FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Jan. S7, 1887. 



considered. It would b(8 a grave error to license traffic 

 in such game as woodcock} at any time before the opening 

 of the legal season for killing. Opportunity to sell openly 

 would ©ply stimulate the destruction of young birds now 

 extensively carried on to supply the covert and illicit 

 trade in them. It is a well established principle that an 

 open season for the sale of game means a coextensive 

 season for its destruction lawfully or unlawfully. 



Address all communications to the, Forest and Stream Pub. Co. 



Abolish spring shooting. Favor every proposed law to 

 that effect. Foster public sentiment to that end. It is no 

 longer the part of wisdom in this country to make war 

 on migrating game in spring and fall. One season or the 

 other must be granted for their immunity; common sense 

 dictates that spring is that season. 



The regular annual prognostication that game has been 

 extirpated by the severe winter weather has been made 

 in several quarters, and it is suggested that a two or three 

 years' prohibitory law must be adopted so that the sup- 

 ply may be replenished. This is timely talk, but next 

 autumn the timely thing will be to go shooting, and there 

 will be an abundant supply of birds, too, spite of all the 

 cold weather we have had yet or are likely to have. 



The Minnesota Sportsmen's Association is not specially 

 active at the present time. Mr. W. S. Timberlake, of St. 

 Paul, is the secretary, and to his individual efforts is 

 largely due what good has been accomplished by the or- 

 ganization. It is to be regretted that there are not more 

 public-spirited sportsmen in the SJate, for as things go 

 now, the game laws axe in a large measure a farce and 

 laughing stock. 



The Vu-ginia Field-Sports Association numbers among 

 its members many influential men, and there is abundant 

 ground for the belief that in their hands the interests of 

 the rod and gun in the Old Dominion will be advanced. 

 Virginia sportsmen should support the Association and 

 its course by joining the ranks and giving each one his in- 

 dividual aid and influence. 



If the experiment noted in the Forest and Stream of 

 Jan. 13, of breeding wild pigeons in captivity, is success- 

 ful, it is possible that our posterity may see some of these 

 beautiful birds alive and outside of museums. Otherwise 

 hardly so, considering their ruthless wholesale slaughter 

 and rapid decrease within a score of years. 



The adjective • 'doggy" is an abominable piece of word- 

 making, but it appears to be coming into general use 

 among manny and womanny correspondents on doggy 

 subjects. The word expresses nothing for which there 

 were not good enough terms before. Dog, kennel and 

 canine answer every purpose. 



The ruling passion is strong even in the White House. 

 Secretary Bayard and Senator Kenna met the other day, 

 one on his way to a Cabinet meeting, the other to a 

 reception; and they talked bear and bear hunting so long- 

 that both were late. 



Prince Henry of Battenberg is in luck. The extensive 

 game covers at Osborne, which were once the exclusive 

 preserves of John Brown, and have not been shot over 

 since that worthy's death, are to be opened for the Prince 

 and his friends. 



A bill has been introduced into the Indiana Legislature 

 to prohibit the sale of game in that State for a term of 

 live years. Hon, Jacob Covert is its sponsor, and he 

 deserves great credit for his efforts in support of the 

 measxu'e. 



Col. Bob Crockett, grandson of Davy Crockett and 

 whilom contributor to this journal, is a Senator in the 

 Arkansas Legislature; and needless to say, he is sound on 

 the game question, which promises to be a subject of 

 debate. 



The expedition sent out by the National Musemu to 

 secure buffalo specimens has returned with twenty-two, 

 secured in northern Montana. The largest buffalo st ands 

 5ft. 8in. at the shoulder. 



It is proposed to start another New Jersey State sports- 

 men's association, with the double object of working for 

 game protection and encouraging skill in trap-shooting. 

 The two will not jibe. 



Senate Bill No. 2436, providing for the care and gov- 

 ernment of the National Park, should be passed without 

 fail in the present session. 



The American Kennel Register pedigree entries closed 

 for January with 103 additions, making the total number 

 4606. 



The initial number of the Audubon Magazine will be 

 that for February instead of January as announced. 



Florida papers complain that winter tourist travel is 

 being largely diverted to Southern California, 



UNOFFICIAL LOG OF THE STELLA. 



LET me premise that the Stella is a beamy, comfortable 

 yacht of 27 tons, which makes her way through a 

 watery world by the combined power of steam and can- 

 vas. vShe was well known to Eastern yachtsmen under 

 her old name of Leila, but does not appear on the list of 

 New York yachts under her new name. She has made 

 two cruises from Maine to Florida, and though not speedy 

 is an excellent sea boat and good for ten miles an hour in 

 fair weather. She is 68ft. in length, 15ft. beam and draws 

 when stowed for a cruise 5ft. Her best point is her room- 

 iness below. She has three staterooms and two large 

 combination lockers, with plenty of head room and can 

 stow seven sleepers aft and four forward. The ship's com- 

 pany consists of the Captain, the Scribe, engineer, mate 

 and steward. Objects of the cruise, health, enjoyment, 

 the pleasure of doing nothing — or doing what you please, 

 shoot, fish, cruise, camp, avoid the Northern winter and 

 follow the robins north in spring. Of course we make 

 calculations, which like all "schemes o' mice an' men," 

 are liable to "gang agley." 



For instance, the Captain and the Scribe get quite enthu- 

 siastic about exploring the Ten Thousand Islands in Ponce 

 de Leon Bay, Florida, in the Stella's gig, with the little 

 canoe for a tender. But the Scribe does not forget that 

 he once went to Florida with a full detemiination to do 

 the same thing, and he has not yet seen the mystical 

 islands. 



It was on Christmas morning that the Stella left her 

 moorings and headed down New York Bay in a strong 

 nor wester that sent the spray flying to her taffrail and 

 soon converted her decks into a skating rink. The Scribe 

 went below and sort o' curled himself around the cook 

 stove. He does not like arctic weather; and the fra- 

 grance of a Christmas turkey which the steward was 

 roasting, brought recollections of home and friends who 

 were keeping the day on terra firma. 



The little yacht carried her four low-headed sails with 

 a full head of steam, and although nearly every sloop 

 and schooner we saw was reefed down, she ran along on 

 nearly even keel with the wind off shore, and a fairly 

 smooth sea. It was a fine run; thirty-six hours from 

 Brooklyn brought her to anchor in Hampton Roads. "We 

 were told that some yachts, taking the inside route, had 

 been nearly a month in reaching Norfolk from New York. 

 It was a brisk, invigorating dash for a man who had 

 been listlessly lying around home all summer sick with 

 malaria, and the Scribe felt it in his bones. He proved 

 it by appropriating a liberal share of the turkey and vot- 

 ingChristmas afloat a decided success. 



From Norfolk to Hatteras Inlet there was a tame, mon- 

 otonous run through rivers, canals and bays; tying up 

 one night at a -wood wharf and anchoring the next under 

 the lee of Roanoke Island; but from Hatteras Inlet to 

 Cape Lookout the run was breezy enough to delight a 

 man-o'-war's man. We made the light just at dark, and 

 hauled on the wind at 7 P. M. for the tail of the shoals. 

 This brought the wind abeam, with the shoals under our 

 lee and a stiff sea running. She rolled some. If there 

 was anything loose that didn't bring up to leeward in a 

 loose condition, it wasn't the Scribe. Thirteen miles of 

 ranning in the trough of the sea was supposed to make 

 the tail of the shoals. But the night was pitch dark and 

 it was safer to be five miles off than five feet on the 

 rocks, so the Captain gave her eighteen miles of it to 

 make sure. Then he turned and ran under the lee of the 

 cape until within a mile of the light we had passed five 

 hours before. For here was sa f e anchorage and the Stella 

 found rest. The steward righted the cook-stove which 

 had fetched away, and brought order out of a chaos of 

 upset dishes, stools, boxes, etc., while the Scribe turned 

 in, with the firm conviction that a sudden freshening of 

 the northeaster would have run the whole business on 

 the shoals. 



Jan. 1,1887. — A.nd here we are yet, and here we are 

 likely to remain until a favorable change of weather. 

 For the wind is dead ahead, and we can see the breakers 

 over and beyond the sand dunes, white, ragged and dan- 

 gerous. The skipper has gone ashore in full rig for shoot- 

 ing, and I trust he may have luck, as we are out of fresh 

 meat and the sea air is appetizing. But the birds, which 

 come scudding in before the wind in straggling bunches, 

 are very wild, and a dozen shooters who come on the 

 beach by the lighthouse seemed to have very little luck. 

 They scattered themselves along the beach for a mile or 

 more, but got very few shots, and finally bunched them- 

 selves for a march inland. 



I do not object to spending the New Year in this snug 

 little bay. As well here as anywhere, and the place has 

 points of interest to a stranger. In the first place the bay 

 is a perfect fish trap, and a dozen powerful windlasses 

 strung around the shore for hauling nets show what the 

 natives think of it. The fish, following the shore north- 

 ward, get pocketed in the bay naturally, and in skirting 

 the shore to escape, the seines take them in to the tune of 

 12 to 18 cwt. each day during the season. The 

 fish are packed in ice and sent North with the least pos- 

 sible delay. So says the skipper of a little smack, which 

 is lying here waiting for a fare; and he ought to know, 

 as it is his sole business to get the fish to market on time. 

 "I may, likely enough, stay here a week, waiting for 

 a rtm," he said, "and you had better trust to mailing 

 your letters yourself." For we had thought he might 

 reach postalfacilities sooner than we should. Also, we 

 tried the lighthouse keeper, with no better result. There- 

 fore, we have no definite idea as to when or where we 

 shall mail or receive letters; and there is at least one of 

 us who doesn't much care. "No news is good news." 

 For the wind has hauled to S.W., and the balmy, soft air 

 from the Gulf is grateful to sore lungs and raw bronchial 

 tubes. 



The Nessmuk Jr. is safely nestled in the captain's gig. 

 and it is doubtful if she gets floated this side of Georgia, 

 There are three months of winter weather ahead, and we 

 have all the time there is. 



coast and a dreary life," he says. "It is six miles to the 

 mainland and thirteen out to the lightship, and it's 

 seldom a vessel passes in sight of us, they keep outside. 

 There's little to be seen the year round but sand and 

 water, and when a heavy gale is blowing on shore it is a 

 wild looking place. The work isn't hard, but the pay iB 

 small and the rations smaller yet. But, it is ready money , 

 and money is scarce here. Hunting? Yes; there's good 

 deer hunting a few miles inland. Mr. Rogers came down 

 to Beaufort about a week ago and he's already shot four 

 large deer. He is a New York nian; comes here every 

 winter to hunt. No, we don't have any wrecks here. 

 Vessels bound up the coast keep in the Gulf Stream , and 

 downward bound they keep outside the Gulf. Only once 

 in a while a little fellow like you runs in here for a safe 

 anchorage," 



For three days the Stella swung to her anchors in that 

 lonely bay, and the soul of the Scribe grew weary "within 

 him. Weary of the ominous humming of the gale in the 

 rigging, of the dismal stretches of sand, of the "great 

 mist-jotuns"that rose and swelled and faded on the shoals, 

 of the ceaseless roar of the breakers and the clouds of 

 white spray constantly sweeping over the beach. But at 

 length the wind shifted to N. W. and blew half a gale off 

 shore, the weather was clear and cold, barometer rising, 

 and the Skipper decided to make the outside run to 

 Charleston. It turned out a very breezy dash of thirty- » 

 six hours, and in going around Frying-Pan Shoal the J 

 yacht was buried up to her pilot house time and again. 

 Her behavior raised the admiration of the pilot, who de- 

 clared her as good a boat of her size as he had ever 

 handled. And it is but fair to say that she has proved 

 herself an excellent sea boat. 



It was on the evening of Jan. 4 that we moored along- 

 side the wharf at Charleston, and the crew, who had been 

 on duty for thirty-six hours, turned in for an all-night 

 watch below. The weather was intensely cold and our 

 pilot house was cased in ice, ice on our decks, on the rig- 

 ging, ice everywhere. 



We are told that the weather is more severe than the 

 cold wave which swept over the South a year ago; and a 

 merchant remarked that it looked bad for the orange in- 

 terest in Florida. We shall soon see for ourselves. 



Just at this writing we are on the dry dock through an 

 unlucky accident that happened to our condenser; but 

 with good luck we shall get off to-morrow for an outside | 

 run to Brunswick, Ga., where we propose to stop awhile} | 

 taking in such sport as we may find on Jekyl Island, for J 

 the island is the property of the Jekyl Island Club, and I 

 the Skipper is in receipt of a letter extending the hospi- ' 

 tali ties of the club and freedom of the island for "an in- 

 definite period of time,'' as Mr. Bumble remarks, and , 

 there is said to be good shooting there in the way of deer, J 

 turkeys and wild hogs. 



There are several yachts lying here, all bound for a | 

 warmer clime. An English yacht, the Duke of Suther- 1 

 land's; the Magnolia, steamer, and the sloop yacht Regina; J 

 the two latter from New York and both of them mainly < 

 by the inside route. The Magnolia was badly cut by the , 

 ice. Except from Norfolk to Hatteras Inlet we have* 

 managed to scrub along outside, much of the time out of ] 

 sight of land, and we propose to risk open water rather ( 

 than trust the tortuous shoal creeks, sounds, canals and 

 shallow bays of the inland route. 

 We hope" to report next from Jekyl Island. Nessmuk. 

 On Board the Stella, Charleston, S. C. 



And again the wind hauled to the N. E. with a sharp, 

 chill breath that froze the decks slippery with ice. The 

 Sunny South seems to recedo as we advance. The light- 

 house man comes on board, and, being entertained with 

 hospitality, becomes communicative. "It is a desolate 



MOUNTED SPORT IN CALIFORNIA. 



TO the lover of outdoor sports the mere suggestion pi 

 something new is more than welcome; and when arj I 

 old friend told me one morning that he had discovered a,' 

 new field amusement that involved some intricate horse J j 

 manship, my interest was aroused. j\ 

 'What is your novelty ?" I questioned. 

 ■'Never mind," replied my enthusiastic Mend, "nryj 

 horse will be here in half an hour; have your mare sad-i 

 died, take a light rifle, and I will show you more fields ow 

 glory than it has been your good fortune to see for manji 

 a year." ] 

 I did as he requested, and a little later we were on thi h 

 way to the broad mesa that reaches from Pasadena up t<l 

 the base of the abrupt Sierra Madres. I had just beei/ 

 reading in a morning paper of a blizzard in the East, oil 

 trains blocked by snow: and it was hardly to be imagine^ 

 that we, too, were in the winter months. Christmas wa I 

 but a few days away; yet the entire stretch of the Saj ' 

 Gabriel Valley was a perfect flower garden, the scene <ji j 

 a perpetual struggle between the wild flowers, orang] 

 grove and vinevard. j 

 As we left the well-beaten road and took to the meet 

 the flowers, in dense masses, left their pollen upon on 

 horses' knees, and the variation of color and tint had 

 kaleidoscopic effect upon the eye. Here, a few weel I 

 later, veritable rivers of golden-yellow poppies were see 

 winding away for a mile or more, presenting such a vivi J 

 contrast against the fields of barley upon the highlan< 'j 

 that one could well imagine that the sailors saw the glo jj 

 out upon the Pacific when they named the spot the "laitj 

 of fire." The air was redolent with the incense of flower j 

 the song of birds of almost countless variety was heai I 

 everywhere; yet this was mid- winter in Southern CaM 

 fornia. Snow there was, but well up on the grim walls! J 

 the Sierras, near enough to watch it blown about by til 

 mountain gale, yet so far that its effect was unnoticearal 

 in the valley. We had waded through the flower banfl 

 for some distance when suddenly that gentle animsl 

 ycleped by science Lepus callotis, and more popular f 

 known as jack rabbit, appeared. It was a vision of long eai 

 tints of graded gray and black, rapidly moving hindle, 

 and bounds of ten feet or more. The moment the anim' 

 shot from the low cover my companion's horse seemi 

 seized with a desire to buck, but the Spanish spurs ja 

 gled deeply and he bounded ahead. My own mount fi 

 lowed suit, and soon we were in a wild race, the rab 

 being the apparent objective. The country was fair 

 look upon, but the carpet of flowers concealed number It 

 traps in the way of gopher, squirrel and badger burrtfw 

 any one of which was, when fairly stepped into, qtr 

 sufficient to bring down horse and rider. 



Both horses knew the mesa well and successfully k 

 their feet, but the pace was telling and the animals s<. 

 would have been winded had not the rabbit, after 

 fashion of its kind, suddenly stopped and stood up to 

 what it was all about. This gave the horses a chance j 

 they shot ahead, my friend reaching within 100yds. cm 

 jack before it moved; then guiding his horse to the »J 



