370 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



LNov. 26, 1891, 



BEARS IN NORTH CAROLINA SWAMPS. 



NORTH CAROLINA is a pretty big State, as every 

 one knows. There are big mountains, and streams 

 filled with iine speckled trout, and vast forests of yellow 

 pine timber, and along the coast rivers and swamps. 

 The latter are so out of the way, and so inaccessible, and 

 so filled with malaria in the summer season that there 

 are vast sections of that country which are "howling 

 wildernesses.'' 



Now, I am one of those individuals who are rather 

 given to "howling wildernesses." I don't think I ever 

 feel so thoroughly contented as when I know I am far, 

 far away from the haunts of man. No matter if I am 

 surrounded by the blackest of swamps or the dark waters 

 of unnavigated rivers, or whether I am far away in the 

 valleys of the motmtains of northern Canada, there is 

 something about solitude that fascinates me. So, one 

 day a year or so ago, I made up my mind that I would 

 take my little yacht, the Madelon, and go down and ex- 

 plore the creeks which empty into the Alligator River, 

 in Dare county, N, C. I had been at the mouth of the 

 river the year before, and had made the accpiaintauce of 

 Captain Basnight, who lives at a little hamlet directly at 

 the mouth of the river, called East Lake. Basnight is a 

 good fellow and a famous bear hunter. I had got there 

 early in December, and he took me out and showed me — 

 nailed on to the sides of his barn — the skins of nine bears, 

 all of which he had killed during the full moon some two 

 weeks previously, He has a reputation as a bear hunter, 

 and many is the close call he has had in a scrimmage 

 with a lively bear, the marks of whose claws he still 

 carries on his person. 



Basnight told me that we were then too late for the 

 bear hunting that season, for it seems that they can only 

 be successfully hunted during the full moon in Novem- 

 ber, at which time they come down to the edge of the 

 swamps and feed u])on the berries of the gum trees. 

 This tree bears a small black berry, and grows only on 

 the extreme edges of the swamps. Therefore, all the 

 hunter has to do is, on some quiet, moonlight night, to 

 steal along in his canoe close to the edge of the swamp, 

 and if bruin is regaling himself he makes such a noise 

 and crashing and smashing as he teai's down the limbs 

 that bear the berries that he is to be heard some distance 

 off and can be easily located. As soon as the berries are 

 ripe, both bruin and robins and other birds feed upon 

 them and make such short work of them that it is only 

 for about a couple of weeks that there is any chance for 

 sport, 



Capt. Basnight urged me to put in an appearance early 

 the next year, and promised that if I would do so he 

 would certainly guarantee me a bear, to say nothing of 

 the excellent deer shooting and plenty of woodcock. 

 The country abounds in both of these, and the natives 

 have a singular way of bagging the woodcock, which to 

 me seemed shamefully unsportsmanlike. 



Now, the open fields or clearings are very scarce in 

 parts of that country, and as the birds are all seeking 

 them by night, as soon as it comes dark the natives load 

 their muzzleloader guns with a good pinch of powder 

 and about a half teaspoonful of No, 10 shot, and provid- 

 ing themselves with a torchlight, proceed to travel across 

 the fields slowly and carefully, searching for the birds. 

 They are found crouched down, as if hugging the ground, 

 which is nearly bare of gi-ass, Mr. Native then puts his 

 gun about three or four feet away from the birds and 

 bangs away, Tn this way they frequently bag two or 

 three dozen per night. They do not call them woodcock; 

 they call them "pake," I presume in imitation of the 

 noise the birds make while flying. 



About the 10th of November in the following year I 

 found myself on board my yacht, lying alongside of the 

 little dock at East Lake, and soon met with a hearty wel- 

 come from Capt. Basnight, who informed me that he 

 already had several bear located, and felt sure that we 

 would have a successful hunt. We passed most of the 

 day knocking around, whittling chips and sj)inning 

 yarns, and when night came the moon rose over the for- 

 est clear and round and bright as silver. The wind 

 dropped to a dead calm, and, touseBasnight's expression, 

 "If we had i^rayed for it, we could not have had a better 

 night." About 9 o'clock he brought his canoe alongside 

 and assigned me to a seat in the bow. He had with him 

 his son, Joe, a fine youth of sixteen years of age, who had 

 killed his bear. 



Capt. Basnight was armed with a No. 10 bore, double- 

 barreled breachloading shotgun, and I was armed with 

 the same sort of weapon. Our cartridges were each 

 charged with 4:idrs, of powder and twelve good-sized 

 buckshot. 



Entering the canoe, we pushed ofl:' from the dock, and 

 after about an hour's row up the river entered the mouth 

 of what is known as "Whipping Creek. This stream is 

 some fifteen or sixteen miles long, and the water is almost 

 stagnant, having a slight rise and fall with the tide; but 

 it is perfectly fresh water, and the trees of the swamp 

 come right to the water's edge. The creek is so 



narrow in some places that the trees meet together 

 arched over one's head. Then again it widens out. The 

 water is very deep, some places being as much as 60 or 

 70ft. The banks of the creek are mostly swamp, almost 

 on a level with the waters of the stream, and occasion- 

 ally there is a bluff of say 8 or 8ft. high. 



As soon as we entered the creek Basnight and his son 

 discarded the oars and supplied themselves with pad- 

 dles. The canoe commenced to move along in utter 

 silence. 



I must say that in all my life I never saw such a still 

 and silent night. There was not a breath of air stirring, 

 and even the owls had stopped hooting. Silently we 

 move along, so silently that I almost wonder if we are 

 moving at all. We sweep up the creek about a mile 

 without hearing even a rustle in the grass. 



The canoe swings around a bend in the creek, when 

 suddenly, directly ahead of us, I hear a crash. It seems 

 to be up in the air, and I scarcely need to be told by Bas- 

 night in a whisper, "Look out! Keep your eyes skinned! 

 Grit your gun ready!" All of which I proceed to do with 

 a beating heart, for it is my first bear, and if we don't kill 

 him dead there may soon be more fun for the bear than 

 there will be for us. Close to the bank, as close as he 

 can possibly get, Basnight steers the canoe slowly and 

 silently. 



Suddenly there is another swish and another ^ crack. 

 That peculiar eric, cme that is heard from broken 

 j)rajtjcheg.. This time it is perceptibly nearejr- m4 J strain 



my eyes into the treetops, but can see nothing. In a 

 moment or two we round another bend in the creek, 

 and directly ahead of us is a bank of about 6ft. high. 



I notice that the canoe has stopped and Basnight leans 

 forward and whispers to me, "There he is; don't you see 

 him?" I look forward and strain my eyes in every direc- 

 tion clear up to the tops of the trees' but can see nothing. 

 Basnight whispers, "You are looking too high up; lie 

 is about half way tip that tree." 



I bring my eyes down, and I see a dark object that 

 looks just like a big black man standing up on one of the 

 limbs. He seems busily at work and has not discovered 

 us. Basnight lays his gun across his lap and again he 

 and his son proceed to paddle. Gracious mc! Is he going 

 to put us directly under the tree? for it was so close to 

 to the bank that its branches overhung the water. In 

 about half a minute Basnight whispers, "Get ready to 

 shoot." I hear him softly lay down his paddle and cock 

 his gun. I do the same, and he then whispers. "Aim at 

 the middle of him, count three in a whisper and we will 

 both fire at him at once. " 



I raise my gim and glance along the barrel. Unluckily, 

 we are in a deep shadow, and one has to shoot without 

 using any sights. 1 bring my aim slowly down till I think 

 I have the gun on the main bulk or body of the bear. I 

 count one: two; three; and both guns I'oar. Instead of 

 tumbling out of the tree, we see the bear making for the 

 main trunk and come scrambling down. We don't know 

 whether we have hit him or not. I insert another shell 

 quickly, and stand ready with it by the time bruin strikes 

 the ground. With many grunts and growls he is evideuty 

 coming for us, and I hear Basnight yell, "Look out! he 

 is coming over the bank! give it to him!" In another 

 second the bear appears, standing on the bank, slapping 

 his paws on his breast, and evidently "tearing mad." 



Again Basnight and I cover him with our guns, there 

 is a flash, and another roar, he leaps forward, and slides 

 headforemost into the water. Half of his body is in the 

 water and the other half rests on the bank. We are not 

 more than 20ft. away, and for a moment I think the bear 

 is going to swim, ottt and capsize the canoe. But no, there 

 is a kicking and sjDlashing, and in a moment or two all is 

 still. We replace our cartridges and, with cocked guns, 

 carefully and slowly paddle near. The bear is ours, and 

 a 300-pounder, if he weighs an ounce. Of course we soon 

 have him otit of the water and deposited in the boat. 



Basnight says that as it is early he thinks we had 

 better keep on up the creek and see if we can see another. 

 We pass bend after bend in the river for more than an 

 hour in the same sepulchral silence. There is not a quiver 

 of a leaf, and even our friend the night-owl does not re- 

 sume his song. It is getting chilly and we are seriously 

 thinking of returning home, when the familiar crash 

 is again heard, and Basnight whispers, "We have 

 another one!" 



We make our way up the creek silently as before, 

 until finally going around a bend we see, high up in a 

 tree, a bear. Not so large a one this time, and he is 

 away up on the top of a gum tree. He is standing up, 

 man like, and drawing the branches tovvard him in a 

 most human fashion. 



We were just commencing to get within shooting dis- 

 tance when suddenly we hear a tremendous cracking 

 and snapping, crashing and smashing, and down comes 

 the bear from the top of the tree to the ground. He 

 strikes the ground with an awful thump and I feel sure 

 that he has broken every bone in his body. Before we 

 have time to think with a big grunt he has made himself 

 scarce in the btisiies. We had a hearty liugh at his ov- 

 penae, for he must ha^ve fallen at least'lOOft. No one was 

 more surprised than he was himself. 



We then put our canoe about and softly proceeded 

 down the stream in hopes of seeing another bear, but 

 were not so fortunate, and were startled only by the 

 sharp snort and whistle of a fat buck, whose departing 

 footsteps we distinctly heard. We saw nothing more, 

 and wrapping ourselves in our heavier coats Capt. Bas- 

 night and his son resumed their oars and we found our- 

 selves at the yacht at about half-past one in the morning. 



It was a proud night for me, and as the skin of the 

 bear' was black and handsome I expect soon to rejoice 

 in the possession of a nice rug for household uses. 



We remained in that vicinity for about two weeks and 

 spent our time in quail shooting in the surrounding 

 coimtry. The birds are extremely plentiful, especially 

 in the rice fields, for there are a great many rice fields 

 cultivated there. 



Before I close I will (as usual) tell a story. On the fol- 

 lowing Sunday afternoon, my cousin Fred, who was with 

 me, suggested that we take a little walk up the road for 

 a mile or two, just to see what sort of a country there 

 was up there. We started out, and as soon as we had 

 gotten clear of the swamp we found ourselves surroursded 

 by corn and rice fields and we obsei-ved in the distance 

 a white building which looked like a school hotise or 

 a church. We thought we would stroll up that way and 

 soon found ourselves in front of the door. We discovered 

 that it was a Sunday school, quite largely attended. We 

 softly entered the door and seated ourselves on one of the 

 rear benches, The preacher was a small, dark complex- 

 ioned, dapper little man, in apj^earance entirely different 

 from the general run of those whose services are in de- 

 mand in that section. He had not made more than one 

 or two remarks, when to our astonishment it became 

 evident that he was a Frenchman. The school was nearly 

 over, and it seems that he was just about dismissing them 

 and was going to tell them a story. It was so siily and 

 ridiculous that I must recount it. It ran thus: "Now, 

 leetle boys an leetle girls, I want you to keep veraquiette 

 an I will tell you wan leetle story before I deesmees you. 

 One time zere wass two leetle boys, an zey play around 

 in ze road in front of zeir fazzer's house, and enjoy zeir- 

 self. An ze fazzer [father] of zose leetle boys he stan in 

 ze window of bees house and like to see hees sonns enjoy 

 zeirzelves. Well, while zoze boys wass playing zere, 

 zere came along some cheekangs [chickens], an wan 

 of Z0Z9 boys he peek uj) a stone, he shrow ze stone, he 

 heet wan of zoze cheekangs an ze pore cheekang he fell 

 over; he keek, he die. When ze fazzer seezat cruel zing 

 zat hees son bass done, he call hees sonns to heem, an he 

 explain to zem what a weekid zing eet wa,s to kill z 3 pore 

 cheekang, an he say to zem, 'Now, my sonns, za,t I have 

 oxplam to you wliat a bad, what a cruel, what a weekid 

 zing it wass to keel ze pore cheekang, do you think you 

 would do it again?" Ze boy who have not ze stone, he 

 say, *no, my fazzer, I would not do soch a bad, soch a 

 bad eoch a cruel thing,' Iwfc ze boy who haf thrown ze 



stone, he say, 'My fazzer, eef I wass play againin zeroad 

 in front of ze house, an some more cheekings was came 

 along an I haf a good stone, an wan of zem wass near to 

 me, I think I would try to keel him.' Now, lohich wass 

 ze good hoy, and wheecJi wass ze had hoyf 

 Nov. a. ROBT. C. LOWRY. 



A WEEK ON THE WICOMICO. 



WE have just rettirned from a very successful hunting 

 and fishing trip to Charles county, Md., where we 

 fotmd small game to be unusually abundant this fall. 

 Catfish and pickerel were found at low tide in holes made 

 by drumfish. In proper seasons the fishing in the Wico- 

 mico is first-class. The principal fishes to be caught there 

 are white perch, yellow perch, pickerel, catfish, and early 

 in the season striped bass (rockfish) and tailors (bluefish). 

 The two last are captured in large quantities in late sum- 

 mer and early autumn. I have often taken two dozen 

 "rocks" and "tailors" in an hour's fishing at sundown. 

 In my experience the hour including sundown is the best 

 time to fish for these species, at least it is so in the Wico- 

 mico. 



This week's outing was taken especially for sport with 

 the gun, and our success was most gratifying. During 

 these few days I alone bagged nineteen woodcock. Most 

 of these were shot as they were coming down from the 

 forest to feed in the marshy places, my position being at 

 the mill-run cross roads and time just before sundown. 

 Partridges (quail) were plentiful enough, and I succeeded 

 in making a bag of thirty-seven of these one afternoon. 

 We were surprised to find jack snipe here so late, seven 

 of which were made to kick their toes to the music of my 

 12-gauge. Two pheasants were shot. These birds were 

 feeding on prickly ash berries, and were very fine ones. 

 Robins were very plentiful, and they too were feeding on 

 the ash berry. 



One wild pigeon was killed, also a booby owl. Turkeys 

 are very scarce in these parts, in fact seldom seen. Rac- 

 coons and opossums are common enough, especially the 

 latter. One moonlight night in coming around the shore 

 we captured four opossums, two of which were on one 

 persimmon tree. Rabbits are very plentiful, and I placed 

 forty to my credit during the week. "Coons and pos- 

 sums" are just common enough to make the country 

 interesting to sportsmen. In coming across a field one 

 day our dog found a coon in a deep cover; he was a fine 

 one, and gave the dog one of the hardest tights we have 

 ever seen. The dog was so badly crippled that we could 

 not use him for a day or two. 



It was a little too early for ducks, and few were seen. 

 I shot two black mallards at a single shot one evening, 

 A little later we can expect some ducking, and I hope to 

 enjoy it. 



The laws in Charles county prohibit non-residents from 

 gunning without written permission from the property 

 holders, and this is doubtless one of the factors making it 

 a good country for small game. E. R. TODU. 



WAsnr:(GTON, D. C, Nov. 20. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



C CHICAGO, 111,, Nov, 17,— Some interest is manifest in 

 the outcome of the suits brought by Dr. Norris and 

 Mr. Dale, two Chicago shooters, against the Tolleston 

 Shooting Club, The plea is assault, and the damages are 

 laid at $10,000. The facts, so nearly as obtainable, seem 

 to indicate that jilaintift's were shooting on the Tolleston 

 preserved grounds, knowing them to be such and know- 

 ing the strictness of the club iji trespass mattere. They 

 were ordered to leave by the club patrol. What reply 

 they made is not known, but the result was that they 

 received a severe beating with a club at the hands of the 

 patrol; young Dale being left for dead by his companion, 

 as the story goes. Now they want $10,000. The ToUes- 

 tons are hard fighters, as well as strict preservers. 



Mr. Wolfred N. Low is still absent in Mexico. He took 

 his gun %vith him, and should have had some sport. 



The entire membership of the firm of Von Lengerke & 

 Antoine went out shooting two days ago and killed S.'J 

 quail in the rain. The quail season continues to he good. 

 The former bag was made at North .Judson, Ind. Mr. 

 Frank Place and friends have again made a heavy b'^g 

 near Warsaw. Indeed, the birds have been unusually 

 abimdant below here, both in Illinois and Indiana, 



No ducks to amount to much .on the Kankakee, but 

 some good bags in the lower Illinois country. 



Over in Canada, near Chatham, Ont,, where I spent 

 last week, the members of the clubs owning marshes 

 along Lake Erie were having magnificent duck shooting. 

 Sheriff Mercer, of Chatham, bagged 132 one afternoon, 

 and a bag of forty big ducks in a couple of hours was 

 made not only once but often. Quail, too, were plentiful 

 all through the country over which the field trials were 

 itm, and the shooting there, if permitted, would have 

 been extraordmary. Canada is the home of a high gi-ade 

 of sportsmanship in every sense of the word. They run 

 to lighter guns, with no pistol grip, over there, and have 

 the right idea about the open shooting gun for cover 

 work. The Chatham men are pleasant people to meet, 

 but a stranger can't jump right in and go to shooting any- 

 where over in Canada as he can in "America," as the 

 Canadians call the States. Another thing about Canada 

 as a field is the drawback of the Customs House. When 

 you come out of Canada they make you open your trunk, 

 and your valise, and your pocketbook. I told the officer 

 I was a newspaper man. He made me open my umbrella 

 then. Maybe he remembered the time, two years ago, 

 when I tried to get a "$1,000 dog" over the line, and we 

 finally compromised on §15. I have always "had it in" 

 for the Government since then, 



Mr. R. B, Organ tells an interesting story as to the in- 

 fluence of the imagination upon the palate. This hap- 

 pened lately in Minnesota, on the same trip when Mr. 

 Organ came so near losing his life. Col. W. H. Jacoby, 

 one of the party, killed a canvasback. This he took to 

 the cook and told him to skin it and fry it for his, Col. 

 •lacoby's, supper that night. The rest of the party pro- 

 tested'against so barbarous a way of treating a canvas- 

 back, but the Colonel said that was the way he took his'n. 

 In the meantime before supper Mr. Organ and two of the 

 l>arty got a sheldrake — or great merganser— and took it 

 to the cook. 



"Here, Sam," they said, "you just skin this fish duck 

 and fry it for Col. Jacoby's supper, and don't say a word. 

 We'll be just one canvasback ahead." 



The sheldjake appeared duly fried-. 



