164 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March 22, 1888. 



In the first place, if he will examine a common Mitchell's 

 school atlas, published in 1855; he will find his mysterious 

 body of water located exactly where it belongs, across 

 the Laurentian watershed in latitude 51°, and its dimen- 

 sions given at 125 miles long by 25 wide. I would then 

 advise him to obtain a letter from the. Hudson's Bay Com- 



Emy's headquarters at Montreal to its agent at Misstissini 

 ake, and, as soon as the excursion steamboats begin 

 their trips up the Saguenay from Quebec, to take passage 

 to Ha-Ha Bay r , whence, if he cannot go by steamboat, he 

 will find a caleche and a most admirable road over his 

 "sixty-mile portage from Chicontimi to the Grand Dis- 

 charge, which is the outlet of Lake St. John. There are 

 thrifty hamlets of French habilans all the way, and 

 eglises, where the priests will give him shrift if he de- 

 sires. From this point there is a very good road along 

 the lake shore to the Indian reserve at Pointe Bleue, on 

 Lake St. John, where there is a thriving village of 350 

 Montagnais, who have a hospital, church, school, twenty- 

 five comfortable houses, some thirty barns, 100 head of 

 live stock, and an abundance of farm implements. They 

 are well advanced in agriculture and crop about 150 acres. 



From this point one of the smaller Indian pupils, if he 

 can be spared from school, will conduct him to his 

 mysterious Misstissini Lake, or if not, Mr. Otis, the 

 agent, will go himself. There are no telegraph poles set 

 along the 120 mile intervals, but there are -lots of stand- 

 ing spruces which will answer the purpose when cut, and 

 when he reaches the end of his journey he will find com- 

 fortable quarters at the Hudson's Bay post, from whence, 

 if he chooses, he can take a batteau down the St. llupert 

 liiver to James Bay, which is the southernmost projection 

 of Hudson's Bay, not far from the latitude of Winnipeg, 

 from which it is nearly due east some 000 miles. On the 

 opposite side of James Bay are Fort Albany and Moose 

 Factory, and a direct land and water route to Fort 

 William, on the north shore of Lake Superior, where one 

 can take the Canadian Pacific Eailroad, and continue his 

 journey as he may elect. Charles Hallock. 



SALT-WATER SKETCHES. 



I. — AN UNLUCKY VOYAOE. 



ON the 24th day of November, 1854, the ship Mountain 

 Wave, of Boston, commanded by Captain John 

 Humphrey, sailed from that port for San Francisco. She 

 was a comfortable ship of the old fashion, a little over 800 

 tons burthen, and rigged in the old style, with single top- 

 sails. On board that ship I held the high position of a 

 "boy.'" I always considered the position a high one, for 

 I had to do the highest climbing; and the first officer, a 

 pious example of the old school, early introduced me to 

 the main royal, committed its care to my tender mercies. 

 He especially delighted in criticising its furl and in call- 

 ing me out in my watch below to repair deficiencies in that 

 line, if he could find any. This officer was a character in 

 his way. At home he was a bright and shining light in 

 the church, but on board ship the contest between nature 

 and grace in his case was sometimes very severe. He 

 could, when excited, use scriptural language after the 

 manner of seafaring men, and to hear him apostrophizing 

 men aloft sometimes was entertaining to his audience, 

 but would have horrified the brethren in his church. 



The ship was deeply loaded with coal and a general 

 cargo, and as the weather was stormy, she labored heavily 

 as soon as she went to sea, and we had much discomfort. 

 Before we had been a week at sea she began to leak, and 

 in heavy weather constant pumping was required to keep 

 her free from water. The leak seemed to increase, and at 

 last the community forward formed itself into a "com- 

 mittee of the whole house," and proceeded aft to confer 

 with the captain and officers on the state of the ship and 

 to declare our opinion of affairs in general. Such inter- 

 views are always interesting. The party of the first part, 

 or those aft, generally resent any movement on the part 

 of the crew of this nature as an attempt at dictation, and 

 much diplomacy is required to prevent explosions or vio- 

 lent breaches of the status quo. The younger members 

 on each side generally view any chance of a row with 

 huge delight, and sometimes hurl a firebrand into the 

 debate that raises things a little. Prudent counsels pre- 

 vailed, however, on this occasion, and after some discus- 

 sion it was resolved to return to our port of departure. 

 The ship was accordingly put about, and we stood back 

 all that night. A further consideration of matters dur- 

 ing the night, however, caused the captain to determine 

 on again pursuing the voyage. The party of the second 

 part was accordingly summoned to the sacred precincts 

 of the quarter deck, and the following modus vivendi (I 

 took this from the fishing treaty) was promulgated, dis- 

 cussed, and finally agreed upon and fully ratified. 

 First— The way back was stormy and hard. 

 Second — The way ahead was toward fine weather and 

 balmy breezes. 

 Third — The latter course was easier than the first. 

 Therefore it was resolved to continue the voyage, and 

 if the ship still leaked put into Bio de Janeiro for repairs. 



So we once more pursued our way, pumping a good 

 deal in bad weather, but not so much when the wind and 

 sea were moderate. One day, wind fresh and abeam, the 

 ship staggered along under topgallant sails, the cry was 

 heard, "Man overboard." Those only who have been at 

 sea know what this means. It has been written up many 

 times, but no writing cau express just what the cry and 

 the fact convey. You stand on deck and watch the ship 

 cutting and sheering through the boisterous waves. You 

 smoke the pipe of peace and thank your lucky stars that 

 you are not on shore, exposed to dangers from horse cars, 

 policemen, fire engines and the like, but safe on board a 

 good ship with a strong breeze and a clear sea. Bnt look, 

 if you please, beyond the lee bulwarks, and picture if you 

 can, the small chance a man would have if tossed into 

 that churning mass of fierce waves. They seem to leap 

 up and grasp out for a victim. They would seize you, if 

 they could, and toss and buffet you about, twist every 

 joint and linilj until it ached, and dasli their mad foam 

 across your face until no more free air could fill the poor 

 gasping lungs, no more free action could be had from the 

 tired limbs, and the wave-fiends would dash over you and 

 engulf you in their mad triumph. Every sailor knows 

 all this, whenever he goes aloft, or pursues his calling in 

 any part of the ship, and so he is careful and alert, and 

 tries for safety all the time. But when the running ship, 

 towering on the crest of a lofty wave, dashes sudden ly 

 onward and down, burying her head booms in the boil- 

 ing sea, and tears them out again with a terrible strain, 

 as was the case on tliis occasion, no Living thing can | 



hold on, and so our poor shipmate was dashed into the 

 sea, was struck and passed over by the ship and was 

 never seen more by any living man. It occurred in- 

 stantly and was over in a second. It was seen and the 

 cry raised "Man overboard." Sailors must act promptly 

 at all times. In less time than 1 can write about it fife 

 buoys were thrown over, the ship hove to and a boat was 

 overboard manned by determined men, resolute to rescue 

 a shipmate if possible. The effort was vain; the boat re- 

 turned, was hoisted again with difficulty and we pro- 

 ceeded on our course, one man less. 



In the fine weather of the tropics and the trade winds 

 the leak did not trouble us so much, but it was sufficient 

 to cause us to run for Eio Janeiro for repairs. One fine 

 evening we stood in for Cape Frio, the bold headland 

 sixty miles east of the entrance. After dark the wind 

 fell, and as it became calm a strong current set the ship 

 in until we found we were getting unpleasantly near the 

 rocks. The face of the cliff is perhaps 600ft. high and 

 perpendicular. We scratched the mast and whistled for 

 wind to take us out of our dangerous proximity to the 

 land, but no wind came, so we, in a desperate hurry, 

 hauled up chain and let go anchor. In seventy-five 

 fathoms of water our anchor hooked on to something 

 below and the ship swung around with her stern about 

 200ft. from the frowning cliff where a goat could find no 

 footing. 



Fortunately the sea was smooth, and all hands "stood 

 by" all night for a jump, for if the anchor did not hold 

 on, we should be against the rocks in five minutes, with 

 the spars tumbling about our ears. 



In the morning a light air sprung up. All sail was 

 spread, and as the ship began to gather way, the chain 

 was slipped, and we drew slowly off from our dangerous 

 position, minus one anchor and 90 fathoms of chain. 

 That day we arrived in Bio Janeiro, and anchored in the 

 harbor. Examination proved that the leak was in the 

 rudder case, so the rudder was unshipped, the leak 

 stopped, the rudder re-shipped, a new anchor and chain 

 procured, and after a delay of three weeks, we sailed 

 again on our voyage. 



We had a long stretch around the Horn into the Pacific, 

 and running up the west coast, one day we saw a vessel 

 heave to, with the U. S. ensign flying. She was a whaler 

 and the captain came on board with a boat load of 

 squashes and other vegetables, and wanted candles. The 

 hold of his ship was nearly full of the best illuminating 

 oil of those days, but he evidently was in search of more 

 light, so we stretched forth our hands and gave it to hini. 

 We may yet "carry coals to Newcastle." 



On the 22d of May, 1855, we entered San Francisco 

 harbor, after a passage of 179 days. I could entertain you 

 with some account of that city as it then was, and may 

 do so some time. When I left it I did not see it again 

 until 1879. What a change! If I had invested ten cents 

 in real estate there in 1855, I should probably be in Con- 

 gress now. I was only prevented from doing so, by the 

 fact that I didn't have the ten cents. While lying at the 

 wharf in San Francisco I saw the beautiful ship Metro- 

 politan capsize and fill with water at the wharf. Her 

 spars were all aloft, Too much cargo was taken out. 

 Her side port was open, and over she went. It cost a fine 

 sum to get her up again. She was chartered to take a 

 load of Chinamen to China. After her disaster not one 

 would go in her. They said she was unlucky. 



We were chartered to go to St. Bartholomew's Bay 

 and load guano for home. This bay is on the coast of 

 Lower California, and the guano was taken from an 

 island on the coast and brought to us by a schooner. 

 There were two ships of us; ours and the Harriet Hoxie 

 of Mystic, Capt. Man waring. There was also an old 

 whaling bark there, catching whales when any came, 

 and building a schooner on shore from materials brought 

 out from home. St. Bartholomew's Bay is called Turtle 

 Bay r by the whalers, from the large numbers of turtles 

 found there. We had great sport catching them. The 

 process may be new to the readers of Forest and 

 Stream. We took a piece of rod iron 6in. long and filed 

 a point on one end. Above the point a recess was filed 

 in the iron, iin. deep, going all round the bolt, so as to 

 make a kind of shoulder. A piece of cod line about a 

 fathom in length was firmly secured to the bolt, and to 

 the end of this a stronger line. Then a pole -was found, 

 like a harpoon staff, and a hole bored into one end of it. 

 The bolt was put into this hole loosely, and the line 

 hauled taut along the pole to keep it in place. Then 

 sailing or pulling along slowly, the turtle would be seen 

 asleep on the water. A sharp thrust wotdd drive the peg 

 or bolt through the shell of the turtle, the pole taken into 

 the boat, and the game was fast to the liue. If it proved 

 to be a large one it might take some time to get it into 

 the boat. It was necessary to strike them well forward 

 of the center, so that pulling on the line would bring 

 them head up. If struck aft they would make such 

 vigorous use of their flippers that it was difficult to get 

 them to the surface so as to seize them. 



While hying in this bay a large whale came in one Sun- 

 day. Some of us managed to jump into the whalers' 

 boats with the crew and take a hand in his capture. 

 After a long chase, old Bowser, the mate of the whaler, 

 suceeeded in shooting a bomb into this whale, which 

 killed him, but he sank to the bottom, and the sharks 

 tore the carcass in pieces. Not much profit in that cruise. 



When we were about half loaded, the Mexican Govern- 

 ment suddenly woke up, and a schooner came from Ma- 

 zatlan with officers on board who warned us to cease tak- 

 ing the guano, under pain of seizure. The captains told 

 them to go to — Mazatlan; but after the schooner had 

 sailed for reinforcements a serious conference was held, 

 and it was resolved to clear out for home with what cargo 

 we had before they could return. 



So on a pleasant day both ships got under way, gave 

 three cheers to the whalers and went to sea. That after- 

 noon, when well off the land, both ships going free, 

 about eight knots an hour, the Harriet Hoxie bore down 

 on our quarter. A man went out on her jibboom and 

 cleverly threw a small line on board of our ship. A hot 

 loaf of bread was wrapped in a piece of canvas, seemed 

 to the fine, and sent on board for the officers' supper. It 

 was a clever piece of handling of ships. We parted with 

 a cheer and saw each other no more. In 107 days we ar- 

 rived in Hampton Koads, and found that the Harriet 

 Hoxie had beaten us two days. Our ship was ordered to 

 New London to discharge her cargo, but our troubles 

 were not yet over, for standing in for New London light on 

 a cold, dark night, with a fresh breeze blowing, again the 

 cry rang out ' 'Man overboard." It appears that as the crew 



were clearing away an anchor to be in readiness to anchor, 

 the ponderous mass of iron had slipped, struck a handspike 

 in the hands of one of the men and knocked him clean 

 off the ship with great force. We hove to, lowered a 

 boat, and five of us, half clad, pulled away into the 

 wintry gloom to try and rescue a shipmate. There was 

 no light in the boat, and of course we were soon lost sight 

 of from the ship. After an ineffectual search of a long 

 time we gave it up and endeavored to regain the ship. 

 Wet through and benumbed we were scarcely able to 

 pull the oars and the ship was a long distance off. Wind 

 and tide were rapidly carrying us out to sea. The people 

 on the ship could not see us, although we could plainly 

 see thenl. They were firing guns and showing many 

 lights. At last they tilled the sails and stood away from 

 us. The cold was bitter; we were all wet as we could be; 

 the boat was making water fast, and the ship standing 

 away from us. Think what our feelings were. The ship 

 soon tacked and stood toward us, but on such a course as 

 to pass well to windward. We pulled our best, shouted 

 until we were hoarse and did all we could to attract at- 

 tention. Just as the captain was about to give us up, go 

 into port and get a steamer to come out after iis, some sharp 

 eyes on the ship made us out, and we were able to get 

 alongside; none of us could get on board unaided. Our 

 poor shipmate was lost in sight of port and our hearts 

 were very heavy. 



The next day was Thanksgiving day. Our thanks 

 were due that those alive had returned safe. We had 

 been gone a year, had made a broken voyage out, a broken 

 voyage home and had lost two men overboard. It was 

 truly an unlucky voyage. Chatham. 



Every person ivho is sufficiently interested in the National 

 Park to clo his share toward securing protection for it, is in- 

 vited to send for one of the Forest and Stream's petition 

 blanks. They are sent free. 



BIRDS AND SPECIMENS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Aside from the bad taste displayed, the peculiarly arro- 

 gant and exasperating tone in which your correspondent, 

 Mr. Hasbrouck, speaks in your issue of to-day on the sub- 

 ject of collecting bird specimens, challenges a reply. 



In spite of the truth of his premise that "there are men. 

 and there are men," he, nevertheless, forgets to draw the 

 ergo that "there are scientists, and there are scientists." 

 When, in the field of ornithology, such men as Wilson, 

 Audubon, Baird and Coues are mentioned, no one ques- 

 tions their right to the title of scientist, for they labored 

 in their branch of knowledge reverently, unselfishly and 

 intelligently. But is not each one of these qualifications 

 an essential element in the character of a true naturalist? 

 Should he not have reverence, that he may approach the 

 world of nature, not with sacrilegious impulse to touch, 

 to handle, to destroy, but with some feeling of its mighty 

 moaning and of man's relation to it. Unselfishness, that 

 he shall not deplete nature and invade the rights of his 

 fellows simply to educate himself, but may be able to 

 sacrifice convenience, gratification and gain whenever 

 they are opposed to the true interests of his science; and 

 finally must he not have intelligence, that he may know 

 the purpose of his pursuit and therefore know what acts 

 of his would further, which frustrate, its attainment V 



And must not this intelligence be, too, of an order high 

 enough to know the very raison d'etre of his employment 

 to be that it is for the enlightment of those of his fellows 

 who in the division of labor have been allotted to other- 

 places; that the test is, not whether the information will 

 be "thankfully received by ornithologists," but whether 

 at the price paid it is a gain to those for whose advantage 

 he labors? 



If such are scientists, then to scientists it is right to 

 intrust, and it was intended to intrust, the task of win- 

 ning for us a knowledge of nature; but as the benefici- 

 aries of the power given them in trust, the power to kill if 

 necessary, we still retain the right to demand an account- 

 ing. But it was never intended to give this power to 

 every one who flippantly arrogates to himself the name 

 of scientist. They should first prove their right to the 

 title, and for such proof the law should provide, and also 

 for every available guaranty that the power it gives shall 

 not be abused. 



"If in accordance with the doctrine of 'O. 0. S.' the 

 study of birds had stopped with these naturalists [ Wilson 

 and Audubon], where pray would our ornithology be to- 

 day ?" 



If, as "O. O, S." intended, it had stopped with, and 

 were now limited to, men of the stamp of these natural- 

 ists, dogs any one doubt that the world would have, not 

 only all the valuable knowledge of birds that we have to- 

 day, but would have the birds, too, where in many 

 instances we have them not to-day? Why should the 

 claim of every half-grown boy who has just opened his 

 natural history, or of every crank with just brains enough 

 to ride this hobby, be preferred to the rights of the rest of 

 mankind in the creations of nature? What can profit us 

 the gropings of men to whom the science of ornithology 

 consists simply in killing one of every kind and one of 

 every variation of that kind ? Suppose they do note the 

 variations in the coloring of birds or in the measurement 

 of their parts? Is that the full scope of the science, or is 

 it only a machinery by which to further another object, 

 the study of the life and habits of the living creature ? 

 And is not this in turn but the means to a still greater 

 object, the attainment of some light on the purpose of 

 creation itself ? Truly with such sponsors the science of 

 ornithology is in the position of the man who had the 

 bear for a friend. They aim at mosquitoes, but they 

 crush with their stupidity the cause that they espouse. 

 Of such the proper sphere is collecting stamps and old 

 coins, where at least they will do no harm. 



Yonkers, N. Y., March 8. EVERETT MASTEN. 



Otter on Cape Cod.— Taunton, Mass., March 12.— 

 Editor Forest and Stream: Froni a letter recently re- 

 ceived from an old gunner at South Wellfleet, I quote as 

 follows: "One of my friends killed a fine otter a short 

 distance from my house last week, and I understand there 

 has been two otters killed in Wellfleet this winter over by 

 the Long Pond." It is unusual for otters to get as far 

 down on the Cape as the above-mentioned towns. — John 

 C. Gaboon. 



