118 
THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 
direct line of aim, is as one to 30, and it may by chance 
occur, “when birds, at even a less distance than one hun- 
dred yards, are struck, and sufficiently hard to kill in- 
stantly,” that the sound of the action of the shot may be 
heard; but does I. T. S. seriously believe that those shot 
which produced this sound are the effective shot? 
Here again, I would refer I. T. S. to the “production 
of sound,” as a basis of my argument against him. In a 
case like this, where ocular demonstration is unavailing, we 
can only come to proof by analogous reasoning on philo- 
sophy; and, in the first place, I would remark that sound 
is created more intensely, frequently, by a weaker, than a 
greater force: as, for instance, the stroke of a woodman 
with his axe against a tree, is heard at a greater distance 
than would the sound produced by a ball propelled by a 
cannon, striking against the same object; or a rifle ball 
thrown by the hand against a board fence, would be heard 
more distinctly, than if propelled by the gun itself; or shot 
thrown on crusted snow, will create a rattling noise, when, 
if impelled by the gun, it is too indistinct to be heard: and 
yet, who does not immediately see the infinite difference 
between the propelling powers; and why does this lesser 
power create more sound than the greater? Simply, be- 
cause, by the action of one body against the other, a vibra- 
tory motion is produced in the air by the two sonorous 
bodies, and thus the sound is wafted to the ear; but in the 
case of the cannon, rifle, or gun, discharging their contents 
against the same bodies, their vibration is destroyed by 
one entering the other. So a bell, by resisting the clapper, 
produces a very great sound; but supposing the clapper 
stuck fast to the bell at every stroke, would one-fourth of 
the sound be produced? No. Then, just so it is with the 
compact feathers of a duck resisting the shot which pro- 
duces the sound so much contended for by I. T S. But 
the effective shot, being impelled with so much force as to 
sink into the flesh (a substance not sonorous) vibration is 
destroyed, and it produces no other sound, than by con- 
densing the air between the two surfaces, which would be 
too indistinct to be heard, even at a very trifling distance. 
I shall conclude my remarks, by observing that, how- 
ever I may differ in my views of the subject from your cor- 
respondent, to receive and compare his ideas, on matters 
connected with the science of Shooting, will ever be a 
source of gratification and pleasure to a 
SPORTSMAN. 
AN EXCURSION TO THE CHESAPEAKE. 
In the fall of the year 1829, C. and myself contemplated 
visiting the Delaware and Chesapeake Canal, to gratify cu- 
riosity in witnessing this important work, and at the same 
time indulge in our favourite amusement of shooting, which 
the neighborhood of the Canal, Back Creek, and the Elk 
River, abundantly affords. We accordingly started, and 
arrived in good condition at Chesapeake City, about two 
o’clock of the same day, much gratified with what we had 
seen, and delighted at the prospect of abundance of game, 
and the after part of the day was spent in reconnoitering 
preparative to an early start the next morning. Having 
received an invitation from our friend Mr. K., (who is the 
owner of some property at a place nearly opposite where 
an attempt is making to raise a city, to be called Bohemia 
City, but known at present by the name of Tick Town) to 
accompany him on a Partridge-shooting excursion, we em- 
braced his offer, and, after a day’s hunt, without any 
thing material occurring, we returned to our hotel, with 
but few birds. 
Concluding the next day would afford us better success, 
we determined to set off early, without a guide, and with- 
out having any particular place of destination in view. Ac- 
cordingly, we started, after an early breakfast, but the 
morning being very cool, and having frozen considera- 
bly the night before, rendered the ground over which we 
walked exceedingly bad, most of it having been newly 
turned by the plough, and towards the middle of the day 
became thawed, which caused it to be slippery, and very 
fatiguing to travel over; this, however, was relieved by oc- 
casionally flushing a covey of birds. About 12 o’clock we 
arrived on the banks of Elk River, the beauty of which 
amply repaid us for our walk. Hunger and thirst now 
laid their heavy hands upon us, having started without 
providing rations for the day, a very unusual circumstance 
with us, as we are firm believers in the doctrine of supply- 
ing the stomach with at least quant, suff., which caused 
us to direct our steps towards the first place likely to fur- 
nish us with refreshments; and after following the river 
several miles, and noting an innumerable quantity of ducks 
with which the river abounds, but entirely out of the range 
of our shot, we brought up to a miserable looking house, 
just as the old woman and her children were preparing to 
sit down to a dinner, composed of such materials as would 
have amply repaid a real disciple of the Epicurean school 
for a walk of such a distance; it was composed of fine Can- 
vass-back and Bald-pate ducks, with coffee. But how great 
was our disappointment, when we found the ducks were 
cooked without a particle of salt, or seasoning of any kind, 
and on asking if they had salt in the house, the answer was 
in the negative: when we were thinking about applying a 
substitute in ashes, as we had somewhere read the Indians 
do, who make use of this as a substitute on their fish — the 
little girl recollected an old fish-barrel was in the cellar, 
