April 28, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



301 



and bullheads in oertaln parts of Cayuga Lake. In game laws 

 eommittoe. i 



000. Reeves, amending 584 of 18/9, relative to game preserves and 

 trespass, In game laws committee. _ . 



801 Reeves, making tlie season for wild duck, goose and brant 

 from Sent. 1 to Mav 1. In game laws committee. 



858. Giese, prohibiting fishing for black bass in Lake Erie or the 

 Niagara River, above the falls, between Jan. 1 and July 1. On 

 third readiug. 



947. Fort, forbidding the possession of snares, etc., on water!- in- 

 habited by salmon, lake trout, etc., in close season. On third 

 reading. 



?)01. Winnc, transferring the game protectors to the control of 

 the Forestrv Commissioners. In ways and means committee. 



881. Curtis, allowing the catching of bass in Black Lake, St. 

 Lawrence county, the same as in the St. Lawrence River, lu the 



985. Sheeban, Senator McMillan's bill, No. 456, above, substituted. 

 On third reading. 



1011. Frost, rel a I ins: to quail season and hare season (same bill 

 as Senator Vcclcler's,Ts r o. 606 1. In Game Laws. 



1017. Hogeboom. making certain exemptions oi forest lands to 

 those who "occupy summer homes. In Ways and Means. 



106:2. Hines (same as Senator Fagau's bill, No. 465). Now a law, 

 Chap. 1827. ^ , . ., . , . 



1068. Collins, making the season for salmon from the 1st of 

 March to the 15l,h of Aneust, and placing special penalties iipon 

 fishing in the Hudson River. On third reading. K 



mK TTaAley, a general codification of the game laws. On third 

 reading. 



1114. Hadley, en ibliug the Forest Commissiouers to sell or ex- 

 change portions of the State lands. In the Senate. , 



1129 White, prohibiting the shooting of wild ducks between Jan. 

 land Sept. 1. in Game Laws Committee. , 



1148. Langbein, a general codification of the game laws (the 

 Roosevelt bill). In Game Laws Committee. ' 



1160. Ainsworlb, extending the time for hunting deer from Nov. 

 1 to Dec. 18; for having in possession from Nov. 15 to Dec. 1; for 

 selling, from Nov. 1 to Dec. 1, and for transportation from Nov. 15 

 to Dec. 1. In Game Laws Committee. 



1177. Hadley, appropriation for Adirondack survey. On third 



JJSOiefcte, forbidding fishing in Oneida Lake in April and May. 

 In Game Laws Committee. . „ 



1219. Brundage, forbidding the catching of trout in Steuben 

 county except in Mav, .Tunc and July, and forbidding the spear- 

 ing of fish in the Cohocton River in April, May and June. On 

 third readiug. 



1222. Reeves, amending 34 of 1879 so as to forbid unlawful devices 

 for taking shellfish. In Game Laws. 



1225. Winne, providing for a partial restoration of the Catskill 

 reservation. In the Senate. 



1251. C. Smith, amending the song bird act so as to allow the 

 killing of birds for plumage. On third reading. 



1261. Hogeboom (the Hudson Sunday shad fishing bill introduced 

 by Senator Hoysradt, No. 507). In Committee of the Whole. 



'397. Finn, repeating 282 of 1880 for the preservation of lobsters. 

 Sent to the Governor. 



344. Committee ou Game Laws, for the protection of oyster 

 plantei-s. In the Senate. 



395. Reeves, providing a pat rol steamer and an oyster protector. 

 In Committee of the Whole. 



& and Mit er 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream i*ub. Co. 



ON MOOSEHEAD WATERS. 



NORTHWEST of Moosehead Lake, in Maine, lies a 

 tract of country well suited to the production of 

 trout and game. It has not the great extent of uninhab- 

 ited forest found further east in the Aroostook country, 

 but the trout average larger, and in some sections the 

 larger game is, perhaps, as likely to be. seen as in any 

 part of the State. 



It was the fortune of the writer to spend two weeks of 

 summer in canoe and camp in this region. Although I 

 had caught thousands of trout in Connecticut, during 

 more than twenty-five years of lishing experience, I had 

 never been into the wilderness to leave all other affairs 

 and betake myself wholly to sport and recuperation. The 

 friend who induced me to take the trip had been in this 

 country many times, and was almost as familiar with its 

 lakes and streams as the guides. Leaving Boston at 8 

 o'clock, Friday morning, July 2, we were at Skowhegan, 

 Maine, at 6 o'clock in the evening. Here we hired a 

 livery team, and the next night were at the forks of the 

 Kennebec, forty-six miles away. The road follows the 

 Kennebec River all the way, is in good condition and 

 affords a very rpleasant drive. There are comfortable 

 hotels every ten or fifteen miles, A stage runs each way 

 between the Forks and Skowhegan every week day. At 

 a farmhouse about fifteen miles below the Ferks we saw 

 a young yellow and white "coon cat." The large bushy 

 tail was ringed with alternate yellow and white bands. 

 We stopped and tried to effect a purchase, but the lady 

 of the house told us there was "not money enough in 

 the county to buy him." She said this cat was sent to 

 her from Fairfield, Me., when a kitten. 



We found that our guides, who had previously been 

 engaged by letter, had everything in readiness, and at an 

 early hour Monday morning we bade farewell to the last 

 settlement and, by the silent and steady strokes of the 

 paddle, were borne away to find what of interest the 

 forests, lakes and streams might afford. 



We spent an active week, and although we caught only 

 a moderate number of trout and no large ones, we were 

 very fortunate in seeing an unusual number of the wild 

 life of the wilderness. There were seen one caribou, five 

 deer, including two fawns, five beavers and three otters, 

 all in six days. We had all the trout we needed and our 

 guides salted and brought in perhaps 201bs. The largest 

 trout taken weighed 21bs. Our guides took us to a lake 

 which they had discovered the year before, and which 

 they believed was rarely visited. The canoes had to be 

 carried a considerable distance through the forest to the 

 lake. This genuine lake of the woods covers seven or 

 eight acres, and is mostly shallow and overgrown with 

 lily pads. At one end there is an old beaver house, and 

 around this some clear water of considerable depth, and 

 here the trout lie. In three hours' fishing we took lS-Jlbs. 

 of dressed trout. The largest weighed 22oz. according to 

 my friend's estimate, which he backed up by his pocket 

 scales; and at this and other times during the week he 

 gained great respect from me by the accuracy with which 

 he could name at sight the weight of a trout. The scales 

 never failed by a single ounce to agree with his estimate. 

 I, however, learned later that these were peculiar scales. 

 They would make a trout weigh anywhere from fib. to 

 1-Jlbs. at the will of the manipulator. The mountains rise 

 abrupt and rugged from two sides of the lake, and all its 

 shores are covered with the primeval forest. A small 

 family of beavers live in a house at the mouth of the lit- 

 tle stream that feeds the lake. Tracks of caribou and 

 deer were numerous, and a moose had worn almost a path 

 where he came to the water. Three otters were fishing 

 and came within three or four rods of our canoes. 



One night we camped in a, hunter's lodge on a little 

 island in a lake near the Canada line. While it was yet 

 daylight a doe and fawn came, out on the sandy heath 

 opposite our camp. The fawn was in the red coat mostly, 

 and was as playful as a lamb. We watched the antics 

 of this little tellow a long time, till he followed his dam 

 into the woods again. Along this same beach we saw 

 traces of a moose. He had walked along the sand for 

 half a mile. Setting out from the shore is a, great rock 

 known to the woodsmen as Gull Rock. Here there can 

 each year be found a gufi's nest. Some gulls were cir- 

 cling above the lake. We climbed the rock and found a 

 deserted nest only. 



Shortly before our trip two woodsmen going over this 

 route had the fortune to get from one tree an old she 

 bear and three yearling cubs. We found the tree, which 

 was a good-sized pine, well scratched with the claws of 

 bears. The partly devoured body of a deer, upon which 

 the bears had been feeding, lay under the tree, and near 

 by were the carcasses of three of the bears. In the soft 

 banks of the adjacent stream were the fresh tracks of a 

 very large bear,' doubtless the father of this unfortunate 

 bear* family. The old fellow was seen at the time the 

 others were killed, but kept himself out of danger. 



Of grouse we saw very few; they seem to have disap- 

 peared from this region, where I am told they were very 

 numerous a few years since. At one place we went 

 ashore to see the work of bank beavers, and saw many 

 stumps a feet or more in diameter from which the beavers 

 had felled the trees. Our guide told of having measured 

 one stump 22in. in diameter. 



As our trip was in July we found black flies, mingies 

 and mosquitoes. As a protection against the former I 

 carried a "fly cream" that is freely advertised. I gave it 

 a trial all the first day, applying it with a liberal hand 

 and was slow to believe there wa3 no protection in an 

 article so confidently puffed and backed by testimonials. 

 By night I was so bitten by black fiies as to show the 

 marks a month afterward. Had there been no other fly 

 repellant in the party I should certainly have been driven 

 out of the woods; fortunately there was plenty of a mix- 

 ture of sweet oil and tar, and this really gives protection 

 and comfort. This, however, fails as a protection against 

 the mosquitoes at night. We had two covers of cheese 

 strainer cotton arranged to go over the head and arms 

 and kept away from the face by hoops. But the nights 

 were hot, and the heated breath being thrown back in the 

 face by the too heavy cloth, made the arrangement in- 

 tolerable. Then I had a canvas hat arranged with veil; 

 this I could fasten over my head, and by putting in some 

 twigs to keep the veiling away from my face so the 

 mosquitoes could not reach me, found protection. The 

 hat was too warm. Arranging this headgear with care 

 and covering hands and feet with the blanket, I listened 

 to the buzz of the baffled insects with serenity and soon 

 fell asleep. After an hour or two I would awake to find 

 I had in sleep thrown off the covering, so as to expose 

 my face, or the twigs had become displaced so as so let 

 the veiling fall on an ear or nose and the exposed mem- 

 ber was being worked by as many mosquitoes as could 

 find room. When I go to* the woods again I shall have a 

 covering of silk veil arranged over hoops and long enough 

 to tie under the arms. With an arrangement of that 

 kind for protection at night and plenty of tar and oil for 

 use by day I shall have no fear of insets. My companion 

 said there was not one black fly this year where some- 

 times there were a million, but even his pocket scales 

 won't back that statement. 



The second week we camped in a "head-works" on 

 Long Pond, fifteen miles above Moosehead Lake. A 

 head-works is a small shanty built on a raft, and is used 

 by the lumbermen in the spring when they are engaged 

 in rafting logs across the ponds by means of a windlass. 

 Here we found a stove, a good protection from the rain, 

 and there were very few flies or mosquitoes. Fires had 

 run through the timber along the shores and there seemed 

 to be no large game in the vicinity. We saw one otter, 

 and making an excursion up one of the streams flowing 

 into the pond found a beaver dam about 30ft. long and 

 3ft. high, setting back the water for over a mile. Our 

 guides cut a path through the brush till they could get 

 their canoes in the still water above the beaver dam. 

 Working the canoes noiselessly up the stream we soon 

 heard the loud reports, such as are made by a beaver as 

 he strikes the water with his tail in diving, and coming 

 around a point saw a very large beaver playing in the 

 water. He would swim a little way, then dive, striking 

 the water with his tail in such a way as to make a report 

 like a pistol, and throwing the water several feet in the 

 air. Our canoes drifted within perhaps 30ft. of him 

 before he took alarm and disappeared. The trout were 

 very numerous in this beaver pond. The largest we took 

 weighed a pound, but most of them were from 3 to 5oz. 

 Our best fishing from this camp was at the mouths of 

 streams flowing into Long Pond, and this sport grew 

 better as the water became warmer. One night we built 

 a fire on a pqint of rocks near camp and fished for eels, 

 baiting with pieces of chub. No eels were caught, but a 

 fine trout of l-|lbs. came almost ashore in front of the fire 

 to take the bait. He was taken about 9 o'clock and after 

 the last of twilight was gone. 



Our custom here was to start out. about 8 o'clock in the 

 morning and paddle up some stream or to a place in the 

 lake where the entrance of a stream attracted the trout. 

 We took with us a broiling iron, tea pail, some coffee, 

 bread and bacon. After catching a supply of trout, we 

 started a fire, made some coffee, broiled some trout and 

 bacon, took our dinner leisurely, and perhaps by 2 o'clock 

 launched our canoes again for exploring or fishing, or 

 more likely both, and by 5 or 6 o'clock were back in 

 camp. 



Here we just rested and grew fat and rugged every 

 hour. None of our friends knew where we were and no 

 telegram nor letter could be sent to us. That is the way 

 to throw off all business. Get where no reports, either 

 good or bad, can come, and if your business place burns 

 up you won't know it till you get out of the woods. My 

 mind was here as free from every care as that of a child. 



We captured a young loon about as big as a goose egg. 

 He was a sleek little fellow and was caught in a landing 

 net after being tired out by continued chasing. He would 

 dive as an old one, only he could not stay under so long 

 nor go far. When released he went under and only 

 showed his head at intervals till a long way from our 

 boats. Then we secured two young black ducks. These 

 would weigh about a pound each. They could not fly, 

 and when we gave chase in a canoe they ran ashore and 



hid in the grass and bushes where we caught them. As 

 they were well matched and seemed able to make a race 

 on their merits, we decided they should have a swim- 

 ming match. Placed side by side in the water, the birds 

 at the word were released. No sooner were the ducks at 

 liberty than they went down like loons. One we never 

 saw again, and the other showed his bill and the top of 

 his head only, at intervals of two or three rods, tilJ be- 

 yond our sight. 



The second day of our rest on Long Pond, we met 

 near the foot of the pond two young men, with a birch 

 bark canoe. They evidently looked on us as at least 

 doubtful characters and did not want much to do with 

 us. Our canvas suits did not look particularly clean nor 

 nobby ; we had not been shaved for ten days, and the 

 frequent and free application of tar and oil with plenty 

 of sun, gave no doubt some grounds for then - evident 

 suspicion. By persistent questioning we learned they 

 were part of a company of four from West Newton, 

 Mass., and were camped in a log-drivers' camp at the foot 

 of the rapids about a mile below, and had a canvas 

 canoe at their camp. We did not wait for any invitation, 

 but having caught trout enough for all, we went to their 

 camp, turned in our fish and had dinner with them. They 

 had hired their canoes at Moosehead Lake and had come 

 up without guides. The birch canoe they had carried a, 

 mile through the woods to avoid the swift and broken 

 water, but on the advice of our guides decided to try run- 

 ning the canvas up the river. Taking a part of their 

 luggage we pushed on ahead. After catching as many 

 trout as were needed for supper and breakfast for our 

 whole party, and waiting their appearance until we grew 

 uneasy for their safety, we sent our men back in one 

 canoe to learn the cause of the delay. In about an hour 

 our guides returned with the young men and their canoe. 

 At the first quick water the Massachusetts men attempted 

 to run, their canoe tipped over tin-owing two of their 

 number into deep water. Everything they had in the 

 canoe was soaked — blankets, i>rovisions, and extra cloth- 

 ing. The party had one good fly-rod and that was lost, 

 also a knapsack containing all their flies, maps, and many 

 little articles the loss of which was an inconvenience. 

 We piloted them to our camp, where there was room 

 enough for all, and did what we could to make them 

 comfortable. They were with us as long as we remained 

 in the woods, and retained possession of the camp a 

 week after we left. I learned by a letter received from 

 one of the party after their return, that the men who 

 guided us ran their canoes back to Moosehead for them, 

 and in an eddy below the* rapids where their canoe was 

 capsized, found the fly-rod and most of the other prop- 

 erty which had beed lost in the catastrophe. 



I think it a mistake for inexperienced men to try to 

 canoe without guides through waters with which they 

 are not familiar. These young men when we met them 

 had not been able to catch many trout, and were very 

 short of provisions. They had nearly half a barrel of 

 hard tack, which was spoiled by the upsetting of their 

 canoe, and that is about all they did have. They would 

 have been forced to make a few meals of hard tack only 

 before they could get to where they could replenish their 

 supplies, if we had not succored them. 



One little stream flowing into Long Pond was com- 

 pletely covered up with bushes, but by running a canoe 

 up the stream a little way some short casts could be made 

 under the overhanging brush. The water was clear and 

 shallow, and from his position in the canoe the caster 

 could see the movements of every fish. Usually a dozen 

 or more trout lay just where the flies could be dropped 

 over them. Sometimes twenty casts would be made 

 before a trout would take any notice of the fiies, then a 

 trout of a quarter or half a pound weight would come up 

 as if that particular fly was what he had been looking for 

 for a long time. In this way a half dozen or more would 

 be caught, after which no more could be coaxed to rise. 

 Off the mouth of another stream I hooked a trout show- 

 ing such energy and strength as to convince me I had the 

 largest fish of the trip. The canoe was run away from 

 the weeds and grass into the deeper water where the 

 trout was hooked, and the 6oz. rod bent nearly double 

 as it checked the rushes of the gamy fish. When this 

 trout was netted he weighed only a pound, but the cause 

 of his apparent strength was manifest. He was hooked 

 through the back in such a way as to give full play to all 

 his strength. 



At an early hour on the Friday morning of our second 

 week in the woods, we packed our camp duffle and turned 

 our faces homeward. That night we were at the hotel at 

 the Forks. The next day Skowhegan was made in time 

 for an early supper, and Waterville, eighteen miles 

 further, in time to take the night train for Boston, which 

 was reached at 6 o'clock Sunday morning. 



I had seen a bit of wild nature, and although the 3 and 

 41b. trout I hoped and expected to see did not show them- 

 selves, I was satisfied with the trip. The experience of 

 the friend who took me to his favorite outing place served 

 to make sure a reasonable degree of sport, and the kind- 

 ness and generosity that are as natural to him as the love 

 of the woods made him the king of camp companions. I 

 shall not soon forget the special care he took that I might 

 not, by my inexperience, lose any of the sport or fail to 

 see everything of interest. Our guides were skillful 

 canoemen, cheerful, tireless, uncomplaining workers and 

 pleasant companions. They did all they could to make 

 pleasant our vacation, and more than earned the moder- 

 ate wages they asked. A canoe trip is free from the 

 fatigue of tramping; and never being tired, the canoeist 

 is always in condition to enjoy all the pleasures of the 

 wilderness. 



The trip of which I have written occupied sixteen days 

 from Boston. The cost was about $75 apiece exclusive of 

 money spent for tackle, etc. , before starting. In a trip of 

 this kind one learns much about the lumber business and 

 the mode of life of the people engaged in it. Another 

 summer I hope to start again, rod in hand, for the Maine 

 woods. T. 



Providence, R. 1. 



Our New Alaska.— The large sale of Mr. Charles 

 Hallock's book shows that this great northwestern pos- 

 session is attracting the eyes of the world. Besides giv- 

 ing a vast amount of information about Alaska and its 

 resources, the graphic pen pictures of the country, the 

 people and their ways, and the ways of Alaskan tourists, 

 help to make this volume n a table among all books relate 

 ing to the subject. 



