June 7, 1888.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



389 



rcesthnony that I had never boasted of my mai-k smanship 

 end that I never bad and did not now claim to be as good 

 a, ahot as he, and that when he 'pulled his gun' he hit bis 

 aian every time, but I thought the gentlemen would agree 

 [with me that it was not the height of chivalry to shoot a 

 mau in the rear." Jim's hand involuntarily went to the 

 Bore spot at the hip pocket, and from that day to this he 

 pas never spoken regarding my shooting at my house, or 

 pf my marksmanship in any manner whatever. 



Baechland. 



I Silver City, Utah. 



234. 



I A party of gentlemen were fishing on Hoar's Creek, in 

 [Albemarle Co., Virginia. "The fishing was good," said 

 Mr. F. M. Paoli, one of the party, "and the fish were ex- 

 cellent, and greatly enjoyed at our noonday repast, as 

 [was also the claret, of which a goodly supply had been 

 [provided." Mr. T. L. Farisb, an industrious fisherman, as 

 [well as a good trencherman, had done fair justice to 

 [the eating arid drinking after the morning's work. 

 | When dinner was over, and after cigars had been 

 hazily enjoyed, my father and I picked up our rods and 

 repaired to the creek for an afternoon's sport. Mr. Far- 

 psh followed suit, taking up his position on a large log 

 [which extended over the water, some hundred yards 

 |above us on the stream. The air was soft and balmy, 

 [and Mr. F. soon showed signs of drowsiness. My father 

 [called my attention to his somnolent gesticulations, With 

 Khe quiet remark, "He'll fall off the log presently." Mr. 

 IF. was extended on the log, his back resting against a 

 Bimb. and the butt of his rod supported between his 

 [knees. His nodding became more and more pronounced 

 [until he completely lost his balance, and off he went 

 [with a great splash, into the creek. There was of course 

 L lively demonstration in the water, and pretty soon the 

 [astonished angler pulled himself up the bank, but did 

 loot for a moment lose his presence of mind, for rush- 

 ling down to us he exclaimed in great excitement, "Did 

 [you see that? Did you see that fish pull me off the log? 

 [oy Jupiter, he weighed ten pounds if he weighed an 

 ounce! The biggest fish I ever hooked, and then to get 

 [away! If I ever fish on a log again I'll be hanged!" 

 [ 'More likely drowned," said my father, "if you don't 

 I keep awake." Coahoma. 



%mnt §ag nni §mj. 



A CRUISE FOR WILDFOWL. 



GAME being somewhat scarce in our locality last fall, 

 we concluded to go abroad and look for it. Plans 

 were laid to go down the Chesapeake and explore some of 

 the big western shore rivers. 



We persistently interviewed the captains of the Bay 

 craft as to whether they had seen much game up any of 

 the lower rivers, and from what we heard concluded to 

 go first to the Rappahannock and from there— well, the 

 rest of the trip was shrouded in uncertaintv. 



We fixed on an early day in November, and set about 

 our preparations. A short' description of our ship may 

 not be out of place here, as she is an old and tried friend. 

 She is (or rather was, for she has been rebuilt since) 32ft. 

 long, 12ft. beam, and drew 3ft. water, yawl rigged, double 

 headrig, and in winter carried a sharp-headed mizzen ; 

 and for all round work the yawl is "the cheese." Per- 

 haps your sloops can point up a fraction higher, but for 

 hard thumps, ease in handling, and always having some 

 sail to go under, give me the former rig every time. 



The Cora was stowed with a good allowance of tinned 

 goods, not forgetting a plenty of Boston baked beans and 

 condensed milk. Having heard that the ducks lived 

 down there in swarms, we bought our ammunition on a 

 corresponding scale. Everything being ready Nov. 8, we 

 cast off from our mooring at 3:45 P. M. The party con- 

 sisted of the Captain, the Major, W. and the writer, who 

 generally ships as cook. Last, but by no means least in 

 importance, were Smoke, Flora and Don; the two former 

 setters and the last a Chesapeake Bay water dog. 



It was almost calm when we started, but the weather 

 looked very scaly to say the least. It began to rain hard, 

 and right in the midst of it Johnny Nor'wester broke out. 

 Took in mainsail and worked her along under m izzen and 

 staysail till dark, when we anchored under the lee of a 

 thick pine woods, where we spent the night comfortably 

 enough. 



Next morning was clear, but blowing hard; we housed 

 topmast as a preliminary, and at 9 o'clock got under way 

 with double reefed mainsail and spitfire set; we had to 

 face the wind and sea for two hours and a half, then 

 turned Tilghinan's Point, and went on our way with start 

 sheet. When we got fairly outside we found the bay 

 was pretty rough, and it took two men to steer. Though 

 we had a free wind we concluded not to run for the 

 Patuxtent, as the Captain had not fully recovered from 

 an attack of gout, or rheumatism, or some unholy com- 

 bination, and we were afraid too much exertion might 

 start Mm off again. So we held her for Hill's Point and 

 rounded the bar, on which a tremendous sea was break- 

 ing, at 3 o'clock. We saw a good many geese sitting in 

 the smooth water to leeward of the bar, and further in- 

 shore a bunch of black ducks. Took the dogs ashore f or 

 a run, but it was pratty cold, and we were glad to get 

 back around the comfortable cabin stove and discuss our 

 progress fo far. 



It was still piping hard from N.W. next morning, but 

 the geese were showing on the bar, so W. and the Doctor 

 got out the goose decoys, and taking the little sneak boat 

 out when they seemed to be using, covered her with "sea 

 ores," and putting out the stools the Doctor got in while 

 W. took the other boat off to a respectful distance. The 

 geese had, of course, promptly cleared out when we ad- 

 vanced on them, but we hoped they would return in the 

 course of the day. So we two lay out there the whole 

 blessed day, and except that we each killed a black duck, 

 never had a shot all day. Cold and hungry, just before 

 sundown we took up and pulled back to tke yacht, and 

 just after we got on board all the geese came honking 

 back and settled just where we had been all clay. How- 

 ever, we ate our supper of beefsteak and fried potatoes 

 with a good enough appetite, because we knew there 

 were lots more where we were going, and a few more or 

 less at the start made little difference. 



Wednesday morning the wind was pretty much all 

 gone, and, in fact, died out entirely after we started, 



We sent up our topmast and set gaff and jibtopsails in 

 order to take advantage of any wind aloft. A light air 

 finally came out S.W., and just before sun down anchored 

 in the Patuxtent, took the dogs ashore and tried to find 

 a covey of birds, as the beefsteak was running low and 

 the Doctor was beginning to hint at a lack of feathers in 

 the rigging, but no game was found. 



The following day was an all sorts of a day, and we 

 had a continuous sail drill, carrying everything some- 

 times, and at others stripped to close reef ed" mainsail and 

 spitfire. Passed a bunch of swan to-day, the first we had 

 seen; as they were bound south we hoped to see them 

 under more favorable circumstances. The Doctor saluted 

 them with his Winchester as a mark of respect, but they 

 neglected to respond in any way. We found a nice little 

 harbor about dark called Ball's Creek, and towed into it, 

 having first explored with the bateaux and found 7ft. of 

 water. We were a tired lot and did not stop to cook a 

 very elaborate supper, but turned in after a short smoke. 



Friday morning bright and early saw us under way, 

 wind W.S.W., giving us a beat down. We passed Rap- 

 pahannock Spit at half past ten, crossing in 6ft. of water. 

 We started sheet a little to run up the Rappahannock, 

 and in shaking out a reef one of the nettles jammed and 

 tore the mainsail; vigorous remarks from the Captain, 

 while the Major procured needles., palm, etc., and had 

 damages soon repaired. We went flying up the river, 

 attracting lots of attention, the natives probably never 

 having seen a yawl-rigged craft before and the "little 

 mast astern" seemed to trouble them mightily. The 

 greatest sights in the Rappahannock are the immense 

 fleets of oystermen, and as far as we could see they were, 

 with a single exception, composed of negroes. I refer to 

 the tongmen, and to see and hear them at work is worth 

 going a good way. We saw some magnificent vessels, 

 both schooners and big double head rigged sloops, trad- 

 ing out of the river, carrying oysters to Norfolk, or in 

 some cases directly to New York. They are kept in first 

 rate order, and at a short distance might readily be mis- 

 taken for yachts, save for the absence of boats. Some of 

 the schooners carry foretopmasts, and with clipper bow 

 and overhanging stern, present a delightful picture to 

 the eye of a waterman. 



We met a squall of wind and rain on our way up, so ran 

 under a point toward a little creek, into which we saw a 

 good many canoes going. A darky in a canoe began to 

 bawl something to us, but it was blowing too hard to 

 understand him. However, we soon found out, for we 

 ran on a mud flat, having not much over two feet of 

 water; fortunately we got her head swung off, and the 

 mud was soft, so she slowly plowed through. The next 

 time our friend yelled we anchored. Got under way 

 again in an hour, as we did not like our berth, we having 

 evidently gotten into a regular settlement of negro 

 tongmen, and the row they were making was something 

 we wanted to get out of. So, seeing a nice-looking creek 

 a few miles above — on the chart — we made for it, hoping 

 to get in before dark. In this we succeeded, and a very 

 nasty night soon shut in, making us thank our stars we 

 had such a nice harbor. 



Saturday was a lovely day, only the wind, what there 

 was of it, was dead ahead. The Major, who has a passion 

 for bunting, concluded we ought to have a whip at the top- 

 mast head. The rest of us said nothing, knowing from 

 experience what would follow in the light and baffling 

 air. Soon we had to anchor, as the tide began to ebb; so 

 W. and I pulled ashore to post letters, and as we stepped 

 on the wharf we saw in the dim distance the figure of the 

 Major, painfully climbing the rigging, the pennant hav- 

 ing wrapped itself around the masthead. We brought 

 back some fresh eggs, a New York Herald, and the infor- 

 mation that we were in Essex countv. 



Up to this time we had seen no ducks, no indication of 

 marshes, but a breeze springing up from south with the 

 flood, we ran some fifteen miles further, and began to 

 see some quite extensive marshes as well as a number of 

 geese and ducks. We sailed right up on a bunch of crow- 

 bills and the Major, who was arnied with a single-bar- 

 reled semi-hammerless, proposed to pot them and did his 

 best, but after firing three shots one poor little crowbill 

 alone turned up Ms toes. We had a good deal of fun 

 joking him about it, telling him his gun was trained on 

 mallard and would not condescend to kill mudhens. 

 After we anchored that night, we heard geese honking 

 and ducks flying over all night, or at least when we 

 went out to listen. 



The next morning we saw a great many geese sitting 

 in various bends of the river, but it being Sunday, we 

 did not attempt to disturb them; several fields we passed 

 looked very inviting, as though they might be full of par- 

 tridges. We concluded to spend the day exploring the 

 river, so kept going up all day, but soon began to get 

 away from the marshes, and in their place saw either 

 cripples or high hills. We anchored in a place called 

 Tobago (?) bay, and were about half inclined to go back. 

 The next morning, however, we concluded to go a little 

 further, up to a stream called Corbin's Creek, about ten 

 miles above. We sailed on up to Port Royal, where some 

 of the party went ashore, and found among other things 

 that Corbin's Creek was still ten miles above. Port Royal 

 is one of the has-beens, and like most of the places along 

 the river, suffered from the war. We went on at least 

 ten more miles and seeing nothing of the mystic creek, 

 W. and I went ashore at an old wharf in front of a sub- 

 stantial looking brick house. The inhabitants soon per- 

 ceived us and an old and young man came down, and 

 commenced asking innumerable questions, a yachting 

 party being evidently a novelty in that section. Both 

 W. and I being nearsighted, wore our glasses, and they 

 seemed an object of special curiosity to the old gentle- 

 man, who having ascertained that we were duck shoot- 

 ers, thought we wore glasses as a sort of telescope. 



Corbin's Creek still being an unknown quantity we 

 concluded to go down and let the spectre stream look 

 out for itself, so before night we were once more back 

 agam amid the marshes. 



We put out the stools long before day next morning, the 

 Captain and Major going together and W. and I pairing 

 off. The other party killed two geese, W. and I having 

 oMy the luck to get a couple of long shots at the geese 

 and killing a pair of ducks. However, we went ashore 

 with the dogs and killed fourteen partridges. 



Wednesday and Thursday we spent in pretty much the 

 same way, over the decoys in the morning and ashore 

 shooting "birds in the afternoon. Our experience w as that 

 a few shots drove off both ducks and geese; I never saw 

 them wilder. We only killed enough game for the table 



and had none to give away; the ducks killed were mostly 

 mallards and black ducks. 



After talking it over we agreed to go up the York 

 River, so on Friday ran down the river to Toll's Pomt, 

 where we anchored for the night. 



When we got up the next morning it was perfectly 

 caixu and was so most of the day. The Doctor cut off a 

 coot's head with a rifle at 100yds. to-day, a very good 

 fluke. We drifted and poled along past the Wolf Trap 

 Light, and finally anchored for the night under New 

 Pomt Comfort, The moon was at the full and not a 

 cloud interfered with her splendor. The bay was almost 

 still, save for the faint pulsation of its mighty bosom 

 and the gentle plash of the tiny wavelets on the shingle. 

 The occasional cry of a seafowl was heard and once the 

 sharp quack, quack of a startled black duck feeding in 

 some little creek ashore. We never got our anchor down 

 till 1:30 A. M., and at daylight were underway again, 

 wind S.E. We passed Yorktown at 9 o'clock and had a 

 good view of the town and monument. But interesting 

 as the place is historically, we had no time to stop, as we 

 were bound up the Pamunky. We arrived at West Point 

 about sundown and anchored just above. West Point is 

 a lively little place, connecting by a railroad with Rich- 

 mond aud the terminus of the York River line of steamers. 



Monday we had wind N.W. , and started up the river. 

 We went up about fifty miles, saw a good lot of ducks, 

 mostly mallard, and put out the stools; we had only 

 killed three mallard when down came a colored individ- 

 ual, and politely informed us we were on rented marsh, 

 and must, "not to put too fine a point on it," get off. 

 Discovering an Indian (at least he claimed to be one) on 

 the reservation, who knew that part of the river, we were 

 told to go further up, where we would not be bothered. 

 This we proceeded to do next day and had a very tedious 

 trip, it taking us nearly all day to go fifteen miles. We 

 passed through the drawbridge at White House, and 

 saw the remains of the burned transports half rotted 

 away. 



Finding no game of any amount, we only spent a day 

 there, and started back for the Indian reservation, where 

 our copper (?) colored friend had told us he owned some 

 marsh, and where we could shoot. Having a stiff breeze, 

 we went flying down, accomplishing in an hour and a 

 half what had taken us nearly a day to do before. 



We spent the rest of the week trying to make a decent 

 bag, though there were lots of ducks in sight we could 

 do nothing with them. The reason for their wildness we 

 found was owing to the way of shooting them down 

 there. A man will bait a place till the ducks get to using 

 there pretty well, then biding in a bough house or cover 

 of some kind he waits till a big flock lights, and firing 

 an immense gun, can pick up 15 to 18. This makes the 

 fowl very careful not to trust themselves near any 

 sort of cove. 



We started home on Sunday mormng and sailed all day 

 through a steady ram. We appointed the Major a com- 

 mittee of one to keep the coffee pot on the stove and our 

 pipes lighted. 



By Monday night we made the mouth of York, and as 

 the weather looked very unsettled went into Guinea Creek 

 for a harbor. We began to drag after dark, so let go the 

 big anchor and spent the rest of the night very comfort- 

 ably. 



The following day was very wet, so we spent the time 

 in the cabm, but the day after we all went ashore to 

 shoot birds; killed twenty -seven and came aboard very 

 well pleased. The wind coming out W. S. W. next 

 mormng, we got under way at daylight and ran up to the 

 Potomac, where we found a very heavy roll, and the 

 wind shifting to N. W. set us "hobby horsing," and as it 

 bade fair to keep us out till after dark ran back to Wico- 

 mico, going into harbor with about thirty scrape boats, 

 making a very lively scene. 



The wind having blown itself out during the night, we 

 next day got off about 8 A. M., and the wind coming out 

 S. by E. we packed on all our light cotton, but off Cove 

 Point encountered a very nasty sea, so had to take it in 

 again. 



We made a splendid run, though it took two men at 

 the tiller a good deal of the time, and at sundown put 

 two reefs in mainsail, as it looked squally. By 8 P. M. 

 we had our anchor down and were enjoying a hot supper, 

 all the more acceptable after a day's hard work and ex- 

 posure. 



We arrived home by 12 o'clock next day, having had a 

 very enjoyable outing, even though we did not kill 

 "lasbins" of game. 



We failed to find the paradise we were looking for, and 

 don't believe it exists, save in the imagination of certain 

 individuals, who are prone to magnify ten ducks, geese 

 or partridges into as many hundreds. Our experience 

 was, that when we found a place with plenty of game, 

 it was sure to be owned by some club or other, the mem- 

 bers of which very naturally objected to strangers shoot- 

 ing over their grounds. Besides, the land is very rigidly 

 posted, and unless one knows the land owners, it's very 

 little use to go ashore for birds. Saugwillah. 



Easton, Md. 



The Best Collection op Yankee Sketches we have 

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 Shop." 



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