Nov. 10, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



303 



curity. Then he thinks, "What if there be no omnipotent 

 hand in which I am kept?" 



But these Striking things of nature are not essential. 

 I don't know that I can make my idea clear. Is it 

 not in the Bible that the hills are spoken of as 

 "hallowed?'' If not, where is it? The fitness of that 

 expression is understood if there is an appreciative 

 acquaintance with the world of nature. It is hallowed; 

 the world of cities is not. In the one there is a spirit, 

 divine, infinite, abroad everywhere. A voice tells of it 

 to those who are attuned to hear. It speaks from quiet 

 skies, from open fields, on calm and sunny days, from 

 forests, from streams, from haunts of birds. The sim- 

 plest thing that grows repeats it. Your same Tennyson 

 says: 



"Flower in the crannied wall, 

 I pluck you out of the crannies; — 

 Hold you there, root and all, in my hand, 

 Little flower— but if I could understand 

 What, you are, root and all, and all iu all 

 I should know what God and man is." 

 What, Peter, are you asleep, too? G. T. C. 



A COUNCIL OF THE SENECAS. 



IT was away back somewhere in the twenties, that I 

 was a privileged spectator, during the performance of 

 the rites and ceremonies, of an Indian council or festival; 

 inproperly called by the whites a green corn dance. This 

 festival was only a repetition of the annual gatherings 

 which were then pre valent among the several tribes of the 

 Seneca nation. Their council house was built of hewed 

 white pine logs, 25x50ft., squared and dove-tailed at the 

 corners, a low structure, old and time-worn, and had evi- 

 dently been built and occupied by a generation that had 

 gone before. It was situated near the Alleghany River 

 and in front there was a grassplot of perhaps an acre, on 

 which were many white oaks of ancient growth, while in 

 the rear of the house was a dense thicket reaching up to 

 the building. 



On the first day of the gathering the time was mostly 

 occupied by the young braves, in archery practice, which 

 was at that early day made a specialty by both old and 

 young. Nearly every hour during the day the squaws 

 were dropping in from every direction, each loaded with 

 the inevitable pack-basket, of a bushel capacity, contain- 

 ing the camp cooking-kit, and the white Mackinaw blan- 

 ket rolled and strapped on the top. There came also sev- 

 eral of the best hunters who had been sent out for deer, 

 returning by twos and threes, loaded with venison; and 

 when night closed in the numerous little camp-fires dot- 

 ted the whole foreground, lighting up under the oaks, 

 reflecting a canopy of the sere and yellow leaf of October. 



The next morning the sun shone dimly through the 

 hazy atmosphere of an October Indian-summer day, and 

 the odor of cooked venison steamed up from a hundred 

 soup kettles. By 10 o'clock the seats in the council-house 

 (which were only rude benches) were filled. The old and 

 influential men of the tribe occupied the front seats, 

 while the young males filled the back seats, and here the 

 affairs of the Nation were discussed for six long hours; 

 during which time perfect silence reigned through the 

 house, while the several speakers held forth with that 

 deliberate reserve characteric of the old-time Indian. 



At an early hour on the third day, as many of the as- 

 semblage (males and females) as could be seated, were 

 gathered in the council-house. On the ground-hearth of 

 a rude fire-place was a small bed of live coals, in front of 

 which on a low stool sat an aged chief, a sort of spiritual 

 adviser, a prophet who, I should say, by the marked 

 respect which was shown him, was not without honor in 

 his own country. He arose, and after speaking a few 

 words to the assembled natives, tinned his back to the 

 audience and talked to the Great Spirit for a half hour or 

 more, during which time he kept feeding the fire from 

 ;the contents of a raw-hide pouch which hung from his 

 ibelt, and from the smouldering embers floated an odor of 

 .burning tobacco, mingled withthe invigorating fragrance 

 iof aromatic herbs and the pulverized bark of the green 

 <osier. 



And much, t'was said, of heathen lore 

 Mix'd in the charms he mutter'd o'er. 



When his petitions and thanks-givings were concluded 

 The turned around and addressed his people for three- 

 quarters of an hour. Having so imperfect a knowledge 

 of the language I could only get the drift of his discourse, 

 the substance of which was an exhortation to honesty 

 and good works, and a solemn charge to shun the white 

 man's fire-water; and he dwelt long and earnestly on the 

 baneful effects which it had on the red man. But that 

 old. Indian did not live to see one-half the evil effects of 

 intemperance that in after years so demoralized, debased 

 and desolated his tribe. 



A change of programme for the afternoon performance 

 was evident by the removal of the seats from the center 

 of the building, leaving a circular space between the 

 front and rear door of about 25ft. diameter, in the center 

 of which was a raised bench or platform about 4x6ft., 

 and at each end sat an Indian, one of whom had 

 a rude apology for a drum, made of a section of 

 bark slipped from the body of a bass-wood tree, 

 the split side being closed up with thongs, and it was 

 about the size of a common nail keg, with a rawhide 

 strained over one end, while the other had a dried gourd 

 shell partly filled with small pebbles. Before I was 

 really aware of it, the seats were filled without noise or 

 confusion, while the number of those outside did not seem 

 to be diminished much. An Indian, who subsequently 

 proved to be master of ceremonies, mounted the platform 

 dressed in a bleached cotton shirt, clasped in front with 

 numerous large silver broaches, and girt with a scarlet 

 red sash, a similar red scarf being tied around the head, 

 leaving his flowing black mane hanging loosely over the 

 shoulders. His moccasins and leggings were elaborately 

 -trimmed after the Indian fashion of those days. Over 

 the left shoulder hung an empty quiver, and in his 

 hand was a short, tight-strung bow. He of the drum 

 commenced a monotonous beat, which drew in a 

 mixed crowd of old and young, keeping step Avith the 

 beat of the drum until a ring was formed numbering 

 twenty-five or thirty. These,' after making one circuit, 

 suddenly piled out each door, and as if by magic the ring 

 was as quickly filled with painted warriors. They were 

 dressed similar to the manager on the platform with some 

 additional headgear and most of them had a string of 

 small brass plates, the size of oldtime pennies, which 

 were fastened below the knee on each leg., and each car- 



ried a peeled rod about 2ft. in length and perhaps irin. in 

 diameter. They now started on fast time, which was a 

 sort of double beat on the drum, that is a heavy beat and 

 a light beat very near together, and at a signal from the 

 Sachem, every other one tinned face to the one in his 

 rear and the rods were used as foils. It was something 

 like fencing in sword exercise, and the click-click of 

 those sticks, the yink-yink of the brass plates, the flat- 

 footed double stamp and the jerky rattle of the pebbles 

 in the shell were all in exact time with the beat on the 

 drum. 



This performance continued until all had made the 

 circuit of the ring, and as they made slow headway it re- 

 quired some time to complete the circuit, when they 

 were brought to a full stop by a peculiar flourish of the 

 bow by the Sachem who occupied the platform. Another 

 signal set them going on another course of acting, which 

 was changed at every round, and kept up during the re- 

 mainder of the day. It was a rare display of pantomim- 

 ing, representing every phase of then ideal warfare, and 

 was the most unique performance that I have ever 

 witnessed. 



That night the gathering broke up, and the day follow- 

 ing I walked from the old council house down the long 

 vista toward the river. There was not an Indian in sight. 

 That dusky crowd of the day before had vanished, and 

 there were onlyjthe usual signs of a deserted Indian 

 bivouac. 



Opinions seem to be divided on the much vexed Indian 

 question of to-day. Doubtless a few decades more will 

 solve, the problem without much legislative action. 



rtRANuviEw, Ten n. Antler. 



PHASES OF SPORT ABROAD. 



ClORFU, Greece, Sept. 19.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 i I have often thought, during many years of travel 

 in Europe, Egypt and the Levant, that I would like to 

 send home some notes concerning traveling, hunting and 

 fisliing. Of hunting I have had opportunities in plenty 

 to send home interesting accounts, for we have spent a 

 number of lnmting seasons in different parts of Europe. 

 I say send "home," for although I have lived many years 

 abroad, my heart still clings to "the land of the brave and 

 the home of the free," for my birthplace was Beverly, 

 Mass., and I "growed up," as Topsy said, in the near 

 vicinity of the "Hub." Last week I received a, copy of 

 your paper, and because we have such fun here laughing 

 over the Greek hunters, I concluded to screw my courage 

 to its sticking point and send you a few lines. 



Since leaving home I have accompanied my husband, 

 who is an indefatigable hunter, on the most interesting of 

 his trips in different parts of Europe. My first one was 

 for a day only, for hares and partridges at Ecaussines, 

 about twenty miles from Brussels, Belgium, where my 

 husband had hired a, chase, consisting of 1,500 hectares 

 (1 hect.=2 acr. 75.2 sq. poles) for 500 francs ($ 100) a year. 

 The chase, aside from helping to kill time, did not amount 

 to much, for although a hunting permission costs 45 francs 

 ($9) which is a great deal of money in that country, 

 and the hunting rules are rigidly kept, yet there are * a 

 plenty of amateurs also in the neighborhood of cities, 

 therefore game is kept short. There one can go now and 

 then, and must be satisfied if able to bag a couple of hares 

 and a half dozen of partridges. 



It was a different thing though when we went to Vian- 

 den, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, a beautifully situated 

 little town on the banks of the Our and commanded by 

 the imposing ruined , castle of the Counts of Nassau. The 

 host of the Hotel des Strangers, a young widower , had a 

 chase of his own and was hunting crazy. He had two 

 good dogs. The season for roe begins there generally in 

 the middle of July, but we went for the commencement 

 of hare and partridge shooting in the middle of August. 

 Every morning from 3 to G o'clock, according to the dis- 

 tance to be traveled, began the halloo in the house— whistl- 

 ing for dogs, hurrying each other up, crying for coffee, 

 scolding the dogs, the dogs themselves continually whin- 

 ing and barking for pleasure — until after an hour of this, 

 one was glad of the chance of bidding them adieu and 

 wishing them "Waidmann's heil" (hunter unhurt). But 

 every day the booty which was brought home was satis- 

 fying in quantity and quality. My husband soon had 

 numerous invitations to private hunting grounds. Later 

 when the snow fell, commenced the "Treibjagden," 

 where the hunters are placed on both sides of a ravine or 

 on the ridge around a big hollow. Those who take part 

 should be posted so that no game passing through would 

 be out of gunshot. In an opposite direction dogs are let 

 loose, and men and boys, under command of an experi- 

 enced hunter, beat the bushes with sticks, whistling, 

 screaming, hallooing and making noises with old trum- 

 pets. For a short time quiet reigns with the hunters, 

 while bedlam-like comes up the sound from below. Of a 

 sudden yip, yip is heard from one dog, then comes the 

 cry from the driver Of "fox" or "hare," then one dog after 

 another joins in the grand chorus, the hunters are on the 

 qui vive; one hears guns until the noise is deafening 

 and the air is full of powder smoke. It is grand to wit- 

 ness on a cold, frosty morning, just as the lazy sun thinks 

 it really time to rise from his couch. No hunter dare 

 leave his post until the one who is at the head of the hunt 

 blows the signal; then follows the meeting, and the 

 "Jager Latein" spoken of in "Camp-Fire Flickering," No. 

 221, commences. This one had seen such and such, an- 

 other (a notoriously bad shot) would have killed his fox, 

 which came direct for him, but a bush was in the way, 

 and for all he fired, the right moment was lost. The 

 stories are repeated so often, each time gaining a little 

 polish, that in the evening, over beer and with pipes, the 

 real original piece of the story is rather small. I have 

 seen after a "treibjagd" a goodly quantity of game 

 stretched out, for all that country can boast of no big- 

 ones; twenty to thirty hares, weighing each from 4 to 

 81bs., four to eight foxes, and one or tw r o roes. At noon, 

 after perhaps three or four "drives," the hunters assemble, 

 and over a good repast, which the host of the hunt pro- 

 vides, consisting generally of hot roasted potatoes, roast 

 beef , ham, bread and a sufficient quantity of wine, the 

 pros and cons of the hunt are talked over. I had some 

 rare fun on those occasions, having made myself a dress 

 of gray woolen cloth, trimmed with green, the skirt 

 short, falling to just below the knees to the top of some 

 stout, nailed, high boots, with trousers of the same, reach- 

 ing down over the tops of the boots, with hat to match; 

 and I was always invited to all such hunts, and one St. 

 Hubertus chase was held for my express benefit. Some- 

 times a gun was added to my equipments, and although 



my shooting exploits generally consisted solely in fright- 

 ening the game, it did not diminish the fun. 



While at Vianden, my husband shot an old "keiler" 

 (boar) which had been the terror of all the peasants and 

 the destroyer of all then crops, particularly their potatoes. 

 It weighed over 3401bs, had immense tusks, half worn off 

 by age. The head was stuffed and now serves as an 

 aims for a hotel in that village. 



In December the salmon also come up the Our in hosts, 

 springing up over the falls as if for sport, they do it so 

 easily. They are caught in great numbers in nets placed 

 by the falls and are speared by night from boats to which 

 great torches are attached. The American salmon and a 

 hybrid of that species and the European are both taken 

 there. I have heard that this year the same sickness 

 has broken out among them, as three years ago, and 

 plenty of dead fish are to be seen floating around on the 

 waters. 



Our next hunting place was the "Hochwald" (high- 

 woods) of the Hunsrucken, three hours from the Moselle, 

 where besides the game already mentioned, the stag was 

 added to the list, for there they are to be found in quan- 

 tities satisfying enough to every hunter. 



Now comes the best of all, hunting chamois in the 

 Alpen of Lichtenstein. Many a time has the writer 

 climbed with the hunters mountains there varying from 

 1,398 to 2,283 metres high (one m.=to 1yd. gin. 4.5" lines). 

 And many a herd of these graceful animals has she seen, 

 varying from one to four dozen. The old males are gen- 

 erally alone or found in the neighborhood of two or three 

 others. Two splendid shots did the writer also witness 

 there. The whole of Lichtenstein belongs to Prince 

 Johann II., of and from Lichtenstein, and the chases are 

 held exclusively for him, although many years have 

 elapsed since he was there. He lives in Vienna and is in 

 poor health. The old hunter with whom we received per- 

 mission to go, was one of the many employed for guard- 

 ing the game against poachers, also for supplying the 

 prince with game. One day we were with him in the 

 Alpen, walking "Indian file" over a narrow footpath with 

 a mountain looming up above us on one side, and a deep 

 ravine yawning below us on the other, when almost 

 simultaneously we noticed, some 200 metres high above, 

 standing out on a crag, a chamois, as still and motionless 

 as if carved from the stone itself, watching us intently 

 with its beautiful great eyes; and disdainfully, too, as 

 much as to say, "Here am I king, what harm can ye do 

 me? I watch you poor plodders of the earth below with 

 interest, feeling myself safe." But alas! After consult- 

 ing together, my husband and old Lampert concluded, as 

 the height and distance were so great, that it would be 

 judicious to fire together; kneeling' on one knee to be 

 firmer, they fired at the word. I stood watching. The 

 chamois made a half sommersault, happily to one side, 

 where it fell into a gully filled with loose stones, and 

 came sliding along clown just ahead of us, but not dead 

 for all it had two deadly shots. I am accustomed to see- 

 ing game shot, but as the chamois came into its enemies' 

 hands, and 1 saw its proud!, sad eyes, I experienced a 

 queer sensation in the throat, and my eyes were not free 

 from tears. 



Another time when alone with my husband, we noticed 

 through the glass a chamois lying asleep underneath 

 some trees on the opposite side of another wide gully. 

 Notwithstanding that the distance was great my husband 

 made himself ready to fire, by moving a little forward 

 and pulling grass out of the way. It took so long that I 

 became impatient, at last crack went the rifle, the animal 

 got up, moved two or three steps and lay, rather than fell 

 down. He was distinctly to be seen through the glasses. 

 After much calling to the old hunter, we got him near 

 enough to scream out the circumstances and describe the 

 place. But it was hard work to get there, to find and 

 bring it away. At last he succeeded, but scolded and 

 grumbled because it was so heavy. It weighed (381bs. and 

 was shot at about 300m. That night, after having been 

 a week up in the Alpen, we walked home almost the 

 whole distance, down hill, and over a good road when 

 once on it, old Lampert carrying the chamois, I his gun 

 and equipments, while my husband took charge of the 

 rest of the things. Tire usual weight of those animals 

 varies from 40 to 501bs. 



The following season we spent in Bavaria and in the 

 Orient. One day on the banks of the Jordan, my husband, 

 who was a short distance ahead of us, saw some half 

 dozen boars clearing away in full haste over the desert, 

 where they are hunted on horseback. Between Jerusalem 

 and Damascus we saw some antelope, but always too far 

 away to shoot. At Kefr-Hauwar, a place rightly called 

 "Wind," we also visited the tomb of Nimrod, the first 

 great hunter. 



Last winter my husband hunted from here out in Al- 

 bania until the soldiers were stationed there, then the 

 sport was stopped, because if one gives "backsheesh" for 

 the permission to shoot, one is still liable to be arrested, 

 taken away into the mountains and kept there until a big- 

 ransom is paid for his release. The other day we were 

 over in Albania for wild pigeons; the first day only a few 

 were shot, the second day over eighty, by a party of 

 four. 



Now let me give my readers some idea of how hunting 

 is carried on, and how the followers of Nimrod are rigged 

 out here in Greece on one of the Ionian islands. The 

 hunting permit here costs four francs (80 cents), and every 

 man and boy is the happy possessor of one. For guns, 

 one finds almost exclusively old one-barreled muzzle- 

 loaders which are sometimes as long if not longer than 

 the hunter himself. A decent dog is hardly to be found 

 on the island; those used are curs, mongrels of the most 

 disreputable kind, even to those no bigger than your black 

 and tans. Imagine a hunter sallying out with such a gun, 

 and such a dog, without shoes, or if he has shoes on they 

 resemble moccasins with long tinned up points, which 

 are embellished with red and yellow tassels. Everything 

 that flies, short of butterflies, is shot. The amusements 

 of the present time are the beccafichi or fig-peckers; it is 

 true that they are nice to eat, but such little bits of things 

 — the daintiest dame could easily manage one at a mouth- 

 fid. Singing- birds also of all kinds are killed, from wrens 

 to yellow-hammers. If one comes to the island, before 

 its second song is trilled out it falls a victim to his pur- 

 suer's gun. 



Rain is impatiently awaited now, for then follow the 

 quail; if the weather clears immediately they clear also 

 further on their migratory trip, but if storm with wind 

 continues the hunters can expect a few T days' sport. 



Mbs. Flora R. 



