806 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Not. n, 1889. 



THE CRUISE OF THE LALLIE-POO. 



WE had promised ourselves a cruise to Martha's Vine- 

 yard and the adjacent islands, but spring had 

 slipped away and summer was flying. August was half 

 gone before we could think of going. Tiie fifteenth was 

 to be our day of sailing. There were three of us, 

 "Genius," the sailing master; "Mate," the executive 

 officer; and the writer, G., was the owner of a small 

 boat which was to accompany us as tender, the Lallie- 

 poo; while the other small boat was the Addie, and the 

 yacht Gracie. The object of our quest was shore bird 

 shooting. 



Arrived at Cotamy Bay, we started for tbe beach be- 

 tween it and the ocean. Some years ago (1874) the Coast 

 Survey endeavored to dig a trench through the beach, 

 hoping to benefit the harbor thereby. The attempt 

 failed from the effects of a storm, and for some twelve 

 years the beach remained closed, but in 18b6 nature took 

 the matter in hand, and in one night opened a breach 

 300ft. wide, through which the fishing fleet of pink- 

 sterned schooners pass in and out unless the weather is 

 too rough. Cotamy Bay is between the Vinej^ard and 

 Chappaquiddoc Island. There is a hotel with some 

 cottages and lots of room there. The place is called 

 Katama, and is reached from Oak Bluffs by the Martha's 

 Vineyard railroad. Chappaquiddoc is a hilly island with 

 farms scattered over it. The various flats and bars puz- 

 zled us some, but we finally anchored near the beach. 

 No sooner was the sail furled than we broke out our guns, 

 shells and decoys. G.'s gun was of some foreign make, 

 so was Mate's. I was armed with a Davis old style, but 

 the companion of years, kind and faithful. G. tumbled 

 into the Lallie-poo and went off toward the inlet, while 

 Mate and I went to the southward toward the head of the 

 bay, which was a little cove some half mile deep and a 

 few hundred yards wide. 



We saw a flock of birds running along shore, and Mate 

 landed, while I kept on up tha cove, which, by the way, 

 is called Mattakeset Bay. We soon heard G.'s gun and 

 saw three birds coming down shore in our direction, they 

 gave Mate a wide berth, but I was squat so close in the 

 beach grass that they did not perceive me until too late. 

 As they went right over head I dropped all three, using 

 both barrels. They were calicobacks. Birds of any size 

 were not plenty, and I was fain to shoot at a bunch of 

 ringnecks which flew by on the bayside. The wind 

 blew so nearly parallel with the shore that I had to go a 

 long way up the bay to retrieve five., which I would on 

 no account lose. After some tiresome wading through 

 the beach sand we went on board the Gracie again. I 

 had sixteen birds, ringnecks and calicobacks. G. had 

 some larger birds, but not so many, while Mate, who was 

 a novice nt gunointr, had nothing. We voted the shoot- 

 ing dull, but concluded to go to the head of Mattakeset 

 Bay lor tie night. We took a walk across the fields in- 

 side the beach, and went to a large pond where we hoped 

 to find birds on the ensuing day. At night we were 

 lulled to sleep by that pleasing but sad and lonely sound, 

 the roar of the burf . 



On the morning of the 21st we gathered up our traps 

 for a cruise on shore, with much bread and hard-tack 

 packed in knapsacks and many rounds of ammuntion. 

 We landed at the very head of the bay, and soon crossed 

 the plank walk which the K itima Go", have for tourists 

 who go over to the beach. On a tall stake in the first 

 fence we cime to was a sign that said "No shooting 

 here," which we found true enough, for there was noth- 

 ing in the field to shoot at. We crossed a wide ditch or 

 canal and went down to the shore of Herring Pond. 

 Seeing a small flock of summer yellowlegs flying on the 

 side of the cove opposite where we were standing, all 

 hands set up a vociferous whittling, which attracted their 

 attention. As they slanted over our way we subsided 

 into the grass and eagerly Avatcbed then coming. At 

 30yds. they caught sight of us as we raised, and luffed, 

 but too late; it was over in an instant; five empty shells 

 and four yellowlegs off in the water, which did not seem 

 very deep, as grass was growing out where they fell. 

 Here were the first feathers, but how to get them was 

 the question. G. and the writer took off their shoes and 

 rolled up their trousers and essayed wading to them. 

 The writer reefed his breeches close up to the last 

 cringle, but was too shorUlegged; when G., being the 

 longest sparred, went after them under bare poles, sans 

 culotte. Here was a fair beginning, and we followed 

 the shores of the pond, keeping on the beach side, getting 

 now and then a bird — mostly ringnecks— shooting at 

 single birds and difficult shots, for we had by 9 o'clock 

 picked up as many as our conscience would permit. 



Mate scored several birds, one on the wing, which 

 being his first he was bound to have, although it fell m 

 the pond. Taking a snug roll in his pants he went in; 

 when half way to t he bird the water reached the divid- 

 ing line, and as his fingers closed on the prize his waist 

 band disappeared from view. When he reached dry 

 laud the peep was admired and put with some half doztn 

 of its kind he had before secured. Our proffered assist- 

 ance in wringing out his dripping nether integuments 

 was politely declined and the march was resumed. 



Sometimes we followed the ocean shore, and once we 

 launched a long piece of joist and watched tbe breakers 

 as tbey played with it, now dashing it ashore and then 

 claiming it with each recession. We sat on the sand and 

 looked off on the mighty Atlantic and listened to the 

 hollow booming roar of the surf. 



Away off on Mutton's Shoal we could see the fishing 

 boats, their white sails glistening in the sun as they 

 tacked back and forth. Stretched on the Avarni sand 

 with eyes closed and minds at rest, we dreamed of the 

 dear ones at home, and just as our thoughts were in that 

 confused state when sleep begins, we were startled by an 

 exclamation from G. coupled with a sudden getting up 

 of all hands, and a general rush up the beach; the cause 

 being an immense roller which broke right where we 

 were, and with great ambition rushed some yards higher 

 than any of its predecessors, surrounding us wi^h several 

 inches of water and foam. As luck would have it our 

 guns and other impedimenta were lying on a windrow 

 of seaweed above all danger. 



C .ntiuu ng our v ay we came to a place where the seas 

 broke clear over into the p >nd, a trench naving been dug 

 through by human hands in the first place. Some little 

 bird 9 ran across when the waves fell back and we fol- 

 lowed suit. Near the western end of the pond we found 

 a wide ditch connf cting it with a smaller pond beyond. | 

 At the mouth of this ditch we saw a big winter yellow- ! 



leg. He was some 60 or 70yds. from the nearest bunch 

 of grass that he could creep to. 



Leaving Mate to guard the end of the ditch by the big 

 pond G. and I tried to creep up to him. He, however 

 was wide awake, and, when we were within what he 

 thought was proper distance he jumped up with a loud 

 whistle of "There-here-here!" We began to fire and 

 kept shooting till he fell in the shallow water 80yds. from 

 where we were. Who killed the bird we never knew, as 

 we both shot 6s at it. The firing disturbed another one 

 who flew up on our invitation, to see what the matter 

 was; at 30yds. he came to a sudden stop and proved to 

 be a much smaller bird than the first. 



Here we found a camping place where some parties 

 had enjoyed fishing as well as shooting. In the shade 'of 

 an oak grove we ate our lunch and then started back. 

 When nearly half way to the east end of the big pond 

 we saw ahead of us a team loading with beach grass 

 which some one had mowed and was about to cart off. 

 On the load were two girls whose lower sails were filled 

 to their utmost extent by the fresh breeze. Here was a 

 chance to get some information in regard to the shooting, 

 and as we rapidly drew near the girls took a prudent reef 

 in their skirts by sitting down on the load. The man, 

 we thought, eyed us furtively, and no wonder, for wet 

 through and barefooted, with our shoes and boots tied 

 together and slung over our guns, with coats on our arms 

 and knapsacks on our backs, we looked anything but en- 

 couraging. Being three to one, not counting the girls, 

 who were up aloft and could work us no harm, we hauled 

 alongside and asked how he did. and kept up a running 

 fire of questions and a sharp watch on the parties aloft, 

 who were very interesting and quite interested. The man 

 did not know much about the shooting and could not give 

 us any encouragement. One of the girls asked us if we 

 had killed anything and expressed a wish to see our 

 game. Here was a chance to relieve our overburdened 

 consciences and lighten our game bags. Would they 

 like to have some birds? "Yes, indeed." Out from the 

 depths of our haversacks came the birds, and one by one 

 we passed them up to the fair hands that were reached 

 down to receive them. One or two peeps were overlooked 

 from shame at having taken sucn small life. Yellowlegs, 

 ringnecks, calicobacks, up they all went, except the big 

 winter yellowleg, which the writer clung to with especial 

 fondness, for wks he not fat, and would he not make a 

 good show in the kettle ? To his shame be it said, the 

 kettle won, though we are sure one more smile from 

 under that Gainsborough hat would have carried the 

 day, bird and all. By this time the hay was all on, and 

 the load with its fair occupants was started for the main- 

 land. Mate, the unmarried one of our party, was heard 

 to say something about being tired or wanting to ride. 

 We were now free to shoot again, but nothing appeared 

 but a crowd of ladies and children at the plank walk 

 near where our boats were; here we had to run the gaunt- 

 let again, and were outnumbered three to one with no 

 birds to offer. To the query of "What luck?" we told 

 truly and said we had given our game to a party on the 

 beach. "Lucky man," drily remarked a gentleman in 

 the crowd. Shoving,off the Lillie-poo we soon boarded 

 the Gracie. After dinner was over we made sail and ran 

 back to Edgartown to spend Sunday there. 



Sunday, Mate was made ship keeper by his own choice, 

 while G. and the writer took a long walk bick into the 

 woods to tbe opposite side of Herring Pond from which 

 we cruised on Saturday. We saw a few dusky dunks and 

 many night. herons, but no plover. On our way back we 

 were overtaken by a young man in a light wagon, who 

 asked us to r ; de, an invitation that was promptly ac- 

 cepted. Our new acquaintance was quite a follower of 

 the sport and possessed a fund of useful information. 

 He told us that for upland plover we would have to ride 

 out in an open wagon and shoot them from the seat, as 

 by no other means could they be approached. 



Monday we unbent the sail and had a sailmaker cut it 

 over to make it set higher on the boom. G. and Mate 

 took the Lallie poo and rowed down into Cape Pogue Bay 

 on a prospecting voyage. They returned with a favor- 

 able account and we decided that on the next day we 

 would run over to the Lape. Cape Pogue Pond, as it 

 is called, is a large triangular sheet of water covering 

 several hundred acres and bounded on two sides by a 

 narrow beach and on the third by Chappaquiddoc Island. 

 The juncture of the two beaches at their northern ends 

 forms the Cape, which consists of seventy-five acres or so 

 of rolling fields without fences and used as a common 

 pasture. The only buildings are the lighthouse and 

 keeper's lodge, 



Tuesday morning we went over to the Cape and found 

 a little cove into which we ran the Gracie. We could 

 see a small meadow with some pond holes in it, and a lot 

 of birds flying and running around them. As soon as the 

 anchor was down we went on shore with our guns 

 and :-cared up a Jot of small birds and quite a flock of 

 plover. We found some pits dug in the bt ach grass near 

 the ponds. These pits were surrounded with a low wall 

 of stones, and we dropped into them and made ready. 

 Mate, who as before stated was a novice at shooting, oc- 

 cupied a blind about three gun shots to the writer's left, 

 winJe G. was posted some 200yds. off and nearly in front, 

 so we lay in a triangle with a pond in the center of it. 

 The birds which flew off on seeing us soon came back in 

 small bunches, and we began whistling and peeping, each 

 trying to produce sounds to entice them within shooting- 

 distance. The writer is no whistler, and doubtless the 

 sounds he emitted were taken for cries of distress by the 

 birds, who came near from sympathy perhaps. He had 

 the luck, however, to get the first shot at some small 

 plover, which left lour or five of their number scattered 

 among the decoys. Mate did not seem to have much 

 shooting, and after a while he concluded to go on board 

 and start dinner. G. had better luck and we two kept at 

 the birds till the writer had fourteeu and he about as 

 many. We got several black-breasts here, and saw a few 

 uplands or Bartramian sandpipers, These last were very 

 shy. 



In the afternoon we got under way and ran over to 

 Muskeget, which is a low sandy island, being nothing 

 but a succession of ridges of o larse beach sand covered 

 with grass. There is a life-saving station and several 

 shanties, wher^ gunners or fishermen stop; but no one 

 was on the island when we got there. We pas-ed over 

 many shoals and rips on our way, but did not touch any- 

 thing. A boatman told us to lock out for a lime vessel 

 that was sunk off the east end of the island, but we did 

 not see her. There were two wrecks off toward Tucker- 



nuck hard and fast on the flats. We rounded the east 

 end of the island and ran into a cove and anchored about 

 one hundred yards from the beach. This island is half- 

 moon or sickle shaped, wider on the north and east than 

 on the west. Where we anchored it was very muddy, 

 with long eel grass reaching the surface of the water. 

 G. and I hurried on shore and got a dozen birds in short 

 order; the calicobacks were the most abundant except 

 the terns, of which we saw hundreds. These are pro- 

 tected, and there are signs cautioning people not to break 

 the laws in regard to them. A lot of young ones were 

 running on the sand, and G. found an egg which he 

 brought off for the writer, who has taken an interest in 

 oology for many years, but bad never seen a tern's egg 

 before. We wisely deferred blowing this egg until after 

 supper; then the attempt was a most dismal failure, 

 though vastly amusing to G. and Mate. The writer, who 

 has had some experience with rotten eggs, distinguished 

 himself by smashing this one between his fingers, thereby 

 creating a vile odor. 



Toward evening the sky clouded and it looked like 

 rain, the wind blew from the N. E. quite fresh; but Ave 

 were in smooth water and were pleased, as the prospect 

 for birds was better with easterly Aveather. 



Aug. 85.— Sometime in the night I was awakened by 

 our centerboard striking bottom, and hard bottom at 

 that. We left the board down as it Avas in the way when 

 up, reaching nearly to the top of the cabin; and it also 

 kept watch, telling us if we got into less than four feet 

 of water. When we struck I ran out in the cockpit and 

 looked for the beach; much to my surprise a flash of 

 lightning showed it to be fifteen yards off instead of a 

 hundred, as it Avas when we anchored. We were lying 

 broadside to the shore, with the Addie and the Lallie-poo 

 thumping alongside. 



To call all hands was the first thought, and the coming 

 up of the centerboard upset the sweet potato kettle, 

 which unhappily had been Jeft on the box. This dumped 

 over on to Mate, striking on his nose as he lay sleeping, 

 and causing him to think we had been run down. We 

 got out our spare anchor, bent on a warp and ran it out 

 to windAvard and hauled off. This we had to do several 

 times, as the mud Avas so soft and eel gra-s so thick that 

 our anchor came home without holding much. After a 

 while we got things straightened out and turned in. Mate 

 had the bridge of his nose barked, and looked as if he 

 had emerged from a prize ring. The morning found us 

 riding to two anchors in a lively breeze Avithout much 

 sea. We went for birds and got turnstones in abundance, 

 saw a curlew, killed a snipe and came off at dinner time. 



After dinner G. and the Avriter took the Lallie poo and 

 went to an island Avhich lay off the extreme southwest- 

 ern point of Muskeget, Avith a channel of 200ft. width 

 separating them. Across this channel we Avent with a 

 fair wind. On landing we saw some small birds, but did 

 not shoot any until we got to the middle of the island. 

 There we found a flock of birds of several kinds in a little 

 piece of low ground. We fired as they rose and got in 

 two more shots as they circled around over the dead ones, 

 and then we began to pick up the killed and catch the 

 Avinged. We picked up thirty, and after a careful search 

 concluded there were none left to die of wounds. We 

 had no excuse for shooting more, although the flock did 

 not leave the island. We got into the Lallie-poo and 

 started for the Gracie, G. rowing and the Avriter forward. 

 There was a very nasty chop, as the tide was running out 

 through the channel * like a mill race. We were hardly 

 into the current before the waves slapped over the bow, 

 and we made such slow way that she was half full of 

 water and in imminent danger of swamping. We 

 changed places, G. roAving forward and the Avriter in the 

 stern bailing with his hat. We reached the flat by a 

 squeak, and both jumping out ran the boat ashore and 

 got out the water. Our guns were wet and the game 

 soaked, but nothing dampened our spirit and we dragged 

 the Lallie-poo over the flats until abreast of the Gracie, 

 and then rowed off. Mate received us Avith a burst of 

 enthUbiasm quite out of his usual manner. A general 

 drying out Avas next in order, guns were taken to pieces 

 and oiled, and Mate's attention Avas directed to a pile of 

 soggy, greasy and bedraggled birds as they were dumped 

 from our game bags. 



The Avind continued to blow until late in the evening, 

 and we all voted it a mistake to leave Cape Pogue Avhen 

 we did, as a N.E. wind is sure to bring plover there. 

 Thursday the weather was better and we tried the island 

 again. We shot a few calicos and at noon got under way 

 and worked out the S.W. pass and ran over to the Cape, 

 arriving there at 3 P, M. The first thing we noticed was 

 a flock of very large birds that Avere on a hill near where 

 we had landed before. As we got nearer these birds 

 began to look suspiciously like some Ave had seen before, 

 and our suspicions were verified when Ave saw a man 

 step out from a blind and pick them up. This party 

 viewed our coming with evident disgust, and as we came 

 to anchor he took a boat and departed in the direction of 

 Cbappoquid lec without saying a word. We were one 

 day too late, as we afterward learned from the ligh 

 keeper. G. got three black-breasts and the writer one- 

 These, with a few small birds, completed our score foi 

 the day. We enjoyed a very pleasant evening and wert 

 charmed by the music of the surf and cries of the birds 

 The night was quiet and the Gracie lay as still as if frozen 

 in. 



Friday we cruised about the cape, waiting for the wind 

 to blow from some quarter, as it was stock calm when 

 we tu ned out, and continued so until 10 A. M. We 

 started with a very light wind and got out of Cape Pogue 

 Pond and towed across the big flats off EdgartOAvn. It 

 was very hot, and Mate steered while G. and I rowed 

 ahead in the Lallie-poo and towed the larger boat. At 

 last the wished for breeze came from the S.W., and we 

 hugged the Vineyard shore by Oak Bluffs, Avhere we saw 

 many bathers enjoying themselves in the warm water. 

 We could hardly head up for Wood's Holl Avhen Ave left 

 East Chop, but the tide was in our favor and we went 

 through nicely. Once through we started sheets and ran 

 fof Nye's jNeck, passed out-ide of Minister's and South- 

 west ledges, by Wing's. Neck, and then for Hog Island 

 Narrows and home. 



On reaching Onset, G. got his dunnage into the Lallie- 

 poo and cast off. M ite and the writer ran the Gracie up 

 through Tom's NarroAvs and reached the stake at 6 P. M., 

 endmg a very pleasant and successful cruise. 



Walter B. Sayaey. 



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