496 
FOREST AND STREAM 
[March 27, 1909. 
Off Cat Island. 
Yacht Whim, Anchored off Cat Island, 
March 13 .—Editor Forest and Stream: Little 
did I think when reading about Cat Island in 
Forest and Stream that within six weeks I 
should land on it. 
We reached Gulfport, Miss., March 13 on our 
way, cruising from Rockport, Texas. All that 
part of this most interesting cruise I will leave 
for a later article, dealing now only with Cat 
Island. 
We found Gulfport a good sized town with 
well supplied stores, electric cars and one great 
dock alongside which we lay one night and part 
of the next day, taking in ice, water, gas and 
stores. Cat Island lies about seven miles from 
Gulfport about south by east. 
As' we approached the middle of the north 
shore of the island, we found a bar and anchored 
about 200 yards off that, in water between eight 
and nine feet. Whim drawing four and one-half 
feet we supposed ourselves safe, but as we found 
out later would have done better further out. 
After lunch we put the launch over and went 
inshore, heading for two small houses. Before 
we reached them the water shoaled so that we 
went aground. A man who gave his name as 
Archie Cameron came up to us in a skiff. He 
proved a good man to know. Him we engaged 
to furnish skiff, bait and generally act as guide. 
Getting some mullet for bait we tried trolling 
and still-fishing for sea trout, but after catch¬ 
ing nothing but some miserable catfish we gave 
it up and poled eastward along the shore in very 
shallow water to the mouth of a salt water 
bayou, where the rest of our party were helping 
Cameron run a gill net. The results of two 
sets were one small redfish and an eared grebe. 
Poor thing, it dove and became caught in the 
net. I promptly rescued it and took it into my 
dinghy when it repaid me by pecking sharply 
at my fingers. Placed overboard it swam off 
apparently not very much frightened. Later we 
poled' up this bayou about one and three-quarter 
miles, fishing" in the deep holes for redfish with 
ho success'. 
-On the subject of fish I would say that the 
fish, trout and redfish up to twenty pounds, are 
caught here only in the late spring and summer 
months. Tarpon do not come here except in 
summer and are never plenty. To get any good 
tarpon fishing one must go about fifteen miles. 
March 14.—Last night it came on to blow—a 
real norther they call them here—accompanied 
by heavy rain which poured into our open ports 
and hatches. All hands were routed out to 
close them and got soaked in the process. The 
norther drove the water down about two feet 
and we took bottom and lay rolling and pound¬ 
ing all night. 
About 6 A. M. yells from a friend who occu¬ 
pied the cabin with me roused me, and I opened 
my eyes to see something near my bunk. I am 
not accustomed to seeing redhead ducks in the 
morning on the floor of my room and looked 
carefully a second time. A redhead duck it 
proved to be—nice, fat male redhead, bruised 
about the head when it struck the rigging during 
the blow. Evidently the poor bird had fallen 
on the deck and crawled into a port to hide. 
We christened him Tommie and placed him in 
a box filled with straw. Later we hooked up 
our power and setting sail, clawed off "shore 
into deeper water and lay all day to two anchors 
with heavy wind and sea. 
March 16.—Wind and sea were not so heavy 
and we so decided to go ashore and explore the 
island. We put Tommie in a bath tub of fresh 
water which he seemed to enjoy. We went 
asLore and taking Charlie, who lives on the 
island, as guide, walked about three miles west 
through the center of the island, looking for 
ducks and alligators in the numerous small fresh 
ponds. Saw no ’gators and only one blackhead 
duck. 
Then we crossed to the gulf or south shore 
of the island and returned, meeting the rest 
of the party who had been exploring at the old 
Couevas house, which Cameron and his family 
occupy. Then we went east, seeing one hawk, 
two doves and some black water snakes. One 
large alligator was seen and missed by other 
members of our party. Of course the cold 
weather, which always comes with these north¬ 
ers, prevented the alligators from coming out, 
but I was surprised not to find some ducks. 
To sum up the results of our exploring I 
would say: Cat Island is about seven miles 
long by three-quarters of a mile wide. It runs 
nearly east and west, having its north shore 
somewhat crescent shaped. At the west end is 
Cat Island Light, the east end being high sand 
dunes. The land consists of sandy ridges sepa¬ 
rated by small fresh water bayous. There is a 
heavy growth of good pine and some live oak 
and scrub palmetto. On the eastern end near the 
sand dunes is a good spring of clear water, and 
near the Couevas house a deep well, the water 
of which is red in color, but good. 
Contrary to what I expected, the island has 
no game upon it except raccoons. There are 
no quail, only a few doves, no heron or plume 
bird roost, and almost no salt water marshes 
suitable for shore birds. During the winter 
months ducks and geese visit it as they do all 
the islands of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi 
where there is fresh water. 
I am therefore unable to see why the Audubon 
Society wishes to make a bird reserve of it, and 
the duck shooting would hardly pay a sports¬ 
man being interested when he can get so much 
better shooting elsewhere. On the island I met 
a man who had been thirty years in the lumber 
business. He was investigating the timber, for 
whom he did not say, and assured me there was 
seven million feet of good pine. 
Henry H. Thorp. 
Deer Protection in Alaska. 
Secretary of Agriculture 'Wilson has issued 
the following circular: 
In accordance with authority conferred on 
the Secretary of Agriculture under Section 2 
of the Alaska Game Law (35 Stat., 102), ap¬ 
proved May II, 1908, the following regulations, 
additional to those of Aug. i, 1908, are hereby 
promulgated, to take effect April i, 1909: 
(i) In Southeastern Alaska the season for 
killing deer shall be limited to the period from 
June I to Dec. 15; (2) the sale of deer car¬ 
casses or venison is prohibited except during 
the months of September, October, November 
and December; and (3) the number of deer 
killed by one person during the open season 
shall be limited to twelve. 
First American Shooting Book. 
New York, March 16. —Editor Forest and 
Stream: It may interest some of your readers 
to know of the first book published in 
America on shooting. I have a perfect copy, in 
perfect condition, of the first edition. I do not 
know of the existence of another copy. The 
title page reads as follows: 
THE 
SPORTSMAN’S COMPANION; 
OR, AN : 1 
ESSAY ON SHOOTING, 
Illustriously shewing in what 'Manner to fire at 
Birds of Game, in various Directions and Situa¬ 
tions; 
and. 
Directions to Gentlemen for the Treatment and 
breaking their own Pointers and Spaniels, and 
the necessary Precautions to guard against many 
Accidents that attend this pleasant Diversion; 
with 
Several other useful and. interesting Particulars 
relative thereto, 
[Never before Published] 
BY A GENTLEMAN, 
Who has made shooting his favorite amusement 
upward of Twenty-five Years, in Great Britain, 
Ireland, and North America. 
NEW YORK 
Printed by Robertsons, Mills and Hicks. 
M,DCC,LXXX,III. 
Collation: Three blank leaves, title page, one 
leaf “To the Public,” Preface v-viii, pp. 9-89, 
Index, three blank leaves. 
8vo. uncut. Contemporary half calf. 
On the fly-leaf is the autograph of Thomas 
Doughty, who was probably the publisher of 
“The Cabinet of Natural History and Rural 
Sports.” 
The index. 
which I copy, indicates the 
con- 
tents: 
Address to the Public, Page 
2 
Preface, 
4 
Chapter I. 
Of , the Choice of Pointer 
Pups, training and keeping 
them in Good Health, 
9 
Chap. II. 
Choice of your Gun, Powder 
and Shot, 
22 
Chap. III. 
Taking Aim in various. Di¬ 
rections, and first of the 
Grouse, 
24 
Chap. IV. 
Of Partridge, Quail, mark¬ 
ing in your Game, with 
interesting digressions, and 
other matters, 
36 
Chap. V. 
Of shooting Parties, and 
other matters relative 
thereto. 
48 
Chap. VI. 
Of Improsperous Days for 
Shooting, with instances 
quoted from undoubted 
veracity;—the Causes Ex¬ 
plained and Remedy 
proposed. 
52 
Chap. VII. 
Of Woodcocks, 
58 
Chap. VIII. 
Of Snipe, 
GO 
Chap. IX. 
Of Intimidating or Cowing 
Dogs, with a glaring In¬ 
stance — better treatment 
recommended. 
62 
Chap. X. 
Shooting apparatus recom¬ 
mended; method of Load¬ 
ing, and Precautions to be 
used in returning Home, 
.68 
Chap. XI. 
Of Spaniels in General, 
74 
Chap. XII. 
Of Stealing Game Dogs, with 
a Dialogue, 
77 
