August 7 , 1875. 
283 
a height of 4,530 feet— little more than 800 feet below 
the height of Mt. Marcy — the sun had set. A division 
of opinion as to the proper course now arose; for the 
guides asserted that it was now too late to descend. 
W e had not a particle of water, the work had teen ex- 
haustive, and our thirst was becoming unendurable. 
This decided the question, and we resolved to descend 
till we found water. * ■*■ * Off the trail — in dark- 
ness — descending cliffs — across holes and chasms — on 
dead fallen timber — feeling, not seeing, we made our 
way down to water, a narrow, swift rill, shooting down 
over the rocks and precipices. "We crept down amid 
danfrer which we often suddenly felt when it was almost 
too late to recoil. Our pocket lanterns — when the ground 
became such that one hand was at liberty — were of 
great assistance. It was 1 o’clock in the morning when 
the moon came to our aid, and we emerged from the 
forest, having successfully effected our descent. 
On August" IS), the explorers witnessed from the sum- 
mit of Nipple Top Mountain an atmospheric phenome- 
non surpassing the famed spectre of the Brocken. The 
gorgeous sunshine streaming on the distant cirro-cumu- 
lus clouds below produced a rare effect. Suddenly, 
starting with surprise, our mingled shouts arose, for on 
the breast of the cloud each saw’ his own form, the head 
surrounded b}’ a rich anthelia, a circular glory of pris- 
matic colors, the renowned “"[Jlloa’s rings,” which that 
philosopher beheld from the summit of the Pambamar- 
ca. Not one of the mountain-guides had ever seen or 
heard of such sight before. It was gone all too quickly, 
yet it seemed as though nature were reveling in splen- 
dors, for the clouds vanishing in the west, a sierra of 
mountain crags wa.s uncurtained, torn, rugged and wild, 
above all w hich rose Ta-ha-wus, “ Cleaver of the Clouds.” 
Reaching Oven Lake, another large new lake not on, 
majis, we took a few barometrical observations from 
which the altitude is computed at 2,025 feet above tide. 
This lake was nearly frozen to the centre, but after fer- 
rying us across, we having first to cut a way through 
the ice, two of the guides concluded that they would 
rather break their w ay with boat through the ice the 
length of the lake, than carry the baggage and boat 
through the dense, tangled forest, full of fallen timber 
and thickets; feeling confident of their ability to do this, 
they were permitted to proceed. For a lime they dis- 
tanced us; for while we had crept slowly along the shore, 
they had advanced nearly to the centre of the lake. Here 
it was their misfortune to strike thick ice a crush and iarge 
opeuing in the boat below water-line. Attracted by 
their .shouts we descended to the shore to see men, stores, 
everything in danger of loss. Unable to assist them, we 
couid onl}' shout encouragements. By quicklj' shifting 
their baggage to the stern, they brought the gash above 
water; iTui the inclosing ice w'ould not yield, and in get- 
ting out and endeavoring to draw’ the boat upon it, we 
saw w’ith agitation, first one and then the Other break 
through into the icy water. They’ at length, after danger 
and labor, wearying to describe, effected a lauding; and 
though shivering, wet, icy and weary, were ready to re- 
sume the march. 
Sales of Pointers and Setters by .\HOtion, 
BY KERNEL. 
On Saturday, .Tuly 10, Messrs. Aldridge, of St. Mar- 
tens Lane. London, offered a Jot of pointers and setters 
for sale. Among them were Mr. Blinkhorn’s kennel 
of pure Laveracks, the best of w’hich was Victress, a 
sister of Countess, Neliie, etc. She was secured by Mr. 
L. n. Smith, of Slrathroy, at the recommendation of 
Mr. Teasdale Buckell. The others, w’ith the exception 
of two Irish setters of Mr. Llewelliu’s breed, made very 
bad prices, Mr. Lloyd Price’s lot only going at an aver- 
age of five guineas. 
On Tuesday, July 13, Messrs. Tattersall were to have 
disposed of sixty setters and pointers. Am.mg them 
drafts from the kennels of Lord Dow’ne, Lord Sefton, 
Lord Feversham, Mr. Llewellin, Mr. Lonsdale, Jfr. 
Staffer and Mr. Armstrong, but unfortunately the train 
from London broke dow’n, consequently there were 
hardly any buyers present; the result was that nearly 
the w’hole lot were bought in. ^Mr. ILlewellin’s, and 
the rest which were advertised to be sold w’ilhout re- 
serve, were almost given away, and only one dog (Dia- 
mond), own brother to the Shrewsbury winner, Sam, 
brought a fair price — seventy guineas. 
THE NORTH WOODS. 
(Correspondence of Syracnec Journal.) 
We arrived at No. 4 on the evening of our first day 
out, where w e found no fewer than thirteen people hail- 
ing from Syracuse, among whom were Judge ^lorgan, 
T. B. Fitch, and Dwigiit Bruce and family. We spent 
a pleasant evening w’ith tiiem, not forgetting to intro- 
duce euciire in the services. I need only say the A — 
luek w’as on the side of tiie opposition. Next day we 
walked to Stillwater, arriving there at noon, and taking 
dinner w’ith “ mine host” Wardwell, w’ho hadn’t time” 
to eatch any trout, but feasted us with the remains of a 
deer that had attempted to pass the muzzle of his gun a 
day or two previous. After having partaken of his 
bounty we wended our w’ay up the Beaver River, stop- 
ping at the slough (four miles from Stillwater), w’here 
W’e caught trout enough for a good hungry supper and 
breakfast. More had we done but for the familiar stereo- 
type admonition of Commissary R , “Come, boj’s, 
reel up, no more fishing to-day.” The commissary is as 
jealous of the sporting rights of the denizens of these 
old woods and streams as though the}* were his private 
park and fish ponds. In the generous spirit of a true 
sportsman he admits and insists that 
“ Th^easts of game 
The privilege of chase may claim” — 
and never lends his approval to the killing of more than 
the demands of appetite limit. We struck Burnt Lake 
Camp (ten miles from Ward well’s) about 6 P. m.. and in 
an hour our guides announced supper, and we felt that 
our “vagabond” life had fairly begun. Next day — 
Thursday — w’e reached Smith’s lake; total catch of the 
party up the river being 120 brook trout, and aU con- 
sumed. Friday was devoted to “moving in” and “house 
cleaning,” and could you see us to-day you would mar- 
vel at the change in Camp Syracuse since you saw it. 
Saturday I went dow’n the river and returned with trout 
enough for Sunday, finding, however, the fishing in the 
usual places along the lake rather poor. 
Monday morning we began our e.xpeditions. Taking 
our small tent along w’e visited Mud Pond and Salmon 
Lake, where we found trout and venison in abundance. 
As an instance: On returning yesterday, as w’e rounded 
a bend of the river, or what is termed the west branch 
of Salmon Lake, there stood, in all the piide of antler- 
crowned majesty, a kingly buck, within six rods of us ! 
I was in the bow, the commissary centre, the guide stern 
with the paddle. Commissary would not pass me the gun, 
neither would he shoot, simply because we already had 
all and more than all the venison we could consume. 
And now for the part of the tale (not the deer’s) you 
can scarcely credit. By good paddling and perfect 
stillness we actually “floated” w’ithin thirty feet of the 
deer, who seemed completely spell bound, and for fully 
two long minutes man and beast faced each other. Then 
I was seized with an irresistible temptation to make a 
cast for him with my fly rod ! Away, like a flash, 
bounded the deer, and away, like another flash, went 
my fly tip ! I will show you the splinters on my return. 
I think I may lay claim to having caught the first deer 
ever taken with a fly; but alas ! I couldn’t land him. 
There is a party here of five green sportsmen with 
four guides camping on Albany Lake, who remind me 
of some other green w’oodmen you know of. Each 
brought with him a huge iron anchor and quantities of 
other useful furniture for life in the greenwood, it 
taking two teams to tote their tuffie through to Ward- 
w’eil’s. They called on us yesterday and seemed quite 
thankful when our party divided with them, as they 
have been living mainly off their set lines. They said 
their guide had been trying to kill a deer, and doubtless 
the slaughter will take place if a deer happens to call at 
their camp and requests to be shot — not otherwise. You 
see, there’s considerable “human nater ” in guides; 
they prefer bacon or pork, and when they have a green 
party they discourage the idea of e.xpeditions through 
thQ wilder districts, where the work of “carrying” is 
much harder than through the old beaten paths ; they 
object, when they can, to “ bad trails,” though they 
know’, to secure good fishing |and hunting, it is neces- 
sary to leave the regular water courses. Were this not 
their general propensity they— would not be guides. 
Game was once abundant in this neighborhood, but 
colonization and wild game do not fraternize. There 'is 
another party trying hard to enjoy life in the camp you 
occupied — about such a patty a.s yours ; they are living 
on what they brought in (not anchors, I believe, in this 
case), and, I suspect, will be mighty glad to have us 
•supply them. They have not yet had a deer, and as 
Commi.ssary consents to our shooting another on con- 
dition that we get fairly rid of stock on hand, P. has 
gone over to see about presenting said party with 
rations. The black flies have left, but plenty of punkies 
and mosquitoes remain, though we do not find them 
trouble.some. 
The first duty of the guides, when we strike camp, is 
to build three or four smudges which disposes of the 
flies, then one prepares for dinner (or supper), while the 
others fell a tree and strip it of “ brow’se ” for beds and 
fuel for the camp fire, which is kept up all night. I 
sleep soundly in my camp bed, never waking till I hear 
the toot of the mellow horn for breakfast. The “ horn ” 
referred to is open at both ends ; there is another sort, 
with which you are not wholly unacquainted as a pre- 
liminary to breakfa.st, which has a solid bottom ; this 
latter I do not refer to. 1 eat as much for breakfast 
here as in a whole day at home, and even there I’m con- 
sidered as rather handy with ft knife and fork. Y. 
A FAMILY OF LIONS. 
Perhaps the most beautiful sight that I ever saw in 
connection with them w’as on a morning when I had 
come out to hunt with one bearer at dawn. I had not 
gone far from camp, and most carelessly, my gun was 
still unloaded while I was examining some buffalo 
spoor, wheHj on looking up, I saw my gun bearer, who 
had my cartridges, running away at full speed. Know- 
ing that he must have seen something to frighten him 
so, I did not shout, but went to where he had been 
standing, a few yards ahead, and there, sure enough, 
not twenty yards off, were a pair of lions ; they were 
both full grown, and the male had an immense mane, 
and they formed altogether as handsome a pair as I ever 
saw. The lioness was rolling on her back, playfully 
striking at her lord and master with her forepaws like a 
kitten, while he stood bravely and majestically looking 
on. I stopped a moment to look at them, though the 
ground was quite open, and they must have .seen me if 
they had looked round, and then I rushed off after my 
Kattir to load. The position they w’ere in was good, 
and I might have killed one to a certainty, if not both; 
but when I had succeeded in getting him down from the 
top of a big tree and went back, they had gone. I sup- 
pose they must have got our wind. No doubt they had 
been hunting all night, and had been dow’n to the river 
to drink preparatory to going to bed. 
1 once had the pleasure of, unobserved myself, watch- 
ing a lion family feeding. I was encamped on the 
Black Umfolosi, Zulzuland, and toward evening, expect- 
ing a friend, I went out to meet him, and instead of tak- 
ug a gun, which I should have done ninety-niue times 
out of a hundred, I only took up one of the Kaffir’s 
spears, not intending to go beyond a couple of hundred 
yards. However, not meeting my frieuil, I w’ent on 
and at abont half a mile from camp I saw a herd of 
zebras galloping across toward me, and when they were 
nearly two hundred yards off, I saw’ a yellow body flash 
toward the leader, and I saw him fall beneath the lion’s 
weight. There was a tall tree about sixty yards from 
the place, and anxious to see what went on, I stalked 
up to it, while the lion W’as too much occupied to look 
about him, and climbed up. He had by this time quite 
killed the beautifully-striped animal, but instead of pro- 
ceeding to eat it, he got up and roared vigorously, until 
there was an answer, and in a few minutes a lioness, ac- 
companied by four whelps, came trotting up from the 
fame direction as the zebra, which no doubt she had 
been to drive toward her husband. They formed a fine 
picture as they all stood around the carca.ss, the whelps 
tearing and biting at it, but unable to get through the 
tough skin. Then the lion lay down, and the lioness, 
driving her offspring before her, did the same four or 
five yards off ; upon which he got up, and commenc- 
ing to eat, had soon finished a hind leg, retiring a few 
yards on one side as soon as he had done so. The lion- 
ess came up next and tore the carcass to shreds, bolting 
huge mouthfuls, but not objecting to the w’helpsealingas 
much as they could find. There was a good deal of 
snarling and quarreling among these young lions, and 
occasionally a stand-up fight for a minute, but their 
mother did not take any notice of them, except to give 
them a smart blow* with her paw if tliey got in her way. 
At last one of the whelps, having probably eaten as 
much as it could gorge, began to wander about, and in 
a few minutes came my war*. Seeing it so near, the 
idea of catching it entered riiy head, and descending to 
the low’er branch, I waited till it came underneath, and 
dropped down over it, seizing it with both hands; but I 
had counted without my host; the little beast snarled 
and bit at my bare arm.s in such a fashion that I wa.s 
glad to fling it away, and scuttle up the tree again as 
fast as I could out of the way of the enraged nicther, 
W’ho was coming down at full gallop, her tail carried 
straight behind, and looking the very personification of 
fury. She rushed right against the tree in her blind 
fury, and then running up, glared at me and roared ter- 
ribly. I might easily enough have sent mj’ spear into 
her, but as there was not the faintest chance of its kill- 
ing her, and it w’ould tinswer no u.seful purpose, I rt- 
frained, and watched her instead as she flew at her off- 
spring, and drove it, yelling at her rough treatment, 
toward the others. There w’as now left of the zebra 
but a few bones, which hundreds of vultures were* 
circling round, wanting to pick, w’hile almost an equal 
number hopped aw’kwardly on the ground within fifty 
or sixty yards of it; and the w’holc lion family walked 
quietly away, the lioness leading, and the lion, often 
turning his' head to see that they w’ere not followed, 
bringing up the rear . — Large Game in S. E. Africa. 
The Ceres Grange of Colorado recently passed a very 
sound resolution, which places them in the van for 
common sense as w’ell as humanity: We, the members 
of this grange, w’ill use all means in our power to pre- 
vent the killing of birds of all kinds, within our juris- 
diction, and that w’c pledge ourselves, as a grange and 
as individuals to enforce the present law’ now’ in force 
against the killing of the same. 2d. That w’e will 
prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, all persons 
found trespassing upon our grounds shootint^ birds or 
game of any kind. 
