Jan. 36, 1893.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



The Virginia Season. 



Surry Court House, Va., Jan. 16.— With the close of 

 the season for ^\-ild tm-keys yesterday, one of tlie best sports 

 has come to an end. Ijarge nninbers of tnrkeys were 

 filled, and there was never kuDwn a better season for 

 ■them. I know one man wlio killed six in one afternoon, 

 and abont sixty during tlie seasoji. TJie deer .season 

 closed also on the l.jth inst. : quite a lot were killed, but 

 the himters hail a good deal of trouble, < )A\'ing to one of 

 the land owners killing all tlie d(jKs tliat ran througli his 

 place. There ought to be some law for the protection of 

 dogs, as wheu a i.log strikes a. hot trail it is almost inipiw- 

 aible to call bim ofi'. ^Hiail were lilenliful, but the small 

 pines that abound in tliis section att'ord them splendid 

 cover and tbey are bai'd to get at. Coons and scprirrcls 

 are the (jnly game lov bunting we ha,ve now except durks. 

 The last three weeks liave been tlu- I'oldest that we have 

 had here in years, the therm(jmeler Ijeing as low as 6 and 

 never going abo\-e .-!(> : sntjAs- has been on the grormd all 

 the time. What Virginia iwcds is a better system of 

 game laws, and I hope that the sportsmen of the State 

 will rise to the emergency, and wdien the Legislatiu-e meets 

 in the fall try and get them altered. G. A. B. 



The Currituck Season. 



XOJ'.FOLK. Va.. ,Tari. U.— The shooting at Currituck 

 during the past three ^x eeks has been the linest [lerliaps 

 for ten or hfteen year.s. Some enoi'mous bags luivy been 

 made. I went down to the IMartin's Point Clul> the brst 

 of the A^ear and shot ninety-one ducks and one goose tlie 

 first day ond sixty-tive ducks and three geese tlie next 

 day. The shooting since the sounds have been frozen iias 

 been principally at black ducks and mallards, ^^'hi<■ll 

 afford fine sport. Currituck Sound has been frozen now 

 since Christmas. J. B. W, 



lioaded Shells, Etc 



Those who want bed rock prices on loaded shells or htintMg elo(ihiiiK 

 should write for catalogue to .las. f. Merwin &■ Co,, 1190 Fulton street 

 Brooklyn. N. Y.^Adi: ' 



The Fish. La wn of the United Statei< and Cannda, in the 

 Oame Lmo^ in Brief," M cents. In the ''Booh of the 

 name Lams " { f ull text), SO cents. 



ON THE NORTH SHORE.— III. 



The Trip Up.-III. 



[Continued from page .V".J 



The morning opened Avith a clear sky and an eastAvind, 

 and it being favorable for progi-ess up the lake, Ave con- 

 cluded to break carnp and go to Pancake Bay in hopes of 

 finding the .S'. fovtinalis more in the humor for the fly. 

 The disnrantling conmrem^ed wifh rapidity immediately 

 after breakfast, for we were exceedingly "desli-ous of at 

 once taking advantage of the present conditions. At 6 

 o'clock \\ e were olf , A\-ith a fine sailing breeze tliat made 

 the watei- cm l from the bow like molten silver. The sky 

 was full of sunlight and the balsamic air carried healing 

 on its wings, while shadows from the fleeting clouds 

 painted their ceaseless changes across the la.ndscap(^ re- 

 minding me of Emerson's loA^ely tribute to Nature so 

 beautifully introduced in the following stanza: 

 "I do not countr^he liours I speiiil 



In wandering by the sea: 

 The iiorest is my loj'al friend. 



Like God it useth me." 



Emery, our Signal Service boatman, noAv had a fine op- 

 portunity to indulge in his theory, for a feAA- floating- 

 scuds Avere ajipearing in the Avest. Upon these he at once 

 sprang as a fomidation to open anew the sirbject of his 

 fears; in fact, he made a battledore and shuttlecock 

 game of it. With <:)ne liami be batted out, Avith apparent 

 ease, squalls, storms. temp(^sts. hurricanes, toi'uadoes and 

 typhoons, and AA-ith the other tossed oirt clouds, vapors, 

 fogs, mists and scuds until A\'e ('xi:)ected every minute to 

 see him introduce the tAvelve signs of the zodiac and then 

 ring in a chapter or two on the influence of tides. He 

 was a marvel on observation of the elements, but Ave at 

 last weai-ied of his theme and ga ve him to understand 

 that some other subject Avould prove more interesting, for 

 instance, the best and most rapid method of restoring 

 anew old, rotten and patched-uij sails. This silenced 

 him, but he continued to Avatch those scuds as if his very 

 hfe depended upon them. 



We here p>assed mauA' beautifttl stretches of shore and 

 Avoodland tliat ^\'ere i-eruarkably imposing under the 

 draper}' of droAvsy clouds and the sound of wavelets that 

 crtmibled upon the beach 



"111 tender curving lines of spray.'' 



Beautiful BachcAvanaung Bay was reached in a cloud of 

 ^lory. Its hflis and vales, under the glowing sun, dis- 

 played a softness, puritj' and magnificence of color that 

 Av^biild have delighted the artistic soul of a Rubens. 



'•I gazed upon them 

 And the unchanging lake, ai^d felt a.while 

 Unutterable- joy— " 



A few miles more and Ave are at Pancake Bay, and it 

 being some six miles across, Avith the favorable Avind then 

 prevailing. Ave concluded to go ahead and not stop as con- 

 templated, but endeavor to make Mamaise Point by noon. 

 Emery looked up at the infant scuds which had increased, 

 and ominously shciok his old head, but did not openly pro- 

 test against the onward moA'e. The scuds, he said', had 

 neA-er failed bim. InU lioped they would this time. "It 

 will be a nine-mile stretcli before we reach a harbor," he 

 ftu'ther continued, as if he desired to warn us intone, for 

 he appeared to have staked bis reputation as a weather 

 propliet upon a coming gale. His remark, however, had 

 no terrors for us. and the A\-ord was given to go ahead. He 

 obeyed the order without further comment, and held the 

 nose of the Mackinac in a straight line for tlie point op- 

 posite. When aljout half Avay over the breeze shoAved a 

 tendency to increase as as'cII as the scuds. Emery again 

 spoke u]> and said, "It'> c'oiuing."' and relapsing into 

 silence took another gaze at tlie little floating clouds in 

 the west and gave another shake of his Avige old head. 



The breeze eA'idenfcly was perceptibly stiffening, and it 

 was not long before Ave were SAvif fly ghding Avith an in- 

 creased speed that made the w-ater sing a liA^ely chorus 

 from the boAA' as it ran along the sides in a radiant sparkle. 

 Emery, naturally timid, w;is delighted to see his observa- 

 tions verifying, and I really believe Avould then have re- 

 joiced at a tem])est if he only thought we could safely 

 Aveather it. 



We reached tin; o|Vfiosite sidt.> with the old tattered rag- 

 straining at evi^ry patch, and flic mast creaking as if it 

 too sliari'd in tlic dilapidation of (in' ranvas. Four miles 

 more and we would be snug and safe in the harbor, though 

 we could hase landed midw ay al a bshing station, but as 

 our fe.m|ier ^\as up, mi'l Enierv realizing on bis faith, we 

 determined to make it if the sail went to ribbons, and the 

 mast to s|tlinte]-.s. Emery was in great ,glee. his friendly 

 scuds were nobly coming tu lli^ assistance, and 1 \erily 

 believe he exulted wilhin bis timid heart at the ;-itualion. 

 Evei-y moment the wijid seemed i^) increase, and the \\-a\ es, 

 Avhieii w ere rolliii.L;' in froth, piled u|) bigherandbigfier un- 

 til till- spray began to Hy from tiie cid-- water and frequently 

 mto the lioat, The old astronome.i was iindoiiliteilly de- 

 lighted although lie inwardly t,i ei II bled and at last even Ned 

 and 1 began to think tlie old'lmlfc \\-ould b:(ve a liard time to 

 safely ride the gale wliicli was now U|i<in us in frightful 

 form: still we were hardly holding onr o\\ n. allbongh 1 

 ex-pected niotiientarily to see tlihtering r;igs instead of a 

 sail. One mite from I\bnnaise point the wind stiffened 

 so scA'erely that it began to lie (|uestionaljle v h ether Ave 

 could safely hold out to the end. AVe were ro\\ ing 

 with the row-locks on the lee side Avitliin an ineb of 

 overflow, although Ned and I threw our enlire weighf to 

 the extreme e<lgi_- ol' the windward. Onr aim was to make 

 a lanihng liefween the island and shore at flie point, and 

 the channel being narrow and the lake low. it Avas ifues- 

 tionable whicdi of the two openings before us Avas tlie 

 right one. Ned insisted on the inner, but Peter, who now 

 had the helm, paid no attention whatever to his opinion. 

 The lake Avas in a fearful rage and foam, and beat upon 

 the sliax]) splintered rocks along the shore with a violence 

 perfectly appalling. The sends had not only increased in 

 number and size, but tlie lieads and shoulders of ponder- 

 ous storm clouds of dingy coloi- w'ere fast forming, and 

 threatening a: fury of the' lake that foretold a terape.st that 

 "leaps Avith delirious bound," 



•'Take the inner chaitnel," nerATnisly shouted Ned, as 

 we were nearing it. Peter st:)od as stolid as if of marble, 

 with a firm gi-ip on the rudder liandle and his keen eye 

 looking ahead as if measuring dist-ance, Avdiile Emery A\'as 

 in the bow ^^'ith his Iiand on the sprit and a sardonic grin 

 on his face, ready to in.stantlA^ drop sail at the helmsniaii's 

 command. '-Take the inner chaimel," again shouted 

 Ned, but Peter paid no more attention to his howlin.L; than 

 if he were a child of tender A-ears. and continued to liold 

 the qulA-ering boat to tlie outer. 



"You will run her aground."' again beUovved Ned, but 

 Peter, still unmoved, with his thin lips set firmly, and his 

 eyes ablaze with determination, held her to the channel 

 he so well kncAA-. 



"Great heavens! you Avill sink her!" tremblingly cried 

 Ned once more, AAdio was now wrought uj) to undue ex- 

 citement. 



Still tlie c:onfident and unruffled helmsman kept her 

 on the straight course; and as she slid into the channel 

 Ned's lips quivered, his cheeks paled, and lie clutclied 

 frantically at thQ side of the boat, as if momentarily ex- 

 pecting a shipwreck: but .she Avent on and soon was in 

 placid Avaters. and tlieii "Doavu A\dth the sail!" rang out. 

 and the old rag slo^^dy descended the creaky mast and 

 was quickly gathered in the bow. Ned's composure re- 

 turning, he acknowledged his error. Avliile the Aveather 

 prophet, towering o"er us with a triumphant smile, ex- 

 claimed: '"I tell you it bloAv. You believe me after this." 

 We allowed his single A-ictoi-j% but iu.sisted that the tat- 

 tered sail be immediately repaired and a, new mast secured 

 in the woods, as Ned was positive it had cracked just be- 

 fore we got in. and an examination pi-oved the statement 

 correct. Peter and Emery \A-ere sure the sail and mast 

 Avould not have stood the strain tliey were subjected to 

 many minutes more. The Kentuc-ky angler and his boat- 

 men, who had arrived a day in advance of us. were on the 

 shore opposite — for we had landed on an island — ^keenly 

 observing- our dashing entrance, and Avere positive the 

 patcliAvork of a sail Avould be bloA\ni to shreds before we 

 landed. They stood ready, they aA-erred, to come to our 

 assistance in case of accident. The moral of aU this is — 

 don't go to sea in a tub. 



We had excellent camping quarters on tlie island, 

 though, desjiite this, our boatmen chose to sleep in one of 

 the deserted and dirty cabins on the main shore, Avdiich 

 Avas almost Avithin a stone's tbroAv of our quarters. Soon 

 the tent was placed in position and everA-fhing carefuUy 

 stoAved under coA-er, and then dinner Avas promptly pre- 

 p)ared, Avhich we enjoyed with an omnivorous appetite. 



Toward evening we took our rods and made a fcAv casts 

 from the rocks on the outside shore, bttt not a trout i-ip- 

 pled the AvaAdng Avaters. The Kentuckian had been before 

 us and jjicked up two or three at the only choice places. 

 We had not (•onteinplated remaining, being perfectly 

 aware that the "svaters here had long ago been almost 

 completely decimated of the trout that once Avere so 

 numerous. The fir.st favorable breeze we determined 

 Avould see us on our Avay up the lake, where we Avere con- 

 fident of finding all the sjiort we desired. 



In the CA'Cning about 10 o'clock the wind came Axdth 

 sucli terrific violence, that we momentarily expected to 

 see the tent come tumbling doAvn upon us. On the heels 

 of this came a pattering shoAver that made lively music on 

 the fiuttering c:anvas. The rain aa' as assuredly in unison 

 AAnth the rhythmic drops of the poem: 

 How it pours, pour.s, pours, 



In a never-ending sheet I 

 How it fh'ives lieneath the doors! 



How it. soaks the pus.ser'.s feet: 

 How it rattles on the shutter: 



How it rumple.s up the lawn : 

 How 'twin sigli. and uioan. and mutter, 

 From darknesjs until dawn. 



After about tAvo hours of a heavy rain storm it (teased, 

 and then we jiassed into the realms of blissful sleep. 



The morning was not at all propitious. Oray and 

 watery clouds floated slowly aboA'e the dim horizon, and 

 the damp air \\'as indicative of more ram. Heedless of 

 the threatened storm we Avent to the rocks on the outside, 

 and AA-hipped the Avaters with a persistency that really 

 should have merited some reward, but nothing came of it; 



so we tramped back to camp over rough and ragged rocks 

 that made every muscle in our bodies ache. The boys in 

 the meantime had nicely and strongly j-ei>aired the old 

 sail, Avhich AA^ould noAV, Emery stated, stand any gale. 



After dinner the dark battlements A\-hicb so gloomily 

 shadowed the tender blue of the sky. suddenly broke and 

 shoAA'cred us with a heavy downponi-. while the wind — a 

 iiorthAA'Cster — continued to Woaa- as if it Avotdd ncA'er 

 cease. No breaking camp that day, so we solaced our- 

 selA-es Avitli our books and a rtdiber or tAvo of ci-i,b, and 

 shortly after supper sought consolation in our blankets. 

 The night drew her drapery arotmd us as Ave courted 

 slumber with a grand display of luiid lightning and 

 heavy moans of thunder, to AAdiich the Avaters responded 

 bA' violently pomiding tlie clifts and reefs Avith a roa.r that 

 \A'ent rumbling along the lake and into the dense forest 

 inland. 



"A mighty wind like a leviathan. 

 Ploughed through the sea, and from tliose solitudes 

 Sent .silence frightened." 



The ])aie beams of the morning fell upon a rolling sea, 

 wbicli sidjsided in a short time sttfficient to permit of our 

 taking a priiposed ti'ip as far as Mamaise mines, in hopes 

 of decoying some of the dandies that sported in robes of 

 violet and crimson. 



We did not start Avith high hopes, though Ave did with 

 a determination to endeaA-^or to capjfure a trophy or tAvo. 

 We flogged the A\'aters as we went with most persevering 

 energy, and thought with some skill, but the only reAA^ai'cl 

 till we reached the mines, Avas the impaling of the trout 

 wdiicli escajied from my book, wlien nearh^ conquered, 

 and caie other rise which also unfortunately — as I missed 

 it — fell to me. and thereby had it duly recorded a.s a 

 languid strike, and thei'efore highly iliscreditable to my 

 skill in the --art preeminent." 1 felt as if 1 were in the 

 eonxoii) iiu', and .sighed for the left bindfuot of a graveyard 

 rabbit .as a mascot. The rise.s I bad lacked vigor, owing 

 doubtlws to the nortliAvest \viiul wliich bail been pirevail- 

 ing almost constantly for ox er t\\ e> \\-eeks. On reaching 

 the mines we landed and lunched, and then went through 

 the extensive v\-oi-ks wliich hail been idle for more than a- 

 decade, and wliicli A\-ere still in a state of fair preseiwa- 

 tion. One .nud a half millions w ere. I learnt, sjient ujion 

 the plant, Avhich is nov\- (•nlirely ;il laniloneil. not even a 

 Avatchman remaining to keep guard o\ er the va.st and ex- 

 ])ensive machinerj' and liuildlugs. The failure to secure 

 copper ore to a profitable extent caused the shutting- down 

 of tlie Avorks. 



On om- return trip I bad two more ri.ses wdiich 1 nia^ 

 nificently missed, and which satislied me that I Avas not 

 then in affinity with the [leerless members of the fonti- 

 iKih's tribe. 



Another day at camp en.sued, oAAnug to the prevalence 

 of the heavy northAA^ester. Avdiich seeaned to be oiu- old 

 man of the sea. The bo>'s thought this a, favorable time 

 to go to Mamaise and lay in some tobacco, ljut as they 

 AN'ere a little off in wood lore Avlieii they started, got on 

 the Avi'ong path and so returned, somewhat chagrined at 

 their failure. After dinner tlie\- made anotbei- attempt tO 

 reacli the place and this time they \\'ere successful. ' On 

 their re-appearance they -re])orted seeing en route a large 

 number of partridges, which this year are more ntuner- 

 ous than they have been for tli(i last decade, owing to tlie 

 A-ery dry season they had just passed through. 



Tlie next morning being favorable for In-eaking camp, 

 we at once embarked and sailed out on a fan- breeze and 

 a sea of .sunshine, under a skA* flecked Avith little Avhite 

 clouds soaring- aloft like doAcs. .As aa^c glide onAvard the 

 touches of nature along this grand and picturesque 

 shore are so constant that it is like a succession of the • 

 finest panoramas. The glimpses of little coves with 

 glistening- grax ell)' beaches, liold and jagged blufl's Avith 

 bases of splintered rocks, jutting ridges o'er Avhicb the 

 Avaves beat and the .sun in radiance blazed, forests of 

 pine and balsam Avith their green tops Ava ving in th e gentle 

 breeze, receding hills 



"Bathed m the tenderest purple of distance. 

 Tinted and shadowed hy pencils of air.-' 



formed a landscape of surpassing beauty, which the grand 

 old lake is forever presenting- for your most ferA^ent 

 admii'ation. 



To the credit of our celestial gazer be it said, he prophesied 

 no tempestuous disaster, leaving- the study of the heavenly 

 botlies for the present seA^erely alone. He Avas rapt in deep 

 admiration of the renewed sail , Avhich he had made doubly 

 strong- with neAV ropes and man y ucaa- patches, and though 

 it resembled a railroad map in its endless seams and curves, 

 it had a source of beautv^ to him which he secretly cher- 

 ished. The mast. hoAvever. Avas the same old crooked 

 and cracked "stick" it ahvays was, and this he had ]ilau- 

 ned to strengiiien by cutting ott' about a foot at the lower 

 end where its weakness was apparent. Then, he stated, 

 Ave cotild fight any gale, tliough inwardly knowing he 

 Avould never get in one as long as there was a scud on 

 Avhich to hang a signal of danger. 



About noon Ave arriA^ed at otrr destination. TavIu Sisters 

 Island, four miles this side of Aipi.aAva RiA-er. The Silent 

 Sisters, there being- two, are a sohd mass of flint rock, 

 diAnded by a narrow channel about 80ft. wide, making an 

 excellent harbor for a smaU sad boat. The cliannel mns 

 almost north and south, and can always be entered frofti 

 one side or the other. This upheaval of rocks at random 

 throAvn has curious conformations, being decidedly irreg- 

 tdar on their surface, with little Mils, valleys, chas'ms, fis- 

 sures, gorges and rifts greeting you on everj'- side, while 

 on the entire islands, which comjiose four or five acres, 

 there is not a IcA^el foot of grotmd. It looks as if the 

 whole face of the flinty maas is scarred, scaled, blotched 

 and disfig-ured, and had been the play grotmd for the 

 lightning freaks from time immemoriaL In its creAdces, 

 where the soil has lodged, a few trees, bushes, shrubs and 

 floAvers have sprung into life. The trees, though, are ex- 

 ceedingly limited in number, there being only one sohtary 

 pine and A-erj' fcAv balsams. Irish moss is CA'-eryAvhere on 

 the rocks. A\-hile as if to add some kind of sustenance to 

 this almost desert place, berry bushes are scattered here 

 and there, which attract a large number of the syh'an 

 A\-arblers. Here, and on the main shore, but half a mile 

 aAA'ay. are splendid trouting a\ titers. Ned, Avho had vis- 

 ited this place some four j^ears ago, stated that he had had 

 unalloyed sport in capturing the scarlet beauties arotmd 

 these islands. 



Concluding to dine before lia\ing the camp put in order 

 Ave so instructed the boatmen, AAdio"at. once turned to with 

 Avilhng hands and soon had the vienu ready and our plat- 

 ters filled smoking hot with the best tiie "camp afforded, 



