name of Gregg, of my acquaintance, 

 had got on our trail and followed us in to the bunting 

 grounds, so on the following day they went with us on a 

 deer hunt. We all rode our horses to the Hole and picketed 

 them on the same grassy slope as before, and then took an 

 elk trail down on to a bench in the Hole. I soon spied a 

 band of deer feeding on a slope of the hill some distance 

 below us. I told the boys to remain where they were, and 

 I would get around below them and drive them back, but 

 the boys, in their eagerness to secure a shot, had ventured 

 too near the edge of the bluff', and had startled the deer, for 

 1 saw them go bounding around a point below me. I ran as 

 fast as I could around the next chalk ridge, and came out 

 on the point overlooking the glade into 'which I had seen 

 the deer go. Crawling out cautiously I saw the deer, six in 

 number, standing some distance below me looking back at 

 the boys, who were now coming down the glade. 1 raised 

 my gun and fired and wounded one. They sprang forward 



