424 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Deo. 24, 1885. 



s descending lower! He has now no foothold, but with 

 Ms right hand grasps a small projecting ledge. His left 

 hand he reaches down, and entwines his fingers in the shaggy 

 coat of the animal's neck. He surely has not the strength 

 to raise the huge dog in that position! Muscles of u'on could 

 not stand the tension ! Ah, but he has muscles of better stuff 

 than iron then, for he lifts the great brute, and draws it, wet 

 and dripping, out of the water. Horror! the ledge has given 

 way under the weight, dog and man have fallen into the 

 icy water, and with a crash like loud thunder the great float- 

 ing mass of ice hurls itself against the frozen wall and breaks 

 into a million pieces ! 



Women shrieked and fainted, and men ran for axes and 

 bars, and hurried out on the point. They climbed over the 

 battered remnants of the wall, and worked with a will to 

 pry and cut away the ice which held the bodies of the dog 

 and man. For hours they worked and would not give up, 

 but it was not until nearly dusk of that Christmas day that 

 their labors were rewarded— rewarded by finding the two 

 corpses, one the brute, and one not far removed from the 

 brute, kind in his mode of life, but human and noble in the 

 great unselfish heart that could meet death in the attempt 

 to save one of the dumb kind which had been his only friends 

 in life, the only , kind whose ways he understood, and the 

 only kind whicJi understood and loved him. 



They buried the man In the chestnut woods, and left no 

 stone and no sign but a mound that is now mossy and greeu 

 to indicate the spot where lie the remains of poor half-witted 

 "Shiftless Bill." Senega. 



MAROONED ON RONCADOR. 



WE were very much puzzled by the rather peculiar name 

 given on our chart to a little sand cay well fringed 

 with reefs, lying in latitude 13~^ 35' N., and longitude 80° 6' 

 W., right in* the fairway for a ship bound fj-om Aspinwall to 

 Key West, and 250 miles from the former. Our interest in 

 the name arose from the fact that on our way north, instead 

 of adopting om- usual custom in such matters and giving it 

 as wide a berth as we could without running too near to some 

 other of its nature, we were called upon to go to it. 



Om* Spanish expert hunted up that the name Roncador 

 meant "The Snorter," for it came from the verb ronca, to 

 snore or snort, and when we got there we could see the rea- 

 son of the nomenclature. Given a strong blow or even a 

 moderate trade winds it would seem very likely, judging by 

 the effect in breaker producing of the light wind vpe had, that 

 it would prove indeed a " 'snorter. "' There is like significance 

 in Spanish names of many of the dangerous reefs with which 

 the Caribbean Sea is well provided. Mira-por-vis (look out 

 for yourself), Quita Sueno (sleep stopper) and others, are 

 well named. 



Our mission, when we left Aspinwall early on Nov. 19, 

 was one of humanity, and we were well pleased. Had it 

 been exactly the opposite we would have been pleased, but 

 perhaps not so much. But the pleasure one has in leaving 

 that horrid J dirty, rainy, sickly hole for any reason is so 



freat that it takes strong causes to produce even shades of 

 ifference. Information hod been received by the Navy 

 Department that upon the barren islet there were men, who 

 had been abandoned to a possible death by privation, and at 

 least, to a certainty, of great hardship, and by telegraph sped 

 the order for the Powhatan to go and rescue them. She 

 did go, did find and rescue them, and it is in regard to their 

 adventures I propose to wi-ite for you. 



Long messages are not sent at a dollar a word, including 

 address and signature, and much was left for us to speculate 

 over. Who were the abandoned men? How did they get 

 there? "Who abandoned them? How long since? Why did 

 they not leave the islet by the same means by which they 

 sent information of their being their? And lots more queries 

 which, as they could not be answered until we got there, 

 served to pass time, and give rise to sharp discussions. And 

 the old ship seemed to participate in the feverish haste of all 

 to get there. And in thirty-one houi's from our fervent 

 good-bye to Aspinwall, on the forenoon of the 20th, for we 

 had so timed it that we should have benefit of morning light 

 to find the islet, and of daylight to communicate, we 

 sighted ahead a mass of foaming breakers, and as we ap- 

 proached, with good look out for broken water, a more soUd 

 looking speck amid the breakers but not one of them, 

 glistening in the dazzhng tropical sun. The whole cay is 

 but a very small spot to find, but it is an extremely ugly one 

 to be caught to windward of with anything the matter with 

 sails or spars. The whole length of seven miles and a half 

 is of unbroken breakers, varied, as we could see upon a 

 nearer approach, by that beautiful light green color so fre- 

 quently seen in those latitudes, where the water is shallow 

 and the bottom of coral. There are ugly black rocky heads 

 sticking up here and there, against which the heave of the 

 sea expends itself with great fury and considerable noise, 

 which probably gave to the cay its name. The sand patch 

 itself is only 600 yards long by 300 yards in width and is 

 only inhabited by birds who rest there at night and in the 

 season lay their eggs and hatch their young. Boobies, man- 

 of-war birds and gannets are the chief species. 



As we neared the land, every glass in the ship was in 

 requisition, and as, one after another, the various objects 

 on shore became distinct and were identified, excitement 

 grew until, when certain black points were seen to be mov- 

 ing, and later it was evident that they were men, the inter- 

 est was at fever heat. First we saw a large square struc- 

 ture surmounted with a flag on its staff, and had it been a 

 fort it could not have more closely resembled one; but a fort 

 it could not be. The sailing directions describe nothing on 

 the islet but a "few low bushes, a hut and a well of brack- 

 ish water." This was neither; yet it was nothing new, and 

 was there, differently arranged, long before the directions 

 were written, as we afterward found. It consisted of 

 some 600 tons of guano, which had been collected, screened, 

 piled, and was ready for shipment. In close proximity— 

 for on 7 feet high islets, over which the sea can dash when 

 that way inchned, the high spot is the safest, and even so 

 unsavory a neighbor as guano can be endured — were two 

 Shanties. 



From these huts came running along the beach to a 

 liauled-up boat three men, and soon they were pulling 

 toward us. In our cutter, about to start for the shore, was 

 tb.e doctor, well provided with necessary remedies for weak 

 and starving people; in the shore boat coming to us were 

 three as hardy aud healthy looking individuals as one often 

 sees. Clad in the remains of a suit of ordinary ahirt and 

 trousers, no hats nor shoes, tanned and sunburned so black 

 that we at first thought them Diegos, were three good-look- 

 ing fellows. We thought they must be the survivors, and 

 still kept prepared to send, under their pilotage, for the 

 others; but there was no need. They were, to use the words ^ 



of the poet, "The boatswain tight, the midshipmite and the 

 crew of the Nancy brig." 



We hove them a line and they came aboard. One, an 

 Alsatian, who seemed to be the leader, spoke English very 

 fairly; the two others, one German, the other a Hollander, 

 not much. They had come off hoping to be able to buy 

 provisions and clothing, and utterly ignorant of the fact of 

 their having been sent for. When, however, they heard of 

 our mission their minds were quickly enough made up, the 

 temptation of returning to civilization being sufficient to 

 overcome their sense of duty toward employers who had left 

 them on an utterly barren island to shift for themselves, and 

 to keep guard over a pile of screened guano while waiting 

 for the said employers to return and gather up the results of 

 their hard labors and sacrifice. 



From their statements, which agree, it appears that they 

 had been engaged by a party of New York and Philadelphia 

 merchants, through their agent, Captain Genet, an ex-sea 

 captain, to go to the Island of Roncador to collect guano. 

 The origmal party consisted of fourteen, and were landed on 

 the island inMay, 1884, the ex-sea captain being with them 

 as superintendent. One of the men, Ryyp by name, was of 

 this orignal party, and had thus spent over eighteen months 

 on the islet; the two others had been there about eight 

 months. Their contract was to collect the guano and ship 

 it. Wages from $15 a month, and provisions, clothing, etc. 

 They dug enough to load three schooners belonging to the 

 company, each of which, on her departure for, they think, 

 WUmip^ton, N. C, carried away some of the working 

 party. In November, 1884, they having been left without a 

 visit a long period, and provisions running low, the super- 

 intendent, with two men, started for Aspinwall in one of 

 their boats, which had been raised and decked. Having no 

 compass the trip was a long and hard one, but successful, 

 for in a few weeks he returned with a Columbian vessel, 

 which he had chai-tered to carry away guano. She was 

 loaded and Captain Genet left in her for the North early 

 this spring, leaving three months' provisions. Since then 

 they had not heard from him, and were very anxious about 

 him, as they had so high an opinion of him that they could 

 not believe him in any way responsible for the failure to 

 keep them supplied with provisions, etc. 



When Captiiin Genet and party left, the islanders were re- 

 duced to four people— Ryyp, the ^Llsatian ; Von Woll, the Ger- 

 man; Van Sheudel, the Hollander, and Jim Cooke, a heathen 

 Chinee,who in the double capacity of cook and guano worker, 

 got wages away ahead of the others, and in his third capacity, 

 for which "the heathen Chinee is peculiar" managed to get 

 what little the other fellows had in a get-at-able condition; 

 that, however, don't include wages, for according to their 

 statements, promises instead of payments have, up to date, 

 been the rule. 



I don't propose to go at all into the business questions in- 

 volved. The original employers have no doubt something 

 to explain, and it is to be hoped that fortlie credit of United 

 States mercliants they can clear it all up. Somewhere between 

 the extremes of marooning and unavoidable accident, perhaps 

 settling on one of the extremes, lies the true reason why these 

 men were left to so rough a life, which might have terminated 

 in a rougher death. The question would and may yet puzzle 

 a Philadelphia lawyer and I don't Uke puzzles, I propose 

 only to give some details of their life as they tell it, and in 

 so doing regret that it should not be told with the pen of 

 De Foe or the author of "Swiss Family Robinson," for with 

 a little imaginative trimming, the story of these men would 

 be most interesting. 



While Jim Cook was with them they were quite comfort- 

 able, had huts to sleep in, plenty of grub, and a good cook, 

 with work enough to make time pass; and that they worked 

 hard and faithfully the immense pile of guano is a silent wit- 

 ness. I don't know much about gathering guano, but if 

 given the problem, if four men working months can collect 

 a pile of guano big as a fort, how long would it take "Piseco" 

 to accomplish one-thirty -fifth of the same? I would without 

 hesitation answer about a hundred years. 



But as provisions ran low Jim began to get discontent. 

 This discontent he concealed, and when, about three months 

 ago, it was in August, the pork barrel having given out in 

 June, the bread and worms and weevils mixed, a month or 

 so later, and turtle oil grown rancid, Jim felt that his reputa- 

 tion as a cook was at stake. Boobies and conchs, under the 

 most skillful treatment, cannot fill the lack of turkeys and 

 oysters, and Jim thought he would, pro lono publico, go for 

 assistance. A fishing schooner coming in Jim secured pass- 

 age in her for, as he said, $60, and went to Colon, to charter 

 a vessel to take away the guano and to procure provisions. 

 With Jim was intrusted all of their turtle shell, about $150 

 worth, their spare cash,|not much— and they were still await- 

 ing Jim's return. He did send provisions, to a limited ex- 

 tent, however, for when the schooner returned, two months 

 ago, she brought three bottles of rum and three pounds of 

 tobacco. A bottle of rum and a pound of tobacco each. 

 What could they want more? It turned out though that 

 they wanted their contract, which, with other papers of im- 

 portance, Jim, being the only man with a trunk, had kindly 

 taken care of and forgotten to return. Jimjuow disappears 

 from the story. Perhaps he is now in New York, and has 

 established with the proceeds a washy washee and is grow- 

 ing rich. 



I hope these boys will meet him some day. There will be 

 a lively party. ^. , 



Mr. Van Shendel, the Hollander, became Jim s successor, 

 and judging by the appearance of the party, he has reduced 

 the preparation of boobies, gannets and other wildfowl to a 

 science. Such as there was, there was plenty of it, and no 

 lack of firewood, for any quantity of drift wood came ashore 

 from time to time. . 



Their time was spent in fishing, lurtling, birdmg and 

 bird-nesting. In regard to the latter they give statements 

 which differ somewhat from those who write that the sea 

 fowl make no nests, depositing their eggs at random, They 

 say that very ingenious nests were made; small bits of sticks 

 and weed woven together with wonderful skill, and each nest 

 beautifully lined with soft white and gray feathers. The 

 birds came to the island every night, and, sitting on the 

 sand, were easily secm-ed by clubbing. Except in the breed- 

 mg season, all went away at early daylight, and even then 

 all but those sitting or caring for the young. 



As food they were tough and fishy; but the Roncadorians 

 were not over-nice about that. Fights between "men-of-war 

 buds" and the boobies, or rather robberies from the latter 

 by the former, fm-nished amusement. The men-of-war birds 

 rob the boobies of the fish they catch, just as our national 

 emblem steals from the fishhawk. I had supposed that be- 

 tween boobies and gannets there was not much to choose; 

 but 1 must warn my Forest and Stream friends against 

 luxuriating on the latter. Plain booby is the better; it does 



not give one the colic as gannet does. The turtle season was 

 during June, July and Aug-ust; while turtles were abund- 

 ant the men lived high. They had to give up eating the 

 eggs, which at first they liked, but which they found pro- 

 duced dizziness. 



One of their amusements was turtle catching. Their de- 

 scription of the cautious manner of the old lady in approach- 

 ing the spot where she proposes to reproduce, is good, but 

 not new. As this letter is getting long, I'll skip it. They 

 had considerable difficulty in procuring, uninjured, the 

 turtle shell. Experts in shell gathering soak the shells, after 

 the meat has been removed, several days in salt water, when 

 they can be separated easily. Not being up in this business 

 they tried the opposite course, drying it on the stove, with 

 the result of losing much by cracking and splitting. The 

 oil was very valuable to them for cooking and for lights. 

 Green turtle and loggerheads were the varieties. 



Fishing was good. Baiting with conchs— which, by the 

 way, were one of their food resources, but proved indigest- 

 ible, however cooked— they caught plenty of barracuda, 

 redsnappers, gropers, etc., and an occasional shark, which 

 contributed to the fun, if not to the larder. Fishing was 

 with them pretty much as we always find it — a problem in 

 which luck was a large factor. Sometimes for a week they 

 caught nothing, aud at other times all they wanted. And 

 they couldn't find any peculiarity in the wind or weather 

 worthy of being considered a "sign." So they dried and 

 salted for such emergencies. 



Sometimes, but not often, for their record is of but eight, 

 a good-sized crawfish, about a foot long, varied their diet. 

 I can't understand why they didn't get more of them; they 

 are plentiful and cheap at Key West. 



Among theu' sources of discomfort were land crabs. 

 These were of two kinds— one the soldier crab, and the other 

 a little but excessively annoying creature of a very black 

 complexion. These fairly swarmed, and while very dis- 

 agreeable as bedfellows, proved, under the circumstances, 

 still more so as messmates. To keep them out of the shan- 

 ties it was necessary to place tinned boards on edge across 

 the threshold, for they were determined to be sociable. 



So the men lived along on their speck of land and waited. 

 And as in succe.ssiou the various articles of provision gave 

 out, until at last, when we came, their stock consisted of a 

 barrel of wormy bread, li pounds of flour and boobies ad 

 Mb. — things looked shaky. 



They were plucky to the last, though. They came off to 

 us for provisions, with no thought of abandoning their 

 charge. They had twelve dollars among them, and intended 

 to refit. When, however, the invitation to go with us was 

 given, there was no dissent. So we hoisted in their boat, 

 clothed and fed them, and have brought them back to the 

 world. If wrong has been done them, the wrong was a 

 great one. They are brave aud honest men, and have been 

 faithful to the last. * Piseco. 



[The caption of "Piseco's" paper was given it by our- 

 selves. The three men arrived at this port last week.] 



CAMP ^LOTSAM. 



xn. — THE anabasis of 1885. 



FOR three hundred days, during which we had seen the 

 world turn brown and die, wrapped in the spectral 

 sheet of winter, spring forth with a joyful resurrection and 

 burst upon us with the golden heat of its summer splendor, 

 there had hung about us a glamor which neither the glory 

 of autumn, the gloom of winter nor the beauty of the spring- 

 tide could dispel. We were captives to a power which had 

 enchanted us in the shadow of Canadian forests and on the 

 shores of lonely lakes, and which, with the first breath of 

 the new summer summoned us thitherward with a call 

 from which there was no escape. As the days, one by one, 

 went by, which were bringing us nearer to the hour of our 

 flight, our thoughts went out to the land where the camp of 

 1884 had mustered, and where we had fondly hoped it would 

 live over its older life. The ways and means could easily be 

 disposed of, for tents and equipage had been stored at the 

 outlet of Loughborough Lake, and it needed only the pres- 

 ence of its former lights to call the old camp into being 

 once more. But when the roll was called there was an 

 ominous response; rebellion and desertion met us at the 

 threshold. Truthful James had set his heart on living in a 

 house and doing penance over slippery, flabby steaks, heavy 

 bread and powerless coffee, and the Reformer was bent on 

 prospecting for a ranclie in Dakota. But the call brought 

 om- old factotum, George, to the front, and with naught 

 but pity for the deserters we shouldered our traps and 

 started- the forlorn hope of the camp that was to be. 

 Where it should be located was not yet determined; a half- 

 dozen backwoods localities were under consideration, where 

 trout and bass were in abundance, and where a line had sel- 

 dom, if ever, been cast. Leaving this to the future, we 

 struck a bee line for our camp stores, which were some six- 

 teen miles to the northward of Kingston, Ont. Never were 

 two days more alike than those which witnessed the ana- 

 basis of the camp in 1884 and 1885. A year to the day and 

 to the hour separated them ; there was the same cloudless 

 sky above, the same burning drouth over the land, the same 

 fiery heat around and the same longings for the shadows of 

 the pines and the breezes from forest-bound lakes. It was 

 like setting back the hand on the dial plate of time or turn- 

 ing back the march of the sun through twelve weaiw signs. 

 There was no hesitation in selecting the route to Canada. 

 The charm of "the old fishing line"— the New York, Ontario 

 and Western— with its scenery of mountain gorges and 

 bright waters, its views from western summits over the fair- 

 est valleys of the Empire State, its quiet retreats where 

 knights of the split bamboo resort to revel in the best trout 

 fishing to be found within a day's journey from New York, 

 the charm of all these was enough to leave no thoughts of 

 any other. , ^ ^-r ^ ^ ■ 



A delightful jouraey of two hours from New York brings 

 the sportsman to Middletown, in the center of the boasted 

 farming lands of Orange county. To the southeast one sees 

 the mountain range which marks the boundary of the War- 

 wick Woodlands, while still nearer lie the Drowned Lands, 

 both celebrated in days gone by by the pen of "Frank For- 

 ester." One hour more and he is among the mountain 

 brooks of Sullivan county, streams which for years furnished 

 most magnificent trout fishing. Here, within easy reach 

 from the stations of the New York, Ontario & Western, are 

 the Neversiuk, Mongaup, Willowemock, Russell Pond, the 

 Beaverkill, and the east and west brancnes of the Delaware, 

 aU famous in the past, and which at the present time furnish 

 as fine trout fishing as at any time in theu- history. Since 

 1880 over a million young trout have been placed in the 

 streams above named. In the year 1884 over three hundred 

 thousand trout were put in the Willowemock, Beaverkill and 



