196 
FOREST AND STREAM 
For Forejt and Stream . 
SPORT AROUND ROCHESTER. 
A S I write there is a severe snow storm raging here, 
and about six inches of heavy, slushy snow mantles 
the ground. I mention this fact because but for the storm 
I would at this moment, in all probability, be engaged in 
tbe more congenial employment of waiting for a “dart" of 
red heads or widgeon on lrondequoit Buy. A party of 
"choice and master spirits” (shall I say) had agreed to try 
the points near the "float bridge" to-day. but as there were 
eight or ten miies of hoofing to be done it was thought beet 
not to overtask, and therefore I shall “help waste a sullen 
day" by recounting to the readers of Forest and Stream 
a few incidents of my shooting trips this Spring. 
Many of your readers know that the vicinity of this city 
used to be famous for the sport to be had hereabout with 
rod and gun, and if any of the veterans who made this 
country their tramping ground twenty or thirty years ago 
should read this abroad they will be glad to hear that there 
are still attractions here for fin and feather. A week or two 
ago pigeons flew in fair numbers, and some big bags were 
reported; but it was with a sad shake of the head that the 
"old boys” gazed on the straggling flocks of two or three 
hundred blue backs that would pass now and then, and 
relate with a sigh how in '48 or ’54 “you could &tand on 
a knoll and knock down scores on ’em with a club. Why, 
Seth G used to bring in five or six hundred u day. The 
flocks would darken the sky, and take hours to pass." It 
was not my fortune to get on their line of flight at the 
right time this year, and I cannot boast of much sport with 
them. With other and more gurney birds I was more for- 
tunate. 
One day, while out with A. B. L, after anything that 
might be legally shot, we found at the end of our shoot 
our bags well tilled with fine Wilson snipe. We found a 
wisp on a piece of good ground, but they were as wild as 
hawks, for two youths had been blazing at them the pre- 
vious day without other effect than to scare them. How- 
ever, between the sagacity of Roy and the fact that his 
followers were not novices at the art of stopping a snipe, 
we left none of that wisp to mourn. After clearing the 
6nipe ground it was determined to stop at a certain piece of 
woods where a small pond is known to attract ducks. As 
we cautiously made our way through the underbrush that 
surrounds the spot, the cracking of a twig startled two 
brace of mallards while we were still too fur off to expect 
our shot to tell. The birds were going away through the 
tree tops in fine style, when I determined to chance it, as I 
fortunately had in one charge of No. 4. "Fortune smiles 
upon the brave;" at least she did this time, and we had 
the pleasure of seeing a fine mallard topple over, and in a 
moment more, through the assistance of Roy, rest at our 
feet. The bird wa9 knocked insensible, but recovered sud- 
denly and made a dash for liberty, which A. B. L. frus- 
trated by a hasty shot. Putting out the duck on the pool, 
with a twig to keep the head in position, we waited a few 
minutes and were rewarded by a brace of black ducks 
darling; they were quickly done for, and as the shades of 
evening were falling about that time we took to the buggy 
and had a pleasant ride home. 
The best sport I have had this year was on last Saturday, 
and if my tale does not weary I will relate it. G. W. par- 
ticipated with me, and well earned a place in the story. 
G. is an enthusiast, and whether the subject be the rig of 
a yacht or the best plan of hooking a pickerel, lie will not 
admit that there is much for him to learn about it. I have 
had a suspicion that G. does more shooting "in his mind's 
eve, Horatio," than with his big gun, but as he is a good 
fellow, has a handy ducking boat and a fleet of excellent 
decoys, I thought we could have some sport with the Arum 
family in lrondequoit. 
Arrived at the "float bridge," the proprietor of the tav- 
ern, Billy Monk, cheered us with the information that there 
were "slews” of duck9 in the bay. The report was soon 
confirmed by ocular proof, and we made haste to get at 
them. G., who never does things by halves, prepared his 
big gun for bloody work. This gun, like the Heathen 
(Jhiuee, is peculiar. Its gauge is No. 3, weight, fifteen 
pounds, and the barrel only thirty inches long. On the 
present occasion its owner charged it with two drachms of 
{ >owder, and two or three ounces of BB. G. waived the 
lonor of the first shot in my favor, and paddled me up to 
within two or three hundred yards of a large flock #f ducks; 
they rose, and I fired a shot heard around the bay if not 
"uround the world,” but touched never a feather. I wus 
disgusted at the action and reaction of the piece, and im- 
mediately determined on a change of tactics. We then set 
the decoys in position, ensconced ourselves back of a blind 
and awaited events. We had not long to wail when six 
widgeon, or bald pates, launched in among the decoys. 
G. was getting some flags, and I had to content myself 
with three birds, two with the first barrel and one as they 
rose. When G. got ilie blind down to suit him, and settled 
down to work, it was not long before we had a fine pile 
and quite a variety of ducks— widgeon, blue bills, teal, pin 
tails, and butter balls. We shot eighteen aud lost four. 
With breech loaders the latter would have been saved, aud 
the bag easily doubled. I am afraid that if Bergli had 
been around, *my comrade would ere this have lamented 
bis style of traiuing a retriever. He had a young water 
spaniel along that would fetch a glove, etc., well enough 
on land, but he did not know what was wanted of him on 
the water, and when his master ordered him to biiug in 
some ducks he stood stock still. G. could not bear such 
apparent obstinacy, aud picking up an oar walloped the 
poor beast unmercifully. I shouted at him to stop, for the 
dog was not to blame, and was about to interfere ct el armis 
when the our split in two aud G.’s anger subsided. My 
indignation at G.'s conduct was smothered by the absurdi- 
ty of his picking the animal up and throwing him at the 
ducks. It was a scene never to be forgotten. Hawker, 
Youatt, and Forester could all, hud they been there, have 
taken a lesson in dog breaking. On reflection, and after 
a short argument, G. admitted that his plan was not the 
beat to develop the retrieving powers of his canine, and 
after a restoration of peace, with mutual pledges at the 
mouth of a "pocket pistol,” we took in our decoys and 
got back to the tavern, where we were patronizingly as- 
sured that we had "done very well for boys.” 
By the way, in his "Natural History of the State of New 
York,” DeK-ay says that the widgeon, or bald pale, is com- 
paratively scarce in this State. His assertion does not 
agree with our experience of the 17th iuslant, 09 there 
were flocks of them iu every direction. I shall try for 
them again in a day or two, and if successful may report. 
Jtochaiter, JVew York, April 25fA, 1875. E. R. 
DEEDS OF VALOR. 
A SEQUEL 'TO THE TAI.E OF HOLLOW LAKE. 
T HE enclosed note is primafacie a sufficient apology 
for my vengeance. I recognized "E. W’s." nccouut 
in yonr paper, of our Canadian trip to Hollow Lake last 
Autumn, but the omission of "The glories and beauties of 
Kimball's Island," either by accident or design, is to cur- 
tail one’s honor, as Artemas Ward said, ns much as "to go 
to war, be killed, then have your name spelled wrong in the 
papers:” — 
New York, March 10th, 1675. 
My Dear Jackson. 
1 aend you a copy of the Forrst and Stream with my }nurnnl marked 
"E. W , and it line been a eourco of poignant regret that I didn't en- 
large on the glories and beauties of Klmhall'a Island, of imperishable re- 
nown for deeds of valor. Dearly Youre. 
Raynor. 
What "E. W.” tells us so beautifully is all true, but un- 
less my eyes deceive ine, the record is but half made. With 
your permission I will tell the other half of the true story as 
I saw It. The Toronto and Nipissing Railway is compara- 
tively a new road running almost north, ninety miles from 
Toronto. Dwight, the captain of our parly, aud a director 
in the Toronto and Nipissing Railroad Company, invited 
us to occupy the director’s car, and it was attached to the 
train for our special benefit. When the director’s car goes 
over the road, if it does not carry "Royal blood," it at least 
is expected to have that which is blue-, and we were treated 
accordingly. In striking contrast was my trip home. I 
had a saddle of venison in a bag for Dwight, and when I 
had to pay my fare, and ride in common cars like any other 
Yankee, it was with considerable difficulty that I got the 
baggage maq to take the bag, even for a director. "Carn't 
do that, you know. Carn’t take it. aboard without an 
border from the hageut, you know.” 
At Coboconk, the northern terminus of the road, is a 
very good hotel, the Shedden House; the chief corner of 
which is devoted to tbe bar — and the corner stone of the 
bar is whisky. Now Raynor, I don't object to yonr hot 
night-caps in camp, but if it won't make a man temperate 
to travel through the newly settled portion of Canada, then 
there is no hope for him. Wheucver a new town or vil- 
lage is laid out, the first thing planted is a whisky shop- 
one on each corner, and if corners as scarce, they put in 
two. Our day’s journey thence to Barnum’s is well told 
by "E. W." and I will not enlarge upon it. At Barnum’s 
we found real good home folks. They did all they could 
to make us happy, and they succeeded admirably, in fact 
they really smothered us with kindness. We shall always 
recommend them to our friends going that way. When I 
was a boy I went with mother to her father's home, a log- 
hut in the northern part of Vermont. Barnum’9 is just 
such a home, full of warm hearts. The night was hot, 
sultry, cloudy and dark. We had their best beds, two of 
them in a little room under the roof — gieat soft feather 
beds. Four tired fellows. Iu bed — slap! "Wliat’s that, 
Theodore!*” "Nothing hut a bat,’’— but somehow bats 
were not conducive to sleep, to me. It was nearly nine 
o’clock when we went to bed. About midnight the rain 
began to patter on the roof; it seemed almost morning. 
Soon old Barnum came in and shut the only little window- 
in the room. Good gracious! Four men hcrmetrically 
sealed up in feather bed9 and blankets in a close, hot, raiuy 
night! 1 1 was their very best — what more could we ask? 
I only tell you of it to show the coutrast with "E. W.'s 
modern improvements at home. 
The next night at dnrk, ns "E. W. ” tells you, we were on 
the beautiful mirror-like Hollow Lake. Part of our com- 
pany had preceded us. Three miles out we fired a signal 
gun— then another and another. Soon there was a 
little spark, like a star in the horizon; then a bright blaz- 
ing tire in Wiman’s Cove to guide us home. I thought of 
the Sabbath school song, "A light in the window.” Now 
I think it is nice to hear Sabbath school songs. You are 
better able to appreciate such beautiful spots of the world 
as Hollow Lake — just as God made it, where man has never 
spoiled its beauty by cutting the trees and building houses. 
It is sublime! Just as the light grew bright, one of the 
party struck up the song, aud it was joined iu by the 
others. 
"Then on. perseverlngly on. brother, 
Till from conflict and suffering fiee: 
Bright angel* now beckon yon over the stream, 
There's a light in the window for thee." 
A warm welcome we received in camp, aud right glad 
were we to get there. After a good night’s rest, we were 
eager for a huut. Taking our canoes, guides and dogs, 
we put out in different directions. Old Barnum generally 
had the best luck; so he favored me by taking me in his 
canoe. Oaksie took Theodore, and we all went to Long 
Lake; a beautiful sheet of water, (you will notice these 
lukes are all beautiful, to think about, in New York,) some 
three miles long by about a mile wide; it is from one to 
two miles north of Hollow Luke. About a mile from the 
eastern end of Long Lake is a beautiful island — tliut is 
Kimball’s Island, a great place for deer! If you look on 
the map you will notice that the country is surveyed only 
about oue hundred aud fifty miles north of Lake Ontario, 
and one of the northern townships is Livingstone. What 
there is uorth of that is not put down; that is the reason 
you don’t know where Kimball’s Island is. Long Lake is 
just over tbe line north of Livingstone. Barnum put the 
dogs iu ; then we paddled over to the island. Theodore 
went to a point about a half a mile further off. In twenty 
minutes more we saw a little dark spot about as large as a 
duck quietly moving toward us. Barnum was quick to 
discover that it was a deer swimming with his head just 
out of water, but as I had never been to war, how could I 
tell? Unduuuled, we began to prepare for battle, aud just 
here is where the "deeds of vulor” come in. In the first 
r lace we stooped down and kept quiet about teu minutes. 
am sure it was more than a minute. This was an act of 
humanity to the deer; it would have been "cruelly to an- 
imals" to have frightened it to death without the benefit of 
the clergy, that is, without being killed as a clergyman 
would kill it. It swam on by the islaud, and we paddled 
on after it. Baruuin soon overtook it. I don't mean, of 
course, that he was right up to it so he could put his 
bauds on his nose as we do in Prospect Park; we were too 
much of sportsmen for that; besides I had a new Creed- 
moor rifle, and we did'nt need to get very near. So when 
we were the usual distance, 9ay ten, ten and a half or 
eleven feet from the deer, having my courage well screwed 
up, and after repealed cautions from Barnum, I raised my 
rifle — fired — dead! the fawn, wild and vicious as a lamb! 
Don’t ask me if I did t feel ashamed. It was enough glory 
for me for one day ; so we retired in good order to the is- 
land. The death knell of the thousand yard cartridge 
broucht Theodore over to view the dead, and congratulate 
the slayer. It was my first and lost deer. It was too quick 
work for the hounds, so they put out again. An hour later 
a fine buck came plunging iuto the lake, closely pursued. 
Now it was Theodore's turn. Having no loss courage than 
I, he pushed out toward the infuriated wild animal. We 
followed close after to pick him up should he get hurt. 
He had too fine a sensibility of wlmt is due from a sports- 
man to his game to allow his guide to hold the buck by the 
tail, so wlieu some five or six feet from him, ho pulled trig- 
ger and crimsoned the water with his blood; that is, the 
deer's blood. 
The next day was Sunday. On Monday Lyman and Eas- 
son took their guides, dogs and double barrelled shot guns 
and went to Kimball's Island. It was not long before they 
too had an opportunity to distinguish themselves. Tile 
deer seemed somewhat ahead, although the dogs were very 
close on them. Easson followed ou in his canoe and Ly- 
man not far behind. Easson let drive one barrel ; he pulled 
trigger for the other— no fire; he laid the gun up over his 
arm, by and bye it went off. Nobody hurt ou either side. 
Then Lvman fired with good effect into the left ear of the 
game; his ramrod stuck so he could't re load. Then the 
nogs tore off the right ear. Then the guides took turns in 
beating the deer's head under water with their paddles. 
They all got into camp that night, but it was never decided 
who killed that doe. Kimball’s Island is a great place 
for deer! 
Will is a grand good fellow; too kind hearted for a hunts- 
man, and although he delights, and has spent several vaca- 
tions in the woods, yet he never took a rifle or shot a deer. 
I was determined, for conscience sake that he should bear 
his share this time. Bo this Monday morning my guide 
took him into our canoe, and I went along with iliein to 
see the sport? We landed at a poiut on Bear Island, in 
full sight of our camp. In a half an hour the "music" of 
the hounds warned us to look out. In ten minutes more a 
magnificent great buck came leaping, pluuging, splashing 
into the lake. A beautiful sight — what a shame to kill 
hiinl After he was well by us, we paddled on after. 
When we got up to about the "usual distance,” Will salu- 
ted him. When I play billiards, if my ball goes so you 
can tell what 1 played - for, I feel encouraged. Bo it was 
with Will — he came very near the nose, which caused the 
buck to turn a sharp angle. So we hard-a-port with our 
paddles and followed on. Soon Will blazed away again, 
but this lime you couldn’t tell what Jtc did play for; so the 
deer wheeled again. We ditto on the starboard side. 
Bang! again and again— no count! Iu the meantime the 
demonstrations of Kilmer and Eugene in caiup, showed 
they enjoyed the manteuvering of the "men of war." The 
sixth shot he scratched and the "game" was out. As we 
were paddling ashore, you should have seen the astonish- 
ment of Will, when I 6aid, ‘Tam going home to-morrow, 
do you want to send anylhing down?" 
"What are you going home for?" 
"In the first place 1 have had all of this kind of recrea- 
tion I need this year — and in the second place, before I left 
New York, 1 went “short" of Lake Bhoro to pay my ex- 
penses, and the last quotation I saw it was up several points, 
and had a "rising tendency" and I feel a little nervous." 
So that evening after the boys were in camp, all were 
very busy writing letters and telegrams to send to the loved 
ones at home. Early next morning Charley and John, 
(Barnum) two stout good fellows, one in each end of one 
of their best canoes, with light hearts aud willing hands, 
sat waiting for mo. As I stepped from the shore, the boys 
were all so kind as to give mo a hearty regretful udieu. At 
five o’clock in the afternoon we were at William Barnaul's 
home. The next day, W ednesday, was lumber wagon, 
rocks, corduroy, whiskey. 
I met Barker, of Pittsfield, on his wagon, at Coboconk, 
where he took bis cauoe out of his truuk, put it together, 
and gave me a ride ou the lake by moonlight at eleven 
o'clock at night. 
Those who read the money articles in our New York 
dailies must be impressed with the idea that each writer is 
a "bull" or "bear" himself, or writing in the interest of 
one. That is to say, that everything said must bo to appre- 
ciate or to depreciate the market; and a9 "E. W." lias 
been bulling Canadian sporting trips, to keep up the bear 
side I must select from my diarv, for it won't do to have 
our ground Murray-Adirondacked. 
“Sunday, Sept. 20th, 1874. 
Lust night the wind changed, blowing fresh nud v^rv cold right into 
camp. Tu-day It la unpleasant and disa^reeshle enough. My heart and 
thoughts are at home with my wife and children, and F wish I were there 
too.’" 
I shiver a9 I remember that night. I woke nearly frozen, 
wrapped up in my blanket, oil the cold dump grouud, (it 
had been raining a great deal). 1 began to put on what 
"extras" I had with me. In the morning I found myself 
inside of two pair of woolen stockings uud a pair of moc- 
casins, two pairs of red flannel drawers, two pairs of panls, 
two red flannel undershirts and two outside flanoel shirts, 
a vest, eoat and overcoat. That is all you need to take; 
just enough to keep warm in a cold night, after the camp 
fire is out. The last Sunday I spent in the woods, before 
this, we were camped near some beautiful falls on the 
Muskoka. Father was with us, and as be practices at 
home, so he does away. It was a warm pleasant day. I 
shall uever forget the beautiful religious services in which 
lie led us. After he had gathered us all around him on a 
big rock by the river, he read from the scriptures. We sang 
"Shall we gather a: the river 
Where bright angel feet tiuvo trod; 
With lf« crysiul Ude forever 
Flowing by the tliorno of Godl" 
And then he asked God’s blessing on our pleasures. 
Our guides, who were Indians, were there with us, and 
they needed praying for the most of auy guides we ever 
had. One of them got beastly drunk before we got home; 
but lie soon after became as Saxe says, "a stiff cold water 
man at last." He fell out of his canoe— he don’t paddle 
now — there isn't any water "there.” But to-day, if there 
is auy praying doue, each does it for himself. No wonder 
it is chilly all around. 
What it Coats . — From New York to Hollow Lake it takes 
four day's time, five hundred miles of cur ride, iwenty-flve 
miles of stagiug, (if you dou’t care what you call it) over 
the roughest ol rocky and corduroy roads, about thirty 
miles of flat boating and the same number canoeing, which 
is good, and the same, of course, to get home. The ex- 
penses of the trip are about one hundred dollars, if you 
don’t go short of Lake Shore to pay it; if you do that, it 
